Merry Christmas!

It's late Christmas Eve, or more specifically really early Christmas morning. The house is quiet other than Sammy's paws as he follows me around, excited we are home.

We spent the better part of the day 2-11pm at my parents house. We had traditional snacks, there was some game play to pass the afternoon, yummy lasagna dinner, presents, family interactions and of course dessert! It was as lovely a time as can be had with 2 10 year olds who are hyped up on sugar and caffeine (Mountain Dew, really?) that want to open presents. Two memorable moments come to mind from the day... my mom went upstairs where the 3 boys were playing on the computer. She thought they were on Farmville (a Facebook game) and said they could open her gifts (there is a virtual tree with gifts to open on the game)... Jack & Logan got so excited about opening gifts that when she clarified her offer (they could play her online game for her) they were really bummed and Jackson said "you just don't say that to kids Grandma". Then later Logan opened his gift from us and found a Jeff Dunham dvd he wanted. Jackson has had this on his list for over a year... he was super upset that Logan got it first looking me straight in the eye, arms thrown up in the air "really??", but I am sure by morning he'll be totally fine with the situation once he opens his.

I actually forgot my camera so I used moms new camera. Hopefully she'll bring it with her tomorrow and I can upload the card and share some photo's with you all. I better get to bed or Santa won't stop by.... Merry Christmas everyone!

Many reasons to be thankful!

*I am thankful that these folks (Aunt Lulu, Michael, my cousin Roger, Pam & Ella) were able to spend the day with us
*I am thankful for good times spent chatting after dinner, just sitting around the table
* I am thankful for cousins... big & small
*I am thankful for my parents and the love they share with their grandkids everyday, not just on holidays
*I am thankful for days spent playing together (and a kiddo who loves scrabble!!)
*I am thankful for the opportunity to serve my family, the opportunity to help in preparing our meal


***Thanksgiving 2009 was a great day. Lots of food, fun and family. Little stress or worry. For that I am truly thankful.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, today was going to be a day full of this & that errands... but as luck would have it the other car wouldn't start and so my car took Jonathan to work. That meant kids had to tough the cold morning and make sure they were ready to go in time to get to school on their own.. which they do almost every other day, but they always have me as a backup if things go awry. It also means I am home all day -which I am enjoying so far and I am happy to report that I have actually gotten quite a few things done.

I am heading to Dallas on Thursday for a retreat (I am super excited about it too!) and so it was more important than ever to have a meal plan ready for the week. So here goes...

Sunday -Turkey pot pie
Monday- pork chops w/ mashed potatoes, gravy and peas (make extra potatoes for Shepards Pie)
Tuesday - chili (X2)with cornbread (brown extra meat for Shepards Pie)
Wednesday -chicken parmesan (X2) with mashed potatoes, corn
Thursday -shepards pie (made Tuesday)
Friday - Chili dogs
Saturday - Hamburgers w/ potato salad
Sunday -chicken parmesan with penne

I have pictures to post from Thanksgiving --but my computer time is up. I'll be back later today or tomorrow with the weekend report.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have reached Thanksgiving Day 2009! I can hardly believe what the next 6 weeks will bring..

• a great celebration today my family plus special guests Aunt Lulu, Michael, Roger, Pam & Ella!
• holiday shopping season kicking off on Black Friday (of course we'll be heading out looking for some deals)
• a retreat in Dallas, Texas next weekend with my Premier girlfriends... a full 3 days of jewelry, girl talk, shopping and fashion fun!
• my honey and I will turn 38 so there will be family dinners & special times
• the weather is turning cold so we'll have cozy nights around the fireplace and hot tea
• lots of together time ....playing games, watching movies, just being together
  
• Christmas will be here before we know it
• then comes 2010!!!

Today I am thankful for the many blessings I have in my life. I am blessed with a wonderful family who are healthy and happy. I am grateful to have my extended family close by (although there is still a house for sale across the street.. hint, hint) and others far away who are a part of my life. I am surrounded by friends I love and trust -who support me through whatever is going on. I am truly blessed with love and for that I am very thankful.

What does it mean to be thankful? I'm not talking about being polite after someone opens the door for you. I'm talking about feeling thankful for the true blessings in your life. '"True Blessings" mean the things in your life that resonate importance in your life - the things that touch your core.

You may be wondering why it's important to feel thankful. Oprah talked about this concept a few years ago and she suggested having a thankfulness journal. This is a great idea because it keeps us focused on the positives in our lives. It helps us see the great things we have and do, and puts our frustrations and worries into perspective. But even if you don't have a journal, you can see the benefits of being conscious of your blessings - again, keeping focused on the great and wonderful things in our lives.

How does being thankful affect your life? Let's look at it in terms of someone you may know. Imagine the person who is usually in a bad mood. They are always complaining about something, there is always someone who's done something to them and they're always getting the bum deal. This person is hard to be around and it takes a lot of energy to maintain a relationship with them. By the end of a visit, you're exhausted! Do you think this person is a thankful one? Probably not. In fact, if you asked them what they're thankful for, they may have a hard time telling you.

On the other hand, think of someone else you know. This person is energetic, and has a certain spark to them. They laugh a lot and have a "can-do" attitude. They may be afraid, but they are willing to try new things. If you ask them what they're thankful for, they will be able to list off many. And when you visit with this person, you feel energized, inspired and thankful to know them. It's safe to say that this person is more fulfilled in their life than others.

Of course our lives are never perfect but we still strive for perfection. But you know how it is. You reach the top of one mountain and guess what! there's another mountain to climb! Don't feel discouraged, instead look back at all the mountains you've climbed and acknowledge the growth and progress you've made. Be thankful for the experiences because without them, you wouldn't be who you are today.

So today.... this day... know that I am so thankful for YOU. Without you, I would not be who I am today. I am thinking of you today and I know I am blessed.

I know this is just a jumble of thoughts.. but this is me... right now... looking forward to a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with relatives from the east coast as well as newly transplanted California cousins. We have so much to be thankful for and the rest will come as it comes and we'll go from there.

Today...

Today is Monday -the start of a whole new week. I like that about Monday -it comes every week and gives me a whole new opportunity to get things right~. Today is going to be a tough one. A friends husband passed away last week and his services are today. I have been thinking about his family since his illness was shared with me about a month ago. My heart goes out to my friend and their children. They have two girls and two boys (who are the exact ages of my boys and friends of theirs) all of whom are too young to have to deal with the loss of their father. When I mentioned on Friday that the funeral was today - Steven asked if he could go, to support his friend. I talked with Jonathan about it and we decided that was a very mature gesture on his part and agreed he could go with me. I hope that his presence will give his friend some peace, knowing his friends are there for him. Today Jackson has decided that he also wants to go -that his friend will need to see that his friends are there for him if he needs them. I am so proud of the boys for wanting to show their support to their friends. It is going to be a tough day for those kids and I hope that having friends around makes it just the tiny bit easier for them.

So now I must go get ready as I have to pick the boys up by lunchtime.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!

Today is my parents 40th anniversary. I would love to have put their wedding
picture up to share -but I realized this morning I don't have one (hint, hint!!!).

We went over this morning to make brunch (pancakes, scrambled eggs& ham, toast, sausage, bacon
and fruit) for them. Jackson even cracked 10 eggs (no shells!) and mixed pancake batter to help out.
We had my aunt visiting and I can't believe I took almost no pictures this weekend at all! Oh well, for
once I really just lived in and enjoyed the moment as it was.

We then spent the afternoon at Sunrise Mall getting our picture taken. It was hot as heck in there,
but we got a good one even still and I wanted to share it with all of you.




Now I am off to do some laundry and hang with my family as we get ready for another busy week! I hope to
have more to share this week...

Wow --what a time it's been!

I want to start this post with a picture I took with my phone this morning -so neat!
So this weekend has been crazy! I hopefully can get this all out of my head so I can go to bed and relax. I thought I would come home tonight and just CRASH... but no, I am totally WIRED instead. Go figure.

I worked at the Scrapbook Expo Thursday (set up) for 8 hours, Friday for 9 hours and Saturday for almost 10 hours. I saw lots of new products, many fun projects and I was inspired and motivated to create.. but couldn't as I was in the booth. I had a good time working there. It brought back memories of when that was my reality, my all the time and all -consuming. I was smacked by the vivid recollections of shows gone by, the friends I made, the good times I had and the pure exhileration of the event followed by the sheer exhaustion when it ends. At the end Sam asked if I would consider doing 5-6 shows next year in California-ish area ..... I think I would. Especially if I could know that I had friends going to the same shows.

I was reminded at the expo that I do enjoy working in a creative arena. Being asked questions with the expectation that I am an expert in answering them. I was proud of myself when I knew the answers to many of the questions and was able to be confident in my answers. It was a boost I think I needed... truely a blessing.

I was reminded while working this weekend that I like routines and I like working. What I do not like is commuting. I hated that it took me twice as long to get there as it should have. I didn't like that a normally 25 minute drive took 75 minutes going home Friday night when I needed to get to my kiddo's basketball game.

What I didn't like was the time away from my family. No family dinners, no cooking, no hearing about their days as they arrived home. I am able to discern now that I really NEED that interaction and connection with them. I was made very aware of that need as each day without the interaction passed. It was a true blessing to be able to see this in myself as I am coming to a point where I will have to make choices about these very things.. time & money --what wins? and who loses?

My brain was going crazy with all these thoughts Saturday night... or I could attribute my sleeplessness to the grande latte I had at 4pm... hmmmm. I was getting my last minute things together for the Sunday event and ended up still awake until about 4:30 a.m. when I forced myself to get in bed and try to sleep. I was up at 7:20 a.m. and headed to the event at 8 on less than 3 hours sleep.

Sunday I spent at a craft/vendor fair. It was put on by the Blue Star Moms as a way to raise money to ship the items they have collected to make boxes for our soldiers overseas. A great cause, a well-organized and planned out event. It wasn't really a great venue for my jewelry but it was for a great cause and I am glad I participated. I was happy that Jackson decided to come and hang out with me there -which was great. We visited, shopped a bit and just had some time together. It was nice. I did get to sleep by 10 and caught up on a bit of rest, sleeping until 6:45 this
morning. Here is a picture of Jackson in his new hat from the craft fair (which reminds me that he owes me $15~)

Today I spent the day at my mom's Curves. I was doing a jewelry fundraiser for Breast Cancer. I think it went well overall. The day started off less than positive, but once I was there -things went well. I came home and made dinner (bbq chicken sandwiches) while the club was closed for lunch and then headed back over there for the afternoon/evening shift. As I drove home I could barely keep my eyes open, then after talking with the boys for a few minutes I got totally wired up. Now I am trying to get myself ready to get to sleep.

Tomorrow I need to finish paperwork from the events, grocery shop, mop, take the dogs to the park (so no rain, ok?), laundry and other miscellaneous things one does around the house. I want to work on organizing and inventory my freezers.

I am feeling sleepy now, writing does the trick again! I am off to bed.. nighty-night.

October 18th

OCTOBER 18Th

FOR TODAY...October 12th from Betsey's Daybook

Outside my window... gray, calm weather

I am thinking... another long, busy day ahead -I have a booth at a local craft fair.

I am thankful for... the good weather we are supposed to have today

I am remembering... how I need to pack myself and Jackson a lunch

I am going... to enjoy the day outside and the interactions that come with a craft fair

I am reading...just finished "Getting Rid of Matthew" for book club.. need to start another book today

I am hoping... that this turns out to be a great day for my business

On my mind... going into day 4 of non-stop going, having worked at the Scrapbook Expo 10 hours a day for the last 3 days... gotta get thru today and tomorrow and Tuesday I can catch up on my normal routines.

Noticing that... I enjoy working as long as it is close to home.

From the kitchen... need to get something defrosting for the family to eat tonight.

Around the house... relishing the clean kitchen I came home to last night thanks to my hubby.

One of my favorite things~ an early morning with my family and a hot cup of coffee.

It's been a busy few days at the expo. Lots of creative energy, fun & new friends. I made some $, got some new stamps and saw some friends. Overall worth it!

Jackson & I are sitting in the car waiting to pick Steven up from his confirmation class at church. He is enjoying the classes which is nice. So proud of him.

Visitors

We recently had some visitors from the East Coast. My cousin and his family have moved to Sunnyvale (about 2 hours away in the Bay Area) and my aunt Lulu and Michael came to help them with the move. We were so pleased that they came to spend a few days with us while they were here too!

We had a great time hanging out. We visited (briefly) the Capitol Mall area downtown, had lunch at the Casa Garden Restaurant and just enjoyed a whole day. It didn't matter what we were doing -it was so nice to just spend time with them. Michael is a hoot and he made me laugh -it was great to see him outside his regular world.




I think throughout my life I have looked at Aunt Lulu as a role model. I know some of you will spit your drinks out at the computer screen when reading that --which is ok. I admit, she is a bit unconventional (which is part of what I love about her) but she is one of the most intelligent, well spoken people I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with. I always wanted to be as smart as her, to know what to say and to sound like I know what I am talking about. She is a passionate reader and learner. I do think I got my quest to learn from watching her.. I am most happy when enrolled in a class or learning something new --be it cooking, a hobby or just politics. She is always supportive of my endeavors (crazy though they may be!) and when I am with her I truly believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

I am grateful today that I belong to a family of strong women. Each has their own strengths that they have taken the time to share with me throughout my life. I think that is why I always wished for a sister or a daughter... to have someone connected to me in that circle of strong women. Through the years I have come to realize that what is to be will be and there are lots of opportunities for me to have a connection with younger girls. Many of my friends have daughters that I get to spend time with, I am blessed with neices and I will strive to establish a connection to them as Aunt Lulu did with me.

Testing.....
Maybe I can blog more often from my phone. This is a test, this is only a test of my mobile blogging capabilities:-p

The trouble with pouring everything out here...

is that when I have things going on in my life (or just inside my head), that aren't ready to be shared --I find I can't blog. We have been going like crazy around here and there are some things going on -but not that I am ready to put out there yet.

Let's see if I can catch up the easy stuff....

We are eating a lot of potatoes! I love the yukon gold potatoes I got in Idaho -they make excellent mashed potatoes and boiled too! I never knew there was such a difference in the texture or flavor of potatoes.


Over the weekend Steven played in a baseball tournament on Saturday and his team won both games. He played well, hitting the ball and making plays in right field. It was nice to be on a winning streak after the year he's had in sports.... then he & Jonathan and I stopped for Carls Jr lunch. We all really like the new Big Carl -which they compare on tv to the Big Mac -but it isn't a Big Mac nor is it better, just different.

Jackson had a basketball game Friday night. His team did not win, but they did play hard. They are really working to play as a team -even though they are new playing together with only 1 practice behind them. Their practice Monday night was long and intense and seemed to really be stressing stamina (their coaches favorite thing!) and moving the ball around. We'll see how that goes on Friday. He is pleased that his friend Tyler is playing on his team this season -he is new to basketball -but they are having fun.

After basketball Jackson talked himself into a sleepover at Logan's to avoid going to Steven's tournament super early in the morning. Then my dad brought both boys back here after Logan's football game so Logan could avoid a super early softball tournament on Sunday -it worked out quite nicely.

We had dinner with the whole family to celebrate Cyn's birthday (belated, it was Sept. 26th). We struggle with many of the birthdays now, finding a day when no kid is playing a sport to plan our dinners. Sometimes they are early, sometimes late -but we celebrate together. Steven got the kids and G-ma to all play Scrabble --they seemed to enjoy it. He is in the Scrabble club at school and his passion for the game has been re-ignited .. only now he knows the real rules! He has also joined the cooking club -where they made pizza yesterday.

It's crazy to realize that in 2 weeks it will be Halloween (and my parents 40th anniversary!) and then it is a short jump to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The year is 3/4 over and I can hardly believe it.

Menu Plan Monday

Today has passed by quickly, although I did get through some of my to-do list...

make menu
plan grocery list by store
catch up clipping coupons
review grade site
laundry from weekend
cook ground beef for sloppy joes and chili later in week
blog
print pictures
email list
call Christina
finish unloading car
confirm tournament for this weekend
call Jenn
Premier calls
bathroom counter organization

I guess I will be happy with what I got done and work on the rest tomorrow. I learned in my MOMS class the other day that stress is the difference between your moral values/judgements and your expectations --in other words, all internal. I am working to have realistic expectations and not to cause myself unnecessary stress. It is the least I can do for myself, right?

Monday -sloppy joes & home fries (made with real Idaho potatoes I brought home)
Tuesday -pot roast & mashed potatoes "
Wednesday - roasted chicken and veggies
Thursday - chili, baked potatoes and cornbread
Friday - German goulash soup, bread
Saturday - pot pies
Sunday - chicken noodles
Monday - Spaghetti

Now I am off to take a hot bath and review my workbook for MOMS. Hope you have a fantastic night!

So much to say... but tired!

Jonathan and I got home today from a quick trip to Idaho. We drove from Salt Lake City home today, leaving at 6am our time and arriving home at about 5. It was a long day and we are tired. I was so happy to see the boys and reconnect, hearing about their weekends. My dogs were crazy happy to see me... but I don't take that too seriously, as they are crazy happy to see me when I've been gone to the
grocery store. I will be blogging out the trip this week in several parts.. I think I have alot to say. I took lots of great pictures to remind
me of where we went and what we did! I captured lots of images, but missed some too.

What I will say right now is that spending 21 hours in the car with my husband over 4 days was a blessing. I enjoyed every minute whether we talked, laughed or were quiet. The entire trip was a vacation, even though the lions share was spent in the car -him driving and me in the passenger seat. It took me back in time to when we first got married. We moved to Turlock for school. We spent tons of time in the car back then... 20 minutes each way to Grandma Clines a couple times a week... 90 minutes each way home to visit family & friends in Sacramento at least once a month... 6 hours each way to LA to visit Maggie a couple times a year. Lots of road trips, lots of talking, lots of time to just be. I think I realize now how much I really missed those road trips I used to count on.

Road trips with kids are different. They are a way to get you where you are going though, not the trip itself. When the kids are with us on a road trip there is never a peaceful, quiet 20 minutes to stare at the landscape. What is there? Chaos, loudness and lots more stops. I love it -traveling with my kids is fun and crazy and I enjoy {almost} every minute of it. It is just different.

I went on this trip as a surprise for my friend -who I felt could use my support for her play opening (she was the Mother Superior in Nunsense -and FABULOUS!) night. I arrived home to a surprise of my own. My sister in law Cyn had not only painted Steven's room {and organized it too!} as we had talked about -she also cleaned out my laundry room of the massive piles of laundry I have been unable to complete as well as a few other things I noticed. Those little things brought a smile to my face and after getting over being embarassed that it was necessary for someone else to do it - I felt so grateful. I have been overwhelmed with trying to get everything "caught up" and organized and she saw that and did a great service in helping me out. One of the worst things about not being organized is when you come home from a trip and are greeted by the reminders that you have failed to figure it out once again. For once I didn't feel that way and I appreciate it more than I can say --thanks Cyn!

Party Time

Friday night Steven had his birthday party. Kids came over around 6pm and played football out in the street. I was surprised when I went out and they were all there -I didn't see anyone's parent drop them off. I guess that comes with being 13? They had pizza and soda's for dinner (grape & root beer were the big hits) while ignoring the grapes and carrots I so lovingly placed out for them.
Then we watched the Giants game for a bit, they played with the basketball game, turned on the Guitar Hero and just hung out. We had cake and ice cream and Steven opened his presents. At 8:30 one guy had to go home .. the rest of us hopped in the cars and headed to Sky Zone.

Sky Zone is a great big warehouse of a place with trampolines. The big draw for the boys is the dodgeball court -trampolines all the way around the sides too -lots of bouncing going on in there (not to mention bruises from getting hit!). They have a new Friday night session just for older kids 11-15 and it includes pizza & drink at the end. The only downside? It is from 9:30-11:30 p.m. and someone has to pick them up!! In this case it was me -but I was happy to do it. The boys seemed to all have a good time. I picked them up red-faced, sweaty and tired... dropped them all off at home and headed to our house. I think they will try to plan to do it again soon -they had a great time just being boys.

I will say -it is so different having 7 13 year olds in the house --they take up so much more physical space than 8 year olds. 2 of them were on their cell phones several times -talking to their girlfriends. Such a different time for me -but I enjoyed the time with them -talking and seeing their personalities... you only catch so much when saying hi and bye to kids at baseball practices and games.

Overall I would say it was a good night and fun was had by all! And with that Steven's 13th birthday came to an official end....

Mack & Menu Plan Monday

Last week we had a visitor. He came on Monday and stayed until Thursday afternoon. He is a 6 month old puppy. He likes lots of attention. Jackson was his primary caregiver and he did a good job making sure he went out, ate and was played with. Sammy enjoyed playing with the little dog. River enjoyed the break as Sammy played with the little dog. I got a couple of good pictures and wanted to share them with you.

I love this one... Mack is watching me, Sammy is watching
Mack and Jackson is enjoying the moment!


I always thought my puppy (Sammy 18 months) was small -he
is compared to River... but now he seems huge.

Our menu for this week is pretty simple. I am trying to use up alot
of what we have stored and am hoping to only buy fresh produce and
milk/bread the rest of this month. I need to defrost the garage freezer -but
to do that I have to whittle down what is out there. Then in October I will be
cooking and freezing like crazy to save money and time.

Monday - Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce (left from last week) and garlic bread
Tuesday- chicken drumsticks, rice and veggie
Wednesday- chili dogs (leftover chili from last week), french fries and salad
Thursday- sausage and peppers
Friday- pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggie
Saturday- chicken pot pie
Sunday- bbq beef

I love cookbooks!

I have always loved browsing thru my cookbooks. In fact, I owned a ton (2 shelfs minimum) of cookbooks even when I didn't really cook much. It always makes me happy to sit down with a hot cup of tea, a notepad and pencil and a cookbook.

My browsing skills have increased over time. I now subscribe to and read about 15 blogs dedicated to cooking (with pictures even!) from baking to crockpot cooking. I love bookmarking recipes and have an actual system for filing them on the computer so I always know where to look. I read and clip recipes from magazines and file them the same way.

Over time we've tried recipes we don't like, we have also found some new family favorites. I feel like I am learning so much about cooking and what goes with what almost every day. I made chili last week and everyone agreed it was the best ever.. I had tweaked the recipe based on what I saw on Food Network and in blogs. I will agree -I thought it was super yummy.

That said, there is currently an opportunity to download up to 25 cookbooks from Taste of Home (great magazine!!) for FREE!!! So I wanted to share the link in case anyone is interested besides me....

I have to get the boys off to school... be back later!

Teaching the cousin...

Both boys were excited when their Grandma Pat, Uncle Scott and cousin Iain came over for dinner on Steven's birthday. They spent lots of time playing with their cousin and teaching him about their favorite sports. I think Iain had a good time playing with them too. His mom is away at boot camp -so it's been tough for him being apart from her and I think the boys took his mind off it for a couple of hours at least.




Jackson worked with him on his shooting...

Steven showed him how to bat (while Josh pitched)..

and directed him to run after he hit the ball...

and even the other team cheered him on and showed him the way around the bases... until
Josh tagged him out that is....

And when he was tired of playing... he leaned on the fence to watch. I took this picture to print (sent it over on Monday) and mailed it off to his mom --I am sure she will love it as much as I do.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

It was a big day. My first-born turned 13! How clearly I remember that day so many years ago. So I got up early and made bacon waffles (which are really just waffles with chopped up bacon cooked in the batter), bacon and OJ. We served this breakfast to him in bed. In deference to his teenage-hood, I will not post his bare chested eating in bed photos here at this time.

After breakfast, he got dressed so we could have "present time, present time, open a present and see what's inside!" (we still say it every year -left over from our Blue's Clue's days..LOL).

He got Wii Sports Resort & controllers from his dad & I, each of his favorite candy bars and a Waynes World (I&II) dvd from his brother. He was happy with the presents and had to put them aside to head to his baseball tournament.

He is on a new team this year. His coach is committed to conditioning the whole athlete and growing their games. He understands that this is the age where alot of kids lose their love of the game and their dedication to playing it better -he strives to not let that happen. It was a 4 game guarantee and we lost all 4. It was the first time these kids played together as a team and they moved them around a bit to see what worked and what didn't work. Steven opted to miss the early game so he didn't have to be out of the house at 7am on his birthday .. but we were on Sunday! Steven played well and was happy with the tournament. He see's the potential and looks forward to the team growing together and winning together! Here is a shot I got from a bad angle of him making a play on first! He loves playing first, but rarely gets to -so he was excited.

Oh my gosh!

It is 12:39 a.m. I am awake and don't think I will be sleeping anytime soon, so I am going to blog -maybe that will help me not go crazy. There is no one to call, nothing I can do but wait, so I'll write.

We all went to bed around 9 p.m. As everyone settled in I was still watching the Giants beat the Rockies. I paused the TV several times as I could hear what sounded like an PA system -but it was fuzzy and I couldn't make out the words. It stopped, the Giants won, I turned off the lights and fell asleep. Shortly after that River started barking (from Steven's room in the front of the house). He would bark, stop, then bark twice, stop, then bark twice. I got up to get Mack (our visiting dog) and move him into another room before River got him all wound up too.
I came downstairs to let the dogs out and got a glass of water. It was 10:10 p.m. The dogs kept barking by the front window, so I looked out. There was a beam of light streaming over the street -like a car parked towards us, on the wrong side of the street had its lights on. This continued for 20 minutes or so .. then I went outside to see what was going on.

As I walked down the front stairs, I could see a white truck parked in front of my neighbors house with a couple of people outside it. I figured they must be dropping someone off -as I headed back inside -2 police cars turned in front of my house and headed past the white truck and down the street. Weird. But I went back inside and locked all the doors. I decided maybe if I laid down I would be sleepy again --so I turned on General Hospital. When it ended, I got up to let Sammy out again -he was still edgy and barking every so often - so I figured he wanted to go outside.

While waiting for him, I decided to check facebook. There I saw a post from a friend that said:

"Hey Rosevillians, have you heard what's going on at Alnwick drive? Two people shot in their home by an intruder. Police are still there, they are not sure if the person is still in the home or not. Scary stuff."

Well -since I live 5 houses away from Alnwick and have friends living on that street- that caught my attention quick. I went back outside and could see police lights at the end of the street. I realized the PA I heard earlier is the SWAT team. I frantically checked for a story online and finally found a video from the 11 pm news. The 3 houses they showed on the news -- surrounded by police cars--all houses where we have friends. I tried to remain calm, but will admit that I am somewhat panicky right now. I am praying that our friends are all ok. The reports state that the homeowner called 911 and reported 2 family members had been shot inside the home. He is out of the house and has met up with the police.

It is now 1 a.m. and there have not been any updates posted online. I am going to make a cup of tea - I have a feeling this night is going to last forever.

Unfortunately the update isn't good.. names still haven't been released -but there are 3 dead.
ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- Roseville police said they are investigating a triple homicide after bodies were discovered inside a home.The bodies were discovered at about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday when the SWAT team and police entered a home on the 1600 block of Alnwick Drive.Police said a caller reported an armed intruder entered the home and shot two people inside just before 9 p.m. Tuesday.KCRA 3 has learned that man and woman, who were related, were found dead. A third person, who was not related to the pair, was also found dead. Identities of the deceased were not released.KCRA 3 has also learned that the caller was related to the man and woman who were killed and is being questioned by police.Police said they are investigating.

Menu Plan Monday

I am working on a month long menu -but for now this week is ready to go.

Monday - Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce and green beans
Tuesday- tacos
Wednesday- chicken with mashed potatoes and carrots
Thursday- Chili in the crockpot with baked potatoes
Friday- chicken pot pie (leftover chicken & veggies from the week)
Saturday- Chili dogs, fries
Sunday- Pot Roast w/carrots & potatoes

A group of friends and I are planning a cooking day to get our freezers stocked up. I am trying out some of our favorite recipes for that and also a crockpot recipe swap that is coming up. Lot's of fun in the kitchen --in fact I am even signed up to take a few specialty cooking classes.... I am looking forward to it.

A whirlwind of a weekend....

This weekend Steven played in a baseball tournament with his new team -the Bandits. He had a good time and enjoyed it. They lost all 4 games -which the coach explained isn't unexpected with a new group of kids together.. so time will tell. I will say it was much better for me, to be with a new group -free of the drama there has been in the past. I was able to enjoy watching them play. They did really well defensively, but their bats just weren't in it on Saturday and on Sunday the reverse was true.... ahhhh 13 year old boys! Steven only played in the 2nd game on Saturday as the first was at 9am and the fields are an hour away -he didn't want to get up too early on his birthday.

Saturday was Steven's birthday. I prepared in advance (knowing the tournament was this weekend) and spent Friday night baking brownies, wrapping gifts and frying bacon. We started our morning off with bacon waffles with bacon on the side and orange juice --delivered to Steven in bed by Jackson with a surprise basketball card hidden in the napkin. Then for lunch after the game we went to Red Lobster for endless shrimp. Steven ate the full plate they brought (2 orders of fried shrimp and french fries and broccoli) and another helping of shrimp before he gave up. He had 2 cheddar biscuits and several glasses of lemonade -so he was full! Then we headed home to watch the Giants game. His friend Josh joined us for the game. He was happy to see his Grandma Pat, Uncle Scott and cousin Iain come over for dinner too. He spent way more time playing than he did watching the game -but he had fun. We had bacon cheeseburgers and fries for dinner. For dessert we had brownies, orange sherbet/vanilla ice cream and neopolitan ice cream. No one ate much -everyone was full from lunch... but I cooked anyway for those that wanted to eat.

I have some pictures on my camera -but am too tired to download them now -so maybe tomorrow I can share those. I wanted to get this post done so I could head to bed (at 8pm -I know, I know) as I am very tired and just plain worn out from the weekend. All that beautiful sunshine just took all my energy it seems.

Today was a beautiful day for baseball. Yesterday it rained on us a bit and it was cloudy. Today was windy (I can feel it in the chafe on my face) and cold in the morning first thing.. but by 10:30 the sun was shining and it wasn't hot, just sunny and warm -perfect baseball weather. I see the temperatures are supposed to be in the low 80s tomorrow -so I am looking forward to that. I am off to open all the windows and air out the house.

A thought I wanted to share....

It has been a busy day. A day where I didn't stop going at all until 4:30 p.m. when my whole family sat, crosslegged on the living room floor with the dogs to talk about our day for 5 minutes. It felt like heaven to sit down. Then back up, call the doctor to get Steven's next appointment, make dinner, dishes and get Steven packed and out the door before finishing a few last minute things for the open house. Will people come? I hope so. If they don't that's ok too. It will be what it is.

I started the day behind. I was up late, thinking, planning and doing. I woke grumpy and my coffee didn't brew right. Jackson left for school and I took a few minutes to ready my mind---then heuaded to work in his class. I got there just as President Obama's speech started being played. His class was in the cafeteria watching and I didn't want to disturb -so I left his teacher a message that I would come back later in the day. I went to Sams Club to pick up some snacks, then picked up my friend to go meet with our upline for some training, help. Home again at noon, ate lunch quickly, played with the dogs and went back to school. I got there as Jackson's class was at PE. They were running the mile. I went into the classroom and finished the packets the teacher needed.

I stopped outside to tell her I was done (they were playing soccer in the field right outside the classroom. I was stopped in my tracks when I spotted her... shoes off, running down the field playing right alongside the kids. It was a hot day, she was in a skirt and sweater.. yet there she was. I wished I had my camera with me to take that picture. It was a spectacular moment to watch and looking back I realize that this is what this year is like for that class. They have a teacher their size (she is a tiny, petite little thing) who really gets what they are about and actually plays with them in a real way.

We are so blessed.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, it's really Tuesday I guess since it is after midnight. I have been up past everyone else tonight, trying to get everything ready for my Premier Open House tomorrow night. I am quite excited about having people over and just playing with the jewelry and having a good time. The purpose of the event is to share the product with others and let them make up their own minds about where to go from here. So for me, once the house is ready, the jewelry is out and the brownies are made --it's just FUN!

So I have a menu ready and this is a busy, busy week -so it is pretty simple. But sometimes, simple is good.

Monday -we had FREE Chik-Fil-A sandwiches
Tuesday- Bratwurst, potato salad and watermelon
Wednesday - Hamburgers, potato salad, mac & cheese
Thursday -pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy and peas
Friday - chicken drumsticks, rice and corn
Saturday -not sure -Steven's choice as it's his 13th Birthday and he has a baseball tournament that he may play in....
Sunday -tournament day for sure... crockpot meal of some sort.. maybe pot roast? will depend on what we have Saturday night.

Steven has baseball Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights this week (like every week) so we need to have a dinner schedule. There is nothing I hate more than not having an answer when he asks at 3:30 -what's for dinner? So now I feel more prepared --at least thru Friday! Next week Jackson goes back to basketball -so it will just get crazier from here. Luckily Steven's best friend goes to the same practices and we can split it up a bit. Jonathan will take them Tuesday (I have my open house) Josh's mom will take them Wednesday and Thursday is still up in the air -but at least we have each other to count on -that makes it so much easier!

2009 California State Fair!

Our trip to the fair got derailed a few times this year -but we finally made it on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. We originally planned to go on Wednesday -as it was a minimum day for both kids... then Jackson was home sick that day. So we decided to go on Friday after school -but he still wasn't feeling his best and it had been a long day at school. So Sunday was about all the time we had left... it was a great day to go. In the mid 80s, the mild weather made the day much nicer. We went right when they opened at 10am and stayed til about 3:30. Around 2 we started to notice crowds and people seemed to be everywhere -so we knew it was just about time to head out -plus we were all getting a bit tired (at least our feet were!).





There was a place where you could get your picture
taken with the kings... of course we had to! Notice Jack's new
fair hat -sun protective, fits and totally cute too!


Steven enjoyed a few minutes of goat milking --he was better
at it this year -having done it last year too.

Jackson doesn't enjoy the petting zoo -but he does like riding
the blue pony (every year!)

Steven really enjoys the petting zoo. We usually all go in,
but this year it was no longer free! See the sign --now it
is $3 just to go in!!! and they just pasted it over the FREE.


Steven enjoys going though, so we coughed up the 3 bucks...

this one really captured the look on his face as he walked around
petting all the animals...

I just liked this one.

We started at the art exhibits -we all enjoy them and it was so nice
to be there when the buildings weren't crowded -we had room to
look and take our time with out worrying. So nice!

The boys like weired mirrors and ALL interactive exhibits... still.

I liked this hall --Candy Nation --so I had Jonathan snap a picture
of us in candyland!


All in all it was a fun day. We all ate our favorite fair foods, they rode a ride, we went for the first time to the horse races and watched a race, completed the scavenger hunt for a fresh fruit reward. All in all -lots of family fun!