Menu Plan Monday.. now it's August!

There is so much I want to say and post about, however Picassa is not cooperating with my photo's. So I will try those again tomorrow and then I can cover what's happened this past week....

For now.. today was a good day. Things got accomplished off my list and I felt like I made progress in the house. I took my returns to Ikea, picked up some final school supplies for Jackson and drove with the sunroof open. We currently have all the windows open and it is beautiful outside! 10 pm and 70 degrees! The weather today was fantastic and now there is a bit of a breeze --much more my style than the 100+ weather we had for all of July. The kids go back to school 1 week from today -I can hardly believe how fast summer went flying by.

Menu for this week...

Monday: Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
Tuesday: Swedish Meatballs, egg noodles and salad
Wednesday: kids & I are going to San Francisco
Thursday: bratwurst, home fries and veggie

Publish Post

Friday: hamburgers, mac & cheese
Saturday: chicken, stuffing, corn
Sunday: Chicken Parmesan & Spaghetti, garlic bread, green salad

Just behind....

I feel like I am falling further and further behind.. like nothing gets done. I know that I have crossed things off my list in the last few days, but not enough. I am still tired and know that is partly due to my lack of exercising the last couple weeks -which is due to the 100+ degree heat that makes me want to just stay home. I keep telling myself it can't last forever and hoping that is true!

I did make it to the grocery stores and we have food! I have almost a whole car-load of stuff to take to church for the garage sale (tomorrow it will go for sure!). I cleaned out the tupperware cabinet. I made homemade spaghetti sauce today. I took Steven to school for his interview yesterday.

I am not giving up -just getting frustrated. I want to get so much done and then wonder why it doesn't happen.

My post yesterday is one of those things that didn't happen. Lots of fun things over the weekend -I will post about them as the week goes on.. for now.. here is our menu!

Monday - Spaghetti with garlic bread and homemade meat sauce
Tuesday - Tacos, green salad
Wednesday - meatloaf, potatoes, veggie.
Thursday - pork chops, rice & tomatoes, corn
Friday -hamburgers and salad
Saturday - We are headed to our 20th reunion!
Sunday -up in the air in case we go to SF? if not then chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies

17 years?

So today is our anniversary. We got married 17 years ago today -hardly seems that long ago, in fact I feel like it was yesterday. I am so happy to have chosen such a special person to spend my life with. Everyday, during the fun times and not so fun time, I am grateful to have him by my side. I feel very blessed to have spent all this time with Jonathan.

Today in celebration -we are spending the day at Jackson's basketball tournament -3 games (9am, 11:30 and 2:30) then we are going to do something --not sure what, but we will do it together, which is what makes it special for us. No matter how many years have passed, or how much we have each changed as we matured, we still enjoy just being together!

I wanted to share a progression of the years -but ran out of time. Here are the pictures I got scanned and ready....


Our wedding day... July 25, 1992


Our 1st anniversary -spent in Marina del Rey with Maggie -we did actually
eat our wedding cake layer that had been in my parents freezer all year -it was yummy!


Not our anniversary -but it seems we didn't take an anniversary picture in 1994 --so here is our college graduation picture from
May 1994.

This was our 15th anniversary in 2007 -photo by Jackson.

I hope to get a good one taken today and will share it tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary Honey -I love you!!!!

52 Days!!!

That is how long that roll of paper towels lasted!!! I am so amazed and happy to report that I just used the last one. Wow.

So that was all it took to get me to blog. Really, I have thought about it multiple times since I got home on Sunday... but this week took me by storm. What did I do? Not really a whole lot of anything. I hung out with the boys. Jackson went to the dentist --only 1 tiny cavity and it is in a wiggly tooth (that hurts to brush). I met up with Michelle to exchange jewelry. I had coffee with a friend. I made 2 small grocery trips, but still not one big one. Steven babysat. We saw Harry Potter -it was GOOD, now I really feel the urge to re-read the books! I had a jewelers training Monday night (went early to enjoy a glass of wine with a friend), karate with Jack Tuesday night, a show Wednesday night, paperwork to fill out with Steven tonight. Jack had basketball practice. Jack had karate tonight too -his dad took him. Steven had baseball practice last night. During the days I have been slowly trying to reclaim my house and finish my re-organization project. Unfortunately with the temperature outside over 100 degrees, I am less than motivated to do anything. I have read 2 books. I have played with my kids. I have no regrets. Someday they won't want to hang out with me and I will wish I had taken advantage -so my philosophy is to hang out when they want to.

According to my living countdown clock (Jackson) school starts in just 17 days --WHAT? Yep. I can hardly believe it. We need to get some summer stuff done --a day trip somewhere, something. It's almost over.

Tomorrow I am hoping to talk Jackson into going to Old Navy. He needs jeans and I have a 25% off my purchase coupon... easier typed than done though. Then he has basketball pictures and a game. Saturday he has 3 games, starting at 9 a.m. I love it though. I really do.

WOW!

I am home from the Premier Rally in Fort Worth, Texas. I got a good nights sleep and woke this morning to a steaming hot cup of coffee and my favorite donuts courtesy of my cute hubby who must have missed me too. After a great morning spent relaxing, talking and watching some shows with him I felt relaxed and back to normal. I headed out about 1 to a Red Hat event and spent a couple hours chatting and playing Trivial Pursuit. Aside from feeling like a total loser (for not getting any wedges) it was fun. Now I am back home and oh so happy to be inside and out of the 107 degree heat out there -yikes.

So, my trip....where to begin? I'll start and say it started and ended with {thankfully} uneventful plane flights. I changed plans in Denver both ways and had no trouble with security, flight time, connections or baggage (I just had a carry-on).

When I found out I won a trip to Rally in June, I was excited. I was planning to go with a gal from here that I met when I joined the company, but at the last minute (Tuesday night) she had to back out due to medical reasons. She is ok, which is all that matters, but I was a bit worried about going on my own. As I was waiting in line to get on the first flight at 6:10 a.m. Wednesday morning -I met a gal named Gloria and we started chatting. We were both able to identify the other as a "jewelry lady" immediately and that sparked our talk. Come to find out she was also going on her own and we decided to be buddies. We had a great time getting to know each other and sharing --we have alot in common and she lives not too far away.

Rally itself was exhausting. We had schedules that went from 8am - 10 pm and I did as much as I could. I did skip a few awards ceremony/sessions to have a bit of downtime, and don't regret that all. As I have gotten older I have really been able to feel confident in my ability to gauge how I am feeling and doing what is best for me during these type of events, regardless of the "expectation" of others that you have to do it all. Truth of the matter is, I have to have some time away from the lights, people and chaos in order to focus the rest of the time -so taking that time off was good for me.

I was so inspired by the stories and testimonies I heard there. The missionaries and others that Premier has helped spoke of the good work being done and thanked Andy & Joan Horner for their support. This company is truly based on biblical principles (in fact I wondered if I needed to go to church this weekend -since I felt as if I'd been in church the last 4 days..LOL) and I am proud to be associated with them. I felt such a part of everything, made lots of new friends and had a great time. This conference, this company, has inspired me in so many ways.. but most of all, being there, listening --just makes me want to be a better person. To serve others and do my best to enrich their lives. What a blessing that part of my job is!

In addition to that -the new jewelry is AWESOME! I can't wait for it to get here to share it with everyone at my shows and everywhere. So great!!

I missed blogging. I tried to blog from my phone, but it wouldn't work. I wished for a computer to use -but when I finally had the chance -I couldn't form a coherent thought I was so tired. I itched to write about my day and all I was feeling. I settled for writing on paper. I may get around to including those thoughts here (so they'll be preserved) but depends on timing and such.

The whole family greeted me at the airport -tired though they were. We got home and headed to bed. When we arrived home, Steven got my suitcase and even carried that heavy sucker up to my room --he is getting to be such a thoughtful young man.

I hear the boys playing now and I want to go play with them... more tomorrow!

To-Do List Tuesday?

I am sitting with my hot cup of coffee, after 5 hours sleep, my mind racing with the things that need to be finished before I get on a plane in less than 24 hours. Every time I have a trip I think how organized I am going to be... all the things I want to finish 3 weeks before I go are negotiated in my head to what HAS to be done in the last few days. I hate that about myself -I wish I was more organized -but truth of the matter is, knowing I am leaving makes me cling to every second I can spend with my husband and sons.. the heck with my to-do list.

So I am happy to report that my list of things that MUST be done before I leave is quite small this time, almost manageable:)

• get cash @ bank
• dogs to park to run
  
• grocery stop to get milk, things family will need
  
• get pedicure at 11:30 with Mom & Ciera
• Christina's jewelry show -be there at 5:45
• print boarding pass (already checked in), hotel & shuttle info
• charge camera battery
  
• add toiletries to suitcase
• shower & to bed no later than 11 pm (get up at 4:30am)

This is a record for me. Do I wish that I had been able to finish chores? Yes. Will I let it bother me while I'm gone -probably not. In the greater scheme of things the sweeping, mopping and tidying will wait until I get home -I am sure of it. So off I go to start crossing the items on my list off -hopefully in time to relax a bit with the kids this afternoon.

Menu Plan Monday

One of my favorite songs goes... "It's just another manic Monday... wish it was Sunday, that's my fun day" and today that is true. I got an email from my big client that they want to "hold off on the 3rd quarter shops for now" with no timetable or more explanation of that. So that means I am out of a job, at least temporarily, until they figure out what is going on. That is scary! in some many ways. I am trying not to freak out -but inside, of course I am! I really wish it was still yesterday and I hadn't heard that news... really. Luckily my jewelry business is going well and building -I just need to make sure that keeps happening.

Our menu for this week is pretty simple, I'll be gone Wednesday thru Saturday night -so easy peasy is the way to go.

Monday
breakfast:cereal
lunch: leftover lasagna (thanks Mom!)
dinner: pork chops, rice & tomatoes, corn

Tuesday
breakfast: banana muffins and yogurt
lunch: ham sandwiches, chips, apple slices
dinner: spaghetti with sausage & peppers

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday - my hubby will make one of these:
hot dogs with mac & cheese
tacos
hamburger helper
meatballs and gravy (already made and frozen)




Some other pictures to share from last night (since the kids decided not to after they said they wanted to)...

Steven & Jackson recently figured out how to hook up their nintendo 64 -so they asked and got the ok to bring it
to grandma & papa's ... so now they play video games there too.. here's Logan & Steven camped out in the jungle room
playing some n64 game.. they were in there a long time and chose that over swimming!



My mom taught Jackson (our perpetual helper boy) how to slice
cucumbers using the fancy pampered chef slicer (which I am afraid of truly!)and
he thought it was fun! I just love the shot of them... it's amazing how everyday moments
thrill me when I get them in a picture. Love that she is so patient with him and takes the
time to show him how to do it -when she could do it 5x faster herself. It's one of the things that
makes her a great g-ma!!!

Birthday Dinner

This morning I got a massage -it was awesome! Then I picked up the Sunday paper and headed home to read the ad's and watch the Giants game. Super disappointing game today for our team- but that's what happens sometimes.

Tonight we celebrated my brother's birthday. He won't turn 39 until Wednesday -at which time I'll be on a plane to Texas -so we celebrated today! I enjoy spending time with him and his family -- family dinners can be the best! My mom made lasagna -which was super yummy (I have leftovers for tomorrow too!). Jonathan still isn't feeling great, his throat is raw and sore, so he didn't eat and Jackson said his stomach hurt -so he didn't eat either. Of course I snapped a few pictures! My kids "called" a few of the pictures for their blogs -you'll have to tune in to see the others there:)



With the birthday guy!

My mom & brother --so cute!

These 2 were ready for dinner and the table looked nice -Ciera set it for us.

I gotta go watch In Plain Sight now with Steven... more blogging tomorrow.