Where are They???

Things I have a tough time finding around my house....

1. Tweezers.

2. Pens and pencils that work. (I can always find an abundance that don't write!!!)

3. Clean underwear. (Just kidding!)

4. A calculator.

5. Peace and quiet - except in the wee hours of the morning when I should be asleep.

6. Matching socks.

7. The telephone. That never used to be a problem before cordless - remember those days? LOL.

8. The remote! For Brett and the kids that would be the remote to the TV or stereo. For me it would be my camera remote.

9. My KEYS!!!!

10. Mittens/gloves. But I don't suppose I'll be looking for those for a little while yet.

11. Something edible to make for dinner. And it's doubly hard to find something that we will actually ENJOY eating. :)

Hmmm... that's all I can think of for the moment... But I'm sure there are other things. Our house has a black hole that swallows things up.

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Invasion of the Toads

I've been putting the little toads that seem to have invaded our backyard to work these days! This little guy wasn't too thrilled with me and kept hopping away. I spent sometime chasing him around our dining room. But once I started flashing he stayed put and let me take several pix.

Broken

Name that Butterfly...

Does anyone know what kind of butterfly this is? Or how 'bout the flower?? I'm attempting to add this picture to a stock photography site and hopefully make a little $ on it - but I need to know what they are! Also any key words you might come up with would be helpful. I already have: butterfly, red, garden, wing, yellow, holding on, outdoors, beauty....

THANKS!

Toadally John Deere

Jessi caught me this cute little toad so I put him to work! Actually, first I made him stay for hours on end in a hot plastic zip-loc container with a few air holes, some grass, a rock, and some water, and then I made him work before I released him. He sat on Heather's little tractor just long enough for me to take this picture. I thought I'd use it for a book project my mom and I are doing. It's supposed to be a sample card that kids can make. We show them how to set up a little box for their small pet or other critter that they happen to catch so they can take pix and make cards. Now, the problem is... While I love the picture - I just don't know what the card could or should say! Any ideas?! Remember this is a KIDS book so things such as Johnny Deere your no prince, your just a low down toad just won't work. LOL. It should be something they could send to their friends or family....

I actually got out on my bike yesterday! YIPEE!!! I woke up at 7:30ish and decided that even though I didn't have a ton of time (I like to take loooooong bike rides) I'd go for it anywayz. Otherwise it's just not going to happen. Since it was going to be short and sweet (an hour and a half MAX) I wanted it to be a real workout. So I determined NO COASTING ALLOWED! And I took a route with lots of hills. It felt so good! And I had more energy throughout the day than I have had in a long, long while! No naps for me!!! I felt sooo good that I decided to take another bike ride later in the afternoon... We had a meeting out by Chimney Bluffs. I'd ridden to Chimney Bluffs and back on my bike before - so surely I could at least make it one way right? Brett would meet me there with the car and we'd ride home. I knew that I wasn't in shape yet... But I decided that if I took it easy and didn't push myself I could do this - hopefully! And worst comes to worst, Brett will find me alongside the road and pick me up and drive me the rest of the way. So... Off I went. For the most part it's a pretty flat route - so I was doing okay. But once you get to the swamp there is a long, long hill. It's not terribly steep or anything - it just goes on forever!!!! My legs were BURNING!!! But I made it to the top - breathless but thrilled that I was able to push through it. I stopped at that lovely little farm market and asked for a refill on my water bottle. The cashier said to me, "We can't have you dehydrating now!" I also ended up purchasing a bottle of Snapple and guzzled half the bottle down in seconds. Oh! It was good and cold!!! I resisted the temptation of buying ice-cream. :) And I was off again on the last leg of my trip. Also, the hilliest leg of the trip. LOL. It wasn't until the very last hill that I had to walk the bike to the top. Feeling completely humbled - so close to my destination and yet I just couldn't do it. My legs were burning something fierce, I was completely out of breath and of course quite sweaty. But I also realize that as humbling as it is, I still made it to the top of the hill! What did it matter if I walked up or if I rode up? I made it up AND I got to my destination.

I think of our journey with God... God gives us all kinds of terrains. Sometimes it's flat - just going along in the same old routines. I've often learned that those times can be trying for me as I get bored easily! And yet, God might be teaching me contentment and also teaching me to enjoy the little things in life. As I'm going along a flat road I am able to see the cute little rabbit on the side of the road, or enjoy the beautiful sky, or admire the flowers in someone's garden. Sometimes he sends us hills to strengthen us. These can be TOUGH and painful at times. And so often we don't think we are going to make it.... Those are the times where we might need to humble ourselves and walk up! But they are also the times where there is tremendous growth! I remember one year at the end of the season I decided to take Lake Road - lots of big intimidating hills. But because I had been riding all summer long and had built up strength and stamina - the hills actually seemed easy!! And then comes the ride down the hill. It can be exhilarating! With little to no effort you can easily find yourself going faster than you ever dreamed possible! But it can also be dangerous. I was going down a hill yesterday... I can't tell you how good it felt! My legs were enjoying the rest and I was enjoying the wind blowing on my face and hair. But I looked away for a second and hit a nasty rock and came close to a terrible spill! I've discovered that those times where it seems like I am cruising along with God - though they are fun and exciting - are also the times I need to be most on the alert! Those are the times where I often take a nasty spill. Of course God is so good to me and he picks me back up, washes my wound,s and helps me to get back up again. But how much better if I stayed alert!!

Just some thoughts I chew on as I ride....

Martha & Kari

Martha & Kari (actually, her name is Yukari - pronounced just like you + car + ee).

Martha met Kari the other day as she was going door to door selling software (Kari that is, not Martha). Martha mentioned her to me as she was selling a program that was teaching Brazillian portuguese. She thought I might be interested in as Heather has plans to go back to Brazil someday and also to Mozambique where they also speak Portuguese (I think Brazillian, though I'm not completely sure 'bout that!). Apparently they had a nice long visit on Martha's porch and they became fast friends in spite of the fact that Martha didn't buy anything or offer her iced-tea...

Well... Martha just happened to be over at my new neighbor's house and who should come along, but Kari! Martha introduced us and we BOTH ended up purchasing the College Test Prep software that she was selling. (Martha, not Kari!) Actually Heather bought the software - not me, but that's besides the point. It was a good night for Yukari. Not only did she meet up with an 'old' friend and have her picture taken with her - which she thought quite amusing actually! I bet she's never before had her picture taken as she was out selling software! - but she got two sales to boot!!!! It would have been a better night still had I offered her a seat on my porch and offered her iced tea. But alas, it never crossed my mind. Instead we all stood out in the street swatting mosquitos!

Now I'm Cookin!

People are often amazed that I hate cooking/baking and will ask me why? And so I take them through how a dinner at our house is made... (please note, this really is meant in fun so I hope you don't take it as complaining, cooking just isn't my thing.)

First, I have to come up with a menu. Now, menu planning can be quite overwhelming for someone like me who has no idea what to make!! So... after hunting through the recipe books or cards and nowadays sometimes the internet somehow I manage to come up with a few meals. This job really has gotten a little less overwhelming for me as I realized that I will always have at least 1 leftover night (probably more if I plan things right - details on this handy dandy little trick to follow). My family also enjoys a breakfast night where I serve pancakes, waffles or french toast along with sausage or bacon. I usually do a freezer night - where I either pull something I froze earlier in the month out of the freezer OR where I purchase a frozen pizza or something of that nature. So that means I really only have to plan for 4 nights! :) And for those nights when I'm not prepared with anything either cuz I forgot or was just too busy - spaghetti does the trick.

After the menu is made it's time to figure out what I still need from the grocery store so that I can make all these wonderful dishes that I have so carefully planned for my family. This entails hunting through cupboards, digging through my freezer, and searching my fridge and pantry and carefully documenting those items that I need to purchase and how much of each item I need. Hopefully I also think to remember those other necessities I might need such as toiletries!

Next I'm off to the grocery store and it's not until I get to the store, dig through my purse and all of my pockets, and do a thorough search of my van do I finally come to the conclusion that I must have left my list at home!!! So... I attempt to shop by memory!! At least 2 stores and a couple of hundred dollars later (on a good week) I finally head home already exhausted from my shopping excursion. But all that delicious food still has to be put away. And, if you happen to shop in bulk, you know that that can be quite a chore!

Finally, I start the actual cooking process. I pull out my little menu and choose the absolute simplest thing for dinner (cuz I'm so tired from shopping) kicking myself for not having something already in the crockpot or stopping at Subway on the way home!! Halfway through the cooking process I realize that I forgot a main ingredient... So off to IGA I run (unless Brett is home and takes pity on me - which I'm so thankful that he does!!!) to get my 1 little ingredient. $60 - $100 later and several bags of other little items that I discovered I had forgotten on my original shopping trip I head home to finish making dinner. Now, on the occassion I am STILL missing an important ingredient (it has been known to happen), simply repeat this step as many times as necessary knowing that EVERYTIME I run into IGA it's gonna cost me at least $60!!!!

Phew! Dinner is made, the family is at the table, the blessing is said... now the complaining starts. "Yuck!" "We're having that for dinner???" "I'm not hungry." And my absolute favorite, "What's in this????" And on and on it goes. It makes for lovely dinner conversation. But there really is a good side to all this complaining... If they don't like it, there will be even more leftovers! And if I plan things right I could be serving leftovers for DAYS! So, for those of you who hate to cook like me - make something they DON'T like and it really cuts down on kitchen time. Any complaining you may have to endure really is worth it!!!

Dinner is eaten... well, some of it anywayz and now I have the honor and privilege of cleaning it all up!! Okay... for my kids who might happen to stumble upon my blog they would remind me that I have assigned Brian and Jessi dinner clean-up duty, but for the rest of you who might be reading it (especially for the moms out there) you know the story - someone has to clean up after they are done cleaning!!

That's how dinner is done in my house!

Happy cooking!

The Juggler

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HAPPY 4th of JULY EVERYONE!!!!

Tootles

This is the newest addition to the family. He's a working mouse. We are using him for various photo projects and I must say, he is wonderfully co-operative and an amazingly friendly little critter to-boot!!