Pumpkin Soup

Last week we bought little pumpkins from our youth group at church so that the kids could design their own faces with permanent markers...all the fun and none of the mess like carving.

Since its been so cold here, soup was definitely on the menu this week so I decided to make "Pumpkin Soup" , and have us eat right out of our little pumpkins faces. The kids made me promise that I would not actually use any pumpkin in the soup...and I didn't. Instead I pureed carrots and cauliflower with chicken broth for the base and then added a little extra orange food coloring. Then I cooked up some Italian sausage, added it to the creamy base along with potatoes and spinach...and ta-da...pumpkin soup.

Pumpkins, soup, changing leaves, cold weather, bonfires, and time change to boot...I love the fall/winter.

A Little Alma Mater Love

BIOLA University is the BEST Christian Liberal Arts University in the world....I know, that sounds bias...but the truth is the truth.

Here is a great video, supporting my view point.

BIOLA ROCKS

My Little Shadow...

She is where I am. Period. It doesn't matter if I am folding clothes, washing dishes, making dinner, blogging, or laying laundry out...she is right there.

The bathroom is no different.

I am sitting...well, you know where I am sitting, and she is, well, right there. Mind you, she wasn't just following me...she had a job for me to do...she needed a pony in...right then.

I guess fashion waits for no one.

What we did last night....

I have been wanting to do a Family Night A La Whittaker Woman ....So here it is, out first attempt.

It is FREEZING here right now, seriously it is getting down to 30 degrees at night, so this is how we celebrated.

Roasting Marshmellow!!!!!

Adoption Rocks Part 1

Today is a BIG day for our family. My oldest sister is 38 today. Not really that big of deal to you, but to me it is HUGE.

You see, I have NEVER spent a birthday with her, ever. Today will be no different, but I don't want to dwell on that.

I want to CELEBRATE, that 38 years ago, my Mom made the greatest and most honorable choice. She gave life, tiny and pink to an infertile couple. My Mom was only 17 or 18, and in the face of great difficulties, she made the ONE decision that will forever draw my greatest and most unashamed praise.

She shared the life within her, and gave the greatest gift.

I am so proud of you Mom, and I am so blessed to be your daughter, and to be a part of your life.

And who would have thought, that our Great and Awesome God would see fit to bless us again 14 years ago? Hollywood could write no greater reunion. Finding Lisa, and joining our families together has been an amazing journey. Our Infinite God somehow filled the void of years without her by sharing her with us now. No more Missing Pieces.

When I think of God giving us the desires of our heart, I can not help but Praise Him!!! It is one of the GREATEST stories in our family...and we have a lot.

So on this day, although I can't be with her, I love her just the same.

Happy Birthday Lisa!!!

Me, Lisa, and KC

The Cousins

Kibbles and Bits

Sometimes blogging bogs you down. Not because it is stressful or difficult, but because it is inherently raw. At any given moment you can blog about anything that is on your mind...but what about when your mind goes a million miles a minute like mine? Then you find yourself the author of nothing but kibbles and bits...and sometimes things just don't together. This past week alone I have started posts with the following themes: brothers and sisters, adoption, separation anxiety, physical injury, great recipes, love, suicide, friends, grief, infertility, and Hello Kitty lingerie. So while grief is a serious issue, ER banter is not...yet they all inhabit this world in which I live. In order to touch on subjects that are close to my heart...or maybe just a fleeting thought on a subjects that cross my mind frequently, I have decided to start posting multi-part series. That way I do not have to encapsulate my thoughts into one post...instead I can just keep them rolling as they come to me.

Bloody and Broken

Let's just say that I have a passel of entries ready for "Not Me Monday" NEXT WEEK!!!

We spent Tuesday night in the ER with our younger son, Snake, after he slammed his OWN hand in the trunk. There was lots of comical banter back and forth between the stitches and drilling holes into his nail...it was really gross.

Then last night, while Snake was busy re-telling his ER story...cause chicks dig scars...to all his friends at church, out older son, Crack, was busy breaking his foot while jumping rope.

Yep, you read right. Tuesday was bloody thumb night and Wednesday was break a leg night. On the advice of a friend, who is a nurse, we held out and bypassed the ER, and instead headed to our Pediatrician this morning. About half way through Crack telling her what happened and how bad it hurt, she said, "Well, that makes since, cause it's broken."

We see the Orthopedic doctor first thing in the morning to find out if he gets a regular cast or if surgery is needed. In the end, he might just keep the temporary brace and be on crutches.

It is never a dull moment around here.

Who's next?

I'm not "always" laughing...here is proof

<<>>from one year ago....
Originally posted on October 19, 2007

It has been a really hard month. I feel like my life is just now catching up, and yet realizing at the same time, how far behind it still really is. I guess it has been more than a month, really. My husbands sister committed suicide on Aug 16th and then my best friend lost her dad unexpectedly a month later. So I guess after living about 6 weeks in a complete fog I have emerged. Unfortunately, not unscathed. And neither has my family. My boys were on my very last nerve...literally. I had heard one too many arguements, one too many excuses, and the absolute last back talk. There was no "wit" left...I was simply at the end. So, it was no surprise when shortly after my husband got home from work today and was just kicking back in his man chair, that the following exchange happened.

Crack: "That's not fair, Mom. It was not my fault!!!!"
Me: "Son, stop talking, close your mouth, do not say anther word"
Crack: "Mooooommmmmmm!!!!!"
Me: "I am not kidding...not another word"
Crack: no words...but I promise the most hateful look, complete with furrowed brows and pouty lip
Me: disclaimer...remember how stressed I was..."Son, I promise you if you do not change your attitude, I will RIP YOUR FACE right off your head" He turns and leaves the room

Husband (from man chair) "Did you just say, 'rip your face off your head?'"
Me: almost laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes..."My mind was thinking of, 'wipe that look off your face'"
Husband (still in man chair) "Okay, I was just checking...wanted to clarify that."
Me: "Do you believe me now that I am stressed out? Need any more proof?"

So, for all the moms who have ever lost it, (and then found it) this is for you.

Not Me Monday

I most certainly did not tell my daughter I would be there "in a minute"...45 minutes ago, not me.

I did not come close to laying out...as in causing bodily harm...to the photographer who was taking vintage pics for a MOPS fundraiser last week, not me.

I did not try to hijack my niece tonight from my sister, and let her sleep over here...and I most certainly did not make sure that she was monumentally crushed and that it was all her mommies fault....not me.

I did not buy an actual "Hello Kitty" nightie...because bringing sexy back does not include cartoon characters.

I did not cringe last week when my boys, in the presence of crowd of friends AT CHURCH, began singing, "Viva..........Las Vegas!!!" because I thought they were mimicking the new commercial rendention...."Viva....Viagra!!!!"

Nope, not me, you must have this author confused with another.

It's Time To Bring Sexy Back

This post is just for the ladies.

I am the worst. I value comfort over sex appeal...any day. But sometimes you have got to ditch the PJ's and break out the nighties.

Now, for some of us, the days of sexy nighties are so far gone, that we do not even OWN sexy things that fit. It's time for that to change.

Go treat yourself, and your Hubby. Here are the ground rules.

1. It must be inherently sexy, meaning it must catch your eye, if it is gonna have a chance to catch his.

2. It must fit you well, and it must show off or accentuate your best assets.

3. If at all possible, buy more than one thing. It always a good thing to have more where that came from.

4. Remember that sexy does not have to mean inherently trashy, which leads to last but not least

5. Most importantly it must be something that makes you FEEL sexy.

While we are on the bringing back sexy bandwagon...go through your underwear drawer...it could probably use a good slimming down too.

Slow Motion

Some days are played out in slow motion. Today was like that for me.
It started early, with my niece, almost two, coming over while my sister ran into the office for the day. She was still sleepy eyed at 7am and I couldn't resist, instead of heading back to bed and falling back to sleep with her next to me, I sat on the couch and just looked at her for two hours.
I smelled her sweet breath.
I kissed her fluttering eyelashes.
I brushed back her unruly curls.
I cried all over her, and tried to keep my sobs quiet as not to wake her.
But I couldn't help it.
In just 15 days I won't be able to just run across my backyard, and grab her for some shuggars.
So, today, I just drank her in. I let my kids sleep in so that I could selfishly have her all to myself.

She got everything she wanted today.

So did I.

The Countdown

In fifteen days life, as I have come to know it, will forever change. My sister and best friend will pack up and move. KC, Justin and my niece Kannon who currently live a mere 15 second liesurly walk from my back door to theirs, will be gone. Fifteen days from now, the house will be empty and she and the family will be 90 miles away, instead of 90 feet.

Words can really not explain what this will do to me and my family. Really, I have no idea how we ever lived apart, now that we have been so close the last year.

Need a sitter? no problem.

A cup of sugar? Got it.

A roll of toilet paper? Here is two, just in case.

Inspiration for dinner that neeeds to be done in thiry minutes? Th

at is covered too, no charge.

A good cry? Just a walk away.

Shoes to make the outfit unbelieveable? Take those, and these earrings too.

Need to vent about a husband that just doesn;t get it? Go right ahead, I've been there.

Got a freaky personal question that you really don't want to have to ask a doctor about? We've gone there too, twice... and have laughed about it all the way.

Need to share really great news....or even horrible news? Either one is suitable at any time.

Need to have a mental break from homeschooling? She is all ears.

Need a snack cause nothing in your house sounds good? Raiding in always allowed.

Need someone to cheer you through the tough days of breastfeeding and potty training? Done.

Need someone to hold your hand through a lost pregnancy? Check.

Need to spend four hours in a salon getting your hair done? You've got girlfriend to go with you.

What I need to say

'Say' Music Video from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

One of my favorite daily reads is Pastor Pete at Crosspoint in Nashville This video came from his site and, well, you just need to watch it.

What do you need to say????

Random thoughts ....

Just checking in with everyone...we have been so busy with the surprise guests that I have not had time to blog. Here are just a few random thoughts..............

• Can you believe the election is only three weeks away? After two and a half years of campaigning, I am ready to VOTE!!!
• Did you catch the Cowboy/Cardinals game yesterday???? That was CRAZY!!!
• My sisters and I all gave pedicures to each other yesterday...well, not really, since we do not let Lucky do any painting...she is really bad at it.
• We are making Chicken and Dumplings tonight....just in case you were wondering
• Bridget, you need to check your email and get back to me ASAP.
• The Beez is going to be Lola for halloween. (fyi, Lola is Hannah Montana's BFF)
• I AM NOT DRESSING UP THIS YEAR....PERIOD
• Watched the movies Leatherheads this weekend...good movie....gotta love George Clooney
• Christmas Shopping....Our boys have outgrown "toys". This year it is all about electronics...as in IPODs....one word EXPENSIVE

That's all, just wanted to ramble a bit.

Hope everyone is well, we can catch up later this week.

One Thing...

One thing I want to......

.....do in the next year - Travel up the East Coast to visit family in New York

....to accomplish this week - spend time with our SURPRISE guests

.....do with my kids - go on a mission trip

.....do with my husband - travel to the Hawaiin Islands

....accomplish in the next 5 years - be debt free

One dream job I would like....I've already got it...Wife and Mother...but someday I would love to get my Doctorate and teach at the college level

One gift I would buy if money was no object....a muscle car for my husband

One thing I would change about my childhood...I would have been easier on my parents

One thing I would change about my adulthood...nothing yet

What about you????

The Great Surprise

So, it has been a tough week. We have been hitting the books pretty hard in school and trying to retain information for more than just a fleeting moment, which for mine can be a challenge at times. To add to that, The Beez started running mystery fever Tuesday night and all day Wednesday, which meant that her and I stayed home from church. I thought I would just enjoy my time with her, since although she has had a fever, her only other symptom was wanting to be attached to me permanently the last 48 hours. So, after the kitchen was cleaned up from dinner, we laid on the couch and watched Jon & Kate Plus 8...a favorite of us both. The husband called a few times to check in on us, and then after church took the boys to Sonic for ice cream. I told him Beez was in our bed watching tv and I was about to jump in the shower. He reminded he still had to get milk but that he would be home shortly.
So, there I am in the shower, washing my hair, and honestly in pretty deep thought, when the shower curtain is pulled back...and SURPRISE...my sister from California...is standing in my bathroom....with a VIDEO CAMERA!!!! Yeah, you read it right....me in the shower, her with a video camera....it was pretty HILARIOUS...But how surprised and happy can you be when your little sister is here for a surprise visit...but you are kind of shocked about the whole naked in the shower with a video camera?????
To be honest...it was PG-13 at most...but come on...I was trying to be happy shocked surprised...but I just stood there wrapped in the curtain, hair full of lathered shampoo, saying, "Okay...really...OMGosh...Kelly....How did????....Hey did you know????...turn the camera off....really....Okay....Kelly...the camera"
So the moral of this surprise story is this...Surprises are great...come visit us anytime....I love surprises....and my husband knew about it, helped plan it, and kept it a TOTAL secret...but come on...in the shower...give the girl some heads up...you can only be so happily surprised while naked in the shower.

Homeschool Haiku

This morning we were learning about Haiku Poetry...which if you don't already know is simple poetry that is bound by only one rule...it must have 17 syllables divided into three lines, 5-7-5 respectively.

Here was mine:

Bright sun beams aglow
Shining through my broken heart
Chasing grief away.


I was totally laughing that my poem had such a solemn and sad feeling about it...but when you have to fit the syllables in, you just have to go with the flow. It is ironic that this post follows the one about my hubby falling asleep on the couch prior to our date...but rest assured, we made it, dinner was wonderful, as was grocery shopping!!!!

Big Daddy and Hot Momma

So, my wonderful husband asked me to go out with him tonight. I think we are going to try a new Hibachi Steak house tonight...which means SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS for me...yummo!!!!

And even though the night will also include groceries, Sam's Club and Lowe's...I am not going to complain.

But then I walked into the living room and found this....


All dressed up and sacked out on the couch...Can't I get even a little enthusiasm?

Stop the Presses!!!! The Fair is in Town!!!!!

It is that time of year again...the fair is in town. To be "fair" I should start off saying that I HATE THE FAIR!!!! I really do, and I would be fine to never step foot in that place again as long as I live. I am not trying to be ugly when I say that I HATE THE FAIR, I guess it is just that when you grow up minutes from Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm...a fair on wheels just doesn't float your boat. It also does not help that I also grew up going to the Orange County Fair...which, in a word is AMAZING, so this little rinky dink thing they call a fair, really is not "fair" to the really great fairs that exist elsewhere.


That being said, I went for the fam. The boys love the deadly...I mean crazy rides and the daughter will ride anything that they will let her on. She was riding SpaceMountain and Big Thunder Mountain(a la Disneyland) when she was a month past her three year old birthday(she met the height requirement)

So here are the pics from last night...


While I was striking this self pose....

Jake was busy bumper carting

This was the Ferris Wheel...

Same ride different kid

This is me supporting the family from the safety of the most uncomfortable benches ever made...

That is Crack on the left and Snake on the right...mystery kid in the middle


Husband and The Beez

Pork its whats for dinner!!!! Yeah I went there!!! I was hoping that "Anonymous" might be reading

The UGLIEST hen/chicken/fowl like bird ever...Snake said it had a 'fro-hawk

Beautiful pic....horrible pukey ride....

....but they rode it anyway

The Beez and a friend take flight

same uncomfortable benches...waiting on another equally unsafe ride to be over

Darkness fell and I was ready to head home

A clown on a bike did make my day by handing out Double Bubble...which under normal pleasant circumstances I would never chew...but blowing bubbles with pasty bubble gum seemed like a possible highlight of my night...so I went for it.

Are there any other Moms and Dads that undertake awful wastes of money and time for the pleasure of their offspring???? I know I am not alone in this boat. If not the fair...what is it for you???

Politics As Usual???

Did you watch the debate tonight??? I missed the very beginning, but the DVR is my friend and I will play catch up in the a.m. I can not wait to see what the polls say in the morning and I am even more excited about the BIG day in 4 weeks.

One question???? Did Biden say "Bosniacs" instead of "Bosnians"??? And I loved the "Say it ain't so Joe." comment from Palin.

Did the banter change your mind???

Homechooling Hiccups

Just when school is starting to run smoothly, you might as well start counting the days or hours until the bottom falls out!!! Usually, we only have one kid at a time in utter turmoil...and usually that means it is manageable. But, this week all three kids melted down at the same time. Here is a synopsis of our week so far...and it is only Wednesday:

Micah decided that math is only fun to do when it is ones and tens....not hundreds. She is balking at the idea of the 100's place so as of tomorrow we will work on reading and writing but give the 100's a rest. In and of itself, really it is not that big of a deal...but when she was so enjoying the first 9 units of math, to hit a wall was kind of a bummer.

Jared decided that bad attitude and selfishness were his main subjects this week....and let me tell you, he was getting straight A's. With him it is always about the drama...really, I do not know where he gets it from !!!!

And as for Jake...well he decided that he didn't know how to do division...AGAIN!! At least once a year, he "forgets" something truly basic...something we have been doing for YEARS!!!

Add to all of these the fact the Lord is TRYING to do somethings in my life...but I happen to be fighting him tooth and nail...and the fact the today marks the 30 day countdown until my sister moves away...and that I have not been feeling 100% and I am officially done for.

Here is to Grace, given and received over the next few days.

Jackpot!!!!

If you read this post you would remember that our son Jake is addicted to chapstick. Really he is, he doesn’t go anywhere without it. He doesn’t even get out of bed without it, and he even refuses to wear anything without pockets, because then he couldn’t have it with him at ALL TIMES.
Anyway, a few years ago, prior to his addiction, I started using Oralabs ChapIce-Medicated. It is amazing!!!! It goes on really smooth, and never gets sticky like Chapstick brand does. So, that of course was what he used. But then the well ran dry!!! Walmart stopped selling Oralabs, and although I did find one discount store that still sold Oralabs, they did not carry the Medicated kind. I even resorted to trying to find it online….but no luck. So for the last two years, I have always been on the lookout.

Well, Thursday we had some time to kill so we headed to a local store that sells inventory from stores that have either closed down or have been bought out through an insurance claim. It is a hit or miss but we have been known to find some amazing bargains from time to time. As we were meandering through the aisles, Jake abruptly stopped and said, “Wait Mom!!! Look at this!!!!” There he was digging through a Rubbermaid box as if he were searching for true golden treasure. And boy did he ever hit the jackpot!!! There, at the bottom of the box, underneath mounds of gaudy lip gloss, were hundreds of tubes of OraLabs Lip balm(okay, really there were only like fifty)

If you don’t know me or my family outside of this blog, you might assume that we just dug in and picked out a few and went on our merry way. But that would not really be blog worthy, and I do not like to disappoint. So here is the truth. WE WENT CRAZY!!! Yes, like it was real GOLD. I would like to say that the story ends there, but it doesn’t. When I mentioned that we went crazy, I forgot to tell you that EVERYONE around us thought we must surely have found a REAL BARGAIN…like Wii games for a dollar, or NikeShox for $5 bucks…a crowd actually gathered around us!!!! They were all asking what we found, was there any left, and could they have some too!!! It was so funny to see the look on their faces when we held up the tubes of ChapIce…you’d have thought we went off the deep end.

But come on, beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? And there we stood, beholding 16 tubes of Oralabs ChapIce-Medicated…a treasure indeed!!! Not to mention that they were only $.60 a piece…a bargain to boot.