Bestest Ever Compliment I Ever Received

The scene:  Reading to Dad's Bud an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland.
The conflict:  Dad's Bud is fed up done with school and really doesn't want to listen.
He is trying, but finding it ever so difficult and is fidgeting up a storm trying to stay and obey.
We get to the conversation with the Caterpillar and I am doing the voices.
Dad's Bud smiles and interrupts.
"You sound just like Grandmama when she reads her stories!"
HUGE smile and a giggly thank you from this Momma.
A long lasting wish fulfilled.  My children would enjoy hearing me tell stories as much as we enjoy listening to Grandmama's and Papa's stories. 

Counting to 725.......

701.  Polka dot socks for Granny...been looking for warm socks for awhile.
702.  Blessing of Kohl's cash and new shirts for hubby.
703.  Safe Journeys for my Men
704.  God's protection over Hockey Player.
705.  A broken arm, but it is one bone.  Growth plate is missed. Wrist is missed. Thank you Jesus for protecting him.
706.  Wise Son who would choose to listen to the doctor of his own accord if we were to let him make the decision whether he would get on the ice or not. 
707.  Husband who believes 5-6 weeks is not so long compared to the risk of surgery
708.  My son's stoic understanding and tolerance as I shed tears into his hair as I hold him late at night. 
709.  The compassion and love my children have for one another
710.  Productive weekend in spite of head colds and not feeling well.
711.  Unexpected quiet family time at home in the evenings.
712.  Sister who steadfastly shares thanksgiving and joy even in the midst of the mire.
713.  An aging woman who walks the halls singing praises, praying and sharing Jesus' love with anyone willing to listen.
714.  Memories
715. Snuggles with any one of my children.
716. Husband who sees and shares with his family
717. Husband who spends his day off working at home and helping with cool lessons.
718. Birds on the line.
719. Discovering sisters who awaken through the night listening and checking on... Tender hearts and care taking spirits of love
720. Family nights at home.
721. Cool fall breezes
722.  Medicine and nebulizer and even steroids for a little The Man.
723.  Green casts that make me smile.
724.  Shaggy bangs and boy turning man smile at his momma
725.  Son who willingly helps when asked and joyfully looks for chores in the morning to do

Favorite things....Swagbucks

Favorite Things Tuesdays. 

With the Holidays approaching, I am appreciating my Swagbucks even more. 

How do you search the internet? Google?  Bing? 

Switchover to Swagbucks and start earning..well, Swagbucks.

What do you do with Swagbucks?

You can redeem them for all sorts of prizes.

My favorites:
Gift card codes for Amazon
Gift cards for Starbucks
and cash in my Paypal account.

I stash the gift cards, for gifts of course! 

And it is super cool to need to order something on Amazon and have part if not all of it paid for by banking the gift codes for Amazon.  Those unexpected expenses all taken care of, Thank you Lord!

And well, I like getting extra cash, (in Paypal) just for doing what I am doing anyhow. 

It is easy to do.

You can load the tool bar and search from there.

I occassionally do the polls for an extra swagbuck. 

I print coupons from their site and earn points when I redeem the coupons.

There are referral perks as well.

When someone you refer signs up through your link, you earn swagbucks when they earn swagbucks.
Up to 1000 Swagbucks per referral!

Talk about earning those gift cards even faster!

If you are thinking you just might need to give this a try, please consider signing up under my referral link or by clicking Sign up on the widget on the right side of my blog!

Happy Searching and Earning!

Girl's Weekend

The last several years we have done a lot of traveling for hockey. 

It has been fun.  Then Fun Girl decided she wanted to try swim team again.

This time, we found a team that was a really good fit for our Fun Girl and her family.

She has been having soo much fun, she wanted to travel for meets.

With sick brothers at home, we hit the road. 

Just the three of us girls.

We learned some navigation lessons.

Listened to music, chatted and just enjoyed the estrogen levels. :)

The biggest difference with swim team is trying to find your person!

Under water.

 

Don't blink or you could lose your swimmer.

 

 

I was amazed during warm ups!

I texted this video to a friend.

She responded back with:

"It's Where's Waldo ~ Fun Girl style!"

She is right.

 

 

 

Bringing in personal bests while trying to overcome Bronchitis

left her Momma in awe.

 

Then a Momma showed up at the pool with cupcakes.

No ordinary cupcakes.

Next thing you know, I was headed the 5 blocks over.

 With Little Princess by my side

we oohhed and ahhhed.

 

 

Decisions, decisions ???

 

 

 

Choices made!

 

 

We were well behaved all through the remainder of the meet.

We waited till we were in the car.  With forks in hand we each started sampling.

Nope, no pictures.

No one wanted to stop eating long enough to take pictures.

Pure selfishness.

The other two would not have stopped sampling! 

YUMMY!

 

When dad is home

When dad has the day off...he mows the yard.

He then interrupts school lessons to call the children outside.

Why!!!???!!!

Because he is an Awesome Homeschool Dad

and he wants to share his discovery.

The children were duly impressed.

 

 

Sisterly TLC

I come home from the doctor's office with Hockey Player last week

and discovered The Man on my couch.

 

But it wasn't as simple as all that may sound.

 

He has my bed pillows arranged just so,

providing him with support and cushion while he plays on someone's I touch.

 

I, of course, wonder who he thinks he is to be able to lay around in such comfort and leisure?

 Instead of laughing,

 I ask in my motherly tone why he is not working on his school work.

He doesn't mention feeling sick or having a cold.

Nope.

  Instead he very quickly starts his explanation with,

"It was Little Princess's idea!".

Now that was a new one.

  His sister's idea to pamper and fluff her brother.

Yeah, right!?!

Then he story comes out.

 She opened a door, smashed his foot and left a mark on it.

 I am sure the drama and anguish that was displayed was being left out of the report.

 She was sorry and didn't mean to hurt him.

 In an attempt to make it all better she took care of her brother.

 He looks really hurt, doesn't he?

I want a Little Princess for a sibling.

Favorite Things.....Crock Pot

I love! love! love! my crockpot.  Especially on days like today.  If you will notice this post didn't happen yesterday on Tuesday.  We wrapped up last week with a last minute run to immediate care on Friday.  All to discover Dad's Bud had pneumonia.  Not just pneumonia, but the kind that causes the doctor to say we caught it just in time and I am not going to send him to the hospital.  AIY!!  Entrusted with Dad, I headed out of town.  Back into town late Sunday.  School on Monday and so the week has gone.  I was gone much of yesterday afternoon.  Home in time to make dinner. Chili........  While driving I had called Fun Girl and asked her to pull meat out of the freezer for the next 3 days.  Cause that is the kind of week we are going to have and dinner out is not an option.  While chopping bell peppers, onions and crushing garlic for the chili, I do a bit more for a roast.  The roast is still frozen but no worries.  Into the crockpot with the seasonings.  Couple of boullion cubes, red vinegar wine and Worchester sauce and water.  Pop the lid on and stick in the fridge.  As I am sluggish in the morning and trying to teach... I remember dinner.  Sooo as I read aloud, Fun Girl pulls out the crock and puts it in the base and starts that bad boy up.  Dinner in the works.  Normally, I add potatoes and carrots.  I ran out of time last night.  Tonight we will bake potatoes in the microwave and steam some carrots for the braces challenged children and the rest of us, we will crunch away.  I used to have two crock pots.  One base broke. SO now I have two crocks.  It is not uncommon for me to start a dinner up to stick in the fridge while one is cooking.  Cause, that is how we do it around here.  Whatever works, Right? 
Favorite crock pot meals:
Chili
Ham and beans
Lasagna
Chicken thighs
Soup/Stew
Roast
Whole chickens
Meat loaf
Rouladon Beef + various veggies I cook it in to make steak and rice (for another day)

(picture by Fun Girl)

 

 

Favorite Crock Pot recipe book (other than the internet, of course)

Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery

I don't normally buy cookbooks.  This one though, had several recipes in it that I knew would please my family and used ingredients I keep on hand.  So it has been used quite a bit over the years. 

 







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