Revolving doors and footprints

I think payback is a bi%&@!!! I mean I have teenagers, I was a teenager, and I think my mom is laughing. My home has a revolving door, not literally. My boys come and go, bring friends home who help raid my cupboards, eat all my food and then leave me with messes to clean up. My mantra is "If you feed them, they will come..."

I remember how important it was as a teenager to spend time with your friends. I'm not that ancient to have forgotten that your character is built when you are away from the safety of your home and making decisions on your own. My mother must have felt the same way I am feeling now. I think I was only home to eat and sleep. Please don't assume that I have no control...I know who they are with, where they are going, but I rarely say "no" just to say "no" merely to assert a control over them when they are spreading their wings preparing to fly. (Plus, we have cell phones now. How did my parents survive this without them?)

It is funny when they want something how all of a sudden I become "mommy" again. What manipulators they are! They know that I am lamenting the loss of their childhood, that remembering their chubby cheeks and wet kisses brings tears to my eyes. Calling me mommy just brings back those memories and in that instant I'm willing to give them anything they want.... Even let them walk all over me.

Sitting on my Porch

(This is not my house...)

As I sit here on my porch in the warmth of a summer afternoon, I am whisked away to a different place by the sounds and smells. Closing my eyes, I hear the steady stream of water from the country fountain on my porch. The whiskey barrel and old fashioned hand pump fountain remind me of simpler times. I hear the summer breeze blowing through the curly willow in my front yard. The leaves making music to my ears. I pick up the tinkling of the wind chimes I have collected, softly moving with the breeze. The damp earth and fresh cut grass fill my head with their intoxicating smells mixed with just the faintest scent of horses romping in the fields down the road. With my eyes closed, I might think I am sitting on the porch of an old country farm house breathing in the freshness of country living. A place where you dream, breathe and just be. The sound of a car passing by brings me out of the revelry of my own thoughts. Reluctantly I rise from my creaky, rattan chair returning to the house and the incessant sound of the blaring television.

The Fair

Yesterday I went to the fair. It is such a "cultural" experience. I should have worn my hat and boots for the occasion, but it was too hot. Rodney Adkins was playing the fair, but we didn't get off of work in time to make the concert. So we enjoyed the sites, sounds and smells. Corn dogs and cokes, cows, sheep, the worlds largest pig, the worlds smallest horse. Ribbons and prizes and pitch-men galore. Yet, it was a relaxing evening away from the kids, and I am just a little bit poorer.

WOWW

"Happy are those who have no doubt of themselves."

~Flaubert~

Overwhelmed

I have just gone back to work full-time. I haven't done that since, well, before kids...(eighteen years ago). For us, it seems like when the Lord know things are tight, he opens another window. I'm not going to turn this gift down, but I am a little scared about getting it all done, if you know what I mean. Cleaning, shopping, cooking, laundry, budgets, finances, appointments, church activities, working out, etc., etc., etc, are all things that can consume someone's day who doesn't work outside the home. I know that women do this everyday. Any advice from working moms for me? How do I budget out my time so that I can still do it all?

Sincerely,

Overwhelmed

Inspiring

I find myself awake in the early morning hours lying in bed and reading others' blogs. The hum of a fan and the ticking of my keyboard are the only sounds I hear. Maybe in the peace of sleeping teenagers I should read some scriptures. My heart tells me I should give my spirit a good feeding, but I find my mind taking me somewhere else.

See, I find blog reading truly inspirational. I drink in the words of sweet people some of whom I've never met. I feel as if I know them from their writings perhaps better than I know myself. Writing creates a window to the soul. I rejoice when they are happy, and I cry with them when they are sad. We laugh together...Their experiences, thoughts and ideas are truly inspiring. They make me look at life and everyday happenings in a different light. I am often reminded that in the small and simple things we find our greatest uplift.

Thank you fellow bloggers...

I was dumped!

How bad is it when a member of your family drops you as a friend on Facebook? Should I be concerned or offended? How do I deal with that? What gives....

Sweet Serendipity

On our way home, I made it known that it was quite mandatory to stop on the Vegas strip for the finest frozen hot chocolates in the world. Serendipity 3 has the best! There are only two words to describe the decadence "OH MY!" You can make frozen hot chocolate at home with this simple recipe.

Here is my lo-cal recipe for a frozen hot chocolate. But, not quite as good:

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

1/4 cup splenda

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk power

1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender in the order listed; process mixture until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

Makes 2

And a trip to Grandma, too

Grandma is celebrating her 90th birthday this month.

It was nice to be able to take the kids to visit their great grandma in California.

It was really good for me to see her, too.

A Day at the Beach

Our trip to California would not have been complete without a trip to the beach. Laguna beach was beautiful with warm sands and cool water.

The boys enjoyed diving into the waves. Despite the baby reef sharks, TJ still manned up and went in the water.

I lost my polarized lenses in a huge wave. I honestly forgot I had them on. I took Ladybug out a little too far to where she couldn't touch. She was hanging on to her mommy when a huge wave came rolling in. In alarm, a four letter expletive came out of my mouth setting Ladybug up for screaming in terror. As the wave, tossed and turned us under the water, my only thought was to hold on to my daughter. Forget the polarized lenses, those can be replaced, Ladybug can't.

I think these kids were born for this. They've got "beach baby" written all over them...

Where dreams come true...

Disneyland Rocks! Just not in August...It was fun, but far too crowded and HOT. We have been in September before when the kids were in year round school. And, we have been in early June. Both of those times are really quite pleasant. I've made it pretty obvious in the past how I like to organize and plan. I used a software program called Ridemax to help plan our trip. It is awesome and I highly recommend it. It helps to minimize your wait time. We got so much riding in...You put in the rides you want to ride, then it analyzes data and puts you in line when the lines are the shortest. It is ingenious and well worth the $15.00 I paid. If you are planning a trip to Disneyland or Disney World, splurge and try it out. You will find it very worthwhile. Ladybug thinks it is the happiest place on earth...

This pose was her suggestion. She likes to see her parents kiss.

I don't know why...

A tornado has struck!

I QUIT!!!!

The maid is out indefinitely. What do two teenage boys do all day while I'm at work you ask?

Make messes!

I wonder how long until they decide to clean up after themselves...

Joshua Trees

(Not the best photography, but it was taken out the window of a car going 80 mph, you get the idea.)

While traveling through the deserts of Southern Utah, Nevada and California, I beheld some of the most interesting and beautiful landscape. One of the most unique and unusual things I saw out the window of my speeding car was the Joshua tree. These trees are so peculiar looking. To me, they are a cross between a regular tree and a cactus. I did a little research on them, and here is an interesting snipit of info that I found here...

"This spectacular plant has become the symbol of the Mojave Desert. Mormon pioneers named the species for the biblical figure Joshua, because the trees uplifted limbs reminded them of Joshua praying and pointing to the heavens. John Fremont, early explorer and promoter of the West, called it "the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom." Today its large size and unusual characteristics make it an appealing and attractive component of the desert."

Heigh Ho

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's back to work I go..

The summer is officially over,

Heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho