Isn't that Pretty

Ice is pretty.

Snow is pretty.

Winter itself is pretty.

And I am pretty much over it.



Just Because...

I just love this picture. 

It was taken on Easter Sunday, at my Grandmother's house, after a huge dinner with all of my wonderful family.

Which I also love. 

Funny how a simple picture of nothing at all, really, can bring up visions of things that mean so much.

"We Are Having Our Time..."

They have "their time" every day, just to catch up and reconnect after a long day at work.

He is single. 

Soooooo Thirsty!

This hot weather seems to be getting to everyone.

Nothing a tall glass of cold water can't fix!

I set my water glass on the landing of the stairs, walked away to get a book for Tiny Love, and Kitty Friend decided to help herself. 

It was a tight fit, so she decided to try the "hand-to-mouth" method instead.

I guess it is kind of a clean/hydrate combo. 

Once we were all done admiring how cute (and kinda gross) this was, I led Kitty Friend to her water bowl, where I poured her the rest of the water. 

She turned up her nose and walked away.

She thinks she is people. 

I don't know where she gets this idea :)

A Time for Everything

So, what have I been doing lately? 

1.  Taking care of a temporarily crippled dog.

2.  Visiting with Mom and Dad, who are home right now!

3.  Listening to this:

4.  Reading this:

5.  Cooking from this:

6.  Doing the usual laundry, dishes, etc. (ad nauseam).

We are now up to speed.  My life is so exciting.

One thing we have not been doing is homeschooling!  I guess this year our school is getting a summer vacation.  The girls have been having fun swimming, having play dates, and doing the summer reading program at our local library. 

I have been thinking about my little blog, and how much I have missed having a place to vent my thoughts, share my ideas, and generally chronicle our lives for the whole world to read (eeekkkk!), and I have come to some conclusions:

~ I am going to be more organized in the format of my blogging.  I need a list.  I just do.

Mondays:  Menu Plan Monday/recipes

Tuesday:  Simple Woman's Daybook

Wednesdays:  Random!   

Thursdays:  Homeschooling/Kids

Fridays:  Thrifty Fun

Saturday:  Random! 
Sunday:  Bible-related posts

Do you love how I actually schedule when to be random?  So?  Don't judge me. 

~ I like blogging because I miss writing.  My favorite part of college was all the papers I had to write.  I enjoyed it immensely, the way it made me think more critically, focus on one thing (being at home is a lesson in multi-tasking), and seeing the beautiful fruit of my labors (being a homemaker often feels like an exercise in futility).  I love what I do now, but this gives me a place to think, be, share, and learn.
And be random.
At the appointed time, anyway.

Hello, Out There!

Sooooo, I still do not have a computer, which means I am using the computer belonging to my Mom.  It is not good.  Why?  Why am I using such asynine sentance structure?  Because if I use the apostrophe key, the whole computer goes nuts and I cannot type.  I did not realize the vastness of my dependance on contractions. 

I am also not sure when I will be getting a new computer.  I really want an imac, but my funds for such a purchase are dwindling due to a money hemorrhage I like to call Daisy Dog.  She now has a cast on her leg and a cone on her head to keep her from removing said cast.  I would show you a really cute picture of her, but apparently the computer belonging to my Mom hates to upload photos as well.  Humphhh.

I miss my little bloggy :(

I wish I didn't hate debt so much, because I would be slidding the card so fast right now and gett(apostrophe)in myself a (apostrophe)lil imac lov(apostrophe)in.  

For sure.

Get a Web!

For an entire week, every time I go into the upstairs bathroom, I see this:

I know, you need a close up.

I don't think he got the memo about the whole web thing. 

I am scared of him.

Why don't I just kill him, wash him down the drain or otherwise disposed of him? 

Because I read this book to my kids:

Now I can't even kill a little brown spider. 

Who is getting the education here?

A Juicy Weekend

I haven't been keeping up with my blogging this weekend, as I have been doing this:

Juicing stuff with my new juicer, sitting on the back deck enjoying the sunshine, reading a book that sucked and a book that doesn't (so far). 

In my juice:

• spinach
• cucumber
• basil
• apple
• pear
• ginger
• lime
• JOY.

So, Menu Plan Monday didn't happen.  I don't have a plan yet, but I am sure we will not starve. 

See you tomorrow, if I can tear myself away from the juicer. 

Fishing, Roo, and Haircut, too.

Just a little rhyme to start the day.

Sunday afternoon we went out to the in-laws to let the Woolly Mammoth out to graze. 

The girls wanted to do some fishing, and the Husband was happy to oblige.

It was HOT. 

Why is Tiny Love wearing a life jacket when we are fishing on the dock? 

Because Tiny Love is a little unpredictable, and Mom is a little paranoid attached to her.

Someone else is a lot more trustworthy.

Curlyjo caught, with her little Barbie pole, several giant, ugly catfish.

And Tiny Love thinned out the smaller fish population.

It was a good day.

Today is a good day, too.  Why, you ask? 

The Roo is on the couch, contemplating the mysteries of Elmo while trying to focus on Dinosaur Train.  He has already filled his diaper twice, refused four different breakfast options, and guzzled two cups of chocolate milk.  Oh, and stolen my heart.  :)

In other news, I have done it again...I let my hair grow out until it was exactly chin length and at the peak of hideousness, and gave up.  I got it cut.

It looks the same when I get up as when I went to bed...for better or worse. 

I don't know if it looks better, but it can't be worse. 

Menu Plan Monday

Whew!  It has been Monday all day, if you know what I mean ;)

So, I did the Aldi shopping this week, and it felt good to leave the grocery store with a HEAPING cartful for $160!  I stocked up on some staple items, too.

Monday:  Grilled burgers, macaroni and cheese, roasted veggies (Brussels sprouts/broccoli)

Tuesday:  Chicken Sausage Pasta, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday:  Chicken Wreath, frozen veggie

Thursday:  Beef Stroganoff, egg noodles, green beans

Friday:  Baked Chicken nuggets, rice pilaf, veggie

Saturday:  Pizza, salad

Sunday:  Leftovers

I will post the recipe for the Chicken Sausage pasta once I am done making it up :)

The Chicken Wreath is a weird Pampered Chef thing that is seriously the Husband's favorite food.  Brother loves it too.  Us girls, not so much.

I have already pre-cooked some lentils and quinoa to have through the week, and I boiled some eggs for a protein source for us vegetarians.  Looks like we will be relying pretty heavily on the beans this week.

I think I will close this post with a couple of random pics that reflect where my mind is right now, because it's my blog and I'll be random if I want to.

Mommy. 

She has been in the hospital (far, far away), and I wish I could get to her.

Tiny Love. 

She went to spend the night with a friend, and I miss her.

The Roo, my nephew.

I just haven't seen enough of his sweet face lately.

Obviously. 

Because--obviously.