Courageous Joy

SAY NO TO GUILT AND OX TAILS…
(translation – say no to unrealistic expectations and strange food)

My personal goal for blogging was “once a week”; somehow that evolved to “daily”. This is a GREAT thing because my blog is the “bones” of my journal. It’s been a goal for years to keep a journal. I seem to suffer memory loss…..and this helps me remember all these wonderfully frantic and fantastic years with young children. Yesterday I kept thinking “I’ve not blogged yet” and today I kept thinking “I missed blogging yesterday” and then I decided to say no to guilt! Anything is better than nothing. I will enjoy having everyone home and break away to journal when I can.

I have some wonderfully profound and complex thoughts to share about the upcoming goodbyes in our home…but really it will have to wait…which means there is the very real risk that I will FORGET all my profundities as I am known to do. :::snort:::

First things first!
Yesterday, we continued to “catch up”. Our “normal” routine will begin tomorrow with church and then Mike will be back at work on Monday. Josiah went back to work today. We’re easing into life. I’m still trying to coordinate a family picture before Mike deploys. This is DIFFICULT – first we had to wait for the girls, now Josiah and Mike are both “busy” at work…but it will get done. I may have to march into Chick-fil-A and explain this to Josiah’s boss.

I visited HEB yesterday and bought cases of produce. This was needed. This meant that we needed to zip over to Adrienne and Kwame’s to drop off their ½ of the produce. We buy together so we can get variety – and they give us 20% off. The girls were a bit surprised to see all the produce coming in but have stepped right up to the plate to help eat it. Krista especially loves the Bing Cherries. I ordered another case and most of them are already gone.

After the produce was settled we all went bowling. Well – almost all. I had hoped to introduce the girls to Porsche, Adrienne’s oldest, but she wasn’t able to make it. There is still time. I know they will like each other.

We came home from bowling and had “family movie night”. The girls requested the old classic “The Disorderly Orderly”. Then we watched “Chicken Little” and an episode of “Hogan’s Heroes”. Well THEY did – Mike and I passed out after CL.

Today Jamin and I determined to make two kinds of pizza dough and get everyone to vote on their favorite. We made four pizzas. He used his “Pizza Hut” recipe that he kept finding on the net. I used my old Italian Mama one (which is the same minus baking powder and about twice the sweetener). Hmmm…the problem is HE made deep dish and I made regular crust so it was hard to COMPARE. We can be such goofballs. LOL He made Canadian Bacon/ Pineapple and Venison sausage/mushroom. The funny thing is that I had one package of contraband c. bacon for this and “someone” (name withheld from blog to protect the guilty) has been using it for his stir fries. The only “bacon” around was “veggie Canadian bacon”. I have to admit that in MY opinion the veggie CB looked and tasted like dog treats. :::snort::: I made a garlic sauce with Chicken, mushrooms, onions and red peppers and cheese. All but the little ones ate up. We do think we need a BIGGER pan to make pan pizzas. I think we’ll keep trying and hoping the little ones will adapt. We’ll save $40 a week if we can make our own….and that will add up to over $2k in a year….which means money for a vacation??????

After the pizza-rama, we dried red peppers, Bre cleaned the house and played board games with the little ones, Krista and I made cookies, Josiah went to work, Jamin mowed lawns and went for a run, Arielle made a farewell gift for a friend, Mike and Jared installed a bathroom fan…which involved cutting a hole in the roof and all sorts of zany fun. Zander informed one and all that a big T-rex crashed into our bathroom and made a big hole in the roof…and that’s the story he holds too. We’re still trying to find a plumber that can fix our tub…if not we’ll be installing a new one. The curse of the bathroom returns. LOL

Mike and I went out tonight. It was the first time since the girls left that we stayed out so long….and it was fun. We’re still best friends. We went to Cheddars and shared Nachos and a hot fudge cake…then we went for a drive…checked on some parishioners that are moving….went to the car wash…o.k. nothing exciting but thrilling to be together and be able to TALK without me worrying about the boys at home with the little ones. LOL They do “ok” with the younger ones but they are NOT maternal at all – which is as it SHOULD be. ::snort::: When I came home the lights were out and Bre had them on a flashlight hunt for various things, classical music playing and heading for bed…..the boys wouldn’t think of anything like that….they sort of make sure things don’t burn down but don’t really think of playing…..

The little ones are in bed; the older ones are playing a game…Josiah will be home within an hour….