Sunday, April 02, 2006

Funny thing happened on the way to chapel today:


Mike told me he flies out in the a.m. for a week. I KNEW that he was going to do this in Feb but somehow forgot the TDY dates during March. {G} I’ve really been longing for some “solitude”. The kind I had when Mike sent me off alone a couple of years ago. I don’t see that happening any time soon, but I am sort of looking forward to a week of solitude after the kids are in bed. I plan to turn the computer off when they go to bed and soak up the quiet…time to think, read, study, and pray….just quietness.

Chapel was good today. It’s always fun to fellowship with friends. I was prepared with Newman O’s and pear juice for Zander. I got some teasing about going back to “hippie days” with my bright new sling and the organic Oreo’s….but it was all well-natured.

We spent the afternoon relaxing. The older boys went to rent a movie and the younger ones and Mike and I went for a bike ride. Then we watched the movie.

I set up Win Order for the co-op. I have to talk with their tech department to set up the Web order function but it’s almost done.

Mike is packing. Time to get kids in bed.
Jamin - Sunflower Spitting Contest
Your tax dollars hard at work!
My favorite Air Force chaplain!

Cy prepares for the egg race at the youth picnic
Arielle snags an apple...or an apple stem
(our younger ones got to attend as we were the chaperones)
Jared prepares for the egg race @ last week's youth picnic

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Saturday – 1 April 1, 2006

The day began at 2 a.m. I had great hopes of baking bread, making pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, cookies, peanut butter cups and ice cream. It didn’t work out that way.

Mike wanted to change the oil on both cars. I took the opportunity to go commissary shopping. While there I priced the produce items I bought this week through the produce co-op. I spent around $107.00 at the co-op; at the commissary the same produce would have cost $231.34. AND I didn’t have to pay the surcharge or tip the bagger at the co-op. I saved $124.34 on produce by buying through the co-op. Thank you Heather…what a blessing.

My big finds at the commissary today were the organic hamburger and the tomato paste with only one ingredient “tomatoes”. YES! I also stocked up on PEAR juice. Zander used to drink apple juice like it was water. It is a no-no on stage 1 of his program. They suggested Baby Pear juice instead. The first time I gave it to him he literally spit it in my face. One day he got desperate when Stacia was drinking it and said it was good juice…and since then he calls it apple juice. I’m nervous to try the apple juice now that we are on Stage 2. I think we’ll keep doing pear juice at home and if he gets apple juice while out that will be fine. Of course, if he drinks real juice again he is bound to wonder WHY Mom’s apple juice tastes so funny. {G}

Back at home I was about to begin my bread, sauce, ice-cream, cookie baking spree when Mike noticed the steaks coming out of the bag. He asked if we could grill…and so I took a break and we had yummy steaks with “Chili seasoned Sweet Potato fries”, French fries, “Churches honey biscuits” – not much like the real ones but good, a great salad and fruit. THEN I made the pizza sauce and the spaghetti sauce is still simmering. I decided I’d try bread and cookies tomorrow and we’ll make do with the ice cream we have left from last week.

I’m still trying to figure out the software for Shop Natural co-op. I am supposed to be able to get it set up so each member can input their own order – which will save me HOURS. I just need to get it figured out. I printed out the manual tonight and if I can’t figure it out, I’m sure Mike will by tomorrow night.

Kelly, not sure what I’m doing with carob/chocolate. I am not against either…..I am leaning to chocolate because we LIKE it and we’ve given up so much these past few weeks that we like. I’m about to begin looking into flax seed and flax oil….as Jamin read that he needs flax oil. I think I’m winning them over…..I’ve still not brought out the vegetable sausage patties…..or the turkey bacon…I thought those would be treats but they seem to view them as a threat. The list of ingredients is about 4 inches long and it killed me to spend real money for something so obviously fake…but I did to quell the bacon revolt.