C-C-C-C-CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love being outdoors. We spent the whole weekend camping!

We have an awesome spot that is a short hike from the house, at the back of our property. We had the most beautiful weather this weekend, so we packed up and headed down to our favorite camping spot. Not only is it beautiful..................IT'S OURS!!

Race and I headed out to the grocery store and grabbed the essentials: marshmallows and hot dogs for the kids; sushi and wine for us!! By the time that we got down to the campsite, the kids had their tents put up, and the fire ring repaired from last fall, and Austin had a great campfire going.

Here are some pictures from our weekend. Jack was sittin' pretty on the overturned bucket, while he and Savannah competed who could burn and eat the most marshmallows.

Above, behold the worlds most amazing, functional, and comfortable tent. It's MSR's "Hubba Hubba". It is a 2 man tent with zippers on EACH side, so that your partner doesn't have to flatten you out like a pancake just to get up and go to the bathroom! This thing packs the size of a loaf of bread, and weighs a mere 4 lbs.
Here you will see the oldest of our offspring assembling a bench. He was tired of sitting on the dirt. We have found that if you don't GIVE the little beggars every little thing, (ya know, like CHAIRS) they can be quite constructive!
Our beautiful creek! Teaming with all sorts of fish, water bugs, and fresh water crustaceans to make a little boys heart sing to the heavens!
Ummmm.....I don't know....maybe he smells something bad. That's always a likely possibility with my boys.
Above is an example of sheer boyhood bliss. (Buying that boy those waders was a stroke of genius!!!)

Jackson modeling the latest in head lamp gear!
I really wish that I could explain this one. Really. I do. The underwear. The saw. The log. All of it. I just don't know.
We had such a wonderful weekend. It was just what we all needed to re-charge our batteries. It was one of those weekends that makes you feel sorry for anyone who isn't you. ;-) And we could all use one of those once in awhile, couldn't we? Oh. And did I mention that there was wine and sushi???

Another 1st degree Brown Belt!

Yes, we have another 1st degree brown belt in the family. Jack passed his test, showing that he had learned the skills and had the physical fitness to earn his Jr.brown belt in mixed martial arts. We are so proud of all of his hard work. He did a great job!! Check out those push-ups!! And Race was home to see it.








The kids in the background were playing a game while Jack was being tested. And, yes, his coach is married. LOL!!

Way to go Jack!!

Meet George Jetson! .......Jane,His Wife!

Nope. No serious political bloggin' goin' on here, yet. LOL!

"We're like the Jetson's". This was Race's remark.

We were all in the car the other afternoon and headed for the wide array of activities for the day. Race wanted to know the schedule, so while driving, I explained that Austin would be dropped off at baseball practice at 3:20, then we head back into town just in time to drop Savannah at Pilates class at 4:00, and then almost making one big circle, we would get Jack to Martial Arts.

"We're like the Jetson's", he said.

In a way. I guess. But as I recall, the mother-figure in that animated series, Jane, was always dropped off at the mall, with a wad of cash. So in that way, we are NOT like the Jetson's.

*And as an aside, why do we not have the flying cars yet???? How long have they been promising those????*

Anyway, I think that if given the choice, I'd much rather be Judy Jetson. She was so cute and groovy. And man could that girl dance!

But in reality I think I resremble some sort of odd combination of Rosie and Astro. (sigh)

Savannah as Peter's Grandmother in The Emporer's New Clothes

Mam-maw and Pap-paw came, and the entire family showered her with flowers after the production. She did such an amazing job. Race and I just sat there in awe. She was so relaxed, so calm. She kept a perfect British accent through the whole play. WOW! My little girl is growing up, and we couldn't be more proud of her!

This Weekend

The whole family came down to visit us this weekend! They all converged on our little town to see a very important play. Savannah was starring in "The Emporer's New Clothes"!! We appreciated it so much that the whole family was here to support her. She did such an amazing job, and we could not have been more proud. She seemed absolutely fearless. Aunt Thomasina took the pictures, so as soon as she sends me a few, I'll post them here.

After the play, everyone came back to our house for dessert and coffee. As always, just a great time hanging out with the family.

After church today we went snow tubing with a bunch of people from church. We had a blast!

I made it!

We ended up getting back home at around 8:30, and there were a couple of things that made the day go a little easier. One thing was that the kids finished school lessons early. Also Savannah's pilates class and the Fine Arts Academy were close enough together in time and distance, that I ended up having to make one less trip, so that was nice. And Jess, I did end up getting dinner for the kids while we were out. But Race and I had salmon, with a spinach salad and multigrain bread. We've been trying to be good about nutrition, and it only took a few minutes to fix. And unfortunately we were going to be eating really late anyway.

My ballet class was great and I have a pair of screamin' calves today to prove it!

We had a good day today. The kids got an abbreviated school day in order to get outside and enjoy the AWESOME weather today. Race went to the college to swim, and then we met him for lunch. It was nice enough for him to take the jeep out today, so after lunch he headed to the shooting range, while the kids and I stopped for some grass,etc. for the yard.

Jack is loving Latin, and today I caught him trying to teach Scout (our chocolate lab). He was doing his chant for "laboro" and getting the dog to make the hand movements with his paw!

Jack spent most of the day at the creek. And at one point I saw him come flying through the kitchen,screen door slamming behind him. He was running through with his shirt pulled up in front, like he was holding something in it. "Hey! What've you got there?" And he calls back, half-way up the stairs to his bedroom, "A FISH! I caught a big fish!!" The lucky fish who was caught (bare-handed, mind you, indian style)by the boy was being transported with lightening speed to the aquarium. He is there as we speak. When Jack came back down, he had my kitchen tongs holding his giant crawdad. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He stops and looks at me incredulously,"Well, I CAN'T leave the crawdad in there now.....He'll eat the fish!" And out the door he went to free the crawdad. With my kitchen tongs.

Have a great night!
Melissa
Oh. and blogger has a new feature that I've recently added. If you come here, and read this blog and don't comment, your keyboard will melt. Neat, huh?



O.K. I'm kidding. But C'MON, y'all....!

I forgot about Bridget!! Bridget has been going to the gym with her hubby, too!! Sorry, Bridg!! Whilst handing out all my applause, I forgot about ya! So, consider yourself patted on the back and encouraged. Keep that gym bag in the car!!

Look at this To Do list for me today...and weep with me:

1. Treadmill/Abs
2.Breakfast for all
3.School for everyone
4.Lunch (laundry and housecleaning)
5.School lessons till 3:00- (They get tons of breaks during the day, but we never seem to be able to "finish" and clean up all the school stuff till 3:00)
6.Put on something for dinner (No, I don't know what that will be yet)
*3:30- leave the house*
7.. Drop Jack for Martial Arts
8.. Ballet class for me
9..Pilates class for Savannah
10. Drop Savannah at Theatre practice
11.. Pick up Jack from Martial Arts
12.Drop Austin for M.A. and Jiu Jitsu
13. Go and get groceries
*drive home put away groceries and serve dinner*
14. Drive back out pick up Savannah
15. Pick up Austin
*We'll get home at about 8:45* (Is that you I hear weeping?? Oh- no. Wait. That's me.) LOL

This is the only day that it's THIS bad, and I was hoping that writing it all out would make it look a little better. But.........no. I gotta go see what we're going to have for dinner and get on that $&*#@ treadmill!!

Just Earnin' my keep around here!
Have a great day!
Melissa

Congratulations Jess on the Loss O' Inches!!! Keep it up, girl! Woo-Hoo! And Way To go Thom on keeping up with a work-out schedule last week, and eating healthy. Excellent start! And I know that Em has joined the Y and she and her whole family are already benefiting from that. And Laney has been going to Body Pump at the gym. Nicely done, gals. Nicely done. Way to push back! BTW, did y'all LOOK at my gym-dungeon???? I mean C'MON!! It TAKES some motivation to go down there!!

Savannah got her braces on this week. She is actually quite pleased. Aside from a little discomfort, and the initial learning how to eat certain things, she hasn't had any trouble at all. And they look great on her just-turned-13 smile. She looks very teenager-ish now. She picked out aqua blue bands.

We had my VERY DELICIOUS Irish Stew tonight for dinner. I had served a multigrain roll on the side, and Jack happened to look up from his place to see Savannah trying to tear into that crunchy roll with her new braces on. After staring at her, wide-eyed for a moment he remarked, "Uuuuhhhhhh..........ya havin' a little trouble there?" LOL. She quickly put him back in his place by reminding him that she was having no more trouble than he was having eating his carrots. (He dislike carrots, so he had finished all of his stew except the carrots.......and yeah, he had to eat them).

I'll post the recipe for the stew later. It is really delicious, and there is nothing like a good hearty stew on a cold icy day. And incidently, it looks like we may be in for several of those.

So, what do you think of my new blog look? Do you like the sidebar picture? It is definitely more current than the other one, except that my hair is dark right now.

Gotta go finish my lesson plans for the week,make brownies for dessert, read aloud from "The Rats of Nimh" to Jack (which the other 2 always end up listening in on, too), watch the Amazing Race with....Race, replace this hideous chipping polish on my nails and then read aloud from Eusebius with Race!

Have a good night!

Workin' Out

I've been doing pretty good with my working out lately. I think it's because I actually look forward to the solitude. And lest any of you think I am lifting weights in some classy gym, I am including a photo of my work-out dungeon. You know, it's not all that bad. I put on XM Radio, and for about 45 minutes, I can't really concentrate on anything else but my sets,reps and weights. It's actually therapuetic. Way cheaper than professional help! The only problem is that I lift in the middle of the day, while the kids eat lunch. SO, typically Race isn't here. (Although it has been SOoooooo nice to have him as a work-out partner on the weekends!).
Anyway, the amount of weight that I am lifting now, is getting up there a little bit,(I mean, for ME anyway) and that last set is always a real struggle. And since I am TOTALLY the type of girl who could drop a 25lb dumbbell on her face........well.....you can see the dilema!!

Seriously though, it's working for me, and I feel good about it. When I don't miss, I lift 3 days a week, and do my treadmill and abs 3 days a week. None of it takes more than 45 minutes a day, and because I am working hard at it, it makes me think twice before shoving down a large order of fries!! And I really try hard not to miss.

I have tried other work-outs, but keep returning to The Body Sculpting Bible. For one reason: Results. It is simply the most efficient way to lose fat and gain muscle. And if I am going to devote my time and effort to this, I want the most absolutely efficient program that I can find.

One of the many things that motivates me is Eve. Yes, you read that correctly: Eve. As in the one from the book of Genesis.......In the Bible. O.K. try and follow me down the path of my skewed thoughts:

I often imagine what Eve looked like. The woman God created for Adam. Absolute perfection. And then I think of sin entering the world. All of creation still groans under the weight of sin, which it was never intended to bear. It effects everything. Including our bodies. I think of how different the average woman must look when compared to Eve. How distorted we must look. I imagine it to be like comparing a human with the Hollywood version of an alien."They MIGHT be of the same species...but...I dunno." LOL As Christians, I think that this is part of the mix. It's a part of the balance. Of course we'll never get it right in THIS world, but shouldn't we struggle against it just like we try to do in other areas? And yes, I'd like to be at least a recognizable descendant of Eve. At least I'd like to try. Does that seem totally off base? Is it?

Sometimes thats the the thought process that gets me on.that.treadmill. Or causes me to hike in the woods with the kids instead of sitting inside watching them.

But then sometimes, I just look in the mirror, shriek, and run to workout. (O.K, thats just vanity, and it doesn't sound anywhere near as noble as the whole Eve thing, but there it is.) What motivates you?

MUCH better pictures of the event!

Thomasina's Blog

the Fam

Here are a few pictures that I took from Mom's birthday. I know that Thomasina got some good ones.
My 2 boys are at the ages where every photo-op is just an opportunity to look mentally deranged. (sigh) When do they out grow that??
And I do apologize to my sister Emily, because her boys who are still young enough to look at the camera and smile sweetly, were unfortunately mesmerized by the camera antics of my guys.(*light bulb coming on over little boys head* "AHhhhhhhh......so THAT'S what you do when someone tries to take your picture!! Yeah, yeah....now THAT'S funny!!") So sorry Em.

We had such a good time that night!

Happy Birthday MOM!!!

Today is my mom's birthday. We all came up to celebrate last night. This is the first time that the whole family has been together in awhile. I find myself appreciating the preciousness of those moments a lot more lately.

We took up a whole banquet room at our favorite french restaurant in town. Mom and dad have been taking us there since we were kids. Everyone had fabulous meals and el vino did flow! It was a wonderful time. Jack and Q sat together at the end of the table with Savannah and Austin. They had a rip-roaring good time! They were entertainment all to themselves. I think Thomasina got some pictures of some of their Motown, synchronized moves at that end of the table! Em and Todd had W and Everett at the oposite end of the table. Em, being forced by Everett into full-on motherhood mode right now, didn't get to eat her dinner until the rest of us were eating dessert. But that baby is just too darned cute, so I really don't think Em minds a bit. (As I well recall, by the third child, you are used to not getting a hot meal.) W was just a doll!! He was so well behaved, and he just says the most adorable things. You could just eat him right up. When I walked in he said, "Aunt Melissa, whatdjooo' do with your yellow hair??" LOL!

Thom was busy snapping pictures and chatting with Austin and Savannah. Race and the Dude sampled a few new ales and played with the kids. Dad ended up giving a teary eyed toast to mom that in any other family would have brought the whole gang to bawling. (Ahem, we tend to make a joke and laugh instead)

Mom loved all of her gifts and I think that she thouroughly enjoyed her evening. Dad remarked more than once how proud he was of his family, and well behaved all of the children were, and how well everyone gets along. (Big Satisfied Sigh) It was a great night.

Happy Birthday Mom!! I'll post pictures as soon as I get back to the house tonight.

Melissa

Happy Presidents Day!!

My whole week is going to be messed up now, because of Presidents Day! LOL! I am Soooooo thankful for the extra day that Race got at home with us, but I will be a day behind for the rest of the week!!

Church was awesome on Sunday, and we got to meet some new folks as well. I am very thankful for the church that we attend. The whole family loves it. It is such a blessing.

Austin went on a ski trip this weekend with the Boy Scouts,and they also worked on a Snow Sport merit badge while they were there. I cannot believe what a good skier this kid has become in such a short time. He really amazes me. He was such a cautious kid when he was little.....and look at him now!

Savannah had a great time at her theatre practice this weekend, and she has a busy few weeks ahead. On thursday, she gets her braces on, and then from Saturday through Friday she has theatre practice every night from 6-8 to get ready for the performance.

Jackson has been having a GREAT time with his dad lately. From all the outdoor stuff, to the video games, to ping-pong, to even teaching dad a little Latin!! Jack has been soaking it all in. I can't tell you how good it feels to see that.

Outside today, the weather was in the 40's, which was a welcome change. My tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are all poking up out of the ground, and one of the crocuses on the sunny side of the house hase even BLOOMED!! (Excited squeal!)

Tomorrow, the whole family...(EVERYONE!) will assemble at Mom and Dads to celebrate Mom's birthday. WE.Are.So.Excited!!! AND.......we are all going out to dinner! WOO-HOO! The whole FAMILY, at our favorite French restaurant.

We have had a great long weekend, and we are looking forward to spending time with the whole family for a bit. Who knows, maybe we'll get pictures, too!!

Enjoy your families!
Melissa

Well......there goes my Mother of the Year award...(dang!)

I have mentioned before that most of the kids parents are all about 10 years+ our senior. They all generally have incredible work ethics and place a very high value in academic pursuits. They love their kids and want what is best for them.
We're more of a..."do your best,-work hard,- have fun- and don't sweat the rest" kinda family. We dearly love these families, and couldn't be happier with the choice of friends that the kids have made. But occasionally it does make for some interesting contrasts!

Last Sunday after church Austin wanted to ask his good friend S. to come out to eat with us. We said "sure". And in the end we actually ended up with 7 boys at the table....and Savannah. (That child will NEVER have trouble getting a date!)

Anyway, Austin was sitting across the table from me and began taking off his jacket. He was unfolding his gigantic,long arms out of the sleeves by tugging at the end of the sleeves, and not pulling his arms away from his body. No, I don't know why.



Me: "Austin, you look retarded doing that."

Now don't go emailin' me saying how cruel this is, he DID in fact look retarded taking his jacket off that way, and we are always joking with each other this way.

So, anyway, I had told him he looked retarded. We were both laughing.When S. exclaimed:

"OH. MY. GOSH!!! MY MOM NEVER CALLS ME RETARDED!!! (gushing and smiling ear-to-ear) THIS IS SUCH A FUN FAMILY!!!!!"

Me: "You look retarded too sometimes, S. Welcome to the family."

Which should have been followed up by, " Ahem..You gonna be mentioning this to your mom??........... Your PHYSICIAN MOM???"

Well, certainly there must be SOMETHING to be said for having a thick skin, right? Surely I am contributing to the development of my children in THAT way!Right??

G'night!!
Melissa

Valentines Day Salvaged

The day started rough. Race has not found his "civilization groove" yet. It is very difficult to switch back and forth from "fight-mode" to "civilian mode". Just like a soldier who comes home from deployment, it takes some time to switch gears, and unfortunately for Race, he has to switch gears while moving. No down time. The pressure mounts. Yesterday morning saw all that stress and anxiety rush to the surface before he left for work.

Race would not be home until late that evening, and since Austin had Scouts, he was going to arrive home to an empty house. The scouts have a ski trip and a service project going on this weekend, and will be working on a merit badge, soooo.....we really couldn't miss. ARGH! This was not looking good. Not good at all.

Enter Thomasina.

Thomasina came and picked up all three kids, dropped Austin at scouts, and took the other two for some fun shopping and hanging out.

In the meantime, I had champagne waiting for Race when he got in(O.K., the champagne was mostly for me, but I had his favorite hard cider waiting for him as well!), the new potatoes and asparagus ,sprinkled with olive oil and salt, were roasting in the oven and the steaks were ready to cook. Sitting on the table was a big stuffed gorilla holding a valentines bag filled with chocolate covered peanuts and malted milk balls (his favorites), and the 3rd season of "Arrested Development" to watch after dinner. I got him. He was touched. We had a wonderful time, and most importantly, Race could RELAX. It was great. And it was needed.

The kids were all back home by 9:30,full of energy, laughter, and stories after having a fun time out with Aunt Thomasina.

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. He inspires me and encourages me with his motivation and drive. I puzzle at what keeps him going, working so hard, sacrificing so much for the things that he believes in. When I watch him, my heart is overwhelmed that God would love me so much.

Thank's SO much Thomasina for making last night possible. Couldn't have done it without you!

HAve a great day!
Melissa

WOW!! Do I have the absolute NICEST group of commenters, OR WHAT?! Thanks y'all! This is of course reason #30,381 to keep a blog. SOooo MUCH cheaper than therapy! LOL! Seriously, thanks so much for all the nice comments. Very much appreciated after the day of the Big Change!

Today was a day of false starts for me. A million nagging little things happened to keep me from being on schedule. Heck, I think I was way behind before my feet ever hit the floor this morning! DO you ever have days like that? Well, my list of accomplishments today includes getting our laptops back online. We seem to have acquired some nasty electrical issues with one of our jacks. But, YAY ME! We're back online! I will spare you the list of other non-essential essentials that were all screaming to be done RIGHT NOW!(You're welcome)

But now, I am sitting in my kitchen with a pot of chili on the stove, a glass of wine on the table, and listening to the labs barking outside to announce the arrival of my sister, Thom. She is joining us for supper.

After lessons,today, the kids built ice forts down at the creek, and then Jack and Austin proceeded to play some sort of elaborate Ancient Greece game, which involved chucking ice and left-over snow at each other. Surprisingly, no one was hurt, and they played for hours, though I am not sure that there was any actual historical accuracy involved.

Though the weather man is predicting ice storms, my thoughts are turning to the outdoors. The flower boxes on the porch are screaming for some pansies to get us through till spring. And I was eyeing a nice light-weight tiller at Lowes today.

And an update from the hair files:
I can't figure out how to style this blasted dark hair! I'll bet I've tried it a dozen ways. It seems that blonde hair is much more forgiving to style. If there are a few stay pieces here and there, it's really pretty unnoticable. But THIS!? It's hard, I tell ya! Still..it's fun. And I think I'll keep it awhile. ANd besides, strangers seem more chatty with me now. wierd.

Tomorrow is busy,busy, busy. We have school lessons, pilates for Savannah, ballet for me, Martial arts for Jack and Austin, and Jiu Jitsu for Austin. Tuesdays are always long. I still have a read aloud from the Rats of Nimh, and a mountain of laundry to get through tonight. However, I also intend to try and place a long-overdue phonecall to Dy tonight. She's good for the soul.

G'night!
Melissa

Work-out Motivation

I've been doing pretty good with my working out lately. I think it's because I actually look forward to the solitude. And lest any of you think I am lifting weights in some classy gym, I am including a photo of my work-out dungeon. You know, it's not all that bad. I put on XM Radio, and for about 45 minutes, I can't really concentrate on anything else but my sets,reps and weights. It's actually therapuetic. Way cheaper than professional help! The only problem is that I lift in the middle of the day, while the kids eat lunch. SO, typically Race isn't here. (Although it has been SOoooooo nice to have him as a work-out partner on the weekends!).
Anyway, the amount of weight that I am lifting now, is getting up there a little bit,(I mean, for ME anyway) and that last set is always a real struggle. And since I am TOTALLY the type of girl who could drop a 25lb dumbbell on her face........well.....you can see the dilema!!

Seriously though, it's working for me, and I feel good about it. When I don't miss, I lift 3 days a week, and do my treadmill and abs 3 days a week. None of it takes more than 45 minutes a day, and because I am working hard at it, it makes me think twice before shoving down a large order of fries!! And I really try hard not to miss.

I have tried other work-outs, but keep returning to The Body Sculpting Bible. For one reason: Results. It is simply the most efficient way to lose fat and gain muscle. And if I am going to devote my time and effort to this, I want the most absolutely efficient program that I can find.

One of the many things that motivates me is Eve. Yes, you read that correctly: Eve. As in the one from the book of Genesis.......In the Bible. O.K. try and follow me down the path of my skewed thoughts:

I often imagine what Eve looked like. The woman God created for Adam. Absolute perfection. And then I think of sin entering the world. All of creation still groans under the weight of sin, which it was never intended to bear. It effects everything. Including our bodies. I think of how different the average woman must look when compared to Eve. How distorted we must look. I imagine it to be like comparing a human with the Hollywood version of an alien."They MIGHT be of the same species...but...I dunno." LOL As Christians, I think that this is part of the mix. It's a part of the balance. Of course we'll never get it right in THIS world, but shouldn't we struggle against it just like we try to do in other areas? And yes, I'd like to be at least a recognizable descendant of Eve. At least I'd like to try. Does that seem totally off base? Is it?

Sometimes thats the the thought process that gets me on.that.treadmill. Or causes me to hike in the woods with the kids instead of sitting inside watching them.

But then sometimes, I just look in the mirror, shriek, and run to workout. (O.K, thats just vanity, and it doesn't sound anywhere near as noble as the whole Eve thing, but there it is.) What motivates you?

Carley Bobby no more!!!

I DID IT!!! What do you think?? Sorry, this is not a really great picture. I actually really like it! The bangs are in an effort to put off Botox for awhile longer! It is so much fun to have people whom I know walk right past me, and not recognize me! It's just SO DIFFERENT!!! I have scared myself a million times walking by a mirror in the house and thinking it's a stranger. LOL!! Savannah LOVES it. The boys like it, but prefer blonde....("because it just doesn't look like you"..) Race?? Well....he likes it...but....I think that the change might be a little much for him!! I catch him looking at me out of the corner of his eye alot! Anyway, I plan to keep it for a good while, but it's totally fun to know that I am a salon visit away from my ultra blonde, again!! Fun, fun!

So, go ahead, weigh in. What do you think??

YYYESSSSS!!!

Reminding you all of my shallow inner self, I have one thing and one thing only to share with you tonight:

Super Bowl night, Savannah and Austin both had different parties to go to. Austin's was with the college/ highschool kids from our church. I walk in to the party, and there are only college kids there so far. I say "hey" to everyone, and speak to the hostess a moment, and then tell Austin what time I'll be back.Then we headed to Savannah's party.

*Jump forward to today.*

Me: Oh my gosh, y'all does my hair look totally stupid pulled back like this? Am I going to embarrass myself at the grocery store? (Yes, this is a true conversation)

Jack: Let me see.....Nope, looks good Mom! And I'm not just saying that.(good boy)

Austin(not even looking): No, it looks good. And besides, that's how you had it the other night when you dropped me off at the party, and they all thought that you were my sister.

Me: WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both boys: (blank stare)

YYYYESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (high- vives, high-fives, high fives to you all)

It's the little things that keep me going........
(deep satisfied sigh)

g'night!
Austin's sister

p.s. IT'S SNOWING!!

Hot Buttered Rum

When I was a really little girl, and it would snow at my house, my dad would always get out the tractor and plow our long gravel road. He would also plow the neighbors driveways as well, (there were 2). It was always a really fun and exciting time because my mom was one of those mom's who made snow fun. She would be more excited than we were as she got us all bundled up. Before we came back inside to strip down by the fireplace, she would gather a huge bowlful of snow and bring it inside. When we had our warm, dry clothes on, we would have hot chocolate, and help her make snow-cream.
I was a pretty priveledged kid, growing up. When I was 3, I got a pony for my birthday. I named her "Daisy" after my most-favorite-doll-in-the-whole-wide-world, "OOpsy Daisy".
One particular winter, it snowed over a foot, which is a lot for the south. After my dad finished the plowing, he hitched up "Daisy" to the little pony cart that we had. He and mom had made a batch of Hot Buttered Rum. They poured it into big glass mugs, and we went to deliver some to our neighbor. I can remember being all bundled up and climbing up into the seat of that buggy, and being SO EXCITED!! I had to hold the neighbors rum. I remember the warm butter floating in the top of it.And I am sure that the ride was quite bumpy, and that he probably only ended up with about 1/2 a mug of rum.....and I'm sure that my clothes smelled of spiced rum when I got home, from spilling it.......but I didn't care. What FUN!!
Now. Thinking back about this, I am wondering if dad had already HAD A LOT of rum, before he decided to do this. Because to this day, I just can't figure out what in the hell ever possessed him to do that. I mean, that's really not like him at all!! LOL!!! And it's not like "Daisy" was used to pulling that cart. She wasn't. And it's not like my dad was a "horse person". He wasn't. Yeah-I'm pretty sure that it was the rum. But what a fun time! And what a great memory.
So I am including the recipe that I love for Hot Buttered Rum. It is DEEEeee-licious! Of course you don't need rum OR a pony and cart to make an awsome memory for your kids.......but you get the idea.


Hot Buttered Rum
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups apple cider
2 cups water
2 cups rum
whipped cream (for garnish)

In a large sauce pan combine all ingredients except rum. Bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add rum. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg.

It'll warm you right up!

G'night!
melissa

Soup!!

For Bridget: Cream of Potato Soup with Sausage

This is my own concoction, so the amounts are not exact, but it's quick and GOOD!!

About 4 lb of russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Cover with water, and boil until soft.

While potatoes are cooking, cook sausage (whatever type you like, crumbled)in a seperate pan until done.

Drain all but about 1/2 cup of water off of the potatoes.

Return to med-hi heat.

Add milk (1/2 and 1/2, cream, whole milk, 2%, or a mixture...whatever) to cover the potatoes.

Add cooked sausage

Add celery salt, white pepper, and plain salt to taste.

That's it! You can stir in some corn starch mixed with cold milk if you'd like to thicken it a bit. But that's it. It is quick and de-lish! We served it with salad and crusty bread.

Stay warm, y'all!!
Melissa

The kids and I met Race in Washington yesterday. We had such a fun time! We just hung out with Race, saw some sights, and as a bonus, got to go out to eat with a few of the people that Race works with, who were absolutely delightful. It was a quick trip, but a really great time for all of us.

The boys martial arts classes were cancelled today, so we got to take the evening off tonight. The kids are playing with Lego, and watching "Open Season" (utterly hilarious, in case you are wondering!). I am watching the news and waiting for my potatoes to finish cooking so that I can finish my Cream of Potato/Sausage soup.

I am kind of getting back into a groove again with school,extra-curricular activities, and working-out. It feels good to work back into a positive,forward, direction. It's busy....but it's good. I feel like my focus is returning to it's proper place. (Deep, deep, sigh)

Something that has been on my mind lately, is how much I smile.

Sounds like a strange thing to think about, doesn't it?
But hear me out.

You see, I know that I was a very blessed child. I was raised around people who smiled at me a lot. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom's warm smile. My mom smiled a LOT. She still does. And it's still just as beautiful as it always was. Come to think of it the rest of her family does this too. My aunts and uncles tend to light up with a smile easily as well. I think that it means a lot to a child to have someone look into their eyes and smile with approval.Even for no special reason. Even when you don't say a word. I KNOW it does. And what an easy way to help the self esteem of a child!

I think that I'll try to smile more.

Thanks, Mom!

O.K., soups ready. I hope you're hungry! (Can you see me smiling??)

Melissa

Mr. Bad Ass goes to W@shington

That's right. Johnny Bad Ass is in W@shington. There are times when the Johnny Bad Asses of the world MUST go to W@shington. Most in W@shington don't like it when they show up. And most J.B.A.'s would rather be ANYWHERE but there. The sheeple will never understand the J.B.A.'s of the world. And granted, their view is not the norm, and probably somewhat difficult to comprehend.



Thank God for the true Johnny Bad Asses of the world.You can tell who they are, because they get the job done and never require any thanks or recognition.

Thank-you for the prayers for my mom and dad. As it turns out, Dad's trouble can be taken care of WITHOUT major surgery, and with a procedure that he is already familiar with. AND my Mom didn't have to stay in a hotel. They are resting comfortably at home now. Thom had the fires going, the house warm, and soup on the stove when they got home from their long day.We are very, very thankful.

It's been a good day here. School went well, and then the kids helped me to get a little organizing done. Jackson only got hurt about 10 times today, so...ummm..that was good..(weak smile)I got in some cardio and lifting at lunch time. I got dinner started. Savannah went to dance class, and then we came home to homemade vegetable-beef soup for dinner. Add in the good news from my Dad and all in all it was a pretty great day!!

Melissa

Pass another St. Johns Wort, please...

Race had to leave tonight. He will be gone all week. He has to go up north to visit the Head Hauncho's office. I miss him so much already. At least he's staying in a cushy hotel room, instead of bunking out in the desert!I just wasn't really ready to be without him again so soon.(Yes, that's me whining....)

We did have a good day today. Church was amazing. The title of the message was "A Wife's Hope". You can listen to it if you'd like(MP3).I'll put the link below, and they should have it up tonight or tomorrow. Very challenging and very uplifting. We ate lunch out, and then came home to help Race get packed up, and to see him off.

I have to go and do lesson plans for this week before I can get ready for bed. But before I go, I'd like to ask you to say a prayer for my Mom and Dad tomorrow. My Dad has to have an angiogram (sp?) done tomorrow for his heart. He has had 2 of these done before, and we are praying for the very best possible outcome. Also, my Mom might have to stay in a hotel room by herself.....which she WILL NOT like....but is slightly hard headed and won't let my sister come and stay with her;-). So we will be praying for them both tomorrow, and waiting by the phone for the update. Thank-you for your prayers.

"God has no problems, only plans"
-Corrie ten Boom

G'night!
Melissa church sermon link

Happy 13th Birthday Savannah!!

That's right. We now have 2 teenagers in this house. Savannah is 13 today. She and her dad go out on a date every year on her birthday. She really looks forward to this really special time with her dad, and so does he. I hope that she will measure every guy that she ever dates (and how he treats her) against her father. Last night, for the first time, she wore make-up. I actualy got to be the one to put it on her.

---As an aside, both of my sisters just screamed in terror simultaneously at the thought of me puting make-up on Savannah. No doubt they had immediate flash backs to our youth when I was a make-up zealot, and would hold them down and pack the fashionable 80's style make-up on their faces, and then close my door in disgust when they did not thankfully worship at my feet for their new-found beauty. (sigh)--


Relax girls,this wasn't much, just some Bare Minerals, and some sparlkly clear lip gloss. She looked so beautiful. And she was just beaming. Her dad let her open his present to her before they went. He had gotten her a new jacket that she had been wanting very badly. So she got to wear that out to dinner.

Savannah is an amazing girl. She was born an artist, and her gifts in that area leave us in awe.Seriously. She has such a good heart. She is sensitive to others, and always has her eyes wide open. She doesn't miss much, but she also doesn't see the need to make her own opinion always known. (ahem, must be from her father) She is wise beyond her years, but because she is so quiet, it sometimes catches me off guard. I tend to underestimate her.
She has grown into an amazing young woman. She is smart, beautiful, talented, and courageous. She loves the Lord with all her heart. She has a quiet determination about her that I just DARE you to try and bend. She loves her brothers to death, and would do anything for them.

Savannah is an artist, and she sees the world through her artist's eyes. Black and white are only used for "shading" in her world. She notices every beautiful sunset, the colors of every pretty mountain range,the way that the rain drips off the trees, and every other delicate thing in nature that most of us overlook. This past year, she began to seriously try her hand at writing. She is learning to use WORDS to pour out what she sees in her mind. And she is very good at it. She works hard to make her reader VISUALIZE what SHE is seeing. Truly amazing.

This year music has begun to really SPEAK to her, and her ipod is filled with everything from hard rock, to opera, to christian. Acting has become a serious passion for her. She auditioned and got a leading role in "The Emporer's New Clothes" this year, at the Fine Arts Academy. She is still enjoys her dance classes and has several good friends there. She loves the church that we go to, and has her closest friends there.

Next month she will get braces on her teeth.Which she will handle with grace and determination, as always.

Race and I could not be more proud of our daughter, and the young lady that she has become.
We Love you Savannah Rose. Happy Birthday honey.

Game on, Race! I need your help..

Race and I have this game that we play, and I need your help to win. It goes like this:

When we have to enter any public establishment at different times, (for instance if he drops me off at the door and then goes to park the car), we pretend like we don't know each other. Then we act as if we are just meeting one another for the first time. You have to be loud enough to attract attention, or it's not fun. It is HILARIOUS to see the reaction of other people!

The object of the game is to say or do something so outlandish that the other person laughs and goes out of character. We do this A LOT, and Race is getting good. The other night at Panera Bread, the following took place:

We enter at different times, and I am standing waiting in a long line, when he comes up:

Race: HEY!!! I LOVE your Mountain Hardwear jacket!

Me: Thanks, I like yours too

Race starts being loud and animated about a whole lotta nothin', and attracting attention. I am doing my best to make him laugh, but I can't get ANYTHING on him. We clearly have the attention of everyone standing in line. Then:

Race: HEeeeeyyyyy.....I am LOVIN' those pants! They make your butt look really nice........Mind if I touch that??

I LOST.

We started this little game sometime last year, and it always cracks me up because either can start it and it is always spontaneous. But he has clearly upped the competition. How can I win? What would you do? Ideas anyone? I need to be ready the next time we play. Race doesn't like to lose......so..this could get dangerous.

Game on!
Melissa

School update

I haven't written anything about the kids schooling in a long time, so I thought that I would put in a little update. It's encouraging for me to go back and read through their progress in my old posts. Sometimes it feels like I am too close to see the larger picture, so that really helps me.

On the school front: Savannah's writing continues to be amazing, and the Lightening Lit program seems to really fit the bill for her. She would love to forget about math and science altogether, and Jack thinks that it is incredibly cruel that I don't allow her to "just study about animals" in science. But, she's a really good egg, and she never complains.Her work is always neat, and done on time. I try to give her as much lit-based learning as I can. She learns so well this way.

Austin is really doing well with his new and increased work load. In Algebra we have all (Myself, Race, and Austin) been slogging through slope-intercept equations. Only 5 more chapters of these to go....(Oh.MY.WORD) His writing has shown real improvement this year, and he has actually stopped dreading each and every writing assignment! Science? Well, what can I say? We LOVE this Physical science!!! AND this year he is doing the labs and writing up the lab notes all on his own, so I am really thrilled about that. And best of all...(drum roll, please)...he is learning organization!!!(hallelujah chorus)

Jack is finally settling in too.(READ:I no longer have to tie him in his chair) His math and science is going really well, and he loves to work way ahead in both of them. Language Arts is finally improving, but he has definitely been slower in this area. He is becoming much more independent, and and confident, and that is really nice to see. One surprising thing, is that his cursive penmanship is REALLY beautiful. I am AMAZED by this, because his printing has always been just horrible. And we have taken the Latin plunge with him, as well, and he really likes that.

I'll touch on their History lessons another time. They are all doing something different, so it'll take awhile to explain!

I wish that I could say we were all in our groove again, but mostly we're all still walking around bumping into one another. It feels like we spend a lot of time spinning our wheels each day, as a family,while we try to figure out how to work "all together" again. We're having fun.....we're just not accomplishing a whole heck of a lot! But it's all good. And we all know the drill. We are so incredibly thankful to have Race back home with us.

G'night!
Melissa

Last Isr@el Picture post! IT.IS.FINISHED.

O.K, now for your viewing pleasure,as the finale', I give you some random, dorky shots from our trip to.
This land and it's people have a very special place in our hearts. We were so blessed by our time there.

Isr@el post: #1,032

All of these pictures are from the top of Mt.Masada and then down at the Dead Sea.

We all made the grueling climb up the side of Mt. Masada, to Herod's unbelievably preserved fortress. In my own opinion, it was Herod's absolute paranoia that ensured his survival for so long. There is/was no easy route up to the top of this mountain!I was really proud of the kids for making the climb. Austin read Eusebius last year, so he had quite a bit more personal info on Herod. Of particular intrest to him, was his long and agonizing death. He was apparently parasite-ridden, and ...well...Eusebius doesn't really mince words. The palace was amazing, and a real testament to Herod's wealth as well as his Roman "influence". The hot baths, steam rooms etc, are all still in place.

Behind the pictures of the three kids, you can see the Dead Sea, far below. LAter the afternoon, as you can see, they took a dip. The water has so much salt in it that it is actually 26% solid. You can see Austin holding up his hand s and feet............and floating! He said that you could actually feel the pressure of the water pressing in on you. It holds you up and you cannot sink. Jack is holding up one of the salt balls that cover the bottom of the Dead Sea, (making it a bit difficult to walk on). This is the lowest point on the earth. What a great experience for the kids!!

We're back!

Corrected: It appears that my posting capabilities are a little rusty! I fixed the cabin link below. It should work now!




You guys, we had the most wonderful time!!
We have been camping and hiking in this particular area since we were in college, and it is still one of our most favorite places to go. I don't care what season that you head into the Blue Ridge, it never dissapoints. It is always so quiet, and secluded. It was, of course, too cold to camp, so we stayed in our favorite cabin. You can read more about the cabin hereThe Cabin In 3 days we spent time in Lexington, Staunton, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg. We pretty much saw most of central VA!! One evening we hiked up to Spy Rock. It is so named, because it was a lookout for confederate soldiers during the war. The climb is hard and steep, and it crosses the Appalachian trail at one point. When we got to the top, we had to do some real climbing....or bouldering...or whatever you call it! WOW!! It was amazing! ANd my tip to you, if you ever do this, is.........DON'T....LOOK...DOWN! Just keep your eyes on your husband who is climbing handily, with ease ahead of you.....and try to do what he does. Anyway, after reaching the top, it was SO WORTH IT. It was a gorgeous 360o view of the Blue Ridge. The tops of the mountains are all at your level. It was so beautiful, and we made it just in time to watch the sun go down. Just breathtaking. We had all of our cold weather gear on, so we were feeling o.k.,(You can see in the picture that I had shed my down jacket at the top....for about 5 minutes!) but after we stopped at the top the temp started dropping super fast, along with the sun. Nothing but ice up there, and the water in my water bottle had already started to ice up! It was easily in the teens when we started back down, and we had our headlamps on long before reaching the bottom. In that area of the state, you are so far from any major city, that when it gets dark, it REALLY GET'S DARK, and the stars seem unbelievably bright. And without the stars, you can barely see your hand in front of your face. We just had a wonderful time. A crackling fire in the woodstove, inside a 170 year old log cabin, no phone, no tv.......just heavenly!
Race and Austin are camping tonight with the Boy Scouts. This is part of the cold weather camping training for the boys. I guess if you don't get hypothermia.....you done good! LOL! It is supposed to be 22o here tonight. My guys are fine, but I hope that some of the other boys have enough warm gear. I am sure that they will all work it out and share. I guess it's all part of the learning experience!!

About those other pictures...

I haven't forgotten, we are just on the road right now.

We are at mom and dads, and then Race and I are off to spend a little time(ALONE- can you believe it???) in the mountains doing some hiking. We are really looking forward to it,and I can hardly wait to spend a little time with my husband again. When you are away from one another so much, it feels really strange when you get back together, because you have both changed. Not in a bad way at all,but you are not the same people that you were when you last saw one another, just because of normal...(or maybe not-so-normal) life experiences that happen while you are apart.

In a "normal" (LOL) marriage, you grow and change together, experiencing things daily, and discussing them, blah,blah, blah...But in our situation, it's like we have to play catch-up. It's always fun, but you really do have to make time, and make it a priority. And I am SO looking forward to getting these few days!

The kids are thrilled to be able to grab a few days at mam-maw and pap-paws house, so I can relax and have fun knowing that they are having fun, too. My mom and dad are the best.

So, anyway, I don't think we'll have any wireless connection for the laptop up where we are going,(nor any cell coverage) so the pictures will have to wait a little longer, but they're coming! But just so you know, it's for a good reason!!

See you soon!
Melissa

O.K., I have tried to post pictures 5 times tonight, and it's a no-go. I'll try again tomorrow. Ugh! So frustrating!!! grrrrr..

The Obligatory Camel Pictures

Are y'all getting tired of these yet??

Tonight, for your viewing pleasure, I give you some of our camel riding pictures. We were on our way down to the Dead Sea. It was just before this outing, that Savannah looked out the window, and pointed to a boy riding a burro out in these mountains. Jack said, "Hey....look at that! A boy......riding a wild ass!" (Long pregnant pause as the words "wild ass" just sort of hung in air of the car.) Sensing that there is just SOMETHING about that word...he uses it often now. We have to pass several fields every day, and each time he will say something like," Hey, I think I saw an ass", or "There were a couple of asses out there". Yesterday, able to stand it no more, Savannah sighed and uttered quietly, "Jack couldn't you just say"donkey"? Which of course brought on an onslaught of repeating the word. "What's wrong with "ass'? It just means a donkey....you can say "ass"...what's wrong with "ass"? (sigh) But now when things get quiet between Race and I, inevitably one of us will say, "Look! A boy on a wild ass!"