Still Going

Arrived in Robbinsville last night after being in Charlotte for 4 days.
It's been a tiring couple of days, but its been good.
Today as I sat in an all day board meeting I enjoyed the view of the beautiful changing fall leaves mountainside. It is so gorgeous up here right now.

I am tired tonight. It's been a long couple of days.
The kids and I are enjoying snuggling in and watching "The Munsters".
I think I hear chocolate cake calling me right now.
"Missy, I need you...I've been sitting here all day being neglected...you wanna piece of me?"

Ok...I better go pay attention to the chocolate.

Arrived

Just to let you all know we are in Charlotte.
Not without incident of course, but we are here nonetheless.
I have a story to rival some of Kim's traveling stories.
Would you like to hear it? Hear it goes.

You know that I had the stomach bug.
Monday morning I decided to leave anyways as my window of opportunity would leave me if I wanted to fit in Charlotte, and get over to my parents, and get home in time to vote next week.
So we left at 9:00am Monday morning, me still with a very queezy upset stomach, but the kids seeming OK.

About 6 hours down the road, at our 4th stop, we where in the bathroom at a peach stand in Gaffney, S.C. I had my cell phone and my keys in my jacket pocket, went potty, and then went to flush. When I turned around my cell phone and my keys fell right into the toilet. YEP! Plop plop fizz fizz! Joy of Joys. I had to stick my hand into the unflushed toilet to retrieve my phone and keys. Obviously needed them. Of course there where no paper towels, so I had to wipe them off with toilet paper, and then went to the car and used wipes and hand sanitizer all over them. I then did opted to not use my phone until I had some lysol in hand.

Well, an hour later I arrived at my Aunt and Uncles house.
~Tiny background info...My uncle, my dads brother is 12 years younger than my dad, and only 10 years older than me. Therefore there kids, my cousins, are younger (13, 10, 7) ~
OK, so I get to there house and begin asking Irene for some Lysol. We had been there around 15 minutes and she was looking for some, when Lana comes to me very calmly and politely and says "Mom, I just threw up in the bathroom".
Yeah, sure enough, I brought the stomach bug to unsuspecting friends and relatives. Nice aren't I? Don't you wish YOU where my friend?
Well, for the next 3 hours Lana threw up and sat in my lap. Dean and Irene (Aunt and Uncle) where extremely gracious to us, for which I am very thankful. Also SERIOUSLY hoping none of their boys get sick.
After spreading the germs over there, we came over to my friend Stace's house, to spread some more germs. Stace is the natural remedy guru, and had Lana (and me) drink this nasty stuff called "activated charcoal", which Lana threw up all over a rug of theres that we will try to wash, but will most likely throw away.

Ah, the joys of being my friend!!!
Today (Tuesday) morning, we have all woke up feeling OK. Lana is eating toast, and I am about to eat toast, and so far (knock on lots o wood) Logan is OK.

So, anybody else need a visit from the Lowery's????

Seriously???

Well, I am supposed to be sitting snug as a bug at my friend Stace's house in North Carolina about now.
Instead I am sitting at the computer at my house blogging.
I'm doing good...this is the furthest I've gotten away from my bed all day.
Yes folks, the HATED stomach bug made its ugly appreance AGAIN at 3:00 am this morning.
The last stomach bug was more of a painful cramping event...this one does not allow me to hold anything in.

So here I sit, instead of in NC, I am still in AL. Hoping to go to NC in the morning, but at the moment my stomach is saying that may not be the case.
Lana Lou told me right before bed that her belly hurts. Hopefully this is just a made up woe for attention and not the real thing.

This stomach bug has opened my eyes to the fact that I need to take better care of my immune system. I have always been prone to getting everything that goes around. It must stop. I will have to start eating more super foods. Although Kim Hill is the super food queen and she has walking pneumonia. So maybe I will eat super foods and eat lots of Vitamin C.

Must go back to my bed now.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be in the great state of NC.

MMMMMMMMMMMM

I just baked Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
The smell of fresh baked cookies.
MMMMMMM.
No smell can beat it.

What is your favorite smell coming out of the kitchen?

Friday

I know my post titles have been so original lately.
Today is Friday. Yesterday was Thursday. And tomorrow, yes tomorrow is Saturday. The day after Saturday is Sunday and is the day the kids and I leave. Which means that Friday will be busy packing, Saturday will be busy cooking and cleaning, and Sunday will be 7 hours in the car.
Kind of makes your head spin a bit doesn't it?!

I am giving the kids a day off of school today. Really I am giving myself a day off of teaching. They are watching PBS kids...that's learning right? Then Logan is going to have to read to Lana out of a Little House on the Prairie book....learning again. Then they can start on home EC...helping fold laundry, help clean...you know, all the things kids LOVE to do!
It's rainy today, so no PE! AGGG, rain rain go away, my kids need to go outside today!

Tonight we are going to a little Halloween party. That should be a fun Friday night activity.
Tomorrow night we are going to our monthly Sunday School get together, and we are cooking out and having a hay ride. Cannot get more Fall than that!

Last night I went up to Children's Hospital to visit Crissy and Gracie.
We listened to Mama Mia and played Bingo. It was fun, I mean as much fun as you can have when an 8 year old girl is in a hospital and the doctors are trying to figure out what is wrong with her. I left feeling optimistic because Gracie had gotten out of bed to walk to the elevator and was smiling. THEN I read Crissy's blog this morning. I am so frustrated for Crissy as a Mom. Please keep praying for them.

Well onward with my day I guess. We've been rather lazy on this ooober rainy day.
I made Chicken Pot Pie at 10:30 last night so Stacy would have something to take for lunch. That sounds perfect for today!

Please Pray

For those of you that don't know my friend Crissy and her family, please be praying for them. Little Gracie (8) has been sick for going on 2 weeks now and was admitted to the hospital today for tests. For my family members, Gracie is Sarah Beth! She reminds me so much of her.
Anyways, here is a link to Crissy's blog that kind of updates what happened today.
Please pray the Drs can find out what is going on, and for strength for Crissy and her husband and family.

It's Wednesday

I have often wondered why Wednesday is spelled like that. Why not spell it Wensday? Or even Wendsday? Why Wed Nes Day? Who did Nes Wed I often wonder?

Anyways...It's one of those busy weeks.
I invited all the ladies from my Sunday School class over last night for dinner.
Soup, bread, Apple Crisp, a Pumpkin Roll, Hot Apple Cider. MMMM good.
Somebody else brought Taco Soup, Corn Bread, Spinach Dip, Velveeta Dip, Baklava....Lets just say there was no shortage of food for us 8 people.

I was very pleased with my Pumpkin Roll. It's my Mom's recipe and I've never made a roll up cake before. I think about 2 years ago Kim Hill and I where looking through a cook book and I said that sometime that year it was my goal to make a roll up cake. OK, well it took me 2 years to get up enough nerve to do it. I will do it again! Maybe for you the next time...whoever "you" might be.

Having a daughter is very good for the ole ego. I was decorating the table up a bit. Just put out a nice table cloth, and a runner...then added some Southern Living stuff, leaves, and some candles. Well my sweet daughter said it looked like a Kings table! That made me feel better than Martha Stewart!

Today is ballet/piano day. It is also ENT Dr. day. Logan has been clearing his throat incessantly for weeks now. Stacy thinks it is a bad habit. I think he is possibly right, but also think it could be drainage that Claritan is not fixing. So I am taking him to the ENT to find out if this is a medical issue, or a bad habit that needs to be nipped in the butt!
I'm going to see the ole doc too. My ear has not stopped hurting since my last sinus infection 2 months ago. I have serious hatred for taking medicine, so I am hoping he can just wave his magic Drs wand and make it go away!


Sunday the kids and I leave to go to Charlotte, so the rest of my week will spent laundering, packing, and putting some meals in the fridge for he hubbie who is staying behind.

Well, Tat ta and toottleloo me friends and family. Hope you all are having a splendid fall day!

The Thing About Homeschooling & the Sound of Silence

The thing about homeschooling your kids is that there is often no silence.
Even while doing work at their desks, there is some sort of sound. Pencils tapping, chairs creeking, loud sighs to make sure I know that they are unhappy about the assignment.

For my sanity they have one hour of room time everyday, but even that is not silent. Lana has to sing or listen to music. She has to. It is that or talk. So I forgo the complete hour of silence, for the greater good, which is of course, the singing or talking not directed at me for one whole hour.

With the beautiful weather, the kids have "P.E." outside everyday. Although they are outside, I can assure you, with the windows open in my house, this is not silent time either.

Stacy doesn't get home until 8:30ish every night (OK, Saturdays he gets home at 7:30ish), so I have long given up on 8:00 bed time. That is the flexibility of homeschooling, and with Stacy's work schedule, it is a necessity for Stacy and the kids, in order to spend time together, that they stay up well past my desired bedtime for them. So alas, non quiet till at least 9-9:30

Stacy is a TV/Movie, unwinder. So after the kids are in bed, he spends the rest of what is left of the evening with the TV on. Oh, and did I mention that he is a man, therefore half def?

So where does this leave me? For a while I was staying up waaaaaaay to late by myself, just to enjoy the sound of silence. Sometimes I do have some hormonally drivin sleeping issues that are not allowing me to fall asleep, but more often than not, if I stay up really late, it is because I have chosen to.

However recently Laura Morgan wrote a blog post about Dying to self. The Lord used that to convict me of well, just that, dying to myself. And what a joy that has been. (she say's in her most sarcastic voice!) ARG! There are many many many ways I need to die to self more, so that Christ can have free reign. So I have to make the choice to go to bed at a more resonable hour so that I can be better prepared for the not so sounds of silence the next day.
If I know I am in one of my quirky sleep issue nights, then I need to break out the Tylenol PM and swallow it down with a nice glass of water, and be done with it.

The thing about homeschooling is, it's a choice. It's a leading from God, that has many ramafacations. Some we may not see for years to come, and will prayerfully be fruits of our labors. Others are more immediete and not so pleasent, like the absence of silence.

Today I had the afteroon to myself, and I came home to an empty house, and it is the Sound of Silence. I think I will enjoy it for a few more minutes, but I am kind of missing the sound of the singing!

Funny Memory

Today is my sister and her husbands anniversary.
9 years. Stacy and I got married in June of '99 and Laura and Travis got married in October of '99. Yes, we where very kind to our parents weren't we?!

Anyways, last night I was remembering about their wedding.
I was so tired the whole time and did not feel good. I had been nauseus and sensistive, but just chalked it up to stress and nerves I guess.
So we went to the wedding in N.C., stayed for a few days and then came back home.
After we got back home I took a pregnancy test ( it was actually the 3rd one I had taken...for some reason I had negatives before I had positives), and found out I was pregnant.
Laura was on her honeymoon in Orlando, Fl. but I had to tell her. So I remembered the name of the place they were staying at, got the number and called her. (this was before the day of everybody having cell phones)
I'm sure you can imagine her suprise to answer her phone on her honeymoon and hear me on the other end!
She said they where watching a movie, and then I told her that she was going to be an Aunt!
What a nice suprise to hear on your honeymoon.
To this day she is known as simply, Aunt. Not Aunt Laura...just Aunt.
She will not have it any other way!

And in seperate news that just happened while I was typing the previous...Stacy called and the van completely died on Roebuck Pkwy today. He had to call somebody from work to help him push it and it is now sitting in the Wendy's parking lot. Isn't that just lovely.

Assorted Sundry's

Is that redundant? Assorted Sundry's? Doesn't sundry represent assorted?
Ok, anyways, I digress.

The stomach bug seems to have left the building. No one else has gotten sick, hallelujah!
This has happened before where 1 person will get it, or maybe two, or other times everyone.

I am annoyed that it will be in the 80's for the next few days. ARG!
I had already planned to bake bread and make soup today, and I still will, but good grief, do I have to sweat while I do it?

On Sunday I decided not to watch TV all day ( I was sick people) and instead read a book. It was called "Evidence Not Seen". Wow, it was really good. I think I will blog solely about it later.

I am obsessed with the game "Word Twist" on Facebook. I often find myself laying in bed unscrambling words in my head. It is very annoying.

Yesterday was Columbus day and we had school. We never really got to Columbus activities, because we had to make up stuff from Friday's sick day. So today we will be learning all about how in fourteen hundred and ninety two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

I had to go grocery shopping yesterday. I had to go to Wal-Mart first because I needed a few things there that I knew Aldi did not have. While there, I began to get tired so opted out of going to Aldi and got everything at Wal-Mart.
I now rue that decision. I spent more money fo sho. If I get bored one day, I am seriously going to do an Aldi/Wal-Mart price comparison on major things that I buy.

Speaking of things that I buy...I have made a master list. This is something I've always wanted to do, but I just never have. Sooooo handy! I just hang my master list of things I normally buy, in assorted categories, and then check off what I need throughout the week. It makes making a grocery list much easier. I just carry the master list with me.

The kids found a frog in the yard yesterday that is missing a leg and arm. Weird huh? They have it in a little container and want me to take it to the pet store today to see if they can help the poor little guy. I'm sure that crazy squirrel lady would say it is because of outdoor cats.

Tomorrow I am working. Amber is taking Stephen on a field trip, so I am working for her. This was perfect timing, as I will be going to NC on the 26th and need gas money.
I haven't worked in 2 months, so it will be nice to see people that I haven't seen in a while.

Thursday we have our first of 5 field trips to children's theater. We are seeing "Rapunzel". I like going to children's theater. It is a free day. Woo to the hoo.

Today my friend Crissy is having surgery on her mouth. Pray for her if you think of it. She has been in a lot of pain.

Well, we now come to the end of my assorted sundry's for today. The kids have completed their regular assignments and we will now move onto Columbus. Perhaps outside.
Have a great day everyone! (all two of you that maybe read my blog)

Home on Sunday

Well today is day 3 of el Stomach bug. I just ate some toast and so far so good. The horrible stomach pains haven't even come again yet. So maybe I am getting to be in the clear.
So far so good with the kidos too. Of course, I will hold my breath for a few more days and wait to see what happens. If I can hold down some more food today, I may even Lysol the place. That would be a good thing.

Stacy had his first Deacons meetings today. Yes that is meetings, plural. He had one at 8:00 this morning along with a breakfast, and then another one after church with lunch.
So considering that, and the fact that I don't yet know if the children are infected, they had to stay home with me today. I hate that for them. They love church. I love church. But this is what we had to do.
I am leading our kids choir at church and we were supposed to sing for the first time today. I felt bad having to cancel. I know that at least my kids were excited to sing. Hopefully next week.

LanaLou and I have spent the morning watching "I Love Lucy". I am so glad that I have not had to make her love that show. She just automatically loves it.
We watched one this morning that I had never seen. It was so funny!
Lucy and Ethel go to Charm School. Hilarious! We where laughing so hard. I love the little lines too, like, "You've snapped your twig". I'm gonna start using that one.
Lucille Ball and I share the same Birthday. August 6th. (incidentally Michael Landon died on August 6th...yes I know, I am full of useless information)...anyways so I was telling Lana that Lucy and I have the same Bday. I told her that all funny people where born on Aug.6th. Lana's reply "Your not funny." WHAT? How can my child not think that I am funny? She retracted with "Well you are sometimes". I must work on my funniness with my child. I cannot raise a child that doesn't think I am funny.

Well I have had enough fun for the day. Time to go lay back down on the couch and watch more TV. I have watched some good stuff the past few days. Yesterday I watched "Legally Blond". I forgot that I liked that movie. And then, in Crissy's honor, I watched a Colin Firth movie..."What a Girl Wants". It was actually a really cute movie. AND Colin Firth puts on black leather pants. Crissy, stop drooling...that can't be good for your mouth.

I hope you, all of my blogging friends, have enjoyed your weekend and your Lord's Day.

From the Devil...

Brown bootish shoes from the thrift store- terribly uncomfortable and obvliously from the devil

The pre stomach bug hitting feeling- yes, of the devil

Can't find things that we bought and need to find and yet they are nowhere- either the trolls, or the devil

Fleas- definetly from the devil

Up and down gas prices- The devil lives in gas

Something dead in the fridge- Could be me needing to clean out the fridge, but mostly likely...devil

Waitresses with short shorts- Probablly make good tips, but surely are of the devil

Skinny people that stay skinny no matter what they eat- Spawn of satan

Paying $4.31 for a drink at Starbucks- The devil makes me do it

Presidential debates- Bring out the devil

Halloween- Should I say it? (that is for you Kim)

Brakes & Transmissions- you guessed it...devil

I wish I had a little Black box.

Recent Funness

I post these pictures more for my sister whom I know misses her niece and nephew, than I do for any of you that see my children on a regular basis.

Ignore them if you'd like ;)

#1- Our day at Oak Mtn, we hiked to the "waterfall". Lana picked flowers and Logan collected weapons. Typical day.

#2- A recent Star Wars Birthday party. Logan is a storm trooper. Lana is of course Princess Leah, the tough weapon carrying version.

#3- Logan in his typical "analyzing the crap out of something" pose.

#4- Lana in her typical "look at me all cute in the flowers" pose.

#5- Every single little pumpkin we saw was perfect for Savannah. Lana has big plans for bringing Sarah, Summer, and Savannah to the pumpkin patch and picking perfect pumpkins. In the mean time, she wanted to "give" Savannah this one.

#6- The best looking couple at the Pumpkin Patch. Also the only couple at the PP. It was a nice quiet day there!

#7- Well, I just that was a cute pic.

And there you have it. Recent Fall funness in the great state of Alabama.

Heaven or Something Like It

Lately I've been thinking about Heaven.
It's really not something I think about as much as I marvel, long for, and anticipate.
Thinking would involve some sort of understanding, and Heaven is so far beyond the concrete thinking of my brain. What I know about Heaven is that anything my brain could conjure up would be a very poor misrepresentation of it.
How can I process in my earthly human brain that in Heaven we will worship God forever.
I come away from a hour and a half Church service completely overwhelmed at God's Holiness and Grace. How could I even process eternity of that, an eternity with the Vail lifted and God's full glory revealed.
What will it be like to hear hosts of Saints and Angels singing Holy, Holy, Holy?
I get choked up when I hear 200 sinful people in a man made Church building.

The world is fascinated by the thought of Heaven.
Stacy and I where watching part of an old Robin Williams movie yesterday, "What Dreams May Come". The movie "5 People You Meet in Heaven" comes on the Hallmark Channel all the time.
These movies, and most of the world around us think that Heaven is this place of our own choosing. Our minds make Heaven whatever we want it to be. We can run through oil paintings with our old childhood dog, or meet up with our High School English teacher and talk for hours about the good old days. In a humanistic Heaven, it's all about ME!
Seriously, why would I want it to be about me. I haven't done things right here on earth. What makes me think that in a Heaven that my brain comes up with, it's going to be any better?
Everything I do here on earth is tainted with sin. It is God's gift of Salvation and the promise of eternity with Him in a Heavenly body where I will sing with the Chorus of Angels Holy, Holy, Holy, that gives me Hope and makes me long for Heaven.
Why O why would I long for something that I'm just going to make up when I get there, that comes from a very finite brain such as mine?
I can't plan for the end of the week let alone eternity. I can't imagine anything more beautiful than things that I have already seen.
In this life of uncertainty, I look forward to the day, as the old hymn says...
"When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory."

Don't Be Scared!

Lana and I have made this recipe for Chocloate Chip Zucchini Bread several times now. Don't be scared of Zucchini bread! You don't taste the Zucc, it just adds moisture. This recipe makes two loaves and is a wonderful fall treat.

Also if you have a little girl ( or boy) that likes to help in the kitchen, grating Zucchini will occupy a nice amount of time!!!

I hope you try this, you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:
3 Cups AP flour
2 Cups Sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp allspice (we use pumpkin pie spice)
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and allspice.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
Transfer to 2 greased loaf pans.
Bake @ 325 deg. for 60 minutes, or until a insterted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes and then remove and let cool on wire racks.