Sunday something...

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The magical time when I buy the first sunscreen with the purpose of deliberate in the sun time planned. 

We are heading to the beach for my birthday in about six weeks and there is about to be daily doses of sun in preparation. Ahhhhh.

In other news:

the Eucerine shower oil as shampoo. I am not still using it..but I didn't hate it. I also didn't love it. It said it was fragrance free...but ended up smelling like Murphy's Oil Soap to me , after repeated uses. I do love the results on AE's long hair...it makes it look very smooth.  

I also got some of the Plegde Multi Surface with Fabreeze. I love the scent (vanilla and lavendar) but the results...ugh. streaky on the stainless steel appliances and filmy on glass surfaces. 

Ah...and LemiShine has proven to be my favorite find....for the hardwater issues in the dishwashwer. It is amazing and keeps things super clean and shiny with no film. 

(who knew you would get product reviews....)

In an effort to avoid the chaos that was last week at dinner time...I have made a menu and done the shopping. This week's menu:

Monday- Loaded potato and chicken casserole (a kid pick from Pinterest)

I will make me a smothered chicken breast to keep it low carb but without have to cook a separate meal.

Tuesday - crockpot bbq sandwiches 

(pork shoulder on a bed of onions, topped with some diet dr. pepper and bbq sauce , cooked all day)

coleslaw

baked beans

Wednesday -Orange Ginger Chicken (another Pinterest pick from the kids)

obviously they want chicken instead of pork chops...

fried rice

roasted cabbage (no fennel seeds....)

Thursday- Low Country Boil -esk idea...

I will be making my favorite shrimp recipe from Pinterest (only I melt the butter then add a layer of sliced lemon ...then the shrimp and seasonings and bake) 

There will be boiled potatoes and corn on the cob

smoked sausage

cajun grilled fish

Friday-

Pizza night!  

Here's to a good week! 

a box full of surprises...

one of my favorite things is surprises...

big ones...medium sized ones...little ones...

I love them.

This week I got a nice surprise.

For a little background.

i.love.waffle.house.

(judge me as you wish)

as life would have it...I went to high school with a girl that now manages a Waffle House.

(be careful with that judging...)

aforementioned girl...

has her Bachelors degree in Science

and is a member of the Master Gardeners Club

and also (since we're attaching labels)

excels in sarcasm. 

i love her.

and this week

she surprised me 

(because, I love Waffle House

and NM lacks very many of them...)

with a box full o' Waffle House goodness.

I really am God's favorite.

and you really should get to know that WH waitress...

she just may surprise you.

:)

Happy Sunday.

just another manic monday...

Monday.

ah.

Monday has become a day that I try to make nice with , as of late.

I don't always subscribe to the Monday's Stink idea...but I have had a few over the last few weeks that have made me consider the possibility.  With all that said...today was good.

I think it was because I planned for it to be...

I planned to not leave the house...or get out of my pjs....i planned to let the kids sleep in and to start school late...i planned out lunch and dinner and did the prep work to make that happen ... I cleaned some, tidied some, read some, facebooked some... it wasn't a day of sloth or lazy... but it just wasn't a day of crazy.

I won't always have this luxury...
but today I did...
and I am glad.

October...really???

I last posted in October?

Really?

Facebook has made me a poor blogger--not that I was a rich blogger before, but yeah, it is far too easy to superficially report on ''what I'm doing'' via FB than keeping steady on the old blog. However, I do miss it. It's just hard to get back into the routine. I miss the day to day though and so I am making a new effort.

I typically have a theme for each new year...along with a verse--I haven't had anything solidified this year...other than ''metamorphosis'' ... all things new... that's what keeps rambling around in my mind. I'm going with it-until/unless something changes. :)

2009 was a big year, in so many ways. My Daddy said the other day, ''if I were to write a book , I'd leave out the chapter for 2009.'' Yes, it was that kind of year--lots of different things going on, on lots of different levels.

In a lot of ways 2009, when looking back, seems as if I am looking onto (into?) someone else's life-as if I am seeing them, not myself. To say it was a hard year, would be an understatement. To say it was easy, would be a lie. I saw sickness, heartbreak, sadness, pain, longing, frustration, angst and hope. I don't know that I will ever understand 2009. But I understand that God was with me, under girding me, carrying me along & I can rest in that when nothing else makes sense.

2010--doesn't that sound terribly futuristic? Shouldn't we have jetpacks or something? I am looking forward to 2010. I want my faith to grow. I want to be a better mom and friend. I want to walk in faith and not fear. I want to LIVE OUT LOUD. I don't want to be frivolous...but I want to walk in the now to take advantage of every second God gives.

January is here & it holds some new things for me. I'm going to have to face to challenges. I'm going to have to step up and do things I've never done...but I want to look back when January is done and mark that ''to do'' off the list & I want to feel that sense of satisfaction of knowing *I* did it...me, Cheri, making a way. I'm not brave--but I sure want to be...

January also holds a road trip. We are going to Mississippi to visit former church members. The last time we visited Nathan was 3 (and had one of his febrile seizures while there...complete with a trip to the ER) and Daniel was 1. Now, they are 11 & 9 ... and I've added two more munchkins to the mix. I love road trips-especially ones that lead you to folks that are like family.

My camera is broken...sigh...it is still usable-with a certain amount of finesse...but overall it's broken and that makes me sad. Really sad. BUT it's a thing-and we love people and not things (that's what I tell my kiddos, all the time) but that doesn't make me not want a Nikon D300 :D

Alrighty, I have four kiddos at varying levels of sick. None are terrible...all are stuffy, coughing, snotty & one is fevered. School starts back tomorrow--the break was nice, but I think we are all looking forward to the routine.

Here's to a good year...to living one day at a time...to doing a little something everyday that's something you've never done. I hope to grow this year--I hope to be changed--I hope to be more, than I ever imagined.

Praying that for yall too!

Right now...

I'm sunburned...
ouch-my thighs are a lovely shade of red-eeek!

I have two kiddos sacked out. Exhausted from a long day, full of swimming and then playing with friends.

I have a crochet project that makes me happy--even though I don't love the yarn. (colors...ugh) I love the pattern. It's a star. It makes me happy.

My heart is breaking for a friend. A friend that has shown more grace in her situation than I think I am capable of mustering. She truly amazes me. Encourages me. I am praying for her--and so thankful for her example.

I'm reading The Spirit of Sweetgrass by Nicole Seitz. I read another of her books last year for review and fell in love with her writing.

Tomorrow I have a mani/pedi--that's a goooooooood thing.

It's my birthday week-that's a gooooooooooooooooood thing.

Today was a hard day in a lot of ways. My heart hurts today. But the thing is--this isn't it. It will get better. My Momma always says, ''this too shall pass'' & it will. There will always be bad days--but then, there are those days that take your breath. Those perfect days. They make all the bad days managable.

This is me.
Making it.
Day to day.

Now-the older boys are in bed & I have to do the trash run.
Tomorrow-after the mani/pedi. I get to resume 'farm duties' ...and
there will be chicken pictures
just for Rhonda. :)