Outside My Window:
Really pretty weather lately. Warm. It was 61 yesterday but these next few days are supposed to be mid-70's. All 4 of our fruit trees that Bryan planted last August/September are blooming! So excited over that. We have gardening on our mind. Bryan is planning on working on the yard and garden on his week off while the girls and I are in California. We have some brush he cut down this winter that we need to burn and some cleaning up of the garden beds and yard overall. I noticed yesterday that my hydrangea in one of our front flower beds is flowering too. As much as I love winter, I always enjoy seeing spring sprout up too.
What We Have Been Watching:
For Houston's birthday this past weekend, the older kids and Bryan and I watched the latest Red Dawn movie and Skyfall. Those were Houston's requests for his birthday weekend. We really liked both though I was disappointed in Red Dawn's ending. Of course I didn't think it was nearly as good as the original. We thought the first one had a better storyline. This second one, while not a bad movie, was more action packed. Emmy really wanted to watch it because Josh Hutcherson plays in it (the boy from Hunger Games). *Grin* We all thought Skyfall was good. I love a good James Bond movie.
What I Have Been Reading:
Almost finished with it and I have loved it even more than I thought I would. All of the main places around Branson that Bryan and I have enjoyed on our trips, are mentioned in the book. It makes a book even more special to me when I can connect in that way to its location. Being the theatre lover that I am, I have really enjoyed the theatrical part of the storyline and the main characters are awesome! If you like Christian writing that is wholesome and clean, you might enjoy this one. In my opinion it's even more wholesome and clean than most christian fiction.
Recent Happenings:
It's been crazy busy here with Easter stuff, Houston's birthday celebrations, school stuff, St. Patricks Day, and 1st day of Spring stuff all while getting ready for our trip to CA at the end of this week. I'm working hard to catch up on laundry before our trip. Spent some time this weekend getting out the younger kids Spring clothing and started boxing up the winter stuff. They were running around outside in long sleeves and starting to sweat.
Kids had their 1st water balloon fight this weekend in honor of the spring weather that has hit. Ally has been dying to get her bathing suit down and run around in it.
See the water balloon in air!
The 2nd Wednesday night of each month is always motion night for the teens at church. Houston, Emmy, and Annie LOVE motion night and always look forward to it. They go with Abby (Emmy's best friend), Katie and Ricky (Abby's siblings). Teens drive up from Tuscaloosa and Montgomery to be a part of Motion Night each month. Here are a few pictures from this past Wednesday that Emmy took with her ipod. As always the message and worship were wonderful!
I finished my antibiotic for the strep throat. It was the first time I have ever had strep and boy it's painful! I'm doing better though my Fibro seems to be attacking my neck and head areas. Fibro is crazy in that it travels around the body and tends to attack one specific area more so than other areas at times. I have struggled with migraines this past week and one bad one on Friday. Migraines are always a part of the deal when my Fibro decides to attack my upper body. Sore throat and ear pain are also a part of it. I've been waking up with an extremely dry throat. It gets better as the day goes on and I drink fluids but the dull ache in my throat and ears remain throughout the day. It's annoying more than anything. It's from the tender points in my neck area, above my collar bone, contracting and it happens every few months or so. I'm really praying that my Fibro will turn it's focus to my legs or elsewhere before we leave on Friday. I can deal with the pain in my legs and even my arms so much easier than my neck and head areas. If you would pray with me I would appreciate it. We seem to have some lingering coughing and congestion in our home too, with the kids, but I believe it is all sinus related.
In My Kitchen:
This past week I tried a new recipe from Pinterest. Lemon Chicken! Any
Everybody Loves Raymond fans out there? I had never made Lemon Chicken but due to my love of the TV show, I just had to try the recipe when I saw it. I doubt Marie (from Everybody Loves Raymond) would have approved of the dish but we liked it. My crew gave it a thumbs up. I failed to take any pictures, but if your interested in the recipe I used you can view it,
HERE.
It will be simple meals this next week like beef stroganoff, pizza, and spaghetti. Things that don't take long to make or clean up. I am still using up the deer meat that my neighbor Maria gave us. I'm thawing it in batches and using it in place of dishes that call for ground beef. I have found that as along as I season it, you can't tell it's not ground beef.
Bryan will be playing the roll of chef, after Friday, for a week. He is going grocery shopping to get the things he and the kids want to eat while the older girls and I are in California. Ravioli, pizzas, mac-n-cheese, pancakes and waffles, chili dogs, etc.
Favorite Recent Memories:
Celebrating Houston's 16th birthday this weekend.
A Few Favorite Recent Photos:
Forget mud pies. Ally decided a mud bath was in order. *Grin*
Can you find our kitty in the pile?
He thought he was camouflaging himself.
When I went to transfer pictures off of my camera card, I discovered the following pictures which Ally had taken. I thought they were just too cute not to share.
