Happy Birthday G'ma

Movie night

EUReKA...

The 'kids' are in the first season of eureka with collin ferguson./oh joy.

Good morning from Klein Texas

Today is going to be a good day... too bad that there is only sunshine in the forecast and a 98% chance of housework, but that is life.

(Picture from Motorola Droid)

love is always patient

Love is patient and kind.

Young men, and aaronic priesthood have a duty to God.

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is an adult he will not depart from that path.

Magnify your calling

first post from the droid

This could prove to be complicated. Edit html works but compose in wyswyg, not so much.

crappy economy

btw.. anyone noticed that there is a recession? a depression? two more of our acquaintances have lost their jobs yesterday. That is just freaking horrible. Makes me nauseated to think about what would happen.

I talked to the CFO of the house, we have 6 months in reserve and we have 6 months severance package if something were to go wrong. still freaks me out.

I just worry about what we as commoners are going to do to survive it. The one family has enough money to stay in their house until the end of December 2009. I do not think that we are anywhere near out of the woods yet by a long shot. I look at where my kids are and it is definitely affecting them negatively.

The one in college is getting a school backpack for Christmas. the one with a baby is getting work shoes for Christmas. we are practical as always.

Case in point dd#1 called asking for a loan to buy deer tags, dd#2 called asking for loan for Rx copay for bronchitis. I do not think that this will get better soon. DH at HP has lost many of his group in last 12 months. something like one in November, two in December, one in May, one in June and now two in November.

We have always been miserly, since I opted to stay home with the kids since 1999, be even more so, we are buckling down, pairing down our services, cutting back on power consumption, food consumption, clothing allowance, no extras.

That is It!

I am exhausted and I am gonna go to bed. cold Lunches, Homeschool, Math, Spelling, Social Studies, Science, Language, Vocabulary, attendance, Chess Club, Scouts, Geology, Rank & Achievements, Grocery Shopping, Proofing, Missing the DAMN FEDEX man, Ordering, Credit Card Processing, Custom Collages, Operating Systems that refuse to POP UP, websites that refuse to let me edit them, Custom Cropping, Digital Keychains, Kids and Finances, Kids and Sniffles, Freezing my ever loving tush off, cleaning the house, dishes, beds, locating missing DS's, solving European Voltage issues, NO MORE. I can not take one more thing today. I give up.

Smart Car

WARNING:
this is very addictive

weight.. weight. weight.

Happy Thursday? One off to school, four still not out of bed. I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn, decided to get to 'work' before teaching today. fun. homeschooling is very difficult, time consuming, morale busting work.

I am probably severely dehydrated but for some reason just can not get the fluids down that I need to, so the weight has crept up to +20 of my goal which is irritating me.
I did get new vits, I am forcing myself to eat breakfast, last night I had a HORRIBLE glucose reaction, had to have three gulps of OJ and then two cheese sticks to stabilize (blood sugar was 52). I had been grazing during the evening, so had no idea why it plummeted. didn't feel a spike from the dry cereal that I had after dinner (dinner was asparagus and mac-n-cheese and a tossed green salad.

so I jumped jump rope yesterday, that was hysterical, nearly peed my pants it was so hard, PITIFUL, I better stick to bike riding. ;-) we are going camping in two weeks, cub scouts rule.

H1N1

Erik - All done
Magnus - 1st dose, 2nd in a month

Finally a Smart Phone for Momma

Motorola Droid gets official on Verizon; arrives Nov. 6 for $199

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=8979&tag=col1;post-26694

Verizon has officially announced the Motorola Droid smartphone, which will arrive on the carrier on Nov. 6 for $199.99 after $100 mail-in rebate.

Picture Day

Magnus & Erik

Erik
Magnus
Handsome Young Men, Growing up so Well.

grrrrr......

me, me, me all about me. heehee (monical laugh)
I drink my coffee each day, I eat my cheese sticks for breakfast, sometimes an egg / canadian bacon. I stress out a lot. I drink my propel most days, I eat a steak & my vegetables occasionally, and I stress out ... a LOT. I exercise, I take my vitamins, I homeschool, I worry about my kids. A LOT. and I rarely get a good nights sleep and I wish that I didnt have this pounding headache today and that I could get just an extra 8 hours in each day, not too much to ask right? no I don't think so. now back downstairs for coffee and tylenol. ;) think happy happy thoughts. forced giggle
daily exercise:
I walked all the way downstairs, made coffee, walked all the way upstairs logged onto my computer, walked all the way down stairs to get my coffee, walked all the way upstairs, checked my email. walked all the way down stairs, refilled my coffee cup, grabbed two cheese sticks for breakfast, walked all the way back upstairs. I am exhausted. LOL

Okay, why do I have

Okay, why do I have to be the tough biach to get my child to do his school work? How about him doing it without all the drama?

Self Expression

yes the school was able to tolerate this sweet boy's long hair as freedom of expression...
but they drew the line and sent him home in disgrace today when he went off the deep end with this appalling display.

Official Handbook

We are definitely FRINGE when it comes to self expression and finding your individually. So we are opting to support his decision and not force him to change his hair back to the natural color for now. Perusing the "RULE BOOK" doesn't say no dies or colors, just no disruption to class.

I promise

I don't feel good, I feel pretty yucky,

it has been so long since I have had a bounce in my step,

if I died tonight, I would be just lucky.

Most of the time, it is the sugar, corn, cauliflower, and the cucumbers too,

I miss the milk, I miss the sweets, and the really quick eats,

sometimes it is the coffee or the cream of wheat that make me blue.

I was so fat, I was quite round, then I was so skinny, able to leap and bound,

I shopped til I dropped, I bought out Kohl's,

now I am in the middle, and cautious when I eat out in town.

I sigh. I moan. I made a really confounded face.

So much has changed, and yet I am still missing that bouncy attitude,

each day I am not sure if I am gonna be high or low, but I really am not in a happy place.

I have not got much more to say, I am so exhausted you see

with work, and school, and a family that is in constant duress,

I can not get out of bed to come and play, so ya'll just have to leave me be.

I promise today that I will do better,

diet, exercise and word of wisdom

be believe these truths to be self evident, thay a vegetarian leaning if not vegan or strict vegetarian diet is healthier. We do partake of meat proteins on a weekly basis, but not on a daily basis. Tuesday is Taco Tuesday, so that is 1/2 a package of beef and two chicken tenderloins divided between four people. Fish Friday is the other day of the week that we consume meat. Fillets from the local fish monger or fish sticks for the kids keep things fun and interesting.

Ezra Taft Benson-Seeking a "Daniel" Generation

Ezra Taft Benson, who became not only president of the Church but had also served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration, has been described similarly during his later years by his private nurse, a personal friend of mine. President Benson had said, "In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us." (Ensign 4:66, 1974)

Elder Benson obviously felt some frustration about how well Americans do in their eating habits because he once observed, "To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours.... We need a generation of young people who, as Daniel, eat in a more healthy manner than to fare on the 'kings meat' ---and whose countenances show it." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson pp. 476-7) His reference, of course, is to the biblical Daniel who, as a student in the Babylonian royal court, opted for simple vegetarian food and whose superior health quickly became visible to others. See Daniel, Chapter 1 in the Old Testament or the wonderful account in Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, Book 10, Chapter 10, verses 1-2 for details.

Boudin Bakery's Brownies

Though famous for its sourdough, the bakery also makes great, fudge-like brownies.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 24

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing the dish.
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (6.38 ounces) flour
2 1/2 cups toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the melted chocolate, then the salt and flour just until combined. Gently fold in the nuts.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and almost set, about 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted will be slightly moist. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Texas Homeschool

San_Antonio_Missions_National_Historical_Park

San_Antonio_River_Walk

Carlsbad_Caverns_National_Park

Chihuahuan_Desert

White_Sands_National_Monument

Sonoran_Desert_National_Monument

Mojave_Desert

Kelso_Dunes

WWII/Korea_LVT_Museum

Oceanside,_California

Legoland_California

Knott's_Soak_City

San Onofre State Beach Surfing

Stepp Stables

San_Clemente_Pier' Amtrak_station

Union_Station_Los_Angeles

Olvera_Street

Sunset_Limited

Alpine Texas - Pecos Bridge

Alpine Texas - Sunset Limited Pecos Bridge

Houston station (sad)

3 years in Progress

updating my personal thread. ;) the harder I try to eat less, the more my blood sugar is fighting me on it. but I am determined to win.

Last night the family teased me about that 1/4 cup of ice cream (homemade) before bed. I told them that I was tired during dinner, they kept at me until I got to bed at 10 pm. I woke up on my own before the sun came up.

Today I had a juicy steak for breakfast. about 2 ounces and a huge mug of coffee. I am serious about going back to the basics. I am serious about telling my family that they are being PITA's and that it is not all about them. ;)

Today is a New day. Instead of beating my self up about what I didnt accomplish yesterday, I want to congratulate my self on what I have accomplished in my lifetime.

Health
I am 100 times better today than I was 36 months ago, I am completely off of all RA medication and have recieved more respect now that I am healthier.
Education
I am a college graduate with a Bachelor degree and two minor degrees. and I am sharing that love of knowledge with my own homeschooled child.
I am a Cub Scout leader, instilling values and morals that contribute to our society in not just my own children, but 8 other boys.
Career
I am a pretty good photographer that helps people preserve their family history. I do not make a lot of money, but I help people.
Family
I am a fantastic mother of 5 really kind and caring kids. People that contribute to society rather than leach off of it. I am a proud mother in law of two Marines serving in Iraq. (I keep the wives safe and supported while the boys serve our country). I am a firm but kind grandma of a terrific toddler.
I am a really really good family historian for my own clan. My genealogy and photo files are Library of Congress in porportions. I will never be rich, but I am blessed.