Afterall, It's Fall and All....

Happy Fall, everyone! I can't wait to enjoy my first-of-the-season pumpkin-spice "hot cupp" from 7-11. It's my favorite!  I also just realized that today is Matt's and mine engagement anniversary.  September 22, 1992 he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him as his wife. 18 years and 8 kids later, I still don't know how I managed to land such an awesome guy!
I try to post here at least twice a week to keep the readers of this blog from growing bored.  However, I'm finding that school is immensely time-consuming and leaves little room for anything else.  That in mind, please forgive me if my posts become less frequent at times. ~
I love schooling at home (as per the Parent Orientation guide, I do not "home school". It is "public school at home". Picky, picky!).  I think I'm finally getting a hang of it all and I'm very pleased with the curriculum.  The biggest challenge is the fact that each student -- Abby, Ally, and Madi -- is required to be logged in 6 hours a day. Abby works independently and seems to zoom through some of her classes pretty quickly, so meeting the 6-hour minimum is difficult. We were blessed to get a new desktop PC to replace the one that died, so at least the three girls aren't all trying to school on just one.
As well, we host an open house every Sunday from 1-4.  The morning is spent cleaning and preparing, then the kids and I take off for the afternoon while Matt shows our home to prospective buyers. We had several visitors this past Sunday, including - coincidentally - Seth's first-hour teacher (who LOVES our house but still has to sell hers).  Maybe, just maybe, we'll get an offer soon. It's all in the the Lord's timing...
Monday morning I discovered the Suburban was completely, absolutely 100% dead. Being that we are a one-vehicle family, we were in a dilemma. Our neighbor tried to jump the battery but there was still no sign of life in the 'Burban. We've had trouble with that stinkin' battery since we bought the vehicle new in '06, and I guess it just couldn't go on one more day.  Our gracious friend  Shannon drove me 25 miles to Sam's Club so I could buy another battery and Matt installed it when we returned. He insisted I post a picture of him putting it in, since the auto mechanics he spoke with on the phone said it would be too difficult for him and wanted charge $100 to do it for him. Ha!

A man of many talents!

Anyway, with all of these activities that encapsulate our lives, blogging and working-out are lower on the priorities list.  I love keeping up with this blog and I appreciate those of you who read it.  Just please be patient if there's gaps between posts.

A Few (More) of My Favorite Things

  Here's my latest list of stuff that makes me happy:

 Rival's 18-qt Roaster Oven

  Matt bought this several years ago and because of its size I kept it in the attic, pulling it out only occasionally to roast turkeys for holidays.  However, a few months ago I was chatting with a total stranger at 7-11 and she mentioned that she uses her roaster oven to keep breakfast burritos warm all morning. I remarked that I thought it was a great idea, and she told me she uses it all the time for baking, etc.

Well, sheesh!  Why hadn't I thought of that?  This summer was so hot here in Oklahoma, I didn't turn on our kitchen oven for 2 months straight to avoid heating the house.  But the roaster oven -- now there's a solution!

In the past two weeks I've used it to bake chicken enchiladas, pound cake, snack mixes, breakfast strata, meatloaf, sweet potato fries, brownies, and I even roasted a turkey. Every item I've baked in it has turned out perfect. Also, if we ever go camping (yeah, right) it would make a great portable cooking device.

Glade Candles

I admit I've always been a candle skeptic, but these Glade candles infused with essential oils have made a believer out of me.  These little guys cost less than $3 each and they smell great!  We light one in each bathroom and the kitchen before showing the house.  They produce a light but noticeable fragrance and there is a variety of scents from which to choose.  Bonus: I always seem to find coupons for them when it's time to add to the collection.

Craisins and Blue Diamond Almonds

My favorite snack is dried cranberries and roasted almonds. I could live on these.  Ok, maybe not, but I'm always overjoyed when Matt returns from Sam's with a 5-lb. bag of Craisins and a huge jar of almonds roasted with sea salt.  (This little can is its replacement since I've already polished off the big one.) As well, both make great additions to salads, baked goods and my morning protein shake. The kids love them, too!

The Master Suite

Lastly, my favorite spot in the house is this chair in our bedroom.  I love to sit here with my morning coffee, reading my Bible or writing this blog as the sunlight peeks through the blinds.  In the evening it's where I read to the younger kids before bed and watch tv with the older ones.  There is a companion chair on the other side of the room, so Matt and I have a cozy place to have our conversations.  It's  my own little corner of the world.

A Sigh and A Tear

I was so very much looking forward to decorating our home for Fall.  I've collected several items over the past few years and it's always a fun day when I set them all out. With the house on the market, I've been excited thinking about how homey and welcoming the front porch will be for visitors.
Then it dawned on me that all of our decorations -- Fall and Christmas -- are currently being stored in a garage 770 miles away from here.  So, I guess that means no friendly scarecrow for the bench on our porch; no orange-and-yellow oak leaf garland will grace our front door; no pumpkins will be propped up on haybales by the mailbox; and -- I'm afraid to even think about it --  no Christmas tree, lights or ornaments come December.
When we packed up our belongings in January, we did so with the assumption that we'd  move in the next few months. We had no idea that summer would come and go and we'd begin a new school year still here in Oklahoma. I don't understand the Lord's plan in all of this, but I trust Him.  His timing is PERFECT. When His Will for our future comes to fruition, we will say "a-ha! That's why it took so long!"
In the meantime, now that the potted flowers and hanging baskets that bloomed so beautifully near the entrance over the summer have wilted and withered, prospective buyers won't have anything special to welcome them in.  I hope they'll sense the warmth and love of a large family and that they'll be drawn in by the coziness. That and a cinnamon-apple candle fragrancing our home.
Have a great weekend, dear readers!

Monday, Monday: Part 2

It's late Monday night and I was about to delete my previous post, since it was so negative and whiny. But then, I decided it would be more uplifting to instead blog about how the rest of the day went since that post this morning. So:
~ I somehow got the printer to work just long enough to print out Matt's resume and cover letter, which are now on their way to someone looking to hire an operations manager. The computer and printer subsequently went back into virus mode, but the girls finished most of their schoolwork on my laptop and I was able to participate in an OKVA teleconference as well.
~ I received an unexpected and encouraging email from a relative who is also a friend. Thanks, Becky!
~ I  briefly chatted with a neighbor I hadn't seen in a while. Her little boy is 2 months old and he is a smilin' cutie!
~ Our plans to grill burgers for dinner turned into family fun, tossing the football and chasing eachother around the backyard. It's not often that all ten of us are out there together. It was also a great opportunity to snap a few pictures.

                                                                                                         

 

It was a good day.

Monday, Monday

Could life get anymore stressful than it is right now?  I don't think so. The desktop PC is unusable thanks to a virus that we can't get rid of, and since it has the printer installed, I can't even print out Matt's resume to send to a job lead. It also means that my three girls will have to take turns doing their online schooling on my laptop, which is the only functional computer in the house. (Matt's laptop overheated and fried a few months ago.)
Really?  As if things are difficult enough, now I've got to deal with this as well?
Matt has a sinus infection and can hardly get out of bed; Zac has an ingrown toenail that needs surgery, and we have no insurance. I can't even afford to get my hair cut, much less pay medical bills.
We put our house on the market FSBO this weekend and we've had no fewer than five brokers call, hoping to get a piece of commission.  The vultures are circling.
I have to wonder how much else is going to get piled on us before God decides we've had enough and opens His Hand. I'm at my wits' end.
 God promises that His grace is sufficient for us.  If I was not assured of His Word, these obstacles would seem insurmountable.  I'm praying for the peace that passes understanding, so that we may fall on Him and dwell in His grace. That's all I know to do.

This Week in Pictures

Too weary to write much, but here's a pictoral to sum up the past few days:

We cut loose our realtor and are trying to make a go of it on our own.

Scraped together enough $$  to buy a new camera so we could design an ad for fliers and Craigslist.

 New camera-  yay!

Abby turned 12 on 9/11...

Matt decorated her cake.  What a great dad!

We let her choose her gift from Justice. She picked out this:

and this:

and she loved her cake!

Today we had an openhouse, but no one stopped by.

Still, we marvel at God's faithfulness and grace. He is Great and greatly to be praised!

Just Another Day

Good morning, Thursday!  I wonder what you have in store for me today?  There is at least one challenge: my two current homeschoolers (Allyson hasn't started yet) have to share one computer, which is the same one Matt and I use. Our desktop pc somehow got a virus last week and the stupid thing has completely taken over the hard drive. I have a friend in the tech world who's been giving me advice on how to get rid of it but so far nothing has helped. So -- all that said -- 4 people on one laptop computer, in addition to the boys' usage when they get home from school, has added up to a learning experience.  Patience, patience, patience!
We've also got some things in the works regarding new strategies to sell our home. It's too bad we have to sell it, because it's never looked better! Anyway, more on that as things come to fruition.
We've got a birthday this weekend.  Abby will be 12 on Saturday.  My plans to make her cake have been hijacked, which is okay.  Apparently, MATT wants to make it.  Seriously!  I know he'll be meticulous and creative, and I will definitely post pics.
Have a great day, everyone!

Happy 100th!

This is my 100th post, including the posts that I carried over from the old blog. Yay! To celebrate, I decided to blog about how we spent the first Saturday of college football season 2010.

The day started extra-early for me thanks to a wrong-number call to my cell phone at 6:30 a.m. I enjoyed a few minutes of quiet and then served melon to the kids as they came trudging through the kitchen.

 Matt got up a little while later and made "Go Blue"berry pancakes for the fam... and had some coffee, too.

We cleaned the house and settled down to watch ESPN College GameDay, followed by a variety of football games. I made spicy pretzels, which I will brag about because I tweaked the recipe to suit us and they turned out awesome. (Recipe below).

Rooted for our beloved Blue as they won soundly....

Played outside and had pizza,

and then watched the OUgame, because that's what everyone does here in OKC.

The End.

Spicy Pretzels

2- 16 oz. bags small pretzel twists

3/4 c. olive oil

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning mix

1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (more or less to your preference)
********************************************

Pour pretzels into large baking pan. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over pretzels and mix well. Bake at 200 degrees for two hours, stirring often. (I use my electric turkey roaster so I don't have to heat up the house.) Store in airtight container. These measurements make a double batch, which I divide into 2 large Ziploc bags. If you have fewer munchers, make half the recipe.

10 Months

Here's Nate, 10 months and 1 day old.  His favorite activities currently include crawling, pulling up on furniture, exhibiting separation anxiety from me, throwing/rolling small objects and chasing them, clapping his hands, eating whatever I give him (ie he enjoyed avocado this morning...I'm trying to train him up to like foods his daddy doesn't), pooping up the back of his clothes, and sometimes biting the hand --or other body parts -- that feeds him. Overall he's a happy little guy. I keep asking him when he'll sprout some hair on his head, but so far he's remained mum on the subject.
He gets around pretty quickly, and I won't be surprised if he's walking confidently by his 11-month post.

Drowning -- or At Least I Think I Am

Ever feel overwhelmed? I am SO in over my head right now.  Abby and Madi have begun their online schooling this week and I feel like I am clawing into rock so I don't fall off the edge of a cliff.  There is so much more involvement for me than I realized. I am accountable and responsible for a lot, and I can't let my girls fall behind. I also had to investigate why Allyson wasn't approved to begin yet and discovered there was a hangup with trying to push her ahead into 4th grade. We had held her back a few years ago to let her develop her reading skills, and when we applied with OKVA they told me she could skip third grade and go directly to 4th.  Apparently I got some bad information, so girlfriend is quite disappointed that she'll have to do third grade this year after all. Hopefully she'll be able to start next week.
We are also getting acclamated to being a one-vehicle family.  Translation: we are a family of ten with a Suburban that seats 8.  From now on whenever we go somewhere altogether, we have to figure out who needs to double-buckle and who has to sit in the cargo space.  Fun times.
Though we are thankful and relieved that Matt's truck sold so quickly, he misses it. He has once or  twice more than a few times wistfully said, "I sold my truck". I think he's trying to let the reality set in that it's really gone for good.  I've reminded him that not everyone would make the decision he did: to sacrifice something that meant a lot to him for the good of the family.  I really love that man!
Ahhh...I'm hearing the demand for lunch.  Time to go cook up a big ol' pot of mac and cheese for my hungry crew.  After that, I'll stare at my to-do list for school and cry some more.
Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Good Luck, Truck!

We knew this day would come.  We sold Matt's 2008 Silverado today.  We placed an ad on Craigslist on Friday and got a response this morning.  The gentleman drove up from Dallas, took one look at the truck and handed Matt a check.  We're sorry to see it go because it's a *beautiful* truck and Matt  has loved owning it for the past year-and-a-half.  Given our current situation, however, we're  relieved that we won't be paying for it anymore.

Good bye, truck.  Thank you, Lord, for Your Grace and Providence.

Morning Has Come....and So Have Coyotes

I woke up at 5 am today to the sound of coyotes howling behind our house. They've recently taken up residency near our property and we hear them almost nightly. I feel so Oklahom-y now.
I also awoke in a panic with the realization that if we sell our house before Matt lands a job, we're going to have a very complicated situation. Sure, we'll be out from under our mortgage, but where exactly will we live? What landlord would even consider renting to a family of 10 with no income? Moreover, if we don't sell and the bank takes our house, we'll be in the same dilemma. What then? The boys started school two weeks ago and there's a real possibility they'll have to transfer elsewhere. I know - they're adaptable and they'll bounce back - but I just wish they didn't have to carry the burden of all of this.
Throughout this journey we've been on for the past ninth months, I've always had a sense of peace and trust that everything will be fine. God is in control and He will take care of us. However, this morning my faith is weak. I have so many worries.
I don't know where this road will lead us. I can only do what's in front of me and blindly follow the path set before us. So, today I will fix breakfast for the family and throw a load of laundry in the washer; then Matt and I will scrutinize the job listings and prepare for another round of rejection letters. Tomorrow we'll wake up and do the same...all the while praying for greater faith and more trust, and fighting the battles and temptations that barrage us.
I still have hope, and I know that we have not been forsaken; but sometimes I tend to focus on what is true instead of the truth. What is true is that we are in a desperate situation and there does not appear to be a job in Matt's future anytime soon. However, the TRUTH is that God has promised to supply all of our needs and work all things for our good to we who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The TRUTH is that whatever happens, it is because God has allowed it and will likewise give us the strength to endure and keep going.
The TRUTH is that when I remind myself of these things, my faith grows stronger, tears of worry turn into tears of joy, and I have the strength I need to conquer another day.

Tabouli and Sympathy

I swiped this from someone else's blog. With all of the debate over the proposed mosque near Ground Zero (seriously, Katie Couric -- how blind are you???), I found this quite apropos. Sure, it's twisted -- but admit it: it's funny!

Two Muslim mothers are sitting in a cafe chatting over a plate of tabouli and a pint of goat's milk.
The older of the two pulls a bag out of her purse and starts flipping through photos. They start reminiscing.
"This is my oldest son Mohammed. He would have been 24 years old now."
"Yes, I remember him as a baby," says the other mother cheerfully.
"He's a martyr now though," the mother confides.
"Oh, so sad dear," says the other.
"And this is my second son Khalid. He would have been 21."
"Oh, I remember him," says the other. "He had such curly hair when he was born."
"He's a martyr also," says the mother quietly.
"Oh, gracious me..." Says the other.
"And this is my third son. My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He would have been 18," she whispers.
"Yes," says the friend. "I remember when he first started school."
"He's a martyr too," says the mother, with tears in her eyes.
"After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim mother looks wistfully at the photographs and says...
"They blow up so fast these days, don't they?"

Feeling Crafty

I have hated these gold manufacturers' warning labels since the day we bought the girls' beds. There is one on each headboard and each footboard. They were applied with some sort of permanant glue. Now that we've de-bunked the beds, the stickers are at eye-level and look pretty awful.

I've tried everything to remove them to no avail, and after three years I finally (duh) came up with a solution.

First I sprayed a matching paint over the sticker. Aw, phooey -- I should have sanded it first.

After the paint dried, I applied these cute decals on the headboards. The rough bumps from the stickers made it less-than-perfect, but the girls like them anyway.

I made basic picture holders from corkboard, fabric and ribbon, and used adhesive to attach them to the footboards.

So...I'm no Martha Stewart, but for $22 and 1 hour of work, I'll take it.