A Mother's Heart

Kristi's new boy friends, funny

Kristi is a bad girl .  While we were out shopping she picked up on 3 new guys, three!!!

Here is boy friend number 1, he is cute but kinda stiff:

Next we have boy friend number 2, but he is kind of two faced:

And last we have boy friend number 3, my favorite, he cost $74.36 just for 1 date, so he must be worth it :

Who says shopping at Sam's with a cell phone is not fun .  Kristi and I had a blast .  But really Kristi you need to stop picking up new boy friends when we shop.  LOL

Teenagers what can I do?!?!?!

God Bless, mj

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?????

I love the song, "Held" by Natalie Grant.  I have sang it and cried tears over it for some time now, but when they played it on the radio the day after my mom died, it became even more near and dear to my heart.

You see so many think bad things happen to good people, and why would God do this.  Why would God take that person away, or let this or that happen.  If He can do all things, and if He is all knowing, why didn't He stop this???  Simply put???  That isn't who God is....and it isn't who He promised He would be either.

Now, before you turn away and close this blog, hear me out.  God never told us we wouldn't have bad times, and trials in our lives.  He never promised to keep us from sadness, sickness, etc.  He didn't say as a child of His that we would never experience these things.  He simply said, when we do.........He would be there for us!!! 

No, life isn't fair sometimes.  A 3 year old dying while swimming with his family.....is not fair.  A 3 year old having her life taken by her father and then killing himself...........certainly not fair.  Loosing both of my parents at age 63 was completely not fair.  I remember speaking to my pastor after they died, and saying it isn't fair!!!  He said you are right.  You got cheated out of more time with your parents.  You feel like you didn't get what you deserved  and it is ok to feel that way, as long as you don't STAY there long.  I think I was there for months, probably longer than I expected to be.  But then I realized, I didn't want to live in the shoulda coulda woulda life.  I wanted to make my parents happy, remembering the good times, not focusing on the unfair moments.

This song talks about that......when all else fails....and you feel like giving up.......that is when,  you will be held.  Close your eyes dear one, fall into his arms, and let Him hold you.  Cry on His shoulder.  He is always there for you.  If you will only stop accusing Him of hurting you, and let Him hold you, and help you to heal.  He didn't do this TO YOU!!!!  And he didn't glory in your trials.  NO, like any loving father, He doesn't like to see you hurting.   Read the words to this song, and if you have the means, please listen to the song.  Just close your eyes and listen. 

Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred numb our sorrow.
The wise hand opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Making You Fall Dinner Menus? (Fall Dinner Ideas and recipes)

 Here are some wonderful fall recipes that my family loves.  I hope your family will love them as well!

1.  Porcupine Meatballs

(serves 4)

This is a recipe my mom has been making since we were little.  I remember taking the recipe to school with me for  Home Ec one day and fixing it.  All the class were supposed to make something, and then everyone voted on which ones they liked the best.  These meatballs were one of the winners.  Now after reading this recipe you might think, as my home ec treacher did, uncooked rice??? YES!!!  I am sure Ms. Pauling...uncooked!!!  She called my mother to make sure before she would let me make them. LOL 

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked rice

2 T minced onion or 1 T dried

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cans (10 3/4 oz) tomato soup

1 cup water

1 egg lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT water and tomato soup in a bowl.  Combine and form meatballs and place in a Dutch oven.  Mix water and soup, and por over meatballs.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until done.

2.  Autumn Pork Chops

(serves 4)

4 pork chops

3/4 cup BBQ sauce

3/4 cup apple juice

1 T oil

Brown pork chops on both sides in oil until done.  MIx BBQ sauce and apple juice together and pour over pork chops.  Reduce heat; simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

3.  Slow Cooker Chicken and RIce

(serves 6)

1 1/2 cup long-cooking rice, uncooked\

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips

8 oz pekg cream of broccoli soup mix

2-3 cups chicken broth

Place rice into a greased crockpot and top with chicken, set aside.  Combine soup and chicken broth and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, adding more broth if neccessary.

4.  Sausage and Apples

(serves 4)

1 lb pork sausage links

5 aqpples, cored, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp EACH: cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla

Brown sausages in a skillet, reduce heart and cover.  Mix remaining ingredients together and add to skillet.  Cover adn simmer until apples and sausages are tender, about 30 minutes.

5.  Skillet BBQ'ed Pork Chops

(serves  4)

4 boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick)

1 T seasoned salt

1 T butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

1.2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup honey BBQ sauce

1 T worchestershire sauce

2 tsps. cornstarch

1 cup cold water

Srpinkle pork chops with seasoned salt.  In a large skillet, brown chops on both sides, in butter until browned, and set aside.  In the droppings, saute' onion until golden brown.  Add the water, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and worchestershire sauce.  Return chops to skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until juices run clear.  Remove porkchops and keep warm.

COmbine cornstarch and cold water until smooth, and stir into skillet.  Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened.  Serve this over pork chops.

6.  Apricot Honey Chicken

For some reason chicken and apriocots were born to be together.  LOL  This is a simple quick dish!

(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 T oil

3T apricot preserves

2T orange juice

4 tsps honey

In a medium skillet, cook chicken in oil for 7-9 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.

7.  Cranberry Pork Chops

(4 servings)

1 okg. (5.4) Near East Whole Grain Blends, Roasted Pecan and Garlic

1 T vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced

4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1 inch thick

salt and pepper

1 can (16 oz) whole cranberry sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

Cook whole grain blend according to package directions.  IN a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and cook until tender.  Season porkchops with salt and pepper on both sides, and cook in skillet until browned.  Stir in cracnberry sauce adn orange juice.  Heat just to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes.  Serve pork with whole grains and fruit sauce.

8.  Lemon Chicken

I love this lemon sauce, but hubby doesn't.  So I fix the chicken, and the sauce separately, and put the sauce on my chicken and vegetables while Matthew eats his without the sauce.

(serves 4)

4 skinless, bonesless chicken breast halves

3 T flour

2 T EACH: butter and olive oil

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.  Dredge lightly in flour, reserving the excess.  Melt butter and oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles.  Cook chicken 4-5 minutes, turning once, until done and juices run clear.  Remove chicken.  Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes.  Which in broth and lemon juice; heat to boiling and let thicken.  Return chicken to pan and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.

9.  Chicken Pot Pie

A favorite of my mom's cooking.  When I miss her, I fix a dish from her favorite recipes to make me feel near her again, and this is one of those. 

(serves 4-6)

2 pastries for a 2 crust pier

1/2 cup EACH: chpopped onion, sliced celery, and flour

3 cups chicken broth

10 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables

6 T butter

3 cups cooked cubed chicken

1 cup peeled and cubed potato

1 tsp celery salt

Cook potatoes and celery until tender; add frozen vegetables and cook another 5 minutes; drain.  Saute' onion in butter until softened.  Blend in flour and salt and brown slightly.  Add broth and cook until thick and bubbly.  Add chicken adn vegetables.  Prepare pastry for the bottom of the pie pan and trim edges.  Pour in filling and top with 2nd pastry.  Seal edges and flute.  Cut steam vents and brush with melted butter or milk.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

10.  Chicken Parmigiana with Homemade Marinara Sauce

This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes.  While we were dating, we didn't have much money, and we ate at my apartment alot instead of eating out.  I fixed this dish with bow tie pasta the night that Matthew kneeled on the floor and proposed to me!!!!  I should have known something was up when he pushed his food around the plate and barely ate any of his favorite meal. LOL

(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 Parmesan cheese

2 tsps. Italian seasoning

4 T butter

1 cup shredded mozerella cheese

hot cooked pasta

Marinara sauce, recipe to follow

Place milk, egg, and flour in 3 separate shallow dishes.  Combine bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese in a 4th dish.  Dip chicken in milk, roll in flour, dip into egg, then coat in bread crumbs.  Brown chicken in butter over medium-high heat, until golden and juices run clear.  serve with pasta and sauce and cheese.

Marinara sauce

2 T oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

28 oz can tomato sauce

2 T dried parsley

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

Flavors of Fall (Our families favorite fall soups)

Hi all.  I love fall, and the cool weather we have had here in MIssouri for the last two days.  I am afraid it is going to warm up again, and I don't want it to!  LOL  I love fall, the colors, the leaves, the pumpkins, wearing my favorite sweaters, hayrides, etc.  And I do love soup weather as well.  So I decided to share some of my families favorite fall soups and other recipes with you.  I love to cook, and love the compliments I get from my cooking, but like many of you, I simply don't have time to spend 2 hours in the kitchen preparing it!!  So most of mine are crockpot meals (saves electricity anyway), and other quick meals.  Well, here are a few:

1.  South of the Border Chicken Soup

(Serves 4-6??)

(I have posted this before, because I love this soup even in summer with fresh corn and tomatoes instead of frozen or canned, but it is especially good on those cold chilly days.  I shared the recipe with my friend tractorchick72 here on HSB and it is one of her new favs and she says her son loves it as well!!)

1 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cooked adn shredded chicken

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 cans (14.5 each) diced tomato

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 can (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth

Saute' garlic and onion in oil.  Stir in reamaing ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.  Optional: Garnish with a dollop of sour cream adn some crushed tortilla chips.  (Yes you can do this in the crockpot!!!!  Super easy!  And this soup freezes very well!)

Yummy Beef Stew

(serves 8)

2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

3T vegetable oil, divided

1 cup water

3 large potatoes, peel and cubed (1 inch)

4 medium carrots, sliced

1 large green pepper, 1/2 inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsps salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 T instant beef bouillon granules

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoews, undrained

Brown meat in oil in a Dutch oven.  Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours.  Stir in bouillon and tomatoes and heat through before serving.  (This recipe was from a Taste of Home book.  The original recipes calls to put the stew in a nice hollowed out pumpkin and bake it.  Then when scooping out the stew, you scrape the inside of the pumpkin to get some pumpkin in your stew as well.  I am not a real big pumpkin eater unless it is in pie, so I don't do this.  But it does sound interested and fancy doesn't it???)

3.  Broccoli Cheese Soup

(serves 4)

1 cup chopped broccoli

4 cups chopped fresh broccoli

2 cups peeled and diced red potato

1/2 tsps garlic powder

2 2/3 cups chicken broth

1 Bay leaf

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

12 oz can evaporated milk

Saute' onion with non-stick cooking spray in a Dutch oven.  Add 2 cups broccoli, potato, garlic powder, bay leaf, and chicken broth; bring to a boil.  Cover, and reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Discard bay leaf.  Puree broccoli mixture in batches and then return to pan.  Stir in remaining broccoli, cheese and milk.  Cook until tender.

4.  Jeanie's Sausage Bean Chowder

This recipe came from my mom's best friend.  She died about 6 months before mom did and I was so glad when I went through my mom's recipes to find this one, still in Jeanie's handwriting on a recipe card!!!  This is one of hubby's favorites!!!)

(serves 6)

2 lbs sausage, browned and drained

2 (16 oz each) cans pinto beans

46 oz tomato juice

4-5 diced potatoes

1/3 cup dried onion

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp each: thyme, and garlic salt

1 1/2 tsps Lowrey's seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven (or crock pot) and simmer for 2 hours or until potatoes are done.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

5.  Best In The West Bean Bake

This recipe originally came from my Aunt Mary, my mom's sister, and now the whole family has this recipe and fixes it often.  It is like a baked bean soup almost, and don't forget to serve lots of cornbread with this one!!  YUMMY!!!!  This reminds me of deer season each year at my grandmother's.  They boys would gather early adn go hunting, and the women folk would gather early making hot soups and cornbread and biscuits, pies, cakes and cookies for the gentlemen.  At lunch time, the men came in to show down, and the women folk would clean up afterwards, and then add to if needed for supper.  Supper was the same, eating, and cleaning up.  But the times in between the kids played, the women sewed or crocheted, and visited.  I miss those times!

1 lb hamburger

1 onion, chipped

1 lb bacon, chopped

1/2 cup BBQ sauce  

4 T prepared mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

4 T brown sugar

16 oz can red kidney beans, undrained

16 oz can pork and beans, undrained

16 oz can butter beans, undrained

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Brown hamburger, bacon and onion in a Dutch oven.  Combine remaining ingredients and bake for 1 hour at 350.   Of course this is another that could be done in the crockpot.   The butter beans sound unusual??? Yeah, maybe it is.  I don't like butter beans, but I love them in this dish. LOL  If you don't like them, or the other beans, substitute your own choice.

6.  Easy Texas Chilli

1 lb lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups water

1 T chili opwder

1 tsp salt

16 oz can chilli beans, undrained

6 oz can tomato paste

Brown meat with onion and garlic in a Dutch oven until meat is no longer pink.  Return meat to pan and stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

7.  White Bean and Ham Soup

2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 carrots, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 T butter

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1 bay leaf

Mash one can of beans, set aside.  IN a large saucepan, saute carrots and oinon in water and add remaining ingredients, including the mashed beans.  Cook over low heat until heated through and discard bay leaf before serving.

8.  Sausage With Four Beans

(serves 6)

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled Italian tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) of EACH : cannelli beans (or great northern), pinto beans, butter beans, kidney beans

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

2 garlic cloved, minced

1 Bay leaf

2 tsps dried parsley flakes

1 tsp dried basil

1.2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage links

4 pieces precooked bacon, crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart crock pot, making sure to polke the sausages down into the liquid.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.  Cut sausages into serving size pieces and serve with bean mixture.

9.  French Onion Soup

(serves 6)

2 T butter

3 large onions, peeled and sliced

1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth

3 cups cold water

1 Bay leaf

6 sliced french bread, toasted

\1 cup shredded mozerella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large skiller and cook onions over medium heat until golden brown.  Add broth, water, and Bay leaf.  Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and preheat broiler.  Ladle soup evenly into 6 ovenproof bowls.  Top each with a toast slice and sprinkle with mozerella and parmesan cheese.  Broil 5-10 minutes or just until cheese is golden.

10.  Italian Bread Soup

(serves 4)

2 cans (14 oz eac) chicken broth

4 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undiced

3 cups Caesar-style croutons

1 cup chopped onion

1 pkt. ( 0.7 oz) Italian dressing mix

grated Parmesan cheese

shredded fresh basil

salt and pepper, to taste

In a slow cooker, combine chicken broth, tomatoes, croutons, onion and dressing mix. Cook on HIGH 4-6 hours.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

I hope your family will love these soups as much as mine does.  Maybe you can start making your own family memories with these yummy cool weather soups.

Please feel free to print out these recipes.

More recent news....

aka the Biggest Photo Blog EVER!!!! Haha!

You ever get so far behind on news that you end up skipping major things, otherwise you'd have to put up like 8 posts in one day?

I do that.

But not today! Here is the whole enchilada.

We celebrated my brother's 23rd birthday a while back. THAT IS CRAZY! I was married 6mo when I had my 23rd birthday! That mean's I've been married 4 years. Okay, I know, we celebrated our 4th anniversary in June but it's just different to watch a younger sibling hit that kind of milestone....

Happy Birthday, bro!

More pics from the farm....

We stayed late.

Oh, and before I forget, which I have forgot numerous times, here is my new sink:

And here is the $5 dresser after Jonathan finished working on it and moved it to the boy's room. I wonder if it will be my boy's and girl's room before long?

Then, Jonathan's brother and  his wife visited from Florida. We went to the Zoo together and hung around for an entire week generally making constant pests of ourselves. The boys really hit it off with their aunt & uncle!

Here is Elijah with his Aunt Clare. Clare is pregnant. A month ahead of me, but I'm the one getting the strangers asking about my pregnancy. I guess by #3 you don't have much left to hold it all in. Oh, well, Jay is thrilled that I'm "showing" this time around sooner. And it is fun telling people that it's our THIRD when they ask, of course, if it's our first. It makes it seem all that more real. Our third child!

Five years ago we had our picture taken "with the bear" and it was just the two of us. I love, love, LOVE having my lovely family doubled!!!

My boys really liked the zoo.

On Friday night, a soon-to-be Air Force .... guy. .... took us up on a Cessna 172. Did I mention he's 3 years younger than me and Jay? And that made me feel old to trust him to fly us up into the sky?

The airplane was ENTIRELY TOO SMALL. It made our car feel huge when I was back on the ground. Every little thing made it dip and buck in the sky. It was like a rollercoaster without anything beneath us. My stomach churned. Samuel freaked out. I had to comfort him by saying things like,

"The airplane is just bouncy! It's fine! Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy! Isn't this fun?"

.... while resisiting my urge to grab the pilot's shoulder and beg him not to kill us all.

Right before he freaked:

A field. Full of round bales. BIG BALES, folks!

My parent's farm. I tried to get Jonathan to take pictures. I really did. He said I would do "fine". Then, after we had circled and I took the camera full of pictures and we headed back, he turns in the seat and says:

"You took all the pictures zoomed in all the way, right?"

Appearantly, he was so confident of my answer he turned back around without waiting for one. It was too noisey and I deemed it the wrong time to tell him . . . NO. I hadn't even thought of such a thing, while trying to take pictures out of the window over my son while bouncing through the sky. My bad.

I still contend that Jay is partly to blame. He should know I'm no photographer by now!

It was a good flight anyway.

And that is about all, except I wanted to share two pictures of my boys. This old picture of Samuel (he was 7mo):

And this one, of Elijah (he's 11mo but probably close to the same size his older brother was):

My little boys! They are growing up so fast! I'm so ready for a tiny little newborn that wants to snuggle and nurse, this tiny new person that is bumping me from the inside to get to know. A unique, different individual that will be somewhat like the rest of us yet totally different in a whole new way . . . .

Still no washer and dryer. I have some tile to walk on (ungrouted and unsealed) now but it's a big, big project. I probably won't be able to do laundry until Monday or Tuesday or possibly later. My hamper floweth over, but we haven't come close to running out of things to wear. So it's all good!  And when it's behind me, I shall have tile!!!

~Ashley~

Friday already?????????

Wow I can't hardly believe it is Friday already.. :) I get out of classes at noon today... WOOHOO I have some laundry to do then I am going home to clean and finish putting away all my groceries I got yesterday.. I need to get the kids stuff packed up to go with their dad although he would not acall us back last night to let us know when he would be there to get the kids..

I am also going to get my hair cut and my eye brows waxed today.. I called my sister in law last night and was like HELP I need my hair cut.. LOL so I am supposed to go there this afternoon or evening and get it done.. I am so excited...

Well it is about time for my first class to start so better run for now.. Have a great morning and a blessed weekend..

God Bless,

Mars

No Manners, No Eye Contact, and a Permissmon Face

I did some light shopping this last Sunday after church at the Super Wal-Mart.  We weren't in the store long, but while there, I noticed several people that I just wanted to toss on the ground and tickle till they laughed and couldn't breath.  LOL  I mean there were people in that store that look at you while pushing their cart and if looks could kill, I would have been 6 feet under!!!  ONe old lady had the most sour persimmon, or maybe lemon face on.  She looked at everyone with her nose wrinkled and her brow wrinkled and an awful look on her face and "Do not even try to make me smile" was virtually written across her forehead.  After passing her and making sure no one was looking, I tried to make the face she was making, and it honestly HURT!!!  My forehead and brow hurt from making that face.  I can't imagine how badly her face must hurt after hours and days, possibly months and years, after making that face continuously.

I try to be polite in crowded areas like this, and even if it is not my fault, will always say, oh excuse me ma'am, or excuse me sir when I walk past them, or have to swueeze up the aisle. But I get the stare down when I do.  As if, what the H#%& do you want lady???   When I am walking up an aisle and someone is in the middle of it, I will try to move over and wait until they are done to pass them, and I try not to take up a whole aisle while looking for my own purchases.  It is amazing how you can come up an aisle and all of a sudden, the woman who was so nicely helping her daughter pick out just the right kind of hairspray, will push her cart in the middle of the aisle blocking your passage, and not only that, but give you the look, as if to say, "I was here first!!!  You can just wait until we are good and ready to leave!!!!"   I see parents letting their children drive grocery carts like they are little racecars all over the aisles without supervision, and think, shouldn't you have to have a lisence to drive one of these?? LMSO  Shouldn't you be mature enough to handle all that power first, or possibly shouldn't the parents PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR CHILDREN AND DISCIPLINE THEM A LITTLE?????  I mean most parents just smile at you when their child almost side swipes you with a cart!!!!

Now when I first starting telling hubby this when we had finished our mini shopping spree and were headed home, he made a comment that older adults are treated so poorly by most, that maybe they think you are going to treat them with the same disrepect.  Then I told them, no no, these were not mature eldery people on medicare.  No no, I have fun visiting with them in the store.  They usually light up when they see Noah and he waves at them, and if I say hi to them they just beam and ask me all sorts of friendly questions about Noah and is he talking, how old is he, etc.  No, these were people between their 40-60 maybe.  These were people that are old enough to know better.  People who I am sure if their own parents were alive, would have repremanded for acting so selfishlessly and ignorant in public.

Let me also add that in my case, it is mostly the women who are treating me and acting like this.  I don't understand it.  Now, there have been a few men who have given the death glare, but most are nice and polite and say excuse me ma'am, or will move out of the way for you to come down an aisle when needed.  I think it is mostly gentlmanly politeness, and maybe it is simply because I am a woman, but I enjoy it, and I thoroughly expect my husband to be like that with other women!!!  He opens doors for me, but for other women as well.  If we were on a bus and there was no place for a woman to sit, he would stand up and let her sit while he stood next to me.  I want him to be polite and help a little lady out if she has dropped her groceries in the parking lot, and I have seen him do it before too!!

So tell me ladies, have any of you experienced this same thing??? 

Please make sure, at any age, that you are not one of these sour puss faced ladies!!!  Remember when you are out and about, that you are supposed to be showing them who you are, a Child of God.  Show them the love and respect, and unselfishness that God would want you to.  Even if you only see that person for 5 seconds, make sure you are polite and they remember your smile and kindness instead of your sourpuss face and rudeness!!!

In fact, even when I am in line at the store, I make sure to speak politely to the check out guy or girl.  I have watched while standing in line how rude customers can be.  Crossing their arms and huffing and puffing and complaining about how long of a wait they have, and whispering loud enough I can hear, so I know the check out gal hears them as well, about how slow she is.  I started thinking one day about how they must get that all day long!!!  Or the people who just see them as "woking class" and don't think they have it in them to speak to someone who is "beneath" them on the ladder of success.  Yeah, I have seen this many times in line as well.  You can tell they want to hurry up and get out of there and hopes no one talks to them before they do.    I have found out that I get better service where I shop or eat when I speak to the check out lady or the waitress.  If I see a name tag, I will call her by name and say, sorry you got stuck with me in your line today, I have 2 carts worth of groceries!!!  LOL  (We shop monthly)  And that usually breaks the ice, and she will repond with no problem, its my job or something.  I will ask her when she gets off work and what she plans on doing after work.  This usually gives me a little information about her, whether she is going home to fix dinner for hubby and the kids, or whether she is going home to do homework, etc.  I just keep light conversation while she is checking me out, and I always try to say thanks for taking care of my groceries for me, and tell her to have a nice day before going.  I always leave her with a smile, and even the most sullen faced, tired, aggrivated check out gal, or waitress will return my smile by the time I leave.

So, my other question is, do you converse with people at the store, or the resturant??? Or do you treat them like workers, and that this job is theirs to do??  Oh how I hope you all are the first!!!  Remember these servers and clerks are people too!!!  They work hard for the money to take home.  They leave their family and friends to work and deliver your food and sack yoru groceries!!!  Don't treat them like you have absolutely no appreciation for what they do.

Just think about it next time you go into a resturant to eat our, or the next time you go into a store, whether it be a large chain store, or a small mom and pop store, to be personable.

Finally a Pair of Overalls That Fit (Especially for you Pregnant Gals!!)

I am so sorry, but I could not resist!!!  LOL  The first thing I thought of when I saw this was, that would come in handy while 8-9 months pregnant!  LOL   Ok, I am not sorry!!!!  LOL  I think it is hilarious.

For anyone who sees this and might be offended:

Get over it!!!! LOL  Loosen up a little and have a great laugh once in a while.  And wipe that stern look off your face.  LMSO   I crack myself up!!!  I really do.

Still Praying for No Sicknesses!!!!!!!!!!

Noah went right to bed last night, after the second time he threw up and I had to change him, and the bedding.  Bless his heart.  He is so good about it though.  LOL  He was confused as to where his favorite stuffies and pillows and blankies were but most were dry adn ready to go for his naptime today adn he was so happy about that.  I told him at naptime, we needed to go get Rusty and Cat, etc. out of the dryer, and as soon as I opened the dryer door (wish we could have hung them to dry, but it has been raining and chilly here for the last 4-5 days) he almost crawled in!  LOL  He found Rusty and cat immediately, and I found his taggie blankie (a present from my mom at Christmas before she died in March of the following year, so it is super special), and then buried under tons of other things was bunny.

So, no more sicknesses last night, and I feel fine, but we are still covering the household in prayers of good health.  It sounds silly to some that we pray for this, but it works!!!  Last year when Noah and I got the flu for the second time, Matthew pranced around the house praying and quoting scriptures and claiming health and wellness for himself.  I sked him if he wanted me to sleep on the couch so I didn't "breath" on him.  LOL  It is silly, but I didn't want him to get sick either!!!  He said no of course not.  Breath on me baby, my God is keeping my health for me even if you breath on me all night long.  He didn't get that flu either.  He used to get EVERY cold, sickness, runny nose, flu, etc. even if he was only with that person for 15 minutes.   Prayer works people.

So, today I went to the Health Department for my "official" weight check and blood pressure check (I go in weekly), and blood pressure was peachy, and the official numbers on weight loss is 15.  My unofficial amount at home is 18 and this is because..............I have to wear clothes when I go to the health department. LMSO  It is chilly here today so, I was bundled a little more than usuall.  I figure 2-3 pounds of that is clothing.  And then, upon leaving, I treated myself to a fish sandwich adn a small orange pop at McDonald's. LOL    Anyway, the other reason we were there is to get our vouchers for WIC for Noah.  He is underweight. and ai had to jump through a few hops, but Doc suggested I get him signed up with WIc adn they would pay for the Pediasure he wants him on.  So, I came home today with almost $100 of the 24 oz Pediasure bottles in every flavor they have for.....................FREE!!!!!!!!  I am so thankful for this too, because we simply don't have the money to spend over $100 on just drinks for Noah.  This high calorie drink should pack on some pounds hopefully.  And yes, we feed him lots of protein (he loves peanut butter), but he still isn't gaining.  So, we will see how this works for Noah in the next few months.

Noah and I are staying home tonight and Matthew is planning on stayin in town after work adn going straight to Bible Study and then come home.  Noah's schedule has been off today since he didn't get to be for real sleep until after 11pm last night, and since we both slept in late today as well.  So he is taking a late nap, and I will get him up in 1 hour instead of two.  Hopefully by this weekend, we can get him back on schedule.

Well, that's all for now.  I will check in on all of you soon!!

In and Around the Home this Week