Hi all

Welp I have survived Mother's day and only have 8 more weeks in this stupid brace. Charlie goes in for the big snip on Monday and comes home wearing the cone. Chris is doing so much better we are a year out from his second hip replacement and seem to be adjusting to the little noises that metal on metal makes. Caedee is home for the summer and I am so glad to have her here. My house isn't a home when the girls are gone. I had supper with a group of friends and we posed for pictures.

Have a safe weekend everyone.

SJ

It's spring time in North Texas

Well things have changed so much in the last 6 months it is amazing how time flies. Chris and I have a new dog he is a bull mastiff/Great Pyrenees mix and eats everything. He ate several pairs of shoes and my willow tree in the back yard. *Le sigh* October was the start of a new group of ladies together for a game called bunco. Its fun. October also was Justin and Rae's first anniversary since they started dating. In November we had a visit from my cousin Michael. December was fast and Christmas was wonderful. January saw some changes with me and now former friend. February Chris and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary. I also had a big fall in February and injured my knee which is still healing. March saw some changes in our office including Marvin's decision to come back to work. April saw my birthday, Marvin's return, Rae's birthday and me remembering I have a blog that I need to catch up on. I hope you all have a great day and remember how precious you are to me.

Absent way to long

I have been spending so much time on Facebook that my blog has been neglected. Things are doing well. Chris got a new truck to replace the Jeep. The transmission in the Jeep gave up the ghost so we had no choice. I am adjusting to work with no Marvin :( and learning lessons each day. I have been so sheltered most of my life and never was grateful for it. Now that the real world is starting to hedge toward me, I am praying more and more for His protection.

TOW is going well hoping to get the new song pumped out soon.

Miss my girls but learning that alone isn't so bad.

Until next time,

SJ

Greetings and Fly Lady

Ok here is the Fly Lady Sneak peek for the week. I thought I would put it where I won't lose it AGAIN. I have been actually keeping up with this during my down time. I think that Chris is going to miss having me around when I go back to work next week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sneak Peek for the Week: March 29 - April 4, 2009

Next Week we are in:
Zone 5: The Living/Family Room (M,T)
Zone 1: The Front Porch, Entrance and Dining Room (W,Th,F)

Habit for March is Getting Dressed to Shoes.

Habit for April is Making your Bed

Check out our newest tools:

http://budurl.com/DetailedDustingMitt

Grocery Bag Set

Zone 5: Mission #1 Monday

Dear Friends:

Back to the Living Room we go! One of my all time favorite missions
for the living room is to go sofa and chair diving! This is where we
start digging through the furniture and pluck out the Cheerios and
old socks! I am always amazed at how much stuff I can pull out of
the couch in just one short month! I think the couch is kind of like
the clothes dryer, it seems to keep things! LOL!

Have fun, this should not take longer than 5 minutes! Don't obsess!

Kelly


Zone 5: Mission #2 Tuesday

Dear Friends:

For today you are to take 5 minutes and dust the decorative items in
your living room. The picture frames, lamps and knick knacks, this
is a detailed dusting. Turn on the music and move quickly, you will
be amazed at how fast you can to this!!!

Don't overthink the mission, just do the mission! Have fun!

Kelly


Zone 1: Mission #1 Wednesday

Dear Friends:

We are in Zone 1 for the rest of this week; that is the Front Porch,
the Entrance area and the Dining Room.

Today you are to sweep your front porch area around your front door.
Shake out your welcome mats and wipe down your front door. This
makes a huge difference in how your home looks. We have a tendency
to neglect this area and yet it is the first thing that people see
when they come to your home. Some of you might not be able to do this
mission due to weather issues - if so wipe down the inside of your front
doors!

Spend 15 minutes taking care of this, you will be pleased with the
results!

Kelly

Zone 1: Mission #2 Thursday

Dear Friends:

Today take a look at the walls and the windows in your dining room.
Grab some cleaner and a cloth and go after the finger prints and
smudges that those mysterious little elves seem to leave behind as
they run through your house when no one is looking! LOL


Be careful with the walls as not to rub too hard to remove paint if
you have a flat finish.

Kelly

Zone 1: Mission #3 Friday

Dear Friends:

We are heading into the Entrance area of your home today. Let's grab
all those shoes, books and jackets that seem to pile up right by the
front door and put them away. In my house, no one ever drops their
things there, they get up and walk there all by themselves! LOL!
Grab these things and set your timer. I bet you can do this in less
than 15 minutes.

Kelly

Healing

Hurray we are almost driving - well almost. Only could do for about 20 minutes and then was in a lot of pain afterwards. He is healing slowly but assuredly the PT came in today and again warned him about things he cannot do and that he needs to listen to his body and when it hurts stop. Still having some serious swelling in his feet and ankles but I will discuss that with the doc next week. The incision looks good except for one spot where it looks like the skin was torn by the suture. I am still doctoring it but at least it is healing. The deep, wake in the middle of the night, tooth achy pain is gone! Thank you Father - Just need the surgery site to heal and the muscles to remember what they are suppose to do.


The big TV in the great room died. It was only 12 years old I don't understand why it gave up the ghost. LOL. However taking a page from my eldest daughter we have had some quiet evenings and you know they are kind of nice.

I am back to walking the fur babies 2 miles a day and drinking my water. I even moved my scrapbooking stuff upstairs so I have to go up and down the stairs to play. You should see my calf muscles. LOL

All in all God has been good and His mercy is great. Chris is healing and I am feeling better and better about going back to work in a couple of weeks. It was nice being off. I don't know if I can jump back into the rat race, but unless I win the lotto, I don't have a choice.

Dylan has reconciled with his parents and moved back home. He still has lots of issues and I am sure there will be a need for counseling all around. Still we know where he is and that he is safe for now.

Catherine has been applying for scholarships like crazy. She so wants to go to SFA. I am praying for her and for financing and all her dreams come. She has worked so hard.



Well that's it for now Stay well and I'll keep you posted.

SJ

Happy Pi Day

Ok so 3.14 is just another day to most of us. But Caedee reminded us it was Pi so we are celebrating pi - with a recipe:

Creamy Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

6 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

1Dissolve cocoa into 2 tablespoons butter. Add milk over medium heat and stir until well-mixed.
2Mix corn starch, flour and sugar together and slowly add to milk mixture.
3Cook, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
4Beat egg yolks together. Remove 1/2 cup of milk mixture and slowly add to eggs and mix.
5Add to milk mixture while stirring constantly and cook until thick.
6Add the other 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir.
7Pour into 9-inch baked pie shell.
8Top with whipping cream, cool whip, or meringue.



Oh and to Angelique - Gelukkige Verjaardag aan u!

Time to Catch up with everyone

My what a whirl wind quarter this has been both professional and personal. Work is well work and with a recession going on I am grateful to have a job. I was promoted to EOII the first of February which is basically what I have been doing. Ok this is good. I like not being in the jacuzzi.

Onto Chris He had his second hip replacement done and is doing WONDERFUL. We are proceeding with leaps and bonds. I don't know what I would have done without Charlie and Jenn helping out with the girls and taking over Chris's SS class. This time was so much easier on both Chris and I - big difference. Thank you Father for answered prayers. Faye fed us one night and I kept bugging her until she finally gave me the recipe. I may have to post it here later.

Catherine has auditioned for SFA. Please keep her in prayer the next couple of weeks as she waits to hear if she made it into the music program.

Rae is doing wonderfully at her job at ETBU. She is very happy and now has a wonderful young man in her life that makes her laugh. I didn't even realize how much I missed hearing her laugh. AND she is starting to sing again! Thank you Father for healing.

Our exchange student Yuting won 1st place at an art competition with TCS and will be headed to state. She was very surprised and proud. She is looking into colleges here in the use after she returns to China and finishes her studies there. It is really cool to hear her sing praise songs.

All in all we are doing well. Thank you for your thoughts and Prayers. We could not have survived this last round of surgery without the prayer warriors wearing out their knees for my Chris.

Know that I think of you often even if I do fail to blog when I am suppose to.

Love,

SJ