Meals Matter

Have you ever visited http://www.mealsmatter.org/ ? Its one of my favorite websites. You can plan a menu online and it can even repeat meals that your family likes daily,weekly, biweekly etc...you get my drift. They have some great meal ideas too, and they include calories for the entire meal plan not just the entree. I think that this site saves me a ton of money because I never go to the store without a list in hand.



Wow...I just looked outside and its pretty dark out for only being 6ish. Crazy, I wonder if a storm is coming in.



Anyhow, Tom and I went to our 10 year high school reunion. I had alot of fun. I truly believe that you have to make your own fun if there isnt enough provided (i.e....some people seriously complained). I talked to everybody that was entirely approachable and had a really great time. We even went and visited Tim Cross, a friend whom we had lost touch with and I had completely forgotten how much fun he was to be around. The last time we had seen him was at our wedding almost 8 years ago! I did however lose my cell phone. I cannot find it anywhere! Urgh!



I went to Wenatchee this morning and took Boston to the dentist and had NO mishaps! Crazy I know! We went to Target afterwards and bought backpacks for the coming school year. This year is going to cost me a fortune! 42.00 for 3 backpacks! I havent even bought supplies to put in them yet!

While the husband is away...the wife will

Bake!
Yep. I made bread and cookies and cake this evening so far and its not even 6pm. I even went out and picked a ton more cherries for some more pie filling to can.
I desperately need to decorate this place, but I am just not good at it.I have a ton of pictures to hang and I just dont want to do it. I need some serious motivaton. I just keep telling Tom that I "decorate with scent", you know...baking bread, scones, garlic anything. It keeps it smelling like I can cook, which is a very good facade =).
I went and spent a bunch of money at the Academic Toolbox yesterday, I love that store. (For non locals....Its a teacher supply store in wenatchee) I ended up coming out with a spongebob colorfelt set (Dont hate!) and one of those huge school calandars that are in every 1st through 5th grade classroom. Why you ask? because it had pumpkins on it and I love them. =)

So a joys of boys moment for you: Boston was in the store with me and announces to the lady standing by the door. "You are very pretty and you have big boobies". WTH! Who had been teaching my kid things like this?! I was sooooo embarassed, there was nothing I could even say except "I am so sorry." and Pack up my kiddos and pretty much run out the door. And just for the record we do not even use the word "boobies" in this house. I am mortified that he not only learned it but that he executed it in a sentence!

Call me Crazy

But I love to hang laundry out on our clothesline to dry. LOVE it! They smell wonderful and I think it just plain makes me feel good. The simple pleasures of a semi country lifestyle. My chickens are really happy in their new coop. The biggest one quit attacking me every time I went out to feed them. I was considering eating that one for awhile =).
My sister had her baby on Monday. Christian Paul Castle. He is adorable. 6 lbs 2 oz i believe. He is so tiny to hold, I forget what its like to have one that small. I dont know where my camera is so I havent posted pictures for awhile. I will as soon as I find it again.
(Just a little note for people who send me e-mail and I havent responded. I havent forgotten about you, I just dont answer non -urgent email until the end of the month or else i never get anything done.)
So I dried some apricots yesterday and I accidentally left the dehydrator on all night, they looked very much like the pits that I had removed from them the night before. I just rehydrated them in water and set them out again. Second times a charm.
My sister-in-law and her Fiancee are coming over this weekend and hopefully we should get to spend some time with them. They are going to be busy so even a little time is better than no time.

Oh Lucas,,,,,,

Soooo last week I hear "look mom!" and Luke came in the room so stinking proud of himself. He had shoved a raisin so far up his nose that I couldnt get it out. I had to pin him down with my knees and proceed to stick tweezers up his nose to retrieve the raisin. That is not such an easy feat with a 3 year old. After about 20 minutes I got it out and he was mad at me about it all day because he "wanted to show Daddy!" I thought kids outgrow the whole "shove items up their nose" phase at about 2, apparently not in this household.

Note to self: no more raisins in the house.

On a good note! Luke is peeing in the toilet! Woot! This has taken FOREVER to get to this and I couldnt be more thrilled about it!

A little more joyful.....

I made cherry pie filling from the cherries in our yard today. It looks so pretty in the jars. Now I just have to wait for the raspberries and blueberries to ripen so I can crack down on those too.
I really havent done alot lately. I just sit at home and play with the kids. I love my children but I gotta get out some time soon! I get a little cabin feverish if i have to stay inside too long. We did have an awesome lightning storm the other night though. That was seriously cool.

The boys made themselves breakfast this morning at 6am. Dry boxes of jello. All over their beds and the carpet. At least it was dry. (it smelled good too.). But hey, I always wanted to hang laundry outside to dry and now heres my chance =).

Tom and I are headed to Seattle on thursday and I am excited to get out of the house and have some time with my family outside of the Leavenworth area. Im thining about going horseback riding with Natalie this next week. Im sure that she would LOVE it. She talks about wanting a horse all the time.

Well Im off to do some housework! Talk to you all later.

Anger and Rage

So.....Tom came in this morning and handed me his bible and announced that he had read some verses that he would like me to read. They were on anger. I know I have a problem. I have for years. This new situation with his brother really takes the cake though and Ive decided not to back down against the decisions that I have made to not let him see/speak to me or my children again. Ive decided to get some counseling to help me think through this even though I am about 98% positive that this is the best decision. I made this decision not because I am getting revenge but because he hurts them, and NO adult should ever hurt a child.

4th of July weekend

We went to valley hi on Thursday night and I had to leave for work at midnight. It went well, I love working there (Homefires Bakery).
The kids loved the fireworks. But I officially am DONE with my husbands awful brother. I NEVER want to see that Child Abusing Bastard for as long as I live and I will make darn sure that he doesn't get to come around my children. He is the most disgusting, vile, controlling, self-absorbed idiot on the planet, A well dressed piece of white trash.
OK I think I'm done.
I hate him
OK now I'm done.

Working Away...

I started my 1st day of work last night at 11pm. I have not had a job in 6 years, I havent wanted one. I work from 11pm until I get done and only 10 hours a week. It went wonderfully last night. I made tons of cookies, pies, scones, and cinnamon rolls. I love it because my children pretty much will never even know that I am gone and Tom is here to watch them at night so that we never need to find a sitter for them. How sweet is that?!