Osborn Abode

The Menu

2010-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here's the plan for what will be gracing the table at Osborn Abode tomorrow-good friends from Ky and now, Pasadena, are coming up to spend the day with us. I'm really missing my mom's cooking right now. I got a roaster from my MIL 10 years ago and I'm using it for the first time tomorrow.

Roasted turkey
mashed potatoes and gravy
stuffing with raisens and without
cranberry sauce
sweet potato casserole-Amy's making this and I can't wait to try it!
pineapple casserole-another favorite of Amy's that I'm looking forward to
green been casserole
corn pudding
brussel sprouts-saw this on Throwdown with Bobby Flay and the girls wanted me to make it
pea salad
homemade crescent rolls
sweet tea
spiced cider-apple cider w/ red hots melted in
pecan pie
pumpkin pie
whipped cream

If you want recipes to any of these, let me know :-) Now. I. Must. Get. To. Work. Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for...

Journey to 5K

2010-11-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

I ran my first 5K on Nov. 7. I think I'm still a little high from the whole experience. Here are some thoughts-

Me and Caleb-after the race we went to Trader Joes and got pumpkin cream cheese and cinnamon raisen bagels for breakfast! Yummmmm-
Me and McKenna, right after the race. The first thing she said to me was, "can I run with you next time?" Later in the day, she asked me where I was going to put my medal. She offered to keep it in her room-
Me and my Love, who got up with me and managed to get all 4 kids ready and at the finish line to cheer me on.
Ok-on to my thoughts-

I used the couch to 5K i-phone app. It's a 9 week program that is designed for beginners. At the end of 9 weeks, you should be able to run a 5K, hopefully in 40 minutes. I started running on August 30. I completed week 9 on October 30.
The goal is to actually run a 5K. I didn't have any desire to do that. I was just looking for another way to work out-I was tired of the 30 day shred and the weather is so nice here, I thought it'd be fun to learn how to run.
On one of my runs, I think I was in week 5 or so, I noticed a banner in town about the Santa Clarita marathon and 5K. It peaked my interest. After reading about it online, I asked Kevin if I could do it. With his encouragement, I registered.
No injuries. I had to start icing my shins at about week 6 or so. That's when you start to run 20+ minutes without stopping, according to the program. My legs would hurt in the mornings, but otherwise, I felt fine. No knee or ankle problems.
I must admit-1/2 of the reason for doing this was so that I could get a cool t-shirt. I was VERY disappointed when I picked up my shirt the day before the race. bleh...
The day before the race, I kept wondering what in the world was I thinking. I'm not a runner. I didn't want to go out and make a fool of myself. I didn't want to trip and fall. Or be last.
I woke up at 3am the morning of the race. The race started at 7. I had one goal. Finish without having to walk. Oh, and not come in last. I knew I could do it. I was just so nervous.
I trained by myself. Well, I actually trained with Presley and Caleb. I pushed them both in the jogging stroller in the mornings after taking the older girls to school. I wanted to be by myself, mainly so I didn't hold anyone back-since this was my first time. However, once I got to the race itself, I felt very alone. There were sooooo many people and it seemed like everyone knew someone and was in a group. I was all by myself.
When I got out of the car to walk to the starting line, my legs were shaking. There were soooo many people there! The 5K alone had almost 1200 people and the marathon and 1/2 marathon started at the same time. In all, there were over 3000 runners at the starting line. Did I mention I knew absolutely no one? Again, I felt way out of place.
I saw a lady wearing a KU shirt. She ran the 1/2 marathon. I talked to her and found out she was from Great Bend, small world-
a little girl sang the Star Spangled Banner before the race. I found myself wishing I could have sung it...
I stayed in the back. I heard the 30 second warning. When I heard the gun I just saw people jogging, we finally made it to the actually start line, then those around me started running. It was sheer craziness.
I knew the route, I had run it several times. My biggest fear was starting too fast and running out of steam. I went slower for that reason. Someone next to me had a fancy watch that could tell your pace. I want that watch!
you can never hear enough people cheering and cow bells clinging when you run. That alone was totally worth it.
I ran. And ran. And ran. Mile 1-check. Mile 2-check. I felt great, but I still didn't want to pick up the pace. I knew the last 1/2 mile had 2 uphill bridges and it was the hardest of the whole course. Mile 3-check. When I came down the last paseo I saw Kevin and the kids-Kevin was cheering me on, while the kids didn't have a clue as to what was going on.
When it was over, I felt like I could have kept going. I wasn't tired. I wasn't out of breath. My legs didn't hurt. I found myself wishing I would have pushed myself harder. Oh well. I met my goal-I ran the whole race. And, I didn't finish last!
My official time was 33:55. My pace was 10:55. I was happy with that. I came in 576 out of 1180 runners, 253 out of 677 female runners, and 40 out of 91 female runners ages 35-39. I was actually really happy and thought that's about how I trained to finish. Right in the middle ;-)
The adrenaline started to wear off in the afternoon and the pain in my legs kicked in. Extra strength tylenol has been my best friend since.
I've realized that my diet needs to change if I'm really serious about running. Running this 5K the week after Halloween wasn't the easiest on my candy-filled belly. And, that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Now, I'm wondering what's next?
I would love to train for a 1/2 marathon. Love. Love. Love. I'm still nursing Caleb and Presley starts to scream at the top of her lungs if I run more than 40 minutes or so while she's in the stroller, so we'll see. I've caught the running bug though, and I love it!

Pumpkin night!

2010-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here is Presley, my little pumpkin, at Lombardi Ranch, here in Valencia. We went there last weekend and each of the kids picked out a pumpkin. We also saw Kevin Richardson (not pictured) of the Backstreet Boys there. He caught my eye b/c he had a UK hat on. I came soooo close to stopping him to talk, but when we got closer to him, I realized who he was, then I got star-struck and chickened out. Anyhoo....

I love pumpkins! I love the way they smell, I love the way they grow from just a tiny nothing into something huge. I love the seeds. Everything. Tuesday night, we carved pumpkins. Well, most of us. Poor Caleb was confined to the swing for the evening.We read the Pumpkin Patch parable (which we do every pumpkin carving night-love, love, love that book!)

We cut open the pumpkins and got the seeds out. We cut out eyes, noses, and scary mouths. We finished the night by eating struesal pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and grated nutmeg. I used this recipe for the pumpkin pie and tweaked it a little. I didn't add pecans and I cut the flour down to 1/4 c. on the streusal and added 1/4 c. oatmeal to the mixture. Gingerbread coffee and pumpkin creamer perfected the evening. It was such a great night.

My Little Man

2010-10-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Caleb James is the other man in my life. I love him so much, words just can't describe. Kevin will always be my #1 love, but this boy comes close to stealing that spot.

He is 4 months old. He smiles all of the time. When he decides that he wants to talk, this boy can talk up a storm! Jibber jabber at the top of his lungs. His sisters are in love with him, too. Presley wants to hold him all of the time. She is such a mommy's helper, always getting his paci and diapers for him. He started sleeping in his crib in his own room last week. Very bittersweet, especially knowing he's the last baby for Osborn abode (did you hear that? the LAST one!) We moved the pack-n-play out of our room over the weekend. Sigh. He's still on a semi-strict 3 hour schedule and he's the perfect babywise baby, like all of my kids were. He loves his swing and bouncy seat, as well as just laying on the floor. I love seeing his face light up when his daddy comes home. People tell me almost everyday at school, how cute he is. I am so blessed to be his mama! Caleb's name means bold, courageous. He'll need that, growing up with his sisters.

Lifegroup top 10

2010-10-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

In our experience, lifegroup (or small group) is a group of people, usually from church, that meets once a week to do 3 things-1) study the bible 2) serve at church and 3) serve in the community. I would add a 4th, saying that social activities always find their way into the mix. I've never been a part of a lifegroup that didn't have parties together or meet for dinner occasionally.

Kevin and I have been in several lifegroups in the last 13 years of marriage. Our first one was a financial bible study, Crown, and the one we are in right now just finished up a financial study, ABC's of Personal finance. We've been a part of lots of other studies. I just find it interesting that the first group we were a part of and the one we're a part of now are both financial ones. hmmmm...If I had to pick a favorite study (not group-I loved them all!) it would be the DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley. Great study. We've made some lifelong friends though our smallgroup experiences. Since moving to Valencia this summer, Kevin and I have looked forward to joining a Lifegroup (that's what our church calls them). We got plugged into one, and Kevin is leading it. He's such a great leader and facilitator. I love listening to him and gaining insights from him.

Anyhoo, here are my top 10 reasons to be in a lifegroup-

You get to meet people in your church. You may not believe it, but Kevin and I are both introverts. We find ourselves very content with just a few friends. It's hard for us to just go up and meet people and develop friendships. Being in a Lifegroup connects us to others in our church and encourages us to build relationships.
You have something to look forward to each week-Our group meets on Sunday afternoons. Our family knows that Sunday afternoon is taken. No playdates, no football, no TV, no errands. It's lifegroup time.
You gain a different perspective on the bible and in life. As I get older, I'm finding that I really appreciate others with different thoughts than my own. I like hearing about what others gain or learn from scripture. I want to learn what others interpret from whatever book we're reading.
Your kids meet new friends. I loved it when McKenna came home from school a few weeks ago and said, "Mom, guess what? I saw Jenna, you know, from Lifegroup, today. She goes to my school!" Our group has 8 adults and 12 kids. The adults meet in the family room while the kids play in another area of the house, or outside.
I get to talk to other adults. I look forward to visiting with the other women in our group. They're moms and wives, just like me. Because I'm home with the kids during the day, there are days when I don't have any adult conversations until 2 in the afternoon, when I pick up the girls and talk with the other moms waiting on their kids. Lifegroup gives me a chance to visit with great ladies.
There's always food! Like I said, there are 4 couples in our group and it works out perfectly. One couple hosts (opens their home to us), one brings drinks, one brings a salty snack, one brings a sweet snack. Perfection.
Accountability-Kevin and I have talked about needing to work on our budget. We've talked about it for a long time. Now, were in a lifegroup doing a financial study. This week, our homework is to do a budget. Because we are part of a group and we made the commitment to do this study, we'll make it a priority to do our budget.
Prayer-I'm not one to write prayer requests on the connect card on Sunday mornings. But, if there is something on my heart, I'll share it with my Lifegroup. I know they'll pray. I also know that they'll ask me about it the next week. I love praying for specific needs and hearing how God meets those needs during the week.
We're setting a good example for our kids. I want our kids to know that worship and church on Sunday(or any day) is important. I also want our kids to know that Kevin and I love God and each other so much that we want to be a part of a Lifegroup. To grow deeper is our walk with the Lord and to build up our family.
Life is better in a group. I've found that life is easier when you're sharing it with others. When you're in a Lifegroup, you always have someone who has your back. You always have a contact. You always have someone you can call on a moments notice and know they'll help if they can. You always have a group that's up for a party.

Our lifegroup rocks. I'm so thankful for such a great group of families. I'm excited about future studies. Maybe I'm just excited to be done with the money one ;-) I'm excited about going through life with these folks. I know God put us in this group for great things and I can't wait to see what He does in and through us.

Here I am!

2010-10-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ok-it's been a crazy few months. No. Wait. It's been a crazy 12 months. I still find myself thinking in blog titles, thoughts, and posts, but, I am almost never around the computer long enough to type them out. My i-phone has replaced the computer in my life. Email, text, and facebook is pretty much all I need to get through the day.

Anyway, for the first time since Caleb was born (he's almost 4 months old!), both he and Presley are asleep at the same time during the day and I have an hour to myself!!! Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus in the background? It's blaring-soooooo-on blogger I am.

Let's see, here's a quick recap..

We moved to Valencia in June
Caleb was born in June
Family, family, and more family came to visit in July
Avery and McKenna started school in August
I started teaching music once a week to some ultra-cool pre-k kids at my bff's preschool in August
Family came to visit in September
Presley turned 2 in September
Presley got very sick, very fast in September. Fever of 104 and a trip to urgent care. Steroids and Tylenol for a few days and she's back to her sweet self
The girls had Fall break in October-the beach, Hollywood, down time
We've already made some great friends and have had several play dates in the last few months
Kevin has worked hard at Fuller during all of these months
Life isn't slowing down. Not one bit...

When we are home during the day, I'm trying very hard to get Presley to consistently answer, "here I am" when I call to her. She has a habit of disappearing, usually going in a room she's not supposed to, or opening the front door to get out. Anyhoo, we're working on it. So, with that said, I wanted to tell you, "Here I am!" I'm still here. I still have lots to say.

What's going on now at Osborn Abode

My life is consumed by falling in love, over and over again, with Caleb James. He's the cutest little boy, ever. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created Caleb, even though I had not a clue. I am forever grateful to the One who gave me a son.
My life is also consumed with being a mom to my 3 girls-Avery is 7 and excelling like crazy in school. She is a great student and she loves her "new" room that she has all to herself. McKenna started Kindergarten this year and is doing so well. She loves school and loves her new friends. She's always up for a playdate and takes her homework very seriously. Presley just turned 2 and is starting to act like it. Gone are the days when I'd call her the perfect baby! She has a beautiful personality and such a sweet spirit. Now, we are working on boundaries and obedience. She loves to go to church and she's always up for playing games and riding her new bike.
Kevin and I are enjoying stay at home dates for the time being. Late night Chipotle after the kids are in bed is and may always be my favorite. We are currently looking for a babysitter who's willing to take on our brood.
Kevin and I are working (or need to be) on a (financial) budget now that we are settling into life in Valencia. There are (always) unexpected expenses and we need to tweek our ICT budget to include those. Also, now that we have 2 girls in school, we're realizing that going to school (public school at that) costs money. Sigh. In addition to that, we need to figure out a system of chores and allowance for Avery and McKenna.
Kevin wrote a great post on debt. In the last 3 years, we've been able to pay off all debt, except student loans and our mortgage. Being free from credit card and car debt is so freeing. We've also been able to save up 6 months of living expenses. I never realized how secure I'd feel knowing we had savings built up like that. Next on the list is to figure out a plan to tackle our student loans, and then, set up a plan/savings account to purchase a "new to us" van (or SUV) in the next couple of years. Talks about money are just like exercise and time spent with God. You don't always like or want to do it, but you always feel better after it's done ;-)
Speaking of exercise, I'm trying to lose these last 15 lbs of pregnancy, that I've had since Avery! I started the couch to 5K plan 7 weeks ago, and my life has changed. I've never been a runner. I always thought my knees couldn't take it. But, this plan has proved otherwise. I'm almost addicted to running! Almost. I'll finish the plan in 2 weeks and I'm going to run my first 5K in November. I can't believe it.
Our family is still loud. Our family is still chaotic at times. We all love Jesus. We all love each other, most of the time, that is. We are adjusting to life as a party of 6. We are still trying to perfect our daily routine.

Never a dull moment at Osborn abode...Here I am!

Home Sweet Home pt 2

2010-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of the upstairs. The hallway has empty picture frames and will display the kids' artwork.

Our bedroom-and Caleb's too, for now-

Our bath-I swore that I wouldn't share this tub with the kids. But, if you see the big yellow baby bath sponge, you'll know that didn't last long...

Avery's bedroom-

Here is the artwork my friend painted for her. She loves it and so do I.

As I noted in yesterday's post-I didn't take all of the pictures ;-)

Caleb's room-he hasn't slept in it yet, but Presley sure likes to play in it, as you can see.

Avery provided the artwork for his room-

Hall cabinet area-

McKenna and Presley's room-front shot-

McKenna's side-check out the flower lights from IKEA-

Presley's side-

Kids bath-

And, I think that's it. I didn't get shots of the back yard, yet. We have a great garden area with a lot of potential. Neither Kevin nor I have green thumbs, so we are trying to decide what to do.

Next on the list-take Avery and McKenna school shopping!

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Taking pictures of our house turned out to be a family project. I won't tell you who took each picture, just know they weren't all taken by me. Ok, this house isn't 100% finished, but I've been hounded by some (you know who you are) to get pix up here so, here goes..

the front porch-

This is the foyer area when you first walk into our home...

...And, someday this picture will hang above the table ;-)

This is the front room, includes living and dining room-aka kids toy room and play kitchen.

The office-

Here is the family room, which is right next to the kitchen, which I didn't take any pictures of-yet.

So, that's the downstairs area, minus the laundry room, bathroom and kitchen. Upstairs pics will be posted tomorrow!

If you're in the market for art...

2010-07-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

My best friend from my junior high years just opened an Etsy shop. She is extremely talented and full of life. She hasn't changed a bit, since I met her back in 5th grade. Praise God for facebook, and the chance to reconnect.

Her studio is called Pink Moonshine. I just sent her a picture of Avery's bedding and she is going to paint a couple of pieces for her room. I can't wait to see what she does. I'll post pics when everything is complete.

So, if you're ever in the market for art, check out her site. You won't be disappointed.

Caleb James Osborn

2010-06-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in love. So in love. With the boy that's been inside me for the last 9 months. I got to see his face on Friday. I will never be the same. This baby was so unexpected, yet, I already can't imagine life without him. He completes our family perfectly. He's beautiful in every way.

So, we moved from Pasadena to Valencia on Saturday, June 12. Lots of boxes, lots of work. We had a lot of help from wonderful friends. I was definitely starting to feel tired and my ankles and hands started to swell that weekend.

Our first guest came on Sunday, the 13th. Kevin's brother flew in from Dallas on a business trip. The girls had a blast with their uncle Gary. He left Wednesday morning.

Thursday, June 17. My mom flew in from Wichita to stay with us for a few weeks. The plan was for her to help us finish unpacking boxes and get the house in order, then help with the kids when the baby blue was born. We fixed spaghetti for her first night, per the older girls request. And dibs for dessert. Have you tried dibs yet? Oh my goodness, they are so good.

Friday, I had my last ob appt. We went to Pasadena and showed mom the apartment that we stayed in for the last 6 months. I went to see my dr while mom and the girls played at the park. My appt. started as usual. My blood pressure was a little high. The nurse checked the baby's heartbeat and was having trouble finding it. That's never a good feeling. She went to get another nurse. The new nurse finally found it, but it was very low. Within seconds, I was taken to another room, where the dr. looked at the baby with an ultrasound machine. He quickly found the heartbeat and showed it to me, trying to calm my fears. He also said that there wasn't much fluid left for the baby to live in so he thought we may need to deliver him sooner than Tuesday, which was the original plan. They proceeded to take me to yet another room where they hooked me up to a monitor to track the baby's heartrate. I was able to call Kevin during this time and explained the situation as best as I could. After 15 minutes, what seemed like an eternity, Kevin showed up and the dr. explained to us that the baby was fine, but that he was probably safer outside of me than in. So, in the next 3 hours, we drove back to Valencia, made a few phone calls, sent a few texts, and quickly packed for the hospital. Saying goodbye to the girls was hard, but thinking about what could potentially happen later was gut-wrenching. I can honestly say that Friday was the scariest day of my life.

By 5pm on Friday, Kevin and I were at the hospital getting checked in. By this time, the baby was much more stable, according to the heart monitor. Things seemed to be progressing well. It's so interesting. Having 4 babies in 4 different hospitals. Each one is so different. I remember asking the nurse if I could eat after the baby was born. If I knew lunch would be my last meal, I would have eaten a lot more than 1/2 a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Anyway, I just remember being hungry.

I was taken to the OR at 7:30. Kevin had to stay back until I was given the spinal and situated on the table. When Presley was born, he was with me the entire process. Anyhoo, Kevin and the dr. came in about the same time, and minutes later, Caleb James was born! The dr. showed us the umbilical cord, which was tied in a knot! In a knot. The dr. just said it was a good thing he came out. I can't even bring myself to think otherwise. He was born at 7:56 pm, weighing 7 lbs, 7 oz. and he was 20 inches long.

He is perfect. Looks just like the girls, except he's a boy. I remember the feeling of instant love when each of the girls were born, but I think it was more intense this time. I didn't get to eat afterwards. Or the whole next day, for that matter. I wasn't happy. The nurses kept telling me that my dr. was old school and didn't let his patients eat for a day after c-sections. Are you kidding me? I am starving! My nurses, all of them, were awesome-they snuck me crackers throughout the day.

I was able to go home on Monday. Avery and McKenna love Caleb, almost as much as I do. They are always wanting to hold him, and they don't like it when he's sleeping. Presley held him for the first time tonight. He's growing on her. Even Grandma has gotten some good cuddle time with Caleb, in between meals and playing referee with the older 3. Poor Kevin has been so busy trying to get this house into a home, he hasn't had much time with his son. Hopefully that will change soon.

Our family has gone through so much change in the last 6 months. This addition to our family has, by far, been the best. We've just begun the craziest summer ever. Aunt Marla and cousin Reese are coming Sunday. My dad is coming July 1. Girls are going back to Ks with my folks on the 8th. Kevin's parents are bringing them back and staying for a week July 18th. Avery and McKenna start school August 12. Whew, I'm worn out already.

More pictures will follow, hopefully. For now, I am loving on my son and trying to savor each moment with my family. Thank you so much for praying for Caleb's safe arrival. We are so grateful for God's protection over him this last week.

I wonder...

2010-06-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks, I've wondered many things.

I wonder, if we still lived in KS, if people would come up to me and ask questions about my pregnancy. You would not believe how many people approach me, especially when they see the 3 girls with me. They usually comment on one of 2 things-they'll either say how well behaved the girls are (which is always the best compliment a mom can hear) or they'll ask me if I'm finally having a boy. Lately, it has happened every time I go out in public. No kidding. At Lowes, at Target, at Ralphs, at the library. Everywhere.
I wonder if this baby is really going to stay inside of me until the 22nd. I have this awful fear that my water will break or something, and I'll have to have him sooner. If I can just make it 'til the 17, I think I'll be ok. My mom is coming then. In my mind, even the 22nd seems too soon. I just can't believe I'm going to have another baby.
I wonder if, in this next house, we can keep the clutter down to a minimum. I hate clutter. You might not know that, by looking at our home. But, I really do. I'm so tired of seeing school papers, coloring pages, and junk laying around. I am determined to keep this next home clutter free.
I wonder if Avery and McKenna will be able to make some friends this summer, before school starts. They need friends desperately. In the 6 months we've been here, they have each made about 2 other friends. I'm praying that there are some girls their age in our neighborhood, and that we'll be able to meet them before school starts.
I wonder how Presley is going to adjust to all of these changes. Her world is so crazy right now. She moved to a new bed, she'll start to share a room with McKenna in the new house, she'll have a new baby brother soon. Lots of changes. And, I'm afraid I won't be able to pick her up to comfort her after I have the baby. Silly, I know-but I'm already sad about that.
I wonder how Kevin will adjust to commuting to work. It will be a 30-40 minute ride each way. I think it may turn out to be a good time for him to prepare/de-compress before and after work each day. I'm secretly hoping he'll be able to work from home more, maybe one day/week or something. We'll see. We've gotten spoiled living so close to his work these last months, I'll miss having him come home for lunch, and visiting him at his office.
I wonder how we'll adjust to living on a budget again. We've had a very loose budget since we've moved here. And, that's about to change real soon.
I wonder if we'll grow to love this home as much as I already love it in my mind. I have longed for a place to call home for 6 months and, now that the time has come to finally move in, I find myself second guessing everything. Isn't that crazy?
I wonder how things will be different, once we get settled and find a routine to fit our family. So many changes ahead. So many thoughts in my head. And, I have almost no control of anything.
I just wonder what tomorrow will look like. And the next day. And the next day...

Good Eats

2010-05-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

I tried a couple of new recipes last week that I wanted to share. I read this cooking blog, almost every day. She has some great recipes. I made peanut butter and chocolate chip muffins-they were ok, the girls loved them, but Kevin and I didn't think they were any better than any other muffin. Then, I made the oatmeal breakfast bars. These were sooooo good! I mean, really good. I need to make a double batch and keep some in the freezer. I miss freezer cooking. I miss the comfort of knowing there are meals in the freezer that just need to be heated. I'm anxious to get into my new kitchen and start cooking again. Oh, I still cook here in the apartment, when the stove actually works, that is.

I only have about a week from the time we move into our house until baby blue comes, so I've started making a list of what to make for the freezer to have postpartum. My mom is coming, so I know she'll cook, too. In fact. McKenna has already said she wanted Grandma to make gumbo when she's here. I miss my mom's cooking. I miss my mom even more. 3 1/2 more weeks...!

Denial

2010-05-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday at church, I saw 3 different newborns. They were so tiny, so perfect. My heart melted. Then, all of a sudden I thought, OMG that's gonna be us before we know it. Holding a baby. I think this kid is going to come sooner than I want. I know he's coming. 5 weeks from today. There's a small part of me that's really getting excited about it. But, most of the time, I'm still trying to admit that I am, in fact, pregnant. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we'll be a family of 6 soon. This pregnancy was just such a huge surprise that it's taken me this long to adjust and realize all of the changes ahead for our family. I think Kevin has been in denial, too, from his blog post last week. He has his own stuff going on, and didn't even mention it.

Last week, we found out that we have to have the baby in a different hospital. I've been in touch with this hospital, and, let's just say, I'm hoping to not have to stay there for the full time allotted after a c-section. The lady spent 10 minutes telling me how great this hospital is and that it is considered a small town hospital. Um...that's not really what I want to hear. She also said that the hospital was built in 1972 and was the first hospital in the state to have dads stay in the room with the mom and baby. Because of this, the rooms are quite small. In fact, after boasting about letting dads stay, she quickly said that they usually don't b/c of the small space. Great...And, because of the way the rooms are laid out, the showers are located down the hall. NOT in the hospital room. Are you kidding me? Is that even legal? I am suddenly dreading this delivery more and more with every thought. Never in a million years did I think that by having a baby in California, that I'd be stepping back in time...I am soooo not thrilled about this.

Just give me the percocept that I've been looking forward to getting and let me recover at home.

June 22, 2010

2010-05-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

That's the day our son will be born. That's the plan right now anyway. However, nothing in the last 6 months has gone according to plan, so we'll see. I had an ob appointment yesterday, he said the head is down, but hasn't dropped yet. He started looking at his calendar and gave me 2 dates. I chose June 22. 6 weeks from today. I can't believe it. He also asked if I had registered at the hospital yet. I told him no, but the nurse was getting me the forms to fill out. He casually mentioned Verdugo Hills hospital. Um...What??? I thought I would deliver at Huntington, the only hospital in Pasadena. Apparently not. My insurance is only covered at Verdugo Hills, in Glendale. Nowhere have I seen this in writing. I've looked online, in my coverage book, on my insurance delivery approval sheet, everywhere. I called Cigna this morning, and, sure enough, I need to deliver at Verdugo Hills. AAARRRRGGGHHH! Much worse thoughts are in my head, believe me. It would be nice if me and my type A personality would have known this sooner. So, today, I'm trying to process things differently. I need to find this hospital, which, according to my i-phone, is 15 minutes away. The good thing is that this is 15 minutes closer to Valencia, where we'll be living when he's born.

My dr. has been telling me to travel, shop and have fun the last several appointments. Yesterday, he told me I needed to slow down and rest more. Um....ok-Yeah...right. We're moving in 4 weeks! I did follow his orders last night, I fell asleep before 8:30. Poor Kevin is usually on his own with the girls after supper these days, especially if I don't get a quick nap in the afternoons. Today, the nap is a priority, since LOST is on and I have to wait until 9pm to watch it.

Date Night!

2010-05-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, Kevin's folks have been wanting to come out to California to visit us, pretty much since we moved here last December. We've been putting them off, simply because we don't have a home yet and didn't want them to have to stay in a hotel. My MIL emailed me a few weeks ago, asking if they could come out for a few days and watch the girls, so Kevin and I could have a date. They were really missing their grandkids. Um...Ok...Yes, please...

I can't tell you how excited I am for tomorrow night. May 7. Our 12 year, 11 month anniversary. Kevin and I are going to the Melting Pot. After that, I don't know-maybe walk down Paseo Colorado, maybe see a movie. Frankly, I could care less. I get to spend time with my husband, without my kids. I love my kids. I spend time with them 24/7. I am apart from them on Sundays for an hour while we are in church, and I usually try to go get groceries without them once a week. Otherwise, I am with them. All of the time. Don't get me wrong, this is my dream. This is really what I want. To be a stay at home mom. To spend time with my kids. Really. I'm just ready for a break. To be alone with Kevin and not having the girls compete for either of our attention. I honestly cannot wait. I bought a new outfit. I painted my nails. I feel like I'm back in college, I'm so giddy.

We both know having 1 date night in the last 6 months isn't a good thing. We've just been in a difficult transition period. Hopefully, we'll find some good babysitters once we move to Valencia and make it more of a priority. We do have a plan to take a trip together that I'm already looking forward to. Sometime in 2012. It will be our 15th anniversary, and I won't be pregnant or nursing, promise! I'm thinking Hawaii...

Our pastor, Rusty, said something during his message last Sunday that stuck with me. He said, "You are the only legitimate source of romance for your spouse." This is so true, and I'm still processing what it means...

So, the next few days will be great and packed with fun. We're planning a trip to the beach, we'll get to eat out, the girls are excited to swim in their hotel pool. Just to have family here, even for just a few days, will be so nice!

ok, your turn. When was your last date night and what did you do on it?

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to Redbox at Ralphs last week for the first time. That was one, of many, things we missed about Kansas. A redbox on every corner. Since then, we've canceled our netflix subscription, and have watched Princess and the Frog and Blind Side. Highly recommend the Blind Side. It was soooo good.

Moving on to food-here's what's on the table this week-

Taco Salad, guacamole, chips
Honey mustard pork chops, garlic butter rice, corn on the cob, and blackberry crisp-blackberries were on sale for 99 cents, so I bought 3 containers. And, I think I'm the only one who likes blackberries.
Chipotle-you should know this by now...
Pesto Mozzarella chicken, potatoes, salad
Breakfast for supper-don't know what yet, maybe biscuits and gravy and fruit...

Kevin's folks are coming on Thursday for a couple of days. Kevin and I are going on a date on Friday! I'm so excited, a whole blog post may be devoted to it. Our last date was November 20, 2009. Not that I'm keeping track or anything...Anyhoo-our meals, and my cooking may be sporatic the rest of the week, not that I mind :) I am planning a Mother's day breakfast-peach french toast and breakfast casseroles, fruit salad, and whatever anyone wants to eat that morning.

I'm also starting to plan a batch cooking day, so we'll have plenty of meals after blue comes. I can't decide whether to do it now while here in the apt. or wait until after we move. Probably after we move, to break my new kitchen in and not have to transport so many freezer meals. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Once a Month Mom posted her summer menu and there are several recipes I want to try.

Presley is sitting next to me on the couch and keeps saying, "hold you?" which really means, "hold me" so I'm off of the computer for some cuddle time with my favorite 19m old!

Music to my ears...gone bad

2010-05-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

So, in yesterday's Target ad, Kevin saw that they had the Dyson vacuum he's been eyeing on sale, with a $150 gift card with purchase. I didn't know he was that interested in it, until I got a text at 11:30 from him, asking if I wanted to go to Target over lunch. Are you serious? He's asking me if I want to go to Target? Um, yes, please!!!!! I never hear those words come from his lips. Ever. So, I jumped on it and we all went. All 5.8 of us. At this time, my mind is racing, thinking of how I can spend a $150 gift card. Do I buy clothes for the family, diapers, home decor? My thoughts are endless...

No vacuums in stock. They didn't even have a floor model. Weird. You might think we just came home. Oh no. We left the store with a frog humidifier and $30 worth of sunscreen for the family. Side note-I took the girls to the park this morning and Presley got pink in a very short amount of time. Not the purchase we planned on, but I'm not complaining, yet.

So, we go home and eat a quick lunch, I get online to see if that vacuum is at any other Target in Pasadena. While I'm on the computer, Kevin finds the vacuum on his phone for, get this, $150 LESS than Target's price with the gift card. Kevin gets perturbed and decides, if he can get it online with free shipping, there's no need to get it at Target. What? But, I already spent that gift card about 4 times in my head! AAAARRRRRGGGGHH!

I've had a couple of hours now to settle down and realize how misleading Target's ad really is. I thought there was a law against marking things up in order to have a sale. Maybe not in California. Oh well. Maybe next week's ad will have something good in it...

the Power of Oprah and other things that really don't matter...

2010-04-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

So, Oprah's doing this big campaign to get people off of the phone while they're driving. Ok, I get it. I even agree with it. My issue is that she did a big show today where different cities were shown all signing her pledge and basically bowing down to Oprah, saying their cars would be no phone zones, all because she said to. I'm not sure about the other cities on her show today, but LA was represented and it's against the law in CA to use your phone while driving. I'm not signing any pledge from Oprah, I signed a pledge when I got my CA driver's license. These idiots on TV displayed total disregard for the law (apparently) but because they had an opportunity to be on Oprah, they signed a pledge. Are you kidding me? Alright, getting off my soapbox, now. Oprah just annoys me...or maybe it's all of the people who worship her that annoy me...

Moving on-It's been a rough week of parenting at Osborn abode. Avery's been fine, except when provoked by McKenna. She is still working on self-control and just ignoring her sisters. I think McKenna is just now acting out b/c of the move and transition (something I went through in January and February and most of March) She talks about Wichita a lot, even Abby. She's overly whiney, and reverts to screaming and moaning when things don't go her way. Kevin says she's just a middle child. Maybe I should read a book about that. hmmm. Presley is just testing her boundaries. This week it was trying to climb to the top bunk in her big sisters' room. Lots of time-outs, tears, and "sorry, mommy." And then, we repeat the scenario 5 minutes later. Very frustrating. I'll be so glad to get rid of those bunk beds. They were good for us and served their purpose the last 3 years, but I'm done. Miraculously, the girls have been good in the evenings, so Kevin probably thinks I'm losing my mind and making all of this up. Oh, well.

I read somewhere that I am supposed to be keeping track of the baby's kicks in the morning and evening. I should feel 10 kicks within an hour, both times of day. All I can say is, this kid kicks me 10 times in about 8 minutes when I finally slow down and count. He's all over the place. It feels like there's an alien in my stomach! I'm well aware that there will come a time when I will miss feeling these kicks, but that's hard to comprehend right now.

Tonight, it's movie night at our house. We are watching Princess and the Frog and eating CPK delivery. I can't wait for CPK-Sonora egg rolls, yummmmmm Tomorrow, the girls are going to a birthday party. I must say, I'm a little jealous-they're getting pedicures and manicures at this party! It sounds so fun. They are so excited and I'm excited for them. And jealous. Maybe I can sneak a trip to Crate and Barrel sometime this weekend. That might make up for it.

Menu Plan Monday and my favorite breakfast

2010-04-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks, I've been fixing this breakfast for myself. The rest of the family usually prefers something sweet in the mornings. I've been craving savory. Baby blue must love this stuff. It's so simple and it tastes so good.

In a small skillet, add a teaspoon of EVOO and then add a handful (I don't measure, just throw some in) of frozen potatoes O'Brien (those are the potatoes with peppers and onions mixed in) and cook for a minute or so. Then, add 1 slice of ham, chopped. After the ham and potatoes are cooked to your liking, add one egg and mix together, until the egg is cooked. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, salt and pepper and serve. So good.

Here's what we're eating the rest of the day and week.

hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, fries, and salad.
Chipotle-because it's Tuesday and the baby wants it...
pancakes, sausage, fruit
spaghetti, garlic bread, salad
Sally's Chinese chicken salad
Taco Salad

Breakfasts-see above for mine, otherwise it's cereal, yogurt, toast, fruit, etc...

Lunch-leftovers, sandwiches, repeat...

Paula Deen!

2010-04-20T08:08:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, I found out that Paula Deen was doing a book signing at a local store here in Pasadena. I immediately thought of my mom, and how much she would like a signed book by Paula. There were several rules that followed-only books bought at that store, no photos, only 1 book per person, etc. I was a little nervous, because I was afraid she might be a totally different person in real life, compared to the southern belle she is on tv.

I was so wrong! She was wonderful. The 3 seconds I got to spend with her were divine. She talked to Avery and McKenna, even wrote their names in one of the books-which was against the rules :) I begged Kevin to come and help with Presley and try to take a picture while we were in line. Paula even talked to him and when she saw that Presley was part of the group, she jokingly asked us if we knew how "that" happened (the whole having kids thing, it's a question we get asked a lot out here in Ca).

We arrived at the bookstore at 5:30 (signing was at 6) and there was already a long line outside of the building. She came at 6 and spoke for a few minutes about the book, which is a decorating book written with her assistant. That's the pic at the top of this post. Then, she went inside for the actual signing. By 6:30, we were talking to Paula! It was a great experience. Just like the time we met KU Basketball coach, Bill Self.

In honor of Paula, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes of hers. It's her chicken and rice casserole. LOVE IT!

RLC!

2010-04-19T14:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a link with more info about Real Life Church and their first building. If you scroll down to the end of the post, click on the link for the pix, then look through the pictures, you'll see Avery in pic #53, singing, I think. Her new BFF is one over from her, in the same dress :)

I can't remember if I gave the history of how we got to RLC. Back when Kevin and I lived in KY, I taught music at an elementary school. One of the teachers there, Lorrie, was a friend of mine, and her husband, Rusty, was a pastor at Southland Christian church in Lexington. We both had our first kids, daughters, during the same year. Not long after, they followed God's call to move to Valencia, Ca, and have been at RLC ever since. Ok-fast forward 6 years...when Kevin and I were thinking about moving to CA, I looked up Lorrie, via Facebook and we were able to reconnect. Fast forward another few months...after moving to Pasadena and trying to find a home, our realtor suggested that we look at Valencia. I immediately contacted Lorrie about visiting RLC and finding a home there. We attended RLC the first Sunday in December and new we had found our church home. I am so thankful God planned for us to be in this church. It has been a bright spot during this transition from Ks to Cali and an answer to our prayer for a great family church to call home!

Lazy Monday

2010-04-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

We are all still sick-I took Presley to dr. on Thursday and she was diagnosed with a common cold. A COMMON COLD. I've had a sore throat, severe at times, for 8 days now. I want to go to a dr. but I'm afraid she'll say the same thing, and I'll have wasted money for nothing. I'm so tired of being sick. Even more so, I'm tired of my kids being sick. Presley is doing much better, though. Avery isn't so bad, and McKenna has good days and bad days. Kevin started coughing again this morning. ARGGGH-make it go away!

So, the girls and I are watching Movie Time Monday on Disney-Jungle Book 2. Actually, the girls are watching and I'm messing around on the computer. Looking for appliances and furniture for our new house. Shopping with 3 kids isn't fun. I've tried to do most of the research online, before we load up the kids for yet another adventure in search of washers and dryers. I think I know what we want, with the exception of mattresses. Man, mattresses can get so expensive! Kevin and I have no clue what to look for, but we always seem to like the ones with the biggest price tag. Anyhoo, it's fun and exhausting at the same time.

Church was incredible yesterday! It was the first Sunday in the new building. I must say, I felt a little guilty being so excited, even emotional, since we've only been going to RLC for a few months. The church is 9 years old, and this is there first permanent home. But, this church has been the best thing about moving to CA, many weeks, it's been the only good thing about being here. The girls love this church and Kevin and I can't wait to get involved in a life group as soon as we move.

So, today is a lazy day for Osbornabode. Watch a movie, rest, try to feel better, repeat...

On hold...

2010-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

I feel like my life is on hold right now. I mean, I still do laundry, I still feed my family (most days), I still change diapers and home school Avery and McKenna. But, I feel like life is on hold until we move into our new (to us) home. That's when things will move. Fast. We plan to move sometime around June 12. Unless God has other plans, Baby Blue will come 10 days to 2 weeks later. Then, family will start coming to help, visit, take the girls back to KS. More family will bring the girls back to Cali a week or so later, hopefully. Then, school will start. I'm already thinking, where has the summer gone?

So, they say here in SoCal that the allergies are their worst in 10 years. Lovely, just in time for my husband and kids to experience it. Kevin, Avery and McKenna have already dealt with horrible allergies. A few days ago, Presley and I started having the symptoms. Presley, however, much worse than I. I feel so sorry for her. She's grown out of the stage where when she's sick, she just wants to be held. Now, even though she's sick, she drives me crazy. She's testing her boundaries, she's whiney, and she absolutely hates it when I wipe her nose, which is every 3 minutes. Her eyes are matted shut in the mornings and after naps. Gross. I think her allergies have turned into an infection.

We've made it this far without having to see a dr, with the exception of going to urgent care on the weekend a couple of times. A few weeks ago, I changed the girls PCP to a dr. up in Valencia that was recommended to me. We haven't gotten their insurance cards yet, so I spent most of the morning on the phone with Cigna, trying to figure out to do what to get Presley in to see someone. Why can't anything be uncomplicated? Geesh-after multiple phone conversations, Presley has an appt. on Thursday. And, I'm not leaving that office without a prescription, either for her or me!

Fuller has an art show this afternoon and Avery and McKenna each did a painting for an exhibit. So, we are headed there shortly. I'll try to post pix of their work tomorrow. They're both so excited!

Offer accepted!

2010-03-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

We found out over the weekend that the offer we made on a house in Valencia last week was accepted! I am so excited! We won't move until June, however, because the family living in the house now have kids and want to finish the school year. The house is perfect for us, so we'll wait. It gives us more time to shop, and save money, I guess. We are going to move the girls' bedrooms around-Avery will have her own room, which will double as a guest room. McKenna and Presley will share a room, and I'm getting rid of the bunk beds-I'm so sick of changing the sheets on that bed! Kenna will have a twin bed and Presley has a toddler bed, currently in storage. And baby blue will take the nursery furniture.

So, with the move coming about a week or so before blue comes, I guess I'm keeping the ob/gyn I've been seeing. I thought I'd be able to change, but, after a few tries, it's not possible. So, I'll still have the baby here in Pasadena. I'm ok with that. I'm trying to be, anyway. Now, I need to get started on all of the logistics, changing pediatricians, enrolling Avery and McKenna in school for next fall, figuring out insurance. Kevin and I have been trying to figure out if we should get earthquake insurance, some of our friends have it, most don't, though. The deductible is crazy high, so I don't know about that, yet. And, we'll need to purchase a decent car for Kevin. The list goes on and on. My main concern now is trying not to annoy the heck out of Kevin with all of my thoughts, ideas, and questions.

In case you're wondering, we didn't celebrate at Cheesecake Factory. Kevin came down with horrible allergies over the weekend and it just didn't happen. Maybe for Good Friday or something...

Made an offer and trying not to think about it...

2010-03-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Since we moved here last November, we've looked at around 15 houses, took a long break from house hunting, tried in vain to figure out the CA real estate system, and narrowed down a potential neighborhood. On Wednesday, we looked at a house that could possibly be our home. We made an offer. Now, we wait. We won't know anything until Monday, most likely. I'm trying not to get emotional over this and think about it all of the time. That's easier said than done. I can't think of anything else. I'm so excited, and anxious, and nervous. I have a peace about this situation, which is different from most decisions I agonize over. I really want this house, it's in a great location, 2 blocks from the elementary school Avery and McKenna will go to next fall, it has room for our growing family and all of the junk we have. It may even have room for us to buy more junk :) It's also close to our church. It has a great kitchen and office area. It has a decent backyard, by CA standards anyway. No pool, but our HOA pool is just a few blocks away. Truth be told, I was a little wary about having a pool. I wanted one, but there just is a lot of risks and responsibility. Maybe when the kids are older...

So, this house is perfect for us. Like I said, I'm trying so hard to not constantly dwell on it. If we get it, great! We'll celebrate by eating out at Cheesecake Factory (haven't cleared that with Kevin, yet though) If we don't, I know that God has another house we'll call home soon. Maybe we can eat at Cheesecake Factory anyway and call it comfort food!

Last night's meal and easter concert

2010-03-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had grilled chicken kabobs with red onions and orange and red peppers. They were delicious. McKenna made the marinade all by herself. Here's the link to the recipe. I will definitely be making this again. I also made a pasta salad and fruit salad to go with it. And, I made hawaiian bread in the bread machine that totally didn't turn out. The yeast must have been bad, because it didn't rise and tasted and looked like a brick. Sigh. Here's the pasta salad recipe. I got it from my cousin, Julie, when we were back in Ks for the wedding.

16 oz, penne, cooked

2 cucumbers, sliced very thin

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 c. water

3/4 c. white vinegar

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T mustard

1 T accent

1 T parsley flakes

2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Wait until the penne is cooled a little, then mix all together and keep in fridge. So good.

So, I found out that the Jonas Brothers are going to perform for the easter services at Saddleback church this year. I so want to go! The services will be at Angels stadium. When I told the girls, McKenna just about lost her breath, she was so excited! Our church is doing multiple services, so I know we could hit them both that weekend. If I can only talk Kevin into it...

Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti, salad, cheesy garlic bread
Grilled chicken, penne pasta salad, homemade Hawaiian bread
Chef Salad, bread
Breakfast for supper-french toast, bacon, fruit
Sweet and Sour meatballs, rice, corn
Green chili enchiladas, chips, salsa, black beans and corn

Breakfast-cereal, waffles, yogurt, granola, banana bread, fruit,

Lunch-tuna salad, sandwiches, leftovers, chef salad,

Snacks-granola, yogurt, cheese, crackers, fruit, almond butter, gorp, popcorn, carrots,

Avery's account of the quake...

2010-03-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a earthquake. it was a little bit scary. But it lasted about 10 seconts. My Dad said well that was fun! Earthquake means a sudden violent shaking of the earth, caused by a shifting of the earth's crust. I was in bed when it hit and I felt my bed vibrate. I ran to Mom and Dads room and we watched the news.

Our 1st Quake!!!!

2010-03-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

So, last night was pretty much like any night at the Osborn abode. The girls went to bed. McKenna got up multiple times during the night saying she was either thirsty, scared, or couldn't sleep. The last time she got up was around 3. Kevin got her a drink and I went to the restroom (for the 3rd time since going to bed), a pregnancy side effect that I'll be happy to say goodbye to. We all went back to sleep. The next thing I knew was my bed was shaking, the blinds were moving back and forth and my heart immediately started beating faster. Kevin jumped out of bed and ran into the girls room. Avery was already getting down from the top bunk. McKenna and Presley were still sleeping. Avery came and got in bed with us, while I turned on the TV, my heart still racing and my mind trying to process what just happened. It was such a weird feeling, the earthquake lasted only 5 seconds, max. It was like my brain knew what was going on, but because we were sleeping, it took my body longer to respond. A few minutes after I turned the TV on, the breaking news team appeared. A 4.4 earthquake. At 4:04am. The center of the quake was about 25 miles South and a little east of us. Avery, Kevin and I were all wide awake. At 4:15am. And, then, we all said we were hungry. Kevin caved first and got a bowl of cereal. I was craving pancakes, but waited until 7 to fix them. Avery stayed in our bed, she and Kevin fell back asleep. I found myself out on the couch watching the news coverage. One cool thing about this is that all of the smart people who study this kind of stuff are based out of CalTech, which is in Pasadena, so there was a lot of news coverage from Pas. One comforting fact I learned was that SoCal is not capable of having a large earthquake, like Chile experienced, simply because the fault line isn't as long as the one in Chile. The one that happened this morning is considered normal.

At least for tornadoes, we have some warning. I think that's what caught me/us so off guard. We were sleeping and felt helpless.

Avery's first school assignment this morning was to write in her journal about what happened. If she gives me permission, I'll post her account later. She's such a good writer, especially for a 7 year old.

3 things came to mind this (early) morning-

We need to have consistent family training for earthquakes. I want to make sure the girls know exactly what to do.
I need to have an emergency kit available. I don't quite know what will go in it, but the tv people said we all need one, so I'll put one together. I assume batteries, water, flashlight, the usual, etc...
When I fix a big breakfast on a weekday (like the pancakes I fixed this morning), I also get stuck having to clean the kitchen afterwards, because Kevin had to go to work. There's a big pile of mess calling me name. Sigh.

The search continues...and Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

After a break from house hunting, Kevin and I are finally ready to start up the home search again. There are some more standard sales on the market, so hopefully we'll find a home before blue comes. Oh, I hope so. I just can't imagine having a baby in this apartment. I also went to Crate and Barrel for the first time over the weekend, and now, I can't wait to shop! Wow, that store is amazing! I could go there everyday and just look for ideas. It's my new favorite store.

Made my 3rd trip to Trader Joes this weekend. Going without a list was a huge mistake, and blow to our budget. But, I snagged 2 things that will be regular purchases from now on, if not weekly purchases-pomegranate seeds and kettle popcorn. OM Goodness, both were so good!

Here's our menu for the week-

Chef salad-Avery fixed the meal last night. All. By. Herself! She was so excited...
Hamburgers, homemade fries, salad
pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
Homemade pizza, fruit and veggies
Slow cooker chicken, potatoes and carrots, salad, Hawaiian bread
Chipotle?

Granola and homemade bread

2010-03-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

My favorite breakfast is homemade granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I could eat that every day. I've tried to make the granola on this site, and I burned it. And it smelled really gross afterward. This is Paula Deen's recipe. It is simply the best. I usually tweak it a little, depending on what I have on hand. I always buy the green Kroger box of granola with out raisens in the cereal section. Yesterday, I made it and forgot we didn't have coconut and wheat germ. It tastes much better with the coconut. I also add craisens, instead of cherries. And I omit the walnuts. Actually, yesterday at Ralphs, I found a trail mix in the deli section that had almonds, raw cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. I bought the container and added 1/2 a cup of so to the granola after it was cooled and it was really good. Still wished I had coconut, though. Again, go here, make it, and enjoy!

I got my new breadmaker last week. I found this site and it has a ton of recipes. I made this garlic bread first, and it was very good. Even a few days later, it was good. I made some raisen bread (from a recipe booklet that came with the breadmaker) over the weekend, and it burned. It was so bad, I could have given it to the girls to play kick ball with. I chose the medium setting, so, next time, I'll choose the light and see what happens. I'm planning to make some hawaiian bread this week, from a box, so, hopefully it'll turn out.

Ob update and Menu for the week

2010-03-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

Today, I am in my 24th week of pregnancy. It's still hard to believe at times. I didn't gain any weight this month, which is surprising, because I'm starting to feel big. My blood pressure was 100 over 70, so that's good. And, baby blue's heartbeat was 141. My dr. informed me that I have fibroids, which isn't a huge deal, just another chance for him to remind me that I'm old. Geesh, he makes me feel was I'm 65 and pregnant, instead of 35.

Our menu this week is pretty hodge podge. I'm fixing some meals, but we have so many leftovers and odds and ends that need to be eaten, so our menu looks like this...

leftovers-homemade pizza, take-out from Chevy's
Soup-I know, it's been on the menu for 3 weeks now and hasn't made it to the table yet, thank goodness I still have everything in the freezer and/or pantry, I'm making it tonight, no matter what
Chipotle for Kevin and me-the girls can have leftovers, cereal, sandwiches, etc...back in Ks, we had a habit of eating Chipotle during LOST each week. It's been harder to do here in CA, since Lost is on at 9 instead of 8. Last week, I fell asleep during it, so I'm determined to stay awake this Tuesday. So, Chipotle it is. And, maybe a nap in the afternoon.
Breakfast for supper-ham, cheese, and broccoli quiche, fruit, yogurt
Cavatini, salad, garlic bread-will post recipe, soon
Maybe CPK??
Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers...

I made a batch of granola yesterday. Last night, Avery said, "I just can't stay away from this stuff, it's so good!" I'll post the recipe tomorrow-

Quick hits and apple crisp

2010-03-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

So, we had steak last night, and, from the way McKenna acted, you'd have thought it was Christmas. After every bite she exclaimed, "this is the best steak ever!" She loved having her favorite meal. Avery, on the other hand, hates steak and dined on corn and a breadstick. She didn't pout, though. Of course, she knew what was for dessert.
This move has really brought our family closer together. We enjoy being with each other. Sure, I would absolutely love to have a date night. Kevin and I haven't be out sans kids since mid-December, when we went Christmas shopping FOR the kids. But, there are those rare nights when I'm awake even after the kids are in bed, and we're able to have in home dates. It's not the same, I won't lie, but it's better than nothing. Homeschooling Avery right now has been great for our home life, too. She and McKenna are closer than ever, and now that Presley is able to play and talk more, their relationship is growing, too. Because of the tight space we live in, we can't just go and do our own thing within our apartment, so there has been a lot of compromise over what movies to watch, what games to play, who's doing what in what room, etc...We're a close-knit family, and I like it that way.
The little boy in my tummy kicks a lot. He's a very active baby, and I'm so looking forward to meeting him. I'm starting to have lots of feelings of guilt from when I first found out I was pregnant. To say I was shocked and even sad would be an understatement. I cried. All the time. I just couldn't see how another baby would fit into our plans. At the time, I thought it was one of the worst things that could happen. Now, I'm so ashamed of thinking that way, and I'm hoping the pain and guilt will go away so I can just enjoy the rest of this pregnancy without constantly beating myself up about past thoughts.
So, that was a little deeper than I meant it to be. Oh well. On to the recipe. It never fails. 15 minutes after supper each and every night, McKenna asks if we can have dessert. Most nights, the answer is, "sure, you can have some fruit or yogurt." That doesn't get the greatest of reactions from her, though. Last night, I knew we had the stuff to make apple crisp, so that's what I made, with Avery's help.
Let me say, for the record, that I love having my kids help me in the kitchen. I want to teach them how to bake and cook. However, the kitchen we are in right now is so not good for family cooking. This has been a struggle, because the girls still want to help, and I find myself saying, "wait until we get a home with a better kitchen." After 3 months of saying this, I can't hold them back much longer.

Apple Crisp-

This is adapted from the fruit crisp recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I make this several times in the winter months. It's easy and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. I can make this after supper while Kevin is cleaning the kitchen and it's done by the time the girls are finished with baths. Leftovers are so good the next day, too.

5 cups of peeled and sliced apples-I use Granny Smith, 4 apples usually work great

4 TBSP sugar

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter

Mix the apples and sugar together and place in a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Combine the next 4 ingredients and pour over the apples. Melt butter and drizzle over oat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

weekend recap and menu

2010-02-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Why do weekends always go so fast? We had probably the best weekend since we moved. I was still really sick on Friday, but by Saturday, we all felt much better. We went to LA with some friends to the California Science Center. The kids had a lot of fun. We found a great place to eat lunch back in Pasadena, then went home and vegged the rest of the day.

I woke up this morning with news that a friend of my niece's passed away after battling cancer for 4 of his 7 years on this earth. I can't imagine the pain this family is going through. So very sad. I've thought a lot today about my nieces and how they are dealing with a tragedy most adults can't even handle. The comfort in this horrible situation is that Carson is with Jesus now, and he is completely cancer-free.

We went to church for the first time in 3 weeks. Oh, it was so good to be in church again. Finally, our family healthy and ready to worship. We had a guest song leader that was actually a worship leader at the church we attended in Ky. A great service, followed by a great lunch-Olive Garden! We are just starting to enter the phase where Presley isn't fun to eat out with, but today she was great. Loud, but great. Made a trip to Ralphs up in Valencia before heading back to Pasadena. No creamer there, either. Sigh.

And, here's the menu for this week-

steak, baked potatoes, green beans-McKenna didn't get this last week and her whole face lit up today when she saw the steaks in our grocery cart.
breakfast for dinner-waffles, fruit, eggs, and bacon
the soup I was supposed to make last week, but didn't get around to it-
chicken fajitas, queso, quacamole, chips
spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Dinner with friends on Friday!
Leftovers

Random...

2010-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Some things on my mind right now...

If you visit our apartment, you will most likely be greeted with one (or more) of 3 scents-ant killer, clorox, or the gas smell that constantly seeps from our stove.
I'm so tired of being sick. I was hoping to escape the gunk that has gone through our family. No such luck. Moms don't get sick days. Thankfully, Kevin takes over as soon as he comes home from work. I feel like a zombie. A zombie who can't breathe. The girls are feeling much better, so that's a good thing. Hoping Kevin won't get sick.
Avery and Kenna learned about how and where the Olympics started today in school. They even made up their own ice skating routine-Kenna was the skater and Avery was her coach. They did a great job!
Avery got her first Junie B. Jones book today. Toothless Wonder is the title, go figure. If you're my fb friend, you know Avery lost a tooth on Monday. The tooth fairy didn't come that night and she was devastated. Her tooth still had some blood on it, so she decided to clean it in the bathroom sink. You know where this is going. Kevin told her not to, that she'd drop it down the drain. Less than a minute later, Avery is crying and screaming. Kevin tried to get it out, instead, he broke the pipe. Now, there is a bucket under the sink and we're waiting for maintenance to come fix it. If fixing our heater in a timely manner is any indication of when they'll be here, they'll come in about 3 days. Our heater pilot light went out over the weekend and they showed up today to light it. It's been a chilly few days. Now we have a nice warm hallway, where the heater is. Nice.
Oh, the tooth fairy did come last night, thank goodness. Avery got $4 and was so happy this morning.
I would love to know what our neighbors above us do during the night. It never fails, they are so loud, between 12:30 and 5am, to be exact. I could swear they were re-arranging furniture on Monday night. I can hear everything that goes on up there, the toilet flushing, the tv, the drum set, the vacuum. All of it.
I got some money for my birthday from my parents, and I spent it today. I used to have a bread machine, but I never used it so I gave it away several years ago. Now that I'm home, and I actually have the time to use it, I really want one. I found a refurbished cuisinart bread machine on Overstock last week and ordered it today. It had really good reviews so I'm anxious to try it out. I almost caved and bought a toaster, too, but I didn't. I've had our current toaster since 1994. It works, but not well. You can put bread in and never know what the outcome will be. We also really need a 4 slot toaster now. Maybe for Mother's Day...hint, hint...
Not having an ice maker and having (or having to remember) to make your own ice is really only fun for the first day or so.
Kevin got his diploma in the mail this week. So, it's finally official. I'm so glad that chapter of our lives is over. I still catch myself thinking, "I wonder if Kevin will want to write tonight."
Presley can count to 13. Seriously. She doesn't do it on purpose, she just randomly starts counting. Or, if you start counting, she'll finish it or continue it with you. She's brilliant! She still loves Mickey Mouse, but is starting to like Dora more and more. She's growing and changing so fast. Some days, I can't imagine having a baby in the house with 3 other kids running around. It's gonna happen before I'm ready, that's for sure.
This little boy is so lucky to have 3 big sisters who already love him so much. Every time we go to Target, McKenna picks something out that she "knows" her little brother will just love. Today, it was a set of stackable toys.
I signed up to get Target texts and was able to use my first coupon there today. Target sends me a text every Sunday with a list of electronic coupons. If I buy a certain product, I just let the cashier scan the text on my phone and the coupon shows up on my receipt. I saved $1 on Kraft cheese today.
Easter candy is now at Target. Not a good thing. We bought enough to stock Kevin's office and a little for our home. To make matters worse, the section is right next to the baby section, so we'll see it EVERY time we go there.
Only 2 more days 'til Friday...always a good thing!

Pizza Rolls

2010-02-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

When planning the menu for the week, I always ask everyone what one meal they would like to eat. This week, Avery said chef salad and McKenna said, rather yelled, "steak!" We really miss having a grill. We may need to take the family to Outback steakhouse and treat McKenna to her steak.

On to the pizza rolls. This is such an easy recipe. And, yet, I'm always forgetting about it. I got the idea several years ago from friends back in KY. Avery and McKenna love them and this is a good recipe for them to help make. Although I haven't done this yet, this would be a good recipe to double and freeze for later.

Rhodes frozen rolls (I thaw them on the counter for a few hours, according to directions on the package)

Pepperoni, cut in quarters

Mozzarella cheese

butter, melted (I put a garlic glove in for flavor)

Marinara sauce

Take 2 rolls and roll them together to make a disk. Put some pepperoni and cheese in the middle and fold all of the edges so none of it can escape. Put seam side down on greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so (follow Rhodes package directions)

Serve with warm marinara sauce.

This makes a great lunch or an easy supper meal. Serve with either a salad or veggies and ranch. You can also change the filling, try adding sausage or spinach. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

The common cold and/or flu bug has invaded our home. It came about 10 days ago and has yet to leave. Lots of kleenex, almond tea and cough medicine. It's the kind of cold where you don't really feel good, but you can't just lay on the couch all day (although, I've tried, trust me). The medicine we give the girls seems to make them hyper. They're driving me crazy most of the day. Presley hasn't slept well for many nights, which means Kevin and I aren't sleeping well either. I'm so ready for us all to be healthy again.

Went to 2 different Ralphs and Food 4 Less, still no peppermint mocha creamer. I'm about to give up. I was hoping to look at Valencia today after church, but we weren't able to go, since Presley still had a temp this morning.

So, here's what we're eating this week-

this soup and cinnamon rolls
Homemade pizza and veggies (seems I'm always making this on KU game day)
Chef Salad
Pizza rolls-I'll post recipe this week-very easy
Pork tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans
Tacos and/or nachos
Homemade mac and cheese and streusel topped blueberry muffins-I don't know why, but this is a great combo. Serve with fruit and/or veggies.

Breakfast-cereal, yogurt/granola, fruit, raisen toast, waffles, eggs

Lunch-leftovers, sandwiches, whatever you can find will do...

Snacks-crackers, cheese, yogurt, fruit, veggies, granola bars,

Ups and Downs

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've had so many ups and downs since we moved here, it's hard for me to decide if my hormones have an effect on my attitude or if this place just stinks (insert harsher word here).

I discovered the hard (and expensive) way that Ralphs, the poor excuse for Dillons here, doesn't accept expired coupons. Dillons does, Target does. Ralphs doesn't. I can't stand Ralphs. I hate going there. I used to have my grocery shopping/couponing down to a science. Not so much anymore. I consider saving money in this area and making sure there is food to eat part of my SAHM job, and when I fall short, I don't like it.
Baby boy Blue got his first gift in the mail yesterday. It was a much needed sweet spot in my day. My friend, Sally sent a t-shirt and blanket, along with goodies for the rest of the family. I'm finally starting to enjoy and embrace this pregnancy. That's a very good thing.
It's hot here this week, that's a good thing. It's weird to wear flip flops in February. That's one part of California that we're loving. Our apartment has one window unit, in the front room, that's a bad thing. Every time I get Presley up from her nap, her hair is all wet with sweat. yuck. I hope we're out of this place before summer. It could be miserable.
I wish there was a rule that if you leave your laundry at the laundry mat way longer than after it's done, that it's perfectly ok for someone to dump the laundry out in order to use the washer/dryer. There were clothes in 2 dryers last Monday for 4 hours. Those people are lucky I wasn't in there when they finally came to get their clothes, that's all I'm sayin'...
I made my first trip with the girls today, sans Kevin. We went to a different Target and the mall. We drove thru McDonalds on the way home and they got 3 things on our order wrong. That's so frustrating. Customer service isn't near as important out here as it is in Wichita. While Kevin was dining on Chicken and waffles, I was scraping onions off of my hamburger and coaxing Avery to at least try the different sauce for her chicken and telling her she can have apples next time.
We got the older girls a winter olympics wii game for Valentines day. However, with so much going on that day, we forgot to give it to them. I had planned on getting Presley a Minnie mouse doll, but never got around to it, so I got her one today at the Disney store. The girls love going in there and looking around. Presley loves her Minnie and even took a nap with her this afternoon. It's so fun to watch her get attached to things. She loves her blanket, any kind of purse, my phone and the remote-which are off limits to her, and anything that belongs to her older sisters.
Presley must be teething again. She hasn't been sleeping well. Last night she woke up at 3 and wouldn't go back to sleep. We can't let her cry since our walls are so thin and we have neighbors. So I brought her to our bed, which I hate to do. I don't function well on little sleep.
We went to Claires at the mall to get some hair rubberbands, and found a huge sale on (play) make-up, so I bought Avery and McKenna some. They are having so much fun! They take make-up very seriously, it's cute to watch.

Birthday, hearts and lots of coughing

2010-02-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

I turned 35 on Saturday. I don't feel 35. I guess I don't know what I feel. Some days older, some days younger. I'm sure Kevin will remind me for the next 6 months that I'm older than he is. He's good at that. And, I love him anyway. I got to spend the day with 4 of my favorite people, Kevin and the girls. The night before (Friday) McKenna was looking through a cookbook and asked me to make some dish for breakfast the next day. I told her I wasn't cooking tomorrow b/c it was my birthday. I wish you could've seen the look on her face. She didn't know how to respond, but was wondering how she would eat the next day. So cute. Kevin went and got Panera for breakfast and saved the day, in McKenna's eyes. I got my hair done. Won't be doing that anytime soon. Sticker shock to say the least. The lady who did my color kept implying that she had to fix my midwest color job. whatever. Avery took a picture to send to Aunt Marla.

On to Malibu and the beach. It was beautiful. We didn't have beach toys, but I did bring some plastic cups and the girls used them to play in the sand. Afterwards, we went to Gladstones and ate supper. Then home. A great day.

Woke up Sunday morning at 3am to McKenna coughing like crazy. Around 8, I took her to the urgent care center here. The wait time for adults was 3 hours. Luckily, a pediatrician came in at 9 and we got in shortly after. He didn't say much-just lots of fluids, nose spray, and an rx for sleeping cough medicine. What a way to start Valentines Day. We didn't get to make it to church. The girls had a birthday party to go to in the afternoon. Presley took a nap, thankfully. So, Kevin and I did what any normal couple would do on Valentines Day with kids gone or napping. We slept.

Notice the fancy plastic cup holding the flowers? My vases are packed in a box, somewhere. So, we improvised. For supper, the girls had heart shaped pizza and chocolate strawberries. I made a spread of cheese/crackers/grapes and such for Kevin and me to enjoy after they went to bed.

We put the girls to bed, as usual. 15 minutes later...

Presley just wouldn't go to sleep. She enjoyed our V-day meal with us. Ah, the life with 3 kids, no babysitter, and ultra thin walls that prevent us from letting her cry herself to sleep.

Hope your Valentines Day was great, and less chaotic than ours!

No such luck...

2010-02-12T14:54:00.001-08:00

Kevin went to Ralphs today to get some Sprite for Avery, who woke up sick at 3am. I didn't even have to ask him to get that mocha creamer (see previous post) for me, it was already on his list. He came home with sprite, no creamer. They didn't have it.

Figures...ugh-

I didn't say much, but McKenna turned 5 and Avery turned 7 in the last 2 weeks. Kevin posted some pix from each of their special days.

With Avery sick, I was praying that the bug didn't hit the rest of us. So far, it hasn't. So, McKenna and I made heart shaped sugar cookies for Valentines Day, although they may not last 'til Sunday! Big plans to watch the olympic ceremony tonight. We told the girls they could stay up late if they had some rest time this afternoon. Ahhhhh-it's so quiet here. I love it. I may just rest myself...

Did you know?

2010-02-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

My favorite creamer of all time is available all year now!!!! Go here to see if you can get it at your local store. I noticed it was gone from our stores before Christmas this year, so I'll have to look next time I'm at Ralphs. I have a horrible fear that this is some cruel joke, I'm anxious to see if it's for real. The site says it's there, also says it's at Dillons and Target in Wichita, too.

Go here and print a coupon to use.

Let me know if you can get it. Your coffee will thank you.

Homemade Pizza

2010-02-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

I stole this pizza recipe from my cousin years ago. She's practically famous for making it. I, however, never seem to get it to taste like hers. Until last week. I made it and it was pretty good. I made it again tonight and, since it was good 2 times in a row, I thought it was worth documenting. I made a pepperoni pizza for the girls and a pesto/veggie pizza for Kevin and me.

Pizza crust

take 1 cup hot water and add 1 package of yeast, then add 1 tsp sugar. Let set for a few minutes. Dump in mixer with 1 cup flour and beat 3-4 min. on high (I used the dough hook). Next, throw in 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1tsp salt, 2 tbsp EVOO, and 2 cups flour. Mix till it looks like dough. Let set for about 20 minutes. Makes 2 pizzas.

I shape this into pizza crusts, bake for a few minutes at 450 or so, then top them, then bake some more, like 7-9 minutes. Just watch it closely, so it doesn't burn. This makes a thin, crispy crust.

For the pepperoni pizza, I used Kroger cheese and Classico sweet basil marinara for the sauce. The girls put pepperonis in the shape of a heart on it.

For the pesto/veggie pizza, I used Kraft cheese, which was way better. I also used store bought pesto (in the fridge section), chopped onion, red and green peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and mild pepper rings. If you like mushrooms, you should add them as well. I don't, so I didn't.

Great pizza, I must say. Thanks, Julie! Now, I need 2 more ovens so I can cook as many as you do when friends and family come over :-)

Enjoy!

Shopping for Blue!

2010-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

We had the all important sonogram last week. The perinatologist knew right away, but he toyed with us for a bit until he got a good look for us to see. We're having a boy! I still can't believe it. It never really occurred to me that we might actually have a boy. After 3 girls, I just assumed it was another girl. When he said it's a boy, I started crying. McKenna said quietly, "don't we want it to be a boy? Why are you crying?" Happy tears, Kenna, happy tears. He is healthy, measuring almost a week ahead of schedule.

After a few days of letting this news sink in, I'm reminded of all of the pink around me. The only clothes this boy can wear that his sisters wore are KU t-shirts. That's it. Seriously. All of our swaddling blankets are pink and/or purple. The onesies are pink, the socks are pink, the burp rags have flowers on them. pink. That's who we are right now, and who we've been.

And it's all about to change...

Menu Plan Monday

2010-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Still planning menus here at Osborn abode. However, we don't always stick to the plan. After months of not couponing, I'm finally starting to clip and save again. Made a trip to Ralphs today, the poor excuse for the Kroger affiliate. I spent a little over $100 (ok- more like $134) and saved $89! Not too bad-much better than the last several weeks. Here's the menu-

tacos, corn, chips/queso
gumbo, rice, cornbread-McKenna has been asking for this for weeks now. It just feels weird to make it when it's 70 degrees out. Hopefully, it will be cooler one day this week...
Paula Deen's chicken rice casserole, applesauce, rolls
Chevy's -LOVE this place, Tuesdays are kids eat free night
homemade pizza-for the KU game-still trying to perfect this, will post recipe soon
leftovers
Breakfast for supper-waffles, sausage, fruit, eggs

Breakfast-cereal, toast, yogurt, oatmeal, waffles, fruit,

Lunch-chef salad, leftovers, sandwiches, taco salad

snacks-cheese, fruit, yogurt, pretzels, carrots and ice cream (after the girls are in bed!)

Last week I made these cookies. Oh, my goodness, they were so good! They're our new favorite, now. I also plan to make heart sugar cookies later on in the week, and olympic cupcakes sometime next week. Then, it's a sugar fast at the Osborn abode. And I mean it ;-)

Wedding pix

2010-02-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wow-what a whirlwind last week was! Birthday parties, playdates, snowstorms, pedicures, lots of wedding work and errands, and finally, the wedding celebration. It was such a great week and I'm so thankful we were able to be back in Kansas for such a great occasion!

Here are the girls with cousin Jessica, the bride.

Here are flower girls Avery and McKenna. A lady said they looked like they could be on the Titanic and Julie (mother of the bride) said, "good, that's the look we're going for!" They were precious.

Me, Kevin, and girls before the ceremony-

Here is the reception. It was so beautiful!

McKenna and Presley LOVED the dancing part of the reception. Here they are cutting a rug with Aunt Marla. Cousin Reese loved it too.

My favorite-flower girls Avery and McKenna

Rain rain go away

2010-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Aside from a quick trip to the store for milk, the girls and I have been in our apartment since Sunday after church. Can you say Cabin fever? I'm about to go crazy in here. It has rained pretty much non stop since Sunday afternoon. Lots and lots of rain. For those of you who care, we are not in any danger of mudslides. We live 3 miles south of the mountains. Just in danger of going mad :) People here treat rain like I've heard Texans treat ice. They don't know how to drive in it and, thus, many wrecks and lots of chaos.

I've been trying very hard to think of things I like about living here. Trying is the key word-I must say, I'm starting to like having a gas stove-top. I've always heard that real cooks have gas stove-tops, and I can see why. Although, out of 4 burners, I only have 2 that work, 1 of those works consistently. Anyhoo, another thing I like is our church. I'm growing to really like it. This is the first church, ever, that all 3 girls like. They go to their classes with no fussing or complaints. That's huge for us. Avery and McKenna have memory verses and Avery uses those verses and other things she's learned as part of her handwriting each day. We haven't gotten into a small group yet or anything. Mostly, we're waiting to see where our home will be so we can get into a group in the neighborhood.

Ok-so there are 2 things I like about here. I can't think of any others right now. Except for what we have planned for Avery and McKenna's birthdays coming up-

McKenna's b-day is next Monday, we'll be in Wichita next week b/c of my cousin's wedding, so we'll get to celebrate with the extended family. We're planning a family party on Saturday, though. Kevin made reservations to the American Girl Bistro for supper Saturday night, complete with birthday cake! The girls don't know about it, though. Kevin only told them we were going to Beverly Hills(which is where the AG store is) and they are so excited about that-crazy...The Wednesday after we get back from Ks is Avery's b-day. Wonder what we'll do then...

To push or not to push...My teaching dilema

2010-01-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

Avery had her 2nd face to face meeting with her/my learning coach today. Basically, I'm her day to day teacher, but I have someone in authority over me who makes sure I'm actually teaching Avery. I had to provide learning samples(work she's done previously) from every subject. Avery was also asked several questions and had to explain some of her samples to Grace, our learning coach. Needless to say, Grace was extremely impressed. She kept going on and on about Avery's handwriting and her artwork, saying both were so good and well beyond 1st grade level. I explained to her that Avery is doing well in every subject and continually gets 100% on every test she takes. However, I'm noticing she doesn't always understand or can explain the theory behind some things, Math and English, mostly. But, she knows the right answers. I don't know whether to slow down and make sure she "gets it" or keep plowing thru until we find an area where she actually misses a question, then start from there. Grace encouraged Avery to take the tests to finish the 1st grade curriculum and go on to 2nd grade. Thus, my dilema.

Part of me just wants her to coast thru 1st grade. Enjoy being home and not having to be in school for 7 hours a day. Enjoy having the extra time to play and experience real life, even if that real life is weird right now. Maybe I'm just so overwhelmed with everything that I don't want to push her. That's probably more like it...

Part of me wants her to actually start learning and not just doing worksheets everyday. Sure, we do more than that, and she has fun, but I don't know if she's really learned anything new, yet. I don't want her to be bored. I want to push her to develop her full potential. She is a very smart girl. I don't want to be responsible for any setbacks.

On top of that, I don't know if we'll homeschool her next year or not. It just depends on where we're living. Lord willing not in this apartment, that's for sure.

So, I really don't know what to do...for now, I'm counting my blessings that I get to be Avery's teacher for this period in time. I'm thankful that Avery can be home with us. I'm thankful that my 3 daughters are so close and like playing together. I absolutely love hearing Avery read to her younger sisters.

Any thoughts?

Good and Bad

2010-01-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

One good thing about SoCal is that the McDonalds here have cherry pies. They're still baked, not the good fried kind you used to get. But, I love cherry pie from McDonalds.

One, of many, bad things about SoCal is that McDonalds is the only place that has a drive thru. Banks don't have them, Walgreens doesn't have them, Ralphs pharmacy doesn't have them. Instead, you have to find a place to park, pay to park wherever you parked, then get all 3 kids out and go inside. Not much fun. Or convenient.

I just don't get why people like it here so much. Maybe they've never been to Wichita... ;-)

Doctors, DMV, Dinner and Dirt

2010-01-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

I had my first ob appointment yesterday. I'm 15 weeks along (almost 16) and everything seems fine. We got to hear the heartbeat and I'll have an ultrasound in a few weeks. I don't like my new doctor. He was a little creepy, to be honest. Kevin thought he was fine, though. Not only did we have to pay to park at the dr. office, but I had to pay cash for a co-pay. So, how does that work when you have a debit/credit card that is used for your flex plan acct? Still trying to figure that out. The first turn off was when he asked me if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy, knowing how far along I was. After that, I don't think there was anything he could do or say to make me like him. Then, he suggested tying my tubes right after delivery (still thinking about that). And, he tried to talk me into doing a VBAC. My dr. in Wichita would have never done that, he would insist on a c-section again. So, it wasn't the greatest experience. I'm hoping against all hope that we move soon and I can find a new dr. before this baby comes. I've had such excellent doctors with the other 3, I'd hate to have this one get the shaft.

I spent an hour and a half at the DMV this morning, and I had an appointment. No problems, just several different lines to stand in and papers to fill out. Kevin paid $28 for his license in Dec. I had to pay $31 today. I passed my written exam, missed 1 question. Here it is-

When is it legal to use a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving?

a-when making a call while stopped at a red light

b-when making a call for emergency assistance

c-never

I put C, but it was B. I thought you were supposed to pull to the side before you could call for help-whatever...I passed.

Being there was such a horrible experience. It was degrading. No one was cheerful, or happy, or nice. I spoke with 5 different DMV workers and not one of them was courteous. It's gray in there, it's dirty, and I hope I never have to go back. Ever.

We're having some new friends over for supper tomorrow. It's hard to plan a menu, especially for guests, when nothing sounds good. Last night, we didn't eat supper until 8 b/c I couldn't think of anything that sounded good. Finally, Kevin put a pizza in the oven and by the time it came out, I was hungry enough and it was great. I'm almost always hungry, I just don't want to eat anything. Weird-I've never felt that way before.

So, I'm fixing a chicken dish and sides. The girls wanted brownies and ice cream for dessert. Speaking of ice cream-Kevin and the girls have been wanting some and we hadn't had any since we moved, so I got some last week. Presley saw that stuff in the bowl and immediately said, "ice cream" I couldn't believe it, she hasn't had ice cream in months, yet she knew exactly what it was. And she wanted some. She actually started dancing after her first bite!

This apartment is so dirty. I never walk around without my slippers on b/c my feet will turn black. It's that gross. I'm tempted to put a sign on the door warning any visitors how dirty and gross this place is. No amount of comet can get that bathroom clean. And, b/c the bathroom is so gross, I'm not convinced taking a bath or shower actually cleans you while in this place. I have a constant feeling of "yuck" here. And, just when I'd thought we'd gone a whole week without seeing a spider, Kevin saw one in the front room, and it got away before he killed it.

Only 2 more weeks until we are back in Kansas, where it's cold..but clean.

Random

2010-01-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Warning-these are very random-

One (and only one) perk of living in the ghetto (a term used by others who live here) of Pasadena is that it takes us about 15 minutes to walk to Target. We've walked there 3 times, so far. It was our P.E. for today. This Target is 2 story and I can never remember where things are there. It's always packed and it's NOT a super Target, which I'm reminded of every time I go there. I scored my first deal for 2010-$1 for 2 64 oz bottles of Juicy Juice. I made up for that deal by spending $4 on Coke.
Pretty much every night is family night at our house. We're always together, always doing something. Tonight, I had planned to center the night around KU basketball. The girls wanted chili dogs for supper (why I had to buy Coke, you can't have a chili dog with water, yuck) Well, we can't find a channel that will cover the game, so Avery asked to watch Shrek instead. So, we'll do dog and ogre night tonight. Maybe throw a little Wii in the mix.
My i-phone has saved my life during this move-I don't know what I'd do without it. I text my dear friends Rachel and Sally at least weekly, and my sister and mom daily. I love taking pictures with it. And, I've actually read the bible every day this month (shocking-lol) I also just got a home budget app that I'm actually looking forward to using.
The "free" computer we got from Cava is the slowest computer on the planet. I only use it to print coupons. And that's because the "free" printer we got isn't wireless, so it won't sync with the best computer ever, my (our) mac.
When Avery began homeschooling again, we had to basically start at the beginning of 1st grade curriculum. So, we spent the week before Christmas taking a ton of assessments and trying to figure out where Avery fits into the flow of studies. So far, we're 50% thru the 1st grade and she's complaining about how easy everything is. So, here's the dilemma. Do we move forward and go ahead and just finish 1st, and move on to 2nd grade now (she could probably do this by Feb) or, do we take it easy and not put a huge priority on school right now and let her go at the "normal" first grade pace. Back in Wichita, Avery went to 2nd grade for both Reading and Math. She's never been tested for giftedness, and I don't think she is (what do I know), but she is extremely smart and learning comes easy for her. The neighborhood where we are looking for homes has an excellent school system, so we plan to enroll her there next fall. I just want the rest of 1st grade to be good for her and I want her to continue to thrive in school. I don't want her to be bored and for things to be too easy for her.
It's hot here-I know those of you reading this in Ks are rolling your eyes. It's just weird. I've planned to eat some soups this week and bought the stuff to make potato soup, chicken enchilada soup, and chili-but it never sounds good because it's so warm out.
When we do actually get a home, and Kevin starts commuting, we'll need a 2nd vehicle. So, do we go hybrid or not?
Spending 20 minutes at the park on any given day tells me why -on the application for Kevin's position here, they asked that he speak Korean. He doesn't, but, I'm sure it would have been helpful. And I can see why they would ask that...
My wedding ring is too big. I need to have it sized down. Of course, my fingers will probably swell soon, but it's always turning or falling off. Maybe I just need a new ring...
I can't believe I'm going to be a mom of 4 kids. I'm not old enough. My first trimester, I didn't really have any sickness or anything. I was in such shock and denial and with so much stuff going on, I tried not to think about it. Now, my clothes aren't fitting, I'm hungry, and I'm starting to feel pregnant. When he/she comes, we'll have had 4 kids in 4 different towns, in 3 different states. And, we're done-seriously. Done.

Transition

2010-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

We've been in a state of transition since June, really. Last May, Kevin got the first call asking to apply for a new position at Fuller. Since, then, 2 thoughts have constantly been on my mind-1) if we stay in Wichita, and 2) if we move...

I fully supported Kevin in this decision. I was totally on board. I was so excited to move and start a new life in California. I knew the girls would grow to love living close to the beach. McKenna was born to be a surfer girl :)

Now, I feel so guilty about the relationships and new friendships Avery and McKenna made from August until we moved in November. They both just started school and were getting into a schedule and meeting new friends. Then we moved.

Now, we're in Pasadena, with the hope of moving to Valencia(about 30 minutes away). I'm homeschooling Avery. While I know it was the best decision, I have very mixed feelings about it, a whole other post, perhaps. And, the original plan was to find a preschool for McKenna, but when we decided to look at homes in Valencia, we decided not to put her in preschool, not knowing when we'd find a home and have to pull her out.

So, the girls are slowly starting to make friends again. But, they don't understand that when we finally find a house and move, we probably won't see these friends anymore. I don't want to find a doctor here, because I'll have to find a new one when we buy a house and move. I don't want to make friends, just someone else I'll have to say goodbye to when we move, again. Transition sucks. I feel like my life is on hold, yet has to go on. I hate this feeling. It's hard to be depressed when you have to take care of and school 3 kids under 6. But all I want to do is cry and stay in bed.

And, if this move and adjustment wasn't enough to deal with, I'm also adjusting to a VERY unexpected pregnancy. I'm 15 weeks along, and I think the reality has finally hit me this week. My jeans don't fit anymore. They fit last week just fine. I'm hungry most of the day, but nothing really sounds good. Sushi (actually California rolls, ironically) sounds good, but I can't afford to eat it every day, nor should I. I'm already starting to have some ligament pain. Ugh. I just didn't see this obstacle/blessing coming at this point in time. I'm surprised by what God thinks I can handle...

Everyone we meet says how much they love Pasadena. Really? I must have not seen the best this city has to offer, yet. I don't see much good about this place. The view is beautiful, the weather is nice. However, this town isn't very kid-friendly, everything is more expensive here (except avacados) and we're living in an apartment that no amount of comet or 409 can clean. I don't get it.

But, life goes on. Meals need to be made. Diapers need to be changed. Fun needs to be had. And KU basketball must be watched. So, I will try to enjoy life in the midst of this transition. I will try to make memories with my family. I will try to be a better wife and mom. I. Will. Try...

Fruit Salad...

2009-12-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

This is the best fruit salad. My grandma Staggs used to make this and I loved it as a kid. Now, my girls love it when their grandma Keating makes it.

8 bananas, mashed

1 lg can or frozen OJ, thawed

1 lg can crushed pineapple (drained)

3/4 cup sugar

1 jar maraschino cherries, halved and drained well on paper towels

Mix all together and place in a freezer friendly container and freeze. Can be made several days ahead. Remove from freezer to soften to serve.

I resolve...

2009-12-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

I spent some time going over my resolutions for 2009. I think I kept up with most all of them, except the tv one. Kevin is to blame for that, he bought a bigger tv.

Highlights of 2009

Avery said a highlight was when Marla and Phil got a trampoline for Reese and they got to jump on it.
We started a basement remodel, which came to an abrupt halt when the Fuller job became a possibility
We paid off all debt, except our student loans and mortgage. We'll be paying those stupid loans 'til Avery's in college. Ugh-
Avery started 1st grade
McKenna started Preschool
Watching Presley grow and learn
Kevin is now Dr. Osborn!
Got to spend lots of time with family and friends

Goals for 2010

both Avery and Kenna said they want a home. While it's not really a resolution, we all want one really bad!
Rework our budget to accommodate this new life
Start 2 new savings acct for-new (to us) vehicle, travel back to Ks
Figure out a workable schedule/routine for our family that will soon be 6-this would include chores, boundaries, consequences, rewards, time management, etc...
Get more organized system for couponing, and use it-a lot.
Get more organized. Period.
Be intentional about family night. Plan to have a scheduled family night once a week.
Find a babysitter, so Kevin and I can maintain our date night schedule we established in 2009.
Figure out plan to work-out. I miss the Y, and U-verse. Bad.
Do family devotions every night. The girls got a new devo for Christmas, so we'll plan to use it.
Stay on tract with my personal bible reading/devotion time
Be a better mom and wife. I haven't been so good lately...

I am praying desperately that we'll find a house we love (and can afford) and that we'll grow to love life in California. This transition has been rough and I don't know when we'll find a place to truly call home. I hope I can be a better model for the girls, and a better support for my husband. That I'll look on the bright side more often, than not. That I'll cry less. That 2010 will be the best year for Osborn abode!

Happy new year to you! What's your resolution?

Christmas Breakfast

2009-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Our traditional breakfast on Christmas morning is always a breakfast casserole of some sort and bubble loaf. The casserole usually changes, depending on what everyone is in the mood for, but the bubble loaf is a given. This year, I used this recipe for the breakfast casserole, and it was so good. I'm definitely going to make it again, soon. Instead of the cubes of bread, I used a bag of seasoned croutons (I always use croutons in any breakfast casserole, it's usually cheaper and always easier). I also used wet mustard, instead of dried.

And here's the bubble loaf recipe.

1/2 package, Rhodes frozen rolls

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pkg butterscotch pudding, not instant-must get the cook and serve

6 T melted butter

1 t cinnamon

1/2 c. brown sugar

Spray bundt pan with pam. Place pecans in pan. Place frozen rolls over the pecans. Sprinkle the pudding (dry) over the rolls. Mix melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar together. Pour on top of rolls and pudding. Let stand overnight or 8 hours. Bake 30 m. at 350 degrees. I usually place the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any spills. I also cover with foil the first 20 m. Remember, if you cover with foil to spray the foil with pam so it doesn't stick.

This is a very easy sweet roll recipe. I make it several times a year. Enjoy!

Food cravings and recipes

2009-12-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Avery, Kevin and I were vegetarians, and all I wanted to eat was a hamburger. That's it-no pickles, no ice cream, just a hamburger. I slowly introduced meat back into my diet during that pregnancy. McKenna's pregnancy, well, I really can't remember, I think I just ate everything in site. Presley-I could have eaten McDonalds every single day of the whole pregnancy and been satisfied. I was always craving a cheeseburger from there. Every. Day.

Now, what am I hungry for, you ask? Sushi. That's right. California Rolls with soy sauce, ginger (which Dillons had and Ralphs doesn't btw) and wasabi. We had some last week, and since then, that's all I've wanted to eat. I got some yesterday, had to share with Kevin. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself. And today, I wanted more! Crazy...Although, I'm also growing very fond of CPK pizza-pepperoni and hamburger, nothing fancy. Kevin has so far ordered BBQ chicken, Carribean jerk Chicken and Chipotle chicken, which I have yet to try. They just don't sound good.

So, while I'm on the subject of food, I thought I'd share the beef tenderloin I made on Christmas. Beef tenderloin is my absolute favorite and this was the first time I've made it. I used my mom's recipe, which I think is Aunt Marlene's recipe.

1 beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat

2 packets of Dry Good Seasons Italian dressing

1 cup ketchup

2 tsp mustard (wet)

1 tsp Worcestershire

1 1/2 cups water

Place tenderloin in a large zip lock bag. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over tenderloin. Seal bag and marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Remove from marinade and pat somewhat dry. Place on foil lined roasting pan or 9x13 pan and bake at 425 (uncovered) for about an hour. May need to cook longer depending on size of the tenderloin.

Let set 20 minutes before slicing.

We always serve horseradish sauce with the tenderloin-

Mayo

Sourcream

Prepared horseradish-you should find this in the refrigerated section-in Ict, it's by the refrigerated pasta and sauces, in Ca, it's by the hotdogs.

Salt and Pepper

Mix about equal portions, start out with 1/2 cup each of the may and sour cream. Add about 2 TBSP horseradish and salt and pepper. This is really just an eyeball and taste method.

I'll post the frozen fruit salad recipe soon.

Merry Miscellaneous

2009-12-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday went much better than I expected. With the help of Skype, we were able to see both sets of families and talk multiple times with them. The girls had a great Christmas! Not one fight or disappointment. With the exception of 2 blown breakers, the first at 6:30am, the day was awesome. We had to forgo heat to enjoy our Christmas tree lights. The food was great, I must say, and it was a really good Christmas for us. We really have no plans for the next week, other than find some new/cheap places to enjoy around here.

At lunch yesterday, I asked the girls what their favorite gift was. Avery said all of her clothes (she got a lot) and McKenna quickly said the m and m's she got in her stocking. From the looks of it, Presley's favorite is her new Tinkerbell chair that's just for her. My favorite gift was getting to experience Christmas with my love and my girls. And, considering all of the compliments he made, I'm guessing Kevin's favorite was the food that was consumed yesterday. And the fact that he got to spend the whole day in his sweats!
We shared some big news with everyone. This will be our last Christmas with just the 5 of us. Baby #4 will be coming in June, much to everyone's surprise, including ours!
We watched lots of movies-Elf, Grinch, Home Alone (McKenna's new favorite), Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, and SNL's Christmas special (after the girls were in bed, of course)
I thought I'd be celebrating this Christmas with my new CA driver's license, but no such luck. Can I tell you how much I hate the DMV and got a taste of how things run when the government is in charge. It sucks. We needed to have either birth certificates or passports to verify id-social security cards and current driver's license were not accepted. I also needed my marriage certificate. Kevin couldn't find his birth cert. so he took his expired passport and they accepted it, no problems. I took my original birth cert. and a certified copy of our marriage license and was denied. They want a seal on the marriage cert. No where online did it state that. I've been married for 12 years and had 3 kids with me. I was furious, to say the very least. I studied so hard for that stupid test and was ready for it to just be done. I hated being at that place. It was crowded, dirty, and gross. And, I plan to write a heated letter to Arnold about my experience there. So far, California is NOTHING like his commercials describe.
So, I have yet another appt. with the DMV on Jan. 12. My new sealed marriage cert. should be here by then and I'll take the stupid test and declare it will be the last time I set foot in that horrid place.
I am so ready for a permanent place to call home. I'm ready for Central heat. A garbage disposal and dishwasher. An extra toilet. A fridge that holds more than 2 days worth of food. A bug/spider free place. Carpet where your feet won't turn black if you decide to go barefoot. 3 prong outlets. A laundry room. The simple things you take for granted until you don't have them. Maybe next Christmas...
This apartment looks like a bomb exploded. Today, we are cleaning and finding room for all the stuff we got. We may need another storage unit :)
The things I was thinking about last Christmas are so different from what's on my heart today. If you would have told me last year what we'd be doing this year, there's no way I'd believe it. NO WAY-

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! May this season be one of family, joy, laughter, and making great memories for you and your loved ones.

The Plan...

2009-12-24T12:13:00.001-08:00

So, we're celebrating Christmas in California. Usually, our family has a variety of snacks on Christmas Eve. Usually we have those snacks with family. Well, it's just the 5 of us, so here's what's on the table tonight-

cheese/crackers/ summer sausage-I usually just do cheddar and pepper jack, but I added Dubliner and Chavrie to the spread this year
'lil smokies in sauce of grape jelly and ketchup-sounds gross but tastes good
dill dip in bread bowl-actually, they don't have dill dip here, the lady at Ralphs talked me into getting spinach dill dip from their deli, we'll see...
homemade chex mix
lots of different cookies
queso and chips, salsa
white chocolate pretzels-made trips to several stores to find stuff for this and the queso

We made Christmas tree cut-out brownies for Santa

Tomorrow morning, after stockings are opened, we'll have bubble loaf and breakfast casserole. We'll read the Christmas story and skype with family back in Ks. Sometime later in the day, we'll eat-

Beef tenderloin with homemade horseradish sauce-I'll be eating this in Heaven, too
twice baked potatoes
green beans
frozen fruit salad
Jesus cake-we make this every year for Jesus' birthday
pumpkin pie-because Kevin saw this on tv and really wanted one

We plan to eat, watch good Christmas movies, play with whatever Santa brings us and enjoy being a family of 5 this Christmas. If I'm motivated, I'll post recipes later.

Have a Merry Christmas!

House Hunting

2009-12-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

So, back in September, we looked at some houses out here and thought most of them weren't for us, but we were told we could find something. We knew house prices had fallen drastically and we were glad because there was no way this would work otherwise.

Fast forward to now. There is absolutely nothing in the Pasadena area even close to our price range. The problem with house prices falling is that no one is selling. A tiny common sense fact we didn't think about when we decided to move here.

So, our realtor suggested that we look into the Valencia/Stevenson Ranch area. It would mean a 30-45 minute commute for Kevin. Not exactly what we wanted, for those of you in the ict area, it would be comparable to driving from Newton to W. Wichita. Not a huge commute, but something to consider. Anyway, the schools in that area are much better than in Pasadena, and the family quality of life is better. We've made a few trips out there and really like it. It reminds us of Colorado Springs in the fact that it's flat but surrounded by mountains. The best thing is that it just feels open and nice. It's clean and you don't have to pay to park anywhere, like you do here. The houses are much more affordable there as well.

We looked at 6 houses on Friday, 2 of which we could see ourselves in. Those were already under contract, but the realtor knows what we like now. It's so hard to look at another person's home and try to mentally put your stuff in it and figure out where things would go. It's also interesting that the homes that have the grossest carpet are the ones where we are asked to take off our shoes at the door. Weird. Houses spaced closed together. No brick. No basements. Beautiful landscaping. Not much of a yard. I guess it will just take some time to get used to California architecture. Oh, but I hope we find one, soon. I can't wait to have a home again. Hoping the market will pick up again after the holidays and we'll find something we all like.

Excuse me, but where can I find...

2009-12-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

So, the Kroger affiliate out here is called Ralphs. Let me tell you, it is no Dillons. Not even close. I miss Dillons. These are the things I can't find here.

Velveeta-I make homemade queso with it and rotel.
Rotel-see above
Red hots-aka cinnamon imperials, we needed these for gingerbread cookies. I improvised with raisens. Won't do that again.
Almond bark-for white chocolate pretzels, a Christmas tradition for us
Bugles-to go in our homemade chex mix.
Summer sausage-to serve on Christmas eve with cheese and crackers.

The only thing good about Ralphs is that they have peppermint mocha coffee mate creamer. And that's it.

It's a Good Thing

2009-12-16T16:39:00.001-08:00

Well, we finally have internet in our apartment. We're still working on trying to get the wireless router to work, but Avery's school desktop is working so I feel like we belong to civilization. However, you don't realize how much you appreciate having a Mac until you have to spend time on a pc, a slow pc. Anyway, I hope our laptop is up and running soon.
It's a good thing I didn't have access to blog last week. It was the worst week ever, and I probably would have said/written a lot that I shouldn't have. Here's a quick recap of the last 12 days

the cable guy came Friday afternoon, only to find out our apt. building isn't wired for cable at all, so we have to go with a dish. DirectTV said they'll come on Sunday. We call ATandT about internet and after 45 minutes, they tell Kevin they'll come Dec. 14.
2 hours after the moving van left, Avery throws up. Everywhere.
Thinking naively it was just her that was sick, the rest of us ate a big supper of In and Out burgers, fries, etc....
a few hours later, it hits the rest of us. All of us were out. Saturday was the most horrible day. Both Kevin and I were very sick, we all just laid around, groaning and sharing 1 bathroom. Poor Presley and the girls pretty much had to fend for themselves. Not one box was unpacked that day.
Sunday-woke up sore and weak, but not sick anymore-must. unpack. boxes.
Realize after sleeping in our bed, that the movers didn't put it together correctly and it was sinking terribly in the middle. Kevin had to take the whole thing apart, bend the metal back and start over
ant problem in the girl's rm
toilet problems
major plumbing issue with kitchen sink faucet. Called after hours maintenance (for the second time) b/c the faucet just wouldn't turn off. Ugh
spider problems in bathroom-McKenna won't go in there by herself anymore...
Our back door window is covered with tape and packing paper b/c the shade won't stay down.
more ant problems-not in the kitchen-they must like the bathroom and girls room.
Walls are paper thin here. We are a loud family. Not good in an apartment. I feel so sorry for our neighbors.
Our one and only toilet takes 5 to 6 minutes to refill with water after a flush. Seriously, I timed it.
No heat in here except our 3 space heaters-Surprisingly, it gets cold here in SoCal, especially at night.
several breakers blown. Breaker box is located in room down the way. Our key didn't work the first night we blew one. Another call to maintenence after hours.
Found out we can either watch tv, or have the Christmas lights on. Also, if you want to use the microwave, you must turn off the space heaters.
I've already spent $50 doing laundry at the laundry mat.

My girls amaze me. They are doing so well! I can't believe how well they are doing. I'm supposed to be the model, the strong one. Well, I'm not. This has been the hardest thing I've ever done, without a doubt. I'm not very good at faking it.

The weather has been better the last few days, so we've been able to get out more. A much needed break from our apt.

Here's hoping this week is better than last...

We're here!

2009-12-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

We got to Pasadena around 9:30 on Wednesday night. After 13 hours on the road, we were exhausted, to say the least.

We got up and took it easy this morning, enjoyed Panera for breakfast. The view of the mountains as a backdrop for Pasadena is stunning. I don't know how anyone can get used to the beauty around here.
We looked at our apartment. Let's just say, it's big, and that's about it. We'll be contacting a realtor on Monday.
There's a toddler play area right next to our apartment and the girls loved playing there while Kevin and I looked around.
Buddy, our Elf on the Shelf (he's been with us for 4 years now!) was waiting in our apartment! Avery about lost her breath when she saw him. The girls were so excited to see he came to Pasadena.
After seeing Kevin's office and meeting some of his co-workers and employees, we went across the street and ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. We call it CPK now. They have a kids drink called a kiwi twist, it was so good-sprite with kiwi flavoring.
Back to the hotel for naps, then Kevin took Avery and McKenna to their playground to play. I spent time online getting Avery set up for school, California Virtual Academy, similar to what she did in Kindergarten. We hope to get her curriculum/supplies next week sometime.
Supper was at the Cheesecake Factory. I was explaining to the girls that this was a fancy restaurant and we would only get to go there on special occasions and that we wouldn't get to come eat there very often so we needed to enjoy this experience. Then McKenna exclaimed, "Oh, like Chuck E Cheese!" Um...no, Kenna. Not like that.
Pottery Barn is across the street. We stop in and buy 2 of the cheapest ornaments they have.
Then, we went to the Kroger affiliate, Ralphs. Let's just say I'm going to miss Dillons. A lot.
Went to the apartment to put groceries away. Kevin flushes the toilet for the first time and water goes everywhere. Wondering who to call about that....
Back to the hotel, our last night (out of 11) living out of a suitcase. We all shared some cheesecake-one chocolate chip cookie dough and one white chocolate peppermint. Yummy!
No pix for today, maybe later.

Please pray for us on Friday, that the moving truck will be able to actually get into our parking lot to unload, that all of the logistics will fall into place. That the girls will continue to adjust and maybe meet some friends this weekend. That our one and only toilet will get fixed. fast. That we'll learn to talk quieter and adapt to apartment living.

Day 4...Finally!

2009-12-03T22:11:00.000-08:00

I'll keep this one brief, with lots of pictures. 13 hours on the road Wednesday. Breathtaking views of the South Rim, a few meltdowns, a drive thru the desert, and we're in Pasadena! Prizes today were silly putty (big mistake on my part), magnet dress up dolls, candy necklaces, and glow sticks when it got dark (which it did around 4:30). The important thing is we're here, and that's a good thing. Our van did great. I'm so glad we didn't cave and get a suburban last week. I know we'd be regretting it now...or would we? :)

Day 3...Flagstaff, AZ

2009-12-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

We made it over half-way, that's a sobering thought. We won't be making this drive anytime soon. It's been fun, and we've made great memories. But, let's just say, McKenna is a horrible traveler. And, that's probably an understatement. She came close to getting a spanking today. She lost one of her travel prizes. She woke Presley up by screaming. She was quarantined to the back seat. She's just not much fun to be around when we're all in the van. Once we got to the hotel, however, she was her sweet, spunky self.

We traveled to Flagstaff today, not too long of a drive, just 5 hours. Tomorrow will be a long one. We got to our hotel, changed into swimsuits and went swimming. The water was warmer this time, so we enjoyed it more. Then we met up with a dear friend, Zoe, for supper. Kevin worked for Zoe at Asbury for a couple of years when we lived in Ky. We had a great time, great food and great conversation. Went back to the hotel for some ice cream and happy feet on Disney. Tomorrow-the Grand Canyon, I can't wait!!!! then on to Pasadena!

All things considered, the girls have done remarkably well. It's been a long 3 days on the road, 9 days of living out of suitcases, we're ready for a place to call home. Only 2 more days to go...

First stop of the morning. It was right next to our hotel, God's little way of showing His love for us. There's another one close to our hotel in Flagstaff

Here are a couple of pix of the continental divide. I was the only model, I guess. Avery was in a mood (it was the only one of the day, but a mood, none the less) and McKenna took a rare 10 minute nap during this time. We didn't get Presley out for fear we might not get her back in her carseat. So, it's just me.

Most of our scenery today looked very similar to the movie Cars. It was crazy how much the view reminded us of that. The pictures we took don't capture the beauty we saw. Here we are, almost to Flagstaff.

Kevin and the girls sharing some ice cream tonight in our room.

Here is Presley, not quite ready for bed. She's been so good for us. She just HATES having to get into that carseat!

Day 2...Albuquerque

2009-11-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

We got up bright and early and left Liberal around 8am. Made it to Tocomcari for lunch at Kix on 66, a hole in the wall diner on the old Route 66. It was fun and the food was good. This time, Presley arched her back and screamed like crazy when we put her back in her carseat. We made one pit stop at a rest area. New Mexico is not known for their rest area, just fyi. Then, landed in Albuquerque just before 3, mountain time. We got into our room, quickly changed to our swimsuits and went down to the pool. The coldest indoor pool in the entire world. It was so cold. We didn't stay long. Came back to the room, showered, then went and found a mexican restaurant, thanks to the yelp app, and the guy at the hotel front counter. After supper, we came back to the room, ready for bed. But it was only 6 :30. Ugh! Thank goodness, we found the Grinch on Tv, so the girls watched that while we reorganized for tomorrow's adventure. Good travel prizes today were slumber masks (so they'd sleep in the van, they didn't), lip gloss, more books, and Peppermint bodywash and lotion for bathtime in the hotel.

at the mexican restaurant.

the girls at a rest stop. Presley was so happy to be out of the van!

The view from our hotel room-

saying Goodnight~!

Day 1...Liberal Ks

2009-11-30T19:07:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning, we headed west to Pasadena. After weeks of saying our good-byes and many, many tears shed, it was time to go. We packed up the van. And, when I say packed, I mean packed. It was so full that over the weekend, Kevin and I looked into getting a suburban. Seriously. We chickened out, though, since we couldn't find anything we really wanted-'05, leather, bucket seats, under 50,ooo miles, etc. we're not picky. Anyway, packed up the van, tightly and headed west. Stopped in Pratt for lunch. McDonalds, hopefully the only time we have to eat at a McDonalds this trip. Made a pit stop in Minneola, then landed in Liberal in the afternoon. Around Greensburg, McKenna asked if we were close to California, yet. This was also around the time Kevin said that if we flew to Pasadena, it would only take us the time spent driving from Wichita to Liberal. Not what I wanted to hear at that point. Spent the rest of the day visiting family. We stayed with my aunt, Marlene, and chatted with Jeff and Julie all afternoon. Got to celebrate cousin Cameron's 17 birthday as well. I spent a small fortune in the dollar section at Target buying prizes for the kids for good behavior on the trip. Today's prizes were gum, books, and candy.

Here is Presley with her first prize of the trip, a book. Poor girl, no candy, just books.Kevin, trying to stay awake. I kept telling the girls that he was allowed to have as much candy as he wanted since he was driving.McKenna and Avery got bubble gum for their 1st prize, here is McKenna trying to blow a bubble.It feels like we're driving into nowhere....

Moving Day pix

2009-11-30T19:05:00.001-08:00

In no particular order...

Thankful

2009-11-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

What I'm thankful for this year....

my family-I have the best parents in the world, the best sister in the world, and the best in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc...no family quarrels, no scandals, no drama, just fun and lots of laughs... and basketball.
my husband, my best friend, my soul mate. I love Kevin more today than ever. I wouldn't go to California with anyone else.
Avery, McKenna, and Presley-my 3 precious girls. I can't imagine life without them. Each one is so different and special and my life is better because they're in it.
My heavenly Father, who is in control of everything, especially when I feel like I'm not in control of anything.
Doctors who take care of us and give us amoxicillin
The family who took Abby and gave her a new home. I miss her so much and tears fill my eyes every time I think of her. I never knew I'd miss a silly dog so much. As dumb as this sounds this is the hardest thing about the our move, primarily because it was a permanent good-bye.
that Kevin has a job and that he can provide for our family
for crayons and markers and white paper that keep Avery and McKenna occupied for hours.
for books that Presley loves to read and the blankie that brings her comfort
for my i-phone. If you have one, you know what I mean...
for the fact that I was able to enjoy u-verse for the last few months. I'm already missing it.
we are a few steps closer to being debt free (darn you student loans!)
the warmer weather that awaits us in Pasadena!
that through all of the chaos going on in our lives right now, our family is thriving. We all get along, we still like each other, and we're excited for what God has in store for us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The adventure begins!

2009-11-25T07:28:00.001-08:00

From the beginning of this process, Kevin and I have told the girls that this will be an adventure. We've told them that they'll need to have patience, that they'll need to be flexible and they'll need to have fun.

The movers came Monday and packed up all of our worldly possessions, and, yes, we found out we are very worldly. We have so much stuff and we threw away over 20 bags of trash in the last week alone. We forgot to set out a stroller to have for the next 2 weeks, it was put on the truck before we had time to get it. I guess we'll either buy a cheap one, or make Presley walk. We also forgot to set aside coats for us to have this week. Ugh...those got packed, too. Oh well, the weather in Ks looks good so far. We'll survive. I was painfully aware of 2 things on Monday-1)I'm not as organized as I thought I was or I'd like to be and 2) I haven' t done the best job of cleaning lately.

In the midst of moving, I went to the dr. for the 5th time in the last 10 days. I took McKenna first, last week, and they said she had a mild case of the chicken pox. Then, Avery had strep throat. Avery went back a couple days later because she was still sick and got a stronger antibiotic. On Saturday, I spent 2 hrs at minor emergency with a sick Presley. She had an ear infection. At one point, there were 5 bottles of pink medicine in our fridge. This time, I was going for me. I woke up with a horrible chest cough on Sunday and the dr. said I had bronchitis. I have a Z-pak and some cough syrup with codeine that makes me feel very loopy. I feel like I've been in a different world. I hate this feeling. Hoping to feel better soon, and praying the Kevin stays healthy.

Because I was so out of it, my best sister in the world, Marla came and finished cleaning our house Monday night. I can't thank her enough.

So, we're homeless now. We closed on the house on Tuesday. Nothing special, just signing a lot of papers. I didn't realize that selling your house would cost so much money! I really wish we could have sold by owner. sigh....Anyway, it's done.

We're up in Abilene for a few days. Then back to Wichita for a few days. Then, the road trip starts!

Last Day on Harvest Court

2009-11-22T03:49:00.000-08:00

It's early Sunday morning and I can't sleep, surprise, surprise. This is our last day in our house in Wichita. When we moved here, I said I would die in this house. I knew I was teasing, we've almost outgrown this house in the 2 1/2 years we've been here, but I thought we'd live here a lot longer than we have. I love this house. I prayed for this house. I've painted (along with Kevin and the good people at River City paints) this house. I had big plans for this house. We just remodeled our master bedroom over Christmas break last year, and we had started to remodel the basement this summer and stopped when we knew that moving to CA was a possibility. Kevin told me we'd redo the master bath when he finished his dissertation. I'm going to miss this house. We found out we we're going to have Presley at this house. We've shared many meals with friends and family here, and it's hard to believe this home won't be ours anymore.

I hope the new owners enjoy this home as much as we have.

We have so much to do today...and most of it won't get done, until we can ship the 3 girls off to Kevin's folks as soon as they get home from Tx. We just can't get much done when the girls are here. I can't imagine what it will be like when we get to CA and there are no grandparents to help us out. I don't want to think about that right now.

As you think about it, please pray for the health our family, in the midst of all the chaos. All 3 girls have been sick in the last 10 days, there are 5 bottles of amoxicillin in our fridge right now. It's a lot to deal with in an already stressful time. Thanks.

I know this move is what God is calling us to do. I also know it's the hardest thing God has called us to do. I know His plan is good, and I'm clinging to that promise today.

Next time

2009-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

If there is a next time we move across the country, 2 things will be different-

Kevin will not finish his job on a Friday and start a new job the following Monday. He will take a week off in between, minimum.
A moving company will pack our house up. I'm not doing this again.

And that's all I have to say about that...

New Title, same stuff

2009-11-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

So, I changed my blog title. Turns out I don't have as many thoughts as I thought I had. And most of my thoughts aren't worth sharing or will get me in trouble.

This blog is about our family, so I chose Osborn Abode. I hope to document our life as we transition from Wichita, Ks to Pasadena, Ca. I plan to share family moments, recipes and experiences of our precious girls, Avery, McKenna and Presley. My secret desire is that this blog will make up for years of not scrapbooking :)

So, stay with me, and enjoy the ride. It's bumpy, but I'm told it will be worth it!

This is hard

2009-11-15T05:29:00.000-08:00

The reality of this move has hit me. I've cried so hard and so much that my tear ducts should be dry. Seriously, I can't believe I can still produce tears.

Our dog, Abby, went to a new home yesterday. A childhood friend of Kevin's had a neighbor who took her. This is a family with 4 kids and another beagle, Missy. They came up from Oklahoma last night. Abby took to the kids well and couldn't wait to go with them. I thought I had cried enough earlier in the day and thought I'd be fine, but I lost it when Abby got into their van. I couldn't even compose myself. I was so embarrassed and yet overcome with sadness. I just kept thinking, I can't believe she's leaving, I can't believe we're doing this.

Abby has been our family dog since she was 8 weeks old, back in 2001. My heart is so broken right now. I made it through last night ok. Maybe ok is an overstatement. I took Avery and McKenna to the opera at Friends, so we were out of the house. I managed to sleep until 4 am, then woke up and just couldn't stop crying. Wondering if she's ok, if she's sleeping, if she knows what's going on. I am just overwhelmed with grief and sadness. I cry. All the time. My poor girls have to put up with a mom who cries, when I should be the one drying their tears.

This week will probably go fast, and theres a lot that needs to be done. Packing, packing, packing, wrapping up things with Avery and McKenna's schools. Finishing my classes at Friends, saying our good-byes, etc...and somewhere in the mix, I'm trying to figure out how the girls and I can get H1N1 vaccines.

I'm hoping today goes better than yesterday. I'm hoping the pain in my heart and stomach subsides. I'm hoping to get through the day without totally falling apart.

Family Pix

2009-11-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

We were finally able to get our pictures taken as a family last week. We don't have all of the proofs yet, but the photographer put a few on her personal blog. Go here to see them.

Dr. Daddy!

2009-11-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

So, you probably know by now, Kevin successfully defended his dissertation this week and he is officially Dr. Osborn. McKenna keeps calling him "Doctor Daddy." She also asked me one day if he was going to work in the building with the other doctors (the one we go to when we're sick). I always joke with people and say, "he's not the kind of doctor that makes money, but he will be the kind of doctor that will change the world." I can't even put into words how proud I am of him. I married way up, and I know it. I'm so grateful to be his wife, the mother of his children, the love of his life. I have no idea what God has in store for us, but I know it will be good.

It's been another busy week around here, and, I assume the busyness won't stop for quite some time. We spent most of the day yesterday packing, or, rather, trying to figure out how to start packing. I remember being in 5th grade and my family was moving from Ks to Ky for my dad to go to seminary. I thought it was so strange that my mom was starting to pack weeks before the move. I also remember that everything just seemed to happen, without my doing much work (and without my consent). Now, I'm keenly aware that things WON'T get done around here unless I do it (with Kevin's help, of course). I guess it's the harsh reality of being an adult. sigh... Today, we're going to tackle the garage, and have lunch with good friends. This is Kevin's last week at Friends U. A week from today, he'll head to Ca to start at Fuller. Then, he'll come back, help me finish with the house, we'll close, celebrate Thanksgiving with family, then head west. Seems like a dream. Not a nightmare, just a dream. A dream that includes a lot of work.

Thank you for your prayers for Kevin and our family. We know God is in each step of every process and path we're on. There are a lot of unknowns for us right now, but we know a known God and are clinging to His word and truth.

Big Day and no pix

2009-11-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is a big day for the Osborns. Kevin and I are heading up to Lawrence for his defense. It starts at noon (CST) and will probably go until 2. Please pray for him-for favor with his committee, for clarity of thought as he answers questions, for everything. We are confident that it will be great, but anxious, none the less.

No Halloween pix for the blog. If you know blogger, you know posting pix isn't the easiest thing to do. I put them on facebook, so if you want to see them, go there. The girls had a great time last night. Avery was princess Belle, McKenna was Pebbles Flintstone, and Presley was a lady bug. They got way too much candy, but they were so good.

Thanks for the prayers!

My Family by Avery Osborn

2009-10-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Avery is always doing a craft project or some type of art or story. Recently, she's been writing books. Here is the latest...

My Family by Avery Osborn 2009

My Family look's like this. Look down. My Dad and my mom my sister's and me. We also have a dog her Name is Abby

My Dad like's to work. My Mom like's to work out.

my sister Mckenna like's to play. my sister Presley like's to play to.

and I like to go to Grandma and Grandpa's hose. I am mooving to a Noo home. and it is ok but I do not wont to moov.

It is Fall 2009 the tree's are changing color's. Fall

Fall yes Fall yes yes

My family it is Fall the end

Pumpkins

2009-10-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

The girls were still fighting the virus that hit us last week, but we carved pumpkins anyway.

Before we started, Avery read the Pumpking Patch Parable.

Presley doesn't quite know what to do.

Avery and her pumpkin

McKenna and her pumpkin

Cabin fever and SOLD!

2009-10-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

I'm so ready for this week to be over.

Avery is finally feeling better. Still complaining about a sore throat and tummy ache, but no fever and the coughing has almost stopped. McKenna is starting day 6 of this virus. She got tested for the flu yesterday but it came back negative. So, we don't know what it is that's taken these girls down. Presley had a fever off and on yesterday, but this morning was really sick. She kept saying "uh oh" and just whimpering. I just put her down for a nap. McKenna is asleep on the couch downstairs and Avery is in our bed watching tv. I want to escape. I have cabin fever. The only time I've been out this week was to take the girls to the dr. I need some fresh air. I want to eat at a restaurant, where someone else cleans up the mess. I want to go to the Y and work out.

On the up side-we have a contract on the house! We plan to close on Nov. 24. We'll have to stay with family thru the Thanksgiving week, then we'll head west. We tried to sell "by owner" but we weren't having much luck and didn't have time to just sit and wait. I hate the roller coaster of emotions that come with having a house on the market. The constant cleaning and de-cluttering, hoping the phone will ring, wondering what people are thinking as they look through your home, wishing you could do more. On Tuesday night, the realtor put in online, and by Wednesday, we had an offer we couldn't refuse. I'm glad it sold, but my stomach hurts thinking about the money we're spending on having a realtor. Seriously, my stomach really hurts just thinking about it. Sigh...

So, we have a lot to do. Pack, pack, pack. Organize. We need to figure out if we can get rid of stuff here, or if we need to find a storage unit in Pasadena. We're moving from a 2400 sf. home to a 1300 sf. apartment. Fuller graciously offered an apartment for us to live in, for up to a year, so we could get out here and take our time looking for the perfect (and affordable) house. I know I shouldn't feel like this, but, I feel like I have a huge weight on my shoulders and I just don't know how all of the pieces are going to fit into place. Schooling for Avery, transition for all 3 girls, Kevin's defense, money for this move, closure for my students at Friends, finding a home for our dog who's been in our family for 8 years, Christmas, a family wedding in January. It's overwhelming right now. And, yet, I'm thankful, and hopeful. Or, at least I'm trying to be.

Appreciating your Pastor

2009-10-20T04:07:00.000-07:00

For Pastor appreciation month (yes, they have a month for that, although it's perfectly acceptable to appreciate your Pastor every month) I thought I would list a few things I love about a Pastor I've known my whole life, my dad.

He loves Jesus with his whole heart
He loves John Wesley, and will go to great lengths to defend United Methodism
He loves his family and is passionate about making memories with them
He loves to fish
He loves Colorado and western Kansas
He loves the farm
He (used to) love flying
He is a perfectionist, he strives for excellence in everything
He loves his wife and is devoted to her
He is the best marry-er and bury-er I know-the weddings and funerals he officiates are always so good, very personal and life affirming
He loves KU AND K-State, not many people can say that...
He loves the church, even the people who claim to love Jesus but continue to complain, bicker, and gripe. But, don't think he's made of steel. He gets his feelings hurt, just like the rest of us and can only take so much.
He's very good at seeing the "big picture"
He loves his Mac and i-phone, just sayin'...
He is loyal and takes his job very seriously

He is human. He lives out his faith every day. I never wanted to be a preacher's kid, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I'm proud to be Mike's daughter. Happy Pastor Appreciation Month!

Your turn...What do you appreciate about your pastor?

Menu Plan Monday, Realtors, and a nasty virus

2009-10-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

A virus has attacked our family and is taking us down one by one. Avery got sick early Friday, and McKenna got sick Saturday afternoon. We hoped and prayed that Presley would be spared, but she now has a fever. We crazy thing is, the girls feel good in the mornings and then the fever comes back with a vengeance in the late afternoons. It's weird. They seemed so fine the majority of today, they were driving us crazy! Then, all of a sudden, they stopped bouncing off the walls and the fever returned. After $60 in co-pays and money spent on OTC medicine, I'm ready for it to go away. I finally got an Rx today for some cough syrup with codeine. That seems to help some. I should buy stock in Lysol. We've used a ton this weekend. Kevin was up most of the night with McKenna so he stayed home today. I'm so glad he did.

Today, I had to cancel a family photo shoot. I don't know if I'll be able to reschedule. I'd been looking forward to getting our family pix taken for, like, a year now. I'm so disappointed.

I called a realtor today. After 2 weeks of For Sale By Owner with not much activity, we're turning it over, hoping for some action.

Now for the menu-I'm starting to clean out the pantry and freezer, in anticipation for the big move. I also noticed that pomegranates are at Dillons now. $2 each. Ugh-but I bought 4 anyway. McKenna and I love pomegranates! Presley tried them and loves them, too. They're so good right now.

Breakfasts-cereal, banana bread, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, yogurt, oatmeal, scrambled eggs

Lunch-leftovers, sandwiches, soup, pizza, etc....(although, today, on my 4th trip to Dillons in as many days, I got sushi for Kevin and me, yummmmm)

Dinner-

BBQ chicken pizza, apple slices

Chili, pomegranates

Chicken enchiladas, corn, black beans, apple slices

Waffles, sausage, fruit

Homemade Gourmet Gumbo, rice, cornbread

Tilapia, mashed potatoes, grean beans, orange slices

Leftovers, Chipotle, or, dare I say, Date night?

I heart my i-phone

2009-10-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

I never dreamed I could love a piece of technology so much! Kevin and I finally took the plunge and traded our one mobile phone (I know, can you believe it? We shared a phone for the last 3 years!) for 2 i-phones.

We can text now. Yes, I know, welcome to 2004, right? Actually, Avery got a hold of my phone this weekend and quickly taught herself how to text. She's sent several to Grandma, her daddy and aunt Marla. I'm still trying to work out the kinks. I can't figure out ringtones. I'm hoping Kevin loves me enough to do it for me, instead of trying to teach me how. I don't have enough patience, I guess.

So far, I've downloaded several apps for the girls

Doodle Kids
Baby flash cards
Tic tac toe
Monkey Preschool
Whiteboard
Pocket Phonics
Matches...aka memory
Math Drills
Line Up
Christmas Countdown
Flingfree

I have some apps for just me

Facebook, of course
E online-I use this one, probably more than I like to admit
Grocery List
You version Bible-LOVE THIS
Chipotle (haven't used this yet, hoping to, soon)
Bump
Around Me
Yelp
Mixology
Mint finance
Pandora-use this ALOT at the Y
Zippo-Kevin put this on my phone
Alarm Clock
Psych bobble heads-I love Psych on USA, just fyi

Speaking of Psych, I wanted to put their theme song as my ringtone. I just found out that the spanish version is free. However, I can't figure out how to get it from i-tunes to my ringtone section. Again...if Kevin loves me...

I actually use the ones that came with the phone, too

weather-I can check on the weather in both Wichita and Pasadena. So far, Pasadena rocks!
Voice memos-Avery and McKenna love this-they record stuff all of the time. I love listening to it. Sometimes, I can even record Presley. I love it.
Stocks-believe or not, I've used this, especially when the DOW went about 10,000
Camera-again, the girls love this. I sent several pics to my mom this weekend of my sick kiddos.
Notes-I've used this for small grocery lists, quick reminders and random info.
Maps-I'm sure I'll use this someday.
YouTube-haven't had time to mess with this, yet.

So, what's your favorite app? So far, I think I've only paid for one. And that was just $.99. I could spend hours at the app store, just browsing. So, let me know what's your favorite, or what you think I'd like. Thanks!

Fall Break and Almond Tea

2009-10-16T07:40:00.001-07:00

So, it's Fall break at Friends U. and Wichita schools. I was so looking forward to having a Friday off. I know, I know, I only teach one day a week, but still. I had planned to help my sister with a garage sale, the girls were going to sell hot cider there. Then, Avery and McKenna were going to a friend's house to play this afternoon.

At 6am, I heard Avery in the bathroom, coughing like crazy. When I went to check on her, she said her head hurt. I took her temp, 102. Ugh. I felt so sorry for her. Then, I thought of the plans we had to change and/or cancel today and my heart ached. McKenna went on to my sister's to "help" with Reese and sell the cider (I spent $15 on supplies for that cider). I made a trip to Dillons before Kevin left for work to get medicine, kleenex and a couple redbox movies (Hotel for Dogs, and Disney Earth). Now, my job today is primarily to keep Avery comfortable and keep her 2 sisters away from her. I'm finding that Lysol is my new best friend. I take it everywhere. Hoping is won't ruin my i-phone, because I keep trying to disinfect it. It has become Avery's new favorite "toy."

I just finished making some Almond Tea. It's a favorite in our family, whether we're sick or not.

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup cold water

1 TBSP instant tea

1 small can frozen lemonade

4 cups water

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Add sugar to boiling water, on stove top. Dissolve all, heat through, serve hot. Enjoy-I doubled this today. It may turn out to be a long, sick weekend for the Osborn abode.

For Sale

2009-10-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to have the entire house clean and wanted to remember the occasion. There are so many things we had planned to do to this house, now all we can do is clean and de-clutter and hope it's good enough. Our home in pix...

The main floor

Pay no attention to the dog. Apparently, I didn't when I took the picture. I didn't realize she was even there until I saw it on the computer.

The basement

the back yard

The Perfect Night

2009-10-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

This was the night I've been looking forward to for weeks. Some dear friends, Bill and Nancy Graham, invited several Singing Quaker families to their farm for an old fashioned camp fire and fun. It was cold, much colder than it was supposed to be on October 9, but that didn't stop us from having fun.

McKenna with (Mark and Kim Hoy's) Lauren and (Rachel and Brian's) Ben.

Avery and her friend, (Brad and Sally's daughter) Grace.

The kids roasting hot dogs.

Sally and her Moriah, Me and my Presley.

We had the best time with friends that time and distance will never separate.

This week

2009-10-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Kevin made the big announcement here, so I don't have much to say. I'm really excited and really nervous and really anxious and really tired just thinking about what needs to happen in the next several weeks. I'm so proud of Kevin. The amazing people at Fuller have been after him for months. I didn't realize he was in such demand! He's had a few offers come up over the summer, but this one we took seriously. Actually, I told him to apply just so we'd get to go to California for the interview. Little did I think this would be in God's plans for our family. I feel like I'm in a dream. I keep saying everything will be fine in 6 months or so. Anywhoo, we have to sell this house we've made into our home. Please pray that it will sell quickly! I can't keep it clean for more than 5 minutes at a time :)

On Monday, we found out that the parents of the worship leader at my dad's church were killed in a horrific car accident in Ok. Obviously, this news has been devastating for the church and for Monica. Please pray for Monica and her 2 brothers, as they grieve and heal in the weeks to come.

Yesterday, I took Avery and Presley to the dr. McKenna tagged along. After a 45 minute wait, we finally saw the dr. Presley has a sinus infection. Avery has been complaining of stomach pains and a sore throat for weeks now. As the dr. was trying to figure out the cause, she asked a simple question, "Does she worry alot?" That question turned into a 15 minute conversation that ended in a prescription for Prilosec, due to ulcers and/or acid build up. At 6 years old. Hard to believe, but I hope this works. I hate seeing her in pain and she's been complaining for so long now. I hate that she worries. This all started when she started school. I know the next few months are going to be hard for her. They'll be hard for all of us, but I pray God gives her peace and assurance in this transition.

Today, I'm cleaning. Hopefully we'll get some calls on the house this weekend.

Oh, and I'm posting this using my new computer. Macbook Pro, I think. Kevin ordered it on Monday. FedEx brought it to our house yesterday.

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow night. A bunch of our friends and their families are getting together for a bonfire at the Grahams (family friend from college days) It's going to be great and we are going to make some great memories. Hopefully I'll remember to bring the camera.

And so, the real fun begins...

She's One!

2009-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Presley Faith turns 1 today. I'm so happy and so sad at the same time. It's a weird feeling. I want her to progress and grow. I just don't want her to progress and grow.

She knows and can say several words-mama, da, shoes, bath, purse, uh-oh, dog, ball, nigh nigh, juice, bye bye and shhh.

She loves to wave at people and blow kisses. Her smile melts my heart. She's a smart girl and feisty, too.

She will hear me turn on the faucet in the bath tub and make a run (or really quick crawl) into the bathroom and try to climb in the tub.

She hates getting her diaper changed and will only lay still if I give her a book to read.

She loves books-right now her favorite is Peek a Who and Moo Bah la la la.

She loves her sisters dearly. Her face lights up when Avery gets home from school. She squeals with glee when McKenna sings to her.

She loves food-pretty much any kind of food. Except peas. She hates peas.

She loves her blankie-she takes it everywhere.

She's the best baby in the whole world. I don't know how I got the blessing of being her mom, but I'm forever grateful. I love her with my whole being and pray she grows to love Jesus and others the way He created her to.

Sorry, no pix to show. We have a fun day planned at Friends U. homecoming parade, block party and game. Hopefully I'll remember to bring my camera and actually take some pictures.

Crunch Caramel Apple Pie

2009-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is by far the best apple pie I've ever had or made. It's from the Better Homes and Gardens Annual cookbook for 1997. I usually serve this with cinnamon ice cream. Graters makes it, but we don't live in Ky anymore, so I have to make my own, now. Sigh. Anyway, get some regular vanilla ice cream and let it soften. Then, put it in a mixing bowl and mix in some cinnamon sugar mixture. I use my kitchen aid mixer for this. I also just eyeball it and taste it till it tastes good. Enjoy!

1 pastry for single pie crust (make your own or store bought-I make my own)

1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples
1 recipe crumb topping, see below

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

crumb topping
stir together 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, and 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter till the topping mixture resembles course crumbs.

1. Prepare pastry for single crust pie. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12" circle. Transfer pastry to a 9" pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim and crimp edge.

2. In a large mixing bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add apple slices and gently toss till coated. Transfer apple mixture to the pastry lined pie plate. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.

3. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake pie for 25 to 30 minutes more or till top is golden. Remove from oven. Sprinkle pie with pecans and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack.

Happy thoughts

2009-09-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've heard 2 comments so far this week that have filled my love tank, so to speak.

The first one came a few days ago, when I was talking to Avery about school. She said she missed home schooling and liked home school better than her school now. I was quite surprised by this. Lately, she's talked about how easy school is and how she's bored alot of the time. I'm thinking, man, it's just September, we have a long way to go...I miss home school, too.

The second one came just a few minutes ago. I was teaching vocal literature and, at the end of class, one of the students came up to me and said, "Wow, I didn't even know I had to take this class, but I'm so glad I did, because I love it!"

These 2 comments, or compliments have totally made my week. God knew I needed to hear them and I did, loud and clear! Thanks, God-

High/Low of school so far

2009-09-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

So, we're 3 weeks into the school year for Avery. Some days, I'm so glad she is going to McCollom. I love spending more alone time with McKenna, and doing activities that maybe Avery would frown at. I also miss her terribly some days.

High-Avery brought home a note today saying that she will be going to a different class during reading time every day. She's reading on a second grade level. I'm so proud of her! I knew she was smart, but it was nice that her new teacher knows now, too.

Low-The girls were so close last year and even this summer. I thought they would love being together these last few days over the long weekend. They ended up fighting most of their waking moments. I'm sad about that. I hope that's not the new norm.

High-Avery has made some new friends, which she needed desperately.

Low-As her mom, I feel like I'm doing more work now than I did last year, when I homeschooled her. Last year, we were usually done with school by 2 or so in the afternoon. Sometimes, we'd read a book again for Dad/Kevin, or play a game we played earlier in the day. But, for the most part, school was over. Now, Avery gets home around 4:30pm. Then, she has homework. Then, she has to read and record books in her reading log. Then, I have to sign her daily color chart. Then, we have to plan ahead and figure out if I need to fix her lunch in the morning and what clothes she will wear. The list goes on. I don't like that part about public school. At all. She is in school more of her waking hours than she is at home. I don't like that part either.

High-I can't think of another one.

Low-I've seen some attitude problems come up recently that I haven't seen before. Hopefully, this is a phase. It seems she also has a shorter temper than she used to.

So, that's where we are right now. McKenna started preschool last week and absolutely loves it. She goes 2 afternoons a week. She's such a social butterfly, she is going to have a great year! Her high is recess (of course) and her low is not being able to eat lunch there. Oh, to have the "problems" of a 4 year-old!

New season for BLT

2009-09-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our church has a great women's ministry. One of the big things they do is a weekly bible study on Tuesdays, both morning and evenings. It's called BLT, Bringing Ladies Together and/or Bible Led Teaching. I signed up for the morning session and I chose the study, The Search for Significance by McGee. My good friend, Klondy, is teaching it and I'm so excited! Our first session today went well. There are about 15 in our group, and I was blown away by the opening conversations. We had to introduce ourselves, tell everyone about what's going on in our lives, etc... My biggest issue right now revolves around my husbands dissertation, it doesn't even really concern me. The lady right next to me shared that in the last year, she got divorced and lost her job. She is currently on disability and is struggling. My heart broke as woman after woman shared what their going thru and dealing with. My biggest struggle today was knowing I was making something for supper that Avery wouldn't like and trying to decide if I should make her eat it or cave and let her have cereal instead. I know...shallow. Today totally put things in perspective for me. Thanks, God. I'm really looking forward to Tuesday mornings!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-08-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Still planning menus at the Osborn abode. Went over budget these last two weeks, and we didn't even eat out. Whatever, here's what will be on the table this week.

tonight-the best enchiladas ever! I always make 2 batches and freeze one. corn and black beans, queso and chips

Monday-tilapia, broccoli rice casserole, peaches

Tuesday-Homemade Gourmet chipotle chicken and noodles, corn, jello

Wednesday-celebrating Kevin's birthday (one day early), probably at Pei Wei, maybe at PF Chang, NOT at Carlos O Kellys

Thursday-frozen pizza, hopefully I'll have time to cook it first-2 meetings at 2 different schools, busy night. And Kevin's birthday!

Friday-Breakfast for supper-waffle night

Saturday-Friends U. party at Eberly Farms.

Crazy week...

2009-08-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

So, I have VERY limited time with the computer, since we don't own one. I get to use Kevin's work computer, when he's home...and not working on his dissertation. This week, I've gotten online every morning from 6:30-7am. I frantically scan my emails and head over to facebook. I must say, my house is much cleaner thanks to my limited computer use. Tonight, I"m on only because he's outside mowing.

Lots of ups and downs this week. Avery is doing well. McKenna is doing ok. Presley is fine. Kevin is 98% done with his dissertation. Lots of editing, then meeting with committee. I dream of what life will be like when he's not writing night after night. I know he wants to get done just as much as I want him to get done, so I try not to complain. The end is near.

I start teaching at Friends U. tomorrow. Just my 2 classes, voice class and vocal literature. I teach voice performance next week. I'm done with my syllabi, just need to look at it before tomorrow and figure out what I'm going to say. Guess I'll be working tonight, too.

Go to Kevin's blog for first day pix and the lowdown.

Getting ready...

2009-08-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Avery is trying to figure out what to wear on the first day of school. She has 3 shirts, 3 skirts and a dress to choose from. She modeled for me this morning. And showed off her new lunch box.

Not to be left out, McKenna wants to wear this on her first day of preschool, still 3 weeks away.

Last week...

2009-08-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

It's the last week before school starts. We're enjoying the last few days of sleeping late, going to bed late, and spending time together. I can't believe Avery will be in 1st grade. I'm starting to feel old.

I've bought everything on Avery's school list except hand sanitizer and sandwich baggies. She still needs some more clothes (uniform) and a new pair of tennis shoes. But, she has enough to get her through the first week, anyway.
I've never packed lunches before, except to go on a picnic. Avery is a VERY picky eater, so I'm looking for ideas to pack in her new lunch box.
Her first day of school will be much like last year. She's already requested pancakes for breakfast and nachos for supper, followed by a trip to the ice cream store.

I'm working on my syllabi for the classes I'm teaching this fall. Trying to get motivated. Not doing too well.

McKenna is very excited about starting preschool. She's NOT happy that Avery starts before she will. She doesn't go until after Labor day. I still need to get a few things on her list. And, she needs tennis shoes, too.

Presley is growing. Fast. She's signing "more"-usually when I give her a smoothie or her Dad gives her ice cream. This morning she signed "more" when she wanted to read a book. She understands the word "No" but doesn't always obey. Mostly, she hears it when she's close to the dog's water bowl, or in her sister's room, next to their princess night light. She loves bath time, she loves to play with her older sisters, and she loves to smile. She has one tooth, she waves at everyone, and just learned to blow kisses. She pulls up on everything and will be walking soon.

Our church does AWANAs during the school year. I didn't realize it would cost so much for my kids to go to church on Wednesday night. Still trying to decide if we should do it or not. Leaning toward not right now.

I posted on FB yesterday that I wanted to push a pause button for my life right now. I really do. However, I'd also like to push a fast foward button on Kevin's life, just a few weeks or couple of months. He's been working so hard on his dissertation, a word Avery and McKenna say way too much. He's taken a lot of vacation time this summer to write. I joke with him, saying he needs to get several copies of his dissertation bound, so we can give them to everyone for Christmas. I can't believe he's close to being done. It seems like forever since we/he first started this journey. I'm so proud of him. I can't wait to be the wife of Dr. Kevin Osborn!

Back to school giveaway!

2009-08-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have many memories of shopping for back to school supplies. Most involve going to the mall and getting new clothes. When we lived in Rolla, I remember going to Amarillo or Wichita for the weekend to shop. There's a great giveaway going on right now. Head on over to Common Sense With Money and sign up for a chance to win $100 VISA card! Good luck!

Little House

2009-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

In the spring, Avery studied about Laura Ingalls Wilder in History. We've watched several episodes of Little House on the Prairie, and even watched the Pilot episode. My friend, Sally, let us borrow the 1st season on dvd, so we've watched 9 episodes in the last 3 days. Man, life was hard back then. I don't think I'd make a very good pioneer wife. McKenna has asked to have her hair in braids for 2 days now. She also asked for ribbons and then noticed that Laura wasn't wearing ribbons in an episode and quickly took them out. Too cute! I was curious to read up on the history and the actors and found this on a website. This is a list of rules for teachers during this time period.Click on the document to enlarge. So... I wouldn't make a good teacher back then. Notice there are no rules dealing with actual teaching practice, philosophy, methods, etc. hmmm

Menu Plan Monday

2009-07-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still planning my menus for the week, just haven't posted in awhile. I had the best shopping at Dillons today. My total before coupons and Kroger card was $90.57, after coupons it was $41.28! I was sooooo excited! I got 4 tubes of toothpaste and 2 toothbrushes absolutely free after coupons. Then I went to Aldi and spent the most I've ever spent there, around $70. Whatever...Here's what we're eating this week-

Monday-spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday-Homemade Gourmet Asian pork loin, veggies and rice. Unless we get an invite to go to the Zoo, then it will most likely be McDonalds. Zoo night with friends trumps eating at home :)
Wednesday-Brisket tacos, chips and homemade gourmet maria's salsa, black beans and rice
Thursday-Kevin's grandma turns 96 on Thursday. I don't know what the plans are, but I didn't plan on a meal at home this night.
Friday-breakfast for supper-ham, egg, and cheese casserole, fruit smoothies

Breakfasts-cereal, yogurt, waffles, muffins, smoothies, repeat...

Lunches-leftovers, sandwiches, chef salad, pizza rolls, etc...

Presley is eating more regular food, and is NOT liking baby food anymore. Feeding her is not very fun. She loves yogurt, dry cereal, cheese, blueberries, and bananas. She doesn't like veggies, which she used to love. I can barely get her to eat half a jar a day, where as a few weeks ago, she'd eat 2 jars of veggies, no problem. Any hints on how to get her to eat more veggies?

Summer books and movies

2009-07-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Avery and McKenna signed up for our library summer reading program. They each pledged to read 40 books over the summer. Avery only has 5 more books to read before she reaches her goal. McKenna needs 6 more, I read the books to her, so she's a little behind, my fault. Since we go to the library weekly, I've been reading some, too. Here's my list.

Confessions of an honest wife-good book, as I said before.
Happy Housewives-this lady is feisty. I like her. Good read for all SAHMs.
Preschool wise-let's face it, we're a babywise family, and proud of it. I got this with McKenna in mind...
Fix, Freeze, Feast-great cookbook, but my freezer is stocked right now. I may have to buy this book.
The Parent you want to be-haven't opened it yet...

I need to add some pedagogy books to the list, but haven't found the motivation. I also need to work on syllabi and figure out what I'm teaching this fall. Well, I know I'm teaching voice, voice class, and vocal literature, but I don't exactly know what I'm teaching each week. It will be here before I know it. I need to get in gear. sigh.

Avery and Kenna have been with my parents both last week and this week, and Kevin is busy writing, so I've been watching movies after Presley goes to sleep.

Revolutionary Road-I love Kate Winslet, mainly b/c I loved Titanic, so I had high hopes for this movie. I was severely disappointed.
He's Just Not That into You-ok-not great, by any means. Why is infidelity so popular these days?
Hancock-good movie
Dan in Real Life-GREAT movie-everyone should watch this. I loved it. I laughed so hard in some parts.
Pineapple express-I can't believe I'm admitting this. My SIL said she watched it, so I thought it wouldn't be bad. It was SOOOOO bad. Lots of language. Stupid movie. Big waste of 2 hours. Horrible. Should have been working on a syllabus instead of watching this movie.

What's next? I still want to see the Reader, b/c I still like Kate Winslet. Otherwise, I don't know. Any suggestions?

Pray for Kate

2009-07-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

I have been praying for Kate McRae for over 2 weeks now. This precious little girl and her family are being attacked and it's time for us to act on her behalf. I believe in spiritual warfare. I believe that Satan knows what a powerful family the McRae's are. I believe that God has big plans for Kate's dad, Aaron. He's a pastor and has a heart for ministry. I also know that in my dad's first 5 years of ministry, both of his daughters had major health problems. My sister was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 8, requiring 3 shots a day and countless blood sugar tests along with a major diet change, and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was 17. Unfortunately, I never put 2 and 2 together until a few years ago during a conversation with my husband about Satan's attacks on those in ministry. Yesterday, I found out that Kate's little brother, Will, has a growth on his vocal cord that will also require surgery. They don't think it's cancer, but, still, quite a shock for a family already going thru the worst right now.

Pray that the tumor that is still in Kate's brain will disappear. That there is no other trace of cancer in her body.
Pray that the chemo she will take will not affect her hearing or kidneys.
Pray for her spirits as she is stuck in a hospital and isn't able to enjoy the summer. or fall.
Pray for her mom and dad.
Pray for Will, that his surgery would be successful and that his recovery is quick. And that the doctors won't have to cut his vocal cords or that his voice won't be affected by the surgery.
Pray for Olivia, Kate and Will's oldest sister.
Pray that God would use Kate's family in a mighty way, by bringing complete healing and restoration to their bodies on this earth, so they can be living, breathing, testamonies to God's grace and mercy.
Pray God's will to be done. And give God the glory when it is.

The battle is on. Pray.

Still here

2009-07-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer is half-way over.

we've been fighting summer colds for the last 2 weeks. Lots of kleenex with lotion and yucky cough syrup. I'm tired of being sick and feeling blah. Not sick enough to stay in bed, but not really feeling like doing much of anything.
we've had 2 friends move in the last week. Brandi and her family moved to St. Louis over the weekend. Since then, McKenna has asked to play with her daughter, Anya 6 times. And our good neighbor friends, the Surmeiers, moved to a bigger house. Sigh.
I must be getting older, b/c I'm finding I don't like change as much as I used to.
I'm starting to panic about Avery's wardrobe for the school year. I went to her school's website last night to look at the dress code requirements and realized she doesn't own one thing on the list. We have some shopping to do...She starts 1st grade in 5 weeks. Agh!
Avery and McKenna went to Abilene for a few days. Kevin is working hard on his dissertation, and I'm taking care of Presley. I got a few books from the library and watched a movie last night after Press was asleep. Man, Revolutionary Road is such a depressing movie. Seriously, I can't believe people liked it. Is this really what other couples go thru? I also just finished reading Confessions from an honest wife. It was a good book. It made me appreciate my marriage and upbringing so much more. I love Kevin with my whole being. He completes me, silly as that sounds. He's my best friend. We are in a crazy season of life right now, with his work, his dissertation, the kids in their growth stages and all. We often talk about going away together, a second honeymoon of sorts. Then, we remember that we pay for things with cash now. another sigh. For now, we'll just look forward to the next date night, whenever that will be. And be grateful for grandparents who watch our kids.
In the last 5 weeks, we've known of 4 leaders/pastors in various churches that have been involved in extra-marital affairs. 3 of the people we didn't know, except that I followed their blogs and/or went to conferences at their church so I felt like I at least knew of them. Yesterday, I found out about one in our own church. I'm so disappointed. I don't know this person well, but I just can't believe that people choose to cross "that" line. I can't believe people don't have enough self-control. I can't believe people think they won't get caught. I'm just so annoyed, disappointed and mad at the same time. No wonder non-believers are so critical of the church. Are we really no different than the rest of the world?
I've prayed alot for this little girl this week. I can't imagine. I feel much the same as Kevin posted earlier this week. She looks so much like McKenna, it's frightening. I've thought alot about her mom this week. Since I first learned about Kate, I've fixed maybe 30 some meals for my family, I've done 10+ loads of laundry, I've taken the girls swimming twice and I've nursed Presley 42 times. Kate's mom hasn't been able to do the most mundane chores of motherhood this week. Instead, she's been stuck in a hospital, dealing with doctors and nurses, eating crappy cafeteria food, crying her eyes out, hoping someone else can take care of the other 2 kids, wondering why this is happening to her little girl. I wonder if they had 4th of July plans, or if they had plans to vacation this summer? Now, everything is changed. Please pray for the McRae family. Pray for a miracle in Kate's healing. Pray for Kate's family.
I'm counting my many blessings today. I have a great husband, I have 3 healthy, beautiful girls, I have a dog who thinks I rock. I have a home, a mini-van, food in the fridge, clothes in the closet, air-conditioning. I have a Maker who knows my every thought and loves me still. I have family, friends and neighbors. I am so thankful for today.