What a Weekend!

This is me and Erynn at her first Razorback game! It took some getting there - long line of traffic having to leave home three hours before the game and sitting around waiting on the game to start. Erynn was ready to go home before the game started but when it started and the crowds really get into it - she was having a ball! We yelled, "WOOOO SOOOO Pig" so many times, along with "Arkansas Razorbacks". She did the wave and she laughed and laughed at the drunk in front of us. I told her it was a life lesson on why not to get drunk because she would act like the guy in front of us!

We left the game during the third quarter because of where we parked at. I parked on the golf course which was a total mess - learned by that mistake. We had to do a little 4 wheeling to get out and almost got stuck on a hill but "I am woman - hear me roar!" we made it out!

Sunday was a beautiful day weather-wise and otherwise. We had the Lord's Supper at church and it was beautfully done. I can honestly say this was my first time participating in it and Erynn's too. They did it by family. They had these tables set up throughout the church and each family could take a turn going. Bonnie, one of the ladies from my single's group invited us to go with her. It was just such an emotional, touching time. I can not put it into words other than I wil never forget the powerful feelings that came over me. Even Erynn was all huggy and touchy during the service. Just beautiful!

Our church also had their fall festival Sunday evening. Erynn and I participated at the number toss booth. It was so much fun to see the little ones in their costumes and how excited they got over the games and candy! It was just the best ending to a great weekend!

Monday Menu October 30, 2006

This week I only have class on Wednesday! Yeah! So I can get a little bit more done this week and hopefully get caught up on some things!

Sunday - Autumn Chowder - this was such a hit last week with dd and myself that I made it again.

Monday - Chicken Parmesan

Tuesday - Chicken Cordon Blue

Wednesday - class

Thursday - Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents

Friday - Homemade Mac n Cheese

Saturday - Potluck dinner with Singles group - we are working on our Christmas shoeboxes.

Check out Laura's website for more great menus!

Hectic Thursday

First thing this morning, I thought it was Friday, boy was that wishful thinking! It's Thursday and that means a very busy day/night at work getting ready for our vendor appreciation shrimp boil and trying to get everything finished for the end of the period, too! Why do they always pick the last week of the period to do this dinner!

I'm letting Erynn have two girls spend the night Friday night for a small Halloween party. Last year it was a total of six girls but then in my ex's house we had lots of room and money wasn't an issue. I told her we were going to have to down-size the party. She seemed ok with it but now that it's Thursday she's telling all this stuff that she would like to have. She wanted to make invitations last night at 9pm after I had got home from school. I explained to her it was too late for that and then she was showing me things she had found online and they were really cute. She is a procrastinator - very bad procrastinator!LOL. We carved the pumpkin last night and have it done and I got the big jars I needed from my mom's house. So tonight after the dinner at work, I get to go home and start setting up. I need to bake a pan of brownies so that will be done and then to start setting the table. I have a witches cauldron that we put a smaller bowl inside of it for punch(sprite with green food coloring - that's what my dd calls punch) with dry ice around it. I also have a glow stick to put in it too! The bar will have purple lights on it with spider web covering them and then we'll have a brain(cauliflower) in green water in a big glass cookie jar, and then blood (red gelatin with some blue food coloring mixed it - it'll look almost black) and guts (spaghetti with red food coloring) in another jar. The light fixture in the kitchen will have black light bulbs in it with spider web and bats hanging in it. Oh yeah, the table will have rats on it too! I have Halloween plates and Halloween goblets for them and the ice will have plastic flies in it!LOL Before the dinner we will go to a hay maze and I have glow necklaces for them so I can keep up with them and then we'll come home and have a haunted menu.

Haunted Menu

Ghost tales (napkin)

Witches Fingers ( green beans)

Goblin Pie (pizza)

Devil's tail (fork)

They'll each have a menu and they will get to pick two things and they'll have no idea what they are getting. It's a lot of fun but this year I'm cheating and not cooking other than the green beans!LOL They will have little name plates of who's sitting where and lots of candy.

Two guys are coming from work and are going to scare them! I told them no mask! Just to scratch on the window and then to knock really loud on the door! I've warned my neighbor's too! I have a ghost story to tell them: "Where's my golden arm". That's the one that used to always get me.

So as you can tell I will probably get very little sleep Friday night and then Saturday evening we have the Razorback game! But it will be so much fun! I'll post pics when I get them!

2006 Ornament Exchange

If you are interest in an ornament exchange Kathleen is hosting one. Check out her blog at http://strandedinthemountains.blogspot.com. She has some beautiful photos on there!

Tackle it Tuesday

Ok, so I have been procrastinating just a little - ok a lot lately. I just haven't been able to get myself to do what I need to do. With working full time and then classes two nights a week - well when I'm at home I just want to veg! So last week I did this "Tackle it Tuesday" and I got my car cleaned up and some of my scrapbook table cleaned up so I thought maybe if I write it here it will make me do it. So here's what I need to do tonight:
1. Rake leaves in front yard and cut dead plants down in flower beds.
2. Weed my little garden area out back - it's full of grass again. Once I get it weeded I have plastic now to put down until I'm ready to plant this spring.

So let's see what I get done this evening!

Updated:
I got the leaves raked and the dead plants out of the flower beds but I didn't have time to get to the weeding in my little garden. One down 100 more to go!

Homemade with love

I always make jelly to give to the ladies I work with and teachers, etc. This year I made Mock Strawberry Preserves out of figs.
Mock Strawberry Preserves
6 cups figs, mashed
4 small strawberry jello pkgs
6 cups sugar
Cook mashed figs and sugar for about 10 minutes. Then add jello and bring to a hard boil - cooking 10 min longer after to comes to hard boil - stirring constantly. Put in jars and seal - invert jars for 5 minutes

I also normally make small gift albums for my mom and sil but I'm not sure that I will do that this year.

My dd is wanting scarves made out of fleece for her friends at school. I am going to buy three colos and then sew the strips on top of each other and then cut fringe on each side and then purchase small gloves at walmart to give with them.

This is hosted by Gibee at kisses of sunshine.

Monday's Menu Oct 23, 2006

Sunday: Autumn Chowder Which my dd loved and she's a very picky eater.

Monday: Leftovers of chowder since I have class tonight.

Tuesday: Easy Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday: I have class so it'll be fend for yourself - usually dd goes to my parents house

Thursday: Work is having a Vendor Appreciation Dinner so I'll eat there and bring dd some shrimp home

Friday: Fall party at our house so well have pizza and lots of sugar!

Saturday: Razorback Game - eat dinner at the game

It's a busy week for my family this week. Not much cooking going on at my house! Hope everyone has a great week.

Check out Laura's blog for more menus!

Tackle it Tuesday

One of the ladies sponsors a Tackle it Tuesday and you take before and after pics of what you tackled. I'm not quite that organized but I have two things I would really like to tackle or get started on:

1. Clean the inside of my car - it's just diry and really needs to be vacuumed and dusted and the trunk needs to be cleaned out. It's not junkie on the inside but just dirty!
2. Spend 30 minutes tonight in my scrapbook room trying to clean off and organize my table some.

Stay tuned to see if I accomplish these!LOL

Accomplishments of our children

There is nothing better than seeing your child accomplish something big. Saturday, Erynn was one of two 7th graders that was invited from her school to go to the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, AR. We have just started cross country this year and had no idea what this was and I'm thankful we didn't know until after we got there. Erynn was nervous because this was a 5k - which meant 3 miles instead of the two she is used to.

Chile Pepper Festival is the largest cross country meet in the nation. We had colleges from all over the US there - Duke, Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico. It was huge and unbelieveable. Erynn was a nervous wreck. She kept saying she didn't want to do it - not to make her do it. But she was so excited when she found out from school that she was invited - so I knew she really wanted to do it. I finally hid from her right before the race started - so that maybe she wouldn't be so nervous.

At the starting line, the older girls put the 7th graders up front because they knew they were faster runners. Erynn came in 74th out of 243 girls. It was so awesome, and I was so excited I couldn't get a picture taken. Luckily someone else got a few for me. After the race, Erynn apologized for being ugly and upset about racing. She was so excited that she had done the three miles and finished the race. What a build up of self confidence and we all need that! Life is great isn't it!

Monday and Wednesday I have college classes at night. So Sunday evenings I usually cook something that will tide us over a few days.

Monday - homemade vegetable soup I made Sunday

Tuesday - country style ribs that were cooked in the crockpot with bbq sauce

Wednesday - left overs

Thursday - grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup

Friday - Pancakes, bacon and eggs

Saturday - Singles group at church is getting together

Sunday - frozen lasagna, corn and french bread

My vegetable soup is very easy and my daughter loves it which is very funny since she won't eat things mixed together.

Homemade Vegetable Soup

1 lb hamburger meat cooked and drained
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
minced garlic
black pepper and salt
1/2 onion chopped
dash of tabasco sauce
16 oz of tomato juice
water
cooked macaroni

Mix all together except macaroni and tomato juice and cook until potatoes are tender. Add macaroni at the end with tomato juice.

School Championship Race

Here are the top five junior high girls!
Finish line photo!

Today was the big race at school. It was the north vs. south! As you know that's a big deal in the south! But the north ruled again! Erynn came in 5th place in the junior high meet and was the 2nd 7th grader to come in. The first place winner was also a 7th grader from North Junior High! Go Panthers!

Guess where we are going Saturday! Fayetteville, AR here we come! She got invited to go! I have camera and will travel!LOL

Race for the cure!

So this is my fourth year for the race. As usual brings tears to my eyes. For me it's a celebration of life - though I didn't have breast cancer, but thyroid cancer - this is always my special time of year to celebrate beating cancer and being able to be a mom to my daughter. Erynn got to go with me this year and of course my best friend Michele went too. The crowd was unbelieveable - we had over 43,000 this year! Such a great cause and makes you feel so good to be walking in the race with all these other women. One of the policemen was noted saying that he hated to work the race because there would be so many women in one place there was bound to be wrecks!LOL WE ARE WOMEN HEAR US ROAR!

We had some excitement. I lost Erynn. She wanted to run it and see what time she could make on it. So off she went with my cell phone and left us with Michele's. You have the option to do a 2k or a 5k and she forgot and took the right for the 2k and we didn't show up. She found someone working the race and we got ahold of her on the phone and met up with her after the race! I don't know which one of us cried more - the lady that had her, Michele, Erynn or myself. We all hugged and cried. Very emotional day but one none of us will forget ever!

PS. Erynn turned down a cross country track meet to go with me to the race. She said she knew this meant a lot to me and she wanted to be there with me. Talk about make you want to cry!

Russellville Cross Country Invitation

Saturday morning we got up bright and early for Erynn's cross country meet. She had to be at the school by 7am. This was her first meet away from school riding the bus like the big kids. It's so hard to believe she's in Junior High. I drove on and met her in Russellville. There was kids from all over the state competing.

Erynn ran the junior 2 mile and did it in 16:38. She fell at the very beginning of the race and we thought she was in the top 20. After church on Sunday, she saw her coach and he told her she was 27th. She really wanted that trophy but she did real well with the news. We have a few more meets before the season ends and I think 27th was really good for all the kids she ran against.

I messed up on the photos = she came in faster than I thought she would and I was so excited I couldn't hold the camera still and so I got blurry shots. I'm going to have her put on her uniform and take some photos of her.