A recipe and some rest

Here's the recipe for the first of our freezer meals. The pan is currently defrosting in my fridge just waiting to be popped in the oven tomorrow night. If this all works out, I may just start cooking one weekend a month and filling the freezer. Tonight I came home late from class and had some cheap, yet pretty good, Hamburger Helper ready in 10 minutes thanks to my precooked, frozen ground beef. I'm looking forward to some blueberry pancakes straight from the frrezer in the morning. This is pretty cool so far.

King Ranch Chicken

1 package corn tortillas
2 cups chicken -- cooked and shredded ( I just baked about 5 boneless, skinless breasts)
12 ounces cheddar cheese -- grated
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can tomatoes with green chilies -- (Ro-Tel)
1 1/4 cups milk
1 onion -- chopped

Directions
Shred cooled, cooked chicken meat with two forks. Tear tortillas into 1-inch wide strips.

In a large baking dish, alternate layers of tortillas, chicken meat and cheese (reserve 1/2 cup of cheese for topping) until all the chicken is used. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the layered mixture. Top with reserved cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap, then seal with aluminum foil.



To prepare: thaw casserole before baking. Remove plastic wrap, then replace foil. Bake covered casserole at 350-degrees until hot and bubbly. You may remove aluminum foil 10 minutes before taking the casserole out of the oven to melt cheese.

Allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes, then cut with spatula and serve.


That's it for tonight. I caught a pretty severe head cold from Juli this weekend and I've felt terrible all day. The drive home from class was awful. I'm off to take some medicine and get to bed.

What a weekend

Here's a rundown of our Labor Day weekend. We packed a whole lot into the past three days.

Saturday we slept in and watched TV for a few hours in the morning. We hardly ever get to do either anymore, so it was great to stay in PJ's until midmorning. Greg and his dad finished putting the metal roofing on our front garage. His mom stopped by with some new Levi's for Carson and we all had pizza together for lunch. I cooked the first of my freezer meals, (more on that later), then prepared a scrumptious dinner of poppyseed chicken, broccoli rice casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls, then waited for my sister and her fiancee to get here. We stuffed ourselves, then played two games of Apples to Apples, which was hilarious. They left late and we went straight to bed.


Sunday morning was church, then to Ruby Tuesday for lunch, thanks to a buy one entree get one free coupon. We then bought a birthday gift at Toys R Us for a party next weekend, browsed in Big Lots, then went home to get ready for the Karaoke/Ziti party. I also printed all of the bridal shower invites. Juli came by on her way to Mom's from work and stayed for 2 hours. We assembled the shower invitations together, then left for the party. At the party I ate a little bit of Ziti and a whole lot of marshmallows and cake chunks dipped in the most delicious chocolate sauce pouring from our friend, Missi's, chocolate fountain. Greg wants to install one permanently in our kitchen. I think it might be a good idea. :) Our friend, Barb, also made a small replica of Juli and Ashley's wedding cake for the party. She makes all of the cakes for our family events and her cakes are the best ever. Yum-o! My oldest friend, Angie, and I sang a few songs together (Young Love, Redneck Woman, and Somedays You Gotta Dance). We were quite the hit. I sang a few songs by myself, including a moving rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which of course my mother missed because she was too busy talking, as usual. Carson crashed at my mom's and Greg and I got home around 1:00am. It was a great party.

Today we slept in again. Carson stayed at Mom's most of the day and I worked on invites for the rehearsal dinner. Juli and Mom brought Carson home at 3:00 and all of us girls went to Kohl's to help Juli with her bridal registry. We had a great time and swayed her toward quality cookware and high thread count sheets. I got home around 6:00, made a yummy casserole, finished up my freezer cooking, ate, got Carson to bed, filled out our paperwork for the family dental appointments this week, wrote a note to Carson's teacher, cleaned up the kitchen, checked my message boards, and did a load of laundry. I am beat.

I have decided that we eat out entirely too much and waste a ton of food at home. I've been researching "freezer cooking" recipes and methods in hopes of getting our meals more organized and our bank account more full. So, this weekend I cooked and cooked and cooked and now have all of this yummy food in the freezer waiting to be eaten on hurried nights:

1 King Ranch Chicken casserole
1 Tater Tot Casserole
1 pan of lasagna
1 pan of ravioli lasagna
2 bags of Lipton burgers
3 bags of ground beef starter for tacos, spaghetti, etc
7 bags of 3 pancakes each

I so put my advanced degree in Home Economics to work this weekend! I am feeling like such a domestic goddess. We'll see if I remember to get those casseroles out 24 hours ahead to defrost. :)

Tomorrow is work, then teaching in Festus. Only 4 more classes! Have a great week!

Close Call, Couth, and Karoke

I spent Monday at a child care center and saw some very unsettling practices taking place. It's upsetting to think that I've been working with this center for several months and they aren't making much progress. Child care in Missouri is so pathetic. Children are pretty much at the bottom of the list in this state. Our legislators have some pretty twisted priorities, but from what I've seen, this is pretty typical of children's issues in our country. I think that hoping to someday see a change in how we treat our children in this country is what keeps me and my coworkers plugging away at our jobs. We're certainly not there for the pay. I'll step off the soapbox for now!

Monday afternoon I had a very scary moment. I was on my way to an appointment at a home I had never visited before near Marble Hill. I reached forward to set my trip odomoter and when I looked back at the road, I was about a foot away from a traffic sign warning of a drop off on the side of the raised road. I overcorrected, went across the center line and nearly off the other side of the road, overcorrected again and went back across the center line and nearly off the side of the road, overcorrected once more and crossed the center line for the third time, then hit a gravel driveway, spun 3 times and came to rest facing the direction I had just some from. I was about a foot from smashing into a huge brick pillar at the entrance of a park. By the grace of God, no other cars were in sight when this happened, which is truly a miracle, given that school had just dismissed right down the road. A man stared at me from across the street, but never approached my car. No one else saw it happen. I still made it to the appoinment on time. I'm still not sure what I was supposed to learn from this, but I was feeling pretty close to God as I watched the brick pillars spin in front of me.

I had a hard time getting through the child's assessment. I kept getting distracted by this huge, hot pink, wooden sign on the family's entertainment center that said "I Love Sex!" I couldn't bring myself to ask her where she got that fine piece of home decor. There are 4 kids in the house, two of whom sleep in their parents' bedroom. Personally, that would really deter my bedroom activity, but to each his own. Just when I think I've seen it all.



Not much else is going on for us until the weekend. We bought the game, Apples to Apples, on Sunday, so we plan to invite my sister and her fiance over Friday or Saturday to play. They are game nuts, especially my soon-to-be brother-in-law. On Sunday, we're having a Karoke party at my parents' house. Mom needed to see how much baked ziti she needed for the wedding reception, so we're having a "ziti run through" on Sunday. The groom is a huge fan of my mom's ziti and asked for a pan of it to be served at the reception. It doesn't exactly go with the rest of the menu, but I guess they can do whatever they want at their wedding. My family and lots of friends are coming over to eat ziti and sing some karoke. I haven't decided what tunes I want to sing yet. Any requests!?!:)


Tomorrow I visit a Perryville center in the morning and see a little guy for developmental therapy in the afternoon. I am looking forward to getting my house clean and working on Carson's birthday invites tomorrow while Greg is at band practice. Hopefully things will go as planned. Thanks for checking in!

Pirates and Showers

The grand plan for today got shot to hell quicker than the downpour we had all afternoon. After church we went to Red Lobster for lunch with my mom. Lunch was good and Carson pretty much behaved, which is unusual these days. I think he was too busy peeling all the breading from his popcorn shrimp to get in trouble. He's weird.


We went to Barnes and Noble to pick up a birthday gift for the brother of one of the kids I see for therapy. I'm still debating whether to go to his party or not, but wanted to give a present either way. It's not that I don't want to go, but there is a fine line between being a professional and being a friend when you visit a family in their home each week. I really like this family, but I'm afraid things may seem a bit too "familiar" if I go to a family birthday party. I went to my other client's party, but we know their entire extended family, so that's a little different. I'm rambling.


By this point, Greg and Carson had reached the "we'll just sit in the car and wait" stage of shopping. I tackled Dollar Tree and Factory Card Outlet on my own for the rest of the things I needed for Carson's pirate birthday party. I still need material to make bandana's for the kids. It seems like I keep thinking of "one more thing" that will make the party really great. I should really be stopped. Carson's parties have gotten a little over the top, but oh well. I only have one kid.

We headed home, where the grand plan was for me to make all of the birthday invitations, print Juli's bridal shower invitations, and wrap 2 birthday gifts. It started pouring as soon as I decided to rest on the couch for a few minutes. I woke up at 5:00. So much for today! I'm off to read a bedtime story and watch a little Discovery Channel with Greg.

Time Off

So I had these big plans to get a lot done today. I always think I can get a ton more stuff done than I actually do. We started the day with Carson's physical therapy in Cape until 10:30. He and I then went to Target to look at my sister's registry list and grab some lunch before he went to preschool. Somehow, we ended up getting out of the store with a package of Cars underwear lodged under his butt in the seat of the cart. Normally, I would have gone back in to pay for it, but seeing as I had just been charged $7 for a bag of Hershey's kisses that were advertised for $3.50, I decided that Target and I were even and threw them in the car. I never thought the day would come when I would willingly shoplift size 3T undies from Target. I am so jaded. The fact that we had 10 minutes to get to school on time had a lot to do with it too. We were still late.

After dropping him off, I got to browse leisurely at the scrapboook store for about an hour. I hadn't been there in almost 2 months and it was like a whole new store with all the CHA stuff coming in. I picked up a few things to make favors for Juli's rehearsal dinner and some paper and embellishments to finish up the New Orleans pictures from our cruise album. I've been stuck on these pics for quite a while and I really want to be finished with the album. Hopefully I'll get to scrap tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon.

Tomorrow I'm headed to St Louis to teach my child development class all day. We're going on a field trip to several places in South County, St Louis so it should be fun. I'm ready for it to be finished. Only 5 more weeks of driving to Festus every Tuesday night. I am not signing up for this again.

After class I'm looking forward to doing a little shopping by myself. We have several birthdays coming up and I need a few more things for Juli's shower. I really enjoy shopping by myself, especially in St Louis. I like shopping with others too, but it's nice to take my time and go where I want without worrying about anyone else.

I'm off to spend some time with Greg. He put Carson to bed a few minutes ago and I feel like we haven't really spent time together this week. It seems like one of us has something to do every night. Have a great weekend!

Technology, Teaching, and Travel

Long day today. I got to work at 7:30 and already felt tired. It seemed to take forever just to get to the office. I'm still not used to the school traffic. I have to remember to leave earlier from now on.

Late in the morning we lost all internet connections at work. It turns out that a large portion of eastern Missouri lost internet connections for several hours due to a line being breached somewhere. It was still not on when I left at 3:00. Strangely enough, Greg said our home connection was fine when he came home for lunch. Weird. I ended up getting almost all of my reports caught up at the office since I couldn't do anything on the internet. It was a blessing in disguise because I feel so much better about being almost completely caught up at work.

At 3:00, I drove 90 miles from Cape to teach my class at Jefferson Memorial hospital. I ended up staying an extra hour to help some students with a room layout for their childcare center. I am pooped! I finally got home around 10. I'm off to talk with Greg for awhile before I crash for the night. Nothing exciting on the agenda for tomorrow, but you never know what might come up!

Return of the Queen

I'm back. I never really left. I haven't blogged since I turned 30, but not for lack of blogging material. I have been so incredibly busy since turning 30 that I literally have been asleep when my head hits the pillow for the past few months. That leaves little time for blogging, but I promise to be better from now on. (ok...I promise to try to be better!)

The past few months have flown by. I still have my 4 jobs. I still play Bunco. I still scrapbook. I no longer go to Weight Watchers, but am eating much more healthfully and losing some weight. I still suck at getting my exercise in.

Carson took swimming lessons this summer and did great! He loves going under the water. He also started having physical therapy in the pool and loves it. He's now seeing an occupational therapist at Healthpoint in addition to the OT he sees at school in order to help him cope with his limited depth perception. The therapy is going well.

Carson started attending school all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays last week. He just goes in the afternoon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He is very tired after a full day at school, but he loves it. When I told him to get ready on Thursday morning, he was standing with his huge backpack on, waiting for me. He smiled this gigantic grin and said, "I am so big!" He is one pretty amazing 4-year-old.

Two weeks ago we took a family vacation to St. Louis for a few days. We went to the Magic House, Grant's Farm, The Anheuser Busch Brewery, Eckert's, Purina Farms, St. Louis Mills, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Chuck E. Cheese, the transportation museum, and Union Station. Here are a few pics. The rest of our summer pics can be viewed at www.carsonfranklin.net. Click on "photos". For some reason I can't link from my blog. We had a great time until we got a flat tire on the way home. Carson's favorite part of the trip was helping load our car onto the tow truck to get towed to the tire store. That was not my favorite part.







The first photo is Carson with Bailey, my friend, Christy's daughter an the birthday girl, at Chuck E. Cheese. The second is Carson having a blast taking an order at the Italian restaurant inside the children's village at The Magic House.


In July, I met 18 of my closest online friends for a private scrapbooking convention in Salt Lake City. I had a blast and had so much fun meeting all of these girls that I get to talk to online everyday. I also came home with a ton of free scrapping stuff!!!! You can see more pictures on Carson's website. Click on photos and browse the QFK album.


In June, we went to Pensacola, FL for Greg's cousin, Christy's, wedding. We hit the beach and learned several lessons about traveling with extended family members. As in, we probably won't again. These pictures are also on Carson's site.

For now, I'm glad to be back in a routine and looking forward to being in my sister's wedding in November. We bought Carson's tux while we were in St. Louis and I have my choice of three different dresses hanging in the closet. I keep finding very reasonable, very pretty black formals, so I have 3 sizes to choose from. Hopefully, I'll fit in to the one I like the best.

I'm also studying to take the GRE test. I am going to apply for a doctoral program through the University of Missouri that would start next summer. I won't be crushed if I don't get in, but I think I would like to be a full professor some day. We'll see! Thanks for checking back in with me! Let me know you stopped by!

On Turning 30

I turned thirty at a little after 1:00 this afternoon. This has been the longest birthday celebration I can remember. So many people did so many wonderful things in my honor and I feel truly blessed. Here's a rundown of my week long birthday lineup:

Last Thursday: A friend gave me 2 tickets to see Bombay Dreams at The Fox Theater. The theater is gorgeous and the show was unusual, but very interesting. Greg and I enjoyed the chance to get away for the evening.

Saturday: My mom, sister, and I traveled to Kimmswick, MO for lunch at The Blue Owl. The food is heavenly. We then spent the afternoon shopping in St Louis, where I was allowed to choose my own birthday gifts and made out like a bandit. At exactly 3:30 pm, my mom suddenly gets very antsy to get on the road. I was under the impression we had to get back for a benefit concert at our church. Little did I know that more than 50 people were waiting to surprise me at our church with a fabulous birthday party. Greg did so well and put so much effort into organizing the party. He had 3 different singers/bands play music for me, had a meal and 2 beautiful cakes, collected an offering for our church nursery, (which I manage), had flowers for me, and really great door prizes for my guests. At the end of the party, he showed a video slide show of my life from birth to now, that he put together on his own, complete with a perfect soundtrack. I was so proud of him, given that he was able to keep this a total secret since last Fall and that he was brave enough to talk on a mic on stage, which he hates to do. He's a keeper!

Sunday we celebrated Easter with family and went to dinner at our brand new Olive Garden.

Today, my coworkers decorated my cubicle, showered me with presents, took me to lunch, and bought me a yummy ice cream "log" from DQ. My internet buddies left me lots of happy birthday wishes online and Carson made me a birthday card all by himself. My friend, Becky, snuck into my house and left a beautiful geranium and a delicious birthday cake while I was at work. My inlaws took us to dinner at Shogun, a hibachi restaurant, and gave me a great present. My little brother called to wish me a happy birthday and I even received a birthday email from one of my college students, (she may get bonus points!) Greg waited until the very last minute to get my gift and ended up running into me at my local scrapbook store after work, where I was shopping and he was rushing in to get me a gift certificate. Too funny!




I must admit that this birthday has been hanging over me like a grey cloud. Not a black cloud, because I don't feel older, but just a little reminder that the years are passing very quickly and I still have a lot I want to accomplish. It's now 11:45 and I've survived the first day of my third decade. My only wish is that my next 30 years are filled with as many blessings as my first 30. Happy Birthday to me.

A weight lifted

I had just finished typing an incredibly long explanation of my childhood friend's wedding that took place yesterday, but since I am trying to be a better person and Christian, I am leaving it at this:

My dress was very pink, the temperature was very cold, there was lots of wind, the bride drew lots of obvious attention to herself and I'm glad it's all over. I rewarded myself with 8 beers at the reception. I rarely drink, especially in excess, but the past year of waiting for this wedding and being made to stand outside for 3 hours in 50 degree weather with a sinus infection and wearing a sleeveless gown, warranted a little public drunkeness.

And with that, I stayed in bed until 10:30 this morning and am looking forward to starting a new week!

In Mourning

That's where I've been. In mourning. Mourning the loss of many things. Here's a list of things that I'm grieving over:

1. The loss of my money. My tax bill was so astronomical that I am not even going to let you take guesses as to how much money I owe the IRS. Put it this way, I'm looking into refinancing my house. Yes, it's that bad.

2. The loss of my birthday trip to Chicago. See loss number 1 for explanation.

3. The loss of my trip to the Florida beach in June. Refer again to loss #1.(I'm now riding with my in-laws to Pensacola, going to the beach for one day and driving back home as soon as the wedding is over.)

4. The loss of the dream of a trip to somewhere tropical and remote this December. I detest taxes right now.

5. The loss of my youth. I will be 30 in 16 days. I had planned to be much thinner, wealthier, and have another child by this point in my life. I'm chubby, broke, and the parent of a single child. 31 better be a freakin' fantastic birthday to make up for this year.

I guess that's enough bitching for one post. I'm off to convince myself that 10:00 is a great bedtime and that rising at the crack of dawn to exercise is a fabulous idea. This could take a lot of convincing. 'Night.

A little Tuesday update

I'm home today enjoying my last day of peace for the week. Carson and Andrew, my nephew, are playing relatively quietly, which gives me a chance to print my hotel information and hopefuly catch up on my internet favorites while I catch up on the laundry and decide what to pack for my trip to Jefferson City tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a night at the hotel by myself to do some scrapping and enjoy some quiet.

Thursday is my quarterly state Inclusion Specialist's meeting, whcih means I'll probably not be home until 6 or 7 on Thursday. I somehow managed to totally screw myself out of reduced Spring Break hours this week by scheduling late meetings and a Saturday training this week. Figures.

I plan on stopping by Marshall's and the big Barnes and Noble in Jeff City tomorrow night to shop for baby and wedding gifts. We've gone a few years without wedding or baby showers and suddenly I have three wedding and two baby showers to attend within the next month. I'm thrilled to get to shop for some pink frilly things since both cousins are expecting girls. I always try to get a book for each new baby too, so Barnes and Noble couldn't be more convenietly located right next to Marshalls.

Friday will be half day at work and then an appointment to eval a child in St Gen that afternoon. This may warrant a side trip to the St Gen scrapbook store!

Saturday I will be conducting a 6 hour training on how to include kids with special needs in regular child care programs. It's a ton of work, especially considering that only 3 people have signed up so far!!! It's harder to work with such a small group since they easily tire of answering every question. We'll see how it goes.

Sunday I am hoping to chill out and do nothing. I think it will be well deserved. Have a great week!

Because this blog has been very neglected...

53 more things you need to know about me...lol

stolen from Dawn

1. How tall are you? 5 ft 8 inches

2. Do you own a gun? nope

3. Rehab? not so far!

4. Have you ever killed an animal? unintentionally while driving. I hit a huge dog on the way to my first day at my interniship. It was not a good morning.

5. Are you Irish? no, English and German

6. What do you think of hotdogs? all beef ones are nice, I'll pass on the multiple animla variety

7. What's your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

8. What are your favorite sound(s)? ocean waves, Carson's sweet little voice

9. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? a 44oz water with lots of ice

10. Do you do push-ups? not yet, but it's only my first week at Body Pump class

11. Have you ever done ecstasy? no

12. Have you been shot? honestly, how many people who are of the mindset to fill out these silly things are going to have been hanging out where they will get shot?!?!

13. Have you ever been hospitalized? just to give birth and due to pregnancy complications

14. Do you like painkillers? if I'm in pain

15. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? I don't know. They just always seemed to show up and be interested.

16. Do you own a knife? the kitchen kind

17. Do you have A.D.D.? no, but some of my relatives and cowrkers seem to

18. Do you love the pain a tattoo brings? wouldn't know. I detest tattos.
19. Whats in your cd player? Jim Gill...The Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes

20. What's under your bed? whatever Spanky has drug under there

21.Current Hair? cut and highlighted about a week ago...much shorter than I was planning, but still cute

22. What are you wearing? sweaty workout clothes..an old t-shirt, track pants and tennis shoes

23. Current Worry? how big my tax bill is going to be

24. Current Love? hmmm..Girl Scout cookies?

25. Current Hates? being behind at work

26. Favorite Place To Be. the Caribbean

27. Least Favorite Place To be? getting my taxes done

28. If You Could Play any Instrument? Piano or guitar so I could sing along!

29. Favorite Color(s)? I like lots of them

30. Person(s) From Your Past You Wish You Could see again? nobody...I'll see them soon enough

31. Where Would You Like To Go To College? I would like to teach at a college near the Caribbean Sea

32. Where Do you want to live? see above

33. favorite food? right now? Mexican..I'm thinking Tacos for dinner

34. Number of pillows you sleep with? 3

35. What do you wear when you go to sleep? a nightgown or sometimes PJ's

36. What were you doing 12AM last night? reading a magazine in bed until 1:00am

37. What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years? hmmmm..maybe have a PhD and another child

38. Are you paranoid? I think about what might happen alot, but I don't really worry about it

39. First piercing/tattoo? ears, that's it

40. last person you yelled at? probably Greg, but it's been a pretty yell-free week

41. Last thing you ate. a Rice Crispies treat

42. If you could be a pirate, would you? no. I hate violence

43. Do you have an iPod? no, but my birthday is April 20th if anyone wants to contribute

44. When and why and where did you last vomit? yesterday. Ate bad shrimp. End of story.

45. What's in your pockets right now? i don't have any

46. What color are your eyes? blue

47. Do you have any piercings? two in each ear, but I only wear one

48. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? hot pink

49. Have you ever won any awards? Lots of sales awards when I sold Papmered Chef and a scholarship to college

50. How many TV's do you have in your house? 2

51. Have you ever sprained/broken/fractured a bone? numerous sprained ankles, one broken toe that grew back very crooked
52. Who do you tell your dreams to? whoever will listen, I talk a lot!

53. If you could pick one person to make out with who would it be? Greg, unless I happen to meet Keith Urban tomorrow.

A brand new week

Thank goodness a new week is here. With my inlaws out of town last week, things went south in a handbasket very quickly. The week started ok, but by Wednesday afternoon I wasn't feeling too well and after Ash Wednesday service in the evening, I had the full blown flu. The whole "sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever" flu. It was worse on Thursday, which is the only day I didn't have a sitter lined up. Carson was very good given that he had to stay inside with me and be quiet all day. Friday was my class field trip to St. Louis Children's Hospital and the St Louis Teacher's Recyle Center. All went well, with every student showing up on time and behaving relativelty professionally (other than our office practicum student who had boyfriend drama and showed off her large low back tattoo every time she bent over. Nice.) I felt well enough to scrapbbok Friday night and threw a fabulous shower for my friend on Saturday. I was very diappointed that only 12 of the 30 people on the guest list showed up, but she still had a good time.

Yesterday was church and small group study in the morning. At 1:00, I made the monumental return trip to the gym that I have been postponing for the last 5 months!!!! I actually felt terrific after my workout, even though I was so congested I could barely breathe. My friend, Lisa, met me at the gym and she is now a huge motivation for me to get back on track. She looks great!

Today I'm working in Oran and then at the office this afternoon. I have a hair appointment tomorrow, a few scattered appointments the rest of the week and I leave to present at the Conference on the Young Years Friday. I'll return Saturday evening.
I'm off to start the day!

Destinations

My inlaws are here:









They set sail an hour ago on this:








I am here.






Life is so unfair.
:(

Reason number 9,427 to lose weight!

My little sister is getting married. This year. November 11. This was decided yesterday and I now have 264 days to become the slinkiest matron of honor this side of the mighty Mississippi. (or at the very least fit back into my black strapless formal from the cruise, which is most likely what I'm wearing). I have 47 days left to fit comfortably into the Pink Blush ensemble for my matron of honor duties for Mary Catherine's wedding. I bombed on the Atkins diet due to some strange gallbladderesque pain coupled with the horribly limited food choices I'd grown sick of. I'm resorting to my old standby, Weight Watchers and exercise, which has proven to work to the tune of a 70 pound loss in the past. Too bad it's so slow to lose weight the healthy way. I'll be starting my new "walk and kick" video in the morning. I hate the process involved in losing weight.


Carson has agreed to assume ringbearer duties and has promised me that he will agree to potty training before the big day. I explained that Pull-ups just don't compliment a tuxedo and that only big boys get to deliver the wedding rings. He's stoked for the time being.

Greg and I had a great weekend away, even though everywhere we went was super crowded. We saw the Harrison Ford movie, Firewall, which was predictable, but ok. We managed to get our of Harrah's casino with a loss of a mere $30, so all in all, we had a great time. I'm ready for another weekend away.

This week is only semi-busy with a meeting for me tomorrow night, church on Wednesday and class on Thursday. So far we have no weekend plans. Yippee! Our house is suffering and needs a good cleaning, so maybe it'll actually get done this weekend. I'm off to do Bible study and get some shut-eye so I can "walk and kick" in the morning! G'night!

A very lovely day!

I had a great Valentine's Day! Carson and I had a blast at his party, then came home for lunch and a nap for him. When he woke up we made chocolate playdough, which turned out smelling so yummy, and waited for Greg to get home so we could exchange gifts. Greg did not get me the candles that Carson led me to believe I was getting, but he got me something that was very creative and meant a lot. Our very first date was dinner at the Pasta House followed by the movir "The Rock." I was little confused when I opened my gift to find a Pasta House Menu and "The Rock" on DVD,then it clicked. What a sweet guy to think of something so sentimental. I was very impressed!

Today was work and Bible study, both of which were great. Tomorrow I have be at a child care center at 8:00 and I have a 2:00 meeting where I'll be presenting info about the services my office offers to community members. Should be a fun day. Tomorrow is night class, then only one more workday until we leave for St. Louis! I am so ready to go! Enjoy the rest of the week!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'll be trading gifts with my big guy and the little guy this evening. Carson told me that he and Daddy got me candles and a card, so we'll see if he's telling the truth! I'd love to hear everyone's V-day plans and surprises, so send me a reply today!

Here are some ?'s borrowed from Dawn's blog. (www.daybreak1012.blogspot.com) Gotta love seeing that live Disey cam when you visit her blog!

1. Eggs? Fried or Scrambled? Depends on the morning. I'm eating a lot of eggs on this diet!
2. Chocolate covered cherries? Yum on the filling and choclate, yuck on the actual cherry.
3. When eating a salad, what type of dressing do you prefer to use? ranch or sweet onion if I'm at Ruby Tuesday
4. Peanut Butter? Creamy or Crunchy? either. This is making me want carbs!
5. If you HAD to eat only one flavor of ice cream for the rest of your life, what flavor would it be? cheesecake from Marble Slab creamery-absolute heaven
6. Thick or thin crust pizza? I like both
7. Salsa? Hot, Medium, or Mild? medium
8. Toast? Lightly toasted or practically burnt? Just enough to be considered toasted with butter applied right away so it melts into the bread
9. What is your FAVE food item at Taco Bell? I don't go to Taco Bell often, but when I do, I get a taco salad

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

10. When are you MOST LIKELY to pig out during the course of a day? these days, never. I am having major appetite suppression from the Atkins diet.
--------------------
these are also from Stacy

1. What time of day is too late to telephone someone? I'll call my mom after 10. I don't ususally call others after 9:30.

2. Have you ever looked up the lyrics to a song online? a few times

3. What’s your favorite dessert to order at a restaurant? I loved this bananas foster cheesecake we had at the Cheesecake Bistro in New Orleans last May. I often wonder if the restaurant is still there.

1. What are your favorite pizza toppings? List your favorite 3 (or more). Pepperoni, onion, mushroom, grean peppers

2. What was the last movie you saw (theater or rented, your choice, or both)? The Mask of Zorro on DVD on Saturday-I fell asleep about halfway through.

3. What is your favorite fruit? crisp apples


I think I'll send a Valentine's Day Tag to Becky, Bob and Brooke, and Theresa Marie, who just started blogging! Have a great Valentine's Day!

A fun week is just around the bend!

I am pumped about this week. So many fun things going on!!!

Monday I will be traveling to Fredericktown (an hour away) to present a training on Positive Guidance for Preschoolers with my colleague and buddy, Christy. We always have a good time and we've got a fun training planned. I do not do many things that aren't fun, and if something isn't fun, I try to make it hilarious. We'll be making "clean mud" as a demonstration for the teachers. It involves soap and toilet paper. That sounds fun!

Tuesday I will be attending Carson's Valentine's Day party at school. (or Valentimes, as he says) He made his Valentine box at school by himself, so I am anxious to see it. We have the treat bags made and I'm looking forward to the party and then spending the rest of the day with my little guy. I still need to wrap my gift for my big guy. We're planning on spending the evening at home so we can go away for the weekend!

Wednesday I have a slow day with a meeting in Cape. I need the time to catch up on my report writing.

Thursday, I get to go to a child care center I've never been to before and observe a child in the morning. I'll take a lunch break, then head to a Chamber of Commerce meeting to discuss my agency with a group of "future leaders of Cape Girardeau." I like doing stuff like that, so I'm looking forward to it.

Friday, I'll be in the office all day, then Greg and I are heading to St Louis for the weekend. We'll be staying at the newest Drury Suites (at the employee rate of course). We're headed to the City Museum on Friday, sleeping in on Saturday, then going to St Louis Mills Mall, maybe seeing a movie, and maybe going to the casino if we feel lucky. We're not sure what Sunday holds. I can't wait. We haven't gone away by ourselves for awhile and we have such a good time when we go.

I'm off to rewad Carson a bedtime story and grade 18 more papers on childhood diseases. Yay!

Wow! It's Thursday!

The week has flown by. I have almost made it to the end of my first low-carb week. The cravings for flour and sugar have nearly disappered. In fact, the caffeine free Diet Coke I just drank tasted like syrup. Amazing what a week will do. Not to say I wouldn't love a piece of cake right now, but I'm not thinking about food nearly as much. I just finished off 3 pieces of pizza, no crust. Not the same as normal, but not too bad. Definitely have to use a fork.

Carson and I went to St Louis for his eye appoinment today and had a few hours to shop. We went to TJ Maxx, the St Louis Galleria mall, and Trader Joe's. I thought Trader Joe's would be much more low-carb friendly, but they seem to just be in on the "lowfat" and "organic" gimmicks. Carson's eyes are slowly progressing and we'll head back for another appointment in a month.

I let my class out early tonight since I'm just getting over laryngitis and an upper respiratory infection. I felt fine, but my voice is still squeaky and hoarse. I took the extra time to treat myself to haircut and a well deserved manicure and pedicure. I picked a soft pink shade that is very Valentiney. It looks great and my feet feel great.

Tomorrow I'll be getting my tooth crowned and then heading to work for a few hours. They're calling for 1-3 inches of snow, so I may go home early if the roads get bad. 3 inches can be a big deal here. It was 65 degrees last month! we have a birthday party on Saturday at the same time as my scrapbooking club. Hopefully, I'll at least get to drop by for a few minutes. I'm off to search for low-carb recipes!

Carb Free Livin'

I have gone carb free. I started the Atkins diet on Saturday and as of this morning, I am down 10 pounds. This doesn't seem possible, or healthy, but I'm desperate to look decent in the pink bridesmaid dress I picked up Friday. I need to lose at least a size for it to look good. I have until April 8. So far, so good. I felt terrible on Saturday, but the detox was over by Sunday and I've felt much better until today. I'm now suffering from a horrible upper respiratory infection and sore throat. Looks like I'm headed to the doctor tomorrow.

I'll be spending tomorrow catching up on my Bible study before church tomorrow night, provided I feel well enough to go. Thursday I'll be taking carson to visual therapy in St Louis and heading back in time to teach night class. Friday I'll be getting the tooth that I cracked on a blow pop crowned. Not fun and very expensive. Thank goodness for dental insurance.

Greg and I went to parent/teacher conference tonight and we're so proud of how well Carson is doing. His preschool teacher wants to move him from the special needs class to an at-risk class next fall. I was praying that she might say that. There are more typical kids in the other class and he really excels around other kids. Yay for my little peanut!

I'm off to read blogs and get some sleep! Good night!

The Good, the Bad, and the Really Freakin' Expensive

In a word, today sucked. Yesterday, we made the final payments on our car. Yay! No more car payments. Things are great! This morning, I got an $80 speeding ticket. That's what driving 60 in a 45 mph zone will get you in Cape Girardeau, MO. I wasn't in any kind of hurry. I was simply jammin' to my very uplifiting Mark Schultz CD and going on my merry way. I was 30 minutes late to work and down $80 by 8:30. This morning started with Carson pooping in his pants approximately 1 minute before his preschool bus was due to arrive. Things were not well in the Franklin household.

By lunch, things just kept getting worse. I somehow managed to lose 2 hubcaps in a month's time. Greg called the junkyard, no hubcaps, so we ordered 2 from the Mazda dealer. They totaled $95. They're plastic. So one day after paying off the car, it has cost me $175!!!!

On top of everything else, my poor friend Becky had to unexpectedly put her cat to sleep this morning. So far, February isn't looking real great.

I did go to Bible study tonight, which is always calming. I'm now home and have to read the 3 chapters I'm lecturing on tomorrow night and prepare some type of activity to convince the students I'm prepared for class and have some idea what I'm talking about. I may let them go early, whcih will cancel out any doubts about the quality of my lecture. Woe is me today. Tomorrow will be better. 'Til then!

Just another day in paradise

Hmmmm...what did I do today? I made a yummy soup for the girls in my office. It is actually a recipe of one of the other girls I work with, but I happened to have all the ingredients in my kitchen. It was deeeee-lish! Here's the recipe:

1 large package frozen, shredded hashbrowns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 container (16 oz?) sour cream
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 bunch greeen onions, chopped
milk

Combine everything but milk in crockpot. Add milk to your liking-more for soupier soup, less for thicker soup. Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low all day. Top with real bacon bits and additonal sour cream if desired.

I've added a second bag of hashbrowns to stretch for a crowd, and it's still good. You can also cook on the stovetop until heated through for a speedier dinner.


After lunch I ran errands on campus, including getting keys to my new classroom, (which I was locked out of last Thursday night) and checking out some books for my class at the library. Apparently, Child Life in Hospitals is not at the top of the university's spending list. I had trouble finding books published after I was born. I'll be 30 in April. Sad, but true (on both counts!) So, I read a book to my students tonight that had pictures of nurses who, quite literally, closely resembled the flying nun. Huge hats. Little white uniforms, and pantyhose. It was good for a laugh if nothing else.

I have one guy in my class this semester, which adds a whole new dynamic. I'm still getting used to it. He seems pretty easygoing given he's the only source of testosterone in a room of 25 women. We like to give him crap for being a "general studies" major. I may sway him to the world of child development before the end of the semester. We definitely need more men in the field.

Bible study is going great. I have a wonderfully diverse group of ladies to "lead", and I am learning so much from all of them.

For a change, we have NO PLANS this weekend! Hallelujah! I hope it stays that way. Have a fantastic Friday and share a recipe with me if you have a chance. My budget needs us to eat at home.

Recipe Challenge!

A challenge from Heather D White's blog:

Post your never-fail-simple-most-popular dinner recipe on your blog today. I challenge each of you to do the same!

Crock Pot Kettle Beef (for those of you not from Southeast Missouri, I think you call this beef and gravy or roast beef-kind of.) Kettle beef is served at most area wedding receptions along with chicken and dumplings, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes and homemade rolls. Can you tell we're very rural?!?! Yum!

2 pounds beef stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
water

Place beef in crockpot. Combine soup mix, mushroom soup, and 1 cup water. Pour over meat. Add water to cover meat mixture and allow for evaporation during the day. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Another one:

Cheesy Vegetables

2 packages California blend vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
1/2 block Velveeta, cubed
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1 stick butter, melted

Cook vegetable in microwave until cooked, but crisp. Combine vegetables, soup, milk and Velveeta. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine crackers and butter. Crumble on top of vegetables. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until cheese melts.


On a yucky note, my family was struck with a nasty bout of the stomach flu this week. Caron got sick late Sunday, Greg on Monday and I felt terrible yesterday morning. We're all back at work and school today and feeling much better. tonight is Bible study, tomorrow is class, and Friday begins our weekend of no plans! We haven't had a free weekend in a long time. Enjoy the recipes and have a great week!

Tagged!

Dawn tagged me!


The rules for this particular tagging are as follows: Remove the blog name in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add yourself to the bottom slot.


Traci
April
Andie
Dawn
Amy

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to.
Bob and Brooke (that's a twofer)
Becky
Sorr! I need more blogging friends!


What were you doing 10 years ago?

Let's see...January 22, 1996. I was a sophmore in college. I was either working at the hospital as a phlebotomist or as a cashier at Rhodes convenience store, I can't remember. It was t-minus 5 months until I met Greg. I was dating no one in particular.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

working very part-time and loving it. I miss being at home.

Five snacks you enjoy (in no particular order, as all snacks are created equal):

1. Chips and french onion dip
2. chocolate
3. cheezits
4. cheese
5. apples-crispy, Gala only-I'm on a mushy apple boycott

Five songs to which you KNOW all the lyrics:

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. You are my Sunshine
3. When the Sun Goes Down by Kenny Chesney-the theme song of our cruise DVD slide show
4. Me and You by Kenny Chesney-our first dance song
5. All Songs on most Mark Schultz CDs

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1. have no more debt at all
2. set up a trust fund for Carson
3. open a chain of high-quality child care centers that accept kids with special needs at no cost to their parents
4. buy a house in the Caribbean
5. make a lot of deserving people happy

Five bad habits:

1. procrastination at work-I hate report writing and I have tons of it to do
2. saying whatever is on my mind, even when the truth hurts, I should probably shut up once in a while
3. wanting more than what I've got
4. intending to scrapbook...and then getting distracted
5. obsessing about food-it's my "crack" I think about what to eat or not eat way too much

Five things you like doing:

1. relaxing at home
2. shopping by myself
3. going to Disney World-maybe another trip next year
4. watching As the World Turns on TIVO-much faster w/out commercials
5. going out to eat

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get again:

1. fat free butter-tastes like Crisco on toast
2. cheap shoes-they make my feet hurt too bad
3. a room in dowtown St Louis on New Years's Eve-way too loud
4. a tank swimsuit- not too many people really look good in a basic tank
5. non-underwire bras-have you seen a pic of me? Enough said.

Five favorite toys:

1. Computer-I'm addicted to blogs, recipe sites, scrapbooking sites, Ebay.....
2. Cell phone
3. TIVO- I love not having to watch commercials
4. My new scapbook tool tote from All My Memories
5. My scrapbook backpack for crops

First time you got kissed: How was it?
I honestly don't remember, so it must not have been too great. My first kiss with Greg was rather unexpected and totally out of character for him, but great!

First time you drove a car: What kind of car?
My mom's huge white boat, on our gravel road, the night before my first driver's ed class, so I wouldn't be the only one who had never driven a car

First time you scrapbooked: When you look at your page do you love it?
Um, no. Who ever thought it would be a great idea to cut pics with deco scissors?!?!

First time you went on a date: Where did you go and with who?
First date with Greg was to see "The Rock" and to eat at the Pasta House on 06/07/96.

First time you fell in love: How did you know?
It was gradual. I'm not a love at first site kind of girl.

First time you cooked for someone: Was it yummy? What did you make?
I have no idea. My Grandma Mungle always let me help cook and I cooked for my family all the time growing up.

First time you got on a plane: Where did you go? Were you scared?
05/24/1999 from St Louis to Chicago and Chicago to Honolulu. I was excited, not scared, but very sick.

First time you shaved your legs: Did you cut yourself?
I have no idea. I cut myself last week!

First time you put on make up: Looking back how did you do? Did you look good or like a clown?
I have no clue.

First time you moved out of your home: Was it an apartment, house, etc?
I moved in with one of my best friends from high school our freshman yearof college. We had a raunchy, tiny apartment near campus where you could hear what everyone in the building was doing at all times. She and I no longer speak due to our horrible experience living together.I moved back home after 3 months and stayed until I got married.

Weigh Day Update and Misc Ramblings

I am one tired mama.It's 12:30am and I am finally finished with my course outline and requirements for the ever-so-popular course "Child Life in Hospital Settings." It starts this Thursday. This is the first time I'll be teaching graduate students along with undergrads. Big change of pace from the freshman course I've been teaching. Don't tell the students, but I still feel like one of them! A student addressed me as "Prefessor Franklin" in an email tonight and I literally cracked up. I'm only 29! (For a few more months ;) Oh my, this is going to be a challenge.

I had 12 ladies join my Bible study, "The Frazzled Female: Finding Peace in the Midst of Daily Life," last Wednesday. I'll see how many come back this Wednesday. There was a good mix of ages and backgrounds, so it should be a great study. I'm definitely frazzled these days!

I lost 2.6 pounds at the big weigh-in today. Not bad for attending 2 birthday dinners this weekend. I'm looking more like a goddess every day. I think a vacation will be in order to celebrate my efforts come December. Somewhere warm and sandy. We're kicking around some ideas.

The Mazda is home and running great and all for under $50. I'll say goodbye to the white bomb in the morning. It was actualy very nice to have an extra car to drive. I'll shut up now. Nighty-night!

Tagged by the Four of Clubbs

I was tagged by Brooke, so here goes:



4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life:
1. Cashier/Skate Attendant at the now defunct "The Ice" in Cape Girardeau
2. Phlebotomist at Southeast Missouri Hospital
3. Autism Technician at The Southeast Missouri Autism Project
4. Inclusion Specialist and part-time instructor at SEMO University

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
1. Dirty Dancing
2. The Sound of Music ( I played Marta in 3rd grade :)
3. Anything Disney
4. Napoleon Dynamite (I know, I know, it's stupidity at it's finest, but it almost makes me pee my pants)


4 Places You Have Lived:
1. Jackson, MO
2. Cape Girardeau, MO
3. Burfordville, MO
4. St Louis, MO
( How boring. I really need to check into that early childhood position in Italy)

4 TV Shows You Love to Watch:
1. CSI: Miami (the first episode aired when we were in our room at Disney World and we've been hooked ever since)
2. As the World Turns-(I grew up watching this with my Grandpa-I periodically took breaks from it, but now I have TIVO!!!!)
3. Paula's Home Cooking-yum! yum! yum! I don't even want to think about how many Weight Watcher points Paula's meals would devour.
4. Good Eats. Alton Brown is a funny guy.

4 Places You Have Been on Vacation:
1. Disney World
2. Hawaii
3. Mexico
4. Pensacola, FL -I'll be back there in June for cousin Christy's wedding. I love the beach!!!

4 websites you visit daily:
1. Crazy Croppers-a scrapbooking group I started about 3 years ago
2. twopeasinabucket.com
3. weightwatchers.com
4. A private MSN scrapbooking group that I have made a New Year's Resolution to be a bigger part of. So far, so good!

4 of your favorite foods:
1. biscuits and gravy
2. tortilla chips and cheese dip
3. apple pie with ice cream
4. chicken and dumplings

All of which are horrible temptations when trying to lose weight!

4 places you would rather be right now:
1. Disney World
2. On a cruise ship in the Caribbean
3. Upstairs watching a movie with all of the chores and paperwork completed that I have to get done today
4. El Torero (see favorite foods list)

4 Bloggers You are Tagging:
I only know 4 bloggers that haven't already done this!
1. Becky
2. Dottie
3. Dawn
4. Heather D. White

I'm really not sure they even ready my blog! If any of my readers have blogs, please post a reply and let me know. I'd love to read'em! -Amy

weigh day

Tomorrow is the moment of truth. After a full week completely on program, I will weigh in at 9:30 am. I stayed exactly the same last week. At first I was surprised not to have a loss, but when I was really honest with myself, I had cheated several times. That last Franklin family Christmas on the 9th was really tough on the scale. (Dang, Cheryl's potato rolls are good!) My home scale is showing a decent loss, but I've been fooled before, so we'll see what happens in the morning.

In other news, God continues to humble me when I need to be knocked off my pedestal. I was daydreaming of a new minivan a few days ago. I was actually picking a color and fantasizing about Carson sitting ever-so-quietly in the backseat watching the flip down TV screen as we drive to Florida in June. Then came the inevitable. Yesterday morning my car wouldn't start. I have one payment to go and it will be paid for. It is currently in residence at Roy's Tire and Auto awaiting a check-up on Monday morning. Luckily for me (insert heavy sarcasm here), my in-laws just purchased an "extra" car for times like these. I am now the proud borrower of a 1990 white Toyota Camry in not-so-pretty condition. I was leary of being seen in the white bomb at first, but it's CD player works great, which is a switch from my Mazda, and it actually drives decent for being 16 years old. So much for my minivan dreams. My car can be fixed and I will enjoy not having a payment for a year or three. :)
I will be spending tomorrow afternoon re-working the course requirements for my night class. I was informed late last week that I will have 5 independent study students in addition to the 25 students enrolled on Thursday nights. This means a ton more work and a little more money for me. I hope it's worth it, but I guess it doesn't really matter since I have no choice! The extra money will be nice since we're headed to Florida in June. I'll quit complaining now.
We'll be leaving for Texas Roadhouse in a few minutes to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. Happy Birthday Betsy! I'd better go wrap those presents!
Wish me luck at the scale tomorrow! Have a great MLK Day.

The rear is in gear

I am back at Weight Watchers and have honestly journaled every morsel that went into my mouth this week. I worked out Wednesday, took yesterday off due to intense heel pain from working out Wednesday, and I'm getting ready to go upstairs to Walk Away the Pounds in a few minutes. My goal is to look great next New Year's Eve. I've changed my goal from "I will lose X number of pounds" to "I will have the body of a Goddess." I can live with that. I don't care to ever look athletic, just healthy with a lot of curves. That's doable. In accordance with my resolution to become debt-free, I will be showcasing my Godessesque physique in something sparkly and slinky while basking in my new found financial freedom next New Year's Eve. There will be a party involved. You may be invited.

I am journaling this to keep myself on track when the going gets tough, as I know it will. When I want to spend $20 on a dinner out that will ultimately cause me to gain weight, I hope I remember to reread this post and remember that Goddess body and feeling of freedom as I walk to the fridge to prepare a healthy and budget conscious dinner. I may need reminding, so feel free to refer me back to the 01/06/05 blog post!

I'm off today and planning to attend a crop tonight with several friends. I am so looking forward to the time to scrapbook something for myself. I also need to go to David's Bridal to order a bridesmaid's dress. That April 8 date is looming and I am looking forward to needing alterations in late March as I head toward that new body. I'm of to work on that physique now! Have a fantastic weekend! I have one last Christmas party to attend!

Resolutions

Hello Readers! Long time, no blog. We had a wonderful Christmas and I'm looking forward to getting back in a routine.


I spent today getting the house back in order and thinking of what I hope to accomplish in the new year. Here are my 2006 resolutions:


1. Plan our meals and stick to the plan. We spend entirely too much money eating out. It shows on my check register and my butt. I spent today cleaning out the pantry, fridge, and freezer. I found mustard that expired in 2004. Scary.
2. Use my gym membership and my Weight Watcher dues. I have to lose a lot of weight and get my blood pressure under control if we're going to have any more babies. I also feel like crap and can't fit into my clothes. That's pretty good motivation. I'll be having my "Last Supper" on Sunday. Probably something really greasy that will make me feel horrible and remind me how much I need to lose weight and exercise.
3. Get out of debt. We want everyhing but the mortgage paid off. We'll be driving our beater cars and eating at home in our little starter house for awhile. Oh well, I have enough scrap stuff stockpiled to outlast armageddon. I'll be fine.
4. Say "NO" more often. I would like to feel far less "obligated" this year. My family misses me.

I think that's plenty to shoot for. Good luck to you all whatever your resolutions may be!

The 13 days of Christmas

I am freeeeeeee!!!! 13 days off with pay. This is why I went to school for so long. I am preparing to wrap the last of the presents in a few minutes and then I should be finished, save for my nephew's scrapbook. That will be the project for the next few nights. Thankfully, my nephew won't be here until the week after Christmas.

Carson is so excited about Christmas this year. He shouts, "Mommy, look at those pretty lights!!," every time we're out at night. He opened the first of his many gifts on Sunday and was so appreciative and excited, it made me proud. I hope he's as enthusiastic at the rest of our "Christmases". We've got 3 down and 4 more to go. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

I've cut way back on my holiday activities this year and it feels pretty nice. I've onlt baked 2 batches of cookies and I've left the fancy homemade ribbon bows off of the gits this year. They usually fell off by the time they reached their destinations anyway.

Carson and I will be attending his preschool Chirstmas pajama party in the morning. He had a blast last year and the kids look so cute dressed in their PJs. I'm already pictureing hte scrapbook page. :)

Keep warm and be merry! It may be awhile before I get back to blog. Have a fantastic Christmas!

4 things I'm thankful for today:

1. an easygoing boss...I came in at 9:00, took a lunch, and left at 3:00.
2. My goofy, sweet husband who is willing to go back out in the freezing cold several times a night to fetch things I thought I left in the car, that were actually under my rear end.
3. My coworkers-what a crazy bunch of girls. Man, do we have fun at work!!!
4. Christmas-the best gift of all.

Gratitude

It's late and I've had a wonderful day. Here are a few things I'm feeling very thankful for.

1. My husband. We laughed so hard, so many times at each other today. We are both crazy and I'm glad we can appreciate each other's wacky sense of humor. Also, how many other husbands would put the Christmas lights up in the snow just to make their wives happy? I'm a lucky girl. :)
2. My goofy little guy. He showered me with sweet kisses today.
3. My girlfriends. I love you guys! Long live the Crazy Croppers!
4. My in-laws. How cool that I'm as comfortable in their home as I am in mine.
5. My mom. She's taking me to a dinner theater show tomorrow and I love doing stuff with her.


Gotta hit the hay! I have to be at church in 7 and a half hours. Have a fabulous Sunday!

It's been a long time...

I am still alive. Christmas preparations, 4 jobs, church work, a husband and a 4-year-old are not leaving me much time to do anything but eat and sleep lately. The trees are up, the house lights are up, the presents are wrapped and the cookies will be baked this weekend. I am looking forward to Christmas more this year than I have in a long time. 12 days off!!! With pay!!!!! I plan to stay home and catch up on my scrapbooks, with very minimal leaving the house. Yay!!!!!

On a depressing note, I have completely and totally fallen off the Weight Watchers wagon. Did you hear the thud? It grows bigger every day. I have lost all motivation for journaling and exercise. I feel like crap, but the efforts seem futile this time of year. Hopefully, the realization that I'll be wearing a pink bridesmaid's dress in 3 1/2 short months will hit me soon. Pray for it to hit me hard!


Carson and Greg are well. Carson just got a new set of braces for his legs and we'll be starting visual therapy the week of Chirstmas to help with his lack of depth perception. He has visited with Santa twice so far and has told everyone that he wants a Thomas the Train roundhouse, mittens, and candy canes. I think that can be arranged. :)


Well, time to head upstairs. It's freezing in our basement and I still have to finish my nephew's scrapbook album before Christmas. I'll be starting on it a few minutes. Nothing like scrapping a year's worth of pictures in a weekend! Be Merry!

What a Girl Needs

This is a complete steal from Dawn's blog, a blog I enjoy reading for her witty observations and because I have total envy of the fact that she lives close enough to Disney World to trot on over to Epcot any given night of the week.

The basic idea is to google what you need--for instance i googled "Amy needs"--and then post the first 10 results.


Amy needs to either wake up or start getting some extra will-power. I don't
believe that Amy needs sex.* I am fully awake. I definitely do need extra willpower. No comment on the sex.

Amy needs support from others who have been there.. Is this a major hint to get my ass back to Weight Watchers?!?!?

A fellow Amy needs your help. Not a problem. I hardly ever say "no"

Amy needs a new pair of shoes I agree.

Amy needs help for life hmmm...I do?

We have fought for seven years to get the
attention that Amy needs to be found Well, I've been here in Jackson for about 29 years.

Amy needs to learn to start helping around the house Hah! I think this should read "Greg"

This site hopes to be your number one source for all of your Amy needs, This must be a site that offers purses, shoes, jewelry, and scrapbook supplies

If, however, Peter won't compromise in this way, Amy needs to decide if this
fits her idea of a good relationship," I don't know anyone named Peter

Amy needs to get another facial expression for deep ponderance - I haven't had time for deep ponderance for several months




Go "google" yourself. Ya know you want to! I'm outta here until Sunday. We'll be in Nashville all weekend taking in some shopping, celebrating my nephew's birthday and visiting the fabulous Opryland Hotel's Christmas lights. Have a great long weekend!

Brought to you by the letter S...

S stands for lots of things. This week it stood for shopping, singing, seeing, sleep, and unfortuantely, snot. Sorry if that's too much info.

Let's start with shopping. In a span of 72 hours, I made 2.5 trips to St. Louis and shopped at 3 different malls and various specialty stores. It was a very successful shopping venture. I only have Greg and his brother left to buy for on my Chirstmas list. The 2.5 trips were not by choice.

On Thursday, I took Carson to see his eye specialist in St Louis. We'll be starting a home therapy program with monthly vision therapy visits to St. Louis. The doctor thinks Carson only has about 60% of the peripheral vision that he should and very little depth perception. There's nothing we can do to make it better, so we'll be helping him learn to compensate for what he's lacking. We stopped at Crestwood Mall on the way home.

On Friday, I had to work in Arnold all day. My coworker dropped me off at South County Mall, where I shopped for 3 hours while I waited for Greg to drive up from Cape so we could go see Mark Schultz in concert. (No point in me riding to Cape just to turn around come back when I could be shopping!) The concert was awesome (hence the "singing" I mentioned. I sang really loud to try to drown out the horribly tone deaf man next to me. It didn't work.) We spent the night at the Drury Inn and shopped at West County Mall Saturday. This is where the sickness and snot come in.

I am sick. I've felt bad all week, but last night on the way home, I really felt bad. Today I felt worse. I started an antibiotic and some heavy duty decongestants today and I'm a little better tonight. I have to leave for Jefferson City on Tuesday and won't be home until Friday. It's going to be in the 20's at night. I'll probably get sicker. Hopefully, not. My friend, Heather, and I are sharing a room, so for her sake, I really hope I'm not snoring all night from the congestion. I bought her some earplugs just in case.

That's pretty much it, kids. I'll be back late Friday night. I have one more week long work trip in a few weeks, then I should be finished with overnight travel for a long time. Yay!!! I have no laptop and the Fairfield Inn has no business center, so be good while I'm gone.

Friendship, Construction, and Christmas Songs

I am so lucky to have so many friends. I've had a pretty rough week at work and have been super busy at home. My friends are so good to me and if it weren't for them, I'd probably be curled up crying in the corner by now! Without going into the boring details, I'll summarize my work week by saying that I felt very overwhelmed and underappreciated this week. My friend, Heather, stopped by my desk this morning to let me know that she thinks I'm doing an awesome job and the reason I'm so overwhelmed with requests for help is because the last two people who had my position screwed things up so badly. That made me feel much better. I can handle fixing other people's screw ups as long as I know that I'm on the right track.

Today was another not-so-great day. I was stuck in construction traffic for 45 minutes this morning and had a mountain of reports to write at work. Luckily, I had plans to go to a party with my good friend, Becky. (Hi Becky!!!) We had a blast spending the night out together. We went to the party (a SHOPPING PARTY!!!!!), ate at Red Lobster (where we each had a yummy Bahama Mama), and then took our time going ailse by aisle through Target until they turned the lights out. I purchased several more Christmas presents that I'll be staying up to wrap tonight. On the way home, we noticed that 104.7 FM is playing Chirstmas music. I really like Christmas music, but isn't it a bit much to start the Christmas tunes 4 days after Halloween?!?! It did help me get in the mood to wrap the presents that are piling up in our basement. Ho! Ho! Ho!


I also got the chance to stop and chat with Greg's cousin, Rebecca at her store this week. I always have a good time talking with her and I hadn't seen her since Carson's party. We talked for over an hour. It was great to catch up.

In the morning, I'll be heading to St Louis with one of my oldest friends, Mary Catherine, to look for bridesmaids' dresses. I'm going to be the Matron of Honor in her wedding next April. I can't wait to hear everything she has planned and help her with the things that still need to be done.

So all in all, I've had a great "friendship" week. Thanks to all of you that I call "friend". I love each and every one of ya!

Don't hate me beacause I'm organized...

but I now have gifts purchased for 3/4 of the people on my gift list. I must say that I rock this year. I don't know why, but I am terrified to not have my shopping done by Thanksgiving this year. I usually do most of my shopping that weekend, but I think I'll be done way before then. Now, finding time to make all my handmande stuff may be a different story. Shop On!

Don’t Fall For It
from The Friday Five

1. What do you like or dislike about autumn? I love the changing leaves, the trips to the pumpkin patch, hayrides, bonfires, carving pumpkins, and deciding what to be for Halloween. There's not much I dislike about it.

2. Have you raked leaves into a pile just to jump in them? When I used to babysit for this one particular family during all SEMO football games, I'd rake huge piles of leaves in their backyard so the kids and I could jump in them. That was some fun stuff.

3. Have you ever carved a pumpkin and how did it turn out? I carved one last week at our church's fall festival and it turned out pretty well. It is the outline of a rather scary cat. We'll carve the rest of our pumpkins tomorrw night.

4. Have you ever eaten anything made from pumpkins other than pie? Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and I've been craving a pumpkin pie blizzard from DQ.

5. Where is a good spot to see the leaves change color where you live? There is a spot on I-55 near St. Genevieve that always takes my breath away no matter what season. As you top the hill, the trees are absolutely beautiful right now. I thank God for the wonderful show each time I pass by. :)

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks or maybe not

Hello Blog Readers! Yes, I'm still alive! Things have finally settled down for a few days at the Franklin household and I have a couple free moments to blog. :) We have been well, but busy as we begin the approach to the holiday season.

Yesterday we worked at a Fall Festival at our new church site. It was an awesome day and we had a great time having fellowship with our church friends and members of the community. I am so excited to start attending contemporary worship services at the new site next Sunday. The sanctuary is beautiful and the sound system sounds great. In the most respectful way I have to say, "Yay, God!!!!" I hope the church is successful beyond our wildest dreams in reaching out to the unchurched population in our town. We'll see next week!

Today we went to Sunday school and then went with another couple to St Louis. They had complimentary seats to a concert performance by the St Louis Philharmonic orchestra. Our tickets said the name of the concert was "Holiday Pops, " so we were pumped and in the Christmas spirit all the way up. We had a great dinner at Blueberry Hill and arrived just in time for the opening song. Greg went back to the lobby and returned with programs that said "A Tribute to America." Interesting, didn't sound like a holiday themed title. It actually was holiday themed, but more like Independence Day than Christmas. Nevertheless, the music was awesome and we had a good time. We may go back in December to hear the "Holiday Pops" performance. We topped of the evening with a stop at Krispy Kreme for some hot doughnuts and cold chocolate milk. I am now paying the price and may be up all night with a stomach ache. :( Those doughnuts sure were good. All three of them.

This week is work Monday through Thursday and a trip to St Louis for a conference on Friday. Greg and Carson are going with me to the conference. We're planning to go somewhere fun when I get finished Saturday afternoon. Always nice to take the family on a free work trip.

I have begun my Christams shopping and I'm on a mission to have it completed by Thanksgiving this year. I think it will be great to be able to put all the gifts under the tree as soon as we put it up at Thanksgiving, and hten sit back and enjoy the season without fear of the mall. I say this, but I'll probably end up just buying additional gifts even if I'm already finished with my gift list. I'm having trouble thinking of much that I want this year. There's still plenty of time for me to browse though!

Have a great week! Hopefully I'll have time to check in again soon! -Amy

Pumpkins! and Leaves! and Scarecrows! Oh My!

I love Fall. I realized this morning on my scenic drive to Fredericktown, MO just how much I loe this season. There was a chill in the morning air and the leaves were beginning to colors everywhere I looked. Fall displays were seen all along the roadway and Halloween costumes were prominently displayed in the windows of a secondhand store I stopped in. What a great day.

Today was also a good day career wise. It was awesome to return to the diasatrous child care center I visited a few weeks ago and see that the teachers and director have made a huge effort to implement my recommendations. What a total turnaround from my last visit. To see the children playing happily in a stimulating environment was well worth the years of school and studying I did get here. I am so proud of these teachers for being willing to learn and giving my ideas a chance. Yay Preschool!

This week will be busy as usual. I'll be starting my night class in a few minutes. tomorrow I finally get to play Bunco, which I have missed for the last 3 months due to work conflicts. I am so excited! Wednesday night is Bible study and Thursday I'll be staying in St Louis to attend a conference Monday morning on hearing impairments. I don't know a lot about the topic, so I hope to get lots of useful information. This weekend I'll be working at the Women's Show at our Child Care Resource and Referral booth all day Saturday. Come by and say "hi"! I'll have free cookie cutters for ya! Sunday we plan on heading to Begg's Pumpkin Patch for some Fall fun. Have a great week!

Dear Blog Readers,

I apologize for my extended leave of absence. I have been busier than heck for the past week and a half and I was simply too tired to remember to blog. Here's a brief update of what's been going on in the Franklin household:

Carson's birthday party was a huge success. The kids loved the activities and the jump-o-saurus was a big hit. It was huge. Even bigger than we could have imagined. Greg and I had fun jumping as well, as did my grandma, spry little thing that she is. She even went down the slide. Too cool.

Sunday we went to the zoo with my in-laws and Greg's brother and nephew. It was hot, humid, and Carson was on day 3 without a nap. It was not the most enjoyable trip to the zoo. The boys had a great time at Fitz's Rootbeer watching the soda being bottled and drinking rootbeer floats. Carson had a meltdown at the zoo and I had a meltdown on the way home due to a little too much family togetherness. Things are better now.

Monday I went back to St Louis (yes, less than 12 hours since I had gotten home from the zoo in St. Louis) to a meeting for work. That evening we went to Red Lobster for Carson's birthday dinner. Greg's mom baked him a small cake and he opened his gifts from us, Greg's parents, and Greg's brother.

Last night I worked in the basement trying to get something accomplished on the scrapbook swaps I joined that are due on Friday. I'll be doing that again tomorrow. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I'll be cropping form 4-10 on Friday and I am so ready for the break.


Saturday we plan to put all of our summer outdoor things away and clean up the yard. Sunday we have a birthday party and church. Next week I'm in St. Louis overnight and I 'm looking forward to the quiet.


Pictures of our recent adventures are posted on Carson's website. www.carsonfranklin.net

Thanks for stopping by!

Days go by

Was it really Wednesday when I last blogged? My how the time has flown. I ended up having Wednesday and Thursday off this week and worked yesterday and today.

Carson had an eye appointment on Wednesday. The doctor suggested he may not yet have developed depth perception, which is why he contiues to fall often and sometimes run into things. She thinks his occupational therapist at school should be able to do some exercises with him to improve the probability that he will develop depth perception. I really like his doctor, but I really dislike when doctors and other medical professionals talk down to patients, or patient's parents in this case. I politely left without saying much, but I wanted to say, "So you honestly believe that an occupational therapist spending 30 minutes a week with Carson at school is going to help remedy such an important issue?!?! How about a referral to a visual therapist, or a developmental optometrist?!!?" I've found both on my own, by the way. We'll be calling for an appoitment next week. It's times like these that I'd really like to have my resume tattooed somewhere to say, "Look here! I'm educated too, so don't talk to me like I'm a moron." One more reason to start working on that PhD. It would be so nice to introduce myself as Dr. Franklin. :)

Today I worked at a seminar put on by my workplace. Over 200 child care providers attended. It went really well and made me realize how comfortable I am in my new job and how much I enjoy being part of a university. I was approached during the seminar to teach a different class in the spring. The class is called "Child Life in Hospital Settings. " I loved the course when I took it during graduate school, but I never dreamed I'd be asked to teach it. It's an upper level course, unlike the freshman level courses I've been teaching. I think it will be great to have students who already have the basics down and are ready to get into some more in-depth material. It scares me a litttle that I could potentially have graduate students in my class, but I'll get over it. I had to stop myself from taking over the presentation from the speaker in the room I was helping in at the seminar. I like being the teacher. ;)

This afternoon we went to a birthday party for Jacob, my friend Becky's, little boy. She had the party at Pioneer Apple Orchard and it was great. We had a hayride, picked pumpkins, ate apples, and roasted hotdogs. Here are some pics:


Riding to the pumpkin patch




















Dirty-faced boy


Tomorrow, we're going to early church and then to St Louis to let Carson pick out something for his birthday and possibly take him to the transportation museum if the weather is good. He is crazy about trains and we've never been to the museum before. Should be a fun day! His party is next Saturday and I've just about got every thing under control. If everyone comes, there will be 42 children there. Oh my! My mom has helped greatly. Thanks Mom! Have a great Sunday everyone!

Ten Kindnesses

Name ten kindnesses shown to you this week.

1. My friend, Becky, offered to watch Carson while I go to his parent/teacher conference tomorrow. She is always so good to me when I need her. :)

2. My mom has been taking Greg to work this week while our truck is in the shop, which makes my life a whole lot easier.

3. Donna, the mom of a child I visit for therapy, gave me the prettiest pillow just because I said it was pretty. Last week she gave me 2 chicken alfredo boxed dinners because I said I couldn't decide what to fix for dinner. She also always asks how I am and is genuinely concerned, even while her child is still struggling with medical issues.

4. My friend, Nancy, agreed to teach my night class on Carson's birthday so I can be home to celebrate with him.

5. My friend, Syd, stopped by my desk just to see if I needed help with anything at work.

6. My friend, Brooke, emailed some pictures of Carson and his class at the fair to me on the very same day they went to the fair. I had to work, so it was great to see the pics so soon.

7. Heather thanked me for sharing a craft idea for MOPS with her and made it sound like I had come up with a solution to world hunger.

8. The waiter at Buckner's cheerfully served my rowdy Sunday school class for 3 hours on Friday night, even though I'm sure he wanted us to get the heck out of his table space.

9. My Bible study class welcomed me so warmly to the last five minutes of class last Wednesday when I was late returning from Jefferson City.

10. Greg only called me one time while I was gone getting a manicure, pedicure and shopping at Target by myself for 3 hours last night. He was even pleasant and didn't even ask when I planned to come home. Carson was in bed and the house was somewhat in order when I got home.

I tag Becky and Brooke to list ten kindnesses on their blogs. I'm feeling very blessed after taking the time for this list. Have a great Wednesday!

Down Time

I made it through the week Surprisingly, I actually got almost everything finished that I needed to do this week. Last night we went to Buckner Brewing Company with our friends from Sunday school. I realize that it's a little strange for our Sunday school class to meet at what is essentially a bar, but this is one of the only places we can always get a table for 15 on a Friday night without an extra charge for a room. We had a blast. Our class has grown into such a tight knit crew over the 3 years since we started the class. We laugh so hard when we get together outside of church. (The two wedding cake martinis I had may have helped with the laughter. :)

Today I'm teaching a class at the scrapbook store at 11 and then we're taking Carson to see March of the Penguins this afternoon. My boss's sister gave everyone I work with 2 free movies tickets that expire on the 22nd. They have to be used through the week or before 4 on the weekend, so today is the day. Carson does pretty well in the movies, so I hope he'll enjoy this one. It's pretty sad that this is the only movie that would be suitable for a preschooler. What happened to having at least one kid friendly movie at all times? I'll stop before I launch into "children are valued so little in this country" rant.

On Thursday, Carson and I attended the first ever Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting in Jackson. We had a great time. I'll be helping with crafts from now on. If anyone knows any 20 minutes or less crafts for adults, send them my way. We have to keep the prep and assembly simple and inexpensice, but we want to make sure we offer neat projects. Carson attends the MOPets while I go to my meeting. He never has a problem seperating from me, but he really didn't have a problem at MOPs. He was so excited to meet his new friends that I could barely keep up with him when we were trying to find his classroom. He's really into having friends right now. Everywhere we go he wants to know if his friends are going to be there.

Tomorrow I have a bridal shower to attend in the afternoon and church in the morning. It will be so nice to have an evening at home. My class has been postponed for a week or two until they have my contract ready, so I'll be home on Monday night too! I'm so excited about having nothing to do! Have a great weekend!

On the road again

I'm leaving in about an hour for Jefferson City. I've worked all morning to get the laundry caught up and the house clean. Woe to any male members of this household if things are not as I left them when I return tomorrow night. I think they'll be fine. I am planning to spend this evening shopping at TJ Maxx and then chillin' in my hotel room by myself while I sort through all of my scrapbook paper and put page kits together. I also need to finish working on my Bible study homework. I have work that I could be doing, but I decided that tonight is for me. No distractions. I have vowed to quit buying scrapbook supplies unless I actually have the pictures to match the paper in my hand. No more buying because the paper is cute and thinking that I'll remember to take pictures of Carson eating M&M's to match the cute M&M paper I had to have. I just donated literally hundreds of pieces of paper to a silent auction for hurricane relief. I can't think of a more worthy cause, but to see all that paper that was probably $.50 a sheet made me a little bit sick. I still have tons of paper, which is why I'll be making page kits tonight. Get the pictures with the paper and get the pages done. I'll be coming home after my meeting tomorrow and heading straight to church for Bible study. Thursday night is MOPS. Friday night is dinner out with our Sunday school class. Saturday I have classes at the scrapbook store and an afternoon movie trip to use the movie tickets that expire on the 22nd. Sunday I have a bridal shower to go to. I think next week I just have my night class and Bible study. Thanks be to God! I can see the light! Have a fabulous Tuesday and Wednesday!

Wonder Woman on the Edge

So, those of you who know me personally would probably describe me as busy. Most people do. They begin sentences with "I know you're really busy, but could you..." My answer is typically "Yes! What do you need and when." No More! I officially hit the point today that I feel I have to start refusing offers. This is going to kill me. I really like my reputation as a "go-to girl" and I am pretty darn good at getting the job done. Today, I reached capacity and I have literally been worried sick wondering how my family and I will survive the next 12 weeks. The morning started out great. I got to work, put my lunch in the fridge and started the computer. The server was down. Bad omen #1. My friend and coworker, Heather, stops to tell me that the text books for my class have arrived.

"For what class? The class I'm teaching in December?"

"No, your CDA class that starts tonight."

"The same class I taught last year that started in December?" (Panic is now setting in.)

"Yes, but we changed the schedule and it starts tonight. What did you think I was asking about when I asked if you were ready for your class last week?"

" I thought you were asking about my new Bible study on Wednesday nights!!!! Holy crap! I have nothing ready for a class that starts in less than 8 hours!"

The day declined rapidly from there. I rearranged my afterwork appoinments to the afternoon and managed to be back to work in time for said class. We did an icebreaker activity, introductions, and a very brief overview of the course. I had gone home to email my syllabus and course outline to work, but the stupid server at the university wouldn't let my attachments through. What the hell?!?!?

I honestly don't care that the class started 12 weeks earlier than I was anticipating and it will be nice to have the extra money for Christmas and bills. It's just that I'm a planner, and I really wanted to do some tweaking and updating of my course that is not going to be possible now.

I also would have never signed up for a Wednesday night Bible study that lasts through Christmas had I known that I'd be in class until 9:00 every Monday for the next 12 weeks. I am thinking that Greg will have to join a Bible study so he and Carson will at least be at the church with me on Wednesdays. Maybe we can have family time on the way there and back.

Carson and I will be attending the first meeting of a new Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group Thursday night. This will be a once a month commitment, thank goodness.

I also still play Bunco once a month. It often falls on the same week as MOPS and my scrapbooking group.

I don't mean to sound whiny, and I do realize that I have brought all of this, other than the unexpected class, upon myself. It's just that I love all of these things and hate to give anything up. Looking back, I can't believe I ever used to work full time and still got everything done. Of course, this is the first time I've had a full time and 2 part time jobs and several hobbies and group affiliations and a child. Woe is me tonight. I get a little bit sick to my stomach thinking about it all. What happened to the days when I could work 8 hours, go to class 6 hours, go "out" for 4 hours and sleep hardly at all. I feel the big 3-0 gaining on me fast. You'll know I've drowned in a sea of comittments if I don't blog again for awhile. Wish me luck and a few extra hours in the day. I need all the help I can get.

Back from the Beach!

Hello Readers! Just a note to let you know that I arrived home safely this evening. We had a fantastic time at the nearly empty beach and a great visit with Greg's aunt and uncle. Everything went smoothly on the drive down and back. Gas was scarce in Pensacola, but we managed to fill up for $2.54 a gallon with a brief, 25 minute wait at a WalMart gas station yesterday.

The devastation that Pensacola suffered from Hurricane Ivan last year is still evident everywhere. It was so bizarre to see huge boats marooned several miles inland and just left to rot. Houses were empty and left to decay all along the coast. Piles of debris still line the streets and crews work around the clock to continue clearing the roadsides where people are told to pile what remains of their homes and businesses. Two vehicles were literally lying in the middle of the beach half full of sand and rusting. I cannot imagine how long it will take New Orleans to recover, given the level of poverty there vs the affluence in Pensacola. If million dollar, insured beach homes still aren't repaired, I hate to think about what will happen to the homes of the impoverished in New Orleans. Greg's uncle said it can take years to move up the waiting list for a contractor. The power of nature is unbelievable.

Here are a few pics of my beach bums. When we woke up at the hotel in Alabama this morning, Carson said, "It's day! We get to go to the beach!" How I wish that were true, but it's also good to be home!