Busy Monday, July 21

Today's 'To-Do' List

• Write this Blog 
• Write Menu
• Grocery Shopping
• Laundry
• Lunch with Peter
• School Supply Shopping with the Kids. - I have a $15 voucher from Staples because they couldn't fill my order that I had placed with them which of course upset me so I brought it up to them and they decided to compensate me. Works for me. I still think companies should be able to fill the orders but it is what it is and they did a lot more for me then some companies would so they've saved face.

Menu

Well things I had planned for last week didn't happen last week. Thankfully that was only really one real day that was totally off and we still ate out of the house.

• Chicken Curry, rice, peas
• Pulled Pork & Chips
• Spaghetti
• Turkey w/gravy, mashed potatoes, corn
• Pizza
• Banquet Country Chicken Bake (kid requested)
• Cheese Stuffed Chicken (kids went through cookbook), stuffing & green beans

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Decide when I'm going on vacation. -- My cousin's wedding is coming up and I wanted to take the kids to go see my grandfather and other family up in South Dakota. It wasn't exactly a trip I 'planned' so I'm having to figure out how to juggle my vacation time. I have to make the decision ASAP!
• Go to the gym at least twice. - I haven't accomplished this even once in the last couple weeks but I'm going to keep putting it down. Though I am a bit demotivated since my pedometer has gone missing. 
•  Clean up around the house 
• Start packing for trip
• Finish cabinet door craft

Last Week

Tuesday... So my car A/C went out again and I took it into a new shop. Well it turned out it looks like it is not electrical but the chinese part keeps breaking on a sensor switch so if this one breaks again we will need to get a hold of the dealership and get an actual 'real' replacement. The guy at this other shop only charged us $40 and even showed me where the part he replaced was and explained how it worked and talked to me about some other engine noise which I had been wondering about. Needless to say another part I need to replace and probably should do it before I take this drive but Pete hasn't really talked to me much about it. Thankfully I have roadside assistance if need be. 

Wednesday, I was at work and just checking Facebook real quick and I saw a posting from a custom cabinet store we have used. They had 250 thermal wrapped mdf cabinet doors for free!! So after work I called Brielle to let her know I was going to be late and I drove out the half hour it takes to get to the shop and while I didn't find any doors that would fit my kitchen cabinets like I had hoped I did grab a bunch to do crafts with. 

Thursday after work I took the girls down to the library since I had a book that was overdue so I wanted to take care of that and pick up another book (The last one I had since the beginning of April I think it was I just haven't had time to read). I showed Brielle how to talk to the people there because she needed to find a new series but really liked the last series she read so I showed her if you just ask the people there will be more than happy to help you look up authors and series of books that are similar in ways to other authors or series. 

Friday... Earlier in the week a friend of mine gave me box upon box of old candle jars with wax in them. I've got all sorts of different scents of wax now. I ended up Friday having time to process 3 jars of the wax. Lemon bar! My house smelled amazing!

Saturday all morning we were busy on the yard and the house.  We had to get ready for a big cookout. It wasn't suppose to get that big but it did. I think at our peak we had 20-21 people (including us)! We cooked out a bunch of food, set off fireworks and then amazingly the kids all played and the grownups got to sit around and talk!! It was a wonderful night as we all told stories of things our kids have done or stupid stuff we did as kids. Brielle had a friend spend the night also. 

Sunday we realized that in our wild and crazy party (not really but it sounds good) our toilet seat broke so Peter and I went out to buy a new toilet seat. We then went to the game shop so Peter could pick up a couple packs of cards and then we went over to Jo-Ann's because I'm thinking of things to do with these cabinet doors that I got. After coming home I sat around for awhile and pouted and then pushed myself out the door and went to goodwill and a couple different dollar stores. I came home and started a cabinet door project. It isn't quite done yet I realized I better put in the hanging hooks before attaching everything else because with the doors being mdf they may need more pressure to screw things in. 

Busy Monday, July 14

Today's 'To-Do' List

• Write this Blog 
• Write Menu
• Grocery Shopping
• Laundry
• Make sure the kids go through all their clothes so we can start making a back to school wish list

Menu

• ... Truthfully no bloody clue. I'm going to have to dig through ads. We are not very stocked we cleared the fridge before vacation, we just had a weekend of a houseful of unexpected guests too so our pantry and freezer are looking a little sad too.
  Hopefully next week I'll be more organized! 

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Take the van to the mechanic Tuesday.
• Go to the gym at least twice. - I've totally slacked on this and need to get back on it one way or another even if it's just swimming with the kids.
•  Clean up around the house
• Get luggage into attic - Have to wait on my husband for this I found out I have an extreme allergy to our insulation and it causes me to break out in hives. 

Last Week

Perhaps I should say the last weeks! It's been crazy it really has!

Peter and I went to the Ren Fair one weekend with some friends of ours. It was very hot and humid and a few times I tried to collapse from it so there was much drinking of water and of course home brewed root beer

My turkey leg lunch! It was HUGE needless to say I could not finish it!!

.

Our knight we were cheering for. The poor horse didn't want to get up and go but we found out later that the horse was 21! Which is pretty darn old for a horse! All of the horses for the Ren Fair are rescue horses! Pretty darn awesome!

So as you know the A/C in my van didn't work the compressor was out and it needed some other parts changed. So about $1100 later and a week without my van I finally get my van back after playing the car shuffle with Peter and I have an A/C! Awesome! We get the kids from the airport before vacation and get all the way to N.C. for a couple days on the beach. 

While in N.C. Hurricane Arthur had other ideas and we lost a day but at least we were not evacuated which was a very real possibility and if we had been up at Nagg's Head like we normally are then we would have been.
Where we were at though had their fireworks scheduled for Thursday the 3rd instead of on the 4th so of course we were not having fireworks during a hurricane so on the 4th we drove inland to a small community and went to their fireworks display. It was a very nice area without a bunch of tourists like we were and people were out having picnics and it was just a generally nice time. 

The kids got their faces painted and got balloon animals from a clown.

We all shared some funnel cake.

We watched a very pretty and very good fireworks displayed. 

So after the fireworks we went back out to the van to get back to the rental house and the AC would not turn on and my poor car was acting like she had a tank full of water not gas. She's been acting this way for awhile so the same day we were leaving for vacation I had her oil changed and her fuel injection system cleaned. So no AC we're driving back and it's hot and humid and there is an accident on the road so it takes us over an hour to get back. The car shutters before we are almost back and completely turns off. We get her going again and get back to the house. From there I'm calling my father back in Oregon to talk to him and Peter is googling things. Thankfully this time with the last shutter my check engine light came on which had not been on before. Peter read the code and we figured out what we thought the problem was. By 8am we had the car loaded because it was our last day there and though I had wanted to spend more time on the beach we decided to head out and we had located the closest autozone. We bought the $12 piece and they loaned us some tools and we spent a little money on some other tools and Pete changed out the part while I walked the girls over to Bojangles' to figure out something to eat. Pete got it changed and my van has been acting good ever since and the check engine light went off. So that Monday after we got back I got up early and took the van down to the shop because the AC wasn't working. They kept it for a week and then said it was an electrical problem that isn't covered by my warranty even though there was never this problem before because you could make the compressor kick on it just didn't work. So now Tuesday I take the van back down to be worked on by another person and Peter and I are trying to decide how much money to put into this project because it is draining us. I do know though I have a 16 hour drive in a couple weeks (that's not counting stops for food or potty) with just myself and the kids and I really need to have an AC for this trip. I'm going out to visit family and one of my cousins is getting married. 

Peter cutting up a limb in my messy backyard (person we hired to come clean up the yard never has shown up. Never pay upfront for services!

Otherwise I've been really hard at work at work. They've had me all over the place and with meetings and just UGH I don't want to think about what I have to go back to tomorrow! It's really been stressful which is why I'm so far behind on my Monday updates. 

 Here are some other pictures though from my vacation. 
(Dairy Queen at Topsail)

(Sound Water)

(The drive home coming through the Smokies)

Picture from last week of the kids washing the car. 

We also had a full weekend long sleep over with two of their friends I just haven't uploaded any pictures but they washed my van for me. Any excuse to get into the water since it's been so hot and humid recently.

Busy Monday, June 23

Today's 'To-Do' List

• Write this Blog 
• Write Menu
• Lunch with Husband
• Grocery Shopping
• Laundry
• Take van to mechanic - The van is down at the shop I've been coming home suffering from heat exhaustion from just the short drive from work to home so I really need to get the AC repaired. It'll take them 2 days so for now my husband and I are doing the car shuffle. 
• Contractors in to work on siding <<All day event>>
• Cat's Litter Box
• Other household chores -- My husband says I need to write myself another list since I do better with lists. Of course at the time my only thought was... yeah and you need to stop playing video games and help. <<Thank goodness he doesn't read this.>> In any case we will see where I get to. 

Menu

• Lean Pockets
• Hamburger Helper
• Pizza
• Tacos
• Breakfast for Dinner
• Steak w/Baked Potato
• Hamburgers

As always my menu is never in any order and yes there are veggies thrown in there I just haven't decided on what kind yet. 

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Go to the gym at least twice.
•  Clean up around the house
• Sweep up attic space from blown in insulation and see how much room they left me for storage.
• Buy larger storage tots to combine items and lessen confusion. (Put it this way my husband started throwing things down from the attic because he didn't know one had a porcelain doll in it since it was so light... 
• Clean the fridge. - Today I cleaned out stuff from the fridge but I need to scrub out the whole thing. Maybe I'll get to that today but I want to set the bar so high I fail.  
• Continue to dust around the house... You'll see why. 

Last Week

So last Wednesday construction started on the house. It took them 3 days to get the insulation all put in. We went the weekend with no siding on the house. We had aluminium siding on half the house and that stuff is not replaceable and then we found out our vinyl siding had been painted so there was no matching the color so we've ended up going way over budget and having all the siding replaced on the house. 

During the course of the insulation EVERYTHING got covered with the blown in stuff. It's all over the yard, in all the flower beds and when they did the attic though I know they tried to control stuff it got all over the house. I've been having to do a LOT of dusting. This was our air filter! 




Last week I got together with one of my friends and we went out to starbucks and had sat around for the evening. I had a skinny iced mocha without whip topping. See I was being a good girl... which is really hard to do because you don't realize how many calories are in things like mochas or even shaved ice! 

This weekend Peter and I went to the Botanical Garden for the big balloon event they do every year. This was the first year I've been able to go so I was really happy about being able to. 

I got to see all the pretty flowers but also the damage left over from this last winter not even at the botanical garden could they come out of the deep freeze this year without damage. The daylilies were thriving everywhere though. 

Now here's a laugh. Peter and I both have a phobia of heights but I wanted to go up in the hot air balloon. They had a tethered one so it didn't go super high and was a short ride and we went on it! It didn't bother my husband and I at all! It was really neat and I totally want to shoot for a longer, higher ride sometime! 

There was a live cover band playing on a stage and Peter got Kettle Corn which he loves and I got some flavored shaved ice. 

During the evening paper balloons were sent up and Peter and I even got to light one and let it go up. It was beautiful to see all those specks of light. 

I took a ton of pictures but here is just a few. 

Well that's all I can remember right now. Oh and before someone gets on me... no things did not go as smoothly as they sound in this I had a rollercoaster of a time this past week but I survived it and truth be told can't remember what I was stressing about... well other than money but I'm sorry with the van being as it is and the whole construction on the house I'd be silly not to be stressed about that. 

Oh and one last thing... I decided to play with decorative glass pebbles and an old candle jar. All I have to say is lots of hot glue!

Busy Monday, June 16

Today's 'To-Do' List

• Write this Blog 
•  Mow Front and Back yard
• Write Menu
• Lunch with Husband
• Grocery Shopping
• Pull peas & plant beans
• Finish washing Laundry
• Move items from attic into kids' room. -- We never got to this last week
• Talk with Lowes about getting insulation ordered & waiting for hopefully Wednesday. We never got new siding on this past weekend because last weeks rain put our contractor behind schedule.

Menu

• Lean Pockets - Yes being lazy
• Grilled pork w/garlic herb rub, baked potato & some sort of veggie
• Lloyd's Pulled Pork (not bothering making it myself for just myself and my husband (curses and I forgot to purchase buns today))
• Hamburger Helper
• Pizza
• Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and some sort of veggie
• Spaghetti w/meatballs

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Order insulation
•  Clean up around the house
• Spray weed killer in the many various places it needs it. 
• New siding & ceiling insulation may start this weekend depending on Contractor.(Anyone else notice how many things I have left from last week....)

I'm sure there is more stuff but truthfully I'm pretty tired so it hasn't come to mind. 

Last Week

So Monday I did not go into work but decided to stay home and try and take care of some things. Truthfully I can't even tell you what I all did since it all became kind of a blur to me.
Tuesday when I went into work I got pretty slammed so for the rest of the week I was working over my quitting time and my supervisor had to keep coming into my office to remind me what time it was so that I would go home.

Tuesday after work I went by the farmers market for the first time in several years. I wasn't overly impressed though that may be because I had to do it after work which means many things may have been sold. This is apparently 1 lb of red potatoes and 2 onions and just that cost me $3. I like supporting local farms but sometimes it takes quite the toll on the pocket book.
After I went to the farmers market I made it a point to go down to the gym and work out since the last few weeks have been so rough that I haven't been doing that. I also did that Thursday and of course as soon as I got in my new pedometer from Humana had come in the mail. The goal is 10k steps per day! You actually would be surprised how annoyingly hard that can be some days especially if you have an at the desk job. 

Peter getting an autograph
from the voice actor of GIR

Starting on Friday Peter and I were at the OMGCon which if you don't know what that is that's okay! Most people wouldn't. It's a smaller convention focused on Anime. 

Peter was there Friday from opening and I got there around 1 o'clock after I got off of work. 

We spent the rest of the weekend from 9am to 11pm-1am at the convention just driving back home a few times a day to check on the pets. Thankfully the convention this year moved to our town which is why this is the first year we've gone to it. 

We went to several panels and went through the shops drinking what I like to call marble soda. It's a japanese soda that instead of having a cap like we are used to it uses a marble to seal it that you have to pop down. 

My new backpack. It's Happy from an anime called Fairytail.

Pikachu 3 car! 

Peter being a dork.

I had to make this picture big for y'all because it is too cool! This man made his 'chainmail' out of pop tabs from cokes and such! He said it was a real pain and it is much heavier than it looks!

This hall is full of video games. Tables and tables of TV's
hooked into Xbox's, playstations, etc.

There were a lot of people cosplaying.

Lots of shopping this a very narrow
 view of just a few shops. 

This last one was a dance Party we went to Saturday Night. Having it on the 3rd story floor was probably not a smart idea. I wasn't bouncing... the floor was! I heard later from people in late night panels that the whole building was moving. 

Busy Monday, June 9

Today's 'To-Do' List

• Write this Blog 
•  Go to work? - I haven't decided if I'm going in or not today. I really won't know until later. 
• Finish washing Laundry
• Get plants in ground in garden - Yes there are still some I haven't transplanted. I've been bad! 
• Move items from attic into kids' room. (I need to wait on Peter for this one too dangerous to do alone.)
• Talk with hospital. They messed up my appointment and have it down for a Thursday! There's no way I can take that much time off in the middle of the week from work. 

Menu

• Eat Out - We are taking our house sitters out to dinner it is our way of saying thanks for watching the pets. 
• Lasagna
• Hamburgers & Chips
• Pizza
• Unknown - OMGCon this weekend so playing it by ear
• "..."
• "..." 

This Week's 'To-Do' List

• Order insulation
•  Clean up around the house
• Spray weed killer in the many various places it needs it. 
• New siding & ceiling insulation may start this weekend depending on Contractor.
• OMGCon Friday-Sunday this probably will take up all of that time. 

Last Week

So after I got home from work I wanted to spend some quality time with my girls. Now Katherine (on left) did not want to paint fingernails because she's not a girly girl but I had her paint her sisters and that made all the difference and then her sister painted hers and they giggled and laugh and they got nail polish everywhere.

 I'm not sure why they decided to sit so far apart at the airport. Or why they decided to wear the same clothes. I swear they own more than that one outfit. In any case seeing how we had to leave for Nashville by 2:30am I wasn't really going to fuss at them since I was so tired since Peter and I didn't get to bed until like 11 o'clock the night before as we tried to make sure all the suitcases were properly put together and paperwork, tickets, IDs, etc were ready.

We did make it to the airport on time though and I got the girls through security alright. I spent the day snoozing in and out and tightly grasping my phone as Brielle lead her sister through Denver airport. I swear every bad thought was going through my head.... They were going to leave their carry ons (2 purses we tried to keep it small so they wouldn't have to use the overhead), they were going to miss their connecting flight, they were going to get lost, the plane was going to go down...... I mean every bad thought!! It's pretty nerve racking when the airline says your 13 year old is an adult and can lead your 9 year old through an airport! I'm very glad though my girls are very experienced fliers having flown every year pretty much for the last 5 at very least if not longer. The kids did make it to Portland, Oregon where my parents picked them up and they have been off having adventures there. Peter & I will pick the kids back up at the airport next month.

Picture of the geese and their babies. I wanted a better shot but I was walking to my car from work so my arms were full so it was hard to dig out my phone. Yes, we have a lot of geese that like all of our ponds at work. The babies are so cute! It's also funny to watch the adults get after the babies when they do something wrong.

Last week I also got some eggs from my friend who has a farm and collected some other food from people to donate to a lady whose household of 6 just had their food stamps cut dramatically.
It is always nice when a small community of friends can make something come together to help someone else out.

Saturday I finally got around to canning the Mulberries. I Juiced them a day or two prior (days are blending together for me) and I knew I had to get them canned up soon. So I made just Mulberry Jelly and then I made Mulberry Jelly sweetened with local honey.
That big tub of mulberries made 4 jars. Not a whole lot but maybe if folks like it next year we can get out earlier in the season and do several batches. My tree had dropped a LOT of them by time my friend and my children got around to picking them.

There was some other stuff that went on. Big card game at the house. Lots of stress but it's a new week so I'm going to move past that. While my schedule may not look busy it really is a lot more and I know it but I'm trying not to put too much strain on myself considering everything that is going on.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!