Because your Momma should know exactly how you like your peanut butter sandwich...

Oh. My. Stars.

New Shoes

His and Hers

Aren't we so cute!

Here is a random fact about us.  EJ has purchased my tennis shoes for me for years.  Site unseen.  He knows to buy me something girly that I can exercise in.  We have a local shoe store where we purchase our tennis shoes and if by chance he gets something that doesn't work they allow us to return them and try again.  I think that has only happened once in 8 years.

I don't really know how it started.  I think he was just in there buying shoes one day and decided to get me a pair too. 

If you know me well, you know this is a weird phenomenon.  I like to pick everything out.  I may have a bit of a control issue.  But when it comes to my tennis shoes I am perfectly happy to be surprised. 

Today, EJ, the cowboys and I happened to be down town near our little shoe store.  He mentioned that it was probably time for new shoes for both of us. 

Would you believe I picked out my own shoes?

Ironically, they were the female version of the ones he chose for himself.  I didn't know that when I chose them.

It was fun to shoe shop together for once but I don't think I want to make it a habit. 

I like being surprised by the shoes my sweetheart buys me. 

It is kind of romantic even.

Who knew tennis shoes could be romantic?

Exhausted

Am I the only one who is just plain exhausted?

Summer is supposed to be a time to slow down.

It seems like we have been so busy lately.

I guess I better coffee up because the summer is only half way over.

There is a lot more fun to be had!

P.S. Happy Fourth of July friends!

Random Moving Notes

1. My beloved Keurig stays UNpacked.  I will need my coffee on moving morning.  She may possibly ride in the front seat of my car...right next to me...with a seat belt on...

2.  My children can definitely feel the stress of moving.  They have zero patience for each other.  It is my job to make sure my patience level does not under any circumstances fall to zero.  That would be a catastrophe.

3.  EJ and I are sleeping on a Queen size bed this week.  Our King is prepped to move.  Now I remember why I love the King.  That is all I am going to say about that.

4.  Poor Bubba has developed a wicked rash.  We are unsure at this point if it is Chicken Pox or just a random virus.  He is being super tough through it all.  I am assuming it will spread through my boys like a wild fire and then head straight for their cousins.

5.  We ordered the Big Table from a local wood worker/carpenter.  (more like Artist who makes furniture)  He will have it completed later this summer.  We are thrilled.   Once we get moved in, I need to start finding the dinning room chairs.  I can't wait to have that project completed.

6.  I finally talked EJ into a new Washing Machine.  I have hated my washer for four years.  I am certain that it hates me back.  I asked Grammy if she wanted to keep it.  She said "No Way" and ordered a new Washer/Dryer for the farm.  She is a smart lady.

7.  Daisy and Huckleberry are moving to town.  Turning country dogs into town dogs makes me really nervous.  I told EJ they have to have a visit to the vet before I will take them into town.  They need an update on their vaccines and a good scrubbing.

8.  I am pretty sure the kitty cats are all staying here.  They are barn cats.  They like the country and they roam around.  I don't think my new neighbors would love them roaming around like a bunch of hobos. 

9.  I got a steal of a deal on my new refrigerator.  It was marked half off in the "scratch and dent" section of the store.  I could care less that there is a dent in the freezer door.  My children will bestow a whole lot more dents on that thing immediately. 

10.  I have managed to keep the eating out to a minimum by cooking last weekend and placing the food in disposable containers.  Now we are just two days away from the move.  This will no doubt begin the week long eating out extravaganza.  Don't judge me.

That is all for now.

No, it's not.  I forgot to say... 

The twitch in my eye that took up residence about a week ago shows no sign of leaving.  Clearly I have stress issues.

the end of an era

My special coffee cup C.C. is broken!

One of the boys accidentally knocked over my fancy coffee cup with a toy.

At first I thought the only issue was the coffee all over the place.

Then I saw this huge crack...

C.C., you have served me well.

Farewell my friend.

Names?

Recently one of my facebook friends asked this question, "What did you wish your name was as a kid?" 

This question hits home with me. 

As a child, I was sure that my name was supposed to be Samantha.  Everyone would call me Sam or Sami.  I think it had something to do with the show "Who's the Boss?"  Remember that one? 

I LOVED that show.  I also LOVED Tony Danza.  I still do.  He had a short lived talk show a few years ago.  I thought it was brilliant because it was Tony Danza, of course.

How about you?  What was your dream name as a kid?

Do You Get Me?

Lately, I've had a series of events (or should I say, missed events) that have made me stop and think. There are people in my life I love. A lot. I would die for them if the opportunity presented itself. I certainly hope you know who you are...if not, I'm failing even more miserably than I suspect.

We have lived in quite a few different places and made friends in each location, have a fairly large family (that continues to grow, of course) as well as large extended families on Pop's side and mine, and have precious friends from early on in our lives with whom we still try to stay in some form of contact.

Facebook is a wonderful tool and my "friend list" keeps growing but I've noticed that the larger it grows, the less intimate the contact becomes. I'll keep at it because just hearing what folks are doing and seeing pictures of them and their families is important to me. Besides family, I have elementary through high school chums I see there, friends from churches we've attended in various places, cousins I haven't seen in years, and the list goes on. It's all good stuff.

But...I have a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. I've let birthdays, anniversaries, and expressions of sympathy go unattended; meaning I haven't sent cards or letters or made arrangements for memorials or flowers to be sent. Then there are what I call the "Hallmark-Generated Holidays" like Valentines Day, etc. It's overwhelming! I feel like a "deadbeat" mom, wife, friend, daughter, sister, niece, and cousin.

I remember feeling this same angst some years ago as I tried so very hard to pray for everyone I know. I also remember the sweet relief that came when I realized I can rely on the Holy Spirit to bring to my mind the people God wants me to pray for - when He wants me to pray for them. Then, I learned I could focus intently on one person (or couple/family) at a time.

I just finished reading "The Forgotten God" by Francis Chan about our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit residing in His children. I guess that is why this is so fresh on my mind that I felt compelled to share how I'm feeling today.

While I'm not giving up recognizing life events of those I love, I need to actively release the people I love from the trappings of expressions that we feel compelled to be bound by...and I seek to be released as well. My heart's desire is to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. How about you? Do you get me?

2 Corinthians 13:14 "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

Subway

I have had a crazy sub sandwich obsession for nearly a year now.

My sandwiches change.  Right now, it is an oven roasted chicken breast sandwich with bacon and provolone cheese toasted with lettuce, tomato, onion and banana peppers with mayo. 

Was this important for you to know on this fine Wednesday morning?

No.

But I told you anyway. 

Do you have a favorite Subway sub?  What is it?  Maybe I'll try it sometime.

Another useless fact...When it comes to eating out, I like to order the same things as my brother in law, PhoJo.  He always picks the most tasty options.

Handy Grammy - Bubba's Perspective

I've been working on some projects at Four Sisters Farm lately. Mostly painting. So when Bubba wanted to help me get my things together to work on some front porch painting, he grabbed a paper and crayon to make a list and this image is what he came up with.

I think that maybe Pretty Princess is right...my wardrobe (and possibly my hair) could use a bit of sprucing up. Hmmmm. At least there is a smile on my face. :-) I love you, Bubba and I'm glad you love your Grammy.

Sweet Dreams - Sweet Schemes

Bubba recently outsmarted/outlasted his mom and did NOT take the daily nap...so after dinner, he drifted off. I'm thinking that he was busy making some plans when he fell asleep.

Here are some possibilities for what was on his mind:

• How can I best avoid naps in the future? Maybe form a coalition called Kids Against Naps (KAN)?
• I think the tree house needs another level. I'll have to talk to Pop about that.
• I'm thinking that snacks are better than meals - maybe I should start a kids' group against actual meal time...if Aunt DW can have a club for Moms Against Mini Vans (MAMV), then maybe I can have a Kids Against Sit Down Dinners (KASDD) or Kids Into Mini Meals (KIMM) or maybe Kids Eat All the Time (KEAT). Surely I can find some research to support my theory that it's better for kids to snack all day.
• I think I might have to figure out a way to make global warming ACTUALLY happen so that I can put an end to winter, being stuck in the house, and can go get in the tree house.
• I wonder if Grammy is right about God making me grow when I eat good food and get some sleep...maybe I can grow without napping...zzzzz

Someday he'll want a nap and won't get to take one...probably because a four-year-old will be working hard to stay awake and keep everyone around him awake as well. Is that an injustice or what!?!

Confessions of a local IDIOT

Ok, so here's the deal I know that most people don't like to share their short comings and stupidity. Well for the sake of a good laugh I'll be sharing my recent funny situation.

I know that you all think that I'm perfect, however I'm not! I know, I know, you're all shocked! But I recently got a speeding ticket in our small town. The cop told me that the easiest way for me to pay was NOT on the Internet (because they'd charge a use-fee), but to just go to the municipal court and pay the clerk (the court is in the police department). So Good little citizen me, EJ, went to the police department and had my check to pay my restitution in hand. I went to the window in which I thought I was to pay and slid my check across the desk. She quickly told me that the court was down the hall. So I went down the hall, and after searching like a fool for 5 minutes and asking a second time where it was I finally found it. Went to the door and read all the signs which read:

"Please turn all cell phones off or on vibrate"
"DO NOT approach the bench/judge while court is in session unless you're called on."
"Sign-in with name, address, phone number and you'll be called on."

So dutiful me, I signed in and filled in the necessary columns.

I surveyed the room and found that there was about 20 people waiting in chairs facing the "bench" where the judge, clerk, and and officer were HOLDING COURT!

HOLY HECK, I JUST WANTED TO PAY A STINKIN' SPEEDING TICKET!

Most of these people waiting had NOT had a shower in the last week. I was the only one who was wearing anything that was clean let alone resembling nice (other than the judge, clerk and officer).

So I took a seat in the back; feeling quite out of place listening to the charges that were being brought against these people. Here's a short list of them:
* procession of drug paraphernalia
* contempt of court
* DUI
etc...

AGAIN....AAAAWWWKKKKKWWWAAAARRRRRRDDDD!

So when the officer came back to pick up the sign-in sheet that my name was on, which of course would mean that I would soon be up. At this point, not really looking forward to standing up in front of everyone to just say, "I was speeding and here's my money..." So I quickly went over to the officer and whispered, "I just have a speeding ticket that I need to pay, is this REALLY where I need to be to pay?" Perplexed and thinking surely I can't be in the right place!??!! He took pity on me and said to follow him to the desk to pay the bill. At this point, I'm thinking that the lady who sent me to this place at the first window I was at was wrong and we were going back there for me to pay (or so I was hoping). So I stepped out the door and held it open for him, to which he just pointed for me to follow him , then I realized, UP TO THE FRONT where the judge and clerk were. Great!

So I followed. Trying to be as small as possible, as the judge was talking to a defendant not more than 5-6 feet away from me. I had given the officer my payment and ticket and he was processing the payment. For me NOT FAST ENOUGH, nothing would have been fast enough. It seemed like an eternity and that all the eyes in the room were on me. All that I could think was about the second sign I read about NOT approaching the bench unless the judge called on me. Well after the judge was done with that defendant, he looked right at me; at least I think he did, because he was severely cross eyed it made it difficult to tell if he was looking at me or the clerk. He said "...can I help you?" Again, trying to be a fly on the wall, I quickly and quietly responded, "oh sorry, no uh..." and just pointed to the officer that was filled out my receipt (in hindsight I don't know why I would have thought that he would have known that I was pointing or where I was pointing). Content with that answer he went back to his work and the officer was done. I grabbed my receipt and RAN (NOT like I stole something, but swiftly) out of the court.

So the lesson learned here should be to NOT SPEED AGAIN...or not pay speeding tickets in that way again. HOW AWKWARD.

Starbucks Stinky Pants

Starbucks has this promotion going. If you purchase a bag of Starbucks coffee at the grocery store, use it up and then bring the empty bag to Starbucks they will give you a free tall brewed coffee.

If you who don't speak Starbucks, this is how the sizing works...
Short= 8oz
Tall = 12oz
Grande= 16oz
Venti= 20oz

For all you light weights out there a short, tall or grande may sound appealing but not to those of us who are heavy drinkers. We go straight for the Venti.

So, yesterday I took two of my empty bags to the Starbucks inside my Target. I presented both bags and asked for one Venti in leui of two talls. Now, if you are doing your math you notice that I was actually asking for less coffee as 2 talls would yield 24oz and a Venti is 20oz. Not to mention I was conserving on cups as well. Only one cup to throw away versus two. I was willing to sacrifice those extra 4oz for one cup to carry.

The lady behind the counter told me that my bags were good for two tall coffees only. Not one Venti. She said that any other Starbucks wouldn't allow that either.

I looked at her and said, "Well, there is just one of me and it would be sort of difficult for me to shop with two coffees in my hands and a cart to push with two pre-schoolers inside. Not to mention that I'm actually getting less coffee than I would with two talls."

She sort of huffed and then told me she would do it just this once.

Come on people.

EJ's Reflections

So here are some of the thoughts swirling thru my head...

Chickens: Well, we have three old hens and a young dude walking the "streets" of our coop. They're not long for our bowls of chicken soup, or chicken and dumplings, etc. I'm going to skin them instead of plucking them...it's healthier and easier. This will cut my costs also, so I'm not having to feed 4 extra mouths out there. The rooster is definitely coming into his own. I was out hunting down by the pond and I could clearly hear his pipes crowing through the evening air.

Running: So you all heard about my heavy half marathon on the trails that I ran...I am for sure going to run the OKC marathon in late April. While I was out on a 10 mile run this past weekend I was thinking about planning out my running schedule for a while longer than just that marathon. I thought that I'd see how I felt after it and then try to run another race on the trail series. They have a late July "midnight marathon." From what I understand it's a marathon that you run on the trail after dark. So you have a headlamp and a flashlight and the course is marked by glow sticks. Kinda cool sounding! That race is about 9-12 weeks after the OKC race. Then in October (at the same time as the half that I just ran) is the 50K ULTRA marathon (an "ultra" marathon is anything that is longer than 26.2 miles...they come in many denominations...the ones that I have heard of are the 50k, 50 miles, and the century or 100 miles). So this would mean that in my 30th year I would run 3 marathons! One for speed, one just to see if I could live and not fall off a cliff at night, and the last to see if I could run that far! Each different and unique.

Ok so I bought some trail running shoes! I bought Salomon's XT Hawk. I like them, however I don't think that they like me. They have a bit higher achilles heel than my other shoes and when I went on my first 8 mile run on then they rubbed my achilles to the point of bleeding! So I had to wear band aids on both my heels. Well on Tuesday and Wednesday I usually run longer than on Monday and Thursday. Tuesday I had run 6 miles and my cousin BTY texted me and said that he had done the same and averaged an 8:30/mile pace. That's pretty good, in fact much better than my 9:10/mile pace that I had done that morning.

So the next morning I was set to run 6 miles again. I started out and was on a GREAT pace; sometime early in mile 4 I got a small rock (large sand size) under my foot in my shoe! Normally I can arch my foot and move it around and get it out of the way...however with these new trail shoes I couldn't because they were nice and formfitting! So instead of being a wuss (SMART) I just ran through the pain for the last 2 miles. I finished and immediately stopped and sat down to get that rock out (felt like a huge rock by now). I didn't think that I found anything, and put my shoe back on and started my cool down.

The last two miles were extremely painful, and so I was hoping for relief...NOPE, PAIN, DESPAIR, and AGONY! So I stopped again and searched for the dang thing, nothing there for sure, but I looked at the bottom of my foot trying to figure out why it felt like a knife going through the bottom of my foot every time I stepped down. There was an inch long by 1/4 inch wide blister. Well, I ran an 8:20/mile pace! That's all that mattered! So I had to sit out a couple of days to recoup and epsom salt bath my foot, it'll all be worth it!

I'm Pumped!

The Office is on tonight. Jim and Pam get married. It's an hour special. Yipppeee!

CDC Warning...DO NOT DO THIS!

Have you received this forward yet? The memo says "How to catch Swine Flu." I laughed so hard!

Don't worry, we don't have pigs, yet. And if we did have pigs we would do our best to make sure no one licks them.

Rex...the "king" of Ducks

Rex in latin means "king", so it's only fitting that the largest duck is named Rex. Of course, it's kind of also a cowboy name and goes great with Tex. Tex and Rex; what great cowboy names. Here are a few pics of our new friend.

Why?

Why does Starbucks coffee taste so much better than the coffee I brew at home. I even use Starbucks coffee at home? What is their secret? What do they put in there? Is it the little cup that I'm in love with? I kept my cup from a recent Starbucks visit and rinsed it out. The next day after brewing my own coffee at home I put it in the cup to see how I would feel about things. Nope, not the same.

This issue is bothering me for two reasons. 1. Since I moved out to the country I don't make it to "town" as much as I used to. This means way less visits to Starbucks. 2. EJ and I have been taking a course at church called Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey. With my new found budgeting skills I have to think before I spend. Geez, accountability! I have already changed my order from a mocha $4.04 to a black coffee with room for cream and sugar $2.02.

Any Barista's out there who can let me in on the secret? I want to brew this tasty concoction at home! :)