Thursday, February 25, 2010

Just checking in . . .

Haven't blogged this week, not much going on ~ sorry, NOT! LOL Been a blessedly normal week. Highlights (or not so high) were: church pastor announcing his resignation, bible study dinner at friends home, new coffee pot (is red, need I say more ~ all appliances are red :) and finding out that broke back dog DOES need to be neutered! LOL

I have been a lean, mean, knitting machine. This week I finished a small eyelash scarf for twin dd and a mohair/sequined bag (for a gift?). I am now going to do a batch of baby bibs and burp towels for oldest dd and new baby. Then maybe a baby blanket as well. So much yarn, so little time . . .

This is the scarf I did for E


It's in tones of rose, she picked the yarn herself

I soooo need a better camera. This is a ecru mohair with dark red sequence bag. Debating on if I should add a chunky gold button to the front for flair.


Here is Joe cat, not on the kitchen cupboards! LOL This is on top of the bunk beds that my good friend K blessed us with last week. They are now in middle dd room and blessing two other girls as well (they spend every week- end here and no longer have to sleep piled up like puppies).
Did get my seeds and stater plants ordered this week. Also ordered some of that shredded coconut shell mulch. Just spray with water and voila. Getting pretty excited about our garden this year, hubby even got a new pitch fork! He also fixed our compost bin (now the dogs won't eat our egg shells) and we are putting in raspberry bushes along the back fence line.
Already started my birthday and Christmas shopping (don't hate me). I have 1/3 of the twins b-day done (May 28Th) and all of middle dd b-day done (Oct. 2) as well as 1/3 of her Christmas shopping. Also picked up a Fathers day gift for hubby (we will be camping). See, a ho-hum week. But I like those too!
Blessings, Beth Ann




Friday, February 19, 2010

This n' that

I am so stinking excited, I just had 96 balls of eye lash yarn (assorted colors and styles) delivered! Is this what they call nirvana? Now I want to use each one ASAP! Sigh, so much yarn, so little time : ) I am very impressed with this company and the quality of the yarn. I will be ordering more soon. This is for my craft endeavor.

Not much else new, just been plain busy. I finely got enough money and made it to the chiropractor. I've been twice this week and am now just feeling some relief. This is a good thing : )

Also been busy planning our vacation dates for the upcoming year. This always makes me slightly giddy. Unfortunately since money is so tight, we will be sticking close to home this year. This means no big trips to S.C. to the ocean and not being able to go up to northern MI for my second grand baby : ( We will just do about 4 small trips in our own state, we have found a pretty good fishing spot and the kids love the swimming hole.

Here are some random pic's to help keep my camera cleaned off : )


This is our old new puppy, Levi, he's about 8 months now.

Middle dd went away for the week-end and the twins took the opportunity to spend the entire time in her room playing PS2


This is our new, new puppy, Zoey. She loves to sleep in the laundry basket, which I use as an excuse to not be able to get it done - right? She's only 4 months old, she needs her sleep right?


This one is a little tougher to figure out, Levi with Zoey curled up behind him and attached to his behind. She loves to lay on him or near him. They are becoming good friends.
Not much else new and exciting. The kids are planning on going to a Christian rock concert with the church on Sunday, the older kids that is : ) And I have my first VBS directors meeting on Monday night. I guess we just keep on going. Oh, I am heading up to Nashville tonight with my friend. It's here big 4- 0 b-day. I have 3 friends with b-days today, funny huh? Which reminds me, I need to google yarn stores in Franklin - LOL
Blessings, Beth Ann




Monday, February 15, 2010

CHines New Year Recipe


Home made Killer Egg Rolls
1 TBS. butter *
4 eggs, beaten
1 bag shredded veggie coleslaw (w/carrots ~ or make your own)
1 pkg. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. sugar
1 TBS. soy sauce
2 tsp. Lowery's season salt (I use this in place of the MSG and the salt)
1 (14 oz.) egg roll wrappers
1 egg white, beaten
4 C. oil, as needed
* You may also use your choice of oil, I just prefer the flavor of the cabbage in real butter.
1. Heat 1/2 butter in wok over medium heat. Pour in beaten eggs and cook, without stirring, until firmed (like pancake). Flip the eggs over and cook for an additional 20 seconds to firm the other side. Set egg pancake aside to cool, then slice into thin strips.
2. Heat the remaining butter in wok over high heat. Stir in cabbage and carrot; cook for 2 minutes to wilt. Add mushroom, green onions, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Continue cooking until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the sliced egg, then spread mixture out on to a pan and refrigerate until cold; about 1 hour.
3. To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper onto your work surface with one corner pointing towards you. Place about 3 TBS. of cooled filling in a heap onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Follow the handy directions on the back of the wrapper pkg. for folding, basically like a burrito. Brush with egg white to seal.
4. Heat oil in wok or deep fryer (I use my electric fondue pot) to 350.
5. Fry egg rolls 4 - 5 at a time, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Yield: approx. 20 egg rolls ~ Yummy!!!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Grandpuppy

OK, so my oldest son begged and begged for an abandoned puppy at work. We gave in, the puppy had had some bad breaks. The deal is it is suppose to be totally Z's dog (right), so I refer to it as my grand puppy as I don't want anymore kids or dogs!

Today is Chines New Year and we always celebrate it by indulging in home made killer egg rolls (nothing healthy about them what so ever). We have a wonderful family dinner and as we are leaving the table to was up the twins who were Sticky (with a capital S), we notice said grand puppy ~ Zoey. She has gotten a chip bag out of the trash and it is stuck to her head! Ha!

This pic was taken on ds cell phone, so he could send it to his peeps : )

This is what miss Zoey looks like when she is not in a chip bag : )


Happy Valentines day all!
Blessings, Beth Ann

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Menu's 2/13 ~ 2/19


Happy early V~day everyone! We really don't do much here to celebrate this man-made holiday. Although my DH is a hopeless romantic and would love to shower me with flowers, candy and jewelry. They say opposites attract, it must me so. My calmer head for reason reigns. I tell him flowers die, candy is not lo-carb and I am not interested in more jewelry as it will just get stolen again. OK, so I beat him down, but someone has to stay focused : ) We do let the kids make paper hearts (excellent for motor skills) and we usually bake a heart shaped cake or cookies as a little treat (might skip that this year). I just can't see spending the hard earned grocery money on candy not in our tight budget. Even if the candy was $1 a small individual box, I have four kids, so lets just say with tax that kills a $5. That is how much I spend on dinner each night and I just can't justify the empty calories and all that processed chemical food - YUCK. I am sure I will find a great sub, like heart shaped whole grain pancakes or something : )

Here is a look at our Lo-carb/Leptin dinner menu for this week:

Saturday: Cheesy steak and onions w/broccoli

Sunday: Happy V-day/Chinese New Year! Home made egg rolls w/rice and pineapple (fresh - on sale)

Monday: Jambalaya (made with leftover rice)

Tuesday: Baked chicken w/ cauliflower and turnip gratin

Wednesday: Church (just bible study) Big 'ole pot of chili

Thursday: Sweet n' sour chicken and green beans

Friday: Southwest stuffed peppers w/ rice

Yes I know, it's silly not to celebrate v-day but go ahead and do Chinese New Year. What can I say, I make a killer egg roll. I only indulge in these once a year, and this is my excuse! LOL

Blessings, Beth Ann

Friday, February 12, 2010

Lost and Found




Yesterday a four day ordeal came to a happy conclusion. My middle dd has a rather large white cat, named Tina (after her older sister - go figure), and she came up missing on Monday. In the ensuing four days we looked high and low, far and wide, under things and even inside the pool (God forbid). No dice. Bless his heart, my hubby even tailed the neighbors tabby who has a thing for Tina. Nothing. Next up, dd wanted me to make posters. We kept hoping someone would contact the animal clinic about the tag she had on. Then around dusk yesterday oldest ds found her by acident. He was out in the way back of your yard, avoiding me and looking for some privecy for him and his girl, when he saw a flash of white in the RV window. Thats right and hallelujah she was alright! She must have followed ds out there the othere day and he didn't see her, then locked her in. If he hadn't seen her . . . well I shudder to think what spring would have brought come camping time! Well, all's well that ends well and PRAISE the LORD!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Updates

It's another cold one here in middle TN, and I have just a couple of updates to share. First up is Grandma Sandy. We were hoping she would be released Sunday or Monday this week, but she suffered a set back on Sunday. She is still currently in the hospital and her release is contingent on getting some therapy started. Right now she is so weak that she is having trouble sitting up. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Next up, I finished another eyelash scarf : ) This one I gave to dd B, even though it is my favorite by far. I am still waiting for some tax money so I can stock up on yarn and get some projects done for craft shows or the antique mall. While I'm waiting though, I am making myself an envelope purse, featuring the fleck stitch. It is in a bronze color and I like it much! Here are a couple photos of the last scarf:

This pic doesn't do the yarn justice. Not only are there eyelashes,but threads of metallic gold shot through as well.


Here is dd B showing off finished scarf (and her school book)


Guess it was to early in the morning for B to have mom snapping her pic : )



So OK, win some you lose some. We lost the dog Izzy but gained the dog Zoey - LOL Izzy, the doxin-beagle mix left about a month ago. I guess our house was a little to . . . 'crazy' (?) for her. She went to live with another one of the animal clinic workers, who has more room to run and less people around. She is reported to be doing swell.
I feel Izzy was 'normal' for us, and that is why she didn't fit in. As you all know we have a handicapped animal ministry and that is where Zoey comes in. Zoey is some kind of Boston Terrier/mini whippet mix, she was brought to the clinic with a prolapsed rectum (her pooper shoot fell out). For what ever reason her owners abandoned her and she became a ward of the court. Yes, you have to take the animals to court to get them declared abandoned. So six months later and with her . . . uhm, rectum sewn in, she came home with ds. ; I can't belive it, but no one wanted her and my son had bonded with her. I guess she is my first grand-dog : ) (Someday I swear we will have a normal pet!)


>My PAN>grand dog ~ ZOEY


ONG>Here is Zoey on ds lap, helping him with school work : )


<DIV>Ds Z is now putting in like 32 hours a week at the animal clinic. He is pretty excited and still keeping up on his school work - praise the Lord! This fall he will be a senior and will have a pretty light load as he already has all but 4 of his credits to graduate (collage prep), so should work out well and aford him the opportunity to put some money away for collage. He is looking at going to MTSU, which is only 2o minutes away. That way he can still live at home and keep his job, while doing the collage thing. I am so proud of that boy! Can you tell - LOL

Blessings, Beth Ann








Saturday, February 06, 2010

Menus' and more 2/6 - 2/12

Come on in and sit a spell, that's what my meerkat (at left) is doing : ) I want to briefly share a PTL with you (praise the LORD). Grandma S. ended up having some emergency back surgery yesterday and we got the word today that she is awake and doing great! We have every reason to believe she will be home by Monday and on the road to recovery, PTL. This is so hard on us, being so far away, their in Vegas. She is the only Grandma the twins have ever known and our older kids have forged a deep bond of acceptance with Grandma S and Grandpa D too. These folks are like the parents I never had. Bless you guys!

Time for a menu and leptin update. I haven't been on a scale in about a week (need a new battery) but guessing I have lost about 35 lbs. now. The biggest kick is that I can now fit into 2 pair of jeans I haven't worn in about 3 years and can button up 4 (count 'em, 4) coats/jackets that I couldn't before. However I am still not into my pre-twin pants yet, sigh. Those kids really kicked my butt when I got pregnant with them - LOL Now I am making time for me, and making sure we are ALL eating healthy meals . My middle dd has even gone down one pant size without even trying : ) Here is a look at our Leptin/lo-carb, high protein dinner menu for this week:

Saturday: Baked chicken w/brown rice and steamed cabbage

Sunday: Meatza (faux pizza) w/ salad

Monday: Mexican cheese casserole w/ brussel sprouts

Tuesday: Country fried steak w/green beans

Wednesday: Church dinner & bible study ~ grill night (from canceled last week)

Thursday: Chicken Casserole w/broccoli

Friday: leftovers : p

Remember, you can always eat as many dark green veggies as you need to fill up, but keep your carbs under 20g. a meal and always less then your protein!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Good news, sad news, baby news & anxiety attacks

Lets start with the good news, no one from our church will have to man their pick axe! The good people of our church used old fashioned ingenuity and figured out the problem. It was so simple a child could have done it, actually a child did, we think : ) Let's just say I am both embarrassed but thrilled to say it involved a garden hose and some MAJOR seepage! Pastor has dismantled and hidden the handle from the outdoor spicket and we will muster through the likely $7oo + water bill, bravely. Praise the LORD!

Next, the sad news. One of my closest friends daughter is fighting cervical cancer. It is so scary, on every front. It is so emotional, for everyone involved. It's heartbreaking, plain and simple.

Baby news! It looks like my next grand baby will be a boy and will arrive on July 12th, 2o1o. Lets all hope and pray since last time they told us right up to the second they pulled him out (and $5oo worth of pick stuff latter) that my dd was having a girl! We were all surprised : )

Don't know where to begin here. I guess at the beginning (good place huh?). About 15 months ago our home was robbed. Yesterday five homes on the street behind us were robbed. The police think it's the same guy. They claim they can't prove it yet. Best part? So not only is he out there still running around, but he lives across the street from us! I haven't slept one minute since I heard yesterday. When we were robbed, we were on vacation in S.C. and had to cut it short and come home. Oh yeah, it also happened on my big 4oth b-day. I don't have b-days anymore. Yesterday, all these folks were still home and sleeping. To scary. Does he have a weapon so he doesn't care? I know I am having anxiety attacks again. I had them right after it happened to us 15 months ago (also had them right after I had the twins, coincidence?). I can't say that I have had a good nights sleep since then. This is insane. So it's like 1:35 a.m. right now. Guess I will work on finishing up some of my knitting projects so I can start to crochet a BLUE (?) baby blanket.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

You know your sick (and tired) when . . .

. . . you pass out when it's not even nap time! LOL


Twin son passed out on couch . . . Z z z z z zzzz

Twin daughter passed out in the Grandma Sandy chair (which is always in high demand and my friend S wont sit anywhere else) . . . . Shhhhhhh



The twins have been suffering from a sinus infection and chest cold combo, nice huh? You know their tired since they don't nap any more and would sooner sit still through the movie Benjamin Buttons than go to bed early! And speaking of grandma Sandy, please keep her in your prayers everyone as she is having some extreme health issues. We miss her and Dave sooooooo much, XOXOXOX guys!

Blessings, Beth Ann

A funny thing happened on the way to church today . . .

Everything happens for a reason right? Like today I was shopping for the dinner food for Wed. night church dinner, and it wasn't my week to do it. Also, the person usually does the shopping on Wed., but I didn't. Anyway, when my hubby and I swung into the church to drop it off, we discovered that the pantry was filling up with water and there was no water pressure anywhere in the church. So after much shouting (not for joy) and running around, we got the water dept. out there. Turns out there is a leak (no duh) and it's a big one (really). Then he mentioned that since it was past the meter that it was our problem (thanks). So here's the sitch: We have a large church with a walk-out basement which houses the kitchen/dinning area, and our Pastor and his wife (zoinks!). Somewhere above us is the leak, under the asphalt parking lot (of course). It will have to be dug up to find the leak. To make matters worse (could they?) while this is going on the church is unusable and Pastor has no water : ( Oh, and my hubby (who is a guy in the know) actually feels the leak is more than likely under the church porch (which is massive), yikes! Basically we need a jackhammer and a back hoe. Our church is on a tight budget, so they want to save money on this (obviously). Here's the bright idea, quote "can't we get some teenagers out there with pick axes'?". Pick axes? Seriously?

On a brighter note . . . guess who was asked to be this years VBS director? (pick me, pick me) : )



So who's with me on this exciting adventure to the great outdoors?

Look at the styling bag I get! Who said volunteer work doesn't have it's perks ! Come on, you all know you want one too; come on . . . you know you do ~ LOL



Blessings, Beth Ann