Here we go!!

The USAvGER game is going to start in about a nanosecond and our family is crazy with anticipation. Our tummies are full of my first ever attempt at Shepherd's Pie. Everyone is in comfortable clothes, ready to to jump and writhe around in agony of the pressure of the game.It is a good thing that I cut my nails last night. I am not a nail chewer, but tonight may bring with it a new habit. Ny son just yelled at Rapinoe loud enough that I may have suffered hearing damage. It will be a lively evening and hopefully one of celebration. RIght now, I need to go check and make sure my ears aren't bleeding.

I believe that we will win. I sure hope we do.


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What a pleasant day

I started my morning with a workout with Dr. Pain, so that was necessarily pleasant...but it was needed for sure. While I was squatting to the dulcet tunes of Metallica, my children were readying themselves for their exciting morning: berry picking. They love, more than just about anything, to got o the Fruit and Berry Patch out in the county and pick yummy items to make into even yummier treats. Dennis Fox, the owner, wasn't there today, but he makes sure to fit a funny science/agriculture lesson in with each visit. Like during strawberry season, "Don't pick the berries with green tummies. They're too young to be away from their mamas and you'll have to sleep with them on your pillows so they won't cry." I will say that I have found a couple of less than ripe strawberries in their beds a time or two. Luckily it didn't get too messy. We managed to get around 4lbs of blackberries and 2-ish of blueberries. The blueberry area was full and they will be ready to pick tons by Friday. I imagine we will be back. After picking, the kids got a fresh fruit slush and some apple cider doughnuts. All tummies were happy. We then got home in time to have a Lithuanian college student try to sell us a book system. I thought she would never leave. I gave her some blackberries and sent her on her way.

Currently, I am sitting in a chair watching the boy at "Tactics" practice for soccer. The breeze is glorious and the sun isn't blazing. I'll take that all day long.

Have a good evening. I need to start making plans for all of these berries. Yum.

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Guest post from G

Hi it's G, Mom said I could write alittle bit tonight. She was in a 90 min. meeting at work tonight and can't think too clearly. On Friday we watched the World Cup Women's Game. It was really exciting! I am a Keeper and recently went to Keeper Camp, it was super fun. I still have a lot of of bruises and scrapes. We went to church today and met our new pastor. We had tacos for dinner tonight.(S will be jealous)I helped cut up the cucumbers and tomatoes. It was really good.

Mom says I have to go to bed now. We are going berry picking tomorrow.

Goodnight!!!!


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Purple icing on my foot

Today was our monthly community meal at church. After we dropped S off at church for her youth choir trip, we quickly ran to Ace Hardware for our Saturday bag of popcorn and run for project supplies. G and I then ran to church to help start cooking for the meal. We all really wished we could have Phil Dunphy's onion goggles during the chopping portion of the afternoon. Our senior pastor came in to get a glass of ice water and wondered what was wrong with all of the weepy kitchen help. Next came the seasoning of the pork loins and wrapping of the silverware. Then more wiping of eyes when we put the onions in the pans with the loins. We were a red eyed mess. Relief from onions came the sick and twisted form of a trip to Sam's to pick up to-go boxes for our dinner guests. The only true positive about that trip was free nectarine and white peach samples. Onve we got back to church, the pace of the meal prep picked up and we all got busy. As usual, I manned the dishwasher. No one usually wants that job and I don't mind it, so there I stand, soaked and sweaty. I do get a steam facial every time I open the washer, so there's the upside. A sweet lady makes cakes every month for the meal dessert...I think she considers it her mission to our dinner guests. One little issue for those of us on dish duty is the vibrant icing colors she uses. I have ruined more shirts with vibrant icing stains than I care to admit. Today I look like I have a purple tattoo on my foot when melted purple icing splashed on my foot. It may have been operator error with the spray nozzle. Maybe. Regardless, it was a successful meal and everyone left with full tummies and boxes of food for later. That's all that matters. Night all.


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Lotsa laundry

I'll admit. I failed in the laundry department this week. By the time I returned home from church, it was time to redress people for practices, get lots of ice water ready and fix dinner. We had a good supply of undies, shorts and t-shirts...we were fine. Until I looked at Mount Sweatball in the hamper and I was filled with dread. I thought, "I'll just throw all the colors together. Nothing is new enough to bleed." Then I remembered that with VBS comes crafts and mess and food coloring in snacks. So every piece had to be inspected for stains and treated with my new go to stain remover, gold label Resolve. Several hours and fours lint trap clean ups later, I think I am finally caught up...or close. Bounce dryer sheets smell good, but I've had enough.

On another note, we had a slip 'n slide injury today. When you don't have access to a decent pool, or have reached your limit with incompetent lifeguards at the Y, you set up a redneck waterpark in your backyard complete with a striped knock off of a slip 'n slide complete with three striped lanes that ripped as soon as they came out of the box from the store...and the store wouldn't take it back. The dog tried to catch streams of water as they jumped through the air. The boy drew first blood when he jumped and slid on his belly right over an errant plastic Easter egg that had somehow gotten tangled up with the slide. He looked like a wild beast had clawed him from top to bottom, but he felt no pain he said. I went back inside to contiue my conquering of the laundry mountain. Fairly quickly, I heard my name and a "Help". The boy was leaning on the patio rail, unable to put weight on his foot. He is not one to stop the fun due to pain, but he couldn't work through this one. He has been icing and resting it all afternoon. The hub can't find any protuding bones or obvious major injury. Guess we'll see what tomorrow holds.

We are currently watching the USAvCHI halftime commentary. Gimpy boy is making an argument that we should have chocolate milk more oftern since professional soccer athletes drink it in the commercials. The hub is checking the radar to see if we are indded going to get a big electrical storm this evening...and will it wait until the game is over. S is packing for her choir trip that leaves tomorrow. G is practicing soccer foot skills with a miniature ManU soccer ball in the middle of our bedroom floor. Never dull around here.

Night all. A corner kick demands my attention.


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This is the end

VBS is over and I think it went quite well. We are all exhausted, kids and volunteers alike. The snacks went well...today's was very cute. If my phone and ipad would cooperate this evening, I would put a picture up. But, alas, it is not to be. We had snowman face ice cream cups. Tonight we had the closing ceremonies and the children were able to sing their songs for their parents and show them all the work they had done during the week. G's group went off site to work with Lost Sheep Ministries, Second Harvest and Wesley House of Knoxville. They did lots of work in the community and had a great time.

I would describe more, but I have two girls who are in a dance off and need a judge. I am called to participate. Night all.



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I have the feels

Day 3 of VBS is in the books and I am exhausted...but a good exhausted. Today we had campfire brownies, my favorite of all our creations this year:



The kids seemed to enjoy them except for one who told us we had "failed at snack" because the pretzels were stale. Oh well. Whatcha gonna do? Their God sightings were again exceptional and had me clearing things out of my eyes quite often. Such wisdom so young. A child really shall lead us.

After VBS and helping an excited group of 5th graders make baked spaghetti, we had about two hours home before I took my kids to see "Inside Out" at the theatre. Now all of your three faithful readers should know by now that I am a softy for sappy/sweet movies. I cry every year at the heartwarming holiday commercials. This movie was no exception. I cried at the little short that came on before it. I cried off and on during the movie. It spoke about emotions and how they all worked together in a person's head...and memories and where they go...and all the "islands" that make up one person. Having a teenager now, parts of the movie touched me in a way I can't fully explain. As one person described it, it was "funny and deep" all at the same time. I highly recommend it.

Now I must collapse. I am completely spent. Completely. Night all.
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