This has been a very long summer.

I know I mentioned that Chuck's dad passed away in June, June 23rd at 6:05 AM. Yes I know the exact time because I was there. Supporting my husband, but not knowing what to do or say. We got a phone call around 11:30 the night before, we'd just fallen into a deep sleep. After waking our sleeping son (the other child was at my parents that night), and dropping him off at our nearest relative, we made it to the hospital just before midnight. He seemed to be doing better just 6 short hours ago and we had a brief moment of hope. Upon entering his hospital room that night we knew that the end was near and we were crushed. We talked to him, prayed for him and cried a lot that night. We were there holding his hand as he took his last breath and meet Jesus. He was no longer suffering, he was at peace, he was rejoicing in Heaven.

On July 17th we got a phone call that Chuck's mom was in the hospital in Tennessee, she was having severe stomach pain and they didn't know what was causing it. By the next day they determined she had a hole in her bowel and were treating her with heavy antibiotics. On July 20th we got a phone call that she was being rushed to surgery the hole wasn't closing and she was full of infection, they weren't sure she was going to make it. It hadn't even been a month since his dad passed away, needless to say Chuck was a wreck. We were camping with my parents that weekend and gave them CheyAnn and a bag full of dirty clothes and headed home. We just threw stuff in our RV and left without emptying our holding tanks or anything. We rushed home threw some clothes together (clean and dirty) and got Chase ready for basketball camp. We dropped him off at camp (it was overnight for 4 days) and headed to TN. We got there about 2 hours before she got out of surgery, but Chuck was able to talk to her briefly on the phone before she went in. We made a 5 hour drive in 4 hours and 10 minutes. She was in ICU for a few days and then moved to a room. Once she was in a room and stable we headed back to Ohio (3 days later). They removed a mass the size of a football full of infection from her abdomen cause by the hole and did a temporary colostomy. She was in the hospital for almost 3 weeks, finally 2 months later she is healing well and they are hoping to reverse the colostomy before Thanksgiving.

They say bad things come in threes and I believe they do.

Chuck's step mom has been battling cancer for years and in the past year it completely took over her body. She passed away on August 28th. Chuck and I were there a few hours before she passed but neither of us could bring ourselves to stay until the end. Her family was with her so she wasn't alone. I think after Chuck's dad passed away she was ready to quit fighting it and let go. I know some of you know we weren't super close to her and that she was a "unique" person, but we did love and care for her, even when she was driving us nuts. She is now in Heaven with Chuck Sr. and is finally pain free.

So needless to say I am glad this summer is over. Chuck Sr. and Judy were both cremated and we will be burying their ashes on October 10th.

I'll post a happier update in a day or two.

S:(

1st Day of School 2009

Kids got off to school today without any fighting, complaints or multiple wake up calls. I think they both are pretty excited to be going back to school. They both reused last years backpack and CheyAnn got a new lunch box. School supplies were on sale really cheap this year and I think I bought enough for the next couple of years for less than $40. Grandma bought all the kids new tennis shoes to start school in and CheyAnn got a new outfit that she wore today. Chase wore old basketball shorts and a t-shirt, he doesn't care what he wears or how he looks, he is such a boy. He was complaining though because I forgot to cut his hair this weekend.

Here are a few fist day pictures.

CheyAnn 2nd grade
Chase 4th grade

Here comes the bus. I take this same picture every year of the bus coming down the road and the kids watching it.
Brand spankin new school bus this year.

Now to fill out all the paper work that will come home tonight and write checks for all the school fees.

S:)

Menu Monday

So my grilled pork chops didn't happen last week. What I thought were pork chops were pork ribs and making ribs takes a little more prep work than just defrosting in the microwave and then popping on the grill so we had fresh corn on the cob with fresh raw veggies and dip, and fresh peaches. A pretty healthy dinner (if you don't count all the butter on the corn) and one that that didn't require making the kitchen any hotter than it already was on a hot humid evening in Ohio.

I cooked the soup beans in the crock pot and I got an A+ and Chuck even called his mom to tell her that I did good. See I don't like soup beans and have never made them so even though they were easy to make I wasn't sure. I gave some of the leftovers to my mom and dad and my mom told me they were missing onion. Good to know.

While making a weekly menu plan does help me with grocery shopping and dinner prep work, it does change often. I rearrange the days based on what we have going on and sometimes it's just to hot to cook and eat so we have cold cereal or just fruit and veggies with dip. If we don't eat it one week, we eat it the following.

Chase has football practice every weeknight for the next few months so my crock pot is my best friend. If it weren't for the crock pot we wouldn't eat until 8 or 9 o'clock every night.

So here's my Menu Monday for this week:

Monday - PTO open house (hotdogs and whatever they have)
Tuesday - Chicken Enchiladas we didn't have on Sunday
Wednesday - First day of school dinner - Sloppy Joes and tater tots (my kids favorite and always requested on the first day of school) and homemade brownies for dessert (that's right from scratch).
Thursday - Chicken stir-fry
Friday - Grilled Cheese and tomato soup
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Roast/potatoes/veggies cooked in crockpot.

Have a good week

S:)

Connection to the outside world is down at work. Wishing for internet on my cell phone.

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So I've been in a cooking rut lately

I'm so tired of the same old things week after week. In an effort to try and save some money I've been cleaning out the pantry and freezer that last couple off weeks and only buying bread and milk as we need it. I think last night was about the last night I'll be able to just throw something together with things already in the cupboard or freezer because both are getting pretty bare. Last night I thawed out some spaghetti sauce that was in the freezer, but it was only enough for about 1 and half servings so I doctored it up with some tomato sauce and spices to make it go farther, then I cooked about 1/2 bag of egg noodles (you know the big wide curly ones) and mixed them together to make a spaghetti of sorts. Didn't have any bread to make garlic toast so I popped a can of Grands biscuits in the oven and warmed up some leftover Fettucini Alfredo from Fazoli's the day before. It's amazing that meals like this are such a hit with my kids. I guess their tired of the same old thing week after week too.

School starts next week so I gotta start packing lunches again. Last year they were only allowed to buy lunch once a week, this year I think I am going to make it once a month. School lunches are almost $2 this year and I can pack so much more for a lot less. Chase doesn't like to buy lunch because he doesn't get enough food on his tray to fill him up. CheyAnn likes to buy lunch because she likes to chose an 'extra' and pick between white and chocolate milk (sometimes strawberry). But I doubt she eats much of her plate lunch, just the 'extra' and the milk.

So here's my menu for the week (that is if I make it to the grocery store tonight)
Monday: Whatever I can find in the cupboards (see above for what I came up with )
Tuesday: Grilled pork chops, corn on the cob, baked potatoes.
Wednesday: Whole chicken in the crock pot (1/2 tonight 1/2 later), rice and steamed veggies
Thursday: Soup beans and corn bread (Chuck's request)
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Homemade pizzas
Sunday: Chicken enchiladas (other half of chicken from Wed.), salad

Have a good week and feel free to share your menu ideas with me (I need them)

S:)

Dinner last night.

So I didn't have any meat thawed out for dinner and wasn't really in the mood to cook anything but had to feed the family anyway. So I went to the cupboard to see what I could throw together. And my 10 minute meal was a big hit, even with my now pickey eater CheyAnn.

I made white rice cooked in a can of chicken broth, instead of water (it adds more flavor). Opened a can of cream of chicken soup, and a can of chunked chicken breast, with a little bit of milk to thin it out. When the rice was done and I dumped the other stuff in and served it with bread and butter and some frozen peas that I steamed in the microwave. I initially wasn't going to premix the soup/chicken with the rice, just serve it on top of the rice, but had a brain fart and mixed them together, when I realized what I did it was too late. I didn't think the kids would want rice so I was going to make them toast and put their soup/chicken on top of toast. But the kids loved it (minus the peas) and it was so quick and easy.

It won't be a regular meal but I'll probably throw it together again since it was a hit.

Watermelon is really good right now too, we ate a whole watermelon last night too with our dinner and as a snack later.

Happy Hump Day!!!
S:)

Another year come and gone.

I celebrated another birthday this week. Yep I'm the big 4 1 now. LOL!!!

Lots going on with us and not all good. Chuck's dad passed away one month ago today and that's been hard. Last Thursday his mom was admitted to the hospital in Tennessee and had to have surgery on Sunday, so we headed there for a few days.

Chase went to over night basketball camp this week and we picked him up last night. He had a great time but was totally whipped out. He came home, ate dinner and was in bed sleeping soundly by 6:30 last night. That's the first time he's been away from home for more than one night and not with a family member. He said he wanted to go back next year but he wasn't spending the night, "too many weirdos in the dorms Mom" is what he told me. He did have a good time playing 'Ding Dong Ditch' (you know where you ring someones door bell and run). Of course they played it in the dorms on the older boys doors. To be 9 again.

CheyAnn has been staying at Aunt Denise and Uncle Gary's this week and going to VBS with Matthew. She is having a great time and is looking forward to parents night tonight. She went to a basketball day camp last week and won a prize playing Hot Shot (some shooting game). So she was excited about that. I think basketball may be her sport, she definitely has the height for it.

Alyssa is getting ready to take a 5 week summer class. Biology, since she dropped it two quarters in a row. I'm not sure why is psychs her out so much. She also started a student job at the Air Force Base, a great opportunity for her if she does well. They will work around her school schedule and it could also help get her into the Rehab center on the base to work when she graduates from college.

I know I haven't posted any pictures in a while, I've taken lots and will try to get some loaded soon. I've barely had time to blog.

More later.

S:)