More Smoker Foods and a Hair Cut. . .

Maybe I should devote an entire blog to "the smoker?"  We tried salmon on the smoker recently and the hubbs and I liked it, the kids not so much.  I love salmon baked or broiled in the oven with lemon, butter, and dill.  I could eat that all day long.  There was something about the smoker salmon, it did not have the good lemon dill flavor that you get in the oven.  Shhh, please do not tell my hubby I said that.
He did steak on the smoker the other day for Sprat as a last hurah! before going back to school.  It was good and very juicy and tender.  I am not a big steak eater either.  He is going to fix a druken turkey this weekend.  That is when you cook the turkey sitting on a can of beer.  My sister makes an amazing smoked turkey on her smoker, I hope ours will be good.
Sprat is making his way back to school, he spent the night in Pennsylvania and he drove the rest of the way to Massachusetts the next day.  He did run in to a little snow but thankfully no accumulation and roads were fine.  It snowed a little this weekend in Massachusetts but, he was safe at the dorm by that time.
Big T went to the salon for a trim.  I have been trying to get him to get his hair shaped up and he always fusses at me and thinks I am trying to drastically cut it.  I am not trying to CUT his hair I just want it shaped up and for it to look nice.   A few people that do not know my sweet Big T ask why I let him have his hair so long.  I always respond with;  he is a straight A student dual enrolled in college and high school and is playing varsity lacrosse. . . if he wants long hair that is his choice.  This mama chooses her battles and his hair is not one of them.  He enjoyed his visit to the salon, my hair dresser and dear friend washed his hair and trimmed it up and told him what product to use and how to take care of his hair.   He also talked to her about donating his hair to Wigs 4 Kids, they talked about how long it would have to be to donate and they made a plan to cultivate his beautiful curls. 
A few pictures to round out the post. . .

Before the fish hits the grill

Taking the fish off the grill, yummmm. . . . 

The Before and a little shaggy

Don't you just love that sweet smile???  

Tidbits. . This, That, and the Other. . .

Some days. . . are just hard. . .  Whether you just do not get enough sleep or you hit unbelievable traffic trying to get to work, or the pesky migraine that makes the most mundane task next to impossible.  Yes, it was one of those days last night.  I worked night shift last night and it was a busy night shift.  When I woke up this afternoon Sprat was just coming in, he had been to work out at the gym and gone to get his hair cut.  He looked so handsome, he came in the kitchen where I was trying to find caffeine for the migraine that followed me home from work, he said, "you up now?"  I nodded groggily.  He sat on the couch shopping for his text books for next semester.  He is home for a few more days and then back to school.  He has a busy semester, with lacrosse season and his classes he will be taking in his major and a new "girlfriend."  See how I used quotes around the girlfriend, they just realized that they liked each other three days before leaving for Christmas break, she is now in England doing a week abroad for school.  He is not calling her a girlfriend at this point or at least that is the story I am told.
Every now and then you see glimpses through your kids that you did a good job raising them.  Remember I said every now and then sometimes it takes longer to see.  I got to go to breakfast with Sprat the other day, that is kind of our thing.  We go to breakfast and talk about whatever is going on with him.  I found out the story behind the last girl that he was interested in, it turns out there was an old boyfriend that she had feelings for.  When the old boyfriend finally gave her the brush off she came back to my sweet Sprat to say she could go out with him now.  This was a proud mama moment, when the hussy came crawling back because the old boyfriend did not want her, my very sweet boy told her he was nobody's second choice.   My heart was a little broken for him but at the same time I was so very proud that he stood up for his heart that he was confident enough in himself to tell her to keep walking.   The new girl has been in a few of his classes this past semester so they have been hanging out as friends. I am a firm believer in being friends first and everything else will fall in to place, that is how the hubbs and I got together.  We worked together and hung out as friends before we started dating. 
Made our plans to go visit Sprat later in the Lax season, I am so excited to see him play in his first real college lacrosse game.  He did not get a true season last year and in fact since his school closed last year they gave him his year of eligibility back so he could play in his year of his Masters if he wants to. 

Merry Christmas to All. . .

Everyone home for Christmas.  I have struggled this holiday season, with Mom breaking her hip and having surgery at the day before Thanksgiving and all of the rehab she had to do, plus my insane work schedule.  I must give kudos to my manager she really worked with me over Thanksgiving so that I could be there for my Mom.  We have been short staffed for a year now and we now have two in training so I will be back to my regular part time schedule soon.  

With all that has been going on I have not really been in the Christmas/Holiday spirit, it has been a struggle for me.  I did get a little bit of it back when someone put out a plea for Christmas lights for a local nursing facility.  The hubbs and I went to the store and bought a bunch of lights to donate for their outdoor Winter Wonderland they were going to have for their residents.  They also had an angel tree for their residents and I decided to adopt two for Christmas.  The hubs and I shopped for them and delivered the lights and gifts not too long after Thanksgiving.  That really perked me up but I was not 100 % in that Christmas spirit just yet.  My very sweet hubby has worked so hard to get me in the spirit and on Christmas morning Santa had delivered a few very cool Christmas CDs.  Yes, I still listen to CD's on my drive to work.  Bing Crosby and Elvis Christmas albums,  the Eagles greatest hits,  ABBA greatest hits, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, and Ray Stevens greatest hits.   Bing can really put you in the Christmas spirit.  

My fellas saw to it that I had a comfort Christmas this year:  Socks (big fluffy comfy), blankets,  gloves and scarves.  Big T, my little hypochondriac, gave me a first aid kit filled with an assortment of bandaids, neosporin, and gauze pads.  He said he was just getting me ready for lacrosse season.  

Photo upload:

 

Sprat Sporting his new ECD Lax Christmas Sweater

The Hubbs being goofy 

The Cousins 

Bad Luck and Thanksgiving. .. .

My family has decided to do away with the actual holiday of Thanksgiving, we have decided to for go the November stipulation of the holiday and just have it as a surprise every year.  Do not misunderstand we are extremely thankful for all things, it just seems over the last few years that the actual holiday of Thanksgiving has been a disaster. Two or three years ago Thanksgiving, the year escapes me at this point, my dad flipped over the recliner and broke his collar bone and he was in a terrible fix for almost a year.  This year the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Mom and Dad's power went out in the wee hours of the morning.  Mom jumped up and realized it was out and was going to get up and get a flash light so Dad did not get up and possibly trip in the dark.  Mom jumped up and she tripped and fell and broke her hip, this was at 0330 in the AM.  The ambulance came and took her to the hospital and she had hip replacement surgery before lunch that day.  She is at a rehab facility now to get her hip back in shape.  I will not divulge her age but we will say eighty ish, my mother and father both are very healthy and nobody can seem to wrap their heads around that.  If she was asked one time she was asked one million, "You only take one medication????"   It was almost like they thought she was telling a fib.  My mother is the strongest person you could ever meet and beautiful both inside and out.  I know in my heart of hearts mom will recover she will not be in softball shape but she will be back on her feet.  Yes, my mom played softball up till she was sixty-five, Dad made her quit because she broke her nose in a double header.  Mom  played second base and was awesome.  She also played  basketball in high school and played semi- pro basketball for a year or two after high school, she is an amazing woman. 
I feel very fortunate to still have my parents to talk with and to ask advice about things.  I also feel very fortunate that my kids have their grandparents to talk with and learn from.  I only knew my maternal grandmother and she passed away when I was very young.  I do remember going to her house for Thanksgiving and Christmas and getting to see our cousins, aunts, and uncles. 
We are very thankful but, next year we may celebrate our thankfulness in July and it will be a surprise to us all. 
Sprat was ushered back to school via a snow storm, he made it safely and it is still snowing.  Classes were canceled yesterday and he and a couple friends were out playing in the snow. I had been begging him to send me pictures of the snow and he finally did.  I love the snow, I do not like driving in it but I love to watch it fall and to see the snow covered landscape.  It seems so peaceful and calm and it reminds me of a cleansing of all the pollen and pollution out of the air.
Stay tuned for more winter updates from Massachusetts, and updates on Mom's rehab progress. 

Shopping with the Hubby. . . and Other Things . . .

The hubbs took the day off and we went shopping today, this is the third day he has taken me shopping.  We have almost knocked out our Christmas shopping.  I love Christmas, it is probably my favorite holiday.  I love shopping for presents, looking for that extra special gift for that extra special person.  Our families have gotten older and we do not do gifts anymore, it kind of makes me depressed.  I do still get to buy my boys and my very sweet husband gifts.  My company is helping a family in need this year so I will get to buy gifts for two little boys and a special Mom.   I am looking forward to shopping for them.
My very sweet husband has taken me shopping three days now and bless him he is a trooper.  This is what true love looks like people, in case you have any doubt about your person.  This very sweet man has trucked me all over to find gifts for the boys and shoes (not Christmas gifts) for me.   Today we did the Mall yes, he took me to the Mall.  He did not complain once and I was trying on shoes and everything.   This is the best man on the planet, he is mine and there is no other like him. 
This has been an interesting look in to what our empty nester life would look like, I think I kinda like it. 
We went to Big T's exhibition at school last night, he did a great job and we enjoyed seeing him present and watching the other kids present.  It is exciting to meet these kids and see all of the cool things they are learning and hearing about what they want to do when they grow up.  These kids are taking  high school classes and college classes at the same time.  One of the kids Sprat's age that went to this school has gone in to the military and because he graduated high school with an associates degree he went in to the Army at a higher level than someone just out of high school and he is now studying to be a registered nurse.  This school opens up so many doors for these kids and gives them opportunities to try things out with job shadow and internships.  Big T was invited to go to the middle school to talk about his school along with the principal.  They are doing that next week, he is kind of excited about it.  They will be sharing what all they get to do and the fun things they are learning.
Stay tuned for tells from MA and tells from NC. 

Checking the Pmail. . . .

My sweet hubbs gets up with me most mornings at 0445, that is when I have to get up to get ready for work.  The hubbs does not have to get up that early to get ready for work, our sweet Basil gets up with me too.  That may be the real reason my sweet hubby gets up with "me" at 0445 in the morning. The B has a way about making sure he is up and getting her breakfast.  My hubby absolutely hates the cold weather, so these last few days since our temps have dipped down in the teens, he has been all dressed up like Nanook of the North to take the B out.   There is a route that she takes every morning, the hubbs says she is checking the P mail instead of gmail.  She walks up and down the street checking to see who else has been up and down the street.  She checks all the P spots of every other dog in the neighborhood.  I had to laugh when the hubbs told me of his travels with the B and checking the Pmail.  Not only does the hubbs tell me about checking the Pmail but he has also discussed this with our neighbor that has a delightful little corgi.  Evidently the corgi, little M, also checks her Pmail the same way the B does.  The hubbs says they are getting all the neighborhood gossip.
My hubby has the oddest sense of humor and that is one of the many reasons I love him so.  He knows how to make me laugh when I have had a bad day or even when I am a little down missing my sweet college boy.  On an up note my sweet college boy will be home in a week and I cannot wait.
They have already had a couple days of snow flurries in MA, he sent me a video of it flurrying the other day.  I love that he shares silly things like that with me.  I have always loved the snow, ever since I was a little girl.  I cannot wait till we get some snow this year. 

Sweet Basil 

Beautiful Snow 

Celebration. . . Love. . . Family. . . .

Celebrated the hubbs birthday this weekend, he got the full pampered treatment.  We had homemade meatball subs, black bean quinoa salad, and beer cheese dip with corn chips, and key lime pie for dessert.  Everything homemade except the key lime pie, it was frozen.  He also got to watch football all day uninterrupted and Miami won, he is a big kid at heart.  It was a great day for all and the food was a BIG hit.
I got to talk with Sprat for a little bit, he was filling me in on that was going on at school.  They have a therapy dog named Cooper that comes to the school periodically that the kids can go by and visit and play with.  Sprat said he had visited with Cooper once before when he was on campus. Sprat is enjoying his time at school and has made some new friends.
Big T is spreading his wings and trying to decide what he wants to do in school, Big T had stellar grades this session and I am looking forward to what he will decide. There are a lot of what if's floating around our house right now and they are in complete opposite directions of each other. I hope his school will give him some opportunities to try out some of these new interests. 
I love watching my kids grow and change, both of their interests have changed over the years. Big T's have changed just in the last few months. Life just keeps getting interesting around our house.
Stay tuned, never a dull moment. .. .

Drivers, Cars, Kids, School. . . Updates. . . .

Big T finally got his driver's license.   Between my schedule and his classes we had a hard time getting everything together.  He had his license for several days before he even wanted to drive anywhere.  He did talk to the school about his parking pass so, he will be able to drive to school and then ride the bus to his school and that will save us on gas.
I was chomping at the bit to get my license when I was sixteen but, neither of my boys have been very excited about it.  Big T did get his license before Sprat though, Sprat was seventeen before he got his license.  My kids are not the only ones that have not gotten their license as soon as they turned sixteen.  I have heard many of my friends  talk about their kids not getting their license right at sixteen either.
You all know Sprat took my little raspberry to Boston so, Big T will be getting Sprat's little blackberry to drive.  I took it and washed it and tried to clean it up a little before we headed out to the DMV.  I was a little embarrassed at how dirty the car was, it really needs a deep clean.  I may take it somewhere and have it detailed later.
Now that we have another driver, it seems we are getting closer to an empty nest.  The boys do not depend on us to take them here and there and they are becoming more and more independent, like young adults.  I am excited to think about an empty nest, the hubbs and I spending quality time together and traveling.  Planning the college tour to Florida and all of our little side trips we took sort of got me excited at the fact that we would be able to do this just the two of us if a few years. 
I really enjoyed our trip to St Lucia, WI that was also a little glimpse at what empty nesting might look like for us. I have always wanted to go to Italy and I would love to go back to Germany and Switzerland.  The hubbs is not that keen on traveling but I think I could talk him in to those trips.
Stay tuned as our College  tours are just beginning and Lax season is getting started.

Upside Down Week and True Love. . .

It has been a horrendous week and a half, I had a migraine for four days straight and then got a stomach virus when I was finally getting over the migraine.  In all of that I was trying to work and maintain my family.  I could use a couple of days off here.  I am very thankful for my dear husband and son, bless them for taking care of themselves during my week of craziness.  I soaked in a milk bath last night and I feel somewhat human this morning. My very sweet husband came home from work the other night and I was still not feeling well and he fixed me pancakes so I could get ready for work.  I love this man to the moon and back.  The Lord truly blessed me when he lead me to my dear hubby.  I only hope that my boys turn out half as good as their daddy and they will be a blessing to their mates as well.
With my stomach and my head being so out of whack, I decided I would revisit my 100 days of real food adventure and clean my diet up.  I am looking at more recipes for real food and options for packed lunches for work and school.  I try not to use plastic when packing lunches for myself especially if it is something that I have to reheat at the office.  Big T has been eating the hubbs chicken and rice soup almost everyday for dinner and that is a change up from sandwiches for a lunch option.  I just need to find a way he can take his soup and I had rather not use glass.  I will be searching hot food transportation options in the next few weeks for Big T's lunch. 
I will be trying some new recipes in the next few weeks and I will share my triumphs and fails because, let's face it, there will be fails. 
Stay tuned for Massachusetts updates and college visit updates. . . . 

My Youngest is an Adult. . . . What?? No Way??

My oldest is turning twenty this week, it does not seem real, could I really have  a twenty year old child.  Wow!!  Who let that happen??  I am so excited for my son.  As a parent you want to tell them everything you know so that they do not make the same mistakes you made or could have made when you were their age.  Of course he is bull headed, he would not be mine if he was not, and does not want to take any advice from dear old mom or dad for that matter.  My hubby and I made our share of mistakes when we were teenagers but we survived, the only difference is that there was no internet or social media when we were growing up.  Thank the good Lord for that one. Whew !!!  Catastrophe escaped!! 
I am very excited for my son and all of the things he is going to get to do and for the things he has already done.  The world is open for him and I pray every day that he will take advantage of all of the opportunities that are offered.  He text me the other day to tell me how much he likes it at this new school.  He said his classes are very interesting and that his professors are good.  I have not heard how the food is, so it must be good also.  They have a Dunkin Doughnuts right on campus, thank goodness he does not like sweets that much.  The lacrosse team had their first community event on Saturday.  They helped set up for a fundraiser 5K Stary Night run to help raise money for pediatric brain tumor research.  I do not know what the set up consisted of but they worked most of the afternoon to get it ready.  I love that the lacrosse team does things for the community and is involved in community out reach but, it is not just the lacrosse team, all of the teams at his school do these things.  I think it makes the kids see they have an investment in the community they live.   They had their first player lead workout on Sunday afternoon and poor Sprat text me to tell me how sore he was.  I told him to take a hot shower and rest. 
Stay tuned more updates from Massachusetts to come and Big T' first true college visit. . . . 

College, Boys, Love, Family. . . .

As Sprat is heading back to College, I have been looking back on how the hubbs and I got where we are.  We started out as two dumb young people trying to make a living and learn about life.  The hubbs and I met during my first job out of college.  I moved several hours away from my folks to go to work in a lab right out of college.  Luckily, one of my friends from college also worked at the lab and we were able to get an apartment together.  The hubbs was my lab partner and for me it was love at first sight.  We worked third shift processing blood samples for area doctor's offices. 
Now twenty-eight years later we celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary and our oldest is getting ready to turn twenty and head back to college  for his sophomore year and our baby has already started his junior year of high school.  Wow!! time has really flown by.
There are so many emotions that follow dropping your child off at college; dread, excitement, sadness, love, fear, and hope.  I think dread and fear sort of go hand in hand.  You dread the thought of leaving them and you have a lot of fear about whether they will make it on their own or not.  Excitement comes for all of the new experiences that are waiting for them. Sadness from them growing up and not being the little boys that you brought home from the hospital and held and watched as they slept.  I think hope and love go hand and hand.  You have so much hope for their future and the overwhelming love that you feel believing that you have raised a good kid that is now a good person.
Here is to the new school year, prayers for all the kiddos heading off to school and the parents coping with the new adventures.  Stay tuned for updates from MA. . .

School and Cars, Boys and Cars, Moms and Cars . . . .

First day of Junior year.   Yayyy, the hubbs and I had our traditional celebrate the kids going back to school date.   Big T drove to school, still trying to get his hours, with the hubbs.  I worked a half shift last night so they let me sleep in a little so no pictures of first day of school.   The hubbs and I had our traditional back to school breakfast out and  then we drove to pick up my new wheels.  Yep, Mama is getting her very own wheels. I have not had a car that was my very own since before we were married.  I have always had what would pull the boat and what would haul the kids and all their gear.  The hubbs always had a company car so what ever I drove had to cover everything else.  Now that Sprat is in college and I am not hauling everyone to baseball, football and everything in between I can try and find my very own car.  I am so excited.
I have been on a heated search for Sprat a car and have not found anything that fits my pocketbook or my specifications for my kiddo to have.  I did, however, find a neat little gem for myself.  It is more than I wanted to spend on Sprat but less than I had anticipated spending for me.   So, Sprat is getting my not so old car to take to school.   I am not very happy about that but I am pretty psyched about my little T Bird.
The hubbs and I are debt  free except the house and plan on staying that way so, my specs on cars had a whole lot to do with cost and mileage even for myself.  I have been pounding the internet looking for cars for Sprat and on one last ditch effort on tip from a friend I found my little T Bird.  I guess I am in my mid-life crisis.  Since I was a little girl, I have always secretly wanted a convertible and this little T Bird just fell in my lap. 
Sprat is over the moon about getting my car and Big T is happy to have Sprat's first car.  We just have to get Big T a license.  A few more hours to go on his supervised driving and he will be there. 
Stay tuned:  School, Cars, College, Boys, and girlfriends. . . . . . . . . .

Orientation, Learning, Loving, and a Little Sightseeing . . .

We drove up to Massachusetts for orientation on Sunday.  Sprat had seen the campus but the hubbs and I had not, in fact, Sprat spent a great deal of time on this campus last year with their lacrosse coach.   Monday was an all day affair for all of us, the parents went to their sessions and the students went to their own.  We saw Sprat only a few times on Monday, he had fallen right in with some of the kids from his other school and a couple of lacrosse kids.  We did get to hear a wonderful motivational speaker and the one thing he said that I am sure those kids will not get until they are older was;  "If you do not choose your own greatness, someone else will choose your mediocrity."  I am not sure if these are his own words but that little sentence spoke volumes to me.  This guy was great and the kids seemed to be very receptive to him.  We found out later that this same gentleman had spoken at their orientation for the last three years and every year the current students that are helping with orientation stay to hear him because he is that good. 
We saw Sprat briefly just to give him his bag to get settled in his dorm and then we were off again. They had plans for the students all night and all the next day.  I thought I would be able to handle all of this but turns out that was not the case.  It is very hard to let go of your first born and apparently I am a control freak and do not hide it well.  LOL!!! 
While Sprat was having his day of orientation and the hubbs and I had a day to ourselves we decided we would check out the surrounding areas.  I found a quaint little antique store and yes I did pick up a little item.  The gentlemen that run the shop were very nice and I think I will go  back when we take Sprat in the Fall.   So many nice things and so little room in the car this trip. 
We met up with Sprat and his girlfriend and said our good byes, he is spending a few days with her and her family before heading home.  On our way home we stopped by the Lindt chocolate factory outlet to pick up some much needed chocolates. 
The hubbs got his new company car right before we left so we were able to take it on our trip.  This a top of the line car with all the bells and whistles, some of those bells I could have done without.  At one point we were going through a construction zone that required us to move back and forth over the white line in order to stay within the zone.  The car started making weird noises and flashed a cup of coffee on the dash board with words saying driver alert or something to that nature.  I busted out laughing because apparently us moving back and forth over that white line through the car into a frenzy.   We got use to that one, then we were almost home and it started raining, there was a car in front of us that was turning.  We were not even close to that car and our car started flashing red lets on the dash board that flashed across the windshield and a loud noise sounded and we abruptly slowed down.  That scared me to death! 
A note to car manufacturers all of that is enough to cause a wreck!  We do not need lights flashing across the windshield and loud noised going off when we are trying to focus on the road.  I told my husband he needed to figure out how to disable that crap quick! 
A few pictures to finish up this post:

The quaint little antique store 

One of the neat items we found, a note said it was not for sale.

The college had trolleys to take the parents around 

This is the library 

Stay tuned, I am waiting on pictures from the Cape from Sprat.  He was going to visit there. 

 

A Good Bubble Bath can Sooth Everything. . .

A good visit with both families this past weekend and got to see some relatives that we had not seen in quite some time.  It was a good weekend with beautiful weather.  Our garden and the herb garden seem to be loving this change in the weather too, everything seems to be thriving.  I have dried some oregano and the oregano I transplanted to the new herb garden is very happy. 
I found a recipe on Pinterest for a Milk bath so, I thought I would give it a try.  I do love my detox baths so I thought this could be one to add to my list. This goes to my self care,  Here is the recipe: 

2 cups powdered milk (whole not low fat)
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup baking soda
10 drops lavender ( or what ever essential oil you would like to use: peppermint, rosemary, rose, eucalyptus)

put your dry ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine, add essential oil and shake again.  Let this set for 24 hours in a dark place and shake occasionally.  You can add Epsom salt to this also.  I added 1 cup of this mixture to my bath.
I may give this one as gifts this year it is so nice.  According to history Cleopatra also took milk baths and claimed it preserved her beauty and kept her youthful.  It took 7,000 donkeys to provide milk for her daily bath.  I did not have a donkey so powdered milk will have to do.  The hubbs did say my skin felt very soft after my bath.  So, I guess I will keep this recipe handy. 
When the boys were little as a little treat they use to take baths with Aveno oatmeal bath, this mixture reminded me of that.  It was very soothing and in our Jacuzzi tub it bubbled like crazy, I never get that much bubble using a commercial bubble bath with all the chemicals.  This was truly very enjoyable and soothing. I love that it was all natural with no chemicals and that I made it with my own two hands.  I will tell you, you may have to look hard for powdered whole milk.  I just recently found it on Amazon, I could not find it in our local stores they only had low fat.  You want whole full of fat milk for your bath, it is the milk fat that will make your skin feel soft and glow like Cleopatra.

Old and Married but We still Got It!!!

So this is probably an adult only post so do not read in front of your kids.  The hubbs and I celebrated 26 years this month, we celebrated watching a lacrosse game.  We are going to try an do dinner some time this month after lacrosse season is over.    We are pretty practical people when it comes to gift giving, every now and then we splurge on gifts to each other.  This year my very sweet hubby got a new toilet for his bathroom, ever since he blew his knee out he has wanted one of those higher toilets in his bathroom.  Happy Anniversary to my hubby, he got his potty this week.  Happy Anniversary to me, I got new brakes for my car.  It is ok to be practical folks, you do not have to always blow everything you have on a gift.  We are trying to pay our house off early so we did our Anniversary Dave Ramsey style. 
The other day while I was at work I get this text from my hubby, it was a picture of his fortune from his fortune cookie from the night before.  It said, "love is on the way."  He then wrote on the bottom of it, "your wife will want you to night!!!"   I work 12 hour shifts and had just worked night shift the day before so I was a little behind on my sleep.  I text him back a picture of my fortune that I had taken to work with me for my lunch, "It is better to attempt something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and fail."   I told him I would need wine, diamonds, and chocolate if his attempt was going to be great.  Now, my hubby and I banter back and forth like this all the time.   He text back,
"you can't hit a home run if you don't take the bat off your shoulder."   He then said, "if I make you laugh I have done my job."  This my friends is true love, a man that knows that if he can make you laugh that he can make you feel better about your day.  I love this man to the moon!!!
When I got home that night after a really long bad day, there was a little brown bag on my pillow and inside was:  a bottle of Mucinex DM cough syrup (this was the wine), a bag of open Nestle chocolate chips (chocolate), and a piece of charcoal in a plastic baggie pinched with a wrench ( my diamond in the making).  How is that for creativity??   We may be old but we still got it!!! 

Prom, Prom, Prom. . . And did I Mention the Prom. . .

Photo parade of the Prom.  I guess I over did my share on Facebook with my Prom pictures but I am sure when others children did Prom they did the same.  This was my sweet Big T's first Prom and there will not be another like it.  So pardon the parade of photos. 

These are my favorite pictures that I took.  These two are very photogenic and we had a great day.  They also had a wonderful time at the Prom.  Everywhere we went that day everyone said how wonderful they looked.   I know because the hubbs and I drove them everywhere.  We did not chaperone the Prom though.

Weekend Update. . . .

So, I shared earlier about having to get all my doctor appointments scheduled.  I still have to schedule my mammogram and my eye appointment and I have my appointment for my migraines.  It is rough trying to keep yourself healthy, I have realized these last few weeks that I seriously neglected my self over the years.  I am chalking this up to my resolution of self care this year. 
Young Moms, please do not neglect your own health for the sake of your family.  I wish I had been better to me while the boys were young but, when you are trying to hold down a household and take care of two boys you tend to neglect you.  Make you a priority.
I completed my Cologuard test, it was not as bad as I thought  it would be, I am waiting to hear back about my results.  This tests your poop for cancer DNA.  If it comes back positive it does not mean you have cancer it means you could have cancer and should have the colonoscopy to make sure there are no polyps.  If it comes back negative this will be the best thing ever because I will not have to have that nasty colonoscopy.  I will be honest I have heard horror stories about these and I want to stay as far away from them as I can.  I am a terrible patient, I hate doctors and I may have used the family as an excuse not to go to the doctor.  I am a terrible patient. 
We can chalk up a win for the Lax bros last night, our first win of the season.   Sprat got accepted to his new school, got his scholarship and will be playing lacrosse for this new school.  We are very excited for him and cannot wait to see what his sophomore year will hold. The hubbs has dirt and is going to work on my herb bed again today.  Big T is getting ready for his Prom tonight so stay tuned for photo overload. 

Pod People. . . Brussel Sprouts.... Love

My hubby and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary in a few weeks, if you want to know what true love looks like, it is a husband who plants a garden every year for his wife that loves veggies.  The wife that could very easily be a vegetarian.  Love is a husband that will research how to grow brussel sprouts and go out and plant them because he finds out his wife likes them.  The hubbs does not like brussel sprouts and calls them "pod people" and yet he planted them for me.  Our garden is looking very interesting this year, looking forward to our harvest.  More pictures of our "pod people" when they are mature.

My very sweet hubby working. 

My very sweet hubby praying over our garden after planting 

The "pod people" cannot wait to see how they grow. 

A Planting We Will Go . . .

Garden is tilled and partially planted,  my dear husband planted our first part of the garden for this season.  He planted cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, radishes, onions, lettuce of all varieties, and the potatoes will go in in two weeks.  I planted some herbs for inside and out and cleaned out where my mint and oregano are growing.  I planted some dill and rosemary outside in my planters, I planted rosemary and basil for my kitchen and brought some oregano in to try and root.
I love playing in the dirt and it was a beautiful day today.  I even cleaned off my porch and trimmed my camellia bushes.  It was a good day.
While I was outside enjoying the sun and the dirt, I had an idea.  I think I will plant some herbs and take them to work for the kitchen so we can use them when we fix our lunch and dinner.   I will have to let you know how that goes later.  I will try and post some pictures later too.
We woke up yesterday and took Sprat to the airport to go back to school.  I am always so sad when he goes back to school.  He has a few more weeks and he will have completed his freshman year.  I was so sore from working in the yard on Saturday that I could barely walk.  The hubbs and I both are so very sore, I guess I need to do more yoga.  Today I am still sore and I have another doctors appointment.  I hope I do not fall off the table, my legs hurt so bad, you would think I ran a marathon or something on Saturday. 
Updates to follow on Sprat, Big T, the garden and the doctor. 

Work, Family, Love, Kids. . .

Three lacrosse games, work and trying to catch up with one home from college before he has to go back.  It is going to be a busy week for everyone in our house.  Oh, and let us not forget the hubbs interviewing for a new job.  He is still with the old company but I have said many times his industry is very volatile and they do not value employees.  These upper management people tell their employees, "make your numbers or you will be sorry," which is management speak for you will lose your job.  The hubbs and I are older and we were raised very similarly, we were taught a pretty strict work ethic and that has stuck with us.  I just hope our kids will follow in our way of thinking when it comes to work.  My hubby is very smart and the clients he calls on love him and see him as a valuable resource when it comes to his product.  When he was laid off a couple years ago, one of his clients offered to call his company and complain.  My hubby being the kind of person he is, insisted that he not call that it would not do any good.  My hubbs manager, knows he is a valuable employee but the top guys at the company have no clue.  It is funny how CEO's and VP's today do not understand that companies do not run on the backs of CEO's but on the backs and blood of the employees.  I would wager a guess that, with regard to my hubby's company, if you put one of their upper management people in the field to call on the offices that they would fall on their face.  Their product sales would dry up and blow off into the wind if these upper management types had to sell and be responsible in the field, half of them have never been in the field before and have no clue what the average sales representative does or has to do on a daily basis.  I really wish employers would take a step back and see the value in their employees.
I am excited for my hubby and his new job possibilities,  he has had one interview and has another one planned and even another one with a different company soon.