10 of my favorite things

1. The color pink - I don't care if it's a cell phone or a toothbrush. If it's pink, that's the one I want.

2. Bubble Gum ice cream - the pink one, not the blue one that tastes like play-dough.

3. Beaches - I don't care if it's at a lake, pond, river or the ocean. My goal is to finally see a west coast beach for the first time, hopefully by next summer.

4. Travel - there's so much to see in the world, and I want to see it all, well, maybe just most of it, there's a few places I could skip.

5. Batman - how cool to be a super hero with no powers, he's just really smart and really athletic.

6. Homeschooling - I wouldn't have it any other way.

7. Scrapbooking - I don't drink, smoke, take drugs, or go to clubs. It's my only means of escape.

8. My Faith - it's gotten me through things I never could've gotten through otherwise.

9. Arizona - different parts of the state are SO different, I don't ever want to live anywhere else.

10. My husband (not that he's #10) - I'm still married to my best friend after 18 years! And he gets better every year.

Loving our new home

We've been in our new home for about 2 weeks already. It's amazing how fast the days go by here. We've taken the drive into town (Show Low) and to St. John's.

There isn't much in St. John's we need, the Ace hardware store, a movie theater that plays just one movie at a time, a pharmacy, a few gas stations, some dollar-store type places (not $1, but cheap stores), and the ALCO store. Actually, we kind of really like the ALCO store. It's a mini dept. store and their prices are as low as those in the Phoenix area. That's unusual up here. Usually everything here is more expensive because of lack of competition, or added fuel costs to get the stuff up here.

Show Low is the "big city" that services all the towns around here - about 10 of them. It's where you find the grocery stores, franchise fast food, national chains like Kmart, Home Depot, Big Lots, WalMart and Fashion Bug. If you're going "into town" you ask everyone around if they need anything because no one wants to make unnecessary trips 35 miles away.

As for life here on the hill, it's so peaceful. It's quiet. There's no traffic. Only an occasional barking dog in the distance, almost always wind but sometimes it's a nice gentle breeze. I love that I can get through my day without feeling rushed, without having a million places to go. Even though I saved a fortune by shopping the sale flyers and hitting 3 to 5 grocery stores a week in the Valley, I enjoy that I shop at just one place at a time here. I just have to shop smart.

Having Tim here 24/7 is a real change too. I enjoy knowing he's close by, but the house is so big, there's still many hours that go by where we don't run into each other. My favorite part of this move is that now, for the first time ever, we eat 2 to 3 meals a day together as a family. It's nice to be together throughout the day, although Adam the Hermit objects to leaving his room - he does it anyway.

Every morning I wake up thankful I live here now.

We're moved and it's great!

So here we are, in the middle of nowhere, and I'm liking it even better than I expected. The people are friendly. The quiet here at times is incredible. I've seen elk, rabbits and lots of lizards.

I'm enjoying the space and freedom to read when I want, sit outside and enjoy the quiet when I need it, and the space to do scrapbooking projects when I get a new ink cartridge to print out my photos.

The kids are adjusting pretty well. We go for walks, rides on the scooters and quads, walk up the hill when it's time to feed the horses, and we're watching movies together (well, Logan, Jordan & me). We never had time for that in the city. It was always running from one errand or class to another. There were so many days as a homeschooling parent that all I longed for was to spend a day at HOME. Now, I feel this year will be the one with the most progress, the best memories, and the greatest flexibility we've ever had.

I'll be back to the city about once a month for the next few months, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying just staying home.

Why I'm excited about leaving in just 10 days...

We're so excited to get out of here! It's been 7 long years in 1000 sf, living next to horrible bullying neighbors, loud cars & motorcycles, and you don't want to know what else...

When we moved in back in 2003, our kids were 5, 7 and 9. We planned on staying here just long enough to figure out where Tim would be working, then move close to there. We only took this one because it was under $80K for 3 bdrms and we were next to a pool, grassy common area, all major highways, and the neighbors were very nice and there were lots of kids to play with the same age as ours. Within about 3 or 4 years, owners moved away, renters moved in, the pool started falling apart, along with the parking lot, the new neighbor moved in his homeless girlfriend with her 4 kids (they don't share a father), drug dealers and addicts moved closer, homeless people set up their spot on our community grounds, and our expenses to live here went way up after the HOA president embezzled $300K in one year. At that point, Tim's job situation had changed and our $70K+ income dwindled in half.

We adjusted, shopped smarter, spent less, and we floated (more like bobbed up and down at the break-even line) along for another year or two. Meanwhile, gas doubled, groceries went up, and the sales industry here went down. It was time for me to get a part-time job, with no history, no college diploma, and we were entering the recession in fall of '08.

I found a job at a tea house. Hard work, but God blessed it and made it fun and purposeful. We made due for about 6 months, then it shut down suddenly w/o even a 24 hour notice. Then it got bad.

In 2009, Tim saw a paycut, overtime stopped, his regular hours cut, was moved to a store in a dead strip mall, moved to other stores where our gas costs doubled, and I even had to find another job again (same location/different tea house). We dealt with his salary going from $70K to $35K, but then it was cut drastically from that! Now we're seeing his checks, after taxes and tithing, are only $1400/month. How can a family live on that? My job is just 8 to 10 hrs. a week, and we're approaching our slowest season - the 110 degree summers and the snowbirds move away til fall.

So now the good news! In just 10 days, we'll be able to live close to Tim's parents again, the kids can be close to them again, we'll have lots of space, fresh air, (no Phoenix brown cloud), clean water, and hopefully, we'll learn how to grow our own organic vegetables too! Our kids need to be away from the bad influences they're now involved in. They need to get back to the family values they were taught growing up. It's only been the last 2 years or so that they really changed. With me working, and our constant struggling, something had to give - and I'm all done with that being our children's future. Time to re-learn a few things.

I'm ready to unplug from so much activity. I've been involved in so many things when they were younger. We've done dance, gymnastics, karate, drama, cartooning classes, soccer, flag football, scrapbooking classes, Co-Ops, homeschool groups, Park Days, Field Trips, Local events, museums, zoos, and a bunch of stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting. I'll enjoy just cooking, eating, cleaning up and relaxing with my family for a change. Tim will be able to join us for dinner FINALLY! I don't think in our whole 18 years together, he's had supper with the family consistently since our first year.

We're going to do lots of family things together, especially camping. We love to go camping. We're going to sit around a fire pit and see more stars than we've ever seen before. We're going to talk through things as our kids encounter situations. And we're going to get our family back on track.

That's why I'm so excited about leaving in just 10 days.

Her Last Few Days with a Pool

Every summer Jordan drives us all crazy asking to go to the pool...every day! Having a pool was the best part of living in this little townhouse for the past 7 years. It's odd that we both bought it and will be moving out of it on our Anniversary. Jordan didn't know how to swim when we got here. Now she swims, dives and does tricks underwater. Here's a few photos from when we first moved here and now that she's about 5 feet tall and almost 12:

The Moving Truck is Booked !

We booked the moving truck this week. On May 30th, we'll pick up truck, go to church for the last time (for a while, anyway) at Mountain Valley, then come home to move. Hopefully, we'll have some help. My boss and her husband agreed to help already, they've been so great about this.

We have such a small place that we can't pack much until the truck's here. Boxes take up more space than the stuff when it's in the drawers and cabinets, so we have to wait til the last few days to really pack most of our stuff. It doesn't help that it'll be around 110 degrees that week! But, we didn't pick the time frame, our bank did when they sold our mortgage 67 days after the last payment. The new company wasted no time picking an auction date just a few weeks away. So it's got to be now.

Actually, with just about another month and a half to go, we're ready to just go. The waiting is hard. I like change. It opens up new possibilities. I'd love to get moved into the new space and begin our new life, so waiting is getting old.

We actually do have to put a few more things in place before we leave, so I guess it's a good thing that there's another 45 days or so. Adam wants to keep working til the last possible day, earn as much as possible, and buy the things he needs for his new room. Tim and I are working at growing our business with more intensity than ever before, hoping to reach another level or two so he can ONLY work part-time to help his parents. We really don't want him to have to take another sales job, or something that prevents us from fixing our family. Too many hours and weekends away has caused some issues that can't be resolved without family, not a job, coming first.

If Tim can start up his own company too, that'd be great, but we only need a few things to fall into place for us to retire him...Gotta go get to work.

A Mad Hatter Tea Party

Did I mention we do fun stuff at work? My bosses came up with the idea to have a Mad Hatter Tea Party just as the new movie was coming out. We all dressed up (mildly) and set a large table for a tea party. Customers that paid to come to it were all sat at the same table, decorated like the movie/book. We covered it with teapots and teacups of every color, meringue mushrooms dusted with cocoa powder, a chocolate jelly roll that looked like a real log, a caterpillar made of cupcakes, hedgehogs made with good n' plenty candies, red heart cookies, and so, so much more! I got to play the white rabbit. Perfect for me, always neurotic about being late for anything! My middle son Logan played the Mad Hatter, Johnny Depp style - although it was more of a cross with his Willie Wonka character and the Mad Hatter. Very Tim Burton-ish. Anyway, we had a great time, the customers loved it - especially the walk-ins that had no idea what we were doing that day. It was a lot of fun. I'll miss this crew when we move.

Top 10 Reasons why I love where I work:

1. I have the best bosses you could ask for, Debbie & Donna. They're kind, caring, and understand that as a homeschooling Mom, sometimes my kids have to come before the job...and that's ok.
2. I work with Moni again! She's been a great friend. I can tell her anything and she'll find a way to be positive and encouraging for me.
3. I work with a team, not just a staff. We all want to do what's best for the business to succeed.
4. I get the greatest customers, like Tess. Many are from when Abbey Gardens was in that location so it's nice to see them again. I love serving wonderful women.
5. I work in the prettiest surroundings.
6. I make good money.
7. At work, everyone's family joins this larger family we're all a part of.
8. My bosses appreciate when I go the extra mile, and I know many people don't have that where they work.
9. If anything were to happen to me, Tim or one of my kids, I know they'd be there to help however they could - and I'd do the same.
10. Working at the Front Porch Tea Cafe has put some fun back into my life I was desperately missing.

Soup of the Week

I've never been a soup lover but lately, I've been getting into making a soup every Sunday. I started with a Potato Leek soup, then a Broccoli Cheddar, then a Chicken and Dumplings, and this week, it's a Pasta e Fagioli.

I go through phases where I want to cook/eat one category or one food for about a month. Sometimes it's Buffalo Wings, other times it's cooking Mexican food, and at the moment, it's Soup of the Week. I have lots of ideas, including some chili and Sweet Potato chili ones; it just depends on what's on sale and what organic veggies I can get my hands on.

I'd love to try to make a Borscht (cold beet soup) at the end of the month as we head into Passover, but I'm the only one in my house who likes beets. Maybe I'll just make a small pan for one.

Another favorite of mine is true Scotch Broth with lamb, but lamb is so amazingly expensive here, it's out of the question. A small "leg of lamb" portion is about $20!

There's so many possibilities with soup I could make one a week for a year and not repeat them - but I'll probably be onto another food or ethnicity before too long.

Patient, heal thy self

My blood pressure's been averaging around 145/95 (and above at times) for about 3 months now. Between the stress of being upside-down every month, Tim's income dropping by 55%, dealing with an angry, withdrawn 16 year old, facing a foreclosure on our home, and moving to a place with no jobs available...I've been in the Hypertension range for too long.

My doctor tried Liprinosil. It didn't work, and it made me have a severe intestinal flare-up about every 30 days - one so bad I ended up at an Urgent Care place. So what did she do? She DOUBLED the dosage...I was so dizzy, sick, exhausted, and stressed out! One day when she was sick, her colleague prescribed a less harmful medication. No side effects, but it didn't work either. After 10 days, my bp was just as high as ever.

The words of (I think it was) Socrates, "Patient, heal thy self" were stuck in my mind, like a broken record, over and over and over. I decided to listen to that still small voice and do my own research on the matter.

I found some natural herbs and enzymes that have been used by doctors to reduce blood pressure so I tried them. I bought Co-Q10 Enzyme - in liquid form, and then Hawthorne and Valerian, also in liquid form. From that very day I started taking them, my bp dropped to the 120/80 range with many readings over the last week in the last week under 110 and under 80! Maybe that's what I was supposed to do all along. Again I had that restless spirit regarding taking prescribed medication. I believed all along God gave us what we need on this earth already to heal us. It's up to us to do the work to find it.

I go back to the doctor's on Wed. I don't know how she'll react to my doing this, but it's working. It may be working in conjunction with the new medicine...it may be doing the job in spite of it. I'm not sure if I'll continue to take it or not, but I know I'll keep taking the natural path to healing.

I've also dropped about 10 pounds since Christmas and added an additional 10 miles of walking every week since starting to waitress again. I've added tons more organic fruits and vegetables to my diet and cut out a huge portion of unhealthy stuff. I'm on the right track.

Wish me luck, Wednesday.

About 100 Days to Go

The countdown has begun, at least in my mind. In just over 100 days, we're leaving our jobs, celebrating our 18th Anniversary weekend with our friends here in the Valley, and then moving up to the mountains.

I need to get boxes and storage bins to start packing. Back in NH, there were state liquor stores with the perfect boxes for moving. They're small enough to lift and carry, yet strong enough to pack well without worrying about the bottom falling out. Around here, stores break their boxes down before I can get to them - not sure what we'll do. I know we'll get a few dozen bins, though.

Here's what I'll miss: working at the Front Porch Tea Cafe, God's Girls and Mom's Night Out with East Side Explorer's homeschool group, Tuesday mornings with the Ladies' bible study group, listening to Pastors Phil, Jeremy and John at Mountain Valley on Sunday mornings, being able to just "run and get" whatever I need within 5 to 10 minutes of the house, having multiple choices to shop for groceries and necessities so I can get the best deals, living so close to museums, parks, shopping, great restaurants, dollar theaters, Christian book stores, and concert events, beautiful sunsets, palm trees, shorts in January, winters in the 70s, swimming more than 6 months of the year.

Here's what I won't miss: living in "the ghetto" (not really, but it's a townhouse condo in a busy area, not a neighborhood), cars all hours of the day and night, neighbors who date loud, obnoxious people I'd never let near my kids if it were up to me, high pollution days, being stuck in traffic, city water you shouldn't drink, 5 of us living in 1000 sf, the boys having to still share a room, no yard.

The inconveniences we'll have to deal with: Just running to get milk is a 40 min. drive EACH WAY, you have to get in your car and drive to the old grain store to get your mail every day, living on a "county road" that's not really a road on a map, living where it snows, temperatures below freezing again, living 3 1/2 hours from my friends, no high-speed internet cable - just DSL lines available, too cold to swim even in the summer (from the dryness and high winds), the aloneness the kids will feel for a while, although I love my in-laws, sharing a house isn't the same as owning your own space and being able to make decisions for yourself and your own family regarding changes or the yard.

So why are we going anyway? Fresh air, clean water, a chance to try organic gardening, a slower-paced life, cooler summer nights, lots more space for each of us, more privacy for each of us, a chance to un-plug from always rushing out the door to go somewhere, a chance to do family things together, and hopefully, this will be the chance we needed for Tim to start his own business instead of being a slave to a job that restricts our schedules and pays less than we can survive on. It's also a chance for my kids' grandparents to teach them life skills. It's a chance for me to be closer to Tim's mom. I'm looking forward to taking my experience and helping a local church and homeschool group up there, but not to the extent I've had to keep up with here in the city.

I look forward to summer nights around a fire pit with Tim, and with our kids. I look forward to seeing a wide-open starry sky with no lights to interfere. I'm looking forward to sleeping with the windows open. I long to hear Tim playing his acoustic guitar off the deck as the music travels on the wind through the stillness and quiet...oh yeah, and the long walks and fun 4-wheeler rides with my Honey.

That's why we're doing it.

14 and 16 ?!?!?!

I can't believe my boys turned 14 and 16 this week! I feel like I woke up one morning, and there they were, two teenagers. Their lives are filled with Facebook, emails, loud music even I don't like (and I grew up with heavy metal), wearing all black - which I don't mind so much - texting, and phone calls late into the night.

I miss those learning moments at a Children's Museum, having lunch by the Phoenix Zoo's "Savannah" watching the giraffes walking majestically, the wonder of fireworks on their faces, the thrill they had inventing new dives into the pool, and to go way back...the theme from Thomas the Tank Engine playing in the background at bedtime.

People are right. The time with our kids goes so quickly. I don't feel quite the same about Jordan because with her, I never worked, we'd gotten rid of our rental properties and moved west by her 5th birthday, and knowing she was my last - I spent every moment of her first 10 years treasuring and savoring it. I remember holding her in the middle of the night at about 6 months old. I remember thinking, "She'll never be this little again, not even in the morning."

Back to my boys. We've been through karate, bo staff training, tournaments, scrapbooking classes, cartooning classes, flag football, soccer, drama (my favorite of all their activities), and so much more. Now Logan spends weeks at a time away in the summer at his grandparents' house and just went on his first weekend retreat with our church. Adam spends weekends at his friend's house, goes to church with him, and works on Saturday. They're definitely not just "boys" anymore. They're quickly becoming young men, faster than I can keep up.

I think the hardest thing has been the last 2 years. We've been hit by the economy pretty bad. Tim brings home about 1/2 what he used to, yet costs keep going up. I work a few days a week, all my boss can afford to give me, and it's only enough to buy groceries & gas between paychecks - yet it's big enough to keep me from allowing them to do weekend events and activities since I'm gone and they're stuck home.

This summer we leave the city and move to the mountains. With less available for me, I think it'll be easier for me to unplug from responsibilities and choose only the best things for our family to do. I'm looking forward to more family time, more quiet, more space, fresh air, clean water, and less rushing around. I picture cool fall evenings sitting around a fire pit in the back yard, hopefully talking about the important things with our kids. Hopefully they'll play along.

Adam's First Apple Pie

Adam wanted to make an apple pie. When I asked him why, he just said because he'd never made one before, and was in the mood for one. I bought him the ingredients, gave him my Fannie Farmer cookbook, and let him "have at it". He didn't want instruction, nor help. He said if he messed up, then he could learn from it. He did everything right, except he stood the apples up in a pile instead of laying them flat, so it looked kind of weird before baking. The inside had a juicy, caramel-type of filling between the apples that was so good! When it cooled off a little, he topped it with vanilla ice cream.

Snow for the First Time

My friend Monica "Moni" was born and raised in Yuma, AZ. For those who don't know, that's where AZ, CA and Mexico meet. Needless to say, Moni's never really played in the snow. Here in the valley, you can see snow on the mountains when there's a few inches on the ground in Payson. Moni and I had plans to go out together on a Sunday, but when I saw the snow on the mountain peaks, I called her and said, "We're going to Payson!" The drive's about an hour and a half, but basically, a straight line. We headed up in the afternoon and played in the 2 or 3 inches that had fallen in the big parking lot next to McDonald's. I brought Logan & Jordan along too, since they like to play in the snow and Logan loves the cold. We had a great time. I didn't play in the snow, but I'm happier taking the pictures, anyway. It was a lot of fun for Moni, she discovered things about snow she hadn't realized...like how it's powdery, and it's ice underneath, and you can do stuff in it because it holds it's shape, it has cool textures, it melts in strange patterns from the crystals, it looks pretty dusted in your hair, and it's fun to visit, but she wouldn't want to live in it all winter. To see the excitement and wonder on her face made the trip so worth it for me. I love to see people learn and experience new things.

One Word for 2010

I heard a couple of DJ's on the radio this morning talking about a new idea for 2010...instead of coming up with a long list of Resolutions we don't believe we can really accomplish, how about just coming up with one word to use as a filter for everything you do this year instead?

Here's some examples:

LOVE - everything I do, I will do in love. I'll make time for those I care about. If I can't do something in a loving way, or if it'll make me resentful, then I should say no to it.

EFFICIENT - I will spend wisely...my time, my day, my money, my emotions. I will only do things that are efficient. I won't waste resources, especially my time, unless it makes things better or easier in the future.

BRAVE - I will try new things, stop being afraid of what "might happen". I'll be willing to believe I can do something without fear of failure.

See what I mean? Give it some thought. What will be YOUR word for 2010?

Where's January going?

Am I the only one who's month is flying by? Between school starting up again, working weekends, business webinars, webcasts, phone calls and meetings, starting up a new bible study, starting to teach a new small group, considering co-hosting a book club, and oh yeah, I have a household to run and 3 kids to raise, teach and taxi.

I think part of my business is that I know I've only got a few months left to commit to stuff here in the Valley. I may actually look forward to our move to northeastern arizona in the summer - so I can finally relax and not over-commit anymore.

My biggest plan once we're there is to take some time to just "be" with my kids; to give them all of my attention for a while. I know I've raised them at home, but I've had to do it around lots of other commitments. First real estate properties and tenant issues, then being the one to head up different organizations and groups, then once they got older - I continued to run things but they got left home more and more. Now I feel like I never see them outside of school time anymore. There's never time and money for family trips - even day trips, anymore.

So this summer, we're going to settle in up in Concho, then take some time to just unwind. We're going to learn how to relax and how to make a conscious effort to play together.

It's time.

Tea...a lost art

I can enjoy going to lunch with Tim, or one of the kids, or a friend, but there's something special about enjoying "tea" with someone. It creates an atmosphere of acceptance and familiarity that just doesn't happen over a sandwich and potato chips.

Today I had lunch with a fairly new friend. She heads up a group of homeschooled girls, aged 9 through 12, for monthly fun sessions. They've done food bank donating and helping, swimming parties, made homemade ice cream, and had s'mores around a campfire. Now we're planning a Valentine's Day tea for them in February.

Working in a tea cafe, I've heard so many wonderful stories from ladies sharing their favorite tea memories they've had with friends, relatives and loved ones. It's definitely a well-kept secret from the hustling quickly world. It's a great way to reconnect with those you care about, as well as simplifying your day to see things from a better perspective.

I really like how it makes you slow down, enjoy the food (as well as the presentation), relax with your company, and then I feel full from eating far less than what society says is normal these days. In a world where everyone wants things Super Sized, it's nice to enjoy quality in smaller quantities.

Today, I chose a red Jamaican Rooibos tea with my meal. We started off with toffee flavored scones. These aren't just any scones. They're the best scones you'll find anywhere! They're moist, and just slightly sweet, with the perfect texture. Next we had our tea sandwiches: chicken salad on white, turkey with a cranberry relish on flatbread, and wonderful cucumber sandwiches on the perfect herbed flatbread. The desserts were extra special today. One was a lemon bar topped with coconut. Then there was a nut bar that tasted like a gooey Snickers bar, and my friend Moni, the chef, made our final dessert a special treat, a chocolate-dipped extra-large strawberry drizzled with white chocolate.

If you haven't enjoyed tea with a loved one lately, go to www.teamap.com and look up locations for tea parlours in your state! Then come back here and let me know what you had, who you brought, how much you enjoyed it, and what new traditions it causes you to start.

December

Well, December was super-busy as usual. We baked cookies, went to a Christmas concert, had a few Christmas parties for our workplaces and in our business, went to look at the lights at the Mormon Temple nearby, spent a few days in the snow at Mom & Dad for Christmas, and got ready for the new year.

2009 was a bad year for us. Lots of things took a turn for the worse, and some can never be reversed. I'm so thankful it's now 2010 so I can have hope again for a better year. We're back at MVC on Sundays, and the decision to return brought many blessings, our bright spot of the year.

There will definitely be major changes this year, including our move from the Valley to northern AZ. We'll be sharing "the big brown house" with Tim's parents starting this summer, and that's comes with mixed feelings. But at least we'll all have more space, less expenses, fresh air, clean water, and a chance at a simpler life.

Front Porch Tea Cafe

So this is where I work on weekends now. It used to be the location of Abbey Gardens Tea Parlour, a Victorian, formal tea house. Now it's a more casual, country cafe where you can go for tea without all the formality. We still do a full tea, with the little sandwiches, scones, petite desserts, lace tablecloth and centerpiece, and organic loose-leaf teas. The charm of it is that it's more male-friendly so families can gather here now, or couples, and the men can get coffee or good tea without having to be surrounded by pink, lace, and fine china. (There's even a men's room now.)

The new owner is really sweet. She's part of the team to get the job done, and has a heart for people that really draws others to her. The other employees are mostly her old friends, so it's a different environment than if a bunch of strangers got together to work their own agendas. I'm a server and the chef is my friend I worked with when it was Abbey Gardens. We can help implement systems and routines that help things run smoother, while being able to shed the old familiar saying "we do it that way because that's how we've always done it". The changes are good, although a few women don't want to see the place full of guys, they say. But I think as word gets out, it'll be a great little place. So far, we've had back a handful of our old customers and they plan on becoming Front Porch's customers.

Thanksgiving

Another Thanksgiving alone, just our family. We tried inviting people over but they all had plans. Usually we get to spend it with my in-laws, but this year it just didn't happen. They had to be up north, and we needed to be here to work Wed. & Fri.

We had a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole with those fried onions, corn, and garlic-cheddar biscuits. For dessert we had homemade apple pie, double layer pumpkin pie and eggnog - yes, I make my own eggnog, too.

I guess it worked out for the best - Jordan got some kind of mild sickness Wed. afternoon and it's good we didn't need to be anywhere. She spent most of the past 2 days on the sofa. Logan got to see some friends while they were off from school, and Adam did what he enjoys the most...playing RockBand on his Xbox.

Tim took a nap, spent time surfing the web, etc.
I got almost 100 pages read in my new library book...that makes it a good day, right?