Web Cams Are A Little Bit Scary

When my husband travels overseas, we talk via Windows Live Messenger.  It’s always nice to hear his voice and touch base.

He’s in the Netherlands right now, and tonight he tried out the built-in camera in his company’s laptop.  So we got to SEE him.  :)  Well, kind of.  The picture was pretty dark, and when he used a flashlight to light up his face, it gave his image a horror movie effect.  Lol!

But, still, it inspired my son to grab the UBISOFT webcam which came with a Wii game and hook it to my computer.  Tech savvy we are not.  But amazingly enough, we got it to work!

We then treated my husband to what was likely a very disturbing video feed.

He got to see everything from eyeballs, tonsils and nose hairs…to earwax. 

And I guess next time I should probably shower once or twice while he’s gone, or at least comb my hair before we chat.  Lol!

This web cam thing is amazing.  And scary.  All at the same time.

My husband, btw, will be catching a flight in the morning (his time) and getting home tomorrow night (our time).  I hate it when he’s gone.  We miss him, and seeing him in person will be the finest way we could end this week!  :)

 

           

Tasty A1 Burgers With Sweet Bell Pepper and Onion Topping

I posted my husband’s burger recipe several years ago, so I’m guessing not many of you saw it.  Back then, I was blogging to thin air.  :)  However, everyone raves about them, and once you try them, you will never be happy with plain burgers again!  So it’s worth reposting.

A1 Steak Burgers

• 1 lb Lean Hamburger

• 1/4 Cup A1 Steak Sauce

• Salt, Pepper, and Onion Powder to taste

Mix well, form burgers, and grill. Top with cheddar cheese, Bacon (if desired) and whatever other toppings you wish.

Sometimes he sneaks in a few red pepper flakes, or a little  A1 Bold & Spicy for a little punch.

Sweet Bell Pepper and Onion Topping

• 1 Tablespoon Butter or Margarine
• 1 Cup Chopped Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
• 2-3 Tablespoons Steak Sauce (I use ALDI's brand Steak Sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon Ketchup (more or less to taste)

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and add peppers and onions. Sauté on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add steak sauce and ketchup. Simmer on low until the vegetables are tender. If you want to leave out the butter (which I do sometimes), simply add the steak sauce and ketchup to the veggie's and simmer till tender.

This topping dresses up burgers in a heartbeat and we rarely have them without it!

Tip: Kroger has an item in their frozen vegetable section called Recipe Beginnings~3 Pepper & Onion Blend. I love it! It's cheaper than fresh peppers by far (@$1.39 for a 1 lb bag), and makes putting this recipe together super easy. I simply grab a bag and dump a little in the pan!

Let’s think “summer picnics” and maybe spring will hurry up and get here!

For more dinner recipes, or to share one of your own, join Genny at My Cup 2 Yours for her Talking On Thursday’s recipe meme. 

Olympic Posture

We love watching the 2010 Winter Olympic coverage.  However, this is pretty much how we all end up watching.  :)

Skating, skiing, snowboarding, bobsled races…there’s just no better way to watch these events than snuggled under a blanket with your favorite fans.  Even if all you see is the back of your eyelids!

I’m probably weird, but the snuggling is my favorite part.

Linked at Wordless Wednesday, and

A Radical Sermon

Yesterday, our pastor said something I’ve never heard before.  I’m still trying to decide what to do with it.

His text was Ephesians 5:33.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Pastor Ken began by reminding us that the greatest need of a husband is to be respected.  And the greatest need for a wife is to be loved.  

He went on to show us three diagrams depicting LOVE and RESPECT in marriage.

This first one I get. 

It’s the doom loop.  The husband does something without love, and the wife reacts without respect, which causes him to react without love, and so on and so forth.  Just pretend that the pink area says Wife Without Respect.  

Don’t you like how I started with his unloving act?  Lol!  (If my husband ever covers this in a blog of his own, he can start with my disrespect.)   :)

Joking aside, it is a cycle, and both husband and wife do things to perpetuate the loop of doom.

The second diagram is one I get, too. 

When a husband does something loving, his wife is motivated to respect him, which motivates his love, which in turn motivates her respect, etc.   It’s easy to see why this is called the energizing loop. 

But the third one…  That’s the chin scratcher. 

Pastor Ken proposed that, just as husbands are to love their wives unconditionally, wives need to respect their husbands…unconditionally.

Respect them Regardless of whether they have earned it or not.  Regardless of whether they have been loving or not.  

REGARDLESS.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been taught my whole life that you have to earn respect.

So this is a totally new way of looking at the issue of respect.  Not to mention convicting. 

Don’t get me wrong.  My husband loves the Lord, loves his family, is a hard worker, and he’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever known. I have a deep down respect for him.      

But it made me wonder if I keep it too far down in the deep for him to see.  You know, behind the occasional roll of the eyeball…

Rolling an eyeball is bad, right??  No more rolling eyeballs.

Seriously, though.  This concept is one that I’m sure many wives would have a hard time with. 

Could it be we have been thinking all wrong?  What do you think?

I’ve begun to pray that God would show me how to do a better job of communicating the respect I have for the man I love.

Beautiful Cardinals, Why Do You Hate Me?

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you might remember that we have cardinals which go thump in the night.  Well, usually not the night.  But beginning at the first light of dawn, anyway.

My husband has gotten tough with a few.  But each time he has scattered their feathers, another has come to take their place.

This beautiful wacky cardinal is the latest model of my alarm clock.  She begins thumping my bedroom window at 5:30 in the morning.  She has no snooze, no volume control, and no appreciation for Saturday mornings.

By ten each day, she moves to the picture window by my desk.  Where she continues  her thumping at 4 second intervals for the rest of the day.  The rest of the day.

I don’t know what’s wrong with my cats.  I have three of them.  Lazy beasts, they are.  They pay her no mind.  Perhaps I feed them too much. 

It’s not that she’s not a beautiful bird.  She is.  It’s just that month after month of birds flying into my window is sending me over the deep end. 

Sometimes I can almost let the pounding sink into the background and forget there’s a bird out there. 

Always there.

But like the gloobyglop in a lava lamp, the thumping always rises to the surface again to stop me mid sentence with nothing but air for a thought.

Even when she pauses, she’s still there.   Always there.  Like she’s afraid if she flies away, the window will disappear.

Why, little birdie, do you hate me?  Why?  Don’t you ever eat?  Or travel?  You need to get out more.  You need to get out and explore the neighborhood. 

I assure you there are more classy windows than these.  Windows behind which nice little old people watch their empty bird feeders full of seeds.  Waiting for YOU.

Won’t you please, PLEASE take your beautiful batty self and go beat against someone ELSE’S window.  Pretty please?

I’m not sure how much more of this I can take before I pick the lock on my husband’s gun safe.  And the world’s not ready for that. 

Snow Boarding 101 Plus Encouragement!

I told you earlier that our neighbor invited us down to his snowy oasis in the woods for some sledding and snowboarding fun.  The boys were ecstatic.  I was a little hesitant.  Mainly because I know how daring my kids can be, and how dangerous it can be to sled in or near woods. 

Unlike the rolling hills of Pennsylvania where I grew up, Indiana is pretty flat.  The steep wooded ravines which surround our house would be dangerous to sled down.  So sledding has been pretty non-existent.

And the boys have never stepped foot on a snow board.

Enter our nice neighbor (their favorite neighbor, have I said that?), who took them under his wing and gave them all snowboarding lessons today.  And helped them steer clear of the trees.  (Always a plus!)

“If you are falling on your butt, you are leaning too far back.  Lean forward more.”

“If you lean right, you’ll go right.  Lean left, go left.”

“That’s it.  Maybe not so far forward.”

“That’s it!  Awesome, dude! You’re a natural!!  Look at him go.  I can’t believe he’s still going!”

“Where’d you all learn to balance like that?!  Look at you go!”

“Give me a high five!  That’s it.  How old are you?  Five?  And you're ready for your turn on a snow board?  Cool!  Put your one foot there.  That’s it.  And the other one there.  Ready?  Here you go!  Lean forward just a little.”

“Look at him go!  (see the little guy in the middle on a snowboard) He’s a wild man!  I’ve never seen anything like it.  He’s the best five-year-old snow boarder ever!”

I snapped this picture several hours later.  Everyone was pretty tuckered out, covered in snow, and heading home. 

It’s a day the boys will remember for the rest of their lives.  Not only because they had a ton of fun and fell in love with snow boarding. 

But also because an adult besides their parents took the time to play with them, mentor them, and encourage the socks off their feet.

I was so blessed just to hang back and watch.  Kids need good role models and tons of encouragement.  They had each today (in spades) with a heavy emphasis on the encouragement. 

Thanks, Mr. W!  We’ll be watching the Olympic coverage of the half pipe (am I saying that right??) tomorrow with new appreciation for those gifted snowboarders!

Check out more picture fun at Wordless Wednesday, and…

 

Snow Days!!!

First off, I know that I blogged over the summer when the boys were home.  So why I’m having so much trouble finding time on snow days, I just don’t know.
But I am.
So here are a few pictures to let you know what we’ve been up to!
First, let me tell you, the snow from last week turned wet and sticky…perfect for making snow balls.  We rolled several, actually. 
But what do you do when you roll snow balls so big that you and your kids can’t stack them?
You climb on them, of course.  And play king of the hill.

Or ride them like a bull.  Watch it, kitty.

Or, you make Snow heads.  :)

Then, yesterday’s little clipper (which was supposed to give us 2-4 inches) left us with a healthy 11 inches.  Hurray!  We finally got our big snow!!  And of course, school was cancelled today. 
It was extra nice because today’s my birthday and I got to sleep in.  :) 
A neighbor, the boys’ very favorite neighbor EV-er, invited us to go sledding.  He has hills and a wooded oasis which is simply beautiful.  And he gave my boys their first ever chance to ride snow boards.  Complete with lessons.  They had the time of their lives! 
And are now addicted.  No lie.  I’m barely thawed out as I type, and they are pestering to go back out.  So pictures of this morning will have to wait until tomorrow!
I’m thankful for nice neighbors, perfectly timed snow, and a chance to have a totally fun day with my crew!  Later, I’ll be thankful for Advil. 
My fifteen minutes of computer time are up.

Linked to:  Mom’s Thirty Minute Blog Challenge, and

A Snow Buggy To Remember!

With all the exciting snow fall totals of late, I couldn’t resist digging out some old pictures.  There is nothing like inspiring your kids to think big! 

These are pictures of pictures, so bear with the quality.  :)

Out of all the things we made at Mom and Dad’s place in South Eastern Pennsylvania, this one had to be the best!

We started rolling snowballs, and in no time we were heaving and rocking them with all our might, trying to get them close to each other. 

Although I remember wanting to build a jeep, there wasn’t a way in the world we were going to lift any of those monster snow balls up on top of each other.  So we pushed them together, packed snow in the gaps, and started carving.

Our snow buggy had a front seat as well as a back seat.  It could actually seat 6 large people comfortably (well, assuming those people didn’t mind a cold butt.) 

This is my brother (6’4”), sister-in-law and nephew taking it for a spin.  My nephew is grown up now.  So I’m guessing that this was the winter of 91 or 92.  Anybody from home remember?

We used a basement window well cover for a windshield, a Frisbee for a steering wheel, and I honestly can’t remember what we used on the headlights. 

To make the lines stand out better, we added food coloring to water and applied it with spray bottles.  The effect was pretty awesome.

I don’t think we ever had so much traffic on our road.  Lots of people stopped to take pictures.

Here’s one of me and my buggy.  I loved that car.  :)  What a lot of fun!

To my own boys, I say, top that.  Hee-Hee!  (But you better start by praying for more snow!  Or spending a winter at Grand Mom's house!)

Edit:  I just noticed on my dash board that this is post # 501.  Seriously?  Holy cow!  I can’t imagine WHERE I came up with that many things to say, or why on earth anyone comes back to read it!  :)  Thanks friends, for making this such a fun adventure!

 

  

Hosted by Cecily and Mamarazzi

Some Things You Can Do With A Snow Day

We’re milking yesterday’s 6 inches of snow for everything we can get here in Indiana.  The wind and the snow showers are still creating icy roads, and as a result, we’re enjoying our second snow day in a row.  

I know it’s nothing like the snow they’re getting in the east which our (extended) family is enjoying.  But we’ll take what we can get.  :)

Here’s how our snow days shape up:

1. Sleep in!! (the best part!!)
2. Make Sweet Rolls for Breakfast.
3. Have snow ball fights.
4. Dry clothes in the dryer.
5. Build snow forts and tunnels.
6. Dry clothes in the dryer.
7. Make soup and sandwiches for lunch.
8. Ride bikes in the snow (How can a boy resist trying it?)
9. Dry clothes in the dryer. 
10. Pile Marshmallows in hot chocolate.
11. Watch tons of movies.
12. Play the Wii.
13. Build elaborate forts out of blankets and pillows in every room of the house.
14. Play laser tag in the snow.
15. Dry clothes in the dryer.
16. Take a leisurely walk through the woods, and end up having another snow war.
17. Dry clothes in the dryer.
18. Try to figure out the new face book set-up.
19. Throw frozen pizza in the oven and call it dinner.
20. Watch more movies.

Oh, and shovel ourselves out.  Of course.

You get the picture.  :) What do you do with a snow day??

Find more fun at Wordless Wednesday, and

 

Anything But Normal At Raise Them Up

With my son home recovering from surgery and an apocalyptic snow storm predicted, last week was anything but normal. 

My son is doing great!  He’ll soon be back doing all of his favorite things, including soccer.  Your thoughts and prayers have been an incredible source of encouragement to us!  I am so thankful to be a part of such a caring community.

As for the apocalyptic snow storm?  We got all of 4 little inches.  Don’t laugh.  We’re still a little sensitive!  But our hopes and dreams are not dashed for good. 

The weather men are calling for another snow storm tonight.  :)

With any luck, we’ll get a tally we can be proud of!  Lol! 

Happy Monday, friends!

One Surgery, Two Recoveries

Thursday, my middle son came home hugging his belly.

Friday, he had emergency surgery to remove his appendix.

It’s been a little crazy here.

This is him in his hospital room.  See the smile?  That’s the smile of a boy who finally got to eat and was given pizza, cookies, chips, a brownie and a milk shake for his first meal!  Lol! 

He’s home now, recovering, doing homework, sleeping and playing his DS Lite.  He goes back to the Surgeon Thursday for a follow up, and we expect to have permission to go back to school Monday.

I learned a few things this week.

• A parent is never prepared for their child to have emergency surgery.  Even if they sit through hours of testing with an OR staff on alert.
• Phone calls before the surgery are really really hard to make without tears.
• There is never enough time to hug in the surgery prep area.  But praying helps.
• The waiting room is the loneliest place in the world, no matter how many people surround you.
• Hearing a friend’s voice on the phone is like catching a line in a stormy sea.
• You can read the same page in a gripping novel 57 times and still not know what you read.
• Sleeping isn’t sleeping when you’re lying in the bed next to your son in a hospital room.
• It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to know God is in control.
• It’s impossible to answer your son when he says the next day, “I’m having fun, mom.  Are you?”
• He’ll likely recover before me.

Thank you Lord, for protecting him.  For letting us catch it before it ruptured.  For giving him such a great attitude. For friends who pray and help.

It was a scary time.  Thank you for walking us through.

I’ll be manning the DVD player this week, and snuggling on the couch with my two youngest boys.  And you know?  That might be all I get done.

Have a great week, friends!  I hope you find some thankfulness to unwrap!  :)

This update goes hand in hand with Gratituesday,  30 minute challenge,  Tuesday Unwrapped, so I’m linking up.