Checklist Completed!

Don't you love checking things off a list? I LOVE IT!!!
Today I was able to check everything off my In-Law house to do list.

Take down all blinds for painter.
Vacuum whole house - including stairs - hate stairs!
Vacuum window sills and baseboards with vacuum attachment.
Change air filters.
Make sure all odds and ends are in closets.
Sweep garage and porches.
Shake out front mat.
Kill spider (well it wasn't on my list but since I did it I added it :)

These were already checked:
Mow and weed yard - this took forever ~ I had really let the backyard go and just kept up on the front.
install appliances ~ thanks Alex although I did help carry and plugged in the oven :)
fix window
fix air conditioner

YEA!!! I am all done! Painter comes Monday and In-Laws come Friday. Once the painter is done we have more work like cleaning bathrooms and buying furniture and stuff but then my mother in law will be in charge and I can just be a helper.

Now on to my house! This weekend I'm taking a break but come Monday...
Curtains need to go through dryer to remove dust, floors scrubbed, carpet steam cleaned, sheets on bed ~ they will stay with us a few days while painting is being finished and they buy furniture, murphey oil cabinets, weed back yard, finish trimming front tree... and I'm sure I'll add more to list... My mother has me programmed to do a full cleaning when guests come and I can't seem to brake the habit!

Oh, and did I mention that my dishwasher is now broken? It continuously cycles and won't let me turn it off :( AHHHH, called someone tonight and they will be out hopefully tomorrow to tell us cost ~ hopefully not to much or it is waiting until payday next Friday... My savings is going to dwindle yet again... Errrr

First Day of Kindergarten...

Today was the 1st day of Kindergarten. So... bittersweet!

Justin was so excited and hopped into his clothes and quickly ate his pancake. We are carpooling with the Johnson's and being the 1st day the moms were both in the front seat of the car's today for drop off and pick-up.

As expected on the 1st day there were A LOT of cars but it seemed very well organized. All the Kinder parents were able to go to the playground and the children played until the wistle blew. Then they got into line with their teacher, started their trains and waved goodbye to moms and dads and away they went to start their educational career. I waved, blew a kiss and held back my tears... Justin was so excited and kept saying "your gonna miss me mom, but we'll have lunch together" in his cute little deep voice.

Hartford, CT 1/2 Marathon

This is my sister Kelly (in the pink) running in the Hartford, CT 1/2 marathon! You go Kel!!!!!!!!

Tiring Day

My day was so tiring....

I woke up Nic who didn't wake up to his alarm ~ funny thing that I did though....

Then Justin and I picked out his teddy bear for his first day of Kindergarten and completed his all about me paper t-shirt he cut out.

Justin and I then headed to my inlaws to meet the window repair guy. I figured that even with the heat at noon I can still mow so I packed the lawn mower in the "burb". The lawn mower is quiet heavy! This is how I did it so you can do it also sometime... Move a cooler in front of the back door. Raise the door. Lift the mower onto the cooler. Now strugglying really hard lift it into the car. (The lawn mower got left at the inlaws - I'll have Alex get it for me - Whew!)

The window repair guy arrived. Asked if he needed anything - nope. So I tell him I'll be in the backyard mowing ~ "In this heat!" he says.

IT WAS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!! But the good thing is the backyard is now ok for them to see it ~ well minus the dead brown weeds I weed killered and still need to pull!

I then thought we would go to pool. Nic said no way - if you are taking him (Justin) I'm staying home for quiet time. So Justin and I head to the pool for a couple hours.

So now I sit typing, Nic is getting ready for Scouts and Justin and I have to pack his PB celery for his snack.

The day is somewhat winding down and I hope my husband will be home soon.

A conversation with Justin

Justin: I know everything.
Me: Like what.
Justin: I know everything about Jesus Christ.
Me: What do you know about Jesus?
Justin: No! it's Jesus Chist!
Me: Who is He?
Justin: God's son. My brother.
Me: Oh?
Justin: Pretty much everyone is God's sons or daughters.
Me: What else do you know?
Justin: The Rebels killed him! They stuck thornes on his head.
Me: And he was nailed to the cross.
Justin: I know!!! They were big long nails.
Me: Do you know why he died?
Justin: So I can go to heaven. But, I don't want to go to heaven now I want to stay on earth.
Me: And he died so your sins can be forgiven. What else do you know?
Justin: I don't know.
Me: Do you know who were the 1st people on earth.
Justin: I don't know.
Me: Adam and Eve
Justin: Who was the 2nd people on earth.
Me: Well, Adam was first and then God made Eve second.
Justin: WHo was next.
Me: I'm not sure, we can go look it up.
Justin: Well, I am sure it was the Fisher's! (He ran off at this point so we'll correct this later.)

Don't you just love those little unscripted teaching moments that you experience throughout the day? Those are the moments I treasure so much as a mom!

A Frog - the size of a cereal bowl!

Scenerio:
Max, the white bichon who thinks he is 150 lb dog is barking like crazy in the back yard.
Me,"Something is really bothering Max. The last time he barked like this we found a dead pigeon in the backyard dead from being shot with a bebe gun! Nic get on your shoes and get Max now!" I'm picturing my lab running through the backyard with the dead bird again and Alex running after him with a broom and scooping the bird over the fence - so gross!

Nic,"It's nothing, he's just barking at the gate!" He is carring Max and puts him down and Max immediately takes off through the dog door again.

Justin, who has followed Max out again comes running back, "MOM, IT"S A FROG AND IT HAS A HUGE BUTTE!"

"Alex!", I scream "Get out there frogs out here are poisonous!!! MY DOGS!!!!!!!!!!"

Nic comes back in the house, "Yup it's a huge frog mom!"

I then go out in the front yard to watch a spectacle unfold! My husband has now chased this frog that is literally as big as a cereal bowl out of the gate with a broom and he is now spraying water at it while it is holed up under the seburban. I do believe the frog liked the water, didn't faze him one bit. He wanted me to back the seburban out of the driveway but 1. there was no way I was leaving my safe spot in the garage and 2. there was no way I was going to contribute to a homicide by accidently driving over the thing! So my husband takes one of our street hockey sticks and uses the frog as a hockey puck. This is when I exit - yes, I want the thing out of my yard but i didn't want to see it hurt!

UGGG! I hate creepy crawlies, snakes and frogs!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Nic!

I can hardly believe that my once tiny 6 lb 1 oz 19 1/2 inch little boy is now 14 years old and a freshman in High School.

I am so proud to be your mom Nic and I am so proud of the young man you have become! I love the way you love and take care of your brother. I love how you are respectful and mind your manners. I love how you try your best in school. I even love that little attitude that rears it's ugly head every now and then ~ it reminds me of me as a teenager!

Nic 14 years ago at 1:35 in the afternoon you were born. From 1st contraction to holding you in my arms it took under 2 hours. You came so fast the Dr. almost wasn't there to deliver you! And... I delivered you without any pain medication! I thought you were the most beautiful baby in the entire world! Everyone loved to hold and love you! You were the 1st grandchild and Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Kerri and Kelly loved to spoil you - and still do!

Happy 14th Birthday Nic and Happy 1st day of High School! We Love You SOOOOO Much!
Love,
Mom, Dad and Justin

~ per Nic's birthday dinner request we are having thick steaks on the grill, pots, no veggie and Cold Stone Creamery cupcakes (chocolate cups filled with yellow cake, sweetcream ice cream, frosting and chocolate curls) YUMMMM!

Our Plan... Fingers and toes crossed and prayers already started

So ALex is officially hired and our plan is in place.

The company gives him a bank card for $1200.00 a year to help pay for anything related to medical expenses - Dr. copays, prescription copays etc., he only gets half this year due to hire date but it rolls over. Plus the $10,000.00 they will pay for invetro so hopefully we will spend the least amount out of pocket we can...

So... we are planning to get all our records transferred from UCONN (where they helped us conceive Justin). Make appts and get everything ready and start invetro in January. Hopefully we will be able to get all the medical bills completed in 2010 for optimum coverage - this includes conception to birth so we will have a write off for taxes too!

I am so excited and have already started praying for another baby miracle. Of course I am hoping for 2 or 3 and Alex says, "Just shoot me now ~ 3 babies!" But I shush him quickly because he is soooo good with babys - never even complains about changing dirty diapers, both our mothers would jump at the chance to be here to help hold and love our babies - never mind my dad who is the ultimate baby bouncer - I swear he can quiet any colicy baby! And I just know that there are 2 or 3 heavenly spirits that want to stay together and are looking for a loving home that is praying for them! That would be us! I am praying so hard for them to choose to come live with us and that our invetro will work the 1st time again and that by Christmas 2010 we will be sharing our life with a few more precious miracles sent to us from heaven above!

Walk through - high school

Today was Nic's 1st day of high school ~ Kinda.

It was a walk through day. The bus picked them up they had an assembly and walked through their day and came home on the bus.

The only hiccup was the bus. Seems that the bus didn't pick them up but thanks to someone at the bus stop calling the school 2x the bus came back, found the kids and away they went.

Nic Loved school! He came home so excited about the technology, the laptops, the science labs and the excitement that his teachers had for the year of learning to come ~ it has invigorated him! He said his teachers are young (His Spanish teacher reminds him of his aunt Kelly) and he is so excited to learn what they have all just learned in college! Their excitement was contageous!

He also met kids in the neighborhood and in his classes and is excited to look into joining some clubs and maybe track.

I am just so happy he is excited for High School!

I was also finally able to register him for seminary. It took about 4 phone calls to very nice Bishops and finally 1 smart Bishops wife who told me to try calling the Stake Center. And Ta-Da! He's registered and will go to the church on Bella Vista at 6am starting the 27th for seminary, the school bus will pick them up there and drive them to school.

And now we wait until Monday, July 20th for the 1st Official Day of High School and it is also the day that Nic turns 14! I can't believe it!

A Day of Days!

It was one of those days! Ya know the kind that you wish you were still back in bed and could have a do over of waking up?

That was my day Thursday.

I woke up about 7 to the sound of the phone. "You have to come to Burger King and get me the suburban is dead", said the voice on the other end of the phone line. "What!", I said. "Grab the jumper cables and get down here the suburban's battery is dead, not even the lights are coming on", said the now irritated voice.

So I jump up wake the boys, Nic insists upon staying in bed, Justin is up for the adventure and away we go.

(All the way there I am praying oh please, please let it just be the battery. I have the $ in savings to pay for that but nothing any more expensive.)

After trying to charge the suburban - no luck we drive to Checkers to buy a battery and beg to let them allow us to borrow their tools for a few mins so Alex can change the battery in the Burger King parking lot. But, they forgot to give us a wrench we only got sockets so a nice gentlemen let Alex borrow one and then told him to keep it as he had 4 others - the kindness of strangers!

- PS if you are ever in a jam that wrench is in our suburban. I told Alex it is the wrench that keeps on giving and one day he can hand it to the next person who is in need of one.

So my husband heads to work and I head home to relax. In the afternoon we head out to Ironwood to grab a few items at Frys to make spag sauce and to pick up Nic's friend Wes. It is REALLY HOT OUT. We get out to the Tahoe and I unlock it. Decide it is too hot for the kids to get in while I load groceries so I start the car. I shut the driver's door to open the back door and let Justin in and ALL THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, CAR IS RUNNING, PURSE IS INSIDE! AND IT IS REALLY HOT!!!!!!!!! Did I mention that as soon as you start the Tahoe all the doors lock.... yup I blanked on that!

Luckily Nic has his phone and I call my friend Deanna and luckily she is home! She drives over and picks up my kids and groceries and drives the 20 mins back to my house to get another set of keys and a gas can - just in case I run out of gas and then another 20 mins from my house to frys - what a wonderful friend I have! It was miserable hot and after standing by my car for awhile to make sure noone tried to smash a window and take off with my running car and purse I walked up and sat on the patio table chairs out of the sun. At that point I was so hot they could of stole it for all I cared! Well Deanna got back and I got in my car and got gas and then went to pick up Wes. But oh, no the story doesn't end there...

I have now picked up Wes and we are trying to get out of Pecan Creek onto Ironwood and I have 4 cars behind me. All of a sudden I feel awful I quickly put my window down and no lie threw up 8 times out my window over and over again. I can finally stop and do a little u and pull over. Got sick a couple more times and then felt much better (I think it was the sun and heat).

Now meanwhile poor Wes was in the back seat the whole time! I turn around and say Wes I am so sorry! He said that's ok then he hands me a big hershey bar he had brought and says, "this will help you feel better!" How sweet was that?

The rest of the night was uneventful! Including the boys late night of videos! I walked upstairs at 10:00 and Wes had already fallen asleep on the floor so we kicked him into the spare room and told Nic bed at 11:00. Thank goodness for quiet endings...

I'm gonna be Broke!

After paying for school fees!

Good grief! It's crazy!

$75.00 Activity fee for Justin and a huge list of supplies. Although I do have a ton of supplies from last years Staples Sales but each child needs 8 glue sticks???? is she gonna box them all and dole them out during the year??? and 2 different kinds of reams of paper ~ the paper sounds more like a teacher wish list item. Those darn budget cuts!

Nic, this is going to be a list:
$35.00 Activity Fee
$15.00 Gym clothes
$50.00 laptop insureance
$100.00 deductable if lap top breaks - it better never break!
Labs are $15.00 each and a school shirt is $10.00
Ouch!!!

OK enough complaining... but YIKES! I can't imagine paying this when you have a big family!

Temple Recommend Class

So, I dropped out of Temple Recommend Class last week.

We are told that the devil does not want us to go to the Temple and he will place obstacles in our path to prevent us from reaching the Temple. I thought to myself what else could happen after the past 2 years of horribleness we've had? But, I was still a little nervous about it, but Alex and I knew that we were led to church after Alex's illness and this is where God wants us. He was not going to let an obstacle stop us, hopefully...

On to what happened...
Alex had been given a job offer for the company he was temping at. We had been expecting the offer and were so excited. He loves his job and ENJOYS going to work everyday and the benefits are fabulous. Well last Tuesday the company issued a nationwide hiring freeze and Alex's offer was withdrawn. Our happiness bubble was shattered! He was positive it was going to be ok the VP was pulling for him to still get hired. I was negative - crying on the couch with the dogs, sure that we were going to have to go back to the job search again and I just knew it was because we were in Temple class and if this was the bad stuff that was going to happen then I was not going anymore! I just wasn't strong enough to go through this trial again. So after telling Alex I was never going back to class I went upstairs to cry some more on our bed and in the midst of this I prayed to God, I prayed for Alex to get hired even though the company had a hiring freeze. I was VERY specific down the the day of the week, the year, month and day of the month. I prayed for him to be hired the next day.

The next day Alex came home from work with a package of papers and gave them to me. "What's this," I asked? "Benefit papers," he said. "Not funny," say I. He said, "You need to look through them and pick the health plan you want, my official start date with them is July 6th. My offer was reinstated, they snuck me through the hiring freeze!"

All this relief poured through me, and I thanked Heavenly Father for answering my prayer. What a testimony he has given me in the power of prayer. I also know that even though Satan is strong Heavenly Father is stronger. Heavenly Father wants Alex and I to go to the Temple to experience all its blessings and continue our family's path to being sealed together for all eternity.

Spaghetti Pie

Ok I have to be honest here, I have never had spaghetti pie ~ just sounded strange. I've had cavetelli, spaghetti, lasagna but never spaghetti as pie. So, while perusing dinner ideas I read a recipe and thought I could tweak this to my style and make it pretty good. The teenager LOVED it 3 helpings, the 5 year old said it looked gross and only tried 1 noodle and declared it a frozen pizza tv dinner night for him (he's in that don't mix my food together stage and only likes ketchup for sauce), husband said pretty good but he def. prefers lasagna. I thought it looked so good and I stared at it for a good 5 mins. convincing myself not to eat a bite! However I find it odd it's called Spaghetti Pie, I guess you can cook in a pie plate but I cooked mine in a 9x13 so I am going to call mine spaghetti casserole!
Anyway, here's my recipe in case you want to try it some night.

Spaghetti Casserole

In a big skillet...
Sautee onions in olive oil.
Add in 1/2 lb Hamburg and 1/2 lb sausage and cook.
Add 4 garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp oregano.
Once meat is brown drain out most of the fat and add in a jar and a half of spagetti sauce, 1 tsp salt and 2 cups of water. To this add 8 to 10 oz spagetti broken into about 3 in. pieces. Cover and cook on medium for 8 mins ~ stirring here and there. Now add 1/2 c. parm cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup condensed milk and reduce to low for 6 mins. Then pour into a 9x13 pan and top with a bag of mozzerella. Bake until mozzarella is brown and bubbly.

This is a great make ahead meal, make on the weekend and fridge it and throw it in the oven to reheat during the week on a busy night!