Hearty Meals Needed

I have hit a stage in my mothering life that I thought we already sorta hit, but it got exponentially worse in the last few weeks.

My kids are good eaters - when they were little, they ate way more than Heather's kids. Over the last year, the growth spurts have been crazy and the appetites even bigger. Now, I have three boys starting soccer and two of those boys are weight lifting. And they are always hungry. Always.

Last week I scrambled two dozen eggs, cooked two pounds of bacon, served grits, cheese slices and apples and oranges. Still hungry...

Last night I made a double (2 - 13x9) portion of a popular casserole, corn, beans, peas, biscuits, cheese, and oranges. *sigh* Still hungry...

Found the older two boys eating an hour later. Ha.

I'm not complaining. I love feeding them. And I love seeing them become men. And I don't need anyone to tell me they don't need all that food - if you saw them, you'd know they are burning the calories faster than they are eating them.

I'm just gonna have to up my game on hearty meals.

Commit now all your griefs

After a fairly rough weekend (personally), this was the song we sang on today, love the words - and the title: COMMIT NOW ALL YOUR GRIEFS

Commit now all your griefs and ways into His hands;
to His sure truth and tender care, who earth and heav'n commands.
Who points the clouds their course, whom winds and seas obey,
He shall direct your wand'ring feet, He shall prepare your way.

Give to the winds your fears; hope, and be undismayed;
God hears your sighs and counts your tears, God shall lift up you head.
Through waves and clouds and storms he gently clears your way;
wait for His time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day.

Still heavy is your heart? Still sink your spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart, and every care be gone.
He everywhere has sway, and all things serve His might;
His every act pure blessing is, His path unsullied light.

Far, far above your thought His counsel shall appear,
when fully He the work has wrought that caused your needless fear.
Leave to His sovereign will to choose and to command;
with wonder filled, you then shall own how wise, how strong His hand.

Youth Game Night

Since Jason and I are now working with the Youth Group, we "get to" attend all of the functions. I never saw myself as one to work with the youth, but I am enjoying it and, thankfully, my kiddos are happy to have me there.

Tonight we had a High School Youth Game Night - just a few hours to hang out in the Youth Suite and play games together. Everyone brought a snack to share! It was fun and definitely a big hit.

In our newly remodeled Youth Suite we got a 72 inch tv and a NES system - so fun!

 Always a game of pool going on.

Grandma J

Grandma J has been hospitalized twice in the last month. One for bronchitis and low oxygen levels that needed to be tended to and then the second time she had pneumonia, flu, and they found a stress fracture in her back.

It seems she has aged quickly in the past few months. It has been hard. Hard on Grandma J, but mostly hard on my mom.

Mollee was able to go one Sunday afternoon and hang out and help for awhile.

 And Tavis and I went and hung out between school and soccer one Friday.

I love my Grandma J - it is very hard to see her so pitiful and frail.

On a side note, she was mesmerized by this picture. She couldn't believe I just held the phone in front of our faces and "snapped" a picture onto the screen.

Trailblazers

This week is Interim at school for the High School. Mollee signed up to work on painting murals that will be hung around campus. She has had a blast and Aubrey was in the group also, so it has been an incredible week for her.

Tavis wanted to go on the soccer trip to Florida, but that wasn't in the budget, so he and Josh signed up for Trailblazers. I was a little shocked this is what he signed up for, but he loved it. This group worked on clearing overgrown trails around town. They worked very hard all week and Tavis came home with a box full of cool glass bottles found along the trails.

This was a collage on the school's website...

B-A-C-O-N

The forecast called for bacon...

 ...so we had bacon for dinner!

I love it when the hubs helps out in the kitchen.

The Flu hits the Browns

After not feeling well on Friday, Tavis woke up Saturday with high fever. I took him to the Minute Clinic and he tested positive for flu. I really just wanted to know, to be prepared.

I was glad to know. By Monday, everyone else had fever. All five with flu...at the same time. It kinda worked out better for them to all be sick together and it not to be drawn out forever. I was able to work from home mostly and spray and disinfect hourly.

We could afford Tamiflu, but I hear it doesn't work great any way. With a little research, we went the homeopathic route and everyone took Elderberry syrup and Oscillococcinum, three times a day. Plus, Vitamin C with breakfast. And - no fever reducer. I understand and agree that the body gets a fever for a reason - to fight infection. Therefore, if you can withstand it, you need to let your body "heal itself". Mac's fever did get up to 104 a few times and I did give him tylenol - I'm not a monster. 

With this combo, everyone only had the high fever 2.5-3 days. Plus, Jason and I did not get flu - which seems pretty amazing.

This is pretty much what everyone did all week - watch tv and rest.

I went homeopathic for medicine, but this is what my Wal-mart run looked like - aka. not homeopathic.

And, a kind soul (brother-in-law) left this for me on the front porch:

The Hammock

Tavis got a hammock for Christmas. He loves it, but today I stole it for the afternoon.

Jason was working and I was napping (aka hiding from the kids) in the backyard.

Cold?

I, honestly, never know when it is cold in the house - yes, I have a problem. But, after multiple complaints this morning, I agreed to turn on the heat...briefly

Shooting Range Dates

I love to go shooting and I love to go on dates, so going to the range is fun for me.

Jason has been working many late nights and six day weeks, so I miss him. I am super busy with work and the kids and life is going by very quickly.

Today, we had a few hours where the kids were at school and we each had a few hours off...so, we went to the range.

Of course, we tried to go to lunch too, but the school called us and we needed to come pick up a sick kid.

Back to reality.

My Purse

I like order, but my purse is always one chaotic mess that is constantly overflowing with...whatever - meds, checkbook, banana, glasses, snacks, phone, keys, chapstick, veggie straws, extra contacts, nail polish, coupons, hair ties, etc.