Silver Lining

The Columbia Restaurant, Tampa, FL - March 2012

Most of you know that in September 2011 we found out that Lawman was going to be deployed to Afghanistan with the National Guard. When you find that out, you begin preparing - - mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically.  Part of our preparation plans included a family vacation before he headed out.

In March, we packed our bags for spring break and headed south to Treasure Island, Florida. We traveled there in May 2010 and all agreed it was the best family vacation to date. Deciding where to go this time was easy due to our fond memories and always being in need of sun and warm temperatures after the winter months.

Here's a glimpse of our week in the sand and sun:

The view of the strip from our balcony at Crystal Palms Beach Resort.

The view from my perspective.

Lawman and his precious girls.

One of my favorite pictures from the entire week - - the happiness is evident!

 Absolutely love the light. We went to the beach daily to watch the sunset.

We said "yes" to the parasail again.

A storm rolling in. Doesn't the sunlight look like a heart?

Note:  Every cloud has a silver lining and that lining was revealed a week ago.  We received word that the deployment has been cancelled. I'm not going to lie, it was tough at first. For 8 months we've been psychologically preparing for his departure. That's not an easy thing to do and now that we finally felt like we were ready to get started on this journey in order to get it behind us, they pulled the rug out from under us. Now we're celebrating this change in plans and we're praying that in the coming months, they don't tell us to prepare again. Thanks to many of you for your prayers. I think it's safe to say that they've been answered.

not a typical monday

it's 2:34pm as i sit here. usually i am at work, not home. change of schedule today brought to you by mlk day. first time in my working history that i've had today off. such a pleasure.

it's been a day of mixed blessings. we loaded alison's car this morning and sent her back to campus. we followed her into town (it's only 15 miles) and had lunch with her before she 'officially' left us again. as lawman and i were driving, we had a wonderful discussion about her, about us as parents. we are so very fortunate to have her as our daughter. she's got a good head on her shoulders. she has dreams. she has common sense. she has smarts. she has compassion.

this semester will be a different beginning for her. she's not a 'first time' college student anymore now that she's got a semester under her belt. she knows what is expected of her. what is required to succeed. she has a better understanding of time management skills. of balancing fun with responsibility. yet, it will continue to be a learning experience as she is faced with new challenges. what a wonderful time in her life. i pray that she be like a sponge and just soak it up.

so now it is quiet(er) again on the homefront. alison's bathroom has been cleaned. her sheets have been washed and are back on her bed awaiting her next visit. lawman is preparing to go to work. madison is not home from school yet. i am taking advantage of this time. a cup of hot tea, the computer, a book (which i saw here last week and prompted me to pull my copy out), and me.

i turned to january 16 in my book to read today's writing. i found it to be just what i need during this day of sending one of our own off and the changes we are going through once again.

"...-instinctively i turn to homegrown rituals to restore my equilibrium. there is an immediate emotional and psychological payoff to getting our houses in order. we might not be able to control what's happening externally in our lives but we can learn to look to our own inner resources for a sense of comfort that nurtures and sustains."

this, that and other

i've been absent from these parts for a long time but for good reason. the last 3 weeks have been filled with friends, family and lots of laughter. there's also been late mornings, late nights and lots of football. as of this week, routines are returning to normal, or near so anyway.

see that cup above? santa brought me two of those and i absolutely love them for drinking my tea. thinking i may have to get a couple more because i have a hard time keeping them clean so there is always one at the ready.

and reading? there's been plenty of that too by all of us. i have yet to read the book in the photo but i have read this and am currently reading this.

i spent new year's day giving the kitchen a good once-over. emptied out the pantry completely and threw away the food items that had expired or hadn't been touched in months (yes, it's embarrassing). and last week was a pantry challenge week around here whereby i used what we had. i should do that more often. it can be quite surprising how well you can eat when you force yourself to get creative. and, the family never once suspected. there was also an ulterior motive for cleaning out the freezer. we're getting 1/4 of a cow next week from my brother, the rancher. i can not wait to have beef in the freezer and know exactly where it came from. i grew up on grass-fed beef and believe me, when i was out on my own and had to start buying meat, it nearly killed me. not only was it expensive but i literally could taste a difference. so, the pantry challenge also stretched my grocery budget. i have about $140 more in my budget for the rest of the month.

the new year is always a time of resolutions and setting goals. did you make any? we've made one as a family - - running a 5k in march. there. now that the word is out, i will have to follow-thru because you can hold me accountable. i've been spending time at the gym because of it; 11 days out of the last 15 to be exact. and i ran for 13 consecutive minutes on thursday. my best so far. lawman has always told me running is mental, not physical. i'm beginning to think he might be right. we shall see.

this will be our last week to have alison home. college classes resume mid-january so she'll be returning to campus. i can see so much personal growth in her since august when she left. it truly is amazing!

well, let's call this a wrap and i hope to get here more often now that normal life is resuming.

Family Photos in the Park

I am one of the lucky moms. The girls requested family photos. I've heard many moms say that getting their family to agree to photos is worse than pulling teeth. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there are only girl children in this house. The girls thought that a family/sister photo shoot was in order before Alison moved to college. I have to admit that it was a very good idea.

Timing wasn't ideal. It was the day after we returned home from vacation. We were tired. I was tired and I look tired in these photos. Why is it that I can look at myself in the mirror every day but not see the lines around the eyes? Oh, my, they are so evident in these images. I'm looking for a good wrinkle cream that comes in a 5 gallon bucket. Any recommendations?  But, we crossed it off the list and we ended up with some very good results. I'm pleased. We all are. Here's a glimpse.



Long Lake, WA


i'm back! i've ignored this little place all month. honestly, it's been kind of nice.

it's been a very busy month for us - - vacation, moving alison to college, back-to-school for madison and 2 weeks of training in virginia for lawman.  for me, that has meant lots of organization has been required in order to get everyone where they needed to go, with all that they needed, and in a timely fashion.

shall we get you up to speed? vacation was a week in and near spokane, wa visiting family - - parents & siblings. we loved that we got to spend 4 nights with lawman's sister. she and her family live on long lake. what a beautiful place. lots of good times were had, memories made and plans to get together again.

when we returned home, we had just one week to finish preparing to move alison to college. what a lot of work! a blog friend told me months ago that it would take $500 to get her into her dorm room. she wasn't kidding! thank heavens for coupons for bed bath & beyond. i've become a frequent customer! as a matter of fact, i'll be going there today with alison for what i hope to be one last purchase for dorm decorating items!

alison is happy as a clam with campus life! she went through sorority recruitment and pledged a house. she's got a great roommate and absolutely loves her suitemates; it's as if they've been friends their whole life! and, one of them pledged the same house she did so they will now be sister's forever. the one drawback to college life is that lawman and i have been bleeding money for 2 weeks! someone get a band-aid! for all you moms/dads out there who plan to send kids to college someday, plan early otherwise you will find yourself stressed to the hilt and your student saddled in debt. not good. (that is not the situation we are in; thank heavens!)

madison is back at the high school and so far so good. she's looking forward to football season, which officially begins next friday evening, and performing at half-time with the dance team. they've got some new uniform pieces and hair accessories which are very, very cute! she does miss her sister though. i knew that would be a big adjustment but they've been quite good about keeping in touch via texting! it's great to have such an easy way to keep in touch with the college girl.

lawman is in virginia for 2 weeks for training. what an experience! earthquake early this week and a text from him early this morning said "it's here!," meaning hurriane irene had made her presence. he's currently in lockdown until tomorrow. hope everyone weathers the storm out safely.

as for me, i've been busy just trying to keep all my ducks in a row. i have been sure to allow myself some time in the evening for reading. i so need that.

hope you're all doing well and i'll try to keep this spot a little more current in the coming weeks.

small town celebration

yesterday was a day of celebration. the whole 3 day weekend was actually. i was wishing for another day off today to recover. no such luck.

we live in a small town. population at just over 5,000. on july 4, our population more than doubles due to the very large celebration that our town hosts each year. more than 10,000 come from miles around to watch the fireworks display. it's amazing! our pyro crew rocks!

before the fireworks begin, we also have a parade. everything from military, local government officials, community band, floats, horses and of course, the old cars. lawman and i were in an old car this year. not just any old car, but my dad's 1929 model a roadster. he was a collector, my dad. he had 4 antique vehicles; one for each of us kids. this one is mine.

dad loved parades. he was in his local rodeo parade for years. this car carried the grand marshal and dad was the chauffer. the year that dad was the grand marshal, i got to be the chauffer. since dad isn't with us any longer, lawman and i thought it would be fitting if we drive the car in our local parade as a tribute to dad. lawman has taken quite an affection to this old girl. he and a local have worked on her over the past 2-3 months to make sure she was ready to go this year. fortunately, she was and she ran like a charm.

dad, i saw you smiling down on us yesterday. 

the days of summer

we've been living the big life. or should i say busy life. big or busy, who cares? it's been good.

it is now official that our oldest is a college student as she and i spent saturday on campus for orientation and enrollment. quite the milestone. for both of us. it was a good day and she would have been happy to stay on campus, i do believe. she's excited to move and i, surprisingly, feel quite good about what lies ahead of us. guess that means that lawman and i are about to reap the rewards for the last 18 years of parenting that girl. she's a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders.

in other news....

• the oldest is headed to florida on monday for a national competition she and 2 teammates qualified for through a business class they took;
• the youngest is headed to dance camp on monday too;
• that would mean that lawman and i will be kid free for the week!
• and because of that, we're planning to take a 3-day staycation and do something(s) fun;

so why the taco salad photo? well, i made it this evening. after dinner. thinking ahead so i don't have to cook tomorrow night after work. it's been a long week and i'm ready to kick my feet up. i do find that making dinner (or other dishes) ahead like that keeps me away from the drive-thru. i don't 'dress' the salad so that each person can do their own -- some like ranch, some like salsa & sour cream, some like catalina. i added black beans in order to stretch it so i can get lunch on saturday out of it too. add some crushed tortilla chips to it too for that crunch factor.

hoping this finds you all enjoy the days of summer. they're never 'lazy' around here but it's summer none-the-less and i quite like it!

quality time

it's about quality, not quantity.

we've all heard that before. seems that has become the story of my life since i have 2 teenage daughters.

as the girls have gotten older, especially since starting high school, it's become increasingly difficult to have "family time." they've got their own schedules with early morning weights class, part-time jobs, baby-sitting and a social agenda that would make your head spin. they're perfectly happy with where they are at. it's me that has had to adjust or as they would tell me, "deal, mom."

i've discovered we can pack a lot into little pockets of time. sunday night while dinner was simmering on the stove, it was a 15 minute game of uno and a movie after dinner. monday, the first time we were all together was at the dinner table. we laughed so hard we nearly choked on our food or spewed it at our neighbor. now, what's not quality about that?!

it's all about what we do when we are together ~ whether it be 30 minutes or 3 hours, if i can get a bit of quality time with my girls each day, it's a success. and, i'm happy.

because they're worth it.

i hate to say it but i will. we've been busy. just like everyone else. no way around it either. we've been busy with things that i don't feel like i can just say no to. i know a certain someone in my family would say that i'm busy by choice. well that may be but that choice started long ago. with children.

this week we had ballgames on monday and tuesday. i don't have a girl that plays ball but i have a girl that dances at half-time for our entertainment. now you know why i spend hours each week sitting on gymnasium bleachers. might i add that they are highly uncomfortable and my bum hurts because of it.

wednesday was a fun day. our oldest girl accepted a scholarship for college. all day event. well worth it. wouldn't have missed it for the world.

wednesday night - book club with my girl friends. again, totally worth it. sometimes i crave that literary stimulation.

yesterday was a blessing. major snow storm. school released early. ballgame cancelled. an answer to my prayers. i was home last night. first meal i cooked in days and my youngest helped me in the kitchen. best part was that she chose to help, i didn't ask. we made comfort food; biscuits and gravy.

let me just keep it real here and say that because we've been on the go constantly from sun-up to well past sun-down, we've eaten less than quality meals over the course of a week or more. and it shows in the way i'm feeling and in what the scale says. we'll get back on track next week.

tonight is about me. a hair appointment immediately after work. cut & color. because i'm worth it and i need to hide the gray. again, totally worth it. it's been over 18 months since my last color. enough said.

tomorrow is about them. the girls. an entire day blocked out for prom dress shopping with 3 friends and 2 other moms. again, i know it will be totally worth it. a memory maker.

sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. however, given the above, it will be a day of work around our home. groceries. laundry. and the usual cleaning. the house is a wreck. it looks like we've been gone every day and every night. deal with it. i put my blinders on and smile.

the last couple of weeks haven't been ideal but i know it's only a phase. i chose to be a parent and i am choosing to be involved. if my house is messy and we don't eat the best meals for a few days, so be it. that's what happens when 2 working parents decide to be involved. we deal with it. make the most of it and move on. because they're worth it. and they'll be movin' on before we know it.

on the go

We are a family on the go. As in exercising.

Those are my shoes. They have served me well but I think they are on their way out. I'm starting to feel it in my knees. Not every day but some.  I've been walking regularly this summer. It's getting harder now because it is hot. Really hot. It is now 9:20pm and as I sit here typing this it is still 91 degrees outside. I left at 8:05 for my walk so I know it was hotter than that. Heat index today was 108 at 6pm. Humidity must be near 83%. That's why it's getting harder to go for my walks. Like Nike says, Just Do It. Tonight I went 4.3 miles and I ran part of it, maybe 3/4 of a mile.

Lawman's been hard at it too. A friend posed a challenge....it went something like this..."Are you man enough?" Let me just say that Lawman is not  one to back down from a challenge. The challenge? A half-ironman in Oklahoma in September. He's in. Swim/Bike/Run/Eat/Sleep/Repeat. That's the story and that's what it will be until after race day.

The girls? They're in on this too. Alison's got a couple of workout buddies. Yesterday it was abs/eliptical/walking. Today it was walking/abs. She said last night that she likes it when her muscles hurt from exercising; she knows she's doing something. I can relate. Like John Cougar Mellennkamp said, "It hurts so good."

And Madison? Well, the girl is on swim team so she's in the pool every day. They were swimming a mile a day within the first week of practice. Five hours of swimming plus five hours of dance team practice each week. Don't let it be said that she's a couch potato.

Lawman and I have been watching Jillian this summer. I'm always amazed at the impact she has on families/people and in such a short amount of time. Sometimes the only thing we need is the motivation. My motivation? It's simple. I feel better when I move -- physically, mentally, emotionally. What's your motivation?

it was so worth it

This trip has been on our list of "to do's" for a long time. Like at least 14 years long. We've always wanted to be sure that we, the parents, were the ones that exposed our girls to the ocean for the first time. Not sure why we felt it was so important other than it is something one can not experience in the heartland of America where we live.

There is something special about being at the ocean.....the vastness of it, the sound of the crashing waves, the feeling of the sand between your toes, the beauty of God's creation.

We arrived in Treasure Island, Florida on Friday afternoon. We checked in to our condo, changed clothes and headed to the nearest grocery store (another story for another day). After stocking our fridge, we asked the desk clerk for a local spot for dinner. She pointed us to Sloppy Joe's where Lawman and I both ordered the grouper sandwich (what the area is famous for) and it did not disappoint. From our table we were able to watch the sun set. Amazing how quickly that occurs; something I don't think one notices unless you just sit and watch.  It was beautiful....a big fiery ball approaching the horizon and then suddenly disappearing.

After dinner we walked to the beach.  The look on our girls' faces when they stuck their toes in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time made the entire trip worth the effort and the cost. The big smiles, the anxiety of stepping in with the "creatures," and watching them take in the size of it all was all that I had hoped it would be and then some. The laughter between the two of them was joy to my ears.

...to be continued...

sweet (treat) memories

Original Price: $1 Copyright Date: 1965



This cookie cookbook is as old as me. I have very fond memories of it.



It belonged to my mother. She passed it on to me after I married and started spending time in the kitchen (and enjoying it). And, she used it every year at Christmas time (probably at other times too but I especially remember it at the holidays).

It's loaded with wonderful cookie tips ~ for storing, freezing, mailing. The front cover notes that it includes a bonus section ~ PLUS: COOKIER COOKIES FOR GOODIER GIVING. I love that.

I love the graphics in this book. They take me back to my days of childhood. Don't they look like they belong in a child's book?

I bake recipes from this cookbook each year during the Christmas season. Mom made notes next to the recipes that she used, usually indicating how many batches of each recipe to make - 2, 3, etc. Not sure if duplicate batches were required for gift giving or because of my 3 older brothers. I'll have to ask Mom.

On Saturday I made Coconut Crisps.

The household Quality Assurance Dept. was eager to give them proper testing. They passed with flying colors.

Do you have holiday recipes that have been passed down from family members that you make each year? If so, please share. I'd love to hear your stories.

continuing the tradition

Our family has had an annual Christmas tradition as long as we've had babies.

Here's how it goes down. On the spur of the moment we ask the girls to get their jammies on. Now that they're older they know what follows. We all load up in the vehicle and take a little Christmas light tour of our town.

As tiny, little girls they were always so excited to go see the pretty lights. Now, at 16 and 13, it just isn't the same. I know they want us to continue the tradition but as teenagers they think it's corny, especially when I have to take pictures.

Lawman always enjoys the seasonal shakes from the golden arches so he suggested that we take a trip to the drive-thru. That didn't go as planned either. Girls thought they needed diet cokes instead and we vetoed that since it was nearly 9pm and they did not need caffeine at that hour of the day/night. And the battle continued but we won. We didn't visit the golden arches. That's how we deal with that.

Regardless, it was one more year that we continued the tradition. Lawman and I look forward to this each year and I know at some point the girls will look back on this with fond memories. I hope that it holds a dear place in their heart that they might want to share the tradition with their own family when the time comes.

the idiot box

I had an idea early this week.

What would happen if we would have 1 hour per evening w/no t.v.?

I know. Sounds like it's on a lot. And in my opinion, it is. Others in my house would disagree.

I enjoy a good t.v. show just as much as the next person. I also enjoy quiet. Time to read. Play a game. Ponder. Talk.

One evening this week (as we were all gathered in front of the idiot box) I asked what would happen if we were to have an hour w/out t.v. each evening. Ahem. Not everyone was on board. Ok, I'm willing to make concessions. It is football season, you know.

I suggested maybe we begin with 2 evenings a week. Still didn't have everyone on my side but no one shot me down with a dirty look.

Last night it was only the two girls and me at home. They both had alot of studies to do as they are both preparing for tests in the next couple of days. No t.v.

Just the 3 of us, in the t.v. room, studying, quizzing and reading books. For over an hour.

So refreshing.

2 nights a week. That's all I ask.

how am i supposed to pick?

This was such a fun day together. Some are serious. Some are for fun (like the Lawman's Angels above). We laughed alot. Smiled alot. Even saw some of that typical teenage angst.

Now the hard part....deciding which ones to pick. Sizes. Quantities. What to do? And this is only a small drop in the bucket. We have 100+ images to choose from. I'm all ears. What do you think?

because she asked

a friday night; a touch of fall in the air; no plans

she asked her daddy if he'd build a fire; because she asked, he did. we moved outside, gathered 'round our chairs, watched the flames and the stars....together.

Sneak Peek

Yesterday we met Meg. She took our family's photo ~ 200+ of them. If you'd like a sneak peek, go here.

We're taking a break from reality for the next week. See you all again once my batteries are recharged.

Brownie Points

This photo doesn't even begin to do justice to what I am about to share.

120,000 + people

4 days

country music

Each year in late June, Country Stampede comes to town. It's been this way for 13 years.

It's loud, it's hot, it's something I have avoided for 11 of those 13 years.

For the last 3 or 4 years, I've had multiple requests (read begging) from my girls to take them. Not because they are big country music fans but just because it's 'the thing to do.'

I've avoided it for several reasons. 1) Lawman and I went on a Saturday night about 4 years ago with VIP tickets. I couldn't believe the things I saw and we were in the "nice" section. 2) Lawman's been working it now for the past 3 years and let me just say that from the stories he tells, it's no place to have your sweet teenage daughters. Stay out of the camp grounds and avoid the Friday and Saturday night unless you want a real eye-opening experience.

This weekend Lawman and I caved. He could get free tickets to the Sunday afternoon performance so I told the girls I'd take them. You should have seen their smiles. Score one for Mom & Dad!

It turns out that Sunday afternoon was better than I thought. The music was good. The crowd was on their best behavior. I was pleased. The girls were disappointed. They were expecting it to be rowdy. I'm sure that's based on what they've heard from their dad. They were ready to go home after the 3rd act performed. Fine with me. I had already scored loads of brownie points.

On our way home they asked if this would be considered country music's version of Woodstock. I laughed and said, "Yes, I suppose you could say that except that Woodstock was all about free love. That's not the case here given what we hear from Dad."

The Beginning of the End

Saturday was a big day for our oldest daughter. She took her ACT test.

I didn't sleep very well on Friday night for fear of over-sleeping and her not making it to the test on time. I had a nervous feeling on Saturday morning as she sat in her test. Why was I nervous? I wasn't the one wading through algebraic equations, interpretting scientific graphs or conjugating verbs.

I was nervous because in my mind this is the beginning of the end. The beginning of college prep. The end of having her at home.

I know. I'm exaggerating. I have two years with her yet. But do you have any idea how fast those two years will go? And then where will I be?

I'll be writing big dollar checks to some university. I'll be moving her from home to a dormitory. I won't be able to kiss her cheek each night as she goes to bed. I won't see her smiling face each morning.

The thought of her not being at home literally puts my heart in my throat.

So what is a mama to do? I'll be making a concerted effort to make the most of each and every moment we have together. And, if any one has advice on how to get through this......I'm all ears.

The Times, They Are A Changin'

Spontaneity is back at our house. Now that our daughters are teenagers, it doesn't take near the preparation it used to to have a date night with my husband.

Yes, that is our toy. Not just his but ours. Granted, he rides it more often than I do but I enjoy it just as much as he does.

We had one years ago. Before children.

You know where this is going, right? Sold it once babies arrived. No time to ride then. Now those babies are teenagers and they don't seem to care if we decide to go out on a whim.

I used to be spontaneous. Now, that is something I'm having to learn all over again. It's well worth it when I just follow his wishes and go.

Saturday night....warm weather....beautiful hills....and a smiling husband when we got home. All because I said "Yes, I'd love to go with you."

It's important to make time to enjoy the things that make him happy -- together. Take time today to enjoy your other half.