A bit of Joy in the mail today!

It was a rough emotional day yesterday with medical test results and thinking of my baby Christian, lost to an early miscarriage back in January.....my due date would have been in just 4 days!

When I feel down something always comes along to pull me back up.
It was refreshing to check the mail today and find a package addressed to non other than me! 

It was an apron from Joy over at Artful Homemaking.

I won her blog giveaway last week!

A bit of joy from JOY!

Thank you so much!

The apron is just beautiful!

Your generosity really lifted my spirits!

Here is Olivia my one of my little kitchen helpers wearing the new apron!

We were making pizzas for lunch.....and my mini chef wanted to wear the new kitchen gear!

Excuse the bathing suit.....it is summer! lol

I hope to post some of the many healthy eats we have been gnashing on since

 joining the CSA farm co-op!

Thanks so much Joy!

The kiddos with shields as they walk up to the sprinkler!

My little summer warriors!

Peace and Blessings,

Georgiann

Saying goodbye to a friend~

I have only seen my oldest son Jarett cry twice. Once when our dog died about a year ago, and then again last week when he read on face book his 17yr old friend/football teammate (LeVond) died in his sleep.

My husband and I comforted our son with a long embrace as he wept in our arms. Our son seems so big, nearly a man at 17.  This event reminded us that even though our son is very independent....he needs us. We are his resting place in this rough and tumble world. This encounter we shared was raw....pure and very specical.


It was reported that:
LeVond said, he did not feel good. He complained of a stomach ache said, he was going to lay down for a bit. He never woke up! A relative found him later that evening after he slept though dinner. He had already passed!  The autopsy showed he had genetic heart disease. Plaque builds up in the arteries at a rapid rate.....he had the heart of a 60 yr old man. No body knew he had this disease :(
(Sports physicals could not detect this sort of thing....it was not a defect it was rapid progressive disease.)

The funeral was yesterday. My son has never been to one....he was filled with so many emotions!

Jaretts friend T spent the night so I could take them both up to the school early to pick up their football jerseys. The whole team was going to wear them for the service.  The team ended up setting together a well.... it was moving.... very powerful to see these young men all together.

Before the service.....the boys wanted a hair cut. So off we went!

At the service.......

The entire football team shed a few tears as they gathered around LeVond's open casket in disbelief and had to say there last goodbye.  Its just not supposed to happen is way....having to saying goodbye to a friend that was only 17 years old. Dead just like that in his sleep none the less!

He was a good kid. Well liked and a youth leader in the community.

There was no drugs or alcohol involved. No fast car ride. No really dumb mistake.

Just a quiet sleep he never woke up from due to an unknown heart condition.

This group of boys got a dose if life at this young age.

Most thought they could concur anything.....but quickly realized you can't concur death.

It will come find you when it is your time.

They have learned......for a little while at least......you can't take life for granted.

Be loving .....be kind....embrace those around you!

*********************

Many of the team mom's (including myself) helped at the reception held at the high school in the cafeteria for the friend and family.

I made my favorite cheesy hash brown casserole. I will post the recipe soon!

I made a double batch in throw away containers so I would not have to remember to bring anything home.

So smart I know!! :)

Did I tell you that I had to carry the hot flimsy tins in on my very old beloved

( black, seasoned with many years of cooking love) cookie sheet?

Can you tell where this is going?

I forgot my cookie sheet.....I left it there! :(

I pray that someone has it and that I will get it back!

I will keep you posted as to weather I get it back,......not that any of you really care!

Just pretend to!......Thanks :) lol giggle sigh****

Have you ever left a dish or something at a potluck and never got it back?

On another note:::

Yesterday was a FULL day for me.......

Starting out at 5 am......I got up to to make lunch for hubby, my girls thought it was morning!

They thought it would be fun to play with the cat.......I never went back to sleep!

Then it was fix hot breakfast for Jarett and his sleep over friend.

Drive boys to school to get their football jerseys.

Home to start casseroles.

Pick up boys from the school and take in for hair cuts.

Come home to make lunch for kids staying home (only Jarett and I went to the funeral.)

and finish making casseroles.

Attend funeral and then stop by the house on my way to the reception to pick up hot casseroles. 

After the recepetion I head home to

pick up the 3 youngest kids and get Jarett's friend stuff so I could drive T home.

Only to find out......

 that when I was gone to the furneral Olivia held the cat ALL day and it finally pooped on her.....and 6 large blankets!!!!!!  I only had 5 minutes to "put a band-aide" on my smelly bedroom mess:(

What a mess!!!!!!

Then it was off to tin buck to......to drop of Jarett's friend T. home. I had a few seconds to drop Jarett back off at home before going to the girls VBS BBQ up at the local Baptist church were my girls are attend their 3 VBS of the summer. Hotdog and chip dinner for the kids at 5pm! Then the girls had VBS from 6-8:30 pm.

(parents needed to be there at 8:10 for the show)

While the girls were at VBS....

Noah and I drove down to the local CSA farm to get our first Veggie pick -up!

We needed to be there by 7pm! Hubby got off work and joined us!

I will share some picture soon!

I now must go and move the laundry along......this cat mess it taking a while to get cleaned up!!lol

EEEKKKK!!!!!!!

Peace and Joy,

Georgiann

{S is for spa}

A few weeks ago my friend Sue invited me (and her other friend Cheryl) to a womens night out that her local Chevy dealer was hosting. Free Mexican food and lots of vender's like Mary Kay, Scentsy, jewlery,purses and more. If you test drove a car you also got a FREE $40.00 spa finders gist card.

The dealership also taught us how to change a tire,check our car fluids etc...

So the 3 of us gals decided we would go redeem our cars together.

I got a pedicure, Sue a massage and Cheryl a facial!

R if for RELAX!

When we arrived at the day spa we were welcomed and lead to the RELAX room and offered tea or water.

  From the start we all felt pampered!

We all sat quietly filling out our paperwork sipping our herbal tea as soft flute music floated around the room. 

We all soaked up the atmosphere and listened to the fountain gently flow with water.

We were all on cloud 9! This day spa spared no detail!

After a few minutes in the RELAX room we were all lead back to our separate rooms for our spa treatments!

I was lead to a room with 2 elevated throne like chairs. I felt like a queen!

My pedicurist said she was going to be a grandma again any time now.

She was on standby for a call to go watch the 2 year old while her son and his wife have the baby!

After a few minutes of chit chat I had to shut it down.

I have gone enough times for massages and other spa treatments to know that is not relaxing to talk to whole time. I am not rich (well I am but not with money) sigh** so I want to sit quietly during my spa experience and get my monies worth.

As a momma of 6 kiddos I was enjoying the quiet.

I took deep breaths of the scented steam that waifed up from my medal foot soak pan.

I listened as the flute music reminded me of the times I was in labor

(I listen to that same kind while I labor)

I was sad for a few moments as this month I was to be in labor with Christian.....I was due Aug 28!

I quickly moved my thoughts to happier things.......and soaked up every ounce of pampering touch

I was experiencing.

For right now I will LIVE IN THIS MOMENT I told myself!

I  became totally relaxed!

After our evening at the SPA we went over to Sues house for chocolate martinis and food!

I will post more on that part of our girls night soon!
Peace and Love,
Georgiann

::The Ice Princess and Her Body Guards::

Last weekend I took Jackie,Noah and our neighbor Adam ice skating.
 Little Jackie was real a speed skater, she just flew around the rink like a real pro.
Noah and Adam did their best to keep up!
Truly a fun time....great watching.
Since I did not feel like braking my hip....I chose NOT to dawn a pair of ice skates.
But I was foolish enough to put on a pair of roller skates a few days later! :)
And I did need a bandage for my thumb after bowling the Saturday before!
Those bowling balls are rough on the hands. The kids and I had an awesome time during our snowy Thanksgiving week together. I will share more pictures over the week to come!

This is Jackie....and her first time ice skating!

Look at her go!

This clip has Jackie and Noah going around the rink!

What a fun night we had!

Peace and Joy,

Georgiann

My Friend Is Having A Giveaway~

My friend from Australia Ann over at eight acres of eden is having a giveaway to
celebrate her 100th post! 
Its open to US residents only!

The prize is a $40.00 gift card to use at CSN stores online!
So go over to Ann's blog and give her some love! Check out how to get entered!

There is only one day left so hurry over and get entered!
Giveaway closes Wednesday July 21 5pm Australian time


Pictured above are a few things I would get if I won!
2 rope dog toys from Jax and Bones....Loise the Lobster and Kramer the Crab!
And espresso/tea cups with a Napoleonic bee motif by French  Home Gourmet!

Peace and Love,
Georgiann

A Warm Weather Weekend~

Summers here or at least I want to think so.

We had two nice days in a row and the weather man said, it should start getting nicer.

Last night as I lay in bed and tryed to sleep, I could hear the wind kickin' up!

Today the weather is cool, breezy, gray and overcast!

My garden plants grew a bunch in few sunny days we did have!

We are still in total love with our (Nick's) new dog Jasper!

Jasper is a 1yr old Border Collie we adopted from the pound!

He is so sweet and gentle. His temperament is terrific!

We will be starting a 8 week long dog training class next week!

Monday is my cleaning day so off I go to start in :)

Peace and Love,

Georgiann

Weekend Highlights~

We had to clean the old dog crate because......

Good news! We got the dog!
We got the call late Thursday......our Border Collie we were interested in passed his behavior assessment! So late Friday, I took the kids (minus our oldest whom was at baseball) and met hubby to see if Jasper was the dog for us. We got to pet the dog (Seth as they named him) and really see how he responded to us! We also were allowed to take him out to the play yard and see how he acted!
He was great! After about 1 1/2hours we decided he was the dog for us!
He was micro chipped and licenced and we were soon on our way home.
I decided to take him to our vet for a check up and sign up for their plan! He was wormed, given a rabies vaccine and test for other things. All is great....no health issues!
Nick decided to name "his" new dog Jasper! 
After arriving home last night around 7:30pm we let him check things out for about 30 minutes. Then it was off to the dogie spa! Nick and I were drenched when it was all over with!:) but the dog was shiny and clean!

Today after going to a winter veggie gardening class, out to Vietnamese food then to a new herb/tea shop with my neighbor, I took a quick nap then went on a walk with our new dog and most of my kiddos! My friend with 7 kiddos I know from church just happened to be up at the park with her family.
Their oldest daughter rides horses and the local park has an arena. All the 4H group were doing their qualifying races or what ever they are called. (I'm not a horse person)

Another highlight of my day today was seeing a gal in the herb/tea shop that I met at the new Self Reliant Club I joined. The gal was friends of the owner and we all pow-wowed for almost 30 minutes about herb tinctures and how to make them!

Well hubby took all but me and our youngest child off to the lake for boat rides and fishing off the dock! Our friends live on the lake and hubby has his boat parked there all summer.
I've had a few hours of quiet.....Olivia took a nap for a few hours. Now its time to make a peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwich and water my garden as the weather has finally been warm the past few days!

Peace and Love,
Georgiann

Baseball~Boats and BBQ's

This weekend was busy with 5 baseball games for my oldest son. Mixed in with a BBQ/Party at the lake on July 3rd, followed by me bringing a hot dinner over to feed 13 people to the same friends house the next night (July4) It was a no fuss dinner. A large brown sack of hot baked potatoes, a pan of skinless,boneless chicken breast and thighs topped with BBQ sauce and 9 ears of oven roasted corn.
All hot from my oven and ready to eat upon my arrival!
For dessert we had a bag of white yogurt covered pretzels.

After a quick 4th of July dinner both our families (minus our Jacob...who was at a friend house) loaded onto our boats to go watch the firework show the lake puts on! It was like wrap around fire works!
When the real show started up the fireworks were right above our boat!

As most of you out there know after a busy weekend with a large family.....the house is usually a mess on Monday! Though it is really Tuesday, this is my Monday!

So I'm off to clean and tidy!

I pray you all had a safe weekend!

For the most part we did......but last night while out on my back patio sipping tea with my neighbor we discovered what could have been a holiday disaster!

Stay tuned....I hope to post tomorrow what we found!

Can you guess what it was?

Peace and Love

Georgiann

Tea Tasting 101~

For $5.00 a local tea shoppe held a class on what the different kinds of teas are and how to steep them.

We got to taste 15 kinds of teas!

Many flavors of

White tea,Green tea,Black tea~

Oolong, Pu-reh, Mate~

Herbal and Rooibos~

We learned how tea leaves are processed and that White,Green and Black tea all comes from the same plant, just processed differently!

We learned the health benefits of the different teas~ 

 steep times and water temps that are best for the different kinds of loose leaf teas~

Fresh teas have a taste that nothing else can compare to.

We learned you should NEVER but dairy in your tea.

(it makes the good things in the tea not do its job)

Soy and Almond milk are fine to use.

After our tea class my friend and I shopped for some tea, ate lunch at my favorite cafe, then shopped for some vintage clothes at a antique shop.

Peace and Love

Georgiann