Twin Tip Tuesday, Dealing With Sickness

Hubby has been on vacation this past week. Poor guy.

It was actually a ‘staycation’. We had plans to get started, and almost finished on Christmas to-dos.

All started well. Friday Granny was staying with the boys. Our plan was to spend the night away, and go shopping the next day.

The boys were sick within ten minutes from us leaving the house. Luckily mom insisted that she could handle it, and we fully trusted that she could. Even so, it still made shopping harder. I find it very overwhelming to shop during the holidays. On top of the huge mess of people, all the pretty things, and the yummy smells- having two toddlers at home absolutely miserable- OVERWHELMING!

Enough whining about what I didn’t get done (or the ever growing pile of laundry to do).

Twin tip:

The elusive 24 hour bug people talk about, well keep dreaming. By the time Thing 1, Thing 2, and yourself get the bug, well…you do the math. I will spare you the yucky details.

The positive to our flu is my list of “thankfuls”…

I am thankful that A) I am able to stay home with the boys, because this darn flu would have cost so much money in lost wages. B) That hubby was home to help. I am so sorry that this is how he had to spend his hard earned vacation, but I am so thankful that I didn’t have to deal with this bug all by lonesome. C) I am also thankful that we are able to celebrate this season, even though it is not as organized as I had hoped. D) I am thankful for a thoughtful husband who knows I appreciate practical gifts. (The carpet shampooer he bought while we were dating has saved our house from smelling like a barf bag.)

Hope this twin tip helps, just remember 24 hour flu equals 72 hours (at least). Tell your employer I said so. (By the way, the photo was pre-flu. I should have saved my money, because apparently Cheese Puffs taste better off the floor.)

Have any speed-disinfecting tips?

Letting You In, part 5

I was supposed to be studying for exams. I was supposed to be ordering flowers. I was supposed to be to my final dress fitting. I was supposed to be tallying up RSVPs. There was so much that I thought I was supposed to be doing.

 

Planning a funeral was not one of them.

 

My creative energies have never been tested so much. This memorial needed to represent my father. I focused on the details, finding jobs to keep the family focused on remembering this great man. I guess this was part of my grieving process.

 

For instance his urn was a motorcycle gas tank. It was from my little brother’s first motorcycle. Dad had it saved in the garage, “scrapbooked” so he could hold all the precious memories alive. Levi (my brother) meticulously sanded it down, and painted it flat black. One of our favorite memories. Ask dad his favorite color, “flat black,” was always his response. He even went so far as to spray paint an old International pickup truck flat black while mom was sleeping. We then put an ‘In Memory’ decal on his urn.

 

We had decided to wear jeans, a ‘God’ T-shirt, and dew-wraps. You see, dad lived his life for God. He ministered in a way different from the typical pastoral figure. He ministered through living. He always had on a God shirt. It was typically black, and looked like any other biker T-shirt, until you read it. This always drew questions, in which he was always prepared to answer in an inviting way.

 

He led and participated in many ministries. He was a “Biker for Christ.” He did prison ministries, helped out at soup kitchens, and went with the church teenagers on their mission trips. He was weeks away from becoming an ‘official’ pastor.

 

I’ll never forget the first time he preached in front of the church. At the time our church was still ‘traditional.’ Dad stood at the front of the church with a black T-shirt emblazoned with bold white letters; “SATAN SUCKS." This was my dad.

 

This day he was nervous. To add to this nervousness, he had hecklers! Yes, hecklers AT CHURCH! The old ladies did not like his shirt, one even told him to turn it inside out. His nervousness led to pacing, and a view of the back of his shirt. JESUS SAVES. You could feel the sigh of relief and acceptance as everyone sat back and listened to his message.

 

Back to his memorial. This was by far the most powerful day of my life. I know in most circumstances, especially ones like ours, people are defeated. Questioning God’s purpose, and even existence. I felt empowered. At the end of the day I knew dad had served his purpose.

 

The day started out wet. A wet, rainy day; how fitting. There were bikers from all across the country (family, and friends he had made in his ministry) riding to this memorial. And it was raining. Hard.

 

I’ll never forget standing in the church parking lot that day. The rain had let up, and was barely a drizzle. All of a sudden there was thunder. A loud, continuous, rumble. I think I heard it before anyone else, or at least I had registered what the sound was.

 

The tears started to flow, rushing down my face like the rain we were wiping from our windshield earlier. My soon-to-be-husband wrapped his arms around me tight as we waited.

 

The thunder got louder and louder. And here they came. Motorcycle after motorcycle. Pouring in from both directions, merging together in a single file line. Somber faced. Filling the church parking lot. Remembering my father.

 

To this day, I get butterflies when I hear the familiar rumble rolling down the highway.

 

The church was packed. The pews were full. The family center, equipped with video feed, was loaded. People were standing everywhere in between. In over thirty years of service, this was the largest turnout the pastor and his wife had ever seen.

 

The service was so fitting. Upbeat music. Dad’s story. God’s story. An invitation to Christianity.

 

Towards the end of the service the pastor invited people to ‘tell their story,’ to remember Dave. This is how I know dad served God’s purpose for him. So many people, some I had never met, stood up and shared how dad led them to God. And we only heard from the sanctuary! The family center was just as energized! People came up to me weeks, even months later sharing their story.

 

That’s it for today. I’m starting to feel like I am rambling. Come back next week to read more of “my story.” Thanks for bearing with me on this challenging trip.

 

Wondering what’s going on? Here’s part 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Stash Crafting, Crossword Decor

You have heard about my hoarding issues. I’m trying to recover, I swear. Here’s my problem; I see a project I want to do, buy the supplies, and there it sits until I have the time. Call me an ambitious crafter. This wouldn’t be so bad except one thing, I forgot what project the supplies were for when I do finally find the time. Does anyone else suffer from craft amnesia?

I bought this Scrabble Turn Tile game at a garage sale two summers ago (er… may have been three summers ago…) I had grand ideas. But I forgot what they were.

While corralling my craft clutter I pulled them out, wanting to make Scrabble gift tags/ornaments like these. But the Turn Tiles are much bigger than regular Scrabble tiles. The gifts would have been at least ten inches long for some names, and that’s using nicknames. I’m looking more for classy, not gaudy. Scratch that idea.

So I started messing around with our kids names, and came up with a crossword style board. Luckily it works for our family’s names. I found a cute piece of scrapbook paper that I think will look decent in our living room once it is painted.

I used glue dots and stuck the tiles to the paper. I found a 12 x 12 frame at Jo-Ann, and used my coupon to get it cheap. I really wanted a shadow box, but knew if I waited until I found one this project would sit in that corner of the room where unfinished projects go to die. So I used two-sided tape, and stuck the whole thing right to the glass. (I may be a bit redneck…)



Some of the paper under the glass is visible(never should have trimmed that scrapbook paper…), but I can fix that if it really bothers me. I figure I’ll leave it as is. Eventually it will get on my nerves and I will find the shadow box.

This project was so quick, just like most of the others on my list. Obviously this is where I need help. I need to find the motivation to just start.

Do you have any quick projects waiting patiently to be finished? If so, go do it! It feels good to mark something off of your to-do list.

See you tomorrow for part 5 of Letting You In.

Pinned it, Crocheted it! Am I Too Old For a Slouchy Hat?

I have a huge Pinterest addiction. I am positive that I’m not alone. This turns into a problem for people like me, people with to-do list issues. Like most other pinners, I pin, and then never do…
Well, I can finally mark off a to-do. I had pinned this slouchy hat pattern from Jenn Likes Yarn. (This has been repined over 125 times!) Since this pin was so popular, I decided to go for it.

Here it is, mommy’s totally selfish crochet project:



I used Lion Brand Micro Spun in Turquoise. This is a sport weight yarn, which was thinner than the yarn used in the pattern. I still used the recommended G/5.00 mm hook.

I tend to be a tight crocheter, so I usually have to add an extra row or two of increases. Combine this with the thinner yarn, I made 2 more increase rounds for a total of 88 stitches.

*I did make one mistake. I was worried that the hat was going to be too slouchy for my preference, so when I got closer to the crown, I decreased down to 80 stitches. This resulted in a tighter band. Too tight when I dropped down to the recommended H hook for the brim. I had to pull it out, and continue with the G hook.

This pattern is very well written. If I had used the same yarn used in the pattern, this hat would have been perfect. It is also a quick project. I was finished in a day (a day with twin toddlers), including figuring out additional increases, and ripping out a handful of rounds.

Here’s a problem, my step-daughter and I were watching the Disney channel. These hats were very abundant. (If you are looking for a teen gift, this is it!) This brings me to my question:

Is very-close-to-thirty too old to pull off this trend? (Okay, I know its not too old for most, but I am not a trendy momma.)

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

New Life for the Un-wearable

First, let me apologize. I know you were looking forward to egg-free Christmas cookies. I want to try a couple more recipes. Don’t worry; I’ll post about them as soon as I can.

Today I wanted to post one of my quickie refashions.

Do you have clothes that are okay, but you just don’t wear because they don’t feel right? Or they’re just not ‘you’? Maybe they are uncomfortable.

I have a huge pile of these clothes. Some are ‘transition’ clothes from when I was pregnant. Some still have the tags on. Some I have just grown tired of.

What do you do? Easy-peasey. Cut into the buggers, sew a little, do whatever it takes to make them wearable.

Let’s go back to my pile. I am not wearing these clothes. (Its been a year and a half since I’ve been pregnant…) The only good they are doing is insulating the walls of my craft dungeon. But…I was scared. What if I mess up, then perfectly good clothes have been ruined. Perfectly good un-wearable clothes. I had to tuck my worries away, and just do something.

My latest refashion:



I did wear this shirt once or twice, but that wonky hemline bothered me. Not a scoop hem-type of girl. The shirt itself was also much wider at the bottom.

I sewed straight down the sides, then tried the shirt on to make sure it fit. (This is the most crucial step. ALWAYS try it on before you cut!) Then I cut away the extra fabric.

Next I straightened the bottom hem. Roll it up, stitch it down. (This part can be skipped on most t-shirts, because they don’t fray.)

Finally, wear away:



This refashion was actually done a couple of weeks ago. I refrained from posting right away. I needed to make sure I was going to wear it. Yup, I wear it, a lot. This is now one of the shirts that I grab as soon as laundry is done.

Moral of the story? Just take the cut. Use your un-wearable clothes as a learning tool. If you mess up its not like you were wearing it in the first place.

*Please tell me that I am not the only one with this ‘pile’.

Have a wonderfully wearable weekend!

Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

Mmmm. We love Mexican food around here. If I can throw it in the crockpot, its even better.



How did I manage make such a fantastic meal? I’ll show you.

Keep in mind that this is more of a guide, not a recipe. Honestly, when using a crockpot you don’t really need a recipe.

Here’s what I did:

I pulled a roast from the freezer. (For this meal, use whatever meat you have available, chicken, pork, beef, or venison. It doesn’t have to be an expensive cut, the crockpot will make things nice and tender.) Today I used venison. When it was mostly thawed, I sliced it into thin strips.

The secret to tasty venison, is marinade. Not just the marinade- but the length the meat marinades. Marinade the meat as long as possible.

This time I used vinegar, and KC Masterpiece Spicy Mango. (Its what was in the house.) This sat in the fridge all night.

In the morning I dumped the container of juicy meat into the crockpot. I didn’t have a fajita seasoning packet, so I mashed up a handful of recipes Google provided me with. Dump this in, and add sliced onions and peppers. Oh yeah, if you have some minced garlic hanging out in the fridge, put a spoonful or so in.

This is my favorite part, I didn’t have to cut a thing! Well, not today. During the summer I got an awesome deal on red peppers and onions, and green peppers from a local produce stand. I got way more than we could eat fresh. The peppers and onions were washed and sliced, flash frozen (so they don’t stick together), and dumped into a Ziploc freezer bag.

That brings us to my ‘slow cooker fajita hint’: do not put all of the peppers and onions in the slow cooker right away. A handful will do. Well, I put all of the onions in right away because I don’t care for crunchy onions. But peppers? I want some crunch!

You have two options. 1. You can pan fry the remaining peppers and onions before serving. Or you can save yourself from washing another pan, and 2. toss them into the crockpot during the last half hour to hour.

Serve with rice on tortillas topped with sour cream and cheese. Like I said, mmmmmm.

Want to know my spice mash-up? Okay, you pulled my arm. Here it is:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Are you a crock-potter? If so what’s your favorite slow cooker meal?

Stop back tomorrow, I have been experimenting. Trying to find egg-free Christmas cookies.

Letting You In, part 4

I was working. Well, not really. Business had slowed right down, there was a regular customer, and my fiancé. We were all chatting while I cooked dinner for my customer, when Brian’s phone rang. My phone was just ringing, but I didn't get to it in time.

“Its your mom.”

“Hello,” I answer.

“Your father was just in an accident.” My mom is frantic. It sounds like she is running.

“What happened!”

“A deer. It jumped right out of the ditch. There was no time to react. This is bad. I need you here, now!”

“Mom, where are you? Did you crash your bike too? Are you okay? Why does it sound like you are running? Did you call 911?”

She did crash her bike too. But she was physically okay. She ‘laid’ her bike down, and landed in the ditch. (That is her term, ‘laid down.’ I personally think it may be hard to lay a bike down going 50 mph.) She had called me while running to dad. She put his glasses under his nose, he was breathing. No coratid pulse, but a slight femoral pulse. (Mom is a RN). She performed CPR until the ambulance arrived.

I called my brother, he didn’t answer. My customer took over the bar (don’t worry, he is friends with the owner). My fiancé went to my brother’s. I raced to the hospital.

I have never drove so fast in my whole life. The hospital was about 25 minutes from where we were, and I think I made it in 10. (I did at least have enough sense to put my flashers on.)

It seemed like the longest drive ever.

When I was about five miles from the hospital, the helicopter was arriving. I got a sense of panic and relief all at once. Panic because this IS really bad. Relief because, “he must be alive.”

My stomach still drops every time I see a medical helicopter.

I finally arrived at the hospital. I threw my vehicle in park, and ran as fast as I could. I had lost my sandals along the way, and left my car running in the parking lot. When I got to the entrance, I knew he wasn’t going on the helicopter. The responders’ faces told a sad story that I wasn’t ready for. I remember screaming “DADDY!”

They were in there. A whole team trying like hell to save him.

I truly believe this. My mom used to work in this very emergency room. With these very nurses and doctors. A couple of my classmates were working. Some were my parents’ Christian biker friends. Some went to our church.

They tried.

I’m sorry, but I have to continue next week. I hope you understand, this is not some ploy to get you to come back, this story, my story, is a hard one to write.

Need to catch up? part 1, part 2, and part 3