The "Slice" Story

Yesterday I promised the slice of pizza story. There is this pizza place called Liquori's that sells large slices of pizza so all you really need is one slice, and you are satisfied. REALLY! In fact, I would be willing to say you and your spouse, or friend could even share a slice and not go hungry. Don't believe me? Tonight I ordered 4 slices of pizza, the maximum any customer can order: 2 combo, and 2 cheese. I also got a 2 liter of soda, and it cost $14 and some change. Not bad, especially since it fed 8 people!!!! Take a look below, this is a picture of 4 slices put together in one box!!!!!



Isn't that the funniest thing ever? Talk about a bargain! I love to take people here, order a slice and watch their face when their "slice" arrives to them. It is priceless!!!! What are some good bargains in your area?

A berry relaxed kind of day!

Today is the first official day of summer, as school was finally out yesterday. My friend, Maryjo, told me about a strawberry festival at the Holyoke Farmers Market today, which opens at 10:30am. So at 10:45 or so there we were in Holyoke, clinking my change into the parking meter, and meandering over to the section of blocked off street where the market is held. I didn't see much! Not only was there no strawberry festival....and I had been picturing strawberry shortcake, strawberry smoothies etc,...LOL but even the Farmers didn't have much for sale yet. I am wondering if I just showed up too close to opening.

Normally we pick strawberries earlier in June, but since it's been so wet and rainy we have put it off awhile. After the dud festival idea, I decided we would head over to Dickinson Farm endeavoring to pick half the farm. It was the first non-rainy day in quite some time. The berries were much smaller than last year, and harder to find good ones. It was a nice experience, keeping of a tradition, until Danny and Aiden wearily asked to go sit on the bench. I was getting tired of admonishing the two of them to stop jumping rows and to stay with me so I said fine, figuring I would finish up and hurry over to them.

As they headed down the row, I am looking in the direction of the bench where I lined the kids up and took their picture last year, and I couldn't find it. Apparently it was gone, but I hadn't noticed. Figuring that wasn't looking good I hurried out of the row and down to where we pay for the berries and I realize my hip-clip was gone and my cash as well as my license and debit card were all in there. The panic was just below the surface and I scanned the aisles telling Ryan to look, as well as Felicia. About two minutes later Felicia found it and I was so grateful and relieved!! Being able then to actually pay for our berries and have the ice cream I planned with the children. I finally make my way over to the check-out area and low and behold there are my boys, not on the bench I told them they could sit on, but on the long bench way across the field from where I had been!!















Daniel went down a little hill to play with two doggies and it was kind of swampy-ish (all the rain?) and he didn't notice it and kind of fell in, getting wet up to his shorts, and a lot scared. I was so glad he was scared because this guy has a problem 1) being observant, 2) staying with me and not wandering a little here and a little there. Frazzled would be an understatement to describe me at that time. I was happy to click them into seat belts and actually RELAX as we drove to find some ice cream.







Eventhough the day did not start out very relaxing with the farm mishap, it was still nice to have some time we could be together, venture out, and not worry about having to be back for dismissal or anything, it was a free feeling.

We came home for 3 hours and are now heading out to pick Grandma up, then some pizza for take out for a slice (hilarious story for another blog post at another time!!) and bringing it with us to my last surviving grandparent, my mom's mom. Very busy day, and my kids HAD BETTER be tired tonight. They just never seem to tire out this week....HA!

~What we've been up to lately~

On Saturday we hosted one of our cookouts, a regular happening each summer since moving into this house with this great yard. I am not sure how long we will be blessed with such a great place, but as long as we have it I want to make full use of it, and share it with friends, new and old ones alike.

We invited 6 families, and 3 of them were able to come. Our yard was FULL with all the children just from 3 families and our own. It was great. Even Felicia had someone to play with which is a rarity. Normally it is just little kids or all boys, it was great to see her playing basketball with another girl let me tell you!!




We tried two more diet coke experiments with the mentos. This time we used the rocket or whatever it's called...LOL; a cylinder tube with string basically and boy did it shoot high!! It was quite impressive and humorous as you can see in the photos.





We grilled up some hamburg steaks and Patriots beef franks from Arnold's. They are the actual hot dogs served up at Patriot's games. They are so good! All the fixin's and 3 great salads; potato salad, my favorite seashell pasta salad, and Stacy brought a salad, too, which was also made with the seashell pasta and I was surprised because I don't usually see that type of salad. Hers was very good, too, and they were a similar but there were a couple differences. I totally forgot about the watermelon, which remained in the back of the van...haha

Isn't this little guy sweet? I just met him, my nephew for the first time at this cookout!

Even Spotacus had a friend to chase and play with! Sheila brought her 10 week old Australian Shepherd to play, so it was a great day for even the dogs!



The boys bounced till dark and then it was time to part, for baths and bedtime.

Huge Blessing In a Small Package

Yesterday afternoon, Mike called me and asked if Aiden and I wanted to go to lunch since he received a small spiff check. Since he was working, but taking a break, we had to meet him out near his work, and wanted it to be a semi-fast place. We ended up at Pizza Hut for their lunch buffet. That is not the good part, though.

While we were sitting at the table eating, Aiden (4) began singing 'Awesome God'. I was surprised, it was totally spur of the moment, and my heart burst at the seams with happiness. His sweet little voice singing Praise to God with no concern for who was around was pure bliss. Others could hear, yet I would not interrupt him. He wasn't yelling it, yet he wasn't whispering either. I was so happy for him, the first song my little boy knows by heart, and can sing from beginning to end with no help, and though we have no video camera, we still have it documented. Moms tend to think they will remember all these special little things, but take it from me a lot is forgotten over the years. Document those special things now in some way. Even if it's a simple notebook for each child.



Thank you Father,
For drawing my little ones close to you through your precious son, Jesus.

A Friendly kind of day!

I made bread again on Thursday, it had been a couple months since I had made any. I used to make it weekly, but have been giving in to convenience as our schedules had been so busy. I am thinking I should consider getting a bread machine, since I typically quit making any bread in the warm months, as the heat of the oven is unbearable. That's a shame though, to have to settle for less-than bread just for that reason.




Friendly's was giving away free one scoop ice cream cones/dishes on Saturday from 12pm-5pm in our area, and we actually took advantage of it. I was expecting a huge line, and while there WERE a lot of people there, it was very well organized, and outdoors so it was actually a pleasant trip. I found a place for the younger kiddos to sit on a curb to eat while we waited for papa and big brother. LOL



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Busy Weekend!

Friday Aiden and I went on a field trip to Essex steam train and river boat with our co-op. We spent 3 hours there for a train ride to the boat, at our take-along lunch on the boat ride, saw Gillette castle among other sites, and then enjoyed the train ride back while hearing some history from the conductor. Steven Spielberg shot an Indiana Jones film there, and the Big Y commercial in our area was filmed there as well. After the ride back, we rushed out of there and got home around 2:45. That left me two hours to prepare for the cookout I hosted at 5pm for a few friends and their families whom I haven't seen in quite some time. Such a whirlwind day!!




Gillette Castle


the car we rode in
On Saturday, we celebrated Ryan's 8th birthday. It was the smallest birthday party we've had in quite some time, just ourselves, my dad, and Mike's brother with his son. Ryan opened his gifts and got things like science kits for making geysers with mentos and diet coke. There is even a rocket that can be shot up with the soda geyser....so fun! He got quite a few different kits for making boats etc,...The kids played games like crazy. Things like Green light, Red light. Then the customary cake and ice cream followed. Cousin Tyler slept over that night with the boys and came to church with us Sunday and spent the afternoon playing Wii. I was feeling restless on Sunday like I wanted to go out and do something but we couldn't, so that was a not so nice feeling.











On Monday, we went to a friend's house for a small cookout; we had not seen them for awhile either. We stayed a few hours and caught up before returning home to putter around our yard, read, and yes cookout again! for dinner. HA!! I so love not messing up my kitchen. ;-) It sure was a busy weekend, a lot of times we don't do much just hang around the house together, so it was quite nice. Hope you enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend as well. I so appreciate all those who fought, fight, and laid down their lives for our freedom. I also keep in mind all those around the world who are not afforded those same freedoms.

~Good Day~

Today we went to that preschooler homeschooling co-op as guests, and it was nice to get Aiden together with other children to do some fun learning together, while still having the security of momma. He seemed to like it once he warmed up! It was on the property of a Lutheran church, in a really nice preschool/daycare type room, BIG too! It seemed to be a good fit, and we were allowed entry to join. It's once a week for 3 hours, with an hour in the middle for lunch and free play. :)

Yesterday Mike really showed how fired up he is about these boys getting homeschooled. It's still a bit surprising how strongly he is feeling and how quickly/suddenly. If that's not a clear direction, I don't know what WOULD be. I am looking at the curricula out the there, and I am liking how Bob Jones looks, yet I haven't actually seen it in person. We're going to our local convention at the end of April, giving us the opportunity to thumb thru the curriculum choices we are thinking over, which alone is priceless enabling us to make a decision we will be happy with. Alpha Omega is also offerning 20% off at the convention, though we won't be able to take advantage of that since we need to save our pennies.

I am so glad that I am able to get established in a routine with Aiden now, so that when the boys begin after this current year it will be that much easier. A friend I met recently online that goes to another local church gave me some other info to look into and I feel so much better not being alone in this. I am feeling strong, and also determined that this is the right choice this time, and no matter what happens I will not allow it to deter us this time.

“Failure is not final; it is merely the opportunity to start over again wiser than before.” --unknown author

Our family is in need of reformation, we only have so much time left as our eldest son turns 11 soon, and our 7 year old is picking up on some of the attitudes/behavior eldest son has displayed over the years, even as we tried to prevent that from happening; and let's not forget our 4 and 6 year olds. We need our childrens' hearts first and foremost. I will obey God's leading and trust Him to bring that about in our family, perhaps this is the avenue it will take in our case. Fear has no place in my heart, God did not intend for us to walk around in Fear, allowing it to rule us. His perfect love inside of us will drive that fear out!
I have seen God's power firsthand, and nothing short of miracles as our marriage has been transformed from chaos and hopelessness to beauty and joy in the last four years. I know He can and wills to do that for our children as well. We have to be faithful to do our part.

Christmas Tree Hunting!

Well, we went to a nice Christmas Tree farm nestled in a nice Agawam neighborhood. Basically someone has a very HUGE back yard. We drove thru their driveway and down a lil dirt road and there it was. There were two tractors giving rides down to the trees. We got out, found our tree and watched Mike saw it down. I think it was extra special for the boys and Felicia to see their own dad cut down their tree, as I bragged to them how strong and smart their dad was. Then someone gave us a hand carrying it to the tractor. They netted it up for us and helped carry it to the car. The kids also enjoyed some free hot chocolate inside their tiny little gift shop. It was fun, but I was disappointed that I was unable to get a picture for our photo Christmas cards I need to send out. My batteries died!!! I could not find the charger.

We returned home and fought with the tree a good long time, since it was not cut perfectly even it was very difficult! Mike ended up having to go back out and buy some fancy shmancy tree stand that cost more than the tree did!! How awful is that~ Anyhow, the tree is up and that counts for a lot! I quickly strang up some lights and grabbed myself a couple pics of the children. They are not great, but neither is my patience. I just had to rush. I'm feeling that Christmas is creeping up on us, and I am really wanting to send our cards out!