And so a new chapter.....

It's late on a Sunday evening, and the house is quiet. I should be cleaning the bathroom, in preparation for company tomorrow but, procrastination has settled in so instead I thought I would blog a bit on the new chapter starting in my life.

It's been over 8 years since I have been a part of "corporate America." And while I initially reveled in the joys of leaving the hustle and bustle of the ol' 8-5 behind me, in recent months my mind has begun to wander towards the "What ifs?" What if I went back to work? What if I found something just part-time? What would that mean for my kids? And so on...

Now don't get me wrong; I have enjoyed my career with Premier Designs and it has blessed me in so many ways over the past 9 years. In fact, if it were not for Premier, I would have never been able to justify being a stay at home mom at all. Not to mention that I have built relationships with women that I can honestly say that I love and care about through Premier. Which is why I could never turn my back on Premier and quit (in case anyone had jumped to that conclusion.)

That being said, this "new chapter" of my life is unfolding in what will be a new adventure rejoining "corporate America," but only this time it will be on MY TIME, and on my terms. I plan on working 20 hours a week, and those hours will be while the kids are in school.

Now I know, some of you are saying, "But I thought you were homeschooling Sydney?" Well, this is true. However, I do plan to enroll her in a half-day Kindergarten. I still believe that she is not ready for "real Kindergarten," but at this point in our family life, it would be more beneficial for us financially if I am working again than for me to be at home full-time with her... plus it is only 4 hours a day away from her, which means plenty of mommy-and-me-time in the afternoon still.

At this point, you are wondering "Well???? What's the job?" OK, I will tell you. I am going to be working for the "Duck." You know, the one that says, "AFLAC!"

So as this new chapter unfolds, I pray that it will be a blessing to our family and that I will be able to maintain all of my other responsibilities as well without being overwhelmed. Here we go......

Less is more

So we have been a quite the tight budget this month, with the two little monkeys' birthdays and all. Being said, I am once again learning the valuable lesson of "less is more," especially in the kitchen.

For example, instead of going to the Olive Garden for dinner, I can boil pasta and toss it with fresh basil and tomatoes from my garden, add a little garlic and parm and voila! A tasty dinner that is way cheaper than a trip to the OG. Oh and believe you me, Coldstone's got nothing on my baby's ice cream creations made at home! And really, does anything say summer like a supper made exclusively of vegetables from your own garden?

Sometimes it really is good to rediscover what magic can happen with just a few pennies in the kitchen! :)

2 words...

I woke up this morning with 2 words repeating in my mind. Follow and Serve. I feel like God is speaking to me, just not quite sure what He is wanting me to hear, yet. Praying for some discernment....~CTH

Hello there

Well, it has been some time since I have posted anything of personal relevance to the blog, mainly because I am not sure that anyone reads it but me...in some aspects the blog serves somewhat as a journal I guess. So here's some updates for posterity:
We are over half way through the summer. So far we have been to Myrtle Beach to visit mom, and the kids stayed an extra 7 days for a total of 10 altogether. Tyler and Sydney have also participated in a VBS at our former church, and this week are doing another much larger VBS at the church we have been attending regularly. Tyler has also been playing baseball all summer as a St Stephens All Star. The team is, well to put it bluntly, not good. But he is having fun, and I am proud to say that their losing record has yet to dampen his spirits- he's just happy to play the game. Tyler also completed a week of golf camp, which he loved too. Sydney is a great swimmer this summer, her strokes are smooth and I think she would do well on swim team, something we may look into later. As for me and Shane, well I had my annual trip to Texas for a Premier Designs conference; had a fantastic time & returned with a renewed vision for my business....Shane has been sweating it out in this miserable heat with his landscaping company, and as of this week will be taking a well deserved break for a few days of golf in the mountains with his college buddies. OH, and we celebrated 11 years of marriage in June with a night away from the kids in Raleigh.
So now, it is the last week of July...coming up quick are the kids birthdays and school. We need prayer about school, as we have yet to decide what that will look like for both of them (can you say procrastination?) It's a big decision that needs to be made and we have been dreading it, but the time has come to make up our minds: private school, public school, or homeschool. I pray God grants us the wisdom to choose well and to hear His will on the situation.
Ok, well I think this has been a good little synopsis...until next time. ~CTH

Summer Fun Recipe- Ice Cream in a bag!

This is a fun idea that we have tried before, with the kids of course but grown-ups are encouraged to try this as well...great for cook-outs and other summer gatherings!

Ice Cream in a bag

You'll need two tablespoons of sugar, one cup of half and half, a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a 1/2 cup of kosher salt, ice cubes , small and large zip lock bags with an easy zipper, and yours or your child's favorite ice cream toppings. First, combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in your small zip lock bag. Seal it and set it aside. Next, add enough ice to fill the large bag halfway. (Optional step: You can double bag it to make it extra secure.) Next, add your salt to the ice bag (not the cream bag!) It's best to use a large granule salt like kosher or rock salt which is sold at most grocery stores. Finally, add the sealed smaller bag to the ice bag and seal the ice bag tight. Now, shake the bags until the ice cream hardens. It takes about five minutes, so which makes this a great activity for the kiddos. Once it becomes a consistency of frozen yogurt you're done, it's that simple. Just add toppings and the kids can enjoy ice cream right out of the bag.

Happy Summer!!!!

Runner girl

It wasn't so long ago that I would say to people that "the only reason a girl like myself should ever have to run is if someone is chasing me." I would scoff at these joggers and runners as they wrecked their joints and embraced their shin-splints with pride. That was never going to be me.

Never say never.

Fast forward to present day. I am almost half way through training for a half-marathon. That's right, a half-marathon. 13 point 1 miles to be exact. Have I gone crazy? Maybe. Actually, I have this amazing friend who convinced me that it would be "fun."

So I have faithfully been going to the YMCA and climbing onto the treadmill 3 to 4 days each week since January. Each week my runs get longer, 3 short runs and 1 long run. This week my long run was 6 miles. Which I counted as half of my half-marathon. So I'm feeling pretty proud.

OK, so to be honest I do have an ulterior motive to all this running. I really want to fit into my "skinny jeans." They are 2 sizes smaller than me right now, but I am seeing progress. :)

Well, there is one other thing. I want the digits. 13.1 on the back window of my car.

"The half" is the last weekend of March. Maybe I will be in those jeans by then. But you can be certain, as soon as I cross that finish line, the digits are going on the car!!!

Run girl run.

Snow Days, Heart Attacks, and a Heart Tree, oh my!

So, the day started off with my #1son and #1daughter bouncing into the room in a dozen and one choruses of "Mommy!!!!" At 7:30am. On a Saturday. Don't these kids know after 7 and 4 years respectively that Mommy needs her sleep on weekends? But of course the early bird chorus was justified in the fact that there was (near as I can tell) 12 inches of snow on the ground.

Side note, you gotta love this global warming problem we're having here. :)

So, it's off to the races. Snow pants, snow suits, gloves, socks, snow boots, hats, coats. Bundle, bundle, and off they go! Normally I would bundle myself and join in the frosty merriment, but moments later I receive a call from my stepmother.

It appears that my #1Dad, age 57, has been taken by ambulance (on this newly fallen 12 inches of uncleared-from-the-road snow, mind you) to the hospital for a heart attack. Or at least that is what is suspected at the moment. Fear of loss grips me, as I reel at the thought of my #1Dad, my daddy, possibly leaving this world for a better one. I surpress the tears as the details are given, which are few at this moment in time.

I wave my #1Husband inside from snow shoveling and, moments after hanging up, I collapse into him in a sea of tears. He reassures me as best he can, and after a minute or so, I collect myself and pocket my feelings for the time being.

Now my #1daughter has decided that she has had enough of loose socks in oversized snow boots, not to mention being cold, and retires to her room for some demolition also known as playing with her toys.

Luckily, #1son has found his 'hoodlums, also known as "the boys" next door ages 2, 4, 9, and 4. So, he goes off to sled with them, leaving me with just one to worry with at home. About 2 hours pass, in which time I busy myself with laundry and periodical calls and texts from friends who have heard "the news." The phone rings again, and without looking I answer it.

The voice on the other end took me off guard- it was my dad. As soon as he says hello I break down into tears. He is confused as to why I am crying, and I inform him that it's because he is AT THE HOSPITAL for a possible HEART ATTACK. He explains that he is fine, and that I should not be so worried. They will keep him overnight for observation, and although they have not confirmed that he has had a heart attack, they have not ruled it out either.

So, I am somewhat comforted. It was good to hear his voice, and he sounded quite normal. Later in the day when #1son returns from his hoodlum-isms, I have he and #1 daughter to call the hospital room where #1dad is to stay the night and talk to him. This no doubt "did his heart good."

So now, as the sun is gone from the sky, #1son has returned to the frozen hood with "the boys" for some night sledding. I can only hope it does not end with a trip to the ER for us, as hoodlum-ing can do sometimes.

To conclude, I will end on a light note. I am somewhat ashamed to say that one prelit Christmas tree remains in our house. It stands in the dining room, and the reason it has not been packed away is because the box was destroyed. I have been meaning to get a new box from a "big box store," but just haven't gotten around to it. So I thought it would be fun to hang some Valentines on the tree and make it a "Heart Tree." So last night we took a stack of red-paper lace doilies (of old-fashioned Valentine repute,) and hung them all over the tree, along with 2 strands of "Valentine garland." Voila- a festive Valentine "Heart" tree.

P.S. Who knew the Valentine "Heart" tree would become symbolic of my #1dad's current condition. As I type this, confirmation has just arrived that he indeed did have a heart attack. Each time I look at our "Heart Tree" I will think of my #1dad, and pray for his health and healing. Your prayers are also encouraged and appreciated.