Keeping the Mullet Alive: the next generation

As seen at the Greater Gulf State Fair in October 2008. As Darth Vader would say, " Impressive."

Blue Angels' Homecoming Show

One of my favorite events on the Gulf Coast every year is the Blue Angels' Homecoming Show at Pensacola NAS. This year it finally worked out so I could take the kids, but not Jay. So we took a picture by the Albatross to give a shout out to the the Coast Guard. The extreme loudness caused some tears, especially from stubborn 2 year olds who refused to wear ear-plugs. Eventually he let me put them in for him, and he could enjoy it more. The kids loved sitting in various air craft and vehicles, such as the Hummer, a fire truck, and some large Air Force planes. My favorite was the Blue Angel that we climbed up in. Seriously I could hear the Top Gun anthem singing and I felt the need, the need for speed. I have a love for Naval Aviation because my Dad was a Naval Aviator- we got a picture of 4 of his 5 grandkids with one of the planes he flew, the A-4 Skyhawk. So great weather, ear-plugs, and those jumpy slide thingies made for a fun but tiring day on the tarmac, and maybe we'll make it next year. And maybe I'll have to watch Top Gun again soon to get my( highly inaccurate portrayal of) Naval Aviation fix. It has nothing to do with the volleyball scene. Seriously, sweaty guys playing sand volleyball in jeans? Let's get real. Real chafed.

Mac is Two!

November 14th Mac turned two, and we had a little party for him the weekend before. It was a lovely fall day and we played at the park with cousins and friends, ate cupcakes, and celebrated Mac. He is a delightful little boy- Jay and I are constantly marveling at how sweet and smiley and fun he is, and such a boy in so many ways. He loves wrestling, jumping, running around, reading books, coloring, snuggling, giving hugs, talking, and playing with his sister. He hates doctor's visits, hair cuts, fingernail trimming, and most vegetables. Mac is a wonderful gift to our family and we love him to pieces.

Mac and Ruthie

A Fair is a Carnival

"A fair is a carnival. It has nothing to do with life." So says a wise woman when her children whine, "that's not fair!" We went to the fair back in October, and it was lots of fun for me and the kids. ( Jay was in shock over the cost of it all.) Ruthie has been wanting to go since we have been reading Charlotte's Web, and she loved every minute of it. We only saw one pig, and it was a mommy, so we pretended it was Wilbur's mommy. Mac loved the tractor displays and all the animals, including the pig races we got to see. I liked seeing a baby cow nurse on it's mommy, but my favorite was the Ferris wheel and the cotton candy. I love cotton candy. I think Jay did enjoy the corn dog that was the size of my whole arm. And he got to ride the elephant and the bumble bee with Ruthie! It was so fun to see it all from my 3 year old's perspective, and watch her "live a dream" so to speak. So we'll save up for next year. Maybe a home equity loan or something would cover it.

Supervise Me

The Scene: I am on the computer, and Jay and Mac are wrestling, romping on the bed beside me. Ruthie wants to join them so she says:

R: How come Mackie can jump and play on the bed?
J: Because I'm supervising him.
R: I want you to supervise me! (running to the bed and climbing up)
J: Do you know what "supervise" means?
R: It means tackle!

Flashback

Saturday we hosted a 30th birthday party for Jen McShea- 80s themed. Happy Bday JEN!!! It was lots o' fun- and I think Jen won for the outfit category- check out the blue silk high heels and off the shoulder hot pink tunic shirt. Bodacious. Jay got to demonstrate his awesome Nintendo skills- on his original 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System. I guess I won the big hair category, and I am totally ready for big hair to be back because it is really what my hair was born to do. And it took only a couple minutes! You can't tell from the picture, but Jay's hair was spiked to perfection. And Brandon pegged his jeans to perfection. Way to go everyone! (Check out Jen's website when she dccides to post some of her pics, they're probably better.) Love ya, Jen!

Ok, let's be positive here

I haven't thrown up in 2 days!
I made it to 10 weeks! Only six or seven more weeks of perpetual stomach virus!
Third pregnancy means I am already showing! Now people will know I'm pregnant!
I get to eat like a hobbit...breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, tea time, lunch, etc.


I am exercising my thankful muscles because they are struggling these days. I know what I should be thinking and saying, but it is certainly a fight against my fleshiness. Sometimes I really just want to wallow in misery. I just need Jesus that's all.

Check out that uterus!

Weddings, Mr. T, and Cheese- How's That for a Hodgepodge?

Lower Alabama Caviar

This recipe is from LuLu's restaurant, the famous one owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister Lucy. I risked my life and went undercover, broke in to the restaurant at night and stole it from their computer. I barely survived because they had this mean Rottweiler that bit a chunk out of my leg, but I guess that satisfied him so he stopped attacking me and I dragged myself out to my car. I had to patch up my leg myself because at a hospital I would only have been questioned and then promptly arrested. Unless I pulled a Jack Bauer and hit my doctor with a syringe full of something that would knock him out and I could steal his clothes and sneak out of the hospital, hijack a Suburban and arrive safely at home in time to feed the kids breakfast. So really, ya'll enjoy. ( I only put that ya'll in there because this is LOWER ALABAMA caviar.) Normally I would say you guys.

This recipe is a crowd pleasah.

Dressing:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (this is always a great start in my book)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (that's EVOO for you Rachael Ray fans)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Dip:
4 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Rinse and drain peas well, place in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

This can also be used as a garnish over everything from broiled fish to enchiladas. (So says the Mobile Press Register Food Guy) I am inclined to believe him.

It is a wonderful, refreshing dip for summertime. Enjoy!

Inside my head

August 1
Naptime.
My mind is racing, cluttered with so many thoughts, wishes, lists, ideas and hopes.
-Sweep the floor, it is bad.
-Those **&%#@ ants are back!
Ok I want to spend time with God. My chair awaits.
-Remember to call Katie.
-Ask Jay, don't forget to ask Jay about Sat. night.
-Diapers; add diapers to the list. And eggs.
-I wonder if Jen emailed me back.
-Laundry in the washer. Need to put it in dryer.
Then the phone rings. 25 minutes gone, chatting with mom. It was needed, but my chair is still empty.
Oh! I need to upload those photos Cary sent from the cruise. It can wait. But I really want to see the pictures!
I sit down, my mind has a hard time slowing down. Have I become ADD? No, I am a mom and wife and daughter and sister-in-law and friend and neighbor and housekeeper and cook and yet I am me. I want to write poetry and paint the chair for the bathroom and hang the old window somewhere ummm, and write a book when I get a chance. And what's for dinner and dang, I forgot to get someone to sub for me in the nursery Sunday! 1st of the month...pay mortgage.

Back to Spurgeon. He challenges me to glean from God's word-to feast on the meaty promises that satisfy-to be quenched and full.

"Our Master's field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy."

This is my soul's need. Open the word. Open it. My mind has settled. I'm in. I'm there and I'm focused. The monitor speaks. The boy is awake. The boy is ready for his "nack." Ok Lord, we'll try again tomorrow. Oh, but your sweetness did invade my soul and I will greet my son with your kiss.

Swimming Lessons

One of our fun activities this summer has been swim lessons for Ruthie. The lessons were at the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile, which is conveniently located for us, and fun because of the helicopters and airplanes landing and taking off nearby- a 20 month old boy's dream. (You can see the HH-65 "Dolphin" in the bottom picture.) In retrospect I would have had Mac in lessons too, but I didn't think it would work out to do both of them back to back. Ruthie cried at the beginning of each lesson for the first couple of weeks, but then she really looked forward to it. She loved her teacher Miss Autumn, and she really has become more comfortable in the water. They learned how to safety-slide in, float, "crab crawl" around the edge of the pool, and even backstroke and freestyle swimming. I think she could swim on her own, but she still freaks out about it and starts going under. One-on-one intense lessons would probably do the trick. I'm sad the lessons are over, and we'll definitely do it again next summer.

The Portrait

This is the amazing portrait I commissioned my friend Amy Oaks Bailey to do last year, based on a picture I took, and now it is done and I love it! Check out her blog for her comments on doing the portrait. Amy is so talented, and her heart for the glory of God in what she does is very inspiring to me. Thank you so much Amy!

Bucket List

Who needs a pool when you have a 5 gallon bucket?

Dream come true

I love hammocks. I have always wanted my very own and now I have one! It was my 30th bday present from Jay, and I am so happy about it. I love the carefree, laidbackness of the simple little woven rope strung between two trees. I like the airiness of it, the instant feeling of relaxation. Hammocks embody relaxation to me. When I saw the three trees in a row in our backyard, when I first looked at the house, it instantly said "hammock location" to me. And in fact, two of the three worked perfectly. One of my roommates when I lived in Prague once told me, "Merrill, you know how to chill." I thought that was hilarious, but it is true, to a fault. So all you tempest-tossed hand-wringers, come on over and we can chill- I'll provide the sweet-tea, and God will make the breeze.

The Cruise- Top Ten Reasons to go on one when you turn 30

10. Two words- colon cleanse- oh, and free medical care including cow-sized shots of phenergan, ahhhh, no bueno.

9. Sleeping in -in a stateroom the size of a closet with 3 friends. Roomies again!

8. Laying in the sun on deck as the ship sails through the Gulf.

7. No prices on the dinner menu! Ordering two appetizers!

6. Coming back to the room after dinner to find towel animals and chocolates in the room.

5. Sunset up on deck, wind in your face, delicioso.

4. Snorkeling in the beautiful waters off Cozumel, Mexico, with guides Pancho and Nacho, que?

3. Red jeeps in Mexico are muy bueno.

2. Stamp in passport, lots of memories packed into 3 1/2 days.

1. Unhurried time, conversation, laughter, with four dear friends- priceless.

I hear ya James

Oh, Mexico
It sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low
Moon's so bright like to light up the night
Make everything all right


Oh, Mexico
I never really been but I'd sure like to go
Oh, Mexico
I guess I'll have to go now

Scene at Chick-Er-Ays (Chic-Fil-A)

We are sitting at a table, eating quietly. There's a mom with three children at the table beside us. Ruthie looks at me, sort of puzzled, exasperated, and says,
"I don't know why I keep looking at that boy!"

He is an adorable boy- probably 7 years old, blond hair, blue eyes, long lashes. I hadn't noticed him. But apparently, my 3 YEAR OLD DID! She was so precious in her innocent confusion.

Hummus Among Us

I saw this recipe in my local newspaper and just had to try it because I love hummus. This is a really delicious variation that is wonderful with a Mexican/Southwestern meal.

Black Bean Lime Hummus

2 cloves garlic
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 T lime juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Place garlic in a food processor and process until minced, about 10 seconds. Add beans, lime juice, and salt and process into a puree. With processor running, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until mixture thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Add cilantro and pulse approx. 10 seconds. Serve it up, amigos!

The recipe actually says to serve with banana chips(?!) which I don't love, so I used regular tortilla chips.