The day after...

I am slowly making my way through the day. I didn't cut the computer or phone on until after lunch - Artie thought I had been in bed all that time. :-) Not in bed, just moving slowly.

I am just trying to keep up (or really catch up) with all the dailies. I've had a nice warm shower and washed my hair, picked up and swept the living room, got dishes washing in the dishwasher and sheets washing in the washer.

There is still a lot to do. I've got dinner to prepare for (an easy dinner tonight - it's church night for the children), clothes to wash, outfits to prepare for tomorrow, lots more picking up and sweeping and still more dishes to wash!!!

I think it's time to eat something today!! I'm starving. I think I might treat myself to a Sub Station sub for lunch. :-)

I do realize that it is a historic day in our country, I'm just trying to figure out all my thoughts on the subject. I guess the main thought I have is I just wish it had been a different African American man who had won the presidency. One who was against abortion and the for the rights of the unborn. It's hard for me to feel very excited about the boundaries broken when the new president still isn't for the rights for everyone, especially the most in danger in this country - the unborn ~~~

Our Family

After the storm and the picnic, we were able to snap a few family pictures. We might end up using one of these for our Christmas picture. :-)

Bobbie's new "friend"

Picnic Time

After a day at the beach, there was a huge storm. Everyone was scrambling through the rain to get back to their cars. Artie went to the trunk of our car and got our picnic and we sat under the pier and had a lovely meal together. It's so nice those times I am prepared. :-)

~~~ Bobbie at the beach ~~~

Bobbie, Artie's mother, was hilarious in the ocean. It was the first time she had been in the ocean in over 10 years, back before she had both knees replaced. Artie had to walk behind her and make sure the waves didn't knock her down. They both had me rolling....


At the beginning of the video you can see her falling a little, she just kept walking out further and further. It was so freeing for her to be in the water again. The sound is bad - it was so windy that day. As you can tell from Bobbie's death grip on her sun hat.

Folly Beach

The next day after the reunion we had a fun time at Folly Beach.

The Oxendines

These are my grandmother Mildred's - otherwise known as Nanny (my mama's mama) - brothers and sisters. That is Uncle Neil on the far left, Aunt Betty in the USA shirt, Aunt Lois in the flowered shirt and Uncle Sherman on the far right. I am so blessed to have such a godly heritage. These are some of the most wonderful people I've ever known.

Most of my friends knew my Aunt Violet from when she lived in Spartanburg. This is the family she belonged with, one of my nanny's sisters. :-) She was the sweetest thing!! I miss her so.

Tami, are you still reading? How many brothers and sisters were there all together? Nine or more? List out all the names for me. :-)

Oxendine Reunion

I have been wanting to post the pictures from our family vacation to Charleston, but just haven't had the time. I am trying to catch up a little. Here are some fun pictures. We had such a good time. All of the children, except Brian, went as well Artie's mom. This was my mama's family reunion. Most of the family live in Va, but came to my cousin Vicki's house for the reunion. She has a beautiful home that has been featured on HGTV in What You Get for the Money.

It was so nice for me for Artie's mother to get to meet my family. She has never met most of my mama's family. I was proud to show them off!!!

~~ That's my aunt Coella in the cute little blue hat ~~ :-)

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

We are planning on watching tonight !! :-)

Artie's 40th Surprise Party

Our friends - Jack and Nikki gave Artie a wonderful surprise 40th birthday party. He had a couple of questions, but I think in the end he was surprised. Guess they were all surprised when we showed up 30 minutes late. Artie had decided it was his birthday and he wasn't going to rush!! :-)

Nikki got Artie a wonderful birthday hat to wear for the evening. :-)

There was lots of food - here's Artie with his big steak. Nikki asked what kind of cake he liked best - steak!!

Lots of friends from work came. Here is one of Artie's favorite people - Timmy.

They played lots of games. Here they are throwing darts in the garage.

Artie tried to catch up with the times and play the Wii.

Nikki wore Jack out on most of the games. :-)
Jack and Artie always seem to end up like this....

(here they are at Jack's wedding)

French Dip

This is such a quick and yummy dish. I make it in the crock pot - all of 5 minutes and then let it cook all day. It's one of Troy's favorite meals.

1 beef roast - I usually use what ever is on sale - the biggest I can find - today it's a London broil

2 cups water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 t dried rosemary

1 t dried thyme

1 t garlic powder

1 bay leaf

3 or 4 whole peppercorns

(We usually double or triple the broth mix for our family)

French rolls - split for sandwiches

After it's cooked all day, shred meat with fork and serve on French rolls (top with cheese if you like). Pour broth in individual cups for dipping. We usually serve with chips to end out the easy meal part!! :-)

Fall Days

I think since I've stopped homeschooling, it's been hard for me to blog regularly. It seems like I would have so much more time, but now I don't seem to have near as much interesting to post. I'm going to work on turning this more from homeschooling to homemaking and see how that goes.

I've just this week started up my new fall breakfast. ~ HOT CHOCOLATE ~ I love it. I went to Goodwill and bought a special new hot chocolate mug for my mornings (a great .50 splurge). :-)

Our microwave died last week, so it's added a new element of heating water on the stove (I think I would rather get a kettle than a new microwave right now, I'm enjoying my stove.) My favorite is plain ol' hot chocolate with marshmallow cream on top. When the hot chocolate is good and hot it will melt the marshmallow cream to a frothy topping. It's so yummy, I have to hide it from the children or it will all be gone in one day. I guess we will have some special afternoon snacks of hot chocolate for them. :-)

It's been a little cooler here lately - today I don't think it's suppose to get much above 50 degrees today. We had a good warm homemade vegetable soup with crackers last night. It was mostly potatoes, corn, carrots and tomatoes with a few beans scattered in. If there are too many beans, they kids will protest. I just try and stick them in where I can. :-) There was enough left over for Artie and I both to have some for lunch today.

I've lost one of my favorite recipes - Baked Ziti - over the past month or so. I've looked online and can't find the exact one we used. I know most of the basic ingredients, but not any of the measurements of the spices. I am going to try and get my recipes posted on line so somethings like this doesn't happen to me again. Tonight we are going to have French Dip - recipe to follow...

High School Musical 3

We're going to the premier tonight!!! Whoo Hoo :-) Anyone else going? This will be Emily's first big movie at the theater (she's seen some daytime summer specials like Veggie Tales - but not night time movie with just the girls). She loved the first two on TV.

My first big movie I remember seeing with my mama and some friends was Rocky. She was so worried because she had been told about them cutting his eye in the ring. If she saw what was on television now and how the TV show cameras are always diving into dead bodies!!!

(BTW - I let the children watch Rocky 1 over the summer and couldn't believe the language it in!!!) Anyway, hopefully HM will be a little more child friendly than Rocky was.

Boy Scouts

Bobby (front - missing both front teeth!!) and Stephen (back right) with Mr. Ed - one of their Scout leaders. They are enjoying scouting. This week they learned about fire safety with a tour through a smoke house.

Family Affair

As I have mentioned before, we are always looking for good family TV we can all watch together. This weekend the children loved Family Affair. Remember Buffy and Jodi? I loved my Mrs. Beasley doll when I was young!!! :-)



We watched the very first episodes where Uncle Bill gets Buffy, then Jodi, and then finally Sissy. Everyone loved it. They can't wait for the next episodes to come in the mail.

We also watched the very first episode of the Andy Griffith show. It was so cute. Opie is little and meets Aunt Bee for the first time (and doesn't really like her to begin with). Without having cable, the Andy show is kinda new to our little children, while the bigger kids enjoy seeing it again as well.

Homing

"Well, of course that was all nonsense! She wasn't going back on the principles her mother had taught her. She was going to go steadily on trying to do as nearly right as possible. And perhaps some day God would give her a break!"

Jane in Homing by Grace Livingston Hill

Re-Creations

"Oh, but my dear! No one can take a daughter's place in a home when there is trouble, not such a daughter's place as you occupy, I'm sure. And as for the other thing, if you have it in you it will come out, you may be sure. You'll begin by decorating the home interior, and you won't lose anything in the end. Such things are never lost nor time wasted. God sees to that, if you are doing your best right where He put you. I can just see what an exquisite spot you'll make of that home, and how it will rest your mother to know you are taking her place."

Mrs. Maxwell to Cornelia in Re-Creations by Grace Livingston Hill

Congratulations Emily

Yeah!!! Emily got Terrific Kid at school today. Stephen got it yesterday. A good week for our kids huh? Bobby was home sick yesterday, so I didn't get to see Stephen get his award, but I was able to see Emily's today. Mrs. Wells talked about what a good girl she was - never having to be called down, always working hard and trying her best!! Where some of children seem to just get school with out much effort, Emily works very hard. I'm very proud of all the children. They are all doing so well in school.

The Honor Girl

"When the table was set, Elsie ran out into the yard, and picked a handful of yellow roses from the straggling old bush in the yard, and put them into a vase in the centre of the table. The always had flowers of some kind on the dinner-table at Aunt Ester's. It gave the one little festive touch now that showed a woman had been at work trying to make things beautiful."



The Honor Girl by Grace Livingston Hill

I really do love blogging!!! You just can't tell it from my lack of posts lately. Wow, things have been crazy around here!!!

If you would, please keep Troy in your prayers. He is working hard and trying to grow up. It's such a tough age and time in life. He has consumed most of my thoughts and energy lately. Which is a little hard considering I do have 6 other children!! Anyway, the others seem to be clicking along pretty well.

Brian is talking still of joining the service. If he does, he'll be leaving a couple of weeks before Christmas!! Again, hard for a mother's heart to think of!! More prayer!!!!!!!

I guess I am still adjusting to the children all going to school. I thought I would have all this time and get so much done. I feel like I am farther behind than when school started!!

Our washer died this past week. Our washer is a needed servant around here, it is used all day - every day; so the lifetime expectancy of a washer in this house isn't too long!!

Artie is so good at fixing things that we were hoping that he could fix this too (he has fixed it several times in the past). We ordered the part needed - a floater something - and waited over a week for it to arrive. So, everyday I've been lugging dirty clothes to the laundromat to wash. Now, for an average size family, this isn't quiet as big a deal as it is here!! We go through lots of clothes - one day has - 8 jeans, 8 shirts, 8 undies, 3 bras, 16 socks, 4 towels (we usually share when it works out), and then trying to wash one set of sheets a day to get through everyone's. Add in gym clothes, coats, wash clothes, dish clothes, dish towels, blankets, stuffed animals who need a bath, the list just seems to go on and on!!!! :-)

Okay, it's not quiet this bad, but.....

The part came in. So much for the washer's life - the part didn't fix it. Water is still pouring over the top of the washer. Now, I have to wait until Artie can go and get me a new one. It's not like a washer is something I can just run out and pick up during my grocery trip to Wal-Mart!! He's got to remove the old one and then find and bring home a new one. Hopefully, by this weekend, we'll be up and running again. Until then, I'm spending my days at the laundromat (trying to keep my clothes on my body!!). It is taking the place of my exercising right now. I don't have the time or the energy to do both!!

The one good thing of spending time at the laundromat, I was able to finish up my new Beverly Lewis book - The Forbidden. Ohhh, it's good. It's the second in the series of The Courtship of Nellie Fisher. The third one comes out this October I believe. I can't wait. I have now officially read off of Beverly's adult books and looking forward to the new one's arrival. Brenda is reading her series for teenagers - Summerhill Secrets and loving her as much as I do. I might just have to actually buy the new one at full price. Most I got at the library, off e-bay or through Paperback Swap. I never pay full price!!! :-)

So, I do plan of blogging more, it life allows!!! :-) See you all soon!!