Musings of a Professional Mom

Christmas, Christmas Time is Near

2009-12-17T09:31:00.003-05:00

We are in full swing Operation Christmas right now; we have a room that is filling with gifts, stockings are up, both trees are decorated, and we have made and eaten our weight in Christmas cookies! And no, I've not had time to upload any additional pictures, but they will come soon, I promise.

I don't have a lot of time to post right now, but will try to later this week.

Merry Christmas!

New Post!

2009-12-08T22:22:00.002-05:00

New update on our personal Biggest Loser Journey blog - check it out at:

http://jdrogers.blogspot.com/

Work Never Ends

2009-11-28T19:34:00.002-05:00

So we are supposed to be off of work from our job, but we come to Georgia to the farm once a month. Needless to say, there is always work to do here! This weekend's project is to get the underpinning on our house installed and as of Saturday night, we are about halfway done, but should finish it tomorrow. It took us a bit to get going, but once we did is came pretty quick. Emily loved it - she got to play outside and explore for a couple of hours; she ended up sitting in a "nest" she made of dirt and acorns with the farm cat. It's our prayer and hope that our home will be up and running (and at least some grass for landscaping!) by our fourth of July family reunion. It is a beautiful home on the inside, but the outside needs some work!

Anyway, just a short update for now. Thanksgiving has been nice, and life is busy around the holidays, but we are taking time for each other (or trying, at least!). My jaw is slowly healing after the wisdom-tooth removal, and we finally bought our plane tickets to go home to Colorado in January. I'm sooo looking forward to that; it's been two years this Christmas since we've been home. But I said this would be short, so I'll end it now.

:-)

It's Hard to Get A Clear Picture with An Active Toddler (i.e. she moves a LOT and is faster than the camera)

2009-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's Here!

2009-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

My very cool new phone has arrived (sorry to anyone who has tried to get in touch with me since Friday - my old phone finally died after 2+ years of wonderful service).

Behold, the Verizon LG enV3:

It's very cool with lots of fun gadgets, though I miss my old Razor.

However, I think Jonathan and Emily want to play with it more than I do! :-)

A Trip to the Waterfall

2009-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, Jonathan and I took our girls on a hike to Station Cove Falls near Walhalla, SC. It's a 60 foot stepped waterfall that can only be accessed via a hike through a gorgeous Appalachian cove forest. It was a beautiful day and we, and the kiddos loved it (though they were very tired on the way back!). We've discovered that there are about 20 waterfalls to hike to in our county, and hope to visit more soon. Next time, I just need to bring the hiking backpack for Emily!

Tattle, Tattle

2009-11-15T13:53:00.005-05:00

I have to laugh some days at Emily. She's a bit of a goody-two-shoes, if you ask me, but Jonathan says she gets that from her mommy. However, I see a rebellious streak in her which I'm sure I'm going to see more of in the future. For example, after the millionth time of Emily grabbing something she wasn't supposed to:

Emily: "Mine?"

Me: "Emily, if you touch that again, mommy is going to give you a swat".

Emily: "Nuh-uh" (of course in a sassy tone)

Me: "Oh really? You wanna bet?"

Needless to say, she didn't touch it again until I was in the shower and Daddy was watching her (and of course, he didn't know about the exchange she and I went through). But to her credit, she tattles on him, too. Yesterday I was resting in bed while they played in the living room when I heard her exclaim "Daddy!", and come tearing into my room, babbling all the way about what Daddy had done. He followed her with a laugh to explain that he "ate" her toy horse, and of course, she had to run to tell me about how bad her daddy was.

I love toddlers - their minds are so interesting! She's learned that she's cute, and when you tell her "no" to something, she'll come lay her head on your leg, look up at you with her big blue eyes, put on her biggest smile, and ask again. In which you have to tell her "no", again, which half of the time leads to more manipulation, or tears. Only rarely do I ever get a "yes ma'am" (the baby sign for yes is what she is instructed to say) and she goes on her way.

A Pain in the Teeth

2009-11-05T21:41:00.002-05:00

Or tooth, in my case.

Which is making for pain in my whole mouth. And sinuses. And ear.

Word to the wise: if a dentist ever tells you that a tooth is ever going to need to eventually be removed, go ahead and get it done. I knew a year ago that I had one wisdom tooth that didn't come in quite right that was going to need extracted. But at that time, I was pregnant, so I put it off. Then I was nursing, so I put it off again. Then I was working full time. I always had an excuse.

I don't anymore.

It's been bugging me for a couple of months - no severe pain, but cold drinks and chewed anything sweet on that side sent me up the wall. But at 2:47 this morning, apparently my tooth decided that it would not take my procrastination any longer. I have a decent pain threshold, but good grief! So I finally went to dentist this morning - I honestly didn't think it was that tooth - I thought I had a cavity in a different molar. But no, it's that stupid wisdom I was warned about a year and a half ago. But now, it's fractured in two place and is abscessed and very infected (when he gives you an Rx for an antibiotic that you are to take 4x a day for 12 days with 2 refills, it's bad). The dentist didn't how I'd been walking around with it for so long. However, they can't remove it until the infection is gone - they do extractions on Mondays, and don't know if I will be ready for it be then, so it may be the Monday after before it comes out.

*sigh*

That's a long time to walk around with a bad tooth. But I guess another week won't kill the time I already have been, especially now that I have good painkillers that I can take at night. :-)

Sweet dreams, everyone!

Pray Request

2009-10-29T17:06:00.007-04:00

We have a huge test tomorrow for certification purposes, and though I'm starting to feel comfortable with the material, Jonathan is really struggling, as it's been a challenge for him in these all-day training sessions with his back as injured as it is and that he's starting to get the crud that I'm fighting.

Please pray we do well, especially in the verbal segment and the written assessment (not worried about the matching or True/False, but the part where you have to list verbatim the answer to the questions), and that we would have the strength to get the studying done that we need to tonight while we still feel so under-the-weather.

In the meantime, here's our little monkey:

She's grown up a bunch since her first Halloween last year:

How the time flies!

Outside Girl

2009-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Her new favorite toy:

Ickiness

2009-10-27T21:49:00.003-04:00

I'm so glad it's our week where we only work Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

I'm sick.

Emily's sick.

Jonathan's back is out.

But I'm sipping Theraflu, Emmy is slathered in Vick's Vapor Rub, and Jonathan is icing his back. Yet I'm trying to look on the bright side; neither Emily or I have run a fever, but are just congested with sore throats and a cough. Jonathan's back x-ray came back clear, and he has just badly sprained and bruised muscles.

Jonathan's back is slowly improving, though he goes back into the chiropractor tomorrow. And I get an adjustment, too, this time! Maybe my tailbone can finally start improving - I thought it would improve after I had Emily, but it's only gotten worse. And my lower back/hip/feet pain has started back up since we've been back in a children's home, and my only thought for that is that I'm on my feet so much more during the day than when I was managing in insurance!

Anywho, daily notes are done, Biggest Loser is over, we're praying the roof won't leak with all this flooding, and I'm going to bed.

Adios!

Recipe Monday

2009-10-12T20:08:00.008-04:00

Santa Fe Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough (make your own or buy it)
1 lb ground sausage
1 red bell pepper, chopped
16 oz mild chunky salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
12 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz each of sour cream & ranch dressing, mixed

Directions for Fast, Yummy Pizza Dough (compliments of my sister):

Combine 2 cups warm water with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 packets of yeast - let sit for 10 minutes. Add to six cups flour, mix, and knead. Let rise for 20 minutes. For this pizza recipe, I like to add a packet of ranch dressing mix; for regular pizza, I add Italian spices.

Directions for Santa Fe Pizza:

1. Spread pizza crust onto two sprayed pizza pans.

2. Cook and drain sausage. Add peppers and saute for 3 minutes.

3. Combine the salsa, chili powder, and cumin in separate bowl.

4. Divide equally on both crusts: salsa mixture, sausage and peppers, beans, then cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and browned (if using a pre-bought crust, follow its baking directions).

5. Top (or dip) with the cool ranch dip and enjoy!

*************

This was a hit with my husband and all nine kids. I was a little nervous that it might be too spicy, but the cumin in the salsa, as well as the dip, cools it down nicely. We had fresh cantaloupe and a salad to make it into a great meal. It got two thumbs up in my house!

She's Getting Bigger Every Day

2009-10-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

When did she get old enough to be in her own class at Awanas? *sigh* My sweet little Puggle...

New Family Additions!

2009-10-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

So I’ve been a bit behind on updating on the two newest and most handsome gentlemen to the family. May I introduce you first to Issac Matthew, son of Nathan & Valerie,

and Ian Jon, son of Jason & Melissa,

both born within one week of each other the last week of September, and both weighting over nine pounds.

Congratulations!

A New Season Approaches

2009-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love spending our time back in the upstate of South Carolina again. We see the mountains on the horizon every day, a cool breeze on our faces when we walk outside, the smell of pine needles, and a definite change in seasons, one of the things I miss most about Colorado.

Fall is almost here.

It's the crisp air in the morning.

It's Jonathan putting up the fall decorations in the house.

Or the pumpkin patch at school.

But more than a new season of our climate coming, I sense a new season in my life.

God is working. Churning. Stirring a pot I have frustratedly thought dead or at least very dormant in my life. A time of change, and truly, a time of growth. I can't go into detail today, but will update you as my heart is ready for it. Fall is a time for cutting back and pruning in our yard, and in my life as well.

How is this new season bringing on change in your life?

It's Coming

2009-10-03T13:14:00.000-04:00

Posting on a regular basis will commence shortly.

:-)

I'll try, at least.

In the meantime, a picture of my sponsor:

Where Have I Been?

2009-09-08T09:53:00.000-04:00

So I always start my posts saying "I'm sorry for not posting on a regular basis"... where here it is again! But maybe the correct way to start is by saying what we've been doing for the last month!

My last post was just prior to going down to my corporate office in Tampa, FL. That was an eye-opening trip for me, as the company was interviewing branch managers for future potential general managers. And to be honest, it was exciting and there is a lot of potential there. However, it really got me thinking and evaluating what I really wanted in life, and what my family needs. Jonathan and I had only agreed that me working fulltime out of the home was only to be short-term, especially while he was staying at home with Emily, and if you know me, I am very against the daycare route. And truthfully, though I expected it to get easier to go to work every morning as Emily got older, it got more and more difficult every day. At the beginning of the summer, we had started praying that God would show us which way to go - Jonathan and I were both struggling, individually and in our marriage, and we knew that we needed to a change. He was not happy staying home with Emily, and I was not happy working fulltime. This started a job search for him, but found little response in the Augusta area. So we continued to trust God to get us through this time.

Right after I got back from Tampa, we got two surprise e-mails, both from children's homes we had contacted in the past that had pulled our resumes back out of their stacks, as we have the qualifications and experience they needed for their new houseparent openings. We talked with both of them, and did a face-to-face interview with one of them, and then started doing a little bit of research on our own. Very soon, we found that the very first children's home we had ever interviewed at was looking for houseparents for the same house we'd been interested in two and a half years ago. Though we'd been offered the position, we didn't take it - at that time, it was for highschool girls, and I was not ready that. We both agreed that we needed more training and experience.

So we e-mailed this home, Collins Children's Home & Family Ministries, in Seneca, SC (about 30 minutes from where we were in Anderson, SC, at Calvary Home for Children), and they called us back the very same day. The house was not for highschool girls anymore, but for girls age 2 - 12. Two weeks ago, we interviewed with them, and a week ago, they offered us the position. We talked about it, prayed about it, and sought advice from friends and family. We had already decided to take a couple of weeks in the Columbia/Lexington area of SC for Jonathan to job search short-term - there seemed to be more options in this area than were we were. But as we looked at the future, going to Collins as houseparents lined up almost perfectly with our individual and combined goals for ourselves, our marriage, and our family. It was also ironic to look at what Jonathan had said about Collins two and a half years ago (as we found in as we dug through our e-mails): "We do feel this will be a ministry [i.e. ministry in children's homes] for both Debbie and I to be in for sometime. Whether it be for many years at the home we are currently at, or another one, or it be with Collins Children's Home in years to come. We will keep you and Collins Children's Home in the back of our minds when time comes again for the Lord to move us."

So we accepted, and we go up to Seneca tomorrow.

We will keep our home in Waynesboro, as well - we get a decent amount of time off and one of our biggest frustrations in the past was that we had nothing to call our own, and no place to go on our time off. It's also nice to have some security elsewhere as well when your job provides your home. So that is our latest update and we will keep your posted on this new change, but hopefully last big change in awhile, in our life!

--Debbie

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

2009-08-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

Crazy day - I found out yesterday that I'm wanted at our corporate office in Clearwater, FL. Within an hour, tickets were booked, and I fly out tomorrow at noon. Will be back Monday at midnight.

Oy vey!

Busy day for us! Apparently Emily is going to do all the cooking for me today.

Now No One Can Confuse Me For A Boy

2009-07-26T19:22:00.000-04:00

A Hard Day

2009-07-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

Shot day again today for Emily.

I hate this part of parenthood.

:-(

It's time to curb my work hours

2009-07-15T21:50:00.001-04:00

It must be time to check my hours at work when I come home and ask my daughter what she wants for supper.

"Out!" she squealed, jumping up and down in my arms.

:-S

I need to take over my kitchen again, apparently.

PS Btw, I have cooked the last two nights in row... :-p

How The Summer Flies!

2009-06-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe we are in the last week of June! Where has the time flown by? Emily had her first birthday:

This is what she looked like a year ago today - we used this picture for her birth announcements:

She was such a cute newborn... but she is embracing her new found freedom as a toddler (though no, she isn't walking yet)! She has decided to make every diaper change and clothes change an act of war. I hate it - I used to love bath time and post-bath time with her; it's my time to unwind with her after I've been at work all day, but I am started to dread it now. I'm hoping she'll eventually grown out of it...

Anywho, we've still waiting on the move. We found out yesterday it will be another two weeks before they can get the power on (we need the inspector to come out and do it, but alas, he's out of town for two weeks... blasted small towns... there is no one else to do it). Once we have power, we expect to spend a week getting it ready cosmetically (it's much easier to paint when nothing is in it!), and then move. So, we're probably looking at the end of July/beginning of August now... sigh... I can't wait until we have our own space again. And our stuff! It's been sitting in storage for over two years now, as we have been living in furnished houses - it will be like Christmas again!

Well, I need to go get the sun room cleaned - adios!

--Debbie

Whatz Up!?!

2009-05-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Recipe Monday

2009-05-18T22:09:00.000-04:00

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes*

Ingredients


	8 average graham cracker(s), mashed into crumbs
	2 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
	4 oz fat-free cream cheese
	4 oz light cream cheese
	2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
	2 large egg white(s)
	1 tsp vanilla extract
	1/3 cup(s) sugar
	20 oz light fruit pie filling, cherry, warmed

Instructions

Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs and margarine; mix well.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture into bottom of each liner and press down gently. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Beat cream cheeses until fluffy and add lemon juice, egg whites, vanilla extract and sugar; beat until smooth.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into crumb cups. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes (cheesecake will still be wobbly, and will set as it cools). Cool.

Top each cheese cake with 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling.

*Recipe compliments of weightwatchers.com

Mother's Day Recap

2009-05-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's Wednesday, and my first Mother's Day was three days ago, though Jonathan celebrated it over the course of all last week.

First, I got flowers on Thursday:

Then a dinner date Friday night (always a pleasure not to have to cook!).

On Sunday I was allowed to sleep in until 10:30 AM (which is unheard of in our house!), and then went to a cookout at a colleague's house. It was fun, and Emily got in her swimsuit for the first time this summer, and "played" (i.e. crawled around on her towel on the concrete far away from the wet grass) with another little boy in the sprinklers. In fact, she got her first kiss - two of them, to be accurate. We're going to have our hands full with this one! But of course, we didn't have the camera. *sigh* Next time, we will be armed, so be prepared! :-)

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Mother Day! In fact, if you have a memorable story, post it below!

Musings of a Professional Mom

Christmas, Christmas Time is Near

New Post!

Work Never Ends

It's Hard to Get A Clear Picture with An Active Toddler (i.e. she moves a LOT and is faster than the camera)

It's Here!

A Trip to the Waterfall

Tattle, Tattle

A Pain in the Teeth

Pray Request

Outside Girl

Ickiness

Recipe Monday

She's Getting Bigger Every Day

New Family Additions!

A New Season Approaches

*It's Coming*

Where Have I Been?

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Now No One Can Confuse Me For A Boy

A Hard Day

It's time to curb my work hours

How The Summer Flies!

Whatz Up!?!

Recipe Monday

Mother's Day Recap

It's Coming