Day 35

:::: starting the morning with my favorite way to have toast



:::: poor maintenance guy had to return to my house this morning, because I have mold and wet walls behind my refrigerator



:::: and this is what he found, so disgusting. Let me explain to you that I pull my fridge out at least once a month and sweep and vacuum and mop everything, and just did it a few weeks ago and everything was fine....but look how fast water damages things



:::: lunch time with some math thrown in just to keep the brain active so that by the time we start homeschool again next month they haven't forgotten everything



:::: she got to it a lot faster than the boy, he dislikes school immensely



:::: mommy's lunch, leftover vegetable soup and it really hit the spot



:::: bedroom carpets were washed



:::: getting in the spirit for 4th of July



:::: finishing the day with some yummy pizza for dinner, black olives, sausage, onion, fire roasted tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella and feta

Day 34

Oh.my.gosh.  What a day I had.

So my air conditioner decided to stop working all together this morning and I honestly felt like I was going to die.

Folks, Arizona is NOT the place to be without air conditioner, the temperature today was 108 degrees outside but it felt like a furnace inside the house.  I was miserable, the kids were miserable, the poor pugs were miserable.

I called housing maintenance and the guy came out right away to fix it, but ended up staying here for 4 hours trying to get it fixed.  At some point, I actually starting feeling sick to my stomach, I honestly wanted to cry. 

Thankfully, it's now working and it feels nice and cool in the house.  Thank the Lord.


:::: morning started with a sky full of clouds



:::: about the time we started feeling the air conditioner on it's last leg, we were all feeling pretty hot



:::: another miserable pug



:::: made a few more fabric postcards. You just need some empty cereal or cracker boxes, cut them into a postcard size (I use another postcard for the size), then on the front using mod podge, just slap on some fabric pieces, strips etc. Write the postcard out, slap on a stamp and you're good to go :)



:::: here's another. It's a good way to use up scraps



:::: making another batch of lavender vinegar for cleaning



:::: I love cleaning with homemade infused vinegar



:::: dishes drying



:::: my favorite kitchen appliance whipping up a homemade white vanilla cake mix



:::: a little 4th of July inspired treat for the kids



:::: kitchen window sill, my bunny :)



:::: I have two of these that I picked up back in Idaho



:::: while the air conditioner was out, I tried really hard not to cook anything but by 6:30pm my kids were really hungry and I had to get dinner done, so pushed through the heat



:::: I'm beat. The heat today almost killed me, but I can say that I now have a new found appreciation for air conditioning.

Happy Homemaker Monday #25

It's nice and cloudy here today and we're supposed to get rain this week, I can't tell you how excited for that I am, even though I know that everytime they say we are getting rain, nothing happens LOL

This morning I'm going to get this post up and then I'm actually going to go catch up with you all, I miss reading everyone's blogs and seeing what you're all up to. 

If you want to save and use the new button, just click here.

The Weather:::

90 degrees and cloudy.  Again this week we a forecast of rain but until I see a drop actually fall, I won't hold much to that LOL 

On my reading pile:::

A few books I picked up yesterday.....

On my tv:::

I have two episodes of Starlings to catch up on
The first episode of The Hollow Crown...Richard II, you can watch online here. 
My Portuguese soap opera
Eureka tonight

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Galinha a Braz (Portuguese dish using this recipe, which I have to update the pics on)
Tuesday -  Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli
Wednesday - 4th of July Toast for Breakfast.......Cheeseburgers, Potato Salad for lunch
Thursday - Tuna Salad
Friday -  Cinnamon Roll Snails
Saturday - Chicken Sandwiches
Sunday  - Breakfast for dinner (sausage, eggs, toast)

On my to do list:::

Put away laundry
Visit blogs
Clean bathrooms

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Still have to finish the two potholders
Making fabric postcards to send out

Homemaking Tips:::

Fourth of July is a few days away and there will be lots of cooking and barbecuing, and that means there's always leftovers too.  So what to do with all that extra food???
Make kebabs with small pieces of leftover meats and vegetables: Leftover grilled steak, chicken and veggies may be too little for a stand-alone meal, but put them onto skewers for a fun lunch or dinner the following day. This keeps you from tossing the leftovers and avoids unnecessary clutter in the fridge from extra baggies and containers.

Looking around the house:::

I'm sitting on the couch surrounded by my kiddos.  They're watching Gravity Falls, the new show on Disney.  I have a pug laying right next to me snoring, and there is another one laying next to Nicholas snoring away as well.
My living room is clean, I am just going to spray it down with some febreeze here shortly, it's something I do every few days :)  I have the dishwasher unloaded, just need to load the breakfast dishes in and run it.  Have a load of laundry that needs to be ironed and two baskets to be put away. 

From the camera:::

Veggies make me smile, I think it's the colors and textures, so anytime I make a pot of soup, I always find myself fascinated with all the yumminess in the pot.

On my prayer list:::

My husband, he is almost done with the Academy, he's been working really hard and would be amazing if he made Honor Grad :)
Military wife friends who also have their husbands gone at the moment. 

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray for all who are suffering from trials in their life. We all have them and I have found through trials of my own that the only source of help is in You and Your word. I pray that those who are looking for an answer will find it in You instead of trying to handle it themselves.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen

Day 33

Well, I woke up this morning and felt like everything was going wrong, and I mean just everything was coming at me.

If you are a military wife, I don't to see anything else, you all know that moment during a deployment/TDY where things break, go wrong, etc etc.

So aside from the daily battle with the ants, and then the lizard, last night I saw the biggest dinosaur sized cockroach trying to climb out from behind my toilet.  I about died.  You have got to be kidding me.

She was actually trying to come out of the wall from the hole where the faucet is behind the toilet, the metal ring was loose and there she was.....so gross, so so so so so nasty, I sprayed her with lysol which is what I had on hand LOL  and she ran back in and I quickly pushed the metal ring back on and hammered it into place.  *shiver*

Then this morning, wake up to ants again, an air conditioner that has frozen and it's 112 degrees outside, and a toilet that is making the weirdest humming sound.  Lord help me.

I do feel like it's all coming at once but I can make it through, I always do.....anyway, here's what's been going on today.


::::  after fighting with the ants again and trying literally ever single advice and tip and trick I've been given by friends and readers, I decided to get out of the house with the kids and go get something else to try



:::: flatware caddy that I got at the BX for really cheap.



:::: made a stop at the second hand book store in the BX little mall and picked up a few books and the Sense and Sensibility movie which was only $2



:::: sleepy pug



:::: she has not been enjoying the heat lately



:::: I love Bisquick so snatched this book up real quick and it's full of really yummy looking recipes to try



:::: Country crafts book, I've already browsed through it and there are quite a few things I want to make, like these carrots for my kitchen



:::: starting dinner



:::: enjoying a glass of Guava juice



:::: fresh Portuguese rolls



:::: dinner time. I don't care what time of the year it is, we always enjoy a bowl of delicious soup



:::: vegetable soup, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, onions...yum



:::: and always with a Portuguese roll filled with ham and cheese, this meal reminds me of my childhood



:::: lots of leftover soup for a quick mid week lunches

Sunday thoughts - Blessed Sidekicks

We need each other.

That's the focus of my post today and the focus of my devotional reading this morning.

Scripture says that two are better than one.

But how easy is it really to accept that?  To accept help when we need it?  To admit that you can't do it alone, or that you need a helping hand?

Maybe it's easy for many out there, but I guess for me it's not.  I've never been one to ask for help in anything, I just don't like it.  Don't like feeling like I'm being a burden or that I'm being weak because I can't do it alone.

But I think what the devotional made me do today was realize that people need each other, no matter how much we may insist that we don't.   For me, the biggest hurdle is accepting people unconditionally.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ - Galatians 6:2

Ahhhh yes.

I think it may be why I have very few friends, I've learned along the years that I'm not into backstabbing, lying, pretending, falsehoods.  I am who I am, and some people have a problem with that, they would rather I call them every day, they would rather I visit them or they visit me in my home every day, they would rather I say little and follow along.

All things which go completely against my beliefs.

But in being hard to trust someone, I do realize that sometimes it crosses the line into the not wanting anyone to help me with anything.  Which is fine I guess, for the most part.

Except for when things really go wrong and then I feel stuck, needing help but not wanting to ask for it.

I think it's that nagging thought in the back of my mind that somehow it will label me as a weakling, as a failure, as a person who can't do anything.  So trying to come to terms with that thought  process and realizing that it's ok to reach out without feeling worthless,  is not an easy thing, but again, it's something doable.

I do have some blessed sidekicks.  I have wonderful family members who are always there....and I have women that I have met through blogging but which have become very good friends even though we've never met.

So yes, I think I'm blessed and I think I have what I need, but most importantly, I think it's finally sunk in that next time I am in a bind, I can reach out and ask for a shoulder to cry on, or a helping hand.

Love one another deeply, from the heart - 1 Peter 1:22

What about you, do you have a blessed sidekick always there when you need it?

Do you have a problem asking for help?