August: a month in review

 

I’ll just do a quick list with the good and not so good things that happened this month. It’s all been a giant jumble of one thing after another. I’m frankly surprised I’m still alive. (Dramatic much? Why yes, thank you.)

 

Good Stuff:

• I made the most amazing brownies. They were topped with a cookie dough type frosting. I blogged about it here and there.
• We watched a bunch of good movies. Old Dogs, Dear John, Shutter Island, and I’m sure there was one more, but I can’t remember because my brain melted in the triple digit temps we had this month.
• I was able to get on a pair of bright turquoise leggings I bought back in March as my 20 lb. goal/reward. They looked pretty cute if I do say so myself.
• Gelato. We discovered this place called Paciugo here in town. My favorite is the Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel! OMG, so good. Not as good as the caramelo we had in Italy, but a close second.
• Cooked for Baseball Camp. It was fun but exhausting. I miss cooking in the kitchen at church, but don’t miss the aching that comes from it!
• IKEA! The boys killed their bunk-bed, so we went and did a crazy thing by not only buying the girls (boys got the old bunk-bed that they can’t break) new beds and redecorating their room for Lauren, but we spent all weekend painting it! All this because we didn’t want to take apart the old bunk-bed and move it! Boy are we LAZY!
• My Daddy came to visit us for a week! He bought us a new car battery! He bought the kids new school clothes and filled our fridge with food! He even took us bowling!! He put up with our shenanigans for 6 whole days. We enjoyed his visit. I’m not sure Penny was has happy to be here, but MJ sure was glad to see “his favorite dog”!
• While my Dad was here, I cooked two pretty yummy meals. I learned my Mom’s recipe for Lemon Pepper Chicken. It was so SO good. Then I made an awesome Lime marinated grilled steak. I was in love with the pineapple salsa. I may have considered leaving Jon for it. Then I changed my mind. Jon is a much better kisser.
• I’ll put it here on the “good stuff” list, but really, it was just “ok stuff”. School Clothes shopping. ‘Nuff said.

 

Not so Good Stuff:

• Car battery died. Over and over and over again.
• Bunk-bed broke.
• Paint fumes made me sick.
• Eating 5 lbs of veggies made me sick in another way. Note to self: go easy on the veggies, your gut can’t take it.
• Frustration with the boys. Back talk, defiance, and down right nastiness. I hope puberty doesn’t kill me.
• Heat index. The most stifling, oppressive heat we’ve had in…well I guess a year. Triple digit temps for like 21 days + ( I lost count after 19) in a row. Our windows don’t keep the heat out and our air conditioner could only handle so much, so most days it was at least 80 in the house. I was kind of cranky.
• My favorite KEEN sandals fell apart. (I guess I walked the heck out of them in Europe?) The sole started to come away and I returned them to REI for a refund. Turns out they don’t sell them anymore and the KEEN website has only one left in stock in my size and Zappos is also sold out in the size and color I wanted. I can still get another black pair, but they turn my feet black. Oh well. Live and learn.
• Jon had/has to travel this month for work. Tomorrow he leaves for 5 more days. He has been gone 7 days so far. I’m all alone with the kids and some days I cried. No details necessary.
• My wallet died from having to pay out money for school supplies. Good thing we like ramen noodles! Just kidding. We like hot dogs too.
• I’ve had a tension headache for like 4 days now. I know it’s from like tension. What I don’t get is the chills and cold sweat, the pressure, and nausea. Sleep makes it better, but I can only do so much of that. Also, food and caffeine make it better for a while, but then it comes back. Hmm. Mystery.

 

 

I tried to keep the good to not so good ratio even. I don’t want my blog to be a place I bore people to death with my complaining. Everyone has times where they want to pull their hair out. This month was one of those months, but a lot has to do with finances.

Without the help of my parents, I don’t know where we would be. Thanks Mom and Dad! You mean more to me than all the money in the world! I’m so grateful for their love and support. I am truly blessed.

I hope next month will be better! It has to be, because we are celebrating 3 THREE birthdays this month! My precious Brenna will be 14 in exactly one week (OMG!) and my best friend/Sister  will be 29 (+11) in 10 days and I get to go see her for 5 days! I’m going to hug her a lot while I’m there. And then my youngest son and cutest (shhh don’t tell the others) will be 8!! Wasn’t he just born?

I have lots of cakes to buy and tables to decorate so they celebrate their special day. I can’t wait!

 

Love and cupcakes,