FOTR

What is FOTR?  Find out more here -- http://www.familiesontheroad.com/

We are in the beginning stages of figuring out what we need to do for this to become a reality (and I love the idea of downsizing to a simpler life).  There is so much of this country that we haven't seen and this is the only way it will happen.  Not to mention we have friends/family who live all over and we'd get a chance to see them.  And, we homeschool, so it would be a great learning experience for the kids.  They weren't too sure of the idea when I first started talking about it (I grew up in a family that camped and I loved it!) and then we went looking at RVs.  That was an eye opener for them and now they are excited, too.  Even if we don't go on the road, we've decided we want an RV so the kids and I could at least visit different campgrounds while Kirk is working jobs that cause him to drive too many miles everyday (the joys of living in a rural area).  So, either way, it looks like an RV is in our future, provided we can save enough.

I have become friends on-line with another homeschool mom who's family lives this way, and we may be able to meet up with them this summer (Yeah!).  It will have to be in a tent but that's what we are used to anyway ;).  She keeps a blog of their travels if you want to check it out.

Off to daydream some more...

What I've been up to

Wow, I haven't posted in a while.  Life has been so busy lately and I've only really had time online to read messages.  No time to reply much either.

Some highlights since my last post:

• dance class
• AWANA
• walking everywhere (my attempt to not gain weight this holiday season and save gas money)
• coffee with a friend
• parties
  
• our church's live nativity went really well and we had a larger cast this year, and therefore more costumes to be made, plus more sets along the drive-thru
• Christmas projects with family and friends (decorating, cards, gifts, baking, etc.)
• practice so we have singers for our Christmas eve service
• caroling with our homeschool co-op
• everyday things (library trips, grocery trips, trips to piano lessons, laundry, dishes, cooking, etc.)
• educational pursuits (helping the kids with these)
• planning for a New Year's Eve get together at church
  
• sadness over situations within my family (please pray)

And now, I really should go to bed because I have more to do tomorrow...

Pepperoni Pizzaz

Here's what we had for dinner last night.  I'd never made it before, but some similar, and we have decided that this ones the best!  I also got to use my Home and Garden Party cranberry bean pot for the first time (I only got it a year ago, lol).

The recipe came from a Quick Cooking cookbook, though its not really that quick (unless you have a food processor, which I do) but is worth the time spent.

Pepperoni Pizzaz

8 ounces medium tube pasta, cooked and drained (do this while mixing other ingredients so pasta stays warm)

1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce, divided

1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 package (8 ounces) sliced pepperoni

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp crushed rep pepper flakes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine 2-1/3 cups spaghetti sauce, along with next 9 ingredients, in a bowl.  Add pasta to sauce mixture and mix well.  Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish.  Combine the tomato sauce and remaining spaghetti sauce; pour over top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Yield:  9-12 servings.

As usual, I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  Pizza is usually topped with what each family likes best so I only did what we liked and had on hand ;-)  I left out the mushrooms, halved the pepperoni amount (and cut the pepperoni into small pieces), and upped the onion and pepper amounts. I also didn't have the red pepper flakes so used hot sauce instead.

If you make it, let me know what you think.

20 Years of Marriage

Kirk and I kept things pretty low key for celebrating our anniversary, we like it that way :-)

We walked to a local restaurant for dinner and just enjoyed some time together. I asked him if it felt like 20 years and he said, yes. I agree, lol. We've gone through a lot of growing pains together and our relationship just gets stronger. Marriage for us is a covenant, not a contract. Our vows did say for better or for worse didn't they? So difficult times are no reason for giving up!

There have been many many good times also. Here's to another 20 years or more!

"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I thought I lost these

But I found them! Yeah!!!


I miss you dad!

15

Kyle turned 15 yesterday. His requests for the day were a brownie ice cream cake and eating dinner out. Oh, and of course, family to share it with :)

Pymatuning

On Saturday, we decided to go to Pymatuning Reservoir.

We stopped at the car wash on the way and the kids and I took some goofy pictures.
We had originally planned to go to the deer park (actually a small zoo) but the place was crowded beyond belief (we'll go back on a weekday). We were hungry anyway so headed into Jamestown for some lunch. Then we drove over to the dam to explore.
Next we drove to the other end of the reservoir to feed the carp. Noelle has a joke she tells about how to cook a carp: Take a pine board and nail the carp to the board, cook in a 350 degree oven for 4-5 hours, take out of oven and throw out the carp, eat the pine board ;o)
Here's a couple videos of the hungry buggers:

We stopped at Family Ties on the way home and ate dessert instead of dinner. I mean come on, who has room for dessert after eating a meal? ;o)

To top off the day, we went for a walk to see how progress was coming on the community swimming pool. The plaster crew came all the way from Texas and they were swarming all over the place trying to get things finished for the opening in a few days.

All in all, a very busy day!

What is it

with my weekends being so busy lately?

Last Saturday (5-30) we traveled to Erie. We needed to buy Kyle a paint ball helmet for an upcoming air-soft battle with 9 other teens. We decided, since we were going anyway, to make a day of it. In addition to searching for the helmet, we also ate lunch at Ponderosa, watched Race to Witch Mountain at the discount theater, shopped for a baby shower gift, and wandered around the mall. Sunday morning was church and then the baby shower. Poor Noelle got stuck, along with two other girls, watching the little ones. She didn't find it fair (but handled it very maturely), she wanted to see what gifts the baby got, especially the look on Cheyenne's face when she opened the gift from us (an absolutely adorable little blue bathrobe that Kirk picked out).

Last night (Friday) was the air soft battle and Ky had a good time but came home exhausted. Kirk picked him up so that this morning Noelle and I could go to the community yard sales in Pleasantville (I haven't missed this in 4-5 years). We got up early to pick up Cindy and help her get her sale set up (Barb let her set up in her front yard), then off we went. Lets just say it involves a lot of walking because Pville may be small but it is spread out. We found many bargains and a lot of good food to eat. Tomorrow we have church and an evening fellowship time around a fire. It was going to be a dinner but changed, now I need to return at least one of the bags of fresh spinach I bought for the salad I was going to make. See what I get for being prepared ;)

50

Kirk turned 50 on May 29th. Noelle and I bought him a chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream at his request. He stayed home from work to be with us. Noelle did the candles and we sang to him.
Kyle video taped us singing but I'll spare you the bad singing, lol.

Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday the 23rd

I decided I needed to reclaim my front porch after doing the deck the day before. I hauled everything off, swept up all the leaves so Noelle could dump them over the creek bank, then put everything back in place and made room for our bicycles so they were ready for use.

Kirk cleaned out the fire ring so we could have a fire later in the evening. Then he and Kyle raked, mowed, weed whacked, and cleaned up the chairs for on the front porch. While the guys were doing that, Noelle and I took a planter back to the dollar store to get a smaller one for the deck table.

Dinner was eaten on the deck and it felt so good to have our *outside* room all set up. After clean up, Kirk made a fire and we enjoyed cherry mountain pies with a dollop of vanilla frosting. Mmmm...

Sunday the 24th

We decided to stay home from church and really spend time with just the family. Kirk ran to the store so I could make us all a big breakfast. Waffles, sausage, and eggs eaten on the deck. Beautiful morning!

Tom and Jeannette (Kirk's parents) took us out to lunch for an early 50th birthday present for Kirk. Then we headed over to the cemetery to place flowers on graves and walk around. We saw Great Aunt Jane there and talked with her a while. The kids and I also noticed that the cemetery was loaded with wild strawberry blossoms and began being careful where we stepped ;)

On the way home we stopped at my mom's house for a visit. My mom showed me the bluebird babies in the nest box and then bluebird parents began dive bombing us. I grabbed my camera and attempted to get a picture of one of them in the willow tree.

We were told to come back at 7 pm for a fire/cookout. It was a really nice evening!


Noelle, Larissa, and another little girl ran all over looking for critters and just having a blast together.

As everyone was getting ready to head home,
my mom decided we should all come back together and do it all over again Monday evening.

Monday the 25th

I needed to do some paperwork for the kids' homeschool evaluations on Thursday so Kyle and I stayed home while Kirk and Noelle went for a drive to look at trucks. The two of them also ate a late breakfast at a restaurant. Ky and I are home bodies for the most part so this was fine with us.

The fire/cookout was earlier than the night before. The great thing about the whole weekend was the beautiful weather! It usually rains (it did a little at the cemetery on Sunday but that was it) most of the weekend.