Friday Favorites...Powerhouse snack!

I found my new favorite snack.

"Chocolate Nut Antioxidant." Made by Anna's House.

It's a blend of cranberries, almonds, dark chocolate and raisins. I found it at WalMart and thought I would give it a try. It is so good! The little chunks of chocolate are so cute. The mixture is unlike any other trail mix I have had in the past. It's a 140 calories per serving. Here are some of the reasons you should try it....

Cranberries: anti-aging properties, protects gums, prevents ulcers, anti-bacterial action, anti inflammatory, helps prevent kidney stones, lowers cholesterol

Dark Chocolate: lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, balances hormones, contains serotonin and helps your mood, anti-aging properties,

Almonds: Lowers cholesterol, helps in weight loss, prevents gall stones, fights against diabetes, lowers risk of disease, PACKED with magnesium, calcium and vitamin E.

Raisins: clean the blood, help your eyesight, prevent tooth decay, promotes healthy gums, protects bones

Doesn't that make you want to run right down to your local WalMart and try a bag? Your heart, teeth, blood, bones, mood, stomach, waist, and mind will THANK YOU.

Science hates me...

I have been home schooling for years. The thorn in my side has always been Science. It's not my cup of tea. Science is exact. It is precise. It is detailed. I am go with the flow, abstract, and.....not detailed. I think I can safely say that not ONE of my experiments have turned out. The kids patiently go along with me, knowing I will end up stomping my foot...and then telling them how and why it SHOULD have worked.

Today, we were studying Air. We read about how air is always pushing against things. We are so used to it pushing, that we don't even notice it. Next came the experiment. I looked over the instructions quickly. Okay....this was so simple. This had to work. There was no reason it wouldn't.

All we needed was water, a bowl, a plastic cup, and cardboard. We found everything easily except the cardboard. Chase located a box in the laundry room, so we cut of the flap with a knife since we couldn't locate scissors. (Don't even think it...) Autumn offered to do it, but I turned her down, explaining that could end up being a whole different kind of science experiment.

We filled the cup to the brim with water. All we had to do was cover the cup with the cardboard, flip it, and hold it over the bowl. The air would push against the cardboard holding the water inside the cup. I stood there ready to flip the cup upside down. Autumn and Chase were looking at me with stars in their eyes....waiting. I decided I needed to give them a disclaimer.

I said....

"Before we begin this, you must know that NEVER, EVER have I ever successfully completed a science experiment. I realize this one is so simple that for it to fail would be a joke. Still, I do not want you to be disappointed when all of this water comes flying out of this cup, because I am sure the air will refuse to push today, just to spite me".......

They were laughing by the end of my speech. I turned back to the cup and slowly let go of the cardboard. Water came gushing out, missed the bowl and covered us and the floor with water. They stood there, mouths agape...."I told you...science hates me" They fell on the floor laughing. I started to put it all away. This is silly. This should work, I thought. "We are trying this until it WORKS!" I yelled.

They ran upstairs and put on their swimming suits. We then attempted it five more times until that water finally stayed in that cup. Yes, we were soaked. They were having so much fun with it that they decided to take the cups and the cardboard into the tub. They spent 45 minutes in there practicing it over and over. They ended up having a water fight and crying, but still......they now understand that AIR PUSHES. And I have ended my streak of failed experiments.
Yes!

Stupid Deer

Tayler recently got into a car wreck after trying to miss hitting a deer. She hit a telephone pole instead and totalled her car. She was fine, thank the Lord. She didn't get a scratch on her. When the fireman arrived he found her out of her car walking around hot wires. She was coming home from Kyle's house so the Beede's came to her rescue and picked her up and took her home until I could get there. It's a call you never want to receive as a Mother....I have looked at her everyday since then and have breathed a prayer of thanks.

We went to Urgent Care the next night because her back and neck were really sore. Kyle was so sweet to come and wait with us while she got checked out. Of course, it took a while...yawn...and we were getting bored. Kyle resorted to blowing up rubber gloves and Tayler was on her phone. Chase was cracking up at Kyle when the Doctor came in and he tried unsuccessfully to hide it behind his legs. He told the Doctor, "I was just trying to cheer everyone up".

I sat there so amused by Tayler laying there on the bed texting, and Kyle fighting off boredom. I had to take a picture so I could remember it.
And I would like to say one more time how THANKFUL I am she wasn't hurt....stupid deer.

Tangled Yarn

I feel home sick. I don't know what for, exactly. I just feel like I am missing something. I have this deep longing and I can't get it to go away. Maybe when everything of this world leaves us feeling dissatisfied, that means we aren't really meant for this world. Is that the God-Shaped Hole I hear so much about? Nothing on this earth is enough to fill it. A wise lady reminded me of that recently. We have needs so deep and so great that only God is Big Enough for that job....

I got into bed three times tonight and just could not fall asleep. I felt restless...........And one thing kept coming to my mind. It was about something a friend told me recently. I am really thankful that friend, Greg, is doing so well. He had a very serious surgery recently. I was at their house a couple of weeks before he went it for it. He looked calm. He looked unshaken. I was amazed. I have this (huge) tendency to freak out over things like that, and I had a hard time even being there because I was so nervous FOR him. He stood in the kitchen doing dishes. He said something that struck me. It went something like this. He said he came to the point where he went to God, and just opened his hands to Him. In his hands was a ball of yarn all tangled beyond repair. He said to God, "Here.... can you fix this please? Because I really have made a mess of it and I can't quite figure out how to straighten it out..."
I have thought of that a lot. We can't fix much. Others can't fix it for us. How can "broken man" fix "broken man" anyway? I think it's better to just hand it over. That is step one, I suppose....
So I am going to try to sleep one more time. But before I fall asleep, I'm gonna hand my tangled yarn over. I am getting frustrated by it. I am tempted to stomp it, or throw it away. But instead I will say,
"Ummmmmmm, God, can you please unravel this for me? Because I sort of want to scream my head off trying to figure it out........Oh, and Thank You."

Mobile Spay Station....kinda scary...

One day last Summer I was making a store run to Safeway. As I was walking in I saw a box with two tiny kittens inside. I am SUCH a sucker for baby anythings. I ended up with them in about ten seconds. I had the bright idea that they could be our "mousers." I brought them home much to the kid's delight. We decided to keep them in the office until they were big enough to go outside. Well for one, they didn't get very big. Also, they needed to be fixed so we had to wait to send them outside. Finally the day came when we were tired of them taking up office space. I called the vet to make an appointment. $120! For each cat. I remembered my friend telling me about a mobile spay station that travels around town. I looked it up online and found out they would be in our area the first week of February.

The rules were as follows:

No food after midnight.
Check-in at 6:15 am
$40.00 cash per cat
Pick up at 4:00. If late, you pay $10.00 per minute.
Do not knock on door.

The cats got checked in at 6:15. Scott took them. He didn't get out of there until 8:30. Better him than me...I hate waiting in lines. Plus, he has his iphone to keep him busy in situations like that.

I got there at 3:45 to pick them up. I felt like I was a part of some black market spaying ring. It looked like a space ship on wheels. Autumn asked me if there was gravity inside of there. Then she held her hand up like she was talking into a radio and said. "KSSHHH.... Commander, this cat is now fixed. Give me some dry ice cream."

The fact that it was 100 yards from Taco Time just grossed me out to no end. Autumn, Chase and I stood outside with the other people and waited. One lady felt brave and hit the intercom button. "Please be patient. We will be with you shortly." Ok.....


One by one they started bringing the cats and dogs outside. I was pretty sure we didn't bring them in a crate and so I knew the apple box was ours. Everyone else had cute little carriers with toys inside. I wanted to send Autumn and Chase up to get the box, but didn't want the cats to bust open their stitches if they got dropped. I walked up and took the box carefully and tried to listen as she gave me last minute instructions, ignoring the stares from the other pet owners. Finally I could take the scrutiny no more. I turned to face them.
"These are just outdoor cats, okay?!" Nobody responded. One lady smiled weakly.

The top was taped shut. These cats didn't seem calm or sedated. They seemed violent and hyped up. I was afraid to lift that lid. She told us that the medicine would make them foam at the mouth and not to worry. She told us it was CRUCIAL that we get it down their throats no matter what. The cats might bite, scratch or vomit. And that is nooooormal.....I looked down a t Autumn and said, "You can be in charge of giving the medicine." She just shook her head no.

Needless to say, when I got home and lifted the lid they clawed their way right up and over me. I did manage to get out of giving the medicine. And thankfully only one cat foamed at the mouth...

Two more success stories for the Whatcom County Spay Station...

Ksshh...over and out....