Menu Happiness and Hearts

I actually had a menu for the last week.

It is a shock and a great turn in events around here.  It was also a great success.

Barrett had his friend over last week and we had actual dinner planned, and executed!  His mom reported that he loves our dinners and told her that he wishes they had more 'yummy' dinners like we do.  It was quite a compliment, but I am afraid that it is a big misunderstanding, as we haven't had a regular plan for quite some time, until last week.

Barrett turns 12 at the end of the month.  It is incredibly amazing how fast time flies by.  Unbelievable, actually.  His back has a stress fracture, and he has been instructed to not do any activity.  He can walk around the house, and do regular chores and things like that.  But he pretty much can not do anything active.  No running of any kind, no swimming, no bike riding, and for sure no sledding.  He Really wanted to have a sledding party and invite all of his friends from both soccer teams and from the neighborhood.  It would have been a great idea, as it would have been super easy to have so many kids invited.

Now, we are going from something that is super active, to something that has to be super NOT active.  At first we were thinking about renting a video game truck.  It is a pretty cool concept.  But out of the budget. AND he has already been playing so much video games it really isn't something we want to condone.
Robert remembered my nephew's birthday party that they had when the were here, a while ago.  Fear Factor.  It was something that all of the kids remember.  We were thinking about the eating challenges.  We need to come up with some good ideas, so I will be checking the internet for some, very soon.

Barrett's team is in Mesquite, as I write this, for the President's Cup Tournament.  He is missing them dearly and wishes he was there.   But due to his back, he can't play.  It is tough, because the team is like a family.   And a LOT of his friends are also his team mates.

Lucy has had play rehearsal all week.  She is enjoying it very much.  She gets home much later than usual, but is having fun.  Tonight she was thankful to have some time babysitting.  It is her slow season for income, and hasn't had a lot of extra time.  So she was super happy to get a call tonight.

She also is happy to check her grades online tonight and discover that she was able to bring her only A- up to an A!  She clapped and gave a lot of 'wahoo!!' s when she made her discovery.  She is pretty determined.  She wants these grades so much and really works hard to get them.  I am so proud of her.

Being left at home during the tournament, I have been able to get a little bit of quilting done, and I have also been able to attend the monthly school board meeting.   The school board meeting was last night.  I went because I am tired of not having access to the high school football field and track that the taxpayers are paying for.  But I also heard, just before the meeting, that the school board voted to give themselves a 100% raise.  They don't make much now, only about $3,000 a year.  So they would raise their salary to $6,000.  But it is not the amount that I am worried about.  I believe that any body that can double their salary, paid by taxpayers, should not have the power to do so without consent from those tax payers.  It is unlawful and unjust.  And that kind of power should not be trifled with.  There should be a check and a balance.

They said that they were not going to vote on it during this board meeting.  They said they would not be voting for it ever.  But I think they will be. I just think that the voters should make that decision.

The quilting did not go so well.  I have to try again.  I am a bit rusty with my technical skills.  It is good to get back into the rhythm of it all.  And it does take a bit of rhythm.  I have to go back out after fabric tomorrow.  This time, I think, will be much better.  My cutting skills are better than before, and I think that my sewing machine is in a good place, in terms of seam allowance accuracy.  I am excited to try again. I am also excited that every block is different in the quilt I am working on.

Oh, and I actually was able to make a cake last week.  In honor of my and Stephanie's recent birthdays.  And it was very delicious.  I need to make it more often.  For more than one reason.

Also, I am glad that we are coming upon Valentine's Day.  The thing I love so much about Valentine's Day is looking at all of the beautiful red and white and pink-ness of the holiday.  I love it so much.  I love being able to think about Valentine's Day when I was a child, and my Granny T. and Aunt Karen would secretly leave valentines on our porch for me and my siblings.  It was so comforting and exciting to know that they loved us, and they thought we were special enough to remember on that holiday.  It is my favorite holiday.  I know that some people hate Valentine's Day.  But I think that those same people hold it to unrealistic fantasy.  I love the hearts, the colors and thinking about those people that I truly love.

I am thankful for this week.

I am thankful for every week.