Menu Plan Monday

Rick's traveling some this week, my mom's coming for a visit, and we didn't use a couple of things planned for last week. So, here's what were having ...

Monday ~ Meatball subs and chips

Tuesday ~ Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Wednesday ~ FFY (this usually means mozzarella sticks for Dawson, pizza rolls for the little guys, Kyndal eats at church, and Rick and I eat leftovers or sandwiches or just snack.)

Thursday ~ Spinach turkey noodle bake (the last of the leftover turkey from Christmas ... it's been frozen, of course.)

Friday ~ Frozen pizza for kids. Rick and I have plans to go to dinner with friends.

Saturday (mom's here) ~ Fruit parfaits for lunch, Chicken tortilla soup for dinner

Sunday ~ "Subway" at home, complete with Baked Lays or Doritos and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Thanks, Org Junkie for organizing your weekly menu swap!

Sweet!

We had a great day today! I love Valentine's Day, and so does my family!

We started the weekend by renting the movie Up and watching it together last night. When I got up this morning, it was snowing. Yes, snowing! Good grief!


Then everybody got up with excitement over what little sweet gifts they got for Valentine's Day. I love preparing their gifts!


Dawson and Kyndal each got a gift certificate to the movie theater and a tube full of candy. Eli and Brynne each got Mighty Beans and a tube full of candy. The kids got cards from my parents with $10 each.




Then we enjoyed donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast!

I copied an idea I got off Love, Insanity for my gift for Rick. I wrote him a note and every time he read a word in all caps, he got a gift having to do with that word or phrase.



His note said:

Valentine's Day is just one specified day that I can tell you how much I love you, even though I love you this much every day of the year!

I want to smother you with KISSES, because you are the love of my life! {He got a bag of Hershey Kisses, his favorite.}

ALL OF the other wives in the world have to be jealous because of what an amazing husband you are! {He got a jar of jalapeno stuffed green olives, another favorite!}

I will never BLINDSIDE you or leave you a DEAR JOHN letter, and not just because it's VALENTINE'S DAY! {I gave him a picture of our local movie theater and told him we could go to the movies together. We did go this afternoon to see Dear John ... Date 8 of 52.}

I am yours for better or worse, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and because I feel such GLEE in my life having you in it! {I am buying him the download of the Glee 2 soundtrack.}



Rick got me the two newest books by my favorite author, Kristin Hannah. I can't wait to read them!


We ended the day watching the original Karate Kid (trying to have Dawson watch some classics before he watches the remakes) and had a homemade gourmet dinner of filet mignon, baked potatoes, pasta with Parma Rosa sauce, spinach artichoke bread bowls and brownies and pineapple for dessert.

What a sweet way to spend Valentine's Day!

What a Wonderful Day!

Yesterday we were out of school, although I'm not exactly sure why. I think there were parent/teacher conferences on the school calendar, but they held those a couple of evenings instead. So, whatever. We were out of school.

My day started later than it has lately. The puppies sleep in a large closet under our stairs, right next to our bedroom. They have been getting up for the day at about 5:00 a.m., which means so have I. But yesterday they slept until 6:45 a.m.!!

While they played I drank coffee and got caught up on my blog reading and e-mails. I actually do this every morning, but usually I have a deadline when I have to stop because I need to get kids up and ready for school, lunches made, etc.

But yesterday, I didn't have any of that to do. I watched the sun come up and even noticed that the sun was peeking through the clouds!

I was actually excited that I had nothing planned for the day, except to clean my very dirty house. And it was the first day I was home all day, with only my kids and nobody else's to take care of.

So I took advantage of my day and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. And it felt great! I felt such a sense of accomplishment!

The kids just played all day. Brynne actually spent most of the day in her bedroom watching movies and eating her Valentine candy. Dawson and his friend went to the movies and then he had another friend over in the afternoon. Kyndal is gone for the weekend.

I have been thrilled with the progress of the puppies. We had one day this week where I swear I was cleaning up pee every three minutes. But, all of a sudden they are doing much better! Crusoe is pretty much trained. He can hold it for a long time and when he needs to go he starts sniffing around doors. The little puppies are actually going to their potty pad by the back door to potty quite often and are now able to hold it so much longer than they used to. All four of them play really well together, and now that the little puppies are a little bigger I don't have to worry about Crusoe hurting them. (He is a really good dog!) They are all sleeping all night, but still just getting up early in the morning. But that's okay. I'm a morning person anyway.

(Although last night, after the Olympics, Rick sent me to bed and shut the door. Unbeknown to me, because I was so zonked out, he slept on the couch all night and got up with the puppies this morning at 5:30 so I could sleep in. I got up at 7:30 and sent him to bed. Thanks, honey, I needed that!)

Today we are just going to hang out. I'm going to run into town to do some Valentine errands and get my nails done. But that's about it. The house is clean so I don't really have anything I need to do today! Maybe I'll read for a bit.

We rented Up from Redbox to watch tonight and I'm going to pick up a pizza for a dinner treat. Then Rick and I will probably sit together and watch the Olympics.

What have you been up to? And do you have fun plans for Valentine's Day?

Rick Rocks ~ Because He Is Always Growing and Changing and Learning

"When you're finished changing, you're finished." ~ Benjamin Franklin

We never arrive. We never figure it all out. And neither do those around us. Life is about constant change, constant rediscovery about ourselves and the world around us, constant growth in our relationships and work ethic and spiritual lives, constant learning from others and about ourselves.

It can get frustrating at times because, I think, we are always trying to "get there" ... to that place of peace and complete understanding.

Some people really fight change .. change in themselves and change in others. I happen to be one of those people.

But one of the things I love most about Rick is his willingness to look himself in the eyes and realize that something needs to change. He's not always happy about it, but he's always willing to do it. Sometimes it comes through a discussion with someone else (me, someone at work, etc.). But, sometimes it just comes from within himself.

I love it when we are having a conversation and he has a moment of discovery about himself.

Most often he doesn't have the answer about how to change it. But he has a moment where he sees it for what it is, and has a desire to do something about it.

How miserable it would be to be married to someone who was stuck in their ways, never willing to admit that they might be wrong once in a while. I am blessed that I am not married to someone like that.

Rick Rocks ~ Because he is always growing and changing and learning.

Valentine Parties

Today were Eli and Brynne's Valentine's parties at school.

At the last minute, I took on planning Eli's party. (These are some of the benefits of having older kids. I can draw from past parties I have done for them.)

We did a pencil topper craft.

Eli gave his to Brynne.


We played a couple of games: a red pillow relay race (supposed to use heart pillows, but I was in a pinch) and Heartstrings (where you hide a construction paper heart with a tail attached to it. The only thing showing is the tail. Once the students find it they go back to their seats.)


We had an ice cream sundae party.


And then we ended the day exchanging our Valentines. These are what Eli gave ... toilet paper rolls wrapped in tissue paper. The boys' had a truck stamp and hershey kisses inside. The girls' had a bracelet and a candy necklace. I make these every year.


I slipped out during the ice cream party to go to Brynne's party down the hall. At their party they just ate and ate and ate!



Here I am with my wee little Valentines. I love them so!

Appointment with the Surgeon

I met with the breast surgeon today to discuss the results of the mammogram and ultrasound that I had yesterday.

She confirmed what the radiologist said ... that they are "simple" cysts, completely full of fluid, and they will never turn into anything else. My mammogram showed perfectly healthy breasts. So, if I should have any other lumps pop up, I can just run into her office for a quick ultrasound to confirm that they, too, are just cysts. If they get bigger and/or more painful, I can have them drained with a needle (Have I told you how high my pain tolerance is??? I think I can withstand LOTS of pain to keep a needle from being poked into my breast!)

And then I asked the most important question ... Do I need to stop drinking caffeine (more specifically my Coffee)????

She told me absolutely not!!! If caffeine causes more cysts ... who cares!! (her words!)

What a relief to know that my breasts are perfectly healthy and I don't need to worry about another mammogram until I'm 40. And since that's in many, many years (I wish), then I have nothing to worry about for a while.

Well, I need to end this post now. I have a big cup of coffee waiting for me!

Test Results

(These are not my breasts, but a stock photo from the Mayo Clinic.)

When you find a lump, or when you are told by a physician that a lump has been found, it's scary. Even though you are pretty sure it's nothing, it's scary. Even though the breast surgeon tells you at your examination that it appears to be nothing, it's scary. And when you are having a mammogram and an ultrasound to determine whether your lump is cancerous, it's scary.

I am happy to report that the lump (actually two lumps) found in my right breast appear to be benign cysts. I have an appointment with the breast surgeon again tomorrow to go over the results and determine what, if anything, we will do about them.

If you have been praying for me, thank you!

Dress for Success

When you are going out with a friend for lunch, or going to Bible study, or going to your child's school to volunteer, what do you do with yourself? I mean, do you go in your comfies with your hair pulled back in a pony and no makeup? Or, do you shower, fix your hair, apply your makeup and wear the cutest outfit you can find in your closet? We all know the answer to this.

Does your husband see that same well-put-together woman when he gets home from work on that ordinary Tuesday? Or, are you tempted to do as I am often tempted to do and be comfortable all day, meaning wearing my comfies all day as described above (because, hey, you're just going to be hanging out at home all day). Or are you in your pjs within minutes after your husband gets home from work (or in my case sometimes, before) with your hair pulled back and your makeup washed off?

We should always dress for success. You've heard that many times, I am sure. It most often applies to the workplace. But, I think we should use that philosophy as it pertains to our marriages, too!

If your husband goes to a workplace, there are likely women there who are dressing for success ... looking their best! Men notice those women, even your man. And, if he then comes home to a wife who doesn't care about her appearance when he's the only one who will be seeing her (and he notices how she spiffs up when she's going to be seeing anyone else), he becomes confused. And he can become impressed by this lady at work, and then attracted to her and then he can end up in a place he never intended.

Dress for a successful marriage. Think about what your husband would like to see when he walks in the door after a hard day at work. Chances are, it's not your robe.

(Ironically, this is posting the day after an evening where I was in my jammies and robe by 6:30 p.m.)

(Oh, and this is not a true story. Just something that has occurred to me lately as I thought about it.)

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... the orange glow of the sun is coming up from behind the bluff.

I am thinking... about what a blessing it would be if this potential career that found me will work out as I am hoping.

I am thankful ... that I feel calmer and more at peace.

I am wearing... my jammies and robe, but will be getting showered and dressed soon.

I am remembering... how old I am, and feel, getting up in the night with puppies to take them potty and getting up at the crack of dawn with them so they can play and not wake up the rest of the house.

I am creating... Valentine treats for Eli's class.

I am going... to be praying for Rick as he goes through a difficult time at work, that he receive clarity about which things he should concern himself with and the strength and courage to stand up for the things he knows he should be concerned with.

I am reading... Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore and Going in Circles by Pamela Ribon (it's part of an All You book club I signed up for).

I am hoping... that little puppies start grasping the potty-training thing soon!

On my mind... is my mammogram and ultrasound.

From the learning rooms... progress reports were good for three of the four! Eli has mastered all but 3 of the skills on his report, and for the first time in a long time Dawson has all A's and B's. Let's just say Kyndal will be learning a lesson in "play now, pay later." Brynne is just in pre-k and is acing everything she does!

Pondering these words ... what my husband said here in the guest post he offered yesterday.

From the kitchen... are some easier meals, more snacky, that we all enjoy from time to time.

Around the house... are little chew sticks that Crusoe has stolen from the little puppies and "buried".

One of my favorite things... are Tuesday nights, sitting with my family watching The Biggest Loser together.

A few plans for the rest of the week... This afternoon and tomorrow afternoon I'm going to work at the school doing lesson plan copies. And Kyndal has an orthodontist appointment at 2:30 today. Tomorrow I have my mammogram and ultrasound, and then I'm going to do some Valentine shopping before I head up to the school. Thursday morning I have another appointment with the breast surgeon to discuss my test results. Thursday afternoon are the little kids' Valentine's parties, and I am heading up Eli's. We're out of school Friday and Monday, so Kyndal is leaving for the weekend with her dad. Dawson has chosen to stay home. So, I'm sure it will be a weekend of playing and hanging out and playing Wii and taking walks with Crusoe. I have a special meal planned for Valentine's Day. Maybe Rick and I will try to take in a movie.

From my picture journal.


Yes, I now take more pictures of our puppies than I do our children. But, as Dawson said, they have taken this boring family and changed us.

Get to know other special women at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Backing of the President ~ Guest Post

Today we have a guest on my blog. I have never had a guest post before, so I am honored to do it! Our guest blogger is a man I love more than anyone this side of Heaven, my husband Rick.

Rick sent me the body of this blog post in an e-mail this morning and asked me to post it.

Here it is. Let me just say, I am completely humbled.

With most things in our household, and this blog, Nicole is at the forefront gloating on her family which doesn’t really give the rest of us a chance to say 'thank you' or brag ourselves about her. The details of the current circumstance don’t need to be known for me to tell everyone who reads this blog that Nicole has always stuck by me. I didn’t say she always agreed with me, just stuck by me. I have never had this type of loyalty in my life before and much to Nicole’s anguish, I subconsciously reject it and throw our relationship into an all out frenzy most of the time. Can I tell you I have made mistakes in our nine year marriage (9 this June)? Can I tell you how stupid I have been about so many things personally and professionally? So many mistakes, I often wonder how Nicole comes up with anything to post on Friday’s “My Husband Rocks” entry. Regardless of all that she still stands by me, even to the point where she backs me 100% on decisions I make that affect our entire family. She calls it “the backing of the President”, as if to say “you have complete control to make the decision you feel you need to and I will stand behind you no matter what really happens”.

For me this is a liberating feeling that allows me to not be stressed about issues at work or home. When’s the last time you had “the backing of the President”?

Rick, I love you.