The Boy's Birthday

Today at 9:34am The Boy will officially be eleven years old.

He stared out life as a little four pound, two month early, tiny little bundle of joy.  He was really sick for the first year and half of life.  Really sick as in the hospital several times with RSV and pneumonia.  By looking at him today you would never guess this is the way he started out.  I'm so glad he has no problems from being born premature or from having been so sick. 

As we celebrated his birthday this weekend.  It was a time to reflect on all his accomplishments this last year.  He started playing sports, and band.  Both he insisted he could not do.  Ha. He made a liar out of himself.  He needs a big push in the self-esteem field and his band director gave him one when she asked him to be in honor band.  Tonight we will be eating at a restaurant of his choosing.

Vacation Plans

I've been thinking of vacation plans lately.  You see we haven't been on a family vacation for about 3 years. We have been on several weekend getaways.  But no real vacation.  I'm wanting to go on a cruise, never been on one.  Sounded good to me the middle of summer in OK and we go out in the ocean. 

Hubs said I needed to check in with the travel agent, so I called them up and gave them our list of cruise destinations.  Waiting to hear back.

A co-worker suggested we go to Mt. Vernon.  Hubs and The Boy are both total history buffs.  We are looking closer into this one.

Hmm.... So many choices.  Where are you going on summer vacation??

Our Anniversary

Today Hubs and I have been married 11 years.  This is the song he would sing to me when we started getting serious. He still breaks out in it on occasion. I LOVE YOU HONEY!!

Track Time

Today is The Boy's first track meet.  It's an all day event.  He was so excited this morning to get on the bus and go to school, just so they could get on another bus and get to the track meet.

He will be running the 100yard dash and throwing the discus.  Hubs will be attending this one alone.  I'm going to work and trying to get into the dentist.(another long story.)

Sending all kinds of good luck to The Boy.

Proud Momma

The Boy is in fifth grade this year at school.  Well its almost the end of school for the year.  It's been a year of new school activities for our little family. 

The Boy is in his first organized sports. We've done football, basketball, now onto track.
He is also in band.  He decided he wanted to play the trombone, when it came time to pick your instrument.  He was told he could pick any one he wanted. 

The band has had one performance this year, it was the Christmas program at school.

 He was recently picked for honor band.  He was so excited, so was Hubs and I.

Saturday was the first performance.  He had to meet at a local School in the town where I work.  He spent the morning learning 3 new songs and a meeting a bunch of band students from all the neighboring schools.  We picked him up for lunch and he was so happy, to tell us about the songs they were learning.

We seen him one more time before the big concert, he was all dressed up, and ready to go.

As we entered the auditorium the place was packed, we luckily got to set on the side of the stage The Boy was playing on.  They introduced the conductor and they concert was under way.  They played two songs, before he looked out into the audience, when his eyes met mine and he flashed me that smile.  My heart swelled up and I got tears in my eyes.  Yep that's MY BOY!! He's having a great time. They completed the concert.  I was amazed these were fifth and sixth grade band students.  The performance was great.  We have a few more weekend adventures in band coming up.  I'm a very proud band and sports momma right now.

Sunday potluck

Today on Testify the blog the subject was:  

Please share your favorite potluck recipe. It could be a casserole, salad or even a dessert. You may not have taken it to a potluck event but think it would be a good recipe to take to one. Any recipe will do.


Our church has a potluck dinner every month, we honor the people who have had a birthday or an anniversary in that month. 

I love taking food to the potluck.  It is where I get to try all the new recipes I have seen on TV or on cooking sites.  I usually always bring a main dish and a dessert.  I like to do a crock pot dish that way I can dump it all in the crock pot early Sunday morning and it is ready by the time we eat at church.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

1 boneless pork shoulder (4-5 lb)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 Tbsp Canola oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.   Cut the pork into 2 or 3 big pieces and season with salt and pepper.  add the oil to the pan and when hot sear the pieces of pork until browned on the outside.  Remove the pork and place in a slow cooker.

Add the vinegar to the hot pan and deglaze, scraping any bits of browned meat stuck on the bottom.  Pour the vinegar over the pork, then add the broth and liquid smoke.  Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours, until the pork falls apart with gentle pressure.  Remove the pork from the liquid and shred.

Serve on buns.  For potluck I like to buy a roll called a dollar roll.  It is smaller so the pork goes a longer way for more people. 

This recipe is supposed to serve 12.

Closet Space

This is the one thing I need more of.  Our house was built before they knew what closet's were.  I think.  No actually in that era you had to pay taxes on each room and a closet was considered a room.  What??  Well my house has a few small closets.  The Boy uses an armorie and there is one in my dressing room, only because of when the upstairs were added.  Now we do have 2 upstairs but they are small and crammed pack full of decorations and whatnots.  But who wants to climb up and down stairs all the time to get something.

So I've been brain storming.  I want to make my dressing room a complete walk in closet.  How fantastic would that be??  I've been looking at ideas on the Internet.  Wow I did not realise how much these cost.

I'm thinking Hubs could probably do a better job and it would cost alot less.  But I hate the remodeling, it just seems to take forever.  Sorry Hubs, I know you are just one man.

I'll let you know what he says when I tell him what I want to do.