Sneezy and Sleepy

Last night Julie and I headed up to St. Louis to go to the Cardinal game. She had gotten some free tickets and invited me to go! We were in section 163 which were simply awesome seats! Pujols hit another smashing home run in the bottom of the 1st and the Cardinals won 5-4. It was a fun night...thanks, Julie, for inviting me to go! Now, on to the title of my post...there was a guy sitting next to me at the ballpark that would go in to a sneezing fit approximately every 10 minutes or so. It's like right when he found his seats...allergy problems started. Julie & I got tickled every time because it just wasn't one sneeze...it was a series of 4-5 sneezes at a time! He probably didn't think it was too funny! Then, to the right of Julie sat a man, a few seats down, that actually nodded off during the game! Can you believe it??? That was pretty funny too!

Last night Matthew also had an amazing game at the ballpark. He went 2 for 2 in hitting, he got to play catcher...and, he made a double play ALL BY HIMSELF! He caught a fly ball at first, and since the runner at first took off to second, Matthew ran and touched 1st base...DOUBLE PLAY! He was really excited!

Okay, my memory is fading here. I was going to say that we met the Jones' on Friday at the park...but maybe it was Thursday! Anyway, Matthew was so excited to finally get to see Jed since he had been so sick. You couldn't even tell John Henry had been sick...he was everywhere! They all had so much fun riding their bikes and playing...and just being together. Jed just looked great...he's still in the healing process so we all need to continue to pray for his healing.

Need to go...getting ready soon to put the boys to bed. Enjoy your Sunday!

More Pics...Scroll Down for Actual Post!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Take Me Out with the Crowd...Buy me some Peanuts and CrackerJacks........

Well, last night for us it was hot chocolate, popcorn & cotton candy at the ballpark! It was half-price day at Busch Stadium last night so I bought tickets online about a week ago, and we went! The boys couldn't wait for Rob to get home from work yesterday! He got home around 2:00, which is earlier than usual, and we left at 3:00. We stopped to eat at Chevy's Fresh Mex...the boys are members of the Cardinal's Kids Crew so we had free coupons for them. After that we headed to the ballpark...we had time to pick up their goody bags at the Cellular Family Pavillion. They each got a Cardinal bag, a hamper & other fun Cardinal stuff. Then they each got to go in the batting cage, which they loved! It was soon time to find our seats. We were in section 263 which was the best seats we've ever sat in. The Cardinals had a rough night and it started in the 1st inning. They played the Houston Astros and the 1st inning was quite long...Jacob asked if the game was over! Matthew just sat and watched the entire game. The highlight of the night for us was when Pujols hit a smashing home run...and then rookie Brian Barton hit his first major league home run! The Cardinals lost 8-2 but we didn't care! It was such a fun night...we plan to go more often!

WAY to much...

CREAM CHEESE!!! The Sleepin' In Omelette was great except the cream cheese was a bit too much...it's a Keeper...but with less cream cheese!

Enjoy your Day!

Sleepin' in Omelette

This just went in the fridge:

Sleepin' In Omelette

6 onion rolls
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 sticks butter
1-8 oz pkg cream cheese
10 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped chives

Generously butter a 9X13 baking dish. Tear onion rolls into chunks. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Tear cream cheese into small pieces and place over the top. Cut 1 1/2 sticks butter into pats and place over the top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, bake at 325 degrees, covered, for 45 minutes. Then remove foil and continue baking at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

I'll let you know in the morning if the recipe is a keeper or not!

It's raining, it's pouring...the old man is snoring...I'm headed to bed!

Friday Already!

This week has flown by...and we've spent most of it at home! Love weeks like that. Other than Elephant Rocks on Tuesday, and a trip to the library & Walmart...we've pretty much just been hanging out here. Oh, and two get-togethers for MOPS. We've been watching some ballgames (I'm hooked on the Cardinals...can you believe it???), playing on the Wii, playing outside, doing a little reading, etc. etc. etc.

Tonight Matthew had another ballgame...he went 0-2, but made a great play at shortstop. He grounded out both times at bat, and almost took out the 1st baseman on his second hit...I'm thinking we might have another Pujols in the making!!! (to catch that joke you had to see the Cardinal game the other night) Wasn't that something?? Pujols just felt terrible.

Hope you all have a GREAT Memorial Day weekend!

Matthew's Last Day of 1st Grade & Elephant Rocks

Yesterday was Matthew's last day of school. They had Chapel in the morning, then awards, then dismissal at 10:00. Matthew has had a GREAT 1st grade year and his report card proved it! We were so proud of him. Shortly after school we had a 1st grade picnic in the park (same thing we did last year in kindergarten). Matthew enjoyed playing with his friends (he missed you, Jed!) and getting to spend some time out at the park.

Today the boys and I went with three other moms that I have met thru MOPS to Elephant Rocks. We had 6 boys total, from 20 months to 7 years. The weather was AWESOME and we walked the whole trail, stopping several times to climb! Before we headed home we had a picnic lunch in the park there. If you need a day trip, it's a great place to go and only an hour & 15-20 minutes from Jackson...and, it's FREE.

And, the best news today...Jed got to go home! The day has finally come. Thank you to all of my friends & family for praying for this little guy...God heard our prayers and I know the family appreciated all of the prayers said on behalf of their family.

Off to a GREAT Start...2 for 2!

Matthew had his 1st baseball game of the season tonight and he did great! He hit 2 line drives and made it to 1st base both times...he was excited! His team this season is the Astros and it is now machine-pitch baseball. Personally, I thought the ball came a little bit too fast out of the machine...but I guess it was normal!!! And, Shelly...our game lasted 1 1/2 hours! Looks like from here to mid-July we'll be spending most Friday nights at the ballpark, along with a couple of Monday's & Wednesday's. It should be fun!

Looks like some gorgeous weather is in store for us this weekend! We really don't have much planned at all...I like those weekends!

Hope you all enjoy the next couple of days!

P.S. John Henry's blood work came back normal today...HUGE Praise! Continue to keep Jed in your prayers...God is listening!

Jacob's Pre-School Program & Picnic

Today's was Jacob's last day of pre-school and they had their end-of-year program. It was so great...even though Jacob did absolutely NOTHING! Not a peep out of his mouth, not a motion from his arms, NOTHING! We were so proud of him none-the-less!!! He knew all of the songs, all of the motions...I think he was just in shock when he got up in front of everyone! When it was over there was a slide show of the year. One of the moms had put it together and it was just awesome. She even made a copy for everyone. I was thrilled to have it! After the program everyone headed to safety city for a picnic...hot dogs/chips/dessert...can't get much better than that! We stayed until it really started to look like rain. Jacob has had a GREAT year in pre-school and we are so very thankful for that! Check out the pictures!

Please continue to pray for the Jones family. It seems like Jed is on the uphill slide, although he is not out of the woods yet. His youngest brother, John Henry, has now also been diagnosed with E Coli and is at the hospital with Jed. Two of his aunts, who were caring for him, were on the ball and caught it at the onset...that should make a world of difference. Prayer makes a difference!!!

Happy Belated Mother's Day & Continued Prayer Request

I want to extend a Belated Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms out there. I hope you all had a joyful day yesterday spent with your family & loved ones.

Please continue to keep Jed in your prayers and ask for God's healing for his little body. I have not had any official updates by email since late Saturday night. When I do get them I will pass them along.

~Becky

URGENT Prayer Request.

I just received word this afternoon that Jed has taken a turn for the worse. I'll update when I can...please keep them in your prayers. ~Becky

Prayer Request Update

Jed was transported by ambulance to St. Louis Children's Hospital this afternoon. He apparently ate something that was contaminated with Ecoli. He was originally at Southeast Hospital and the doctors felt he needed to be transported because of the severe strain of bacteria. Please pray for wisdom from God for the doctors & nurses that are treating Jed, and for peace for his parents, Gerry & Amy, and their 2 younger sons.

Thanks for praying,
Becky

Prayer Request

Okay, Prayer Warriers...I have a prayer request. One of Matthew's best little friends, Jed, is really sick! He is in the hospital with diarrhea and severe cramping and blood in the stool--it is practically all blood. They think he has ecoli or salmonella. His mom said that he is better, but still very sick. Please pray for him in that he will make a complete recovery soon. Thanks for praying!

Montauk Trout Fishing & Cropical Paradise!

The two destinations above are an unlikely pair, but this weekend they worked out GREAT together! I left on Friday morning for a 3 day scrapbook retreat at Cropical Paradise in Paducah, KY with some of my bestest friends. There were 8 of us altogether and we all had arrived I believe around 3 or 4. It's basically just a house that the owners have turned in to a bed & breakfast. We each had plenty of space to work at, snacks & meals were provided. Believe me, it was so nice for me to have someone come and say, "supper is ready"...all we had to do was go sit down at the table! I got so much done...almost all of my 2008 album is complete. Thanks, girls, for a super fun weekend!

While I was cropping away into the wee hours of the morning, Rob left with the boys on Friday after school to go to Montauk for trout fishing. Rob's parents had left earlier with their camper, along with some other family members, and so by the time Rob got there camp was all set up! It was kid's weekend so Saturday morning Rob was up early with the boys...they had a BLAST to say the least! They are already talking about going back...and taking me along with them! They came back late, late Saturday night and slept in Sunday. Check out the pictures in this post!

Then, when I got home Sunday afternoon, we headed straight over to church for the AWANA closing ceremony. Matthew earned his second book award in Sparks, while Jacob earned his first year award for Cubbies. We were very proud of them...they have memorized so many Bible verses this year...it is just amazing how their minds can do it!

Recap of Our Trip to Columbia & Other Stuff!

Last week Matthew & Jacob were off school on Wednesday thru Friday so we had planned a trip to Columbia to visit my sister and her family. We had such a great time...absolutely no plans of doing anything...just hanging out and enjoying watching the kids play. We got there just in time Wednesday to head to Levi's baseball game, and then Noah & Ira's t-ball game. We got to see about 3-4 innings of Levi's game, and then a very dark sky/lightning/thunder/etc. forced us to leave the ballpark. On the drive home it was raining extremely hard it was difficult to see the road at times. Thursday we got moving kind of late...the boys played pretty much all morning & afternoon and then early afternoon we headed to Shakespeare's Pizza...if you're ever in Columbia with kids it's a great place to go. The kids get their own little pile of dough to play with while you wait for your pizza. And, best of all, the pizza was great! When we got home the boys all played outside while Elizabeth & me just sat on the porch...it was just gorgeous outside. The kids played kickball, football, played on the swing, and then hunted for mushrooms in the woods...they found a huge pile full! Later that evening we all got cleaned up and went to a Chinese buffet which was just great. Friday we just hung out at their house until it was time for us to leave...it looked like a huge storm was coming so we headed out early and tried to beat the storm. That's it in a nutshell! Thank you, Elizabeth (and Kevin!), for having us...we had a great time!

Last night Matthew had another baseball practice and he got to hit against the machine. Rob took him and he said he did great. I went to my monthly crop at Linda's house...we had such a good time. I just took stuff along to plan for the weekend...we're going on a scrapbook retreat to Paducah...I can't wait. More on that later.

Tonight I fixed Stuffed Green Peppers for supper - one of my favorites. I don't make it very often but now I'm going to add it to my meal planning sheet. I've decided to plan my meals a little bit better, writing everything down and stuff. I've kind of done this before but I never really wrote things down and actually PLANNED my meals. I'm doing this to really try and NOT eat out. It's just too expensive to eat out! Here's the recipe:

Stuffed Peppers:

4-6 green bell peppers (depending on the size)
1 lb ground beef
2 TBSP chopped onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup uncooked Minute Rice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
2 cups tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350. Cut tops from peppers, remove membranes & wash. I usually then cut my peppers in half and just lay the halves in my 9X13 pan. Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fill peppers and place in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes (I bake mine about 20 minutes longer then with the cover off...just to make sure the meat is done). Enjoy!

Below are a few pics of our time spent in Columbia!

Check out my Slide Show!

A Recipe to Share...and a few photos

I made this on Saturday thanks to my sister, Elizabeth, giving me the recipe. She got it from the Pioneer Woman's website. It is, to say the least, FANTASTIC. My whole family loved it...I'm adding it to my monthly menu chart!!!! If you need more detailed instructions just check out the website.

Chicken Spaghetti

2 cups cooked chicken
2 cans Cream of Mushroom
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion

1-4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1 additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook 1 cut up fryer (I used 3 chicken breasts) and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar. Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover & refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (if the cheese on top starts to get to cooked, cover with foil)


Included are a few photos of of Matthew's last soccer game last Saturday, as well as my Mom's surprise 70th birthday party last Saturday. We pulled it off...she was so surprised! We had it at St. Andrew's Activity Center (my sister and her family attend there) and all of the boys (and adults!) had a great time playing kickball, basketball, soccer, etc. We had our meal catered from The Pilot House...that worked out great because we could spend more time visiting and less time working in the kitchen!!! We all had a great time...I think my Mom was most surprised when her little granddaughter, Maria, appeared! They are from Atlanta and made the trip!

Happy Monday tomorrow!

So Much to Blog About...But Not Tonight!

I'm headed to bed...can't believe it's been over a week since my last post! Since my last post we've had a 70th SURPRISE party for my Mom...which she was, in fact, VERY surprised...to say the least! We went to Matthew's last soccer game for the season, one of Matthew's friends came over to spend the night...and, the boys and I traveled to Columbia to visit one of my sisters and her family. I have LOTS of photos to share...but not tonight!

Happy 70th Birthday, Mom!

Today was my Mom's 70th birthday...it just doesn't seem possible. After school the boys and I went over to my mom & dad's house to wish her a happy birthday. I made little individual strawberry pies (thanks for the recipe, Shelly!) that I took over. They were enjoyed! Don't tell, but we (my 5 brothers & sisters, and spouses, of course!) are having a SURPRISE party for her on Saturday afternoon. I'm hoping that she doesn't have any idea yet...we gave her our gift today, instead of at the party Saturday, hoping that would help in keeping everying under raps! I'll post pictures after the party on Saturday.

Is Teaching a Second Career for Me?????

Absolutely...NOT...although I DO really enjoy substituting! As I mentioned yesterday, I substitute taught today for one of our 4th grade teachers and it was an amazingly fun day. We started off the day with Bible Study where we talked about the story in Luke of the men with leprosy. We then proceeded to spelling, reading (the kids were reading one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books...I may have to get them out again sometime!), language & finally, math. My favorite subject. We had an easy subject today...decimals to the hundreths. The kids had no problems with it at all. Next on the list was gym class...I finally got a break to eat my banana and look over the remainder of the schedule. I was really concerned when I got to the word "science"...science is not exactly "my thing". Luckily, all that they were doing today was reading over the subject...chemical reactions...thank goodness we weren't actually DOING anything. We read over it quickly, I asked a few questions, and then I let them use the remainder of the time to read! I got thru science as quickly as possible...like I said...it's not my thing!!!

Have a Fun Tuesday and Stay Warm!!