new vine

pssst!!

fyi, no big deal, but i made another grocery store vine today; unfortunately, the new vine update now won't let me post to blogger.

so this link probably won't help you...

https://vine.co/feed

good luck. sorry.

Homemade mac n cheese!

Today when I asked my 12-year old daughter what she wanted for lunch, she said she loved the kind of mac n cheese you get in a restaurant, but not the kind that I made.  (meaning, of course, the blue and yellow box, aka kraft)

ok, so I'm always up for a challenge.. so I found a recipe and got to work on my first batch of real homemade macaroni n cheese.

First you boil the noodles according to package directions.

Then you melt the butter, stir in flour, salt, pepper, and slowly add the milk.

Stir until smooth and bubbly.  Almost done!

Ta da!  Now I may not be no Southern girl, but I think I can still make a mean pot of mac n cheese!!

Here's the recipe I followed:

• 8ounces elbow macaroni
• 1⁄4cup butter
• 1⁄4cup flour
• 1⁄2teaspoon salt
• 1dash black pepper
• 2cups milk
• 2cups shredded cheddar cheese or 8 ounces cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour, salt and pepper; slowly add milk.
3. Cook and stir until bubbly.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Drain macaroni; add to cheese sauce; stir to coat.

****************************************************

ok, now the kids are begging me to join in their game of battleball on the stairsteps...with a TON of balls...how can i say no?  gotta go!!!!!!!!!!

tuesday pics

nothing much. just another day in the life.

starting with my boy's play date with his friend.

they're on track-out from year-round school, so they get to play while a lot of other kids start school this week.

anyway, here they are, battling it out with some boxing gloves. (one pair my own, the other an inflatable play type)

next random photo: a beetle i passed on my walk tonight.

y'know what i just LOVE?  finding a little guy like this on his back, his chubby little back, with all 6 legs kicking and squirming and he be like "help! i've fallen down and i can't get up!"

and so i come along and can't help teasing him a bit, but then i feel sorry for him and roll him over so he can waddle on his merry little way.

these next shots are of this guy's insane garden of exotic plants and flowers that completely take over his front yard.  he must be some kind of science geek, as he even has them labeled, with little tin plate markers giving their exact scientific name and genre name or whatever the word is, species, whatever. 

                           an orange tree?!!!

                                                                   that's all folks.

purple sunshine

Colby's birthday

                             Colby turned 9 the other day!  Happy Birthday, Colby!!

                             Some of his fun presents:  a HUGE "bubble ball" that is ridiculously fun
                                  to throw at each other...
                       

                                          ...a real putting green and kid-size putter.....
                             

                                  ...and a set of drumsticks which he tried out on some buckets
                                            and whatnot.   (he's agreed to let me sign him up for
                                                 some real drumming lessons at rnrhs!!! yay!!)

                                    

                                      He also received some Target gift cards, so here we are,
                                            looking for something to spend them on.

                                              ....and, as usual, their mother was FORCED into trying on the
                                              kids' XL size minecraft CREEPER sweatshirt!!!...
                                                    ahh, the things we do for love.

                                                  9 candles on a chocolate cake.

 
                                        We celebrate the life of a very special boy today.
                                              Praise God, I even had the honor,
                               just a few weeks ago, to pray with him to accept Jesus in his heart.
                                         Celebrating two birthdays, physical and spiritual!!

                                                               I love you, Colby!!!!

kid drummer part 2

.....aaaaaaaand this is truly amazing.  I just got done sharing this with my 9-year old boy, not to intimidate him, as I think this kid would intimidate anyone, even good drummers, but hopefully to inspire him to want to take lessons.  heck, maybe i should just sign him up, make him at least try it out.  this looks so fun, way cool to watch, too, so enjoy!!




(scroll down for part 2, not as exciting, but endearing to his mother)  ;-D

Kid drummer part 1

Happy Birthday, Colby!  Here he is with his "new" drumsticks i bought him, and a bunch of buckets and stuff to bang on.  I'm hoping he'll want to take lessons sometime.  anyway, here he is:





(part 2 coming soon, wait for iiiiiiiitttt!!!.....)

Drumming session #1

 Today, while our soon-to-turn-9-years-old birthday boy was still at school, Sam and I practiced a bit of drumming with the new drumsticks he will soon receive as a birthday gift.  Good thing I bought 2 extra pairs of these sticks, so the 3 of us can enjoy this healthy, stress-relieving, emotionally healing, people-bonding, very fun activity!!!  This is only our first attempt at putting together some good noisemakers, so bear with us, this is a tad ridiculous.  but fun!!!!

Photobombing Sam

Fun with blueberries!!

Created by Photo Grid. Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roidapp.photogrid iPhone https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-grid-collage-maker/id543577420?mt=8

New car!! (Part 1 of 2)

Our new car.  A 2005 Acura mdx.  Here's a fancy photo of a new one, just to get the idea...



...and here's me trying out the way-back seat of it! (click below for short video)

(This is one of 2 posts on the same topic, so be sure to refresh in a couple minutes!)

https://goo.gl/photos/P8emjZTg5Fap3UHh9

(i doubt if the thing below will play, the link above may work better..)

Back seat napper (New Car part 2 of 2)

...and as promised, here's the short little ditty i made while trying to take a nap in the 3rd seat of the new acura, a feature we all love, especially our very independent TWEEN daughter!

(i don't think the above link will work, so try this:)

https://goo.gl/photos/PfL3U5SBCx6GUqRR7

Morning run

Check out jennifer nelson's post on Vine! https://vine.co/v/edhZ7BgD6vh

birthday surprises

hey you!  yeah you!

shhhhhhhhh!!!!!

hey don't tell no one, but i've got this cool idea for my kid's 9th birthday coming up.  see, i already bought these beat-up old drumsticks at a yard sale awhile back, and since it'd be stupid to drop a ton of bucks on a whole drum kit to go wid'em, i'm scoping out youtube like crazy for some cool homemade drum ideas!!! Here's what i've got so far... check em out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmM8ztI2Ic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKGbiV2TKgc




well i'm headin back to youtube now.  then i'll start scrounging around for noisemakers, when the  soon-to-be birthday boy's not around, that is.   can't wait to see the look on his face when he comes downstairs next week Wednesday and sees what his crazy ma dreams up with kitchen tools and duct tape!!  ha ha!!!  this is going to be fun!!!!!

Waiting at the bus stop

Check out jennifer nelson's post on Vine! https://vine.co/v/edW5Kx02Z5E

twilight photo shoot

To keep myself sane today, after the chaos of becoming the pb&j of 3-car crash sandwich this morning, dealing with cops, tow trucks, insurance companies and the craigslist used car listings....

i had to do some baking.

Made strawberry shortcake.

Baked the angel food cake, careful to turn it upside down on a jar to cool so it wouldn't flop,

added smushed strawberries with a bit of sugar, then of course, whipped cream!!!

yum yum!!!

enjoyed every last bite.

and sweet iced tea, to wash it all down.

a perfect sweltering august evening. well, maybe not perfect.

but not bad.

boxing

new post here:

http://jennerosityinmotion.blogspot.com/

Worship at Point Church Apex

You're Beautiful: https://youtu.be/ij2ljnJzFUs

What to wear?

Just did a periscope broadcast. Replay available for 24 hours. Jennerosity.