What do you do without a camera

Two weeks ago our camera broke.  Whether it was because we let our kids take pictures with it or because I never put it back in the protective case or because of the numerous times it was dropped on the ground, we'll never know.  The lens would catch as you turn it on.  Then I tried to fix it and ended up pulling it apart accidentally.  So, it's dead.  This was the first straw.

Then we got our electricity bill.  Having a summer like Florida without the beaches made our bill triple what we normally owe!  That made me sit down and do math.  Not only did we not have enough for a camera replacement, but we may do without a food budget in September!  Our normal modus operandi is to check our budget about 3-4 times a year, otherwise I tend to obsess, worry, and make our lives miserable.  And so after doing the math, that's exactly what happened.  All the "if only's" ran through my head over and over:  if only SCC had needed me during summer quarter, if only I had done more Pampered Chef parties, if only I hadn't used the money the boys helped me raise to redecorate their room....  And then the "I can"s began:  I can sell x,y, and z on craigslist, I can return the decorations from the boy's room, I can make a bunch of stuff and sell it on etsy.com.... 

So I went for a walk to calm myself down, yelling out to the Lord.  And then I heard it, that still small voice whispering "I've got it under control, just watch."  I sat back to watch.  Waiting, wondering how he was gonna do it this time AGAIN.

Rob called me this morning with an obvious smile in his voice.  "I got my paycheck today."  BIG PREGNANT PAUSE.  "And?"  I expectantly answered.  "It's twice what I've gotten the past 2 months."  WHAT?  I have no idea why or how or who.  Actually, I do know.   

Ethan's 11th Birthday Celebration

To celebrate Ethan's birthday, he had a Geocaching party.  According to geocaching.com, "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices.  The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online."  A treasure hunt was perfect for a group of 9-11 year old boys.  They had so much fun traipsing around Lincoln, they forgot to pull out the camera.  After all that work, they came back to our house for pizza and ice cream cake.  One of the boys gave Ethan a nerf gun, which in our house ALWAYS leads to a full on nerf war.  I am still picking up the bullets. 

The Geocachers

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Dear Ethan...

I wish I had video of the burping contest going on at this table :)

After the friends left, I took a nap along with the two littles.  Ethan's birthday money was burning a hole in his pocket so we headed to the mall for a couple of hours.  We ended up back home for dinner where we enjoyed the Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad Ethan had requested.  Yes, a SALAD!  This dish has been requested by both my big boys for birthday dinners!  Here's the recipe:

Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad (from Pampered Chef):
croutons                                 2 roma tomatoes cut into wedges  
3/4 cup ketchup                      1 cup (4 oz.) cheddar cheese   
3/4 lb. ground beef                  1 small red onion, divided
1 TBSP yellow mustard           8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/2 cup finely diced pickles or pickle relish


Cut onion in half.  Slice one half into thin rings and set aside.  Chop remaining onions and cook with ground beef over med.-high heat 5-7 min.  Finely dice pickles or strain relish until you have 1/2 cup.  In a bowl, combine pickles, ketchup, mustard and cooked beef.  To serve, arrange lettuce on serving platter.  Spoon beef mixture over lettuce.  Top with cheese, tomatoes, sliced onion, and croutons.  Serve immediately.