My New Toys

You know your getting old when household appliances and such excite you!

I know I can't be the only one who LOVES a new vacuum, oven, washer and dryer, etc. I have to say a new washer is one of my favorites though. It just seems more fun to do the laundry when you have a new gadget...

I like to make things easier in the kitchen as much as possible. Having to make a veggie meal and a meat meal most times. That means I have to use multiple pans, or two big crock pots which is a pain in the butt. I have thought about getting a triple crock pot but they were usually too small to make a meal bigger than two people and more for dips.

The other day I was looking on a new site I follow called Offer Up. There was one of the triple Crock Pots a lady was selling. They were all three 2.5 quart and had the removable crocks and individual settings on each one. It was a very nice, heavy duty and was The Original Crock Pot brand. Best of all it was only...$15!!! The lady said she paid over $100 for it and she never used it! Wow, this could make my life a little easier with less dishes and mess. I bought it and used it the very same day!

So it is less than a week old and I have used it twice already. It was perfect, like I hoped, for a veggie meal and a meat one. Veggie Chili, Beef chili, and apple crisp last Sunday. Last night was Squash soup in one, Pork roast in the other and a fancy rice thing in the last one. Toss a salad and everyone is happy. The only Bad part about my new toy is that it is 31 inches long, so if you don't have space to store it, its not a find for you...

Now that i'm on a roll, I would love to have a new vacuum!  I don't mind getting one for my birthday or Christmas either! 

Falling for Fall

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

So fall has officially arrived! As you all know, I LOVE fall and everything it brings! The changing of the leaves, the crisp cool mornings, Leggings and sweaters, Pumpkin picking, the silent permission to put your PJ's on early!

This past weekend we were able to enjoy the temps and beauty fall as we went to Lake George and New England for a long and relaxing weekend! The foliage was not yet at its peak but nevertheless it was breathtaking, but Lake George always is!

It was a couples only weekend,  which meant NO KIDS!!!  So it was Jessica & Brian, Brian's parents, and Jim and I.

We left our house Friday morning early to make the 7 hour gaunt to the Lake. We arrived by two, got unpacked and headed straight to the Lake to take the boat out! I didn't grow up on the water, so I didn't quite realize how much cooler it would be on a boat when the regular air temps are in the 50's! Luckily I brought an extra sweatshirt!

On Saturday we decided to take a ride to Vermont, which is one of my favorite states! We took a ferry to the other side of Lake Champlain which was Vermont. We drove the scenic country roads to the beautiful quaint town of Middlebury. We walked around the town, found a cool wooden bridge which crossed a stream that had a cool waterfall. It was like something off of a Lifetime Movie!

When we were done touring, shopping and enjoying the weather we found a nice cozy restaurant that boasted the BIGGEST SALAD BAR IN VERMONT. Having two vegetarians with us, it was a great find! We headed home after and we just hung out for the night in front of the warm fireplace playing cards.

Sunday we all slept in a bit then headed to the lake around 11. We decided we were going to take the long, cold, but beautiful boat ride 45 minutes sound to see the famous Sagamore Hotel and eat at a nostalgic restaurant directly on the water. Although we pretty much froze our butts off, it was a spectacular scenic ride! Of course when we finally arrived at the restaurant, we treated ourselves to some delicious hot drink specials they offered!

We saw the Sagamore from the water, it was beautiful with the mountains surrounding the hotel and trees beginning to change color!

That evening we went back to the cabin and just hung out, had a late dinner and watched football. Monday morning we left early as we needed to get back home for some appointments.

Our weekend was a well needed and deserved one away after a month full of drama and heartache. Bad decisions made by one kid, and Taylor ending up back in the hospital with another intestinal blockage.

Welcome to life with six kids. It may not always be easy, but if you appreciate the good times, pull together in the bad and pray like heck in-between you can make it....just like us!

The Ugly truth about Addiction

I was that person!

The person who knew that I will do a better job than THAT raising my kids! 
They will obey their parents and if not would be punished and with the way we will be they will turn out GREAT! 
They will not end up like my niece, cousins kid or neighbors kid who talk back! 
And, oh yea, they will be potty trained at two and will get good grades! 
And when they are 18 they are going to college and moving out of the house...

Tell me we all didn't or don't have those feelings. Raising kids is nothing you can read about or plan how you are going to react in different situations. You heart and world is walking around in those kids! Thus one of my favorite quotes. 
'Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ' ... quote from Elizabeth Stone. 

 They are your life no matter what age they are, you route for them and always want the best for them. Its hard to imagine when they are babies and young children that they may be the one who goes down a dark and scary path, and that there is no amount of love, knowledge or expert parenting you can do to stop it!!! It SUCKS....

One of our six kids is an addict. I will not go into detail but to say that an addict isn't always drugs or alcohol although it can lead to it. This child was loved and raised the same way as the child who is now a lawyer, social worker, insurance adjuster. Nothing traumatic happened to this child. He/She is and was very bright, very athletic and is loved by all who knew or know him/her. All the stereotypes

of what we all have in our heads of an addict don't fit here!!!

To look back at that happy little face from years past literally crushes my heart. All the memories of their childhood when they were always smiling seems like another lifetime ago. What happened? How did it happen? Why did it happen? You can't imagine how many times I have wondered this just to come to the same conclusion...Maybe if he didn't hang with this kid or that. Maybe if we let him go more places, Maybe this and maybe that! Its no ones fault. It happens for whatever reason as heart wrenching as it is....it is! Sometimes I wish I could relive every day again to examine everything we/they did and maybe change something...

 All I can say is when you're dealing with a situation like this  you must continue going forward one step at a time, one hour at a time, day at a time, or month at a time.  Looking back or forward at this point is not a good thing. You just have to continue with your head up praying like crazy because this one is so out of anyone's  league!!!

 When people tell you having kids will change your life,  it's the real deal. It's hard when their babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary schoolers.  But the real challenge comes later. When we look ourselves in the mirror  and  answer the question that hopefully not one of  you will ever have to ask yourself.... Am I the reason my child is an addict???

 Finally I can say no to that question without a doubt!  And I will keep on keeping on because that's the only thing  left for me to do!

Back to School

So last Thursday was the first day of school. Mitchell is the only one in the house that is not out of school or in college. To think at one point we had 6 kids in one school or another! They were the
crazy days.

I can remember going back to school shopping for clothes and supplies. It literally cost us a fortune! One of the years I was in the hospital pregnant with Mitchell so it was up to Jim to do the back to school shopping of which he had never done and he HATES shopping. We had Taylor who was in kindergarten, then the rest were teens or pre teens. He took them to the mall and handed the credit card to Jessica and told her to go pick out whatever she Savanna and Taylor needed or wanted. Then gave one to Cory and told him the same for him and Kaylee. He said it was great because he didn't have to shop and they loved it! I don't think he knew what things cost because when the bills came in he was shocked. Of course all clothing had to be approved by me before they wore anything to school but they did a great job and nothing had to be returned!

I have it very easy now because most things Mitchell wants are online at Dick's or Soccer.com so we really don't need to leave the house except to get shoes that we can also get online if we wanted. This year I didn't buy a lot before school started as I knew he may change what he likes a bit and it's still Crazy hot here!!!

We were pleasantly surprised when we moved to Pa that we needed to buy very little school supplies for school. This is after needing TONS for the old schools in Md.

So far this year is going well for Mitchell. There has been no complaints at ALL and he seems to like it! He has had some anxiety in the past about school so this is a nice change for him and us! I think with him its the fear of the unknown with new a new school year and the fear of not doing well. I think we are lucky he cares so much!

Hope the year continues to be a healthy and productive one!

The most beautiful place on Earth

 Monday we returned from an awesome vacation at Lake George and a quick trip to Boston.   If you have ever been to Lake George area, Ticonderoga to be exact you know what's I'm talking about when I say "the most beautiful place on earth! "

This is a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. To his daughter in 1791 

"Lake George is without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw; formed by a contour of mountains into a basin thirty-five miles long and from two to four miles broad, finely interspersed with islands, its water limpid as crystal and the mountainsides covered with rich groves of silver fir, white pine, aspen and paper birch down to the water, here and there precipices of rock to checker the scene and save it from monotony. An abundance of speckled trout, salmon trout, bass, and other fish with which it is stored, have added to our other amusements the sport of taking them."

  Last Sunday morning we left at 5 AM  so we could get to Lake George by one or 2 PM so we could have a full day on the lake. For some reason it took us longer than expected but by 2:30 we had arrived we unpacked and quickly headed to the boat  and out on the water. We were not even at the boathouse for 5 minutes and Mitchell had the surfboard sailboat out and in the water.

Until several years ago I had never been out on a boat...well now I have and I am hooked! It's almost a must to have a boat when you there as it adds lots to do and lots to see. We spend our days on the lake in coves or on day islands snorkeling, fishing, swimming, tubing, rock jumping and just plain relaxing and enjoying the beauty of it all. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

Mitchell waits for this trip all year and when we are there he pretty much never stops! He has a ball on the water then when we are at the cabin he four wheels and plays battle with the other guys with their air soft guns. The entire week is filled with free and fun action for him and everyone!!!

We had to take a two day break from the fun to head to Boston, which is a 4 hour ride to have Taylor finally seen at Boston Children's Hospital. The visit was well worth the wait and time away from vacation. They have a good idea how to help Taylor with her medical problems and we hope it prevents future episodes and hospital stays! This was my first time in Boston and I must say that I am NOT a fan. The people I encountered outside the hospital were less than friendly and the drivers were INSANE and rude. Now remember I am well versed in driving in Baltimore City and Washington so I was not expecting to have a hard time driving there. I hope next time we visit I have a better experience!

Taylor and Connor caught a fish and of course put it right back!

This was our view from the porch at the cabin. The water you can see is Lake Champlain and if you look closely, you can see Fort Ticonderoga on the other side.

Every night we played family games or had bonfires

This was our view the last day heading back to the boathouse.

The serenity of the lake is amazing and I think it has a psychological healing power all its own. As we drove back to shore, I felt sad that it was our last day, but was thankful of our time there and having everyone together to enjoy it.

Goodbye Lake George...

Until next year!!!

The Summer Life

So its August and that means summer is coming to an end and the kids here will be going back to school by the end of the month! Its not going to be pretty trying to get Mitchell on a school schedule again. He's been living the summer life. To bed late, sleeping in, eating pretty much anything and everything he wants, long days at the pool and play dates galore! Did I say its not going to be pretty!!!

Our summer days between vacations have been sooooo nice. I usually get up by 8 and come down and have my coffee and catch up on Facebook and read my blogs.  Mitchell usually gets up around 9 and we hang out for a couple hours. I usually get any housework or laundry started or finished up before we head out to the pool.

This has not always been my life in the summer believe me! There were years I actually use to dread the summer because it meant all six kids were home arguing, fighting and driving me nuts some days. Now these days seem so quiet, almost like the days of summer ciaos never even really happened. Do you ever feel like a part of your life was a lifetime ago, yeah like that!

We have one more vacation this summer which we leave for tomorrow morning. We are headed to Lake George, then Boston for a couple days, then back to Lake George. Taylor is being seen at Boston's Children's Hospital finally and the date they gave us was right in the middle of our Lake George Vacation. Boston is four hours from Lake George so we will make it all work!

Soon the cool breezes of fall will be upon us, and another summer behind us. This always makes me sad despite loving fall. Everyone will be a year older next year, and my baby, Mitchell, will be a teenager in November! I honestly can NOT even handle how fast time is flying. So for now I will enjoy these last days we have of summer and continue thanking God for every one of them!!!

The Pokemon Go craze

So Pokemon Go has hit the nation and my house as well. I think you need to be hiding in a cave to have NOT heard of it. Even my 86 year old mother in law has been asking me all about it.

"Pokémon GO" is a reality game that incorporates the real world into the game world. Using your phone's GPS, clock and camera -- as well as Google Earth and all the information it gathered with "Ingress.  "GO" acts as wish-fulfillment for fans by bringing wild Pokémon into your actual environment. The game also turns landmarks into PokéStops, where you can collect items like Poké Balls and eggs that can be hatched.  It also turns public buildings into Pokemon "gyms," where you can train and evolve the Pokemon you've captured. The basic premise is that "trainers" wander the world catching Pokémon, teaching them to fight each other and evolving them into new forms. There are 720 creatures though only the original 151 are currently listed as available in the new game. 

Yesterday, we went to a park in our area for Mitchell's soccer practice. I was absolutely amazed at how many people were walking, skating, running while glued to their phone catching Pokemon. There we even dozens of people gathered around a fountain and a pavilion which Mitchell told me was a PokeStop. I am talking people of all ages, races, and genders. 

I have heard both negative and positive opinions about what people think of this game. Some people are always trying to find the negative in almost anything so to them I say this. What is wrong with a game that gets people off their couch and walking, biking, running, or skating to find these creative characters?

I was talking with the child life specialist at Hopkins the other day. She said it has been a positive thing for the pediatric units. Kids who would normally not want to get out of bed because of pain. In fact the hospital has created lures and gyms and pokemon stops within the units or hospital walls so the kids can also get enjoyment out of the game.

I have also heard that the shelters have had a spike in the adoption of dogs because of the game. People want dogs to walk so I guess they don't look so odd out there chasing pokemon.

They are saying that kids that normally would be sitting on their couch playing video games all day are now out and about in their neighborhoods,local parks, and even churches searching for the Pokemon they need.

I think this was a genius way to to get people out and about discovering their, towns, cities, neighborhoods, and getting exercise while finding what they are seeking. This has taken the video games to a whole other level. I for one will not be arguing with the benefits of this creative game.