Things we love about America

There are plenty of things to love about America. And, when you've been away for a while, you realize how much you appreciate things you once took for granted. Here are some things we love about this great country, without getting into anything too metaphysical:

• Internet!!!--We have been thoroughly enjoying consistent, unlimited, high-speed internet since we've been back in the States. That's definitely not the norm overseas, even in places you might think it would be. 
• Decent sized trash cans--I realize that we are an exceptionally trashy family, but many of the places we stayed overseas had household trash cans no bigger than a 2-quart pitcher.
• Amazon Prime videos and music--We were unable to access our Prime perks overseas, and we have been so happy to have that back in our lives.
• Not having to chase down someone to pay the check at a restaurant--Some might consider it a good thing to be left alone by the waiter, and to a certain extent that's true. But there were so many times when we had been finished with our meal for a very long time and could not find anyone to take our money so we could leave. In fact, many waiters seemed to avoid us completely when it was time for the check. We would literally have to hunt someone down and practically force them to take our money.
• Roomy showers with reasonably high water pressure and plenty of hot water--This needs no explanation. 
• Dishwashers and dryers are standard in most places--We do not consider either of these things necessities, but they are so nice to have and definitely make life a little easier. 
• Iced drinks--I'm not sure why ice hasn't really caught on overseas, but we like our drinks cold and appreciate the abundance of iced drinks here in the good ol' U.S.A.
• Large drinking cups--I don't know if we're just abnormally thirsty or if we just need more room for ice, but we like larger cups and glasses for drinking. For some reason, most of the cups and glasses overseas seem better suited for a doll's tea party. 
• Drip coffee makers--I guess the rest of the world just doesn't drink as much coffee as Americans do, but the one-cup stovetop percolators and French presses are just not very convenient or expedient for brewing multiple cups. Plus, they are messy and hard to use and don't make great coffee in my opinion. 
• Sturdy eggs--This seems like a funny one, but there was truly a difference in the quality of eggs overseas, whether store-bought or farm fresh. The shells and yolks in many of the places we visited were super fragile and really hard to work with. 
• Top sheets--To me, a bed just feels cozier with a top sheet between the covers and me. Plus, if it happens to be hot, you can be covered up without the bulk and heat of a blanket, comforter, or duvet. Most of the rest of the world does not see a need for the top sheet, which is just sad. 
• Window screens--It's so nice to let in a cooling breeze without sending out an open invitation for every bug within a 10-mile radius.

10 Things You May or May Not Be Interested In

1. Our internet has been very sketchy, which is why we've been keeping a low cyber profile. (Though, obviously, we are popping online from time to time.)
2. Our hot water in the shower has also been very sketchy. Fortunately, my brilliant husband figured out that if we run the cold water in the sink on full blast, we will create a fountain in the sink that splashes out on the floor, but we will also occasionally have hot water in the shower. Hot water is pretty much my only requirement in life, so I was overjoyed at this discovery and don't even mind mopping up the floor after each shower.
3. We throw a breaker in our apartment if we turn on any two kitchen appliances at the same time. This is just as convenient as it sounds.
4. We had several loads of ski laundry to do when we arrived, including all the coats proudly displaying our family “W” in duct tape, which was much stickier than we originally thought. After many attempts to get the sticky off, I came across a homemade version of Goo Gone, which, along with a good bit of elbow grease, helped more than anything. Here is the recipe, in case you ever find yourself in a similar sticky situation. (I used olive oil, because that's what I had and also added a couple of drops of lemon essential oil, for good measure.)
5. Speaking of recipes, I made these cookies (substituting almond butter for peanut butter), which my family went crazy for. They are a variation on the old stand-by, no-bake cookie I've loved since I was a kid. They are super easy to make, if you need to throw something together for an upcoming Christmas party.
6. It's been sunny and 65 here every day, which is a pretty good way to do December, if you ask me. We've spent time playing at the onsite playground and one of the beach playgrounds, sitting outside, going down to the beach, and barbecuing. 

   

   Playground Fun

   
   

   

   Caldes d'Estrac Beach

7. All of my children seem to be going through growth spurts at the moment, and they have insatiable appetites. Our main chef, Jeff, has spent hours in the kitchen and at the grill, preparing restaurant quantities of delicious food. I did mention to him if he would stop making the food taste so good, it might slow the ravenous crowd down a bit, but he continues to produce one mouth watering dish after another, which continue to be devoured in no time flat. 

   

   Trying to stay ahead of the demand

8. I have already sold 18 journals in the month of December. It's so exciting to think about all the kiddos who will soon be recording their travel memories in a book I put together!
9. We are having so much fun gathering supplies for our Christmas Saran Ball. It's going to be epic.
10. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mimi and Grandpa, who will be here within the week!

To the manufacturers of smoke detectors:

First of all, let me say, I very much appreciate your efforts to create a product to protect my home and family in the event of a fire. I really do. It helps me rest a little easier at night. Most nights. But, I am seriously wondering who treated you badly as a child to make you grow up and configure these handy little devices to only malfunction in the middle of the night? There has never been a time in my memory when a battery went dead, with its accompanying repetitive warning signal, during daylight hours. Or, when the interconnected wonders began their blaring, for no apparent reason, in the middle of the afternoon. I used to think it was just a coincidence, but now I'm convinced it's an act of malevolence on your part. The odds are just against it being random.

And, is it really necessary for smoke detectors to be installed on ceilings, so that we are incapable of restoring peace to our sleepy households without having to drag the ladder in from the garage? It just seems like you've added insult to injury there. Having sleep deprived people several feet up in the air doesn't lend much credibility to your supposed purpose of creating these devices for safety's sake. I'm just saying.

I am very tired now, since I was up half the night enduring your vengeance, so I will close this letter. I implore you to find it in your hearts to rethink the middle-of-the-night workings of these otherwise useful contraptions.

Finding Nemo

A pooping incident occurred at my house today, which claimed as victims all the cushions of my patio furniture and every single stuffed animal in my youngest child's room. It was…epic. And somewhat confusing. I mean, how in the world…?! I don't even know. My nephew was the prolific poop producer, so I was probably infinitely more patient with the situation than I would have been if it had been one of my own. (Just being honest here.) But, it didn't fully strike me how funny my life is until I laid eyes on this scene:

If any of you are still working on finding Nemo, you can stop now. I found him. He will just keep swimming right on through the spin cycle. See, hilarious, right?! I'm telling you, you cannot make this stuff up.

House never cleaner, hubby never happier

Today, my daughter said to me, "I love when we are trying to sell a house, because it is always so clean!" And, my husband fairly squealed with delight when he saw that I had removed all the appliances from the counters in the kitchen and toiletries from the counters in the bathroom. (This reaction is, of course, an exaggeration, but not all of you know my husband personally, so I thought I should clarify. He does not, under any circumstances, "squeal with delight.")  Technically, we have not put our house up for sale yet. We are simply trying to get some pictures taken that look like we don't really live here. Which is super hard. Because, we do, in fact live, here. And, work here. And, school here. We are here all the time, except when we are running kids around to various activities. Southern Living, it's not, folks. I do truly wish I could produce this level of joy in my family members all the time. (The ones that care, I mean. Because there are those, it seems, that actually prefer the mess. Or, at least, they work extra hard to ensure that the messiness is a constant.) But, as there are still only 24 hours in a day, and as I can only do so much, I guess we can simply be thankful that we move as often as we do, so that there are a fair number of days that the house is truly clean and clutter-free.

And just like that, summer's over…mostly

We arrived home on Sunday afternoon, thinking we were the masters of a perfect endless summer, only to be met EARLY yesterday morning with a heaping dose of reality, as summer came to a screeching halt. Even though it was my birthday, it was also the first day of school for us, the first day of football practice for the boys, and the last meeting of Ruth's summer youth Bible study. For good measure, we also threw in a doctor's appointment, a trip to the mechanic shop to pick up our now-cooler (only in the temperature sense) van, a business meeting for Jeff in Austin, an attempt at healthier eating, and a little exercise. (But I'm not complaining, because the day also brought happy phone calls, abundant social media birthday wishes, gooey brownies, gorgeous flowers, tasty sangria, sweet birthday cards, spendable gift cards, and many heartfelt hugs! Not to mention a party with my favorite people on Sunday.) So, unless you count Jeff and I camping out in the air conditioned upstairs storage closet on the air mattress, due to our main air conditioner being out downstairs (yes, it seems to be epidemic amongst our possessions), as some kind of wild and crazy summer sleepover, I'd say summer is really and truly over. Except downstairs. There, it certainly seems to be the summer that never ends.

Product Love

In my last favorites' list*, I mentioned Almond Milk.
This is kind of like the HNL of that. 

This camera is small enough to slip in my pocket or carry in my purse
but takes pictures like one of the big boys, even from quite a distance. I love it!

The seemingly endless winter this year has forced me to wear sweaters on a very regular basis.
This rack is perfect for drying lots of things at once and even has a place for shoes.
Plus, it folds almost flat, making it super easy to store.

My old Kindle was getting pretty worn,
so when I saw the Kindle Fire deeply discounted one day, I took the plunge.
(And, I also treated myself to the fun hot pink case!) So far, I'm very happy with my decision. 

The fact that these flip-flops are super comfy, slightly scented like vanilla and dishwasher safe
are just a few of the reasons I love them. I'm pretty sure I'll be living in these all summer.

These palapas have added just the right ambiance to our "beach."
(All we're missing is the ocean!)

We love granola around our house, and this is some of the best we've tried.

After some issues with my previous watch turning my skin black,
I did some research and decided to try a Skagen watch.
I love the femininity of this watch (and the fact that it hasn't caused any discoloration)! 

For everything from cooking to moisturizing, this is our go-to oil.

The Warthog sharpener has helped us get the epidemic of dull knives in our house under control.
I love that it's small enough to store in the knife drawer and easy enough for Ruth to use (with supervision).

Jeff has been urging me to read this for years, and I have finally gotten around to it.
It's definitely going on my list of all-time favorites!
(I think I will have to buy Jeff a new copy, since I sort of went crazy marking
meaningful passages in the copy I borrowed from him!)

We love our Keurig and all the flavors of coffee we can choose from.
This is one of our current favorites. We are also loving Creme Brulee and Houston Blend.

*You can see more of our favorites by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

It's what's for dinner

I bet you thought I wasn't really doing the Pin of the Week anymore. But, that's just because I haven't done one in, like, a month. (Really, it's only been three weeks, so there!) So, without further ado (and snark), I give you the Pin of the Week:

Rotisserie-like chicken in the crockpot solves the what-to-have-for-dinner dilemma.
Season it however you want. Throw it in completely frozen if you need to.
So very delicious. And, easy. And a huge hit with even the pickiest among us. 

Home Improvements

In the last couple of weeks, we have had some nice home improvements. They may not mean that much to you, but I'm thrilled.

This is the inside of the dishwasher. See how shiny it is? Up until Friday it was solid white.
That's how hard our water is. Thank you Dishwasher Magic for making it shine again!

The fantastic water softener that has made our lives SOOO much cleaner and less filmy.

New keyboard and maps in the homeschool room

Blinds, glorious blinds. Now I don't feel like the cows are spying on me,
and I'm not forced to wake up with the sun in my eyes!

My much beloved old-window-turned-new-mirror

Shell Decor

We now have many pictures on the walls, including this awesome one my in-laws gave us.

My life is hilarious

To someone. Not necessarily me.

So, I've been without a washer and dryer since we moved into our new house. I'm not really sure how a shipping company "loses" something as large as a washer and dryer, but, whatever. So after much ado, the new washer and dryer were delivered today. And left stacked on top of one another. Curbside. (Actually in the driveway, but still a ways from the house). While I was at CC. And my husband is out of town. We knew it was a curbside delivery, but these much-anticipated appliances were supposed to be unloaded into the back of my husband's big, bad truck, which he left at the curb--blocking half the driveway--for just this reason. When I arrived home, around 6:30 this evening, I found the washer and dryer staked on top of one another, as I mentioned before, on the ground, right behind that big, bad truck. Just as it was starting to rain. And the baby was crying. And 2/3 of the older children were losing all control of themselves. Knowing I couldn't even begin to move the machines (especially with a dolly with two flat tires), I set about trying to wrap them in tarps. In my teacher clothes (flowing skirt, ruffly, white blouse, but, thankfully, not the high-heels I had worn to CC). With no way to avoid the little mesquite tree right by the driveway. As the rain started to come down harder and my skirt continued to get stuck in the tree, I realized that what I really needed was another set of hands to secure the bungee cord. I ran up to the house, to find that my instructions of "take a bath" had, for once, been executed without the least bit of hesitation. Slick, naked children, I surmised, were not going to be all that helpful, after all. So, back out into the now somewhat heavy rain I went, all alone, to face this beast in my driveway. Finally, with my white shirt soaked almost completely through and graying from the constant brushes with the nearby truck, I inadvertently snagged one end of the bungee cord on the truck, which allowed me to reach all the way around and secure the tarp. What must the neighbors be thinking?! As soon as I got back in the house, the rain stopped and hasn't returned yet. (Though it is making sounds like it could). Absolutely hilarious.

Not so cool

We arrived home this afternoon from our wonderful long weekend. I may have more to share about the weekend at another time, but what I simply must tell you about is our return home.

When we got the van unloaded, the children made a beeline for the yard to stretch their road-weary legs. And, I made my way to the mailbox to see what bills lay hidden there for me. In a rare moment of mailbox joy, I found fun mail--a package, no less--addressed to me! Woohoo! I tore into the package from my Secret Relative to find Easter chocolates, not yet a puddle of chocolate syrup, but well on their way. I quickly plunged them into the fridge, noting that there was something of a smell emanating from the appliance, which I assumed was from some produce that had gone bad while we were away. I had no time to investigate right then, as screaming kids seemed to be coming at me from every direction.

Later, the children came in from playing with a powerful thirst. Ruth opened the freezer for ice and said, "Uh, Mom. I don't think our ice maker is working...and it smells kind of funny in here." I quickly made my way to the freezer and confirmed, to my horror, that the freezer was, indeed, not working. Nothing was even remotely cold. And the stink and the mess nearly knocked me out. Then, I opened the fridge below and found that it wasn't the least bit cool in there either...and the smell became worse.

Here, I panicked momentarily as I wondered if my thinking the thing's death had actually caused it. Just last week, I was begging Jeff for a new fridge--not really because we needed a new one, but because I was just tired of this one. I sheepishly went to him proclaiming my innocence in connection with the fridge's demise, suspecting he wouldn't buy a word of it. And, then I set about the task of clean-up--which proved my innocence after all, because there is no way I would have intentionally wished this upon myself. I'll spare you the disgusting details, but as I was about to finish up, Jeff walked into the room and noted that the light was on in the fridge. This, he thought, was odd if the thing really had given up the ghost. So, he asked if I had checked to see that it was set on the proper temperature. That's when I found out we had been sabotaged. The dial was turned to the "off" position, plain as day. I can't name the culprit definitively, but I have a pretty good guess who it was...

I almost cried as I threw away all that food--for more reasons than I can count. And then, I almost cried again when I realized I wouldn't be getting a new fridge after all.  It was the kind of welcome home party I hope we do not repeat anytime soon!

Our Beloved Liquificador

We have but one small appliance here in our teeny, tiny kitchen (if you don't count our half-size refrigerator and stove): the blender we treated ourselves to one day at the mall. But, it has taken on the roll of many others. In addition to the normal smoothies, we have also used it in making juice, chocolate milk, mashed potatoes, gravy, guacamole, and chocolate chip cookie dough, to name just a few applications. In the States, I used my blender, but not frequently--really just for smoothies and milkshakes. But, now, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of possibilities for this powerful little underappreciated workhorse. Now, if I can just get it to wash the dishes!

Refrigerator Swap

A few weeks ago we heard a CRACK! as we opened one of the drawers in the bottom of the refrigerator and the track broke on one side. A little later we heard another CRACK! as the track busted on the other side. It was at that point that we silently acknowledged that we might have the drawer a tad too full. However, we refused to do anything about it. We could still make the drawer go in and out, and it just didn't seem worth it to unload the whole fridge just because of a little cracking. Well, two days ago the whole shelf unit to which the drawer is attached came crashing down. We were suddenly forced to deal with the situation without further delay. Fortunately, we happened to have an almost-new, completely-unused extra fridge out in the garage. Unfortunately, some of the rats apparently took up residence there when they were living with us back in the Fall. Yuck! Undaunted by the scene, my mother-in-law (read: "Hero of the day") stepped in and cleaned the whole thing up while I was at Storytime with Weston this morning. We moved the new one in; we moved the old one out, and bada-bing, we're back in the cooling business. Plus, it was a great opportunity to get rid of all those unrecognizables. And, we think we like the new one even better than the old one. All around, it worked out kind of *cool*.

Are You Free Between 8:00 and October?

As you all know, my dishwasher decided to die on me just after Thanksgiving. And so, since then I have been waiting somewhat patiently to have it replaced. My waiting included these steps:

• Call Home Warranty Company (HWC).
• Be transferred to Service Company (SC).
• Set up appointment with SC. ("We can come out on Monday...between 10:00 and 3:00. Do you need us to call you before we show up")?
• Bad report for dishwasher from SC.
• Wait for HWC to call with my options.
• HWC calls, but hasn't really read the diagnostic report. ("I guess we haven't done the proper research. We'll have to call you back").
• Wait for HWC to call back.
• They never do.
• Call HWC to find out what the heck is going on.
• ("Oh yes, it looks like you are eligible for a new dishwasher. Here is a model number of what we are willing to put in. You need to go to a store or look online to see that this one will fit in your allotted space and that all the hook-ups are the same").
• I look it up online, all the while pondering how on earth I'm going to know if all the "hook-ups are the same," then say the heck with it and order up.
• I call HWC to inform them of my decision.
• HWC goes through a very long disclaimer about what isn't covered, making me think they are definitely hustling me and that no matter what I order, there will most definitely be a problem.
• HWC agrees to ship the new dishwasher to my house--in 5-7 business days. ("We can call you back tomorrow to give you a more narrow time frame.)"
• HWC actually calls back, informing me when the dishwasher will arrive and that I need to call the SC when it does to set up the installation. ("Looks like we can deliver your dishwasher on Friday--between 10:00 and 2:00").
• Delivery Company (DC) calls at 6:45 Friday morning to say that they are on their way and should be to my house in 20 minutes.
• DC leaves dishwasher in garage.
• I call SC when they finally open for business around 9:00. ("I think we can get to that on Monday--between 10:00 and 2:00").
• New dishwasher is finally installed and old dishwasher sits in garage waiting to be hauled off to the dump--because that is one of the things that neither the HWC or SC is responsible for.

I'm thankful to finally have a working dishwasher, I just wish I could have had it a little sooner. And, really, what is it with service companies and their all-day time-frames for getting things done?! I can understand a small window of time, but all day is ridiculous! And then to have the audacity to ask if they should call first! As if we're all just sitting around with absolutely nothing to do but wait for them to show up! It's ludicrous! But, I digress. The point is, I have a new, working dishwasher and no more puddle in the floor...And I only had to wait two weeks for it!

Dishwasher Woes

I'm pretty sure it is never a good thing when your dishwasher dumps most of its water on your kitchen floor at some point during the wash cycle. And, unfortunately, that's what's happening when I run my dishwasher these days. So, I dutifully called the home warranty company, who dutifully sent over some technicians, who diagnosed the problem with realative ease. "Looks like your heating elelment is warped and has burned a hole in the bottom of your dishwasher tub and in the spray arm, and that's what's causing the problem." The service company dutifully turned their report back into the warranty company who dutifully called me today to give me my options. They dutifully neglected to actually read the service report, however, so they were unaware of the holes. "Holes?! I didn't know anything about any holes...Can I put you on hold for a minute." We'll the lady very sheepishly admitted that they hadn't done the proper research, and she wasn't sure what we needed to do next...but she would definitely get back to me--later. So, after hosting a dinner party tonight, I am dutifully running my dishwasher--with all its holes--with a towel down on the floor to absorb the water. We all have to make choices. I choose not to hand-wash all those dishes!