Ike graditude...

"Aren't you glad about (hurricane) Ike?" said my son Taylor.

Yes, actually I am...

One Sunday recently, I had big exciting plans. Up early to put chili in the new crockpot I just bought, (Mr. Crockpot will have his own post:) church in the morning, lunch at mom's with family watching church broadcast on her tv-playing candy bingo, while eating chili, cheese, cornbread, and dipping fresh veggies all day!!! VERY exciting!

Hubby and I got up early, to start the chili.
The water was off.
WHAT?
Is it possible?
NO WATER?????
I always keep at least one gallon jugs of water in the fridge, but that wasn't going to be enough.
I needed (YES NEEDED) to wash my hair and sure did NOT want to use super cold fridge water to do that!

Then we remembered we had filled the water containers out in the shed during our preparation for hurricane IKE!
WOOHOO!
We had filled the BIG barrels (I don't know where the syphon is though) AND the small 6 gallon jug (recently purchased, one payday at a time at Walmart). I have had these for a while, empty. Preparing for hurricane Ike, pushed me to fill them.

Hubby brought in one 6 gallon jug and we used it to cook, clean, and wash my hair. I used a funnel to put it in a clean, empty milk jug for easier usage. I was happy!

The water was turned back on later that day.

As it turned out, we were under a 'boil water notice' for days!! This water in the jug came in so handy! I used faucet water for cleaning and cooking, and poured my 'stored water' for drinking. I didn't even use the whole 6 gallon jug!!!

I love water, it is my favorite thing. To see it, feel it, drink it.

It makes me happy!
It's my one GOOD habit!!!

I am thankful we prepared for the hurricane.
It was small and easy.
I am thankful the damage wasn't as big as they feared.
I (still) pray for those affected.
In any way.

I love scriptures that speak of water, because I understand the necessity of it, and the desire for it.
My favorite one lately. Pslams 42: 1-2
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"
Made me think, do I CRAVE my time with God?
Why or Why not?
(hart is a deer, also a family name, and MY HEART:)
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the never ending water.

Tank up on BOTH!!!
You never know when you might need some!!!
Have a wonderful week!


This is my post for:




{Happy Birthday Daddy, from down here on earth, up to you in heaven! I will be thinking of you today, and smiling:}

I'm an organizing fool!

Not really:) I do like things orderly-I just don't like organizing it:). We moved here in May 08. The kitchen was organized, but not so anything could be added (like all the boxes I still have to unpack). I put it off and put it off. Then hubby brought in the freezer. It has to go in the kitchen (not where I want it-but that is the only place for it). SO, I had to move the baker's rack out. It had a bread box, pots and pans (waiting for the pot rack to be hung up), big stuff like the electric fryer, crock pot, roaster etc. It was messy looking and needed to be moved. But now I had to get off my rear and get it in gear:). Well, I prayed for some divine help, and Saturday I worked on reorganizing the kitchen. First I organized the spices, then the stapes, then the island. The island has to house canned goods, extra food, storage bags, and pots and pans.



This was the island before. Nice and organized right? But nothing different can be added without causing a mess. Notice the wooden column in the back?


This wooden column or 'box' housed the electric cord for a outlet. IT WAS HUGE! What a waste of space (and in my way)


Closer inspection showed it was loose-so I pulled it apart (Just exactly WHY there was a plastic glove in there?????)





I did the same on the bottom shelf and found NASTY GROSS MOUSE DROPPINGS!!! I had to show hubby-he said with our cats we shouldn't have mice. We discussed taking a kitten and stuffing it down that hole to kill the mouse/mice. In the end we bought a mouse trap-nasty gross mice!


Back to the task at hand-top shelf left side-I used a leftover cabinet door (from dishwasher install-thanks hubby) for my divider. That way I can have two layers of rows of cans.


This is the right side of cabinet-I put them in abc order (except Bush Baked Beans and Tomatoes). And made a list of what we needed to fill it up the rest of the way.


Then to Walmart we went. Hubby did the adding (he is a math freak-yes-I said freak-the man LOVES math! I say 'more power to him') and bought what was needed
-ONLY what was needed-
AND a little mini rose (my addiction)
AND Diet A&W (hubby's addiction)





$98.98 (PLUS stupid gas money) later (I only wanted to spend $100.00 on food storage): Left side of organized island cabinet


Right side of organized island cabinet-aren't the rows pretty?



And because I miss counted here are the extra cans-and the noodles that go in another cabinet. When I open the cabinets now-they sing! (Well, all but two that I'm working on today:)

Wed date day (BIG SMILE!)

{I'm having trouble sizing my pics from photobucket-if any one has any info I would appreciate it.}

Wonderful Wednesday with Wonderful Hubby! Hubby has planned to take off on Wednesday and Sundays. Wednesdays usually fall through. BUT the last two we have had the whole day (work free) together!!!!

Sooo-we planned to go to the Temple and do some family work, go to the cannery and get some food storage, go to the farmer's market (in Dallas) cause hubby likes farmer's market (he used to go and help sell produce with his dad) and come home-tired and satisfied.

Well the Temple is closed for cleaning until 08/05/08, so as an experiment we went to the cannery (his first time-he loved it!) and the farmers market. We came home with 'much bounty'!!!

We are going to compare prices and see if its cheaper to by cannery items online or drive over to Carrollton.

We also walked off the yard and discussed the 'winter' (really fall-we don't have much of a winter) garden. I'm so excited!!! Next payday we plan on getting meat rabbits (wonderful fertilizer!), fence for the front yard, wood to create the sq ft garden.

We spent our evening eating frozen pizza and watching a marathon of Eureka (a new series to us-so far very clean-very entertaining), hubby snapped 1 gallon bag of green beans to blanch and freeze (I DID hold the ziplock bag while he loaded it AND labeled the baggy-I'm so domestic!) while I looked up sq foot garden pictures on the web to share with hubby!! Very beneficial productive day!!! (we are so wonderfully boring:) YAHOOOOO!!!!



Gasoline to Carrollton & back- $Too much
6 #10 cans pinto beans- $Too much
6 #10 cans white beans- $Too much
6 #10 dry milk- $Too much
1 #10 can red wheat (out of wh) $Too much
1 6 gal water container $Too much
2 meals @ Arbys for lunch $Too much
1 1/2 bushel whole corn- $Too much
1 1/2 bushel tomatoes- $Too much
1 HUGE Israel melon- $Too much
1 mango for teenson $Too much
1 Frozen pizza for supper $Too much
1 cont sugar free ice cream $Too much
Day spent with sweetie PRICELESS

Thursday is terrific!

Growing in an over planted root bound (needs re potting) washtub-my Glory Bower finally bloomed!
We got up early (big feat for me:)
Watered outside-
moved some sun lovers to replace some sun burnt plants on front porch-
planted herb/rose pot (I have lots more to pot up or add dirt too since we bought dirt yesterday (I love dirt!))
Now I'm back inside and am going to clean house today (15 min at a time) with home blessing hour.
This eve I will spread ant poison and 7 dust after Visiting Teaching (I have to find some little game or something for this sister's kiddos to do while my partner shares the message-hhmmmmm)
Yesterday hubby and I spent the whole day together:
Paid bills :)
To food storage we added:
8 pk soap
2 toothpaste
1 cornmeal
1 white flour
1 6 gal water container
We bought a part for the weed eater-and replaced the lawnmower (both were murdered the same week).
Hubby accidently shut Uno (our old cat) up in the shed-By chance (thank you Holy Ghost), I heard her meow (she can't meow loud), as I passed by hours later and checked-no damage done-just an unhappy hot tired cat.
We took the old table out of the house (today I will clean the kit floor and put the new table in place).
Then he re-matted my Jesus puzzle, and hung up pictures on the walls (with mollies-we have mobile home walls and needed extra strength).
I love doing stuff with him:)
It really is feeling like home.
Yep-its all coming together! I'm so blessed!
{Prayers for our southern TX and the hurricane Dolly cleanup}