A Walk in the Park

Today we got to pick up my niece and spend the day with her.

We went to the park.

We hiked out to where the big slides are.

Next we went to the new nature center.

We learned about the history of the area.

Afterward, we hiked back to our car and drove to another park to have a picnic. After that we went to another park. I got very tired so I had to go back to the house and take a nap while the kids occupied themselves. After my nap we went out for ice cream. Yum!

California Sunset

This was tonight's sunset, isn't it gorgeous?

I have not been feeling well lately, but I am hanging in there. Very thankful that we are on summer vacation because I am able to rest. It is so nice to be able to relax.

Frugal Meals

Since the down turn in the economy, I have been trying to economize. Cooking at home has become a big part of my effort in saving money. My husband (who takes care of our finances) says it is helping. Fortunately, a new market came to our area called Fresh & Easy. The neat thing about this market is that they will mark items down for clearance. Sometimes they will have bread at half price. Recently, they were selling tuna packed in oil for 39 cents a can! I used the tuna in a dish called Fusilli with Tuna. I made the simple tomato sauce recipe in the crock-pot. I only made half the recipe of tomato sauce, by using two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes (Italian style) and an 8 oz can of tomato sauce. I used a hand blender to puree the sauce. The dish was very tasty.

Another easy and frugal recipe is Campbell's Beef Taco Skillet which is one of Mark's favorite dishes. I can get tomato soup for 69 cents a can at Fresh & Easy. I use corn tortillas in the recipe which have less calories than flour tortillas and tend to be cheaper.

Relaxing Morning

Spent some time on the sofa reading my Better Homes & Gardens magazines. Someone surprised me with a subscription. I finally have some time to enjoy them.

Baked some banana muffins. These are fresh out of the oven. Yum!

Had a cup of Chai tea. I painted the cup myself.

Watched my amazing son solve his Rubik's Cube.

Other summer things we have been doing:
Haircuts for my men with a relaxing shampoo afterward
Visited thrift stores looking for bargains
Went to the public library
Reading (Bible & devotionals)
Gardening

Scones

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits
3/4 cup raisins (or blueberries)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Whisk the egg and milk together in glass measuring cup. In a mixing bowl measure out dry ingredients.

2. Drop the butter into the flour. Use pastry blender or your hands to blend until pebbly. Pour in milk & egg mixture. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moist. Add the raisins/blueberries and give the sticky dough a few more stirs.



3. Spoon the mixture onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. I sprinkle each with a bit of sugar.


4. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes (although mine were done at 18 minutes) or browned to your liking. Cool for a bit and serve warm with butter and/or jam. Makes 10 to 12.


My boys loved waking up to these scones. I used fresh blueberries and they came out nice. If you make the recipe I hope you enjoy it.

In other news, I took my first Arimidex pill. I have been in pain for days so I decided to just go ahead and take one. Some of my pain has calmed down so I guess it is already working. However some of my other pain is still bothering me. Sigh. I just have to keep praying.

Mark is a bit down these days and it is no wonder with his father having health problems and then all the lay-offs at work. He said that the office is really empty and quiet. The company leased two buildings to house all the employees it had. Now they have laid off enough employees that everyone can fit into one building. That is a lot of employees!

Chit Chat

Hello everyone, here is my latest update. Father's Day Mark and I each took a boy and went to visit our father's separately. There was a family gathering at my sister's. My other sister flew in from up north. We had a BBQ and sat outside by the pool. I wore a cute little shorts outfit, but neglected to put sunscreen on as I was late getting out the door. I thought if I kept in the shade I would be fine. Silly me! My knees got burned so bad it hurt to touch them. On top of that, my tummy was acting up.

Monday, I took Brandon to the orthodontist to get him started with braces. It felt so good to be able to work with them on a payment plan. With the boys going to public school we have money to make the payments. Also on Monday, the boys had a friend over in the afternoon and he stayed for dinner. Their friend was amazed at our family dinner time and really enjoyed it. He said his family rarely sits down together. It was fun to have him over.

Today, the pain of the sunburn is starting to fade, but my tummy is acting up badly and I have congestion in my head. Then Mark called me before lunch and let me know that his boss got laid off. When I heard that news I started crying. Mark's boss is a lovely man and I am very sorry that this has happened to him. Mark says that the office is very quiet and feels empty. There were 8 people in Mark's group and now there are only 4 left. I asked Mark if he has put feelers out for jobs and he said he has, but there is nothing out there. It is times like this when our faith gets stretched.

As I drove to the grocery store I listened to the radio. It seems so doom and gloom. California's budget crisis is heating up. The government wants more money out of us. Prices have gone up at the stores. Mark's company is not giving out any raises or cost of living increases. We are barely able to afford braces for our son! If the government takes more money from us, how are we going to live?

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Lovely Blog Award

I humbly thank Rachel for thinking of me with this award.
Rachel is an amazing wife and mother.
She is a thoughtful and loving person.
Her husband is Pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in Alabama.
Please check out her blog and see the awesome things
God is doing through the Smith family.