I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by my sweet Sis in Law Sunny. I also want to tag Amy. I feel pretty boring overall, but here goes:

*Maybe I should...plant a garden this year - with the price of produce these days

*I love the smell of...honeysuckle, clean sheets, Sunday dinner cooking

*People would say that I...can be O/C

*I don't understand why...we can't drill in Alaska for oil

*When I wake up in the morning...it starts!

*I lost my will power to...finish a Beth Moore study - she is INTENSE

*Life is wonderful with...no debts (I only presume)

*My past made me...tough

*I get annoyed when...people blab incessantly in public on their cell phones

*Parties are not...something I usually get invited to, or have at our house

*Dogs are...a lot of trouble

*Cats are...easier pets than dogs

*Tomorrow I am going to...have a yard sale

*I have a low tolerance for...dishonesty

*I'm totally terrified of...being trapped in a vehicle that is submurged in water and drowning

*I wonder why I thought my life would be... easier than it has been

*Never in my life...I have drunk a beer - I've cleaned up a lot of it when I worked at the drug store, and the smell makes me gag

*High school was something that...I'm glad is over

*When I'm nervous...my heart acts up

*Take my advice...A little meatloaf goes a LONG way, and live each day as it is your last - it just might be!

*Making my bed is...easier when Richard helps me, and it usually gets made daily.

*I'm almost always...multitasking, and wishing I was on vacation

*I'm addicted to...Vick's Vapo Rub

*I want someone...to hire my husband

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

These made me laugh!

1. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop.

2. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the shower.

3. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

4. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

6. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duck Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duck tape.

Things I'm Loving

• The arrival of spring
• Walks and bike rides at the city park
• The smell of blooming honeysuckle
• Listening to David Cook's songs I downloaded from I-tunes. I LOVE his voice
• Perfecting my fried chicken recipe
• The reappearance of my "seasonal" freckle tan.
• Sitting in the porch swing with Richard
• Happy Hour at Sonic after walks and bike rides
• A BREAK from teaching
• Reading THE SHACK

So what are you loving these days?

How do YOU say COUPON?

My brother Jason and I had this conversation on the way to Mobile last week. My neice Abby Kate says Q-pon instead of "coo-pon". I have never given much thought to the correct pronunciation of this word, but I, like Abby Kate say Q-pon. So how do you pronounce it?

Micah asked me today on the way home from church if the word "child" had one or two syllabels. We had to say it a few times to be sure. If you're in the south, it definately has 2. If yew aint from 'round here, its got 1!

Setting the Record Straight

Although Lebanon has grown a lot these past 10 years, it is still considered a small town. In small towns word travels fast, and often the story changes as it is retold. I just want to set the record straight. Yes, my husband is leaving Cracker Barrel since his position is being eliminated. However, we are NOT moving to Honduras, nor have we had any intentions or plans to do so. Richard and the boys had simply planned on going on a mission trip with our church group this summer. Since we'd already paid for the air line tickets before we got word about the job loss, the guys are still planning to go and are actively raising support for their trip.

We may be moving, but right now there is no plan, other than to get our house ready to market.

Vacation Fun on the FUN SHIP!

Our home school group planned a Western Caribbean cruise for over a year. We had nearly 120 people who went on this cruise last week. My brother Jason graduated 2 days before we departed. He has worked about 8 years to earn his Master's of Divinity from Lipscomb University. To celebrate, he and Sunny joined us on this trip. We ported in Mobile, AL on Monday and headed south to Cozumel and Calica Mexico. It was one of the best vacations ever because it was soooo relaxing. We highly recommend cruising to relax and see the beauty of God's creation. Here are some pics and highlights of our week:

Early Morning Sunrise

Catamaran Sailboat Snorkel Adventure near Calica Mexico

One of the few family photos during the trip (the kids were always with friends) At the port in Cozumel, Mexico - First time the kids set foot in a foreign country.

Hope discovers guacamole at Nachi Cocum Beach. It was the best we've ever tasted!

Hope and her fins at Nachi Cocum Beach
Jason and Sunny kayaking at Nachi Cocum

Every night our room steward created a towel creature, here's a monkey, one of many!
Jason and Sunny on Formal Night
Ethan and his best pal, Josh Archer, on Formal Night
Dad and Hope on Formal Night

The ice sculptures were incredible!
My funny Bro, clowning around on the ride home.

Here we are with one of our waiters, Dragon, who has a 4 month old son waiting at home. The crew works extremly hard. This was the first time Hope has actually thought about how hard some people have to work and she actually teared up a few times when she thought of Dragon, his hard job, and his baby boy back home.

It was such a fantastic trip and we have a lot of pleasant memories. We can't wait to to this again as soon as possible.

The End of a Chapter

Some of you already know our family news. After serving 18 years as Network Manager for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Richard will be leaving his job for good next Thursday. We found out his position, along with another manager's, was to be eliminated. The news came a few days before we were to go on the school cruise. The vacation could not have come at a better time for our family. We were able to relax and not worry too much about our situation. (I plan to post about our vacation later) But it's back to reality this week and it has been difficult for both of us to accept the uncertainty that lies before us.

We are in the phase of life where we use and consume more than ever before. Ethan is now a senior and wants to attend college somewhere next year. I cook all the time, and there are rarely leftovers to save for later. This spring, the kids could hardly wear anything from last year, they had grown so much (Micah has to be at least 6' tall now). Then there are all the home school classes, books, expenses and the transporting back and forth.

I know that God must have a plan for our family. I don't doubt He will provide because He has never let us down. I will admit that knowing is a lot different than believing though. I think this is going to be a lot thougher than I first imagined.

We are certain that we are at the end of another chapter in our lives. It is exciting and frightening at the same time. While I'm thankful for the good job Richard has worked at the past 2 decades, I can't help be angry at the unfairness for him through this decision. He's been a dedicated, hard working employee, whom many admire and yet this is the way he is treated? However, we won't dwell in the past and will try to remain positive and focus on our future, and hope the next chapter is a good one.

Please pray for us, especially Richard.....

WSMV's Better Nashville TV Debut

Hey Folks,

Below are links to the Mother's Day Brunch (Cinnamon Rolls) segment which was taped here at our house this week. The segment was divided into 2 parts, so you have to click on each link to see the complete airing. Ironically, we didn't get to see all of it live because the storm knocked our power out just long enough to miss part of the first segment.

http://www.wsmv.com/video/16138959/index.html

http://www.wsmv.com/video/16138787/index.html

Thanks for watching! Now I gotta go make a chocolate peanut butter cake, and other picnic items.

Tara's Kitchen Goes Mid-State

Monday was a nice day here and Hope spent some time digging in the dirt and adopting a pet snail. She made a home for it in a bowl and set it outside on the back porch. While I had snails and dirt on my kitchen counter. The phone rang.

I answered the phone and was suprised to hear our school administrator's (Katrina) voice since we finished all our duties last week. Katrina's grown daughter Kacy produces a show on Channel 4 call Better. They were looking for someone to prepare some Mother's Day brunch food for the camera and they wanted to know if I would be interested. The problem was, I'd have less about 18 hours to get my nasty kitchen clean and organized, plan a menu, shop for food, and prepare for the event. I asked if they were sure they wanted me, since at the moment I still had dirt and snails on the kitchen counter. I asked for 10 min's to think about it. I called my husband and he said, "Yes, go for it!"

I started delegating the house chores to the children and set off to Kroger. When I got back the kids had made a dent in the grime. I also called my dear friend Gwendolyn to see if she could come over and arrange my knick knacks above the cabinets to make it look a little better. Ethan mopped the floor. Micah cleaned the bathrooms and vacuumed. Richard came home and started helping. The windows got washed, the light fixtures cleaned, the cob webs got knocked down, and at midnight we all collapsed into bed.

I think I got myself into this because of my Cinnamon rolls. I have been making them frequently and had taken a batch to school a couple of weeks ago. I don't particularly feel like I have done anything special. I have simply found the right recipe that sends people into a happy trance when they begin eating them.

Channel 4 sent Jennifer Heron, Kacy Hagerty, and a cameraman to our house here in 'Possum Town TN and filmed for nearly 3 hours while I proceeded to work with 3 different batches of roll dough at 3 different phases of the process! Hope joined me in the cooking and Micah joined in the tasting for the camera. So by the time Tuesday was over, I had gone through 10 pounds of flour, 4 pounds of powdered sugar, almost a gallon of milk, and a lot of other stuff in the kitchen.

This segment is set to air tomorrow at 1pm on Channel 4 WSMV. Initially the segment was to be 3 min's but it may end up being 2- 3 minute segments.

I sent each person from the TV station away with their own pan of rolls. They ate some on the way back to the station and the rest were eaten by the staff. They are considering coming out again sometime to do another segement sometime in the future! I still can't believe this really happened to me!!!

I will post pictures or links tomorrow after the segment airs. There's a chance it might get bumped to next week. More info to follow.