Spring is coming

Well, that is what people keep telling me. I am no expert on weather but it snowed yesterday and it supposed to be 63 today-I believe Mother Nature is bipolar. We have had lots of fun stuff happening. We got 42 baby chicks (well, half were 2 weeks old, and half were 2 days old). Adam and his friend, Andrew, finished building the chicken condo and half of the baby chickens were able to move out of the basement. Half have been growing for a couple of weeks and are ready to go out any day. I was going to send them outside on Wednesday but there was a flood and then snow so we left them in for another couple of days. They should be good to go outside today though (thank goodness). Adam has had tons of seeds arrive for the garden so he is pretty excited. He is going to some kind of tree workshop in April. He is planning on planting pecan and apple trees this year-maybe peach if he can find some. We also got a puppy. Granted, I am not a huge dog fan, but Elvis stays outside so we are getting along quite well.

We are heading to Philadelphia next week for Weston to have a heart cath. We have mixed feelings about putting him through another procedure but we need answers. His episodes are scary. We are always worried about brain damage, heart failure, or even death during them. We know he is in good hands there and hopefully, we will have a plan after this.

We're here

Gosh our weeks are busy. This is the first semester of Adam going to school 2 nights a week and it has taken quite a bit of getting used to. Adam and I just aren't the kind of couple that go do their own thing a lot, so this is all new for me. I should also add that we have never spent a night apart other than for him to work or one of us to stay at the hospital with Weston. Last weekend, we went to The Art of Marriage Conference and it was great. We have known so many couples that have gotten divorced in the past few years-it almost made us paranoid. One of the big things that they talked about was making time for each other away from the kids. That is probably where we fail the biggest. Every year, I say we are going to start leaving the kids more and doing stuff together-then that year comes and goes. We did leave the kids overnight for the first time ever in December to go do something other than go to the hospital and have a baby. That is progress. The church downtown does a Parents Night Out one night a month so we might try to start doing that again. Note that I said might. I am still a little germophobic right now and everyone posting about their kids throwing up constantly, does not help at all.

I have been teaching Creative Writing at the homeschool co-op and I love it. My kids are great. I was a little afraid of them at first but they really are very sweet and hardworking. I hope to teach again next year-possibly even teaching a Health/Nutrition class (yes, I might ACTUALLY use my degree =).

I also recently started selling Scenty Wickless Candles. I have loved them since college and wanted something to do that would make me have to socialize with other adults. Scentsy offers all kinds of really cute warmers that you plug in and then scented wax gets heated up. It never gets more than 1 degree above body temperature so there is no risk of getting burned. There is no open flame and because the wax never evaporates from the warmer, there is no risk of fire. Let me know if you would like to host a party! Basket parties seem to be super popular right now. I send you some testers, catalogs, you take the orders, and then bring everything back to me. You get tons of hostess rewards. I can even mail these and you can mail them back (prepaid of course) Here is the website if you would like more info https://juliekeeton.scentsy.us/Home

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

I made cheeseburger meatloaf a few weeks ago and since then, everyone has asked for the recipe. Weston said it is his favorite meal ever and Easton has requested it for his birthday dinner. It is so delicious. You could sub in half turkey for a much healthier meal.

3lbs of ground meat
4 eggs
1/4 cup-1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 bag of chopped onions and peppers defrosted and drained
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup of oats
about 1/2 cup bbq sauce
mix thoroughly

I put it all in my Pampered Chef baker that I love, love, love. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 400 until done. I think I baked it for close to 45 minutes. We do not eat soggy meatloaf-yuck yuck yuck. Anyways, then slice 2 onions and melt some butter in a sauce pan-add a little salt and a little pepper and cook the onions in the butter until they are brown-this part seems to take forever but the browner they are, the yummier. Then, top the meatloaf with the onions and with more cheese (If you add more cheese, shove it under the broiler for a minute). You can top it with ketchup or bbq sauce.

Lot's of NEW

The whole month of January was sucha crazy whirlwind. Weston's episodes got worse and we were told he probably needs surgery again soon. I haven't even started thinking about that because, to be honest, I am just hoping for a miracle. I know that sounds crazy-but after the past year, I am not sure that our family can endure another surgery. I know we can do all things through Christ but we are in serious need of a break.

Then, Abby got kidnapped by her father. It's a long story but the police were able to get her back for us. He hadn't seen her in 15 months so now he claims he is going to fight us in court for custody (I know there is a fiery seat somewhere for him but I digress). Nancy decided that if he does go after custody, she will be on our side-which was a nice change of events. He showed up at court the week after but, as far as I know, hasn't filed any papers. I hope he is just all talk but if he isn't, we want to make sure we are able to have a solid legal defense.

There is also all of the everyday stuff. Adam now goes to school Tuesday and Wednesday nights leaving me alone with the kids. I know lots of spouses spend time away from each other but Adam and I realy never have. I know it sounds terrible but I get lonely.

Mondays we go to co-op. I love my class and the kids seem to be enjoying theirs. I even get an "off" hour to do whatever I want. Most of the time, I go play with Sutton in the nursery after I feed Avery. Sutton needs that mommy time the most right now. Tuesday morning is our Library/errand time (soon to be Zumba time) and Tuesday afternoon the girls have dance at the church right around the corner. Tuesday night Adam has class so the evening is spend giving baths and fixing dinner. Wednesday mornings will soon by my errand time, then Zumba, dinner, and church. I go to a Mom's group and we are reading the book "Raising Girls". The women in my class are older but seem to have lots of insight. It is a neat mix. Thursdays are our day off. We occasionally try to go to Earthfare to eat because kids eat free and I usually have the weekly free thing coupon. Adam's new work schedule has him off on Fridays. I am not sure if he is happy about that or not. I try to cram every doctors appointment in that way. Let's face it, taking 6 to the doctor is awful. There is no way to sugar coat it. It is hard. I leave sweaty and if there was a place to tie tubes right next door to my Ped office, I would have had them tied long ago. So, I think it is onyl fair that Adam now shares the task of appointments with me =) This also helps him know what is going on with the kids, especially Weston. I also go to Zumba on Saturday mornings. What is up with all of this exercise you ask? I used to love to run. I still might love it if I could find childcare and time to run long runs. So, until I find the time and childcare, Zumba is great. They have childcare, it's only an hour long, and it is a nice break from the kids. If you haven't tried it, I highly suggest it!

Bath and Body Works

This is a great deal from Groupon to get either a 20 dollar gift certificate for 10 dollars or a 30 dollar one for 15 dollars. It is a great deal!
http://www.groupon.com/asheville/?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=affiliate_link&utm_source=uu12651262

Keeton Birthdays

When Adam and I first set out upon this wonderful journey of parenting, I was completely against combined birthdays. Of course, we only had 1 child at the time and the thought of combining my little prince's birthday with another sibling was just unacceptable. 6 children later-2 born within a day of each other in February (yes Jen, Emery and sweet Luke share a bday), 1 in June, and 3 in late August/September-the time to combine has come.



In the past couple of years, we have started the combining by having Easton and Emery's party together, and Weston and Abby also shared this past year. Sutton's birthday is in June so he didn't get to share with anyone.



Keeton birthdays are a big deal. We are blessed with tons of family and lots of friends that we love like family. We have been told multiple times "Just invite family to the birthdays". That works fine for some but it doesn't really help us. We have a huge family (I have 2 sisters, Adam has 1 sister, we have 5 nieces and nephews, 12 Aunts and Uncles, multiple cousins, grandparents, etc) that live right here and although the Harless side of the family isn't too big, Adam and I have friends that we consider right up there with family.



To make the kids actual birthday special, we always do a special birthday dinner and homemade cake with just us. Then, the weekend of their birthday, we take them to a special restaurant of their choice-it is always Red Lobster. We don't really do presents because we want the kids to appreciate their family and friends just getting together to celebrate their birthday. If we find a gift that we think they would like, it has to be something that all of the kids will enjoy or play with. Easton got a John Deere ride on one year, Weston got a train table, Sutton got a climber thing, and Emery really hasn't gotten a big gift yet. This year may be her year and she may get a dollhouse. Even though the boys won't enjoy it, Abby and Avery will love it.

So, now to pick a theme for the combined party in September. The boys want Superhero's and the girls want Princesses or Pink Kitty (which is Em and Abby speak for HELLO KITTY-the very best cartoon character of all time).

White Chicken Chili

OK it should really be called red, white, and green chili but it is super yummy.

1 chicken shredded (normally I bake 1 but tonight I got a smoked one from Food City for only 3.99)
1 onion chopped
2 tablespoons of garlic
2 cans of tomatoes (tonight I used tomatoes with jalepenos)
8 cans of white beans (or a mixture of red, white, and black-whatever you like)
1 chopped chili in adobo sauce (optional-it adds a little heat but a ton of smokey flavor)
2 boxes of chicken broth
1 packet of white chicken chili seasoning
1 pack of frozen chopped spinach

First, I defrost the spinach and wring it out. In a giant pot, I sautee and garlic and onions in a little olive oil and add the spinach. Let that cook until the onion is soft. Then, I drain 6 of the cans of beans. I add the chicken, drained cans of beans, 2 full cans of beans, chicken broth, tomatoes, chili in adobo, and the seasoning packet. Simmer on low for an hour or so. If it is too thin, I take a cup or so out and run it through the food processor to puree it and then add it back to the pot.

This freezes beautifully and I make batches and freeze for a quick lunch. I serve it with a cheese quesadilla for the kids to dip into it.