Thursday, June 12, 2008

Paintball fever

We have a fever running around on the homestead and it's called paintball!! Yes you heard right paintball. Mike and I went to my Aunt Cecia's home several month's a go and her adult children were playing paintball in the woods that surround her home. They tried to get Mike to play but he wouldn't, he decided to play cook for the Army!

After dinner he finally got talked into playing. One game was all it took! He had the fever. He searched high and low for a Tippman A-5 gun for a great price. He found a package on e-bay for a wonderful price purchased it and the next weekend here we are off to my Aunt Cecia's home. He loves playing and since he has no real hobby I completely stand behind him. I enjoy going to my aunts and spending time with her and my cousins also.

Well my nephew Dale has now gotten the fever. He came with us one weekend and that was it for him. He had a gun but not an A-5 like the rest so my Mom his Nana bought him a used one that was in great shape. He loves playing and it's great to see him and Mike having fun, running around like 2 small kids and just having a great day with family.

Well my 6 year old nephew William can't be left out. Dale gave him his old gun. He is so funny. He will watch Mike and Dale play and see how they hide behind trees and such to try and not get hit with the paintball's. He then will imitate them. He had a ball on Monday night "playing" paintball with Mike and Dale. They just had their guns with no air or paintball's. They let him try and shoot at them. He hit Mike 3 times a least. He would try and do the same things as they did the night before!

That makes me realize more and more that our children really look at you to see how to live their life. It's scary and I pray that God will help me live a life in front of Joey that will not hinder him!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Joey's talking!

Joey's first words were Mama then bye bye the last weekend he started saying Dada. During the week he started saying papa! He tries so hard to talk. He mumbles and tries to say nannie but just can't just yet!!

Family loses

Daddy past away a year ago on Feb. 22nd. This past Friday his brother Robert Fisher passed away. And on Saturday March 1st his sister Mildred Gill passed away. Our family has been hit with many deaths in the last year and a half. It started with my Mommas brother Edwin Williamson passing on September 10th 2006 then I found out I was pregnant with Joey not long after. My Daddy passed in February 22nd 2007 and 3 days later on Sunday Feb. 25th my Aunt Cecelia's husband Joe Juliano passed away. and now Daddy's other 2 siblings have passed.

It has been a hard year!! Yesterday was very hard for me since I've not really mourned Daddy's passing due to being pregnant with Joey then having him. With Daddy's sister's passing it really hit me my Daddy's not coming back! Daddy was the back bone of the family and I miss him so much! It's so hard to for me to know that Daddy will never hold my child (he did know about that I was pregnant and having a boy named after him and his father Joe) Joseph Richard Bulger will know his grandfather. I will teach him about Papa and he will grow up knowing how Papa did this or that and living on the land he wanted his grandchildren to grow up on! Seeing the buildings that Papa built with his own hands or the fruit trees he planted. I don't want him to feel he missed out knowing Papa. I want him to know more about Papa than he would have if Papa would have seen him!! I feel such pride when recently he started to say Papa!!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Our weekend

We had a nice weekend. The girls came over Friday night and stayed until Sunday around 3:30. They went to work with their Daddy on Saturday. They came home dirty and tired from doing "nothing". Must be nice!! We stayed outside for a little bit while they played in the dirt and ran around.

Mike was so tired he look a nap till 8:30 p.m. Katie and I made supper. We had a chicken casserole and garlic toast. She helped a lot. She mixed the garlic and butter together and buttered the bread to go into the oven. She mixed all the ingredients together for the casserole also.

Kathy and William played games on the computer till it was supper time. We let Mike sleep since he was so tired. Katie also set the table with some instruction on my part. I think all girls should know how to set the table. It's very sad when they have no clue what a salad fork is or how it differs from a dinner fork!

Sunday we sleep in for a bit. Joey really sleep in~~~~he woke at 10:30 a.m.!!! We ate, cleaned up and then played outside till 2:30! Joey had a blast in his walker. Mike tilled the chicken pen up and the garden spot. I bought some mustard green seeds and some pansy's. Mike and I planted the greens and the girls planted the flowers! Funny to see two "city" girls get their fingers dirty! OH YUCK was heard more than one time!! Gotta get that "city" out of them!!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

The van

Well we hope to get the van back on Monday. They have to replace the radiator and the thermostat.

Mom and I went shopping. She had to make 2 quick stops one to get her meds and the other to pick up a few good sale items I found at Food Lion this morning. Then went to Wally World. Gotta love the place~~~~ Everyone is in a hurry and tries to run over you or cut in line. But we got what we needed and got out!!

Van is down

Since Daddy has been gone we have been driving Mom's van. Well this morning I took Mike to work and went to Food Lion to get a few things. When I turned onto our road the van acted a little sluggish. When I got half way down our street the check engine light came on and the temp. gage went up. I let it cool down and Mom and I put water in not a whole lot. We could see it dripping antifreeze after we pulled it up to get out of the puddle of water from the water hose.

It's now at the Ford dealership. I pray it's nothing major!!

It's cold and rainy here today. Want to just sit inside and keep warm.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Busy Friday

Today was busy. I went to work at 5:30 am. I did my morning run and was done by 9 am. Went home washed a load of rugs, sweep the floor and mopped the floor. Picked up Joey's toy's and made the bed. Bless his heart he was so sleepy he went to sleep and didn't wake up till 12:30 even thought he sleep till 8:30 am! I was going to vacuum but couldn't since he was asleep. So I'll do that in the morning.

It was so cold today. (I know we live in Florida and it doesn't get real cold to some folks up north but to me it was cold!!) It took the floor forever to dry. Joey was on the floor just after I mopped and he crawled across the floor and the only dry spots were where his sleeper dried the floor as he crawled!!

His "bus granny" gave us 2 quarts of whipping cream. Her daughter gave her some and she didn't need all of them so she blessed us with some. I'll make some sausage gravy with some, but will have to figure out what wonderful things I'll make with the rest! YUMMY

Tonight we had wings for supper. My Momma, Mike, Joey and I went out to Fast Boys wings. They were good! Joey of course flirted with a small girl around 7 years old. She won him a stuffed animal from the grab machine. I thought it was so nice of her! She was so shy, Mike let her hold Joey. He was in heaven, he loves attention.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

William's "girls"

Mike's two youngest daughter's Katie and Kathy are always called "my girls" by William. When he was younger we would say "We are getting the girls this weekend" so when he was old enough to talk he would call them his "girls". At 5 he is just know calling them by there names! He still calls them his "girls" but when talking to them he will now at least call by there first name. So when I say my girls you know it's Katie and Kathy!

Sleep overs

Katie and Kathy are here for the weekend. Yesterday we went to the baby shower for my cousin Sabrina. It was held at the Golden Corral. They loved it. All the desert they could eat.....what kid wouldn't like that!!

When I came home I put on supper which was VERY good! I posted the recipe yesterday. I also made black beans and rice with it.

Our friend Mickey and her daughter Dannie came over to visit. They live about 40 minutes away in Middleburg. Dannie spent the night with the girls. And then of course my 5 year old nephew had to spend the night also with "the girls".

We had grits and eggs this morning for breakfast. YUMM_OH The left overs went to the chickens. They love to feed the chickens. It's so funny to watch children that's not been raised around animals grow to love them.

I have to make a run to Sams today. Need to get milk, bread, grits, water and baby formula. I can't wait for Joey to stop having to have formula! It's 20 bucks at Sams for their brand which is much cheaper than anywhere else. I'm so glad he can use it, some babies are too picky on what they can eat. Thankfully not him!!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Rainy Saturday

Today it's raining already. It's 5 a.m. and already coming down in sheets. It's also cold, for Florida anyway!!

I have lots to do today. I have to get a baby shower gift, go to the baby shower, take Mike to work, get the girls ready and showered for the shower, cook supper and clean the house. I'm already tired just writing that!

I'm making Ropa Vieja (old Clothes) the recipe is as follows. I got it off of the following web site!
http://www.daisycooks.com It is so good!!! Yummy with some black beans and rice or just with rice!

One 2 ¼ to 2 ½ pound chuck roast or two 1 ¼ pound flank steaks 2 teaspoons fine sea or kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the beefFreshly ground pepperOnion powder3 tablespoons canola oil ½ cup Sofrito¼ teaspoon ground cuminTwo 8-ounce cans Spanish-style tomato sauce1 ½ cups water 3 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives 2 bay leaves4 celery stalks, with leaves, cut into ¼-inch dice 3 medium carrots, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Pound the chuck roast or flank steaks out with a heavy meat mallet until about ½ inch thick. Season both sides of the beef generously with salt, pepper and onion powder.
2. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof, heavy skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the beef and cook it until well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain or spoon off most of the fat from the pan. Stir in the sofrito, 2 teaspoons salt, and the cumin and bring to a boil. Depending on how much oil was left in the pan, you may have to add a little olive oil to give the mix a nice, creamy texture. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, alcaparrado or olives, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover the dish and bake until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork, about 2 ½ hours. Let stand in the sauce until cool enough to handle.
4. Shred the meat coarsely by hand or using two forks. Return it to the sauce and add the celery and carrots. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook a few minutes more. Watch the liquid as it cooks, and add more broth of water as needed.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Michelle

Well just before Michelle's birthday I wrote how it was gonna kill me to see her leave after graduation. Well it came sooner! She told her Dad she was 18 and leaving to move in with her boyfriend. I dearly HATE it but what can you do?? She is 18 and is "grown". I just pray she does finish school.

It really hurt Mike as she blamed him for things. But they are not true. I feel if she thought she was grown up enough to leave then she should have just said..."I want to leave because I'm grown" and not be childish and blame others for your desires!

Mike has been nothing but good to her and for her to "slap" her father in the face with this is just to much to bear! I have to put it in the back of my brain some days because it really gets to me!

But like most parents you just go on knowing you done YOUR very best to raise the child and hope they remember the raising they got!

Joey

Joey will be 8 months tomorrow! Man has time flown by. He is pulling up walking around the sofa and end tables. It will not be long and he will be walking! I bought him a new car seat for the school bus. His old one was getting too little . This new seat he sits up higher and can see out the window. He thinks he is the king of the castle. He would not take a nap all afternoon on the P.M. run.

My bus attendant, his "bus granny" said he just looked out the window and laughed all afternoon! He was just too excited. It could have been the new car seat or the new bus we have. My bus was ready for the bus grave yard. So we got a new flat nose bus. It is soooo long. All the children was excited to be on the new bus.