My blog has been hacked!!!!

Sorry everyone - Chris hacked my blog yesterday and I was soooooo busy all day that I didn't notice until he texted me and said "you better check your blog".  You were all so curious about "my fav scene" so I don't want to let you all down, so, this is one of my favs...true love is crazy!!!

My fav scene...

We survived the hurricane!!!

The most amazing thing about last night was that WE NEVER LOST POWER!!!  Neighborhoods all around us lost power, some still have no power, but we never lost power.  Storms are so much easier to weather when you have lights and sound and all the things you are used to.  I do believe that the hurricane would have been  - mentally - much worse had the power gone out.  So, we had a drawing contest...the winner is still to be determined.  We baked cookies...there is nothing better than making cookies to take your mind off of the wind screaming outside, the rain pounding the windows, and the trees taunting you with their every bend.  Chris, Brandon and Trevor worked outside in the hurricane, putting up tarps and digging trenches away from the house to stop the leaks we were experiencing in the basement.  They were successfull.....

The slide from the kids jungle gym was Trevor's idea to direct the water away from the house....that's my boyscout!!! 

Daddy's trench was a success - glad he was the one to dig up the yard and not one of the boys - hahaha.... 

Trevor also thought of the idea of putting the skim boards in front of one of the basement windows to keep the window from leaking...so inventive.... 

They had some fun while they worked too....

When Chris and the boys finally finished outside, we had warm cookies and milk.  Then, we watched the news....until we realized that everyone just kept repeating the same thing over and over and over and over again.  At that point, Chris and the older boys turned on a movie, and the twins and Elli and Joshua and I headed to the basement where we read books and went to sleep (with one eye open that is;)). 

I am glad it is over, and I hope I never have to be in another hurricane - especially if it is bigger than the one last night.  Today we will do minor clean-up, as we are still forecasted to have rain and wind all day, and catch up on the sleep we didn't get last night.  Thank you everyone who prayed for us last night...there is no doubt in my mind that our power was sustained by an extension cord from Heaven. 

 

Race Bannon's Post....

UPDATE:
Chris and I just returned from the grocery store, and I have to say that all of this is very surreal.  After a summer of tourists and traffic, to see the streets and stores empty is spooky.  Top that with stores and houses boarded up and you get absolutely surreal.  My thoughts and my prayers right now are with the people already being hit by the hurricane.  What an adventurous life the Bannons lead...
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I haven't had time to blog anything due to how busy I have been with  football, getting ready to start school, earthquakes, hurricane irene....so, I decided to post Chris' blog post here because he has had plenty of time to blog ;).  On Chris' blog he is known as Race Bannon, and I am Mrs. Bannon and our family is the Bannons.  So, without further adieu...

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Okay, serious now...

The east coast is absolutely prepared. Politicians have been way out in front of this...but like Katrina, I know there are many in the inner cities who just don't get it. They live in public housing, receive welfare credit cards, government job training for jobs they never apply for...and they are incapable of surviving on their own.

But enough about them, if the storm is bad, you will hear and see them on the news...

The Bannons, however, are ready:

With no time to catch our breath after the "oh-eleven" earthquake, we are at battle stations.

- We brought in the lawn furniture (never again!)

- The wind chimes (even the big one, thanks Mom and Dad and Sis) are in

- The vehicles are full of gas

- Plenty of food, and plenty of propane if gas gets cut off

- All water containers are full, freezers full of ice

- Tubs are full of water

- Candles at the ready, batteries for flashlights

- Plenty of first aid kits

- Sat phone (benefits of the job)

- Mag's loaded and plenty of ammo, 'case the Zombies get any ideas

Having Boy scouts and a Civil Air Patrol Ranger helps.

The one thing I didn't do - buy a generator. It was on my list, but at the bottom.

The power back here on the east coast seems to go out every storm. So we may grab our go bags, and head to a hotel with a pool and continental breakfast for a mini-vacation...haven't decided yet. We're watching to see how much it degrades over NC and VA...

 

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My husband....always the comedian even during hurricanes (did I mention that Chris' first encounter with a hurricane was during PT training at the FBI Academy - outdoor torture during Hurricane Eduardo - after that he looks hurricanes in the face and laughs - HAHAHAHAHA)  ;)

 

Anywho...Elli and I did manage to fit in a pedicure during all this hullabaloo...

 

Are those chubby feet cute or what?

Just a shout out....

Thank you Chris for being such an awesome Dad and husband....

 

...and, thank you Dad - Steve - for being such a great Father-in-law, and Papa - I love you....

I love Lucy....and her beautiful family!!!

Meet my beautiful friend Lucy....

I love the Anne of Green Gables books.  I love the way Anne Shirley talks in the books.  Anne Shirley is passionate when she speaks.  She truly chooses her words carefully.  Anne uses words like "alabaster brow", "rose-leaf complexion", and "jet black tresses" to describe things or people that she loves.  Chris and the boys love to make fun of how Anne speaks.  I love the words Anne uses when describing her true friends.  She uses the phrase "bosom friend" and "kindred spirit".  Those are the words I would use to describe Lucy.... 

We met Lucy, her husband, Ralph, and their 3 beautiful children in 2006.  Josiah is their oldest son, he is a year younger than my Brandon, but he loves flying and airplanes just like Brandon.  Emily is Trevor's age, actually I think she is a year older than Trevor (I do remember some teasing on this subject), but she and Trevor have very similar personalities.  Sammy is a year younger than Joshua, and he and Joshua are pretty much the same kid.  I listen to Sammy tell stories and I think "how can there be two kids like this?".  Lucy is.....gosh words to describe Lucy.....there are too many good ones to list!!  She is an amazing person and a truly amazing friend.  When Lucy and I met it was as if we had known each other all our lives.  We just connected....she is my bosom friend and a truly kindred spirit!! 

We were all so thrilled when we found out that "The Vandecruzes" - as my kids call them - were coming to visit us.  Me especially ;)!!  The twins and Elli had never met them - we have "doubled our load of kids" (as Ralph put it) since we left Arizona - but they were certain they had memories of them based on all the stories they hear about The Vandecruzes, and couldn't wait to see them.  We had so much fun!!!  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner tastes so much better when you have friends to share it with....

We taught them one of our favorite games - the dictionary game - and stayed up late playing.... 

Of course we had a big camp out downstairs for all the boys.... 

The twins loved playing dress-up with Sammy - I wish I had pictures of that!!  They spent hours chasing each other in cowboy clothes, or police clothes, or pirate clothes - always with a gun in one hand ;)!!  The twins loved having The Vandecruzes stay with us!! 

Jason loved Ralph - he is still talking about Ralph playing the guitar on our back deck ;)....

I am so sad that we live so far away from my friend and her beautiful family.... 

Thank you, Vandecruze family, for visiting us!!  We so love you guys and miss you guys!!!

Peanut Butter anyone?

Peanut butter and bacon are two of our family's most favorite foods.  We eat a lot of peanut butter....not so much bacon (although it is always part of our Saturday morning breakfast)....but a lot of peanut butter!!!  What I hate about our love of peanut butter is that the really good peanut butter - the stuff without all the sugar, hydrogenated oils, mono and diglyscerides, salt, and other additives - is sooo expensive.  So, today when I saw the buy one 3 lb. bag of peanuts for 5$ and get one free deal, I bought 6 lbs (10$) and got 6 lbs for free.  What am I going to do with 12 lbs of peanuts?

I am going to put them into these containers.... 

In my house, we totally support the exploitation of child labor, and my children actually enjoy helping.  So....AWAY WITH THE SHELLS.... 

Now comes either the really exciting part....or....the really disappointing part.  I know we are eating healthier by making our own peanut butter.  All we do is put the nuts in a blender (at some point I need to get a food processor - or a heavy duty blender ;)) and add a little olive oil to make it creamy.  But, am I really saving any money?  Look at how many nuts came from a 3 lb bag....

Chris weighed it out and we got about 2 lbs of actual nuts from a 3 lb bag....

The containers in the above picture hold 24 oz.  A 26 oz. jar of "healthy" store-bought peanut butter costs $5.99 or more.  So....how many ounces will our 2 lbs of peanuts make, and are we saving money by making our own peanut butter?  Let's ask the home schooled kid....

Joshua says that if I paid 10$ for 12 lbs of peanuts, then 3 lbs of peanuts - or one bag - costs $2.50.  If we can fill the 24 oz jar with the peanut butter we make from the 2 lbs of peanuts we got from the 3 lb bag of peanuts, then we will have made 24 oz of healthy peanut butter for $2.50, AND....we saved money....

I had my doubts when I started pulverizing the nuts in the blender....

....but in the end, the 24 oz container was filled to the very tippy top!!!!

There you have it....our homemade healthy jar of peanut butter for $2.50. 

My kids can't wait to shell the other 3 bags!!!

I am editing this post after reading the update to the story I gave you the link to this morning.  You can read the update HERE.
 
I heard a scripture during Bible study this past Sunday that literally blew my mind:

2Corinthians12:9-10 ~ "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."


On any given day it is pretty impossible for me to imagine how powerful God is - and I have tried to wrap my mind around how big God is (especially when my little - and big - kiddos are asking me questions about God, faith, and their futures) ....it truly is unfathomable - but to think that that unfathomable power is made "perfect" in weakness, is truly mind blowing.  When I read the update for little Katie-bird, that scripture was quickened to my mind and heart.  What must God's perfect power be like?  Oh to only see...........
 
This story may give us a glimpse into God's power....truly, Katie is weak....she is weak in body, Spirit, and power over her situation....but God's power is made "perfect" in her weakness.....I don't know about you, but this is better than any suspense movie or soap opera on TV.....I will be staying tuned!!   *********************************************************************************
I had a blog post all ready for today, but I am going to post it tomorrow.  Last night I talked to my sister-in-law, Hope.  She does foster care, and the stories I hear from her are always a tug on my heart.  Today I read Patti's Blog, and I was brought to my knees in tears.  My little Reagan just woke up, and he is snuggled up on my lap.  As I sit here holding my little miracle, my heart aches for the little miracles in the stories that I have heard and read about in the last 12 hours.  My heart is so heavy with grief for all the little miracles all over the world that will never know the love, peace, and comfort that my little guy knows right now.  Please go HERE and pray with me today for this little girl and her family to be. 

Elli loves Minnie

Elli learned to say Minnie this past weekend - actually, she says "Mimmi".  It was so sweet to see her make the connection between the word and the mouse!!  She loves her Minnie Mouse....

So much so that she was willing to share her Graham cracker with her.... 

Blocks and Lincoln Logs....probably one of the best classic toys.  Does anybody ever really outgrow building with blocks and Lincoln Logs?  I know I haven't.  My kids go through building phases....most of the time, Legos is the preferred building material - which is really cool and I will sometimes join in and build with the twins.  There are times, however, when the classic blocks and Lincoln Logs make an appearance, and I am quickly reminded of how cool these building toys are.  As a kid, I would spend hours with my Lincoln Logs.  For the past couple of days my kids (and myself;)) have been busy building towers and houses and towns....

Joshua loves building with JENGA blocks....

The little dude on the top is "Ray" - he is a little character that has been in this family since Brandon was a little baby, and he has always been a preferred toy.... 

Elli was very good about waiting until her brother gave her the OK before unleashing her destructive swipes at his towers.... 

Joshua didn't miss out on building part of the Lincoln Log village - he built the snow house up on the mountains (or staircase;)).... 

Trevor, Jason and Reagan built the Town down in the valley (below the staircase).... 

On the outskirts of their Town in the valley was an Indian Village, and a dolphin aquarium.... 

I think I should change the name of my blog to "This Family's Got Talent!"!!

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Edited to add Brandon's creation of the Pony Express Hotel....

Joshua said he added one of the roof pieces and should therefore be allowed to be photographed with the Hotel.... 

One of our other favorite pasttimes these days has been playing Bananagrams.  It is a very fast paced version of Scrabble.  In one round of Bananagrams, Brandon managed to spell "Antidisestablishmentarianism".  I figured that a picture of that should be included in the blog about

"This Family's Got Talent!"!! 

Very Impressive!!!