Announcing the Arrival of Kittens!

Callie finally had her kittens yesterday!
I mentioned her in my Friday Fave Five post.
I took this picture on March 20.
She got a lot bigger after this picture. Bless her heart - I thought she was going to pop!

She is so proud of her sweet babies!

She actually had five kittens. Three were so tiny that they didn't make it. I cried when I found them. I have a big soft heart when it comes to anything baby! These two are so big that you would think they are a week old. They are very strong and moving around the box. Callie instincts are so amazing. She had her kittens outside under some leaves beside the garage. I think the stray dogs that came up in the yard Sunday night frightened her so bad that she started having her kittens. It broke my heart yesterday when she kept going back to where she had them and searched for the other three. I fixed her a box, with some old shirts that I was saving for a yard sale, inside our storage building where she would be safe and warm.

It's just like a new mama to want to show off her babies!

Baby kittens are so sweet!

Lesa

Friday's Fave Five

Wow! Where did this week go? It's already Friday again and time for Susanne's Friday's Fave Five. It's been a slow week around my house. I'm still recouping from surgery.

Here's my list for the week:

1. Crystal Light Pomegranate Lemonade - This stuff has to be addicting. I love it! I have started drinking more water and feel so much better with more energy. I've been cutting back on the number of Dr. Pepper's I used to drink. I was up 3 or 4 a day in December. Now I drink one a day and drink lots of Crystal Light. I have lost 16 pounds since Christmas. There is only one problem with drinking more water......


2. Smokehouse Black Pepper - This pepper is so good on black eyed peas, white beans, green beans, or anything that needs a little extra smokey flavor.


3. Sweet Potato Vine - I started this several weeks ago and this week it seemed to just pop out with leaves. My Aunt always has one of these growing in her kitchen.


4. Sister Schubert's Rolls - Oh my! The package says - just warm and serve. It should also say - will add inches to your behind - so go ahead and attach them to your rear end with duct tape! It also states - heat only as many as you need. I don't "need" any of these but I "want" to eat half the package when they come out of the oven.....

5. Lamentations 3:21-22 - “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
These verses have been stuck in my head and heart all week. Isn't it great to have something new every morning? This is a good reason to get out of bed some mornings!
Lesa

Friday's Fave Five

Since it is the first day of Spring, I'm going to show you five of my favorite things about Spring and what Spring looks like around our house. If you want to join in the Friday's Fave Five fun, be sure and visit Susanne.

1. This is the grass that we sowed 2 weeks ago.
It's coming up!

2. I love these little grape hyacinths that grow wild all over our yard.

3. This is what I call double buttercups.

4. This is Callie. She came to us this past fall. She was wild, skinny, and had part of her ear and fur missing. Of course I fed her.... She is now very tame. She has now "filled out" and is waiting for her little family to arrive.
We hope it is a little family......

5. Birds are everywhere in our yard.
Don't worry - the cat is too chubby to climb the tree to catch a bird!

Happy 1st Day of Spring!
Lesa

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday's Fave Five

I'm going to try this again this week. If you want to participate go over to Susanne's.
You tell 5 favorite things that have happened to you or you are thankful for this week.

1. My Husband who made Rotel Soup tonight since I'm under the weather. My throat is very sore and the soup felt so good going down! I posted this recipe last weekend. My husband has been so good to me. He has had to have the patience of a saint the past few days! I'm not a good patient...

2. God's healing hand and the wonderful care I received at Baptist Hospital yesterday. I had same day surgery on my neck. Everyone was so kind and gentle. They are truly amazing people.

3. Friends that keep me in their prayers. My friends at work and my blogging friends have been so supportive with thoughts and prayers. I feel so blessed to have these prayers surrounding me when I need them.

4. My family - My sister and brother-in-law fixed a great supper Wednesday night before I had surgery on Thursday. My mom and dad brought me a new pair of PJ's and a housecoat today. I could have cried but it would have hurt too much!

5. Pain medication - need I say more.....

Hope you all had a great week. I look forward to next week when I'm sure most of the soreness will be gone and I will feel more like myself again. Right now - I know I don't feel or look like Miss America!

Lesa

Have I Been Under A Rock?

I saw an interesting display at our local Tractor Supply Store this weekend. You know how it is – you wander around the store with a glazed look in your eyes looking at odd things while your husband looks at stuff he doesn’t need either.

This is what I found.

Have I been under a rock? I didn’t know about this stuff.

There is a guy that I work with that has been under the weather for a few weeks. I think I may get him some. It surely can’t hurt. It looks like it may take care of whatever bothers you, where ever it bothers you.

Who knows? I may even try some myself…..

Makes me wonder what my husband looks at while I’m in Hobby Lobby.

I bet it’s not anything like this….

Lesa

Sunday Soup Night

This is the recipe for my easy Rotel soup. I usually just add ingredients until it looks good. Sometimes I add mushrooms or a can of sliced carrots. The Rotel gives it a little bit of a warm bite. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Rotel Soup

2 cans of beef broth

1 can of Rotel

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 can of shoepeg white corn

1 can of black beans or black-eyed peas - rinsed

1 cup of Rotini noodles – uncooked

1 pound of hamburger meat, browned and rinsed in hot water

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook covered on low heat until the noodles are done – about 20-30 minutes . I usually double this recipe and freeze leftovers. This is good with cheese and crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches or cornbread. Great for a quick supper or lazy crock pot days.

Lesa

Friday's Fave Five

I thought I would try this today. I got the idea from Suzanne.

You tell 5 favorite things that have happened to you this week.

1. Sloppy Joes – We had Sloppy Joes and Tator Tots for lunch this week at school. This is one of my favorite school lunches. My mom never fixed anything like this when we were growing up. We had “country food” – beans, taters, and cornbread!
2. Robyn Carr books – I just finished the latest book in her “Virgin River” series. This is the 5^th book – I can’t wait for the next one to come out on April 1.
3. Easy Rotel Soup – I made this for supper Tuesday night. I’ll post the recipe this weekend. It’s quick and yummy!
4. Hobby Lobby 40% off Coupon – I’m going to Hobby Lobby this afternoon to use this weeks online coupon. I’m excited! Not that I really “need” anything…
5. Buttercups – Our buttercups are blooming in the yard. I love Spring!

Lesa

What I Love About Working In An Elementary School.....

As most of you know, I am a secretary in an elementary school. I'm so blessed to work in one the best schools in our district. We have very few discipline problems. Our school has scored the highest or second highest in test scores for several years. There are 570 sweet little darlings that enter our building each morning bright eyed and bushy tailed looking for another day of learning!
This afternoon as I was driving home, I was thinking about how blessed I am to have worked in the same place for the last 15 years. I was also thinking of the reasons why I love my job. Now don't get me wrong. There are days I want to get in my car and go home at 8:00 in the morning. Most of the time it's rather busy in the office You never know what each new day will bring in the door! One thing is for sure - there is never a dull moment!
Tonight I decided to list some of the reasons why I love working in an elementary school.

What I love about working in an elementary school:

1. Fat Free Chocolate Milk every morning for breakfast
2. The sound of the children’s voices blending as they say the “Pledge of Allegiance” each morning. – mispronounced words and all.
3. The feel of little boy heads that have a new haircut.
4. That sweet smile when you tell them they are handsome with their new haircut – (See #3.)
5. No one really notices when you spill your drink on your pants or blouse first thing in the morning. By the end of the day, half of the school will have something on their clothes too.
6. Sloppy Joes and tater tots – I never had them as a child. Mom didn’t fix things like that at our house.
7. Those gapped tooth grins. Somebody always has their two front teeth missing!
8. I can giggle out loud and no one thinks it’s unusual.
9. The amazed expressions on the faces of students that see me at Wal-Mart. Some really do think I live at school. Several even ask where the principal is at….. Like we only travel together in a bus…..
10. Those little arms that appear from behind you and wrap around your legs, neck, or whatever they can reach, to give you a hug each morning. That's why I go to work on days that I feel like staying home.

Lesa