close call

I had a hair cut appointment this morning so of course I am running late and trying to get the kids in the car and find my phone and a million other things. I send the kids out the door as I grab my phone and put my hand to the door to lock the deadbolt when I hear my oldest say "look a dog!"

With the door half shut I turn to see a huge German Shepard dog heading across my drainage ditch towards my house. I would guess the distance would be 20 ft from my front door. The kids froze in panic as the dog laid back its' ears, bared its' teeth and came at us growling. I started trying to force them back into the house but they would not move!

That is when I felt a physical push from inside my chest that I now know was the Holy Spirit's work. I shoved past the kids who were now trying to get in the door all at once and began to scream almost more like growl at the the dog as I pushed my babies into the house and tried to shut the door. The dog was now about 5 feet away and definitely wanting to hurt someone. I closed the door as I was screaming "bad dog go home!"

With the door closed between us and it the dog gave up and headed home across the street. Once gone I herded the children quickly into the SUV and called the police. I told dispatch what happened and gave my location and was told someone would respond. I left for my hair cut and some running around town time with my mom. We got home this afternoon and my mom pointed out the large paw prints in the mud just feet from my doorstep.

When Hubby got home he wanted the full details of the event. Hearing everything he decided to call the police again to see what came of the dog before we let our children outside again.

The police knew immediately who we were and informed Hubby that the dog had attacked a jogger after I had called! Thankfully she was OK and the EMTs said it was a minor flesh wound with no need of hospital care. The dog was impounded and will be put to sleep on Monday at the owner's expense.

I thank God for His protection today! To think what a dog that size could do to my babies... *shiver*

Mission Possible: get a what?!

Hubby has given me a mission and should I chose to accept it there will be lots of cash to be reaped.

My mission... get a BUDGET and stick to it.
More specifically cut our grocery and dinners out bill way way down.

Last time we did a budget (FPU last spring) we found out we spend almost half of Hubby's pay check on these two things. In fact our eating out bill totaled more than our mortgage payment! OUCH.

So I will have my loving man create a run down of what we spent this month on groceries and dining out and post it later. Then I will try my darnest to make a grocery list that includes everything needed for the meals. This is my downfall really...tons of trips to the high priced market up the street cause "Hon, I am making tacos but I forgot to buy tortillas! Oh and while you are there grab cheese because we ate most of it already. And do you have to have salsa?! Might get that too!" This is usually followed the next day with another trip to the store because I bought 6 weeks of meat and veggies for dinners but nothing for lunch or breakfast! How do I forget those meals?! sigh

I was never taught how to make menus, shopping lists, or cook fast meals not from a box. I married a man who ate most of his dinners in restaurants growing up. It was a match made in heaven til the bank statements came and we actually LOOKED at them.

So if anyone has some websites to help me learn these new skills it would be awesome if you pass them along! It shouldn't be this hard to feed a family of five! *banging head*

green cleaning

With Princess's allergies I am trying out more green cleaning ways. It is hard though as we all love the smell of 'clean' from Mr Clean... sigh

The following is a few ideas from a local paper I saw.

Shower Heads

• metal shower heads
• to remove deposits, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 quart water. Then completely submerge the shower head and boil 15 minutes
plastic shower heads
combine 1 pint white vinegar and 1 pint hot water. completely submerge the shower head and soak for about 1 hour metal shower heads

Tub and Tile Cleaners

• BASIC CLEANING
• sprinkle baking soda like you would a scouring powder. rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly
• Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and leaves no film. use 1/4 cup or more to 1 gallon water.
• FILM BUILDUP
• to remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar full strength to a sponge and wipe. next, use baking soda to scour. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse well.
• rub the area to be cleaned with half a lemon dipped in Borax. rinse well and dry with a soft cloth
• GROUT CLEANING
• to clean grout, put 3 cups baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup warm water. mix into a paste and scrub into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. rinse well. dispose of left over paste when finished

Floor Cleaners

• for greasy, no wax floors
• 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil-based liquid soap, 2 gallons hot water
• combine all ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the washing soda.
• mop as usual
• Bonus- a pencil eraser will remove heel marks from a floor!

Toilet Cleaners

• Basic Cleaning
• sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, the squirt with vinegar and scour with toilet brush
• deodorize the bowl by using 1 cup Borax, 1/2 cup white vinegar. flush to wet the sides of the bowl. sprinkle the Borax around the bowl, the spray with vinegar. leave for several hours or over night the scrub with toilet brush
• Stubborn stains
• use Borax and lemon juice for stubborn stains like toilet bowl rigs. mix it into a paste. flush toilet to wet the sides, then rub on enough paste to cover the ring. let set at least 2 hours and scrub thoroughly
• pour a single 12 oz can or up to a full 2 liter bottle of Coke into the toilet bowl and let sit for several hours or over night. scrub and flush the Coke and stain away
• QUICK CLEANING
• drop 2 denture tablets into the bowl and clean as you normally would with a regular cleaner.
• for less stubborn stains, sprinkle with baking soda around the rim and scrub with a toilet brush

rain

Oh Lord You have blessed us once again!
RAIN!!!

my church's "Go and Tell" VBS