the Darling Durhams

Sharing the Soup

2011-03-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

So in our MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers), we made a jar craft of this Minestrone Soup to share with someone else. I am going to take it to the new neighbor in the rental house 2 down from me. I know that they have been there since before Christmas cause I remember their lights, but I still haven't met them. Yes, I am slow. Very slow. Better now than never. I'll do it tomorrow. Yes-I promise.

1st Place in Chili Cook-off!!

2011-03-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Yes-that's right-you are looking at the FIRST place winner of the Whitesburg Elementary School PTA Chili Cook-off!!! Winner!! Held on 2/8/11, I had never entered a cooking contest before and won this one! It thrilled me to death! The award was a $20 gift card to Chili's Restaraunt, which was used quickly thereafter. The year of soup is literally paying off!

The Crock Pot gift keeps on giving

2011-01-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

So the crock pot gift kept on giving during the snow break. I attempted (for the first time) to make pinto beans from the dry pack. Wow-that is very difficult and takes a LONG time and a LOT of steps to make them taste worth anything. The crock did a good job in spite of me. I used a ham bone from the freezer that I had saved from Christmas and added spices... Those beans fed us that day, then were carried to Georgia to a family get-together, then split out to give a cup to my grandmother in the nursing home, then hand-blended and mixed with a can of refried beans for our Mexican-themed dinner tonight. Nice. I feel old-fashioned by making that one pack of beans stretch so far and feed so many. Tomorrow is church supper, so I need to plan for Thursday night now. Isn't cooking fun? It never NEVER ends.

Snow and the refrigerator

2011-01-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

Sunday night the snow really fell hard. By Monday morning, we had between 6 and 9 inches, depending on where you stood in the yard. I had prepared taco soup for Sunday afternoon, but decided to hold on to it due to the pending weather and the possibility of being snowed in at home. Good call. As I write, today-Wednesday, this is day 3 of school being out and eating up all of the things I had previously prepared. Mark went off to work today, but that upsets me because of the risk of his safety on the roads. Men think they are invincible... Back to what I was saying before my fears so rudely interrupted my train of thought-I wish I had stock in the grocery store due to the sheer amount of food this family of 4 has consumed. The recycling company is hitting the jack pot at our house today (if they come). My staying at home and cooking has increased my donations to them. Yep-we donate to that service. They provide a bin and come pick it up and we DONATE to them and THEY make money on our cans of soup that we are forced to eat due to the economy. Crazy. I think this rambling is due to cabin fever. Maybe we can find something to do today. I already made homemade pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies, sausage balls, and snow creme. The bread was made with our halloween pumpkins that I roasted and pureed. Pretty cool-I felt like the cheapest family in America from the Today show that uses their pumpkins to cook too. "Thrifty" I'd say. I have also been a short-order cook to please the never-ending appetites of my little eaters. Wow! Staying home is a lot of work. I'm ready to go back to work. Tonight's menu: center-slice pan fried ham, biscuits, pinto beans (from the crock pot that I started last night from dry beans), mac & cheese. Yum!

Campbells helps out

2011-01-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night was chili dogs at church. Great-had my share of chili this week. The kids were happy not to eat crock pot food though. Last night we went for Campbell's night because I started back to seeing my clients again after the Christmas break. Full time working moms must have quite a challenge in time management and healthy meal preparation. It is difficult enough working part time. So-this is where Campbell's steps in. Add a grilled cheese and some fruit on the side and VOILA-a meal. I ate the other half of Tyler's Toy Story chicken noodle soup. I could barly tell what those characters were. Why do kids even fall for that? Anyways-now sick of soup after having leftover chili for lunch (thank goodness it is all gone)we are veering from the plan and making mini pizzas for dinner. I did Wii fit this morning and I still have some room for improvement. It thinks I should weigh less-what my license actually says. Yeah right. I've never EVER weighed that as an adut. I think I'll stick with one small piece of pizza and a salad.

Chili day and beyond

2011-01-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

So Tuesday night with the chili was so traumatic to me that I couldn't even post before now. I loved it, personally! I had a mild chili in the crock that had cooked most of the day, cheese AND fritos scoops to make it fun for the kids. So my little princess had a tough time with this meal. Threats of going to bed early, not getting dessert, and whatever else we could think of that seemed halfway reasonable came out of the mouths of two loving parents. She ate enough to count (literally 10 bites) and wouldn't admit to the fun of scooping even though I saw in her face that she liked it. Tyler ate it up. He is so sweet. The night ended with tears and going to bed early. Must be too tired from the first day of school and the challenge of a chili dinner all in one day. Bless her. I am working to have well-adjusted young people with nice manners and a gracious, greatful heart. Beginning with the end in mind, maybe next soup night will be more tolerable.

The Year of Soup

2011-01-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

So after the move and the remodeling, our bank account is empty and our waistlines are a bit thicker. I've been working on that last part since September and have made some good progress, but there is "room for improvement" in this department. The running joke this Christmas is that our family will be staying home in 2011 and eating soup to recover economically from our much-desired renovations in our lives and our new home. So-I hope to post our progress through the Year of Soup.

First up-our new crock pot (thank you Johnny and Vivian) was initiated today with Beef Stew. A recipe out of the Fix It and Forget it cookbook, it was quite good. It went over well with everyone with Ellie being the exception. What is her deal? She doesn't like a lot of ingredients obviously mixed together... If she only knew what was in those hot dogs she desires... She ate the meat out of it and some saltines. Yeah. She wouldn't even try a potato with the promise of a cupcake and a piece of Hershey's Bliss chocolate. Her loss. Tyler tore it up and so did we. Leftovers are neatly packed in a bag for Mark for lunch and a dish for me at home. About 2 cups left went in the freezer, labeled. I intend on this year being a more successful year at my husband carrying his lunch and saving that eating out money. I feel like that guy on the commercial at the ballpark quoting stats.

Tomorrow-chili. Very creative. I know. I am warming up to this concept and have to get up the nerve to try new things...

2011 realizations

2011-01-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hello-I totally forgot about this blog until a dear friend mentioned it to me this morning. It has been a LONG time since I looked at it, but I did enjoy it when I was doing it. Maybe I should update this thing: Seems like life got really busy for a while in selling the house in the spring of 2009 and then moving to Huntsville. We remodeled the kitchen that fall here at the house (which we bought from my mom). Ellie also started Kindergarten at Whitesburg which was an amazing adventure. It was really wonderful to watch her begin her schooling adventures. I continued to work in Decatur for Hospice of the Valley and teaching Musikgarten at First Baptist that school year of 2009-2010. Tyler was in preschool in Decatur for the fall and then started here in Huntsville in January 2010. I continued to work/drive in Decatur until the end of the summer. I had begun working with Hospice Family Care in Huntsville late spring and transitioned to just HFC after quitting HOTV in July. Mark continues to work at Gobble Fite Lumber Company in Decatur as an inside salesman. He really enjoys his job. He loves to build things and this year we added a screened-in porch and had an outdoor fireplace built in the room. We also got a puppy in May. Yikes-what an adventure Rosie has led us on! She is sweet though and after some good puppy classes, I feel better about having her here. My mom fell in love with a sweet man who got cancer and died in July. She has had a rough year after going through treatments, hospice, and his death. We love her so much and hate that she hurts. Now it is January 2011 and things are clicking along for the Durhams. Ellie is in 1st grade and doing well and Tyler is in 4 yr old preschool also doing well. Work is going good for Mark and Carla. We joined Farley Community Church in November and are really happy about having a church home. Home. We want 2011 to be about family, friends and home. God bless you!

Easter 2009

2009-05-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Taken in the rose garden at Delano Park, Decatur, AL

Rome-no not that one.

2009-02-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Mark's mother has 2 sisters that live in Georgia and we went for an after-Christmas party in January. Here are some cousins, too.

Best Friends and the Best Boys

2009-02-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

The most wonderful times are spent with best friends! Try to plan too much and it won't work out, but a last minute get-together is great fun! Here is Amy with her son, Evan. The boys have the best time together!

Porch = Progress

2009-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

We are fixing up our house to get it ready to sell. Mark took the decking off of the porch, to uncover a mess. What a joy to own a historic home!! :)

Big Canoe fun

2009-01-03T06:11:00.001-08:00

Our family joined mom and Eric's family at Big Canoe Resort in Marble Hill, Georgia for a post Christmas getaway. We had a great time doing our Christmas present exchange, hiking, and crafting.

Christmas Card

2009-01-03T06:09:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

Warm Weather Day

2008-11-28T18:48:00.001-08:00

Tyler is almost potty trained. We had a bad day today, but I think I just jinxed it yesterday when I bragged on him at Thanksgiving at the Durhams. They wanted us to take a picture of him in a straw hat because there was one of Johnny's father, Johnny, and now Ellie and Tyler when they all were around 2 years old. We made a collage of everyone but Tyler and will now need to add his picture to the mix. It is really neat to see how everyone looked at the same age.

First Time at the Skating Rink

2008-11-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

Toddler time at the Skate Castle on Wednesday morning November 12. We went with Nicole and two of her kids-Brooke and Drew. What a great time we had!

Tyler and the Violin

2008-11-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 8, we attended the children's demo put on by the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. Here, Tyler holds up a child's size violin. He looks natural doesn't he?

October Fun

2008-11-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Farm field trips, hay rides, pumpkin picking and carving, dressing up, trick-or-treating, church trunk-or-treat, CANDY CANDY CANDY...the fun never ends!

Musikgarten Classes

2008-11-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

This class is the Friday morning Musikgarten Toddler class I teach at the School of Fine Arts at First Baptist Church, Decatur.

This class is the Friday morning Musikgarten Baby class I teach at the School of Fine Arts at First Baptist Church, Decatur.

Our 8th Anniversary-the Trip to Memphis

2008-11-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

We got away for the first time since March of 2007!! We went to Memphis (without children) for the weekend. We visited Graceland (as every good American should) and partied on Beale Street. Very fun!!!

Beach Bums

2008-09-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Here Ellie and Tyler play in the sand-together. This photo is the only one where they were still enough to get them in the same frame.

Orange Beach 2008-During Hurricane Ike, we ventured down to Alabama's glorius white sandy beaches. No rain but tons of never-ending wind. The red flag flew the entire time we were there so we only splashed at the edge of the ocean. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and swimming in the pools.

Happy 62nd birthday MawMaw!

2008-09-08T07:50:00.001-07:00

September 3 was Vivian's 62nd birthday and we had her a party yesterday in Arab at her house. Ellie and I made a chocolate cake and my best friend, Amy, iced it for us. Thanks for helping Amer.

Georgie Porgie's Girlfriend and Mary's Little Lamb

2008-09-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ellie's kindergarten had Mother Goose day where every child dressed up as a character. Ellie wore this Georgie Porgie dress which was mine when I was a child. We paired it with some capri pants to finish off the look. Her best friend, Abby, dressed up as Mary's little lamb.

Demopolis Days

2008-09-08T07:45:00.001-07:00

Labor Day weekend we went to visit cousin Alex and cousin Reagan in Demopois. Ellie just loves Alex and Tyler just loves Reagan. They played well together and were quite worn out after our adventure!

After school

2008-08-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Worn out from her first day, but very happy. Mommy got to rest today too because both darlings took a nap at the same time-very nice!

Ellie's first day of Kindergarten

2008-08-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie's first day of Kindergarten at First Baptist Church was this morning. She will attend every day from 8:30-12:30. Mrs. Pace is her teacher and her friend Abby is in her class. She was excited to go to school! She signed in at the door and went on in to hang up her backpack without kissing mommy goodbye. She had a great day talking about looking for Mother Goose and computer time.

Tyler's new bed

2008-08-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

Tyler slept in his big boy bed last night for the first time. He did really well-no getting up and slept until 6am. He had been hitting his head on the wall in his toddler bed, so we decided to switch him over. I got him a new rug today too-one with a map of the town and roads for his cars. He enjoyed Ellie being at school today and took advantage of the time by playing in her room by himself. :)

Meemom Moment

2008-08-08T05:39:00.000-07:00

We visited Meemom last week after having the kids' photo made at Portrait Innovations. Everyone was in good spirits.

Chattanooga Aquarium

2008-08-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

fishes Sharks and turtles
Wonder and amazement are only 2 words to describe the kids reactions.
We spent this fun day with my college friends Lori and her 2 year old Maddox, her mom Mrs. Karen, Ginger and her 3 month old twins Averie and Andrew.

day 1

2008-07-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Let's figure this out. So we are going to create this blog. Ellie will start a 5K program next month and we are getting her ready for school. Tyler is 2 years old and will go to that classroom on Tuesday/Thursday morning. Mark will keep working at Gobble Fite. Carla will keep working in her private practice as a music therapist. So-that's the plan as of today for our goals for next year. We'll get better at typing this later.