Lots of Family Stuff Going On

I've really been working a lot on this square! All I have left now is the backstitching! I'm not sure what I'm going to stitch next. I'm not going to do the other square that was due today! I've just signed up for too many charity squares.

DD's Dad went to Hilton Head (almost 5 hours from here) yesterday to check on the house he built there and is trying to sell. I have really missed him. I've gotten used to him being around. DD stayed home yesterday to keep me company. That really surprised me! I guess she knew I was going to miss her dad. He's supposed to get back today.

I'm trying to get more organized. Friday I sat down and planned my menus for all this week. I can never decide what to fix for dinner. I'm going to try 2 new recipes this week. I made my grocery list from my menu list, but I took DD with me to get groceries and she talked me into buying a lot of stuff we didn't need. The bill was way too high! Next time I'll go alone.

After I planned my menus, I went ahead and cooked my chili for hotdogs on Fri. and froze it. I also cooked all the chicken for the recipes that call for cooked chicken, and I froze that, too. I'm very excited. I feel like a load has been lifted off of me, because I'm always trying to decide what to cook. DD also tends to veto things I suggest each day. She's a real control freak. So I made her approve of all the choices and made her understand that she couldn't change her mind. Now I don't have to think about what I'm going to cook and wonder if I have everything I need to cook the dishes. This will really help me out when school starts in August. On days I substitute, I come home so tired I can't think of anything to cook. I'm planning to make some dinners I can freeze so I will have them ready for days I don't feel like cooking! We have got to stop eating out. It's too costly and doesn't help me on my diet. And on the subject of my diet, it's going great. My clothes are getting baggy. I can tell that I am getting around better and I don't get as tired as quickly!

My brother has moved back to our town. He has not lived in this town since he was in his 20s and he's 52 now. He is not married and doesn't have much. He's staying with my mom until he gets a job and gets his own place. He builds custom wood furniture and usually works at a cabinet shop. I hope things turn out okay. He's pretty difficult to get along with and doesn't like children at all. My kids would always ask why their uncle didn't like them. I tried to explain to them that it wasn't because of them, he just doesn't like kids in general. He and I are SO different! We really get along great and I guess that's why - we're so different, we're never jealous of each other or anything! It's the same with my sister. She and I have never had a fight, even when we were children. We're all 3 very different!

We're planning to have my mom and brother over for a cookout on the 4th of July. We're going to have hamburgers. We also have a watermelon to cut up! My brother has only been to my house twice in the 15 years I have lived here! He always stayed at my mom and dad's house when he came to visit.

Well, that's about all of my news. I hope everyone has a happy day and may God bless you!