Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Good Tuesday morning!

I've been thinking about it for six months now, and I've made my decision. I am going to take the Becky Higgins' challenge and document my life... one picture a day... for 365 days. I didn't want to start January 1, because I knew I would be SOOO busy documenting Austin's graduation and the other "normal" things going on around here. I didn't want to complicate my "simple" life. However, after following Crazy for Crafting's 365 Project Blog (see my Blog List), and talking to Carol (a/k/a Crazy for Crafting), I have decided to start on my 48th birthday which will begin in August. I will post a picture and a small explanation for the picture (a/k/a journaling) each day until I turn 49 years-old (Lord willing).

This will be on a different blog than A Simple Life. You will be able to click on it (if you are interested) on my sidebar. It will be called Project 365. Why am I giving you all this information more than two months from my birthday? I'm trying to hold myself accountable. I've already told Carol (a/k/a Crazy for Crafting), but I need more than just one person to keep me focused for a whole year of my life.

Will I stop scrapbooking a page a day? Will this take the place of my albums? Uh, no. This will hopefully make me appreciate each day a little more and perhaps, remember the good more than the bad (I have a tendency to do the opposite). I'm a little apprehensive, but right now, I'm a lot excited. (For the record, I know that last sentence is not grammatically correct.) More on Project 365 in a couple of months.

Josh had his first official summer football workout. Bless his heart. Bless my nose. They work out from 8:00 to 11:00 three days a week. Of course, the first day of this workout in Alabama was 90 degrees. When asked why he puts himself through this "torture" (my word, not his), he said, "Because I love football." (He also loves Ultimate Frisbee. He and his brother (and now Cousin Brad) are on church teams that play every Monday night this summer. I have added a picture of the three of them BEFORE they left to play. Austin had his "game face" on. (It didn't work. His team lost... but it was a good face!)

Next week I'm going to watch them play incognito in the big gold van. I don't think anyone will notice me!

Roxie was "just dying" to be a library volunteer this year, so I dropped her off at 9:30 yesterday morning. I picked her up around 3:00. She would volunteer each and every day. In fact, that's what she wrote on her volunteer sheet, but thankfully, I found it and changed some things before she turned it in. One day a week is plenty for a 12 year-old.

You'll also notice another pic in the Gallery today. I bought a Boston fern for $8. (Doesn't that sound reasonable?) I call it "Fernzilla... The Fern That Ate Boston." Am I wrong, or is this the biggest fern you have ever seen in your entire life. Look at it now, because in a few days it will be a dead fern under my tender care. (Code for I'M NOT GOOD WITH PLANTS... THEY ALL EVENTUALLY DIE WHEN THEY COME TO MY HOUSE!)

Vacation Mishap #2 - When the Lights Went Out in Georgia

Well, it had finally arrived. Our first family trip to Disney. After saving for six years, we were on our way to visit the Mouse. We had planned to leave after school on a Friday in November, spend the night halfway to Orlando, wake up early and drive the rest of the way to Disney. In theory, not a bad plan.

There was no way to know (especially after we had our car serviced from top to bottom before the trip) the van would not make it to Orlando. Someone, somewhere, had missed the fact that something was terribly wrong with the van.

We were going to drive until midnight and get a room in Valdosta, Georgia. We had no idea there was a convention and some kind of sporting event (I cannot even remember what kind) that had every hotel within two or three hours of our original "sleeping destination" booked solid. That being the case, we were driving on a lonely, dark road in the deep woods of Georgia very late at night when the engine became hot... red hot.

I'm always of the mind to keep on goin' until the motor actually blows up in your face, but Mikie stops when he sees a needle heading the wrong direction on the dashboard. Even when it's in the deep, dark woods of Georgia very late at night.

We saw a light in a convenience store ahead and pulled into a parking lot. Mike and I could see someone inside, and although the door was locked, we knocked until they came to the door... and told us they were closed. Minutes later, the only light for miles around went out, and a little car left from behind the store. We were VERY, VERY much alone.

New plan. We would let the engine cool down and then try to make it to an actual town. At least if we were stranded in the van all night in a real town, perhaps there would be a police station or a fire station nearby.

Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. We decided to give it another ten minutes before we cranked it up again when we saw headlights coming in our direction. At this point, I wasn't interested in anyone stopping to help us unless they were in full uniform... and I didn't even care what kind of uniform. Just someone responsible enough to have been given at one time in their life a uniform of some sort. A car with two young men pulled in front of our van. Hmmm. This did not look good.

And then we saw more headlights coming our way from the same direction as the first car. Once again I hoped (AND PRAYED) for a uniform-wearing man to appear, and once again, my heart sank as the car pulled in behind our van. Now we were wedged in between the two cars. I had no idea who was in the car behind us.

Mikie looked at me, and said, "Lock the doors. I'm going to get out and ask them how far it is to the next town."

Hmmm. This next new plan wasn't looking good to me either. I was wishing we had gone with my gut and driven until the engine had just blown up. That way, we would have gotten a man with a uniform AND a fire hose; thus, serving two purposes... rescuing us AND a little fire safety lesson for the kiddos.

Mikie got out of the van, and walked the two steps to the car in front of us. The man rolled down his window to talk to him. Things looked okay. He didn't look like a murderer... yet. And then to my IMMENSE relief, a little boy's head popped up from the back seat of the car. And then another! Yes! Yes! It was a family! And they were lost. Hallelujah! And the car behind us? They were with those two men and their two little boys looking for a place to sleep in order to see the sporting event I spoke of earlier. They had kids in their car, too.

I can't remember if Mikie was able to help them with directions or not. I know they weren't able to help us with the van. But, as I stated above, they did not kill us either. (Find the joy in each day, folks. It's very important!)

Long story a little shorter, we started the van and made it to a small hotel about an hour away before the engine started heating up again. We were closer to Disney than we had thought we would be (only three hours away), but we were in a very sick van. We decided to drive to Disney, put the van in the Disney auto shop and go on with our vacation. (Can you even begin to imagine how much money that was going to cost? I mean if a Coke is $5, how much is an overheating engine going to be?)

We were getting off the exit that leads to the signs that say "Disney World" when the van started overheating yet again. Mike pulled to the side of the road and we waited the obligatory 30 minutes until the engine cooled down. It was torture. I COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE SIGN!! I could have walked through the entrance... we were that close.

We eventually made it to our hotel, and as soon as we checked into our room, Mike left with the van to go to the Mickey Mouse Mechanical Garage (or something like that). Surprisingly, it was not uber expensive. Could we have gotten the van repaired more cheaply at home? Oh, yeah. But it was several thousand dollars less than what we expected, so we were happy. Well... semi-happy.)

Tomorrow's Mishap is from the same trip, so there will be a little more Disney before we move on to Mishap #4.

New National Holiday #3 - I hereby declare June 16 of each and every year "National Free Shopping at Wal-Mart Day." What do you think? Does that not sound wonderful. Of course, there would have to be rules. I think one hour and one buggy would be fair. (We don't want them to go bankrupt, do we?) And, of course, we would need to divide the day up. People whose last names begin with A-C would shop from 8:00 to 9:00. D-F would shop from 10:00 to 11:00, etc., etc. You get the idea. It would take a little bit of organizing, but in the end, I think this would also be a Holiday EVERYONE would look forward to once a year.

I'm telling you... I think I have a gift for coming up with new and exciting National Holidays. Who knew? Tomorrow's is just as exciting and fun as the last two days have been. (Moms, did you get your foot rub yesterday? I had a little trouble finding the kids all day long, but that's okay. I'm willing to try again next year!)

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm planning on making this for Thursday night's dinner. Austin is off Thursday night, and pizza is his favorite.

You will need:

1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1 jar (14 ounce) pizza sauce (any variety)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
2 cups finely shredded pizza cheese blend (8 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut bread loaf horizontally in half. Cut bread halves crosswise in half to make 4 pieces (to fit on a cookie sheet). Arrange on large ungreased cookie sheet and set aside.

2. In a skillet, brown beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.

3. Stir in pizza sauce. Spread beef mixture over bread. Sprinkle with tomato, bacon and cheese.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until pizza is hot and cheese is melted.

Doesn't this sound good. I love French bread pizza, and this sounds easy enough for even little ones to help fix. If you try it before Thursday night, let me know what you think. Otherwise, I'll let you know how the Faulkner Five rate the recipe.

Have a lovely Tuesday. Tomorrow's Seasonal Tradition is all about Dad, so check in for an idea for that very special man (or men) in your life. I'll also have another Mishap and one more National Holiday. (The list is shaping up nicely, don't you think? I hope you're marking these dates on your calendar. I know I'm definitely looking forward to June next year... knowing all these wonderful holidays will be coming up!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.