Who Am I?

This is a personality profile I saw on my sister's blog, so I thought I'd give it a try and see how I turned out. Kind of interesting...I think it's pretty accurate, especially that I can't stand stagnation. That is sooooo true!!! Take the quiz by clicking on the link below and see how you turn out.

You Are An INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. In love, you truly see relationships as an opportunity to connect and grow. You enjoy relationships as long as they are improving and changing. You can't stand stagnation. At work, you stay motivated and happy... as long as you are working toward a dream you support. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher. How you see yourself: Hardworking, ethical, and helpful When other people don't get you, they see you as: Manipulative, weak, and unstable

What's" Your Personality Type?

Jen's Jeep!

We found a car.... or is it a truck?! I think it's a truck. We have been looking for a few weeks for something for Jen to drive and we finally found it. We didn't want to spend much, because we are eventually going to need another car for us and God was good to give us just what we needed. Craig's list is a new thing for us; we haven't had much need to use it, but boy was it helpful. What did we ever do without the internet!? So I see this jeep advertisement for $2500 and decide I'll call on it. When I called on it he says that the price is actually $1500. Ok...so what's wrong with it? Nothing he says, he just said if they didn't sell it he was just going to take it to auction so they lowered the price. He got a new truck and his wife has a different car and they just don't have a need for it anymore. This guy is a farmer out in Madera and his wife used it as her work vehicle. He took really good care of it and it drives great! No tears or damage to the inside and it was painted just a year and half ago. One of those things you hope to find, but aren't ever sure you will or if you do that you can trust the people that sold it to you. It does have over 200,000 miles on it, but hey, but it was only $1500! We have to trust that the Lord gave us something we can afford and He will keep it running. It's a 1996 Cherokee, V6, 2 wheel drive, which should be better for Jen on insurance. Jen is thrilled to have something to drive and we are thrilled to not have to just depend on our good old truck as a back up for the van.

en

Giving it a bath...which it really needed from being out on a ranch.

Ministry in Biola

Monday I went out to Biola (not the college, but the little town just west of Fresno) to help a friend of mine with an outreach she is doing. Licia is the director of the People's School of Creative Arts where I teach and the director of the PSCA Homeschool Choirs where I help by directing the Jr. High Choir. She was a missionary for many years and will always have a missionary's heart. Her husband Steve (who also does missions outreach) works in Biola as a teacher and they have on occasion reached out to the community in various ways. Well, this summer she just felt the call to go out there and love on these kids. She really didn't have much of a game plan but committed out of obedience to the Lord and waited for Him to show her what to do. He has been so faithful to meet her need and sends "manna" each and every day.

I was privileged to be some of Monday's "manna" - just an extra hand to help out. Each morning there is some breakfast for the kids when they arrive. They have reading time, craft time, organized play time and Licia, who is an amazing violist, is teaching some of them to play the violin and viola. They will be doing a small concert for their parents on Friday night at a BBQ for the kids and their families. This is a very poor and somewhat isolated community due to the fact that many of the parents are farm workers and have no transportation in and out of Biola. It's only 7 miles west of Fresno, but it might as well be a whole other world. But as I found out in Mexico, kids are kids and God is the God of all of us. I will be going out again tomorrow to lend a hand....maybe I'll have more pictures to share.

More from Music Man

Teen Dancer Girls...pretty in pastel

Jenna and George

Jenna and Lance

Gigi helping Jen with her tie...thank you Mama Gigi



Daren, who plays Marcellus...an all around great actor, dancer and singer

Jenna, Marcia and Megan

Teen dancers and a few extras...a great cast!

Last night was the last performance of the play. It turned out to be a great experience for Jen...she made new friends and got reaquainted with old ones. She said the 8 weeks just flew by! We were able to go twice, both Friday night performances. This past one was nearly a packed house! Such fun...we laughed harder this time than the first. I kind of missed not being a part of the show (the music is so amazing!), but it was good to be home with my honey. And it was great for Jen to do on her own. Maybe next year.....

Finally some pictures from Music Man!!!

Jenna being silly and with Luke, one of the young boys in the ensemble cast.

Jenna and Grant (her Music Man "brother")

Shelby, Jen and Grant

Jenna and her Music Man/Iowa family. Each cast member is placed in a "family" for the larger scenes. Don't you love their costumes!

Jenna and Kelly, her Music Man "Mom". Kelly was in Sound of Music with us last year too. She played one of the lead nuns.

This is Jen's dance partner, Cody. He's such an nice guy and they are having a blast together! No romantic inclinations...just fun.

We will take some more pictures tonight and post more tomorrow.

Update to the Salad...

After eating the Chinese Chicken Salad last night, I decided to change a couple of items on the recipe. Instead of Ramen noodles (I bought Top Ramen) use those Chinese noodles instead. I'm so not Oriental and can't remember what they are called, but they come in a plastic bag in the Oriental section and are brown in color. They have much better flavor. Just eye ball how much you need. Also, the cilantro is good, if you like cilantro, but a little goes a long way....user beware. If you don't care for it, it's just as good without. That's all! Another post later....

Two Things I Can't Live Without

This is a Pampered Chef Food Chopper and a Salad Spinner

This is a Chinese Chicken Salad that I make with the Food Chopper and the Salad Spinner. I'm not a gadget girl. I don't need the latest greatest kitchen gadgets. I don't like to store them and I just don't feel they are always worth what you pay. These two items are different though! I bought my first food chopper in 1996 when I became a Pampered Chef Rep (not doing that anymore) and fell in love with it. The first one finally cracked (the clear casing that keeps the food from splatting on you) a couple of years or so ago. I held off for at least one year before buying a new one. I just didn't want to spend the money. But after nearly chopping off a couple of fingers I decided that the chopper would be cheaper than the deductible to get my fingers fixed...good logic, huh? I'm glad I did...it's wonderful! Chops everything and easy to clean up. Now I sound like I'm selling it again.

The salad spinner is another story. Dave has been trying to get me to buy one of these since we got married 22 years ago. I never saw the need. Then recently in our effort not to waste what we buy or spend money unnecessarily, we realized how many paper towels we were going through drying off lettuce every time we wanted a salad. So, this spinner goes on sale and we go check it out. Besides drying lettuce super fast, it's a storage container too! Now the lettuce won't sit and rot in a plastic bag. I should have listened to my husband years ago....sorry honey.

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe:

1 Lg. head Cabbage, shredded

1 head lettuce, rinsed, dried and shredded

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

2-12 oz cans of chicken, drained

1 C. toasted and sliced almonds

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

3-3oz packages of chicken flavored ramen noodles

Mix all of this together in a large bowl.

Dressing:

1 C. oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. Japanese rice wine vinegar

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

1 Tbsp. chopped onion

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

Mix well and toss over salad. Very yummy recipe!

Just so that there is no confusion. I did not use the chopper on the lettuce or the cabbage, that was done with a large knife...and yes, I was careful. :)

She's had her license one week now!!

One week and two days ago Jen got her license. She has been driving herself to work, church, play performances and even the grocery store for me. It's still feels a little strange to watch her drive away, but I'm not as nervous as I was when Josh got his license - I hear that after the first one you mellow out a bit. I still pray everytime she drives away though. I'll probably do that for a LONG time!

Nothing much to say....

J & J in front of the Allred cabin

Well, I figured that after a week I should post something on my blog, but I honestly haven't had anything to post! Thursday was opening night for Music Man for Jenna. We went Friday night and forgot to take the camera, so I have no pictures of that. Now I have to wait until this Thursday for the next show. It was wonderful though! Such a fun show and so funny! Of course, we think Jen just shines up there with that big smile of hers.

Then Saturday we went to Jaimee Baker's wedding which was so much fun. We saw so many old friends and did I have my camera? NO! So I couldn't blog about that either. I feel like I need to have my camera on me at all times, because blogging is so much more fun when you have pictures to show (and if you are like me, you like to see the pictures). So here it is Monday again and everything in the Teter home is steady as she goes.

So, since I have no current pictures to blog, here are some of Josh and Jenna from June 2005(left side) and May of 2008(right side). It's amazing how they change! We all miss Josh around here and are counting the days until we leave for his graduation from Marine Boot Camp -16 from today!

A Tomato and a License!!!!

We finally have some tomato's! We were able to pick them last night for our taco dinner. They could be a tad bit riper, but we were so anxious and they still tasted sooooo good. The others are in the kitchen window ripening a bit more . Yum, yum!

Last but certainly not least, Jen got her driver's license! Thanks to her mother, she almost didn't get to take the test today. Before we left, I had gone through all the paperwork to make sure I had everything, proof of insurance, vehicle registration and the DMV papers. So we walk into the DMV and I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and wonder if I really did get all the paperwork. Then I remembered that there was this one piece of paper that is from the driver training school that has to be signed and turned in as well, stating that she completed drivers training. Well, we are her driver's training instructors (you can do that as homeschoolers if you go through the right channels) and I put that piece of paper in a file for "safe keeping". So we get up to the counter and the clerk tells us that Jen can't take the test without that piece of paper. I felt like the biggest loser mom around. We made an appointment for tomorrow at a different DMV and started home. I looked at the clock and realized that we were early for her appointment and if we hurried, we might be able to make it home, retrieve that piece of paper and hurry back to still make the appointment. That's exactly what we did. Jen drove us home, but I drove us back to the DMV. We were in such a hurry and all I could think about was getting her back there in the quickest way possible, so that maybe she could still take the test. Of course when you are in the most hurry is when all the world seems to be moving in slow motion. Then as I'm approaching Bullard and Cedar going west bound, the light turns yellow and I'm going too fast to stop, so I decide reluctantly to try to get through. What do I see sitting in the left turn lane to turn north bound onto Cedar? A police car!!! He's the first car in the turn lane and I know he sees me in my bright red van. I'm just sure now we are going to get a ticket and when he says, "Ma'am, why were you speeding?" I will have to say, "I'm trying to get my daughter to her driving test on time." I'm sure that would go over well. Fortunately for Jen and me, he doesn't make a u-turn to pull us over and I slow down a bit. Long story short (not that short - huh?) we get there, they work her in and she passes!!! She made only 3 errors and all minor. Whew! So while I'm sitting there waiting for her to get back from the test, I meet this mom and her daughter that are also there to take the driving test. I tell her my saga of forgetting the driver's training completion form and she tells me the same thing happened to them! They were there today, because they forgot their form the first time too. Now I don't feel like such a bad mom and as Ma Ingalls used to say, "All's well that ends well."

Waiting on the the Maters and other Saturday stuff...

This is me blogging. My sis wanted pictures of what we are doing today, so here you go. :)

The yellow tomatos are the only ones we have gotten so far - this makes 4. The red ones, Dave tells me, are just about ready. I think they look great now, but the expert says they aren't quite done. I'd really like a mater with my dinner, but maybe tomorrow. I feel like that old Mervyn's commercial where the lady stands at the door and says, "Open, open, open". Instead I'm saying, "Grow, grow, grow"!

The Ribs.....

Dave is barbequing our ribs. He's been doing yard work all day, so he's tired, but not too tired to BBQ something yummy for dinner.

Diesel is chasing flys. He could do this for a very long time, but only if someone is out there with him. He's like the child that is always saying, "Hey, Mom! Look at me!" and is only happy if someone is in the room with him...very social, I suppose. He still has the e-collar on too. It will be two weeks on Tuesday. We are so tired of this thing being on him, but as soon as we take it off he starts licking his incisions on his paws, so we have to wait a while longer until they heal. Jen says he looks like a lightbulb when he's sitting up...kind of does.

Jen is babysitting, so no pictures of her tonight. Happy Saturday...