I have 100 pounds of pears in my dining room right now. I LOVE pears!!! So I just made a pie for our family and a pie for my sister’s family. My sister’s beau, Jason, LOVES Pie!

Spiced Pear Pie

Ingredients:

• homemade Graham Cracker Crust (I make my own graham crackers!! Here is a link to the graham crackers that I LOVE to make! http://scrapwarrior.com/blog/2010/03/30/640/)
• 5 peeled, sliced fresh pears
  

  
  

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces

Preparation:

Line a 9-inch pie plate with your graham cracker crust mixture (not listed above but I use graham crackers, melted butter and sugar). Add the sliced pears. Combine sugar, flour, lemon peel, and seasonings; sprinkle over the pears. Drizzle with the lemon juice then dot with the butter.  Bake at 425° for 30 minutes.

Today marks the first day of my semester in school for the fall. I am taking 17 credits this semester. Can I do it? YES!!

Classes include: Journalism, Bio, Chemistry, English and Photography. Some are online, some are hybrid and some are in class. I am looking forward to only having 3 more semesters total for both my FineArts and Photography degrees. Getting there… almost there!!

Last week, I decided that I needed a “new” look for school… My hair is GONE! 13 inches cut off for donation.

So there it is… Off with her hair!

Lar took my clothes shopping this weekend… much needed clothes shopping. Thank you OVERTIME!!!

Tonight is my first class back this semester with black and white print photography… so looking forward to everything that I am going to learn there as well. I am sure that I will be seeing some familar faces in that class!

I will keep you updated on school and will have some new digital products next week… maybe even a freebie or 2! (yes, I am just teasing you!)

I just released a new digi kit on my shopping cart!!! (Remember to get registered on the cart for monthly coupons!!! http://www.azscrap.com)

Sunflowers & Fun – Kit, Alpha, Papers and Elements

Also additional CU items available

On July 1st, we ended up getting our health insurance cut. I was devastated. Berlyn needed to see a DR. He has not been acting himself. The temper-tantrums have been getting worse and worse. Something is wrong with him. I have always joked that he is my “special” kiddo. And really he is!

I applied over and over the last time that we needed to get the kids on insurance and it was a NIGHTMARE. We can’t afford anything on Larry’s miserable salary (that’s another story all together since the firing and re-hiring at a lower position on July 1 as well – although the school district would deny it – he is now Network administrator and now hourly – It’s always funny how the LOWEST director gets to be the sacrificial lamb but the upper directors don’t get touched)

2 weeks ago, I started the process over again. We got letters in the mail yesterday. I was approved for Arizona State health insurance, Berlyn was approved and Rowan was approved, but Shelby, Griffen and El were denied because we made $40.31 too much a month. ARGH!!!! $40 a MONTH!!  At first I was completely beside myself. I cried uncontrollably. Then, I realized, that none of my kids go to school. They aren’t around too many colds, they aren’t around kids who are sent to school sick because mom can’t take off of work to be home with them. We are blessed. God is still answering my prayers, even if it is not what I was praying for. Unanswered prayer are always better.

I called our DR office and they got Berlyn in yesterday – same day as his new insurance started. I miss DR Earl and am still so sad that he passed away. We did see a newer DR in the office, DR Hayes, Very Nice Guy!!!

He came up with a few “options” for Berlyn. Things that we had already suspected: Hypoglycemic and slight autistic with a Glutten allergy. I am glad that I had him confirm what we thought. He is also recommending that we take Berlyn to a Psychologist to see how he is “ticking”. (They can also diagnose the autism in writing for us so that we can get an occupational therapist to help make suggestions to better help him while we are schooling. (need to relearn how to take 3 steps forward with no steps back!)

So starting today, Berlyn NEEDS to eat every 2 hours and we have to record it – writing every thing that he eats.
Then next week, we are going gluten-free (which will be interesting because that means that we are ALL going gluten-free for Berlyn and all of us are dye free for El already! ) Can we do it?!? YES WE CAN!

Off to school with the kids (still waiting for my financial aid to be deposited so that I can buy my books!)