My Mom

No one on Earth is like my mom. She's truly the greatest lady I know. It's hard to believe that four of us popped out of that tiny body of hers! I was the first.

As a mom, she's always been kind, compassionate and very wise. All four of us go to her with our troubles and she listens without judgment and gives us counsel when we ask. I've seen moms who criticize their kids or try to manipulate them. Thankfully, my mom has encouraged us to live our own lives and be who God has called us to be. 

Her calm, quiet peacefulness might fool you into thinking she's all sugar and no spice, but the truth is, she knows how to stand up and fight for what's right. And her warrior spirit is something I'm deeply grateful to have on my side in life.

You might not know how talented she is when you hang out with her because she's too humble to boast about herself. She prefers to listen to others, but my mom can write stories and songs, she's a gifted teacher, she can sew, she's an amazing cook and much more. She's highly intelligent and super healthy too. In fact, she looks like she's my age with beautiful Greek skin, long thick hair and bright hazel eyes. She's the one who taught me to love physical fitness and eating healthy foods.

My mom loves my dad too. And not just the emotional romantic kind of love, but the kind of love that counts the most- she takes care of him when he's sick and travels the world with him on all kinds of adventures. They are best friends.

But the best thing about my mom is her faith. No matter what's happening, she's strong in her faith. She prays for us all. All the time. She never gives up. I wish I were more like her.

If we were paid according to what we deserve, she would be the richest woman on planet Earth. Today is her birthday and I wish I could give her a big hug. But I'll just send her a virtual hug til I can see her again. How lucky am I that Linda is my mom.

Happy birthday MOM!!!

A New Season

Morning coffee by the pool will be a cherished memory.

So we have sold Casa Crews. Well, it's under contract anyway. For many reasons, we made the decision to list our beautiful house. It is not easy saying goodbye to the home where your kids grew up and where so many incredible memories were made, but we know we've made the right decision.

For now, our plan is to find something a little smaller in The Woodlands and stay for two more years to allow our son to graduate from high school here with his friends. Meanwhile, our search for a new home in Colorado will begin. We have plenty of time to find the right place near Denver where we would like to move at the end of these two years. If we can make it work, we may be those people who live in two places. These are both sad and exciting times.

Our last day in our house is June 30 and I'm posting a few photos here to remind myself of the place our family and friends gathered for food, laughter, and lots and lots of love. We hosted some seriously fabulous parties here - swimming and playing "Piper" in the pool, grilling and drinking beer by the fire pit, wine tastings, wedding and baby showers, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas celebrations, dive in movie nights and much more. At Casa Crews, our blood relatives and our friends  are all family and we will be eternally grateful for the time we had here.

Now, may the next season of our lives be filled with love, laughter, peace and lots of cheer.

Welcome to Casa Crews where we're all family

Many great days and nights were spent in this back yard

We always enjoyed meals with friends and family here

Lots of family time was spent here playing games and laughing

20 Uses For Vicks VapoRub

So I found a website today with 20 uses of Vicks VapoRub and tried to post it on Pinterest, but they said the site was too full of spam. Since I want to keep these ideas (in case they work), I have copied them to paste on my blog. I plan to try some of these ideas and will update the blog to let you know if they work.

20 USES FOR VICKS VAPORUB

1. Defer Mosquitoes. Apply a small amount of Vaseline on your clothing and skin. It will keep the mosquitoes away from you.
2. Sinus Headaches. Vicks VapoRub is a good home remedy for treating sinus headaches. Apply Vicks under your nose. Breathe deeply. The menthol present in it will calm the headache.
3. Alleviate Acne. It might sound a little crazy, but Vicks VapoRub helps in clearing your skin. Apply it on acne several times a day. This will soothe and dry out acne.
4. Stage Tears. Need to shed tears on cue for a photo shoot or stage performance? Just pat a small amount of Vicks VapoRub under your eyes. (Note- Don't apply it into your eyes or on your eyelids)
5. Natural Insect Repellant. Rub Vicks VapoRub on your neck, inner knees, elbows, and behind your ears. It will keep insects away from you. To ward off flies, open the bottle of Vicks on the picnic table. Isn't it the best eco friendly trick to apply with insects?
6. Dissolve Bruises. Mix a pinch of salt in Vicks VapoRub. Apply it on a fresh bruise. It will break up the bruise quickly.
7. Mitigate Sore Muscles. Gently rub Vicks VapoRub on sore muscles. Then, cover the affected area with a warm and dry towel. Lie down or slightly lift the paining limb til soreness reduces. Practice it three times per day.
8. Skin Moisturizer. Vicks VapoRub is an excellent moisturizer for dry skin. Rub it on your skin and feel the magic.
9. Tennis Elbow. Are you suffering from tennis elbow? Rub Vicks VapoRub and get rid of the pain. Menthol and camphor present in it will heal the aching elbow.
10. Heal Cracked Heels. Spread a thick layer of Vicks VapoRub on your heels and feet. Then don the cotton socks. Wash your feet in the morning with warm waters. Use pumice stone to exfoliate the softened skin. Employ it every night for maintaining the healthy smooth heels.
11. Fingernail or toenail fungus. Rub Vicks VapoRub on the infected toenail or fingernail, two times a day. Cover your feet with cotton socks, at bedtime. Frequently trim the nails, till infected part is entirely removed.
12. Chest Decongestant. Apply Vicks VapoRub on your throat and chest, to get relief from congestion symptoms and cough.
13. Prevent Your Cat from Scratching. To prevent your mischievous Miss Kitty from tarnishing windows, walls and doors, rub a small quantity of Vicks VapoRub to these areas.
14. Heal Splinters or Cuts. For speeding up the healing time and preventing infection, apply Vicks on any splinter or cut.
15. Reek-free Racehorses. On the race day, professional racers rub Vicks VapoRub below the nostrils of racehorses. It deters the horses from the fascinating stench of the female pony, thereby keeping them focused on the race.
16. Stretch Marks. Apply Vicks VapoRub on the stretch marks. You will notice the result within two weeks of regular application.
17. Deter Pet Pee-Pee. If you want to prevent your pet from wetting the rug or any area of the house, put an open bottle of Vicks VapoRub in those areas.
18. Get Rid of Eczema. Apply Vicks VapoRub on the eczema affected skin. It will lessen the inflammation and itchiness.
19. Ear Pain Reliever. Apply Vicks VapoRub on a cotton ball. Put it in aching ear. It will provide you instant relief.
20. Athletes Feet. To heal athlete’s feet, apply Vicks VapoRub two times a day.