Snowmageddon

I know my previous post was about snow, but it seems that the snow storms are really dominating our lives these days. I was scheduled to go to a conference in Washington D.C., but with the record breaking snow falls, no flights have been going in or out! Having moved from up north where it snows and sticks from about mid November through Easter(s), I don't find our occasional snow storms here in the "south" all that bad. My coworkers who are natives are not so casual about the weather. According to them, this is the worst winter our area has seen in several years. I am, of course, being blamed for this increase in winter weather. I can take it! For a little while. But, since the snow has delayed and potentially ruined my D.C. plans, I too am starting to get a little annoyed with the snow. And, so, here is my picket sign to Mother Nature... You are now on Notice!

The World is Coming to an End! (Not really)

I have lived through a few natural disasters in my short life, but I really don't recall reactions like I have seen here in the "south". This is a photo of the Walmart bread aisle. Everything is GONE! One gal told me she saw someone with 3-4 loaves, while others were going without. Seriously, I would have taken a loaf of white bread, just to have bread in the house.
I know that about a year ago this area experienced a severe ice storm that took power out of some homes for up to a week, but I am still surprised by the doomsday reaction of most people. After the floods hit our previous home, I recal people getting a little nervous when it rained real hard, but nothing like this. I had to chuckle a little at the people at Walmart freaking out about no bread. I did do my best to stock up on foods that don't need to be cooked and if we have no electricity for a week, we'll deal with it. We have a gas fireplace, so I know we won't freeze to death! I'll keep you updated on the storm...as long as I have electricity!

New Year Recipes

I am really trying to post more than once a month this year. So you may get a few random postings of my favorite activities, like cooking and eating, or sewing. I don't have any sewing projects in the que right now, but I have been doing some yummy cooking. My two favorite cooking items right now are my crockpot and my cast iron skillet. If you don't have a crockpot, you must be living under a rock, get one! If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you are really missing out. I purchased one right before Christmas and have used it a ton. Even with an old electric stove, the skillet heats perfectly and evenly. With my old non-stick skillet, I have to crank the heat to get things to cook. But with the cast iron, I can keep the temperature pretty low and get quick and even cooking. I've been using it for everything.
Here are a few yummy recipes I have created these first few weeks of the new year.
The first is a traditional southern new year's day meal. It is good luck to eat black eyed peas and greens as your first meal of the new year. So we made Hoppin' John for dinner.

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
12-16 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage (1 package)
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 celery ribs
1 fresh jalapeño chile, diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups chicken broth

Serve with cooked rice, sauteed greens (I used spinach) and corn bread

Directions:
Soak black-eyed peas overnight.

(If you forget to do this, you can “quick soak” them by putting peas in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, soak peas 1 hour, drain peas in a sieve)

Quarter kielbasa lengthwise and cut quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop onion and mince garlic. Cut celery crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and mince jalapeño.

In a 3-quart heavy kettle (or in a cast iron skillet) cook kielbasa, onion, garlic, celery, jalapeño, and bay leaf in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add peas and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaf and stir in coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve Hoppin' John spooned over rice. Don’t forget the cornbread!

It was so good!! I added a little extra salt and I may add some spicier sausage or even some dashes of hot sauce to spice it up a little.
My kids really liked it! Melanie claims black eyed peas as a new favorite food.

Another great recipe for the crockpot is Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Again, who doesn't love chicken, ham, cheese and creamy sauce!?

We really enjoyed this and it was easy!! Now, if you really like traditional "brown in a pan then bake in the oven" cordon bleu, remember that this is in a crockpot and the texture will be a little different, but still good.

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts, (approximately 2 lbs.) pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
thin Ham slices
Swiss cheese slices
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sherry
S & P to taste
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Pound your chicken to 1/4- 1/2 in thick. Spray your crockpot with pam. Place a layer of chicken, then ham, then cheese. Follow with a second layer of each.
Mix together the soup, mushrooms, sour cream and sherry. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pour Sauce over chicken. Cook on High for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
When serving cut through the entire depth of chicken. This gives you the ham and cheese on the "inside" flavors without having to take the time to roll each piece of chicken. Put on a plate and spoon some sauce over the chicken. Top with a sprinkling of bread crumbs to get a little 'crunch'.
Serve with steamed veggies and brown rice. Enjoy!
Have fun trying out some new recipes. More may be coming soon! :)

A Year to Hope

The New Year has finally arrived. 2010 is here! By the way, how are you saying the year? Twenty-ten? Two thousand and ten? Ten? I still haven't decided how to say it, but I am so glad it is here. 2009 brought so many changes to my life. I am hoping and believing that 2010 will be a year to put down some roots and begin to feel a sense of security and stability in life, again.
I have been mulling over some verses today that I shared with a friend who had a difficult 2009. James 1:2-3 says "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds becasue you know that the testing of your faith develops preseverance." Several years ago, I did a personal study of Romans. I simply read a few verses each day and journaled about what I believed God was speaking to me. It took me more than two months to complete the entire book, but it was one of the most powerful scripture studies I have done. Many of those verses and the lessons I learned have stuck with me and become such a core part of who I am. One of the more profound revelations for me was when I linked the "lists" we often see in scripture, such as the Fruit of the Spirit to the following verses. Romans 5:3-5 "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given." Demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives is not a one time shot, all or nothing. It is a process of experiencing suffering and painful situations, letting those experiences develop character in our lives and living them out, as best we can with Hope.
Hope is really such an abstract concept. How do you define hope? How do you live it out in real way? What does true hope in God look like? Is it blind faith in the face of negative evidence? I guess in some ways it is. It is a faith that God has a purpose in our pain and a plan beyond what we can see. I recently sang at a women's event a Natalie Grant song titled "Our Hope Endures". The chorus says, "Our Hope endures the worst of conditions. It's more than our optimism. Let the earth quake. Our Hope is unchanged." As I start this new year, I truly am filled with hope and expectation that 2010 holds great things. I know it will not be without its challenges but my hope endures. This is my prayer for you and for myself.
"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

The True Meaning of Christmas

Well, Christmas has come and gone and we are just days away from the new year. I can hardly believe that our first three months in our new "Southerly" home has flown by. I had a difficult time really getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I don't know if it was the lack of snow and cold temperatures, being busy or the newness of our situation or knowing we wouldn't be with our family. It just never quite felt like "Christmas".
It seems at Christmas we think of family and our blessings a little more than we do throughout the rest of the year. I have been blessed with a great family. Amidst hardships, my parents raised me to be strong, independent and confident in who God created me to be. I don't always feel that way, but it is deeply at the core of who I am thanks to my parents. I have great siblings. We aren't the kind that talk every day, but we communicate well and love and support each other the best way we know how. I have been blessed with a great husband. He is passionate for the Lord and for people. His greatest joy is connecting people to the love of God, whether that is through a sermon, a video or through serving them coffee. I have amazing children. I often ask my mom, "how did you manage to raise us to be functional adults?", so that I can do the same for my children. Of course, her answer is, "I dont' know!". Lot a good that'll do me! I try each day to tell my kids I love them and I'm proud of them for who they are and not what they do. I pray with them and tell them about our awesome Father in Heaven. And, I guess that is the best that I can do.
God has also blessed me with incredible "family by choice". I think of the friends we have had to leave behind along our journey. What a blessing and encouragement they have been to me over the years. I think, too, of the friends we have been able to join up with again and continue to encourage and spur one another on in this portion of our journeys. I hope and pray and believe that some day we will cross paths again with members of our family, whether biological or choice, as we continue each day to move forward. And, even though it never quite felt as "Christmas-y" as I would have liked, I think I may have just found my Christmas spirit after all!
Thanks family!!

Starbucks

All of you know how much I love coffee. We just got a programmable coffee maker, and so up until now, the first thing I did every morning was stumble to the coffee maker and switch it on. Most nights before bed I had the smarts to fill the resevoir with water and the filter with fresh grounds. It really is a wonderful way to wake up - the smell of coffee brewing, the pop pop of the steam escaping the back of the coffee maker, and the drip drip as fresh coffee fills the carafe. I. Love. It!

And, now I love coffee even more!! YAY!! Today was Bill's first day at his new job as a Starbucks Barista. It may not seem like the ideal job to the average man, but it is a perfect fit for him and for our family. This particular store has not hired a new Barista in several years. Most of his coworkers have been with the company for at least that long. They have a very low turnover rate because Starbuck's treats their employees well. For the most part he will have a routine schedule from week to week. There is always opportunity for growth and development within the company. Bill seems to be most excited about the chance to interact with the public and be around people. His particular store is right down the street from a major company that employs literally thousands of people. Many of them at the executive level are regular customers at his Starbucks. What a great way to love on people who are often overworked, and stressed out, but seem to "have it all". As Bill and I continue to work towards planting a church in our new community Starbucks seems to fit the bill for maintaining an income while still working towards our calling. And, you can't beat a free pound of coffee every week! YAY!

Life in the Land of Cotton

Moving to the 'South' really is an adventure for a 'Northern girl'. Now, thankfully, we have not descended clear into the deep delta South, but we are definitely "South" enough. So here is my list of Signs you now live in the "South":
1. Everyone says "Ya'll", including me
2. The temperature is around 40 degrees and people are "freezing". The local weather man said in a very ominously dramatic voice on last night's newscast, "Will it get to single digits tonight?
3. When you order tea at a restaurant the waiter asks if you want sweet or unsweet.
4. Everyone belongs to church (but only half of them go).
5. There are streets named: Dixieland, Cotton and K-L-A-N (I just couldn't type it straight for fear some crazy would find my blog through a search engine)
6. BBQ. There are BBQ places and smokehouses everywhere. I think I've gained 10 lbs since moving.
7. There are Cotillions!! The uppity socialite ladies wanted to put together one for some local low in-come girls. I don't think those girls really care that much about a fancy dress that they will only wear once.
8. Football - I really don't think I have to say much more.
9. Chick-Fil-A!! I love this place. Next time you go to one, say "Thank you" to the staff and see how they respond. They are instructed to say the same thing every time they hear "Thank you". It's great!!
10. And, everyone is friendly.
I think I can get used to it here.

Community

I am not a huge tv watcher. I used to scan the channels and watch whatever caught my fancy. But, now, with my new more routine schedule and the addition of a DVR, I have specific shows that I watch. I haven't fallen into a 'show for every day' routine, rather just a few nights a week. Tuesdays is The Biggest Loser. I love me some good cryin'. And, I do cry every. single. week. Thursdays is my line up of NBC favorites; Parks and Recreation, The Office and my new fave - Community. Community is about Jeff, a lawyer who gets disbarred and must get a real college degree from the United States, not Columbia - as in the country. So, he lands at a community college and forms a spanish study group with the washed up athlete, the retiree trying to keep his mind fresh, the 'hot' girl who took a detour in life, the middle aged single mom making a fresh start, the kid with social skills issues and the too smart for her own good overachiever. After making a wreck of the group's emotions, he calms them down with an eloquent speech that ends with the statement "And, now you are a community".
This show is absolutely hilarious, but also very thought provoking. How does a motley crew like this seem to meet one another's needs academically, emotionally, and sometimes even physically (Jeff has to live with one of the other students when he gets kicked out of his apartment and is found living in his car - classic) when they are all so different? It all comes down to that word "Community". The word community can refer to the location in which you live, but that does not necessarily mean that you are living in true community.
The origin of the word "community" comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So, community literally means to give among each other. And, that is true community. Giving of one's self, time, emotions, talent, efforts; all of you. True community is risky. It has the potential to hurt you. You may not be able to walk away unscathed, but isn't that kind of the point. To NOT walk away. Rather, to fight and give till you have nothing left to give. True community comes with so many more blessings and rewards. You find relationships that will last a lifetime. You have love and support during your darkest times. You have joy and celebration in the good times.
My community is not where I live - although I am enjoying my new residential location very much. My community is where my heart and soul live with others, spread out all over the country, but connected by a love for one another and a passion to serve God. He is at the center of my community. Although, the proximity of my community has changed recently, I know I will forever give of myself together with them. Love you guys (oh, you know who you are!)

A Season of Change II

Little did I know two years ago when I wrote the previous post exactly how much change was really ahead for me and my family! With the most recent changes, I am feeling the urge to blog again. I don't know how long it will last, but I will do my best to post a few thoughts from time to time. It may be funny quips about my kids or my job or may be some deep thoughts about life and its ever changing, yet constant meaning.
So, today I will leave you with a verse that I am pondering.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always;

Pray continually;

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

A season of change

Well, school begins today and there is change in the air. I think everyone in our home is experiencing some kind of change right now.
Robby begins first grade. This is a grade with a number!! He is very concerned that there are letter grades this year as well. Overall, he is excited but still a little aprehensive of the possible differences from his much beloved Kindergarten class. He really loved his teacher last year. As we dropped off school supplies, he was anxious to meet his new teacher, but really wanted to go say hi to his old one. I know he is going to do great.
Robby is also starting his first competitive sport, soccer. I've always wanted to be a "soccer" mom. Yay, now I am one. They supposedly don't keep score at his age, but who are we kidding. Those parents are keeping track of every goal.
Melanie is going to take another year before beginning Kindergarten. As a child who has a summer birthday and didn't go to school until I was 6, I understand the many advantages to waiting. I can look back now and see that the extra time allowed me to be a little bit more mature and an above average student when it really mattered most... Jr. High and High school. I hope my daughter experiences the same advantages that I did. She does get to start a new preschool program at a new "school", though. She is very excited. Somewhere she heard the term Pre-kindergarten and has self labeled her class "pre-Kin". It's very cute.
I, too, anticipate some changes this fall. I will begin a new work schedule since I work primarily with at-risk teens and their families, I have to wait till they are out of school to meet with them. I will also be developing a school program for at-risk kids for the rural schools in our area. In time I may be able to work exclusively during the school day at the local schools. But, until then I anticipate a pretty hectic schedule.
I have also added a couple of new "hobbies" if you will. I have played around with running for a couple of years now, but had never gotten hooked. I hadn't experienced that "runner's high" or the addiction that Others,ahem, HETH have illuded to. But, this last spring I began to take it more seriously and now I'm signed up to run a half-marathon. That's 13.1 miles, people. I think I must be on something. I'm not athletic and have never liked running, but somehow the bug has bit. I'm battling through some foot problems, but I've started to treat it appropriately and already feel better.
I've also taken up knitting . Yes, the old lady craft with pointy sticks and balls of yarn. I don't think I will share with you my first project, a washcloth, because it is hideous. It has double knit stitches and dropped stitches and all kinds of bumps and bulges. I'm hoping the recipient of this labor of love will appreciate each knit and purl I put into it, though. There is a lady in our community collecting washcloths to send to orphan children in Somalia with a bar of soap and literature on daily hygiene. I can just picture it now..."My washcloth isn't as nice as yours"...hopefully orphans aren't picky.
With my crazy schedule, Bill is going to end up with a couple of bedtimes a week and running Robs to his soccer practice, so he may get a little "Mr. Mom" syndrome this fall until my schedule gets more settled.
It seems like with each new school year, we as parents experience change as well. I'm looking forward to this fall and all tha tit holds for us.

Ten things that bring me JOY

This is a list I've been working on through out this summer.

1. Beautiful flowers. Gladiolas to be exact.



2. S'Mores.

3. Late Summer nights filled with friends and laughter.



4. The POOL.



5. Freshly done Kitchen.



6. Summer Camp.







7. The loving arms of my husband.







8. Sweet kisses and "I love you"'s from my little ones.


9. Brand new school supplies.

10. School starting this week!!!!

Here's What I was Thinking

A couple of weeks ago, I posed a very simple question: "What was I thinking?"
Well, here's what I was thinking. I have been thinking about redecorating my kitchen since we moved in 4 years ago this month. In fact, I was so set on redecorating the out-dated, somewhat tacky, just a little too Amish (nothing against the Amish, I love their cinnamon bread)for my taste kitchen...that I ripped down the icky, falling off the wall basket border within weeks of moving in. Thinking this would motivate me to take care of it right away, I continued to slowly peel away pieces of the Amish quilt patterned wall paper over the next couple of years. Instead of motivating me, each new layer of wall revealed simply frustrated me even more. Pretty soon the cabinet doors were even falling off their hinges right before my very eyes...literally. Thankfully, I have a handy dad who can fix almost anything. He willingly repaired the doors for me. But again, instead of motivating me, they sat in the garage, "fixed", for about a year.
I knew the general direction that I wanted to go right from the beginning, but finding the time to do it is ridiculous. I knew I wanted to put up paintable wallpaper, so that I could change the color as I wished. I actually purchased the wallpaper over a year and a half ago. With the repairs needed on the cabinet doors I knew they would need painting. This was a more difficult decision for me. Do I paint over the cream with something else light, just to freshen them up or do I go for something bold, a big change. Well, here are some fun pictures of my new "Coffee Kitchen" as Robby calls it.



I found this great border that incorporated all the colors I had already chosen to complete my "Coffee Kitchen". It is only on one wall, so it isn't too overpowering.

I decided to go with black for the cabinets. It is a "hot" color right now, yet still neutral enough if we decide to sell the house anytime soon.


Here is a close up of the quick thinking trim I came up with. I had an odd sized gap between the cabinets and the soffet above them. In some places it was very small, an eigth of an inch and in others much larger, like a half an inch. I wasn't sure what to do with this space so I hot glued a cotton-poly rope trim normally used in fabrics into that space. It seems to be working just fine and I think it looks great.

So, that is what I was thinking dumping the contents of my kitchen onto my dining room floor. It was a very long week with several late nights, but I am very happy with the results.

Tom Came to my House Yesterday

Tom came to my house yesterday. He is a hard working young man. He and his girlfriend have recently restored a 125ish years old home. His favorite part is the giant claw-foot bathtub that is big enough for two...(TMI, Tom...definitely more than I wanted to know about you, dear.) Tom is a profuse sweater. No, he doesn't HAVE a big sweater; he sweats a lot. A LOT! But, if you have met my husband you know that doesn't bother me, too much. Something else you must know. I LOVE TOM. I'm not in love with him and I will never see him ever again, but I love him.
Why, you may ask, would I love a man that I have only met just once and will never see again. Because, he brought me two boxes that look like this...


Inside those two boxes were these...



I have never been so excited to do laundry!!! And, that is why I love Tom. He brought me my big beautiful new front-load, energy efficient washer and dryer.
This is really a wonderful God thing. My Uncle has worked for the Maytag corporation for probably over 30 years. My Grandfather worked for Maytag before him for many many more years than that. Maytag was recently bought out by Whirlpool. God directed my Uncle and some friends of his to start a private Research and Development Company. This allowed them to get a contract with Whirlpool and continue doing the same kind of work with all the same people.
Anyway, with all the changes at Maytag, the company opened up their employee discount to family of employees. I am a family. Yay!!! The other wonderful thing is just how perfect God's timing is. Our washer and dryer were fairly old and although they still work, I don't think they did as good a job as they could have. Drying times seemed to be getting longer and longer. And, mysterious little holes have occasionally appeared in my clothes. It was time for something new and this opened up at just the right time.
We were able to get this Maytag Neptune for such a good price. It doesn't look super fancy. There is no viewing window. (The kids were a little disappointed in that.) But, my Uncle and my parents have the same washer and dryer and they say you can fit 18 full size bath towels or 3 sets of queen size sheets or 12 adult size pairs of jeans. I have also been told by him and a salesman that I can put dirty, grass stained clothes right in the washer without even pretreating and they will come clean. No pretreating, how will I ever restrain myself from dowsing each grassy, muddy, or PB&J spill with Oxiclean. OOOOHHH I can't wait to give it a try. As soon as my new BFF, Tom, left I gave the laundry lady a quick call. I knew that she would appreciate my joy over a new washer and dryer. Anyway, I'm just a little excited. As I sit here and type my sweet little girl has informed me that she wet the bed early this morning and I will need to wash the sheets today. YAY!!! Wet sheets. I can't wait.

P.S. Big shout out to my hubby, Shawn, Paul, Zach and Cody for removing my old washer and dryer at 10:00 the night before. Thanks for getting rid of those old beasts. My feelings for you are almost as deep as they are for Tom.

WHAT WAS I THINKING??

I'm clearly loosing my mind. Only a crazy woman would empty the contents of her kitchen cabinets onto the dining room floor, right?!

Hide and Go Seek

Just this morning, I was busying myself about the house; washing dishes, sorting laundry, making the grocery list. Every few minutes, my 6 year old, Robby, would come by and ask me to play or beg for his cousins to come over. Of course, my reply was "After my work gets done, I'll have time to play."
At some point during the morning, Rob comes bounding into the kitchen, exclaiming "Mom, someone wrote something on the chalkboard downstairs, you have to come and read it." He sounded a little concerned, "Mom, I didn't write and I don't know who did." This needed some investigation.
My summer child care is a high school girl who frequently writes and draws things on the chalkboard. I've never seen anything inappropriate, but this was curious to me. As I headed for the basement, Robby scooted the other way. HMMM, that was a little wierd. As I approached the chalkboard I could see my son's 6 year old scrawl and knew the little rascal had gotten me. This is what it said:

"I am Hideing someware in the hoas"

I began to chuckle and knew that my very clever son was hid(e)ing somewhere in the "hoas" and I must go find him. I went upstairs and loudly threw open the bathroom door. "Are you in here?" No.
Then the bathroom closet, "I'm coming for you." No.
Next the shower curtain, "You must be in the bathtub!" No.
Finally, I came to the bedroom closet. As I threw open the door, he startled, then I jumped. And, we fell on the floor laughing. We laughed and talked for a few minutes. Then I went back to my work and he went off to play.
Ya, know the little stinker didn't play again with me the rest of the morning.
Maybe, I should stop and play a little more often. I might get more work done.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, it's a Monday again. The next two weeks look to be very busy, if I am to accomplish all that I would like to. So, I better be organized. I always know one of the easiest ways to be organized is to have all my meals ready for the week. I am going to try a few things in the crockpot that I normally do in the oven and see if they work out. Any thing to not have to turn on the oven and make it boiling lava hot in my house right now will be great with me. With the A/C a little on the fritz and not working to its full potential I don't want to add any extra heat if at all possible.

Monday: Raspberry Chicken(normally in the oven, but today in the crockpot)steamed veggies and creamy rice (both in the microwave).

Tuesday: Java-Q Ribs (again, in the crockpot), salad and "baked" potatoes (in the microwave)

Wednesday: At the church's youth cafe, its quick, cheap and I don't have to turn a thing on in the kitchen.

Thursday: Chicken Parisienne (Yay for the crockpot), white rice, and peas

Friday: Dad can grill some meat and we'll pick up some fresh sweet corn from the stand on the side of the road!!! (Yay for sweet corn season)
For you locals, the best sweet corn stand is in the parking lot of the Old Wal-Mart. They really are a local place and a really nice family to support.

Saturday: Leftovers, (They should be pretty good)

Have a great week!

Happy Birthday, Little Lady

Well, I really am a horrible mother. I am posting my daughter's birthday wishes 6 days late. In my defense, we had family here all weekend and then the fourth of July hit and today is her little girl's birthday party. So, sweetie pie, please forgive me for being late.
To my sweet Melanie:
A little lady you are. You are tender and caring and sweet. I loved watching you open your presents with your brother smooshed right by your side. And, with each gift you would light up in delight and exclaim to him, "Look Robby, look what we got." I love that he is your best friend and playmate right now in life. I hope this always lasts.
I love that you love to sing. Music fills our home all the time with your sweet little voice. At the moment, you happen to be in love with your own vibrado and it cracks me up every time. You hold out notes as long as you can putting as much spin on it as you can. And, it is usually a note or a word that has no reason for vibrado, but I love it.
I love that you really like yourself. You know that you are pretty (which is pretty dangerous), but you have no reason to be self conscious or concerned about petty things. You are proud of the work you do when you clean your room or create a picture or sing a song. You have a confidence that draws others to you. I hope this always lasts.
I love your sweet prayers at dinner or bedtime when you pray for mommy and daddy and Robby and Nana and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Nicole and Uncle Steve and cousins Emily, Megan, Macy and Makenzie and the other kids and all the... you get the idea. You genuinely care for others and want to see them know Jesus like you do. I hope this always lasts.
I love YOU. My precious sweet 5 year old. I really can't believe it has been that long since I held your tiny little body in my arms and cried tears of joy that God had given me the chance to have another child. And, he had given me a girl. He had given me you.

June

Well, it's hard to believe today is the last day of June. I had to get at least one post in for the month. So here I sit at 11:00 pm typing away.
It has been an incredible month with so much going on. So here's a recap.
On June 1st, my incredible dad turned 60. The family got together to celebrate with only a few of us missing. It was wonderful to honor him and the legacy he has created. I hope he has 60 more years. (ya never know. Life expectancy continues to increase all the time, right?!)
The church had its awesome VBS. My kids were still singing last year's VBS music when I got the cd for this year's music. Of course, we have every word and action memorized and I expect to be listening to this music in May of 2008. God is good and allowed us to minister to somewhere around 165 children over the week. It really was awesome.
My sweet cousin, Seth was married to a wonderful woman. My sister and I were able to travel the 2 hours to the wedding. I even got to sing in the wedding. It was lots of fun. In high school, Seth was in a severe car accident that many wondered if he would survive. But, God has preserved his life for a great purpose. He is a great guy with a great wife and two incredible step kids. I am so excited for all that his future holds.
Bill and I celebrated 9 years of marriage during this month. It landed during VBS week and a busy week at work for me, but we were still able to celebrate. Martina McBride had a concert in our area and we were able to get tickets. She is an incredible singer who gave us a great show. Diamond Rio was her opening act and they were awesome, too. Ten years ago, the summer we were engaged, we listened to Diamond Rio a ton, so it was fun to see them in concert and sing all their old songs. Before the concert we were able to go to this incredible New Orleans style restaurant and have lots of yummy food. It was a really fun night to celebrate my awesome hubby.
So in case you didn't notice I had a great, incredible and awesome June with great, incredible, and awesome people.
P.S. I think I need a new thesaurus of adjectives.

Win a Year's Supply of the Best Bandages Ever

5 Minutes for Mom is having yet another wonderful contest. This time for the BEST bandages EVER!!! They are a little pricier than the others but the money you save in not having to replace a bandage every hour is worth it. We love the character "tatoo" bandages. And, when they say waterproof they mean KIDPROOF! These things stay on through the bath, the pool, the slip 'n'slide - Everything. They are great.
The prize is 45 boxes. That is what they are calling a 1 year supply. Depending on your famiy it could be just 2 months, but still worth it.
Just visit 5 minutes for mom to win

Menu Plan Monday

Hi Gals/Strangers. I feel like I haven't had a minute to blog the last two weeks. If my kids haven't been on the computer, my husband has been (virus on his laptop). And, if I have been on the computer, I have been typing up session notes and reports like a mad woman and I have had no desire to sit at my computer any longer.
But now I'm back. I have a post already in the hopper for ya, too.
This week's menu is pretty simple and a lot of using up what is already in the cupboards and freezer. Plus, it's graduation time!! This is always a treat. Where we live the graduate's family has a big open house for family and friends to come and celebrate their child's achievement. This means lots of food!! Everyone serves up great stuff like sandwhiches and hors d'ourves (that means appetizers) desserts and more desserts. Some days we have one or two but others we have 7 or 8. This Saturday is a 7 or 8 kinda day. So I don't have to cook all weekend. It is great!!!
Here's our menu:

Monday: Quiche, muffins and fruit
Tuesday: One pot dinner, cornbread and salad
Wednesday: Waffles and sausage
Thursday: Grilled chicken, veggies and rice
Friday: OPEN HOUSES!
Saturday: OPEN HOUSES!
Sunday: Something in the crockpot, yet to be decided.