a moment in time...

Ha!

2010-09-18T18:51:00.003-05:00

I'm not dead, just still working full time! =)

I am finding myself with less and less time to devote to blogging (obviously!). However, I just entered a giveaway on someone else's blog and did not want to list my email in my entry post. So, if I'm lucky enough to win Deidre's giveaway, she needs a way to get in touch with me. Hopefully I'll be receiving a post from her here on my blog notifying me I've won an awesome book!

I've come to realize over the last year and a half that I'm just not built to work full time, but for this season of my life, that's the way it must be. There are things around my home that are neglected...and people sometimes, too...but I'm doing the best I can. There's a lot of praying going on, trust me. If God hadn't been carrying me around for the last seven months or so, I just don't think I could've done it. I'm typically very organized with my calendars, meal lists, shopping lists, lists, lists, lists...but there are days that I just don't even care what we eat or if the laundry gets done. Thankfully, I'm married to a VERY understanding man!

Well, I'd love to say that I'll post again real soon, but I'm afraid it'd be a lie! LOL! Let's just say that I'll try my best. Deal???

Whoa...

2009-07-12T21:01:00.002-05:00

I laughed when I read the title of my last post. "MIA". Well, ditto for this past month. I just haven't taken the time to post. I haven't planned meals. I haven't gotten groceries on a regular schedule. blah...

But, you know what? We survived!

It's been a busy June for sure. Jake went on a school trip to Washtington DC, had his first week of 8th grade football camp, started lifting weights at school 3 mornings a week at 6am. Now for July...my laptop crashed (fun, fun), I'm taking on more responsibilities at work, and we just bought a new freezer to fill up with food.

I was almost physically sick when my laptop crashed. See, I have OVER 23,000 pictures organized in my Adobe Photoshop Elements. Correction - I HAD over 23,000 pics organized. Thankfully a couple weeks before the crash, I registered with Carbonite.com and got everything backed up. It backed up my pictures, but they are no longer organized and tagged in Photoshop. Ugh... So, once the laptop is back from HP getting the recall problem fixed, I get to re-organize the pictures. How fun, huh?!?!? Oh well, I just thank God that the pics didn't just completely disappear.

I'm being forced to be creative now, though. With my laptop out of commission, I can't print off pics to prepare for my July crop with the church girls. So, I've begun going through OLD pictures. Today I cleaned out about 4 or 5 of those old "sticky" albums from my childhood. Oh what funny things I saw in there. The laughs ranged from coke-bottle glasses to braces to first-thing-in-the-morning pics taken of me by my mom when I was about 13 or 14. I also found those prom pics with the boy I thought I'd love "forever", as well as TONS of pics of me in my ever-fashionable band uniform.

There's no telling what kind of scrapbook layouts I'll come up with before my July crop. All I know is that the girls at the crop will definitely meet their laughing quota that day!

MIA and little Menu Plan Monday

2009-05-25T10:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry to have been MIA again for a few weeks. I've missed posting as regularly as I have in the past, but I've just not made the time to creat a post and actually post the post. My apologies...

Let's see...since my last post I have become the mother of a teenager. Yep - that's right! My "baby" is now 13. Where has the time gone??? He's a lucky boy, too...he got to celebrate for about 3 days. The Saturday before his bday we treated him and about 9 others to a day of paintball play. That evening his "girlfriend" came over for dinner and some Wii playing. Sunday we gave him the gifts from us. Then on his actual bday we had a special dinner requested by him and watched the 24 season finale.

Now we're two days away from school being out for the summer. Jake's got big plans for this summer, too. He has a weightlifting "class" almost every weekday for the whole summer, two weeks of football camp, and a 5-day trip to Washington DC. Fair warning to everyone who sees or talks to me frequently...I may be slightly frazzled the week he's in DC. My baby...on a plane...many states away...in the city with the highest crime rate...um, yep, frazzled. But - I'll get in LOTS of praying, trust me!

Work is still going good. I'm still not liking being gone 40 hours a week, but we're making it work. I missed my first week of meal planning last week. It felt odd, too. So, this afternoon I sat down and planned out the next three weeks' worth of meals. I'll give them to you a week at a time, though, so I'll feel more compelled to write a post next week. =)

Here's what's up for the rest of this week:

Monday: leftovers from the feast we had yesterday at my SIL's
Tuesday: Jim has a dinner meeting for work, so Jake and I will have leftovers again
Wednesday: turkey breast tenderloin in the crockpot, broccoli, stuffing
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: cube steak in the crockpot with brown gravy mix, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Saturday: baked marinated chicken breasts, green beans, salad
Sunday: beef roast and potatoes in the crockpot, green beans or broccoli, salad

Yesterday was my monthly scrapbooking day with the girls from church. Since it was the holiday weekend, they weren't expecting too many of us to show up. Turned out to be a great day with about 15 of us there to scrap, scrap, scrap!

Speaking of scrapping...I got the majority of my housework completed last night after we returned from my SIL's, so today I'm free to scrap all afternoon! Yeah me!!!

Hope everyone enjoys a wonderful day off today. Have a great week!

Thoughts from the week...

2009-05-01T20:02:00.004-05:00

Welcome back...to me! =)

It feels like forever since I've posted here, but it's really only been a couple weeks. Sorry for the absence. Guess I really am still getting adjusted to working 40 hours a week.

I've noticed there are a lot of things I'm letting slip lately. I'd gotten into a "groove" while I was part time and then off work completely. Laundry was on Monday and Friday. Bathrooms were usually Friday. I mopped once a week. Etc. Etc. Etc. WELLLL...not so much anymore. I cherish my weekends, so hate to take up time with housecleaning. But I'm so tired when I get home at 5:30 I don't want to do it then either! I am managing, but the house looks like I'm BARELY managing! LOL! So, PLEASE...call before you come by...give me at least 30 minutes to straighten up. Thank you. =)

Jake had his very first band concert Monday night. He just started playing his bassoon last July, but he has made great improvements since then. I was very unsure how much the other band members had improved, though. However, I was pleasantly surprised by 7:03 Monday evening! They'd only been together to practice as a whole band ONCE. Yes, ONCE! You would have never known. They were terrific.

One highlight of the evening was being able to snap a picture of Jake and his girlfriend, Hannah. It turned out sooo cute!

The event was very sly...the first pic I took they were just standing side by side. But...when I got ready for pic #2, little mister put his arm around her. Of course, she was grinning from ear to ear (as you can see). Oh my...

It's still hard to believe my little boy is growing up.

Another week down...

2009-04-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! Another week has flown by. It's hard to believe I'll be beginning my 5th week at my new job tomorrow, but it's true.

I found out last week that the only other job I'd been holding out for was in the process of being filled...and I didn't get a letter for an interview for it. It would have been awesome, too. It was a state job that paid DOUBLE what I make now. But, obviously, that's not where God wanted me. I believe I'm in the spot He prepared for me for this season. I don't know how long this season will last, but while I'm at this job I'll be doing the best I can.

Last week's meals kind of got all out of whack. The main reason???...my husband bought a new gas BBQ grill. While it's great that he does all the grilling, it messed up my meal plan because it's kinda difficult to prepare sloppy joes or kettle beef on a grill! =)

He grilled again yesterday, so we had leftovers today, and will probably have them tomorrow, too. I still planned for each day as though I were cooking, so that means some of this week's meals will get pushed back, too.

So, here's what's on the menu:
Mon: canned beef, mashed potatoes, salad
Tue: boston butt roast, stuffing, green beans
Wed: leftovers
Thu: sloppy joes, mac and cheese, green beans
Fri: leftovers
Sat: eating out
Sun: beef stroganoff, green beans, salad
Mon: leftovers
Tue: hot dogs, broccoli, french fries
Wed: marinated chicken breasts, baked potatoes, broccoli
Thu: grilled porksteaks, stuffing, salad, green beans
Fri: salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Sat: breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns, sausage gravy, biscuits:
Sun: lunch - leftovers, supper - turkey pot pie

Having the grill also means that if I've had a hard or tiring day and don't want to be in the kitchen, then I can have Jim pick up some meat on his way home and throw it on the grill. I like this!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-04-05T19:34:00.002-05:00

I'm ready for week #3 at work and have another two week's worth of meals planned. I missed almost two whole days at work this week for being sick. When it began I thought it was the stomach flu, but looks like it was a round of flared up sinuses getting started. Yeah me! This will be a much better week, I'm sure!

Needless to say, some of last week's meals didn't get eaten thanks to me being sick and there being lots of meatloaf leftovers! =)

So here's what's up for this week and next:

Mon: chicken a la king over baked potatoes, salad
Tue: roundsteak and gravy in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Wed: baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, salad
Thu: beef roast and potatoes in the crock pot, green beans
Fri: tacos
Sat: turkey pot pie, salad
Sun: Easter lunch at the in-laws, if we have room for supper it'll be ham and cheese quiche
Mon: chopped sirloin in the crock pot with brown gravy (like salisbury steak), baked potatoes, salad
Tue: sloppy joes, corn, green beans
Wed: canned beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad
Thu: marinated chicken breasts in the crock pot, stuffing, green beans
Fri: boston butt roast, stuffing, salad
Sat: breakfast (eggs, hash browns, sausage gravy, biscuits)
Sun: hot dogs, baked beans, salad for lunch, week's leftovers for supper

I've been really surprised at how quickly I'm able to get supper ready in the evenings. I mean, I knew I was saving time by pre-cooking lots of things and by using my crock pot, but WOW! I get home by 5:20 or 5:25, and we're usually eating by 5:45! I think that's awesome because I was afraid it'd still be 6:15 or later. That all means that by 6:30 I've got supper over and my kitchen cleaned up...and the rest of the evening to do whatever strikes my fancy! I like that!!!

Do you have any time-saving ideas? Not just for the kitchen, but for anywhere around the house or in your daily routine? I'd love to hear them, so leave a comment or two!

Have an awesome week!!!

aaaah....Sunday

2009-03-29T19:10:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm about to embark on my second week back at full time work. I believe I am ready...emotionally and in every other way. I've gotten the clothes picked out for each day, and ironed all this afternoon. I'm looking forward to making some headway on the old accounts list I've been working on at the office. I'm also looking forward to dropping a few more pounds this week!

The weight loss has been an added benefit of going to work some place new. Here's why...nervous stomach. See...there's only two bathrooms in the whole place. And - one of those is for the "guys". Apparently it's pretty gross. It's in the back of the building and rarely, if ever, used by the office girls. So, that leaves the one bathroom by the front desk to be used by patients and everyone else. Well, I don't want to be running to the bathroom all day, so I have been VERY cautious about what I eat each day and evening. Pepto was my friend for a couple days last week.

I know, I know...probably too much info for those few of you reading this. But, hey, I'm just trying to keep it real! =)

Anyway, I've been eating about 1/2 a sandwich for lunch and munch on honey wheat pretzels before and after. I haven't been eating breakfast, but eating some crackers or the pretzels at work. For dinner, I've been eating about half of a normal meal and being very cautions of grease/fat intake. I can't live on Immodium and Pepto, so I have to make the adjustments to my diet. It's paid off on the scales. I dropped 3 or 4 pounds last week. Yeah!

My new workplace is right in front of our local mall, so my plan is to eventually walk there on my lunch break. However, I was so beat last week I never had enough energy to go walk. We'll see how this week goes.

I've got no new post for Menu Plan Monday since I posted two week's worth of meals last week. Although, there will probably be at least one change to the plan. I found out that Jim will be working late Friday and a lot of Saturday. So, looks like Jake and I will get to indulge in some fast food Friday night. (I've decided that Friday night and part of Saturday can be my "pig out" times.) I'm hoping he picks McD's, BK, or Sonic. Hhhmmm...guess since I'm driving AND paying I can say where we go, huh? =)

Have an awesome week!

On your mark...get set...go! (& Menu Plan Monday)

2009-03-22T15:28:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow begins my new adventure and return to the world of full-time employment. The prep work I did last week was fun. I got groceries, had luck buying new clothes, got new shoes, planned meals, etc. Let's just say that I felt comfortable enough with the prep I'd done to go enjoy a full day of scrapbooking yesterday. I enjoyed the whole day, too...no worrying about taking care of tasks at home. Yeah!

Laundry is being done this afternoon just to make sure we don't run out of anything before Friday night/Saturday when I get the chance to wash again. I think we're gonna be in really good shape!

I've normally made this post on Sunday night/Monday morning, but am not sure I'll have the opportunity to get another post in before bedtime tonight. So...this will also double as my Menu Plan Monday post. Since I've got the next two weeks planned, I'm gonna give it all to you at one time (also eliminating the need for a post next Sunday night!). Here you go:

Mon: beef roast and potatoes in the crock pot, green beans, salad
Tue: tacos
Wed: canned beef, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad
Thu: leftovers
Fri: chicken breasts in the crock pot, stuffing, green beans
Sat: lasagna roll-ups, salad
Sun: chicken/turkey a la king and leftovers
Mon: meatloaf, broccoli, baked potatoes
Tue: ham and cheese quiche
Wed: salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, green beans
Thu: chicken breasts in the crock pot, stuffing, salad
Fri: tacos
Sat: swiss chicken
Sun: beef stroganoff and leftovers

As you can see, I'm taking advantage of my crock pot as I head back to work full time. That way while I'm away from home 10 hours a day, our supper can be cooking and ready when I get home. My meatloaf trick is to bake it ahead of time and pop it in to the freezer. The morning before we eat it, I take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge. When it's supper time, we just stick it in the microwave and heat it up. I've already browned and seasoned the meat for our tacos and browned the sausage for the lasagna roll-ups. And, next Monday night while we're enjoying our pre-cooked meatloaf meal, our Tuesday night's quiche will be in the oven baking. That way we just have to reheat it Tuesday night and we're ready to eat.

I feel confident that my planning will work out. I tried to arrange it so that no matter how pooped I was after work I could handle getting the meal ready. I also have a back-up plan...there's hot dogs in the freezer! =) If something REALLY goes wrong one evening my guys can stick these in the microwave or on the stovetop and have supper in under 5 minutes. The best part is---they love hot dogs!

Ok, so the next post you read will tell of my wonderful new job and how smoothly everything went. So be sure to check back in a few days!

Yeah!!

2009-03-19T18:54:00.002-05:00

As of this past Monday afternoon, I am officially employed again! I accepted an offer to work in the billing department of a local physical therapy clinic. I start this coming Monday morning.

The past couple days have been fairly busy ones. I've been meal planning, list making, and clothes shopping. See, it's been about 6 1/2 YEARS since I've had to "dress" for work. I've either been wearing scrubs or jeans. I was down to two decent pairs of black slacks and a few skirts that I wore to church. I think I've purchased enough to at least get me started. I've added three more pairs of pants and about six shirts...plus six pairs of dress socks and two pairs of shoes. I got a great promo code in the mail yesterday to used at JCPenney.com on Sunday, so I may do a little catalog shopping that day. =)

I've gotten meals planned for the next two weeks, but now have to go grocery shopping to pick up a few things for the list. I was smart and put a lot of crockpot meals on the list as well as pre-cooked stuff I've already got in the freezer. I'm sure I'll be tired in the evenings when I get home...I haven't worked full time in almost two years!

To be honest, I'm a little excited about having to dress up again. I feel better about myself when I know I'm "put together" and look decent. Tomorrow I'm planning on going through my jewelry and getting it all organized again. I've got great stuff, but none of it really goes with jeans and shorts! LOL!

So, I'll be back in the groove again in a few days. I'll let you know how it goes!

Bring the Rain

2009-03-16T09:28:00.004-05:00

I've had this post brewing for a few days. I really hope I can get everything I want to say written correctly.

Let me start by saying if you've never heard the song "Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me, by all means find it and take a listen. This song has really been speaking to me lately. The short and sweet of it is that's how I want my life to be lived all the time. That's the view of my circumstances I always want to have. No matter what's going on - good or bad.

Until my mid-twenties, I had very little tragedy in my life. Of couse, I lost a grandpa when I was 7, and great-grandparents along the way. That was bound to happen because when I was born I had ALL my grandparents, great grandparents, and great-great grandparents except one. So I was used to "old" people passing away.

The first sudden death I experienced was during my junior year of high school. A girl a year ahead of me in school, Tracey, was killed one weekend night in a car accident. She and I were not close. Really, we were only in band together and did not hang out together. The thing that made it hit me so hard was remembering the Friday afternoon before she died. For some reason I came out the back exit of the school (I usually exited from the front). Tracey and her boyfriend, Wayne, were walking out in front of me. They were goofing around flirting with each other. She hopped on his back and he took off running with her giggling and holding on tight. They were seniors and at that moment had no worries whatsoever. When my parents told me she'd died, that image of her on Wayne's back was the first thing that came to my mind. They were so carefree...but just a few hours later lives were forever changed.

Fast forward about 16 months to the evening before my senior prom. I'd already gone to bed, but heard the phone ring later that night. It's never good news when the phone rings late at night, right? Right. My dad's cousin had been killed in a car wreck.

A year or so later, a young man from my hometown was murdered in a local grocery store robbery. As the details of the incident came out, I was appalled and so saddened at the things he had to endure during the last moments of his life. Years later when Jim and I moved back to my home town, it took all the strength I could muster just to grocery shop in that same store. My heart still ached for what he and his family had to go through.

Fast forward again to 1997. Jim and I are enjoying life. Jake's 18 months old and a joy to be with. I'm working as a bank teller. One day Jim comes in and I'm giddy that he's stopped to pay me a visit. What I didn't know was that my supervisor already knew he was coming. He had come to tell me that my mom's only brother had just been killed in a car accident. That was the only time in my life I have ever lost control in a public place. I hated that he had to come tell me...so did he.

It's now 2001. My paternal grandparents had had marital "issues" for what I had learned was years and years. My grandpa was an alcoholic. After months of living with the possibility of divorce and being separated, not long after grandpa moved back into the house with grandma, he committed suicide. It was a shock to my system to say the least. This is the stuff that happens to other people, right?...not to my family. Wrong. Because of what Jim thinks is a morbid fascination, I asked to go in and see Grandpa before the coroner removed his body from the house. My parents went with me. I don't regret seeing him that way, but it was not what I expected.

As we approach 2004, I want to stop in September 2003. In an overnight hospital stay for what we originally believed to be appendicitis, my mom was diagnosed with a tumor on her right adrenal gland. They were going to remove it in mid-October. I remember sitting in the car with her after doctor's appointment before the surgery. She knew I was scared. She told me "if it's cancer, we'll deal with it." It was. Four months to the day of her surgery to remove the tumor, my mom died. Those were the fastest and the slowest four months all at the same time. So many emotions, fears, assumptions, heartaches. The one lone bright, shining thing about my mom's death was that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was ready. If I hadn't known that I don't know where I'd be now.

July 2005. My step-grandpa (my mom's stepdad) lost his fight with cancer this month. What started out as a small nodule on his jaw that was once removed, came back growing with a vengance. I think my Granny new from the beginning that this would be the thing to end Gene's life.

We're now at September 2008. My Granny (mom's mom) had been through so much in her life. She'd buried her parents, a brother, two husbands, a son, and a daughter. Her heart had been broken for a long time. But she loved God and knew he was in control. She'd been ready to go Home for quite a while. On the way home from my birthday weekend in St Louis I received the call from my dad. Granny had died in her sleep early that morning. I'm glad I wasn't in public when I got that call.

We have now arrived at today. I'm remembering being fired from a job in August of 2005. What a shock. I didn't see it coming. I still believe it happened out of spite. However, it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I was let go from my most recent job at the end of January. I knew this one was coming, but I didn't know when. I was already down to 15 hours a week. My work was just running out. There were no hard feelings when I left this job, and my former boss is willing to give me a shining reference at any place I go to work next.

So...I think it's safe to say that in my 37 years I've been through some "junk" (there's even more that I didn't list!!). But you know what...so have you and most all of the people we meet on the street every day. Sure, not everyone has lost a parent or been fired or been with someone as they took their last breath. However, each of us has stuff that we're dealing with. Stuff that the devil wants to use to get us down. He wants us down on ourselves, our spouse, our job, our children, our lives. He wants us so low that we're closer to him in hell than we are to God in Heaven.

If God hadn't been in my life through all these year's worth of things, I couldn't tell you today that I am in a better state of mind than I've EVER been. I've battled with depression, but God took it away and gave me His joy instead. He is able to do this for anyone who asks Him to! He wants to!

I think that the song "Bring the Rain" sums up this whole blog post for me. No, I don't desire to go through more tragedies in my life...I'm really not asking or begging to have more of them. But if my reaction to tragedy in life is the thing that brings someone else closer to God...then I'm willing to go through some more rain. I know that without Him I can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible!

"Bring The Rain"

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty!

Lasagna Roll-up Recipe

2009-03-15T17:39:00.003-05:00

I had a request from a friend to post this new recipe we tried on to my blog. These were very yummy! It's a Mr. Food recipe (gotta give the man credit!), but I altered it to suit our tastes.

1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (2 pound) container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
12 to 14 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

**NOTE** I used to jars alfredo sauce (the two together totaled about 28 oz) instead of the spaghetti sauce. I also added 1 pound browned Italian sausage to the ricotta mixture. Because I added the sausage, I ended up using a total of 15 noodles.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour half the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, and salt until well blended. Spoon the cheese mixture over the lasagna noodles, distributing evenly, and roll up tightly. Place the roll-ups seam-side down in the baking dish and top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until heated through.

This was so good! We've agreed that next time I will use spaghetti sauce to see which version we like better. I'll keep you posted!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-15T17:35:00.002-05:00

I'm ready on time this week...remembered it before bedtime! =)

Mon: pork loin and meatloaf leftovers from last week that are in the freezer
Tue: beef roast, potatoes, green beans
Wed: sloppy joes, buttered macaroni noodles, broccoli
Thu: baked chicken breasts, peas, salad
Fri: chicken and dumplings
Sat: leftovers
Sun: broccoli cheese soup for lunch; pizza for supper

Should be a very easy cooking week. Seems the hardest part will be chopping the onions for the broccoli soup! Yeah!

Getting Creative

2009-03-08T20:48:00.003-05:00

I worked on some more scrapbook pages last week and grabbed some photos of them before they went into the book.

I spent yesterday (Saturday) going through LOTS more pictures and pulling out ones to scrap. I'm looking forward to starting the process of laying out the pages. I have another Saturday Scrap to go to in two weeks, and by the looks of it I'll have tons of pics to choose from! Thankfully my fave store (Hobby Lobby) has their 12x12 paper 4/$1 this week. I just have to be careful not to go crazy!

I've been nominated to be in charge of decorations for our upcoming 20th class reunion. Yea me! LOL! However, I did it to myself...I showed off my Cricut skills by cutting out the "89" for our class year. I also used my Design Studio to create a one-piece "class of 89". I have to admit, that one turned out great...except it's done in hot pink instead of the royal blue school color. I didn't have any blue on hand, so had to make due. At least it showed up great in the picture I posted on Facebook for everyone to check out. Guess I ought to take advantage of HL's paper sale and get some royal blue, huh? The bad thing is that I may not even get to attend the reunion...Jake leaves for a school trip to Washington DC the day after the reunion. I refuse to be away from him the day & night before he leaves. I'm excited about getting together with classmates, but my son comes first. I'm hoping we end up with a different date for the reunion. But...either way, I'm probably doing the die cuts with my Cricut. I'm glad I can help out. It's been great just catching up with those on Facebook!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-08T20:42:00.003-05:00

So it's Sunday evening again so soon...wow. Last week went by rather quickly! Not everything on the menu last week actually made it to the table, but will hang out in the freezer till it's time to be eaten. I love freezers!!!

Here's what's up for this week's meals:

Mon - ham and cheese quiche
Tue - meatloaf, green beans, salad
Wed - baked pork loin, potatoes, broccoli
Thu - leftovers
Fri - lasagna rollups (a Mr. Food recipe), green beans, salad
Sat - chopped sirloin steaks, broccoli, stuffing
Sun - baked chicken breasts, salad, baked potatoes

I've never prepared the lasagna rollups planned for Friday night, but we're looking forward to them. We absolutely love lasagna in our house, but because of Jim's diabetes we don't eat much pasta any more. However, because of the way this is prepared (one noodle per rollup) it's very easy to calculate the carb count. I'll let you know how they turn out...maybe I'll remember to snap a pic before we dig into the dish!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-02T09:18:00.002-06:00

This week's meals...

Monday: Boston Butt, broccoli, hominy
Tuesday: baked pork chops, peas, salad
Wednesday: pork loin, green beans, corn
Thursday: beef roast, potatoes, salad
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: baked pork chops, stuffing, broccoli
Sunday: baked chicken breasts, potatoes, salad

Hopefully Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's meals get prepared. There's a conference at out church that Jim will be at all day Fri and Sat, then we'll all be at on Thur, Fri, and Sat evenings. If they don't get eaten, they'll be moved to next week, and we'll be enjoying some fast food instead! :)

uuummm...

2009-02-25T16:02:00.004-06:00

Well, today I have played the waiting game...and have gotten pretty much nothing done. Honestly, I expected to get a call today offering me the job I interviewed for yesterday. And...nothing. I began to get a little frustrated, but then God reminded me that I've prayed for His will. If this job isn't where He wants me I WON'T get a call. Duh! I know, I know. Anyone who's needed a job and finally got an interview knows what I'm talking about - this emotional roller coaster. I will admit, though, it's not as bad this time as it was in 2005 when I lost my job. At that time we struggled majorly without a second paycheck. This time, not so bad. Thank you Jesus for that! So, now what??? Well, to meet the requirements for my unemployement benefits, I still have to apply or check on two more jobs this week. A position has opened up where my sister-in-law and her husband work, so I'll send in that application. Then, I'll check one more spot. All the while, I'll still keep praying for God's direction, favor, and grace.

I did get a few cards made today, though. My goal in January was to get all the ones I'd need for the entire year done. Well, hehehe, that didn't happen. I got a HUGE headstart on them, but just not completed. So today I jumped back on the card-making bandwagon and off I went. We have a family friend who's had a horrible hospital stay and surgery which have taken up the past month or so of her life. She's finally home, thank the Lord. She's been on my mind, and I wanted to get a card done for her. Here's the three I did today:

My son had a difficult time making out the "get well soon" card, so I may re-think that one. What do you think? Is it difficult to read?

The other two are pretty much just alike except for the colors. I think they turned out really nice. The pink one looks grey and blah in the pic...but it's pink and chocolate. I really like the blue and chocolate one. I'm thinking that's my fave today!

I attended my monthly scrapbooking get-together this past Saturday and had a wonderful time again. It's so nice to spend the day with girls/women. I also really enjoy seeing how others do their scrapbooking. Often I compare my pages with those featured in the magazines...not the best way to build self-esteem, I'm telling ya! I have to frequently remind myself that those pages aren't ME. My stuff is ME no matter how embellished or how plain the pages turn out. Check back in the days ahead for some pictures of pages I've completed recently. Then you can give your opinion on them.

Well, the kitchen is calling. We have grilled sandwiches on the menu, but there were enough porkchops left from last night's meal for tonight. So, I'm thinking leftovers!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

This is the last of the three weeks that I already had planned. Gotta get busy on the next few weeks!

Mon: chicken/turkey a la king, green beans
Tue: baked pork chops, broccoli, corn, salad
Wed: grilled lunchmeat sandwiches, salad
Thu: baked chicked breasts, potatoes, green beans
Fri: pizza???
Sat: chicken/turkey pot pie, salad

I'm In The Money!!!

2009-02-18T08:44:00.002-06:00

Yep, it's true...my ship has finally come in.

For those of you who haven't had the wonderful experience of filing for unemployment benefits through the state of Missouri - oh, you're missing out. My last day of work was Jauary 29th. I filed for the unemployment benefits that afternoon online. They now pay most of those benefits on a handy-dandy debit card, which I received in the mail early last week. Finally today there is some cold hard cash in that account...all it took was 20 days and an undisputed claim. Gee...wonder how long folks with a disputed claim have to wait.

If you are sensing a bit of sarcasm in my tone, then you're right on. I got a letter the week after I filed stating that I was approved. So what took another two weeks? I suppose I'll never know. What I DO know is that I'm thankful for the money. And, in the state's defense, I did receive two week's worth of payment at one time. I've really only missed one week's income...just had to wait for the other two week's worth.

In a couple more weeks I have to go report to the employment office. I hope they're as nice as they were when I was there a few years ago. Basically, I'm overqualified for most jobs they have on their books. Last time the counselor I worked with told me I was qualified to do HER job, but they just didn't have any openings.

My prayer is that by the time I have to report to the employment office, I'll already have my new job. The one I want, the Disability Determinations counselor, doesn't close till the 23rd. I'm guessing I won't hear anything from them till at least after that date.

These three weeks have been the strangest...I've not received ONE call about any of the resumes/applications I've submitted. And, I even applied at one place I've already worked...they haven't called either! Freaky! However, I trust God and His plan for me. I know His timing is absolutely perfect...always has been and always will be. In the mean time, I'm getting in some serious scrapbooking time and doing a little extra cleaning around the house. I'm also watching a few soaps (yes, you read correctly...soaps). The funny thing about them is it makes me know how awesome my life is - even without a job. I have one child (and I know who his daddy is!), one husband and NO boyfriend...and I cook and clean on my own. The writing and acting leave a LOT to be desired...but so do a lot of prime-time soaps (that's all the prime-time dramas really are, folks!).

Well, I'm off to the kitchen to cook up a big batch of pancakes and french toast for the freezer. Think I might pull out the bread machine today, too. This house is gonna smell GOOD!!! =)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-16T08:04:00.006-06:00

Time again for Menu Plan Monday. Wow, this last week went by soooo quickly. There were a couple changes, so those meals will be pushed to another week. The meats for those are already cooked and in the freezer, so they'll keep for a bit.

On the menu for this week is...

Monday: Boston butt, stuffing, broccoli, corn
Tuesday: baked chicken breasts, salad, green beans, hominy
Wednesday: canned beef (mother-in-law's home canned!!!), mashed potatoes, broccoli, peas
Thursday: leftover buffet
Friday: sloppy joes, salad, baked beans
Saturday: chicken breasts in the crock pot, broccoli, stuffing (easy meal because I'll be at an all day scrapping party!!)
Sunday: tacos for lunch, leftovers for supper

We've not been doing so good since the holidays of counting Jim's carbs. The good news is he's not gained any weight back, but he's also now at a stand-still. So...we must get back on track. Although I love winter and the cooler temps and snow, I am ready for weather that's a bit milder. My desire and plan is to get in some walking each week. Remember, that 20th class reunion is later in the year...gotta get ready! =)

Have an awesome week!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-09T20:47:00.002-06:00

Wow...it's 8:45 on Monday, and I forgot about MPM. Yikes! Here ya go...

Monday: turkey breast slices, gravy, potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: roasted Boston butt, broccoli, salad, lima beans
Wednesday: baked pork chops, corn, green beans
Thursday: sloppy joes, peas, salad
Friday: ??? Jake's at a sleepover, so possibly Applebee's (we have a gift card)
Saturday: turkey a la king, green beans
Sunday: lunch - roundsteak and gravy, potatoes, salad; supper - leftovers

I've also already planned the two weeks after this...but I'm gonna make you wait for it! hehehe

Devotional

2009-02-04T09:22:00.002-06:00

I have to share a page from my morning devotion book. This was from January 22, but it's been on my heart since then...I had to share.

Show Me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5

Start your day saying, "I am excited about this day, God. I can hardly wait to see what you are going to do . I believe You are going to keep me, help me, bless me, and give me favor. I love You, Father. I am waiting on You, Lord, and I am listening to You."
Ask God to put into your spirit everything He wants you to know. Ask Him to show you things to come and what you are supposed to do (see John 16:13). He will give you direction, and you will have much to praise Him for today.

This devotion is from Joyce Meyer's Starting Your Day Right. There are short devotions for every day of the year. I'm so glad I purchased the book last fall. If you don't have it, I highly recommend it!

my plan for now...

2009-02-03T13:57:00.002-06:00

Unemployment has been filed. I found out yesterday that I am qualified and will make within a few dollars the same money I was making while working. Thank you God!

I'm hoping to get a call for an interview for the job that I really want at the hospital. I have a connection there...a former boss is the past president of the hospital foundation (that's where the job is), and she is currently still on the board. I've also been praying for favor for this job. I've not worked in the fundraising world before...I've lived it with football, band, church, etc, but never had to do it for work. I think this position would be exciting and not boring, but also one that I could do well as organized as I am. Please join with me in praying for favor with this position!

Today is the first day Jake's been back to school. They were already scheduled to be out yesterday for professional development. This is a day I would have normally been at work after dropping Jake at school. So far today has included dropping Jake at school, one load of laundry, updating the checkbook and organizing some bills, filing all the paid bills from the beginning of this year, grocery shopping at three different stores, putting said groceries away, and beginning to cook two boston butts I bought.

I also took some time while folding a load of laundry to watch the episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 that I recorded last night. I just really like that show. She cracks me up most of the time. There are moments that I can SOOOOO relate to her, then, of course, there are others where I think she's way too hard on her husband. But we're all guilty of that at some time or another, aren't we? They're officially moved into their new home. This house seems amazing! They have so much more room and actual acreage with the house, too. I'm excited to see future episodes to see how the family adjusts to the new home.

I've officially completed my first whole scrapbook ever! I'd never scrapped our vacation to Orlando and Cocoa Beach from 2005. Now it's done. Guess I'll be moving on to do some more work on Jake's football book. I started it last year, but didn't get very far.

I'm also doing something new this year...Project 365. Becky Higgins designed a kit for Creating Keepsakes to help scrap these pics. Here's what it's all about...you take one photo per day for an entire year. At the end of the year you've got 365 pics. Well, the kit went on sale and sold out within an hour or two on New Years Day. Needless to say I didn't get one. Now you can order it, but it'll be on back order. I'm still debating on whether or not to purchase the kit. I know it'd save lots of time...but would be very individualized. In other words, my Project 365 book will look like hundreds of other's when we're all done. So, I'm still thinking of just winging it on my own. However, at some point pretty soon, I am going to have to begin the scrapping process of these pictures...'cause I sure as heck can't wait till the end of the year! =)

While I'm waiting for that call to schedule an interview, I've decided to make the most of my time. I'm going to try to get some extra cleaning done around the house and get some extra food in the freezer (already cooked). I know once I'm back at work full time things around here will have to change some. I haven't worked 40 hours per week in about two years. I'll admit it's been wonderful, and I have felt very spoiled. But I will also admit that having two full time paychecks coming into our bank account will be very nice, too! For now, though...I'm gonna be Miss Holly Homemaker...and enjoy every minute!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-02T07:33:00.002-06:00

Last night's sports extravaganza prevented me from posting this early. Please forgive me. When I got back from the Super Bowl party we went to, I was in NO mood to blog. Argh! Let's just say the game didn't go my way. Oh well...

This should be a faily easy cooking week. I'm hoping to have to squeeze at least one job interview into my week. =)

Monday: baked pork chops, salad, peas
Tuesday: ham and cheese quiche
Wednesday: baked chicken breasts, potatoes, broccoli
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and gravy
Saturday: chicken a la king
Sunday: leftovers

A wrench...

2009-01-28T19:57:00.003-06:00

Well a wrench definitely got thrown in my Menu Plan for this week. However, it wasn't because of the winter storm as I'd previously expected. My microwave decided to die last night (Tuesday). Tonight was to be turkey a la king over baked potatoes. Well, there was no way I was gonna bake those potatoes in the conventional oven. That'd take waaaay too long. Instead I made a nice pot of chili. It kind of "suited" the day anyway since we had about 3 inches of sleet/freezing rain topped with 3-4 inches of snow on the ground outside.

It's now 8pm, and I have a nice, shiny, SPOTLESS, new black microwave installed over my stove. Jim was able to get it done with very minimal grunting and grumbling (for which I am extremely thankful). I know installing a microwave was not what he had planned for his evening. I'm am so thankful he is a great handyman!

He boiled some water in the new appliance, so it's been initiated. It's workout will come tomorrow when we're reheating all the leftovers from the first half of the week.

I'll wrap this post up with one of the cutest pics ever taken of our dog, Tuffy. He LOVES the snow. It's like he's a puppy again - running and cavorting in the fluffy white stuff. Anyway, I made him wait to come in until after I could snap this pic this morning. He looks none to happy about it either! =)

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-28T19:55:00.001-06:00

This little beauty is running all around Facebook right now. My cousin tagged me, so I had to do my part. Figured I'd post it here to my blog for posterity's sake.

25 Random Things About Me:

1. I am most times embarrassed by how many jobs I have had...especially now that I'm looking for a new one AGAIN. But, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God led me to each of those jobs for a reason.
2. Jim and I talked on the phone every night for at least 3 or 4 hours the week before we met.
3. Jim and I got engaged after only two weeks of dating.
4. I have the most wonderful husband in the world.
5. My desk/work area at my job MUST be completely in order for me to be able to work, but my house is cluttered. Go figure...
6. Some nights from out of nowhere I still have extremely vivid dreams about my mom (she passed away in February 2004).
7. I will never, ever forget the details of the last night/hours of my mom's life. It was a horrible night, but God was gracious enough to place a handful of "sweet" moments thoughout those hours.
8. I still get giddy at the thought of missing work for a snow day.
9. One of my eyebrows is slightly higher than the other.
10. I love to work word search puzzles...I keep a book of them in my car, in the living room, and even in the bathroom.
11. When I was in high school cruising the "big block" I used to have everyone's headlights memorized so I could honk at the people I liked. (yes, I was/am a dork!)
12. I love staying in hotels.
13. I love planning trips...even if we never get to take them.
14. I have a notched ear from falling onto a fireplace hearth as a child. My son was born with a notched ear just like mine. That's how Jim knew the nurses were bringing us the right baby while we were in the hospital after his birth.
15. There are times I miss my Mom and Granny so much I think my heart will explode.
16. Any time I hear a siren near my house I am VERY tempted to get in my car and chase it. My eyes get big, and Jim just laughs at me.
17. I love monster trucks, mud races, NASCAR and football.
18. I love nail polish that stays on even after showering and washing dishes.
19. Snakes up close and personal make me need clean underwear, but put them behind glass at the zoo and I could watch them ALL day.
20. I love going to the zoo.
21. I have had a few paranormal experiences, but think I'd be too scared to ever do an investigation with TAPS.
22. 99% of the time I no longer need an alarm clock to wake up by 5:30 or 6am every day.
23. If someone calls our house and can't pronounce our last name when they ask for Mr. or Mrs. Monteith, I usually just hang up on them.
24. I hardly ever cook something according to the recipe...I usually have to "tweak" something in it. Amazingly, I have only had to throw out TWO dishes of food in our 15 years of marriage. One of those I even followed the recipe exactly.
25. Other than the dog, I am officially the shortest person in my home now.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-25T16:53:00.006-06:00

What a great weekend! It's been fun! I attended my first ever scrap. There's a small group Bible study at church that meets once a month from 9am to 5pm that I've been trying to get to for almost a year. However, every Saturday it's been planned I've had something already planned. Until yesterday! There were about 15 of us that showed up. Some stayed just a few hours, and some stayed all day...like me. I really didn't know what to expect. I spent Thursday and Friday evenings putting together about 9 spreads to take and complete. I had everything planned, so all I had left to do was piece it all together. By the end of the day I had completed 5 spreads (10 pages). I had the best time, too. It was nice spending time with the "girls"...something I don't do nearly often enough. What was funny, though, was that the "girls" ranged in age from late twenties to early seventies! It was a blast. I'm already ready for next month's meeting!

I think I'm FINALLY gonna get the snow I've been hoping for. Right now the National Weather Service is calling for us to get at least 4 inches of snow plus some sleet between Monday night and Tuesday night. OF COURSE I'll HAVE to go to the grocery store tomorrow. Not really because we need all that much, but just to experience the mayhem. =)

I've got my Menu Plan ready for this week, but if the snow comes we may throw caution to the wind and just eat whatever we want. And if the power goes out I'm not promising any plan will be followed!

Here's what's on the books for this week:
Monday - turkey pot pie, broccoli, salad; Tuesday - marinated chicken breasts, hominy, salad or green beans; Wednesday - turkey a la king served over baked potatoes; Thursday - chicken stir fry; Friday - Mexican take-out probably (my guys will be at our church's annual Wild Game Feast); Saturday - tacos; Sunday - velveeta dip and bacon-wrapped little smokies while we enjoy the Super Bowl.

I'm also chugging right along with the job hunt. I applied for another job Friday with the foundation of one of the local hospitals. I'm praying for favor with that application. One of my former employers is on the board of the hospital foundation. I was able to speak with her on the phone Friday afternoon and give her a heads up that I applied for the spot. I believe this is a job that I'd really enjoy. It's full time and has great benefits. I'll keep you posted!

God's got it all under control...

2009-01-21T18:54:00.002-06:00

I've know for months that at some point my job would come to an end. I found out in December that the target date was January 31st. Since I only work Tuesday through Thursday, that makes the date January 29th. One week away.

I'm kicking myself now for not applying for a job where my brother-in-law and sister-in-law work. They had openings back just before Thanksgiving. At that time I didn't know the definitive cut-off date for my position and, truthfully, still had hopes that something would work out where I am. Now those spots are filled.

For the past two or three days I've scoured the internet for state and federal job openings and have applied for a couple of them. Today I took the test for Census 2010 jobs (it's a government job...and yes the test-taking was as bad as you imagine). There's a resume and application that I mailed today that I'm praying heavily over. It's full time with awesome benefits and extremely decent pay. It's a job that technically I'm over qualified for, but a job that I'd be perfect for. It's at the place where my mother-in-law retired a couple years ago. My hope is that my last name alone will get my resume a second glance.

At this point, I still need to bring in an income. Otherwise, I wouldn't be searching at all. Truthfully, up until a couple weeks ago I really didn't feel an urgency in searching. That changed last week...big time. I haven't stressed over it, though. I've prayed. I know God is in control. I believe that I've always gotten the exact job He had lined up for me. This time will be no different. I have always sent out multiple resumes or applications...but I've never had to choose between multiple job offers...there's always just been THE ONE. That'll happen this time too. In God's time - not mine.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Sorry my blogging has seemed to drop off completely...I've been puny this week. When I wasn't working, I was curled up on the couch with the humidifier going. Not really sure what the problem is - sinus, viral infection, etc. Guess if I broke down and went to the doctor I could find out, huh?? :)

Anyway, on with the important stuff...this week's meal plan-->

Sunday: chicken casserole, salad.
Monday: turkey, broccoli, mashed potatoes with gravy.
Tuesday: sloppy joes, grean beans, hominy.
Wednesday: grilled lunchmeat sandwiches, salad.
Thursday: baked chicken breasts or salisbury steak, stuffing or baked potatoes, salad.
Friday: Domino's pizza or eating at school function.
Saturday: turkey pot pie, salad.

Today I'm baking the turkey I'd originally purchased for Thanksgiving, but forgot to put in the fridge to thaw as we were leaving town the weekend before the holiday. I bought a smaller turkey breast to get us through Thanksgiving. So, now I'm baking the beast I bought first! Will be nice, though, to have supper ready for tonight, then put the rest in the freezer - including the carcass. I'll boil down the carcass at a later date to make stock for soup...which I'll freeze after making.

I hope you all have an awesome week. If you've been in the "deep freeze" like we have been here in Missouri, I pray warmer temps come your way!

Finally!

2009-01-12T08:07:00.004-06:00

I finally started it!!! It's only been about 4 years, but I finally started it!!!

What's "IT"??? IT is the scrapbook from out 2005 Cocoa Beach/Orlando vacation. Yep, that's right...2005. At the end of last week I was getting the itch to start doing some stuff with it. So, I began by grouping all the pictures together. Then put them in order of "activity" (ex: building sand castle, going to Kennedy Space Center, going to the Race Rock Restaurant, etc.). Then I realized that when I'd originally ordered prints of my digital photos, I'd left out some good pictures that I really wanted. So, I place another order this weekend. Those photos should be here by the end of the week. I've already "roughly" organized the pics by two-page spreads, so will just have to tweak that some once the new pics get here.

I actually completed two pages of the book last night. It feels good to finally get those memories on paper. We had a great trip, and I think Jake was old enough to remember the whole thing.

Here's some shots of the two completed pages:

I had originally planned to start working on Jake's football scrapbook once I got back into the swing of things after the first of the year. But, now I'm thinking that the vacation book will get done first. I've already got the pictures all together along with the embellishments that I have so far. I realized yesterday that I didn't have near the quantity of embellishments that I thought I had. Guess that means a trip or two to Hobby Lobby! Darn! =)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-12T07:59:00.004-06:00

Well, hhmmmpppfff....I tried to load this post last night, but my laptop has been doing craaazy stuff. Jim messed with it yesterday to try to get it to behave. I tried to log into Blogger last night, but needed to adjust my "cookie" settings. I didn't want to mess with it last night so was saving the "joy" for this morning. Now, I logged in just fine this morning. Argh...computers! Anyway...

Time for Menu Plan Monday...

Sunday (last night): round steak and gravy in crockpot with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Monday: ham and cheese quiche.
Tuesday: grilled ham/turkey and cheese sandwiches with salad.
Wednesday: hot dogs, baked beans, broccoli/salad.
Thursday: leftover buffet.
Friday: baked chicken breasts (already done and in freezer), stuffing, green beans.
Saturday: meatloaf (already done and in freezer), peas, salad.

Should be an easy cooking week. Yeah me! =)

Free Tip Friday

2009-01-09T06:00:00.002-06:00

Having a hard time getting the inside of your microwave clean? Here's a super quick and easy way to do it that's also completely chemical free...I fill a 2-cup glass measuring cup about with about 1 1/2 cups of water. Heat in microwave till boiling and let it run about a minute or two longer. Stop microwave, but don't open the door. Let water sit in microwave for a couple minutes. Then open the door, remove the glass measuring cup, and wipe down the walls with a damp cloth. The heat and steam from the boiling water will have softened any cooked-on mess so that it can be easily wiped away.

Two Yummy Dishes!!!

2009-01-07T06:00:00.002-06:00

I made a new dip for our Christmas Day snack buffet. It's a variation on the Rotel/Velveeta dip. I sort of combined two different recipes I found online and came up with a dip our whole family raved about.

Here's what's in it: 2 lb block Velveeta cut into cubes, 1 lb browned hot pork sausage, 1 lb browned ground beef, 1/2 pouch taco seasoning mix, 1 can Rotel (***I used a can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions...which I ran through the blender to get rid of the large chunks), 1 can cream of mushroom soup. I heated this on the stovetop to make sure it all melted together, then kept it warm in the crockpot. Serve with tortilla chips. Oh. My. Goodness. This was one yummy dip!!! Definitely a keeper!

The other dish is, well...it's S.O.S. Yes, that's right...s*** on a shingle. My husband requested it. He grew VERY fond of it during his 8 years serving in the US Navy. I'd never made it before, but he'd requested it recently, so I thought I'd give it a try. Oh. Yummmmm! It was go good!

Here's what's in it: thin sliced beef (I used 6 packages of the Carl Buddig brand, but could have used less), white gravy (I made mine from bacon drippings, but you could also use what's in the can at the grocery store). That's it. That's all that's in it. We ate it over toast for breakfast. S.O.S. where have you been all my life. Granted, this is not a "healthy" meal, but it sure was good. There was PLENTY for leftovers too.

Happy eating!!! =)

I may have attempted to much...

2009-01-06T16:15:00.003-06:00

Okay...here's the deal. As it's time for me to pick back up on my blogging, I'm not sure that I will keep up the same pace that I did towards the end of last year.

I was soooo proud of myself for coming up with the cutesy names: What's Cookin Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, and Free Tip Friday. But, honestly...do I really have 52 weeks worth of ideas for each of those??? I'm not that good! =)

I've learned that I really do enjoy blogging, though. However, during the past week I've been rearranging parts of our home and have created an awesome new scrapbooking spot for me in our downstairs family room.

I've not scrapbooked or made any cards for almost a year. A YEAR folks! Now, I've been at my new spot every day. I've already made the basic for 41 cards. All I have left to do on them is the embellishments. Let's just say my new space inspires me. It's the most organized my supplies have EVER been. Plus...hubby got me a Cricut Jukebox and the Cricut Design Studio for Christmas. However, I've yet to use either of them. I got on a roll with the cards that I didn't stop to learn the new tools yet!

Anyway...back to my main point...I'm not going anywhere. The blog isn't going away. But those "assigned" weekly posts will probably be going away. I'll still have posts on food and/or recipes, things I'm thankful for, and a tip every now and then. But just not on assigned days.

Thank you for sticking with me. I know I just changed my format a few months ago. Remember, I'm still new to the bloggy world and still trying to get the hang of it.

Tomorrow's post WILL have two yummy dishes included in it. So make sure to come back by.

Till then...

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my first MPM of 2009!

I realized I didn't leave a night or two for leftovers, so a couple of these may get pushed to next week. At least that way I'm ahead of the game for MPM next week! =)

Monday: beef stroganoff; Tuesday: beef stew; Wednesday: chicken casserole; Thursday: meatloaf; Friday: ham and cheese quiche; Saturday: chicken a la king

Thanks for coming by! Have a great day!

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for this man...

Fifteen years ago today God allowed me to be united with him forever in marriage. He is my best friend, my confidante, my hero, my spider-killer, my top-shelf-reacher (he's 6'7"), and the spiritual head of our home.

My mom once said that she didn't think God could have created a more perfect man for me. She was right.

Happy Anniversary, Jim! Thank you for 15 terrific years. I love you!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2008-12-20T20:38:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll be taking a break from posting until after the first of the year. Please check in on New Year's Day, though...I already have a post scheduled for that day.

This will be my 5th Christmas since losing my mom to adrenal cancer. Wow...five years already. I haven't cried much yet this season (excluding the potato candy incident). I don't know if that's a good or bad sign. My heart still hurts from missing her so much. But, God is good, and I'm able to enjoy the season and praise Him for His faithfulness to me and my family.

So, my prayer is that you'll also be able to enjoy the season. Celebrate the birth of our Savior. Cherish time spent with family. Hug your spouse and your children and tell them you love them. Then welcome the new year and all the possibilities that come with it.

Blessings to you all!

Free Tip Friday

2008-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

A special holiday tip for you today. Ever lose gifts under the tree? Ever get to Aunt Susie's or Grandma's house and realize you forgot to get Uncle Barney's gift from under the tree? Guilty!

About a week or so before the festivities begin, I completely clear everything out from under the tree. Because, up till this point I've been a wrapping fool...wrap, throw it under the tree, wrap, throw it under the tree, wrap, throw it under the tree. You get the idea! :)

Well, after everything is cleared out, I sort according to who's gifts go where. For example, we're going to my cousin's house Saturday. So all the gifts that go there will be grouped together and put back under the tree last since they have to leave the house first. The gifts for my dad and his wife will be grouped together and put back under the tree first because we won't celebrate with them till Christmas afternoon here at our home.

That's just how I have to do it...been doing it that way for years. I also haul out one or two of my laundry baskets to help transport the gifts to and from the different get-togethers. I use the baskets because by this time I have no empty boxes left...they all been wrapped and put under the tree! :)

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today (and every other day, too!) I am thankful for my in-laws. God has blessed me indeed with the family I got the day I married Jim.

As I grew up, I knew my mom didn't have the best relationship with her mother-in-law. However, my dad lucked out and really got along well with my mom's family. Truthfully, I never really thought much about what my relationship would be like with in-laws. Jim's folks have always been good to me, and I know they've always loved me. It wasn't until my mom passed away in 2004, though, that I realized how much I really loved them and needed them in my life. It was at that time that they became my parents, too.

I thank God that I have saved, Bible-believing in-laws. I thank God for my sister-in-law who is like the sister I never had. I also thank Him for two awesome nephews and a terrific new brother-in-law.

I couldn't have it any better than I do!

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-12-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's a recipe for you that I can really only dream about now. Because the main ingredient is pasta, we haven't had this since Jim was diagnosed with diabetes. Throw it together with a salad and a loaf of garlic bread, and YUM!

Spaghetti Pizza:

16 oz package spaghetti,
2 eggs,
1/2 cup milk,
1 cup shredded mozarella,
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder,
1/2 teaspoon salt,
32 oz spaghetti sauce,
1 package pepperoni and/or other favorite pizza topping(s),
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano,
3 cups shredded mozarella,

Break spaghetti into 2 inch pieces and cook according to package directions. Drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl beat eggs lightly. Stir in milk, 1 cup cheese, garlic powder, and salt. Add cooked spaghetti and stir. Grease 10 1/2 x 15 jelly roll pan (I use 9x13 pan) and spread spaghetti mixture in pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Spread spaghetti sauce evenly over spaghetti. Sprinkle with oregano and the remaining 3 cups of cheese. Top with pepperoni and/or other toppings. Return to oven and back 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-15T06:00:00.002-06:00

According to the weather forecast we have an ice storm headed our way that rivals the one we had this past February. If that is the case, there will not be much cooking in our home for a day or so because we will not have power. That being said, I've planned a very easy week. A portion is already cooked or in the crock pot cooking now so it's ready to be heated on it's chosen night.

Sunday: snack and "pig out" day in anticipation of the winter storm (pizza, chips and dip, leftover chicke, etc.)

Monday: round steak and gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli;

Tuesday: leftovers;

Wednesday: baked chicken, green beans, salad;

Thursday: pork chops, baked potato, broccoli;

Friday: hot dogs, tater tots, baked beans, salad;

Saturday: leftovers.

There you have it. Nothing fancy at all. And, if we do get this ice they're calling for, this whole plan may go by the wayside. That's ok...there's enough cheese puffs and lunchmeat in the house we'll not go hungry! :)

Granny's Potato Candy

2008-12-14T17:36:00.002-06:00

My husband touched my heart in a way today that I really can't put into words...but I'm gonna try. Here's the story...

My Granny made THE best candy. Every Christmas I knew I'd be getting her awesome Potato Candy. Every Christmas I expected, and every Christmas I got it. Heaven!

Well, this Christmas my candymaker is in Heaven. My Granny passed away September 7th, the day after my birthday. The other evening as Jim and I were perusing my Christmas goodie recipes I realized I wouldn't be getting any of Granny's Potato Candy this year...or any other year. I also am pretty sure I didn't get Granny's recipe when we were going thru her stuff. I teared up, but went on about my business of recipe searching.

This afternoon following lunch Jim and Jake headed out to my in-law's house to shoot Jim's new pistol he bought yesterday. Merry Christmas to him!) When they got back home a while later Jim was carrying this big, white, plastic-wrapped burrito-looking thing. Then he handed it to me...it was an unsliced roll of Potato Candy! He'd looked up the recipe online and gave it to his mom. He had her make me Granny's Potato Candy. Needless to say, I wept. and wept. and wept. That roll of candy was probably the best gift he could have given me. I simply can not put into words how my heart felt as I sliced that candy, and tasted it, and thought of Granny and of how much my husband loves me.

Merry Christmas to me.

Free Tip Friday

2008-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

To some of you today's tip may be a "no brainer"; however, I know there are folks out there who don't do it. "It" is to make out your grocery list according to the layout of the store you'll be shopping in.

Doing this will save you countless backtracking trips. It'll also save you from forgetting to go back and pick up that one item you forgot in the aisle before last.

I had this tip all lined out and working for me like clockwork. Then - my local Walmart decided to reorganize all their grocery aisles. Argh! I'm learning, though. Each time I go in I'm able to get closer and closer.

Do you have any grocery shopping tips you'd like to share?

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

I am thankful that even now as the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holiday is ramping up, my husband, myself, and my son each know and remember the REAL reason for the season.

Without God's unfailing love for us, which came to earth in the form of Jesus Christ, we would not celebrate Christmas. I am so thankful that God loved me and you that much.

What are you thankful for today?

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-12-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week...YumYum Coffee Cake. And it is yummy! Here's the recipe:

Mix together:

3 cups flour

1 pound box of brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup melted butter

After mixing together, set aside 1 cup of this mixture for later. You can add one cup of nuts to the reserved mixture if you want. To the rest add:

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and place in a greast 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the reserved mixture over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

We were taught to eat this with a "little" bit of butter spread on it while it's warm. However, it's good hot, cold, warm, room temperature...and probably even frozen. :)

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-08T06:48:00.004-06:00

Sorry this didn't get posted sooner...but I had a good excuse! JOHN BEVERE spoke at our church last night. You know...Bait of Satan, Under Cover, Honor's Reward...THAT John Bevere.

Oh, and he was gooood.

Anyway...here's what's on the menu for my family this week:

Sunday - we had Saturday's leftovers of the BIG pot of chili I made;
Monday - cajun beef and baked potatoes with broccoli;
Tuesday - smothered chicken and green bean skillet with a salad;
Wednesday - ham quiche;
Thursday - parmesan chicken;
Friday - tacos with mexican rice;
Saturday - sloppy joes or leftover buffet.

So there you have it. My week of cooking bliss! :)

*****I'm editing this post here --- I'm sorry folks...the spacing is all off again. Guess I'm not smart enough to figure out what I'm doing wrong. AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!******

Free Tip Friday

2008-12-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

So have you ever heard of OAMC? That is, Once A Month Cooking. I've tried and tried to get myself completely there, but have never made it. However, one thing that I've done ever since Jake was a baby is double-up on certain meals.

For example...when you're making something for dinner that can be easily frozen, then make a double batch. Two meatloaves instead of one, two batches of sloppy joes, twice the servings of baked chicken breasts, twice the servings of spaghetti sauce and/or meatballs, etc, etc, etc. It's really just as easy to mix up two meatloaves and bake the at the same time. Some folks freeze the second before baking, but I say why wait? That way you can put the baked, frozen one into the fridge the night before to thaw, then reheat in the microwave.

Anyway, you get the idea I'm going for. It's the same theory as OAMC, but not nearly to the same extent. You're still saving time, energy, and mess clean-up. I love knowing I have pre-cooked meals in my freezer.

There are TONS of websites out there about OAMC and "freezer cooking". All are based on the same info. It's a great thing to keep in mind when you find chicken or beef or any other meat on sale at the grocery store. Of course, you'd get very tired of the same dish every night for a week, but if you do the "cook one and freeze one" method, you're keeping that extra food from going to waste and saving yourself time in the kitchen later on.

Just call me a OAMC wanna-be! :)

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful that I NEVER have to get these clean again...

These are my son's football cleats after his last traveling football team tournament this past weekend. We were just west of St Louis, and had gotten about 2 inches of snow overnight. After playing two games in one day on sloshy fields...this is the result. Aren't you jealous? :)

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-12-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's my Vidalia Onion Casserole recipe without the picture. I apologized in my previous post for the absence of the photo. Who knew we'd get so carried away on Thanksgiving Day I'd forget to snap a picture??? :)

Vidalia Onion Casserole:

2 large onions, Vidalia or purple, cut in medium sized pieces

1/2 cup butter

1 8oz carton sour cream

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

8oz shredded cheddar cheese

15oz can cream style corn

1/3 cup milk

1 box Jiffy size cornbread mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

4 drops hot sauce (or more to suit your taste)

Melt butter in microwave and pour over onions in large bowl. Stir in sour cream, dill, salt, and half of cheese.

In a separate bowl mix corn, milk, cornbread mix, egg, and hot sauce.

Pour corn mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Spread onion mixture over top and top with rest of shredded cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes.

DO NOT let the fact that this is an "onion casserole" scare you or others away who do not like the strong taste of onions. You won't find that strong taste in this dish. The sweetness of the onions comes out. This is one of the yummiest dishes I have ever come across!!! Please try it and let me know what you think.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, so here's the deal....last week was so hectic with the holiday and a football tournament the weekend before and the weekend after...I didn''t get a plan done for this week.

Shame on me!

The good news is that I know I already have porkchops and chicken breasts in the freezer. I also have a meal's worth of my cajun beef already prepared and in the freezer. I've also got plenty of broccoli and green beans. I think we'll manage fairly well.

I also forgot to take a picture of the Vidalia Onion Casserole I made for Thanksgiving, so "What's Cookin' Wednesday" is gonna be picture-less. I know, I know...you're heartbroken. It'll be ok. I promise! I'm just telling you early so you can be prepared for the heartbreak. :)

Have a great Monday!

Free Tip Friday

2008-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have utilized this tip yesterday as you made your way thru all the Thanksgiving dishes, but if not give it a try...

Keep a sink full of hot soapy water while you're in the kitchen preparing a meal. Wash up the dirty items as you go. This is especially handy when you are preparing a big meal or serving lots of guests. I have a dishwasher, but the pots, pans, serving dishes, plates, and glasses will not fit if we're having guests. So, I wash as I go. Then all you really have left to go in the dishwasher are the glasses, plates, and a few serving pieces.

Give it a try! I think you'll find it really is a time saver...after all it doesn't take but a minute to wash out a pan or mixing bowl when you're done with it. This way, when you're done with the meal you don't have countertops full of dried pots and pans.

Happy cooking and cleaning! :)

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy your day.

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-11-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

This is a new recipe I discovered while searching for some kind of low-carb roll/biscuit that my newly-diagnosed diabetic husband could enjoy. Again, after a bit of tweaking, we have a winner! These things are awesome.

Drop Biscuits

1 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup low fat sour cream (I use fat free)

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (I DO NOT add this)

2 teaspoons grated onion (I use about 3 tablespoons -or more- finely minced onion)

*I also usually add some garlic powder or freshly pressed garlic to taste.

Mix all ingredients together just till well blended. The dough will be very sticky. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes until biscuits are golden brown. Do not overbake.

These biscuits have the consistency of Bisquick drop biscuits. They have 1g of fat and 8g of carbs per biscuit. They are so easy to throw together while you're in the kitchen getting the rest of dinner together. You could always leave out the onion and garlic and toss in a bit of low or no fat cheese and serve for breakfast. So many options...so much YUM!!! Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week is Thanksgiving and another football tournament to go out of town to on Friday thru Sunday. In other words...not much planning for me to do! :)

One thing I decided to do is take the breakfast menu from last week and just repeat it weekly. I think there's enough variety in it that we won't get too bored with it. We'll see.

So here's what's for supper:

Monday: Cajun beef, green beans, stuffing

Tuesday: chef salad with ham, baked potatoes

Wednesday: Cajun beef leftovers, broccoli, buttered noodles

Thursday: TURKEY DAY at our house!!! Turkey, cornbread stuffing, onion casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls

Friday thru Sunday: out of town for football tournament

***The Cajun beef is ANY cut of beef roast in a crock pot with a little water, chopped onion (optional), creole seasoning, cajun seasoning, and Greek seasoning. Cook in the crock pot till done, shred and return to crock pot, and serve on hoagie rolls (or your favorite roll/bread). Sorry I don't have exact measurements on the seasonings...my momma never cooked that way! :)

***I'm sure the onion casserole recipe will show up soon on What's Cookin' Wednesday. Stay tuned!

For more Menu Plan Monday lists and ideas, head over to http://orgjunkie.com/.

Free Tip Friday

2008-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have just a simple tip to share to help out a bit in the kitchen.

Last year for my birthday a friend of mine gave me an oil bottle...but not for oil. You may all know this by now, but at the time I was in love with the new idea I'd heard...you put your dish detergent in the oil bottle! This was perfect for me since I never really washed a sink full of dirty dishes, but instead a pan or a few items that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher. The oil bottle will give you as little or as much detergent as you want. Plus, you can pick a bottle that will match your kitchen decor instead of having the normal detergent bottle taking up residence on your countertop.

Who knew??? :)

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my first Thankful Thursday post.

I am so thankful for my church and pastor. We attend Cape First Church, which is pastored by Gary Brothers. Thank you, God, for this man!

We've attended Cape First since the spring of 2001. Jim and I have both grown soooo much in that time. This is the home where Jake was saved and baptized. These are the friends we are closer to than a lot of our family. This is what it's supposed to be!

Pastor Gary is a practical preacher. He doesn't just tell you what to and not to do, but he focuses on making sure you know HOW to make that happen. He's exactly the type of pastor our family needs.

This is where God has called us. This is where we're staying till God points us in a different direction. (but not anytime too soon please)

If you're ever in Cape Girardeau on a Sunday, please come to a service (9am, 11am, 5:01pm). Stop by the website for news, events, podcasts, and more. http://www.capefirst.org/

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

My first What's Cookin' Wednesday post isn't some super-duper recipe that I've spent hours in the kitchen perfecting. However, it's a staple in our home...a breakfast loved by all three of us. Also, since Jim's diagnosis of diabetes in August it's a breakfast I've made weekly because with a couple simple tweaks it's an absolutely acceptable diabetic breakfast.Ok, so I don't usually make THAT many at one time! But I'm going to start. Hopefully, that will be enough for all of us for about three breakfasts through the week. I put the extras in the freezer so that a simple "zap" in the microwave makes them butter and syrup ready.

Because we have to monitor carbs intake for Jim, I searched my local WallyWorld's grocery shelves for the best bang for our buck. I found that the generic (Great Value) brand only has 9 carbs per 4" pancake. I use the "fluffy" version because it has fewer carbs than the "buttermilk" version. We also switched to sugar-free syrup and use the generic brand of that, too. We like it just as well as the full-sugar version. Finding out there was pretty much no difference in taste between the two syrups was a great surprise!

Jim LOVES pancakes, so being able to eat them makes being a diabetic not such a pain in the rump!

That's what's cookin'!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-17T06:00:00.007-06:00

Here goes my first attempt at Menu Plan Monday...at least my first PUBLISHED attempt. I am a firm believer in planning your meals. For me it just helps keep us from eating out more than planned, keeps us from eating more junk, and keeps me more sane! :)

For more Menu Plan Monday info, head on over to http://orgjunkie.com/ and read away.

Sunday (yesterday):

breakfast - pancakes

lunch - leftovers

supper - tacos

Monday:

bfast - english muffin sandwiches

supper - sloppy joes, broccoli, hominy

Tuesday:

bfast - french toast

supper - baked chicken breasts, stuffed shells, green beans

Wednesday:

bfast - eggs, toast, gravy

supper - pizza from Domino's (we purchased a discount card from our school's band boosters that allows us to buy one large and get a second large free --> so we get two larges for less than $15!)

Thursday:

bfast - pancakes

supper - leftovers

Friday through Sunday:

out of town for football tournament

Watch out for my What's Cookin Wednesday and maybe I'll have a picture of something yummy I've made!

My Beloved

2008-11-16T12:56:00.005-06:00

I've been "tagged" for the first time. So here goes...

1. What's his name?

Gary James Monteith Jr., but he goes by Jim.

2. How long have you guys been married?

We will celebrate our 15th anniversary this New Year's Day. We start each year off right. And, neither of us can ever forget our anniversary! :)

3. How long did you date?

Ok, here's the good part...He helped some old friends of his move. As payback he told them they could introduce him to a good Christian girl. His old friends had gone to church with my folks for years. The wife of the couple said I was the first person she thought of. She called to ask if it was ok to give him my number. I said it was fine...I'm thinking "free meal"! We talked on the phone every night for a week. I mean four or five. hours. a. night! We finally had our first date. Two. I repeat TWO weeks later he was slipping that beautiful ring on my finger and asking me to spend the rest of my life with him.

4. How old is he?

Quickly approaching 45...like in about 25 days!

5. Who is taller?

He wins this one hands down. He is 6'7", and I'm only 5'7".

6. Who can sing the best?

Again, him hands down. I have to really try hard to make it sound good, but the beautiful notes and harmonies just flow out of his mouth.

7. Who is smarter?

Him again. I had to quit helping Jake with his math homework when he was in about 4th grade. Now, I got great grades in school...I just swear they've changed the math! Jim will tell you that I've got him beat, though, especially in the arena of the kitchen or household things.

8. Who does the laundry?

Finally one I win! :) Jim absolutely CAN and will do it, but I have this slight control thing. Need I say more?

9. Who pays the bills?

I do. Even when Jim quit full time work to go back to college full time, I've always paid the bills. I guess I look at it as one less thing he needs to stress over.

10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

If you're looking at the bed, I always sleep on the right. It used to be the other way around, until I was BIG pregnant with Jake. Not really sure anymore what caused the switch...possibly for me to be closer to the bathroom, or so I could sleep a specific way. Jake's now 12 1/2 and we've never gone back to the other way.

11. Who mows the lawn?

Now it's usually Jake with some help from Jim. Before Jake was able, it was always Jim.

12. Who cooks dinner?

I do. However, Jim's the "grill master". Let's just say that I cook inside and he cooks outside. :) Except for the mornings he makes us awesome omelets!

13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong?

Hmm...I guess I'd say we're even on that. We don't argue much.

14. Who kissed who first?

This one was mutual! :)

15. Who wears the pants?

Jim. I am soooo thankful to be married to a man who is not afraid to step up and be the spiritual leader of our home. He is an awesome man of God, and I pray Jake absorbs every little piece of that...I know we're doing all we can to make sure that happens.

So there you have it...all about my beloved. Consider yourself tagged!

M.I.A.

2008-11-14T15:24:00.005-06:00

Ok. To say that I haven't posted in a while would totally be an understatement. My reason for this absence? Life. And a little bit of a lack of creativity. In short - I guess I just didn't want to take the time to figure out what to write. My apologies to my great throng of readers...all two of you. :)

So today while I've been sitting at home with the rain outside I have surfed the net and drooled over lots of really neat blogs. After doing this for a while, I've decided that I'm going to attempt to change the format of my blog a bit. My plan is to roll out some specific topics for certain days of the week. I'll begin Mondays with :

Menu Plan Monday

I'll also try: What's Cookin' Wednesday (will hopefully include a photo of a great dish along with the recipe); Thankful Thursday (my thankful thoughts for the week); and Free Tip Friday (some great tip I've learned in life - could be domestic, relational, spiritual, etc.).

My hope is that knowing where I'm supposed to go on certain days will keep me motivated to make the post. I'm not going to guarantee anything here, folks, but will promise to do my best. I am excited to try the new format and will probably change my background and photo also at some point.

And we're off...

You're never too old to learn.

2008-09-19T20:59:00.002-05:00

I'm here. I'm really here. I was just doing....life.

Today was Diabetic Education Session #1. It went MUCH better than Jim or I either imagined. This last week wasn't that much fun for Jim. I actually made him eat fish for dinner one night and made him taste a fresh peach. (For those of you who don't know - he doesn't like fish, and the only fruit he eats is apples and bananas.) You should have seen the look on his face today when the diabetic educator told me I didn't have to make him eat fish OR fruit. It was like a weight was lifted off of him, and he realized this new way of eating wasn't going to be horrible after all.

The session today focused on getting the patients to realize what carbs do and where they come from. By the time we left the session, we had a meal plan outlining how many servings of carbs he gets at each meal and snack and also how many calories he gets per day. In two weeks we go back (actually Jim will...I'll be at the Joyce Meyer conference) they will teach about fats.

The two ladies who worked with us today were great. Jim and I both expected an old lady with a ruler she would use to smack our nuckles, but we got just the opposite. What a pleasant surprise! They were real and personable and interested in us and our life. What an encouragement for Jim! We learned that no food is off limits really...you just have to plan your meals...if you want that one scoop of ice cream for dessert or a piece of cake, then you must make sure you have an allotment of carbs left in your daily plan. These dishes of ice cream and pieces of cake can't be the norm, but an occasional treat.

My plan is that by Monday I'll have a meal list made up to get us through the next two weeks. Then I can just repeat the meals for the next two weeks, or make adjustments if needed after his next education session.

I've said it before, and believe it even more now...this diagnosis of diabetes is not a good thing, but I think that we can make a good thing from it. We're making these changes as a family, and Jim will have our support. We should both begin to lose weight, especially when we get more activity into our schedule. Up until now we've been really good about talking about making a change, now we HAVE to. I want Jim with me for MANY more years, and he wants to be with us for many more also. These are steps we must take for that to happen.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us. If you have any great low-fat recipes, please send them to me. Any questions or suggestions...send them too.

Until next time...

Change is coming

2008-09-02T20:42:00.003-05:00

Change has been officially announced in our household as of today. My husband has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Thankfully his numbers are still relatively low, but they're still high enough to qualify for the diagnosis.

I went to the bookstore today and purchased two different cookbooks and a book solely about type 2. Since I'm the chef of the house, I'm going to have to learn a different way of choosing and cooking foods. The doctor did not set him up with a diabetic educator yet, so I'll be investigating that. I know one of the hospitals we have access to has an educator, so it's just a matter of coordinating the details with the doctor's office.

To be honest, I'm concerned. I won't say that I'm afraid because I know I can change. But...it's changing the way I was raised to cook. Maybe we'll get into all of this and I'll find out it won't be that big of a change...maybe just switching out a few ingredients. Truthfully, we don't fry our food. Most things are baked and not breaded. I'm thinking a lot more chicken and turkey and a lot less beef.

I know it will be a slow process to learn all of the ins and outs. Please pray for us. Pray that the learning process will be smooth and that Jim will make right choices in what and how much he eats. We will all three eat what he eats, so that will help. If I have to, I'll clear every food item out of our house and only restock what's allowed. Diabetes is not a good thing, but this will be a good change for our family. We CAN do this!

Success!

2008-08-18T21:02:00.003-05:00

The first day of 7th grade was a success! Yeah! As excited as Jake was, I knew it would be. He really is such a good student. His least favorite subject?...social studies. Well, God was lookin' out for him. When Jake was telling me about his day he said that his social studies teacher was SO cool. Jake thinks he's great! Maybe social studies will move up the ranks from least favorite class this year.

I did really well this morning, too. No tears! Our morning went very smoothly with no glitches whatsoever. I couldn't have asked for a better morning. Thank you God! :)

In case you haven't checked out the list of blogs I read, there's one by Sarah Markley that you really should check out. She's the sweetest woman from California. I absolutely love her writing style. She recently made a "confession" about her weight and needing to lose some of it. Her confession was done for accountability purposes. Those of you reading this who know me personally know that I have struggled with my weight for MANY years. Well, I'm here to join Sarah in her quest for weight reduction. This has been a matter of prayer for me for quite some time. I've made numerous attempts before to drop the pounds, but I don't think my heart was completely in it. Now, I've turned it all over to God and given Him complete control. So, I'm in it for the accountability also. PLEASE ask me about my progress - I will not be offended - I WANT you to do this. Keep me on my toes!

Unlike Sarah, I will not be sharing my current weight with you (sorry, just not gonna do it!). Let's just say I have a ways to go. :) Portion control is my main issue, followed closely by exercise. Last week was a successful week for portion control. I added exercise into the equation today. I'm on my way!!!

God > anxiety

2008-08-15T08:53:00.004-05:00

This is our weekend before school begins. We have the obligatory before-school-starts haircut scheduled for today. School supplies are ready to be loaded into the backpack. Camera is ready for that ever-dreaded first day of school picture. We're all set, right? Well....

I'm already missing my Jacob. This is the first summer EVER since he's been in school that I've worked part time. We've been together pretty much every Monday and Friday of the last three months. Ya'll pray for me Monday. I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that it's gonna be as bad as that first day of kindergarten...the brave face at school, but tears all the way home (me, not Jake!). My child is growing up - 7th grade already. Only six more first days of school. More and more I hurt as much as I love that he's growing up. I am so proud of the young man he's becoming - that's the love part. I am also realizing that the years are going by so much more quickly and that before I know it he'll be picking a college or branch of the military to go into - that's the hurt part.

God has shown me that since my mom died I have grown increasingly afraid of losing Jim or Jake. I know that He will take care of them, but I still have moments of gripping fear. Just like with Mom, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that, should something happen, they'll be with the Lord - but they will be gone from me. I know it's a selfish thought, because being with Him is our ultimate place to be. So, what do I do? I cling to Him, trust Him, believe Him. Psalm 94:19 tells us "In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!" That's the verse I'm claiming when anxiety and fear try to grasp hold of me. Satan knows my weak spots - however, I have God's Word as my ammunition against him. As a child of God, anxiety has no place in our lives. Even though it may show up sometimes, God is stronger than it...never forget.

All about love

2008-08-07T17:41:00.009-05:00

Well, to be truthful, I've had to work up the energy to write this post. I am by no means a fancy-schmancy writer, but I believe I am having writer's block. My mind can't settle on a topic.

Since my last post I've enjoyed my cousin's beautiful wedding, school shopping with Jake, and reuniting with my best friend from grade school through high school and beyond. Guess I'll just post my thoughts on each instance...

Megan's wedding: As I said, absolutely beautiful...and sweet. You could just look at the bride and groom and see the love they have for each other and how excited they were to finally join their lives into one.

School shopping with Jake: The list this year for 7th grade had a few questionable items on it, but we purchased everything anyway. Why do they really need a 3" binder - have you seen how WIDE those things are??? In the middle of walking through the selection of supplies we saw the scissors. Jake asked if he needed to get any of them, and I said no. He was SO pleased. The first year EVER he did not need to get scissors for school. Yippee! BUT, wait, that's another confirmation that my baby is growing up. Not yippee! I truly miss my grade schooler; however, I couldn't be more proud of my 7th grader. He really growing into a nice young man. Tonight was the "official end" of our school prep work. We got him registered for school, got his schedule, found his locker, and had the school pic taken. THEN, we were off to Red Lobster for the "mommy/Jake dinner while dad's out of town". A pound and a half of snow crab legs, a bowl of clam chowder, seafood stuffed flounder, grilled shrimp, crab topped linguini, and a basket of cheddar biscuits later, we're home and ready for a nap! But, there's leftovers in the fridge, and a fun time was had by all!

Reuniting with old friend: This took courage on both our parts. We've been friends since grade school - best friends. Some time after high school we had a "falling out". Can't really tell you why now. Then we mended things. About 5 or so years ago...another separation. Again...can't really tell you the cause of it. Two weeks ago, thanks to Classmates.com (not an advertisement), we again found each other.

I think the last 5 years have been the hardest of our lives. Not because we were not together as friends, but because of junk in our lives. I faced the loss of my mother, loss of grandfather, new wife for dad and strained relationship with them. She faced the end of a marriage, the loss of her home and church family, and people in the church turning on her. We're both at a much different place now in life and have both matured. (heck, we're almost 40!!) :) We had the courage to send each other messages, which led to emails, which led to an overnight visit during which we talked for about 12 hours (no tv, no nothing!). It was a fantastic visit. We live almost 2 hours apart now, so we'll be dealing with a "long distance relationship", and with school getting ready to start we'll both be busy with our childs' activities. But you know, just KNOWING the other person is there again means a lot.

...beginning a new life together, letting go a little more, new meaning to an old friendship - guess this post got a little deeper then originally thought, huh...and really - it's all about love!

I can cook...Really!!!

2008-07-28T15:47:00.006-05:00

As I was up to my elbows in flour this afternoon making chicken and dumplings, I remembered the first meal I ever cooked for Jim.

Just to fill you in on how we became a couple.....we were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. Prior to seeing each other face to face we spoke on the phone every night for a week - for at least 2-3 hours per night. Then we finally met and had been going out for a few days or a week when the following occurred........

Jim had just started a new job as a car salesman and was having a stressful beginning. One evening I was going to cook supper for us so we could have an evening in. In all our conversations I learned Jim loved roast and potatoes. So, like my momma tought me, I put the roast and potatoes in the crock pot that morning. That evening Jim arrived as planned. As soon as I opened the door I new it'd been a baaaad day. We immediately sat on the sofa and started talking. (Realize at this point my small 2 bedroom apartment HAD to have been full of the aroma of the cooking roast.) We continued to talk....and talk...and talk...and talk. I never mentioned the meal because we were talking - and he'd had a really bad day so I didn't want to keep him from venting. He never mentioned the meal ( I found out YEARS later) because this was the first time I cooked for him, and he had NO IDEA if I could cook or not. He didn't want to hurt my feelings by asking about it and then me have to tell him I burned it or something.

This is a story we have laughed about for all of our 14 1/2 years of marriage.

Yep, apparently the fact that I withheld food from him was not a determent. About 1 week after this event I got a nice shiny engagement ring. :)

And just so you know...we had the roast and potatoes the very next night. EVERYONE knows roast is better as leftovers!!

It's a date!

2008-07-25T22:23:00.005-05:00

ok...so I've done some "tweaking" to my blog. And, you know, I'm a woman, so it probably won't be the last time either. I love playing with the colors, fonts, and other elements. I've enjoyed blogging more than I thought I would. It's reminded me of writing in my diary as a kid and has made me look back over my days and find the good and important memories that I might otherwise have taken for granted. I've also found a fondness of reading other people's blogs. The different writing styles I've found have been inspiring.

In my area school starts up August 18th. Could it be that Jake's summer is almost over? He and I made a date today. Between now and the 18th hubby will be gone for a few days on a business trip, leaving Jake and I with alone time. We decided that on the day he gets registered for 7th grade and gets his schedule we are also going to purchase school supplies, then -- Red Lobster. He absolutely loves this place. A friend of his got him turned on to crab legs. Oh my can he eat the crab legs! We go in, order, eat the yummy biscuits until our meals arrive, then I finish my meal while he's still cracking legs. He has a blast...and that's the important thing. We both stink like fish and need showers from his crab crackin', but we've made memories. I made sure he knew I wrote our date in my planner in INK so it can't be erased.

The time has already passed by so quickly since Jake was born, and I know the next 6 years till he's 18 will be gone before I know it. Over the last year I can tell he's growing from boy to young man. I love it and I hate it. My little boy is disappearing, but the young man he's becoming really wow's me. Last year when he left for church camp I had to get my hug and kiss before we left the house to head to church. This year? - hubby and I both got kisses and hugs right outside the bus with all the other kids watching. I love that stuff!!!

b-b-b-b-bad to the bone...

2008-07-23T19:42:00.004-05:00

Ok, so sometimes you wanna be bad, right? Well, I figure if I'm gonna be bad I ought to be as good as I can while I'm being bad. Totally confused???

I wanted ice cream tonight!!!! Hubby took son to youth service at church so I could eat whatever I wanted and no one would ever know. I wanted to be good, but I wanted ice cream more. So...I hopped my not-so-skinny rear into my car and drove to the closest ice cream shop - one that I knew served fat free yogurt. Thank you God! I ordered a cookie dough non-fat yogurt concrete. Ok, I know the cookie dough wasn't fat free, but the yogurt was better than eating the ice cream. All I have to say is YUMMMMM!

We've tried to drop some pounds around here, but have had no luck yet. Hubby and I both began Atkins at the beginning of June. We actually made it completely through induction with no cheating. On day 15 hubby checked his blood sugar. Fasting was 130. What?!? His remark was "why am I doing this if my sugar isn't getting better"? By day 8/9 I began having a very unwelcome side effect that a lady should only experience once a month (and it wasn't THAT time). Thanks to Google I found out that this was a not-so-uncommon side effect. Well yippee for me, huh? Needless to say, we were done! I'd rather have 50 lbs to lose than have the other issue to deal with for Lord only knows how long.

We're trying to make better food choices and eat less now. At least neither of us gained back the 8 or so pounds we lost during induction. Unfortunately we both love to eat. That really stinks when you're trying to lose weight. I know it's a matter of will power and discipline. Trust me, both of these things have been made a matter of prayer.

Hey, in case I haven't said it lately - thanks for taking time out of your day to read my stuff here. I appreciate you stopping by for a moment in time...

one casualty---

2008-07-20T18:59:00.008-05:00

We have officially owned our house for 5 years and 4 days.

When we moved in and decorated our rooms Jake was 7 years old. His room was painted cream with a wallpaper border up top of labrador retreivers. Well, Jake is now 12 and has outgrown the border. So this weekend we made a change. As you can tell from the pics above Jake wanted something different. Originally he wanted the tan color with a big black stripe around the room. Yesterday we decided that the stripe might look better if it was "moving". The room is still not put back together completely, but the pics show how the stripe turned out. We all like it...I like it more every time I go in his room.

In all the work we've done since Friday night we have only had one casualty. The first picture shows how severe the accident. Jake and Jim were in charge of the placement and painting of the stripe. Let's just say Jake got a little too close to the paint tray with his foot. :)

An important lesson we learned?....Jim and I are NOT great painters! It's all good in theory...until we put it into action. We do not like to do the prep work (taping, covering furniture, etc. Of course, we pay for it in the end. We've got some scraping to do of windows and baseboards. You can rest assured neither of us will ever be hired as professional painters!

But, now my baby has a big boy room - and I'm adjusting. He's growing up, and I can't stop it. I can only pray that he turns into the awesome man of God that his daddy is...and he's off to a great start!

Reservations are made!!!

2008-07-16T20:52:00.005-05:00

God spoke and I listened...

It's been a few years since I have been able to go to the Joyce Meyer Women's Conference, but I'm going in October! I had accepted the fact that I wouldn't be going this year because Jake will have a little league football game the Saturday of the conference. I've never missed one of his games, so I can't start now - right??

Well, the conference kept coming to mind. I asked Jake if he would be upset if I missed one of the games. His response?..."Mom, I wouldn't mind if I missed one of the games". hehehe. Gotta love him. So, my reservations are made, and my registration is paid for. I'll be worshipping with Darlene Szchech, listening to Yolanda Adams sing, and hearing the Word from Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, and Lisa Bevere.

I am excited - can you tell? This will be my second time going completely alone. My husband thinks I'm kind of nuts and being a recluse, but this is MY time. It's a retreat for me and time for me to hear from God. In the past it's been a healing time for me. I realize Jim thinks I go and speak to no one, but that's not what happens. I sit with other women and meet them and converse with them. I love it.

So, I'm gonna soon be on countdown for St Louis. Bear with me!

Roses are red...

2008-07-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

A simple, unexpected gift of roses.

My sciatic nerve decided to be inflamed when I got up Sunday morning. So, I stayed home from church to pop ibuprofen and apply ice. When my guys returned, they brought me the roses.

My husband feels bad that he doesn't do this more frequently. While I love the gift, I don't like the $40-60 you have to give to the florist for them. I remember a recent conversation with hubby advising him that one of the local grocery stores carries fresh flowers that could be picked up for much less than our favorite florist charges. Little did I know that Sunday I would be the proud recipient of the aromatic beauties. Needless to say, I felt blessed.

While I dream for "date nights" we hardly ever really do them. I long for extended conversation over candlelit dinners; however, the conversation usually turns to work or Jake. Little things, like the flowers, fill this void and remind me of the days before we were married. I did realize months ago that we are at a point where we have to carve out time in our schedules for couple time, but I've failed to make it happen. My goal for the rest of the year and forward is to do better. Please let me know if you have any tips, thoughts, or ideas.

Christmas in July

2008-07-13T16:43:00.003-05:00

Well, not really...just PREPARING for Christmas in July.

Every year I think about how terrific it would be to give home made gifts at Christmas time. However, I think about this in November around Thanksgiving. THIS year is going to be different! I've begun one of five cross stitch pieces that I'm doing as gifts for family members. I also have half-way completed 6 "bed buddies" (rice-filled tube socks with a removable cover made of a sewn hand towel). Today I pulled out the supplies that I purchased LAST year to make these. I got the socks filled, sewn, and trimmed. Now all that's left is turning the hand towel into the cover.

***as a side note - if you've never tried one of these rice-filled bags - you are nissing out!!! heat them in the microwave for 2 minutes, then apply to achey muscles, neck, or forehead if you have a headache. awesome!

So this year I am more prepared in the home made gift arena, and I feel good about it. I decided this morning that each person who receives a gift or gifts from us will receive at least one home made item. I've got five plus months before these items must be wrapped and under the tree...I'm in good shape here! Yea me! :-)

"bassoon"er or later......

2008-07-10T14:29:00.003-05:00

We knew it was coming, but I wasn't sure what exactly to expect.

My son began band classes this week. In our school district you either begin band in 7th grade or you never get in. So, we're giving it a try. Jake chose the bassoon. We didn't have a bassoon in our school band when I was growing up. The instrument itself is pretty cool. Watching Jake learn about it and how to play has turned out to be pretty cool, too. He has been SO excited. There's supposed to be two other kids in his bassoon class, but so far he's the only one to show. One of the kids is on vacation, and heaven only knows about the other. Jake has VERY much enjoyed being the only one. I'm thinking that a week's worth of private music lessons for FREE isn't to shabby either!

Jake's dad and I both enjoyed being band "geeks" in school, however, we didn't play any sports. Jake anticipates playing football all through school and into college. It'll be interesting to see how well being in music and football goes together as he progresses through school.

bummed today...

2008-07-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

Today has been a bag of mixed emotions for me. This morning my mom has been on my mind a lot. My good days outnumber my bad days now. But when I have a bad day, I'm very down.

***My mom died in 2004, four months to the day from when she was diagnosed with very rare adrenal cancer.***

There's just been something in my core today that has simply deflated me and kind of left me in a fog. I know it will pass, but I'd like to ask that those of you who are reading to say a quick prayer for me regarding my state of "bummed-ness".

On a lighter note, we did go to a family lunch today to celebrate my nephew's 3rd birthday. I love it when (especially little boys) kids reach that age when their baby image/toddler image seems to fade away and the little boy/man look come on them. Well, that's where my nephew is. Over the last few months he's lost the baby face that he had, and it's been replaced with the boy he is becoming. Love it, love it, love it!

I got to spend some one on one time with my mom-in-law this afternoon. That was overdue. We got to talk about when she and dad-in-law were beginning to raise their family, build a house, and when she went to work when the kids were all in school. I really like just sitting and visiting with her. I know there are millions of women who despise their MIL, but I am not one of them. God blessed me beyond measure with mine. If I can't have my own mom to be with, my MIL is definitely the next best thing!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to see what's happening with me. Until next the next moment......

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T18:03:00.000-05:00

Well, for some reason the first time I typed this and tried to post it vanished. Obviously the devil didn't want my words getting out there. Too bad - 'cause here I go again....

Today is the day out country celebrates our independence. We are blessed to live in the most free country in the world, but do you know we have other freedoms to enjoy? Freedom in Christ!

I've learned over the last few years how to be more free then I ever knew I could. Through Christ I have experienced the freedom to be who He created me to be, the freedom to love others through Him, and the freedom to forgive and experience forgiveness. God created each of us differently, so it's more than ok if we're not as pretty, skinny, talented, etc as the person we keep comparing ourselves to. It's my job to be the best "me" I can, and you the best "you" you can. That's what God wants. God showers His grace and mercy on us because He knows that it's a difficult task in our eyes.

So, remember, enjoy the freedoms of our country, but LIVE and GROW in the freedom of Christ!

I was afraid today would turn into one of those "hang out in my gown all day" days. However, it's been way more productive than that. By 9am I had done two loads of laundry, boiled and deviled about two dozen eggs, and baked an 11x15 cake to decorate. Whew!

This afternoon I decorated the cake...I've taken a couple Wilton classes, so I got nominated to do the cake. My cousin and his wife are expecting their first baby in August. We're having a family get-together/shower for them tomorrow. (the blocks on the cake spell BABY in case it doesn't show in the pic)

My biggest accomplishment for the day?...I FINALLY tagged and organized all my pictures in Photoshop. Yea me! :-) Now I'll be better prepared when I begin scrapbooking again.

For now, I'm just waiting till dark...hubby and son bought me sparklers and a 61-shot fountain that I can wait to fire off.

Enjoy your fireworks, stay safe, and be blessed!

The first moment...

2008-06-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog. Thanks for dropping by to take a peek into my "moment in time". I've been inspired by a friend of mine after reading her blog, and decided to take a shot at it.

Right now my son is at church camp having a wonderful time I'm sure. We're gearing up for his first football tournament of the year. This is his 3rd and last year on a traveling team. It has been a great adventure for all three of us. The long road trips provide for great family time.

I enjoy scapbooking, but have very much neglected the hobby for quite a few months. I've decided to stop telling folks that I am way behind in my scrapbooking. All I'm doing when I say that is piling guilt onto myself. So, no more! I am officially taking a brief hiatus from scrapbooking, and will begin again in the fall. :) No more pressure on myself to get caught up, but to just enjoy the moments to their fullest.

From a few things in my past, God has shown me to really enjoy every moment. You never know when someone in your life may be called home...make sure they know you love them.

So, friends, know that I love you and that God loves you. He and I want only the best for you.

Until next time...

a moment in time...

Ha!

Whoa...

MIA and little Menu Plan Monday

Thoughts from the week...

Another week down...

Menu Plan Monday

aaaah....Sunday

On your mark...get set...go! (& Menu Plan Monday)

Yeah!!

Bring the Rain

Lasagna Roll-up Recipe

Menu Plan Monday

Getting Creative

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

uuummm...

Menu Plan Monday

I'm In The Money!!!

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Devotional

my plan for now...

Menu Plan Monday

A wrench...

25 Random Things About Me

Menu Plan Monday

God's got it all under control...

Menu Plan Monday

Finally!

Menu Plan Monday

Free Tip Friday

Two Yummy Dishes!!!

I may have attempted to much...

Menu Plan Monday

Thankful Thursday

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Free Tip Friday

Thankful Thursday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday

Granny's Potato Candy

Free Tip Friday

Thankful Thursday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday

Free Tip Friday

Thankful Thursday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday

Free Tip Friday

Thankful Thursday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday

Free Tip Friday

Thankful Thursday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Menu Plan Monday

My Beloved

M.I.A.

You're never too old to learn.

Change is coming

Success!

God > anxiety

***All about love***

I can cook...Really!!!

It's a date!

b-b-b-b-bad to the bone...

one casualty---

Reservations are made!!!

Roses are red...

Christmas in July

"bassoon"er or later......

bummed today...

Happy 4th!

The first moment...

All about love