Today I Am Super Thankful For...

my dear husband.

He threw out stinky chicken (pre-marinated stuff from HEB that did NOT smell good to me), and washed the pot (act of service - his love language).

AND...he referred to our home and our little family as a 'refuge' - a place he looks forward to coming home to, and a rest from the big, bad world (words - my love language).

That's one of those 'immeasurables' that I strive for, but feel I often fall short. The kitchen doesn't stay spotless, sometimes he has to dig for white socks out of the dryer, etc.

Thanks God!

As I listen to 'We Three Kings' on the Tin Whistle...

So... after a dear older friend encouraged me last January to read Proverbs to Olivia, I have finally started doing it. 10 months to do a new thing is about my speed. Explains my metabolism.

I used our NET Bible since it has so much commentary, and I figured I would need as much help as I could get. My knowledge of Proverbs is Proverbs 3:5-6 and the dreaded Proverbs 31 Woman. I have a couple of friends who actually live up to those verses, and I would totally despise them if they weren't so darned sweet and kind!

I read a little bit, explain as I go, like why it actually IS a good thing to fear God, and today I glossed over the whole 'stay away from sexually immoral women' part. She is smart, but not savvy enough to know why I read some things faster than others. Just not ready to go down THAT road yet...

Lately I've been feeling the urgency of getting scripture into this little mind, while she still thinks we are wonderful and cool. She's much more apt to listen as Proverbs 1 instructs her to listen to her father and mother!! And I want her to know that God is not some spoil-sport out to ruin her good time, but He truly wants to keep us from things that are harmful to us.

The hand of conviction is on my head, too, as I read and tell her these things that I wholly believe in my head, but yet some of my actions reveal that they are not fully ingrained in my heart. Oh, to throw off this weight of sin!!

From the Heart of an 8-Year-Old

So...just picking up where I left off, but adding in the tiny detail that I've had a positive pregnancy test since then. Not covering the spiritual and emotional upheaval and ultimate peace by taking it day by day.

We're keeping our little Doodle-Bug in the dark, as she's gone down this road with us and if I can spare her a broken heart, I will. I am, however, thinking trepidatiously about names. I've talked to Lil O about names we like for general purposes.

I don't want to forget her suggestions:

Rosella - from a Barbie movie
Arianna - also from a Barbie movie
Margaret - from Little Women
Antonio - from a Barbie movie

Let's just say I am thankful she's not into watching Barney any more : )

Just Like My Eggs...

I am scrambling this week! As a homeschool mom, I don't think I really like holidays on a Monday. Usually, Monday is our stay-at-home, do laundry day. Kinda eases me into the week.

This Monday, however, we were recovering from a weekend away at a Bible conference and Mr. Wonderful was home with us all day Monday. (This is a good thing!)

So I woke up today, hit the ground running, and - insert 2 hour interruption here - haven't stopped since.

I do, however, want to document my menus because it is sooo beneficial!

Tonight we had: Mini hamburgers w/carmelized onions, corn, and potato salad. Where's the green? I know! This is ANOTHER reason why it's important for me to plan more than 30 minutes ahead of time!

Wednesday: Salad, Stuffed Green Peppers

Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs (I hope to make the meatballs tomorrow) and salad

Friday: Hmmmm...Chicken breasts on the grill, salad, corn, rosemary bread

Saturday: Turkey sandwiches, potato salad

Fun Fun Fun!

We are on day 3 of school and having lots of fun! A new thing I'm doing is putting schoolwork into 'workboxes' or a tower of drawers in our case ; )

The benefits are many:

O loves the excitement of seeing what is in each box
She knows how much more school is left so she doesn't dawdle as much
My planning is more focused and her activities are varied
Since we have 10 boxes to fill each day, I am putting in fun 'extra' activities like games, crafts, etc.

Here are some pictures - with much thanks to all the blogs I read on WTM forum, and especially Tink for all the helpful hints ~ she is my new friend in laminating : )


This is the chart where she places the number after she is finished with that box.

Pulling off the laminated, velcroed number. I can't begin to tell you how much fun all of these 'gadgets' are for me!!

The Workbox tower and our books for this year. I am only putting books we are using THIS YEAR on this shelf. Right now, the rest of the enormous stack is outside the school room on the floor ~ NOT to be photographed : )

Where all the 'magic' happens... ; ) This is O's chair. I scooch my chair to the other side when we are doing grammar, narration, writing or anything else we do together.

Wordless Wednesday

This Week's Meal Plan

Monday: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, oven baked french fries, carrot sticks

Wednesday: Southwestern Pork Chops with southwest relish

Thursday: Lemon Arugula Chicken Paillard

Friday: Dinner out

Saturday: Pulled brisket sandwiches, potato salad, carrots

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Grilled Chicken Breasts (marinated in Italian salad dressing), black&white bean salad with yellow peppers, olives, tomatoes, fresh basil and feta. hmm...maybe some sauteed spinach also to put under the chicken and garlic bread.

Tuesday: Tortellini with Bacon, Greens and Browned Butter, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday: Barbecue Beef Sandwiches (already in the freezer - laaaaaaaa!), coleslaw, potato salad

Thursday: My Sister's Mushroom Burgers (MSMB!). Ground beef, chopped up mushrooms, garlic, worcestershire, salt, chopped bacon - all mixed together and onto the grill. Can't WAIT to try these!! Corn, either on the cob or Pioneer Woman's baked corn casserole.

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: BRISKET! We bought a grill/smoker over the weekend for Mr. Wonderful. His birthday is coming up soon!

Coffee, Laundry, Little House, Repeat...

What's the 4th of July without a red, white and blue dessert?!

Our day started out by relaxing at home. We watched movies on Turner Classic Movies about the Revolutionary War, drank our coffee, and I gave Warren a hair cut. In the afternoon, we went to an outdoor Heritage Days festival.

You know, in the past week I've thought to myself "Hey! I think I'm acclamating to this Texas summer heat - I really don't seem to mind it as much". Well, Self, it's easy to think that when you are at the pool in the morning, and in the house all afternoon, because, baby, it is HOOOOOOOT and I was feelin' it!

We stayed at the festival long enough to visit with some of Warren's co-workers, drink 3 bottles of water, eat one shaved ice and 2 ice cream cookies. On the way home, we stopped at HEB, where I was happy to see they had an ENORMOUS display of strawberries and blueberries. Finally, at home and out of the heat, we (literally) thanked God for air conditioning and started putting the dessert together.

O had sooo much fun rinsing the berries, drying them, sorting - both by size and by color, taste testing, planning exactly how she would arrange them on the fruit pizza. It was well worth the effort of squeezing that sugar cookie dough out of its plastic tube and into a 9x13 pan.

On the 3rd we went to the Wimberly VFW Rodeo. This is a CPRA sanctioned rodeo, and you don't know how proud I am that I know what that acronym means!! (Cowboy Professional Rodeo Association - I had to work pretty hard to remember it.)

These are the Flag Ladies - at least that is what I call them. I'm sure they have much niftier and appropriate names. These ladies ride out with the American and Texas flag, and then stay still in the middle while the National Anthem is sung. Then, when the soloist (who was a great singer, and cute in her shorts and cowgirl boots!) starts singing the last line "O say does that star spangled banner yet wave...o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave" the gal with the American flag spurs her horse and she starts riding around the edge of the area as fast as she can. The flag is waving, the music is at a crescendo, and a BIG lump came up in my throat. When the last note finished, I looked at Warren through teary eyes, and said "Wow - Happy 4th". (I have the gift of words, ya know! ha ha)

Olivia with her pink cotton candy. I don't see how she could eat it when we were sitting in the setting sun which was still 102 degrees, but she managed. We brought a cooler, and I drank lots of LaCroix and bottled water, and Warren of course, showed his Texas patriotism by drinking his fair share of Dr. Pepper.

OH! And we stopped at Bush's Fried Chicken on the way down to pick up iced tea - they make the BEST sweet tea, and have Sonic-type ice. For $.99 they also have a chicken tender sandwich, which is just one of their great chicken tenders on a tastes-like-homemade white soft bun. That was a GREAT find!

It was a good, but different, 4th of July. The pangs of missing family and friends in Ohio are still so strong, especially on holidays. We are here, though, being stretched and grown in new ways, and even though the stretching parts hurt, I know it is good for me.

Today, O and I are watching Little House on the Prairie and getting the house back in order. This weekend seemed soooo relaxing when I wasn't loading the dishwasher and piling dirty clothes into the laundry room...time to pay the piper now!

Tan Lines and Free Parking

Besides many hours spent at the pool this week, we cleaned O’s room, rearranged our room, watched much HGTV, Food Network, Little Couple (love them!), Stager Invasion (her Dad MAKES the show!), made a lemon pound cake, and a mixed berry pie.

(Sadly, my exercise has fallen by the wayside, and the eating of desserts has not.)

O squeezing lemons for the lemon pound cake.

Also, after numerous trips to Joann’s and JC Penney, I think I’ve narrowed down my paint and curtain color choices for the dining room and living room. Big stuff for only the last week of June!

O lovin' on her Daddy after a game of Clue Jr.

The fun of playing board games is ongoing. Olivia now fully ‘gets’ Monopoly. Girlfriend aggressively buys property, and is beyond gleeful when she can buy Park Place and Boardwalk.

And when she is saving money to buy houses, nothing can deter her.

“Nope, not gonna buy that, I’m saving money to buy houses!”

Did you know that the rent on only 3 houses on Park Place is $1200??


So... even though Warren and I usually end up mortgaged to the hilt, we’re thinking this might be a good thing if she approaches life with this same tenacity.

After all, if there really are places named Marvin Gardens and Boardwalk, she might have mercy on her parents in their old age and we’ll have a dandy place to live.

Pool Days

I am remembering that song "School days, school days, dear old golden rule days..." but only I am singing it "Pool days, pool days, watermelon and pool days"!

Olivia and I are having so much fun relaxing together this week. Today we went to our neighbors house in the afternoon and played 'Bananagrams' after our pool trip, and before my nap : ) I've been reading "Eight Cousins" out loud to Olivia, and she either plays with the kitties or yesterday she was cutting things out of a magazine. She has ALWAYS liked to cut! Cleaning out the closets can wait until next week, is what I say!

I've menu planned in my head this week, and have used up a lot of things in my fridge and freezer. Tomorrow we'll have fish if I find something fresh at the grocery, pizza on Friday, and then crockpot bbq beef on Saturday. I love Menu Plan Monday!!

Olivia's Solo!

Menu Plan Monday

I am so encouraged by reading everyone’s menu ideas! It reminds me of a Homemaker's Club that I've heard about - we all need inspiration to keep doing these daily tasks.

I do end up switching around which days I make what, but it is really great to have five meals planned and the groceries for them in the pantry. I didn’t get a chance to make Chicken Artichoke Lasagna from last week, but I’ll have to try another week for that, because it just doesn't sound appealing to me this week! Actually, nothing sounds appealing, but I've learned that ignoring meal planning and grocery buying doesn't actually make the issue go a-way....good thing for me to learn : )

Monday ~ Easy Taco Casserole ~ a classic recipe from Taste of Home that is mild enough for little O to eat. I also will have O help make jello with fruit in it.

Tuesday ~ BBQ Chuck roast in the crock pot and pasta w/broccoli.

Wednesday ~ Bourbon Chicken and Veggies w/brown rice

Thursday ~ CC Practicum for me and Olivia all day! Crockpot Lasagna – I’ll substitute Italian Turkey Sausage for the ground beef, and add a thawed package of chopped spinach to the ricotta. Hope it’s good ~ I'm a little nervous about this one!

Friday ~ CC Practicum Day 2! I think we’ll eat out tonight.

Saturday ~ CC Practicum Day 3! Sounds like a good night to grill out - maybe Wo & O can see what kind of fish is fresh at Central Market.

Little Bit 'O Love

It was an exciting time yesterday afternoon when the UPS man came with a box...for Olivia! Grandma Lee sent a box filled with love.

First you have to imagine the squeals and jumping up and down as I am trying to open the 'extra-strength' tape that Mom uses. (Thank you, Mom)

And yesterday, Grace and Joy were here so multiply the squealing and jumping times 3!!

After reassuring the girls that yes, I indeed am able to open the box without their help, I sliced open the tape and put the box on the table.

FINALLY, just as Olivia was ready to pull the first item out, I yell ' Wait! Wait! Wait! Let me get my camera!"

She patiently waits.

I can't find my camera.

Have to use the cell phone camera.

Meanwhile, Joy Lynn has pulled out two things from the box : )

Cow Tails!! Three of them, so Olivia shares with Grace and Joy.

A Band-Aid / Neosporin dispenser. Grandma knows O!

Hot Pink Crocs - A GREAT thing since O wears her other pair non-stop and they are wearing out!

Super-Cute jeweled flip-flops that Mommy really wishes came in a size 10!

Cute white t-shirt with an orange cotton skort - adorable!

Menu Plan Monday!

Monday ~ Roasted chicken from HEB, rosemary roasted potatoes, salad

Tuesday ~ Warren will be off golfing, so I am meeting a friend at Sandella's for dinner

Wednesday ~ Chicken Black Bean Burritos, steamed broccoli

Thursday ~ Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Friday ~ Pizza from our 'family pizza place' or Papa Murphy's Take-n-Bake

It was like having the Best Dream Ever!

I thought about my old xanga site today, and visited it.

Oh, the sweet, sweet memories! My 'old' life, that I loved and didn't want to leave is documented. Reading these posts transports me to our office in the blue house. It is precious, and reminds me that blogging IS beneficial - a digital scrapbook of sorts.

I decided to bring some of my old posts into this blog. Hopefully I can eventually figure out how to move them to a different date so they are in chronological order, because it will bug me to see 2005 mixed in with 2009 : )

February 26, 2006

Walking in the Wilderness

"Abraham was a very wealthy man who had many servants. He himself, knowing well what makes a good servant, was a faithful and obedient servant of God.

Nowadays most of us have never had servants and therefore have almost no notion of what it means to be one. It means first of all to have a master--that is, to belong to someone else. He can do what he wants with you; you are there to do for him. You are at his disposal. It is not for you to reason why he asks something of you; it is yours only to do it. So long as you are in his service, you are not your own (1 Cor 6:20). Abraham was a man full of faith, obedient to his Lord, readily at his command.

Master, help me to live today according to your desires, and when I reach home may You be able to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

But the important thing in life is not to be vindicated, nor to see miracles, but to walk by faith--that is, to take God at his word. So shall we live.

So shall we follow Christ, content to do without the startling, the dramatic evidences that God is God, believing instead--in the face of all the enemy's taunts--the spoken Word of Him who calls Himself the I AM. Even in the wilderness, even in our isolation and hunger, we need not ask for more than the Bread of Heaven.

Give us this day, Lord, Not the miracles our human hearts long for, Not the proud but brief satisfaction of saying to doubters, "I told you so!" But give us daily bread--only that which You see will truly nourish us in our pilgrimage towards home."

These words from Elisabeth Elliot have spoke volumes to me in the last week. I am a 'doer', and I wonder 'What is God doing with me?" And my measley little heart and mind can't comprehend that somehow, someway, He alone is enough.

February 1, 2006

The gorgeous mom and daughter at Jenni's sweet 16 party! It was the most enchanting party I've ever attended. Ken and Joy were the grateful parents who exuded love, Ben was the younger brother who 'tolerated' all of this tea-party/princess nonsense with a grin, and Jenni was gracious and appreciative. All her friends were not only sweet and fun, they were also gorgeous!

December 22, 2005

Jenni came over today to help me memorize my vowels. She is such a sweetie, I don't know what I'd do without her!! hee hee (This was a joke that came from a miscommunication between us that day, but now I don't remember what we were really trying to say!) And in between all our hard work, we made gingerbread houses. I put as much candy on mine as possible as I'm giving it to our neighbor boys; Jenni's was a work of artistic beauty; and Olivia's was, well... let's just say it was 'one of a kind'. LOL Give a 4-year-old a bag of icing, some candy, and it's AMAZING what they can do!

Jenn still working on her house - all the snow on the botton was covered in sparkly icing sugar - very niiiiice ; )

Olivia's Cabana-style gingerbread house. Yes, that is a Reese cup all those umbrellas are stuck in!

November 29, 2005

10 years ago I was:
married for 1 year
doing the Jr. High youth group at church
living in cute duplex with my honey in Lynden, Washington
just learning how to do email - ooooooh - ahhhhhhh!

5 years ago I was:
working full time at Capitol Copy
7 months pregnant (with Olivia)
wondering if Warren would be full time at Borden and get health insurance before the baby was born and I started to work only part time

1 year ago I was:
just getting back from a stress-filled 11 days in Washington
trying to decide if we should do the 'Santa' thing with Olivia

Yesterday I:
Wrapped presents with my Mom for 6 hours
Watched a great movie on TNT - the Engagement Ring
Didn't take a shower
had lunch at Panera with my honey without O

5 snacks I enjoy:
popcorn
ice cream
Apples with peanut butter
any dips with bread

5 songs I know all the words to:
When I survery the Wondrous Cross
The Love of God
Any Wham! song- how sad, I know
Most any Christmas song
The Sound of Music soundtrack

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars:
Buy a farm for my honey
Pay for schooling for all of my family and set up scholarship funds for others
Give a LOT of it away
buy a bus for kids club
travel, travel, travel, travel, travel

5 places I would run away to:
Well, I'd tell ya, but then I'd have to kill ya!

5 favorite TV shows:
Everybody loves Raymond
Matlock ( I know!)
Monk
Numbers
Little Einsteins
5 bad habits:
Eating when not hungry
worrying
forgetting what I'm supposed to do
Not taking my problems to the Lord first
turning on the t.v. automatically

5 biggest joys
the hope of heaven
Warren and Olivia
my family
Good old friends and good new ones
hugs

That is it for the old posts today. The next ones are picking out our Christmas tree at the Old Log Cabin Plantation. I start to miss our old life tooooooooooooo much.

Rice Crispy Treats!

Olivia and Grace made Rice Crispy treats after schoolwork last week. Olivia helps me in the kitchen a lot, but I think this may be her first 'all-by-herself' recipe mastery!

Here are my fancy HEB-brand ingredients all laid out! The girls were soooo helpful, and ate up any 'stray' marshmallows : )

Gracie buttering her pan...

Olivia buttering hers...

They poured and mixed and pressed and then ate them! The girls are now taking orders to be shipped to YOU!

FOR TODAY MAY 13, 2009...

Outside my window...are the passing clouds which make the house sunny one instant, and grey the next.

I am thinking...about how much laundry I can get finished today

I am thankful for...coffee with a wonderful husband, a sweet daughter in jammies

I am wearing...black capri yoga pants and a robin's egg blue v-neck t-shirt

I am creating...a math lover in my daughter!

I am going...to a park day with Classical Conversations group soon

I am reading...Instructing a Child's Heart

I am hoping...to make dinner with as little kitchen mess-up as possible!

I am hearing...Olivia say her math facts as she does a worksheet, and the tumble of the dryer

Around the house...Molly just walked into the room and flopped onto the floor after chasing Thomas for the past 20 minutes.

Menu Plan for the Week

Okay, here is my menu plan for the week!

Monday: Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad (was very good!)
Tuesday: Stuffed chicken breasts in filo dough, tomato salad w/feta
Wednesday: Ribeye steaks on the grill ($3.99/lb at HEB!), rosemary oven-roasted potatoes, salad
Thursday (the night of O's spring choir concert): Chicken & Farfalle Salad (w/leftover chicken from the whole chicken on Monday), broccoli salad
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Hamburgers on the grill

School Days!

Olivia and Grace LOVE doing school together!! We play Scrabble, math games, and do recess, of course!

We bought these big calendars for the girls to do their schoolwork on - it protects the table and gives them all their 'own' space.

O loves math!

While we were in the car the other day, she asked me, what is 12 x 15?

I gave her the answer, and she said 'There are 180 bristles in my brush!'.

We have three chatterboxes, but this is our main giggler!

The Maxi Dress

Olivia's new 'maxi' dress - how cute is she in it?!!

Warren took Olivia to the pool after he came home from the office. I went to HEB and bought groceries. I picked up our new favorite treat - HEB seafood department will steam shrimp while you wait, in Old Bay or Cajun seasoning. So I brought home a pound of steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, and stopped at the pool. It was voted 'Best Pool Snack Ever' : )

Now I'm going to make dinner - Taco Salad with Chicken and Chipotle Dressing. Hope it's as yummy as the shrimp!