Weekend of Blessings

W and I are wondering if we watch too much "American Pickers" with our sweet little girl.

O was talking about our much anticipated trip to the American Girl store in Dallas. She has saved her money for about a year, and every catalog is circled with her wish list.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to stick to my list when I shop, or just do freestyle shopping..."

Then we both went into fits of coughing because of all the laugh suppression : )

We woke up early ~ ugh, the THIRD day in a row! AND Sunday was coming - another wake up early day. I know...I'm such a wimp.

After another shopping annoucement that she would like some time to 'get her bearings in the store', we hit it hard.

So many choices! Accessories, Just Like Me dolls, historical dolls. We ate lunch at their little bistro, and then she decided on Emily, who is Molly's best friend.

We also went to the Sam Moon for cheap purses and bags, and the PGA Superstore for Mr. Wonderful : ) Then on the way home, we stopped at the kolache place in West, because no trip up I-35 is complete without mixed berry kolaches!

On Friday we went to the Crowe's Nest Farm. It is a great field trip, and very well run. The farmers were great with children and adults, too!

Today during our teaching meeting, we sang one of my favorite hymns ~ I Know Whom I Have Believed. There is so much to life I can't understand. Why some believers seem to have little suffering and others so much. But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able, to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. God has indeed carried me and kept me these past two months, and I am so grateful.

Clearly There's Been a Mistake

Because CLEARLY I am not old enough to have MY generation the theme of a 9-year-olds birthday party. And CLEARLY I can't have a daughter of my own attending said party.

I worked that denial for two weeks. I read the evite (which I hate to do because then they KNOW you KNOW about it!) which was adorable and lined with a rubics cube, walkman cassette player, and the birthday girl with a side pony tail.

"Come dressed!" Which means the MOM has to figure out something for the child to wear. I am blessed with a daughter who lets me give her an outfit for each day. But she was not into this 80's theme, didn't trust me and had to READ the invitation for herself before she let me talk further about neon and legwarmers.

Being the non-procrastinator that I am...on the morning of the party I went out to look for something for her to wear. I am a Gymboree shopper - but headed straight for Justice for girls - the store Olivia has called the "Hip-Hop" store. (When did she hear the word hip-hop??!!!)

Within five minutes I was texting my friend with "I have legwarmers with neon splatter-paint and a vest and skinny tie combo! This is awesome!!" It was a BLAST to shop. It was a blast to shop because the stores are FILLED with 80's apparel. (Not mentioning how sad/old this made me feel later).

$30 dollars and a trip to Target later, I headed home armed with leggings, legwarmers, pink neon shirt, wayfarer sunglasses, and...scrunchies! I think I just got rid of my last scrunchie in my makeup drawer when we moved two years ago.

Darling Daughter was thrilled with my purchases. She didn't think it was too 'hip-hop', and especially loved the sunglasses, which she insisted on wearing 'Rachael Ray' style on top of her head.

We listened to Tears for Fears and Duran Duran while curling and spraying her hair. She hated that part, but liked the outcome. She didn't want her hair too big. Too big? What? So I showed her how I used to wear my hair.

Oh. The joy. The joy of teasing my bangs. And then I did...the wings. I teased and sprayed the sides of my hair until they stood straight out, with a slight curve.

My husband was laughing so hard he had to leave the room when I excitedly exlaimed "Look! My hair remembers what to do!"

The birthday girl's mom was dressing up, so we dropped off O in all my big hair glory. All the moms loved getting their girls dressed, and the camraderie of 'they can't be doing an 80's party yet!' was very comforting : )

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfasts: Baked Oatmeal squares (recipe below!), our favorite yogurt, or cereal

Lunches: Salads with Barefoot Contessa's dressing - yum yummy!

Monday: Black Bean Soup w/french baguette, carrots ~ this was supposed to taste like Panera's, but we didn't think it did.

Tuesday: Spice Rubbed Salmon w/lemon-garlic spinach ~ this was GREAT! The lemon zest/juice on the garlic spinach, with the spicy salmon and cilantro was unusually delicious. Also served sweet potatoes.

Wednesday: Enchilada Casserole, steamed broccoli

Thursday: Baked Ziti w/veggie primavera sauce

Friday: Asian Pork Tenderloin w/asian veggies and brown rice

Saturday: Leftovers!

Oatmeal Squares

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup crasins

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients and spread in a greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 15 large squares.

The Olympics

We can't get enough of the Olympics at our house.

W and I are just six months apart in age, so we both remember the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. He remembers more of the hockey and curling (????). I remember more of the excitement of speed skating with Eric Heiden and I also loved the luge. It was mind expanding!!

At the time, I spent most evenings with our neighbors while my Mom worked. The Olympic fever was high at their home, too. Of course, this was when there were only 5 channels available, unless you had Qube with the big channel changer box attached to a cord.

Our neighbors were (still are) Catholic, so this was also my favorite time of the year because of Lent. I usually picked something to give up, just to join in, but I think I only avoided chocolate while at their house. The best part of Lent, in my opinion, was Fish on Fridays! We would have baby shrimp salads or fish sticks. Combine Fish on Fridays! with the fact that they could walk to their parochial school and their blue plaid uniforms, I often begged my Mom to become Catholic.

When spring time came to Ohio, we roller skated outside on our newly re-black-topped street. That is when the dreams of roller skating in the Olympics started. This would be followed in a few years of playing in the swimming pool and dreaming of being synchronized swimmers. And our 12-year-old minds knew WE WERE GOOD!

Our daughter doesn't seem as enamored of the Olympics. She just turned 9, however, and W and I were at the ripe old age of 10 at the 1980 Olympics, so maybe that is it.

And she just has discovered (my) her love of roller skating, so maybe she will fulfill my dreams!!

Menu Plan Monday...on Wednesday : )

Monday: Italian Chili (sauteed onions, mushrooms and garlic, a jar of chunky spaghetti sauce, jar of water and seasonings, plus two cans of white beans), Pesto Pinwheel bread from Gooseberry Patch Cookbook. * Both delicious - the pesto bread slice with turkey and tomatoes makes great sandwiches for lunch!

Tuesday: Ina Garten's Cape Cod Chopped Salad. This dressing is A-MAZING, and we had bought some fabulous blue cheese at Central Market over the weekend. I didn't add bacon, but it would only make it more fabulous, of course. Mushroom bisque. The main man and I loved it, the sweetie pie had a bit of a problem with the texture. She was gagging towards the end, and we were stifling laughter.

Wednesday: Spinach and mushroom over pasta.

Thursday: Funky Chicken with Sesame noodles.

Friday: Homemade pizza.

We drove all the way 'home' without stopping - something we will onlly do on the way UP when we (me) have plenty of adrenaline to get there!

It was such a great visit ~ I want to remember some of the special memories before they are all gone into my sad little brain!

Hanging out in my jammies all day at my Mom's house on Sunday while Warren relaxed and watched football. SNOW on the ground - enough to make snowballs and enough to make a snow sculpture. My sister, Joy, and her family coming over in the evening for hugs and us still staying in our jammies : )

Shopping at The Andersons with Mom and Warren then meeting my other sister and her handsome husband (he had just come from a business meeting) and having lunch at Panera. PERFECT weather 32 degrees, finding the PERFECT blue scarf and shopping with Mom and Lynn while the guys took the children home.

Working on puzzles with O and Taylor ~ the girls playing happily non-stop.

Wo and I finishing up Christmas shopping for O while snow fell softly. Lunch at one of our favorite pizza places, OSU paraphenalia EVERYWHERE, then shopping for stocking stuffers at Larson's and Coldwater Creek. More snowfall made more perfect by Christmas music playing while we walked. A trip to Starbucks and Cheryl's cookie sugar cookie almost put me over the edge. Amazing! Meanwhile Grandma took the girls shopping where she bought the most adorable baby bears for them - complete with cooing and bottles.

HUGS ~ nighttime ones from my Mom, spontaneous ones from my sister, my nieces sweet head on my shoulder, tender goodbye ones from my brother-in-law, tight ones from my sister, comforting ones from my Dad, the 'patters' from my brother and nephews.

Happily eating m&m's from the chubby two-year-old hands of sweet little Michael.

Laughing with my brother while cooking and chatting.

Coffee with my sister after laughing and crying our way through The Blind Side, then walking around Easton in the cold and SNOWFALL!

Christmas day walk! A Christmas rainbow miracle! Love my niece and nephew soooooooooo much.

Stimulating conversations with Warren and Ken after Christmas dinner.



Eating a great Italian dinner at my sisters home - one that I heard about so many times on the telephone.



Cold, snow, cold, snow, cold, snow, cold, snow, ahhhhhhhh!



An AMAZING snow fall of 3 inches, snowmen made, and still good driving conditions. How much more grateful could I be??!!!



The most hysterical makeup and photo session with Tresenny. I was so honored to be there.



Luke, the chilled-out cat.



Have I mentioned the delightful hanging out at Mom's house with her??!!



A trip to Trader Joe's and the Cheese Shop - wow!!!



A great visit with our old pediatrician, so reassuring, and fixed my daughter up from her strep throat super quickly.



Good, deep conversations and laughter ~ with my mom and sister ~ love them sooooo much.

My heart is full of gratitude - thankful to the Lord for such a wonderful time and true celebration of not only His birth, but His complete work on the cross.

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!