Happy Summertime!

Hello, dahlings!

I just wanted to drop in and tell you all that I'm officially on hiatus until Fall begins. You all know how busy the Summer months can be.

So, a really quick update...

God is doing some wonderful things in my life right now, and in the lives of my family members. It's exciting times, guys!

My schedule is flowing fabulously, I'm so happy to report. And this means that I'll have no problem working in time to blog when fall arrives. Right now, my downtime is spent doing Summery things with family. I just love this time of year!

Have a wonderful sunny season, and I'll see you back here in the fall!

I love you!

You Are My All In All!

Another picture by my boy! :)

Music: Nicole Nordeman - You Are My All In All

*A special thanks to my dear friend, Rachel, who gave me my smiley

emoticons! She knows I can't express myself without them!

I love you, Rachel!*

Hi there, my dear friends and family!

It's 10: something and Husband and I have just returned from yet another date night. We've run away together the last three nights. Now I'm sitting in our bathroom on the edge of our soaker tub, warming my feet and legs in a tubful of hot water. Bliss! I do this when I get chilly and can't warm up. hehe!

So, what's going on with me....

Well, in a nutshell, I'm doing a lot of praying and trusting... and waiting. Ugh, I hate the waiting!! I (and of course I mean 'we', as in Husband and me) am so in 'waiting on the Lord mode' right now for so MANY things in so MANY areas, and let me tell you, I'm feeling the spiritual stretching (and, again, when I say 'I', what I really mean is 'we', hehe!). I'm just waaaaaaiting!

"Hey, Lord.... Hello....? You comin' through already, or what?"

Okay, I know He's going to do great things. And 'HE' knows that 'I' know He's aaaalways faithful.... Truly, it's just a matter of time. Ugh, time!

God is so good. He answers every single prayer, and He's such a blesser. I know that whatever He has up His sleeve is going to be good. I've been able to sing His praises every day of my entire life. He's always, always faithful! He may not do things exactly how 'I' imagine He will, and His timing baffles me... But He's never let us down, and He's always blessed us better than we could ever bless ourselves.

Husband and I were talking over dinner tonight about how in the past, there've been other times when our list of needs, both spiritual and tangible, has gotten crazy-long. Praise the Lord, life is not normally this way. But in those times, we've had to wait until we felt we couldn't stand it a minute longer. And then all of a sudden.... Behold, He comes! And we rejoice in His constant faithfulness.

"God, you never cease to amaze me! There's no one like you! You are truly a dream Daddy. My mind flies away at your power, your love, your awesomeness, your perfection. What a combination!"

And while I wait on Him, my heart is so full of His beautiful presence, He takes my breath away and my eyes fill with tears when I connect to Him.

"I'd go anywhere with you, Lord. As long as there's no separation between you and me, nothing else really matters. You 'are' my next breath."

So here we are, blessed beyond measure, and with the through-and-through knowledge that as long as God is holding us close, nothing else 'really' matters. We'll still pray, and we'll ask, and we'll seek, but in the end, God IS our joy. He IS our peace. He IS our hope. Oh, goodness... We are so blessed in His presence!!

Changes II: A Happier Life

*Picture taken by my boy, Scotty*

Hi, guys! How's everyone doing?

Well, it's Thursday afternoon and I've just finished my daytime work. Justin should be calling to tell me he's on his way home from work soon and the kids are just finishing up their schoolwork. All is well.

It's chilly outside for the end of May, and it's been raining off an on for the last few days. I hope the weather turns nicer for the holiday weekend. We don't have any fantastic plans, but Husband will be taking a three day weekend so there'll be more time for family fun and togetherness.

My new regime of allowing myself to mainly focus on those things which are most important (foundational) has been such a blessing! I'm still doing the same things I've always done every day, but I'm no longer reaching for the *above and beyond*. Friends, let me tell you, this has been so freeing! A huge amount of stress has been lifted from my shoulders and for the first time in a long time, I'm not constantly trying to figure out how to squeeze more 'important' accomplishments into my day. Life is goooood.

I've talked about my 'normal stuff' again and again here. It's what I've always done since being a stay at home mom, and now I'm calling those things 'my day'.

My usual routine looks exactly the same: My time in the Word early in the morning. The kids get up and tackle their morning chores (taking care of themselves, showers, their rooms, their bathroom, etc). Breakfast. Their Bible study. I check messages online and then work on the finances. Polish the house from top to bottom and do the laundry. Break for the kids. School, lunch, and more school. I do my workout and get my shower. And then it's break-time until I put dinner together. Evening chores are easy. I call it wind-down time. The kids and Husband go to bed at around 9, and I hit the sack not long after.

I do have time in the middle of the day to tackle some extra little chores I may feel up to doing. Today I did a little ironing. It was relaxing. Some days I go shopping.

So, that's how things are going. Not terribly exciting on paper, as I said in my last post. But offloading a ton of stress is super exciting for me! Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes!

I made my last blog entry in several steps. hehe! I started by publishing the text. Thought I'd just call it good. But later as I was thinking about it, the song (Turn! Turn! Turn!) kept going through my head, so I went back and uploaded a header pic, a Scripture, and the music. Of course my boy helped me with the music. He's so awesome!

Anyway, to keep blogging easy for me, I'll probably just wing it. I might call a simple entry good enough. Or I might come back and tweak it a couple of times. Silly, huh? It's a creative outlet for me, what can I say?

I'm going to bring this entry to a close for now, but don't let me forget to tell you about the spaghetti sauce I made the other night. It was so weird... and sooooo goood! You won't believe the ingredients! Don't let me forget, k?!?

More later, lil dahlings!!

Changes

*Picture taken by my boy!*

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?

I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He has made every thing beautiful in his time...

Ecclesiastes 3
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music: The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!

Hey there, everyone! It's been a long time since I've posted, I know.

God's been making some changes in me lately. Where to even start? *sigh* I just don't know. Maybe if I just scratch the surface a little...

In a nutshell, I've been doing too much. It's not my usual day-to-day routine that's over the top. It's all the extra stuff I've tried to make priority in my life that's pushed me over the edge into too much busyness, stress, and exhaustion.

The thing is, I'm so careful about what I take on. I'm not someone who enjoys running out the door and being on the go all the time. Taking care of the kids and household are the most important things to me, other than my relationships with God and my husband. I guess I've questioned whether what I do here is *enough*. I'm so type A, I have a huge tendency to push too hard and not know where to draw the line.

I know you know how it is. It's not that we all have trouble with taking on silly stuff that robs our time and our peace. No, it's the stuff that *seems* so important; the stuff that has real merit and value and would actually add to our lives, but in actuality, unless God specifically calls us to it, drains us and leaves us feeling depleted and like we're spinning our wheels but going nowhere. It's this kind of thing I've fallen for time and again, feeling like I *must* if I'm going to be the best wife and mom I can be. But every time, I wind up tired and feeling defeated because I just can't hold it all together.

Well, it's taken a long time, but I've finally gotten the message. Wish I'd caught on sooner, but I'm sure God knew I'd have to run allll the way to the end of this highway and hit the wall or I'd keep feeling like I was somehow not doing enough. My curiosity and wonderings have been satisfied. I and the wall are now acquainted. It's the end of the road for this girl.

So, back to really only focusing on what's most important. I know my daily life isn't all that exciting on paper, but it's what floats my boat. And lo and behold, it's just what I'm called to, and that makes me happy.

With all of this said, I don't know the direction my blog is going to take. I hope you don't mind. I think I'll just play each day by ear rather than trying to force a theme or follow a certain format. I've had so much fun with my blog to this point, but it's also been more time consuming than it maybe appears. Could be that I'm not great at this whole blogging thing, and I can accept that. hehe! I don't know. I do like talking and journaling, so that part is easy. As for the daily themes and all the extra stuff, those things will probably follow my moods. We'll see.

Love you all!

All Things are Possible

All Things Are Possible - Kim Alexis

Almighty God my redeemer
My hiding place my safe refuge, no other name like Jesus
No power can stand against You.

My feet are planted on this rock
And I will not be shaken
My hope it comes from You alone
My Lord and my salvation

Your praise is always on my lips
Your word is living in my heart
And I will praise You with a new song, My soul will bless You Lord

You fill my life with greater joy
Yes I delight myself in You
And I will praise You with a new song, My soul will bless You, Lord

When I am weak, you make me strong
When I'm poor, I know I'm rich for in the power of Your name
All things are possible
All things are possible
All things are possible
All things are possible

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If you're feeling discouraged or just facing some tall mountains, turn this song up and sing along at the top of your lungs! That's what we did over here tonight.

I'm dedicating this song to my dear friend, T, who's waiting on the Lord to move His mighty hand in her life. "You're not alone, sweet friend! We're holding our collective breath over here, too, eyes glued on Him, watching and waiting for His next move."

Today has been a good day... I pretty much always say that, don't I? That's because it's true! With God at the helm, every day is good. It may not always be an easy one, and things don't usually go the way we plan, but every day with the Lord is blessed because HE is such an excellent Father and friend. Because of Him, we're never alone and we need never fear tomorrow. That's a good reason to rejoice, don't you think?

So, back to today. It was good. hehe! But I was a bit off kilter all day long. Not necessarily in a bad way, just not feeling as focused as I normally am. Things started out well with morning chores, breakfasts, and Bible studies. Then we started Monday chores... That went well for awhile, and then... well... I lost focus. It just seemed there were so many distractions, and before I knew it, it was almost 2 in the afternoon and the kids hadn't even started school yet!

I finally got the kids going on their schoolwork and I called my dear friend, T. We talked for a long time while I finished my Monday chores and other pressing duties. You'd think talking on the phone would distract me from my work, but I just throw my headset on so my hands are free, and the wonderful conversation with sweet friends keeps me motivated, and the time flies by. I love it!

I had all kinds of plans for today, some of which I didn't accomplish. But we got the important things done, and we had fun doing them. I spent hours talking to a very special friend, my kids enjoyed *not* starting school on time.... and Husband took me out to dinner because preparing a new and imaginative meal was one of the things on my list I never got to.

See? It was a good day!

Sweet dreams, Jellybeans!

Somethin' Good

Cooking is like love...

It should be entered into with abandon

or not at all.

~Harriet Van Home~

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Music: Herman's Hermits - I'm Into Something Good

(Note: To listen to music, disable current background music

by clicking 'pause' on the music player in the right sidebar,

then click pic below)

Hi, guys! How's everyone doing?

As promised, today I'm doing a rundown of my Paula Deen recipe test drive!

I want to start by saying that I had so much fun with this one, you guys. Paula's recipes are uncomplicated, yet delicious! Each time I set out to buy the ingredients for one of her recipes, I was beside myself with excitement that I was able to find everything I needed at our regular grocery store. With the exception of one ingredient (mirlitons) in one recipe, it was always one stop shopping. And not only that, her recipes don't have that many ingredients and they're a breeze to put together. How great is that?!?

Yaaay, Paula!

When all is said and done and you're sitting at the table with your family tasting Paula's creations for the first time, what you're experiencing is soothing comfort food that's simple and homey and yet somehow elegant at the same time.

"Paula, I'm so pleased! Keep those wonderful recipes coming, Sister!"

My first recipe to test drive...

Paula's Deen's Chicken Scaloppini

Ingredients: Oil, butter, chicken breast, flour, salt and pepper, pancetta, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, capers, and linguini.

Lemon Butter Sauce: Lemon juice, white wine, heavy cream, butter, salt and pepper, parsley leaves

I'm really sorry that I'm going to sound like a broken record today but, OH-MY-GOODNESS! This was so good, I could eat this every day! I barely tweaked any of these recipes, and all I can remember doing to this one was adding more mushrooms and maybe more wine? I can't remember, so just play with your ingredients until they're perfect for you, but as this recipe is written, it's already wonderful! As always, make sure your sauce-to-noodle ratio looks good to you.

Next...

Paula's Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients: Canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onion, green bell pepper, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, Paula's House Seasoning, salt, sugar, bay leaves, ground beef, angel hair pasta, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese

House Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder

Yummers! This was so ridiculously easy I pretty much winged it. I added a little wine to the sauce because I add wine to everything I can! hehe! And I used my own Italian seasonings. You're just looking for a good spaghetti sauce, so go with the seasoning blend you like best. I also added more sugar for less acidity, and we used gobs more cheese. The recipe says to throw your onion and garlic into your sauce to simmer. I cooked mine with my ground beef. The angel hair pasta is a *must*, you guys! I've made baked spaghetti before, but this one was heads and shoulders above the rest. The delicate noodles were perfection!

Next...

Lady and Son's Chicken and Wine Sauce

Ingedients: Boneless-skinless chicken breasts, butter, Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, Swiss cheese, cream of chicken soup, white wine, herb-flavored stuffing mix

It was like we'd all died and gone to Heaven! Please try this one! This was the epitome of 'homey yet elegant'. It's the perfect dish to serve to dinner guests. It's *THAT GOOD*!

Oh, I forgot to mention 'fast'. So fast and easy, ya almost feel guilty.

My tweakages: I used those little tender strips of the chicken, added a few seasonings to the soup and wine mixture, a little heavy cream, plus more wine ( ). We also used Monterey Jack cheese with the Swiss, going lighter on the Swiss, but overall more cheese than called for. In the end, ours was more saucy (especially when hot out of the oven) than it would have been without our tweakages, and I strongly recommend doing it that way! The pic above doesn't show the dish's true sauciness.

Two recipes here...

Paula's Shrimp Stuffed Mirliton

and

Cheesy Squash Casserole

Shrimp Mirliton ingredients: Mirlitons, Cajun seasoning, butter, green onion, celery, yellow onion, green bell pepper, shrimp, bread crumbs, salt

First of all, none of us, or anyone we asked here in Washington state, had ever heard of a mirliton. I had to go looking for it. Mirlitons taste a little like cooked zucchini or summer squash. They have a soft, mild flavor, and after they're cooked long enough, they're very tender. The shrimp-stuffing filling was really good. We'd never tasted anything like it, but overall we all enjoyed it.

Cheesy Squash Casserole ingredients: Vegetable oil, yellow summer squash, Vidalia onion, butter, grated Parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, black pepper, Ritz crackers

K, this was delicious! Yeah, baby! We added more cheese (big surprise), and used less of the yellow summer squash. Check your ingredient ratio before cooking. Too much squash will make the recipe dry. Ours was wonderfully gooey!

Onto...

Paula's Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients: Cubed round steak, House Seasoning, flour, olive oil, butter, onion, mushrooms, beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, salt and black pepper, sour cream, egg noodles

This was easy and good. I made mine more saucy, as per my usual. Added some wine, a little more sour cream, more onion and mushrooms, and a few of my own seasonings. I was really surprised at how tender and yummy the cubed round steak turned out. This wasn't as 'fancy' as the European version of stroganoff, but it was better than any American version I've ever tasted. Again, homey and kinda elegant at the same time. How *does* she do it???

Lastly (but only for now)...

Paula's Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients: Canned apple pie filling, (9 inch) graham cracker crust, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, caramel topping, pecans

Okay, aren't these too cute? I made these to take to my parents' house for Easter. Both were wiped out!

So, here's the deal. I'm not a dessert person, which is why you don't see me posting dessert recipes very often. On top of that, I don't like cheesecake very much. But this recipe got 486 reviews and a 5 star rating, so I trusted that it was going to be a sure thing... and it was! Plus, it was easy! You don't even need to make your own pie crust. I didn't tweak a thing because cheesecake can be temperamental, but I did need to cook mine longer than the directions called for. There are many different styles of cheesecake, and this one was super fun! It has apple pie filling in the bottom and on the top, which makes it moist, but not like those made with sour cream. Just really good. If you like making cheesecake and you want something a little different and delicious, give this one a whirl!

Alrighty, my friends, that's all for now. I was going to announce my next test drive but I've decided to save that for another day due to sleepiness on my part.

Bye for now, lil dahlings!