Belated Friday Funnies...

So this week's funnies are late, but here nonetheless! The last week has been somewhat of a whirlwind around here. Uncle Pully (Andrew) came to visit last week and was here for Christmas. It was great to have him around and the boys absolutely LOVE having him here! Christmas Eve was just as busy as the 4 days after... and I'd say there were SEVERAL funnies mixed in there!

Christmas Eve day Joe had to work, but after that we opened Christmas Eve gifts (our new pjs), went out to dinner for our traditional Chinese dinner, and then we were SUPPOSED to go right to church after that. Being the little piggies we are, we had an hour to spare in between dinner and church... if we went home we knew we wouldnt make it back out! So we decided to drive around (in the freezing rain) and look at Christmas lights (which lights here CERTAINLY do not compare to those living south of us!). While we drove around we listened to "walking in a winter wonderland".... all of a sudden RYAN pipes up and says " Dad, where's wonderland?"

As our Christmas Eve continued on, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve service at North. We finally arrived home and put our anxious children in bed and they were out! I still had wrapping to do for our 3 big gifts... and as Joe pulls out the box (11pm) to put together Ryan's smart cycle, he says "oh no... we need 4 D batteries." We were both shocked since this plugs into the tv that it needed batteries, but it did. SOOO lo and behold I ran out to the ONLY gas station left open, and prayed they would have batteries! And they did - for $13.00!!! Now it's funny, then not as much.:)

We made it to Christmas morning and Ryan was so excited to open the gifts! Keeping him away from Logan's gifts was a bit of a struggle. Logan enjoyed it, but had no real emotion until his big gift which was his Elmo chair. The emotion we expected with Ryan was not there at all as he calmly opened his gift and said " here's my bike". He already knew! Guess I now have to be careful about little ears listening!!! Once he saw the bike out he was definitely excited. BUT the big funny for me was when I asked Ryan if he wanted to play his new video game, he asked me so politely " when do we have to take it back to Blockbuster?".... I laughed and said " we don't, it's all yours!". .... Ryan SQUEALED with delight, jumped into my arms hugging me and said "It's really all mine?!!!"

Ryan is becoming So much more curious than he has been and has started in with asking WHY to everything!

Logan is my baby. My lovable boy --- but is growing fast and becoming quite independent. He squeals and will yell "STOP IT!" if he doesnt want you to hug or hold him. He is also my little musical man. He can hum several tunes after only hearing them once or twice. This weekend we attended a birthday party, so the newest song around here is "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". Before that it was "What's gonna work? Teamwork..." (from the wonderpets) and ABC's, and Twinkle Twinkle Little star.

These boys keep me going! I'm glad we can laugh together along the way...

Christmas 2008

Creamy Choc Covered Oreos...

YEAH FOR NEW RECIPES!
In starting my new job this week I have been able to share a few recipes, and also gain a few! You know how that makes me happy. So my trainer Lil offered a new recipe for
Creamy Chocolate Covered Oreos.

Here is the recipe SOOOOO simple and DELICIOUS! And if you are going to the cookie swap Sunday... DO NOT REPEAT THIS RECIPE because there will be duplicate recipes if so! :)

Ingredients:
One bag oreo cookies
12 oz cream cheese
1/2 bag choc chips (can change to almond or peppermint bark, white, milk, or dark chocolate - be creative!)
Once again be creative and choose one - coconut, red sprinkles, crushed candy cane.

Crush the entire bag of oreos and break up the cream cheese. Stir together well. Let dough sit in fridge for 1 hour.
Remove dough from fridge and roll into approximately 28 balls.
Melt chocolate chips (or bark) and dip each ball into the chocolate one at a time.
Place on wax paper and sprinkle with chosen candy.


YUUMMMY!

Friday Funnies...

So this week has been hard for me. I realized on Wednesday that I had NO Friday funnies for the week... not because the boys aren't funny, but because I haven't been around! I am a little sad right now, even knowing I am where I am supposed to be with this new job. For the last 4 years, I have not once worked full time... allowing ample room for the "funny stuff" to be heard. Then tonight... I had been a little emotional, and talking to God quietly as I wandered the house doing chores. Lo and behold - God gives me a funny. May sound trivial, but these boys every move has been my life for 4 years!! Sometimes I only survived the day, minute, or hour because of something funny these little men said. So here it is:

Joe was sitting on the couch with Ryan. Joe looks over to me and says "wow Ryan's breath smells.".... at that very moment Ryan said "hey dad" (joe turns around) and Ryan is right in Joe's face blowing his breath on daddy and laughing devilishly. Yeah... it was funny. It's totally something Joe would do to be obnoxious and "funny". I laughed a good bit.

Thank you God for your sense of humor, and for allowing us to have one!

Friday Funnies....

So this week we seemed to be more interactive in conversation than normal with the boys. Maybe it's because of Logan's drastic change in his ability to speak! That brings me to the funny parts of the week... our conversations.

Logan's newest words: hot dog, NO No Ryan, BB (our dog), STOP IT (I wonder who that could possibly be said to OVER AND OVER), Moo, Quack Quack, balloon, Blue, Apple.... and my favorite is MAMA!!

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WARNING: (A BIT LENGTHY)

So I am sure this could bring about controversy and many opinions... but here goes. After several discussions, and some thought Joe and I have agreed to tell Ryan the truth about Santa now. For me I didnt completely agree at first... I thought it was harmless. I wasnt told about Santa until I was older and do not feel "betrayed" or lied to ... just something we participated in for fun. Joe has made good points to me about this - good enough for me to support this. So what we have told Ryan is that Santa is pretend, just like Batman, Spiderman, etc. This is something he can relate to, and is ok and acceptable pretenses for a 3 yr old. Our theme around the house the last month or so has been "God is real, Santa is pretend." Not to ruin his fun - he is still allowed to participate, as long as he knows the truth. That brings me to our funny part of the story. I got nervous when we had some friends over (who do not have children) and Ryan kindly told them - ok very bluntly told them - "GOD IS REAL, SANTA IS PRETEND". I got nervous because I dont want him going to other children and saying this... especially if their parents either aren't in agreement, or their parents aren't around to explain what Ryan is talking about. So I told Joe we needed to find a way to approach this part of this. Joe and Ryan drove to blockbuster and had a conversation where Joe told Ryan " Yes, Santa is pretend. Santa was a real person a LONG LONG time ago. His name was St. Nicholas. But some people still believe he is real today. We know he is not, but you should not go around telling that to other people... they may not understand. That was their conversation.

The funny part: When the boys got home Joe wanted me to know what they had talked about. So, he said " Ryan what did we talk about in the car?"

Ryan: umm, you said I could eat cold pizza if thats how I like it.

Joe: NO... what else.

Ryan: ummm... Candy!?

Joe: Well we talked about that , but what else.

I chimed in " Ry, it starts with an "S" and has a big belly"...

Ryan: DAD! DAD STARTS WITH S AND HAS A BIG BELLY! ( I think we need to work on our letters...:))

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Joe and Ryan cooked dinner for me on our family night this week. It was very nice. While Joe and Ryan were cracking the eggs open, the first one cracked and Ryan said

" Hey, I thought there was a birdie in there. Where is he?"

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I continue to be amazed by my children - their childlike faith, and their funnies!

Menu Planning 12/5 - 12/19

SO I'm sure some of you are wondering why I am posting our personal meal plan for the next two weeks, but several of my friends have told me " I just dont have any ideas of what to cook".... there is the whole world of internet cookbooks, but many just dont want to do the searching. So here is our layout.... take what you want and make it your own!



1. Enchilada casserole (beef) - in my recipe box*

2.Cream Baked Chicken - in my r box*

3.Sweet and Sour Chicken (dieter's cookbook - under kids favorite section)

4.Meatloaf and Mashed potatoes*

5.Chili (from Flylady - recipe in my box)

6.Eggplant Supper soup - found at http://allrecipes.com

7.Veggie Mac N' Cheese - found at http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com

8. ONE OPEN SPOT FOR A NEW RECIPE OF CHOICE. (will post what that is before shopping!)

9.Tricolor casserole (recipe box)

10. Sausage/Corn Chowder (in my recipe box)

11. Spaghetti Wednesdays ( x2 ) this our Wednesday recipe due to the crazy schedule on Wednesday nights.... I switch it occasionally for a crockpot recipe, but usually remains SPAGHETTI WEDNESDAYS.

12. Salsa Chicken Quesadillas*

13. Smothered Porkchops with Rice and a vegetable of choice.*

You may see some repeats, but I have remaining ingredients from the last two weeks due to the Thanksgiving holidays. The meals with a * are the ones we should eat up first to keep all ingredients as fresh as possible.

Friday Funnies...

Hey your tree is wigglin'! ( when we went to Aunt Barb's for Thanksgiving we hear Ryan yell from the front room where the Christmas tree is - " Hey your tree is wigglin'." Right....)

Logan now says "CHEEEESE" and will pose for you.

"You pray, I eat." - Ryan

Ryan loves to make up words right now - his favorite right now is "tinko"????

Ryan also has discovered its funny to "fart", so you will frequently hear him say "oh I fart in my pants - then laughter follows."

Logan is quite clumsy - the other day he : grabbed on to the stove handle bar and then just let go when it started to open and fell on the back of his head; fell down 3 stairs hitting the front, back , AND side of his head; was running around being silly when SMACCK! ran face flat into a wall. (We couldnt stop laughing); and fell and hit his chin (of course leaving ANOTHER mark). ALL IN ONE AFTERNOON!!!!

SO much to be thankful for

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
So today I was thinking about how blessed I am... kinda sad we only make a point to do it one day a year, we should have Thanksgiving once a month! Ok... so I guess that's a bad idea with all the food intake on Thanksgiving. Well, for me anyways. In a recent posts I asked for suggestions on starting traditions, and well one just fell right in line. Yesterday I was looking for a recipe for a squash casserole http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Autumn-Squash-Casserole/Detail.aspx and found one that will now be our official squash recipe! It was SO yummy! But, back to my point. As I was searching for recipes I found one for pumpkin pancakes and nutmeg whipped topping - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Pancakes-with-Nutmeg-Whipped-Cream/Detail.aspx. Not only was this yummy but different for us. I made pancakes and we watched the Macy's Day parade - while I snuck in often to cook other delicious treats. This is something we hope to do every Thanksgiving morning from now on.

What am I thankful for?

Of course I am thankful for my AMAZING husband, and 2 beautiful boys. My home, and transportation God has provided. But let me be specific.

I am thankful for the FREE car we were given, in GODS PERFECT TIMING.
I am thankful for the job I just received - that I prayed for specifically, with specific desires within the job.
I am thankful for my neighbors who consistently befriend us, help us whenever needed, and would sacrifice their desires to help us if needed. Sometimes I am amazed by their generosity compared to others who "have a relationship with God." I love them like family.

I am SO thankful for a community group who is open, honest, generous, and down to earth. There have been weeks that the only thing that kept me going was this group of people. They are amazingly devoted to God and to learning more about who he is, and deepening our relationship with him.

I am thankful for disposable diapers!!!! I know some of you out there use cloth diapers (you will probably receive some kind of award in heaven for this), but I am not that person. As quickly as the smell arrived it can be out the door!!!! Especially since my lil LJ is VERY regular - eat poop sleep - eat poop sleep!

I am thankful for my mom and her friendship and love. I love that I can call her no matter when and she will listen to me --- I miss her, and am grateful I could spend a week with her last month.

There's more --- but these are on my heart right now.

What are you thankful for?

Friday Funnies...

So several things I remember saying - gotta write that down for Friday, and then I didnt and now I'm sitting here wondering what it was that was so funny! Silly me. So from now on I will keep a draft as things happen throughout the week and save it til Friday! But I did have something to share...

RYAN:
So Ryan is in Cubbies at Church on Wednesday nights. Each week he memorizes a verse. A couple of weeks ago his verse was "and Jesus grew in wisdom." Then this past Wednesday we were on our way home from church and Ryan started to talk about growing and how it hurts his legs. Then he says "Jesus grewed." I said, yes Ryan he did. Then he said his verse "Jesus grewed in wisdom and thats why he grewed very big". It was cute that he related his growing to that of Jesus'.

LOGAN:

Logan absolutely LOVES music. He now hums (or sings in his own language - always getting the tune right) the B-I-B-L-E, I'm in the Lords army (his fav), ABC's, and as of today the theme song to WONDER PETS. Lord, HELP ME! (That show drives me nuts with its repetition!)

Also, not one of the things I'm happy about but later it was funny. Last night about 1/2 hr. after I put the boys in bed I heard screaming. I went upstairs to see about the problem, and Ryan was crying and Logan was just looking at me holding a toy light sabre in his hand. Ryan said " I was sleeping and he hit me". I can only imagine - Ryan the innocent one sleeping peacefully and all of a sudden being woken as a toy is coming right at you! As I looked at Logan he said "UH-OH". It was a little ironic - I mean usually its the other way around. I think Ry better watch his back from now on!

My little snow"man"

Today Ryan and I decided to play in the snow while Logan was napping. I had SO much fun!! Really, I enjoyed Ryan chasing me and saying "look mom!" only to throw a snowball in my face! I am amazed at how much he has grown mentally, physically and spiritually since last winter. He physically is now enjoying playing in the snow. Mentally he enjoys the games - the tricking me only to throw snow at me! And then there's the spiritual. He noticed the snowflakes. Not just snow as a whole. Then we proceeded to talk about how God made each and every snow flake different. As I was telling him this he said "mom I know - I learned it in cubbies." So here are a few pics from our day in the snow! He Got me! Cant you tell how excited he is!

Ryan attempting to make a snowball.

Trying to throw the snow at me as I ran away!

A look down our street on this beautifully snowy day.

Obvious : Snowball in action! Coming at me!

Meals - 11/21-12/5

I dont neccessarily need to assign these meals a day, as long as I have between 12 and 14!

Soooo.... here it is:

Potato Chowder ( SO easy!) - http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com

Ravioli Primavera - from an old taste of home mag. Will post later.

Enchilada Casserole, corn, tortilla chips

Chili - recipe from the FLY lady herself:), and cornbread

Cream Baked Chicken, Veggies

Meatloaf, potatoes, and mixed veggies

Lemon pepper chicken, wild rice, and veggie

Salsa Chicken quesadillas

Stuffed Veggie Shells - http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com

Eggplant Supper Soup

Spaghetti with meatsauce and garlic toast

Smothered pork chops ( watch for recipe post later)

Tacos

Baked Pesto Chicken http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com

Homemade Pizza http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com

More to come

Getting ready for the job interview - no long posts right now:) more to come....

Salsa Chicken... compliments of Terri!

Recently a friend sent me a recipe for Salsa Chicken. This is the EASIEST and a very tasty meal!

However many chicken breasts you choose. ( 3 large to 1pkg. of seasoning)

Then generously spread taco seasoning (powder) all over the chicken.
Then generously cover with salsa (I use mamma mia salsa - Vicki:)).

Then bake the chicken until it is cooked through.
Next dice the chicken. This is where you can be creative. I believe Terri eats this with chips and salsa... we have made chicken wraps, quesadillas, and also enjoyed as a chicken taco salad. The quesadillas are our favorite! Simply put a tortilla in the frying pan or on a griddle. Put whatever you want on your quesadilla on one side of the tortilla. Then fold. Let that side brown lightly and flip. Then remove and cut into 4 triangles.

Enjoy!

Tricolor Casserole ... like a warm pasta salad.

A friend gave me this recipe a yr or so ago. It is a great potluck casserole because it's so easy, but also VERY kid friendly. My boys love it. They dont like everything in it but they like to pick the ham, corn, and the color of noodles they like out! Hope you enjoy!

Tricolor Casserole

1 pkg (16oz) of tricolor pasta
1 1/2 cups fully cooked cubed ham
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (2.8 oz) french fried onions, divided
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth1 can condensed cream of ckn soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp each: celery salt, garlic powder & pepper

Cook pasta according to directions; drain. In a greased baking dish, combine pasta, ham, corn 1 cup cheese & 3/4 cup onion. In a bowl, combine, broth, soup, milk and seasonings. Pour over pasta mixture; mix well. Bake @ 350 for 30 min. Sprinkle w/ remaining cheese and onions and bake 5 min longer or until heated through. Makes 8 servings.
For freezing: cook pasta a little less...follow same direcions, except don't bake . Cover and then I put the extra cheese and onion in a baggie on top of the foil covered dish. I like to split this into 2 square foil pans or it will freeze in one 9x13 pan. I let thaw in the fridge or just cook longer if frozen solid. Sometimes, this will need a little more milk if the noodles appear to dry out.

Fall 2008

Nana and Ryan looking cute together - Just wanted to share some more pics from my visit with my mom... I love her!
Joe in his wolverine costume talking to some hot chick (Rick)

Carving the pumpkin - silly faces.

Ryan and I at Charlotte on a brisk fall day!

We really enjoyed this fall... and now it looks like winter has arrived!

Christmas... YEP I said it!

CHRISTMAS is around the corner! Yes, I know we haven't even made it through Thanksgiving, but I am trying to get pumped up! I have been very sad lately as we will not be with any of our immediate family this year other than ourselves, for Thanksgiving OR Christmas. I started thinking last night about the last 4 years Joe and I have been married. What our Christmas' have been like. I am finding that we haven't really started any of our own traditions... and I'd like to. I'm just not sure what! Also I'm wondering if there is anything exciting that other people do to "stay connected" to family they are away from during this holiday season. I'd LOVE to hear some ideas. The one tradition we have kept is going out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve... that one was inherited from his family. In the past (not every year or consistently) we have made Christmas cookies, gone to see SANTA (this deserves another entry entirely), gone to look at Christmas lights.... So I am asking for ideas!!! My boys are 3 and 1... I want to make memories that will last a lifetime (good ones preferrably!).

Coronary Christian

Sometimes I get discouraged being mommy, a little more than I should lately! Then I read this and was so encouraged - I want to share!


John Piper—from his book The Roots of Endurance resonated with me:

“As I write this Preface I have just preached to my people several messages in which I pleaded with them to be ‘coronary Christians,’ not ‘adrenal Christians.’ Not that adrenaline is bad, I said; it gets me through lots of Sundays. But it lets you down on Mondays. The heart is another kind of friend. It just keeps on serving—very quietly, through good days and bad days, happy and sad, high and low, appreciated and unappreciated. It never says, ‘I don’t like your attitude, Piper, I’m taking a day off.’ It just keeps humbly lub-dubbing along. It endures the way adrenaline doesn’t. Coronary Christians are like the heart in the causes they serve. Adrenal Christians are like adrenaline—a spurt of energy and then fatigue. What we need in the cause of... [motherhood] is not spurts of energy, but people who endure for the long haul. Marathoners, not sprinters.”
Being a wife and mother—or doing any other long-term kingdom work—requires us to be “coronary Christians.” It requires faithfulness even when we don’t see the fruit. It requires joy in the mundane, unglamorous tasks. It calls for confidence that God will bless our gospel-motivated labors.
So if you are weary, discouraged, or even bored with the work God is calling you to today, join me in asking for God’s grace to be a “coronary Christian.”

Friday Funnies...

ME: Ryan, you need to take care of the things God gives us. (after he tore a page in one of his books.) God is not going to give us new things if we don't take care of what he's already given us.

RYAN: God will fix my book mom.

Hmmmm....

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An old one that Ryan has said several times is "my mouth farted."... and recently he learned that he "farts" and thinks it is quite funny. So yesterday he burped and said "my mouth farted, no thats silly... my mouth is stinky not farts!".... Not sure about this kid.

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Logan is truly coming into his own personality, but has so many traits that Ryan does also. It is amazing to watch. He has been "giving kisses" for awhile now, but Ryan is disgusted by the drool. Lately he has gotten better and will close his mouth to kiss and say "mwaah"... so the other day Ryan was laying on the couch and Logan snuck up beside him and kissed him right on the lips. I laughed as Ryan is screaming "EWWW! Logan ONLY kiss my head - thats GROSS!"

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Logan also loves music. So recently I was singing "I'm in the Lords army" with Ryan and he caught on. Now when we get in the car he often starts out with "yes sir! hmmm hmmm hmmm".... He cant pronounce the words but definitely hums the tune and when he gets to the "yes sir!" you know it!

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Now this one I'm not proud of, but it happened and it was hilarious at the time. The other night I was annoyed by Joe and I was exhausted and wanted to go to bed. So as Ryan Joe and I were standing in the bathroom getting ready for bed I think I must have rolled my eyes and walked into our room and shut the door. As I did, Ryan said "where's mom going?" to Joe. And Joe said " I think she wants to go to bed", and Ryan's reply was " I think she's pissed." Both of us couldnt help but laugh, then proceeded to tell Ryan we shouldn't use that word and neither should he.

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Friday Funnies...

Recently I read a blog from another mommy, who posts funny things her children do each week. I thought this was a GREAT idea, as I have had several little notebooks lost of sayings and things Ryan has done. It makes me sad to lose those, because in all reality I do forget the little things they do that bring me joy. So each Friday I will post sayings or things the boys are doing throughout the week. This is mostly for us to look back on, but if you enjoy reading -- go ahead!!

Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood...

Ok. I'm no Applebees, but I will admit we have been eatin' good around here lately. (Not always the best thing for my weight... but most has been healthier!) I recently went to a friends blog who moved away to AZ. I check her blog frequently to keep up with her life, and she always has new and great ideas to keep the kids busy - for free! (thanks Terri!) So as I was looking at her blog I saw a blog for recipes... little did I know this woman goes to my church but we have never formally met! The recipes have been amazing AND easy! A few new things we've had lately are:

Veggie Stuffed Shells
Potato Chowder
Baked Pesto Chicken
Oatmeal Carmelites

I say if you're a woman (or man) with a busy family like ours, you should totally check out her blog! http://mommabeesrecipes.blogspot.com/ Let me know if you try anything yummy from there... I'm interested. I can't make EVERYTHING there.... so I'll be waiting for you to do the taste testing!

Bittersweet Weekend...

This weekend wrapped up my mom's 2 week visit (actually just 10 days...). Friday we spent the day at Strong Museum with the boys trick-or-treating and enjoying the Halloween festivities there. I dont know which word describes that best - fun - or insane! There were so many people there, the line extended around the building. I think I should look back next year as a reminder of just how crazy that was!! After that we came home and mom watched the boys while Joe and I went to hunt for last minute costumes... totally fun! We dropped by the good ol' V.O.A.... to find some interesting and downright hilarious costume ideas. I'm sure my husband trying the spandex jazz costume on in the middle of the store added to the event! Needless to say, we found costumes! Joe decided he would purchase a Wolverine costume that will fit Ryan next year and pinned it to his upper half of his body... then made his own claws out of hangers and duct tape. I was impressed with his idea. I went as bat girl or woman.... and Ryan was batman. Logan - Blue, from Blues Clues, and my mom went as a high school graduate. After all the hustling to get costumes on etc, we were on our way out the door for an evening of trick-or-treating at the Dyer's house. (our community group) Fun was had by all... but as the night progressed I became all to aware that my mom would be leaving very soon. So we left a bit early so I could spend the last couple of hours with her. She left early that morning, and Saturday was quite emotional for me. I really am praying that it will be possible to see her again before next year... I miss her already. While she was here we had a great time! Not only did we do lots of sight seeing... mostly looking at the fall leaves, we managed to get to the Strong Museum of Play, the Seneca Park Zoo, a garbage plate was appreciated, we fed the ducks, strolled Medley Ctr while the boys played, had a girls day of SHOPPING and relaxation (THE BEST PART BY FAR!), and mom even watched the boys one night so Joe and I could go on a date! We also enjoyed lots of baking, painting pumkins, and chatting. Here are a few pics from our time together with more to come:

I'm sure there are others out there who live great distances from immediate family (Heidi...), how do you stay connected with those you love? I would love to hear ideas. With Joe's family living in PA, and mine in Tx, no matter where we lived we'd always be far from one of them. I really would like my boys to know all of them... any suggestions?

Mom's Visit...

So my mom has been here 3 days... and has 7 left! It has been a great time and I am hoping the next 7 days go slowly... I love her and have truly enjoyed the relationship she is developing with my boys! The first day we spent all day at the museum... needless to say mommy and grandma were wiped out - oh yeah, the boys were too! (yeah! that waas the goal...) Since then, just chillin'. Tonight we had dinner and played Cranium with Joe's dad. It was the oldies against us young ones... fun times - especially since Joe and I won!!! So... looking forward to the next 7 days. I am always on the lookout for new things for us to do while she's here. Anyone have any ideas for fun times in Rochester???

New...people, recipes, a new day!

So... it's that time of year when the taste buds change, along with the leaves... and the cold air! As I was sitting here tonight trying to plan out our meals for the next two weeks, I felt stuck in a rut - I need new recipes I thought. Then a few moments ago... as I was checking another blog I saw a blog of a fellow church member. I have never met her in person, but found out she has a blog for recipes only!!! So many great ideas! So... Melissa... I look forward to actually saying Hi - and I'm totally enjoying your blog and new recipes for our family! It's amazing how God cares about the details in our lives, our smallest desires.... and He provides. I'm feeling SO blessed. Another AWESOME bonus to my day: My mom will be here WEDNESDAY!!! Thank you Lord for all you provide!

Its been a long time...

This post is mostly for myself... to look back on for "remembering". But I have really been struggling with some problems with my hips that began when I had Ryan. When I became pregnant with Logan it got pretty intense and I saw a maternity chiropractor. At a certain point there wasn't much she could do, and then I had Logan. Afterwards, the dr's suggested I wait awhile to "allow nature to take it's course" and things fall back into place. So the last month or so I have really been in a lot of pain - as in it hurts when I walk across the room, or go up the stairs in my house....grrr. So tomorrow is the big day - trying chiropractor again first. If that doesnt work, will move on to "bigger and better" things! So today I was home with the boys and was really getting down on myself re: hip pain, being laid off from work, finding a job that still allows me to "be wife and mommy", and just alot of petty insignificant things in life. Then I started to read my Bible for the first time (quiet time) in WEEKS. HOW SAD!!! I didnt read anything new and exciting... but it was exciting. The peace. The rest. Just knowing that my God CARES about the details of MY life, and that I am here for HIS GLORY - NOT my comfort was also helpful for me to remember. Thank you God for allowing me the quiet time to rest in you. I am praying that you will give me the wisdom to prioritize the events of my day - NEVER leaving out time to rest in you! Thank you God for today and for the rest. Thank you for Loving me.

Summer VACATION - a little late!

So I am a little late in updating everyone on our fabulous summer vacation! This was our first "family vacation" outside of visiting family members, although we did meet up with Joe's mom, grandmother, and siblings! We were VERY blessed to be able to go to beautiful Cape May, NJ and stay in a beautiful home - Seaside Home. It is only about a block from the ocean - a short block!

Each morning around 7 am if you went out you could hear the waves come crashing in... it was amazing to me. The detail that God put into everything he created is amazing. As I heard the waves I thought about the details of the ocean, then the details of the beautiful sunset we watched, and EVERY grain of sand!!! It helped me to remember that God cares about the DETAILS of MY life!!! That is sometimes hard for me to grasp - that an amazing God so mighty and powerful, so amazing would care about measley lil ol' me and my details! So we went to the ocean at least once a day for a swim and lots of playing in the sand, we had morning and evening devotions at the home with a local pastor (it was sort of like a family camp), often I walked into the center of town while the boys napped for some shopping or testing and buying the most wonderful fudge and salt water taffy, and just totally relaxed! Joe and I truly enjoyed our time with Joe's family, and the boys, and just being together without the busyness of life. I am so thankful that God allowed us to go on such a restful vacation. That is what its supposed to be about, but often that does not always happen!!

my struggle TODAY

Wow - today's message and the last several weeks has been about "FIGHTING FAIR". Ugh. Sorry David, that's how I feel so you must (or the holy spirit) be getting through!!! Today's part in this series was all about forgiveness - and how God COMMANDS it. There are so many pieces to this subject... and right now I'm not liking it. It feels a little overwhelming! I think what my struggle is, is forgiving those who have NOT asked, and forgiving when I'm still FEELING hurt. Anyone else with these struggles? There's gotta be a few of you! Well, if you have a brief moment and remember me - PRAY FOR ME!!! This is a struggle, but something I am working on - an area that I REALLY want to please God in!! Please pray that God gives me the GRACE to forgive when my deep feelings say otherwise!! ALso I must remember to focus on what's been done FOR me and not To me.

CURIOSITY. IMAGINATION. A HEAVY HEART.

Here I am once again, Ryan has stumped me again. We have been trying to gear Ryan up for Awana, which he will be starting on Wednesday... (I'm probably more excited than he is!) so we've been working on memorizing verses. Also I do not have a stereo in my car at the moment, so that is what our conversation consists of each morning as we go to daycare. His innocent little voice reciting verses is such a great way to start our day! (especially mine!) So as we are learning Romans 3:23 and we are talking about sin... and heaven and hell(for the 1st time hell)... Ryan spouts out "Dont worry mom, I'm going to heaven!"... me: Well Ryan thats great, but do you know why your going to heaven? RYAN: because Jesus is in there... and points to a cemetery. Wow.... We have ALOT to work on I thought. Next was what really caught me up... "Mom, I am going to die on Sunday." I quickly replied, "oh no I dont want you to die before mommy".... Then in his sweetest voice he says "Its okay mom. You, me, dad, and Logan are all going to die on Sunday and go to heaven. That makes me happy."..... WOW. Where did that come from? Well, it was just amazing to me that he would think of us all dying as a family. We do everything else together why wouldnt we all die together in his mind?... So... all of this conversation has really stirred up an feeling of urgency in my heart... an urgency for him to understand the "why" of salvation. As offensive as it is, it is very difficult for me to believe there is an "age of accountability" as it does NOT say that anywhere in the Bible. This is a very hard thing for me to wrap around my brain. Our church recently did a study on where do babies go when they die.... and even though I've been told all my life there is an "age of accountability" I just cant come to grips with the fact that it is only assumed, not confirmed biblically. So there you have it. There is my heart. I'm certain there will be someone offended...and rightfully so...I'm offended. The word of God is offensive.

Antics of RYAN.

My Ryan, he is well... 3. I love it! And if you ask Joe he'll say "I wish they were born this way, I don't like babies." Ryan has fully developed quite the personality! He is strong willed and loves to do things on his own. He LOVES pretending... he likes to pretend he can't hear me! (not something he's allowed to do!) He is also VERY much a first child, with first child syndrome: beat up younger siblings. NO really, he adores his little brother and is very protective. He recently had a panic attack when we were disciplining Logan. Logan received a light twack on the hand as I told him "no no"... all of a sudden Ryan started WHALING as if he were serioiusly hurt! "DONT HURT MY LOGAN- MOMMY YOU MADE ME SAD AND MAD".... so yes, he loves his brother. But most importantly is his understanding of who Jesus is, and what He's done for us. He goes to Sunday school and loves his little friends, likes to do the crafts and sing the songs. His favorites are B-I-B-L-E, The wise man who built his house upon a rock, Father Abraham, and Deep and Wide. Recently after returning from vacation we went to Granny's church before heading home... he brought his craft and showed us the picture he colored of Esther. When asked what the story was about he replied "zip your lips"... and I was a little angry. ME: RYAN, you do not tell me to zip my lips, I am simply asking you about your story. RYAN: MOM! MY STORY SAID ZIP YOUR LIPS!!! I died with laughter, not necessarily the best thing to do, but I realized he must have been asked to "zip his lips"...
Then just today i was asked him if he remembered the verse we learned yesterday - Gen. 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".... he recited the verse to me, and then said "Mommy he made the dark too. That's my verse too, dark is from God." Oh how I love his innocence... his childlike faith, creativity, unconditional love, and the cutest things that come from his mouth! I want him to stay this age... well, forever.

EGGPLANT LOVERS?

EGGPLANT SUPPER SOUP!
After I went to the farmer's market on Saturday I needed to find a new way to use eggplant... I came across this recipe and it was AWESOME! The perfect spices in this made it quite tasty! I hope someone else enjoys this as much as we did... this is a new favorite for us. If anyone has any ideas on different ways to incorporate EGGPLANT into a meal I'd love to hear them... it's my new favorite veggie!!!
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound eggplant, diced
3/4 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry macaroni
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion, beef, and garlic until beef is evenly brown. Drain grease, and mix in eggplant, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Pour in beef broth. Mix in sugar, and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through.
Mix macaroni into the soup, and continue cooking 12 minutes, or until macaroni is al dente. Mix in parsley. Top with Parmesan chreese to serve.

SUMMER BLESSINGS - Summer 08

Our Crazy Busy Lives...
Wow! It's been awhile since I've updated you all... Well, we'll start with Logan turned 1 in May, I turned 27 in June... yikes.Blessings - there have been SOO many!

1. We were able to take a week long family vacation to Cape May, NJ... what an awesome time we had!

2. Some friends of ours GAVE us another car... one car is difficult, not impossible to do, but difficult. SO THANK YOU TERRI & PAUL.

3. Ryan had a successful surgery - tonsils, adenoids, tubes in ears.

4. Ryan is potty trained. (except at night he still has the diapers...)

5. Logan is walking, feeding himself with a spoon, and saying a few words like mama, dada, hi, ryan, doggy, night night, and bye.

6. I got a job! Pt to start, working up to full time. HUGE BLESSING!

7. An awesome christian childcare provider who truly loves my boys.

8. Joe turned 24... and the surprise party was a hit.

9. Our community group was able to meet through the summer and was a big blessing for us.

10. Someone gave Joe and I a 7day cruise as a GIFT! We will do that in April... yippee!

11. Heather also got a pt job at an ice cream shop through the summer before the new job started... it kept her sane before going back to work ft.

12. Joe has been able to be a part of his dad's life... very much needed.

13. We have been healthy all summer!
I know there is more than I can list here... but I wanted to share these especially. Will follow up with more randomness from Ryan...

BANANA SUSHI.

Recently, ok nothing on here is recent. My last post was in January!!!! Rachel Ray had a show this past spring on ways to involve your children in cooking. During that segment she showed how to make "banana sushi" - so simple a 3 yr old can do it! This is Ryans favorite I thought I would share our experience - maybe there are other little kiddies who would enjoy this yummy treat!

Ingredients: 2 slices wheat bread~ Peanut butter OR nutello~ 1 banana
Directions:
1. Cut off the edges of the bread (the crust) neatly.

2. Overlap the 2 pieces of bread just enought to be overlapping.
3. Roll with a rolling pin the 2 pieces of bread FLAT until they become one.
4. Spread pb or nutello on the one long piece of bread.
5. Peel and place the banana as straight as possible into the middle of the bread longways.
6. Wrap the bread tightly around the banana until it looks like a sealed burrito.
7. Cut 1/2 in. slices (horizontally)
WALAA! BANANA SUSHI! ENJOY!

LIFE WITH THE BOYS - Jan. 08

1-23-2008
Today, nothing out of the ordinary. A quiet day at home with the boys so far. Let's see.... Ryan requested (more less demanded) popcorn for breakfast. That was fun. We just traded lunch for breakfast pretty much. Then as I was cleaning up the kitchen, I looked over to see Ryan using his elephant hand puppet to entertain Logan with his many voices. It was cute... and as always I tried to capture it with the camera as soon as I could, but the "story ended" as I was raising my camera. Those are the moments I must cherish... I will never get them back. Later in the morning we decided to have a "dance party" in the living room, which can't be anything but fun... until someone gets hurt of course. Ryan got a little dizzy to say the least and threw himself right on top of Logan. No worries. He's fine. Logan let out a little yelp, then all was good. He was ready to go again! I wish adults were like that with life. Something gets you down... you get right back up again! We ended our morning by watching Little Einsteins and 1/2 of Peter Pan... while Logan was napping. I got some cleaning done and a shower too! I have been a little under the weather the last few days so it feels good to get some stuff done and be refreshed. I have been so back and forth (Joe's pretty sure of his desires) about having one more to complete our family... we'll see how I feel about that this afternoon when we go to Chucky Cheese! Well.... as I said before - a quiet day around here... SO FAR.