Meals in Minutes!

We got home from Pastor's School Saturday at 2:00 P.M. As soon as we got home, I grabbed my shopping list and headed for the grocery store. I had used the 4 hr. road trip to plan out 4 weeks worth of meals, using the "Once a Month Cooking" method. It only cost me $89.00 to buy all of the food for 30 dinners. I was pretty excited about that! Once I got home and unloaded my carload of groceries, I started to cook my meals. 4 1/2 hours later I had enough meals in my freezer to last me a month, and I even had cleaned my kitchen and washed the dishes. The next thirty days would prove weather or not this was going to be a way of life for me.

Tonight we tried the first "freezer meal." I was a little afraid that it would taste like left-overs, but to my delight, it didn't! The meal I chose for tonight was Meatball Subs. The meatballs were already cooked and frozen, so all I had to do was put them in a saucepan with marinara sauce and toast the bread. They were DELICIOUS! Total time to prepare dinner tonight: 5 min. of preparation, 10 minutes of cooking. So far, this "Once A Month Cooking" is a lifesaver! Can't wait to see how the rest of the meals in my freezer turn out!

A Year Full of Memories

Today is Kyndra's first birthday. It is amazing to me that it has already been 12 full months since I was in the hospital delivering her. I remember telling the nurse that NO child was worth the labor pains I was having.... I took it back as soon as I had my little one in my arms! Along with the fun and excitement of bringing home a baby, I remember being filled with sobriety, realizing that a person now depended on me. My husband and I were talking yesterday about the new fear a child brings. You are responsible for teaching and training them. My child's view of God, authority, marriage, and a myriad of other concepts is shaped by mine. When Kyndra was only a few weeks old a church member remarked, "She still wakes up to feed at night. This is the hard part." I knew how untrue that comment was. Yes, it was hard to wake up several times a night to feed her. Yes, the lack of sleep was tough and exhausting. However, I knew that a few years down the road I would be missing the days where sleep deprivation was my biggest problem. Sleepless nights spent praying about my daughter's spirituality, who she was dating, who she was marrying, who she was friends with, and where she went to college were only a few years away. I was thankful for the small problem at the time!

I want to take a minute and reminisce about the last 12 months. So much has changed. What a great year!

I remember telling my husband that it was time to go to the hospital. It was a particularly stressful time in our ministry, and he had not been sleeping a lot. I had been having contractions all night, but decided to let him sleep until I HAD to go to the hospital. His alarm went off that morning like it had every morning before. I brought him a cup of coffee and said the line that every man can't wait for and dreads at the same time. "Honey, it's time to go to the hospital." He simultaneously he was nervous and excited!

I remember telling the anesthesiologist that I loved him after he game me my epidural and it kicked in. He laughed and said that he gets marriage proposals all the time from soon-to-be moms who just got an epidural. I remember my mom taking time off from work to help me out when I came home from the hospital. She was such a help and blessing to me! Thanks, Mom!
I remember going to every store in the mall to find an Easter dress that would fit my 3 week old sweetie. All of them were too big! Finally, Mom found one that would work! She looked so adorable!

I remember the first time her GiGi (Josh's mom) got to meet her. It was so exciting! We had her dressed up in her little cowgirl hat and boots and put her on the doorstop. I, hiding in the bushes nearby, had brought the camcorder to record the introduction. Josh knocked on the door and ran, I zoomed in on the baby and grandma. Later I realized that I had been so excited to see GiGi's face that had forgotten to hit the record button, so I had NOT recorded any of it after all! (Sorry Mama G! Can't find any of my pics of you two together!!!)

I remember Kyndra's first pedicure. Just a few weeks old, my grandma's birthday was at hand. My mom and I took Oma (my grandma) for her first pedicure, and while we were there, the nail tech also painted Kyndra's toes. "No charge for baby," she said in her cute broken English. 4 generations all getting pampered together!

I remember the blanked that Grammie made for Kyndra, and how she would LOVE to sleep with it. She would pull it over her eyes and snuggle up in it.

I remember the first time Kyndra said a word. It was "Mama." However, she said it because she wanted me to pick her up and I wouldn't. She didn't say my name out of affection!

I remember her first Christmas. She was so excited, and didn't know why. We were excited so she was excited!

I remember the day that I thought Kyndra had died. She had what the doctors believed to be a seizure. I remember shaking and trembling as I rushed her to the hospital and waited for the diagnosis. I remember thinking what a wonderful church family we had. We had only been on staff at Calvary Baptist Church for two and a half months, and yet we felt like we had been there forever. Our church was so supportive, bringing meals, sending cards, calling us, and visiting us. We felt so loved!

I remember the first time she walked to her daddy. He beamed with pride as his little baby toddled to him and gave him a hug!

What a wonderful addition to our lives you have been, sweet Kyndra. I can't wait to see what the next year holds in store!

Love,

Mommy

Frozen Dinners Again?

What a busy time of year! We have a youth conference, we are moving, my parents are coming to visit, Pastor's School..... the list goes on and on! I have been so extremely busy this month that the majority of my meals have been "Healthy Request" microwave meals. Knowing that these are full of preservatives and way more expensive than cooking at home, I decided that as soon as I get home from our trip, I am going to make my own frozen meals. After spending some time researching online, I can across a great meal preparation idea. It is called OAMC, or Once A Month Cooking. The idea is to spend a day cooking and freezing so that you will only have to cook once a month. Anybody that knows me knows that I LOVE to cook, so the idea of only cooking once a month disinterested me at first. Then I decided that it would actually be nice to have a couple of weeks worth of meals ready for times when my schedule is hectic. I found a website that I LOVE, and it features a bunch of OAMC recipes. You can also find all sorts of great household tips and ideas. After looking at the site I immediately added it to my list of favorites. I can't wait to try out some of the new recipes. I will post the good ones for you to try!

Peek-a-Boo!

Kyndra's latest game is to play peek-a-boo. She likes to hide behind her duck toy. I guess she doesn't know that we can see her when she hides behind it! (by the way, I have no idea where this duck came from. If your child is missing a duck, let me know and we will give it back!) Anyway, this video showcases Kyndra's new walking skills as well as a game of peek-a-boo. (it also showcases Kyndra's handsome daddy!)

Kyndra Walking

More pics!

Here are some more pictures from our teen banquet. Will post some pictures from the adult banquet soon.

This is Josh's fish pond that he built for the banquet. It had floating candles that really added to the atmosphere.



Here is Josh as the old Chinese man!



The teens helped draw and cut out the awesome dragon. It really looked cool!
We made all of the decorations on the tables. The laterns really turned out great! I will show you how to make them on another post when I have time to sit down and do it!

"Asian Escape"

This year Josh and I got to help plan the Valentine banquet at our church. The theme was oriental, so we called it "Asian Escape". It was so much fun dreaming and scheming about all the details! The skit, to me, was the highlight of the night. Let's just say that it included my husband (playing an old Chinese man), Mr. Snider (playing a fat Chinese woman) and Seth ("Sumo Seth"). The decorations turned out really great. Of course, my husband's love of fish was displayed in the fish pond that they built in the middle of the fellowship hall. Above are some of the pictures from the teen banquet.

The Scrappy Frog!

Hi Guys! My friend, Jeanette, has the cutest kids crafting blog. If you have little ones and are looking for great ideas, look no further! I also noticed that she just started selling her custom artwork online. Many of you have seen the custom art that she made for Kyndra's baby shower... It is AMAZING! If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind baby shower gift, send some business her way. You won't regret it! To check out her blog, go to www.thescrappyfrog.blogspot.com. There is a link for her online store.
Above is the art that she made for Kyndra's room. Behind the art is the blanket that she used to match the colors and stuff. AMAZING work!!!!

There is Somebody in our House!

Late last night (early this morning to be correct) I was having trouble sleeping. While I lay in my bed trying to relax, I heard a noise which sounded just like somebody coming up our stairs. The first time I heard it, I told myself that my mind was just playing tricks on me. There was nobody in our house..... but then I heard it again, and again. I leaned over to my sleeping husband and shouted, "Josh! There is somebody in our house!!!!!!" He flew out of bed, grabbed his gun, and began a heart-pounding investigation. Every room in the house had been checked. There was no intruder. He double checked every lock to make sure that they were secure, and then went back to a terrified wife.
"I KNOW I heard something," I told him. "I wasn't just hearing things!" Sweetly he assured me that maybe the neighbor's dog had wandered on our front porch.
"No, it sounded like footsteps on the stairs," I told him. Now he was a little jumpy too! He calmly reminded me that he had just been in every room. There was nothing to be afraid of. As he was speaking, I heard the noise again. This time, Josh heard it too! We both lay there, listening, when we heard the footsteps a few more times. "Maybe it is just Kyndra rolling over in her crib," Josh suggested. About that time we heard the sound of one of Kyndra's toys going off. She had been playing with her toys and smacking the side of her crib, making that terrible sound! When we heard the toy, we both laughed. I was sooooo glad that my little eleven month old daughter was our intruder!!!

Annette's AMAZING Frappuccinos

Here is Annette's great recipe that she gave me! Girls, I could drink these all day long!!!!

1 cup milk
enough ice to make 3 cups with milk
1 box of instant pudding
1 cup cool whip
1 tbs. instant coffee (I like a little more to make it stronger!)

Blend away!

You can also add peppermint extract, chocolate chips, cinnamon, or vanilla.

ENJOY!!

I am STILL God's Favorite!

This is a continuation of my previous post. Just in the last week or so I have been overwhelmed with God's blessings!!!

*My little baby is almost too big for her car seat! Can you believe that she will be a year old next month? Anyway, we priced car seats and found that they were $56.00 at the cheapest. Within a few days of pricing them, we were given one that a friend's child had outgrown! PRAISE THE LORD! HE just saved us $56.00!!!!

*A friend of mine had me over one day and made me a frappaccino. I marveled at the way her blender was able to blend the ice.... mine just kind of pushed the ice around in circles!!!! A few days later she stopped me and told me that she was SOOOO excited because she had a surprise for me. She had asked her husband if she could buy me a blender like hers, and he said yes! They didn't have the same one that she had in stock, so she bought me an even nicer model. I had a blast making frappaccinos and smoothies and everything else you can make in a blender!!!

*It looks like we are probably going to be able to get the house we have been praying for. It is not for sure, but very probable. This is VERY exciting to us!

*A friend called today and asked if my husband needed any shoes. They had found a great sale where the shoes were practically BOGO. They wanted to see if Josh needed dress shoes because it cost almost nothing for a NICE pair of shoes! Thank God! (His shoes were a little on the ratty side!!)

*Our teen department is going to a youth conference next month. We had little time to raise a lot of money. In the first week of fundraising, we have really seen God bless. The teens have already been able to raise much of the money needed!

These are just a few of the amazing things that God has done for us this week. Again I ask the question, do you feel like you are God's favorite?

Spa Day!

Every once in a while I try to take a little extra time to freshen my appearance. I am a huge fan of professional makeovers. At least twice a year I make an appointment for a friend and I at a major department store to get a few fresh makeup ideas. I know that luxury cosmetics come at luxury prices, but almost anybody can come up around $25.oo. This is usually all that I spend when I get a makeover. Most of the high end cosmetic companies will do a FREE makeover as long as you buy at least one thing. I have tried almost every company, but Clinique is my favorite (and happens to be the most inexpensive too!) When you make your appointment, tell them something that you have been wanting to try. One time I had them do "smoky eyes", while another time I wanted to get a dewy complexion. Really make this a special time. Grab your favorite drink to sip while they go to work on your face. Many of the bigger cosmetic companies also have a bonus time. This is a bunch of free stuff that they will give you if you spend a certain amount. This is a wonderful time to try out a new trend and get free stuff. Plan your makeovers around this promotion time!
Mama G (my mother-in-law) and I went during the holidays. We looked FABULOUS when we were done!

Another way that you can pamper your self is with an at-home spa day... in my case it is usually a "spa half-hour"! Light some candles, play nice music, take a long bath, do your toes, use a face mask, and read a great magazine. Take time to take care of yourself!

Since it is winter time, the weather has been bitterly cold here lately. My face has especially been dry. The at-home micro-dermabrasion kits are WONDERFUL! They really do a great job of getting rid of the dry skin and making your skin glow. I have tried the Mary Kay one and LOVED it! I have found a recipe for making your own micro-dermabrasion skin care. You can go to http://www.ehow.com/how_2256788_own-allnatural-spa-skin-cleanser.html.

If you have daughters, why not have a spa time with them? Do their nails, put a mask on their faces, and let them feel like princesses!I have many great memories of my mom, my sister, and I having our "beauty time" together. Not sure if it made us look any better, but we sure felt good about ourselves!

My Festive Table

I am one of those people who believes in the expression, "Less is More," especially when it comes to decorating. I do, however, really love to decorate for every holiday. The solution I have found in decorating for a special day without going overboard is to use my table. I Have found that if my table looks special, my husband always notices! Here are some pics of my Valentine's Day table.

A Valentine's Day Photo Shoot

From the little pumpkin!

imikimi - Customize Your World!

Stay in your Cage!

A month ago a sweet yellow lab puppy adopted us. Usually a family chooses which animal they will take home.... this animal decided which family he wanted! He showed up at our house and wouldn't leave. We called Animal Control and the Humane Society to see if anyone had reported a missing puppy... needless to say, he joined our family!

Because we can't trust him when we leave our house, we always put him in a dog crate (or kennel... Josh and I still can't decide which name we like better!). He HATES the "crennel" (This is a compromise between crate and kennel!) The puppy always freaks out and jostles the cage so much that he scoots it around the room. He also discovered that if he moved it enough, he could wiggle the locks on the door open. Once or twice he has been able to get one of the two locks open, and squeeze out. Last night was a little different.

We got home late from a teen activity (Which, by the way was AWESOME!!!). We heard the puppy, which we ended up naming Stinky Pete - 'cause he stinks! - crying and barking. When we walked around the corner, immediately we realized that Pete was hurt. There was blood everywhere, and his whimper was different from his usual, "I want out so I can play," whimper. He had gotten one of the locks to open and had managed to squeeze most of him through the door. His right leg was now wedged tightly in the door, and no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't get out. As a matter of fact, the harder he pulled , the worse the cut on his leg got! Luckily, the cut was wide, but not too deep. Josh held the dog while I cleaned the wound. We cleaned up the blood and wearily crawled into bed.

I thought today of how much this story reminds me of people. Because my husband and I work with teens every day, they came to my mind first. God gives us rules, or a "cage", to protect us. He sets up laws and boundaries in order to keep us safe. We never seem to see it that way. We see it as confinement from the good life. No drinking, no smoking, keep yourself pure until marriage, no inappropriate TV shows.... there are so many ways we see God's rules as a big cage, or crate, or kennel, or whatever name you have for it. Growing up, I can remember countless times where my friends were doing things that I knew went against the rules that God and my parents had for me. I chose to do right. Was I jealous of them? Honestly, yes. Sometimes I wished that I could live like they were living. It seemed so fun. Now, I see what a wonderful "cage" I had. I have the life I always wanted. I have a husband that loves me. My brain isn't fried on drugs. I haven't been divorced twice. I don't have a hangover every Sunday and wonder what happened Saturday night. I have such a great life, and it isn't on accident. The choices I made as a high school and college student are reflected in my life today. Boy, am I ever glad that I stayed in my cage!

What Would I Do?

My dear friend, Veronica, was supposed to come and see me tomorrow. However, her sweet little twins that she will have in March have prevented the trip. I told V (I call her "V") that I would make a list of all the things we would have done if she had come out to Canton, IL this week. So here goes.....

*I would have stayed up until the wee hours of the night playing catch phrase with you. We would sip our chai while we laughed and enjoyed each other.

*We would have driven to Peoria and gotten makeovers. Just got one at Christmas, but i am always up for another one! We then would either marvel at the talent of the makeup artist or make fun of her once we got in the car!

* We would get some "California Pizza Kitchen" pizza from the freezer section of the grocery store. We would eat it while we watched some chic flick that we only half paid attention to.

* We would go thrift store shopping and look for shoes, purses, and anything else that we might need. Can't ever have too many pairs of shoes.

*We would make a trip to the pet store so Dillon and Mr. Josh could look at all the animals.

* I would take you to house hunt with me. It would be so fun to get your opinion on the houses we look at.

* I would take you house hunting for YOUR house. (Hopefully it is close to mine!)

* I would make you one of my AMAZING cups of coffee.

* I would spend hours catching up on everything I have missed in the last 5 1/2 months.

* I would play with your make up!

* I would steal your coach purse while you are sleeping!!!

* I would wish that you were already living here.

So there you have it, Veronica. Miss you!

Please don't ask to use my bathroom!

Have you ever had somebody stop by unannounced, and the whole time they are there you are thinking.... "Please don't ask to use my bathroom!" When Saturday is your house cleaning day, Friday's bathroom is probably a little scary! Here is a quick, easy way to keep your bathroom clean all week.
I keep a bunch of cleaning rags, a disinfecting cleaner, and shower spray (the kind you just spray... no scrubbing required) in my bathroom under the sink. After I am done getting ready each morning, I spray the shower. Then I use the bleach spray to quickly wipe down the sink and toilet. It takes me about 1-2 minutes total. I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that when somebody does drop it, my bathroom won't embarrass me!