Stillness

This week I confessed to a dear friend that sometimes I crave being alone, most simply because 1) Being alone is hard to come by these days and 2) When I am alone is when I most feel like I can BE with God. I do realize the irony that someday I will crave the people and the busyness and I will have GADS of alone time but I digress.

God heard me. This morning I took the children outside to play and brought along my bible and a book hoping to soak in something to get me through the week. They did play and I did read but before I knew it they had vanished inside with their Papa and I was alone. Not only that but I had dove into a book that spoke God's word so eloquently (especially in my right here, right now moment) I could cry.

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version) ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God;  

Thank you God for answering my prayer, via the Holy Spirit, because my prayer life has been pretty stinky lately and for pointing me to Nicole Johnson's "Fresh Brewed Life" this morning. I normally wouldn't review a book until after I finish it but I know this ones a goodie. I saw Nicole's acting and speaking at Hearts at Home and she is truly a woman after God's own heart. 

Fresh Brewed Life A Stirring Invitation To Wake Up Your Soul by Nicole Johnson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Love this, love this, love this!



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Kid Funnies

Newest, not-so-random phrase the kids are using:

DUH!

Boy: Duh means everybody knows that Mama.


Lord help me.

Good books

She's Gonna Blow!: Real Help for Moms Dealing with Anger by Julie Ann Barnhill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After hearing Julie speak twice and reading "One Tough Mother" I am a fan. She is very relatable, funny, and had good advice. I think every mother of small children should read this book! In addition to Mommy anger she talks a little bit about Mommy guilt, another biggie.



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New Do

Courtesy of Papa.

Kid Funnies

Me: What is your brother doing?
Peanut: He is babysitting my baby.

Preschool Dance Party

One of my favorite things is to find a really fun song that you just can't help but dance to. So, if your speakers are on, you are listening to the song "Suzy" that the kiddos and I have taken up a new pastime to, preschooler dance party! It's a great ten minute exercise and you can't help but smile.

Just picture lots of jumping, head swinging, circle running (holding hands with lots of direction changing), hip wiggling, bobble heading, and of course twirling twirling away under Momma's arm. Such fun. Though, those above thirty can expect some weakened ankles too :-)

Don't you just LOVE it when...

you make a last minute decision for dinner and you have ALL the ingredients! Yes! The planets must be in alignment, I mean it's lucky to have the main ingredients in a recipe, or even most of the ingredients, but all of the ingredients? Then, even though you haven't made it before, it turns out great and is super yummy! Air five!

This recipe isn't super complicated but just home cooked enough and healthy enough too. In my quest to cook (I don't count our weekly sandwiches, frozen pizza, and nuggets as cooking) three meals a week, it was a keeper. Thank you Betty Crocker :-)

The best part of this recipe is inspiration for other recipes: steamed veggies with just the cheese sauce, omit the tuna and veggies for homemade mac n cheese, switch the tuna for chicken, omit meat and just do veggies, I mean the possibilities are............at least half a dozen!

Tuna Casserole
1 1/4 cup cooked pasta (suggested is elbows or shells, I used rotini/spirals)
1 cup frozen peas or 2 cups cooked broccoli (you could really do whatever veggie/amount you want here)
2 cans tuna (or salmon or chicken)
2 cups milk
2 tbsp plus 1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheese
2/3 cup bread crumbs/corn flakes/crushed cereal, etc.....they even suggest cheerios.....interesting

First preheat oven to 350 degrees. In saucepan over medium heat melt 2 tbsp butter. Then add flour and salt and stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Turn off heat and gradually add/stir in milk. Turn heat back on and stir frequently to boiling. Boil one minute then stir in cheese. In ungreased casserole mix pasta, veggies, tuna, and sauce. Bake covered for 25 minutes. While cooking melt 1 tbsp butter and mix with crumbs. Sprinkle on casserole and cook for 5 more minutes (30 total).

Partners in Crime #14 - Watermelon Slush

So the kids talked me into buying a watermelon this week. I have had a hankering for sweet stuff lately (hence the ice cream, oreo, and pretzel m&ms purchases, which are super yummers, but I digress)..... so I caved. Yesterday they were wanting some but THEY wanted to slice it. AS IF (they always ask to slice things and I always say NO). However, as I am trying to be more fun and loving with them I decided to give them each a big hunk and a little scoop/baller thingy and go to town.

I am embarrassed to admit I was in the room and only realized an intervention was needed when they were getting ready to dump LOTS of cinnamon on the slush but we all have our moments I suppose and these kids are movers and shakers if you know what I mean. They were reenacting a Sid the Science Kid episode where Sid and his buds make applesauce. Only this was watermelon..........slush.

I wish I had a picture of the plate/table of slush. At least they had fun and I, though firm, was not angry at them or the sticky floor. Hooray!

It's All Monopoly Money

So don’t be impressed with those who get rich and pile up fame and

fortune. They can’t take it with them; fame and fortune all get left

behind. Just when they think they’ve arrived and folks praise them

because they’ve made good, they enter the family burial plot where

they’ll never see sunshine again. We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.

Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die. (Ps. 49:16–20 Msg)

God owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. He is a good

shepherd to us, his little flock. Trust him, not stuff. Move from the fear

of scarcity to the comfort of provision. Less hoarding, more sharing. “Do

good . . . be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.”

And, most of all, replace fear of the coming winter with faith in the

living God. After all, it’s just Monopoly money. It all goes back in the box

when the game is over.                   


-Excerpt from Fearless by Max Lucado

Quote

Philippians 4:6 (New International Version)

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Kid Funnies

The kids have a new favorite phrase they announce at random throughout the day. It is...

AWKward!!!!


Don't ask me.

Lounge Lizards

This morning as I snuggled up with the kids watching cartoons and eating pop-tarts I thought that it was nice to be able to do that on a Monday morning and maybe Papa is right, I am the less stressed of the two of us (even though he is managing people not even related to us, but I digress).

Then I realized in less then a month, we won't have much opportunity for snuggling and lounging in the morning, until next summer (expect for sickness and holidays). This year both kiddos are in preschool/pre-K...... and daily one child (not both) will need to be chauffeured to school by 8:30. Yikes! Yes, I know the rest of the world gets up and goes somewhere everyday and I am totally spoiled. I get it. However, I suddenly realized (once again) that the days clicking by are precious and I need to savor them.

Quote

If we weren't meant to keep starting over....God wouldn't have granted us Monday.