Summer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
God bless the unborn
I'm so glad I happened to check my friend Julie's blog today! I've not heard any news today, so I would have missed this little tidbit:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/21/obama-lift-ban-funding-groups-providing-abortions-overseas/
Wow...it sure didn't take BO long to start chipping away at all the hard work conservatives have done to protect the sanctity of life!
Wonder what he'll do next?! It's disgusting.
I've not had to bother voicing my opinion to my representatives much for the last eight years since they've been aligned with my values, but I guess I'll have to start firing up my "outraged citizen" pen again!!
And in case you want to join me, here's a little tip. If you're going to contact your representatives, the best way is to send a personal (respectful!), original letter. I worked in a Congressional office for 5+ years in my pre-mommy career days, and that was always the most effective form of communication--better than a form letter, better than a phone call where you're relying on someone else (i.e. a busy staffer) to relay your message.
Unfortunately for me, MOST of our local representatives are liberals now! Looks like it's going to be a busy few years for me... :0)
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/21/obama-lift-ban-funding-groups-providing-abortions-overseas/
Wow...it sure didn't take BO long to start chipping away at all the hard work conservatives have done to protect the sanctity of life!
Wonder what he'll do next?! It's disgusting.
I've not had to bother voicing my opinion to my representatives much for the last eight years since they've been aligned with my values, but I guess I'll have to start firing up my "outraged citizen" pen again!!
And in case you want to join me, here's a little tip. If you're going to contact your representatives, the best way is to send a personal (respectful!), original letter. I worked in a Congressional office for 5+ years in my pre-mommy career days, and that was always the most effective form of communication--better than a form letter, better than a phone call where you're relying on someone else (i.e. a busy staffer) to relay your message.
Unfortunately for me, MOST of our local representatives are liberals now! Looks like it's going to be a busy few years for me... :0)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Eight years and a Republican administration ago...
This is usually an exciting time of the year if you're a political junkie like me, but this time around it's just making me sad. Tomorrow I'll be fasting from all media--I just can't stand seeing any coverage of the "Change I DON'T Believe In".
I was reminded the other day that about 8 years ago, J and I had this photo taken:
Ahhhh, yes. The first Inaugural Ball for George W. Bush. We had a blast! I remember it was freezing, it was rainy, and we were just dating at that point. Lots of my friends speculated that he was going to pop the question. I mean, come on...what a perfect opportunity! But not for my J. Too obvious for him. And he managed to put it off till mid-May that same year. :0) Oh well...I knew it was imminent!
This photo was taken by one of my friends and co-workers at the time. We had "official" Inaugural photos taken by the house photographer (a la Prom), but I can't for the life of me find them. SBC had sponsored a booth there where you could have a Polaroid taken atop a Texas Longhorn, which we did, but I can't find that photo either.
I remember the actual Inaugural ceremony too. It was freezing and raining too, and we were literally knee-deep in mud because we were in the general "standing" section like miles from the actual ceremony. I'm only 5 feet tall, so I literally saw nothing but people's backs in front of me. If I looked up, I could occasionally see the red white and blue bunting adorning the top of the stage. But I heard it all, and it's an experience I'll never forget!
I had such a sweet job at the time. Lots of perks. A dream job for a planner-and-Political-Science-major package like myself. But it was high-stress and tons of work.
I like where we are now. But I do have days where I miss my desk and huge office with a windowed wall.
If I had the chance to go again, I probably wouldn't. Unless I had VIP seats!!
I'm not optimistic about the next four (yes, only FOUR) years, but I know Who's in control. My God is on the throne!
I was reminded the other day that about 8 years ago, J and I had this photo taken:
Ahhhh, yes. The first Inaugural Ball for George W. Bush. We had a blast! I remember it was freezing, it was rainy, and we were just dating at that point. Lots of my friends speculated that he was going to pop the question. I mean, come on...what a perfect opportunity! But not for my J. Too obvious for him. And he managed to put it off till mid-May that same year. :0) Oh well...I knew it was imminent!This photo was taken by one of my friends and co-workers at the time. We had "official" Inaugural photos taken by the house photographer (a la Prom), but I can't for the life of me find them. SBC had sponsored a booth there where you could have a Polaroid taken atop a Texas Longhorn, which we did, but I can't find that photo either.
I remember the actual Inaugural ceremony too. It was freezing and raining too, and we were literally knee-deep in mud because we were in the general "standing" section like miles from the actual ceremony. I'm only 5 feet tall, so I literally saw nothing but people's backs in front of me. If I looked up, I could occasionally see the red white and blue bunting adorning the top of the stage. But I heard it all, and it's an experience I'll never forget!
I had such a sweet job at the time. Lots of perks. A dream job for a planner-and-Political-Science-major package like myself. But it was high-stress and tons of work.
I like where we are now. But I do have days where I miss my desk and huge office with a windowed wall.
If I had the chance to go again, I probably wouldn't. Unless I had VIP seats!!
I'm not optimistic about the next four (yes, only FOUR) years, but I know Who's in control. My God is on the throne!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
That "4-4-4" meme...
I saw that meme recently on my high school bestie's blog; the one where you post your fourth photo in your fourth file of your fourth photo folder. I decided to take part just to see what it happened to be in our files. Well, we only have three photo folders (the majority went on an external hard drive recently), so I found the fourth photo in the fourth file in our third photo folder.
Check this out:
Lovely.
Since Daddy is at work all day, a lot of times I'll whip out the camera to take some fun pictures to email him at his desk. Rosie was just over a month old (early Jan. '08), and I had both girls on my lap. I decided to attempt a cute little picture of the three of us. As you can see, I failed miserably! Rosie's freaking out, M's completely uninterested, and I'm doing a not-so-great job at appearing like I'm keeping it all together. :0)
When J has to travel occasionally for business, I usually pack a cheesy note and photo for him to open each day that he's gone. He happened to have to travel shortly after this photo was taken, if memory serves, and I used this one for his card on his last day away. I think I wrote a note somewhere on it to the effect of, "We can't wait for you to come home. We're falling apart without you!"
He laughs all the time because I rarely delete photos from my camera, even the bad candids. I tell him I just never know when I'll be able to use something!
Check this out:
Lovely.Since Daddy is at work all day, a lot of times I'll whip out the camera to take some fun pictures to email him at his desk. Rosie was just over a month old (early Jan. '08), and I had both girls on my lap. I decided to attempt a cute little picture of the three of us. As you can see, I failed miserably! Rosie's freaking out, M's completely uninterested, and I'm doing a not-so-great job at appearing like I'm keeping it all together. :0)
When J has to travel occasionally for business, I usually pack a cheesy note and photo for him to open each day that he's gone. He happened to have to travel shortly after this photo was taken, if memory serves, and I used this one for his card on his last day away. I think I wrote a note somewhere on it to the effect of, "We can't wait for you to come home. We're falling apart without you!"
He laughs all the time because I rarely delete photos from my camera, even the bad candids. I tell him I just never know when I'll be able to use something!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I don't know what's gotten in to me...
Late this week we suckered my mother--I mean, my mother volunteered to come over and help us get some serious weeding and clearing done in preparation for Spring gardening.
Y'all, I don't know what's gotten in to me. I have Spring Fever like you wouldn't believe! I think part of it is being pregnant at this time of year. It just exacerbates the Spring Cleaning bug! (Seriously, I keep thinking of you, Janet. What on earth has gotten in to this fellow winter girl?! I know you're shaking your head at me right now. HA!)
So anyway, we spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon digging up little seedling trees that were cluttering the yard:
That's M and my mom digging one up at the fence line. M kept claiming the little leftover stumps and calling them her "houses". She'd get her watering can over to them and "water her houses".
Then we moved on to this area where the weeds have taken over. As you can see, this needs a lot of work! We never actually made it this far, but I found that these weeds are surprsingly easy to uproot, so I can tackle that myself one of these days. I'm also contemplating pulling up the rocks and making it a (kid-friendly) flower bed with a walking path splitting it.
M and my mom worked on sweeping up some leaves too. Here's M "helping" my mom pack the trash bag down by sitting on it bean bag-style!
This little patch above is my pride and joy from the day--Pregnant Chick totally got on her hands and knees to pull weeds in this area all by myself! I think I did a nice job, if I do say so myself! I was really tempted to pull out the bricks to weed underneath them too, but I had to restrain myself and just commit to weeding again periodically as things resurface. Besides, it was past lunch time, and Rosie was due to wake up!
After lunch, we hitched up the wagon and went for a walk in our neighborhood. It was past the girls' naptime, but we had a nice long walk despite. M laid her head down in Rosie's lap from time to time, so I was afraid she was going to nap in the wagon instead of when we got home!
Rosie, on the other hand, really likes to lean over the sides and watch the ground roll by. I was scared she was going to dump right out! (or "tump", as J likes to say!)
My sweet little Rosebud. She didn't know quite what to make of her huge winter coat. She had a hard time sitting up in it! She kept pulling her hands out of the attached mittens, and she'd wave her arms to watch the mittens swing around. She got a big kick out of that!
On our way home, M took it upon herself to "hold" Rosie up so she wouldn't lean over. Rosie wasn't too keen on that. They exchanged a few words from time to time. (Well, they would have if Rosie could talk!) At times Rosie would lunge forward to knock heads with M. That of course produced lots of tears from both parties! Or she'd lean down and try to bite M. That girl can defend herself!
It was action-packed (in little-girl perspective), but we really had a good day. Working in the yard was hard, even though it was my mother doing most of the major work. But there was just something so satisfying about the outcome! Now I'm inspired to do so much more. (Daddy, I'll be hitting you up to borrow some yard tools soon!) There are shrubs to trim, and some to cut out completely, and I want to get it all done before our birds begin laying their Spring eggs. I want to start researching what to plant where, and I need to pay attention to our sun coverage in different parts of the yard. I'd even like to experiment with tomatoes and jalapenos so Mamaw can whip up her famous salsa with them!
I'm counting this as part of our Spring Cleaning. The payoff will hopefully be a nicer yard for the warm seasons coming up! What a fun way to start off the new year.
Y'all, I don't know what's gotten in to me. I have Spring Fever like you wouldn't believe! I think part of it is being pregnant at this time of year. It just exacerbates the Spring Cleaning bug! (Seriously, I keep thinking of you, Janet. What on earth has gotten in to this fellow winter girl?! I know you're shaking your head at me right now. HA!)
So anyway, we spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon digging up little seedling trees that were cluttering the yard:
That's M and my mom digging one up at the fence line. M kept claiming the little leftover stumps and calling them her "houses". She'd get her watering can over to them and "water her houses".
You can tell by the way that they're dressed that it was a tad bit cold. Luckily we have a lot of tall shrubbery that buffered the wind, so it wasn't that bad.
We trimmed back the bushes some and worked on pulling out a dormant vine that's taken hold of them at the top. (I detest the parasitic vines! They make me so mad.)
Then we moved on to this area where the weeds have taken over. As you can see, this needs a lot of work! We never actually made it this far, but I found that these weeds are surprsingly easy to uproot, so I can tackle that myself one of these days. I'm also contemplating pulling up the rocks and making it a (kid-friendly) flower bed with a walking path splitting it.
Dig M's sweet yardwork get-up! She dressed herself. :0) This, incidentally, is one of my favorite photos from the whole day.
M and my mom worked on sweeping up some leaves too. Here's M "helping" my mom pack the trash bag down by sitting on it bean bag-style!
This little patch above is my pride and joy from the day--Pregnant Chick totally got on her hands and knees to pull weeds in this area all by myself! I think I did a nice job, if I do say so myself! I was really tempted to pull out the bricks to weed underneath them too, but I had to restrain myself and just commit to weeding again periodically as things resurface. Besides, it was past lunch time, and Rosie was due to wake up!After lunch, we hitched up the wagon and went for a walk in our neighborhood. It was past the girls' naptime, but we had a nice long walk despite. M laid her head down in Rosie's lap from time to time, so I was afraid she was going to nap in the wagon instead of when we got home!
Rosie, on the other hand, really likes to lean over the sides and watch the ground roll by. I was scared she was going to dump right out! (or "tump", as J likes to say!)
My sweet little Rosebud. She didn't know quite what to make of her huge winter coat. She had a hard time sitting up in it! She kept pulling her hands out of the attached mittens, and she'd wave her arms to watch the mittens swing around. She got a big kick out of that!On our way home, M took it upon herself to "hold" Rosie up so she wouldn't lean over. Rosie wasn't too keen on that. They exchanged a few words from time to time. (Well, they would have if Rosie could talk!) At times Rosie would lunge forward to knock heads with M. That of course produced lots of tears from both parties! Or she'd lean down and try to bite M. That girl can defend herself!
It was action-packed (in little-girl perspective), but we really had a good day. Working in the yard was hard, even though it was my mother doing most of the major work. But there was just something so satisfying about the outcome! Now I'm inspired to do so much more. (Daddy, I'll be hitting you up to borrow some yard tools soon!) There are shrubs to trim, and some to cut out completely, and I want to get it all done before our birds begin laying their Spring eggs. I want to start researching what to plant where, and I need to pay attention to our sun coverage in different parts of the yard. I'd even like to experiment with tomatoes and jalapenos so Mamaw can whip up her famous salsa with them!
I'm counting this as part of our Spring Cleaning. The payoff will hopefully be a nicer yard for the warm seasons coming up! What a fun way to start off the new year.
Friday, January 16, 2009
I'll never buy Pepperidge Farm ones again...
Got this recipe the other day from my high school bestie, and I've been needing an excuse to motivate me to make them. Yesterday was the day--I made them for MOPS brunch!
Doesn't my photo above just look heavenly?! Obviously, I took the photo very close-up, so I should add the disclaimer "enlarged to show detail"!
And let me say that you don't need motivation to make these. They're SUPER easy! I made the dough last night in about 10 minutes, stashed it in the fridge to chill while I went to a meeting, and then did the actual baking after the girls went to bed when we got home. SO easy!!
Berry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
seedless raspberry jam (I had strawberry onhand.)
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp water (I had to use 3 tsp.)
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in extract, gradually add flour until dough forms a big ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is easy to handle. Roll into 1 in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a small spoon or the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the center (I used a 1/8 tsp. measuring spoon and will use that every time!). Fill with jam. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to cool. Spoon additional jam into cookies if desired (I tried this with one batch and decided not to add more for my subsequent batches). Combine glaze ingredients, drizzle over cookies. Makes 3 dozen.
One of the reasons I love these so much is that they're so similar to one of my favorite store-bought cookies--the Pepperidge Farm Veronas. (Even though J makes fun of me. He thinks they're "geezer cookies"!)
I'll never buy them again in the store! These are just as yummy, and I usually have all the ingredients onhand anyway!
And they're great with coffee. Try them over this long weekend! It's a good recipe for the children to help with, too.
Monday, January 12, 2009
A parental PSA: he's baaaaaack!
We live near it, and the other day we noticed dates for Sesame Street Live on the Nokia Theatre marquee. "Elmo's Green Thumb" will be there February 27-March 1!
J took M last year at the end of February, and she loved it!
I remember freaking out at how much he paid for their tickets, but they had third row seats or something insane like that! How fun. (Edited to add: When I asked him why third row seats for a then-two-year-old, his response was, seriously, because he was afraid she wouldn't be able to see since she's a little one. How SWEET is that?! I LOVE this man and his love for his girls.)
I wanted to get the word out in case you hadn't heard yet and your children happen to be Elmo fanatics like mine. We can all start saving our pennies now for the $10 balloons and other souvenirs! (Sheesh...do these marketing geniuses know what they're doing or what?!)
J took M last year at the end of February, and she loved it!
I remember freaking out at how much he paid for their tickets, but they had third row seats or something insane like that! How fun. (Edited to add: When I asked him why third row seats for a then-two-year-old, his response was, seriously, because he was afraid she wouldn't be able to see since she's a little one. How SWEET is that?! I LOVE this man and his love for his girls.)
I wanted to get the word out in case you hadn't heard yet and your children happen to be Elmo fanatics like mine. We can all start saving our pennies now for the $10 balloons and other souvenirs! (Sheesh...do these marketing geniuses know what they're doing or what?!)I have...
OK, call it lack of inspiration, or call it just plain laziness lately! I'm all about the "form blog post" lately. Here's yet another one. I found it on my friend Sarah's blog, and she found it from another blog she reads, who found it from another blog, and so on...
Anyway, the things in bold are things I've done in my 30-something years on this planet:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does an orchestra count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (does high school through master's level french in college count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (lots of opportunities to, but declined them all, thankyouverymuch!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (does driving through them count? i think i may have with sarah)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (i've eaten other people's animals, though!)
88. Had chickenpox (at age SEVENTEEN!)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (if you count politicians or sports figures!)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
(Man, this makes me realize how little I've really experienced in my life!)
Want to participate too? Feel free!
Anyway, the things in bold are things I've done in my 30-something years on this planet:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does an orchestra count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (does high school through master's level french in college count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (lots of opportunities to, but declined them all, thankyouverymuch!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (does driving through them count? i think i may have with sarah)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (i've eaten other people's animals, though!)
88. Had chickenpox (at age SEVENTEEN!)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (if you count politicians or sports figures!)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
(Man, this makes me realize how little I've really experienced in my life!)
Want to participate too? Feel free!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: week of January 12, 2009
I can't believe it. Aside from buying a few odds-and-ends accompaniments for meals that I already have the main ingredients for, I'm STILL working on cooking all of the meats and stuff we have already in the pantry, fridge and freezer! I've had so much fun just being creative with what's there. And not to mention saving our usual Costco "meat/main ingredient" budget for the month of January!
So here's what's on tap for this week:
Monday
tuna sandwiches on croissants
pasta salad
Tuesday
I'm cooking a beef roast in the crock pot with this recipe to make tacos
Spanish rice
Wednesday
burgers and fries
Thursday
fend for yourself night
Friday
steak with brandied mushroooms
baked potatoes
green salad
(I've never cooked steak in my life, so this should be interesting! It just sounds so yummy.)
For more great menu inspiration, hop over to Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!
So here's what's on tap for this week:
Monday
tuna sandwiches on croissants
pasta salad
Tuesday
I'm cooking a beef roast in the crock pot with this recipe to make tacos
Spanish rice
Wednesday
burgers and fries
Thursday
fend for yourself night
Friday
steak with brandied mushroooms
baked potatoes
green salad
(I've never cooked steak in my life, so this should be interesting! It just sounds so yummy.)
For more great menu inspiration, hop over to Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen things I'm loving right now:
1) Our clean master bath
(I cleaned it today. It's always the last thing on the priority list because only J & I use it. Which means it doesn't get cleaned very often!)
2) That our girls are getting accustomed to napping together in their room in the afternoon--they've taken almost three-hour naps yesterday and today!
3) That I've made dinner most nights this week without spending much at the grocery store. I love "making do" with what we have in the pantry to save money and declutter!
4) That MOPS starts back up soon for the new semester!
5) The cleaning and de-cluttering we did in the garage over the weekend (OK, it was mostly J). We donated five big boxes of stuff to Arlington Resale Shop which benefits the Arlington Pregancy Center!
6) The gorgeous weather this week. Perfect for kicking off my resolution to play outside with the girls more often!
7) Being in the Word every day of this new year.
8) Being more aware of things. For instance, it occured to me last night that I'm not living in the moment. I've been merely in "survival mode" since J went back to work, and I'm going to regret not enjoying every mundane moment with my children if I'm not careful. I'm grateful for that Spirit-led reminder!
9) Listening to M sing all day. She's really in to making up her own songs, which makes me happy!
10) Thinking ahead to my Spring gardening! I need to start researching what I need to plant. I'm terrible at gardening, but I had a successful winter container garden of pansies that have given me new confidence in myself. :0)
11) Routines and recurrences. As I age, I'm beginning to see the patterns of life in general in a calendar year. I love the predictability of the months. For instance, in January you'll find ads for exercise programs and equipment, white sales, tax services, organizing products, etc. And all the Valentine's Day products come out in the stores amid the clearanced Christmas stuff! As one who craves routine, predictable cycles like this are so comforting.
12) Netflix. It's so fun to have a new "date night" sitting by the TV at any given time! Once the girls are in bed, we can transition so easily into a movie and popcorn together. A cheap date, and we get caught up on all the movies we miss out on since we have small children.
13) Getting to bed a little earlier. The last few nights I've been in bed by 11PM and allowed myself to read until I can't keep my eyes open anymore, and it's been such a nice treat! And I haven't felt the least bit guilty about it. I don't know why I can't get it through my thick skull, but I'm a better wife and mom when I'm a rested wife and mom! Rest is not a luxury or a sign of laziness, it's a requirement for me to be my best!
Thirteen things I'm loving right now:
1) Our clean master bath
(I cleaned it today. It's always the last thing on the priority list because only J & I use it. Which means it doesn't get cleaned very often!)
2) That our girls are getting accustomed to napping together in their room in the afternoon--they've taken almost three-hour naps yesterday and today!
3) That I've made dinner most nights this week without spending much at the grocery store. I love "making do" with what we have in the pantry to save money and declutter!
4) That MOPS starts back up soon for the new semester!
5) The cleaning and de-cluttering we did in the garage over the weekend (OK, it was mostly J). We donated five big boxes of stuff to Arlington Resale Shop which benefits the Arlington Pregancy Center!
6) The gorgeous weather this week. Perfect for kicking off my resolution to play outside with the girls more often!
7) Being in the Word every day of this new year.
8) Being more aware of things. For instance, it occured to me last night that I'm not living in the moment. I've been merely in "survival mode" since J went back to work, and I'm going to regret not enjoying every mundane moment with my children if I'm not careful. I'm grateful for that Spirit-led reminder!
9) Listening to M sing all day. She's really in to making up her own songs, which makes me happy!
10) Thinking ahead to my Spring gardening! I need to start researching what I need to plant. I'm terrible at gardening, but I had a successful winter container garden of pansies that have given me new confidence in myself. :0)
11) Routines and recurrences. As I age, I'm beginning to see the patterns of life in general in a calendar year. I love the predictability of the months. For instance, in January you'll find ads for exercise programs and equipment, white sales, tax services, organizing products, etc. And all the Valentine's Day products come out in the stores amid the clearanced Christmas stuff! As one who craves routine, predictable cycles like this are so comforting.
12) Netflix. It's so fun to have a new "date night" sitting by the TV at any given time! Once the girls are in bed, we can transition so easily into a movie and popcorn together. A cheap date, and we get caught up on all the movies we miss out on since we have small children.
13) Getting to bed a little earlier. The last few nights I've been in bed by 11PM and allowed myself to read until I can't keep my eyes open anymore, and it's been such a nice treat! And I haven't felt the least bit guilty about it. I don't know why I can't get it through my thick skull, but I'm a better wife and mom when I'm a rested wife and mom! Rest is not a luxury or a sign of laziness, it's a requirement for me to be my best!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Winter-day thoughts
I am so scattered today! I'd been looking forward to us returning to some kind of normal today, which in my mind meant regrouping at home and getting things in some semblance of order. The problem? Two adorable little girls who want to play!
And who can resist that?! It's my constant inner struggle: trying to find balance between not letting the house self-destruct and spending time with my children.
It's cold here in North Texas, and it's rainy. In fact, it's so cold and rainy that I can see icicles on our bushes and patio roof as I look outside right now. Which means that the Dees girls won't be getting out today. (We don't get out much when it's let alone raining...throw in cold, cold air and ice threats, and we're seriously committed to staying in!)
It's been a nice day to just stay in and have fun together, but it's been kind of an "off" day too. The girls are a tad whinier today than normal, but I think it's a product of being up way past their bedtime for several nights in a row.
And I'm a little cranky, too, truth be told. I'm hyper-sensitive to the whining, squealing and squabbling. I'm conflicted by all the things I could be getting done around the house while we're in for the day. And my mind is heavy with financial worries and the weight of a new year and the promise it brings for good things and beneficial changes.
The question is the same as every year--will I be woman enough to be sensitive to God's leading and follow Him, or will I blow it and go my own way like I seem to do every year?! Does God even care about it being a new year? I know He works on His own calendar...
This afternoon I put the girls down for their naps together in their room. J and I started doing this over the break--normally Rosie naps in her pack & play in our bedroom while M is in her own bed, but if we get them to nap together in their room we can get more done and have the run of the house. (And besides, with a baby on the way in May, and all three children sharing a bedroom, two of them are going to have to nap together! Might as well get them used to it now.)
It worked most of the break, and it worked again today. The girls slept almost three hours simultaneously! It was a nice time for me.
Probably my favorite part of my break was going to retrieve the recycle bin, of all things.
I didn't get to fully appreciate the weather today since we had relegated ourselves to the house, but it took my breath away as soon as I set foot out the garage door! (And it wasn't from the bitter cold air...)
It was the whole package: the cold air that just seems to feel cleaner for some reason, the soft pitter-pat sound of the light mist hitting the ground, the shiny crystal appearance of the icicles on all the trees and bushes, the way cold air just smells so good, the subtle "tinkly" sound of the frozen grass buckling under its weight, the quiet hum of the houses in our neighborhood working hard to achieve coziness on the inside...
And who can resist that?! It's my constant inner struggle: trying to find balance between not letting the house self-destruct and spending time with my children.
It's cold here in North Texas, and it's rainy. In fact, it's so cold and rainy that I can see icicles on our bushes and patio roof as I look outside right now. Which means that the Dees girls won't be getting out today. (We don't get out much when it's let alone raining...throw in cold, cold air and ice threats, and we're seriously committed to staying in!)
It's been a nice day to just stay in and have fun together, but it's been kind of an "off" day too. The girls are a tad whinier today than normal, but I think it's a product of being up way past their bedtime for several nights in a row.
And I'm a little cranky, too, truth be told. I'm hyper-sensitive to the whining, squealing and squabbling. I'm conflicted by all the things I could be getting done around the house while we're in for the day. And my mind is heavy with financial worries and the weight of a new year and the promise it brings for good things and beneficial changes.
The question is the same as every year--will I be woman enough to be sensitive to God's leading and follow Him, or will I blow it and go my own way like I seem to do every year?! Does God even care about it being a new year? I know He works on His own calendar...
This afternoon I put the girls down for their naps together in their room. J and I started doing this over the break--normally Rosie naps in her pack & play in our bedroom while M is in her own bed, but if we get them to nap together in their room we can get more done and have the run of the house. (And besides, with a baby on the way in May, and all three children sharing a bedroom, two of them are going to have to nap together! Might as well get them used to it now.)
It worked most of the break, and it worked again today. The girls slept almost three hours simultaneously! It was a nice time for me.
Probably my favorite part of my break was going to retrieve the recycle bin, of all things.
I didn't get to fully appreciate the weather today since we had relegated ourselves to the house, but it took my breath away as soon as I set foot out the garage door! (And it wasn't from the bitter cold air...)
It was the whole package: the cold air that just seems to feel cleaner for some reason, the soft pitter-pat sound of the light mist hitting the ground, the shiny crystal appearance of the icicles on all the trees and bushes, the way cold air just smells so good, the subtle "tinkly" sound of the frozen grass buckling under its weight, the quiet hum of the houses in our neighborhood working hard to achieve coziness on the inside...**********
And, geek that I am, I immediately ran back into the house to get the camera. We don't get weather like this in North Texas very often, and the icicles were just so pretty on our tree.
**********
I didn't stay out there for very long, and I'd like to say that those few minutes made all the difference and there was complete harmony in our house for the rest of the day. But there wasn't. We had a fairly grouchy afternoon and evening as well.
**********
But, just as the seasons change outside, God can change the climate of a family in their home. Just as Spring renewal comes after a dormant winter, God promises daily renewal with fresh mercies every morning.
**********
"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning."
~Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Menu Plan Monday: Week of Jan. 5
Sigh...life is returning to "normal" this week at the Dees house. (Whatever that means!)
So here's what we're eating here this week:
Monday
leftover crock pot chicken & rice from our Sunday supper
(Best part about this recipe? It soooo easy and it calls for frozen chicken breasts, so it takes 10-12 hours to cook and can be started Saturday night and you'll have a hot lunch when you walk in the door after church!)
Tuesday
meat, bean & cheese tostadas
Wednesday
Annalee's cheesy chicken crescents
Thursday
"fend-for-yourself" night (except the girls, of course!)
Friday
French bread pizza
(As in cut a grocery store loaf of french bread in half, split each half in half lengthwise to make 4 "slices", spread marinara liberally on each slice, then sprinkle mozzarella and bake until melted and crunchy. An easy, yummy Dees standard!)
Edited to add: Don't forget to visit Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more great weekly menu inspiration!
Have a delicious "first normal work week of 2009"!
So here's what we're eating here this week:
Monday
leftover crock pot chicken & rice from our Sunday supper
(Best part about this recipe? It soooo easy and it calls for frozen chicken breasts, so it takes 10-12 hours to cook and can be started Saturday night and you'll have a hot lunch when you walk in the door after church!)
Tuesday
meat, bean & cheese tostadas
Wednesday
Annalee's cheesy chicken crescents
Thursday
"fend-for-yourself" night (except the girls, of course!)
Friday
French bread pizza
(As in cut a grocery store loaf of french bread in half, split each half in half lengthwise to make 4 "slices", spread marinara liberally on each slice, then sprinkle mozzarella and bake until melted and crunchy. An easy, yummy Dees standard!)
Edited to add: Don't forget to visit Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more great weekly menu inspiration!
Have a delicious "first normal work week of 2009"!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
December Daily: Christmas Eve
We had the fun privilege of maybe starting a new tradition this year! We spent Christmas Eve with my daddy, the girls' "grandpa". This is especially meaningful for me because when I was a little girl we spent Christmas Eve opening presents with my grandpa too, who was my daddy's daddy.
We started off by meeting him at his church for their special Christmas Eve service, which included a puppet show for the children.
He attends a smaller Methodist church, and the culture there is so different from our non-denominational "mega" church. For instance, the people there are SO friendly. As soon as you walk in the door, you're greeted by numerous friendly faces at the door. Everyone wants to make sure you're welcomed and comfortable. You just can't help but immediately feel at home! And their pastor knows everyone by name it seems. (And she's a young woman, which is really counter to our church's culture!)
They sing from hymnals, which is different from our church home. We have Power Point lyrics displayed on what we call our "jumbotrons".
At this particular service, they had a few Christmas "singalong" segments in the program where anyone could randomly call out a Christmas hymn number and we'd sing it. It was so fun!
When it was time for the puppet show, all the children were encouraged to leave the pews to get a front-row seat on the floor. J took M to sit down there, and it was so cute to see her in his lap, watching the show with rapt attention. Rosie loved it too! She stood up on my lap and laughed and squealed most of the time. M kept asking me throughout the service if it was time for the puppet show yet.
Here's M when we'd just arrived. She didn't waste any time hopping out of the car to see Grandpa!
Here they are walking toward the church's entrance. I will forever love this photo.
M got her first pair of dress-up social gloves from J's mom (Mama Landa) last Easter, but they were (and still are!) too big for her. She was insistent as we were getting dressed that afternoon, however. She HAD to wear them, and I'm at the point where I've quit arguing with her about most of her outfits. There are much bigger and more pivotal battles for me to fight and win! As long as she's not dressed inappropriately, I don't mind.
We started off by meeting him at his church for their special Christmas Eve service, which included a puppet show for the children.
He attends a smaller Methodist church, and the culture there is so different from our non-denominational "mega" church. For instance, the people there are SO friendly. As soon as you walk in the door, you're greeted by numerous friendly faces at the door. Everyone wants to make sure you're welcomed and comfortable. You just can't help but immediately feel at home! And their pastor knows everyone by name it seems. (And she's a young woman, which is really counter to our church's culture!)
They sing from hymnals, which is different from our church home. We have Power Point lyrics displayed on what we call our "jumbotrons".
At this particular service, they had a few Christmas "singalong" segments in the program where anyone could randomly call out a Christmas hymn number and we'd sing it. It was so fun!
When it was time for the puppet show, all the children were encouraged to leave the pews to get a front-row seat on the floor. J took M to sit down there, and it was so cute to see her in his lap, watching the show with rapt attention. Rosie loved it too! She stood up on my lap and laughed and squealed most of the time. M kept asking me throughout the service if it was time for the puppet show yet.
Here's M when we'd just arrived. She didn't waste any time hopping out of the car to see Grandpa!
Here they are walking toward the church's entrance. I will forever love this photo.
M got her first pair of dress-up social gloves from J's mom (Mama Landa) last Easter, but they were (and still are!) too big for her. She was insistent as we were getting dressed that afternoon, however. She HAD to wear them, and I'm at the point where I've quit arguing with her about most of her outfits. There are much bigger and more pivotal battles for me to fight and win! As long as she's not dressed inappropriately, I don't mind.**********
I snapped this shot because it tickled me so. As soon as we sat down in the pew, she immediately clasped her hands and sat like this. So prim and proper. It made this Southern mama so proud!!
Another very cherished photo. Rosie was intent on sharing the hymnal too! She kept laughing and grinning while she tried to grab the book. Her personality is beginning to emerge so quickly these days!
Another very cherished photo. Rosie was intent on sharing the hymnal too! She kept laughing and grinning while she tried to grab the book. Her personality is beginning to emerge so quickly these days!**********
One of my favorite moments from the evening was when the pastor gave the benediction just before dismissal. M raised her hand in the air to "receive" the blessing, just as is customary at our church! She was only one of about three other people to do that that evening. (And she's never actually been in our church service to witness it! She's always in her Sunday School class.)
**********
After church, Daddy headed over to our house where we had a potroast waiting in the crock pot. We ate dinner and then the girls tore into their gifts! We all had a blast.
**********
Thanks, Daddy!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Not exactly living it up by the world's standards...
I've been celebrating the new year full-force these past few days. But in my own little way...
Spring cleaning has hit hard, well before January even! Yesterday I cleaned out the fridge and pantry of all our expired foods and condiments. (While you're thinking about it, go now and check the date on your cooking sprays. My Crisco flour-based spray had expired in 2006, and I had no idea!! Gross! And our Pam had expired at least a year ago.)
We celebrated New Year's Eve by taking the girls to Mama Landa's to spend the night. We went to a Chevy dealer and checked out the Traverse. Not sure I'm sold on it, but we'll see. (We'll also go check out the GMC Acadia at some point.) In May, our precious Turbo Diesel's just not going to cut it with three car seats we'll be toting!
We ate at Pei-Wei and then tried to do some shopping. What we didn't account for was stores closing early for the holiday! So we rented a movie instead. We watched Burn After Reading at home. It was hilarious! And I was asleep way before midnight!
Our tradition has been to see the FW Symphony on New Year's Eve and then stay at the Renaissance overnight. Then the next day we eat at Pizzeria Uno in Sundance Square. But this year the symphony was detouring from their traditional NYE program for some Caribbean-themed music instead. Not our cup of tea, so we decided against it this year.
My man doesn't make resolutions, which I think is wise. Then he can't disappoint himself later! :0) Me, on the other hand...I say each year that I'm not going to make them, then I end up with three pages' worth of them. I did the same in 2008, and I probably came closer to meeting them all than in any other previous year, but this year I decided to save myself the disappointment, too. I'm still making resolutions; don't get me wrong. But I'm limiting myself to 2 very attainable ones:
1) I want to always have a book in progress.
Last year I was terrible about reading anything. I started a lot of books, but I'd get exasperated at how long it was taking me to read them, so I bagged them. But this year I want to take more time to read. I'll cut myself some slack and allow myself the pleasure of reading in the evenings instead of feeling like I need to be cleaning something while the girls are asleep.
The love of reading is so ingrained in me, and neglecting it really took a toll last year.
2) I want to take the girls to play outside more.
For one thing, M loves to play outside. And for another, I need to get accustomed to it since we're having a boy in May and my guess is that he'll not be content to play inside all day! :0) So whether it's going to our local park or just playing ball in our driveway, I want to make a point to get the girls outside more often.
I'm not an outdoor girl, so this will be hard for me! But I know it's better for my children in the long run. I want them to love to camp, hunt, etc. with their daddy, so this will be a good start in seeing that come to fruition!
Happy New Year to you!
Spring cleaning has hit hard, well before January even! Yesterday I cleaned out the fridge and pantry of all our expired foods and condiments. (While you're thinking about it, go now and check the date on your cooking sprays. My Crisco flour-based spray had expired in 2006, and I had no idea!! Gross! And our Pam had expired at least a year ago.)
We celebrated New Year's Eve by taking the girls to Mama Landa's to spend the night. We went to a Chevy dealer and checked out the Traverse. Not sure I'm sold on it, but we'll see. (We'll also go check out the GMC Acadia at some point.) In May, our precious Turbo Diesel's just not going to cut it with three car seats we'll be toting!
We ate at Pei-Wei and then tried to do some shopping. What we didn't account for was stores closing early for the holiday! So we rented a movie instead. We watched Burn After Reading at home. It was hilarious! And I was asleep way before midnight!
Our tradition has been to see the FW Symphony on New Year's Eve and then stay at the Renaissance overnight. Then the next day we eat at Pizzeria Uno in Sundance Square. But this year the symphony was detouring from their traditional NYE program for some Caribbean-themed music instead. Not our cup of tea, so we decided against it this year.
My man doesn't make resolutions, which I think is wise. Then he can't disappoint himself later! :0) Me, on the other hand...I say each year that I'm not going to make them, then I end up with three pages' worth of them. I did the same in 2008, and I probably came closer to meeting them all than in any other previous year, but this year I decided to save myself the disappointment, too. I'm still making resolutions; don't get me wrong. But I'm limiting myself to 2 very attainable ones:
1) I want to always have a book in progress.
Last year I was terrible about reading anything. I started a lot of books, but I'd get exasperated at how long it was taking me to read them, so I bagged them. But this year I want to take more time to read. I'll cut myself some slack and allow myself the pleasure of reading in the evenings instead of feeling like I need to be cleaning something while the girls are asleep.
The love of reading is so ingrained in me, and neglecting it really took a toll last year.
2) I want to take the girls to play outside more.
For one thing, M loves to play outside. And for another, I need to get accustomed to it since we're having a boy in May and my guess is that he'll not be content to play inside all day! :0) So whether it's going to our local park or just playing ball in our driveway, I want to make a point to get the girls outside more often.
I'm not an outdoor girl, so this will be hard for me! But I know it's better for my children in the long run. I want them to love to camp, hunt, etc. with their daddy, so this will be a good start in seeing that come to fruition!
Happy New Year to you!
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