Low Moment

Yesterday, I was in my closet dressed only in jeans and a bra. I was bending over to get a shirt from the bottom shelf of my closet when I hear a little voice say, "Mommy, your tummy looks like a sad face."

Yes, it was Bella, referring to the rolls forming a "sad face" line in my gut.

Nice.

Do I even have to suck it in when I think no-one is looking?

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

This weekend, I had the privilege of experiencing two brand new recipes! Both EXTRAORDINARY! Saturday, Mike's Mom made us Lasagne soup, and Sunday, my mom made Nantucket Cranberry Pie! Delish!

LASAGNE SOUP
1lb italian sausage (browned)
2 c. chopped onion
2 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. chopped carrots
2 T crushed garlic
4 T fresh basil
4 c. chicken broth
14 oz. can italian stewed tomatoes
10 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. Mafalda or Capanella noodles
2 c. fresh spinach
mozzarella or provolone cheese

Brown sausage. Saute onion and mushrooms in sausage grease. In a large pot, combine all ingredients but spinach and cheese and simmer for 30 min. (Or put in crock pot on low for 8 hours or high for 4). Just before serving, add chopped spinach and sprinkle with cheese.

Maybe Shelly can use this for her next soup off! It's perfect for this gloomy winter weather we've been having!

NANTUCKET CRANBERRY PIE

In a buttered pie plate combine:
2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
half c. sugar
half c. chopped walnuts

In a separate bowl combine:
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
three quarters c. softened butter
2 eggs (beaten)
1 t. almond extract

Add the second mixture to the pie plate, but don't mix together! Bake at 350 for 40 min. or until done in middle.

If you like banket - you'll LOVE this! Top it with a little Cool Whip, and you'll be good to go.

If you want a really good meal! Make the soup and the pie . . . Mmmm Mmmm Good!

A Match Made in Heaven?

You be the judge . . . could she be the girl of his dreams?

Tongue Twistin' Fun

Today was another looooong Monday. Every other Monday starts early and ends late. It starts at a little after 6:00a with the morning rush which includes packing lunches, gym shoes, snow pants, eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth, doing hair, packing the daycare bag, remembering to write the check for Grandma Sue (the daycare lady) AND (more importantly) remembering to put the check in the daycare bag - and this all by 7:30a (if all goes as it should). Then there's the full day of work for Mike and me, the full day of school for Faith and the full day of daycare for Bella, which generally means - "no nap"! I pick the girls up at 5:00p, rush home to get a quick dinner on the table and leave for church AGAIN by 6:00p for GEMS (a girl's club for 3rd-8th graders). I quick help lead singing and large group while Mike gets the girls ready and takes them to church cuz HE'S got to be there for a 7:00p meeting.

As you can see, the above is a recipe for DISASTER!

So tonight, when I got home from GEMS with the girls at around 8:00, I got them in their jammies and was getting ready to read them a few night-time books, when I got the idea to have Faith say, "She sells seashells by the sea shore." She gave it a go, and it was HILARIOUS, cuz she said it totally wrong, but was CONVINCED she was saying it right! She started giggling when she realized she said it wrong, and so the giggling fiasco began . . .

Next was "Unique New York" . . . REALLY! Try to say it three times really fast! It's hard! You get a little You-neek You-nork action or a little New Yeek New York . . . and the giggling continues.

What got me crying (because I was laughing so hard) was when I introduced "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" and Faith said, "Peter Pecker picked a pail of pimpled peckers . . ." HA! Seriously! She said that! Obviously she didn't realize what she said, but I had tears running down my cheeks I was laughing so hard. When I asked Bella to say it, she gave it the old college try a couple of times, but finally said, "Peter Piper got some peppers". I don't think she understood why Faith and I were making it so difficult, and laughing so hard!

I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard! And I REALLY don't remember the last time I had so much fun with Faith.

As I tucked her in tonight, she was asking if I knew any more. I figured I'd do a little online search, but I'd love it if my fellow bloggers would share a few of their favorites!

Cool Post-Holiday Tradition

Prior to Christmas I heard of a neat post-holiday idea, and thought I'd share.

Each year my family receives 50+ Christmas cards and pictures of many of our friends, families and acquaintances. In the month of December, they are hung throughout my kitchen on the cabinets. When the season comes to an end, however, I start to get overwhelmed by the Christmas clutter, and have to take them down.

But this year, instead of putting them in a box somewhere, or tossing them, I've added them to the basket that sits in the center of the dining room table. Now each night, after our dinner devotions, I let one of the girls choose a picture and we pray for that family.



It's been a neat opportunity to think outside ourselves, and pray for those who have become a special part of our lives. We also get the chance to talk about how we know them, where they live (we may even pull out a globe and find the state or country), and some things that are special about them. So, if we received a card from you, know that you'll be in our prayers! If not, send us a pic and we'll add you to the list!

By the way, this particular card is a sample from YouTopia Designs. My friend, Steph, makes beautiful cards and announcements! Check it out!

I'm Slowing Down.

The last several weeks have been good ones for me - and for my family. Since I haven't made separate posts for each one (as I should have done), I will do a bulleted list in lieu (for you Dana):

* I celebrated the fact that I actually KEPT one of my 2007 resolutions! I completed reading the entire New Testament in a year. Initially, I felt like a loser having this be my resolution . . . I really SHOULD be able to read the entire Bible in a year. But, you know what? I set a "do-able" goal for myself and I actually followed through! As a result, I have acquired a discipline that had alluded me for my entire life - daily devotions! God has truly blessed me through my readings, and, as a result . . .

* I've set a new goal for 2008! I am currently working on reading the New Testament and the Psalms and Proverbs in a year. This time, I am not ashamed or feeling any guilt. I've set a do-able goal - and I know that I am disciplined enough to follow through on it again. I'm already 15 days in, and have been tremendously blessed! I'll do a separate blog entry on some specific passages that God "gave" to me.

* Mike and I have also set the goal of making wider margins in our day-to-day living. I'm sure you all can relate. We live our lives "fast and furious" and seem to travel through our days at the speed of light. We misalign our priorities and end up doing things that aren't really important (kids in sports, spending time on the internet)- while the truly important gets set on the back-burner (time with our families, time with God). I'm not gonna lie, it's been hard to whittle away the "extras". We've had to say no to a lot of things that we really liked . . . but it has made the way open for the things in life that we LOVE and that are more important. I think that's why I haven't blogged much. It isn't that I haven't had time to do so, it's just that my time has been filled with things that are more important.

* As a result of our wider margins, I've actually been on time for things, had TWO REAL dates with my husband since January 1, have played board games, Barbies, school and house with my kids, ironed 8 of Mike's shirts and 4 pairs of pants (which NEVER happens), and kept the house relatively clean (Oprah can make a surprise visit to my house, and I won't be mortified).

I certainly haven't "arrived" in any regard - I know I won't this side of heaven. I also don't mean to come off overly proud. But I'm really happy with the balance I've been able to maintain over the last couple of weeks.