Is This Really Happening??

It was a hectic day about three and a half years ago when I sat down at the end of the day exhausted, having just rocked my 18 month old baby to sleep for the 5th time that day, laundry piled high, and a kitchen sink full of dishes, when I thought...these day are going to last forever...or so it seemed.

We spent most of our day on the floor playing, scribbling on paper while sitting in her highchair, going on "walks" around our backyard and kicking the ball all over the place. We were pals. We had hours upon hours to play and play, or so I thought.

Those hours of play turned into days which turned into weeks and months and now I sit on the eve of her first FULL day of Kindergarten and think...where has the time gone?! Where is the baby we waited 10 years for gone to and why does she have to grow up? Don't get my wrong, there have been tough parenting days, we all have them, but I've cherished my time at home with Addison these last 5 years immensely.

We are closing an amazing chapter in our lives and moving on to another? How can the next chapter be better than our last? People say "she will love Kingergarten!" I say, "that's great, but I will miss her, tremendously." She's my only little. She's my little love, my miracle child, our gift.

So as I grieve the closing of one chapter and turn the page into another, I shed some tears...tears of joy, thankflness, happiness, and some sadness. She's another year older and starting school. Is this real?

I pray that we've prepared her enough for the world she's about to expereince. I pray that she knows who she is enough to believe in herself and love herself even when the days are rough. Mostly, I pray that she knows God loves her no matter what may happen in her day. That HE is always there to call on and that HE will protect her and that HE will love her unconditionally when that friend says "she isn't her friend anymore."

My child, you are loved. You are a daily blessing and joy to our lives. Our lives are SO much richer with you in it. Stand tall, love who you are, how you were made, and how God has gifted you for this life. We are cheering you on, always.

Mama will always be here, (I'm just across the street actually) waiting with open arms. We will always and forever be pals.




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Hip Hip Hooray For Granola Bars!

Who doesn't love the chewy, sweet, and sometimes crispy taste of granola bars? I know I do! And actually, Addison has taken a liking to them as well. Yay! She tried something new and turns out, she likes it. Score for this Mama who's always looking for something different to give her for a snack.

But as most of you know, the granola bars you buy in the store are filled with junk! High Fructose Corn Syrup! No thank you!

So I decided to whip up a recipe I found here (http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/chocolate-chip-granola-bars/ ). I definitely recommend using a long, flat spatula for the job when it comes time to shape them on the cookie sheet. It works great!

These turned out yummy! Crunchy on the outside and a little chewy in the center. Next time I think I will cut back my cooking time a bit as we like chewier granola bars. But overall, a solid recipe.

The best part is my hubby (who tends to be particularly fussy about homemade goodies/clean eating recipes), liked them...a lot!

If you make them, shoot me a comment, I'd love to hear what you think.

Happy snacking!

Are Kale Chips Still In??

I think so and I sure hope so considering healthy foods should never go out of style! ;) 

Kale is filled with so many important nutrients. Some have even gone as far as to call it "the World's healthiest food!" Kale, a leafy green, is available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Kale boasts vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It's also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus! Whew! Sounds like a super food to me!

Kale can be bitter in flavor so if you plan on using it in a salad it's best to marinade the leaves by massaging them with a dressing of your choice for 15 minutes prior to serving. 

Today I made kale chips-so delicate and crunchy! Are they like chips? No. But they do satisfy that longing for something salty and crunchy. So why not induldge?! They're SUPER healthy for you!

Now, I've made kale chips before but the recipe I had wasn't a good one. It's important not to overcook the leaves or undercook the leaves. 

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html

I did some online research and a bag of kale chips (bought in the store) can cost from $5.59-$9.49! Say what?! Mine (as pictured below) only cost me $1.50! Ah-mazing deal. So why not make them at home? Give 'em a try, I'm sure you'll enjoy the health benefits and crunch!

 

Blessings Through Raindrops

I was sitting on the examination table wearing one of those sterile hospital gowns they give you looking at him across the room. He was nicely dressed, sitting cross-legged next to my husband when he looks at me and says, "you have cancer." In one moment my heart began to race and a huge lump formed in my throat. The tears began to fall as he proceeded to explain the most "aggressive" treatment options and research facts on prognosis. The doctor kept saying in his smooth Indian accent, "you understand, right?" But all I could do was nod my head and try and swallow what was now a HUGE lump in my throat.

He left the room and my husband I were alone. I was baffled. I couldn't even say the word. My mind was racing in a million directions, what stage was I in, what about Addison, if I died who would mother her? That was the the worst thought of them all. My girl, without me, me without her? My husband, without me? WHY God why? The tears just fell and fell as we made our way to the doctors office to discuss treatment further. He said, "full hysterectomy and another major surgery." I was only 3 weeks out from my first surgery! How can this be? I'm only 35. Why? No more children. Adding to my already mounted feeling of hurt and loss over not being able to have children thus far.

The next few weeks were some of the hardest weeks of my life. At first I didn't want to talk to anyone because of how wrecked I was. I was broken, scared, unsure, discouraged. I didn't want to hear those pat answers people always give, "I'm praying for you." Although I do appreciate and understand the power of prayer. I was mad. Too mad to hear it. Gently over time my sister's loving words of support eased my pain and anger. Only then did I open myself up to talk with other family members, including my poor mom who had been waiting days to talk to me about my results.

We proceeded to seek out council and got another oncologists opinion. We felt more comfortable with him and decided to go with him and his recommendations. Scared, but trusting God had the greater plan for my life, I prepped for my second surgery.

After weeks of waiting, tests, CAT scans, poke and prods, my doctor came to me 3 days after surgery with a smile on his face. He said "there is no cancer, we didn't find anything else." He was smiling and so was I. I cheered the best I could for a girl who was lying in a hospital bed. :)

There were no reasons why. Cancer does not discriminate, no one is exempt. It exists because of sin in our world. It has nothing to do with our gracious and generous God. He is always loving, forgiving, caring, & protective. Sometimes the rain falls and falls but He is always there. Always. He never changes. One song that helped me through my dark days was Steven Curtis Chapman's song Be Still And Know. I can't tell you how many times I meditated on this song (a practice encouraged by my loving brother) and cried and cried. Be still and know...He IS God. Meditation proved to be super helpful during my trial.

This blog is about thankfulness; giving God the glory for what He's done for me. Like my husband reminded our congregation yesterday, if we don't praise Him, the rocks will cry out!

Psalms 118:1: "Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

Psalms 30:11-12: "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; That my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee forever."

My blessings have come through raindrops. I look around and see that God is good, so very good.




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Plan to Eat Night # 2

Yesterday was a very busy day! My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were down visiting from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a few days. My sister-in-law, Mo, wanted to show me around Ann Arbor (University of Michigan area) for the day, since I'm new to living in Michigan. Wow, it's a beautiful town! Thanks Mo! Mo treated me to lunch at Zingerman's (http://www.zingermansbakehouse.com/). I had a grilled tuna fish sandwich, which was fantastic. It was nice to be with her as we don't get to spend much time together since we live about 12 hours away from each other. It was a fun day filled with visits to her favorite places like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, A kids Consignment Boutique, a most delicious bagel spot and more. I cherish the time I get to spend with her.

Since I knew we would be gone all day, I decided to use a crock pot recipe for dinner last night. It only took me 10 minutes or less to prep and throw all the ingredients in the pot before we left in the morning. It's always nice to come home to food cooking in the crock pot or oven...it's the feeling of warmth and home...ahh.

Anyways, so I made crock pot chicken fajitas. I got the idea off Pinterest and while we liked how they turned out, we didn't love them. Here's the link to the recipe if you want to try it yourself: http://eatathomecooks.com/2012/12/easy-crockpot-chicken-fajitas.html

The recipe wasn't "clean" as I didn't make my own fajita spice mix and I used store bought tortillas. But it was still nice to come home to dinner already cooked, all I had to do was shred some cheddar cheese~! Perfecto!

Plan to Eat Night #1

For the first night of our Plan To Eat week I made:

~Bunless grilled burgers

~Sweet Potato Hash with

red bell pepper, onions, and 

seasoned with thyme, rosemary

and crushed red pepper

~Steamed green beans

The sweet potato hash was a huge hit in our house!  The entire dinner took about an hour to cook/grill. Not too bad for a meal that was completely homemade and clean~! I don't have any recipes for this meal, I created them from scratch (my own ideas). If you'd like the recipe for the hash, let me know! I can create it based on what I did tonight. 

Night one, a success!

Plan To Eat!

So many times after a long day or meetings at church, my husband and I look at each other and say, "boy am I tired, can we just pick something up for dinner?" Or we just pop that frozen pizza we had stowed away in our freezer into the oven for a quick dinner.

This is not always our dinner story but at least once or twice a week we are eating out and we want to start minimizing that if at all possible for the sake of our waistlines and pocketbook! Being that I stay home and my husband is a Pastor, we live on a tight budget as it is.

So it is my personal challenge this week to make all five of our dinner meals (lunch & breakfast too) at home this week. Also I plan on not using anything processed. I will be using items such as organic canned black beans but I think that is just fine. All five of these recipes are new to me so this should be an adventure! And hey, who doesn't like to try new things or ideas~?


I will be having surgery next week so I also want to take the time to cook for my family, sit down and enjoy leisurely dinners since I will be pretty much out of commission for 6 weeks! I'm sure during some of that time my husband and daughter will eat out or pop in a pizza but I know that it's just temporary and then we'll be back on track towards eating more clean.

I'm excited! I hope you'll join me this week as I'll be posting each night as to what we ate and what recipe I used. :)

Strawberry Muffins

Strawberries are on sale this week at Meijer for only $1. When I saw the sign, I was like, "say what?!" Whoop, whoop! 10 for $10 or you could mix and match items in the store that were labeled 10 for $10 as well. I was one happy girl, 'cause most people know I adore strawberries-they're my favorite fruit. So I picked up 3 packages of them and decided to try a new recipe with some of the strawberries.

I have been baking a lot lately with Addison; we've been making a lot of banana muffins and breads. So I thought why not try and make some strawberry muffins this week. I've never made them or tasted any before. I found a good sounding recipe and off we went to the kitchen to bake our little hearts out.

These muffins turned out great! So great they were blog worthy. I was thinking, "I must share this recipe with my friends!" So here it is girls, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We ate a few and packaged all the rest up for friends and delivered them fresh out of the oven.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/strawberry-muffins-3

On another cooking note...I'm been contemplating offering cooking classes in my home. A few friends said they would be interested in attending...it's just a thought for now...but its an exciting one at that. ;)

Top 5!

Busy, busy, busy! Too busy to exercise, too busy to help out with the PTA, too busy to make that new mom a meal, too busy to play with my daughter, too busy to make a healthy dinner at home, too busy to pray, too busy to read my Bible. Just too busy!

Oh dear, how many times have I heard people say "I'm just so busy!" I so understand. I really do. But man oh man, why do we make it more complicated for ourselves than it needs to be? Including me.

I recently started to form a new habit that has changed the shape of my stay-at-home mom life! I love being home with our little 3 year old and truly thank God as I see it a pure blessing.

Some days I sit at the end of the day (usually at 10 pm!) thinking over all the things I didn't get done that day. The extra load or two of laundry, the card I wanted to send to that person who is discouraged, the bread I wanted to bake for my neighbor who just had a baby, or even my devotions for the day! I often feel defeated and frustrated at all I wasn't able to get done. And some days, I just plain don't get much done.

My dear friend over at thedomesticremedy.blogspot.com has sure helped me in feeling more empowered to take charge of my schedule.

So this is is actually her tip but I just had to share it with you because in a way it has somewhat transformed my days.

Every evening before I go to bed I make a list of the top 5 things I'd like to get done the next day. I simply use my ipad to make the list as I have an app that does it for me. ;) I set it to remind me by 10 am (I'm not a morning person. lol!). After I complete each item I get to check it off!! Woo hoo! I know, I know, so what, a checkmark...who cares, right? But no! It's glorious. It feels SO good to check that task off the list. So good! Such a feeling of accomplishement.

Here is what my list looks like on a given morning.




So you say, what do you do if you can't accomplish it all in one day. Well then, it just flows over to the next day or until you get it done. Silly as it seems I know, but this has helped me stay so much more organized and it has helped me stay on task and get things done that I really wanted to do or needed to do. I don't get overwhelmed as easily and I sleep better because all those tasks/ideas on what I need to do are written down (or typed down) and I won't forget them. It's somewhat peaceful. lol. :)

Here is a picture of my completed list. Ahh...love looking at this.





Life is good. Being organized is fun and it's exciting to see what I can get done. I feel like things are moving forward and I'm accomplishing so much more than I used to. With more time, I can serve The Lord more richly. And I love that. I know He does too.

This blog post is dedicated to Jenny, my best girl and inspiration. <3 br="">- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Little Perspective

Honestly, some days I feel stuck. As sad as that sounds, it's the honest truth. My goal this year is to be more honest with myself regarding my feelings. Being a parent is one of life's greatest joys. I feel absolutely honored to be Addison's mommy! She's the brightest, sweetest, active, and most imaginative little girl around. God's most precious gift to me besides my salvation.

There are those days though, where I feel frazzled, worn down, tired, bored, lonely, and downright trapped in my own house! Crazy? I know, right?! It's not how I feel about her but it's how I feel sometimes...honesty.

But today as I was driving to Lansing (one of my new favorite places), I had the radio on and 10,000 Reasons came on, and I had a moment of ahh. My narrow perspective on life is all about those feeling I have from time to time... but those are just feelings. Normal or abnormal they may be, I can't base my life's perspective on feelings.

I love my family, and I wouldn't trade them or being a stay-at-home mommy for ANYTHING in this world. It's a sweet gift. But sometimes I think my view from the kitchen window gets foggy or "floggy" as my daughter says. When I simply focus on the mundane tasks of the day and don't take time to slow down, savor life and all it's sweet blessings, I tend to get clouded in my view.

Sometimes all I need is my car & some Starbucks to gain a little perspective on life.



Life is good. So very good. Even though it's cloudy today, I see the sun. The SONshine as He smiles down on me, saying, "it's ok, remember to look for me on those cloudy days, I'm right here."


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My New Favorite

I love soup, yes I do, I love soup, how 'bout you!?

Haha, just had to add that little cheer I've been singing to Addison lately to encourage her to eat more veggies! ;)

Anyways, I tried a new recipe for Chicken Enchilada soup this weekend. Be still my heart.
Loved it. Had to share the recipe with you! 

Let me know if you make it and what you think. :)

We're enjoying getting ready for Thanksgiving. One of my favorite times of year. It's cool outside but the house is warm. Thankful for a new ministry, a new home, and new friends this November.

So, bowls up! Have a ladle of soup and count your blessings!

Here's a link to the recipe: http://dainty-chef.com/2011/12/crockpot-chicken-enchilada-soup.html

Happy Sunday Moments

Starting my day talking with God and learning a gentle lesson He's been trying to teach me.

Learning about how faith moves mountains, even if those mountains are within me. God has work to do in me to produce a miracle of faith in my life. Blessed by the sermon at Bay Area Community Church today.

Overhearing Addison singing a new song she learned at church with gusto! Even though the words were jumbled :)

Sharing in snuggles after nap time & getting sweet kisses from my three year old

Playing dolls with my daughter, who is so sweet and innocent in her play

Catching her using Noah to fly her Little People plane. I didn't know Noah was a pilot. ;)




Spending time with my precious family-hugging my brother-one of the last times before I move to Michigan...

Enjoying a small afternoon nap...ahh bliss!

Rocking my daughter to sleep (yes, she still likes to be rocked a bit) and singing her Jesus Loves Me...enjoying each and every moment of holding her tight.

Feeling so thankful for every blessing that comes from above


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Saying Goodbye..For a Little While

Two things I know for sure: things change & life goes on.

In two weeks I'll be moving along with my husband and our little girl to a new home, a new town, a new state. And while I'm very excited about this move, there are a few things I must say goodbye to for now...

Being a girl from the east coast the wide open ocean has always been my second home. The sound of the crashing waves, the wind on my face, and the smell of the salt water always becons me, come be still and sit a while. It's my favorite place to be. Here are a few snapshots of this love...
























Living in Pennsylvania these last 9 years has taught me a better understanding of the simpler life, a more contented life, and to celebrate the joys of special, God given friendships.




I'll miss this place, for sure! It's too bad we didn't come out with a win this year.




And my beloved Georgetown Cupcake!! I honestly can say that they have THE best cupcakes in the world. My absolute favorites. I've made many a trips there. Just ask my sister, she knows. ;) She lives just down the street from one of their locations.




I'll never forget all the wonderful memories made at TWC. Including this beautiful baptism service celebrating these wonderfully, changed people.




And finally, my loves. I will miss being with them for birthday celebrations, Mother's Day dinners, Fun Fourth of July festivities, and my nieces numerous choir & drama performances.




But this I know for sure...we are called. Called by God to serve His people and make a difference for His kingdom. The missed holiday events, birthday parties, family functions are worth the end gain-saved souls. It's worth it all.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
So, east coast, it's so long for now, but I'll always hold you close in my heart
-'cause you run in my veins!
Here we come MICHIGAN! We are SO excited about this new adventure! Let the fun begin!

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

Ah yes, Pinterest calls again. This time for something sweet!  I found this recipe for Cake Mix cookies last week and thought it would be a fun and easy baking recipe for me & Addison to make together. It turned out to be just so, super easy and quick. Addison was able to help with all the steps (at age 3). I'm delighted to say she's getting quite good at cracking eggs. She cracked both eggs into the bowl without getting any shells in. Way to go big girl!!

The cookies turned out soft and moist. A bit cake like but with a slighty crisp crust. This recipe would be a great go-to if you were in a pinch for fresh cookies. Oh and you could use any cake flavor you'd want.

Give 'em a try. They're easy peasy. :)  Here's the link to the recipe.

http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/cake-mix-cookies/

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Whew! It had been quite a weekend filled with lots of fun activities and much needed rest.

Saturday I spent some time shopping with my mom and got some great deals on some fall clothes for Addison. Gotta love us some Kohl's cash!! I tell you getting a Kohl's card has been worth all the savings you get to enjoy. A little shout out to my friend Deb Sees who convinced me to get one. ;) We also went grocery shopping and got free iced coffee's from Dunkin Donuts with coupons my mom had. It was a fun day!

Yesterday I decided to go un-plugged. I kept my phone and iPad off all day. Ahh, it was so nice and quiet and I didn't miss it a bit! In the morning we went to church (beyond amazing sermon on Faith), I spent time making a new low-fat roasted broccoli and fettuccini alfredo Sunday dinner. We all took naps and then went to the park to play tennis in the evening. It was such a beautiful day! Me oh my!

So, needless to say I've been wanting to post about this recipe I tried this week. I found the picture of it on Pinterest but the recipe is adapted from American's Test Kitchen.

Are you ready for it? It's THE YUMMIEST chicken enchildas I've ever had or made. I'm so excited to share it with you guys. So here's the recipe:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese.

Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

I tell you it is just divine. You'll love it. 

P.S.  It took me about an hour and a half to make it the first time, but now that I know the recipe I'm sure I can cut that down to about an hour. Making the homemade enchilada sauce just takes a bit of time, but it's worth it. 

You Just Know

You know that moment when you realize that you need to be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated? The moment when you look inside yourself and feel tired, worn down, and discouraged.

These last 8 months have been hard. Following God's leading and leaving our pastorate after 7 years has been the toughest ministry transition to date (for our family).  While I'm thankful for God's leading and gentle nudging on our hearts, it sure has been a time where He's been stretching us beyond what I thought I could bear some days.

Recently I read, that while many pray for God's will to be accomplished in their lives, they don't realize that it is already being accomplished. God is already working on me. His plan (as long as I comply) is being impressed daily. I don't have to wait for God's will to occur, it already is, right now! It may not be what I was looking for or wanting, but He is working. I've been learning a lot about my Savior these last several months, and it has been exciting.

I'm very thankful for my parents who are letting us stay with them temporarily.  During this time we've been going to their church at Bay Area Community. We've really enjoyed sitting under the dynamic and challenging preaching. It has been a refreshing time~to be able to just sit back, play no role in the service, and absorb what God is sharing each Sunday. I know that this time is so precious, as it will be coming to a close in a few short weeks.

Life is complicated. Life is hard some days. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to go to the Women of Faith conference in DC this weekend. Thankfully, I got the last ticket the church had to offer at a discounted price. :)  God knew I needed this time. He knew I needed to be renewed and refreshed for our next chapter in ministry. He knows my name and desires the best for me AND for you.

My favorite quote from this weekend was from Christine Cain and she said this: "Unless we choose today to deal with yesterday, we'll never get to tomorrow." It really hit me. Too many people, including myself, live in our yesterday's.  She said we need to work through it, leave the shame at the cross, and move forward into what God has for us. Unashamed.

 God is good. He chiseling away, piece by piece.

To Be Or Not To Be

For many years I've lived by keeping a schedule by using a paper calendar of some sort. Some years I've just bought a spiral bound one and have thrown it away after the year is through. On other years I've bought calendar inserts from Franklin Covey for my leather planner.

After getting my first smart phone almost three years ago (an iPhone), I've come to love it's calendar feature as well. Particularly, last year when my husband and I synced our calendars and it made for a much smoother family schedule.  Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely adore the features of my iPhone.

But, after using both calendar systems, I think I've decided that this year I shall use both!! Crazy as that sounds, I think having the smart phone to notify me when I have appointments (or my husband or our daughter) will still be imperative, but also having a paper calendar will help me see the "big" picture when it comes to planning vacations and my thirty-one business.

So it is, to be for the paper calendar AND smart phone calendar.

 Hope it doesn't drive me crazy! ;)

Reflections From a Nine Year Journey

As I sit here and prepare for my last Sunday at our church before moving on, I can't help but find my mind wandering back over each of the nine years we've lived in Central Pennsylvania.

My heart will be forever linked to these lovely plains and rolling hills. Pennsylvania was somewhere I had never thought of living, but now, after living her for quite some time, I'll never be the same.

The beauty of this state is unsurpassed by what I've been used to in my life. The sweet, simple way of life here has been a well of refreshment for my soul many times.

I will miss:

• The sweet laid back culture of kind, hard working people
• The Amish community and all they have to offer-fresh, locally grown produce at a fraction of the cost grocery stores charge
• The lovely Mennonite women at the farmers market who have loved on my daughter since I first started bringing her there that warm fall day in 2009
• The lush green hills and rolling pastures that spring and summer have to offer
• The absolutely beautiful trees as they change color in the fall
• The numerous farmers markets in varying towns that offer local, fresh produce year round
• The loving people of our church 
• The amazing friendships I've made and those Addison has made
• My job where I've been stretched, and challenged so much at times I cried. But in the end, learning so much about myself, has helped me change things I've been needing to change for years.
• The numerous parks and playgrounds our family have come to love! 
• The BEST soft serve peanut butter ice cream in the world. :)
• Amazing state parks and lakes! 
• The close proximity to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, the beach, and my family.

Mostly, I'll miss our home. Our home we've created so many memories in.

Brought our first baby home to. 

The house that was the first home for our little family of three. 

 I will thank God every time I think of Pennsylvania. I will thank Him for the challenges, the times of stretching, the tears, the joys, and sweet comforts of a home made in a land rich with beauty.

   

Cookin' From the Pantry Challenge

Many times in the past I've made a meal or two in a pinch from only items hidden in my pantry. These nights usually were Wednesday's because those are the busiest nights in our house (church night). Tonight I was thinking over things...two things actually. Our tight budget and moving. So in an attempt to save a bit of money and to prepare for our upcoming move I decided to make our next two week menu based off of only items in my pantry. I will be purchasing some meat, and fresh fruit to go along with the meals.

So, my challenge to myself is to plan meals around what I have. Now, this is hard for me because when I plan our meals I always choose a new recipe to try each week. So I'm going to have to resist that pull to try a new recipe to focusing on being creative with what I have.

My goal is to spend less that $30 on the meat I need for the next two weeks when I shop tomorrow. And to go to the farmers market on Tuesday and spend less than $10 each week on my produce.

Have you ever tried this? Wish me luck!Tomorrow night's dinner: Tacos, black beans, corn, brown rice, and pears

If You're Happy and You Know It!

Last week when it was really starting to warm up I brought home a huge bottle of bubbles for Addy to play with outside. I was so excited to get home and play with her outside and enjoy chasing the bubbles together. She was thrilled when I showed her what I had brought her home. So off we went outside to play!
It was at least 65 degrees out and the sun was shining in the clear sky. Just a beautiful day. Perfect for outdoor play.
After playing with the bubbles, and spilling half the jar (which I totally prepared myself for), Addy stopped still in her tracks and looked at me and said "I happy." She melted my heart right there, once again. As her Mother I try my best to teach her about feelings, along with many other things, but as a counselor myself I know firsthand the importance of feeling expression (and parental empathy) at a young age. To this date she had only said "I sad." But today was different. Joy. I felt so "happy" right along with her.