Wednesday, November 3, 2010
november rain....
I love rainy days in November. They make me want to curl up with a big cup of coffee and watch a good movie and snuggle...or turn on music and get in the kitchen and cook...or get on the deerstand and wait for the deer to come out and play. November really is one of my favorite months. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and planning out all the yummy things we're going to cook and getting to spend extra time with family and really being thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed on us. A time to look past all the petty things we get so caught up with in our everyday lives that take our attention away from the things that really matter. This year, I'm am painfully aware of the fact that this is our last holiday season to be living in Louisiana and to be close to our family. I long for days filled with my Mama and sisters on the back porch at Mama's house. I long to see my kids running in her yard and just being kids. I long for the hunting and the way it brings our family together, and the time it allows me to have with my Daddy. I long for peace and happiness to be abundant among all of my family. I long for pride to be replaced with humbleness. Most of all, I long for each of my loved ones to recognize and be thankful for the things that Christ is doing in their lives, and to become aware if He's not the center of their lives. For things to not be taken for granted. I'm not sure where the next 8-10 years will take us, but I have faith that it will be where God wants us to be and I have peace knowing that we will be back. Until then, I have 8-9 months left here in Louisiana and will be thankful for each and every day that goes by.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Gumbo!!!
2 cups flour
2 cups canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves)
4 green bell peppers, chopped
2 rotisserie chickens, skinned and deboned
2 lbs link sausage, sliced (spicy or mild, depending on your taste)
2 lbs raw, peeled shrimp, tails off, thawed
1 bottle beer (any kind, I used coors light last night)
3 32oz containers chicken broth ( i like to use low-sodium)
Tony's to taste
Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Thyme to taste
3 bay leaves
TIP: do all your chopping of veggies before you get started. You won't be able to do it during the cooking part...
In large pot, brown sausage over med/high heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring around often. Take out and drain on paper towel.
Reduce heat to med/lo and add oil and 1 1/2 cupsflour, whisking together until smooth. Save the other 1/2 cup of flour for now. Continue stirring, constantly, until roux is a nice brown color. I like to do this over a lower heat so that it doesn't burn, and it helps develop a nicer flavor. This can take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of pot you are using. I normally use my magnalite pot, and it takes me right at 30 minutes to get it the perfect color. Right when it's getting to the color you want, add in the other 1/2 cup of flour. This helps keep it from becoming too thin. The longer you brown it, the more it breaks down the flour's thickening agent.
Once you stir that in and it's smooth (about 3-4 minutes), add in all your chopped vegetables. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot. Slowly add in the broth, one carton at a time, stirring constantly to keep it smooth. I like to add one at a time and let it rest for a minute or two before adding the next one.
Next, pour in your bottle of beer. This gives a nice flavor, I always add it to mine, but I know alot of people don't, so it is optional.
Add your tony's, hot sauce, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves at this point. I add the tony's and hot sauce gradually, tasting it every 10-15 minutes during cook time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Let this cook over a medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring often and making sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the pot.
Add chicken and sausage to the pot, reduce heat to medium low and let cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring often.
Next you will add your shrimp, and I always do this in the last 10-15 minutes because it doesn't take them long to cook and you don't want them to get tough. Let it cook a little longer until shrimp are pink.
Now, we always serve ours with a scoop of potato salad in the middle of the bowl, and some nice crusty french bread on the side. Others may like it with just rice, or nothing at all! Everyone likes gumbo a different way and you can change it and make it your own. This is my adapted version of how I learned to cook it. Enjoy!!
2 cups canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves)
4 green bell peppers, chopped
2 rotisserie chickens, skinned and deboned
2 lbs link sausage, sliced (spicy or mild, depending on your taste)
2 lbs raw, peeled shrimp, tails off, thawed
1 bottle beer (any kind, I used coors light last night)
3 32oz containers chicken broth ( i like to use low-sodium)
Tony's to taste
Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Thyme to taste
3 bay leaves
TIP: do all your chopping of veggies before you get started. You won't be able to do it during the cooking part...
In large pot, brown sausage over med/high heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring around often. Take out and drain on paper towel.
Reduce heat to med/lo and add oil and 1 1/2 cupsflour, whisking together until smooth. Save the other 1/2 cup of flour for now. Continue stirring, constantly, until roux is a nice brown color. I like to do this over a lower heat so that it doesn't burn, and it helps develop a nicer flavor. This can take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of pot you are using. I normally use my magnalite pot, and it takes me right at 30 minutes to get it the perfect color. Right when it's getting to the color you want, add in the other 1/2 cup of flour. This helps keep it from becoming too thin. The longer you brown it, the more it breaks down the flour's thickening agent.
Once you stir that in and it's smooth (about 3-4 minutes), add in all your chopped vegetables. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot. Slowly add in the broth, one carton at a time, stirring constantly to keep it smooth. I like to add one at a time and let it rest for a minute or two before adding the next one.
Next, pour in your bottle of beer. This gives a nice flavor, I always add it to mine, but I know alot of people don't, so it is optional.
Add your tony's, hot sauce, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves at this point. I add the tony's and hot sauce gradually, tasting it every 10-15 minutes during cook time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Let this cook over a medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring often and making sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the pot.
Add chicken and sausage to the pot, reduce heat to medium low and let cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring often.
Next you will add your shrimp, and I always do this in the last 10-15 minutes because it doesn't take them long to cook and you don't want them to get tough. Let it cook a little longer until shrimp are pink.
Now, we always serve ours with a scoop of potato salad in the middle of the bowl, and some nice crusty french bread on the side. Others may like it with just rice, or nothing at all! Everyone likes gumbo a different way and you can change it and make it your own. This is my adapted version of how I learned to cook it. Enjoy!!
Friday, October 1, 2010
It's Here!!!!
Today is the day!!! All the work and effort we've put in and we can finally start trying to reap the rewards. Hunting season has started!!! I grew up in a home where my dad was an avid hunter, and many times that was how we had food to eat because of his efforts. I went with him a couple of times as a teenager, but have to admit, we fell asleep in the stand most of those times. I don't remember ever seeing a deer back then.
June of 2008 we moved back to Louisiana and my dad got me interested in shooting my mom's old bow. I remember thinking how powerful it felt to be able to pull back on that bow the first time...even though it was only set at like 30lbs. I was hooked. Daddy set me up with a ground blind behind their house for that first few months. The first time I went, he went and sat with me and we saw nothing. I went for probably a month, every weekend, and saw nothing. Then one morning, I was sitting in the blind by myself, just as daylight was starting to creep into the woods. I had been leaning back waiting for it to get bright enough to see anything, just listening to the sounds of the woods coming alive. I heard an owl hooting, a few squirrels stirring, and just rustling of leaves here and there from creatures unknown. I decided to lean up and see if I could make out any shapes yet. Right at that instant, the owl that I had been hearing was flying straight at the tiny hole I had to look out of from the blind. I luckily had my bow in my lap, ready to go, and just stuck the tip of the arrow out of the hole and screamed. The owl swooped up, brushing the top of the tent as he flew over. I had to stop hyperventilating and get my blood pressure back to normal, that took about an hour. All I could think was if I hadn't sat up at that instant, that owl would have been inside the tent with me, and one of us would have certainly died. Well, that having happened, I just knew my hunt was going to be ruined as my primal scream had to have scared off any breathing creature within a 5 mile radius. However, right before 9am, I looked out and 4 deer were coming towards the spot across the creek where we were putting our corn out. Once again, I started hyperventilating and getting tunnel vision and thought my heart was surely beating so loudly they could hear it. I had to lean back and regain composure while waiting for them to come in closer. Once I had ahold of myself, and they were close enough to shoot at, I took aim at the largest doe in the group. I shot and knew that I hit her, and they all took off running in different directions. My heart was racing and I still was having trouble breathing, who knew hunting was such a respiratory hazard?? I waited about 10 minutes and couldn't stand it any longer. I got out and walked as quickly as I could back to the house. I came in the back door and could hardly speak but somehow managed to relay to my dad that I had shot a deer. The look on his face at that moment was priceless, and I had never felt that proud to tell him something in my life (other than when my son was born) or more connected to him. We went out and followed the blood trail for hours, but never found my deer. I really think I just gave her a flesh wound, not a fatal shot. I was disappointed, but was so hooked on that rush of adrenaline I had felt that I knew this was just the beginning. I ended up shooting two other deer that season, one with my bow that ended up being much smaller than I initially thought it was, and another with my dad's gun with him there beside me. Here's a pic of that one, a spike....
Last season I had decided I was going to be more selective with what I shot at, and went the entire bow season without shooting a single thing, until the very last day of season. I was hunting behind my parents house and a buck came out. This was the third antlered deer I had seen while bow hunting, ever, and the first that I had a good shot at. I shot him perfectly, and he took off running. Again, we trailed him, this time with a blood trail that was most certainly going to lead us to a dead deer, for a few hours and then all of a sudden, the blood just disappeared. Nothing..no where. We looked again the next day and still couldn't find it. I was super disappointed because I knew that he was a bigger buck, but wasn't sure how many points he was. That was the end of January. My parents had their hayfield cut this past summer, and the guy cutting hay found my deer about 30 yards from where we lost the blood trail. I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, his horns were all ready gone, apparantly rodents like to snack on those.
Anyway...we decided that I needed a stronger bow this year and hopefully that will make a difference in a kill. I'm heading over to my parents this afternoon for my first hunt of the season. While I am so anxious to kill something, nothing has been greater reward than the relationship that hunting has created between my Heavenly Father, my earthly father and myself. Many times when I am on the stand, I spend it praying and talking with God about the things going on in my life and the lives of my loved ones. Being up in a tree in silence and watching His creation come to life in the early hours of the morning, there is nothing quite like it. Witnessing the season change from fall to winter and how nature changes with it, knowing that God created every season for a purpose. I know now that fall and winter were created for hunting! Ecclesiastes 3:3 "a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build" I have also spent more time with Daddy over the last few years bonding with him in a way that we'd never had before. I couldn't have asked for anything greater than that.
This was the deer that ended up being super small...Daddy thought it would be funny to put some of his old horns on it to make me feel better...love him.
June of 2008 we moved back to Louisiana and my dad got me interested in shooting my mom's old bow. I remember thinking how powerful it felt to be able to pull back on that bow the first time...even though it was only set at like 30lbs. I was hooked. Daddy set me up with a ground blind behind their house for that first few months. The first time I went, he went and sat with me and we saw nothing. I went for probably a month, every weekend, and saw nothing. Then one morning, I was sitting in the blind by myself, just as daylight was starting to creep into the woods. I had been leaning back waiting for it to get bright enough to see anything, just listening to the sounds of the woods coming alive. I heard an owl hooting, a few squirrels stirring, and just rustling of leaves here and there from creatures unknown. I decided to lean up and see if I could make out any shapes yet. Right at that instant, the owl that I had been hearing was flying straight at the tiny hole I had to look out of from the blind. I luckily had my bow in my lap, ready to go, and just stuck the tip of the arrow out of the hole and screamed. The owl swooped up, brushing the top of the tent as he flew over. I had to stop hyperventilating and get my blood pressure back to normal, that took about an hour. All I could think was if I hadn't sat up at that instant, that owl would have been inside the tent with me, and one of us would have certainly died. Well, that having happened, I just knew my hunt was going to be ruined as my primal scream had to have scared off any breathing creature within a 5 mile radius. However, right before 9am, I looked out and 4 deer were coming towards the spot across the creek where we were putting our corn out. Once again, I started hyperventilating and getting tunnel vision and thought my heart was surely beating so loudly they could hear it. I had to lean back and regain composure while waiting for them to come in closer. Once I had ahold of myself, and they were close enough to shoot at, I took aim at the largest doe in the group. I shot and knew that I hit her, and they all took off running in different directions. My heart was racing and I still was having trouble breathing, who knew hunting was such a respiratory hazard?? I waited about 10 minutes and couldn't stand it any longer. I got out and walked as quickly as I could back to the house. I came in the back door and could hardly speak but somehow managed to relay to my dad that I had shot a deer. The look on his face at that moment was priceless, and I had never felt that proud to tell him something in my life (other than when my son was born) or more connected to him. We went out and followed the blood trail for hours, but never found my deer. I really think I just gave her a flesh wound, not a fatal shot. I was disappointed, but was so hooked on that rush of adrenaline I had felt that I knew this was just the beginning. I ended up shooting two other deer that season, one with my bow that ended up being much smaller than I initially thought it was, and another with my dad's gun with him there beside me. Here's a pic of that one, a spike....
Last season I had decided I was going to be more selective with what I shot at, and went the entire bow season without shooting a single thing, until the very last day of season. I was hunting behind my parents house and a buck came out. This was the third antlered deer I had seen while bow hunting, ever, and the first that I had a good shot at. I shot him perfectly, and he took off running. Again, we trailed him, this time with a blood trail that was most certainly going to lead us to a dead deer, for a few hours and then all of a sudden, the blood just disappeared. Nothing..no where. We looked again the next day and still couldn't find it. I was super disappointed because I knew that he was a bigger buck, but wasn't sure how many points he was. That was the end of January. My parents had their hayfield cut this past summer, and the guy cutting hay found my deer about 30 yards from where we lost the blood trail. I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, his horns were all ready gone, apparantly rodents like to snack on those.
Anyway...we decided that I needed a stronger bow this year and hopefully that will make a difference in a kill. I'm heading over to my parents this afternoon for my first hunt of the season. While I am so anxious to kill something, nothing has been greater reward than the relationship that hunting has created between my Heavenly Father, my earthly father and myself. Many times when I am on the stand, I spend it praying and talking with God about the things going on in my life and the lives of my loved ones. Being up in a tree in silence and watching His creation come to life in the early hours of the morning, there is nothing quite like it. Witnessing the season change from fall to winter and how nature changes with it, knowing that God created every season for a purpose. I know now that fall and winter were created for hunting! Ecclesiastes 3:3 "a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build" I have also spent more time with Daddy over the last few years bonding with him in a way that we'd never had before. I couldn't have asked for anything greater than that.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Servant or Slave?
Servant: : a person who serves others: as a : an individual who performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer b : a person in the employ and subject to the direction or control of an individual or company
Slave: 1. a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property
2. a person who is forced to work for another against his will
3. a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence: a slave to television
4. a person who works in harsh conditions for low pay
5. a. a device that is controlled by or that duplicates the action of another similar device (the master device)
b. ( as modifier ): slave cylinder
— vb (often foll by away )
6. to work like a slave
7. ( tr ) an archaic word for enslave
I got these definitions from http://www.dictionary.com/.
This week has been an emotional one! My sister's father in law is in the hospital facing a major heart surgery that no one was expecting to be happening. I went to the doctor for some issues I've been having and am being referred to a neuro something or other by my ENT for what he believes is a herniated or ruptured disc and also to a neuroontolygist in Dallas for another major surgery on my ear. Neither of these things am I excited about dealing with, I know that treatment, surgery, and the healing process are not going to be fun, but the thought of being healed and not having pain anymore and being able to hear the smallest things that I miss each day is what is pushing me forward.
Tonight I went to the Bible study I go to every other week in South Bossier with my oldest sister and a group of ladies that she knows, most of whom I only know by going to this study. We started a new study tonight, you may have heard of it, Breaking Free by Beth Moore. As we delved into our first session, I could tell that this one is going to be a tough, get to know your deepest areas, face some issues kind of study. And I hate facing issues..or admitting that I have them, but Lord knows, I do. We listened as Beth prepared us and challenged us for what the next few weeks of study are going to bring us to and how God will bring us through it. We wrapped up the night with our prayer concerns, like we always do, and spent special prayer time over my sister praying for her father-in-law, and these sweet, precious ladies, many of whom as I said before, I only know from this study, prayed over me for the medical issues I'm facing over the next month or so.
As I left from there tonight, I drove home with my radio off, as I often do and talked to God and thought about what I'm facing in my medical life and how it reflects my spiritual life. Do I let my fear and my uneasiness about another big surgery keep me from being healed and restored? No. I should have the same thought process about healing and restoring my life in Christ. One of the things Beth Moore said was that "bondage is anything that hinders us from the fullness of what God intends us to be." And I thought about the differences between a servant and a slave.
You see the definitions above, but when I think of a servant, I think of someone that lives their life to serve and please another, to show love and honor. When I think of a slave, I think of someone that is forced to life a live of pitifulness, being owned by their actions and lifestyle. The question kept coming to my mind "Am I servant of Christ, or a slave to Satan?" That is such a tough question to answer outloud, because make no mistake, if you haven't been living your life to serve Christ, guess who is in control? There is no in between. When I was dating Richard and we were in college at Tech, we attended the Wesley Foundation and Richard was on the drama team that would do skits and perfomances for the services at Wesley and around campus. One of the skits they did was the "Two Masters" skit, where the person is being yanked and pulled between two people giving him different orders, each becoming more and more demanding to the point of the slave/servant explodes and asks the crowd how they are able to serve 2 masters. So many times I feel myself get into the rut of serving God when it's convienient and not out of the love of servanthood and sharing His love with others. And there is one person that is so pleased by that laziness, and will provide every encouragement and temptation to feed and prolong that laziness to the point that you almost forget the joy and unbelievable reward you feel when you serve someone out of Christ's love.
So I ask you tonight, Are you a servant of Christ or a slave to Satan?
1 Timothy 6:1-2 "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service sare believers and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them."
Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Slave: 1. a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property
2. a person who is forced to work for another against his will
3. a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence: a slave to television
4. a person who works in harsh conditions for low pay
5. a. a device that is controlled by or that duplicates the action of another similar device (the master device)
b. ( as modifier ): slave cylinder
— vb (often foll by away )
6. to work like a slave
7. ( tr ) an archaic word for enslave
I got these definitions from http://www.dictionary.com/.
This week has been an emotional one! My sister's father in law is in the hospital facing a major heart surgery that no one was expecting to be happening. I went to the doctor for some issues I've been having and am being referred to a neuro something or other by my ENT for what he believes is a herniated or ruptured disc and also to a neuroontolygist in Dallas for another major surgery on my ear. Neither of these things am I excited about dealing with, I know that treatment, surgery, and the healing process are not going to be fun, but the thought of being healed and not having pain anymore and being able to hear the smallest things that I miss each day is what is pushing me forward.
Tonight I went to the Bible study I go to every other week in South Bossier with my oldest sister and a group of ladies that she knows, most of whom I only know by going to this study. We started a new study tonight, you may have heard of it, Breaking Free by Beth Moore. As we delved into our first session, I could tell that this one is going to be a tough, get to know your deepest areas, face some issues kind of study. And I hate facing issues..or admitting that I have them, but Lord knows, I do. We listened as Beth prepared us and challenged us for what the next few weeks of study are going to bring us to and how God will bring us through it. We wrapped up the night with our prayer concerns, like we always do, and spent special prayer time over my sister praying for her father-in-law, and these sweet, precious ladies, many of whom as I said before, I only know from this study, prayed over me for the medical issues I'm facing over the next month or so.
As I left from there tonight, I drove home with my radio off, as I often do and talked to God and thought about what I'm facing in my medical life and how it reflects my spiritual life. Do I let my fear and my uneasiness about another big surgery keep me from being healed and restored? No. I should have the same thought process about healing and restoring my life in Christ. One of the things Beth Moore said was that "bondage is anything that hinders us from the fullness of what God intends us to be." And I thought about the differences between a servant and a slave.
You see the definitions above, but when I think of a servant, I think of someone that lives their life to serve and please another, to show love and honor. When I think of a slave, I think of someone that is forced to life a live of pitifulness, being owned by their actions and lifestyle. The question kept coming to my mind "Am I servant of Christ, or a slave to Satan?" That is such a tough question to answer outloud, because make no mistake, if you haven't been living your life to serve Christ, guess who is in control? There is no in between. When I was dating Richard and we were in college at Tech, we attended the Wesley Foundation and Richard was on the drama team that would do skits and perfomances for the services at Wesley and around campus. One of the skits they did was the "Two Masters" skit, where the person is being yanked and pulled between two people giving him different orders, each becoming more and more demanding to the point of the slave/servant explodes and asks the crowd how they are able to serve 2 masters. So many times I feel myself get into the rut of serving God when it's convienient and not out of the love of servanthood and sharing His love with others. And there is one person that is so pleased by that laziness, and will provide every encouragement and temptation to feed and prolong that laziness to the point that you almost forget the joy and unbelievable reward you feel when you serve someone out of Christ's love.
So I ask you tonight, Are you a servant of Christ or a slave to Satan?
1 Timothy 6:1-2 "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service sare believers and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them."
Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Saturday, August 28, 2010
This is your life with Christ...this is your life without...
This past April, right before Richard got home from his deployment, I had the backyard landscaped. I hired a man to come help me get it all done and pretty before Richard got back, kind of as a suprise and welcome home present. Here's a pic of what the finished products looked like:
And another one.....
See how nice and neat and pretty it looks?? We spent several months watering and weeding and taking care of our pretty flower beds...then about the end of July we just didn't do it anymore. It was so hot..and our water bill was ridiculous. And it would rain eventually, right?? Here's how it looks now...
and this....
and this...
See what I mean?? So, today, I was staring at this mess of weeds and stinky flowers (marigolds) and dead or dying plants (gardenias and chamilias) and thought..this is much how your life goes when you don't have God in it, when you don't go to Him to guide you and nourish you daily with His Word.
Life with Christ:
has order and purpose....
life without....
is like a withering plant (in this case a bougeonvilla) that has no fruit or flower or purpose.
I think I need to go pray about my garden and water it.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
trying to keep my babies...babies!
So today was the first day back to school for the schools in our parish. My oldest started 4th grade and my youngest started 1st grade. I can't believe how fast time goes by! All day today I've seen posts from friends about their babies growing up and moving into higher grades, some starting kindergarten...and some (like my niece) starting high school. One of our favorite babysitters is moving away to start college this weekend, we are surely going to miss her being around here to be a great influence on our kids.
That word "influence" is one that has been weighing on my heart heavily the last few weeks. To preface, I will share with you a decision that Richard and I made when the kids were very little that I absolutely regret. We bought TV's for their bedrooms. Not only did we buy TV's, we allowed cable television to be hooked up to these TV's. Now, on our behalf, we set parental controls on both TV's and blocked channels that we deemed inappropriate for the content they shared. They pretty much had only channels that were pushed as "children" or "family" channels. Unfortunately, this allowed a separation of viewing between Richard and I and what the kids were watching. I will be the first to admit, this was totally a decision made out of convienience and laziness. I rationalized many of the times that it allowed us to watch shows that we wanted to watch and the kids got to watch those silly children's shows that drive me crazy, each in the comfort of our own private areas. How easy it is for me to look back now and see all of the time that has gone by that we have missed out on quality family time shared together doing something much more important. In addition to that, I am coming to grips with the fact that many of the shows that are passed as "family" or "children" shows provide much more information and education than I am prepared to explain at this point to my children. None of the shows on today compare to the shows that were on when I was a kid. I can remember watching Cosby or Who's the Boss together as a family and rarely if ever being exposed to a topic that wasn't appropriate for everyone. Pretty much, if a show was on before 8pm, it was ok for the entire family to watch. It's a sad day when my 6 year old can't watch a show on Disney at 4pm and be exposed to teens kissing and talking about dating or any other number of topics that are just too much for her to have to learn about right now. I think over the last few months especially, thanks to school being out for the summer, I have seen the dependency on television to entertain themselves. Rachel feels that she must watch TV at night to fall asleep. They know when a show is coming on that they really want to watch and know how to set their DVR to record it. Their interests in shows are totally different, with Brian wanting to watch more of the "action" type shows and Rachel wanting more of a sitcom type show.
So anyway, coming back to my point...I have been feeling very convicted about the amount of time we spend in the house at the same time, but not together...and also about the quality and quantity of television that the kids are exposed to each day. I never thought of us as "that family" that doesn't communicate and is so trapped into technology that we forget there are even other people in the home, but my eyes are being opened to the fact that we are absolutely headed in that direction if we don't make some changes fast. So, after prayer and consideration, we made the decision to eliminate the television being watched in the kid's bedrooms during the week. Now, trying to explain this to them and let them know that this was not a punishment, they've done nothing wrong, was the hard part. Brian seemed to take it in stride, but for Rachel, it's been a very hard task. As a trade-off of sorts, we've allowed them to have music at night when they go to bed, all of which is Christian or songs that we've approved. It's not open radio, just CD's, so the content is controlled. They can also read books, which Brian seems to be more excited about.
Now, I am not misleading myself into thinking that this is going to keep my kids from growing up, or finding out about things that I'm not ready for them to know about, but I do feel that it is an important step in protecting them from the elements that Satan has put out there to attack them. My greatest fear is for them to be exposed to something that they think we have approved that totally counters everything we've taught them to believe in. I know to some people this may seem like a silly or useless decision, but as a parent that is trying to teach my children Christian values, I feel very convicted and led to make this move. Will it keep my babies..babies? No. Does this make us perfect parents? Absolutely not. But it will allow Richard and I to be the biggest influence in their lives at home, as it should be, rather than Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, or Zack and Cody. I also am feeling convicted to set the example, I know I am personally guilty of spending alot of time in front of the computer. I am challenging myself to limit this time to work hours, and occasionally after the kids are in bed. I don't want them feeling like they have to compete with the computer to get my attention, I would not want to compete for theirs.
So, I ask for your prayers as we transition into this new set of rules. I'm so excited for the opportunities it is going to bring us as a family unit. Pray for Richard and I to stay firm in our decision. Pray for Brian and Rachel as they develop new habits and find new ways to entertain themselves, and also for our time together as a family to be blessed and fruitful. I pray that we rediscover ourselves as a family and as individuals, uninfluenced by fictitious characters and things conveyed to be the norm. I want us to set the standard in our home based on God and our beliefs in the life He wants for us, not worldly desires and standards.
That word "influence" is one that has been weighing on my heart heavily the last few weeks. To preface, I will share with you a decision that Richard and I made when the kids were very little that I absolutely regret. We bought TV's for their bedrooms. Not only did we buy TV's, we allowed cable television to be hooked up to these TV's. Now, on our behalf, we set parental controls on both TV's and blocked channels that we deemed inappropriate for the content they shared. They pretty much had only channels that were pushed as "children" or "family" channels. Unfortunately, this allowed a separation of viewing between Richard and I and what the kids were watching. I will be the first to admit, this was totally a decision made out of convienience and laziness. I rationalized many of the times that it allowed us to watch shows that we wanted to watch and the kids got to watch those silly children's shows that drive me crazy, each in the comfort of our own private areas. How easy it is for me to look back now and see all of the time that has gone by that we have missed out on quality family time shared together doing something much more important. In addition to that, I am coming to grips with the fact that many of the shows that are passed as "family" or "children" shows provide much more information and education than I am prepared to explain at this point to my children. None of the shows on today compare to the shows that were on when I was a kid. I can remember watching Cosby or Who's the Boss together as a family and rarely if ever being exposed to a topic that wasn't appropriate for everyone. Pretty much, if a show was on before 8pm, it was ok for the entire family to watch. It's a sad day when my 6 year old can't watch a show on Disney at 4pm and be exposed to teens kissing and talking about dating or any other number of topics that are just too much for her to have to learn about right now. I think over the last few months especially, thanks to school being out for the summer, I have seen the dependency on television to entertain themselves. Rachel feels that she must watch TV at night to fall asleep. They know when a show is coming on that they really want to watch and know how to set their DVR to record it. Their interests in shows are totally different, with Brian wanting to watch more of the "action" type shows and Rachel wanting more of a sitcom type show.
So anyway, coming back to my point...I have been feeling very convicted about the amount of time we spend in the house at the same time, but not together...and also about the quality and quantity of television that the kids are exposed to each day. I never thought of us as "that family" that doesn't communicate and is so trapped into technology that we forget there are even other people in the home, but my eyes are being opened to the fact that we are absolutely headed in that direction if we don't make some changes fast. So, after prayer and consideration, we made the decision to eliminate the television being watched in the kid's bedrooms during the week. Now, trying to explain this to them and let them know that this was not a punishment, they've done nothing wrong, was the hard part. Brian seemed to take it in stride, but for Rachel, it's been a very hard task. As a trade-off of sorts, we've allowed them to have music at night when they go to bed, all of which is Christian or songs that we've approved. It's not open radio, just CD's, so the content is controlled. They can also read books, which Brian seems to be more excited about.
Now, I am not misleading myself into thinking that this is going to keep my kids from growing up, or finding out about things that I'm not ready for them to know about, but I do feel that it is an important step in protecting them from the elements that Satan has put out there to attack them. My greatest fear is for them to be exposed to something that they think we have approved that totally counters everything we've taught them to believe in. I know to some people this may seem like a silly or useless decision, but as a parent that is trying to teach my children Christian values, I feel very convicted and led to make this move. Will it keep my babies..babies? No. Does this make us perfect parents? Absolutely not. But it will allow Richard and I to be the biggest influence in their lives at home, as it should be, rather than Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, or Zack and Cody. I also am feeling convicted to set the example, I know I am personally guilty of spending alot of time in front of the computer. I am challenging myself to limit this time to work hours, and occasionally after the kids are in bed. I don't want them feeling like they have to compete with the computer to get my attention, I would not want to compete for theirs.
So, I ask for your prayers as we transition into this new set of rules. I'm so excited for the opportunities it is going to bring us as a family unit. Pray for Richard and I to stay firm in our decision. Pray for Brian and Rachel as they develop new habits and find new ways to entertain themselves, and also for our time together as a family to be blessed and fruitful. I pray that we rediscover ourselves as a family and as individuals, uninfluenced by fictitious characters and things conveyed to be the norm. I want us to set the standard in our home based on God and our beliefs in the life He wants for us, not worldly desires and standards.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
preparation time...
So this weekend we started preparing for hunting season. Bow Season starts October 2nd and that is getting so close!!! Richard and I went to my parents house bright and early Saturday morning with hopes that we might be able to get some work done before the heat set in for the day. Well....that was wishful thinking. We got there at 7:30AM, the heat set in about 7:31AM. My dad was doing some work out on their property, so Richard and I helped him out with that first. We trimmed trees and undergrowth from a few lanes Daddy was making to avoid travel on the pipeline that runs through the property. I can honestly say that I have never perspired in the amounts that I did that day. It was really disgusting actually. Suprisingly it felt good to get out and do some manual labor. After we got back to the house, and my sweet sister made us some yummy chicken salad for lunch, and we'd had a little bit of time to rest, we got all cleaned up and headed to Bastrop to the sporting goods store that was having a huge sale. We loaded down with new feeders and stands to prepare our spots on the new lease Richard and I are on this year. This morning, when I woke up, I could feel that my body was quite angry with me about the work I had done yesterday. But that just means I used some muscles, right? We loaded up with Daddy and took the Ranger out to the lease to investigate and pick our spots for our stands and feeders. We scouted out and picked our spots and set up a camera where my bowstand will be. We had to get back for church, so we didn't have much time to do anything else this morning. We'll go back over the course of the next few weeks to finish getting the sites ready and I'll post some pictures of the progress. Can't wait to see what we get pics of on our trail cam! And really can't wait for opening day of season!!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Branson
This year, we came to Branson, Missouri for vacation. We got this really cheap deal on a hotel, if we agreed to go tour the Big Cedar Lodge, owned by Bass Pro, and listen to their spill on their timeshare. More on that in a minute.
The drive up here was beautiful, lots of amazing views and mountains. The kids get so excited when they see mountains. My ears struggled a little with the last part of the drive, but nothing too bad. Then we took the exit to get to our hotel and were slammed head first into Tourist Trap, USA. Everywhere you turn, there are huge signs advertising shows, big parks with go-cart tracks and putt-putt golf, novelty shops, old-time photo shops, tourist traps, tourist traps, tourist traps. You almost forget that you are in the middle of these gorgeous mountains. I have to say, I did know about all the shows available, but I was not prepared for the Las Vegas-style setup of things. And can I just say, I could see the uncertainty creeping into Richard's face as we sought out our hotel among all of the chaos. So, we finally arrive to our hotel and get checked in around 4pm. We decide we want to go eat dinner and randomly pick a place out of the coupon book the timeshare people had given us upon check in. We went to this place called Fall Creek...famous for throwing hot rolls at you from across the dining room. Doesn't that sound charming and appealing and you want to drive there right now to eat? Well, dont. The food was really overpriced for the quality. Not to mention, they have guys that take your picture and put it in a cute frame and then come back to sell your likeness back to you. Or the guy that comes and asks your children if they would like for him to draw a picture of them made up as their favorite super-hero or pop-star and then look at you and say, "that will be $10 per child". It was hard for me to be nice after the 3rd stop he made by our table to see if we had "made up our minds" when I had made it very clear what my mind was thinking the first time around. So, we left that meal unsatisfied and set back about $85.
We took the kids from there to this little putt-putt place, spent $40 and got to do 2 things before our credits were all used. So, then we decided to bring them back to the room and go to the hotel pool. I cringe at the thought of all the kids that were in that pool. We let them play for about 45 minutes, which was as long as I could stand, and then made them come back and take showers and go to bed.
So, first day down and I was disappointed. We didn't really know what to do for the next day that wasn't going to totally blow our budget for the vacation. We had also made reservations for the next night at the Dixie Stampede, which is owned by Dolly Parton (who Brian keeps calling Paula Deen which just makes me laugh). That was almost $200 for the 4 of us to go, but did include a meal we were told. So we did some asking around and finally decided to go visit the Talking Rock Caverns. We got up early yesterday and had breakfast in the hotel, which was pretty good, and then headed out to the Caverns. We had to wait for our tour time and decided to take a short hike around the property they had marked off. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had known about the history of the caverns before we went on the hike. Anyway, we returned in time to go down in the caverns, and what an amazing sight that was! The kids thought it was the coolest thing and listened to every word that the guide said. The whole tour took about an hour. We left there and grabbed a quick bite at the Sonic that was on the main road and headed back through the Tourist Strip to go to our tour at Big Cedar.
Can I just say, pulling into that resort was like entering another land. It was beautiful! Gorgeous views, the facilities were clean and beautiful. No flashing signs anywhere advertising shows or tattoo parlors. We were there for about 4 hours and had fallen in love with the place, and all the others they showed us in the presentation. I don't think either of us were expecting to feel the way we did about the timeshare idea. I had always just sort of attached the idea of timeshare with old people that stayed at condos on the beach. This was something totally different and the flexibility and affordability of the program was really impressive. Anyway, we know are owners of a timeshare. We are looking forward to getting to use it, we've all ready planned to come stay for our anniversary in November. So, we left the peace and serenity there and had to come back to the Tourist Trap part of Branson. It was mildly depressing and I'm not convinced they don't put you up here to show you what your "options" are. It worked.
We had just enough time to get cleaned up and head to our show at the Dixie Stampede. I will say that we thoroughly enjoyed the show, after getting through the 3 sets of pictures they make you take (which they present to you in the dark of the show and ask you to pay $20 each. I was not friendly with that guy either). The kids loved it and participated to the fullest. They divide up into seating sections, one for the "North" and one for the "South". We had requested the South, but were seated in the North. Apparantly, lots of people request the South. But, you know, the North did win, so I guess it wasn't too bad being over there. One thing we had heard about and prepared ourselves for was the lack of utensils in the place. You eat the food with your hands. Now, everything is finger-friendly food for the most part, except you have to drink your soup. Which was probably my favorite part of the meal. Brian devoured every part of his except the soup. He has texture issues and won't eat anything that isn't solid and has a crust or skin on it. Unless it's pasta with butter. Then he'll eat his weight in it.
Anyway, today we are headed to Silver Dollar City and I'm hoping it will be fun. I'm going to whack anyone that tries to take our pictures. Or kick them in their shin. They will get the point.
To be continued....
The drive up here was beautiful, lots of amazing views and mountains. The kids get so excited when they see mountains. My ears struggled a little with the last part of the drive, but nothing too bad. Then we took the exit to get to our hotel and were slammed head first into Tourist Trap, USA. Everywhere you turn, there are huge signs advertising shows, big parks with go-cart tracks and putt-putt golf, novelty shops, old-time photo shops, tourist traps, tourist traps, tourist traps. You almost forget that you are in the middle of these gorgeous mountains. I have to say, I did know about all the shows available, but I was not prepared for the Las Vegas-style setup of things. And can I just say, I could see the uncertainty creeping into Richard's face as we sought out our hotel among all of the chaos. So, we finally arrive to our hotel and get checked in around 4pm. We decide we want to go eat dinner and randomly pick a place out of the coupon book the timeshare people had given us upon check in. We went to this place called Fall Creek...famous for throwing hot rolls at you from across the dining room. Doesn't that sound charming and appealing and you want to drive there right now to eat? Well, dont. The food was really overpriced for the quality. Not to mention, they have guys that take your picture and put it in a cute frame and then come back to sell your likeness back to you. Or the guy that comes and asks your children if they would like for him to draw a picture of them made up as their favorite super-hero or pop-star and then look at you and say, "that will be $10 per child". It was hard for me to be nice after the 3rd stop he made by our table to see if we had "made up our minds" when I had made it very clear what my mind was thinking the first time around. So, we left that meal unsatisfied and set back about $85.
We took the kids from there to this little putt-putt place, spent $40 and got to do 2 things before our credits were all used. So, then we decided to bring them back to the room and go to the hotel pool. I cringe at the thought of all the kids that were in that pool. We let them play for about 45 minutes, which was as long as I could stand, and then made them come back and take showers and go to bed.
So, first day down and I was disappointed. We didn't really know what to do for the next day that wasn't going to totally blow our budget for the vacation. We had also made reservations for the next night at the Dixie Stampede, which is owned by Dolly Parton (who Brian keeps calling Paula Deen which just makes me laugh). That was almost $200 for the 4 of us to go, but did include a meal we were told. So we did some asking around and finally decided to go visit the Talking Rock Caverns. We got up early yesterday and had breakfast in the hotel, which was pretty good, and then headed out to the Caverns. We had to wait for our tour time and decided to take a short hike around the property they had marked off. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had known about the history of the caverns before we went on the hike. Anyway, we returned in time to go down in the caverns, and what an amazing sight that was! The kids thought it was the coolest thing and listened to every word that the guide said. The whole tour took about an hour. We left there and grabbed a quick bite at the Sonic that was on the main road and headed back through the Tourist Strip to go to our tour at Big Cedar.
Can I just say, pulling into that resort was like entering another land. It was beautiful! Gorgeous views, the facilities were clean and beautiful. No flashing signs anywhere advertising shows or tattoo parlors. We were there for about 4 hours and had fallen in love with the place, and all the others they showed us in the presentation. I don't think either of us were expecting to feel the way we did about the timeshare idea. I had always just sort of attached the idea of timeshare with old people that stayed at condos on the beach. This was something totally different and the flexibility and affordability of the program was really impressive. Anyway, we know are owners of a timeshare. We are looking forward to getting to use it, we've all ready planned to come stay for our anniversary in November. So, we left the peace and serenity there and had to come back to the Tourist Trap part of Branson. It was mildly depressing and I'm not convinced they don't put you up here to show you what your "options" are. It worked.
We had just enough time to get cleaned up and head to our show at the Dixie Stampede. I will say that we thoroughly enjoyed the show, after getting through the 3 sets of pictures they make you take (which they present to you in the dark of the show and ask you to pay $20 each. I was not friendly with that guy either). The kids loved it and participated to the fullest. They divide up into seating sections, one for the "North" and one for the "South". We had requested the South, but were seated in the North. Apparantly, lots of people request the South. But, you know, the North did win, so I guess it wasn't too bad being over there. One thing we had heard about and prepared ourselves for was the lack of utensils in the place. You eat the food with your hands. Now, everything is finger-friendly food for the most part, except you have to drink your soup. Which was probably my favorite part of the meal. Brian devoured every part of his except the soup. He has texture issues and won't eat anything that isn't solid and has a crust or skin on it. Unless it's pasta with butter. Then he'll eat his weight in it.
Anyway, today we are headed to Silver Dollar City and I'm hoping it will be fun. I'm going to whack anyone that tries to take our pictures. Or kick them in their shin. They will get the point.
To be continued....
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Ruth Terral Squyres Chili Sauce (or Tomato Relish, whatever name you prefer)
Chili Sauce...Tomato Relish...a little taste of heaven...whatever you like to call it, it's just plain good. Granny (AKA Ruth Terral Squyres) used to make this tomato relish and we would use it over purple hull peas or butter beans, my favorite is on peas with some cornbread.
First a little disclaimer...I am positive there is more than one way to do canning. I did this the way my Mama told me to do it, like any good daughter should. The whole event entailed more than one phone call to her or to my Aunt Fannie (AKA the best cook in the family) to ask for advice. I've never tried to do any canning or preserves until today, and was quite intimidated by the idea, but all in all, I have to say, it wasn't too bad. I'm really quite proud of myself and the product. We'll see if anyone else is!
Ok, on to the recipe. You need the following ingredients for one batch, although, I doubled the recipe and came out with 19 1pt jars. Which is a nice amount for keeping some for yourself and rationing out the rest to needy, begging family members. Ok, back to the ingredients..you need:
1/4 bushel ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped. ( this is about 10 medium-large tomatoes, if you aren't sure, ask the person you are buying them from. Do not use Hot House tomatoes!!!)
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (or more if you like it sweeter, you can adjust as you go)
4-6 vidalia onions, chopped finely
2-3 large green bell peppers, chopped finely
3 hot chili peppers, chopped finely (you can seed them for less heat)
salt and pepper to taste
And this is how I did it:
First a little disclaimer...I am positive there is more than one way to do canning. I did this the way my Mama told me to do it, like any good daughter should. The whole event entailed more than one phone call to her or to my Aunt Fannie (AKA the best cook in the family) to ask for advice. I've never tried to do any canning or preserves until today, and was quite intimidated by the idea, but all in all, I have to say, it wasn't too bad. I'm really quite proud of myself and the product. We'll see if anyone else is!
Ok, on to the recipe. You need the following ingredients for one batch, although, I doubled the recipe and came out with 19 1pt jars. Which is a nice amount for keeping some for yourself and rationing out the rest to needy, begging family members. Ok, back to the ingredients..you need:
1/4 bushel ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped. ( this is about 10 medium-large tomatoes, if you aren't sure, ask the person you are buying them from. Do not use Hot House tomatoes!!!)
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (or more if you like it sweeter, you can adjust as you go)
4-6 vidalia onions, chopped finely
2-3 large green bell peppers, chopped finely
3 hot chili peppers, chopped finely (you can seed them for less heat)
salt and pepper to taste
And this is how I did it:
Rinse the tomatoes off....
Chop them up!
Chop the bell peppers...my cute hubby was helping with this task...
Put all these chopped veggies into a large heavy duty stockpot, I used my Mama's 12 quart Magnalite stockpot. Again, I had doubled this recipe, so if you are doing one recipe, you won't need quite as large a pot, just make sure it's heavy duty. You don't want to scorch the bottom.
Chop the onions. I have to admit, I'm a weenie and used a food processor for this part. It was much faster and my sinuses thanked me afterwards.
Add 1 cup white vinegar. ( I did 2, since I was making double recipe)
Add 1 cup sugar (again, I did 2 since I was doubling the recipe). This is something that will be to your taste, as well. Some people like thier relish sweeter than others. I prefer mine sweet with a little heat. I ended up adding about another cup of sugar as it cooked.
Add salt to taste....
My general rule of thumb when a recipe says "to taste" is to sprinkle over the entire surface of the pot, stir well, wait about 10 minutes and taste and then add as needed, following the same procedure each time.
Do the same with the pepper....
Wash and then finely chop about 3 chiles and add to the pot. I'll show you what I did with the rest in a little bit.
Let cook 3-4 hours over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently (like every 5-10 minutes), making sure to stir all the way at the bottom of the pot.
You will sterilize your jars while this is all cooking. I did mine in the dishwasher on the hot wash and heat dry setting. Works perfectly. Let them heat dry in the dishwasher and then take them out and get them set up on the counter ready for service. Make sure the rims and lids are all clean and dry when you get ready to seal. You will want to have a canning funnel, or a funnel that has a larger opening, but not larger than the mouth of your jars. I couldn't find one at the stores, so I just cut the bottom out of a regular plastic funnel that I had on hand all ready, and it worked fine. Once your relish is cooked and ready for jarring, start dishing it up into the jars. I used my Pyrex 1 cup measuring cup to do this. And, FYI, you will want a second pair of hands to help you out with this step. One person to do the pouring into jars, another to wipe the mouth of the jar and place the lids on. Pour the relish into each jar to the curve of the mouth, and make sure the rim is clean. Place the flat lid on, and then the screw lid, but don't screw it on tight yet. You will wait until the jar has sealed and the lid has "popped" before sealing the screw-on lid completely. This could take an hour or so. Be patient.
Once completed, I had 19 1 pint jars of relish.
See? Isn't it the prettiest thing you've ever seen? Granny would be so proud of me.
Now, get you some labels and write the name and date of the product on it and stick to the jar once it has cooled completely. Save plenty for yourself and then share with the people you love, or share with the people you hate so they will hate you for knowing how to make this wonderful stuff.
Now...for those leftover chiles...
Take an empty bottle, we used an empty 750ml Tequila bottle that somehow appeared at our house. Make sure it is clean and dry. Take those chiles and trim off the stems. You want enough to fill the bottle up to the stem. Next, boil about 2 1/2 cups of white vinegar. Once boiling, use a funnel and pour the boiling vinegar into the bottle. Put the lid on, but don't seal completely until cooled. You will have a beautiful bottle of pepper sauce that will look like this:
Pepper sauce is great over anything...fried fish, french fries, turnip greens, peas...anything. When you start running low, you can just boil more vingar and add it to the bottle. The peppers will continue to infuse the vinegar for a LONG time. I've known people to use the same peppers for more than a year.
Now, let me spend some time talking about my Granny. Granny came to live with us shortly after my grandfather died. I can't remember Granny not living with us. A very large portion of my childhood, I shared a bedroom with Granny. She was beautiful and knew all of my secrets. I learned lots of life's lessons from her and will forever treasure and be thankful for having the blessing of her in my life. I'm not sure my mother knows how thankful we are that she came to live with us, but I think she has an inkling. Granny could tell a simple story that seemed like a fairy tale. She would laugh and throw her head back and put her hand on her chest, she laughed with everything she had. I remember Granny as being a lady, prim and proper, and respectful.
I remember when Granny got sick with cancer, I think many of us were in denial that it was happening, even though we were a part of her daily care and were witnessing her health decline. Somedays it just doesn't seem real that she is gone. She died in February 1997, about a year and a half before I married Richard. He knew her briefly, and most of that time she was sick. Each time he came to the house was like the first time she had met him. I remember laying on her bed one day, about 3 weeks before she died, and telling her that I knew I was going to marry him. She just smiled and patted my head.
I think of all of her great-grandchildren that she has yet to meet, that would have kept her in stitches. When I look at Rachel and Brian and think of Granny, I remember all the times I laid on the bed with her listening to stories, laughing and crying, and thinking of how she would have loved my kids. All of the great-grand kids. I'm thankful to know that the 2 babies I have in heaven are in her presence.
I see my children with my mother and with Richard's mother, and see so much of that same relationship between them and realize that they have something just as special. What a blessing!!!
Even more so, I am so thankful to know that one day, I will see my beautiful, healthy grandparents in heaven, and what a day of rejoicing that will be!!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Fear
Frozen in terror. Panic-stricken. Scared stiff. All of those things applied to me when I woke up this morning at 2am to see a man standing next to my bed (and MY man was laying in bed next to me). He had his back to me and as my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest and kung fu chop him, I couldn't bring myself to speak or to move.
Finally the man made a noise...
....that sounded an awful lot like my 6 year old daughter Rachel.
I thought I was going to pass out. Rachel was standing on the side of my bed, on the bedrails. Which happened to make her much taller than she really is. She was also holding her bundle of blankets that are a must-have for her to sleep. Which made her appear much bulkier than she really is.
I had those few moments of uncertainty that were full of terror, where I was convinced I was about to be bludgeoned to death in my bed by some man that was staring at the lamp on my nightstand, and then realized it was just my daughter needing to be comforted by her own bad dream. Relief flooded over me, then that feeling of loving being a mom and being needed by my baby when she wanted comforting.
Lying there afterwards, trying to get my heart back to a normal rate of beating, I thought about how often in life I see a situation that at first seems of certain disaster and spend those moments of panic and fear of how I'm going to handle the problem...rather than my instinct being to turn to God and rely on His protection and grace and provision. My daugther's first instinct in her time of fear was to run to me, her protector and provider, because she knew I would be there to do that for her. My first instinct was to figure out how in the world I was going to grab the baseball bat by my nightstand with this man standing right next to it at the same time.
My prayer is that I will continue to grow in my faith, and hand over my fears to God. He has gotten me through so many different problems and fears in my lifetime, and I still try to keep control of things myself. I can say that is human nature, but we are called to give these things over to God, which tells me that if we are of Him, if we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we are capable of living up to that calling.
Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Amen.
Finally the man made a noise...
....that sounded an awful lot like my 6 year old daughter Rachel.
I thought I was going to pass out. Rachel was standing on the side of my bed, on the bedrails. Which happened to make her much taller than she really is. She was also holding her bundle of blankets that are a must-have for her to sleep. Which made her appear much bulkier than she really is.
I had those few moments of uncertainty that were full of terror, where I was convinced I was about to be bludgeoned to death in my bed by some man that was staring at the lamp on my nightstand, and then realized it was just my daughter needing to be comforted by her own bad dream. Relief flooded over me, then that feeling of loving being a mom and being needed by my baby when she wanted comforting.
Lying there afterwards, trying to get my heart back to a normal rate of beating, I thought about how often in life I see a situation that at first seems of certain disaster and spend those moments of panic and fear of how I'm going to handle the problem...rather than my instinct being to turn to God and rely on His protection and grace and provision. My daugther's first instinct in her time of fear was to run to me, her protector and provider, because she knew I would be there to do that for her. My first instinct was to figure out how in the world I was going to grab the baseball bat by my nightstand with this man standing right next to it at the same time.
My prayer is that I will continue to grow in my faith, and hand over my fears to God. He has gotten me through so many different problems and fears in my lifetime, and I still try to keep control of things myself. I can say that is human nature, but we are called to give these things over to God, which tells me that if we are of Him, if we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we are capable of living up to that calling.
Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Amen.
Monday, July 12, 2010
I though pheremones are supposed to make you feel good???
So...I'm back on the wagon. The exercise wagon, that is. I started again this morning with Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. I've decided I hate Jillian Michaels. Jillian Michaels is not my friend. She made me do things I did not want to do and I am feeling it afterwards. I think it's a safe bet that I'm going to have trouble moving tomorrow. But, I'm pretty sure I'll get up and do it all again anyway.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Melissa's Shrimp and Crab Fettucinni
Melissa’s Shrimp and Crab Fettuccini
1 pkg fettuccini
1 stick unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small pkg mushrooms, chopped
½ large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ cups pinot grigio, or other white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp Old Bay
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
8 oz back fin crab meat
½ cup Grated Gruyere Cheese
½ cup Grated Fontina Cheese
½ cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Cook Fettuccini according to package directions, drain and set aside. Melt butter in large Dutch oven. Sautee bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Slowly add wine, whipping cream and Old Bay, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add shrimp and crab meat, stirring well to combine. Let simmer until the shrimp are pink and done. Add cheeses and stir well. Let simmer 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Mix in fettuccini. Serve with garlic bread and green salad and a big glass of Pinot Grigio (or whatever wine you cooked with). YUM.
1 pkg fettuccini
1 stick unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small pkg mushrooms, chopped
½ large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ cups pinot grigio, or other white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp Old Bay
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
8 oz back fin crab meat
½ cup Grated Gruyere Cheese
½ cup Grated Fontina Cheese
½ cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Cook Fettuccini according to package directions, drain and set aside. Melt butter in large Dutch oven. Sautee bell pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Slowly add wine, whipping cream and Old Bay, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add shrimp and crab meat, stirring well to combine. Let simmer until the shrimp are pink and done. Add cheeses and stir well. Let simmer 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Mix in fettuccini. Serve with garlic bread and green salad and a big glass of Pinot Grigio (or whatever wine you cooked with). YUM.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Summertime....
Yay for vacation!!! We just returned from a mini-vacation with some of our very good friends. My sweet friend Becky and I have known each other since 1984 and have been friends ever since. Her husband and my husband went to high school together and were college roommates, and when Richard and I started dating, she and Courtney soon followed suit. We've all been together ever since, they just celebrated their 12th anniversary in April and Richard and I will have our 12th in November. Anywho....we travelled to Lake Cheaha State Park in Alabama's Talladega National Forest. It was breathtakingly beautiful there. God's hands were seriously at work when he created this place. Here's a few pics from the weekend....
Me and my sweet husband...
Me, Sweet Hubs, and Precious Kids...
Father and Son moment...
can't help but love him...
me and my sweet friend...Queens of the Mountain!
this was a little nerve-wracking for me!
So, the weekend was full of fun stuff and of course, lots of yummy food. The men kept us fed with grilled burgers, steaks and chicken each night throughout the weekend and Becky and I took turns cooking breakfast. The first morning, Becky made a fabulous breakfast casserole full of tasty ingredients and the next morning I made pancakes, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman's recipe, always tasty! We did 3 different hiking trails, each a different level of difficulty and with equally amazing views of the area. The kids spent the evenings catching lightening bugs and playing tag. It was really nice to see them let go of the idea of TV and video games for a weekend and really embrace the options. They all got along the entire weekend, which made it even better!
The last afternoon there, we decided to take them out to the lake (which was really just a big pond) to go swimming. It was a nice area with a beach and a marked off swimming area where the water never got higher than waist deep. They had an additional area for swimming that was deeper and there was a floating pier that the braver big kids were jumping off into the water doing all kinds of somersaults that made me nervous. Becky and I were happy our kids didn't go over there. We were just getting ready to start heading back to the cabins when we noticed alot of commotion going on over in that deeper area and there were atleast 15-20 men that kept diving under as if they were looking for something. Quickly we realized they were searching for a person and after about 10 minutes of diving, they found the man and got him up onto one of the paddle boats they had out there. Those 15-20 men swam and pushed that boat over to the pier where a couple of people took turns performing CPR on this man. Tragically, they were unable to revive him. I think I can speak for myself, Richard, Becky and Courtney when I say, this was the last thing we expected to witness over the weekend and certainly was the last thing we wanted our kids to see. When we were finally able to leave the park area (the entrance/exit was blocked with park ranger and emergency worker vehicles), we were heavy-hearted and a little in shock of what we had just seen. We've yet to find out all the facts, but what we gathered from the other bystanders was that they believe the man had a heart attack while swimming. He was 54 years old. The rest of our evening was bittersweet, as we tried to enjoy our last night together as our thoughts kept returning to what we had seen.
All in all, for many reasons, this will be a vacation that we will never forget. We returned home counting our blessings and thankful for the time we'd been given to spend with each other. When we got home, we had to take our son straight to check in for his first time ever at church camp. (Sobs from me...) I can't believe my little man is old enough to be at an overnight camp for a whole week! I can't wait to hear about all of his experiences and friends that he makes this week. I have to admit, I had a hard time leaving my baby there after what we'd seen happen this weekend, but I have no doubt God's protection is around him and each of the campers there.
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July, and took time to be thankful for our independence and for the salvation that we are free to enjoy!
Monday, June 14, 2010
my best friend...today.
Remember when you were a little kid, and you could meet someone (and by "meet" I mean start playing with this person without even asking their name) and within 5 minutes you would say they were your best friend? Sunday at church, I went to get Rachel out of her Sunday School class and she hugged this little girl when she was leaving the room. When we were walking off, she said "that girl is my best friend, Mommy", to which I replied, "what's her name, Rachel?". She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders "I don't know, Mommy." Isn't it funny how our relationship with Jesus can be that way? We can say that He is our best friend, and be so close to Him when it's convienient, but we don't really take the time to get to know Him. We don't put the effort in our daily lives to learn about Him and everything He has to offer.
I have lots of "best friends" in my life, but I don't know that I can honestly say that I've dedicated my friendship to Jesus on a level that I have to other people in my daily life. I'm trying, and I'd like to think that when I have a problem or just need to talk to someone, that I would call on Him first, but I know that I have atleast 4 or 5 other people on that list that I think to call on first. How different it might be if I tried talking and listening with Him before I sought advice and wisdom from others. That's not to say that my friends don't offer good advice, I'd like to think that I've surrounded myself with people that also are prayerful and seeking Christ in their lives. I suppose this goes both ways, when someone calls upon me for advice or encouragement, I should take the time to seek Christ before I offer them any words of direction...hmm. Perhaps I need to just start out my day with God and just ask Him to guide my conversations better?
I have lots of "best friends" in my life, but I don't know that I can honestly say that I've dedicated my friendship to Jesus on a level that I have to other people in my daily life. I'm trying, and I'd like to think that when I have a problem or just need to talk to someone, that I would call on Him first, but I know that I have atleast 4 or 5 other people on that list that I think to call on first. How different it might be if I tried talking and listening with Him before I sought advice and wisdom from others. That's not to say that my friends don't offer good advice, I'd like to think that I've surrounded myself with people that also are prayerful and seeking Christ in their lives. I suppose this goes both ways, when someone calls upon me for advice or encouragement, I should take the time to seek Christ before I offer them any words of direction...hmm. Perhaps I need to just start out my day with God and just ask Him to guide my conversations better?
pics of the food from Memorial Day..
Mike's grouper with shrimp and basil cream sauce
My Ruby Red Trout with crabmeat stuffing and crawfish sauce..
This was Richard's Mahi with scallopsSaturday, June 5, 2010
Memorial Day by way of food...
Sigh. I really wish I could/would make the time to get on here more often. Many days, in the middle of my craziness that is going on, I think of things I'd love to blog about, even start writing it out in my head, and then never proceed to getting it out on the keyboard.
We've had such busyness going on the last few weeks...We celebrated Memorial Day with a short trip to New Orleans to stay with Richard's brother. We took the kids to the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium. We made a short walk through the French Quarter, trying to avoid the spots that might evoke some questions from our dear children that we weren't ready to answer. It was so hot down there, but we enjoyed our trip and really enjoyed the food we got to eat! The first morning there, we ate at the original Broken Egg Cafe. I recently heard of this restaurant because they have opened one in Shreveport, and the owners are friends of my husband's parents. Anyway, when we saw they had one there in Mandeville, we decided to check it out. All I can say is, if the one in Shreveport is a fraction as good as this one was, they will be around for a long time. Richard and I, our 2 kids and our niece went in for breakfast around 9:30. Brian and Tori wanted pancakes, and Rachel ordered French Toast. Very reasonable portions and the price was even better, and on top of that, the food was fabulous! Richard ordered a dish called Crab Covallo which basically was Egg Benedict served on top of crabcakes. It. Was. Awesome. I think I stole a few bites. I had one of their potato skillet dishes with chicken, bell pepper and onion. It was delightful, as well. We will definitely be making a trip to the one over on Pierremont Rd. very soon.
Later that evening, after our long hot day at the zoo, we had reservations at Rips Seafood on the Lakeshore, also in Mandeville. (Richard's brother that we stayed with lives in Mandeville). We had reservations to eat dinner on the front porch, overlooking the lake, however, when we got there a large group had taken up the entire porch and wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. So, we ended up having to sit in the very back corner of the restaurant. I wasn't excited about that at first, but quickly had my attention diverted by the awesomeness of the food we ate. For an appetizer, we ordered calamari and the stuffed mushrooms. The calamari was good, but nothing too extraordinary. The stuffed mushrooms, on the other hand, were a little piece of heaven. They were stuffed with a crabmeat stuffing and cheese, battered and deep fried and served with a white dipping sauce. They were the size of baseballs, and easily could have been a meal themselves. On to the main courses...Richard ordered the Mahi and Scallops, which he loved. Mike ordered the Grouper with Basil Cream Sauce and Shrimp and pretty much cleaned his plate. I had the Ruby Red Trout with Crabmeat Stuffing and Crawfish sauce that was awesome! I have pictures of each of our dishes, but can't figure out how to put them in my blog...will have to work on that.
We also made the traditional stop for beignets at Cafe Du Monde and also ate lunch at a nice little restaurant in the French Quarter called River Edge (I think). I had a wonderful shrimp po-boy there and shared some corn and crab bisque with my hubby. It was delicious.
Then on Sunday we travelled up to Carencro to Richard's younger brother, Chris's house. We spent the evening relaxing and talking while Chris and Richard hovered over the grill preparing a feast of grilled meats to include chicken, ribs, sausage, stuffed mushrooms...it was so good! Chris had bought all of these things at Don's Specialty Meats Market, which we made a stop by on our way out of town the next morning and spent over $100 on different meats to bring home. I can't wait to cook some of them.
Anyway, so most of our weekend was about eating, but we did take time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. I felt very blessed to be sharing it with my soldier, recently returned home from Afghanistan, when so many are separated from their loved ones this holiday. Also, in the area, last weekend was a funeral for a local soldier that was killed by a roadside bomb. What our country would be without the sacrifices so many have made. So many go and fight for our country, without hesitation. And they don't even know me, or you. Very similar to the Ultimate Sacrifice that our Lord made for each of us, giving up His Son so that we could live a life of freedom in salvation. So take some time, and remember who and what you are thankful for...and give thanks to them.
We've had such busyness going on the last few weeks...We celebrated Memorial Day with a short trip to New Orleans to stay with Richard's brother. We took the kids to the Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium. We made a short walk through the French Quarter, trying to avoid the spots that might evoke some questions from our dear children that we weren't ready to answer. It was so hot down there, but we enjoyed our trip and really enjoyed the food we got to eat! The first morning there, we ate at the original Broken Egg Cafe. I recently heard of this restaurant because they have opened one in Shreveport, and the owners are friends of my husband's parents. Anyway, when we saw they had one there in Mandeville, we decided to check it out. All I can say is, if the one in Shreveport is a fraction as good as this one was, they will be around for a long time. Richard and I, our 2 kids and our niece went in for breakfast around 9:30. Brian and Tori wanted pancakes, and Rachel ordered French Toast. Very reasonable portions and the price was even better, and on top of that, the food was fabulous! Richard ordered a dish called Crab Covallo which basically was Egg Benedict served on top of crabcakes. It. Was. Awesome. I think I stole a few bites. I had one of their potato skillet dishes with chicken, bell pepper and onion. It was delightful, as well. We will definitely be making a trip to the one over on Pierremont Rd. very soon.
Later that evening, after our long hot day at the zoo, we had reservations at Rips Seafood on the Lakeshore, also in Mandeville. (Richard's brother that we stayed with lives in Mandeville). We had reservations to eat dinner on the front porch, overlooking the lake, however, when we got there a large group had taken up the entire porch and wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. So, we ended up having to sit in the very back corner of the restaurant. I wasn't excited about that at first, but quickly had my attention diverted by the awesomeness of the food we ate. For an appetizer, we ordered calamari and the stuffed mushrooms. The calamari was good, but nothing too extraordinary. The stuffed mushrooms, on the other hand, were a little piece of heaven. They were stuffed with a crabmeat stuffing and cheese, battered and deep fried and served with a white dipping sauce. They were the size of baseballs, and easily could have been a meal themselves. On to the main courses...Richard ordered the Mahi and Scallops, which he loved. Mike ordered the Grouper with Basil Cream Sauce and Shrimp and pretty much cleaned his plate. I had the Ruby Red Trout with Crabmeat Stuffing and Crawfish sauce that was awesome! I have pictures of each of our dishes, but can't figure out how to put them in my blog...will have to work on that.
We also made the traditional stop for beignets at Cafe Du Monde and also ate lunch at a nice little restaurant in the French Quarter called River Edge (I think). I had a wonderful shrimp po-boy there and shared some corn and crab bisque with my hubby. It was delicious.
Then on Sunday we travelled up to Carencro to Richard's younger brother, Chris's house. We spent the evening relaxing and talking while Chris and Richard hovered over the grill preparing a feast of grilled meats to include chicken, ribs, sausage, stuffed mushrooms...it was so good! Chris had bought all of these things at Don's Specialty Meats Market, which we made a stop by on our way out of town the next morning and spent over $100 on different meats to bring home. I can't wait to cook some of them.
Anyway, so most of our weekend was about eating, but we did take time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. I felt very blessed to be sharing it with my soldier, recently returned home from Afghanistan, when so many are separated from their loved ones this holiday. Also, in the area, last weekend was a funeral for a local soldier that was killed by a roadside bomb. What our country would be without the sacrifices so many have made. So many go and fight for our country, without hesitation. And they don't even know me, or you. Very similar to the Ultimate Sacrifice that our Lord made for each of us, giving up His Son so that we could live a life of freedom in salvation. So take some time, and remember who and what you are thankful for...and give thanks to them.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Much about alot...
So...we're coming up on Week 3 of our work out that we've done really well at, and the last 4 days I've been unable to do anything due to a nasty stomach bug I can't seem to shake. Although, I think I've lost more weight in the last 4 days than in the last 3 weeks...hmm.
These last few weeks have been wonderful because my husband has been home, but crummy because I have been sick most of that time with either a upper respiratory infection and now this stomach virus. I'm preparing to have my 4th ear procedure this coming Friday, and as long as there are no unexpected findings (aka, another tumor), it should be a quick procedure with no real operation needed. The dr will reconstruct my hearing bone and I am expected to come out of it with almost perfect hearing. I'm excited about that!! However, he did tell me at my last appointment that he would not be surprised if he finds another tumor, which kind of disappointed me, but I'm hoping he was just trying to prepare me for the worst case scenario. As much as I'd like to do this procedure and be done with it, I know this is something I'll have to deal with forever, and am trying to embrace it as something God has given me for a reason. I'd never heard of a cholesteatoma until I had it, and since then, I have had the opportunity in the most random of places to meet a few different women that have also had this and those have been blessings. It's always nice to know you aren't the only one to deal with something, but also to see how they have managed and vice versa. Not to mention, it is a way for me to share about my faith and how God has carried me and my family through the last few years of dealing with this. I know that this could be something much more serious, and that it's not, I'm thankful. Neither of my children seem to have the issues that I had at their ages with my ears, and I'm thankful for that as well. The fact that there are surgeons that know how to correct this problem and restore my hearing, I'm just in awe. God is good, isn't He?
Next week, my baby girl is going to "graduate" from kindergarten. I can't believe so much time has passed that she will be going into first grade. Brian will be starting 4th grade next year. How did they get this old? How did I get this old? I pray that I don't miss all the little things that matter. I often find myself frustrated when I'm trying to finish up my day of work in the afternoon right after they get home from school, and feeling torn between them and work. I try to take a few minutes away from my desk and give them full attention, getting them started on homework and a snack, so I can get finished around the same time they do. They are both such blessings to my life, each with their own personality and characteristics that make them unique and special. Brian has entered that age of goofiness that all boys seem to go through at this age, and is ever the entertainer. Rachel is all girl, but enjoys the outdoors as well, and is testing the waters of sassiness each day. The challenges of teaching them how to not only behave and be respectful, but to be young Christians as well, is ever present and the battle to teach them how to recognize the difference between wordly things and Godly things is a tough one. But nevertheless, it is a battle that Richard and I are committed to fighting, and prayerful about.
Richard returned to work today for the first time since he got back from his deployment. He'll have to take off for a few things over the next few weeks, but I think he was kind of ready to get back into a routine. He was able to spend a few quality days fishing last week, and was happy about that. We are still waiting to get our date night alone. We were supposed to go this past Friday night, but my stomach bug had different plans. So, hopefully in a few weeks after my surgery, after the "men in the family" fishing trip, after this, after that...we'll get to have a date night. Those have always been important to us and we've always tried to make them a priority in our marriage. We did get to go to lunch and movie on his birthday last week, and that was a nice treat, as we hardly ever do daytime dates. It was actually less expensive than a normal date, because the kids were at school, we didn't have to pay a babysitter, we were able to order off the lunch menu (cheaper prices) and we paid for a matinee movie. I love that man, and I'm so happy to have him back home safe and sound. I've hated being sick the last couple of weeks, but what a difference it is to be sick when your sweet hubby is home to help tend to things, and with a happy, willing heart.
As I said in my title, this was much about alot...just the different things on my heart and mind today. I've rambled on long enough...
"My our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and stregthen you in every good deed and word." 1 Thessalonians 2:16
These last few weeks have been wonderful because my husband has been home, but crummy because I have been sick most of that time with either a upper respiratory infection and now this stomach virus. I'm preparing to have my 4th ear procedure this coming Friday, and as long as there are no unexpected findings (aka, another tumor), it should be a quick procedure with no real operation needed. The dr will reconstruct my hearing bone and I am expected to come out of it with almost perfect hearing. I'm excited about that!! However, he did tell me at my last appointment that he would not be surprised if he finds another tumor, which kind of disappointed me, but I'm hoping he was just trying to prepare me for the worst case scenario. As much as I'd like to do this procedure and be done with it, I know this is something I'll have to deal with forever, and am trying to embrace it as something God has given me for a reason. I'd never heard of a cholesteatoma until I had it, and since then, I have had the opportunity in the most random of places to meet a few different women that have also had this and those have been blessings. It's always nice to know you aren't the only one to deal with something, but also to see how they have managed and vice versa. Not to mention, it is a way for me to share about my faith and how God has carried me and my family through the last few years of dealing with this. I know that this could be something much more serious, and that it's not, I'm thankful. Neither of my children seem to have the issues that I had at their ages with my ears, and I'm thankful for that as well. The fact that there are surgeons that know how to correct this problem and restore my hearing, I'm just in awe. God is good, isn't He?
Next week, my baby girl is going to "graduate" from kindergarten. I can't believe so much time has passed that she will be going into first grade. Brian will be starting 4th grade next year. How did they get this old? How did I get this old? I pray that I don't miss all the little things that matter. I often find myself frustrated when I'm trying to finish up my day of work in the afternoon right after they get home from school, and feeling torn between them and work. I try to take a few minutes away from my desk and give them full attention, getting them started on homework and a snack, so I can get finished around the same time they do. They are both such blessings to my life, each with their own personality and characteristics that make them unique and special. Brian has entered that age of goofiness that all boys seem to go through at this age, and is ever the entertainer. Rachel is all girl, but enjoys the outdoors as well, and is testing the waters of sassiness each day. The challenges of teaching them how to not only behave and be respectful, but to be young Christians as well, is ever present and the battle to teach them how to recognize the difference between wordly things and Godly things is a tough one. But nevertheless, it is a battle that Richard and I are committed to fighting, and prayerful about.
Richard returned to work today for the first time since he got back from his deployment. He'll have to take off for a few things over the next few weeks, but I think he was kind of ready to get back into a routine. He was able to spend a few quality days fishing last week, and was happy about that. We are still waiting to get our date night alone. We were supposed to go this past Friday night, but my stomach bug had different plans. So, hopefully in a few weeks after my surgery, after the "men in the family" fishing trip, after this, after that...we'll get to have a date night. Those have always been important to us and we've always tried to make them a priority in our marriage. We did get to go to lunch and movie on his birthday last week, and that was a nice treat, as we hardly ever do daytime dates. It was actually less expensive than a normal date, because the kids were at school, we didn't have to pay a babysitter, we were able to order off the lunch menu (cheaper prices) and we paid for a matinee movie. I love that man, and I'm so happy to have him back home safe and sound. I've hated being sick the last couple of weeks, but what a difference it is to be sick when your sweet hubby is home to help tend to things, and with a happy, willing heart.
As I said in my title, this was much about alot...just the different things on my heart and mind today. I've rambled on long enough...
"My our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and stregthen you in every good deed and word." 1 Thessalonians 2:16
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Getting Fit
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
I think the original context of this scripture is referring to sexual immorality, and certainly we should honor God with our bodies in that way. But today, I'm reading it with a context of being physically fit. I have pretty much always been a thin person (give or take 2 pregnancies that I exploded with), but for most of my adult life, I've ranged between 120-135lbs. I'm 5'6", so this is pretty average for my height. However, I have also been pretty jiggly in all those places that no woman wants to be jiggly. Most recently, I have noticed the bat wing effect under my arms and that my butt and thighs don't stop moving when the rest of my body does. Now, granted, as I said before, I've had 2 children and I'm approaching my mid-30's. I've had 2 major surgeries on my head, gall bladder surgery, and a lumpectomy. I have a couple of attractive scars and stretch marks to reflect the joys God has brought to me during my 32 years. I was always pretty active in high school with sports, I played basketball, softball, and threw the discus and shot put in track. Back then, I was muscular. Since then, not so much.
My husband just returned from a 6 month deployment to Afghanistan. During those 6 months he worked out daily, lifting weights and running. He lost right at 30lbs and about 3 inches off his waist. We had to do an emergency shopping trip to get him some clothes that fit when he came home. He has a totally new outlook on taking care of his body and in that shadow, (and did I mention, he looks really good!!) I'm feeling a little insecure and less than mediocre about my own outlook.
In light of all this, we have decided to take on this new workout regemin, you may have heard of it, P90X. I think only mildly insane people can be excited about this task. We started Day One today. There are 3 different versions you can do, we are doing the "slightly less intense" version, called P90X Lean. Basically, you work out 6 days a week and each work out is between 50-90 minutes long, depending on which one you are doing that day. Did I mention you do a different type of workout each day?? They have workouts titled "Ab Ripper" and "Kenpo X"...I'm afraid. Very afraid. Anyway...today we started Day One. We had to take a before picture...Richard's was much more impressive..mine looked like one of those computer generated before pictures you see on TV ads for diet pills. I'm not going to share these beautiful testaments to the way I've treated my body over the last few years, but you get the idea.
So here's the deal. I'm making a commitment to change the way I treat my body..this gift, or temple, if you will, that God has created just for me to reside in for my duration on Earth. I want to be a better me. I want to be healthy and active and lean and toned...not lazy, sedentary and jiggly. I want my husband to be proud of my efforts and impressed by the results. I want to be proud of my efforts and impressed by the results. I want to be a good example to my children of what it means to respect the gift that God has given each of us in our bodies and what it means to honor Him with our bodies. Not just physically, but spiritually as well. You know, there is another scripture that seems to ruffle some feathers, but I'm going to mention it anyway. 1 Corinthians 7:4 is in reference to marriage, and says "A wife's body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife." So yes, I am doing this for myself, but also for my husband. I want him to enjoy looking at ME and to desire ME. If I'm not taking care of myself and turn into a jiggly, unhealthy mess, is this a reflection of how I respect him as well?
So, I'm going to leave with this pledge...I am going to complete this 90 day workout. I'm going to eat healthy for the next 90 days. If I can complete 90 days of this, I can do anything. I'll decide what anything is at the end of this 90 days. I love my husband and I love myself. I want to make this goal.
I think the original context of this scripture is referring to sexual immorality, and certainly we should honor God with our bodies in that way. But today, I'm reading it with a context of being physically fit. I have pretty much always been a thin person (give or take 2 pregnancies that I exploded with), but for most of my adult life, I've ranged between 120-135lbs. I'm 5'6", so this is pretty average for my height. However, I have also been pretty jiggly in all those places that no woman wants to be jiggly. Most recently, I have noticed the bat wing effect under my arms and that my butt and thighs don't stop moving when the rest of my body does. Now, granted, as I said before, I've had 2 children and I'm approaching my mid-30's. I've had 2 major surgeries on my head, gall bladder surgery, and a lumpectomy. I have a couple of attractive scars and stretch marks to reflect the joys God has brought to me during my 32 years. I was always pretty active in high school with sports, I played basketball, softball, and threw the discus and shot put in track. Back then, I was muscular. Since then, not so much.
My husband just returned from a 6 month deployment to Afghanistan. During those 6 months he worked out daily, lifting weights and running. He lost right at 30lbs and about 3 inches off his waist. We had to do an emergency shopping trip to get him some clothes that fit when he came home. He has a totally new outlook on taking care of his body and in that shadow, (and did I mention, he looks really good!!) I'm feeling a little insecure and less than mediocre about my own outlook.
In light of all this, we have decided to take on this new workout regemin, you may have heard of it, P90X. I think only mildly insane people can be excited about this task. We started Day One today. There are 3 different versions you can do, we are doing the "slightly less intense" version, called P90X Lean. Basically, you work out 6 days a week and each work out is between 50-90 minutes long, depending on which one you are doing that day. Did I mention you do a different type of workout each day?? They have workouts titled "Ab Ripper" and "Kenpo X"...I'm afraid. Very afraid. Anyway...today we started Day One. We had to take a before picture...Richard's was much more impressive..mine looked like one of those computer generated before pictures you see on TV ads for diet pills. I'm not going to share these beautiful testaments to the way I've treated my body over the last few years, but you get the idea.
So here's the deal. I'm making a commitment to change the way I treat my body..this gift, or temple, if you will, that God has created just for me to reside in for my duration on Earth. I want to be a better me. I want to be healthy and active and lean and toned...not lazy, sedentary and jiggly. I want my husband to be proud of my efforts and impressed by the results. I want to be proud of my efforts and impressed by the results. I want to be a good example to my children of what it means to respect the gift that God has given each of us in our bodies and what it means to honor Him with our bodies. Not just physically, but spiritually as well. You know, there is another scripture that seems to ruffle some feathers, but I'm going to mention it anyway. 1 Corinthians 7:4 is in reference to marriage, and says "A wife's body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife." So yes, I am doing this for myself, but also for my husband. I want him to enjoy looking at ME and to desire ME. If I'm not taking care of myself and turn into a jiggly, unhealthy mess, is this a reflection of how I respect him as well?
So, I'm going to leave with this pledge...I am going to complete this 90 day workout. I'm going to eat healthy for the next 90 days. If I can complete 90 days of this, I can do anything. I'll decide what anything is at the end of this 90 days. I love my husband and I love myself. I want to make this goal.
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