Not Me! Monday

I had thought I scheduled this to post yesterday while I was gone, but it apparently didn't work! (a little help here) So, here you go, a little late.

Also, MckMama, who hosts "Not me! Monday", didn't post yesterday as normal because her miracle baby who's now 8 weeks is in serious condition in the hospital with BAD RSV. Visit her here, read about their baby story, see the updates and pray for them.
~I am not finishing up writing this Sunday morning and scheduling it to post tomorrow because I'll be out of town with my friend Jenny who invited me to go to the beach with her! Not me!

~I did not actually look forward to my yearly appointment this last week just so that I could get out the house without my kids for 1 1/2 hours of heavenly quiet. I mean, come on, no one in their RIGHT mind would look forward to that! ...and I most certainly did not brave the ice and snow covered roads to get there. Nope, not me.

~And I absolutely did not just blog about my "yearly" appointment because that could be reeeeally embarrassing, humiliating, and just down right uncomfortable for me and those men who might just happen to read this mediocre blog. Wow, I'm sure glad I didn't do that.

~And I definitely did not put on way more movies than are good for my children in the hopes of alleviating some of the cabin fever going on in these parts, which in turn might keep the continual sibling rivalry from occurring. I would never, ever admit to that.

~And I do not carry my camera with me everywhere I go, because you just never know what you might see that you'll need to take a picture of, so you can blog about it later....

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what happened? what? I know I did not just start daydreaming about what my next blog post would be about. That would be really obsessive, and I just am not like that.:)

moving right along...

~I did not witness my oldest son smell 2 pairs of socks to see which were the old and which were the new so that he knew which pair to put on. Where would he learn something like that anyway? It couldn't possibly just come second nature to a boy...

Ok, I'm done for now. See you next week for the infamous Not Me! Monday edition.

Happy Birthday Jenny!!

I'm so thankful you were born and that we are now friends!! Yeah for me! God has truly blessed me with bringing you into my life. You know my love language and you speak it to me constantly. Thank you. Love ya! Can't wait to celebrate with you...see you soon:)

The Most Precious Gift

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." John 1:14


"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for ALL the people; for today in the city of David there has been born FOR YOU a Savior, who is CHRIST THE LORD." Luke 2:10,11


Dear Jesus,
There are not enough words in the human language to express the thanks that we have for the biggest and best gift this world has ever known. You.




This Christmas season you, more often than not, would have heard my daughter singing this song around the house, church, town...

Happy birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the tinsel and lights
And the presents are nice
But the real gift is You.

Happy birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the carols and bells
Make the holiday swell
And it's all about You

Happy Birthday Jesus,
Jesus I love you!

...and I couldn't agree more.

Wordless Christmas Eve

Not Me! Monday

I think I will not keep this short and sweet...

I did not (a couple of times this week) have gingerbread cookies for breakfast, further ensuring that I will need to work all the harder to lose this weight. Pshaw! Not me!

And you would also have not seen me several times this week walk outside in the middle of our apartment complex in my pajamas just to get some pictures of our wild snow and ice storms. That would be crazy!

And we absolutely did not have cold cereal for dinner one night this week. A special thanks to Michelle, for NOT putting this idea in my head!

I, also, did not feel pretty glamorous and good about myself this week when I got "dressed up" in nice JEANS and a sweater, because the rest of the week was spent in sweats, pjs, or velour track suit. I am NOT frumpy! June Cleaver's got nothin' on me;)

And I most certainly am not keeping certain things about this week to myself that the world wide blogging world probably could just do without hearing...another day, another Not Me! Monday...

C'mon people! I've got to break myself in slowly now.

You're turn. Join MckMama and the rest of us in keeping it real!

For Today...

FOR TODAY...Monday, December 22nd, 2008

Outside my window...Beautiful snow atop a thick layer of ice and more snowflakes a fallin'.

I am thinking...that I need to make myself exercise today.

I am thankful for...electricity. So many are w/o it right now and I'm grateful to be warm!

From the kitchen...smells of the Apple German Pancake I made for breakfast and the dishes from it:)

I am wearing...black velour pants, warm socks, gray shirt.

I am creating...space in our apartment? not sure how, but I'm tryin'.

I am going...stir crazy!

I am reading...sorry people - I'm still reading Shepherding a Child's Heart! Also, lots of recipes.

I am hoping...for that white Christmas in the "valley"...I think it's going to happen!

I am hearing...the kid's pretend playing in their rooms and getting along...for now:) And the never-ending dryer.

Around the house...snow gloves, boots, hats, pants, and coats drying out.

One of my favorite things...the quiet of the earth when it's covered with a blanket of snow. Oh, and watching my babies sleep.

A few plans for the rest of the week: At this point, I would be happy to just get out! Even if it's just the grocery store! AND dinner with our wonderful friends, the Blairs (if their powers back), Christmas Eve service and celebrating Jesus birth (and my friend, Jenny's:)).

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Emma says...

While driving in the snow and ice, trying to concentrate, she's asking a million questions, and I'm doing my best to answer but not get into a crash...

"You're a great expert, cause you know a lot of stuff!"

Thanks Emma!

....if she only knew...

God make you strong and valiant.

I love knowing the stories and meanings behind old hymns and carols and so when I came across this carol I decided to do a little research.

Just soak these words in first...

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,

This blessed Babe was born

And laid within a manger

Upon this blessed morn

The which His Mother Mary

Did nothing take in scorn

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father

A blessed Angel came;

And unto certain Shepherds

Brought tidings of the same:

How that in Bethlehem was born

The Son of God by Name.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

"Fear not then," said the Angel,

"Let nothing you affright,

This day is born a Saviour

Of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him

From Satan's power and might."

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings

Rejoiced much in mind,

And left their flocks a-feeding

In tempest, storm and wind:

And went to Bethlehem straightway

The Son of God to find.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem

Where our dear Saviour lay,

They found Him in a manger,

Where oxen feed on hay;

His Mother Mary kneeling down,

Unto the Lord did pray.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth deface.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

When we say the word "merry" in our modern times we're usually meaning happy or joyful. Yet, since this is one the oldest carols, back when it was written "merry" had a whole different meaning. In those times "merry" was used for describing something or someone that was great or mighty. Another word that is read differently is the word "rest" which also meant keep or make. So, for you, what would happen to the meaning of this song if instead of reading "God rest you merry Gentlemen" you read "God make you strong and valiant"?! ...let nothing you dismay. Why? Remember Christ, our Saviour was born on Christmas day. To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray!!

What tidings of comfort and joy THAT is!

Thanks to my old pastor, Curtis, I now started wondering where the word "Christmas" came from. Since, I didn't spend a ton of time on this, my findings could be a bit off, but what I did find was that it came from the words "Christ" and "Mass". Mass in Latin could mean liturgy which in turn pointed towards several words one of which was sacrifice. Christmas. Sacrifice of Christ. Wow. Christ coming to earth as a baby WAS sacrifice because it led Him to His ultimate sacrifice which was giving His life for us, so we could be saved for all eternity!

I will never speak those two words the same again...

Merry Christmas

Powerful Christmas

Powerful and mighty sacrifice of Christ!!

So, may God make you strong and valiant, may He give you rest, may you know and live the sacrifice of Christ, and may you have comfort and joy this wonderful season.



(now go back and read the words to that carol one more time OR sing them at the tops of your lungs)

Starring Lincoln as Alicia Keys

We like us a good Alicia Keys song every once in awhile. The song "No One" is one of our favorites of hers and it just so happens to be my ring tone for when Billy calls. This is what we heard Lincoln singing the other day:)


Don't forget to pause my playlist before playing the video. And you will need to turn it up. AND if you don't know the song, find it on my playlist at the bottom of my blog and listen to it so you know how good Lincs was:)

"Not Me!" Monday

I did NOT feed my children instant oatmeal for dinner one night this week, because I was rushed to get to Bunco and it was fast and easy. Nope, not me. What kind of mother would do that anyway?!

And I absolutely did NOT let my 1 1/2 year old son eat marshmallows out of the bag that he brought to me from the cupboard BEFORE he had breakfast...several days this week. That would be so not nutritious. I would NEVER do THAT!

I, also, did not have to hold my tongue when an older gentlemen behind me in line muttered (so I could hear) to his wife that some people should just take "no" for an answer and "doesn't she know what "no" means" and various other comments about me when the Walgreens cashier told me she could only take 1 of my coupons and I knew she could take more and she had to call the manager up (I ended up being right, but that's beside the point.) And I did not turn around and look at him, waiting for him to look at me while he purposely did not look at me (because he realized that I had heard him, which quite possibly could have been his intent all along, but oh well).

Phew. Did that make any sense?? (btw, in retrospect I should have turned and thanked him in the kindest way for being so patient with me and my couponing ways. Lesson learned. He probably just needed a little of Jesus' grace and joy and I totally messed up my opportunity to be the one to show it to him:(...)

I know there a few other things that I did NOT do this past week, but I did NOT save this until 11:41pm on Monday night to finish, thus making my brain mush and incapable of regurgitating any useful info. Nope. Didn't do it. So there you go....

...stay tuned next Monday for more things that I would never, ever in a million years, do.:)

A Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today... December 15th, 2008

Outside my window... Snow. Beautiful snow! and sunshine!

I am thinking...about maybe starting my own frugal blog...hmmm...this one still needs more thought.

From the learning rooms...I, yes me, am learning contentment in all circumstances.

I am thankful for...the peace and contentment we can find in our Lord, knowing that He is all we need.

From the kitchen...New recipes to try, leftover breakfast.

I am wearing...my pjs still:)

I am reading...the account of Jesus birth, and still Shepherding a Child's Heart (I'm reading it w/ a friend and we're going slow and discussing it).

I am hoping...for a white Christmas! ...is that too much to ask for on the valley floor??

I am creating...some tree decorations with the kids and yummy Christmas goodies to share.

I am hearing...Will and Emma outside in the snow with their Daddy!

Around the house...coupons to cut and file, laundry to put away, and "evidence" of my 3 little blessings.

One of my favorite things...the whole-hearted giggles of my children.

A few plans for the rest of the week...meet with my friend, Rhonda, a no-kids progressive dinner with the Woods and Rios', Emma's Christmas program, and I'm sure more as my week progresses.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Our apartment complex last night:)

Join us over here for more sharing!

This was my Thursday

They say a picture speaks a thousand words...

btw, after eating his own lunch, he decided to eat Emma's as well.
And, no, I never did change him out of his pjs...it was just one of those days.

For Today...

Join in the Monday sharing over at Peggy's Simple Woman...

FOR TODAY ... December 8, 2008

Outside my window...cold and clouds, but the sun is trying to peak through!

I am thinking...that I need to get off this computer and get my chores done:)

I am thankful for...friends that are always there when you need them!

From the learning rooms...in a home with kids, every rooms a learning room (even if you don't homeschool). Will and Emma learning to work as teammates instead of competing.

From the kitchen...dishes, recipes, clutter.

I am wearing...blue lounge pants, grey t-shirt, and socks.

I am creating...my couponing strategy for this week & some homemade Christmas decorations the kids can make (any ideas? I'm all ears...)

I am going...to start complimenting my husband every day, several times a day. (should have already been doing this one right?:))

I am reading...Shepherding a Child's Heart (very good), Brown Bear, Brown Bear (Linc's fav)

I am hoping...for God's redemption in a situation.

I am hearing...the dryer and Lincoln's "sleeping" music.

Around the house...no Christmas decorations yet:( they're all packed away at the house...

One of my favorite things...clean, tight sheets

A few plans for the rest of the week: Girl's Night Out, maybe MOPS, my couponing grocery trips, bake some cookies, sell some things on CraigsList, maybe a trip over the mountain...:)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...I NEVER get tired of baby bath pictures.

just a few...

...of the reasons I love my hubby...

~ He lets me sleep in...a lot.
~ He makes the kids chocolate chip pancakes...it's kind of become his "thing".
~ He takes all 3 kids places by himself.
~ He's goofy and makes me laugh.
~ He provides for our family - right now by working 2 jobs.
~ He's a hard worker and cares about what he does.
~ He helps tuck the kid's in every night AND prays with them.
~ He'll watch a good girly movie with me.
~ He truly desires to follow Jesus.

~ He has a beautiful singing voice.

~ He's generous with what we have...money or otherwise.

~ He sometimes does the dishes and laundry...without me asking:)

~ He's a caring husband, daddy, friend, son, brother...................

~ Oh and he's hot.

...there are, of course, a million more.

Just for the record...

I do NOT like Tuna Mac & Cheese bake! BLAH!

...I did manage to hide my dislike sickness, so the kids wouldn't be influenced to not eat it...

Experimenting

Lately I've become bored with my "usual" recipes and dishes I make for dinner. So I've been doing everything I can to get a little creative. Being creative with what's in your cupboards and what's on sale is a little challenging sometimes, though. But already this week I've twice used my family as lab rats. (hmmm. Not a great visual. Let's say, guinea pigs. ..sorry for bringing that up, Amanda.) And I have to say I'm pretty happy with the results. (see my chest puffed up with pride?)

So I just thought I would share...

(BOTH were made, by the way, with the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Double score for me!)

Dish 1:

Chicken Salsa Verde Bake (compliments of Rachel Ray's mag EveryDay)

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used the already cooked turkey meat
• aprox. 3-3 1/2 cups)
• Two 16oz jars of salsa verde
• One 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cups crushed tortilla chips
• One 8oz bag shredded Mexican-style cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 10-12 min. Let stand until cool, then shred the meat into a large bowl. Stir in the salsa, kidney beans, onion, and sour cream.
2. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, scatter 1 cup tortilla chips on the bottom and top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers and cover with the remaining 1 cup tortilla chips. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Tips: I didn't follow this recipe directly since I used the turkey. And I just used one 24oz jar of salsa verde - the full 32oz seemed like a lot to me. AND I didn't even come close to using the full onion and it was STILL too much onion (for me anyway). and I think next time I'll saute the onion first so it's good and soft.

Verdict: YUMMY!! I will be making this again. Next time, with chicken:)

Dish 2:

Turkey Corn Chowder - (I actually kind of made this super original :) recipe up after listening to what my mom does with her yummy Potato Soup (Thanks Mom!))

(I eye-balled a lot of things, so I don't have exact measurements. Sorry!)

• 8-10 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-size pieces)
• chopped onion (to taste)
• 2 cans of corn
• leftover turkey:) (to taste)
• 1 clove of pressed garlic
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• chicken bouillon (sprinkled in to taste)
• dried parsley (to taste)
• crushed red pepper (to taste)
• heavy whipping cream (added at the very end)

1. Place the potatoes, onion, all seasonings and water (make it as soupy or stewy as you like!) in a big pot.
2. Bowl until the potatoes are soft.
3. Add the turkey and simmer a little longer.
4. Add the heavy whipping cream just before serving.

Tip: It ended up VERY salty. Next time I'll probably leave the salt out and let people salt their own bowls.

Verdict: Total comfort food! Also, good for a cold or a cold winter's night:)

Bonus: Made a lot, so I get to freeze some for later! Woo hoo!

I know. I know. You're all super inspired now to try out those new recipes you've been wanting to try, right? ;) Well, my work here is done then.

I think Will needs some more camo...

You remember Where's Waldo...

Well, we were 1 pair of camo pants away from playing Where's Will. "Daddy, I'm over here."