Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and See you later!

Hey all my bloggin' friends! I wanted to let you all know I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS, a HAPPY NEW YEAR and that I will be signing off for about 2 weeks! We cut off the internet at home so I will not be able to post anything new for the next 2 weeks. We will have Christmas at our house (just the hubby, kids and I) and then on New Years Eve we will be leaving with the church to go ont he annual ski trip. The ski trip is usually during Spring Break, but Carlton likes to change things up a little so this is one of those things he has changed and hopes everyone likes it better. We have both been skiing during Christmas and Spring Break before and enjoyed it much better during the Christmas season. The snow is so much better this time of the year!

Anyway, we have just about gone broke buying things for the kids for the trip, it will end up being some of their Christmas presents that's for sure!

I hope I can use some of this time to reflect on some things. One being my bible study. The one I do on here is not the only one I do, and I have slacked off on it a few times lately, okay a lot lately. So I am contemplating putting it aside for a while because the one I do on here is the one I really need to do right now. So pray about that for me!

I am glad/thrilled to be going skiing but I also wish I was staying home. I really need to get some things done..........and........I was looking forward to spending a little more time with my mother than just a weekend once things get settled down again, but I am also thrilled that the kids will get to see snow (we don't see that here in South East Texas!). SO, I am feeling a little conflicted right now about it all.

I know my break will be a good one and I hope your's is too!! I'll have some pictures of a few "snow angels" when we get back!

Don't forget about this little angel. If you can help please do so!

Angela

Some funny stuff and More!

My Timothy is a character. He has had the most amazing and animated facial expressions since he was an infant! Last night he put some of those expressions to work along with his "I never meet a stranger" personality.

Wednesday's are the days I take Rachel to Baby Ballet. Usually, I drop Timothy off at the church with Carlton, they eat the family dinner, then Timothy heads to children's choir. But last night there was no dinner and children's choir has been put on hold until after the first of the year. So, Timothy went with me, which I protested, but lost and took him anyway. Besides, he has been asking when he would get to see Rachel in her ballet class.

We got there a few minutes early so the kids and I sat and waited. Then Timothy saw a little boy come out of one of the tap classes. He looked at me and almost giggled while asking "Why was that BOY in that dancing class with those girls?" I just looked at him and said, "I guess he wants to learn how to tap dance." Well I guess that was not enough explanation for him, because he got up and started walking over to the boy.........NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Timothy, come back!!!!

Luckily I stopped him before he got there....I KNEW that he was about to go ask the kid! And just asking the kid would have been okay, but I knew by the way he asked me the question that it would come across as, "Why are YOU taking that dance class.....BOYS don't take dance classes!" and that would not have been nice! Especially since I see the boy's mother their every week, sewing sequence on sweat shirts and other things for him!!!

ANYWAY.....it just couldn't end there......After Rachel went into her class Timothy got bored and was playing with my keys!

I have a mini-swipe card on my key ring for the local gym that Carlton and I frequent. (okay, I go about 2 times a week.....if I'm lucky!) Anyway, Timothy held it up and asked (anyone that was listening) "Do any of you go to Exygon (the gym)?" At first no one answered, so being the persistent kid he is he said it again, but louder....."Do any of you go to Exygon?"

There was one lady that heard him the first time and grinned, she is usually kind of quite and to herself anyway, but she humored him and said, "I don't, but I probably should!" He grinned, and I (for what reason I don't know, other than to make her feel more comfortable) said, "Well, Mommy doesn't go enough!" And do you want to know what my darling little boy said???????

He said......"Yeah.....and that is why your belly is getting bigger!"

OH NO HE DIDN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH YES HE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe that?????? I had to laugh........it was either laugh or kill him!!!!!!!!!!!!

You see I know the truth.....my belly is not getting bigger, as a matter of fact it had gotten smaller, but here lately it has stayed about the same. I guess that's because I haven't been going to the gym regularly!

Thanks Timothy!

Can you help?

Ok, you know the story....we go to someone's blog and that leads us to someone else, and then someone else....Well, I went to Daisy's blog today and she had a picture of this sweet baby. She is waiting for her Mommy and Daddy to come get her, but they need some help! All of this is so sudden for them and they desperately need some airline points....go see if you can help them!

Rachel's Appointment

Yesterday was our appointment at Texas Children's Hospital with Dr. G. We headed out at 5:30 in the morning, and other than the usual flopping around when trying to get dressed, Rachel did really well. Carlton and Timothy went with us and he did really well too. They both fell asleep on the way there of which I was glad.

I was so glad when we got there that Carlton had decided to come with me. Fannin Street, which runs in front of the hospitals, was blocked off with fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars! We needed to go down that street to get to another street that would take us to parking garage #16. Now, if you knew me really well you would know that this would normally set me in a panic! Carlton had the navigation on his new phone turned on so it recalculated the route, but everywhere it told us to go to get to the address we were given was blocked off. SO, we had to park several blocks away in a garage down in front of Methodist Hospital. Now, if I had been by myself and this had happened..........it would have gotten ugly...........but I had my "boy" there to help me!

Anyway, we found our way to one of the buildings marked as Texas Children's and I immediately found a receptionist and got directions to where we needed to be and we were there within a couple minutes! :) Then the next "disaster" happened! I had left my little thingy that holds all my credit cards and insurance cards and everything like that AT HOME!!!!! But at this time it was not really a BIG deal...I just turned to my man and asked him for his.........That is when it became a big deal!!!!!!!! (honetly this time it was only a big deal to me and not him....suprisingly!)

He looked at me and told me that his was in the truck. I looked at the receptionist and asked if we could just send in the payment and she said that they would not see us if we didn't pay first! SO, Carlton looked at me and asked me what the name of the garage was that we parked in and I told him. Then he quietly headed toward the elevators grinning and shaking his head. I knew what he was thinking....."if I hadn't come this whole situation would have just gotten ugly!" AND he was RIGHT. I just don't handle that kind of stress very well! Then when my man came back he was carrying....STARBUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!! You don't understand.....he thinks that place is nothing but a rip off. He just smiled and said, "Just remember who takes care of you!"

Anyway, for the part you all were really wondering about.....we finally got in to see the doctor. We sat and talked to him for about an hour....no kidding....we talked to him for about an hour about Rachel's diet, eating habits, exercise, behaviors....everything. Then he told us that he does not believe that it is an acid problem and told me to stop giving her the Previcid. He said that he believes that it is a bowel issue related to the consumption of sugar. We had already told him that we don't let them have a lot of sugary foods on a regular basis. Then he pointed out that with all the "holiday" foods that she has had in the past several months, since around Halloween, that she has had more sugar in her diet than usual for her. Therefore, causing much more discomfort.

We talked about how when she was about 18 months old we had a similar discussion about her. When he saw her then he basically cut out her apple juice and told me to giver her white grape juice if she wanted juice since it has less sugar, and then I had to put her on Lactaid milk. We did what he said then and the problem we were having (a severly distended belly) went away. But at that time, she was still on a pretty "parent guided" diet. Now she can pick and choose what she wants, in a lot of cases (church, daycare....). He stressed the importance of making sure she eats ALL the vegetables on her plate. He said we didn't have to make her eat everything else, but we needed to make sure she eats all her veggies........makes sense doesn't it! He said that he wants me to monitor the foods she eats, keep a log, to see how much sugar she is actually taking in daily.

Then he wants me to watch her poop! Yes her poop! He wants me to feed her something like corn, since it is not digestable, and see how long it takes it to come out. He said the normal passage of corn would be no longer than 24 hours. This would help him to determine more about her bowels. He said that a person could poop everyday and still be constipated. He told us about a patient he had one time that he diagnosed as being constipated and the parents acted as if he was crazy. He told them to feed her some corn and to let him know when it passed. So they did and 9 days later they called very concerned since the corn had NOT passed! They had to do some procedures on the poor child and now things are fine he says. He did not think this was the case with my little princess, but wants us to monitor that a few times to make sure.

Well, that's about it! Monitor her sugar intake and her poop and we will see if this makes a difference. IF it doesn't then we will make another appointment to discuss what's next. But if he believes this is the problem, then so do I. I have seen this man's "work" on some of my severly handicapped students in the past, and I trust him fully because of it!

Just keep her and us in your prayers. We are about to make some big changes in our diets at home. It will probably bother the little people in our house the most, but it might be an inconvience for the big people every now and then. But living healthier trumps a little inconvience!

Lord, I Want To Be Whole.

Sorry ladies...between sick children and my schedule at the school being a little bit crazy I was not able to post this weeks lesson. I will get it done on Monday. Not having internet (that works consistantly) at home makes this a little tough, but I am working on a solution for that.

Honestly I don't know how many of you actually read this study or are participating, but either way it has helped me to become more accountable in doing it myself. And for those of you who just stop by, look around, and possibly read the study, I do hope you are getting something from it as well.

Thank you for your prayers.

I would like to ask that you all continue to remember Rachel's little belly!

New Employee Assistance Program!

Today when I got to work there was an email from someone within our district that said this (along with some other details):

New EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
Effective January 1, 2008

District-paid benefit—no cost to employees!

The EAP plan covers limited mental health counseling, limited legal assistance, and limited financial assistance for employee, spouse, and eligible dependents.

Now, what does that tell you about the teaching profession! No wonder there were so many people dropping out like flies! Maybe now that the district is going to foot the bill for our mental health counseling, leagal assistance, and give us some financial assistance people will stay. Heck, they might even come back!

Oh, wait.......it covers LIMITED mental health counseling, LIMITED legal assistance, and offers LIMITED financial assistance.....well, maybe those that are in it will stay, but I don't think the others will be coming back now.

Anywho....just thought I would share that with you all!

Rachel's Appointment w/ Texas Children's

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The nurse from the office at TX Children’s just called and Rachel’s appointment there has been set for Tuesday, Dec. 18th, at 7:30 AM……I couldn’t tell them…”I live in Nederland, that is about a 1 ½ hour drive (or more if your are directionally challenged such as I) …” This was an opening because someone else cancelled! The earliest appointment otherwise was the END of February!!!! I can’t let her belly “burn” that long!!!! SO, with no hesitation, I told them I would see them at 7:30 in the morning on Dec. 18th!

For those of you who were not aware….she has been having some belly problems for a couple months now…recently she has been telling me and Carlton that her belly has “fire” and telling them at the daycare that it burns. So after talking to her doctor here and taking her to them several times, I (with support from Dr. McMahon) decided to take her back to Dr. Goplakrishna ( I call him Dr. G with his permission J) at Texas Children’s. He saw her when she was about 18 months old and “cured” the problem we were having then, so I feel totally confident that he will help us to find out what is going on with her now and take care of that too!

By the way, the blood that was drawn on Monday all came back just fine! Praise the Lord for that!

So, pray that morning that we have a safe trip and all goes smoothly!

Works for Me Wednesday

Ok, I know some of you may think this is a little "shady". But I am going to do it and it will work for me. Anyway, since I have been trying to do this CVS and reward bucks thing, I decided to move all my prescriptions, 4 between the fam and I, from Walgreens and HEB to CVS. Besides, it would be better and make more sense to have them all at one place right? Also since I have been trying to save a little money I have been looking through all the local ads and I discovered that Kroger always has a coupon in their flyer for $20 off groceries if you moved your prescription to their pharmacy. So, after a little investigating I have found out that I can move 1 presription per week to Kroger and get that $20 coupon. That will be a total of $100 in savings on groceries over the next few weeks. Then when it is time to get them all refilled, I will move them to CVS. And when I move them to CVS I will get some reward bucks for getting them filled there too! WOOHOO!!!!

Don't know if that would work for you, but it does for me!

For more WFMW head on over to Shannon's at Rocks in My Dryer.

My Man the EBAY Master

My man is the EBay master!!! Just yesterday it was decided that the kids and I will get to go on the annual ski trip!!!! At first I was a little apprehensive with the cost and the trip there and back......more the trip there and back than anything. But the Lord has provided a way for us to go, so the hunt begins for the clothes for such a trip. We live in South East TEXAS.....we don't just have heavy winter clothes hanging around! Much less clothes to ski in or play in the snow in. So I hunted Ebay this morning trying to find something for the kids. I went on this hunt with the intent of finding something CHEAP! I mean, it's not like they will wear these clothes forever or anything.....BUT......I came across this:

Go ahead....click on the picture and zoom in.....OH MY GOSH!!!!! It was TOO adorable to pass up! I just couldn't let it go!!!!! I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!!!!!! And I will not even be wearing it, but my little princess will look absolutely adorable in this because her daddy has some biddin' skills! It was coming down to the wire and I was about to loose it, and her daddy came in to save the day!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!! What an awesome daddy he is! And one day when she is much older and looks back at the pictures I will take of her in this suit she too will think he is pretty awesome!!!

I hope that is anyway!!

GO DADDY!!!

Look what I did!

Okay, I know it is not much, but for me it was an effort! I use to like being all "crafty", but for the last several years, okay since Timothy's birth to be exact, I haven't felt much like doing crafty things. Every Christmas I say I am going to do something with all those extra limbs we cut off our tree, but I NEVER do, and I am sure when I told Carlton I was going to save them, he probably rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever" to himself. But I proved to him and myself that I could get it done!

This was my first ever attempt at a wreath....nothing elaborate, just a simple metal ring, some floral wire and a bow that took me longer to make than it did the wreath! (Did I tell you I am not THAT crafty!)



Then there was all those limbs still left, so I had to do something with them....so I took a vase, put a bunch of them in it, placed some water in it and put a bow around it. (This bow was much more simple...just like tying a shoe!) I put it in our half bath. As you can see there isn't much in there....we still haven't found "the right mirror" for that room.....who am I kidding, we will be lucky if one ever gets put in there. (no really, we did finally decide to take some glass from the garage and get it cut and framed for that room.....just waiting on the money to do that with) Anway, after I loaded these pictures I did realize that I need to go home and move it a little....the pine needles look like they are poking into the plug!!!! Maybe I should go do that now! That is if my house is still standing!


Anyway, that is my latest attempt at being crafty! hope you like!

Be a Company Girl!

One of my favorite places to "hang out" is Rachel Anne's. She is such a talented writer and artists. I check her site daily to see what she has written. But I do that with all of you! I have found some sense of "belonging" here in this "blogging world" and to some of you that may sound a little "sad" or "pittiful", but it is true. Anyway, Rachel Anne is asking us all to be a "Company Girl". Head on over to her site read this post and leave a comment.

Now, about that "sense of belonging".....

Many, if not all of you, know that I am the wife of a minister. Some of you are too. So, let me ask you something, minister's wife or not. Why is it that people are so afraid to get close to someone just because they know the person will eventually leave?

My thought on that is this, "We ALL eventually leave." You see, I just don't like the excuse of not getting to know someone (a minister's family, a new employee at the plant and his family....) just because you know they won't be here for a lifetime! And by getting to know, I don't mean getting to know them on the surface, but instead, knowing their hearts, what hurts them, what makes them giggle, the kind of snack they like at the movie, even if the way they like to put the toilet paper on the roll!

Who says those friendships you make has to end when the other party "leaves?" Who says that a friendship can't grow once their is a distance between you? I have a few freinds that I can still call to this day and talk as if we never left each other's side. Sure, there will be "gaps" and there will be stories that we won't have in common, and names that we won't know, but who cares!

When you were in college did you not make friends because you were afraid of getting hurt at graduation when everyone went their own seperate ways? NO.....so why be that way now. I just don't get it!

Maybe it is not the moving away. Maybe people just use that as an excuse because they think that just because we are a "minister's family" we are "better than them" and that we would "look down" on their "sins". All I have to say to that is I think it is another excuse! We SIN just like anyone else. We have our issues, just like anyone else. We are not perfect, just like everyone else. So, what is the real reason?

I know this got a little off the subject of being a Company Girl, but for me it kind of goes alont with it all. As sad as it may sound, I have found that acceptance, belonging, feeling of "I have a place" here with all these "Company Girls".

Share with me what you think.

My Little Man on TV!

This morning Timothy's pre-K class was taking a small field trip to the South East Texas Food Bank. They were invited there by the Channel 12 news station out of Beaumont because their class/daycare gathered and donated something like 600 food items during the food drive that the station sponsored. We were told to set our recorder to tape that station some where around 10:50 today, that they would be live and there would be no way to get a copy of the shot.

Since this is Carlton's day off, and Rachel is home sick, Carlton was able to watch our little man's "show"!!!! He said at first you could not really see him, but then he noticed the camera's. Carlton said you could hear something (one of the kids talking) and then the reporter acknowledged him (our Timothy). She said, "Yes, you ARE on tv. Do you want to say "hi" to your Mom?" Then Carlton said he stood out, smiled real big, waved and said, "HI MOMMA!!" Then they asked him what he likes to eat and he said, "I like hotdogs and hamburgers."

Then they started talking about Christmas and told them that Santa was going to be so good to them since they were helping all these people and they asked him if Santa was going to be good to him this year and he told them "YES" grinning and shaking his head, then another little boy said, "Not me, I say a lot of bad words."

And that was the end of the segment.

Our little man stole the show!

Pondering!

WOW.....there are a lot of things in this life that I ponder. Most of those things are things that I sometimes am afraid to "share" for fear of someone thinking I am absolutely crazy, emotionally unstable (although I do feel that way from time to time), or for fear of someone questioning my salvation. But today I was over at a new "friend's" blog and came across her post titled The Real Me. Some may find it a bit lengthy, but it really explains a lot of things I do ponder, things that I am often afraid to say out loud.

I have found this new friend to be so open, honest, and REAL about how she feels and about what she is thinking and I love this. I find this to be mighty brave! Why do I find it brave? Well, many of us, Christians that is, are NOT so honest about such things. Even at our churches we don't "lay it all on the line". Instead we hide and cower behind the grace of God and his forgiveness, love and mercy. We know He will forgive us for the thoughts we have or the actions we take as long as we ask Him. We know He loves us. We are typically afraid that if we were to share this kind of "testimony" with our church friends they would look at us with that "poor you" look. Or better yet, from my own experience, they would ask you if you were "sure of your salvation." And being the wife of a minister, I feel we are questioned even more!

"YES, I know I am saved. I know who the Lord is and I believe in all that His word tells me! But I still have problems, don't you?" That is what I want to say.

Anyway, to my "new friend" ........... I too feel the same way. I too immerse myself in the Word and I still feel the same way. I know that there are many things in my past that need to be dealt with and I don't really know if it will change anything, but I am in the process.

Now I sit here and watch the cursor flash.....trying to think of something else to say, but it is not coming right now.......so I'll close, but I am sure there will be more to come.......

WFMW

Ok, so today's WFMW's assignment was to tell what kind of foods you make in a quick fix! My family loves rice, at least the kids and I do and the kids and I love beans. SO, there are many options for me especially when the hubby is gone. But when he is home, and I need something fast, here is one meal I can make (and I do not know the name)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. chicken breast (cubed)
• 2 tbs oil (veg. or olive)
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 cup instant rice (white or brown)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 can black beans (with jalapenos if you like extra spice!)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups shredded cheese (or less if you don't like it too cheesy)

Cook chicken in oil until done. Add salsa, taco seasoning and water. Cook until bubbly. Add rice and cover. Lower the heat to simmer for about 5 minutes, then (if using brown rice) allow to sit with lid on for another 5 minutes. After rice is done, stir in drained can of black beans. Cover the mixture with cheese and allow to sit with lid on for about 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Spoon onto plates and serve. Can be served with tortillas or tortilla chips. Sometimes we put the mixture on a tortilla then add a little sour cream and roll them up.

Pretty tasty!

Lord, I Want To Be Whole - Step 1: Release the Past, Part 1

Ok...after reading through some of this material this week I have decided that there may be many times when a "step" or chapter will HAVE to be broken into at least 2 parts. There is so much in this book and it can be very overwhelming.




Today's lesson is titled "The Foundation of Confession".




In this chapter Stormie talks about how she came to know Christ, and about the first time she went to see a Christian counselor at the church she was attending. She spent time telling this counselor all about her abusive childhood, and about how for years now she has found herself in and out of these depressions that she described as "emotional blackouts". She questioned how this could still be happening to her even after she came to know the Lord, got a good husband, a home and had no financial worries for the first time in her life. The counselor looked at her once she was finished and said, "You have bondage, Stormie, and you need deliverance." Bondage is the opression that comes upon us when we don't live the way we're suppose to. Deliverance breaks that oppression.




She then instructed Stormie to go home and write down EVERY sin that God brought to her mind. She told her to ask God to help her remember each incident, then to write it down and say, "God I confess this before You and ask Your forgiveness." She explained to Stormie that although we are forgiven of our sins when we accept Christ, we often live right in the middle of things from which God has liberated us. She went on to explain to her that, "recieving Christ meant being freed from this death grip. However, the bondage that accompanies each sin must have a point of severance through confession. Then she told her, "whatever you confess before God will release you from the bondage that accompanies it."



Remember, sin is an old archery term, meaning "to miss the bull's eye, or mark. Anything off the center of God's best and perfect will for our lives is sin. 1 John 5:17 says, "All unrighteousness is sin." When sin is left unconfessed, a wall goes up between us and God. Even though the sine may have stopped, it will still weigh you down. Stormie also wrote that there are many times we fail to see ourselves as responsible for certain actions. These are hidden sins. For example, while it's not your fault that soemone abused you, your reaction to it now is your responsibility.



Then in the workbook she asks us to begin this process starting with looking at the areas below and check in which areas we may have sinned. She says these are some pitfalls she will talk about in Step 6.

• Anger


• Criticism


• Envy


• Lust


• Lying


• Pride


• Rebellion against God

Then she says to be specific about the ways you have sinned in these or other areas during your childhood, your yough and your adulthood.

Moments in my Childhood:

Moments in my Youth:

Moments in Adulthood:

She then says to look back over the list and as you do so, say, "God, I confess this before You and ask Your forgiveness." Then think again. Ask God to reveal any hidden sins to you, and ask Him that same thing. Then she says to finally write a prayer asking God to fogive you for all the sins He has brought to your mind.

Ponder this:

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Stormie says that now that you have done this, you should take those pages and burn them. Your sins have been fogiven!

I did not write all this stuff down for me this time online. If so, I would not be able to burn them! You do the same. Our sins are only for us and God to know about, sure there may be a few that others are keenly aware of, but there are some that we wouldn't want ANYONE to know about I am sure! :)

Here are some scriptures to think on as you have this time of confession with God!

Proverbs28:13, John 1:9-10, Psalm 32:1-5, James 5:16, Mark 4:12, 2 Corinthians 2:10, 1 John 2:12

I will give you some time to ponder these things, then I will post the second half of this study; The Foundation of Ongoing Forgiveness

Prayer

Lisa over at the Preacher's Wife posted this prayer today after suffering a great loss in their community. I just had to share it with you all!

A Prayer of Loss

Dear Father,

Yesterday I stood at a greeting card display. In one hand a card for a mother who will soon birth her first child - in the other one for a friend who buried her only son today. In one hand life - the other death. The one hand is carefree - the other so burdened it can barely stand to bear the truth it confirms. The one exclaims, "I rejoice with you!" and the other whispers "I mourn."So is life. A continual ebb and flow of coming and going. Arrival and departure. Joy and pain. We are never ready for our loved ones to leave us, whether they be fresh from You or well-advanced in years. You have set it within our hearts to long for eternity. Eternity with You and with one another.And so today I worship. Not because I rejoice in suffering but in spite of it. I worship because there is one thing I know - You have provided the eternity for which we long. Many shake their fists in Your face when loved ones leave us when in truth, You are the One who provided a way for us to never have to say goodbye. Satan came to kill, steal, destroy, and eternally separate. You made remedy through the spilled blood of Your only Beloved Son. You are the Compassionate One who understands separation because You experienced it with Your own child on that dark day at Golgatha . What was the reunion like when Jesus finally returned home? My mind wonders and anticipates....There have been so many 'why's' in the past few days, so much anger for a loss friends and family can't comprehend. Dearest Father, may the words you sent my own heart in Job be the words for this family and community I so dearly love:
"But it is still my consolation, and I rejoice in unsparing pain,
that I have not denied the words of the Holy One." Job 6:10
If there be any consolation let it be that even when we couldn't see, we still believed.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. For we long.
Amen.

Pictures

I finally brought my camera to work....and I have spent the day off and on uploading a few pictures to share with you all. This is definitely a mixture of pictures. The first one is my favorite. We took a few last night at the house before the Christmas program.


Look....they love each other!

Oh, how sweet! This one will be used to show them that they DID love each other one day!

I knew my boy was "big" for his age, but this is him standing among the other 4 and 5 year olds. I guess having a Daddy that is 6'3" pretty much sets you up for being the "bigger" kid of the class.

When he is in children's choir, the back seat of the car, at the house or the day care, he sings loud and with NO hesitation, but this time, he got quiet! Hmmmm....

Me and "My Boy" before the Cowboys game. It was COLD...so cold that I put that dorky headband around my head to keep the ears warm! Carlton had fun laughing at me, but I could have cared less, I was freezing!

This one is very random I know, but I thought it was cute. Before we left to go to Irving for the game, Rachel just wanted me to take a picture of her "stwabeddy". Too Funny!

Timothy's first BLACK EYE!!! Not from anyone, just a bike wreck in the driveway! He was pretty banged up. This was day 2 after the accident.

Finally, this was the night all the soccer boys got their trophy's. Timothy was SO excited he slept with it that night....wish I had gotten that picture!

Well, hope you enjoyed! I will put the next lesson on the Lord I Want to Be Whole study tomorrow. Hope you come back!

Menu Plan Monday

This is our menu for the week:



Monday - Potato Crusted Cod (got mine at WalMart, will let you know how it turns out)



Tuesday - Hamburgers



Wednesday - Church



Thursday - Frozen Dinners ( I have practice for our Singing Christmas Tree)



Friday - Baked Chicken Supreme (we love this one...can you tell....it is on our menu a lot!) I have tried to find this exact recipe online but have failed thus far. I got it from this book several years ago. I might see about typeing it in my nest Menu Plan Monday.



That's it....short and sweet!



For more menus head on over to The Organizing Junkie's place.

SOOOO MAD!!!!!!!!

Once again, I was fartin' around with these stinkin' layouts and this time I really messed up!!!!!! I lost my links lists!!!!!!!!!! I am so hacked off right now!!!!! I had saved it all and I can see it in the format, but it is not showing up on the page!!!!! Hopefully I can get them all back on today.....UUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you stop by and you know I use to have you listed on the side, but for some reason I don't now....PLEASE leave a comment and let me know!

Thanks,
Angela

"It's not working!"

You all know we have been WORKING hard with Rachel's potty training. Well, over the Thanksgiving holiday she did pretty good, until in-laws came that is, but since they have been gone she has done great. Anyway, yesterday when I was picking her up from the day care she told me that she had to go potty in "that" bathroom. It is a bathroom in the hall, that I had a feeling she just wanted to go into, but I obliged her anyway. She sat up there for a few seconds and said, "I tan't doe tee-tee." I didn't think she really needed to go, but I asked her if she was for sure and she replied with a head shake and "Yep, I tink my tee-tee is a sweep, it's not working!"

I thought that was funny, Carlton thought it was disturbing! LOL

Hee Hee Hee Hee

"Lord I Want To Be Whole" Intro - Pt.2

**Sorry about all the color changes...I don't know what I did this time...but I will work on that for the next one!


Well, it has been over a week and I am ready to get this thing rolling. So, here comes the second part of the intro to the study.


In her book, Stormie lists 7 Steps to Emotional Health and they are as follows:

1. Release the Past: Confess to God the times you have failed and, by moving in full forgiveness, release the times others have failed you.


2. Live in Obedience: Understand that God's rules are for your benefit and try to the best of you knowledge to live His ways, knowing that every step of obedience brings you closer to total wholeness.


3. Find Deliverance: Recognize who your enemy is and remove yourself from anything that separates you from God or keeps you from becoming all He made you to be.


4. Seek Total Restoration: Refuse to accept less than all God has for you and remember that finding wholeness is an ongoing process.


5. Receive God's Gifts: Acknowledge the gifts God has given you and take the steps necessary to receive them.


6. Reject the Pitfalls: Avoid or get free of the negative traps and deceptions that rob you of life.


7. Stand Strong: Believe that as long as you stand with God and don't give up, you win.

She says that these are the seven steps that she took in her own life to be freed from stress, fed properly, exercised, nurtured, retained, exposed to freshness and light, and given rest in the area of her mind and emotions.

She also says "You will be able to do the initial work on each of these steps in a week or so, but making them a permanent part of your life takes longer. However, understanding them with your mind will influence the state of your heart, which will affect your emotions and ultimately your entire life."

In the Next Few Months (or however long): There will be information that will seem familiar, almost obvious, but don't overlook that. There will be information that is unfamiliar. You've never heard it before, or you have heard it but have never applied it to your own life. Still there will be information that will be uncomfortable. This is where I have the most difficulty. You may react to it by closing the book (That was me!) or neglecting to work through the process. Whether the hurt is from scars as far back as childhood, or just last week, you can be whole spiritually and emotionally. You do the choosing. God working in you, as you allow Him entrance, makes it happen in your life.

Before she closed this chapter she wanted us to take a second look at our lives from a different perspective. Remembering her definition of emotional health: having total peace about who you are, what you're doing, and where you're going, both individually and in relationship to those around you.

Think about who you are. Write a description of yourself int he space below. (Be sure to include who you are spiritually and emotionally.) I am a wife, mother, teacher, friend, lover, cook, cleaning lady (when that gets done), daughter, sister, in-law, cousin, grand-daughter. I am overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy (although I am working on being in shape and healthy). I am loving, compassionate, kind, forgiving, accepting, patient, fun, predictable and at times can be angry, bitter, easily agitated and self-destructive. I am on my way out of a rut spiritually and emotionally I seem like a ticking time bomb at times.

Do you have total peace about who you are? If not, then mention ways you might want to change. No, I don't want to be that time bomb that my husband/family has to be afraid of going off. I want and long to exhibit the fruits of the spirit, gentleness, patience, kindness, peace, humbleness and self control. I want to be so close to my Father in heaven that I know what He wants for me.

Now think about who you are in relationship to those around you: I am a wife, mother, coworker, minister's wife, church member. To some I am Ang, to others I am Angie, and to some I am Angela. I am Gonka to my brother, Annie to my mother and Little Angie to my Dad. I am a peace maker and a sense maker. To Carlton I am at many times that time bomb I mentioned earlier.

Are you at peace with who you are in relationship to others? If not, mention below the ways you might want to change in relationship to others: Some times yes and others NO. I don't want to be that time bomb, and sometimes I wish I was not just known as "The Youth Minister's Wife".

Think about what you are doing. Look back at the past week and month and year. Mention the activities that seem to consume most of your time:

• In the past week: vacation, kids, family
• In the past month: kids, family, work, church
• In the past year: kids, family, work, church

Are you at peace with what you are doing? If not, mention the ways you might want to change what you are doing in the future. Yes and No. I would like to spend more time bonding with my kids, telling them about God and showing them how He wants us to live. I want to be more serious about my job and I want to serve others more.

Now think about what you are doing and how it affects those around you. Are you at peace with the way you affect those around you? If not, mention the ways you might want to change the way you affect others. I feel that my lack of motivation is hurting those around me at work, at church and at home. It causes me to be a poor role model for my children, my coworkers, the kids in our youth group and it also causes a lot of tension and agitation between me and Carlton. No I am not at peace with this way of acting/living. I hope that prayer along with a study like this that guides my thinking in the right direction, I will be better at this. I pray that through all this my thinking will become right and I will be more in line with God's word.

Once again, that was a lot! I can not leave you though without posting a few scriptures. Look them up then think about the promises that God gives in each of them and what they direct you to do in your life.

Deuteronomy 32:39, Jeremiah 3:22, Jeremiah 3:17, Luke 4:18, and James 5:13-15

Next time we will look at Step 1: Releasing the Past: Confessing the times you have failed and, by moving in full forgiveness, releasing the times others have failed you. Now, if you are me, that doesn't sound all that great! I promise it will be hard, but like Stormie said in her book, "Do not forget that emotional and spiritual wholeness is a process that involves changing habits of thinking, feeling, or acting. These seven steps are not a quick fix, but a permanent way to transform your inner being."

Till next time!

New Website (for me anyway)

OK....I have stumbled across a new site. It is Organize It Mom. It has some really cool stuff for mom’s and kids when it comes to organizing your time, kids chores and even fun time with the kids. I am trying to get things a little more organized myself, so I am really liking this for myself when it comes to grocery shopping, and for Rachel I am thinking about this and for Timothy possibly this. Check the site out. The prices are great and the personally I think the items are “fun” and will motivate your kids.

For those of you who no longer have young children, it could be great to use with grandkids when they visit, to give to your daughter/son to use with the kids at home, or it could even be used in some of your classrooms. I would have used this stuff if I were still in my Life Skills classroom. It would be great with some of our Autistic kiddos too.

If you choose to order from her site, just mention my name in the comments. I am hosting a "Virtual Party" between now and December 11th and will get some kind of credit if you mention my name in your comments. The only downside to ordering yourself online is that you may have to pay shipping. But in my opininion the prices are great, so a little shipping wouldn't be too bad!

Menu Plan Monday

WOW, this has been a crazy couple of weeks.....I am a day late, but here is my plan for the week:

Monday - We had Taco Soup

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Breast (with Grub Rub) If you don't know this stuff it is great! A friend used it on steaks this week and we bought our at our local Academy Sports store.

Wednesday - Church Dinner

Thursday - Frozen Dinners (the kids have been asking for "Blue Food"--the box is blue!)

Friday - Baked Chicken Supreme

Saturday - Turkey Pot Pies (Yes I still have Turkey left!)

For more menu ideas head on over to The Organizing Junkie's place!

"Lord I Want To Be Whole" - INTRO - pt1

Ok, here we go. Let me start off by saying this....I have to be honest and say that I do not know all the correct ways to "show" credit where credit is due when it comes to the blog world. SO here is what I will do during this study since it is not something that originated from my brain.

Any time there is something that is in italics then that is something that is said directly from Stormie's book, "Lord I Want To Be Whole" or from the workbook that goes along with this book. Anything else that I might grab from I will do so online and will link to that information. How about that?

All that said, here we go!

Yesterday I mentioned to you what Stormie's definition of emotional health was.
"having total peace about who you are, what you are doing, and where you are going, both individually and in relationship to those around you. In other words, it's feeling totally at peace about the pst, present, and future of you life. It's knowing that you're inline with God's ultimate purpose for you and being fulfilled in that."

In the workbook there are some questions in reference to this definition. I will list them and my answers may or may not be there...depends on whether or not it is just too personal.

1. List the moments in your past that give you peace and well-being when remembering them. My wedding day, sitting on Mema's couch while she rubbed my hand, the birth of my children, the day I went to college, when I first started going to church with Momma, hearing Grammy tell me that she DID know the Lord just before she passed away
2. Think about the moments that make you feel uneasy and agitated. List those moments. memories of Dad and my uncles fighting, memories of the rape and molestation and everything that surrounded them, all the lies, Mom and Dad's 1st divorce, memories of certain people, other's struggles with certain addictions, my own struggle with a self-abusive behavior
3. Look at your present. List the moments that give you a feeling of peace and well-being. hugging my children, being at church, watching my husband and children play, blogging, moments when I can be myself, when I, with the help of the Lord, overcome the urge to self-destruct
4. Look at the moments in the present that make you feel agitated and uneasy. List those moments. Making our house payment (the cost of living is much higher here than it was where we came from and our house payment makes me nauseous) when I make mistakes or forget things, when certain people are around Carlton, differing opinions on discipline at times, having not spoke to Dad since he and Mom split (back in September)
5. Think about the future. What events in the future might make you happy and at peace? List them. getting out of debt, watching the kids succeed, watching the kids come to know Christ, turning my home into that Santuary that has been mentioned in times past, having a home that is warm and inviting, getting Rachel potty trained, knowing that I CAN and WILL find peace
6. What events in the future might make you afraid and uneasy? List them. making another mistake in the checking like I made a few weeks back, looking ahead to the day that Dad and I finally talk about him and the drugs/alcohol, the overall thought of failure at something

Looking at the lists above, note the two most important events (the ones that make you feel the most uneasy and afraid) in the past, present, and future that you need to deal with as you go through this study and list them.


Wow....that was a lot for me. It took some time and some major honesty to write some of that down and there was still a thing or two that I just couldn't write on here. You can email me if you would like and I might share, but I just couldn't post it just yet! I'll make my list of the two most important from the past, present, and future for ME to look at since one or two of those things might be from what I didn't post here. You do the same.

After looking through the workbook I decided to split this introduction inot two parts. They both took some time when it came down to answering the questions she poses. And if you are as "emotionally messed up" (you notice I didn't say disturbed!) as I feel I am, then it might take you some time to sort too!

You don't have to post a comment that has all this information listed...you can do one of many things....journal it privately, blog it and then leave a comment letting me know so I can stop by, send me an email with it all IF you wish to share...or just simply leave a comment letting me know what you are getting out of all this so far. Just don't leave me hangin'. :)

The next part will define those 7 steps to Emotional Health that I mentioned in here. We will define each of those a little then do a little more reflecting on who we are as individuals.


Look up these verses in the meantime: Proverbs 16:1, Jeremiah 30:17a, Psalm 38:8, Psalm 23:3


I will be out of school for Thanksgiving break for a week, therefore, I will not be online! So I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and I will post part 2 of the introduction when I get back.

** I am going to try to figure out how to list my labels on the sidebar so that if you only come for this study, you can go straight to them without sifting through evererything else.

Happy Healing!

"Lord, I Want To Be Whole"

Have any of you done this Bible study? It's called "Lord, I Want To Be Whole" and it is written by Stormie Omartian, the author of all the "Power of a Praying______". I started this study some time ago, but got to a part that really took a lot out of me emotionally amd mentally and I just couldn't go on any further. Well, I think I am ready to go on now. Instead of picking up where I left off, I am going to start over. I want things to be fresh in my mind.

Here is what I am thinking about doing. As I go through this process I want to share it with you all so I will do a lot of my journaling here. There are some aspects that call for VERY personal redponses and depending on how I feel, or how the Lord leads, I may or may not post some of those personal responses. I don't know how to set up the "Mr. Linky" thing yet or anything, and quite frankly I don't have that much traffic coming through here either, but I will post some of the questions from the study and you can leave a comment when you feel led to do so.

This is a journey toward emotional healing for me. I hope that if this is something you need as well that you will join me. I don't know at what pace I will go, or how often a post will be related to this study yet, but I do know I feel led to share it somehow, so this is how I chose to share it for now.

Here is a little introduction to what will be discussed and hopefully learned!

Stormie wrote that her definition of emotional health was;
"having total peace about who you are, what you are doing, and where you are going, both individually and in relationship to those around you. In other words, it's feeling totally at peace about the pst, present, and future of you life. It's knowing that you're inline with God's ultimate purpose for you and being fulfilled in that."

This book also suggests 7 steps to emotional health:

1. Release the Past
2. Live in Obedience
3. Find Deliverance
4. Seek Total Restoration
5. Receive God's Gifts
6. Reject the Pitfalls
7. Stand Strong

I am going to take some time reviewing these seven steps tonight. Then tomorrow I will share a little description of each of them for you. I hope some of you, if you need it, will join me and not hesitate to comment.

Here's to emotional healing!

Works For Me Wednesday

Our network has been giving us fits today so I couldn't upload any pictures. I have been busy working on something for Associated Content and almost forgot to post something for WFMW. So here it is....HOMEMADE birthday cakes. I know....many of you are thinking...."what's your point" or "I do that all the time." Well, not me. Since my 1st child was born, I have always bought their birthday cakes from other places. This year my 3 year old declared that Mommy was making her cake. She told me that it should be pink and white and have sprinkles on it too. So I did. But I didn't make your ordinary sheet cake. I decided that since her party was at the park this year, that I would make a cupcake cake. This is what I did:



I mixed up 2 boxes of cake mix.



Placed 24 jumbo cupcake liners in the muffin pan.



Filled each liner about 3/4 full of cake mix.



Baked them at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.



Allowed them to cool completely on wire racks. (I just placed the pans on the racks.)



Placed them on a piece of cardboard in the shape I wanted.



Covered and I mean covered, them in icing. (In my case it took 3 cans of Duncan Hines plain white icing) (Yes I said 3 cans!)



Used those premade bags of icing and decorator tips you can get at WalMart to decorate around the edges, and write on the cake.



Placed these My Little Pony toys around the edge of the cake.



And voila! This is what we got: ( I had to link here since I couldn't upload a pic! )

Head on over to Shannon's for more WFMW.

Menu Plan Monday

Well it is up a little late in the day as usual, but here goes the menu for the week:

Monday - Baked Cod with bread crumbs

Tuesday - Enchilada's (hubby's request)

Wednesday - Tacho's and Taco Salads

Thursday - Chicken Florentine

Friday - Parent's Night Out (Kids choice) which will probably be Hot Dogs or if Rachel stayed dry all week then it will be McDonald's!

Saturday - Baked Chicken Supreme


I don't usually put Saturday on the menu plan, but since we are having PNO and I had the extra meal I decided to throw it in anyway. I think I might start adding Sat. and Sun. again anyway. For me it just seems to keep it all constant.

Anyway...I have to actually grocery shop for this week today sometime, so I'll let you know if there are any edits to the plan, but there shouldn't be!

Head on over to The Organizing Junkie for more menu's.

Monday Minutes from the Weekend

What a busy weekend! Friday I went home, and although I really wanted hubby to take us to dinner since I had SO much to do, I decided that I had made a MENU and I was sticking to it!!! So I did! I cooked, the kids helped me clean and then we started the process of making Rachel's birthday cake.

She had been telling me for weeks that she wanted me to make her cake. She told me that she wanted a pink cake with sprinkles. I decided a couple of days ago that I would make a cupcake cake. We had one of these for Timothy's 3rd birthday and it was great. It was so easy. I didn't make his though...we got it from WalMart. But I decided I could do this, so I did, and this is how it turned out:

I did it!!!!! But I must tell you that I had a few moments when I didn't know if it would come together. About half way through icing this "piece of art" I had my very first migraine! It sent me to the emergency room. I felf as if my head was about to explode. We were there from 11:30 until 3:30 in the morning. All I could think about was that my little girl's cake wasn't finished and her party was scheduled to begin at 10:00! The doctor in the emergency room gave me some medicine for nesaua and 2 500mg of Vicodin. The Vicodin wired me! I could not rest. So when we got home, Carlton went to bed and I finished the cake! Then I finally crashed around 6:30. Timothy came wandering in around 7:30. So I guess I got about an hour of sleep. Then I was up and running non-stop until about 3:30 that afternoon when I finally crashed. I slept for about 3 hours, got up, made grilled cheese sandwhiches and soup, then crashed again for the evening.

Below are some more pictures from Rachel's party. It started raining toward the end, so you can see in the last picture (the one of her on the swing) she has mud on her arms and legs! It was too funny! She didn't care......she wanted to play!

This was taken while we were singing Happy Birthday to her....she was acting bashfull!

She finally got to eat her "Birthday"! (that is what she kept calling the cake)

Doesn't she look SO happy on that swing? Mud and all!

A Thankful Thursday

Well friends, we did it. We made it through a day at the daycare with panties on and stayed DRY!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! AND the best thing of all was the answered prayer that came when I talked to her teacher. She apologized over and over about the incident that occurred the other day. She explained to me that she came from a previous job that everything was black and white, there were no grey areas. So when I was asking her to do something that is not in her normal routine she just thought I didn't know how things were "suppose" to go. She said that after talking to the director she came to the realization that she was trying to treat all these 2 and 3 year olds like little robots that should all work the same. She said that this little "issue" we had has helped her to realize that there are some grey areas and that those areas need to be addressed as well.

There was a lot more to the conversation, like; her concern that Rachel is sometimes going 4 or 5 hours before going to the potty, which is also a concern of mine, but as for the "issue" we had....we no longer have one!

Answered prayer!!!!

Distracted, ADHD, Non-multitasking Homemaker!

OK, I will finally admit that I am a very distracted, ADHD, non-multitasking homemaker! I will also admit that I have this longing in me to have that home that is somewhat put together the majority of time, however, I go home from working 8 hours and I cook, feed, bathe, put to bed, then plop in front of the TV to veg a while and that is just on a day when there is nothing else going on in our family. Most days I also TRY to get to the gym, we have ballet and church on Wednesdays, etc.

ANYWAY, since I have been doing this blogging thing I have come across some very Godly women that have, through their posts, inspired me. They have helped me to reprogram my brain as to what it means to be a homemaker. I will dedicate this post to what many of them have "shown" me lately. I WANT and DESIRE for my home to be a sanctuary. I want my family to feel that they have a place to come to that is warm and inviting. I want my friends (churched and nonchurched) to feel the presence of the Lord when they walk in my home. I want my home to be one of peace. These are all things we all want right? We CAN have that and I WILL!!!

This post will be full of links to some of those posts that I have been inspired by. I am still pretty new to blogging, so I am not sure how to give those "rewards" and things, but they all deserve one!

Here are a few things I am going to start doing to achieve this goal;

1. Pray: I know that this is the most obvious thing to do, but let's be honest. Those of us that have gotten into the rut I have gotten into, have not been praying enough for their family and home. I can be honest. As terrible as it sounds.....and as much as it hurts, I have not BATHED my family in prayer as I should.

2. Minimum Maintenance: This is a start for me to get that home back in shape. Rachel Anne and her sister Katherine have really inspired me in this area. I had been lurking their blogs for a while before I started posting comments. I know they are not perfect but they have some really great ideas.

3. Holding my 3 and 5 year old more accountable: Who says they can't be held accountable for keeping their toys put away, "making their bed", picking up their clothes, etc..... Starting some kind of chore chart/reward system for them.

4. Setting up Schedules: Menus for the week, this has been a lifesaver for the last 3 weeks that I have actually done it and somewhat stuck to it. It has also helped the budget a bit! Weekly schedules, there are many to choose from but these are the two I will start "organizing my life with; working mom's schedule and a color coded weekly schedule.

Well, I guess that is enough to start with for this distracted, ADHD, non-multitasking homemaker. My prayer is that eventually I can drop this title and make it new!

I may add more thoughts to this later, but for now, I think this is enough to digest!

Potty Training

Okay...now potty training my son was, believe it or not, the easiest thing I have ever done! The hubby was determined that Timothy would be out of diapers/pull ups before Rachel was born, so by the age of 2, yes I said 2, he was COMPLETELY potty trained!

Rachel has been another story. She is a VERY strong willed child and is determined to do ALL things on her own. It has taken me MONTHS to relay this message to the hubby. I know she does not have a physical problem that keeps her from being potty trained, it is simply a matter of "I will do it when I want and not when you tell me!" If I tell her to go, she will hold it for hours. This past Sunday she went 5 hours without going at all!!

The other day we ran out of pull ups. I have been putting her in panties off and on for the past 6 months or longer. We would run out of them and I would go a few days with out buying them and would insist that she wear panties. But this weekend when we ran out I decided I was not buying them anymore. She still sleeps in her toddler bed with the mattress from the crib, so it is waterproof and I decided that if she allowed me to put on the "plastic panties" over her other ones then I would, but if not I was not going to fight her any more.

At home we have only had 1 accident and that was at night. I do not tell her to go, but I gently remind her that she can tell me if she needs to go and needs help. The daycare has been another story. The teacher is SO set on keeping her schedule with all the kids and I can't say I blame her. But I have taken Rachel in panties and pick her up in a pull up. This morning I told her that I had put EXTRA clothes in the bag. Then I asked her if it would be possible to let Rachel tell her when she needs to go to the restroom, or to allow her to go on her own. (the potty is in the room) The teacher looked at me with her hands clasped and said, "Well you see, Rachel is not potty trained well enough yet for me to do that! There are others in here that can do that, but she can't!" The mother hen in me almost came out right then!!! I politely asked her a second time to do what I asked and she said, "Ok, that's fine but if she potties on herself I WILL put her in a pull up!" I bit my lip let out a heavy sigh and left!

After I left I called the director and discussed the issue with her. She agreed that as long as Rachel has an extra set of clothes that she should be allowed to wear the panties and said that she would discuss this with the teacher.

Here is where I need your help....do you think I handled this situation correctly? Do you think this teacher will be so upset with me that she will take it out on Rachel? How do I watch for signs of that? Do I talk to the teacher about it more? She is already frustrated with Rachel for the past. All that has gotten better, so I feel that the teacher is thinking she doesn't want to go that route. What do I do?

Head on over to Shannon's at Rocks in My Dryer for another addition of Backwards WFMW

Menu Plan Monday

Okay....last week went nothing like what I posted! (I'm sure that has NEVER happened to any of you!) We didn't go out or anything, we just had different meals. The hubby came in one day and wanted Frito Salad, so we had that, then he wanted it again on Saturday, so we had it again! Anyway, here is the PLAN for this week:

Monday: Campbell's Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Tuesday: Pork Chops, okra, corn

Wednesday: Church Meal or Sandwiches

Thursday: Smoked Sausage, creamed spinach, carrots

Friday: Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ok...let's see how well we can stick to this one! OH...several people emailed me asking about the recipe for the taco soup...here it is. I use the milder Rotel and it is plenty hot for me, you might like it hotter. Choose your fire!

For more menu ideas head on over to The Organizing Junkie

Random Pictures Of The Kids

Ok....I haven't posted any pictures in a while so I thought I would do it now. These are pictures from our Fall Festival, the pumpkin we carved with the kids, Timothy's 5th birthday and a few of Rachel at baby ballet. I know it's a lot and it's kind of random, but if you know me, that's how I roll! :)

I don't know what is going on here with his eyes....he's been doing that a lot lately. Maybe I should get that looked at! Hmmmm....

This is the kid's (my) favorite book at "halloween" time.

Timothy's party was at ChuckECheese. Yes it was expensive, and yes it was "easy", but no, we will not do it again! The cost....enough said!

This was Timothy's attempt at dancing!

CHEESE!!!

WEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Now for my ballerina! No "in action" pictures, just smiling faces and poses! Her tutu still isn't in....it was ordered back in AUGUST!!! But she doesn't seem to care!

Bummed!

The majority of you do not know that I have a brother that has been in prison for the past 3 years. Back in 1997 or maybe 1998 he stole some Rolex watches from a house that he was exterminating. The value of the watches made his offense a felony. To make a LONG story short, he had spent some time in jail and had some probation to carry out. Well...he didn't do all he was suppose to do, and left the state with out permission, and then still didn't carry out his probation. Therefore, he was sentenced to prison to "pay" for his crime. The first year was really tough on him. Despite his blatant disobedience he does have a soft, tender heart and is one of the most compassionate people I know.

He spent a lot of that 1st year in an out of depression and a lot of it on suicide watch. At some point things started to click with him. I know that if you are still reading this you will probably think (like many) that this is a typical "prison conversion" story. My brother knew the Lord before all his trouble. He knew the power of prayer and had experienced it many times. BUT he failed to acknowledge that God could help him through EVERYTHING, until this time in his life.

He started reading his Bible and attending the church services at the various prisons he was moved to and even recognized bad theology a time or two and withdrew from some of those services. I TRULY believe with all my heart that he has changed. I BELIEVE that he has a relationship with the Lord that saved him.

Why am I bummed???? Well, let me tell you. He gets out of prison TOMORROW!!!!! So why should that bum me so much. The reason it does is because I can not be there to greet him. My mother and my aunt will be there to pick him up, but that is it! I would love to be there. So why can't I go? Well, to be completely honest.....I made some very bad mistakes in our finances. Carlton has so graciously taken over the paying of the bills and such so that we can get this all straightened out. It was so bad that I can't even tell you because of the embarrassment. And because it was so bad, I don't have the gas money to go to Huntsville. I am sure it would take at least a tank of gas and to fill up my car would be a good $55 to $60 these days. Not to mention I would need a little extra for gas when I got back to get me to the 10th of the month.

Why did I have to be so careless!!! He loves me and I know he will not think ill of me for not being there, but it would have been great to show him that support!

Thanks for "listening" today!

Angela