F IS for Freedom.  While I DO love snow – and love how it’s piled up all over the place, being snowed in for 5 days with girls who, once again, needed breathing treatments was long enough.  They were getting antsy but couldn’t play in the snow.  I was getting antsy and couldn’t take them anywhere.  Roy was probably (at least a little) glad to get to go to work most days. lol

Yesterday, my inlaws came over and helped us dig out.  I think if Georgie got out into parts of the yard, we’d lose sight of her it’s so deep out there.  Crazy! Then they took the girls for a couple of hours (cuz BOTH girls wanted to go to Mamaw & Papaw’s house) and had to pick them up and drop them off in their 4 wheel drive truck.  There are parts of our town that are still not plowed…

My parents are in the Southern U.S.  Well, actually, my dad is.  My mom has been on St. Kitts at her brother’s villa celebrating her 60th birthday with some girlfriends.  I know!  It’s been in the 80s there, but only in the 50s in Florida.  Apparently it’s the coldest winter there in 35 years.  Global warming, of course…

So I’ll be baking another batch of bread today – and I look forward to it.  I love the kneading part.  It takes the right amount of pressure to coax the yeast into producing a good loaf of bread.  Sometimes I overdo it.  Sometimes I don’t use enough.  It takes MUCH practice and I like knowing that.  Plus – my family loves to eat it and it feels really good to give them something healthy that they enjoy.

God’s like a bread baker, too.  I always think of God while I’m making bread.  He uses the best ingredients in our lives – even some sour ones at times because they all work together to produce a tasty loaf!  He allows for “proofing” time, and kneading time, and then some time in the heat to complete His work in our lives.  He knows the right amount of “proof” we need.  Stirring us all up and then allowing us to rest.  And then He begins working those ingredients into our lives.  Sometimes the pressure feels unbearable, but He knows what we can stand.  And He continues to knead knowing that it’s an important step in our life.  And then we get to rest again.  And then we’re in the heat of the fire – and it’s hard and we don’t think we can stand it or take it any longer – and then we’re done.  And we produce an aroma – a fragrance – that is pleasing to others, but mostly to Him.

And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.  ~Ephesians 5:2 (Amp)

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With the snow we’ve had this week and reshuffling of appointments and schedules every day – I haven’t really thought about Valentines Day a whole lot.  Believe it or not, I don’t want chocolate.

What I really want is TIME with Roy.

It shouldn’t take a commercialized holiday to think about it – and it doesn’t – it just provides a reasonable excuse for having an hour or two (or more) for JUST the TWO of US.

I look forward to the rare opportunities to spend time with Roy.  Not watching TV.  Not discussing kids or bills.  Not running errands.  Just that leisurely time that used to come so easily before our schedules and lives became so full.

There are SO MANY THINGS that fight to enter the dominion of marriage.  It DOES take a lot of WORK to keep a marriage healthy and thriving.  It’s not necessarily “Work” to spend time together (although sometimes, maybe it feels that way) but it takes WORK to stay focused and keep priorities where they are.

It’s very easy for me to forget that Roy asked me to fix him a bagel, when there are two persistent little voices loudly clamoring for my attention.  Or help finding their cup.  Or that little horse figurine – of which we can find all but the one they want.  Or their sister just hit them (NOT that my girls ever do that…)

This weekend, I hope to share a CUPPA LOVE with Roy for even just an hour or two – a little coffee shop or cafe where we can sit together.  Maybe we won’t stare starry eyed at one another for 2 hours.  Maybe we’ll hold hands for only 5 minutes.  Maybe he’ll read the paper and I’ll add to my “list” for the day.  Either way, just having time ALONE together for awhile – being near each other without all the clamor and chaos of every day – sounds like a great way to celebrate Valentines Day to me…

And yes, I’ll even eat chocolate from one of those big red hearts if I have the chance…

Yep – I lived in Alaska for 8 years and never learned how to ski.  I was mostly a little kid at the time, but still never learned.  Sledding was my thing – and I loved it.  The wind whipping my face as I slid faster and faster down a steep slope.  And when piled onto a big sled or innertube with family – the laughter was endless.

We’d always layer up until we looked like Ralphie’s little brother and somehow we’d manage to climb onto our sleds – and sometimes with a push – race our way down the hillside.  Mom often made hot cocoa for us when we got home – with marshmallows of course – and I had to double layer my socks to get my feet warmed up again…

There were bumps & bruises along the way – but what I remember most is screaming with laughter…

I imagine skiing is something like that – but it seems to require a bit more grace – athletic ability – of which I carry so little…  Skiing is Roy’s thing.  Sledding is sort of a throwing your hands in the air kind of activity – my kind of thing.  Skiing requires a bit more thought and purpose and intent – and it intimidates the boots off me.

Me.  The girl who fell down the concrete stairs on the first day of 10th grade in a public high school – head over heels (literally) – while wearing my favorite skirt & blouse.  Me, the woman who has fallen down THREE TIMES no less – always in front of Roy – just while walking…

Skiing seems a bit scary to me.  So, even at the age of 40, I’d still prefer a roll up sled and sloping hill.  With a ginormous steaming latte waiting for me at the bottom…

Yep – we’ve been told to prepare for another 8-12″ of snow through Wednesday evening! It’s so very beautiful – and after a couple of days of sunshine, many of the roads had been cleared. But it started coming down very wet – and its slick out there.

Today would be library day, but we’re hunkering down at home instead. I think it’s a soup & grilled cheese kind of day myself…

Hope to get some pictures taken and uploaded tomorrow. Until then – blessings to you!

We were, in fact, snowed in this weekend.  Starting Friday afternoon until yesterday.  Our local news reported only 13″ of snow, so we fared better than many places – but I ventured out yesterday to get a few things at the store and the roads were really hazardous.

The sun was shining almost the entire day yesterday, so while that may have melted off some snow, we woke up to single digit temperatures (before wind chill).  The good news is that Curly FINALLY got to go back to class.  She missed 2 days last week.  Roy reminded me that last year she missed her Valentines Day party at Mommys Day out, and its scheduled for Wednesday, so HOPEFULLY she can go this week!!!

School is getting busier – MUCH reading to do, video lectures to watch (4 videos per week for each of my 2 classes) and last week while nap strikes were on, it was interesting to juggle getting my lectures watched.  BUT we got through the week, and so far so good.  Each counseling class really has so much to offer and I’m really learning more than my brain can hold.

Curly & I made our first lapbook together.  It was sorta based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  Such a cute book – and I found so many CUTE things online to work with.  Gotta love free printables!!!  I’ll get some photos taken and share them this week.  It was our first attempt and she really likes being able to show it to people and explain the caterpillar’s life stages.

I’ve got some things planned this week to prepare for Valentines Day for them.  Going to try to focus on activities rather than baking sweet treats…

Although that is one thing I do enjoy about being snowed in – being in my kitchen!  I made a pot of potato soup and some homemade wheat bread (made with honey and white whole wheat flour) on Saturday, and then Roy & the girls threw a roast and veggies in the crock pot for Sunday.  Oh, was it GOOD.  We’ve been using a lot of raw garlic to help boost our immune system naturally.  Curly even ate a clove yesterday – I was surprised.

So it’s another busy week, and I hope to bake more of this delicious bread.  It was my first attempt so the dough needed to rise a little longer and bake a little longer – bread baking is one that takes practice.  And I’ll be happy to practice it again!

Hope you all have a lovely week.

It’s been a busy week – Curly has had another bout with asthma, but the breathing treatments really help head off the bad stuff we’ve dealt with in previous years.  I’ve been able to get some studying done, and we got to visit the library TWICE this week, so it’s been a good week.

As I’ve been studying and listening to lectures in my counseling classes this week, we’ve started digging into the variety of mental disorders and issues that people deal with.  There are books filled with the study of these mental disorders – some physiological, some psychological, and some a mixture of both.

As we’ve studied and discussed our impressions and lessons learned, it is becoming so apparent how important it is to be walking in the Spirit every day – whether you’re a mom at home raising kids or whether you’re a professional counselor working with people on a professional level.

Do you know the Spirit?

I had to admit in one of my discussion boards that honestly – I have not known the Holy Spirit much in my life.  It is not that I am not aware of His presence – but I have not fully developed a relationship with Him.  How odd to come to that realization.

I know God the Father – Abba, the I AM, Lord God Almighty.

I know Jesus Christ – my Saviour, my Redeemer and King, the Lamb of God, the Risen One.

But the Spirit?  Hmmmmm.  The Comforter.  The one who speaks with groanings on my behalf to the Father.  And yeah, that’s where it has pretty well been for many years.

>So in my studies and in my personal prayer time, I’m learning to pray in a way that speaks to the Spirit, too.  It’s like a whole new world is opening up.

Kinda reminds me of when I went snorkeling off Grand Cayman Island 8 years ago.  I was on a cruise with my best friend, and we were part of a group that went out on a boat to go snorkeling and swimming with sting rays.  First, we all got out of the boat in about 15 feet of water.  We were swimming around getting used to the feel of the water (and the fact that I was swimming in water where the possibility of a shark coming by was not entirely out of the question).

I could see the shadows of rocks at the bottom of the ocean, dark and grey reflecting in the clear blue water. But when I put my face in the water, it was like an EXPLOSION of color came shining through my snorkel mask.  I could see almost every color possible.  It was literally breathtaking and I could not get enough of it.  The coral was brilliant and the sun’s ray’s would come shining through the water and highlight new spots of color and shapes.  The salty water was warm and inviting, and all thoughts of a shark literally dissolved in the incredible beauty I was seeing for the first time.

Taking my face out of the water, the sun was so bright and all the views that I previously thought were just gorgeous paled in comparison to the riot of color I’d just seen.

I think that’s what the Holy Spirit does for us.  We’re floating along (literally sometimes) and everything is wonderful and beautiful, and then we start to take a deeper look and the Spirit reveals amazing discovery.  We haven’t changed position – we haven’t gone anywhere new.

Maybe we’re reading that same passage of Scripture we’ve read many times for years – and all of a sudden, the Spirit reveals a new nugget of truth – and it’s like God’s Word opens up a completely new view of Who He Is and it’s breathtaking and awe-inspiring and totally amazing.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn how to practically minister to others – in real, tangible ways – but even moreso for the opportunity to GO DEEPER in my relationship with the Lord in the process.

(I don’t have digi versions of my pics from snorkeling or I’d post them.  I’ll just have to go snorkeling again sometime and take new ones…)

And yes, I DID go swimming with sting rays.  I held one as a matter of fact.  It was TOTALLY awesome. But that’s a story for another time.

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My Best Lasagna

1-16 oz box lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 jar Spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 16 oz container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan romano cheese blend
2 tsp. garlic & herb seasoning
3 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup water (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 9×13 pan with fat-free cooking spray.

In medium bowl stir together spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and ground beef.  In another medium bowl, blend together ricotta cheese, parmesan and garlic & herb seasoning.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of beef mixture and spread in bottom of plan.  Place first layer of uncooked noodles to cover bottom of pan.  Spread with 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture, then 1/3 of remaining beef mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers twice.  Pour 1/2 cup of water around edges of pan.  You can sprinkle on extra parmesan if you’d like.

Cover with aluminum foil (spray lightly with cooking spray to avoid sticking), and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (depending on how well you like your noodles & cheese done).

Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into portions.

*FYI – you can use whole wheat noodles, ground turkey (or skip the meat altogether if you want) to improve some of the nutritional value.  If I’d thought about it, I would have thawed out some frozen spinach yesterday and added it to the ricotta cheese mixture, but didn’t have time when I came to putting it together…

I’ve got a 4 yr old who is running a slight temperature today.  Enough to keep her home, but not so much to be terribly concerned.  The Lord inspired me to take the girls to the library yesterday – and I’m very glad I did.  We didn’t get to make our groundhog cookies, but we did color some groundhog papers and talked about groundhogs.  And today we’ve got LOTS of books to read.  It was fun.

The “B” button on my keyboard is not always working.  Thankfully spellchecker highlights a word that is misspelled, but if there are any “B”s missing – you know why…

I had the opportunity to meet with several other moms on Monday night at my favorite coffee shop – to discuss homeschooling.  What an AWESOME group of women.  All different backgrounds, stories, homeschool experiences.  It was really fun to talk to them – educational and helpful, too.  Like a really cool “Reality check” that left me feeling more confident than scared.  Oh believe me, I know it’ll be challenging if we choose to homeschool.  I have no doubts about that…  We’re still discussing our options at this point.

Tomorrow, we’ve got a play date scheduled with a friend – who was able to go to the homeschool moms get together on Monday – but whom I hadn’t seen in well over a year.   She’s got 4 year old twin girls and a 14 month old girl, too.  Praying Curly’s temperature goes away and we’re all 100% tomorrow so we can keep our play date.  Kelly is probably going to homeschool in the fall, and she doesn’t live too far away, so we’d be able to at least support one another if that’s where we’re heading…

I made lasagna last night.  Roy requested it a couple of days ago as something he wanted to eat some night – and last night I think I made the best lasagna I’ve ever made.  I just threw it together based on my previous lasagna making experiences.  I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.  It was very yummy – Curly kept going on and on about how good it was.  At one point she asked me, “Mom, what did you put in this recipe?”

Georgie is in the midst of potty training.  She has 1 great day about every 7-8 days.  But it’s progress.  I’m taking what I can get with her.  She’s not the kind of kid that can be pushed into things – so we’re encouraging her and motivating her with cute big girl panties.   Pull-ups DON’T work for her – just another reason to NOT use the bathroom…  So it’s a 2 steps forward, 1 step back process – but again, we’re moving forward, if a bit slowly…

So that’s What’s Up, Wednesday…

What’s up with you???

Half the fuel and half the hay.

I happen to be a humongous fan of Punxsutawney Phil.  Maybe it has something to do with the movie, Groundhog Day, which I thoroughly enjoy – and maybe it has something to do with the fact that since I’ve been married I’ve developed a great fondness for groundhogs in general.

Why you ask?

Well, I’ll tell ya.  Before our girls came along, Roy & I were on a drive to my parents house.  We were traveling on the turnpike and having a very intense discussion (at this point, we can’t even remember what the discussion was about) – but it was growing somewhat heated, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a flash of brown ahead along the side of the road.  It was different from the other brown of the weeds, and I stared at it as we drove closer.  I could not figure out what it was.

In the midst of a passionate discourse from my husband, I uttered the word “Groundhog”, stopping Roy in his tracks.  We both kinda sat there silent for a moment, and Roy says, “I’m in the middle of telling you something really important and all you have to say is ‘Groundhog’?”  And with that, we both started laughing and ever since, I’ve LOVED groundhogs…

I know…

Anyway – did you know you too can enjoy the festivities at Gobbler’s Knob?  Or that Punxsutawney Phil will gladly text his spring forecast to your cell phone?   Or that you can celebrate the day by baking Groundhog Cookies?  How about Chocolate Groundhog Cookies?

If you’re looking for something to keep your kids busy today, why not offer this coloring page (or the host of others available), study some history of Groundhog Day, or visit the official Groundhog site?

While some people are willing to (gag) eat groundhog, I’d much prefer to watch them waddling across the grassy hillside along the roadways and celebrate the day with cookies!

My hubby, Roy, decided he was going to put some lunch in the crockpot for us before church.  I’d bought some chicken and we had potatoes and carrots and onions to add.  I also bought some garlic bulbs and sweet potatoes.

So yesterday morning, he gets up, followed by the girls (like little ducklings) and heads into the kitchen.  He would chop – Georgie would pick up the chopped pieces and hand them to Curly who plopped them into the crockpot.  After all of the ingredients were added and seasoned (just some poultry seasoning and fresh garlic, really), we left it to cook while we were at church.

The scent that entered my nose when I opened the door, set my mouth to watering.  It was SOOOOOOOOOOO good – I mean GO-OO-OO-OOOOD!  If you’ve never cooked chicken with sweet potatoes in a crockpot: DO IT.

Get your grocery list out – add chicken (either a whole chicken or pieced chicken – with bones & skin) and sweet potatoes to your grocery list.

After all the flavors combined, it was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time.

I’m saving the stock for later – and we have plenty of delectable leftovers.  What a GREAT meal – and a great treat!

THANK YOU, ROY!!!

Tonight I’ll be meeting with some homeschooling moms – or moms interested in homeschooling to just talk about it.  Since Roy & I are talking about it, and there are a few women at our church who have questions – one of the gals on our women’s ministry team put a little get-together tonight with a few moms who already homeschool.  We’re meeting at my favorite coffee shop, too!  I’m looking forward to talking to moms about it.  I SO appreciate all of the comments and interactions from my post on Friday – and know it IS a personal decision and it cannot be jumped into without thought, planning, or serious prayer and surrender.

So today, while I finish up laundry, settle into our weekly schedule, and get hopping with the Flylady, I’m singing At the Top of My Lungs!
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