Snow Days

About 2 weeks ago we had a nice snow for our area. My children, cousins and neighbors all got together to make a huge snowman. Below is my oldest boy being King of the Snowman!

The snowman was so big that they needed a ramp to get the body on and then they called my dad to come with his truck to get the head on. It was nuts!

But the finished product was awesome....a 12 foot snowman that was the coolest ever. So many people stopped to take pictures of it. It was so big that it took 12 days to fully melt even in 60 degree weather.

When Marshall was little and he would get in trouble he would tell us that "Bobby" did it.....that was his made up scape goat! It got to be a joke even as he got older. If someone broke something and no one remembered doing it then one of the kids would say that Bobby did it? So Marshall named the snowman....Bobby.........every day as he was melting the kids would wake-up to see if he was still standing and someone would yell.."Bobby lives"....Now we are waiting for the next snow and Bobby2

Grilled chicken

Seriously I am loosing my mind.....I never can remember if I have posted something or not.....I take the pictures....download them and forget to post right away....then I don't feel like scrolling through my blog looking for them?? Anyway.....this is one of our favorite and standard dishes. I grill a great deal of our meat......usually 3-4 times a week. I made this up years ago and the great thing about it is...it is hard to mess up.

Start with some kind of Italian salad dressing....I don't really have a favorite....the one below is one that I got almost free from coupons...it is fine but the red wine vinegar discolors the meat so it kind of looks pink.I grill about 15 boneless skinless breasts at a time so I use a large gallon or 1 1/2 gallon freezer bag (freezer are heavier) and I use the whole bottle of dressing.
I love Dale's sauce but I also use soy sauce or terriaki sauce here as well....Dales has a really bold flavor so I usually use about 1/2 a cup but if you are using either of the others you will want to use a whole cup.


I love Montreal Steak and Chicken seasoning and I use it a great deal but you can certainly improvise here......red pepper, garlic salt, oregano.......be creative...really!



No I do not measure this...sorry if this make you crazy. Unfortunately unless I am baking...I usually don't follow a recipe. I am guessing at 3-4 tablespoons....Really it is hard to mess this up!
Oh man does this look good!!!! So good...so juicy!! I have been grilling for so long that I do not use a thermometer or cut into the meat. I can pick it up on one end with tongs and tell by the way it wiggles...I know crazy! But true! If you do it long enough you will see what I mean. I serve this the first night with veggies and potatoes and then the second night I cut it up and serve it over salad....YUM!!!!

Proverbs woman

I want to be a Proverbs woman....I am pretty sure I could pull it off except I am missing this one little part.......and she gives a portion to her servants.........Yes I need hired help! And did you notice it is plural!!!!!! All these ideas rolling around in my head...I could do them if I had help!!!!!!!

Common Respect

So last night Marshall was at swim practice....have I mentioned how good he is :) I really think you might see him at the Olympics some day.....maybe in 6 yrs.....he will be 19....yes that would be very exciting! Anyway where was I...... oh yes...last night after practice his coach was telling us what an awesome leader he is......now mind you we want him to lead but we haven't seen anything that we thought really qualified as necessarily "awesome"....so we asked.

The coach told us....."He never complains when asked to swim more," "He swims his hardest every time and does whatever we ask." "He always helps put supplies away without being asked," "He helps the coaches pick up everyone else's trash"


OK......does anyone else find this sad???? I am thrilled that this is the way he behaves...IT IS THE WAY WE RAISED HIM TO BEHAVE!!!!!! It is sad that this sets him apart! These are not over and above things....these are things that EVERY parent should be teaching and requiring of their children!!! What does this say about the state of our children as a whole. Marshall told me last night on the way home......"Thanks for making me do those things...it is paying off now" That sure made me proud! Marshall has sometimes been a reluctant leader and a coaxed follower.....but the last year we have seen a huge difference in him and he is certainly becoming a strong servant leader.....that is the best kind!

Think about Jesus....He is our example of great leadership and He was certainly strong and courageous but He was the greatest example of serving. There was not a job that was beneath him! God help me to be a servant leader!

Menu week 1

Ok so we are at the end of week one of only spending $10 a week for 4 weeks so that I can help our daughter fulfill an amazing dream. I have had so many people say that I should write more about the things that we are eating. Well we will see how the last week is???? I may be asking for you all to have us over for dinner?? :) But for now there hasn't been a drastic change. I really was so stocked...the only thing that I didn't have much of was toilet paper. There was NO way that I could stay within my $10 budget and buy TP so I burned my CVS bucks on TP...I know...I know.....but I will build them back up again! I saved enough to still get a few items and rebuild without coming out of my pocket!


This weeks menu was:

Breakfast....

*Whole wheat choc chip muffins( you will be seeing these a great deal as my whole family loves them and we have plenty of stuff to make them)
*Cereal....we eat alot of cereal for snacks as well.
*Pancakes
*Eggs and pancakes
*Oatmeal...another thing my kids like to snack on.
*Grits

Snacks....
*Bananas
*Carrots and celery...dipped in ranch of course
*Cheese and crackers
*Blue corn chips and salsa
*homemade muffins

Lunch....
*Cheese roll ups
*soup
*Turkey subs
*PB&J
*left overs
*Ravioli...it might have been the kind in a can?? :(
*salad

Dinner....
*Breakfast...eggs,bacon and pancakes
*potato soup and grilled cheese sand.
*grilled pork,salad, mashed potatoes, broccoli,cauliflower and carrots and rolls
*Chicken and dumplings, green beans and mac&cheese
*Roast, roasted potatoes, green peas and carrots
*Pizza....ice cream
*Quesadillas, chips and salsa and cheese dip


That is it through Friday night. It will help my meal planning because Eric will be in Haiti all next week....he eats a whole lot! :)

Noise

Below is an excerpt from a blog that I have been following about a precious little baby girl who is dying of cancer. I love the reminder to enjoy your babies!!!!

Towards the end of a pregnancy, a mother will wake up to go to the bathroom every few hours. I think this is the body’s way of preparing you for a newborn and the sleepless nights that come along with it. Layla now spends most of her days sleeping. 30-45 minutes after she wakes up, she is ready to lay down and sleep again. Is this God’s way of preparing me for all the quiet time that is coming soon? The house is quiet. I am able to go through the motions of laundry, dishes, cooking and picking up without interruptions. But I WANT interruptions. I WANT Layla to be under my feet asking for cookies. I WANT to hear her playing with her toys. I WANT to take 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because she keeps trying to help. For every time I uttered the words “I just can’t get anything done with these kids under my feet all day” I am eternally regretful. The days that I looked forward to naptime so I could get a grocery list made, or finally fold all the piles of laundry…I regret those days too. If I could do it all again, I’d enjoy EVERY SINGLE WAKING MOMENT I had with her. I would never wish for her to sit still or take a nap or go to bed early. I would never look forward to the days when she could sit through an entire episode of Dora silently. I would treasure every second with her.

So I’ve spent the last few days in a quiet house, able to do whatever my heart desires. But all I want to do is wake her up and hold her. She doesn’t really want to be held much anymore. She prefers to be rocked in her dark bedroom for a little while, then laid down in her bed. She gets easily overstimulated by the noise of the other children downstairs. She wants dark, silence, peace and sleep. So we give those things to her. As much as it breaks my heart to not be able to hold her all day, I know her little body needs peace and sleep.

Weekly Shopping

Well I have officially started our $10 a week journey for a month. I am oh so excited about the journey. It does take much planning but I really think it will be doable. This week I bought:

2 gallons of milk
18 eggs
lg box of Raisin Bran(50 cents at Publix)
lg package beef bologna
1 pk feminine thingys :)

I have $1.02 left for the week.......I will wait and see what is on an amazing sale at Publix starting on Thursday.


I am so excited to do this....It has made me think.....I may return to my $400 a month and restock very intentionally and see how long it takes me to do this again.....We desperately need new flooring.....that may be a way of getting it.

February Newsletter

Below is a copy of our ministry newsletter. You can't jump on the links but you can read it.

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	Give hope We want to keep going "Until the Whole World Hears." 2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching." COUNT ME IN

Sweet Friends and Family, We think we finally have our email situation fixed. If you are one of those who never receives our newsletter then it is working! Also, we are working very hard to get our new web site up and running as well. We will let you know when to check it out. On January 12th we watched along with all of you , the heart wrenching images coming for Haiti. At the Lords prompting, Eric knew that he was supposed to GO. God willing he will be leaving February 20th to serve with a team from First Baptist Woodstock for a week. Please join us in praying for the entire teams safety. Eric is excited about serving Jesus by showing compassion to these precious people. What a joy to share the hope of the Savior with the hopeless. Driven to Encourage has grown every year. God has expanded our territory and provided in ways that we just can't understand. As we went into November 09, DTEM was running on 32% of our yearly budget. By December 31st we had many 1 time gifts on top or our faithful monthly gifts and we saw a 23% increase in a few short days! We were speechless at times! Every single gift is precious to us! One of our dear friends, who is out of full time work still sends $15 every single month. That gift is just as significant as those who give hundreds. God uses all of you to send us!! I can remember times when Eric and I could only send $20 a month to help other ministries. We were obedient but honestly sometimes I felt silly sending such a small amount. Boy has my perspective changed!! Not only are there NO insignificant gifts......but if everyone committed $20 a month....DTEM would more than meet our 2010 budget. We are overwhelmingly grateful that you are helping us make an impact all over the world. We are honored to call you friend! Thank you for your prayers and support to DTEM. Things to pray about: *After taking a break during the holidays, Eric is back to mentoring, teaching and training 50 men and young men every week! What an awesome opportunity to change our world!! Pray that the Lord would use him in a mighty way. *Pray for the kids in the schools that Eric will be speaking to this winter and spring...pray that the Lord would save many. *Pray for Eric's safety in Haiti and for us while he is away.

Love Notes

"I love you being pregnant"

My husband has been leaving me notes all over the house since we were married...I routinely find them in my drawers or under my pillow or taped to my kitchen cabinet shelves. One morning 8 years ago I opened a door to get a cereal bowl and found the above note taped to the shelf. It is still there....because I love it! I am glad he liked me being pregnant...because with 5 kids I was pregnant or nursing for 11 years of our marriage....crazy! I love that man of mine and I thank God every day for the blessing of such a great hubby and father! And on top of it all is is just so darn good looking!

Challelnge

OK....Lindsey auditioned and MADE it for an international talent company. Very proud of her...very expensive....she wrote a great essay and was awarded a scholarship....awesome...still expensive. So I started thinking of ways that I could get extra money. I spend 400 a month on groceries and we have plenty. We are soooo stocked right now so I have issued myself a challenge. Spend 10 a week until the end of March for milk, eggs and anything that is free. We will eat from our overstock otherwise. I will keep you updated on how this works out. We have to come up with 380 each month for the next 5 months. If I can actually do this...one month down 4 more to come up with!!!

Engaged

21 years ago my sweetie asked me to marry him! It was wonderful and so very romantic. He gave me a Bible and the inside cover said..."I love you! Will you marry me?" This morning I woke up to a note on my coffee cup that said....21 years ago I asked you to be my wife...2nd best decision I ever made!" Isn't that so sweet. Of course the best is is relationship with Jesus! And that decision makes him a better man. I can't imagine my life without him.

Salsa

Everyone in our family loves salsa I will post at some point how I make my own...so yummy but for today I want to share a little tip for you. If I buy it at the store...I buy Pace Picante....we do not like the chunky kind.....I was noticing that my kids were just dipping their chips and shaking off the chunks....wasteful. So I put the whole jar in the blender and give it a whirl....this solves the problem....no chunks...no waste...same great flavor! We eat salsa almost daily with baked or organic blue corn chips(from Aldi).......sometimes I put them on a plate with a little cheddar cheese over the top...run them in the microwave just until the cheese melts and serve them with salsa and sour cream....very yummy indeed!

Super Bowl

I will update later with pictures but we are expecting a crowd and so much fun! Every year we host a huge Super Bowl party.....well it isn't really all that huge except...we have a rather small home. We cram 40 plus into our living room like sardines and eat until we are all going to pop. No one seems to care that things are cramped....they keep coming back. It just goes to show that it isn't about the place but it is about the people. Well maybe the food?

This is s big party and could be a big expense but with the help of coupons and careful planning we have a big spread and I didn't have to come out of pocket a great deal!

Here is the menu

Rolls with Turkey(I bought a whole one after Christmas on sale just for this)
Beef...I cooked this all day yesterday...Oh so good...I took pictures so I can post later
Pork...I got 4 tubs at Publix for 74 cents each ( honestly i am a little worried about this stuff...I'll let you know!)

salami, pepperoni, cheese,lettuce, tomatoes, onion

Buffalo boneless chicken pieces
Bourbon boneless chicken pieces

Pizza bagel bites

Strawberries, blueberries,grapes
carrots,celery and dip of course

Chips and dip

brownies
cookies

canned drinks

Who is playing? :)

Smashed

Yes......I had the dreaded mammogram today....UUUGGGGG......my grandmother died from breast cancer so I will endure! Are you due for yours? I promise it isn't as bad as you might think....uncomfortable yes.....a little painful...yes...over really quick...yes! Go now...right now and make your appointment if you haven't!

Why?

If you are wondering why you are seeing this twice...if you have been scrolling down.....because I am a ding dong and I didn't know that if you edited an old post that you had saved into drafts....that it would publish it on the day you drafted it rather than the day you edit and post it!! I think I posted it about 3 times before I figured it out??????




So some of you who know me asked why do I have all the cleaning products(seen in the pictures of my stash) if I don't like chemicals.....well....

#1...I do use Lysol in my toilet....well because they are gross and I like them clean and I don't like to buy the expensive stuff with less chemicals and since I get that stuff for free or almost free....but I am open for other ideas???

#2...I use those items all the time in gift baskets for brides or for house warming gifts. So basically I am saying that I don't like to breath those fumes but I will give them to a new bride????? That sounds bad for sure! If you are a new bride come by and I will teach you how to save enough money so that you don't have to use those products! That is the best I can offer :)

I use Shaklee Basic H for so many things! I costs about 15-16 bucks after shipping but is so worth it! I love all their products and honestly if I could afford it I would buy a whole lot more from them but if you can only get one thing this is the one to get.

While it looks expensive it is not at all. I mix 3 drops....literal drops.... with 16oz of water and use it to clean and wipe down everything! All windows and counters, hardwood floors, walls....anything that doesn't need to be disinfected. It is great...it is extremely cost effective....no chemicals...organic material....no stinky vinegar :) 3 drops makes a great many spray bottles. I use 1 teaspoon in my homemade laundry detergent as well and I have had the same 16 oz bottle for 8 mos. I will order some next month because I only have about 2 tablespoons left.

My friend swears by the scour off paste but I haven't tried it yet....I am going to order it next month as well...I'll let you know what I think!

My stash!

I'm not sure why I have been asked to show off my pantry and storage areas??? but believe it or not I get many emails asking all sorts of things...hardly ever on my blog comments...why is that??? Well here goes....it may look like a mess but it really is organized!









Ha No that is not mine!!! Some day when the ship comes in as I tell my kids! But for now........

great snack

I can't stand boring snacks! I like for mine and my children's snacks to be good but to also provide energy and good nutrition. Do not feed your kids cookies...pop tarts....Little Debby's and think you are giving them a good snack. Anyway...not all of my kids like this snack but I love it and eat it for snack or for breakfast regularly.
First combine 1/2 of a scoop of whey protein...I buy the Jillian brand from WalMart for $10.00....and about 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt. YOu could use plain or whatever flavor you like here. I keep a large container of vanilla on hand to use in all sorts of things I bake.
Then I cut up whatever fruit I have or want but my favorite in this is strawberries and dried cranberries.
Then add the All Bran "Bran Buds" I do not like the regular kind.....but I love these little things! I love it ........creamy, crunchy,sweet and good protein and fiber...what more could you ask????