Summer is flying by. July is just around the corner. And life seems to have sped up a bit lately. Blogging has had to take a back seat to the rest of life. So bear with me as we make some adjustments and transitions.

For now, a prayer request: for grace and strength as we handle what's on our plate and for God to be glorified in all and through all.

25.I have 2 adorable children
24.I have been married for 10 years to my wonderful husband.
23.Out of all the jobs I have had being a stay-at-home Mom is the best.
22. I love to read books.
21. My favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
20. I met my husband while working at summer camp.
19. My goal for the next few months is to complete the paperwork part of the foster-parenting process.
18. Except for 3 months of my working career, I have always worked for religious non-profit agencies.
17. My husband and I were officially engaged over a campfire.
16.I enjoy connecting with friends on Facebook.
15. I always choose reading a book over seeing the movie.
14.I home schooled my daughter in Kindergarten and 1st Grade and we have started 2nd Grade as of last week.
13. I consider it a duty and a privilege to vote... and I always do.
12. I attend a great church with many others striving to live out their love for the Lord.
11. I hate shopping for myself.
10. We are working on paying off our school loans in the next 5 years - before my hubby's 40th birthday.
9. We live in Indiana, but my heart remains in rural Wisconsin where I grew up.
8.My guilty pleasure is chocolate.
7. I used to be an early riser... not I cherish sleeping in whenever possible.
6.I do not follow any sports whatsoever.
5. I am most happy when I am with my family.
4. I look forward to date nights when my hubby and I enjoy our favorite restaurants.
3. I would love to learn how to quilt or sew.
2. I am a very fast typist.
1. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ...without Him I am nothing.

Back to blogging for a new week.

Awhile back I won something online - The Pocket Full of Posies Monthly Meal Planning Pocket System. I've been trying out a few of the included recipes and so far, so good! My family has enjoyed the new meals and the recipes have been easy to prepare. I doubt that I will completely replace some of our family favorite recipes but I will gladly incorporate new recipes into our rotation.

So this week, we will be enjoying:

• My friend Kate's tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
  
• Chicken roll-ups (from Pocket Full of Posies Recipe)
  
• Homemade beef and noodles
  
• Tuna melts, salad and baked beans
  
• Breakfast for supper (french toast, sausage links)
• Sweet and sour chicken (from Pocket Full of Posies Recipe)
  
• Leftover buffet

Yes, we're back from vacation.

We did have a wonderful time and I hope to post some of our California pictures next week. In the meantime, I am playing catch up - catching up on laundry, catching up on things around home but most importantly catching up with my kids!

So I'll be back around next week. Catch you then.

I'll be taking a break for blogging for a few days, maybe up to 2 weeks. We are preparing for our upcoming 10th-anniversary trip to California and a quick trip to Wisconsin beforehand (to drop my daughter off up there with my mom, who will watch her while we're in CA... my son will stay with "the other grandma" here in Indiana). Busy times.

I'll post pictures and updates upon our return. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one of my favorite 10 year old pictures... actually a page from my wedding album. :-)


Blessings to you!

Another Friday is upon us. Here are a couple of photos from our week.

A "family member" who gets very little press on Family Photo Friday... our pet Weezy, up close and personal.

My son regularly tries to share his sippy cup with Weezy. He is certain that she is thirsty for some of his milk. :-)

Just a quick post about deals I've found lately.


Here's what I picked up at CVS last weekend for around $5 - package of Huggies, Crest toothpaste, Kotex pads, small Bayer aspirin, 2 Pantene shampoos, 2 Right Guard deodorants. 8 items. The diapers alone usually cost $8-10 so this was a great deal!

I've gotten about 20 free kitchen sponge/scrubbers at Walmart in the last 3 weeks, thanks to a coupon that Scotch put out for $1 off any Scotch product (kitchen sponges are 84 cents at WalMart so they are beyond free with the coupon).

Be encouraged. There are deals out there and ways to save money on things you buy and use on a regular basis. Check out www.moneysavingmom.com for other store deals, coupons and freebies.

Last week we wrapped up 1st Grade! That means giving the 1st Grade Graduate a party night at the restaurant (or play place) of her choosing. She chose Chuck E Cheese, same as last year. She also wanted to invite her best friend/cousin to join us. Here are some photos to prove that we were all having fun while celebrating!

My wonderful children gave me hugs, kisses and some unique gifts for Mother's Day (with lots of help from my thoughtful husband who helped them with these projects!).

My daughter made me a card that is shaped like a purse. She painted it with green and purple stripes and used foam stickers to create the handle and "gem" latch for the purse. Inside the card she'd written this message: I LOVE YOU! YOUR THE BEST MOM EVER!

My son (with lots of help from his daddy) worked to make me a coat rack with hooks... with his little handprints on it with purple and orange paint.

It was a beautiful Mother's Day!

Wow, it's Monday again. Here is a plan for our week, as far as meals go.

• Pasta primavera pronto
  
• Meatloaf and potatoes
• Homemade pizza
  
• Chicken cordon bleu
• Eat out (using gift cards received WAY BACK at Christmas!)
  
• Breakfast for supper
  
• Leftover Buffet

Whenever I find cheap apples (or better yet, get some free), I like to make EASY APPLE PIE. As you guessed, it's easy and it's delicious!

Fit 1 refrigerated pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Mix together 6 cups of peeled, cored and sliced apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 T flour, a dash of salt and 1 and 1/2 t apple pie spice (I make my own using 1/4 cup cinnamon, 2 T all-spice, dash of ginger and dash of nutmeg - store in ziplock bag and just measure out how much you need). Mix until apples are coated and then put into pie crust. Spread evenly. Scatter 2 T chilled butter (cut into small pieces) over top of mixture. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Press edges together. Brush top crust with 1 T of milk or cream. Make slits in top crust for venting. Sprinkle with 1 T sugar. Bake at 425 for 40-45 minutes. Option: drizzle with caramel or butterscotch topping when serving.


Mmmmmm!

Easy, even for someone who doesn't do a lot of baking.

A homemade pie! Works for me!

For those who don't know, we have lived without an oven and stovetop for the last year or so. Our kitchen is the worst room in our "new" house and is in major need of remodeling. However, we are committed to staying debt-free while we tackle home improvement projects, so the kitchen remains as is... UNTIL NOW!

We finally decided to buy a used wall oven as an intermediate step. It is not the $2,000 new model that would be AMAZING to put in the space and maybe someday will live in my kitchen (if I should be so blessed). But this used model meets our current criteria:
1) it is an oven
2) it works
3) it does not leak gas
4) it fits in the wall-oven hole in the wall (with a few inches to spare)


Yahoo! Good-bye toaster oven. Hello full-sized meals!

My feelings about this appliance are akin to those I experienced when we FINALLY got a washer and dryer in our first home (after a few years - yes, years - without). At that time, I had never been more excited to do laundry in my entire life.

And now, I have to resist the urge to cook a full blown Thanksgiving feast... just because I have an oven that can do it! :-)

Moments like these remind me that we (as in, we Americans... and you too, no matter where you may be as you read this)... are blessed beyond measure. The things we consider to be necessities are actually luxuries in disguise. We could do without them. Many people do. So whether your oven is the $2000 stainless steel model or the used make-do model or even the toaster oven model, be thankful for what you have and use it to be a blessing to many!

Time for a menu plan for this new week. Here's what we'll be eating.

• Chicken cutlets with rice
  
• Tuna Cassrole
  
• Breakfast for Supper (waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage links)
• Chicken and pasta alfredo
• Taco Pasta
  
• Pizza Hut to use my daughter's BOOK IT coupon for a free personal pan pizza
  
• Leftover Buffet