Loving the Excitment!!!

What a crazy weekend. I am so proud of my kids. It started Friday night. Cail the rock star tried to jump the ramp with his little sisters bike. I am sure he was trying to do some crazy stunts. The kid has no fear. Good thing we make him wear a helmet. He would probably still be in the hospital. So, he jumped, missed, landed on his face. Smashed his helmet and busted his chin wide open. Spent 4 hours in the emergency room getting it stiched. He only cried when they numbed him, and when I sat on him to keep him from kicking the Doctors.

Grace had a gymnastics meet. We traveled to Lafayette. Left late, got lost, but arrived in time. She rocked it though. She placed 3rd all around. Was thrilled to get two 9's. The best part for me was her attitude. Not once did she whine or complain. She did not pout, or say ugly words about anyone. This is a huge improvement for her.

Cameron won his first play off game with the NPYFL. He plays for the Longhorns. Cameron is easily the biggest team on the field. Now, one might say this is a good thing for a football player. It is; he can run over just about anyone. There is the problem. I am his mother. I hear the other moms say things like,"They put a big kid against my 75lb son. Then they put an even bigger kid on him." Yes, my son is the EVEN Bigger Kid. I feel bad my son is stomping on them, but I am glad he is not getting stomped on. Today he is playing the semi-finals game. GO LONGHORNS!!!

Ellie and her friend Blaklei caused trouble as we were leaving the gymnastics meet. The two of them decided it was time to leave, and they could leave on their own. I found them in the parking lot. These two are trouble when they are together. What one doesn't think of the other does. Neither of them are afraid to try it either. They will have many great years together as long as Blaklei's mom keeps coaching gymnastics!!

Freezer cooking

I have had some interest in knowing what all goes on with Once A Month Cooking(OAMC). First, let me say, almost all of my meals come out of the freezer. With 4 very active kids, laundry, the dog, a Wonderful Husband, I don't have a lot of spare time to cook good meals. Pulling them out of the freezer is a great way to have good meals cooked at home with the convenience of fast food. I try to keep the meals interesting. Casseroles are the best way to get all of your food groups in one easy convenient meal. But, sometimes casseroles get boring. I try to spice it up a little sometimes. So far the complaints have been few. Here is how to get started.

1) Find a person to coordinate cooking day.
This person should be the one who decides the meals, does the shopping or designates the shopping to someone. She would also decide location and be responsible for clean up.

2)Find some friends who would love to participate.
These can be anyone. If your family has special dietary needs, find some moms who also have these needs. If you have 15 people you feed every night, finds some other super heroes to cook with.

3)Pick and day and time then stick with it

Once you have all of these, you are ready to start your OAMC.

Prep- decide on the menu. I like to cook between 10-15 meals including at least one breakfast item.
Email- send your recipes to your group. Include in this the Meat list Since meat is a tricky item to bulk buy, and some people are picky, I always have my group buy their meat and prepare it at home. If the recipe calls for browned beef, or cooked chicken, I have them do this at home. I also try to include any pans that might be needed. It is easier to place items in ziploc style bags, but occasionally, there are items that won't fit.

Also have your group RSVP. It is very important. You don't want to buy too much or to
little. If you say you are coming and don't you still owe me for the ingredients.

Shopping- once you have the count of your group you can go shopping. I buy all of the indigents except meat. I take the recipe and multiply by the number cooking. I keep the receipts divide the cost by the number cooking. This keeps the cost down. I have a stock of
ingredients that we frequently use, like spices, this keeps the cost down as well.

Cooking- have each person bring with them: cooler, bowls, measuring cups and spoons, knives
any other kitchen item you might not have enough of. It is also nice to have things like
a food processor, electric skillets, mixer, lots of dish towels. These items are nice but not necessary.

Pair up into teams of two if possible. Pick a recipe and make it for each person in the group. If you have 8 people and are making meatloaf, you and your partner would take each persons meat and prepare 8 meatloaves. If the recipe is Honey lime chicken then you would make 8 of these. Repeat process until all recipes are done. Try completing the more difficult recipes first. Like chicken nuggets. These need to be started early or you will be waiting on them when all else is done, because they need to be cooked in the oven for 10 min.

Clean up- clean up as you go, and make sure you mop the floor when you are done. It will be a
mess.

Take home- fill coolers and send them home. I split any left over ingredients that probably
won't be used soon, and send them home.

Collect- don't forget to collect the money from your group. I have a fund that is used for the
shopping. This way, I don't use my family food money to buy the groceries for cooking
club. It makes it easier to separate and keep the books balanced.

Enjoy- go home place food in freezer. Set out meal for tomorrow, take a break.

Any comments or questions?? Clear as mud right. Just let me know, I will try to answer any questions you might have.

This have really been a blessing in my life. I hope it can be in yours too.

Through God, you can

Well, I Sunday, I called out to God and he answered. Today, I weighed in for Weight Watcher. I did the at work program. They would pay 100% if I lost 5% of my weight. So, when I said I would pay I really meant it. I needed to lose 8 pounds right. Well as of Monday, I needed to lose 3 more. But, Monday morning I ran two miles, walked another 3 miles throughout the day, and ate good stuff. Kept that up til this morning. I went into the meeting knowing I was now close, but not knowing if I was close enough. I stepped on the scale. What did I see? I lost 4.8 pounds since 9/15/08. Through Gods divine motivation, I was able to accomplish what I thought impossible. I will get my check back. What a relief.

Thanks for all those who cheered me on.

Calling out to God

Today this mama called out to God. He answered so faithfully. It all started with the realization of not meeting a goal I set out to achieve 12 weeks ago. This goal for some would be totally reachable. For me however, I failed. I wanted to lose 8 pounds by Sept 22nd. I have lost 5. Unless God preforms a miracle, those other 3 pounds will still be there. I have contemplated just not eating between now and then, but have thought better of it.

From this realization, stemmed the overwhelming feeling of not being able to accomplish all I want to in my day. I home school 3 kids while the 4th tries her best to do every possible thing to interfere. Yes, I have given her things to work on, special work, toys, even a movie. It hasn't worked so far. I have a large house to keep clean. Six people create some serious laundry. Six people eat a lot of food as well. The cooking for them can be a chore. Then there is the daily trip to the gym for Grace's scholarship plan. She does competitive gymnastics. (She has God given talent. Saturday was her first meet of the season. She got 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze.) Then there is football for Cameron, violin for Cail, gym for Ellie, co op for school, MOPS, Board of Christian life, OMAC cooking, date night. Did I mention I work outside of the home 2 days a week. Oh, I also want to be a "nice" wife, mother, and friend. How does on person do all of this. Well, that was my complaint. I can't get it all done. I can not do it.

I had no energy for concentrating on the food and exercise. I put me last. And now I will pay for it.

So, here is what God said, I know this is the part you have been waiting for. "Tricia my dear, YOU CAN'T! But, THROUGH ME AND ONLY THROUGH ME YOU WILL." Only as I lay my life down at the foot of Jesus will I be able to accomplish anything. My verse for this week will be 1 Peter 3:8-11 here is what it says.

"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To HIM be the power for ever and ever, AMEN."

God will restore me, and make me strong. Get behind me satan, I have Jesus on my side!!

Are you calling out? Has He answered? I would like to hear.

Singing in the Rain

Do you remember playing in the rain? I do. I can remember doing exactly what these two gifts are doing right here. Getting the water out of the downspout. It was such a beautiful day. The rain was warm and the sky bright. I can't believe we were the only kids out playing in the rain. But, boy did we have fun!!

OK, what you can't see in this picture is Cail about to drown his big brother with out Cameron knowing it. He is one sneaky little trickster. Better watch this one closely.

Just singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling, just singing in the rain.

When was the last time you played in the rain???? Tomorrow is supposed to have some. Grab some buckets or what ever you can find that will hold water, get the kids, get the friends, and go out there. It will do your soul good.

Did you know that people did not know what rain was until God flooded the whole earth? What do you think that experience was like? How about the first time it snowed? Or hailed? What must have those early tribe thought? Are we going to experience anything totally new?

Lets enjoy the days God gives us. Don't clean to much, don't work to hard. Play with those gifts you have been given. Wiggle a little. You will love it, I promise.

Update, New Day

Ok, so now it is September 1st, 2008. Who knew time would fly so quickly. Eleanor is just about 3. She is the baby. She is such a stinker. The smarter they are, the harder it is to reason with them. She thinks she is the boss. Little does she know. But, she is not only smart, she is beautiful too. Wouldn't you agree. Just say yes, so we can move on.

Wanted to fill you in on the running. I have not given up. I has all of my accountablity people bail. Is this a good excuse for not completeing the month as I would have like to? Probably not. I am really not sure what has happened to be since I have birthed 4 babies and turned 30 years ago. I have no motivation anymore. I don't really care what size my pants are. How sad. But, I will not be defeted!!! No, today is a new month. This new month can bring lots of new stuff. I want to be a good example for my kids.

A question for today. Why does it cost so much to eat health? Junk food is really cheap. And why do my kids want junk food all of the time? If you have any good answeres to these questions will you please tell me. I am still in the dark.

My Favorite Shoes

They are discontinuing my favorite running shoe. I can not believe it. It has been the only shoe I have bought for the past 7 years. (I usually walk in them) I have heard rumors of them being discontinued, but now it is for real. If anyone sees an Addidas Boston in a size 10.5 buy them for me please.


These are my old shoes. They are now yard shoes. I think I have had these for over 15months. They are way beyond being decent walking or running shoes. I made them last as long as I could. When I could no longer stand them, I was talked into trying some Asics SuperNova's. I was told by that sales person they would be the most comfortable shoes ever. Well, they are not. They don't even look as cool.







They will work for now, but I don't think they are the most comfortable shoes ever. Do you think if I call Addidas, they will make them just for me?

I doubt it too. Well, I do know this, running is hard. Why didn't we decide to walk the Mini???

Silly us. I am going to do it though. I think I can run about .25miles now. YIPEE!!!! Ok so it may be a little more than that. Keep me going please.

RUNNING!!!!

Ok, so this is what I am going to do. Run. Run 13.1 miles in April of 2009 to be exact. Perhaps 26.2 miles in October 2009. Right now. I can run to the end of the drive way. But, God willing, and a lot of hard work, I will be able to do it



My first run was Friday morning. I did a lot better than I thought I would. I am following the Hal Higdon's training guide. 10 min walk, 30 sec jog, 30 sec walk, (keep the 30/30 up for 15 min) then 5 min walk. I also had to push a stroller filled with 100 lbs of children, keep two other children from crashing into each other while riding their bikes ( I am sure they were hitting tires just to see how much I could talk and run, the lecture came inbetween huffs and puffs). This is a lot of work. But, I think I will make it. I did not run today, Saturday, because freezer cooking for the night gals was last night. They did not leave until 1115PM!!! And I had to be at work bright and early at 7am. I did not awaken at the planned 5am, but rather 615am. Had to leave the house by 630. So, needless to say, no running today. I will run tomorrow. I promise!! I need you help me out.



So, why am I running? First, I need to lose 20lbs. Second, I want to prove I still got it. If you know what I mean. After birthing 4 kids and years after turning 30, I need to do something that lets me know I am still a hottie. Third, my friend Amy asked me to do this with her. And the 5 other people I suckered into doing this will be watching to see if I actually do it. Fourth, and probably most important, God tells us to be a living sanctuary for Him. I need to take care of my body in order to use it for Him.



Wow, that was a lot of words!! Hope you did not get to board!! Stay tuned for more details. I promise, I will give the oldest two the camera and you can watch first hand the struggles of this Mama calling out to the Lord to give her wings.

Freezer Cooking

Wow, what a weekend. It started Friday with another round of freezer cooking. If you are not familiar with this, let me explain. Once a month a group of ladies get together and make about 15 meals for the up coming month. Place them in the freezer, and Voila! dinner is ready. Just take out of the freezer, thaw and cook. It is a great help. We never need to stop at the fast food joint anymore. Dinner is a reheat away. And the food is good. We have only had one or two recipes we won't make again. The girls who came this month were Misty J, Adrienne J, Sandy W, and Me (cooking for Dawna). It was a great time of fellowship. Stephanie H is our trusty sitter while this is all going on.

Here is what we cooked:

Meatloaf x2

French toast casserole

Cranberry Chicken ( one of our favorites)

Citrus Fish marinade

Chicken Nuggets

Untidy Josephs (aka Sloppy Joes)

Taco rice -for taco salad or nachos

Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Enchilladas

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Herbed Chicken

Stomboli

It took about 3 1/2 hours to complete. Not bad for not having to cook at least 13 meals. The cost for all of this was around $60. It could have been less, but I opted for the more expensive organic ingredients wherever possible.

Here are some pictures of our fun

Sandy chopping

Mama Cooking

The finished cooler for Misty to take home.

I love cooking. And eating it to.

So, after all of this is done, I don't want to cook. What do we do? Go to The Breadladies of course. Where else do you go on a Friday night? They have great sandwiches and live music on Friday nights. Check them out http://www.thebreadladies.com/

Here are the kids dancing to some jazzy rock. Aren't they cute? Luke is the boy in the picture. He lives down the road. Grace and he play a lot.

So cute!!

Cameron (left) and his other brother Harrison

Working Moms

So, I just spent the weekend working. I am an RN at The Indiana Heart Hospital in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. Sounds pretty impressive, ey? Well, it's not all that. I only work 1 may 2 days a week. I have been around long enough that I tell them when I will work. I love that about my job!!! What is my point here? Oh, yeah. I was thinking last night about how I have heard people say, "I am a better mom because I work full time." I totally don't feel this way. My kids miss me; as great as the man is about keeping the house tidy, it is just not the same; I miss those stinking kids; and to top it off, after working 12 hours with sometimes very difficult people, I don't want anyone to talk to me.

Only if our situation changed, would I be willing to work anymore than what I am doing right now. Are the moms who work full time feeling this way too, and just afraid to say it? I don't know. All I know is God created me to be a wife and a mommy full time, and allowed me to become a nurse so I can use those skills part time to make some extra cash for playing around. I am thankful I became a nurse. It allows me to be the Proverbs 31 woman without sacrificing the children arising and calling me blessed.

TIE DYE!!

Ellie the 2year old made this one. I promise, she did all the work. I just tied it up for her. Georgous!!! Does anyone have theirs ready to share?

Today was our annual tie dye party. We always have so much fun. I am constantly amazed at the creative shirts that are a result of this day. It has taken me 5 years to perfect this project, but now, we have amazing shirts that I could sell for at least $10 each. And the kids made them. I love it. I hope all of the new gals with us today enjoyed the day and the results as much as I did. Here are some pics. Let me know if you want to buy them!!!

Cail made this shirt. He is 4. I think it would be at least $20!!

Champions of Whine

So, this is what I am struggling with right now. Why do my two youngest gifts continue to cry and whine all the time??? I can not stand whining, and they are the champions of whine. I don't know how to make it stop. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I have discovered through this that my children are attached to nothing. They have no special toys or blankets, nothing they would be devastated without. Is this a good thing? Probably, they will be able to adapt to new situations easily. But, it causes me to be more creative than just finding what they hold valuable and removing it until the desired behavior is achieved. What do you do with that?

Wow!! I went to find a picture of these gifts whining at their best and I could not find one. I need to take more pictures.

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths, guide me in truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4

One day at a time. The Lord will show me his ways.

Happy Anniversery

Today is my 10 year anniversery. We've made it. We have 4 beautiful children, have lived in 5 differernt houses, had 3 different dogs, I am not sure how many different cars-at least 15. Life in these 10 years has been very busy. What do you think will happen in the next 10 years. We will have at least 1 kid will be heading to college, two will be driving, and all of them will be teenagers. Yikes!!! I am so proud of my family. Especially my husband. He is the man I dreamed about when I was young. I can't wait to see what God has planned for our family. I love them.

Did I just really set up a blog

Wow!!! I am really old. Or out of touch. I really need to be more techno savy. My kids are probably better at this than me. Do you know my 9 year old taught me how to use my cell phone. Who knew all you had to do was say the number???? Apparently, he did. What else does he know that I don't. Funny thing, I homeschool him, so where did he learn this??? I did not teach that class!! I wonder what the baby knows. She has been seen carrying that thing around. Hmmmm?