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.