"And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you've got what it takes - but God, don't put it off."
Psalms 40:17 MSG
As you can see it's been quite a while since I've posted anything to this site. I am still blogging about my messy crazy life albeit infrequently over at PJs Til Noon. I'm not ready to give up on this blog yet, but since I've got a lot of potential changes going on in my life and with the crazy (wait) CRAZY (that's better) summer we've had I thought it was better to focus on just one of my creative outlets. PJ's won the coin toss.
If you're curious at all what's going on with me, and here's where I should put some scintillating tidbit that will make you drop what you're doing and head on over to PJs quicker than a cat on a hot tin roof. As you can see I got nothing.
Except some glorious self-promotion....go to the other blog!
Jill: Because you keep telling me, over and over and over, and lots and lots and lots of times. And if I ever forget, I’ll ask you to remind me.
Gotta love a 5-year-old's perspective on things. I'll enjoy it while I've got it! Just like right now I'm enjoying the view of her sundress hung up in her backpack and showing her undies. I tried to get a pic but it didn't last long, you'll just have to imagine.
I'm thinking there's a very deep lesson to be learned from Jill and I's conversation but right now nothing is coming to me. I am still in 'rush' mode after looking at the fridge this morning, realizing Jared had a field trip that he needed a packed lunch for and didn't take, calling the school confirming he needed said lunch, loading up Jill, packing said lunch, putting resistant (and wet and dirty) puppies in cage, rushing 20 minutes to school, arriving just in the nick of time (children lined up, bus arriving). Only to find out from Jared he didn't need a lunch after all, he'd be back in plenty of time to eat in the cafeteria. But he'd love to have a water bottle for the ride. SIGH!
Either I'm mellowing in my old age, I'm really tired, or maybe the pain in my shoulders and thighs from Level 2 of the Shred has just dulled all other emotions because I'm actually not upset.
(Because I pick and choose what blog I feel like posting at on any given day, this story has been drug out over both of them...if you care to get the back story it's here and here and probably somewere else to but I'm too lazy to look.)
Well, I’m still at it..sort of. I have semi-completed Level 2 three times in the past week or maybe it’s more like 10 days but who’s counting? Oh that’s right, I should be. Level 2 is full of push-up/plank style exercises. All I can is say is thank God for Anita, who is the low-impact version of the work out. I’m also trying to either get a daily walk or some time on the elliptical as much as possible.
Our spring schedule is starting to wind down and that leaves us with a little more free time in the evenings. D and I have been able to take a walk the last couple of days, we even broke out into a jog yesterday. And don’t fall over people, but it was actually my idea to jog! It was NOT my idea to jog the rest of the way home and to ‘burn it’ for the last two minutes…I think I’m still breathing hard from that episode. Burn it? Really? But that’s my trainer, always trying to push me a bit further.
So all of the aforementioned blathering was meant to lead up to the big ‘weight update’ I planned to do each and every week. Now it’s been what, 15 days? Oh well, if you read this blog at all you’re very aware of the fact that I’m a slacker, sadly our title is not just a catchy turn of phrase.
Now, drum roll please. Someone finally told my scale I was sweating copious amounts (eww) to try and work my badonkadonk off. Yay! I’m down 5 lbs or as someone once told my mom, that’s 20 sticks of butter. I bet you’ll think twice before buttering your roll now, huh? Not me, a hot roll without melted margarine is like a baked potato without cheese, bacon, and ranch…and I wonder why I’m carrying around XX extra pounds. Obvious, right?
Now I’m off to reward myself for all this hard work. Actually I just watched the season premiere of Jon and Kate plus 8 so I’m off to drown my sorrows in something loaded with some sugar and hopefully a good dose of fat as well.
I think there’s a Hershey bar left from our smores that I hid somewhere….
So the 30 Day Shred (plus some elliptical workouts and some trainer sessions) are working for me!
I posted yesterday about how my firstborn was celebrating 14 years of life on this amazing planet.
We grilled out last night to honor the occasion and I made his absolute favorite dessert to finish the night off—Oreo Pie. It’s insanely easy (and even more so if you choose to use prepared graham cracker pie crusts) and very refreshing and yummy! A perfect summer dessert for potlucks, especially ones with kiddos!
So here’s the recipe for a double batch of Oreo Pie: (sorry if these aren’t exact, I just dump and mix for my crusts)
Crust: 15-18 graham cracker crumbs ½ c sugar 4 tbsp melted butter OR purchase two deep dish graham cracker pie shells
Filling: 2 pkg instant vanilla pudding (also good with chocolate) 3 ¾ c. milk 16 oz. Cool Whip Package of Oreos, crushed (Josh prefers the double stuffed)
Mix crust ingredients together and press into 9 x 13 pan, pop into freezer.
In large mixing bowl, whisk together pudding and milk. When mixture begins to set up, blend in ¾ of the cool whip and ¾ of the Oreos (reserving some of each for the topping). Pour over crust.
Top with remaining cool whip and crushed cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
However, do not use all of your cool whip in the filling and try to use ‘squirt cool whip’ to write your child’s name and then put back in the freezer b/c the fridge is too full….you’ll end up with a melted cool whip all over the top and no name. BUT your kids will still scarf it down like there’s no tomorrow.
My family is evenly divided between the sexes, three males, three females. This weekend the male half will be heading off to a father-son camping trip with our church. This means we have a weekend of nothing but girl time! I love this weekend (even if it means I'm a single parent, at least he takes half the kids with him).
So here’s 13 things I’m looking forward to this weekend:
1. A weekend of NO sporting events (live or televised)!
2. The basement (the boys’ domain) is clean and will stay that way all weekend!! (Until they come back with BAGS of dirty laundry on Sunday but that’s another story.)
3. A mother-daughter picnic with my daughters, mom, mother-in-law, one of my sisters, most of my sister-in-laws, and lots of fabulous church friends.
4. One-on-one time with each of my precious girls. Maybe get a head start on a Father’s Day project?
5. Making special treats with the girls for the above-mentioned picnic.
6. Did I mention my house will stay cleaner this weekend?
7. Reading in bed until the wee hour s of the morning..if I want to!
8. Knowing all my boys (even my biggest one) are enjoying a great weekend full of fun activities and some serious ‘guy time’.
9. Having the ‘big’ tv ALL to myself..no sharing the remote this weekend!
10. Watching a chick flick with my chicks! (Which just means Disney around here…the girls are 5 and 8)
11. Thankful for a husband who will do anything and everything to have a good relationship with his sons.
12. Making a menu that will please us. Shh…don’t tell but we’ll probably have at least one meal of JUST deep-fried mozzarella cheese sticks! (I’m looking for a good recipe for homemade ones.)
13. Having my tired but happy boys tell me ALL about their big weekend on Sunday afternoon. I can’t wait for the details!
We had a gorgeous Mother's Day here in Virginia! Sunshine and nice warm weather...but today we're back to RAIN!
Our schedule this week is up in the air, so this is the current 'plan'. We've got a sick little one, an appointment for a broken toe, maybe a ballgame, and the boys leaving for a father-son camping trip on Friday...busy busy!
Monday - Chicken Casserole, baked potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Hoagies, chips
Thursday - Grilled Chicken, salad (if the parts needed to repair the grill are delivered in time!)
Friday - The boys are headed camping and I'm going to see Casting Crowns in concert with a bunch of my extended family--can't wait!
Ever read a bible verse that you’ve probably read/heard 100s of times and all of a sudden, it’s like you have a major light bulb moment?
I had one this morning.Tuesdays are my busiest days, I’ve really got to boogie to get myself ready, Jill to mom’s, and be at work on time!(What?You think I should get up earlier on Tuesdays? )Plus today is Jilly Bean’s 5th birthday AND for some unknown reason I decided since I had exactly 30 minutes before I needed to leave the house it would be a good idea to do a 20 minute elliptical workout.Okay, the reason was that my trainer suggested I should but I did do it!And yes, that left me 10 minutes to shower and get out the door…which I barely did in 15 and with no makeup and wet hair.
Anyway, all of that means I read my devotions online today at church and, yes, we’re finally getting to the story.Let me set up the scripture, Elijah has just destroyed the prophets of Baal and Queen Jezebel has told him he’ll be sleeping with the fishes by this time tomorrow. So Elijah does what most of us do, he complained!He cried and whined and then he went to sleep!Then an angel wakes him up, feeds him, he goes back to sleep, eats more, and then travels for 40 days!Finally after he finishes his journey God speaks to him (and then sends him back the way he came which is a whole other story).
If you’d like to read the devotional and the actual scripture go here!
The ‘a-ha’ moment for me was I truly realized that Elijah prayed, slept, ate, slept, ate, then he traveled for 40 days and THEN, THEN God spoke to him.Over 40 days people!And I often get frustrated when God doesn’t give an answer or fix a problem in two minutes!
I know in this situation Elijah truly felt alone and his very life was being threatened, but yet God took time to send an angel to prepare food for him and he rested.Sometimes the mundane, routine things of life are the very things that keep us sane.
Currently I’m praying for direction as to how the Lord will use me when my last little chick leaves the safety of the nest for Kindergarten in the fall (the same day as my oldest chick heads to high school…sigh…).And I want an answer NOW.
But tonight I’ll do laundry, bake a birthday cake, clean the kitchen and I will do my best to patiently wait for God’s answers and His divine direction in my life.
Has it been 40 days, 40 weeks, or 40 months for you?Hang in there…the answer is coming.And for that I’m grateful today!
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