The Big Sister and Brother!

I thought I would share a couple of recent pics of the kids! Er, or the most recent ones on the computer!


Annalise Elizabeth, taken on Easter, will be 4 July 8th! My big girl! She has, of course, asked God for a sister and declared if He sends us another brother, she will ask for a boy next time so it will be a girl!

My big boy enjoying some yogurt. Don't you want a bite? He will be 2 September 26.

Both kids at the Little Rock Zoo.

Friday Photo Flashback

Ok, so I hope this isn't cheating, but I am going to share a picture on my computer but I have a reason...just hang on!

This is my BABY who will be 2 in September! Scott and I have really been reflecting on how big he is getting. One reason we have been thinking about it is.....................dun dun dun.................we found out we are expecting again!!!

Spring is here!!!

We are emerging from a week long down pour! We have gotten 13 inches of rain in the past week! Yesterday we rode down to Arkansas Post and we saw these guys sunning themselves in the swamp just before the park.

We counted 5 or 6 baby alligators laying out. We weren't the only ones enjoying the sunshine!

Chicken Spaghetti

One of our family favorites is Chicken Spaghetti. I had a nice big batch made Wednesday with half ready for the oven for supper and half ready for the freezer for another night. Then we find out several church members are without power from a bad storm, so we decided to load it up along with the bread I'd made and a few other things. (Thank you, Paula Deen, for the brownies with stuff I had in my pantry!) We were able to feed a family of 6 as well as another couple in the church. I think it tasted even better being able to share it! Scott preached on the Prov. 31 woman Sunday and made jokes about me bringing food from afar (we live 45 minutes from church.) Anyways, here is my recipe. Its extremely flexible.

2-3 large chicken breasts (or any other cooked chicken you have on hand) boiled and shredded
1 pkg spaghetti (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste to made myself feel a little better about feeding the fam pasta..Barilla Plus is yummy too)
2 cans cream soup (cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 TBSP butter, margarine, or olive oil
16oz Mexican Velveeta (or plain Velveeta and a can of Rotel)
garlic powder, salt, & pepper to taste
1 can mushrooms (if your fam is down with them)

Cook and shred chicken (or chop, we just prefer the texture of shredded). Cook pasta. Saute veggies until translucent. Add soups & velveeta and cook on low-med until velveeta is melted. Taste and add spices. If using Rotel, add it here. Add chicken to sauce. When pasta is al dente (it will absorb a little sauce so don't over cook it.) drain and mix in sauce. At this point you can eat it, put it in a casserole dish and bake it, or toss it in the crock pot on low and take it somewhere. Oh, and it freezes well if you want to freeze part of it too.

Hope you like it! Like I said, its one of our favs...even my picky 19m old eats it up! Head on over to the Grocery Cart Challenge to get a ton more yummy recipes as well as awesome money saving tips!

Making Your Home Sing Monday: Deep Freeze!!!

So, I realized this weekend I am a grown-up. And not just a little bit...a big HONKIN' grown-up. We are getting a deep freeze (a chest freezer for non-southerners) and I am completely psyched! For the past 5 years I have dealt with the skinny excuse for a freezer on the side-by-side fridge that came with our house. My head is filled with the amazing things I will be able to do with a freezer......freezing casseroles, milk on sale, meat on sale, fzv veggies on sale...ok,anything I can find on sale and get in a freezer bag is going in this bad boy! So, how is this going to make my home sing you ask? In all seriousness, I really do think I can save us money with it. My hubby is NOT a fan of leftovers, so my recipes that tend to make more than we can eat (like chicken spaghetti) I plan to freeze half of it for a later meal then it isn't "technically" leftover. I also plan to put up a lot from my garden as well as corn and purplehull peas from nearby. Anyone have any wonderful suggestions for ways to make my home sing with a freezer????

Head on over to Momstheword for other great Making Your Home Sing suggestions!

Praises and Prayers

THANK YOU for those of you who read and prayed for rain! This morning there was nearly 4 inches in the rain gauge this morning! God is so good. Scott will have a much slower week at work before the flurry of bean planting starts.

As for the changes I mentioned, God has us on the move. Not physically, but in churches. Scott resigned from his pastorate this morning. It wasn't an easy decision for him to come to, but I supported it. He feels God leading him more toward a teaching/small group ministry. We aren't sure where yet, but we know God knows and will reveal it to us in His time. So please keep praying for us. The last Sunday in May will be his last Sunday at our church.

Blogging my laziness....

I confess, I am lazy today. Ever have a day like that? I am resisting the urge to go lay down because I know I will go to sleep and there is no telling what my 3yr old would do! Its the day of the month where I crave Fritos and M&M's and I just can't inspire myself to be productive. I found a fantastic sounding bread recipe I am going to try when I motivate myself to. It has been a long week. God has been dealing with Scott and I on a few issues and we know there are changes on the horizon (I will share soon) and it has been a taxing week mentally. Can I be selfish enough to ask you to pray for rain so hubby could have a day off tomorrow? He is the inventory control manager for a seed company here and during planting he works 6 days a week, often 10+ hours a day, then preaches on Sundays. My man is tired!

Well, that bread isn't making itself, and I need to put Anna on www.starfall.com so I guess you are done enduring my ramblings.......

My Baby Left Overnight!!!

So, if you have read on here much, you know my going on 4 year old wasn't potty-trained and was still on a pacifier. This week she has started using the potty on her own AND last night she slept bink-free!!! Not exactly by choice, we couldn't find it anywhere, but she didn't even throw a fit! She woke me about 3 and told me she needed something to suck on, but after a little snuggle with mom she went back to bed. Today she has remembered her daddy had told her we couldn't "Talk to God about another baby" until she was using the potty so she has been badgering me all day to have a baby sister for her. I am GREAT with the idea :-) but we'll see what Daddy has to say when he comes in as he has been telling me for months "Noooooo" because he isn't ready yet.

Well, this isn't getting the cheerios off my living room floor. I think Anna was trying to feed her little brother like a dog!

What's in my alabaster jar?

My quiet time text a few mornings ago came from Matthew 26 and is the beautiful account of Mary anointing Christ with expensive perfume from an alabaster jar. The devo came out of my new Bible (which I have to girlishly add is a pretty green and blue). It talked about the sacrifice Mary made as it shared about the display of "Extravagant Love" she had shown Jesus. It was likely this jar was the most valuable thing she owned, and she gave it to Him. Not just gave it to him, but she poured it out on him, never to be returned to the jar and taken back. The discussion questions asked what your most precious possession is and if you are willing to offer that to Jesus today. What am I holding back? Do I worry what others will think as I give Jesus my all? I don't know about you, but it leaves me pondering a lot of things. I also wonder how often I leave the perfume in the jar to sit it at His feet, and all to often take it back when I decide I want to be in control again. So, what is in your alabaster jar? Are you willing to pour it out as an offering to the One who poured His life out for you?

Making Your Home Sing Monday: A Complaint Free Week

For my Making Your Home Sing Monday post I get to tie together two blogs I really enjoy reading. Heather over at the Striving Wife issued the challenge to join her for a complaint free week this week and I am jumping on board with her! How many of my utterances during the week are complaints? I would probably be shocked and saddened to know the exact answer.

The challenge I am giving myself will be two-fold, but connected. In addition to a complaint free week, I really want to praise my children and husband more. If you watch TLC or Discovery Health I am sure you know about the Duggar Family. I am always amazed at how sweet and patient Michelle is with her children. In their book they say they really try to praise their children 10 more times than they correct them. Tonight Anna finally used the potty of her own free will (PTL!!!) and I quickly saw just what an impact praise had on her. She is now completely stoked to use the potty tomorrow. We printed a Tinkerbell potty chart and put it on the bathroom wall and she can't wait to get more stickers on it. Now this is about the 7th potty chart we have attempted, but for whatever reason, it clicked tonight. (Thank you for praying.) So while I won't neglect correction, I am going to really strive to praise my children much more than I correct them. And if they are having a particularly trying day, that will be that many more things I will have to praise them for. Mondays are always particularly tiring for my husband. I can imagine its tough to hit the ground running on Monday morning after preaching on Sunday. So I am going to strive to make sure he knows just how much I appreciate all he does for our family. He works so hard to take care of us, especially so I can stay home with our children...and he still comes in and does laundry. I am truly blessed.

I hope you will join me in Heather's challenge. As I commented on her blog, I know we will emerge from this week a little more like Jesus as we focus on building those in our homes up rather than tearing them down through our complaints. A complaint free Monday will surely make my home sing! Head on over to Momstheword to see how other's are making their homes sing today.

Making Your Home Sing Monday: Rainy Day

God has given us a rainy day today. My first thought was "UGH, more rain?" as I stared at my baby plants eagerly awaiting a place in my now non-existent garden. But then I turned to notice my surprisingly clean living room floor (thank you, hubby!) and realized it was the perfect day to build that blanket tent Anna has been wanting for a while. I realized I can't even remember when she asked me if we could make one, and I haven't done it yet. Why? No real reason, just haven't taken the time. When was the last time I planned something silly into our day just because my kids would love it? So today, I am spending my rainy monday making my home sing with my kiddos in a blanket tent. We'll have hot chocolate and read books and worry about the plants another day! How are you making your home sing today? Head on over to Momstheword to see how other mom's are making theirs. She has a wonderful post about Time that really spoke to me. It added to my thoughts of my own day and encouraged me to make time for my kids today! Thanks, God, for a restul day after a busy weekend!

Blessed Day!

My beautiful girl before church.
My little guy having his own "jam session" at church before everyone arrives.

"I mean, really, I know you are a person in there!"


"But I have this egg I needed to show the Easter Bunny!"

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

What a blessed day! In spite of the storms and miserable cold weather, we had a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. Anna joyously retold her account of what Easter was about to everyone who would listen. I shared a few days ago about her proclamation that on Easter morning "Jesus got all better!"

We went to the community Easter Egg Hunt yesterday and of course the giant bunny and his friend, a giant chicken, made an appearance. I think Isaac managed to get himself in at least 3 kids pictures with the Easter Bunny! He loved them! Anna, on the other hand, was terrified of them. She kept telling me that she wished those people would take off the weird costumes!

I pray you all had a glorious Lord's day and Resurrection Sunday as well! May the true reason for the celebration be close to your heart amid the baskets and eggs and special dinners. What an incredible gift from our Lord we have to celebrate!

Goin' Ons at Our House

Has it been a week since I posted really? I don't know where it went. I am convicted of being a poor steward of my time when I realize I feel really busy, but don't have a clue what I have been doing. We are still in the seemingly never-ending cycle of trying to potty-train our oldest. (Tips, anyone?) To say I am at the end of my rope is an understatement.

Last week we passed the 2yr mark at Hubby's current church. I don't think anyone even noticed....hmm, wonder if that is a good thing or a bad thing???

Anna has been so excited for Easter. We daily talk about Christ's death and resurrection to instill that is the real reason for the holiday. But we do include baskets and eggs as part of our celebration. We don't do the Easter Bunny though. We saw him at WM and Anna wanted to know what was up with the giant bunny and when I told her, she declared "that's really weird" I asked if she wanted to pretend that and she said "Uh no, I just want you to make me an Easter basket" and went on to tell me as we were leaving she was ready to go because that big bunny back there was kind of scarin' her....yeah, me too, kid!

Strong-Willed Children

I haven't had a chance to blog this week...or maybe I haven't thought of anything worthy of sharing. Two nights ago we had a particularly difficult night with our daughter and I remembered another devo I'd written some time ago. I am tacking it onto the end of this post. As frustrating as she was Tuesday night, she can also be amazingly thoughtful and funny! We were talking about Easter and the real reason behind Easter. I asked her if she remembered what Easter was all about and she said, "No, what is it?" I reminded her Jesus died on the cross and she somberly said "Oh yeah, He diiiiieeeed" But when I asked what happened on Easter Morning she joyfully proclaimed "HE WAS ALL BETTER!" :o) Give thanks today that through His death and resurrection we can be made "all better" with God.

Strong-Willed Child

My daughter Anna is one of the sweetest and funniest little girls I have ever met. She is also one of the strongest willed! She is 3 and it seems each day is filled with some new battle with her. She rarely complies the first time I tell her to do something. My request is either met at the least with questioning, and at the most, with defiance. Tonight after a lengthy battle to get her to stay in bed (a nightly ritual these days) I couldn’t help but imagine I must be getting a tiny taste of how my Heavenly Father feels at times.
How many times have I cried out to Him asking Him to help me? And how many times have I continued on in my sinful rebellion? I beg Him to deliver me from the burden of obesity, and He provides a way for me to have a surgery that gives me this wonderful tool. What do I do? I find ways to eat around it and defy it. I cry out to Him that I can’t do it alone, and the next time that desire to soothe myself with food strikes, I ignore His quiet urging to rely on Him.
And yet as frustrated as I get with my daughter, I am still overwhelmed with my love for her. That love is what drives me to continue to teach her to be submissive and obedient. Not because I wish to dominate and rule over her, but because her life would be so much easier if she would learn to heed our advice and teaching.
How much more does the Father love us? How many times had Israel turned their backs on the Father? And yet look at an example of His incredible love in this promise not only to them, but to you in Zephaniah 3:17:
“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
WOW! How amazing is that? The God of creation sings over ME? Over you? How incredible. As many times as I beg Him for help, and then defy the very request I have made, and He still loves me that much. You are His crowning creation. Don’t be afraid to accept the help you ask for, the help He so readily offers. When we ask Him for help, imagine He is extending His hand toward you. Climb into it, Dear One. Allow Him to quiet you with His love. When you find yourself afraid, frustrated, tired, wondering if you will make it through this battle, through this journey, rest in Him. He takes great delight in YOU!

Making Your Home Sing Monday: Excelling or Existing?

Mom's The Word had a GREAT post today that really convicted me of my attitude here lately about serving my family here at home. I adore being a homemaker. Being a wife and mother are the only roles I have ever felt truly happy in. Does my home reflect those feelings???? I can tell you, at this moment, that would be a big NO. My precious husband has done more than his fair share around here this weekend and I know it is stuff I should have gotten to last week. :o( Do the kids really keep me THAT busy? Or am I not managing my time nearly as well as I should? I can tell you without thinking, its the latter. All too often I find myself merely existing as a homemaker. I go through the motions, and mentally check off another day done on the calendar.

Tonight I ran to town to pick up some take-out for supper and had some good "God time" on the way home. I prayed and asked God to make our family a testimony to the goodness of God and to His faithfulness. Stay-at-home-mom's are a rare breed these days and most people down here look at us as if we are aliens when they find out I stay home. It is usually followed my some statement about "You are lucky your husband does that well" For us it isn't about money. My husband isn't making what many in this area are, we have just adjusted our lives to try to live in accordance with God's commands. He has blessed us so much, and I believe it is because we are honoring Him with our lifestyle. Does my attitude within these walls reflect that greatfulness?

My commitment is to really make my home sing this monday, starting with my attitude. I don't need to sleep-in just because the kids do, nor do I need to zone out online in the afternoons just because they are resting. My kitchen counters are in desperate need of attention, and I plan to attack them with the help of a pot of coffee first thing in the morning! Thanks for the encouragement, MTW! I pray you are encouraged by her post and blog as much as I am!

Corn on the Cob, Anyone?

The other night I told Anna I'd cook corn on the cob for her, and of course my little chunky monkey can't stand to see her have something he doesn't, so he began to protest loudly until he got an ear of his own. So here he is chowing down! Aren't those the biggest corn holders you have ever seen? We got them as a wedding gift and the kids love them. Scott thinks it looks like his corn is about to take off! It made me ready for summer corn to be ready. We have a huge Mennonite congregation nearby that sells the most amazing sweet corn in the summer!

Hubby and I had a date Friday night and it was so nice. Not that we don't love going out with the kids, but it was nice to have dinner where no one dropped their fork. As we were getting ready to go, Scott said he felt like he should throw my leftovers on the floor, or spill them on the table and lick them off. He thinks he is funny. :oP

I am home with the kiddos today. They both have colds and my little man is on steriods for wheezing. I had to take him to the dr Friday afternoon (not his because he is closed on Friday afternoons) and he said it sounds like it could be asthma. He is feeling a lot better though, so I am hoping its just a complication of his cold or something. Its weird not to be in church today.

Prayer Requests Abound

I just can't seem to get on the ball with posting every day! So, my 3.8yr old who refuses to use the potty, but pees on the floor like an unruly housepet made an interesting change today. Nope, hasn't used the potty yet, BUT chose to pee on an old highchair tray insert (that we don't use). She said it was because she didn't want to "get the carpet rotted by peepeeing on it" My first reaction was to think "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THIS KID???" But I am convinced God changed my reaction before it came out my mouth and Iwound up telling her it was "almost like using the potty" and showed her how we would dump it in the potty and wash it just like I would with her potty. I told her I was proud of her for not going on the floor (I have resorted to buying pet stain carpet cleaner!) and she got really excited. There is a little toy she wants at Wal-Mart and her daddy called to tell her if she would use the potty before he gets home, we will go to WM tonight to get it. So, she is currently pondering this offer. I'd rather not bribe her, but geez, we are at the end of our ropes! So, if you think about us, PLEASE say a prayer for something to click in Anna, and her stubborn will to break on this issue! (As I was writing this post she had a dirty accident...well, not accident, she knew what she was doing...in her panties! PRAY HARD)

Speaking of potty issues, my precious boy that is 18 months old today earned himself the spot of sermon illustration last night. Poor preacher's kids! I was fixing lunch and Isaac decides to dump water all over the kitchen floor. I scooped him up and popped him in the pack & play not realizing he was dirty. In the time it took me to walk in the kitchen, wipe up the water, stir lunch and look up to see hubby walking in, he'd taken off his DIRTY diaper in the pack & play! Scott walked in and says "hey bud...why are you naked...OH NO YOU ARE DIRTY!" Uggghhhhh

As for the other prayer request, it is somewhat unspoken because its an issue God is dealing with me on, but hasn't moved in my husband's heart yet. Would you just pray God will align our hearts with His on this matter? Thank you so much!

Bet you didn't know you had one of these...........

My three year old just informed me her "knee armpit" itches. Confused I turned to see what the heck she was talking about and saw her scratching behind her knee. Hahahaha! Hope you are all having a good day and YOUR "knee armpits" don't itch!

Hidden Strength

I have really been struggling here lately. I feel like every day with my food addiction is a battle and I have been losing far more often than winning here lately. I feel weak and defeated. But, I have to remember, its in those moments when my strength is gone, that I must fully lean on my Heavenly Father. I was reminded of a devo I wrote a while back for a WLS site a friend asked me to write some for. I hope it blesses your heart as re-reading it has blessed mine.

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

When are you weakest? Is it when you walk into the office and see someone has brought doughnuts? Is it when you have had a fight with your spouse? Is it when your three year old has colored on the floor for the third time that day? Is it when you are at a Christmas party and everyone is noshing on appetizers? For me….its all of the above! Its taking me years to recognize it and be able to admit it, but I am addicted to food. I eat when I am sad, happy, stressed, mad, depressed…..I just love to eat…to the point where I feel unstoppable at times. When something good happens, my first thought is what can I eat to celebrate. When something bad happens, my first thought is what can I put in my mouth to fill the ache inside. I think about food constantly. What am I going to cook today? What am I going to eat next? When my kids are whining or wild, I find myself in the kitchen opening cabinets and the fridge looking for something to eat, anything to eat.

But its in those moments I have to remember, Christ’s power is made perfect in my weakness. I have often wondered why He has allowed this struggle in my life. I am slowly coming to realize it keeps me dependent on Him. We are never told what Paul’s thorn is, but I think I am glad the Lord didn’t disclose that. Because it has allowed this passage to mean different things to different people. We can all draw strength from Paul’s words as we deal with our own thorns. For me, and I know some of you, that thorn is, and will always be food addiction. I don’t have the answer, I don’t know how to conquer it. But I do know one thing, when I am at my weakest, Christ is at His strongest. So, I will keep battling it, asking each morning for enough grace to sustain me for the day.

Cooking Conundrum and other ramblings

I am at my wit's end trying to figure out how to cook A. frugally, B. healthy-low carb and semi-low-fat, C. frugally, D. so the fam will like it, E. did I mention frugally? I have been searching recipes trying to figure out how to shave our grocery bill some and most of the frugal recipes I run across have pasta, rice, or potatoes in them...the three main things I have been trying to avoid in my diet! Hubby is pretty much a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but he wants to eat healthier too. He isn't too into casseroles, but will tolerate them. The kiddos like it pretty simple too. They will both eat anything with rice or beans though, haha! Thankfully, everyone eats brown rice. But what I don't get...they do LESS to the rice, and charge MORE for it at the store???? What gives? Makes me think I should start picking up all the rice spilled alongside the roads around here come harvest time! (Just kidding...not willing to fight the blackbirds for it yet!)

So, had a frustrating and semi-victorious day with the 3yr old. I am embarrassed to admit it, but my 3.5yr old STILL isn't potty-trained. She is so stubborn! (Remind me this will be a good trait some day???) She went on the floor twice today, one time 5 feet from the potty!!! She got mad at me for not giving her a pull-up to pee in, so she takes off her pajamas to pee on the floor in the very same room with the potty! ARGH!!! But on the victorious note...she went 6+ hours bink-less today!!!! (Yep, still on the bink too!) I learned she talks a heck-of-a-lot more without it! She is my little motor mouth!!! By 3:00 part of me was thinking, "where is that pacifier again?" "Hey MOM, wanna know what a good idea is? I think I should be a butterfly for Halloween! Lets go look on the 'puter and find one!......Hey Mama, did you know what this Wonderpets is about? Its about a platypus, they like the water, did you know that, Mom? They look kinda weird......Hey Mom, when did you say we could go blow bubbles?...Are we goin' to Aunt Linda's now?....Did you say we could go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and get me a cookie shirt like Isaac's?...Is that what you said?...I really want a cookie shirt.................."

I made some sugarfree glazed carrots last night and Isaac, who is uber-picky and hates veggies, ate over 2 servings of them!!!! Here is the recipe:

Isaac's Sugarfree Glazed Carrots

Carrots, peeled and cut into "coins" (I think I used 4, maybe 5?)
butter (to taste, I used about a tablespoon)
Da Vinci Sugarfree Syrup (I used caramel), also to taste
Dash each of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon

Cover your carrots with water and cook until nearly tender (could steam in the m/w too) and drain. Add in your butter and give it a stir, then add a splash of sf syrup. I probably used 1/4 a cup. Allow to simmer in the syrup until carrots are tender and syrup has reduced a little.

I know it if kind of a general recipe. I am terrible about not measuring when I am making something up! I will try to pay closer attention the next time I experiment in case it is worthy of sharing!

I have been thinking a lot about what a blessing my 2 knuckleheads are. Even with a unpotty-trained 3yr old and an almost 18m old still very much attached to his bottle, I am so blessed. Last night Isaac wound up in our bed about 1:00am and I snuggled up next to him and enjoyed my nightly prayers holding my "baby" who is getting way too big way too fast. I am reminded to savor each moment, even the insane ones, and I look forward to the next blessing the Lord has for our family when He sends it!

Ok, now that I have rambled way too much, back to my grocery list!!!! Be blessed, friends!

Sausage & Pumpkin Soup (and climbing back on the wagon)

As I said in my first post, I have had wls (an RNY gastric bypass) 10 years ago this September. And I find myself sitting here dealing with the very same food struggles I had then. Surgery certainly isn't a quick fix. A number of months ago I heard about a 5 day "diet" that dramatically changed the way I was eating by bringing me back to the rules of my surgery and to how I am supposed to be eating following this surgery. Well, I slowly slid (ok, more like jumped) off the wagon and have found myself in Little Debbie & Dorito grazing land once again. :o( (man, I feel like a loser admitting that) so I am back on the 5 Day Pouch Test once again. Here is an awesome recipe from that plan.

Pumpkin & Sausage Soup
16 ounces country style sausage
1/2 cup onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
15 ounces pumpkin, canned
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

Over medium heat brown the sausage breaking into small bits. Drain fat. Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and mushrooms and saute until vegetables are cooked.
Add the canned pumpkin and the broth, stirring to mix well. Cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream, sour cream and water.

Chili & Cornbread

I made a big honkin' pot of chili Saturday and a couple of loaves of yeast cornbread and had my mom and sister over for supper. The chili started with this recipe (Wendy's Chili Recipe) but I modified it quite a bit.

Formerly Wendy's Chili

2lbs ground beef (chuck, round, whatever, turkey is good too)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 can rotel
1 lg (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 huge (28oz) can diced tomatoes (we like petite diced)
3 cans of beans (any kind, I used 2 chili and 1 ranch)
1 can water (maybe more)
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash oregano
Dash paprika
Salt, pepper, and ground red pepper to taste

Brown beef, drain & rinse in hot water. Sautee onion, celery, and bell pepper. Mix tomatoes and sauce in large pan with seasonings. Add beef, veggies, water and beans (undrained) and stir it all together. Cover and Simmer at least 2 hours, the longer the better, stirring every 15 minutes or so. You may need to add a little more water as it simmers, depending on your family's tastes. Serve with Fritos, shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onion, if desired. Yum!

Yeast Cornbread

1 cup milk
6 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages. dry yeast
2 beaten eggs
3 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 3/4 cups yellow corn meal

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool until lukewarm. Measure warm water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on water and stir until dissolved; then stir into warm milk mixture. Add eggs, flour and corn meal. Beat 2 minutes. Batter will be stiff. Place in two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans; cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

"The Devil Made 'Em Do It????"

"That old devil gets after preachers and their families on the weekends!"

My husband was told this at a recent associational function and boy, have I come to believe it! It seems if there is some crisis in our family, 9 times out of 1o, it happens saturday night or sunday morning. When did Isaac knock his front tooth out? Yep, Sunday morning as Daddy was in the shower and mom was running around half dressed trying to find clothes for the kids. When does Anna get up 47 times before staying in bed? Yep, most Saturday nights! Last night the kids had me awake at 2:00, 2:45, 3:13, 3:30, 4:45, and 5:00. Isaac wanted in our bed at 2:00 and Anna woke me the rest of the times. She needed a sippy...her bed was too jiggly (what???!!??)...she wanted to lay on the couch....she wanted to watch a DVD (that was 4:45 and I gave up and let her). The 4:45 wake up had wakened Isaac, who decided it was time to get up and began to run around the living room exclaiming loudly at Backyardigans on TV. And after all that.....I overslept! It was a very short night, despite the oversleeping! We drove the 45 minutes to church with Anna in her nightgown because I didn't have time to coax her into clothes before we left. And, being the supermom that I am....everyone ate bfast from the convience store! Honeybun anyone???? Sigh.

But, since we don't have services on Sunday nights, we get to enjoy a semi-lazy Sunday afternoon and I am making breakfast for supper. Oh, had some yummy chili and yeast cornbread last night. I will be back in a bit to post recipes because I think I hear Isaac into something! (Oh, Daddy rescued him. He had his hand stuck in the Drop and Roar Dinosaur!)

Huh? What am I doing here?

So I decided to jump on the Blog Bandwagon. I thought what the hey, I liked writing in college, why not share my crazy life with the world! As my "About Me" over there says I am a 30 year old stay at home mom and preacher's wife. I am first and foremost, in love with my Savior and living a life sold out to Him. After a lifetime of being told by the world that I must have a career and bring in the big bucks to be happy, I have found my place, right here at home, as help meet to my husband and mother of our children. I think it is the only thing I have ever been truly happy doing. I am married to a bi-vocational pastor, which is a trip all in itself! But we are blessed by a wonderful church family who is understanding of his secular job and demands.

We have 2 kiddos so far...3.5yr old Anna and 1.5yr old Isaac. My home can be kind of chaotic at home, but I wouldn't have it any other way.....after all, silence means they are up to something right???? Ask me how hard it is to get Desitin out of carpet and out of a little brother's hair! We are in our first year of very relaxed homeschooling, but planning to hit it a little harder next year for Pre-K.

In addition to daily figuring out the Mama thing, and the Wife thing, I am also a WLSer so I am trying to figure out how to cook as I should eat, and have the fam love it too. I had a RNY gastric bypass over 9 years ago, but I am just now learning how I should have been living all this time. So expect random recipes to pop up from time to time...some WLS-friendly, some, probably not. I love to cook! ;o)

If you are still reading this far, thanks! Post a comment and let me get to know you! In His Grip and By His Grace!