Menu Plan - Sun & Warm Weather Ahead!

There is SUNSHINE today!!!    The weather in the last week has put me in a funky mood... I like a rainy day every now and then, but I love warmth and sunshine!  We'll get Sadie from school in a little bit (she wanted me to make sure you all knew that she and Eric were going on a field trip to the Police Station today!) and then I think we will enjoy some time outside!

Menu Plan for the Week:
MONDAY
Steak, Mixed Veggies, Peaches

TUESDAY
Small group - Bring Veggie Pizza

WEDNESDAY
Pizza Noodle Bake, Corn, Pineapple

THURSDAY
Chicken & Stuffing Casserole, Carrots/Dip, Fruit

FRIDAY
Ranch Tilapia, Salad, Fruit

SATURDAY
Baked Potato Bar

SUNDAY
Marinated Grilled Chicken, Grilled Potatoes, Salad and Fruit

Five 4 Friday

I've been on the quiet side around here this week.... trying to get back in routine after being away for a few days is difficult for me.  Even now I'm still sitting in my workout clothes needing to take my first shower of the day.  Here's 5 random thoughts for you on this Friday!

1. I was at Target this morning getting a gift for my nephews 1st Birthday and saw that the Reese's Easter Eggs are out... I also spotted the Cadbury Chocolate Eggs with the hard candy coating.  My two favorite Easter Candies.  I didn't buy them today mainly because I can't believe what they want to charge for holiday candy, but next pay check, I'm on it.
2. Sadie has had a much better week going to school!  The first thing out of her mouth in the morning is always, "Is it a school day???" and if it is, she frets until time to go (which unfortunately isn't until 12:30), but drop off is much better!  I'm not sure what's changed other than a lot of prayer... I also told her on her way Wednesday that she isn't going to be afraid to go to school forever, which seemed to calm her... sometimes you just need to know that some of your struggles are only for a season.
3. I was looking at Cole's head this last week, enjoying how perfectly round it is and the nice ridge he has.  So thankful yet again for his helmet therapy and for the people who so graciously gave to help meet that need for our family
4. I recently read that on average, a stay-at-home mom only spends 15 extra intentional minutes  a day with their child than a working mom.  That stat stopped me dead in my tracks.  It's easy to just let the kids play, watch a show, whatever... while you clean, do dishes, check Facebook, do laundry, check Facebook, blog etc.  Sure thinking about how I spend my time and working to be more intentional to just sit and play with my kids.
5. We got another snow here yesterday.  Can I just say I am so over the snow???  I should have known it would happen because yesterday morning I mopped all the wood floors, getting the grit off from the last snow.  No more mopping until I see green on the trees.  Just kidding... kinda.

Emotions

When we moved into our house we inherited an extremely large mirror on our bedroom door.  I really kind of like it, but it can scare to poo out of you if you catch your reflection in it at the wrong time.  The kids also like it.  The other day we were sitting on the floor making faces at each other in the mirror... one thing led to another and then we decided to turn it into a game.  I would tell them an emotion and then they would have to make the face to match.  Then we would talk about what things made us feel that way.  They thought the face making was hil-ar-i-ous... and some of their faces were too!  My favorite was their surprised face.  Cole's was especially oh-so-cute.  There's something about being two that makes you that way... as long as you aren't throwing a fit.

Anyway, a couple days after that I found this painting activity dealing with emotions.  It sounds really awesome.  I am hoping to do it with the kids later this week... you know how we love painting.  Excited to see what colors they choose for each emotion.  Just wanted to pass it along to my parent/teacher readers!  Hope it makes you HAPPY! :)

Menu Plan - ANOTHER crazy week

Last week, Eric and I were able to go to the C3 Conference at Fellowship Church in Texas.  We went with 40 other CrossPoint leaders from all of our campuses.  It was a great week... refreshing, motivating, challenging... one of those weeks that plants the desire in you to bring your ministry to a whole new level.  Excited to see how God is going to move through CP in the next few months! 

This week is another crazy week filled will all sorts of stuff... some day travel events, some just crazy in town stuff.   It stresses me out to be busy, so I'm trying to take deep breaths just to get through the next few days!  Here's what we will be eating this week...

MONDAY
Mini Pigs in a Blanket, Mac & Cheese, Salad, Fruit

TUESDAY
Dinner with Small Group - Fresh Fruit & Chocolate Chip Cookies

WEDNESDAY
Eric & Sadie are going to a WSU game with Eric's Dad - Cole and I will probably just have a snacky supper

THURSDAY
Turkey Burgers, Roasted Potatoes, Salad, Fruit

FRIDAY
Sack Lunch Supper in the car

SATURDAY
Grilled Stuffed Burritos, Chips & Guac, Fruit

SUNDAY
Turkey Joes, Mixed Veggies, Fruit

For those of us that struggle with change...

"The truth is, God uses change to change us.  He doesn't use it to destroy us, but to coax us to the next level of character, experience, compassion, and destiny."
-Beth Moore, So Long Insecurity

You'll never believe this...

but... I played in the snow again this winter!  Sadie and I spent some time outside this last week making this Mr. Potato Head snowman.  Accessorizing her snow people may be one of her favorite things.  Meet Smiley.  I think he's cute.

Sadie with Smiley.

We can now bring on spring.

Psalm 40:5

Well, it would appear that I am breaking the verse 17 pattern... over the next couple weeks, I will be working to memorize Psalm 40:5 which says...

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

Our God is good!

Prayer

Last week I mentioned that Sadie is struggling with separation anxiety.  This is new territory for us.  Neither one of our children did the "normal" separation anxiety around the age of 18 months.  As long as they were with someone they loved and trusted, they were always happy to go wherever without Eric or me.

I did the separation anxiety bit at about the same time in my development.  It lasted into the 9th week of Kindergarten.  My teacher gave me an award for coming to school for the first time without crying and needing to be peeled off of whomever was delivering me for the day.  I remember those days vividly.  They may be some of my first memories, actually.  Exhausting.  For everyone.

This is probably one of the most difficult times I've had in my 4 years of parenting (I sound so seasoned, don't I??!!).  I can't fix it.  There seems to be nothing I can do to ease the pain...  I've tried.  It's one of those seasons, when you have to sit back, do the hard things and pray - pray - pray.

I'm learning that there are times in your children's lives when you will have no other choice but to pray them through.  Yes... you can encourage them and support them... but you have to release them to let the ONE who is more capable handle them, love them and strengthen them.  I know that God is going to use this in Sadie's life for His good.  I think it may even be part of her journey that draws her to Himself.   Praying for Sadie and sitting back to do the hard stuff - wait & trust.

Cole, I'm gonna keep you....

When we move, it takes me awhile to sort through stuff and figure out where I'm going to put everything.  Sometimes I like to switch things up from our last place... sometimes I like it the same... and sometimes I pull things out of storage that have been there for 5 years and use them in some new way.

Since our last house was a rental and we knew it would be temporary, I didn't hang much on the walls... just enough to make it feel homey.  As I've been unpacking in our new place, I've realized that this is the first time that Cole has really taken time to look at a lot of pictures.  Today as I was hanging things on our bedroom wall I unwrapped our wedding picture.

Don't we look so young???  Eric and I got a good laugh out of this!

Sweet little Cole looked at it, pointed to Eric and said, "Daddy," and pointed to me and said, "Mommy."  He looked at it a little longer as I was unwrapping other pictures and said, "Mommy, you were a princess."  Melt my heart.  I needed that after this week!  ;)

Teacher Face

Yesterday I had to put on my teacher face.  I am a pretty patient person... but there are times when the teacher face is necessary.  Eric says he's glad he's not a child anymore because my teacher face scares him.  I am pretty intimidating, you know.

I needed to jump in the shower yesterday morning.  Before I hopped in I did my famous, "Does anyone need anything before I get in the shower," speech.  There were no takers, so I went ahead and gathered my things and went to clean up.

About 5 minutes in, Sadie comes to me telling me she wants a hot dog.  Where was she when I did the speech???  I told her she would need to wait... it was not safe for her to try to warm a hot dog herself (she's tried the microwave by herself before... not.good!).

She moseyed off to do who-knows-what... what really takes place when mom's in the shower, anyway???  Apparently all things exciting because next thing I know she's back telling me I need to come quick.  With conditioner in my hair I jump out of the shower, grab a towel and run through the dining room into the kitchen to find the dog snarfing down hot dogs as quickly as he can... expensive all-beef Hebrew National dogs... they are not hot dogs suited for a canine.  Dripping wet, I quickly start snatching hot dogs (did I mention I bought the family size pack of 24???) off the floor in attempt to rescue them. 

Apparently Sadie went ahead with her hot dog warming (after all, she only needed to press 2-0-start... so she says) and in the process Cole decided to help.  He was the poor soul who ended up dumping the dogs on the floor and Boston-the-Wonder-Dog was just an innocent bystander willing to help clean up the mess.

Insert teacher face.  Mama wasn't happy.  Wanna come over for a hot dog???

Keeping it real

Guess what!!??

Things aren't always sunshine and roses around here.  Today has been one of THOSE days.

Between Sadie going through a stage of separation anxiety and Cole going through a super-whiny-and-whimpering stage I am exhausted...this is why we only have two children.  I spent a majority of my morning trying to get a very weepy Sadie excited about a 2 hour afternoon at preschool and redirecting Cole for the 500 kazillionth to "tell me again using his big boy voice."  At 4 o'clock this evening I finally got to folding my 3 loads of laundry that had been dumped on the bed, the dishwasher loaded and the bills paid.

Some days I just want to sit in the corner, cry and pray that Dr. Pepper would come and rescue me.  I would just like to say that I am so thankful that tomorrow is a new day...

My favorite pics from the last week...

Snow days bring out the best in people... creativity tends to blossom when you are stuck in the same space for multiple days.  Here's what happened around here this week besides movie watching, tent building and jammie snuggling...

Cole found my glasses and decided to wear them.  He thought this was h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

Sadie is starting to really be interested in writing all sorts of things.  I love this message she wrote next her plate of freshly baked cookies.

This is what happens when two children are left unattended.  Incidentally, Sadie looked the same.

Balloons are just all around fun...

Togetherness

I love to watch Sadie and Cole play together these days.  I know it must be similar to how my brother and I played as children.  I am 2 years and 5 days older than my brother... Sadie is 2 years and 18 days older than Cole.  Because of her age, Sadie is the ring leader of a lot of their play, but Cole is just happy to be with her.  Don't get me wrong, they have their tiffs, but for the most part, they enjoy each other.

In the last few months they have begun...

• playing house together
• playing school together
• building blocks and legos together
• chasing each other like crazy all through the house
• building tents
• crafting together

They fetch each other books, snacks and Bandaids and sometimes they even do this....

Sadie and Cole chillin' in front of the TV.

and eventually there will be a day when they do this...

Me with my Brother last July celebrating the birth of his baby girl, Kate.

And that's good stuff.  I'm glad they're friends... because being friends with your siblings is one of the best gifts in the world.

Zephaniah 3:17

I have finally decided what Scripture I want to memorize during the 1st couple weeks of February.  Normally I will read something and immediately know... that's it... I gotta memorize it.   This month, not so much... but today I found a verse in Zephaniah that I love.  As I wrote it in my notebook, I realized that all the verses I've learned this year are verse 17... James 1:17, Psalm 90:17... and now Zephaniah 3:17.  Isn't that crazy weird???

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
"The Lord your God is with you,
He is might to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

Is that not beautiful??!!  These words take me right to my happy place.  We've just got to know and believe that the God of the Universe cares so deeply for each of us... He delights over us... He quiets us... He sings over us...

So Thankful

Sadie was was having trouble resting today, so in attempt to get her to sit still a little bit longer, I went in on the couch and cuddled her up.  As we watched the blizzard outside and the bare trees sway in the breeze, I listened to her thoughts on heaven, heater vents and snowflakes.  Yes, we are that deep.  ;) Eventually she snuggled into my arms a little more and fell asleep.

I couldn't help but be thankful for the moments that I get to spend just talking and loving on my kids. A lot of times I take that for granted... I get so wrapped up in the day to day nitty gritty that I forget. I've mentioned here before that I can't hold them forever, but I'm so glad that God has entrusted them to my care for these days.  I pray that Eric and I would make this time count as we raise them to love Jesus with all of their heart, soul and strength.