planning meals just got easier

Okay, so I'm trying something new.  Of all the areas of my life - I do feel a little more successful in the area of cooking. But NOT the area of grocery shopping. Although I think the two kind of go hand-in-hand, don't they?

A long time ago, I posted about my meal planning notebook, I was SOOO good at meal-planning and grocery shopping. But something has changed that, and I'm not really sure what. I still use my notebook and LOVE that it houses all my recipes, and I love the "quick menu" where I can skim and plan meals fast and see exactly what ingredients are needed.  And when I DO plan meals - I use this.  And did I mention that I love having all our favorite recipes in one place!!  I do.  But sometimes, change is just neccessary to get me going again. Seasons of life I guess. 
Lately - my trips to the store have not been organized to say the least.  I try to plan meals in my head, or email my ideas to myself from my phone.  I try to just remember ingredients from my head and then get home and have a missing ingredient for all 5 meals I just planned.  I've also been known to grab a piece of scratch paper and write out our meals - but if that piece of paper survives all week, getting tossed between my purse, the junk pile on the counter and the front of the fridge, it's a miracle.

I obviously need to get myself back to a good routine.

My Winfield friend, Laura, posted about EZ Meals on her blog one day - and it has kept popping into my head since.  I have since heard of LOTS of people using this and loving it!

So I paid $15 for 3 months - to get their weekly meal plans AND grocery list that matches the sale items for the week.  Each week I print my menu, which includes side dishes (which I'm horrible about), and take the grocery list to the store.  The only thing I need to add to the list is stuff for breakfast, lunches and snacks.

We looked at the sample menus first, afraid that it would be meals that weren't really "us".  But they look great - and I think we should like most of them.  And I'm hearing only good things from others, so that should be a sign.

I decided that even if I don't use this for 3 months, and decide I don't like this system,  $15 is not bad to at least use it for several weeks.  I'm not so great about planning my meals around the sale items at the store, so that is a huge key point to me in all of this, so I'm sure I'll make that money back with the savings.  Now if only I could get going again with coupons to go WITH those sale items- thanks for the inspiration Kendall! 

We chose the "Meal Plan for 2 -Walmart".  But there is a Kroger one too (and even Aldis).  Our kids don't eat too much, so that's why we are trying out the plan for 2 - to see how much extra it leaves us.  I can switch to the plan for 4-6 later on if I want. They also have specialty plans - gluten free, low fat, low carb, points system, etc. 

Each meal plan includes the ingredients needed and instructions, plus a grocery list organized by sections of the grocery store, along with the estimated cost.  Plus a section that I can then write in all the other things I need.

I probably won't use every meal on the plan. So I'm glad the grocery list is organized so that you can easily leave off any ingredients for meals you are skipping.  I think we will still want some of our normal/favorite meals thrown in there fairly often too. 

We'll see how it goes!  I'll try to remember to update you on how I'm liking it later.

But go check it out if you need a system and a plan and don't want to figure it all out of your own.

Dave Ramsey recommends it.

my boy and his toys

It's not uncommon to find our little guy in his room playing with his Geotrax. But on this particularly day I just stopped at his doorway and watched him, and then ran to get my camera to capture these moments on camera.  He was just too precious.

I just loved watching him in his element.  He paid no attention to me, even as I moved closer to him and got down on the floor to get some shots.  He was completely zoned into what he was doing.

I love how he will sit for SO long and arrange things, set up his "control center" and just watch as his cars go around and around.

Sometimes they crash or go off track, so he has to fix things and get them going again.  He can be so meticulous.

After I took pictures, I set the camera aside and sat and played with him.  He LOVES when we play Geotrax with him. We made a sweet track - one that I know Dave will be really impressed by when he gets home. 

I love these little moments - enjoying the things that our kids enjoy the most, WITH them.

did you know our house was for sale???

I'm sure you did.  But just in case, I thought I'd let you know again.  I know you may not be looking for a new house - but do you have any friends or family who are?  Don't forget to tell them about ours!

We have a blog (finally) with lots of info and pictures.  But don't go there if you're really not a potential buyer, because then our view counter will get us excited and we'll think that lots of people have looked at it and maybe want to come see it.  So don't deceive us, okay? 

Just kidding - check it out if you want.

609rollinghillsdr.blogspot.com

We're having an open house on Sunday, January 30th from 2-4.  You can come if you want to - maybe you could load your car up with random people from your neighborhood.  You know, just in case someone is discontent with their current home.  It could be their lucky day!

one of the hardest things

I've had this post stirring in my head for awhile, slowly been getting it out of my head and into written words. Sometimes that is so much harder than it seems.  But yet, when I do, it all means even more to me, it sticks, and I usually come out with more understanding of my own thoughts than when they were just thoughts in my head.  I contribute that to the work that God is doing in me.

I have spent most of January trying to create my plan of action to really try to make 2011 a year that is different and better than 2010.  My top priority has been getting back into God's Word.  I know that if I can master this, the other parts of my life that I'd like to improve on also, will be much easier!  I have definitely skipped this most important step before in my life.  Depending on myself to improve in my roles as a wife, mother and friend.  What pressure! And what an uphill battle that can be.  It's a constant rollercoaster.  Feeling one day successful and the next a complete failure.  Realizing all along that many times it's about the sacrifices I'm willing or not willing to make.

But when it comes to being in God's Word - many times I just get stuck on my feelings of failure in the past when I have tried to be disciplined in my daily quiet time with Him, and have failed miserably. I will be the first to admit that in my past attempts, this part of my day is the first to go out the window when the busyness of life sets in.  It's about the things I have not been willing to sacrifice.

It’s funny how I can convince myself that the main thing I need for survival is not really a daily necessity. See, I always start with the best of intentions - "I'm going to be in God's Word EVERY DAY (or at least most days)".  And I do great for a week, maybe 2. And I can feel it!  I can feel what a difference it makes to draw near to God in my daily life.  And then a day comes that we are gone away from the house all day and a hectic evening leaves me feeling exhausted telling myself there's no sense in reading if I'm going to fall asleep or not comprehend it.  Then another day comes and goes, and another. Over time it happens every other day, then maybe just weekly.. And it just gets worse and worse.  And I feel it!  I can feel what a difference it makes when God is not a part of my daily life.

So I've been trying to really decide on what plan of action I want to take.  And what sacrifices I will make to be successful.  I have so many great friends who make being in God's Word a priority in their lives.  And lately I have heard (and read on multiple blogs) their encouragement to read the Bible through it's entirety. I'm so encouraged by those girls.  But wow.  Something I've never done.  And honestly, something that seems so overwhelming to me.  I have never even attempted this before.  Probably because I am certain I will fail.  I haven't even been able to master the discipline of daily time with God, so how could I actually commit to reading the bible all the way through?

I'm afraid of falling behind, and I don't just mean falling behind by a few chapters.  But what if I fall behind by 20 chapters?  I really don't want to come to the Word feeling guilty, and then my purpose be to just check off boxes.   Or get so far behind I just quit and decide to try again another time.

I read an article awhile back, and I can't remember from where now, but one line has stuck in my mind since then...‘The hardest thing to do is open your Bible."

One thing that has helped me is to just keep my Bible out in the open.  That same article suggested keeping it open on the kitchen counter, so even if you have 2 minutes or 10 minutes, you can stop during the busyness of your day and read.  Having my Bible in the open (like on the dining room table, or the table by the couch) is like an invitation to me every time I see it - to come and spend time with the One who loves me and wants to be my best friend.  If I had a friend pursue me, love me, and want to spend time constantly with me that way, would I turn them down?  Would I leave them sitting there at lunch waiting for me to show up, and never do?  But I've realized that when I don't make the right sacrifices, and don't make God a priority, it is exactly like that - leaving my best friend sitting at lunch, longing to talk with me and know me better, but she is not enough of a priority in my life for me to show up. So she sits and waits.  Because that's what God does - he waits.  He never leaves.  He never gets so sick of my weaknesses that he turns from me.  He continues to pursue me, and continues to meet me for lunch, longing for me to show up and want to know him as badly as he wants to know me.

All of this brings me to share this great Bible reading plan called “Bible Reading Plan for Slackers and Shirkers.”  I'm in love. (thanks Jill!) And I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a shirker or slacker - God knows already anyway!

You can download the plan and get started if you want to. Throughout the year you read the following:

Sunday: The books of poetry

Monday: The Pentateuch

Tuesday: O.T. history

Wednesday: O.T. history (There is a lot of it.)

Thursday: O.T. prophets

Friday: N.T. history

Saturday: N.T. epistles

It's not tied to any date.  You just read according to whatever day of the week it is. Or if you don't want to stick to a plan, just open your Bible on the counter.  Maybe it’s just one verse today. Maybe it’s just one chapter. Go at your own pace with the Lord. He doesn't require a certain pace and will not condemn you, tap his foot impatiently or look down upon you with disappointing eyes.

He wants to spend time with you.  He sits there waiting for you to meet Him.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you..."  James 4:8

My bottom line is that daily quiet time with God and being in his Word is a big struggle for me.  But I know how necessary it is.  And I have a deeper desire and understanding for it's importance more than ever due to life experiences over the last few years.  But no matter how hard it is - I'm going to do the hard thing and open my Bible.  Even if I do shirk and slack my way through it. It's better than giving up.

I'm certain I will fail in my attempts to be in the Word everyday. But I know that each day is a new one. And I can try again and again.

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness..."  Lamentations 3:22-25

His grace is the only thing I need.  Thank goodness for that.

God knows you, he knows what you struggle with and he knows where you are at in your life, in this season.

So if opening the Bible is hard for you (for whatever reason), He is pleased with our doing the hard thing.

If you don't have time each day set aside to spend time in God's Word I encourage you to start - we can shirk and slack together.  If you do have a good routine going, I'd love to hear about what you are doing right now or what you've done in the past.  How have you planned your daily time with God and stuck to it?

before the 2nd snow comes

We are slowly getting back into normal routines after the holidays. Along with trying to sell our house, dealing with car issues, and playing in the snow. 

Before all the snow - we had some beautiful days. So the kids got to enjoy their new scooters that Papa and Mima got them for Christmas.

And in true Kansas fashion - any post with spring and sunshine weather needs to be accompanied with pictures of snow just a few days later.

 Mason decided he didn't want to have anything to do with snow pants or boots.  He just wanted to wear "Ollie's shoes", which is a daily struggle.  So he got to stay inside, pouting, until he decided he was ready to dress appropriately. 

 30 minutes later he gave in and decided he was ready to put his snow clothes on.  Taylor was then ready to come inside.  Going outside in shifts meant that Mom got to be outside twice as long.

 It was a beautiful snow!  And guess what?  See that brown house in the background?  Some of our bffs are moving in there!  AWESOME!!  Except that we may be moving.  Bummer.

 Once he got outside, he loved it.  Last year he didn't like it so much.  We put him on a sled with Taylor while Daddy pulled it around the front yard and he screamed and wanted to go back in.  But this year he didn't want to come in.  His favorite was "cleaning" the tree, which is what he called it when he hit the tree and made the snow fly all over the place.

The next day, Dave was off work so we took the kids sledding.  He wanted to take them to his parents' house, where he went sledding all the time as a kid. 

 Mason didn't last too long.  It was too tempting to go inside and hang out with Nana in the warm house.

 The only hard thing about sledding here is the water.  Dave always reminds me that when they used to sled they would slide down the hill and out onto the frozen pond.  SURELY he is talking about his teenage years - not his toddler years! But his selective memory chooses to remember that's the ONLY way he ever did it. I wasn't so comfortable with that for our 2 and 4 year old. And I'm pretty sure Dave wasn't either. But why is that the mommies always get to be the ones to SAY so. So Dave caught them at the bottom of the hill so they wouldn't continue out onto the water.
 Papa came out and helped push them down the hill.

 But someone else decided the ice was just fine for her. Although she slipped and fell a few times.

 Mason was watching with Nana out the window and decided that he thought sledding looked fun.  Especially when Taylor started doing "tricks".  So he decided he wanted to come back out.

The last few days have been warm enough the snow has been melting a ton.
But I think round 2 is coming tonight!

a recipe for you to use in 349 days

I had never heard of New Year's cookies until I met Dave.  They are a Mennonite food that are actually called Portzelky.  They are delicious, horrible for you I'm sure, and more like a fritter than a cookie.

Papa and Nana came over on New Year's Day and Nana had the kids help her make them.  She almost wasn't going to make them - WHAT!??!!  Dave was not happy.  So we started them WAY late in the day, but they were done just in time before bed for the kids.  Nothing like filling them with sugar before bed. 

 Nana is a bit more tolerant of messes while cooking than I am.  Unless it was because she was at my house and not hers.  Regardless, Taylor had a great time and did super at measuring out 6 cups of flour.

 After they are fried, you cover them in sugar.  The kids were given this job. And you can probably imagine the amount of sugar that was on the floor under their chairs.

Which is why Annie had a front row seat.

 Football and New Year's Cookies is all this guy needs to start a new year off right.

Warning:  These aren't so good if they aren't fresh.  So that means you get to pretty much stuff yourself with them all in one day/evening.  Or you can share with neighbors and friends!  That may be smarter and nicer.

Here's the recipe in case you want to try them next year!

New Year's Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkg. yeast, dissolved in 1/4 c. water

2 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup raisins - cooked for a few minutes in water and then drained

2 eggs

5-6 cups flour

Directions:

Scald milk, cool to lukewarm.  Add the dissolved yeast. Beat eggs and add to milk and yeast. Add sugar and salt.  Then flour and raisins last. With large spoon, mix well until a medium soft dough. Do not knead.  Let rise until double in size.  Then stir down and let rise until double in size again. Drop by tablespoon into deep fat fryer (or we just do a deep pan with oil heated to 375).  Fry until golden brown on all sides, turning once.  Take them out and drain on paper towel and then roll in sugar.



And now here we are, January 16.  I feel like we just celebrated New Year's Eve. And now the month is half over.  More of our January coming soon.

six years

Saturday, Dave and I celebrated 6 years together.  I was already in KC for Premier's Regional Conference - so Dave joined me Sat. evening and we stayed an extra night just to have some time together. 

 

I didn't get to spend much of the day with him on Saturday, but I loved looking forward to seeing him when the conference was over. He picked me up from the hotel I had stayed at for the conference and we headed to another hotel for the night, just around the corner.

Our hotel was just 2 blocks from Power and Lights district, so we ate dinner at Bristol. It was a first for us, and VERY yummy! 

There was a theatre right there too, so we decided to see True Grit. Have you seen it?  Did you like it?  I let Dave pick the movie, I really wanted to see Little Fockers, but it didn't play till 10, and we didn't want to kill time till then.  So True Grit it was.  I slept through about half of it.  Mostly because I was really tired, but also because I was really not interested.  I'm totally not into Western movies.  So I wouldn't really suggest it - unless you're doing it for your hubby.  Then of course, go.  And maybe try not to sleep.  But in my case, it's fair.  Because he falls asleep at 90% of all the movies we ever go to.  He fell asleep during Tangled - while Mason, Taylor and I were enthralled.  But not because he didn't like it.  Just because he really is tired.  So I don't think he cared that I was asleep.

As much as I love our 2 little kiddos, I love mornings that we can both just sleep till we wake up.  No little fingers tapping us till we open our eyes.  No "I'm hungry".  No "Can I get in bed with you?"  (although I'd pick that one most days over the "I'm hungry").  And no "Mama, are you done sleeping?" 

We headed to breakfast at Denny's (one of my favorite things!) and then headed home.  We got a call during breakfast from someone that wanted to see our house.  So we said we'd be back by 1.  But our car had a different idea.

The battery died while we were driving, so we were stranded on the side of the interstate.  With semis racing by us with their tires on OUR side of the white line, so close that we could FEEL them as they went by.  It was scary.  And cold.   Had it not been so cold, I'm pretty sure I would have been sitting off in the grass away from the interstate, and not in the car scared to death we'd be hit.  But it was really really cold. 

Thank goodness we didn't have to wait all that long (maybe 30 minutes), before a friend came to rescue us.  Her husband is a fireman and couldn't get away from the station to help us, but she came.  And Dave's dad headed to KC to get us.  We actually did get the car jumped - so we headed home again.  Just in case, we had my FIL continue our way.  Which was a good thing.  About 30 minutes later it died again.  So again, we were on the side of the interstate.  We ended up just pulling the car back home. 

And after all that, we missed the house showing.  

On the up-side - it snowed today!!!!  Finally!

It was really snowy and icy for our wedding 6 years ago - so I loved waking up to snow in KC this morning!

I really do love winter.  Obviously, enough to plan a winter wedding.  There aren't too many January weddings - BUT, I did run into a girl from my sorority in college staying at the Crown Plaza where I was Friday night - and she was getting married on Saturday - YAY for January 8th weddings!

Happy Anniversary Babe!

I've loved every minute of the last 6 years - even the tough ones - because they were with YOU!

I don't deserve you - but I'm so glad I got you! 

Never knew I could love you so much more than I did the day I walked down the isle to you. 

I'm looking forward to a lifetime more of US.

my verse for the year

Hope you didn't think the above list is mine.  I just found that picture. Although a few of those would be good for me.  I'm not really into New Year's resolutions, and really, I hear about more people who aren't, than who are.  I also heard today that only 12% of people keep their New Year's resolutions (or maybe it was 24% - either way, not good). But if I did make resolutions, here are some things that I COULD and maybe SHOULD be putting on my list...

• don't love Pepsi so much
• actually show up to Butz and Gutz class now that I've had a few months off
• go to bed earlier
• make our bed at least once a week
• figure out a better system for laundry and stay caught up better
• be a better listener
• be less selfish (this is a problem God is REALLY revealing to me lately)
• some serious fine tuning in the wife department
• be in THE WORD more - this is obviously the biggest one and the one I am really focusing on most.

I'm always a reflector and analyzer.  But this time of year even more so.  At the end and beginning of a year, I think a lot about my successes and failures for the year and what I HOPE to do in the new year. Guess that's what the transition to a new year does to lots of us. There are a few things that my mind keeps going back too, but still trying to process and work a plan for how I can really commit to these this year.  Maybe I'll be able to share some of those later. 

But what I really want to focus on is what God wants me to focus on. Because if you leave it up to me, I'm more apt to focus on the wrong things. Or on too many things and realistically not be able to do it all, and then feel like a failure.  I'm trying desperately to truly hear God right now.  To hear how He wants to work in me right now. And not just focus on what I think needs work.

I know 2011 holds big things for us. We may move from the home we have raised our kids in since birth. Or we may find ourselves staying put. Hopefully we'll get a new car. Our kids will turn 5 (eek!) and 3.  It will be the last year ever that I will have all my children at home with me every day. Dave and I will celebrate 6 years of marriage.

And I know the Lord has plans for us. I wish I knew what they were.  And more than likely they are NOT the same as our plans. So I want to be open to what God has for us. I want the desires of my heart to reflect his desires. I want to hold loosely to the things of this world and tightly to the everlasting things.

So in place of a resolution, I am starting 2011 with a verse.  Premier Designs chooses a verse (hand-picked by Joan Horner who went to be with her Lord at the beginning of December) every year. And each January, when I attend our regional conference, Joan always shared her heart and the verse she chose for the year.  She shared Godly wisdom and gave us guidance for the way we should be living our lives, strengthening our relationship with God, our husbands, our children and anyone we do business with. And she reminds us of the verse throughout the year. Oh, how I will miss her talking to us this weekend at the conference.  I am anxiuosly awaiting to find out if she had chosen a verse for 2011 before she left this earth.  I have a feeling she did.  The verse she chose for 2010, the year she met Jesus, was Psalm 115:1...

"Not to us, O Lord, but to You goes all the glory for Your unfailing love and faithfulness." 

What a fitting verse for all that her life represented.
If you have a few minutes and want to be truly blessed by reading about someone's life - here are a few tributes to Joan - Tribute from friend  and The Dallas Morning News

So this encouraged me to pick a verse for me personally.
With hopes to stay committed and focused on this verse throughout the year.
I chose 2 Peter 1:5-8...

“…For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

I like this verse because I can focus on one trait at a time. I can focus on the little picture (each trait separately), but be reminded of the big picture as God promises how these qualities will benefit me.

I like this verse because it contains many of the things that God has been revealing to me that I need to work on. For me it's kind of a foundational verse for Godly living.  And I think that's right where God wants me right now.  Back to the basics - making sure that my foundation is deep and secure in Him.

Happy

it's here.

I'd love to hear what you are starting the new year off with - your list, a verse, resolution, goal, whatever...please share.