4th of July Celebrations

Growing up we always looked forward to the 4th of July festivities in Irondequoit NY. We would get up early to pick up bagels at the local shop and park the car at my great aunt Meremers to walk to the parade site. We would arrive early so that we could plant our lawn chairs in the same spot every year. Both my grandmothers and great aunt and us would be there. We would watch a humbling parade pass by and collect the candy and prizes that were thown at us along the way. After the parade would pass we made our way to the town hall to pick up some hamburgers or hot dogs for lunch. Return home to nap and prepare for dinner and fireworks. Right before dinner we would take the city bus shuttle back up to the town hall for some dinner. Then we would find a good fireworks watching spot on the green and set up camp. We would take turns walking the crafts set up on the lawn until nightfall. Then it was time for fried dough and to settle in for the light displays. Ooooh, Aaaah! Then we made the mass exit to the shuttles back to our cars. Doesn't sound that exciting but it was tradition for us and I miss it. Maybe not that specifically but the tradition. The 4th is this weekend and I am searching for what to do. I am extremely eager to establish a tradition for my little family.

Pollo Gesada

While in NY last week our good friends gave us a little cooking lesson so we don't have to live without good Puerto Rican food out here in TX. Here is the recipe I plan to try out this week. Hope you like it.

Pollo Gesada

Boneless chicken
Goya tomato sauce (1 can) or sauce of your choice
Sofrito (1 large spoon)
Garlic powder or minced garlic (1 tablespoon)
Adobo (add to flavor)
Sliced onions (one)
Sazon (two packets)
Potatoes (to your liking)
Carrots (to your liking)

Instructions: Cut boneless chicken. Put in pot and simmer. Add ingredients and stir. Keep fire on medium and add water. I normally add enough water to cover right above the meat. Don’t put too much water, let the stew cook for about 30 minutes. Check after 30 and taste. If you need to add any ingredients do so, and the broth should be thick, if still watery add a ½ teaspoon of sugar. If the meat is not soft, continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so. Just check periodically.

If you put in the crock pot, follow the instructions and cook on low for 8 hours. Again, don’t add too much water. Just cover the meat.

Vacation

We just got home from our vacation home to Rochester, New York. It took 27 hours to drive but it wasn't too bad. The kids did great. I am really proud of them.

We were able to spend some time with family and friends during our short visit. Exhausted but it was fun!

The kids did great meeting everyone and let everyone hug and kiss them the whole time. Ok, maybe not Mikey, but he was pretty friendly ;0)

I really enjoyed being able to connect again with some old friends and their families. Really made me think about great friendships the Lord has blessed us with.

Cannot wait for them all to come visit us here at our home in Texas!

Summer.....Unscripted

With school over and the heat has turned on full force we have grown lazy. Our days start with a late wake up and roaming around in our PJ's until lunch. Way too much TV, trampoline jumping, and sprinkler skipping. We are out too late with friends and eating way too much ice cream! Sounds like fun but it is driving me crazy. Nothing gets done around the house and my kids are out of control. Well, maybe they are in control and it is me that is out of control.

So I have re-scheduled our summer and composed a "bucket list".

Sunday - Friendships/Fellowship
Monday - Rest Day: catch up on household duties
Tuesday - Gym Day
Wednesday - Outing Day
Thursday - Gym Day
Friday - Grocery Day
Saturday - Family Day

Summer Bucket List
1. Implement Discipline Plan
2. Learn Basic Spanish
3. Learn Basic Salsa Dance
4. Loose 15-20 more pounds
5. Implement Monthly Date Night

Homeschool Research! Yikes!

We made the decision to start homeschooling in August so I have been researching approaches and tips and curriculum. Wow! There is a ton of stuff just on the internet alone. What to do? How to do it? What not to do? These are some of my favorite blogs that I have recently found. Hope they are useful for you.

Preschoolers and Peace Kendra Fletcher is the mother of eight! She has some great ideas and alot of experience.

Less of Me ~ More of Him Tiany is the mother of three boys. She has some great tips on homeschool and homemaking.

Titus 2 Has a ton of resources for purchase.

Serendipity is part of The Foss Family blog. Elizabeth Foss is the mother of nine ranging from 1yr to 21 yrs old.

The Frugal Homeschooling Mom

Whole Hearted Homeschool

Homeschool Creations

Low Calorie Meal Plan

I started my "diet" about a month ago and I am 11 lbs lighter! Just yesterday I signed up for 24hr Fitness membership so I can change up my exercise routine and shead some more weight! We have been eating out ALOT since I started my venture and I have been convicted to start cooking again. So here is a list of meals for the next week. I'm trying out some new low calorie recipes. I hope they are good.

Thursday: Chicken Divan
Friday: Inside Out Lasagna
Saturday: Take Out Salads
Sunday: Mother's Day - Out for Fellowship
Monday: Cream Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Tuesday: Turkey/Mushroom Burgers

The Torture Is Paying Off!

One week ago I finally found the motivation to loose some weight. Not sure what happened but it finally snapped and I had to do it before I changed my mind. I immediately texted my BFF and asked her to help. I knew she would help me do it....just didn't think it would be this hard! She is definately a close second to Jillian from "Biggest Loser"! No, really, she is tuff and that is what I needed. Accountibility and motivation. She truely wants to see me succeed as much as I do!

Well in a week I have lost 4 lbs!! Woohoo!! Only 36 more pounds to go. My goal is 40lbs by June 20th. Follow me on this adventure.

Updates every Thursday!

To Schedule or not to Schedule....that is the question

Have you ever just wanted to sit around and drink coffee and eat snacks all day? Let the kids run wild, the laundry pile up, and throw the whole "schedule" out the window?

The Word says in Proverbs 31:17 (message) "First thing in the morning she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, and is eager to get started. She senses the worth in her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of the home and hearth, diligent in homemaking."

How many of us actually have a plan for the day? I never did and I always snickered at others that did. We just did whatever we wanted....back when I had one child and even with two. Once three came I felt the tension and then with four God finally broke me down and I realized that we just cannot do the same things we did before. We have made changes to our routines. Or shall I say "adopted" a routine.

Today we are scheduled. Somethings are by time and others by day. I recently started a laundry schedule. It works for us and now I don't feel like I am always doing laundry. Start by scheduling bedtime and wake up times. Snacks, lunch, and dinner. Keep to it for a week and add one more thing at a time. If it doesn't work stop and try something else! Have a purpose for your each and every day!

Here is of some of our basic routines.

Food:
7:00 Breakfast
9:30 Snack
12:00 Lunch
3:00 Snack
5:00 Dinner
7:00 Snack

Sleep:
6:30 Wake Up
9:30 Baby Ruth 45m nap
12:30-2:30 Nap/Quiet Time
7:30 Bedtime

Laundry:
Monday - Mom/makayla's sheets
Tuesday - Makayla/Ruthie
Wednesday - Dad/master sheets
Thursday - Mikey/sheets
Friday - Hannah/sheets
Saturday - Towels/Ruthie's sheets

Menu for Week of March 22nd

"She's up before dawn preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day." Proverbs 31:15

Monday: Turkey Chili w/bread and salad

Tuesday: Crockpot Chicken w/Rice

Wednesday: Beef/Broccoli Pasta Alfredo

Thursday: Turkey Tacos

Friday: Ministry Meeting - Dinner out

Saturday: Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies (trying this one out this week)

Sunday: Lunch out with Friends/Sandwiches for dinner

Not Always The Way We Thought...

For several years I have been working on staff, part time, at our church assistanting the minister of the preschool ministry. When I started I had my two oldest girls. Just over a year ago I delivered number four. Everything changed....we cannot do the things we used to do and I don't have the energy I once had. With four children five and under life turned somewhat complicated.

Just before the 2009 holiday season my husband stepped into a ministry position as the Children's Pastor over 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. It soon became obvious that my season ministering with the preschoolers was over and God desired for us to serve in a ministry together. It is hard to walk away. The change is huge for me. I am giving up income that we use to pay for our oldest daughter's tuition. We had been contimplating the change for a couple months and thought we would want until the end of the school year for me to leave so that we could continue using my income for tuition. After all, my income completely went towards tuition, uniforms, and gas to go back and forth to school.

At the beginning of the month God assured us that this was the time and He would provide everything if we would just walk in obedience. I submitted my notice but kept trying to figure out how God was going to provide. Silly really. I thought my husband would start earning a wage for his service Pastoring the children. At least the amount we are loosing from my decrease in wages. No. God had another plan and I didn't even realize what had happened because I was waiting for "my plan" to break through. My husband was introducing me to his volunteers and sharing the exciting news that I would be working with them after the end of the month and it clicked. He was saying, "God is so good. We stepped out in faith and obedience on this issue and He provided. I just received another promotion at work!" Gosh! He told me that the other day but it didn't process. That was the break through we were waiting for and I missed it!

Have you ever missed the provision because you were too busy waiting for "your plan" to work out?

No Time for GOD?!?!

As mother's of young children we often find ourselves so wrapped up in the "survival" of every day that we lack the maintanence of our foundation. How do we thrive with young children around seeking our constant attention? Here are some tips that have helped me.

1. Do you have time-stealers in your life? Facebook, Twitter, TV, email, internet, phone, text? They may seem harmless but they take up alot of time.

2. Intentionally plan time with God. Just as you cannot live without nap time...you also cannot live without God time. With my full, noisy, busy house I have to find creative ways to get the WORD. Gather your kids together and read aloud. Write down verses or passages and leave them in your car, the kitchen, or the laundry room so as you go about your daily chores you can connect with God.

3. Put Bibles in several spots around your house so you can pick it up anytime and get a verse or two.

4. Use the first few minutes of nap time to refill your spirit. Even if you get a few verses or can get through a devotional. If your kids don't nap designate quiet time. They can color or read a book in the quiet zone while you get refreshed.

5. Escape for a few minutes. Sometimes I run up to Sonic for a Coke and read or mediatate on the word in the car after Daddy gets home. Or fold clothes in the laundry room or seek into a closet for a quick passage. Sounds silly but you do what you have too so you can get recharged.

6. Practice God's presence "in the midst" of choas. God doesn't leave because you are busy. He can minister to you as you prep dinner, comfort a crying child, or sort laundry.

7. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment as you discover what will work for your family. It is God's will for you to know Him, ask Him to enable you to creatively pursue that in this season of your life. The house, stuff, and even time will all pass away. God's word is eternal.

Proverbs 2: 1-10 says:

1 MY DAUGHTER, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, 2 Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it]; 3 Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures, 5 Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God. 6 For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity, 8 That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path. 10 For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you.

In The Small Things

Gosh, God sure does direct our paths. Each and everyday. In the smallest things. I guess I have always "known" that but don't really pay attention that much. Until today.

My husband hasn't been feeling well for a few days now. He doesn't get "sick" often and when he does we can usually associate it with stress and he takes a day off to sleep and then he is back on track. Well this time he got a real fever and it just wouldn't go away. This morning he finally called in sick so I acted on the opportunity and took Hannah to school solo. Left the the little ones home asleep. "Are you sure you are ok?" He assured me he was and I was off! Hannah talked me into walking her into the school since we didn't have the little ones instead of the big "drop off" at the curb. Inside I run into a friend I have been trying to get a hold of and she asks if I have a couple minutes to grab some coffee. "Well....sure." I call my hubby again to get a progress report and receive an all clear. So you know when two women get together with no kids within a five mile radius there will be tons of gabbing going on. Three hours later! I receive a call from a teen mom's mother informing me that this postpardum mom has returned to the hospital with complications. Ok. We happen to be two minutes from the hospital so we scurry over for a visit. I again call my hubby to make sure the kids were still alive and he was ok. Received another all clear. Then of course after a visit with a fearful mommy it was not worth driving the 30 minutes home just to turn around to come back 3o minutes to pick up my daughter from school. So I headed over to school to pick her up 20 minutes early.

Obviously by this time I had been gone all day and my hubby was "on his death bed". He was miserable. We got home to find that my little ones had managed to take pretty good care of themselves all day. They helped themselves to plenty of movies and snacks. We packed everyone up in the car and took Daddy to an urgent care clinic down the street. In 20 minutes they had a diagnosis....infection of some sort in his throat. Not strep just an infection causing his throat to swell. One steriod shot, some steriods for the road, antibiotic, and Vicotin for pain. Gosh, I felt bad for leaving him like that all day while I scurried about. But then I thought about my day. If I had my little ones with me to drop off Hannah I would have never saw my friend and gone to coffee. Therefore not being in the area of the hospital, childless, when I received the call that our teen mom needed support. I thank God for direction even in the planning of our everyday.

Saying Goodbye

As we are making the final preparations on the new house for the big move this weekend I have found myself reminising. We have only lived here two years and we have certainly done alot of moving around since we have been in Texas! Each house made a home from the memories we made. Bringing home a baby, celebrating a birthday, accomplishing a milestone, building relationships. It will be hard on Saturday saying goodbye. We grew so much here but we are ready for the change.

Sometimes too many refer to "change" as a bad thing. Sure sometimes it can be but not always. Change can be good, refreshing, and inspiring. During this season of my life I know God is encouraging change to grow both myself and my family. I don't easily accept change. I usually go kicking and screaming! Until recently. I am embracing change. Excited about the blessings that God has in store through the change. So long, little house...so long!

The New House

We have been renting a three bedroom house 20 minutes from work and school for 2 years now. We have since had baby number four and have noticed the house getting smaller...or at least it seems that way. We searched for several months within a 5 minute radius of church/school never to find the perfect place for the right price. We had taken a break over the Christmas holiday on the search. Right after new years, my husbands boss approached him with a house that the president of the company had for rent. He started telling him about the place, three bedrooms and still 20 minutes aways from our life. "Sorry, not interested." The same afternoon my husband felt a conviction to go ask more about the house. Ok so his boss was wrong it was a four bedroom 2700 square foot house! The house was right ... just the wrong location. So of course I protested! After several days I gave in and fell in love with it. Plus we were saving $400 a month on the rent compared to the houses we were looking at closer to church/school.

We had prayed for God to provide a house with four bedrooms and a bonus room so we could have the space we needed to be comfortable. He gave it to us...at a discount! For whatever reason, God doesn't want us closer to church/school. We don't know the reason yet but I cannot wait to find out!

Date Night!

After a really long, fusterating week dealing with contractors and preparations for the new house, my Friday night plans consisted of a night of childcare for a last minute class at church. Would have liked to go home to bon bons and a good movie. I knew that plan had to be scrapped for another night so I packed up the little ones for the journey to pick up Daddy and big sister. Due to time restraints we had planned to pick up my husband from work and then my daughter from school. We drove the 20 minutes to get my husband. Waited for him to finish. Stopped off for a potty break and were on our way again. While sitting in traffic to get my daughter my phone rang...it was a friend of ours that has been known to watch our children on occasion. She wanted to speak to my hubby...weird. He proceeded to have a secret conversation. I soon discovered what he was doing. "Wait, I have to work tonight!" Ooops....his plans of an extremely long over due and much needed date had a huge glitch. Well after some negotiations and rearranging we were able to get a replacment for the childcare at church, leave our kids and go to dinner. It was great! Just what we needed!

I cannot tell you how much it meant to me for my husband to realize we needed some time together and make the arrangments to make it happen. That never happens. Actually, dates never happen either! Our last date was 18 months overdue. We had dinner at a restaurant that was so loud we couldn't hear our conversation and then proceeded to Walmart where we split up and went shopping for the kids! Well I did anyway. I think he was in the electronics department. Isn't that terrible? We are so caught up in taking care of our kids, our jobs, and other people that we are neglecting each other. Do something to grow your marriage everyday. Go the extra mile. Acknowlege their feelings and do what it takes to make them feel special.