What Christmas is ALL About!!

Our Christmas was probably the best one ever!

My Hunny and I said several times that the hustle and bustle of gift-buying, wrapping and exchanging that we are used to, is way over-rated. This year, my Hunny is jobless so that means being creative this time of year. We decided to only give gifts to our kids (not to our parents, in-laws or outlaws!!) and we were planning to only give them 3 gifts each even before he lost his job, so that is what we did!! It was SOOOO hard to stick to it!! He wanted to fill their stockings in addition to the three gifts. I wanted to buy just "one more thing!" But we did it!! Our kids know the financial crunch that we are facing too. And do you know . . . . they were SOOO thankful and grateful for what they got, which wasn't much!! They never cease to amaze me!! There were plenty of other gifts to unwrap. Nana and PopPop sent their gifts in the mail and so did aunts and uncles, so we still had a sea of wrapping paper amongst the gifts.

I was talking with someone else who only buys the children one gift each and he totally agreed with us! When you "tone it down" you feel out of touch with others that over indulge in the commercialism! I watched Charlie Brown with a new perspective this year! "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about??"

Carley Plays for a Crowd

Last night Carley performed in her first piano recital. She did such a great job!! She was second on the program and she was soooo nervous that she prayed the entire trip to the church where the recital was held. (That was a solid 45 minutes!!) She did so great and I am so proud that she decided to ask Jesus to calm her nerves. She was calm as could be!! It was neat to see other students perform at a much higher level. Carley saw what kind of pieces she will be playing in the future!! She did awesome!!

Life is so busy!!

I just love this blogging thing! Becky introduced me to it almost a year ago and I really love to post what we are up to! But life is getting the best of me right now!! Things are so hectic and it doesn't seem like it is going to slow down any time soon! I have a habit of thinking, "When we finish . . . . this event . . . things will calm down and they won't be so busy!!" But they never really do! So I am thinking that things are just going to stay busy!! Maybe if I think more along those lines . . . I'll get more done!! :o)

So here's a quick update:
Carley and Camden just finished up their Christmas program at church. They did awesome, of course! Carley did a dance with the cheerleaders. She looked so cute in her little costume! Camden was in the choir. He got to say a line to a bible verse and hold up a card that had letters spelling a word on it. It was so cute because he held us his "E" backwards!! So did half the rest of the children!! It was so Camden!! This was his first time in the Christmas program and he did a great job!!

The kids have also been invited to a plethora of birthday parties this month!!! It's crazy! One of them have a party almost every weekend! Those December babies have to make sure they aren't overlooked with the Christmas season so they make sure everyone gets a big shin-dig party!! FUN . . . but busy!

This week Carley has her fist piano recital! That is exciting and the piano has been in constant use!! She is excited and nervous all at the same time!! I am so proud of her! She has practiced and she will do great!!

We also went on a trip to Ft Lauderdale about 2 weeks ago! That put me behind more than anything!!! The kids had fun and we all got to see the family again!! The kids loved going to the "Swamp Safari" and getting to hold a baby alligator!! I even held it!! I have a pic! I have been so busy, that I haven't even downloaded the pics off the camera yet!!

. . . AND between all of this . . . Christmas is next week!! Yeah that's right next week in like 9 days and I am not finished shopping! SO I am trying to find time to check off my "to do" lists that keep choking me!!

I must confess that my house is in shambles and I am beginning to get ANNOYED with it!! It seems like we are bursting at the seems! All the Christmas decor is out and makes for a cluttered garage for now!! The clutter is . . . everywhere, really! I never had clutter before!! I think it is a combination between living in a small house with all these kiddos AND not moving in almost 4 years!! (That is what helped me keep the clutter down before . . . when you move, you throw stuff away in order to NOT have to move it!!) . . . and now we are going to add another baby to the cluttered mess! I told my Hunny . . . We have got to make room for this baby!! So, I am tossing stuff left and right!! Thanks to Flylady.net I have a plan of attack on the clutter and I plan to take it one area of the house at a time!! I am going crazy!! . . . . But not for long . . . I am on the prowl and if it is dusty or is still in it's box . . . it probably means we don't NEED it!! :o) I will post on my progress!!

Somewhere within all this mess my husband and I have found some time to seek the Lord MORE and listen to Him MORE!! Shannon has been job searching for several months now and we are taking the time to seek God in ways we never have before! Just being intentional and diligent in seeking Him has made such a difference in my heart and the way I see Him!! He has spoken to me because I have taken the time to sit and listen!! I am in awe at His providential hand!! He is Jehovah Jirah - my provider! I am so thankful for all he has done for us this Christmas season and always!!

I hope you have a great Christmas too!

Lots to be Thankful for!!

We had a great thanksgiving! My sister and her family came over and we all ate the day away! It was probably our nicest Thanksgiving in a long time. There was no stress here because my sis and I split the menu. We are both pregnant and we don't need any more stress than possible. We played games and the kids played outside with all the neighbor kids for like 3 hours! We all had a blast!! It was nice to be together and a great reminder that we all have so much to be thankful for!

Another Bunny Dies

I guess it is a good way for children to learn the cycle of life and death. Pets help them know that all creatures are born once and then eventually die. But it hurts all the same!

This morning we had another bunny die. But I am not sure I handled it all too well. I went outside to let the dog out and the bunny cage was open. Camden, our 6 year old, fed them yesterday and apparently he didn't shut the cage back tight. Usually Carley does it, and yesterday he helped her with her chores. I don't know when she got out, but she was stiff as could be in the middle of the yard. I could tell it had been awhile since it happened. The dog was out last night for quite a while and our guess is that she chased the bunny down in her instinctual way. I'm sure the dog was just playing, but Star, the bunny, was too fragile to "play."

When I saw her (THE BUNNY) in the yard, I immediately called for Shannon. Carley was still sleeping, so I thought we could dispose of the bunny before she saw what happened. He ran outside and got rid of her, but Carley looked out her window and saw him. In my desperate attempt to protect the kids from the trauma that they incurred the last time a bunny died, I lied to them (not knowing that Carley saw the whole thing out her bedroom window.) I told them that the bunny got out of the cage and must have run away (because dying seemed so much more traumatic to me!!). Carley asked what Daddy picked up in the yard. She said it looked like the bunny. Ugh!! I blew her off and tried to get away with it. She asked a few more times and I was feeling extremely guilty, so I told them the truth. They cried and mourned, but it was nothing like our last bunny death.

Why did I lie to them?? I didn't really think about it. Time just seemed to stand still, so I tried to protect them. The last time a bunny died was the first time we had a pet die and it was extremely traumatic for the children. They actually found her and didn't realize she was dead for several minutes. All I wanted was to protect them from that. They realized that I make mistakes too (if they hadn't figured that out already!!) and I prayed and asked them to forgive me . . . and they were eager to. I am glad for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and I am still asking myself, "WHY DID I DO THAT??"

The good thing is that we still have Hope, the other bunny. She will just have to get used to being alone.

It's a GIRL!!

We were so excited to find out on Thursday, that we are welcoming a baby girl into our family in March! The tech said she is measuring at a due date of March 20th instead of the 30th! "I say come early sweetie!!" Her name will be Caydence Lynne. She will be named after her mom, dad, and paternal grandfather (Pop Pop)!! We are so excited for her arrival! Carley and Camden got go to with me! They were both hoping for a girl so they were thrilled! I let them take turns making phone calls. They felt so BIG!!

Well, I gotta go shopping for girl stuff!! More later!

Check Out This Video About the Church

Vacation Update

We just got back from Myrtle Beach with my Hunny's entire family (pretty much). Every year they go on a golf vacation. We have been before, but it has been about 6 years since our last time. Every year it's the same thing . . . the men (and a few of the women) golf all day and most of the women go SHOPPING!! It's fun but no one else takes their kids. So the whole shopping till ya drop for 8 days in a row . . . my kids were not interested. So I knew I was going to have to find other things to do to keep them entertained.

So before we left I did some googling and found a few things that the kids would enjoy. We did all kinds of stuff!! We found a Children's Museum and the kids loved that!!! They spent an entire afternoon in that place! It was awesome too! There was so much to learn and see. We went to a Zoo. It was more like a preserved piece of land with lots of exotic animals to see. It wasn't like a regular zoo. It was right up my kids ally because they love to feed animals. They love to see baby animals and they got to do both. I also found a Civil War Museum and Shannon's dad just loves that kind of stuff. So he took the kids one afternoon after golf. They said it wasn't super exciting, but they always enjoy being with Grandparents. Then there was the Mall on Halloween night. They were in out of the cold and they got a little bit of candy. That was a lot of fun! They taught Carter how to say "Trick or Treat!" It was really cute!!

We were invited (don't ask how) to a "Get out and vote Rally" for the Republican party. It was a cool experience for the kids. There were all kinds of local politicians and the kids got their picture in the local paper!! We have been doing lots of learning about voting and the elections so this was interesting to be a part of.

This is Shannon and I enjoying the festivities!

We even found the local library in MB!! (I think homeschoolers can spot one miles away!!) Well, come to find out . . . they have several, thank goodness!! The hotel we stayed in didn't have a business center with computers, like most hotels do, so we used my new GPS and simply typed in "library" and vioala . . . a long list of possibilities!! This is a funny story . . .

The first library that came up was the closest one so we went there and found that on rainy days . . . it doubles as a homeless shelter!! The place was full and packed with homeless people sleeping all over the place!! AND there were only 2 computers that could only be used for 15 minutes at a time!! That's not even long enough to check your email!! So we went to the next one on the list and it was a beautiful new library with 24 computers. We left the kids with family and we each spent an hour on the computers!! It was still a strange experience . . . the people that we there that day . . . . were making noises and snoring while awake . . . I could go on . . . it just seemed like everyone that sat near us was . . . making some strange noises OR they had strange smells coming from their direction . . . . it was memorable . . . let's just put it that way!! We did go back another day and we took the kids to explore the kids books!! That was an experience too! It was one of Carter's bad days . . . I know we are all entitled to them sometimes . . . his was library day!!!

I will post more later . . .

Election Day is Tomorrow

Please read Becky's latest post at Blessed with Olive Plants. She has done a great job of getting involved!

I, on the other hand . . .I am in myrtle Beach on vacation and I came to the local library to check my email . . . let's just say public computers are an experience and if you have never used one . . . you're lucky!!

More when I get home!

I'm still here

Hi everyone! Life seems to be a little busier than usual! How did that happen??? Hmm . . . let's see three kids, homeschool group pres, watching my niece daily, trying to keep a tidy house . . . Anyway, we are getting ready to leave for vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . . . in like an hour and here I am blogging!! I will try to take some time while on vacation to do some REAL blogging and let ya know what the we've been up to!! Thanks for checking in on me!!

Food that Makes People FAT!!

I get so mad when I hear that Americans are letting the food industry exploit them!! This article (Which I have put down below) is more of what I have already been doing lots of research on. There are people making money off the fact that most people don't read labels and frankly don't care what is in their food. UGH!! We need to stand up to these big companies and let them know that we are much smarter than they give us credit for. I don't want to be obese and I don't want my kids or grandkids to suffer with obesity. It can be avoided by eating nutrient dense foods that have not been processed. Read the article! I hope it makes you made enough to check out alternatives for your family!!

Two nutrition experts argue that you can't take marketing campaigns at face value
With America's obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices. In a study released earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese, and 11 percent were extremely obese. Food giant PepsiCo, for example, points out on its website that "we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools." The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a "Smart Spot" marketing campaign that features green symbols on packaging. PepsiCo's inclusive criteria--explained here--award spots to foods of dubious nutritional value such as Diet Pepsi, Cap'n Crunch cereal, reduced-fat Doritos, and Cheetos, as well as to more nutritious products such as Quaker Oatmeal and Tropicana Orange Juice.
But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys? Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more--not less--of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig, a pediatrician and the co-author of a commentary published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ludwig and article co-author Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, spoke with U.S. News and highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don't want you to know about their products and how they promote them.
1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. PepsiCo has pledged that it will advertise only "Smart Spot" products to children under 12.
2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. "If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science," he says.
3. Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
The American Dietetic Association, for example, accepts money from companies such as Coca-Cola, which get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs, as this release explains. As Nestle notes in her blog and discusses at length in her book Food Politics, the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups. This one, for example, which is sponsored by an industry group that promotes lamb, rather unsurprisingly touts the nutritional benefits of lamb. The ADA's reasoning: "These collaborations take place with the understanding that ADA does not support any program or message that does not correspond with ADA's science-based healthful-eating messages and positions," according to the group's president, dietitian Martin Yadrick. "In fact, we think it's important for us to be at the same table with food companies because of the positive influence that we can have on them."
4. More processing means more profits, but typically makes the food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits. The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops--mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans--into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages. High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value.
5. Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.
Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole wheat bread.
6. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that--despite their slightly healthier reputations--still can be packed with sugar and calories.
7. A health claim on the label doesn't necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as "zero trans fats" or "contains whole wheat" may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it's not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid's health if it's also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. "These claims are calorie distracters," adds Nestle. "They make people forget about the calories." Dave DeCecco, a spokesperson for PepsiCo, counters that the intent of a labeling program such as Smart Spot is simply to help consumers pick a healthier choice within a category. "We're not trying to tell people that a bag of Doritos is healthier than asparagus. But, if you're buying chips, and you're busy, and you don't have a lot of time to read every part of the label, it's an easy way to make a smarter choice," he says.
8. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing.
As Nestle explained in Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice "reduce consumption of meat" in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report's authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: "Choose meats, poultry, and fish which will reduce saturated fat intake." Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.
9. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn't necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact,Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group lobbies aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns--such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools--and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's.
10. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to the new JAMA article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that "[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We've got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons." Here's the group's entry on Marion Nestle.
The bottom line, says Nestle, is quite simple: Kids need to eat less, include more fruits and vegetables, and limit the junk food.

MOPS Meeting

I was asked to be a guest speaker . . . that is exactly what I did . . . I almost spit out my coffee in SHOCK!!! The MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Director at the church called to ask me to speak about time management, organization, and finding time to spend quality time with the munchkins! She told me that I just seem to have all those areas under control in my life!!! BOY have I got her fooled!!!! And you too if you think the same thing!! So, today was the big day and I was up on the stage as Me*i*sA interviewed me. I am not sure what came out of my mouth, but the message I wanted to get across was this:

I am a simple ordinary mom of 3. I wish my house was cleaner and my cabinets more organized and I had time to clip coupons, but life is too short to worry about EVERYTHING!!! So I only worry about a few things!! I concern myself with people because they are the ONLY thing that last forever! My relationship with Christ, my husband, and kids are my main concerns. There is no "super-mom" in this family. Just a forgiven, simple, hopeful, faithful, passionate, mommy that is surrounded by loving people. I make mistakes! I yell at my kids sometimes. I don't always do the dishes before I go to bed at night! I am just like YOU in so many ways.

I am not sure that all of that came across because time was short. BUT if this is your first visit to my blog and you were at the MOPS meeting, let me know you stopped by.

Achieving

Recently my big kids, Carley and Camden, are so driven to achieve! All kids like a pat on the back or words or praise. They like that too, but this seems a little different. They don't just want to do a good job, they want to do an excellent job!! It is so exciting to see them do something that they excel at.

Carley is doing Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ) and she has her first match this weekend. She is so excited!! She practices everyday and she wants to do her best!! In practice matches she does really good and she feels confident! The only problem is that in the matches parents can's say a word . . . no cheering . . . nothing. If you do, it is a foul on your team and they loose points!! It is going to be so hard to sit still!!!!

She is also taking piano lessons and the piano teacher says she is gifted, musically. I am a mom with NO musical talent whatsoever and I loved hearing those words. She picks things up so quickly and she will be performing in a Christmas recital in December. I can't wait to watch her perform!!

Camden is memorizing stuff like crazy! He memorizes about one verse a week as well as a poem and sometimes more stuff for his Wednesday night class at church, Ranger Kids. He has all the poems and verses still memorized from the beginning of August. He loves to stand up and say all his poems or all his verses. It's like he glows with excitement about his achievement!!

I am so proud of them! There were days when I heard both of them say . . . "I am not doing this!! It is WAYYY too hard!" They have said it about reading, writing, sports, JBQ, poem memorization, and lots of other hurdles that they have reluctantly but gracefully overcome! I am so glad they have found things that they love to do! I know they are young and there is a lot more world to explore and I can't wait to see what else lies on the path ahead!

Bogus Scams

Subject : Bogus inspectors & your safety!!!!!

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times unintentionally...but this one is real, and it's important. So please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list, or post it as a bulletin so all of your friends will know..........

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!! They only want to see you naked.


**I hope I didn't offend anyone!! I laughed so hard when I read this that I just HAD to share it!! It's a joke!!

I Made the Announcement

We are very excited to be expecting again! Baby #4 is on the way and we couldn't be happier! I have had so many people ask me if I was pregnant and b/c of my circumstances, I didn't say "yes" or "no!" I simply said, "Ya never know, we are trying!!" All along I knew that I was pregnant! Oh well, you understand!

I am 12 weeks along and I have known of my pregnancy since mid-July (before VBS for those of you that were there!!). Since I had a miscarriage in May we decided to wait out the first 12 weeks. That was fun in a way! My Hunny and I would talk about it and we were able to become very comfortable with the idea before sharing the news with others! We told the kids first (yesterday!) and we let them call family to make the announcement! They are all thrilled!

The day I hit 6 weeks I began to feel lots of nausea, but I never vomited! I think I learned my triggers very quickly so I was able to avoid them most of the time! Now I am totally nausea-free and feeling really great!! I had my first appointment with my midwife yesterday and she is the "food & exercise nazi!" SO, I will be walking 3-4 days per week and DON'T ask me if I want to go out for dessert and coffee because I have no will power and she will kick my butt if I eat junk!!!

We will be having another home birth. We are so excited to bring a baby into the world in this amazing way!! What a blessing to have this opportunity! So many people I know want to do it, but don't have their husband's support OR don't have the option! It is totally the way God intended birth! The natural un-invasive setting in which Eve herself gave birth! Thank goodness I am so blessed!

Well, I knew lots of people would have questions, so I thought I would post here! That is it in a nutshell! Thanks for your blessings and support!!

Awesome MySpace Comments / Myspace Layouts

Proverbs are so Wise

There is so much to be gained from the book of wisdom in the Bible. As I was reading today I came across a few of them that blessed me. These are from the New Living Translation.

Proverbs 17:14
Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out!

Proverbs 17:18
It is poor judgement to guarantee another person's debt or put up a security for a friend!

Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.

Proverbs 17:27
A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.


So much good stuff to glean! I could go on for days!! I will share more later!!

Childish or Careless?

Daddy & Camden on the Cruise

Camden making funny faces!!

My Camden is so full of life and energy! He is 6 years old and his goal is to make you laugh! He has come home from church telling me that he made the whole class laugh!! He is sweet and sensitive. He will run outside to give me a hug and kiss before I leave to go ANYWHERE, even if I am only going to the store for 15 minutes. And he will tell me what Jesus is speaking to his heart, whether it is to pray for someone or some deep truth about life!! He is protective of his little brother too. He told me that a friend at church was saying, "dang!!" Well, that isn't a "bad word" and Camden knows that, but he also knows that certain things don't sound nice coming from the mouth of a child! Dang . . . is just such a word. His friend was saying this word and Camden politely asked his friend not to use that word in front of his brother. He said, "I don't want my brother to say that word!!" Isn't that sweet??? He is destined for great things!!

Did I mention that Camden is HUGE for his age!! Not huge, like pituitary giant huge . . . but BIG!! He is the size of an average 8 year old. He proudly tells me he is the biggest kid in his class at church! He thinks that somehow makes him "better!!" He also wants to be JUST LIKE HIS DAD and it just so happens that his dad is 6'5" and so he seems like a giant to Camden!!

With this "big-ness" comes a slight bit of clumsiness! At least that is wear I am hoping it comes from!! It seems like he is being very careless at times. But when I analyze the situation . . . post lecture on "being careful" . . . I wonder if it is just because his body is bigger than he realizes!!

Anyone out there with more experience than me?? Will he grow out of it?? Are all boys like this? Is this normal childishness or is it carelessness?? I don't want to punish him if he REALLY can't help it!! But I don't want to grow a careless boy that has little respect for the things of others around him. (He breaks everyone's stuff!!) I don't know about this? It is baffling me!!

Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions would be awesome!!

Bad Guys Out There

We have heard of it happening before, but this is just ridiculous! Several of our neighbors' houses were broken into today! How frustrating!! We know there were at least 2 people that got it bad and several others that had attempts made on their homes!

How awful and violated to be invaded in such a way!! What goes through these people's minds as they take valuables and vandalize other people's personal property??? How do they get to the place in life where people are so unimportant? They are in a sad place in life!!

My husband was home the entire day and he even spotted a "suspicious" car outside, but didn't think anything of it! He said it was driving slow and the driver seemed to be writing something?? He just thought the driver was looking for a specific address!!

Well, the good thing is that one of the neighbors has a camera that constantly monitors the exterior of her house!! Last time someone broke into a person's house on this street, her camera is what helped catch them! So I am hoping it does the job this time!!

I haven't talked to any of the victims, but I am just praying that they and their children can sleep tonight!!

Jesus,
Send your angels to watch over and protect those that have been violated! Please give them peace that passes human understanding!! Help them sleep tonight! I pray that the perpetrator's would be brought to justice and that they will find You in the midst of this situation! Your Grace is more than enough!!

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Tonight I made this recipe for the family and it was SOOOO good!! It was a hit too so I thought I would share it!! The best part is that it was made with simple ingredients, and it was EASY!!

Ingredients:
Ground Beef, browned
Enchilada sauce (or taco sauce or salsa, whatever you have)
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Tortillas
3/4c Cream Cheese, softened*
3/4c Sour Cream*
*None of these ingredients were measured. These are approximate amounts. If you want more, add more!!

Mix sauce or salsa with ground beef and set aside. Mix soft cream cheese and sour cream and set aside. In a 9x13 pan you will layer the ingredients, similar to lasagna. The first layer is the ground beef mixture, then cheese, tortillas, cream cheese mixture and start over again adding as many layers as you would like. I used TONS of cheese on the very top and then baked till bubbly. I also only put one thick layer of the cream cheese mixture because it was rather hard to work with. I cooked it at 400 for about 20 minutes. It was so good!! The kids gobbled it up!

I also thought it might be good with a layer of rice and pinto beans! If you try it, let me know how it goes!!

What a great day!!

If you know me at all you will know that I really don't like to be the center of attention. I really prefer to be in the background and I don't need a pat on the back. When my birthday rolls around, my family celebrates together, but I really don't like to have a big birthday "party." I like to go out to dinner with my husband and kids, and extended family. (The gift here is the fact that I don't have to cook!!) This year was no different.

The weekend started out simple. We invited some friend over to play a Euchre Tournament. That was a blast!!! I love to hang out with fun people and I love to play cards AND eat food!! Then on Saturday we just hung around the house doing chores and planning our coming week. On Saturday, Shannon decided that he and the kids would give me my presents early (They do this every year, at Christmas AND Mother's Day too!!) I was thrilled when he gave me exactly what I asked for!! I asked for the Anne of Green Gables Trilogy.

I was sooo excited!! The kids were too! We didn't waste any time! We began watching the movie on Sat evening. I even made Shannon sit and watch it with me and . . . don't tell him I told you . . . but . . . he likes it!!

This movie totally brought me back to childhood. I remember watching it on PBS and getting interrupted by those silly telethon things!! I hated that! Although I loved the movies, I had never seen them all from start to finish!! There are 3 of them! This time it was 9 hours of bliss!! The kids would beg to watch more!! I told told them that when we take a long trip to Grandma's or Nana's we can watch the entire movie without stopping!! They liked that idea!!

Then Shannon surprised me with something that I have always wanted . . . a Garmin GPS!! I love maps! So he thought I would like this gadget! He was right! It practically drives the car for me!! We all have fun and we even turn it on when we are going to church or home from the store!! We are trying to come up with a cute name like Becky did! Stay tuned!


On Sunday, which was my actual birthday, I was greeted first thing in the morning with toast and a glass of milk in bed. I got lots of hugs and kisses and I think that was my favorite part of the day. . . oh, I have another favorite part . . . I didn't have to do the dishes all day!!! Thanks Hunny! I love you so much!! What a great day!!!