Wingin' It

The past few weeks, our days have been totally out of whack. I'm not one of those Moms who schedule everything down to the minute (although, something like that is coming. Stay tuned for that post in Sept.), but I am used to some sort of schedule. We typically have our school days, errand days, church days, Daddy's days of, etc. that are set days of the week, and have a basic flow. Those days are what keep us going in a steady rhythm of organized chaos.

But, when Summer came, I threw it all out the window. After 11 months of being "in school", and all the craziness that comes with juggling a newborn & running a home, I was no longer in the mood to be in any sort of rhythm. Gone was the "up at this time, schoolwork at this time, bed at this time," stuff. Hellloooooo Summer Vacation!!!!

"Mommy! Can we sleep in a fort downstairs?"
"Sure!"

"Mommy, can we stay up till Midnight to play video games?"
"Why not?"

"Mommy, can we watch Phineas & Ferb for 10 hours today?"
"Go for it."

"Mommy, we dug a hole deep enough for Jo to stand in!!"
"Good job, boys!"

Seriously, we have had NO schedule, bare minimum chores & all the time in the world to literally lay around and veg out. Up until last week, it's been fantastic! But, it's starting to get to me. One of the consequences of tossing out the schedule - aside from a very messy house - has been a totally chaotic kitchen.

Normally, I meal plan, create very detailed lists & grocery shop every 2 weeks. Lately, tho, I've been running to the store every few days for this & that, and totally wingin' it for most meals. This morning when I went back to Walmart to check their school supplies (nothing is marked down yet, btw), I meandered through the grocery isles wondering what on earth we would have for dinner tonight. Then, I remembered my pantry. I knew I was running low on most things, but I was pretty sure I still had enough to pull together something edible. I grabbed an onion & box of mushrooms and hit the checkout, still without a clue as to what I was going to make. But, really...what pantry recipe doesn't taste better with onion & mushrooms?! lol! Once I got back home, examined what I had in my cupboards, it was a no-brainer.

Tuna Noodle Casserole a'la Moi!

So, here it is. My very basic, very easy & very tasty, mostly from the pantry dinner.

What to use:

1 1lb bag of wide noodles
2 or 3 cans of tuna (3 if you have chunk, 2 if you have solid)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1.5 cups milk
1 bag of chunky mixed veggies. (frozen)
1 small onion
1 box of mushrooms (the sliced ones were on sale, so that's what I used)
2 tbs butter or margarine
*optional: 1c bread crumbs or 2c shredded cheese

What to do:

1. Cook the noodles according to directions on bag, then drain (my stove is wonky, so I do everything else while my water comes to a boil)
2. Preheat the oven to 350*
3. Melt the butter/margarine in a saute pan
4. Add onions & mushrooms & saute 'till desired tenderness
5. Mix the cream of mushroom & celery soups with the milk & then pour into a large casserole dish.
6. Add the tuna, onions, mushrooms, frozen veg & cooked noodles to the dish. Stir till well combined.
7. Season with salt & pepper to your family's taste. And, if you're feeling fancy, top with bread crumbs or shredded cheese. (I tried the bread crumbs & the kids weren't impressed. lol)
8. Plop it in the oven, uncovered, for about 20 mins, or until a teeny bit bubbly.
9. Gobble it up!

This made enough for all 5 of us to have a hearty meal without sides, (Dan Jr. had seconds!) and still have enough left over for 2 grown-up size servings.  I'm sure Dan & I will enjoy the rest for lunch tomorrow! We could have easily served 8, if I had made dinner rolls & a salad.

If you decide to make a smaller version, then just omit one can of the cream of mushroom soup, lower the milk to 1c, use half the noodles & veggies, and us only 1 or 2 cans of the tuna. Leave everything else the same. Especially the mushrooms. That's what gives this it's winning flavor!

It's not fancy & I'm sure there have been loads of Tuna Noodle Casseroles over the centuries, but this was a fantastic combination AND was made mostly with what I had in my pantry. Score!

6 Months!

Sorry this post is late in the day! Technical difficulties. =D 

I know, I know, it seems wrong, but Genevieve is 6 months old today! I can't believe how fast time really does fly. I was going to sit down & write about it, but I've decided to just post pictures. I mean, wouldn't you rather look at that face, than read what I have to say?! I know I would! haha!

So, here they are. A few select photos from June - August. Enjoy!

The whole gang for her 4 month photo in June.

Genevieve's first 4th of July!!!

5 months old in July. This was taken VBS Sunday

Sleepy time shenanigans.

Our silly girl.

6 moths old today!!! August 13th, 2013

Now, aren't you glad I did pictures instead of bla bla bla & yadda yadda?!

Happy 6mo to our Genevieve! <3

Look what I found!

Went to Walmart to grab some stuffs for the pool & decided to "just look" at the school supplies to see if there were any markdowns. Not much in the way of bonus deals, but I found something totally cool!

I guess you can file this under: "Things I didn't know I needed" or "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Check it! It's a Composition Book cover!

My kids go through piles of composition books each year. Walmart has them around .50c every July/August, so I usually grab a zillion. They use them for everything from church notes, to creating comic books. Needless to say, they get thrashed.

Well, NOT. ANY. MORE.

It's pretty self explanatory. You pull out the insert & put in your composition book. AND! It even has a zippy pouch for pens & such. Awesome, right?!

The photo on the L is what it looks like off the shelf. The photo on the R is what it looks like in use. Seriously. It's so cool!

These are at Walmart in the school supply section for .97c a piece. Grab some before they're gone! I'm heading back tomorrow for more. I'm such a school supply junkie! haha!

This is the life!

Me & Gen about to get our grub on at Black Bear Diner.

Yikes! What a jam-packed weekend...and it's only Saturday evening! ha! I spent the better part of yesterday at every teacher store in town searching for bulletin board pretties & then spent the rest of the day actually decorating my Sunday School classroom. Then, today, it was soul-winning breakfast, finishing up the decorations, back home to get everyone ready, then back to the church for a wedding & reception! Somewhere between the I Do's & the cake, I realized how tired I was & decided there was NO way I was going to be able to grocery shop & cook dinner. Hubs totally came to the rescue with Black Bear Diner! (Seriously, he's the best.) Goodness, it was nice to just sit-down with the fam and enjoy huge meal prepared by someone else. =D





But, the day was (is!) far from over. I still had to do some laminating at Staples, come up with a tasty treat for my class, shop for the ingredients for said treat, then come home and make it. All while prepping my SS lesson, cutting the laminated stuffs, loading the ever-famous Church Bag & making sure the kids were in bed on time. *phew!* I'm exhausted!

All of that being said, I'm feeling pretty great today. I love working for my family & my church. God has given me a gift/talent/ability or whatever you want to call it, for all things children's ministry. I enjoy every minute of it! The lessons, the games, the songs, the prizes, the good days, the bad days and all that's in-between. There isn't anything I'd rather do for The Lord with regards to service. I'd give up choir & specials in an instant if I had to chose. Yup. I love it that much. No matter how crazy busy I get, no matter what gets forgotten and done at the very last second, no matter who shows up, no matter the attitude of the kids, it's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. (Obviously, not including motherhood.) God is so good to me!

Tomorrow is Promotion Sunday, so I'd better get off line & finish up all my prep. I hope you are able to make it to the Lord's house tomorrow! Good night and God bless you, my friends. =D

Logging Off

 The last few months have been difficult, to say the least. Life brought me to a very deep emotional/physical/spiritual valley & posting here has been the farthest thing on my mind. Ummm...I guess that's not really true. I tried to post a few times, but realized that no matter what I said, or how I said it, it sorta came out negative or depressing, so I decided to just not post for a while.

Well, recently, I've been trying really hard to pull myself out of that valley. I've been trying super hard to focus on the blessings that God has given me. I have a wonderful family with 4 AWESOME kids. I have an incredible church. I have a wonderful husband. I have a God who is faithful & true. On and on I could go about the good...so why focus on the bad?!

Enter facebook.

Every day, something is said or done that either hurts me or someone else. No matter what I post, I end up offending someone, and in return, their offense hurts me! I am mortified when I find out that something I said was either hurtful, or a stumbling block to someone. I don't want to be that person!! I just wanted an outlet for keeping in touch with people, posting photos, posting opinions & engaging in discussions on current events. I guess I just don't know how to do that without making someone mad. *sigh* That's not ever what I want. Ever.

So, I'm done.

Yes, really.

I cannot come out of a valley, if I'm constantly being pulled down into it.

Enter the blog.

Seriously, if y'all want to keep up with the craziness of my daily life, please feel free to follow me here. I promise to post daily. Now that I'm not facebooking, I'll have loads to post! haha! And, if you don't wan to do that, Dan has fb woven into his DNA, so I'm sure there will still be lots of pictures & videos of the kids. (Even if you don't know him, feel free to friend him!) Hopefully posting here will cut down on the unintended consequence of posting on facebook.

I love you all so very very much!! I hope you can understand.

xoxo Amy xoxo

I am so sorry for not having a post lately. Believe me, it's not for lack of a topic, or desire; I'm just having a super hard time finding time to sit down & write! But, school is almost done (yeee!!!), and things will be winding down in the house. I'm really excited about the next several posts. I have so much I want to share! Please check back over the weekend, I will hopefully have the next "Catching Up" post. Thank you for your patience!

3 months!

In all the hullabaloo of trying to finish school on time, and having Revival Meetings at church, I've not really had the time to do a real post. BUT! I did not want it to go without mentioning, that my baby girl is growing up so fast!! It's hard to believe, but she's 3 months old today. *sigh* I wish I could stop the world from spinning for a bit & hold on to this time for as long as I could get away with it. But, it is what it is: time marches on. So, I shall enjoy every minute. I will squeeze her squishy infant body a bit tighter. I will enjoy the days she won't let me put her down. I will smell her & touch her as often as possible. I will tell her I love her every chance I get. And, of course, I will take as many photos & video as I can! I love her so much. God is FAR too good, to give her to me!!!

3 months old!!!!

Adventures in Breadmaking

In an attempt to cut back wherever possible, I have decided to take on the challenge of making our sandwich and dinner roll bread. If it works, I'll be saving us loads of money! If not, well, at least I can say I tried, and I'd only be out 10 bucks. 

 I totally forgot to take pictures throughout my first attempt, but here's the result. 

They didn't turn out *too* bad; but they definitely did not turn out the way I intended. After talking with a few of my friends (including the one who gave me the recipe), I came to the conclusion that I did not let the bread rise enough. The bread tasted fantastic! But, because they did not rise enough, the loaves were super dense and had a squishy texture in the middle. Not good enough for sandwiches, but they worked out great for snacking! We gobbled up all four loaves in 3 days!

Well, today, I decided to give it another go & I'm glad I did! I still need to keep a better eye on the rising, but I am pleased with the results. And, I remembered to take pictures this time!

First, I pulled out my mixer, put the kneading hook on & gathered up all my ingredients. 

Flour, sugar, yeast, salt, olive oil, warm water

I put the warm water into the mixer, added the yeast & let it sit for a few minutes.

While that was sitting, I combined the rest of the dry ingredients & mixed them well.

Once the yeast/water was ready, I dumped the dry ingredients into the mixer. When I turned around, I saw the oil! I probably should have tossed that in before the dry ingredients, but I don't think it really mattered.

I put the mixer on "stir" for a minute, then put it up to 2 for 2 minutes. The dough came out perfect!

I decided to only do 2 loaves this time, so I halved the dough.

I took one of the halves & split it again, into the shape of 2 loaves....

...I placed them on a plate lined with parchment paper & when they were frozen, I put them into a ziploc bag & back into the freezer to bake another day.

I placed the other half of the dough into a bowl & then placed it into a warmish oven to rise for about 25 minutes. (I left the oven door open. I was afraid it would start to bake! lol)

I can't believe I didn't take a picture of it, but once the dough had had doubled in size, I shaped it into 2 loaves. I placed each one in a greased (I used Pam) bread pan.....

....then back into the warmish oven for the second rise.

I kept the bread in the warmish oven for 15 minutes. Then, I placed them on top of the oven, to finish raising (is that a word?) while the oven pre-heated.

Here's what they looked like just before going in the oven. Looks good, so far!

I baked them for 20 mins & put them on the counter to cool. Here's what they look like from the side....

..and here's what they looked like from the front.
Pretty good, right?! The one on the left was a bit too short & was more dense than I wanted. But, it was way better than before! The loaf on the right was more of what I was looking for. I think I needed them to rise a bit longer, but all in all, they turned out great! I'm looking forward to getting this right & making this work. The bread is super tasty & will be great for sandwiches & rolls!



Here's the recipe I used. It makes 4 loaves. OH! Make note that the original recipe calls for INSTANT yeast. I bought DRY ACTIVE yeast & that's why I had to do the double rise. If you use the instant yeast, follow the directions below. If you use the dry active yeast, then you'll need to do what I did, and have the dough rise twice. Once in the bowl & then again in the loaf pans.

Ingredients: 10 1/2 cups white unbleached bread flour (a 25lb bag of flour is only 7 bucks at Costco! That's the same price as 2 loaves of bread! What a savings!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
3 rounded tbsp Instant Yeast (This also can be purchased at Costco. It was $5, and will last quite a while)
3 tbsp liquid lecithin* (veg. or olive oil ok to use. I used olive oil.)
4 cups warm tap water

Instructions: Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin/oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix for 5 minutes. If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, you'll only need to mix for 2 minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after  it has finished mixing.)

To cook now- Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let raise 25 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

To freeze- form the bread into the shape that you will be cooking it in (rolls, bread-sticks, or a loaf) and put in freezer on a cookie sheet until stiff. Take off of the cookie sheet and place in a labeled freezer bag. Leave rolls out approximately 3 hours before cooking and bread about 4. Add toppings (cheese or spices) to the bread-sticks just before baking.

***For wheat bread: Use 3 cups water and 1 cup applesauce. I also exchange my white sugar for brown sugar and add some honey for honey wheat. I tend to allow my wheat bread far more rise time in an effort to keep it from being too dense.

I have no idea the actual cost of each loaf, but I'm guessing it's just over a buck. NICE! Not only will we have great tasting bread, but it will be made with only real ingredients, and will be saving us money. I think I hit the jackpot with this one! =D

My New Favorite Tool!

I know I may sound like a commercial, but I'm so in love with this product!! Lemme tell ya', I've been struggling with my crap machine for a really long time. My piecing just never seems to be as good as it should be. Points not matching up, rows totally crooked, blocks not turning out the right size, bla, bla, bla. For someone who's been quilting as long as I have, it's SO FRUSTRATING for the finished product to look like a total n00b put it together! I can't tell you how many times I've had to give a quilt with an apology! lol!! I tried presser foot after presser foot. I bought several guides. I even bought those magnetic doohickeys. I spent far too much money on far too many tools, all in an attempt to achieve that perfect scant 1/4" & ruler-straight line. Eventually, I came to the conclusion, that either I was the world's worst quilter or there was something wrong with my machine. After putting the machine away in frustration, and walking away from all of my projects for a year, I was determined to find out the answer. Well, after trying all of my tools again, and getting the same results, I'm convinced it's the machine. I think (even tho' I can't prove it) that my needle is set ever-so-slightly to the L of where it should be AND I know my feed dogs aren't working properly. We'll talk about the feed dog thing in another post, but no wonder none of those tricks worked for my seams!! The distance from the actual needle, to the edge of the presser foot, was off! Now, I was at a loss. If the machine itself was the problem, how was I to fix it?!

Enter, Pinterest. Yes! Really, again! lol! I happen to follow several quilters & one of them pinned this tool. I read the post & decided it was worth investigating. So, I googled it, and found a couple videos on how to use it. After watching the videos, and finding them for sale on Amazon for a decent price, I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did! It is the best quilting tool I've ever purchased!!!

<--- Well, here it is! It's sorta hard to see how it works from just this photo, so I totally recommend going to the video link above.

How this differs from any of my other tools, is that it attaches, more specifically, it sticks to the bottom of the actual presser foot!! Why I think this worked for me, is because you have the scant 1/4" measured from the actual needle to the outside line - not from the edge of a tool to the needle. Do you see the small hole? Well, that's where the needle goes. Just make sure the solid line down the middle lines up, and Bam! Perfect seams!

 I'm tellin' ya, I think my needle is off-center! Once I put this on my presser foot & started sewing my half-square triangles, I could not believe the accuracy!! I actually had to square down the blocks for the first time ever! All of my points were perfect. All of them! I was so happy!! After years of struggling, I had finally found something to help me achieve that perfect seam! YAY!

If you read all the info about the Sew Easy Guide, you'll see that it's original purpose was for sewing half & quarter square triangles without marking. I do have to mention, that my half square triangles were far too big (10") for the tool. I still had to draw the diagonal line down the block. But! That was the only marking I had to do! I just lined up the solid line from the tool, with the solid line on my block & the tool helped me keep it all straight! It's so simple, it's genius.

If you're havin' issues with your seams, or just hate drawing all those ridiculous lines for your half & quarter square triangles, I highly recommend purchasing this. It comes in 2 sizes. I got both! Thanks, again, Pinterest!

A Quilt for Alice

Last year, a good friend of mine became pregnant with her first baby - a girl! I could not wait to make a quilt for her! So, I did the usual: I picked out some cute fabric, cut simple squares & pieced a lovely baby quilt. On a whim, I decided to back it with minky. What was I thinking?! How was I going to quilt that on my finicky machine?! *sigh* My machine totally ate it. Seriously. It got so stuck in the feed dog cavity (if that's what it's called lol), that when I finally freed it, there was a huge hole. Ugh! I was so mad!! My friend was moving from one coast to the other, and the shower was my last chance to see her before the big move & baby's arrival.  I decided I would just have to start from scratch & maker her one later.

It totally would have happened...except I got pregnant. doh! Morning/noon/night sickness, extreme fatigue, the works. On top of that, Dan traveled for 4 solid months and I was homeschooling. Even tho' I really wanted to, there was no way I was going to have the time or energy to quilt.  But, everything has a season, right? So, when the pregnancy was just about done & as I began to plan the quilt for my baby girl, I decided to go ahead & plan a replacement quilt, as well. Then, when my girlfriend said she was coming back for a visit, I knew it was time. So, I got to work!

I had a blast picking out fabric, choosing the pattern & sewing this quilt. My biggest issue was with the quilting. Back to that blasted feed dog problem. It was getting stuck - again! Even with just regular cotton backing. Ugh! This time, I decided not to force it. I took it off the machine, ripped the stitches I had sewn & hand tied it. You know, it turned out great!! I'm super happy with the results. For the first time ever, I could give a quilt without an apology! haha!

"Through the Looking Glass" - a quilt for Alice. 

It turned out super cute. I'm really happy with every part of it. 

 You know, life is constantly changing. Friends come, and they go. Sometimes the Lord moves you, and sometimes He moves the friend. But, a quilt...it moves right along with you, and it brings with it, the memories & the love of the one who made it. I put a whole lot of love into this one & I'm  quite happy to let it go.

Awww...don't you just love that happy face?! Man, I really do love quilting!! =D

Two Small Words With One Big Impact

You know that Bible story you could teach from memory, because you've taught it a zillion times? Well, having taught Sunday School & Children's Church for nearly 10 years, I have a lot of those. Currently, our Sunday School lessons have us in 1 Kings & this past Sunday, my lesson was on Elijah & the Widow Woman. I'm sure you're familiar with that one, too. If not, tho, here's the story in a nutshell:

Elijah has been by the brook Cherith, being sustained by God via the water from the brook & some food from the ravens for quite a while, and now the brook has finally dried. So, God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath, to the house of a widow, and there He would continue to provide for him, until the end of the drought. Elijah gets there & tells the woman to fetch him some water & make him some bread. She, in return, explains to him that she was just about to prepare the last meal for herself & her son. Elijah promises her that God has sent him & would provide. Amazingly, she does as he asks, and prepares what little she has left for this man she's only just met. Even more amazingly, when she goes back to her seemingly empty vessel, there is enough for her & her son! Not only that time, but every time she needs to feed them, there is enough! For 3 years, until the end of the drought, the Lord provides for the 3 of them. Just as He had promised. 

It's a great passage, with a fantastic lesson! I already knew that. But, it's one thing to know something, and a completely different thing to live it. Now, I know without a doubt that God will provide. He has fulfilled every need we've ever had, and sometimes in miraculous ways! That's not really my problem. The struggle is living it. 

Dan & I seem to be in a perpetual state of drought, and I feel as if we've been living at the brook since we got married! We have chosen to follow the path the Lord has for us, regardless of it's earthly consequences, and I'm gonna be honest, it's not easy. Yes, God is still sending the Ravens & no, the stream has not yet dried. But, when will it end? When will God finally say "well done!" and let us leave the brook? I just want to be over this! I want to be on the other side, saying: "look where we were & where we are now!" We give, we serve, we do whatever we can, whenever we can & we do it all for the Lord, without hesitation. He DIED for us! It is our reasonable service! Still, I feel like there must be something we're doing wrong, otherwise, God would be blessing us. Right?! So, I pray harder, read my Bible longer, serve more, give more, etc...and yet, we're still here by the brook.  I get so frustrated! How am I supposed to keep living in the drought, while I watch others around me enjoy the rain?! Hasn't God promised to open the windows of Heaven & pour out blessings?! When's that gonna happen to us?! It's happening to everyone else! *sigh* It's so hard, and even tho I struggle, I keep on giving, serving, praying, etc. Mostly, because it's just the right thing to do. 

As I stood there, teaching my class on the provisions of God, I couldn't help but be convicted. The funny thing is, that it didn't even come from the scripture! It came from the actual lesson. As I was reading it to the girls, this last sentence from the lesson completely jumped off the page, and slapped me right in the face.

"God kept putting just enough meal in the barrel and oil in the cruse for three cakes of bread at each meal. For three years, they had just enough to eat, until the famine ended."

Now, I'm not a Bible scholar. I have no idea how the writers of the Sunday School curricula know how much was provided, when, and for how long. But there, in that simple sentence, two little words were all it took to shake me. 
They were: "just enough". Elijah and the widow woman had obeyed, and because of it, God was true to His promise and supplied their need. But, what if it really was "just enough?" Where in the passage does God promise them mountains of food & a new car?! It's not there! God promised to provide what they needed, when they needed it, for as long as they needed it, and, that's exactly what He did. 

Right there, God reminded me, that we have never gone without a meal. Amazingly, the bills get paid. We've all got clothes & shoes that fit. We've got a roof over our heads & a car that works-ish. Guess what, Amy?! It's just enough! Do we really need more? The simple truth is, no. The World drills into us that, in order to be happy, we have to have it all. But the Bible clearly teaches, that if we have Jesus, we DO have it all!! How foolish and selfish I have been. I've been so focused on what I don't have, that I've lost all enjoyment in what I do have! I have an amazing marriage, with an equally amazing husband. I have 3 healthy, happy boys. I have a DAUGHTER! I have godly parents & a loving family. I get to attend & serve at the best church in the world. But, most importantly, I have a home secured for me in Heaven & the promise of eternal life with my Saviour. When you add it all up, it really isn't "just enough" any more. The windows of Heaven have been opened up for me!! I was just too blinded by my sin to see all the blessings that already surround me. 

I'm so glad that the God of Elijah, is my God. I'm thankful that He has not changed, that His Word is truth, and that all of His promises are for me too!!! The drought may continue for years to come. Oh, that I would learn to enjoy His provision - even if it is "just enough."

Breakfast for a Week! In 5 minutes?

Since the arrival of Genevieve, I have been looking high and low for solutions to two major problems: time & money. So, when I discovered something that would do both, I had to try it! I took on the breakfast challenge. How to make sure the Hubbs could get a HEALTHY, quick breakfast, every morning before work - WITHOUT having to spend extra money. Enter the solution. Via Pinterest...duh!

Dan enjoys eating steel cut oats in the morning, along with his new found love, Chobani. That's great! Such a healthy, protein-packed breakfast, what wife wouldn't want to make that for her husband?! Yeah, have you ever actually cooked steel cut oats? It. Takes. For. Ever! With the addition of the wee one, I seriously don't have time for that. But, I do have time for Pinterest (lol), and when I saw the headline: "Breakfast for a Week in 5 Minutes", along with a photo of steel cut oats, I felt like I'd hit the jackpot! Once I read through the original post, I went to Target to pick up a few things & got to work! Once it was done, I was shocked at how easy it was. Then felt sorta stupid for not thinking of it sooner. Doh!

Here's the super-easy, way to make a healthy breakfast for an entire week, in just about 5 mins. 

 First, grab some mason jars. I went with half-pint, but probably should have gone with the pint, so Hubbs could actually mix in some goodies. Then, of course, pick up some oats! There are a few brands out there, but Quaker was on sale, so it's what I got.

 Line up the jars next to the stove, so you're ready to go. 

 Once the water & oats have come to a boil....

 

simply ladle the water & oats into the jars...

 

close the lids & walk away!

Leave them out on the counter over night. Then, in the morning, put  all of the jars into the fridge, minus one.

Take that one, add a bit of milk & sugar, or whatever suits your fancy & you've got a tasty breakfast now AND for the rest of the week! 

Look at that face! Who knew something so easy, could make him so happy?! lol!!

Here's the recipe, as taken from the post: 

1. Collect your jars and other equipment. I like pint-sized jars for this as they allow a little more room for adding nuts, raisins, and milk later. But you can also use half-pint jars.

2. Bring the oats, water and salt to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes then turn off the heat.

3. Ladle the oats and water into the jars. Cover the jars tightly with their caps and rings. Leave on the counter overnight.

4. The next morning, put all but one of the jars in the refrigerator. Take the cap off one jar and stir up the oatmeal inside. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or until quite hot. Add any milk, raisins, or other mix-ins. Enjoy!

That's it! Easy, right?! Thanks, again, Pinterest!

Meal Planning Made Easy!!

Head on over to my girlfriend's blog & check out my latest post! While you're there, sign up to follow her site & of course, click all the links! Then, come back here next week to read a few new posts.   Thanks for following me as I get this blog off the ground. =D

Catching Up Part Two: My Boys

I cannot believe how much the boys have changed since starting this blog! Here's a quick update on the boys!

Danjr is 10 & doing great! He's just about to wrap up 6th grade with another 4.0 & still loves all things Star Wars, Dr. Who & Angry Birds. Currently, he's in love with his baby sister! I love watching them together.

Benjamin is 6 and is asking every day when his birthday is. Just a few more weeks, kid...hang on. lol He's still as inquisitive as ever & loves digging in the dirt with his brother. 

Joseph is 5 and quite a fireball of energy! Every day, he seems to be a bit taller & today he got his first loose tooth! I can't believe he's going to be six in just a couple short months. Where does the time go?! 

My boys mean the world to me. Yes, I may be super busy with Genevieve, but I really try to remind them that they are very special & that I love them - even more since their sister has been born! Every day they find a way to make me smile & laugh. I have some pretty awesomely crazy kids. 

Love them!!

Catching Up: Part One

It's hard to believe that it's been about 7 months since my last post & a year since I started the blog! A LOT has happened since then! So much, in fact, that over the next couple weeks, I'm going to do a series of "Catching Up" posts, just to fill in the huge gap. I have a ton of posts swirling in my head, but the one obvious place to start, is with the biggest news! Here goes:

I had a baby!! I know...you're thinking..,wait...WHAT?! Uh, yeah, that was my thought when I found out, too! lol Here's the story. It's a long one, so you might want to pop some corn & put your feet up. I'll wait. You done? Okay, good, we'll get started. =D  It begins in July of 2012. Dan (the hubbs) was traveling with Geek Squad Summer Academy, so he had been gone for the better part of June, but was able to be home over the 4th of July weekend. We had a HUGE event planned for that Sunday morning & we got up a bit earlier than normal to get ready for the day. Something had been stirring in the back of my brain & I had been wondering if I'd really had my period in June, and for some whacky reason, I decided - on the way out the door - to take a pregnancy test. Expecting it to be totally negative, I didn't even tell Dan I'd taken it. I put it down, finished putting on my jewelry, put on my shoes & walked back into the bathroom to check on it. Yup. It was positive! I was so shocked, I didn't quite know how to react! I called Dan into the bathroom, and showed him the test. The look on his face was about the same as mine! lol! We just sorta stared at the test, and then at each other, and after about 30 seconds, we both started to well up....we were PREGNANT!!!


Dan still had to travel & was going to be gone most of the summer, so I knew I was in for a long first trimester. From the beginning, it was a totally different pregnancy. I was sick 24/7 for the first 4 months, and then off and on through the end. It was horrible! I also struggled with ligament/pelvic pain through the last half. Most days, I was pretty useless & felt really bad for the kids. But, they were super good & we got through it. Even the homeschooling got done!! God is good! lol

In August (on my birthday!), we made our announcement & it totally surprised the church & facebook lit up like a Christmas tree! haha!

I had kept it a secret for so long, it was so nice to be able to share it with the world! Once we spilled the beans, the pregnancy became that much more real and the anticipation was killing me! Was it going to be blue...or were we FINALLY going to get our pink?! I prayed like I'd never prayed before. No, not what you're thinking...lol. I prayed that God would help me be content & love the child, even if it was a boy. I didn't want to go through the depression that I'd had with Jo (that's another post for another day). I wanted to be happy & love the child, no matter what.

Me & the Beebee at 20 weeks, the week before the ultrasound.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the day came. I finally had my ultrasound. Me, Dan, the boys, a good friend & her kids all gathered into the room for the 3D/4D experience. I told the tech.: "Don't tell me what it is 'till you are absolutely positive!!!" A few minutes later...

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

 We felt like we'd hit the lottery! haha! A baby girl! For US! First, the Lord surprised us with a child, then He made it doubly surprising by giving us DAUGHTER?! I was overwhelmed, speechless & crying. It was a moment I'll never forget. What a miracle...what a blessing...what a gift!!! Above is the best picture we could get of her face. I still have it by my bed. Our Genevieve Jennifer Dolar. =D  I can't even begin to tell you how crazy everyone went!! lol!! We each had about a zillion "likes" & comments on our facebook announcements, and once again, the church went nuts!! haha!! The planning officially began & it was even more real than ever!

Me & the Beebee. Christmas '12.

The days & weeks seemed to drag on, and the yukky pregnancy issues made it feel like an eternity! BUT! I persevered, and tried to make the best of it. Dan & I also made sure to spend some extra quality time with the boys, and we went out of our way to reassure them that they were loved & would still be loved once their sister arrived.

I have to admit, the best part of the pregnancy, was my shower!! My awesome Sister (along with Mom & good friend) threw me a lovely baby shower & I was completely spoiled!

Everyone was beyond generous! Even those who weren't able to come to the shower, bought gifts or gave us things. It seemed like every day, someone was dropping by with a gift, or we were finding one in the mail. God was (as He always is) so good to us!! Between all the gifts, and the timely tax refund, we were able to get every single thing we needed. I don't have to buy her clothes 'till her birthday! hahaha! In those last miserable weeks, I was encouraged, loved on, pampered & blessed beyond measure. It was just what I needed to get me to the end.

A couple pics of me from the last few days of the pregnancy. The one at the top L is the morning of delivery!!

Once February came, we were on alert! With my history of havin' babies weeks before the due date, we knew she was coming at ANY time! We took the kids out a few more times, started organizing anything and everything in the house & made sure the crib was up & the house was ready for her to come home!! I started having contractions at my 36th week! My OB & I were both convinced she'd be here before Valentine's Day & she was!! lol

I had my last check up on February 12th. When my OB checked me, I was already at 5cm!! He told me, that, unless I went into labor that night, I was to head to the hospital first thing the next morning & he would have me delivered. WOOT! So, I did exactly what he said. We went home, made sure everything was packed, took the kids to the In-law's house & got a good night's sleep. Well, Dan did...who can sleep when you're 9 months preggo?! lol! The next morning, we went to the hospital & after some drama (for another post), I was admitted! After a morning of basically just laying there, doing nothing, the OB came in to get the pitosin goin & to break my water. OY! That was crazy! Once that happened, I had intense labor for about an hour & a half, and then she arrived!!! I was a Mom - again!!! And this time, I had a DAUGHTER!!!

Getting to hold my baby girl for the first time.

And, there you have it! I had a baby!

 Genevieve Jennifer Dolar was born to us on Wednesday, February 13th, at 3:30pm. 

She weighed 7.14oz and was 19" long.   

Thank you, God, for your bountiful blessings!!!