Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Or, Happy Turkey Day!

I roasted my first turkey SOLO today...well, I only called one friend for advice, searched on the Internet for another question, and IM'd another friend when I could not find the answer. I even deboned MOST of Tom myself! All of the white meat was pristine and yummy...the dark meat was still in legs, bones, wings, etc...I left that job for the wonderful women at church to help me out! All in all, I was very proud of myself! I have come a long way, baby...when I was a new bride I was grossed out by raw meat. I COULD not debone anything! The only meat we ate was hamburger (even touching this made me gag!) and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. After getting as much meat as I could stomach off ol' Tom's bones, I took the entire thing (carcass and all) to church thinking these veteran turkey cookers would be able to get a lot more meat than I, a first timer. However, (they might have just being nice here!) they said I did a good job! I did get a bit of ribbing for tossing out the broth, however. I wasn't thinking about broth, just thinking that all this juice was in my way, so I poured it down the sink....um, OOPS! Lesson learned, SAVE THE BROTH! ;o)

I am so thankful this year...so many, many blessings to be thankful for! I will list just a few...and then I will go to bed (my comfy bed is a blessing to be sure!)

• My husband...I am so thankful for my partner in life....we were made for each other and I love him SO much!
• My children...all three of them are such wonderful blessings. They are growing so quickly...I hope to remember just what a great blessing they are to me this year! Andrew has been sick again, his asthma is no fun. But I am thankful that he was more himself today. Wanting to play games and even eat a little. Thank You, God for healing my little guy...continued healing is my prayer. Thusfar, the girls are healthy and I pray they remain so!
• My parents....they are here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us this year! My dad is doing wonderful! He used his walker and walked up the 2 steps into my home! A TRUE miracle! He says he is getting rid of his wheel chair this year! YEA! My mom is such a wonderful support, mentor, and mother. I truly would not be the person I am today without her (both of them!). I love you both, very much!
• My church...we have such a wonderful church family who loves us and supports us. We are blessed that God brought us here to serve with these people.
• My job...I have longed to teach, even while staying home and teaching my own children. I longed to teach in a classroom. I love it. This is one of my passions in life. The directing part, I am still trying to figure out and embrace...but I am thankful that God has provided this opportunity for me to stretch and grow. I just keep reminding myself that growing isn't always easy, or comfortable...but necessary.
• My God. Where would I be without Him? He is the one who has blessed me so richly, so dearly. And, the most amazing blessing that He has bestowed on me is the gift of forgiveness, faith, and eternal life...THANK YOU, GOD!!! I am so unworthy, and yet He chose to do this for me... I am humbled.
• My bed...I'm exhausted...I'm sleepy...I'm going to bed. A BIG day tomorrow...did I mention it is Thanksgiving? Our church hosts a HUGE Thanksgiving feast here in our town. Last year we served over 300 people! We take meals to shut-ins, to the county jail, and many people come and get carry-outs to feed their families. We do not charge for this meal. It is a love offering to the people in our community. We do sit out a basket to receive what people would like to give. However, our church does not keep these gifts, they are handed directly over to our community food bank to bless more people. God has so richly blessed our congregation with servant hearts. Thank You, God!
• Now...off to bed. Nighty night and happy Thanksgiving!

Funny

I don't watch commercials very often. Most of my TV viewing is from the DVR...you know, record shows while I'm busy with life, watch after the kids are in bed while I should be doing dishes, sweeping, moping, laundry...you know...
Anyway, I did see a commercial the other day that made me laugh out loud! Made me laugh so hard I replayed it after I ran to the other room to get Hubby. Made him watch it. I was laughing so hard I could hardly speak. Oh My Goodness...this just tickles my funny bone!
A few days later I saw this one, it is pretty funny, too!

Thanks for letting me share! :o) So...anyone wanna come help me with my 19 1/2 pounder this week????

Thenderhearted Abbigail...or Rockey strikes again!

Hmmm...what to title this post? Couldn't decide, so I gave it two names. Can you guess what it is about? Abbigail knocked out a little girl's tooth tonight. Nope it wasn't even loose. Yes, THANK YOU GOD, it was a baby tooth. Now this little girl can sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!"

So...here is what happened. When I went to pick up my daughters and a friend from dance class (they had a combined class...long story). Well, I was waiting for Pokey Pants (aka, Bethany) to get her shoes on. Our neighbor, P, was standing beside me waiting patiently like a very well mannered child (she is!). Abbigail was in the lobby chatting with some friends and being silly. She was teasing one of the girls and turned to run away from her, and ran strait into another little girl. Knocked her top tooth clean out. This other little girl, C, lost her first top tooth on Monday, and the second on Thursday....however, the tooth lost on Monday was loose and ready to go. Thursday's tooth, not so much. I heard all the screaming and crying and knew instantly that Abbigail was involved, recognized that howl! C was holding "something" in her hand and the blood was starting to flow. Luckily C's mom and I were both there. I ran to the bathroom and grabbed a bunch of paper towels. We finally deduced exactly what had happened, cleaned her up, and she was ok...but Abbigail was still howling. She felt SO BAD! Oh my goodness I have never met someone with such a tender heart. C was hugging Abbie telling her that it's ok.

Abbie cried off and on all evening. She believes that she is forgiven but still feels terrible and has made promises to be much more careful in the future. It was purely an accident, I keep telling her that no one blames her and none is angry at her. Anyway, besides her heartache, she does have a small cut and bump on her for head where she contacted that little tooth.

If you have a few moments and want to say a prayer for my little girl's heart, I would appreciate it. Such a big heart. It loves so dearly, and is so broken when she causes pain to anything, or even hears about suffering. Even going out to eat can be heart-wrenching for her. Pizza Hut had these table tent things talking about world hunger and how they were collecting $1, putting your name on this certificate thing...you know how it works. She read about how some children don't have food to eat and then she had trouble eating her supper. She felt so bad that she has abundant food while children are starving...my girl is going to change the world someday!

Menu Plan Monday

I WILL COOK THIS WEEK! Come on, say it with me now...I WILL cook this week!!! Too many trips to Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and too many corn dogs in our lives the past few weeks!! I WILL cook this week!!! Here are my plans:

Monday: Tamale Slow Cooker Casserole

Tuesday: 10 Minute Fettucini

Wed: Hubby is having pizza with the youth group, so I'll do Pizza Pockets with the kids

Thurs: hmm...haven't decided, possibly pork chops and baked potatoes

Friday: Hubby won't be home, so the kids and I are on our own...possibly their all-time favorite, Mac-N-Cheese

Nothing fancy...just home-cooked. Cheaper and healthier than fast food. All meals will also offer some sort of veggie and/or fruit.

Presenting...

Allison Kaia

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Prayers Please...

My cousin Loni is in the hospital...hopefully giving birth to her newest beautiful miracle. Baby Allison should make her long awaited appearance sometime today. Loni was supposed to be at the hospital this morning at 7...that's about 1 1/2 hours ago as I type. Please pray for a relatively painfree, wonderful birth. Pray for a healthy baby, and Mom!! As soon as she posts pics on her blog, I plan on stealing one and posting it here! :o) I did try to talk Loni into waiting til tomorrow so Baby Allison would have the same birthday as Andrew...but she wasn't waiting one more moment!! Gee, I just don't understand!! ;o)

UPDATE!!! Allison is here!! 7 pounds, 6 oz!! No pictures yet, but I can't wait to see her!!!

Flashback Friday

I have been reading this blog for a while, and the woman has started a new tradition. She is the mother of 10! She is waiting for her newest son to come home from Africa. Anyway...her new tradition is called "Flashback Friday" She posts pictures from the past each Friday. For me, it is to remind me how quickly my children grow up...and how fitting that I participate for the first time on November 14!! This picture is one of the pictures taken of my "tiny" baby boy, Andrew at just a day old (born Nov. 15, 2001). I say "tiny" because he was anything, but tiny!! He was born a day early at 9 pounds 2 oz!!! OUCH! I love my little man! He started out big, but now he's just a normal boy...even wearing a SLIM jean! Go figure. I praise God for my little man. He is such a joy. He makes me smile, laugh, and love. He is rather frustrating sometimes, but he is MY little man and I love him! And, just to compare...here is a picture taken just weeks ago at a wedding, dancin' it up with his sisters!

Funny Abbigail

Here's a funny story from today. Since Abbigail came home from school, she has been wearing her light jacket instead of her winter coat, even though it is cold. She asked me if I knew why she wasn't wearing her winter coat...um no, I don't know...why? She fell in a puddle (it rained A LOT yesterday). How did she FALL in a puddle? She was swinging over the BIG puddles under the swings, and fell off the swing into the LAKE underneath! So, when we got home, I looked, and sure enough, her new winter coat is caked in mud, and practically dripping wet! So, is it a GOOD idea to swing over lots of water? I asked her...no, but if it's only damp, she thinks it is just fine!! What a girl! Oh, and by the way, she didn't get hurt from falling...just WET!!

Here's hoping it comes clean, it's in the washer now!

YIPPEEE!!!

Have I told you we're planning a trip to Disney?? Um, yea, I think I might have mentioned it a time or two...hundred! I am SO excited! Disney came out with a special promo to get more people to the parks during the "off" season. Anyway, they could apply this promo to OUR trip, and with the special deal, I am getting $550 put back on my credit card...and we will get a $200 gift card when we check-in!!!! YIPPEE!!

Mickey, here we come!!

Halloween Pics...FINALLY!

I promised pictures...you got pictures!! There are many pictures here, so get comfy!

First of all, a pic of my three kiddos. One of our neighbors always sets up a whole "photo shoot" area in her livingroom and invites all the neighborhood kids to come in for pictures and special treats. This is actually the only shot I have of all of my kids together...they were just too busy!

Next are some pictures of all our neighborhood kiddos out trick-or-treating together. Now THAT was a crew! We just went around our block, and then split up into our own small family groups to go visit special friends/family...so much fun!
This is my FAVORITE shot of the night. We told the kids they had to "partner up" and hold a hand with a friend. Here Bethany is with her little friend "Mickey"...aren't they just TOO cute??!!!!

Here they were, after the "block"...ready for more CANDY!

Yes, the weather was BEAUTIFUL!! No jackets were even needed, until the sun went down.

And, lastly...here are individual pictures of my two princesses and my Buzz Lightyear....the most beautiful princesses, and the most handsome buzz, ever! (By the way...Buzz in talking into his communicator, not checking to see if he put his elbow in the jelly! :o))

Great News!!!

Ok, first....I'm sorry, no Halloween pictures just yet. Long weekend. Not feeling so great, not absolutely sure where the camera is...somewhere in the dining room or living room...anyway, they are still coming.

Great news!
1. Our congregation has approved sending Hubby and I to Pastoral Leadership Institute. This will mean classes, study, reading, papers, trips, small group with other pastors and their wives, trips, oh, and did I mention TRIPS!! We will be making at least one or two trips ALONE for the next 4 years!!! We get to go to retreats with out small group. We go to "large group" things for a week once a year. And, in the 4th year we get to go on a 2-3 week international mission trip! I am just so excited (and a tiny bit nervous...ok, a bit more than tiny...nervous). I am so excited and proud of Hubby for being nominated for this. It is a huge honor. He is a wonderful pastor and I am just so proud!

2. Did I mention that we get to go on trips...together?? :o)

3. Hubby told me some exciting news this weekend...a new restaurant is going to be built in our "Little Big City" soon. The city is growing...Sam's just opened last week, and that is SO AWESOME! Now, they are building an A&W hot dog place...not the exciting news. OLIVE G*RDEN is coming!!! YIPPEE!! This is one of my FAVORITE places!! Can you see my smile???

Enough good news, like I said earlier, I'm not feeling so great. My throat feels like I'm trying to swallow glass. Guess I'm going to try to get back into the doctor. No fever, no coughing, no sinus pain this time...just a sore throat. By evening I almost have no voice...not that that is a bad thing ;o) (according to hubby!)

Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!!