Goulash

Growing up, I never cooked. By never, I mean....never. We ate out a lot and I never learned how to cook ANYTHING! In college, our school had a meal plan and in the summers between college, I worked at a Children's Home and ate there or out to dinner with Jesse or friends.

So when Jesse and I got married I don't think I'd ever even made a real dinner! After our honeymoon, we stayed in a little cabin in Big Bear for 2 days while we packed all our stuff to prepare to move to Slovakia. That first night Jesse asked what we should do for dinner and if I was going to cook it. Hmmm....I vaguely remembered making a "goulash" in high school with some hungry, stoned friends (yep. that's what I just said.) I went to the store, bought the ingredients and made it. It was pretty simple: 2 lbs. of pasta, 2 lbs. of ground beef, 2 lbs. of cheddar cheese and 2 cans of spaghetti sauce. For me and Jesse! For one dinner! hahaha! Jesse ate a LOT but we still had a HUGE pot leftover. It's one of our funniest memories to this day.

Jesse wanted to make it tonight since we were having people over to watch the pro-bowl. So we did! I've learned a lot more about cooking in the past decade so we made a few adjustments and new additions....spicy sausage, cream cheese, Italian seasoning.

Anyway, that was the first meal I made as a wife and it was funny to make it again today!

Do you remember your 1st meal? ;)

Neon

I just switched to AT&T so our whole family would be on the same carrier/plan. And I got a new phone. Not an iphone. (Maybe in 3 years. Total Money Makeover happening at our house. Comment if you know what that means/done it...)

Anyway-this is my new phone:

Gotta go figure it out.......

Praise Him!

Ever wake up and just feel the weight of how blessed you are? That happened to me today. My husband who loves me, my four precious kids, my pretty house, hanging out with 30 people I love last night (my M.C.), the sunshine, getting ready for a full weekend of fun with old friends! SO much to be thankful for. My heart feels full with praise to God!

But you know what's crazy? I will probably wake up someday soon and feel the total opposite! Most of those things will still be true but I'll see it differently....The husband who loves me will have kept me up with his snoring, or the kids who are precious will not seem so precious when they all want to be fed at "too-early-o'clock", my house will be dirty because of those 30 people who were over the night before, it will be an overcast morning and I'll have a full day of errands to run. Ugh. I hate that day already and it hasn't even happened.

But it will. Or at least one just like it. And maybe much worse like my kids getting really sick or us not being able to pay our bills or something...horrible.
And my mood can change accordingly. But it doesn't have to. I don't want it to!

God is still good when my house is clean or dirty, my family is lovely or annoying, when there are earthquakes or cancer or death. God is still good. He gives and he takes away but blessed is the name of the Lord always! HE can give us joy because He is our joy. He gives us himself and then we have peace, hope, love. He can change our mood no matter what we are going through. He is greater than our circumstances!

So this morning when I woke up, bursting with joy, I can declare “Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!”

But when I wake up someday soon, filled with worry or sadness or discontentment, I can declare “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

So...praise HIM! No matter how you FEEL today, God is worthy of your praise! And your praise for Him will lift your spirits and change how you feel because he is good. So praise him!

Trader Joe's Thursdays

This is one of my favorite things to have for lunch! And it's very low-cal but filling! It's also a nice, quick lunch to serve the mommies during play dates at your house! (Most kids would prefer a PB&J though...)


Greek Pita
pack of TJ's whole wheat pitas
package of TJ's Mediterranean herb feta cheese
bottle of TJ's low-cal balsamic dressing
one hot house English cucumber (the long one with less seeds)
5 roma tomatoes
1 red onion
~Slice all veggies very thin. Put into a bowl. Sprinkle with the cheese. Drizzle the dressing over and toss. Then cut the pitas in half, toast them. Open up the piping hot pita (be careful because the pitas are very crisp and easily break. It helps to open the pita before toasting so it doesn't stick together after!) and stuff with the veggies! Delicious!!!

*You can also add chicken, olives, lettuce, hummus, etc. Get crazy!*

What I'm reading

Do you have credit card debt? Read this!

Do you feel like your days race by and things get left undone? Read this!

***OH NO!!!! I was having technical difficulties yesterday and couldn't get this posted! Then I ran errands after dinner and cuddled up with my babe to watch American Idol and forgot to try again. Oh well!***

Hate cleaning?

Me too!

But these sweet rubber gloves my mom just gave me will help make every chore seem a little better! ;)

Did you catch the bling?

So while I'm still not a fan of doing dishes, these will at least make me smile while I do them!

Thanks, mommy!

P.S. When Jesse saw the price tag, he asked if I could just sell them on Ebay! hahahahaha!

P.P.S Yes, they're functional. I've used them for a few days already!

My Pineapple Cake

Tonight I made a pineapple cake to bring to a friend's house for dessert. Pineapple cake mix was on sale for .99 at the store and I had a can of pineapples so I looked on line for recipes to tweak and this is what I came up with:

1 box of pineapple cake mix
1 can of pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice for glaze) and then put in a magic bullet until smooth
3 eggs
1/2 C. oil
8 oz. whipped cream cheese

~Beat all ingredients together. Bake at 350. Around 35 minutes for a 9x13 or 55 minutes for a Bundt (what I did-goes well with the glaze I made). This cake is super thick so it takes awhile to cook and the top will start browning so check on it and maybe cover with foil. I did.

Glaze: Combine 3 TBSP. melted butter, 1 C. powdered sugar, 3 TBSP. pineapple juice from pineapples. Pulse for a few seconds in a magic bullet (or blender, or food processor-whatever)
Pour over cake while warm. Serve. Yum! It was moist and very flavorful. Jesse even had two big pieces and he's not a fan of dessert.

P.S. I was planning on taking a picture because I was so excited to have made up this cool recipe but the stupid top stuck in my Bundt pan! No worries, I got it out with a knife, smashed it on, poured glaze all over and then put blackberries on it! But it wasn't really picture worthy.... ;)

Identity

This week I have felt burdened. By my family, others, stuff. Not burdened in a way that they are on my heart and I want to serve them. The opposite. Like Martha. Burdened by much serving instead of spending time with Jesus. And then I feel like I've worked hard and been under appreciated. And sort of like a frumpy housewife.
Today at church, Pastor David talked about how we find our identity. He talked about how we are bombarded each day with thousands of "callings" that compete with our calling from Christ. Media and culture call us to define our identity based on our appearance, the things we have, what we do. But Christ calls us to find our identity in Him. I sat there, totally struck by the fact that I allow so many other things to sway, push, pull me. I hear many “calls”, everyday. Sometimes I listen instead of listening to God through His word. What peace, joy, strength, dignity I relinquish when I try to find my identity in anything but my true call in Jesus.
The passage from John 13 where Jesus washes His disciple's feet holds one of my favorite verses on this topic. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him." John 13:3-5
Jesus does an amazing act of service for people who do NOT deserve it, who are beneath him in EVERY way. This shocking act of humility was done even for the one Jesus knew would betray Him. I can't imagine. Sometimes I have a hard time serving my husband and kids and friends that I love. Some days of cleaning and raising kids seem to be filled with too many drudgeries that I feel like I should be doing something "more important" or "more glamorous". Or at least get paid a lot of money for it! ;) So HOW could Jesus serve like that? Because His identity was firmly in God. I love how this story is prefaced with "Jesus , knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God..." THAT is His identity. Nothing clouded his vision, he did not feel inferior, jealous, or angry at this task. Because He knew who He was and where He was going. He understood that His life on earth was but a vapor and shortly He would be back in glory!
But so will I! My life is a vapor, too. And when its over, I too will be going to God! If I live in this reality, this identity, my joy will be full and God will be glorified in me, just like He was glorified in His Son! The Bible says to meditate on God's word to be transformed and not conformed to the world that tries to conform us all day long! This needs to be my identity (not the Real Housewives of the O.C. hahaha!):
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." ~Colossians 3:1-4
Can I get an amen, ladies? :)

Potty Training Vote

Ugh. I HATE potty training. For my 1st two kids, I potty trained around 2 1/2 years old and they were fully in underwear (at night, too) a couple months before their 3rd birthday. So, Lucas will be 2 1/2 by Feb. 3rd and that's my goal week to start. And that's coming up SOON! (YUCK!)

There are a million suggestions, tips, methods, etc. I have heard them all but someone told me last night that everyone told her to start potty training at 27 months. I'd never heard that magic number. It got me thinking about the average age to potty train.
So,  I thought I'd take a little poll:

Do you potty train:
1. By age 2
2. By age 2 1/2
3. By age 3
4. Before college ;)

Trader Joe's Thursdays. Ummm...Friday...

Ok, so I was at Barnes and Noble the other day and guess what I saw?!!? An entire table of cookbooks devoted to Trader Joe's food. Awesome! Hilarious! Guess I'm not the only one who loves TJ's! No-I didn't buy one. But maybe I will. I was in a hurry and was only walking around while I finished my mini frozen yogurt (birthday cake and Tutti Fruitti-delicious!)


Well, today's entry is Breakfast. This is an easy one.

TJ's frozen blueberry waffles
TJ's breakfast chicken sausage
TJ's frozen berry mix
Sliced bananas
Some Greek yogurt. I like plain/honey is good too

Thaw berries, Mix w/ yogurt and sliced bananas. Cook sausage. Cook waffles. Serve. Eat.

Facebook Fast

Ok, I heart Facebook. It's such an easy way to connect with my peeps! But I've been wasting a ton of time on it. It's so easy to pop on my computer for 10 minutes through out the day while the kids play since it's in the family room. But those 10 minutes add up quick and then I realize that I haven't spent that much time reading or praying or doing things I wanted to do that day! And  I certainly don't have time to do things I DON'T want to do (read-clean!) either. So...I'm taking a little Facebook fast!
Jesse is fasting from something he hearts too. I'm kind of looking at it as a competion...who will crack first?!?!? :)
So, e-mail me or call me or text me instead, kay?

Helping Haiti

Have you seen the pictures? It's horrific! I can't wrap my brain around this tragedy. I have read that it's like something out of a movie and seems surreal with the dead bodies laying outside in piles, kids being sold to greedy tourists who came for that purpose, people killing each other for food. We have never experienced anything like this and probably never will! We have had disasters but our country is beyond blessed compared to the state Haiti was in to begin with.

It seems overwhelming but even our feeble efforts to help WILL help! There are many ways to give-even if you can only give a little! Our church wants to raise $5,000 within the missional communities this month. Our MC is thinking of ways to raise money. My idea is to buy candy bars from Costco and sell them to our neighbors for $2/each with 100% of the money raised going directly to our church fund for Haiti.

*Side note-funny story about this...As our family was talking about ways to raise money, I suggested the above idea. Knox thought it wasn't a good idea and we should sell ground beef instead! hahaha! Ummm...no-we're going with candy!*

After this crazy storm in San Diego passes, Jesse wants to do a car wash. A friend in another MC is asking everyone to bring money to donate to Haiti in lieu of gifts to her son's birthday party. Others are forgoing drinking coffee or eating lunch out and donating the money they would've spent.
if your church is not doing anything collectively, donate through: http://www.churcheshelpingchurches.com/

We are also donating sanitation supplies/hygiene products to the boys' school that will be collected and donated to Haitian relief efforts. Maybe a school near you is doing the same?

The point is...a lot of little donations add up to A LOT!

Kid's basketball is intense!!!!

Knox's basketball team is undefeated! Saturday they were played the only other undefeated team in the league. Knox wanted to win SO badly!!! They were neck and neck pretty much the whole game. At the buzzer of the 4th quarter they were tied so they went into overtime!

Here is the last 75 seconds of the game youtube

(Spoiler alert: They won!)
Anyway, it was SO intense. I could barely breathe at the end and got choked up when they won. And he's ONLY 9!! I'm sure it will just get worse from here....and I'll have 3 other kids' games to watch, too!

Happy Birthday Kristi

In honor of one of oldest friend's birthdays I wanted to write a blog for her. Well, she told me I better. hahaha! (she really did!)

Anyway, I remember her first birthday as my bestie. I had a Barbie Surprise birthday party for her at Claim Jumper when she turned 20. It was SO cute and fun. Except when the salad she ordered accidentally had shrimp in it and she gagged it up at the table. (Remember?!?! And then we couldn't stop laughing because you were so freaked out!) I gave her a best friend necklace. The kind with one half that says "best" and the other says "friend". She still has it! That's the kind of friend she is!!! She even has notes and drawings I passed her in class! (I lose/throw away everything!) College wouldn’t have been the same for me without her! We got in trouble together, laughed together, grew together and went from girls to women to wives to moms together.

(Here we are at college~fall of 1997)

(Here we are in San Clemente~summer of 2009)

Well, some of the funniest/craziest/best/worst times of my life involve this girl! Here are 13 memories-one for each year she's been a bestie of mine!
1. Walking around the parking lot at Bible College and seeing a Subaru with Philippians 4:13 written on the back windshield and Kristi laughingly said that the owner of that Subaru would be my husband since I had a Subaru, too. (IT WAS JESSE'S CAR!!!!! how crazy is that!)
2. Ditching class, driving down the hill and getting a hotel room so we could watch 90210 and Melrose Place. Oh, and it was in the ghetto and we were scared the whole night!
3. Going to chapel at CCBC Murrieta and taking communion. Kristi's wine cup had a hairball in it and she drank it anyay so "people wouldn't think she was unworthy" hahahaha! One of the funniest things ever!
4. Seeing a guy, totally your type, with a pony tail and telling you he would be your husband (AND IT WAS CHRIS!!!)
5. LEOPARD. (let's not tell)
6. The weekend at my grandma's house-the 4 of us.
7. Being SO sad that Jesse was leaving to go to school in Austria so your mom flew me up to visit you and see baby Samuel! And Chris made us smoothies with ice cream every night!
8. moving to WA, all our apartments, finally getting houses, kids, new jobs...so many memories all rolled into one decade. We were there for each other through the good, the bad, and the fat. (I don't think we were ever ugly though! hahaha)
9. Our girl trip to Cali. The flights (you screaming about farts, hyperventilating in the barf bag, squeezing my hand at take-off and freaking out during the "turbulence"), the rain, Laguna Beach.
10. Rushing to the hospital for your emergency surgery and then rushing to McDonald's to get Boo a sausage biscuit
11. Being in the room when Ethan was born-one of the most amazing things ever! I was SO honored. (And being there for the epidural-one of the funniest things ever!)
12. The saddest time ever when your mom was sick. Worst fight ever. Worst break up ever. Most awkward reunions (Toys R Us?!?!) Best reconciliation ever.
13. Laughing so hard I can't breathe for 13 years. And many more to come! ;)

Love ya!!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

The inevitable

Well, I guess it was bound to happen. It happens a lot. And I have four kids so the chances were pretty high that one of them, at some time, would poop in the bathtub.
It finally happened to me. Now I can add it to the list of things I NEVER thought I'd do or say but having kids changes that, doesn't it?!?!?!?
I'm glad it was one solid piece for easy removal but it was one of the most disgusting things ever!
And that's all I have to say about that.

San Diego Super Chargers!!

Root for the Chargers today!!!!!!!!!!

Go Bolts!!!!!!!!!

The proposal

13 years ago today Jesse asked me to be his girlfriend.
12 years ago today Jesse asked me to marry him. So glad I said yes to him both times!

Here's us at my parent's house right after we got home, newly engaged:

(It's a picture of a picture in my scrapbook. haha!)

You can read the story of our engagement here

Perspective

What are your problems today? Is money tight? Are your pants too tight? Is your house a wreck? Are your kids a lot of work to keep up with? Are you tired?
If these are your biggest problems PRAISE GOD! Be thankful for your life today and help others with real need!

The destruction in Haiti is something we probably will never experience! The poverty there was already epidemic. My heart is broken for these people and it puts into perspective how BLESSED I am.

There are many ways to help by donating money. And anyone can PRAY!

Trader Joe's Thursdays

Here is the recipe for my new favorite salad. I made this on Christmas. It's delicious!
I made this as a starter salad but throw some chicken on it, serve with bread and it's a meal! Everything is available at Trader Joe's but can be bought elsewhere BUT the pecans from TJ's are amazing! Get those!!

My Favorite Salad
1 bag of Organic Spring mix lettuce
2 Avocados, thinly sliced
1 thinly sliced mango (Costco sells a container of pre-sliced mangos and they are always ripe and perfect)
5 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced. Or grape tomatoes.
1/2 bag of Sweet Spicy Pecans. THESE are the secret ingredient and make the salad!
Dressing: mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil together to taste. That's it.
~Mix together and enjoy!

Finally!

Jesse and Lucas have been gone since Wednesday. And they are coming home tonight. Being a single mom for the week wasn't really hard. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I ate what I wanted, watched what I wanted. I felt like I had way more free time. Granted, Lucas not being here was a big part of that. But I realized I put a lot of energy and time and thought into being a wife everyday. I'm glad for that though! I'm glad that after almost 12 years of marriage and 4 kids, I still am in love with my husband. I'm still excited to see his name on my phone when he calls me and I want to hear his voice before bed. I love him and missed him. So, I think having him gone was the hardest thing. Not because he helps me so much with the kids (even though he does) but because being a single mom is way easier for me than being a single wife. I need my best friend and my love!
And he's coming home tonight. Finally!

Ugandaway

PLEASE be in prayer for a young missionary, Lindsay Laliberte, getting ready to leave for Uganda, Africa. She is in our missional community and my family will miss her terribly!

This is what Lindsay is going to do:

"Beginning in March, 2010, my dear friend Carly Batten and I will be living and working alongside each other in a school/orphanage called Victor’s Junior Christian School in Mukono, Uganda. Our primary goal there will be to develop and run a discipleship program for 60 to 100 Ugandan girls who are transitioning from mid school to high school. I will to serve help them reach their fullest God given potential by being a friend, coach and maybe the only caring adult in their lives and to help them develop spiritually, socially, and succeed academically as they make their lives a testament to the power of Christ’s love. I will also be using my various gifts, skills, and abilities to demonstrate Christ’s love for the 1,000 students at the school who have never known such love. As someone whose life has been transformed by the love of Christ, I believe our bringing Christ’s love into Victor’s school will have a lasting and transforming effect on the lives of both the children and staff members there. It is my hope that God will multiply the fruit of our labor by using the lives we touch to transform Uganda and further his kingdom.

In addition to these primary goals, Carly and I will be serving as liaisons between True Vine Ministry (the Ugandan church which runs Victor’s Junior Christian School) and Children’s Heritage Foundation (the American ministry that partners with True Vine Ministry) as well as assisting with administration and evaluation of the Uganda child sponsorship program."

For more information on Lindsay, the mission God has called her to and how you can be a part of it, visit her website: http://www.ugandaway.com/ Please pray for her and support her!

great minds think alike.

So, Jesse was in Seattle yesterday morning and I posted a blog post about loving money. I referenced Jesus' sermon on the mount where he spoke of not being able to love both masters: God and money.
We obviously didn't know what the other one was doing but RIGHT as I posted my blog, this was my husband's facebook status: "Don't store treasure on earth. Your heart will be lost. You cant serve God and money. Don't be anxious about your life. Seek first God. -Jesus"
Awww! My heart is so thankful for his heart. I'm proud to be his wife and glad we think alike in this area-and most all areas!

P.S. I commented on his status that I loved his heart. He wrote back that he loved my butt. heeheehee. We're married. It's ok!

LIFE and money lovin'

Playing LIFE with kids made me think about life. The real one. In the game of LIFE, the one with the most money wins.. But as I played, I realized a LOT of people I know live life and play LIFE the same. In the game, kids are a burden (Knox wanted to ditch his kids because they kept falling out of his car. haha!) and it's best to have as few as possible. Preferably none. Career defines you, your house defines you. And as you accumulate your LIFE experiences, all that matters is the dollar amount on the back of the tile. Sad.

I know it’s just a game but it made me realize that so many people live this way, too. What a horrible master.
Of course in the game, you just retire. You don’t die. There is no God or heaven or hell.
But most people live thinking that way, too.
Probably wouldn’t say it but Christians live like that, too. But Jesus said we can’t worship God and money because we will love one and hate the other.
Hate. Do you hate money? I don’t. Well, I hate the lack of it. I struggle with loving it. The game was a sober reminder to me of Paul’s words to Timothy, “ For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

Villagio

That's the name of my neighborhood. Villagio. I love it here. The kids all play and ride bikes and scooters and while there is occasionally drama with the older kids ("Mom, did you know Colton doesn't go to high school anymore because he was caught smoking marijuana?" "Really? Do you know what marijuana is?" "Umm...drug things?") mostly the kids are respectful and have fun together. I love when they are all at our house. Playing handball on the back wall, skating on the ramp Jesse built, hanging out on the grass, playing hide-and-seek, playing XBox. Whatever. I have grown to really love these kids. And they are here a lot.

Unfortunately, so many of the kids have divorced parents, step-families, visitation to work out for the holidays, day care until 5pm everyday, etc. It's sad. The kids of divorce show off their new iTouch and $300 cameras bought by guilty parents who don't spend enough time with them and know that expensive gifts make kids happy. For awhile. And now that school has started back up, the kids race to our house after their working parents pick them up from after school day-care and they choose to play at my house, even though they will only see their own parent for a couple hours all day. Maybe. In this middle class neighborhood, our pink and beige houses sit neatly in a row behind our sidewalks and palm tree lined streets, trying to hide so much pain and brokenness. God sent us here and we know we aren't here by accident. All those kids and the families they represent are opportunities for us to be ambassadors of God's love and hope in his world, this neighborhood. In Villagio. There is need everywhere around us but do we even notice it? Do we look?  Families all around us are struggling financially, in their marriage, with wayward kids, with sick parents. It's easy to just smile at your neighbor, wave hello and chat about the weather. It's hard to get to know them, share their joy, know their pain.

Thursday was our missional community dinner and meeting. We have officially kicked off meeting weekly in our home and are looking for ways to be intentional in this neighborhood about sharing the love of Christ. Before dinner, all our MC kids plus neighbor kids and dads played football in the street and then came in for story time. This is a story form version of the Bible, highlighting the Gospel every week. Some neighbor kids came in to listen too. And one stayed for dinner. We hope to invite all the kids as the weeks go on. (OF COURSE with their parent's permission) and their parents, too. Neighborhood BBQ's, Easter Egg hunts, Halloween parties, etc. will hopefully be things we can plan and do to get to know our neighbors. To love them. To live life with them. And hopefully to share with them the love of the One who sent us to Villagio in the first place.

Do you view your neighbors this way? I know it’s not always easy to spend the money or the time or listen to all the NOISE kids make but I hope I never choose comfort over this community and I hope I never look away from need just because it seems overwhelming. My life in this beige house is just a vapor and I hope my legacy counts for more than just my comfort, my clean house, my smaller grocery budget. And Costco sells Ibuprofen for pretty cheap so let’s all figure out how we can invest in our neighborhoods, the kids all around us and the families chasing the American dream but living in a shallow nightmare.

Trader Joe's Thursdays

I know. It's Friday. Oh well! :)


I love this dinner. It's quick and flavorful. Go easy on the curry sticks and it's low-cal/low-fat too! And my kids really love it. :)

Cinnamon Chicken
chx. breasts, cut into strips
olive oil
cinnamon
apricot preserves
white wine or apple juice
~Sautee the chicken in a little bit olive oil. Sprinkle cinnamon liberally all over the chicken. Yep, cinnamon. Just do it! Keep turning the chicken so it doesn't burn and drizzle in a little oil if you need it. Once the chicken is cooked through, spoon some preserves into the pan and pour in a little wine (or juice) to make a sauce. Cook till bubbly.
Serve immediately with the following from Trader Joe's:
Biyrini rice mix-It's a frozen curry rice mix w/ raisins and apples and veggies. Just throw it in a sauepan and heat.
Coconut curry chicken sticks w/sweet chili sauce for dipping. Just bake these while you cook the chicken.
Garlic green beans. Remember these? Get frozen green beans, thaw. Sautee in a bit of butter and 2 crushed garlic cloves.

Got any tips?

Did you know Burritos are  more fattening than tacos? And the crispy shell is LESS fattening than a soft flour one. Weird, huh? And depending on the pizza chain, a slice of plain cheese has MORE fat and calories than one with meat. Now, I know that I shouldn't eat either of those if I'm on a diet but it's hard to always eat good when you eat out. Especially if you have to grab fast food.
We eat out often due to necessity-out with friends, to and from church functions during meal times, going to community events, etc. where there is no time or place to bring food. So I need some ideas about which foods are best to get if I have to order from a "junk food" place or somewhere without easy to spot healthy choices.
Got any?!?!

Want to pray with us?

This week our church is fasting together and meeting at various times and places to pray for vision for the church in the new year, to pray for each other as we continue in community and for our neighborhoods as we pray for the salvation of our neighbors. This is an exciting time for Kaleo San Diego since there are several churches being planted and great leaders being raised up. I'm especially excited about the beginnings of our church plant as we begin to meet weekly as a missional community and pray to impact our neighborhood and community and for leaders to rise up and lead the same mission in their neighborhoods.

Tonight, members of my missional community are meeting at our house to pray together and tomorrow night we will meet here again to break our fast together with breakfast. (get it? hahaha!) I'm making pancakes, eggs and mimosas.

Anyway, if you think of it, please pray for us. Pray that God would be glorified, we would be united, and many would come to know Him in the coming year.

Some favorite "mom moments" of 2010.

With Lucas:
Yesterday, I was cleaning the kitchen and Lucas just walked up, threw his arms around me and said, "I love you, mommy!" He actually does this almost daily. Random expressions of love coming from his little toddler heart are the sweetest things ever!!

With Caleb:
Watching TV with the kids the other day and Caleb curled up next to me for cuddles. He sat totally still so I would rub his back and hug him the whole time. He is so sweet and affectionate!

With Ava:
Jesse brought Ava down from her nap and when she saw me as she was walking down the stairs, her WHOLE face lit up, she squealed in delight and started thrashing her body around-too excited to contain her joy at seeing me. Heart melting!!

With Knox:
At his basketball game on Saturday, I had to sit almost under the basket since the gym was packed and I needed room for the stroller. Knox came running over to say hi and I asked him if he'd made a basket yet. (I was a few minutes late). "Not yet", he said disappointedly. Right after that he got called in, ran down the court and did a perfect lay-up. Right in front of me. The second after he scored he looked at me to make sure I saw. I did and was cheering. He smiled at me so big and so proud! Precious!!!

I’m so blessed to have FOUR healthy, sweet, darling little kids! I hope I take more time this year to ENJOY my kids and these sweet little life moments! Daily life can be so monotonous for a stay-at-home-mommy with little ones but there are always precious moments that make the sacrifice worth it.
Yes, some days we have to look harder than others, I know! ;) But so far, 2010 is a great year to be a mommy for me!

Ava's almost one!

Well, not really but I have already started planning her birthday party in my head. I've already picked a theme. It will be a cupcake party. And I just bought a pink cupcake dress on sale at Macy's so with those two things down....I've still got a lot to do! haha! I was just surfing the internet for ideas.

Here are some darling things giving me inspiration:

a bow for the birthday girl:

cupcakes, of course!:

decorations:

favors:

Can't wait! :)

Don't be a doormat

Do you ever have a bad marriage week? Or bad parenting week? Or bad friend/sister/daughter/insert relationship here? That's what I call a chunk of time when that particular relationship seems strained. Not hopeless, or headed-for-divorce bad, (and NOT ABUSIVE in any way! If that is you, please stop reading this and seek help ASAP!) just a rough patch in any otherwise good relationship. I just had one. I was SO irritated by the other person's selfishness! Why wouldn't they meet my needs, I wondered. I give and give, I thought. I'm over it today. It's there turn to sacrifice, I’m going to do what I want. I'm sick of giving. I'm going to take now. Starting now. If I don't get what I want...watch out. That's pretty much how I felt. Unfortunately, that's how I acted. As you can imagine, it was an unpleasant day. haha! After God softened our hearts and we reconciled, I was thinking and praying about what I could do to prevent this from happening again. The words of Philippians 2:1-8 flooded my mind.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

As I thought of how selfish I had been and how I had foolishly done the opposite of everything in these verses I was reminded of a women’s conference I had attended in 1997. Elisabeth Elliot, one of my favorite authors and speakers-especially during my college years, was speaking on marriage (I think). Anyway, she was addressing situations of the heart like the one I described above. After reading this same passage from Philippians she said, “some of you may be thinking…’But Elisabeth, you aren’t suggesting I become a doormat are you?’ ” And then she looked up and said, “Well…Jesus made himself nothing. He didn’t even get to be a doormat”. Anyway, it profoundly affected me. It seemed so simple. Jesus came as a servant and we are to serve others too. Not ourselves. To think of how petty my grievances are at my ill treatment compared to Jesus’! How amazing He was to give up everything, all His rights to be worshipped and came to earth. Coming lowly, as a servant to all, dying for us! And then I complain and freak out over not being served well enough? Seems ridiculous in that context, doesn’t it?

Anyway, if you are having a bad “insert relationship here” week, let the words of Philippians 2 saturate your thinking and seep into your actions.

10 Things to do in 2010

Ok, these are not resolutions because resolutions go "in one year and out the other". haha. Anyway, I'm better with To-Do lists than random desires. But if God has other plans for me, so be it! These are just things that by His will, I'd like to accomplish in 2010.


1. Read my Bible and Journal more. I have several themed journals and I' like to be more consistent in all of them.

2. Lose weight. No more future pregnancies for me so this time it will keep! :) I'd say my weight and a more specific goal but I already weighed myself in front of Jesse. At night. That's bad enough!

3. Become a runner. Or at least able to run more than a mile. In a row. Without stopping because it sucks so bad. This should also help with #2. (Any runners out there-do you have tips to help me like it?)

4. Get Knox signed up for football the 1st day of sign ups since he had to miss last season with the move.

5. Help Caleb organize his kindergarten treasures into one keepsake box. He's a saver!

6. Research preschools for Lucas.

7. Plan a fabulous 1st birthday party for Ava. The theme will be cupcakes since she's our little cupcake!

8. Go to a Charger game with Jesse. And tailgate all day first first. And get a pink jersey-preferably blinged out! ;)

9. Play tennis often. With Jesse more and hopefully find a partner at my gym to play with regularly.

10. Do a "family wall" of pictures.

*Feel free to keep me accountable and ask how I'm doing on this list! Seriously. Thanks!*

Twenty Ten

Happy New Year!

Hoping 2010 is a fabulous year but no matter how fabulous it is, it will never compare to what awaits those who are in Jesus Christ!

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
~2 Peter 3:13