Menu Plan Monday...countdown to...........

Good evening folks. I hope you had a beautiful Sunday as we did and are winding down or gearing up for your work week---whatever that may consist of. For us, it would be our FINAL full week in this house. Can you believe that?? I can't. It's just nuts. Brian has been going around today and taking down all the shelves, pictures, etc and now the house is looking a bit bare. The movers are packing us, so none of that is going on (thank goodness!) but still little tasks here and there are getting done.

The reality is slowly starting to sink in. I hated telling everyone at church today "next Sunday is our last Sunday". Blaaaa, bleck, phooey, lamo, not cool, suck. I will miss our family in Christ more than I could ever put into words. I feel more at home there than possibly anywhere else. We have been through so much the past 7 years, and this is the most glorious time ever at our church. So many qualities of Christ are being shown constantly. I am proud and honored to call Southlake Church my church home. I feel like I know everyone and everyone knows me and my kids (and hubby of course). I could jump in anywhere to serve and never feel intimidated, I could ask favors from people and not feel awkward, I could be transparent in worship and not feel shamed.......the list goes on. Our church is comprised of young and old, baby Christians and sages. Just the perfect combination of parts that make up the body of Christ. I know that no future church will ever replace it. But I do pray that God brings us to one that rivals it. Pray with me, please.

Noah likes me to tell "stories" a lot. We have been telling them each night as we lay in his bed together. (He has a new giant bed and it makes cuddling SO much easier). Tonight I told him of a fictional character named Luke and his experience at a new preschool in a new town. Hmmmm, too close to home? The fact is I'm trying to prepare Noah at every turn for what I think he'll experience there in IN. And these stories serve as great reminders to me for my own preparation. We ended the story with a prayer asking God to provide each member of our family a very special friend. Pray with me, please.

So as I experience my last week here in TX, I did my last grocery trip to my favorite Kroger this afternoon. Boo hooooo. Good news is that they have Kroger up in IN! Woo hoo. Anyway, they happen to be running fabulous sales on meat and it was fun to try to shop knowing we have to eat everything perishable in one week. And guess who is coming to help?? My nephews and sister will be staying with us a couple days and so I shouldn't have any problem with food hanging around. I referenced this phenomenon a few posts ago. So here is my final menu plan in Texas. I hope to be up and running quickly in IN and will try to resume life as normal. But you might just get updates, stories, and pics for awhile. Afterall, everyday will indeed be an adventure. One that I pray is not too lonely and not too difficult. Pray with me, please.

Monday: pork chops on the grill seasoned with Emeril's Essence, baked potatoes, mixed veggies

Tuesday: Hamburgers, hotdogs, pasta salad, chips, and fruit (it'll be a hit with all the kiddos)
Wednesday: Spagetti, garlic bread, and caesar salad
Thursday: Mustard chicken, brown rice, green beans
Friday: Going out with some of our best friends
Saturday: Chicken fajitas, beans, rice
Sunday: Eating up every last perishable morsel that exists in our house. Feel free to come over and help us out. :)

Swooning.........

Sitting down to dinner.
Noah: Ooo! Mama, we gotta pray.
Me: Ooo! You are right. Let's start.
Noah: Wait. I need to go to pee.
Starts running off to the bathroom. Peeks his head back around the corner at me....
Noah: Mama, I love you. Lingers and just looks at me with those beautiful eyes.
My heart melted.

We were both sitting down in the family room watching TV.
Noah: You look awesome in that shirt.
Me: Thank you, sweetie. That is very nice.

I was in the kitchen doing dishes after dinner tonight.
Noah: Man, these chairs are dirty. I gotta clean them! I'm gonna clean the table too.
Me: Thank you sweetie. That is so nice of you. You make me proud.
While he is cleaning...........
Noah: I am suuuuuuuuch a good helper Mom.

How in the world did I get such an amazingly adorable loving child? I feel like I am constantly looking around thinking, "who put him up to this??" It is just too good to be true! I'm so thankful.

i

I got this from my friend Heidi's blog. You can find her on my blog roll (Andersons).

i am: enjoying a few moments of quiet-the boys are still sleeping at 8:22am.

i know: that Jesus loves me more than I can logically comprehend

i want: our life in Bloomington to be spectacular

i have: curly hair that prevents me from having a "cool" hairstyle
i wish: that my boys wouldn't follow me around like puppies

i hate: running out of time
i miss: life with no kids sometimes (sigh)

i fear: violent things happening to me or my loved ones; and throw up
i feel: glad it is morning and eager to accomplish a lot today
i hear: my husband rustling through his papers

i smell: coffee and the unpleasant remnance of the recently used bathroom to my right
i crave: to be alone and do whatever I want for a few days with few money restrictions :)

i search:the internet way too much for deals

i wonder: what 6 months from now will look like

i regret: not being more in shape and not being more productive

i love: my family so much

i ache: for Christians to act with love to their brothers and sisters in Christ (or I guess I ache when they don't)

i care: way too much about other people's finances

i always: am dramatic---whether out loud or internally
i believe: God can do anything and Jesus is exactly who He says He is.
i dance: with Noah and Wesley in the living room every day
i sing: all the time. What would life be without it?
i don’t always: act like the wife or mother I really want to be
i write: not near as much as I used to. The written word is growing archaic.
i lose: things a lot, but I'm getting better!
i never: will understand certain things about life or certain people in this life
i confuse:my husband a lot!!!
i listen: to my Ipod a lot less than I would like to.
i can usually be found: in the kitchen: snacking, cooking, meal planning, reading recipes, etc.

i am scared: of something really terrible happening to my family.

i need: coffee, first thing in the morning!
i am happy about: our new house.....great friends in my life...my precious boys....my incredible husband...and mostly how God saved me from being the most terrible person and instead wants me to spend eternity with Him.

Menu Plan Monday

Wow! What a full week I have and it's only Tuesday! I have the pleasure of keeping my nephews for the entire day today. My poor sister is down with post op tonsilectomy. NOT FUN. So the boys are in TX for the week. I have gotten some stares as I chart around town with 4 boys. They could all be mine and it's kinda fun pretending. :) However, one thing I've realized is how much FOOD they consume! Woo. If we have any more kids, I don't know if our cupboards and fridge would be able to hold more than a few days at a time. Alright, well, here is the menu for the week. Last week went pretty much as scheduled except I ended up going to dinner with a friend using a Snuffers gift card and Brian took the boys for some much needed fun at Cici's. So we didn't do the breakfast for dinner thing. Maybe this week since I'll just have the kiddos a couple times.

Monday: Taco salad

Tuesday: Mini-meatloaves, tater tots, corn (old school meal)

Wednesday: Bean burritos and rice

Thursday: BFD (breakfast for dinner)

Friday: Out

Saturday: Macaroni & Cheese, broccoli

Sunday: Chicken Taco Soup

The inner workings of me

April thinking this morning approx 10am...

Okay, we are going to do something fun today. It's a beautiful day outside, we need to get out. We will definitely do something fun. "Noah, we are going to do some really fun things today ok?" Okay, so hmmm, we could go to Main Street days....naaa, not with Wesley, no way. We could go walk around Southlake Town Center. Hmm, not fun for Noah or Wesley. I need to be impressed with what I come up with. I want Noah to be impressed too. We could go down to the Forest Park train. Yuck, long car ride for Wesley and he is already in rare form today. We could picnic at Bear Creek park. That's not original. We have done that before. Noah would not be impressed. Brian isn't here so I want to make a unique memory. Maybe something we won't ever do again before we leave for Bloomington. Feeling restless. Walking aimlessly around the house while sort of straightening up. "Yep, we will do something fun today Noah. It's a beautiful day." Well, we could go to the opening of our neighborhood pool today. Oh man, if we do that, Wesley would prevent me from really getting to work with Noah and watch out for him. Plus, I think the pool will be cold. Starting to get agitated. Mind going 40 different directions. Wesley woke up and is really fussy. Must leave now. "Okay Noah, we need to go now. Get in the car. No, get your shoes on and get in the car now." What are we going to do? Come on, God. Give me a clue here. I have an opportunity to do something cool with my kids....show me where to go! Driving out of the driveway. "Noah, don't ask me where we are going because I have no idea yet."
Feeling annoyed. How did my mood change so drastically?? All because I have no idea what I'm going to do. But we needed to get out of the house. Yes, this will be fun. This will be a memory. Bring the camera just in case.............

We stop at Central Market to run in for some grab lunch boxes. After getting everyone loaded in the car with Wesley crying and me realizing I could have made everything I bought at home, ugh................

Bliss. Beautiful bliss. Complete with Noah saying, "Mom, thank you so much for bringing all this stuff so we could do this."

My little punkins.
The Texas sky is one thing I'm going to miss a lot.
Look at these clouds. The pictures don't do them justice.
This is the new pose Noah loves to make.

Nice face. He was munching on something he found in the grass.

Noah riding his bike on some great paths around Bob Jones Park. Our first visit to this beautiful place!

I wish so bad you could see his face. So cute. But he's posing again in front of this lake. He got to watch some people catching fish and he thought it was the coolest.

I couldn't get the little rascal to look at the camera! I finally posted some new things on the boys' blog so make sure to check it out!

My 30th Birthday party

So below is a slideshow of some pictures from my birthday party. It was an intimate group of 7 (Stephanie we missed you!) and we had a lot of fun. Many of the other girls took better pictures I'm sure. While it may look like all we did was sit around and talk, um wait.........that is what we did! While enjoying multiple mexican restaurants in the process. :) Any weight I might have lost was definitely gained back on that night. I'm blessed to have such wonderful friends and sisters. In case you don't know what they look like, one of my sisters is the only blonde/blue eyed, and the other is brown hair, brown eyed. One of the pictures is of the three of us. We couldn't look more different! IN fact, I'll post a picture right here that shows you that fact. Craziness, huh?

Okay, now here is the slide show for you. Hooray to turning 30!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Menu Plan Monday

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. I will post soon with pictures of my birthday extravaganza. It was a time to be had by all and I'm so thankful for the friends God has put in my life. I am definitely spoiled when it comes to friends (and sisters). Alright, below is my menu for the week. This is the least thought through menu I've had in awhile so we'll see..........

Monday: Lemon Pepper Chicken, Spinach Salad with Straw. & Oranges, and leftover mashed potatoes.
Tuesday: Pasta with meat sauce, salad, & bread
Wednesday: Soup and sandwiches
Thursday: Hamburgers, beans, and mixed veggies
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner
Sunday: Dinner out with friends

Do you know your neighborhood?

Hey everyone,

Most of you know I used to work for the Let's Start Talking Ministry and many of you have gone on LST projects yourselves. But what I doubt is that many of you have participated in Friendspeak---the domestic version of LST. If you really look around, there are many people all around your neighborhood who could use some help with their English as well as make a new friend! These two needs can help them know Jesus with your help. Friendspeak has been growing so much over the last 2 years and I am so excited about the new territory it has covered. Please take a second to watch this short video. It will definitely motivate you to get started!



Visit the new Friendspeak website for more information. http://www.friendspeak.org

Menu Plan Monday

Check out this site to find lots of meal planning ideas and links to dozens of blogs with recipes, etc.

Yes, I'm a day late but you know, I'm getting so forgetful since I turned THIRTY yesterday. :)

Monday: Breaded Pork Chops, asparagus, and rolls (cooked by my amazing husband)

Tuesday: Balsamic glazed chicken, mashed potatoes, salad

Wednesday: Beef enchiladas

Thursday: Grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and cheesy broccoli

Friday: Out with my girly friends for my b-day celebration

Saturday: Hamburgers, hotdogs, and the whole schmear (Wesley's birthday party with family)

Sunday: Leftovers

The final hours

So I have approximately 2 hours and 19 minutes left of being in my "twenties" folks. It's crazy. I feel like I've been in my twenties forever and maybe I thought it would last forever. Could you go through any more life changes and life decisions in your twenties? Let's have a brief overview of what has gone on in this decade:

-I graduated college at Pepperdine
-I held my first full time job
-I got married and moved in with a BOY!
-I walked 60 miles in 3 days in the name of breast cancer
-That boy and I decided to do something crazy and move to TEXAS!
-I started a job that would evolve into a 7 year career--much to my surprise
-I travelled the world with some of my closest friends. Memories that will never die!
-I had my first child
-I had my second child
-I quit work and became a stay at home mom
-We moved 6 times so far in this decade, with the 7th time just around the corner.

Wow. That's a lot of stuff...with many other little things in between. I know that to people in their 40s all the way up to 60s think that the 30s are probably like the 20s. And I'm sure they have similarities. But the part that rings loud for me is that I will not have a child-LESS part of my life again (Lord willing) . Many things that happened in my 20's were experienced by me or by me and Brian. And fortunately, we lived it up. We really tried to do a lot before we had kids. And it was wonderful. To think that by the end of this next decade I will have a teenager is .....well, nuts! That is what makes me feel old. Not tomorrow, not turning 30. But I guess where it all is headed. Logic would say that most of my experiences, emotions and decisions that will occur in my 30's will be brought on by my kids. They will consume my life in ways I never imagined and my days, months, and years will be full of their lives, activities, and experiences. All of this will be wonderful, I'm sure. I am not trying to type this in a regretful tone. But what I am committing to is that my 30s will still hold some markers of unique experiences I have had, leaps that I have taken, and growth that I have achieved apart from my kids. This will take deliberate action on my part but I'm ready for it. I am confident God will open doors for me and gently whisper to walk through. My mind zig zags all over with what that might look like.

The fact that we are about to embark on a new journey to Indiana makes it all that much more mysterious. But I'm excited. I am. People often talk to me about our move as if I must be really be stuck in a hard place or the automatic, "Oh, I'm sorry". Now, I would probably do the same thing depending on who it was but what I am starting to see is this giant beginning. To begin this next decade of my life with the most crazy move we've done is kind of fun. There is so much to build on and we can only gain from this....a new church, new friends, a new part of the country, closer intimate time as a family, and a fresh reliance on Jesus as he leads us in and through this. I have already seen some amazing things He has done to me in the last 4 months. Preparing me every single day for this new decade.

I'm rarely this sentimental and you may perceive this post as a cheese fest. But for whatever reason, these are poignant moments for me. And hey, if I actually keep this blog for another 10 years, it will be fun to look back and read this as I prepare to document the progress that has happened as I turn 40. Well, with 1 hour and 47 minutes left as a 29 year old, I leave you with a some quotes on age. Pick whichever applies more to you in your current mood. :)

Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children. ~George Bernard Shaw

The years teach much which the days never knew. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? ~Satchel Paige