Just Because

I love sincerity. I do. There's just something about a person spontaneously telling you something, just because that's what they were feeling at the time. Sometimes it's a secret, something that a friend has been holding onto for too long, and just needed to unburden themselves. Sometimes it's a compliment, and usually these come at a time when you need it most! Other times it may be a criticism. But, no matter the end result, when someone tells you something sincerely, it makes an impact.

More than all of this, I love the actions that come with these sincere emotions.  When Max runs in with a flower from the backyard because when he saw it, he knew I couldn't live without it. Or the random notes and cards that find themselves in my Bible or purse that have wonderful pictures drawn and sweet thoughts lettered on the page. Or when my Dad calls to chat because he was thinking of me at that moment.  Or when Seth comes home with multi-colored daisies on a random day of the week just because he wanted me to know he was thinking of me.  I love it when my Mom calls to speak to one of the kids because she's gone long enough without talking to them. I love to receive smiles, hugs, and kisses from my children just because they love me.

More often than not, in the society we live in, spontaneity gets lost in the shuffle.  We call people just to ask a favor. We buy flowers or gifts because, on that day of the year, it is expected. We send thank-you cards for gifts, invitations for showers, and holiday cards at specific times of the year. Where is the sincerity in this?  Where is the emotion tied to that action? Don't we just do them because that's what we've been taught by society?

I think we could all benefit from a little less structure, and a little more sincerity.  Send cards to tell people you appreciate them. Call your parents or grandparents just to chat. Sit down in the backyard and look for shapes in the clouds with your children. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Most importantly, share the Gospel!  It is by far the most valuable give we can give!

Because tomorrow may never come, use every moment that you have today.

Left-over Turkey: Recipes

Sorry for the late post, but Thanksgiving isn't over for us yet!  We eat at my parents' house tomorrow, so this is 'technically' early.  :)  


My Mom purposely prepares an abundance of turkey so that we can bring some home with us, which my hubby loves.  He usually makes turkey sandwiches, but I like to mix it up a bit since turkey is not a meat of choice for me.  Thought I'd share with you a few recipes I've collected over the years to make good use of that leftover turkey.  Enjoy!

Turkey Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds turkey
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

To Prepare:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add all ingredients except the rice.  Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the celery has had time to cook.  

2. Prepare the rice as usual in a separate pot.

3. To serve, pour a serving of the jambalaya mixture over a serving of the rice.  

We like just a little spice, so this recipe does the trick.  If you, like my hubby, like to sweat when you eat Cajun, you will want to add an additional spice of your choice.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 unbaked pie shells 
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat
• 1 can mixed vegetables, drained
• 1 can (left after emptying the cream of mushroom soup) of milk

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the mushroom soup and milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into one pie crust. Top with the other pie crust, and seal the crust edges by crimping with a wet fork.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown

I usually make 2 of these, and freeze one for later.  If you choose to do this, allow one full day for the frozen pie to thaw before following the same directions above.

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 3 cans white beans
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

To Prepare:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until tender. 
2. Add the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne.  Continue to cook/stir 3 minutes, or until tender. 
3. Add the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!  

Our Quiver Full

Mother’s Day always makes me reminisce all of my motherhood memories.  This is my seventh year as a mother, and those seven years are jam-packed with oodles of memories with my little ones and their Daddy.  Why has God blessed us with such happiness in our little, temporary home on earth?  The only answer that I have found is - because He saw fit to do so.  That is why He saved me, that is why He saved Seth, and that is why He has blessed us with three little miracles we call Maya Jo, Maxwell, and Nina Grace.

Maya Jo was born at 25 weeks (10/20/02), weighing 1 lb. 11 oz. and spent 97 days in the NICU at the University of Kentucky Hospital.  I could use this entire post to write about the days spent in that sanitized, metallic, fluorescent wing of the hospital, but I will save that for another time.  She came home on oxygen and a heart monitor, and we had to wake her up every 3 hours to feed her so she could “catch up” to other newborn babies.  She eventually did.  J  Now, at 6 ½ years old, she is a bubbly, energetic, intelligent young lady who wants to please everyone she comes across.  She loves to sing, she loves school, and she loves alone time with Mommy.  It’s rare, but it happens.  J

Maxwell was born just 4 days early (10/4/04), weighing 8 lbs. 8 ½ oz.  He finally slept though the night at 10 months old, and walked about a week before his first birthday.  His first nights in the hospital told his story; the nurses came into my room and asked us if they could take him to the nursery because we were keeping other patients awake. We quickly agreed.  J  He is loud, rambunctious, and rough, but he has a soft side that is incomparable with any little boy I know.  He sometimes crawls in my lap, holds my face up to his, and says, “I wuv you, Mommy.”  He also gives the best bear hugs.

Nina Grace was born 2 weeks early (8/21/08), weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz.  She is so quiet, peaceful, and snuggly.  She slept 6 hours the first night in the hospital, and has been a 10-12 hour sleeper since she’s been home.  (Yes, we know that is unusual, and we are very thankful.) She loves affection, and she loves her Gi-Gi (doggy) so much that she squeals with laughter if he even walks near her.  She loves the wind in her face, loves to swing outside, and is so bright-eyed in the morning that I can’t help smiling when I carry her from her room.

So, that’s our quiver, and it’s pretty full.  J  My husband, Seth, is absolutely my soul mate.  The Lord answered my prayers before I prayed them, and brought us together.  Seth works very hard so that I am able to stay home and raise our children, and I don’t know that I can ever thank him enough for that.  What a blessing it is!  He washes the dishes, puts the kids to bed, and brings me flowers…I’m not sure any Mother’s Day could be much better than that. 

Seth and I are trying to raise our family with God as our center.  I hope our children learn from our example (and our mistakes), and do the same.  I thank God for these blessings, and I pray His will to be done in our lives.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

Dream a Little Dream

So, after 6 years of marriage, I found out that my hubster isn't as intrigued as I am when I talk about my dreams.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and tell him everything that just happened in the most recent dream.  Last weekend, I realized that my details have been falling on deaf ears.  He's all, "Hello?! It's a dream! Of course you were fishing with a kangaroo...dreams are SUPPOSED to be bizarre!" 

(Eye roll.  Don't insult my dreams.)  

Well.  OK then.  I'll share my fascination with other, more interested, listeners.  My kiddos.  :)

Maya, Maxwell, and I have our fair share of wacky dreams, and we all love to talk about them.  I think it develops imagination, helps the kids become more aware of themselves and their surroundings, and it encourages them to share their thoughts and ideas with me.  Mostly, I just love to talk about dreams.

My strangest dream ever happened when I was in high school.  In it, my entire biology class took a trip into the woods and climbed a rather gigantic hill.  When we were almost to the top, we started sliding in this thick, green goo which sent several of my classmates slipping and sliding out of sight.  I awoke just as I was pulling on the root of a tree, trying to take the last step to the top.

Do I want to know what this dream means?  Not in the least.  I will tell you one thing I learned from this dream, however - I dream in COLOR!  (I always wondered if I dreamed in color or in monochrome, and I'm extremely happy to know that my dreams are just as vibrant as my taste in wall colors.)

In conclusion, you should know I enjoy talking about dreams.  I enjoy hearing about dreams.  And I do not believe that some people do not have dreams.  My theory is that they're just not that interested in remembering them.  

What is your most vivid dream?

  

10 Items or Less

I have thought today about a few of the things we have in our house, and how much our family uses these things. As Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, said in John chapter 17, we "are in the world" but "not of the world," and He has given us the choice to take advantage of what this world has to offer.  There are definitely some things my family "needs" on a daily basis.  So, I've made a list of then of those things, and I wonder if any of you feel the same way.  Here goes (in a very particular order):

10. Skype/Facebook/YouTube/etc. - These are so useful to us!  We use at least one of these daily to keep my extended family updated on what's going on in our lives (i.e. Maya losing a tooth, Maxwell playing with Robert, Nina waving bye.).  I honestly don't know what we did without it.  It is so much better than talking on the phone!

9. Chocolate - This had to be on the list somewhere!  Seth and Maya Jo are scrounging through every cabinet and drawer looking for chocolate after supper every night.  I think they would pick this over just about every other thing on the list!

8. Cetaphil - If you have dry skin and haven't tried Cetaphil, you have no idea what you're missing. It's amazing stuff!  I use it daily, and my skin thanks me for it.

7. ExerSaucer - Max used this only a couple of months when he was a baby, but Nina has had it since she was about 4 months old, and she absolutely LOVES it!  She's either chewing on a toy, playing with the spinning wheel, or jumping in it...we're all thankful for this one!  :)

6. Henry Brown Diaper Bag - This has got to be the most indestructible diaper bag I've ever used. (After going through diaper bags with three kids, that should mean a lot!)  Not only does it hold all of Nina's accessories (toys, diapers, food, etc.), but my purse and as random toys for the older kids all fit with room to spare.  Those handles must be steel covered with canvas!  Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the AWESOME monogram Seth and my Momma picked out for it.  LoVe It!

5. Tempur-Pedic - We've been Tempur-Pedic users for 6+ years now, and I still love my pillow! Yes, I admit it was a little hard getting used to, but it is the most comfortable thing you will ever lay your head on!  I take mine everywhere I go (and have had it shipped back home on occasion.)   Maya Jo and Maxwell now have their own pillows, and I'm trying to convince Seth to get the matress to help his back problems.  We'll see how that goes.

4. Van - I love our van!  It was hard admitting life was officially over, and taking the plunge to buy it, but things are so much more convenient now.  It can carry 8 people, plus plenty of room for luggage in the back...are you kidding me?  We have a DVD player with wireless headphones, all-weather floor mats, a secret compartment, seat warmers, something like 12 cup holders, climate control, AND push-button door openers.  Can a mom of 3 ask for more?  

3. Digital Camera - It is amazing how many thousands of pictures are on our computers.  Our whole lives are well documented, and can be reprinted on demand.  We are the first generation with that luxury, and I hope you guys appreciate this as much as I do!

2. Tivo - Yes, number 2 is Tivo.  We are going to try life without Tivo next month for the first time in 7 years.  I'm not sure how this will go.  Since I am married to the most electronically savvy man ever, we have two dual-tuner Tivos that are available on both televisions.  This means we can be watching/recording four things at the same time!  We have one full of movies and kid shows, and the other full of mine and Seth's fav shows...mostly Raymond, Seinfeld, Frasier, Frontline, and The Office.  I don't know how other DVRs work, but you just tell Tivo what actor you like, and it records everything that comes on with him in it...or you can say you want all Disney movies, and it records every one that comes on.  This has made us extremely spoiled...the kids think everyone should be able to "watch that again!"

And...drumroll please...

 

Number 1 goes to...

 

COMPUTERS!  (Was there ever any doubt?)  I counted, and there are 8 working computers in our house.  One is just for the kids, one is the laptop, and the rest are Seth's.  :)  I don’t mind...he makes his living using these great machines, and our documents and folders are so well organized that I can find anything in about 5 clicks.  Our network disappears at times, but I can deal with that.

There are a few honorable mentions, including the iPhone, the iPod, and text messaging, but there just wasn't room for these items on my list.  What things can't your family live without?  Do any of you agree with mine?  Let's hear what changes you would make (if any)!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy your luxuries!

More Than Words

With thanks to my mother-in-law, I have a subscription to Today's Christian Woman magazine.  I don't completely agree with everything that is printed (which I suppose is the case with any publication), but some of the articles inside are very thought provoking and true to life.  In their Jan/Feb issue, I found a list called, "Spice Up Your Relationship!"  The list includes several easy things you can do that will show your husband just how much you love him.  Don't get too excited...this isn't Cosmo after all.  :)  However, it is really worth the time to read, clip, and post somewhere you will come across it from time to time.  (I added the exclamations point to number 5...the boys really love that one.  :-))  Try to incorporate a few of them into your life and, hopefully, your relationship with your hubby will reap the benefits.  Enjoy!

1. Don't interrupt or correct him when he's telling a story.

2. Compliment him in front of his children, your parents, his parents, and his friends.

3. Be as concerned aout your looks as you were when you were dating.

4. Develop a genuine interest in his work and hobbies.

5. Stick to your budget!

6. Try to go to bed together at the same time every night.

7. Ask yourself every day: "What's it like to be married to me?"