Monday, July 30, 2012

New Diet Plan

I use the term "diet" very loosely here. It's more likely to mean lifestyle change (hopefully!). But I only have one body and I like being able to use it. I know I can't prevent everything but it's like maintenance on a car. Plus, I intend to be losing weight after I have this baby. And I'm all about having as little to change as possible while adjusting to life with a newborn. So let's fix it now, right?

So here we go....

Protein and fruit with breakfast
Salad and two veggies a day
Fruit for an afternoon snack
6-8 glasses of water a day
Limit sugar (dessert and pop)


Nothing dramatic. I'm all about workable changes with reachable goals. I'm not going to try to cut back on carbs (we all know how I love those) or drastically change how we eat because it's not that bad. But I know these changes will help me eat better and feel better. I can already tell a difference.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Wise Quotes

Remember how I told you I was working on my reading program before Kevin gets here? I've been learning some great stuff. Now if I can just retain it all. Or even most of it! I thought I would share this quote with you.

"If you teach your children God's words when you sit, stand, lie down, and rise up, there will be very little time you aren't teaching them one way or another." Marlene Evans.

That statement is based off of Deuteronomy 6:6-7. That compels me to think one of the most important things I can do is teach my children my Bible. Am I speaking the Bible to my children? Am I connected enough with God to see Him in every part of my life? If I am not close to God, I cannot show Him to these children He has entrusted me with. What a great challenge!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Friday Favorites

This has been a wild and crazy week! We went to Kingsport last Saturday (one last trip before Kevin arrives!).


My goofball child is holding his sock :)


Playing with my Papaw's shoes.


Micah is the youngest great-grandson for a few more weeks.


Yes, that's a spoon. It looks like a mountain man with his pipe and walking stick. Heidi, anyone?


Mom thought she was holding Micah but I think he was wearing her down!

We also went to Cincinnati on Tuesday. Micah had more bloodwork done since we changed his diet and formula. I'm very interested to see the results. Hopefully that is the last trip up there until after Kevin is born too.

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday as well. Everything looks great and we are counting down, folks! Just six weeks lefts until my due date! Justin requested that I please not have him early since this is a really busy month for him at work. So I'm going to try to honor that :)

Friday, July 20, 2012

Friday Favorites



Here are the books I plan on reading before Kevin arrives! I'm quite excited! And very motivated to use my reading time well to get them finished.

Another favorite? Two year olds that come snuggle after nap time and fall back asleep! Snuggling is good enough but when we both nap longer? Perfect! I wish I could freeze time and keep Micah this age. He is so much fun! Justin and I really enjoy him! 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Last Pregnancy Goal

There are eight weeks until Kevin's due date. It seems the weeks are going by faster and faster as it gets closer. I mentioned the other day that I have a few things I would like to get done and that's true. Some of them I have to do (like pack a hospital bag sometime next month) but others don't really matter. You know what my main goal is? To pour as much wisdom into my heart and mind as possible before we have this boy.

How am I attempting to do this? First of all, I'm spending more time in my Bible. I harp on that a lot, don't I? But it really makes more difference than anything else I could possibly do. God is the source of all wisdom and I need all the wisdom I can get! I know that how smooth of a transition my family makes will depend a lot on me. My desire is to be so saturated with the Bible that it impacts (influences, colors, controls, you get the idea!) everything I do.

Second of all, I have a stack of 7 books I would like to read before Kevin gets here. That's one a week (with an extra week for one of them). If I don't get to all of them I'll still read more than I would have without the goal.

Third, we've been listening to sermons in the morning during breakfast and chores. Actually we've been doing this for a while and I plan to continue this. I'm so glad that my husband and the media team at church do all their work to make that available!

Proverbs 16:1 states that "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord."  I need my heart prepared to welcome another baby, to focus on my marriage, to guide Micah in adjusting, and to handle the other stresses that will come with this wonderful change! I'm so glad that God always has what we need!

Oh, and I don't plan on stopping once Kevin is here. I have a book and possibly some cd's that I would like to buy before I have Kevin to read/listen to once he's here. Listening seems like it could come in handy then, don't you agree?  :)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Salisbury Steak

My husband shared the other night when we ate this that he was concerned the first time I told him we were having salisbury steak. His only experience was with the frozen kind. I think I cured him of that mindset.

1 pound of ground meat, I prefer hamburger
1 tsp. each garlic powder, onion powder, steak seasoning
1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, oregano, basil
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1/2 pound mushrooms, slices
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
approx. 2/3 beef broth


Combine ground meat with seasonings.


Form meat into patties.


Prep mushrooms. i.e. slice!


Cook meat to desired doneness and remove from pan.


Place butter and mushrooms in pan. Cook for 3 minutes until soft.


Add flour and stir until flour is absorbed.


Add beef broth until the sauce reaches desired consistency.


Pour sauce over meat and serve.


It's yummy with mashed potatoes. I made Micah some mashed potatoes and put some of the gravy over them for him. He loved it!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

32 Weeks


I've been very negligent about taking pictures, I know! And this dress makes me look much smaller than I am. Perhaps why I like it so much? haha



And 8 week countdown to the due date is in progress! I have a few things I'd like to do before Kevin arrives but everything is mostly done and that's a nice feeling.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday Favorites




Micah was "helping" Justin play basketball on the Wii!


Beautiful sunset!


I had been looking for a cheap shoe rack for our laundry room closet. I found these stackable shelves on sale at Aldi! They work perfectly and hold just the amount of shoes we keep in that closet! Hurray!


One of my friends bought me a new diaper bag! My old one was falling apart. Isn't it adorable? And yes, I know we have boys but I carry the bag so I wanted a cute one! It's a nice size too :) And the inside is a lovely pink and orange print. It's got great pockets on the inside and outside! I definitely plan on not carrying my purse sometimes!


Yes, he lost his shorts. They are there in the floor. They had lunch on them :)


This boy is a ham when you turn on the camera!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Faithful, Cheerful Service

Ever tried to impress somebody with how tired you are and how much you have to do? You know the whole, "I'm up all night with babies. Someone is constantly dirtying my house as I clean and I just keep slaving away. Nobody appreciates me. I never get to go on vacation....." That whole routine? I'll admit that I've done it. And I'm really bad for doing this to my husband. I must want him to notice exactly how miserable I am! Oh wait, but I'm not miserable! So why do I do that?

1. I'm insecure in what God called me to do. I want to be sure others realize that being a wife and mom is a full-time job too. And aren't people supposed to complain about their job?
2. I'm trying to impress people. (Twisted thinking: who's impressed by whining?)People-pleasing never gets you where God wants you to go. I am working for God's smile, not man's approval.
3. I've fallen into worldly thinking that says I must be miserable if life is not all about me and whatI want.

Last time I checked nobody liked a complainer, especially God! (1 Cor. 10:10, Phil. 2:14-15) So I decided to shut up! (Or at least try to!)

And you know what I found? I'm the one that benefits! Yes, in an attempt to please God and stop discouraging my husband by constantly reminding him how hard my life is, I have found more joy. (And yes, it does discourage my husband. His goal is to have a happy wife.)

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15:13. The last half of verse 15 also states, "but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." What's in my heart? I've been studying a lot about how my heart affects my words and it's scary to think how much I reveal about myself with what I say! Do I have a heart for God and the work He has given me?

So what is my new goal? Faithful, cheerful service! Here's some steps I'm taking to work on this.

1. I don't constantly talk about how tired I am. And somehow I think I'm less tired too. I tell God about it and ask for help. I want others to see that God's plan works and it doesn't mean misery. What a great testimony to always tell people what a drudgery your life serving God is! NOT!
2. I tell my husband how much I LOVE getting to stay home with our babies and take care of him and our home. I want him to know that I appreciate the opportunity and I love my life. Because I really do.
3. I remind myself frequently that I am working for God's approval. If no one else ever notices anything I do or if no one else thinks anything I do is important, it doesn't matter. God says it's important and He notices everything. Because I of that I can keep going....cheerfully! My hope and my joy are found in God, not vacations, money, or applause.

Make your work look easy, even when it's not. -Beverly Hyles

Monday, July 9, 2012

Pizza Casserole

My aunt used to make a delicious pizza casserole when I was young. There's a good chance that she probably still does!  :)  My favorite thing about it is that you can add whatever pizza toppings you like for the taste you want.

3/4 lb. pasta of your choice
1/2 lb. sausage or hamburger
Pizza toppings of your choice- I used mushrooms, black olives, and pepperoni. Think green peppers, onions, canadian bacon, etc.
1/2 package pepperoni
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese



Brown meat and drain. Add mushrooms and cook for three minutes.


Cook pasta according to package directions. Undercook by two to three minutes, especially if you are making the casserole early and putting it in the refrigerator until time to bake.


Combine pasta, meat, mushrooms, and toppings in casserole dish.


I added in extra chopped pepperoni for fun!


Mix in can of sauce.


Cover with a layer of pepperoni.


Top with cheese!


Bake at 400 until filling is bubbly and cheese is browned. This will probably take about 20 minutes if you bake right after assembly. Allow extra baking time if made ahead.



Serve warm with garlic bread and salad! So quick and simple: two of my favorite things in a meal! 


Friday, July 6, 2012

Friday Favorites: iPads

My husband got a new iPad at work and so I inherited the other one! And I'll just say...I Love It! I'm a little surprised at how much I like it actually; I didn't expect to find so many uses for it! 


It usually lives here in the corner of my kitchen counter. Doesn't it look at home? :)

Some of my favorite things:
- I can text Justin without using up all my text messages
-Micah "facetimes" with Justin about every day
-I get email alerts and can see if I really need to check it
-My menus are now on the iPad which is great because it's in the kitchen!
-My to-do list is now on the iPad and I can update it wherever I am
-This awesome app called "evernote." It's available for your computer too and I can move all my Bible study notes and blog post ideas there and be able to access them from my computer or the iPad. This is nice because my  notes are now in about 4 different notebooks and I never know where to find anything. And I can take notes while I'm reading my Bible in the bedroom and find them on my comptuer later!
There are many other reasons I love the iPad but I'll stop there. I'm very thankful to get one without the expense and that it will help me be more organized/efficient with my work!


My hubby even bought me a cool red case!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Taco Burgers

Genius idea, these taco burgers! Too bad I can't claim it. I actually got the idea from my Pastor's wife and my hubby and I loved them! We will definitely be having these often!

1 pound ground meat (I used beef)
2-4 tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, or taco cheese
Your normal taco toppings
4 hamburger buns




I didn't have quite one pound of meat so I only made three burgers. Mix your taco seasoning into your meat. It blends quite well so use more than you think you need! This is the most delicious part!


Grill, fry, broil your burgers until done. Divide cheese between patties and allow to melt.


Add your favorite taco toppings. I even put salsa on mine. Yummy! And yes, I really do eat pickles on my tacos and taco salad. We used lettuce, salsa, onion, pickles,  and black and green olives. Jalapenos and tomatoes would also be great! What a quick and easy meal for these hot nights!