Life in KC

And a few more pictures....

2010-09-28T07:22:00.002-05:00

Also, at Gracie's 1 year appointment a couple weeks ago she weighed 18 pounds 6 ounces and was 30 1/4 inches long! She has been taken steps for awhile now but as of this weekend she is REALLY walking!

Gracie's 1 Year Pictures

2010-09-28T06:37:00.002-05:00

And these are just a few!

A few links...

2010-09-20T07:30:00.003-05:00

It's been a sort of long weekend. Gracie has been extremely cranky and just not sleeping. The last couple weeks she has only been taking one nap and that one nap at times has been very hard to get her down for! She also has been struggling to go to sleep some nights.. really putting up a fight. I'm praying its just a phase.. I am comforted knowing that at this age it seems nothing lasts very long! I still didn't quite feel I got the "restful" weekend I was hoping for and was feeling a little frustrated last night. God heard my prayers though when I got a phone call saying the little boy I babysit wouldn't be here today. I have definitely enjoyed some quiet time this morning.

I was re-looking over some blog posts and just thought I'd share them with you this morning.. One is on motherhood.

The other is on marriage.

Hopefully they will encourage you today. I know that they did me.

Gracie's First Birthday Party!

2010-09-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

Well Gracie is officially a ONE year old now! Wow.. that was actually really weird to type! We had her one year doctors appointment and she now weighs 18 pounds 12 ounces and is 30 1/4 inches long... so basically she has gained 10 pounds and grown 10 inches!
We had a birthday party for her on her actual birthday this past Saturday. We did a ladybug theme and we had a great time! Here are some pics from the special day!

I'll probably do another post soon with a few more pics from her birthday... they only let me upload 5 at a time and I still need to download a few from my camera! And I promise.. she did smile at her party! She looks so serious in some of these pics!

Gracie: My First Year at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-09-03T23:00:00.001-05:00

A look back at the past year...

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

My Birth Story, One year Late, for those interested!

2010-09-03T09:27:00.003-05:00

Well, one year ago I started FINALLY having contractions with Gracie! I meant to post a birth story forever ago and never got around to it and so I thought I finally would today. I don't know who is particularly interested in this.. BUT I wanted to have it recorded...

I had shown no signs of progress at all, even at my appointment on her due date.. none. I was frustrated but had heard many times that this is very normal so I just tried to enjoy my last days before motherhood.
Thursday morning, September 3rd, 2009.. Matt and I went out to pick up some watermelons and tomatoes from a friends garden. I just felt sooooo tired. I had been having decent amounts of energy but that day it was not the case. I went home and pretty much rested all day. When I woke up from a nap about 4 that afternoon, Matt came in the room and was reading a magazine. Then all of a sudden I felt something.. "I think i might have just had a contraction!" I remember telling him.. So we just waited to see if it happened again.. sure enough about 5 minutes later. We timed them for a bit and then I thought.. "oh gosh, this is going to drive me crazy if we just keep waiting for them!" So we decided to go heat up some leftovers, tacos, I debated this not wanting to see them later.. but they sounded good, so I thought oh well!

I continued to have bursts of contractions 5 minutes apart.. then they would spread a bit further a part.. then close together again. We just relaxed. I really wasn't in all that much pain and so I just thought.. this probably isn't' even it. We watched some of the football game and then about 8 headed out for a walk. The walk was hard! The contractions were definitely getting stronger! We actually ran into several people we knew on the walk. I didn't' want to say i was having contractions b/c I didn't want to make a big deal if it wasn't anything so I tried to just keep breathing as we had a short conversations!

We headed back home and I decided that I should get more of my bag together and at least straighten my hair! haha I had taken a shower that day but just let it air dry and it was looking a little crazy. I thought I do not want our first pictures with my hair looking nuts! I debated makeup and decided it was silly to put on makeup to go to the hospital, especially since at this point it was almost 9.

The next hour we just timed contractions.. some came really close leaning in on 3 minutes apart and then others were still about 5. I finally decided it was time to call our doctor. She told me to get to the hospital!

We left the house about 10:30. My whole pregnancy I imagined our hospital ride to be chaotic and stressful and for me to be in a whole lot of pain. I had like two minor contractions the whole way there. All I could think was.. oh gosh.. we are going to get there and they are going to say go back home, you aren't even dialated!

We pulled up to the ER and went in.. I was breathing pretty normal. The guy at the desk even asked, "Are you in labor or are you being induced?" I said, "I think I'm in labor" (haha) He insisted on me using a wheel chair but I could have totally walked.. the contractions didn't seem so bad right then! Once again making me very nervous.

We checked in about 11:15 (which note to self.. unless a complete emergency, do not check in at the hospital prior to midnight.. we got charged for the whole day!!!!)
They checked me and thank goodness I was dialated to a 3 and they said I was definitely in labor and to just stay put! I felt so much relief!

At this point I called my mom. She had called earlier that night but I didn't tell her about the contractions. I knew she would have got right in the car and I didn't want her coming if it was nothing. So when I called she was obviously asleep,
"We are at the hospital mom"
"WHY!?!"
"We are going to have a baby!"
.. haha, I thought it was very funny she asked why!

So from about 11:30 to 2:30 we just walked around the hospital, I sat on my exercise ball, I went to the bathroom like 10 million times. I kept feeling the urge to go! I even got in the whirlpool tub for awhile! And finally around 2:30 I got nervous. The contractions were a lot closer, hurting a lot more and I just didn't know if I could do it! At this point I was dilated to a 6 or 7.. BRING ON THE EPIDURAL!

I was nervous for the epidural and that was probably the worse part of the whole thing sitting there, trying to be so still when the contractions hurt so bad! But when it finally set in...awww.. relief!

My mom arrived about 3 AM and for the next 3 hours we just talked, watched episodes of The Office and tried to rest. I was not very successful at resting! About 5:30 my doctor showed up and was going to break my water since that had never happened. But when she came in, apparently it had just broke.. I couldn't feel a thing. So they said I was ready to start pushing because that was the last thing they were waiting for, I was fully dialated!

At 6 I started pushing and pushed for 45 minutes.. it really wasn't bad. I guess that's b/c I had an epidural. I was informed that pushing is not fun otherwise!

And at 6:45 AM, Friday, September 4th.. Gracie Irene Maestas was born!!!
8 pounds 4.5 ounces, 20 1/4 inches long

and they said she was a small baby!

Has it REALLY been a year!?!?! We are having her first birthday party tomorrow! I'll post pics afterwards!

Summer Update!

2010-07-14T10:47:00.004-05:00

Well, no I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... It is kind of funny to me that now that I have "more" time in my day since I haven't been babysitting this summer.. I actually have blogged less.

It's been a great summer! We have been busy but its been fun... Gracie has had a summer full of firsts...

... her first trip to an outdoor pool and a splash park.. SHE LOVES THE POOL!!!
...her first trip to the zoo
...first time picking blueberries, and for that matter, my first time too!
...her first Royals Game!
...trips to the park and time in swing, which she also loves!
...this local gym has free "gymnastics" time for little ones once a week and we have been going to that... Gracie loves crawling all over everything... its actually quite a work out for me!
...her first 5K, also my first 5K.. we walked it this past weekend to support DYM, the youth ministry building that we meet in for our church service..
...her first time at a Sports Camp, our church held a Sports Camp for kids in our community the last week of June. It was a great time! We had 48 different kids there throughout the week!

And I could go on and on.. but you get the idea. It's been fun! I can't believe it is already July! I just keep thinking back to this time last year and how excited I was getting that my new little baby would be arriving soon. And now my new little baby is growing so fast and turning into such a fun little girl! Gracie is SOOO busy.. she crawls crazy fast, pulls up on EVERYTHING (which has resulted in some minor ouches!) and is starting to just stand up w/ no assistance. I can't believe that she will be walking soon! SO NOT ready for that!! I already can hardly keep up with her!

I hope everyone else is enjoying the warm weather and all the fun that goes along with it.. here's a few new pictures!

May Update

2010-05-13T09:11:00.005-05:00

Well Gracie is officially 8 months old.. crawling (the real way)like crazy..she laughs, claps, getting better at eating.. not great but better.. and I'm starting to wonder where my little baby is! She is turning into such a "big" girl! She is a lot of fun right now and I'm just trying to soak in this stage of her life as her first year seems to just be flying on by.

As for us we are gearing up for summer! Only 2 weeks to go and I'll be done babysitting. We have some big projects planned for the summer, including painting our house! We actually got FREE paint from a program here in the county we live in so we are very excited! We have also been working hard (or should I say Matt has been working hard:) ) on the backyard, mulching and working on our garden. It is looking really nice. We don't have any BIG plans as far as traveling goes.. just visiting some family which is always nice. We also have some events we are working on with our church.. a kids sports camp and a back to school night. Both of those we did last summer and we are excited about hosting them again this year! Also we are excited b/c this past week we started our 2nd community group Bible Study! We decided it was finally time to multiply. We have some of our neighbors getting involved as well which has just been awesome to see. God is truly at work in our community!

Well I hope everyone else is enjoying this month of May!

And finally here are a few pictures of my little girl...

My first mothers day:)
Matt made the day SOO special! He bought me a new outfit.. and its VERY cute!, made me breakfast, took me out to a fave sandwich shop of ours for lunch and also had a gift card to crate and barrel for me (from Gracie!) .. it was so sweet of him and I enjoyed the pampering:) The only downer was Gracie was really fussy on Sunday, her top teeth are coming in! Poor baby:(

Gracie w/ her daddy after bath time.. she was a little unhappy!

Gracie entertaining herself w/ some cooked spaghetti noodles:)

the last two are of Gracie playing in her room.. she is starting to pull up on all sorts of things!

Just a few pictures from the week...

2010-04-29T10:10:00.005-05:00

Gracie loves to stand up, which means we spend a lot of time helping her stand up:)

My little crawler...

Gracie will NOT hold still for diaper changes at all. She rolls, crawls.. whatever she has to do to get away... I just couldn't resist:)

We bought a computer from someone for a really good price. Everything was included except for the monitor... someone recently let us have their old monitor.. think we might need a bigger desk now?:) (for the record, this is the same desk I have had since elementary school!)

Gracie loves her daddy...

Project 365: A Glimpse from the past week!

2010-04-16T10:06:00.008-05:00

well.. a glimpse from a week a couple weeks ago:)

Strawberry Scones... WONDERFUL!

Gracie playing on the floor with her Grandpa and her Great Grandma.. they were in town for a visit over the weekend.

one more pic of Gracie and her grandpa...

Eiley and Gracie hanging out in their hats:)

Some fun in the tub w/ lots of toys!

Gracie at her friend Hudson's birthday.. it was her very first birthday party!

Starting our garden!

2010-04-09T10:56:00.003-05:00

The weekend is ALMOST here! I'm so looking forward to sunshine and projects! We are starting to work on our garden this weekend. Last night Matt got our plot of ground ready and we are going to work on it more this weekend. I can't wait to start planting!

Is anyone else planting a garden? This will be our first year to do it and so I don't know a whole lot. We are planning on doing tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, some sort of berry maybe.. someone even told me cantaloupe was really easy?? We will see what we end up doing and I'll try and share our progress. If anyone has any tips let me know and I would love to know what you are planting. I also really want to do some herb pots this summer.

I have also been trying to de-clutter my house as well.. I've been taking a drawer, a closet, random basket one at a time when I have a few minutes and just sorting through... throwing things away, putting things where they should be!:) It is amazing how much I have been able to accomplish with just a few minutes here or there.

So... all this to say.. what are you plans for the weekend? any spring cleaning projects or yard work?

YAY for SPRING!!!!

New Update Video

2010-04-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to our April video!

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Project 365: A Glimpse from the Past 2 weeks...

2010-04-05T21:27:00.014-05:00

Gracie is learning to crawl... unfortunately for her she is going in the wrong direction and gets stuck underneath our furniture:(

Matt and Gracie at a fave KC restaurant of ours.. La Bodega!

Gracie eating bananas and playing with her spoon...

Chicken Chili on a cool spring day.. recipe link here! It was WONDERFUL!

Strawberry Hand Pies.. not the best picture but very delicious, especially with a scoop of ice cream!

Gracie loves her Johnny Jump Jump type swing! I just wish we would have started using it sooner.. My grandma found it at a garage sale and showed us before we had Gracie. Both Matt and I agreed that it looked like some sort of a death contraption.. but now we love it!

Matt has a new toy.. well actually we both do. We finally traded in our 3 year old flip phones and upgraded as well as switched our plans to Sprint. We have a friend who works for Sprint and he hooked us up w/ an awesome plan. So now for less than we we were paying for a measly 500 minutes, no texting, no internet.. we get it all plus double the minutes!

Matt and Gracie just chillin on an 80 degree day.. LOVE that its getting warmer!

Gracie and I prayer walking our town..

Kabobs and fresh pineapple on the grill... Delicious!

Chik Fil A...YUM!

Isn't this outfit so cute?! My mom brought it to Gracie this weekend.. This is when we were out shopping in downtown Lawrence.

This is my blueberry pie I made for dessert.. all from scratch I might add;)(the outer edge of the crust did get a little brown..grr...)

Gracie's First Easter

2010-04-05T21:15:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Gracie's first Easter... It was such a great day! (Oh and yes Gracie has a horrible looking rash in some of these pics across her chest. It's looking somewhat better but we are thinking that it is eczema:( )

Something very appropriate for this week...

2010-03-31T06:16:00.002-05:00

Read this poem from "It's Almost Naptime"..

Helps to put things in a better perspective.. it did for me anyways..

Gracie's 6 month pictures!!

2010-03-22T19:46:00.002-05:00

Here is a link to Gracie's 6 month pictures! A friend of ours did them and I thought they came out GREAT!!! If you are in the KC area and looking for someone to take some pictures let me know and I'll get you hooked up w/ her. Thanks so much again Bekah!!

I'd like to share my Walmart Digital Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Project 365: 75-81/365

2010-03-22T10:04:00.008-05:00

75/365: My baby girl having fun in her carseat!

76/365: A little outing to one of Matt and I's favorite coffee shops in KC, The Roasterie. Their lattes are not only beautiful (do you see that heart!) but delicious and their scones are wonderful!!

77/365: My baby girl on St. Patricks Day!

78/365: Matt and Gracie reading a magazine:)

(79/365 is missing)

80/365: Gracie starting pulling up in her crib!

81/365: You probably can't tell what this is... It's dessert.. a BUNCH of dessert:) Matt and I had a gift card to Paulo and Bill's so we went to brunch after church. Oh my gosh did we eat a lot of food! It was wonderful!!

Project 365: 68-74/365

2010-03-19T10:45:00.009-05:00

Once again I missed getting pictures a few days. It irritates me so much when I realize this! So here is a partial recap of two weeks ago.. I'm a little behind w/ the uploading!

68/365: What was left of the yummy carrot cake I made for my moms birthday! Recipe link here:)

(69/365 is missing... just being honest!)

70/365: Another cake.. this time pineapple upside down cake:) Very Yummy!

71/365: Gracie at bath time.... she finally likes her baths!

72/365: These next two pics are from the same day. Gracie and Eiley playing together and learning to share:)

(73/365- missing)

74/365: Gracie sitting up in a highchair at 5 Guys Burger and Fries. She is getting to be such a big girl!! We went out w/ my dad and his girlfriend while they were here this weekend. We hadn't been before but it was pretty good! Still not my favorite burger place in KC.. Blanc Burgers holds that spot!

March Update Video

2010-03-16T21:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to our update video!

Check out this post...

2010-03-11T15:33:00.002-06:00

If you have a few minutes check out this post from the blog It's Almost Naptime.... I think it's worth your time..

Project 365: 61-67/365

2010-03-09T14:11:00.006-06:00

61/365: Gracie and her friend Issac just chillin' :)

62/365: I started watching another little girl 3 days a week. So on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I have a 4 month old, 6 month old and a 9 month old... good times:)

63/365: I missed Wednesday... :(

64/365: I already posted pics of Gracie on today since it was her 6 month bday This was at the end of the day.. just couldn't resist. My family:)

65/365: My mom was coming in town so Matt and I got to go out Friday night! Matt surprised me w/ flowers and took me to a really nice restaurant, Yia Yias. He is working a part time job at our health club and the owner works out there. Matt has gotten to know him and he even gave Matt some gift cards to the restaurant!

66/365: Gracie had her first Baby swim class this past Saturday. It was so fun! She really seems to like the water! I can't wait to go swimming outside!

67/365: ...And here's a pic of Gracie w/ her grandma, my mom..

Gracie turns 6 months old!

2010-03-05T14:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Gracie's 1/2 BDay! Time is going by way too quickly! Here are some pics I took yesterday. She is developing quite the personality!

Baby Shower!

2010-03-04T11:57:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday I threw a babyshower for a girl at our church (w/ some help of a couple others as well!)...nothing over the top but I thought it turned out nice and was a lot of fun:)

Our menu consisted of chicken salad on croissants (recipe link here). Then one friend brought a great pasta salad and the other brought fruit and dip. For dessert we had apple pie cupcakes. Kate, the mom-to-be, loves apple desserts so I decided to give them a try and they were WONDERFUL! I also made some sugar cookies w/ blue icing to send home as party favors.

Also, rather than playing games we decorated onesies w/ fabric paint, stencils and even some iron on applique. I had seen the idea to decorate baby onesies online and thought it looked like lots of fun and so my friend helped out and brought all the paint and fabric. The shirts turned out super cute! Once we were done w/ them we hung them on our "clothes line" to dry. :)

Here are some pics from the day!

Project 365: 53-60/365

2010-03-02T10:26:00.010-06:00

53/365: Getting set to make some cranberry oatmeal cookies... I'm learning that if you measure everything out before you start cooking everything just goes so much smoother! I kind of feel like a TV chef when I cook this way.. haha:) Oh and the cookies were DELICIOUS!

54/365: My smiley baby...:)

55/365: Gracie loves playing w/ her toys so much more now that she can sit up!

56/365: Another pic of my baby girl.. playing in her swing w/ her Frog Prince:)

57/365: Gracie's first time trying solid foods! We gave her some rice cereal.. she ate practically the whole bowl! Ever since then though she seems to care less for the cereal. I have tried baby oatmeal as well.. it all just comes right back out. I guess I just keep trying night after night?

58/365: Gracie was making such a sad face.. but yet still so cute:)

59/365: This past Saturday I threw a babyshower for a girl that goes to our church. Her baby boy is due April 11th.. isn't she just too cute?! (I'll do another post on the actual baby shower)

60/365: Gracie was given this dress as a possible Easter dress but I was a little worried that it wouldn't fit her in another month... so I just decided to doll her up for church this Sunday so we wouldn't miss our chance to wear it:)

A few thoughts on prayer...

2010-02-24T12:09:00.004-06:00

Matt and I have been talking a lot about prayer lately. I think I tend to take prayer for granted and I don't always take everything to God like I should. The past few days.. going on weeks I guess I have been feeling very overwhelmed. Gracie has been sick and my days were hard w/ a sick little one and then another 3 month old that I am caring for. This morning I was feeling once again stressed. Gracie is better but the little boy I watch now is sick and Gracie was throwing a fit.. So I prayed.. I prayed for God to give me strength.. to calm the babies.. to give me just a few minutes to get myself together. And you know what? Gracie fell asleep and Issac stopped crying. I even had time to make me some lunch. The thing is at first I didn't even think to thank and praise God for answering my prayer. At first I just felt relief and "oh it's about time.." But then it hit me.. God heard my prayer and he answered it.

Project 365: 46-52/365

2010-02-22T11:16:00.007-06:00

46/365: Tonight, Matt and I made Gracie carrot baby food. I'm going to try and make as much of her food as I can... mostly to try and save some money. We froze it in ice cube trays and then put the frozen cubes in freezer bags. She hasn't tried it yet... but hopefully she will like it! (This is a pic of the book I got on making your own baby food)

47/365: I had received a starter for some friendship bread from my mom:) Here is the finished product. It was WONDERFUL!

48/365: Here's Issac, the little boy I watch, just hanging out... He loves this bouncer chair!

49/365: Every 3rd Thursday we (as in our church) are starting to provide dinner for a group of youth as a new part of their ministry. We are really excited to join them in trying to reach more teens for Christ! This Thursday was our first time doing it.. we had frito chili pie. YUM!

50/365: Gracie loves playing w/ my make-up! It's not so bad yet since she can't open any of it up!

51/365: Hanging out at Borders on a Saturday night... Gracie is highly entertained by receipts:)

52/365: My snuggle bug:)

Baby girl is still sick...

2010-02-16T08:31:00.002-06:00

Well we finally found out what is wrong with Gracie. She has RSV w/ such a nasty cough and really runny nose. I guess there is nothing we can do except watch her and keep clearing her nose, use a humidifier, etc. Any home remedy type tips to help w/ her cough?

Not fun for Gracie and not fun for mom...:(

Project 365: 39-45/365

2010-02-15T09:12:00.007-06:00

39/365: I asked Gracie time and time again to pick up her toys...:)

40/365: Matt and I ordered some Chinese food for lunch today from the New Chinese restaurant in town.. it was pretty good!

41/365: Gracie just after a bath...

42/365: Gracie loves her bouncy chair.. especially now that she can make the music play all by herself!

43/365: My mom called us in a pizza all the way from Wichita for a little Valentine's gift to us.. Thanks mom:) It was delicious! Perfect dinner to go along w/ watching the Olympics!

44/365: I made Red Velvet Whoopie pies to take to some of our neighbors today. Delicious! I did cheat and started off by using a box mix for red velvet cake. I didn't really do it to make the recipe easier.. it just cost so much less than buying red food coloring!

45/365: Happy Valentine's Day- a self portrait of the Maestas family (minus Aldo) :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T20:38:00.004-06:00

Matt and I celebrated last night by making a nice dinner at home. My thought was at some point in the evening Gracie would take a little nap giving us time to cook dinner together. Well, that didn't happen.. So she just watched and "helped".

We used this recipe from Pioneer Woman for Steaks over a Blue Cheese-Onion Sauce w/ mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. Then for dessert we had Baked Fudge (another PW recipe) and vanilla ice cream. It was DELICIOUS! The steaks were cooked just perfectly and the sauce was sooo good. We hardly ever cook steak at home so it was a special treat. And the dessert was just as good.. a perfect ending to a great meal.

Our Valentine's Days will probably never be exactly the same as they used to be.. atleast for awhile.. but I dont really mind:)

A couple recipes...

2010-02-12T09:57:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple recipes we tried this week... both were excellent! I love the Pioneer Woman:)

Lazy Chile Rellenos- great for breakfast,lunch or dinner!

Pan Fried Porkchops- These step by step instructions made for the perfect pork chops.

Project 365: 32-38/365

2010-02-10T19:51:00.010-06:00

I'm finally posting last weeks pics! This week has been sort of a crazy one.. Matt was out of town, my mom came to visit, Gracie's been sick w/ a cold and I have had a sinus infection for the past week and then Matt hurt his back.. blah! We are starting to get better finally. So here they are.. better late than never:)

32/365: My baby girl...

33/365: This chocolate sheet cake is very yummy. I meant to take a pic before it got dug into but forgot. The recipe actually makes enough for a jelly roll pan but I halved it this particular time. Go here if you would like the recipe!

34/365:This has become Gracie's worst enemy lately.. She has had her first real cold and her nose has been running like crazy. She now freaks out when she sees this...

35/365: Gracie turns 5 months! She is such a big girl! I had her weighed this week and she was 15 lbs 9 oz so she is getting close to doubling her birth weight. She weighed 8 lbs 4 oz at birth.

36/365: A snowy day inside...

37/365: My mom came for the weekend since Matt was out of town. This is right before we headed out to breakfast

38/365: She sits up!

Bible Reading Plan

2010-02-02T06:50:00.002-06:00

I have always had a hard time w/ being consistent in reading the Bible. I've always had quiet times spent in the Word and prayer but I'll have a week where I'm really good about it and then the next week not so good. This year with being at home for the first time I just realized I don't have a good excuse.. not that I ever had a "good" excuse and so I sought out looking for a Bible Reading Plan. With Matt's help I came across the Discipleship Journal Plan. There are 25 readings a month which allows you some makeup days as well. The plan takes you through the entire Bible in a year. I know we have just begun February but for the last month I have been consistent in waking up and spending time in the Word. Matt is reading through the same plan so it has been a good way to keep each other accountable and to talk about what we are reading currently.
I always struggled, especially in my teen years feeling like I couldn't "hear" God, like He wasn't speaking to me. This would always make it harder for me to be diligent in reading the Bible. I'm learning now though by being consistent and actually reading and taking a deeper look into God's word that He is speaking to me in various ways every single day.

This post isn't supposed to be a "way to go me!" post in anyway.. more just an encouragement to anyone out there who struggles in this area like I have. This time I have with just the Lord and I is now one of my favorite parts of the day. I look forward to reading and feel like in some ways that I'm reading the Bible for the first time all over again.

Today I was reading in Exodus and was just taken back when God tells Moses that He is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.. the God of the Bible is still our God today. Even though I know that.. sometimes it is just amazing to think on.

How do you schedule your daily quiet time with the Lord? What are you reading right now?

Project 365: 25-31/365

2010-02-01T10:17:00.009-06:00

25/365: Gracie was laying on her blanket w/ her toys while I was in the kitchen. She started fussing but then quieted down pretty quickly. When I went into the living room she had rolled herself over on top of all of her toys.. too cute!

26/365: Gracie, her daddy and Aldo... spending a little time together:)

27/ 365: Gracie was rolling all over the floor and rolled right up into her blanket.. it was very cute:)

28 & 29/365: I messed up and completely forgot to take any pictures!! I was so mad at myself! So this picture isn't from the correct date but it is a pic I took this week... Sausage, red pepper and spinach frittata.. Delicious!
Here is a link to the recipe. I did a few things differently just b/c it was what I had on hand. I used ground sausage and shredded cheddar cheese.

30/365: My dad came to visit this weekend so Gracie got to spend some time w/ her Grandpa:)

31/365:Matt and Gracie after church. Gracie wore her Christmas dress..I wanted her to be able to wear it one more time before she outgrew it!

Warning: HUGE POST! Break down of my $50 Grocery Trip/Meal Plan

2010-01-26T09:01:00.004-06:00

Matt and I decided to try and cut our grocery bill in half for the next two weeks. We normally budget $100 every 2 weeks. This $100 is for not only our food but also our household items.

First I looked through items that we already had in our pantry and freezer. It is amazing what accumulates there and what you already have that you are able to make meals from. I knew we wouldn't be eating something fancy every night, but who really needs to eat that way anyways?

This is my meal plan for this week and next...

Saturday-
Breakfast- Pancakes from scratch.. no Bisquick needed:)
Lunch- Sandwiches and tomato soup (we still had lunch meat)
Dinner- We had chicken tacos w/ homemade tortillas and cream corn that I made from a can of corn and a little cream cheese that we already had.
Sunday-
Breakfast- Eggs and breakfast potatoes
lunch- Sandwiches and chips
dinner- sausage, red pepper and spinach frittata w/ apple slices (we already had the sausage and spinach in the freezer)

Monday-
Breakfast-leftover frittata w/ toast
lunch- ham and cheese tortilla w/ chips and salsa
dinner- Beans and cornbread

Tuesday-
Breakfast- a little splurge- Matt had Bible study w/ a couple guys at McDonalds this morning so he brought me something home:)
Lunch- leftovers or another sandwich
dinner- mixing leftover beans w/ some potatoes and cheese to make burritos w/ rice (not the fancy kind... just plain rice:))

Wednesday-
Breakfast- eggs, bacon and toast
lunch-leftover burritos
dinner- Chicken stirfry w/ veggies and rice ( already had some veggies in the freezer)

Thursday-
breakfast= cream of wheat
lunch- leftover stirfry
dinner- shepherds pie w/ homemade biscuits ( 1/2 beef used for the pie and the other 1/2 for our pizza Friday night- a lot of times you don't need to use a whole pound for meals.. even only using 3/4 a pound and putting a little bit back each time will add up for future meals)

Friday-
breakfast- eggs and leftover biscuits, maybe bacon
lunch- leftover shepherds pie
dinner- homemade pizza w/ hamburger and maybe some red pepper and onion (had a few onions leftover still)

Saturday-
breakfast- probably pancakes again.. normally what we have on Saturday mornings
lunch- leftovers or a sandwich or sometimes just a snack depending when we have breakfast
dinner- probably will eat out, my dad will be in town... we usually eat out once a week

Sunday-
breakfast- something fast most of the time.. I might make muffins from what I have in my pantry since my dad will be here..
lunch- usually sandwiches or again something easy..
dinner- chicken and rice w/ either a veggie or bread

Monday-
breakfast- cereal or cream of wheat
lunch- leftover chicken and rice
dinner- Breakfast for dinner! depends on what we have at this point- maybe eggs, biscuits and gravy..

Tuesday- again probably cereal or cream of wheat.. or maybe some waffles I have in the freezer
breakfast- oatmeal or something similar probably- possibly leftover biscuits
lunch- peanut butter and jelly and some chips or fruit
dinner- chicken pot pie w/ homemade bread ( I made homemade chicken pot pie last week and froze half of it.. so we are going to eat the rest of it)

Wednesday-
breakfast- eggs and toast
lunch- leftover chicken pot pie
dinner- pasta w/ veggies and chicken, homemade garlic rolls (I will be making the pasta as well and the sauce will come from some tomatoes I have frozen in the freezer)

Thursday-
breakfast- cream of wheat
lunch- leftover pasta
dinner- I'm on my own.. I'll probably just look around, maybe have some scrambled eggs:) Matt is going out of town and I'm not that particular:)

Friday-
breakfast- probably cream of wheat again.. lol can you tell we like that stuff?:)
lunch- not sure.. my mom will be here! since I will be going to the grocery store the next day this is when I usually just start looking around and eating whatever.. Since I don't have any children eating yet I am still able to do this without feeling to guilty:)
dinner- probably out

~So.. basically I plan on making a lot of my bread items from scratch- pasta, pizza dough, rolls, biscuits, tortillas.. although I did buy one bag of tortillas just to have around for roll-ups or snacks...
~We just buy bags of white or brown rice and eat that.. sometimes I fancy it up and sometimes I don't...
~I make my beans from a bag of pinto beans and this recipe from Pioneer Woman.. DELICIOUS! and such a cheap dinner!
~also, make use of your freezer!! stock up when frozen veggies are cheap or chicken or whatever... freeze extra muffins, breads, dinners, soups.. its so nice to have in a pinch or when you decide to try and stretch your budget!
~also.. we don't buy a bunch of junk food or pop.. I do always buy tortilla chips b/c I love chips and salsa! I also like to have crackers on hand to have w/ some peanut butter for a snack or granola bars, yogurts, popcorn, fresh fruit..
~in my freezer I also usually have extra desserts such as cookies or as of late little mini homemade apple pies.. SOOO GOOD!

Here is what the rest of my grocery receipt looks like:
eggs- $2.08 (18.. and we still had some leftover from the last shopping trip)
tortilla chips- 1.78
tortillas- 2.18
can of pineapple- 1.14 (for a pineapple upside down cake I'm making for our church group)
Applesauce- 1.42 (snacks!)
pizza sauce .92
cream of mushroom .88 (more than I normally pay!)
tomato soup .58 (always have tomato soup in the cabinet for a fast meal!)
milk- 3.08
sour cream - .94 (I have the best recipe for sour cream pancakes.. they are delicious! I'll post sometime)
cheese- 2 packages @ 1.98/each
grapefruit- 4 for .33/each
bread- 1.38 ( a price match deal!)
apples- 4 lbs for .69/lb (another price match deal!)
2 red bell peppers (2 for $1- price match)
flour- 1.28 (price match)
potatoes 1.88 (10 lb bag of russet- price match)
maple bacon 2.50 (this was a price match also.. but I usually like to pay no more than $2 for bacon)
bag of frozen chicken breasts- 3.88 (price match- great deal!)
can of corn .38 (price match)

In addition we spent about 8 dollars in household items...
our total came to 46. 56 leaving us just few dollars to pick up some extra hamburger at our local meat market.

This post is huge so I'll leave it at that for now. Hope it was somewhat helpful!

Grocery Shopping Techniques

2010-01-25T09:19:00.003-06:00

I used to be really serious about trying to save money at the grocery store, clipping coupons like crazy, checking the ads, going to multiple stores... and now I'm trying to get back into it. The only difference is now we aren't receiving the Sunday paper and I have a little one and so going to multiple stores just isn't as easy or convenient. The last two shopping trips I have made have been to Wal-Mart and I decided to try out this whole price matching thing. The first time I was successful at saving money by price matching ads but it was a little hectic going through the check out. This last time I had a much better system. I put a basket inside my grocery cart and all items that I wanted to price match I put inside the basket. Then before I got in line I organized myself so that items from the same ad were by each other, etc.. Before I go to the store I also circle the items I plan on price matching so that they catch my eye a little easier. Using these new techniques made the check out much quicker and much less hectic.

I still feel like I can do better though and I'm going to try to get better at getting coupons offline. I'm also considering trying to go to Aldi- a discount grocer- to get some of my groceries. SO here are my questions.. what are your techniques for saving money and grocery shopping and if you are an Aldi shopper, is it worth it? What do you buy there? I tried Aldi once before when we first moved here and had a really bad experience. lol. I didn't have any quarters to get a cart and no bags to put my groceries in and I just felt lost and out of my element. But I keep hearing that I MUST give it another try. So should I?

Project 365: 18-24/365

2010-01-24T16:58:00.009-06:00

18/365: Not a great pic of me.. but here's Gracie and I after our day out together. I didn't have Issac (the little boy I babysit) today b/c of the holiday.

19/365: I made this chocolate cinnamon cake for our Community Group tonight.

20/365: Gracie in her very first cloth diaper!

21/365: Gracie and Issac enjoying a little tummy time..

22/365:Friday night after a long week... a little computer time before we went to bed:)

23/365:We all went to the grocery store today and I was able to buy 2 weeks worth of groceries for $50! We aren't going to be eating steak every night but we certainly aren't going to go hungry either. We had a goal to spend only half of our normal grocery budget so that we could send the other half to help w/ meals for people in Haiti. After realizing now that we can do it I will hopefully be able to cut our regular grocery budget down some each week...

24/365: Gracie and I went on a walk w/ some friends from church this afternoon. It was a little cold but it was soo nice to get out and get some fresh air!

For Danielle:) and anyone else interested...

2010-01-22T07:08:00.003-06:00

My friend Danielle asked me some questions about which type of cloth diapers I am using and so I thought that I would just post real quick about that and my experiences so far...

I have some Indian and Chinese prefolds and a couple Bummis covers. I also have some flats but I have no clue how to fold them yet! My friend recommended the prefolds and flats to me because of how inexpensive they are and since you can use them w/out having to get different sizes all the time. I purchased everything from Little Lions. I might also try and use cloth wipes but haven't ventured there yet.

Gracie has been in cloth diapers for 2 days and so far so good:) Only one time did the cover get dirty and nothing has ever gotten on her clothes. I'm getting the hang of the folding and using the snappy and it really doesn't take that much longer to put them on. Even Matt has been helping some:) It gives me some sort of satisfaction every time I put a cloth diaper on her since I know that I am saving money! We haven't used cloth diapers at night yet.. it might be fine but I would like to get a more absorbent cover first before we start that.

I did my first wash load yesterday. This is how I did my cycle based on what my friend told me. 1st cycle just a cold rinse, 2nd cycle a warm wash and 3rd a final cold rinse... They seemed to come out completely clean. I have a nylon bag that I use to line a kitchen sized trashcan which is where I keep all of the dirty diapers until I'm ready to wash. I'm hoping to be on an every other day wash cycle w/ the diapers. I was told that until they start solids you dont have to mess w/ rinsing the diapers yet. When we hit that phase I plan on getting a diaper sprayer which I hear are great!
The main thing I need to get figured out is just a little better system. With using cloth diapers I feel like there is a little more going on in the changing process and I really wish I had a changing table to keep everything on and stored. Before we mostly just used our bed w/ a changing pad to change diapers. I'm hoping to find something used and inexpensive that could serve as both a dresser and a changing table in Gracie's room. I started searching on Craigslist yesterday.. hopefully I will come across something.

If anyone else uses or used cloth diapers what was your system? I would be curious to know. Also which detergent did you use to wash the diapers? From what I hear it is important to use one free of perfumes, dyes, etc... Did you use cloth at night also? Any other tips or suggestions?

Just some thoughts...

2010-01-21T07:31:00.004-06:00

Its been almost 5 months since I stopped working at my job. (It's gone by so fast!) Most days now I am at home caring for Gracie and the little boy I babysit. Right now Matts car isn't working very well, seems like every time he takes it somewhere he ends up getting stuck so for the most part he drives my car. (plus I don't know how much I'd be getting out w/ a 2 month and a 4 month old anyways!) A lot of people ask me if I'm just stir crazy and truth is I have come to enjoy and appreciate this much simpler, quieter life.
I was talking to Matt yesterday about how much less I am "wanting" things. I used to be in and out of stores all the time, mostly just window shopping but I would leave thinking that I needed this, this and this for the house, for my wardrobe, for my kitchen.. I just never realized how much stores and ads get to you, how they make you feel so dissatisfied with what you have.
THe past 5 months have been a great time of reflection for me, a time to really see and think upon the person that I am and the person that I want to become. I am Gracie's mom. It's still crazy to think about. I love my mom, have always looked up to her, always asked her for advice and have watched how she handles situations. Now I'm going to be that person to Gracie. It has really made me take a step back. I know that she is still very little but I am already seeing that she is growing so fast and it will not be long before she starts imitating the things that I do.

I am only 4 months into it... but wow.. being a mom is pretty incredible!

Cloth Diapers and a Video!

2010-01-20T08:34:00.003-06:00

Anyone out there use cloth diapers? I just got some and am anxious to give this a try! Just curious about others experiences?? I'm hoping this works out so that I am able to save some money! I'll post about my experiences as well.

Also, I meant to post this awhile ago but our January video is up on our church website. Go here if you would like to check it out!

And just for fun.. here's another pic of my little sweetie!

Project 365: 11-17/365

2010-01-17T20:21:00.009-06:00

11/365: We had dinner w/ our friends Cole and Opal tonight and their son Issac (the little boy I babysit). I took these Garlic Rolls and this is what was left. Not a great pic but they were very tasty! (link to recipe)

12/365: Aldo, our dog, just chilling in "his" chair...

13/365: My little girl all bundled up for some outside time.

14/365: Chicken Ranch Pizza for dinner... YUM! (recipe link)

15/365: Matt putting the final touches are on chicken pot pie! And for the record.. it was delicious! (recipe link)

16/365: My mom, sister and brother in law came to visit this weekend. This is my sisters puppy in his little coat:)

17/365: Matt and I got to go on a date today! We had lunch at Houlihans where we had coupons for a free appetizer and dessert. (YAY!) This is the dessert.. cappuccino chocolate cake.. SOOO GOOD!! We also saw the movie Sherlock Holmes and we both really enjoyed it!

17/365: My little sister Andrea w/ Gracie before they headed back home.

Project 365: 1-5/365

2010-01-10T19:57:00.009-06:00

So I'm trying out this Project 365...take 1 pic a day for a year. So far so good:) Expect to see lots of pics of Gracie! What can I say I'm a first time mom?:) I'm hoping to make Sunday my upload day. If anyone else out there is doing this leave a link...I'd love to see!

January 1
Homemade biscuts w/ gravy...starting off 2010 w/ my fave breakfast!

January 2
Friends from Colorado stayed the night as they traveled through...here are the kids!

January 3
A very snowy Sunday in De Soto. We had to meet upstairs for church b/c the basement was freezing!

January 4
I started watching Issac this week. He and Gracie are good buds:)

January 5
Gracie loves kicking her feet way up in the air and grabbing her toes!

Project 365: 6-10/365

2010-01-10T19:29:00.011-06:00

January 6
Matt has been shoveling all week... I think that he has a slight obsession though w/ snow shoveling:)

January 7
Gracie can sit in her highchair now! We haven't started solids yet but she loves her chair!

January 8
Gracie turned 4 months old on Monday the 4th but we forgot to take the pic. So here it is a few days late.

January 9
An evening ritual for us is Matt playing guitar and everyone singing. Gracie loves it!

January 10
Our neighbor brought us a delicious plate of chocolate chip cookies today! Perfect snack during the KU game... to bad they lost.

What's new at our house....

2010-01-06T08:48:00.005-06:00

Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years! Life isn't exactly back to normal around here, but we do have a "new" normal I suppose you could say...

Starting on Monday Matt began working at a Health Club part time (3 days a week) and I started watching a little boy during the day. He is 2 months old, 2 months younger than Gracie. I didn't really know what to expect but so far so good! I even made it out w/ both babies on Tuesday. Don't know how much I'll be doing that but it went pretty good.

Gracie turned officially 4 months on Monday! And today marks one year since we found out that we were pregnant w/ her! I remember January 7th, 2009 like it was yesterday... crazy that it has already been a year and that we have had her w/ us for four months. Lately it seems like she is constantly doing new things. She loves playing w/ her toys, LOVES smiling, is really starting to laugh more and more. She grabs everything and everything goes into her mouth:) She is such a sweetheart. She still enjoys our company during the night.. we haven't been able to break that yet... but I don't really mind so much.

Here are a few more recent pics and then on Sunday I am going to be posting a string of pics. I'm trying out this Project 365. You take one pic a day and then post the pics w/ at least one sentence explaining your picture. My upload day is going to be Sundays so I guess if you are interested you can get a glimpse of our first week of 2010.

Gracie w/ Santa!

2009-12-22T20:42:00.001-06:00

Monthly Video Update!

2009-12-14T15:11:00.002-06:00

Matt and I have been doing monthly videos ever since Gracie was born w/ updates not only about her but about whats going on w/ us and the church. We thought that we would start uploading them on the internet just in case anyone else would like to hear as well. So here's a link to our church blog w/ the video. Enjoy:) (Next time I'll try not to be so cheesy... no promises though!)

Gracie- 2 Months!

2009-11-05T14:38:00.005-06:00

Well, Gracie turned 2 months old yesterday! It really is hard to believe that she has been w/ us for 2 whole months already! I got to weigh her on Tuesday and she is up to 11 pounds and 3 ounces! That's almost exactly 3 pounds bigger than she was when she was born!

In other news.. Matt and I made a big decision. We had been praying for some time about my work situation. I was scheduled to go back November 23rd but this past Monday I turned in my resignation. We aren't exactly sure what the Lord has in mind but after weeks and weeks of praying, neither Matt nor I had a peace about me going back to work. Matt has been looking for another job to work in addition to the church. Matt finding a job has been at the top of our prayer list, although Matt and I were both convicted on the same day this week that God's plan for our family might not include another job.. so instead we just keep praying that God will provide for our needs. So I guess we will just see what happens...

Here's a couple pics of our little sweetie: (If you can't tell Gracie was a lady bug for Halloween!)

Gracie- the past 7 weeks...

2009-10-25T22:08:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted on here since September 7th! Gracie was only 3 days old at the time and on Friday she just turned 7 weeks old! The past 7 weeks have literally flown by as we are getting to know our little girl and how to better care for her. She is such a joy. (I say this as she is screaming at her dad! ) Real fast I'll just try and share some of the "highlights"...
She is getting so much more social. A couple weeks ago she started smiling a whole lot and making all sorts of adorable sounds and "coos". I love how she will just stare right into our eyes.
She is literally growing like a weed. Her birth weight was 8'4.5 and when we took her to the doctor for her appointment this past Wednesday she was 10'10! She really likes to eat!
She had to get some shots at her last appointment and lets just say I think she took it better than I did:)
She still isn't sleeping through the night. She'll only go 3-4 hours before she wakes and wants to eat but then she'll go right back to sleep which is nice.
We took our first big road trip this month. We went to Wichita for the week and then on to Arkansas for a meeting w/ a church who is wanting to partner w/ us. She did so good and slept practically the whole time.
She LOVES to listen to her daddy play guitar. She will just lay and kick forever while the music plays:)
Her and Aldo (our dog) have become fast friends:) Aldo adores her and spends a lot of time by her side.
I could go on ( and on and on) about her but I suppose that's enough for now.. and more importantly here are a few pictures... they are all at least a couple weeks old.. I have newer ones that I still need to upload!

Gracie Irene

2009-09-07T13:17:00.006-05:00

I'll post more pictures and details later.. but Gracie Irene was born September 4th at 6:45 AM. She weighed 8 lbs 4.5 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long.
We couldn't be more excited!

A few recipes...

2009-08-30T17:41:00.004-05:00

This month I have also been trying to keep preoccupied by doing some baking. I tried a few new recipes and so far everything has turned out great!

I don't have any pics of the first couple.. but if you are looking to make some great strawberry scones you should definitely check out Katie's recipe on Good Things Catered. I made them to have for breakfast this week and they were very tasty!

I also tried a new homemade pizza dough recipe. We used it to make cal zones. We even made our own pizza sauce w/ homegrown tomatoes we had been given. Everything was soooo good!

The recipe for the pizza dough was from a great blog Annie's Eats, go here to see recipe.

Yesterday I also made very my very first pie from scratch! It really wasn't all that difficult. The crust came together so easily, I don't know why I always thought making my own pie crust would be so difficult! Here's the recipe that I used for the pie and crust, I went w/ peach.. Matt's request:)

Both recipes are from Katie's Blog at Good Things Catered.

Summer Sweet Peach Pie

Ingredients:
1 recipe basic pie dough
8 large, fresh ripe peaches
1/2 c. brown sugar
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 tsp cornstarch
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 egg white
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare pie dish.
-Roll 1/2 recipe of pie dough out and line bottom of pie dish.
-Place in refrigerator.
-Using a pairing knife, slice peaches into 8 pieces, peel skins, and slice into thin slices.
-Place peach slices into large bowl, add brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and stir well to combine.
-Remove pie plate from fridge, brush bottom with egg white, and transfer peach mixture to pie.
-Roll out remaining dough and top as desired (lattice or traditional).
-Brush top with egg white, sprinkle with sugar for a crunch and place into oven.
-Bake for 20 minutes, then tent top with foil and reduce heat to 375 degrees.
-Continue baking until golden and juices are bubbling, about 30 more minutes (50-60 minutes total)
-Remove from oven and let pie cool completely on wire rack before serving.

Basic Pie Dough
America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 c. vegetable shortening, chilled
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cu into ¼ in pieces
6-8 Tbsp ice water

Directions:
-Process the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.
-Add the shortening and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 secs.
-Scatter the butter into the flour and cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-sec pulses.
-Turn the mixture into a medium bowl.
-Sprinkle 6 Tbsp of the ice water over the mixture.
-With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix.
-Press down on the dough sticks together, adding up to 2 Tbsp more ice water if the dough will not come together.
-Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4 in disks.
-Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to two days before rolling.

Well.. I guess that is all for now. I've made a few other things that I'll try and post recipes for later and currently I'm making homemade hamburger buns! We'll see how these turn out:) Matt and I are off to take a walk.. got to get this baby out!

Random pics

2009-08-30T17:11:00.010-05:00

Just for fun...
This picture is from the end of May...

And this is me just yesterday (same shirt), about 3 days before my due date on Tuesday...

Crazy how HUGE I felt back in May!

I also wanted to say a late Happy Birthday to my husband on my blog. He turned 28 August 19th! He was very happy our little girl decided not to come that day. He's not quite ready to share:) He was also very excited about his ice cream cake:)

5 days til Due Date!

2009-08-27T09:10:00.004-05:00

Well, we have pretty much come to the end of the pregnancy.. My due date is this coming Tuesday and we are "ready" for our little girl to be here.. as ready as we can be anyways! I still can't believe that Matt and I are about to be parents. Even typing that just now still seems so crazy and hard to believe..

Pregnancy hasn't really been all that bad. I've been blessed w/ being healthy minus some aches and some very swollen feet! The time truly does seem to have flown by. I can't believe it was all the way back in January that we found out we were expecting!

Matt has truly been wonderful this whole time, so encouraging, so supportive. I was blessed w/ him being able to attend all of my doctor appointments.. it has been a lot of fun growing together as our little one has been growing inside. I am so thankful for the last (almost!) 5 years that we have spent together as just husband and wife. I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I admit at times I am a little sad to see this part of our life end but I know that we are gaining so much more.

So, hopefully I will have pictures of our little girl to post here soon:) I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week!

Maternity Pics!

2009-08-03T09:40:00.003-05:00

Last week we had some maternity pictures done. It was a lot of fun and we really love how they came out! If you want to see some of them you can go here to look at our photographers blog where she put some up! I am 35 weeks in the pictures and as of tomorrow I'll be 36 weeks! CRAZY!

Hope everyones Monday is off to a great start!

A little laugh and an update on Baby Girl Maestas:)

2009-07-29T13:06:00.005-05:00

Well I've been having kind of a blah day and then my husband forwarded this to me.. and I must say I do feel a little better:)

So if you are a fan of the Office you should definitely give this a watch!

I don't know about you but I'm excited for September for some new TV:)

And I guess while I'm here I'll give a quick update on whats going on w/ us and our little one who is on her way:)

I'm 35 weeks pregnant.. I can't believe how fast time is going! I started my weekly doctors appointments this week. Currently, our baby girl is being a little stubborn and is still transverse (side-ways)which is not the position we would like her to be in! Our doctor is thinking that this might be the way she chooses to stay, especially since she has been in this position for so long. She thinks that there is maybe a reason the baby is staying there. We are praying that she moves but if not we are most likely headed towards a C-section. I go in to the doctor again on Monday and then we will schedule an ultra-sound for next week to get a look at what exactly is going on inside. Following that appointment we will probably schedule a tentative C-section for at least a week earlier than my due date. So.. that is what I know as of right now.. other than our baby's position she seems to be healthy and moves Constantly.. especially right up into my ribs! I'm still feeling well also, aside from being a little overwhelmed w/ everything that is going on!

So I guess that's all for now:) I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!

A little cooking update!

2009-07-10T10:11:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not I actually have still been cooking! I have taken a ton of pics of various new recipes that I have tried, but I just struggle w/ actually downloading them on the computer and than posting! Maybe some day.. maybe:)

This summer I got a fun new kitchen gadget.. a pasta roller and cutter! Matt and I have really been enjoying using it. It is EXTREMELY easy and the pasta tastes wonderful. I had never made homemade pasta before so it has really been a treat. Here are a few pics of us using it the first time. Our first attempt we just did a basic egg noodle recipe and for our second attempt we did whole wheat pasta.. both were delicious!

And for a quick recipe, this past Saturday for Fourth of July I made a key lime pie to take over to a party. It was sooo easy to make and tasted delicious! I must admit.. I did cheat and just bought a pre-made graham cracker crust:)

Key Lime Pie (recipe from Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:
10 honey graham crackers
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
zest from ½ large lime
7 Tbsp freshly squeezed juice from key limes
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 9 inch pan.
-In bowl of food processor, pulse graham crackers and sugar until broken down into fine crumbs.
-Add melted butter and pulse until loosely combined.
-Remove bowl from processor and, using spatula, stir to combine butter well.
-Scrape graham mixture into pie pan and carefully press to evenly coat bottom and sides of pan.
-Place shell into oven and bake for 10 minutes.
-Remove from oven and set aside (keep oven on) (like I said I skipped these steps and just used a pre-made crust.. its up to you!)
-In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir until combined well (this will take a minute or two, make sure the mixture is even).
-Carefully pour mixture into pie shell and lightly tap to evenly distribute filling.
-Place carefully into oven and bake for 15 minutes or until set.
-Remove from oven and let cool.
-Once cooled, place into fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight to set.
-Serve with whipped cream.

~Well I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm off work in about 30 minutes! Yay for Fridays!!

Another update...

2009-06-10T11:41:00.005-05:00

I thought I would pop in and fill those of you in who are interested on what is going on w/ Matt and I.

A few weeks ago, Matt officially graduated from Seminary! We were so excited and I am so proud of him. The whole reason we moved to Kansas City (which will be 4 years ago in August!) was for him to get his degree and now he is finished! It was a great day/ week as Matt's mom made the trip from Wyoming to be here for the occasion. We even had a little celebration at our house that evening w/ some friends and family.

I made these cupcakes for the party.. aren't they cute?!:)

I have a lot more pics from the month of May that hopefully I will actually put up on my blog. I'm not doing so great lately actually getting the pics downloaded from my camera to my computer..

This past week has been kind of blah.. first Matt was sick and now I've had this nasty cold/cough that I can't seem to shake. It seems to be lingering on forever. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm 28 weeks pregnant.. yes 28 WEEKS! It just sounds so far along! It seems crazy that we are getting so close! The only other negative thing to being sick is that yesterday was my birthday and I spent it pretty much miserable all day. BUT I have such a sweet husband:) .. rather than going out he made me one of my favorite meals ever- biscuits and gravy w/ bacon:) I don't think it has ever tasted SO good:) We are hoping to go out Friday and do a little more celebrating. (I have all of these birthday coupons from restaurants and I can't let them all go to waste!)

So I guess that is all for now.. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Old Navy Flip Flops- $1!

2009-05-22T13:15:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow only, Old Navy will be having their flip-flop sale.. solid color adult and kid flip-flops for just $1 each. I believe there is a limit of 5 per customer!

Time is flying...

2009-05-11T09:22:00.004-05:00

Well another few weeks have slipped by without me blogging. I truly intend to be better at this but w/ a lot going on this has gotten put on the back burner unfortunately.

Here's a little update on us! I'm 24 weeks pregnant! Time (currently) is just clicking by! I have continued to be healthy for the most part and still having quite a bit of energy although I'm starting to get more and more restless at night, which I'm sure will only continue to get worse as the next few months go by! I love feeling the baby, she is moving around a lot lately and I can tell she is getting so much stronger! Such an amazing thing! We haven't really done a whole lot of "baby stuff" yet... I am just about done clearing out what will be her room. We did buy some paint (several weeks ago!) and are hoping to get the room painted sometime in the next few weeks. I have also started working on my registry list and we are hoping to actually go register by the end of the month! I gotta say.. trying to decide what to register for has been quite the job.. there is just so much out there!

In the meantime we have really been working on the rest of our house. It is really starting to feel like home:) This past weekend my mom was so wonderful.. she woke up early and left her house in the Wichita area at 5:30 in order to be in KC first thing Saturday morning to help us w/ yard work! She didn't have to but it was so great of her to come and help and its always nice to spend time w/ her.
Our yard when we moved in was quite overgrown and so we spent hours just raking and pulling weeds and filled up countless 55 gallon trash bags. After yard work Saturday and a full afternoon of cleaning on Sunday I was feeling pretty achy.. I guess that just comes w/ being around 6 months pregnant!

Sorry for the book.. now I'll move on to this week:)

Matt graduates this Saturday from Seminary! His mom will be in town Wednesday and we are really looking forward to spending time w/ her! It will be her first visit here since we have lived in KC!

My goals for this week:

daily quiet time

finish up laundry!

go through last little stack in baby's room so it will be officially CLEANED OUT! YAY!!!

grocery shop!

just to keep the house clean:) I worked hard yesterday!

workout/ exercise

continue w/ my healthy eating/ low salt diet:).. that really is a goal, so far so good:)

Meals:

Monday- leftovers at home before grocery shopping

Tuesday- either pasta or something on the grill.. I'll let Matt choose:) We also have our church group coming over Tuesday night for Bible Study so I will be prepping snacks for that.

Wednesday- pick up Matt's mom from the airport and go out to eat!

Thursday/Friday- not entirely sure what we will be going w/ Matt's mom in town. I plan on having the fixings for enchiladas and orange chicken.. But I also know we will be eating out some:)

Saturday- BBQ for Matt's Graduation!

I hope everyone is having a great May!

We are officially half way!!

2009-04-14T09:34:00.003-05:00

I'm 20 weeks today according to my due date! Time (so far) has really been moving pretty fast! We are getting more and more excited about our little girl:) I'm looking forward to this part of the pregnancy as we will start preparing and begin to get things ready for her.

Oh and people have been asking a lot about names.. yes we do have a couple in mind but I think that we are going to keep the name a secret until she gets here. Who knows, we might not even officially decide until she is in our arms:)

Happy Monday!

2009-04-13T13:17:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend/ Easter!

Now my plans for this week include:

Menu:

Monday- Chicken Pasta dish (Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe)w/ sauteed broccoli and garlic bread- We are having company tonight:) and something for dessert...

the rest of the week we'll be eating the following.. just not sure of the order:
-chicken, black bean and cilantro soup w/ cornbread
-tostadas w/ rice, chips and salsa
-lasagna (heated up from the freezer)w/ veggies and bread
and.. possibly grilling out one night? We'll have to watch the weather! I think its actually supposed to be a decent week here!

Goals:

daily quiet time
work out 3 times
laundry!
hang new pictures up in bedroom/bathroom
get ready for my dad coming up this weekend!
work on a couple church projects

What's everyone else making this week? I love to hear new ideas!

Honey Mustard Chicken

2009-04-03T12:12:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for a very simple, but delicious recipe.. this is it. W/ only a couple ingredients and a couple steps you can't really beat it. The chicken was so good and juicy. As you can see, I just served it up w/ some brown rice and green beans but this could be paired w/ a lot of other things as well...

Honey Mustard Chicken (recipe from Holly Furtick's Blog)

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c melted butter
1/3 c honey
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Mix butter, honey mustard and salt. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for about an hour.

Enjoy!

It's a Girl!!

2009-04-02T19:10:00.005-05:00

We had our big ultrasound today and it was sooo much fun! I was a bit nervous, but that all went away when I saw our little one up on the screen. I couldn't believe how much you could make out and how developed *SHE* already is! She was moving all around, kicking and punching.. at one point you could even see her hands up over her eyes. Our tech did a great job explaining everything and letting us enjoy the moment.
She was measuring about a week ahead of what my due date currently is.. I don't know if that means my due date moves up or if we just wait it out.. but for now she is right on track to be here around September 1st! For those that are interested her heart was beating at 140 and she was weighing in at 9 oz :)

I must say as much fun as it was seeing her up on the screen I was having a slightly hard time concentrating as I had to go to the bathroom sooo bad and the tech kept moving that wand up and down all over my belly! Lately I have had to go to the bathroom all the time and the tech pointed out that currently she is making a nice pillow out of my bladder!

After we found out we had to do some grocery shopping but decided to make a stop in the baby section first to make our first baby purchase. Matt picked out this cute little outfit. He was so excited about it.. He kept calling all sorts of people to share our news w/ them:)

Well and if you are interested in this sort of thing here are the first official pics of Baby Girl Maestas.

Royals Manager shares Faith in KC article

2009-04-02T07:48:00.004-05:00

Matt and I love going to the Royals games and are highly anticipating the start of their new season (First home game next Friday!). This past Sunday there was a newspaper article in the Kansas City Star on Trey Hillman, the Royals manager, on his faith. It was a great article and so if you are interested and haven't had a chance to read it go here.

Our New House!

2009-03-31T12:28:00.005-05:00

Finally I am getting around to posting some pictures of our new house! These pics were taken before we even moved in, hence the no furniture.. and I'm only going to post a few pics, not one from every room.. yet anyways:) As we continue to complete projects and decorate I'll add more pics!

Just if your are curious our house has 3 bedrooms 2 1/4 bath (master bath only has a toilet and sink..). The house came w/ brand new carpet and they had just repainted all of the walls. We are looking forward to painting some of the rooms but it was nice that it wasn't an immediate need.

Our first big project we are planning on completing is repainting the house. I won't actually be doing any of the painting, Matt will get to head up that project along w/ some other guys:) We aren't quite sure on color yet. The blue doesn't really bother us.. it just really needs a new paint job. So we will begin looking at colors probably pretty soon!

We also are excited about doing some yard work! It has been kind of fun watching to see what kind of flowers are popping up!

In this picture is the fridge that came w/ the house... we opted to get a new fridge as this one was pretty gross and small.. We love our new fridge! It even has the ice and water in the side door. You don't know how excited that made me! OH and notice that we have a dishwasher again! :)

Our house is a split level and this is a picture from the bottom portion. It has a little family room w/ a built in entertainment center in the wall. There is also a finished full bath downstairs as well as our laundry room and storage.

This picture is one of the things that sold Matt on the house. One of the three bedrooms had built in floor to ceiling bookshelves across one wall. You wouldn't believe how fast he got his books up on those shelves!

This is a picture from our upstairs living room. We love the little window seat:) Currently this room still has no furniture in it.. but we do have plans to pick up some in Wichita hopefully w/in the next month. We love all the natural light that pours into this room/kitchen!

And finally this is a picture of part of our deck. Right off the kitchen there is a door that goes outside to our fenced in backyard. We love how big the deck is and can't wait to host a BBQ!

It's almost April!

2009-03-30T10:21:00.004-05:00

Here's my rundown for the week!

Goals:

Quiet Time

Work Out at least 3 times

menu plan for next two weeks and organize coupons

continue getting settled in our house!

Menu:

Tonight we are having company and so I'm making:
BBQed Meatballs, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, cornbread muffins and cherry cobbler w/ ice cream for dessert!
(the cherries are from when we picked cherries last summer that I froze! Can't wait to enjoy some tonight!)

Tuesday- Tacos, rice and beans

Wednesday- Teriyaki chicken stir fry w/ peppers, onion, maybe some pineapple over rice

Thursday- I'm thinking a homemade pizza.. well semi-homemade, I have a crust mix to use!

Friday- OUT!

....Thursday is our ULTRASOUND! I'm very excited but sort of nervous at the same time. We can't wait!

Homemade Oreos.. YUM!

2009-03-28T16:09:00.006-05:00

Well.. since it has been FOREVER since I have posted a recipe I thought I would take advantage of this snowy day and finally post a new one. These cookies are great. I have made them a couple times now and they are easy as can be...

Homemade Oreos
I found this recipe on Macaroni and Cheesecake, her original Source was Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman
Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:
For the chocolate wafers:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
¼ cup (½ stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

***This is the original filling. I never have shortening so I have just used the follow ingredients to make the filling.. except sometimes I even half it.

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. milk

Directions:
1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
2. In a Mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

ENJOY!!!

Well, what a week...

2009-03-13T09:40:00.003-05:00

We are in our new house and it is WONDERFUL!! This week has been a lot of unpacking and arranging and we have actually gotten a lot done! We do have one room (the baby-to-be's) room that has become a dropping place for things I'm just not quite sure where to put yet... but other than that we are pretty settled. Now my house does look a little empty, more space means you need more stuff apparently:) SO w/ time we will hopefully work on fixing that. I will post pictures sometime. I have taken some just need to upload them. I'm very behind in posting pictures just in general!

We had our March appointment yesterday. Nothing really all that new occured. We got to hear the heartbeat again. It was harder to hear this time.. we could hear it briefly off and on but our doctor said that the baby must be moving around quite a bit.. she was having a hard time following it! (For those interested the heartbeat was in the 140's) According to my book the baby should be measuring around 4-5 inches and my doctor said sometime in the next few weeks I should start to feel some movement! We also got to schedule our Big Ultrasound! It will be three weeks from yesterday, April 2nd! Time has really been going pretty fast w/ all that has been going on. I can't believe in three short weeks we will know what we are having! This will also be our first ultrasound so I can't wait to see our little one. I'm adjusting more to the idea that I'm going to have a baby but it still doesn't feel completely real yet. I keep hearing that once my stomach starts growing and I start feeling the baby it will really start to set in.

Even though I haven't posted recipes in FOREVER.. I actually have been cooking! I even used a couple new recipes this week so I will also try and update my blog w/ those.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy Monday!

2009-03-02T09:00:00.003-06:00

This past week is kind of a blur. Matt and I flew out of Kansas City last Friday to attend a conference in Atlanta. The conference was actually Monday and Tuesday but we went up early and spent time w/ our friends who live in the area. We got home Wednesday evening about 10 pm. So needless to say, Thursday and Friday at work were a little rough for me:)

We attended a church planting conference. We had gone last year and really enjoyed it. This year was just as good. We came back once again invigorated, encouraged and ready to once again focus on the church. This past Sunday Matt talked about a new "challenge" for us to set aside 30 minutes on Wednesday evening to pray w/ your family for our church. (P.U.S.H.- Pray until something happens) We are then going to gather together the Wednesday before Easter and pray all together. We are hoping to do this prayer meeting together at least once a quarter. We will see where this takes us. We are really excited about what the Lord is doing and will continue to do in our church. I'll try and post more often on what is happening in the life of our church.

Also, this past week we got the keys to our new house early so that we could go over and clean! My mom was a lifesaver this weekend as she drove up to help us out. She is even coming back next weekend to help us move and to help me get things set up. I love my mom:) So now this weekend will just be finishing up packing and getting our rental house in order to turn in the keys. I am sooo looking forward to NEXT Monday when we should be somewhat settled into our new house! I'll post pictures soon!

And finally.. not much to report on the pregnancy end.. other than another couple weeks have past. I'm 14 weeks along and I have my next doctors appointment next week. I really cant' wait for my April appointment.. we will find out if its a boy or a girl! I'm feeling so much better lately. My stomach is still a little upset when I first wake up in the morning but I am thinking that might just be from my vitamins. I have so much more energy than I did even just a few weeks ago. All my clothes still fit fine.. although I do have a little more curvature along my stomach:) Maybe in a few weeks I'll actually have something worth posting a picture of!

So.. after all of that catch up.. here's our plan for the week!

Menu:

Monday- Pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese and probably a veggie.

Tuesday- probably leftovers

Wednesday- chicken tacos w/ rice

Thursday- I honestly don't know. I didn't really buy much this week as far as groceries go. I just wanted to focus on eating what we already had in the fridge so we had less to move. One of these evenings we will be closing on our house. Whichever night that is we will probably grab something out.

Friday- night before we move- I doubt I'll be cooking:)

Goals:

finish packing!

clean rental!

get everything switched over to new house!

September 1st

2009-02-17T10:35:00.002-06:00

September 1st is a big day for Matt and I. It is the due date for our first baby!

I honestly still can't believe it. It is crazy to even type!

About six weeks ago I just wasn't feeling well. I was sooo tired and figured I must be coming down w/ something. After a few days of constant exhaustion I decided that maybe I should just take a test. I was a few weeks "late", but I just thought w/ Christmas and everything else maybe my body was just a little off. I bought the test but assured Matt, "I'm not pregnant.. can't be!"

The next morning... well everything changed:)

Matt had gone to take our dog for a walk.. I took the test. Big Fat Positive.. I think i was shaking. I had always imagined all these neat ways that I'd tell Matt I was pregnant, none of that happened as I could barely hold it in the second he walked in the door. I think he was in a coma for about 4 days:)

The next day we went to the doctor and confirmed and since then it has been quite the ride!

I have had a couple appointments now w/ my OB and just this past Thursday we got to hear the heartbeat. It was such an amazing thing and our baby's heart was beating strong at 150 bpm.

I have been feeling okay. I haven't been getting sick, which I am very thankful for! Just tired, headaches (which I never had before), heartburn.. pretty bad heartburn (which I had also never had before), feeling as if I am constantly going to the bathroom.. (I can only imagine when I get further along!) and a mix between nausea and EXTREMELY hungry. I have never had such an appetite!

We do plan on finding out if its a boy or a girl.. Matt can hardly wait until the beginning of April. He didn't know you had to wait so long:)

Speaking of Matt.. he has been incredible and did finally come out of his coma:) He is so excited to be a dad.

So.. as of today I am 12 weeks along...

I can't wait for September... :)

Weekly Menu/Goals

2009-02-17T10:25:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great V-Day/ weekend... Matt and I sure did! For Valentine's this year we just had a really nice day together. We went and ate breakfast out, spent some time at Borders, ran a few errands and then ending our day w/ pizza and a movie at home.. oh and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert:)

This is our plan for the rest of the week:

Menu:

Sunday- We had beef enchiladas!

Monday- A couple invited us out to dinner w/ them

Tuesday- Honey Mustard Chicken (new recipe!) w/ brown rice and a veggie

Wednesday- Chili w/ cornbread

Thursday- Clean out the Fridge night!:)
We will be heading out of town on Friday so I thought that eating leftovers would be a good plan.

Goals:

- daily quiet time

-continue packing up house for our big move!

- make sure house is clean before leaving town

-pack for trip

- work out at least another 2 times

- mail my sister's BDay present!

Who has Spring Fever!?!

2009-02-10T10:08:00.003-06:00

Yes.. it might be a little early but after several days w/ highs in the upper 60's/ low 70's I can't help it!

I soooo want to bust out the flip flops! (really need to paint my toe nails first though.. eek!)

The rest of the week is supposed to be much cooler here but I'm thinking positive.. its only a few weeks until March and March usually brings some much prettier days and day light savings time!

Whats the weather like where you are? Today in KC- Sunny w/ a high of 70!

A New Week/ Catch Up

2009-02-09T14:39:00.003-06:00

I've been gone a little while.. sorry for that! I'm going to try and get back on track this week.

Oh and just a little update.. we are scheduled to close on our house February 26th. Matt and I started packing this past weekend. One positive thing about this being our 4th move in 4 years is that we are able to declutter! We have been going through our drawers, closets, desks.. you name it and getting rid of stuff! It really is a nice feeling:)

We also had the most incredible thing happen to us this past week.. I have posted this before but we had our dryer go completely out on us. We had been trying to figure out what to do but were just putting it off b/c we really didn't have the funds to go out and buy anything quite yet. We had started looking for another used dryer. Then, out of the blue, a couple from the town we live offered to buy us a brand new washer and dryer. I truly couldn't believe it and still can't. We told them that it wasn't necessary but they insisted. God has truly blessed us.

Another blessing as of late has been that Matt got an opportunity to start a part time job (2 days a week) working for someone we know that owns a glass business. They are busy right now and we're needing some extra hands. We are hoping to bulk up our savings a little bit with this extra opportunity.

We also started Community Groups with our church this past week. Matt and I hosted the first one at our house. We are really excited about this next venture and can't wait to see where it leads. We only have one group meeting right now but are really praying that within the next few months we will see growth and will start to multiply.

Matt and I are also attending a church planting conference in Atlanta coming up in a couple weeks. (I know.. we really couldn't pack enough into one month!) We attended last year and had a great time and learned so much. It was really neat to be able to meet and talk with others who are in same stage of planting a church as we are. We can't wait to go back!

As far as meals go this week I am going to try and be creative and use up what we have in our cabinets. We spent our grocery money on groceries.. but not really "meal" groceries.. More for various company that we have had over and different gatherings... So rather than go over our limit I'm searching the freezer. Here is what I'm thinking...

Menu:

Sunday night- we had breakfast for dinner. Matt made me an omelet... YUM!!

Monday- Well tonight we are probably cheating.. a local restaurant has $1 mini burgers on Monday nights which we love.. and seriously, you can't beat that!

Tuesday- Sweet and Sour Chicken ( I never have made this yet!) w/ brown rice and a veggie.. whatever we have in the freezer!

Wednesday- We have hamburgers and steaks in the freezer... so one of those. I would love to grill but its supposed to be a little chilly.. Our side dishes will probably be veggies from the freezer and whatever else I can come up w/.

Thursday- If we have enough tortillas I was thinking Chicken fajitas or chicken tacos.. we have red peppers, tomatoes, onion, cheese, salsa.. If not we might just eat the chicken over rice. We'll see:)

Friday- Hopefully by this point we will have hit up the store! I'm not sure what we will have.

Saturday- Valentine's Day! I'm still debating. I'm thinking that we will probably go out during the day and then be home in the evening. We'll either get something to go.. or I'll cook. I'll let Matt decide:)

Weekly Goals:

-daily quiet time

-Pack!

-keep up with house work

-plan menu for next two weeks/ cut and organize coupons

-work out 3-4 times this week

Weekly Menu/Goals and Update

2009-01-26T14:54:00.003-06:00

Well, this past weekend was a pretty big one for Matt and I. Matt and I have been interested in purchasing a house and have been talking about it for quite some time. This past week we made an offer on a house and after a little "countering" they accepted! We will have an inspection done this week and if all goes well we should be closing at the end of February! We couldn't be more excited about finally being in our own home again!

Also, on Saturday Matt went to his last seminary class(at least for now as he says)! We moved to the KC area August 2005 for him to attend school, 3 1/2 years later he is finished! I couldn't be prouder of him! We went out and celebrated Saturday night at a restaurant in Kansas City, Yardhouse. Very, very good!

So now on w/ this week... it's cold here. I starting to get anxious for Spring, but seeing as how it is only January I'm trying to make the most of the cooler temps.

Here's what is on our menu this week:

Monday- I believe we are going out on a giftcard that we received at Christmas.. unless the weather gets bad.

Tuesday- Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ cornbread

Wednesday- Sweet and Sour Chicken, brown rice and broccoli (new recipe I'm anxious to try!)

Thursday- I don't know.. something w/ beef. Maybe burgers!

Friday/Saturday- My mom is visiting! I'm not sure what that will bring meal wise...

Goals for the week:

-daily quiet time

-house inspection completed

-begin gathering boxes for the move

-start organizing for the move- I don't want to move a bunch of "junk", so I'm hoping to clean out the clutter that doesn't need to join us at our new house!

-plan menu/cut coupons for next 2 weeks

- get house ready for mom to visit!

New week.. a day or so late:)

2009-01-20T13:30:00.004-06:00

Hope your Tuesday is treating you well. It's a big day today...let's be praying for our new president and his family.

Weekly Menu:

Monday- we ended up grabbing wendy's.. wasn't really the plan, but we were out all day long. Gotta love the $1 menu!

Tuesday- Homemade Beef and Veggie Pizza w/ salad.. well sort of homemade, I'm using a crust mix tonight:( Oh well, it'll still be good!

Wednesday- Teriyaki Chicken, veggie and pineapple stirfry over brown rice

Thursday- Steak Fajitas w/ black beans, chips and salsa

Friday- not sure.. We usually eat something out on Fridays..

Goals for the week:

-Quiet time

-keep up w/ housework

-finish getting details together for lunch meeting after church on Sunday

-work out an additional 3 times, I already went once yesterday!

Well, that's all I can think of for now.. not bad to have an easy week:)

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-01-20T13:13:00.003-06:00

If you haven't been over to the Pioneer Woman Cook's .. you must. Her website is great and the recipes are very easy to follow. One of the recipes that I have made over and over again is her Chicken Spaghetti...It's good ol' comfort food. Another bonus is this recipe is supposed to freeze really nice. I have never frozen it before but would like to try it out next time I make it.
(Oh and sorry my picture isn't great.. it really is good!)

Chicken Spaghetti
by the Pioneer Woman Cooks
(my own adjustments are added in parentheses)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken works also)2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion

1- 4oz jar diced pimentos, drained
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. (I just use boneless chicken breasts, works just fine). Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine w/ remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar. ( I usually just use 2 cups total cheese and just make do)

Place mixture in casserole pan and top w/ remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover w/ foil. ( I have never cooked it the entire 45 minutes.. I usually just watch it)

I usually serve this w/ just a nice salad. YUM!!

Hummus

2009-01-20T12:59:00.007-06:00

Matt and I love hummus. It is such a great snack...er.. meal:) So when I first came across a recipe online of how to make my own at home I couldn't wait to try. I have been making this same recipe for quite some time now but just had never blogged about it.. so I thought today was the day!

I was especially excited to make my hummus this past time since for Christmas my dad gave me a new food processor! We had been using a tiny one and while it did work.. it wasn't near as easy as w/ my new one!

Here's the recipe.. so easy, fast and delicious!

Restaurant-Style Hummus
taken from Annie's Eats, original source: Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2008.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. juice from 1-2 lemons

¼ cup water

6 tbsp. tahini, stirred well

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about ½ tsp.)

½ tsp. table salt

¼ tsp. ground cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

Combine lemon juice and water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through food tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through food tube, continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

** We like to serve w/ pita bread, naan and fresh veggies. I haven't made my own pita bread or naan yet but I have recipes that I can't wait to try out!

Confession: I'm an American Idol Junkie

2009-01-14T14:59:00.011-06:00

I love American Idol.. I admit it. I have been watching since the Season Finale of Season 1. Last year was my favorite season by far. I drug my husband to the Power and Light district in KC when David Cook made his home town appearance ( got his autograph!) and back again to watch the finale with a whole bunch of other crazy AI fans. Matt and I were even on TV... it was about a 2 sec shot.. but if you Tivoed it.. and then put it in slow motion, you could SO see us!
And yes, I even have a David Cook t-shirt..(but in my defense, it was only 5 dollars). My dad also took us to the AI tour and then we waited afterwards in a big ol' line and got even more autographs and pics. (Well I waited.. everyone else just kind of stood back lol)

I told you.. a complete junkie.

So here comes the next season and tonight they are airing the KC auditions. (No, I didn't go to the auditions) I'm excited to see the shots of the city... it's always fun to see familiar places on TV!

So here's to another season of AI.. anybody w/ me?

Oh, and just for fun.. I got this pic off of the American Idol website. Can you find us? (Yeah.. and Matt said he didn't have fun!:) )

Last Night Recap/ My Time w/ God Lately

2009-01-14T10:38:00.003-06:00

So, first a quick recap from my post yesterday...

-put away all the clean laundry/ straighten up closet- CHECK!
-straighten up/ clean kitchen- CHECK!
-vaccuum- CHECK!
-cut coupons and begin working on menu for next week.. - Pretty much check.. i cut and organized all my coupons, but didn't officially start writing my menu

So.. pretty good! Now tonight my two goals are to... sweep and mop kitchen and bathroom floors and clean out the refrigerator! (not really looking forward to that last one but it needs to be done!) I am also planning on going to the gym.

Now moving on...

Unfortunately my time with the Lord hasn't been going so well lately. Being quite honest, this has gone on my whole life. I go through really great times where I am in the Word every day, praying.. and then I go through slumps where I am not near as consistent.

For me, the times that I am "struggling" it can easily start to feel like God is disappointed in me... My husband often says something that completely puts it in the right perspective. If I begin to think that my relationship w/ God depends on what I do.. then I am making my relationship w/ God all about me. Thank goodness my relationship with God isn't about me and my good efforts/works but it is about Him. I don't say this to give me or you a reason to slack on the time we spend with the Lord , but just more as a reminder.

I plan on diving back into Exodus and hopefully getting back into more of a routine. I know for me this really helps if I have a regular time each day.

What has God been showing you lately?

I NEED SOME MOTIVATION!

2009-01-13T15:10:00.003-06:00

So, Tonight I will...

-put away all the clean laundry/ straighten up closet

-straighten up/ clean kitchen

-vaccuum

-cut coupons and begin working on menu for next week.. (while watching American Idol of course!)

I'll report back on how I did. I know it doesn't look like much, but I will feel sooo much better if I get these things done!

Anyone else needing some motivation? Post what you need to get done and lets check back tomorrow and see how we did!

Menu and Goals

2009-01-12T10:46:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was a lot of fun.. saw a couple movies, ate out with some friends, enjoyed some time with Matt...

I do have to admit I was a little lazier than normal with housework due to all of our running around, so this week I'll have to get things back together.

My goals for this include:

finish catching up on laundry (Matt has been helping w/ this)

this week the room I am going to focus on getting our bedroom in order...
-straighten up and reorganize closet, possibly even buying a couple new containers to store things in
-reorganize dresser
-clean and organize both Matt and I's nightstands
-straighten up bathroom- maybe adding some new containers there as well
-extra clean the shower
-and obviously the normal stuff- dust, sweep, mop (bathroom)

begin house hunt- we had been planning on starting the search after Christmas. I have already been in contact w/ an agent and we have met w/ her once before. We just plan on getting more serious about the whole process now.

plan menu and organize coupons for end of the week shopping trip

have a sit down meeting w/ Matt regarding our personal budget

workout at least 3 times this week

Menu:

When I go grocery shopping I meal plan for 2 weeks and then shop accordingly. I don't specifically say, "I planned for us to have spaghetti on Monday the 12th so that is what we are having". Instead, I have a list of meals that we have groceries for and then we just pick from that each night. So last weeks menu that I posted ended up being a little off from what we actually had.

Last week we ate...

Monday- Taco Ring w/ all the fixings and refried beans, chips and salsa

Tuesday- leftover night.. we had quite a bit from the weekend and Monday evening

Wednesday- grabbed some soup at Panera as we ended up being out that evening

Thursday- Beef Stroganoff w/ Mashed Potatoes

Friday- Out (We had a gift certificate!)

So this week we are eating...

Monday- Ravioli Lasagna w/ salad

Tuesday- Chili w/ cornbread

Wednesday- Orange Chicken w/ rice and veggies

Thursday- Lime Chicken Quesadillas w/ beans and rice

Friday- We are attending a banquet so we will be eating dinner there

I really am a little behind on posting recipes. I will add that to my goals this week as well!

I hope that you are having a great Monday!

Legends Coupon Card! (those in KC area)

2009-01-05T13:49:00.003-06:00

The Legends is one of my favorite shopping areas in the KC area.. great restaurants, shops, atmosphere, OUTLETS! Matt and I love going up there and now we make sure to never head that direction without printing off their monthly coupon card!

Every month they post on their website a printable coupon sheet full of discounts at shops and restaurants. Now some of the deals aren't as great as others.. but we have actually came across some pretty good ones.. free coffee, free appetizers, extra discounts on clothes...

So here is a link to this months and don't forget to print it off before you head to the Legends!

Menu and Goals for 1st official week of January

2009-01-04T20:25:00.003-06:00

This weekend Matt and I took down all of our Christmas decor and Aldo chewed the eyes out of his stuffed Santa.. so i guess Christmas is officially over:) lol

Here's what our upcoming week looks like...

Goals:

Daily Quiet Time

continue to figure out dryer situation, looking to buy a new one probably

start room by room organization... we have papers and other various "stuff" that are really beginning to pile up and so I plan on working on organizing each room
throughout the coming winter months... I have been motivated by the latest Better Home and Gardens Magazine!:)

start house hunting

workout at least 3 times

Menu:

Saturday- Chicken and Black bean Taquitos w/ Cilantro/Green Chili Sour Cream and extra black beans on the side (will post recipe soon)

Sunday- Chicken spaghetti casserole w/ salad

Monday- Chili w/ cornbread

Tuesday- Ravioli Lasagna w/ salad

Wednesday- Beef Stroganoff w/ mashed potatoes.. maybe another veggie

Thursday- Lime Chicken Quesadillas w/ beans and rice

Friday- out

New Years Eve Party

2009-01-04T19:45:00.008-06:00

Matt and I had 3 other couples over to our house new years eve to welcome in 2009. Here are some pics and recipes from the evening!
Our menu for the night included...

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

Barbecued Little Smokies

Cheese Ball w/ crackers (brought by a friend)

Veggie Tray

Caramel Apple Trifle

No Bake Cookies (Brought by a friend)

Fudge (brought by a friend)

Water,Pop and Sparkling Juice for Midnight:)

I thought it would be fun to make some drink tags. These are obviously very simple but I thought they really added something to our plain glasses. Next time I'd like to try and be a little more creative! (Candice, we even used the insurance glasses we got at the white elephant party last year! haha, thanks!)

I had heard about buffalo chicken dip quite a bit but had never made it. Then a coworker brought it to a party and it was delicious! So I decided that it would be a fun addition for the evening. (I know the picture doesn't really do a whole lot for it, but you just have to trust me.. it's REALLY GOOD!)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

2 boiled chicken breasts, shredded
8 ounces of Franks Red Hot Sauce
8 ounces of Ranch dressing
16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
16 ounces cream cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and then back at 325 for 40 minutes. I served mine w/ tortilla chips and celery but it is good w/ crackers, Frito's also.

My mom had gotten me a trifle dish for Christmas and so I decided to make use of it. I love how when making desserts in these dishes you get a 2 for one deal- great dessert and great centerpiece!

Here is the recipe that I used...

Luscious Apple Trifle
-Taste of Home

Ingredients:

2 cups cold milk
1 package 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 loaf (10 1/2 ounces) angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 jar (12 1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping (recipe called for butterscotch)
3 medium red apples, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; beat in pudding. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping.
In a 3-qt. glass bowl, layer a third of the cake cubes, 1/3 cup butterscotch topping, a third of the apples, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a third of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Chill until serving. Yield: 12-14 servings.

I hope your new year is off to a good start! Here's Matt and I's first pic of 2009...man we look tired!

12 hours until a new year...

2008-12-31T11:38:00.003-06:00

Well 2008 is almost over. It's been a good year, maybe even a great year...

I started out the year 2008 in Idaho. We had gone to visit Matt's family and sister and spent the New Years Eve/Day in a small town enjoying the hot springs! It was such a fun time. I had never been in one before. There was a foot or more of snow covering the ground and yet we got in our swimsuits and went and tried out the different pools. The mountains were all around us..it was dark outside... Pretty amazing.

Tonight we aren't doing anything quite that "magical" but I'm still looking forward to the good company of friends as we ring in the new year together at our house.

As far as what my resolutions are for this year, I am just hoping to improve in areas that Matt and I have already been working on...

quiet time- continue to start my morning with the Lord.. I have gotten a little off track with being out of town but I plan on getting back into my routine now

Budget- keep sticking to it and continuing to put more money in savings

being Matt's wife- giving him my best, praying for him, continuing to find new ways to demonstrate my love for him

being a pastor's wife- not letting the "daily tasks" get in the way of what the Lord has called us to

being a daughter/sister- loving my parents and sister, spending quality time with them when I can, PRAYING for them

friends- invite more people into our home, practice hospitality more often

Health- continue to work out several times a week, but also watch more what I am putting into my body.. continuing to try and plan some more healthy dinners

I could go on and on.. but I'll stop there. The only thing that I'll add is that I plan on trying to just enjoy life, enjoy those around me. I have learned that you really never know what a day might bring... There are always new challenges, new opportunities..

I can't wait to see whats in store for 2009...

Christmas with my husband

2008-12-29T20:02:00.012-06:00

Matt and I celebrated "Our Christmas" on the Saturday before Christmas since we would be leaving town.

And this is what Matt surprised me with!!

I was sooo excited, actually I'm still sooo excited!:) I couldn't wait to use it and so that night I made a recipe that I had been dying to try... cranberry cinnamon rolls, and they were wonderful!! (I cut them so that they would go farther since I was taking them to church)

Here's the recipe: (courtesy of Katie over at Good Things Catered)

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

Ingredients:
For dough
1/2 cup warm water (105–115°F)
2 (1/4-oz) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup warm milk
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

For filling
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (9 oz)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

For glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:
-In bowl of large stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
-Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, combine 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar and whisk to combine; set aside
-In small bowl, combine milk and eggs.
-With mixer and dough hook on low speed, add milk and egg mixture then slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine.
-Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.
-Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic (adding more milk or flour to achieve good consistency if needed), about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
-Add dough to large oiled bowl and tightly with plastic wrap.
-Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare cranberries by bringing water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
-Add cranberries and simmer just until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes.
-Pour through a large sieve into a bowl and cool berries, reserving syrup for another use (we used the cranberry syrup for champagne drinks).
-Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
-Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 2/3 c. granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough.
-Dot dough evenly with drained cranberries.
-Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal.
-Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
-Arrange slices, cut sides up, into prepared 9x13 pan, spacing evenly as they will bulk up.
-Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight to rise (you can also just let rise at room temp until doubled in bulk about 1 -1 1/2 hours).
-In morning, remove rolls from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees while they comes to room temperature.
-Bake rolls in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, stir together confectioners sugar and milk with a fork until smooth.
-Drizzle over buns while still relatively hot.
-Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

And here's just a couple other pics from that morning:)

(Matt and Aldo)

(my other gift from Matt, he went and picked these out by himself at Pier 1- a table runner and place mats (the place mats are reversible)!)

I'm back!

2008-12-29T13:15:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Ours was very nice! We had a great time visiting with family and friends. We are back home now and are in need of some major reorganizing! All of our Christmas goodies and luggage are just laying around and we have company coming over Wednesday, so I feel a major cleaning evening coming on!

We have also had a few setbacks this week, which is making everything a little more interesting at our house. Matt's car broke down, our garbage disposal is leaking pretty badly (and we can't seem to figure it out) and last night our dryer broke. Ha, Good times:) We had fun trying to find places to put all of our wet laundry last night!

Plans for this week are a little up in the air, Matt won't be around for dinner tonight or Tuesday night, Wednesday night is our New Years Eve party and Thursday we are meeting a friend for dinner! I'm actually REALLY looking forward to next week and getting back to normal! I really miss cooking!

As far as goals... :

-daily quiet time
-put away luggage/Christmas gifts
-buy lightbulbs for bathroom
-try and figure out dryer situation
-try and figure out garbage disposal
-clean house!
-grocery shop for party
-buy new eye glasses!
-ENJOY my day off on Thursday!
-get back on a workout schedule- atleast 3 times this week!

I'll post more about our Christmas as soon as I get some pics uploaded! How was your Christmas?

Well, its almost Christmas:)

2008-12-21T22:13:00.014-06:00

Normally I post a menu for the week and a list of goals. This week I'm not going to. For one I don't really have a menu since we will be headed out of town and really my only goal for the week is to enjoy my time with my family this Christmas.

So the only thing I've been meaning to do but haven't yet was post pictures of our Christmas tree and a few of our decorations around the house...

Here they are:)

Christmas Open House

2008-12-19T06:30:00.009-06:00

This past Sunday Matt and I hosted our first Christmas Open House. We have always wanted to have some sort of Christmas party at our house but have always decided against it b/c our house isn't very large. This year we decided, who cares! We thought an open house would be nice for one since people were able to come over when it was convenient for them and also we thought it might help with the space issue.

Here is what I had on the menu:

Drinks:
Cider
hot chocolate
coffee
ice water

Desserts:
mini red velvet cupcakes
cranberry orange bars
pumpkin, choc. Chip,oatmeal cookies
peanut butter cookies, w/ kisses
Andes mint brownies
Christmas sugar cookies

Appetizers:
crackers w/ hot peach cream cheese dip
Sweet Pepper pinwheels
BBQ meatballs
veggie tray w/ dill dip
summer sausage, cheese
assorted crackers
spinach and artichoke dip w/ tortilla chips
popcorn

fudge
chocolate covered pretzels

I have to admit, come Saturday I was feeling a bit overwhelmed! I think I was in the kitchen baking for about 6 hours! Everything came together though and we had a great time! Even with poor weather we had 45 people come over! It was a really nice time to catch up w/ everyone. Now Matt says we need to do this every year:)

Ok.. and I have to admit one more thing.. I didn't make EVERYTHING from scratch. For instance, these red velvet cupcakes above.. I used a mix:( BUT, I did make the cream cheese frosting which was soo easy and sooo good!

Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Confections of a Foodie Bride, adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
8 oz cream cheese (no need to soften)
5 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on med-high speed. Sift the powdered sugar after measuring. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl in batches, beating on low until just combined and then beating on high until desired consistency is reached. For a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar.

I did make both the fudge and pretzels and both are so easy! I sat them out in the living room for something extra to munch on.

CARNATION Famous Fudge

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 10 min | Cooking - 6 min | Cooling Time - 2 hrs refrigerating | Yields - 24 servings (2 pieces per serving)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil.

COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

STIR in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels:

Ingredients:

Pretzels
Almond Bark- white or chocolate or both:)

Easiest Directions Ever:

Melt almond bark. (Careful not to burn! Follow directions for melting on package!) Dip pretzels and lay on wax paper or foil to dry. If you want to add sprinkles do so rather quickly b/c almond bark dries very fast!

ENJOY!!

Spinach and Artichoke dip is one of my favorite appetizers and now that I know how easy it is to make, I will be making it at home a lot more often!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

-recipe given to me by a lady at work (Thanks Janet!)

Ingredients:

12 oz. frozen chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup mayo (not miracle whip)
1 1/2 cup shredded parm. cheese
Garlic powder to taste

While still frozen chop spinach and artichokes into small pieces. Put in bowl and defrost for just a few minutes. Mix cream cheese, mayo and 1/2 of the parm. cheese and garlic powder. Combine the spinach and artichokes with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining parm. cheese. Bake at 350 until heated through, about 20-40 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or bread chunks.

Here are a few other recipes that I used:

Dill Dip (for veggies)
- Taste of Home Magazine, Country Woman Christmas

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dill week
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Assorted fresh veggies

Combine first six ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with vegetables. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

** For the peach jelly cream cheese dip I bought a jar of hot peach jelly at a speciality baking store and then mixed a few blocks of cream cheese in. It was quite tasty w/ crackers!
The Sweet Pepper Pinwheels were also made from a mix that I bought at the baking store.

Andes Mint Brownies

This is my favorite brownie recipe. I just adapted it a bit by adding in some Andes Mints. Once I had the batter poured into the pan I sprinkled some crushed mints all over the top.

Then once the brownies were done I sprinkled some more over the top to make them a little prettier:)

** You can either buy the mints whole and crush them yourself, or you can buy them already crushed in the baking section
** I did not make the frosting that is in the recipe. They are still wonderful without it!

We really did have a great time and like Matt, I'm exited about hopefully doing something like this again next year!

Celebrating our Anniversary

2008-12-18T06:10:00.009-06:00

Matt and I went out to celebrate our 4th anniversary last Friday night. We had bid on a night stay at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City at a Christmas Fundraiser a few weeks ago and decided to use it to celebrate! (Our actual anniversary was on Thanksgiving day- November 27th)

The hotel was amazing! We even had a great view of the Christmas tree and ice skating rink across the street. (pic below) We ate dinner at Lidia's. It was sooo good! We decided to both go with their pasta tasting meal. They start you off with an incredible Caesar salad, followed by three different types of pasta- their specials for the night. You can get as many refills of pasta as you like! Then you get to pick one of their desserts to finish off with. We had a great time!

Here are a few pics from the evening. Sorry about all of the red-eye! I didn't edit these pics first, guess I should of!

Reflecting on 2008

2008-12-17T12:34:00.005-06:00

While reading in Exodus 16 this morning, I came across the story of how God provided manna/quail for the Israelites. I have heard the story countless times, but today I was really struck w/ how the Israelites didn't trust the Lord when he said that he would continue to provide food for them. They would try and take more manna than they were told, attempting to provide for themselves. When they did this though the food spoiled.

As I was reading this I couldn't help but reflect over the past year. 2008 was a year with a lot of big steps for Matt and I. Steps where we had to just trust God in what he was telling us. Sometimes it was hard not to get "antsy", to try and figure out things for ourselves, try and come up w/ our own solutions to situations that we now know were way bigger than us. This whole time God has had a plan, he knew every twist and turn that planting this church was going to take us. He knew and he continued to lead us one step at a time.

***For those of you who don't know, my husband and I are in the middle of planting a church. We felt that God was calling us to church planting around 2 years ago. It was scary, (and still is at times!) as church planting was definitely diving into the unknown.

We have been meeting regularly on Sundays for about 4 months now in a youth group facility. The owners are letting us meet there for free. (Such a blessing!) We already have several families who are attending regularly and now consider us their church home. We are going to be starting "Community Groups" towards the end of January, as well as offering some membership classes and this summer we have a mission team from Arkansas coming to help us host a sports camp!

All of this to say, we never would have been able to get past our narrow views of life if we hadn't decided to follow through with what the Lord was calling us to. I can't wait to see what's ahead in 2009!

10 days 'til Christmas!

2008-12-15T08:26:00.005-06:00

Wow.. this month is flying by! I hope that everyone is enjoying their December. Ours has been busy, but good. This weekend was great...we celebrated our anniversary and hosted our Christmas Open House! I'll post more about both of those later along w/ some pics! But for now... onto plans for the week!

(oh and one last thing...yes we did buy a Christmas shirt for our dog, but in our defense it was only a $1! I love Targets dollar section!)

Goals:

-Daily Quiet Time (Sometime I feel funny putting this under goals, it is not so much a goal but just something that I strive to do on a daily basis)
-Daily Advent Reading w/ Matt
-MAIL OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS! (this is my plan for tonight and tomorrow! I'm soo behind!)
-pick up groceries to make dish for work Christmas luncheon
-finish up Christmas shopping/ wrapping gifts
-take Christmas goodies to our neighbors
-work out at least 3 times this week! (I've been slacking in this area this month.. and this is definitely not the month to be slacking!)

Menu:

Monday- Quesadillas w/ cheese, peppers and onions w/ beans and rice

Tuesday- Mexican Soup w/ cornbread

Wednesday- Cheeseburgers w/ oven potatoes, veggies

Thursday- Roast w/ potatoes and carrots

Friday- out to eat

~Since we have spent extra money this month for various Holiday gatherings and our party we are trying to make the most of what we have at the house... It's amazing what accumulates in your freezer! We have a roast, hamburger patties (from Omaha Steaks)plus all sorts of frozen veggies. I think the only thing I will have to pick up from the store is a bag of potatoes and maybe a pound of hamburger for the soup. It's looking to be a very red meat week!

Dinners throughout the Week

2008-12-12T12:47:00.007-06:00

I've had another sad cooking week. We have just had so much going on that cooking has gotten put on the back burner.

We did have crock pot salsa chicken burritos. And if you haven't tried this before you must! Here's a link to a post I did about them before.
We also had an unexpected evening at home due to snow. I had planned on running by the store to pick up either some peppers or chicken for one of my menu items, but decided against it w/ the condition of the roads. We were too hungry to wait for pizza dough to be ready (yeast) and so we went back to a meal we used to have fairly often... Biscuit pizzas! And I'm not gonna lie, I love them:)

Flatten biscuits...

bake for half of the baking time or even a little longer

add on fave toppings ( We did marinara, Italian sausage, onion and cheese)

cook the last couple minutes and that's it!

a little sauteed broccoli on the side, cup of coffee for dessert.. YUM!

Then, last night we had a coupon for a FREE pizza at Spin! For you Kansas City folks.. if you haven't been there, you must. And if you need someone to go w/ you, I could probably arrange that:)

It's one of my favorite places to eat in Olathe. The pizzas are Neapolitan style and they come w/ all sorts of yummy toppings. They even have a potato pizza which is one of my favorites. Another time I got an Italian sausage, goat cheese and apple pizza w/ a white sauce. Delicious! Their salads are equally as amazing.

The best part of that place is their lunch special. I believe it's $8 and you get your own personal pizza (and not just a single topping, any of their speciality pizzas) w/ your choice of one of their amazing salads. There are three locations in Kansas City.

So, what's your favorite type of pizza?

Finances~ Lord Guide us

2008-12-10T08:43:00.007-06:00

Money has really been on my mind lately. Not the lack of money, necessarily, but just the way in which we handle our finances. I suppose it could be due to the fact that we are right smack in the middle of the holiday season and it feels like we are dishing out money left and right for various things.

Matt and I try, and I think are pretty successful, at sticking to the budget we have lined out. I record all of our expenses each week to make sure that we are staying w/in the allotted amounts. And for the first time in awhile have been able to start saving money again.

Still, I have felt very convicted to really seek the Lord on our finances. I asked Matt if he would join me in praying over this and we will just see where the Lord is guiding us. I firmly believe that the resources we have are directly from the Lord. He has always provided for us and has seen us through some of our more difficult financial times.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Dear Lord,

Thank you for always providing for us. Please Guide Matt and I in the way that we spend the resources you have provided for us. We want to honor you in all aspects of our life and if there is a way that we can better honor you with our money, please show us.

In Jesus name,
AMEN.

**This week I have been reading in Exodus. This morning I read chapters 9-12, which ended with the Lord freeing the Israelites out of Egypt. What are you reading?**

Great Bargains at ULTA

2008-12-09T09:04:00.005-06:00

If you live in the Kansas City area or have one close to you (they have locations all over the U.S., as well as online shopping) you must check it out! I used to hate buying make-up b/c I felt that I was always spending so much money. Ulta has such great deals though. Not only do they accept manufacturer coupons (those from online/ newspaper/ etc) they also have their own coupons. Typically the coupons are either for 20% off, or 3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more. They also have bonuses all the time with purchases. Here's just a brief bit about a few deals I recently got..

Buy $12 of Revlon products, get a free gift of a blush, eye shadow, lip gloss and nail polish. All of which were very nice products totally $39 if bought separately. On top of that I had a 3.50 off $10 purchase. So.. $12-3.50 = $8.50 for 5 items (including the one I had to buy to receive the free gift). I was kicking myself though b/c I could have saved even more if I had my coupon book w/ me which had Revlon coupons in it- They let you combine their coupons w/ manufacturer coupons which saves you even more!)

Then, last night I was out shopping for my Secret Santa at work. I popped into Ulta and they had cute large coffee mugs filled with a pretty large body wash, body lotion and hand cream. They were marked down to 9.99 and then I also had another 3.50 off 10.00 purchase. $6.50 for a really nice gift!

Also, if you are in need of some stocking stuffers they have a variety right now. They have a selection of lotions, fun makeups, even kid appropriate gifts for all under $5. They also had a 5 for $5 stocking stuffer promotion going on.

All this to say.. if you are in need of some good deals check out Ulta. They carry make-up, "drug-store brands" as well as more select brands. They also carry hair products, hair equipment, lotions, candles, all sorts of fun stuff.

If you get the paper they often have ads on Sundays with coupons and a list of all of their deals. You can also check out their website for a scan of the ad.

Oh! and one last thing! Mineral make-up is very popular right now. I haven't personally tried it, but if you have been thinking of doing so Ulta has their own line of mineral make-up and right now it is buy one get one free. The eye shadows are $10.00 regularly, so you would be getting 2 for 10.00. And if you get your hands on an Ulta coupon you might get an even better deal!

Ok.. I'm really done now. Good deals get me excited:)

Happy Monday!

2008-12-08T08:42:00.006-06:00

Can anyone believe it's December the 8th? This year has truly flown by... Christmas is coming so fast!

I have MUCH to do this week as we are hosting our Holiday Open House next Sunday!

Here's a quick look at my plans/goals for the week:

- daily quiet time
-daily advent reading with Matt
- try and maintain the house this week since right now it's clean!
-finish buying groceries and paper goods needed for Sunday
-make Reservations for Matt and I's anniversary date Friday!
-give dog a bath
-Bake/Cook/Bake/Cook!:)
-complete Matt's Christmas present- seriously, Christmas shopping should NOT be this difficult!
-hopefully wrap a few gifts to have under the tree
-finish putting up last few decorations
-catch up on Thank you cards
- oh and I REALLY want to watch some Christmas Specials- Charlie Brown is on tonight!

Menu:
(this is what I'm thinking so far, we have a semi-busy week so we'll see!)

Monday- Crock pot Salsa Chicken w/ black beans, tortillas, chips and salsa

Tuesday- not sure yet! It's Matt's last day of school so I'm trying to think of something special!

Wednesday- Peppers stuffed w/ Italian sausage, rice, tomatoes and cheese and a salad or a homemade pizza w/ the same toppings (minus the rice!) - I'll see what sounds better come Wednesday

Thursday- Italian Breaded Chicken w/ Mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli

Friday- Anniversary Date night! (we are celebrating a couple weeks late, actual anniversary fell on Thanksgiving)

Corn w/ Wild Rice

2008-12-05T14:59:00.006-06:00

Well, rather than posting a recipe from something I made this week.. I'm going to skip back a bit...

We had a Thanksgiving dinner at church a couple weeks ago and I was looking for a side to make. I came across this corn dish and just knew it was the one! Unfortunately I don't have any pics of mine but here's the link to where the recipe originated from, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. (and if you haven't checked out her website before you MUST check it out! Her recipes and step by step directions are wonderful!)

Hers looks to be a little creamier than mine.. but regardless it was still really good! So if you are looking for an extra side dish this holiday season here's one to keep in mind.

Corn w/ Wild Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked wild rice- wild rice is expensive! so i used a wild rice/white rice mixture.. it still turned out yummy!
3 to 4 cups fresh corn kernels (scraped off the cob)- I used frozen corn
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or table salt to taste)
cayenne pepper to taste
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 cup milk, for thinning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook wild rice in chicken broth until almost done. Rice should still have a firm (but not crunchy) bite. Drain rice and allow to cool.
Scrape corn kernels into a large mixing bowl. Add in cream, butter, beaten eggs, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir together.
Add in cooled wild rice, stirring gently. Splash in milk so that mixture is stirrable, but not overly juicy.
Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or cayenne pepper if needed.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until just turning golden brown on top and mixture is somewhat set.

...And enjoy:)

A little bit of KC in NYC...

2008-12-04T14:44:00.007-06:00

Good Morning America picks different cities each year to create a Holiday window display for their building and Kansas City was chosen this year!
Here's a link to the story as well as some more pictures!

For unto us a Child is Born...

2008-12-03T08:25:00.011-06:00

Matt brought home the book, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" ( edited by Nancy Guthrie)
It is a series of 22 advent readings. We decided to read one a day together through the month. It takes less than 10 minutes for us to sit and read together but the words have been quite powerful. It has been nice to start each day this Christmas season w/ reflections on who Christ is.

A few quotations that stuck out to me are:

"When a person makes his home among people he moves in with them. He identifies with them. The incarnation is the moving in of the eternal Word so that he utterly identifies with us in every way. He took the whole nature of a human being, fully and totally identifying with everything with all that it means for us to be human..." (excerpt from That You May Believe: New Life in the Son by Joseph R. Ryan)

When Matt and I first decided to plant a church he often asked, "What would it look like if Jesus moved into our neighborhood?" I have thought back to that analogy often in everyday life. I have Christ, He is in me.. here I am everyday in my work place, in my neighborhood, at the grocery store.. are things changing because of that? Am I reaching out to others, meeting them where they are?

Here's another one...

"This is the word of a prophet, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given" (Isaiah 9:6) This is for us the hardest point, not so much to believe that he is the son of the virgin and God himself, as to believe that this Son of God is ours. That is where we wilt, but he who does feel it has become another man. Truly it is a marvelous in our eyes that God should place a little child in the lap of a virgin and that all our blessedness should lie in him. And this Child belongs to all mankind. God feeds the whole world through a babe nursing at Mary's breast."
(Adapted from Martin Luther's Christmas Book, edited by Roland H. Bainton)

Christ came to be with us.
He was born a baby into the world.
He experienced life.
He spent time with people.
He met peoples needs.
He is our God.

Our Great God humbled himself to come to earth and be born as a baby. Our Great God loved us that much. He "moved into our neighborhood", he became like us.. he came and sat at our table, he walked on our dirty streets...

Our Great God...

Gosh, what's my excuse?

I am going to try to start looking for ways that I can better demonstrate God's love, will you?

Much to give thanks for...

2008-12-02T15:32:00.001-06:00

This past thanksgiving I was especially thankful for one person. Thanksgiving day marked Matt and I's 4 year anniversary. Crazy how fast time has gone.

I couldn't have found a greater person to walk through life with. The past four years have been filled with many ups and downs and regardless he has always remained steady. I can't wait to continue making memories with my best friend. I love you Matt!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are going out in a couple weeks to celebrate our anniversary.. but in the meantime here is a pic from us at the KU game last week at the Sprint Center. We had SOOO much fun!!

Cutting Coupons, Cuts Costs... or as Matt says "Full Price is for Suckas" :)

2008-12-02T09:07:00.007-06:00

Coupons and grocery ads have been a big help to me in saving money. I love when the grocery ads come out for the week... yes I know, I'm a dork. But really I do! It's fun to see how you will be able to save money the coming week. Grocery shopping can really be a game if you let it be.. especially if you match grocery ads w/ coupons! But let me not get ahead of myself...

Here's my coupon routine...

We get the Sunday paper and so Sunday evening (or another night that week) while we are winding down for the night I like to watch a little TV and cut coupons. I cut only the ones that I feel will be profitable. Then I file them in my coupon folder,
a small expandable file folder I found in the dollar section at Target! I labeled the dividers according to different sections of the grocery store: Produce, Meats, Pantry, Freezer, Toiletry and so on. The first section I labeled for current coupons I plan on using and the last section I left for restaurant coupons.
This takes all of about 30 minutes to do. It's nice to do this at a time when I'm not also trying to plan my menu or make my grocery list. This way my coupons are cut and I'm ready for whenever I do decide to plan my trip to the grocery store.

**I also try and make sure to go through my coupons that are already in my folder and discard the ones that have expired. This way I am sure that I won't try and use them.

On Tuesday/Wednesday the grocery store ads come out for week. (The ads at my local grocery stores run Wednesday through Tuesday, unless they are running a special BUT the sales at Target/Wal-Mart/etc run Sunday through Saturday.. just an FYI!)

When the ads come out I like to go through and circle the deals that I would like to check out. After I look through the ads, I like to go through my coupons and see if I have any that I would be able to combine with a deal. For instance, Target had cereal listed 2 for $4. I had 2 different coupons that said buy 1 box of cereal get $1 off (of this particular brand). I bought two boxes at Targets price for $4 and then used my manufacturer coupons to get an additional $1 off each box of cereal. Grand Total - $2 for 2 boxes of cereal!
I have come across deals like this quite often so just keep your eyes out! Moneysavingmom is a great site to check out for coupon/grocery store deal combinations!

None of this really takes all that long, just a few minutes here or there can save you money while at the store. Little by little your savings adds up and I'm realizing the longer that I do this the better I am at spotting deals and keeping even more money in my wallet.

Getting back on track..

2008-12-01T08:20:00.003-06:00

Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I went missing from the blogging world for a few days as we left town Wednesday to go and visit my family. But now I'm back:)

Since I didn't have my "normal" weekend at home my plans for this week are still a little sketchy.. but here is what I have so far.

Menu:

Monday- probably out.. then to the grocery store!

Tuesday- might thaw some soup from the fridge/ sandwich fixings (Matt will be at school)

Wednesday- Italian - a homemade pizza sounds good or maybe just a pasta dish.. I'm going to check and see what we already have in our pantry before I leave for the store. This will somewhat determine our meal for Wednesday.

Thursday- We are craving that orange chicken again! I think we will have that w/ rice and a side of green veggies:)

Friday- this is our normal date night.. so we are planning dinner and a movie:)

Goals for the Week:

-daily quiet time

-spend time w/ Matt daily reading through our Advent book

-finish grocery list/ match w/ coupons

-finish decorating the house for Christmas:)

-get caught up on laundry from this past week

I think this is all for the week. The list is a little shorter but the job a lot bigger as I still have quite a bit of decorating to do! I usually have this all done right after Thanksgiving but w/ being out of town I just didn't quite get there.