Fun giveaway!

Well, I'm not giving anything away...yet, maybe I will another day!

But, I came across a blog doing a giveaway of something I'd really like to win! :) I wanted to share it with you, hoping that if I don't win...one of my friends might be a lucky winner!

Check it out at http://www.thenotsoblog.com/2009/07/spunky-monkeys-review-and-giveaway/ . She's giving away a really cute swim suit cover-up!!

To the best mom in the world!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I love you so much! Taylor says I'm her best friend now...though, I'm sure we'll have a few bumps and rough times as she gets older. But, I hope that I can still be her best friend like you are mine. I wouldn't know what to do without you.

Things on my mind...

Oh, it's been so long since I've blogged. I guess I've lost the motivation to do so lately. Everything has been going well. I have been staying busy with work, and just haven't taken the time to type up a post after the girls go to bed like I used to.

We had a great weekend--spending time with my family. My sister came to town and her best friend, Becky, was visiting. It was great to see both of them. Becky had not seen Tay since she was 3 weeks old at Ashley's wedding! Ash brought her 2 foster boys with her. This was our first time to meet her newest boy. He's another cute little boy & Ashley is so good with him...she is with both of the boys. I was just thinking in church yesterday (as Ash was tapping him on the head to get him to quit playing with his bulletin like it was a paper airplane!), that when they grow up, I bet they will look back and be so grateful for the great parents that Ash & Seth are to them.

Church has been just AWESOME the past few months. To quote Bro. Fred, I left the Sunday service this week thinking ..."woo! WOO!" :) Powerful, powerful stuff from God's Word. This week he spoke from Luke 13:6-7...a parable about producing fruit. God expects that from us if we are His children. One thing he said was that as a part of the church...it doesn't matter if your the eye, ear, nose, pinky finger, toe, or belly button (well, I added that last one!)...you are to do your part in the body of Christ. It's interesting because earlier this week, one of my "friends" on Facebook wrote this as her status: "

One of the greatest sins in the church is we have made it ok to sit & do nothing and call yourself a Christ-follower."

That's another "WOOO!" statement! I'm still processing that...it's a strong statement, wouldn't you agree?

Anyhow, we have a new youth/college pastor at our church, and this Sunday I made the statement that I'd like to be a part of working with that ministry. I'm super excited for what God has in store. He's been showing up in a big way lately, and I'm confident He'll do great things in the coming years to build up young people in the church. We need strong young people now more than ever. I've found from experience that if you don't have a circle of Christian friends to hold you accountable, you'll fall for anything the world hands you.

Well, that's about it for tonight. I'll try to post more about the girls later in the week. (Ella turns 6 months old on Sunday...I think I may just cry...why does time fly by so quickly.) I love my girls so much and just want to keep them small.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Recipe to share

Here's a great recipe I tried last week. I've been given lots of fresh blueberries. So, I've found several recipes I'd like to try and will be posting more this week. This one is a Cooking Light recipe from my friend & coworker, Tessie. Thanks, Tessie!

Blueberry Streusel Cake

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vanilla wafer crumbs (about 8 cookies)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 TB margarine, melted
1 teaspoon hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 TB vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl; gently mash with a potato masher until blueberries are crushed. Let stand 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine wafer crumbs, brown sugar, margarine, and hot water; stir until well-blended. Set aside.

Combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Combine yogurt, oil, vanilla, egg, and egg white; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in the blueberry mixture. Pour batter into a 9" round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the cake; bake an additional 10 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

**Notes: Taylor really enjoyed helping to mash the blueberries with the sugar! :) Also, I used a pie plate since I don't own a cake pan! And, I had to sub applesauce for the 3 T vegetable oil that it calls for. I wouldn't recommend that. I don't think it affected the taste too much, but the texture would have been a bit better if I had vegetable oil.

I hope you'll try this and let me know what you think! We served it while it was still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Kiddo update

Oh, I get so behind on blogging!

An update on the girls...
They are both doing good. Taylor had a cold about a week and a half ago, and then we all had it! It went from Tay to me and we quickly got better, but Ella and Scott are still fighting it. As much as we begged Tay to "keep your hands off your sister!!", it just didn't work! Tay just loves her too much! :)

Ella went in for her 4 month check up a couple of weeks ago & Tay had her 3 year check up. Tay is so funny because she loves to go to the doctor. She's always telling her baby dolls they have to go to the doctor. And, if she gets the tiniest scrape...you guessed it, she "needs to go to the doctor"!

So, the funniest part of the doctor visit was the weigh-in...generally, not a "funny" part of my doctor visits! But, Taylor weighed in a 26 lb. 6 oz. and my sweet Ella...15 lb. 13 oz.! Taylor is in the 5th percentile for weight and less than 5th percentile for height. Ella, on the other hand, is in the 90th percentile for height AND weight! What a contrast these two are! I get a kick out of Scott folding clothes and holding a shirt up and saying "Is this Taylor's or Ella's?!?". Truly, it's hard to tell sometimes! :) I took Ella to the doctor again last Friday because of her stuffy nose & she was already up to 16 lb. 3 or 6 oz....the girl gains fast! It had just been 9 days since she was weighed in previously.

We've gotten down the exersaucer from the attic for Ella and she LOVES playing in it. I'll have to post a picture this week. She sits up really well, with assistance of course, but she still hasn't rolled over! She's just not happy laying on her play mat for more than a few minutes.

I took Taylor to Cottage Hill Baptist last week to sign up for Mom's Day Out. I think she'll enjoy it, but it will take her going a few times before she feels comfortable. She enjoyed playing in the play area while I filled out paperwork and then we went to see her "classroom". The 2 teachers seemed great, but the kids in the class were so much bigger than Taylor. Really, they were a lot bigger & the teacher even mentioned something about Taylor being so petite! She'll be going to MDO on Thursdays from 10-2 and Meredith will be taking her there & I'll pick her up after work. Another concern of mine is that Tay typically goes down for a nap between 12-1...I'm just hoping Tay can hang out 'til 2 and then take a nap when we get home.

That's about it, for now. I think about blogging all the time, but just don't get around to doing it. But, some of the things that come out of Taylor's mouth just crack me up and I think "I need to put that in the blog!". But, now as I sit here typing, I just can't think of anything in particular! One thing she did do last week...She's always saying, "Watch, Mama. WATCH!" So, I look up and she's dancing (shaking her behind!) and I ask "Where did you learn those moves?!?" and she quickly replies, "I learned it in SUNDAY SCHOOL!!" Hmm...I don't think so!

Have a great week y'all!!

Menu Monday 07.06

Hi guys! Here is what we have on the menu for the next week or so.

Monday--Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake, Peas & Carrots
Tuesday--Jambalaya, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday--Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Thursday--We'll be eating at mom & dad's house. :)
Friday--scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits
Saturday--ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad
Sunday--hot dogs, pasta salad, baby carrots & ranch dip
Monday--chicken spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread
Tuesday--Tater tot casserole, Sweet Peas

Here's a great recipe that we've tried before & I'm happy to pass along--
Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken (I've used just breasts before, too)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimentos, drained
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from the pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1 additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make 2 cups. Cook spaghetti in same broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients, except additional 1 cup grated cheese.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.)

Enjoy!

Because you won't come back to my blog if I never post anything...!

Ok, so I have a dozen (or more!) other things I need to be doing right now...but, it's been so long since I posted anything here! The month of June just had us going here & there...and staying "busy"!

I came across this on someone else's blog & thought I'd copy it! Because I know you want to know all of these things about me...and you have nothing better to do for the next 15 minutes! Haha! I know better than that, so if you stick with me...I promise to post something more interesting next time!! ...and I'll even post a couple of pictures of the girls! (Why do my pictures always appear at the beginning of my blog. Can anyone help me with this?!?)

FOOD-OLOGY
What is your salad dressing of choice? honey mustard
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? It's a toss up between San Miguel & Macaroni Grill
What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Mexican
What are your pizza toppings of choice? Ham & Pineapple..or just plain ole pepperoni
What do you like to put on your toast? I prefer a bagel with cream cheese, but on toast it's just butter & jelly

TECHNOLOGY
How many televisions are in your house? 3
What color cell phone do you have? crimson
What does the first text message in your inbox say and who sent it? "thanks" from my friend, Laura
Who was the last person to call you? A lady calling me back with her Southern Living at Home order :)

BIOLOGY
Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? adenoids, wisdom teeth & 2 babies! Ha!
What is the last heavy item you lifted? Ella in her carseat! Seriously, have you held her...she's a load!

CRAP-OLOGY
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? absolutely not.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Nope, I like my name (thanks Mom & Dad).
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Um...only if my children were starving & I needed the money that badly!

DUMB-OLOGY
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? I wear flip-flops more than anything else...so probably 5 or 6 pair.
Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Never
Last person you talked to in person ? Scott
Favorite Month? October...just all the months during Fall, actually...cooler weather, football season, the start of the holiday season, my anniversary ( 6 yrs. this October!), etc.

CURRENT-OLOGY
Missing someone? Yes...I'd love to live much closer to some good friends from college
Mood? relaxed
What are you listening to? Scott playing NCAA Football on xbox
Watching? The computer screen as I type
Worrying about? nothing really at the moment

RANDOM-OLOGY
What’s the last movie you watched? Curious Case of Benjamin Button...a very interesting movie
Do you smile often? Yes.
Do you always answer your phone? embarrassingly...not often. Either I can't get to it in time because I'm feeding someone, changing someone's diaper, giving someone a bath...well, you get the idea. But, I do try to return all my missed calls!
It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? I don't know anyone who would text me at 4 in the AM and if they did I wouldn't hear it anyways.
If you could change your eye color what would it be? I like my brown eyes.
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? cherry
Do you own a digital camera? yes, we got one when Taylor was born.
Have you ever had a pet fish? yes, goldfish when I was a child & I had a beta fish in college
Favorite Christmas song? hmm...there's so many. I like "Mary, did you know"...is that the title?
What’s on your wish list for your birthday? I usually ask for money & then end up spending it on anything but myself. But, I'd really like a pedicure & could use some new clothes. There's some books & CDs I'd really like, too.
Can you do push-ups? I think so.
Can you do a chin up? No way!
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited!
Do you have any saved texts? nope
Ever been in a car wreck? no
Do you have an accent? I don't think so.
What is the last song to make you cry? In Christ Alone by Travis Cottrell
Plans tonight? not much! we had tacos for dinner, I straightened up the house, but the girls to bed...I know...it's EXCITING around here!
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? I've had my moments
Name 2 things you bought yesterday. nothing! But, I went to Target the day before & bought plenty!
You ever been given roses? Yes
Current hate right now? Ooh...tough one...truly, I can't think of anything I "hate" at the moment....I hate black olives, does that count?
Met someone who changed your life? yes, most importantly...Jesus
What song represents you? Like I said...I really love "In Christ Alone" right now.
What were you doing 12 AM last night? just falling asleep
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why won't Ella sleep?!?!

Oh, wow...that was really long. I doubt anybody read this all the way through! :)

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July! God bless America!

A couple of recipes...

Hey guys!
I just wanted to share a couple of really good recipes I've come across recently--blueberry muffins & banana bread. I'm sure you can find dozens and dozens of recipes for these two...but, I think these recipes are pretty fantastic! I hope you'll try them.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar & white sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top.
3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

**NOTE** I doubled this recipe to make big muffins. You just fill the muffin cup right to the very top. By doubling the recipe, it made 14 big delicious muffins! :)


Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is very, very good. I sometimes sprinkle in just a tiny bit of cinnamon & nutmeg, too.

Menu Monday 06.15.09

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here. Last week just flew by! Here's what we have on the menu until the end of the month. I'll be trying some new crockpot recipes--it's just way to hot to cook something in the over for more than a few minutes. We had a great dinner tonight in the crockpot & I'll share the recipe at the end of the post. And, as usual, you'll see some repeats from my previous meal plan because we didn't end up making them as planned before.

6.15--Crockpot Sante Fe Chicken over rice with refried beans
6.16--Leftover Sante Fe chicken served in flour tortillas, with chips & salsa
6.17--Beef, Cheddar, and Tomato Macaroni with broccoli
6.18--Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, with mashed potatoes & sweet peas (This recipe is really yummy, but Scott has requested no more tilapia for awhile after this...he's just not a tilapia fan!)
6.19--Beans & Cornbread
6.20--Vacation
6.21--Vacation
6.22--
6.23--Quiche, biscuits, bacon
6.24--Spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread
6.25--Barbecue chicken, pasta salad, sauteed zucchini
6.26--Barbecue chicken pizza made with leftover chicken
6.27--Steak, baked potato, salad
6.28--Taco Salad
6.29--
6.30--

Ok, so I've got some gaps in my menu...please post any great dinner ideas you'd like to share!
And, here's the recipe for our dinner tonight...

CROCKPOT EASY SANTA FE CHICKEN

1 15 oz can black beans -- rinsed and drained
2 15.25 oz cans whole kernel corn -- drained
1 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa
5 or 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts -- (can use frozen) (and I only used 3 large breasts)
1 8 oz brick cream cheese -- low fat is fine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a slow cooker, mix together the beans, corn, and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining salsa over the chicken.

Cover and cook on the high heat setting 2.5-3 hours (I cooked it on low for 5 hours), or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will toughen.

Remove the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces (I shredded it...it seems to me that when you shred cooked chicken you have so much more than when you leave it whole...and I like to save a buck!). Add back to the slow cooker.

Add the cream cheese (cut into cubes to melt faster), and turn slow cooker to high heat. Heat until cream cheese melts and blends into sauce.

Serve over rice. Top with shredded cheese.

I really look forward to serving these leftovers in a tortilla--a yummy burrito!

Menu Monday 06.01

Here's what we have on the menu for the next 2 weeks. I'll also post our favorite recipe from my previous menu plan.

Monday--leftover spaghetti & garlic bread
Tuesday--scrambled eggs, bacon, & cheesy grits
Wednesday--Chicken Noodle Casserole, french bread
Thursday--Beans & Cornbread with salad
Friday--Taco Melt with refried beans
Saturday--we have a wedding to attend that night
Sunday--Chicken Bacon Crescent Ring (potluck dinner for Bible study)
Monday--Broiled tilapia parmesan, broccoli, stuffing
Tuesday--Santa Fe Chicken over rice with cheese
Wednesday--Chicken Spaghetti, salad
Thursday--leftovers
Friday-Sunday--out of town

Our favorite meal from the previous menu plan was Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken. Not only do I love the simplicity & ability to cook it in the crockpot--the flavor is delish!! Oh, how I love the sauce! We've served it many different ways--over rice, pasta, even biscuits. I normally remove the chicken breasts and shred them up and return to the crockpot before serving. Here ya' go!

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope italian salad dressing mix (I use the zesty italian mix)
1/4 cup water
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
hot cooked rice or noodles

Place chicken in slowcooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water; pour over chicken. cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cook 1 hour longer or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles

Monday Monday

A fresh start to a new week...

This morning I attended training at the Watermelon Patch. I think I'll really enjoy working there--they have so many fun activities, events, and parties--from laser tag to "girls just want to have fun" to art & cooking, and many more! In fact, I have several business cards which I have been instructed to give out that entitle you to ONE FREE CLASS! Check out their website to see all the classes that are available. Leave me a comment and I'll be glad to get a card to you.

After the training Mom, Mimi, Taylor, Ella, and I went to eat lunch at one of our favorite places--San Miguel. We all love Mexican food--especially Mimi & Taylor. Two people who don't eat much but can really put away some chips, salsa, & tacos!! :) Taylor also loves the music there and was shaking her groove thang in our booth!! Oh, my sweet, quiet, & shy Taylor--what happened?!?! Well, she's still pretty sweet, but she has quite the energetic & funny personality now.

Tonight I headed back to they gym after missing what seems like an entire month from working out. It was good to get back on the elliptical machine, but here it is nearing 11:30 and I'm still WIDE AWAKE! That's what happens when I don't get home from the gym until 9.

Ella had 2 firsts today! I pulled out the doorway jumper that Taylor loved as a baby. Guess what..Ella loves it, too! She's always kicking her legs and seems really strong. She just grinned and smiled at Tay and I when I put her in the jumper. I'm glad to have something I can put her in for a few minutes to keep her happy! After the jumper, I gave her a few bites of rice cereal. I think she loved it! She was starting to fuss since the jumper wore her out & she fell asleep shortly after that so she didn't eat much. But, we'll try again tomorrow. I'll take some pics and post them.

Well, I guess I'll go lay down & hope that I fall asleep soon.
I hope everyone else had a great Monday!

Our weekend...

We had a great weekend with some fabulous weather (finally!). We blew up Tay's swimming pool that Gran gave her for her birthday. She had a blast playing in it. I must admit that I splashed around in it a bit, too! Saturday morning it was so nice before it got too hot.

Saturday afternoon I had a training for my new job. I'll be working a few hours a week at the Watermelon Patch! We've made a plan to go to Disney World in November 2010...it seems a long ways a way, but I know it will be here before you know it! Tay can hardly wait--she can name all the characters on Disney Playhouse. So, my bit of extra income from the Watermelon Patch will be just fun money and also go towards saving for our big vacation! Tay actually starts Summer Camp at the Watermelon Patch next Tuesday and I know she'll love it.

We had a great morning at church. Bro. Fred preached on "Priorities"--God first, family second, work & other relationships are third. These are based upon God's law as stated in the 10 Commandments--1. have no other gods before me 2. honor thy father & mother, do not commit adultery 3. do not covet, do not steal (honesty & integrity are what God calls us to). It was a great message and something I will consider regarding all areas of my life and how things are prioritized.

After church, Tay went with Scott to eat lunch at Gran's and Ella and I spent the afternoon at Mawmaw & Pawpaw's (with my parents & Mimi, too). My Pawpaw is doing so great after having surgery just 5 days ago--it's amazing! Between my Mimi, Mawmaw, & Pawpaw, I have the best grandparents! I think Tay & Ella are pretty lucky with such fabulous grandparents, too! :)

I will include a few pics from the weekend. The first is a picture of Taylor with a really cute purse & matching hairbow from Gran. (By the way, Gran is selling these if you know of any girly girls that would like one! She has the purses & bows in different colors (the bows have 3 different color ribbons--Tay's is blue, pink, & yellow--it's hard to tell in the pic) and I can send more pics if interested. They are $8 for the pair.) The second is from lunch today at Mawmaw & Pawpaw's house. The third one is actually Ella sleeping when she about 3 weeks old. The final one is from yesterday as I watched Tay swim--see how much she's grown!!
I hope everyone has a great week!!

Oh...one more thing, if you happen to read this before tomorrow (Monday, June 1st) at noon...head on over to Dori's blog to register for a giveaway of Jennifer Rothschild's book Self Talk, Soul Talk. Just leave her a comment & let her know that I referred you there. I found Dori's site through her comment to a post at Beth Moore's blog. Dori seems to have a great blog titled "Your Word is Life to Me". Check it out! :) Maybe, you'll be a winner of the book!

Bible study update

We'll be beginning Beth Moore's newest Bible study on Esther--"It's tough being a woman". We'll start with the introduction video next Sunday night, June 7th, at 5:30 pm at my house. We'll have a potluck dinner for our first night, too. Go ahead and purchase your workbook by next Sunday night. You can pick them up at Lifeway Bookstore. I'm thrilled to be doing this study and am excited to get started. Please leave me a comment if you plan on joining the Bible study! :)

Some pics for my Mimi! (To be fair, I have to post a pic of both Tay & Ella...though, Tay looks like she has bunny teeth in her pic!)

Checking in...

Wow...who knew keeping up with a blog would be harder than I thought! Well, I'm back and just have a quick update before bed. We're all doing good around here. I can hardly believe Ella will be 4 months old next week. And, guess who's wearing 6-9 month jammies already! Yep, my cutie patootie Ella is growing at a rapid pace! :)

We plan on having Ella and Taylor's pictures taken this week. Looking back at Tay's 3 months pictures, Ella and Tay really do look quite a good bit alike at this age. It's hard to remember Tay's personality at this age. But, Ella is a very smiley baby and loves to snuggle. She makes all sorts of sweet and funny coos and noises.

We had a good Memorial Day weekend, but didn't get to do all the fun things we had planned because it rained off and on all weekend long. But, we grilled Saturday and today and had great food. I love the smell of the grill. Tay is getting good riding her new bike that she got for her birthday. She has a bit of difficulty with watching where she is going though because she is looking and concentrating on her feet so much! Unfortunately, we didn't get to blow up her new pool because of all of the rain.

Tay has also learned how to push her step stool over to turn the light off & on in the bathroom. Yay! This is a big time accomplishment. It gives her a lot of independance which she loves. She really likes to do things by herself!!

Tay LOVES going to Sunday School. It makes me so glad. She's come so far from screaming and crying when we drop her off to running down the hall when she sees her teacher waiting to greet her! Oh, I love it! She talks about Sunday School all week and is very quick to correct me when I slip up and mention church. She says, "No, Mommy! YOU go to church; I go to Sunday School!!"

Ella still hasn't rolled over yet. I say it's because she never lays on the floor longer than a few minutes. This gal likes to be held...all.the.time.!! The batteries on her swing died (again!) this weekend. I thought "Oh, No!!" That's the only way I get a break from holding her during the day!!

We're definitely hoping for better weather this week so we can spend some time outside. Whew, we've been cooped up in the house for too long! I hope everyone has a great week!

Menu Plan Monday 05.18

So, I took the week off last week from blogging. Sorry! Once I got so far behind in the week, I just figured I would start over today. Here's what we'll be having for the next 2 weeks. Again, if you see something you would like the recipe for, just leave me a message. And, you'll see some repeats from my previous menu because we didn't get around to cooking every night because of things that came up at the last minute. The beef, tomato, & cheddar mac was a HUGE hit with Tay--she had THREE helpings the first night and asked for it for lunch the next day! So, I'll go ahead and post that recipe at the end of this post. It's so easy to change it up to with different type chopped tomatoes & shredded cheeses. I may do it mexican style next time with rotel and monterrey jack. Yum!

Monday--Lemon Garlic Tilapia, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables
Tuesday--Homemade Pancakes, Sausage Patties, and Scrambled Eggs
Wednesday--Creamy Italian Chicken over Rotini Pasta, Salad
Thursday--Chicken Pot Pie (I'll be making an extra to take to a friend), Crescent Rolls, and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Friday--Grilled Pork Chops, Baked Potato, Sweet Peas
Saturday--Beans and Cornbread (from Pioneer Woman's website)
Sunday--Quesadillas, Chips & Salsa
Monday--Steak, French Fries, Salad
Tuesday--Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Salad, Garlic Bread
Wednesday--Tacos, Spanish Rice, Refried Beans
Thursday--Creamy Chicken Noodle Bake, Banana Pudding
Friday--Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Saturday--out of town
Sunday--out of town

Here's the Beef, Tomato, & Cheddar Mac recipe:
Tomato, Cheddar and Beef Macaroni
~*~Sandy~*~ from Babycenter.com's Cooking for Your Family Board

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 cup water
1 cup elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onions, drain. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and macaroni. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until tender; stir in cheese and serve.

Variations:
- ground turkey, onion, plain diced tomatoes, chicken broth, whole wheat rotini, and Irish Cheddar cheese
- ground venison, plain tomatoes, smoked paprika, garlic

Favorite Friday

I know I've been going on and on about how great Beth Moore's latest Bible study on Esther is. I've also been following her blog recently and it's great, too!

For the past two weeks, her youngest daughter, Melissa, has been blogging while on a trip with Compassion to Calcutta, India. It has been absolutely amazing & eye-opening to read about her experience there. No lie...I've cried every single day I've read an entry she's written from India! It's just incredible to read about how the rest of the world lives while I feel bad for myself that I can't afford something as small as a pedicure or as big as a vacation or a new car. For goodness sakes, these people are starving, without power, without homes, and without knowing that someone loves them. It breaks my heart. So, I encourage you to check out the Living Proof blog. You'll have to go back just a little ways to start reading about Melissa's trip.

You'll also find posts from Beth and her daughter Amanda. They are sometimes thought-provoking posts, but often they are just laugh out loud funny! I just love this family--they are so REAL!

Anyhow, back to Melissa's trip with Compassion. Just this week, I was reading about Melissa's final day in India and crying my eyes out! Taylor asked me why I was crying and I showed her the picture of the beautiful children Melissa met. I explained to her their situation and that these children needed help. Well, truth be told, I often feel bad for those left fortunate, but never act on it...never really do anything to help. But, this hit me. That same day, as I was in another room I hear Taylor singing. As I near her, she is singing "Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world, Red & Yellow, Black & White, they are precious in His sight, Yes Jesus loves the little children of the world." Of course, I had to decipher a few of the words...but, you bet I got the message! Wow! We sing "Jesus love me" all the time, but I haven't sang this one to her in quite awhile. I was amazed at how God speaks through my own child...right then, I took Tay to the computer and we picked out a child from Compassion's website. We are now sponsoring a beautiful little 5 year old girl, Maher, from India. I anxiously check the mail each day waiting on my packet from Compassion with more information about her. I can't wait to mail her a letter. What a privilege!

Seriously, I am tearing up now as I type just thinking of them. Here's an excerpt from her last entry. If you don't feel compelled to sponsor a child, simply pray for them.

From Melissa:
After playing with our children for about an hour or so, I realized that our leaders were signaling some message to us. Our time was coming to an end. We had been so busy anticipating meeting our sponsor children that for some reason we hadn't even thought about the reality of having to say good-bye to them. As we hugged them good-bye for the last time my heart began to race and I noticed that Manot urgently kept saying something, the same line, over and over again to me. So, I beckoned the translator and I said, "Can you translate what he is trying to tell me?"

He is saying, “Please pray for us.”

Seriously, can one heart take it? That’s what nine-year-old Manot was trying to tell me. After all the gifts I had brought him. After all the food we had served him. After all the fun we had. This was his one urgent request:

“Please pray for us.”

I assured him through my tears that I would never ever stop praying for them.

That was the last verbal exchange we had before we said good-bye with oversized lumps in our throats and then we waved and waved and waved. I can’t count the times they looked back at me. They hung out of the window of the van, and we blew about a million kisses back and forth. As the van started to move, I felt my heart sink.

Will I ever see them again?

Will they make it?

Bible Study

Sunday was our last week of studying Esther. Like I said last week, I've enjoyed it SO much! It's been quite awhile since a study has impacted me as much as this one has. The lessons were so practical and applicable. A few key points from it, I'm sure I'll remember always.

I spoke with one of the co-facilitators of our study about getting a group of young women together this summer to do the study. So, I've already put a call in to the church office to get the DVD lessons from them. I'm so excited to get started again...I'm having withdrawals!

I've spoken with a few friends who are interested in doing the study already. My hope is to start in June. So, if you are interested in doing the study with us, just leave me a comment! If you've never done one of Beth's studies, she can be in depth and there is a commitment to doing daily homework lessons--but, it is SO worth it!

Be praying for a location for us to meet for Bible study. I have a few places to check out before we decide.

Also, be praying about getting the word out for the study. The message of the Esther study is so great & I think that so many young women could really benefit from it. If you'd like to see what it is about, you can check it out at http://www.lifeway.com .

Weight Loss Weigh In

Well, I've only made it to the gym once so far this week. :( When I don't make it to workout, I automatically start feeling frumpy. It's amazing how exercise just makes you feel better about yourself whether you are losing weight or not. So, I hope to be able to go to the gym Fri. night & Sat. afternoon to make up for my lack of exercise this week.

Strangely, I weighed at the gym on Monday & was down 5 lbs., but weighed today at Mom's house...and I was up 2 lbs.! So, who knows! I wouldn't doubt that I was up 2 lbs. after celebrating Tay's birthday for about a week! We had pizza, cake, & then a big lunch after Ella's dedication. I've been eating more than usual with all the celebrating!

Pictures!

"Best Friends Forever!"

Ella loves sitting up like a big girl in her Bumbo seat!!