My Easter Menu

Easter is around the corner, and I am hosting a small gathering with my own family (6 people), my parents, my sister, and my niece. It should be celebratory yet also very doable. My mom always plans a big egg hunt for the kids, where she hides plastic eggs that are filled with candy and money, and everyone loves that.

AND, I love celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ! I thank the Lord for His sacrifice for us and for His victory that day - over sin and for all eternity!

My teen daughter has a lot of excitement and energy regarding the holiday, and she has been a large help with planning. She has ideas for decor, like carnations in mason jars and pastel banners, and has helped get everyone in our household interested in helping with at least one menu item.

So, Easter is a big thing around here, and with special occasions come FOOD!

Here's what's on the menu:

Ham
*Turkey Breasts
Smashed Potatoes
Broccoli Salad
Honey-glazed Baby Carrots
Farmhouse Bread
Fruit Salad

Strawberry Lemonade - My daughter makes fresh lemonade and blends up some frozen strawberries to mix inside.
Raspberry Party Punch

Brownie Pizza
*Peanut Butter Cookies

*These items are being brought by my family.

What's on the menu for your Easter?

My Top Posts from 2016

Happy New Year everyone!

It's fun to look back over the past year and see which posts were at the top.

If you haven't gotten a chance to read these, check them out! And I plan to be on the blog soon with an encouraging word for the New Year!

Last month I did a giveaway for Andy Traub's Early to Rise Experience for Moms. If you haven't gotten the book yet, check it out! It could be a key to helping you rise earlier in the morning, and starting the new year on a better foot.

One of the highlights of my year was when my husband and I did the Whole30. I did a few posts with meal plans and also one that summed up our experience, as a whole.

A few well-hit recipes were:
A Great Big Tray of Delicious Nachos
Cauliflower Breadsticks
The Pioneer Woman's Brother's Tacos

At the beginning of the year last year, I did some posts about making time for important things. One of those things is to make time to take care of yourself! Even as this new year begins, I remember the importance of that!

A couple posts to encourage you to remember the goodness of God and treasure each moment:
As Life Unravels, Remember: God Gives Good Gifts
Motherhood: Why I Am Treasuring Every Moment

God bless you, and I look forward
to sharing 2017 with you!

Ending 2015 and Reflecting with Thankfulness

This morning my husband and I had a very pleasant morning, one of the most pleasant mornings I have had in a while. We arose at a good hour to venture out for some errands, a quick trip to the grocery store, and a stop at a, new-to-us, local doughnut shop so we could bring home some sweet treasures for our sleepy household. I was happy to be with my husband and feel at peace. We weren’t feeling rushed. The roads and stores were still quite empty. And best of all, we were together.

When we came home, our crew was still asleep, so we settled on the couch together for a morning rest. As I sat there thinking about the end of 2015, I felt so thankful… so thankful to the Lord for what I have in life…

• My family and friends, all of the people in my life who love and support me. 
• My husband who is my best friend and beloved partner in life.
• My children who fill my life with purpose and joy.
• My church family that encourages and upholds me.
• My house, a place I can call home, a place my family and I have cultivated and cherished.
• The privilege to homeschool my children and be with them every day.
• For this blog, a place for me to write and influence others and for my readers who make it worthwhile.

And the list goes on…

Sometimes life feels hard. Even the other day my husband mentioned how immensely blessed we are yet how difficult life can be! Unfortunately, that is the case this side of heaven. Life will always have its challenges and continual struggles. However, there is always much to be thankful for.

As you end this year and start a new one, I pray that you are able to have some time to reflect. I pray you are able to stop life for a moment and just think about all of the ways you are blessed.

May we enter 2016 with gratitude
and may it fuel us in the year ahead.

Happy New Year!

Plan a Family Vacation and Make Some Memories!

Do you feel like your family needs a vacation?

You probably do. You not only need a vacation to take a break and get away from the mundane of life. You need a vacation so you can make memories together!

Good memories in life help us build camaraderie and closeness. They strengthen our relationships, giving us powerful experiences and discussions for the present and future.

We just returned from our own family vacation. We drove out to New York, spent time with family, and headed back through Canada to see Niagara Falls.

We made great memories.

We sat in the car for hours, playing the ABC game, talking, watching movies, and soaking in the great views.

We rode the subway to New York City, got a view of the Freedom Tower, and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

We stayed at the Hilton in Canada at Niagara Falls, on the 39th floor, and had a breathtaking view of the Falls.

We saw great things, did great things, and spent time with great people – our family members who live in New York.

Our children loved the trip. It was a time for them to hang out with Mom and Dad and experience life together, in a different format, with the simple intent to relax, enjoy life, and discover new things.

Have you planned a family vacation recently?

It’s well-worth the effort and cost.

How to Make the Most Out of Your Summer

It’s here…

The moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Summer!

Many of us can’t wait for summer, and once it gets here, it seems to fly by faster than Superman!

Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Sure, we can enjoy summer without planning, and our summers probably won’t “fail”. However, how much better can our summers be if we put some thought into this special season?

Have you made a bucket list
for your family yet?

Think about some things you would like to experience as a family.

*Bike rides
*Soft-serve ice cream cones
*Tennis
*Disc golf
*Picnics and parks

Have you made a project list?

Think about seasonal chores that need to be done as well as projects that have been hanging over your head for a while.

*Garden/landscape
*Wash the windows
*Deep clean your car
*Clean out the closets
*Put a fresh coat of paint on some walls

Have you made goals for your children?

Think about the activities with which you would like your children to be involved and how you would like to see their time spent.

Your children will have a lot of extra time, and they can use that time to sharpen and hone their skills and interests.

Have you made a rough
schedule for your days?

Even in the summer, we function well on routine.

Keeping an approximate bed time, wake time, and structure can help our families be productive AND have fun!

Yes, summer is here!

Let’s live it to the fullest!

You Can Benefit from an Afternoon Siesta!

Each day is filled with a lot of action.

There is a lot of giving.
There are a lot of needs.
…and there’s only so much of you.

You need a time to refresh!

I have heard some moms say they don’t have time to take a break for themselves throughout the day. First, let me say that this is something for which you make time so you can be a better woman, wife, mom, homemaker, and all the other things you need to be!

Also, although some moms may be able to function without an afternoon break, many moms can not. It can be dangerous for some women if they do not get a break and keep burning the candle at both ends all day long – dangerous to their own well-beings, the state of their homes, the state of their relationships, and more!

Ever since my children were born, I have made it a priority to regroup in the afternoon. It’s important to me and to my household.

I need to regroup,
and my family needs me to regroup!

An afternoon siesta does not have to be long. On average, my break is anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes long, depending on how I am feeling, how my day is going, and what the needs are for the day.

You can sleep, read, pray, be still, relax… whatever helps you to recharge and be ready for the rest of the day.

I encourage you to try to take time out for yourself in the afternoon.

It helps me immensely!

You, too, can benefit from an afternoon siesta!

Taking Care of Yourself is Not Optional

Taking care of yourself is important, really important. You can only give from what you have. If you are trying to serve others and fulfill your God-given purpose on little sleep, little energy, and a whole lot of stress, you probably aren’t doing a great job. Things could be better.

You have to commit to take care of yourself.

Sometimes we think of taking care of ourselves as selfish, and even something for which we don’t really have time. However, a certain amount of self-awareness and care is proper and good.

When we don’t take care of ourselves we are stressed, heavy-laden, confused, frustrated, easily angered, and more!

You have to realize that it really is not an option for you to NOT take care of yourself. People are depending upon you, and I am sure you want to give life all that you can.

Are you ready to make a commitment to yourself?

Are you ready to make changes in life that help you take care of yourself?

You may have to:

• Make a fresh commitment to read your Bible and meet with God daily
• Spend less time on social media and recreational items
• Spend more time alone, in quiet
• Create an exercise plan
• Change your food habits
• Go to bed and/or wake up earlier
• Spend money on vitamins
• Refine your thought patterns
• Change your friend circles
• Alter your schedule

There are many things you may need to consider when thinking about taking care of yourself. Think about your most-pressing needs and prioritize.

Take care of yourself isn’t always easy. It may require sacrifice and diligence, but it is worth it!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Ways to Celebrate with Your Children

• Play a board game (pick one of your children’s favorites!)
• Write a note of encouragement and affirmation of your love
• Make a special breakfast like Chocolate Waffles with Berry Sauce
• Make sugar cookies and decorate them
• Give your children a small amount of cash and take them somewhere to buy a treat
• Watch a family movie, accompanied with homemade popcorn
• Play a “How Well Do You Know Me” game to see how well you know your children and vice versa. Make a list of questions like, What is his/her favorite color, food, movie, etc." Answer the questions separately, about each other, and see how much you really know.
• Make a fun dessert together
• Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes
• Brownie Pizza
• Red Velvet Cake

Most of all, enjoy being together,
and make sure your children hear you say,
“I love you!”

When Life Tells You to Slow Down

 God and life have been telling me to slow down for a while now.

 

Signs of wear and tear are showing.

Stress tries to win over many times.

My mind feels like it is spinning at record speeds.

 

And now. I have battled illness for weeks and will be battling illness for several more weeks.

 

It, all, started with a flu/sinus infection type illness that had me in bed for two days. It lingered as a cold for a week or so. Then my husband went away for 5 to 6 days for work within a week's time. Yep. Stress. It seemed to catch me, and I was down again. This time with flu symptoms and a crazy rash, which are supposed to be my friend for about 6 weeks.

 

As I embrace today's struggles, I am hearing God's gentle but loud voice,

 

 

 

He's sending the messages I have been hearing for a while now. You hear them too.

 

The signs are shouting at all of us.

 

Simplify. Rest. Prioritize. Declutter. Unplug.

 

We face the messages throughout the internet, on book titles, and all over the written and spoken world.

 

I've seen the messages, and my heart cries out with a loud,

"Yes! Yes, I want to do all of those things."

 

I want a slower, simpler, fuller life.

 

Life is zapping us of energy and the things we find to be most important, sometimes without us being fully aware.

 

Are you feeling worn out?

Are you tired of missing out on more time with your family?

Are you tired of feeling so scattered?

Are you tired of your schedule controlling you?

 

I am. I don't fully know the answer, but I know there is a process occurring in my life.

 

Change.

 

It will happen, bit by bit, step by step, through faith and God's grace. I don't even know how and when all will happen, but I grab God's hand and proceed forward.

 

Simplify. Rest. Prioritize. Declutter. Unplug.

 

Say those slowly.

Write them down.

Pray about them.

Establish goals.

Move forward, one bit at a time.

Segmenting Life–Dealing with Life’s Busyness.

Soccer. Homeschooling. Church. Piano lessons. Violin lessons. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. My husband's needs. Church leadership. Ballet. Social engagements. My children’s needs. My blog ...

On any given day, these things occupy my brain and my time. Life is continual. Life is busy. Life is moving fast.

Our fall schedule is revving up, but the priorities of my life remain the same.

I want to live a full and joyful life, accomplishing God's will, remaining calm and thankful.

Sometimes we do need to focus on how we should simplify our lives and be less busy. However, there is a stark reality for many of us that our lives are going to be busy. I don’t think that is bad actually. We are meant to be busy – busy, but not overwhelmed, maxed out, and left for dead.

How can we experience more
victory in the midst of busyness?

Segment life.

The Lord has graciously been helping me learn this valuable lesson of segmenting life. I tend to be a “big picture” kind-of-girl and think about too many things at once. My mind spins and whirls and ends up paralyzing me (or at least slowing me down) rather than fueling me into greatness. Too much thought brings too much worry and doesn’t allow me to focus my energies on the real needs of THE MOMENT.

How can we segment life?

• Do your best to THINK ABOUT TODAY, only.
• Better yet, THINK ABOUT NOW. What is going on right NOW in your life that needs your full attention?
• Don't focus on what is coming up, even later today, unless you have to prep for it.
• Allow your mind and emotions to be fixated on the life experiences God has for you TODAY.

Worrying about the future, even hours from now,
simply robs us of serenity.

Feeling busy? Do your best to take each day (each moment) one-at-a-time.

Go to that soccer game and enjoy it.
Drive your child to the piano lesson and remember it is a blessing for your family.
Do that next load of laundry and be thankful you have a washing machine.
Do the dishes and listen to some pretty music.
Postpone something so you can spend more time with your loved ones right now.

Ask God to help you focus on now. Don’t get caught up with the scheduled events of your life and miss life itself. 

Live fully, calmly, and joyfully
with God’s help.

Take Time to Smell the Roses

In this day and age of technology and machines, our lives are supposed to be better . . . simpler.

In some ways, that is true, but in other ways, that isn’t so true.

We are hurried.
We are stressed.
We live in a frenzy.
Our calendars are extremely full.
We barely have enough emotional margin for life to require something extra.

Today, in the midst of your hustle and bustle,
take time to smell the roses.

Calm your pace.
Enjoy life.
Smile.
Hug your family.
Call a friend.
Light a candle.
Pour a cup of tea or coffee and drink it s-l-o-w-l-y.
Read a book in peace.
Unplug from the TV, computer, and phone and just be ALIVE in your moments.
Draw.
Sew.
Sit on your porch.
Appreciate your toddler’s cuteness.
Place your growing child on your lap.
Hang out with your older child.
Snuggle your husband.

Relish the beauty of life that exists
within your grasp every day.

Take time to smell the roses.

Making the Best of Family Vacations

Recently my husband and I took the family on vacation.  We were feeling desperate for vacation.  We pictured blue skies, sunshine, and the two of us, alone, on a secluded island with some good books.  Well, not exactly, but I think you get the gist.

We were quickly reminded that we had four children who were on vacation too.

"What are we doing today?"
"Can we go swimming?"
"I'm hungry."
"I'm bored."

Ugh... so much for vacation, at least that's what part of me thought.

Family vacations can be tough, especially if we have the wrong expectations. 

Here are some things to consider to help make the best of your family vacation:

#1 A family vacation is just that.... a FAMILY vacation.  It's not a second or third or whatever number honeymoon for you and the hubby.  Remember that you have people with you who have needs and desires of their own.

#2 You are building memories for your children and for your family!  Family vacations are etched into the fiber of our beings.  I remember camping with my family, taking a long tour out West to see the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, the Painted Desert, and other wonderful attractions, seeing Niagara Falls, and more!  Family vacations strengthen bonds and create memories.

#3 Try to get some alone time, by yourself or with your husband.  Put a good movie on for the kids.  Take turns with your hubby, watching the kids for each other so you can have some quiet or alone time.  Go to bed later than the children.  Think of ways you can regroup personally and also as a couple.

#4 Try to consider everyone's desires when planning events. Sometimes it will require sacrifice for some people.  That's ok.  Reward them with something they want to do later.  Make the vacation pleasant for everyone.

#5  Have fun!  Even if the vacation is different than you expected.  Do your best to relax and enjoy yourself.

Personal Pizzas–Great for Family Night!

Our toppings this time included mozzarella cheese, turkey deli meat,
turkey bacon, pepperoni, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Our family loves homemade pizza! 

Round pizzas are great!

Deep dish pizza is yummy.

Personal pizzas are fun!

Preheat the oven a half hour to an hour ahead of time at 500 degrees with a pizza/baking stone inside.

Make the dough, divide and roll it out, add the toppings, and bake.

You can find the recipe for the dough I use here. For our family, I double the dough and make six individual pizzas.

I use a pizza peel, coated with a good amount of cornmeal each time, to slide the pizzas into the oven.  I retrieve the cooked pizzas from the oven and put them on a baking sheet.

My children enjoy both the making
and the eating of these pizzas!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

May you be blessed by our wonderful, eternal God this year!

My Husband’s 40th Birthday!

Today is my husband’s 40th birthday!

I am so utterly thankful for this man!  He is  a tremendous blessing in my life. 

Summer “Bucket List”

Guess what I’ve been working on lately?  Yep – my summer bucket list.  How did you guess?  ~smile~

I realize the summer seems like it is “almost over”, but I still have a lot I want to accomplish.  The past few days, I have been thinking a lot about people I want to see and things I want to do.  If I don’t make a plan, the summer will whisk itself away, and September will throw its crazy schedule into my face, leaving all of my hopes and dreams for the next month behind.

Tonight I started solidifying my bucket list on paper.  For just about a minute, I scratched out what you see in the above photo.  Yep, I just started listing away!  It’s incomplete for sure, but it’s in motion.

Some of my categories so far…

Kids (what my kids have said they would like to do)
Homeschool
Home (projects, organization, cleaning…)
Personal (things like devotions and exercise!)
Relationships
Blog

I’m sure I can think of more! 

Have you made a bucket list for yourself?

Lego Birthday Party

My sons are obsessed with Legos, so much that it drives me crazy at times – well, mainly the mess they leave on the floor of their bedroom. 

For my son’s recent seventh birthday, he wanted to have a Lego theme.  He created the idea for his birthday cake with a little help from Pinterest. 

I am humbling myself by posting the picture because the cake definitely turned out much less than professional!

I realized after I made the cake that I should have frosted the cake before I put the peanut butter cups on top.  It was a bear(!) trying to smooth out the frosting with the cups on top already.  Ugh!

The basic gist:  a rectangular dark chocolate cake with large Reese’s peanut butter cups for the Lego studs.  Coat everything with frosting of your choice, and of course, add your favorite Lego characters!  You could certainly be creative and do a cool color.  My son and I have a strong bond.  We are chocolate lovers, and sometimes that overrules other decisions. 

When I was at Target, preparing for my son’s birthday, I ran into these cute napkins, and Lego-ish candles.  They helped make our party a success!

Little Blessings

Wait.  Pinch me.  Am I really blogging? 

Life continues to remind hectic and hard.  I fight against it and try to simplify as much as possible, leaning on the Lord, looking for peace.  Hence, my blog is usually one of the last things I am able to pursue.

Where do I start? 

• My son’s birthday party
• The decorative craft I made for the grad party
• Our new breakfast craze

I know.  How about the some of the little blessings in life that are keeping me going?

A quiet, happy moment from my daughter
when she was miserably sick a couple weeks ago.

The new planner I found at Meijer yesterday, which has task list pages sandwiched in between each week’s calendar pages.  Perfect!  The thought had just crossed my mind that I needed something like this until I create a homemaking binder for myself or something.

  

Two pairs – yep, count ‘em… two pairs of Eddie Bauer jeans
for $20 total!  I was returning another pair that I
had ordered online for $35
(a great deal for EB jeans) and found these!

Three of my children lined up at the door with extreme goodness
and silence, trying to bless us on a busy Father’s Day
morning as we were heading to church.

Life may be busy.  It may be tough.

However, God’s blessings are always there with us.

What has blessed you lately?

The Graduation Party

Recently I told you how, months ago, I could hardly believe that I could pull off a successful graduation party for my niece.

Well, I did it! … We did it! … God did it!

With the great help of my wonderful husband, kids, our family, and friends, we were blessed with an enjoyable celebration.

My refrigerator was packed and ready to go the day before!

 

The Menu:

BBQ Meatballs
Fried Chicken (purchased)
Tortellini Alfredo
Italian Pasta Salad
Watermelon

Cake
Brownies
Peanut Butter Cookies

Sweet Tea
Lemonade
Water

 

 

 

The Setup

We rented two tents and 100 chairs from a rental company and borrowed ten tables from our church.  We also set up some activities in the yard:  badminton, bean bag toss, and a disc golf basket in the front yard.  Our basketball hoop was also up in the driveway. 

Memorabilia

I organized a table with some of my niece’s senior pictures for show and also as favors.  I also put out her diploma, a card box, and a journal guests could sign.  Inside our home, we displayed a slide show of pictures on our TV of my niece over the years.

Overall, everything was a success.  Our guests enjoyed themselves, and our niece did too.  I feel so completely, utterly thankful to God.  He is good and carries us through things that seem very big for us to handle.

If you are planning a big celebration, don’t fear!  You can do it!  Plan and prepare the best you can.  Ask for help, especially from the Lord, for He is faithful.

How It All Turned Out– Our Resurrection Day Celebrations

For our first “feast”, I decided to serve steak.  We ended up having only my father-in-law over to represent my husband’s family since most of the rest of the crew was not in town.  I saw Delmonico steaks on sale at the fruit market I frequent, so I decided to go for it!

We enjoyed having some dear friends over on Sunday.  I served ham, brined/roasted chicken, “juiced up” baby carrots, strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing, cheesy potatoes (that my friend brought), banana split dessert, and cupcakes. We had a great time.

I was able to fit in the hot cross biscuits,

set my tables with beauty,

and enjoy a wonderful Resurrection Sunday celebration!