Monday Menu

This weeks Menu is pretty simple!

Monday:
Meatloaf with Carrots and Potatoes

Tuesday:
Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

Wednesday:
Cheese and Chicken Quesadillas

Thursday:
Spaghetti and Green Beans

Friday:
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken served with rice

Saturday:
Lunch:
I will be making soup and rolls and then having someone bring desserts and salad.
(We are doing rake and runs with our small group....)
Dinner:
Grilled cheese, fruit, and carrots with ranch

Sunday:
Breakfast:
Baked French Toast
Lunch:
Stuffed Chicken, Rice, and Green Beans
Dinner:
Leftovers/Sandwiches :)

Hope you are blessed this week!

Here is a little snipit from a craft I am going to do with the kids on Thursday!!

Of course I found the idea on Pinterest!

Monday's Menu!

This week I have some great new chicken recipes to try!!! I will post a blog with pictures and the recipe and how it went over with our family! I wanted to find things that my kids would love and would be healthy as well as easy to make!

Here are our Dinners for the week!

Monday:
Pizza after an evening of trick-or-treating!
Tuesday:
Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna with salad
Wednesday:
Crock Pot Meal ~working late~
Thursday:
Chicken and Spinach Casserole
Friday:
Make your own Taco Bar
Saturday:
Balsamic Chicken with Rice and Veggie
Sunday:

Out to Eat for lunch and leftover dinner

Happy November!!! What are you most thankful for today?!

Today I am thankful for my wonderful family!

Enjoy your day and Be Blessed!

Future Craft!

Okay, so I may be slightly addicted to a new fad in the social network! I have a great friend, Laura, that had been talking about Pinterest. Well, I guess I asked the right person because after our conversation she sent me an invite to join! Oh my, in almost three weeks, I am hooked more on that than facebook, gasp, shocker?! (Yes I use facebook too) I love all the ideas I am finding and all the wonderful blogs that I may have never found without this network! So, I have already added new recipes to my collection and I am tickling my craft bone!!! Have you heard of Pinterest? If not, on the sidebar I have a link to my Pinterest page, you can click on it and if you think you'd like it, I can send you an invite!!! You won't regret signing up, well maybe you will regret the amount of time you spend finding all things wonderful!!

So on that note, here is a craft I will be making soon.
It is on my list of things to do after this busy week of
catering, working, and two birthday parties!

Click here to go to the website!

Okay isn't this the cutest idea?! I know she bought them at Pottery Barn and is suggesting to do the love notes in them leading up to Valentine's Day, which I LOVE, but I have an idea! So, I am suggesting going out getting some felt, thread, ribbons for the straps, and some Velcro. I think it would be a great idea to have the kids write or draw things to each other too, maybe reasons they are grateful for each other, ways they care for the other, etc. I think these could be used at multiple times during the year too!

I'll post when I accomplish this!

Menu Planning Monday~

This week is VERY exciting!!! Both of my kids have birthday's this week! Two days apart, yes very crazy! God has blessed us with AMAZING kids! I love them so much!
So this weeks meals will incorporate great meals and breakfast specials!

Monday:
Breakfast:
French Toast with Blueberries

Dinner:
Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Southern Sweet Potato Bake
Green Veggie
Salad
Pie/Birthday kid Cupcake!

Tuesday:
Breakfast:
Breakfast Bake

Dinner:
Roasted Turkey with dried Cranberries
Herbed Stuffing
Veggie
Salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast:
Waffles with fruit

Dinner:
Chicken Gyro with Yogurt-Dill Sauce
Sweet Potato Fries
Pasta Salad
Brownie/Birthday kid Cupcake!

Thursday:
Breakfast:
Eggs with Toast

Dinner:
Chicken
Broccoli Rice Casserole

Friday:
Breakfast:
Cereal

Dinner:
Crockpot Roast
with carrots/potatoes

Saturday:
Parties: Lunch will be fruit and pb&j or turkey with cheese
Dinner: Pizza with Salad and Veggies

Sunday:
We will be going out to eat for lunch
Dinner: Grilled Cheese with soup

Welcome Back!

How are you? How was that for a nice long blogging break from me?!

I had a summer busy with recovery from surgery and I had a good summer with my kids. Without being able to drive for 10 weeks after surgery, we needed to be creative with me at home with the kids. It was however nice to have some down time with them before school kicked into high gear again. And, oh my goodness, has it kicked into high gear!! Not only being at a new school, but Andrew is all day now. Yes, a few tears (yes from me!) but it has been nice too for both the kids! Praising God for their awesome transition, as it could have been disastrous. Both the kids love their teachers and their classmates.

I am partially back at work currently, waiting for the surgeon to release me back to floor nursing. I am so excited about getting back to patient care, etc. But more importantly I am excited about getting back on a schedule of work and blogging! I have been writing down ideas all summer for projects, things to write about, etc, and I can't wait to start, I am really excited about it! As you can imagine, after having surgery, it not only was overwhelming but very intimidating as I knew that I couldn't do the same things that I did without thinking about. I am getting better at doing things left handed. I still have problems lifting things with my right arm, but I am not going to let it define me. The only other thing that is frustrating is that I can't type for long periods of time, my fingers start to go numb, but that is a nerve issue after having surgery. So with that said, I WILL be blogging, just not everyday. I will be sharing meal plans/recipes/ideas. Then on occasions: craft ideas/activities. I want to have a weekly inspirational post likely at the end of the week. Then, as I start to do reviews/giveaways they will be either on Tuesday or Thursday! I hope I am able to live up to the expectations I set before taking this long break. Please feel free to contact me again if you have an idea or question! Thanks for sticking around!!!


Be Blessed!

April 8th, 2011

Last night I hardly slept, not only did the dogs fight outside our windows all night, the rooster crowed before dawn, but I had a lot on my heart. I think we are all at a place where we are tired and spent physically. Breakfast was wonderful again with hard boiled eggs, bread, bananas, papaya, and pineapple. This morning Jen shared a devotional about "greatness" and how we find greatness in humility. (Amazing)

After devotions we went to Yvrose's Orphanage. The kids were super cranky and mean today. I haven't seen this side of them but, I think they are anxious about us leaving. They wanted a great deal of attention (positive or negative) and they clung tightly to us. After lunch it rained and flooded the yard. Some of the kids all gathered on a little porch and watched "High School Musical" on a very small TV. (Just a thought, why/how did they get this movie?! haha)

It was hysterical! The kids knew all of the lyrics and dance moves. Pretty funny. It was really evident how some wanted to be loved on, and how some continued to seek attention in whatever way they could find. Some of the boys would look straight at us and then start pinching and hitting the other ones sitting next to them, knowing they would get in trouble. All they want is your time and attention. I wish I could give them more of that. I would love to be here longer or bring them home with me. Either way I want to pour more into them.

Jen brought nail polish to paint the kids nails, of course they were so excited!

We painted a few but then it turned into some of them, even the boys turning around to paint ours, even our toes. They have true servant hearts. Patrick used his only shirt to wipe the excess paint from around our nails to make sure it looked nice and then they blew on them to help them dry.

Amazing kids, God has blessed me much more than I could have blessed them during my time here. After painting their nails, they ate their meal.

My heart just dropped during their meal. One little girl was passing out trays of rice and set two aside, my first thought was she wanted extra, but her intention: to make sure the kids that were back in their rooms got some before they ran out. Before she started to eat, she was thinking about others, how many of us would do that before our one and only meal of the day? Seriously, be honest....

(Update: Mama with 4/5 pictured, had baby Joshua on April 12!)

Late in the afternoon we went back to check on "Mama" (9 months pregnant with 5 other kids and her husband was killed with a machete) at the back of Yvrose's lot. She was so proud to show us the beds that Randy and Marvin had made for her. It was like "Extreme Home Makeover" Haiti style. After they made the beds, they used leftover wood to make shelves for her too. You would have thought they were made out of gold! Yvrose came to each of us and raised her arms to God and said "Thank you God for sending the missionaries!" and then kissed each of us on the cheek. She told us that she didn't know how she would provide for this woman and her children. Then we came and the woman got new beds, shelving, and food (enough to eat and sell for several months). Yvrose gives God the glory, she takes credit for nothing. What an amazing woman. She told us many stories about how God has provided, blessed them. She has mentioned before, but I am visually seeing how God has planned our time here. First we were supposed to come two months earlier, our trip got pushed back due to the elections and cholera outbreak. Yet here we are in Haiti, elections going on, Martelly winning....God wanted us to be here now. This family wouldn't have been here two months ago, we wouldn't have known the need for beds, etc. Thank you Lord for providing ALWAYS! Do you see this bigger picture? I originally was put off, not seeing why our trip was being pushed back, thinking how inconvenient it was that I had to apply for yet another vacation. (At a hospital, especially on my unit, it is hard) I am amazed! Thank you Jesus!!! Thank you Lord for all these kids, and their love~

It came time to say "goodbye". We were emotionally and physically exhausted but we didn't want to leave. The tears began to roll from our eyes as the kids began to cry. How precious that the kids were clinging to us after a week, saying I love you. I felt like I was not just leaving a piece of my heart but leaving "my" kids behind too. I will miss them so much. Many of the children ran to their rooms and collected whatever token they could give us. These kids are amazing, do you understand that they don't have much, yet they are willing to give you whatever they have. Heartbreaking when they have nothing (compared to our standards). Physically they lack a great deal but they are blessed beyond all measure to have Yvrose as a mother. Yvrose pours out everything she has for these children, most importantly she teaches them about Jesus. And let me tell you, these kids are so rich with the Spirit of God. Their thoughts are focused on Him and not consumed by the rush of things, money, and schedules. I am blessed to have learned that there is more to life than the things I value. I can tell you, I want things to change at home, I don't want to get back into being consumed by everything around me. I want to lead my kids as Yvrose is leading these kids. I only have two kids, she currently has 170+, if I can't pass these values on to my kids then I have failed, majorly.

(Can you feel her love in this picture?!)

Haiti has changed me. I WILL NEVER FORGET!

April 7th, 2011

(This is a picture of Yvrose's farm)

Today I woke up early again, as I walked out and saw the sun rising, I prayed for the day that we were about to be blessed with. Praising God for a breath of fresh air. Today started out with devotions and breakfast and then we left to go to Yvrose's farm. It was a beautiful drive through Haiti. Again, it is SO beautiful here, yet there is so much suffering and devastation all around. At the farm we walked the grounds, were able to pray over what crops will one day be on this land. We were shown Yvrose's coffee beans, bread fruit, and mangoes. The farm is lush with fruit and coffee. Once Yvrose's coffee beans are ready to harvest, she roasts them with sugar cane, and let me tell you, she makes AMAZING coffee!!! If we were in the states, it wouldn't be hard to get supplies or the field plowed, here, we have to wait on a container to be released to get the seeds. The fields need plowed I am not sure how Yvrose plans to do this, I am praying for this, maybe something a team in the future can focus on! It is amazing to see just how much Yvrose trusts that God will get the seeds to them before the rainy season begins, which is in May. Her faith is impressed upon me over and over again! We walked to a pond and a pool she has full of Tilapia that are growing.

All of the livestock got stolen. She talked to us about how she prays that she can have a new farmer that she can trust and that will work hard for her in these fields. Here is a picture of a house on the farm. Please pray for a Godly person to live here and tend to the farm.
On the way back to Yvrose's Orphanage we stopped at a distillery and saw Haitian moonshine being made, Yvrose said she would buy a small amount and mix with water and it is like a cough suppressant. It didn't smell wonderful~

We also stopped at a stand along the road and bought flat bread.

We had an appointment at the HHF gift shop where we were able to buy Haitian art and locally made items. I was able to get some things for the kids, some pure vanilla, and a basket. We then went to the orphanage for a couple of hours and hung out with the kids. The kids are going to do a program for us tonight. It is very evident that they know that our time is coming to an end, you can see that they get anxious, and act out to get your attention. They are all very clingy, but I really love snuggling with the kids, it is amazing how they just melt in your arms and lap, and doesn't take long for them to totally relax and fall asleep! We left so the kids could get ready for their program they have prepared for us. At 7 pm we were picked up for the program. When we arrived it was dark and hard to see, but the kids immediately found you as you feel hands grabbing your skirt and hands leading you to your chosen chair! How honoring, greeted by little ones calling your name and kissing on you. The kids lined up along the walls of the orphanage and sang and then played their instruments (all taught by Yvrose).
I can't explain to you just how much of a blessing it is to hear these children praising God, and Yvrose's legacy living within these walls.

Once they finished their concert they of course rushed up to hug and kiss us, some of the kids were crying, thinking we wouldn't be back. A few of the kids rode with us back to the lodge, it is simple, can I tell you, LOVE, they need things yes, but what they need most is to feel LOVE. I don't know what God is stirring in my heart, but I know this is not the last time I will be here. My heart is heavy for Haiti