Spicy Magnolia

Easter Blessings

There will always be a huge draw for me to write whenever I have the chance. It’s my outlet, and this little blog is my sole record keeping for our family. Ever since becoming a momma, an inner turmoil has existed within me that’s vacillated between a longing to write as often as I can to wondering if I should just give it up all together for a while. I want to write more often, more creatively, more powerfully, more authentically, and when it just seems like I can’t fit the mold I envisioned, my hands want to immediately go up in the air with a white flag waving. And this turmoil has been in me almost. every. single. day. I feel a burst of energy and accomplishment if I wrote something worthwhile, then for days…weeks…until the next post, I beat myself up wondering why I can’t get it done.

So, here’s where I am as I get ready to publish this post I began more than a week ago. Just like all of you, I’ve got a lot on my plate. In grace, trying not to give him the short end of the stick, I’m a wife who is ever so thankful for the husband she had no idea how she got in the first place! And despite having kids who from time to time scream at me when they’re mad or grab toys from each other for the millionth time, I find great pleasure and significance in shaping their little hearts and being home with them. This past year, I have wonderful things I’m involved in with our church community. I have no way to get it all done. My type-A, list-making, organizing freak self has lived in a whirlwind the past four years and I can never catch up. Some seasons I am mostly content with that and some seasons it drives me into literal panic attacks. And in between, I like to write.

But here’s the thing I’ve come to realize that’s taken me a long time to be ok with: this is not my season to write. I’m trying as hard as I can to get something thrown up here weekly that is some semblance of memory-making. My Google Reader has an unread list that’s exponentially growing. Just like everyone else, I need to streamline my time and be wise about it. That means less blog reading and as painful as it is to admit, less blog writing. I share this on here mostly for me, to free me of the inner battle of trying to write more frequently, creatively, and about something more than family news. In sweet surrender onto Him who has placed me in these roles, I lay this non-existent writing season in His hands.

++++++++List of thanksgivings from March 19th-April 1st+++++++++

• Brennan’s school is so much fun. I’m up there any chance I get for their monthly special events, March being the pony rides. They graciously include Kensie. I can’t list his teachers and the director of the school on here enough.

He looks like he’s outgrown ponies.

We joined the cowboy for lunch. As you will tell from other pictures, it’s the year of the silly face.

• Wednesday, March 20th. Hands down it was one of my all-time favorite days. It ended up being a celebration of spring. We made chocolate bird nests in the morning before heading to Lowe’s to get an assortment of beautiful flowers. After rest time we went outside to eat our nests, read Wild Birds and plant together. Brennan participated fully by wearing his gardening gloves and meticulously and ever so carefully placing the flowers in the pot. He gave me thirty minutes of effort and then resorted to playing with the hose.

She always hugs her brother during pictures.

• Some days I’m going to lose my mind refereeing with all the grabbing of toys, but some days are laced with sweet companionship and a variety of pretend play. She is his shadow.

• I’d lose my mind if it weren’t for Matt. He gets the kids out of the house and plays with them allowing me, in this case, to get the food and our home ready for company we had over for dinner.

• We had the vestry and their spouses (who are an invaluable support) over for dinner a couple of Saturdays ago. They are a group of people with whom I love serving and highly value. They entered into our rhythm of Lent and we shared a beautiful evening together.
• All dressed in red and ready to loudly declare, “Hosanna in the highest” on Palm Sunday. The meaning of Easter has sunk deep in Brennan this year, and it’s been one of our highest privileges as his parents to hear his questions, see him processing and intently listening. Maundy Thursday was a sacred night for our family. We drove to Chuy’s and quickly turned back home after hearing it was a 55 minute wait. God had something else in mind for our family and surprised us with His Spirit. I’ve personally journaled what happened to remember it. But the Lord was in our home and it was a capstone for our family.

• Dying Easter eggs was fun and wasn’t as messy as I anticipated. Yes, I’m thankful for that.

• We have a very special church community. I can’t describe the depth of love I have for our congregation; I highly esteem them. Our Good Friday service is a night of testimony using the last seven words of Jesus. Each personal story fits with His last words (i.e. “It is finished.”). My brothers and sisters are courageous. They lift up His cross and His resurrection; His suffering and His glory; His life and His death; His becoming nothing and His reigning over all…all of who He is was lifted high through the words of their testimonies.

• Jesus Christ has risen! He is risen indeed! I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and I love Him ever so much!
• Easter service growing up was my all-time favorite service. Throughout Lent we’d see a huge wooden cross in the front of the church, covered with chicken wire. On Good Friday, it was hung with black cloth. On Easter morning, all the families would bring in fresh cut flowers to stick in the chicken wire so what remained was a cross laden with splashes of bright color, signs of life and a sweet aroma.

My second favorite part of the Easter service was the last song we’d sing during communion called “I Am the Resurrection”. The trumpets and horns would resound with glorious declaration as we sang at the tops of our lungs. It was the last song played during our wedding after communion. And now I find myself among a community of believers who play the song on Easter Sunday as well. A tender smile of affirmation from Matt when they started playing it shows how well he knows me. That song. That song will be played at my memorial service.

• Smiles from Donna Jane and Kensington Jane.

• I’m grateful for a family who let me take the “let’s go out to eat on Easter” wild card this year. We feasted at Jack Allen’s, a new favorite of ours.

This fella had his shirt untucked with grass stains on his pants within minutes. As we dressed for church, I wrongly thought he had pants that fit! Somehow overnight, he outgrew two other pairs of pants he tried on before he managed to squeeze into the pair he wore. I am not exaggerating when I tell you he has eight, EIGHT, pairs of pants in his closet he has either outgrown or worn holes through since November.

The kids were more excited about the Easter egg hunt than the few gifts in their baskets. The baskets and eggs provided days of entertainment.

• More on this later because it deserves a blog post all in itself, and you’re champs if you’ve stuck with me this long. But this is a clue as to what was our huge Easter surprise blessing!

• My MOPS mentor mom has been a joy to get to know this year. She had our table out to her amazing log cabin home the Monday after Easter for a sip and see. The kids had another Easter egg hunt and Brennan surprised me with a huge handful of bluebonnets he pulled for me, roots and all.

Tree buds. Good buds. We love the Hoyts.

Not exactly what I was going for, but I’ll take them however they come <grin>.

 

December is When...

We finally need to rake leaves in Central Texas.

 

The kids and I picked out a tree named Jared that we didn’t know was as tall as it was until we compared it to Matt when he brought it home. It ended up being just right, but I gasped when I first saw him stand next to it, dismally succumbing to my defeat against the hanging of the lights.

 

We had our St. Nicholas celebration, December 7th, which can be explained (if you’re interested) by reading this post by Micha, in which she beautifully writes about Advent and ritual. We’re still tweaking how we celebrate Christmas; at times it feels awkward because there are a few differences compared to how we grew up, but we’ve got a starting point. The night of our St. Nicholas celebration we pick an international food for dinner. This year we opted for Chinese. And Brennan had the privilege of staying up later with us to watch “The Muppets Christmas Carol” while eating ice cream. He was giddy and felt very special. Saturday morning the kids woke up to their stockings with a few gifts in them (that coincides with St. Nicholas’ story).

 

 

We had a festive pancake breakfast.

 

Traditionally, the Saturday of our St. Nicholas celebration will be an act of service day. But embarrassingly, that small detail flew way over my head this year and I scheduled for us all to go see a play instead: Annie Jr. It was a great play. Brennan sat all the way through it; Kensie was escorted out by her father with twenty minutes left.

We trimmed the tree, and I didn’t have a wrestling match with the lights!

 

 

 

 

 

We watched Kensington soak up her first Christmas she was aware of all the beauty and excitement around her.

 

An afternoon was set aside to bake Christmas cookies,

 

in which most of the dough was eaten before it was baked,

and I enthusiastically wrapped around my own little girl a handmade apron my Momma made that used to be mine.

 

The brother and sister had some fun days together and made me smile

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I dressed Kensie up in an assortment of special Christmas outfits given to us. On this particular morning, we watched Brennan in his school Christmas performance where he had the heebie-jeebies and embarrassing gyrations. I have the video to prove it.

 

Mees came for a visit and lots of snuggles!

A gingerbread house was made…and eaten by the boys in our home. Who actually eats it?!

The four of us cozied up together,

 

and enjoyed a night out on the town.

 

We had leisurely mornings playing dress up.

 

Driving through Round Rock’s Rock ‘N Lights in our PJs was a nighttime treat.

A run to Target to buy hats and mittens at the last minute for our trip to Virginia was required. Do you see the irony of this photo? He’s wearing shorts and short sleeves and we’re out buying a hat!

 

We marveled at a little girl who uses everything for dress up.

 

Eating lunch one day with Daddy at his work was a fun but failed attempt to steal him away for the holidays early.

 

It was a good thing we went out to dinner to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary because the lovely meal I made the night of would have been more lovely and peaceful had we waited to eat it after the unpeaceful children were tucked in bed.

 

We spent Christmas Eve with this beautiful lady who gave me and the kids our Christmas attire. I felt so dollied-up!

 

 

Brennan was in his first Christmas pageant as a donkey and I donned my first angel costume in twenty-five years. I was asked to help corral the baby barn-yard animals, and it was such fun to help and do it with Brennan!

We took one of my all-time favorite pictures,

opened up our traditional Christmas Eve PJs,

 

and settled down for a long winter’s nap.

We arose bright and early Christmas morn to a delightful, unrushed rhythm whereby we made breakfast and had a special setting at the table for Jesus to join us. I ate Jesus’ birthday waffle we set before Him. It was yummier than all the others <grin>.

 

Presents were given and received. Brennan bellowed out an excited, “Thank you!” when he first opened our gift to him (a remote control car), which brought tears to our eyes, and then we spent the duration of the holidays battling the entitled “gimme's”.

Any gift comparable to what big brother has is awesome!

 

Once again, anything is a necklace and a headpiece.

Popsie and Mees joined us Christmas afternoon! Popsie had just flown in from Florida and he was pounced on when he walked through our door.

 

I was scared out of my mind I was going to ruin Christmas dinner. I paid a literal arm and a leg for an awesome piece of beef tenderloin, and tears would have been shed had it not been successful. Momma and I worked together to prepare it, and it turned out just right! If I may say so, dinner was pretty spectacular. In case you’re wondering, it’s wrapped in phyllo dough.

 

 

We closed the evening secure and satisfied in the Light of the world that graciously came to give Himself for us. He really is beautiful.

 

 

 

Gathered Together

Kensington Jane is one dearly loved little girl.

Eleven of us gathered around her last weekend. Her Papa and Nana arrived from Virginia. Her Aunt Julie and Uncle Mac from Washington D.C. Popsie flew in from Florida. Mees drove from San Antonio. Jillie and Haddie trekked down I-35. And then there was her Mommy, her Daddy and her big brother. It was a dedication weekend of sorts, something informal not at church, but in our home. Matt and I declared our ongoing commitment to raise Kensie in complete and utter dependence upon her Creator to help us show her His unfathomable love, that she may also come to love Jesus with her whole heart. Those who joined with us also care about the outcome of her faith and promised to pray for her and help us as parents to follow through with our pledge (‘cause we’re gonna need all the help we can get!).

These two were ready for the festivities to begin Friday evening! I can’t thank Ed and Ruth enough for taking them off my hands Friday morning so I could cook and get the last minute things in order. My mind would have been lost somewhere between the bowl of cooked mushrooms and the beaten egg and milk mixture. They’re cute, but don’t we all know they have a very keen way of knowing it’s a day Momma has lots to do, and they know how to add a bit of somethin’-somethin’ to the day…like A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.

 

We had a scrumptious dinner of salpicon (I’ll have to post the recipe soon), guacamole, and chile con queso. My mouth still waters thinking about it. There are two things to note about that evening. First, my dad tucked Brennan into bed at 8 p.m. We didn’t see him emerge from the bedroom until a couple hours later. And secondly, at 2 a.m., we were awakened by panicked cries and the grossest aftermath of throwing up I have yet to deal with. I don’t have a sensitive gag reflux, but that night, boo-ya! It wasn’t the loveliest all-nighter I’ve pulled, but I did get to hold my boy throughout the ordeal.

Saturday we ventured to College Station for the Texas A&M vs. Arkansas football game. It seemed Brennan was doing well since he was once again, running all around, so with our rain gear in tow, we ventured to Aggieland. What a blast! There was only about a fifteen minute consistent rain, but other than that, we were able to enjoy the game. Brennan covered his ears much of the time, not liking the boisterous cheers or the regular cannon fires. But Kensie didn’t blink an eye. As long as she had the bucket of popcorn in front of her, she was one happy, crowd-lovin’ girl.

Jillie and Haddie met up with us later Saturday night for dinner at Mighty Fine. It’s an incredible gift to look down the table at the ten other people seated next to you, realizing they all made this trek to be there for you, for your family, for your little girl. The laughter and even the tears shared among this group are treasured. And note to self: for the sake of my self-esteem, there should be very few times in life when Jill and Mac should be together in my presence; they have too similar senses of humor for my liking, particularly when it’s at my expense <grin>.

And then we arrive to Sunday. I wish I had words to describe my overflow of joy and gratitude. Brennan and Kensie have been gifted a legacy of people who follow and love Jesus, and who are are on their knees regularly on his and her behalf. Some of our family couldn’t make it, but they called, sent emails and prayers. They were here and a part of this occasion, too.

In three different cars, we ventured to church, ready to be there on time (a miracle with 11 people!) and stand together in worship. Then bless his heart, Brennan threw up again all over Papa and Nana’s car half way there.

Love: Ed and Ruth’s graciousness at the now horrible stench and grossness all over their car. Love: Ruth’s gentle hands cleaning up my son with baby wipes. Love: My daddy and momma’s willingness to take Brennan home, clean him up and care for him. Love: for the rest of our guests to just go with the flow and not complain that they may get the sick cooties in forty-eight hours (which, another miracle: no one did!).

It took a good twenty minutes for me to not feel like a panicked wreck. Another thing to note about this weekend: Kensie didn’t like Mac. Wouldn’t go to him. Pulled away and shook her head. This is unprecedented! And Julie jumped for joy that it was the first baby that didn’t like him, and instead went directly into her arms. After much coaxing, Kensie finally went to my brother…for just enough time to capture this shot before she literally lunged to my arms.

We all made it home to a feast! Jillie made us a sausage and egg casserole. I made this and had a crepe bar.

If we’d let people, they would have taken naps right then and there, but we circled around our living room instead, to have a time of sharing and prayer for Kensie. The two older kiddos bounded up the stairs and played. Kensie scooted on the floor in between our feet playing with anything along the way. And the rest of us shared what God put on our hearts to pray for this precious gift of a girl.

I’d asked people to pray about a specific virtue or character trait for Kensie. They could write a prayer, just share, or give a symbolic gift that represented what the Lord led them to pray over her. I couldn’t wait to see what God came up with for His girl!

Kindness

Patience

Humility

Strength, Dignity, and the Ability to Laugh at the Days to Come

Treasured Gift

Joy

Sense of Humor

Perseverance

Courage

A Pure Heart

It was wonderfully overwhelming! Flabbergasting in a most special way. And very humbling to see the outpouring of love from our family and the abundant grace of our God throughout the entire weekend! One blessing after another He has given to us by each person seated in that room.

What words do you have as one by one, each person shared their prayers on behalf of your little girl? What words do you have as you watch tears flow because the emotion and beauty of the moment is so pure and tender and too much to take? What words do you have as you fall before a God who can be the Only One to instill these God-originated, God-breathed, God-like traits into your little girl? What words do you have when you recognize how far you fall short in even trying to be an example to her of these virtues let alone teach her what they are? What words do you have as you look around the room and recognize how each have been faithful to Jesus in spite of so many obstacles that could bring them down and turn away? What words do you have when you realize that these intercessions do not fall on deaf ears, but they will linger in eternity and bring such pleasure to the One who listens and acts? What words do you have but to acclaim His goodness, His faithfulness?

My heart is still so tender thinking about that sacred weekend. Tears fall easily out of such gratitude and joy.

Oh, merciful Lord, you are so, so good! In that room represented so many stories of your faithfulness to us, your goodness, and even in this week, so many answered prayers that I don’t have time to share in this post. But OH, Lord, I can only pause in the middle of this post and say ‘thank you’. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Only You. Only You. We are so grateful for each person in that room who was there and for the ones who longed to be here but couldn’t. I am a blubbering mess, Jesus. Oh, You are so worthy of praise. Thank you for a treasured weekend of memories, laughter, shared tears, prayers that don’t fall deaf on your ears. You hear. You know. You see. And you were with us in every aspect of our weekend, and I thank you.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your Name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.

Psalm 89:15-16

A Perfectly Fall Day Calls for the Perfect Soup

It’s our first perfectly Fall day. Perfect jacket weather. Perfect for a little touch tackle football. Perfect for an aromatic candle to be lit. Perfect hat weather.

Perfect to put our feet up and hunker down with a good book after the kids are tucked in bed. Perfect for hot tea. Classical music perfection. Or in my case, Christmas music perfection. A perfect afternoon to tease the taste buds with a foreshadowing of the loot of candy coming our way (in this instance, a Kit Kat).

And perfect for a nice, warm bowl of soup.

It took me a long time to find a vegetable soup I liked. And this one is just the perfect one for our perfectly Fall day. I like it because it’s true to its name: hearty. And meaty. Of course, if you want a true vegetable soup, simply eliminate the meat. Easy in, easy out. And bonus: it’s also easy to make!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Courtesy of Desert Treasures by The Junior League of Phoenix

• 1 pound ground chuck or beef
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire
• 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP basil
• 1 can (2.5 lbs.) tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cans beef bouillon
• 1 box (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables

1. Brown the meat.
2. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT the frozen vegetables.
3. Simmer one hour.
4. Add frozen vegetables. Cook another hour. Skim fat off top, if necessary.

Serves 8-10

Serve it up with some warm, crusty French or sourdough bread, corn bread, or maybe it’s pumpkin bread you’ll fancy. Do you have a perfect soup for Fall or a favorite side to go with it?

May this find you and yours doing well, whether you already have snow on the ground; or are sitting under a blazing Australian sun as summer commences; or, like us, are finally getting to breath a sigh of relief that you survived the summer and can now enjoy a perfectly good Fall day.

Simply trusting,

Worthwhile Watching

Hope y’all are having a great Fourth of July! Anyone planning to see an amazing fireworks display? All of ours were scrapped this year because of the horrible drought, but it’s not like we would camp out in the heat, endure the crowds, or stay up late to watch the dazzling color-fest tonight. Some years, yes. But not this one.

Instead, our highlights will be based around food: blueberry pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and some hefty burgers with chips and the tomato-watermelon salad with feta and toasted almonds for dinner. Other than that, it’s been a low-key day with rest and a few errands. I think I have a new store I need to better familiarize myself with: Kohl’s. It looks like a good one-stop shop.

There’s one thing I think is worthwhile to bring to your attention and ask you to watch for five minutes. My precious friend, Corrie, called me back in May to share an incredible story. It spurred the already twirling thoughts in my mind that were formulating this post. As a family, we stood with the Shireys rejoicing and giving many thanks to God, who clearly exhibited His power and His desire to show Himself strong, allowing 2.5 year old Guy to carry this treasured testimony in his heart for the rest of his life. Take a moment to hear all about it yourself. 

________________________________________________________

Thank you to those in centuries past and in our present age that have fought for, secured, and defended the freedoms we so liberally enjoy in The United States of America. May we continue to adhere to the spirit and intent of our Constitution, and know the One who gives us true and everlasting freedom.

“[The adoption of the Constitution] will demonstrate as visibly the finger of Providence as any possible event in the course of human affairs can ever designate it.”

--George Washington

Simply trusting,

 

The Man of the Hour

First, congratulations to Sara on being the randomly selected winner of Marla Taviano’s new book!

I think we spoiled Matt for Father’s Day; at least that was our aim. We started the weekend off with a splash by texting Matt to meet us at the neighborhood pool, where we made him perform his famous dolphin exhibition. We’ve gotta get our boy to Sea World some day real soon! We packed a dinner picnic and ate by the pool, which we hope to do more often this summer. After Brennan went to sleep, Matt and I watched The King’s Speech. While it was the third time I saw it, it was Matt’s first. It never gets old.

I think Matt was most excited about sleeping in on Saturday. The rest of our clan went on a walk, where Molly nearly was hit by an oncoming car when she pulled so hard trying to see another dog her leash slipped out of my hand. I burst into tears out of gratefulness she was ok and an overwhelming sense of nerves.

Brennan and I picked up a chai latte and Rudy’s breakfast tacos for the man of the hour and adorned him with his “Daddy” crown Brennan made with specially picked “Thomas”, “Lightning McQueen”, and “Nemo” stickers.

 

We spent some time at the outlet mall trying to find some new sandals for Matt and new flip-flops for me as both of our pairs went caput. It was hot. I was uncomfortable. And grumpy. And well, it wasn’t the most pleasant of outings for us, but we sat in the cool car for awhile, exhibiting to Brennan how adults need to work out their attitude issues, too.

I spent most of the afternoon plopped on the couch, except for when I inspected Matt’s work cleaning a couple of ceiling vents we recently discovered were appallingly infested with layers and layers of dust. He got them spick-n-span, and my nesting instinct that is in full gear was put at ease. Then the boys headed off to Brennan’s first baseball game to see the Round Rock Express! I benefitted from a quiet night, chatting away with my friend, Corrie, and working through our to-do list.

 

 

The boys had a blast, and it’s quite obvious by their glowing faces.

 

 

The boy really enjoys himself a classic corndog. And he had his first nibbles of “Cracker Jacks”.

These are the “chickens” Brennan excitedly scurried in to tell me about after the game and has been talking about ever since.

I was surprised to see how comfortable he was standing next to this big mascot sign, but maybe he was more drawn to it because it’s a dog. Or maybe he’s telling us he’s ready to hit Disney World <grin>.

On Sunday morning, Brennan started delving into Matt’s Father’s Day present and couldn’t wait for him to open it. One of his gifts included a frame that held the following three pictures spelling out “Dad” that we took during play group.

The boys and Molly went on a walk and to the park while I got started on Matt’s Father’s Day dinner: his favorite, Chicken Parmesan. We enjoyed another relaxing day and treated ourselves to a first-time visit to Torchy’s Tacos. Y’all, I’m still fantasizing about those tacos! I can’t wait to go back and get another round of chips and salsa and a “trashy” version (with chile con queso) of “The Trailer Park” tacos!

Nap time! One of my favorite parts of the day <grin>. Matt was most looking forward to this because he planned in advance to nap with Brennan in his big boy bed. So for two hours, they snuggled and slept together. I went upstairs to wake them and they had their arms in the same position above their heads. More playtime, wrestling (a new favorite thing to do of Brennan’s), and then eating. Savoring bites of garlic bread, a large salad, and the Chicken Parmesan.

We three are a blessed bunch with the fathers in our lives. Between my Daddy, Matt’s dad, and Matt, they make up a small group of godly men, husbands, and fathers, who have marked the world and the people they meet with their character that is above reproach. They are full of integrity and serve their families honorably. Oh, and they are loads of fun and laughs! We have very good reason to celebrate their lives!

Simply trusting,

A Little Link Love Here, A Little Link Love There

Good evening, dear Internet peeps! How was your day? 

After cooking for special events in April that left us with tons of of leftovers of the same food to eat for awhile and all our travels in May, I’m finally back into a routine of cooking. It feels good despite the bit of extra time and effort it takes, but savoring the flavorful gems of summer fruits and veggies is extra inspiration. Here are some great new recipes I’ve scoped out and made that were hits with me and the boys.

Peach Melba Shortbread Bars from Southern Living

Chicken and Tortellini Salad served with Bacon Parmesan Tassies from Southern Living

I haven’t made this yet, but it’s on our menu to be served with a large salad with lots of yummy fixin’s. My friend, Amy, made it for her son’s birthday party (minus the tomatoes), and it’s some of the best homemade mac & cheese I’ve ever had.

Y’all will have to peruse this post with some of my favorite summer recipes. I made the Steak & Pasta Salad tonight and have the ingredients for Gaga’s Fruit Compote. I know I’ll make the Colorful Black Bean Salad soon, too. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t promote one of Blue Bell’s newest ice cream flavors that is a hit in our household: Happy Tracks, which is a creamy vanilla ice cream loaded with chocolate-coated peanut butter cups and a dark chocolate fudge swirl. Dog-gone-dangerous! I am painfully aware that most of you in this country do not have Blue Bell. I send my condolences. 

Not sure why I started off with all the food links since I’m full from dinner and nothing sounds appetizing at the moment. Onward I move then to a new discovery:

Pinterest.

Oh, yes, I’ve jumped on that bandwagon. And it’s been so much fun and a great source to collect inspirational ideas ranging anywhere from recipes to arts and crafts to awesome gift ideas. Instead of keeping up with a vast number of bookmarks for your favorite websites, it’s a place where you can “pin” a website to a personally assigned “board”. For example, some of my board titles are:

• For the Love of the Nations (for ideas that promote awareness and appreciation of other cultures) 
• Food for the Foodie (duh!) 
• Sizzlin’ Summer Pastimes (I can’t collect enough creative ideas to do with Brennan this summer, especially in this heat) 
• A Cheerful Giver (gift ideas that either we can make or unique/creative purchased gifts)

This is what a couple of my boards look like at the moment (sorry the pictures aren’t very clear).

From the “Sparking Creativity” board I created, so far Brennan and I have made a rainbow card we sent to Mees. Sadly, she hasn’t received it yet! So this might have to be her proof.  

And yesterday, we had a great time painting some rocks that you can see was another idea I borrowed from Pinterest.

 

 

Another board:

One of our first summer activities that I tried for Brennan and our guests Alex and Evan, were homemade popsicles. But they were a catastrophic flop…and a bit embarrassing. So I’m hoping this website I pinned, or saved, on Pinterest will come in handy: 50+ recipes for homemade popsicles (picture top right hand corner).

If you’re on Pinterest, let me know, or if you’re interested in setting up an account, I have a few invites left that I can use.

Last but not least, I am so, so, so excited for my friend, Marla Taviano, who launched her eBook last night called The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky. Don’t run away from me too quickly! As a brand new momma, the very first book I read was Marla’s Changing Your World One Diaper at a Time. It came highly recommended by Amanda, and I’m so glad I read it. It was funny, light-hearted, insightful, very personable, and relatable. It was nothing short of encouraging as I was navigating through the unknown plains and valleys of motherhood. 

She’s also penned a book that I’ve had on my shelf for two years but want and need to read: Is That All He Thinks About? Her desire for healthy, godly, intimate, and FUN marriages is one of her passions, as is missions and the nations of the world, (particularly Cambodia)…yet another reason I love her! I had the privilege of meeting her in person a year and a half ago in Houston. I was the stalker, and she was the graciously receptive one that has been a source of encouragement ever since.

On a personal level without revealing too much or embarrassing my precious husband, as a newlywed, I had specific visions of what our intimate relationship would look like. And well, it wasn’t too long before discovering that life happens. Babies come. I’m carrying an extra fifteen pounds on my body and don’t feel s-e-x-y in the least! Hands off, dude <grin>! 

But on a very real level, it’s an area of our married relationship that is precious, God-given and requires effort and selflessness. And knowing Marla and her heart for marriages, this new book of hers (as well as Is That All He Thinks About?) would be valuable resources to delve into with discernment, sensitivity, prayer, and yes, a bit of a sense of humor. Because while I know Marla approaches this topic with the utmost respect and humility, there will be some fun, light-hearted moments to her writing as well! I mean, just take a look at the cover:

Marla is providing one giveaway copy of The Husband’s Guide to Getting Lucky to one of my readers! 

Here’s how to enter:

A) Leave a comment telling me one or more of the following: 

• A favorite summer activity, trip, or moment you’ve had so far. 
• A prayer request. 
• Something you hope to get out of reading Marla’s book.

OR 

B) Link to The Husband's Guide to Getting Lucky website from your Facebook, Twitter, or any social media you prefer and leave a comment letting me know you did. 

Only one entry per person (just choose option A or B). The winner will be selected at random. Giveaway will end at 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 19th and announced shortly thereafter. 

Love to each of you this evening! 

Simply trusting, 

 

 

Just Beachy

Sunshine. Seafood. Glistening water. Sand. I lack a dazzling adjective for the sand because it’s my least favorite part of the beach. Although the soft, white sands on the Gulf Coast of Florida have the potential to change my opinion about the messy, grainy stuff that sticks to everything.

I am notorious for sitting on the beach and walking around collecting seashells. My imagination goes wild at the thought of all the icky seaweed that entangles my toes and even wilder at the thought of the perilous sharp-toothed sea creatures that would leave me in horrendous pain and dismembered.

Maybe it’s because I was introducing Brennan to the ocean and wanted to pretend I was brave. Or maybe it was because these particular waters were gorgeous and clear without any seaweed until the last day when the wind churned it up, and it also wasn’t very salty. Or maybe it was because the sand was so soft that there was not one seashell to be found. It was probably the combination of the three that allows me to say that I actually ventured into the sea and jumped the waves.

Oh, I had my panicky moments when the waves began to get too high over my 5’6” frame. And Matt had to calm my nerves incessantly after Ed told an awful story of him being swept out of his own dad’s arms while in the ocean when a huge wave came crashing down on top of them. Forget imagining threatening creatures or annoying seaweed, but how do you calm a mother who keeps envisioning her son being swept away at sea!?

For five days, we soaked up the rays and enjoyed splitting our time between the beach and the fabulous resort pool that was my refreshing, sand-less haven. Whether it was the salt water or the chlorinated-water, our boy was an eager fish, working on his kicking, blowing bubbles and wave jumping. 

Some moments to remember:

Papa and Nana made a treasure map for Jadon and Brennan to hunt for prizes of beach toys.

Brennan’s first time to set foot on a beach. Well, it actually took him awhile to want to put his feet down on the sand and in the water…

but eventually, he worked his way up to it.

Baxter, a most happy and content little guy, celebrated his first birthday the day after we left.

Most nights we alternated between families cooking dinner. The last night we were there, Kim made a fabulous concoction of recipes that I immediately came home and bookmarked: Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Feta and Fresh Lime; Grilled Brined Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce; and a Tomato-Watermelon Salad with Feta and Toasted Almonds (a-maz-ing). I ate like a horse that night, helping myself to seconds of everything, including her “Dirt Dessert” with Oreos.

One night was a special birthday celebration evening for Matt’s folks who both celebrated their 60th birthdays this past winter. We went to a fine place called George’s and captured some of the best family photos.

Cousins! Jadon turned three last month, and it was quite entertaining picking up on the personality differences between these two boys. I would personally have described Jadon as mellow the week at the beach, content playing with toys on the beach and just chillin’. At least he was compared to my animated and expressive boy, who Nana said had more energy than she ever remembered Matt having! Did he inherit an Uncle Mac gene, perhaps? Lord, help me if he did <grin>! I’m serious!

One of the most special and memorable moments of our week in Florida was a night of girl-time. After dinner at George’s, we helped get the kids to bed then the girls surprised me with dessert at an incredible restaurant called La Crema Tapas and Chocolate in a quaint area of town that felt very European. I had the bread pudding with chocolate and caramel sauce. I wished I’d had two servings! The ladies surprised me with girly clothes for Skittles, too. I’ve got to update you with some pictures of these outfits; Skittles received her first pink tutu! I was jazzed up on chocolate and pink.

The additional night out was at Pier Park for some more seafood and a pleasant night out on the town. We discovered on this trip that Brennan likes seafood. He enjoyed crab and artichoke dip at George’s and helped himself to nearly 1/2 lb. of fresh shrimp the night at Pier Park. I made the awful mistake of not giving him small enough bites and well, the result wasn’t pleasant. But it didn’t deter him from eating more.

This picture was taken after dinner, and I find it very amusing!

Pier Park had a small amusement park in the middle of all the shops and restaurants. Tom and Kim graciously treated the four of us to a train ride…the perfect ending to a fun night out.

Dear Aunt Melissa. Melissa could only stay with us until Tuesday, but she made the most of her auntie time and loved on the little ones with her whole heart. Brennan was grateful for her lovies!

 

The last night, the one of Kim’s feast, we had a mini talent show. It was very rough with three kiddos under the age of three who hadn’t practiced anything like we intended. But it kept us laughing, and the highlight was seeing Tom breakdance to a Michael Jackson song. If it’s going to be a family tradition though, Papa and Nana need to participate also <grin>!

After the kiddos were in bed, we had a meaningful family time of sharing and praying together. It was an inestimable way to conclude our week that thankfully didn’t involve any knock out waves, treacherous creatures, major sunburns, or seaweed snares…it was just ‘beachy’*!

*Yes, I’m corny <grin>.

Simply trusting,

Link Love…and a Question

Amazingly, I’ve been able to keep up my reading spurt this year. I figure I only have two more months until I take a probable hiatus. The only downfall, if it can really be considered one, is that the novels I’ve delved into are so good they keep me up too late at night. The latest one I read is likely familiar to most of you with its raving reviews and the upcoming movie release this summer. It’s called The Help. I particularly love the history woven throughout, and who wouldn’t agree that the Civil Rights Movement is one of the top most significant historical events/changes during the 20th century? It’s a humorous, thoughtful, and insightful piece of literature.

There is a new Compassion Bloggers team headed to the Philippines next week. If you read anything on the Internet next week, read some of their posts. You can follow along with them here. You might be familiar with some of the team members:  Tsh Oxenreider at The Simple Mom or Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky.

I still think it would be amazing to meet our two Compassion girls who live in Bangladesh. My friend, Tracy, has family in the Philippines and visited there with her hubby and two kiddos a couple of months ago. While there, she got to meet her Compassion child! What an opportunity in which to take advantage, a real treasure!

We have no idea what lies ahead with Brennan’s or Skittles’ education in the future, and I am certainly not one that sees herself made for homeschooling, but I appreciated reading Ann Voskamp’s post this morning. No matter what is in store for our kiddos, the heart and purpose behind what we ultimately desire their education to look like and result in was articulated very well: “It means that we pursue not a cultural definition of success but of true greatness for our kids: ‘having an unquenchable passion for God that manifests itself in an unwavering love and concern for others’ (Ted Kimmel, Raising Kids for True Greatness).”

In the winter, I participated in the Bloom Book Club through {in}courage when they read One Thousand Gifts. Last Sunday, they announced the new book selection starting up on June 5th: Kelly Minter’s The Fitting Room. I’ve been looking forward to starting up again with this online community, and you might want to also. Here are all the details you need.

And now a question for y’all. One of Brennan’s favorite books in the past couple of months has been The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby. He’s intrigued not just by the baby but also the new big boy bed that Brother Bear switches to from his little bed, something Brennan himself has done in the last couple of months. It’s a book we’re using as a resource to talk about his baby sister coming soon to help with the transition. What are other things you did in your families that were helpful and fun to aid in the adjustment period?

If any of you Central Texans are looking for a place to escape for a weekend, Matt and I HIGHLY recommend Rose-Hill Manor outside of Fredericksburg! We went there last weekend for a brief ‘babymoon’ while Brennan was love-spoiled by his Mees in San Antonio. Y’all, the scenery was breathtakingly peaceful and the food was GOURMET! Our friend, Courtney, recommended the place, and we would go back there in a heartbeat.

Oh, and how could I forget!? There are a few things recently that have triggered deep Texas pride in me. First, the rodeo. Second, strawberry picking underneath the expansive clear-blue sky. I still want to blog about both of those. Third, this music video/commercial that came out for the Superbowl sponsored by the best grocery store around, H.E.B. It won’t be new to many of you Texans, but if you want to know why I love Texas--why all Texans love Texas--this will give you a glimpse. And you’ll understand why I wanted to breed a family of Texans <grin>. That was just to get under Matt’s skin, but oh, there’s so much to love about Texas, that’s why Texas is home to me!

Simply trusting,

Tasty Treats

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of helping host a bridal shower for my good friend, Liz. She’s someone I deeply admire as I’ve witnessed her walking faithfully with Jesus through joys and heartache, waiting upon Him for His best in her life. Jesus continually is her first Love, and so it’s been with an overflow of excitement to see Him give this gift of a husband to her, in His perfect timing.

We ladies had a lot of fun at the shower. The table of gals I sat with laughed a lot. There’s nothin’ like girl time, huh? I got to know some special people better and see faces I’ve sorely missed. It was a delight!

There were a few of the girls who asked for the breakfast casserole recipes I made, so I thought I’d share with the rest of y’all, too. One was a tried-and-true recipe I’ve written about before: Spinach and Mushroom Brunch Bake. It has a great mix of flavors, and I particularly enjoy the combo of sundried tomatoes and spinach.

For the second casserole, I braved an entirely new recipe, yet it came from a cookbook of my grandmother’s that has become a mainstay: San Francisco A La Carte, The Junior League of San Francisco. It’s called Cheese Pudding, and oh, it’s nothin’ short of cheesy! I left it as a vegetarian option for the brunch, but for the casserole I made for MOPS on Monday, I added bacon. Another option if you’d like a heartier casserole is ham. Again, it’s rich and cheesy and a delectable treat. Because of that, I can guarantee my brother, Mac, and his wifey, Julie, would love it <grin>.The other thing about it that I love is that it is super, super easy!

Cheese Pudding

• 16 slices day-old white bread
• 1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I liked to double this)
• 1/4 pound butter, melted

Butter a 2-quart casserole or soufflé dish. Remove crusts from bread and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Divide cheese and bread each into 3 portions. Layer the casserole with 1/3 of the bread, then 1/3 of the cheese, then repeat twice. Beat eggs with milk, and add all the seasonings. Slowly pour this mixture over the bread and cheese, and then pour melted butter over the top. Cover the casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place in a pan of water and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Pudding should puff like a soufflé and brown on top.

When I took the casserole out of the oven, it was like a beautiful soufflé, nice and puffy. Then it went caput. Should I have left it in the oven for 10 minutes with the door cracked after baking to prevent the falling, or how do you keep a soufflé from falling? That I do not know. And really, the girls could have cared less or even noticed. It was just yummy in the tummy!

Hope y’all have a great night! The skies are teasing us tonight in Austin with yellowish clouds, thunder and lightning. But we’re waiting desperately for the rain to fall. Brennan and I keep sayin’, “Bring it, Lord!”

Simply trusting,