Today's topic: Dinner!

One of the things I have wanted to do more often this year is to take time to cook a meal for my family. Now, for those of you that know me, you know this is a real stretch :) First of all, I tend to make a huge mess when I cook. I didn't inherit Dad's talent of making the kitchen look spotless even while items are bubbling away on the stove, unfortunately. Second, I am just not food-creative. I am perfectly happy with Kraft Mac' and Cheese and some chicken nuggets.

Anyhoo...tonight I decided to be creative. I snagged a recipe from some friends and made salsa chicken with saffron rice, black beans and guacamole. Surprise! It was actually good!

For those that would like the recipe, here it is:

Take four chicken breasts, one jar of salsa (spicy is best), one can of whole-kernel corn and a small jar of green chili peppers. Dump it all in a crockpot. The salsa and corn should cover the chicken breasts. Cook on high for five hours (if chicken was frozen). Otherwise, just on high till chicken is thoroughly cooked. Take chicken out and shred with a fork, then place back in the crockpot on low for about an hour so that the chicken will soak up some of the liquid.

I made some saffron rice (from the bag) and some Bush's black beans (from the can). I also made some guacamole.

Guacamole-- mush together:
Four fresh, ripe avocados
One regular tomato
A little bit of garlic (from the jar is fine)
Lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Then I just wrapped it up buritto-style with everything mixed in, including some cheese and sour cream. Obviously you can just put everything in bowls and let the family make their own :)  I was very happy with how this turned out.  Plus, there is enough left over for lunch tomorrow!

My One Word : A late post to a New Year's "unresolution"

Each year I struggle with thinking of realistic "resolutions".  Lose weight, be healthier, eat organic, no more french fries, call my family more often....  All of these are fantastic ideas, but no matter how many lists I make, I seem to fall short by the end of January.  This year, I am trying something different.

My One Word.  This is something that a friend of mine from Hannah's Prayer turned me on to.  The basic gist of this challenge is to choose one thing to focus on; basically to have an annual "theme".  It's based on moving forward in growth, instead of focusing on what went wrong in the past.  It's about positive forward movement towards the person that God commands us to be.  My word this year?  Boundaries.

I find that I often make plans for things that I need to do-- things that I SHOULD be doing-- but Life gets in the way.  I need to set time aside for my devotional in the morning.  But the snooze button is so tempting and then once it's work time, the phone doesn't stop ringing.  Had I just set a boundary on my time, I would have accomplished what I needed to do, without wanting to throw the phone across the room (and sometimes that THUNK of the phone hitting the wall would be oh-so-satisfying!!)

I also agree to things that I really don't have the emotional or physical capacity for.  I come home, not with a feel-good sense of accomplishment, but a worn-out sense of exhaustion.  Not to mention the list of things piled up that I have now put off.

So, this year begins my study in Boundaries.  What it should truly mean, in light of what the Bible teaches us.  Why it's healthy, in light of what the Bible teaches us.  And how to apply it to my life on a "one day at a time" basis.

Ramblings of a hormonal woman

As I work to blog daily (ha!  we'll see how long I keep that up) I find myself struggling on what to write and how to share what is on my mind.

Many of our friends and families know of our struggles to add to our family.  As I go, day by day, through this miracle of a pregnancy, I am finding myself more introspective.  After all we have been through, my fears of losing this precious little girl are slowly easing and I thank those that have so diligently been praying for us.  I am enjoying the little kicks and punches of our very active little girl, and have started shopping for her and decorating the soon-to-be nursery.

However, all of that excitement is a consistent reminder of the dear friends of mine that aren't to this point yet.  Those that are still waiting with empty wombs, empty arms and longing hearts.  And it just doesn't seem fair.  I want to be able to share my joy with those I love, but I hold back in fear of causing them pain. Perhaps I am not giving them enough credit, but I know how my heart hurt before this pregnancy and how even well-intended comments could leave me in tears.  I pray to not be that person...to not be the one that causes that pain.

While my intent for this blog is to keep a journal of our life and our little family, I know that quite a bit of what I write will be "tinged" by my infertility.  Its a big part of me, just as our little babies in Heaven will always be a part of me.  I appreciate those of you that have been and continue to stand by us in this journey, through the good and the bad, the laughter and the tears, the happiness and the joy.  I welcome those that are new to knowing our family and pray that this blog will bless you in some way, whether it be as support to you personally or as finding a new understanding regarding someone else that is struggling.

Beginnings...naptime

As I started this blog journey I had the intention of the first post being creative, original and exciting.  One that would grab your attention, one that would summarize the past year or so of our lives, one that would leave you interested in knowing more.

But now, after hours of creating backgrounds, photos, quotes, pages...only to wipe them out and start again...I find myself too tired to think. My pillow is calling my name and the pups are ready to snuggle.

SO!  Check back often, and I'll get those creative juices flowing sometime soon!