Book Club!

Last night was our first meeting for the Young Adult's Ladies Book Club at my church! I actually was inspired to start a book club last spring, thinking that we would all benefit from having some accoutability for reading and enjoy the feedback that we get from each other. I procrastinated, however, and didn't get around to starting it until last month. I read on Angie Smith's blog that she was going to be doing a "virtual book club" (http://www.thebloombookclub.blogspot.com/) and I was excited to be a part of it. Then I thought, hey, why don't I do a satelite group myself using the same book! Whoo hoo!



We are reading "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan. It is truly a great book and offers a very fresh, very convicting perspective!



Some of the key things that I took away from our evening:



*First of all, I was so blessed to hear that other girls had really been looking for an opportunity to connect and were excited to get the invite for this club. It really confirmed in my heart that this was something that the Lord wanted and something that He is going to bless!



*I was reminded that I need to "intentionally and consistently remind myself of the Lord". In watching one of the videos on the Bloom website, I got the idea of doing a clipboard next to the kitchen sink or bathroom sink that would have prayer requests on it, a good reminder. Also, our church is doing a project that also encourages this mentality of placing the Lord strategically in your life so that we don't forget. (http://pcctoday.com/6060) I am challenged to do this myself, and also to hold each other accountable to finding something tangible to remind ourselves of our need for the Lord in our life.



*Convicted by this statement: "Colossians 1:16 tells us that everything was created for God.... Don't we live instead as though God is created for us, to to our bidding, to bless us, and to take care of our loved ones?" So true. Sometimes I feel like my relationship with the Lord is on a need basis. Lord, I will let you know when I need you...in the meantime, I can handle things. Not a good mentality!



*Another good quote: "When I am consumed by my problems- stressed out about MY life, MY family, MY job- I actually convey the belief that I think that the circumstances are more important then God's command to always rejoice. " "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!" Phil. 4:4. God doesn't tell us to rejoice when life is going our way, He says to rejoice always! That is so good to remember.

*Another good quote: "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives." This I can grasp, I have always known that worry is a slap in the face to God. I am not saying that I am not guilty of worrying at times, but I do know better. THIS quote though was a little painful to read: "Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards other, or our tight grip of control. Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it's okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small indeed."

I could go on and on but I would rather encourage you to read the book yourself and if you are local, come to our discussion! We are meeting on Tuesday, October 27th at 7pm at Rachelle Polits' house.

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!!

Blog Hop- Anything that feels good! :)

Today's blog hop theme is rather vague....it's pretty much anything that makes you feel good, like a story, joke, picture, etc. Well, there are couple things lately that have made ME feel good so here they are!!!

1) Saving money!!!!

Look at all this loot! Courtesy of Rite Aid ad this week in the paper.

Allergen Block $9.99
Simply Saline for Children $3.99
Simply Saline for Adults $3.99
Comtrex Cold & Sinus $3.99
Breathe Again $7.99
Honey Lemon Natural Throat Drops $2.49
Gentle Nature Eczema Cream $8.49
TOTAL

$41.93

But did I pay $41.93 for all this stuff?? NO!! After my rebate comes in the mail (and I have done it before; it's legit) my grand total for this pile of products will be $5.49. Everything was free, except for the eczema cream that had a $3 rebate off of $8.49.

I realize that posting a picture of such exciting items like saline spray might qualify me for dork status. I am alright with that. At least I am a thrifty dork! :) I actually went into Rite Aid to look for Benadryl for Emersyn (they had none for babies, darn it) and then saw all this free stuff and had to have it. I don't even know what the Allergen Block does but heck, it was $9.99 regularly so it has to be good for something right?? Hee hee.

2) Sweet little girls watching a fire in the fireplace while cuddling with their teddy bear makes me happy which makes me feel good. :)

3) Cooking dinner for my husband makes me happy!!!! Last night I tried a slow cooker recipe and it turned out simply delicious. This picture doesn't look the most appetizing, I will be the first to admit. But it tasted fantastic and made my house smell like a home. :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe:

Chicken Breasts (I used three medium sized ones)

1 Can of Cream of Chicken (can be lowfat)

1 Can of Cream of Celery (can be lowfat)

3 stalks of celery chopped up

One bag of mini carrots

One packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix mixed with 2 cups of water

Toss all ingredients into slow cooker and let it work it's magic! You can serve over rice or pasta. I think next time I make it, I might toss in some yellow potatoes to use as a side. Its really flavorful and even Brett liked the carrots and he normally hates veggies (pray for him). Last night I just made acorn squash as a side.

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

2 Acorn Squash, halved and seeded

Coarse Salt and Ground Pepper

Italian Seasoning

4 Tablespoons of Butter

4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup (you can also use honey)

Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. Place squash, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with foil. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1-2 TBSP butter in each cavity and 1 TBSP syrup. Sprinkle herbs in cavity. Roast for one hour or until very tender...baste at least twice during cooking. Top with cheese. I forgot to do the cheese last night but it was still soooooo good. Brett didn't love it. He said it was a texture thing.

Other things this week that make me happy/feel good: finding out that Brett gets THREE weeks of vacation at work starting next year, hallelujah!!!; watching Emersyn take 8ish steps last night and sharing the special moment with my mom and brother via Skype; all the amazing things I am learning in my Esther bible study and girls book club; and the fact that Fall is here, the leaves are changing and I am more in love with my husband then ever!!

What is making you happy this week? :)

Pumpkin Patch

On Friday Brett and I decided to take our little pumpkin to the pumpkin patch! We had a blast, the weather was perfect, even a little on the warm side! Emersyn wasn't feeling 100%, I think she still had a lingering cold so she had a bit of a runny nose and since she has been drooling so much (teething), her mouth was a bit chapped. My poor baby. She still had a good time though.

Emersyn LOVED the animals. The petting zoo area was really really clean and the animals were friendly and clean too. The petting zoo area of the fair that we went to was so icky, I was a little traumatized. But this one was great, I even let Emersyn down on the floor which I would have never done at the fair.

Checking out the baby cow. She was only a month old. So sweet.

Emersyn and some goats, checking each other out.

I was not a huge fan of Brett putting Emerysn into the goat corral to touch them but she sure liked it! Naughty Daddy!

This farm will be a yearly tradition for us. I look forward to many more pictures like this to come.

Poor Ems looks a little washed out, part of that is the lighting. But she still looks pretty sweet to me, what do you think? :)

This picture is way zoomed in....Brett and Emersyn were at the top of a hay castle. I love how Ems is waving to me!!

Love that blue sky!

Brett took Emersyn down this giant slide twice. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, him or her!

Doesn't this look like a senior picture? I love it. She is such a sweetie.

"Cheeeeeeeese"

As we were taking this picture, a tractor full of people drove by and I could hear them oohing and ahhing over how cute Emersyn is. My heart was full and happy. :)

I am hoping to make it out to another pumpkin patch before the end of the month. After all the exploring and playing that we did, I was too pooped to actually go get a pumpkin to buy. You had to get it and then haul it to the weigh station and then haul it back to the parking lot. Emersyn and I were starving and cranky, hee hee. I accidentally wore flats, not tennis shoes, and that also inhibited my ability to navigate through the farm. But darn it if my outfit didn't look good and put together! :)

I am looking forward to a busy week! This morning I made a chicken slow cooker recipe and am making some amazing acorn squash tonight. Pictures and recipe to come!

Happy Monday everyone!

Transitioning

A little blurry but I love how sweet she looks, like such a toddler!

Yesterday we did a little outlet shopping for Emersyn. We have some really nice outlets about 30 minutes south of us where there are always good deals to be had. I LOVE Carters brand stuff. It washes well, runs true to size and all their stuff is pretty darn cute too. The outlet always has great deals and a good selection too. We got Emersyn a pair of pants, a pack of short sleeve white onesies (a staple I have found for each age), a pack of long sleeved onesies, two fleece rompers to hang out around the house in, a pack of long sleeved white onesies, a hoodie, and two dresses for about $70. Not bad! For some reason, when she gets new clothes, I feel like I got new clothes. I just love having a little girl to dress.

This morning I went through Emersyn's drawers and closet. I put away all her bibs, burp cloths, all those newborn essentials that are now a thing of the past. I put away all her spring/summer clothes and shoes and fondly recalled all the fun days and evenings that we had this summer, enjoying the nice weather. I wonder to myself, the next time I go through these containers of clothes will I be expecting another little girl? Or a little boy and I will be trying to pick out what little gender neutral things that I have......so fun to think of all that the future holds. God is so good.

Emersyn's drawers are now filled with fresh new clothes that I am sure you will all see via pictures over the next 6 months while they fit. We are done with Emersyn's last can of formula, hooray! She seems to like milk. I haven't put away her bottles yet.....it seems with the sippy cups she will gulp and gulp and let half of it run out of her mouth. When she does this with water, I don't really mind, the water will dry. But it seems like milk could make her stinky and be a waste....any ideas? Do you just transition them into sippy cups and hope they figure out how to drink slower?

Emersyn is napping now and I should get to more important things, like my Bible Study, my book for my book club or cleaning. Brett's parents are coming over to watch Emersyn tonight so there is housework to be done too. I am feeling a little tired today, probably from being out and about all day yesterday. Hopefully this afternoon brings some rest. :) Tonight Brett and I are going to dinner and then a movie, I can't wait!!

Happy Saturday friends!!

Dear Santa......

Dear Santa,

I know it is a little early to be getting you my Christmas list already but I got my beloved "Harriet Carter" catalog in the mail this week and I wanted to get you this list asap, as the items I have selected will probably sell out FAST!

1) NFL Snuggie (for my husband)

Nothing could be more attractive then the sight of your hunk of a man curled up in an NFL fleece wrap with sleeves. I mean, look at this guy! He exudes testosterone!!

2) Educational Theological Book

This question has often kept me awake at night....why ARE there no cats in the Bible???? I can't wait to get this book and FINALLY find out why!!!!!

3) Painting gadget that promises to allow you to paint any size room in an hour effortlessly.

This gift is more for my husband Santa. The thing is, if you don't get this for me, Brett is going to see it at Home Depot or Lowes and INSIST on buying it. I have yet to find a painting gadget that he won't buy. Because we passionately hate painting, a gadget that promised to practically do the painting FOR you is a must.

4) Glass mouthwash decanter

How classy is this, huh?? Gone is the tacky mouthwash bottle!

5) Credit Card Holder

Note: this holds up to 32 cards!!!! Wow!! Does it also come with free debt counseling on NOT buying stuff you can't afford?

6) Touch'n'Brush

This little life saver PROMISES to distribute the PERFECT amount of toothpaste EVERY time! This is something I have wrestled with for a long time. I put some toothpaste on and realize, darn it, that is too little! Then I try to squeeze some more on and darn it, now it's too much. This little magic gadget will erase those feelings of failure forever!!

7) Cat Talk

Enough said.

Thanks for your consideration Santa. I truly believe that each of these items will enhance my overall quality of life tremendously.

Signed, Your Truly

Honest Scrap

My very sweet blogger friend LeAnna tagged me/awarded me this the other day. In the spirit of blogging fun (and in work boredom), I have elected to participate! :) Thanks for thinking of me LeAnna!

The logistics:

1) Say thanks and give a link to the one who gave you the award. (check!)
2) Share 10 honest things about yourself. (this may prove to be a challenge....although I don't usually lie on my own blog so essentially everything I say on here is honest about myself...but I will work on 10 more fun facts!)
3) Present this award to 9 other fantastically brilliant blogs of content or design, or peeps that have encouraged you.
4) Tell those 9 people they've been awarded and make sure they're informed of these guidelines.


Okay, 10 HONEST things about myself.....

1) I thought giving birth was relatively easy. I seriously have had tougher real estate deals that have caused me far more agony. I am praying that the next one is as easy (which isn't going to be anytime soon!!). I am sure that my mind has blocked out all the pain and discomfort that I experienced but I DO remember thinking, "hey, that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought". Hollywood has a way of setting up your expectations for screaming and possibly even profanities, ha! (NOT that I have a potty mouth, I don't!!!)

2) Every time we go to Chevy's Mexican Restaurant I go to the restroom first so that I can wash my hands. And every time I am in there by myself, I proceed to dance like a crazy woman to the loud salsa music while washing and drying my hands, all the while keeping my eyes glued to the door so that no poor woman has the misfortune of witnessing me making a fool out of myself, Latina style. Caitlin, don't judge me for this although I suspect you might already have. Hee hee.

3) I am TERRIBLE at making dinners at night. Not that I make terrible food, not at all. I think I am a decent cook actually, not amazing, but decent. I am bad at planning, shopping and then implementing. I used to blame this on the fact that I work. But I only work part time. Lame excuse. Plus, I was on maternity leave for 4 1/2 months when Emersyn was born and I wasn't good at it then either. But I had a newborn.....excuses excuses. I wanted to do a 30 day quest for no eating out in October but then I got sick on October 1st and thus didn't feel like cooking, nor eating for that fact. I think this would be an interesting challenge though. Make me actually plan meals, shop accordingly and then actually cook what we have at home. Blog friends, I want to know what your weekly meals and routines are when it comes to dinner time!!

4) I think it would be a blast to own a franchise with my husband. I think it would be so fun to work together. However, being entirely self employed is ridiculously stressful so I would want to win the lottery first and then "work for fun". Obviously, the odds of this happening are slim to none but it is still fun to dream about! :)

5) I LOVE reading other people's blogs. I am always inspired by other women's creativity, love of the Lord, and believe that we can all learn a lot from each other! I have been amazed growing so fond of people who I don't even know in real life and watching their babies grow as well as their faith. It makes me want to be a better mommy, woman, and blogger too! :)

6) I am a Realtor. Part of the reason that I became a Realtor was because of my love for homes. Brett and I spend countless hours, gas tanks and miles driving around and looking at houses and neighborhoods when we were just friends, way back when. Now that I am in the biz, one of our favorite things to do on our days off is go look at million dollar homes and dream. It's easy, I just look up houses that are vacant (I would never disrupt a family or kick a seller out of their house just so I can look). We have seen some amazing houses on lakes, on huge estates, etc. One of the most memorable houses that I have seen looked like it was straight out of the 70's. It was kind of spooky and needed to be updated by about 30 years, no joke. Just walking into the house made me want to put on some roller skates and put my hair in ponytails. Not like I was even alive in the 70's, but I imagine that is what you wanted to do in that era. Ha! Anyways, this mansion was trippy and had brightly colored rooms, including one room that was completely red including bright red shag carpet. There was a psychedelic tiled shower in the master that could tell some tales I am sure if the walls could talk. There was a huge kitchen and then behind it swinging doors, another huge kitchen for the catering crew. I imagine this home had some pretty trippy parties. I have seen million dollar homes that were foreclosed on and were just plain spooky. Anyways, just a perk for this CRAZY and sometimes stressful career that I am in!

7) I can be a pretty confident person. The Lord is the source of my joy and strength and in Him, there is nothing I can't accomplish. But under it all, I can be very insecure and needy for approval from others. Something the Lord is working on in me though. I am constantly learning that life is one big issue after another, I just have to refine how I look at it!

8) The first time I had sushi after not having it for almost two years due to pregnancy and nursing, I spent $12. This is one of those cheapie places that charge $1.50 per plate. You do the math. I was stuffed but it was delicious. I could eat California Rolls for all eternity. Lord, is there a sushi bar in heaven?? Or a Starbucks?? Really, both would be ideal!! Just a thought....

9) I have THREE pictures of Emersyn up in our house. One in a small frame that was a gift on our fireplace and then two in our room. Of the BAZILLION pictures I take of her, I am terrible about committing to printing and actually putting them up. I even HAVE THE FRAMES!!! They are from Ikea and they are in our linen closet, neatly stacked, taunting me, just waiting to be placed. I need to get on it. I think I get overwhelmed at how to organize them, which pics to put in them, etc. Oy. Lemonade Makin' Mama, I need you!!!! :) *Note: I do have lots of pictures of her on our fridge, a much less committing place to place pictures I guess.

10) I am so so so blessed to be married to my best friend. Sure, he may do things that drive me crazy or more often, NOT do things which drives me crazy but I love that it takes us 3 hours to watch a show that should only take a little over an hour to watch (thanks to our DVR) because we keep stopping and talking and laughing. I love getting into bed at the end of the day and snuggling up with my favorite person in the world, other then my daughter. I love dreaming about our future together, watching our sweet baby girl turn into the little nut that she is becoming, and having the security in knowing that he picked me out of everyone else. I love my husband!!

Alright, I hope that was honest enough for ya!

Here are my 9 people that I am tagging and awarding! I know that life is busy so if you don't have time to play along, there will be no hard feelings! But, it's always fun to learn new things about your friends so I hope SOME of you play along. :)

The Leaking Window
My Journey Through Motherhood
Happel Happenings
Good Tree
Simplifying Me
Life's Little Blessings
My Story is Not Over
The Adventures of Reuben, Amy and Chloe
Mix Mix Mama

Wordless Wednesday-Purple Princess