Word-filled Wednesday & Thankful Thursday

I'm combining both of these posts since they both deal with the same thing. Hope that's cool with you :) Yesterday I spent the day racking my brain for how I was feeling inside. There was a verse out there but I just couldn't put my finger on it. All day I kept searching my heart and it just wasn't coming to me. I looked up something and it took me to a quote by someone, not sure who, but it goes like this:

"The soul is nourished by ritual and celebration."

That's exactly what I was feeling but I couldn't find a verse in the Bible that used those particular words. Today as I was having some quiet time I finally found the verse I was looking for! Funny thing is that it's so common that I'm surprised it didn't come to me sooner! Does Psalms 23 sound familiar? Hello! So...the verse I'm using for Word-filled Wednesday is easy...

"He restores my soul"

That's it! This week my soul has been restored. I've had some good quiet time. I've gotten to clean up and re-decorate the house. I've gotten to hang out with some friends and have seen several movies. My soul is very full...I do...I feel restored! It's amazing what a few days and some peace and quiet will do to a person!

Which leads me to Thankful Thursday ;) I'm so thankful that I've had this week to get my "stuff" together. I feel so much more rejuvenated and like I have more of a spring to my step. I know it takes a lot out of Nate to take the girls out of town so kudos goes to my wonderful husband. It's been a rough week in Nashville because they've had some pretty crappy weather. Can't wait for them to get back into town and see what I've done to the house. Thank you honey for letting me have this time. It will help carry me to Montana!

Tip for Tuesday

Today's tip is one I've used several times. More than I'd like, but the good part is that it WORKS! Mom's, have you ever had spills that involve carpet and Kool-Aid? You're left frustrated and most times taking it out on your kids. Before you explode next time, take a deep breath and know that it's easy to clean up. Here's the instructions!


1. First get a bowl and put a small squirt of dish soap in it. Then fill the bowl with hot water. Go ahead and plug in the Iron while your at it.

2. Go to the stain and put enough soapy water on the stain to make the carpet wet. Don't drown the carpet though :)

3. Take the white towel and place it over the stain.

4. Get the hot iron (careful don't burn yourself!) and place the iron on the towel over where the stain is. You can move the iron back and forth like your ironing or keep it in one place. If you keep it in one place don't do it for long. You don't want a burnt carpet.

5. You will start to see the white towel turn the color of the stain. Keep repeating the process until the stain has lifted. I had to repeat the process for about an hour when my daughter spilled red kool-aid over her off white carpet. It works though!!

That's it...that's your tip for Tuesday. Make it a great one!

Menu Plan Monday

Since I'm batching it this week I'm not doing a Menu Plan Monday! I'm taking the week off and enjoying it too! Happy Spring Break!

Five Star Fridays

#1 - Just the fact that it's Friday is a star in my book. It has been a long week and I'm not 100% sure why. I guess it's just that it's been on again and off again with the weather so I have been too. I'm just glad that Friday is here!

#2 - Nate and the girls are going to Nashville! To say that I'm excited is an understatement. Not only for them but for ME. Finally I get some ME time. I feel like I have to rush home to help Nate out with the girls once I get off work that I feel guilty a lot of the time so I don't head out much with my friends and family. I am going to live up this week and enjoy every minute.

#3 - MOVIES :) My dad and I are going to see The Kings Speech and I can't wait. I'm also going out with my movie buddy and we're doing a movie marathon. I can't wait. Last time we did this was last year when Nate went to Nashville. Time for another marathon...plus, I don't even have to break a sweat! Love me some good girly movie time!

#4 - I love making jewelry now. Maybe it's not so much the making part but having a finished product makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I just finished a set this week that I'm rather proud of and I'm going to be working on a few more pieces this week. What better way then to get inspired than to look thru a Premier catalog or Lia Sophia catalog. I'm going to try to work on a few knock off pieces. Let's see if I can fool some people :)

#5 - Ana started karate this week and I love watching her in action. She looks so darn cute in her outfit. I told her that she's going to need to do pig tails so her hair's not in her face and she looks even cuter with the pig tails in. I love it how she stares me down like she's really intense when doing her moves. It appears that she's passionate about it so far so we'll see where it leads. She may just be one of those Black Tigers one day! Makes me want to get a bumper sticker that says "My Karate Kid is better than your Karate Kid!". Looks like I'm an officially a karate mom!

That's my Five Star Friday...Make it a good one :)

Thankful Thursday

Today on Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for my DAD! Today is his birthday and although I wish I was able to spend more time with him today, it was good to see him and have some lunch with him. We're going on a date tomorrow and I'm so excited! My dad is my hero...I look up to him and am very proud of him. He has taught me so much about life, love and what's right. There are so many great memories I have with my dad. Some of my favorite are:

#1 - When my mom and dad dropped me off to college at KCC, my dad wrote me a beautiful letter about life and love. He talked about me being successful, watching out for myself, knowing that even though I may feel alone that God is always with me. The letter spoke about how my parents are so proud of me and love me so very much. It talked about their hopes and dreams for my life. I still have this letter and treasure it dearly.

#2 - The day I got married, when my dad walked me down the aisle, I was terrified. Before going into the church I was fine. When the doors opened and I saw all the people looking at me, I felt like I wanted to faint. I remember leaning on my dad for support and he supported me as I walked thru the beautiful church to my prince :) Before he gave me over to Nate he looked in my eyes and kissed my cheek.

#3 - Thru our whole ordeal in Montana I had thought repeatedly, "Dad would know what to do...". The moment I heard my dad's voice on the other end of the phone after we had been rescued, I knew everything was going to be OK. When Nate and I got off the airplane when we got back from our honeymoon my dad was waiting for me. My heart felt full when I saw him! I'll never forget that day!

#4 - Thru our "interruption" a few years ago after we returned from Nashville, my dad was extremely supportive. He never once said "I told you so". He welcomed us home, provided food, shelter and love and gave us a hand up. It was one of the lowest points in my life and I couldn't have done it had my dad not have been so encouraging and loving.

So today, I'm thankful for my daddy! Without him I wouldn't be the women that I am today. I hope I've made him proud!

Word-Filled Wednesday

So the Word of the days comes from 1 Corinthians where it talks about the body of Christ. I had one of the elders at church today (Thursday) refer me to it about something I was talking to him about and as I was in the Word I saw something that peaked my curiosity. In verse 11 there was a little morsel that God planted right there for me. Here it is:

1 Corinthians 12:11 - All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

In the verses proceeding this verse God is talking about distributing gifts and how he gives certain gifts to certain people. I love that no matter how hard we TRY to like a certain hobby, or sport, or activity, He determines if it/you is going to work as it should. Reminds me of my sewing machine that's been sitting in my closet for the past year and a half. A part of me wants to break it out and get to work but a BIGGER part of me says, NNNAAAHHH! I have picked up a new hobby and I've really enjoyed it...jewelry making! It's fun and I can do it for myself and others. Doesn't cost too much either! Who knows, maybe enough time spent in JoAnn's and I might venture to the sewing stuff!

Another thought that came to mind when I read this verse is of my daughter. Ana has been talking forever about taking karate. What the heck...of all activities she picks karate! I've put it off as long as I can and this week I bit the bullet and signed her up. She went tonight for the first time and LOVED it. She looks pretty darn cute in her little outfit too. It doesn't matter how much I want her to play soccer, or to take art, God may have DETERMINED for Ana that karate is something that she's going to be good and excel in.

We all have gifts and talents that God wants us to use for Him. What's yours? Just something to think about. That's your Word of the day...Make it a good one!

Tip for Tuesday

Tuesday's Tip comes from the USA Weekend paper in my Sunday paper. It had a quick little tip for cleaning out your kitchen drain. I've always heard of doing baking soda and vinegar in your kitchen drain to clear it out but this was a new one!

The story said to put 3 Alka-Seltzer tablets down the sink, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Leave it for a few minutes, then run hot water down the drain.

Thought this was cleaver if you were out of baking soda but had a few Alka-Seltzer's on hand. Whatever works, right?! This is your Tip for Tuesday. Make it a great one!

MPM

Monday - Beef Tips and Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday - Chicken Sandwich & Homemade Potatoes
Wednesday - Turkey Bacon Wraps
Thursday - Mustgoes
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Chicken Cesar Salad
Sunday - Potroast

Catch-Up

I'm playing catch-up from last week. I missed my last two posts of the week and I'm feeling a little unfinished so I think I need to wrap up the week by posting so I can clearly move to this week :)

So what I'm thankful for...I know I've already said it last week but I'm thankful for March Madness. It's such a great time of year and I love all the anticipation leading up to it. Kind of like Christmas! I love picking all the teams and cheering on underdogs! Such great stories coming out of March Madness too. You learn about players and coaches who you never would really hear anything about. Very cool! So that's my Thankful Thursday. What are you thankful for?

OK, my Five Star Friday consists of:

#1 - It was a fairly slow week at work. I've been able to get caught up at work and it's been great! For some reason it was quiet last week which is kind of good at times. I'll take it!

#2 - We had dinner at Eagles last week and it was awesome. We hadn't been there since summer and I always love coming back! Kind of like coming home :) Dan the Man was there and he's always fun to be around. The girls love him...good to catch up!

#3 - Aiva had her last etiquette class on Saturday and she was absolutely beautiful! She wore the dress she wore for her Christmas pictures. I LOVE this dress! She looks amazing in it. We had to make a stop after her class and everyone kept loving on her dress. I love when people call her out and tell her she's beautiful. She eats it up!

#4 - Talked to a long time friend on Saturday. It was the first time since college. It was good to take the first step...sometimes God MAKES us do things we wouldn't otherwise do.

#5 - I made a slew of jewelry this past week. I was so proud of myself! I made two necklaces, 4 bracelets and 3 pairs of earrings. I'm starting to get into this hobby now! Yesterday, I went to JoAnn's and loaded up on more supplies so I can make more stuff. So exciting...I think I might make my first gift to give away. Hopefully it will turn out ok!

That's it...hopefully I can be more on the ball this week and keep up with blogging. Sometimes I have the best intentsions but things get busy! Yikes...looking forward to hopefully a beautiful week...Make it a great one!

The "Word" of the day is from Psalm 30:5 which says (half of it):

"Weeping may last for the night but joy comes in the morning."

This is the verse that keeps coming to mind tonight as Ana has been crying! For the last few nights she has been crying uncontrollably for no real reason. Drives me crazy! I try to calm her down and the more I try to calm her down the more frustrated I get. I keep repeating this verse and taking deep breaths! Not sure if this is going to do anyone any good but tonight it's what is calming me down and helping me to remember that even though Ana is crying now, she's going to wake up with the best and biggest smile in the morning. This is your "Word" for the day...make it a great one :)

Tip for Tuesday

Tuesday's Tip is one I had to learn the hard way. He it is...during the time you're supposed to "Spring Ahead" it is a wise idea to have two alarms set until your internal alarm clock catches up with your bedside alarm clock. I normally rely on my cell phone alarm clock to wake me up on a daily basis. Most days the girls are sufficient enough but not today. My cell phone decided to die in the middle of the night therefore when I realized that I was well rested I turned over to see that my bedside alarm clock said "9:08AM". Not good, considering I was supposed to be at work at 8:30 and that Aiva was supposed to be on the bus at 9:02. the girls were both sleeping due to lack of sleep this weekend so we were all LATE! If I would have had my other alarm set we wouldn't have had to worry about this little mishap. So, you're tip for Tuesday is to set two alarms JUST IN CASE. If you never have to use it, great. If so, you'll be glad you did and so will your boss! That's your tip for Tuesday...make it a great one :)

Menu Plan Monday

I am incredibly late getting this out so here it goes.

Monday - Blueberry Pancakes with eggs (they were amazing!)
Tuesday - Broccoli Beef with brown rice
Wednesday - Chicken Divan
Thursday - Baked potatoes and broccoli
Friday - PIZZA NIGHT
Saturday - Chicken and noodles (I still haven't made this from the weeks before!)
Sunday - Chicken Caesar Salad

March Madness

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year. I love basketball, I love Nate, and I love watching basketball with Nate :) It can't get any better than this! There's just something about this time...these few weeks. The Selection Show is just the beginning. Nate and I sit on the edge of our seats as the teams are picked. We fill out our brackets together and most times he takes my advice :) Not to brag but I've done pretty good with my brackets in years past. I love the challenge of it all. I love breaking out my two colors of highlighters to mark the W's and L's. Nate laughs at my traditions but I must confess something. After the tournament is over, my brackets look like a work of art! Anyway, another reason why I love this time is because you get to find out about these kids. They're not just talented basketball players. They're actual people with a story. A testimony. I was just watching Dwayne Wade's story today and it showed clips of when he went to Marquette and what his "story" was at that time. I have to admit...it got me. Choked me up a bit. That's what I love! I love the stories behind these people...where they've been, what they've experienced.

Another thing that I'm ecstatic about is the movie coming out tomorrow on ESPN Fab Five! It's about the Fab Five at Michigan - Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, and Ray Jackson. I've watched these guys since before they were freshman at Michigan. Chris Webber has been my all time favorite ball player. Despite the laughs about "Timeout" and the bad comments I've heard, I've remained faithful. I am so happy that both Webber and Jalen Rose are commentators and are doing with with ESPN. I read the book Fab Five by Mitch Albom when I was in 8th grade. Got thru it in 2 days. I soaked it up like a sponge. It's the best era of basketball that I've seen - despite the fact that they didn't get the National Championship. Can't wait for tomorrow!

It's gonna be great!

Five Star Friday

I'm a little late with my Five Star Friday so here it goes:

#1 - Two words...Wii Zumba. I love this new workout and so does Nate! It gives you a good burn and you sweat a lot - I like to know that when I work out I'm doing something!

#2 - A partial week with no TV. The girls actually played with all their toys. Even though they complained a little it was still nice to not have the TV on for background "noise".

#3 - A couple nights I got some good sleep. I had a cold the beginning of this week so I tried to sleep it off as much as possible. It's nice to sleep and not feel guilty about it!

#4 - Girl time on Friday. Nate had small group so it was me and the girls. Even though both of them are sick it was nice to have some girl time.

#5 - I was able to read a book on my Kindle today. It's been saved on there for three months and I finally got the chance to read it today. It feels so good to get thru a book. I feel like there's no time these days so I had to make time. With two girls sick there was plenty of time today!

That's my Five Star (Delayed) Friday :) Make it a good one!

Thankful Thursday

Today for Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the quiet of the office today. Usually there's a lot of hustle and bustle in the office but not today. I LOVE it! I've been able to get caught up on a lot of things that have been "hanging" and I've been able to listen to my tunes and just enjoy the quietness of the day. Believe me, this NEVER happens...unless it's summer. So for today, I'm going to soak this up and enjoy it! That's what I'm thankful for today...how about you?

Word-filled Wednesday

Your "Word" for today is found in Hosea 6:3 which says:

Let us surely acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

With today's weather being so yucky, it's nice to remember that God is faithful and that the sun will shine again. No matter how unfaithful we've been to Him, He will always remain faithful. This is your "word" for the day...make it a great one :)

Tip for Tuesday

Today's Tip for Tuesday comes from my mother in law. She forwarded this to me about a year ago and I have yet to try it but would love to. It has to do with how to peel a potato the easy way. If you ever get the chance to give it a try, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you! This is your Tip for Tuesday :) Make it a great day!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Beef Stew (we didn't have it last week)
Tuesday - Baked Potatoes
Wednesday - Italian Chicken
Thursday - Taco Salad
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Beef & Noodles
Sunday - Subs

Five Star Fridays

#1 - We made a huge payment on our CRV this week. It's almost paid off! 3 more months and it's OVER!

#2 - Last night when I was telling Aiva & Ana their bible story and singing them their song, Aiva announced that she knew the story I was telling them. It was the story of the rich young ruler. She proceeded to tell me the whole story and then quoted the verse that she learned at Awana. It was John 3:16. Totally knocked my socks off! I was so proud of her.

#3 - Getting the Grammy Gram from Debi :) Even though this letter is meant for the kids, I love reading it too. I'm so happy that the girls have something like this where they can stay in the know on their cousins!

#4 - I was "interrupted" by my friend Mandy on Wednesday. We have been trying to get together forever and sickness or time always seems to be standing in the way. She stopped by the office to drop something off to me and we finally got some time to chat. Even though it was a short time it was so nice to catch up. can't wait for the next time girl :)

#5 - I made 1 necklace, 2 bracelets, and 3 pairs of earrings this week. I'm so proud of myself. I've ventured into a new hobby and it's been a lot of fun. We'll see how long this one lasts but I love making stuff and being able to wear it! All those family members out there, you may end up getting one of these great creations if you're lucky!

That's your Five for Friday :) Make it a good one!

Thankful Thursdays

Today for Thankful Thursday, I'm thankful for the remote desktop connection on my computer. I know that sounds hookey but it's true. Today, Nate was sick and so I was stuck with Ana. At first I was a bit frustrated because I hate to miss work but then I turned my frown upside down and started to figure out what I was going to do. I took Ana to work to grab some work, headed home and jumped on my computer (RDC) and started working. Without it, I would be stuck and have to take a vacation day. Thanks to Mark Stier and the RDC for letting me be able to work and stay home with my daughter! Got to get back to her :) That's what I'm thankful for today!

Word-filled Wednesday

Today's Word-filled Wednesday comes from Colossians 1:11 that says "His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy."

There was a staff meeting a few years ago when Greg asked someone what he could pray for them and they responded with "patience". His comment was, "Are you sure you want me to pray for patience...you realize that if we pray for patience, God will make you be patient and it may take a LONG time for something to happen." I guess I had never thought of it that way before...he was totally right. Ever since that time I laugh whenever some one prays for patience and ask them specifically, "Are you sure you want me to pray for patience?"

The great thing about having the Holy Spirit living in us is that we are already filled with patience, peace, and all the other fruits of the spirit. We don't need to ask for it...WE ALREADY HAVE IT! We just have to choose it! Now that's good news! That's your "Word" for the day...make it a great one!

Tip for Tuesday

Today's tip is one that I used just last week. It's better known as the "Penny Trick"! Here's how it goes...hold the penny with your thumb and forefinger. Put Abe's head into one of the lowest points in the tire's tread. If the tread covers Abe's head, you're good. If you start to see the tread above his head, like in the picture above, it's time to look for new tires. This is your Tip for Tuesday! Be sure to make it a good one!