Menu Monday

I don't even think this would even be considered a "recipe" but I thought I would share a secret to spicing up the weekly green beans! When we have Italian food I like to drain some of the liquid out of my french cut green beans before adding them to my pot. Then I add a couple of generous squeezes of Kraft Italian Dressing to them. Follow up by seasoning with a little salt and pepper and warm as normal on your stove top! It's a quick and easy way to give'em a little kick! Try laying off the butter and picking up the salad dressing to make your green beans and your kids feel a little SpIcY!

Tuesday TRUEism

{photo from here}

School Days, School Days, Good 'Ole Golden Rule Days

Dear Cade,

Today is your first day of PK-4! I feel in some ways that it's your first LAST day of being my "little" boy. Next year, you will be in the big world of public school....a kindergartner! You were slow to wake up early this morning, but once you got yourself dressed you were ready for a school year full of new adventures, new friends, and new lessons. You ate your favorite breakfast before school, a bowl of Cheerios and sliced strawberries with a glass of pomegranate blueberry juice. You asked me if you could take your Dick and Jane reader to school and when I tried to pack it into your bag you insisted on carrying it yourself! I know you'll enjoy reading it to your new friends today!

My heart swells with pride each and every time my eyes fall on you sweet boy! You are one of a kind. A smart, curious, playful, kind-hearted, athletic, helpful and handsome little fella. There are no words for me to express just how much I love you Cade, so I make it my mission to show you each day! Just as the Psalms say, you were, "fearfully and wonderfully made." I continue to pray for you to grow in knowledge and in truth.

Truth that transforms!

I Love you,

Mommy

Way Back WEDNESDAY

Cade Matthew @ 7 1/2 Months

August 2005

Fayetteville North Carolina

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!

Our new nightly routine is fix dinner, eat dinner, clean-up, and run outside as fast as we can to play baseball with Cade. Thanks in part to the fact that the back of our house faces east, so our lawn is shaded around 7 p.m. Everyday he reminds me, in his most serious tone, that he has a baseball game to play tonight! He even begs me to invite his friends over to "watch" him play!
No self-esteem issues here folks.

He has a tee, but he really likes it when Steve pitches to him! He keeps telling us he doesn't want to play t-ball because that's really NOT baseball.

He'd rather play, and I quote, "just plain baseball" instead :)



We even have our own field groomer...cutest one on the block!


{I'll give you a hint...she's got the cutest

KANKLES

this side of the Mason Dixon}

{And the longest lashes}

{And the biggest most beautiful brown eyes you ever did see}

Wordless Wednesday

Hawaii Day Dreamin'....on a rainy day

Tuesday TRUEism

Don't ask yourself what the world needs.

Ask yourself what makes you come alive,

and then go do that.

Because what the world needs is people

who have come alive.

{Howard Thurman}

Playgroup Pals

Every Monday summer, spring, fall and even winter we meet up with our playgroup pals from church! Sometimes we meet up at a special destination: zoo, museum, chick-fil-a, mickey d's, someone's home and sometimes we just take over the gym at our church. But no matter where we meet, we always manage to have SO MUCH FUN!!!

Meeting with this group on a weekly basis for such a long time now has been a real blessing to each of us. We've made new friendships as well as strengthened old ones. The kids forge special bonds with each other and it's neat just to simply watch them "play" together! The Moms get to swap stories, strategies, strengths and sorrows and just be there for each other in general. I think one of the best things any stay at home mother can do is find a group/community to be a part of, for yourself as well as your kids.

They say "it takes a village" and I couldn't have picked a better group of Moms and kids to plow through life with....thanks Lord for placing me where YOU want me to be.

Happy Birthday Steve-O

We like to party!

{don't worry it's an empty cup people}

Hubster celebrated his 31st this year with a simple fajita dinner with our immediate family and his childhood best friend Adam and his wife Holly. Fajitas are his favorite Mexican food, so we fired up the grill, loaded up the margarita machine, and rang in 31 FiEsTa StYLe!!!

Taste Testers

Mammasitas

Beverage Babe

Pool Volleyball Sharks
The Boys

The Chicks

Fiesta Friends

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SCREEN...This IS a shaky/slightly blurred, I've had one too many margaritas but I'm going to try to take the photo anyway family shot!

We love you Daddy...and your key lime

"cheesecake factory"

cheesecake too!!!!

tuesday TRUEism

{image from here}