Blessed to be His

This morning, I was sneaky... sort of :c) When I was packing Matt's lunch, I slipped in a dark chocolate heart sucker instead of the usual cookie. Then, I hurried up while he was in the shower to find the perfect "hiding spot" for my ever-so-clever card (I have a giddy, school girl smile thinking about it); in his briefcase of course!! Just those two little things to tell the man God's blessed me with that he's special to me and my heart has been warm and fuzzy all day.

Today, I am also so thankful to know I am truly and deeply loved, pursued, and sought after by the most amazing heavenly father. No bouquet of flowers or decadent chocolate can rival His love for me. No vacation or pampering session or special dinner can compare to His sacrifice. Nothing from this world could measure up, because nothing even comes close. He is LOVE. He is JOY. He is GOODNESS. Galatians 5:22 & 23 On this day, nothing else matters except maybe being in love with this man...

On this day of candies and flowers, take a look at what Katie has to say at From Passys to Parties. Such a fabulous picture of what true love for a spouse really is!

I finally listed a few items on etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/LizzieLeen

what do you think??

Dinner, crafting, and something that worked!!

Just a few things that I've been up to lately:

One dinner option last week was the tomato, onion, brie galette (I added shredded chicken) I found online, but I can't remember where. It was SUPER good and very easy! 

 easy way to shred cooked chicken, put it in your whoop dee doo (or Cuisinart food processor if you're not Pam's daughter). Easy Peasy!

After taking my bag into work, Cindy feel in love and asked me to make her one. I was a bit skeptical because I've yet to make something for anyone who is not family. What if she didn't like it? What if she showed it to others and they didn't like it? What if I messed up?? After I got rid of the doubts, I asked her for preferred colors, went to Jo-Anns with my Christmas gift card (thanks Mom & Dad) to search for sale fabric and ended with this:

what do you think?

It's a little bit different than mine. A bit smaller as she's not used to bit purses and I reinforced the bow.

As she was moving everything from her old purse into the new one, she utters "Oh, I'll have to buy a new zippered pouch  to match the black." I noticed her old one was brown, it got me thinking. After work, I ran to Jo-Anns to pick up a zipper. Two hours later, I was done with this:

a little bit lopsided, I know. But, not bad being my first time working with a zipper, right? 

I did need to scour the web for tutorials and ended up using one from see kate sew and twelve22. 

*I really need to find my camera! So sorry for the blurry pictures again*

One other thing that I wanted to share with you is Jilliee's website. IT IS AWESOME!! Her solutions for ring around the collar and yellow armpit stains are so easy and work so well. Check her out!

overcoming the urge...

Bad Habits... hard to break FOR SURE. Today after I added up (ahem, subtracted really) the lines of check ledger I didn't have a small breakdown, like I normally do. I starred at it for a bit longer than normal, probably hoping it would magically increase, but then I just went on to the next task.

Throughout the day I did get derailed a few times. While taking a break from work, it may have taken a lot to convince myself not to buy the cute, magnetic MuchAdoAboutYou calendar for our fridge. We are in need of one and I like her stuff. She's a small business and it's not expensive... see, now I'm trying to convince YOU to buy it. I need H-E-L-P.

Normally, after I've reconciled the books and pick my jaw up off the desk, I get a "I'll just get tighter at the grocery" attitude and go on my merry way. This merry way does normally include many peeks at the sale pages on my favorite websites, an occasional coffee because they just sent me a coupon, and lunch with a friend to "catch up." Let's be honest, this does not work. I'm not paying attention to the budget and end up scrounging for pennies and not looking when I hand over my credit card; because, you know, it's best not to look. That way, you can say it didn't happen. Oui!

Not today... I actually saw the amount left in the checking (this never changes by the way) and was calm. After my minor derailment, I did something out of the ordinary... I told my partner in crime, the somewhat miserly, handsome man I live with. I emailed him that we had two unexpected purchases and we need to be tight with our purse strings when we go out this weekend. After I sent it, I wanted to recall it. You can't do that via gmail, I looked. I was so expecting a "WHAT DID YOU DO???" email or phone call, or the look when he got home tonight. I even prayed, really hard, that I wouldn't feel bad when it came. But all he said at dinner was "no steak night Thursday. Eh, we'll live!" (with a shrug and smile)

And, just like that, the fear of failure and rejection was gone. I didn't disappoint anyone. I didn't screw up. I didn't not live up to an expectation. Do you know how amazing that feels?? Cloud nine... I have arrived.  

Hard habit... but in order to live financially free and not run this family's budget into the ground, I know that I need to work hard. I will have more days like today. Tomorrow, it's back to square one. I'm going to have to work hard NOT to make the coffee run at 2:00. My urges to scan the sale pages are going to fight back. The want to shop will be creeping, I just know it. But, I also know that I'm not alone in this fight.  

Side Note: This week, I won The MoneySavingMom's Budget book from Maggie's fabulous website (check her out) and I am seriously SOOOOO excited!

Word-FILLED Wednesday

Today was my first day back in the gym and I have a feeling that I’m going to be paying for it tomorrow. Amanda is still enjoying her vacation; her husband took her to New Orleans for new years!! So, it was just me in the gym getting rocked by Jillian. Although she’s tough, it was a great workout. I feel awesome and I even ran a little bit (teeny, tiny bit) on the treadmill before I showered and went back to work.

Tomorrow, I’m going to try Katie’s upper body workout (#1) with a 10 minute run. If I’m going to get my butt into shape for this half marathon, I’ve got work to do!

Dinner is going to be either honey lime chicken enchiladas or chicken bacon apple quesadillas. Fingers crossed that Cassie’s recipe turns out better than last nights.

I’m going to get our new salt and pepper grinders from Williams-Sonoma after work and couldn’t be more thrilled! A while ago we bought these because they look nice and practical, or so we thought. 

UGH… so not the case. We had to exchange the pepper a few weeks after our purchase because it just stopped grinding! W-H-A-T!?!? Of course, the ladies at W-S exchanged it for us, no problem at all. Oh, they are so stinkin’ nice there. *We try to purchase from there before anywhere else because they have fabulous exchange / return policies and have always treated us so well.* I digress. Today, I’ll be picking up these beauties. 

Not much to look at compared to the Peugeots, I know. But, they do all of the work! I was a bit leery, especially because of the price difference, but  as I was explaining to the gal behind the cash wrap another customer came up behind me and she just raved about them. In fact, she was coming back to get a second set for her other kitchen (yes, she has TWO in her home). She actually had the same dilemma we did; bought the Peugeots because they looked nice and had to return them. Anyway, I’m excited… can you tell? No longer will I hear “the cook” curse and mumble when he’s getting the steaks ready on Thursday nights. Yep, this is going to be a great addition to the household!

Oh, and I had a credit at Groupon so I picked up Matt Whiskey-Stones (no idea, but someone had them at New years Eve and he knew what they were. I figured he'd like a little gift) and I got a pedometer. Sort of excited!

31.3 JUMP

• 31 days • 3 commitments • Jumpstart your year •

This year I'm actually sticking to it. Three commitments isn't that hard; I can do this!

#1: finances - I totally stink at this goal. I need to get a handle on things and B-U-D-G-E-T. Any advice?

#2: fitness - I'm doing much better at this one :c) third day of burpees down, we've gone on a few walks and tomorrow I'll be back in the gym with Jillian's Ripped in 30 or Katies's new workout and will be starting my training for the half marathon. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine.

#3: food - I made this chicken recipe tonight; found on pinterest. We weren't wild about it so I think it'll be a one hit wonder. 

Day 3 of no sweets and it's no fun. Tonight, Matt had left over birthday cake and ice cream after our sub-par dinner. Um, did I mention that it was chocolate, peanut butter birthday cake and my favorite Handel's ice cream?? Yeah, torture but it's almost bed time and no sweets were had today

New year, New goals

At the end of my workout last week, I got on the treadmill and ending up running for the last few minutes of my "cool down jog." After that I had a moment of insanity and I emailed two girlfriends I thought we should start running together. Well, they took me seriously and now we are going to train for a half marathon in April...  

YIKES!

The gal I workout with at work, Amanda, and I started the 100 day burpee challenge. Yesterday we started; one burpee isn't bad at all. Can you imagine doing 100 in a row??

I also have decided to give up sweets. Not forever, mind you, but at least until I can get a hold on my sweet tooth. It is definitely an addiction that needs to stop before it completely takes over and I get diabetes or something. 

After our pork and sauerkraut, which was so yummy, they laid out the spread: chocolate pecan pie, cream cheese strawberry dessert, buckeyes, gingerbread cookies, cut outs, oreo truffles and more! (see, a PROBLEM!) There it sat, right in front of me and I didn't touch any of it. I for sure wanted some of it. Even reasoned why one piece wasn't necessarily 'cheating.' Yep, I need to get a handle on this. 

So, day one of the burpee / dessert challenge down and it felt great!!

It's Friday!!

I hope that you all had a great week, getting ready for Christmas. I can't believe that it's in just a few days. No snow on the ground, no hats, scarves or gloves worn yet, and no mention of salt or snow shovel. It certainly doesn't feel like Christmas to me without all of those things.

But, maybe there is something in the lack of traditional Christmas affects around here thus far. I've been questioning the craziness, the stress and the anxiety people feel buying the perfect gift, decorating just-so, and making those oh-so-delicious & beautiful cookies. Why do I need snow, warm fuzzies, cookies and gifts to feel like it's Christmas?

Christmas is about Jesus's birth. We should be celebrating His birthday and counting ourselves blessed because of the gift He's given us. I'm working so hard to fill it with glitz and glam, taking Him completely out of the equation, and missing the true reason we celebrate this time of year.

It's time to slow down, be thankful for what I have, and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Goal #2

Another goal I have for 2012 is to learn how to cook…  Honestly, God love Matthew because I am no Betty Crocker. I may be able to clean the whole house top to bottom, without breaking a sweat, still looking stellar (that’s my June Clever coming out), but my cooking skills are that of an infant. I believe that my 7 year old nephews would be able to cook up a better tasting meal.

Let me give you an example of just how shotty my skills are. This summer, I made a FABULOUS pork tenderloin courtesy of Bon Appetit. It was so darn good that Matt raved about it to others and I shared it with the foodie I work with. I was on cloud nine! Then, just a few weeks ago I attempted the chicken roll-ups I found on Jenna’s blog. Big mistake, HUGE! They were awful. Honestly, the dog wouldn’t even eat the bit we gave him. Matt got up from the table and ‘needed a minute’ before he commented on them. Seriously, YUCK!

Truth be told, I loathe cooking. I’m perfectly content cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom and enjoy the smell of bleach much more than a well cooked meal. As I’ve said before, Matt is the cook. His palette is second to none that I’ve met thus far. His taste buds are so in tune with every stinkin’ piece of meat, spice, side dish, wine pairing, etc. that it makes me totally gag. His brother has this gift too, yet I’m partial to Matt’s geniousness; they should really quite their day jobs and open a restaurant. I digress.

So why, you ask, is my goal for me to learn how to cook?  Me, the girl who would be perfectly happy with the Yuengling and 5 oreo truffles I had for “dinner” a few nights ago while Matt worked uber late. Shouldn’t he be our cook if he’s so darn swell at it? I’d love to say yes, you’re right! But, the truth is when “the cook” doesn’t get home from work until 7:30 or 8:00 there is little time before stomachs start growling and the FEED ME NOW look comes out.

Since I don’t want to have another YUCK episode, I need to connect with skills that are buried somewhere deep inside of me and become a The Cook of our household. They must exist if I can rival a BA recipe, but where they heck did they go the night of the chicken roll-ups?!?!

I’ve been doing well this week, so far. I didn’t plan ahead one bit (hence the Krogering last night) but both meals went well. Only minor adjustments were made to each recipe, (may in fact be my downfall) but we enjoyed both meals.

Tuesday I made Individual meat loves, mac & cheese and veggies. Last night I made baked ziti. Matt went back for seconds so I consider them both a success. Hopefully, this winning streak won’t end tonight. Not sure what’s on the menu yet, but I’m keeping it simple for now. NO MORE disasters please!

Spend Wisely

My dad and I have a lot in common. We are both quite tall and awkward at times. We love every type of sport and enjoy watching or participating in them. We’re competitive and loyal, considerate and giving. We think the same. We act the same. We even get sick, mostly with sinus infections, the same time (and we live 3 hours away). We are also both in charge of our family’s finances. That last similarity is uber S-C-A-R-Y to me. I, the girl who screwed up so much in college you’d swear the character Becky Bloomwood was based on me, am now in charge of money for my family. Goodness Gracious Lord Almighty!?!?

It hasn’t been an easy road: I’ve made budgets then tossed them out the window as I’m driving to the mall.  I’ve built up our savings just to deplete it twice as fast. I’ve stumbled. I’ve crashed and oh, how I’ve burned.

A few weeks ago, as I was starting the “savings build up” again anticipating the depletion, something sort of clicked. I felt a “one day at a time” attitude, cheering me on, giving me hope. I’ve always had the best of intentions, but let’s face it. That’s about as far as I’ve ever gotten.

So, in an act of sheer obedience (trust me when I say I did not want to do it), I asked one of my girlfriends to pray for our finances. Nothing outlandish like having X amount by such and such a date, but just plain and simple prayer for our household finances. Let me be honest about the obedience thing, I do not want to admit to others that I am the spender in my family, regardless of how "funny" it is. And I would never tell how much I have not saved up. However, the past few weeks (okay, months) I've felt a nudge to ask my friends for prayer. Finally, I swallowed my pride and did it.

I'd love to say "and they lived happily ever after" but that's a make believe ending. This is just the beginning.

Monday, our small group leaders asked us to write out 4 goals for 2012 and "control of finances / spending / writing out and STICKING to a budget" is one of mine. I've read other bloggers challenge themselves to "spending fasts" and think it is a great idea. We hardly eat out during the week so I should be curbing the extra grocery shopping, sticking to the meal plan, and stop grabbing that cup o’joe because I need to get out of the office. My Financial goal for 2012 is to have $5,000 in the savings by years end and stick to a bi-weekly budget.

Today, I bought the last two Christmas gifts on my list and stopped at Kroger for ingredients to make baked ziti. Please note that bought rigatoni noodles instead; I need to SLOW DOWN! In all, just under $100 (those gifts were expensive!). Hopefully tomorrow will be a big goose egg!

Thanksgiving pictures

We hosted my husband's side of the family this year for Thanksgiving and it was so much fun! We prepared the house and food all week and it turned out great. Here are some of the pictures my lousy camera phone too, plus some good ones from Matt's iPhone.

Getting the Big Green Egg ready for Tom, the turkey

George got cold!

The table & buffet

mid-morning, we found George's hiding spot!

halfway there!

Pumpkin dessert that Matt & my father-in-law loved!!

Right before Tom came off the grill!

I didn't get any pictures after everyone arrived, 1.5 hours early, but we had an absolutely fabulous day and LOTS of leftovers filled up both our fridges. We're already talking about next year's menu!

Ask and ye shall receive...

If you can't tell I had help and figured out the blog bug. Thank goodness!!

I took this whole week off work in hopes that I'd clean from top to bottom, entertain for Thanksgiving, then decorate for Christmas, but I've had the world's worst cold (I know, that makes me sound like a wimp) the last few days and things aren't going according to plan. Yes, I hear God laughing right now too :c)

I've been cleaning here and there, but I have no motivation for an all out clean as I has hoped for so I've called in reinforcements. Thankfully, I have a great mother-in-law who's always willing to help, one sister-in-law who is just like me (neat and tiddy) and another sister-in-law who likes my company. My, how times have changed! Two years ago when it was a Guido/Exton Thanksgiving I didn't listen to anyone except my mom and aunt when it came to food and was completely convinced that no one could clean like Jim Guido. I'm so looking forward to setting the table, watching Matt cook the turkey on the Big Green Egg as I bake my little heart out, and sharing an excellent day with my in-laws.

Hopefully, I'll remember to take pictures of the table because I have put a lot of work into the decorations. Remember, cooking is SO not in my blood but I can host an affair to remember.

There is the buzzer for the pumpkin cake. I'll leave you with our dinner / events calendar for the week:
Monday: pizza & Young Marrieds
Tuesday: leftovers (pizza, chicken pot pit [that I made FROM SCRATCH last week], etc.)
Wednesday: lasagna; take the car in (again); clean, clean, clean & set up the dining room table
Thursday: TURKEY DAY!!
Friday: lights at the zoo with family & Bob Evans for dinner (an Exton tradition)
Saturday: Breaking Dawn with Rachel, Katie & Mary; OSU v UofM game; leftovers from the 19 lb bird we bought at Costco at $0.99 a lb!!

Happy Thanksgiving all!!

FRUSTRATED

I have tried to change the design of my blog SO MANY TIMES because I keep seeing a "Upgrade to Pro Today" icon blocking elements on my page. UGH... why does this frustrate me so much? Why can't I fix it? And, why can't I find a "help me" button to contact blogger?? Seriously, I would like an 800 number to call so that someone can help me get rid of it.

So, all of this frustration has made me stay away from posting. And, since I'm not particularly found of change and I don't like the way my blog looks, I also haven't been reading my regular blog role.

I need to figure this out...

What I've Learned Wednesday

• Homemade is much better than store bought, even when you mess something up. I’ve learned how to make some of the essentials like pizza dough, pie crust, bread, spaghetti sauce, and pizza sauce. Now, I’m working on perfecting them and making different varieties. Although it’s work, it’s SO much more gratifying then opening the can/pkg I paid too much for at the store.

• LOVE THE ONE YOUR WITH with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength! I know this is that way we should love God, but think about it. If we follow this for our relationship with our heavenly father, why not with the number 2 man on our list? That way, Satan will have no opportunity to find cracks in your relationship.

• By definition, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

• Matt doesn’t like Grandma’s pumpkin chocolate chip cookies; however he’ll eat two or three with a glass of milk before he’s done reminding you of that!

• The EAS is testing nationwide today for 30 seconds. This has never been done before. Do you think they know something is about to happen??

Fix it and forget it!

Last week I painted my nails a blueish purple. Actually, it is OPI blue Suzi Says Feng Shui mixed with Mary Kay Chocolate Spice (yes, that last bottle is an OLD one!) When I bought the blue, I thought that I would like it but it's TOO blue so I needed to fix it before wearing it.

As I was painting my nails, I thought about how I do this a lot; "fixing" things.

In middle school and high school I used to take out the hem because they were 'too short' and cut the bottoms open because they were 'too tight' and didn't fit over my shoes. In college I would make shorts and capris out of pants I'd grown weary of, long sleeves short, cut off turtle necks and sew on patches.

Within the last few years I've started 'fixing' with more than just scissors. I've been using my sewing machine, acquiring all sorts of fabrics and coordinating threads, and actually have more than one pair of good scissors. And yes, this DIY soul has actually taken in a few tutorials, not relying on just my own expertise any longer.

After repurposing a few clothes and making my own bag, I've learned that using the right tools with the right knowledge seems to make my 'fixes' easier, better, and more reliable.

It's sort of that with life too, isn't it?

Dinner Plans for this week:
Monday: cheesy buffalo chicken & veggies *Matt had seconds, and thirds! I won't dare call this a casserole E-V-E-R. that will be the end of his liking it.
Tuesday: lasagna roll-ups (but I'll be using lean ground beef and homemade sauce)
Wednesday: pizza (homemade dough)
Thursday: pumpkin crusted chicken, sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts
Friday: TBD / leftovers??
Saturday: out for a surprise birthday party!!

*It may still be too blue, by the way. The verdict's not in yet*

He's last minute; I'm year in advance

I LOVE CALENDARS!! Big ones, colorful ones, ones that go on the desk, hang on the fridge / wall, and ones that fit in my purse. I will definitely take a free one from the meat market and enjoy the ones Grandpa Koch gives to me. I have a Franklin Covey at work, I have an everyday one that I made on Snapfish, and 'we' have one that hangs on fridge. Last night, I even told Matt that it was a good idea for him to share his work calendar with me. Okay, I'll honest. I may actually have a calendar hording problem. BUT, I love calendars because they help me plan, remind me of important events, and provide us with opportunities for "free time."

Matt, on the other hand, is not a planner nor does he share my love of calendars. He's last minute and I'm year in advance. When we were first married, you can imagine he was overwhelmed by my great love of planning. "What is that pad of paper hanging on the fridge? Why do you keep printing out weekly schedules? And, can you please explain why you keep asking me what I want for dinner next week during Tuesday breakfast?"  Ha, oh it makes me laugh out loud thinking of this!

One great thing about "learning how to be married" is through bumps and bruises, we have met in the middle on lots of things, this 'planning issue' included. I've committed to speaking to him before putting something on the social calendar. He helps with the grocery list Saturday morning before our trip to the store. And, last night during my "you need to share" plea (maybe it was a whine), we agreed that Mon-Thurs is hectic enough without trying to add Friend Dinner Dates; those can be resevered for the weekend and written in my planner.

I do write down the meal plan and stick that on the fridge, but don't get bent out of shape if we end of up having Monday's dinner on Wednesday.

Here is this weeks Menu Plan: (yes, I'm aware it's Thursday, but I'll still share)

Monday: dinner with small group (sloppy joes... YUCK!)
Tuesday: mustard pork chops (Bon Appetite)
Wednesday: Cheesy Sour Cream chicken (SUPER easy and Matt actually likes it!)
Thursday: steaks, mashed potatoes, and green onions
Friday: dinner with friends
Saturday: wedding reception
And, here are my goals for this week with updates from the last list:
1. organize decorations to get ready for fall *the house looks great!
2. purchase pattern and start my Abby Tote *it is my new favorite bag!!
3. Find WGW leaders for January event
4. Find next book to read. Any suggestions?
6. Lunch with Helene & Mary to start our new bible study
7. Talk to Judy about quiting Lily's *this one is going to be tough, but it's definitely the right decision. I'm getting more involved with WGW and know that is where God wants me.


Oh, I know that this is already a LOOOOOOOOOOONG post, but just an update on exercising / working out. Amanda and I have found some awesome new work outs, that we're loving, on pinterest. Plus, we're still doing the Ripped in 30 with Jillian. I think I'm in the best shape of my life and loving it! I'm working on not getting bent out of shape when my body changes because of kids; that might take a lot of coaching.

What I’ve Learned Wednesday

I’m taking a cue from some of the other blogs I read and creating a WILW schedule, I hope. I’ve learned so much since becoming a wife and turning 30 that I don’t want to forget it. Also, someday I hope that I my failures / mistakes and praises / triumphs can help others. Mainly I’d like to help the girls that I don’t have, but that’s a whole other ‘schedule.’

•  save, Save, SAVE!! The earlier you learn this lesson, the more financial freedom you will have. 
• Live each day as your last. No really… I mean it. If you keep a mindset of ‘any day now’ you’ll love more, argue less, and look at the world differently than those around you. We weren’t meant for this world anyways. Remember, it is nothing compared to what heaven will be like. 

• Grandma Reeher’s ruby ring wasn’t real, but she wore it every day. My parents gave it to me for my 31st birthday. So now, so will I. 

• Speaking of Grandma Reeher, no matter what my mom says she was pretty neat. She was a whiz in the kitchen: cooking up a storm, baking the best brownies, making pies from the berries she picked in the backyard at the lake. She was completely domestic! She may have only been 4 foot nothing but she was special. I wish that I would have learned more from her before she passed away. 
• Act on those feelings inside of you, even if it feels funny. Chances are God has a blessing for you in them.
• Don’t hold back an ‘I love you squeeze’ or holding hands in church because ‘he doesn’t like that.’ You’d be surprised at how your man reacts to your slightest touch.

•  Don’t play with your ring! You may just lose it at work, freak out for a short second, and contemplate asking your boss to come to your cube to ‘help you look.’ Then, on your way to his office, realize it fell in your cardigan pocket and look foolish just standing in his doorway.

 

Fall Decorations

I have the day off today and finally figured out how to get my crappy cell phone pictures uploaded and on the blog. Hopefully I'll get a new phone soon!

Here are mall fall decorations. Again, please forgive the crappy photos and the funny background / home decor. Other than changing the mantle (not the picture), the piano, and the table I'm somewhat limited.

Enjoy!

And, decause these two are so cute and my two favorite guys, and because they both just celebrated birthdays (George turned 4 last Tuesday and Matt's birthday is today), here's one of my favorite pictures of them. We were getting ready for the OSU v U of M game last yearl!

 

Need more time...

Okay, so I definitely didn't get to #10 on my "to do" list last week, but I felt like it was a successful week non-the-less.

I've been cheering one of my bestest friends on, via texts, in her endeavor of qualifying for golf. I'm not entirely sure where she's ranked or if she's going to make "pro" status by doing this, but I'm cheering and praying her on! She's been on my strongest rocks since God made us friends. I'm not entirely sure that I could do 'life' without her.

Westgate Women has also been gaining momentum. My co-lead and I have very similar ideas, with lots of head nods and "oh yeahs" during our conversations that it's not a coincidence. God is doing amazing things in our church and in our lives.

Again, if I could just back into the swing of I'd be a happy camper. Our house isn't messy to most standards, but the OCD in me is on high-alert because my drawers need special attention. I feel like we need to spring clean even though I did that just a few months ago. I have a plan of how I'm going to rearrange the kitchen cabinets, yet I haven't been able to do it yet. Again, that OCD thing is sort of driving me crazy lately.

So, since I'm killing time before 'quittin' time' I'm going to again take a queue from Mandy and do this week's partial meal plan and goals. Here we go:
Menu Plans this week:
Tuesday: Cheesy Sour Cream chicken, homemade mac & cheese, and steamed veggies
Wednesday: leftovers from the weekend
Thursday: lamb chops, mashed potatoes, and asparagus
Friday: homemade pizza with chicken feta sausage, Alfredo sauce, and artichokes on the Big Green Egg (best pizza ever) *this didn't happen last week so I'm hoping that it will this Friday
Saturday: dinner at friends
Here are my goals for this week. Some I didn't get to from last week, some are in continuation of the ones I did last week, some are just plain needed:
1. organize decorations to get ready for fall
2. organize dresser drawers
3. purchase pattern and start my Abby Tote
4. catch up with Helene / pray for her
5. finish Created to Be His Helpmeet and find next book to read
6. save $50 spending fast! (don't spend money until Saturday)
7. start "the morning efficiency project" - this will help me be more effective in the a.m. before work.

Okay... it's 1 minutes past quittin' time. I'm outta here!

Weekly Menu and Goals

Hi all! We've been enjoying the nice weather, gone on a few trips, and been super busy the last month. I can't believe how time flies!!

Two very fun things to update you on is that I now have finished my first month at two jobs and, with a few bumps, it's going well. I had to cut down my availability so that I didn't overlook my household duties or so that Matt & George feel my absence as much. Like I said, a few bumps but work in progress. I also  accepted a volunteer leadership position at church and couldn't be MORE psyched about it. Me and another gal, who I knew in college, are co-leading the women's ministry at church!! Seriously, I am tickled pink and loving every minute of it so far. We have a lot of work to do, with restructuring a few things and a big kickoff for something new scheduled in January. Oh, it's going to be awesome!! God is doing some amazing stuff at Westgate and I'm so blessed to be a part of it.

Okay, now if I could just back into the swing of blogging. To start things off, I'm taking a queue from Mandy at Biblical Homemaking and will do this week's meal plan and goals. Here we go:


Menu Plans this week:
Monday: Wanchai Ferry Kung Pao Chicken *we have Young Marrieds and I didn't prepare, so we need something quick and simple. I know... FAIL!
Tuesday: Paula Deen's lots o'meat lasagna with my homemade sauce, steamed veggies, and Janelle's cheesy garlic bread *this meal is a big deal to me. Matt didn't really like pasta when we first got married [WHAT!?!?], but I'm slowly turning him to the light*

Wednesday: TBD - any ideas??
Thursday night is STEAK NIGHT! I love MEExton Steak Nights :c) *Friend's may be coming over to enjoy in the gourmet cooking*
Friday: homemade pizza with chicken feta sausage, Alfredo sauce, and artichokes on the Big Green Egg (best pizza ever)
Saturday: dinner at St. Catherine's festival with friends. *have I ever mentioned that we live next to a Catholic church? This is the craziest weekend in our neighborhood.

And, here are my top 10 goals for this week:
1. workout everyday, including the weekends!
2. organize decorations to get ready for fall
3. purchase pattern and start my Abby Tote
4. purchase card for my camera so I can start living up this blog!
5. make Matt's fav cookies, pizza dough, pie crust
6. catch up with Helene
7. finish Created to Be His Helpmeet and find next book to read
8. save $50
9. start "the morning efficiency project" - this will help me be more effective in the a.m. before work.
10. blog one more time before Friday

happy Monday all!!