My Week: August 28 - September 3

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  Here is a little bit of my week as a mom and wife.

Sunday...began a new chapter in our ministry.  Six years ago, my husband and I started Sierra View Baptist Church.  This Sunday, we started our second morning service.  Boy, is that a new step!  All I could think was...No one is going to show up at 8:30.  No one!  It's gonna be empty and we are going to be very discouraged.

However, it wasn't and we weren't.  Over 50 people came to the 8:30am service!  What a blessing and thank you Jesus!

So now, our new schedule is:

Arrive at church between 7:30-7:45am.

First service 8:30 - 9:45am.  I sing for the Praise and Worship and then I work the nursery for this service.

Praise and Worship practice - 9:50 - 10:10am.

Second service 10:30 - 11:45am.  I sing for the Praise and Worship in this service as well and then get to hear my husband preach.  :)

Evening service - 5:00pm.  I work the nursery for this service as well.

Sunday afternoon for lunch, I tried a new recipe from my new Taste of Home magazine.  It was a great recipe for a light and summery lunch!  It used ingredients - yellow squash, onions, fresh garlic (don't even get me started on my love for fresh garlic and onions :) - my husband came out while I was cooking and says, "There is not a better smell than this!"...garden-fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh basil (another yummy one!), corn and shrimp.

From my garden...mmm!

You saute the mixture...add the shrimp near the end - and wa-lah!

Made watermelon smoothies to go with lunch - my girls love these.  They ask for them every day!  All they are...frozen watermelon and ginger ale.  Easy peasy - lemon squeezie as my five year old says. :)

The final result - Shrimp and Corn Stir-Fry!  So very pretty!  And delicious!  And healthy!
Recipe Here

The girls and their friend, Erica, played a game after we cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes.

I had a few errands I wanted to get done Sunday afternoon.

Return a couple books to the library.

ATM to deposit cash.

Smog check for my van at Jiffy Lube.

CVS to use ECB's that were ready to expire.  I got coffee on sale as well as the above beach bags that were 50% off.  $2.50 each.  Excited to have them for next summer and swimming time!

And lastly to Smith's.  They have cereal on sale for $1.29 a box.  Also got water bottles, cheese slices, pasta and cantaloupe.

Then it was back to church for the evening service.  I work the nursery in the evening with my daughters.

Miss Bonnie gave our family this adorable jar of jelly - wasn't that sweet? :)

Then off to work for my 8pm-8am shift.

At work, I wrote my September birthday cards.

Completed and e-mailed my continuing education class paperwork for Senior Helpers.

Renewed the van registration online.  

Ordered two books that we lost and owe the library :( on Amazon.

Sent birthday party invites for Autumn.

Monday morning, off at 8am.

Deposit a check and get out my missions giving for the month.

Laundry and ironing. (Yes, it is all done!)

Housework.

School - thankfully a light day!

Water garden and the bushes and shrubs.

Check my e-mail.

Start a new blog post.

Video announcements for Sunday.

Church-wide e-mail for Tuesday.

I tried another new recipe for dinner.  This one was called Saucy Beef and Cabbage Supper.

I served it on top of baked potatoes with a little ranch dressing.

What I like about this recipe is you can eat it by itself.

Over a baked potato.

Roll the filling into egg roll wrappers.

Stir into cream of potato soup and with a side of French bread.

Sizzle in a skillet and top with a fried egg for a breakfast hash.

Put it on a pizza crust and top with shredded Swiss cheese for an Irish pizza.

1 lb. ground beef

3 tbsp. olive oil

8 cups (1 small head) chopped cabbage

5 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. caraway seeds

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tsp. cider vinegar

In a 6 qt. stockpot over medium heat, cook and crumble ground beef until no pink.  Drain.

Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, stir in the next nine ingredients.  Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp tender.

Stir together ketchup, vinegar and remaining oil until smooth.  Pour over meat and vegetables and cook 5 minutes more.

It is a nice fall-ish dish.  
***I think if I make this again - I will use the shredded cabbage that you will use for coleslaw.***  
It will cook down better and not have as many tough pieces.

I ran a few more errands in the afternoon.

Refill husband's five gallon water jug for his office and buy a gift card for my BIL's birthday at Wal-Mart.

Post office for stamps.  Don't you just love these? :)

Have my eyebrows waxed at our new Supercuts with my $5 off coupon.  Holy cow, that was a rough one!  LOL!  Look, I'm next!

Then back to work for my Monday shift 8-8.

The sunset was beautiful heading into work. :)

Tuesday morning - off at 8am.
Here is Aaron enjoying some Cheerios.

Finally got my grade and video manual for Summer.  They were back ordered with some items when we ordered back in July.  Glad to almost be on track with our materials.

Did tests and quizzes for our school day - Day 17.  Prepared for Wednesday.

Summer doing singing with her class.
After school, Autumn and I went to the church and we cleaned my husband's office.  We also cleaned his office fridge and refilled his five-gallon water jug.
Took home all his suit coats and ties...really.  Good grief...men!
Printed and made up more visitor packets.
Printed and folded more bulletins.

Then we made three visits to church ladies - Linda, Julie and Carrie.  

Stop at the Post Office to mail two envelopes for my husband.  And a treat at Wendy's!  Strawberry lemonade, of course!

For dinner, tator-topped hot dogs, ranch pasta salad and fresh cantaloupe.  Cantaloupe always takes me back to being a kid at my Grandma McCurdy's home.  She lived in rural Indiana and boy, could they sure grow some wonderful gardens!  I remember the cantaloupe there - so sweet.

After dinner and cleaning the kitchen and dishes, it was off to drop off Aaron at 5:30pm.
Softball practice at 6pm.

I dropped off the girls and then Sierra, Summer and I did two church visits that were nearby - Susan and Tabatha.  I guess that is a small secret to being successful in getting things done.  
Plan and organize your schedule smartly!  I knew these two visits were close to the softball field - so why not combine it in my schedule while I am right there?  Be smart and organize.

We also made a visit to Alex Crockett who was flying out the next day to Pensacola Christian College to say goodbye and drop off a gift.

Then half price Frosty's at Wendy's for my helpers. :)
Back to softball practice and then off to work at 7:30pm.

Another pretty evening.

Wednesday, off at 8am.  
Plasma donation.
School - tests, quizzes and grading.
Piano lessons 1-2:30pm.

For dinner, I cooked up these big guys my husband brought home from Lake Tahoe.
Then it was pick up the Bialys, drop off at Youth Group at the Traynor home.

Thursday, busy morning of school, watering the garden, laundry and housework.
Meet Shannon at 11am at Jalapenos for a lunch.
Oil change and tire rotation at Jiffy Lube for the car.  (For their name, they sure weren't "Jiffy" today.)
Print shop to pick up a poster for the church.

Wal-Mart for creamer, grill cover, dog food, batteries, deoderant, crayons and posterboard.
My poor grill cover just fell apart.

Chiropractor visit.
Library to return books, take in the new books to replace the ones that weren't returned and grab two new fiction books for work.

Finally home!

Salads for dinner along with...

Southwest Style Wedding Soup
Tasty!
Then a scrimmage for softball at 6pm.
Back to work - 8pm-8am.

I tried to capture the sky on my way to work.  So amazing!

Friday morning, off at 8am.
Plasma donation.  I was in and out under one hour!  Wow!  That was a great blessing for my Friday.
Worked some in my garden.  Pulling out some dead stuff. Watering.  Picking harvest.

Somehow the vine was broken to the pumpkin.  So this is as big as it got.  I think if I try pumpkins again, I need a lot more room for them to grow out.

Then of course, school.  This is my view five days a week. :)
Laundry, housework, make peach cobbler for a dinner we were invited to.

Dinner at the McCollam's home.  We are grateful for their hospitality and friendship.

Saturday...just a mellow day.

The girls and I took Max for a run and I noticed the first fall colors.  So pretty!

You know it is September in Northern Nevada when the sagebrush begins to bloom a pretty yellow flower.  I love it!

Everything is so dry around here yet you can find something beautiful wherever you go.

The view from our walk.  Pretty perfect afternoon.

Purple!

Then my husband had a wedding at San Rafael Park in Reno at 5pm.  After the wedding, we had a dinner date at a place called The Mustard Seed downtown.

It was the best catfish I have ever tasted.  The breading was so light and tasty.  The filet was moist and flaky.  I had loaded mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for my sides with corn bread.  I was so full I couldn't finish the last couple bites. 

Definitely a good experience for me!

Then stop at the church and then home for the evening.
I hope you had a pleasant week as well!