Randomness in February...

Just a few random pictures from the last week.  Belle.  This little stinker will climb anywhere to get a view and be in the sun!

 Miss Sue dropped these off for me at my work...how sweet was that!  

Working out at the gym!  LOL!  I hate going in the winter but gotta get that workout someway!

Science project time.

Belle sleeping by the fireplace one evening after her bath. :)

Mailed off grades...one more grading period to go for the year!

Kid City on Sunday...Addie was teaching this week. :)

Breakfast date with the hubby at Peg's on Saturday then to the gym to work out.  Their veggie omelets are the best and my favorite!

Recipe: Quick Crab Melts

Quick Crab Melts

Addie made these for dinner last week and we all really enjoyed them!  It was a nice change up from tuna melts...I like them better!  

2 packages crabmeat

6 tbsp. mayo

2 tbsp. green onion

6 slices tomato

6 slices cheddar cheese

6 slices Monterey Jack cheese

paprika

6 English muffins, split

Preheat broiler.  In a bowl, mix crab, mayo, and green onion until blended.  Place muffin halves on an ungreased baking sheet.

Broil 4-6 inches from heat until toasted.  Spread with crab mixture.  Top with tomato and cheeses; sprinkle with paprika.  Broil until bubbly.

*Feel free to use whatever cheese you enjoy.  You can also add celery to this recipe.  I don't care for celery so we omit it.  :)

How to Gain Insight

This week, I was reading in my Bible and a verse stuck out at me.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who live it have insight.  His praise endures forever!"  Psalm 111:10

God gives us the exact pattern to follow.  Fear the Lord.  He will grant wisdom.  When you live this way, you will gain insight.  The power or act of seeing into a situation.  

I know I have thought before...I wish I could see into the future.  It would be so much easier to make decisions now if I could.  Well, in a way we can!  Put the Lord first.  True wisdom begins with Him.  Then you will have that insight you wish you had!  

Do you have a life change coming up?  A major decision of some sort?  God can help you with all your decisions...big or small.  Sure, some decisions seem more clear than others.  But maybe, just maybe, those decisions aren't clearer.  Perhaps they just don't require as much faith.

Whether your decisions are big or small...clear or unclear...easy to make or taking a whole lot of faith, follow God.  Fear Him, wait for His wisdom and you will gain the insight.

Crazy Reno Weather!

This is a short video I took from my desk at work today.  Boy was the wind crazy!  Semis and vehicles tipped over on the freeway.  You can see the trees blowing and then at the end, the waves on the little lake across the road.  Then it started snowing.  I don't think the groundhog predicted right!

Nothing Is Ever Really Lost...

Some people have a hard time with changes.  I have to say I don't like change very much.  I am content with things staying the same overall.

But we need to have change in our lives in order to grow.  I think of my daughter who is 15 1/2 and has her learner's permit.  It may be a scary change to let that teenager have control and take the wheel but as a good parent, we have to push them and let them.  They need to grow.  Do adult things and become an adult!

Yes, there's comfort in what we know.  Same church, same pew or row we sit in, same people every Sunday.  But to grow...we have to add change.  New faces, new changes, new life!  

Sometimes, we buck change because we feel we will lose something.  We will lose a way of life.  But nothing is lost to us if we remember it.  I want to hold that saying close.  I don't want to fear change because I am afraid of things becoming a memory.

I don't know what new changes are in store for my life.  For my family's life.  For our church.  For my kids' lives.  But whatever changes are in store, God is guiding us all the way.

Valentine Love

Just wanted to share my Valentine's cards from my girlies. :)

I have them hanging up at my desk at work.

And the card my husband received from our 8 yr. old...ha!!  It says..."Evil turd".  Lord, have mercy!

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is a drizzly, rainy, soggy, cold and very wet day.  Not much to celebrate in the way of a holiday...being Valentine's Day. 

But holidays are what you make of them.  They don't have to be elaborate, fancy or expensive.  Just a time when you take a little extra to say I love you and thank you.

Take time to do that with ones you love.  Especially your spouse and your kids.  Maybe a sibling or a close friend.  Even a co-worker.  It's not a cliché.  It REALLY is the thought that counts.

Perhaps their favorite candy left on their school desk.  A note in their lunch.  Surprise them and take them on a lunch date.  A poem, letter or even a heartfelt text.  Do a chore for them instead of them doing that chore.  Don't ask...just do it.  And never say "we decided not to do anything".  Accept what they do with love and gratefulness.  And do what you do with love...never because you feel guilty.

Little things ARE the big things in life.  Make today count.  Make every day count.

Winter February Days

What a winter we have been having!  Saturday evening it began snowing bad and through the night.  This was very early Sunday morning.

A little later on in the morning.

We felt it best to cancel services.  Some places in Reno had 14+ inches.  Our family watched Hope Church services in MI - our friend, Pastor Dave Abberger, is starting this new church plant.  With the time change, church began at 7:30am for us.  LOL!

This is Summer.  As Pastor Dave was teaching, she was highlighting the verses and marking them with sticky notes.  It really blessed my heart!

The skies cleared and we had blue and clear skies.  And lots of snow.

There's Autumn on top of the van cleaning it off.

After "church", clearing out our driveway, we headed out to clear out some of the church folks' driveways and sidewalks.  Chris, one of the teen boys, came along to help.

It is always a good feeling to help others out.  After we were done, we got hot cocoa at Maverick...mint hot cocoa!  When we dropped Chris off, his parents-Cameron and Krista, invited us in for chicken enchiladas and apple crisp...so yummy and we were hungry!

Recipe: Cranberry Turkey Wraps

Cranberry Turkey Wraps

I made these for dinner and really liked them!  They are light and fresh - would be great for a lunch as well.  

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1 medium tart apple, peeled and diced

3 tbsp. dried cranberries

3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

2 tbsp. fat free mayo

8 flour tortillas (8 inches)

8 lettuce leaves

1 1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey

8 slices mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, combine the oranges, apple and cranberries.  In another bowl, combine yogurt and mayo.  Spread over tortillas.  Layer each with lettuce, turkey, cheese, fruit mixture and pecans.  Roll up tightly.

*Use any flavor of cheese you prefer.

*I used Swiss cheese, smoked turkey, Granny Smith apple and a cranberry & almond honey roasted mix.

The Mom of a Driver

Today was my first experience driving around with this kid.  LOL!  We both had eye exams...then pick up the fixed window (remember that story?) and a few more errands.  She drove the whole time. The freeway situation with a new driver is a heart stopper - ha!!  She is a good driver though and I'm glad she is learning.

What's the good thing about a teenager with a job?  They are the ones to buy YOU a treat!  LOL!

This is a snapshot of the really cool app that we are using for Addie's driving hours.  She has to have 50 hours of drive time with us before she can get her license.  So we have this app called Road Ready.  Every time we leave for another drive, we can track the time, distance, road conditions...it sends me a weekly report to my e-mail.  It is super cool!  And so easy to use to keep track of these hours.

Here's to driving with a teenager!

Treat the Real Problem

This week, I must have slept wrong or something.  I had this sharp shooting pain through my neck and shoulders.  It wasn't the kind that stemmed from your back needing aligned.  It felt more muscle related.  For three days, I was in misery.  Every time I tried to move, it triggered the spasms.  Then massive headaches.  I had my daughters massage my neck and shoulders, I stood in a hot shower, I took pain killers.  Nothing helped.

Then last night, I asked my husband to massage it.  He massaged and massaged my neck and shoulders with no relief.  I finally said try down farther.  Because it felt like it traveled down into the upper part of my back.  So he concentrated on that part - massaging and digging into my muscle.  

After a little while, I could move my head and neck again!  It was sore but there was relief.  Today, it was tight this morning but has gotten much better through the day.

I thought...so often, we treat our symptoms.  We treat the part that seems to be hurting.  And it doesn't help.  When instead, we need to treat the place where the real issue is. 

Are you lonely?  Depressed?  Hurt?  Angry?  Bitter?  Lost for direction?  Maybe you think it is a situation in your life or a person that is causing those symptoms.  Yes, that may be part but perhaps it is really because you have been neglecting your relationship with God.  

HE is the one that will fulfill you, give you joy, love you unconditionally and dose out big vats of truth.

So just a reminder when something is flaring up in your life, look for what may be causing it. 

Fix your relationship and walk with God and many of those horrible "symptoms" will seem to vanish. :)

Finding Roses all Around...

My rose blooming on this frigid February day. :)

She Passed!

Tuesday, our oldest daughter, Addie, got her driver's permit!  Happy day!  She just turned 15 1/2.  She is taking Driver's Ed and now we can get in her 50 hours of driving hours and then we will be heading back at 16 to get her license. :)

Super Bowl Sunday

Sunday morning was another wintry day!  Brr!  Woke up to some snow so we went to the church early to clear it off.  Thankfully, it stopped for the morning and we had a good attendance!

One of the things we are doing for a youth fundraiser is the Wall O' Money.  The teens decorated 200 envelopes all with different amounts of money listed on the outside.  From $1 to $200.  You simply take an envelope with any amount you want and put cash or check inside.  All the money goes to the Youth Group to attend Youth Conference, Camp and College Days.

Greet...sing on the worship team...work in the nursery...meet the blood drive bus...make my food for the party.  Busy!

In the afternoon, we had our annual Super Bowl party and Blood Drive.  We had seven that was able to donate successfully and we are happy for that.

My favorite part of the party was to hold baby Timothy!  I like to steal him whenever I can at church but Sundays are so hectic for me.  So this was nice!  I hope you had a nice Sunday!

Addie's One Year Anniversary!

Yesterday, February 1st, was the anniversary of Chick-Fil-A opening in Sparks.  It was also Addie's one year mark of service.  She's been with Chick-Fil-A since it opened brand new last February.  We are proud of the hard work she puts in there and the good employee she is!

February Has Arrived!

Oh glorious day!  February is here.  It is looking out to be a wintry one but hopefully that means an earlier, warmer spring!  I'm already dreaming of getting out in my garden and getting my hands dirty. :)