I can never say enough about how much I respect and am grateful to be a part of the Premier Designs Jewelry company and family of jewelry ladies (and hard working men in many of the husband-wife teams). The core values, high standards and founding principles are rock solid on the Bible's teachings. The company is ALL about honoring God, serving others and enriching lives. Just good, warm feelings!
Mike and I agreed to invest in this company and own my own jewelry business almost five years ago. It started out being a way for me to have a "girls' night out" and to meet new, wonderful ladies. And I most certainly have met some of the most wonderful friends because of God using Premier to introduce them to me.
The company has been in business for 26 years now. As Premier has seen wonderful growth, so have I in my self and my heart in serving others. Every so often I find that I have wondered off track by thinking about the monetary goals and successes that Premier has blessed me with, and then I get knocked over by a gentle reminder to get back to beating a true servant's heart.
Joan Horner, who along with her husband Andy founded Premier Designs, has left behind many wise insights to a "servant heart". But the two that have really spoken to me lately are: "This new year, look ahead and strive to add something positive to each life you come in contact with, expecting nothing in return." and "Being a role model does not make you a celebrity, it makes you a servant with huge responsibilities."
Click to learn more about Premier Designs Jewelry. Or to see an example of just how truly generous this company is, click on Premier Designs' Blog to learn more about The Big $20 Million Giveaway that is taking place from October 29th - December 16th. Premier Jewelers across the nation have already knocked it out of the park before the seven week time frame for this goal - last week we tallied $22 Million in FREE Jewelry that has been given to ladies who have hosted home shows from October 29th until now! Pretty amazing!
On a side note, but related because this is about serving my family, I have been working on being more efficient with our evening meal times and planning for those times together at the dinner table. The crockpot has been an instrumental help to make this actually happen without steam coming out of my ears as I chase a five year-old around the house and stuff Cheerios, grapes, cheese, dog treats (ha!) or whatever is the closest food item nearby to appease the bottomless pit we call an almost two year-old until dinner is ready.
The crockpot has been the cure to all the evening madness. I walk in, the house smells yummy and "alla peanut butter and jelly sandwiches", as the Count on Sesame Street says, dinner is served. Brilliant! The only thing better would be to have Betty Crocker herself welcoming us home every evening with a homemade meal already divinely spread out on the table.
I want one of those...one Betty Crocker please, Santa??? I would settle for a larger crockpot with a timer. Have you noticed how much my two little men are eating? Can you imagine what their eating patterns are going to be like in 10 years? Yikes! Scratch that request Santa, I need an army of Betty Crockers and 10 crockpots, pretty please!
I have been fortunate enough to find a couple of really good, extremely easy recipes that make enough to even have leftovers. And my coworkers have all "awed" and drooled over those lunchtime leftovers, so I thought I would make it easy for everyone and share the most recently found, attempted and kid-approved recipes.
No-Peek Beef Casserole
2 lb. stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 (4 oz) can whole mushrooms (We don't like mushrooms, so I left them out.)
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
Combine ingredients in a Crockpot and stir together well. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 - 12 hours. Serve over noodles or rice. You may cook this on HIGH 5 - 6 hours. Servings: 4 - 5. NOTE: I added approx. a cup of chicken broth to add moisture to ensure that the meat didn't scorch or stick.
Easy Corn Chowder
2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn kernels
3 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I substituted with paprika.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
Place all ingredients except for the heavy cream and bacon into the slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 7 - 8 hours. Partially mash soup mixture with potato masher to thicken. Stir in cream; cook on HIGH, uncovered, until hot. Season to taste. Garnish with bacon.
My kiddos had two helpings each... and mom had one and a half plus leftovers the next day for lunch!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Greatest of These Is...
L.O.V.E.
How many times have you heard how powerful this little four letter word is? It has so many meanings to so many people. When studying Dr. Gary Smalley's Guarding Your Child's Heart, it really made me think about how I define love and how I share my love with the people in my life, and even complete strangers.
My great grandma used to always say "God says you have to love everyone, but He didn't say anything about liking them. But, I love you and I like you."
Life has been just a little stressful lately - as I'm sure the majority of you can attest to - and I have not been my chipper, cheerful self as much as I usually am. And that hurts in thinking how I let what I am feeling internally seep into how I relate and react to those people I encounter daily. Especially when we are a conduit of Christ's love to everyone we meet.
I also had a brief epiphany during the study - that God's Love is described in the Bible. Yes, you read about His love over and over again...saving human-kind by telling Noah to build an ark and take his family on board, forgiving the people of Israel for 40 years while they wandered in the desert falling in and out of love with God, and sending the ultimate gift of love - his son Jesus Christ to die for the world's sins. But it has never sunk in that the "Fruits of the Spirit", love, patience, kindness, etc., was defining God's love so specifically. How did I miss this?
Of course I thought that this was describing how we should strife to love - such a new way to look at my relationship with God.
There are so many wonderful people in my life that help me see the world in a different, clearer view every day. Thank you.
What a wonderful week of thanks!
How many times have you heard how powerful this little four letter word is? It has so many meanings to so many people. When studying Dr. Gary Smalley's Guarding Your Child's Heart, it really made me think about how I define love and how I share my love with the people in my life, and even complete strangers.
My great grandma used to always say "God says you have to love everyone, but He didn't say anything about liking them. But, I love you and I like you."
Life has been just a little stressful lately - as I'm sure the majority of you can attest to - and I have not been my chipper, cheerful self as much as I usually am. And that hurts in thinking how I let what I am feeling internally seep into how I relate and react to those people I encounter daily. Especially when we are a conduit of Christ's love to everyone we meet.
I also had a brief epiphany during the study - that God's Love is described in the Bible. Yes, you read about His love over and over again...saving human-kind by telling Noah to build an ark and take his family on board, forgiving the people of Israel for 40 years while they wandered in the desert falling in and out of love with God, and sending the ultimate gift of love - his son Jesus Christ to die for the world's sins. But it has never sunk in that the "Fruits of the Spirit", love, patience, kindness, etc., was defining God's love so specifically. How did I miss this?
Of course I thought that this was describing how we should strife to love - such a new way to look at my relationship with God.
There are so many wonderful people in my life that help me see the world in a different, clearer view every day. Thank you.
What a wonderful week of thanks!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Dreaming of Vampire Bites
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31
Okay, this has nothing to do with wooden crosses or garlic, but it is the verse Andrew and I are reciting in the car this week to memorize and meditate on throughout our day. I don't know why, but Andrew does not seem to really like this verse. We talked about what it meant... the whole "who do you think Jesus says your neighbor is?" discussion with my five year-old. If only you could be a fly on the wall.
He l.o.v.e.s. Mark 12:30 and will stop me from repeating "love your neigh..." "Whoa mom! I don't want to say that one! I want to say Mark 12:30!" Could this have something to do with realizing how bossy he is being with his friends? Do you think my five year-old is that insightful that he shys away from the verse that tells him how to treat others? Andrew is trying SO hard these days. It is sad to think about him having a rough time with friends at school. He loves people in general so much. I'll just have to find another verse that talks about loving one another that he warms to.
Over the weekend, Ryan started to truly decipher between his response of "yes" and "NO". He is getting to be so big...using vocabulary, wanting to do so much on his own, and mirroring exactly what Andrew does - exactly! Andrew watches TV in the chair, Ryan watches TV in the chair; Andrew plays with trains on his stomach on the floor, Ryan plays with trains on his stomach on the floor. It is amazing to watch the brotherly love and the dynamics between the two of them. They sure do think a lot of each other. One of God's miracles.
Now, on to the vampires... Some girlfriends and I have not missed a date night yet revolving around the opening of a Twilight movie. This weekend was no exception. We were there last night for the first weekend of Breaking Dawn's opening. The movies have gotten better along the way...directing, visual effects, and some of the acting. BUT the most impressive thing of the movie last night was the Director's Suite of the Warren Theatre. Oh my! Movie theaters will never be the same again! I overheard someone say that "This is the way Hollywood Moguls go to the movies!" Ooh, la, la!
Not knowing what to expect, we walked into the doorway of the Director's Suite which opened up to a very fancy lounge area of its very own. There were two theaters in the suite with about 50-55 chairs in each. But not just any chairs - the.best.chairs.in.the.world! The reclined with a touch of a button, gladly toasted my hiney and my back, and were simply the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in. Amazing!
I asked the gentleman who came over to give us a quick tutorial on how to use the chair, but obviously disappointed that we had already figured it out all on our own! I caught him completely off guard when I asked "So, this is an overnight thing, right?" "Ummm...ummm..." "I mean, you are going to go to my house and watch my children while I enjoy your chair?" "OH! Umm...no ma'am. Sorry." Disappointing, but it was worth the try and the panicked look on his face.
Movie was all that we expected...good looking werewolf, romantic, over-dramatic vampire, and humor in all the wrong places...simply a perfect girl's night out.
Okay, this has nothing to do with wooden crosses or garlic, but it is the verse Andrew and I are reciting in the car this week to memorize and meditate on throughout our day. I don't know why, but Andrew does not seem to really like this verse. We talked about what it meant... the whole "who do you think Jesus says your neighbor is?" discussion with my five year-old. If only you could be a fly on the wall.
He l.o.v.e.s. Mark 12:30 and will stop me from repeating "love your neigh..." "Whoa mom! I don't want to say that one! I want to say Mark 12:30!" Could this have something to do with realizing how bossy he is being with his friends? Do you think my five year-old is that insightful that he shys away from the verse that tells him how to treat others? Andrew is trying SO hard these days. It is sad to think about him having a rough time with friends at school. He loves people in general so much. I'll just have to find another verse that talks about loving one another that he warms to.
Over the weekend, Ryan started to truly decipher between his response of "yes" and "NO". He is getting to be so big...using vocabulary, wanting to do so much on his own, and mirroring exactly what Andrew does - exactly! Andrew watches TV in the chair, Ryan watches TV in the chair; Andrew plays with trains on his stomach on the floor, Ryan plays with trains on his stomach on the floor. It is amazing to watch the brotherly love and the dynamics between the two of them. They sure do think a lot of each other. One of God's miracles.
Now, on to the vampires... Some girlfriends and I have not missed a date night yet revolving around the opening of a Twilight movie. This weekend was no exception. We were there last night for the first weekend of Breaking Dawn's opening. The movies have gotten better along the way...directing, visual effects, and some of the acting. BUT the most impressive thing of the movie last night was the Director's Suite of the Warren Theatre. Oh my! Movie theaters will never be the same again! I overheard someone say that "This is the way Hollywood Moguls go to the movies!" Ooh, la, la!
Not knowing what to expect, we walked into the doorway of the Director's Suite which opened up to a very fancy lounge area of its very own. There were two theaters in the suite with about 50-55 chairs in each. But not just any chairs - the.best.chairs.in.the.world! The reclined with a touch of a button, gladly toasted my hiney and my back, and were simply the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in. Amazing!
I asked the gentleman who came over to give us a quick tutorial on how to use the chair, but obviously disappointed that we had already figured it out all on our own! I caught him completely off guard when I asked "So, this is an overnight thing, right?" "Ummm...ummm..." "I mean, you are going to go to my house and watch my children while I enjoy your chair?" "OH! Umm...no ma'am. Sorry." Disappointing, but it was worth the try and the panicked look on his face.
Movie was all that we expected...good looking werewolf, romantic, over-dramatic vampire, and humor in all the wrong places...simply a perfect girl's night out.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Christmas Traditions...
Driving home tonight, Andrew cried out "What are they thinking?! Christmas lights already! Don't they know it isn't even... hmm... what's that Mom? Oh yeah, Thanksgiving... yet?!"
I have no idea where he would have heard something like this!
It really is a pet peeve of mine to see Christmas lights on before Thanksgiving. Now, I don't mind people putting them up in preparation, just puh-lease don't turn them on until after the Turkey Day! And if you see someone in camouflage sneaking around outdoor electrical outlets of a well lit house... it wasn't me!
I feel like each holiday should have its own time and traditions. For instance, for at least 15 years my parents have hosted Thanksgiving lunch at their house. After stuffing ourselves full of the turkey, Aunt Mary Lou's banana pudding, and an assortment of pies, we head to the basketball gym for a little friendly family competition. It is a big part of what everyone looks forward to every year. Then we come back and watch the latest Disney movie out for the year. Good times. Thanksgiving first, then on to the Christmas traditions!
However, another thing that has been bothering me lately - and probably more than lights glowing their Christmas cheer before Thanksgiving - is the "gimmes" of the season. I have always noticed them...and have even had them as a child - the GIMMES! ...but not like I have noticed after having children of my own who have caught the infectious wanting of material things!
To think about how commercialized Christmas has become makes me want to rip up this year's issue of the nicely laid out Big Book from Toys-R-Us! Now, I have nothing against buying fabulous toys that they sell...in fact I will be visiting them to collect an item or two for Christmas gifts in the near future.
But I also want to make Christmas gifts for those I know would love something handmade. Last year I made both of my sisters, my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law and my mom a wreath for their front doors. I carefully choose the colors for each of their wreaths and spent a couple of nights putting them together. They looked similar to this final product:
I have a couple of homemade gift ideas up my sleeve for this year. I really like thinking of different items people could use or want that have a more meaningful touch...and is something completely unexpected!
Not everyone likes surprises, but I sure do and I like creating them too! So I will be sharing the ideas I find with you as we countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each in their own turn! (Don't forget to turn off the lights, pretty please.)
I have no idea where he would have heard something like this!
It really is a pet peeve of mine to see Christmas lights on before Thanksgiving. Now, I don't mind people putting them up in preparation, just puh-lease don't turn them on until after the Turkey Day! And if you see someone in camouflage sneaking around outdoor electrical outlets of a well lit house... it wasn't me!
I feel like each holiday should have its own time and traditions. For instance, for at least 15 years my parents have hosted Thanksgiving lunch at their house. After stuffing ourselves full of the turkey, Aunt Mary Lou's banana pudding, and an assortment of pies, we head to the basketball gym for a little friendly family competition. It is a big part of what everyone looks forward to every year. Then we come back and watch the latest Disney movie out for the year. Good times. Thanksgiving first, then on to the Christmas traditions!
However, another thing that has been bothering me lately - and probably more than lights glowing their Christmas cheer before Thanksgiving - is the "gimmes" of the season. I have always noticed them...and have even had them as a child - the GIMMES! ...but not like I have noticed after having children of my own who have caught the infectious wanting of material things!
To think about how commercialized Christmas has become makes me want to rip up this year's issue of the nicely laid out Big Book from Toys-R-Us! Now, I have nothing against buying fabulous toys that they sell...in fact I will be visiting them to collect an item or two for Christmas gifts in the near future.
But I also want to make Christmas gifts for those I know would love something handmade. Last year I made both of my sisters, my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law and my mom a wreath for their front doors. I carefully choose the colors for each of their wreaths and spent a couple of nights putting them together. They looked similar to this final product:
I have a couple of homemade gift ideas up my sleeve for this year. I really like thinking of different items people could use or want that have a more meaningful touch...and is something completely unexpected!
Not everyone likes surprises, but I sure do and I like creating them too! So I will be sharing the ideas I find with you as we countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each in their own turn! (Don't forget to turn off the lights, pretty please.)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Guarding Your Child's Heart
Lately we have been having some major discipline problems with Andrew. It comes down to this - he is bossy! Now, before you start thinking "I WONDER where he gets this from?", ahem... Let me just say that he has a sweet little heart.
He is a rule follower...to a "T"! It has been bothering him A Lot lately when his little friends at school aren't following the rules. He steps into teacher mode and scolds them. Not so bad you say? Well, it is when you get socked in the gut two times for yelling at a kid to pay attention and follow the rules!
I'm sort of at my wits end. He truly is a Good Kid! I believe that through and through. But it breaks my heart, and scares me a little, that he is mean to other children in this manner. I have been watching myself lately in the way I get him around in the morning...trying not to be too bossy myself and making sure that my tone of voice and intensity is kept in check. But it is hard. He is a dawdler! Bless his heart he would never get to the roses to stop to smell them in the first place! He needs lots of prodding along the way.
So without really knowing what I was getting myself into, I suggested to our senior minister at church that there should be a study focused more on families and parenting during our Wednesday night class activities. She thought that was a great idea and told me I should lead such a study. I have learned my lesson in making suggestions... I am facilitating the new class!
I chose Guarding Your Child's Heart by Dr. Gary Smalley. Tomorrow will be week four and it has been a success. I have enjoyed getting to know more about several members of the church family. It is just amazing to me that I have known a couple of the individuals in the study for the 10 years I have been a member of our church and yet have not had an experience with them quite like this one.
One of the major things that Dr. Smalley suggests as a practice of guarding your heart as a parent and your child's heart is to memorize scripture together. He encourages memorizing a new scripture once a week.
Well, we haven't been that ambitious, but Andrew and I have been working on our first scripture in the car on the way to school/work - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 13:20.
Andrew repeated it by memory twice in the car on the way to school and then once more for my aunt at the dinner table. He was beaming.
I know he will turn out just fine, but it takes a village... and it takes hard work, dedication, patience, God-given grace and peace, humbleness, a thankful heart, and a lot of love.
To the moon and back, Andrew, I love you.
He is a rule follower...to a "T"! It has been bothering him A Lot lately when his little friends at school aren't following the rules. He steps into teacher mode and scolds them. Not so bad you say? Well, it is when you get socked in the gut two times for yelling at a kid to pay attention and follow the rules!
I'm sort of at my wits end. He truly is a Good Kid! I believe that through and through. But it breaks my heart, and scares me a little, that he is mean to other children in this manner. I have been watching myself lately in the way I get him around in the morning...trying not to be too bossy myself and making sure that my tone of voice and intensity is kept in check. But it is hard. He is a dawdler! Bless his heart he would never get to the roses to stop to smell them in the first place! He needs lots of prodding along the way.
So without really knowing what I was getting myself into, I suggested to our senior minister at church that there should be a study focused more on families and parenting during our Wednesday night class activities. She thought that was a great idea and told me I should lead such a study. I have learned my lesson in making suggestions... I am facilitating the new class!
I chose Guarding Your Child's Heart by Dr. Gary Smalley. Tomorrow will be week four and it has been a success. I have enjoyed getting to know more about several members of the church family. It is just amazing to me that I have known a couple of the individuals in the study for the 10 years I have been a member of our church and yet have not had an experience with them quite like this one.
One of the major things that Dr. Smalley suggests as a practice of guarding your heart as a parent and your child's heart is to memorize scripture together. He encourages memorizing a new scripture once a week.
Well, we haven't been that ambitious, but Andrew and I have been working on our first scripture in the car on the way to school/work - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 13:20.
Andrew repeated it by memory twice in the car on the way to school and then once more for my aunt at the dinner table. He was beaming.
I know he will turn out just fine, but it takes a village... and it takes hard work, dedication, patience, God-given grace and peace, humbleness, a thankful heart, and a lot of love.
To the moon and back, Andrew, I love you.
Hawkeye Fun!
Andrew's First Iowa Hawkeye Tailgate and Football Game: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Iowa vs Michigan State
Iowa vs Michigan State
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| Grandpa and Grandma Hansen and Andrew |
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Daddy and Andrew - Best Buds! |
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| Andrew playing cornhole at the Hawkeye Tailgate! |
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| The Boys at the Game... Go Hawks!! |
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Hansen Sunday Comics
1. Mike and his parents took Andrew to his first real, live Iowa Hawkeyes football game at Kinnick Stadium. After a week of missing daddy badly, it was the perfect father-son weekend! They had a blast! Good bonding time in the very LONG car ride...early morning rise to tailgate in style...and then a quick stop by Great Grandpa and Grandma's house in Des Moines. When I called to check in on the road trip, Andrew was on cloud nine. I asked him how the game was. He said "It was pretty awesome! Everyone was yellin' and screamin'." "What were you doing?" I asked. "I was yelling 'Go Hawks!!!' too, mom. And whistling with my fingers like this - whoot! Dad taught me how. Then I was yelling like this "Ahawwwwwwww! It was amazing."
2. My aunt took a new job close to where we live. She moved in with us today while she looks for a permanent place to live. We are SO excited for her to stay with us for a week or two. At the dinner table though, the conversation was too funny and she said she might just have to stay forever so she wouldn't miss any of Andrew's funny sayings. Like this one... While telling my aunt the story of our trip to Texas and our excursion to the Ft. Worth Zoo, Andrew said "Well, we saw a huge poisionous snake. He was SO BIG that he could eat me for chips and salsa and my dad for dinner!"
3. Ryan is becoming quite the entertainer. From the moment my aunt stepped out of her car to the time he went to bed he was "on." He was dancing like a storm when she first arrived. He was showcasing the "break dancing" moves he has learned from older brother. The kid loves a good beat!
4. My youngest sister and I attempted to have a "girls' night in" last night. I put the boys to bed and then we settled down to watch Bride Wars with a glass of wine. Well, two sips and the end of the movie later, she wakes me up and says "Go to bed, the movie's over and I'm going home." What a nice relaxing evening just us girls!
5. Andrew had a rough week last week. His best friend was on vacation with her family and not at school. Mike was home for a couple of days and that sort of throws things in limbo when he goes back to work. I receive an email from Andrew's teacher telling me he is having a hard time with the absence of his best friend. But she also mentions that I will be interested in a picture he drew at school. She said that it was shockingly very anatomically correct. I wrote back and said that I hope she couldn't feel my red face beaming through the email, and yes, I would discuss the picture with him at home that evening.
Whew! What a picture. His teacher was right - very good detail in his drawing...daddy is certainly proud!
When I asked him about the picture, he first tried to tell me it was "his shorts". I had to tell him he was not in trouble and he needed to tell me the truth. He sorrowfully confessed "It's my daddy going potty." "That's just fine," I said, "but we can't draw pictures or take pictures with a camera (thought I would throw that in for good measure) of people's private places." He seemed to understand, but boy, what a tough one!
2. My aunt took a new job close to where we live. She moved in with us today while she looks for a permanent place to live. We are SO excited for her to stay with us for a week or two. At the dinner table though, the conversation was too funny and she said she might just have to stay forever so she wouldn't miss any of Andrew's funny sayings. Like this one... While telling my aunt the story of our trip to Texas and our excursion to the Ft. Worth Zoo, Andrew said "Well, we saw a huge poisionous snake. He was SO BIG that he could eat me for chips and salsa and my dad for dinner!"
3. Ryan is becoming quite the entertainer. From the moment my aunt stepped out of her car to the time he went to bed he was "on." He was dancing like a storm when she first arrived. He was showcasing the "break dancing" moves he has learned from older brother. The kid loves a good beat!
4. My youngest sister and I attempted to have a "girls' night in" last night. I put the boys to bed and then we settled down to watch Bride Wars with a glass of wine. Well, two sips and the end of the movie later, she wakes me up and says "Go to bed, the movie's over and I'm going home." What a nice relaxing evening just us girls!
5. Andrew had a rough week last week. His best friend was on vacation with her family and not at school. Mike was home for a couple of days and that sort of throws things in limbo when he goes back to work. I receive an email from Andrew's teacher telling me he is having a hard time with the absence of his best friend. But she also mentions that I will be interested in a picture he drew at school. She said that it was shockingly very anatomically correct. I wrote back and said that I hope she couldn't feel my red face beaming through the email, and yes, I would discuss the picture with him at home that evening.
Whew! What a picture. His teacher was right - very good detail in his drawing...daddy is certainly proud!
When I asked him about the picture, he first tried to tell me it was "his shorts". I had to tell him he was not in trouble and he needed to tell me the truth. He sorrowfully confessed "It's my daddy going potty." "That's just fine," I said, "but we can't draw pictures or take pictures with a camera (thought I would throw that in for good measure) of people's private places." He seemed to understand, but boy, what a tough one!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Antics to Relate To...
Here are just some random happenings of life in the now:
1. Our house has been on the market since June. We have had great traffic, but no offers. I knew this was "our" house from the moment I stepped foot in the door. When Mike and I were looking to up size for our growing family, we had our selection narrowed down to our current house and a newer house in another addition across town. I had agreed to the other house. But then the next morning when I woke up, I had a huge sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I got into the shower and just started to weep.
Walking out the door, Mike took one look at me and asked what was wrong. "Oh nothing, I'm just being a silly girl, don't worry about it I'm fine." Knowing better, he asked again. "Well, it's just that I'm grieving for the other house. I've already had dreams of Christmas' and birthdays in that house. I will be fine, it's just silly." Needless to say, he decided that this house was where we needed to be. Now my feelings are hurt a little - why doesn't anyone else love my house as much as I do?
2. Andrew is still on this Rapunzel kick. He came home today with a picture that he had drawn of me with hair like Rapunzel. "See mommy, I made you so beautiful with long, long hair. Don't you like it?"
What you can't see is the picture that he drew on the reverse side of Rapunzel... it was very anatomically correct. Let me just say it was not a picture of mommy!
3. Date nights with your husband is a must. Girls' nights out are much needed too. I was supposed to have a girls' night out tonight to play Bunco. It didn't happen. Life is hard. But there is a reason for everything...like being home to field the question, "Why did you think to draw this picture Andrew?" (See Antic #2) It will get better. I will have a night out with the girls soon. Twilight-Breaking Dawn is coming! Tickets are purchased. I can't wait!
4. Getting everyone up and around in the mornings isn't easy. Being a pseudo-single mom for the time being, I have had to be creative to encourage the 5 year-old to get ready halfway on his own in the mornings. So I created a "Good Morning Checklist" for him to complete each morning.
It has worked so far. I layout his clothes every night and make sure the checklist and stickers are right next to the clothes. I used pictures to depict the "tasks" that he is to do each morning. He understands that he must complete each task above the solid black line before he gets to play which is represented by the Disney Cars vehicles. If he is able to place a sticker in each box including the play box for the entire week, then he receives $1 as a reward. He recently decided to save his earnings for a Disney's Cars vehicle that costs around $7. That decision standing in front of ALL the enticingly cool racing cars at Target was pretty impressive and I was very proud.
5. They say that Dog is a Man's Best Friend.
And I would say that is true, our dogs were our children before we had human children. There is nothing better than coming home to the excited, wagging tail of your canine children...until you come home to your human children. This weekend I had commitments to keep and so I had a sweet college student watch the boys for me. They truly loved spending time with her. But when I returned home both Saturday and Sunday, Ryan ran full throttle into my arms happily giggling and screaming, "Momma, momma!" Warm.My.Heart. Nothing better. Nothing.
6. I do love to be in the kitchen, and when I have time I experiment. Nothing crazy, but I do like to come up with meals that are quick, easy and healthy. The zucchini chicken pizza is one of these inventions. I hadn't put it together in awhile and I don't know why. It is simply yummy.
Hansen's Zucchini Chicken Pizza
Naan bread (typically in the bakery section)
Garlic roasted spaghetti sauce
Zucchini, thinly sliced (1 or 2 depending on your preference)
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Chicken (canned or cooked and shredded chicken breast)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
Layer all ingredients on the naan bread as desired. Season to taste with the Italian seasoning. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted. I usually can get 4 - 6 servings depending on how I cut the two pieces of naan bread. (I have also cut the bread into pieces and then let everyone make their own slice before baking.) Enjoy!
1. Our house has been on the market since June. We have had great traffic, but no offers. I knew this was "our" house from the moment I stepped foot in the door. When Mike and I were looking to up size for our growing family, we had our selection narrowed down to our current house and a newer house in another addition across town. I had agreed to the other house. But then the next morning when I woke up, I had a huge sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I got into the shower and just started to weep.
Walking out the door, Mike took one look at me and asked what was wrong. "Oh nothing, I'm just being a silly girl, don't worry about it I'm fine." Knowing better, he asked again. "Well, it's just that I'm grieving for the other house. I've already had dreams of Christmas' and birthdays in that house. I will be fine, it's just silly." Needless to say, he decided that this house was where we needed to be. Now my feelings are hurt a little - why doesn't anyone else love my house as much as I do?
2. Andrew is still on this Rapunzel kick. He came home today with a picture that he had drawn of me with hair like Rapunzel. "See mommy, I made you so beautiful with long, long hair. Don't you like it?"
What you can't see is the picture that he drew on the reverse side of Rapunzel... it was very anatomically correct. Let me just say it was not a picture of mommy!
3. Date nights with your husband is a must. Girls' nights out are much needed too. I was supposed to have a girls' night out tonight to play Bunco. It didn't happen. Life is hard. But there is a reason for everything...like being home to field the question, "Why did you think to draw this picture Andrew?" (See Antic #2) It will get better. I will have a night out with the girls soon. Twilight-Breaking Dawn is coming! Tickets are purchased. I can't wait!
4. Getting everyone up and around in the mornings isn't easy. Being a pseudo-single mom for the time being, I have had to be creative to encourage the 5 year-old to get ready halfway on his own in the mornings. So I created a "Good Morning Checklist" for him to complete each morning.
It has worked so far. I layout his clothes every night and make sure the checklist and stickers are right next to the clothes. I used pictures to depict the "tasks" that he is to do each morning. He understands that he must complete each task above the solid black line before he gets to play which is represented by the Disney Cars vehicles. If he is able to place a sticker in each box including the play box for the entire week, then he receives $1 as a reward. He recently decided to save his earnings for a Disney's Cars vehicle that costs around $7. That decision standing in front of ALL the enticingly cool racing cars at Target was pretty impressive and I was very proud.
5. They say that Dog is a Man's Best Friend.
And I would say that is true, our dogs were our children before we had human children. There is nothing better than coming home to the excited, wagging tail of your canine children...until you come home to your human children. This weekend I had commitments to keep and so I had a sweet college student watch the boys for me. They truly loved spending time with her. But when I returned home both Saturday and Sunday, Ryan ran full throttle into my arms happily giggling and screaming, "Momma, momma!" Warm.My.Heart. Nothing better. Nothing.
6. I do love to be in the kitchen, and when I have time I experiment. Nothing crazy, but I do like to come up with meals that are quick, easy and healthy. The zucchini chicken pizza is one of these inventions. I hadn't put it together in awhile and I don't know why. It is simply yummy.
Hansen's Zucchini Chicken Pizza
Naan bread (typically in the bakery section)
Garlic roasted spaghetti sauce
Zucchini, thinly sliced (1 or 2 depending on your preference)
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Chicken (canned or cooked and shredded chicken breast)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
Layer all ingredients on the naan bread as desired. Season to taste with the Italian seasoning. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted. I usually can get 4 - 6 servings depending on how I cut the two pieces of naan bread. (I have also cut the bread into pieces and then let everyone make their own slice before baking.) Enjoy!
Halloween Extravaganza
Now that Halloween has come and gone... It is sad to think such a great weekend is already over. (Unbelievable! Does it seem like time is just effortlessly sprinting by to you?)
It was a great time, and truly the best Halloween carnival I have been to!
Sunday
As you know Andrew is an avid rollercoaster enthusiast. My sister, Melissa, had two free tickets into a local amusement park. Sunday was the last day they were open for the season, so of course we couldn't let the tickets go to waste. Papa and Grandma McKinley went with us. We had a great time. Andrew rode the Steel Lasso (lots of fun - really smooth coaster), the Silver Bullet (roller coaster with a loop) and the Wild Cat (no loop, but big plumets, just a good ole' wooden coaster).
Monday
Mike came up for a great day of trick or treating! Andrew was pumped! And Ryan was so excited just feeding off of Andrew's enthusiasm. On the way home we stopped by our church to walk through the "Trunk or Treat". It was a good crowd and great practice for Ryan. We went home to wait for Mike to walk in the door and eat dinner.
We got everyone out the door and started walking through the cul-de-sac. Ryan was working SO hard to stay up with big brother. After about the fourth house, he had it down! He was doing a good job saying "Tweak or TwEat". Like I said, by the fourth house Ryan started scurring to the front door saying "more, more...more tandy!" I ended up taking him home after we had walked the majority of our half of the neighborhood and left Mike and Andrew to finish up.
Ryan was Very.Very. Upset. Once I closed the door to the house, he burst into tears. Andrew and Mike came home about 5 minutes later for a potty break. Ryan noticed them preparing to go back out and scrambled to put his candy back in his little pumpkin while saying frantically "come on, come on, come on!" not wanting to be left behind.
After the candy inspection was complete, Batman and the Cowardly Lion went to bed and the "10% tithing" raid of candy began for Mike and me.
It was a great countdown to Halloween fun!
Here is a run down of our weekend countdown to the Halloween festivities:
Saturday
I took the boys to my parents' house to spend time with Mike, Papa, Grandma, Aunt Megan and Uncle Rob. (They don't all live at my parents' house - just Mike - for the time being, Papa and Grandma.) The Simmons Center (like the local "Y") was having a great Halloween carnival for the kiddos and we went to check it out.
There were all kind of very creative games and prizes. (I lost count of how many Twix and other candy bars Andrew was getting!) They had this great carnival game with an elephant and peanuts. You put the peanut into the elephant's trunk (section of a dryer vent) and then the elephant would give you a special prize out of its trunk in return. Like the classic fishing game, only better!
Sunday
As you know Andrew is an avid rollercoaster enthusiast. My sister, Melissa, had two free tickets into a local amusement park. Sunday was the last day they were open for the season, so of course we couldn't let the tickets go to waste. Papa and Grandma McKinley went with us. We had a great time. Andrew rode the Steel Lasso (lots of fun - really smooth coaster), the Silver Bullet (roller coaster with a loop) and the Wild Cat (no loop, but big plumets, just a good ole' wooden coaster).
Monday
Mike came up for a great day of trick or treating! Andrew was pumped! And Ryan was so excited just feeding off of Andrew's enthusiasm. On the way home we stopped by our church to walk through the "Trunk or Treat". It was a good crowd and great practice for Ryan. We went home to wait for Mike to walk in the door and eat dinner.
We got everyone out the door and started walking through the cul-de-sac. Ryan was working SO hard to stay up with big brother. After about the fourth house, he had it down! He was doing a good job saying "Tweak or TwEat". Like I said, by the fourth house Ryan started scurring to the front door saying "more, more...more tandy!" I ended up taking him home after we had walked the majority of our half of the neighborhood and left Mike and Andrew to finish up.
Ryan was Very.Very. Upset. Once I closed the door to the house, he burst into tears. Andrew and Mike came home about 5 minutes later for a potty break. Ryan noticed them preparing to go back out and scrambled to put his candy back in his little pumpkin while saying frantically "come on, come on, come on!" not wanting to be left behind.
After the candy inspection was complete, Batman and the Cowardly Lion went to bed and the "10% tithing" raid of candy began for Mike and me.
It was a great countdown to Halloween fun!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Hansen Sunday Comics...on Wednesday (hey, it's still a church day)
Just a few funnies that have happened over the past couple of weeks:
1. Andrew announced to me the other morning, "Mom, I don't like your hair." "Why not Andrew?" "Well, do you like it mom?" "Sure I like it," was my response. "Well, don't you want to be pretty like Rapunzel? Huh, mom?" "I do think Rapunzel is pretty. You don't think that I look like Rapunzel?" "Uh, no mom. You would have to have long gorgeous hair to be pretty like Rapunzel. Sorry, mom, it's just me tellin' the truth."
2. The last couple of nights during our normal getting-ready-for-bed routine Ryan has chucked his pacifier from his changing table to his bed. The first night he did this, I had him standing up to take off his shirt. He told me "Stop!" and then took his pacifier out of his mouth and in one quick motion flung it over towards his bed. Well, it landed perfectly square in the middle of the bed. He looked over at me and gave me a huge grin. Too cute. BUT, then the next night same thing happened... taking off his clothes, he told me to "stop!", the curve ball, and I'll be darn if he nailed the strike again! He has now performed this nightly toss five times with a four out of five winning streak. Each time with the huge, satisfied grin on his face. Such a character!
3. We have a border collie, Lucy, and a dog that we have adopted from my boss named Zoe who is a wheaten terrier mix. They both are the cutest things ever - UNTIL the jump over our brick wall fence that is on one side of our house. They never seem to make the quick jail break until I am running late in the morning and have to get out the door quickly. I would typically not think to include this in a "Sunday Comics" post, but when the jailbirds busted free the other morning I was at my wits end. We were already running about 10-15 minutes behind. Following my ranting about the "No good animals. They don't know how well they have it...", Andrew looked at me and calmly said, "Well mom, it would teach them a good lesson if they received a bad consequence for their bad actions." I love when your children repeat great parenting tid bits they have heard far too often.
4. Andrew talks in his sleep. Mike and I love to go in and kiss his forehead one last time on our way to bed. And this is why... I just leaned down to kiss his forehead tonight and he turns over after feeling my lips brush his face mumbling "No mommy, I love you too much." Heart.Over.Flowing.
1. Andrew announced to me the other morning, "Mom, I don't like your hair." "Why not Andrew?" "Well, do you like it mom?" "Sure I like it," was my response. "Well, don't you want to be pretty like Rapunzel? Huh, mom?" "I do think Rapunzel is pretty. You don't think that I look like Rapunzel?" "Uh, no mom. You would have to have long gorgeous hair to be pretty like Rapunzel. Sorry, mom, it's just me tellin' the truth."
2. The last couple of nights during our normal getting-ready-for-bed routine Ryan has chucked his pacifier from his changing table to his bed. The first night he did this, I had him standing up to take off his shirt. He told me "Stop!" and then took his pacifier out of his mouth and in one quick motion flung it over towards his bed. Well, it landed perfectly square in the middle of the bed. He looked over at me and gave me a huge grin. Too cute. BUT, then the next night same thing happened... taking off his clothes, he told me to "stop!", the curve ball, and I'll be darn if he nailed the strike again! He has now performed this nightly toss five times with a four out of five winning streak. Each time with the huge, satisfied grin on his face. Such a character!
3. We have a border collie, Lucy, and a dog that we have adopted from my boss named Zoe who is a wheaten terrier mix. They both are the cutest things ever - UNTIL the jump over our brick wall fence that is on one side of our house. They never seem to make the quick jail break until I am running late in the morning and have to get out the door quickly. I would typically not think to include this in a "Sunday Comics" post, but when the jailbirds busted free the other morning I was at my wits end. We were already running about 10-15 minutes behind. Following my ranting about the "No good animals. They don't know how well they have it...", Andrew looked at me and calmly said, "Well mom, it would teach them a good lesson if they received a bad consequence for their bad actions." I love when your children repeat great parenting tid bits they have heard far too often.
4. Andrew talks in his sleep. Mike and I love to go in and kiss his forehead one last time on our way to bed. And this is why... I just leaned down to kiss his forehead tonight and he turns over after feeling my lips brush his face mumbling "No mommy, I love you too much." Heart.Over.Flowing.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Trains, Texas, & Stampedes: Day Three
"Ride 'em, Cowboy! Oh, wait, Mom! We forgot my cowboy boots!"
Our third day in Ft. Worth, TX ended Andrew's birthday excursion.
We got up and around and then let Andrew decide what adventures our day would behold. We asked him if he wanted to go see a real live cattle drive. Of course that little face of his just lit up with excitement and anticipation!
We were cutting it close trying to get breakfast and catch the bus at the right time. We ended up walking across the street to Starbucks and grabbing some donuts, scones, muffins, juice and coffee to go. We then walked to the curb and sat on the bus stop bench to wait for the next ride back to the main station downtown. Well, since we were cutting it so close, I just knew we had already missed the bus. And sure enough, we watched the bus go by in the opposite direction.
Thankfully, the driver was running ahead of schedule and had an empty bus, so he stopped at the convenience store across the street. Wonderful, it was fate! The only problem was crossing before he took off again and the street kept getting busier and busier...on a Sunday morning! The driver came out and we were still waiting on the light to change to let us cross over safely. Mike whistled and got his attention. As luck would have it, he heard us and waited!
We rode back to the main station to find our next link to the Historic Ft Worth Stockyards.
We had to take a taxi when we realized we had missed the bus down by just 5 minutes. The taxi driver dropped us off just in time for the longhorn cattle drive! Boy, was Andrew excited!
After our lunch stop with our cow town celebrity (he returned his borrowed 10-gallon hat!), we headed to the bus stop to catch our last bus in Ft. Worth. Upon entering the bus, Andrew scoped out a gentleman sitting by himself and plopped down right next to him making the grand announcement, "Mom, Dad, you can sit right over there. I am going to sit by him." "Well, did you ask this nice gentleman if it was okay with him if you sit by him?" I asked. Andrew turned eagerly to the man and asked "Is it okay, sir?" The man shook his head in agreement and mumbled a kind yes. Andrew talked his ear off until he was at his stop... or we think it was truly his stop! Ha!
Our third day in Ft. Worth, TX ended Andrew's birthday excursion.
We got up and around and then let Andrew decide what adventures our day would behold. We asked him if he wanted to go see a real live cattle drive. Of course that little face of his just lit up with excitement and anticipation!
We were cutting it close trying to get breakfast and catch the bus at the right time. We ended up walking across the street to Starbucks and grabbing some donuts, scones, muffins, juice and coffee to go. We then walked to the curb and sat on the bus stop bench to wait for the next ride back to the main station downtown. Well, since we were cutting it so close, I just knew we had already missed the bus. And sure enough, we watched the bus go by in the opposite direction.
Thankfully, the driver was running ahead of schedule and had an empty bus, so he stopped at the convenience store across the street. Wonderful, it was fate! The only problem was crossing before he took off again and the street kept getting busier and busier...on a Sunday morning! The driver came out and we were still waiting on the light to change to let us cross over safely. Mike whistled and got his attention. As luck would have it, he heard us and waited!
We rode back to the main station to find our next link to the Historic Ft Worth Stockyards.
We had to take a taxi when we realized we had missed the bus down by just 5 minutes. The taxi driver dropped us off just in time for the longhorn cattle drive! Boy, was Andrew excited!
 |
| A real, live cowboy and his horse, Charlie |
After watching the "real, live cowboys" drive the "real, live longhorn cattle" down the street, we took off down the cobble street to find some more adventures. And we found this...
After looking up at the sky and seeing some threatening thunder clouds appear, we decided to find somewhere to eat quickly and then head back to downtown Ft. Worth. Mike suggested that we catch a movie in-between lunch and the trains departure back to Oklahoma. We all thought that was a great idea since The Lion King was playing in 3-D!
But first, we had the distinct pleasure of eating at the friendliest little burger joint you have step foot in. Andrew hit it off with the staff and they treated him like a celebrity! We're talking Charlie Brown coloring book, tub full of crayons, fish singin' (you know the one that is mounted and sings), soda slurpin' treatment...
We caught "The Lion King" in 3-D at the movie theater in downtown Ft. Worth. It was SO good in 3-D. Hands down the best 3-D movie I have seen. Andrew has now snagged the Simba stuffed animal that my parents had at their house. He has been taking it with him to school every day to sleep with it during rest time. Needless to say, he loved the movie.
Following the movie, we speed walked the three blocks back to the train station just in time to pick up our held baggage and board the train. We met a wonderful lady who lives in Edmond on the trip back. Really, everyone was so friendly on the train. One.Big.Family.
It was a wonderful trip. Andrew keeps talking about taking the train again... "Next weekend, right, mom? Right?"
It ended well too... Papa Bear and Cub were tuckered out... "Shhh....sweet dreams of a Texas stampede..."
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