I'm So Making This!

I haven't tried this yet - - but it's on my list...

Recipe FRIDAY...

Chicken and Bows

1 pkg Bow Tie Pasta (16 ounce)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 c chopped, sweet red pepper
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (10-3/4 ounces each)
2 c frozen peas
1-1/2 cups milk
1 t garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook chicken and red pepper in butter over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Stir in the soup, peas, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.

YUMMY! Maybe I will try this one tonight! :) I like the fact that this one is EASY and not requires minimum time! (I never have very much time!)

Thanks for stopping by!

I've Got a Secret!

I have to tell you - I am pumped up! Our church is getting ready to launch something... something big. Something exciting. Something that's going to rock this city in a mighty way and I get to be involved in it! And so do you, fellow Crossroaders reading my blog... but I can't tell you. Sorry.

I know, I know - you hate that, don't you? But honestly - it's going to be awesome! Be praying for the ministry of our church. I truly believe that God is preparing us for something extraordinary, Crossroads. Fasten your seat belts...

My New Favorite Song

My husband says I have too many favorites! Maybe he's right... I don't know.

This is my new FAVORITE song! I just listen to it over and over again in the car. I'm probably driving my daughter nuts! It's by Casting Crowns (# 7 on their new album, Altar and the Door). Here are the lyrics:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control?
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle?
Are we caught in the middle?

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves
Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control?

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle!

Random Thoughts

Here are some random ramblings for you on this beautiful fall morning...

- Do you ever notice how stingy the people are in the drive-thru's with ketchup packets and dressing packets? Seriously - whenever I go to places like Taco Bell, I always place my order and at the end say, very clearly, "with EXTRA mild sauce, please." You would have thought I asked them for their first born child or something, because I always get up there and find like 3 sauce packets in my bag. Come on, people, ya' making me crazy!

- I sing in the car. I mean, I GET DOWN in the car. I feel sorry for people driving next to me - they must think I'm crazy! If you see me rockin' out in the car - just ignore me, please. :)

- I bought the new Casting Crowns CD yesterday afternoon. WOW - you've got to get it. Tracks 4 and 7 are my fav's so far!

- I've been tracking my hits on this blog for the past month. It appears the average number of readers (hits) per week is 152! :)

- What's with the 90 degree temps?? I say - bring on the fall weather. Nothing like a couple months of 65 degree days! I'm ready to be done with the hot, please!

- So, this week, my 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, jumped off the diving board at the CFC pool. I could hardly believe it when she told me! She's come a long way from even a few short months ago when she wouldn't even get her face wet! Yeah, baby!

- I had a goal this past summer to read 15 books. I only read 3. My goal for the winter won't be as high so I won't feel as bad about it when I don't make it! I just realized I've read 2.5 books within the past three weeks - - and I couldn't make it to 15 for an entire summer?

- I miss my friend, Roxanne, so much. It's been almost an entire year ago that we lost her, yet it feels like only yesterday. I love ya, Rox!

- I'm totally geeked. I had a Lia Sophia party last night and I had a $600+ show... so that means, I'm getting like $157 of FREE jewelery. Another $50 order would bump me up to $261! YEAH! Anyone still wanting to order may do so - - I am closing my show on Sunday night.

- I had to use dictionary.com twice this week to look up definitions of words I didn't know. Can I just say I love this website and I love learning new words. (No, I'm not telling you what words they were - you might laugh at the fact I didn't know what they were!)

The ATTITUDE!

Seriously - all you mothers of girls can help to answer this.. when does the "attitude" begin with girls? I'm referring to the "You can't make me" and the "It's not fair" attitudes? I swear, I would not have guessed it to begin as early as the second grade! But it's begun in my household and it's been all I can do to not pull my hair out (although I think it is turning grey!)

So this morning when I got Chloe up, I THOUGHT it was going to be a good morning. I was wrong. From the moment she placed her feet onto her bedroom floor - it was one crisis after another. First her shoes didn't fit right, then her shirt felt "funny". Then she couldn't find her wallet (she received $4 from the tooth fairy last night so she needed to put her money away). Then she didn't want to brush her hair but absolutely refused to let me touch it. Then she didn't want to put a coat on, then she wanted tennis shoes on, but couldn't find socks to wear with them. By the time we got in the car, I felt like I had wrestled a tiger. I was sweating from head to toe, forgot my lunch, dropped my cell phone on the garage floor causing it to break (not completely, it was fixable) and after arguing over shoes to wear, ended up putting my daughter into her booster seat in the back seat with NO shoes on. I have to say, by the time I got in the drivers seat, I was NOT happy. So... the "little" talk began. I told her that these types of mornings were "unacceptable". I explained that when I get her up I expect her to be ready to go with teeth brushed, hair combed, shoes on, backpack ready, water bottle filled and the dog fed. I even found myself saying, "This isn't rocket science, Chloe, these are simple things I need to have done in the morning." ROCKET SCIENCE? Where did that come from? THEN I proceeded to tell her that when we got home, she would have to clean out the entire back seat of my vehicle. It's been a mess back there for weeks. Books, crayons, stuffed animals, shoes, wrappers - - you name it - it's back there. She proceeded to pout saying that I'm mean and she always has to do everything. I said, "Well, you said the other day you want to earn money and I'm not going to give you things and give you money if you can't help around here." (I know, a simple "do it because I said so" would have been fine here - but I feel I always have to justify.) I couldn't have prepared myself for what she was about to say. She replied with, "You don't give me money or anything anyway!!!" ARRGHHH!! Part of me wanted to scream out, "Where do you think that money from the tooth fairy anyway??" but I refrained from that! At one point she did retaliate with "Some of this stuff back here, you put back here!" to which I replied, "Oh yeah, well I don't wear your underwear, but I still wash them every day!" Good one, Wendy!

Bottom line is this - - it used to be that when I got after her or scolded her, she would cry and would get very remorseful. Those days are long gone. Instead, all I get back is attitude and it's killing me!

HELP - - are there any mothers of little girls who can sympathize with me or can give me some great advice on what works or has worked for you???? Hurry - - before I lose my mind!

50 Things You Need to Know About Me

Hey there!

So - yesterday morning those of us on staff at Crossroads went on a Team Building Adventure with the LISD. It was a lot of fun and we even got to know some things about each other we didn't know (or perhaps, in some cases, never wanted to know). :) All-in-all it was a good day. Lots of team-building stuff that, hopefully, will make us stronger as one team serving one purpose.

So it got me thinking - I am sure there are a ton of things that my readers don't know about me. So - I've started my own "tag, you're it list". The first person I'm tagging to respond on their blog is my good friend, Faythe.

50 Things You Need to Know About Me
1.) I love Jesus!
2.) I love eating chocolate frosting straight from the can!
3.) I am an only child (and no, I was not spoiled rotten!)
4.) I cut my right arm open on a barbed-wire fence when I was 9 and had to have 13 stitches.
5.) I love the rain and storms!
6.) Fall is my favorite time of the year.
7.) I am addicted to email. Seriously - ask those who know me well how often I check it even on vacations!
8.) My first job was working at an ice cream store (and I ate more ice cream than I sold, I'm sure of it!)
9.) Friday is my favorite day of the week!
10.) My dream, since I was a kid, is to become an elementary school teacher.
11.) In school, I often got in trouble for talking to much. My report cards often read, "disturbs others in class". (I know, I know... you find this SO hard to believe - but it's true!) :)
12.) My husband and I bought a vehicle on Ebay 5 years ago and drove all the way to Minnesota to pick it up and bring it home - all within 2 days!
13.) I once won a "prettiest feet contest".
14.) I had more male friends in school than female friends.
15.) I own more than 10 pairs of black shoes!
16.) I'm afraid of heights!
17.) I actually had fun and enjoyed planning my own wedding!
18.) My first boyfriend was in Kindergarten and his name was Justin.
19.) I like some rap music.
20.) My favorite subject in high school was English.
21.) My least favorite subject in high school was History.
22.) My favorite color is Burgundy.
23.) I love the smell of gasoline.
24.) I cry at Hallmark commercials!
25.) I broke my collar bone hanging upside down from a swing when I was in 2nd grade. OUCH!
26.) For my 21st birthday, my parents flew my boyfriend and I to Chicago for an afternoon.
27.) I've never had a cavity in my life!
28.) I went on a blind date once and choked on a piece of cheese pizza! (no kidding - it was awful!)
29.) I never went on another blind date again!
30.) I took a vacation when I was a senior in high school with my dad to Puerto Viarta Mexico and drank Fuzzy Navels for breakfast! (not recommended!)
31.) I hate to fly!
32.) I love to color with my daughter! It helps to relax me!
33.) I would eat Mexican food 5 days of the week if I could!
34.) I've seen the movie Titanic more than 20 times!
35.) I wrote a song when I was in high school.
36.) When I was a kid I used to think that that was my face on the Wendy's Restaurant sign! I asked my grandma, "Grandma, when did I have red hair?"
37.) My two favorite holidays are Christmas and Halloween!
38.) When I was in the fifth grade, my friend and I had a fake band. We called ourselves, "Timeout". We did concerts for my parents in our living room every Friday night!
39.) My bedtime is 11 p.m. most nights.
40.) When I can't sleep I read.
41.) My best friend (through junior high and high school), Rob, was shot and killed in Colorado January 5, 1992.
42.) Our limo driver left my husband and I on the night of our wedding and we had to ride home with friends of ours in the back of their car!
43.) I was in active labor with my daughter for 3 days!
44.) My favorite song at the moment is "By His Wounds".
45.) In my opinion Coke is much better than Pepsi!
46.) I skipped my American Lit class every day my senior year of high school.
47.) In November I will be a great aunt for the second time! (gosh I feel old!)
48.) My dream job would be to own my own party planning business.
49.) A friend of mine from high school still lives with her parents. She's 34.
50.) I like red grapes better than green ones!

Am I Back in School Too?

Ahh - - the beginning of a brand new school year! I LOVE September. I love it for so many reasons... school is back in session and that means back to a "normal" or "semi-normal" routine, fall is nearing and leaves are beginning to fall off the trees, the air is a little crisper and of course new seasons of all my favorite shows are back (particularly CSI and House M.D.).


Chloe is in Second Grade this year! I can't believe it! When I dropped her off on last Monday, it seemed impossible that she is big enough to have her own locker and be in the big grade school wing! Simply impossible! But - she's growing up and it's happening right before my own eyes!


Can I just say - - what's with all the paperwork that comes home on a regular basis? It's like I am back in school! Almost every night she has papers that come home that I need to sort out. And it's not like I am one that can just push them aside. I have to take care of them AS they come in. So - - each night - there I sit, doing MY homework. Organizing school papers, managing homework that needs to be returned the next day, sorting out papers that she brings home that is already graded, keeping a calendar of all the events going on within the next few months. YIKES! AND of course, I'm always the mom that volunteers for any and everything. What's wrong with me? Seriously - I enjoy it. I tend to feel more guilty because of my hectic work week and not always being able to help within the classroom. I always try to help out where I can and how I can at home. :0)

Well - - I've gotta go - I'm sure there are papers I should be sorting or homework I should be reviewing...