Also out of chronological order:

Jan. 24, 2013

Hello All!

We have so much going on in our very busy lives!  The busiest comes in the form of a little boy - who I will get to in a little bit!  Our lives today consisted of cardboard cars, pasta with zucchini, a new shiny iMac, Cat in the Hat, tabaggan rides, Boston BRUINS, pepsi and blogging!  :)  Busy, right? I would change it for anything!

Above I mentioned that we had fun with cardboard cars.  Well, I looked for N and he was playing with the diapers boxes, sitting in them and putting them on his head like a hat - all the while holding Danika's pink blanket.  :) So, I decided to cut the bottom out of the box and cut handles in the sides - voila! A car! I had to demonstrate for him and, for awhile, he was chasing me, laughing, while I made car noises and vroomed around the house.  Then he tried it and actually spent more time in there than I thought he would...having such a short attention span and all. After we played around a bit with the cars, we had supper.  MMhmm!  Scrumptious.  Spaghettini pasta with a tomato and basil sauce, which I altered and added a dallop or two of "Cooking with Philly's" cream cheese.  Then fried some pork to go with it!  Just delightful.

Earlier that afternoon, a package arrived for us - our shiny new iMac! Yes, which I am typing on right now! :) We are very excited about this new addition to our technology family.

....end post....

A post from awhile ago, totally out of chronological order, but I wanted to post it on here - cause it is fun to look back on!

Hey!  So, I have started this blog to keep friends and family up to date on our "goings-on".  It seems I am not able to keep a handwritten diary, so I am hoping that typing on my computer will give me an incentive to write more often.  Another factor in the inconsistency is the fact that Mark and I have a wonderful 20 month old, who loves trucks, kitchen cupboards, light switches, remotes, buttons and his little sister.  Which brings me to our 4 month old.  A delight, to be sure!  It doesn't matter who you are - any face will do - to bring a smile to that cute, chubby face.

Hubby and I brought in the New Year with high hopes for 2013.  A new house is in the making, renovations being completed on our current one, a warm vacation in the fall/winter, and two beautiful kids to raise!  Also, add lots of traveling and visiting to that list!  To start off the traveling part, Hubby is in a 15-passenger van filled with church guys, headed to Fernie, and the kids and I are off to Grandpa and Grandma's for the weekend.  

I am involved with coaching a Sr. Girls basketball team again this winter, and am doing my first solo coaching gig tonight!  The RJC home tournament brings plenty of competition and lots of heightened emotions.  I am looking forward to seeing how well I can bring all I know about the game and transfer it over to the girls' game.  A challenge to be sure! 

As I sit here, writing...typing...away, there are two men in my kitchen putting in our granite countertop!  :)  SO exciting! BB just woke up (9 am!!) and is sitting beside me chewing on dried mango pieces, watching the dinosaur train.  

That's all I have time for this morning!  My busy little one is wanting to play.  :)

Courtney

Good Evening friends...or is it morning?  Alright, it's morning.  But, the point is, I need to write some thoughts down.  Need to share.  I also had a good Caramel-flavored cup of coffee at my nephew's birthday party AND had a 3 hour nap this afternoon.  Needless to say, my mind would like to unload a bit - read if you dare!  He he.  This may get "Courtney at 12:30 am" messy.  

Today.  I love Sundays.  You know why?  I get to go to a place a love, visit with people I appreciate, lead songs with powerful messages to the God who created little ol' me.  It always hits me on Sunday mornings at church, sometimes I stop singing and just listen to the congregation sing.  Such a powerful sound of admiration and love.  

I also have this amazing Man in my life.  Daddy.  Husband.  Friend.  Helper.  Teacher.  Encourager.  Amazing BBQ-er.  You heard me right - we had lamb the other evening.  SU. Preme!  Mm!  Okay, back on topic....He is an amazing Man.  This morning, I had to leave the house nice and early to practice with the worship team, so He had to dress our 3 children, one of whom had spilled cereal all over the floor, feed them all - even the stubborn one who WILL NOT eat what we eat when we eat it - and then proceeded to take them to church on their bikes!  He rode my coral-hued cruiser - with its shiny teal rims and a bike seat - 3 blocks to church.  Kids in tow - or maybe in front.  They're getting faster!  

Had a BBQ at our church which is a really neat summer lunch option!  Visited with friends we hadn't seen in awhile and were able to give them a tour of the homestead.  :)  My oldest has said a few times today:  Mom, I love living here.  I agree, kiddo.  I agree.  Since the training wheels came off, we are riding our bikes a lot more and it has been a wonderful part of our summer!  

Foodie side of things:  I have a whole box of peaches waiting to be put in jars...I will let you all know how it goes!  As for right now, a bowl of cereal is calling my name and then my bed is next.  

Have a wonderful Monday, all!  I may even get to fall asleep to a lightshow and thunder lullaby.  

~ The Bloggary ~

Hello blogging world! 

I have been thinking and thinking and finally decided that I should no longer spam you with glorious pictures of my foodie-ness (Bryce and Matt) or pelt you with pictures of my adorable children.  Instead, I will blog here and post here so you can choose be be bombarded.  Nice of me, ain't it? 

I don't know how often I will post, but I would love to make it a regular and encouraging pasttime. My heart and kitchen to yours.  Share recipes, biblical truths, humorous stories and love-filled pictures. Read if you'd like and comment if you desire. I'm going to enjoy this!  Now, let's get to it!

I just recently started making a menu plan (Let's be real: I'm only two weeks in. I'm two weeks in!  In a row!)  It has helped considerably to relieve the stress of thinking about what to serve my family at mealtimes that is delicious and nutritious! And making sure I have all the groceries to make it!

I found it very hard to keep to it, but I think I have found out how!
This is how I started - if you're interested in starting too:

1. Write down a list of perishable items you have in your fridge and pantry.
2. Write down a list of ALL frozen items - from veggies, to meats, to already made meals, to frozen desserts.  *This one took awhile, but was so worth it.  Do it on a hot day - even more worth it! ;)*
3. Sit down and write numbers beside the food items that go together.  For example:  I had perogies and sausage in my freezer, chives and bacon in the fridge and some sour cream.  I wrote a small 1 beside these items.  There was a different meal that could use the chives, so I also wrote a 2 beside the chives and the other item in my pantry that it went well with.  And so on!
4. Write down your meals!  I suggest planning ahead for breakfast (if you fancy breakfast - we sure do!), lunch and supper all at once!  We modified a bit during the week with schedule changes and such, but overall, a MUCH easier week!  Yay us!!

Something else that has spurred on this meal planning bit, has been the 21 Day Fix.  We are now trying to focus on eating healthier and staying physically active!  Mark and I feel much better (minus the incredibly sore, stretching, torn muscles!  Heh heh.) and have more energy to play with our endless-energized kids.  I reccommend this workout.  With the modifier, it works for those who just want to step it out while Autumn runs in place, walk out the burpees as oppose to flying through them.  Any speed.  Whatever works for you!  I encourage it.  Or could you tell that already?  *shrugs*  Like I said, you can choose to read this!  :)

That is what I have for today.  That was fun!!!  

I leave with you the words of The Lord spokes through Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4-9:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God, is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road.  When you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." 

~ The Bloggary ~