I'm taking a break from packing to fill those of you in who haven't heard yet. We're moving! This weekend! No, we did not plan it this way but were unfortunately forced into it. For the last couple of years, we've been renting our house with the intention of saving up and building in the next year or so. Circumstances (including my medical bills and the poor economy) have kept us from being able to proceed in the time that we had hoped to, but we were willing to be patient and stick it out in our current home.
A month or so ago, our landlord decided to put our house up for sale but promised to honor our lease which is not up until June of next year. With the news of the baby (which is due June 3rd) and the possibility of being booted out of our house, we began to consider our options. We knew we couldn't afford to build the house we wanted right now, so we thought about buying this house when our lease would end. Our landlord knew that we were considering this and said he would give us first dibs. As a precautionary move, we began casually looking at other homes (both sale and rent). We found a few that we were interested in, but we weren't going to consider a move this close to the holidays.
As it turns out, we're not in control of our lives, and God had other plans for us. =) We had been praying over the weekend that if our decision to wait until the new year was not what God wanted that He would show us in a very definite way what we should do. Yesterday morning, our landlord called Jason and informed him that he had let the home go into foreclosure and that it was currently in short sale. He asked that we move out by Dec. 1st. Well! If that's not a sign, I don't know what is! =)
So, yesterday afternoon, we looked at 3 rental homes that we had found and chose one of them. We let the realtor know that the monthly cost was a little higher than we wanted to pay, so she called the homeowner and he knocked off $125 to put us right where we wanted to be. So, we will now be saving $225 per month, and we will be gaining 600 square feet of living area! Sweet! God is good! We may not understand His timing right now, but we can trust that He is in control and that this did not surprise Him.
Our plans before all of this happened were to spend the week of Thanksgiving at my parents' house, and we would still like to do that. That is why we have chosen to move this weekend. Please pray for us that we will be able to get everything packed and moved by this weekend and that everything will go smoothly and relatively stress-free. =}
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Orange-Honey Chicken
It's been a while since I've shared a recipe, so I figured it was about time. The last couple of months have held many food aversions (due to my pregnancy), so we've had to revamp our meal plans. This recipe is one that we recently tried, and we all really like it. Enjoy! Oh, and FYI, I did not take the picture seen below. That came with the recipe. =)
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs with thighs (we actually use 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Grease a baking dish. Arrange chicken in prepared dish. Combine orange juice and honey in a small bowl; mix well. Stir in parsley and pepper. (Basting sauce can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.) Brush honey mixture over chicken, covering completely. (Pierce the chicken with a fork over entire surface before putting sauce on to allow sauce to soak into the chicken.) Cover with foil. Bake chicken until cooked through, basting occasionally, about 45 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs with thighs (we actually use 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Grease a baking dish. Arrange chicken in prepared dish. Combine orange juice and honey in a small bowl; mix well. Stir in parsley and pepper. (Basting sauce can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.) Brush honey mixture over chicken, covering completely. (Pierce the chicken with a fork over entire surface before putting sauce on to allow sauce to soak into the chicken.) Cover with foil. Bake chicken until cooked through, basting occasionally, about 45 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Weekend Events
We had a really good time at my parents' house this past weekend. Saturday was spent with the family. We had taco salad stuff for lunch, and Jason made his homemade tortillas for those that wanted burritos...they were yummy! He also made a pan of brownies for my "birthday cake," and we topped it with some (non-dairy ice cream) Cookie Avalanche made by Purely Decadent. It was really good!
Before we served up the brownies, I decided that since it was my birthday (which means I can basically do what I want for the day), I was going to play the "thankful game." You know, the one you usually play at Thanksgiving with your family? So, after they sang "Happy Birthday" to me, I proceeded to name several things that I am thankful for, including my family, Jason and the girls, God's blessings...etc. Then it was my girls' turn to share something they are thankful for. Watch the video clip below to see what they had to say...
My girls made me very proud. Who knew they were capable of keeping secrets at their age. They knew for several weeks and attended church many times and never spilled the beans (as far as we know, that is. Did any of you know?). God's timing is perfect, and we are trusting in Him to work out every detail. We are very excited and feel very honored and blessed that God is entrusting us with another sweet little one. As usual, your prayers are greatly coveted. Right now the due date is set for June 3. So far, I have never made it to a due date. Alyx was 3 1/2 weeks early, and Larissa and Sydney were both 1 1/2 weeks early. I'm imagining this one won't be any different, so we'll be adding another May birthday to the family calendar. =) (For those who don't know, May is the busiest month in our family when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries.)
I hope that none of you are offended that I did not personally call or talk to you, but I felt like this was the fastest and easiest way to get the word out. =)
Before we served up the brownies, I decided that since it was my birthday (which means I can basically do what I want for the day), I was going to play the "thankful game." You know, the one you usually play at Thanksgiving with your family? So, after they sang "Happy Birthday" to me, I proceeded to name several things that I am thankful for, including my family, Jason and the girls, God's blessings...etc. Then it was my girls' turn to share something they are thankful for. Watch the video clip below to see what they had to say...
My girls made me very proud. Who knew they were capable of keeping secrets at their age. They knew for several weeks and attended church many times and never spilled the beans (as far as we know, that is. Did any of you know?). God's timing is perfect, and we are trusting in Him to work out every detail. We are very excited and feel very honored and blessed that God is entrusting us with another sweet little one. As usual, your prayers are greatly coveted. Right now the due date is set for June 3. So far, I have never made it to a due date. Alyx was 3 1/2 weeks early, and Larissa and Sydney were both 1 1/2 weeks early. I'm imagining this one won't be any different, so we'll be adding another May birthday to the family calendar. =) (For those who don't know, May is the busiest month in our family when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries.)
I hope that none of you are offended that I did not personally call or talk to you, but I felt like this was the fastest and easiest way to get the word out. =)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
And thus the ride begins...
Have you been to Busch Gardens and enjoyed the ride Sheikra? One of the last times we went, we rode it about 8 times in a row. The ride is so much fun! It has the usual slow rise to the top of the hill with all the "clink-clinking" of the mechanisms that pull you to the top. This is when my hands usually start getting a little bit clammy, and I begin to question my sanity as to why I even entered the ride to begin with. Once you reach the top of the ride, there is a small half-circle that you ride around before you get to the "drop-off." It really is breath-taking to be able to look all around the park from that high in the air. As you near the end of the half-circle, the screams begin to arise from those riders who are anticipating the impending doom. When the car comes to a stop, you find yourself perched on what feels like the edge of a cliff in a 45 degree angle, and you continue dangling in that postition unable to see the track ahead of you for about 5-10 seconds before the car finally lets loose and you drop in a true 90 degree angle. Wow! What a rush!
Right now, I feel like I'm perched at the top of that "drop-off." This week begins the craziness of the holidays that will not end until after my oldest daughter's birthday at the beginning of January. My birthday is this Saturday, and, yes, I'm finally turning 20. What?? I can't pass for 20? Oh well... Birthdays are not as fun as they used to be, you know? Why does that number have to keep getting higher and higher? I don't feel my age. In fact, sometimes I still feel like I'm in high school or college. Not that I'm wishing to be back there, mind you. I love my life the way it is right now, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Here is a picture from the surprise party my husband and dear friends cooked up last year. I couldn't believe they were able to surprise me! Notice all the toys and books my kids and Jason were carrying. I thought we were just going over for the afternoon to have a cookout and play games, so I wanted the kids to have stuff to play with. How funny! I think the kids were just as surprised as I was, especially when we saw my parents, my sister and brother-in-law and their 4 kids. They all kept the secret very well.
We will be heading out of town tomorrow afternoon to go visit my parents for the weekend. Family is the best therapy when you're feeling depressed about getting older. =) All I have to do is look at my brother-in-law, Richard, and I think, "Wow, I'm not so bad after all!" LOL!!! =D Just kidding, Richard!!! I love you!!! Please don't butcher my hair!!!
What do you have planned for the weekend? I hope you all have a great time, whether you're with friends and family or your just cleaning out the garage. =) See you when we get back!
Right now, I feel like I'm perched at the top of that "drop-off." This week begins the craziness of the holidays that will not end until after my oldest daughter's birthday at the beginning of January. My birthday is this Saturday, and, yes, I'm finally turning 20. What?? I can't pass for 20? Oh well... Birthdays are not as fun as they used to be, you know? Why does that number have to keep getting higher and higher? I don't feel my age. In fact, sometimes I still feel like I'm in high school or college. Not that I'm wishing to be back there, mind you. I love my life the way it is right now, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Here is a picture from the surprise party my husband and dear friends cooked up last year. I couldn't believe they were able to surprise me! Notice all the toys and books my kids and Jason were carrying. I thought we were just going over for the afternoon to have a cookout and play games, so I wanted the kids to have stuff to play with. How funny! I think the kids were just as surprised as I was, especially when we saw my parents, my sister and brother-in-law and their 4 kids. They all kept the secret very well.
We will be heading out of town tomorrow afternoon to go visit my parents for the weekend. Family is the best therapy when you're feeling depressed about getting older. =) All I have to do is look at my brother-in-law, Richard, and I think, "Wow, I'm not so bad after all!" LOL!!! =D Just kidding, Richard!!! I love you!!! Please don't butcher my hair!!!
What do you have planned for the weekend? I hope you all have a great time, whether you're with friends and family or your just cleaning out the garage. =) See you when we get back!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Check out my adorable nieces!
I don't know how my sister, Laura, ever produced such cute kids. =) Just kidding, Laura...you know I love you! I received these pictures in the mail and had to scan them, so the quality is not that great, but you can still see how beautiful they are.
Dakota (left) is 4 1/2 and Macon (right) will be 3 this month.
Look at those angelic faces!
Dakota (left) is 4 1/2 and Macon (right) will be 3 this month.
Look at those angelic faces!Happy Election Day!
We just voted. Have YOU yet? Don't forget to! You CAN make a difference!
Our voting precinct is always such a pleasure to visit. We've never had to wait in a long line, and we're pretty much in-and-out every time. When we used to live in Valrico, I remember having to wait in lines for hours (WITH the kids!)...that was not fun! Now that the kids are older, they are much more tolerable of these type of situations, and they make us proud of the way they behave.
I'm not sure if this is standard among all precincts, but the man that was handing out the "I voted" stickers gave one to each of the girls as we were leaving. I thought that was very sweet of him, and the girls loved it. They've really gotten into the whole election thing this year. I guess they are either becoming more aware of the world around them, or they are becoming more nosey to conversations between Jason and myself. I'm leaning towards the latter. =) They understand that we are voting in a new president, and they are very excited. All morning they've been chanting and cheering for McCain...it's really quite adorable. =)
There little minds have somehow connected religion with politics (not a completely bad idea). I think they believe that we are voting for our choice because he is "good" and not for the other because he is "evil." One of my girls voiced their concern that the other candidate (which they can never remember his name or how to say it) didn't know or believe in Jesus. How sweet is that? Even though she knows that we don't agree with him, will not vote for him and she considers him the "bad guy," she's still concerned about his soul. My heart swells! I hope she never loses that tender spirit.
Now go vote!
P.S. Happy Birthday, Richard! We love you!
Our voting precinct is always such a pleasure to visit. We've never had to wait in a long line, and we're pretty much in-and-out every time. When we used to live in Valrico, I remember having to wait in lines for hours (WITH the kids!)...that was not fun! Now that the kids are older, they are much more tolerable of these type of situations, and they make us proud of the way they behave.
I'm not sure if this is standard among all precincts, but the man that was handing out the "I voted" stickers gave one to each of the girls as we were leaving. I thought that was very sweet of him, and the girls loved it. They've really gotten into the whole election thing this year. I guess they are either becoming more aware of the world around them, or they are becoming more nosey to conversations between Jason and myself. I'm leaning towards the latter. =) They understand that we are voting in a new president, and they are very excited. All morning they've been chanting and cheering for McCain...it's really quite adorable. =)
There little minds have somehow connected religion with politics (not a completely bad idea). I think they believe that we are voting for our choice because he is "good" and not for the other because he is "evil." One of my girls voiced their concern that the other candidate (which they can never remember his name or how to say it) didn't know or believe in Jesus. How sweet is that? Even though she knows that we don't agree with him, will not vote for him and she considers him the "bad guy," she's still concerned about his soul. My heart swells! I hope she never loses that tender spirit.
Now go vote!
P.S. Happy Birthday, Richard! We love you!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Have you had your vitamin P today?
For those of you who go to the same church that I do, you already know what I'm talking about. Yesterday, our pastor and his family were out of town, so the assistant pastor and youth pastor took over the morning and evening services in his stead. The assistant pastor preached Sunday morning, and during his sermon, he made a statement that was not necessarily profound, but it compared the importance placed on taking care of our physical needs (ie. taking vitamins and other supplements) to the importance of taking care of our spiritual needs (ie. spending time in the Word). He said that along with all the vitamins that he takes in the morning, he makes sure to get a good dose of vitamin P---that's Proverbs.
Proverbs has always been one of my favorite books to read in the Bible. Every chapter seems to be filled with a little bit of something for everyone, and it doesn't matter what trial I seem to facing or what sin I seem to be struggling with, God finds a way to speak to me on such a personal level. Today's Proverbs contains two very well-known verses that are some of my favorites.
I love these verses, because they not only remind me that I'm not in charge and that I need to trust the Lord with everything, but they also give me a promise from the Lord that if I do trust in Him and acknowledge Him in everything I do, then He will show me the way that I should go. As those of you in our Sunday School class know, we requested prayer for some decisions that we will be facing in the next few months. These verses were an encouragement to me, because I felt like God was gently reminding me that He's got it all under control and there's nothing for us to worry about. Praise the Lord that He loves and cares about every little detail of our lives (Luke 12:6-7)!
Make sure that you take the time to get a dose of vitamin P today!
Proverbs has always been one of my favorite books to read in the Bible. Every chapter seems to be filled with a little bit of something for everyone, and it doesn't matter what trial I seem to facing or what sin I seem to be struggling with, God finds a way to speak to me on such a personal level. Today's Proverbs contains two very well-known verses that are some of my favorites.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
I love these verses, because they not only remind me that I'm not in charge and that I need to trust the Lord with everything, but they also give me a promise from the Lord that if I do trust in Him and acknowledge Him in everything I do, then He will show me the way that I should go. As those of you in our Sunday School class know, we requested prayer for some decisions that we will be facing in the next few months. These verses were an encouragement to me, because I felt like God was gently reminding me that He's got it all under control and there's nothing for us to worry about. Praise the Lord that He loves and cares about every little detail of our lives (Luke 12:6-7)!
Make sure that you take the time to get a dose of vitamin P today!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Is it normal...?
...For the "tow truck guy" to get to know you? Well, ours does! I think we have to put him on our Christmas list now. =)
Last week, Jason was driving home from an appointment and noticed that the gas prices at Wal-mart had drastically dropped. He decided that he would take my truck out after the kids were in bed and fill it up. 45 minutes after he left, he was still not home. I tried to call him, but he did not answer. I became a little worried since Wal-mart is only 5 minutes up the road. I walked past one of the windows on the front side of the house and noticed my truck pulling up to the mailbox very slowly. It stopped, and I saw Jason talking to someone that I didn't know. Come to find out...Jason had never even made it out of our subdivision. The truck broke down just before the entrance, and this guy (that I saw Jason talking to in front of our house) had offered to help Jason push the truck back to our house. It took them 45 minutes to push that monster of a truck all the way back to our house. Wow! Good Samaritans do still exist! Thank the Lord, He was looking out for Jason that night.
Long story short...we had the truck towed to Car Max (again), had it checked out and got it "fixed"...AGAIN!!! We picked it up last Saturday, drove it to church on Sunday and didn't have any problems...UNTIL....
Wednesday, when I had my doctor's appointment, I drove my truck to the doctor, but when I went to leave, it wouldn't start! Aaargh! I wanted to cry...I felt so betrayed by my beloved truck. Jason was unable to come to my rescue right away, because he was an hour and a half south of us and still had something he had to do before he could break away. He did, however, call Car Max and the tow truck guy to get everything scheduled for me. The tow truck guy said he could be there in 20 to 30 minutes. I really didn't want him to, because I didn't want to go back in the waiting room with all of our paraphernalia or sit in the parking lot waiting for Jason to come get us. I immediately started praying that God would work out the timing, so that we could wait in the truck. It was 65 degrees outside, so we just propped open a couple of doors and felt great. The girls and I ended up having to wait about 2 1/2 hours, but I didn't mind too much. God did work it out so that the tow truck guy pulled into the parking lot just a couple of minutes before Jason arrived. Isn't God great? He cares about the small stuff. =)
The tow truck guy waved as we were walking to Jason's truck and said, "Sorry we had to meet like this again." How sad is that? He knows us.
We are very thankful that we decided to purchase the extended warranty on the truck when we bought it from Car Max. We only have to pay $50 for each trip to the shop, and the amount that we payed for the warranty has been well exceeded in the cost of the repairs.
We're not sure when (and if) we're going to go pick it up. It's (supposedly) fixed right now, but we are seriously considering a trade-in with both vehicles. Since Jason has a company vehicle again, we don't need his truck (except when mine breaks down), so we thought we could save some money by trading them both in on a more reliable vehicle. Pray for us that we'll make the right decision and that God will lead us to what we should do.
Last week, Jason was driving home from an appointment and noticed that the gas prices at Wal-mart had drastically dropped. He decided that he would take my truck out after the kids were in bed and fill it up. 45 minutes after he left, he was still not home. I tried to call him, but he did not answer. I became a little worried since Wal-mart is only 5 minutes up the road. I walked past one of the windows on the front side of the house and noticed my truck pulling up to the mailbox very slowly. It stopped, and I saw Jason talking to someone that I didn't know. Come to find out...Jason had never even made it out of our subdivision. The truck broke down just before the entrance, and this guy (that I saw Jason talking to in front of our house) had offered to help Jason push the truck back to our house. It took them 45 minutes to push that monster of a truck all the way back to our house. Wow! Good Samaritans do still exist! Thank the Lord, He was looking out for Jason that night.
Long story short...we had the truck towed to Car Max (again), had it checked out and got it "fixed"...AGAIN!!! We picked it up last Saturday, drove it to church on Sunday and didn't have any problems...UNTIL....
Wednesday, when I had my doctor's appointment, I drove my truck to the doctor, but when I went to leave, it wouldn't start! Aaargh! I wanted to cry...I felt so betrayed by my beloved truck. Jason was unable to come to my rescue right away, because he was an hour and a half south of us and still had something he had to do before he could break away. He did, however, call Car Max and the tow truck guy to get everything scheduled for me. The tow truck guy said he could be there in 20 to 30 minutes. I really didn't want him to, because I didn't want to go back in the waiting room with all of our paraphernalia or sit in the parking lot waiting for Jason to come get us. I immediately started praying that God would work out the timing, so that we could wait in the truck. It was 65 degrees outside, so we just propped open a couple of doors and felt great. The girls and I ended up having to wait about 2 1/2 hours, but I didn't mind too much. God did work it out so that the tow truck guy pulled into the parking lot just a couple of minutes before Jason arrived. Isn't God great? He cares about the small stuff. =)
The tow truck guy waved as we were walking to Jason's truck and said, "Sorry we had to meet like this again." How sad is that? He knows us.
We are very thankful that we decided to purchase the extended warranty on the truck when we bought it from Car Max. We only have to pay $50 for each trip to the shop, and the amount that we payed for the warranty has been well exceeded in the cost of the repairs.
We're not sure when (and if) we're going to go pick it up. It's (supposedly) fixed right now, but we are seriously considering a trade-in with both vehicles. Since Jason has a company vehicle again, we don't need his truck (except when mine breaks down), so we thought we could save some money by trading them both in on a more reliable vehicle. Pray for us that we'll make the right decision and that God will lead us to what we should do.
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