Awards

I was blessed with 2 great awards this week. The first one came from Mary of Mary's Treasured Memories. It's the Sisterhood award. Isn't that fitting since we gain so many great sisters (and a few brothers) and friends through blogging. Thanks Mary - you have been a great friend and it was so nice of you to pass this on!

The second award I got was this Lovely blogger award. This one came from Brenda of the Adventures of the Yonker Family and from Diane of My Journeys Path. I love this picture and the wording because it reminds me of my church. The name of my church is Lighthouse Community Church. Brenda and Diane just happen to be friends of mine from church! Thanks to both of you - I'm blessed to know you in real life and through the blogging world.

Of course I am supposed to pass these on, but I almost always rebel at this point. It is just too hard to pick people out, when there are so many wonderful bloggers. So - if you are reading this - these awards are yours! (With one exception - Mike, you only get the Lighthouse one. I don't think you qualify for the sisterhood award!)

Tag!

I've been tagged by Aspiemom of Then I am Strong to do this enlightenment post. What am I going to enlighten you on? Me! I need to tell you 10 things about myself that you didn't know. I've found in the past that this can be hard to do, but I'll try. Here you go:

1) I was the youngest person in my class from the time I started school until I graduated.

2) I went to school with Ginger, from Just a Thought. Now you can deduce that I am younger than her!

3) My Dad believed it was important for us to work. Because of that I have worked on a blueberry farm, a strawberry farm and a celery farm. Yes - it was good for me!

4) My husband and I used to sell things at craft shows around our area. He did woodworking - shelves, toys... I did cross stitch, candles...

5) I have worked at all times of the day. When my kids were very young, I worked 11-7 just 2 days a week. When they were in school I did 3-11, then switched back to 11-7. Now that they are all grown I am working days.

6) When I worked at the hospital, my home floor was the orthopedic/neurological floor, but whenever they needed someone to work in the Nursery they sent me because they knew I loved it there.

7) I used to do the Childrens bulletin for our church. I really enjoyed doing it!

8) I grew up on a farm. We had dairy cows and quite a few chickens. We had lots of room to run and play, a creek and hills to sled on right next to us!

9) My Mom passed away 5 years ago and I still miss her.

10) I took Latin in high school for a year because it was recommended for Nursing students. I didn't do very well and the only thing I remember is "Veni, Vidi, Vici", which means "I came, I saw, I conquered".

That's my 10 things! If you want to do this you are welcome to. If not - no problem!

Slow Cooking Thursday

This isn't the normal Slow Cooking Thursday Post, because I'm not sharing a recipe today. I've gotten several questions recently on what kind of crock pot do I use, or what size so I though I would show you my collection of crock pots.
As you can see, I really do like to use crock pots! I have 3 of them, in various sizes, of various ages and in different conditions but they all work and are used!
They are all Rival brand. I didn't specifically look for that brand but it has worked very well for me.
I use the really small one for things like dips, or BBQ. I can fit 2 pounds of BBQ in it. The next size up is a 4 quart. I use it for things like meatballs or green bean casserole. I also have a 5 quart which is the one I use most of the time. If I could only have one, that is the size I would choose. The biggest one I have is one I won from a giveaway on Sandra's blog. I use it for big roasts and big batches of soup or chili.
My oldest Crock pot was a wedding gift and is almost 28 years old. It's not beautiful and looks dated if I take it anywhere, but it has served me well all these years!
If you want to check out some slow cooking recipes today, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

Works for me Wednesday

I love this chopper. My sister gave it to me for Christmas a little over a year ago and I can't tell you how many times I've used it since then. It's called an onion chopper, but I chop many other things with it. I use it for carrots, green peppers, potatoes, celery... Any vegetable that you need to chop. It does it quickly and makes them a uniform size. It even has measuring increments on the side so you can tip it up and see how much you've got. It comes with a little tool for cleaning the grid part, but it can go into the dishwasher and it cleans up well.
This is the As seen on TV version, but I have seen others out there. It is available in many stores, like Bed, Bath and Beyond. I also found it here, online for $12.95.
Works for me Wednesday has moved, so for more ideas go and visit Kristen, from
We are THAT Family.

Women Drivers

My friend Nancy sent me an e-mail with the funniest video clip. My family all thought it was great, so I'm sharing it with you. When you watch the part in the parking lot, take note of the timer in the corner, showing how long it's taking this girl to park. This isn't too long and is guaranteed to make you laugh!

Farewell

It was a hard day for our church today. We had a farewell service for our pastor. Pastor Paul is in the Navy Reserves and has been called to a position in Washington DC, where he will be working on a new Chaplains program for the Merchant Marines.

Pastor Paul has been with us for about 8 1/2 years and has been such a blessing to us. There were many tears shed this morning, but we have also been reminded that this is in God's plan and His way is the best, although we may not always understand it. The picture above was taken as Paul was commissioned into his new job and prayed over this morning.

Bob-Paul-Nancy-myself

Paul and Nancy have been good friends, as well as our Pastor and wife. Although they may not be worshiping with us, the friendship will remain, and our prayers will be with them.

What color is your rainbow?

I found this fun little quiz over at Krista's blog. I don't have a very bright rainbow but I think it fits me pretty well. Check out the link and see what kind of rainbow you have.

Your rainbow is strongly shaded yellow and white.

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate optimism. People depend on you to make them feel secure. You're good at getting people to like you.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Slow Cooking Thursday

It's Thursday and Sandra is hosting Slow Cooking Thursday again. Today I have a sandwich recipe for you. Check out Sandra's blog for more recipes.

Italian Sandwiches

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
2 onions, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 sandwich rolls, sliced
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a skillet, brown beef and sausage; drain. Place a third of the onions and peppers in a slow cooker; top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers of vegetables and met, then top with remaining vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and pepper flakes.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. With a slotted spoon, serve about 1 cup of meat and vegetables on each roll. Top with cheese if desired.

Things that make me smile

I was out for a walk this afternoon. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air smelled fresh. It made me think about things that make me happy. I kept walking, but started thinking about other things that make me smile. Here's a few!

Sunshine
Fluffy clouds
Fresh breezes
The way the bare tree branches look against the blue sky
A clean house
comments from my blogging friends
The way clean laundry smells
A baby laughing
Nice smelling candles
My kids having fun
Spending time with family
Flowers
puppies and kittens
Bob coming home
warm temperatures
the smell of pine trees
coming home from work knowing supper is already cooking
praise time at church
seeing someone else smile
a good song on the radio
taking pictures
losing weight
talking to Andy
knowing my future is in God's hands, not our government's
doing something that makes a difference in one of my residents lives
the smell of fresh cut grass
gentle rainfall
knowing Andy will soon be home
finishing paying the bills

I guess that's enough of a list for now. I have many things to be thankful for and I think it's important to realize how much God has blessed me and how much He has given me to smile about!

Winter Beauty

You probably all know that I am not a lover of cold and snow. I hate driving on bad roads and I feel like I spend the winter bundled up and never really warm (except at work where the temperature hovers between 76 and 78!)
I am not immune to the beauty of winter though. I've been having fun with a new blog this year. I noticed some others who were starting a blog where you take a picture every day and post it. I thought it sounded fun and easy to do. I started taking pictures and posting them to my 365 days blog. I've discovered a benefit to this. I'm always looking for things to take pictures of and because of that I see the beauty in things quicker than I did before, even when it's snow!
I thought I would share a few of my favorite winter pictures with you. It's also good to remind myself to enjoy the snow because we are supposed to be getting a big storm on Wednesday and Thursday!

So cute!

I got this in an e-mail last week from my friend Jean and I thought this little girl was so cute I should share it. Kim already posted it on her blog, but for those of you who didn't see it, take a minute and watch this. I think she wins a prize for enthusiastic singing!

Happy Birthday, Heather

February 14 may be Valentines Day for most of you, but in our home it's even more important. It's Heather's birthday! I always tease her that she made me go through the worst and longest labor of all 3 kids just so she could be born on Valentines Day. I was in labor with her for 24 hours and she was born at 12:09 am - making me wait till just after midnight. Then again, the long labor may have had something to do with the fact that she weighed 9'6"!
Once she was born, she was an easy baby and remains easygoing to this day.
Happy Birthday Heather - We love you!
PS - Happy Birthday to my friend Diane, too!

Valentines questions

Lois, from Fearfully, wonderfully made had a meme posted and asked her readers to share their answers. So here's mine and if you want to do this, have fun!


♥ How long have you been together?
We've been married for 27 years, and have known each other for about 29 years.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We didn't!

♥ Who asked who out?
We were set up by my cousin

♥ How old are each of you?
47 and 50

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
both

♥ Do you have any children together?
4, including a son-in-law

♥ What about pets?
1 cat

♥ Did you go to the same school?
no

♥ Are you from the same home town?
No, we lived about 25 minutes apart growing up

♥ Who is the smartest?
We each have things we are smarter about

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
Me

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
No one place, just wherever we feel like at the time

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
South Carolina

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Bob

♥ Who does the cooking?
Me

♥ Who is more social?
Me

♥Who is the neat freak?
I think we're about equal

♥ Who is the more stubborn?
Bob would say me! I'm afraid he's right.

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Bob hogs the blankets, neither of us hog the bed

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Most of the time it's me

♥ Where was your first date?
We went to see the first Star Wars movie

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Bob has 6 kids in his family, I have 4

♥ Do you get flowers often?
No, but I enjoy them when I do!

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
We alternate years - one year with his, the nest year with mine

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
We were engaged after 6 months

♥ Who eats more?
Him.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
Me

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
We are each good at different things on the computer

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Usually him.

Slow Cooking Thursday

Sandra over at Diary of a SAHM is hosting Slow Cooking Thursday again. My recipe for today is a white bean soup that tastes so good on a cold day!

White Bean and Bacon Chowder

1 small jar great northern beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
8 slices bacon, fried till crispy and crumbled
2 chopped carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cans (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup milk

In a slow cooker, combine the carrot, celery, onion, potato, Italian- style seasoning, ground black pepper, beans and crumbled bacon. Pour the broth over all. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 - 9 hours. Transfer 2 cups of this to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return all to slow cooker, add the milk, cover and heat on high for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through.
*Ham may be substituted for the bacon
Stop over at Sandra's for more recipes!

Works for me Wednesday

I love this stuff! It's Febreze fabric refresher. It's made to be sprayed on carpet, curtains, upholstery... The scent I use is Lavender, Vanilla and Comfort. I must say that I've never really smelled comfort but this combo is very fresh, clean and not overpowering. They have recently changed the pump handle, making it easier to spray. The scent is noticeable for a few hours after it's sprayed. I like to use it after I've vacuumed, so the place not only looks clean, but it smells clean. I spray it on my couch and chairs, I spray my pillow and comforter. I even spray my mattress when I wash the sheets. It says it removes odors and I would agree with that. I've sprayed my coat with it after being in a smokey restaurant and it lost the smoke smell.
If you like fresh scents, try it out. I think you'll like it.
For more things that work, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Christian one liners

Someone sent me an e-mail with some Christian one liners. You may have seen these before, but I thought they were funny and in many of them, there is a lot of truth. Enjoy these!

***

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.
*
It's easier to preach ten sermons than to live one.
*
When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
*
Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on the front door forever.
*
Quit complaining about your church. If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
*
If a church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
*
Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
*
A lot of church members singing 'Standing on the promises' are just sitting on the premises.
*
We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
*
Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
*
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
*
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
*
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
*
He who angers you, controls you.
*
The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
*
You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.

I'm so excited!

I gave an update on Andy a few weeks ago and told you that he would be going to Fort Carson, Colorado sometime in March. He has been waiting for the official orders to arrive to know how this would be handled, as the whole base is moving and it's quite an undertaking. He was supposed to have leave to visit us in June.
He called us on Friday night to let us know that they will be shipped out between March 15 and March 18, and will be coming home for their leave at that time. This means that in about 5 weeks we get to see him in person!
The picture above was taken in May, shortly before he left for Korea and we haven't seen him since then. This Mom can't wait to have him home again!

Blogging Meme

Lara from Prossigo para o alvo tagged me for this blogging meme.
Rule for the meme: List the first ten people who commented on your last blog post. If you’re on my list and you are experiencing a blogging lull/looking for a filler, you can do the meme on your blog, too. If not, just read mine and learn a little bit more about ten following bloggers.

My 10 bloggers are:
1) Mike
2) Deb
3) Groomer Angie
4) Pat
5) Pug 1
6) Cheri
7) Kim
8) Heather
9) Photomama
10) Rebekah

1. What is your favorite post from #3's blog? I can't really pick a favorite. Angie posts lots of cute pictures of her dogs!

2. Has #10 taken any pictures that have moved you? Actually - just yesterday (Thursday) Rebekah posted pictures of her little girl getting her hair cute and donating it to Locks of Love. Isn't that sweet?

3. Does #5 reply to comments on their blog? Yes - I think she does. I've never asked a question to see how she responds. You may guess from her name, but she has a pug who is really cute!

4. Which part of blogland is #2 from? Deb actually lives in the same town as me - just a few miles away and we used to work together! We live in southwest Michigan.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to #7 what would it be? Kim is living in Argentine doing mission work and I can't imagine any advice I could give her. She seems to be doing much better down there than I would!

6. Have you ever tried something from #9's blog? I don't know about trying something, but Christina is inspirational in watching her diet and teaching others.

7. Has #1 blogged something that inspired you? Mike is pretty inspirational most of the time. He tells us about prayer requests and also is inspiring in the way he handles the challenges he faces with his health.

8. How often do you comment on #4's blog? I think I visit and comment on Pat's blog most every time she posts.

9. Do you wait excitedly for #8 to post? Heather is one of my newer blogging friends and I'm always interested in what inspirational words she will have for me!

10. How did #6's blog change your life? I can't say her blog changed my life, but Cheri is my sister, so she herself changed my life - for the better I might add. Also - her blog is what inspired me to start my own blog, so that changed my life!

11.Do you know any of your 10 bloggers in person? Yes - I know both #2 - Deb and #6 - Cheri!

12. Do any of your 10 know each other? I don't think any of them do.

13. Out of the 10, which updates more frequently? I have to say it would be #1 - Mike.

14. Which of the 10 keep you laughing? I have to say that both #6 Cheri and #10 Rebekah keep me laughing with the stories they tell of their kids.

15. Which of the 10 made you cry (good or bad) tears? I don't think any of them are tear provoking.

Slow Cooking Thursday

It's Thursday and that means it's time for another slow cooker recipe. This is a good chicken recipe I think you will like.

Continental Chicken

3 ounces dried beef (in bags in lunch meat section)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups sour cream
2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup flour
6 slices bacon

Grease slow cooker bowl and line with beef slices. Wrap one piece of bacon around each chicken breast. Place 3 breasts in slow cooker. Mix together sour cream, soup and flour. Pour half over chicken. Place 3 more chicken breasts in slow cooker and pour rest of sour cream mix over top. Lay remaining beef on top. Cook on low for 8 hours.
* I use light sour cream and soup and it turns out fine.
For more slow cooker recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.

I believe...

Mel from There's no place like home challenged her readers to post this, so here it is.
I agree with this statement. There are too many people around us who think that by being good, nice or helping others they will be going to heaven. It's not true - the only way to heaven is by believing that you are a sinner and that Jesus came to earth to pay the price for our sins. There is no other way.
How about you? Are you with me?

Works for me Wednesday

We have Wilsonart laminate wood floors in our dining room, kitchen and entry. Shorty after we installed them I got Euro-pro Shark Steam Mop. I had heard good reviews of it, but you never know until you use it yourself. I've been using it for about 6 months now and I love it. It cleans my floors in no time and leaves them shining. It heats up very quickly and works easily. A really nice thing about using a steam mop is how quickly the floors dry. You can almost walk right behind the mop. It comes with 3 of the floor pads and you can wash them in your machine. It cleans the vinyl flooring in the bathrooms as well. It also came with a glider that can go on the bottom to steam and refresh your carpets.
If you have laminate flooring, I recommend this steam mop. It really does work for me!
For more tips visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Next Question, please?

My blogging friend Susan, from Penless Writer has interviewed me. Here are her questions and my answers.

1. If you could live any where in the world where would you pick?
I would live right where I do. I do get sick of the snow and bad roads, but I really like being able to enjoy the 4 seasons and the beauty of each. Also - I am very close to my family and they all live withing 25- 30 minutes from me.

2. What is the one thing you've done, or accomplished, that you are proudest of?
The thing I am proudest of in my life are my 3 kids. They are all responsible and productive and best of all, they are all Christians. Of course I can't really take responsibility for all of that. God blessed me with kids that were really quite easy to raise. I've told Bob that I think God knew I wouldn't be able to handle difficult kids!

3. How many places have you lived? States? Cities? or Houses if the same place all your life.
I have always lived in Southwest Michigan. I grew up on a farm. My parents built a new house right around the corner from our farm house when I was in 8th grade. When I got married, Bob and I rented a house for a little over a year. We bought a house after that and lived there for 9 years. We then moved to the town Bob grew up in, to be a little more in the country. Each of these places is about 10 miles from the place I grew up in. It's 5 houses in all and as you see, I haven't gone far!

4. If you could go to college today what would you take? Why?
I would do the same thing I do now, which is a nurse. Why? - Because I really like what I do! And - you can always get a job!

5. What one regret do you have in your life?
I remember my Dad telling me when my kids were little to just enjoy them because they grow up so fast. I really did enjoy my kids, but I wish I hadn't worried as much about having the house picked up and the dishes done... and just been more spontaneous to do fun things with them. So - that's my advice to you Mom's with little kids, because it really does go by fast!

Thanks Susan for being nice to me with these questions! If you want to be interviewed, let me know in the comments, If you don't, that's okay too!

You're invited!

February is the month that we seem to hear a lot about love. Of course, Valentines day does focus on love, but I think one the best things we can do for those we love is to pray for them.

Sandra, from Diary of a SAHM is challenging us to specifically pray for our husbands this month. Here is what she says about this:

"You know that I feel that behind every wonderful blogging woman I have come to know, there is an amazing man, they are the ones working in the background. The ones providing for our families, fixing what is broken around the house, giving us a hug when we're down, listening to our bad days, putting up with the constant flashing of cameras in their eyes (admit it, you tote that camera around just as much as I do LOL).

So, I think they need to be recognized and admired and acknowledged for the wonderful husbands they are and what better way to do that, than to specifically pray for them for a month. Will you join me?"

Don't you think this is a great idea? If you want to do this you can do it on your own, or you are welcome to go to Sandra's blog where she will be posting about it and giving prayer suggestions daily.