35 Years Later ...

As a child it seemed as if time was going by so slowly.  I couldn't wait to be an adult and I dreamed of the years when I would be old enough to be on my own, as a wife and mother.  Now I am at that point in my life and time just won't slow down.  The years are passing by too quickly.  I need a moment to stop and take it all in.  It seems as if I just turned 19 and was a college student.  It's hard for me to accept the truth.

The truth is ... I'm 35.  35!  I don't consider that to be old but ... 35?  How did I become a 35 year old already?  I can't fathom it.  What happened to my twenties?  Seriously, looking back to that decade seems to be a blur.  Turning 30 still didn't sink in, but now I'm 35!  Halfway through my thirties.  Really?

So, it was a great birthday, nonetheless.  My husband took the day off from work and we spent it together (it's our tradition).  He cooked for me, rubbed my feet, allowed me to relax, gave me gifts and just ... SPOILED me rotten!  I'm a lucky lady and I have the best hubby ever.  My son had to go to school but when he got home the celebration started.  Delicious dinner, yummy cupcakes and presents!  I didn't lift a finger all day and just enjoyed some relaxation.

Okay, back to reality today.  Laundry is in both the washer and dryer, dishes are done, kitchen is clean, floor is swept, carpet is vacuumed.  No rest for the weary today! 

Anyway, I have no complaints about turning 35.  I'm right where I want to be.  Great health, a nice house, a wonderful husband who is also my best friend and two amazing kids.  What more could I want?  Nothing!  I have it all.  I'm completely blessed ... and I have God to thank for everything!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 10/7/13

Good morning and I hope all my readers had a wonderful weekend.  As usual it went by too fast.  Saturday morning my son had a baseball game and then we went to a local orchard for pumpkin picking.  On Sunday we made a surprise visit to my father-in-law's church.  He is a minister there and delivered a great sermon.  Well, it was hard to pay attention with a noisy two year old who didn't want to sit still and stay quiet, but from what I heard, it was good!  Then we spent the rest of the day at home while my husband did some more work to our back deck and I caught up on some housework.  Now the week has arrived.  Hubby left for work and Matthew just got on the bus for school.  Little one is still sleeping.

I thought I would get an early start to Happy Homemaker Monday even though Sandra hasn't posted her's yet.  I am all the way on the east coast which means she's about one or two hours behind.  So here we go ...

Happy Homemaker Monday - 10/7/13

The Weather ...

It's been so hot here in Pennsylvania in the last week but today we headed to the bus stop with a surprise.  The air was still warm but we had a strong breeze which made it chilly.  The sky is dark and rain is on it's way.  Calling for rain and thunderstorms this morning into the late afternoon ... and lots of wind.  Very different from the weekend's mid 80's temps.  Whew!  It was TOO hot for October.

 

Right now I am ...

Sipping my second cup of coffee while watching the news and waiting for the little one to wake up.  

Thinking ...

Of my little girl and hoping that the swelling in her finger has gone down.  I'm not sure what happened but her index finger started swelling up yesterday.  I tried to ice it and gave her some benadryl and if I see it hasn't gotten better today a doctor's call will be in order.  

On my reading pile...

Bible

This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury

I'm so happy I have gotten back into reading books.  Real books.  Not magazines and not anything on the Kindle.  I like the Kindle but I love a good old fashion book even more.  I've read several of Kingsbury's books in the past and  after browsing through the library's webpage I decided to select this one.  It pays to have a husband who works at the library.  I can do an online search and he can grab it off the shelf for me.  I'm now on chapter 4 and it's grabbed my interest so far.  

On my tv ...

The local news.  I don't know why I waste my time watching it first thing in the morning.  It seems all they are reporting is sad and bad things, hardly anything good.  I mainly watch it for the weather report.  

On the menu for this week...

As usual, it's taking me some time to figure this out.  

Monday - stuffed shells

Tuesday - chicken alfredo made by hubby MY BIRTHDAY DINNER!

Wednesday -kielbasa and pierogies

Thursday - 

Friday - pizza

Saturday - 

Sunday - crock pot meal (TBD)

On my to do list for the week...

Housework

Call doctor for little one if swelling has not gone down

Celebrate the big 3-5

Two baseball games for Matthew this weekend

Looking around the house ...

Coffee sitting on the coffee table, laptop on my lap, the living room/dining room (it's all opened up to one room) is clean with the exception of a pile of toys, dishes soaking in the sink ready to clean and dry, news on the television.  Looking out the window and seeing the sun is finally making it's appearance.  Wow suddenly got so bright in here.

From the camera ...

On my prayer list ...

My father-in-law's church

My sister-in-law as she searches for a job

My children, for so many reasons

My husband

My parents

All other family members and friends

Bible verse/Devotional ...

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 18:1-4 (the verse of the day on my Bible app.)

Have a great week y'all!

Wii Fit And A Nice Long Run

A few Christmases ago my husband bought me a Wii.  I had wanted one for awhile.  The Wii seemed to be so much better than the Atari, Nintendo and Sega Genesis I had grown up with.  The Wii, much like the XBox, gives an option to move around and be active rather than just sit and punch a few button with your fingers.  Finally, he surprised me with one and also a Wii Fit game and a Wii Fit board to go with it.  This is about when I had taken a serious interest in working out and getting fit and this really helped.

After first getting the Wii I was on it religiously.  However over time the demands of motherhood and housework got the best of me and once I stopped finding the time to use the Wii I slowly lost interest.  The board stayed tucked away behind the television for a long time.  I hate to admit how long.  Okay I will admit ... it's been about a year.  Yikes!  So today I decided to get the board out, put the Wii Fit CD in the console and get to work.

According to this I've been (inconsistently) using the Wii Fit game for 649 days.  Okay I shouldn't say using it.  I've owned it for that long. 

I really like Wii Fit.  You can check your weight, BMI and set goals.  There's a balance test and many different work out options - Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics and Balance Games.  This hasn't been the thing that has helped me lose weight so I don't recommend it's sole use for that.  It has helped me in regard to balance, stretching and flexibility. 

Another favorite Wii game of mine is Zumba.  It's another one my husband purchased for me.  After using the game for a few weeks I decided to give a real class a try.  So I started attending Zumba classes and well, the Zumba game started to sit on the shelf along with the Wii Fit.

I'm doing the best I can with working out and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.  It's not easy but I know it's worth it.  I also set a goal to run in a 5k although since I haven't been consistent with daily running either I'm not sure I'll be ready for the race I want to do this November.  I really, really want to give it a try.  If not in November then sometime in the next spring/summer.  I've come to enjoy running.  It takes me out of my element and gives me a chance to focus on myself.  It's just me, my Mp3 player and the pavement.  My family started joining me each week at a nearby park which has a huge track that goes around several soccer and baseball fields.  One lap equals a 1/2 mile.  Along the way are some fitness stations.  My husband and kids like to use those.  Yesterday as I was running my son decided to join me for a little bit.  I was impressed by him.  He ran the entire length of the track once, doing some of the stations along the way.  I finished after doing almost two miles.

The sky was getting dark and I wasn't in the mood to keep going.  Next time I plan to run at least a full two miles.  Tonight after dinner I can hopefully get a chance to run around the neighborhood.  According to the Runkeeper app on my Mp3 player going around my neighborhood once is just over one mile.  Let's see what I can do!

Beautiful Morning Outside

The weather today is absolutely beautiful!  Oh I just love it.  As of now it's in the upper 70's.  The sun is shining, the air is warm and there is just enough breeze to keep it from being too hot.  Last year at this time we had some snow and so far this October it's been nothing but gorgeous.  Of course, we're only in the second day of October but I'm hoping this weather lasts just a little bit longer.

So in an effort to enjoy this amazing weather the little one and I spent most of the morning outside.  I wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood but she refused to sit in the stroller.  She wanted to walk on her own.  I knew her little feet wouldn't be able to handle such a long walk so we headed to the nearby playground instead.  Even though the kids have their own swing set in the backyard we still like to go to the playground occasionally too.  The little beauty knew her way to the playground and I followed behind, of course taking pictures along the way.

Unfortunately, this little one bores easily and asked to go back home after only being there for a few minutes.  So off we went, with her leading the way again.  At one point she stopped and picked up a pine cone.

 

"Mama, what's this?" she asked with her sweet little voice.

"A pine cone," I answered.  

We walked a little further before she discovered something better.  You can see in the next picture that the pine cone was tossed aside when this new discovery was made. 

 

I'm not an expert on trees so I have no idea what kind of tree this leaf fell from but it's huge.  She loved it and carried it the rest of the way.  

Even though the time spent at the playground was short we stayed outside to play in the driveway.  

 

She loves her brother's scooter and handles it pretty well.  

 I told her to (pretend to) put gas in the car so she grabbed a clump of grass and put it inside the gas cap.  Silly girl, Mommy said GAS not GRASS! I love her.  

We also spent some time on the back deck blowing bubbles before it was time for the daily nap.  More time will be spent outside later during my son's baseball game.  

It won't be long before the cold weather is here and we won't have a chance to spend time playing outside like this.  I'm going to enjoy it for as long as I can.  Oh sunshine please stay! 

Happy Homemaker Monday - 9/30/2013

Good morning, readers.

I was almost not going to participate in this today because I am drowning in housework.  The weekends become so busy with family time that any of the housework that needs done often is neglected and come Monday I have so much catching up to do.  I really want to devote all of my time and energy solely on the husband and kids when we are all together.  So in the midst of doing dishes, laundry, picking up toys and all of that stuff while the little one is taking a nap I thought of taking a few minutes to write this up.  So here we go.  Teaming up with Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 9/30/13

The Weather ...
It seems pointless to copy the 5 day forecast on here because it's not always accurate.  They are calling for beautiful weather this week.  Upper 70's to low 80's.  I love weather like this!  I can open up the windows and let the fresh air in the house.  It's not too cold or too hot.  It's perfect.  I would love to have this weather all year long.

Right now I am ...
Typing up this blog which is allowing me to take a little break in between housework.

Thinking ...
Of my sister and hoping she has a fantastic birthday today.  Also trying to come up with a plan for dinner tonight and the rest of the week.  I have to get better at planning ahead of time.  Hoping my son is enjoying school and hubby is doing okay at work today.

On my reading pile ...
My fitness and parenting magazines, of course.  I took my daughter to story time at the library last week and I hoped to find a book for myself to rent out but the little one decided to run around the aisles which mean I didn't have the time to browse the shelves.  Therefore, I left empty handed aside from a few children's books.  I was planning to brush the dust off of one of the books I already have and read it.  Possibly a Joyce Meyer book.  I love her!

On my tv ...
Right now a 7th Heaven rerun.  I used to watch this show every week when it was on and I'm so happy to see they brought the reruns back.

On the menu for this week ...
Forgive me for being so horrible at this.  I'm not one to plan for the entire week ahead of time even though I've always wanted to do this.  It would be so much easier.  I seem to be a last minute planner. I decided I'll have to just update this throughout the week rather than all on Monday.

Monday - pasta with tomato sauce
Tuesday -meatloaf (made my hubby while I mowed the lawn) 
Wednesday - pork chops with a side of veggies
Thursday - 
Friday - hubby's homemade pizza
Saturday - 
Sunday - 

On my to do list ...
Housework (that never changes)
Check out a few children's consignment shops to purchase some clothes for the kids
Write a check for Matthew's school pictures this Friday
Mow the lawn/pull the weeds

Looking around the house ...
Dishes soaking in soapy water in the sink ready for me to clean and dry them.  A vacuum standing next to me that needs put away.  Toys are actually put away in their proper place with the exception of a few.  Living room decorated in the very little Halloween/Fall decorations I have.  Windows are open.

From the camera...

 She told me to take her picture while she was eating her lunch. 

On my prayer list ...

Family and friends

The government and our country that it moves in the right direction, rather than the wrong one

Bible verse/Devotional ...

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." -- Proverbs 22:6

I want my children to believe in God and to always look to Him when it comes to any decision life brings them.  I have been witnessing the behaviors from so many children and it breaks my heart to see the kids who are very disobedient, not only to their parents, but to everyone around them.  Yesterday when I took the kids to the nearby playground there was a boy riding a bike with his friends, probably about nine years old, and he looked at me and held up his middle finger in the air.  I don't know this boy or what kind of home life he has but I didn't let his action bother me nor did I say anything.  I just rolled my eyes and prayed for him.  So many kids at that age pick up this kind of behavior from peers or even from their own family.  I'm seeing too much bad behavior from so many kids.  It's awful.  It saddens me when I see kids growing up thinking that this kind of behavior is acceptable and what frightens me more is that I have brought two children into the world who will be influences by many people like this.  There have always been bad people in this world, but it seems lately there are too many bad children who aren't being taught respect ... for themselves and for others.  I could probably write an entire blog or two on this topic. 

Welcoming Fall With Pumpkin Spice Brownies

Although I'm not one for the cooler temperatures I'm very excited that fall has officially arrived.  I enjoy this time of year since there is so much to look forward to.  The holidays are fast approaching, the leaves are changing colors and starting to fall to the ground, we have plans to take the kids pumpkin picking soon and you can find and make pumpkin spice -anything.  In fact, today I made a batch of pumpkin spice brownies.  It's the first time making this recipe and the aroma in this house is amazing right now.  The brownies are gooey and delicious.  Yes, I tried one.  Had to make sure it came out okay before presenting it to the family.  I've been trying to keep a healthy diet going but a little indulgence doesn't hurt, right?

And of course sharing this recipe with my wonderful readers is a necessity.

PUMPKIN SPICE BROWNIES

prep time: 5 minutes  cook time: 18 minutes

 Nutrition Information:

Serving size: 1/20th recipe Calories: 123 Fat: 2.5g Saturated fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 25g Sugar: 17.6g Sodium: 99mg Fiber: 0.9g Protein: 1.6g Cholesterol: 9.3mg

What you need:

One box of fudge brownie mix

1 can of pumpkin puree (make sure it's not pumpkin pie)  I bought the big can but all you need is the small can (couldn't find it so I bought the big can and only used about half)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

 This spice is pricey but worth it!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven  350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish

3.  Bake for 18 minutes or until brownies are done, but still fudgy

Note:

The recipe I used also called for 1/4 cup white chocolate chips.  I didn't have any so I used a few dark chocolate ones instead.

 And there it is!  Delicious!  I can't wait until my husband and son get home so they can sink their teeth into this well deserved snack.  

I may use the rest of the pumpkin puree for pumpkin spice pancakes some morning for breakfast.  

Happy Fall y'all!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 9/23/13

Can't say I'm feeling much like a "Happy Homemaker" today.  For some reason I'm dealing with the blues today.  Hoping to snap out of it soon, but I wanted to write this up anyway.  Teaming up for the third time with Sandra.

The weather ...

Hello autumn!  So nice to see you.  Right now it's beautiful.  A little chilly but the sun is making it warm.  Perfect weather for jeans.

 

Right now I am ...

Typing up this blog while helping Matthew try on his Halloween costume.  He has the day off from school for a "Research and Development Day" so I took the kids shopping for their costumes.  Matthew decided to be Thor and Brianna picked out Minnie Mouse.  

Thinking ...

Of how mad I am that I bought Pumpkin Pie mix instead of Pumpkin Puree which I needed to make some pumpkin spiced brownies.  Now I have to go back to the store.  Also thinking of how happy I am that autumn is here.  I can't wait to go pumpkin picking with the family. 

On my reading pile ...

Here's some good news.  Kid's story time at the library starts up again this week so that's a good excuse to pick up a book for myself to read while I'm there.  

On my t.v ...

Spongebob Squarepants ... like I said, Matthew is home.  

On the menu ...

Chicken alfredo

On my to do list ...

Get dinner ready before the guys head out for baseball practice.  

Figure out what's on the menu for the rest of the week

Return Pumpkin Pie mix and get Pumpkin Puree.  Ooops!

Laundry and all the other usual housework

Looking around the house ...

Matthew's sitting on the couch watching some television and trying to stay quiet while little sister is napping.  Also noticing a pile of dishes in the sink I must tend to.  

From the camera ...

My husband and son walking along the lake this weekend during a family reunion.  

On my prayer list ...

The usual, giving thanks for all He's given me.  Praying for my family and friends.  

Praying for peace and understanding in regards to certain issues 

Bible verse/devotional ...

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22