Celebrate!

What an exciting time! My older sister Elice just had her fifth baby on the 2nd, her second girl. What a thrill it is to celebrate such joy with a sister. Elice and I are only 18 months apart and enjoy raising our children of very similar ages. I love visiting with her, sharing parenting advice, laughing about our silly selves and being happy knowing we are family. She is an amazing mother and I love being around her and her family. How blessed we are to have siblings, to share in these joys with them, and to grow closer together no matter how far we live from one another. Congrats Lee!

Three Sisters in Three Years, a little more grown up but still just as giggly. This is us in San Diego, Feb. 2010.

B.O.O.T Camp

I realize I haven't posted much about girls camp even though it is an almost all consuming part of my life right now. I think it's because I was called only three months ago and have only two months left to go before the big week so I've hardly been able to breathe. Last night, however, was such a treat. I was able to do the camp kick off for a ward who was not able to attend the original date. Since we had an hour I had fun planning a little activity before going over the packet. I brought in my dutch oven and six different items to make a trail mix. Each item had a title taped on it;

m&ms = dress code
peanut butter chips = electronics code
honey rosted peanuts = scriptures and prayer
craisens = certification
raisns = code of conduct
peanuts = positive participation


I explained that just like camp, each of these items can be delicious or enjoyable on their own but when you combine them all together it makes something much better. The girls can choose to follow all of the guidelines at camp and have a wonderful experience or they can pick and choose which ones they will do and will only have moments of enjoyment.

I had girls take turns pouring the trail mix ingredients into the dutch oven as I spoke about each one and gave a general understanding of what it meant. When all items were added we mixed it up and everyone got a cup to snack on while we went over the details of the packet.

I loved our activity and the girls were so much fun to get to know. There are so many different personalities to work with and it is going to be wonderful getting to know each of these girls better while we are hot and sweaty at camp.

Discovery Green

Yesterday the kids and I had so much fun at the Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston. We met with a playgroup and loved the water play as well as the play area nearby. Alex borrowed the camera and focused on the water, getting some really fun pictures. After the kids ran around in the sprays of water and enjoyed our lunch we walked over to the water art structure where Grace and Trevor climbed inside. They encouraged Alex and I to do the same but we are just too grown up to fit in the little space allowed. Trevor and Grace then led us on an obstacle course in the playground area and I learned that I am still quite youthful. It was so fun to follow the two and laugh and jump like one of the kids.

Answers Will Come

It seems that the major part of the last month has been, for me, spent in self doubt and growth. I have worried about the many aspects of my life that I feel I am weak. I have recently pulled my children out of the public schools to teach them at home using an online prep school as my aide. I am the stake camp director, called only three months ago with little outline and camp coming quickly in only two months. I am trying to paint my house and get it ready to get on the market as we feel inspired to do. And on top of it all I feel the adversary pressing hard upon our family as we strive to become a more united. It is no wonder that I feel overwhelmed by my lackings. This weekend I have prayed for strength to overcome these feelings and I felt impressed to turn toward the conference Ensign that I just received. I have enjoyed what I have read but studying Julie B. Beck's talk pointed me where to go. I will type a few quotes I loved here that I might refer to them often.

"There is much distraction and not enough peace and joy. I have felt that there has never been a greater need for increased faith and personal righteousness.

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy,or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.

Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation. Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day.

When women nurture as Christ nurtured, a power and peace can descend to guide when help is needed. It requires a conscious effort to diminish distractions, but having the Spirit of revelation makes it possible to prevail over opposition and persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks.

Promised personal revelation comes when we ask for it, prepare for it, and go forward in faith, trusting that it will be poured out upon us.

(Haha, I love this one quoted from Eliza R. Snow) Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters? We know the Lord has laid high responsibility upon us, and there is not a wish or desire that the Lord has implanted in our hearts in righteousness but will be realized, and the greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling to qualify us for those responsibilities.

We are doing well when ... we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. ... when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. ... when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen family and homes, and seek out to help others.

We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly."

Oh, that I will continue to remember my priories, that I will measure my success by what is important, that I may not be bogged down with the enticements of the adversary and question my value. I loved this message, if you want to enjoy it in its entirety click here.

Sweet Whisperings

Ahh, to enjoy the sweet whisperings of the spirit.


Our sweet Grace is so tender and her feelings are deeper than even her five-year-old body can comprehend. She had a hard time being still at church today and came home so sad about all the wrong choices she made. I was concerned about what I could do to convince her that she was so much more than just the few wrong choices she chose to solely focus on. It became immediately clear what I should do.

I drove her to a lovely bunch of day lilies and asked Grace if she thought the flowers were beautiful which of course she did. How could they not be? I plucked one of the dead flowers from the stem and held it close asking if she saw these among the beauty. "Yes" was her perplexed reply. I pointed out that even though she saw the ugly dead (or mistakes) she focused on the overall, the beautiful lively flowers (the good choices) that were so plentiful. Just like her teacher at church, and all those around her see her goodness, her many beautiful gifts she gives. Yes we see the mistakes but we focus on the beauty because it is much more plentiful. Graces face softened, finally convinced that she is a gem and we love her deeply. We all make mistakes but we should not allow those mistakes to define us. It is our beauty and our goodness that defines us and there is only one who wishes us to focus on the bad.

These are the everyday moments of listening to the spirit that I so appreciate. The thoughts of what to say, and when, that help my children and myself know of our true goodness and to direct our path for right.

(After reading this over I realize even more. This is why it is so important to thank our children for their good deeds rather than constantly correct them. Which direction helps them to know that our focus is not on everything they do wrong? If we constantly point out the negative that is what will be magnified to them.)

Mmmmmm ... Yum!

I love smoothies! Last year I finally purchased the long desired VitaMix for myself and I have since decided that smoothies are the best way to have breakfast. Recently I've discovered that spinach is a wonderful addition to our smoothies as it give us extra nutrients in such a delicious way. The color of the smoothies ... well it's pretty bad, especially when red berries are used. Ken still cannot get over the color and insists that they taste horrible. This morning I made the smoothie and sent him on his way, as soon as he was out the door I added a bunch of spinach for me and the kids, as soon as I did he walked back in because he spilled some of his .... and asked for more. You can imagine the joy on his face when he saw it had turned in to a greenish brown color. Haha, sorry honey. He did have me add more to his cup though. :)

The lovely color of spinach ...


What is in the smoothie today? One banana, two oranges with rind cut off, a pound of strawberries, one mango, approx 2 cups spinach, approx 2 cups frozen peaches (I like to add frozen fruit rather than ice for the chilled effect). What ever we don't drink becomes popsicles for us to enjoy in the afternoon.

Arrow of Light

Tonight was a wonderful evening for our family. Trevor earned his Arrow of Light for Cub Scouts and his leaders did a wonderful job presenting his award to him. I was so touched by the commitment and love shown to Trevor by wonderful leaders. They were so proud of him and they did an amazing job preparing an exciting night for him and something to look forward to for the younger boys. Our young son is growing up and looking forward to the Scout Program. It is such a blessing to have such wonderful children in our care. I am amazed at who I see my children becoming and tonight was a touching moment for me, to celebrate Trevor accomplishing his goals and growing into such a stalwart young man.

Trevor with his Webelos leader, Jeremy Knudsen


Trevor and his Cub Masters, Pete Fontano and Jim Santiago


We as a family are so proud of him!

1, 2, 3 ...

For the last few weeks my emotions have gotten the best of me and I have been feeling so stressed and frustrated by many things. I've prayed and prayed asking for answers on how to overcome these feelings and as the answers came I haven't always recognized them as answers. Today I awoke with a song in my head, "count your many blessings name them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done...". The same song that has popped into my mind over and over again since I began my prayerful pleas to overcome my doubts and negative attitude. So I'm a little slow to acknowledge but I feel joy just thinking about beginning this path of pure gratitude. And so I will begin ....

I am so thankful for:

The protection of the Lord. I felt so watched over the other night after dark when Grace, on our family speed walk, skated out into the road with two cars coming. I knew what to do and they stopped without her ever knowing what a close call that was.

The beautiful wild flowers dotting the road.

Answers to my prayers.

A wonderful job that provides all of our material needs.

The scriptures that fill me with understanding.

Great church callings that have taught me many things and helped me grow into a better person.

Close friendships with people who love us even knowing our true selves.

Family who wants to be ours.

Amazing children who are so forgiving and willing to do what is right.

Watching my children grow and become wonderful mature people.

Our founding fathers and all who believed in our country enough to sacrafice all for the good of a nation.

Personal revelation.

Miracles.

A wonderful husband who continues to become better every day.

Trees, I love tall trees.

The Pacific ocean.

Birds singing in the mornings.

Reggie, our pest control guy.

Vacuums.

Art work.

Beautiful music.

Hearing Alex play the cello.

Alex's smile.

Grace laughing in her dreams.

Trevor's compassion.

Not always appropriate ...

I am so stressed today. I cannot seem to get out of my rut and my decluttering efforts to create a cleaner and better run home are hampered by my very creative children. I love their zest for life and creativity but when I just dejunk the work room, leave to get the vacuum and come back a few minutes later to find my son trying to build a computer in the said room, I feel a little overwhelmed. I did not have a perfect mom moment and came downstairs to read my family forum which was a perfect solution. My mother posted the following (sorry Dad):

"Dad and I were playing a game with cards that ask you discussion questions yesterday. One was "What do you do to deal with stress?" My answer was to clean out closets and eat chocolate. Dad's answer made me laugh for a long time. He said, " I don't know.... Crunch up my shoulders and act like and an ***hole."

Thanks for the necessary laughs.

Wow, what a month!

We have had so much fun with our family recently. Our first trip during spring break was to visit my sister and brother and their families in Arizona. We had a wonderful trip, staying at Elice's home where each of the kids had a cousin to hang out with. Elice, Chris, Ken and I spent many a late night talking and even enjoyed a trip to Sedona despite the stomach virus we brought with us. Rob and Angie were so accommodating and kept joining our adventure whenever they could, even having our crew over to their home for dinner and lunch. We played cards, enjoyed the 20th birthday CD Rob gave Ken, all songs from '92 haha, and a delicious chocolate cake Angie made. Alex loved visiting with Brayden as they walked the neighbors dog, Trevor and Jared discovered the outdoors together building a damn/walkway across the stream, and Camille and Grace loved playing puppy and doing girlie things. The kids all enjoyed the bunnies and fun with the rest of their cousins, Colden, Dylan, Jackson and Evelynn. They got to go to a 'farm' while we were in Sedona and did 'nothing' except ride horses, fed the animals and collect eggs.

Ken and I enjoyed an amazing adventure, loving the clean fresh air, the beautiful scenery, strengthening family friendships, long conversations, card and game playing, hiking, seeing Rob's new Ortho office, and loving all of our nieces and nephews. What a sweet gift this trip was to our family.

Then on to Camping!

Just a week and a half later we went on a two night camping trip with our dear friends the Hales. What a blast we had. Delicious dutch oven cooking (thanks Howard), fishing with mud and black eyes, long family hikes, muddy stinky dogs, card playing, visiting around the campfire, and raccoons creeping up on us. What a wonderful time we had. I loved watching the kids bonding, running around together, playing catch with the football and picking onions. I found Trevor and Nataniel telling scary stories in the dark and cutting onions to bug Joshua with. Oh how fun to be outside!

EASTER!

Just a day after we got back it was Easter. The children enjoyed simple baskets filled mostly with reminders of Christ. The few things they received were all around a picture frame with Christ in the center. I loved Grace's comment that she forgot about Jesus even though it was Easter until she saw her basket and there was the most beautiful picture of Jesus looking at the children. Oh what sweetness! Alex went shopping with me to purchase something for her siblings baskets with her own money, which brought her even more joy that morning.

After watching conference and being spiritually uplifted we went to Aunt Beverly's to enjoy a wonderful meal, games, an egg hunt, and to celebrate Aunt Christy's birthday which happened to coincide with Easter this year. What a fun time to visit with family.

I think we are all ready to put our feet up and count our many blessings. Or just count our blessings and work on our education and Girls Camp, whichever comes first! :)

Rainy Day Adventure

Today is a delightful cloudy and rainy day. Grace and I went grocery shopping after dropping Alex off at school and enjoyed a wonderful time together. As we were leaving the store all the lights went out, from the storm I assume, and we enjoyed giggles as we made our way to the door that was pushed open for us by two of the employees. Grace even enjoyed our run to the van to avoid most of the rain drops. Below are pictures of Grace jumping in the rain a few months ago. Clearly the rain is so enjoyed by our little sunshine. Ahh, to enjoy the little things.

Just Pondering

I've recently been thinking about our perspective and how it affects our lives. I love to focus on the good, and allow my world to be seen from such a perspective that I may fully enjoy what is around me. I do not suggest that we do not allow ourselves to feel our sufferings, we should, every feeling should be acknowledged, but I am speaking of what drives us, our sufferings or our joys? I sometimes hear that this is not honest but I cannot agree. If so it would be dishonest to allow the negative experiences to define my focus and understandings as well. I think we all find that our behavior reflects how we feel, but how we feel is affected by what is going on at the time. To simply state, if we choose to experience the positive then we are happy, if we choose to experience the negative then we are sad. Of course there are times in our lives where there is great pain, I have felt some, and I ache for those of you who have felt it more, and it is the example of some of you that allow me to feel so strongly about where we place our thoughts. For a simple example, the other day I was at the store and a woman bumped into a stack of nuts in boxes. One of the boxes fell and she loudly announced that this was a sure sign that her day was going to be horrible. It was only 9:00am. I have many weaknesses, I am not the most coordinated person, I probably would have dropped the nuts too, I am not the best housekeeper, or the most organized and more. I have moments where I feel tempted to think that my world is not going so well because of such weaknesses that hinder my ability to be as great as so-and-so, however, this thinking only keeps me from progressing forward, overcoming my weaknesses and building on my strengths. What else would the adversary wish for us? I am not accepting his plan, I have a plan that I accepted long ago that is mine to keep and I will not be bogged down with the negative. When I focus on the the frustrations of parenthood, I miss all of the beautiful moments of great joy that it brings. When I focus on where I am lacking, I miss all of the great blessings that have been bestowed upon me. Oh, how I hate to miss such things. I don't think either point of view is dishonest, I've just decided that I do not have time to focus on all of the negative, which there is plenty, for I would then miss all of the good and great, for which there is more. I will deal with what comes, and I will allow myself to see the Lord's hand in all things, for it is with Him that I am able to see clearly the sweet blessings that are in my life.

Ahh, Music

Oh how I love music. Ken recently found a wonderful website called Pandora that allows you to select the groups of music you enjoy and play only that music. I have been quite busy and a little stressed as of late and I have been thriving on some of the most beautiful piano solos. It is amazing how music can feed your soul. What a beautiful gift we have been given, beautiful music to enjoy and the blessing of ears to hear.

Day Two

Today has been a blast. We were slow to get out because of the morning rain but the sun began to shine and we made it out the door. We went to Trader Joe's to get our food for the day, the best way to eat on the road. Then we went to a beautiful park enjoyed our breakfast and flew kites while Timmy played in the sand. Sarah and I took a run while Elice rested then we headed out to the beach. We had a great time boogy boarding, I was too exhausted from the tumbles in the waves yesterday to continue trying to surf, and Elice even made it out to join us today. We then enjoyed our dinner and took a walk over to a wave machine and watched while people attempted the wave and pushed through the heckling. We stopped at a little organic grocery store, almost peed our pants at the blond, long haired guy and the girl with the long red hair. Back at the hotel we played cards and packed up for our early day tomorrow. We are going to La Jolla before we hang out at the airport. I love being here, feeling so comfortable and safe. I love being with my sisters, laughing and playing. Thanks Brian and Timmy for putting up with us. :)

There is such joy in sisters, I feel so blessed Sarah and Elice are mine.

Sisterhood

I know this is my second post in a matter of moments but there is so much I am excited about and the two posts don't fit together well. I am sitting in a little hotel room in San Diego with my sister Elice. My sister Sarah is in an adjoining room with her family and we are enjoying a quick weekend getaway. I love this! I flew in yesterday and we went out to lunch where we girls became teenagers again. Laughing and playing around, being overly silly and obnoxious. We drove straight to the beach where I got schooled by the waves in my attempts to surf. I had so much fun and am banged up and bruised but I managed to get to my knees several times, even to my feet once but not long enough to let go with my hands. I finally quit when I didn't have the strength to push myself up any more. I love being with my sisters, it is so wonderful to strengthen these cherished family relationships.

Anger

I just read a most powerful address regarding anger. I really hate anger and I find myself succumbing to it more often than is appropriate (never). As stated, "Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything." Anger is a powerful tool of the adversary, it is something that he uses to control us, to direct us for his evil purposes. There is nothing in this world more important than family and yet when we choose to turn to anger when we feel frustrated, tired, annoyed, unjustly served, etc... it damages our family in one way or another. I feel that I have worked very hard to overcome my weakness to turn to anger when I feel that I cannot control the situation and yet in speaking to my children the other day I realized that I have not done enough to teach them to avoid anger at all cost. Oh, how that aches my heart. The joys in this world are overshadowed by the anger we choose to turn to. What beauty and goodness there is in this world. There is great evil too but it is by our examples of love and kindness, turning away from feelings of hatred and anger, that will bring the greatest peace to our lives and to those around us. It has been proven to me time and time again when I strive to let go of my perceived injustice and focus on the love of Christ. I encourage everyone to read this wonderful address. Click here to enjoy such inspired words.

Joy in Narration

I love watching children narrate their world. The other day we were at a family gathering and one of the cousins children, who is just a toddler, was softly announcing everything he was about to do. I'm putting my shoes on, I'm going to the door, I'm going outside. I was so tickled at his cuteness and realized that it happens more often than I realized. These little ones are so treasured, I love knowing what they are thinking!

Sweet Esmé

Today we took a quick trip to Austin to visit our little niece Esmé. Oh she is such a gem and we had a wonderful time holding and loving her and visiting with Brittany. We enjoyed brunch at a darling little bistro called Chez Zee and the children were so wonderfully patient while we talked for hours. We then went to Brittany's house and enjoyed some pictures while the kids played outside. What a wonderful day for a trip. It is such a great opportunity to get to know family and love the sweet little blessings that enter our lives. We were so thankful for Brittany opening her world to us and inviting us in so lovingly.






I was so sad I didn't get a picture of Alex or Ken holding Esmé. We'll have to get that next time.

Grace was so thrilled to help feed and hold Esmé and Trevor was so tickled that Brittany trusted him to hold her on his own. Alex lovingly entertained her siblings, even taking trips out to the car to get more 'supplies' so we could continue visiting after we ate. I love having such kind tender children to cherish. What a sweet blessing they are.

We came back to Houston to Madison's birthday party (another cousin) and the kids had a great time doing a Wii dance game. It was fun to have Ken's Aunt and cousins get to see Grace in full dance joy. She is such a character. Trevor shook is booty too and Alex was like her mother and a little too shy to dance in front of all those people. We had such an enjoyable time laughing and playing with Nicole, Willie and their family.

It has been a wonderful family day and I am looking forward to a good nights rest before I teach my first lesson in church tomorrow.

Kindness

I find that when I succumb to the pressures around me that I begin to focus on the negative, especially within my family. I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, the greatest problem of which is that nothing is good enough. What I realize is that I must let go of some things to gain the ability to discover the joy that is constantly around me. I have the most amazing children, smart, kind, generous, and it is so important to me that they know this but when I get in my rut... So I've decided that I need to verbally express my pleasure in them daily. I'll begin here. :)

Last night Grace made a water mess on the kitchen floor and since Alex was close by she quickly and kindly corrected the behavior. Then Alex went and got a towel and cleaned up the mess. She had no idea I was noticing such kindness and service.

Trevor was playing 'hide-and-seek' with Grace and one of her friends and every time he found them he would say 'That was a really good hiding space'. Oh those girls were just beside themselves, playing with such a 'big' kid and to have him compliment them, WOW.

Grace is always trying to serve and asking what she can do to help. She was so disappointed that I didn't have time to take a nap yesterday because she really wanted to fluff the pillows and lay a blanket on me. She kept asking how I like to lay on the couch, how many pillows I use, and do I like a blanket or not.

I am so blessed with children who are constantly trying to be better than asked. They are quick to acknowledge their wrong doings and try to repent. Their example of goodness is one I try to emulate daily. What a sweet blessing it is to be their mother.

Not Sugar!

Since we've discovered how damaging added sugar is to our family, particularly to Grace, I've tried to find some items we really enjoy, like desserts, that do not include any added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Yesterday I made some yogurt with plain yogurt, chopped fresh strawberries, and a small spoon of apple juice concentrate and Trevor said it was the best yogurt he's ever eaten. Today I am making one of our family favorite desserts from a book called "Sugar-Free Desserts ~ Naturally Sweetened with Fruits & Juices". Oh, I can't wait to gobble it up, it is such a yummy apple crisp and I don't have to worry about the sugar high after we enjoy it. :)


Apple Crisp

1 cup plus 3T frozen thawed unsweetened apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
4 large cooking apples peeled cored and sliced (approx. 6 cups sliced apples)
3/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon plus 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 375. Combine 3 Tbsp apple juice concentrate and oats; mix well and set aside. Combine apples and raisins in large bowl; set aside. Combine cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well then add remaining 1 cup apple juice concentrate. Add to apple mixture and mix to coat. spoon into 8X8 baking pan. Combine flour and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in bowl; cut in butter till crumbly. Add oat mixture. Sprinkle over apples and bake for 35 minutes or until apples are tender.

Running

I am not a runner. I've never run any sort of 'distance'. I was really proud of myself for running a very hilly 5k in St. Louis the first weekend of December when I went to visit my brother. Since I ran with my sister-in-law, Fran, she pushed me to run more when she was here for Christmas. I tried to convince her that I cannot run very far, and she didn't buy it. I think it had something to do with her running a half marathon just a few months before. She pushed me to do what I thought was impossible, and we got up to 5.5 miles at an average of 10 1/2 min/mile which pushed my body to the limit. I was so proud of myself, so when a friend suggested we get a group together to run a 10k in March I jumped in. I don't have Fran here anymore but I really wanted to keep pushing myself to see just what I can do and this is a perfect situation. We've been training for a week now and I am already seeing improvement in my time. I am still fearful that I cannot run the whole race but I am excited to see what I can do. I love that I have friends who are willing to be patient with me as the slowest member of our running group.

For me the big excitement is that I have recently felt like I am getting older and I hate it. I have no desire to slow done so to accomplish something physical that I have I have never before been able to do is such a thrill. I'll have to revisit this when the race is over.

Happy Anniversary

On Wednesday, the 27th Ken and I celebrated our 14th anniversary. We cleared our busy evening schedule and had a wonderful time celebrating as a family. I loved sitting around the table sharing memories of our wedding day and our time dating, before we were married, with our children and my parents. I love to celebrate our anniversaries, the beginning of our family, with our children. I love telling them how much we love them and that of all our married adventure, they are our greatest joys, our greatest accomplishments.

All of this was shared over a delicious Caribbean Stew dinner that my sister-in-law introduced us to when she was here for Christmas. Oh, it is so yummy and I loved making it for our special night.

Caribbean Stew

1 chopped onion
2 celery stalks
1 green bell pepper (I skipped this and it was still delicious)
14 oz. pack of turkey sausage
2-3 sweet potatoes
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
3/4 can coconut mild
14 oz. chicken broth

Chop onion, celery & bell pepper and saute in oil (in cooking pot)
Add sliced sausage, then quartered sweet potatoes
Add crushed tomatoes, broth and spices
Bring to a boil then simmer until everything is tender
Add beans and coconut milk

Weekend Getaway Pictures

Here are just a few pictures from our trip. The last night we were in Galveston Ken and I chatted about what we enjoyed the most and we both agreed that it was the times we giggled together, the run across the road to the beach, listening to the water crash on the rocks, our uninterrupted conversations about the deeper things we ponder, walking hand in hand doing whatever pleased us. I especially enjoyed the 'adventure'. It is so fun to not worry about schedule, or if we know a restaurant is good or not, or if we wake too late. It wasn't the details, just the time spent together that made our little trip so refreshing.


We had so much fun driving through the water that I had to jump out and see how deep in we were. I love having the pictures to go with the memory.



Our view from the hotel room.

Weekend Getaway

Ken and I have been enjoying a quick weekend getaway to Galveston Beach. I am convinced this is the best time to enjoy the island. There are not many people here and there is no rush to get from one place to another. This is the first time I've been here that I've really enjoyed it and the time alone with Ken has been such a treat.

I've also enjoyed the little phone calls from the kids. I'm not sure that my parents even know they call but it makes me feel good that they always know they can connect to us. I love that Trevor always reminds me that he is just calling to say hello and he doesn't want me to feel bad or feel like I need to hurry home. "Enjoy your time with Dad" he tells me. Oh they are fun.

I'll share pics and tell more later, I'm being rushed out for dinner. :)