A Quiet Sunday

 A little playing,

a little decorating,

some coloring,

and yes, a little working,

and a whole lot of marveling at this strange 'instant' snowstorm.

In other words, a two-donut Sunday.

Enchilada Casserole

    This was lunch today.  Enchilada Casserole from the Jan/Feb Cooking Light.  It was really good.  Both chickies helped with the prep, so it actually only took about 30 minutes total.  This would be a great company dish as it also has great plate presence.  The layers held up really well.  I didn't make this as healthy as the recipe suggests though.  I have found that reduced sodium anything is not well accepted in my family.  I did however top it with plain Greek yogurt and used ground venison instead of beef, both low in fat.  Next time I will add black beans I think and serve it with a salad. Both would make the plate a little more pretty.  

    I've thrown myself into cooking lately to avoid the furniture moving craziness.  So far it has worked.  Tomorrow we will have company for dinner, so I've selected another recipe from Cooking Light, I'll let you know how it comes out.  I've also discovered that Myah has mad chopping and dicing skills.  She executes every cutting task with extreme precision, she's like a little food engineer.  She likes a very organized work station as well, which has been good for me because I'm a very unorganized, messy cook.  She's helped me to slow down and enjoy the process more.  It also helps to have time, nothing to rush off to, then there is time to enjoy the meal and everyone can help pitch in on the clean-up.

Crazytown? Anyone?

It's inevitable, the first week of January ushers in a string of events that make me crazy.  I have no one to blame.  I bring it all on myself and it's the same EVERY year.  Here's how it goes.  

1.  Take down the Christmas decorations.
2.  Make huge mess as I am a firm believer in 'real pine'.
3.  Go through bins, organize, consolidate and edit.
4.  Ask myself why, why, why is everything I own so extremely fragile.
5.  Berate myself for not liking plastic, you snob!
6.  Deposit bins safely in attic, whew.
7.  Go back into living room, look at mess and cry.
8.  Vacuum

This is where it all goes south.

 9.  Stand back and ponder.
10.  Rearrange entire house.

Step ten can take days, weeks even.  Every year I do it.  I thought I wouldn't this year.  Of course I think that every year.   I wish I could leave well enough alone.   Apparently its my tradition, my own little annual trip to crazytown.  I bet you wish you could come.  I think I'll document it for you this year, in hopes that I won't do it again next year.  Maybe this sad little post will be all that's left of crazy, obsessive furniture mover me.  I do hope so.

  

Best Christmas Present Ever!

This painting was done by my dear friend Pamela Querin.  I unwrapped it Christmas morning and quite literally couldn't breath.  It is painted from a picture I took of my girls when they were much smaller.  She captured their spirits in the most beautiful way.  I will cherish it always.

I've been gone from this blog for so long.  There is so much to tell you, all in due time, I promise.  One of the biggest game changers is our decision to homeschool.  That is probably why I stopped blogging in July.  As soon as the decision was made I went into full on research mode.  I didn't have a lot of brain space left for blogging I guess.  I've been around long enough to know that the mere mention of that word elicits a myriad of opinions from people.  Believe me when I say this decision is made up of equal parts prayer, and study.  I've already gone through the fear, anxiety, and doubt and I've come out on the other side....pure joy and contentment.  I can't thank some of you enough for your wise words and support through this journey.  There is a million things I could tell you but instead I want to show you something I found at a local museum and garden in August.

Pouring into young lives is what I'm about.  I realized that when I saw this beautiful work of art.  It starts with my children in my home and when I'm faithful to that it extends to other kids and their families.

Both of these children are miracles, one from the loving womb of another faithful woman and one from my own, a totally unexpected blessing.  I am committed to learning and growing with them, and pouring over them a life that is full and rich with things that matter to God and our family and others we live life with.

So there it is.  This blog won't solely be about homeschooling, its randomness will remain intact.  I am glad to be blogging again, life's always changing isn't it, but I will always be looking for that two donut moment in everyday.....and so should you:)

Fall's Fading Light

The only good thing about losing the leaves is the addition of more light in my living room.  This is a lovely afternoon coffee spot now and pretty much throughout the winter, so if you are out and about and need a cup of joe around about 4:30 stop by, I'll leave the sun up for you:)

De-crowned by a Gryffindork

Moments after this shot was taken Myah accidentally knocked off Taryn's crown with the umbrella.  The lovely princess lost her cool and we could hear the yelling half way down the street.  The de-crowned snow princess never really regained her cool the rest of the night.  Later she called her Harry Potter loving older sister a Gryfindork.  Interesting... zero points for yelling and name calling, one point for clever word usage.  Give credit where credit is due I guess.  We've been laughing about it ever since.