My Simple Diary~ Week 5 of 2011

Outside my window....

I'm typing this on Sunday once again. It's cloudy and a bit rainy out. The rain is off and on. The high today was supposed to reach 69 degrees but I don't think it got that hot. Right now it is 59 degrees. Tomorrow, Monday, is supposed to be clear with a high of 61 and a low of 51. It looks like we are due for more rain on Tuesday which makes me smile.

I am thankful....

For a beautiful time of worship and a stirring message at church tonight. We sang one of my favorite hymns.

My Saviours Love

How marvelous, How wonderful
And my song shall ever be
How marvelous, How wonderful
Is my Saviours love for me

The message was from Acts 9 about Sauls conversion and the patience and power of God. I am so thankful for the patience that God extends to me and that His power is so great that He can take the life of anyone and transform it just as He did with Saul! I am also so thankful for a faith family where the word of God is not only being taught but lived out too!



*I am also very thankful for a Latin program that we have coming in the mail to review. It will be our first dip into Latin. I look forward to digging into it when it arrives.

* I am also very thankful for an art program that we have coming in the mail to review from Artistic Pursuits. I have heard so many good things about their programs and look forward to trying it out for ourselves.

God continues to provide for us in our homeschooling.

I am wearing...

I'm always in my PJ's when I type these things out. Right now I have on my black PJ's bottoms that have wine bottle prints on them and a pink tee.

I am currently reading...

I'm about half way through Love Finds You in Calico, California that I started a couple of weeks ago.

I'm also about half way through Sisterchicks in Woooden Shoes which I started this past week.

And this week, the following book came in the mail for me to review and I just started it.




I am pondering these words....

"As a culture we have lost the vision of the crucial role mothers play in the life of the next generation. When women do not embrace motherhood with a whole heart, as an occupation worthy of a full life’s devotion, a part of the basic design of our femininity is devalued. Women were designed to nurture, to provide a life-giving environment in the home-to provide a center of life for all who live there.
~ From Sally Clarkson- The Mission of Motherhood.

This quote really stood out to me as such truth when I read it. I find it sad that we live in a culture today that does not value the role of motherhood as we should and that does everything that it can to sway mothers away from this crucial role. May I never loose sight of just how important this role is that God has called me into.


I am currently working on....

......still working on our California trip plans. We are thinking that our main points of interest of this trip will be The Grand Canyon, and once we reach California, the beach, and a few things in Los Angeles and Hollywood. That is....outside of seeing our dear family and friends. We will be staying with our dear friends in Arizona for a few days on our time driving back home. We are very much looking forward to that! Our money is limited so I believe we have decided those things to be top priority this time around. The kids have seen the Hollywood sign in a couple of shows/movies and ironically it's one of the main things they wish to see in person while in California. Ally came in this past week with her back pack all stuffed with some clothes and said she was ready and packed for "Hollywood". Instead of saying that we are taking a trip to California she keeps saying we are taking a trip to Hollywood. *Grin*


On my mind...

Some dear fiar friends of ours that are being evacuated from Egypt today (Monday). Praying for their safety. Will you pray with me, please?

Also on my mind this evening- the week/month ahead. Chinese New Year. Ground Hogs Day. Presidents Day. Our Annies Birthday! I love February because it is full of so many fun holidays and events!


In the kitchen...

One of my favorite recipes that I made this past week was a new soup recipe. It was a Beef and Barley Soup and oh my it was yummy! Bryan is not much of a soup lover so I usually make soups for our lunches during the week around here. I LOVE soup!



Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup each chopped carrot, celery and onion (I didn't have onion on hand so I minced 4 garlic cloves instead- I love to use garlic in my soups)
* 1 tablespoon butter (I used Extra virgin olive oil)
* 4 cups beef broth (I used organic vegetable broth instead)
* 4 cups water
* 2 cups chopped cooked roast beef
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Hunt’s® Original Diced Tomatoes, undrained (I used fire-roasted)
* 1 cup quick-cooking barley
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 cup frozen peas (I omitted the peas)

Directions

* In a Dutch oven, saute the carrot, celery and onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, water, beef, tomatoes, barley, salt, basil, oregano and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings (3 quarts).

Again- this recipe was really delicious! A few days after making it and after it had sat and thickened up some- I pulled some out and put in taco shells and it made delicious tacos as well. The mixture of beef/barley and corn tortillas had a wonderful flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper for us!


Around the house this week...

Laundry, laundry, laundry. Fun stuff with Ground Hog Day on Wednesday and the start of our Chinese New Year celebration here at home. We are working through a Curiosity Files Unit Study on Quicksand right now and it has been wonderful. I will be reviewing the study and sharing more in a couple of weeks.


Some of my favorite things about this past week...

Every time we passed a radio tower this past week Camden called it the Eiffel Tower. *Grin*

We had an exciting opportunity presented to us this past week. I mentioned this past Monday about how Houston had gone in over that weekend to help Bryan and others out at Bryans work with the move from one office to another. He worked a long and hard weekend. Bryans bosses were impressed with his work ethic and this past week one of Bryans bosses approached Bryan and tossed out the idea that Houston work at the office this Spring interning under Bryan and helping to get everything for Camp set up. We are so excited over this opportunity for Houston. Bryan is starting to work with him on the computer to teach him all that he will need to know to work this Spring and help Bryan out. Bryan and I both feel this will be a wonderful experience and opportunity for Houston and it's just one more reason we are so thankful to be homeschooling, so that when learning experiences like this arise- we can take advantage of them. Houston is pretty excited over it too.


A few of my favorite photos from this past week....


Annie is such a fun and sweet big sister! She painted Camdens face as a dalmation dog this past week. I love watching her with her younger siblings. She talks a lot about wanting lots of children one day and she will be a great mother! She loves to play hide and seek with Ally and Camden too.


Annie also did Allys hair one day. Didn't she do a beautiful job!

Another couple of pictures from this past week...... our sweet Ally girl. I still can't believe she is 7 years old now!






Other Unsell Land Simple Diary 2011 Entry Links:

Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.

Have a blessed week everyone.
~Jen

Recent Reads

Here's the most recent reads of the kids.


Houston has been reading through these Graphic Novels from Timberdoodle. Houston loves books and loves listening to them being read aloud but finding books that tickle his fancy when it comes to reading to himself can be a challenge at times. He loves comic books though- especially Bryans old comic books from years ago. So when I saw these Graphic Novels where the style of the book is set up much like a comic book but the information in them is much more interesting and educational than your typical comic book, I knew we had to give them a try. They have been a hit. He is reading through some of the historical ones too. At first glance I was concerned that they might be a bit young for him but to Bryan and mines delight the information in them is not. In fact, Bryan and I have both learned some new things from these books. They really are cool and I am so thankful to have found them for my picky reader! *Wink*


Emmy has mainly been focusing on reading her bible for the B90 Challenge that I shared about in Mondays post. She is also reading....


Beauty: A Re-telling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley.

When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries.

Emmy has also been working her way through this book....


This is a book that I reviewed at the end of this past year and Em was interested in reading it too. It is a real eye opener in regards to what homeless men and women go through daily. You can read my review of it, HERE, if you missed it the first time around.


Annie recently read Winn Dixie.


and she is currently working her way through Ramona the Brave. She is loving it as much as she loved the movie.


Natalie has spent a lot of time with her head buried in this book recently. She has been comparing the sea shells that she collected on our October camping trip to the ones in the book to learn more about her shells.


When I asked Ally what her favorite recent book was she named this one. You will find out why in a couple of days.


This is the book that Camden has been attached to lately. I reviewed this book recently. He loves for me to read this to him at least once a day.


This is our current read aloud during the day.

When Young Fu arrives with his mother in bustling 1920s Chungking, all he has seen of the world is the rural farming village where he has grown up. He knows nothing of city life. But the city, with its wonders and dangers, fascinates the 13-year-old boy, and he sets out to make the best of what it has to offer him. First published in 1932, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze was one of the earliest Newbery Medal winners. Although China has changed since that time, Young Fu’s experiences are universal: making friends, making mistakes, and making one’s way in the world.


and this is what Bryan has been reading to the kids at night and on the weekends.

Happy Reading Friends!

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.
~Maya Angelou

Mixing Bowl Academy Jr. Chef Cooking Class~ A Review

I shared last week about a Little Chef cooking class that our younger kids took from Mixing Bowl Academy online. This past week my two oldest girls took one of the Jr. Chef Cooking Classes from Mixing Bowl Academy.

On the menu for this class was homemade meatballs and marinara sauce. Ten minutes prior to class time the girls logged onto the classroom and were able to chat with others taking the class. Everyone shared where they were tuning in from. The Mixing Bowl Academy Cooking Classes are given and hosted by a homeschool mother, Sandie, and her children. Prior to class you receive the recipe that will be made which includes a list of all of the ingredients that you will need as well as cooking utensils that you will be using during the class.


Logging into class


Ingredients sitting out and ready.



The classes are live from Sandies kitchen to yours. Each week registered students meet online and cook along with Sandie and her children. Sandie records each class and those can be purchased as well online at Currclick, click HERE, for those who are unable to make the live classes. One of the benefits of the LIVE classes is that you can ask questions as you go along. Chat is left open during the class for this very purpose. We had several questions as did others during the Meatball and Marinara class and the girls were able to type them into chat and Sandie is always quick to answer them and explain things as you need them explained or repeat something that you might have missed. At one point during class the girls fell a bit behind while chopping onions and they were able to let her know and she was so sweet to be understanding and spent some time going over some other things while the girls finished chopping our onions up. The classes have a very laid back and comfortable feeling. The girls really had fun during the class and are interested in taking more of them. You will need a laptop or some sort of computer in your kitchen area for the classes. Here are some pictures I took of the girls during their class time.


Chopping fresh parsley


Chopping onions


Cooking the marinara sauce


Mixing the meat for meatballs


Rolling the meatballs


Their yummy meatballs all cooked.


Blending the marinara sauce to chop up those veggies really fine.


And now for the finale......


Meatballs and Marinara Sauce!

I have to tell you that this recipe was soooo yummy! Every single person in our family loved it and we have a couple of picky eaters. It is a keeper in our home!

This Jr. Chef class took a little over an hour. Most of the Jr. Chef classes will take around an hour while the Lil' Chef classes are shorter in time. This class was a good experience for the girls. One of the benefits I see in taking a class such as this is that the kids have to listen and follow the directions of someone else, besides us mommas. Another benefit that I see is that they can ask any questions they have while taking the classes because they are LIVE classes. It feels like you are cooking with friends which is really fun. And yet a third benefit is having your dinner made for you. *Grin* It was wonderful to not have to cook on this particular night and to have such a delicious meal made for our entire family.

If you would like to see the menu for the upcoming Jr. Chef classes you can do so HERE. Sandie has some fun and tasty things on the menu for the months ahead! The Jr. Chef classes are geared towards ages 8 and up. The classes are held on Thursdays at 3pm central time. The price of the Jr. Chef classes is $30.00 for the month (4 classes) and the whole family can participate!

Little Chef classes meet on Thursdays at 1pm central time. These classes are an introduction to the kitchen and the cost of the classes is $20.00 for the month (4 classes). To view the upcoming menu for the Lil' Chef classes, click HERE.

To purchase any of the upcoming or pre-recorded classes, click HERE.

Thank you to my friend Ami (who owns and runs Homeschool Share which I am sure many of you are familiar with) and to Sandie from Mixing Bowl Academy for the opportunity to take this class and review it. We were given this class for free in exchange for our honest review. All opinions on this blog are my own.

My Simple Diary~ Week 4 of 2011

Outside my window...

Partly cloudy with a high of 54 today. Low tonight is supposed to be around 38. The horses on the farm that our backyard backs up too have been moving about more these past few days now that the temps have warmed up a bit during the day. Their are two white horses that we love to watch. Sooo beautiful! The kids love it when they come up to the fence to greet us.

I am thankful...

that my IBS Stomch pain has lessoned some these past two days. Hoping it continues and that this flare up will be gone soon.

For a good week of schooling with the kids.

For a couple of upcoming opportunities to review some things that we could really use in our homeschooling.

For the Grace of God.


I am wishing...

that I knew what caused my IBS flare up so that I could avoid it in the future.


I am wearing...

my grape and cream colored plaid PJ's which really don't look like PJ's at all. So much so that I am tempted sometimes to wear them to Walmart. *Wink* Do you think anyone would really know? Does it really matter? I say no, unless my picture ends up on one of those websites "you won't believe what I saw in Walmart today".


I am currently reading...


I have been wanting to read this for a long time now and I'm finally getting around to it.

I am still reading Love Finds You in Calico, California too.


I am pondering these words....

"Let My teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." ~Deut. 32:2

"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child." ~George Bernard Shaw


I am currently working on....

my grocery list for February. I do one big grocery trip at the start of each month and then Bryan will swing by throughout the month to grab more milk, cheese, etc. that we run out of. Because I do one trip a month and we have 8 people in our family, the grocery trip is always a big one and takes some planning on my part. I have to look at what all we might be studying in school that month and what I might need for it grocery wise and then I have to make out a menu of what we will be eating for the month and what I need for those dishes. I love doing it though. I love grocery shopping and I love the planning that I get to do prior to my trip too. I always go with just one child (so they can help me as it always take two baskets). The older kids take turns going. We eat dinner together at the McDonalds that is in our Walmart (and yes, I am very much aware that McDonalds is unhealthy *wink* but it is the only thing our Walmart offers). Then we spend time going up and down every isle. Yes, you read that right. Every isle. Well, with the exception of the paints and auto parts sections. You can really get some great deals on clearance at Walmart if you know just where to look. I have learned that over the years. All in all the grocery trip usually takes several hours and it's one of those times throughout the month where I get away just me (and one child) and enjoy some time alone. I always look forward to my "Walmart time". LOL! Does that mean I am getting old? *Wink* I've been searching out some new recipes to try out next month.

I am hoping...

That I can catch up on my B90 reading soon. What is B90, you might ask? Well, I am glad you asked. Emmy (our oldest daughter) and I have committed to reading through the entire Bible in 90 days. It's a big committment and it's taking us at least an hour a day- sometimes more. But we really want to do this. We are apart of an accountability group and something really fun, one of my TOS leaders, Heidi, is also my B90 mentor. Anyways- we got off to a great start but really fell behind this past week. We are continuing on though and trying to add chapters that we need to catch up on as we go along. I hope to get down on paper (or blog) some of my thoughts and what God is saying to me as we go through this experience.

On my mind...

What books I want to read to the kids about California before our trip out in March.

In the kitchen...

A favorite recipe from this past week was my homemade pizza.




Years ago, I had a recipe for pizza dough that our family loved and somehow I lost the recipe and I have been searching ever since to find one like it that we love as much. A huge thank-you to my new friend Mrs. Taffy who posted her recipe and low and behold- it was very close to my old one. We have once again found a pizza crust recipe that we love. My family is happy about that.

Pizza Crust

2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. or 2 packets dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sweetener of your choice: Raw Sugar, Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, White Sugar (I prefer to use Pure Maple Syrup)
2 tsp. Salt
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Seasoning of choice- We like fresh cut up rosemary and garlic in our crust. You can just skip this part too.
6 cups of flour-experiment to find the blend that your family likes best. We like 2 cups wheat with the rest being white.

Directions:

Mix water, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl, allow to rest while yeast dissolves and gets bubbly. Add salt, oil, seasonings, mix. Add about half the flour and mix well. Continue to add flour just until dough pulls away from the bowl. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes- continue to add flour to dough as needed. You want dough to be soft but not too sticky. Let rest 20 minutes. Split in half and press onto greased pizza pan. Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 350 for around 15-20 minutes.

On the Menu for this week.

1) Homemade Lasagna, corn on the cob, my bread
2) Sicilian Meat Roll, mashed potatoes and gravy and my bread
3) Crustless cheese Quiche, sausage patties, biscuits and gravy
4) Barbecue Chicken Homemade pizza
5) Tacos (maybe fish tacos)
6) leftovers
7) Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder


Around the house...

A lot of school work, laundry that needs to be done and several rooms that need a good pick up and organizing.


Some of my favorite things about this past week...

This past week was the big move for Bryan and his work over to their new location/office. As you can imagine moving to a new office is a lot of work on everybody. Bryan had to work this past Saturday and Sunday to get things in order for Mondays work day. He is the network administrator which means it's on his shoulders to have everyones computers, the network, etc. up and running. On Saturday Emmy and Houston went in with him to help out. And help out they did! They worked their tails off all day long. Two of Bryans bosses came to him later that day and shared how impressed they were with both Emmy and Houston and how hard they had worked. That made Bryan and I both really proud. I am so glad they have an opportunities like this. I believe it to be really good for them to take on such responsibilities and to have to listen and follow the directions of others. They learn a lot too when they help out at Bryans work. It made my heart happy to know they worked so hard to help get things done on Saturday. On Sunday Houston went back and spent the day again helping out. He put in a long day with Bryan. They were there close to 12 hours. Houston helped build a bookcase during that time. Emmy decided she wanted to stay home on Sunday so she could spend time with some of her friends. *Smile*


A few of my favorite photos from this past week....


Natalie, Ally, and Camden built a huge tent in our living room and spent hours playing in it this past week. They even slept in it on a couple of nights.


Check out that HUGE bone! Bryan and the kids surprised Duke with it this past week.


A Sandcastle that Natalie drew this past week with no help from anyone or anything.

I hope you each have a blessed week!
~Jen

Mixing Bowl Academy Cooking Classes~ Review

We were given a really fun opportunity this past week for our younger kiddos to take their first cooking class.



They took an online cooking class with Mixing Bowl Academy and they had so much fun! Mixing Bowl Academy offers online cooking classes that are taught by a homeschool mother, Sandie, and her children. The classes are live from Sandies kitchen to yours. Each week registered students meet online and cook along with Sandie and her children. This past week the kids all made Strawberry Smoothies for their class. Ten minutes prior to class time you log into the link that is emailed to you and the kids are able to introduce themselves to one another and say where they are tuning in from. Once the class begins, Sandie walks the students step by step through the class as one of her children demonstrates. You can ask questions during the class via chat. Once you are registered for a class you will receive a inventory list of the ingredients and appliances that you will need to have on hand for class day so that you can have them sitting out and ready prior to class time starting.


Our Smoothie ingredients sitting out and ready.

One of the things that I appreciated about our experience with the class was that my children needed to listen, pay attention, and follow directions in order to make their smoothies. I think it is good for them to have various opportunities to listen and follow the directions of others, besides me. That is definitely a benefit that I see in taking a class like this. I love the convenience of having the class online so that we didn't even have to leave our home to do the class. These classes would also be a wonderful option for those moms who do not enjoy cooking themselves. My younger kiddos really enjoyed being able to have a "cooking class" for school time that was all their own.









Mixing Bowl Academy offers cooking classes for Little Chefs which are geared towards young ones and the beginners. This class is slow paced and recipes are easy to follow. Parents are required to be the students assistant as they will need you there for help as well as encouragement. Consider this class an introduction to the kitchen. Our smoothie class was a Little Chef class. Little Chefs classes cost $20.00 for the month (4 classes). That's a good deal, especially for larger families who have multiple children. There are also "Bundles" of classes that are offered which give you extra savings. Sandie is always available and easy to reach for any questions that you might have prior or during the class. To view the upcoming monthly menus for the Little Chefs classes, visit HERE.

Mixing Bowl Academy also offers Jr. Chef classes geared for ages 8 and up. The classes are held on Thursdays at 3pm central time. These classes take a bit longer than the Little Chef classes as the dishes prepared in the Jr. Chef classes are a bit more in depth than the younger class. To view the upcoming monthly menu for the Jr. Chef classes visit HERE. Jr. Chef classes cost $30.00 for the month (4 classes) and the whole family can participate! While much of the prep work will be more for ages 8+, there is no reason the younger ones can't help in this class if you desire for them too. Sandie shares as much information as possible on the health benefits of certain items in each recipe.

During classes, Sandie does offer alternatives and substitutes for items that can be interchangeable for those who are following a gluten-free or dairy-free diet.

To purchase classes visit, HERE. Mixing Bowl Academy also offers pre-recorded classes at that link that you can purchase to watch and do with your children. The pre-recorded classes would be ideal if you can not make the time of the live classes. You can just watch and follow along at your convenience.

Thank you to my friend Ami and to Sandie from Mixing Bowl Academy for the opportunity to take this class and review it. Our older kids will be taking one of the Jr. Chef classes this week so check back in soon to read our review and learn more about it.

My Simple Diary~ Week 3 of 2011

Outside my window...

I am actually writing this Sunday night but the forecast for today is supposed to be 50 degrees and rainy all day today, Monday. I have always loved rainy overcast days. Where Bryan and I grew up in California we rarely got rain. When I say rarely I do mean rarely- like 6-7 inches a YEAR! Some months in Bakersfield see no rain at all. I didn't know any different when I was growing up there. Here in Alabama we get around 55 inches of rain a YEAR. We get as much rain here in Alabama during the month of March as Bakersfield gets in an entire YEAR! I prefer the rain amount here in Alabama. One of my favorite types of days is when it's overcast and rainy and I love getting to experience it often here in the south. Overcast, rainy days energize me! I would greatly miss the rain if we ever had to leave the "southern" United States.

I am thinking...

about what book I want to read to the kids when we finish our current read aloud and my reviews that I have due this week for books and homeschool items. Last week was a very busy week for reviews around here and this week will be too. Funny how some weeks are like that and other weeks end up with nothing. I have 7 reviews due this week- 6 are for homeschool items and 1 is for a book. That means that just like last week each day will have more than one post starting tomorrow. That's not a complaint either. I really enjoy sharing our experiences with various products and my opinions of books I/we read.

I am thankful for...

the opportunity to review products for wonderful companies. Our family has been beyond blessed this year by doing so. It's been really fun and exciting to see how God has sent us things that we needed in our homeschooling.

That Houston is feeling better and that no one else caught what he had.

That Camden has been asking a million questions recently about God and Heaven.

I am wearing...

Grey sweats and a blue Student Life tee shirt.

I am currently reading...

I finished the last chapter of Angel Harp by Michael Phillips last night (review coming on the 26th) and I plan to start Love Finds you in Calico, California this evening.


It should be a light, fun, and easy read which I need this week. Calico, California is not all that far from where Bryan and I grew up in California. I won the book in a blog contest from last month and it just arrived this past week. I have a bit of break in between books that I am reviewing right now so I am eager to dig into this one. I have read two books in the Love Finds You series so far and loved both of them very much. I have really been wanting to read this one because of the setting of the book. I have memories of visiting Calico Ghost Town as a young girl. :-)

I am currently working on....

Finalizing my plans for our Chinese New Years celebration. Always love celebrating the Chinese New Year with the kids. Also working on answering several messages I was sent last month on facebook and several emails I was sent last month. Yup- you read that right. I tend to be horrible about sitting down and writing people back. I write back a million times in my mind but getting it down on the computer is sometimes a different story. So if your reading this and I haven't responded to a message or email of yours....don't take it personally. It's just that I am horrible at responding in a timely manner sometimes.

I am hoping...

That a friend who is going through some hard consequences of a bad decision in the past will find some relief from it all soon and hear Gods voice in the midst of it all.

That my Fibro/Gerd/IBS flare up will calm down very soon. It's leaving me more exhausted than normal.

On my mind...

House shopping! We have started! We have had the goal for a while now of buying again at the end of this winter/start of Spring. That could be as soon as next month or several months from now. It all depends on whether we can find what we are looking for. We are looking for some acreage with the house. It's fun to look but overwhelming to think about packing everything up and moving it. We have a lot of stuff we need to just get rid of. As often as we have moved you would think we would have narrowed our stuff down by now and believe it or not, we have! We have gotten rid of stuff every time we have moved and ironically we don't buy new stuff for the house that often, yet, we somehow seem to accumulate "things". I'll never understand it. :-) I am determined not to take it all to a new house though.


In the kitchen...

A favorite recipe that I made this past week was my Mexican Chicken Manicotti. I love this dish.

Mexican Chicken Manicotti-

1 pkg manicotti- cooked- rinse in cold water- and drain on paper towels
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups monterey jack cheese
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
2/3 cup milk

Combine chicken, cheese, sour cream and 6 Tbsp chilies. Stuff into shells. Combine soup, salsa, and milk. Spread 1/2 cup into baking dish. Top with stuffed shells. Pour rest of sauce over. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.



Bryan will be working late on most if not all evenings this week. This is the week of the big move to the new office. That means that we probably won't have any big family dinners this week but I will be making instead some easy/quick dishes that the kids and I all like. Here's my plan which I reserve the right to change at any given moment (meaning we just might be eating cereal on one of these nights). *Grin*

Monday- Spaghetti, corn on the cob, and my bread
Tuesday- Cheese Quesadillas and fresh fruit
Wednesday- Turkey and Stuffing Casserole, broccoli, and my bread
Thursday- Chicken with Wild Rice soup
Friday- Beef Stroganoff, my bread
Saturday- Crustless Cheese Quiche, sausage patties, biscuits
Sunday- Homemade Pizza

We will probably do fruit smoothies and muffins for breakfasts and leftovers and sandwiches/soups for our lunches this week.


Around the house...

The house......it's a mess! I'm not really sure why, but it is. I made the comment to Bryan Friday "Man this house is a huge mess" to which he affectionately replied "yes, but it's our mess". *Smile* I am thankful for a husband who doesn't mind stepping over things and honestly, doesn't even really notice when things are all out of hand with the house. Bryan has always been casual about how the house is. I know not all men are like that and I am thankful mine is. It helps me not be stressed when the house is a mess. Having said that, the kids and I really do need to try to tackle some things this week. It always seems like we get one room organized and picked up and suddenly every other room is messed up again. I guess that's what happens when you are home every day and actually living in your house and if that's the case, well then, so be it. *Smile*


Some of my favorite things about this past week...

Watching the younger kids take their first cooking class. They had so much fun! You will have to check back in tomorrow to find out more as I am writing a review for the online class they took and it will post tomorrow, but for now- here is a teaser photo.



Hearing Camden say that he wants a jet-pack to fly to Heaven with.

Helping Bryan get some things set up at his office this weekend. Always love helping him with his work as it gives me more insight into what he does and how he spends his days away from home. And it's just a good feeling to be able to help him out. *Grin*

Having Ally ask one day if we could pull out the slip-n-slide and change into our bathing suits to play on it. It was 40 degrees outside. This is coming from the girl who likes to run around barefoot in the snow. When I said "no" she couldn't understand why. Her reply was "but mom, it's warm outside". Sometimes I wonder if her future will hold in it a place like Alaska or the Antartica. *Wink*


A few of my favorite photos from this past week....


Natalie making banana muffins


Natalie making Hot Chocolate brownies.


Hot Chocolate brownies- yum! Natalie did a great job!



To view more of my Simple Diary entries click, HERE.

Hoping for a great week for all of you!
~Jen

Ally Suzannes 7th Birthday Celebration!

Each year we let the kids choose what they want to do for their birthday and pick out a theme for their cake and table decorations.

This year Ally wanted to go to our favorite Chuck E. Cheese but they were closed down for remodeling so her second choice was to go to McDonalds and get a Happy Meal to eat and to play some and then go to the Galleria (mall) that is across the street from McDonalds. At the mall she wanted to chose a gift with her birthday money from her Meme & Larry, get icecream to eat, and ride the carousel. Here's a few pictures I took of her from her special day of celebrating.


The toy she got in her happy meal at McDonalds.


Shopping with her birthday money.


What she chose with her birthday money.


Isn't her new horse beautiful! She has been practicing braiding her hair and she named her Jennifer. *Grin*


Waiting for her carousel ride.




Annie, Camden, and Natalie also rode the carousel.


Annie and Camden


Ice cream time!




Back home and ready to continue celebrating!




Ally chose a Dora theme for her celebration this year. She loves Dora!


Her cake


These cars are really fun- when you look through their tires and click a button on the car they play a slideshow of pictures of Dora, Boots, and Diego. Ally is loving them!












Present time!






She got a Dora doll that she has been wanting. You can plug the doll into the computer and you are taken to an online world where you can play with an online Dora as well. You can also change the color of the actual dolls eyes, change the color of her necklace, and even change the length of her hair when it is plugged into the computer. Ally calls her new doll her .com doll. *Grin* She also got a change of outfit for her Dora doll and......


She received this sweatshirt that she wore on her Birthday celebration day from her Papa Unsell and Halyna.

She had a really fun birthday and we had a ball watching her have so much fun!