Crockpotalooza

Okay - I totally decided we would do a crockpot link up and had NO idea there was some CRAZY facebook group that the whole world belonged to called Crockpotgirls.  So go there and get recipes but we will do a link up here too. Can you really ever have enough great recipes?

I made this the other night and it was great:

SALSA CHICKEN

2-4 Chicken breasts
Taco Seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream

Put chicken in crockpot and top with taco seasoning. Mix salsa and soup and put on top. Cook for 6-8 hours on low and then mix in the sour cream and let it get hot before serving. Serve over rice or in taco shells.  It's REALLY good. Looks not all that appetizing when done - but good.

Dips are my love language

There are a few things I love in life (besides friends, family and my faith) and they are SEC football and Dips. Seriously I would live on a deserted island with chips and dip and be happy as a clam.  So Boomama is linking up all sorts of dips and I am in heaven and I had to join in.

Here are my favorite dips besides the one below:
Guacamole (I could swim in a bowl of this)
The BEST spinach dip in the WORLD
Caramelized Onion Dip (I would marry this dip if it was a man)

and then there is this:

 The hands down best dip I have ever had comes from a restaurant in Dallas and Austin called Matt's El Rancho Restaurant.  It's called Bob Armstrong dip and it will ROCK your world.

For Matt Martinez's Tex-Mex Spice:

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons granulated garlic

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

For guacamole layer:

4 Hass avocados

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice

Salt

For taco-meat layer:

1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Tex-Mex Spice

1 pound lean ground beef

For chile-con-queso layer:

1 1/2 cups canned chopped green chiles or fresh chiles, peeled and finely diced

1/2 cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

2 teaspoons Tex-Mex Spice

1 cup chicken broth

1 pound American cheese or more if needed, cubed

For assembly and serving:

Pico de gallo, for optional garnish

Sour cream, for optional garnish

Tortilla chips

Step 1: Prepare Matt Martinez's Tex-Mex Spice. Stir together cumin, granulated garlic, salt and black pepper. (This will make roughly four times as much as is needed for this recipe. Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.)

Step 2: Prepare guacamole. Halve avocados and scoop flesh into a mixing bowl; discard pits and skin. Add lime juice; mash together until mixture reaches a chunky texture. Add salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the surface of the guacamole. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare taco meat. In a cold skillet, stir together bell pepper, celery, onion and Tex-Mex spice. Spread uncooked meat on top. Place over medium heat. When meat starts to simmer, stir and break up meat. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and discard any fat. Cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Step 4: Prepare chile con queso. In a saucepan, combine chiles, tomato, onion, celery, Tex-Mex spice and chicken broth. Bring to a light simmer; gently cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat; add cheese. Simmer until cheese melts. (If mixture is too thick, add water; if it's too thin, add more cheese.) Remove from heat.

Step 5: Assemble dip. Warm a 9-by-13-inch or a 7-by-11-inch pan in the oven or fill with hot water, then drain and dry well. Spread guacamole in the pan, then hot taco meat in an even layer. Top with hot chile con queso. Garnish with pico de gallo or sour cream. Serve with chips.

My Story

Isn't this picture two scoops of sweetness?

My friend Robin made these shirts for the girls and I've never taken their pictures in them so I had to do it today. 

Can we check out the 15 year old attitude on Harper's face in this one?  Heaven help me!

Speaking of 15 year old girls..............

Our youth minister challenged all the youth (and all their Sunday School teachers) to get on Facebook and share their 2 minute video testimony.  I thought this was great so I wanted to join in.  And then I thought as I encouraged our girls to share with their 800 or 1000 friends on Facebook - that maybe I should take it a step further and share with my 11,000 followers on my blog.  If you never hear anything else that I write - this is what I would want you to take away from my blog:

(and I should add that I know a lot of you may have added me on FB - but I just like to keep FB to my IRL friends and family.  I won't ever have a "fan" page because personally I think I would feel REAL silly. It's totally not personal if I don't accept you - I just like to keep that sort of private). 

Life right now..............

UPDATE:

well - y'all - I don't get on Facebook enough to know - but apparently there is a facebook page called Crockpotgirls that JUST started and they already have like 300,000 members and about that many recipes. Maybe we should just all check that out instead of Crockpotalooza????? Great minds are all thinking alike these days I guess!
And I will add that one of my favorite blogger friends, Boomama, is having a DIPTACULAR Dip Linky tomorrow to go along with the start of football season. And since my favorite food is literally chips and dips (all kinds) - I will be checking that out for sure!!!!! Y'all need to visit!!!

 Look who is ALMOST sitting up.  She's also doing the army crawl and can scoot herself all over the place.  Gone are the days of just laying her down somewhere.  I think the swing has also seen it's last days.  I'm trying hard not to be sad.  I'm having to put away so much of her baby stuff already.  How did it go by so quickly?

 I wanted to write down a little update on Harper's "special ears".  We really weren't doing too great and I was getting really discouraged.  She wouldn't wear them for more than about 15 minutes a day.  But for the last week - she has worn them between 2-4 hours a day and is getting a little better every day with them. I'm so happy.  It's taking us a while to get to full time wear but I'm just trying to be patient.  It's a big adjustment - especially at her age. She has them on in this picture and you can barely tell.

 I took this the other day at the splash park and I have no reason to post this except for pure sweetness.

I have become one in the bond of love with my Crockpot.  Hollis is in a stage where she wants to be held 24/7 so cooking has become tricky.  So I'm embracing my crock pot.  I figure a lot of you probably need to also. Especially with fall/winter coming! I made this the other night - it might not look too great but it was pretty good. Even Harper liked it.  It's called Salsa Chicken. A lot of you may have made this before.  I was thinking I might host a Crockpot recipes link up - separate from SUYL on Wednesday.  Would you come link up your favorite slow cooker recipes? I know I would be eternally grateful and all the rest of you busy moms and non-moms just might be too!

CROCKPOTALOOZA - Wednesday ALL Day!!!!!!

Shop til you Drop

One of my best friends Amber moved here last year and we figured out that one of her good friends was someone I was close with in college. Small world! Amber and Mary and another good college friend Heather go on a weekend shopping trip to Branson every fall. This year they invited me and Laurie along. Laurie couldn't go since her dad is in the hospital and I almost backed out because Hollis is having some separation anxiety but I finally decided to drive up for the day and join them. I'm SO glad I did. I needed a little break and it was so fun to get away and be with friends and eat and shop. I didn't even plan on buying anything - but I did get some jeans so I won't have to wear maternity jeans this fall/winter. Or maybe I still will. :-) We had SO much fun!

Meanwhile - back at home - I was secretly glad for Scott to keep the girls all day and get a taste of what I do every day. It's always nice to be appreciated! Hollis is finally taking a bottle so she did pretty well.

And of COURSE - what happens every time we leave the kids with the dad for the day - they take LONG naps and act like angels. Harper took a FOUR HOUR nap. She hasn't napped in over a month. How does that happen? ha!

I got tickled because I left a few instructions and Scott had kept detailed notes on everything with the girls. He's such a great dad. I think the girls LOVED daddy/daughter day!

And of course as much as I loved being away - I was driving home last night and heard the country song "You're gonna miss this" and had big tears in my eyes and then heard a sermon on how children are gifts and how we should treasure them.

I couldn't wait to get home and snuggle my babies!

Show us Your life - Baby showers

For all of you in the stage of life that I am - today is a great day for you! We are going to be sharing Baby Shower Ideas. If you are like me - I throw/attend a lot of baby showers a year these days. I thought I would just show pictures from a few that I could find that we have done in the recent past.


The first two pictures are a shower at my house for my best friend Laurie when she had her first daughter Emily. A tradition in our Sunday School class is to throw a big shower for the first baby and then meet at a restaurant for #2, #3, and on and just give gifts. I think that's a great way to do it.
I threw this shower for a friend I worked with. My office came over and we had finger foods!
We had a "Sweet Things" shower for my friend whose last name is "Sweet". It was all desserts!
I made this diaper cake for that shower. It was my first attempt - not the greatest but kind of cute!
This was a sports themed shower for a little boy - I LOVE the petit fours we had for this shower. (These came from a bakery - WISH I was this talented)
The table for the sports theme - we used balls and pom poms to decorate and served "sports" foods!
This was another shower we had for a little boy. I think we did dips and sweets for this one!
This was at my church shower. My sweet friends threw the nicest shower for me and Harper
A girl in our class makes AMAZING cookies and she now has a full time career making cookies for everyone's parties.

They also had petit fours with what else? Harper's monogram

The same girl made these cookies for another shower

I've been to several more recently but these were ones I thought I would share. I'm anxious to see all of your ideas because we have a ton of showers coming up in my circle of friends!

P.S. I don't know if Petit Fours are a "southern" thing or not - but some of you asked. They are just "little cakes". They are a mouthful of goodness! ha! Literally - it's just a bite sized cake. I love them because you don't have to deal with cutting a big cake and one or two petit fours are "just right" for most people. Plus you can decorate them in the cutest ways!

Strolling Around

This summer was kind of busy so I felt like I really didn't see much of my friends.  We kind of close up shop on so many things in the summer and I miss it but this week I've had a few fun things and it's been nice.  It's hard to admit the summer is basically over.

Tuesday night we had a shower for my friend Mary Avery.  She just had her third little boy Noah and he is so cute.  My friend Robin made the cute cookies.  Robin is about to have a baby and has quit making cookies for now and I'm a little sad about that!

I took Hollis and was so busy with her that I never got around to taking any pictures except this one of my sweet friend Bethany holding her.  I'm thankful for all my friends who love on my babies.

Harper had school yesterday and then I got this little missy dressed up to go to a surprise birthday lunch.

My friend Rachel (holding Hollis) turned 29 yesterday.  She is one of my very favorite people in the world so I was excited to celebrate her birthday with her.  We ate lunch at Mimi's and it was really fun.  Hollis was NOT thrilled to be there so I stood up a lot and had to leave early but I was still happy to be there.  Maegan with Rachel is our youth minister's wife and she is a gift to the youth.  She is SO fun!

Me and my friend Vonda

Neely and Lela and our friend Ashley.  Ashley teaches youth too and is SO sweet and pretty. She always has a huge smile on her face.  She is just so sweet to be around. 

Krista, Jordan and Janet.  Janet and Jordan (mother and daughter) work in our youth department at church too.  I'm so excited to be surrounded by so many great people as I teach the youth this year!

Okay - so many of you have emailed me or FB'd me or tweeted me to ask about my stroller and if I like it.

I seriously think I spent more time debating a double stroller than I did picking a college, a wedding dress, a house, etc.  I wish I was kidding.  I thought about it for months. I couldn't decide if I needed one and then I couldn't decide what kind. There are too many choices.  And they aren't cheap so I wanted to use my money wisely.

I'm going to tell you about mine - but like everything else in mothering - this is what works best for OUR family - it may not be best for yours. 

We got a City Mini Double Jogging Stroller. I love it. Let me tell you the reasons why and why not:

1 . It is NOT good for shopping.  I knew I wouldn't use a double stroller for shopping.  I only take both girls to Target or Wal-Mart these days and I rarely go to any other stores but if I do I got on MDO days and just take Hollis.  So if you need a shopping stroller - this is not it. It's too wide.

2. I knew Harper would hate the kind that goes in a row because she wouldn't want to be crowded behind Hollis and a sit and stand would be a nightmare because she wouldn't stay on it.  This works perfect because even though a car seat couldn't go on it - you can put a pretty small infant - they strap in well and you can recline one seat all the way so Hollis has been able to nap in it a lot.  I also like how the cover pulls so far over so I can keep them out of the sun. 

3. I mainly use mine for walking or things like going to the farmer's market or splash park or if we went to the zoo or disney world or something like that.  If that's what you are looking for - this is great. It's light weight and folds up easy. 

4.  The basket underneath is small and it's hard to get to.  I hang my bag on the handle even though it says not to.  And I wish it had a cup holder. I think you can buy that in addition and I may look into it. 

5.  I found mine on a clearance sale for a good deal.  Shop around online.  It took a long time for me to pull the trigger but I'm so glad I did.  The girls LOVE it and even Hollis who is a little on the fussy side these days - is compeletly content on walks. 

I hope that helps!

All the Single Ladies

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

I got asked a LOT of questions on my Q&A post about singleness .............so I'm just throwing out a bunch of thoughts today - it's long. Bear with me.


I wrote some of this post almost 4 years ago. If you have read here at all - you know that I have a heart for girls who are single (and wanting to be married) and for those girls waiting for children. God made me wait for both a husband and children and even though I was NOT PATIENT at all in those waiting periods and it was hard ..................I can truly say now it was worth the wait and that I learned so much about Him and just exactly how much I can trust Him by learning to let Him be in charge.

I could probably write a 5000 page book on the subject of singleness because I know what it's like to wait for "the one" and I feel so strongly about it not hurting your self esteem or making you question God's love for you. I don't really know how to put it in one short blog post. I also am NO expert and I don't understand God's ways or His will for each person. I do believe our lives are like a jig saw puzzle and when you look at just one piece - it's hard to see what the entire picture is.

For one reason or another, God has had me in a waiting status for the biggest part of my adult life. Probably because I'm a planner and a control freak but most likely because He wants to teach me to trust Him and He also wants me to know Him and I have learned to cling to Him during these times. I had to wait a while for a husband and I had to wait for a baby. And the one thing I know for sure is God has let me go through both of these things so that I can have the ministry of encouraging women who are single or are infertile. I have such a huge burden for both groups because I know the pain that is in the waiting.

I grew up thinking I would go to college and meet the man I would marry. I thought that was how it worked and I tried to help this along by going to a Baptist college where I would for sure meet a Christian guy to be my soulmate. Well graduation came and went and I didn't have a ring, a M.R.S. degree or even a boyfriend. As the years passed, I began to feel more desperate and hopeless. I tried to put my trust in God but I felt like He had forgotten me. And I constantly compared myself to other girls who had gotten married - what was wrong with me? Satan really tried to attack my self esteem. That is one of the main things that burdens me about single girls is that you can really start to feel like you aren't "enough".

Well - the truth is that God has the perfect match for you if He has given you the desire to be married. And He is a God of perfect timing. And the thing I learned the most after years of trying to be who I thought guys wanted so they would like me is that there is nothing you can do or say - if he is the ONE - he will fall for you and it will work. If he is not IT - there is nothing you can do or say to make it be different. I used to think if I was just thinner or blonder or more stylish or funnier or smarter or more athletic or more Godly, THEN he would like me and want to marry me. Or if I would have just said this or done that - it would have worked out. But the thing is - if he is not who God has for you - there is nothing you can do to "make it work". The only guy I ever dated who I was just myself around was my husband. I never pretended to be something I wasn't. I never played games. I never tried to make it work - it just did. It fit. It felt like I had always known him. It just felt like home.

And I remember on my wedding day finally getting it. It HAD been worth the wait. I was a month shy of 30 and I thought that day might never come - but it did. And God IS so good. And I know now He needed to shape me into the woman I needed to be to make a good wife.

And marriage is not perfect. It can be wonderful but it can also be very hard. I always thought the answer to all of my problems was a husband. And I put a lot on hold until I was married. "I'll tithe when I am married. I'll get involved in church when I'm married. I'll invest in my retirement when I'm married." If you are single - don't wait on life to start when you get married. Marriage can just bring a WHOLE new set of trials and issues. But the one good part - is you have a partner to get through the problems with! God is so good to have ordained marriage and to give us these best friends to spend our lives with.

I pray if you are single - that you will just trust God that He does have a plan. I pray that you'll look forward to the day you are on the other side of the tunnel looking back and realize the journey you have been on has made you a better woman.

My sweet friend Caroline one told me something that I LOVED so much that it made me cry. One of my favorite verses (that I had made into a nursery sign for Harper) is Psalms 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". That was my life verse when I was single and it's on my heart again as I wait for a baby. Caroline said "Don't forget the verse before that says 'Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the Land and enjoy safe pastures'" She said her and her friends love to say "they are just dwelling in the Land". Isn't that awesome?

I hope if you are just dwelling in the land right now- that you will be encouraged that God loves you more than anything and if we humans who are evil like to give our children (or friends or family) good gifts - how much more does He want to give good gifts to those who ask Him? (Matthew 7:11)

Also - I know it's SO hard to feel included in church when you are single. That's something I really struggled with. Church can be so family oriented (which is wonderful and should be that way) - but if you are single - you can feel like you don't feel in. I think churches struggle with how to make that better. My encouragement would be to go anyway. If you can't find a good singles group - go to a couples class or small group. Those couples may be a good source for set ups!!! Other singles probably aren't going to help you find someone but couples would like nothing more than to help fix you up! ;-) You don't have to JUST be friends with other singles - but sometimes life just works out that it's easier to be with people in the same stages.

And this is probably the last thing you want to hear - but enjoy being single. Most likely you WILL get married and have a family at some point and you will look back one day and think "wow - it WAS kind of fun being single". Travel ......a LOT. I wish I would have done more. Volunteer for things (also a great way to meet like minded people). Go out to eat, visit friends, go to lots of movies. Enjoy Saturdays laying in bed watching movies all day. Eat anything you want for dinner. I am so thankful for my family that I can't stop thanking God but there are a lot of things you just can't do easily once you have a family. It takes careful planning now for me to have a night with friends or to go on a trip and I can't sign up to help with things or volunteer as much as I once could. I made the mistake of just wallowing in my unhappiness of being single instead of realizing it was (hopefully) just a stage of life and enjoying it.

I just want you to know - you are NOT forgotten and I pray for you - all of you - daily as you wait. Your love stories are still being written.

What we have been up to............

What we have been up to lately...................

Dressing up like a fairy princess

Trying out peas for the first time and LOVING them!

Being a little bit dramatic - especially when we are tired.

Wearing tutus and dancing with our friends

Eating yummy dinners like chicken, ranch potatoes (just fingerling potatoes with olive oil and ranch dip mix - SO GOOD!), and fried okra.

(For my okra- I used fresh okra and just added a little salt and pepper and corn meal and put it in the skillet with a little oil)

Eating lunch with two of my best friends and our kids - Hollis and her BFF getting acquainted.

Playing in the CFA playground after eating lunch with friends.

These are the best days .

What Women Fear

So y'all probably know by now if you read my blog - that one of my favorite people ever is Angie Smith. I loved her when I first was sent a link to her blog over 3 years ago and I read the words she wrote and I love her even more now that I know her as a friend and she sends me late night emails or texts that make me laugh so hard I'm worried I'll wake my girls up.
The reason I like Angie so much is she is so real. She is probably one of the five funniest people I know. She has a genuine love for Jesus that makes you want to love Him as much as she does. She is one of the most gifted writers I know. God gave her an amazing gift and He gave it to her in His perfect time. I know she didn't set out a few years ago to be a writer or a speaker with Women of Faith - but that's the path God has put her on and she is using it for His glory. She inspires so many women and yet she is the kind of girl you can sit at Sonic with and talk about shoes or hair or raising girls or you can cry talking with her about her HUGE heart for others or have deep spiritual conversations.

(I need to defend the fact that I am totally 9 months pregnant in this picture)

Angie wrote a book over a year ago called "I will carry you" about the loss of her daughter Audrey. It's SUCH an amazing book and she has done it again. Angie has a new book coming out next month called "What Women Fear".

I haven't read it yet (because it's not out yet) but I know that I know that I know that it will be amazing. And how many of you DON'T struggle with fear of some sort? I know I have had night sweats and bouts with gripping fear that cause my stomach to tangle up in knots. We as women are natural worriers - I can't wait to read what Angie writes (with I know words that God has given her directly) on this subject.

The book comes out September 1st. BUT TODAY there is an exciting pre-sale through Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble has really supported Angie both for I Will Carry You as well as with What Women Fear and are doing an exciting one day pre-sale today, Monday, August 22. If you pre-order a copy today at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/WhatWomenFear you will get 50% off, so the book is only $7.49. In addition, if you order the book today at Barnes and Noble online, email your order confirmation to whatwomenfear@gmail.com to be entered in two prize packs of 10 books from B&H Women (http://www.bhwomen.com) and a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.

$7.49????? Are you kidding me? That is a great deal. Buy one for you AND your mom or BFF!!!


Here is a little preview of the book:

I adore this girl and I want you to love her too! Reading what God has put on her heart will I KNOW draw you closer to Him and help you understand your fears. I hope you will get Angie's book and get one or two or three to give as gifts. And you need to get it today while it's such a great deal!!!!!!

Kelly

Weekend Follies

We have had a busy weekend.  Scott and Steve went to south AR to do some more work on their deer camp so it was just us girls.  I ate lunch with Laurie and my friend Tracy Friday.  Friday night I played with the girls and kept them up kind of late.

Saturday morning Caroline came over and we went to the Farmer's Market.  Caroline got some peaches and I got a big sack of okra! I'm so excited! I've been wanting some so bad! I have three ways I plan to cook them this week: Fry it up, with bacon and tomatoes, and Parmesan Okra!

Harper was SOOO excited that "Ya-Ya" (the name she started calling her on her own) (she gives EVERYONE nicknames) was hanging with us this morning.

We went to the splash park after the farmer's market and then took a trail walk to see our new art museum that is being built.  It was a fun morning.

The girls and I just hung around home the rest of the day.  Neither girl would nap in the afternoon and I was tired so they both had early bedtimes.  I got them both asleep in their rooms by 7:30.  That is the earliest they have both been in bed in 5 months so I sat down with some ice cream and a lifetime movie.  BLISS!

This morning was promotion Sunday.  Harper is out of the nursery and in her first Sunday School room.  I tried to take pictures before church and she wasn't thrilled. She let me take a few of both of them after instead.

I started teaching 9th grade girls this morning.  I'm SO excited! I think it's going to be so fun.  Scott and I are also taking a parenting class at church on Sunday afternoons - which makes for a CRAZY Sunday but it's something I think we really need to do. I'm hoping it helps us!

And please keep my BFF Laurie and her family in your prayers.  Her dad had a heart attack last night and had to be taken to Little Rock.  They are going to be doing quadruple bypass surgery.  I know she is very worried about her dad.  I'm hoping I can help her by keeping one or both of her girls this week.  Harper will be thrilled.  We are praying for a full recovery for her dad.

Show Us Your Life - Back To School Traditions

I know school started this week for a lot of you and will continue starting for the next few weeks for the rest of you (with school aged kids).

I can't wait to read about BTS traditions so I can get ideas for things I might want to do in a few years. Whether you homeschool or send your kids to school - I hope you will share things you do special for that first day or week!