Saying Hello

At the beginning of January the hubs started a new job - one we had hoped for, but didn’t expect to happen quite so soon.

Which meant we would be moving…

Finding a place around here proved to be a little overwhelming. We were surprised to find oodles of properties to choose from ~ but sometimes too many choices isn’t easier.  It was quite an adventure to find our place.

We looked at a number of places…in fact we exhausted the real estate listings for our area and after looking at all the different floor plans and locations of said properties and all the details made me dizzy and stressed me out like crazy! And then I realized that since God brought us to this job and we know He did, because we could clearly see His hand through it all, then we need not worry about finding our new home.

And you know what?

That’s exactly what he did.  He found us the most perfect home… one where our family will still feel welcome and one that we can call home when it’s just the two of us….

{photo from google earth}

Over the past several weeks, I’ve packed up our house of almost 30 years of stuff and memories and I found myself questioning all the things that I had in closets, cupboards and drawers. As I went through each room, I started with the easy stuff like duplicates, things we didn’t use or enjoy and the stuff that had no purpose.  We boxed it up and labelled it for a sweet yard sale.

But as I made my way through the rest of the house some items were harder to decide what do with.  My heart strings are strong.  How does one rid oneself of the clutter you’ve come to care about? My daughter, bless her heart ~ simply asked “Mom, what are you keeping this for?”  And as I started to defend “my reason” I realized that if I couldn’t come up with a valid one I simply had to let it go! But there were some things I just wasn’t ready to part with and you know what - that’s ok too! There aren't any rules to getting rid of stuff.

We got the keys to the house on Friday and our family and friends helped us move on Saturday.  Which means this week ~ I’ll be  busy unpacking. Don’t worry though, being the Type “A” person that I am, I already have several posts in the queue ready to go...

Take Care

Saying Good-bye

We got the keys to the new house today… eeek!

And this weekend we’re moving and saying good-bye to the farmhouse…

where the hubs grew up, we raised our three kids and created so many memories!

I am very excited, feeling a little nostalgic and completely overwhelmed with everything that’s going on… but I am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives.

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

143. birthday celebrations
144. ambulances
145. dq ice cream waffle cones
146. quiet country nights
147. pinot grigio
148. roadside daffodils
149. survivor finale parties

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

tasty tuesday

You know in the grocery store, in the baking aisle, how there are several shelves full of cake mixes? Red ones, yellow ones, white ones, brown ones, confetti ones, pink ones, orange ones, blue ones, wait a tic… are there blue ones? Not sure about that now that I think of it.

But, did you know that you can make cookies from these cake mixes?  Well, neither did I until I found a recipe on Pinterest.  These are probably the easiest cookies you’ll ever make! And you might be surprised just how delicious they really are.

Cake Mix Cookies

{photo & recipe website}

Ingredients:

1 cake mix {any kind}

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips {optional}

Directions:

Combine cake mix, eggs, and oil in large mixing bowl, and beat well. 

Stir in chocolate chips, if using.

Drop into 1-inch mound balls on cookie sheets. 

Bake at 350°F for 8 - 11 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

V-A-R-I-E-T-Y!!! That’s what’s so fun about these cookies! 

Take Care

Her

It's her birthday!

I've written here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here about her.

I am very thankful, blessed and honoured and the hundreds of hundreds other words I could use {yes, I know I used these words before ~ but they hold true here too} to describe just how I feel having this girl in my life!

Happy Birthday Krystle!
Love Mom

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

136. holiday weekends
137. tractors
138. smirnoff coolers
139. motorcycle rides
140. thrift store finds
141. post-it notes
142. gazebos

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

Book Review ~ The Stranger

While I am not a “Stranger” to reading Harlan Coben’s novels, this latest novel might have me thinking twice about talking to strangers.

From the back cover
The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne's deception, and realizes that if he doesn't make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he's stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.

The Stranger of the title is a secret-teller, not a killer, but his secrets can be just as deadly. The story starts when a stranger tells the main character, a lawyer with a perfect family {or so it seems} a secret that can totally change his life when it becomes known out of the blue, years later.

His unannounced visit to Adam leaves this happily-married man suddenly grasping the possibility that he had never really known his wife at all. But even more terrifying discoveries are looming just around the corner and with them, almost unheard-of danger. Soon, Adam’s wife is missing, and others who are somehow connected to The Stranger and his “co-workers” are showing up dead, and Adam is trying to hold his family together while the life he knows falls apart around him.

These people are ordinary people just like you and me living their lives until “The Stranger” lets past actions come into their present. Some of the elements of the overall conspiracy aren’t fully explained, but that doesn’t matter, since that makes the story-line all the more believable.  It grabbed me from chapter one with its vivid characters, plenty of mystery, suspense, small town life, sports politics, conspiracy, blackmail, murder, drama, thrills, chills and unexpected twists. The plot is unpredictable, a gripping story of all the characters that make you care about their struggles and their well being.   It was easy getting lost for hours in this book and not being able to put it down because you want to find out who this Stranger really is, what actually happened to Corinne, and what outcome awaits the supposed friends and colleagues of Adam’s.

I enjoyed the fact that this story was an out of the ordinary murder mystery dealing with modern technology. Definitely worth reading!  Real life doesn’t come wrapped up in a pretty box, and this page-turner is one stranger that readers will want to meet.

What would you do if someone came up to you and revealed a secret about someone close to you? To what lengths would you go to protect a secret and your family? 

Take Care

mhmm monday

Growing up each holiday weekend Monday found my mom in the kitchen making these super delicious homemade doughnuts… from the Mennonite Relief Sale Cookbook.

Relief Sale Doughnuts

Ingredients:
Dissolve 1 pkg yeast in 1 warm cup water. Let stand 5 minutes.
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup lard
1 cup scalded milk
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs

Directions:
Mix in order given and add enough flour {approx 6-8 cups} so dough will not stick to fingers. 
Let rise until double in bulk. 
Using a doughnut cutter, cut doughnuts and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with oil, leaving space between each doughnut for rising. Re-rolling scraps as necessary.
Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, approx 25 to 30 minutes.
Deep fry in hot oil on medium high heat (375º) till donuts are golden on one side, flip over and fry till golden or done. 
Let donuts drain. 
Then dip while still hot in syrup: 1 pound icing sugar, ½ cup water. 
Enjoy!

Take Care

Him

It's his birthday!

I've written here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here about him.

I am very thankful, blessed, honoured and the hundreds of hundreds of other words I could use to describe just how I feel to have him in my life.

Happy Birthday, Darcy!
Love Mom

Take Care

Ram Tough

We’ve made some major changes in our lives this year… new job, moving in to town. So, it only made sense to add a few other changes. Like buying a motorcycle and we also bought a truck… not just any truck mind you, but a 2015 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman.

sah-weet! {which in case you didn’t know, from urbandictionary.com means: “A word used to convey a superior sense of awesomeness, usually a more excited form of “sweet!”}

According to their website “Ram 1500 Outdoorsman is outfitted for wherever your adventure takes you! When life throws you a challenge, the Ram brand rises to the occasion… with a host of Best-in-Class features, Ram delivers it all, and then some.”

I’m looking forward to the many years of adventures we’ll share…

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for…

129. being a mom 
130. farmer’s markets
131. dq ice cream cakes
132. greenhouses
133. chocolate covered almonds
134. smell of fresh cut grass
135. the honesty of children

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

take a ride

we bought a motorcycle {yamaha v-star 1100} for him....

to be honest it's just as much for me.  

we had one when we were first married and i loved sitting on the back, cruising around.

but after our kids were born, it made sense to let it go.

since we've been empty nesters these last few years, i've been itching to get another one.  with all the other changes {the job, the move} happening this year, the time is finally right.

looking forward to spending many hours taking rides together.

take care

tasty tuesday

These are quick and easy to make, making them ideal for a weeknight or any time really. Understandably so, these are also super delicious and little addictive!

Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites 

{photo credit & website}

Ingredients: 
¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 
1½ cups water (or vegetable broth or chicken broth) 
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
2 cups broccoli florets, finely diced 
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced 
1 garlic clove, finely minced 
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese 
½ teaspoon paprika 
Crushed red pepper (optional) to taste

Directions: 
In a medium sauce pan, combine quinoa and water (or broth) and cook according to package directions. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, eggs, broccoli, onion, garlic, cheese and paprika.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.
Put a heaping tablespoonful of quinoa mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes and then gently remove from pan to cool completely. Makes: 12 bites 
Enjoy!

Take Care

Worlds' Toughest Job

aka           MOM

For this Mother’s Day this year, take a moment to thank that powerful, gracious, funny, loving, intelligent, and caring woman who made a difference in your life.

Happy Mother's Day!

Take Care

Change in Plans

So, I think I’m a bit of a control freak. How do I know? 

Well… 
I don’t like interruptions ~ I like to stick with my plans.
I tidy up as I go along in the kitchen… but I also tidy up as my husband cooks which drives him crazy as I often put away things he’s still using!
Being late stresses me out.
I rip out pages in my journal if I make too many mistakes ~ especially if it’s a pretty new journal!
I tend to be ok with my own mess, but hate other people being untidy.
I need to be in control of my own schedule ~ if it gets changed for whatever reason that I have no control over I freak out.

Can you relate to any of these things? Or have I just ended up making myself look like I have a screw loose?

Needless to say that when the date for the move to our new house got changed from June 20  to May 30 due to some unforeseen circumstances ~ to say I was flabbergasted ~ isn’t even close.  It’s not in six weeks, but three…count them, three more weeks till we move!

EEEK!

Trying to have control over our lives isn’t always a bad thing. But here’s the thing ~ we need to understand that the control we want to have can only go so far. Things happen that we have no control over and we need to be prepared to surrender our schedules and plans in order to allow God to intervene and do the miraculous!

Some would say it’s simply a coincidence, but if we have our eyes open we can notice that it is really God at work.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11{New International Version {NIV}}

So we’ve been packing, and purging, and thinking, and organizing, and donating, and recycling, and cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning, and …it’s been a little overwhelming.

But it is exciting! Even for a control freak like me!

Take Care

Thankful Thursdays

…and so we continue counting the things we are thankful for… 

122. spa day retreats

123. celebrating my mom’s birthday
124. cell phone texts
125. kit kat chocolate bars
126. my girl playing the piano
127. hair gel
128. chicken wings & beer nights

Will you join me as we begin to be truly thankful for each day, and for each opportunity given to us, and who knows? we might just see how truly blessed we really are.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

Take Care

A day at the Spa

We {Becky, Krystle and myself} spent the day celebrating with mom. After all, it is her birthday.

After enjoying a delicious lunch at Dimitries’, we treated ourselves to pedicures and manicures at Janelle’s.

Happy Birthday, Mom!  May you have the best year yet!

Take Care

Reading List

18 weeks, 40 books ~ I’d say I’m easily on my way to reading 100 books again this year!

Here’s the full list of what I’ve read so far with the highlighted ones getting their individual review.

# 1 Die Again ~ Tess Gerristen
# 2 Sinners & Saints ~ Eileen Dreyer
# 3 The Consequences ~ Colette Friedman
# 4 Promise Me ~ Harlan Coben
# 5 Hush ~ Karen Robards
# 6 Getting Rid of Matthew ~ Jane Fallon
# 7 Vintage ~ Susan Gloss
# 8 Seconds Away ~ Harlan Coben
# 9 Eyes Wide Open ~ Ted Dekker
# 10 Last Seen Leaving ~ Kelly Braffet
# 11 Necessary Lies ~ Dianne Chamberlain
# 12 White Plague ~ James Abel
# 13 The Bishop’s Wife ~ Mette Ivie Harrison
# 14 Choose the wrong guy, give him the wrong finger ~ Beth Harbison
# 15 Therapy ~ Jonathan Kellerman
# 16 The Juror ~ George Dawes Green
# 17 The Delicate Storm ~ Giles Blunt
# 18 Digital Fortress ~ Dan Brown
# 19 Heartstone ~ Phillip Margolin
# 20 Women of Justice ~ Too Close to Home ~ Lynette Eason
# 21 Women of Justice ~ Don’t Look Back ~ Lynette Eason
# 22 Women of Justice ~ A Killer Among Us ~ Lynette Eason
# 23 Trespasser ~ Paul Doiron
# 24 Crash & Burn ~ Lisa Gardner
# 25 Lizzy & Jane ~ Katherine Reay
# 26 The Power of Three ~ Laura Lippman
# 27 The Girl in the Green raincoat ~ Laura Lippman
# 28 What we’ve lost is Nothing ~ Rachel Louise Snyder
# 29 Someone’s is Watching ~ Joy Fielding
# 30 What the Dead Know ~ Laura Lippman
# 31 Deadly Devotion ~ Sandra Orchard
# 32 I’d know you anywhere ~ Laura Lippman
# 33 NYPD Red ~ James Patterson
# 34 The Never Never Sisters ~ L. Allison Heller
# 35 The Mermaid’s Child ~ Jo Baker
# 36 Secrets of a Charmed Life ~ Susan Meissner
# 37 The Accidental Book Club ~ Jennifer Scott
# 38 Every Fifteen Minutes ~ Lisa Scottoline
# 39 Left Neglected ~ Lisa Genova
# 40 Love Anthony ~ Lisa Genova

I love a good novel. One that keeps you hanging on every word. The plot thickens. The turn of a page brings a turn of events. Hanging on to every last word as the story unfolds.

What are you reading these days?

Take Care

mhmm monday

Chocolate and Peanut Butter ~ does it get any better than that? 

Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes 

{photo credit & recipe website}

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size
24 Oreo Cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. 
For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. Place into muffin tins.
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked Oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a separate baker or muffin tin. 
Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve. Makes 12 servings
Enjoy!

Take Care

Keep calm and trust God…

The other day while walking the country road I heard the distant barking of what sounded like a very large dog.

Of course I’m startled #1 I am afraid of big dogs and #2  loose dogs in the country cannot be easily ran from…. for a moment I stop in my tracks while my dog keeps moving right along, tail wagging happily.

As I came over the hill there they were.  Three, count them three Rottweilers   All very large. And all barking incessantly that we were walking by. They each offered their version of a deep, gruff warning bark.  As I looked in the direction of all the noise, I came to realize that not one of them were tied up and I seriously started to panic.

Sasha is wiser than me in this way. She pays no attention. Not a single “woof!” in response. Not a missed step. Not a concerned look.  She doesn’t engage in unnecessary vocal back-and-forths. She doesn’t run over to say “hi, please don’t eat my human”. She doesn’t wag her tail to convince them to change their minds and like her. She just carries on.  I, on the other hand, pay a inordinate amount of attention to the barking. And try to quickly figure out how to get away as fast as possible without alerting them to the enormous fear that is building within me.

There are so many things to fear aren’t there? Afraid of the headlines and the diagnosis and the phone call or the email.  Of big dogs, or getting lost, the small and creepy crawly scary things or the thousand thousand other terrifying things too.

Fear is one of my biggest problems. I often times let fear rule my life more than putting my faith in God.

Rather than considering that God knows what He’s doing and trusting Him, we immediately roll out a long list of what-ifs.

Tell me I am not the only one!

There are days when fear creeps in and it’s all I can think about. I think I can’t do this because I’m too small, too unworthy, too dumb. I think I can’t get through this because it’s too hard, too big, too impossible. But I don’t want to live my life afraid.

I’m in a season of re~evaluating where and how I spend my energy. I find myself often asking this simple, hard question about each choice I make: Is this really worth it? And when it comes to responding to the barking that comes from others the answer is clearly this: No, it’s not.

If you hear barking ask yourself this:
Can this actually hurt me or is this simply triggering my fear?
What will it cost me to engage in this?
What do I risk missing out on if I get sidetracked by this right now?

Fear. I know it too well. 

Keep calm and trust God… because in the end, nothing else really matters.

In other words, pay no attention to the barking.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise ~ in God I trust and am not afraid. 

What can mere mortals do to me?” 

Psalm 56:3-4 {New International Version {NIV}}

Take Care