On the food agenda this week..

BBQ Pulled Pork, Sweet Potatoes and Sauteed Green Beans, inspired by Klyn’s Blog

Chicken and Bacon Mac and Cheese w/ Salad (making a double batch as a friend had a baby) inspired by Giada (i use rigatoni, no ham, a mixture of italian cheeses, you don’t even cook the sauce you just throw it together, amazing and so easy!!! )

New Recipe off Pinterest- Cashew Chicken, Steamed Rice, with a side dish??

Spinach Mozzarella Ravioli (thank you Costco), Grilled Chicken,  some veggie dish?

Carne Asada (bought at a mexican grocery store) Spanish Rice & Refried Beans (made big batches and pulling from the freezer)

Pan Fried Cube Steak (my recipe), Roasted Potatoes and Salad

Dishes on the Horizon to try..

http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415239061/

http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415445485/

http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415437241/

Any good recipes I gotta try out there?

She is pretty attached to me and can get a little fiesty if I walk out of the room and/or reach for me if someone else is holding her, so special that she loves me so much but hard to have a break sometimes!!

The Stats:

18.5 pounds

27.75 inches tall

9-12 month clothes

morning and afternoon nap

11ish hours at night

So in the past I might have briefly mentioned that she has had a minor issue with her hip and has been in a brace off and on since she was 2 months. Not easy, but manageable. We had finally been given a good report and that her hip was deeper into the socket and looking good! But we just had a follow up appt where they took an x-ray to confirm all was great.. well it was not! Very disappointing and heart breaking. So now we have to move on to bigger and harder things. So right now we are awaiting insurance approval to set an appt for a procedure to be done (hoping to avoid surgery). They have to put her out (aahhhhhhh not cool) and play around with her hip and socket, insert some dye so they can see if something is causing all to not work properly as of right now her right side is all alighned correctly but not her left side its off by about 14 degrees. If its still minor then they will be putting a spica cast on for 3 long and miserable months and have it changed and xrayed 1/2 way in. If they find other problems then they will do surgery right then as well and still proceed to cast. For something so minor this has not been a minor emotional thing at all. Not looking forward to the next month, but praying diligently, doing some fasting and expecting God to come through and do a miracle for our sweet baby girl! So when I said I don’t really want her to figure out how to crawl right now that is why as it will be taken away from her from quite awhile if she is casted as planned. Any and all prayers appreciated! 

Otherwise she is perfectly healthy and overall the apple of my eye!! 

What she is up to..

Eating like a pro, this girl is a serious foodie there really isn’t anything she has turned down. (in the mix, plums apples pears beans peas prunes sweet potatoes carrots greek yogurt bananas avocado cheese chicken the girl loves her carbs too she will go crazy for puffs and mum mums) She loves picking up food with her fingers which she is working on but pretty impressed so far.

Still just has her 2 teeth, I keep thinking more is coming, but will see!

Sitting up like a rockstar, she loves playing this way now. (had her first bath in the big bath tub with brother was so cute!)

Chatting up a storm, starting to use more sylables and loves to squeal in delight as well.

Taking 2-3 naps a day and sleeping 12-13 hours at night.

In 6-9 month clothes, guessing she is about 20 pounds! Her cheeks are proof of her cuteness!

ADORES her brother, he can make her laugh so hard (he adores her right back and then some!)

Starting to notice if i leave the room and separation anxiety isn’t to far away I am guessing.

Still working on her hip issue and is quite a trooper to wear her brace/harness to help her hip push deeper into the socket.

http://www.momlifetoday.com/2011/10/8-ways-to-be-a-better-mom-to-young-children/

OCTOBER 5, 2011 BY CRYSTAL COMMENTS (14)

1. Make your relationship with the Lord your number one priority. If you’re too busy for God, you’re just plain too busy. Make time for the most important things. You won’t regret it.
2. Get a consistent routine in place. Make your routine simple (maybe even just five or seven things you want to do in the same order every day), write it out, and make yourself stick with it for three weeks. After that, you’ll probably find it’s become somewhat of a habit. Don’t set your expectations too high. If you’ve never had a consistent routine, you’re not going to go from chaos to a regimented schedule in two days. Start small, take baby steps, and make loving and enjoying your children your priority — far above a clean home or strict schedule.
3. Read aloud from a plethora of good books. Look at the pictures together. Talk about the stories. Stop and listen and answer your children’s questions. It’s not about finishing the book; it’s about investing in your children’s lives.
4. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Ask yourself, “What will matter 25 years from now?” and then live your life accordingly.
5. Take advantage of teaching opportunities. It’s amazing the things you can learn and explore together when you’re willing to stop what you’re doing and seize a teachable moment.
6. Praise your children liberally. Do you correct or criticize your children more than you praise them? As parents, it’s our role to guide and nurture our children, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also be their biggest cheerleader!
7. Realize that no mom — however put together she might look — is anywhere near perfect. Stop comparing. Stop feeling guilty. Focus on what works for your family and be okay with the fact that you aren’t gifted in all areas.
8. Don’t give up. Being a mom is hard, hard work. If you’re anything like me, you have days when you feel like you just can’t do it anymore. And I’ve come to learn that I can’t, in and of my own strength. But “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I usually just plan for 5 dinners a week, but would like to have some more ideas for the weekends. But usually end up doing easy quick stuff like quesadillas, grilled sandwiches, frozen taquitos (just made some homemade ones today, will share the recipe and do up a whole batch to be able to have in the freezer too), leftovers and such!

This is what I got so far, plus we are starting up a home group at our house so need to figure out what meals to serve up to our new group!

Spaghetti, Garlic Bread and Sauteed Green Beans

Chicken Enchiladas, Beans and Rice

Meatball Pizza w/ Salad (new recipe from Everyday Food Mag)

Yakisoba Noodle Stirfry w/ Eggrolls

Emerill’s Chili w/ Cornbread (new recipe from Everyday Food Mag)

Chicken Alfredo, Garlic Bread and Salad

Tacos w/ the works

Spicy Tuna Melts w/ Salsa Soup (new recipe from Everyday Food Mag)

Homemade Pizza w/ Cut up Veggies and Ranch (do this a couple times a month!)

Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Sauteed Green Beans

Sweet and Sour Chicken, Steamed Rice, Wontons or Eggrolls

Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ Toppings

Potato Soup w/Rosemary Bread

Arroz con Pollo, Fresh Tortillas and Beans (friends family recipe)

What fall meals are you looking forward to? Any recipes I have to try?

Pic taken by camera phone, sorry, but I was in a hurry to eat it!

What was on this fabulous sandwich you ask.. Fontina Cheese and Pastrami. The cheese made it scumptious along with it the best bread.. Tuscan Panne bread. I will always have an extra loaf in the freezer now. So great to pull out some bread, cheese and meat and throw it in a pan and come out with something so amazing!! I probably won’t buy the pastrami again as its not our fav, but was fun to try. I am more of a ham girl and Daniel loves turkey.

Run to Trader Joe’s NOW and buy the bread and cheese and whatever meat suits your fancy. Heat up a pan, slap some butter on the outside of the bread (I did put a bit honey mustard inside and that was lovely to0) and create a mouthwatering, crunch, melty, creamy oh so yummy in the tummy sandwich!

Seriously STOP what you are doing and RUN to the nearest Trader Joe’s and pick this stuff up!!! (I am asking for Panini Press for Christmas, can only imagine the fun I will have creating more ooey gooey, yummy sammies!)

Justice has really been into helicopters lately! We have pretend role play action hero time and do different scenarios with police cars, helicopters, firetrucks and ambulances. I was so excited that he and Daniel were going to go check it out together, Daniel originally wanted all of us to go, but tickets were spendy and I figured I could use a chill morning and they would have a blast together! WOW, they had an awesome time. They got there right after it opened and got to walk around and sit in my different styles of vehicles, the people were so friendly and made Justice feel like a pilot. One of the helicopters was roped off and not accessible but the pilot invited them to come back, let them sit in the helicopter, put on the helmet and everything. This kid was in Cloud 9. I am sure we will be hearing about this for weeks. To all you fabulous people that made my sons weekend, thank you!!! It sure warmed this Momma’s heart!! I am so blessed to have an amazing husband that spent some great one on one time with his son and took him on this special adventure!!

Yesterday Justice started talking back like never before and I was quite flabbergasted, I am not quite sure what is happening, but it was almost so unreal. I actually had to walk about as I was trying so hard not to laugh. Normally my blood pressure would be sky rocketing and I would be in the other room sobbing out of frustration, not handling things right and about to pull out my hair. I thought well I was prayed for Sunday, asked for grace and patience and WA LA.. here is my trial handed to me on a silver platter carried by my 3 year old. Jesus was right there with me. Today going through some of the same things with him (with a girl I am watching here at the house too), had to get Daniel on the phone as I needed some back up. I thought well time to read the Bible during nap time. Couple verses came to mind and stuff I read jumped out at me.

Passage James 1:2:

^{2 -4}Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

In a different translation it says Count It All Joy.. really Paul, I am suppose to count this stuff all joy, yep indeed thats what I should do. Knowing my end result is going to be beautiful, I will press through!!

Passage Romans 4:4b,5

4b,5  But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

This job of raising up my son and daughter is way to big for me, glad I have Jesus by my side to see me through!! Also having a team of great Moms around you to glean wisdom from, pray for you and get advice is so helpful and valuable.

*If you live in the area and go to our church Living Hope, if you ever have the chance to be prayed over by Joe and Judy Tanner, its a beautiful thing. I have gotten to meet with Judy once regarding parenting and I tell you, she is an amazing and wise woman, God has gifted her greatly!!