Happy Mother's Day!

I have been waiting for this day for...forever. I have always known that I wanted to be a mommy. Starting when I was a little girl barely walking, I carried a baby doll. I always imagined what it would be like, and I can tell you today, on my first Mother's Day, it has surpassed that childhood dream of mine. Being a mommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I know it's just getting started and getting better each day. God has truly blessed me with a great mother and other wonderful motherly examples in our family to look up to. Each woman in my family is such an incredible mother in their own individual ways. Starting with Ghee, the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman, she set the bar high. A mother and grandmother that showed unrelenting love and patience for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends of the family that she considered her own. Next my Aunt Betty, who has taught me that no matter what, family is the glue that holds it together. She loves each of her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and it shows constantly when you are with her. My Aunt Trish: the mom that would let you buy any cereal at the grocery store - WITHOUT a coupon! :) Haha - but my Aunt Trish has shown to be the type of mom and "Gabby" that I have never seen lose her cool and patience. Now I know she probably had to come down on Connie, Cindy and Todd, but never do I once remember her losing her cool. What a great example and Godly woman she is for her family. She is so giving and such a wonderful asset to our family. Now, to the woman that I aspire to be, my mother. My mom has shown me what it takes to be a mom. She made sure we always went to church, had dinner together in the evenings, and I'll never forget that she always made sure she was there right after school to pick us up...snacks in the cooler. How she juggled everything going on, I'll find out one day. She did it all with grace and poise...and she still does. She has made it a point to attend all of the dance recitals, competitions, soccer, baseball, football games, concerts, you name it...she tried her HARDEST to be there. She is a wonderful mother, and now has the opportunity to be an amazing "Kaki" to my sweet daughter, Elouise! I love all of the mom's that I have been blessed to have in my life.Now here are some pictures of MY first mother's day....

I am so blessed to have this amazing, vibrant, energetic and just so darn cute little girl. Elouise Kathryn Love is more than I could have ever asked for. I love her!

Happy Belated Cinco De Mayo!!

Yeehaw! Oops...maybe...arriba!? Okay for all of you that love to cook or just love Mexican food, have i got a recipe for you. I made Cinco de Mayo dinner for a friend of mine that recently had a precious little boy. Here was the line up:

1. Guacamole

2. Chicken Enchiladas

3. Beef Enchiladas

4. Sopapilla Cake

-------> Let's say we had TONS of leftovers.

The guacamole was Paula Deen's (I added Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder to taste)

The beef enchiladas were from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook....if you don't own this cookbook, go to www.amazon.com and BUY IT NOW!

The chicken enchiladas were from a cookbook called Cooking by the Bootstraps. Here is the fabulous recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 c chopped onion

1/4 c butter

1 (8 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

6 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 T milk

1/2 tsp cumin

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

12 (7-in) flour tortilla

1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Saute the onion in the butter in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the green chiles. Combine the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture near the edge of each tortilla and roll to enclose the filling. Place the tortillas seam side down in a greased 3 quart baking dish.

Combine the remaining green chiles, soup, sour cream and 1 cup milk in a bowl and mix well. Spoon the soup mixture evenly over the tortillas. Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake just until the cheese melts.

Makes 12 enchiladas

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And sopapilla cake deliciousness....I do not claim that this is healthy for you one bit, but if you make it, I can guarantee, you'll not have leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 cans of crescent rolls (do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use generic...ick)

2 (8 oz) boxes of cream cheese (softened)

2 cups of sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 can of pie filling ...your choice. (We use apple, peach, strawberry...whatever you prefer...I like apple the best)

1 stick of butter (melted)

Cinnamon to taste

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line the bottom of a well greased 9x13 pan with one package of crescent rolls.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla together.

Spread the cream cheese mixture along the crescent rolls in the pan.

If you choose to use pie filling, now is the time to put the pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.

Top this with the other can of crescent rolls.

Combine the melted butter and remaining sugar (1 cup) together in a bowl and pour over the cake.

Sprinkle to your liking with cinnamon.

Put the cake in the oven for approx until top is browned. The butter and cake will still seem "shifty"...but as it cools it will get better.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.. Mmmmmmm......

More Pictures

More pictures because the last post wouldn't let me put anymore!

The Little Princess!

Okay, okay, okay...I get it. I'm a terrible terrible blogger. However, in my defense, we have been out of town for the past five weeks! I haven't done much of updating anything except mine and Elouise's wardrobe. A girl's wardrobe should always be updated....or added to...whichever you choose to think! So a little about the precious little girl in our lives (or as Josh calls her his "Sugar Pie Princess").

Elouise is growing SO fast! She is now sitting up, mimicking everything we do, and evolving into a little diva! She definitely has a personality! A precious one might I add!

Never Been More Applicable Than Now...

Many of you know that Josh is now working in Nigeria. He is gone for 28 days and home for 28 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around this all. He left Monday and we didn't talk through email until last night. At one am (7am Nigerian time), my Bible lesson came through on my email. I haven't slept much since Monday and I saw it come through. I just read it and can not believe how God works in such amazing ways....the most applicable message for this point in my life.

Fearing the Unknown 29 Mar 2011 by Micca Campbell “Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Joshua 3:4a (NIV) Do you ever fear the unknown? Perhaps it’s your health or the uncertainty of your future. Maybe it’s the decisions your children will make about following God or following their peers. Fearing the unknown can cause us to spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear: • The future is not here. • The future is not ours. While the future may be out of our hands, it is not out of the hands of our faithful trustworthy God. When we face a worrisome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty. It’s recorded in the first chapter of Joshua that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land — the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants. Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God’s direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God’s Presence abided) to follow it because they had “never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). In essence, God was saying: Follow Me and I’ll see you through this unknown territory. That’s not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them? You see, friend, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you’ve never passed through before and you’re afraid. It may be the first time you’ve been without employment. Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. You’ve never been down this road before and you don’t know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way. Joshua’s life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me, too. As He promises in Isaiah 43, when we come to a place we’ve never passed through before, God is always present to help us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (v.2-3a, NIV). Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances. Dear Lord, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknowns in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I'll See You At The Party

My Bible Lesson this morning.....Thought I'd Share.... I’ll See You at the Party 20 Mar 2011 Melissa Taylor "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10 (NIV) She asked to see the family, so of course, we complied with her request. After all, this woman, now in her ninety-second year of life, had earned our love and respect. Just nine months ago, she was independent, full of energy, and involved in life. Now she was calling her family together to say, "Good-bye." We were saddened by Little Granny's announcement that she was ready to meet Jesus face to face, until she added, "Put away those sad faces...I am happy! Keep smiling." Many would not understand her joy in the midst of the knowledge she was dying. But Little Granny knew something about where she was going. I took my kids to see her to say their final good-byes. They hugged their great-grandmother and told her how much they loved her. She told them the same, her words faint and weak. When it was my turn, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I love you," I said. To which she replied, "I'll see you at the party." At first I thought she might be disoriented. But as I looked at her through my tears, I realized she was thinking very clearly. Little Granny was on her way to "the party" in heaven, her eternal home. I get the joy that Little Granny felt over going to the party. I'm so thankful that after this life journey is over, I'll join her at that party. But even in the joy of eternity, death is hard. It's hard on us who are still here. My mother died one year ago. The ache that burns deep in my heart is like none I've experienced. She was my best friend, and now she's gone. Just today as I was grocery shopping, I caught a glimpse of the apple turnovers that she loved so much. We used to eat them topped with vanilla ice cream. I broke down right there in the frozen food section. I so badly want to enjoy an apple turnover with my mom. That part of my life is over and I'm left wounded. The only peace I have is that Mom is at the "party" and one day I'll join her. Until then, I must live my life. I don't mean get through life; I mean really live life. As Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). My Life Application Study Bible's commentary puts it this way: "In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives right now is abundantly richer and fuller. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately." Sadly, too many of us spend our lives waiting to go to the party instead of living for the party – right now. We realize that our life here on earth is not always what we wished for but then we settle for a dull, just-getting-by life instead of the spiritually rich and abundantly full life Jesus offers. How do we live that full life with so many trials? We stay close to the One who has promised us life; we stay close to Jesus. We remain in the Word of God and apply His promises to our lives. It doesn't mean all of our pain will be removed, but it does mean we can live full and free lives. Little Granny said, "I'll see you at the party." Well Little Granny, I hope you are having a blast up there! And in memory of you and my mother, I think I'll have a little party right here of my own... a Jesus party, where I will strive to do just what He said and live my life to the full! I hope to see you at the party!

Look What I Did

As I posted before....I need a hobby. Don't get me wrong, Baby E keeps me busy. However, I feel like I could be doing productive after I workout, do the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house....

So I took on a project.

It is simple, but I am proud!!