Stopping to Take a Breath

Hello all of you sweet peeps. I don't have long because we have two basketball games in a while, plus I'm at the library since our computer is down (still) and I have a HEAVY BREATHER sitting next to me...humming, too. ugh.

Anyway, this has been a crazy, crazy, CRAZY month for us. I'm learning to accept that when it ....ok, the guy just BURPED...with juiciness. I"m outta here.

Just a Quick Little Update

So for three weeks our computer has been sick...very sick. So much so that we are going to have to get a new one. NOT good timing. What am I to do at home when I get a craving for Scramble, or Jewel Quest? For Facebook or Gmail? For...the OUTSIDE WORLD?!?!?!?

Anyhoo, enough whining. Here are a few events that have kept us on our toes for the past month:

*Celebrated Thanksgiving together as a family with our dear friend Faith. Played games and talked and enjoyed each other's company.
*Anna came down with Chickenpox--BAD! She missed a week of school and was covered from head to toe .
*Jacob had his first band concert ever. He is playing the trumpet and is really really good at it. AND, if I may brag, he is teaching himself the guitar!! He can pick out just about any song by ear, and has learned tons of chords. We even played a couple of Christmas songs together (me, on the keyboard). What a dream come true for a piano teacher!!
*Caleb had his 3rd grade Christmas Program; he actually helped conduct one of the songs and did it PERFECTLY!! Talk about a proud Mom and Dad! I was smiling from ear to ear as my youngest sang his heart out...ON KEY!!
*Anna played her first basketball game EVER last Saturday. I guess she has enough of her Daddy's genes to actually play a sport. She did a great job! In all other respects, she's like her Mom. :)
*This past weekend Jarrod and I attended 7, count 'em, SEVEN, basketball games between our three kiddos! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it was and how exhausting it was!
*Jacob came down with the Chickenpox last night!!! He's had the shot, so it seems to be a very mild case.
*We are staying here in Newton for Christmas. Had great plans of going home to NM, but the timing just wasn't working out for my side of the family to be able to spend any real time together. We are all very disappointed, but we're planning to take a trip out there in a couple months. In lieu of NM we are going to spend it, once again, as a family doing super-fun things in Wichita. I'll let you know what we decide. ;)

To all my dear friends: I miss you so much and am so glad that we can "talk" through this fascinating little thing called The Internet.

Have a wonderful Christmas celebrating our sweet Saviour! Love to all!

Chicken Tamale Pie

This looks involved, but it's really a snap to throw together. We all need a new recipe now and then, don't we?

Chicken Tamale Pie

Filling:

1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, yada yada

3-4 NM green chiles seeded and chopped (OR 1 can chopped green chiles)

1/2 can creamed corn

2 c. shredded cheese

2 t. taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients and place in 9x13 pan. Mix all cornbread ingredients together well. Pour over the top of of chicken mixture and bake at 350° for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cornbread Topping:

1 c. cornmeal

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 c. buttermilk

2 T. melted butter, or oil

1/2 can creamed corn

2 eggs

Easy-Peasy variation:

*Use canned chicken or chopped chicken breasts

*Mix up a box of Jiffy cornbread mix and call it good!

The Things We Do That Make Us A Parent

I'm sitting at the computer in the dark. It's been a looong weekend. My poor Caleb has the dreaded H1N1 (aka: piggy flu, "Hiney" flu, whatever). Thankfully, he's doing better this morning. Fever is down a bit, he's still sleeping and I got a mostly full night's sleep.

I won't whine, mind you, but I will say that I am missing 3 important things this weekend:

Jarrod ~I sent him off to Kansas City yesterday to a Jayhawks game.

Weekend in KC with my hubby at a Jayhawks game

My 20th HS Reunion in Spring, TX

Ya know, God always has a reason for these quirky happenings that "mess up our plans".

"You can make many plans,

but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

~Proverbs 19:21

Jarrod just called this morning to tell me some of what God has spoken to him about...great, exciting stuff. Myself: I've had a weekend with my three kids in a tiny house and it's been good. I've let the house get messy (gasp!), we've watched lots of tv and movies (gasp!), we've baked STORE BOUGHT cookie dough (what?!? Not from scratch? Yeah, they're delish!)

When a kiddo is really sick, you stop everything and pour every ounce into getting him better.

Thank goodness for Facebook! I've been able to see pics from my reunion almost instantly! They're all old. ;)

Thank goodness for cellphones! Jarrod and I have texted and called a bunch.

yep, he misses me. :}

Plus, had I been in KC, I would have missed Jacob's first win yesterday: 18-6

GO WARRIORS!!

Now I shall begin the great clean-up.

Homemade Deliciousness...Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I must say that this is not MY recipe, but rather from my Mom's bestest friend ever, Julia Sommers. I must give credit where credit is due. She gave it to me at my bridal shower, so many years ago, and everyone goes nuts over it.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. oatmeal

Chocolate Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

3-5 T. boiling water

1/2 t. vanilla

Mix first 7 ingredients, then add dry ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 min. Cool.

Beat frosting ingredients together and spread over bars. Cut when cooled.

Yield: 12 servings

Oh my gosh, does it get any easier than this?!?

Today I...

On my Blessed Day Off I...

• Baked hamburger buns for our "Green Chile Cheeseburgers" tonight.


• Sewed up a clothespin bag (so easy, and so needed)


• Baked Whole Wheat Bread, which looks like it's gonna be hard as a rock...too much wheat flour or it's too old


• Watched old "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie" on hulu.com while I clean/sew/bake.


• Hung clothes on the line on this beautiful day, but one line fell down. boo hoo.


• Played a couple rounds of "WordWhomp" while I ate my lunch. Was craving Beenie Weenies, but had to sub the weenies for leftover meatballs. Not too bad.


• Need to change into nicer clothes to pick up the kids and take them for eye appts.


• Need to call and wish my Dad a "Happy 62nd Birthday"!


• Talked to Jarrod as he was going from one construction job to another.

She's Back

Pic #1:Mom, my cousin, and Myself
Pic #2: Caleb, Me and Jacob in the cccold stream.

In case you were worried...I'm still alive. I've kinda strayed from the blog-thing. Twitter captured my attention for a couple of months, but I'm bored with that. There are too many people who give a second-by-second account of their lives, and honestly,

I DON'T CARE!!

AND I don't think anyone really cares about MY little details on a regular basis. Boy, that sounds harsh.

Anyway, I'm back to "Blogsville". I've been so inspired by the cutest, most creative looking blog pages lately and it is stirring up the "left-hander" in me- ie: time to sew, bake, redecorate, shop..."let the creative juices flow!!!"

I was going to post about my summer adventure to New Mexico, but I did already mention some of the stuff I did there in my last post. Plus, I asked my Dad to post some pics from my trip as, *sniff, sniff*, I LOST MY CAMERA IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SANTA FE!!!!

OK, here's the low-down: So my parents (who BTW were AWESOME to be with), my kids and myself went up to the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Santa Fe. We did this twice while I was there to cook breakfast in the morning up in the mountains. We're weird like that. Eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and green chile just taste better up there. Well, then we drove up a little further for a hike. NOW, in case you are getting all impressed at my "athletic prowess", let me halt right there, partner, and make you aware that the term "hiking" is extremely relative. HIKE: to walk down the path at "my Dad's Rock" and enjoy the scenery.

So towards the end of our "hike", Mom and I decided to wait at the top at the van while Dad and the kids played in the stream downhill. I set my backpack down and walked around for a little bit. Then when the gang got to the van, I hopped in and we drove home. Lalala, I go about my day and begin packing that night to drive home the next morning, and I have this sickening feeling: THE CAMERA!! Too late now. It's a goner!

All that to say...I asked my Dad for any pics he had on HIS camera so I could post them on here. Well, I pray that these weren't his only pics, as I am lookin' pretty rough. But, in humbleness I will post these if you promise not to laugh.