Heart to Heart

 Hello blogland! I have been away for quite some time! I have missed you all! My absence is explained in what is to follow.

I awoke to the phone ringing and my mom telling me, " your dad is in the ICU, he has had a heart attack." After my tears cleared I began rushing around throwing things in bags. Getting ready for our 18 hour trip from Colorado back home to California to be at my dad's side. Amazing how quickly I packed for six! When we flew to Florida a few months back, I prepped for days. Not this time!
Our drive was smooth and undoubtedly blessed by God. At one point just a head of us a Big Rig caught fire. A fireman stopped us rather close to the Semi truck. As smoke was still billowing out, the fire they thought was out, flared up again. A policeman approached our window and said, "you are kind of close here. Go ahead because we are closing the road." Thank you Lord! We (the only car allowed through) were on our way!
We drove through the night and arrived in time for me to see my dad before going into surgery. Another praise in my heart! My dad was smiling and making all around him laugh. As the nurses began to roll him away to the operating room he was giving high fives to all he passed. That's my dad!
We waited during his six hour surgery, praying with out ceasing. What was originally thought to be a double, possible triple bypass turned into  a quintuple bypass. Surgery went well, praise the Lord. The surgeon said he has a healthy heart. That his six years of dedication to his elliptical machine is what saved his life.
My days were spent at the Hospital. Thanking God for the blessing of being at my dad's side. Seeing my strong, larger than life daddy lying in a hospital bed weak and dependent caused my own heart to be humbled. What a fragile, helpless dependent creature we are. We are nothing apart from our great Creator, always dependent upon Him, even if we think we are not. Our days do not belong to us. Our loved ones are  gifts and time with them precious. I am appreciating life in a deeper way than ever before.
The Bible verses in my previous post have been a constant comfort. God is good and in control!
My dad is home and recovering. After a nine day trip, we too are back home and settling back into our routine of things. What a whirlwind and now the calm.

Here is my mom holding her only grandson, in the ICU waiting room. What a needed blessing for Grandma in a time of trial.

My four girls and my sister's two... breakfast at Grandma and Papa's.

My sweet boy in Papa's chair

The sad goodbye but so happy to have Papa back home!

Here are some pictures from our slower paced trip back home.

Driving through Las Vegas

The location of Pawn Stars a TV show on History channel

Utah

 Many hours on the road can leave one a little silly. My husband said to the cows, "what are you guys doing out here?" To which I replied, "just moo-ving along." He thinks I am a nut and I "crack" myself up! One of my daughters asked if the cows were wild? My husbands reply, "yes they are a rowdy bunch of cows."

 Later on we came across a lot of tires in the road and my husband said, "there is a lot of rubber in the road." To which I replied, "this is where the rubber meets the road."
Laughter was a good contrast to tears. :)

I call my girls gooseberry all the time. 

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The Plans of the Heart...

"Mommy I peed (long pause)... on the floor!" My eyes were forced open, my focus not kicking in. "Mommy... I peed on your floor!" Oh yes reality, well good morning to you! So my day may not have started out the way I had hoped or even planed. Cleaning up pee off my bathroom floor and re bathing a child that was just bathed hours before at bedtime. Was not how I saw my day play out when my weary head hit the pillow. I just may have heard that same little voice mid afternoon informing me that once again she drenched the floor. Other mishaps surprised me. A kitchen was cleaned only to have dinner time hit. A kitchen re cleaned. A little voice calling from the bathroom for yet a third time. "Mommy, I  peed... in the toilette."  Well at long last something went as planned! 

Do you ever just feel...

Here are some Bible verses that encourage me when things just don't go as I had planned. Hope you find encouragement too.

Proverbs 16:1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Philippians 4:6-7  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:6-7  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
 
Proverbs 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

 

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{Cookie} Cutters

I bought a big box of cookie cutters and it is shaping up to be a fun purchase! Turning our sandwiches into different shapes has been so exciting for the girls. Today I decided to surprise them with pancakes dusted with powdered sugar!

 A football surprise for daddy form his girls!

Now all we need to do is make cookies with our {cookie} cutters!

Note: Because these cookie cutters are plastic, I cut the shapes after I make the pancakes. Just covering my bases. Lol!

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A Little Something Painted

I confess I love painting! I love taking an object and seeing what I come up with. Here are a few things I have painted for my girls' rooms.  (The frames can be found at Jo Ann Fabric. They are scrapbook size.)

 These book ends were in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby. They were a black, white and pink zebra pattern. I really liked the $1.36 clearance price, but they were not the color or theme I wanted. Paint! Lovely, wonderful paint... oh how I love thee!

Okay I know... I really NEED to get pictures in them! I am not even going to tell you just how long they have sat empty.

 This was also in the clearance section and formerly matched the book ends.

From this... to these...

So keep your eye out!  Something inexpensive slathered with a bit of paint, can turn  into exactly what you desire!

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Crock Pot Corn Chowder

One of my favorite things on a crisp fall or cold winter day is a bowl of my yummy corn chowder. Often times I like to serve it in a bread bowl to add to the YUM factor!
Here is my recipe. You can find many other versions... this just happens to be what I threw together one day and was so glad I did!
Enjoy!

Ingredients

Onion- Diced (I use half an onion)
Carrots- Chopped
Celery- Chopped (about 3-4 stalks)
(2) Cans Whole (or diced) Potatoes
(2) Cans Whole Kernel Corn
(2) Cans Cream Corn
Cooked Ham- Chopped (I buy Ham Steaks at Costco and keep them in my freezer HINT: if frozen I defrost it in a sink or bowl of hot water while still in the package.)
 (one ham steak is enough)
Flour 1/2 cup
Milk (1-2 cups depending on the consistency of your chowder base)
Butter (1 stick)
Chicken Stock (3 Cups) (I buy the 32oz box so I have a little extra if I need to thin down the chowder)
Salt
Pepper
Grated Cheese (Sharp or a Cheddar, Monterey Jack mix)


What I do:

In a stock pot, melt the butter. Then add the onion, celery and carrots and saute. Salt and pepper to your preference. When the veggies begin to soften a bit, add the flour and let it cook (careful not to burn it). Once that mixture turns to paste, slowly add the chicken stock  and then the milk (making sure you keep the chowder consistency and not that of soup. So you many not need all the milk or stock.)  Keep stirring to keep from lumping. Once you have a good consistency for the base of your chowder add the corn, cream corn, ham and potatoes. Stir. At this point I pour the chowder in my crock pot so it can cook all day on low. Just before serving I add the grated cheese. You can choose to add it to the entire batch or per bowl. I chose to do it per bowl.

Note: If you did not prefer to use the crock pot,  just add some saute time to your veggies in the beginning. Let the chowder simmer on the stove for about 20- 30 minuets.


Fall is in the air and Corn Chowder soon in my Crock Pot!
Hope you enjoy!

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Menu Monday #1

 I know it is Sunday not Monday...but this is in hopes to help you and I both on Monday!

I am not a foodie! I don't often think in terms of food. I don't feel I am naturally creative when it comes to food. The grocery store is a "have to do" not a "YAY it is grocery shopping day!" I repeat my recipes over and over again... but not to the point of boredom. I seriously lack consistency when it comes to planning out a menu. Though when I do... when I do plan out a menu it does make the grocery store more appealing. It is not such a dreaded place when I go with a plan. Some of you can relate while others of you I know will jump at the chance to want to bless me with all your great recipes! Hint! Hint!
Here is my hope... I hope to help or bless any of you who face the same struggle as I do. Menu planning! Or what to plan on the menu??? I also hope you will share with me what you have on your menu. Let's help each other out. What do you say?  Here are somethings I have planed for this week.

But first let us pause and take a moment of silence to thank the inventor of the Crock Pot!
Seriously a fantastic invention!

Crock Pot Chili with Cornbread Muffins topped with creamy, delicious, honey butter.

Crock Pot Corn Chowder served in a  bread bowl.

Chicken Quesadillas

Breakfast item: Peanut butter and jelly waffle sandwiches with a yogurt (not frozen), orange juice banana smoothie. 

That is it for now. My hope is to once again have a more organized planed out approach in place. The way it used to be before baby number five. An effort is a great re-entry step to planning my menu. Don't you agree?

I leave you with this...

  Easy Crock Pot Chili
Green Bell Pepper Chopped
Onion Chopped
Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
Can of Chili Beans in Chili Sauce
Can of Stewed Tomatoes (I use my kitchen scissors to cut them smaller while still in the can)
Ground Beef
Package of Chili Seasoning Mix
Ground Cumin (optional) 
Toppings:
Diced Onion
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese

Saute the Pepper and the onion while browning the meat.  This is when I add ground cumin.
Then dump all the ingredients (except the toppings) in the crock pot. Cook on low all day or on high for a 2-3 hours.

For the honey butter I soften the butter first in the microwave. Then add honey to taste. Mix or whip together.

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Desk and Chair Beautified

A while back my nine year old daughter asked me if she could have a desk in her room. Being that we homeschool and she is now at the point of working more independently, I said, "absolutely!" I knew the trick was going to be, finding a desk that was small enough for her room.
When I came across this desk on craigslist  I knew it was the perfect size! My darling husband set out to pick it up for me. Based on the color of the desk I knew I would be refinishing it. Based on the Craiglist add it was supposed to be wood. Well it was laminate. Oh well because it truly is the PERFECT size!
Now I had a new adventure ahead of me... painting laminate! Here is what I learned... even though the primer (Zinsser water based) said no need to sand... I sanded! What I would have done differently... paint a second or thicker coat of the primer before beginning to paint!

The chair is solid wood but did have some scratches. I sanded it a bit, painted it with primer and transformed it into pink perfection!

The desk was missing a drawer handle, but that was fine by me, since I was going to replace them anyway. Here is what I replaced them with.

 Sweet, glass flower knobs! I wanted the knobs to really be the personality of the desk. Especially since I chose to paint it a creamy white (Winter White by Olympic). Having the three different colors really adds personality, don't you think? Not so matchy, matchy.

Next to my daughter's bed is this custom made castle piece. It was left by it's creator in a natural wood finish. I decided to give it a more finished look and painted it the color I used on the chair.

 I now have a very overjoyed nine year old with a darling little desk and perfectly pink chair!
On to the next project... a chair cushion for her chair! The fabric I found is just adorable! Can't wait for you to see it!

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