Menu Plan Monday--October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!! October has just flown by here, and of course it's going out with a bang. School parties for the boys, their day ending in an all-school parade with the kids in costumes, and then trick-or-treating tonight from 6-8 p.m. We'll go out, then enjoy some candy & watch The Great Pumpkin. :)


Sunday: Crock pot pork roast & apples (this was DELICIOUS!)
Monday: Mummy Dogs  (w/o the cheese) & Noodle Soup (in celebration of Halloween)
Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, salad (in honor of All Saints Day)
Wednesday: Sandwich Night (1st Reconciliation mtg)
Thursday: Frozen Pizza, fruit (Lifteen night)
Friday: Potato-Leek Soup, bread rolls

Amen

Several sources have shared words I needed to read lately, so I thought I'd share:

Sunday's meditation from Word Among Us

"You may feel as small as a penny at times, but you should never sell yourself short. In the day-to-day interchange of ideas, relationships, and feelings, you have a vital role to play. You can give a living witness to the joy and promise of a life lived under Jesus’ authority. Yes, you may need to be cleaned up, but don’t stop there. Now that you shine, go out and reflect the light that has filled your soul!"

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From Crosswalk.com
"Do you ever get tired of waiting on God to answer your prayers? Recently, I began to feel a sense of frustration with the wait, and also a little bit tired.

Tired of saying the same old prayer day after day, month after month, year after year. Tired of telling God about the same old problems still going on. Tired of hearing myself pray about the same old problems, leading me to wonder if God was as tired of hearing my prayer requests as I was of praying them.

So I bowed my head and admitted to God that I was simply tired of the wait."

If you are tired of the wait, you may be pleading to God just like Isaac. It may take twenty years for God to answer our prayers, or it may only take twenty minutes. But today, let us find comfort in remembering Isaac's patient faith and take hope in believing that God is not tired of hearing our prayers. Instead, He is simply waiting for the perfect time to answer.

Dear Lord, please help me have patience and faith while I wait to hear from You. Help me live in excited anticipation for the day when I will see how You answer my prayers. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

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"Taking the time to build relationships sometimes means pushing ourselves out of our own little world. Having friends is fun of course, but it’s also an important part of maintaining our sanity and of building the Church." (from Faith & Family Live's blog)

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I have no clue why it's appearing highlighted in some parts, and I couldn't correct it. It's still worthwhile!

My Little Pumpkin is 8 Months Old!

It's been the fastest 8 months of my life.
He's a sleep-resisting blessing to our life, and we all just love him so much!

At 8 months, Cillian is:

-enjoying solid foods, especially the Puffs and Sweet Potatoes with cinnamon

-Trying to take his first steps

-LOVES watching his big brothers. He smiles for them instantly

-He's around 15 pounds
-NEVER stops moving. Crawls constantly, and he's fast. Pulls up to standing all the time.
-He likes to feed himself, and is proud of his big messes
-Is happiest during family dinner, when we're all together
-He has 4 teeth, seems to be cutting 1 or 2 more

Cillian, 
You're a true joy, even on the most tiring of days.
You have the best, bashful smile, and you're a huge blessing.
It's gone by so fast, almost a little too fast.
We are so grateful God gave us you, and look forward to all of your milestones.
We love you!
Mommy

Menu Plan Monday--October 17, 2011

Sunday: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, garlic bread, salad
Monday: Slow Cooker Bean & Corn Chili, corn muffins (Brennan's 1st field trip)
Tuesday: Skillet Garlic Chicken, Rice, Broccoli
Wednesday: Hamburger Cabbage Casserole
Thursday: Sloppy Joes, carrots, chips
Friday: Potato Soup

Today's Satisfaction

Going to Sam's Club with my list and $80 cash to spend, and my bill totaling $79.83.   :)

Having homemade Corn Chowder to eat, and homemade banana bread.

My house smelling good (see above).

Remembering to do morning prayer with my boys this morning, to offer our day to God. It really makes a difference.


My husband squeezed in his run over his lunch break, which means he doesn't have to run after work. :)


It's the little things in life.
What are your small blessings today?

Menu Plan Monday--October 10, 2011

Monday: Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Tuesday: Corn Chowder
Wednesday: Italian Style Rice & Beans
Thursday: Sandwich Night
Friday: Chili with Beans and Corn

It's Worth the Half Hour

Several people on Facebook had posted this, so yesterday I finally watched it.

I am glad that I did.

The first few minutes into it, I was beyond shocked and appalled that these youthful people did not even know who HITLER was. That was disturbing in & of itself.

The way this was lead, though, made it worthwhile. The change...the angle.
The TRUTH.

It made me grateful for the education I've received, the people in my life that value LIFE, and especially grateful for the opportunity I had to tour Auschwitz and Birkenau.

I will confess this: I've always been pro-life, yes. But it wasn't until I visited Auschwitz that it started to "personalize" for me. The fire's flame was lit then, so to speak.

Please watch this. It's truly eye-opening and amazing.

Menu Plan Monday--October 3, 2011

Yeah, yeah, Menu Plan Monday on Sunday.
That's because I want to share today's delicious new recipe! :)

I bought a whole chicken for the first time. Maybe that's surprising, but bones, skin-on, and that much rawness kind of gross me out. (to my credit, I've done a big fat turkey)
The price, however, is very appealing. And it's pretty when it's all cooked, surrounded by the tasty carrots and potatoes. It's comfort-food, and Sundays are good for comfort food. Especially when the low temp dips into the 30's at night!

Sunday: Rubbed Down, Slow Cooked Chicken, potatoes, carrots (check it w/ a meat thermometer & no worries)
Monday: Delicious Potato Soup (it's seriously delicious. It doesn't even taste an ounce of low-fat.)
Tuesday: Teriyaki Sticky Chicken, rice, steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chili w/ corn muffins
Thursday:  Leftover Chili over Baked Potatoes
Friday: Refried Beans over Rice, topped with cheese & sour cream if you fancy

My hubby is off to a Notre Dame football game over the weekend! I hope he has a great time visiting with old friends. The boys & I will be making some fun fall crafts to decorate our home. :)
Happy Fall!!

My Heart Smiles

When my boys show love between them...

When my oldest leads his younger brothers...

When my middle son is not afraid of his baby brother...

When the baby purely enjoys the company of his big brothers...

:)