Thursday, December 29, 2011

Project Fail

so i was feeling crafty.
and thought this was cute.
i decided to actually try one of the crafty things i pinned on pinterest.
i already had this shimmery frame - just had to take the mirror out.  i tried to type the words but the printer kept feeding the cardstock through crooked.  So, I got blank bookmarks from michael's and a pretty red pen instead. also got some red foil wire and mini clothes pins.

starting materials
plan was:
cut book marks (to be 2 x4)
round corners
write christmas words
remove mirror
string foil behind frame horizontally - pin with thumb tacks
clip on words with mini clothes pins
admire my craftiness

but then, i tried to force the mirror out and....
it broke.
project fail.
i had already cut the bookmarks to size, rounded the corners and wrote the words.
looked for a frame but didn't love anything i saw. 
then we went to chicago for christmas and i lost interest.

haha maybe next year!
:)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

chicago recap

Today is Wednesday.  For this week and next week, I've rescheduled all my students to be in two days instead of coming each night.  That means lessons on and off all day.  It's not as hectic as I expected because some people have forgotten- well, not shown up, so I assume they forgot.  I wrote the time they signed up for on the lesson papers the week before Christmas & told the parents & posted it on my website & sent an email reminder.  Maybe I should call?  I really need them to show up next week so I can get paid.
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We just got back from Chicago - spent about 9 days there.  It was lovely.
i saw most of my favorite friends.
ben and i had dinner with a couple we love.
we had 2 family christmas parties.
christmas morning with my folks & my brother.
relaxing.
sleeping in.
celebrated ben's birthday... twice.
exercised...once
almost finished a puzzle.
watched some burn notice... our new favorite guilty pleasure show... bad acting. purely entertainment
watched It's a Wonderful Life
saw the new Sherlock Holmes
ate christmas cookies
wrapped presents
went to church
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we've been going to my aunt's house on christmas every year since i can remember.  there are just 4 of us cousins (5 now that I got married to an awesome guy) and usually, just the kids get gifts. well, now we're not really kids & my aunt has invited neighbors and friends to join us. so we decided to try something different with the gifts this year.  we played white elephant [$10 cap; we ended up having the right proportion of cool & silly gifts, which made it fun!] & asked people to contribute anonymously to a gift for World Vision.  World Vision sends out a Christmas Catalog - check out the online version here!  You can do things like buy a goat or contribute towards a fresh water well for a village.  People contributed cash through the night, then we decided at the end of the night what to give.  Twas more meaningful than a new sweater & it enabled everyone to give rather than some people to just get  :)  It seemed to go over really well!!! woohoo!! praise God!!
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christmas eve church service was awesome. beyond awesome. i know a lot of people go to church on christmas eve, but you should probably watch this one anyway. at least for the good music ;) oh ya, and an awesome message about making christmas personal!! here it is on video.


Christmas Weekend Service at Harvest Bible Chapel (entire service) from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

merry christmas!

family christmas party (L to R - aunt leora, cousin rebecca, rebecca's boyfriend Nic)

went to the Ram Brewery/sports bar for part of ben's 24th birthday hoorah!

fuzzy picture, but those are makeshift stockings.  haha

my christmas wrapping this year. (CHEAP!!!!!)


a dancing/ice-skating reindeer ornament impersonation

brian and dad got mom a bose ipod deck.  the wrapped the remote only, covered up the bose, and told her to press play. it started playing the hallelujah chorus! she was shocked. and excited. and conducting/ lip singing....

post-christmas-morning-gift-opening... playing with their toys (aka: computer programming stuff)

2nd christmas married!!!!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

It's a Wonderful Life





traditions are fun. well, i think so anyway. combining families brings an interesting dynamic to traditions.  there's the traditions ben grew up with. then, there's the traditions i grew up with.  then, there's me loving traditions and wanting to have our own together.  

for the past several years, my side of our family has had this Christmas Eve tradition.  
we order Chinese food.
we go to church.
we eat Chinese food.
we watch It's a Wonderful Life.

and it's awesome.

if you know me well, you know i love the movie It's a Wonderful Life.  i take after my dad in this.  i get something new from it every time i watch it, which is annually if you've been paying attention ;)  a lot of people don't like this movie.  granted, it's lengthy.  and you have to listen really closely to Jimmy Stewart's quickly-shouted speeches.

my all-time favorite quotes [at least for now] are:

My mouth's bleeding?  Burt! My mouth's bleeding... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!   - George Bailey


[if i'm not already crying by that part, the floodgates open there.]


A toast to my brother George, the richest man in town.  - Harry Bailey
Daddy, teacher says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.  - Zuzu Bailey

here's the thing.  there's a lot of talk about the economy these days, so the movie seems particularly relevant.  and financial crisis is very real to a lot of people. i pointed that out last night, to which my uncle responded

"yeah, but not everybody is gonna jump off a bridge."
my dad said quietly: "i thought about it... i thought about it."
so, i asked my dad: "when did you first see this movie?"
dad: "on t.v. when we were living in wilmette.  we were $40,000 dollars in debt and there was no way out."
me: "good timing, huh?"
dad: "ya."

(i could give you a lot more background on my parents' early years of marriage and financial crises but i'll save that for another time.)

let's just say - the Lord is good.  and He is faithful to do above and beyond all we can ask or imagine. and that is a very real, tangible truth to my family. and because of Jesus, life is worth living.  because God is the Great Provider that can provide in miraculous ways (like, in George Bailey's case, the whole town bringing you all their savings because you lost $8,000 and you're going to jail), life is worth living.  but it's more than money.  money is such a small thing.  George Bailey realized he was created with a purpose.  his life mattered.  he influenced lots of people.  God created me with a purpose too. and you.  we were created with the purpose to glorify God, yet we are born with the problem of sin.  God provided the ultimate solution to the biggest problem.  He provided Jesus on the first Christmas.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord."  

i need a Savior.  you need a Savior. and because of this Savior who is Christ the Lord, life is wonderful. it's worth living.

Merry Christmas!

p.s. if you haven't seen It's a Wonderful Life in a while... try again.   

Good Christmas Music

So, the church I grew up in recorded various Christmas songs (in video form) available for download.  I'm always looking for good Christmas music (good meaning, non-cheesy, non-radio Christmas music).  Here's a sample video :)


The rest are available to watch or download for free here!

Merry Christmas :)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas To-Dos

Great Christmas sermon from Harvest this weekend.  It helped me double check my Christmas priorities :)



Christmas To Do List from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Monday, December 12, 2011

another christmas-y video


Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Fear not

Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?


Did you notice when Linus drops his "security" blanket?  :)


Saturday, December 3, 2011

random

someone from a local piano studio contacted me about teaching group lessons & homeschool kids.  i've been praying for an "in" with a homeschool network. we'll see where that leads :)

Ben loves computer programming.  He's working on things that animate... like he enters all this fancy computer lingo into a program and hits enter and BAM!  a picture appears and starts moving.  cool!

i decorated for christmas. pics to come. maybe 

a name says a lot about somebody... here's a link to a little video about the importance of Jesus' names.

this politically correct children's book gave me a giggle.

a piano mom and i are starting this bible study.  i can't wait for it to arrive!!

a fun gift for those gifting on a budget :)

fabulous halloween costume...


this etsy print made me smile :)  i'd enjoy having it even though it's kinda silly

is it seriously december?!?!? o.m.g.

last week, i met with a personal trainer. it was included in a groupon deal with a month membership to a fancy schmancy gym here in town. she kicked my butt.  she was young and we started chatting and long story short... she and her boyfriend came to church with us this weekend.  I think God is working in their hearts!!

happy sunday!

Friday, December 2, 2011

healthy

we decided to start eating healthier.  this week's dinner menu included:
chicken & ranch wraps
broccoli & shrimp
pork tenderloin
tilapia

breakfast, lunch & snack items included:
bananas
clementines
apples
peanuts
deli turkey & cheese
whole wheat bread
oatmeal
spinach salad
annie's mac and cheese (not that healthy)

i feel better when i eat healthy.
we're not eating organic, gluten free, or vegetarian (not that those things are bad!)  here's our game plan:

slightly smaller portions 5-ish times a day instead of 3 large meals
healthier dinners (i.e. cut back on the meals that call for cream soup (aka: casseroles))
eat out less
snack on fruits and veggies

pretty straightforward. not too crazy. so far, so good.  check back with me in a few weeks to see if we're still going strong.

oh, by the way, on my clementine, the sticker said "party in my tummy." no joke!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Macadamia Nut Fudge

*a christmas favorite at the Pierce's
*recipe makes 128 1 in. squares-I make a half recipe

4 ½ c. sugar (2 lb)
½ c. unsalted butter
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk
3 4 oz. bars sweet cooking chocolate (eg. Baker’s German chocolate)
1 12 oz pkg. semisweet choc. chips
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. coarsely chopped unsalted raw macadamia nuts
(or walnuts)

Line 2  9-in. square pans w/ waxed paper. Combine sugar, butter & milk in heavy
2 qt. saucepan & bring to simmer over medium heat. At first sign of bubbling, simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & add all ingredients except 1 cup nuts. Spread into pans.
Sprinkle w/ remaining nuts, pressing lightly into surface. Chill until firm. Cut into squares.

Cathy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

i know everybody says they have the best chocolate chip cookies, but these are the best. they are famous in mount prospect. and that's saying a lot... considering all the famous chefs that have come from the humble village of mt. prospect.

Preheat oven to 350.

mix in a bowl:
      6 1/2 cups flour
      2 tsp. baking soda
      2 tsp. salt

mix in a larger bowl (or standing mixer)
      1 lb. butter (softened... not melted)
      1 1/2 cups sugar
      2 cups light brown sugar
      2 Tbsp. vanilla (real, not artificial)
      3 eggs

Blend flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture. Add 30-36 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips AND 1 to 1 1/2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts.  [optional - if omitting nuts, use a little more flour.]  Refrigerate dough for several hours (which keeps the cookies from flattening while they bake).

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet, using ice cream scoop for large cookies.  Bake in oven at 350 for 15-18 minutes.  (Don't overcook!!) Allow cookies to cool on the sheet for 10-15 minutes more then transfer them to rack to cool completely.

More tips for perfect cookies:
       use better quality chocolate chips (i.e. tollhouse) & butter
       use Cushionaire or similar brand cookie sheets
       only use the middle rack in the oven
       for chewy, moist cookies, undercook them.  Remove them while they look not quite done.  They'll continue "baking" while cooling on the sheet.
       eat a lot!!! :)






and for extra enjoyment, here's a funny cookie situation to inspire you (not the best quality... sorry!)

Roasted Asparagus

This one came from Ben's Grandma Ruth.  It's delicious!  One of our favorite side dishes to whip up - especially when you can find good asparagus

My Favorite Asparagus--Roasted
Oven:  425 degrees
 
One or two bunches fresh asparagus (20-24 stalks)
Wash, cut off tough ends (an inch or two).
Spread out on large, shallow baking pan.
Drizzle two tsps olive oil over.
Sprinkle garlic salt on top.  Toss to mix.
 
Roast in oven for 6-7 minutes.  Stir or toss to coat stalks again.
 
Roast another 6-7 minutes.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pad Thai

This is one of our favorite things to order takeout.  At some point, it occurred to me to try making it, so I hit up my favorite gluten free friend who has a host of rice-noodle based recipes and she sent me this one.  Although I haven't quite mastered it, it's pretty tasty.  Plus, Ben and I like making this together and he LOVES it.
Oh, something to note- the first time you make this, if you don't already have the Asian cuisine sauces and stuff around, it'll be a slightly pricey dish.  But, then that stuff will last you FOREVER & all you'll need to buy are the chicken and rice noodles each time.

Enjoy!


Ingredients
2 Tbsp. tamari wheat-free soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp. ground fresh chili paste (adjust to taste for level of spiciness) [i don't like spicy so I use approx 1/2 tsp]
8 ounces wide rice noodles
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced [i always used refrigerated minced garlic that you buy in a jar.  1 tsp = 2 cloves]
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (1 tsp if dried ginger) [i use dried]
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 egg
1 C. bean sprouts
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. peanuts (crushed)
1 lime, quartered

Directions
1. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and chili paste in a small bowl and set aside.  The peanut butter will not mix in completely.
2. Place the raw rice noodles in a bowl and pour very hot water over them.  Let soak for 15 minutes until al dente.  Drain well.  [i have not mastered the cooking-rice-noodles-thing.  generally, I boil water then pour over.  probably, they'd be less sticky if I stirred them around occasionally.  they do cook more when you put them in the pan later...]
3. Heat about 1 heavy tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the egg, stirring, for about 45 seconds.  Add the noodles and stir-fry for 30 seconds to separate the noodles.  Add the sauce and chicken, and cook for about 1 minute longer, until heated through.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the bean sprouts, cilantro, and peanuts.  Toss.  Squeeze one-quarter of lime over each serving. [I do a little less than that]

Minestrone Soup

4 oz. uncooked medium pasta shells or macaroni
1 Tbs. butter
½ c. chopped onion
¼ c. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 lb. Ital. sausage (you can buy the big links and take the casing off-then break it up into pieces)
1 c. sliced carrots
2 med. Zucchini, cut into ½ in. slices
1 large can whole tomatoes-cut up
9 oz frozen cut green beans
4 cans beef broth (I get more to add to leftover soup)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta (“al dente”) & set aside. Meanwhile, in large pot, heat butter, add onion, basil & garlic. Cook until onion is soft. Add sausage & cook until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Continue cooking until veggies are slightly tender. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally until heated through. Sprinkle each serving w/ parmesan cheese.

Tip: You can freeze leftovers. Works best if you wait & only add pasta when you serve soup-otherwise pasta gets mushy.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

simplify and give generously

This year, we are discussing how to give more generously and simultaneously cut back.  We love to give gifts.  I love to shop for people and think - oh so and so will love that, or he really needs this or... whatever.  And I think gift giving is a great tradition!!  But, it's a time of year when people can go nuts. or broke.  And the truth is your dad probably doesn't want that electronic toy as much as he wants you not to break the bank over his gifts.  But we love to give to our loved ones.  Therein lies the dilemma.  For me anyway.  Here are some practical things we're implementing.   

But first... a little background

I love to wrap presents.  For several years, most people in my family have given me all their gifts for one another (except the gifts for me) and I wrap them all.  They get stacked in a secret closet with post-its tha say who it's for and who it's from.  Then, I lock myself in the basement and wrap them.  Ribbons, bows, tags and all.  I love it! 

Last Christmas was the first Christmas where Ben and I were in our own place.  We weren't actually going to be around for a couple weeks in December, so a Christmas tree seemed wasteful.  But Ben surprised me with one anyway :) It was little. and cute. and special. and fun to decorate.  It was the first Christmas we had presents under our own tree (instead of at my parents' house) so naturally I picked coordinating red and silver paper and ribbons and all the wrapped presents looked beautiful.  For 2 weeks.  Then they were opened and thrown away (except the pretty ribbon).  In the future, when we have more discretionary spending money, I will probably go back to a beautiful, coordinating wrapping extravaganza.  But, this year, I'm going simpler.

Low-Key Wrapping.  Did I mention my love for wrapping.  It might be irrational to like presents wrapped all pretty, but I do.  However, I do not really want to spend $ 200 in wrapping supplies, most of which will be thrown away.  So, I've been browsing and have seen some ideas - one of which I'm going to adopt to satisfy both my love for cute wrapping and my love for sticking to the budget.  (especially on things that are insignificant.  like pretty wrapping paper).


newspaper wrapping; simple ribbon; gift tags with initials




this might be the winner since I already have brown paper wrapping (from walmart in the mailing section); just add ribbon and i'd probably use tags instead of stamps b/c I don't have stamps.





Plan Ahead.  In January of this year, we predicted all gift giving expenses - birthdays, cards, weddings, postage, wrapping, christmas, christmas donations.  We added up that total and divided by 12 (months).  We set the money aside in cash each month.  We keep a copy of the original list on hand so that we remember how much we budgeted for so-and-so's wedding in June.  Because the cash starts to add up (as most gift $$ is spent during the last month of the year), it's always tempting to spend more on the birthdays and weddings throughout the year.  But we try stick to the budget.  (nope, we are not perfect at this.)  That way, when December rolls around, we have the cash on hand to shop for our loved ones.  And as long as we stick to the budget, we can give generously.  because we planned ahead.  this is a LOW STRESS LEVEL/ HIGH FUN LEVEL way to Christmas shop :)

Christmas Cards. We have also decided not to send out Christmas cards. This year anyway.  I actually love getting other people's Christmas cards - cards, pictures, life story letters, letters written in the voice of the family pet, you name it!  I love it. I read them all.  And I love to send cards- the good old fashioned, hand written, hand addressed, snail mail way.  But, we don't have kids and quite frankly, who wants to see pictures of me and Ben?  Probably only the people who our parents send letters to.  And our pictures are in those.  We figure that we can write a year's update on this blog or perhaps in an email and save on the postage.  When we have kids, you'll get cute cards!  In the meantime, it's gonna be a one way relationship:  You send us one but you probably won't get one.  It's not personal.  Just monetary. :)

Give Generously.  It's nice to over-budget for gifts and come up short because we like to buy a goat through World Vision or adopt a child whose parents are MIA or donate gifts to the local homeless shelter or whatever.  You can even go to a shopping mall and find someone to donate to.  Just do it.  It's a great reminder of how blessed we are to be able to give generously to those we love and to our "neighbors" we don't know.

in what ways do you keep your christmas spending in check? 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

David and Saul

I'm reading through the Bible chronologically.  One new thing I'm learning from this (among many others) is which Psalms were written when.  For example,  Psalm 18 starts off, "I love you O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer... I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies."  Some Bible scholars and historians who are smarter than me have determined this was written following Saul's death.  To backtrack, Saul was out to murder David.  David had the chance to kill him twice and spared his life, instead trusting in God to take care of Saul.  Eventually, Saul killed himself, and when David heard about it, he wrote Psalm 18.  So now, when I read Psalm 18, it holds more meaning to me because I understand the context in which it was written.

A few days ago, my chronological reading 'assignment' was 1 Samuel 18-20 and Psalms 11, 59.  If you want to be astounded like I was, take a few minutes to read through that.

Recap...
1 Samuel 18- David and Jonathon (Saul's son) form a close friendship.  David has extreme success in Saul's army.  People praise David more than Saul.  Saul gets jealous.  "Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul... And David had success in all his undertakings for the Lord was with him." (vs. 12, 14)  Saul tries to set David up by giving him his daughter, hoping his daughter will distract David.  They just fall in love and David gets more successful.


chapter 19 - Saul tries to kill David at the dinner table.  "And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall.  And David fled and escaped that night."  (vs. 10).  Saul tries to hunt David down but David escapes with his wife's help. (The wife is the daughter of Saul that Saul tried to use to distract David.)

chapter 20- David goes into hiding and makes a plan with Jonathan.  Jonathan will scope out the situation with his dad.  If he finds that his dad is no longer angry at David, he'll give him one signal.  If he finds that Saul is still trying to kill David, he'll give him a different signal.  .... Yep, you guessed it.  the second signal.  Jonathan warns David that Saul's life mission is to destroy him.  They say a weepy goodbye.  David escapes.

THEN, David writes Psalms 11 and 59.

Psalm 11
In the Lord I take refuge; 
how can you say to my soul,
"Flee like a bird to your mountain,
for behold the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;" 
...
The Lord is in his holy temple; 
the Lord's throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of man.
The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfer and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 
For the Lord is righteous and loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

Wow. what faith. what raw emotion.  I used to read this and think - i don't know what i thought.  that David was moody? That he must have had some bad experience.  But to know that David was running from the wicked man, Saul, who was seeking to kill him for no reason, and that's when David wrote this... that gives it new meaning.  He was writing this in great faith that God loves the righteous and God would deliver him from Saul.

read 1 Samuel 18-20, then Psalm 59.  Be inspired by David's faith and prayer.   David prayed to God with great urgency.  His life was on the line.  I want to have faith like that.  To have urgency like that.  To not just pray "Dear God, blah blah blah. Amen"  but to call out to God from the depths of my need and with great faith, believe that He will see me through.  

Monday, November 7, 2011

monday rest

today is monday.
i was supposed to sub but i cancelled.  too much to do.
bills, budget, bank.
piano stuff.
phone calls.
license plates.
grocery shopping.

after i finally got my act together this morning, i went to walmart.
on the way, a man called. he saw my sign advertising piano. i thought - yay another student! he wanted to sell me a package with windstream, the internet company we already have and hate. but there's no competing companies. so we're stuck with it. i tried to be friendly.
i walked into walmart. no list.
could have sworn i grabbed it. i ripped it out of my notebook. i made the list saturday. had no idea what was on it today. because it's monday. that is 2 whole days to forget my list. ugh. said a polite goodbye to the advertising man on the phone and the man who just gave me the cart at the door. back home for the list.
15 minute drive.
list is on the counter.
yay.
back to walmart. feeling a little irritated.
then i remember that last night, we served food with the salvation army out of a truck downtown.  the food wasn't very good. we gave out 100-ish meals. to people who were waiting outside for not-very-good-mac-and-cheese-chicken-casserole from a truck.  and then i realize it's not that big of deal to have to go get the list because then i can go back to walmart and get fresh food to make for this week.
do my shopping. $30 on this week's groceries. this is why i make a list. score!!
get home. can't find the mozzerella. just had it yesterday. probably i threw it out on accident. it is nowhere to be found...
can't find the stamps.  just bought them last week. a new packet. cute christmas ornament stamps. nowhere to be found. they're probably with the mozzerella.
there are other things on my mind. i'm distracted. hence all the forgetting. forgetting despite the bajillion lists i made in the last couple days.
i'm distracted by the mom of a piano student who is a jehovah's witness.  we're meeting wednesday.  she is misled. i feel the spiritual warfare in my soul.
i am burdened for another mom who said to me "I'm starting to worry about where I'm going when I die" as i lent her the book "how good is good enough."  yet, i'm glad the Lord brought her to me and opened her heart and we're getting together this week.
i'm burdened for the people in need around me and around the world.

meanwhile, still can't find the mozzerella, stamps, AND i forgot something at walmart. distracted.

then i turn on my new favorite CD that one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world sent me for my birthday. the song i turn to is "restless." 
that's how i felt all morning. and yesterday.
restless.
the lyrics say....

and i'm restless... until i rest in you, o God.

so true. i listen to it repeatedly, singing it from my heart. praying. resting for a few moments. choosing an attitude of rest over anxiety. an attitude of gratefulness over grumbling.

Jesus invites us into his sweet rest. are you resting in Him today?
i am. and this afternoon is shaping up to be nice and peaceful.

p.s. the other day, i sent my husband an email in all lowercase letters. his first comment in his response was "i like the lowercase. very artsy." :) so, i'm going for it again. haha all these deep thoughts are making me feel artsy. and i'm really not artsy. so the only way i can express my artsy feelings is through lowercase letters on this blog. 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Subbing

Yesterday, I subbed. 
I have been subbing at least once a week in all sorts of subjects and grade levels.
I haven't seen much thinking required of students.
You know, stretching the brain. doing things that aren't easy.
I've seen some thinking.  but not much.

Yesterday I noticed lots of behavior-emphasis.  Come to school.  Learn behavior.

I wish kids could learn to love learning in school.
Some do.
Some get great teachers.  Who will do anything to help them love learning.
Some don't.
Some see school as one big beat-down.  Or they learn that if they just sit quietly, don't cause problems, and get their busywork done, teachers will leave them alone and they can make it through.  Others learn that if they act crazy, cause lots of problems, and never turn in their work, they will get lots of attention.
We call this "negative reinforcement."  Reinforcing negative behavior.

I usually pay no attention to "naughty" kids.  Unless the behavior is hurting someone else, I usually pay them no attention.  Eventually, most stop the behavior that has for so long drawn attention.  I try to pay the most attention to students who are working hard.  Because that is the behavior I want to reinforce.  I learned this from both mentor teachers in student teaching.  They were both really great teachers.  I don't think I've seen as good of teaching since then.  And that was in the "big bad inner city." :)

I am not perfect at classroom management by any means.  But I'd like to become better.  Subbing gives me opportunities to see a variety of classrooms.

On the other hand, I miss having 'my own' classroom.  With 'my' kids.  With students that I grew to know and love.  But, with private lessons,  I don't have lesson plans. 
I don't have to refer students to the discipline office.
I don't have to call home to discuss the profanity they yelled at me.
I don't have to work 50-60 hours per week to get the "must haves" done.
I don't have to...  a lot of things.
And I still get to teach.
I like both.  I like a classroom, and I like private lessons.  I'd like to plan where I'll be in 5 years, or next year.  Which type of job I'll have.  Should I look for classroom jobs or not? I think about these things and then I am reminded...  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  We should not be anxious about tomorrow, but let tomorrow take care of itself. The Lord cares for the birds and flowers, so He will certainly care for me.  For the desires and gifts He's given me.  Because He is good and He loves me, although I am undeserving.
And so, I'll take it one day at a time.  And today, it's subbing in high school choir :)

Monday, October 31, 2011

Kisses from Katie

That is the title of the book I just read.  Just read in a total of 4 hours.  Just read in 3 hours last night and 1 hour this morning. 

Just read, as in, finished 10 minutes ago. in tears. happy and sad tears.
Tears for the brokenness of this world.
Tears of repentance for my materialistic dreams, self-reliance, selfishness, desire to live in safety.
Tears of rejoicing in the truth that Jesus has come to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free.
Tears of rejoicing that Jesus will return again to take his children home to an eternity where we are restored.

Long story short, a young woman from a wealthy neighborhood in Tennessee was obedient to God's call on her life - she moved to Uganda and he is using her miraculously to accomplish his purposes there.  He is using her story to convict my heart (and probably many others).

This book is not a guilt trip.  It's a testimony of God's greatness.  Of the truth of the gospel.

I am still processing it and don't have anything more insightful to say, except that I will be sharing it with everyone I know.

Go get it.  Immediately :)


If you can't stop what you're doing right now and go get it, here's the link to her blog... a good place to start.
And THIS is the website for her ministry.  Perhaps all the women in your family should get a necklace from this ministry for Christmas this year?!?!? 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Right now...

I stole this idea from this blog.  (I don't know her. is that creepy?)

Right now, I am...

listening: to nothing. and it's peaceful.


feeling: cozy. heat on. windows closed. thoughts of carmel apple cider dancing in my head.



watching: The Office & Parks and Rec.  (not this second, but in life).
missing: my dear friend Kristen.

this feels like a super old pic! when she was preggo with her firstborn (who's almost 3 and has an 11-month old bro) and I was in college. 

wondering: whether or not I'll teach in public schools again

reading: The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

thankful: for God's provision and love

excited: for this weekend
i turn 24. that feels old.
working: on gathering Christmas music for all my students (except the Jehovah's witness kid) and coming up with a fun winter contest!

praying: for a piano student's mom who asked to borrow "how good is good enough?"

admiring: these china patterns
would i get sick of turquoise? it's so pretty. not very compatible with christmas decor. but so pretty. life's hard choices. :)

avoiding: my "insanity" workout

wanting: to learn how to sew... so i can make things like this for less than $40


excited: for a night with 2 girls from my bible study
anticipating: involvement with "city impact"

what are you doing?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Internet Findings

So, I not-so-secretly like to browse all sorts of random things on the internet.
I should probably set myself a time limit.
Here are some random things I've seen that I like.  (No promises that they will be of any interest to you...)

this house is so pretty.

This video is a hilarious plug for getting kids to sell stuff to give generously to the work for God's kingdom through their local church.  (It's the first one on the page.)

We did this alien-abduction-brainteaser with my 11 year old brother (in-law) this weekend. None of us solved it :/

This is short & funny. (and wrong)  It reminds me that my mom makes really good cookies too :)

i officially like pinterest.  i don't pay attention to any sort of so-and-so is following you or repinned.  the last thing i need is another social network site.  however, i do like that there is one place on the internet where i can "pin" everything else that i like.  like a virtual bulletin board. way better than a favorites bar. 

This looks like a tasty, fruity, halloweeny drink :)

These messages are convicting (in 2 videos totaling 80 minutes).  Part 1Part 2

Have you found anything good on the internet lately?

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thankful Thursday #5

Focus on the Family comes on about the time I'm dropping Ben off at work (we share 1 car!!), so I usually listen to it.   Unless it's painfully cheesy. 

This morning, they were talking with Carey Casey, the CEO of the National Center for Fathering.  I came on in the middle, but from what I gathered, he spent some time speaking to NFL teams before the game, doing what was supposed to be a routine devotional/ prayer.  But he was never routine.  He got straight to some serious issues with these guys, and always shared the gospel.  He said he often asked about their dads.  "Who doesn't know their father?"  And you could see the pain that would come across the many faces of the men in that room.  They're thinking, come on man.  Just pray and let's go play the game.  He told some neat stories of relationships built with these men and how they would share their past pain and hurt, just like anybody else.

Casey was sharing stories of abusive dads, dysfunctional homes, and he said, "there is no greater pain in a child's life than living in fear at home."  The host, Jim Daly, could identify and shared a short story about his childhood with an alcoholic, physically abusive dad.  And the bottom line was - living in fear at home.

At this point, I'm almost home. a little choked up.  [I'm a sap.] pulling into the garage. just listening to the end of the program and thinking.

I am SO thankful to have been born into a loving, nurturing family.  Both of my parents grew up in "dysfunctional" families.  and they both beat the odds.  Not only did they break the cycle of pain, divorce, alcoholism, etc... they both became believers.  My brother and I were "first generation Christians" if you will.  The first kids in our whole family to be raised in a Christian home.  not that it was anywhere near perfect :)

I remember my dad saying when we were younger - it'll be all new to see what your kids and families are like.  If you continue walking with the Lord, you will learn stuff younger than we did.  (They got saved in their late 20s/ early 30s.) You will know the Bible when you go to college.  You will receive God's blessings earlier than we did.  You will avoid a lot of the mistakes we made. 

And now, as a newly wed, I can already see the difference.  I had a good example of a marriage.  No, I don't know it all.  And no, our marriage isn't perfect.  BUT, we're not completely starting from scratch like my parents were.  They had to figure it out at they went.  I had an example.  They had to figure out how to parent as Christians.  I had an example.

Don't get me wrong - my family is not perfect.
But I am thankful that, by the grace of God, I was born into the family I was born into.  I didn't grow up in a household of fear.  I wasn't afraid of my parents. (except in that healthy-do-what-you're-told way) :)   I have a great relationship with each of my parents.  And most importantly, they taught me and showed me how to love Jesus.

They ended the broadcast saying, the most important gift you can give your kids is teaching them to know Jesus. 

To me in this season of life, this message means - more than a perfectly organized, perfectly decorated house.  more than great dinners, fun activities.  more than lavish vacations.  the MOST important thing I can do for my kids one day (kids that are no where near the picture yet) is to teach them and show them that God loves them and that they need to know & love Jesus personally.

Thankful to have parents who were committed to that mission in our home.  Thankful that I grew up in a home where I was not afraid, but loved.

What are you thankful for today?

Monday, October 17, 2011

Monday

I haven't really had much to say this past week I guess... blogging kinda went to the wayside.

My younger (but not littler) brother turned 22 last week.

Then...

the day Brian came home from the hospital

Now...

San Francisco in July




We're still good friends :)

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I subbed 2 days last week in Elementary school music.  
Kids often giggle when I say my name is "Mrs. Cook."  I guess "cook" is funny.
The 1st day of subbing, she didn't know I was a music person, so we watched movies all day.  2nd graders STILL love the Magic School Bus!  haha Miss Frizzle (or should i say "the frizz") is so entertaining.
The 2nd day, we learned Halloween songs.  4th and 5th grade learned "Little Shop of Horrors" which they loved.  You should have seen how captivated they were when I told them the storyline about the singing, man-eating plant.  They were SO excited to learn it.  And of course they asked if we could learn a dance, so I said yes.  And then proceeded to make up one on the spot.  I am not a good dancer.  So we step-touched our way through much of the song.  And performed for their classroom teachers.  And it was full of awesomeness.  The kids were so pumped.  :) I like days like that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last week's dinner menu was:
baked mac and cheese
baked potato soup (crockpot!) 
spaghetti (home made sacue)
chicken pad thai

It wasn't a very exciting week of meals.  The baked potato soup was good, but I didn't like it.  Well, Ben loved it. (I don't think he was faking it.) and I could see that it would be good.. if you liked baked potato soup, which apparently I don't.  I don't really like the flavor of potato in my soup.  Something about the soupy potato texture combo.  But, if you like baked potato soup, I suggest making it in the crockpot.  It's easy. and probably scrumptious.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week, we're starting a workout program called "Insanity."
I'm legitimately nervous.
and out of shape.
and not typically "insane" when it comes to exercise.
but i'm excited! 
and want to be in shape
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have 38 piano students. 
My goal is 50 by January.
Our original goal was 20 by October.  
I had 20 in about 1 month of moving here.  
God is so faithful to do "above and beyond all we can ask or imagine."  (Eph 3:20)  That is the resounding theme of this season in our lives.  
Thankful thankful thankful for his great faithfulness.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end; 
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness 
                   Lamentations 3:22-23

happy monday :)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Creamy Chicken & Noodles

This recipe is from my faithful red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  If you don't have one, order it immediately. Seriously. It has never failed me.  I have this pretty bridal version.

Creamy Chicken & Noodles
Prep: 25 min         Cook: 8-9 hours low OR 4 - 4 1/2 hours high
Makes: 6 main-dish servings.  (I feel like we ate it for days...)

2 C. sliced carrot (4 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (3 medium - I used less)
1 C. sliced celery (2 stalks)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 medium chicken legs (drumstick -thigh portion; about 2 lbs.) SKINNED - [I used 2 chicken leg-thighs and it was more than enough.  Also, the skinning a raw chicken leg almost turned me into a vegetarian. no joke. disgusting]
2 10.75-ounce cans reduced-fat & reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup [I just bought regular cream of chicken... let's be honest, is there really "reduced fat" CREAM OF CHICKEN soup? no.] 
1/2 C. Water
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
10 ounces dried wide noodles (about 5 c.)
1 c. frozen peas [I left these out]
Season with salt and pepper (optional)

- In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker (mine is 6 quarts...) place carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf.  Place chicken (raw) on top of vegetables.  
- In a medium bowl, stir together soup, water, thyme, & 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Pour over chicken and vegetables in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4- 4/12 hours. 
- Remove chicken from cooker before eating.  Cool slightly.  Discard bay leaf
- Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Stir peas (if you add them) into soup mixture in cooker. 
- Remove chicken from bones and shred/cut into bite sized pieces
- Stir the chicekn into the soup mixture in cooker.
To serve, spoon chicken mixture over noodles; toss gently to combine.  Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot 101

As I mentioned in a recent post, I broke out the crockpot last week.
Never mind that it's consistently 75-85 degrees here.  (no complaints!!)
It's fall and I was itching to bust it out... plus there's nothing like feeling as if dinner has been prepared for you, even though you prepared it. 

Both recipes below are from my faithful red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  If you don't have one, order it immediately. Seriously. It has never failed me.  I have this pretty bridal version.

Creamy Chicken & Noodles
Prep: 25 min         Cook: 8-9 hours low OR 4 - 4 1/2 hours high
Makes: 6 main-dish servings.  (I feel like we ate it for days...)

2 C. sliced carrot (4 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (3 medium - I used less)
1 C. sliced celery (2 stalks)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 medium chicken legs (drumstick -thigh portion; about 2 lbs.) SKINNED - [I used 2 chicken leg-thighs and it was more than enough.  Also, the skinning a raw chicken leg almost turned me into a vegetarian. no joke. disgusting]
2 10.75-ounce cans reduced-fat & reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup [I just bought regular cream of chicken... let's be honest, is there really "reduced fat" CREAM OF CHICKEN soup? no.]
1/2 C. Water
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
10 ounces dried wide noodles (about 5 c.)
1 c. frozen peas [I left these out]
Season with salt and pepper (optional)

- In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker (mine is 6 quarts...) place carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf.  Place chicken (raw) on top of vegetables.  
- In a medium bowl, stir together soup, water, thyme, & 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Pour over chicken and vegetables in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4- 4/12 hours. 
- Remove chicken from cooker before eating.  Cool slightly.  Discard bay leaf
- Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Stir peas (if you add them) into soup mixture in cooker. 
- Remove chicken from bones and shred/cut into bite sized pieces
- Stir the chicekn into the soup mixture in cooker.
To serve, spoon chicken mixture over noodles; toss gently to combine.  Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.
 
  
Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep: 25 minutes      Cook: 8-10 hours low or 4-5 hours high  
Makes:   6 main dish servings

1 lb. boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
4 C. water
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
2 c. frozen diced hash brown potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped [I did the real deal. very yummy]
1 1-ounce envelope onion soup mix (1/2 of a 2-ounce pkg.) [yes, that's straight from the recipe book... at least they're detailed! haha]
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder

-In a large skillet, brown meat pieces in hot oil.  Drain the fat.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, place meat and remaining ingredients.  [mine is 6 quarts. still.]
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.    
I cooked meat and chopped veggies the night before and refrigerated those pieces.  Then, popped it all in the next morning before work. SUPER easy.


Let me know if you try them.   
Enjoy!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Thankful Thursday #4

Here I am again - thankful on Friday.  Guess I should be thankful for a busy week.

Today I'm thankful for so many things.
But at the forefront of my mind is home sweet home.

I'm SO thankful for the chance to head back to sweet home Chicago this weekend.  I'm thankful for the wonderful family and friends awaiting us.  And I'm thankful that the logistics of trying to see 17-ish people in 36 hours has mostly worked itself together...

And now we hit the open road.
For 9 hours.
Thankful for a car! and a husband and father-in-law to split the driving with.

What are you thankful for today? 

Football

My brothers (in-law) play YMCA flag football.
They're on 2 different teams.
We've been to a few games this season.
Here are a few of my favs...

David usually plays QB


such intensity


i don't know these kids but it was a cute moment. the kid on the left just ran for a touch down


Will usually plays RB



everyone was surprised the YMCA scheduled a little league game during the husker game.  fortunately someone was blaring it from their car :)

get his flag!!

teaching moment

another teaching moment...

are you enjoying football season? :) i am!