Pasta, Peppers, & Chicken

I've gotten out of posting a weekly recipe, and I'd like to get back into it. So here's your recipe for this week!

I was running short on time this evening, and threw this easy peasy recipe together!

As a side note, I am loving those Philadelphia Cooking Creams!! They are dee-licious, and so quick! Plus, if you caught the last Publix sale, they've made for some cheap dinners!

I took 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and diced them up into small pieces. I cooked them up in a little bit of olive oil. I also sliced up several small red and yellow sweet peppers, and threw them in once the chicken was almost done. Meanwhile, I cooked a box of whole wheat pasta. Once the pasta was done and drained, I mixed in the chicken and peppers, as well as a tub of Italian Cheese & Herb cooking cream. Voila!

Plus, we have a lot leftover for lunch tomorrow!

It's Moving Day!

It's moving day, and a beautiful day it is! Couldn't ask for a better day. I am looking forward to getting some furniture in this house, and making it my own. We've had 99% of our belongings in storage since September. I may not recognize half my stuff!

Painters were here Friday to take care of our kitchen and family room. I love painting myself, but we have 10 foot ceilings in both of those rooms, so I was pretty leery to do it myself. They did a beautiful job. I will post before and after pics soon.

I had better scadaddle and get things rounded up before they get here with the moving van!

Oh The Places You'll Go

Oh The Places You'll Go

By Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

We Closed!

After nine long months our house hunting journey is finally over! This past Friday we closed on our house, and so begins the journey of home ownership.

The past nine months haven't been a whole lot of fun, but looking back, I am happy with where they brought us.

In June of 2010, we found out our rental was being put up for sale. I immediately started looking for another, and we decided to look into buying. We found one pretty quickly, but it fell through.

We kept looking, and found a beautiful condo that we fell in love with. Everything was looking good, we were about to close, and had moved out of our rental and into a hotel for what we thought would be a week. Then the foreclosure sales were frozen, and thus began another long wait. In January, we got word that foreclosure sales were going again, and we would close soon. A few weeks later, on what would have been Grace's 2nd birthday, we found out the HOA for the condo was in massive debt, and our loan was promptly dropped. That one took a while to get over.

We immediately started looking again. Our poor realtor was such a trooper. We drug him all over Jacksonville! If you ever need a good realtor, I have got an awesome recommendation! We found a beautiful house in the southern tip of Duval county, and after a little debate put an offer in.

Obviously the third time was the charm. Everything flowed easier, and we closed on March 4th.

We were in a hotel for almost 5 months! It's still hard to believe! We realized that there are many, many things one can learn to live without.

We are extremely happy to be in our own home, and feel blessed beyond measure.

Updating Soon!

The Tiny Rosebud God Picked To Bloom in Heaven

The Tiny Rosebud God Picked To Bloom In Heaven

-Helen Steiner Rice-

The Master Gardener

From Heaven above
Planted a seed
In the garden of love,
And from it there grew
A rosebud small
That never had time
To open at all.
For God in His perfect
And all-wise way
Chose this rose
For His heavenly bouquet,
And great was the joy
Of this tiny rose
To be the one our Father chose
To leave earth's garden
For one on high
Where roses bloom always
And never die.
So, while you can't see
Your precious rose bloom,
You know the great Gardener
From the upper room
Is watching and tending
This wee rose with care,
Tenderly touching
Each petal so fair.
So think of your darling
With angels above,
Secure and contented
And surrounded by love,
And remember God blessed
And enriched your lives, too,
For in dying your darling
brought Heaven closer to you!

Sweet Memories

I have been missing Gracie today. It's funny how something will trigger certain memories. I was taken back to the night that I woke up from my c-section, and my sweet husband told me our baby girl was no longer with us. It still rips a hole in my heart. A year and a half later and I still find myself breathless at the immense pain. I really do not know how my husband did it. God has given me a very strong man. He didn't waver, he was by my side and stayed there.

So tonight, I will share with you sweet memories.

Small Enough

I was reminded last night of the song "Small Enough" by Nichole Nordeman. I have loved her for a very long time. She writes honest lyrics that touch your heart. As I fell asleep I was listening to the words of the song.

Oh, great God, be small enough to hear me now
There were times when I was crying
From the dark of Daniel's den
And I have asked You once or twice
If You would part the sea again
But tonight I do not need a fiery pillar in the sky
Just wanna know You're gonna hold me if I start to cry
Oh, great God, be small enough to hear me now

Oh, great God, be close enough to feel You now
There have been moments when I could not
Face Goliath on my own
And how could I forget we've marched around
Our share of Jericho's
But I will not be setting out a fleece for You tonight
Just wanna know that everything will be alright
Oh great God, be close enough to feel You now

All praise and all the honor be
To the God of ancient mysteries
Whose every sign and wonder turn the pages of our history
But tonight my heart is heavy
And I cannot keep from whispering this prayer
"Are You there?"

And I know You could leave writing on the wall
That's just for me
Or send wisdom while I'm sleeping,
Like in Soloman's sweet dreams
But I don't need the strength of Samson
Or a chariot in the end
Just want to know that you still know how many hairs
Are on my head
Oh great God, be small enough to hear me now.

This world can be a scary and uncertain place. There are times when I ask why God? Why this, why them, why me? Why have I dealt with infertility, why did I have a miscarriage, why did I lose my daughter.

Last Saturday a local Pastor here in Jacksonville was going through neighborhoods passing out VBS fliers when he was hit by a car. He has been in a coma for the past several days, on life support. He passed away yesterday, leaving a beautiful wife and two small children behind. His family had been praying for a miracle, but it didn't come. It is so easy to feel abandoned at a time like that.

Out of all the uncertainty, all the pain and confusion He is there. He is small enough.

And The World Spins On

I've thought about writing this post many times. I've even started writing, and couldn't finish. I wish I could let people crawl inside my head. Then and only then, would they understand.
It's quite obvious that I've completely abandoned my blog. I'm sure most people understand why, but for those who don't I digress.
One year, five months, and twenty five days ago we lost our beautiful Gracie. I will not go into detail here. I'm sure there are inquiring minds that want to know, but frankly I am not at a point in my life that I want to openly share with anyone who stumbles across. Maybe one day, I will be there, but not today. Those who know me best know exactly what happened, and that is enough for me. Suffice to say, my blog was all things Gracie. It had been for so long, and honestly I didn't know how to go on from such a staggering loss. So I didn't. However, almost a year and a half later, I'm ready to begin again. I've missed my blog. I write for no one but me. It gives me clarity, and I have missed it.
The past 18 months have been hard. My world just stopped, and it drove me mad that time just marched on and left me standing there, with empty arms and a broken heart. Gracie was all I ever wanted. She was beautiful. She had a head full of dark hair, just like her Daddy; and a tiny little nose that looked just like mine. Here was this amazing little creature, absolutely perfect, that had flitted in and out of our lives so quickly. It tore our world apart.
I don't have all the answers, I wish I did. I know that losing a child is something I don't think you ever get over. I've heard from many hurting Mother's, and the answer is always the same no matter how many years have passed. You've heard the saying that time heals all wounds. I don't believe this for a second. It still hurts like it was yesterday. It takes your breath away, and you have to remind yourself how to breathe.
Amidst all the pain, I know this. Grace is in Heaven. She is perfect, whole, and happy. She knows nothing but bliss, and the sweet love of our Father. She is not troubled by the awfulness of this world, and for that I am thankful.
I will move forward, knowing that Jesus knows best. Even though I don't understand why, He had his reasons for taking Gracie. She was never mine to begin with, simply a sweet gift that I had the pleasure of keeping for a very short while.

Busy Month

Yes, I'm still here. No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

December was a whirlwind of events! We were quite the busy bees. We had a lovely Christmas in Tennessee with my family. We drove up during the night on the 23rd and relaxed in a park upon our arrival. Phoenix and Ella were thankful to get out of that van. Okay, Phoenix was thankful. He's not a very good traveler. We were finally able to get into our "in town" cabin later that day, only to find it way up on a mountain! It's a good thing it didn't snow. It was fun, and we had a beautiful view. We had a wonderful Christmas Day in the cabin and ate way too much! We went to Dollywood and had a funnel cake! Okay that wasn't the only thing we did there. It was strange not being able to get on any rides! We drove up in the Smoky Mountains and Phoenix and Ella made quite the spectacle of themselves. People were following us around with cameras taking pictures of our gorgeous huskies. You would have thought they were movie stars. Phoenix was pleased. He likes posing. Before we knew it, it was time to go home. Obviously everyone else was of the same mindset. Traffic was horrid. It took 13 hours to get home. My pregnant self was really feeling it. Speaking of which...

My growing belly is getting in the way of more things! It's humorous because I find myself having to consciously compensate for the ever growing belly! I've smacked into many a door. Richard is just having fun making fun of me! He'll pay, he will. I'll have a huge long labor and he'll be at my beck and call and have to rub my back the entire time.

It's amazing, pregnancy really does eat your brain. Mine is seemingly gone.

My pregnancy has progressed very well. Gracie is doing good and growing like a weed. She's found a nice spot in my ribcage to "rest" her little feet! I am fair to midland I suppose. I feel good, which is definitely a blessing. My blood pressure has been high, at least in the Dr's office, so they are a tad concerned. I had bloodwork done to check for preeclampsia and the results came back okay. Now I have to do a 24 hour urinalysis. Joy and rapture. I'll know by the end of the week. I've no other symptoms of it so I'm hoping for the best. Grace needs to stay in there! It's so hard to believe I'm 33 weeks along. Yikes! I've already been having braxton hicks. We're getting ready!

I am hurridly preparing for a little girl to come home. I've procrastinated on the nursery and am now paying. It's kind of interesting, having this intense desire to nest and clean everything! I can't help it. I re-arranged the kitchen cabinets. Why? I don't know. The urge hit while I was making Christmas goodies. So I did it. Our bedroom dresser, bathroom, kitchen hutch, hall closets, and guest bedroom closet got it too.

My church baby shower was this past Saturday and my Mom and sister drove up. It was a lot of fun. I got all kinds of cute things and had fun oohing and ahhing over them! I forget to take my camera out so I have no pics. Thank heavens for Auntie Amanda and everyone else who took pics!

I've got Christmas pics for now. I'll get shower pics later!