Rich G-Ville Memories

Our final stay with the G Family in G-Ville was truly a treat.

The G's and the J's, great buddies one and all.

 It is always hard to say goodbye to dear friends. We did our best to have a great time in the process.

Can you believe that we decided to brave Busch Gardens with eight kids in tow? 

We were so glad that we did!

We had a great time!

The Sesame Street Forest of Fun was our first stop.  

We were lucky enough to meet Elmo, Zoe, Grover, and Abby before tackling the rides.

The roller coaster was our favorite ride.  We couldn't get enough. 

If you look closely, you'll see we all have our hands in the air--even E-Bear and G-Bear!

Buddy Bear and MG took in the sights from the stroller.

Buddy Bear and his friend MG.

These two were quite the cute duo!

Stormy weather sent us running to the cars before the adults could do any of the big coasters.  I guess that's just another reason why we'll need to plan a return trip (as if the G's friendship and awesome hospitality aren't reason enough)!

On Sunday we joined the G's for Mass at their church and then enjoyed their tradition of donuts with Sunday Brunch.  The G's involvement in their church and community has paid dividends of friendship and wonderful relationships, which was special for us to see as we anticipate our new life in Minnesota.   They are great examples to us!

Thank you, Lord, for good friends and great times in G-Ville!

Popcorn Balls

We have a new favorite pantry clean-out snack:

Popcorn Balls!

Who knew pantry clean-out could be so yummy?

Who knew these little buggers would be so easy to make?

It only took us fifteen minutes, start to finish, to whip these up,

with lots of delicious snacking to follow.

The super-easy recipe is from Martha Stewart, and you can find it here.  

Yum!

What I'll Miss About NC: T-6 Days Until Moving Day

During our training years in Minnesota, we almost never traveled.  All that changed when we moved to North Carolina last summer.  Suddenly, the world was our oyster, and we had new found freedom and free time to explore it.  Our travels have been many this year and have made for some spectacular memories.  Here are a few of my favorites:

August

Before our first month was over, we had traveled to Chapel Hill three times to visit the cousins.

It was the beginning of a great year together.

~

We hightailed it to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a weekend of relaxation away from the heat.

Blowing Rock, NC was our family's first vacation alone together.

The trains at Tweetsie Railroad and the views from Grandfather Mountain stole the show.

September

The kids started preschool, but that didn't stop us!

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We traveled to Chapel Hill for football game days with the cousins.

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Our first (but not our last!) working trip brought us to Boston, where we enjoyed a visit with Aunt K, Uncle T and the crew while T attended a conference.  What fun!

October

October quickly became our month of reunions, each one so sweet. It had been years since we had been able to see many of our dear college friends and roommates, and we soaked up the time to reconnect and refresh together.

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We traveled to DC for a mom's Girls' weekend and a wedding.  In her characteristic style of flair, MoMo took the kids on a whirlwind tour of our capital city, and they still talk about it today.

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We traveled to Virginia for T's Guys' Weekend as well as family time with the G-Ville crew and best college buddies.

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The kids and I finished the month by traveling to MN for Halloween and the beginning of my interview gauntlet.

November

Let the interviews and holidays begin!

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The interview week in Minnesota allowed us to soak up the crisp fall weather and time with Minnesota family and friends.  Papa's pumpkin never looked so good, and MoMo's hospitality reigned supreme.

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We celebrated Thanksgiving North Carolina-style in Chapel Hill with the cousins.  T traveled by his lonesome to Disney for the basketball team.  Don't worry, we saved him a plate! :)

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I finished off the month by traveling to St. Louis with Buddy Bear for another interview.

We slept on the floor of the Cincinnati airport for most of the night due to flight delays.

I think I learned a lesson or two, but I loved the interview all the same.

December

The kids and I made our epic drive alone to Alabama for another week of interviews.  We survived!  Thankfully, Nana, Aunt A and Uncle B were there to catch us and save us when we arrived in a fluster.    We saw family and friends in Birmingham, Florence, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa.  What a tour!

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From Alabama we drove up to meet all of T's family in Blue Ridge, GA for a family Christmas weekend.  It was our first Christmas gathering all together in over five years, and it was spectacular in so many ways.  We're hoping for many more in the future.

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We barely had time to repack before we were off to Minnesota for a Christmas visit!

MoMo & Papa's house was busting at the seams, and that is just how we like it :)

January

Sure, most travels drop off in the new year, but not for us!

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We just couldn't miss 'Bama's Big Game in New Orleans.  We made the pilgrimage to the Big Easy in true Roll Tide style and we all had a blast in the process.

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The kids and I hung around Alabama to finish off my interviews.

By the time we got home, we were ready to stay a while :)

February

Our magical Disney vacation was everything that we had hoped for and more--a true dream come true.  I cried as we left, I had so much fun.  With MoMo, Nana and Papa along, we had the time of our lives.

~

Just as we got home, T's travel schedule heated up with the basketball team.  

He handled it like a champion.

March

Could it be that we went a full month without traveling?  As long as you don't count T's cross country jaunts with the basketball team, it was true.  We braved march from the comforts of home.

April

With spring in the air, we traveled to Alabama for another visit and interview weekend.  Our family of 'Bama fans was quite content to spend the A-Day game  together in Tuscaloosa.

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Easter weekend with the cousins in was yet another holiday treat.  

May

We celebrated our anniversary and Mother's Day early with an impromptu trip to Hilton Head.

What a dream to park the car upon arrival and bike for the rest of the weekend!  The kids still beam when they spy people wearing t-shirts from the Salty Dog Cafe: "Mommy, look, that's the Salty Shirt!"

June

We traveled to Houston to be with our friends for their daughter Annie's birth.  It was a time of sadness, strength, love and hope.

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We headed north for a Rockport reunion with MoMo, Papa, Aunt K, Uncle T & the cousins.  What food!  What fun!  What fellowship together!

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Back to Alabama, this time to Florence, we made time for fun at Nana's house with the cousins.  We got out the race car, splashed at the splashpad, rode the boat on the river and soaked up all things Florence. 

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Back to Minnesota for a big interview weekend, we made the most of the pool, time with baseball buddies, and gathered info to make a decision for the coming year.  

July

We travled to G-Ville for another rocketing rendezvous!

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We took in the sights and fun of Baltimore while T attended his last conference of the year.  We had so much fun while T was hard at work :) We even saved a little fun to share with him in the evenings when he was done.

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Our last few trips to Chapel Hill for cousin time and birthday celebrations have been bittersweet, because we know they are coming to an end, for now.  We have loved the I-40 trek this year.

August

We couldn't leave NC without one final trip to G-Ville.  Gosh, we love having time with good friends, especially friends that are such wonderful hosts!  We have been so grateful for the fellowship of this year.

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Our move is coming up!  After all our travels, we'll be ready for our cross-country trek.  

Whew, I am exhausted, excited and extremely grateful just remembering our travels this year.  What spectacular blessings each trip has offered, thank you, Lord.  We may never see another year like this one, which is just one more reason why we'll treasure these memories.

Grocery Bag

Here we are, beginning the last week before our move.  The bareness of my pantry rival's that of Old Mother Hubbard!  Thankfully, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve and a few pantry staples to use up.  Here are my ideas for the week.

Day One

Fettuccine with bacon from Cooking Light Magazine

with spinach salad and berries

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Two

Pad thai  

with carrot sticks and peaches

Day Three

Veggie fried rice from Cooking Light Magazine

with spinach salad and orange slices

Photo and recipe from MyRecipes.com

Day Four

Tortilla soup with black beans  from Everyday Food Magazine

with chips and salsa

Photo and recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Day Five

Tomato bacon linguini from Tasty Kitchen

with spinach salad and apple slices

Photo and recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Blessings on your kitchen this week!

What I'll miss about NC: T-10 Days Until Moving Day

There is so much I am going to miss about our sweet little apartment here in North Carolina. 

Before the burgeoning piles and moving boxes drive me crazy, 

I'd better record a few of my favorite things.

I'll miss...

The cherry tree outside our bedroom window, the way it makes me feel like I sleep in a tree house

Mom and Dad's room.

The walk to Mr. Gary's office every afternoon to get the mail and a mint with my kids

The way I can pass dishes from the kitchen across the counter to the dinner table

The kids room, where G-Bear and E-Bear slept.

The quiet of the carpeted floors

The kids room and E-Bear's bed.

Learning time, reading time, art time, dinner time, or any other time out on our porch

Our view out over the parking lot and playground, because we always know who is coming and going

Buddy Bear's crib in our hall bathroom (because it won't fit anywhere else!)

Shhhh...don't wake Buddy Bear in the hall bathroom!

The gathering of our neighbors on the stoop every afternoon, in a way that never happened when we first moved here

Washing dishes, watching the kids play on the porch

Our playroom window, filled with our crafts

The playroom in action.

Our playroom, and the hours of fun we've had there together

Cooking breakfast pancakes on the porch because it's already too hot to cook in the kitchen

Swimming in the pool, especially with our friends 

A New To Do List

"Whether we are married and taking care of home and family, or studying in school, or working in an office or a factory or on a farm, whether we are dedicated to the priestly or religious life, matters little -- in whatever we do, we must always seek first the kingdom of God.  That is, all of our actions of every day must be accepted as from God and referred back to Him, must be done in a way that fulfills His will, for in this way alone is the kingdom of God promoted and spread upon the earth." 

~Father Walter Ciszek, S.J.

I need a new To Do list.

With our approaching move, my To Do list has gotten way too long.

It often makes me crabby.

I often loose it.

Worst of all?  I think I have been filling it with the wrong tasks.


I came to this realization while talking about the Fruits of the Spirit with my kids last week:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  Against such things there is no law."  ~Galatians 5:22-23

I am reminded that the tasks on my To Do list are not nearly as important as how I do them.  

So, instead of this:

1. Return library books

2. Grocery run

3.  Parent the behavior

4. Dinner at 6

5. Clean kitchen

6. Pay bills

I need a To Do list like this:

1. A smile and a joyful heart at the library.

2. Patience with my kids at the grocery store.

3. Peace behind the firmness as I confront the misbehavior.

4. Faithfulness, not frustration, as I make dinner.

5. Goodness, not grumbling, as I clean the mess.

5. Self-control, not sarcasm, with the customer service phone call.

Now those are tasks worth remembering, worth accomplishing.

Nota bene, Queen B!   Whatever graces your To Do list today, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17).  

Grocery Bag

Our kitchen is starting to look pretty bare in preparation for our move.  Good thing there is lot's of fresh produce to enjoy these days!  The fresh fruits and veggies disappear in a flash around our house.  Here is my plan for the week.

Day One

Cheese quesadillas with 

tomato & soybean salad from Dinner A Love Story

A quick, delicious salad to dress up the quesadillas.

Photo and recipe at Dinner A Love Story

Day Two

Nigerian kidney bean stew with peanut sauce from Food Network

with brown rice and strawberries

A new recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors.

Day Three

Shrimp in coconut curry from Everyday with Rachel Ray

with basmati rice, carrot sticks and grapes

One of our favorite, simple curries.

Photo and recipe from Rachel Ray Magazine

Day Four

Salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze from Everyday Food Magazine

with roasted okra and buttermilk cornbread biscuits

Salmon is always a treat in our house.  The biscuits and okra are awesome.

Photo and recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Photo and recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Day Five

Beef and broccoli lo mein from Cooking Light Magazine

with raspberries and snap peas

Here is one of my favorite dishes to clean out the sauces in our pantry.

Blessings on your kitchen this week!

Picassos of Summer

"Every child is an artist.

The problem is how to remain an artist once she grows up."

~Pablo Picasso

Our summer picassos have been hard at work.

In Florence, they met for a creative meeting of the minds on Nana's deck.

I love to watch them inspire and learn from one another.

I love to watch them create something new. 

This crew works hard at their artwork.

But the hard work never comes at the expense of having fun!

Keep up the good work, crew.

You're helping to make the world a very beautiful place.

Beat the Heat

It's August, and it's hot outside.

Good thing that we learned how to stay cool back in June while visiting Nana in Alabama!

The splashpad is the place to be when the heat comes out to play. 

Swimsuits are nice, but feel free to go in fully clothed.

You'll stay just as cool that way. 

We've found that the splashpad is best enjoyed with people you love and love to play with.

Ahhh, now doesn't that feel better?

Stay cool out there, friends!