He gives and takes away

Man, oh man – this has been a week. I am so very glad it’s Friday.

So, I had to do something that I knew would not turn out well. But I did it anyway. And it did not turn out well. In fact, it turned out worse than I thought. That was a bit uncool. Have I ever mentioned how much I don’t like it when someone is mad at me?

Anyhow – I told Mr Darcy what I felt I had to do, he told me to pray and sleep on it. I did. The next morning, I told God “I really need to know this is what you are asking me to do – and not just an emotional response.”  I opened my Bible and there it was – in black and white- it was the answer I was looking for (and somewhat hoping not to see.)  So I did it.  I did it.  It didn’t turn out well.  It’s okay. I am okay.

In November, we closed on our old house. We were so thankful to have sold it in this market. Please re-read the part where I said NOVEMBER.  When we closed, we unexpectedly had to fork over the upcoming years’ taxes. The magical mysterious calendar date had rolled over for us just in time (she says sarcastically). Today, we were told that the money will be overnighted to us on Monday.  I almost wet my pants. I went outside after the phone call and let the light breeze move my hair into my eyes and I looked upwards and shouted “Thank YOU!”

The question I have asked myself all day is this: why did I choose to quit hoping for the best? I quit believing. I quit trusting.

That’s it for tonight. I am going to retire for the evening and relax with a book.  My life is beautiful.

~Janna

giveaway contest

So, I’d hate to think about you missing out on the possibility of winning something – even if it meant I wouldn’t win!!  Here is a great giveaway contest – I love this blog and love the art in this contest giveaway. I sure wish I was this creative!

http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/

~Janna

menu plans on monday

I am linking this post to Heavenly Homemakers’ Menu Plan Monday.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  We sure did! I awoke this morning with plans dancing in my mind and ready to get crackin’…

The boys are finishing breakfast, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to jot down my menu plans for the week:

Monday (B) Dutch babies with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar (L) Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, fruit slices (D) Grill chicken breasts with orange marinade, rice, salad

Tuesday (B) Baked Oatmeal (L) Chicken Salad Sandwiches (using leftover chicken from dinner on Monday) (D) Baked Potato Bar, Veggies

Wednesday (B) Smoothies (L) Sandwiches (D) Spaghetti, foccacia dipping bread, salad, brownies {Company over!}

Thursday (B) Breakfast pizza (L) Leftovers (D) Baked Potato Soup

Friday (B) Homemade Granola (L) Sandwiches (D) Chicken Legs on the grill, baked corn, fruit salad

Saturday (B) Cinnamon Oat Waffles (L) Eat at Lopez Market 🙂 (D) Chicken and Rice in homemade tortillas

Sunday (B) Breakfast Cookies (L) Chicken with stuffing (D) Fend for self (Mom’s night off)

Can you tell that chicken was on sale this week? 🙂 Got some great deals…I am also planned for the next  two weeks because we have some out-of-the-country guests coming to stay with us. Next week will be 101 meals with turkey followed by what you can do with the ginormous Pork Roast in your freezer. Stay tuned.

On a lighter (hopefully) note – We received a Wii for Christmas and I received the Wii Fit. Now, I think the boys like it every bit as much as Mom! This weekend, I unlocked rhythm boxing. That was possibly a mistake. I think my arms are falling off. I almost can’t lift them. Besides that – it was downright embarrassing when I couldn’t figure out AT ALL how to make my feet move one way and punch at the same time. Too much for this chick! I will attempt it again today and maybe I will “get it” this time.

Haircut for me this weekend. It’s short. I love it. It had gotten so frumpy-looking. Too long and my hair revolts. It literally mattes up in the back like a sheepdog. The curls and thick, coarse hair no likey…Gee-that’s a great image for you to have of me!  Anyhow, here’s the new look (it was late when I took this…)

I like how I have my arms crossed, like I am ready to be loaded into a coffin or something. It’s hard to figure out how to pose when you are taking pictures of yourself….

Have a great Monday! Squeeze your kiddos a little longer today and give a friend a call just to say, “Have a great week”   We all need extra love and affection. I need it, you need it, your neighbor needs it.

~Janna

a giveaway

Do I really need to tell you how much I adore the Heavenly Homemakers blog?  🙂

She has a giveaway going on right now. You could win $100  just by commenting about V8 fusion juice.   Just wanted to tell you all about it!

~Janna

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/v8-v-fusion-great-for-kids-and-husbands

crazypants

Listen, I know I haven’t been blogging much lately. It’s true. Can I tell you where I have been? Obsessively reading other blogs.  Seriously…Over Christmas I stumbled upon a blog that I fell head over heels for. That blog read brought me to another, and then to another and so forth. I think I may have 15 related blogs bookmarked on my laptop now. Crazypants.

“What kind of person does this?” You ask.  Well…my kind of person. I got to the first blog because I was looking for great things to make with my new Cricut.  Lord a mercy, people! There are some cree-ay-tive people out there in bloggieland.  One lady makes (and posts instructions for) copycat Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, etc furniture. It’s so amazing!

Inspired by these blogs, I have now: painted the downstairs bathroom, rearranged the family room, painted a lamp, painted napkin rings, gone to the thrift store and changed the master bedroom a bit. Oh, and I changed the mirror in the powder bathroom. Just wait until my payday!! 🙂

Mr Perfect is preaching on Sunday so he has been a bit later getting home. This means our dinners are less than stellar.  It’s hard for me to get razzle-dazzled about making a pretty dinner and table for just the boys and me.  Just is.

I’m already thinking about our Valentine’s dinner, though! I have various heart-shaped items to cook and bake in and all of these crafty blogs have me inspired! I know for sure there will be heart-shaped bread, heart-shaped cookie (my man loves him a giant cookie with frosting!) and some main dish in my heart-shaped Le Creuset pot. Any ideas? I am going to make cutie-pie surprises for the boys, too.  I’ll post pictures as I am making them in secret. Just know it involves pop-top cans from fruit that I will cut the bottom out of, drain, then glue back on.

Snow!! Here we are in the frosty air!

I wanted to share a picture of us in the great snow I promised you would occur. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!

That’s it for now, y’all.  Who’s planning on throwing a Superbowl Party?

~Janna

edited to add: I guess I should give you the blog that started it all….watch out!

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/

~J

soup soupy soup

So, we’ve been eating only fruits and veggies all week long (just the hubs and me – not the boys) and quite frankly, it’s boring me. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some veggies and a juicy navel orange is my fave-oh-rite, but I jsut want some meat and bread, you know? Anyhow, the arctic blast made it down here to Bville and it’s actually chilly, so raw veggies were just not going to cut the mustard for dinner!  So, here’s what’s cookin’ on my gas stove: soup times 3. Yes, you read that right – I have three different soups going for tonight. I have a canned Progresso Homestyle Vegetable pot, a homemade bean and veggie soup in another and Sopa Estrellita for the boys. They will also get some chicken – the lucky munchkins!

We will cheer loud and strong for the Tide tonight as they beat Texas.  Roll Tide!

I have on a Crimson shirt. It matters. It totally does NOT match my pants, but that part doesn’t matter. 🙂

Have any of you been thinking about gardens yet? I have!  In fact, I just ordered my Burpee and Gurney catalogs. I have the fever!!  Anybody have tips for subtropical veggie gardens?  I am trying to convince Mr T to build me this great salad garden stand I saw on the Martha Stewart site. So far, he seems a bit disinterested, to say the least.

That’s it for now. Gotta go stir the soup and dream about cheeseburgers!

~Janna

Finding a moment

Unpacking has never been my favorite thing to do. Before we left, I told myself that I should go ahead and put away all of the Christmas decor.  Well, I didn’t.  I really should have because it was a lot of stuff and we now have to store Christmas in our attic which is accessed by the pull-down stair action in the garage.  Are you sensing my distaste of it yet? Several times, I thought I would surely fall to my death as I lugged both trees, the ornaments and everything else up, up, up. Yuck.  I had to do it before I could start rearranging the family room, though!

I don’t know if I told you this, but we rented a U-Haul for the trip home. We just knew we would have so many Christmas gifts!! (Not really) Seriously, we knew we were going to bring a piano and a recliner home and anything else I could cram in there!  The grand total wound up at : 1 recliner, 1 chair and a half, 1 end table, 1 lamp, 1 piano with bench, 1 new bicycle (Tate had his birthday up there!), 1 beanbag chair and the Christmas gifts. We were so blessed that I am speechless whenever I think about it all (and that’s saying something for me!)

So after Christmas departed our home for the attic, I changed the family room around about 4 times until I got something I kinda-sorta like. Yesterday, I spray painted the lamp (purchased at a thrift store for $2.50, thankyouverymuch) and placed it on the end table which I have not painted yet (also purchased at thrift, but for a whopping $7.00) The recliner has been claimed by Mr Darcy as his very own personal space. We are allowed to recline only while he is at work. That’s fine by me because the other chair is quite girlie. 🙂  I put my books, a coaster for my drink and a lamp behind it. I feel so relaxed in my new girl zone. I have let the boys sit in my chair, but I reminded them it is floral, so they shouldn’t get too comfortable.

I didn’t do a menu plan this week because Tommy and I are only eating fruits and vegetables all week.  I am just winging it for the boys.

Tomorrow, I’ll write more and give you a link to the idea I’m going to use for my end table.

Until then, I am dreaming of cheeseburgers and eating spinach.

~Janna