FIRST IMPRESSIONS ON THE FIRST...

our FIRST IMPRESSIONS of 2012...

are EAGERNESS and EXPECTATION.

MY RESOLUTIONS:

daily goal- BE PRESENT.

accomplishment- LEARN TO USE MY CAMERA.

GRAHAM's RESOLUTIONS:

daily goal- SHARE.

accomplishment- LEARN TO POTTY.

ADELAIDE's RESOLUTIONS:

daily goal- OBEY.

accomplishment- LEARN TO SWIM.

here's to all the next 366 days HOLD.

God makes everything happen at the right time.

Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done,

and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future.

Everything God has done will last forever; nothing he does can ever be changed.

God has done all this, so that we will worship him.  

-Ecclesiastes 3:9-11, 14 (CEV)

BIRTHDAY LISTS...

NINE DAYS AGO I TURNED 31.

NINE HAPPENINGS ON MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND GETAWAY:

1) my favorite guy and i skipped town and landed in gruene, tx.

2) we stopped at specs on the way out-of-town and dined on haribo, cheese and crackers for dinner.

3) upon our arrival we had a second dinner at the gristmill.

4) we ate dinner at the gristmill again the next night.

5) we stayed in the wonderful gruene mansion inn's gast haus and loved it.

6) the next day was filled with eating, shopping, walking, and reading an entire novel.

7) we topped off a great day, by going to my first concert (reckless kelly) in gruene hall.

8) on our way back home we got to eat lunch in new braunfels with nana and papa.

9) the kids didn't even know to miss us because they were busy living it up with chic and jim.

NINE THINGS I DID ON MY BIRTHDAY:

1) woke up early to work out,

fell back asleep with no shame after the shred and until the kids woke up.

2) went to music class with my favorite munchkins.

3) went for our weekly monday starbucks drive-thru trip with chic after music.

4) she kept the kids in the car and i got to grocery shop alone in heb while sipping my mocha.

5) ate lunch at black walnut cafe on the patio.

6) unfortunately, had to dole out a spanking or two.

7) enjoyed phone calls with family and friends that i love soo much.

8) dined on homemade spaghetti sauce, fuzzy's salad, cookie cake, and cheesecake.

9) opened delightful treats, was spoiled with wonderful gifts, and even better company
at a "M&M"(Moments and Memories with annalee) themed party.

NINE BIRTHDAY RESOLUTION FOR THIS COMING YEAR:

1) read the old testament.

2) grow something.

following advice my grandpa curt shared with my sister, that keeps ringing through my ears,

3)make it the norm to go to bed on the same day i wake up.

4) sew one thing.

5) finish blog books for '09, '10, and '11.

6) go on a family field trip to the blue bell creamery and other fun outings.

7) read the hiding place.

8) choose joy.

and here's the really big one, that's going to challenge me more than imaginable
9) be on time.

A YEAR OF READING (part 3B)...

and finally my last goal:

make one recipe a season from julia child's

mastering the art of french cooking.

evidently i am not a "real" chef.

i am quick to admit that most everything i make is simple,

and i take a lot of shortcuts in the kitchen.

cooking from this cookbook certainly kept me humble though.

i was intimidated to open the page and put it off for a year.

so as it turns out i did not cook one recipe a season,

but instead attempted to make four things in one week.

in the end i did complete four recipes of julia child's,

but i might have lost a little of my sanity along the way.

they were all very tasty though.

thankfully evan and jim stepped in and helped me a lot on the main dish.

we would have had to order pizza in the end had i attempted it alone!

1) SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE AUX CHAMPIGNONS

chicken breasts with mushrooms and cream

2) POINTES D'ASPERGES AU BEURRE

buttered asparagus tips

3) BISCUIT AU BEURRE

butter spongecake

 4) SAUCE VINAIGRETTE

french dressing

coming next week:

my resolutions for this coming year,

and then we will return to my regular program of posts!

A YEAR OF READING (part 3A)...

part 3A:

READ more recipes.

more specifically cook from the recipe books i received for christmas: 

one recipe a month from ree drummond's the pioneer woman cooks.

mar- chicken pot pie (complete with the perfect pie crust)

apr- marlboro man sandwiches

may- pico de gallo

june- spicy pulled pork tacos

july- potato leek pizza (*my favorite of the year)

aug- red pepper risotto (online, not in the cookbook)

sept- huevos hyacinth

oct- creamy mashed potatoes

nov-macaroni and cheese

dec- cinnamon rolls

jan- penne alla betsy (*my runner-up for favorite)

feb- perfect pot roast

many of these recipes have now been made more than once at our house

and placed on the permanent rotation!

i love this cookbook because:

i am a visual learner and the step-by-step photos are so helpful.

the recipes are for basic, good home-cooking, but each one has a little twist that makes it extra tasty.

A YEAR OF READING (part 2)...

2) READ one book a month.

i had no idea how out-of-the-reading-habit i had gotten. i am glad to be making an effort to read again because deep down i really enjoy it but i realized i don't make it a priority at all. after the kids go to bed i am perfectly content sitting on the couch next to evan flipping through magazines and catalogs or playing words with friends. of course that's okay sometimes too, but i'm always glad afterward when i pick up a good old fashioned book instead. i just joined a book club so i'm hoping that will help me continue to read a book every month or two even though my resolution to do so is technically done.

this year i READ:

mar-

RULES

by Cynthia Lord

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public"- in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the potential next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

apr-

I WILL CARRY YOU

by Angie Smith

Angie Smith was eighteen weeks pregnant with her fourth daughter, Audrey Caroline, when doctors discovered conditions leaving Audrey "incompatible with life." Faced with the decision whether to terminate pregnancy, Angie and her husband chose to carry Audrey as long as she had life. This began what turned out to be three months of loving and carrying a little girl that was not expected to live more than a few minutes. Audrey Caroline lived for over two hours, weighing three pounds, two ounces. Yet in the midst of the sorrow of loss, there was still joy. Angie weaves the faith-filled story of Audrey Caroline with a biblical story of hope to help us all understand how better to cope with loss and disappointment. In this book Audrey's mom tells the sweet story of her baby girl who changed the world. Be part of Audrey's story as you read of this mom, her daughter, and the family's faith. You will be among the changed.

may-

FIREFLY LANE

by Kristin Hannah

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all- beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah's magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives. For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship- jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they've survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart, and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

june-

STORI TELLING

by Tori Spelling

This is Tori's chance to finally tell her side of the tabloid-worthy life she's led, and she talks about it all: her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother. Tori has already revealed her flair for brilliant, self-effacing satire on her TV shows,but her memoir goes deeper, into the real life behind the rumors: her complicated relationship with her parents; her struggles as an actress after90210; her accident-prone love life; and, ultimately, her quest to define herself on her own terms. From her over-the-top first wedding to finding new love to her much-publicized, and misunderstood "disinheritance,"sTORI tellingis a juicy, eye-opening, enthralling look at what it really means to be Tori Spelling.

july-

RUTH- LOSS, LOVE, AND LEGACY

by Kelly Minter

Ruth's journey of unbearable loss, redeeming love, and divine legacy comes alive in this six-week study. Join Kelly Minter and her friends Carrie, Lauri, Anadara, and Alli as the explore the Book of Ruth in this relational Bible Study that merges Scripture and everyday life.

aug-

TWO FROM GALILEE

by Marjorie Holmes

This is the story of two real people whose lives were touched by God: two people chosen by God to provide an earthly home for His Son. Here are Mary and Joseph- a teenage girl and a young carpenter- alone, frightened, in love, face with family conflict, a hostile world and an awesome responsibility. It is a story for young and old alike; for everyone who finds the Christmas tale a source of timeless beauty and wonder; a compassionate, emotional novel of divine love.

sept-

THE HUNGER GAMES
by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on life TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

oct-

CATCHING FIRE

by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive.  Katniss should be relieved, happy even.  After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale.  Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be.  Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

nov-

MOCKINGJAY

by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans- except Katniss. The sucess of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay- no matter what the personal cost.

dec-

RADICAL

by David Platt

In this book, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple- then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.

jan-

FREEDOM FOR MOTHERS

by Denise Glenn
In this book Denise Glenn will lead your search for a source to meet your needs so you can then turn to care for your family using John 15. You'll find an in-depth Bible study combined with heart-warming personal stories and accompanying mothering tips.  You'll laugh and cry your way through a study that can transform your mothering from frustrating to fulfilling. Whether your children are toddlers or teens, you'll find key principles that will set you free to be the mother you long to be as you discover that Jesus did not just come to help you with your life, He came to BE your life.

feb-

THE HELP

by Kathryn Stockett

Twenty-two year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved mail Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these woman will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are all suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

*all summaries taken from the prospective books.

*radical and freedom for mothers will both be completed in march. 

i am reading each of them as a part of a small group that is reading a chapter at a time.
*next up is a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini

A YEAR OF READING (part 1)...

1) READ the new testament.

i read the new testament of the bible using this version:

i enjoyed using a translation that was less familiar to me for a couple of reasons.

first, there were many times that a passage was phrased just differently enough in the NLT, that i would wonder how i had never heard a story or verse. once i would compare it to my regular translation i would be reminded i had read it before, but it was refreshing to read the new testament in this way.

i also appreciated reading a different translation because i was less likely to just skim through verses that i've heard countless times. often times the slight change in wording struck me in a new way.

sadly i don't think i had ever read the new testament from beginning to end until this year.  this resolution was challenging for me at first, but also uplifting and convicting. most of all i'm thankful for the realization of what a difference it really makes to have Christ's words in my heart daily. 

A YEAR OF READING...

it's been almost a year since i made my traditional birthday resolutions.

in less than a week i'll be turning 31.

it's hard to believe the end of february is almost here.

or let's be honest, maybe i can believe it.

i have been eagerly watching the calendar all month waiting for the last day to arrive!

but another birthday's arrival means i'm coming to my deadline for completing resolutions.

this is what i wrote a year ago:

my 30th year will be the year of books.

this year's birthday resolution is simple: READ.

  (photo source)

1) READ through the new testament.

2) READ one book a month.

3) READ more recipes.

(and cook from the two recipe books i received for christmas: 

one recipe a month from ree drummond's the pioneer woman cooks and 

one recipe a season from julia child's mastering the art of french cooking.)

throughout this week i'll be sharing how i've done completing my resolution to READ.

tune in each morning for a report on one part!