The Power of Friendship

Hi Friends...

Just wanted to share a video that Logan made with some pictures from an April visit from some special friends. He never ceases to amaze me in his insight and thoughtfulness. In my 40 years, I have had friends come and go but I can say without a doubt that there is something special about the families represented in this video and that is that God has brought us all together for a purpose and I am so very excited to see where He takes us.

Enjoy,Erin

Quick Share

Hi Friends,

Just wanted to share a quick link with you..craving some order and doing some

Spring Cleaning around here and came across this..

www.31daystoclean.com

and the challenge going on over here

http://joyfulmothering.net/2011/04/22/31-days-to-clean-challenge-sign-up-plus-winners-announced/

Looks like it is going to be fun : )

Want to join me ?

Enjoy,

Erin

Just some thoughts....Putting some goals in writing.

Random picture of my fabulous children : )

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face… do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Goodness..It has been a bit since I blogged,I have a number of things I want to blog about, but need to get the pictures off my camera : )

Two weeks from this past Saturday,I am doing the Country Music Half Marathon again,I did it for the first time last year. I can honestly say the feeling of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line was like nothing that I have ever felt. I was pretty proud of myself. I also did the Women's Half Marathon in Sept. of last year. Since that time,exercise and I have broken up a bit and I am not in the shape I was last year at this time. However,I will do the marathon and will finish..I am nervous but determined to do it. Tonight while walk/running, I began to feel that it feels good to do this feeling and began to set some new goals for myself. I am going to train as much as I possibly can in these last two weeks,and begin eating better and taking care of myself again. I am going to let go of the the fact that I am disappointed in myself for slowing my journey down.. Look ahead at where I am going and not behind..hard for me to do but am going to do it.What's worse is I know I have disappointed others in my setback, but am going to show them, I have the courage to continue. I put the Eleanor Roosevelt quote at the beginning of this post but really wanted to find one I had seen about quitting and having the courage to start again..can not find it.. I am digging to find the courage and determination to do this.

Another big goal that I have set as of today is to run next year's half...sounds HUGE to me but what an accomplishment it will be. And the biggest exercise wise is...by at least the age of 45 (will be 42 in Sept.) I am going to do the WHOLE 26.2 marathon. There I said it....and I will do it !

This week,I am also reevaluating some personal/home happenings. but those are for another post.

Time for some Spring Cleaning in my life..

Enjoy,

Erin

A New Favorite

Hello Friends..

We have been in a dinner rut around here lately, and when I found this website,

I just knew I had to try it.

Have you heard of Christy Jordan over at http://www.southernplate.com/ ?

You must check her out right now !

Her new cookbook called Southern Plate is wonderful and so are all the recipes

that I have tried form her book and her website. We tried the Cheesy Chicken and Rice tonight...and it was a bit hit ! She is so sweet and funny,

I know for certain we would be friends !

You must get this cookbook,I promise you will love it..and it makes a fabulous gift too !

Never ever going to be finished room update to come soon...

Enjoy !

Erin

Putting it all into Perspective

Happy Friday,Friends...

This is going to be a post without pictures and truly not planned. But I need to write this down before I forget the experience I had this morning. Although,truthfully, I do not think I ever will. Morning was going as it always does and my small friend and I were headed back to my house after going to an estate sale. Turned down the road that leads to our subdivision and I see a young man,fairly certain I could be his mom, and his two pit-bull mix dogs walking from the soccer fields. I looked,he looked and then God spoke. I turned around and by then they were on the opposite side of the road..I rolled my window down and asked if they had eaten..Ben,as I found out his name was said no, they had just woken up.. I said I will buy you and your friends breakfast if you meet me at Sonic. I wanted to be in a public place,especially with my small friend. He met me over there and I asked him to order whatever he wanted... Before he walked over to me, I had spoken to a carhop girlie and told her what I was doing, just in case.. She came over and offered the dogs water. Ben and I started talking and he told me that they had spent the night at the soccer fields and they were on their way to Little Rock to get his birth certificate so he could see about getting a drivers license. I asked very few questions..just listened, what a story my new friend has..He grew up and lived in Fresco,CA most of his life..Umm..Hello,God, some of my favorite people live and/ or moved from Fresno. Told me that is where he just visited again a few months ago,but had to camp out because his dad would not let him near the house. He has been in New Mexico,Albuquerque..stayed in Old Town, Ok..God..I got it, what do you want me to do.?..guess my favorite part of Albuquerque ? Until then I did not notice the hoodie he was wearing..he had a Carhart jacket on and I did not pay much attention.. Villalobos Rescue Center,ever heard of it ? Pitbulls and Parolees ? Love the show,not the language. He has worked there and is working with the owner to go back as soon as he gets his paperwork. She has a hotel room for him and his girls in Little Rock. He told me how the girls had saved his life when he was sick with a tumor and how he was going to spend the rest of his life working with pitbulls and explaining while they get a bad rap just like people who make not so great choices. We talked for about 30 minutes and he noticed I was cold..and said he needed to be on his way to beat the rain.

We were saying our good-byes and I told him I would continue to pray for him and his journey. Well..God stepped in..because if you know me..what happened was about as far out of my box as I have ever been. I looked at him,while telling myself that I could absolutely not cry until I was back in the car and on my way !, and said can I pray with you..totally can not believe the words came out of my mouth..God did it for certain. We prayed for a few short minutes and as he was leaving he said to me..I can not thank you enough for blessing my day,I have a great life but I will not you down on my journey..Holy moly... let me down,he has a great life ? Wow..I smiled and told him to take care and I would continue praying. I told Bill this story as I needed to tell someone but have not told him the above part..

I got in the van and continued home,totally losing it on the way. Me blessing him ? How about blessing me..I have been struggling with a few issues and compared to my new friend,Ben..they are absolutely nothing !

Thank you,God..I am hard headed and apparently do not listen as closely as I should.Got the message. Would you do me a favor today ? Pray for Ben and his girls on their journey ?

Enjoy,

Erin

PS..He told me to check out the Fresco Pitbull rescue as one of his dogs was on it..and I did,not becasue I doubted his story, and sure enough..there she is.

Quick Recipe Share

Happy Tuesday,Friends !!

Just wanted to share a recipe that we tried tonight..

We are BIG chicken eaters, to the point we should really have feathers.. and truly do not eat much red meat but a good friend of mine gave me this recipe for Flat Iron Steak and it is fabulous served with veggies and a salad. And most of all..she said it was ok to share : )

2 One Pound Flat Iron Steaks

4 teaspoons olive oil

3 1/2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Rub steaks with oil. Sprinkle with seasoning and salt. Turn fan on high,

Cook steak in batches in a grill pan over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until done.

Let stand ten minutes. Cut diagonally across into strips.

This served 2 adults,1 teen and two young girls with leftovers for lunch.

Enjoy !

Working in my craft/bonus room tomorrow...under some pressure to get it finished...

Enjoy,

Erin

Fourteen Already...

Warning...mushy mom post..

March 12,1997...Hard to imagine 14 years have passed since this sweet boy made me a mom. When Bill and I first got married,we had absolutely no intention of having children,we liked them..just did not want any. Now,I can not imagine my life without being a mom. It has been happy,sad,funny,hard,challenging you name it..but would I change it for anything ? Absolutely not...

Logan came into this world slowly with a little help,unlike his sister, and from that day on our lives have been made to be like nothing we could imagine. Walking,talking,and asking questions,have been a natural occurence since he was a year old..

Whether it be kayaking...


Or ziplining...



or looking good for the camera..he has never met a challenge that he has not conquered !

And he never surprises me when he sets out to do something and not only accomplishes it,but puts his heart into it and does it well.

Has it always been easy..nope..do I expect it to be..nope..am I looking forward to the years ahead ? Absolutely...Can not wait to see what to see what God has in store for him and us !!!!

So very proud of him and what a young man he is becoming..and if you do not know him..you should, as he is on a path to something great !


Love you,Logan...Thank you for being you and being true to yourself.. Each and most (lol) every day you make me thankful I am a mom.

Enjoy,
Erin

Pickin Wildflowers..or Daffodils rather

Every Spring,I look forward to the daffodils blooming ! They are my all time favorite flower. I love that they are so simple and smell so good,helps that they are yellow and one of my favorite colors too. When we first moved to the house we are in now,we went walking one day towards the woods and stumbled across a beautiful hill of flowers. As we walked closer,we realized it was a cemetery filled with flowers. So very pretty but neglected.







If you look close you can see the date on the grave stone bleow is October 1876.. I am amazed by this and like to think that the flowers that grow there now were planted back then for the loved ones that died/

The above is just a small part of the area..it is a huge square..and this is just the beginning of the blooming..

This tree is centered in with the graves and flowers all around it...I like to think this tree was planted back then too.

We have been going to the field for over 3 years and this is the first year that I noticed these cement flowers on top on this marker..makes me believe that these beautiful daffodils were planted way back then..the stories I bet they could tell..

The flowers of our labor..beautiful and smell amazing !

My sweet husband helping to pick..no idea I have taken a picture..

Hope you enjoyed the walk to my secret spot..still working on my craft room..sneak peek tomorrow!

Enjoy,

Erin

Trying this again and Happy Birthday Dr.Seuss !

I suppose that after almost 5 years..it is about time that I update this blog. After much encouragement from 2 great friends,here I am ! Having a hard time believing that it has been that long since I have written. So many exciting things have happened and my kids have grown into a teen and a pre-teen. I am excited about this new adventure ! There are so many fun and fabulous blogs that I get inspiration from and I look forward to sharing them along with projects I am working on.

As you may have heard,yesterday was Dr Seuss' Birthday. Every year since I can remember I have made cupcakes shaped into a Cat in the Hat's hat for a treat for either Logan or Lindsay's class. This is the Hat that I usually make..




This year I found an amazing idea from Christy Jordan at Southern Plate. She is inspiring !



This is what I did this year,forgive the picture. This delightful treasure is A Wocket in your Pocket ! Frosted cupcake cones with orange frosting and sprinkles.Mine are not nearly as cute as Christy's but I am out of practice with frosting.. After the children have eaten their cupcake,they can clean the Wocket and have it for their pocket. Love this and so easy ! If you have not been to Southern Plate you much go check it out ! The kids loved these and that is what makes me happy. I must say though transporting was a bit of a mess but we got them there.


So excited about sharing again and updating on our life. We are truly blessed and beyond thankful to be where we are. Come back soon as this whole blog adventure is truly a work in progress !


Enjoy,
Erin