Theme Thursday: GIRLS

When you have two older kids who are a little sick of you always taking pictures of them for like the last gazillion years, what do you do?

You turn to your almost twin girls who don't know any different and click away at all their cute, awkward and candid expressions.

And then you dream of all the canvas art that you could post on your walls just of your kids, but then you'd never be able to pick your favorite because there are just too many.

This is my current dilemma. I've got a wall going up my stairs that could hold a lifetime of great photos and I'm once again thinking about revamping it. Enter Pinterest and a whole slew of ideas it is giving me!

So.many.choices.


Like either of these two I recently snapped:

Hello, ipiccy, I love thee and your easy edits. So much fun to play with my photos and change them up. Again, adding to the difficulty of choosing which photos to frame.

Oh the possibilities!

Catch all the other darling GIRLS over at Cari's today. SO worth stopping over to see the captured beauty of the contributors.

World Priest Day Is THIS Friday

Got a priest?

Got a priest (or two, or three) your family loves?

Want to let him know how much you appreciate him?

Well, then you don't want to miss this Friday, June 7th, World Priest Day!!

(hint: it's also the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of which I have a particular fondness)

Find a way to let your priest know you are praying for him and thinking of him on Friday.

You can find more information about World Priest Day over here.

A few ideas:

- send him a text on his cell phone letting him know you are praying for him 

- send him a spiritual bouquet of prayers/rosary 

- send a quick email thanking him for all he does for your parish/your family

-have your kids color him pictures (find some over here) or write him a letter of thanks

No matter what you do, I guarantee he'll be glad he was thought of and appreciated. Those wonderful priests need our support and prayers. Friday is the perfect reminder to let them know you and your family give him both.

Pinterest Finds: New Recipes

A couple new recipes that we devoured recently that I thought I'd share. Pinterest is my friend in the kitchen/recipe department, for real. In all other departments, it's hit or miss. I pin stuff and rarely get back to them it seems. Maybe the summer and a more open schedule will allow time to delve into those pins and decide what's worth a try.

Ok, so how do you do lunch? I usually fly by the seat of my pants which means it gets to 11:00 and I've got no plan. I am pinning a few new things on Pinterest and hope to get an actual lunch menu created over the summer that works for us.

A new lunchtime favorite are Ham And Cheese Pockets. Huge hit with the kids! How have I not thought of this before?!

Simply take Grands biscuits (or store brand knock off), flatten two of them. Lay a couple slices of thin sliced ham and one slice American cheese on one flattened biscuit. Put the other biscuit on top, trying to pinch the edges to hold it all together (as you see in the above photo, clearly I didn't do a very good job). Egg wash over the top and pop in the oven following the biscuit baking temp and directions on the  tube.

Now doesn't that look like a great lunch?

Why not add a simple cookie for dessert? 

Do you have some bananas to use up? This recipe has you covered.

Banana Chocolate Chip PB Cookies

It has three of my favorite things: chocolate chips, peanut butter and bananas. 

Again, how could I go wrong?

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used regular all purpose flour)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used regular semisweet chips)

**I highly suggest doubling the recipe as it only makes about 20 cookies for a single recipe.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the bananas, peanut butter, and sugars. Then mix in the egg.

Mix in the baking powder and salt.

Stir in flour.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Use a cookie scoop and drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the top of each cookie with your fingers or a spoon.

Bake for 9-11 minutes.

These recipes will keep your bellies full and the kids asking for more, 

I guarantee it!

Wordless Wednesday: Similar, But Very Different

Update & A Thank You

Thank you to all of you who sent prayers and your love over the last few days after last week's prayer request.

I'm happy to report that Reed's dad finally returned home yesterday evening. One of the first things he did was go out for a walk in the woods (with company, of course). While his vision is the main concern and area affected, he is otherwise doing well. He is lacking eyesight in both eyes and unable to zero in on objects completely. Occasionally I think there is still some memory that is impacted too, but for the most part he is doing well. He has returned home with all of his sass minus his clear vision. lol. The biggest adjustment will be keeping an otherwise quite active man full of shenanigans a little bit more low key for a while. And of course, getting used to seeing him in the passenger seat. I cannot tell you how many times I've thought I heard the John Deere tractor or his mule he drives, going down the driveway. Only to be rudely jolted to the reality that he's not there doing that. We continue to remain hopeful and prayerful that his eyesight will return or at least become more clear so that he will be able to function even better. We are so grateful for the prayers that clearly aided in his recovery. Keep 'em coming!

As for my MIL, she is doing much better and up and around as normal. I'm sure the coming weeks will be an adjustment for her, but hopefully the help of family will be a support to her.

Lastly, my papa. He is still hospitalized and he has good days and then others that he's a little confused or things are a bit more difficult. The fluid on the lungs is better, but his blood pressure is low and they found his heart rate to be too. The doctor reports are mixed and one day they suggest a pacemaker and the next they say he's not a candidate. I presume that the family will be meeting with doctors more this week to decide on a course of action for him. Who knows where it will lead The Resurrection Man. Yesterday he was up sitting in the chair watching the Twins game and the day before he was telling grandkids his good-byes. Prayers for direction for my dad's family and the care of my grandpa are most appreciated as well.

Thank you again for being a strong faith-filled community that I was able to turn to for support. You have always been a blessed presence in my life, although most of us have never met. Thank You!

God's Curve Ball And Prayer Request

This week has been tiring, emotionally and physically.

In case you've questioned my absence, I thought I would catch you up to speed.

Even taking the time to check in and send out a prayer request here was time consuming, so I opted not to.


Briefly:

My FIL suffered a stroke earlier in the week. There are so many details to what happened, but I just can't find the time or energy to replay the scene. Thank God, he is doing remarkably well. He is up and around and each passing day he looks just a little bit better. The main thing affected is his eye sight in one eye that has gotten a little better, but I am unsure that it will completely heal.

He does still have blood on his brain that has not decreased and they also told us yesterday that they found a tear in an artery that goes up the back of the neck to the brain. This tear will need to be addressed in coming months. For now, he will be in the hospital over the weekend for sure to keep monitoring him and get him on blood pressure medication before going home.


As all of this unfolded on Tuesday, it was wearing on everyone as you can imagine. That night, while my MIL stayed overnight at the hospital she ended up in ER with memory loss and confusion. They diagnosed her with Transient Global Amnesia. Essentially, she could remember up through Monday, but none of the events from Tuesday. She was admitted to the hospital, treated that day, tests ran and was discharged late Wednesday evening. She seems to be doing well, besides being tired from all the time spent visiting my FIL.


Lastly, to end our week, my 93 year old grandpa was admitted to the same hospital. He is being treated for fluid on his lungs and congestive heart failure. Yesterday when I visited him he was eating like usual and in chipper spirits, a big change from when I visited him at home last weekend. I was recently updated and found that he has gotten much quieter, his blood pressure is erratic and low and he had a rough night. Reed has dubbed him The Resurrection Man because he's always bounced back in the past. Many times we have thought he was in his last and he always came back. We will see what God's plan is for this wonderful, sweet man this time around.


At least for today, we are all home together. This week has kept Reed at the hospital, an hour away, every day and me holding down the fort. I've been to the hospital a couple times and yesterday was the first day we took all the kids. I think it did the Papa's well to see the kids and lift their spirits a bit.


Any prayers you can send are most appreciated. We know the healing power of prayer and trust that God will protect and watch over our loved ones who need His powerful touch.

Never Again...

 ....will I chuckle at someone running on the side of the road as I drive by.

Or how someone runs and looks kinda, sorta weird as they do so.

Because now that the weather is nicer and I've become THAT person running by on the road, 

I'm always kinda, sorta hoping those passing by aren't laughing at me.

Payback, don't ya think?

I mean for serious, it's more like a light(ish) jog(ish) sort of run. 

Let's be real, people, that's what it is.

Even if I'm (barely) pushing the 10:30/mile mark. On a good run. With the wind at my back.

Which leads me to think of Colleen. She's my personal trainer from like eight states away. 

She's talented like that.

One day we're gonna go on a run together IRL. Promise.

Please, dear readers, if you are ever near small town Minnesota and perhaps see me running, just smile and wave.

Keep the honking and laughing to yourself until you are at least on the other side of town, which will take you about 5 seconds. 

Do you think you can hold it in that long?

At least I'm staying active, that's what I keep telling myself. 

You know, because that makes me feel better.

Happy Monday Everyone!