Busy as a bee

Yep, that's been me for the past few weeks actually! We've been busy preparing, cooking, feeding, cleaning...seems like it never ends :) I wouldn't trade it though-I really enjoy it..well for the most part lol!!
We had our teen girls brunch at my house last Sat. I didn't get pictures-I am waiting for someone to make a disk for me because DH had the camera for the Men's Pancake Breakfast-he took a whopping four pictures and they were mostly of the same thing!! Had a blast preparing for the girls brunch! I made homemade bagels, cinnamon rolls, craisin muffins, overnight french toast, fruit salad and some other little yummies!! Everything was delicious!!! It was so funny to watch the Hungarian girls sheepishly look at some of the food at first and not want to try it but let me tell you-by the time I was ready to eat there were only some muffins left!! Everything was gone in no time!! We had a great devotion based on Jeremiah 29:11. We talked about God's plans for us and His goodness. Of course before too much time, our focus was on guys and why do girls feel incomplete without a boyfriend. It was so neat to have this open talk with them. They want to come each month and talk like this. I think it's so good because when I became a Christian 25 yrs ago, noone talked about these things. You were told to be Godly, to be a "good Godly girl", but I had no clue what that meant! There was noone to disciple me and teach me what exactly it meant. Now, I want so much that girls and women would know these things. How precious they are in the sight of God and not to settle for anything less than His best!
We are busy planning a Youth Retreat in May. It will be the first one so we are a bit nervous to see what kind of response we will receive from the other churches. So far, so good. The theme is Committed to Christ. We still have to finish lining up the different speakers but hopefully that will happen this next week.

I have been working on the church scrapbook lately. I took advantage of Janet Phillip's awesome sale and bought some template packs to help me out. I want to scrap the last 6 years' events and make a nice book for the church to keep. Here's one I did the other day. I used Bek Cutshaw's holiday template and Kelly Shults's Christmas kit.

I figure if I scrap a LO a week I should be finished in about a year LOL!! I am going to get plenty of use from all the great templates-makes life so much easier for me. I am still debating whether or not to get PSE 5. I see that Holly's stuff is on sale right now and I really want to get her actions but they only work on Photoshop. So many of my photos need a POP and I can't work it out myself in PSP. Also, I love these by Jen Caputo: And Janet also has this awesome ABC book that I have on my wish list. I think it would be great for a scripture book. Even just decorating the pages and giving it without the pictures would be great baby shower gifts don't you think!

Have you gone over to Shabby Princess's blog lately? Kristy has a beautiful desk top download for April!! I have a feeling that there are going to be some pretty kits coming out soon with these designs!! I can't wait until April now!! I just read that some new releases will be here shortly!! I guess I should get going-we have church tonight which means I may need to lay down and take a cat nap this afternoon. I haven't been getting good sleep the last few nights so I am a bit tired and I don't think DH would appreciate it if I fell asleep during his sermon LOL-

Have a blessed day :)

Raise your hand....

...if you constantly get an error message from blogs with those verification number/letter things!! Am I the only one that feels so dumb when I get the "incorrect" message????? It drives me out of my mind. I either am not looking when I type and don't have my fingers in the right spot, or my eyesight fails me and I can't read those letters! Some are so hard to figure out if it's an S and 8 whatever!!! Frustration!!! I know, my life is so filled with challenges! LOL

Such a busy week-we had guests all week at our house. It was good and now I have to change all the sheets today and get ready for the college students to come over tonight :) I think that is my ministry-changing sheets!!
The weather here has been wonderful. We barely had a winter here-I think it snowed an inch all winter. I am not complaining one bit! This is my kind of winter for sure-only thing missing is the beach!
We are having our girls brunch next Sat. I made some pretty invitations for it and I'm excited to decorate and find some yummy recipes. Our theme is going to be from Jer. 29:11~For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord...here's a picture of the invites: On the back I just put all the info for the place, time, etc.

I cut them 5x7 and put a piece of vellum over the top and then a sheer ribbon in the center top. I like to make things like this so the girls can use the scripture part to put in a frame or however they want. I think I will make some bookmarks to match to put at each place setting. It's going to be a good time and the girls are looking forward to it.

I finally used my Gift Certificate at Shabby Shoppe. I am so excited about the kits I was able to get. It was difficult to narrow it down, but I am so blessed to get these:

and then I got this one: (love these colors)

I started a LO using the Island Chic but the photo I want to use is of my Mom and I from the summer and I need some kind of action/script to make the photo "POP" It just needs that extra oomph-know what I mean. I can't find one for PSP that I want to use. I am waiting to see if the Photoblast ones will all come in PSP. I haven't seen one for a pop yet and I can't seem to make it happen on my own. I keep thinking there has to be a way to do it but I can't figure it out. If I get the picture lighter, then it looks too unreal and though I like to whiten my teeth a bit and do a bit of sharpening to my photos I can't stand when they look fake and too professional-not like I have that problem with my skills lol. I just like a more natural look when possible.

I am having a craving to make Focaccia bread. Maybe I will make it for dinner tonight. There's a great recipe from Food Network that I am going to make for the students tonight and the bread will be good with it. Here's the recipe-it's great doubled and even tripled if you have a crowd to feed. Tastes great the next day too. I think all Italian food tastes better the next day after the seasonings have settled in.

Chicken Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces

1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces

1 small onion, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

Serving suggestion: crusty bread
Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.
Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.
Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

I better go tend to the laundry, clean the bathrooms, do some vacuuming....all the fun stuff that my allergies and asthma cry out for more of. LOL

Have a blessed weekend!!!! May the joy of the Lord be your strength :)

New banner and....

we'll just have to see what the ...'s stand for by the end of this post :) I think it's so difficult to figure out a title at times. It's like having to do a report in high school and figure out your main topic, the plot, the ending, etc!! Oh I remember having to do those outlines-no computer back then folks-(that's how old I am ) and no electric typewriter (I'm even older lol). My daughter is in the midst of midterms at college right now and enjoying these things right now. Fortunately, she has a computer but she thinks it is just horrid that she has to run to the college library to print stuff out. I guess that can be considered an inconvenience when your paper is due Friday morning and you are still up at 11pm making the final corrections!!! She is such a procrastinator!! She gets it from.......uh, well, I don't want to say anything bad against anyone who can't defend themselves, so a little hint.....it's not me and there's only one other person that's a guy in the house LOL!!!! ok-enough of that :)
So... (guess I love to use.... and -). I think it's fun not having to worry about proper sentence structure and grammar on these blogs! Just write it as it comes out and don't give it a second thought! Imagine if our blogs got graded!! HUH!!!! I would fail!!! Oh man, I am just all over the place in la la land tonight. I hit my face on the front door the other day and my nose is hurting so much and it is affecting my sinuses. Don't ask how I managed to do that-I have no clue. I tell you again....I am a walking bruise. I stubbed my big toe the other day and thought nothing of it. Then, I started doing my workout and was thinking-hey my toe hurts a lot. Sure enough there's a big blood blister on it. I really scare myself at times! If I am this clumsy at 46 I can't imagine in years to come! Hopefully my workouts will keep me somewhat in shape.
Speaking of workouts...I have been very faithful with my video. Someone from America left it here probably 8 years ago and I found it in the church and started doing it with my daughter a couple years ago. I wasn't too faithful but after seeing some unattractive rolls starting to appear at my waistline I decided to get on the ball. No..not literally on one of those exercise balls....oh gosh that would be a fright!!! I would be rolling down the street getting caught under a car I think. I am what one would call "coordinationally challenged". Hmm do you think it's a word??? Anyway, this video is sooooo late 80's or 90's -fushia outfits, big hair...a crack up. But it's actually the best workout I have ever had. We ordered Pilates last year but it's too slow for me. I need to sweat with aerobics. Of course that's a crack up too. Here's the gal telling us to use opposite arm and leg to lift the weight and move the legs-uhmmm ok -I decided to just stand there amd lift the weights over my head because by the time I figured out how to lift one arm over my head and move the opposite leg in front of the other leg at the same time the set was over!!!! Yes, folks, I do believe if someone filmed me I could win Amercian Funniest Videos. My daughter loved working out with me because of my "gracefulness"!! LOL
Have you seen Janet Phillips is having a 6months anniversary sale at the Digi Shoppe. Her templates are wonderful-go check them out here. Also check out her blog entry from yesterday (I think it was) and see her inspiration to keep us gals scrappin' and not hoardin'! Just click on her name to the right of my blog. You won't be sorry :) I managed a LO the other day. I am not all that happy with it because I couldn't put the photos in the grids properly. They kept getting all distorted. I posted a question on Misty's blog (link to the right) to ask how to do this. Probably simple stuff, but, hey, I am complex LOL
I am gazing over at the Shabby Shoppe and wonderfing what to spend my gift certificate on. I know for sure I will get this:

I have noticed I am going to all the dark colors lately. I love the old, vintagey, rustic look but when I saw this kit I realize I miss the bright, fun whimsy look too. So, I am going to brighten things up a bit. It's tough narrowing down Shabby Princess kits because all of them are wonderful!
What else is new? Well, not too muchnew. We are still trusting in God to pull us through this trial I mentioned last time. It's really hard going through it but the Lord has already taught me so much through it. I love how He does those things. He uses everything for our good if we let Him. He even will use the pain someone else causes to show us things in our own life. I have to learn not to react in my flesh so often and commit things to prayer first. I always want to analyze things and try to figure out stuff and sometimes there's just no figuring it out. I love Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. I lean on mine so much and need to trust even when things don't make sense!!

Well folks, I think it is time for me to end this entry. I am tired and feel like reading someone else's blog than my own now :)

Have a blessed weekend!! I will put up the LO next time-that's how lazy I am right now :)