Heading to the boat safari

Our first night in Orange County Kabini, India we took a boat safari.  It was a lot of fun and we even saw a few animals.  We received binoculars to help spot animals on shore.  It was a great time to take the tour because the river was down a little bit so a lot of animals were coming out to eat the fresh green grass at the edge of the water.

View of the huts from the boat

Our boat safari crew ready to explore

Herd of elephants….guess that little guy wants to do his own thing!

Another group of elephants showing us their back sides….the little one is cute!

Herd of deer eating the green grass at the edge of the river

Elephant munching away on some stalks

Black birds perched up on the tree

Wild boars

Cattle crossing the river in a shallow spot to get to a grassy island to eat.

Turtle sunning himself on the tree stump

Bison grazing on the fresh green grass near the water’s edge

Indian coracles (or hand made boat). Indian coracles are either saucer or bowl shaped and circular, with the greatest diameter across the mouth.

Finished our boat safari at sunset.  Our guide is walking up the ramp.  He was informative and did a great job keeping the kids engaged too.  The item in the bottom right hand corner is a coracle turned upside down.

Our fun crew

The boat safari was pretty amazing!  We were able to see quite of few animals even without the binoculars.  Watching the animals in their natural habitat was awesome.  We are so thankful for Matt, Jen and their family for sharing this trip with us.  It was a lot of fun!  The kids were real troopers throughout the entire adventure; we had them going from sun up to sun down!

The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

It isn’t easy to forgive, especially when you have been hurt.  This song by Matthew West is a great reminder of the importance of forgiving.  Here are some of the words from the song:

It’s the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don’t deserve

It’s the opposite of how you feel
When the pain they caused is just to real
It takes everything you have just to say the word

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free’

Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible

I want to finally set it free
So show me how to see what Your mercy sees
Help me now to give what You gave to me

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

Currently we have activities after school 5 days a week so planning our menu in advance is a huge help.  Just deciding what to make and prepping in earlier in the day or week help us save a lot of extra time in the evenings.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

Our Weekly Menu Plan

• Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Catfish, French Bread
• Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Kids in the Kitchen – Bacon & Potato Au Gratin
• Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mexican Chicken, Fresh Fruit
• Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes
• Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

Photo by Liz

It was a fun week with a lot of activities.  Always love our time together.  I was able to do most of the items on my goal list this week thankfully.  Hopefully this week I will be able to tackle more items on my list!

Last week’s goals:

Family Goals

1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
4. Attend After School Activities
5. Plan one special Activity with the Family – we did a bonfire and went to a small fair together!
6. Attend Back to School Night Event
7. Schedule a Meet & Greet with 1 of the girls teachers

Personal Goals

1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
3. Finish reading Our Boys by Joe Drape – I started this one a couple years ago and never finished so starting over.  It’s about the Smith Center, Kansas football team (it has been interesting reading the book so far because I know some of the people in it since my parents live near Smith Center) – see my review on the book

Home Management Goals

1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
3. Start tackling my Fall Organizational Schedule – have my list and getting ready to start
4. Pay all upcoming bills

Business Goals

1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
3. Get caught up on 5 blog items

Ministry Goals

1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
3. Work out the details of our Community Group Camping Adventure – working out the last few details

Financial Goals

1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
2. Payoff the Van – still working on it, we were able to put a little extra towards it this month
3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – getting closer

My goals for the upcoming week:

Family Goals

1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
4. Attend After School Activities
5. Plan one special Activity with the Family

Personal Goals

1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
3. Finish reading Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (I got a pre-release copy to read)
4. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith

Home Management Goals

1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
3. Start tackling my Fall Organizational Schedule
4. Pay all upcoming bills

Business Goals

1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
3. Get caught up on 5 blog items

Ministry Goals

1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
3. Work out the details of our Community Group Camping Adventure
4. A Friend Challenged me to read through my Bible – since I am already through the majority of the year I am working on a plan where you can read through the Bible in 90 days by YouVersion

Financial Goals

1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
2. Payoff the Van
3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)

I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

I started reading Our Boys by Joe Drape  a couple years ago but never finished.  I came across it again recently and since I have been spending extra time in the car waiting in car line and other places I thought it would be a great book to pick back up. Our Boys is not the typical book I read but since it is about a town near where I grew up and where my parents are currently living I decided it would be a fun one to read.  It is a neat story about a small town High School football team in Smith Center, Kansas.  How does a team from a small rural area set a national record with the longest high school winning streak?

I have to smile when I read the authors descriptions of the town and the local businesses because I have visited many of them.  Even some of my extended family members are in the book.  I think it is neat that the author moved his family from New York City to Smith Center, Kansas to live while he was writing this book.  The author, his wife and child were able to experience the town and its unique culture first hand.  The story is about a local High School football team and their record setting perfect season.

My favorite quote from the book was from Coach Barta:

Life is not about winning or losing; it’s about competing. It’s about working hard and getting a little bit better each day.

While the story is inspiring and encouraging I have seen and heard tidbits about the Smith Center High School Football team from a variety of different perspectives.  I did not go to school in Smith Center, however, my parents, brothers, and several other family members have graduated from Smith Center.  Some of them very involved in sports and others not.  It is interesting hearing their insights regarding the High School Football team.

If you have kids that love sports especially football this is a great story to read.  It is about how a small community can come together, encourage their children, work hard, and be successful both on and off the field.  None of the people mentioned in the book are perfect but by working together they did manage to accomplish some amazing records.  Another piece that fascinates me is how much of an impact not only the community and parents had on the team but the coaches.  It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do in life everyone has the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Groceries from Walgreens, Kmart & Ingles

I was able to make a quite trip to the grocery store the early half of the week and pick up a few deals.  Then I went back later in the week to get a couple more items and ended up going over our weekly budget.  I need to clean out our pantry, fridge and freezer and coordinating the meals around what we already have in the house.    Here is our $40 for 4 grocery budget for this week.

Walgreens Groceries:

• $2.99 at Walgreens for 1 (24 pack) Water and 4 boxes Sugar Free Jello.

KMart Groceries:

• $2.00 at Walgreens for 2 bags Festive Red & Blue Chips (clearance)

Ingles Groceries:

• $23.65 at Ingles for 2 cans Enchilada Sauce, 2 bags Laura Lynn Bread (sale), 2 gallons Milk (sale), 1 package Lenders Bagels, 1 package Eckrich Polish Sausage (sale), Pork Roast (marked down), Crab Dip (marked down), 1 package Peaches & Apples (marked down), 1 Sweet Onion, and 1 bag Lettuce (marked down).

Groceries from Walmart & Walgreens

Walmart Groceries:

• $21.82 at Walmart for 2 cans Black Beans, 2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Chilies, 1 can Refried Black Beans, 1 jar Kosher Baby Dill Pickles, 1 container Mixed Berry Cream Cheese, 1 container Regular Cream Cheese, 1 bag Blueberry Bagels, 4 boxes Coke (12 packs, priced matched for $2.75 each) My husband likes to have an occasional soda so I like to restock when I can get 12 packs for under $3 that way we have some on hand for the evenings and weekends when he is home.

Walgreens Groceries:

• $2.99 at Walgreens for 1 gallon Milk.

This week I spent $53.45  on groceries.   I went over budget again this week.  Some of the items that I picked up this week will last us for a few weeks which will help with next weeks grocery trips.   The remaining amount in our grocery budget for next week is pretty low so I need to make sure to stay under budget and only purchase those items that we really need as well as eat items from our stock pile.   Hopefully next week we can come under budget and September will be a better month for us!

It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!   As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

Our family had cooked up a bunch of chicken breasts earlier in the week so I came up with this easy Chicken Taco Casserole for dinner to help use up the last of the chicken .  The best part is you can make it ahead of time than just pop it into the oven and you’ll be ready to eat in about 30 minutes.  I typically make a whole 9 x 13 casserole dish of the Chicken Taco Casserole that way we have plenty of leftovers for lunches or can eat the leftovers on a night when the schedule is too tight to make another dish.  I make a Beef Taco Lasagna that has similar ingredients that our family enjoys as well.

Chicken Taco Casserole:

• 1 pound Chicken Breasts (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 package Taco Seasoning
• 2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• 1 can Corn
• 1 can Black Beans
• 6 to 12 Flour or Corn Soft Taco Shells
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese (or mixed cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13 pyrex casserole dish. Slice the chicken breasts into stripes, add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium for 1 minute before adding the chicken.  Add chicken and cook thoroughly.  Add the taco seasoning to the chicken and stir occasionally.   Stir in the tomatoes, corn, and black beans.  Cook on simmer for 5 minutes. Put a layer of flour or corn soft tacos on the bottom of the pyrex dish.  Next pour the taco chicken mixture into the pan and spread evenly.  Top with another layer of flour or corn tacos and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings:  sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and more!

Beth Moore in Charleston, SC

I was able to go on a girls weekend away recently.  After meeting up with my sweet friend Ashley with Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life and a couple other great people from her church we headed to Charleston for a Beth Moore Conference.   The majority of our weekend was spent at a Beth Moore conference, but we squeeze in some fellowship, delicious food, and a few hours of sleep.

Spending a weekend relaxing with friends and being fed the word was wonderful and refreshing.  Although, I had mixed feelings after leaving the conference because there were so many areas that God had touched in my heart over the weekend that I knew it would take me several weeks (maybe months) to process and work through everything.  Here are the main points that I took away from the conference with Beth Moore, hopefully they can be an encouragement to you as well.

• We are here to become more honest versions of ourselves.  (God continues to work in my heart.)
• We cannot walk in our full birthright as part fraud. (Am I telling the truth ALL the time?)
• We’ve got to stick a “with” back in the way we work with people. (working with people not working people)
• It’s time to go face down & face up. (How much time have I spent in prayer today?)
• Children of faith cannot wrestle with people without wrestling with God. (Many times God uses people to help me grow. We have an obligation to treat people like God wants us to.)
• God can use a crippling defeat to bring about our greatest victory. (I cannot come up with a plan better then the one God has for me.)
• God can bring a shocking peace to our fiercest wars. (I have enough, God has richly blessed me.)
• We’ve grasped the blessing when we keep trying to give it away. (The more selfish I am makes it more obvious that I do not know rich God’s blessings.)

Praise and worship team led by Travis Cottrell

I am thankful for the awesome opportunity to get away for a weekend.  It was great spending time with friends, worshiping and learning more about my Savior.   God continues to work in my life and heart even after attending the conference.  I am grateful for my sweet husband for taking care of the kids so I could get away for a weekend.   The girls had a wonderful time with Daddy while I was gone.  I even came home to a special surprise…..I will have to share that with you soon.  Thanks Jacob! XOXO