Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
We made it through the last full week of school. Only two more partial weeks than they will be free for summer break. The girls are ready for summer vacation. Jake is still busy with work, but he is good about taking time in the evenings and weekends to spend with us. I am blessed! There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful that our termite inspection came back normal with no problems.
Tuesday – Thankful for all the hard work the girls did on their Science Fair Projects. The girls both were both selected as the top in their class.
Wednesday – Thankful for a thoughtful, understanding, and loving husband who takes such good care of me.
Thursday – Thankful for an opportunity to go to my nephew’s 4K graduation celebration.
Friday – Thankful for Brina’s tutor and the time she has invested in helping her. Also thankful for time with my family!
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Recipes: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Our family enjoys fruits and vegetables. We like our produce with breakfast, take it in our lunches, and have it at dinner too. Asparagus is one we really like and we love finding new ways to cook it. Whether it is baked or grilled these Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles come out very tasty. It is easy to assemble and the kids love eating this delicious vegetable.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles Recipe:
- 1 Bundle of Fresh Asparagus
- 12 oz package Bacon (we like the center cut with more meat)
- Dash of Salt
- Dash of Pepper
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Butter or Margarine, melted
- Sesame Seeds, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse and trim the ends of the asparagus. Remove any hard stems on the asparagus stalks too. Generally, the smaller the asparagus stalk the better because it is more tender.
3. Divide your asparagus up into equal piles (3 to 8 stalks). In these pictures we divided our asparagus up into 4 bundles (one for each family member). We have done smaller bundles too. Pick the number of bundles you want to do and divide it up as equal as possible.
4. Lay 1 asparagus bundle in the center of a slice of bacon. Wrap the bacon around the asparagus bundle and place on a broiler pan. Repeat this step until all your asparagus bundles are wrapped. If you have extra bacon you can cook that on the pan beside the asparagus bundles if you want.
5. Sprinkle each bundle with a dash of salt and pepper. Mix the brown sugar and melted butter or margarine together and pour over the asparagus bundles. Top with sesame seeds.
5. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.*
*GRILLING – You can also place these Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles on the grill at your next cookout! Make sure not to put it too close to a really hot spot or open flame on the grill for a long period of time. It will usually take less time on the grill to cook these bundles. Once the asparagus looks like it is started to wilt a little and the bacon is cooked these will be done.
Sometimes we make up a big tray of the Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles because the kids love them re-heated as well.
Ready to bake and eat!
Delicious!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Thankful for a long weekend with my family over Memorial Weekend. It’s been a busy weekend, but glad to have some time with all of them. It was nice, however, it went by too fast. We did got a lot done and had some fun along the way through the weekend. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Special Event
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Homemade Pizza, Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Tilapia, Steamed Vegetables
- 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
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Thankful for a long weekend with my family. The girls and Jake both had the Monday off and we stayed home this weekend to get some projects done. The big project for our weekend was cleaning and re-staining our deck. The girls were a big help cleaning out the bins, making meals, and more. Last week was the girls last full week of school, next week they only have 4 days and the following week they have a couple half days. The kids and the teachers are both ready to be done with school. The last days for grades is this week so they have some fun stuff planned. Hoping to get some items done this week even though it is a shorter work week. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – working out some of the extra details
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – the kids went riding, but I didn’t have a chance
Work on special projects with the kids- Attend Science Fair Project Presentations – the girls were selected as top in their class, very proud of them!
Annual Pest / Termite Inspection Completed– completed on MondayKids orthodontist appointmentSTEM Club MeetingSpend extra time with the Family over the Memorial Holiday WeekendFinish sending out the remaining Graduation Cards– I got to go to my nephews 4K graduation last week too
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Keep up with my FitBit GoalsGo to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – got a little behind on a couple days
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – did other items as a family
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room) – did other items as a family
Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped)- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food) – still needs to be put in the container
Repairs – (Focus – Take Slide Off Jungle Gym)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – need to get 2 more items completed this week
Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – paid a couple more this week
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went over budget this week with the whole family home all weekend
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading The Trumpter Swan by E. B. White to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Tuesday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
- Kids orthodontist appointment
- STEM Club Meeting
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – Pantry Cleaned Out & Organized)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Organize and Re-Fill Snack Bins)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Outside Containers Cleaned, Organized, and Put Back in Place)
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Jungle Gym)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
What We Love…
Flashback Friday: Meeting Extended Family Members on 1st Trip to Kansas
Great Grandma Doris holding Brina.
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to when the girls were just over 3 months old. It was also their first airplane ride and visit to our Kansas family. I have a lot of extended family members in the Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado area. It was an adventure flying with two little ones on heart apnea monitors. Thankfully my brother Lee flew with us and was a big help getting all the kids and their stuff into the airport.
The biggest disadvantage to flying with twins is that you cannot sit together. There is only one extra air mask per row on the airplanes so you cannot sit in the same row, you have to sit either behind or in front of each other if you have a “babe in arms“. Something we were not aware of until flying with the girls the first time.
We also realize that a lot of airport workers are not used to seeing babies on heart apnea monitors. At one point they delayed the plane from leaving and brought the monitors up from the storage area to put them on. Per the Doctors if we are holding them they didn’t need to be on any monitors, however, the workers insisted that they have them on. It made one of the security guards at one airport so nervous when we took the monitors off the kids that he pushed all our stuff through without stopping to thoroughly inspect everything and immediately said “please put those monitors back on!” I guess having tiny ones on monitors makes some people nervous. To Jake and I it was pretty normal, we had to deal with them from day one.
We had several family celebrations and gatherings during our long weekend in Kansas. The girls got to meet a lot of Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins for the first time during this adventure. They met many new faces on both the Hendrich and St. Clair sides of the family. Thankful for kids that travel well, safety, and for time with family.
Thankful for these precious pictures. The girls are blessed to have so some many wonderful memories with their Grandparents, Great Grandparents, and many more extended family members.
Great Grandma Willa talking with Karlie
Renelle, Karlie, and Grandpa Veryln being silly!
Aunt Tracy with Karlie.
Aunt Vick and Alecia with Karlie and Emily with Brina
Snoozing on the bed at Grandpa Russell’s and Grandma Penny’s house!
My fun and cute nephew Nathan! He is the girls oldest cousin on that side of the family.
Jake relaxing for a few minutes with Brina! Thankful for all his help and willingness to travel all the way out to KS with the little ones to visit my family. Love him so much and he is an amazing Dad to our girls.
We got to go to my cousin Jordan’s High School Graduation while we were in KS. Jordan’s pictured above with my brother Lee.
Aunt Renelle holding a sleepy Brina. Renelle is super good with kids. She was my “partner-in-crime” while growing up and probably the closest thing to a “sister” I had while growing up in a house with 3 brothers!
My cousin Whitney and her niece Claire!
Organized Chaos: Keeping Track of Water Bottles
Labeled Water Bottles
Since we have two kids the same age and gender they have several items that are identical. A common identical item that both kids have are their water bottles. Like the blue water bottles with the owls on the outside pictured above. A few months ago we had some issues with everybody using whatever water bottle they wanted (even if it was their sister’s), however, during the course of the school day their sister’s water bottle would get dropped, dented, scratched, broken, or misplaced. The next time that sister wanted to use her water bottle it was gone or had additional marks on it.
I know it seems crazy, but there have been some serious discussions between the two kids in our house over damaged or lost special water bottles. I am pretty sure no other household has these types of discussions in their home, but there were a few times I had to intervene in these conversations. Although, items will get dropped or damaged the more they are used I had to find a solution so that these discussions would not be happening on a regular basis in our house. Prior to this year neither child cared which water bottle they took, but the older they get the more they want their items to look good and last longer. I am happy they they want to take good care of their items we just had to find a method to track which water bottle belonged to who.
My initial solution to the problem super easy, took only a couple seconds, and was very inexpensive. I wrote their names on the special water bottles with a permanent black sharpie. The names were written on the bottoms and / or sides of the water bottles so that each kid could easily see if it was theirs before taking it out of the drawer. It was amazing how quickly the issue was resolved, however, after a several washings the permanent marker would wear off making it harder to tell whose water bottle it was again. Now I use several different methods to identify or keep track of the special water bottles:
- Write the Names on the Water Bottles with Black Permanent Marker (easy and inexpensive, but washes off over time)
- Use a washable Label with their Individual Names Printer on it – My personal favorite are the thin Lovable Labels ones because they stay on through MANY washes (anywhere from a few months to years as long as your kids don’t try peeling them off)
- Purchase water bottles with their Names printed or engraved on them (usually more expensive, but works really well). My favorite place to get printed or engraved names on water bottles is Oriental Trading.
There are several generic water bottles that anybody can use at any time in the drawer, however, the special ones have each child’s name on them. The special water bottles usually have the child’s name written in permanent sharpie on the bottom and a label (or name printed / engraved) on the side of the water bottle. Occasionally someone accidentally picks up the wrong water bottle, but for the most part everyone uses their own or a generic one.
Now if they lose or damage their water bottle then they are the only ones inconvenienced by their actions. One of our kids tends to be a little rougher on water bottles (clipping or tying them to her book bag which is bumped against everything in its path, dropping, or just forgetting it). She has gotten a lot better as she is getting older, but I have to smile when she brings home just the water bottle top because I know that means the water bottle itself did not survive it’s nose dive to the concrete floor at school.
Song: We Will Not Be Shaken by Brian Johnson
Thankful for a God who loves us unconditionally. He is not shaken by the circumstances surrounding our lives and we shouldn’t be either. Even through the uncertain times He holds our lives in His hands. Over the last couple of months there have been several people, both family and friends, who have gone through some major health issues. It is encouraging to know that He is not shaken by these situations and can use even these times to make a positive impact on the lives and hearts.
For we trust in our God
And through His unfailing love
We will not be shakenThough the battle rages
We will stand in the fight
Though the armies rise up against us on all sides
We will not be shakenFor in the hour of our darkest day
We will not tremble, we won’t be afraid
Hope is rising like the light of dawn
Our God is for us He has overcomeAll those against Him will fall
For our God is stronger
He can do all things
No higher name we can call
For Jesus is greater
We can do all thingsTravel & Vacation: Fernback Science Center (Atlanta, GA)
Karlie excited to be standing by the Apollo 6
We had the opportunity to spend some time in Atlanta, Georgia recently. Actually we have had 2 recent trips to Georgia in the past couple of months! Georgia is not too far away from where we live so it was nice to get away as a family for a little bit and hang out for a few days together.
On this particular trip to Atlanta we visited the Fernbank Science Center for the first time. It is part of the same association as the Roper Mountain Science Center. It was already free admission, but since we are part of the association we were able to get free tickets to the IMAX shows throughout the day (we could go to as many as we wanted). We were only there for a couple hours so we just went to one of the shows. It is smaller than our local Science Center, but the kids still enjoyed learning and exploring the different items they had on display. The Apollo 6 was Karlie’s favorite while the animals were Brina’s favorite.
The Fernback Science Center is located at 156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta, GA 30307. Phone number is 678-874-7102. They also have an observatory open some nights and a library where you can relax and read some books (which the kids enjoyed). For current events, programs, and shows please visit the Fernbank Science Center website.
Karlie trying to get the light bulb to glow.
Jake and Karlie checking out the Apollo 6
Apollo 6 Command Module
If you look under the capsule you will see a series of holes. The holes were drilled to investigate how the heat shield held up after this capsule re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.
Apollo 6 was the last unmanned Apollo mission and was launched on April 4, 1968. The purpose of the mission was to test, for a second time, the Saturn V rocket. At the time of the launch (one second past 7 a.m. EST) all five engines operated normally, then a series of sharp vibrations shook the rocket. Minutes later two of the five rocket engines shut down. For the next 80 seconds the Saturn V behaved like a drunk driver lurching back and forth, as NASA flight controllers decided whether to abort the mission or not.
After two earth orbits it was time to re-light a smaller rocket. CS-IVB, to stimulate injecting the rocket into a path toward the moon, but this rocket failed. Using a series of smaller rockets on the Service Module NASA scientists completed most of the planned maneuvers. The spacecraft was returned safely to Earth.
A monkey on the inside!
Brina working on her balancing and building skills
Her buildings with stood the Earthquake
Karlie and Daddy working together to build a giant carbon nanotube.
It was almost as tall as she was!
Pretty bird
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!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a whirlwind and busy week. There were some days that didn’t go as planned and I got upset about some minor inconveniences. Rarely do my days go exactly as I plan, but sometimes I do not react well when it changes (need to work on this more). Especially thankful for a gracious husband and understanding people in my life who encourage me when I feel like things are flying apart. There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for the kids teachers (it was teacher appreciation week). The girls decided what they wanted to get their teachers, wrote their own thank you notes, and delivered them. Being a teacher isn’t always easy (neither is being a student at times), but we are thankful for the time the teachers invest into our kids.
Tuesday – Thankful for well behaved kids. The girls had to go with me to one of my appointments and they sat patiently and quietly in the lobby for over an hour reading, drawing, and other activities while waiting on me to wrap things up.
Wednesday – Thankful that Brina may only have one more week with spacer adjustments. She is getting close to where she needs to be positioned. If she gets to the right spot by this week, she will just need to hold in that position for the next several months without any more nightly turning. Yay!
Thursday – Thankful for patient, understanding, and kind husband. He listens. He cares. Despite all my imperfections, failures, and the drama over the little stuff he still loves me. I am truly blessed.
Friday – Thankful for my cousin Renelle. It is always great having a chance to catch up with each other. Even though there are many miles between us it is good to know that we can still stay in touch and encourage each other as we go through various stages in life. She always knows how to make me laugh. It is nice having someone you can bounce ideas off of and they don’t think your crazy!
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
