Reflections on Faith

Today is a special day. I finally have time to blog again and a way to blog. Today is my birthday (well it was my birthday when I wrote this, but a couple of days have passed now) and that seemed the perfect excuse to take the day off from work and catch up on, well, everything.

Since I have a thousand and one things to accomplish today, I did the logical thing and went to Starbucks first thing this morning and ordered a venti mocha and set out to accomplish a to do list as long as my arm. First things first, post on my sadly neglected blog. So, I turned on my favorite Pandora station set to praise music or “God music” as my girls call it. Breathing a sigh of relief, I settled down in a comfortable chair with my mocha and started to write. Then, my computer crashed. Interestingly enough, my computer’s hard drive completely crashed back in September which played a big role in my absence from blogging. Hmm, not sure what to think about this. Fortunately, after running some diagnostic software, my computer is up and running again.

Another bump in this long road called life. Just one small bump is no biggie, but our life is starting to feel like an off-roading experience. We have had a lot of bumps in the road this year, but I am clinging to the promise that God has not forgotten our family. I love “As Long as You are Glorified” by Mark Altrogge and sing it often. If you do not have this song in your playlist, trust me, you should! “Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings, Yet not welcome any pain. Shall I thank You for days of sunshine, yet grumble in days of rain. Shall I love you in times of plenty, then leave You in days of drought. Shall I trust when I reap the harvest, but when in winter winds blow then doubt?”

In my own life, I see an interesting pattern arising. I have more faith during the bigger trials we are called to face and exhibit a dismal lack of faith during the smaller trials. For example, when we found out about my retinal disorder, I have found great peace in drawing on the promises of a God who provides light in a dark world. When both of our laptops crashed in the course of several months, I pouted like a two-year-old who just had their sucker stolen. When we received a referral for a child with significantly more special needs than we had initially expected, Chris and I prayed and again were at peace (more on that story to come!). However, when our car engine seized up and we unexpectedly had to buy a new vehicle, you might have mistaken me for a toddler!

Is it because the large obstacles are so insurmountable that I can’t think about conquering them without Christ? Is it because when the problems are less significant, I still think I retain some semblance of control over the situation?

Whatever the reason, my prayer is that this year I will exhibit faith through all situations! God is our God through the sunshine as well as the snow, rain, and wind (which, if you live in NM, you will know that is way worse than rain or snow!). He is God through the cars and computers breaking down and through our bodies breaking down. He is God and He is always good.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
(2 Corinthians 4:7-12 ESV)

Versatile Side Table

My side table is one of the first thing people see when they come into our home. My parents asked us what we would like for Christmas a couple of years back and that table was the perfect piece of furniture to fill the empty spot in our entry way. When we first set it up, my husband thought it would be the perfect dumping ground for keys, sunglasses, mail, and the like.

I gently (at least I hope so) reminded him that it would be the first thing anyone entering our house would see and asked that we try to keep it clutter free. Unfortunately, it still become a hot spot in our home. The only way to keep it clutter free is to do a quick sweep before bed every night. So, to keep myself motivated to keep it clean, I try to change out the decor somewhat regularly. Also, I try to find a spot in our budget for fresh flowers every other week because they do a great job of brightening up the decor. This is a picture of our side table right now.



Here is the side table decorated for our annual kid's cookie decorating party.



This side table also doubles as a buffet when we are serving food to big groups of people. Sometimes we pull it away from the wall and two lines can form so everyone gets their food quickly. This is the side table loaded with food for our Cowgirl Party.


It is great to have such a versatile piece of furniture!

Also, to celebrate the marriage of my little brother to a very sweet girl, I would like to give away a $25 Target gift card. Target is always my go-to place for wedding gifts or gift cards for newlyweds, so it seems fitting that you should have the chance to get one too! Have any of you wished you could re-register all over again (it especially hit me this year as our ten year wedding anniversary is coming up)? Well, here is your chance to replace one of those old appliances. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is a picture of the groom dancing with one of his adorable flower girls, our little Adelyn.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

Pico de Gallo

If you don't live in the southwest, you may not have heard of pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is a fresh salsa and is pronounced peek-oh duh-guy-oh. This dish is perfect served with chips or warm corn tortillas as an appetizer. It also adds zing and freshness to eggs, chicken, fish, and any Mexican inspired meal. If you are curious, pico de gallo means "rooster's beak" and I can't even hazard a guess why.

This recipe is for a traditional pico de gallo. However, one of our favorite variations of this recipe is to substitute the tomatoes for mango and serve on a white fish such as cod or halibut.

Pico de Gallo



4 bunches of cilantro (get it as fresh as possible)
6 Roma tomatoes or 3 beefsteak tomatoes
1 onion
2 jalapeños (deveined and deseeded)
4 cloves of garlic (minced or pressed in a garlic press)
1/2 lime (juiced)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt

Separate the cilantro stems from the leafy top.



Chop the cilantro removing any additional woody stems as you go. Then chop the tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños (pronounced holl-uh-pehn-yoz). Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the salt to taste. Makes enough for 10-15 people.



It is best to let this sit for several hours before serving to let all the flavors meld. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days, but as fair warning, it will stink up your refrigerator. Personally, I prefer pico de gallo the day after it is made. Also, pico de gallo may be an acquired taste. I grew up eating it, but it took my husband a couple of tries before he was sold. Now, he loves it!

Linked:

Time-Warp Wife
The Better Mom
Raising Homemakers
A Glimpse Inside

The Referral

I am not sure I can accurately describe the emotions when Chris called. He said, "Did you see the e-mail?" No, I hadn't seen an e-mail. He said our adoption agency had sent us an e-mail with a referral. I immediately thought, "That can't be right. Our dossier is not in China yet." So, I raced to my computer.

Sure enough, there was a congratulations e-mail from our adoption agency. We had been matched! The tears begin to flow as elation swept over me. This was our child! I started crying. This experience is not quite like finding out we were pregnant because there was a picture of a beautiful, little girl. We knew exactly what our daughter would look like!

In order to dispel concerns that this was a mistake, I called the office of our adoption agency. They stated it was not a mistake and that "Special Focus" children could be matched prior to submitting a dossier to China. This little girl was a "Special Focus" child which essentially means the agency is particularly focused on finding a home for this child due to her age, her medical needs, or a combination of both. The agency encouraged us to write a letter of intent if we thought we were possibly interested in this referral, then to take two weeks to review this little girl's medical file, and give them a final answer.

We opened this little girl's medical file and came face to face with several medical terms we had never even heard of before. We sent the file out to the girls' pediatrician and two pediatricians who specialize in pediatric care for adopted children. We also spent numerous hours Googling the terms listed on her medical report.

When we received the summary of the medical chart from the first physician, I remember curling up and crying. The pediatrician voiced concerns that not only would this beautiful little girl likely suffer motor issues due to her spina bifida, she also likely had hydrocephalus because her head was measuring larger than the ninty-fifth percentile. She pointed out that if this little girl had hydrocephalus without a shunt, she would most likely suffer brain damage, although to what extent would be unclear without a CT scan. The other adoption specialist also recommended a CT scan.

It is important to admit that I reacted to this news with a great amount of fear. When we look back, I do not want to ever think that we completed this adoption through our own strength; it will only be because of the strength of our Heavenly Father. My fear was that we would not be able to care for a child with the special needs this little girl might have. I was afraid that if we said "no" to this referral that we would not be following God's leading and I was afraid that if we said "yes" that we would be taking on more than we could handle.

Our agency told us to ask the question, "Are we able to meet this little girl's needs with the resources that we have been given?" One thing we had to take into consideration was my diagnosis of Stargadt's disease. We knew that I might not physically be able to provide long term care for a child with significant medical needs. So, we waited for the CT scan to answer our questions about potential brain damage. While we waited, we desperately prayed that we would be open to following God's direction for our lives no matter where that might take us and that He would give us peace if this was the child He had for us.

After several weeks of waiting, we received a very encouraging CT scan. The doctors were able to determine that this little girl did not have hydrocephalus. There are still some unknowns about her future medical concerns, but we were reminded that God is not the author of fear. We could become paralyzed by replaying various scenarios regarding her medical needs or we could give our fears to God and take a step of faith. We said "yes" to the referral and we rested in the assurance that God knows everything about our little girl. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14.

With an overwhelming sense of peace, we made the official announcement below.



We have given our little girl the name Norah which means "honor." It is not a coincidence that we gave our daughter this name. God has placed adoption on our hearts for many years and we want to honor Him by following His leading. We also feel that it is a great honor to be entrusted with the lives of all of our children, including Norah.

Over the next six to eight months, we covet your prayers as we finish our dossier, raise funds, and prepare to travel. We also ask that you pray that Norah is well cared for at her foster home. It is very difficult to think that our daughter is more than six thousand miles away and we will not see her for many more months. However, we know that God is completely sovereign and He is watching over Norah.

P.S. If I get the OK from our adoption agency, I will post a picture of Norah soon!

Displaying Pictures

I love pictures, but I have a hard time figuring out how to group pictures. This is the best I can do for now! My biggest problem is that my three-year-old daughter's bed is on the other side of this collage. Every time she gets on the bed, she bumps the wall and the pictures get knocked off kilter. I need to put some kind of adhesive on the back of these pictures so they don't move when the wall is knocked. The OCD part of me spends way to much time straightening pictures on this wall! In case you are wondering, there is a frame missing from the top, right row. This spot is for Norah.



This is a set up for a side table. I like placing pictures at different heights to add some interest.



I love pictures and I wish I had more around our house (after all, what is more beautiful than the face of a child?). The biggest problem for me is that frames are expensive. I tend to buy frames when they are fifty percent off at Hobby Lobby, but they are still pricey. Does anyone have a clever way to hang pictures without relying on frames?

Breakfast with a Bang

Our mornings are about to get very busy. As soon as school begins and I start my new job, our mornings will feel like a 400 meter dash to get everyone ready, chores done, lunches made, and breakfast eaten in time to be out the door by 7:15am. Although we are no strangers to this schedule, I want it to be different this fall. In the past, mornings have felt harried and unorganized.

One of the frustrating things about busy mornings is the lack of time to cook a hearty breakfast for my girls. It is important to me to send my kids to school with a hearty breakfast that will get them through a morning of learning and play. I want to serve them a complete meal with protein, veggies or fruit, and dairy. What has happened in the past is that I slop cereal and milk in a bowl and call it good.

This year is going to be different! I have started doubling or tripling my recipes when I make breakfast and freezing the extra. Although this is a trick I have used for dinners, it never occurred to me to use it for breakfasts. So, I am stocking my freezers with hearty breakfasts so my family can start off their morning with a bang.

Here are a couple of recipes that freeze and reheat well. There seems to be quite the controversy over "hiding" vegetables in kids' food versus encouraging kids to eat the veggies on their plate. My philosophy regarding this matter is quite simple. We do both at this house because really, can kids get too many vegetables? So, you will find several of this recipes incorporate vegetables and they all have a protein, dairy, and usually a good amount of fiber.

Baked Oatmeal



This is a recipe from a dear friend that I tweaked to add veggies and fiber.

Mix dry ingredients:
2 cups of oatmeal
1/4 cup oat bran
2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 c brown sugar or agave (more cooking time if you use agave and cut down milk by 1/8 cup)

Add wet ingredients :
1 1/4 cup milk (I use fat free)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1-2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in fruit and veggies:
1/2 apple diced
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup zucchini (optional)
1/4 cup carrots (optional)

Lightly grease a 9" pie pan and pour batter in it. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. I normally double the recipe and bake in a 9x13, but will need to increase the baking time to about 30 mins.

I freeze this recipe and it reheats well!



Whole Grain Ricotta Waffles



I adapted this recipe by adding ricotta cheese for extra protein and reducing the fat by replacing the oil with applesauce.

4 eggs, beaten
3 cups skim milk
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ricotta, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until batter is smooth.
Preheat a waffle iron, and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown. This recipe will make a lot of waffles and they will freeze great. The best way to reheat them is to stick them in the toaster.

Breakfast Omelet Muffins




This is a recipe I concocted from taking different aspects from breakfast casserole recipes and making one that is full of protein.

Preheat oven to 375.

1 bag refrigerated shredded hash browns (I use Simply Potatoes).
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ricotta
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 cup shredded zucchini (or finely diced bell peppers, broccoli, or other veggie of choice)
1 tbsp dried minced onions
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Spray muffin tin pans with non-stick spray. Cover the bottom of each tin with hash browns. Mix remaining ingredients together and evenly pour over the hash browns. Cook for 23-25 min. Cool and freeze. Makes approximately 16 muffins. You can make a lighter version of this muffin by using skim ricotta, 2% cheddar cheese, and Egg Beaters.

Another thing that freezes well are breakfast burritos. I have learned a couple of tricks along the way. 1. Don't freeze the salsa inside the burrito. It makes the tortilla soggy when reheated. 2. Wrap the burrito first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. This helps keep them fresh in the freezer for longer. Just don't forget to remove the aluminum foil when you microwave the burrito! I fill our burritos with turkey sausage, eggs, cheese, and bell peppers.

These are just a couple of breakfast ideas filled with protein and veggies for families on the go. When school starts, forget sugar filled cereal that won't hold the kids until lunch. Join me in freezing wholesome breakfasts!

*If you duplicate the Breakfast Omelet Muffins recipe anywhere, please give me the credit since it is an original recipe.*

Linked:
Raising Homemakers
Time-Warp Wife
We are THAT family
Women Living Well
Holistic Homemaking
Far Above Rubies
The Better Mom
{aka}design