MMM MMM GOOD...

My husband loves soups so we make one almost every week.  I decided for his birthday I would try PW's Chicken Tortilla Soup.  It was a hit!  I haven't loved everything I've tried of hers but this one was a keeper!

I did not bake the chicken like the recipe suggests.  I'm sure it would be even better if I would have, but I used some cooked chicken leftover from another meal - even easier!

What are your favorite soups?

GIVE THANKS....

It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore!  The other day in my devotional book there were some simple thoughts to remind me of the positive effects of expressing thanks.  Not how it affects God or others, but yourself:

A

Grateful Heart

Protects You

From

Negative Thinking

Simple but oh, so true!

  I Thess. 5:18  In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Give thanks

with a grateful heart

Give thanks

to the Holy One

Give thanks

Because he's given 

Jesus Christ

His son

And now

let the weak say

I am strong

let the poor say

I am rich

Because of what 

the Lord has done

For us!

There's something about being the mother of almost adult children that is reassuring to me.  My job is almost complete and they seem to be turning out okay.  (huge sigh)  It's something to be thankful for.  There is also a contentment in being married almost 29 years!  My husband and I know each other so well and yes, we still fuss at each other, but there is a comfortable commitment there that I am thankful for.  I've had more time for Bible study the last 5 years and there is an assurance of my relationship with the Father. My body may be weaker, but my spirit is stronger.  I think what I'm saying is being 47 years old is pretty awesome.  

 These are things that my heart is grateful for. :)

FRIDAY NIGHT SHAKE UP...

  About the time my life seems to get so routine,  I get a few little things to shake it up!  The last 3 Fridays have been anything but the normal take-out pizza and movie at home.  Of course, there's nothing like live entertainment!

Last week some friends of our generously offered to take us to a Thunder game!  We don't go often so this was a real treat!  We enjoyed eating at Cheever's first, then on to the game - and they have excellent seats by the way.  The Thunder is really doing well and making something of our quiet capitol city!

I even got a new profile pic out of the evening!

One of the weird entertainment portions of the game was this guy:  "Flag man".

"Flag man" is a much more interesting name than "Gymnast," don't you think?

This Friday night we went to a Swine Week fundraiser concert our son was singing at - and it's always interesting to watch these student run projects... I think there were about 10 adults there.

                    They actually performed 5 songs so they seem like a real band!
                                        Can't get enough of these kids.

The lead singer had been sick but I think he still sounds great!

And were followed by a band playing original music with muted movie scenes.  Do you recognize Gandalf?  I would have never thought of the combination of the "Lord of the Rings" on the big screen with original live music.  Let me tell you, I was laughing.  My seat was VIBRATING from the bass!  It was fun to peek into the stuff these kids like.

Can't wait until next Friday night!  Spring Sing will be here and our college son is going to host!!  Life is good.  God is good.

MAYBE I DID SOMETHING RIGHT...

when I encouraged my little ones to try new foods...this adorable little one is enjoying her cantaloupe sooo much!

Then for some reason she declared that she didn't like it in her teenage years!  I always reminded her with this picture that she used to like it...








and now she's come full circle!  This was her email to me the other day:  Look mom! I actually bought a cantaloupe and have been eating it!

MY SON WENT TO DISNEYWORLD AND ALL I GOT...

                                     was this picture from a parent sponsor.

Should've gone myself if I wanted pics, huh?  Well I'm glad he got to go anyway.  The Vocal Music department at his school doesn't take a trip every year so it's a big deal.  They went to a Performance workshop with Disney cast members.  From what I understand, they recorded Lion King songs and about 10 of them did voiceover work.  They also learned some choreography and heard about careers with Disney.  Pretty neat!

He may not have taken many pictures, but he did think of good ole Mom and Dad at home.  Totally surprised us with this:

What a sweet boy we have!  I am thankful for good teachers and parent sponsors and talented, energetic teenage kids today!

LET'S BRIGHTEN THINGS UP A LITTLE...

Just wanted to share a bargain I got this week!  This cute watering can has been wanting to go home with me for a while.  When I first saw it I loved it.  I'm not sure why but I love watering cans!  I thought I could give it as a Bunko gift, or a gift for my mother, or maybe I'll just keep it and put it on my patio.  It was sitting on the shelf at TJ Maxx for a long, long time!

 $29?  Nope sorry, just way too much for a watering can. 

 $17!  You're still too expensive for me even though you're really cute.  

$10!   Really?  You are in my basket and going home with me!

OUCH...

How do you handle hurt feelings?  Do you just take it in disbelief?  That's me, most of the time.  Do you lash out in anger? Being a parent means you hurt if someone hurts your child.  Only you don't find out about it so much when they're teens.  This isn't the most positive post but to be true to my theme I decided to do it.  'Cause parenting isn't pretty all the time.  To top it off, this happened on Valentine's Day!  C'mon, people, where's the love?  My Valentine's Day was going along just fine until 10 a.m.  Yep, it didn't take long for me to come back to reality.

For one, I discovered we had been EGGED.  I think it happened a couple of days earlier, we just didn't know it because of the snow.  I walked outside and started wondering what that white stuff was on the ground...and it was...eggshells.  Then I looked up to see that it was on the house in several areas.  On the driveway, on my son's treehouse.

Maddening!  I texted my son at school, to which he replied, "I'll find out and get 'em!" to which I replied, "No."  Then, in the mail we got NOT valentines but, well, let's call it a complaint letter.  Anonymous.  The person didn't have the courage to sign it.  Or talk to us about it.  It was a complaint about the way my son led singing in the junior high class Sunday morning.  Apparently he was too enthusiastic.  Made their child feel forced to clap.  Well, that hit me like a ton of bricks.  My husband and I were both disappointed and so was the youth minister that it was handled that way.  Was it a joke or real?  We'll never know.

I have to admit I'm a little out of practice overcoming hurt feelings!   It just doesn't happen that much anymore!  But after the initial shock, my experience tells me I can wallow in self-pity over the eggy mess and the hurt mail (how's that for a new phrase?) or choose to look past it.  I reminded myself how this is nothing in comparison to the abuse Christ suffered.  That puts it all in perspective.

So how do I handle hurt feelings?  It's just something that gets me a little bit closer to Christ.  :)