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Ranch/corn flake chicken

9:30 AM

It occurred to me as I started making dinner tonight that this recipe is one of my go-to/easy/yummy favorites straight from mama's kitchen. I use to ask her to make this all the time, y'all. All. The. Time.   And now I make it on the nights we can't figure out what to eat or want something easy and simple. So here it is:

Ranch/corn flake chicken:

Ingredients-
4-6 pieces of chicken strips
1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning
1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/2 C plain corn flakes, crushed

We eat this so much that we stopped buying packets of the ranch dressing seasoning and just started buying it in the bottle


This was my first time pairing it with asparagus. It was going to go bad soon so I just threw it on there with the chicken. Not too bad. 


How to-
Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the stick of butter completely and then add the packet of ranch dressing seasoning, mix. In a separate bowl crush the cereal. I just use my hands for this but you can use a blender. Take each strip of chicken and soak it in the butter/ranch mixture then roll it in the cereal. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. I am ridiculous about being able to taste everything so I pour the remaining mixture of butter/ranch over each piece and then the crushed cereal as well. Bake for 1 hour. Literally it's THAT simple!

Enjoy!

discipling

But, my First Love...

11:12 AM


It's Friday but Sunday is coming.
It's dark but soon there will be light.
It's confusing but peace is coming.
It's winter but spring is coming.
It's hard now but soon this will come to pass.
It's quiet but rejoicing will begin soon. 
There is brokenness but restoration is coming. 

 He's on the cross but He will rise!

 I haven't been reflecting on Holy Week as much as I should at all. I have been stressing with Kaleb over the countless phone calls and emails he has been making/sending just trying to get one of these supervisor positions that I haven't really given any thought to this day. But alas it is here and I'm here trying to figure out how to explain Good Friday to a 9 month old who can't really understand very much when in reality he can understand more than I give him credit for. He senses tones and cries when I tell him no and smiles when I laugh with him. Then this came in the mail for him today from his great grandparents

It's small and simple but when I flipped through the pages I found the crucifixion and ressurection were both in there. So I read to him and he sat running his hand over the picture of Jesus on the cross and I wept. 
Though he doesn't understand the man on the cross, he does see him even when I don't. But there he is in cartoon form hanging from the cross and my stomach is in knots because I can't bear to see my first love nailed to that piece of wood. Even in a children's book it makes my heart ache. I sat there thinking how He shouldn't have done that for us because look at the mess we've made for ourselves and gently there's this-"there's still more to be done." 

It is finished didn't mean HE was done but that IT is done. His blood shed to make a way for us but He isn't done with me or you or Elijah or Kaleb and I can't imagine what else He could possibly do for me and my family. We've already been blessed beyond measure and selfishly I want more knowing I don't deserve it. I want to sit and bask in His presence and say nothing else except thank You and I love You. Over and over again that's all I want to say. Simple words that have such huge intention and meaning behind them. 

Lord, I can't articulate what You mean to me. You are literally the great I Am. All else fades away, passes, and changes but you, my Heavenly Sweetheart, you stay the same. You'll never leave me or forsake me and so I'll hold on until I see Your face. I'll seek You long after You reveal Yourself. I'll knock even after You open the door. I'll run after You even after You've met with me where I'm at. I'll never stop even when it seems too hard because nothing but the blood...
Nothing. 

"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' Which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' When some of those standing there heard this, they said, 'He's calling Elijah.' Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. the rest said 'Now leave him alone. let's see if Elijah comes to save him.' And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." Matthew 27:45-50

But He will rise! 

Elijah

Elijah:9 months!

11:50 AM

Oh my sweet guy! He is just too big for words anymore. I have to stop most days and just breathe because of how stinking huge he looks. He's still my baby but he's turning into my big baby and sooner than I'd like he'll be a toddler. This is so heartbreaking. At 9 months:

  •  21 lbs 5 oz
  • 27 inches long
  • Loves yogurt melts (I make them myself) and still pasta is his favorite
  • Teaching him how to drink out of a sippy cup (pretty entertaining)
  • Cloth diapered full time! But sometimes I'm lazy and don't stuff the pockets right away.
  • He pulls himself up and "cruises" while holding onto the furniture
  • Waves and says "bu-bu" 
  • Says dada 
  • Opens and closes his fist as if trying to say hi
  • He yells when I take things out of his mouth or away from him
  • He also likes to having yelling matches with us. Its so cute!
  • 8 teeth! His top 2 on the right side overlap each other. It's pretty adorable.
  • Still BF and on his Nexium (hoping to get him taken off of it soon)
  • He "dances" when Kaleb and I bounce up down in front of him

I remember wondering about all of the things he would be able to do by 9 months as I held him in my arms when he was 3 months. I really don't want him to grow up too fast but I do get very excited when he reaches a new milestone. It's bittersweet I guess. It's just like his first birthday coming up in 3 months. I'm so excited to celebrate his life with our family and friends but of course sad to think he's not this tiny bundle in my arms anymore. He's doing so well with his sleep now. He had an entire week of only waking once in the middle of the night to nurse but I guess that was a fluke. He wakes up 2-3 times now. I can work with that as long as he's in his crib. He attended his first crawfish boil at my in laws house this past weekend. I thought about letting him try a bite but it was even too spicy for me so he munched on some bread while the rest of us enjoyed the crawfish. His first Easter is coming up next weekend and my in law's will be coming up for that. Excited to celebrate with family and for him to get his first Easter "basket" (I put together an Easter dump truck instead).

Oh, Elijah. I cannot wait to see what these next few months as my baby hold for you. You're inching closer and closer to the big ONE and I feel like I can't even fathom the thought of you growing and never being my tiny squish again. Is this a first time mom feeling or does this happen with each kid? Constantly dreading yet getting excited about his very first birthday....

*sigh* my fat, fat is growing too fast.


Birthday

Birthday weekend is upon us

9:12 AM

That's right. I'm a total princess/diva who has an entire weekend of birthday fun planned. But in reality it's just a weekend with my parentals and sister, my in laws, and my only little family. I. Am. So. Excited. Prepare for the Instabomb and Facebook picture overload. My mom texted me a couple of days ago asking me what I wanted for my birthday. I replied with "Clothes. Same as always." I seriously have zero clothes for spring/summer so that's a pretty fair answer I think. However, if I were totally honest. I've wanted the same thing for my birthday/Christmas/any other present-giving holiday for years now. And that one thing is this my friends:

Obviously not this exact model although I like this one as well but any kind of vintage record player would be amazing. One day, when money is not as big of an issue I will buy myself a record player and then I will spend the rest of my life buying a ridiculous amount of records so I can one day have a room that looks just like this-

And then I would sit in this room and listen to City and Colour, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews Band, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Mumford and Sons, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and so many more...all. on. vinyl. 

Dreaming...


Elijah

Jesus in the mundane

11:42 AM

I did 3 loads of laundry last night: Elijah's clothes, darks, and lights. I'm always doing laundry. It's kind of ridiculous that 2 adults and 1 small child can dirty so many clothes but alas it is my daily job and it really doesn't bother me. As I was sitting on the couch this morning folding Elijah's clothes I kept thinking "didn't I just fold this same bear towel just the other day? And I know he literally just wore these shorts the other day how are they already washed and dried again? This is never ending." And it's not. The mundane life I lead with the everyday things won't have an end probably ever. How am I suppose to see Jesus in folding laundry? You see I've been trying really hard to see Jesus in everything. I long to walk in the Spirit more and I think a lot of that begins in seeing the Lord at work all around me. It's easy to see Him when I'm worshipping with thousands of other men and women at a conference or in a sentence my pastor speaks on a Sunday morning but it's harder to see Him in the mundane. When my life feels like it's on repeat and I'm doing the same thing over and over again, can I still see Him and figure out what He's trying to teach me?


Sometimes I feel like there's a beauty in being a wife and a mother that I haven't quite touched yet. Most days it seems like I will never reach it. This wisdom and kindness that seems to just flow from other women around me. I long for that same deep intimacy they seem to have with the Spirit. And I truly believe they have it, too. I don't think they're faking it at all. The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart and their hearts are filled with Jesus to the brim and spilling over. So, I continued to fold and when Elijah woke up from his nap I put the clothes away and even grabbed all of his winter clothes and put them in a box. When I went back in the living room Kaleb was dressed for work. He's such a hard worker. I've probably said that a million times on this blog and I'll say it a million more-He's a great provider for our family. So if folding the laundry and doing the dishes while he plays video games or watches a movie (2 things he loves to do) helps him to relax before going to work then I'll do it for the rest of my life. Jesus is in that. I couldn't see it on the surface but now I do. There's nothing sexist about the role I play. Kaleb has never once demanded any household chore from me just like I have never demanded he work so hard but he does and so do I. And at times I feel like there's no way the Lord is in something as simple as my daily routine but He is. I have quiet moments to myself while folding that laundry where He can speak to me or when Elijah laughs and He reminds me to slow down and listen. I'm blessed to have that quiet even if for just a moment. My sweet husband doesn't get that very often. 

Jesus is in the mundane. He has probably tried to teach me several different things today in the very acts I repeat each day but I wasn't listening or maybe I just wasn't searching. I have the opportunity to pray over Elijah throughout the day, speak scripture to him, read to him, tickle him while we're playing, sing to him while he nurses. Doing those things seem so mundane, another thing to cross off the list but they're so much more. They're important. They're the more important work. Being a stay at home mom sometimes makes me feel like I'm going crazy but I just lit a candle and turned on the ceiling fan. I'm going to go clean the kitchen and talk to Jesus. When Elijah wakes up I'm going to sit down with him and read from his baby Bible and let him flip the pages and look at the pictures. I'm making chicken tacos for dinner before we all go shop at JBF tonight. It may never end. The laundry, feeding my family, cleaning up the poop on the carpet (thanks, son)…but Jesus is at work in me and my family and even in my home. Yea, He's here. 


Change

Terrified

8:23 AM

I'm walking into the unknown and it's scary. Grace laden, this road is still scary. With each new milestone Elijah has my anxiety spikes. I keep thinking the next time his head smacks the ground he won't get right back up and laugh, he'll cry this time. He rarely does. He's strong. I wish I was as strong as him or as carefree.


What waits for us in Fort Worth? Will Kaleb find the job he's been working toward for so long now? Will my family finally sit on stable financial ground? What happens if nothing works out the way we've hoped and prayed it would?

I love change. I embrace it more than most people do I'm sure but I have to know exactly what change is coming in order to really welcome it. But this change…I'm not sure. I don't know what's happening and it's killing me. You've never truly trusted the Lord until you've stood in the dark with your hand outstretched and open. Waiting to see what He will place in it and what He will take away. My hand is shaky but outstretched it stays. He's never shaky, His promises are never unwavering. His goodness never ceases and His mercy runs deeps. His love and provision have never left us untouched. It returns over and over again. I just want to sit and let it wash over me. Like honey, I want it to run slowly down, not missing one single inch of me. 

With every blessing I turn back to praise you and with everything you take away, I'll praise you still. Is it ok to say that I want this so bad? I want Kaleb to get this position. He deserves it more than anyone else I know. I've watched him work 3 jobs in one single day and come home almost in tears because Elijah was asleep and he hadn't seen him all day. I've sat and prayed over him while he stressed greatly over our next move. I've felt him roll out of bed at 4am to go to work. I've watched burdens fall from his shoulders when he finally went down to 1 job. I want this. Bringing my petition before the Lord feels like it's not enough but that's all He asks. It can't be that simple and somehow it is.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Yea. It's that simple. 

discipling

Friendships

8:03 AM

There are so many things I want to do in life. I want to travel to India and adopt a little girl. I want to sip coffee outside a sweet cafe in France. I want to get so caught up playing outside with my family that even the rain doesn't make us go inside. I want to sing on stage again and really let my voice soar to Heaven. I want to learn how to play the guitar and the piano. I want to read the entire Bible but not set a time limit to it. I want to re live my honeymoon with Kaleb. I want to tell college students about Jesus right in the middle of a secular campus. I want to meet a single mom and clean her house just so she can see the love of Christ. But above most everything I want a life long friend. Don't misunderstand me here-I have lots of close friends. TONS! Some of the most amazing women I've ever met. But I don't have that one friend who needs me as much as I need her. Maybe this sounds…ridiculous? But I think as women, if we're dead honest, we know how this feels. If you have that friend you know how important her friendship is and if you don't you long for it.

So many things, so little time….right?

Not for this.

I struggle with friendships. I really do. They're tough and messy. They're encouraging and painful. They're needed yet widely unwanted most days. My absolute favorite thing is to sit in my living room with a cup of coffee (or hot tea) and chat with a friend for hours. I love the feeling of catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while. You have months worth of things to tell them and you're both stumbling over your words to make sure you tell them everything before your limited time is up. Even better, I love catching up with someone you just saw a week or two ago. The catching up doesn't take very long and then you get to move on to true fellowship. Discussing Jesus' goodness, what verse has been stuck in your heart lately, the sweet thing your husband did yesterday, the crazy thing your kids did after dinner, etc.

Needed. Messy. Encouraging.
All of the above.

Being a stay at home mom has really shown me a lot about friendships. Weird, but not surprising. When I don't have the access to a campus or a classroom how do I find the friendships I long for? It was so easy when I was a childless, unmarried, student. I could walk into the library and meet 4 new people before I ever had a chance to sit down and study. It was so easy that I took it for granted. Now that I'm busy, married, and have a baby I see how hard it is to be intentional. I don't want to bother the other busy moms but I feel like I will bore my single or even newly wed friends. There's this reoccurring dream I keep having. It looks a lot like this-

Single women, married women, new moms, moms with lots of kids, and even empty nesters…all gathered in someones back yard…drinking sweet tea and laughing while children play near by…vulnerability is laid out on the table and someone cries….which leads us all to tears as she shares her heart….someone stands up and moves to her…laying hands on her, we all get up and mirror her move…we're laying hands and praying…we're crying and laughing….community.

This kind of reminds me of what life groups look like except with all ages and lots of kids. That life long friend I want so badly doesn't mean I'll find them now. I keep thinking I'm running out of time but not all of us are as lucky as my sister, Charlotte, who found her best friend when she was in 7th grade and now almost 15 years later they're still going strong. I hope that in this time I can learn what it means to be a true friend. I want to be humbling and remember that friendships have seasons. I want to fight past the stinging cold and hold on until the end.

I guess I want all of things.

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