Organized Chaos

For the first time in my adult life my clothes are not organized by color and sleeve length. Now coming from just anyone that is just funny. Coming from me however, that is shocking. You can ask any woman in my community group about the organization of my kitchen drawers. Everything has a place. I mean who doesn't want a kitchen and pantry like this?

Oh wait... This is NOT what my kitchen looks like.

I truly love organization. I have even thought at times about starting an organizing business. I do believe there is a place for everything in a home. HOWEVER.... When it becomes such a part of who your are, that it takes over, that is not a good thing. (I do not have OCD...yet :) )

Over the last few years since Thomas has come home and we have discussed kids, the though of the dishes being put away in the wrong places has sent me into a minor panic. I mean there has to be a way to teach them the correct place for things right?

Yes, I know you can teach children the correct place for things, but that was not the point. God has been teaching me to relax in life. There is no need to color organize my closet or to have the house completely in order every time some one comes to visit. Clean yes, immaculate no.

In fact just the other day during a women's event God reminded me again to relax. I did not need the craft to be perfectly aligned. (Thank you Robyn!) Although it stems from a crazy childhood where I didn't always feel a ton of control being 1 of 6 kids, my need for organization and control was getting out of control, hehe. Irony.

So here I am, learning how to let go of control and how to be slightly less organized. And honestly, it feels good. Not chaotic like I imagined, but freeing. Now don't get me wrong, there is still a place for everything, but maybe there will be a few more baskets of random that don't get put away as quickly. And if you stop by (which I love unexpected visitors!) the house might not be spotless. Because little by little God is refining me.

Apples to Apples or Beer or...

Thomas decided he wanted to make apple beer.

He juiced all the apples. 

Gave me the left over pulp.

then strained the apple juice,

and boiled it down.

Meanwhile I made apple fruit leather.

AND THEN....

3 quarts apple juice

1 quart water

2.5 pounds of sugar

2 tablespoons of yeast

later...

He made penicillin.

And then again.... Round 2 made penicillin.

Maybe a beer kit will work? Just not sure apple beer is in Thomas' future.

But my apple juice is delicious! :)

To Change or Not to Change... That is the Question

Lately my life has taken the path of possible change and yet it is completely stable. After finishing my masters in December, the next step on our list was to start a family. With that all in God’s hands and clearly not happening according to my version of the schedule J I have truly enjoyed relaxing in life and having no major life plans. But in the life of a compulsive planner that only last so long.

One of the things I loved about the military is that they would move you every couple of years. It is the adventurer in me that loves the opportunity to explore new places in life. As I watch both my mom and my older sister move to different states I get a little antsy wondering if we will get to go somewhere soon too? But at the same time I have realized that in the last 5 years in WA Thomas and I have become a part of a wonderful community. That is truly something I don’t want to leave. Ever. Because although college was one of my favorite times in life, I know if I were to go back it would not be the same. However, sometimes God calls us other places. Is this one of those times? Do we want it to be one of those times?

And although I love the people and my job at Boeing, where I get to organize and check completed things off of a list on a daily basis, I would eventually love to work in a job where I am helping people at some point in my life. My goal when I started my schooling again 4 years ago was to eventually work through University of Puget Sound to get my School Counseling Certification after Thomas and I had kids. The other day I had a conversation with a gal Robyn, from my church, who works as a Child Life Specialist in a hospital setting. Come to find out, with my schooling, if I passed the Child Life Specialist Certificate I would be able to pursue a job with the current schooling I already have. Hmmm... maybe?!?!?

Not that I don’t love my life and where we are at. I love that we both have stable jobs that are good. I love that we have a beautiful home and great cars. Again I love our community that has surrounded us with love. I love my little sewing business and the joy in watching where God takes it. I love every day that Thomas and I get to enjoy just the 2 of us before our life radically changes as parents. I love Tacoma and Washington including the weather and the outdoors. I am completely content with where we are in life, but I still can’t help but plan.

As I have been pondering so many things the last month, I continue to remind myself that it is all in God’s hands. He knows the exact timing in Thomas and my life when we will bring a new life into the world. He knows my passions for learning and working with people and that Robyn and I would have the conversation about being a Child Life Specialist. He knows Thomas’ desires to work in a job that is satisfying on a daily basis. He knows where He wants us to live so that we can touch lives and love people in a way that they will see Him through our actions. And in all of it, He knows my planning tendencies that He has instilled in me and how although I cannot control so many aspects, I can still hope for the future and what is next in our lives.

And meanwhile He chuckles because He sees how awesome His plans for us are and how completely different they are from anything I can possibly hope or imagine.

Jeremiah 29:11

Once A Month Cooking (Or every 2 to 3 months)

At only $4.85 a meal our freezer cooking day was a huge success!

$100 on meat

$75 worth of supplies

7.5 hrs of prep time

Countless laughs and quality time

Shantelle

Suzy

36 meals

This is now the 3rd time that we have done a freezer cooking day. 

The recipes include:

Day 1:

Meatballs

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup

Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms

Beef in Marinade

Crock-Pot Beef Sandwiches - Ranch

Shepherd’s Pie

Jammin' Chicken

teriyaki Chicken Dinner:

Savory Chicken

Italian Style and Mexican Style Browned Ground Chuck

Shredded Chicken & Stock

Chicken Tetrazzini

Day 2:

Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken

Chicken Curry

Dump Honey Sesame Pork Chops

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas 

Parsley Parmesan Chicken Poultry

Ham Quiche

Meatballs

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup

Browned Ground Chuck with Carrot Shreds

Chicken Tetrazzini

Beef in Marinade

Honey Glazed Chicken

Hungarian Stew Beef

Creamy Indian Chicken

Day 3:

Honey Rosemary Chicken

Coconut Curry Chicken

Lime Salsa Chicken

Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

Meatballs

Shepherd's Pie

Italian Style and Mexican Style Browned Ground Chuck

Chicken Tetrazzini

BBQ Ziploc Chicken

Cheesy Spinach Pesto

Savory Chicken

Ham Quiche

Honey Glazed Chicken

Lasagna

Creamy Indian Chicken

As you can see there are many repeats! Only a few recipes we have dumped because they simply were not good! I may have to send out another blog with all the recipes included!

Let me know if you would be interested in that.

My Girls and Our Crafts

These are my girls. 

We have a blast together every other week.

Along with food and bible study, we also do crafts.

It is hard to see the headbands we made, but they are wearing them above.

Of course, the craft ideas are mainly from pinterest!

I mean really... how did we ever do crafts and cook before pinterest?

Another day we recreated our own fabulous footwear!

And we also made beautiful bracelets!

(just a few samples below)

So many fun things we do together! I love not only spending time with them, but also watching them grow into beautiful young ladies.