Baptism

Okay, so there was a surprise baptism at church today and Brianna decided to take the plunge. I am so proud of her! It was totally her decision.

IT'S FRIDAY

I'm so glad it's Friday. This has been the longest 4 day week! I don't know if it's the rain or that we didn't go to church on Sunday that has been throwing me off. The Littles have a playdate at the park today. I'm really excited for that. I'm even more excited for a little girl time Saturday night at Jenny's.

Saturday we went to Jetton Park on Lake Norman and saw the weirdest thing.

If you can't tell, it's a dog with a life jacket on! I have never seen that before. Brian knew as soon as I snapped the picture that I would share with you guys. My dad has a doctor's appointment in Charlotte on Wednesday. They needed to go to Concord Mills before hand, so The Littles and I met them over there. I got this pic of The Littles at the fish tank in Bass Pro. Alex was scared, but Daddy calmed him down. I think that was the highlight of Alex's week, getting to see MawMaw and PawPaw at the mall.

I Know, I Know

I know this probably sounds terrible, but I'm going to say it anyway. (It is my blog after all!) Yesterday my mailman had to bring a package to the door. I met him outside and noticed that he looked like someone from a movie. He looks like the guy in Men in Black that the alien takes over his body in the beginning. I almost laughed in his face when I realized who he reminded me of!

400th Post

For my 400th post, I thought I would share something I have really been thinking about for about a week. Brianna was sitting on the couch reading to Alex. I was at the computer and overheard the story she was reading. For Christmas she got a collection of stories by Max Lucado. Bri was reading "Just in Case you Ever Wonder" for Alex. Here's the first couple pages, the ones that have been speaking to me:

"Long, long ago God made a decision-
a very important decision...
one that I'm really glad He made.
He made the decision to make you.

The same hands that made the stars made you.
The same hands that made the canyons made you.
The same hands that made the trees and the moon and the sun made you.
That's why you are so special. God made you.

He made you in a very special way.
He made your eyes so they would twinkle.
He made your mouth so you could smile.
He made your laugh so you could giggle.
God made you like no one else.

If you looked all over the world-in every city in every
house-there would be no one else like you ...
no one with your eyes,
no one with your mouth,
no one with your laugh.
You are very, very special."

That's the first 4 pages of the story. I think the second page is the one that speaks to me the most. The God who made the stars, moon, trees, and everything else made me. I don't think we stop to remind ourselves of that enough. We forget how special we are to Him when we let those around us tear us down. I just may share this story with my middle school girls on Sunday!

Weekend Update

A long weekend equals a long update:

Friday Brianna stayed home from school. She really needed a day off. It was nice too, she got to sleep in. Then we went to Wayside Express for breakfast, YUM! After we went to buy groceries at Wal Mart. After all that I just let her chill out at home. She needed time to recharge her batteries.

Saturday I went to weigh in and work out. It was my first work out with Tiffani. Today is the first day, I'm not sore! Bri went with me and did a great job. She did everything Tiffani asked her to do. After a quick shower, we headed to Jetton Park in Charlotte. It was so cool! Thanks for telling us about it Amy. The kids played by the "beach" and watched the boats on Lake Norman. Brian grilled chicken and corn for supper.

Sunday we didn't have church. It was so weird for us not to go. We headed to Sonya and Amos' for a cookout. It was so nice just hanging out with them and Momma. Daddy was working a gas spill, I think they worked it all weekend, so he couldn't make it. Alex was chasing a lady bug, trying to get it to crawl on him. It fell into the grass and Alex sang, "baby come back." I thought we were all going to lose it laughing at him. You really never know what he is going to say. By the time we got back to Harrisburg, they were calling off the race for the night. We had to sit at the stop light for quite a while, due to the troopers letting the traffic through.

Monday was a do nothing much day. I did get on the treadmill, Brian cut the grass and took the truck to have it looked at. We need new tires on it, which sucks! Brian said he would handle all that today. I made shrimp with pasta and broccoli for supper last night. It was super easy. I just cooked the whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions and added the frozen broccoli for the last couple of minutes. I satued the shrimp in 1/4 cup olive oil and Mrs. Dash. I used a lot of oil, so it would coat the spaghetti and broccoli. Mix all together and serve! It was super easy and Bri loved it! She asks for this quite often and even eats the broccoli!

Today feels like Monday. I did not want to get up and get going this morning, we've been sleeping in for 4 days. It's supposed to rain here all week. I am thankful that I decided to buy Play Doh on Friday. It will give The Littles something to do. Bri is supposed to get her EOG scores today or tomorrow. I'm just ready for that to be behind her.

Kids

Some pictures from our day at the park on Wednesday.

I don't know what's up with Alex's face in this picture!

WOW!

That's the only word I have to describe last night. Rocky River Church had it's annual service in the park at Frank Liske Park. I took the kids a little early to feed the ducks and let them play for a while. After supper of pizza and a little more playing, the band started things off right! I love our band, but last night was a little more laid back and they did an awesome job. Jimmy didn't preach a sermon, like he normally does. Instead, he explained to us about baptism and about it's significance in a Christian's life, he gave us a mini sermon. Three of my middle school girls were scheduled to get baptized. As soon as the first middle school girl climbed into that tub, I started crying. I am just so proud of those girls for making a very public declaration. There were wives and husbands, mothers and sons, mothers with both kids, Project 252 kids, kids Brianna's age, about 20 in all. Then, Jimmy gave the invitation to for those who wanted, but hadn't planned to, to get baptized. Let me tell you, there were wives of men who had been baptized earlier, there were children of parents who had also been a part of the service. Another middle school girl was one of the first in line. Her mom was standing with me and we were both crying. I was trying to get some pictures for mom. Then, I look up and Amos is in line. I got Brian and the kids down there and took some more pictures. The part that still brings me to tears is Jennifer, Becca, and Jake getting into that tub together. I don't think there was a dry eye there. I think the final count was close to 40 people getting baptized last night. God showed up last night and he showed up BIG! After the excitment of the service most of our Rock Group gathered together and let Ellie and Joe know that we would be sponsoring a Father's Day breakfast to raise money for them. Last night was just a night that was too big for words, or any that I can think of. I'm hoping that some of the walkers in the park or some of those visiting were paying attention to what was happening last night.

Comic Relief

Brianna came running out of my bathroom this afternoon dying laughing. She said Alex needed my help and for me to come in the bathroom. When I get in there, this is what I find: Alex had crawled up on the stool we have in the bathroom, for him to wash his hands, and climbed into the sink. He then realized he couldn't get out. Brianna and I were laughing so hard and I ran to get the camera. That made him madder! That's why he is pointing at me in the second picture, telling me not to take his picture to get him out of the sink. I was laughing so hard I didn't think I would get a good picture. He finally calmed down, stopped yelling at me, and asked me nicely if I would help him out. Needless to say, he did NOT think it was as funny as Bri and I did.

Girl Power

Rachel Alexandria was the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years. Brianna thought it was cool that a girl beat all those boys! I reminded her that girls can do anything they want!


SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON-MAYBE
1. Maybe . . .we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.
2. Maybe . . . when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us.
3. Maybe . . . it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.
4. Maybe . .. . the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
5. Maybe . . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.
6. Maybe . . . you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
7. Maybe . . . there are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
8. Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
9. Maybe . . you should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.
10. Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
11. Maybe . . giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.
12. Maybe . . . happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
13. Maybe . .... . you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.
14. Maybe . . you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
15. Maybe . . . you should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you crying.

And Maybe...that's something you can hang your hat on.

Weekend Update

We had a busy weekend. Friday night was Rock Group. We had a great full course lesson from Mr. David. I didn't realize how much I had missed the group until Friday night. We were missing a couple of people, but had a great time anyway.

Saturday started out early for me. Project 252 had a yard sale/craft sale/breakfast. My parents participated, so I helped them set up and hung out while they were there. I also ran across the street to weigh in at the office while there. I had another successful week, and am excited about that. After the yard sale we were home long enough for Brian to cook lunch and to eat. I am loving him cooking lately! Then we went to Carolina Mall so I could get some new shoes for the treadmill. Mine were worn out! There was more than one hole in each shoe. The lady at Rack Room Shoes was extremely helpful and got me into a good pair of jogging/walking shoes. Brianna also got a new pair of tennis shoes. She got a pair of slip ons and I think she will actually wear them! I don't know why she won't wear regular tennis shoes.

Sunday was church and then a quick meeting after. We won't have church next week due to the race. We will be having a service at Frank Liske Park on Wednesday. I'm so excited, it's a baptism service and I always love those. I think several of our youth are getting baptized. I need to get to making some cards this week to send to them.

Today starts EOG week for Bri. We had a good, lighthearted talk about it last night. I know that she is ready and will do an awesome job!

Dwarf Alex

Alex comes out of his room in this get up. He has on Brianna's clothes over his Elmo pajamas, his boots and his bag for his chair on his head.

He looks like one of the Dwarfs from Snow White!

Stressin

Brianna is stressing over her EOG's that she will be taking next week. She was showing me the ways her teacher is showing them to calm down. I really wish she didn't have to do this, or that there was a lot less emphasis put on them. I know the teachers get pressure from the principals, the principals get it from the county office, and the county office gets it from the state. When I was teaching third grade, it was the first year they had the gateway grades. I had a kid that could have taught the class come in the first day of the EOG's and he was sick to his stomach because he was afraid he would fail the test and fail third grade. It's just a shame that we put so much pressure and stress on these kids. So, I'm going to be praying hard for all the EOG takers I know next week. You guys will do a great job. Don't stress out about it!

You Can Do It!

Four simple, one syllable words. But they mean so much! I was dreading my time on the treadmill this morning and was playing on FaceBook (my favorite distraction). A message popped up from Sherry, asking if I had been on the treadmill yet. I told her not yet. She replied back, "You can do it. Go girl!" Those simple words gave me the motivation I needed to get off my butt and get on the treadmill. Sometimes when you can't go anymore those four words can push you to the end. Thanks Sherry!

Tuesday

Tuesday was just a day. I'm getting the cold that the kids have and wishing it would go away. I've got to start cleaning house for Rock Group on Friday. I can't wait to have everyone over and hear a nugget from Mr. David.

I just realized I have not shared an Alex funny lately. He is my source of entertainment lately. So here are just a few:

Alex and I were sitting on the couch, he put his arm around my shoulders, looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're my girl."

Saturday afternoon we were at Nana's Alex gave her a kiss on the cheek when we were leaving. Nana told him she was going to put it in her pocket and save it. So, he kept grabbing his lips and putting more kisses in her pocket.

I watched American Idol last night. I know a lot of people like Adam, but he drives me nuts. Why does he stick his tongue out every time he sings? It's like he can't sing with it in his mouth! I also just think he's kind of freaky. I know he will probably win the entire thing, but my votes go to Danny!

New Recipe

I tried a new Rachael Ray recipe last night and it was good. Normally her recipes frustrate me, but this one was easy and everyone loved it! She made it on her daytime show last week. I immediately printed it out!

Fajita Chilaquiles Casserole

8 flour tortillas, cut into thin strips
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sirloin steak or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp. oil, divided
1 bottle beer
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 red onions, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
2 limes, zest of 1 and juice of 2 divided
1/4 cup chopped cilnatro or flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Sour cream and salsa to garnish

Preheat oven to 400.

On a baking sheet, toss tortilla strips with some cooking spray and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Toss halfway through the cooking time so they get brown on all sides.

In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss your meat of choice with the spice mixture and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan or oil, about 2 Tbsp. Add the meat to the pan and sear until golden brown and cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Add the bottle of beer to the pan and cook to reduce, 3-4 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, place a second large skillet over high heat with 2 Tbsp oil. Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the pan, and cook until brown around the edges and tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the zest and juice of 1 lime, chopped herbs, salt and pepper to the pan, toss to combine and set aside.

When everything is ready, toss the meat, pepper and onions, and toasted tortilla strips together into a casserole dish. Top with the cheese and melt under the broiler. Garnish with juice of remaining lime, sour cream and salsa.

I didn't use the beer. We have learned that has too much sodium for Brian. I used chicken broth instead. I also didn't use the cilantro or pepper jack cheese. I used cheddar instead, it's what we like. I didn't want it to be too spicy and the kids not eat it. When I tossed the chicken with the spice mixture, I put it in a large ziploc bag and that seemed to work really well. I also only used 1 green bell pepper and half a red onion. It was easier than it looks to put together. And we all loved it!

Weekend

What a great weekend we had. Friday night the kids and I met Brian at Sonic for ice cream. The kids got their $1 candy sundaes and it was just enough for the kids. Not a huge amount like the blast they like.


Saturday was busy. Before heading to Shelby I stopped by the office and weighed in. I'm so excited that I lost weight. I was praying the whole way there, to let me just lose a pound. Then we went to Shelby to help Sonya and Amos move into a house. It is a nice house, with a lot of yard! Then we went to see Nana and give her her Mother's Day pictures. That's what I always get Momma and Nana, it's something they enjoy. After we left Nana's we stopped at Ham's in Shelby. Man, I love eating there. When we got home the kids played with some sparklers we had picked up.


Sunday was Mother's Day and it was such a nice day. We went to church. Somehow the rumor at church among the youth is that I am pregnant. I hate to be the one to burst any bubbles, but, I AM NOT PREGNANT! After church the kids and I went to get haircuts. Brianna and Alex got good trims. I got a shorter haircut. I had my layers cut out. I do like the shorter cut for the summer, my hair is so thick, it gets hot. After all of our running around Brian and the kids cooked supper. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift, it truly was better than anything they could have bought. Brian had to go to work after supper. I was hoping we could get through a weekend without him having to go in.



I am really looking forward to Zumba tonight. If I had the money and time I would Zumba everyday. It's so much fun. Who would have thought a workout could be fun?!

Choices

I watched an interview with Michael J Fox on The View yesterday and he said something that really spoke to me. If you don't know he was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 29. Sherri asked him if he has days when he would just rather stay in the bed. (Don't we all!) But for Michael J Fox him to get out of bed it means taking medication, waiting for it to kick in and then go about his day the best he can. He said he didn't choose to have Parkinson's. But he makes the choice everyday to put his feet on the floor and do what he needs to do. It struck me that life is all about choices. Some things we can't change. For me, I can't change the fact that I'm tall, that I have big feet, or that I have brown hair. But, I can choose my attitude towards those things and toward everything else. I can choose to be positive about things, I can choose to change things about myself that I don't like, I can choose to see the best in people and situations. It's all a choice! I've noticed that on FaceBook some of "my girls" are always told to make good choices by someone from church. I think that at different times during the day we should all take that advice and make good choices. So, have a great weekend and make good choices!

Wednesday

Wednesday was just a normal day. It rained a lot, so I let The Littles paint. I'm trying to carve out some time to do some preschool things with Alex. This will be easier to do once school starts back in August. I'm also trying to carve out time to spend with just Brianna. Even if it's just 10 minutes of alone time, it will be good for her. I'm excited about what's happening around the Taylor house. I have made a couple of big decisions for myself over the last 2 months and I feel at peace and calm about them.

Saturday we are heading to Shelby to help Sonya and Amos move into a house. They currently live in a condo and with the baby coming they need more room. I'm so excited to have a niece to spoil like Sonya and Amos have spoiled my kids. I made my first Babies R Us trip on Friday to pick up a few things. Little girl clothes are just irresistable! I got two outfits and some lotion for Sonya's feet.

My Favorite Place

A couple weeks ago we were riding in the car and Brianna asked me what my favorite place was. I thought about it for a few minutes, even told her I didn't know to buy myself more time. After mulling it over for about 5 minutes I finally told her my favorite place has always been home. Where ever home has ever been, it's always my favorite place. Even after being on vacation, it always feels good to me to come back home. I have always been a homebody. So, my favorite place is home. What's your favorite place?

Monday Stuff

Monday was just such a Monday! I was tired and didn't want to get out of bed, but did. So, I'm doing this new thing with the church to get my self in shape. I have to say I didn't realize how much weight I have gained. It's quite depressing to be standing there weighing and getting measured. Anyway, yesterday I tried hard and did my best. I completed the day 1 workout of Couch to 5K and took an hour Zumba class. I sweated like a bad girl in church yesterday during both workouts. I don't think I have put that much into a Zumba class for quite a while. I was very proud of myself for running on the treadmill, I didn't stop and didn't pass out. I also ate the best I have eaten in the longest time. Today though is a big obstacle. It's McDonalds night at Bri's school. I'm going to plan ahead and get on their website to see what is the best option for me. I think if I have a plan things will be much easier. I also started a new blog. It's mainly for me to journal what I am eating and exercising and to really just vent about the whole process. I'm not sure I will share. On the other hand, it may be better to have the accountability. Still thinking that over.

I've been reading a couple of CaringBridge blogs lately. One was shared by Jenny.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/avalopez, Ava is a little girl who was hit, along with her mother and sister, by a drunk driver while playing in her yard. The second was shared by Carol over on her blog: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/prestonloyd. Preston is a little boy who was run over by a lawn mover. Both are making great progress.

Weekend Update

I'm excited that this won't be a very long post. We didn't do that much this weekend. Friday night we went to Joey's birthday party. He's 18 today!

Saturday morning I had a meeting at church. Tiffani is trying to get our church into shape. I'm all for it, cause my butt is getting bigger. (I know it's getting bigger, they took measurements!)She's going to try to get me to run though. I'm just not sure I want to start running, but will give it a try. She had us partner up and Ellie is my partner. That's great, we live close to each other and can get together to walk in the mornings or late afternooons. We also go to Zumba together. Saturday afternoon I had to take some stuff to Sonya in Harrisburg. She comes down here every 2-3 weeks to get her nails done. She gets them done at Utopia and they are awesome!

Sunday was church. I taught my girls and we had a good discussion. Sometimes it's very hard to keep us focused back there, but I love being around them. They are all excited about camp being on the land. I reminded them of the story of Jonah, he disobeyed God's calling to Ninevah and wound up in the belly of a whale. They were being silly and said if we went on to the beach a whale might get us! They got the point though. I'm just excited about my girls right now. They are serving and just getting it! I love them and don't say that lightly! (I think love is a word that gets thrown around to much with no meaning behind it!)

The Taylors need a weekend getaway. If anyone knows of somewhere cheap to go, please let me know. We are open to all suggestions! Brian needs to unplug from work, they called 3 times this weekend, but thankfully he could talk them through it over the phone.

I made a dessert for Jamey's family yesterday. Wanda told me he wanted chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. I have to say, it sounded so good that I got the stuff to make it for us. All you do is layer the pudding and the Cool Whip and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. I got sugar free pudding and fat free Cool Whip for ours. I'm making that this morning. It seems like it would be a good snack and a way to get my daily dose of chocolate without it being to bad for me. (I'm trying Tiffani.) Have you ever compared the sugar free pudding and the regular pudding? All you have to do is pick it up. The regular is much heavier!

Check This Out

Check this video out. The kid at the end goes to our church and it a part of our Rock Group.

Happiness

I was reminded of this fact on Wednesday when I was chatting with one of my middle school girls over Face Book. I love FB, it lets me talk to the girls through the week and know what's happening with them on days other than Sunday!

SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON-BANK ACCOUNT
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. "I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!"

We don't thank you guys enough for all you do for us in filling our memory bank. May we and you never stop depositing. We'll end with these five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

And that's something to hang your hat on.