Unplugged

Well... Kind of.

Last Tuesday evening after getting home from work and in the midst of getting ready to go to Bible study, I was convicted that the television is on way too much in our house. Now there are two people in the house that account for that, but this is just my conviction so far. Usually I'll turn it on as background noise, but then, what if you get interested? Then you find another show? And the show after that one peaks your interest. It's a crazy cycle that leads to hours of filling your mind with garbage. Now, not all garbage stinks. Not everything I watch is "bad" in that sense of the word, but is it good? Ehh. Could I be using my time more wisely? Abso-frickin-lutely.

So back to last Tuesday. I got home from Bible study, went to the room, shut the door, opened my Bible and journal, and made my commitment to God.

I commit to keep my television watching to a bare minimum (I do have 2 shows that I enjoy weekly, so that's about an hour a week).

I commit to turn on music instead of the television if I want something to "fill the dead air" while I'm doing laundry or dishes or housework. I have so many awesome "mix" and old school Christian CD's that I've completely forgotten about! :)

I commit to reading as a way to wind down, or fill down-time. This has actually been really exciting for me. I love to read. Emphasis on L-O-V-E. If there were a job that I could just read [what I wanted to] all day, every day, I'd be in utter bliss. And I haven't made time for myself to read either. So with the TV not an option, I've finished a couple books, started a couple more, and have thoroughly enjoyed studying the Bible more in depth.

An "exception" is that Chris and I enjoy watching movies together. I enjoy spending "shoulder time" with him, and vice-versa. So I won't compromise that. But we don't watch movies in excess, so I don't foresee this as an issue :)

Today marks the one week of my commitment, and I feel so refreshed. I didn't think it would make this much of a difference, but I feel like I've taken back a part of my life. I didn't think that "mindless" television watching had much effect, but I guess we learn something about ourselves all the time :) I didn't put a time frame on this either, and I'm glad now that I didn't. I don't care to ever fall back into that routine.

So here's to a fresh start just in time for Spring! :)

First Grill of the Season...

and it was gooooood. Really good :)

My genius sis-in-law shared this with me not too long ago...

Brilliant, I tell you.

Just brilliant.

So we all hate waiting for our meat to thaw, then waiting at least 30 minutes for it to marinate (that's if you're in a hurry)...

SO she mentioned, "I put my boneless, skinless chicken breasts individually in zipper baggies, then add my marinade, then stick it in the freezer". That way, you take out however many pieces you want (try not to leave them on the counter overnight... I blame it on the pregnancy), and as it is thawing, either in the fridge all day or on the counter for the afternoon, it is also marinating itself!!

What did I tell you? Magnificent. I know.

And delicious. My piece was so juicy and marinated. The side caesar salad helped the deliciousness of everything too.

A perfect way to wake the grill from hibernation.

Oh and PS, these were not the pieces I left on the counter. I may be pregnant, but not that crazy.

Not yet.

When You Give a Kid a Camera

You know those books "When You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Well this is my rendition that includes my adorable 4 year old niece, miss Ava.

Here she is. What a little munchkin. I just want to eat those cheeks.

And this is the world (or my house) through her eyes... her expression in the last picture just kills me :) PS - I don't like the format of only one picture per line, sorry :/ when I'm editing my post there are two per line, but I guess the final publish doesn't approve.

(for length of post sake, this is only about half of the pictures she took :)

Jalapenos y Queso Fresco

I hope the title says something along the lines of fresh jalapenos and cheese. I'm really not sure though.

I just made these today and thought I'd blog my step-by-step how to (even though it IS close to rocket science. Insert sarcasm)... I may also just be trying to channel my favorite blogger, Pioneer Woman, but let's move on.

First you need fresh jalapenos (I used 4 today), cream cheese (1/2 to 3/4 of a block, or whatever you have on hand), bacon (4 pieces), and seasonings of your choice. I apologize to those who need exact measurements. I have this illness that hinders me from using measuring utensils when it comes to cooking. Please don't hold it against me.

To choose seasonings, open your cabinet, close your eyes and pick a few. Anything will be delicious. My choice today was Lawry's seasoning, some Italian seasonings, and garlic powder. Garlic is my reason for being. I love it dearly, and if it were taken away from me, you might as well take my life.

Next, cut the jalapeno tops off, and slice the peppers in half. Scoop out the seeds and veins with a spoon. This is where all of the heat is, which makes me a bit sad because I love a jalapeno that leaves me crying for a glass of milk and my mommy. But in this recipe, they'll just get in the way, so scoop away. Careful not to squirt jalapeno juice in your eye. It's not fun. And it burns a little. I know this by experience.

Soften the cream cheese. Mix in your selected seasonings and scoop into a ziploc bag.

Cut the end off and pipe into the jalapeno halves.

Wrap each pepper with half a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. I only had turkey bacon, and it worked. Once again, just use what you have.

Broil for 8-10 minutes on a rack about 2 down from the top. We don't want to burn the bacon and not get the peppers warm.

Don't worry if the bacon spits and hisses at you while under the broiler. Their mamas didn't teach them right, don't hold it against them. They don't know any better.

When bacon is nice and crispy, remove and enjoy! You can share with friends, or if you're pregnant, eat them all yourself and consider it your lunch :)

Eeek...

A month and a half? 6 weeks? 49 days? Really?? Yes. I hang my head in shame that it has been that long since I've posted. Let's see what I can scrounge up for a worthy-read post.

Chris did not get into the March police academy, but they are keeping his file open until July (when the next class will start), so he doesn't have to go through all of the steps again. He is considering going back to school starting with Summer semester... :)
Chris recently put an electric guitar on layaway and will be bringing it home very soon. He's mentioned that if he gets good enough, he'd like to play on the worship team at church. I'm just excited to hear him play at home again :) I guess his acoustic got boring? Boys and their toys...

It's been almost a year since my miscarriage (seriously?!), and while this upcoming Easter could be really difficult (we spent Saturday night/Easter early morning until 2am in the ER last year), God has turned our grief into joy. As I type, I'm 11 weeks and 1 day along in my second pregnancy :) We are so excited to meet the little bean around October 13th. While I'm ecstatic, I can't help the fear that creeps in... But everything has been great so far, and I cling to God's faithfulness :)

My spring project is the task of scrapbooking all of Chris' Boyscout stuff (pictures, badges, etc). I'm excited for him to have a book that he can show our kids what a big accomplishment he completed (he's an Eagle Scout, but who's bragging? Oh, I am)

We are both very much looking forward to the summer and plan to fill our weekends with lake trips... Any body of water is fine with us. The backyard flooded? Okay :) Unfortunately I can't hone my skills (ha!) on the wakeskate this summer, but maybe that will give Chris time to catch up with me? Hehehe :)

Here's to a new season approaching and everything God has in store for the near future!