Random Thoughts Thursday

I can't believe it's been a whole 2 weeks since I last posted on this blog!  Life has been very full.  I've had many many an idea pass through my head and heart of things, stories, photograph oldies, my kids' birth stories, prayers, praises that I wanted to blog about... {{sigh}}... Just didn't happen my friends. I've been literally in pain about not being able to put stories into photographs and snap cute pictures of my kids... {gritting teeth} Grrrrrrrr. I just remember that in light of eternity, it's just a thing, an earthly desire. I can certainly wait a few more days!
Fresh bread, supporting my husband, schooling my kids, starting a new season of WOW Bible studies(I just soak in our prayer time together, it's sweet!), living and loving life, buying skinny jeans(yeah, I know, scary)... God is so good!  I was able to be involved in a little of my husband's career aspirations lately.  It's tough to be intricately involved when you have 5 kids at home, but this last week I was so blessed to have tagged along with him to a BNI (business networking international) meeting, at 7:30 am in the morning... *yawn... SO FUN!  It was neat to meet a lot of his peers and colleagues and see how much they appreciate, respect and love my honey.  It was his day to do a presentation about his services, job, talents, etc. but he also did a lot of pictures and stories of us, his family-just to throw in a personal touch.  He wrote THE FUNNIEST song ever for the event as well and sang it while he played his guitar making everyone become a mess of laughter, smiles and appreciation... everyone feels bad for the person who has to follow up his ultimate prize-winning presentation this week. It was THAT great!
I am so excited to be ordering my camera!  Ordered it last night!  WOOHOO!!! A Canon EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit !  It should be here in the next week. I am beyond ecstatic!!! You'll be getting far more pictures on here again. Probably an annoyingly gross amount more...
This last week, I have been a healthy eating, daily exercise participating mama... got to kick those lazy no good holiday eating habits now!!  I want to look my red carpet best. Haha. It's ZUMBA day today! Whoot!
Getting excited to head east to New York in March, which is amazingly about the same distance away as flying to Japan from here... crazy.  I've been there once before during my highschool days, before the Twin Towers we're gone... We will be leaving on a Monday and getting back on Friday. Three whole days of wandering the streets of New York with my mom and sister... can't wait!  Although, it is hard for me to leave my family(and I hate flying), I know this is a wonderful opportunity! I will certainly enjoy spending time with my sissy and mother dear(and taking awesome pictures with my new camera and lens *wink*giddy giggle). We will be doing some high style New York shopping, show watching, delicious dining and historic sightseeing. Excited!!
My baby at 19 months is interested in potty training, we're taking it slow but I have a feeling she is going to be earlier than three of my other kids at becoming potty-trained. My second in command was 18 months old as well as she became trained at the same time as her older sister who is 12 months older... she's always had the drive to keep up and excel and my fifth blessing reminds me of her.
Starting to feel old these days. Crackly joints, sore muscles every morning... I am finding I can't home school my kids, workout and work all in the same day and feel okay. Darn it.
Last night while at work two teenage boys sauntered into Jolts and Juice and tried to bedazzle me into giving them a complimentary "brownie". "First of all..."I said facetiously" those aren't brownies. They're pumpkin bread. Secondly, your charm isn't going to work on me. Nice try though!"  So I walk off with a smile and a few moments later they motion for me to come back over and ask, "So, let me ask you something, why didn't our charm work on you?" I replied matter-of-factly,"Probably because I am twice your age."  As I rested my elbows on the counter and my chin in my hands, they we're like, "26?"~"27?"~"28" as I shook my head no in between each guess..."29." I said as I finished the guessing game for them. Yes, 29 years old even though I still intermittently interject the word "like" like quite too often in places where "like" doesn't necessarily need to be used... Okay, so I'm not twice as old as them but still... c'mon, give me a break boys. I'm almost old enough to be your mother... and you are old enough to know better than to be begging!  Get a job, and budget! Anyway, when they left, stomachs growling and pride delfated, they said thanks for the water and I said thanks for the charm. Heehee.

I adore Mary Jane's Farm magazine. My mom bought me a subscription and it is pleasingly chock full of delectable recipes, homey activities, healthy living tips and is just plain bound up quaintness in my hands. Love it!  I have also enjoyed using her whole wheat Budget Mix in recipes. It's a lot like Bisquick only healthier!  I used it to make cinnamon rolls of sort yesterday. Here is what I did(approximately, as I am always just throwing things into my dishes and baked goods, praying they turn out... and they usually do(fingers crossed).

Cinnamon roll dough:

2 Cups Mary Jane's Budget mix

2T. brown sugar

1/2 cup butter cold and cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

t. vanilla

Whole wheat flour for kneading and rolling dough out

Filling:

1/4 cup organic butter softened

brown sugar

honey

cinnamon

nutmeg

Frosting:

whipping cream

2 t. fresh lemon juice

powdered sugar

t. vanilla

Cut in butter with Budget mix and brown sugar until it resembles course meal. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Add whole wheat flour or more budget mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead and roll out into a 1/4 inch rectangle. Spread butter on top, then sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with squeezing desired amount of honey all over the sugar. Roll the dough and slice into about 1 inch pieces. Place in a greased pan and bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until desired brownness.

I then whipped up the frosting adding ingredients until desired consistency is reached.

Yesterday, I also had my two oldest girls walk a couple of these rolls down to a neighbor friend about 3 1/2 blocks walk away. I was slightly worried about letting them go on their own but they did great!  Went there and back with no problem. It's hard to let go of our kids but when we do it's amazing how they grow up and excel on their own!

My husband and I enjoyed a date this week. We try to get out every other week on our own. Just to enjoy each other's company, have fun and get to know each other better. We feel like kids again when we are out on the town... we almost don't know what to do with ourselves at times!  No diaper changes?  No emergency potty runs?  No tired fussy kids?  Although, we embrace all of that as parents, it is still a nice break from the norm to go on a date.  If we don't go to the movies, we usually go around town getting things done! Haha, it may come as a surprise, but we enjoy going to Home Depot to plan our attic remodel or stop by Walgreens and grab diapers... it's just fun to be together, holding hands and spending time together as a couple. I love my husband so much!

We watched the movie,"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" and we're enamored by it's drama and depiction of how greed rules and runs our country and how rumors/word of mouth play a big role in making or breaking large influential company's success. It sent our brains a reeling.  If you like powerful dramas and touching love stories that leave you with the sense of how much the world needs Jesus, I would definitely recommend this movie to you.

I will leave you with this photo of me sporting my new diaper purse... yep, I'm a mom and proud of it!
God bless, friends.