USA! USA! USA!

I LOVE the Olympics! Especially the summer Olympics. I have seriously watched at least 100 hours of coverage in two days. My favorites are swimming and gymnastics. I've also enjoyed shooting, archery, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's beach volleyball, diving, men's and women's basketball, rowing, water polo, and a million other sports I can't think of. I love the patriotism that comes with the Olympics. It has provided us with great learning opportunities for our kids. I've enjoyed teaching them about patriotism and hard work.
Last night I was watched the women's gymnastics team qualifying round. It always fascinates me how these athletes compete against each other, but also as a team. It was a sad moment when the lifelong dreams of individual all around for Jordan Weiber were crushed by her teammate Aly Raisman. The score popped up and one girl was jumping for joy and one was devastated. All caught on national t.v. As the cameras interviewed an excited Raisman a tearful Weiber stood in the background. I realize this a part of life, but geez, these girls have been trainging for this since birth and they only get one chance. It just doesn't seem fair that only two athletes from each team get to go, even if their scores are higher than the athletes from the other teams. I think is it weird, but awesome that these athletes can go from competing so hard with each other, to working together. I watched Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte vigorously compete against each other Saturday night and then swim the relay together Sunday night. That relay was an awesome race that had me screaming at the t.v.
I plan to use this time to teach my kids about hard work and dedication. We will be cheering on Team USA everyday!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1276946-womens-gymnastics-olympic-qualifications-2012-wieber-out-but-rule-is-unfair

Is it Normal to Cry on the School Supply Aisle??

I've hesitated to write this blog for a while now. It's been a difficult couple of weeks. I've fasted, I've prayed, I've done everything I've been told to do, yet I'm still unemployed. It seems like it's been bad news after bad news. The worst news came Thursday. It felt personal. It hurt. Something I had been counting on and knew that I could always fall back on was taken away. It was a definite blow to my confidence. What did I do wrong? Am I not good enough? Am I too old? Am I too fat? Am I not smart enough? These are questions that I have asked myself. For five years we have lived off of one income so that I could earn my degree. My husband has worked himself to death to provide for us. We are ready for better things. We are ready to pay off some bills and spend more time with daddy.
An all time low was the day I found myself in tears on the school supply aisle at Walmart. Often over the past month I have felt like Pastor Bryant was preaching directly too me. Without his encouragement, I may have given up. As long as I have a mustard seed of faith, I can keep going. I know that there are twenty something little kids out there waiting to be loved and encouraged by me. I know that I can inspire them and help them succeed. I know that I can better their lives. I pray that I get that opportunity. I believe in the power of prayer. Please continue to pray for our family.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt this in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Mark 11:22, 23

 

My Boys are Getting Older!

This past weekend we celebrated 2 very big birthdays. My baby turned 3 and big baby turned 30! This was the first time ever that Field picked out a birthday present for the boys. Baden loves to help his daddy cut grass and Field had this vision of Baden trailing behind him on his very own John Deere.

Since this was an expensive birthday present, we decided to have the party at home. NEVER AGAIN. Let me start by saying it is my fault. I put all this pressure on myself to have the perfect party. A party that they will never forget. Like he is going to remember his third birthday party. This party should have been an ad for Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I got all of the ideas from Pinterest. Because I couldn't decide on a theme for the party, I went with colors. That left me a lot of room to do whatever I wanted. We had a balloon walkway. 

                                     


                                                          We had colored popcorn.

I do NOT recommend the colored popcorn. It was great for looks but it took FOREVER to make and it stuck to everyone's teeth.

We had chocolate dipped rice krispy treats. Which I stuck in a wrapped box.

This would have been an excellent idea, if it had not been 105 degrees outside. They started melting and falling. They were delicious though. 

We also had trix pops,

and watermelon stars. I cut the watermelon thin and used a cookie cutter.

The best thing was the koolaid ice. When served in Sprite the ice is really cool and tastes good too. 

We have been blessed with a wonderful family and friends. It meant so much to us to have them there to celebrate. Especially, for Field. It's no secret that Field has a difficult relationship with his parents. It means so much to him to be surrounded by people that love him and want good things for him. Field's biggest goal in life is to be a great dad. I think he excels. I am so blessed to have him as my husband. I fell in live with him at 16 and married him at 19. He's a cop. The statistics are against us but God is with us. There is no doubt in my mind that we would not have made it this far with Christ. I continue to pray daily for our marriage to grow and for the Lord to order our steps. Field has worked so hard to provide for our family. I have never seen anyone who works so hard, sometimes three jobs in one day. This is one reason I so desperately need a job. I don't want Field to have to work so hard. I don't want him to work himself into an early grave. I can't believe he is 30! We are so blessed and I want to thank each and every person that helped us celebrate. It meant so much to have you there. 

Trusting in Him

I was a little discouraged this morning when I woke up and saw that several people had interviews today. However, after the uplifting words from dear friends and the reminder that God is in control, I am no longer discouraged. I know that my adversary is big but my God is bigger! I am trusting in him. I feel confident that I have done everything humanly possible and now I have to let Him take over. I have delivered resumes, emailed principals, visited schools, and talked with anyone that I thought could possibly help me. I can't wait to be a teacher and I have so much to give. I love the students and being in a classroom. I feel at home in the classroom and I have faith that God will find the right place for me.

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

And Jesus answering saith unto them, have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:22-23 

And they know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken those that seek thee. Psalm 9:10

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

Bacon Crackers

I made these delicious bacon wrapped crackers for movie night at church last week and they were a big hit. I originally got the recipe from my sister in law but I have tweaked it a little. You will need Club crackers, cream cheese, Hidden Valley Ranch Mix, and a package of bacon. First preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet. Mix a package of cream cheese and the ranch mix.

Spread the mixture between 2 club crackers until the mixture is gone. I use kitchen scissors to cut the entire package of bacon in half. Then wrap a piece of bacon around each set of crackers. If you have guests that don't eat bacon you can leave some sets without bacon. Cook about 20 minutes or until the crackers start to brown. It will be a big hit at your next event. 

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

I have found myself with a lot more time on my hands. I have actually been cooking dinner every night and keeping my house clean. I've had time for Twitter and Pinterest! I have been making new recipes from Pinterest and one I tried last week was Buffalo Chicken Wraps. I tweaked the recipe a little to fit our tastes so I thought I would share it. I bought two cans of 8 croissants. I sprayed a cookie sheet and laid the croissants out. In a big mixing bowl I combined 3 cooked and diced chicken breasts, 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch mix, one package cream cheese, and one cup shredded cheddar cheese. I put a spoon full of the mixture in each croissant and rolled them over.

I then rubbed the croissants with melted butter and baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. I served them with ranch dressing and homemade buffalo sauce. To make yummy buffalo sauce mix your favorite hot sauce, butter, and your favorite wing sauce. Heat over the stove until warm. This was a huge hit at my house. I served it for dinner but it really is more like an appetizer.

Nicole Morton- UAB Alum

I blogged about L.A. but I didn't get a chance to blog about graduation. Graduation meant the world to me. It was much like my wedding day. I waited for it forever and it was over too fast. I realize that graduating college is not that big of a deal to some people but in my family it is a very big deal. Other than my aunt who graduated from Bevill's nursing program, I am the only person in my family to ever graduate from college. It has been my hope to make my grandparents and the rest of my family proud. It was a dream day and it could not have gone better. As soon as we arrived I headed to join my fellow graduates and hoped that all of my family would find each other and be able to sit together. It seemed like forever but it was finally time to walk over to Bartow Arena and it was an indescribable feeling. I just couldn't believe it was happening to me. As soon as we entered the arena we all started looking for our families. I couldn't have been more proud to see all of my family together and my boys blowing me kisses. The ceremony didn't last as long as I thought it would and the moment they called my name was over before I knew it. As soon as the ceremony was over I just couldn't wait to hug my husband. It's been a long 5 years and we have walked every step together. He has been there every step of the way and this wasn't my accomplishment, it was OUR accomplishment. We worked hard for this and we are so excited for this change in our lives. It has not been easy to live off of one income and we are ready for change. I couldn't hold back my tears when I was finally in his arms. 

After graduation I headed to my party. A party that my sister and Field planned. They had help from a lot of people including Lori, my mom, and Crystal Reno. It was so awesome to be surrounded by all of the people who love me and support me. I don't know that I have ever felt more loved in my life.

Luckily, Lori was babysitting the little rascals that night so Field and I had plenty of time to talk about how grateful and blessed we are. It was an amazing day that I will never forget. Now I am working hard to find a job. Please pray that God works this situation out for our family. We need to know where to register Rylan for kindergarden and whether to register Baden for preschool. I am in good spirits about it and have faith that it will work out.