The Stress of Uncertainty

I don't deal well with uncertainty.  I don't like when I don't know what's going to happen, whether it be plans for a weekend or the next five years of my life.  I have been trying very hard to calm myself down and not allow myself to get caught up in the stress of not knowing, but it is very difficult.  Our lives are in such an unstable place right now that it is wracking havoc on my ability to be in control.  Throughout the entire application process for PHD programs I have chanted "God has a plan, God has a plan" to remind myself that sometimes I am not always the one in control.  However, when the decisions started pouring in, and they weren't the decisions that I had planned on, it wasn't easy.

After several days of hardly getting a word out without crying, I am finally at a point where I can go about my daily business without Munchkie coming up and putting a hand on me saying "Mommy ok?  No crying Mama."  She is so sweet!  While our future is still completely up in the air and we have quite a few difficult decisions to make in the upcoming months, I have to remind myself that "God has a plan" and so I need to move on and pray that we can make the best decisions based on what his plan is.  We didn't plan on Munchkie, but what an AMAZING blessing she has been in our lives.  I can only hope and pray that we continue to be bestowed with more blessings as amazing as she (without there being more kids involved, haha).
I found the lyrics to this hymn tonight and it really spoke to me.

I Know Who Holds The Future
~Ira Forest Stamphill

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
Ev'ry step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eyes,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One Who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Meatless Meals That Taste Great (Ultimate Recipe Swap)

I read this post a while ago and decided to go ahead and post it now.  With the Lenten season underway and no meat Fridays along with the rising cost of groceries, especially meat, I thought this might be helpful.  I haven't actually tried any of the recipes, but I am willing to try them if it means healthy for less!

Meatless Meals That Taste Great (Ultimate Recipe Swap)

Hilarious RePost

I read this blog today and I loved it.  Since Munchkie just recently acquired a lot of stuff we don't need our house is feeling even more cluttered and uncomfortably small. 


How to Clutter Your Home
http://www.makingthishome.com/2011/03/07/how-to-clutter-your-home/

Happy Birthday Munchkie!

My feet and back are killing me from standing in the kitchen for the last 5-6 hours working on Munchkie's birthday cake.  Munchkie's Daddy had the living room covered with play kitchen parts, instructions, screws, boxes and tools.  I think we are finally almost ready to go to bed after an exhausting evening of prep work.

My little oops is two.  I just can't believe it.  I can't believe how fast the last two years has gone and how much our lives have changed.  Since I have been reminiscing in my head, I thought I would share a little of Munchkie birth day with you.  I have been trying really hard not to cry for the last several days. I think I have been doing a pretty good job of holding it together.  Posting these pictures is definitely going to make me loose it though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUNCHKIE!!!

March 12, 2009 12:44am 8 pounds 20 inches

Love at first sight

My precious bundle of joy

Yep, I'm crying.

Came across this

www.vitalicious.com

The other day I took Munchkie to Target to get her picture taken and forgot to grab anything to eat on our rush out the door.  When we got to Target I wanted to find something to eat that I wouldn't have to feel guilty about (and there wasn't a Starbucks inside, what Target doesn't have a Starbucks these days???).  Walking past the frozen foods to get to the portrait studio I saw these muffin tops that I had glanced at before when buying things from the frozen natural food section before.  I thought I would give them a try and see how they were.  I have to say that I was pretty impressed.  

I grabbed the CranBran and when I flipped the box over I could read, understand and even pronounce every single ingredient (Water, whole wheat flour, organic sugar, egg whites, whole wheat flakes, cranberries, molasses powder, soy bran, oat fiber, wheat protein isolate, oat bran, inulin, leavening (potassium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), wheat gluten, fruitrim (grapejuice, brown rice), acacia gum, natural flavor, sea salt, cinnamon, xanthan gum, lecithin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, iron, biotin, zinc) .  Amazing.  That is really hard to find on the backside of a box these days, which is why I usually tend to stay away from boxed foods.  The nutrition facts weren't that bad either.

They really filled me up and tasted pretty good too.  I can remember my mom bringing home foods from the health food store in town when I was little and it was disgusting flavored cardboard.  Things have come a long way.  I might actually keep some of these in my freezer for the day I run out of Homemade Granola Bars and don't have time to make more.  There are also a lot of different options if you look at their website at www.vitalicious.com.  When you look at their website on the side is a little walking man and it says that it only takes 13 minutes of walking to walk off one of their 100 calorie vitatop muffins.  That definitely eliminates any guilt you might have.  Thirteen minutes is nothing!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Lenten Sacrifice

With each year that passes the season of Lent becomes more meaningful to me.  Throughout the year I find that I am making sacrifices for a variety of reasons.  Some are selfish, some out of necessity and some because I'm a wife and mother.  Each year there is a period of time in our lives that demand us to spend some serious time focusing on sacrifice and bettering yourself in a way that is different than the time of resolution making for the New Year. I realize each year how important it is to have this designated period of time to focus on how I can become a better and stronger individual, wife, mother, family member and friend. 

I recently read this article from KitchenStewardship.com and it made me start thinking even more about the importance of the preparation for Lent.  I did a quick google search which of course took me to the most reliable source, Wikipedia.  So naturally that's where I decided to get my basic Lent information from.  The time of Lent is in remembrance of the 40 days the Jesus spent in the desert alone.  For this time he fasted for the forty days and was tempted by Satan three times.  While he was tempted he was able to prevail against the devil by using scripture as his arguments.

So this means to me that I need to focus for these forty days on several things.  I need to figure out what is something I depend on that would be a difficult sacrifice for me to make.  I need to examine my life and find what consumes my idle time, keeping me from becoming a better person and christian. Then I need to focus strengthening my relationship with this man who made so many sacrifices for me (and I don't mean my husband or father).

After much examination I have determined my plan of attack for this season of Lent.

• I will be giving up sweets because this is something that I crave and feel like I "have to have."  I have given up sweets each year but I also struggle with it each year because I am tempted every time desert crosses my path during these forty days.  
• Munchkies Daddy and I have decided to give up TV.  We know that we spend a lot of time wasted in front of the television and want to find other valuable, productive ways to spend our time.  
• During this time I am also going to spend time daily in prayer and devotion.  I find time daily to waste time online, in front of the TV or doing who knows what.  I want to spend some of that wasted time studying the Bible so that I can have the strength to get through difficult times in life.

So for tomorrow, Fat Tuesday, I will spend my last day until Easter eating chocolate and watching chic flicks with a good friend.  And then my plan of attack starts Wednesday morning.

Homemade Playdough

A while ago Munchkie made homemade playdough with her Nana and Aunt.  The playdough is still doing good and she enjoys playing with it.  Munchkie's Mimi emailed me the recipe because her preschool kids love to play with this playdough as well.

Homemade Playdough

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 3 teaspoons oil
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 packages Koolaid (unsweetened)

 

1.  Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Add water and oil.
3. Knead.
4. Can be kept in a ziploc bag for months.
5. Refrigerate for a different texture.