To My Husband.....

To My Husband....

Words can not express the love that we share. You are my best friend and soul mate. I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life. You are that one person I can always depend on. When things go wrong, you make them right. I can tell you anything and know that I will not be criticized or judged, you accept me for who I am. Your protectiveness always makes me feel so safe and secure. Your sense of humor makes me laugh. I cherish the fact you love me unconditionally and you let me know that the bond of love we have could never be broken. I thank you for the three beautiful children our love has created and the father that you are to them. You have set an example to our daughters of what they should look for in a future husband and an example to our son of what kind of man he should strive to be when he grows up.

You've made my dreams come true! Happy Valentine's Day Walt, I love you with all my heart!

Fasting and Feasting Prayer

Fast from judging others....

Feast on finding Christ in them.

Fast from harsh or mean words...

Feast on words that encourage and support others.

Fast from anger....

Feast on patience.

Fast from worry....

Feast on God's love and care.

Fast from complaining....

Feast on appreciation.

Fast from bitterness, resentment or jealousy....

Feast on forgiveness and acceptance.

Fast from self-centeredness....

Feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discouragement....

Feast on hope.

1. What is your "signature" dish?

I don't think I actually have one. I get compliments on my spaghetti sauce and I have a taco dip that is really popular.

2. What is your favorite spice?

Garlic and cajun spices

3. How many nights a week do you cook?

Usually 5 nights. Friday we usually eat left-overs and Saturday we get pizza or go out to a restaurant.

4. What is the most difficult recipe you have ever made?

Pad Thai

5. How often do you fry food?

Not very often. When I do fry it's for breakfast. I make bacon, hash browns, eggs, and sausage...it's one big fry fest on Saturday mornings..LOL.

6. Is your kitchen well organized?

Not as good as I wish it was. I really need to go through and get rid of stuff I never use. We are planning on adding a wall pantry this summer, I'm hoping that will help.

7. What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget?

I use my Pamper Chef chopper more than anything else. I also love my skillet that can also be put in the oven.

8. What is dinner time like at your house?

It's great now that the kids are not currently in sports and Walt is home. We used to eat in "shifts" but now we have a very normal dinner. I usually start cooking dinner @ 4:00 and we are eating by 5:30. We turn the TV off and we talk about our day.

9. Do you have an old family recipe that has been handed down over the years?

Banana Pudding, Macaroni Salad, and my late mother in-law's Wimpy recipe.

10. On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 being awful and 10 being excellent) how would you rate your cooking skills?

I love cooking but I would only give myself a 6 or 7. I think I am too safe of a cook. I make dishes that I know I make well and stay away from ones that intimidate me. I need to change that:-)

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. My family will attend Mass this evening to receive ashes on our foreheads. I've been asked a few times why do some Christians do this symbolic act of distribution of ashes? The best explanation I found is from CatholicOnline.com:

Why we receive the ashes following the example of the Nine vites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.

Lent gives us an opportunity to draw closer to God. Our Lord calls out to us, "Come back to me, with all of your heart". How will you answer Him? I've chosen to embrace a closer and more personal relationship with our Lord. For myself I want this Lent to be a time of disciplined self-examination and a reflection of what my faith means to me. If you thought about taking stock in where you stand with your relationship with God, you might find these questions helpful:

Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?

Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those who irritate me?

Do I feel the power of connection to God and the church in corporate worship?

How is my devotional and prayer life progressing?

Am I listening to God more and complaining less?

Is it time for a change or a growth in my Bible study and prayer life?

What are the lurking sin problems, which still plague me?

Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?

Do I speak up for the maligned and oppressed, or do I remain silent in order to remain popular?

May God's peace and grace be with you and your family during this Lenten season!

Our Super Bowl Party

We had our first annual Super Bowl party this year and I don't think we could have picked a better game to start this tradition. All season I have been rooting for the New York Giants. I know the Patriots have had a magical season but my heart has been with the Giants. I think Eli Manning is not only a great quarterback but just a great guy off the field as well. He is the biggest reason I was rooting for the Giants. And let me tell you, I was in the minority at the party. Out of 25 people there was only 6 of us Giants fan. The biggest reason every one wanted to see the Patriots win was to watch history in the making. A team has not gone undefeated since the Miami Dolphins in 1972.

My dad was feeling well enough to come to the party which just made the evening even better. I did take a lot of heat from him because I was rooting for the Giants. There for a minute (and only a minute..LOL) it looked like the Giants were going to lose and boy did my dad take the opportunity to put his little digs in...LOL! All I could tell him was that it wasn't over and 2 minutes in a football game is a long time. Sure enough Eli and the Giants didn't give up and you should have seen my dad's face when Manning was able to break away from about four Patriots trying to bring him down. I was jumping up and down and screaming at this miracle pass that Manning was able to throw and my dad had to concede that it was one of the best moments in Super Bowl history.

It was a fun day. My team won, the food was good, the company even better...here's to next year's party!!

My Dad Is Home!

I am so happy to say that my dad is now home and resting in his own bed! We don't have any clear answers as to why he has internal bleeding but the doctors are assuming that it is his medication (Coumadin, Plavix and aspirin). Each one of these drugs can cause bleeding but when you are taking all three at high dosages you run an even greater chance of this happening. They have taken him off Plavix but are continuing with the other two. He had 4 blood transfusions and his last hemoglobin level came back normal. His blood pressure is also in the normal range. My dad takes 15 different medications so I guess we are lucky that this was the first time he has experienced a bad side effect from one or more of them.

I've had so many friends and family tell me that they are praying for my dad. I can't thank you enough! What a blessing you all have been to my dad and to our entire family.

May God bless you!