What we are eating - Beef, Tomato and Acini de Pepe Soup

I totally understand that it is not currently soup weather but this soup was amazing when I made it a few months ago!  It is hearty and has amazing flavor plus the itty bitty pasta is just plain fun.  It can be made in an InstaPot (if you have one of those new fangled things HA) or just on the stove top (which is what I did).  Serve this up with a slice of warm french bread and it is perfection.  Plus, it is even better the next day.  

You can find the full recipe HERE.  (And yes, it is another SkinnyTaste Recipe!) 

 

Rest

 Rest.

I'm not really big on the whole "audible voice of God" concept.

Don't get me wrong; I believe God speaks to us through His word. 

It's why we are taught . .. commanded to study the Bible; to live it; to breath it.

But the voice? Not so much.

Until.

A few weeks ago as I was caught in the mad, mad, race of life

Feeling slightly breathless and weary 

With two people down with Covid, gas prices going higher then ever before, and basic living expenses creeping up

I sat down on the couch trying to solve all the problems when I heard a whisper

"Rest"

I kinda looked around thinking one of my guys was playing a trick but there was no one.

My mind started to rework things again - I needed to run back to the store; I needed to clean that or pick up that. 

"Rest"

That second whisper is when I started to listen.  

Took a deep breath and just . .. rested. 

That become my theme for the rest of that day . .. that weekend . .. and now my summer.  

When I feel weary, overwhelmed, beat down. 

Just rest.  

Our summer will be a quiet one.  A summer of slowing down and maybe even being bored. 

We aren't signing up for programs or events. 

We aren't racing here and there and everywhere to find something to do. 

I'm not even planning crafts or activities because, well, my guys are old enough to figure things out on their own! 

Instead we will rest.  We will get rejuvenated and refreshed after a school year that was harder than normal for some reason. 

My guys felt it; I felt it.  So many others and their thoughts and ideas trying to pull us away from what we all enjoy

Just being home.  Together.  And doing what is best for our little family.

Weekly Worship --TAYA - For All My Life (Official Lyric Video)

Our Week at a Glance

 This week my guys had some fun at Worship Camp.  Our friends I babysit were back after over a week off.  My brother and sister-in-law were still in town too! 

On Saturday, Darryl, Joshua and Ken, my brother, got the opportunity to go up in a small airplane at an event here in town.  

Josh got to ride up front.  To say he enjoyed it would be an under statement.  Someday I might get a photo of him in the pilot seat :-) 

Sunday was Father's Day and I didn't take a single picture!  We had an amazing dinner at my mom's to celebrate Darryl and Ken.  Then we played a great game of 5 Crowns! 

The rest of the week went a little like this:

Monday-Friday - Joshua and Nate attended worship camp where they learned more on their instruments/learned a new instrument and worked with their band on their songs for the worship celebration on Friday night. 

Tuesday - We took Darryl and Lynnette to see Top Gun Maverick.  Yes, it is good enough to see twice!  I think it was more intense the 2nd time because I knew what was happening! 

Wednesday - We had dinner at my mom's with Ken and Lynnette and also had to say good bye for now.  They planned to pull out Friday morning and we won't have a chance to see them again.

Thursday - I (Jackie) met a good friend for ice cream.  She is in town from Florida.  Almost three hours later we headed to our homes :-)  We hope to get together one more time before she goes home. 

Friday - The concert.  I highly doubt I will get photos up before this posts so I will share them next week!

Here are some random photos from the week: 

A Facebook group I'm in challenged everyone to take a photo out there window one morning this week and this is what I captured.  I love my willow and how the sun breaks through the leaves each morning.

Weather is weather.  But, this is crazy for June.  We've had so many 90 degree days already.  I think we might melt in July. 

Just a couple random photos from Worship Camp that I grabbed from the Facebook page.  My guys have really enjoyed their week and I'm thankful for the opportunity they have to do something like this. 

Weekly Menu - Where things are "normal"

 This is a pretty "normal" week.  Family has returned home, there is nothing extra going on.  It's just "home".  I'm really working on cooking what is planned AND cooking at home.  As with so many, the prices of things are really forcing us to make choices.  When we could go out to eat for $25.00 before, it now costs $40.00 and that's just fast food!  (Man I sound old).  Anyway, we are trying to reserve the eating out fun for more special occasions or just "once in awhile".  

Here's the plan for the coming week:

Friday - Joshua and Nate have a concert to end their week at day camp and will eat dinner at camp so Darryl and I will grab something before heading out.  

Saturday - We are spending the afternoon with my Father-in-Law

Sunday - Today is a pot luck at church.  I'm not 100% sure what I'm taking yet.  

Monday - Balsamic Pork Tenderloin in the crock pot, crustless zucchini pie, and a salad

Tuesday - Shrimp Scampi tacos with Caesar Salad Slaw

Wednesday - My mom eats with us :-)  Chicken Alfredo, Garlic Bread and Salad

Thursday - Breakfast Enchiladas, Biscuits and Gravy, and asparagus.  

As I'm typing this I'm realizing that next week is the 4th of July!  Summer is flying by! 

What We are Eating - Spaghetti Carbonara

This recipe was an absolute homerun.  We inhaled it and all agreed that it was restaurant worthy and we could probably eat it once a week.  The sauce is made from a little bacon grease (how can you go wrong!!) and chicken broth that simmers until reduced.  The bacon adds just the right amount of saltiness but what makes this recipe is that poached egg.  Have you ever poached an egg?  I have not . . .well until I made this!  It was fun!  Dumping that egg in the just boiling water and watching it spin and wrap around itself!  Then, when you slice into it the butter yolk spills out and the soft white just almost melts into the pasta.  Mix it up so the yolk adds to the sauce and it is just amazing!  Just writing this makes me want to eat it again! 

You can find the recipe at Skinnytaste (of course!) 

Summer Fun = A little more time at home and maybe being bored.

 

I'm taking the summer off!  Well, not really but I'm not planning our summer like I have years past. There are multiple reasons for this not limited to:

• My guys are getting older and don't love my planning so much.  They want to sleep in and play with their friends (in real life and on-line).  One of them actually asked me to put nothing else on the schedule for the summer than what is already there! 
• My mantra this summer is two-fold:  "Stay Home and Spend Nothing" and "Rest" (more on that in a different post a different day)
• I'm tired of planning HA!  

You can check out some past adventures here: 

All of our 2020 adventures are HERE  and all of our 2021 adventures are HERE. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we will do some things along the way - especially things close to home and things that are easy - just not quite so much planning.  Actually, my guys are attending Worship Camp this week so that will keep them busy! 

Oh, and don't worry, if you know me at all, you know I make lists and goals and plan no matter what which I have done - but it is more for me!  Scrapbooking, organizing, reading, school planning etc.  I'm not planning the kids days quite so much . .. well except for lawn mowing both here and at my moms. 😂

The older I get, the more I enjoy summer . . .well at least until it gets as hot as the surface of the sun day after day after day - then I don't.  These nice days in June when I can have the windows open are great.  I also love the break from school and the fact that we don't have to worry about the  "clock" quite so much each day to accomplish things.  I also love the days of planning.  Once school starts in the fall, it's pretty all consuming so I don't get to plan and accomplish things quite the way I'd like! 

Also, now that we are half way through the year, I'm hoping to get photos uploaded weekly again and share our photos each week so instead of a separate post  with our summer fun as I've done in years past, I'll just share that within out "week of photos" :-) 

Weekly Worship - Ben Fuller - Who I Am (with lyrics)(2022)

I love songs that I can sing easily while washing dishes or driving or well, while doing anything and this one does not disappoint!  Plus, it's got a great message too! 

Our Week at a Glance

What a great week!  My brother was around and my guys enjoyed some time hanging out with him!  I also had the week "off" from babysitting since our friends with hanging out with family this week so it was a nice break.  Between that, our first week off of school, and my brother being here, well, it was a wonderful week! 

Monday morning we headed to McDonald's for breakfast.  

After breakfast, we headed to the movies to see Top Gun .  Wow, what an amazing movie!!  

My guys stayed at my mom's for a few nights so Darryl and I had some unexpected quiet evenings at home! 

This happened Wednesday - HOT!!!  Blah!  Joshua, Nate and I hung out at home and watched TV most of the day.  Then we headed to my mom's for an amazing dinner. 

 After dinner we played 5 Crowns.  I won't mention who won . . .oh wait, yes I will because it was ME!!  Ken was NOT the winner - he was pretty much the loser LOL  

Thursday my guys got hair cuts, Nate hung out with Ken for awhile, Joshua had drum lessons and then Joshua stayed at my moms so he and Ken could watch the basketball game.  

Finally, Friday.  Nate had Tae Kwon Do.  We all gathered at my mom's for dinner again.

It was a great week! 

Weekly Menu - Part 2 with family

 We get to enjoy another week with my brother and sister-in-law around!  Last week I didn't cook all the recipes I had planned.  As is normally the case, when family is in town, things change up!  My guys ended up staying at my mom's for a few days and Darryl worked late too.  So I will push some things ahead! 

Friday - Dinner with family!  

Saturday - Dinner with family! 

Sunday - Dinner with Family at my mom's for Father's Day - In honor of Ken and Darryl we are having Steaks, Sweet Potatoes, Fried Mushrooms, Zucchini, and a seven layered salad.  For dessert it will be fresh Michigan strawberries over vanilla ice cream.  Yum!  

Monday -Caprese Chicken Skillet, Chopped Wedge Salad, and Stuffed Mushrooms

Tuesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, leftover salad, and chips/salsa

Wednesday - Dinner with family! 

Thursday - Pork Loin, Zucchini Pie, and Macaroni Salad  

Wow, that looks like a simple recipe week! 

What We Are Eating - Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

This is a great summer recipe - perfect for at home or to take to a gathering.  I've been making this dessert for years but guess where it is from??? SkinnyTaste!!  Yep, that's how long I've been following her blog and using some of her recipes. 

This Red, White and Blueberry Trifle is super easy especially when you use the store bought angel food cake.  When I made this for our family I cut the whole recipe in half and it was the perfect amount.  It is so light and fresh and super easy to put together.  You could easily make individual portions too if you wanted to serve it that way instead. 

The full recipe can be found  HERE. 

Enjoy! 

 

The End of Another School Year

 We did it!  School is finally done and we now have a 7th and 8th grader! (What in the world!!!!)  This year was not the easiest year that's for sure but my guys still did great and managed to pull out all A's (it was questionable at the end HA!).  We have some changes in our Homeschool Plan for the coming year (more on that later - yes we are still homeschooling!) that I think we are all looking forward to but for now, we will put 6th and 7th grade to rest! 

This guy has really grown this year (not just in height either!).  He has become more independent and willing to question if he thinks he is right about something.  He's gained confidence in all areas of school but I've really seen growth in his writing skills this year.  He still would rather not do school (HA!) but is also willing to get the tasks done even when he doesn't want to.  He enjoyed History the most and Math the least and I totally understand that feeling! Onward to 8th grade! 

Nate is so easy going and just goes with the flow.  He sets goals for himself and accomplishes them.  He loves to finish ahead of schedule but also wants to achieve all A's.  He read books this year and actually almost liked it (He prefers watching the movie over reading the book!) and wrote some great papers.  He also had to record an argumentative essay which was something new!  He enjoys math unless he doesn't understand it then he doesn't . . .. until he understands it again . . and then he likes it :-)  He continues to grow in independence and is willing to ask questions to make sure he understands what he is doing.  Onward to 7th Grade! 

Weekly Worship - Ben Rector - Thank You (Official Audio)

Ben Rector is a great story teller through music.  I've heard this on the radio and it's just a great song. 

Our Week at a Glance

 It's taken about 6 months but I'm (hopefully) back to my weekly photo "dump" post.  Back in December something happened with my ability to upload photos from my phone and my camera to my computer.  In March I finally figured out how to do a work around and spend about 4 days transferring, moving, labeling and organizing photos.  Then I worked on figuring out how to get it done much more easily and I think I'm finally to that point.  Anyway, my goal is to share weekly but some weeks just don't work out that way!  

For now, here's a look back at a little over the past week :-) 

This one takes us over just a week ago.  One of Joshua and Nate's friends came home with us after TaeKwonDo to have lunch and hang out for a bit until her sister could pick her up.  These three have known each other since they were 3 and 4 years old and are still good friends! 

I shared in an earlier post this week about our yard work.  We all worked together last Saturday to do some yard work and "catch up" a little around here.  

Joshua had to do a collage for his final Art Project and can you guess who the subject was? 

Yep!  Kitty Witty!  It was a fun project and he did get an A on the assignment. 

And yes, we are done with another year!  This is one of the outtakes :-)  It takes work to get photos these days! HA! 

Finally, Joshua and Nate went to Nana's house to mow her yard this week.  This is the photo I got - Molly with her paw on Nate.  She loves him . .. Nate tolerates her HA!  

Weekly Menu - With Family

 This week we get to spend some time with my brother Ken and his wife, Lynnette.  Well, technically this week it is just Ken but next week it will be Lynnette too!  One of the benefits of this is that we eat dinner at my mom's a few extra times too!  

Friday - Our second open house of the season.  This is for the daughter of long time friends - we have known Bobby and Anne since before they were married, attended their wedding, birthday parties and baby showers and now, we are attending an open house!  Time flies! 

Saturday - And, our third open house :-)  This one is for a friend we know through TKD and our homeschool Co-Op.  

Sunday - And . .. HA!  I'm still not cooking :-)  Dinner at my mom's with my brother.  

Monday - Tomato Basil Chicken  - This is a such a nice summer recipe - it goes together quickly and is so light.  Add some French bread and pasta and it's perfect. 

Tuesday - Madison's Favorite Slow Cooker Tacos - This is a SkinnyTaste recipe (I don't know who Madison is HA!).  

Wednesday - Dinner at my mom's with my brother

Thursday - Brown Sugar Balsamic Glaze Pork Loin in the Crock Pot, Chopped Wedge Salad,  Crustless Summer Zucchini Pie and Stuffed Mushrooms with broccoli rabe and sausage

That's a wrap! 

What We are Eating - Beef and Broccoli

 

I've mentioned in my weekly menu posts that we are enjoying recipes from SkinnyTaste.  I love how many vegetables they use and that they tend to taste fresh and bright.  Well, this Broccoli Beef recipe did not disappoint.  Now, depending on how observant you are you might notice there is not any broccoli in my photo.  You are correct.  Broccoli is not a big hit in this household BUT Chinese Pea Pods and mushrooms ARE a big hit so I used those instead.  This was so tasty and was pretty easy to pull together (Honestly, some SkinnyTaste recipes have ALOT of steps!).  

The recipe can found HERE

I pretty much followed the recipe but I did double the sauce but didn't really need to in the end.  I also almost always leave ginger out of everything.  My suggestion is to get a good cut of meat so that they meat is tender - this was a little tough - and I should have cut the pieces smaller.  :-) 

Yard Work

 We are not yard work people.  Never have been; never really will be.  BUT last summer I decided to tackle some things and just "move around the house" making things look nice.  It all went well until I got Poison Ivy and then that shut down any desire I had to keep going on the yard! Well, I know where the poison ivy is (I see it's ugly three leaved vine poking up and around!) and am staying far away from it.  Darryl's going to work on getting rid of (shoot, I don't even mow near it right now "just in case" HA!).  

Thankfully a good portion of the project area is ivy free so we worked on that this weekend.  

The before photos!  In the middle of getting the lawn mowed too! 

More before :-) 

After - I love my lion I got last year and decided top place him in a more prominent location this year.  

The finished side yard.  All the weeding was done and our decorations were put out. 

Notice my "flowers" this year?  HA!  With all of the other rising prices I just couldn't justify buying flowers right now.  These are easier to care for - no watering! 

Finally, Willamenia always looks better with a hair cut!  I just love my willow tree.  She lost a big branch this spring in a wind storm but otherwise she is filling out nicely this year.  

Weekly Worship - RICHLIN - Good Mood (Official Lyric Video)

It's been awhile but here's a fun song to get back into the routine of Weekly Worship music. 

Weekly Menu - And, it's Summer time!

 I tend to appreciate Summer more now then I used to - especially June.  June tends to be not quite as hot and humid and it is enjoyable to sit outside, especially in the mornings and evenings.  I also love how summer slows down.  I told Darryl that my theme for this summer is "Go no where and Spend nothing" HA!  Due to the amount of road construction going on in this side of the state you almost can't even get anywhere even if you want to go!!!  

We are still enjoying Skinny Taste recipes.  I told Darryl that by using her recipes the amount of fresh fruits/veggies I'm buying has quadrupled while the canned/processed foods has been cut in half.  We still enjoy our family favorites but finding some new things is nice too.  

Here's the plan for this week (June 3-9)

Friday - We have our first open house of the season to attend.  We haven't always attended open houses but as my guys get older I know how important to attend others so they will someday attend "ours".   

Saturday - Our weekly dinner at my mom's :-)  This is always appreciated!! 

Sunday - I have a concert today and my family will head home after church so we will all be on our own (I'm sure Taco Bell is in everyone's future HA!) 

Monday - Spaghetti Carbonara and French Bread  

Tuesday - Blackened Shrimp and Grits and Summer Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Creamy Buttermilk Dijon Dressing

Wednesday - We have a new summer "plan".  My two guys are going to be mowing Nana's yard and the plan is for that to happen on Wednesdays.  Therefore, they will spend the afternoon at her house.  Then, she will bring them home and have summer with us.  My goal is to cook her favorites!!!  (Or at least food she likes HA!).  So, the plan for tonight is Crock-Pot Fajitas, Salad, and Chips and Salsa.   

Thursday -Sloppy Joes and Sweet Potato Fries in the air fryer.