Simple Joy #12

I love the innocence of children...I love listening to their process of thinking and their reasoning. On Eva's birthday we were on our way to church and the conversation went like this...

Matt and I were telling Eva about the day she was born. I said, "Eva when you were born mommy and daddy held you, snuggled you, and loved you!" Eva looked at Jaden and said, "and you too little buddy!"

I replied, "No, Jaden wasn't even born yet" Eva thought about this and concluded that he wasn't there because he was still in my tummy. I assured her that he wasn't even in my tummy yet at that point!!

Her eyes got wide and she said, "Where was he??!" I said, "he was with God...the same way you were with God before you were born"

After some thought Eva said, "what did I do with God?"

I told her I didn't know and asked her what she thought she did with God.

Without hesitation she replied, "I probably played basketball with him."

I got the biggest smile on my face. Eva loves sports and it would make sense that God instilled that gift in her. I told her that I bet she was absolutely right....I bet God is a pretty good basketball player and before she was born they probably played a lot of basketball together.

Such a simple conversation....but one I will always remember.

Happy Birthday Eva!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Merry Christmas

Since I couldn't send all of you a Christmas card, I thought I would post ours...Merry Christmas from the Blissfully Happy Housewife and her family to yours!

Christmas Traditions

I am not a big "tradition" person by nature...I like trying new things often. However, Christmas is one of those times that I tend to get a bit more sentimental and enjoy tradition. I thought I would share a just a few of our Christmas traditions with you (I put the captions above each picture this time)....

Christmas cookies boxed up and ready to deliver to our wonderful neighbors. Matt's parents do this for their neighbors and I always thought it was a good idea. I just feel Christmas is a great time to let our neighbors know how much we appreciate them.

Each year Matt and I buy our children a Christmas book. Sometimes it is a religious based book (like the Christmas Story), and other times they are just fun (like The Grinch). These books are ONLY out at Christmas time...so that makes them extra special and fun.

Christmas cookie decorating!! This is a tradition that has been around for YEARS in my family. I always enjoy it because it starts off pretty serious (my mom, sister, and I are all trying to make the prettiest cookie - we are pretty cut throat about it) and as the night wears down it just gets downright hilarious. Maybe it's that we are tired, or maybe it's the wine...but the cookies get more and more funny as the night wears on!
Each year Matt and I buy Eva and Jaden a special Christmas PJ to wear on Christmas eve or for a family Christmas if we visiting until bedtime (this picture was taken at my Dad's family Christmas this year).

Giving to others is super important to us. This picture is of Eva helping me wrap gifts for a needy family.

We have 2 Christmas trees. One tree is decorated more thematic (all bright red and lime green this year) and the other tree holds all of our special family ornaments. There are ornaments on there from when Matt and I were little, ornaments our children have made, baby ornaments, and ornaments that we have purchased during family vacations. I love it because each ornament has a little story behind it.

As I said, these are just a few...we have quite a few more! One thing regarding tradition that I try to tell myself is that when the tradition is taking the fun out of the holiday it is time to end it. For example, if baking cookies for the neighbors becomes too much this time of year it is not worth it (a special note would be just as appreciated) or when the children have outgrown the joy of having special jammies I will set that tradition aside too. Traditions should be fun and enjoyable...never ever a chore. And lastly, the most important tradition we share with our children is talking about the true meaning of Christmas and God's love. That is something that no picture could ever capture...but, to me, is the most important tradition of all.

Sweet Images of Christmas...

I think it is fair to say Jaden wasn't so sure about the big guy in the red suit! After prying him off of me and putting him on Santa's lap our happy camper screamed during his entire visit with the Big Guy.

Eva, on the other hand, had an agenda. Notice the papers she is clutching in her hand? After we got her screaming brother out of the way she took matters in to her own hands. She sat with Santa and patiently went through her entire list (which was two pages long) and made sure he knew exactly what she wanted for Christmas this year.

That's my girl!

The Easiest Christmas Cookies EVER...

These cookies are another goodie that I was introduced to by our Amish friends. They are incredibly simple, and I think they taste a lot like a Girl Scout Thin Mint (which is my absolute FAVORITE Girl Scout cookie)! These are actually so simple that, aside from melting the chocolate, Eva could have done the entire thing herself!

RITZ COOKIES

Melt large Hershey chocolate bar

Dip Ritz cracker in chocolate until coated

Lay on piece of wax paper

Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top

Allow to cool

Can't get more simple than that!! They are fun to make and taste great too!! Just a little side note, the chocolate seems to go fast (especially if a child is helping you because they don't always have the patience to let it drip off after pulling it out of the chocolate bowl) so I would suggest getting a few candy bars.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T LOG IN!!!!!!!!!

Earlier today I logged into Blogger and my password would not work.

Hmmmm....

I tried it again.

USERNAME AND PASSWORD DO NOT MATCH.

What?!!!!

My face begins to get hot. I am usually a rational person....but my rationality flies completely out the window.

My hands type furiously as I try and retry and RETRY my password. Stupid computer!!! Don't you understand how close it is to Christmas??!!! Don't you understand that I HAVE THINGS I NEED TO BLOG ABOUT!!!!

And more importantly...

DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND MY CHILDREN ARE NOW DOWN FOR THEIR NAPS AND I HAVE ONE HOUR (DID YOU HEAR ME...I SAID ONE HOUR) AT MOST TO GET MY BLOGGING ADDICTION IN FOR THE DAY!!!!!!

I begin searching Blogger for help. There HAS to be someone that can help me...someone that will just say, "Now calm down Happy Housewife....we can easily fix this problem for you while you wait!"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE IS NO PHONE NUMBER I CAN CALL TO GET HELP!!!!! I don't have TIME to e-mail someone....I need help NOW!!!!!!

They obviously do not understand the depth of the situation.

In panic mode I call my friend Sarah and ask if she is able to log into her account.

She can.

The severity of the problem deepens and I buckle myself down for a fight.

This account Nazi has met their match....I'm NOT going down without a fight!!!

I try different avenues that say they can help people with "log in" issues. FINALLY, I find a link that can help.

In the end....it was pretty simple to correct the situation.

What did I learn?

I may have a bit of an addiction to my blog.
Does anyone have the number for Bloggers Anonymous?

The best Christmas gift....

Our friends Kevin and Kim received the best Christmas gift one could ask for this morning...a healthy and beautiful baby girl!!! Little Ella Katherine entered the world bright and early this morning and seemed quite tuckered out tonight when I had a chance to snuggle with her. She is about the most precious thing ever...and I'm not gonna lie, I seriously wanted to just take her home with me. She is that precious.

Congrats Kevin and Kim!! We love both of you, Tessa, and little Ella Katherine too!!

Questions...

This Happy Housewife has been pondering two questions lately and I was wondering if any of you out there can help me out:

Question #1: Do any of you know of a reputable site that can print your blog off in book form? The whole reason I started this lovely blog journey was to help document the little moments that I spend with my family and friends. Now that it is the end of the year I would love to have it printed, but I'm unsure where to go. I thought maybe some of you have done it before and could recommend a good website!

Question #2: I am wanting a soft and chewy gingerbread cookie recipe. I've looked and asked around, but have hit dead ends. Any of you out there know of one?!

That is it for now!! Thanks for checking in my friends...it's always nice to "hear" from you!

The Happy Housewife

PS. In case you were wondering, the treadmill and I are still in a love/hate relationship...but at this point we continue to be civil to eachother. :)

And so we meet again...

And so we meet again. The dreaded treadmill.

The treadmill and I have a brief, but violent, history together. I bought it nearly 5 years ago and after using it a short time decided it was the most boring piece of machinery man ever made. I had no desire to run in place like a rat on a wheel.

So there is sat in the corner of our basement.

After having Eva I decided to give it another try. I dusted it back off and got back on the horse, so to speak.

The treadmill had other ideas.

I am assuming it was ticked from sitting there unused for so long or maybe it was just having a bad day (we all have those, don't we?). Well, whatever the reason I climbed onto that piece of machinery all decked out in my workout gear...water bottle in hand...IPod blaring some great tune in my ear....and that piece of crap literally threw me into the wall!

Laugh it up my friends...I kid you not!!! It was ticked I tell you...ticked!

As I was running on it (ok, as I was walking on it) my shoelace got caught and that little rotating belt just threw my entire body right into the wall behind me. Hard. After getting up and licking my wounds I walked away from it with my tail between my legs (and a few choice words out of my mouth)...and haven't used it since.

Then I had one more child.

And I quit working.

And summer ended.

The amount of physical activity I've got lately has been a joke. My thighs seem to be growing by the minute and my tummy seems to think there is another baby in there (and I assure you, there is not)!

So today I waved my white flag of surrender, dusted off the ol' treadmill one more time, and got back on the horse.

I started off slow...warming it up ever so gently...assuring it that I come in peace.

So far, no injuries.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

A little something to make life easier...

What's for dinner?!!!!

Sound familiar?

When it comes to making dinner, do you ever forget what you have on hand to make? I mean you do all the planning, grocery shopping, putting the groceries away...and then 3 days later you wonder, "what meals did I buy groceries for?"

Tell me I'm not alone on this one.

I've tried various methods of helping me remember. When Matt and I didn't have children I would come up with a weekly menu and would grocery shop accordingly. It was nice, but pretty structured.

After we had children I would figure out what we needed, and then make a list of what meals I planned on making and tape it inside a cabinet door. I would even go as far as crossing them off after I made them (I love crossing things off lists...any kind of list. I will even make a list and put things on it I've already done just so I can cross them off...silly, I know). It worked OK, but I got lazy and quit making the list.

So here is my new method. As I am planning our menu for the week I just keep the recipes or cookbooks out that I am planning on using as I am looking at them. I have a basket on my kitchen counter that I keep Eva's workbooks in, my devotional book in, etc. Basically everything I don't want just scattered all over the counter. I put all of the cookbooks/recipes in that basket. I love it because they are all together and I have super easy access to the recipes during the week when I need them!!!

Gotta love a little something that makes life run just a bit more smoothly.

Out of the mouth of a 3 year old...

This little cutie patootie has been full of some great one-liners lately. I hope these give you as much of a chuckle as they did us!

Matt: "Brrrrr....I'm cold!!!"

Eva: "Mommy will warm you up!!!!"

Hmmmm....really??!

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Eva (yelling from the bathroom): "Mommy!!! My dookie smells like marshmallows!!!"

Ya, even at 3 that was a little more information than I needed!

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Mommy: "Let's all go sledding after dinner!"

Eva: "You're too heavy to go sledding mommy!" and then after thinking for a minute she continues on, "You'd probably break the sled."

Needless to say no sleds were broken, I did not go running into the bathroom to smell the dookie, and much to Matt's dismay he used a sweatshirt to warm up! Gotta love it though, don't ya?!

Work Um' Hard!

I am all about children having a carefree, happy-go-lucky childhood...but I also think putting a little responsibility on their shoulders is a very good thing. Even at the ages my children are they have responsibilities around the house. Jaden is only 1 and he feeds the dog in the morning, and again at night. Eva is in charge of letting the dog in and out during the day and recently took it upon herself to make sure her bed is made every morning (I'll post pictures later because it is too precious). She is also a huge help to me in the kitchen!

Last Friday I needed to clean the house and figured a little help would be nice. I've always thought the younger I start them, the more they will just understand that helping out with chores like this is a normal and expected part of our family life. The funny thing is that they really did help me!! So, enjoy a some pictures of this Happy Housewife breaking a few child labor laws...it was all for a good cause, my friends!

Eva Swiffering the bathroom...she even knows she has to wear shoes to do it because I don't like her skin near the chemicals. She enjoys it so much I think she would agree to wear a Hazmat suit if I asked her to.
Jaden grabbed a mop and bucket to get in on the action. You may think that looks like a toy (which it is), but you better believe I filled that bucket with water and put him to work! I tell ya, I'm not kidding when I say I'm starting them young!

This is actually Eva cleaning the grout of our shower with baking soda and a toothbrush! It sounds like a pretty bad job, I know, but she absolutely loves to do it!

Jaden is...ahem..helping her.

"If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground, but some responsibility on their shoulders."

--Abilgail Van Buren

Reality

As much as I am living my dream, as I stated in my last post, I never want to give the impression that every day is just rosy. Let me give you an example of a typical weekday morning in the home of the Happy Housewife:

It begins relaxing enough...Eva wakes up around 7:00 and crawls into bed with me. We snuggle until Jaden wakes up. I go get him out of his crib and together we snuggle in bed and watch Curious George together. Ahhhh....pure bliss.

Then the madness begins.

As soon as Curious George is over my son's internal clock tells him that it is time to eat.

RIGHT NOW, AND NOT A SECOND LATER!!!

Jaden goes out and starts pulling cereal out of the pantry.
Eva is complaining that she wants to eat.
The dog is barking because she wants to eat too.

I am standing there still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes trying to explain to all of them that I will tend to their needs as soon as I can, but they need to be patient.

I'm not sure any of them hear my plea.

The conversation sounds like this:

Mommy: Jaden, please don't dump the cereal out
Jaden (in hysterics): MA MA!!!!!!!
Eva: Mommy, I'm hungry right now!
Mommy: Eva, you need to be patient and Jaden stop dumping the cereal out!!! (obviously losing my own patience)

Meanwhile the dog is jumping on me and barking in my ear.

Jaden then turns to an all out wail because he is certain I'm going to forget that he needs to eat since I don't have his cereal on the table in the 2.1 seconds he requires.

When I finally gets everyone their cereal and sit down to eat the conversation changes to this:

Eva: Mommy, I need a different spoon for my applesauce please
I go get the spoon and sit back down
Eva: Mommy, you forgot to get Jaden a drink
I get Jaden a drink and sit back down
Eva: Mommy, you forgot my vitamins
I get the vitamins and sit back down
Eva: Mommy, I'm ready for more cereal please.

Really? Because I haven't had a moment to even touch my cereal that is now completely soggy in my milk.

All in a days work!

What is your dream?

A friend recently did a post asking people if they are living their dream. I love posts that make me think!

I can remember being a very little girl and playing with my dolls...practicing how I was going to mommy them. I can remember being ready to graduate in high school and the thought of college was overwhelming because part of me just wanted to have a family (yes, THAT young)! I ended up taking a smarter route - went to college, got my degree, met a wonderful husband, and THEN started my family.

My point is I've always known I've wanted a family.

Always.

I've always known that, even with all of the work I put into getting a bachelor degree and a Masters degree (and as much as I loved my profession), I would put it all aside in a moment to stay home with my little ones....and I cherish every day that I am living that dream. To some that may not be ambitious...but to me it is heaven.

What are your dreams? Are you living them?

A few weeks ago our pastor asked us this question... "If you continue on the path you are on, what will your life look like in 5 years? Is it where you want it to be?"

I know...a little deep....but sometimes it's good just to take a few moments to examine where you are and where you are headed!

Muy Gracioso!

Tonight at dinner I made the comment that Jaden needed to eat some of his c-o-r-n. Yes, I've resorted to spelling things in front of my children - thinking that if they don't know what it is they will just happily shovel it into their mouths. Eva looked at me and said,

"What does c-o-r-n spell?

"It spells corn."

"I didn't know you could speak Spanish!!!!"

Well geez, me neither! Maybe tomorrow when we have p-a-s-t-a she will think I'm fluent in Italian!!

I love it.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I loooooove Christmas, but I said I would never be one of those people that decorated my home for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Well, this year I went back on my word. I'm done decorating my home and I am done with my Christmas shopping.
I'll go with my friend Rose's theory and blame it on the early snow.

Ahhhhhh....nothing left to do but snuggle by the Christmas tree with the ones I love and cherish every moment of this blessed season. Happy Holidays my friends.

A Shopping We Will Go!!!

My friend, Angel, and I took a little adventure to a nearby outlet mall with all four children in tow recently. I call it an "adventure" because not only were we towing along all four children, we were also dealing with some pretty nasty weather! We postponed our trip by one day because the weather was not cooperating (the outlet mall is more like a strip mall - all outside). We were both a bit bummed about postponing it (we were really looking forward to it). I came up with a little song about it to the tune of Jingle Bells and e-mailed it to her...little did I know what I started! Angel and I spent the rest of the afternoon just e-mailing verses of the song to each other as we would think of them...and cracking each other up the whole time! Enjoy our song...and a few pictures of the trip!

(To the tune of Jingle Bells)

Verse 1:
Shopping we will go,
Will it be OK?
Were it not for snow,
We would've gone today!

Through the gale force winds,
or' the icy streets
We will be there rain or shine,
We'll even shop in sleet!!

Chorus:
Shopping Bags!
Shopping Bags!
Toys in every store.
It may snow and it may blow, but a shopping we will go! oh!

Shopping Bags!
Shopping Bags!
The time is almost here!
The kids are packed, the snacks are sacked, our day is right on track!

Verse 2:
Look out for that drift,
I'm stuck here in my car.
Supposed to be shopping,
Can't make it very far!

We've got a ways to go,
This rate it'll take all day.
Cause the drift the car is stuck in,
is at the end of my driveway!

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
It may take all day,
The snow keeps coming down.
But my will to shop won't let me stop,
I'll drive RIGHT through that mound!

The guys are getting mad,
The checkbook's getting low
"Oh, but honey, ONE more sale!"
A shopping we will go!

(Chorus)

Verse 4:
I know that cash is low,
We've always made ends meet.
I know that if I buy this shirt
We won't be on the street!

I really love these boots,
This leather bags a must!
Let's tell the guys to deal with it,
It's SHOP TO DROP or BUST!!

(Chorus)

Verse 5 (sing it slowly)
The kids have had enough,
They're even cranky too...
Maybe with just ONE more snack,
They'll let us shop till 2!!!!

Thanks Angel for a fun day of shopping, and a LOT of laughs coming up with our little song!!!

My Photography Lesson!

Photography has become a bit of a passion for me. I've always loved it, but lately I've found that I enjoy it enough that I could probably make a hobby out of it. Last year I asked Matt for an upgraded camera for my birthday (nothing too fancy, but a step up from my point and shoot). I looked into photography lessons, but wasn't too impressed with what I found. I decided that the best way for me to learn was to learn from someone I respected as a photographer.

Through the years I have found that finding a good photographer can be a hard task. One that can capture your family (or child) as they are and not how they posed them. I lucked out when I found the photographer we use for our family pictures. His name is Justin and he and his wife have a photography studio near us (for further info please contact me). I knew we were in good hands when the first time he took pictures of my little ones he just let them be them. He gave them props, let them play, and got down on their level to take the pictures. What he captured were my little ones being themselves...something I will always cherish. In the time that we've used him as a photographer I've just become more and more impressed with his ability...so you can imagine how thrilled I was when he agreed to sit down with me and teach me some tricks of the trade.

After my lesson I learned that I have a LOT to learn about photography, but I am so grateful to Justin for sitting down with a beginner like me to teach me some of the ropes!! I've spent the last few days taking pictures of just about everything and anything in my house and outside...changing the settings...adjusting the light....changing the settings again...adjusting the light again. I'm absolutely loving it, but I can tell I've gone to far when my children nearly roll their eyes when I reach for the camera AGAIN!!! Ha! My hope is that as I continue to practice (and through more help from Justin) I can learn enough about photography that I can capture those every day moments with my family in a more skilled way.

Gotta love a new adventure!

The Act of Giving

My mom taught me, very early, the importance of giving and I will forever be grateful. She was, and continues to be, wonderful at this selfless act of love. As a child I can remember my mom being in line to pay our heating bill. The young lady in front of her was telling the cashier that she was unable to pay her bill. The cashier explained that her heat would be turned off. With no other choice the young lady left. My mom walked up to the counter and paid that young lady's heating bill in full. That in itself is wonderful, but you see, the beauty of the way that my mom gives (and subsequently has taught me to give) is that she does it completely anonymously. When asked by the heating company if her name could be attached to such a generous gift, my mom quickly declined. That takes the beauty out of it. I loved picturing that woman going home that night, totally defeated, and recieving a phone call from the heating company telling her that her heat had been turned back on and her bill was paid in full.

Miracles do exist. They come in the form of angels among us.

In the house I grew up in the spirit of giving was alive all year long, but it was especially strong during the Holiday season. Every year we adopted a family and bought gifts for the entire family...not just the children. We would carefully shop for each person, taking into account any information we could get on them (likes, dislikes, favorite colors, sizes, styles, etc). We would then have someone else deliver the presents so the family had no clue who bought them for them. It is important that I point out that my family was not extremely wealthy, but that my mom planned all year for this shopping trip, carefully setting money aside each week. A lot of heart went into those shopping trips...and little did my mom know how much she was teaching me in the process.

Now that I have a family I have learned one of the best benefits of giving is that bringing joy into the lives of others, actually makes me a happier person! It is easy to get wrapped up in what is going on in your own life...but when you take the time to make someone elses life a little better you are reminded of what really matters in life. I also love how much my children learn from giving to others. It is a value that is best taught by example, and at 3 years old Eva is really grasping it. It is amazing for me to see her detect a need somewhere and suggest we help that person or family out. It is even more fun to see her give...and never expect recognition in return.

The financial crunch our nation is facing is on every newspaper, website, and television show you turn on. Everyone is feeling a bit of a pinch...and it would be easy to decline reaching out to those in need this Holiday season, especially if your own family is struggling.

I encourage you to do the opposite of that. I encourage you to give.

I often feel that God calls me to give during the times that I would rather not...the times that I feel I have enough on my own plate to worry about others. I've learned that during those times it is especially important to care for those around me and step out of my comfort zone. There are so many needs this Holiday season. I encourage you to look in your community to find a way you can make this blessed season just a little brighter for someone else. You never know...it could end up making your Holidays more fulfilling in the end too.

Below I have listed ideas of ways to give...but feel free to comment and leave more.

* Donate to a local food pantry (my friend Sarah suggests donating one item a day)

* Adopt a family (or a child) through your local church, school, etc.

* Pay someone's heating or electric bill

* Pay for someone's groceries

* There is an organization (not sure of the name) where you buy a gift for a child that has an incarcerated parent, on behalf of the parent.

* Pay the toll for the car behind you

* Donate to the local animal shelter

* Purchase a small gift card (gas, groceries, etc) and give it to someone that needs it

* Buy all the fixings for a good Christmas meal for a family that can't afford it

* Go to a nursing home and just spend time with some of the residents there

* Donate your time at a school (possibly just reading to children)

* Offer to clean someones house (this is great when both parents work)


I have found the best way to find a need in your community is to just listen. You will be amazed how often you hear of someone that couldn't pay for something or needs something done.

So, my challenge is this my friends....I challenge you to make a difference. Do it with no strings attached..no name attached...just a loving spirit in your heart.

"Dare to reach your hand out into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light."

--Norman B. Rice

My New Favorite Lunch...

I've been making an effort to eat a more balanced lunch. I had found that while I worked hard to make my children nutritious lunches, I was just munching on thier leftovers or having some tortilla chips and salsa and that was it. Not the best meal plan. I made this the other day and I love it because it's super quick to make and tastes awesome! Just thought I would share...

Just take half of a pita (I toasted mine) and put seasoned turkey breast, mixed greens (healthier than lettuce), and feta cheese in it. I then put a little light honey mustard dressing on top. Nothing too difficult, but it sure is Ymmmmmmm.....good.

Meaningful Artwork

We continue to decorate the walls of our home very slowly. If we don't love it...it's not worth a nail hole! That said, I loooooooooooove photography and could literally cover each and every wall of our home with pictures of our family and my little sunshines! We had family pictures taken this past summer and I did something I've always wanted to do. I had one of our favorite pictures blown up very large, matted, and framed. I love it. It is one of my favorite pieces of "art" I've ever owned...maybe because the people in it are so special people to me!

Here it is in our office...
And close up...

The other piece of "art" that I love is a set of two pictures Eva finger painted when we were expecting Jaden. I picked out finger paint colors that matched Jaden's nursery and let Eva just go to town. I then matted them and framed them. We often receive compliments on those paintings (they ended up looking pretty neat) and people were always FLOORED to find out Eva did it (she was 2 at the time). I love decorating, and over the years I've learned the best kind of artwork is the kind that means the most to you and your family!

Taco Soup

We have an Amish family that we are very good friends with. When I was still teaching the mom of this particular family would always make me something good to eat when I was stuck at school for Parent-Teacher conferences. One year she made me Taco Soup. I had to have the recipe...it was sooooo good. I was pleased to find out just how easy this soup is to make. It's one of the meals that I usually keep everything on hand for so I can make it in a pinch, if needed. As a mom I always enjoy knowing that even if we are in a hurry I can still put a nutritious meal on the table! I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

TACO SOUP

1 lb. ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

26 oz. chunky salsa

26 oz. water

Brown beef, drain, and put back in skillet. Add taco seasoning, salsa, and water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and crushed Doritos.

Note: To make this recipe more healthy substitute ground sirloin for the ground beef and use low fat sour cream and baked Doritos.

Simple Joy #11

Having a loving big sister...

who even takes the time to comb your hair for you.

(I was getting ready when I thought they were being awfully quiet...when I walked in I found Jaden just clinging to Eva and looking up at her with the biggest loving eyes. Eva was combing his hair and explaining how she was going to make him all handsome. Ahhhh...music to this mama's ears.)

The Value of a Compliment

Everyone loves to receive a heartfelt compliment...whether you want to admit it or not. But why is it that a compliment from a complete stranger means so much? Today I was out with my children and a total stranger stopped me to compliment me on how well behaved my children are. This person made my day. I'm trying not to sound vain, but I have received compliments on my children before from people when we are out (grandma and grandpa types are great at this). Why does it mean so much when I don't even know the person? Is it because, as a mom, my children are what I invest most of my time into day in and day out? Is it some sort of validation that I must be on the right path when it comes to raising them and teaching them social norms and manners? I know that at least part of it is because this person could have never said a word to me and I would have never known the difference? But they did say something to me and it did make a difference. They made my smile a little wider and my admiration and respect for my children a little deeper (is that even possible?).

I've thought a lot about that compliment today, as well as the ones I have received prior to this particular one. What I learned is that all people - even the ones you don't personally know - need a little pat on the back sometime. My very favorite commercials are the ones where one person witnesses another person doing an act of kindness, and then they simply pass it one, which causes one more person to commit an act of kindness...and so on. I made a promise to myself today to do that. To simply do my part to pass kindness on, even if it is as simple as a heartfelt compliment. After all, wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

"Today give a stranger one of your smiles...it may be the only sunshine he sees all day."

--H. Jackson Brown

Why I love Rachel Hunter

We were joined by a bit of a celebrity on our flight from LA to Chicago last week. Yes, Rachel Hunter - the supermodel herself - was on our flight. I have never been a huge Rachel Hunter fan, quite honestly I've never given her much thought. After this flight I was a bit transformed.

Let me explain why.

I just assumed a supermodel would be a bit of a diva.

I know...it's judgemental and I shouldn't be that way - but seriously, the woman has been on the cover of countless magazines, she works runway shows, and she was married to Rod Stewart! Well, this particular supermodel was anything but a diva during my experience with her. Let me give you a few reasons:

1. She sat and waited for her plane with the rest of us. No special treatment. And it didn't seem to bother her that, while I was trying to be coy, I seriously couldn't stop starring at her.

2. She sat in COACH with the rest of us. Again, I would have thought a supermodel would definitely be flying first class...but not this girl. She boarded the plane with the rest of us and seemed happy to find her seat in coach.

3. She was extremely nice. Although I could not quit starring at her, I never mustered up the courage to actually talk to her. My husband on the other hand had no problem in that department!! As she was boarding the plane she accidentally dropped her sweater and my husband literally jumped out of his seat to come to her rescue. What a knight in shining armor he is! Matt said, "Excuse me miss...you dropped this". Rachel stopped and laughed. She thanked him and made some joke about how she is always dragging things. My starstruck husband just smiled at her and when she walked away looked at me with golfball size eyes and muttered, "I touched her arm" .

4. She waited for her luggage with the rest of us. Seriously, don't supermodels have assistants that do these mundane chores for them? This housewife would have thought so! Nope. Not her. She sat with the rest of us schmucks and waited for her luggage too.

5. After leaving the airport she got on public transportation! OK, I swear I was not stalking her but our comings and goings seemed to be very similar so we were frequently around each other. When we walked out of the airport together I was looking for some big long stretch limo to pick her up. Nope. She boarded a bus! I loved it!

I should tell you all that it looked like she was traveling with her son and his hockey team...but I am fully aware that she still could have played the diva card and requested special treatment. I absolutely love that she didn't.

I'm now officially a Rachel Hunter fan.

AUSTRALIA!

WOW!! What a trip...I don't even know where to begin. You will have to excuse the massive number of pictures! I thought I would do the whole trip in one post so that made for a lot to share! I have to tell you that I'm seriously in love with Australia. The land is beautiful...the people are friendly...and there is so much to do! I tried to put these pictures in order, so I'm just going to give quick explanations as we go. I put a large title with the location for each set of pictures. I want to actually start with the picture above of that cute little baby kangaroo. I was actually lucky enough to see a wallaby in the wild soon after we arrived, but this little guy was at the Sydney Zoo. You could walk around and pet them...they are super friendly. I was surprised to find out that Australians view kangaroos much like we view deer. It's just not that big of a deal to them, and many hunt them. You can eat kangaroo, you can buy kangaroo bags, hats, hides, and even some other kangaroo parts I would rather not mention! HA! Hmmmm....I would rather just love them and cuddle them. Enjoy the rest of the pics....

GREAT BARRIER REEF

PORT DOUGLAS

It took about an hour to travel from the resort we were at out to the Great Barrier Reef. This was the boat we traveled on. It was great because we just layed out in the sun (90 degree weather) on the deck while we cruised the ocean! I have to admit, this particular part of the trip was a big dream come true to me. I love to snorkel, as does Matt, and snorkeling one of the Seven Wonders of the World was unreal.

Just a glimpse of the reef. The best views were underwater!!! We saw amazing fish (some were enormous), eels, giant clams (I wouldn't have been able to wrap my arms around it), barracudas, and that just scratches the surface. Again, I was humbled and awed by the experience.

The change in time (15 hours ahead of us) made for some early mornings for us. I soon got use to the change of time, but while my body was adjusting I just tried to savor every moment I was awake. This is the sunrise over the reef. The view is from our resort.

The beach was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Completely untouched and uncommercialized....and surrounded by a tropical rain forest.

Ahhhh....this happy housewife is in pure bliss.

This is the resort we stayed at...like everything else in Port Douglas, it too was beautiful. Matt and I enjoyed the pool...it was enormous!!!

I took this picture on our trip back to Cairns to fly to Sydney. We had to travel by bus for about an hour. The view was breathtaking, but we were often literally between a mountain and a large cliff that dropped down to the ocean. I think I might have left permanent fingernail imprints on the chair in front of me as I clutched it for dear life thinking we were headed down that cliff at any moment! Ha! Matt just laughed.

SYDNEY
The opera house and the harbor bridge were amazing to see in person...I had seen them on TV so often, so to actually walk right up to it was crazy! We spent a lot of time at the opera house and explored around it. I was so curious to see the roof of it. For those of you that may not know, it's actually made of tile!

As many of you know, I am a big supporter any charity regarding the support of breast cancer research...so you can imagine my excitement when the opera house was illuminated pink one evening to show support for the cause!!! By the way, this is the amazing view we had from our room.

The Taronga Zoo in Sydney was the best zoos I have ever been to. So many cool animals. Here are two of my favorites, along with the kangaroos and wallabies. We actually did a koala encounter where you could go in with the koalas and get super close to them. We weren't allowed to hold them (it was against the law) but I'll be the first to admit I was real close to becoming a hard core criminal...I mean would they REALLY notice if just ONE was gone?!!! They were so cuddly and I knew they would fit in great with our family and our pet dog! I wanted to take them home with me!!! I would also like to mention that I love how mommy gorillas hold their babies and kiss them like I hold my babies and kiss them.

Our last night in Sydney was one of my favorites. We had dinner with one of Matt's dealers and his wife. This couple has become friends of ours and we always enjoy our time with them. The evening started out at a bar called Minus 5 Degrees. It's actually an entire bar made out of ice!! EVERYTHING in it is ice. TOOOOO cool (literally)!!!

After that we headed to a restaurant that was amazing. It is actually in the same building that Russell Crowe lives in. It cracks me up because everyone there seems to know "Russell" as if they are all personal friends of his! Anyway, the food was unreal...the view of the harbor and Sydney was unreal...and the friends we were with were so much fun. I think it is safe to safe we were all having an amazing night.

After dinner we decided to take a water taxi back to the hotel. This was one of my all time favorite experiences of the whole trip (I know...I keep saying that)! A water taxi is just a speedboat that zips you around the harbor, but our driver must have been a little slow that night because he took us under the bridge, around the opera house, and around the city. The following picture is Matt on the boat with the bridge in the background and the picture after that is of all of us snuggled together on the watertaxi.

MELBOURNE
Our first night in Melbourne was a "Meet the Aussie's Dinner", as the company my husband works for also has a sister company in Australia. What wonderful hosts they were! Our dinner was great, and the entertainment was by a country band that has actually won some country music awards. We were later entertained by a comedian that had all of us rolling! The picture is of our table. I loved the centerpiece!

I was fortunate to spend some quality time with my sister in Melbourne (for those of you that don't know, she was also on this trip with her husband). We had a fun day shopping and having lunch together. We just kept commenting, "Can you believe we are hanging out in AUSTRALIA together??!!" We were a little giddy about the whole thing! Melbourne has all of these "arcades" (which are like alleys that are lined with boutiques and unique shops). Our favorite arcade was on DeGraves street...it was all lined with this really cool graffiti and had more of a punk rocker feel...but was filled with people in business suits!

Lunch with my sis.

OK, you Disney fans out there. Do you know who this is?!! He was the voice for Aladdin! I had heard that this particular person worked in our hotel, and you can be sure I checked this rumor out! It was true!

Last picture....this was taken at our Farewell Dinner.

I was sad to see such an amazing experience come to an end, but I was also ready to get home to my little ones. Matt and I feel so blessed to have had the chance to experience what we did in the land down under!

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and I remember more than I have seen."

--Benjamin Desraeli