Kahlua Pig

"This is the best Pork I HAVE EVER TASTED" exclaimed my dad. I had made a Kalua Pig for our Christmas Luau. (see post bellow) It truly was the best pork I had ever tasted as well. I had to share the recipe with you as my readers. If you would like to host a luau of your own this is an easy can't be beat recipe for pork. I did lots of research and read many recipes but made many changes to it in the end so I cannot credit any one recipe from which this was adapted.

KALUA PIG

4-5 pound Pork Butt Roast
2 tbsp liquid smoke
4-5 banana peels
5-6 Ti Leaves
Butchers twine

Rub liquid smoke all over Pork Butt Roast, wrap roast completely in banana peels (you can use discarded banana's for a Hawaiian smoothie later.) wrap roast in Ti leaves (very hard to find, I finally found them by calling a florist is desperation and they knew exactly what I needed) Tie the whole thing together with butchers twine so it won't fall apart in the oven. Place the Roast in the oven at 350 F. The best way to ensure a well cooked roast is to use a meat thermometer. Turn oven up to 400 after the first hour has passed. Meat will take approximately 30 mins per pound of meat. Using a meat thermometer allow the meat to reach 145 F then remove it from the oven. Let the meat sit for 15 minutes to ensure juices settle in the meat. Temperature will continue to increase by 5-10 F as the meat sits. Slice the pork and serve hot. Enjoy

Mela Kalikimaha

This year both my sister and I will be spending the holidays in Louisiana with our in-laws. As a result we had to hold an early Christmas celebration with our local family. Our Christmas traditions are varied and have been gathered from various places and people through the years. Dad is French Canadian so he likes to have a french Canadian meal on Christmas Eve and then open presents that evening. Mom thinks opening presents "early" ruins Christmas. JP (22, brother, basement dweller) doesn't care as long as no one forgets to buy him gifts (this hardened once but that is a story for another blog). Mom hates to shop, Dad LOVES to shop and he always gets the right things so he shops for everyone. Christine (sister, Mother of Jazz 4 and Eli 3) just likes to party.

Honestly my mom didn't like Christmas much when we were kids because it forced her to do all the things she didn't like and thought she wasn't very good at. ie: shopping (before Dad took it over a few years back) cooking, decorating ect... She took on those roles because she thought it was what she was supposed to do as a wife and mother. But she hated those things, we as kids thought she just didn't like Christmas, we had to become adults before we really figured out what was really going on. If we were being honest everyone hates doing things they don't think they are good at. Who wants a whole season that shows us all our weak spots.

As we all grew up and had families we have slowly divided up the responsibilities of holidays based on what we are all good at. Dad shops, he grins as he runs out the door to the mall, his credit card hot in his hands he returns and smoke is coming out of his wallet as he lugs in his gifts for all the grand kids. Christine picks up decorations and fun things to do on Christmas. This year we did a Hawaiian Luau for Christmas. There were flowers, palm trees and even a huge angel fish we blew up. The guys play video games while I do what I like best COOKING!!! I made Kalua Pig, Pancit and salad we had pineapple and papaya for desert. We opened gifts on the 11th of December. All in all we had a great Luau it was beautiful, the food was great and Mom played in the hot tub with the kids which as it turns out is what she is BEST at. Merry Christmas!!! or Mela Kahlikimaha as they say in Hawaii

Just Scootin' Along

I was looking through my facebook info the other day to make sure all of it was still current..I still love classic novels and I still can watch every episode of Criminal minds in a weekend (given the opportunity of course)
I got to the occupation section of the form and saw that I had put "Hat Wearer" as my occupation.
Before I became a wife and mother it was easy to define myself. I was what I did. I was a church planter catalyst. I was a youth pastor, I was a musician.
Now that I am a mother I feel like defining myself is an impossibility.
I remember why I put "hat wearer" in the first place because I could not condense my life into any single category.
The truth is I wear many different "hats"
I am one third of the way through a Masters of divinity degree only 60 credits to go baby!!!
I am Worship Director at The Pathway Church a position I love not for the huge 0$ pay check but for the connection we all feel as a family Sunday morning.
I am almost halfway in my battle to lose 80lbs by May 2011.
Most importantly I am a wife and mother. I try everyday to make the right decisions for my family. Sometimes as simple as "do the laundry or play Lego with Madi?"
The fact is I truly believe that everyday I do or say something that Madi will need therapy for later in life. I am her mother and I am sure I have messed her up already in some irreparable way. Luckily she has a wonderful Dad and I pray everyday that I wont mess her up more than he can fix her.
I can sometimes be weighed down by criticism. My feelings are not easily hurt and I don't often feel embarrassed. I enjoy a good joke at my expense. As a result people think they can say whatever they want to me, people say to me I did this or said this because I know you can take it, and I can. But sometimes I have bad days like everyone else and on those days I honestly feel as if I am trying to pull a double wide on a scooter.
We all need some encouragement sometimes. In the Bible God encourages us over and over again. "Be strong and courageous" "run the race so that you win the prize" "Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
The truth is we all have those days. God speaks to us through the scriptures and encourages us to "have hope"

What would you do while you still could?

3 months ago I began a forced journey toward fitness. One of my best friends Christina asked me to join a booty boot camp with her. I made MANY excuses. It’s too expensive; who will watch my baby while Kyle is away? Christina went so far as to pay half of my fee for the boot camp. My brother JP babysat and my church and family kept encouraging me to stick with it.
After the first session of boot camp as I limped out feeling like death
Christina says “This is great training for the ALS Run in June!”
I say “Ya this is great training for the ALS WALK in June”
She says “You’re running this year”
Me (laughing) “I’m walking this year”
She “No you’re running”
We decided to run to and from an event that Saturday. I a grand total of 13 minutes and 1.5km I had a long way to go and only 9 weeks to get there. We did 8 weeks of booty boot camp twice a week. I ran twice a week and made sure to exercise 6 days a week. All the time the 8km run was looming.
As the run got closer, there began to be TV advertisements for the ALS run. AT the end of the ads it always asks the question “what would you do while you still could?’ the facts are that a person with ALS looses the use of their arms and legs after two years with the disease, and I have use of both.
The day of the run came faster than I thought it could. I barely slept the night before and had to call our Kyle’s mom Kim to help me to relax and focus on the right things.
We lead a church service at 8:30am and 156 people attended. Cesar preached about how God does not change and he led everyone in a prayer for salvation. One man prayed to receive Christ and spoke to Cesar after. I am sure Pastor Jesse and Jesus were watching and cheering. Pastor Jesse probably hosted the party in heaven afterwards then He and Jesus and Paul probably took on Moses and Noah and the ark angel Gabriel in a three on three-basketball tournament.
The walk started at 10 and our sane friends left us to enjoy the beautiful 5km walk. I started to feel sick. We began to run at 10:28. This was the moment we had been training for. Christine (sister) ran with me and my friend Marilynn Bartley. It was hot and hard. We got cramps and my legs felt like lead. I got to km 6 at the top of a brutal hill and I turned to Christine and said “I don’t think I can do this” she yelled back at me “YES YOU CAN!!!”
I just prayed and prayed then we were in sight of the finish line I saw so many green shirts the color for our team Jesse’s girls. Then as they saw us I heard all this yelling and screaming. They were cheering us in, Christine said “can you sprint?” I said, “I don’t have anything left.” Then I saw Kathy Morales standing at the finish line cheering and I thought about all the people I knew were praying for me. So I sprinted and crossed the finish line.
As happy as I am that I ran 8km it meant so much more to do it for a cause like ALS. My sister said it best she said, “were running for Pastor Jesse and living for Jesus”
Next year we hope to run again and raise more money but hopefully by next year they will have found the cure and we can just run in celebration.

My favorite ZOO animal

My sister Christine(heretofore referred to as Steen)and I LOVE the Calgary Zoo. We have many reasons for this love. The kids each have their favorite animals. Eli’s(3) favorite is the Potamus (commonly referred to as a Hippo) Jasmine(4) loves the giraffes and elephants as well as the baby gorilla. They both love the new dinosaurs that move. Madi (18 months) likes it all. My sister and I have a favorite animal as well. We like to observe them in their natural habitat so we have to be very stealth. The Latin term for this animal is Zooeus Mominus however they are commonly referred to as the Zoo Mom. The Zoo Mom travels most commonly in an SUV but may also be seen in high end sedans if lucky. She hides her face with layers of makeup and HUGE movie star sunglasses. The Zoo Mom can never be seen without perfectly coifed hair and usually travels in packs.
Zoo Mom’s accessorize with designer bags, strollers well designed babies. Zoo mom babies never puke on a Zoo Mom because no self respecting Zoo Mom would EVER have puke on their perfectly pressed outfit.
Zoo Mom’s push their starched and clean strollers in their designer jeans tucked into knee high boots. They sip late’s and flip their hair.
To properly view a zoo mom you must appear to be beyond their notice. The key is in the details and your full commitment to your role.
First it is suggested that you drive an old blue jeep, preferably named Bob but any jeep will do as long as it is older than your husband.
Second taken your stroller and pour diet coke, Cheerios, milk, donuts, cookie, PB and J sandwich. Make sure to rub it all in so the stains REALLY set it in properly. Make sure to leave it out in the rain by accident a few times.
Third grab the only clean clothes you own…put them on. Hair in ponytail…makeup optional…last nights remnant is fine.
Fourth bring your completely normal baby with you. Let her breathe and she will become completely filthy all on her own.
Fifth bring your sister Steen and her normal kids Jazzy and Eli.
Sixth observe away, if the Zoo Moms notice you it will only be with looks of pity.
(the pic is of Eli at the zoo)

Freedom!!!

“The more we own the more it owns us.” We strive everyday to be truly free. Free of debt or free of our unhealthy habits but what does freedom truly look like. Each day we are inundated with new things we “NEED.” A house, new pots and pans, a night out on the town. I need the new book, computer, purse. None of these things are inherently bad unless we give them more than what they deserve. The new “thing” will never make me happy. So why do I expect it to again and again. I keep believing the lie which says the more of a consumer I am the HAPPIER I will be. It is one of the many lies which has power over me. Another is Skinny=Happy, or what I do everyday as a mother to Madi (18months) is not very important. I am enslaved to these lies and they influence me almost daily. I know they are lies but I continue to believe them. The truth is the lie will continue to have power as long as I keep telling it to myself. I am enslaved to the things which should serve me.
When I think about it I lie to myself about a lot of stuff. If the truth is hard or uncomfortable I lie. If the truth is painful I lie, and I know I am not alone. For example.
Lie… I am overweight because I had a baby, and I have a slow metabolism, and I am a heavy person to begin with, and I am weight loss resistant, and I have a handicapped foot.
Truth… I am overweight because I ate too much and didn’t exercise!!! I actually do have a handicapped foot but it didn’t make me fat.
My enslavement is voluntary I choose to believe all the lies. As Christians we have died with Jesus on the cross. Like Paul says in Romans 6
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

These verses set us free from our enslavement. Christ has won victory over sin and death so we are free. But how do we as freed people respond to this new freedom? We choose to live it as Christ lived. To give our whole selves to work of God. In Christ we are made ALIVE. This is REAL freedom, sin is death but in Christ there is LIFE.

Veggie Tales

What is it about the word “Vegetable” that makes children cringe and grown men run for the nearest drive thru window? I have become extremely adept at disguising my veggies in unobtrusive little packages however every plate I clear has a tiny pile of mushroom or carrot. I’ve taken to grating, grinding and mashing, carrot, zucchini and even celery into sauces and even into pizza crust just so the Munchkins (Jazz 4, Eli 3, Madi 18 months) and their larger cohorts (Kyle 25 husband, JP 22 brother, and Mac 21 brotha from anotha motha) will eat their daily quota.
Like a hound dog they can smell a healthy meal a mile away. I should not be surprised when no one shows up for dinner on cabbage salad night. However I press ever onward toward the goal of health in mind, spirit and body for all those who live or spend time under this roof (shingles provided by JP’s roofing).
Now I’m not a freak the kids get their fair share of chicken nuggets and kraft dinner with hot dogs in it. Every kid should get some fun food. However, everything has to be balanced out. Recently madi pointed at a glass and said “coke!?!” I almost died I said “No madi not coke!!!! DIET COKE” ha ha ha I wish I could say I was joking.
Today was a battle from start to finish, last night was my last night of booty boot camp. I really enjoyed it and I moved from an obese body fat % to an acceptable body fat %. It’s great to be acceptable everyone wants to be accepted. It motivated me to once again tackle the vegetable mountain. I cooked up some pasta, green beans and baby carrots as I sang, “climbbbb evvvery moouuunnntain.”
I joyfully served it up to Jazz, Eli and Madi.
Jazz “Whahat isss this Neen?”
Me “Pasta and Vegetables”
Jazz “I don’t Lihike this Neen”
Me “You haven’t even tasted it yet”
Jazz “The souhound of it is what I don’t lihike Neen”

Cooking Roadtrip

I love to cook. I think it is because I love adventure. I love to go on a culinary adventure where I experiment and learn. However without inspiration you end up cooking the same things over and over. My friend Will McCarty has just finished culinary school in Baton Rouge and is now working in Destin Florida as a cook. He responded to my desperate cries for help over facebook with the suggestion of a cook book.
The Art Institutes American Regional Cuisine second edition.
The cookbook separates the United States into regions and then teaches about culture history and the different things which come together to make up the culinary experience in each region.
This book has inspired me to make a challenge. I am going to cook my way across America.
Starting Saturday April 10th and continuing till we reach the end I will be cooking up a menu of regional goodness and posting comments and anecdote here on Fiblabee.
Please go onto Amazon.ca to buy the cookbook and do it with me. I am excited to see what we can cook up together.
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0471682942/sr=8-1/qid=1270153583/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1270153583&sr=8-1&seller=
try to buy the used ones they are cheaper and just as good.

House Dress PART DEUX

Day one:
Wake up, baby awake, must get up and feed baby, look around dazed for house dress. Knowing this would happen the night before I hid house dress. Half dazed I glance at yoga pants on floor. I have vowed to leave yoga pants wearing to people who actually do YOGA. Rummage through closet and find jeans and long sleeve shirt. Decide to take it slow today. Feed baby, work on laundry/dishes/cleaning/bills put baby down. Hurry into the shower so as to be clean and made up for Husband when he comes home. Husband home, me clean with wet hair.
Husband fed and back to work, glance longingly at yoga pants. NO NO NO. Must stay strong. Get out makeup and hair dryer. Baby wakes up, baby this and that for the afternoon. Put away makeup and hair dryer. Cook dinner, husband home.
Dressed kind of
Clean YES
Makeup NOPE
Hair in wet ponytail

Day two
Wake up ect… much like day one. Clean but not dry by lunchtime. Since my efforts at being attractive have yet to be acknowledged I queue Kyle (25 husband).
Me “I have been wearing real clothes for the last couple days”
Kyle “Ya I noticed”
Me “well?”
Kyle “Well what?”
Me “ I have been dressing up for you! I haven’t worn yoga pants or my house dress in two days.”
Kyle “you mean the black dress you wear all the time?”
Me “ya”
Kyle “I like that dress you look great in that dress.”
Me “well steph said….(see house dress blog)”
Kyle “why didn’t you just ask me?”
Me “ I dunno…well this is just stupid”
I put on the house dress

Planny Plan Plan

For those of you who know me you will be SHOCKED to discover I have been spending a large amount of time (drum roll please) PLANNING!!!
And I LIKE it.
As Kyle (husband 25) and I have been trying to be good stewards of our money we are always looking for creative ways to SAVE money. An area we had not been looking into was the food we eat. The problem is we have so many restrictions. Here is the short list
JP
Lactose intolerant, Always in a hurry, must be easy to make, must have meat in it preferable of the NUGGET variety. Must come in a box or bag mostly prepped.
Madi
Must get Baby Formula, Must be gummable, must be able to feed it to herself (she only let me spoon feed her for a week…. independent much?) Lately she as been carrying on a continuous chorus of “me me me me me” (like the seagulls in finding Nemo) while she plays I think she may be self absorbed as well.
Kyle
Not Picky, except about cheese. Must be old cheddar by Cracker Barrel
Me
Must be healthy, must yield a lot of food. Lactose intolerant. PICKY

The struggle with eating healthy and making lifestyle changes is sometimes you get into a chicken and salad SLUMP. What’s for lunch? Chicken and salad what’s for dinner? Chicken and Salad and so on. You stop cooking and enjoying food and you drudge through your chicken and salad days munching and gnawing into oblivion…. ok I exaggerate.
But then…
CAPTAIN MEAL PLANNING to the rescue.
To save money I began to meal plan for the month. It has been a learning process but I have discovered many GREAT recipes, which cannot only be, low fat but also delicious.
It has brought me back into my kitchen and made me LOVE cooking again. The benefits are as follows.
We save money
We eat great food
WE EAT IT TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
I get to learn new and fun recipes.
I have been having a great time scouring the internet and cookbooks for recipes I can make low fat.
After each meal we all (Kyle, JP, Mac, Madi and I) vote if the meal should remain in the meal plan rotation.
It’s like Meal Plan Idol.

The House Dress

This is the story of my addiction and subsequent intervention…keep reading.
I am a mommy.
As a mommy I find whatever I put on tends to get dirty FAST. If its not baby #1 or #2 its puke or thrown food. If none of the above; my life of cooking, cleaning and other motherly duties has made me a bit of a slovenly dresser. Not to say that I don’t dress up on occasion, I do, but if I am at home dressing up consists of yoga pants (my friend Christina helped me buy one in every color from Costco) and a mostly clean shirt.
I like to think that I am simply practical. Why wear nice clothes for the baby and sometimes Kyle(25 husband)? I could wear trash bags as pants and a box for a dress with cauliflower in my hair and JP (22, basement dweller) and Mac (19, JP's bff and employee) wouldn’t notice or care if they did.
However in San Diego I came to a realization.
I am a frumpy mummy.
It hit me when I made a casual allusion to my 'house dress.' It’s a black dress I wear at home all the time. It’s my cleaning, feeding, changing dress. I throw it on because it’s easy. I keep it on because I’m lazy and if I don’t leave the house I’ll wash it and wear it again the next day.
I THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL.
I have been friends with Stephanie (38, San Diego, like a sister to me) for almost 10 years. She has five kids and also cares for her husbands two ailing parents. She even recently acquired two golden retriever puppies. She home schools and is helping to plant a new Church called Roots Family in Temecula California. She is a super woman.
Stephanie has been a mentor to me in many areas of my life; worship, motherhood, marriage to name only a few. She taught me to play Piano and guitar and then scheduled me to play bass at church so I would be forced to learn that too. So when she told me she had to talk to me about something important, I paid attention.
Steph stammered and stumbled over her words, making excuses and trying to get out what she had planned. Finally I said “Come on Steph just say it!!!”
Steph “I have to talk to you about the house dress”
Me (laughing) “WHAT?!?”
Steph “While you have been here you have managed to wear normal clothes and do your makeup everyday.”
Me “ya”
Steph “I know you can do it at home too”
Me “But why would I?”
As Steph explained the value in showering regularly and putting on real clothes to me I realized I had had this exact same talk with my sister after the birth of her first baby. I had said “it’s good to shower and put on clothes in the morning, good for you and good for us.”
It is time to take my own advice, well I mean it’s almost time. THE CHALlENGE
Monday March 22 2010 I will begin a full week of wearing normal clothes, makeup and brushing my hair. I will look presentable when my husband comes home for lunch. I will look presentable when he gets home for dinner and I will NOT WEAR THE HOUSE DRESS OR YOGA PANTS FOR A WHOLE WEEK
Signed
Anita Catherine Broussard March 16th 2010
PS: Journal blog entries will help me chronicle the challenge

POTTY MOUTH

Potty Training
Eli (almost 3) as entered the Potty training stage. I went out and bought Gummies to reward him when he used the potty so he has been going to the potty as much as possible. The other day we began to talk about number 2 on the potty.
Me “Eli when you go (number 2) on the potty Neen will give you FIVE gummies”
Eli “ an trooo feet?” (and 2 feet)
Feet are red jujubes shaped like feet with giant big toes
Me “ok”
Eli “and beans?”
Jazz and Eli only eat Gourmet Jelly Beans they won’t even touch regular Jelly Beans
Me “ok a couple beans”
Eli “A holatta beans and saberry marmallows” (a whole lot of beans and strawberry Marshmellows)
Me “ OK fine 5 gummies, 2 feet, beans and strawberry Marshmallows”
Eli “ Neen?”
Me “ya eli?”
Eli “Just putta diaper on me Neen OK !?!”
Not only is potty training expensive it may also not be worth the fight.

The Naked Truth

Bath time at our house is always eventful. Jazz (4), Eli(almost 3), and Madi (1) all in the tub together makes for lots of fun. Getting everyone’s hair and body washed requires lots of concentration on my part and the ability of contortionism on theirs. Sometimes I forget which parts are washed and which are not.
However right after bath is everyone’s favorite time. They call it SUPERHERO time. I have allot of towels with hoods and the kids put the hoods on and race around the house “Maked”(naked), as Eli says, to dry off. As frenzied as bath time is, “maked” superhero time is even wilder.
Eventually everyone has to get dressed. I always have the same conversation every time with Eli.
Me “Ok we have to be dressed Superheroes now”
Eli (pating his chest) “I wangabe yike unca ZAYPEE” (I want to be like uncle JP)
Me “what about uncle JP?”
Eli “I wangabe maked yike unca zaypee” (I want to be naked like uncle JP)
JP(brother, basement inhabitant) is perpetually “maked.” On a good day he will have on pants, some days underwear is all you can hope for and you simply pray it isn’t the TW’s (tighty whities).
If it’s a day off he will be disrobed all day. But if he comes home from work it goes something like this.
Boots off in mud room, walking through kitchen (check fridge) coveralls off by staircase on the floor. Sit on couch, socks off. Sweater followed by T-shirt. If were lucky that is as far as it goes but if it a really bad day pants come off and he covers up with a blanket.
Since Eli only sees unca ZayPee at home he thinks he is always somewhere in the world maked. I have yet to disillusion him because the idea is hilarious. I know they have naked house cleaners (gross) but JP could rename his business
JP’s Naked Roofing
(disturbing, but funny)

Booo for Valentines

If you are anything like me you have always had a chip on your shoulder about valentines day. I wish I could get over it now that I am old and married but the fact is I despise this contrived holiday. I think saint Valentine was great blah blah blah but I think getting candy and flowers on the 14th of February is stupid.
I have to admit, Kyle (husband 25 this Friday) treats me as if Valentines was everyday. He cleans, he brings gifts and he greets with kisses. The most often repeated word from his lips go along the lines of “you’re so beautiful, I love you, you’re so cute and ect.. He says thank you all the time for the housework that is just apart of my job description as a mom and housewife.
As a result of Kyle’s behavior and my dislike of the 14th of Feb. we have participated in the following subversive behavior for the past three years.
On February 15th we go and buy a bunch of chocolate on discount!!!!!!
MWAHHAHA HA HA (cue pan out over extended laugh track)
We’re so BAD
“Bad boys bad boys whacha gonna do….” (to the tune of Bad Boys)
However since Kyle left on this morning for a month long trip to the US I found myself asking “what am I supposed to do with all this chocolate?”
And then inspiration
LAZY REAL PEOPLE RECIPEEEEEEEEEE
February 17 Cake
Directions:
Make cake (any kind I made carrot apple)
Chop up all your Vday or day after Vday chocolate and put it in
Bake and give it to your neighbors’ family and friends.
Enjoy!!!

Have a LOVELY day

I am trying to go through everything I own and get rid of all the stuff I don’t need. In fact my goal this year is to get rid all my excess. I have been giving/recycling/throwing things away for weeks now. Today I went through most of my kitchen cupboards and packed away all the things we don’t use to go to this wonderful store Cochrane Home treasures. They take donations of your house wares and they also sell off house wares for charity. I have found many a thing there for 50cents.
I am getting rid of excess weight, not as easy of a process but were on the road. I am learning to say no to excess responsibilities, which makes life more relaxing and I am learning to ask for help when I am overwhelmed. I am in an altogether better place these days because of all of this.
I am also discovering I have another excess but I don’t think I am ready to let that go yet. Kyle bought me a set of transfer ware Wedgewood dishes for Valentines day and even better he got them at the home treasures for cheap. JP(brother, 22, resides in basement) and his employee Mac (19, JPs best friend) are on my roof tearing off the shingles and preparing to put new ones on. They are doing it for Kathy Morales our landlord for just the cost of materials. Even though they are doing it to show her love I feel it too. Madi greets me with a cheery “Heeeyyyyy” every morning and though she is not a huggy cuddly baby I know she loves to be near me. Just now Jazz (4, niece) came into my room and said “Neen do you know that I love you?” I said “ I do know that, go back to bed its nap time.”
There are so many ways to show love and so many ways to receive it. But the way that sticks out in my mind the most is how God showed us love so many years ago.
John 3:16-17
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Challah

For Communion this Sunday I made special communion bread, as some of you have asked for the recipe I thought I would share my secret to finding recipes. My favorite website for recipes is www.allrecipes.com you can find a recipe for anything you need to.
here is the recipe for Challah.


Challah
Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 1/2 cup honey
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 eggs
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
2. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

WHO DAT

Football is never something I have been interested in. I have never enjoyed watching sports I would much rather play sports than watch. I find it pointless. When I met and subsequently married my husband Kyle I was happy to find he also could not be bothered to watch. We went without TV for the 1st 2 years of our marriage. However this Louisiana boy I married could not resist the pull of the Who DAT nation forever. This year as the Saints drove for the super bowl I began to recognize names like Brees and Bush. I even put our 1year baby in a Reggie Bush onesie. I spent this last Sunday afternoon on the couch cheering on the saints to victory while I munched on carrot sticks and bit my finger nails.
I have to say that when porter caught the interception and went all the way I was out of my seat and jumping and screaming. Its funny how cultures meld together in a family. My Louisiana brother in law now cheers for the Montreal Canadians with my Dad and brother. And my Dad (the pastor of our church) served communion in a Saints Jersey this week. After all the Saints is a holy team.
Families are unique in their ability to join together and build their own culture and make their own traditions. Lots of different attitudes and way of doing things. A family weaves itself together like a tapestry lots of different threads and colors. I guess the point is every family is a beautiful work of art.
WHO DAT

Oh Man WHAT a MEal

JP(22, brother, basement) thought today he would do me a HUGE favor and he would cook super. Proudly he began to assemble ingredients and move around the kitchen. Generally speaking JP+Kitchen = hurricane type destruction so Mac (19, JP’s employee/best friend)and I sat back to watch the chaos happen.
He started by putting four,12 inch Mennonite sausages on the George Foreman Grill. He then put approximately 30 Chicken Nuggets in the oven.
JP “we need that many because Madi will eat some too.”
Mac “ya maybe two total”
Me “not even two”
He ignored us and began pulling out the ingredients for scrambled eggs with ham and cheese. That was too much for me.
Me “NO NO NO you are not making eggs as well there is already enough food and you don’t have any vegetables”
JP “but the scrambled eggs are going to be gourmet with ham and cheese”
Mac “ I think we have enough”
JP “but I make great eggs”
Me “how about some snap peas and some carrots
JP “gross”
Me (in very disrespectful imitation of Chinese voice ) “You eat like free willy”
Mac ( in similarly disrespectful voice ) “you scare my wife”
JP (voice) “ you here four hour”
I forced them to eat some veggies as the meat fest cooked. Needless to say when it was all done I passed on the meal but Madi (1), Kyle (24, husband) and both boys seemed to really enjoy it. I guess there is a difference between what makes a good meal for men and women.

TOp TeN

One of my best friends is perfect. Can you imagine how irritating that is? She enters a room smelling like the baked goods she has just pulled out of the oven, every hair is in place, she looks like a fashion model. She is talented, smart beautiful successful. She cooks, her house is immaculate, and she even has a vibrant growing relationship with God.
It is so easy to envy the things in others that don’t come as easy to us. The shocking thing to me is that she seems to see enough good in me to be my friend. Who knows what it is but she seems to enjoy me as much as I enjoy her.
If I am being honest as much as I admire her I would not trade my life for hers. I love the way I get to live. The free time I get to spend with Madi each day. The slightly messy times I get to spend with JP(brother 22, currently in basement). I know what I am doing is valuable and even enviable but sometimes during my days of changing diapers and washing dishes I think about a different life. And some Sundays when I show up to church in the last thing I own not covered in puke I look at her pressed dress and perfect hair and think….ahhhhh
Of course if I was being perfectly honest whether I had a baby, Husband, or JP I would not look , act or bake like she does. In fact these feelings have much more to do with how I see myself than how I see her. It is always easier to appreciate good qualities in others than in us.
So my challenge for today is list 10 things you like about yourself. I realize as I write this most of us are much better at listing the ten areas we need improvement but FORCE yourself. I think it will be an interesting exercise.
SO here goes in no particular order.
1. I am funny, whether I am being laughed at or with it is a guaranteed good time.
2. I am low maintenance, all I need to be happy is a diet coke and an episode of “Criminal Minds”
3. I am a great thrift store shopper, I always find great things for 2 bucks.
4. I have great taste in men, Kyle is patient, kind, loving, compassionate, forgiving, patient, patient, patient….and hot. Ha ha ha
5. I have beautiful eyes
6. I am creative, I have great ideas, not all of them are doable but they are great
7. I am a really good nanny, it is a job I enjoy and I think Jazz, 4 and Eli 2 are better for it
8. I think enjoyment of an activity and learning are much more important than the mess those activities create. I LOVE to cook with Jazz and Eli even though it means I will have the mop the floor after.
9. I have the ability to make friends with amazing women, I learn so much from them, even though they are so different from me they seem to like me as well.
10. I love God more each day and I hope I am becoming more and more like Jesus everyday.

Is MY self really worth it?

I have been thinking about this blog post for a long time. Trying to figure out a way to share my thoughts and feelings on this subject without sounding trite. I have been on a journey toward a healthier me. A “me” who not only is physically healthy but emotionally and spiritually healthy as well.
I have been thin, fat, well rounded, skinny and curvaceous throughout my life. My bathroom scale is my best friend and worst enemy. I have sometimes weighed myself more than three times a day; each time determined what mood I would be in. The number dictating my attitude, I have often wondered why I struggled when others didn’t. I think about food every minute of every day. I think about how I look and what I weigh even more than that. In writing this post I want to be honest about my journey to a “healthy me” however, I am afraid of what you will think of me.
I spent my young life trying to find someone who would love me at any size. But the truth was I did not love myself. I knew that skinny did not equal happy. When I was thinnest I was so depressed I needed medication. I knew my outward appearance could not fulfill me I just didn’t know where else to look.
I have always been obsessive in my pursuits. If I make muffins, I make 300 muffins in a weekend. If I take up tennis I play every day for a month. This kind of frenzy cannot be kept up. If I find a new diet I am dedicated to it for a short time till I lose steam and fall back into my old routine.
I must admit I have felt empty a lot. It is difficult to be honest about this because I am a very guarded person. Few people know me well, and those who do know that “inside” me is very different from “outside” me.
I know it is not one thing that has caused me to feel or react this way but recently when I found out I had been sexually abused as a young child some things began to make sense. A friend’s older brother abused me. I have no memory of the event. My sister witnessed it and remembers all of it. She only told my parents once we had moved away and to our knowledge it only happened one time. She carried the full weight of this knowledge till we were both in our late twenties.
I had always felt that there was a dark part of myself and I was finally able to shed light on it. Lots of things like temperament, genetics and my own lack of discipline have played their roles when it came to my weight problems. However I no longer see this as a singular problem. If being physically unhealthy was a result of my spiritual and emotional unhealthiness then I must become holistically healthy.
At the birth of my gorgeous, talented, genius daughter; Madeleine Jean Broussard I weighed 220 pounds. This morning 13 months later I weigh 190 pounds. I write this knowing I have come a long way and also knowing I have much more to go. It has been slow, agonizing, rewarding and joyful. Madi is one more reason to focus on my overall health. I want to be able to show her by my actions what REAL health looks like. The differences between depression and humility, happiness and joy and to be able to tell her how God brought me to health.
Mathew 9:9-13
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

God has shown me many things through this journey, like Mathew I am sinful and unhealthy in many ways. I feel unworthy or dirty but Jesus sits down at a table with me and all my friends. He says He has come to earth for ME. And every time I feel empty He reminds me has plugged every hole and filled every crevice of me with Himself.

Family and Pizza

I was at the mall the other day with Steen (29, sister, real name Christine) and Jazz(3). Steen and I were talking about going out with the kids. I was telling her about when I take out all three kids (Madi(1) Jazz(3) Eli(2)) people tend to stare at me as if they feel very sorry for me. Jazz interrupted in a loud voice.
Jazz “You took out all three kids?”
Me “Ya Jazz sometimes I do”
Jazz “You took out Madi, JP and Mac”
Me (laughing) “Jazzy, Neen only has one kid, Madi.”
Jazz “JP and Mac not your kids Neen?”
I had to explain to her about JP (21, brother, abides in the basement) and Mac (19, not related, eats here, sleeps at home, works for JP)
It made me think about what makes a family. Tonight as JP, Kyle and I made Pizza in the kitchen; I pondered what makes a family. Sometimes you are born into one; some you marry into, sometimes you are lucky enough to be adopted. A good family is like a good pizza. You need lots of different ingredients. Lots of colors. Something cheesy to glue it all together, throw it all in the oven on a pan. When the temperature is turned up what comes out is delicious.
Families are a living thing, they grow and change. Even though there is no classification that encompasses Husband, Wife, Baby, Wife’s Sister, Niece, Nephew, Wife’s Brother, Wife’s Brother’s Employee and Wife’s Best Friend as immediate family, this is how we see each other. My extended family is even crazier, I have the typical aunt uncle, and grand parents but I also have 2nd Dad Laurie who fixes my car and flies in my best friend, and Christina Obrien whom I see as my ½ Pilipino sister. I have Olivia, brothers ex girlfriend, Madi’s favorite babysitter whom I used to babysit.
Madi has my family (as nuts as it is) she also has a Nana, Paw, Noni, Popi, Aunt and Great Aunt. Adding to these though are Madi’s Pilipino families The Abustan’s and Ludovica’s. So she has 4 Pilipino brothers a Pilipino sister and two extra Mom’s and Dad’s.
What an amazing full life we lead. God has given us such an amazing family. We love you all.

GOOD Morning

When I was younger and living at home my dad was always happy in the morning. He was the only one! When I wake up I feel like I am going to die, cheerfulness is not on the radar. Most of the time we put up with Dad’s cheerful mood. Mornings would go like this.
Dad “Morning Neen”
Me “Grunt, Sneer”
Dad “How you doin Neen?”
Me “glare, sip tea, take a bite of toast”
Dad “Tell me something Neen”
Me “WHAT DAD?”
Dad “just something about anything”
Me “I loathe you”
He learned not to speak to me until after 10am. While he was the only one we could all grunt and sneer and ignore him. Then one day Dad brought Uncle Bob to stay with us. Uncle Bob was not related to us. He worked with Dad and they happened to be born on the same day.
Something about that irreparably damaged both of them. The next morning I came up for breakfast ready to grunt and glare my way through another morning. I entered the kitchen and was greeted by singing
Bob “Here she comes MISS AMERICA”
Followed by a rousing rendition of “You are my sunshine”
For the few weeks uncle Bob was in town they could grin at each other and sip their coffee as the rest of us squinted and moaned.

Who put the three year old in charge?

I have lots of kids movies, I say they are for Jazz (3) and Eli (2) but really they are for JP(brother, 21, basement dweller). When Jazz and Eli are over for the day they are only allowed to watch one movie. They watch in 20 min allotments throughout the day because I use the movie as a tranquilizer. I let them watch during breakfast or if I need to dress them or brush their hair. It helps me to get them to do what I want them to do.
The day starts with Jazz saying “Neen can we watch a movie?” I say “for a little while you can, during breakfast, what movie do you want to watch?” she invariably will reply “Ariel” Now I know Eli hates “Ariel” its too girly and fluffy and singy. He likes movies with action, they have to have animals or cars or dinosaurs. So I usually say “Eli thinks Ariel is stupid.”
Recently Christine (29, Sister, Jazz and Elis mom, heretofore referred to as Steen) has instituted lots of words the kids are not allowed to say. I can never keep track of which words I am not allowed to say , granted I have repeatedly requested a complete list of the words in the NO SAY ZONE and have yet to see one.
This phenomenon has given rise to what I lovingly refer to as the Jasmine Police.

Jasmine Police “Neen we don’t say STUPID, STUPID IS A BAD WORD”

Me “Jasmine, Neen is an adult and so she gets to decide what words are good and what words are bad, she gets to decide what she can say because Neen is an adult.”

Jasmine Police (laughing) “You’re not an adult!!! You’re just a NEEN…And STUPID is a bad word for YOU Neen.”

Me (trying a new tactic) “Well your mom gets to decide what words are good and what words are bad. Gramie is Neens mom and she…” Forget it Gramie will totally side with the Jasmine Police.

Jasmine Police “Gramie told me LAST NIGHT that STUPID is a bad word for YOU Neen”

Me “Your NOT the Boss OF ME!!!”

Jasmine Police “Ya Neen I am the boss of you”

Me “Whatever, what movie do you want to watch?”

Jasmine Police “Ariel”

Put on Your Helmet and Pad's Anita is Coming Over

Being my sister or friend is a full contact sport. You never know what I might do or say. I tend to be well... obnoxious, this is one of the qualities that try as I might to curb it, I have been so far unsuccessful. Sadly my mouth is bigger than my brain. As a result I don’t have any normal friends. Now don’t misunderstand me my friends aren’t strange what I mean is they are superhuman.
The best example has to be my sister. Since she has known me the longest she has the most practical experience. She also can’t choose not to be my friend because we are related. Which means I will always have ONE friend. No matter what, she has to love me! So she has a way of just letting things go. I mean realistically she has to! otherwise she would die of all the built up frustration.
She actually thinks I’m funny; it’s an acquired taste. Truthfully she thinks everything is funny but I am glad to be included in that category.
However, what is most amazing about Christine (sister, 29, heretofore referred to as Steen) is her amazing ability to forgive. I would venture to call her personality Forgivingly, if that was a word. Truly with me as her sister forgiveness is a survival mechanism. Someday when I shut up long enough to listen to her talk I will ask her how she does it.
“to err is human, to forgive, divine” Alexander Pope

STUFF SOUP

Today was a workday for me. The day truly began for me when Eli (2) threw up his breakfast on me. Walk, Park, Bath, Backyard play, Dance Off, Nap, Snack, Living room football. By the time the kids went home at four I was exhausted and clueless as to what to make for dinner. Kyle (24, husband) has been working long hours and is more stressed than he usually is. Almost nothing relieves stress for Kyle more than coming home to a good meal.
But I DID NOT have a good meal in me. As I stared into my empty fridge I wished for the dinner elves to sweep me off to the spa as they prepared a gourmet 4 course meal.
4:15 No elves…still staring
4:30 panic sets in…no elves
4:45 took a bath…no one made super while I washed my hair.
5:00 INSPIRATION
and here is yet another
LAZY REAL PEOPLE RECIPE
Stuff Soup
Get out a soup pot fill it with some water.
Look in your fridge and freezer for leftovers
Here is the rule:
If it has Meat or Veggies, or Rice or Noodles put it in the pot of water.
Add an onion and garlic chopped if you want
Add some frozen corn, peas, broccoli, whatever you want
Add a couple bouillon cubes (beef, chicken, vegetable doesn’t matter)
Let it come to a boil.
Serve it with crackers or not
Enjoy!!!

PLAN SCHPLAN

Lately I have been really questioning my abilities as a mother. Mostly because it seems like everyone one else has a plan. I keep meeting mom’s who have a 10 year plan to help/make/propel their kid into the life of their dreams. Incidentally I do not have any kind of plan. No plan for getting her to read by age two, no plan for helping her to love herself, no plan to turn her into the next AMERICAN IDOL. I am plan-less in Cochrane AB. I have no flash cards, and if I did I don’t have a plan for what they should say (other than GO TEAM).
Tonight a friend of JP's (Brother,21, still lives in basement) came over, When he walked in to the house we were all cleaning. He said "Hi, what can I do to help?" I stared at him. What I wanted to say was "Who raised you? And can I spend large amounts of time asking them questions."
The truth is I feel this way allot. Like I have already irreparably damaged Madi in some way. I think too many of my friends and family are super mom's and that is really my problem. I need some real life mom's in my life
My friends cultivate their children’s individuality, teach them to knit, teach them to cook. I count a day successful if no one pukes on me and everyone is fed and mostly clean. My friends kids play instruments Madi shakes what her momma gave her.
Let’s be honest here, I am NOT looking for a plan, I don’t want a plan, what I want is not to feel bad because I have none. And truly I think our days are full of fun and frolicking. I hate flash cards, how much more must a one year old hate them. Should I really be measuring success by who can read at one or can I just be happy that today Madi didn’t eat dirt!?!

SHAKEITITIS

Madi and I have both caught a terrible debilitating disease. It is called the shakeititis. To look at us you would think we were a normal mother and daughter but 11am in our kitchen is when things go badly awry. Ever since JP (brother, 22, lives in basement) bought me speakers for my iPod my kitchen has become the scene of many Shakeititis attacks.
It begins innocently enough, I am cleaning up after breakfast and I turn on my iPod. Madi wanders in from the living room and then it hits us. She begins to bend her knees and mover her hips side to side. My feet start taping and my fingers start snapping and then a full-blown attack is on us. We gyrate and twirl we tango and waltz. We dance on the floor on the counter of the walls. We are helpless to resist the attack. Madi waves her arms and I have to pick her up spin around the island.
We have favorites of course. Mine is the soundtrack to the two sister act movies and Madi’s is the Glee soundtrack. Many a friend and family member has called in the middle of an attack and asked “what are you doing?” I answer “nothing” because we have been hiding our disease from the world but now finally we are ready to be honest with everyone.
The attacks end with us lying on the floor panting and begging for mercy. We try to slow it down and cheek to cheek we dance our way to the iPod and shut it off.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANOUNCEMENT
IF YOU SUFFER FROM SHAKEITITIS DO NOT DESPAIR THEREIS HELP FOR YOU. VISIT WWW.SHAKEITITIS.COM FOR INFORMATION

The Last Man

In bed at nine thirty tonight I realized… I am old…not necessarily numerically I mean let’s be honest 28 is the new 18 but in attitude I am old. I try to make sure we are all in bed by ten. I wake up at night to pee. No one is allowed to make any noise in our house from 2pm till 4ish. I watch documentaries and nature shows and I cry. I LIKE the easy listening station. I am old and I believe already set in my ways. I am an old married person.
When I kissed my husband today I realized, this man is the last man I will ever kiss for the rest of my life. The thought had never really occurred to me before and I was surprised at how it made me feel. Sitcoms and Movies would have us believe that this feeling is negative. To only kiss one person for the rest of your life is a death sentence or at least boring, this is what they would have us believe. And granted every kiss is not the first…it’s better. Life with a faithful husband in a loving marriage is better every day. Hard…Yes, Great…Yes, Work…Yes, Fun…YES!!! It is so easy for us to buy into the idea that comfort and familiarity are not exciting, maybe its not like the first time, the honeymoon, the first date, it’s better, the better he knows me the better husband he becomes and the better I know him the better our marriage gets. It is so easy to believe what we see and hear so often when the opposite is the truth. The Bible says in Mathew 19:5 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh.”

JAZZ UP YOUR LIFE

Lately Jazz has been dressing herself. She will soon be four and is fiercely independent. She puts multi-colored bows in her hair and she wears colors together that Stacey and Clinton would never allow. Her favorite color used to be blue but the “NEW” Jasmine’s favorite is purple. Daily she decides which Jasmine she is. The old Jasmine, the new Jasmine, Your Jasmine or just Jazz.
The other day I asked if I could be the NEW Anita she laughed and said “No! Your just a Neen.” (‘Neen’ is a nick name coined by my sister, I call her Steen, It is something her kids have picked up, they don’t know my real name even though it is Jasmine’s middle name.)
When she comes over wearing a purple sweater, a red shirt, a green skirt, blue leggings, pink socks and boots. I wonder where all my inborn creativity has gone. She is a work of art, she should be in a magazine called Baby DIVA.
I think that spirit within us as children gets squashed by our “what not to wear” conventions. Who decides what is in and out, who gets to say what is beautiful. That creativity can be so easily discouraged.
As I have become a mother and Nanny to my three little munchkins it has been amazing to see things through their eyes. The wonder Eli experiences at the zoo when he sees his favorite animal the “Potamus.”
The Joy jasmine had when she first saw a mini couper car she screamed “MOM look at the tiny car, ooooh it’s so cute ooooooh MOM I want one.” And in the tradition of my uncle Richard and all the empty promises he made to buy me a pony when I was her age (still waiting on that one) I said “Neen will buy you a mini couper Jazzy”
Everyday Madi discovers something new and exciting. Today I played Beyonce’s Single Ladies and she discovered her hips.
I want to rediscover that wonder in me. What makes me exclaim “MOM LOOK!!!” What new discoveries will I make today?
Mathew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Fast and Furious

It seems as if lately I do everything at top speed, I wake up fast, feed the baby, dress the baby, play with the baby, do the dishes, tidy up, do the laundry, feed the baby lunch, put the baby down for nap, spend time with Kyle at lunch, shower get ready, fold the laundry, clean the bathroom, get the baby up, talk to Mac and JP, make supper, eat supper, clean up supper, bath baby, tidy up, play with baby, sing a song to baby, bed time for baby, spend a few minutes with Kyle, BED!!!! And that is when I have a day off.
Why do we insist on taking life at such a hectic place, When was the last time you called someone and they told you Oh I’m glad you called I was just relaxing.” Maybe we should do it more. iPods a week turn off the phone, unplug the TV computers and iPods and just relax with our families. Do a puzzle, bake a cake, read a book together, the dishes will be there tomorrow, the laundry will wait but my baby is only a baby once.
JP made 15 packages of Itchiban yesterday so that when he came home for lunch he could warm up itchiban faster. How much faster can itchiban get to make.

Exodus 20:8-11 --8"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Top Ten Guilty Pleasures of 2009

Here is my list of ten things that helped to make 2009 the great year it was!!!
10. Reality TV shows like Cake Boss, Dog the Bounty Hunter ect…
9. Bottle Feeding my Baby…never having to get up at 3:00am Thank you Kyle
8. Solitaire on my iPod
7. McDonalds Play Land (Jazz, Eli, Madi play I do Sudoku)
6. Mary Kay Makeup
5. My Mac book computer
4. Starbucks Venti Soy No Water No foam Tazo Chai
3. Louisiana Mixes…helped Kyle with his homesickness
2. IKEA Chaise Lounge, favorite spot in the house
1. Diet Coke (also guilty pleasure of 2000-2008)
Comment your list if you want!!!

Feeling Blue? There is a LAZY REAL PEOPLE RECIPE for you!!!

Although the colors of Christmas are green and red the colour of January is often BLUE. If you have the post holiday blues there is help for you. First though we must all be diagnosed. Here are some symptoms
You might be blue if…
• You have cried about a TV commercial
• Your pants don’t fit (also a sign of too much Turkeyitis so be sure)
• You can’t take down you Christmas Decorations
• You can’t turn off your Christmas music
• You keep saying Happy New Year (it was 5 days ago…let it go already)
• You keep calling your sister (Yes you Steener)
• You won’t call your sister back (Yes I mean you JP)
• And many more
Never fear even though the blues are here.
I have the solution for you!!!!
January is officially BLUE MONTH.
And to celebrate Blue Month I have concocted the official Blue Cake Of Blue Month.
When my brother in law tasted Blue Cake he said “Can we eat here everyday?”
So simple to make, Eli (2) and I whipped it up in about 2 minutes. You will never find gourmet recipes here, only LAZY REAL PEOPLE RECIPE’S
Here is the recipe for BLUE CAKE
Buy a cake…
Pretend it’s blue
Just Kidding
BLUE CAKE
Buy a package of blueberry muffin mix…mix up the batter…all of it or some of it just guess.
Pour into cake pan…put blueberries cinnamon and sugar on top
Put into oven 350-400 degrees (just guess) for about30-45 minutes (guess)
Out comes BLUE CAKE
TAdaaa!!!!Enjoy Blue month…Walk around saying Happy Blue Month till the cheer is spread throughout the land

Head of the HOUSE.

Our definition of family is very loose, Kyle (24) is my husband, Madi-Jean (1) is our baby, JP (21) is my brother and lives in our basement, Mac (19) is JPs roofing employee, he technically lives with his own family but eats most meals and sometimes sleeps at my house. It is not uncommon for me to come home and find both boys asleep on my living room floor. I am a Nanny to my Nephew and Niece, Eli (2) and Jazz (4). Our house is busy, loud and truly the most enjoyable kind of family there is.
This week my household discussed who was the head of our house. The funny thing is we all secretly thought it was us. I thoughts me because I make the most daily decisions, I pay the bills, I keep the house ect… My Husband thinks he is because he makes the money to pay the bills…, which is legit. JP thinks he is because he generally gets to do whatever he wants all the time. Madi thinks she is because everyone caters to her every whim, which has earned her the nickname THE GENERAL. Mac silently thought he was because…well he didn’t say it out loud but we all knew he was thinking it.
We all wanted to be in charge, we all wanted to be first. It made me think of the kingdom of God. The Bible says In Mathew 20:16 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
After the DISCUSSION JP piped up and said “I’m probably not the head, I’m Probably the Butt of the family.”
So I guess he is the head.

QUIT CRYING OVER SPILT DIET COKE

My name is AnitaB and I am a Diet Coke addict...I hit rock bottom today when...well let me give you some background.
My diet coke addiction began in adolescence, when my love for food brought me to the realization that I need to replace my cookie/chip addiction with a guilt free kind of pleasure. I, as so many others, turned to a different kind of drug...DIET COKE... Diet coke and I have had a long friendship, it's a give-give relationship...I buy it and drink it...it keeps coming back for more. SO you see it loves ME too!
My rock bottom was today when JP my roofer brother brought me a diet coke from McDonald's (an avid DC drinker himself, The McD's DC is the Gold standard of DC's so he was bringing me a real gift)
I took the gift and went to my room...the baby was asleep...the laundry done...the dishes washed, the house clean...only me my DC from the golden arches and LOST on DVD. I was adjusting my pillows so settle in for a mid afternoon treat when I knocked over my DC...onto my new carpet...in my rental house
In the blink of an eye my shiny happy life crumbled...I began to cry REAL tears.
Whether I love diet coke or not was my afternoon truly ruined...was my life in shambles. I thought back to Yesterday and our pastors sermon. He said take the challenges of life one day at a time, and if thats too much one hour or one minute at a time.
Philippians 3:12-14
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

So I mopped up my coveted DC and made a cup of tea

Fiblabee

OK so the name doesn't make sense...
And the blog is currently about nothing...
So lets address the elephant in the room...
Why waste your precious time reading this???
Good question when I figure out the answer I will let you know...

Who am I? I doubt I will have to answer this question since most likely only my Mom and a crazy aunt or two will read this. But on the off chance you pause here on your search for the website you were really looking for. I am AnitaB Mother, Nanny, Worship Director and Student. I am stumbling through life in a Jesus direction, hoping to fill my space in the kingdom of God. Hopefully we can all stumble around together.