Random is My Middle Name

I'm sure this will be the first of many posts to come with this title...

1. I am one of the most random people you will ever meet. Just ask my husband! I can jump from one subject to another without any warning just because of one small word that connects the subjects or even just made me think of another subject. Even after 8 yrs of marriage and 2 1/2 years of dating/engagement poor BK still can't follow me most of the time. I have a friend who can follow me most of the time, only because she's equally as random!

2. This morning, my morning started off so crappy that it was either cry or go get Spudnuts for breakfast! I chose Spudnuts! If you've never had spudnuts, and odds are unless you live in the immediate area you haven't, you're missing out! They are donuts made of potato flour and are AMAZING!! Trust me!

3. Even though my boss is a great guy (tell him that I'll hurt you...) I decided he wouldn't be upset if I left for 5 minutes if I brought him back 2 spudnuts. Yeah I was right... His exact words, "If it means I get spudnuts I wish you would have bad days more often!" Thanks boss... Ha! Mission Accomplished!

4. I used to make fun of my Mom for scrapbooking... And now I LOVE to scrapbook! Unfortunately from the moment I got pregnant with Dylan I didn't feel good enough to do it. Then we moved and I had no time. Then we had a newborn and I had no time. Then I had a 4 yr old and 6 mo old and still have no time. One day, I will return to you scrapbooking!

5. Oddly enough with as much as I love to scrapbook, I am not crafty! (My Mom disagrees, but she has to lie she is my Mom.) I hate being forced to be creative... it stresses me out!

6. I love mustard, I mean I think it should be a food group. I HATE mayo! BK, he loves mayo and HATES mustard! We literally will not kiss each other when one of us has had the oth I kid you not... a quick peck on the lips is even out of the question. The though of it makes us both want to vomit!

7. I could keep this going forever... but I'll save more randomness for later. Believe me I have plenty left over! As an example of my randomness, when I started this post I only had 1 thought in mind, #2. As you can see there was plenty to follow with no hesistation.

Impromptu Picnic (and recipe)

It's amazing the joy an impromptu picnic and family movie can bring to a 4 yr old! While we were cooking dinner, Brian asked if we could eat in the sunroom. I wasn't totally pumped because if I cook I think we should be sitting down as a family to eat together. Well Brian came up with a solution that would work for both of us and thrill Mackenzie at the same time... a "picnic" while watching "The Blue People Movie" (aka Avatar). (For some reason Mackenzie LOVES the movie... however we only let her watch it on rare occassion and fast forward thru the scary part.)

Notice the sheet BK put down to protect the freshly vacuumed rug. (Good man!)

For dinner we had one of our favorite meals. A good friend of ours brought it for dinner one night right after Dylan was born, and it has become part of our "rotation". It's pretty easy to make, especially after you figure out the timing to make sure all the pieces are done right before the pasta. And it makes a TON!! Its a great meal to make if you want leftovers (it's just as good the next day cold from the fridge) or if you're taking food to another family.

Bacon Chicken Pasta

3 to 4 chicken breasts

Lemon Pepper seasoning (to taste)

Olive Oil

1/2 to 3/4 c parmesan cheese (the real stuff)

1 package bacon (I prefer thick cut because it holds up better)

1 lb bowtie pasta

Toasted pine nuts (optional)

Marinate the chicken in lemon pepper seasoning and olive oil for 4 hours. (The longer the better.) Season with lemon pepper to taste, I season the chicken pretty heavily because some of the seasoning will get lost in the marinade and some in the pasta. Use enough olive oil to barely cover the top of the chicken. (Olive oil is expensive so why waste?)

Grill the chicken. (We cook it on our inside grill but you can  never go wrong with a charcoal grill!) Cook the bacon. While both are cooking, grate the parmesan cheese and boil the pasta. Cut the chicken and bacon into bite size pieces. Combine all ingredients. (See my tips below)

So here are my inside tips that I've learned making it numerous times...

Start the chicken grilling and bacon cooking at the same time. (I HATE cooking bacon, so BK is sweet enough to do this part for me.) About 5 minutes after starting the bacon and chicken put the pasta water on to boil. While all the other pieces are beginning to cook, grate the parmesan cheese. (Use the real stuff... trust me! It's a little pricey but lasts for thru about 4 recipes) The earlier you do this the less likely you are to get rushed pulling the other pieces together. By the time the water starts boiling the chicken and bacon should be about halfway done. As the chicken and bacon finish, cut them into bite size pieces. Cook the pasta until it's al dente, so it will hold up to the "mixing". Strain the pasta and immediately put into a large mixing bowl with the parmesan cheese. (This allows the cheese to melt before adding the other ingredients) Add olive oil to the cheese and pasta. (Not sure how much... 3 or 4 quick times around the bowl.) Mix a little more. Add the chicken and bacon and mix to combine.

Like I said this is one of our favorite recipes and is great hot and just as great the next day straight from the fridge. Hope you all enjoy!

Is it just me or does this pic remind anybody else of people who get stuff tattooed on their knuckles to spell stuff out? Seems kind of odd on a 4 yr old... Ha!

She found my scrapbooking stamps and wanted her whole name, but its kinda hard to fit 9 letters on a 4 yr olds hands! So we went with her nickname.

Tucked in Shirt

Today marks a milestone in my life... The first time I tucked in a shirt since having Dylan. For those of you out there who have had babies, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you that haven't... Just Wait. You will. Trust Me. Personally I prefer not to tuck my shirt in, #1 I am heavily endowed in the booty, hip, and thigh area, #2 I hate having to continually make sure my shirt is tucked in, #3 I had one post baby belly and now I have that post baby belly twice over. (Some things are never the same even if you are down to your pre-baby weight) So last night I was trying to decide what I was going to wear to work today and decided why not leave the vest off and tuck in the cute button up shirt with ruffles and buttons on the sleeves to hold up my rolled up sleeves? So I decided to brave it... I looked in the mirror before I left and was ok with what I saw. Then when I dropped Mackenzie off at pre-school on my way in to work one of the 4 year old teachers said "You are looking so good!". Talk about a good way to start off your morning! So that made my milestone even better... not only did I brave the tuck in but I actually pulled it off. Ha! To that precious teacher (with the cool name) "Thank you for making my morning!"

For all the rest of you out there (the 2 ppl who read this)... Welcome to my randomness!

I'm Gonna Miss This...

To all my exhausted Mommy friends out there:

I came across this blog post recently on one of my new daily reads. I've just started reading and I love MckMama already!

http://mycharmingkids.net/2010/08/im-gonna-miss-this-2/

Get your kleenex ready! But it provides such great perspective that we all need from time to time.

Gut Check

The last year and a half of life in the Kennebeck house hasn't been the most fun thing in the world. I'll spare you the details because that's not what this post is about, but its just been one thing after the other that just keeps smacking us in the face.

DON'T get me wrong... We are blessed without a doubt! We welcomed our healthy baby boy Dylan. Mackenzie is healthy and entertains us every day. We finally sold our house and moved into another one. Brian and I are blessed to have a strong marriage. Both Brian and I have jobs. Those are just to name a few obvious ones. AND there are so many other people with problems so much larger than our own, parents who have children battling cancer, job loss, marital problems, etc.

We got back from vacation late Saturday and then Monday reality smacked us in the face again. Short version we got the bill for Brian's "naughty finger" surgery and his insurance only paid $500. Anyway, the rest of Monday was spent freaking out over what we were going to do, calling the insurance company and then walking around in a haze trying to formulate our next step. Then Tuesday morning before I even got out of the bed I had a gut check moment... I realized that ALL I had been doing since I found out about the situation was worry. I didn't even stop to turn it over to my Abba Father one time. To say I was ashamed would be an understatement... I was barely awake so deep thoughts were not really present yet but I took that moment to say simply "Holy God, I know you are in control. Please forgive me for not bringing this to you sooner." Like I said MAJOR GUT CHECK MOMENT!

I have been a Christian since I was seven years old, I was active in church my entire life, I was active in the BCM (formerly BSU) in college, am currently active in my church, and believe in what the Bible says with ALL of my heart! However, I'll also admit that I have struggled to have consistent daily time with God for the past few years due to the insanity that is life. When I mean consistent daily time I mean, taking time just me and God to get alone. I don't mean taking things to him in prayer daily, thanking him for my blessings, praying for guidance, etc. I mean QT between Me and God. How else are you supposed to grow and deepen your relationship with our Father if you don't spend time with him alone? I have been continually convicted about this for the past few years and I do good for a little bit and then "life" kicks in again. I am living proof of the statement that if the Devil can't have your soul he'll make you too busy. I could try to justify the reasons why, but guess what... There is no legitimate reason. Bottom Line.

Anyway back to my original reason for this post (excuse the randomness... that's my middle name.) Being an adult is not fun, and just when we think things might be calm for 5 or 10 minutes something else happens. With 2 small children and 2 jobs at Murphy USA, you never know what's going to go wrong next. :) Don't forget my earlier statement about how blessed we are! We believe with all our hearts that our God is in TOTAL control and that He will NEVER give us anything more than we can bear!! But some days I think "God, how much more can we bear?" Then at the same time I say "Ummm.. wait, that wasn't me asking you to teach me patience or anything... Ha! (Ask and you shall receive...)

God never promised us that life as a Christian would be easy or would make us happy all the time! However He did promise us Joy. Joy and happiness are not the same thing! Happiness is a feeling and it comes and goes. Joy comes from within your soul and from the One who loves you more than anything! You can be joyful in the midst of all circumstances because you know the One who is carrying you thru those circumstances. You can be joyful despite the craziness that is going on around you!

God promised us:

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus". Phil 4:19

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. Rom 8:28

My favorite verse - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.

In light of these verses I wonder how I can feel the way I do... When God promises me that He will meet ALL our needs! That He is working all things together for MY GOOD! That And that His plans are to give me HOPE and a FUTURE! Why? Because I'm human... and I'm not taking the time I should to cultivate my love relationship with him.

I need to begin to claim this verse, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of man kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

God is trying to teach us something (apparently numerous things. Ha!) in the Kennebeck house and we (Brian and I both) need to do a better job about stopping to LISTEN to what He's trying to teach us. And also resting in the joy that He has promised us. I believe all of these things with ALL OF MY HEART! It's just been a struggle lately to match up my human emotions with my heart knowledge.

So thank you for going thru my blogging therapy session with me, and maybe just maybe, by my being this raw and open will help somebody else. Thats my prayer.

I want to leave you with the lyrics from one of my new favorite songs by Josh Wilson. (I love KLove!)

Before the Morning 

Do you wonder why you have to,

feel the things that hurt you,

if there's a God who loves you,
where is He now?

Maybe, there are things you can't see

and all those things are happening

to bring a better ending

some day, some how, you'll see, you'll see

Chorus:

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,

that you still have a reason to sing,

'cause the pain you've been feeling,

can't compare to the joy that's coming

so hold on, you got to wait for the light

press on, just fight the good fight

because the pain you've been feeling,

it's just the dark before the morning

My friend, you know how this all ends

and you know where you're going,

you just don't know how you get there

so just say a prayer.

and hold on, cause there's good who love God,

life is not a snapshot, it might take a little time,

but you'll see the bigger picture

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,

that you still have a reason to sing,

'cause the pain you've been feeling,

can't compare to the joy that's coming

so hold on, you got to wait for the light

press on, just fight the good fight

because the pain you've been feeling,

it's just the dark before the morning

yeah, yeah,

before the morning,

yeah, yeah

Once you feel the way of glory,

all your pain will fade to memory

once you feel the way of glory,

all your pain will fade to memory

memory, memory, yeah

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,

that you still have a reason to sing,

'cause the pain you've been feeling,

can't compare to the joy that's coming

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,

that you still have a reason to sing,

'cause the pain you've been feeling,

can't compare to the joy that's coming

com'n, you got to wait for the light

press on, just fight the good fight

because the pain you've been feeling,

it's just the hurt before the healing

the pain you've been feeling,

just the dark before the morning

before the morning, yeah, yeah

before the morning

Day of Firsts

Today has been a day of firsts in the Kennebeck house! It's made this Mommy kinda sad, but also proud all at the same time!

Today our precious big girl started 4 year old preschool! Yeah I know school started last Thursday but we were on vacaation so she didn't start until today. I wanted some really cute pictures of her on her swingset this am, but it was SOAKING wet in the backyard after yesterday's downpour. So I had to settle for pics of her in Dylan's room and outside in the driveway on the way to school. (I wanted a pic so desperately I didn't care where it was!)

She wanted her first pic in the bed with her brother, who she was playing with before we left. I think its a precious picture!!

She wanted to take another pic in the glider in his room, not standing up. Check out the totally  mismatched flip flops... but hey I was trying to keep her in a good mood this am! :)

I wish I'd been able to take the pics I wanted, but this was the best I could get when it was 7:40 and soaking wet everywhere outside! My big girl!!

The other first today is Dylan's! He FINALLY had his first tooth break thru his gums today! The poor boy has been battling it for WEEKS and finally on the way home from vacation went into FULL ON teething mode! (I mean 6 COUNT THEM 6 poopy diapers during the drive home!) He's cutting both his bottom teeth at the same time and the left one finally broke thru tonight! We could see them both and feel them both for the last several days and finally tonight it happened! I expect the other one tomorrow and then the precious boy should be able to get some relief! (Pics too come as soon as there is something to see! I have to pry his mouth open to see anything!)

My babies are growing up!

Big Girl Haircut

I've been needing to get Mackenzie's hair cut for a while. She's only had one other haircut and that was when she was about 3 1/2. She really needed to get it cut and evened up in the back. I knew we were going to have to get about 5 inches or so cut off to even it up, and I was completely ok with it... until I saw it afterwards. Then it made me kinda sad! :( It's really cute and our friend Monica did a great job and did exactly what I asked for... It just surprised me that it bothered me since I was totally fine with it before I saw the "after".

Tonight when I was brushing her hair after her bath I teared up! It was so much shorter that I had to fight back crying! Silly! Its really precious and she just LOVES it!! I'm just having one of my mommy moments!

I wish I had gotten an official before picture but again I didn't think it would bother me enough to get a before. (And if you really know me, that should tell you how much I thought I'd be unaffected by it.)

Here's a pic from last night when she was jumping around like crazy with her unbrushed post bath hair.

The front doesn't really look different because it was pretty much the same length before she got it cut. (The reason we were getting it cut)

Get ready... this is pretty dramatic

Now do you see why I was fighting tears?? Such a big girl haircut! Doesn't help that her curls seems to be becoming a thing of the past...

Sweet Sister!

One day last week I left Dylan playing in the middle of my bed while Mackenzie "kept an eye" on him. I walked into my bathroom to get some laundry, when I came back out I happened upon this...

Mackenzie had gone from keeping an eye on him to sitting behind him with him "in her lap" watching whatever was on TV. I just wanted to melt into a puddle but had to run and get my camera before Dylan started crying or Mackenzie said "He's too heavy!"

I snuck this picture from my bathroom when Mackenzie wasn't looking. Her favorite thing in the world to do is try to get her brother "rolling"... aka laughing hysterically!

She is always loving on her baby brother! Such a sweet big sister!! Check out those cheeks on the big boy!

This one just makes me giggle, because she lets him get away with alot!! When she'd tell her Daddy, "Daddy, you're aggravating me!"

We are so blessed to have two precious healthy children!! I love how much they love each other now and how Dylan's favorite person in the world is his big sister! I hope they continue this way for the rest of their lives and always remain close even though I know they'll fight at times.

Bomb Pop

What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than by eating a bomb pop! (Fireworks were out of the picture with an almost 5 month old...)

This picture totally says 4th of July to me!

Think she was enjoying it??

For some reason Mackenzie kept making the faces below and she had Brian and I rolling!!

Where have I been?

Here's a quick recap...

Weekend #1 - BK broke his finger and as a result had surgery

Week #1 - Patient (totally incapacitated in one hand) + 2 kids + insane job

Weekend #2 - DK had a throat infection and subsequently screamed all weekend

Week #2 - Semi-Annual DM Mtg in our office... Insane week does begin to describe it. (Still have 2 kids - one sick & a patient.)

Weekend #3 - MK gets sick and coughs her head off all weekend. (Still have the patient and another kid)

Week #3 (this week) - Boss on vacation. A week full of Mondays. (Haven't been this overwhelmed at work in a while...) Still trying to get MK well and trying to prevent DK from getting sick again. Patient slowly recovering use of right hand. Oh yeah, and now I'm getting sick.

Not complaining... just the facts. :)

And as you can tell I haven't even had time to replace my blog background from where it was deleted a week and a half ago...