Saturday, I boiled 10 pounds of chicken. I used part of it in chicken pot pie (that recipe will be posted next time I make it, so I can include pictures ), and part of it in tonight’s lasagna, and the rest will be used in sandwiches for lunch tomorrow. The broth was used to cook the lasagna noodles, and the remainder will go in the freezer for soup sometime in the future.

So, anyway. I deboned the chicken; Rachel cooked the noodles. I put noodles in the pan, followed by a layer of chicken pieces, a layer of frozen mixed vegetables, a layer of cottage cheese, a layer of spaghetti sauce, and topped with some more noodles. Since my large pan was unavailable, I ended up using two smaller pans, which worked out well since one was then made with more vegetables, less chicken, and no cottage cheese (for Rachel, mainly, who isn’t supposed to have cheese). Then I covered them with foil and baked at 350F for about 30 minutes (mainly to heat things through).

Here’s the result (after we’d already eaten – I forgot to take a picture when it came out of the oven!) :

(The larger one, with cheese)

(The smaller, cheeseless one)

(It didn’t really *slice* — and that’s Nate’s smile )

(Rae’s plate – a little of both kinds because it just isn’t lasagna without cheese! Although the non-cheese one tasted delicious, even without cheese )

Even Sarah loved it!

John Luke didn’t want to be left out

I’ve never been a country music fan, nor very up-to-date on CCM, so I had never heard of Diamond Rio before receiving this book from Thomas Nelson publishers to review. Nevertheless, the book was well written and even as an introduction to the band, it was an engaging read and enjoyable. Each man in the band had a unique story, and other than music, they had little in common before joining the band together. Nevertheless, their music and their faith cemented their bond. I loved seeing how they supported each other through thick and thin (and there was plenty of both!), and how they worked together throughout the many years during which they sang together.

If you like reading the story behind the music, this is an excellent book for you! You can get a copy at Amazon.com.

Nathaniel turned 10 last month! It’s hard to believe he’s in double-digits already! We had a small party with his paternal grandparents and a family we see often. He was thrilled with the Playmobil castle set I was able to find on sale for him.

Robby was chosen to be a deacon at our church, and was ordained on the 24th of January. It is an honor and a responsibility!

On the 28th, we celebrated another birthday, of our friends’ son, who turned 9. Sarah Ruth greatly enjoyed her piece of cake!

She loves to look at books, and if handed a pencil and paper, she will hold the pencil “properly” and “write” on the paper! It’s neat to watch her.

JANUARY 31, 2010

At the beginning of February, John Luke decided to cut his own hair again. Thankfully, Mammaw was able to trim it so that it didn’t look terrible.

Rachel took this picture of me and Sarah.

Nathaniel got baptized this month, also. He was able to be baptized by his Pawpaw, so that was a special event!

God bless!

Living BY faith is like driving in a fog. We live by faith not by sight. God shows us just what we need to see next, and not what is far down the road.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great holiday season! I also hope you aren’t getting too cold! It’s been a cold winter in the south this year.


We had a very nice Christmas, with my inlaws and Robby’s sister Renee and her family. The cousins were thrilled to spend time together again!

We got Sarah Ruth a high chair – she is quite pleased to be able to sit with the family and eat “real food“ with us!
She is also becoming quite adept at standing alone – as long as she has something to hold on to!
She was less than thrilled with Renee to start with, but got used to her by the time they headed home.



Christmas Eve was a festive time with all the cousins and lots of snacky foods to eat. As usual, we ate, had the reading of the Christmas story, and then opened presents. Of course the kids were on pins and needles waiting for the presents! Everyone seemed happy with what they received. Sarah Ruth had a great first Christmas, including the traditional nap!


January 7th, we actually got SNOW! We were delighted! Since moving to Alabama 11 years ago, we’ve only gotten snow two or three times, so it’s pretty exciting when we do. The children were able to make a few small snowmen (very small!) and some snowballs. It was very pretty while it lasted, though!

Timmy sang an impromptu special at church on Sunday night (the 10th) and did very well.

We did Rachel’s hair up in braids and decided it suited her. I like how she looks in braids.


We let Sarah Ruth try chocolate – she likes it!

And, this is one of my favorite pictures of Sarah – she is such a cutie!



God bless you!

I saw somewhere someone touting “evaporated cane juice” as a “healthier” substitute for sugar.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong.

Sugar comes from sugar cane. This other thing, “evaporated cane juice” – would be… sugar cane juice, evaporated? So, like… SUGAR??

Rachel is still enjoying doing crocheted items. She finished a hat/scarf combination, two or three scarves, and some clothing for a stuffed animal; and she has started an afghan that is already getting pretty big! She is a big help with cooking and caring for her baby sister.


I was blessed with new glasses in November. Through a program called Vision USA, I was given an eye exam and a pair of glasses at no cost to me. I also purchased a second pair from zennioptical.com for about $30 total (including shipping).

We were able to go to my mom’s for Thanksgiving. Timmy greatly enjoyed his week there with his grandparents. We enjoyed a couple days with my parents and my brother and his family. My family had a great time with Granny’s pool table!

We celebrated John Luke’s 4th birthday there, also (on the 27th). Granny got him a chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cake. Yummy!!

Sarah Ruth will stand when leaning against something very well! She loves to hold on to people and stand up. I expect her to gain confidence and begin walking almost before we know it!

Nathaniel sang “Amazing Grace” for a special at church one Wednesday night, with accompaniment by Bobby on the piano.


I can’t resist sharing a photo of a most delicious lunch that Rachel concocted for us one day. The filling on the sandwich is rice and vegetables, and a slice or two of honey smoked turkey, on Italian bread, accompanied by kiwi, cucumber, and carrots. It was wonderful!

On the other end of the food spectrum, we have our failed first attempt at a gingerbread house! We found out that the recommendation of letting the house “set” for an hour before decorating is a good one to follow. Our roof fell in. Nevertheless, the gingerbread tasted excellent and we enjoyed THAT, anyway!

John Luke is quite a character! In the nursery at church one service, he decided it would be fun to climb up on the side of the crib and “hang” himself by the shoulder strap! Of course I had to get a picture of him before I got him down! During the same service, Sarah Ruth decided she likes the sippy cup that the church provides for the babies! (She is currently the only baby.)

Well, that about sums us up for now! I hope this finds you healthy and happy, and may God bless you greatly during this special holiday season as we celebrate His Son’s birth, and may you have a wonderful New Year as well!

Jenna discusses how our earthly father affects our lives, and especially our view of our Heavenly Father. She also shows how that can change if the view we get is negative, by spending time with our “Heavenly Dad.”

This is very much a reader-participation book, and it is a good thing. She covers both good and bad aspects of every girl’s life and discusses how her life is affected by these things.

The only thing I didn’t like was that she uses a variety of Bible translations. I prefer to use the King James Version exclusively, and she does not. Not a deal-breaker for this book, but just a preference of mine.

I especially enjoyed Jenna’s comments on adoption, where she talks about how birth can be “unplanned” but there is no way for an adoption to be unplanned, therefore it is an excellent analogy for what God does with us. We cannot “accidentally” join God’s family – it is planned, and we are loved!

“Beautiful” is redefined according to how GOD sees us – not how others see us. And this is an excellent thing for all our daughters to learn.

Get a copy at Amazon.com
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