The Simple Life at Home

So exciting!!!  I've been visiting the grocery stores here in Amman and have so far found the following:

So after a few days of doing the camp during the day and sleeping at night with the family, Emily is actually enjoying it. Of course, she won't admit it, but she is. When we dropped her off today, she just scurried off to her friends and didn't even bother to say goodbye!

Today they are going to Petra - an amazing ancient city carved out of the red sandstone of the desert. It's even mentioned in the Bible! It's a great opportunity to see something really fantastic. We had planned on taking them once Hubby arrived, but it's honestly too dang hot for us old people and if they are going with the camp - whoo hoo!!

Daniel and his cousin (who's the same age) are like two peas in a pod and are inseparable. It's so cute watching them together. We all had similar ideas and got them matching outfits, so it looks like they are twins most of the time.

As for me, I'm enjoying my time with Hubby's family. I've heard all the dirt - who's too lenient, who's too strict, whose kids are doing well or not, and what everybody thinks of everyone else. It seems I've become a sounding board for everyone's!

Yesterday I had to opportunity to meet my brother-in-law's future bride. She's a lovely girl who bonded instantly with my kids. Hopefully all will go well and there will be a wedding in the next few weeks. They are both difficult to pin down!

Thanks for all the encouragement with my struggles with Em earlier in the week. Sometimes I think we are both too stubborn for our own good!!

We are having a wonderful time here in Jordan. Well, Daniel and I are. Emily is feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the attention and is kind of crashing. She and Daniel and her cousins are to attend a camp this week, but she's crying and doesn't want to stay. It's pretty pricey ($250) so I hate to let her back out, but I don't have the energy to fight her. Sigh...The struggles of motherhood.

Other than that we are having so much fun. Hubby's family is big and loving and loud - think "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Hope to get to post something more substantial soon, but I'm waiting for a call from Hubby for directions on dealing with my anti-social child. Have a great day!!

We are taking off in the morning for our action-packed adventure to Jordan!!

It's just after midnight here and I'm almost finished with the packing and the cleaning. Hubby will be staying here for another two weeks before joining us in Amman, so I'd like to leave the place in reasonable condition for him.

I hope to be able to get online once in a while there, both to pop in here and say hi and also to visit you all to see what's going on in your lives. I've gotten so into this fantastic community of bloggers!

You all are great!!!

• Have you arranged for someone to care for any pets or plants?
• Who is going to pick up your mail if you aren't having it held?
• Return any library materials that might be due while you are away
• Finish up and/or dispose of any perishable food
• Clean out the car if you are taking a road trip
• Charge any electronics you plan on using - iPods, portable DVD's, GameBoys, etc.
• Confirm any flights or hotel reservations

Packing

• Medicines and a first aid kit
• Maps, directions and tickets
• Cameras (and chargers! and extra memory sticks!)
• Extra glasses or contact lenses
• An extra set of keys (just in case!)
• Did you promise to bring something???
• Things to occupy time in the car or on the plane (books, stories on cd, small toys)

Just Before You Go

• Take out the trash and spray Lysol in the can
• Pour bleach in your toilet (if no pets drink from them!)
• Set lights on a timer
• Put fresh sheets on the bed - you'll be grateful when you come home!
• Hide any valuables
• Close curtains and blinds
• Unplug computer and other expensive, delicate electronics
• Unplug any unnecessary electrical devices
• Run the dishwasher (and put dishes away if you have time)
• Sweep the floor and wipe the counters
• Leave pet food and instructions in an obvious place for pet sitters
• Double check locks and alarm system (if you have one)

I know that these are all basic things, but sometimes in the rush of getting ready, small things get overlooked. It helps me to have a written list that I can look at and mentally check things off in my mind.

So, we will be back in mid-August, but I certainly hope to be posting updates of all of our adventures there. I'm hoping that we can see lots of interesting things while there - the Dead Sea, the ancient Roman town of Jerash, the Jordan River, the place from where history tells us Moses saw the Promised Land, one of the first early churches just recently discovered, and more. This year, the kids will be old enough to appreciate all of it!

Oh, and for those of you who are interested in the study on Creative Counterpart, by Linda Dillow, I think we will start at the beginning of September. That gives everyone a chance to enjoy their summer, finish up with current committments and get the kids back into school. If you are interested in joining us, drop me a line - we'd love to have you!

For more great ideas, be sure to visit Shannon and check out other Works For Me Wednesday ideas!!

This will be my last Menu Plan Monday for a month or so while we are off visiting Hubby's family in Amman, Jordan. I hope to do quite a bit of cooking while I'm there to relieve some of the burden from my mother-in-law, but doubt that much planning or blogging will be part of it. Sadly, the in-laws have not really embraced the joys of the internet. Something about being in their 70's and 80's or some silly nonsense.

So, being that we'll be leaving for a month and that Hubby will be hear feeding himself for two of those weeks, I'm trying to use up all the perishables in the house. He prefers to eat out when I'm away rather than to try to shop and prepare something. And, yes, I've offered to cook and freeze meals, but he's turned that offer down. So the meals for the next few days (we leave Friday) are all based on what I already have in the house.

Monday - Zesty Mac & Cheese (Velveeta's recipe with a can of Ro*tel added) and a tossed salad

Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan, caesar salad and garlic bread

Wednesday - Vegetable Stew with whole wheat rolls (a great way to use up everything in your veg bin before going away!)

Thursday - Sandwiches and tabbouleh

Now, I know that many of you came here just for Menu Plan Monday, but I hope you will take a second to look at my post down below this one that talks about this blog's mission statement. I think too often during these weekly carnivals, we jump from blog to blog without ever taking the time to get to know the person we are visiting. Which is fine, but it's great to take a little extra time to slow down to get to know the person behind the menus, right? I don't normally do this, but just this once, I hope you will take an extra few seconds to read my mission statement and get to know me a little bit.

I know I'd enjoy getting to know you as well.

So it seems that I've fallen into a little bit of a pattern here of posting videos on Sundays. Something that makes you think about your faith, or which inspires worship, or brings praise to God. I think it's a good way to mark the Lord's day.

Today's video is one that was shown in our church about a month ago and really spoke to me. I'm in the midst of struggling with a lot of homesickness - so minor in the scope of life, but painful for me.

Whatever you might be struggling with today, I hope that this blesses you.

I'm struggling so hard right now to be the wife and mother that God intended me
to be but I feel like a total failure. My world is so out of control that the
idea of getting back on track overwhelms me. I don't know where to start.

This is part of a comment I received on my post about being a fulfilled homemaker. The comment's author struggles with being both a working mother and still trying to find time to make her home a place of beauty and refuge for her family.

I think we all struggle with that time issue. Whether you work outside the home or not, we all feel the pressure of too little time and too much to do. Of course, it's much more prounounced when you have a job outside the home.

So today I want to offer just a little bit of advice that I found helpful. This comes from Linda Dillow's book, Creative Counterpart. I did a study on this book several years ago with a group of women from my church back in Miami and really got a lot out of it.

The most helpful tip I found in the book is to make a list of your priorities and then set a goal for each week for each priority. For instance, maybe your priorities look like this:

• God
• Husband
• Children
• Job
• Home
• Self
• Church
• Friends

It doesn't even matter the order at this point - just jot down the things which are important to you and place demands on your time and which you want to work on. Then you would set a mini-goal for the week for each catagory like this:

• God - Finish reading the book of James
• Husband - plan a nice date
• Children - have a movie and popcorn night
• Job - finish the Johnson project
• Home - paint Suzie's room
• Self - give myself a manicure
• Church - volunteer in the nursery
• Friends - catch up on my email backlog

Then take a weekly calendar and sit down and figure out when you can squeeze these things in. Write them on your calendar. I suggest doing this every week. Soon enough you will begin to see the fruits of your labor. Since you have broken your goals into things that you can accomplish in a week, it doesn't seem overwhelming.

I think too often we as women see the big picture...and get intimidated by it. Our homes become one big mass of clutter, our relationships tend to fall by the wayside, we don't take care of ourselves. It seems as though there is just too much to do, so we don't do anything because we don't know where to start.

If we break things down into manageble goals, it becomes easier, we find a sense of accomplishment and we get back on track to being the wife, mother, homemaker and woman that we want to be.

* * * * * * * *

(I've been thinking of doing an online study of the book Creative Counterpart. Would anyone be interested in doing it with me? We could do a chapter a week. Let me know.)

Being a homemaker is hard.



It's often a thankless job. There is no paycheck, no promotion, no end of year party.



It's a job that involves performing the same tasks over and over again, knowing that you'll just have to do it all again tomorrow.



It's a job that "the world" often looks down upon. After all, you could hire a maid and put the children in daycare. Many people believe that women waste their time, education, talents and energy staying home to care full-time for the needs of their family.



But not God.



Titus 2 tells us that it is God's plan for us to place our home life first. Here is the Phillips translation:






Did you see that phrase "home-lovers?" A lot of translations say, "workers at home" or "homemakers" but I love this one.



Do you love your home? That is, I believe, the key to finding contentment and joy as a homemaker.



Do you realize that your home is the conduit through which you can provide love, comfort, support, nourishment and peace to those in your world? This includes not just your immediate family, but those around you - neighbors, extended family, church friends, everyone.



Have you ever walked in a door and just immediately felt warm and welcomed? Even more noticeably, have you ever walked in a door and felt cold and isolated? Both of these feelings are a direct result of the choices the woman of the home has made.



If you are as I used to be (and still feel like sometimes), you will love to get out of the house, in order to avoid what needs to be done at home, to run away. You will spend your time in shopping or visiting or unnecessary errands. Perhaps you will pick up a job even though you don't need the money. It's just "something to do." I've provided a list at the end of this message of things that can and should occupy your time as you seek to make your home a more beautiful place for yourself and your family.



But there is more to being a homemaker than just creating a place of beauty. You are charged with taking precious little lives and shaping them into productive, godly adults. There is no more valuable and important job. No captain of industry, no famous author, no movie star will ever have more of an impact than that of a godly parent.



Just knowing how important the job you are doing isn't often enough. We need to determine to be the best homemaker that we can be. Only through pursuing excellence can we find satisfaction in our work.



I have spent many of my years as a homemaker doing a lackluster job. There are still seasons of my life when I struggle with this. Doing the bare minimum, I do just enough to keep my husband from asking the dreaded question, "What did you do all day?" And let me tell you, when I fall into that kind of funk, I find no joy at all in what I do. It all becomes drudgery, pure and simple.



But when I keep my focus on the fact that I am serving my family and even more importantly, serving God, every thing I do is an act of love. I go through the days motivated and happy, rather than depressed and resentful. I get my work done and have time left over to go the extra mile to do things beyond mere maintenance. This is the best part - when I can really get my creative juices flowing and work to improve, not just maintain.



So my Works For Me Wednesday tip for you this week is to tell you that by keeping your perspective in the right place (off yourself), you will see how you actually become happier and more satisfied in your role as a wife and mother. For more great ideas, be sure to visit Shannon. Oh, and don't forget to check out my list of things to keep you occupied in the home that I've listed below.






(This list is from "A Day in the Life Of..." by Hadias. I hope that she doesn't mind me sharing it with you. She's got lots more fascinating things over at her place and I encourage you to check her out. This list was compiled as a way to see if one had extra time to look for an outside job. I just look at it as a way to keep myself motivated and busy. Remember, these are not "must-do's" but rather opportunities to enhance your home.)

1. Do you have a morning routine in the house?


2. Are your dishes washed and put away?


3. Is your countertop clear?


4. Is your table clear, when not dining, and do you have a centerpiece?


5. Have you cleaned your cabinets, drawers and refrigerator in the last 3 months?


6. Is your porch clean and the entry way cheerful for visitors?


7. Are your rugs clean?


8. Is your floor clean?


9. Is your living room ready for company?


10. Is your laundry washed, folded, ironed and put away?


11. Is your mending and button-replacement caught up?


12. Do you bake bread?


13. Is your bathroom shining clean and does it smell nice?


14. Does your whole house smell nice?


15. Have you re-decorated or re-arranged in the last 3 years?


16. Are your beds made? Are your sheets and bedding fresh?


17. Do you grow a garden, or even a tomato in a pot?


18. Are your photos organized?


19. Are your computer files organized?


20. Does your husband ever has to ask for an ironed shirt?


21. Are your books organized?


22. Do you go through your things regularly for garage sales?


23. Are your windows clean?


24. Do you cook regular meals from basic ingredients?


25. Have you had anyone over for a visit in the last month?


26. Have you read at least one good book or learned a new skill in the last year?

I've mentioned before that we have found Emily a piano teacher over here. She's very nice and Emily has made a lot of improvement with her.

• 6 chicken breasts halves


• 1/4 cup milk


• 1 egg, beaten


• bread crumbs, enough for coating the chicken


• 3 T. cooking oil


• 1 jar spaghetti sauce


• 2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded (not the kind in a can!)

Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thickness. Mix together the milk and beaten egg. Dip the chicken into the milk and egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs. Coat well, making sure the crumbs get into every nook and cranny.

Heat oil in a frying pan over med-high heat. Saute the chicken, approximately 7 minutes per side. Try not to turn it more than once as this will break up the coating.

Lay the chicken in a single layer in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over top (I like a lot of sauce, some people like less). Top each chicken breast with a good amount of the Parmesan cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5-10 minutes to brown up the cheese a little. The chicken will come out tender and delicious!

Enjoy!!

I know that many of you may have already seen this moving video, but for those of you who haven't, you will be blessed by it. This couple's amazing faith in a God who give and who also takes away will be a reminder to all of us that we can truly give thanks in all circumstances.

Leeann did this awesome mosaic over on her blog. It was so beautiful I wanted one of my own. Very, very cool.

To do your own, go on over to Flickr and type your answers the following questions in the search bar one at at time. Pick the image on the first page that most speaks to you. Copy the URL for that image and add it to Mosaic Maker. It just takes a few minutes.

Here are the questions:

• What is your first name?
• What is your favorite food?
• What high school did you attend?
• What is your favorite color?
• Who is your celebrity crush?
• What is your favorite drink?
• Where would you go on your dream vacation?
• What is your favorite dessert?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What do you love most in life?
• Choose one word to describe you?
• Your Flickr name?

I love the way all the images blend together to give a sneak picture of who we are. If you do it, let me know so I can stop by and see!

1. We like to hang out together, 2. homemade fresh tomato salsa & guacomole, 3. Sahuaro herido., 4. water droplets in the shower - o.k. bokeh, 5. Bon Jovi / Jon Bon Jovi, 6. thirsty?, 7. It will be forever this way, 8. Crème Brûlée, 9. Sunset Godly head 5, 10. The Avenue in mist and sun, 11. Nature Does Escher, 12. Walk the line

Updated: Ok, things seem to be working now, but that was frustrating! Almost 3 days for Bloglines to correct the problem. Welcome back!!

Oh, now I've done it. I tried to get all fancy and get hooked up with Feedburner and now my feed url doesn't work. My posts aren't showing up on Bloglines or on Google Reader or anywhere else.

Can anyone who knows about this stuff talk me through it?

This is why I should just stick with things that I know about.

::sigh::

There is so much to be thankful for each and every day that it seems to somehow be silly to write a weekly post on what I'm thankful for. As though all the other days of the week I'm not thankful to God for all His blessings. But I have found that forcing myself to go through this discipline, taking the time to sit and conciously think through all that I am grateful for, is a blessing in and of itself.

It makes me stop my grumbling and rejoice. It causes me to stop looking at myself and stand in wonder at the God who cares for me. It improves my mood and my general outlook.

If you read my post from last night, you'll see that I am struggling a bit with God moving me to a new land, far away from friends and family. I know that it's His will, but I don't understand it and, right now, I'm not happy about it. But I right now choose to be thankful.

Thankful that my son has found a friend. Like 11 year old boys do, they bonded instantly and now are making grand plans and having a super time together. Daniel hasn't really found that since we've been here, so this is a great relief to me. And the nice thing is that the little boy only lives 5 minutes away.

Thankful that we left Miami when we did. Hubby learned yesterday that his previous employer has laid off approximately 20 people (a quarter of their staff) since his leaving. In addition, they have cut salaries and have reduced working hours from 40 a week to 32. There is no way that we could have survived that financially. We are so grateful that God moved us at just the right time.

Thankful that my mom's cousin, Tom, is recovering well and has now been allowed to return home. I appreciate each and every one of you who prayed for him when the situation was very grim. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but it's a miracle that he is up and walking and talking.

Thankful that technology has allowed us to stay in contact with loved ones back in the States. During the past three months, there have been a lot of times when I wished I could be there, but at least I can call and email and hear the voices of those who are important to me.

Thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy. As America prepares to celebrate her independence, I am so grateful for all the freedoms that we enjoy there. While we are fairly free to do as we like here in Qatar, there is definitely a sense that you have to watch what you do and say.

Thankful for my relationship with Christ. It is what sustains me. The love and comfort He provides me with, the joy I feel in Him, and the knowledge that I am loved more than I could ever understand are all immeasurable and this, my friend, is the thing I am most thankful for.

To find out what other women are thankful for, visit Iris for more Thankful Thursday posts.

Having moved overseas, relocating our family to the Middle East, there have been lots of challenges. There are culture shock issues, language issues, etc. But none of that really matters to me right now.

But the worst part, by far, is not being able to be there for your friends when they need you. And I'm sick of it. I want to be able to hold people and pray with them and cry with them. There has been too much sadness that I haven't been able to offer comfort for.

In just the three short months since we moved, there has been crisis upon crisis in my social circle. You may remember that about a month ago, a dear friend of mine lost her husband in that plane crash in Honduras. Another friend of mine is facing some pretty serious medical issues. Another friend's daughter is having spinal surgery today to correct scoliosis. Another is still grieving the loss of her husband 20 months ago. Another friend lost her husband to heart disease last month.

Just now I've learned that a woman who was part of our small group lost her 19 year old son in a car crash last night. This is a woman who my husband and I counseled and ministered to during the breakup of her marriage last year. I feel a responsiblity to her. And here I am, a half a world away.

And it breaks my heart.

I know, without a doubt, that God put us here in Doha. But it is heartwrenching to know that your friends are suffering and you cannot be there with them to hold their hand and just sit in silence with them.

And so, to Marilyn, Mylinda, Kathy L., Jan, Barbara, and right now especially to you, Kathy C., I love you. And I miss you. And I'm praying for you. I'm praying that the God of all creation will be there to comfort you. And He's a far greater comforter than me.

The task assigned to us this week by our faithful leader, Shannon, is to share a recipe that involves five or less ingredients. This was a toughy for me as I tend to cook more, um, elaborately than this, but I found one.

This is a yummy little treat that I brought to VBS last year and it went like lightening! Super easy and super delicious, it makes a perfect brunch dish or appetizer.

Sausage Biscuit Bites

• 1 tube buttermilk biscuits
• 4 1/2 t. Parmesan cheese
• 1 package (8 oz.) brown and serve sausage links, thawed
• 1 T. butter, melted
• 1 t. oregano

Roll each biscuit into flat circles and brush tops with the melted butter. Sprinkle each biscuit with some of the Parmesan cheese and the oregano. Place a sausage link onto each biscuit at one end and roll up. Cut each roll into four pieces and secure with toothpicks. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

For more of the recipes I've shared over time, click here.

Here are some of my other Works for Me Wednesday posts that I thought you might enjoy:

• 50 Family Fun Ideas
• Soothe Those Mosquito Bites
• Romance, Web-Style
• Be a Professional Homemaker

Have a happy Wednesday!

70 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

This was a fun little test. According the the scoring legend, I fall in the middle of the Superior category. Some of the questions made me laugh - like the one that asked if I "use dope." Did they have "dope" in the 1930's??? Dope???

Another one that made me wonder was the question that asked "Do you wear red nail polish?" Now, would that be a positive or a negative? I mean, on the one hand, it could be seen as glamorous and keeping up with yourself. We all know how much maintenance red nail polish requires. But in the 1930's did it mean you were (gasp) a floozy???

Now, the painful part to admit is that I took the Husband quiz as well, answering for Hubby. I really tried to be quite honest and fair. And that man got 81 points!!! That puts him the the Very Superior category!!

So now, in order to at least get equal to his score, I'm making some resolutions. Wanna hear them? From now on, I will:

• Wash the top of the milk bottle before opening it
• Keep the seams in my hose straight
• Make sure my slip is not showing
• Not slow up card games with chatter and gossip
• Wear a nightgown instead of pajamas (oh, the horror!!!)

No, seriously, there were some interesting points the quiz made with regards to our consideration towards our husbands. It was fun and made me think a little bit.

Bonnet tip to Misty for sharing this quiz on her blog. She got a 91.

I must sit at her feet and learn of her ways.