8 Week Menu Plan (Revised Version)
Drumroll, please....
Here's our kitchen. See that mound of dishes drying? That's what I spend my life doing. That dishwasher is coming soon, I tell you. You want to hear something funny? All refrigerators here come with a lock. We think it is to keep out the maid. But I should probably hide the key from myself! LOL!! To the right of the picture, out of sight, is the door to the back, where you would find a "maid's room" which we are using for storage and a second kitchen. For some weird reason, Arabs don't seem to appreciate the smell of food cooking in the house, so they often use another kitchen for cooking and just use the main kitchen for small things. There is not stove there, so we are using that for storage as well and also as a laundry room. You can see the door - it's that brown thing with the semi-circle on it out the window. Also, you can see here the stove of death. I should have taken a close up of the knives of death as well, but didn't want to get too close.
Here's Emily's room. She had wanted this exact color from the time we were in Miami, so it's like this was made for her. It really looks nice with her white furniture. She's got tons of things to put up on her walls as well and she would like to have a mural painted on the ceiling.
Thankful Thursday
I'm mad. I'm really mad. Hubby was just informed that his one Saturday a month that he was told he gets off (keeping in mind that his only day off is Friday), he no longer can take. So he got to do that ONE time. We are both frustrated with the politics of his company - refusing to respond when they just don't want to deal with you, promising things then taking them away, etc. I guess I shouldn't complain - they have honored what is in the contract, but verbally have made many more promises and then reneged.
The point I'm getting at is that I really don't feel like doing Thankful Thursday today. I'm frustrated and annoyed and angry all rolled up into one. But yet I'm called to be thankful.
Now, some people would say that I would be hypocritical to sit here and blog about all the happy and good things when I'm in such a bad mood. They might feel that I'm putting on an act. And, to some degree they might be right. It is an act. But feelings often follow actions. By choosing to be thankful in the midst of not wanting to be, I begin a process of healing in my heart and attitude. It's like praying for your enemy - it's hard to stay mad at them for very long when you are sincerely praying blessings upon them.
But even more importantly than the impact it has on our hearts and minds is the fact that we are commanded to be thankful.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:18
You see, it's not an option. Even when we don't feel thankful, we are called to be thankful. Many of the problems of the world today stem back to people only doing what feels good, rather than what is the right thing to do.
So, here is my "sacrifice of praise," my list of things I truly am thankful for, even though I started this post (though just writing it has immensely improved my outlook) grumpy and mad.
* I'm thankful for my Lord, who saved me from my sin and who continually is with me.
* I'm thankful for my husband, who is a wise leader and godly man.
* I'm thankful for my children, who are kind and loving.
* I'm thankful for my parents (and extended family) who have handled our move WAAAY better than I would have ever believed.
* I'm thankful for our beautiful home. I know, I know - look for pictures tomorrow!
* I'm thankful for our move to Doha. Even though there have been frustrating moments, I truly believe it is a good thing for our family, for my children in particular, for our faith, and for our minds.
* I'm thankful for the women's Bible study I began yesterday. Over 40 women meeting together in the middle of a Muslim country to worship God and learn about discerning His voice. Amazing!
* I'm thankful for my good friends in the States who have continually emailed and encouraged us.
You see - I have the really important things in life. What more could I ask for?
Live Well Wednesday
I lost two pounds!!!
I lost two pounds!!!
The big thing is that I did it without major effort, just by making small changes that, truthfully, I didn't even really notice.
For years I've been trying to do big, dramatic changes and expecting MAJOR results INSTANTLY. And I get frustrated, bored, tired, you name it. And then I quit.
But this time I'm not quitting. I am recognizing that Rome (and my waistline) wasn't built in a day, nor will it be undone in a day.
Did I have a perfect week? No, not by far. But I did make more positive choices than negative ones. That's gonna be my ticket I think. And, hopefully over time, those choices will become second nature to me and easier to make. I hope to get to the point where it's not even a choice, but just a natural instinct.
Thanks to all of you for your positive comments and encouragement last week. It meant the world to me. I have a long way to go still, but I know that by going slow and steady, I can indeed win this race.
Today I began a Women's' Bible Study at our new church. The opening song was by Casting Crowns, a truly amazing Christian band with amazing lyrics. This song, The Voice of Truth, talks about how things in our lives constantly throw up in our faces our past failures, but that we much CHOOSE to listen to the voice of truth - God - rather than the voices of those who would tear us down. The One who is with us in all things, in all struggles. The One who will be glorified when we conquer our sins and addictions. The One who gives us strength.
WFMW - Getting Rid of Molluscum
First of all, a big howdy to those of you who clicked over just to find out what the heck is a molluscum!! Some kind of sea animal? The stuff you put on bunions and corns? Or maybe the stuff that floats at the top of still lake water? Congratulations for wanting to educate yourself! There's always something new to learn, isn't there?
Molluscum is a skin condition that is viral in nature. It most often affects children between the ages of 2 and 12. It can be spread through close contact or even shared clothing. Here's a pic to give you an idea of what it looks like:
Pretty, huh? Now imagine tens, even a hundred of these all over your child's body. With my daughter it started on her elbows. Then it spread up her arms, into her armpits, showed up on her knees, and finally on her chest. The doctors, both her pediatrician and the dermatologist I took her to, told me that there was nothing I could do but wait for it to run its course - which could be 2-3 years!! Meanwhile I had a 10 year old girl who was embarrassed because kids would frequently ask her about the bumps. When it got to her throat, I was desperate to stop it before it moved up to her face and I started looking for alternatives.
After searching the internet, I found Molluscum No More, an organic treatment that promised to cure the problem. It was pretty pricey at $27 for a small bottle, but I was desperate to save my child's self-esteem so I ordered a bottle.
She hated having me apply it to her skin. It has a very strong odor, but doesn't sting or hurt in anyway. But, people, let me tell you that within one week I saw improvement. Within two weeks, they were gone. We had been struggling with them for over a year and here was the answer we needed!! And that little bottle? Well, I had enough to treat a few bumps that my son had also developed and I still have over half of it left. Just a Q-tip's worth is all it took, three times a day.
If your child has molluscum, this can work for you too!
Thanks, as always, to Shannon for hosting Works for Me Wednesday! Be sure to click on over and check out more fantastic mom ideas!
Menu Plan Monday - April 14th!
First of all, a huge happy birthday to my little boy. He's 11 years old today and a real joy. Here's a pic from back in Miami - obvious by the fact that there is grass!! Happy birthday, Daniel!!
Now, onto the menus. I want to say upfront that I am in the process of re-working my 8 Week Menu Plan, as well as my Daily Cleaning Schedule. Being in both a new country (where some ingredients are not readily available) and in a new home have necessitated some changes. Look for these updated plans in the next week or two.
Here's what we will be having this week!
Monday - Tonight we are going out for dinner to celebrate Daniel's birthday. He's chosen to go to Bennigan's. Yep, there's a Bennigan's in Qatar!
Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan, steamed vegetables, Caesar salad and garlic bread (didn't get to make this last week as I couldn't find shredded Parmesan cheese - as it is I settled for a mozzarella/parm blend that I hope works)
Wednesday - Baja Beef and Beans with Tex-Mex Rice
Thursday - Crockpot Chicken over rice (simply chicken breasts with cream of chicken soup and onion soup mix in the crockpot)
Friday - Homemade Pizza
Saturday - Lentils and Rice
Sunday - Shepherd's Pie
If your menu planning could use a little boost, be sure to drop by The Organizing Junkie to find hundreds of menu plans. We could all use some new ideas, right??
The Importance of Having a Plan
Now, my family (Mom! Troy) constantly makes fun of my list-making habit. I love to make lists! I may not always complete what's on the list, but at least it gives me a sense of direction, a place to start.
For some reason, probably exhaustion and mental fatigue, I hadn't taken the time to sit down and make a list of all that needs to be done. I just wandered from room to room thinking, "Oh, I need to do (fill-in-the-blank)." And then I would walk out of the room and forget about it.
Today I finally made my list. Here it is:
1) Taxes!!! (Fortunately, I learned that those living outside the US on Apr. 15 get an extra 2 months to file!)
2) Take my medical test (A requirement for getting my resident's permit here in Qatar)
3) Reorganize the kitchen (it's too full - I need to take somethings out to storage)
4) Organize the desk, coffee table and extra table (currently full of electronics and wires and such)
5) Sweep and mop floors (all three levels!)
6) Move small bookcase to the loft and fill with schoolbooks (need to start school this week!)
7) Strip beds and put on mattress covers, wash bedding and remake beds.
8) Take down and wash curtains in 1st floor bedroom, iron and put them up in master. Hang different curtains in 1st floor bedroom.
9) Hang up remaining clothes in my suitcase and reorganize drawers. (more to come on this is another post. Trust me - there's more to the story.)
10) Organize the "library." (Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Really it's just an extra bedroom where we put all the boxes of books. It's also become a dumping ground for suitcases and many other things.)
11) Fix hose. (Apparently hoses here come without either male or female parts - just a cut hose end. You have to buy the parts and attach them yourselves.) Once that's done I can...
12) Clean the patio and patio furniture. (Qatar is dusty. Very dusty.)
13) Pull out dead plants, left courtesy of the previous tenant. (Fortunately, by watering a little bit, I have found out that there is a lovely bougainvillea, as well as some pentas that were able to survive. Hopefully with a little nurturing they will come back to full beauty.)
So that's what I'll be doing the next few days. Now that I have a plan, I can go methodically through it, crossing things off as I go. If you have been overwhelmed by the clutter in your home, just make a list of the top 5 things you want to do. Then do them, one by one. Don't get overwhelmed, don't get discouraged. Remember that an progress is better than none.
Ok, now I'm off to get poked and prodded.
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