The Simple Life at Home

Well, 2007 is almost gone. Are you ready for a new year? A chance to start over? A chance to...oh, who are we kidding?? Tomorrow will be like today; there's nothing magical about a day on a calendar page turning. The real magic comes from your (or mine) determination to change our lives. I'll be sharing some of my goals for the upcoming year in a few days.

But for now, the topic is food. Since Hubby is leaving at the end of the week and won't get a good home-cooked meal for several months (well, he is going from here to spend a week with his family in the Middle East before showing up for his new job, so I'm sure his mom will cook for him. But it's not the same. Ahem.) I have planned my menu for the week around his favorites. Here's the plan:

Monday - Pot Roast in the slow cooker with veggies (easiest recipe ever: chop an onion and mix with a can of cream of chicken soup and a packet of dry onion soup mix, pour over roast and cook all day - voila!)
Tuesday - Bezella
Wednesday - Baja Beef and Beans with Tex Mex Rice
Thursday - Sub sandwiches (we'll be leaving for the airport right around dinner, so we need something quick, but truly this is one of his favorites!)
Friday - the kids and I are going to the circus so we'll probably just pick something up on the way

For more great menu-planning ideas, be sure to visit the host of Menu Plan Monday, The Organizing Junkie!

Moving on to other topics, our small group threw us a going away party last night. We had a blast! Everyone had a great time discussing the implications of our move - the fact that husbands and wives can't kiss in public there, but it's ok for men to kiss each other; whether or not I would end up wearing a headcovering (NOT!); discussions of how to smuggle alcohol into us, etc. We received some very sweet and kind gifts - guidebooks to both the area and to Islam; a map of the Middle East; some red, white and blue striped Christmas ornaments to remember that we are, indeed, 'Mericans, as one woman put it; and a beautiful Willow Tree figurine of an angel holding a shell to remind us of Miami. There were gifts for the kids too and I'm so glad that we have this group of people supporting us.

And now, I'm off to get dressed and hit the grocery store. Hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your New Year's Eve!!

This super cute video was sent to me by my sister-in-law (who actually does need a van this big!!). The kids and I have been singing lines from the song for a couple of weeks now.

Enjoy!!

Today I bring you a side dish some of you have probably tried and some of you may have been too scared to try - tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is a traditional Arabic salad made with cracked wheat (burgul), parsley and tomatoes. I put a lot more into mine just to make it more fancy, but we'll get to that. In the Middle East you'll find tabbouleh that is almost all parsley and just a scant amount of burgul - not here. Mine is usually about 3/4 burgul and 1/4 parsley. Just a personal preference, I suppose.

This dish is just a health bonanza! Tons of fiber in the burgul, lots of veggies and heart-healthy olive oil. It make take a few bites to get into it, but once you give it a shot I bet you'll love it!!

And when I say "finely chopped" I mean REALLY finely chopped. Ok?

• 1 cup burgul (can usually be found in the same aisle as flour and corn meal)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 3/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mint (if you can't get fresh, you can use dried but fresh is better)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 cup small diced cucumber
• 2 scallions, sliced fine (include greens)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the burgul in warm water for about 30 minutes. Probably 2-3 cups worth. Alot of it will be absorbed, but drain off whatever is left after the 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix it well. If you would like it a little more moist, you can add either more lemon juice or more olive oil, to taste. Refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to develop. Yum!!!

For more great side dish ideas, be sure to visit Overwhelmed With Joy!

First of all, a big thanks to Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage for keeping Thankful Thursday going on behalf of Iris. You've done a great job, Lynn!!

So here we find ourselves at the end of yet another year. It's hard for me to believe that another year has come and gone. In a few months, I'll be turning 40. 40!!! Umm, I believe that it was only yesterday I was in high school. Where does the time go?

But 2007 was a wonderful year for us. I have so much to be thankful for. Here are some of the highlights:

• I can't say enough how thankful I am for all the wonderful blogs out there. I have learned so much from you wonderful women who open your heart and your lives to the world and allow us to glean from your wisdom. I am always amazed at how much I have to learn. And it's not always from the older women! Some of you 20-somethings have got your game on, let me tell you!! Thank you to all who encourage women to be godly wives and mothers in this world.
• Conversely, I'm so grateful that God led me to begin my own blog. It has been a true godsend to me. I have a place to sort through my feelings, to have a little fun and creativity (limited though that may be - LOL!!), and to share my thoughts with the world.
• I'm thankful for those of you who take the time to comment and engage with me in my journey. Thank you for your encouragement and advice and support. This wouldn't be any fun without you!

Now on to non-blogging stuff:

• I'm thankful that God has made his way clear to us. Our upcoming move to Doha, Qatar is just so clearly of God to us - we have no doubts or second thoughts. For years Hubby has mentioned off-handedly moving to the Middle East and I flat-out rejected the idea every time. But God has put such peace in my heart and I can honestly say that I am totally excited about this new adventure in our lives.
• I'm thankful our church is on the road to healing. After some very rough years in which one blow after another struck our church, we are finally settling down. Our new pastor is wonderful (though I loved our previous pastor), the Word is being preached with power, our attendance is rebuilding, people are feeling calm and loving instead of angry and fractious. At one point, I was truly concerned that the church might never recover, but God, in His mercy and wisdom, wasn't done with us yet!
• I'm thankful for our wonderful visit with my family earlier this month. We had a great time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
• I'm thankful for our homeschool support group. It is a wonderful group of godly families who are like-minded and who have been such a help and support to me over the past two years.
• I'm thankful for all the blessings we have here in America. As we prepare to move to another, very different, culture, I never forget what we are leaving. Having lived overseas before, I know that it won't always be easy. In fact, it will probably prove to be very frustrating much of the time. There won't be all the "stuff" I'm used to. The etiquette there is very different than here and I will get offended. The freedom we have here in America just won't be there. And yet...
• I'm so very grateful for the opportunity we have to allow our children to experience another part of the world. To give them a different perspective. To show them places that most people only dream about going (have I mentioned our plan to allow each person to pick one "dream vacation" during our time there? So far we have requests in for Italy and for Greece). To give them the opportunity to learn a new language.
• I'm thankful, most of all, for my wonderful Savior, for God my Father, and for the Holy Spirit. Without their VERY REAL presence and work in my life, it would all be meaningless.

And so there we have it. There is much more to be thankful for, but these are the biggies that jump to mind.

And what about you? What are you thankful for? Don't miss this opportunity as we prepare to enter a new year to reflect back on what God has done for you this year.

More Graphics at pYzam.com

Update: I've got 47 out of the 101 finished, so I'm close to half way done with still 14 months to go. Several of the things will get checked off the list while we are in the process of moving. Unfortunately, the moving will also make some of the items either difficult or impossible to do, so I'm going to need to replace some of the original goals. Those items are in red, with the replacement goal next to it in black as I think of them.

Some of you have already heard of my attempt to complete 101 things in 1001 days. Feel free to skip this post!

For those of you who think I'm speaking in some kind of binary language, let me explain. I came across this idea at Enjoy the Journey and thought it was wonderful. The idea is to come up with a list of things you'd like to accomplish, but with a reasonable time frame. 1001 days comes up to about 2.75 years. That way, you still have a deadline approaching, but should you miss doing something (say going to a sunrise service on Easter morning), you still have the chance to do it the next year.

So here is my amended list. I made some changes once I thought about it and realized that some things didn't really matter that much to me. And since it's my list, I can do that! Things that are completed will be bolded with the date next to it. Some things may just have a note about the progress.


The List
Begun 7/12/06 - Deadline 4/8/09

Updated: 1/30/08

1. Read through the Bible start to finish (currently in i Kings)
2. Go a week with no tv (8/8/06)
3. Memorize a verse a week
4. Do a 24 hour fast
5. Start journaling again (June 2007)
6. Watch a sunrise on the beach by myself
7. Do Advent readings and an Advent wreath
8. Go an entire week without saying anything negative about anyone
9. Go away for a weekend alone with my husband
10. Take a dance class with my hubby
11. Keep the desk clean and neat for my husband
12. Pray for my husband daily
13. Do not complain about my hubby to anyone (December 2007 - I think I've got a handle on this one)
14. Throw my husband a surprise birthday party (he's never had a birthday party in his entire life!)
15. Iron a week ahead of time for at least one month (December 2007)
16. Read and complete all assignments in Fascinating Womanhood
17. Play pool with hubby ( 7-12-07 - He beat me!!!)
18. Personal thing between my hubby and myself. No snickering, please!
19. Take the family to visit a historical site
20. Take the kids to the Dead Sea
21. Do a Bible study with my daughter (ok, not a Bible study per se, but we are working our way through Beautiful Girlhood)
22. Get in the routine of having a fancy Sabbath dinner each week
23. Take my kids somewhere fun just for the heck of it (8/5/06)
24. Have a family picnic (7/15/06)
25. Teach my daughter to cook 14 meals well (she's learned 5 so far)
26. Cull the bookshelves to make more free space (12/4/06)
27. Paint the kids' bathrom a pretty color (10/9/06)
28. Keep the van clean for one month (8/15/06)
29. Organize the linen closets (12/5/06) and yet it needs done again!
30. Take a one week Internet vacation
31. Go through the house ruthlessly and get rid of excess stuff (12/1/06 and ongoing)
32. Rip all my cd's (03/05/07)
33. Do all the filing that has been piling up (9/29/06)
34. Make a household inventory for insurance purposes (1/30/08)
35. Sort jewelry box and get rid of items I'll never wear (7/26/06)
36. Find a workable system for organizing the home (December 2007 - Finally, a place for everything and everything in its place!!!)
37. Use the crockpot once a week (no date as this is a process)
38. Save $1000 for my personal discretionary emergency fund
39. Have enough in the pantry that I could skip grocery shopping for two weeks
40. Pay off all debt except for the house
41. Have a mega garage sale to get rid of stuff (12/06/06)
42. Figure out the Prepaid college fund account and get up to date (7/24/06)
43. Get driver's license corrected (5/20/07)
44. Use up all the lotions, cosmetics, etc. before buying more (December 2007)
45. Get highlights (March 2008)
46. Grow a vegetable garden (August 2007)
47. Learn Arabic through Rosetta Stone
48. Take a seminary class I find interesting (Won't be able to do this now due to move)
49. Take a homemaking class (07/07))
50. Start a blog (6/11/07)
51. Learn to make kanaffe, an Arabic dessert (1/1/07)
52. Learn to make movies on the computer (10/11/07 - Thanks, Emily!!)
53. Read a classic book every couple of months (have read 6 so far)
54. Learn a new recipe each month
55. Take advantage of the free museum nights here in town
56. Learn how to make P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps (6/14/07 - They were yummy!)
57. Make bread from scratch (September 24, 2007 - Yum!)
58. Make pizza from scratch (May 2008)
59. See a Broadway show
60. Get a Wii (great for those hot days in Qatari summers - at least we'll be up and about rather than lying on the couch) (March 2008)
61. Go to a concert (September 11, 2007)
62. Host a fancy dinner party (August 17, 2007)
63. Get all the fish in Animal Crossing (7/13/06 - see how lame I am?)
64. Go to a U-pic for strawberries and tomatoes (1/17/08 - oh my gosh - Delish!!)
65. See Shakespeare in the park (7/15/06)
66. Take kids to a drive-in movie
67. Fall asleep on a blanket in the backyard
68. Visit the Burj Al-Arab
69. Go for a walk in the rain (March 2008)
70. Donate blood twice a year
71. Watch a meteor shower (August 28, 2007)
72. Get my weight down to 140
73. Drink only water for one week (October 9, 2007)
74. Walk 30 minutes a day
75. Get my eating under control
76. Find a form of exercise I really enjoy (6/12/07 - swimming!!)
77. See a dermatologist about rosacea (9/28/06)
78. Take vitamins daily
79. Floss every day for at least a month
80. Try a fruit I've never tried before (12/22/06 - papaya and carambola)
81. Go to bed by 10 pm for a month
82. Don't eat after 8 pm for a month
83. Feel better at 40 than I did at 30
84. Find a doctor I like
85. Try edamame (1/13/07)
86. Spend a day at the spa (pedicure, manicure, massage and facial)
87. Buy some nice new pj's - not to fancy or to sloppy looking (9/30/06)
88. Get a good tan (please no lectures!)
89. Start wearing shoes in the house
90. Get braces
91. Get teeth professionally whitened
92. Go shopping at Ann Taylor
93. Do a full skin-care routine for a month
94. Find a good red lipstick
95. Be able to tuck in my shirt and like the way I look
96. Grow my hair long (10/1/06)
97. Find a great brown leather purse (7/21/06)
98. Move out of South Florida (March 26, 2008!!!)
99. Send out Christmas cards in early December
100. Stop interrupting people (much improvement here, but not completely under control)
101. Make a new 101 list when this one is completed

I'm so thrilled that Christmas is finally here and that our family is able to be together for this special time. Since it's just the four of us this year (for the first time in forever!) and it will probably be just us for a while due to our move, I started thinking about what kind of traditions I'd like our family to have of our own.

For Christmas eve, we always go to the candlelight service at church. This year, Daniel will be playing a shepherd in the nativity pageant, so we are especially looking forward to it. The candlelight service is one of the most special times of the year to me. It is just so significant how one light, representing the light of Christ, soon spreads and brings light and joy to the entire congregation. Let this be a reminder to all of us to be bearers of Christ's light to the world.

Another tradition I've been establishing is that I always give my kids a new game on Christmas Eve. Then, after dinner, we can play together before bed. This year, the game I've chosen is Apples to Apples. We played this with our small group a few months ago and had such a great time! I really think my kids will be thrilled to get it.

Here's our menu for the week. Since we are counting down the days until Hubby leaves, there are a couple of no-cooking days that we'll probably go out - WHOO-HOO!!