easy skillet meal- breakfast eggs

you'll need:

iron skillet

about 3-4 eggs

shredded cheese

meat if you wish (we chopped up some deli meat, which works great)

tomatoes, diced

**slightly sauteed onions

**Diced potatoes

bread crumbs (just a little bit for texture)

paprika & seasoned salt

*preheat oven to about 375

**Prep: cook diced potatoes & onions on burner til done.

1. Spray the pan or coat with butter/oil lightly or else it will stick.

2. Mix up all ingredients together.

3. Place into your iron skillet

4. Heat on burner for 5 minutes

5. Put in oven for about 15 minutes.

6. Sprinkle cheese on top.

7. enjoy! (we added ranch and it was really good!)

YOU CAN ALWAYS ALTER ANY RECIPE TO MEET YOUR NEEDS.

Simple Semi- Homemade pizza

You will need:

1 pkg. dry crust mix - the kind you just add water to(around $1 or so)

spaghetti/pizza sauce or alfredo

shredded cheese

Your favorite toppings, sliced up how you like it (we use olives, tomatoes, and sometimes peppers)

seasoning - pizza, italian, basil, salt, etc.

1. Mix crust & place in oven according to directions on package- make sure to poke holes in it with a fork.

(while that is cooking, chop up and prepare your toppings)

2. Take a spoon and cover the top with your sauce.

3. Put your toppings & cheese on. (we put cheese in between each topping :) )

(its very easy and fun to make)

We have a name!

I am so excited! we decided on a name! Course i am not telling anyone what it is yet, because we have decided to let it be our little secret. But the first and middle names we picked out have great meanings! We were initially going to wait until he was born to decide, but I guess the Lord provided the name for us before then and so that was the right timing!

:)

⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart - Jeremiah 1:5

____

little moments

The other day I made pumpkin cheesecake. I made enough batter for 4 or 5 cheesecakes... and i put it in the crusts and then i tasted it. Wasn't that great!

I wondered why. I scraped it out and added more sugar. Tasted a little better. Put it in the fridge.

A day or so later, toby says, aren't you supposed to Bake them? I thought for a minute about it... UH, Yeah. we were supposed to bake it. I laughed a lot about that! they were so good once we cooked them!

Life just seems to have those sort of moments. And the best thing to do is Laugh! I'm learning to do that more. I often get frustrated with little things and forget the big picture. But it's not about being perfect. It's about learning and growing and being happy where you are. Right at this moment.

And so lately, I've begun to enjoy little moments of life. Especially little moments with my husband. Like going together to see our baby on the ultrasound for the first time. It was incredible and unforgettable!

I remember all the little details of it. Walking into the hospital, waiting for them to call us back, and then getting to see sort of what our baby looks like. And then when she said you have a little boy! Toby was grinning ear to ear!! And he made that little noise he makes when he is happy but doesn't know what to say. Its just something I notice. We are so excited!

Toby videoed the whole thing. Even though he probably wasn't supposed to. When we walked out of there we both were so excited! We got in the car and of course i was hungry, but we called our family members one by one. We were on the phone almost all day telling everyone. I think this was one of the happiest days I've ever had!

I live for little moments like that.

Yesterday we went to toby's dads house and he built shelves for the baby. Football shelves. Course we will leave it up to the child to decide if they like football or not! But I can tell toby is happy and wants to be involved. I just love that! I can't wait to see how the baby's room will come together.

But today I heard something that really hit me hard. I always associate things with love. Objects as representing something beautiful. but its not that way! Things are only to get by. Love is with people! And so, I realize that what is important is our baby, not our baby's stuff.

Living and Learning.

precious

I heard on the radio this morning a talk about Adoption, and I broke into tears as they spoke of their story.

They talked of the orphanage they picked their 2 boys up from in Russia and how silent the place was. The babies there didn't cry. And the speaker explained that they didn't cry because they had noone to respond to them when they did need something. So they rocked themselves and comforted themselves. They also weren't able to go outside. Ever. Can you imagine? I want to go there and adopt all of them. I want the world to know that children are a GIFT not a burden. NOT A BURDEN. They are new life! They are created by God!

My mom adopted 2 boys from Russia as well. And they still have some scars from their experience, but hopefully they don't realize. They remember some, but very little (thank the Lord). They were able to go outside at this orphanage, but there was broken glass everywhere and they didn't really clothe them well for the weather. My littlest brother says (not sure if this is true, but its possible) that there was a tank outside his window one day.

Many of them never get adopted. And at a certain age, noone wants them for adoption, so they are kicked out and put on the streets. To lead lives of pure brokenness and emptiness.

My heart cries out for all the children who are hurting for no fault of their own.

When will the world see that children are precious? That they are wonderfully made and need love? They are not a weight to be carried. And its not about money. You may think they are expensive. But why are you putting a price on HUMAN LIVES? They cannot be bought. They were bought at a price on the cross. But not with our money.

in our culture today, often people care more about animals than humans. What have we become?

Human life is precious.

Panera Bread Broccoli & Cheese Soup

AMAZING soup!

Serves 3-4. Ready in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 T melted butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups half & half

2 cups chicken stock or bouillon

1/2 pound fresh broccoli- fresh is best

1 cup carrots, shaved or food processed

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 t. nutmeg

8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter & flour, blend using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and half. (this is called making a roux.) Add the chicken stock, whisking all the time. Simmer for 2o minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots & onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt & pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender & puree (optional.) Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg & serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Festive!

* there might be an easier way (less ingredients) to make this, but this recipe is pretty simple if you can get the ingredients. and its tasty! *

1- .25 oz. unflavored gelatin - baking aisle

1- 8 oz. cream cheese, super softened

1- 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. pure vanilla extract

plus one graham cracker crust

Mix together (dry first then add wet.)

Let sit in fridge for 2 hours before serving (to set.)