Habitat For Humanity Crop

This past Saturday I attended my first ever, Habitat for Humanity Crop fundraiser. There were about thirteen people in attendance. I attended with my friend Lori. All I can say that the women who attended where “hardcore” scrap-bookers. I had the appearance of looking “hardcore” outfitted with my scrapbook tote, craft scissors, double sided tape, stickers, and 12 X12 paper. I used to be into scrapbooking when I was younger but haven’t done it for ages. For those of you that know Dan he is always trying to get me into hobbies. All the scrapbooking stuff I do have is because of him!! These women had big totes with wheels, stamps, ribbons, brads, precise paper cutters, paper punch-outs, and special glue and tape for vellum paper. It was Crazy!! As I walked around the room surveying these women’s pages I realized I had never scrapbooked. I cut out pictures and put stickers on the pages (honestly that is still what I do and I like it). Needless to say these women had been doing this for a long time and spent a lot of time and money doing it.

I left Alex with Dan for the day as we ventured out at about 9:00am, had breakfast, went on a walk and then headed to MCR for a day of scrapbooking. We were thinking about only staying for a few hours but then once we got started we couldn’t stop. We stayed until 9:30pm – 12 hours!!! The time flew by.
Since I have not been away from Alex for that long – I decided to bring my pump. Lori insisted that if I didn’t I would be hurting at the end of the day. I am so glad she convinced me. I had to use one of the labor and delivery rooms on the fifth floor. The nurses were super nice and complemented me for pumping. If it weren’t for the nurses letting me use a room, I would have been relegated to the bathroom. One of the elderly ladies that volunteers at MCR first told me I could just use the lobby to pump. Apparently she has never seen anyone pump before – it is not something you can easily do discreetly that is for sure. For those of you who have pumped, you know that sitting on a toilet is not the most comfortable place to pump.
All and all it was a good day! I called a few times to check on Daddy and Alex. Daddy said that Alex was happy and perfect the entire day. Go – figure!! (Alex is a really good boy) Alex took a four and half hour nap, didn’t eat every three hours, didn’t get a bath but I know he had a great time with Daddy and that is all I care about!!

MOPS

I have recently been a part of a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). It is a big group of moms who gather together the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month to fellowship from 9:30 -11:30. You do not have to be a part of church to attend.

I had a few misconceptions about MOPS. First, I thought you had to have a child in preschool to attend. Second, I thought that it would be a small gathering of moms. The first time I went to the meeting at E-Free there was about 80 moms. It was very organized which I presumed it would be more like a small group setting. It costs $6.00 each time but it is well worth it for the yummy breakfast, speakers, and childcare. They also do a lot of drawings for prizes. It is a great way to meet other mom's in your area as well as get out of the house.

Another great thing I like about MOPS is if you need prayer, or any kind of support it is a great resource. For example, if you have a home business you can share what you do or if you have a sick child and need meals the moms can pull together to help. They also have what they call "mentor moms." These moms sit at each table and usually have kids that are grown. They have a lot of wisdom when it comes to raising families.

I must say I have really begun to enjoy the group. Each week you sit at the same table, therefore, letting you get to the know the other ladies. Usually each week there is a speaker who talks about topics such as sibling rivalry, how to dress your body post pregnancy, how to deal with holiday stress etc. They have childcare available so it is a nice break to meet fellow moms as well as in our case have Alex experience playing with other kids in the nursery. Each time I have put Alex in the nursery the workers are so caring and do such a fabulous job taking care of the kids. I am thankful for this group. I would encourage any new mom to try it. I know Fort Collins has a few groups to choose from.

Thankfulness

As I was walking on the Cathy Fromme Trail the other day, the Lord laid on my heart that I need to be thankful for all that He has done for me.

I need to be thankful that Jesus came and led a sinless life, died a horrible death on the cross, and paid for my sin so that I could enter into a relationship with God. I can now stand before Him, no longer separated by my sin. I take that for granted sometimes. I don't live each day mindful of that price He paid. I get distracted and busy like most humans do. Jesus is the most important person in my life. I need to be thankful that I have a relationship with Him. I would like to start posting about what I am thankful for and share what He is teaching me. I will also post pictures and other silly things that I think are fun. Now that I stay home with Alex (another thing I am extremely thankful and blessed to be able to do), I have more time. You might say how is that possible with a 7 month old? Alex takes naps in the afternoons but also I dictate our schedule. I don't have to cram everything into the evenings after dinner or weekends. This is another thing I am thankful for. I can experiment with new recipes, take long walks, watch Alex grow, spend time with grandma and grandpa Long, put time into the relationships that the Lord leads me to, and reflect on God's word.

I am excited for what the Lord is doing in the Frank family!!! God is molding Dan and I daily into the people He wants us to be. It is a slow process that seems to take forever but it is worth it!One of Alex's Bible songs is ringing in my head..."Rise and Shine and give God the Glory, Glory!!"... That is what I am going to do...remember the Lord and give Him the glory for the wonderful things He has done!!

Healthy Made - up Recipes

Well as one can see I have not posted on this blog in ages!!!

I thought I would post a couple of quick and easy recipes that I made up recently. Our refrigerator was almost empty so it left me no choice but to use stuff I already had in my freezer and pantry.

My new FAVORITE...for a snack or for lunch

PEANUT BUTTER AND APPLE TORTILLA

1 organic whole wheat tortilla
1 apple
1 Tablespoon of honey
2 Tablespoons of Natural Chunky Peanut Butter

You can see where I might be going with this...
Step 1: Spread peanut butter on tortilla
Step 2: Cut up apples into thin slices then put on top of peanut butter
Step 3: Drizzle honey on top of the apples
Step 4: Fold Tortilla and Enjoy!!

There you have it ... a healthy snack or lunch in my case!!

BROWN FRIED RICE WITH SOYBEANS AND GROUND ITALIAN TURKEY

3 Cups Brown Rice
5 Eggs Scrambled
Fresh Ginger (if you have it)
2 bunches of Green Onions
1 Cup Shelled Edamame
1 Pkg of Italian Ground Turkey

Steam Rice. Scramble Eggs and Remove to plate after cooked. Chop Green Onions. Saute Green Onions and Ginger in a little bit of canola oil. Then add Ground Turkey and brown meat. Meanwhile in a pot boil soybeans until done (about 5 minutes). Add soybeans and eggs to the Ground Turkey. Then pour rice into the saute pan with the ground turkey. Mix well and add a little more canola oil and low sodium soy sauce...fry for a few minutes and there you have it!!!

A cheap lunch or dinner option with lots of protein and fiber...