Giving Thanks...

Sometimes as a Mom, you wish you could have a report card of sorts.  "Am I teaching the right things?"  "Do they hear what I am saying?"  "Do my children think of others?"  "Am I messing up royally??"

It is so, so good to hear when our children "get it", when they have done something that makes you well up with pride.

Yesterday I picked Cooper up from school and 2 of his teachers expressed the sweet kindness of my eldest.  They are, of course, discussing the things to be thankful for this week.  Cooper has always had a heart for those less fortunate.  Always.  He let them know how thankful he was for his family, his friends and his home.  And then went on to tell how much he wants to help those with less. 

He wants to give food.

Money.

Time.

Love.

HE IS 5.

His teachers expressed just how passionately he expressed this, how sweet and kind it was to see.

At dinnertime, he said the blessing and expressed again, his worry over those with less.  How he wants to help provide food, homes and money for those with less.

Can I tell you how proud this momma is??!??!

He gets it.  He is compassionate.  He is kind and giving and wonderful.

We should all take note. 

I know I am.

A little holiday cheer...

Love & Laughter,
abby

Thursday

Anyone else remember as a child thinking time was literally standing still?  Some hours felt like days.  Some days felt like weeks.  Time did not ever rush by. 

Why, WHY can't life be like that a little bit as an adult?  There is no way to accomplish everything in a day right now.  We are abundantly, abundantly blessed.  We are spending time doing the things that we love doing.  But is is whizzing by.

Thanksgiving is next week.  NEXT WEEK!  As in, a week from today.  (For anyone else completely lost in time, like me.)

I have already begun putting Christmas decorations up.  My hope is if I put a few things up each week, it might all be up by Christmas.

I love this time of year.  As a child, it took an eternity to get through all the days between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Double that, for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Oh, it would drag.

What am I saying???
I guess, I just wish it didn't feel so rushed.  I wish I had some of the childhood innocence and carefree time of my youth.  Anyone else not appreciate it as much as you should have??

I love watching my boys.  And all the other kids around that age.  Just soaking it all up.  The decorations, lights, time together, the real REASON we celebrate...

Wait!  I can do all of that...  It just goes so fast.  Poof.  It will be January.   Sigh....

I will leave you with a Cooper-ism for the day.
Yesterday he was helping me wash windows.  Midway through, he asks, "Mom, do you do this for a living or something??"
Yes.  Yes, I do. 
And I love and cherish every stinkin' moment of it.

Love & Laughter,
abby

Recipe

I LOVE to be in the kitchen.  Love it.

Thought I would share a recipe from time to time...  This one I got out of a cookbook that comes from an AdvoCare website.  It was crazy good.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce (No Sugar Added)

1/2 cup salsa

1 package Low Sodium Taco Seasoning or 3 -4 TBSP Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

2 cloves minced garlic

Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour remaining ingredients on top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over lettuce for a Tex-Mex inspired salad using the extra juice as a dressing or creating your own using some olive oil, lemon/lime juice, and taco seasoning.

Burrito or Salad Topping Suggestions: Black Beans (rinsed and drained), tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, salsa, avocado (make an avocado spread by mashing the avocado with some lemon juice)

So simple.  Crazy good.  We put it on tortillas with a little fresh cilantro, yellow bell peppers and guacamole.  That's it!  Delicious!


Love & Laughter,
abby

Quotes

Here are some encouraging words...


Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain


Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all.
Oscar Wilde


The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.
Theodore Roosevelt


Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.
Author Unknown

It's the friends you can call up at 4:00 a.m. that matter.
Marlene Dietrich

It's never too late to be what you might have been.
George Eliot

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein


I hope one of these resonates with you.  They all have a place in my heart.


Love & Laughter,
abby