It's a beautiful day!

It's a beautiful day here in East Texas! Lots of sunshine to dry out the ground from the recent rains. House cleaning this morning. (Then I found on the Internet (where you can find ANYTHING) that my housecleaning efforts got me about 200 calories 'back'!) JoGail was home and helped. She is a good helper. No griping, just needed a couple of breaks every now and then. Grace was at UIL competition, so she got out of it this week. Laundry's almost done, so I just need to iron for the week and make sure it's all put away.

I have so much to be thankful for...a husband who loves me and makes me laugh, friends who are also coworkers, people who help with the girls, my girls.....so much that can't even list. No, we're not living a perfect life-JoGail's grades are dropping (she isn't paying attention to what she should be doing), Grace is struggling with living in a 'fish bowl'....but we love each other and have each other. That's enough for me.

I have been purposely reading the Psalms. It's so eye opening when He shows me the ones who are hurting around me. I pray fervently that He will cover my friends and acquaintances with His love. I get excited thinking about how HE will provide for them and solve their dilemmas. It may not be the way I think (probably won't be) or they way I want Him to solve the situations, but He will and it will be exciting to see how He chooses to do this!

The calorie counting app is still working. Coy is feeling better than he has in awhile (I think he's lost almost 15 pounds) and I am still chugging along (I have most almost 9 pounds). I have been trying to incorporate afternoon walks into my routine. I am up to about 20 minutes. I have to watch the weather though and my allergies. I am planning on restarting the Couch to 5k app in about a week. While I hope the weather holds so I can get outside more, I am nervous about allergies/sinus problems starting up! I just beat a cold/allergies..I know allergies are going to be bad this spring since we didn't really get enough cold weather to kill everything. But I determined to be in decent shape when we hit the track during summer workouts this summer!!!! ( I can't believe BOTH of my girls will be doing that this summer!!!)

Laurie

My new (old) flexibility.....

Awwww....flexibility.....that implies changes.....changes to my routine, changes to my plans.....it was the keyword when I was on mission trips in high school; it was the keyword when I was working a camps in the summer; it was the keyword when I was in ElPaso by myself; it was the keyword when the girls were much younger; and it's still the keyword!

Our duct taped together washing machine started leaking water form the bottom. So, we went and found one today. But it means my weekend schedule is all messed up. And I know some of you have heard me talk about Coy and his routines and Grace and her routines and JoGail's lack of routines, but I am just as guilty as Grace and Coy! I guess Grace comes by it doubly naturally! And yet as I sit here typing this I realize that laundry getting done on a certain really isn't a big deal. But it is to me!  It means I will think it's Saturday tomorrow afternoon when I am doing it!  

We end up buying a huge machine. It was weird to hear Coy say," You know it's big, but we have to think about when the girls are gone."  I don't even want to think about that! 

Sidenote.....We pulled the old machines out and I pleased to only see dust back there--I was expecting socks, etc that had fallen behind the machines! At that moment I felt like I had won the lottery!

Back to flexibility, we just found out when JoGail's post season basketball tournament is and it is, of course, when we had planned a trip to Lubbock to see both of Coy's sisters. So we are trying to reschedule a long overdue trip. We are hoping it will work out. (There's that word flexibility again coming to mind.)

So I guess I stretch my mind and try to be flexible without griping.....

Fiesta Chicken Bowl

Fiesta Chicken Bowl


1 package chicken meat (can be breast, tenders or thighs)

1 package taco seasoning

2 can rotel

1 can corn

1 can black beans

Brown rice, cooked



Combine all (don’t drain anything) in crock pot and cook on high 4 hours or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over brown rice.

New twist on an old recipe

I saw a recipe on pinterest and decided to try it out. We were already having salsa chicken for lunch, so I decided to try my idea out. I made the regular salsa chicken and added some corn and black beans to the crockpot. Then I cooked some brown rice and we ate the crockpot mixture over the rice. It wasn't bad! The girls like it plain, so  I left some for them. Next time maybe I will have some cilantro to throw in it! I didn't have any and didn't want to make a trip to the store just for that (because I knew I would buy other stuff, too!)
We've been busy! Coy's back from his Midwinter conference. He said it was one of the best he's been to in a while. Basketball is winding down for Grace and track is getting started. JoGail's basketball team isn't doing too bad. They are fun to watch. Those girls have improved so much.

We're still waiting on winter weather. Not sure if we are going to have any this year or not. We need it! The bugs and allergies will be horrible if we don't. After the rain last week everything looks green and springy.

We're still counting calories. Both Coy think our clothes are fitting better, so that's all the at matters! We are both more aware of what we eat now. I"m boycotting counting calories today...I think I just need a break !!!