28 || 28

28 things for 28

1. I'm working hard to be a person I'm proud of and really like.
2. I'm starting to be a person that I'm proud of and really like.
3. I am a morning person.
4. I am the youngest of 4 girls, and the youngest of 42 cousins.
5. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I'm an avid coffee drinker
(preferably dunkin).
6. I love riding in cars but hate driving.
7. Mexican is my favorite food~ the non-spicy dishes obvi... baby mouth.
8. I love cooking, but hate doing the dishes.
9. I have great intentions to read my Bible everyday (yet I'm
embarrassed to admit the % of days that it really happens)
10. Yellow is my favorite color and Fall is my favorite season.
11. I've been to Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica and the Ukraine (would
really love to increase this list someday).
12. I love the smell of clean laundry and hate matching socks.
13. I love grocery shopping.
14. I like to start the day by making the bed, though it rarely happens.
15. Having children is more work than I thought, yet I still want more—Crazzyyy!
16. I prefer white chocolate over chocolate and ice cream above all things.
17. I am not very patient (though I've gotten better since having kids).
18. I like things done a certain way (I'm a slight control freak…)
19. I love mojitos, margaritas, Malibu, and cider beers.
20. I really like being pregnant (aside from the last 2 miserable
weeks when you just want that baby to come)
21. I love music~ singing to it in the car, dancing to it and finding new gems.
22. I'm not really into TV although I love a good movie, and like
quoting movies.
23. I'm working on having more joy and seeing the beauty in everything.
24. I very rarely follow a recipe when cooking.
25. I was born and raised in FL- and I dearly miss her, almost daily!
26. I always have several "to-do" lists going, but I couldn't tell you
where they all are at this moment, I even go to the extreme of making
lists for others and even putting things on my list that I've done,
just to cross them off – embarrassing but true!
27. I am a passionate person and a hugger.
28. My family is my life.

Words Worth Living By

Encouragement for today. Words Worth Living By!

Use Your Gifts || Leave the Dishes

Proverbs 31 Devo
Sharon Glasgow Ministry
As Sharon Puts it "Entertaining isn't about our house, our decorating, our cooking or how perfect our children are. Hospitality is when you open your home to all those who come, invited and uninvited and minister the love of Christ no matter what your circumstances are."

Sharon went to visit a woman who had been a missionary for over 60 years and led countless people to Christ and the woman she was in her eighties and continued to pour her life into serving.  Sharon and her husband stayed with her and learned things that I really really need to learn.    I need to learn how to leave the dishes whenever God opens a window of opportunity.  I want to be able to let the dishes go and not act like I have it so together.  I want that kind of desire to serve people whenever God calls, no matter the state of my house. I want my strength and passion to be like that described in 1 Peter 4:9-11b. I want people to know Jesus more than I want to have the perfect  kitchen.

I love how Sharon puts it-- "God cares more about what's happening in our kitchen, than the state of it!"

Teaching My Girls || Teaching Me

God is constantly working on me. Teaching me. I'm a work in
progress. I'm finding that the more simple lessons that I'm teaching my girls the more I'm seeing I still need to be taught. The more I see how I can improve. Again, God is using my girls to teach me. I
want to be the kind of woman I want my girls to grow up to be. The other night Wyndham accidentally hurt me, head-butted me in the face I believe, and she apologized, I got over it without a moments hesitation and we moved on. I could feel Ryan watching me, so I awaited his witty response and he simply said "These girls are going to teach you how to forgive". Most people who know me know that I
don't 'forgive and forget' easily. I wish I had that amazing ability like my husband to forgive and move past it, and truly truly move on. Ryan is such a great of example of being forgiving, mimicking so much what Jesus did and does. This happen last week and I keep thinking about that situation as well as the things I want to teach my girls,
the things that God is still teaching me. So many simple truths. So many things easier to say but a lot harder to live out. I want them to treat people how they want to be treated (not the way you feel they deserve to be treated). Start small and dream big. Have confidence, don't put yourself down. Have confidence in your faith. Confidence in who you are.
Believe you are good enough. Be honest and transparent. Be willing to
speak truth to friends even when it's hard, be willing to hear truth from friends even when it's hard. Seek and keep heart friends. Clean
up after yourself and show hospitality, but when the spirit is leading, leave the dishes! Be relational- build bridges to people's hearts and show them Jesus. Choose to believe. Choose to trust. Choose to love. Seek God and memorize scripture. Happiness is a
byproduct, make it. Be forgiving (please take lessons from Dada, it is
one of his gifts :). Don't hold grudges. Choose to see where you can
grow, where you can improve, see your mistakes and learn from them. See your wrong in situations/circumstances and relationships- choose to see what you can do to improve a relationship rather than how the other people wronged you. Know that you are forgiven. Know that you have God's grace. Choose to have joy in all circumstances. Be kind to people - even the ones that can do absolutely nothing for you. See God's gifts everywhere -- learn this early, don't wait until you're almost 30 to start seeing them-- such a joyous life you will have!

I wish I could say that I write these things from the other side, "that I've conquered these things, so take lessons on how to do it from me girls!" but I'm not there yet, not even close, LOL! Still working, still learning, still seeking! But these are truths some truths that I know and I aim to teach my girls, even if they don't get it right every time or forget. As my mother in law says, "we are on this journey together"—I
love that!

3 Ingredient Banana Bread || White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding

3 Ingredient Banana Bread
- 5 ripe bananas
- 1 yellow cake box
- 3 eggs
Mix bananas, yellow cake box powder and 3 eggs in a large bowl. Pour
into lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes
(time varies depending on how ripe your bananas are). If you just
want banana bread you can top this with icing or cream cheese frosting
or just eat as is! But if you want to turn this into White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread pudding following the steps below :

White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding
- Cubed Banana Bread
- 3 eggs
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cube banana bread. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
Once well mixed pour over cubed banana bread. Use a fork gently move
the cubed bread to ensure the mixture is evenly distributed. Bake at
350° for 30-40 minutes, or until it is set and slightly crispy on top.

Life Lately according to my iPhone

Pineapple Casserole

Easy Recipe for the kids to help with and super yummy!  This is one of my favs~ especially with ham, or on Easter and around the Holidays, or even a random Thursday if we are feeling real saucy.  It's my husbands fav, recipe was passed down from my mother in law and I sure appreciate that since the way to a man's heart is through his stomach right? (:

Ingredients:

1 can semi-drained crushed pineapple

1 stick of butter (melted)

1 cup sugar

8-10 slices of bread diced

Combine first 3 ingredients and mix well.  Dice 8-10 slices of bread and add to mixture.  Make at 345 for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden on top  

linking here: {serinitynow, I Heart naptime }