Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Chicken Legs and God's Glory

Happy Tuesday to everyone! I am glad to see I have just a few followers since the last time I was here. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The hubby and I had a great time with friends at the concert (I LOVE BRANTLEY GILBERT!). It was mind-blowing to see how many people turned out for this event!  The crew from 95.3 FM even announced that this was the BIGGEST crowd to EVER fill the building since its making.



Yes, those are cell phones... It almost looks like a sky full of stars. :)

At one point during the concert, I remember looking over at Brandon (while he was singing along to one of the songs) and thinking to myself, "Clara, you are so lucky to have this man in your life. He is caring, he is humble, and above all he is a man of God." I know that we have "bumps" in the road here and there, but what makes it all worthwhile is the undeniable love we have that strengthens everyday, thanks be to God. 

Well, the cupcakes cake turned out very YUMMY! I got halfway through the recipe before realizing that my cupcake pan (I thought I had) had vanished from my cabinet. So I turned the recipe into a cake, and it was still magnificent. Life threw me a speed bump, but I cruised right on through (with the much needed assistance of my mommy, of course). The old saying, "You are never too old that you don't need your mom," proves true just about everyday day in my life.

We have had a tremendous overflow of blessings that have come our way over the last few weeks. We just moved in our new home, I have been offered a salary-based promotion at my workplace, and it looks like we will finally be able to afford a daycare for McKinlee (if you do not have children, I bet you would NEVER guess the cost of this LUXURY). Yes, I am calling it a luxury because, in my case, I am fortunate enough to have a mother and a mother-in-law to watch my child whenever I need them to. I get the satisfaction of knowing that my child is comfortable and being taken care of by someone who TRULY cares about her and her well-being. The only downfall to this arrangement I have is that she is getting no social interaction with other children. It is said that children who DO NOT attend a daycare when young are 18 months behind when entering into kindergarten. I do not want to be responsible for holding my child back....

Child care is always so tough to get a grip on. Just as soon as you feel like you are doing a good job, something pops up and slaps you around in a circle. Of course I am being metaphorical, but sometimes it does feel like I can ever get ahead with McKinlee. If I am not worried about her health, it is her development. If I have moved past that, it goes onto her well-being... I never believed it when I was younger, but a mother's job is 24/7. Even if she is sleeping in her bed, my thoughts are about what she is going to become and how will we deal with it...... it goes ON AND ON! I know these things are inevitable, but I do not want to see my little girl grown up and moved out anytime soon. It will be here before I know it, though. I just have to remember to take each day for what it is and make the best of it. I treasure every moment spent with McKinlee, and I hope she will know that one day when she understands. Above all, I trust that God will guide Brandon and me in each and every parenting decision we have to make.

Enough ranting today... here's what is for dinner tonight at the Gregg home:

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients
1 lemon
2-3 tsp. of dry oregano (depending on your taste)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. of EVOO
salt and pepper, to taste
4 chicken legs (or any other cut, but I am using legs)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
In a large bowl, grate the peel of 1/2 of the lemon. Squeeze out the juice from the entire lemon (I cut in half and hold in my hand upside down to ensure no seeds slip through into the bowl). Add oregano, oil, and garlic to the lemon peel and juice. Set aside.
Put chicken legs into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Pour in the lemon mixture. Seal the bag and shake the chicken around, coating each piece evenly.
In a 9x9 baking dish, pour the entire contents of the bag. Cover the dish with aluminum foil (or lid).
Cook for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and baste.
Reduce heat to 400 and bake for another 30 minutes (turning and basting the chicken every 10 minutes)
Serve the chicken with pan juices.

I will be accompanying this wonderful chicken with roasted garlic potatoes, cheesy green beans, and dinner rolls.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6

2 comments:

  1. You are so right about the mom thing being a 24/7... and it doesn't stop just because they turn 18. A mother's thoughts and prayers are always with her children, and when you have grandchildren they become so precious to the grandparent that is gives them another thing to think about for her childs worries and concerns. It is never ending, but you have to trust that God will give you everything you need in raising your kids and being a good wife to your family.

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  2. I love how you called child care a luxury. I think it is such a big thing when God shows us how the "little" things are such blessings. The modern things we think are normal may not be all that normal to someone else. We are so blessed! I'm sure you are a great mom to Mckinlee!

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