Busy Bee

I have just been a BUSY BEE this past week! I cannot begin to explain my absence, so you will just have to take my word for this one! Between work, my family, and breathing I haven't had much time to even SLEEP, let alone BLOG! I have been thinking about it though, just at times when I am not able to actually get online and type, but now that I am at the computer typing... I seem to have lost all of the thoughts and ideas I had compiled in my head to share with you!

Okay... Where to Start?????

I have had the most amazing week with my husband and daughter. Valentine's Day was a GREAT one this year! It was her first one at "BIG GIRL SCHOOL", so naturally I had a blast! They had a PJ PARTY and got all loaded up with PLENTY of SUGAR and SWEETS! The owner of the daycare said that this is the only day of the year when they are open that they get to hype the kids up and then send them home to their parents! She is having so much fun learning to interact with other children! I am so proud of all that she has accomplished so far in the last two weeks! #oneproudmommy

Brandon bought me the most amazing tulips and a box of DELICOUS CHOCOLATES! We also went on a movie night out to see "The Vow". GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It was so great! Brought many things to my attention about cherishing the life you have and THANKING our LORD for it every chance you get!!!

I do not know what is going on with my computer, but it keeps freezing up after every three words I type, so I am going to have to cut this one short today without a recipe. SORRY! :( Hope veryone has a great weekend if I do not get time to make it back tomorrow! LOVE YOU ALL!

A not so SMOOTH(ie) transition for Mommy!!!

I feel like a complete goob for not posting in five days, but in my own defense I have had a pretty hectic (yet exciting) past five days. I am THRILLED  to announce that we have finally enrolled McKinlee into "Big Girl School" (as we like to call it instead of "daycare"). I dropped her off for her first day this morning before heading into work. She is in no way a fan of mornings, so I was not surprised at all when she refused to wake up at 7:00 this morning. I tried tickling, kissing, STANDING HER UP ON THE FLOOR (which resulted in her SCREAMING and CRYING lying with half of her body on the bed and the other half dangling on the floor). She refused to take her medicine, cried the entire way there, and wanted me to carry her in the door to the school (which is very UNLIKE her to want to hug/hold me...she is not a very affectionate child). I thought for sure she would not want me to leave her there! So I put her things in her cubby with her right by my side, spoke with her teacher for a few minutes, and then walked down the hall to the room where all of the children who had been dropped off so far were playing. Before opening the door, I turned to McKinlee and said, "This is it big girl! Time for your first day at Big Girl School!" She buried her head in my shoulder and whined. I put her down on the floor and started to open the door to the room and before I could get the door open enough to where she could fit through, she squeezed through it and ran in and immediately starting playing with the others like I had just disappeared! I was amazed! I knew that she would not have a HARD time (like some kids who scream, "NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO, Mommy...don't leave me here!!!!!"), but I never imagined she would have an EASY time with it all. I was thinking somewhere in between---silly me, huh?

Well, I got out to the car and realized that I forgot to take a picture of her playing at school on her first day, so I hurried back in. When I opened the door to the classroom, I saw her crying her eyes out. I asked the teacher if she was upset because I left (now, in the back of my mind I am wanting the teacher to say, "Yes. She ran to the door and did not want you to leave"), but instead she replied, "No, she just got hit by another child because she took his toy." WHHHHHHAAATTTT???????!!!!!!!! That killed my heart. It's kind of reverse from the way you would think I would feel. I should be excited and proud that my little girl adjusts so well to school and doesn't cling to me like annoying plastic wrap, but I am completely devastated that she didn't care at all! Needless to say, my 30-minute ride to work was occupied by tears and phone calls to my husband and momma.

This is one of the emotionally hardest things I have had to go through with McKinlee thus far. Letting go of my baby and allowing her to grow up and learn new things from someone other than myself or her family is VERY HARD! I know that it is a great move for her to be a part of a social environment, so I am content with our decision to enroll her now. The best part about the "BGS" is that it is a CHRISTIAN-BASED facility. They have bible studies every day, and everything they teach has a splash of our Lord with it. Take for example, they have a new letter every week. They print out the letter, have the kids color it however they want to, and then they go over words that start with this letter. If the letter is "A", they relate it to Noah's Ark because ark begins with an "A". They tell the story of Noah leading the animals to the ark two by two, and they sing songs about it too. It is a GREAT facility, so I could not be any more pleased with our decision!!

In the spirit of children, I'll post a FUN and HEALTHY recipe for kids (adults too!!):

Yogurt Smoothies

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 8oz. containers of yogurt (any flavor, really)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 pint strawberries or blueberries or peaches...YOU PICK! I would definitely make sure to use the same flavor of yogurt, of course. But add the banana in any flavor! IT IS GREAT!

1. Clean and wash the strawberries and make sure they are dry. Peel the banana and slice it into smaller pieces.
2. Place the fruit into a blender.
3. Add yogurt into the blender with the fruit. Pour in the milk.
4. Blend it on the puree level for approximately 2 minutes or until smooth. Makes roughly 32 ounces

FROZEN:

1. To make this into a frozen snack, pour the mixture into a mold or cups and insert a popsicle stick.
2. Freeze for 4-6 hours, run container under warm water and serve.
                                                      Makes 6 to 8 popsicles

Hope everyone has a GREAT

Lo que amo los Miércoles

Happy February to everyone! I guess I should start participating in the "WILW" posts, so here ya go:

[ONE]

<~~~ Yup, there he is acting like he is "someone special" (He is!)



 I love the month of February for two MAIN reasons. *ONE* My wonderful hubby's birthday and Valentine's day come around, and *TWO* this month has been notoriously known for dropping in some snow (if that is what you want to call it) for us Mississippians.

[TWO]

I am LOVING my new promotion and having my own store to run!!!!!

*The front parking lot view of my store*

[THREE]

My BIG GIRL is starting daycare Monday! :( I have mixed feelings about this, as any mommy would, but I know it is what is best for her in the long run. Thrilled to let her have some interaction with other kids!

*Seems like just yesterday we were giving her first kisses to her... my baby is growing up so quickly!!!*

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL start to their month today! I will leave you with a DELICIOUS recipe, of course:

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (or chicken) 
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
• 1 (8 ounce) can  tomato sauce
• 4 (8 inch)  flour tortillas
• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• OPTIONAL for garnish (black olives, sour cream, salsa, cheese dip, diced tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos)

Directions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef and onion.
2. Preheat oven to 400°.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour (stir constantly for about 20-30 seconds). Add broth, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes (stirring occasionally). Add 1 1/2 cups tomato mixture to beef mixture (set aside 1/2 cup tomato mixture).
4. Place 1 tortilla in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with 1 cup beef mixture. Repeat layers, ending with tortilla. Spread reserved tomato mixture over tortilla. Top with cheese (I like to add jalapenos, black olives, diced tomatoes, etc. as well). Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Cool slightly. Cut into wedges just like a pie. Add sour cream, lettuce, salsa, cheese dip, etc. to the top, if desired)

NOTE: If you use chicken, it is best to boil the chicken (also use chicken broth instead of beef broth).
          

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