4 Lettre Words: February 2010

2/28/10

Sundays in my City

We just recently went to one of our favorite attractions in GA...Tellus Science Museum.

This museum was a HUGE hit from the beginning so we quickly became members. (It's only about 20 minutes from our home.) There's just so much for both Sam and Luke to enjoy, including a fossil dig and panning for gems.

Plus, they often have special "member events", too...

Wii

2/26/10

Friday Frags #31

It's the last weekend of February 2010...and only one week until Luke's 2nd birthday! Can you believe it? Me. Either.

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Last weekend was so amazingly beautiful here in GA. The temps were in the low 60's, so we spent much time outside. It was fun to see sun-kissed noses Monday morning!

Man. I'm craving Spring.

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Sam and Neil are heading to Supercross tomorrow night. The tix were part of Sam's birthday this year and he is so very excited.

I'm thinking next year we might do monster trucks and take Luke, too.

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Luke is feeling sooooo much better! His Albuterol treatments have really made all the difference in the world. And, now I can see that he wasn't himself even between illnesses.

What a difference breathing can make!

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This week, I wanted to use up some "extras" so I came up with an easy Chicken Chili Recipe. It was pretty darn good, so I thought I would share...

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 can kidney beans, drained
4 cups water (or to preference)
1 pkg. chili mix
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
dashes of hot sauce

You just need to simmer everything in a pot for a couple hours. Then, dish out a bowlful and add a big clump of cheese!

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Have a great weekend!!

2/24/10

Wordless Wednesday

I'm soooo into flare these days.

I couldn't resist this capture!

2/21/10

It's not nice to point...

Going back to this photo on my blog for The Paper Mama's "fingerprint" challenge...

He's SO hard to capture these days. (Darn those 2's!) Still...I love how this turned out! Hope you do, too.

2/19/10

Fragmented Friday #30

So we finally had some real snow. Well...not "real" in the way that many of you have had it this winter, but it was definitely "real" for Atlanta!

We ended up with about 3" and it was the perfect, packing type so the boys had a ball. (Literally.) Best of all, the temps on Saturday were in the 40's and the sun was shining brightly while they built snowmen and forts. To see my photos, click HERE.

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Thought this recipe sounded great, as we are BIG mac & cheese fans...

Smoky Mac 'n Cheese

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 8 servings

3	cups uncooked elbow macaroni (12 oz)
1.5	cups whipping cream
1	teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2	teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1/4	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
8	oz smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2	cans (14.5 oz each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
1/4	cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
1/3	cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3	cup Progresso® plain bread crumbs
2	teaspoons olive oil

	Cook and drain macaroni as directed on box. Return to saucepan; cover to keep warm.
	Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream, mustard, salt and red pepper to boiling. Reduce heat; stir in Cheddar cheese with wire whisk until smooth.
	Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and onions. Pour into baking dish. In small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stir in oil. Sprinkle over top of macaroni mixture.
	Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown.

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It was a 4-day week for Sam, with President's Day on Monday.

Luke has pneumonia for the 2nd time in 6 months. I know. The consensus is that he has asthma. I always thought that was the case.

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We are members at our local science museum, Tellus. Tonight is a member party and we are all excited to visit. They really do things well, so it's bound to be even more fun than usual!

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Did you hear that they now know how King Tut died? Yep. They used good old DNA from the mummy. (So weird to me.) Apparently, they studied said DNA for 2 years and determined that he "... died from complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria..."

They say the DNA is like 3,000 years old. Amazing, huh!?! You'd sure think they could cure the common cold!

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Can you believe we are nearing the end of February already???

Get out and enjoy your time because it flies!

2/17/10

Wordless Wednesday

Southern snow...

2/15/10

Review: 66 Love Letters

I just finished reading 66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb.

This is a conversational look at God's message, and as someone with a very casual, personal relationship with God, I really enjoyed this take on the Bible. Each of the 66 love letters covers one book. Each of the 66 love letters displays the general premise clearly, in bold-type. (Really like that.)

"... this is a personal approach to helping readers know God and his great love for them, his message for all mankind, and how their lives fit into His larger story."

The letters are all short, too, which makes this book an easy read. In fact, I'm planning to use this book as a family devotional in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

2/14/10

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the first time I can remember snow being on the ground on Valentine's Day...in Atlanta!

2/13/10

Another great giveaway!

The winner is:

Darcie K. said...: I would choose the Hadaki Printed Scoop Sling in Paradise Cocoa
dmkayes@gmail.com; February 20, 2010 1:09 AM

I recently received a wonderful toy from CSN Stores called Magneatos. My boys truly have a playroom full of "stuff", but nothing quite like this set, and they haven't put the colorful, magnetic pieces down!

If you aren't familiar with all of the CSN Stores, you should be. They sell EVERYTHING...mailboxes, furniture, office supplies, shoes, lamps, toys and much (much) more. I'm so glad that I discovered them b/c they make on-line shopping very easy.

To welcome my blog readers, they are graciously giving away a $25 gift certificate towards anything on their site. And, all you have to do to enter is visit them HERE, then come back to this post and leave a comment about one of their fine products. If you are a follower, you can have another entry. Just leave a second comment.

Now, isn't that easy???

I'll pick a random winner on February 24th. Hope it's YOU!!

2/12/10

Friday Fragments #29

I participated in a Valentine Swap this year and here's what I received from Carol...

Handmade "Love" Cards

Handmade Notebook

Can't beat that, huh!?! You should play along with Audrey next year.

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And, speaking of Valentine's Day...

Sam is distributing his Valentines right now. This year it's Nerds and 5 Chuck E. Cheese tokens for each classmate. Oh, and chocolate covered pretzels for the teachers!

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This week, I was a guest judge on a really great blog, Mom With a Pen. (There are 3 of us, so I assumed the "Simon" role. Naturally.) If you like witty, "real" mom blogging, stop by for a visit!

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I am recovering very nicely from my surgery. (THANK YOU for all of the sweet emails and comments!) It wasn't really that bad and I'm soooo excited about the end result, which I'm probably checking out right now. (My follow-up is/was at 10AM on the 12th.)

The Gallbladder Guru (Dr. Mathew Novak) so totally rocks!!

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We just picked up a tote to hold all of Sam's video games and this sticker was on the top...

Ummm...really???

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Having surgery was such a blessing because, yet again, I was reminded of how amazing my life truly is, in 2010. Not just because I have an incredibly generous family (which extends far outside my home), but because I have so many cheerleaders in friends and even strangers. I can't tell you how awesome our neighborhood and church really are...and then there's the blog world. It's too much for words.

Just know that I am so appreciative of ALL that I have, sent straight from God. And, I pray that all of you know that Max Lucado is correct when he says, "You have never lived an unloved moment in your life."

Happy Valentine's Day! Want'cha be mine???

2/10/10

Wordless Wednesday

2/7/10

i heart faces

The focus is on kisses this week at iheartfaces.com, so here's a bit of brotherly love for ya...

To see more kissers or to play along, click HERE!

2/5/10

Fragmented Freewrite #28

THIS IS POST #400! Is that insane? No. I didn't think so. Wooohoooo!!!

Had my surgery yesterday and I assume that all went well. (I'm scheduling this post.) I know I probably really missed my boys, tho. They were blessed to stay with my parents all day, having fun.

Isn't it crazy how you can "really need a break", but once you finally get it you miss your kids like crazy!?!

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Valentine's Day is a week away!

Wanna get something pretty for yourself? Check out my current giveaway for a chance to do just that...

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We have new neighbors. They are from NC and seem very nice, plus they have 2 young boys. The oldest boy will go to Kindergarten at Sam's school. Of course, Sam will most likely seldom see him considering there are 16 (Yes. 16!) Kindergarten classes, each with 20 students.

Still it's always nice to have a next door playmate!

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How stinkin' cute is this???

Surprised Kitty @ Yahoo! Video

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I'll be lying around a lot this weekend. Hope you can get out and enjoy yourself!