Peace, Peace Wonderful Peace.... Menu Monday

Do you know this drill?  "Yikes it's 4pm and I have no idea what we are having for dinner!"  Picture in your mind frazzled, crazy woman with stand on end hair.... Then the mad dash to the freezer, (praying all the way) hoping that there is something easy in there to fix!  I've done it countless times!  That's why I added the praying part!

I've gotten back into making menu's.  There are so many incredible blogging ladies that do Monday Menu's that it's so easy to get some good ideas.  I still maintain that your menu's shouldn't be something so creative that you don't have time to prepare, or no one likes but bless God they are going to try something new everyday until they see Jesus or even things that knock you out of your budget ball park! (it is baseball season!)

As a rule, I keep basic pantry and freezer items on hand.  I always have pinto beans cooked up and frozen, rice, different cuts of meat and frozen chicken.  With these few items you can cook so many tasty dishes that your family won't complain about having the same thing over and over. 

I have said that we are bipolar eaters.  We eat mostly healthy foods with some chips and white rice mixed in.  I do make many of our foods from scratch, but for the sake of time have been buying our breads at the bread store. 

So here is my menu for the week. 

Monday: Eggs and toast, Beans and Cornbread, Fajita's and all the fixings
Tuesday: Oatmeal and Cinnamon Toast, sandwich, chips and fruit, Baked Chicken, rice and spinach salad
Wednesday: Pancakes, Nacho's and sliced fruit, Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread
Thursday: Cream of Wheat and or Banana Bread, Kid Pick, Chicken Enchilada's, rice and fruit salad
Friday: Eggs, sausage, biscuits, Sandwich and chips, Birthday Party so a desert dinner!
Saturday: Leftover Birthday Cake, Sandwich, fruit, Grilled Steak, baked potatoes, salad 
Sunday: Cereal and milk, Mexican Soup, chips and salsa, Pancakes and sausage

So there we are in all our glory.  Some great meals and some really quick meals.  I use menu's because they bring me peace.  I don't have to think about what I'm having.  I don't always have Monday food on Monday, but I do have seven planned meals to choose. 

One extra blessing that has come from meal planning is no quickie trips to the grocery store!  That's a savings on gas and time and certainly money!  Last Friday I got in the van and I had gone 32.8 miles since the previous Sunday.  We live a bit out, so there isn't any store close.  I was doing the happy, happy dance with so few miles.  I had stayed home most of the week.  I was amazed at what staying home accomplishes. 

Psalm 85: 7-9
 
⁷ Show us your unfailing love, LORD,
   and grant us your salvation.
 ⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD says;
   he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
   but let them not turn to folly.
⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
   that his glory may dwell in our land. 

When I purpose to seek peace and do the things that I know that bring peace in my home, we have much less hurry and scurry before Paul gets home.  The house looks nice, dinner is made on time and there are far fewer arguments of who did or said ________.  It's the not turning to folly part that can really trip you up.  I'm not talking about blatant sin, but just allowing time stealers to eat up my time.  The menu's are just one more way of preparing our day for peace.

I pray you have wonderful peace in your home.  I pray you have wonderful tasty meals around your family table.  I challenge you to set a pretty table, enjoy a well planned meal, have a wonderful visit with your family at the end of the day and enjoy His presence and His peace! 

Hilltop Blessings,
Sheri

Hello From Down Under!

No Time For Rocking The Days Away Here!

Have you ever been to "Down Under"?  It's been way down here.  We've been trying to finish school, get the flower beds done, garden done, chicks hatched without snakes eating them first and just the daylight and dishes of life!

I find that during the Winter, I can keep on top of my daily chores and activities, but during the Spring, I'm outside so much that I don't realize that it's time to start dinner and then we eat much later and then the children go to bed later and I'm still "doing" MUCH LATER.  That's all fine and good except, I get up earlier, because the sun comes up earlier!

Since there are so many wonderful "things" to do, I've begun to gauge our activities by distance.  If it's far, we might go, but will do errands on the way home, otherwise, I'm trying to stay home as much as possible!  I was so excited to get in the van this morning and see that I had only driven 30.8 miles since Sunday!  Today is Friday!  I'm doing the happy dance!

Living out here on a bit of land is always a bit of a learning curve for me.  I didn't grow up with critters, but I did read the Little House books over and over!  Needless to say Laura didn't tell me about sick raccoons!  Yesterday I was wishing that I knew how to shoot a gun.  The neighbor came over and took care of business!

Well friends, I leave you this:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 
I Corinthians 10:31


It's so easy to get caught up in the business of life and forget everything we are doing is for "The Glory of God"! 

Hilltop Blessings,

Sheri

When You Find A Butterfly In Your Freezer.....

When you find a Butterfly in  your freezer....you know it's time to clean it out!  That was me yesterday.  Y'all are laughing, but I'm serious, as items fell out of my pushed and squished freezer, I pulled out a small zip bag with a perfectly frozen butterfly!  I only pray that the poor thing expired to butterfly heaven quickly!  

Life has been crazy lately and many mundane chores have been relegated to the Twelfth of Never.  But  yesterday was March 12 and it was time to get ahead and march into the mundane and get things done.  I decided to do what I like best first,which was to start with some cooking projects.  Cooking always forces me to clean!  

Breakfast can occasionally cause me to get off track if I'm cooking something special.  Since these days it's crucial for me to stay on track, I cooked all our breakfasts for the week!  I'll give you the recipes for: Egg McMuffins, Breakfast Burritos, Sausage Pancake Muffins and Chocolate Chip Muffins.  

With our chickens giving us almost a dozen eggs a day, I needed to use those eggs up.  So I cracked a dozen eggs and scrambled them well before pouring them into a 9x13 sprayed dish.  I sprinkled half a pound of sausage on top and baked it for 25 minutes at 350.  While they were baking, I toasted 12 english muffins and lightly buttered them.  When the eggs were baked and firm, I sliced them into 12 pieces.  For each sandwich you use a piece of egg, a slice of your favorite cheese and a muffin.  Wrap up and freeze.  They warm up beautifully and are a great quick breakfast.  I freeze all the individually wrapped sandwiches in a gallon zip bag.  That way you don't have loose sandwiches slipping and hiding all over your freezer! I got a version of the recipe from www.thefamilyhomestead.com.  She has many wonderful recipes!

I'm sure that you make your own breakfast burritos.  I used two different sized tortillas.  Some small and some medium. Since I cooked all the sausage at one time, all I had to do was add  half a pound of it to the dozen scrambled eggs and cook them.  When they were done, I put a bit in each tortilla, added some cheese and rolled them up.  I used wax paper to wrap them.  Again I put all of them in a gallon zip bag.  

I hate to waste milk.  We enjoy fresh farm milk and pay dearly for it.  In an endeavor to use some slightly sour milk, I made muffins.  I first read about Sausage Pancake Muffins at   www.HeavenlyHomemakers.com .  She has some of the best healthy recipes.  You can find the recipe for these muffins at her sight.  She takes unhealthy recipes and makes them not only healthy, but tasty!


When I still had milk left, I made chocolate chip muffins.  I have been using a recipe for so long, that I have no idea exactly what the original recipe was.  I use it as sort of an everything muffin recipe. 

Any Muffin Recipe:
2 cups flour of your choice (sometimes I add up to a cup of oats or the bottom of the box of cereal)
1/2 cup sugar of your choice
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 egg
1t vanilla
1 cup of milk (if you need more add more)
1/4-1/2 cup fat (oil, coconut oil, butter, etc.)

Then you add in your extras like: chocolate chips, raisins, blueberries, etc.  Think about the combinations you like.  If you like blueberry, then add some lemon zest and perhaps a little more sugar.  For really simple muffins, make them just plain and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top before baking.  Sometimes these muffins are a little heavy,( especially if I forget to add baking powder!) but most of the time they are just fine!  Use your imagination and get creative, the kids will love you!  I usually make two dozen at a time.  They are great for hungry boy tummies in the afternoon!



After all the baking and packaging, the freezer still needed to be organized.  Organizing makes me feel so productive.  It makes me feel like the woman I really want to be when I grow  up!  That woman who knows where the extra batteries are.  Not like me who will dig around in a drawer to find one lonely battery and lick it to see if it's still good! You laugh, but without my husband, that's what would happen!

Organizing is a beautiful idea and invention, if only we could keep it going  year round!  I think it's like our time with the Lord.  When we are in His presence daily, we feel His presence.  We know that with Him we can do all things, we are confident and and content!  When we slip from our times with Him, everything gets messed up.  Nothing seems right on the inside and everything really does fall apart on the outside, because we are attempting to live without Him. 


I pray that this week, you would enjoy your time in the presence of the only one and true God, that is Jesus!  I pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you and guide you in His ways and His truths.  Blessings, as you endeavor to serve and love your family this week.  


Hilltop Blessings, 
Sheri
 

March 5, 2011 Ben is Twelve!

How did this baby boy grow so fast? He was our joy made perfect!

We dressed our little Ben Boy up in his great, great grandfather's christening gown.  He wasn't too happy about it and I was terrified the ancient fabric would rip!  Getting his pudgy hands through those little bitty sleeves was a feat to be mastered.  The rocking chair was purchased in about 1904 for his great, great Aunt Sally.  Both heirlooms have been passed down all these years.  I wore the dress and had the rocker in my room as a little girl!  With three boys and Katie, it's been put away!  Go figure!

We learned quickly that Ben loved books!  He is a reader to this day.  Often he is telling us some interesting fact that he has read.  Sometimes they are strange boy facts, but never the less, he loves to read!

I had to have just the right cake! I was terrified of actually making a birthday cake!  Boy how times have changed us!  His cake will be homemade today!  Everything had to be perfect on his first birthday!  It was for this silly mama!

He was and is my helper! If there is chocolate involved then he is definitely my  helper!

Ben was in Paul's brother's wedding. He thought he was getting married!  He was so confused and wondered how he was going to take care of the little flower girl!   Ben was told that if he stayed in place during the wedding, he would get the taped dollar bill off the floor where he was supposed to stand!  He didn't move a muscle!

I loved it when he was my my snaggletooth six year old!  Somehow it reminded me of that toothless little gummy faced baby!

You can only imagine the critters the boys have found in our woods!  This was a box turtle that we returned to it's rightful place!  The woods.....

Ben has been so amazingly gentle with Katie.  He could hardly wait to hold her.  One night after the boys had gone to bed, he came in and said: "I just want to hold her and feel how real she is"!  It meant something down deep to him to hold her.  She stole his heart right then and there!

He willing poses every Fourth of July for the "group" picture.  Not his favorite thing, but he does it for his mama!  I'm so blessed to have this young manchild for my son!  God did everything that I had hoped or dreamed when he gave me Benjamin Aaron Lorenz!  Truly he is our beloved son!  Happy Birthday Ben!  I love you!

I  have been blessed to have four wonderful children!  I can't imagine life without any of them.  When I sit and think about Ben's birth, it reminds me how my life changed in a moment!  How glad I am that God gave me the opportunity to be a mother!  At times I wondered if it would ever happen.  I'm so glad that motherhood was better than I could have ever hoped.  Praise Jesus, that God had me wait for Ben!  He was worth the wait!

Blessings from the Hilltop!
Sheri

It's Been Awhile....

It really  has been awhile since I posted last.  Chronic Neutropenia  is Katie's official diagnosis.  She is getting shots twice a week right now.  Yes I'm giving them to her here at home.....no I don't like it!!!  Monday's shot has been relegated to Daddy!  We are in the process of getting the right amount of meds.  Her numbers are still dangerously low, but you would never know it! 


God made this little lamb a fighter and she is doing great!  This week she was given  her "Beads of Courage" at the Oncology office.  Each bead stands for something that has been done to her.  The more yucky the treatment the cooler the bead!  She is getting quite the necklace.  It's so funny to see a little gal walking around telling people about her beads of courage.  I'm teaching her Joshua 1:9 .  She is strong and the Lord is with her!  I'm so glad!

These days have been a lot about just surviving through the emotional turmoil of this whole thing and then I look back and realize "WE ARE FINE".  We've been through a battle, but it's okay.  Yesterday we went to the Dr. for another blood test and her ANC (absolute neutrophil count) had dropped another 100 points!  She should be at about 1500 and instead she is 110! 

Isn't it amazing that she is doing so good with such a low count?!  I'm so thankful.  The Dr. is just shocked that she is so healthy!  He has started calling her little sicknesses "bothersome".  We are so thankful that they are not life-threatening.  Many children with numbers this low are in the hospital behind double locked doors! She still has some of the marker issues like bumps on her face and bottom.  She has some eye issues, but we have just about gotten that healed up too!  Isn't God good?

When I get down, I think about all the other families at Texas Oncology and know that they would give their eye teeth to trade diagnosis with us!  We don't have ports, or chemo, or little hats with big flowers on them to cover a sweet little bald head!  When you walk through those doors and see that, there is no reason not to be grateful for your life! 

It would be ridiculous to even blink at our situation, when you see all those other families.  And you know what?  They have a smile on their face and they are playing with their little ones and they are doing everything they can to survive!  That's walking with grace!  I so want to walk through this murky water season with grace.  I want Katie to not feel like she's the "sicky special child".  She's not a victim or invalid and I so don't want her to have that mentality.  It's hard not to, when we are giving her shots, giving her immune supplements, making sure she doesn't have another fever, etc....

I just continue to tell her we are so thankful that Jesus is healing her body, He is healing her bone marrow and He is making her white blood cells healthy.  I have begun to pray that her neutrohils would live and not die!!!  Katie's bone marrow biopsy showed that her neutrophils die at just about the time they would be mature.  They just don't quite make it.  Our God is bigger!  He has kept her and we continue to believe that she will be completely healed!

I say all this for several reasons.  One so that y'all know what's going on with our girl.  Two so that if there are bothersome issues in your life, look up, it could be worse!  We all have issues and trials, but God is there for to walk with us with His Grace and Mercy.  Blessings to you all and I hope that I can get back on to more regularly blogging.  There are still meals to be prepared, laundry to be taken care of, floors to be swept, school to be taught and lots and lots of  hugs and kisses mixed in!

 Life goes on and the sun still shines!
Blessings from the Hilltop!
Sheri

Embrace The Unexpected......

I love Christmas.  I love the cozy feelings and the crackling fire. I love little girl Christmas dresses and yes my boys wearing matching shirts one more time! I love pondering the verses that remind us that the little baby in the manger is the promised Messiah.  I love thinking about the saving grace of my Messiah.  Those were my anticipated thoughts and my expectations of Christmas 2010.

Sometimes, things change....sometimes the unexpected comes.....sometimes we have the opportunity to cry out to God like never before.  All these things have happened here on the hilltop recently. 

Things changed.....things changed after a wonderful Christmas dinner with my family on December 11.  Katie woke up December 12 with a fever.  Not unusual for her, but higher than her normal fever.  A fever that led us to Children's Hospital that Sunday evening.  There I heard the usual comforting words..."just a virus, it will go away in a few days....."  I left there with the usual feelings of I'm glad it's nothing, but deep in my heart, I knew there was something.....I'd known for a long time there was something hiding.

Monday came and we waiting out the fever and I rocked my baby girl and she slept with a soaring fever.  Tuesday morning came and I knew, we had to get some help.  Off to the dr.  (the 29 time that year) We did the usual tests, blood, strep and flu.  Katie's temp was continuing to climb even with meds.  Finally the dr. said that she wanted more tests.  More blood and chest xrays.  Okay we could do that.

We did more tests, went back to the office and the xrays showed viral pneumonia.  The blood work wasn't too good.  Seems that she needed a big gun antibiotic shot.  The dr. would call in the morning with more details.  The lab was running more tests.....

I had been gone much longer from home than I had anticipated and my two older boys were calling and saying it's getting dark, when are you coming home.  I was 15 minutes from home when the call came that Daniel was bleeding....he had a cut on his foot.  Ben thought he could see Daniel's bones!  Dear me, what next?!

I prayed for them, Katie, me .....Jesus help me!  I got home at the same time as Paul.  We ran in the house with a limp little girl, to find Daniel with a foot that needed stitches.  Seemed that he was walking through a pile of stuffed animals and got cut!  REALLY?  The stuffed animal cut him?!  What's the story here? 


Paul began getting some dinner for the boys, I put Katie to bed and then set out for the ER.  Oh and yes, it was Paul's birthday! While I had Daniel alone, I questioned him.  While Paul had Ben alone, he questioned him.  They were like Ft. Knox, if there was a story, they weren't changing theirs.  They both told us the same thing.  These boys are very trust worthy, so we were stumped!

How was I going to tell the ER that my child got cut and needed stitches by a stuffed animal?!  We remembered that there was a broken car under the bed, so we used that as the possible offender.  They laughed, stitched him up and sent us on our way. 

(A few days later, I felt like I should really look at a particular stuffed animal.  Tucked into it's paw was an open knife!  A knife that had an almost four inch blade!  It was one of those oversized dogs, that Jonathan had seen at a garage sale and just had to have.  I can't even imagine what could have happened!  God was good to us!  Daniel really had been cut by a stuffed animal!)  One of the highlights of Christmas Eve, was my Dad removing Daniel's stitches!



The next morning, I got the call.  The call that changed me.  Is still changing me and I don't know where I'm going to land.  I do know that God is good, and that He uses all things for my good.  That said, it wasn't fun to hear my Dr. use the Leukemia word.  Yes, she thought it was only a 10 percent chance, but she had spoken with both a Hematologist and an Oncologist about Katie's blood work.

Apparently, she didn't have many white blood cells and even fewer neutrafils.  They are a component of the white blood cell that fights infection.  She could have a really bad virus or something else.  We would have to come back and get another shot, more blood work and stay away from sick people.

After I picked myself up off the floor, I made my calls.  Calls for people to pray.  We needed prayer.  Sweet friends brought us meals.  My parents took the boys for a few days.  We were wading through water that seemed to be drowning us.

On the outside, I think I was somewhat holding it together, but God knew, I was a mess on the inside.  Katie's blood count continued to go up and then plummet.  Thursday before Christmas, we faced the reality that she would have to see a Hematologist.  They would get  her in just as quickly as possible.


God in His amazing timing, arranged for a dear friend to visit us during Christmas.  MaryJane watched the boys, played with them and just generally kept things going at home, while I took Katie to appointments.  It wasn't the visit we planned on, but I'm so thankful she could be with us!

I made it through Christmas with the darts of the enemy whispering in my ear that this would be Katie's last!  I fought it, but it was there every time she laughed and played with her new play house.  It was there as I greeted my family Christmas Eve.  Every moment that was to be enjoyed, I basically gave the enemy.  I didn't stand firm in my mind.  I tried, but the darts were coming and I didn't seem to be able to tear down every thought. Not this time.  After Christmas, my mom asked me what my favorite part of Christmas was, and without missing a beat, I said: "getting past it!"

My big mistake was that I didn't tell anyone what was going on until much later.  Why didn't I expose the lies of the enemy?  He comes to steal, kill and destroy!  I knew these things!  This was a chance for my Messiah to rescue me!  He did anyway!  He brought me up out of the pit that I was digging for myself with my vain imaginings! 

We went to see Dr. Lanarsky the Tuesday after Christmas.  It was a rainy day, and I was still teettering on falling into the pit of despair.  I really didn't think he was going to tell us she had Leukemia, but I was so concerned that what they were going to do to Katie would hurt her.  I was really trying to hold myself together for her.  Paul was a tower of strength!  I'm so glad that man is my husband!

We got off on the fourth floor.  It was incredibly beautiful.  Etched in glass were the words: "I am a survivor".  My thoughts, were God, I don't want to have to be a survivor!  I don't want to walk down this hall with a little soon to be bald girl!  I didn't want her to join those ranks!  It wasn't what I had planned!  I didn't want to be one of  "those" people!

"Miss Bestsy" called us to come in to start Katie's initial check-up.  Katie happily did everything they asked and was rewarded with a princess sticker!  Then we went into another play room to wait for the Dr.  He came and visited us about her medical history.  Then a precious woman came to take blood.  Katie was great and the lady was even greater!  She told Katie that a butterfly was getting some of Katie's sweet nectar!  There was a butterfly attached to the needle!

We went back to another playroom until Dr. Lanarsky came back to officially tell us that Katie did NOT  have leukemia.  Her numbers were down, but other numbers were good and healthy!  The white blood cells that were down would need to be watched and monitored closely.  They were low.  Very low.

Now a couple of weeks out, it looks like Katie has Chronic Neutrapenia. It's not great, but it can be managed.  We are looking at a bone marrow biopsy in the upcoming weeks. Many more blood tests.  Probably some shots, and then I don't know what.

Now that we know that she doesn't have Leukemia, we are resting much more calmly here.  But, there is still something for me to embrace.  Surprisingly enough, I'm once again recognizing that I'm not in charge here on this earth!  I can't control circumstances outside my realm of control!

I have a feeling that God is going to reveal Himself in a greater way than I had ever imagined.  I've decided that even though I was  happy with things as they were, God has more for me.  He has more for my family and He has more for Katie!

His love is infinitely greater than I thought and My Help Comes From The Lord!  I can call out to Him and He will hear my voice and sail on the wings of the wind to my rescue!  He will carry us through this dark place.  There is healing in His wings!  He will heal our girl!  He loves my precious girl, more than I could ever even think to love her!  I'm so glad I serve a good and faithful God!

I pray that as the trials of life come  your way, you would not hide the darts of the enemy, but rapidly expose them to the light!  I pray that if it's dark in your world, that you would cling to the Lord Jesus like never before.  If things in your life are calm for a moment, please pray for us.  We need it!  Pray for Katie's bone marrow to make healthy white blood cells.  Pray for the people that do get the word, that their child has cancer.  Pray for their strength and that they would continue to run the race set before them!  Above all, love and cherish each moment of your life!

This isn't my usual post, but it's where we are right now and I thought I would just sort of share the whole story.  I know there are bits and pieces that may not be clear, but it's as much as I can get out today!  We will stand and fight and see that God has plans for good for us and for Katie!

Hilltop Blessings,
Sheri

Christmas Countdown 2010.......

 Is your heart racing?  Did you make it to the before crack of dawn sales after Thanksgiving?  I pray that you enjoyed yourself, but now that your shopping is finished, lets sit back and relax....enjoy the moment over some coffee or tea and think about how you want to do THIS Christmas differently than last year.


Some  years, I've been in such a mad dash to get to extra activities that I don't have  the time to really ponder the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ and His birth.  This year we are doing an advent devotional called Jotham's Journey.  I have never read it, but I hear it's wonderful.  I'm really purposing to focus on the reason for the season in our home and activities.  It's challenging to keep everything in perspective, especially since a baby may land on our doorstep at any moment....


One of the ways we start our Christmas festivities is a gathering of five generations of "Neely" women to share, laugh and play the "take-away" gift game.  The Neely women were a group of 6 girls that were led by a single mother and grandmother.  Those women taught six young girls integrity, faith and femininity.  They learned to trust their Provider.  


My grandmother told me a story about a time, when literally the cupboard was bare.  She said they prayed together for God to provide what they needed.  Instantly, they heard the "rag-man" calling for rags in the street.  They scurried around their modest home joyously gathering rags.  Those rags provided enough money to buy beans for their evening meal.  A simple,  modest and healthy meal.  He provided day after day.  


That life did not afford Wii's or amazing ski vacations or even a designer wardrobe, but it provided love, hope and joy.  I pray that all I do this year would be from that legacy my Grandmother "Memommy" left me!  


I've added Christmas music to my playlist.  I love it and I pray you enjoy as well.  

Isaiah 9:6
"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government there will be no end."


Hilltop Blessings, 
Sheri