Full of Joy

Hey All! Welcome back! As promised, it's recipe week! I've been figuring things as out I go and doing a ton of Pinterest searching to learn new recipes that help eliminate sugar. Lucky for you, this post will list some of my fav's all in one place! Let's stick to some basics- breakfast, snack, and dinner. (If you didn't read my previous posts, check out Fed Up  and Swap and Go  first.) Breakfast Recipes: Egg and Veggie Casserole Preheat oven to 375 degrees 10 eggs 1 Cup broccoli, zucchini, or a favorite veggie (or mix a couple!) 1 C shredded cheddar cheese 2 C milk 1 C ground and cooked sausage S/P to taste Mix eggs in a bowl with fork. Add the rest of ingredients. Pour all into a greased 9x13 dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Once cooled, can last for several days in the fridge. Baked Oatmeal Check out  http://cookieandkate.com/  for lots of great, healthy recipes! This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes by Kate: http://cookieandkate.com/2...

(If you didn’t read the post “FED UP” check that out first!) I’m a cold turkey kind of girl. I never see the need to ween myself off of something. If I’m not supposed to have it, then I quit. In October I quit caffeine. I was drinking an iced tea when I decided to quit, so I dumped it out and that was that. When it was time for my babies to quit their binkies, I took them all away- never to be seen again. Years ago when I realized my stomach was not prone to tolerating dairy, I switched to soy and gave up cheese. After watching Fed Up, I was immediately ready for my family to eliminate sugar, but I’m also frugal. The cold turkey approach didn't work. My advice to anyone wanting to majorly cut back their sugar intake: Wait until you use up the food currently hanging out in your pantry. I am not a waster, so it took me a couple weeks until the yucky stuff was weeded out. In the meantime, during your next grocery store visit only purchase the good stuff. Eventually, you’ll...

Hey All! I have to admit, my brain feels a bit dusty and my fingers a bit stiff as I haven't written in awhile, but glory be BOTH KIDS ARE NAPPING TODAY!! I have a story to tell! In keeping with the purpose of my blog, which is to share real life stories of the real life Jesus in my life, this latest scenario is too incredible not to write about. Right around the time the holidays were hitting last year, I began to feel incredibly discouraged about my body. I knew my weight was at an all-time high, my pants were getting tight (TWO pairs of jeans even ripped at the zipper!! Ugh, just shoot me.), I was exhausted most of the time and never got through a day without a nap. This had nothing to do with "I had two babies in way less than 2 years", but everything to do with something needing to change . I just didn’t know what. Or how. So I did the ONLY thing I knew would help me. I cried out to God. Oh how He cares about every single detail in my vast heart. I share...

Chuck and I are entering a new season. Just as we got into the groove of our 3 and (almost) 2 year old, the routines are changing. Jase has dropped his nap, which has put a huge wrench in the system. Going from about 21 hours of napping a week to NONE has left me feeling slightly crazy. It has even made me angry at times. I used to live for naps. I'd survive until naps. I'd hang on until naps. I never realized I had about 21 hours of "free" time a week, and now that it's gone I feel like I'm always falling and don't get to land until bedtime. Oh alone time! How I long for you! God has been speaking to me through a number of conversations lately. It has become obvious He is leading me into a quiet season . An unplugged season. A season where I get to journal my thoughts and experiences before God alone . This is a season where my intentionality as a mother is kicking into a higher gear. God has gently made me aware of where I've been disengaged with...

Nothing more I could want... Merry Christmas to all!

One final thought before I head into my Christmas and New Years sabbatical. (Haha! Are you as amused as me I gave my own self a sabbatical from my own writing?!) Recently God led Chuck and I to give financially to this campaign at our church. We were asked to commit monthly for three years. I can't say I've been excited about this, but we're moving forward in obedience and faith. Ever since we gave our pledge, God has not only provided, but surprised us with Sweet Things. When we were traveling over Thanksgiving, we really wanted to eat at one of our favorite spots in VA- Potbelly's! I saved up some grocery money so we could treat ourselves. Instead, God provided when friends of ours treated us to lunch at Potbelly's, and I was able to use that money later for needed groceries! Then this week, we found out Basye's insurance covers the cost of something we have to spend a lot of money on every month. It took a gazillion phone calls, and several stops at ph...