What I am learning!! Fish Fry!!

My youngest daughter, who isn't all that little anymore. She is 14, sniff, sniff...

For her birthday, she wanted fish.  This summer she discovered she liked fish.  The real kind.  Not the fish that comes in a stick in a box in the freezer section.  I bought some on sale tilapia one day and fixed it for dinner and she just about fell out of her seat because she liked it so much.  She was only eating it because she was hungry and it was dinner... So she was astounded that she liked fish.

We have been fishing this summer, and we weren't sure if there would be enough so we supplemented from the grocery store...   Catfish, Tilapia and whatever else we had caught.
I pulled out the cookbook, found a breading recipe and jumped in with both feet.
I didn't stop there, but I determined I would learn how to make hush puppies.

It was a success!  I didn't burn anything.  Hush Puppies were gobbled up.  I received a generous compliment from the Grandpa regarding Hush Puppies.  I wasn't expecting much my first time round.  I had never filled a pot with oil before and fried anything.  So my biggest concern is I would ruin dinner and eating out would be the story.  

If only, you knew the struggles I have had with cooking over the last year.  This was a feather in my hat success.  I even cooked some potatoes wedges and onion rings/slices for my girl.  The kids were astounded...real french fries!  

3 hours later... everyone was full, happy and ready to lounge...  

Success and Happiness all around. 

(pictures courtesy of my daughter... I was too busy cooking and they were eating it as soon as it was being set on the plate)

Avengers..Build and Grow at Lowes

He did it!  We did it!  All 6...
It started with just checking out the website.. There was so much enjoyment...and then the discovery that it was the theme for the summer. The 2 of us every couple of weeks...headed to Lowes.
So proud of all the efforts of my youngest young man.  He learned much and did a great job!

God is a gentleman

So I am reworking this post...
Cause that is what happens sometimes after I post and then I am taking my morning shower.
I get so much chat time with God and thinking done in the shower....

This past fall I kept hearing the same sentence over and over.. God is a gentleman.
I started thinking on it.  I had never thought of God as a Gentleman.  If God is a Gentleman... what does that look like?  Cause He isn't opening the car door for me.. He opens doors, but not the ones that are physical and attached to a building or a car.
So into my journey of examining God's character and what makes God a Gentleman.

Rewind several years, well maybe 16 or 17 years...
In parenting, I became intentional.  I longed to be able to teach my kids "rules" of life NOT because "I said so, but because God said so". I wanted to be able to direct them to His Word, to Him.

I discovered this company, Doorposts and their tools became invaluable.  You see I have this memory:

When I was a teenager, during one of the years my family never walked into a church, I picked up my Bible and started reading.  I was shocked and astounded.  Right there between the pages of Genesis and Revelations were instructions on how to behave. It was one of those years where law and the Constitution was being studied.  I had just no idea that the Bible was where it first happened.  I just thought all these rules of childhood were something parents created.  This discovery started a longing in my heart to know God's Word better.  

A few years into parenting, I wanted my children to know the principles we live by were created by God for our good.  Not for some selfish parental/adult reason to make life better.  

Now back in the present... I have been on a discovery journey of God's character.  Knowing who He is, but not being able to support it.  If God is a gentleman, then what does this look like.  I had read my Bible through one lens... what is it that I am suppose to be learning?  Now I started reading it through another lens, what does this say about God, His Character and The Kind of God He is?  This past year though, as I study His Word, I will come across a glorious and beautiful truth and then He will follow up that truth with this whisper to my heart..."This is another example of my character, of who I am and who I desire you to be."  It is easy to list of examples of good character. But that isn't enough for me.. I want to know where it is in Scripture. and He is showing me.  On this day, this verse jumped out at me as I worked through my Bible study book, Breathe:

And I started writing in my book.  

God waited.

Patiently waited 

6 days, 

He waited for the seventh day. 

He had an appointment, the Sabbath.  

He waited. 

He let them tend to life. 

But the time came and He called Moses.  

God was always there.  Present.  But not greedy of time and demanding more time.

Not selfish or self seeking wanting more time 

He was willing to wait.

He instructs us to seek Him.  To pray in all things.  To keep Him Lord and worship nothing else.  He is balanced and selfish and selfless. He calls us to work.  He calls us to rest.  He knows that as humans there are things we must tend.  We must eat.  We must care for others.  If He gives us these instructions, He recognizes it means our attention will inevitably be diverted from Him. He doesn't get jealous or demanding or impatient.  He awaits for the time He set aside for us to be with Him fully focused, Sabbath.  He doesn't even force us to show up to the appointment... free will... 

Feeling blessed that as I learn and grow in other areas, He doesn't forget this desire of mine to have Biblical evidence of His character.  He just keeps whispering to my heart..

Sara Lee Manager's Special... Blessing my kids just feels so Amazingly Good.. Great Price while supplies last!

Feeling, oh so blessed!  

We were out of bread and lunch was coming up.  

So after I dropped my son off at work I stopped here: 

I discovered: Bagels for $1.00

and Raisin Bread for $1

I couldn't help but stock up the freezer.  Going to the store can be a chore.
But I have kids that love Bagels.
They even had Blueberry.
I have a kid that loves Blueberry anything.  

The bakery prices always beat the grocery store prices. 

But this was amazing!  

Feeling blessed that I can bless my children with something they love

for breakfast and snacks! 

What big claws/nails you have!

Thanks to Art for Kids Hub... My guy discovered Origami yesterday!  Here is where he learned to make these:  

He was so excited about Origami, I told him we had a book and Origami paper somewhere.... 

Found it!  

He has been hard at work and using the book along with the paper!  

We have had this on our bookshelves for years.  Maybe even 13 years.
It is from our Five in A Row  years... 

I am just tickled it is getting loved and used thoroughly all these years later. 

I destroyed our fairy forest!

This morning I discovered the little bitty "caps" of white had grown!  

I know enough about fungi to know they grow because of rain, temperatures and soil condition.  

I don't know what these are specifically, I just knew they needed to go!  

Some were larger than my hands and my feet!  

I could not help but imagine I was destroying a fairy town or community! 

It was the easiest "gardening" work I have done in a while.  

Dinner adventures

Just Can't Reveal Names here.  

But there are people in this home that have a thing about food.  They LOVE it.  It is a critically important aspect of their life.  To get specific, meat is especially important.  So right on top of that list is STEAK.  

So when presented with a steak option for dinner, the best way to cook it around here is unanimously on the grill.  I have been relearning a lot around here this past year. 

One of the things, noone is to quick to "allow" me to learn is to grill.  

Grilling requires "babysitting"  and "attention"

My ability to stay focused is somewhat challenged,
 since the accident and the cooking adventures I have experienced,
while comical, have left my children protective of the grill.
 
The risk of my getting distracted and burning something is great.  

So our resident "STEAK" lover, (worship-er) volunteered to grill.  

Unfortunately, the cook, had not grilled steak before.  A 5 minute break was taken to run inside.