Pinterest Winners

I just popped one of our family's favorite Pinterest dinners in the oven and it smells delish!  Claire actually recently asked me to make "that yummy pasta with olives in it" again so dinner tonight was per Claire's request.

Here is the recipe for Artichoke Pasta Bake.

Speaking of Greek, this recipe was the yummiest!  We made it for a game day appetizer a few weekends ago and the girls (and us) gobbled it up like candy.  Super easy to make too!

Oh and this recipe for cashew chicken in the crock pot was amazing!!
 
Seriously, thank you Pinterest for spicing up our dinner menu!!

Happy cooking!

IOWA

Even though our beloved Hawkeyes aren't making us super proud so far this season, we are supporting them from afar regardless!!

We've been flying our Iowa flag every Saturday (and saw another Iowa flag in our neighborhood last weekend!  We need to meet those peeps!) and watching the game every weekend.  We went to the official game watch site for the Iowa alumni club and had fun watching with fellow transplanted Hawkeyes and then we also watched one game with some new friends we met who are also from Iowa.  

Oh, and check this out.  The other weekend after the game, THIS landed in our neighborhood!  So cool!

He was riding in a garbage can! 

                                                                     Go Hawks!!

Where we are

It's so cool to be in a place where you can literally feel God working.  The past six months have been like that for me and Justin.  Every single day when Justin comes home from work, we are both interrupting each other to talk about what God has put on our hearts that day.  It's been one of the most exciting times in our lives. 

I'm reading through the Bible (which I've never done before) chronologically and today this verse popped up as the verse of the day:

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."   Romans 12:2

I especially love this translation (NLT) because it speaks so deeply to my heart.  I have lived the last 10 years of my life copying the behaviors of this world and the American dream - marriage, career, mortgage, kids, stuff, wanting more, bigger, better... That is what I have been living for.  Sure, we've always been involved in a church and usually a Bible study or small group of some kind.  But, what has been the purpose of those things?  ME.  I wanted to find a church that I like, with people I can hang out with and a pastor I can learn from.  Just so I can know more.  There's nothing wrong with those things but those things shouldn't be the goal.  And they had been for me. To be honest, I've always been bothered by that to some degree, but it still stopped there. 

Then the Lord moved us to Atlanta.  We thought we were moving here for Justin's job and the Lord knew that the only way He could get us (read: ME) to leave Iowa was to dangle the carrot of Justin's 'dream job' in front of us.  But that's not why we're here.  Don't get me wrong - Justin absolutely LOVES his job.  It has been awesome to watch him grow and learn and be challenged in his job for the first time... ever maybe.  The underlying stress we felt for years that came from Justin being so unhappy in his past jobs is gone for the first time.  It's been wonderful for us as a family.  Thank you, Jesus! 

We know now that we are here because we were too comfortable in Iowa.  We weren't allowing ourselves to be challenged because everything was so 'good' and 'easy'.  We've both been reading books like crazy (Radical by David Platt, 7  by Jen Hatmaker, and The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay to name a few) and it's like our eyes are being opened for the first time.  I honestly can.not.wait. to find out what the Lord has for us.  That's another reason I love that verse in Romans.  I had been copying the behaviors of this world for so long.  And it felt so empty and worthless.  If we don't do that, or at least do our best to fight against that nagging temptation, it leaves room for God to transform us as people and change the way we think.  I feel like that's where Justin and I are right now.  We are seeing Jesus through new eyes and allowing God to transform and change the way we see things.  I can't wait for the next step.  It says in Romans that if we do that, we will learn what God's will is for us.  His good, perfect, and pleasing will.  I'm so excited to find it out.  Am I scared that He's going to ask me to do something I don't necessarily want to do or am afraid to do?  Honestly, yes.  But here's the thing - how can I not let Him do that when it always proves to be what is best??  I didn't want to move to Atlanta.  I mean, not at all.  But, we knew God was leading us so we did.  And in the six months we've been here, He has seriously changed just about everything I thought about everything.  He has been so faithful and I wouldn't want to be any place BUT here right now.  Do I miss Iowa?  The answer is an overwhelming YES!  With every piece of me I miss it.  I miss being so close to family and seeing my best friend every day.  I miss our faith family.  I miss our church.  I miss our babysitter. I miss our playgroups.  I miss the culture and vibe.  I even miss our teeny, tiny house.  But I also know that we have to be where we are right now.  I love the journey we are on and I know that if we had not left Iowa, it would have taken a lot more for us to realize the things we've realized.

I was looking back in my prayer journal recently and came across this entry from last year.  July 27, 2011 to be exact. 

"James 2:16 Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.
The word ACTION has been re-appearing in our life lately.  I think the Lord is calling us to something.  Maybe it begins with leading our faith family, Perspectives, ...??  Jesus, Show us how to take action in our faith and how to be your disciples."

I feel like this has been a long time coming.  I love looking back and being on the other side of something and being able to see God at work. 

So this is where we are. 

For Nana

Nastics

Emma started her first gymnastics, or her in her word 'nastics' class.  Thanks to some generous family who sent money for her birthday, I was able to sign her up for her first mommy & me class.  It's been really fun to do something special with Emma while Claire is at school.  

Oh, and seriously, this girl is killin it!  

Speaking of killin it, I haven't been able to kill the tears since Claire brought this home from school today.  Her teacher put together this darling little 'I Am Special' book with several things they have been working on.  The whole book was precious but I lost it on the last page:

It wasn't the 'toy cookies' part. ;) The fact that the only friend she listed, totally unprompted by me or anyone, was Liam.  Seriously breaks my heart.  There are some days when I miss home so much.  Today is one of those days.  I'm thinking Claire can relate.  

Three-year-old Fashion

Claire might just have a future in fashion... fashion blogging, perhaps?  She is constantly changing clothes, mixing & matching outfits, and modeling her creations.  Today I decided to document every outfit she wore.  She totaled six today... oh dear!  Can you imagine what her closet floor looks like?!  ;)

Outfit #1

Oh, and she's really into tucking shirts in lately...

Outfit #2

Outfit #3

Outfit #4

Outfit #5

Outfit #6

There you have it, folks!  A day in the fashion life of Claire!

So long, paci

Yesterday was the day Emma and her paci had to break up.  Just like big sissy did, Emma has had a paci obsession from day 1.  Even though she wasn't chewing through them like Claire was, we decided this was a good time to have them part ways.  It made me sad... there's so little baby left in Emma.  But, it was time. 

Earlier in the week I took her to Target and let her pick out a toy.  I told her she would get to have the toy when she got rid of all her pacis. 

She took her final sucks.

Then she gathered up all the pacis. 

                                                    and traded them for her new baby.



The night really wasn't too bad!  Emma cried/whimpered/asked for her paci on and off for about 30 minutes.  She stayed in bed the whole time and had no major freakouts.  (Quite unlike our experience with Claire!)  Claire was super sweet and offered plenty words of encouragement to Emma.  

We survived the first night and Emma woke up happy this morning.  

The happy paci-free girl and her new baby Tina!

Our baby girl is growing up!