Merry McCallum Christmas!

(Please excuse the red eye)

Mexican Fiesta!

Salsa Rice bake

• 1# hamburger browned
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can chili beans

Combine and simmer. Top with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream. ( this recipe works GREAT in the crock pot!) I double the recipe.

Chicken tacos
(this is how much I make for us +2)

• 2 full (4 individual) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 green pepper
  
• 1 onion
• 8 oz cheddar cheese

1. Cook whole breasts alone until they are done enough to shred, or chop. (the Pampered Chef meat chopper works great for this)
2. Add chopped onions and pepper. Cook to desired tenderness
3. Drain liquid and add 1 cup water
4. Add taco seasoning. (Our gang doesn't like stuff very spicy, so I only use one package, you may desire 2 packages of seasoning)
5. Simmer
6. Add cheese

Serve with black beans, tortillas, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and lettuce.

Corn Cake

Blend:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 1/3 cup masa (corn flour)
• 1/4 cup water

Add:

• 1 1/2 cup chopped frozen corn

Add

• 1/4 cup corn meal

In separate bowl combine:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2T heavy cream (or milk)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking powder

Bake in a 8"x8" pan @ 375 for 50-60 minutes
(technically you are supposed to set the smaller pan inside a 9x13 pan with water in it, but I just use my stone, or a glass pan and it turns out well) I double or triple this recipe

Picture Catch Up

Above: my bed at ladies retreat. It was a great time! VERY challenging messages on conflict resolution.
Below: LouAnn officially lives here in Iowa. There were quite a few items she donated to help our around here, and we are very grateful!

Setting up the dining room table

J is one of the kiddos I have on school days. He is a cutie! Here he is sporting his "dog collar" for 80s day homecoming week.

C, J's brother, wasn't thrilled to be here the first couple of weeks, and he let me know it, but he has since settled into a nice routine. I found out he LOVES pasta!

Delphia FINALLY lost a tooth!

Jon's new glasses. He looks SO much like the grandpa he almost shared a name with. He missed his birthday by 17 minutes!

Don has been trimming and burning a lot of the scrubby lower limbs off our trees. LouAnn has been working VERY hard at dragging them to the burn pile.


A 1 month old and a 1 year old.... Deja Vu!!

Our room... primed.

Don had the primer tinted per the suggestion of one of our drywallers. It was a brilliant idea! You can see where you've been and missed both with the paint and the primer. I just told him to pick a lighter color next time. This was a little scary!

We did end up going with the gray paint. We both REALLY like it!

The orange and aqua bedding won out.

Today, Delphia's 7th birthday!

The traditional birthday donut.

Fruit pizza treats for her class

Don and I on our 11th anniversary!

I wore my paint pants for a week solid. I have a few more days to be wearing them. I end up washing them at night, because they start to take on a life of their own! I love having somewhere to wipe my hands, and I have also found that painting with out flooring is DA BOMB!! You don't have to worry about dripping!!

What if...

This song has been such a challenge/ inspiration to me over the past month.

As I watched the various videos to accompany it on YouTube this one won out. Yes, it is intense, but I represents exactly the war I we are in. All it's ugliness, and seemingly superior strength. BUT the end, the victory is the cry of my heart. I know God can do it! Will I fight? Will you?

Introducing "Baby Gray"

Dear Blogger family and family in general,
I hope one day to get back to the "11 years ago" theme. I have loads of bullet points I would like to share, BUT....
In a nut shell:
This past spring we were made aware of a child who needed a home. Since that time we have been working with DHS and waiting on the Lord to see if this is a need we can provide for. This particular child is out of state and thus the "hoops" to jump thru are extensive.
This week we will have a "relative home study". The social worker will be talking with us and touring our home, then reporting back to DHS in the state "Baby Gray" is from. We are working like crazy to get things done here on the main floor of our home. I have to wash my painting clothes at night b/c I am in them all day long.
Thankfully things are going very well. Don stayed home yesterday and was able to get all the outlets and switches wired up here, as well as hang the hardware in my closet, and finish installing our lights and smoke alarms. For the first time in our married life (11 years) we have an organizable closet!!! (notice I did not say organized)(yes, I cried)
Anywho, I had a picture to post, but wasn't sure if that is okay or not, since he isn't officially in our home yet.
So, now you know where I've been and what I've been up too. All this in addition to our 5 and all the meals, laundry, lost shoes, homework, etc....
The kids are VERY excited to have a baby around again, he's 10 months old.
P.S. Our anniversary weekend was WONDERFUL!!

11 Years

11 Years Ago Today:

• after traveling together in Life Action Ministries for 9 months and spending practically all day every day together, Don and I had not seen each other for 60 days!
• Don who is NOT a morning person woke up at 5 or so to get on the road from MI to IA, and thus arrived blissfully earlier than I expected.
• I was so keyed up to see Don again and be held by him, that rather than run out to the car to greet him, I ran to the basement to be alone after instructing my mom to send him my way once he got inside. Weird to some, but that moment was so precious to me, I was in no mood for an audience.
• Many family members were traveling
• We loaded all my belongings into a trailer hauled out by Don's sister and her husband. I was so sure I needed the big trailer they brought out, but in truth I could have fit all my stuff in the smaller trailer they were thinking of bringing in the first place.
• Our nephew Tyler made the now historic quote, "I don't want to see any more silos!!!" (the first million had been exciting and helped pass the long trip. After that they lost their charm)
• Don's grandmas were still alive
• All my siblings were much younger, as were Don's nephews.
• Life was a lot simpler, and less complicated
• We were so sure it couldn't get any better, but in all reality the beauty we beheld then was just the "earth bound caterpillar"

The Sneaky Holiday

EVERY YEAR!!! It always sneaks up on me!

HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY to my grandparents, and my children's grandparents. You are dearly loved and appreciated!!