blessed beyond measure

Kitchen en fuego. No, I didn't deal with our mildew-colored paint issue by taking a blowtorch to the walls. Just cooked up a good dinner. A really good dinner. A top five all-time dinner. I'm a decent cook, don't get me wrong. Took a while for me to be able to say that, but at least for our usual fare, we eat well. But this meal...even Trey ate. Oh, it was delicious, I tell you. And yet so simple. Do yourself a favor and make this . Of course you don't have to grill. We are sans-meat thermometer, so I used the crock pot. Our mouths were watering all afternoon. It was delicious. DEE-licious I tell you. Side it with some roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, and yeast rolls, and you'll have yourself a guaranteed top five. Disclaimer: Dinner is not always so feel-good. In honor of a new entry in my top five greatest meals, here are the top five worst meals created by my hands. Airborne Lasagna A time-saving lasagna-from-a-box that en...

teacher... leader... demonstrator... supporter... encourager... ... (ahem) show-off...

Remember this , oh longtime blog devotees? Here's another big hair treat for you. Happy Monday.

For one of April's new recipes , I made this Mexican all-purpose stuffing, dubbed "Taco Stuff", and in doing so found out that the main ingredient in yellow-envelope taco seasoning is whey. Then proceeded to lament that poor Trey may never eat Mexican food. Both of Two of my faithful readers (and dear friends) advised me on homemade taco seasoning. No whey. Way! I took what they gave me and ran with it, standing over the counter with a zillion spice bottles. Sniff. Measure. Stir. Sniff. Shake. Stir. Sniff. Repeat. And landed on this. Pointless Homemade Taco Seasoning 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 1/4 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp garlic powder 2/3 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp oregano 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (cayenne would be better - didn't have any) 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp pepper Stir together. Brown and drain 1 1/2 lb meat, then stir in this mixture and just less than 1 cup water. Simmer a few minutes. Serve however. Verdict: Good. ...

rain praise, praise the Lord

one day they will be best friends

I don't want to be a once-a-week blogger. Not that I fear I'm disappointing the three of you who read it, but because it seems there is so much I'm forgetting about life. And now that the big yellow buses are once again roaring by our picture window, and the countdown is officially on, I feel an urgency to remember everything. Everything. Like how Aden has started doing pat-a-cake on his own, clapping and chanting "ah-AH! ah-AH! aaaaaaaAH! (that's 'roll it up') aaaaaaaAH!" and then waiting for me to stick it in his pan. Which is a roasting pan, by the way. Or how Trey has elaborate basketball games with himself - everything from opening warmups to the jump ball, whistles, fouls, halftime, and finally, a buzzer-beater finish where he always sinks the winning shot. Or how Brandon comes home from work and practically tackles the boys into a hug, because he has missed them so much after their summer together. Or how Aden, when rest...

...you give your four-year-old a five-minute free for all with the camera? You, er, look at things from a different perspective. Like a 3'6" perspective. Or a focus is optional perspective. Or a totally random subject perspective. I will translate for your benefit. A few cabinets, a little ceiling. The laundry room/closet, and a peek at the no-longer-oppressively-yellow walls. I hate the new color too. More on that later. Aden's mess (true) in Trey's room. The self-portrait. Trey's loveys, the Doggie twins. And a close-up of his new oh-so-pretty big boy quilt. Bro, chillin' in his room. Aden's mess (true) in the living room. Self-explanatory. Please pretend you don't see the dust bunnies. Where it all started. Yes, our yard is brown. It's rained once in four weeks. Sweet Aden, focus optional. OK. Pretend you don't see the embarrassment of a closet in the background. I was ...

For those of you who routinely deny your inner nerd (you know who you are), allow me to remind you that back to school is the second most wonderful time of the year. Rulers. Hole punches. Sticky notes. Insulated lunchboxes. Clean spiral notebooks. Backpacks with organizing compartments. A rainbow of portfolio folders, perfect for color-coding. Pencil cases full of tall, wooden, yellow pencils, bendy pink erasers, and shiny paper clips. New three-ring binders with dividing tabs neatly marking distinct subject areas, filled with identical stacks of crisp, white filler paper. I'm getting excited. So you all understand how hard it is for me to pass up the incredible back-to-school deals all over everywhere. At Trey's preschool all of the supplies are provided. Just one more year until I get to jump in there and clench hold of the self-gratification of paying mere pennies for all of Trey's new school gear. One year. One year. This thought hit me ...

Praise the Lord. A trip long overdue. Not just for family togetherness, which there was plenty of. But for my own spiritual refreshment. How I have longed to just sit and look at the ocean. Listen to the waves. Smell the salt. One of my favorite things in the world to do, because there I am compelled to think about God. The ocean is vast, living, powerful. God spoke it into being. He called it good. And then the same God who said, "Let there be seas," said, "Let there be an Ashley." And He formed me with his hands. And called me very good. Praise, praise, praise the Lord. My insecure self forgets this in normal life. I am ever thankful for the reminder. So, the family togetherness. Warning, photo overload. Trey. Had. A. Blast. You know, just in case you were afraid he didn't. Aden, well. I don't have to tell you that Aden's true reason for going to the beach was the food. He tried fun at the...