January 2012 Overview

January has been quite a busy and full month.

Besides the fact, that January is the busiest month of the year for me at work, I got to add to the mix: two memorial services, a funeral service, two snow days, a youth activity and a baby shower as well. And boy, am I glad this month is coming to a close. It has been exhausting.

Don't misunderstand me, I am not wallowing in self pity, but instead I am praising God for his hand of goodness, his love for his people and how he continually puts all things together in his timing.

Blessing 1:
I am tired, but I would rather be tired working for God than to be tired from doing nothing. It is such an honour and joy to be able to be a vessel used unto the Lord and honestly, I can't see it any other way.

Blessing 2:
I know many have prayed for me over the month as I muddled through hours of paperwork. Even though there was so much more going on, God was able to get me through it all, and I know it is because he heard the prayers of these dear ladies.

Blessing 3:
Every Saturday this month was filled with either a memorial service, funeral service or baby shower and if there is one phrase that could sum up all the help I received from my sister's in Christ, it is: "a servant's heart".

Blessing 4:
As our church went through this deep valley, the bond of peace and comfort was given to us as we pulled together to serve the families who had lost their loved ones. Everyone of these ladies just blessed my soul over and over again, as they gave of their time and talents so endlessly.

Blessing 5:
In the midst of it all, came a winter storm that drenched the area with 6-8 inches of snow; which originally had been forecast to be the worse storm since the mid 80's (thankfully, history didn't repeat itself).



Two days we spent indoors as a combination of snow, hail, sleet, wind and cold temperatures fell upon us. On day two, Steve made a fire in the wood stove to keep me warm, but one little fellow beat me to the heat. The little stinker!




Did I mention that Levi not only defines cuteness, but he is smart too?!

Blessing 6:
On Sunday, Steve and I were excited to host the Teen youth group after church. These young people are so full of life and are so fun to be around. We sang, gave testimonies, played games, and had some refreshments. Let me just say that an hour and a half goes by - way to fast!



Blessing 7:
Finally, the last Saturday of the month rolled around and it was an exciting day as Tess and I had the privilege of hosting a baby shower for one of the ladies at our church, who of course, is having her first baby. The shower was well attended and the mother-to-be received many nice things for her baby girl. Only a few more weeks to go and she'll have that precious baby in her arms. Praise the Lord!

Now it's time to put January behind and to look ahead to what February will bring. Amen!

Cinnabon? Uh-uh

It was a Thursday afternoon when I asked the school principal,"Hey, what kind of level treat should I bring tomorrow for the kids?" Teasing he said, "we want rolls from Cinnabon." Well, that is a pretty tall order since the nearest Cinnabon store is about an hour away, whether one travels North or South. But being the kind of person that I am, my mind began to race.

First I thought...how can I get to a Cinnabon store, purchase the rolls and get to work on time? Then I thought,... maybe I could find a place in town and buy them there. Neither one of these scenario's where ideal. So, that left me with my last thought...make them? Make them? Nah. I've never made homemade cinnamon rolls before and to try out a new recipe on innocent people is shameful. With that last thought I dismissed the idea entirely.

After work, I realized I still needed an idea for a level treat. So I headed home to check out my recipes to see what I could make that would feed 18 kids and 4 adults. I ran across my "Chocolate in a Box" recipe and decided that would have to do.

While I was in the process of making the dessert, I happened to be online when Alyssa posted an entry on her blog. So, I went to check it out. Lo and behold, what did she post, but pictures of beautiful mini cinnamon rolls that she had just made. What?! <*waaaaaah* a sign had been given!>

I said, that's it....I CAN DO THIS! So, I went to this site that she recommend and I found a cinnamon roll recipe. I checked to see if I had all the ingredients; which I did. Now all I needed was God's help and some confidence that this could happen.

Well as you can see from the picture above, it did happen and the rolls were a success! My husband was amazed, I was amazed and the school principal even quipped that Cinnabon has nothing on our BBC Secretary. Now that made me happy!

I'll end with this quote by Julia Child; which really inspired me to step out of my comfort zone.

"If you're not ready to fail, you're not going to learn how to cook."

So maybe, just maybe I'll try again.

Levi's Wellness CheckUp

Back in December, Levi received a card from his Vet letting him know that it was time for his Wellness Check-Up. Levi has only been to see a Vet 2 times in his life of 9 years. His mom-ma made an appointment for him and this past Friday his pop-pa took him in.

When Steve brought Levi into the examination room the Vet exclaimed, "this can't be the 9 year old Levi I am suppose to see". She looked him over from head to toe and could not believe how well he looked and how "muscular" he was for being 9.

Not only did Levi show her what great condition he was in, but he took his two shots like the "Big-Dog" that he is. He didn't whine, bark or growl either time The Vet told Steve that not many dogs respond that way when they get their shots.

The only thing we have to do now is get his teeth cleaned; which we knew would need to be done.

Overall the appointment went well. Levi left quiet an impression on the Vet, and made his pop-pa and mom-ma proud to be his human parents. I just love this little guy!

The Best Meal of the Day

Last month I ran across a product that I found interesting. Interesting enough to purchase, use and promote: it is called Shakeology.

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I am not the kind of person who tries everything that hits the market, I don't believe everything a product says it does and I am not a pill popping kind of gal. But let me tell you this product is on the mark. I have tried both the "Greenberry" and the "Chocolate" flavors and both of them are very good. Not only are the shakes tasty, but they have many, many benefits.

If you are interested in knowing more about this product feel free to head over to my website (just click on the title above). You might think it is kind of expensive, but if you can spend $4 on a cup of coffee or some other type of food and drink a day, then you can spend it on Shakeology. The benefits of this superfood shake is worth every penny, and just in case your not impressed with the taste or the results, you can also get your money back. Shakeology offers a 30-day money back guarantee.