Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Crock Pot Pork Chops, Creamed Potatoes, Cabbage

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Calzones, Corn on Cob, Cole Slaw

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken with Pineapple, Cole Slaw with Pineapple, Sweet Potatoe Fries

Thursday: Chicken Broccoli over Rice, Salad

Friday: Meatloaf Balls, Creamed Potatoes, Peas from freezer, Cornbread

Saturday: Burgers and Chips

Running A Race for Life and The Race of Life

I never would have dreamed that I would be running for exercise, let along enjoyment!!! Last week Em and I ran/walked 10 miles over the week. Friday night we met the Mims and Burlesons at Veterans Park so we could run and the children could play. Emily and I ran/walked 4 1/2 miles in 52 minutes! That is incredible to me! We were so happy!! This weekend is a 5K in Brewer and I am not going to be able to run it because I will be out of town. I hated to miss the running. If I miss one time, it will be hard for me to go again. So I have signed up to run a 5K in St. Louis, MO on Saturday! The race is to raise money for a crisis pregnancy center in St. Louis. I have a pledge page if you are interested in pledging for the cause you can do it online at http://www.firstgiving.com/kimkillough1. I am a little nervous about running it alone, but excited at the same time.

On an ending note, I want to share what I concentrate on when I feel like stopping but need to keep going.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

" Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12: 1-2

Now, I realize that I am pulling verses out of context, but only for the race for life. Concerning THE RACE OF LIFE, I am slowly learning it is so very applicable. When I feel that I am fainting in the race of life that God has placed me in at this time in my life, I realize that I cannot run this race on my own strength!!! I am not even sure that I have the desire to run it at all, but God desires for me to and He alone will get me through. I am realizing that my desires of comfort and the easy life are not from Him, but of my own fleshly mind. My family and friends are the cloud of witnesses surrounding me and I have not put aside those encumbrances, I have become entangled in the sin of selfishness, I have tried to endure in my own strength because it is what I am "supposed to do", I have taken my eyes off of Jesus who is the author and perfecter of MY faith, I have not endured what I view as my cross with joy. I type in tears as my Precious Father has revealed these things to me as I share with you. God is so good! May I run the race put before me with joy and endurance from Him! I am so thankful for your prayers of my friends and family in this area.

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Busy and Fun Week

Wow, last week is a blurr! We were so busy, but had so much fun! Monday and Tuesday Ryan started the week out with the Stanford Achievement Test. He was nervous at first, but came out smiling. Running has begun to consume a few hours of every week now and we are all enjoying it so much! It gives us the opportunity to see friends often. Tuesday after testing was over, we went to the Splash Pad with friends and had a picnic. We went swimming with friends another day and spent the whole Memorial Day weekend with friends as well.

Gracie discovered that she loved the water!

Ryan and Gracie

My Little Explorer

Emily, Gracie, Annie, John Ashford and Sam

on Memorial Day.

Springtime: Work or Play?

Both!!! Springtime means a garden at our house. For some it is work and others it is play.

Spectators

Mimi and Gracie watch the progress. Mimi probably worked harder giving instructions than we did planting!

Demonstrator and Worker

Jimmy demonstrates how to plant the seeds and plants most of them.

PLAYERS!!!

As I said before, some play and some work. Guess what Caroline, Ben and Gracie are doing?

We had to wait forever for the garden spot to get dry enough to plant. Now it is finally planted with tomatoes, bell peppers, banana peppers, egg plant, purple hull peas, green beans and butter beans. Oh yeah, squash and zucchini. Probably more that I am forgetting. New problem, it is so wet we can't get in it to pull weeds and till between rows. I guess that is better than a drought!

We get spring fever with the pretty weather. We have visited different parks periodically with friends. We went to Fairpark for the first time with the Burleson's and had a great time. Here are some fun pictures.

Gracie and Sam enjoying the swings.

Round, and round and round go Kate, Lia, Caroline and Ben.

Gracie loves being outdoors.

Sweet Sam!! He is sooooo cute!!

And last but not least: ANTICIPATION

PARTICIPATION!!!! What fun!!!

Ryan tries to get Gracie to participate as Mimi watches in the background.

Gum Tree 2K Fun Run

Fun and run are two words that I have never used together until Saturday! I ran the 2K fun run with Ryan, Ben, Caroline, John Parker, Carson, Kate and Lia. I guess I should say that I followed them in the run, because they all finished several minutes before me. I just can't believe that I did it with only stopping to walk one time and to tie my shoe (arghhhhhh) another! I am not sure of my time, but I think it was around 17 minutes. No big deal for most of my running friends, but huge one for me. I thought last week 3 minutes without a break was going to kill me, but I found out I could go at least 1/2 mile without stopping! I am proud of myself, but so very proud of my children. They all did great!!!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am a bad fizzler! I haven't posted about starting a running program because I was afraid I would fizzle! Thanks to the encouragement from Emily, Lynn, Roan and my family I haven't fizzled!!! This is going on the fourth week of doing the Couch to 5K with Emily. My children have started running with the Spartans, our homeschool Cross Country

Team, and I am trying to get in better shape.

Jimmy, Gracie and I after the race.

All the boys after the race. Parker, Clay, Ryan,

Ben, Carson and Jared.

Girls before the race. Julie, Olivia, Lia, Caroline and Kate.

Kelly and Lynn after the 10K.

Julie and Olivia Johnson. They both got 1st place in their age divisions.

Gracie picking flowers. She does LOOK sweet!

It's A Party (Gifts Included)

Yep, that is right, a party! A PROCRASTINATORS Party!!! Just what I need to get me in gear with those projects that make me cringe when they are mentioned. Before I can link this to the hostess, I have to figure out how to use Mr. Linky! That is a little discouraging for me, but I have already started my project, so I want wait until I figure out Mr. Linky to begin my job (thus procrastinating)!! Clear as mud??? 14 1/2 hours later: Going to try to finish post and get Mr. Linky to work. Thanks to Melissa at theinspiredroom.net for hosting the party and helping me with Mr. Linky. The project that makes me cringe: My Scrapbook/Craft closet.

Isn't that horrible?!!?!!?!!? You don't have to answer that! Now, if you noticed, I mentioned gifts with this party. I certainly didn't expect anything other than a clean, organized space when I decided to join this party. Which is ample reward!!! Low and behold, as I was cleaning out everything, I found a prize! Behind a 3-drawer chest that I pulled out, there was a black jewelry box. I opened it and found this:

I know that the image is a little blurry, but you get the idea. I lost a necklace that my hubby had given me for my birthday with matching earrings. I had the earrings, but couldn't figure out what in the world had happened to the necklace. Well, fast forward at least two years, tah dah! I found my necklace. Now how is that for a surprise?

Off to work on sorting, purging and replacing! Wish me luck!

Menu Plan Monday

I am a little late posting, but I didn't fizzle out. Here's this weeks proposed menu:

Monday: Taco Salad
Homemade Salsa from Farm Wife Recipes

Tuesday: BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Cole Slaw
Diced Potatoes with Greek Seasoning

Wednesday: Chicken Rollups
Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes

Thursday: Crock Pot Pork Chops
Creamed Potatoes
Purple Hull Peas from freezer
Salad

Friday: Possible Birthday Party for Mimi
Grilled Burgers
Chips
Birthday Cake

Have carried a couple of items over from last week that did't get done. Had lots of leftovers on Thursday. Oh yeah, the Ravioli recipe was good, although I thought it could use more Italian Dressing. Have a great week!

Country Kids Have Fun!!

This post will be more pictures than words, as the title and pictures speak for themselves. I love the spring weather and my children love to get outside no matter what the weather is like.

Gracie on Katy

Rolling down the hill in barrels is great fun!

Did someone say mud? Mine love it! If there isn't any, they make it.

How She Has Grown!

The last post in January was about Gracie and her birthday. So I will start again with Gracie. She is at such a cute stage right now and seems to be so smart for 16 months old. I know all Moms think there babies are smart! But I seem to notice it more with her than I did the others. She is such a joy, while at the same time being such a challenge for me.

Fun while Mommie is cooking

Gracie, Ryan, Michael, Jaycee, Ben, Caroline, and Alex on Easter Sunday

More Easter Pictures

Keepers Tea Party with Caroline

Ok, got to be going now. Have been on here too long. Coming next: Country kids have fun!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, I am here for what seems to be my quarterly posting!! I am going to try to do better. Actually I am trying to start several new, good habits. The only problem is I am such a fizzler! I am hoping that posting it here will give me some accountability, but I don't know. Anyway, here goes first attempt at Menu Planning.

Monday: Pork Roast
Creamed Potatoes
Ceasar Salad

Tuesday: Chicken/Broccoli with noodles
rolls

Wednesday: Ravioli and Cheese Bake from orgjunkie.com
Spinach/Romaine Salad
Texas Toast

Thursday: Leftovers or Pork Chops in Crock Pot, Purple Hull Peas from the freezer, and
Green Beans

Friday: Taco Salad

Those of you who know me very well are probably laughing about now! Wish me luck!

My Baby's Birthday

Oh my goodness!!! I can't believe my baby is a year old already!! I am so very late posting and hope that I can get caught up today.

Gracie turned 1 year old on December 17!! I can't believe it. She has grown from 4 lbs. 15 oz. to 17 lbs. the last time we checked. She stayed at 5 lbs for quite a while, but she is quite the big girl now.
She is now crawling and walking, but still won't say mommy! She has brought so much joy and laughter into our life this past year.

Gracie got a couple of DVD's, a ball, sleepers and clothes, and a big girl carseat! Her favorite is the Praise Baby DVD and mine is the carseat. She had fun opening presents...

...but the cake was her favorite. She had the cutest Winnie the Pooh cake and her own smash cake to match. The smash cake was a hit. You never know if a baby is going to really go after it or be scared to touch it. Well, as you can see, she wasn't scared to touch it!!!

YUMMY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!