Crispix Chicken

I've had several requests for the Crispix Chicken recipe.  It's our alternative to fried chicken and one of our favorite meals to eat!

Here's the igredients you'll need.  Crispix cereal, flour, salt, pepper, butter, thawed chicken breasts

Thaw chicken breasts and cut into quarters or thirds, as many as you need for your family.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter for 3 chicken breasts. Salt and pepper  1/2 cup of flour

Dip each chicken piece in butter then roll in flour, place in baking dish

Sprinkle crumbled Crispix cereal on top, or place in flour when rolling chicken,

drizzle extra butter on top

Bake 350 uncovered for 45 minutes

ENJOY!

Clean Sweep Marathon

I can't believe I'm going to share this, but my friend Jade and I are desperate (more me than her).  If you've ever watched the T.V. show Clean Sweep you know where this is heading.  Let me give you a little background...

I've never been organized, thorough, put together, or efficient when it comes to my house.  I'm clean but the mounds of clutter and piles are everywhere!!!!  I use to let people say, "Oh but you have 2 small kids that's just how it's gonna be".  Well, if I'm gonna be honest with myself, if there were no kids in this house it would still look this way.  Everything I see is mine!

Part of my issue with organization is I NEED to see everything.  That's how I know where things are.  These mega organized folks that have everything put up "in it's place" will never understand that I can't function that way.

So, Jade and I have decided that with the help of our mega organized friend, Teresa, we are gonna "Clean Sweep" each others homes and just try to function in organization!  That means the following: we go to each others homes, throw away what needs to be trash, give away what needs to be donated, sell what can be sold, and live in "sweet minimal" which is organized at least for an hour!!!

Anyone who wants to join us in this HUGE challenge let me know so we can help you find things after they are put up in it's place!  BTW Joan, part of this is conviction from our Bible study.  Thanks for being God's filter!!!

Warning....the pictures you are about to see are real and what my everyday life is like!  This is my home uncensored.

Birthday Bash!

            Happy 40th Birthday Christy!!

Christy and I just before we walked into surprise party

Christy and her fab kids!

This weekend we celebrated, with grand flair, my middle sister's 40th birthday. It was a full weekend of surprises for her.  We knew it was a hit when she said, "This was the best birthday since the 6th grade". If you know Christy well, you know her attachment to that year of her life!

During all of the celebrating, I remembered just how blessed I am to have amazing women in my family and extended family. I've got a fabulous mom, two incredible sisters, amazing nieces, wonderful aunts, friends that are like family, and a slough of cousins that are pretty impressive too! This list doesn't even cover the influential women on my husbands side!

If you looked at all of them from across the room you might not give them a second glance, but just start a conversation with one and realize it's a "family of champions"! Possibly not by the standards of Olympians or world titles but definitely by spiritual standards. I see prayer warriors, perseverance through faith, endurance through tragedy-loss-hardships, and training through unconditional love.

So, Happy 40th Birthday Christy! Thanks for being one of the champions I look up to!

Eternal and Worthwhile Investments

I've known for a long time that my Hughes side of the family and the Hillman side of our family has long supported and been a part of local and international missions, but I didn't realize how much of a legacy we were passing to the next generation until tonight!

On the Hughes side of our family we have 4 nieces and 1 nephew.  On the Hillman side of the fam we have 4 nephews and 2 nieces.  I first became an aunt at 10 years old when Holly was born (1988), and Knox ends the grandkids so far!!!  I had no idea how much I would learn from all them.

 I'm thinking about this tonight because my second born niece, Morgan, leaves for Zambia in a few days for a mission trip.  Morgan was born when I was in the 9th grade.  This is her second mission trip in a year and the first one she is traveling by herself!  She and her sister, Kaylee, went with their parents on their first mission trip to Haiti last summer!  Kaylee was born my Freshman year at OBU!

Kyle, my oldest nephew, was born when I was in the 7th grade.  He just returned from his first international mission trip in January!  Holly, his oldest sister, was able to take her first mission trip as a Jr. in High School.  She went with her basketball team to Brazil.  Staci, their youngest sister, was born my Sr. year in High School.   By her Sr. year, she will get to go on an all expense paid mission trip sponsored by her school!

Jada, my oldest Hillman niece was born out of a mission!  She was adopted from Lebanon and came here to minister to us!

Sam and Will, my oldest Hillman nephews, haven't been on an international mission trip but at age 5 they had already participated in local missions here in the Arkansas Delta.

Ian, Eli, Gentry, and my two boys haven't had their opportunity yet but I know it's coming!

As for my generation, all of us have participated in local and or international missions and also our parents.

I'm not sure how far back in our family's history Ryan and I can trace the example of serving in missions, whether by financial support or being actively involved, but it's really exciting to see the legacy continuing.  And even more exciting to see how all the kids are learning and growing into adults who serve!  Grandpa Web is our only living grandparent and the only one we can thank right now!  Thanks Grandpa for the example.

Be safe Morgan, and keep your heart, eyes, and ears open to what you're about to experience!  Follow her link Motown to see what all she will doing.

3 Eternal and Worthwhile investments:
Souls of Men
Word of God
Prayer
(Dr. Gray Allison and Donna Gaines)

Be My Valentine

February 14th, 1996 was my first Valentine's Day with Ryan.  From that moment he spoiled me completely and set the bar high!

We were poor college students totally in love!  I made him promise that he wouldn't spend money on flowers for me so instead he did something incredible (you need to understand how much I love fresh cut flowers especially roses).  He wanted our first Valentine's Day to be special so he spent a full week hand crafting a dozen roses, without me knowing his plan!

When he picked me up Valentine's night for our date there sat, in his truck, a vase of a dozen red roses.  I immediately began to get on to him because I told him not to spend money on flowers.  Then he says, "I didn't buy them I made them."  What?????

I have to explain, at that time, I knew he was creative but had no idea how deep the creative juices ran!  I looked closer and realized he had made the roses out of tissue paper and wire!  After taking in this beautiful sight I knew this was a special man!

I kept the vase of roses for 14 years!  Just last year I removed them from our attic.  Ryan continues to spoil me and do very creative things to show me how much he loves me and cherishes our relationship.  I'm always looking forward to the next project on his list, even if it's not for me.  I enjoy watching him create! (Even if projects mean working on them in my living room!:)

Photo Ryan took at Dole Plantation in Hawaii Summer 2009

Pray, Mourn, Praise, & Move On

Last week in the chronological Bible study we took a look at more of David's reign as King. The story of his life makes so much more sense when you read it chronologically. I highly recommend it!

I learned some new things like Bathsheeba was the daughter of one of David's mighty men. So, he knew her before the rooftop scene. One observation stood out the most, David's reaction to the illness and death of his and Bathsheeba's baby. David prayed and mourned while the baby was sick. He poured his heart to God in prayer and made requests for the child to be healed. He was even questioned by those closest to him for doing this. Here is what I saw new, once the baby died David stopped his mourning, worshipped God, and moved on. The blogger asked the question, "What do you take away from David's reaction?"

For the first time I realized that I like to hang out in the mourning stage a lot longer than God intends me to! I'm pretty good about praying about tough situations and having faith that God will do what's best, but when the answer comes and it's a time of loss I like to hang out in the mourning stage hoping the answer will change.

Thanks David for another insight into having a heart after God. Pray, mourn, worship, and move on!

Source of My Almost "Perfect" Day

I'm in the middle of week 18 of a chronological Bible study and we are smack in the middle of David's life.  One of the key applicable lessons I've learned is when God gives me something/anything it's always meant to bless others and not just a treasure for me to enjoy.  He wants me to pass it on so that He can be seen, felt, and heard by others.  It's another way for them to see Christ in my life and how He can affect theirs.

One of those gifts came today.  I had one of those almost "perfect" days, at least perfect for me.  This is how it went...up at 8:30, boys still asleep, spent time in the Word, boys wake up in great moods, go to Grammy's to attempt to make cake balls with Rachel for Tara's shower, all the kids play together, finish cake balls, go home, boys down for nap, actually get 3 rooms of the house CLEAN, 5 friends come over for a SPA night, eat supper with Ryan Sawyer Knox, back home to wrestle Knox to sleep, time for bed.

So, why was this anywhere near perfect?  For several reasons and one big one hit me while I was vacuuming for my SPA night.  I get to be a stay at home mom and own a business that helps other women have their almost "perfect" days too!  I didn't have a boss telling me what time to be at work, I didn't have to leave my kids in daycare all day, I got to sleep in and still have time to READ my Bible not just skim, I had fun in icing up to my elbows, cleaned my house, and helped three women take a little break from the world and just sit and rest! 

So my blessing reminder was God whispering, "I gave you an almost "perfect"day for you to pass it on".  My BeautiControl business was given to me by Him and He uses it to allow me to have "perfect" days.  My paying it forward means I take time to give the women I come in contact with the same opportunity I have and more.

Gifts from God through BeautiControl:
-ability to be acne free! (if you've never struggled with a daily skin issue you can't even comprehend what a gift this is)
-answer to prayer before I knew I needed an answer - a way to stay at home with Sawyer and Knox
-spiritual mentors I would have never met in any other avenue of my life
-new relationships with women met at Spas that I would have never met otherwise
-learning how to really see and pray for the needs of women
-watching a friend find confidence and freedom in speaking in front of others
-watching others feel financial freedom and dreams come true
-"any time money" to pay bills

This gift isn't just a skincare and makeup company.  He reminds me daily that it's an avenue to share His mercy, grace, love, peace, and all that He is.  When I'm at a SPA there's a room full of women that may be stressed to the point of breaking, distracted, hurting, depressed, in need of love, in need of time to just BE and not BE NEEDED.  I get to give them the gift of rest, fun, pampering, and opportunity to lessen or get rid of stressors.  It's a pretty amazing job!

Thanks God for the reminder that this day and every day comes from you!  Thank you for providing the job that allows me to have almost "perfect" days and pass them on. 

4 Already!

Sawyer is now 4!  He's grown so much.  His first gift was a Snow Day for his birthday!  I knew having you was going to be fun but we had no idea it would include silly songs, cowboys, Indians, early morning bathroom snuggles under the heater, swimming like a fish, driving tractors in your underwear, and being such a great big brother!  Happy birthday, we love you!

Climbing trees has begun

 

 

He's now 41 & 15/16 inches tall! 

First real bike!

Important vs. Urgent

Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting

Jean Sophia Pigott

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

Refrain

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,

Vaster, broader than the sea!

O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,

Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Refrain

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings:

Thine is love indeed!

Refrain

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory,

Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting,

Fill me with Thy grace.

Refrain

I was reminded today of one of my favorite hymns (lyrics above).  The reminder came while I was reading a podcast about PRIORITIES (DeMoss).  How the urgent isn't always the important.  I am notorious for being distracted by the URGENT and never getting to the IMPORTANT.  I've teased my middle sister for years about being DISTRACTED.  She was even given the "Spice Girl" name of "Distracted Spice", however I think roles have turned and I'm about to be given the title.

On this December 31st, I'm reviewing 2010 and wondering if I accomplished the IMPORTANT things, or I've stayed distracted by the URGENT.  Then  I look at my PRIORITIES: wife, mom, business owner, speech pathologist, Sunday School teacher, children's helper, friend, sister, daughter, etc., etc.  Your list probably looks much the same.  Those priorities are my IMPORTANTS, then the URGENT DISTRACTORS come: house work, bills, things I loose, things I over commit to, television, naps, music searches, Internet, etc, etc.  So the verdict is.. I have been more distracted with the URGENT than focused on the IMPORTANT.

I don't do New Year's Resolutions so, my commitment to 2011 is...
-to try to daily focus on the IMPORTANTS and pray that God will steer me from the DISTRACTORS when needed, some DISTRACTORS are in His timing
-to be FULLY present in whatever task I'm doing, if I'm working then FULLY working, if I'm playing with kids-FULLY present with them (cell phone off), when studying God's Word-FULLY thinking and listening, when my husband is home-FULLY present with him
-to keep the clutter removed from the house (this is the BIG one)
-Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not man, Colossians 3:23
-So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31

So, back to the hymn lyrics I shared in the beginning, staying focused on the priority of the IMPORTANT task of resting daily in Christ will keep me on track to my 2011 commitment.  "Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with Thy grace"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All things new!

Every time I go to compose a post I get lost in the words floating, sky diving, and hurling through my mind. I think that I have all these conversations that someone will be interested in and then realize, I'm really the only one who cares what is floating around in my brain. I'm not ironic with words, not great with grammar, or comical in a delivery. In spite of all this, I'm going to take a shot at it. I've been recently inspired by several people I went to college with who seem fearless to me.

These "fearless" people, as I have deemed them, would probably say to you that they aren't, however, in my eyes they're unstoppable and not afraid to try things new and out of the box. Now that I'm in my 30's I'm beginning to question if I'm just living or if I'm taking life by the horns, like they are. So, what would be fearless for me?
-Reading all the books I think I don't have time for
-embracing photography like I've always wanted
-singing without reservations
-being completely "present" with my boys
-running my business successfully and still having time to do all these other things
-cooking, really cooking with recipes and everything!
-becoming fluent in a second language
-using coupons!!!!!
-finishing a year long chronological Bible study

This is beginning to sound like a bucket list, not my intention. I guess I just want to wear too many hats or maybe I know that God created us all to fulfill His creation by being creative with the mind and body He gave us.

Regardless of the never ending list, I'm going to start looking at my day through the eyes of a 3 year old and 5 month old. So much is new, the smallest thing is inspiring, tasks are carried out with giggles & determination, and every day is new with excitement! Who cares if my eyes don't focus right, my abs are invisible, I think I don't have the resources, and my house is a scary mess. God makes all things new and I can be fearless too.

**The little guy above is one of my inspirations!!!!