Lovin' Life with Our Two Little Ladies

It's been over a month since my last post and quite a lot has been going on here!

Kate is growing like a weed. She's finally getting into coloring and drawing pictures, which is a blessing for mommy! :) Plus, she likes to sit and read her books to herself or to her baby sister. Poor thing gets frustrated when Cora won't sit still and listen.
Daniel and I are also very pleased in how well Kate has taken to potty training. She is doing very well using the potty all on her own and has only had a few minor accidents since we got rid of the diapers and exclusively started using big girl panties. While we are still working on waking up to go potty at night, we are so proud of Kate and her accomplishments!
Sweet little Cora has two teeth now. At almost 10 months, she is an avid coffee table surfer and is getting pretty good at standing up by herself although quite hesitant to take any steps on her own. It won't be long though! Kate was just about a year when she started walking, and Cora seems to be doing much like what big sister did in terms of development.
Cora is a smiler and loves catching the eye of any who will look her way. Not even 1 and already a charmer! Plus, her laughter is contagious. I have taken to calling her "Giggles"; it's just so cute!
We, or should I say Daniel, are doing some home repairs and improvements, trying to get our place fixed up to sell, hopefully, next spring. We love our little house, but the tight quarters make for some long days when we're stuck inside because of the weather or illness. It can feel a bit claustrophobic at times. Plus, we would like a better environment in which to raise our children.

Also, my mom, Cora, and I will be traveling to Atlanta next weekend (August 12-13) for the Women of Faith conference. I was blessed with this opportunity because of my website and received two free tickets to attend.

Finally, if you believe in the power of prayer, I have a few prayer requests please:

(1) My health. I will be having my thyroid removed September 14. Prayers for safety and a quick recovery would be a blessing.

(2) Future schooling for the children. Daniel and I are contemplating homeschooling the girls. We would appreciate your prayers for God's will in this area. And, if He leads us to homeschool, I will need lots of prayers for patience. :)

(3) Our future home. As we prepare for a future move, I am praying for where the Lord wants us to live and raise our children.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

If you haven't already visited my website--Growing in His Glory--I would invite you to check it out. You can subscribe to receive an email from me every time I write a new post, or you can subscribe to follow me in a reader. See the right sidebar on the website.

Blessings to you and your families!!

Is it the Middle of June Already?

It's been a busy few weeks, and as I review the events to update our family blog, I am noticing that a lot has been going on in this house!

(1) "Mommy, let's do school!" Kate and I are on week 4 of school and both of us love it! She has learned four new memory verses, and we're working on phonics, counting to 20, and ways to serve others.

(2) Cora, the human garbage disposal. Our doll baby pulls up on everything and whatever she finds goes right into her little mouth. Still no teeth at 8 months, but she's a sweetie!



(3) Four nights of VBS at church. Everyone loved watching our girls' faces light up when the puppets came out to sing. And poor Kate actually cried when she couldn't go see the puppets on the night I was sick.

(4) A summer cold. Yes, last week I was sick with a fever and cold. We had to miss a play date that I had arranged as well as a night of VBS and a Bible study. No fun!

(5) Daddy slingin' ice at Bonnaroo and the rest of the family spending some QT with Gram Gram & Papa in Chattanooga.

(6) Digging deep into a new Bible study on motherhood and connecting daily with other moms on Facebook.

(7) A surprise retirement party for my Dad and the joys of children with microphones.


(8) Father's Day and our Daddy with his favorite little girls.



(9) Surgery plans.

(10) My new website. Please check it out and follow me or subscribe via email if you are interested. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Still, despite all our activities, we are moving at a slower, more summer-like pace and enjoying our "new" swing set, "new" pool, and growing garden.


HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Our Summer So Far: Or What's Going on in the Tidwell House

So, I haven't been posting much on here this week simply because I have been incredibly busy trying to set up and post to my new website. I hope you will go over and follow me by e-mail over there.

But here is a brief run-down of what has been percolating in the Tidwell household:

(1) Kate and I have started "school" for the summer, which we do while Cora naps in the mornings. You can see details of what we are doing here.

(2) Bless her little heart. Cora is finally starting to get some soft baby hair, and I just can't get enough of it. It's a light brown but we still have hopes of red hair.

(2) I started two new Bible studies: one for moms at a local church where we are studying Chip Ingram's Five Lies that Ruin Relationships (EXCELLENT!) and one online where we are reading Sally Clarkson's The Ministry of Motherhood (also top-notch!).

(3) Kate has started learning to "earn her keep" by washing dishes. However, I think the amount of water she wastes is actually costing her more than she's making. Still, she is learning... : )


(4) Our garden is growing by leaps and bounds with all of the hot weather and rain lately. Soon, we'll be eating like kings and queens, and I won't have to pay the exorbitant prices at Kroger for pathetic produce. YEA! Here you can see cucumbers, lettuce, and tomato and pepper plants. We are also growing squash, green onions, and several different herbs.



(5) Last week we visited a friend from church as part of our service project for the week, and Kate LOVED feeding her pygmy goats, which was a bit surprising because she's very fearful of
animals.

Truth be told, we aren't doing too much this summer. Aside from some gardening, "school" in the mornings, and Bible studies, we are taking a break for the next few months to just relax, get refreshed, and enjoy life. And you know, as much as I was dreading the end of Mother's Day Out, I am really glad it's over...at least for now...because we are getting into a nice routine and running at a much slower pace than we have in quite a while. And that is a relief for this Mama!

Menu Plan for the Week of May 29th

I love three-day weekends, especially when the weather is warm and we can start grilling! There's nothing like ribs and hamburgers on the grill.

Here is our menu plan for this week:

Sunday Quick Lunch: Spinach Enchiladas with refried beans (We were supposed to have these this past Thursday, but I had to go to Nashville and didn't get home in time to make them. I will let you know if they're worth making.)

Supper: Hamburgers with sweet potato fries and corn-on-the-cob

Monday: Baby back ribs with homemade BBQ sauce, potato salad, and baked beans

Tuesday: Sweet Italian chicken sausage on linguine with spaghetti sauce, salad, and breadsticks

Wednesday: Pintos and corn muffins (I cooked the beans last Wednesday, but we ended up going out for dinner instead. So, I will just pull them out of the freezer for an easy supper.)

Thursday: Carnitas soft tacos (using beef shoulder roast)

Friday: Pizza night!! (I have been making sourdough bread every Saturday for the past three weeks, so I think I will make up a batch of sourdough pizza dough for something different.)

Saturday: Leftovers (My parents are coming home this week, so we will probably go to Chattanooga to visit with them and celebrate my niece and nephew's birthdays.)

Growing in His Glory

Check out my new website HERE!

What Do the Books on Your Nightstand Say about You?

Does my nightstand look like yours? Yes, to say I like to read is an understatement. I am always looking for the next great book to read and will spend hours searching blogs for like-minded mommies' favorite books just to get some inspiration.


Did you know that you can learn a lot about a person by the books beside her bed?

If you analyze the titles on my nightstand, you might deduce that:

1. I am a Christian (See my two Bibles, a daily devotional and Bible commentary, plus two Christian books--Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Five Lies that Ruin Relationships by Chip Ingram--that I am reading in two different Bible studies.)

2. I am a mommy (A new book I received for Mother's Day from my own Mommy is here: The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers by Meg Meeker, M.D. and Babywise II by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam).

3. I am a mommy of a strong-willed child and in desperate need of guidance (Did you see James Dobson's The New Strong-Willed Child and Tedd Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart? Those are constant re-reads for me!)

4. I am a Southerner (You might not have been able to see my Southern Living magazine, but it's a favorite read for this Tennessee gal. I love to pore over these mags for new recipes, gardening advice and decorating tips.)

5. My house and life need some serious organization help (See One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds and my recent post.)

6. I like some variety (Yeah, there are 11 books and 1 magazine on my nightstand. I can't read just one book at a time; I need to spice it up a bit. Yeah, I know, those are some salacious books.)

I'm sure there are other insights about me that you could glean simply by closely perusing my nightstand.

Notice what is not there.

There are no romance novels, no chick lit, no sci-fi or historical fiction. Really there's no fiction at all. However, that's rare. I LOVE me a good mystery or a classic piece of literature to ponder over. But right now, I'm just not in that frame of mind. Maybe next week.

What's on your nightstand? What might others perceive about you from the books you're reading?

Menu Plan for the Week of May 22nd

Last week we tried some new recipes just to shake things up a bit. The Chicken Thigh Piccata was NOT a keeper. I know it's an economical cut, but I'm just not a huge fan of the thigh.

But the Pioneer Woman's Comfort Meatballs were awesome, and I will DEFINITELY make them again. Today for lunch I made Daniel a meatball sub with some of the leftovers, and it was pretty delicious! I will say that they are time-consuming to make, but the recipe made roughly 20-25 meatballs, half of which I froze for future meals. If you have the Pioneer Woman's first cookbook, I highly recommend this recipe.

This week I will continue to try out some new recipes that I found online, including Ina Gartin's Smoked Salmon Spread, Spinach Enchiladas, and a homemade Blue Cheese Dressing. I'll post the recipes if they are note-worthy.

Sunday: Chicken & Dressing (from the freezer), Mashed Potatoes (leftover from Thursday supper), Green Beans, and Fruit

Monday: Fish tacos with fresh black bean salsa and Spanish Rice

Tuesday: Salad with Buttercrunch Lettuce (from our garden!!) and other veggies with homemade Blue Cheese Dressing served with Smoked Salmon Spread with toasted sourdough bread

Wednesday: Pinto Beans & Cornbread (Ye Olde Faithful)

Thursday: Spinach Enchiladas with Refried Beans

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: Leftovers

What are you eating this week?