Broken Hearted

Have you ever admired or respected someone? Have you ever wished you had people skills like someone else or that special repoire that makes everyone want to be around you? Have you wished you could take back a day and have a do over?

Monday was that day for me and the President of the Touchdown Club was that person. We've had a rotten season as far as W-L go, and worse we've got some bad apples spoiling the bunch of good boys. Funds are dramatically low and unless we find some green somewhere we are going to take this debt into the next year/season. I understand every Touchdown Club Board member is feeling the stress. But does that give any right to one of them to yell and curse at another?

Monday night after the meeting I was speaking with another mother and we were privately sharing our dissatisfaction with something regarding the coaches. The president completely went nuts and began yelling and cursing at the both of us and said things that damaged my heart. After I tried explaining myself to no avail and seeing the absolute hatred in his eyes I left to avoid any further confrontation. It was an explosive situation that did no good for any of those involved.

Please be in prayer I can let this go and let God handle it.

Fake Bake Ziti

Ok Deanna, here it is...I got this from Rachel Ray but have changed to suit my family's taste.

Ingredients
Olive Oil (to coat the pan)
1 lb ground meat (I use beef but it's up to you)
1 small jar spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce (I use Prego Garlic & Parmesan)
Fresh garlic, minced (I use about 2-3 cloves unless I use the Prego sauce, then I skip this ingredient all together))
1 box Ziti Rigate(although lately I've been using Penne Rigate)
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half/half (substitute beef broth if you want to reduce calories)
1/2 shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1-2 cups Mozzarella cheese (depends on how cheesy you want the top)
1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Boil water and add pasta, cook until al dente (about 6 minutes).

In large saucepan, coat with olive oil and then saute garlic. Add ground meat and brown. Drain fat. Return to heat and stir in spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce. Season to taste, reduce heat to simmer.

In medium pot, melt butter. Add flour and cook for one minute to create roux. Once flour and butter are mixed well together, whisk in milk or broth. Whisk together well to avoid lumps. Once mixture begins to thicken, reduce heat and add asiago and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses and nutmeg. Whisk until cheese is melted. (You can really use whatever cheeses you like here, however I would avoid cheddar.)

Drain pasta and combine in large skillet with beef mixture. Coat all pasta with beef mixture and pour into baking dish. Pour cheese sauce on top of pasta and beef and mix together. Top with mozzarella cheese and broil in oven until cheese browns on top (about 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

8 Random Cooking Things

Ok, so Lara tagged me in her blog to name 8 random cooking things so here you go, feel free to laugh out loud if you actually know me:

1. I love to cook with Pampered Chef products I bought when Lara was in town and my consultant. Haven't bought a thing since she moved to Minnesota.

2. My buddy Anne-Marie gave me the most awesome bamboo cutting board for my 40th (ahem!) birthday this year - love it!

3. My oldest son loves for me to make baked ziti or broccoli macaroni and cheese from scratch so I do that for him occasionally.

4. My youngest son loves my spaghetti and chili which are both from cans and jars. Nothing from scratch just heat, mix and eat.

5. Our favorite thing to cook as a family is tacos, although we usually get Matt to do this.

6. I love Tastefully Simple products - especially the beer bread and key lime cheese ball, these should be outlawed.

7. I shop at Kroger every other Tuesday for two weeks at a time. It's like a ritual and I hardly ever shop anywhere else unless I want something fresh or run out before the two week time period.

8. I miss my friend Lara and her YUMMY peanut butter cookies.

Lara tagged Deanna and Melena already so I have no one left to tag. Oh well, hope this wasn't too boring.

I'm so NOT a morning person!

Today I had an upgrade on a system that started at 6:00 a.m. So I woke up at 4:30 and got to work by 5:30 a.m. The only good thing about being up that early was the reduction in traffic, but sadly no drive-thru was open before 6:00 a.m. for some much needed caffeine.

The upgrade was okay, although it took a while and I still have some after effects. All I want now is sleep people, so stop calling me! I promise if I can sleep then by tonight, when the vampires are out I'll be in a much better mood.

Seriously, all you morning people, raise your hand...it will make it easier for me to find and shoot you.

A (Bad) Day in My Life

Wouldn't it be great if I could find something positive to post about? I wish I had the "always look on the bright side" mentality but some days just stink. Today was that day...here's how it went..

7:00 a.m. - Alarm goes off, have to get up early (yes 7 a.m. is VERY early for me) because I have to meet with Andrew's math teacher about his grade.
8:00 a.m. - Yell at Andrew to hurry up and let's go because traffic will be awful headed to the school
8:17 a.m. - Finally get in car
8:37 a.m. - Arrive 7 minutes to conference to hear about how Andrew is not responsible (which clearly he gets from his always prompt and very responsible mother). Then I have to listen to how smart but apathetic he his. Well if doesn't care, why should I? Just kidding, I do care about his grade, so I'll just start doing his homework.
8:55 a.m. - Return to car and get stuck in middle school parental drop-off SUV nightmare.
9:15 a.m. - Arrive to chiropractor for adjustment to aching back only to learn my insurance benefits for this plan year have expired and I'll need to pay full price going forward, plus the amount insurance didn't pay in September.
9:50 a.m. - Arrive to work and several voice mails about how my system has been crashing all morning and where the heck have I been?
10:30 a.m. - Decline lunch invitation from friend as I cannot leave the ball and chain attached to my desk.
11:30 a.m. - More calls only this time about forms that haven't been processed and what the heck am I working on that could be more important than a form printed in Korean? Never mind I had a system crashing, the system that prints forms nonetheless.
12:45 p.m. - Thank my good friend Annie for bringing me lunch.
2:00 p.m. - More calls and emails about how everything I support isn't working as it should. Plus interruptions from an on site vendor with stupid questions.
5:05 p.m. - I've had enough, headed home, grab a cupcake from friend Cindy's desk so my blood sugar can rise on the ride home.
5:30 p.m. - Arrive home and yell, then wait again on Andrew to be ready for football practice - even if you tell him 30 minutes ahead of time he's never ready on time. I'm thinking he's definitely in touch with his feminine side when it comes to getting ready.
5:45 p.m. - Drop Andrew off with Matt so he can take him to football practice.
5:46 p.m. - Call from Mom, can Matt help with some work at her house, not until he's finished my errands, he's mine first.
6:00 p.m. - Attend Touchdown Club Board Meeting so I can once again hear how many people haven't paid their dues, how much in the red we are, and what am I going to help do about it? I don't know, I paid my money! Maybe they could print a form or something and when that doesn't work I can be blamed.
7:00 p.m. - Attend the general Touchdown Club Meeting along with like 9 other parents, ones who have also paid, and listen to them complain about how it's not fair they paid and others haven't. Here ya go sister, share my book cause we are singing the same song!
8:30 p.m. - Rush to pick up Andrew from practice and drop his friend off at home, then drop him off at home.
8:35 p.m. - Call Matt, who is still at my mom's, not helping but eating dinner and watching football. Ask him to meet me at Kroger for grocery shopping, but of course he doesn't want too and then says "but if I don't you'll gripe at me".
8:35.01 p.m. - Tell Matt not to come and hang up on him.
9:30 p.m. - Complete grocery shopping only to learn my total of $176.54 is $26.54 over the approved limit for my new checking account. But this account isn't new, just the checks are....manager please. So check for $150, then another check entered as cash for $26.54 and I'm out the door.
9:45 p.m. - Stop for gas, surrounded by police, but I didn't do anything! Thank goodness for the green truck behind me, he was the one they were after.
9:52 p.m. - Arrive home, force boys to unload car, scan groceries for stupid home scanning project I am part of, and make boys put them away.
10:45 p.m. - Gobble down some Hamburger Helper because again, I'll need to eat right before bed if I want my blood sugar to really rise.
11:15 p.m. - Yell at Andrew one more time for the day, because I apparently have a quota I must meet, and forbid him to sleep in or around my bed, or even downstairs since he failed to take a shower after practice and now smells much like his socks.
11:45 p.m. - Begin typing this blog and after reliving my day realizing the only thing keeping me focused was knowing what a long boring blog this would be.

Now I get to do it all again tomorrow. Don't you just wish you could be me for a day?

Andrew is a Minister!

****WARNING - VERY LONG POST****

You might find this title misleading but allow me to explain...today Andrew was baptized.

Our pastor, Allen Taylor, spoke on baptism today knowing that 10 people (ranging in age from a young girl of eight to an older gentleman in his late fifties, early sixties) had made their professions of faith and were going to be baptized. In his message he spoke of the significance of baptism, why Jesus had to be baptized before becoming a priest and beginning his ministry, and how when you are "dunked" you die but when you arise behold all things are new and at that point you become a minister for Christ. It was wonderful to hear him explain it in that way. I've never thought myself a minister but you don't have to be a preacher to be a minister. In everything we do we should mimic Christ and all our behaviors should minister our love for Him.

Well, it has been an amazing day...let me recount the highlights...Andrew literally jumped out of the bed this morning when I woke him and asked, "Ready to get baptized today?" He was so excited. He had carefully planned his wardrobe, down to the sandals so that no socks were necessary (thank goodness)! He had his bathing suit, his shirt from camp, and his towel. He was ready and not nervous at all. We arrived at church and spoke briefly to the pastor to ensure we knew what to expect. He explained everything to Andrew and so we picked seats close to the front for the best view. My mom and Matt were there of course and Kim brought her camera to capture the moment on film so I can of course scrapbook it later. I had also invited some others I felt were important in Andrew's spiritual journey. Not all of them could make it so I want to be sure to include their names here as they mean a lot to our family.

First up, the McCains, Mark and Sheila - Mark was the first pastor of our church and Sheila was the first nursery worker Andrew would know. She spent precious hours with him as he was the oldest toddler and at the time there was no other class until you were in kindergarten and could move on to Adventure Kids. Mark and Sheila took us in to their family immediately and still hold a special place in our hearts even though we don't see them regularly.

Next, the Fransens, Britney and Lara - although physically in Minnesota much of their spirit remains in Buford. Britney and Lara opened their home (and hearts) to me and my family for small group. What began as a bible study grew into a friendship I will always treasure. They are a beautiful family who truly exemplify what it means to serve the Lord.

Now, for those who were able to attend: The Wards, Darryl and Chris - Darryl and Chris served as the Children's Pastor and Director at our church for many years. They spent countless hours with Andrew in Adventure Kids and various camps. They were and are shining examples of God's love and mercy and I will be forever grateful for the love they have shown my entire family. Fortunately they were able to attend the service today to share in Andrew's big day.

The Dowells, Eric and Kim have been great friends to us over the past few years. Eric has been leading Adventure Kids and Andrew is very close to him. Kim is one of my dearest friends and a great source of strength. They've even taken Andrew on vacation with them so Matt and I could attend camp. I value their friendship a great deal.

The Garners, William and Angelee, have also been important to my family. They have been a constant source of strength and guidance and true examples of Christian parenting. Even though they are only a couple of years older than me, I feel like they have many years of wisdom above me so I count on them often.

The Sclafanis, Steve and Belinda are Andrew's (and Matt's) second family. Without Steve's fatherly influence and Belinda's motherly love blessing our family as well as their own, I don't know that Andrew would have understood so clearly God's plan of salvation. Steve cared enough about Andrew to talk with him and help him understand everything Jesus had done. Belinda remains a strong Godly woman and an amazing example for all mothers.

Finally the Taylors, Allen and Melena - What a tremendous blessing God gave The Journey when he brought this family to us. I've laughed, cried and worshipped with this family and have enjoyed every minute. They truly have a heart for seeing the lost come to Christ and to simply love people. Allen led Andrew in the prayer for salvation after ensuring he understood what it meant and Allen had the great pleasure to baptize him today.

OK, that's my shout out to the people who planted God's seeds of love and salvation for Andrew. Back to the festivities...

So as Allen nears the close of his message he asks those who are being baptized to come over to the side of the stage. On the stage is not the normal baptismal pool...cause we are the Journey Church and that just wouldn't be us...no we have a horse trough we use for baptism. It had been filled with water (and heated by resident electrical guru Steve) and fancied up a bit with a black cloth surrounding it. When Andrew left my side to join the others for baptism he somehow seemed taller. I didn't know when I woke up this morning, the mother of a boy, that I would go to bed the mother of a young man. The tears began welling in my eyes.

First Allen called up Tina, a wonderful and delightful woman I have come to know since her son Jamie first talked her in to coming to church. She spoke from her heart when Allen asked if she wanted to say anything and the tears began to fall. Her story is a beautiful one if you ever get to hear it. Next another woman, Cheryl and then a youth, Jeremy both of whom took the microphone and stated their name and then also stated they weren't much for talking.

Then it was Andrew's turn. Ever since Tina had spoken he was a nervous wreck thinking he might be required to say something. Andrew is NOT a public speaker, nor does he even like having a spotlight on him. When Allen called Andrew, the church broke into applause and I could hear Matt, who was at the other end of the row, shouting encouragement for Andrew. Most of the folks at the church know Andrew as we are some of the longest attenders at almost 10 years now. As Andrew walked onto the stage he quickly grabbed Allen around the waist and buried his head in Allen's chest. Andrew was overcome with emotion and began crying. That's when I noticed everyone on my row, my mom, the Wards, Matt and even some of the youth in front of me were also crying. Even Allen had to take a deep breath and wipe away some tears. Andrew's heart for the Lord is so tender and in that moment I realized how blessed I was for him to be baptized by a man who knew and understood his tender heart and could help him through it. Allen held him tightly and the baptized him and of course I had as much water on my face as Andrew did on his body. The waterworks were in full force.

Next a family of four, then a mom, a young adult man and then the older man I mentioned earlier were all baptized. In total Allen baptized 11 people today - what a blessing!

Like the other people today, Andrew went down into the water and washed away the old and arose a minister. It truly was amazing. Thank you to everyone who played a part in Andrew's road to salvation. It takes a village to raise a child, friends and family to love them, and the grace of one God to save them!

See pictures here

Concession Work

Ok, if you ever have a child in sports and someone says, "Hey, would you like to be in charge of concessions?", run away and never look back. I stupidly let Matt talk me into becoming the VP of Concession for the Touchdown Club at his High School. No one else wanted the job, it was open for over six months - you'd think that would have been the only red flag I needed to turn it down. But I also incorrectly thought it might give him an edge on the team if I was on the Board. That so is not the case!

So I asked if running the concession was a lot of physical labor. I have issues with my back but the President assured me all they needed was some organization. So I took the thankless volunteer position.

Since that time I've organized myself into a lot of physical labor. Yes, so far I've stocked over 200 cases of soda into coolers. I've been shopping at Sam's Club every week since the games began and spent well over several thousand dollars in supplies. Then you have to bring all that to the concession, get it unloaded and stored. Arrange for workers, cooks and ensure someone remembers to bring you the cash box each week so you can make change. Then of course after each game you have to clean and restock, reshop, count money and prepare to do it all again the next week.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention you also get to sweat - A LOT. I've even gotten my eyelashes to sweat. Stop by some Friday night, I'm happy to share the experience with any and all volunteers.