Partying with Mitz...It's S.A.M.M!

First of all let me tell you whats going on. My sister-in-law is hosting a linky party called S.A.M.M. or in other words Share a Meal Monday. The idea is that every Monday you share a meal on your blog and then link it up with her blog so that everyone else can see what brilliant things you are making and get new meal ideas.

OK, so I didn't actually make this entire meal this week. But this is what I had planned for Sunday, and although I didn't get to make it yesterday, I did make the salad today(to go along with hotdogs roasted over the fire with friends, not nearly as exciting of dinner idea as the original, but the company was fabulous) and the rest of it I have made before and they are all so easy.

This was the plan Italian Wedding Soup and hot tuna sandwiches that I blogged about here and a Black bean, corn and avocado salad that I have been dying to dry. I found the salad recipe on one of my favorite recipe sites at Sparkrecipes.com . Let me tell you the salad is to DIE for! It is so tasty and filling and HEALTHY. It may just become my new favorite salad to bring to a potluck meal. Seriously you need to try it! And the Italian wedding soup is so simple and so very tasty, I will be making it sometime this week. 

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

* Beans, black, , 1 can * Yellow Sweet Corn, Canned, 1 can * Red Ripe Tomatoes, 1 medium * Onions, raw, .5 cup, chopped * Avocados, Florida, 1 fruit * Lime Juice, 2 fl oz * Olive Oil, 1 1tsp * Cilantro, raw, 4 tbsp

Directions: Drain beans and corn, mix. Add finely chopped onion, chunky tomato and cubes of avocado. Season with lime juice, olive oil and fresh cilantro finely chopped. Mix well, salt and pepper to taste.

Mandy's Italian wedding soup

8 cups chicken broth
2 cups finely shredded spinach
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup small noodles (like alphabets or orzo)
10 breakfast sausages(because they are faster than making your own, but one day I'll make my own)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Remove casing form sausages, break each sausage into about 5 or 6 pieces and shape into meatballs. Fry in pan, when almost cooked all the way through, remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add spinach, carrots, noodles and meatballs. Return to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes or until noodles are at desired doneness. Dish into bowls and top with fresh Parmesan cheese. Enjoy the yumminess!

Keep in mind that they only thing that I actually measured here was the chicken broth, which I started out with 6 cups, but then added about another two after I had added everything else.

It's a sad day.

I just noticed that Gills, our miracle fish, seemed to be missing from his tank. I could not spot him anywhere. And then I spotted him laying lifeless under one of the plants. I had noticed the other day that he was looking sickly, he just wasn't swimming around like normal. So I cleaned his tank and put fresh water in. But sadly this time Gills did not make it. I suppose it was just his time.

I just told Kathryn, it broke her heart. She's now crying. My poor girl. It's never easy loosing a pet at that age, even if it's just a goldfish. We said our good byes, and thanked him for being such a great fish, and sent him down the toilet to the little fishy heaven.

Perfection

I love that no matter how upset my little man is, if I give him his soother and hold him close and lay down with him on my bed, he will be asleep in a matter of seconds. What tremendous power I have over that little boy. Once he is asleep, I love to lay on my bed beside him and watch my little man sleep. I honestly could watch him for hours...if only it didn't also make me sleepy. I love watching as his eyes dart back and forth underneath his closed eyelids. I love the peaceful look on his face. I love the feel of his warm hands and cheeks...I can't stop myself from kissing him. I love it when he makes little cooing sounds or when he smiles and giggles. I wonder what it is that someone so small has to dream about that will make them laugh right out loud. As I watch him, I lay in wonder at how absolutely perfect this little man is. And I often wonder what I have done to earn the right to be his mom. What a huge responsibility! It is my job to take this perfect baby and nurture him, teach him, love him, care for him...and along the way help him to become all that his Heavenly Father wants him to be. He wont stay perfect forever, but if I teach him that he is a child of God, that he has on older brother who came to earth to fulfill the Fathers plan and if I teach him to pray and read the scriptures, then he will know what he needs to do to become perfect once again. He will know that he will make mistakes, but that through the atonement of Christ he can repent and be forgiven, and when his journey here on this earth is over, he can be made perfect once again through the grace and love of our savior Jesus Christ.

It is indeed a huge responsibility...times four. But I believe that I am up to the challenge. The past 8 years have been a challenge and learning experience. But as I look at my nearly 8 year old daughter, I feel that we have done a pretty good job. She is ready to be baptized. She reads her scriptures on her own. She writes her own talks for primary, on the theme for the month. She prepares and gives a family home evening lesson all on her own using either a story from the Friend, a lesson from a previous primary class, or from something she has read in the scriptures. I beam with pride when I see her do these things.

So far, we've got one going in the right direction. Now to help keep her there and make sure her siblings follow her example. That statement just made me think of something that was said in James' baby blessing. He was told to follow the example of his oldest sister, because she would be a good example. I remember thinking what a great responsibility that is for her, but that I knew she would live up to that promise.

GROSS!

Have you ever grossed yourself out when you realize just how long it has been since you have had a shower? I'm sure every mom of a newborn baby has had that moment at least once...today was just such a day for me. I won't tell you how long it's been, I don't want to gross you out either. I have found it harder than ever to find time to have a shower this past week. Kathryn is back in school full time, and with her gone I don't feel as confident to leave James unattended while I shower. Both Tansley and Kymberly aren't as careful as they should be with him and I would hate for an accident to happen while I was in the shower. I have flashes of TV shows where a young child just wanted to keep the baby from crying and accidentally suffocated the baby...or some other kind of horrific accident. So I don't dare leave them alone, even if James is sleeping, because they are just the type of kids to try to get him out of his bed if he starts crying...and that just brings up more awful thoughts of what might happen. OK, I know, I might be over worrying here...but who wants to take the chance? Not me, it's not their fault that they love their baby brother so much.

And now that I've had a shower, how about this for gross?

                                        (picture of hair ball missing)
This is normal for me, you'd think I go bald. I think I may just be making up for the past 12 months. When I am pregnant I swear I don't loose a single strand of hair. I have just recently began to loose hair again....and that is what I stopped from going down the drain, good thing too, 'cause we tend to have problems with our drains backing up.

summer vacation pics

School...heavenly school

I love my kids

You know what feels good?

1. When you've been out shopping all day with your 4 kids and a complete stranger comes up to you in Walmart and says "you have such well behaved kids."

2. When your kids remember to thank you for buying them the really cool hats, that they really didn't need, but they looked just so darn cute wearing them. But hey, they deserved them for being so very good.

It was a super good shopping day. I wonder if we'll ever be able to duplicate it.