meal planning: vol 1

the kitchen is my favorite room in my house. Actually, in any house. I feel most at home in the kitchen. I used to believe that I wasn't a creative person. But I've come to find that I'm just mostly creative in the kitchen. If I have a Saturday to myself, I want to spend a good portion of it planning a meal and prepping in the kitchen. Dinner parties? I'm always in. There's a harmony that comes from cooking well and feeding people. My heart feels fullest with friends at our table.

 

Yet, sometimes, when I'm meal planning, I find myself in a bit of a slump. And so, mostly because Ruthanne posted her meal plans, I decided I wanted to start sharing what our week looks like in the kitchen. (Also, it's much easier to find these links for myself if I post them here. ha!) I normally plan + grocery shop on Saturdays. We like to do a fancy at home meal one night a week, usually Saturday or Sunday, just depending. Weeknights are mostly busy for us. I've got class a couple nights a week, we have Bible groups, it just get plain busy. Insert the crock pot meals.  I find looking at our weekly schedule before even attempting meal planning results in a lot less frustration.

Saturday:

Thai Steamed Mussels

Parmesean Brussel Sprout Crostini

 

Sunday:

Lunch- Baked and filled avocados

I don't normally cook for lunch, but we've been wanting to try these so badly, I made an exception!

Dinner- Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Viniagrette

This has been a staple in our meal rotation for over a year now. Just make it. You'll love it.

 

Monday:

Chile Shrimp with butter beans and lemony couscous

We had this for the first time last week and Sam went crazy for it. It's up again.

 

Tuesday:

Baked Salmon (30min at 350--we bake it in a little olive oil and lemon pepper)

Roasted Carrots

 

Wednesday:

Mongolian Beef

 

Thursday

Crock pot chicken tacos

This is a meal my mom taught me--4 chicken breasts, 1 can cream of whatever, 1 jar salsa. Dump it all in the crock pot in the morning on your way out the door, (the chicken can even still be frozen!) and when you come home, pull chicken and serve on tortillas. Delicious and easy.

 

I don't plan Friday--that's our weekly date night. And then it starts all over!  Also--there's always a box of cereal in our pantry and sometimes, the plan for the night gets scrapped. It's real life.

6 weeks of life

I could have alternatively titled this post, I don't know how to catch you up on 6+ weeks of not blogging, so I'm just going to throw it all at you at once!

**************************

My foot has completey healed and I've returned to running. This is really a whole post within itself. Suprise! After 3 months of not running, I'm pretty far physically from where I was immediately post-marathon. I've struggled like never before to get back into running, and the summer heat isn't encouraging my runs.

This summer is a busy season for us. I've got one last class to take that's going on Tuesday and Thursday nights. We've got something booked for every night of the week. These seasons can leave us ragged--so I'm reading through the ebook Jessi and Hayley wrote--Refresh. I'm hoping to have some of my sanity left at the end of the summer.

I started a bookclub. Best decision. It's a smallish group of girls that are quickly becoming my best of best friends. Books + cookies + laughter? Good recipe for success, if you ask me. 

Mumford and sons concert: one of the highlights of my whole summer. It was a perfect June day, just my man and me. I couldn't have asked for a better night.

My baby brother got married. Oh Lordy, help my emotions. He married the most beautiful woman, inside and out. And now she's my sister. Enough, before I start crying again.  

It always seems when I'm busiest I find the ways to make the most lists of what I'd like to do when I have free time. Since this summer is a season like that for us, I'm working on a good list and being intentional about my free time. Instead of trolling twitter and IG. Tell me I'm not the only one. I'd like to post on it later--intentional resting. 

**************************

What's your summer filled with? What's it looked like so far?

back to blogging

 

Normally, when I take a 6 week haitus from blogging, it's because too much is going on. And that couldn't be more true this time.  When I get quiet + vansish, it's all because under the surface everything is bubbling over.  After I posted about how I didn't get into nursing school, life just got tough.  It was a dry, hard spring. Most days felt like "getting by" days. And yet, He was there. In the midst of the hardest time in a long time.

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing" Zep 3:17

But, there's a new morning and we're on the edge of a new, sweet season.

we've begun

packing.
with under 3 weeks until moving day, it's time.

slowly going through the house and getting rid of everything we don't use was yesterday's goal.
and then pictures started to come off of the walls.
Spackle went up, and the tears started to flow.

in the two years we've lived here,
we've gotten married and made some great memories.
great friends, great experiences.
and yet, it's time to pack.

so as all of our stuff goes into boxes,
we're trusting that the same will be true for our next home.
knowing that He is able to do and provide more than we can imagine.

the state of my heart

if you missed our big news: we're moving.
You can catch yourself up over here.

we're 33 days away from the day Sam leaves Houston.
and in my heart, this very minute, the questions and doubt ring loud.

why now, Lord?
why leaving our friends?
why when we are comfortable?
why leave when I love my job?

because He is better.
this plan is better.

better.
better hurts.
better means leaving good--leaving great.
better means trusting that this isn't as good as it gets.

and at moments, just moments better doesn't feel right. better leaves me crying daily in my office.
better doesn't seem enough when it might mean living separately. better seems harsh when plans get postponed. it doesn't feel better to walk this and know He gave it. that He's allowing my heart the pain and sorrow of leaving.  when, at times, it feels a world sitting on my chest, keeping the air from filling my lungs.

but He's better.
and better is enough.

A true story: We're moving to Austin

part 1: Great Grace
Not everyone knows our story.  We're college sweethearts, now married and sweethearts foveva.  Sam's from Austin, I'm from Fort Worth. after college I got a job in Houston, and we've been here almost 2 years. I work in cancer research, Sam works for Ford Audio Video.  I am head over heels in love with my job. I love the people I work with, and the guy I work for. It's a first job people dream about--if the pay was different, I would do it for my whole life.

Sam, on the other hand is a different story. His story is of sacrifice and provision. He's learned a lot in the job he has, but it's never been his passion. But daily I've watched him work a job that has driven us both to our knees at times for our family.  He's the picture of a selfless, giving, loving man.

It seems since the moment we married (and before) we've prayed for a career for Sam. A place where his great passion can be put into use in the workplace.  And for Sam, insurance is the perfect fit. And after months and months of waiting and hearing "no" and "not yet" and "keep waiting," the time  has come. Sam has a job with State Farm and starts July 19th.

part 2: our incubator in Houston
When I took a job in Houston that started the week after my college graduation, most people thought I was crazy.  We were to be married in 4 months, and I moved our little family to a city where we knew not a soul. We're a 5 hour drive from my family and 3 hours from his.

but the best part: it's been wonderful. it's been an incubator for us--time to grow and stretch and soak our lives in all the best. best friends, best churches, and each other.  and it will be hard to leave. most days are filled with tears of some sort. but through the tears we're seeing the good.  the good that we have been blessed with here, and the better that is to come.

part 3: the job search continues
 so, Samuel starts his job on July 19th. From now until then, I'm job searching for things in Austin.  I want to continue working in a lab environment.  If the time comes for  him to start and I'm still jobless (in Austin) I'll continue working in Houston.  I'll stay here with some friends until I have a job in Austin.  If December rolls around and I'm still jobless, I'm moving to Austin at that point.  we've received grace upon grace for Sam's job and believe the same will happen for me.

part 4: family
we love Austin. Half of our family is there (Sam's side) and my family will be only 3 hours away. We love the state Capitol (where we got engaged!) We love our restaurants there, we love the feel of the city.

part 5: grace upon grace 
When Sam moves, he can live with his parents if I'm not quite coming with him.  And I have multiple places to stay here.  It's strange and it's hard and there are still fears, but this feels more right and more us following God than anything.  This is where God is putting us and it brings me immense joy to watch my husband pursue a job he's desired for so long. I have no idea how everything will work, or when I will join Sam in Austin, but we know God's going to blow our mind in all of it.

SO, in 5 short weeks Sam's moving to Austin. and I'm hoping to follow ASAP. it's none of our doing. We're just praising the One who lavished great grace all over our house. while it might seem out of our "5 year plan", God has given Himself and his Provision, and we're saturated in that.  We'd love your prayers as I job search for jobs in Austin, pack up here and say goodbye to wonderful friends. 

two things

I'm sorry for the unannounced blogging break.
last week, I kept trying to get to the computer.
and it never happened. so by Thursday, I just went with it.
it was needed, it was good.

but I miss the community here.
the sweet women who share lives and hearts.
1. She Reads Truth
and speaking of sweet women on the internet.
if you've been on twitter or facebook, or reading blogs you may have noticed a hashtag
#shereadstruth
going around and lots of commotion.

WELL, it's a bunch of women connecting and reading the Word together.
it was an idea formed by Gussy and Kacia, but dozens of women have joined in and you should too.
We're using the YouVersion bible app (for iphone, ipod and just online!) and reading through the Soul Detox plan.
today's officially day 6, but join! you'll be enouraged and refreshed.

this is what social media was really made for.

2. No School
I'm still officially on school break until summer school starts on June 4th. I'm soaking it up.
Lots of shop work, lots of running, and lots of enenings with the husband instead of studying.
it's looked wonderfully like this:

so that's it.
i'm back. i miss community.
#shereadstruth is real online community.
and i'm soaking up the days until June 4.

giving up on good

there are a lot of good things you can do it in life
bible studies, volunteering, and extracurriculars top the list.
and those are just the "good" that others see.
then there's the good inside your own house.
laundry, cleaning, the day to day upkeep. it's good.
but there are things that are better.

and recently I've learned that I have to give up a lot of good
for things that are better.
because I don't do it all.
and there's no substitute for getting around margin in life.

real life not done laundry.

I'm a wife to a husband
I work a 40 hour job
I (most of the time) have classes on the side
I run a small business
I enjoy spending time with Jesus
I like to run
I hope to be a good friend
I want to serve in my church and community

SO today, I'm just going to open right up and tell you about what I don't do.
because those things up there are better. they just are. those are the things I want to get done.
all else falls by the wayside.

Now, in a perfect world, I'd get all these other things done too.
It all sounds great and perfect. and that's just what it is. perfect.
it doesn't happen in my life and I'm not sure if it's happening in yours. 

my house has piles of sheets.

I don't do laundry or cleaning.
I don't buy organic food
I don't cook every night. Or even really half the nights.
I don't have a pinterest worthy outfit or hairstyle every day.
My house is not spotless
We don't wear all brand name clothes

somehow I managed to kill a succulent. I thought these were the plants for people that kill plants?

there are times these things get done. but when they don't, I've learned to not stress.
because I've learned to ask myself.
If I succeed at one thing this week, what do I want it to be?

our first "garden"

living in an apartment makes some things hard

no pets.

no yard.

small space

but we wanted plants, a garden for so long, we decided to make something happen.

and with the help of a lot of pinterest ideas,

we set out to create a garden of succulents.

We went by Houston Garden Centers, and picked up our favorites. 

At 4/$12, it was cheaper than expected, and we got  some fun plants.

A few terra cotta plants from Home Depot, 

and about an hour of deciding which pants go into which pots. and viola.

we have potted succulents.

The shelf above our couch used to be a hodge podge of stuff.

now, it holds our garden.

and with that, we made our garden.

easy, quick, and they don't need a lot of watering.

weekly management

you may have noticed, i've been absent.

i call it working a full time job and taking two classes.

and running a small etsy shop.

but whatever, we're all busy.

I read this on TheTinyTwig's blog and it struck my heart:

"Shame is a symptom of your own graceless life.  Resentment is a symptom of gracelessness for others.  Neither is healthy, both will surely corrode your soul."

In this busy time, I can feel so much shame for not getting everything done.

and resentment at others for not understanding, not helping, etc.

and I feel the corrosion happening. 

so after some loving encouragement from my husband, I'm learning

I've let go of the laundry (he's doing all of it!)

and he's cooking a meal each week.

 it may seem small, and it may be something you've mastered

but for me, managing all this can be overwhelming.

but this is my story, and my portion for now.

and so while I don't blog as often as I like, 

I still want to tell this story.

 

but I want to know: what all do you have going on?  how do you manage it?

what do you choose to let go of?