Realizations!

It has been a long time!!!! I guess I do have a 9 month old reason but I have really been slacking.

Is there a time in your life that a thought hits you so hard it feels like you have been stabbed in the chest? WELL.......that has been happening to me a lot lately. Once when Josh preached his sermon on  "Questions" (click to listen, I urge everyone to take time and listen to it) I do not get a lot out of sermons but Amos was behaving pretty good this day. I didn't get everything but I got enough to make me think about the questions and what I needed to change. And let me tell you it pricks my heart when I think about things that I need to change in my life. And how many questions I answered "No".

The most reason stab was just today. The PCRMC (a hospital) is/was under a bomb threat. My mother works at the hospital. This bomb threat touches close to home. After I found out I call a friend who's mother also works at the hospital, luckily she works night shift. I ask her to keep my mom in her prayers and we hang up. After that i call my brother from out of town, posted on Facebook then I start looking for something to eat, then I go to the bathroom. I tell you all these details to show that there was on thing I did not do AS SOON as I found out. Can you figure it out?  If you said PRAY you are right. I did not drop to my knees THEN AND THERE and pray. Instead I worried, I called others, posted on Facebook and thought about myself.

I don't know aout you but I think about stuff while on the toilet, sorry for the TMI, but I do. In between calling and facebooking someone responded "Will do" to my post on Facebook about keeping my mom in their prayers. While in the bathroom (again sorry), I started to think about will any one actually pray for this situation, then I thought about how often I say I will keep someone in my prayers then I turn around and not say a pray on there behalf. I don't know if I think "Oh, I will say it tonight during my bed time prayer" or "I'll say it next time I think to pray". I should just call it what it is.... I do not have a good praying relationship with God. I do not talk to God as much as I should. God gave me this way to comunicate with Him (Luke 6:12) and a way to express my worries (Philippians 4:6), and I do not take advantage of it.

After thinking about how much I pray for someone when I say I will, I got half way down the hall then started to think "I am doing the exact same thing I was just thinking about". Right then and there and stopped and prayed. I prayed for my mom, then the employees and the patients, then I prayed for the one that made the threat. I know this is hard to do sometimes and especially when it touches so close to home but God says we are to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), this is another one of my faults but I will save this one for another blog.

This is just something I wanted to share. Not to brag about changing, let me tell you this is hard to say to you and it is something I am deeply ashamed of. But, I write this so you can help me and support me in my quest to serve God as He would want me to. I post this asking...begging for your help. For you to hold me accountable. For you to Check in to see if I am changing my ways. For you to PRAY for me.

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses[a] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Chicken salad

Well I have been thinking of doing recipe blogs for a while now.  I have decided to start and atleast once a month I would post a new recipe that I have cooked. I hope to prepare things in a way that might give you ideas and maybe ideas on how to make what you love for less $.

I thought I would start with something I have been eating a lot of lately and one of my favorite things.

CHICKEN SALAD

Sorry I did not think of posting this until it was done so no pics until the end.

Ingredients I used:
1 dozen eggs (boiled)
1 can of chicken breast (I also use cooked chicken sliced/shredded)
1 large onion (chopped/diced/how ever you like it)
3 stalks celery(same as onion)
half jar of dill pickles sliced up (I use sandwich slices. I like my chunky. you can cheat and use relish...even sweet :/
Jalapeño mustard (regular if you want)
Miracle whip
pepper, paprika, salt to taste

I boil the eggs and sometimes set a few aside for deviled eggs or boiled eggs. If you make deviled eggs you can take some of the veggies and make them up and have them for lunch or dinner.

Chop the eggs. I leave the whites more chunky. Add the chicken, onion, celery, and pickle.

Next add a little mustard just enough for flavor. I used the jalapeño mustard because I ran out of the regular. I won't go back it adds amazing flavor. Then add a little miracle whip. I do not want it over powering the chicken and vegetables. I think it needs just enough to hold it together. Then add spice to taste.

Chicken salad...I like mine chunky

Deviled eggs made for supper

This is very easy and most people have there own way of making chicken salad. This may have given you a few ideas to make it a little different.

Since I am on a diet I have to find ways to eat things. Here is a couple of "different" ways to eat the chicken salad. 

Pepper boats

Slice the pappers and stuff them. I had red and orange peppers the last time. Those added a little color. These make them crunchy.

Instead of making the boats use them as chips (this allows  me to get my dipping in)

Lettuce wrap. 

Instead of a tortilla wraps use lettuce. I did not have the big leaves, just the inner leaves so it is more like a lettuce boat but still very tasty.

Add caption

Well I hope you enjoy this and stay tune for more recipes. Some won't be as common. This is just something I really love.

A LONG Journey

January 13 my eating habits have changed drastically. I have decided to take out all bread products (starches) and sugars from my diet. This has been a long road just in the past 3 weeks. I have lost around 5 pounds but I have not enjoyed the journey. 

My husband has a fast metabolism and he can eat anything and still loose weight. When I first started he said he wouldn't eat anything I could not have in front of me. We tried that for a week and it turns out he started to loose weight. There is a slight problem (ok it may be a big problem) with him loosing weight. One he is already a bean pole, and two, when he gets below a certain weight his blood sugar does wonky things and it does not turn out very well. He has lost almost ten pounds in these last 3 weeks. So after the first week I started making him things like pasta, cakes, breaded things, you know all those good things that you can't have when on a diet. He has been very supportive and feels really bad about eating things in front of me and the fact I have to make it in the first place. But, I am willing to do it, to keep him healthy.  Even when it tempts me beyond measure. 

I love to cook and to eat. I love flavor, spices, and smells!!! I love to experiment with foods and to try new recipes. So naturally to take most everything that I like out of my daily living is hard. I have had great will power and have been trying to find different things to eat but it just seems to be the same thing over and over. 

 Well I will stop throwing a pity party now :) Here is to getting healthy and living a long life in service to our Lord.

I think I'm back

Wow it has been 4 months since my last post. And what a ride it has been since then.

Well I don't know where to start. This may be a little random.

Amos is now 4 months old. The time has really flown!!! He is rolling over front to back (Nov. 7) and back to front (Jan. 15), but he can only roll one way at a time he can  not figure out how to get back. I guess he just has a one track mind. I think he is trying to get his first tooth. There is a bump on his lower gums and he is drooling.....a lot. We were having trouble with him waking every 3 hours at bight after having a good stretch of at least 6 hour nights. No I think he is getting back on track. He is trying to sit up, crawl stand, and talk. He seems to forget he is still a little guy and he was a preemie. He is growing like a weed and i wish I can pause it just for a little bit. He is not a cuddlier, he likes to observe everything around him. He doesn't like to be rocked, just lay him down lock his hands to his side, wrap him up give him his binki and he is good to go. He only uses his binki when sleeping, so we don't have to worry about that as he gets older. He tries to explore everything around him and experience new things. We think he is going to be a dare-devil. Not a day goes by that he doesn't hear "If you do that your going to fall on your head". He has the sweetest smile and the cutest laugh. I have enjoyed watching him grow and loved teaching and playing with him. He is a content little guy and is a joy and blessing.

As for me. I am great. Need about a year to catch up on sleep but great. I started a diet
Jan. 13. No bread starches or sugar. I have lost 3.6 pounds. I weigh myself on Sundays so tomorrow we will see how much more I have gone down. Some days are harder than others and some days I feel like I am starving. I just take a handfull of nuts or grad a cheese stick and make it to the next day to do it over again. John tries not to eat the "bad" things when home and he has lost 8 pounds or so (which is not good, I don't want him to get sugar problems again).

We are going to be starting from seeds and growing a garden this summer. I really want a BIG pumpkin patch. Amos will be 1 or almost there and there are several young children in the congregation  in StJ and OG. It would be a lot of fun for every one I think.

Well I warned you its random but here you have it a review of the past 4 months in the house of Crites.

My Life These Past Two Weeks

It is hard to decide were to begin...........

September 2nd was the sunday before the pig roast. I cooked for that night and prepared for the next day. I felt great and even stayed up till 3 am playing games. The pig was amazing like always and I got spend time with Hannah. Life was great and having a three day weekend with John was amazing. 

Life got back to normal on Tuesday. I went into Rolla with John, I got my hair cut, went to my scheduled doctors appointment, then went shopping. While at my appointment my blood pressure was high and protein was found in my urine. The doctor was concerned with pre-eclampsia, so he ordered some tests and wanted me back in 48 hours. He was not too concerned thinking we caught it early on. Two hours after my appointment I was on my way home. I was on the phone with someone when the doctors office called. I figured they will leave a message, the phone call was important (I think) within 10 minutes the doctors office called back so I ended the other call and answered. The results from my blood tests had already come back and I needed to come in to Labor and Delivery to get set up then I needed to get shipped to St. Mary's in St. Louis immediately. My platelets where very low and my liver enzymes were way to high. I then called John and packed while he headed home. 7 o'clock I was in the Rolla hospital, then I was off to St. Louis. While there they had me on magnesium (which I reacted to very badly. I looked like a cherry from my head to belly botton and I was really hot) to make sure I did not have a seizure, a steroid (which i don't remember the name) to bring my platelets down, and a regular saline bag to keep me hydrated. They took blood every six hours. Between the first and second blood test my platelets took a nose dive. I was under continues monitoring and poking for three days. My veins were so worn out that at one time I had 6 nurses in my room patting and squeezing to try an find something. 

On Friday the 7th the my platelets got to a safe level to deliver. Amos was breech so they first wanted to try and turn him. They did this by lifting his feet out of my pelvic bone then pushing/pulling on his head. Lets just say he did not cooperate and I have battle wounds just from that. They ended up taking him by cesarian. They had to do it under general anesthesia instead of an epidural due to my platelets still being low.  At 4:40 Amos James was delivered. He was 4 lbs and 6 oz measuring in at 17 inches long. 

I was held in the hospital for 4 more days. On Tuesday the 11th At 6:00 I was released. I spent 6 days and 23 hours in some sort of hospital bed. Under doctors orders I came home Tuesday night for a "good" nights sleep in my own bed. We were back up in STL the next da checking on him at 1:00 am. Watching how well Amos ate and his weight gain we waited until he could come home with us. The 15th we got a call saying if he eats well for us 2 times he can leave. His second feeding he did not do well at all. So we were there another day. Finally at 12:16 on the 16th of september I signed his discharge papers and we were on our way home. So a total of 11 days and 17 hours and 16 min (about) we were in STL or waiting to come home. 

We are home and I have a beautiful, healthy baby boy and we are ready to sleep in our own bed with Amos home. 

A big thank you goes to all of you who called, visited, took care of the house, and prayed for all to go well. God has shown his love and power through all of this. 

The worthy (wo)MAN

Proverbs 31:10- 31

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

We all know of the virtues or worthy woman. She takes care of her home, her servants, and the needy. She is not idle, she works outside the home, she is honest, kind and wise.
This past Sunday the man delivering the lesson  to us (Josh) spoke on these verses (click here to listen). But, he had a twist on them. Instead of this worthy woman he talked about the worthy man. I have studied these verses and taught on these verses many of times. I have never thought of the man "behind the scenes". I would like to share with you some things I got from the lesson and a few more thoughts I had after it.

In verse 11 we see he is a one woman man. In todays society we see men (and women) getting married deciding that person is not "the one" and leaving just to go find someone else. We also see people not satisfied with there relationship and seeking pleasures outside their home. Sometimes with multiple people. This man has one woman and he trusts her. Also, we can notice the worthy man chose to spend his life with a worthy woman. He went seeking for this worthy women so he does not have to seek a perfect life elsewhere. She is all he wants.

The virtues woman we see plants a vineyard (v 16), extends her hand to the poor and needy (v 20), She has her own business of selling things (v24), and she watches over the ways of her house or manages the affairs of her house (v 27). All of these things we do not see the man in the equation. It appears to me the woman is doing all of this while her husband is out being the "bread winner" for his family. I would like to submit the husband does have a major role in it. The worthy man supports his wife in her ways. Without the support of her husband she would not be able to do these things. The man is the head of the family and women are to submit to there husbands (Eph. 5:22-23). If he preferred her to stay home, or decide her time outside of the home was taking away from the family then I think she would have to respect his wishes. Along with this showing the worthy man is supportive, it also shows he leads with love and is not a tirant. He could take being head of the house to his head and contro the wife but he shows love and support.

Lemuel means "of God; devoted to God".  In verse 23 we see he has a good reputation. He is known among the gates and sits with the elders. In the gates men come together and have basically like a city council meeting. The elders of the city are like representatives  that make decisions on the town peoples behalf. This man sits among them. He is trusted among the town and people think highly of this man. He has a good reputation among the people and he is a servant of God.

Finally in verses 28, shows this worthy man leads his family well and sets an example for them. "Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:" These children did not just get up one day praising there mother. I think she taught them manners but the learned to do this from some one. Their father also rises to praise and call her blessed. the children see how he treats their mother and mimics him. Also, I would like to say he probable trained them to do so. Children learn by telling and by example and the worthy man teaches his children and is the example they need.

Sometimes I feel like I ramble on about things and I feel like I do not get my point across but I hope men and women alike can get something out of this.

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this worthy man and woman.

Baby Shower

Well the first of two showers down and I think I am supplied for a good long time. With about 37 (if my counting is any good) in attendance and some amazing hosts it was a big success. I am so blessed to have so many people who love me and support me in all things. This group of women are the best in the whole world, I could not ask for a better group of people to be the main influence on my children's lives.
Of course it was a boy theme and the hosts worked very hard to get everything together. the next few pictures are of the party.

The sash They made for m to wear.

 Melted chocolate in diapers had to figure out what kind a candy bar it is. It was amazing how real it looked.

 One wonderful women made this for the party. Marie's mom Karen.

THe girls made all of these (they molded them all by hand.....in a mold sorry kind of an inside joke)

Sarah (my niece) insisted on helping me with the gifts. then she would ask me "what is that for?" or "what does that do?" Once I had to sit back as she dug everything out of a basket putting it on my lap while i explained everything that was in it then she said ok now we are done no more, then threw everything back into the basket (not gently at all) then said ok next. She can be a character, I guess this just is teaching me patience early.

The three amigos. These two planned a lot of the party and did the decorations. Also, at this time all the other ladies should be mentioned. Thank you goes to Hannah, Marie, Nina, Heather, Katie, Karen and Roxanne. Also for Nina's son Isaac who I'm sure had to help make sure the house was in order for all of us. Then to all the ladies who brought there gifts. It would have been nothing without all of them.




God has truly blessed me richly! I have a wonderful family. My parents and John's parents are always there for us. Also, I have a wonderful christian family. I can call on any one and they will be there no matter what. Amos is one lucky little boy.

This is what I came home with. I had to make the picture bigger to make out what all was there. I only have duplicates of three things. Those will get taken back and I am going to get something I need.
Thank you again to all of you. I love you all!!!!