RANDOMNESS #1 - I took Mikie to see Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 this past weekend. I had already seen it with Josh, Courtney and Roxie. It was so good.
Yet so strange.
I had not expected to be a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, but here I am, in all of my 55-year-old-Nana-B-old-enough-to-know-better glory... lovin' it!
Mike liked it, too.
The next summer movie on our list is Wonder Woman which we are hoping to see at the Drive-In this weekend. And then Spider-Man Homecoming. Honestly, I am just wanting to see that movie because of Robert Downey, Jr., but either way, I'm going to enjoy it.
RANDOMNESS #2 - Visiting with RT (AT THE ZOO) - Melia and I took the little man to the Zoo on the first pretty day we could find. It was bright and sunny with a fairly cool breeze.
And we all had a good time.
Ahhh. The "gun show."
I guess they are born knowing how to flex those arm muscles.
RT is at the blowing bubbles stage of development.
I must say, he is very good at what he does.
I prefer his "bubble-free" face.
You cannot tell from this picture, but the train ride was awesome.
No.
Really.
It was.
And then he was OUT! Fresh air does wonders for naptimes.
RANDOMNESS #3 - Dinner with Judith - Judith and her Mom headed to the beach this weekend for a great-grandparent visit, so Mike and I scooted to Hartselle for a Cracker Barrel dinner last night. This little girl is animated, funny, sassy and a lover of mac and cheese...
And feeding herself.
Do not...
I repeat, DO NOT offer to help her.
She's got it!
Also, Judith and her Mom are at the beach this weekend with family and friends, and the pics I'm receiving are too cute not to share...
At least in my Nana B mind!
RANDOMNESS #4 - Missing Roxie - Roxie is doing well. We don't get to hear from her every day, AND she takes turns talking to me one day and talking to her Dad the next time she can talk, so it can get pretty long between calls...
HOWEVER, she is doing well except for a yellow jacket sting and a huge sty in her right eye. That may or may not be too much information, but I am assuming you are seriously missing her almost as much as I am, so always expect TMI any and every time I refer to The Chick.
Here is one of the few pics I have received so far...
This pic was taken yesterday before white water rafting.
Isn't she beautiful?
I am glad she is enjoying the Camp. And I am glad Mike and I are going up June 30 and July 1 for a little visit.
RANDOMNESS #5 - In the interest of FULL disclosure, I'm going to let you in on a few things that have been going on at the house since the beginning of the year. I know it is annoying to others to only post the perfect, happy stuff, so for those of you out in Cyber Land who think it is all fun and games over here, this is for you!
1. Because my Mom passed away from Ovarian Cancer in December, the plan was for me to "take care of" the possibility of having Ovarian Cancer, too. I went in January to see the doctor about scheduling a hysterectomy.
During that appointment, I also had my regular exam, and the doctor discovered a lump in my breast.
This was not the first time this had happened, so we scheduled an appointment with a general surgeon to check it out.
The entire month of January was a series of biopsies, mass removal, another biopsy and finally an all-clear diagnosis the first of February.
2. Mikie had knee surgery the month of February. It was a repair-type surgery, and he did very well and is no longer experiencing a lot of knee pain.
3. The first day of March, Mike's Dad passed away unexpectedly. Although Mr. Faulkner was 90, he had already tilled the garden once and was getting ready for spring. He and Mrs. Faulkner had finished eating dinner on that particular day, and he had gone to take a shower and get ready for bed. He died quickly and at home after spending a normal day with his wife of 64 years.
Up until his death, he drove, exercised, faithfully attended church, took care of his home and his family until the evening of March 1 when he went home to be with the Lord.
His funeral was a tribute to a life well lived, and a large number of people gathered to pay their respects to Mr. Faulkner and his family.
The family is still adjusting to day-to-day life without Howard/Grandpa/Daddy/Mr. Faulkner, but everyone is thankful to know exactly where he went the moment he took his last breath on Earth. We know not everyone has that assurance about their loved ones, and we will never take it for granted.
4. I had my hysterectomy the beginning of May, and except for NOT being able to pick up and hold the grand-tots on my own until after I am cleared by the doctor June 21, I have done very well.
See. Life happens over here, too.
And whether it's the good stuff, the sad stuff or the bad, it is such a blessing to be able to say, "God is good... ALL the time, and ALL the time, God is good."
I pray you and yours are able to say those words, too.
Blog Linkage
1. Go to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman under My Blog List and read her post entitled, "Fun Family Trip." The Pioneer Woman is in New York this week with her family, and there will certainly be beautiful pics of New York City, food, etc., etc.
2. Then go to Nesting Place and read Myquillyn Smith's post entitled, "How to Get Along With the People who Matter Most." Her Dad has written a book (A Family Shaped by Grace), and she's having a giveaway. The book looks very inviting to me. I'll let you know if and when I read it. (It might be somewhere in the year 2018, but it is definitely on my list!)
Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini
You will need the following:
2 chicken breasts, sliced in half, or 4 thin chicken breasts
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, divided
1/4 cup flour
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1. In a large skillet over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons butter.
2. To make the chicken, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and flour.
3. Dip the chicken in the butter, and then coat in the bread crumb mixture and place in skillet.
4. Cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. Set aside on plate.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of butter back to the skillet and saute the minced garlic for a minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste and add 1 tablespoon parmesan. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat for a minute or so. Serve immediately.
Pinterest Stuff
Ten Habits of Happy Couples
1. They communicate well. In every strong relationship, intentional communication is key. Happy couples tend to work past the basic “how was your day?” conversations. They speak openly about the good topics, as well as the hard, just as they would with their best friend. They aren’t afraid to ask questions that they don’t necessarily want to hear the answer. For example: “In what ways do I make you feel unloved and how can I change that?” They put their guard down and allow vulnerability in their relationship because their primary goal is to grow closer to their spouse.
2. They forgive quickly. It takes a strong person to ask for forgiveness and a stronger one to forgive. Couples who have a healthy friendship think the best of one another. They also aren’t afraid of admitting when they are wrong and they know how to argue well and in a loving way. There is no reason to tear one another down, and they work toward reconciliation quickly to prevent bitterness from affecting their relationship.
3. They have strong friendships with other couples. Who doesn’t want to be reminded other people go through the same silly arguments? It’s also important to see the bigger disagreements you and your spouse face are dealt with by other couples as well. It is beneficial to find friends you both enjoy because you are allowing other people to offer advice and a fresh perspective regarding your relationship. And isn’t it true you are often more aware of how you speak to and act with one another when there are people around? It’s a win-win! God has called us into community and never intended for us to live our lives on our own.
4. They don’t keep secrets from one another. Best friends have relationships based on trust and the same goes for couples who live as best friends. Happy couples don’t feel the need to hide things from one another. Secrets breed problems. So as far as that hidden internet history goes – happy couples aren’t about that. They don’t keep their phones from one another. They may even go so far as to share passwords. Why not? They’re in this together.
5. They keep the romance alive. Remember the days of the honeymoon phase when you couldn’t get the butterflies out of your stomach? The nights when you would go on fun adventures, just because, and stay out way too late? It’s so important to keep fun and romance alive, even in small ways. Take weekly date nights, write short and sweet notes to each other and hide them throughout the house or send flirtatious text messages throughout the day.
6. They assume the best about one another. When you come home and the dishes aren’t done or your spouse doesn’t hear something you said, it can be easy to immediately think the worst. “They always fail to do the dishes, and just don’t care about how hard I work” or “They never listen to me.” However, couples who assume the best about one another immediately jump to the best conclusion rather than the worst. They understand their spouse may have just been busy or distracted in their conversation. They don’t allow themselves to generalize their spouse as a person who “always” does something wrong or “never” gets it right. Those words don’t belong in their vocabulary. They want the best for the marriage, so they think the best of their spouse.
7. They don’t expect intimacy to begin in the bedroom. I believe that waiting for marriage is totally worth it. But I also know that for some couples who have been married for a while, it can be difficult to keep the fire burning as much as you would like. Happy couples don’t let the busyness of life get in the way of their sex lives. So don’t let intimacy begin in the bedroom. Touch one another, kiss one another playfully while dinner is cooking, give one another a hug every time someone comes home, sit next to each other on the couch, and hold hands whenever you walk together. Once you begin to create that intimacy outside of the bedroom, the desire to be in the bedroom more often will grow.
8. They put down their phones. Checking out after a long day to scroll through social media or work on emails for hours doesn’t help to create a "best friend" relationship. When couples treat one another as they would their best friends, they make the daily choice to put electronics down and talk with one another face-to-face. By putting everything away, they are saying, “I am going to give you my attention. You are home and I see you. You are important to me. I am devoting this time to you because I want it to be evident I appreciate you and love you.”
9. They compliment one another more than they criticize. It is proven that when you affirm your spouse, you are likely to strengthen those same qualities you are praising. You have the opportunity to build them up and make them better. However, when frustrations do arise, addressing them immediately helps to prevent any future nagging or criticism of those same behaviors in later settings. Best friend couples deal with issues head on, giving more opportunity to praise and compliment one another. Why? They aren’t blinded by one another’s faults or frustrations. Tearing one another down, especially in public, is a quick way to damage the "best friend" relationship you’re working toward.
10. They go to bed together. For married couples, night time is a time for deep conversations, cuddling, movie watching and intimacy. Happy couples go to bed together to create opportunities for closeness. Even if there are a million other things they could be doing, they are showing one another they’re carving out time to make them a priority. Go to bed together!
NOTE FROM THE ENCHANTING BELINDA - I wish I could say I do all of the above ten things regularly and without thinking, but as always, I have a lot of room for improvement. I did like this list, and I'm going to continue to work on it!
Have a great rest of the weekend! I'll be back soon with lots more "stuff."
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Looking at life's hiccups in retrospect - I have to say your first six months of 2017 were a bit 'much.' You live your life well, and so happy to see that some of those problems are behind you. So much in so short a time. Bless you and your sweet family.
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