The Bright Eyed Brunette

 Happy Monday, friends. It has been a pretty long week. I tested positive for flu A on Tuesday, and let me tell you, I think its mission was to take me out! Then Makena got it on Thursday. She and I are both a lot better today.  Carl was trying to clear the end of our driveway so that we could get in and out. The snowplows and road graters did great but they threw the excess in the driveways. After almost a week of not seeing Wrenley, I was finally feeling better and the roads were clear enough for me to go pick her up! She came with us to my niece, Ellie Kate's birthday party.  All smiles for fun with BeBe and nuggets! Happy Sweet 16 to my favorite niece! Wrenley was living her best life: eating birthday cake and playing with Play Doh. Between the big freeze and getting sick, I found an excellent book to read. A few months ago, I discovered that I enjoy Meagan Church books! I would 100% recommend this book. I think I finished it in a day :) That pretty much sums up my we...

Happy frozen Monday, friends! We have been doing our best to stay warm inside! Carl and I ventured out on Saturday, but on Sunday I started getting sick.  Here are some snow pictures I took on our venture out and about. I love seeing our church all covered with snow. The old windmill And our favorite place, the river! We had to cancel church this morning, so Carl and I watched church on TV.  It was a great sermon on the Sovereignty of God. I didn't even get out of the house today. Like I said my throat and head started hurting pretty bad, so I took medicine and slept a lot.  Carlie sent me pictures of Wrenley and Macy today. Maggie and Trey came to eat dinner with us tonight. We had breakfast food for dinner tonight. Last night Carl fixed chili.  That about wraps up our very slow-paced weekend. It's supposed to be another super cold day. Schools and businesses will be closed. We are just going to hang out around here until the roads are in better shape. Boredom is se...

 Happy Friday, friends! Hope this Friday finds you all somewhere warm! This week I am again linking up with  Andrea  and  Erika  for another Friday Favorites. Slow Mornings (Even if they're short)                                                                                        This week reminded me that a slow moment matters just as much a slow morning. Five quiet minutes before the house wakes up. One uninterrupted cup of coffee. A deep breath before the day begins. Slowness doesn't have to be long-it just has to be intentional.       2. Comfort Food That Feels Like Home   There's nothing fancy about comfort food, and that's the beauty of it. Warm meals, familiar flavors,       and recipes you don't ...

  There’s a quiet pressure most of us live under, even if we don’t talk about it much. It’s the pressure to look like we have things together. Not perfect —just together enough that no one worries about us. We tidy up before people come over, even if we’re exhausted. We answer “good” when someone asks how we’re doing, because explaining the truth feels like too much work. We make sure our lives look orderly on the outside, even when they feel a little shaky on the inside. And it’s not just social media. That pressure existed long before filtered photos and highlight reels. Social media just gave it better lighting. Keeping up appearances can look like a clean house when your heart feels cluttered. It can look like saying yes when you should say no. It can look like staying quiet about the hard stuff because you don’t want to be “that person.” The one who brings the mood down. The one who needs something. What makes it exhausting is that the pressure is mostly internal. No one is...

 Welcome back to my Wednesday Kids Ministry series. This week I want to talk give some good ideas for object lessons. I have been part of many object lessons over the years. Some of them were totally awesome, others were not so awesome (always practice before hand!). Here are a few of the ones that really seem to drive the point of the lesson home.  The Apple (The Trinity) Objects: One apple Point: One apple, three distinct parts. How to teach it: Hold up an apple and say: “This is one apple. But it has three distinct parts.” Cut it open and show: Skin Flesh Core/seeds Explain: The apple is one apple The parts are distinct All parts are fully part of the apple The apple is not complete without all three Trinity connection: One God Three distinct Persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit Each fully God Not three gods, not one person pretending Why it works: It avoids the “switching forms” problem and shows unity + distinction.  ...

 As I'm inching along in my fitness journey, eating cleaner each day becomes a little more challenging, but extremely necessary. My hardest meal to fix for myself is lunch. Carl is here occasionally and Trey is here almost every day at lunch. They don't care to eat things they are good for them, they just usually need a quick meal. I came across this Egg Salad recipe and decided to make it for me and Carl for lunch one day. We both loved it! Ingredients 6 large eggs boiled and peeled 3 oz. grape tomatoes, about 3/4 cup chopped 6 medium pitted green olives, chopped 2 tbsp. red onion, chopped 2 tbsp. basil, fresh, chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar 1/4 tsp. salt 8 medium bibb lettuce leaves Directions Peel and chop the eggs and place in a medium bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives, red onion, and basil. In a cup, stir the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pour over the egg mixture. Stir to mix. Scoop into lettuce leaves by rounded 1/4 cup servings. Roll to clos...