January 5

Can you believe Thursday has nearly come and gone?  This week has been full of getting the Spring semester going at school, ironing out the January menu, and hunting for the perfect bed to go in our bedroom (at an amazingly low price, of course).

I had the opportunity to attend the funeral of an amazing woman yesterday.  She is survived by her widowed mother, husband, two daughters, and a granddaughter.  This woman was a very influential part of her community, church, and family.  She made sure that her mother, husband, and daughters knew they were a priority in her very fast-paced world.  Listening to the pastor tell of her many accomplishments and her focus on servant leadership really challenged me.  There are many things I still want to accomplish in life, but my chief aim is to love God and my family in a profound way.  As I thought of the moments that Brenda will be absent from in her girls' lives, it saddened me.  But then, I realized that she has been leaving a legacy of courage and love that will be ever-present in the hearts of those beautiful young women.

As I cuddled my sweet Savannah Grace early this morning, as I picked out her clothes for school, as I made her favorite oatmeal and readied us for the day, I felt the weight of love I have for that little person so deeply.  On the way to school, we were talking about being kind to others.  Savannah brought up a new student that joined her class yesterday.  Savannah said she wants to be kind to her new friend.  I thought that was a great idea.  Even though she is only four, I am trying to teach my daughter that our kindness, joy, and courage can make people hunger for Christ.  I told her that I might not always be with her, but that God will.  The Bible says that God will never leave us or forsake us.  My job as a mommy is to teach Savannah to hide Christ in her heart, not like a secret, but a fragrance to draw others in.

My dream is to leave a legacy for my daughter of love, courage, joy, and perseverance sweetened liberally with femininity and charm.  I am so glad that for Brenda's girls that she had the same dream.

Enough heavy stuff, let's get cooking!  I made a steakhouse salad on Tuesday that will knock your socks off.  The whole family cleaned their plates and there was a bit of a scuffle over who would take the leftovers for lunch the next day!

I served it on a bed of purple and green cabbage (leftover from fish taco night on Monday)

Savannah Grace at it all, even the cabbage bed!

I got a variation of this recipe from the Food Network's $10 dollar meal show.  It ended up costing about $6.50 and was enough for a family of 4.  Get your potatoes going right away, so they can cook while you do the rest of the cooking!  In the dressing, I used fat free sour cream and low fat cheddar cheese.  Here is a link to the recipe on Food Network's site:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/warm-steak-and-potato-salad-recipe/index.html

Make time to cook with a little girl in your life soon.  Cooking provides an avenue to spend time with women and talk about life while passing on a priceless skill that can bless others!

January 1, 2012

It's hard for me to believe that a new year has come. Much changed for me in 2011. I fell completely in love with, was engaged to, and married my soul mate. Armando has become my husband and a father to Miss Savannah Grace. My last name changed, my address changed, my job changed, I became an aunt, I joined a Hispanic family, and I feel like so much about my world has shifted. It seems the theme of last year was change, change and blessings.

I resolve this New Year to keep a log to show all of the things God is working in my heart and life. He has done great things for me in the last year, and I expect no less this year. I want this blog to be a humorous look at newlyweds, motherhood, food, southern hospitality, health, and gratitude.

A little about me:

I am a 27-year-old resident of McKinney, TX, mother to 4-year-old Savannah Grace, wife of a banker, a daughter, sister, aunt, student, teacher, and employee at a fabulous cookware store. Life gets busy with going back to school, spending time investing in my daughter's education, supporting my husband in his endeavors, cooking and keeping house, working a part-time job, and keeping up with both of our families. We feel very blessed though, by the love story God has written for us, and we plan to thoroughly enjoy this crazy phase of life! Happy New Year!

This is a picture of Armando, Savannah Grace, and me (and Santa, of course) at a local charity function.  He was a wonderful Santa and it was so fun to spend a morning celebrating Christmas and children!

Armando and I went with friends to YO Ranch Steakhouse in Downtown Dallas for New Years Eve.  We love to share a great steak in good company!  We spent the morning at Bill Smith's in McKinney.  This place is a local legend and the best breakfast cafe around.  You can find anything from a great omelet to biscuits and gravy to breakfast quesadillas that will knock your socks off.  This place is definitely affordable and you will have hot, good coffee the entire time you are there!

We dropped by Mom and Dad's to pick up Savannah and chatted about ideas for remodeling parts of our house.  My mom is a very resourceful lady and a talented decorator.  She has some fantastic ideas, not just about design but about saving money and using what we have.  Armando and I graduated from Financial Peace University before Christmas and are working on planning for our financial future.  It would be very easy to get off track while remodeling . . .

This afternoon, we celebrated the 3rd birthday of the precious daughter of a friend of ours.  I will add a picture of Armando and Savannah battling on guitar hero when I get a chance.  

Armando and I came home and were hunting for ideas for buffets on Pinterest.  Have you tried that site?  AMAZING!  We just finished painting the master bedroom and bathroom.  I will keep you updated on our progress!