Making Sweet Tea out of Lemons. :)

For nine years I have had the issue of splitting holidays and weekends for my girls. In the beginning it didn't really bother me, but a lot changed as both myself and then my girls' father remarried. Even now, the only time our shared schedule really bothers me is Christmas break.

My girls a blessed to be able to enjoy the beginning of Christmas break with their Dad and the family on that side. He typically picks them up from school and then they come home Christmas day about noon.

My confession? Seeing them post on their social media of choice about what they got and all, hurts. It hurts because we cannot afford to spend money like that. I would love to, but we just can't. We can't because we have committed to live within what is our means.

This year has been an eye opener as to what is important. How much we spend on the gifts and even the gifts themselves is not what is important. What is important is the love that we share. The most important gift that I can give my children is for them to know God. All the other stuff is just that, stuff.

So what if I can't afford to buy my kids iPods and netbooks and cameras or whatnot. My kids have me, and I will always be there for them.

Drop Biscuits and what?!? Chocolate Gravy? *Chocolate Covered Anything Day

It has been a crazy week and this morning made it worse. As a mom and college student there are tricky schedules to keep. This week included four snow days for the kids while I had my finals for college. Take comfort in knowing that everybody has survived.

This morning in particular, I had to be at Austin Peay (APSU) before 8am for my last final. This meant that I needed to leave the house between 6 and 6:30. (We have had winter weather this week so I did not know what to expect with the roads) Needless to say, when there is not a schedule, the children slept in. I had taken my final and was back home before the girls got up, and the boys had only been up long enough to eat breakfast.

All of this explained, I felt the need to make a scratch treat. So I made drop biscuits and chocolate gravy. Isn't it a must since today, December 16th, is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day?

I figure I must share recipes then, correct? To start with the biscuits, it's just grandma's baking powder biscuit. We use almond milk instead of cow's milk.

Drop Biscuits Covered in Chocolate Gravy

Drop Biscuits

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450'. Mix your dry ingredients. form a bowl in the middle of the mixture for butter and milk. (make sure your butter is softened) Stir with a wooden spoon until completely mixed. Use a table spoon to 'drop' biscuits on a cookie sheet. Makes 12-15.  Cook 10-12 minutes dependent on your oven.

Chocolate Gravy

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon butter

Mix dry ingredients in saucepan and then add milk. Over a medium flame stir until gravy thickens to desired consistency. (If needed you can add a little flour) Once thick, remove from flame. Add vanilla and butter. Absolutely WONDERFUL on hot biscuits.

Wordless Wednesday

Took a week, but patience paid off!

Painfully Truthful...

I am about to admit the real reason I haven't been posting so much. It's because...

...because I am not a supermom. In fact I don't believe that I am even a half decent mom. This belief comes from the result of trying to do what I know to do and failing miserably. It gets even better. As a Christ Follower, I know that I should turn to God so that he can have my back, but then my "fixer" self gets in the way.

For those that aren't sure or just don't know, our family is a blended one. You know, the his, her and ours complex. We have times that things are going great and the lines seem to be invisible. Then there are times where there are difficult walls to break through.

Right now, we are having a difficult time. The whole parenting by the seat of our pants and having a 16yo daughter that wants to do what she wants to do all while trying to keep everything else under control. There is no one person at fault in the scheme of things. All I know is that, we have to get through this and the only way is with God.

The scripture says "With GOD all things are possible" not "With myself all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). In order to survive this stage, we have no other choice but to rely on God and turn to him.

I ask for prayer. This trial is with our oldest, there are five more blessings behind her.

Wordless Wednesday

Anticipation of Snow