Just call me Martha Ray!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I had to channel my Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray this Thanksgiving, hence the name Martha Ray lol!  I was making homemade pie crusts and fillings, and my first turkey which was a 10 pounder.  SO I needed all the help I could get from my favorite cooking and baking ladies!  I cooked for 6 fully grown professional basketball players, a pregnant woman and my toddler.  Needless to say I was exhausted.  We had our feast yesterday, Wednesday the 23rd.   There is no "Thanksgiving" day the last Thursday of November in Germany so the guys had 2 practices today.   I like to keep their spirits up over here and cook a traditional southern meal with all the fixings so that missing home wouldn't be sooo bad for that short period of fellowshiping.  


I woke up feeling HORRIBLE!  I have been feeling ill since Friday!  I have not gotten much better since my last blog entry and have developed new symptoms!  Well The hubby felt bad for me and told me to let him know if I didn't feel up to cooking for the guys and I couldn't back out knowing they were looking forward to it.  In the morning I opened my eyes and looked at the wall at the foot of my bed and saw this,

If it's kind of blurry but it reads, With God all things are possible!  I love it!  It comes from Matthew 19:26.  (a dollar store find, that I brought over with me to Germany) I said out loud, "Ok God I am putting it all in your hands!"  Boy did he deliver!  Not only did I cook this meal for these men who eat 3 servings, but I did it with very little coughing and fatigue.  They were happy, watched the Cowboys football game through slingbox, laughed, talked and said they ate well.  So I am very thankful this Thanksgiving for everything!  The Lord keeps on blessing!  

So may you have a wonderful day of official thanks but everyday is a day of Thanksgiving! 

1 Chronicles 16:8 - Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Too Little Too Late

I am sitting here sipping on my hot green tea, wrapped in a throw, coughing and feeling weak.  You would have never known I had a wonderful afternoon that included a relaxing back massage and a wonderful facial/massage.  I was sooo relax I almost fell asleep.  I think the only reason I didn't was because I was wondering if my daughter was behaving at my friends house.  They have a lovely home with light colored furniture and rugs.  All I could imagine was her dirty little hands touching things!  I also wondered how the hubby was and was his physical therapy treatment going ok, what would he eat for lunch, were there enough left overs from dinner???  So much running through my head!  I couldn't fully relax.  As a wife and mother I as many others often put myself last.  Girlfriends you guys do it too with your significant other, kids, families and work!  They both were sick with colds and I dealt with that plus the regular household things I normally do.  Well now I think its my turn to slow down and recuperate.  My massage came too little, too late!  It was a wonderful birthday gift from my German friend who thought I could use a break.  I must make time for me more often.  When I do this I must also leave the worries at the door!  Relax fully and enjoy my hour or two of total alone time!  Well lesson learned!  

Here are a few shots from the Day Spa, I wish I could have taken a few more!  So beautiful and peaceful in there but I would have been looking like a tourist for reals!

 Translates : Who Begins the Day with a Laugh Is Going to WIN!

My wonderful Masseuse

Here are some words of wisdom.  I don't know about you but I am reading them, and taking note!  We have to do it!  Before our bodies say enough is enough!

Quick Meal Idea - Zucchini Pasta

Yesterday evening I just wasn't really feeling like cooking at all!  I waited until the last possible minute to get up and go in the kitchen to make dinner.  Since I am not technically working outside the home I feel that it is nice for dinner to be ready when my husband gets home for working so hard at practice.  He is an athlete and practices twice a day.  Some nights he walks in close to 11pm.  Well I really didn't feel like hovering in the kitchen and cooking for a long time.  He had brought some zucchini home that afternoon so I decided to find a recipe that would include it.  I found one that was only rated 4 stars on allrecipes.com.  So by the advice of a friend decided to make it and turn it into a 5 star, thanks K.P. lol.  So all I basically added to the recipe online was some shredded cheese (I'm sure any kind will do use your favorite), cut a few small tomatoes up and used Italian seasoning blend.   It was a hit!  Took about 13 minutes and is including boiling the pasta and letting it simmer a little at the end.  I made enough that we had some for lunch today and with a splash of basalmic vinegar it was still very tasty!  Serve with a garden salad and crusty bread.  YUM!

11-11-11 My Birthday and New Beginning

          Wow God is so amazing! I feel so blessed to be able to see another wonderful year. I have good people surrounding and supporting me and above all else God on my side. Some people look at getting older as a sad thing, especially after the age of 21 lol. I look at it as another chance to do what I am suppose to do. Another opportunity to reach the goals I have set and to set new ones. I sometimes look at my life and say I am yet to do what I was put on this earth to do. I came across this piece of writing...

So I believe that even though I feel I am not where I want to be, I am where I am suppose to be. God has the final say on my life. I can not wait to see what He has in store for me! Be blessed!


CeshaJ