Tag Archives: happy

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

28 Jul Homemade Rice-a-Roni

One of the things that my family collectively loves is my homemade Rice-a-Roni.  Besides being ridiculously yummy, it is also a simple and inexpensive recipe.  As a side dish, this recipe feeds us all with leftovers….hallelujah for that!  Keep reading for the video and printable recipe.

What things do you make homemade that you can find pre-made at the store?  I would love some fresh inspiration!

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

These basic and inexpensive ingredients is all you need to make Homemade Rice-a-Roni.

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

A few simple steps to light, flavorful, fluffy rice goodness!

 

 

Click here to watch the video

Click here for the printable recipe.

 

Thanks for visiting!

Be Blessed and be a Blessing,

Rebecca

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

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Lest we Forget

28 May

I am so grateful for the brave men and women who headed the call and left what was familiar and comfortable for a life of upheaval and uncertainty. Today I pause with reflective prayer to honor those who gave their all…the fallen brave who courageously breathed their last breath defending the country and the people they so loved.

To the families who gather around a grave rather than a grill-my prayer is that our Heavenly Father will fill them with grace, peace, and healing. That they would find comfort in each other and that the sweet memories of their loved ones will sustain them until they are reunited in Heaven. Thank you, for your great sacrifice also!

 

As you enjoy your 3 day weekend please remember and pray for all the brave men and women in our military. Pray for the mothers and fathers who will never hold their precious boys and girls in their arms again, for the wives and husbands who will never get to live out the hopes and dreams they planned together, and for the precious children who will never feel the tickle of daddy’s whiskers on their cheek or the soft embrace of their mother’s arms again. The burden is too great to let this weekend go by without a heartfelt sense of gratitude for the meaning behind our three day weekend.

 

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

 

Photo credit: Google Images

 

 

Copyright © 2016 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Summer Vacation is Over…..

4 Aug

One of the reasons I love homeschooling is that it offers us limitless flexibility in our schedule.  I noticed a few weeks ago that my kids were starting to get restless-which means that they stop finding productive or fun things to do and instead come up with new and creative ways to annoy one another (anyone relate, lol?).  It was time.  Starting now also gives us an opportunity to get a head start and take some time off in the Fall and do some fun field trips with less of a crowd.

I am not one to prepare and plan ahead of time (you can read about that here), I am forever in a last minute hustle, I am getting better, but still. 

So after a week of preparations here we are at yet another first day of school! 

Introducing the 5th Grader!  She hopes to be an actress and singer one day.

Introducing the 5th Grader! She hopes to be an actress and singer one day.

 

Introducing the 2nd Grader, Jacob! He wants to be a Doctor when he grows up.

Introducing the 2nd Grader! He wants to be a Doctor when he grows up.

 

Hard at work! I love their eagerness and enthusiasm to learn!

Hard at work! I love their eagerness and enthusiasm to learn!

Who says you need to sit at a desk to learn?  The couch is perfect place to snuggle and read.

Who says you need to sit at a desk to learn? The couch is a perfect place to snuggle and read.

So, how do they REALLY feel about the first day of school?  Giddy with goofiness ;)  It's going to be a great year!

So, how do they REALLY feel about the first day of school? Giddy with goofiness 😉 It’s going to be a great year!

Three hours and then we were free to enjoy the beautiful summer day. We rounded off the day with breakfast for dinner and a trip through the sprinklers. A wonderful day indeed!

When does school start for you?  Any tips or tricks in making your day run smoother? I would love to hear from home and public school families….because both are awesome!  

Thanks for sharing in our day!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

I would love to see what you’re Pinning!  

 

“Image courtesy of [digitalart] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Frogs and snails and all the Wonderful Things Little Boys are Made of

5 Jul

With an extra goodnight kiss he will roll over and easily fall asleep just like most nights. I will retreat upstairs and watch the clock and time will pass all too quickly. I will sit and think of precious thoughts like sweet baby breath on my neck, those far too early mornings rocking a well fed baby watching the sun rise, and that one book I read 3,000 times…..and I will think how I would give anything to just do that one more time.

Babies don’t keep and neither do kids.  The years fly by, one quicker than the next and in the busyness you all of sudden think, “we are here, already?”.

I smile thinking of those first moments and years.

Tonight, in this dark room, I think of how he is now…smart and handsome as his daddy. Persistent, hard working, and loyal, character traits well beyond his years. He is a saver and a planner, so much so that his life is already planned.  He is funny and goofy and his laugh brightens a room faster than the summer sun. He is brave even when he doesn’t feel it and he is always observing on how he can be his very best. He is kind, thoughtful, and tender hearted to those who are hurting or lacking. He would give you his meal, his favorite toy, or the shoes on his feet-he sure teaches me what it means to have a servant’s heart.  He loves Jesus, soccer, chicken kabobs, chocolate fudge ice cream, his hero-daddy, his big sister’s, Ninja Turtles, but right now mostly his mama. 

He is getting so tall but he still fits in all the crooks and spaces of my lap and even though these snuggles are getting far and few between when he finds me he knows it is all his. His sweet head resting on my shoulder I close my eyes as I rest my head against his,breathing in the sweet smell of little boy. Fleeting but lost in the moment for this will soon be just a tender memory.

 Tonight as the clock quickly finds its way around a sweet little boy is dreaming sweet thoughts of presents and cake. For when he awakes he will be 7.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Come see what I am pinning!

Copyright © 2014 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

Customizing Jesus

30 Aug

I heard someone say recently “My Jesus isn’t________!” (it was obscene, so I’ll leave out the actual words)  I was floored.  Not only was it shocking but completely Biblically unfounded.

Now, this just might of been a random person ranting and looking for validation for his lifestyle but I see and hear it more and more, people customizing Jesus.

How easy it would be to shop for a Jesus that embraces our sins and condones our lifestyles. Accepting that is doing favors for no one and actually it is depriving them of a real true Savior.

You can’t try on several Jesus’ until you find one that fits you just right.  He is one size fits all.

He is loving and merciful but He is also holy and hates sin.  Not just the “big sins” but all sin, it separates us from Him.

I know our society is quick to remind us that we should be seeking what makes us happy, because God is love, therefore He would want us to be happy.  So, as long as we are happy God is happy. Happiness, though, is so conditional and momentary.  That is not what God has in mind for you.  Being a true follower of Christ will give you so much more than that.  Really seeking the true heart of the Lord will find you seeking righteousness and that will lead you to joy.  Joy brings you peace and contentment because you’re in God’s abiding presence.

Jesus is for everyone. He came to give you everlasting life.  It is a free gift to all who accept it, but it is on His terms not yours.

Seek the Lord the creator of the heavens and earth, the lover of your soul and not the Jesus created by man.

To keep this from getting long winded, if you are wanting to know more about who God is click here for more information.

 

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

The Quarrelsome Wife

1 Aug

couple

 

A long day, over scheduled, tired mama keeping it together until the garage door opens.  In he walks, hoping for the smiling faces, warm embraces, and the imminent smell of dinner.  Instead, he walks into a pressure cooker.  He already knows he is in for it and immediately wants to be anywhere but home.  His home is no longer a safe haven from the world it is a place of discord and tension.
Yes, I am guilty of being that wife.  I am guilty of nagging him until he relents, treating him as if he is inferior, and throwing all his shortcomings at him (exaggerated and imaginary ones at that).  Shameful!  I have seen the tension and pain this has caused him and my family.  I don’t want to be THAT wife. So how do I strive to be the wife my husband deserves?
First and foremost I meet with God daily and pray that I would be a wife of noble character (Proverbs 31:10-31).  We pray for our family or for so-and-so to change, but really we need to be in prayer for God to help us change our hearts.  Secondly, I can’t expect my husband to be my god.  If you hold your husband responsible to be your everything-he will fail you and let you down, daily.  Give him grace and trust that God will meet all your needs (Philippians 4:19).  Respect him.  It can be tough, but a man would rather be respected than loved.  God doesn’t tell us to respect our husband only if he (name any expectation).  God calls our husbands to love us and for us to respect them (Ephesians 5:33). Lastly, prepare for him to come home.  20-30 minutes before he gets home have the kids help you tidy up, comb your hair, brush your teeth, get dressed, do something that makes you feel pretty (make-up, perfume, jewelry, etc).  Get the kids excited.  A few minutes before he arrives home tell them something like “Hurray, daddy will be home soon, who’s excited?  Who will be the first to give daddy a big hug?” or something like that.  When the kiddos are excited chances are you will be too!
Just think of the power you have to set the tone of your home.  When your husband is greeted by a cheerful wife chances are this man will do just about anything you ask of him.  Believe it or not, he really does want to please you, you just have to go about it the right way.
Give it a try and see what a positive difference it makes not only in your marriage but in your family.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

Copyright © 2013 · All Rights Reserved · www.andasprinkleoflove.com

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