SNOW!!!

Well I am many snow days behind. This is actually from today though. This was a light snow relative to the others we have had lately. Will has missed a lot of school so I was glad that the roads were clear this morning.

I was not looking forward to going out to play in the snow. Bill is at work and Will is at school so the snowman building fell on me.

OK I know it is tiny but... It IS a snowman!!

Laura Ann is such fun and loves the snow.

20 Years with Delta

In case I've never mentioned it, My husband Bill works for Delta Airlines. He is a lead mechanic. He supervises other mechanics, mechanic's helpers, cleaners and other various personnel. He designs and builds, or supervises the building of, equipment such as test stands. He inspects airplane parts after they have been serviced. In his 20 yrs he has either worked on or supervised others working on starters, pneumatic valves, (various parts for AC and pressure control), coffee makers, chillers (refrigerators), cockpit windows, and ovens just to name a few parts. He looks to save the company and hopefully the consumer money by finding ways to decrease costs on part retrieval and maintenance.

He has been blessed to have a wonderful schedule of 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM. He does work overtime as he chooses until 6:30 PM most days right now. We are able to fly free (standby)along with our children and his parents. He also can provide special rates to a limited # of friends and family. He works indoors unless he needs to run out to an AOG (Airplane On Ground) that needs to take off but needs his expertise first.

As you may have noticed, I am quite impressed by my husband's abilities. I praise God for providing a great job where Bill's talents shine. Sure, there are definite ups and downs in the airline industry. I remember on one of our first flights after marriage being prepared by Bill to move to Alaska if he got laid off. I was listening to The Cranberries "Dreams" on the headset as I sat in the first class cabin and watched the plane circle Atlanta's airport on takeoff.

Oh my life is changin' everyday,

in every possible way.

And oh my dreams, it's never quite as it seems,

Never quite as it seems.

He was never laid off. Then, almost a decade later, came September 11, 2001. I sat in my glider after nursing Baby Will and watched in horror as the second plane hit the World Trade Center. I looked down at my sweet 2 1/2 month old baby and he was smiling up at me with no clue as to how many lives were just lost and how much our lives had just changed. Our small congregation gathered at the church that night and prayed. We spent time with dear friends at their home trying to sort through it all. We then headed home and I looked up into the night sky and saw no planes flying, not even one. It was the first time I'd ever seen a vacant night sky above our South Atlanta area home.

The events of Sept 11th put into motion my husband's spiritual calling to take a voluntary furlough from Delta and find work at Ft. Rucker Alabama repairing helicopters. This meant 5 homes in 5 years and lots of my tears. His seniority was not effected as he went on furlough.

These bumps in his employment with Delta were definitely trying but I am so very thankful for his employment there. He celebrated 20 yrs with the company on January 7th. He was sent an email with a choice of service awards and asked me to pick one out. He doesn't wear a watch, so that traditional memento was not an option. I asked around and the mantle clock is apparently not a good choice either.

We have needed some everyday dinnerware for some time. One of the choices was Royal Doulton Gordon Ramsay Maze Dinnerware. I felt like this was not much a celebration of Bill but he said that he would love for me to have it. I have ordered it and I am so excited about receiving and using it. It is the same pattern that Mr. Ramsay uses in his London Restaurants.

Congratulations to my sweet, talented, hardworking Bill. I thank you for allowing me to pick your award. Please know that many yummy meals will be served to you and your family on these plates.

Soli Deo Gloria

It's been a very long time.... My last post was entitled shingles stink. I can can say that even more because I got another case just a month after the case I posted about. I just didn't feel like posting about that...so I didn't.
I have been reflecting about my computer posting. I am on facebook. I post a few pics here and there and every so often I yell from the digital rooftops my undying love for my husband. I post some scripture at times. The most useful thing about Facebook and blogs to me is the info I get about those that I wish to encourage. I have found out that I need to pray about sicknesses that I didn't know about. I can encourage my friends that are in school or looking for a new job.
I hesitate to speak about a great girls outing to a movie or for coffee. I hesitate to say "just had a great time with the Nelsons". What about those folks reading who haven't been invited to dinner? With anyone, much less the Nelsons. What about the woman who really wants a girls night and feels left out? I just think we need to be careful.
I heard a commercial for a new phone. It went something like this.... Buy this new phone that takes wonderful pics of your life and you can post it on Facebook immediately and make everyone else jealous of the great Summer you are having. Is that what we are doing? Are we competing to see who has the coolest life with the coolest things and the coolest people in it? O Father please guard me from this but allow me the freedom to publish a blog or post things on FB that help me and my family remember your faithfulness and how you have sustained us. Let all that I do be to your glory. Not selfish ambition or conceit, only for your glory. Soli Deo Gloria: Glory to God Alone.

SHINGLES STINK

I have shingles again. Shingles hurt, I mean really hurt, but I think Kidney stones are worse, well maybe not worse but Kidney stones stink too (had those a few times too, they don't last as long for me though). Shingles stink, but .... These people don't: James, and Lisa, Kristin, Natalie, Jim and Wendy, Elizabeth, Kelly and Erica, Kim and Jessica. All of these people either fed my family, took my child to school, delivered food, kept nursery or made an adament offer to do one of those things. There were others that offered things that I know that I could have called on. We are so thankful for help. We don't have grandmas to come and stay for a week. We need our church and school family. Praise God. He is the one that this love flows from. Of course we are most thankful for Him.
His love has been shown greatly to me by my wonderful husband, who although he sent our son to school without a jacket this morning in what had to be 20 something degree weather (I'm sorry I had to mention that - that is just funny - the boy had to borrow a coat from lost and found!!) Getting back on track... My wonderful husband has done a magnificent job of working fulltime and some OT while caring for this entire family with very little help from me. He even made me hashbrowns with onions and diced tomatoes this morning, just beacause that is what I thought that I could eat. He started with an actual whole potato by the way.
Please pray that my illness is very short lived. I am dying to hug my husband and kids without guarding and whincing. I am actually really wanting to cook. I look forward to two straight days without nausea and no sensations of needles piercing my skin. I also want to take a shower for more than three minutes. Believe me, when your skin feels like this you don't even use conditioner. I've tried a bath but that has its pitfalls too.
I praise you God for this time. Oh how much more thankful I will be for those hugs, the ability to cook, wear a bra and go out in publc, have nausea free days, take hot adequate showers.....
You have mercifully shown me in the past in concrete terms just how your ways are better than mine. Shingles stink, they sure do, but all the more clearly they show me how I depend on YOU!

Dad's Great Green Chili - (From Eating For Life Cookbook)

Dad's Great Green Chili -Eating for Life by Bill Phillips

• 8 Cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth


• 1 Onion, finely chopped


• 8 Portions chicken breast (about 2 pounds- I used 3 large bone in breasts and that was plenty)


• 2 Packages Roasted Chicken Gravy Mix


• 5 cans (4 oz. each) mild diced green chiles- original recipe calls for 3-7oz. cans I can only find 4 oz and just used 5 cans + a little more


• 6 Cloves Garlic minced


• 1/2 Cup fresh cilantro - I used much less Bill has recently decided that he doesn't like cilantro so I just used a few sprigs - but it was great!!


• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin


• 2 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped (wear gloves if you can and don't rub those eyes) - It really doesn't make it too hot - both kids loved it.


• 1 Can (28 ounces) white hominy, drained - I couldn't find that size can so got two small ones and used 1.5 cans. I think putting both would have been fine.


• 8 (6inch) flour tortillas


• 1 Tomato, diced


• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream

• In a large pot, combine chicken broth, onion and chicken breasts. Heat to boiling over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.


• Use whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth. Then add chiles, garlic, cilantro, cumin, jalapenos and hominy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to low.


• Shred the cooked chicken by pulling it apart with two forks, and add it back into the broth. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.


• Warm flour tortillas by placing them between two damp paper towels and microwaving on high for 45 seconds.


• Spoon a portion of the green chili (about 1 1/2 cups) into each bowl, top with a spoonful of diced tomato and a tablespoon of sour cream.


• Fold a warmed tortilla, and place it beside the bowl of chili for dipping.

This stuff is great even without the toppings. This is a healthy meal.

OZ Pizza Fire

Will cried this morning when I told him about the OZ pizza fire. From the way the news reported this morning, it sounded like it started there. Pics from the noon news show the involvement mostly to the left of the restaurant. This building has been there for over a hundred years. Will's football team has had fundraisers there. He LOVES old buildings. He is a major history buff. The building is across the street from school. Our family has eaten there and made memories. I spoke to Will about things on this earth being temporal and how that God is sovereign. We will continue to pray for the people who will be looking for jobs. Uncertain what the future is for that part of the building. It's just a building, I know. It just has special memories of this brief time that we have been back in GA.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes." Romans 8:28

Fire Ravages Fairburn Retail Center FOX 5 Atlanta myfoxatlanta.com

This Blog ....

Well hello there (If anyone is still there after my very long absence). I considered a post title of this blog sucks (quite vulgar and not positive). I have had blogger's block. I haven't posted much on facebook lately either. Reasons: A) I have been trying to limit my time on the computer and with help from God do a better job at mothering and housekeeping. B) I have found myself feeling that my posts would be boastful. I just couldn't think of anything that wasn't. Not that we are full of great successes around here right now or anything, but I just haven't felt comfortable posting the pics of "those good parts" of life. I take far more pics of those things than the occasional pic of my daughter covered in something because her Mom wasn't watching her closely enough or the many spills and broken jelly jars I cause. I have never taken a picture of my son to remember the time he brought a note home from school because he chose to mimic another child's hand motion (no not that one - we got that one out of the way a while back). I am certainly not saying that blog posts about these things are boastful. In fact, I plan to do one of my marathon catch you up pic posts soon. I was just feeling that way. Not sure why, I'll leave it at that.

I am hoping to be able to manage my time more wisely and be able to fit some blogging in. I don't scrapbook, so this IS our family's scrapbook. Thanks to the friends and family and anyone else who takes the time to share in it. I plan to share a recipe with you soon for a healthy and oh so good green chili. (I am stingy with recipes. No I am not one of those freaks that will REFUSE to give you a recipe. I will just ask you not to bring certain ones to things in the same circle as me. I mean who wants to bring their lasagna to a new mother the night after someone else has brought the same thing- trivial I know - or the week before you plan to bring your Apple Dumplings -Well not really yours but PW's- someone else beats you to the punch - again trivial ).

Well I've already spent more time than I should here. Thanks for reading and thanks to all you fellow bloggers for being generous with beautiful pics of your families, recipes, general know how, meditations on the Word and YOUR TIME! These things take time. We do them primarily for our families I'm sure but they are often helpful and encouraging to your readers.

M