Uncle Joe

Uncle Joe and his wife Ellie back in May 2008 at our Family Reunion

My Dad's Uncle Joe passed away last night. Please keep our family in your prayers this week. He was a very sweet man. My great-grandmother (who is 96) is taking it pretty hard. He was like a son to her.

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Help Meet Participants...

Now you can add your posts to the list all on your own! I finally figured out Mr. Linky. Woohoo! Scroll down to the previous Created to be His Help Meet book study post and you'll see what I mean.

Anxiously awaiting....

...the birth of my new little cousin (1st cousin once removed?). She is going to be delivered via c-section in the morning at 8:00 am, PST. Please pray for my cousin Adam and his wife Kristie! Pray that they are able to get some rest before their big day tomorrow and that the delivery goes smoothly, no complications.

I am SO excited! This will be their 2nd child - their first was a boy named Elliott, who is now 2 years old. Click here to see one of the cutest videos you will ever see.


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Created to be His Help Meet - Ch. 5: The Gift of Wisdom

Do you have enough fear of God not to question his word? - Debi Pearl

This week the book has switched gears from thankfulness to wisdom. What exactly does it mean to be wise? I have often wondered about this (which is probably why I have an entire blog dedicated to Learning and Discerning). The very basic definition of wisdom according to dictionary.com is this: "The quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight."

Where does wisdom come from? Wisdom comes from God alone. We grow in our wisdom through communication with God (prayer), reading His Word (The Bible), and constantly maintaining an eternal vision and perspective (understanding where we stand with God). We need to be asking God for wisdom daily! I think about how many questions I have per day that go unanswered because I do not ask God for the wisdom that I need. We learn from James 1:5 that if we are lacking in wisdom, all we need to do is ask for it and the Lord will provide. How incredible is it that we can ask the God who created the universe for wisdom and he will give it to us?? It's pretty phenomenal if you ask me.

I'm a stay-at-home wife and mother try to be the best help to my husband as possible and the best mother as possible. Every day I realize that I fall short of being the "best" wife or the "best" mother. Instead of sitting around wallowing in self-pity and concerned with how much I don't know motherhood and being a wife, I need to ask God for wisdom and he will provide all the answers.

"It doesn't take a good man, or even a saved man, for a woman to have a heavenly marriage, but it does take a woman willing to honor God by being the kind of wife God intended."

I think this quote pretty much sums up the entire book. We were created to be a wonderful and delightful gift to our husbands; to be a true help meet. Even if our husbands are harsh, arrogant, and prideful it is still our job to treat our husbands with honor, submission, and love! Growing in wisdom is the only way to successfully be who God created us to be.

Additional thoughts on this chapter:

I LOVE the entire section she has written on "What Does the Bible Say?" She does an amazing job at defending the truths concerning biblical womanhood. It also served as a reminder to me that when I look up words in Greek or Hebrew, or read commentaries on a specific passage in the Bible, I should check multiple resources before coming to a definitive decision.

God's Words:

Ephesians 5:22-24 - Wives, submit to your OWN husbands; the husband is the head of the wife.
Colossians 3:18 - Again, submit to your OWN husband.
1 Corinthians 11:3 - The head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.
Titus 2: 3-5 - The aged women are called to teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands. All so that the word of God will not be blasphemed.

Goals for this week:

1. Pray and ask God for wisdom! Do this every day.
2. Do a thorough Study of the word "Wisdom", find and study other passages in the Bible that discuss the topic of wisdom.
3. Read the next chapter before next Tuesday ;)


Continue onto the next chapter: The Beginning of Wisdom

Created to be His Help Meet - To Be Continued

In case anyone was wondering, I have put my Help Meet book study on hold this week and will continue next Tuesday!

In the meantime, I am praying for patience and wisdom this week in dealing with the daily responsibilities that I have at home. I have been incredibly stressed out all week long and I think I need to take some time to just sit, read God's word, and pray. I cannot be a help to my husband if I am allowing myself to let the stressful situations get to me.

This is a chapter in Psalms that I hope to memorize. It is very encouraging and reminds me that no matter what situation I am in, the LORD is faithful and his love endures forever! If there was ever anything that could lift my spirits in any situation, it is knowing that I am safe in Him and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to praise him for all eternity! There is none who even begins to compare to the God I serve, the one true God. I cannot thank Him enough for choosing me to be His!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

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Menu Planning: Change of Plans - New 8 Week Plan!

I've decided to take meal planning to the extreme and change my 6 week meal plan to an 8 week meal plan. Crazy! I know. I know. BUT, it works out far better this way with our grocery rebate system. Gage works for the grocery store and at the end of the year they give us back 10% of what we spend there, but we have to go on specific days in the month. Since I only go shopping once a month anyway this works out great because now I have a time period where I have to go. This month it was between the 20th and 23rd.

I could just do a 4 week plan, but my whole reasoning behind the 6 week plan was that it gave me more time to forget about meal planning! So now I am going to attempt at an 8 week plan. If this works out, that means I have 2 months of no daily meal planning, which means more time for me to do more important things...like writing on this blog ;) jk.

I re-worked the entire plan (pretty much) because I had my sister give me some feedback on the plan and I took off some of the meals (not all!) that she doesn't like so much and replaced them with things I know she will eat.

So here it is!

8 Week Menu Plan

February 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)


M – Waffles & Eggs

T – Tuna Melts

W – Dinner with Family

Th – Beef & Bean Burritos

F - (Grocery Shopping Day)

Sa - Tortellini with Ham and Peas

Su - Broc, Cheese, and Ham Stuffed Potatoes


February 23rd - March 1st

M - Spinach Quiche

T - Chili Dogs

W - Pork Chops and Potatoes

Th - Fast Food or Restaurant

F - Dinner with Family

Sa - Broccoli and Chicken Penne Pasta

Su - Spaghetti



March 2nd - 8th (Quick Trip Week)

M - Fettuccine Alfredo

T - Chicken Piccata

W - Mushroom Macaroni

Th - Tacos / Tostadas

F - Dinner with Family

Sa – Tuna Casserole

Su – Hodgepodge Night



March 9th - 15th

M – Pasta Salad, Potatoes

T – Sweet & Sour Mini Meatloaves

W - My sister Gabby arrives! Staying in Omaha overnight. (Fast Food)

Th -ZOE'S 1st BIRTHDAY! CiCi's

F - Dinner with Family

Sa- Zoe's Birthday Party

Su- Ravioli, Salad


March 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)

M – Ham & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

T - Ham & Cheese Melts, Veggies

W - Mom's Chili and Cornbread

Th- Chili Burgers, Salad

F - Dinner with Family (GS)

Sa – Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Su – Taco Salad


March 23rd – 29th

M – Fettuccine Alfredo, Salad

T – Chicken Quesadillas, Corn

W – Chicken Tortellini Soup

Th – Chicken Tacos

F – Dinner with Family

Sa – Sloppy Joe’s, Veggies

Su – 3 Cheese Beef Pasta Shells


March 30th – April 5th (Quick Trip Week)


M – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

T – Homemade Pizza or Pepperoni Rolls

W – Soup / Macaroni Night

Th – Banana Waffles & Eggs

F – Dinner with Family

Sa – Pasta Salad, Potatoes

Su – Spinach Quiche


April 6th – 12th

M – Hodgepodge Night

T – White Bean & Ham Soup

W – Fast Food / Restaurant Night

Th – Mushroom Mac

F – Dinner with Family or Beef Stroganoff (recipe @ KraftFoods.com)

Sa – Sloppy Joe's, Corn

Su – Spaghetti

Gabby!

Gabby & Me on my Wedding Day

My little sister Gabby is coming to visit! She bought a one way ticket and does not know how long she will be here. Neither of us have any money whatsoever so I'm trying to think of some things to do while she's here that don't involve using any (or very little) money. Anyone have any ideas?

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Zoe - 11 Months

Zoe is 11 months old now! :) She is growing up way too fast. I still feel like she's still way younger than she is. She'll be a year old in less than a month now! I wish she could stay a baby for just a little longer. I'm enjoying her more and more as she gets older though!

As for any family news, we are all doing pretty well now. Gage got a tutoring job at his school! He's enjoying his work, school, and his many projects he's been working on at home. Zoe and I are used to spending a lot of time in our home but not quite as much as we have the past couple weeks. Zoe has had a cold for about 3 weeks now and last week I was sick with a cold which I still have but not nearly as bad as before. Most of my time lately has been spent sitting on my couch watching Zoe, reading, on the computer, or watching TV. Now that I'm feeling better I have a long list of things that need to get done in the house!

Lately, Miss Zoe Kimberly has been up to:

• Singing a song! "laaada, laaaaaaada, layayda..." while swaying back and forth. It is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.
• Placing her toys on top of the diaper boxes then knocking them off. Repeating this process over and over.
• Hiding behind things and peaking out or around to get my attention - her version of "peek-a-boo" :)
• Walking behind her Walk and Ride toy! (As of yesterday, her 11 month "birthday") She holds onto the handle and pushes, then walks as it pulls her.
  
• Pointing at everything and saying either "dis" or "dada"
• Throwing her cheerios down to the dogs instead of eating them. One day while she was doing this she was saying, "uh oh" with each cheerio!
• Swimming for the first time! We went to an indoor pool last Friday. Gage and I took turns playing with her in the pool for about 45 minutes. She loved it! She just didn't understand the effect of splashing water. :)
  
• Meeting Kyera for the first time on Wednesday (the 11th). She reached over and "pet" her head. It was soooo cute! I'll post a few pictures of this later.
  

Created to be His Help Meet - Ch. 4: Thanksgiving Produces Joy

Live with thanksgiving, forgiveness, and joy, and enjoy all your moments as if they were your last.

This week my husband and I both had our struggles with stress and at least in my case, it had to do entirely with my lack of joy and thanksgiving. If my husband does something differently than I think it should be done, I only partially respond rightly - I do not say anything demeaning, because I know that it is better for him to do it his way, even if the end result is not so good. However, I am such a perfectionist that if something is not done in the way I think it should be done, I become very bitter and I find myself thinking, "I wish he would just ____" in a number of different situations.

In this chapter, Debi says, "As a general rule, my husband just doesn't take the trash out. I could be annoyed, or I could learn to enjoy taking the trash out. " This is not to say my husband never takes the trash out, but it serves as an example of a way I can be more joyful in my home. I need to adapt to my husband's way of doing things and not force my own way on him. It is my job to help him and be thankful for all the things he lovingly helps me with. It is not my job to constantly request his help or have a bitter attitude when he does not do things the way that I want them done. No good can come from this type of attitude. Even if I have good reason to be offended, it is not my job to change my husband. It is my job to help him. I must begin to view myself as the woman God gave to this man. I am a helper, a gift, a playmate, a friend, a lover; everything I do should benefit my husband, because that is the only way God can be glorified through my marriage.

"And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psalm 107:22

"But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. - Jonah 2:9 (KJV)



A few goals for this week...

1) For my husband and I: Be heirs together in the grace of life, not partners in stress and bitterness.
2) Continue to enjoy each other every day. Laugh, love, play, share. Just have fun.
3) Thank God for every good thing he has provided me with in my life.
4) Be THANKFUL for everything my amazing husband does.

"When a weak sister fulfills her divine purpose of being a true help meet, it bring great glory and joy to God."

Continue onto the next chapter: The Gift of Wisdom

My Photography Blog

Just wanted to update and let everyone know that I've started a Photo blog!

Shaina Herrmann Photography

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Menu Plan Monday: Our Next 6 Weeks

You can read about my previous 6 week plans here and here. I began this in October and it has been working wonderfully! We don't always stick to the plan (such as, if we get invited to friends or family's homes for dinner) but if we are home we stick to the plan and everything goes smoothly. It has also saved us a TON of money on groceries. My goal is to not spend more than $200/ month on groceries.

Here is our current 6 Week Meal Plan for February 9th - March 22nd.

February 9th - 15th

M - Chicken Quesadillas, Chips & Salsa, Corn
T - Egg Burritos
W - Sloppy Joe's
Th - Tuna Penne Casserole
F - Banana Waffles
Sa - Spaghetti
Su - Uncle Jeff's Birthday

February 16th - 22nd

M - Soup & Sandwiches
T - Beef & Bean Burritos
W - Tuna Melts
Th - Hamburger Casserole
F - (Grocery Shopping Day) - Dinner with Family
Sa - Tortellini with Ham and Peas
Su - Broc, Cheese, and Ham Stuffed Potatoes

February 23rd - March 1st

M - Spinach Quiche
T - Chili Dogs
W - Pork Chops and Potatoes
Th - Fast Food or Restaurant
F - Dinner with Family
Sa - Broccoli and Chicken Penne Pasta
Su - Spaghetti

March 2nd - 8th

M - Fettuccine Alfredo
T - Chicken Piccata
W - Mushroom Macaroni
Th - Tacos / Tostadas
F - Dinner with Family
Sa - White Bean Soup
Su - Shepherd's Pie

March 9th - 15th

M - Ravioli
T - Chili Burgers
W - My sister Gabby arrives! Fast Food or Restaurant.
Th -ZOE'S 1st BIRTHDAY! Fast food or Restaurant again.
F - Dinner with Family
Sa- Zoe's Birthday Party
Su- Taco Salad

March 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)

M - Chicken Pot Pie
T - Sweet-and-Sour Muffin Meatloaves
W - Mom's Chili and Cornbread
Th- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
F - Fettuccine Alfredo
Sa - Shepherd's Pie
Su -Pizza

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A Simple Saturday

Zoe has been sick with a cold for 2 1/2 weeks, and I have had a cold since Wednesday... it just seems to be getting worse each day. Zoe had a fever yesterday and again this morning. Ibuprofin is what has been getting us through this cold. She loves the taste of the liquid ibuprofen for babies so she's usually pretty upset once I give her one little taste of it then take it away. Oh well, it's worth it because it takes her fever away.

Right now we're just sitting around watching Finding Nemo (one of my favorite movies ever). Zoe is in the exersaucer playing with some toys and on our patio you will find not one but three rat terriers. Gage's family is on their way to Mexico for a week long mission trip and during this trip we have their dogs. They are basically going to be in the kitchen all week and outside when it's warm enough for them. I have got to buy a good mop... these dogs shed like crazy.

I've been doing whatever I can to get Zoe to eat because in addition to this cold/fever she is teething. Food is not very high on her list of favorite things right now. I think much of her illness is due to the teething but since I am sick now...I'm pretty sure what she has is due to more than just teething. She's been eating lots of Graham Crackers (her favorite food of the moment) and she'll eat plain oatmeal. Anything else I give her she will only eat a tiny bit of it, then she'll just cry and cry until I stop feeding her.

Well, from the looks of it, Zoe is done with her exersaucer for now. I'm off to entertain her! Maybe we'll try stacking some cups.

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Engagement Photos: Nick & Monique

On Saturday I got to be a Photographer! :) I spent a few hours with my husband's cousin Monique and her fiance Nick and we went to about 4 or 5 different locations to take photos. They turned out pretty nice! Here are a few of them.

























































At the end of the day I ended up with over 600 photos which I narrowed down to about 300. Needless to say, they have LOTS to choose from!




This was my 2nd time doing engagement photography. However the first time I did it I used a regular point and shoot digital
camera and this time I used my Nikon D-40.



It was a BEAUTIFUL day and very warm (for this time of year) , it was in the 40's! Had we done it anytime earlier we would have been freezing cold in single digit degree weather or in the negatives. The weather on this day was a huge blessing! I had so much fun taking these photos - someday I hope to be able to do this regularly.

(The layout of this post is a little messed up, It is nearly impossible to arrange photos in the correct way in this text editor so... oh well! hehe)

Created to be his Help Meet - Ch. 3 : A Thankful Spirit

Chapter 3: A Thankful Spirit --- A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music, and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband of stress.

My goals this week:

1) Be a better help to my husband.
2) Practice having a merry and thankful heart.
3) Learn to be more content with Sioux Falls.
4) Set a joyful mood in my home!

"Discontentment is not a matter of circumstances, it is a state of the soul." - Debi Pearl

I learned when I was very young that no good can come from discontentment. I'm very much against the word, "bored" and I will *very* rarely choose to use the word. I even wrote a blog post about it last year. God has blessed us with so much more than we deserve and every second of this life should be spent glorifying Him and thanking Him for all He has blessed us with. Having a thankful spirit leads us to contentment with our every day lives and the result is a joyful and stress free home! We should make good use of the short amount of time we have here on this earth. As a wife I want to do all I can to help my husband and remain thankful for all the work he does. Every day I find myself wondering how he does it all. He works incredibly hard and he is still the most amazing husband I've ever known. I don't deserve a husband like him - he treats me better than any other person I've met in my lifetime.

Philippians 4:11 -".... for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

This chapter actually helped bring up a problem that I have been having with discontentment. It doesn't really have anything to do with my husband though - I am thankful for him and what he does every single day. My problem has to do with where we are currently living.

We moved here two and a half years ago from San Diego, CA - I never had any intentions of ever leaving San Diego. I loved it there, it was a place that many people can only dream about living in and I grew up there, it was all I ever knew. We had amazing weather (WARMTH!!!) the mountains nearby, the beach was right there, there was always something to do - somewhere to go, friends to see, amusement parks, etc. The greatest thing of all though was my family. Nearly everyone in my family was an hour or less away from me. Now I am in a state that I never knew people actually lived in. I'm far away from my friends & family and I really really really miss the ocean. Now I'm in a place that people don't want to visit because its, "too cold" - it's cold for 6 months out of the year, and all this city is surrounded by is farms. Miles and miles of flat land, and no ocean... it's the complete opposite of what I knew in San Diego.

With that said, there are so many benefits to living here that I cannot even list them all. This is an incredible place to live for a multitude of reasons, and obviously - since we are here - it is God's will for us that we remain here for the time being. I need to learn to find beauty in the flat farm lands, I need to learn to enjoy the small festivals that go on during the summer, I need to be grateful for the time that it IS warm here in Sioux Falls, and I need to learn to just be content here.

It's difficult when I miss CA so much to be totally content with living here in South Dakota. It is something I really need to work on. I think maybe I'll compile a list (you know how I love lists!) of all the wonderful things about Sioux Falls. I don't think I'll ever stop missing California but my attitude towards Sioux Falls and the state of South Dakota could definitely improve.


More participants in this Book Study:


Christina @ A Homemaker's Journal
Tammie @ Book of Rememberance

Continue onto the next chapter: Thanksgiving Produces Joy!

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Denny's turned into Culvers.

We got to Denny's.... took one look at the place and decided to go somewhere else. :) There was an hour and a half long wait and we would have had to stand OUTSIDE for most of that time...not so good when you have 2 little babies with you and its 10 degrees outside. We went to Culvers instead. Ohhh well!


-Shaina

Free Grand Slam!

Today until 2pm you can get a free Grand Slam at Denny's!

I can't believe I'm about to brave the ONE Denny's here in Sioux Falls...but I am. Zoe and I are going to go with Rachel and her son Evan. I'll let you know how it goes! :) Right now I'm picturing a half mile long line... haha.


-Shaina

Groundhog Day!

I've noticed that my "followers" (readers of this blog) have been dwindling. Guess my posts are not that interesting ;)

It's February 2nd, which means..it's Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil once again saw his shadow so this means 6 more weeks of winter.... oh how I wish that was true. Here in Sioux Falls, SD it's more like 14 more weeks until the end of winter :)

This week I've been pretty busy! Monday was my 2nd to last Chiropractor appointment - my back has improved pretty drastically over the last 2 months! Wednesday we had our friends Mel & Tim over for dinner, Thursday was my morning Bible Study (Isaiah) and later that evening was our home group. Friday I introduced two of my friends (Marie and Anna). Recently Marie moved into a house that is directly across the street from Anna! They both have little babies so I thought it would be good for them to meet. Saturday I spent about 3-4 hours with Gage's cousin Monique and her fiance Nick, taking engagement photos of them. I took over 600 photos and have now narrowed it down to about 300. My goal is to narrow it down to 200. Sunday after church we went to Cici's for lunch with Gage's family, then I went to Falls Park with them and took some photos of the family for them. The rest of the day I was home with Zoe :) I spent every spare moment I had editing & enchancing many of the photos. I'm hoping to have all of the photos ready by Thursday.


Here are some fun "facts" I found at Groundhog.org! Reading this made me laugh. Such a silly holiday!

Looking for answers to your Groundhog Day questions? You've come to the right spot! Click the links to the left to learn about various aspects of the Groundhog Day holiday, and how we've been celebrating it in Punxsutawney since 1886.

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:

Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!

How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.

According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."

Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.

So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.

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