I came across this recipe, and immediately made it for Life Group.  It was AMAZING!  Perfect with any meal, and it looks so fancy!  But it’s so easy, too!  It’s definitely going to be made again and again! Thanks, Dine & Dish!

Garlic Herb Braid from Taste of Home’s Simple & Delicious

(click over for a great pic!)

In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and
seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed
butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until
moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining
flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about
4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-in. rope. Place ropes
on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck
under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with
melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf
(16 slices).

To make life easier, put all the ingredients except the final melted butter, in your bread machine and let your dough cycle do all the initial work.

*My notes: I’ve made this in the KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook (works fine!), and also in the bread machine.  It’s a bit too much dough for my machine, but it rises better, and it’s easier.  If you don’t want the whole braid loaf, it would work fine to split the dough into 2 loaf pans.  Great if you’re taking dinner to someone!

A sweet day of church, family, and lots of love.  I am a blessed woman!

I searched all over the internet to see if I could find someone to credit this beautiful piece of writing to, but alas… no luck.  Grab a tissue, be encouraged and be inspired.

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper–not a homemaker. If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness – not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys. Love is present through the
trials. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key that opens salvation’s message to a child’s heart.

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. – Deuteronomy 7:9

(One thing that’s stopped me from blogging is that I feel like I haven’t had time to pull my thoughts together and make them all neat and tidy.  Well, I’m never going to get around to it, and I’m sure there are plenty of others who can relate.  And some of the thoughts I’ve been mulling over might nudge/encourage/inspire/make you think a little too, so I’ll just toss them out there)

Our Life Group is going through Power of a Praying Wife (for the women) and The Power of a Praying Husband (for the men).  It’s been a great experience.  There’s something so encouraging about finding it open in the morning, knowing my husband has been praying specific prayers for me.

This past Wednesday, we discussed the men’s chapter on “Her Priorities”.  Our discussion stemmed from the question for us women, “What are your top 3 priorities?”  Well, I know what I WANT them to be.

1. Loving God
2. Sharing His love with (#1) my kids
3. Sharing His love with other moms, other women, and other people.

But right now, I feel like I’m pulled in so many directions that I can’t give good efforts to any of them.  Instead, my priorities are, in no specific order:

• Run to the store
• Get the coupons clipped and sorted, and pulled out for shopping trip (hey, maybe this should go before the store trip! But to my frustration, it often doesn’t.)
• Mail this, pay that.
• Wash these 5 loads of laundry, don’t forget the bucket of stained items soaking. FOLD laundry, PUT AWAY laundry (in CAPS bc those are the most procrastinated!)
• What’s for dinner? Take something out of the freezer?
• Should’t I be making dinner/dessert for someone?
• Hey it’s Wednesday (hypothetically)! Yay I get to host Life Group again! I’d better to get to cleaning…
• Stop by this store, return something to that.
• Call these people, email this group, order that, post/submit/print those…
• Read some Word.
• Pray.
• Play with kids! Read with kids!
• Run. Go to Curves.
• Go to this meeting, don’t miss that meeting.
• Wait… no mention of my husband here!  Hang out with him! Show him some love! (Thankfully, the yummy meals, clean dishes and laundry, and mostly happy kids speak some love to him.  I do love you, Brian! More than all these things except Christ!)

I know that I’m not as busy as some moms! I can name some of you who are juggling way more balls in the air (and kids! though not in the air!) than I am, and doing an amazing job.  But I’m struggling to to keep the most important things first, so I know you must be as well!

One thing I have learned, though.  We’ve traveled a lot, and stayed with all great people, visited wonderful families, seen awesome moms. One family sticks out in my memory though.  The hospitality was so gracious. The house was lived in, comfortable, cluttered but happy, by no means perfect. But the priorities were perfect.  The kids argued, but forgiveness was granted. Parents disagreed with each other occasionally, but grace flowed freely.   Bedtimes/bathtime were a struggle, feelings got hurt, people got grumpy, and hours could have been spent organizing the house (just like mine!!!).  But more importantly, God’s word was shared, prayer was spoken, and love abounded.

This is what I want for my family. When all else fails, my house will not be here, our blog will be forgotten, photo albums will fade.  But God’s love in the life of my children will grow faith that will last for generations.

And so, I’m praying each and every morning that God would direct my moments, that I would know exactly where He wants me to direct my efforts and time. And maybe my day will look a bit more like this (realistic idea):

• Run
• Pray on the walk home.
• Get kids up, share our Bible memory verses over breakfast
• Take Analise to school, pray for her day.
• Shower.
• Make a cup of tea. Read some Word.
• Pray.
• Get the coupons clipped and sorted, and pulled out for shopping trip (if we’re being realistic, this might not get done…)
• Run to the store
• Play with Josiah. Trains?
• Mail this, pay that.
• What’s for dinner?
• Hey it’s Wednesday (hypothetically)! Yay I get to host Life Group again! I’d better to get to cleaning… Pray for other Life Groups as I’m cleaning up. Pray for our Life Group. Keep my heart reminded of what a joy this is, and how my Life Group notices the atmosphere of my home rather than whether I’ve dusted or not (I haven’t).

• Read with kids. Play the piano with Analise.
• Above all, love deeply. Let grace reign. Share forgiveness freely. Keep a heartful of thanks.

And I know each day will have it’s own battles and stumbling blocks.  But my heart is where the battle is won. And I’m determined to try to keep it focused on what matters. And He will not let me down.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[d] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. – Colossians 1:9-14

I tend to post a lot of updates on Twitter (and then they post to Facebook), and quite often I’ll include links to photos.  So here’s a glimpse of our busy busy weekend (2 bday parties, 1 meeting, dinner with 20 + kids, and 2 bike races).

Brian and Terry warming up before the Sunny King Pro/1 Criterium Saturday evening.

Yes, it is as fast as it looks!  The blur of the field with 1 lap to go. (Brian finished 27th, Terry finished 29th. Not bad for a National Racing Calendar race with a bunch of pros!)

My sweet gorgeous girl at a birthday tea party for her best friend, Ansley.

The dolls all lined up having their tea party.  Analise’s doll matched her, from the blue dress to the red hair bow.  Hopefully, picture of that coming later!

Josiah was playing on the raised hearth by the fireplace, and rolled off.  Don’t worry… it’s just 12 inches off the ground, or so.  He landed on his nose and forehead, which already have scrapes and lumps from falls 2 consecutive days last week.  It’s a hard-knock life when you’re a busy 3-year old boy!

Anyway, he sadly came over to me and said, “I hurt my head and my nose.”

“Is your nose broken?”

“Yes, and my heart is broken, too.”

Aw!  Poor guy!  Thankfully, some snuggling on the couch seems to have healed all wounds, and warmed this mama’s heart.

(A pic of my biking boys from a couple weeks ago.)

thanks to free babysitting from Grandma, Brian took me out for a belated birthday dinner at Brio. It was wonderful! Even after lots of time together on the road this weekend, it was so nice to have a quiet relaxed dinner as just the two of us. It’s been 8 years since we were madly in love and he proposed to me, and I still just love being with him. I’m a lucky girl 🙂

Turning 34 has been wonderful!  It’s been an all-around lovely day, filled with hugs, kisses, snuggles, texts, phone calls, emails, tweets and endless Facebook messages!  What more could a girl need?

My birthday started a bit early, as Brian promised to get up if either of the kids needed something during the night.  THAT is a treat!  A good night’s sleep makes any day look better! The kids greeted me in the kitchen with my gifts: a necklace/earring set, a new purse and wallet, and Mary Kay’s luxurious Satin Hands set. Yay!

I had ordered a new pair of sandals with some birthday money, and they arrived yesterday. Perfect timing! I’m sure I’ll be wearing them all summer, chasing kids and Brian on bikes, and they are super comfortable.

I met my sweet friend Allison for lunch at a favorite cafe.  We enjoyed the sunshine (she got sunburned!), while Josiah ran laps around the fountain and somehow ended up wet.  (This is as good as an iPhone self-portrait gets!)

It’s the little things… yesterday while grocery shopping, I had a quick thought to get both kids Lunchables. A real treat for them, AND I wouldn’t have to make lunch! We all won 🙂

Tonight was Life Group, the best evening of the week.  I was busy cleaning up the house, not my favorite thing to do, but always worth it for our friends. The bonus is that on this birthday evening I’ve got a clean house! For however long it will last… 🙂

I made homemade lasagna and homemade garlic herb bread for Life Group dinner.  Bekah brought one of my favorite cakes for dessert, AND she brought me the most perfect gift after my day in the kitchen…

Handmade and beautiful… I love it! I know I’ll put it to good and frequent use!

What a fabulous day!  If this is any indication, the rest of the year is going to be amazing! God has filled me to overflowing today!

Or is it singular “bunk bed”?  There are 2 beds…

Either way, I found a bunk bed at a garage sale on Friday, and couldn’t pass it up.  I knew it would be a great addition to Josiah’s room… if I can keep him from bouncing on the top bunk and keep Analise from doing gymnastics up there!

The first night was quite an adventure.  They fought over who would get to sleep on the top bunk, but we convinced Analise that the bottom would make a cool “cave” so Josiah could have the top.

(Holding up their twirly egg lights from their Easter baskets. Analise literally moved into the bottom bunk, even though she is only going to sleep there on non-school nights.  She had all her special things and blankets, including pen/paper/stickers, robe/slippers.  So cute!)

Of course, 20 minutes after the lights went out, guess what happened?

In the end, Josiah went back to the top bunk, after waking Analise a couple times with all his ins/outs/ups/downs.  He finally fell asleep after about an hour and 15 minutes.  He was up at 5:30am Sunday morning to go to the bathroom (yay!), and he was ready to play (while Analise was still sleeping) by 5:45.  I had to move him to Analise’s room until we were ready to get up Analise woke us up at 6:30.

Night 2:  Josiah, who had been up since 5:30am, asked to go to bed at 7, was very sad to find Analise was not going to be in his room because it was a school night.  (She was asleep in less than 5 minutes.)  Josiah started on the top bunk, moved to the bottom, came to the bathroom 3 times, fell out of the bottom bunk and came to show us the lump on his head (which there actually was!), and finally he ended up on the top bunk, asleep about an hour later. This morning, he was up at 6:30 to go to the bathroom (good boy!).

Night 3: Tired boy after lots of bike riding, sunshine and fresh air.  Amazingly, we didn’t hear from him after we tucked him into the top bunk, and he’s asleep right where we left him.  Except. I forgot to make him go to the bathroom right before bed, figuring he’d be up stalling. Whoops.  Might be learning to change sheets on the top bunk tomorrow.