30 Days of Pictures - Day #10

Getting back on the 30 Days bandwagon. :)

A picture of something you enjoy doing plus 5 things you've learned in the past 365 days:

I really enjoy cooking, believe it or not. I prefer to cook in an ideal environment which includes Natalie not trying to scale my leg, all of the ingredients within perfect reach and enough counter space to make an (organized) mess. But you can't always get what you want, so I suck it up and make the best of what I have.
Without complaint.
Make that without audible complaint.
I'm nowhere near gourmet, in fact I'm more of a meat and potatoes girl, but my family is still all alive, so I must be doing something right.
And while I really enjoy cooking, it's sitting down at the dinner table as a family that makes me the happiest. Even if it means dodging flying cooked carrots (thankyouverymuch Natalie), or withholding the green beans until Ashley eats enough of the main dish (both of our girls are crazy for green beans!), it doesn't matter as long as the four of us are there. Nothing is sweeter than Ashley folding her hands and bowing her head in prayer. Even if the meal is a total bust, eating as a family makes it well worth it. Sometimes the best victory I have is getting everyone at the table, at the same time and eating as a family. That's success enough for me!

The pictures below reflect my love of family meal time and not of me actually cooking. How would I be able to cook AND keep Natalie off of my leg AND reach the ingredients AND take pictures all at the same time? That's just crazy talk! :)

Getting a smashed tater facial
Full of good stuff
5 Things I've Learned In the Past 365 Days
1. I cannot be Super Woman, no matter how hard I try. Besides, there's no way I could pull off that spandex bodysuit. ~shiver~
2. Going back to work doesn't make me a bad mother or wife. In fact it's the exact opposite. Providing for my family makes me the best mother and wife. Take that nay-sayers!
3. I would not survive without Jake, even though there are times I try to do it all solo (see #1 above). I like to think he couldn't survive without me, too.
4. Banana peppers and Bell peppers are yummy! I suppose my tastes are maturing as I add more candles to my birthday cake.
5. There is no way on earth you can *make* an independent and spirited 3 year old conform to anything AND THAT IS OKAY. My children are not broken; they do not need fixing. They are exactly who God intended for them to be and it's MY job to cherish and appreciate that.