Freezer Burritos

Thanks to a friend of a friend, this is what Bobby eats for lunch EVERY DAY :) done and done.

Freezer Burritos:
1 lb ground beef
12 oz salsa
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 can (10 oz) tomatoes with green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning
16-20 flour tortillas
2-3 c cheese (optional)

Brown ground beef. Drain grease. Add salsa, beans, tomatoes, and seasoning. Mix well until heated through. Put 1/3 c mixture in each flour tortilla (top with cheese if desired). Roll up and freeze. Store in ziploc freezer bag. When you want to eat 1 or 2, heat in microwave to thaw and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

We have been incredibly blessed by our friends, family, and church community as we have settled into life as a family of three...then four, over the past 6 months. Some good friends of ours brought us some amazing chicken noodle soup so I inquired about their "method." Though soup generally tends to be "my thing," my husband would certainly say that my traditional chicken noodle soup would not make the list of his favorites. So here is my new, and much improved, recipe for the classic soup :)

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 c celery, chopped
2 c carrots, chopped
3 T oil, for frying
8 c chicken broth
2 c chicken, cooked, shredded
1/2 c lentil beans
egg noodles
6-8 peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Fry vegetables in oil in bottom of large stock pot for about 10 min. Add chicken broth, chicken, beans, noodles, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 45 min or until beans and carrots are soft.

P.S. Owen would highly suggest ensuring both peppercorns and bay leaves appear in your bowl when you eat this soup. Eating is apparently way more fun when you have to dodge things :)

Orphan Sunday

Yesterday was Orphan Sunday. The promotion video from Christian Alliance For Orphans is sweet and you should check it out here.The smiles are amazing :)


Defending the cause of the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17) has certainly become closer to our hearts as we've been on our adoption journey. I am reminded many times each day that God adopted me, loved me, defended me first because I'm in awe of what God has given me in the little hearts that are now mine.

So many people we meet say "wow, you have given these boys such an opportunity in adopting them." While that may be true in an earthly sense, we don't view it that way. God has given us the opportunity to adopt, love, and defend our boys, the opportunity to be parents, and most importantly, the opportunity to make His heart visible through our adoption and walk in love.

Owen is already requesting more siblings (2 sisters and 2 more brothers to be specific), so we're looking forward to the little lives God chooses to display His heart through next :)