2013 in review - Counting my blessings

Another year comes to a close. They fly by faster and faster. But there is an excitement at the prospect of a new year.

A new beginning.

365 grace-filled days ahead.

365 days have past. Mistakes have been made. Some goals have not been met. But it's done. We now have the opportunity to try once again to get it right. Or at least more of it right.

2013's greatest blessing: Joseph Christian Harrill

It is amazing how your family feels complete and yet another is added making you wonder how you ever considered your family complete without this one.

Another blessing - My husband is still cancer-free.

Yet another - the wonderful elementary school full of people who love my boys and are doing a great job in educating them at this time when our home is too crazy for them to focus. And for being honest with me about their apprehensions of what they might face with homeschooled children who hadn't been in school for several years. And how their test scores and behavior have proven what a great job that I strived to do in giving them a quality education.

Another blessing is the Moms group at church that supported us generously and tangibly with our new addition. As well as my aunt who took a couple days of work in the middle of the week (the thing that I thought was an impossibility to even ask for) and came to stay with my older children while I was in the hospital.

We were blessed with 17 years of canine love. Our elderly chihuahua had to be let go. Several weeks later, we still find ourselves expecting to see him cleaning up something the children dropped from the table. I find myself checking to make sure the toddler isn't in the dog's bowl.

We are blessed with a couple of stray kittens. They have made Tito's absence a bit easier. It's been nice to feed and care for a couple of half-starved strays and see them grow and become healthier each time we open the door.

We are blessed to be where we truly feel at home. We are blessed with innumerable family and friends. We are blessed beyond measure. Whatever didn't get done in 2013 is really of no consequence. It was plenty full!

Here's to a great 2014!

Rotel Enchilada Lasaga

I was in the mood for enchiladas last night. I call mine an enchilada lasagna because rolling them up is futile. They end up tearing and falling out the sides. SO in the interest of keeping my sanity and not wasting a whole lot of time, I started layering the ingredients.

I modified a homemade enchilada recipe. I used garbanzo bean flour to make it gluten free. I was out of tomato paste so I thought I would just add a can of tomatoes to the crockpot. In looking in the pantry for the diced tomatoes, I saw rotel and added that instead. I added the enchilada sauce, rotel and a quart bag of already cooked and cubed chicken that I had in the freezer. I let this simmer about 6 hours.


I took a 13x9 pan and added a little of the liquid from the crockpot to the bottom. I layered 6 of the corn tortillas. Then half the meat. Then about a cup of grated cheddar cheese. I repeated 6 more tortillas, the rest of the meat and another cup of cheese. I topped with 6 more tortillas, the remaining juice from the crockpot and more cheese on top.

It was fabulous! The older boys who don't love enchiladas got seconds. The toddler boy and Daddy got thirds. Definitely a keeper!