Happy Thanksgiving 2015!

Hello friend,

Happy American Thanksgiving! 

You may wonder why in the world I am pointing out the American-ness of the holiday. Due to having lived in two other countries, most recently Canada, I learned that, of course, not everyone celebrates American Thanksgiving. Today in Canada, it's just a regular Thursday (They do celebrate their own Thanksgiving, in October.). So, for all my international friends and readers, Happy Thursday!

I hope my American friends have a fantastic day celebrating all the blessings we enjoy in this country. We are so fortunate, and even when life is hard and confusing, we still have so many things to be thankful for. Enjoy time with family and friends, celebrating traditions and making new memories. I pray we thank God every day for all He has given us. Cheers!

Blessings and love. xo

Our Weekend Recap

Hello! 

How was your weekend? Ours was H.O.T.! We have been enjoying the mid-80's for much of the summer, so having the temperature crank up to mid-90's plus humidity?! Yikes. I am so not a heat person. Why, you may ask? Well, because I am already hot all of the time anyway. With the heat index near or over 100, I really do feel like I may melt. I seriously thank God for our pool and that this house has AC on the second level! It's the little things. 

The kids were in the pool a good amount of time (the water therapy is so good for Ava's injured foot!). Friends and neighbours came over to play. Friday night, our neighbours invited us over to have drinks and appetizers. I made a Black Bean and Feta dip to take and share. The kids were amazed at how warm their pool is compared with ours. The temps were quite pleasant that evening, and we had so much fun laughing and visiting. It was the perfect way to end the week, as I shared on Instagram . . . 

That night, Bob and the boys started a new tradition they designated, "The Inaugural Royce & Sons All Night Brisket Smoke-Off'! It was a huge hit. Well, until the next afternoon when they all needed naps, but what a fun experience for the Royce men. I don't think it will always take place over night, but I do think the practice of smoking meat will be a more frequent occurrence around here.

Saturday was rainy and stormy in the morning, so I didn't walk down to our Farmers' Market as planned. I did take time that day to start planning our school year. Our summer has been a little odd this year, with taking care of Ava and getting her injury healed. It's hard to believe school will start in just over a month. So, I tried to start getting some things out of my brain and onto the paper. Have you started planning for school yet or doing your back to school shopping?!

I'll share a new idea I'm putting into play for this school year in the next week or so. And if you're new to homeschooling or just need a little encouragement, I highly recommend this post from Sarah at Amongst Lovely Things! 

I hope your weekend was great and not too hot! 

Blessings and love. xo

Our Favourite Grilled Chicken Recipe

Our Favourite Grilled Chicken

4 lbs. chicken breasts

1 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil (or other combinations of spices)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 - 1 tsp. black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients together. Place chicken in large Ziploc bag and cover with marinade. Keep in refrigerator for 4-24 hours, turning once or twice to make sure all the chicken gets plenty of marinade time. Obviously, the longer, the better.

Grill chicken on medium heat until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

We love this chicken with BBQ sauce or in chicken fajitas or on top of nachos or in a Cobb salad or in Mexican Chicken Soup. It's so versatile. You can grill it all and freeze what you don't need to use right away.

We made a bunch of chicken last week. The first night we had chicken fajitas. Then the next night, I used the extra for Buffalo Chicken French Bread. I actually made half with Buffalo sauce and half with BBQ sauce and they were big hits.

I have been making this recipe for years and years. It is probably my most requested recipe by friends who have come over for supper, so I thought I'd share it here. I hope you enjoy it!

Blessings and love. xo

Weekly Menu Plan {5 May}

Hello and Happy Month of May! 

We had a fun weekend. The local farmers' market opened on Saturday, so most of the kids and I walked down to see what goodies we could find. There's not much growing yet, of course, but we found butter lettuce, plus two loaves of delicious bread - one sourdough and one honey wheat - from a local farm. Both loaves were a hit, but the sourdough didn't even last 48 hours! 

Another excitement was that my first d ōTerra Essential Oils order came in the mail. I have signed up as an Independent Product Consultant and am learning so much! More coming soon.

Then yesterday we had sweet friends over for lunch and the afternoon. We fired up the barbecue and made chicken souvlaki, plus Greek salad, hummus and pitas. Here are a few photos from relaxing on the front porch and throwing the football around.

Now on with plan for this week . . .

Monday - Happy Cinco de Mayo! Do you celebrate? We actually got take-out from our local Mexican restaurant and split between the six of us (Bob wasn't home). Yay for cheese enchiladas, chips, guacamole, queso and salsa! And this was the closest I came to a real margarita. It was quite enjoyable. On a Monday, you may ask? Yes. Maybe especially on a Monday.

Tuesday - Jordan's No Fail, 10-Minute Mini Quiches, fruit salad

Wednesday - Crockpot chili, cornbread

Thursday - Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, rice, veggie tray

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Snack-y supper

Sunday - Something on the grill? Burgers? Wings? Ideas, please.

What's on your menu for this week? Any new ideas?

I'm linking up with Laura and the ladies over at Menu Plan Monday.

Blessings and love. xo


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness!

Prayer Vigil Tonight

This is an urgent request from my beautiful friend Anne, on behalf of her husband, Tim, who has kidney cancer.

Would you all please join us in lifting Tim and his health to the Lord tonight, Thursday, January 16th between 8-8:30pm. I don't know if corporate, nation-wide prayers being offered at the same time is anymore powerful than individual prayers, but I know it's not any LESS powerful. We are asking family and friends to pray in that time frame, even if you can only pray for 5 minutes of it. If you live in a different time zone, please adjust that so that you are praying during east coast time. Pray for the Lord's healing. If God wants to do a miracle, now would be good timing (from my earthly viewpoint), but if He chooses to heal Tim in heaven, at least we've gone before the throne and done what we are called to do as believers - and that is to bring our requests before the Lord, and trust Him to do what's best for His eternal purpose in glory.

Here is the entire family: (L to R) Anne, Ashley, Nathan and Tim

Thank you for joining us in praying for our friends. xo

Weekly Menu Plan {30 December}

(I am excited about taking photos in and around our new home. This is a shot of part of the backyard.)

Well, hello, friends, and a late Merry Christmas to you! I skipped all blogging last week. I didn't even post a menu plan, although I assure you we did eat. Four wonderful friends made supper for us while we were sick, so we had quite a few leftovers, as well as leftovers from the Chinese meal I made on Christmas Day. We saved our Mexican meal, normally enjoyed on Christmas Eve for later in the week, which was fun because friends had come to see our new house, so they were able to enjoy our Mexican feast with us. 

Thankfully, the horrible virus we have all (except Bob) had is mostly over. There are still a couple of coughs here and there, but we were all able to go to church yesterday for the first time in a few weeks. We are so thankful and back to unpacking boxes and making this house our home. 

Here is what I am thinking for this week:

Monday - still enjoying the leftovers

Tuesday - Creamy Tomato Soup, Parmesan Crisps

Wednesday - Black-eyed peas, cornbread (traditional, of course) and maybe some appetizers, like Spinach Artichoke Dip with pita chips and a veggie tray

Thursday - Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Friday - Pizza (possibly homemade, but possibly from a pizza place in our new town)

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Snack-y supper

Happy last two days of this year! xo

I'm linking up with Laura at Org Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

Packing up - prayers, please!

(Hi friends, this is what I eluded to earlier in the week . . . Thank you, in advance, for your prayers.)

Prayer Support Team,

Our landlord notified us last week that they would like us out of the house by December 15.  This is a bit of a surprise as we were anticipating going month to month after December per previous discussions with them.  We have no good leads yet and are feeling the pressure a bit.

This whole journey the past almost 3 years has been one step of faith at a time, and I am very proud of our whole family but do confess we are a bit weary.

We are very grateful for your continued friendship and interceding for us.  Keep it up!

Bob

Bob Royce

Intercessors for America

Mobilization Coordinator

PO Box 915

Purcellville, VA 20134

800-USA-PRAY

540-317-2097 Direct

transformingamericathroughprayer.com

getamericapraying.com

A Little Time Away

Our family had a little break earlier this week. It was fabulous to get away. I had had an interesting conversation with a dear friend at the park on Friday and found out that she does not relish holiday get-aways. She told me that it simply causes too much stress for her and that she really likes home and her routine. I can relate to that to a point, but I realised after talking with her that I just need a get-away now and again. 

It's not that I don't love home and the haven that I try to create for my family. I absolutely love home. I do normally need some sort of routine. But there are just times, once in awhile, when I need to get out of Dodge. I think it helps me be a better me. It refreshes me. And the need to explore and have adventures is embedded deep down inside. I'm not sure where that comes from or even really when I realised it to be true about me. I know Bob has this need, too, and apparently we've passed it on to our kids, who are all quite the adventurers.

We weren't able to take any holidays in the summer, so when a friend recently gave us a three day/two night holiday to the resort where he owns a timeshare, we were thrilled and thankful!

We had never driven on the infamous Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, so we made that part of this trip. We are so glad we did! The views were spectacular. 

I had in my mind that the resort was all one building or several buildings located in close proximity. That was not how this one is laid out at all. It is very spread out. There are several thousand acres, with the main buildings and accommodations located quite a distance from each other. The main building is one place. The water park is down the road. The stables are up the road. The hotel is in another location. The condos are spread out in several places. 

Once we arrived at the resort and checked in, we decided to enjoy some of the many, many activities they have to offer. 

Maya's face cracks me up in this one. She is loving this go-cart ride!

Ben was a flying, flipping, bungee jumping machine!

Team 1 . . .

Team 2 . . . 

The water park was pretty impressive . . . 

Hiking is one of our very favourite things to do . . .

Riding time . . .

My horse-loving girl was very happy . . .

Austin had the best looking horse (Cappy) . . . 

Ben was excited to go on his first trail ride . . .

As part of our stay, Bob and I had to sit in on a tour and presentation of the timeshare aspect of the resort. We agreed to do so and were under the impression that it would be a two hour presentation. Unfortunately, the tour lasted three hours and fifteen minutes. Absolutely ridiculous. Our children were waiting for us to take them to the water park and, we were not interested in buying a timeshare at this point in our lives (and with our budget). It was the only negative aspect to our time away. Even though it was very frustrating, we would go back to this resort again (as long as we didn't have to endure the tour  another time). Everything else was enjoyable.

The rest of the time we enjoyed being together, eating in restaurants (which is such a treat for us), meeting delightful people and gazing at the beautiful scenery. The autumn colours were starting to pop and the views were breathtaking. You can see the ski slopes in the background . . .

Autumn in Virginia is a joy to experience. And we are so thankful {to the Father and to our generous friend) for a little refreshing holiday away. 

xo

Weekly Menu Plan {22 July}

(I was so excited to get this crate of "seconds" on Saturday for making some summer goodies!)

Happy Monday! 

I cannot believe it's already the end of July. Wow! Summer is moving right along, eh? We have been cleaning out closets, drawers and cupboards for the past week. I really want to get organized before school starts and do not want to wait until the last minute. I am re-evaluating things for our new school year and looking at what the schedule will be starting in September. We also received word last night that we may be welcoming Canadian friends for a visit this week, so that is super exciting!

Here is my plan (for now):

Monday: Squash Casserole, tomato slices and Ginger Peach Pie (This is a country, summer supper, thanks to the squash from one of Bob's customers and the peaches and tomatoes I scored from a local fruit stand!)

Tuesday: Shrimp Fried Rice

Wednesday: Oven BBQ Chicken, rice, salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Spaghetti Carbonara, salad, garlic bread

Saturday: Bacon and Avocado Grilled Cheese, veggie tray

Sunday: Snack-y supper

Have a wonderful week! xo

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday. Click over to join the party!

Urgent Appeal and Neat Connection

Dear Friends,

One of the neat things about the Lord bringing us back to the States, and particularly to this part of the country, is the people we have the honor to meet while we are here.  Scarlett and I enjoyed a fifteen minute private conversation with General (Ret.) William Suter, current Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States, at a recent Saturday afternoon barbecue.  It was fascinating to learn more about his position and also to hear his thoughts on some of the ongoing scandals that have broken here recently.  We just wanted to share this “unofficial ministry” story with you and say thanks for partnering with us to work and live here just outside of DC.

To learn more about General Suter, click here:
http://supremecourt.c-span.org/Video/TVPrograms/SC_Week_Tuesday.aspx

Help Needed ASAP!

We also want to let you know that we are in a crunch for our May and June finances.  We realize that summer giving is oftentimes lower in ministries which rely on fundraising, and, unfortunately, this is true for us right now.  We trust the Father and know He is our Provider.  We truly appreciate each and every one of you and the sacrifice you make on our behalf to share the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom.  We are asking for your help right now.  We need to be able to pay our rent on Monday.

To join our support team, click on Field Staff Support at IFA Royce Team.

Thank you for your prayers, as we continue connecting with leaders and casting vision for spiritual awakening and revival around the country through The Journey to Transformation here at Intercessors for America.  He has given us some strong connections here in Virginia, including both a new church family and others outside of any church.  We see Him working and are excited. 

We hope you are enjoying your summer!

Many thanks,
Bob and all of the Royce crew

Bob Royce

Intercessors for America

Mobilization Coordinator

PO Box 915

Purcellville, VA 20134

800-USA-PRAY

540-317-2097 Direct

TransformingAmerciaThroughPrayer.com

Weekly Menu Plan {20 May}

Happy Monday and the beginning of a brand new week! We are getting ready to welcome the new little one I mentioned earlier into our home this morning. He'll be staying with us during the days for the next two weeks. My children are so excited, some of them have been awake and waiting for awhile! 


Here's the plan for this week:

Monday - Slow Cooker Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni, salad

Tuesday - Baked sweet potatoes, black beans, roasted asparagus

Wednesday - French Onion Soup

Thursday - Sloppy Joes, chips, veggie tray

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Chicken packets, salad, peas

Sunday - Tacos, chips, salsa, guacamole, Spanish rice


I am thanking God for all my blessings today and anticipating wonderful things from Him this week. So many blessings and things to thank Him for!!! I pray blessings over you, too! xo