In Judges Chapter 2, Joshua has died. Israel has gone astray and has fallen into the hands of their enemies.
"The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." vs 7 & 10
Why didn't they know? How did this happen?
The parents didn't teach them. The children grew up participating in the feasts, sacrifices, and offerings. Perhaps their parents thought they'd catch on w/o having to put the work in themselves. It led to the demise of the nation.
I know parents like this today. They send their kids to Sunday School, play Christian music, fork out big bucks to the local Christian school, and hope for the best. I have a neighbor who sends her little 7yo to Awana at a church she doesn't attend. She leaves him there and goes home to do her own thing. She says "he needs his space to learn." He is left to the mercy of strangers to teach him what his momma should be impressing upon him.
I love the Old Testament. It's clear cut, black and white. God lays out blessings, curses, and consequences. (Deut 28) He gives clear instruction to parents to teach their own children.
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. " Deut 6:6
Everyday. All the time. As you come and go and do all the busy things of the day.
This is where the Israelites failed. This is where the parents of today are failing. It is what led to the demise of Israel. And if the saying is true and history repeats itself, it will lead to the demise of our own country as well. It's not about economic depression or lame presidential candidates. It is the lack of fear of God and the absence of parents to raise up the next generation in obedience to His Word.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
This Weekend
Beautiful weather!
~Another soccer victory! 2 of my sons are finished with the season. They also got to walk the Rapids players onto the field Saturday night while Honey took pix. It was a big night!
~I gave each of the kids an extra chore to finish before Saturday night. Many hands make light work. They cleaned the fridge, made cereal, organized the library, and cleaned the glass.
~I had some bread that didn't turn out right. Doughy in the middle, crumbly around the sides--who knows. So I spread it out on a cookie sheet, broiled it, and made croutons.
~I made garlic bread a new way. Instead of making individual slices, I laid the loaf on its side and sliced it into 3 long equal pieces. Then I used it like french bread. It fit on one cookie sheet, and I saved time and butter.
~King Soopers has wheat bread on sale for .49/loaf. I bought 10 loaves to stick in the freezer for emergencies.
~I made an extra big dinner on Saturday to ensure leftovers for Sunday. Lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and broccoli.
~I switched the kids' date night food from mac & cheese to boxed cereal and yogurt. They were thrilled! I hit the cereal sale at Walgreens and stocked up.
~Honey took Eldest to Old Navy and bought her 2 pairs of jeans. Oh was she happy!! She smiled all day and reminded me of her brand new jeans than nobody has ever worn before. He mentioned later that that was the best part of his weekend.
~Some of my kids are finished Christmas shopping. They drew names for the first time this year with the understanding that they were not restricted to only that name. Some of my kids with extra money like to buy gifts for everybody. Jes drew Nate and bought him a cool ball shooting Nerf gun. I'm surprised that there are still Nerf guns that we don't already own.
~I had to raise the target price of my dish soap. My previous price was .50/bottle. Now it is .75/bottle. I was happy to still find a deal at .50 this weekend though.
~I finished Joshua and have moved into Judges.
~My grocery budget is still looking good with less than a week to go. Since I totally blew it last month I'm thrilled that this month is better!
~Honey and I had a nice long chat for date night plus a quick walk before it got too dark. Date night is such a sweet way to close the week.
~Another soccer victory! 2 of my sons are finished with the season. They also got to walk the Rapids players onto the field Saturday night while Honey took pix. It was a big night!
~I gave each of the kids an extra chore to finish before Saturday night. Many hands make light work. They cleaned the fridge, made cereal, organized the library, and cleaned the glass.
~I had some bread that didn't turn out right. Doughy in the middle, crumbly around the sides--who knows. So I spread it out on a cookie sheet, broiled it, and made croutons.
~I made garlic bread a new way. Instead of making individual slices, I laid the loaf on its side and sliced it into 3 long equal pieces. Then I used it like french bread. It fit on one cookie sheet, and I saved time and butter.
~King Soopers has wheat bread on sale for .49/loaf. I bought 10 loaves to stick in the freezer for emergencies.
~I made an extra big dinner on Saturday to ensure leftovers for Sunday. Lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and broccoli.
~I switched the kids' date night food from mac & cheese to boxed cereal and yogurt. They were thrilled! I hit the cereal sale at Walgreens and stocked up.
~Honey took Eldest to Old Navy and bought her 2 pairs of jeans. Oh was she happy!! She smiled all day and reminded me of her brand new jeans than nobody has ever worn before. He mentioned later that that was the best part of his weekend.
~Some of my kids are finished Christmas shopping. They drew names for the first time this year with the understanding that they were not restricted to only that name. Some of my kids with extra money like to buy gifts for everybody. Jes drew Nate and bought him a cool ball shooting Nerf gun. I'm surprised that there are still Nerf guns that we don't already own.
~I had to raise the target price of my dish soap. My previous price was .50/bottle. Now it is .75/bottle. I was happy to still find a deal at .50 this weekend though.
~I finished Joshua and have moved into Judges.
~My grocery budget is still looking good with less than a week to go. Since I totally blew it last month I'm thrilled that this month is better!
~Honey and I had a nice long chat for date night plus a quick walk before it got too dark. Date night is such a sweet way to close the week.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A Silent Walk
I had a dilemma. On the week I determined to exercise every day it turned cold and even started to snow. BUT I did say without excuse right? And I DO have a treadmill. Problem is that every time I step foot on it I have 3 or 4 kids that need to tell me a neat story *right now*, I had lots of interruptions, and it just wasn't working.
So I made up a new rule....
No talking to Momma when she's on the treadmill.
It worked!
They were happy to be in there with me but the stories had to wait. No one interrupted. No one needed a drink. No one asked if they could walk on the back of it with me.
Why didn't I think of that before?
So I made up a new rule....
No talking to Momma when she's on the treadmill.
It worked!
They were happy to be in there with me but the stories had to wait. No one interrupted. No one needed a drink. No one asked if they could walk on the back of it with me.
Why didn't I think of that before?
What Is Love?
Here is our family memory verse this week...
"And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1John 4:21
I polled my kids and asked them for practical examples of showing love to another. Here's what they came up with..
"And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1John 4:21
I polled my kids and asked them for practical examples of showing love to another. Here's what they came up with..
- If your brother is too short to see the hippos at the zoo you can lift him up so he can see better.
- Teach him how to ride his bike.
- Help him play XBox.
- Don't leave a mess in your brother's jurisdiction.
- Pull him around on the sled.
- Help him with his chores.
- Play with him.
- Help him with his school.
- Protect him.
I thought it interesting that they all thought of things that fall into the time or service category.
Speaking of polls. We got our voting done yesterday! Early voting at the library and I was already there for story time. How convenient was that? There was nobody there so I called Honey and he came too. Nice to have that done.
Today's meals...
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, toast, homemade yogurt
Lunch- still thinking...we ate the leftovers.
Dinner- still thinking on this one too b/c I forgot to thaw out the chicken I was planning for tonight.
HOMEMADE YOGURT
If you've never made homemade yogurt, it is so easy! We bought a 1 quart yogurt maker for around $30.
Pour in 1 quart of milk and heat until very warm. Add 1/2 C. plain yogurt and 1/4 C powdered milk. Stir. Plug in the machine and let it cook all day. Pop it in the fridge before you go to bed and you have nice thick yogurt in the morning. The longer it refrigerates the thicker it is.
Initially you need to buy a small container of plain yogurt or yogurt starter. After you make your first batch you can reserve 1/2 C. of the homemade to use as your next starter.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Today
~I've hit a snag in my pumpkin pie making. I let my kids paint my pie pumpkin. I suppose it's not too healthy to eat cooked paint so I'll have to get another one....or just forget it maybe.
~It's storming! There haven't been many thunder storms since we've moved here. It's oddly a comforting sound to me. AR has huge storms.
~My little kids finished up their Columbus lap books today. So cute! I hope they learned something...or at least had as much fun as I did. I'll spend the remainder of the month on the subject of autumn then move on to Thanksgiving in November. Lap books are fun.
~I taught my 11 yo daughter how to make bread without the bread machine today. And my 14yo daughter how to make cole slaw.
~I ran with Joey and took in the beauty of the changing colors. My goal is to exercise everyday this week without excuse.
~Honey and I went to the Home Show last night for date night. The home show sounds like fun right? Especially when you have tons of things to do to your house. The tickets were $8 each which was fine...sorta. It just bugs me to pay money when the whole point of the thing is to sell you something. So I planned to spend about $20 tops. But then there's parking. How much do you think parking ought to cost? I'd say $5. Nope. More like $20!! To PARK. Of course the further you get from the convention center the cheaper it gets. We drove around and settled for a place for $9. There's no attendant, just a machine where you put in cash or credit card. So we put in a $10 bill. Nothing. No change. Stolen. Grrrrr...... Let the hike begin.
We walked about a mile to get there then all around the place looking for where it was. We get our tickets and now I need a drink. So Honey points me to the cafe place while he goes to look at the guitar booth. He says, "Get me something too." I'm hoping they take Amex since I'm down to like a dollar. Then I look at the prices. It would be almost $7 for 2 small drinks! I decided he wasn't that thirsty.
It wasn't even that neat. I don't know why they call it a "show". Honey walked away with a big smirk on his face. He said it was worth all the money for the lesson I learned and the years he'll have to remind me of it. Whatever.
Today's meals...
Breakfast- overnight french toast with blueberry syrup (thanks Mom2Three!)
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner- sloppy joes, potato salad, cole slaw, fresh tomatoes.
I didn't have olives for my potato salad. I used some artichokes instead. Don't tell my mom.
~It's storming! There haven't been many thunder storms since we've moved here. It's oddly a comforting sound to me. AR has huge storms.
~My little kids finished up their Columbus lap books today. So cute! I hope they learned something...or at least had as much fun as I did. I'll spend the remainder of the month on the subject of autumn then move on to Thanksgiving in November. Lap books are fun.
~I taught my 11 yo daughter how to make bread without the bread machine today. And my 14yo daughter how to make cole slaw.
~I ran with Joey and took in the beauty of the changing colors. My goal is to exercise everyday this week without excuse.
~Honey and I went to the Home Show last night for date night. The home show sounds like fun right? Especially when you have tons of things to do to your house. The tickets were $8 each which was fine...sorta. It just bugs me to pay money when the whole point of the thing is to sell you something. So I planned to spend about $20 tops. But then there's parking. How much do you think parking ought to cost? I'd say $5. Nope. More like $20!! To PARK. Of course the further you get from the convention center the cheaper it gets. We drove around and settled for a place for $9. There's no attendant, just a machine where you put in cash or credit card. So we put in a $10 bill. Nothing. No change. Stolen. Grrrrr...... Let the hike begin.
We walked about a mile to get there then all around the place looking for where it was. We get our tickets and now I need a drink. So Honey points me to the cafe place while he goes to look at the guitar booth. He says, "Get me something too." I'm hoping they take Amex since I'm down to like a dollar. Then I look at the prices. It would be almost $7 for 2 small drinks! I decided he wasn't that thirsty.
It wasn't even that neat. I don't know why they call it a "show". Honey walked away with a big smirk on his face. He said it was worth all the money for the lesson I learned and the years he'll have to remind me of it. Whatever.
Today's meals...
Breakfast- overnight french toast with blueberry syrup (thanks Mom2Three!)
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner- sloppy joes, potato salad, cole slaw, fresh tomatoes.
I didn't have olives for my potato salad. I used some artichokes instead. Don't tell my mom.
Great Coupons!
Go HERE to print some Nestle baking coupons and HERE 1.75/1 Reynolds parchment paper.
There are never MQs for parchment paper so take advantage of this one. Parchment is such a help when baking.
Go HERE for Kellogg's cereal coupons. Even though this is a bricks MQ it will let you print it more than twice. Walgreens has cereal on sale this week. I don't have the paper in front of me but I think it came out to $1.50/box. That is more than my target price for cereal but it is the cheapest I've seen it in weeks.
There are never MQs for parchment paper so take advantage of this one. Parchment is such a help when baking.
Go HERE for Kellogg's cereal coupons. Even though this is a bricks MQ it will let you print it more than twice. Walgreens has cereal on sale this week. I don't have the paper in front of me but I think it came out to $1.50/box. That is more than my target price for cereal but it is the cheapest I've seen it in weeks.
Moses and Joshua
I'm just about finished reading the book of Joshua. And since I have a son named after him, you could say he's one of my favorite Bible men. Throughout the days of reading through this Book, I've found myself challenged anew by his superb character. I've particularly enjoyed the review of Joshua's relationship with Moses.
Moses, the man God chose to lead his people and to write the first 5 books of His Word was privileged to work at His right hand. The Lord gave him a difficult task, a stubborn people to govern, and needed a man who would totally surrender to His Lordship. Moses' heart was to love God and obey....
"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." Ex 33: 13
Joshua saw this. And for whatever reason, was able to learn by Moses' example when his peers did not. He was humble enough to be teachable and willing to surrender to God's call on his life.
When his time came to grasp the reins of leadership, Joshua stepped forward without hesitation. He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor proving himself to be faithful, obedient, and thorough....
"As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses." Joshua 11:15
God has given me a similar charge--to lead my children from the slavery of their sinful hearts to the freedom of His grace. My desire is to be as forthright as Moses and raise up my own flock of Joshuas to lead on. I pray for the qualities of fearless leadership, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and God's favor to rest upon us in our journey.
And someday when I'm ready to pass the baton I hope to hear the sweet words of my Savior, "Well done my faithful servant."
Moses, the man God chose to lead his people and to write the first 5 books of His Word was privileged to work at His right hand. The Lord gave him a difficult task, a stubborn people to govern, and needed a man who would totally surrender to His Lordship. Moses' heart was to love God and obey....
"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." Ex 33: 13
Joshua saw this. And for whatever reason, was able to learn by Moses' example when his peers did not. He was humble enough to be teachable and willing to surrender to God's call on his life.
When his time came to grasp the reins of leadership, Joshua stepped forward without hesitation. He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor proving himself to be faithful, obedient, and thorough....
"As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses." Joshua 11:15
God has given me a similar charge--to lead my children from the slavery of their sinful hearts to the freedom of His grace. My desire is to be as forthright as Moses and raise up my own flock of Joshuas to lead on. I pray for the qualities of fearless leadership, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and God's favor to rest upon us in our journey.
And someday when I'm ready to pass the baton I hope to hear the sweet words of my Savior, "Well done my faithful servant."
Friday, October 17, 2008
This Weekend
Today is not a gym Friday so that means school. It's ok though. I told the kids we'd work extra hard in October and then we could take some time in Nov and Dec for holiday prep. And surely we'll have some family company in there somewhere...we hope. Honey comes home early today b/c of maintenance window last night and we might make an afternoon trip to the ZOO!!
~The weather is supposed to be beautiful for the weekend.
~3 soccer games tomorrow and 2 of them are same place/time. That'll be convenient. One 8am one which means Honey and I will leave the others sleeping and head out with Sticks alone.
~Pumpkin pie making!
~My grocery budget is still looking good. I think b/c of my monthly menu. This has given me such freedom! And at this point I'm not even looking to save money as much as I am to keep it the same with the higher prices at the store. Speaking of shopping, there's some new coupons that are pretty good right now....I'll try to post them this weekend.
~I'm going to be working up a Saturday routine so that I can make sure I get some things covered before Sunday.
~A big praise! We broke the faucet in the downstairs bathroom. Water EVERYWHERE. Huge mess. But...Honey fixed it for less than $4!
~I am looking into a different math program for Lane. Does anybody have a Teaching Textbooks Pre Algebra for sale? I wish it wasn't so pricey. But I can sorta justify it since she has so many to follow her, right?
Today's Meals....
breakfast- cereal or eggs
lunch - leftovers
dinner - pizza
~The weather is supposed to be beautiful for the weekend.
~3 soccer games tomorrow and 2 of them are same place/time. That'll be convenient. One 8am one which means Honey and I will leave the others sleeping and head out with Sticks alone.
~Pumpkin pie making!
~My grocery budget is still looking good. I think b/c of my monthly menu. This has given me such freedom! And at this point I'm not even looking to save money as much as I am to keep it the same with the higher prices at the store. Speaking of shopping, there's some new coupons that are pretty good right now....I'll try to post them this weekend.
~I'm going to be working up a Saturday routine so that I can make sure I get some things covered before Sunday.
~A big praise! We broke the faucet in the downstairs bathroom. Water EVERYWHERE. Huge mess. But...Honey fixed it for less than $4!
~I am looking into a different math program for Lane. Does anybody have a Teaching Textbooks Pre Algebra for sale? I wish it wasn't so pricey. But I can sorta justify it since she has so many to follow her, right?
Today's Meals....
breakfast- cereal or eggs
lunch - leftovers
dinner - pizza
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Beans and Salsa
I find this to be a good combination to fix at the same time. Less mess you know. Here's how we do it.
The night before I soak a big pot of beans and cook it in the morning. I season them with taco seasoning.
I start with the salsa.
1 #10 can of crushed tomatoes
2 onions
3 jalapenos seeded
1 bunch of cilantro
about a whole head of garlic
Salt and pepper
I run this in batches through the food processor seasoning with salt and pepper the whole way. Set aside.
Next I run the beans through the food processor (in batches) using ladles of the salsa to season them and get them to the right consistency. Depending on how many beans I've made, I usually use all the salsa I just made. So if I'm running low on salsa in the fridge or pantry I double it before I make the beans.
I freeze the beans in quart sized ziplocs and can the salsa for 25 minutes. You can freeze the salsa too but I find it a bit watery when thawed.
On the pumpkin front....
I bought the stuff for the pie crust today! And Honey I think there will be enough to make an apple pie for YOU. Maybe tomorrow I'll take the plunge. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I've never had fresh pumpkin in anything.
I hope it's not green.
Once Again....
NOW what do you think?? I agreed with Lana that the black was hard to see. The purple was a bit overbearing. I decided the cupcakes were more "me" since I post a lot of cooking stuff and I like the whole idea about celebrating...thus the title change too.
I just needed a new look. And I think I like it.
I just needed a new look. And I think I like it.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Great Pumpkin Challenge
Do you like pie? I could take it or leave it. Nothing special really. But my in-laws only eat pie for Thanksgiving dessert. It's sorta the star of the meal even though I don't think it's anything big. Anyway, I suppose a homemade made from scratch kind of pie is pretty good but hardly anyone makes those anymore.
Understand. Homemade is NOT the same as made from scratch. My mother-in-law makes a crust then fills it with canned pie filling. That's homemade. Some people make the filling but buy the store bought crust. That's homemade. My daughter made an apple pie from apples, flour, sugar, and so forth. That's made from scratch. It took hours.
So I'm challenging myself to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. As in cook the cute pumpkin that's decorating my front porch. Have you ever done this? B/c I don't know how. Or do you want to join me in the challenge to do it for the first time? If so, tell me in my comment section.
I'm thinking of doing it this week or next and I'll blog about it with pictures.
I'm not that great at pie crust. I'm intimidated by them. Mainly b/c I hate using that much white flour and the wheat ones I've made have not been very good..especially for pie. Maybe I need to try rice flour or something?? Anyway, I plan to conquer my pie crust fears and go for it. Wanna join me?
Today's Meals...
Breakfast- cereal
Lunch - tomato soup and grilled cheese
Dinner- meatballs w/noodles and sauteed green beans
Crock Pot Tomato Soup
2 28oz cans tomato puree
1 can chicken broth (or homemade)
2 tsp each onion powder & basil
1 T. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. honey
2 1/4 C. water or milk (we like water)
Mix all in crock pot and cook on HIGH until heated through.
Understand. Homemade is NOT the same as made from scratch. My mother-in-law makes a crust then fills it with canned pie filling. That's homemade. Some people make the filling but buy the store bought crust. That's homemade. My daughter made an apple pie from apples, flour, sugar, and so forth. That's made from scratch. It took hours.
So I'm challenging myself to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. As in cook the cute pumpkin that's decorating my front porch. Have you ever done this? B/c I don't know how. Or do you want to join me in the challenge to do it for the first time? If so, tell me in my comment section.
I'm thinking of doing it this week or next and I'll blog about it with pictures.
I'm not that great at pie crust. I'm intimidated by them. Mainly b/c I hate using that much white flour and the wheat ones I've made have not been very good..especially for pie. Maybe I need to try rice flour or something?? Anyway, I plan to conquer my pie crust fears and go for it. Wanna join me?
Today's Meals...
Breakfast- cereal
Lunch - tomato soup and grilled cheese
Dinner- meatballs w/noodles and sauteed green beans
Crock Pot Tomato Soup
2 28oz cans tomato puree
1 can chicken broth (or homemade)
2 tsp each onion powder & basil
1 T. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 C. honey
2 1/4 C. water or milk (we like water)
Mix all in crock pot and cook on HIGH until heated through.
A Quick Answer To Prayer
I finished the clothes exchange! Happy Happy Joy Joy! I brought up the last 2 boxes and set them in front of the door. There ya go. Big long happy sigh.....
But as I was bringing them up I mentioned to my son that Babyest didn't have much for the winter this year. 2 of my daughters were also short on churchy type stuff. He just shrugged and said, "God will provide".
So I go out to the shed for one more peek to make sure I didn't forget anything. And there it was. 1 more container of winter clothes for those 2 daughters! Yessss!!! I also found a box of shoes for Baby Girl. Bonus!
Then I head back to my room and see another one! A box for Babyest! Right there in the hall. Right in the middle of the house. How did I miss it you ask? B/c I've had such a mess of clothes everywhere all week that I was used to walking around it and it become invisible. I know.
Anyway, there were just the right amount of clothes for him. Not too much to deal with. Just right for this winter.
Thank YOU God!!
But as I was bringing them up I mentioned to my son that Babyest didn't have much for the winter this year. 2 of my daughters were also short on churchy type stuff. He just shrugged and said, "God will provide".
So I go out to the shed for one more peek to make sure I didn't forget anything. And there it was. 1 more container of winter clothes for those 2 daughters! Yessss!!! I also found a box of shoes for Baby Girl. Bonus!
Then I head back to my room and see another one! A box for Babyest! Right there in the hall. Right in the middle of the house. How did I miss it you ask? B/c I've had such a mess of clothes everywhere all week that I was used to walking around it and it become invisible. I know.
Anyway, there were just the right amount of clothes for him. Not too much to deal with. Just right for this winter.
Thank YOU God!!
What Do You Think?
Do you like my new look? My husband and daughter helped me with it. It's not quite done and I will be working on putting pix up soon as well as the widgets that were deleted.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
This Weekend
~Cold and drizzly. NOT my favorite soccer weather. I'm glad I pulled out the winter clothes. I'm not done with the clothes exchange yet, but close.
~My first book day yesterday. I hope my friends had a good time. I did. I don't know if I'll do it again though. I'm considering hosting one online. What do you think? Would any of you do it with me?
~I'm working today to prepare for the Sabbath tomorrow. It was so great last week that I wanna do it again.
~I've made a new commitment...or lack of. Except for gym and OR I am not doing any outside activities until February. This will give us time to enjoy holiday prep, the Wings, and 2 more birthdays.
~My baby oil deal didn't work at the grocery store. Rats!
~My grocery budget is looking much better this month. And we're over 1/3 of the way through it.
~My plans for next week....call my dad (b/c I haven't in awhile and I wanna hear his voice), debate and soccer practice, card making with kids, working with COWs in the kitchen, finish clothes exchange, gym, cook a whole pumpkin, and that's about it.
~Oh I almost forgot, my husband and daughter informed me that it's rude (yes RUDE!) to not participate in worship practice if you're hosting it at your house *even though* you're not on the worship team! Did you know that? I didn't. So I shall add that to the list instead of my phone date.
Today's meals....
Breakfast- omelets
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner- scalloped potatoes, roasted tomato salad, salad, and bread
Tea- pumpkin muffins
Scalloped Potatoes In The Crockpot
Enough potatoes to feed your family peeled and thinly sliced
Tonight I added some leftover turkey and fresh spinach
chopped garlic
Make a white sauce and pour over potatoes
1/2 C. butter melted on the stove
1/2 C. flour
Cook for about 1 minute
Add 1 block of cream cheese and work into the mixture while you also add:
2 C. each chicken broth and milk
salt and pepper
Stir and cook until thick and creamy
Cook on HIGH until potatoes are soft. Then stir in a couple of handfuls of grated cheddar.
~My first book day yesterday. I hope my friends had a good time. I did. I don't know if I'll do it again though. I'm considering hosting one online. What do you think? Would any of you do it with me?
~I'm working today to prepare for the Sabbath tomorrow. It was so great last week that I wanna do it again.
~I've made a new commitment...or lack of. Except for gym and OR I am not doing any outside activities until February. This will give us time to enjoy holiday prep, the Wings, and 2 more birthdays.
~My baby oil deal didn't work at the grocery store. Rats!
~My grocery budget is looking much better this month. And we're over 1/3 of the way through it.
~My plans for next week....call my dad (b/c I haven't in awhile and I wanna hear his voice), debate and soccer practice, card making with kids, working with COWs in the kitchen, finish clothes exchange, gym, cook a whole pumpkin, and that's about it.
~Oh I almost forgot, my husband and daughter informed me that it's rude (yes RUDE!) to not participate in worship practice if you're hosting it at your house *even though* you're not on the worship team! Did you know that? I didn't. So I shall add that to the list instead of my phone date.
Today's meals....
Breakfast- omelets
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner- scalloped potatoes, roasted tomato salad, salad, and bread
Tea- pumpkin muffins
Scalloped Potatoes In The Crockpot
Enough potatoes to feed your family peeled and thinly sliced
Tonight I added some leftover turkey and fresh spinach
chopped garlic
Make a white sauce and pour over potatoes
1/2 C. butter melted on the stove
1/2 C. flour
Cook for about 1 minute
Add 1 block of cream cheese and work into the mixture while you also add:
2 C. each chicken broth and milk
salt and pepper
Stir and cook until thick and creamy
Cook on HIGH until potatoes are soft. Then stir in a couple of handfuls of grated cheddar.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Reflections Of An Eventful Year
Today is our 1 year anniversary in our house. Good bye Arkansas, Hello Colorado! What an eventful year it has been. It has been a year of God's grace walking through a myriad of changes and newness.
Honey posted about what prompted our decision to move. The Lord has blessed us in every step of the way and CO has been more than anything we ever hoped it would be. And although we miss the old life, the new life is an adventure and we're all liking it to one degree or another.
~My precious husband had the task of picking out our house alone. Whata guy! And except for being separated for however many months, that was the hardest. The housing market is quite expensive here and our options were limited. In his search he was intent on finding something that met our unique needs. He was able to look beyond the dilapidated condition to see the potential. He's good at picking houses.
~We had plenty of company in CO right away. The in-laws stayed with us a week and helped us move in, Mark and Linda came for 2 nights, and we had a Wing visit to look forward to in only 2 months. (I remember tears of joy when I made that announcement.) Company is very helpful when you're feeling lonely and missing home. Also e-mailing and unlimited long distance is a blessing!
~God introduced us to our son's soccer coach. Except for Honey's co-workers, the first guy we really met. They love the Lord, have boys that are our boys' ages, AND they homeschool. They introduced us to our homeschool group. A perfect connection.
~A little scary going to my first gym day. But, WOW the mom's were so welcoming and I felt right at home immediately. The kids loved gym and this year the door was opened for Oral Reports as well. It is different from our group in AR and that was a bit hard to get over. I guess I thought that most homeschool groups are the same. I like the difference though and I'm happy for the opportunities my kids have. Isn't that what this whole thing was about anyway?? My homeschool buddies are like a breath of fresh air. I love the like-mindedness and how easily we can talk.
~We visited a few churches. Honey had visited a bunch before we got here and took us around to the ones that were on the "maybe" list. It didn't take long before we stepped into Alameda Hills. Immediately we felt a connection. Again so welcoming, so friendly, so family-ish. Home. This is something we did not have in AR. We're enjoying our new ministry opportunities and even our 7 year old has an important job of greeter. We have a church that is helping and encouraging us in our parenting goals and I met my first friend. My church and my homeschool group are the two things that helped me bond the most to CO. I love them both.
~Soccer. Much more intense than AR. It's been harder to make good decisions b/c of the many opportunities. It's been a good experience for my son. In AR he was a big fish in a small pond. In CO, there are lots of big fish. Plenty of competition and opportunity for him to improve his play. We're still hoping for a better coaching position for Honey.
~No piano. Why? I don't know. Well, kinda I do. I mean who can compare to Mrs. Moon? But now my daughter has started playing keyboard on the worship team and Mrs. Moon would be proud.
~Meg has done wonderfully and has a sweet attitude. We're so proud of her. Recently the Lord brought her a friend and we're all thankful for Cherry. She has met a deep need. My other kids are making friends too. So happy!!
There you have it. Not so much when you put it in writing I guess, but it feels big when you're living it. This is home. That means that I will no longer say "home" when I refer to AR. My family has grown and stretched this year and it feels sort of like a big project that we completed together. I look back over the year with great satisfaction but I'm hoping this next year will be less eventful.
Honey posted about what prompted our decision to move. The Lord has blessed us in every step of the way and CO has been more than anything we ever hoped it would be. And although we miss the old life, the new life is an adventure and we're all liking it to one degree or another.
~My precious husband had the task of picking out our house alone. Whata guy! And except for being separated for however many months, that was the hardest. The housing market is quite expensive here and our options were limited. In his search he was intent on finding something that met our unique needs. He was able to look beyond the dilapidated condition to see the potential. He's good at picking houses.
~We had plenty of company in CO right away. The in-laws stayed with us a week and helped us move in, Mark and Linda came for 2 nights, and we had a Wing visit to look forward to in only 2 months. (I remember tears of joy when I made that announcement.) Company is very helpful when you're feeling lonely and missing home. Also e-mailing and unlimited long distance is a blessing!
~God introduced us to our son's soccer coach. Except for Honey's co-workers, the first guy we really met. They love the Lord, have boys that are our boys' ages, AND they homeschool. They introduced us to our homeschool group. A perfect connection.
~A little scary going to my first gym day. But, WOW the mom's were so welcoming and I felt right at home immediately. The kids loved gym and this year the door was opened for Oral Reports as well. It is different from our group in AR and that was a bit hard to get over. I guess I thought that most homeschool groups are the same. I like the difference though and I'm happy for the opportunities my kids have. Isn't that what this whole thing was about anyway?? My homeschool buddies are like a breath of fresh air. I love the like-mindedness and how easily we can talk.
~We visited a few churches. Honey had visited a bunch before we got here and took us around to the ones that were on the "maybe" list. It didn't take long before we stepped into Alameda Hills. Immediately we felt a connection. Again so welcoming, so friendly, so family-ish. Home. This is something we did not have in AR. We're enjoying our new ministry opportunities and even our 7 year old has an important job of greeter. We have a church that is helping and encouraging us in our parenting goals and I met my first friend. My church and my homeschool group are the two things that helped me bond the most to CO. I love them both.
~Soccer. Much more intense than AR. It's been harder to make good decisions b/c of the many opportunities. It's been a good experience for my son. In AR he was a big fish in a small pond. In CO, there are lots of big fish. Plenty of competition and opportunity for him to improve his play. We're still hoping for a better coaching position for Honey.
~No piano. Why? I don't know. Well, kinda I do. I mean who can compare to Mrs. Moon? But now my daughter has started playing keyboard on the worship team and Mrs. Moon would be proud.
~Meg has done wonderfully and has a sweet attitude. We're so proud of her. Recently the Lord brought her a friend and we're all thankful for Cherry. She has met a deep need. My other kids are making friends too. So happy!!
There you have it. Not so much when you put it in writing I guess, but it feels big when you're living it. This is home. That means that I will no longer say "home" when I refer to AR. My family has grown and stretched this year and it feels sort of like a big project that we completed together. I look back over the year with great satisfaction but I'm hoping this next year will be less eventful.
Happy Birthday!
We have a new 6year old! And boy is he happy about it!
~He's been planning his b-day for 364 days.
~When something is funny, it's *really* funny.
~He loves meat. All meat. He'll have 2nds and 3rds and finish up whatever you left on your plate.
~He loves soccer, legos, sleeping with his brother, weapons, Spiderman, and wearing capes.
~Pink Blankey is still on his bed. (Honey, it's fine!)
~He's a great reader and a fabulous student all around.
~He surprises me about once a week with a card on my bed.
He had a great day yesterday. We gave him his presents early so he could play with them all day. A full day of bionicles, roller blading, siblings, junk food, and some XBox. Just enough for a brand new 6year old.
Happy Birthday Jes! We love you so much!
His meals....
Breakfast- donuts
Lunch - dinosaur chicken nuggets, mac&cheese
Dinner - pizza, leftover chicken nuggets, brownies & ice cream
His daddy blogged about him today too and even included some sort vids of the day. Click on the last video to hear Babyest's cute babblings.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Some Latest Faves
Our Babyest
Self Portraits
The last picture of this 5 year old (tomorrow he will be six!)
Lizzy is 11!
Flag football huddle in the cul-de-sac
Self PortraitsThe last picture of this 5 year old (tomorrow he will be six!)Lizzy is 11!Flag football huddle in the cul-de-sacTuesday, October 07, 2008
Pancakes and Syrup
I know I said we would have to give up pancakes, but my daughter volunteered so I took her up on it. I planned it for dinner twice this month. Here's our favorite recipe...
Oatmeal Pancakes (adapted from Two Sisters)
6 C. milk
1 C. melted butter
4 eggs (or 1 C. flaxseed mixture)
4 T. honey
4 C. whole wheat flour
4 C. oats
2 T. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
Mix wet, mix dry, mix all together. We added blueberries tonight.
I used to buy that all natural maple syrup from Sams. Until it hit about $13 a bottle. So I've been experimenting with my own. Here's 2 winners....
Strawberry Syrup
4 C. frozen strawberries
1/2 C. honey
1 C. water
4 t. corn starch
Cook berries and honey on low until hot. Dissolve corn starch in water and pour over berries. Cook until hot and thick.
Apple Spice Syrup (from Tammysrecipes)
6 C. apple juice (1 can of concentrate and add water)
1 2/3 C. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
5 small apples peeled and chopped small
1/2 C. corn starch
Combine 5 cups of juice with sugar, spices, and apples. Simmer until apples are tender.
In a bowl, mix the corn starch with the remaining 1 C of juice. Add to apples and cook until thickens.
We also made some beef sausage to go with it. Not enough of us liked it for me to post that recipe.
This was sort of a big dinner. Pancakes always are. The sausage was messy. There were a ton of big dishes. Thank you girls for all your help tonight!
Today's meals...
Breakfast- blueberry oatmeal
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- Pancakes and sausage
Oatmeal Pancakes (adapted from Two Sisters)
6 C. milk
1 C. melted butter
4 eggs (or 1 C. flaxseed mixture)
4 T. honey
4 C. whole wheat flour
4 C. oats
2 T. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
Mix wet, mix dry, mix all together. We added blueberries tonight.
I used to buy that all natural maple syrup from Sams. Until it hit about $13 a bottle. So I've been experimenting with my own. Here's 2 winners....
Strawberry Syrup
4 C. frozen strawberries
1/2 C. honey
1 C. water
4 t. corn starch
Cook berries and honey on low until hot. Dissolve corn starch in water and pour over berries. Cook until hot and thick.
Apple Spice Syrup (from Tammysrecipes)
6 C. apple juice (1 can of concentrate and add water)
1 2/3 C. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
5 small apples peeled and chopped small
1/2 C. corn starch
Combine 5 cups of juice with sugar, spices, and apples. Simmer until apples are tender.
In a bowl, mix the corn starch with the remaining 1 C of juice. Add to apples and cook until thickens.
We also made some beef sausage to go with it. Not enough of us liked it for me to post that recipe.
This was sort of a big dinner. Pancakes always are. The sausage was messy. There were a ton of big dishes. Thank you girls for all your help tonight!
Today's meals...
Breakfast- blueberry oatmeal
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- Pancakes and sausage
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