Wrapping Up The First Quarter- Projects

This was the yard our service class worked on. The yard wasn't very big, but it was extremely overgrown. The morning glory vines, black berry vines, spreading, prickly holly branches and weeds were taking over. The precious woman who owns the house has degenerative vision disease and at the time we went there her vision was failing pretty bad.
We were so excited to be able to bless her and give some life back to her yard.
The kids tore out vines that had taken over her fence, shed, walkways, and were hiding the nice plants that were trying to survive. We turned dirt, reshaped flower beds and then hauled away a couple truck loads of debris.
Approximately halfway through our work time, our recipient came out and shared with us that the one thing she can still do with her failing vision is knit. Although her vision is failing her sense of touch is still great so she can feel the stitches and create knit projects. She wanted to know how many people/kids were helping in the yard. We counted up and she let us know she was going to pay her blessing forward. What a great principle to live by! She was so filled by her blessing she plans to knit the number of hats for the number of people who helped and then she'll give them to us so we can deliver them to the homeless or less fortunate.
This was a reminder to me that we all have something to give to bless others.
For us it was giving three hours of our time- that's not very much, but many hands make light work. In those three hours we were able to transform her yard. In turn, she's going to bless many who may experience cold temperatures this winter. Who knows, maybe someone who receives a hat will decide to pay that gift forward. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we ALL practiced a little selfless giving?
Now Go Give somehow someway. I can guarantee you, your giving will bless you greater than the one receiving.

Wrapping up the First Quarter

We've been wrapping up many first quarter activities and classes. Our home school co-op is now on Christmas break. I'm happy to report the service class I taught ended very well.
I was concerned and feeling a bit defeated two weeks prior to the break. This last quarter the kids did some great service projects. We put together gifts for children in the hospital (a gift bag with a hand made card and a beanie baby), we cleaned up, cut back, and revitalized the yard of a lady who is losing her sight, we wrote letters to a friend serving in China and a soldier serving in Iraq, we made meals in jars for widows (or moms who could use an easy meal), we had guest speakers who coordinate medical services for children with serious health needs, we had a guest speaker who shared with us the need of children and poor in southeast Asia, and as our culminating project we raised OVER 1000 pounds of food for a local food bank. (Note there were only 11 kids in our class and 20 families in our co-op).
When we set the goal of 1000 pounds it didn't seem like too much, but as we were gathering I started to feel defeated. We only had 2-3 weeks to gather the food. And in addition I heard comments like, "Wow, 1000 pounds, that's a lot of food. It's hard to raise that much food, even for a big group, but you have a small group." For a minute I started to believe it was going to be too much. But the night I was feeling down, one of the kids called me because he was SO excited! Along with his brother and sister, he had collected 200 pounds in a day. Amazing!
The following day I read them the story of the Little Red Hen. Hard work gets the job done and these kids were working hard. I was so proud of them. During this quarter I saw them giving, serving and donating time, money, or talent.
I'm happy to report the night of our end of quarter event the kids had raised 987 pounds of food. We made a good effort and were only 13 pounds from our goal. Then one family arrived late and handed me a bag of food they wanted to donate. We weighed the food and...this is such a God thing...their bag weighed 13.8 pounds! We met and exceeded our goal!
What a great lesson of faith for the kids and for me. The Bible tells us we only need to have faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.

"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20-21

A Lesson from Vera

Vera. Even the name conjures up thoughts of a Vera-type girlie you may have known. The Vera books are written by Vera Rosenberry and it's my guess her life inspired the life of this little girl we've grown to love. Vera's become a favorite around here.

Today we read how Vera lost her tricycle and then her dad refurbished her sister's broken down bike and Vera learned to ride. Rebuilding bikes must be a theme for us this week. Our middle son just finished reading a story in his reading book about a boy whose dad refurbished a broken down bike because they couldn't afford a new one, so they worked hard together and created "Lightning" the speedy slick "new" bike.

These days, it's hard to imagine someone working on a broken down bike, sanding it down, repainting it, reassembling it and then gifting it as a new bike. But not too many years ago that's how we did things.

I remember my dad rebuilding a bike for my brother. He took it apart, sanded it down and painted it a beautiful candy-apple red color. It was super shiny and a lot of love and care went in to giving it a new life.

In our current consumer society we've lost some of these fun aspects of making due, or reusing what we already have.

In our family we laugh about how we used to wear our jeans until the were so faded they'd just about lost all the denim look. So, because times were tight, my mom would go buy a package of RIT dye and we'd wash our jeans in blue dye and lo' and behold...we had blue jeans again.

Or darning socks. I recently had a friend chastise me for darning the holes in my boys' socks because my time darning was wasted considering how cheap we could purchase new socks at Target. Maybe so, but sewing up the holes just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Hmm...

With the recent economic changes, maybe it would be prudent to reuse or repair some old items. I'm not ready to go buy the RIT dye, but cut-backs are probably in order.

Well, 52% of America Has Spoken

I woke up kind of numb.
Here we are...Day 1 of a "Yes We Can," "Change" and "Hope" for America new frontier. The media on broadcast television seem drunk with enthusiasm. They can barely stand themselves. Tears for the new president and the new direction of the country are run again and again. Questions like, "Do we have a new 'Camelot?'" are the main topics of discussion.
I had prepared myself for this possibility, but the fact that it is here is sobering.
I dragged myself downstairs at 6:15 am and reluctantly opened up my bible study. It was an "I know I should," more than an enthusiastic "I can't wait." Just like God promises, he met me where I'm at.
I'm doing a study called, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. I'm on Day 2 of Week 1. David is anointed by God. When Samuel was instructed to find David, God told him in 1 Samuel 16:7 "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart."
How many people looked at Barack Obama's heart? How many looked at his character? How many looked at his outward appearance?
The study brought about many other fabulous points. David wanted God's presence to be central to his every day life and wanted this God-consciousness to be the center of the life of Israel. Our prayer should be Exodus 33:15 "Lord, if Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from this place."
God continued to work through our morning. The kids and I are reading Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler. We're on Day 2 of Yahweh Shammah- The Lord is There. Once again God provided perfect timing. If you don't have the book, it is fabulous!
The verse for today was Isaiah 43:2,
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
She continues,
"Praise: That he is always with us.
Offer thanks: For God's presence in the midst of trouble.
Confess: Any tendency to conclude that you are alone in your struggles.
Ask God: To protect you and your loved ones."
The rest of the days devotion recounts the life of Genelle Guzman-McMillan. She was the last survivor pulled from the rubble of the North Tower collapse following the September 11th attacks. She recollects how she was buried amidst tons of debris and how someone named Paul held her hand and comforted her while rescue workers tried to pull her out. He stayed by her and reassured her until she was safe. After the rescue she learned that there was not a man named Paul involved in her rescue. God had been there with her and kept her completely calm. She remembers, "God was there when I needed him. He made sure I was found."
Like Genelle, today I feel like God is There. He knows how I feel and how so many other people in this country feel right now. He is holding our hands and comforting us. He will stand with us today and in our tomorrows. He is our Yahweh Shammah!

Election Day!

Election Day. It's finally here. This has been one LONG race and the constant coverage has been interesting to say the least. There were times when I thought, really, "Is that relevant?" or other times when there was little reporting of a fact that I thought, "REALLY, That IS relevant!" Today we'll see how America votes.
The kids and I are reading a book about the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims came to America to escape religious persecution. They wanted to worship God freely separate from the State Church of England. Men had been hanged and threatened for such ideas. In fear of such treatment, friends and relatives argued with the early Separatists to abandon their beliefs. When William Bradford heard such pleading he replied calmly, "To keep a good conscience and walk in such Way as God had prescribed in his Word, is a thing which I must prefer before you all, and above life itself. Wherefore, since it is for a good Cause that I am likely to suffer the disasters which you lay before me, you have no cause to be either angry with me, or sorry for me. Yea, I am not only willng to part with everything that is dear to me in this world for this Cause but I am thankful that God hath given me heart so to do; and will accept me so to suffer for him."
This is the heart that our Country was founded on.
Many have departed from this ideal, but my heart stands strong. God has given me a heart to Stand for God, My Country, My Family.
After the failing of the Speedwell Dorothy Bradford was discouraged. William placed his arm around her shoulder and quoted the words of Master Brewster, "It is not with us as with other men whom small things can discourage, or small discontentments cause to wish themselves home again."
Our country faces a pivotal decision today. Despite what many may think it is not just the economy that is at stake. We've become a people who live for momentary pleasure, but somehow fail to look longterm at the consequences of our decisions. We live in a "Me" centered society. God's standard has been thrown out the window and our measure of right or wrong is relative to what our neighbor is doing. We compare ourselves with the world and have removed the standard to which Jesus died for.
Sad indeed.
Life is in the balance. The life of the unborn, the old, the disabled.
Traditional marriage is in the balance.
One or two Supreme Court seats are in the balance.
If we look at this election and look at what God values our decision should clearly evident. There are no gray areas.
I have read many messages that call us to fast and pray for this election. I pray that people will go to the voting booth and at the last minute will be convicted to vote for the more conservative candidate. (I just heard a lady on TV say she did just this...Praise God!)
I am not discouraged. The Bible tells us that God places kings in power and he removes them. Sometimes his people need to be challenged and he will place the necessary ruler over them. God's people have lived in prosperity and they have lived in oppression. Either way we still know who sits on the Throne!

Crazy for a Cleaning Product

I'm a gal who can get a little crazy for a new discovered cleaning product. The last one I was really excited about was the product line by Method, but this weekend I found a new FABULOUS addition to my cleaning arsenal.
I should first explain that we are "County Folk." We don't live in the city and so we have our own well. As many county folk can tell you when you have your own well there are a number of staining issues you may end up dealing with.
Before we moved in our house the water was on, but the filtration was not set up yet and we ended up with dark nasty stains in our sinks and a ring in our toilets. I've tried a number of heavy duty products but hate using the chemicals. I would say I lean a little toward the "green" side when it comes to chemicals. I have precious little ones and who knows what these chemicals will do to their little bodies in the long run. In addition we're on a septic system and I don't want to send something out there that will kill the good little bugs that are doing their hard work decomposing our waste.
Consequently, being the cleany that I usually am, it's a little embarrassing when we have company over. I don't want them to think lack of flushing or cleaning has caused these terrible stains.
So, this weekend while wandering the cleaning product aisles at Wal Mart I picked up a little Bathroomstone by Earthstone. I almost didn't buy it because it was a whole $3, but it piqued my interest. It is made for "heavy duty cleaning and scrubbing." It has no harmful chemicals and is completely safe. The packaging reads, "It easily cleans even the toughest hard water, soap scum, and mildew on porcelain or tile and grout."
I brought the little stone home and took it to our guest bath. I gently applied the stone in a gentle circular motion as instructed and in stains quickly disappeared!! I couldn't believe it. For four years I've battled these awful menaces and in just seconds they were gone!
So, here's my endorsement for the Bathroomstone by Earthstone. I think I'll check out their website and see what other goodies I might find www.earthstonetechnology.com
Happy Cleaning!

Hittin' the Big Stage

Like many Americans we've practiced our own fiscal responsibility here at home. I've sold various unused items in the hopes of saving some extra $$ for vacations or other special items (maybe a new computer mine crashes). The kids sometimes tremble telling each other, "You better put that away, or mom will sell it!"

We've sold educational curriculum, plants, household items, etc. It's been a really great adventure so far.

Recently I listed a precious rocking horse. It is really special, but it was no longer being used for anything other than a step-stool when cleaning out the fish tank (that will be going too) or a clothes rack.

If I was a better display person, I would have found a great way to display it, but lately I've felt like less is more.

I was contacted by a gal at a local dance studio inquiring about the availability of the horse. I replied that it was still available. I met her at the dance studio for her to look at it. She LOVED it!! Not just liked it, but really loved it! She showed it to other employees and they loved it too. I don't know that the little horse has received so much love in the past few years. Even I saw it through different eyes as they raved over it. It really was a cutie little horse with great potential that was just hidden in our home.

The dance studio has very big plans for this rocking wonder. He will appear in The Nutcracker and The Velveteen Rabbit. He is Hittin' the Big Stage. We talked about going to his performances. We're so proud of our little star! Who would have thought? I guess he has his own "real" Velveteen Rabbit story that he can share- from wooden step stool to star of the stage...

Love Letters

I recently began reading I Love You, Ronnie. It's a compilation of letters Ronald Reagan wrote to Nancy Reagan. It's amazing to think he wrote her gushy notes throughout their many years together even into the White House and beyond.

As I read the book, I thought back to the many love letters my sweetheart wrote me while we were dating. I still have all but a few of the letters stashed away in a safe place. Like Nancy, I seem to be a saver. I try to organize and purge and am convinced the FlyLady is a necessity in the lives of most American families, but I hold on dearly to these special letters. I don't pull them out to read, but just knowing they are there is important since they represent the early days of our relationship.

So, in reading the book and thinking about my own stashed away letters I thought, "I wonder why I don't get letters anymore?" Well, no sooner thought (and I must add, my sweetheart knew nothing of my reading Nancy's book) I got mail.

My sweetheart had been down at his mom's house visiting and caring for her while she was in the hospital (she's recovering from surgery removing cancer from her pancreas). And while he was there I guess he decided to recussitate his love letter writing activities.

So, totally unsuspecting I receive a precious card with words of encouragement written inside. I can't tell you how this made my day!! It's not just little kids who love to check the mail and actually GET mail!

He returned home and I said, "Guess what? I got mail!" He smiled coyly. And then, guess what? I got mail again the next day too!! I love it!!

It doesn't take too much effort to make a girlie happy and I can assure you this girlie is a Smilin'!

Thank you my sweet!

Volcano Pie- An Ice Cream Treat

Here is the recipe for Volcano Pie...

Fudge Sauce:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Over low heat or in a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Add boiling water, stir well, and add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil, cover, and continue boiling for three minutes. Uncover, reduce heat and cook for two more minutes. Do not stir. Take off heat and add vanilla.

Ice Cream Pie
1 prepared chocolate-cookie or graham-cracker pie crust
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Let ice cream soften a bit. Combine ice cream and peanut butter. Mix in chocolate chips (raisins or peanuts are also great). Pile ice cream into prepared crust and mold into your favorite volcano shape. Freeze until ice cream has re hardened (4 hours or more). Remove from freezer and scoop out a "crater" in the top of your volcano. Pour fudge sauce into the "crater" and let "lava" flow down the slopes of your volcano. Dust with cocoa and powdered sugar forced through a mesh strainer. Decorate with raisins, chocolate malted-milk balls, or whatever you like.
This recipe was gathered from Kids Discover Volcanoes.

Book Club- The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck

This year I decided it would be a great idea for our kids to be part of a Book Club. So we started one.

We are currently reading The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck. It is a moving story of two young boys in Japan. They are great friends and experience the fun and adventure of boyhood together. They've heard of the Big Wave (tsunami) yet no one expects what a big wave could actually do to change their lives. Jiya, one of the boys, experiences the pain of loss after his village and family is lost following the big wave. He also comes to learn about true bravery and comes to understand how wonderful life can be.

I found a study guide for the book that we are following and each meeting I supplement the learning with a science experiment and usually a little treat.

So far we've done two sections of the book. For our first meeting we discussed tsunamis, tectonic plates and earthquakes. We did a science activity where we simulated an underwater quake and saw how the ripple of the water would be created. We also focused on the geography of Japan and the surrounding region.

Did you know a tsunami (translated "great harbor wave" in Japanese) can produce waves that rise up to 100 feet or higher? Or that a tsunami wave on the open ocean can travel up to 500 mph? Or that an earthquake off the coast of Chile caused a tsunami that traveled 10,000 miles in just 22 hours to Japan where it hit with such force that 150 people were killed.

One week following our lesson we enjoyed Volcano Pie. It was a yummy ice cream pie. I found the recipe in Kids Discover Volcanoes. I will post the recipe for you to enjoy.

We've discussed melting points as associated with the inner earth so we could have a better understanding of magma. We learned about other melting points of water, chocolate, sugar, and even the filiment in a lightbulb that has a melting point that exceeds 6000 degrees! Wow!

This past week we watched a DVD about earthquakes. The awesome wonder of the earth is so amazing!! After the DVD we enjoyed a little Volcano Punch- Yum! Cool, Refreshing, Bubbly, and Tropical!

The boys are making "Lap Books" to record the vocabulary, geography, experiments and other important facts surrounding our study.

I'm not sure who is learning more...me or the kids. I love soaking in this information. I find myself wondering, maybe when I grow up I should be a geologist, or a scientist, or just maybe I'll be who I am, a mom enjoying the learning.

Uncle Bubba Comes to Visit

We enjoyed a recent visit with Uncle Bubba and his wife. Uncle Bubba is my youngest brother. He was able to come to the kids' soccer games to spread his humor on the fields. He's one of the funniest people I know and kept us in stitches when we were growing up. He's still super funny and his "one liners" are hilarious.

He made many culinary requests that we enthusiastically made for him at a family bar-b-que. As I mentioned in an earlier post, some of the food choices of our family may not be common favorites, but we love them. So my mom cooked up some squid in a tomato sauce, I fried up chicken gizzards and squid. We also had wonderful bar-b-qued london broil, salads, and more.

This family get-together was a first in almost 3 years. Three years is much too long to wait to have loved ones spend time enjoying each other. I hope we are able to gather again really soon!

A Big Semi-Anniversary Day!

A few days ago after reviewing posts I realized there's someone very special to me that I don't post much about. This blog has been mostly about the kids, homeschooling and food. Although he's not often centerstage on the blog he's centerstage here at home. And today marks a very special day for us.

Today my husband and I celebrate 20 years as a couple. We've been married nearly 16 years, and dated about 4 years prior to marriage.

As I reflect back on 20 years, my first thought is amazement realizing 20 years has actually gone by so quickly. I know that sounds so cliche, but it's actually true. I also thought back to where we were when we first met. We met in college on my second day on campus. He was two years younger than me and it seemed like a decade at the time. Being the self-concious person that I am, I didn't want to hold his hand in public because I felt like the age difference was too obvious. I don't think anyone would even notice now...he has MANY more gray hairs than me and maybe even a few more wrinkles.

We've really grown up together and grown in our relationship and friendship. He knows me better than anyone. I love spending time with him and love seeing him with our kids. Although I didn't really have a clue 20 years ago, I'm grateful that God knew what He was doing. He picked a great man for me and I'm looking forward to the next 20, and the next 20 and the next 20.

So to my sweetheart, if you're reading this...the last 20 years has been Fabulouso! You're my best friend! I Love You!

P.S. Thanks for the great breakfast. The pancakes with blueberry syrup were great!

Cooking Up A Storm-Baked Crunchy Chicken Bites

I'm not sure if it's the cooling weather and the desire for some inside comfort food, but we're cooking up a storm this week. Our oldest has enthusiastically tried some new recipes and we're enjoying his creations.

We have a fabulous math book called The Math Chef by Joan D'Amico & Karen Eich Drummond. Once a week the kids usually make one of the many recipes. This week we focused on metric conversions and made a recipe called Baked Crunchy Chicken Bites (or Chicken Nuggets to us). Occasionally I change up the recipe a bit and this is highlighted.

Note: 2T=30 ml

Time

10 minutes to prepare plus 10-12 minutes to cook

Tools

cookie sheet

2 1-gallon resealable plastic bags

medium bowl

wire whip

small bowl

rolling pin

cutting board

paring knife

oven mitts

Ingredients

vegetable oil cooking spray

1/4 c. flour

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

2 Tablespoons 2% milk= ? ml of milk

2 dozen snack crackers (we used Saltine Crackers and used more than 2 dozen)

4 boneless chicken breast halves

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spray the cookie sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

3. Place the flour, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in one of the plastic bags. Seal the bag and shake it to mix the ingredients well. Set it aside.

4. In the medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together.

5. Put the crackers in the second plastic bag and seal the bag or close with a tie. Crush the crackers by rolling the rolling pin over the bag until the crackers are crumbly. Put the crushed crackers in the small bowl.

6. On the cutting board, use the paring knife to cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, about 1 inch by 1 inch.

7. Put the chicken pieces into the first plastic bag with the flour mixture. Seal the bag or close with a tie, and shake to mix. Wehn all the pieces are dusted with flour, remove the chicken from the bag.

8. Dip the chicken pieces two-by-two into the egg mixture and then into the cracker crumbs.

9. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the sprayed cookie sheet.

10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (we baked for longer) or until golden brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven using oven mitts.

Fast and Easy Dinner Idea-BBQ Chicken Pizza

With the abundance of zucchini we've had I've spent extra time online looking for creative ways to use this summer vegetable. I found a quick and easy recipe on Martha Stewart Everyday for BBQ Chicken Pizza. Ususally I'm not one to take short-cuts, and do make just about everything from scratch, but with this recipe I was able to make a couple of changes makinig this an even easier quick-to-the-table dinner creation.

Instead of making my own pizza dough, I bought pre-made pizza dough and instead of cooking chicken and adding bbq sauce I bought an 18 oz. container of BBQ Shredded Chicken All White Meat w/Barbeque Sauce (fully cooked) at Trader Joe's.

Here's Martha's Recipe:

Ingredients
Serves 4
Olive oil, for baking sheet
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 pound store-bought frozen pizza dough, thawed (Trader Joe's has a great pre-made pizza dough available for just over $1)
1/2 cooked chicken, (about 1 1/4 pounds), shredded (about 2 cups) (Try Trader Joe's BBQ Shredded Chicken w/bbq sauce-if using then omit next ingredient)
1/2 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin and your hands to roll and stretch dough to a 15-by-10-inch oval (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let rest a few minutes). Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken and barbecue sauce. Leaving a 1-inch border, scatter chicken mixture evenly over dough; sprinkle with cheese, then zucchini and onion. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

This was a yummy pizza liked by all.

In Your Light

Last night I looked out the window and saw such a beautiful sight. The full moon was rising over the mountain and the majesty of creation was breathtaking.

In the past I've tried to take pictures of the moon with my basic digital camera, but they've never turned out. I thought I'd give it another try.

I was so pleased the photo was more than just a circle of light in darkness. To accompany the photo, I started to think about what I'd write in the post. I figured the beauty of the photo would speak for itself and was just going to post the picture.

Then, while driving home tonight from a meeting at church, listening to TobyMac's, In the Light, I knew what God wanted me to see in the photo.

The moon by itself is not a brilliant shining jewel in the sky. It is a reflection of the sun, and it's the sun that illuminates it and gives the beauty.

That's what I want my life to be. My desire is that as the moon reflects the sun's light so might I reflect the Son's light. I want to shine the light of Jesus and reflect Him in all I do.

Matthew 5:14-16 reads, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

As Christians, many times we shine at church and within our Christian circles, but how much more can we glorify God if we let our light shine in the world to the people who don't yet know Him.

It is my desire that our family walk with a servant's heart. May God use every day to Shine through us so that He might be Glorified!

Invasion of the Fruit Fly

I should learn my lesson! In an earlier post about mice, I SHOULD have learned my lesson. But, NO! Once again, my "I'm sure glad I don't have THAT problem..." thoughts are bringing to FRUIT-ion a big problem in our home. Fruit Flies!

Off and on, we have a fruit fly here and there, but nothing major. Over the last couple of days we've become the fruit fly's best and greatest hang out. I think the word got out that we were having a birthday party last weekend with lots of great, fresh food and that we have an yummy compost bucket filled with fruit and vegetable waste. The annoying little buggers have pulled up in their station wagons filled with family and are making a home to spend their 10 day lifetime in pure bliss.

While they're having a frenzy of a good time, I'm going NUTS! Being the germ-phobe, anti-bug (in the home) person that I am, I'm having a hard time with this. I think they're mulitplying faster than I can vacuum them up. Last night I saw them perched on my kitchen window, so I pulled out the vacuum and sucked them up. No sooner did I do this, their relatives saw the vacancy and moved right in.

Then I decided to do some research on how to get rid of them and they decided to check out the computer too. I was batting them away between clicking on various links. I did find a great link with many helpful tips. Looks like I'll be cleaning the house from top to bottom today! If you're having the same problem check out http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fruit-Flies.

Hopefully the problem will be in check in the next couple of days. Wish me luck!

The Little Things in Life

Isn't it just like God to remind you that he's thinking of you when you're a bit down or feeling a bit frazzled? Today was one of those days for me.

My sweetheart has been gone for almost two weeks helping his mom out while she's gone through surgery for pancreatic cancer and transitioning to life at home. We felt it best for the kids and me to stay home and continue with our daily routine.

We did very well the first week, but day-by-day we're realizing we really miss having dad around. We miss his company and conversation. I'm sure the kids miss him for all the fun things like wrestling and playing soccer. And although I'm a great multi-tasker and do get a lot done in a given day, I'm still falling a bit behind on outdoor chores, like lawn-mowing. (Now honey, don't think I only like you because the chores you do).

Yesterday, I was trying to finish the mowing of our 2.5 acres and ran out of gas. I was away from the house, but thought I'd walk to the garage, grab the gas can, fill up the mower and continue. I made it to the garage only to find all three of the 5-gallon gas cans empty. It was almost the straw that broke the camels back, but a kind neighbor lent me enough gas to at least put the mower away for the night.

On a normal day, I'm all about mowing and enjoying that time outside, but for some reason the loneliness combined with the unfinished task almost brought me to tears. I know I sound like a big "weenie" but at the moment... I'm sure another hormonal person may understand what I'm saying, it was all I could do to call a neighbor and ask for help.

Shortly thereafter I had to go off to Bible study. It was the first night of this new study. I was encouraged. We're studying Fingerprints of God by Jennifer Rothschild. I know He has his hand on my day to day occurrences and cares about what is going on. The gals in my group prayed and I felt uplifted.

This morning, after my quiet time, I came to my computer and checked my email and found a great note of encouragement from a friend. I then glanced to my right and found that overnight my gardenia had not one new bloom, but three. I really don't believe in coincidences, so seeing those beautiful blooms and smelling their incredible fragrance reminded me that in my loneliness He is there. He is ever present and ever caring! And I think He knew more than anything, I treasure and enjoy His handiwork in the beautiful white gardenias He brought me this morning. I will smile today knowing all is well, and who knows...maybe the lawn might even get mowed.

Quinoa- How Do You Pronounce It?

Quinoa, pronounced "Keen-wah"is a grain that contains more protein than most other grains. It has a nutty texture and makes a great salad.
I've recently discovered new recipes at http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/. The recipes have a fabulous mix of ingredients that may be new to some or new ways of using age old ingredients.
Last night we bbq'd beautiful t-bones on the grill (thank you George). We served them alongside gyoza and for a salad we made Apple Quinoa Salad with Curry Dressing. Our oldest son is our official "Chopper" and our middle boy is our "Mixer." I love having the helping hands. And together we get more done in less time- Wonderful!







Apple Quinoa Salad with Curry Dressing

Crisp apple, chewy quinoa and toasted almonds give this nutty and sweet curried salad a full flavor and hearty texture.
1/4 cup raw whole almonds
1 cup organic bulk quinoa
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped organic shallot
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried currants or dried cherries
1 organic apple, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Toast almonds until fragrant in a 375º F oven, for about seven minutes.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve and drain. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, return to boil, stir, cover and reduce heat. Simmer until quinoa is tender but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool.
For the dressing, whisk together honey, shallot, curry powder, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Whisking constantly, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream and whisk until emulsified. Add quinoa, currants, apple and nuts and toss well.

Did I Mention...I'm Looking Forward to Getting to Know This Gal Better

Wanna Be Farmer

Yesterday we were driving home and noticed a sign for a "Farmer's Market" at our local Grange Hall. Hmm... I thought, maybe we could sell some of our overabundance of vegetables at the "Farmer's Market."

I know I'm not exactly a farmer, but I'd like to be- sort of. I proudly wear my "FARM CHICK" shirt and listen to country music when I'm tromping around our 2.5 acres hauling composted material and trailing my wagon. Yeah, I'm a home school, new generation, momma of three, compostin', recyclin', growin' food for fun type of farmer. I thought that qualified us for the "Farmer's Market."

So I called the number for the local grange and then called the contact person for the event. I was told to just show up and set up our goods.

I got up at 6:15 to harvest. The fog was thick and the air crisp. It was a beautiful morning, quiet, the kids were asleep and I was on my own. I picked a variety of cucumbers, lettuce, kale, tomatillos, leeks, mint, tarragon, rosemary, oregano, and zucchini. I then cleaned the veggies, loaded them in the car, loaded some plant starts we've been selling, loaded the table, grabbed the basket of fresh baked cookies and the bottle cap necklaces the kids made last fall, and then lastly told the kids to get ready.

We headed out at 9:10. We arrived at the Grange to find only one other "Farmer" there. Actually he wasn't a farmer. He works for an organic farm and is employed to do the selling thing. He had really nice beans, berries and other veggies. He even had a tent. We had our mini-van, tail gate open, table set up and four kids (my three and a friend). At moments the kids would be helping or quietly hanging out. At other times they'd be arguing, yelling at each other, or swinging from the roof of the vehicle. Aren't we quite the farmers?

Luckily some kind folk bought some of our goods. We sold cucumbers, a couple necklaces, cookies and some leeks. We spent 1/2 of our income buying the kids the nice breakfast being served at the Grange Hall.

For all our (my) efforts we made a whopping $22. I know it's not great, but it was a fun experience. And more importantly it was family time together-screaming and all.

Back on the Fields

Soccer season has just started up and today was the first game(s) of the season. This is our first year having all three kids play. And...Dad is coaching all three kids' teams. Wow! What a committed soccer dad!
Yesterday our little girlie had her first practice. Her dad is still out of town so there was another fill-in coach covering. We showed up at least 15 minutes late for the 30 minute practice. I felt like the loser mom of the coach's daughter. Our little "Princess" did not like the way the shin guards felt on her legs and feet. Then she did not like the way the socks fit. They have seams! And then even worse came the shoes. She did not like the way the shoes fit with the shin guards and then the socks. We had to discuss why each pad was where it was on the shin guards.
It went a little like, "This pad protects your ankle bone. This pad protects the bone on the other side of your foot. I know it's uncomfortable, but you need to have them there so in the event you get kicked, BUT you won't get kicked. No, you won't get hurt out there. I'm sure. It'll be fun. Yes."
By the time we got out to practice she was ready.
I'm happy to report she had a great time! Soccer practice was a success.
So Today the BIG GAME... She loved it! And I loved being the mom of a little 5-year old pee-wee who kept yelling, "Hi, Mom!" And then occasionally run to the side line to give me a big kiss and a hug. Only the little ones. Bless them!
She scored two goals. She even got a little sweaty. She was proud and had a great time!
When we were walking back to the car she asked when her next game was. She said, "Mom, I'm all about two things with soccer- fun and scoring goals!" Yeah girlie! A few steps later she said, "Mom, I'm pretty sweaty. I think I need to get some doe-der-ant." A lady overheard her and started laughing. Isn't it fun listening to the littles?
The boys had great games too, but they're already used to the soccer routine. Neither one of them has ever complained to me about shin guards. Now that I think about it, they probably thought the shin guards were like cool warrior armor or something...and who wouldn't want that?

Kids on The High Wire

The Making of Mirette On The High Wire

The Best School Day I've Ever Had!

We're finishing up the first week of our home schooling year. It's been a very good week and the kids have worked really hard.
My main goal this year was to have more FUN! We're good at working on the reading, writing and arithmetic, but when it comes to not worrying about the "have to's" I don't think I've been as unstructured as I'd like.
So today after Bible, I told the kids, "We're not doing the bookwork today." You should have seen their faces.
Instead of hitting the books we read Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. It's a Caldecott Medal winner and the kids loved it. It was actually the second time we read it this week.
Like Mirette we tried walking on our own High Wire. We talked about what we had to do with our bodies to keep our balance like put our arms out and bend our knees slightly.
I then had the kids lay on white paper and we traced their "high wire" moves. They had a great time picking out what their "people" would wear, what color eyes they'd have, how dark their skin would be and how their hair would be styled. Our oldest child said his boy looked good bald, but we decided to add hair anyway. Our middle boy painted his boy's clothing to match his favorite clothing picks. He usually wears two shirts each day-one long sleeve covered with a short sleeve. His boy looks exactly the same. And our girlie is all about pink. So no surprise her girl is a Pinkie too.
Toward the end of the painting, our middle son exclaimed, "THIS IS THE BEST HOME SCHOOL DAY I'VE EVER HAD!!!"
Now, that's what I'm looking for! I want our homeschool experiences to be the best they've ever had. Learning should be fun!
In case you're interested, we found this activity in a book called Art Activities from Award-Winning Picture Books from the Teaching and Learning Company. It is written by Judy Hierstein and designed to be used with preK-3rd grade kids.
We'll post our finished products when they are dry and on the "High Wire."

I'm Ready for the Yard Sign!!

WOW!! What a political week we've had!! A week ago I never heard of Sarah Palin and now...I'd like to have coffee with her! She's my kind of gal- God-fearing, pro-life, wife, mom, strong, confident, pro-family, well-spoken, hard-working, dedicated, humorous, forgiving, determined...
Needless to say, I was extremely impressed with her speech at the Republican National Convention! The upcoming weeks and debates will be quite interesting. This is going to be an exciting race to watch.
And John McCain...what a Hero! I can't even imagine what he's been through as a prisoner of war and yet he never blamed his country for sending him there, but became more dedicated to the service of his country. I loved at the end of his speech when he called (disgruntled) Americans to do something to make the country a better place rather than complain. Serve, Serve, Serve!! That's the key to life. Take the focus off yourself and serve others. It truly makes for a better life!!

My Junk, Someone Else's Treasure

This was a great summer for cleaning out and "decluttering." I have much more I want to do, but we're going in the right direction.
My dad mentioned to me in June that he was going to have a garage sale. Oh, A GARAGE SALE! The wheels started turning. I had some unwanted belongings I could donate to the sale. I thought this would be a great opportunity to get rid of things clogging up the closets and hopefully make some extra $$ for school books this year.
I imagine my poor dad thought of all the work that he would put in trying to load all that "stuff" into his truck and secure it. Luckily he's master of the bungy cord! Then once he got it home he'd have to unload it, price it, and then wait for other people to decide if my junk was their treasure. But all I can say is, "Bless him."
With much help from a friend they were able to sell SO MUCH!! I was in shock when he told me how much sold! AWESOME!! New curriculum for the kiddos! Yeah!!
Thanks so much for all the help you gave us and when we're schooling we'll thank you for making it all so much more affordable!
Wanna do another garage sale?? Just kidding!

Putting the Labor in Labor Day Weekend

Isn't Labor Day Weekend a great opportunity to work so hard you feel like you'll collapse at any moment? I think that's what our family thinks LABOR day is for. This weekend was wonderful and full of completed projects. We are actually the type of people who lay in bed at night and say "It was a good day" if we completed many projects and worked ALL day.
I had many things on my "To Do" list and with school starting up this week I really wanted to get busy checking off the list.
To Do:
Pick beans outside
Pick all beets
Pick all the carrots
Pick cucumbers and zucchini
Clean up house
Clean bathrooms (little sweethearts have had a touch of a bug and let's just say in the middle of the night aim into the toilets hasn't been completely accurate)
Get miscellaneous (oops, forgot a couple things) items for school ordered and purchased
Start little project for Dear Husband (hope you're surprised)!
Can beans, beets, and blueberry jam (My mom was given many pounds of blueberries for FREE Yeah!)
Help out with the Sunday school program for one service
That's not very much... or is it??
Well as previously mentioned, our three little precious kiddos took turns on each day of the weekend throwing up. I really appreciate that they were so considerate knowing that if they were all throwing up at the same time, it would be very overwhelming. So they took turns.
Huge blessing...My mom decided to come up this weekend to help out. It really lifted the load.
So we canned 12 pints of blueberry jam, 4 pints of blueberry syrup, 13 pints of pickled beets with onions, 7 pints of lemon spiced bean pickles, and we even made some chocolate chip cookies.
Other than that we also completed the other items on the list. DH I hope you like the surprise! It'll be in a later post.
So as I lay in bed before I doze off, I'll think on this Labor Day Weekend. It definitely was a GOOD weekend!

It's All About Family

We had the opportunity to visit my dad's cousin and his wife. They're more like immediate family than distant family. They live close to DH's mom.

We were able to spend a couple hours catching up and soaking them in. I learned so many things in such a short period of time. Did you know that there are pencil sharpener collections?? I'm going to keep my eye out for some cool sharpeners. I now know someone who collects. Did you know you could make a zucchini pie that tastes like Dutch Apple Pie? I'm going to try it and will let you know how it goes.

We're very glad we had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with them. Life is short and these times are precious.

What's In Bloom???

Right now we're enjoying lupine, hollyhocks, coreopsis, and lilies. We also have many other garden plants growing like crazy! I have more photos to post really soon...
Our oldest son took all these photos. He captures the beauty wonderfully!

How about Team USA!!

I hope you all had a chance to see the Mens' 4 X 100 Freestyle Relay!! It was AWESOME!!! The Frenchies had boasted that they were going to "Smash" the US team but... Au Contraire Mon Frere!! It was so exciting!! The US Men's team beat Team France and they were speechless! Beautiful! Absolutely Beautiful!!
As a result of all this along with the other swimming events, Michael Phelps has become quite the Phabuloso at our home!
Our brown eyed guy has talked Michael Phelps all day! He's been to the pool many times trying out his Michael Phelps moves. Michael Phelps does this and Michael Phelps does that. It reminds me of my inspiration I got from Amy VanDyken a few years ago. After watching the Olympics I started swimming with the local Master's team at 5:00am. I wish I could say it was long lasting, but not being a morning person made those early morning work outs too brutal!
But the hero Phelps lives on! The boys enthusiastically watched Phelps in the 200 today and reported his win! I'll watch it again tonight. Who knows, maybe we'll get a swimmer after all.

Sleeping on the Floor of the Denver Airport

Sounds like the words of a sad country song. I had a great weekend visiting friends in the midwest and flew out on Monday. I was very anxious to return home to hub and kids and my familiar life at home. I guess it was my desire to be at home that made this travel day all the worse.
The initial flight was delayed over two hours. My connecting flight was in Denver. With the delays I ended up missing the flight home or maybe the flight was cancelled. I couldn't get a straight answer from the different people I talked to. Anyway, with no outgoing planes I was told I could get a "discounted" rate at a local hotel. The discounted rate was $65 for a hotel 20 minutes from the airport or $100 for a hotel 10 minutes away. I opted for the less expensive one. I thought 4-5 hours of sleep at a hotel would be worth the cost because sleeping in the airport would be the PITS! There was a time in my life when I would have thought it an adventure, but not these days.
I sat outside the airport for about one hour waiting for the shuttle to come. This is a shuttle that is supposed to stop every 20 minutes. After an hour I thought if this is how this shuttle runs I'd probably miss my flight the next morning.
So I cancelled the hotel confirmation and thus began my evening. It was about midnight and I was wandering around the airport with my large duffel bag and personal bag. I was searching out a quiet place to rest. There were many other people in the same situation so the accomodations were limited.
I started off in chairs leaning my head on my bag. This was terribly uncomfortable. Sometime around 4:00 am I got up to get my boarding pass. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get freshened up and headed for the ticketing counter. I was told my airlines woudn't be open until about 6:00am.
I then walked to find a floor space. I found a space with only a few other people. I noticed the most common way to sleep was to put your head under the chairs shielding your eyes from the bright flourescent lighting. When in Rome... I stuck my purse under the chair and used it as a pillow, put some socks on, covered my arms with sweat pants, covered my legs with a sweater and tried to snooze.
The concrete covered floor was very HARD and the cleaning going on was very loud. Also some of the ticketing counters were opening and there were a lot of people arriving. I imagine it was a sight to see us sleeping on the floor. I felt a bit like a homeless person.
At 6:00 am I got up again, got my boarding pass and headed to security. I was still groggy and VERY TIRED! When I got up to security I was informed that I was "Selected" for the thorough search. Grand! I was directed to the "special" line. I had to go through this machine that blows air all over you. I sure hope it wasn't one of those new x-ray vision machines. Next came the close x-ray of my bags. I was told not to touch my belongings. Then a man came and said, "Young lady this way please." Young lady?? He reaffirmed that I was not to touch my bags or belongings while he went through and swabbed just about. everything. Forget modesty and PTL that I bought new underwear before my trip! He told me he was checking for residue for explosives. What a way to wake a girl up!! I made it through the check only losing the one ounce of facial toner I had in a 4 ounce bottle. Apparently they look at bottle size rather than amount of liquid in it.
I'm happy to report I made it home safely back to my precious family and even gained another story to share.

Story of the Day

There are some days that just make for a good story. Today was one of them. It was a cloudy overcast day and very chilly. I made a list of "To Do's" most of them were indoor activities like vacuuming, cleaning specific rooms, etc. But one thing on our list was to take fresh vegetables from the garden to our local food bank sponsored by our church. This would be our first trip of the season since planting occurred so late.
This is our 3rd year planting the garden for our own consumption and for the food bank. The kids and I love meeting those who are in tough times and benefit from this little food bank. The gals who work there are a true gift. They give of their time organizing this little endeavor and feed about 200 people a week.
Today we greeted the gals and brought raspberries, a variety of lettuces, arugula, an assortment of dark red, pink and white beets and Thumbelina carrots. We spent a little time talking with them and then were about to go on our way.
As we exited the food bank there is a line up of people waiting for it to open. First in line were two older women. One was missing her front teeth and the next lady had an accent. They said "Thank you" and we started walking to the car.
Immediately, I noticed someone trying to get my attention. I turned around and the little lady with the accent said, "My husband has been waiting for you." I looked out into the parking lot in the opposite direction. Walking toward us was an older, slightly feeble, looking man. Although he looked quite a bit thinner I recognized him instantly. She said, "Do you remember my husband, Joseph?" I looked at him and said, "You are the one who likes the GIANT zucchini I bring." (You know those zucchini that overnight grow to about 2 1/2 feet that most people don't want).
Joseph loves them. He is a Hungarian man who makes a favorite Hungarian soup with the big zucchini. In the past two years when he sees me arrive, his face lights up. The gals at the food bank always set aside the huge cabbage and zuc for him.
Joseph approached and greeted us. His wife said he waits in the car because he's not feeling well. Joseph then shared that he has lung cancer and is going through chemotherapy. We talked a bit about what's growing in the garden and what I brought today. At the close of our short conversation I tried to be encouraging and let him know we'd be praying for him.
As I got in the car, the kids said they remembered him from last year. I let them know he has lung cancer.
Driving home I starting thinking about the little things in life that we each can do. It really doesn't take much more effort to plant the seed packet instead of a couple of seeds. The cost is the same. The time weeding is about the same, but the blessings spread from this little effort are great. We are blessed to see Joseph and his wife and their smiling faces. We are blessed by seeing the gals work so hard giving their time at the food bank. And we are blessed to see the others wave at us while we drive away. It's good to know they're getting some fresh, healthy vegetables. It's all worth it and then some.
And when we least expect it, God shows us we now have a new person to add to our prayer board and lift up...Joseph.

This Little Pig Went to Market

The kids and I recently went to a local park that is also the home to many farm animals. The kids love to look at the animals and sometimes they even have "baby" animals which are especially precious to look at.

I took photos of the piggies, because they are irresistable! So cute!

While looking at these photos I was reminded of a childhood treat. In our family pickled pig's feet were a favorite. We didn't get them very often, but we would often receive a jar of them in our Christmas stockings (Just typing that makes it seem like such a strange thing!!- but we are a different type of folk). My brothers and I would fight over who got more, etc.

Then one year I went to a local fair and there was a mama pig there with her pee wee piggies surrounding her. I looked at those little cuties and that was it! I couldn't eat another pig's foot again. I even tried, but couldn't do it.

My family is shocked by my departure from pig's feet world, but they just don't sound good anymore.

I still eat pork and just about every other type of meat and we still eat "different" food, but no more piggie toes for me.

Growing Garden

This is a photo of my garden at the beginning of July. I need to get out and take another photo to show the new growth. The sunny weather has really been beneficial!

Last night we enjoyed a huge salad with fresh mixed lettuce greens.

The beets are now ready too, so I've got some canning to do. I love pickled beets! There is a recipe in a canning book, Small Batch Preserving, that makes the best beets. Throughout the year I pull a jar down and usually make a beet salad. The salad consists of beets, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and kosher salt. We love it!

I probably won't do too much canning this year with our upcoming move next spring. Although, I couldn't resist putting up some strawberry/rhubarb jam, but that will be gone quickly.

Raspberries

The raspberries are coming on and they are AWESOME! It's wonderful to be working out in the garden and then take a break for a fresh, non-sprayed, raspberry snack.

We have three different varieties. We have raspberries that are a deep red color and they are a medium size. We have golden raspberries that are small, but oh so flavorful. The kids love the goldens. They aren't as plentiful so we treat them like a delicacy. And we have LARGE, pinkish-red raspberries. I love these ones. They are plump and so tasty!

The other day the kids went out on a mission to pick and came back with over seven pounds of berries. Way to go!! I put most of them in the freezer for future consumption.

If this year is like years past we should be picking berries until late September. They just keep producing!

Coming Home from China, Off to China

I was just reading the Blogs from two separate friends. One friend is flying home from China with her husband, youngest biological son, and newly adopted Chinese son. This is their second Chinese adoption and makes for 5 kids in their family. It was so amazing to read how God pulled all of the details together and has rewarded them greatly for their obedience.

My other friend has just arrived in China with her 5 children (two of them adopted from China). They are beginning their new positions as "educators" in a Chinese school. They are also obedient to their call and waiting to see what God has in store for them.

There is so much excitement and I enjoy knowing amazing people who are reaching the orphans of the world and making a difference.

I was driving the kids to VBS (Vacation Bible School) this morning along the same road we travel just about daily. The road(s) have been under A LOT of construction and they have been consistently torn up, rerouted, and resurfaced. As we were nearing one of the stoplights I glanced over to the side of the road that had been torn up and was now a pile of dirt and there was a single BEAUTIFUL red poppy. It wasn't one of the red wildflower type poppies, but a beautiful multi-petaled fancy poppies. I alerted the kids to the flower and I just sat there gazing at it while we sat at the light.

I started thinking about that little beauty amidst the mess of construction and starting thinking about life. How many times do we only see and focus on the mess of heart-construction when God has us working on an area. We may miss the beauty that is there if our focus in only on the repairs.

That little poppy is going to be my reminder when I start to focus only on the construction/character building in my life. Rather than let myself get down and wonder when is this construction going to be done or what a mess it is and why do I have to go through it, I'm going to look for the little poppies in bloom and know that a good work has, is and will be done in my life.

To your poppies...

The Garden is Growing!

We had such a terrible spring- so cold and rainy that I didn't get my garden in at the regular time. I didn't want to write the garden off, but felt like I was so far behind I couldn't have the garden I wanted. I kept running into people from our church's food bank and they ask, "How's the garden?" I didn't want to admit, "It's not going or growing" and we wouldn't be able to bless the food bank this year, but I also didn't want to put a lot of extra pressure on myself.
Family is such a blessing!! A month or so ago my sweet husband rototilled the garden. He decided to plant some grass in a couple areas that used to be garden so it wouldn't be too overwhelming. The soil is so beautiful and the winter rye we planted last fall added a lot of nutrients to the soil.

Also, my mom came up and helped me clean up and plant MANY seeds! Poor mom kept asking, "Are we done yet?" I kept showing her more seed packets I had bought. So we hustled and much to her dismay and aching muscles we got the garden in. We planted bush peas, bush beans, beets- choggia, red, lettuce- romaine, mesclun mix, paris mix, butterhead, arugula, and more, cucumbers- pickling, muncher, and more, butternut squash, sweet meat squash, carrots- Thumbalina, Rainbow, tomatillos, spinach, tomatoes, delicata squash, hubbard squash, pumpkins- Dill's Great Atlantic, Cinderella, Howden, Acorn squash, onions- walla walla, slicing, cabbage, and I'm sure there's more out there that I'm forgetting. Two things we didn't plant are potatoes and corn. Corn takes up a lot of space and since he made some of the garden grass, I didn't do the corn. We still may do pototoes...we'll see.

So tonight from the garden we enjoyed a spinach salad with strawberries. The strawberries, although very late are DELICIOUS!! We added a little feta, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, onion and a balsamic vinegrette and... Oh so good!

A DAY AT THE LAKE

The boys went to Day Camp last week so baby girl and I had a lot of time on our own. I really wanted to make sure she had some great times too so she wouldn't feel like the boys got to do all the fun stuff. We went to the local lake three times. She loves to play in the sand and build castles. I'd love to too if I could sit down comfortably amongst all the goose poop! Gross!! And despite the freezing water I did get in up to my knees a couple of times. I seem to remember the water being warmer in the past.

We also frequented the local donut shop for donuts and ice cream and of course did the girls day out at the mall. It's fun to wander around and look. The boys don't care much for shopping, but our girlie sure likes it! She shouts out words like, "Darling, SO CUTE!, Uh, Wow, etc." I think she's a born shopper!

Even though we had fun, she's really looking forward to her days as a camper. Mom just isn't as fun as a bunch of young energetic camp counselors. So sad!

New Look!

I was looking at a friends blog and decided to change up our blog a bit. I hope you like.

It would be my ultimate goal to post everyday like one would write in a journal. I know the information may not be all that exciting, but I'm hoping to keep many of these pages for our kids so they can look back and see what we were up to when they were young. Even though I hope to REMEMBER everything, I can barely remember what we had for dinner tonight.

Wish me luck! Again!

Piano Recital

Piano Recitals. What can one say about piano recitals. I LOVE hearing my precious playing. I love watching them walk on the stage, sit down and play their piece whether it be "Old MacDonald," "Star Wars," or the theme from Hercules. It is all music to my ears. I love being the proud parent holding the video camera and just beaming, "Yes, that's my little pumpkin up there." So wonderful!!
Last night the boys had a piano recital. Our middle son just started playing about 2 months ago, so I was a bit nervous for him to go on the stage thinking he might be nervous. He was the first one to go since he was the youngest (6) and the newest to lessons. He did a magnificent job! Can I say "magnificent" for a 6 year old with 2 months of lessons under his belt? Well, I thought he was magnificent. He walked up to the stage took a seat, played his 2 pieces and walked back down. He meant business. Serious business!
Our oldest played 3 songs. He's come a long way adding chords to his music, and has recently started making up his own songs. It's exciting to see him getting more and more comfortable at the piano and actually experimenting. He did a Stupendous job at the recital! (Gotta like those adjectives).
And our precious little princess...well she's not quite recital audience material. She kept getting up, going from the front row, back to our row, checking on the program, etc. It really is hard to sit through 1 1/2 hours of piano when you're barely 5. Luckily there were cookies afterward as a reward for the patient. She loaded her napkin with 3 cookies and marched out of the auditiorium. It was a good night!

Planning for the Future

Our oldest son, all of 10 years old, had his first meeting with a financial advisor today. WOW! I shared with our little man that I didn't even know what a mutual fund was until I was about 18.
He's had quite an interest in saving, investing, earning and the like for years now.
Last summer we read, Larry Burkett's Money Matters for Kids. He was crazy about this book. We discussed his skills, he worked on a resume. We talked about time management and when he could work on jobs. We examined what to do with the money he made and set up goals for tithing, saving and spending. We've researched and tracked stocks.
And today he took the leap and had a 2 hour meeting with a financial advisor. He learned about Money Market accounts, Mutual Funds, the law of 72, and much, much more. It was so exciting to watch his wheels turning as he was taking in the information. He's very excited about his future and leaping into diversifying investments. This was an important day in the life of our own Warren Buffet.

Wrapping Up the School Year

It's been a busy time around our household lately! So many of the year's activities are coming to a close.

Dear Husband coached both boys soccer teams this spring. Needless to say many of our Saturday's were spent on the soccer field. It was a strange spring with snowed-out games and frigid temperatures. Too bad Global Warming hasn't hit our neck of the woods. Our number 2 son was proud to have played a game in the snow-that's a claim even his dad hasn't had a chance to experience. So we're almost done with soccer. Regular season is over and now we're only looking at a tournament.

Our home school co-op is now on break for the summer too. We celebrated our end of the year event/graduation last Friday. I taught all three quarters this year. It was really fun! I finished the year teaching a cooking class to younger kids. They did a great job!

Our youngest was able to join co-op for the last quarter. She took a science class and came to a few of my cooking classes. The boys finished up with the following classes...Legos, Germlish (German), and Fitness. We love our co-op family!

Tonight was the official end of AWANA. We had a leadership appreciation dinner. Last week the kids participated in an AWANA Grand Prix. We made a Wii Controller shaped car. It did well the first round, but didn't do so well the second round. It must have been a graphite thing-couldn't have been the sleek car.

Also today, we had the end of the year Preschool Picnic. I can't believe our baby is going to be a real life school girl. Hello Reading, Writing and Arithmetic!

So our calendar is freeing up a bit for a couple of days... but don't blink, it'll be filled soon enough.

The Eagle Has Landed

The other day we came home to a message from a neighbor... The message was, "Hi! We were driving by your house and noticed an eagle sitting on top of your roof! Just wanted you to know and thought you would want to take a look if you're home."
Well, we weren't home and were sad to have missed it.
Then a few days later we were driving home and there were 2 HUGE eagles circling our house. They looked so magnificent and glorious. I thought about the verses that mentioned eagles and claimed the truths,
"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." Is 40:31
AND
Psalm 103:1-5
"Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satifies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
This week we're continuing our study on the Names of God. We're on Yahweh Rophe- The God who Heals. How perfect how He pulls all of this together by showing us the Eagle and the verses about healing in the time that we've moved into learning about God our Healer. AMAZING! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I don't believe in coincidences, so I stand and marvel.