I Resolve...

I never do New Years resolutions.  They always seem like promises that were meant to be broken before they even hit the page!  This year, however, I may make a slight exception to this rule in my life.  I think that taking an inventory of the areas that I need to improve seems like a rather productive occupation and so I will open myself up and share these thoughts with you.
I hope for a better relationship with God, first and foremost.  I hope to let down at least some of the walls that have been erected over the past few years because of deep hurts in my life.  I hope to experience "the joy of my salvation" more fully every day of this coming year.
Secondly, I hope to prepare my children better spiritually.  To be an example to them and to be proactive in teaching them and encouraging them to learn about God and establish and maintain their own committed friendship with God outside of the family relationship.
I hope I become more disciplined.  Not rigid, but effective.  I know that being consistent can only help my family and myself in every aspect of life.

marveling in a summer sunset

I hope to be more fun.  I hope to play more board games with my kids and take them swimming and for picnics and trips to the park.  I hope to be an enthusiastic member of my family whether we are running around or staying right here at home.
I hope to get healthy... and to view it that way!  Instead of being obsessed with my weight, I hope to change my thinking a little every day about choosing good food, exercise and more water... maybe less beer--maybe. :)
I hope to plan ahead and be smart with my money getting rid of bad debt.
I hope to look for moments that take my breath away and humble me... maybe even shed a tear or two.
I hope to catch up with all the doctor appointments, immunizations, orthodontist, dentist, eye doctor and dermatologist.  They miss me, I'm sure of it!
I hope that by the end of the year I can say that I improved... even if it's just a little.  I hope I can look back and say that I effected someone's life in a positive way and pointed someone toward the Cross.  Tell me your hopes for next year...

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Five: Dip Everything in Chocolate!

It's getting late in the game and, if you're like me, that's just how we roll.  Don't panic and don't give up.  Don't worry about anything labor intensive like sugar cookies that take three hours to chill or fudge that may or may not set up!  Bake up a box of brownies and cut them out with Christmas cookie cutters and then find what you can and dip it in chocolate!  Everything tastes better dipped in chocolate!  It's fast and easy, too.  I always use almond bark because it's fool proof and that's what I need!  Throw a small spoonful of shortening in with about six squares of almond bark and cook it for two minutes in the microwave.  (use a plastic bowl if you can.  ceramic bowls are PIPING HOT when you try to get them out of the microwave!)  Using a whisk to stir this is fastest and gets any leftover lumps out.  Here is a list of things that we would (and have) dip in chocolate and call it dessert!  Add some of your own ideas!

• Candy orange slices
• Oreo cookies
• Peanut butter crackers (two ritz crackers sandwiched together with peanut butter... these are amazing!!)
• Drizzled on popcorn
• Peanuts
• Pretzels
• Coffee Beans
• Fruit (I would dip these last minute because the juices from the fruit tend to react with the chocolate and things get watery)

Sprinkle any of these with colored sugar to make them sparkle.  Good luck!

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Four: Homemade Almond Roca

One of my mother-in-law's favorite Christmas treats was Almond Roca.  Whenever Christmas rolls around we are always sure to pick up a traditional pink can of the gold foil wrapped treats and think of our sweet memories of her.  This recipe is so authentic for me that it conjures up those same memories.  Truthfully, it always feels like she's in the room and sharing a moment with me.  If you click on the "mother-in-law" link above, you'll learn more about this amazing woman.
I found this recipe in "Miserly Meals" by Jonni McCoy.  (It's interesting to note that a third cup serving of this is only .32 cents!)  I've only made this recipe once so it's written here almost exactly as it is in the cookbook, but I have made a few adaptations for our own family's tastes.

Fuzzy... can't wait to get a new camera!

Homemade Almond Roca

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 oz (1/4 cup) slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add the brown sugar and stir bringing the mixture to a boil.  Heat to a hard crack stage (about 310 degrees) then remove from the heat and add the almonds.  Stir to mix and pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and spread it out evenly.  While the candy is still hot, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips over the candy.  The heat from the candy melts the chocolate and makes it easy to spread it over the candy with a knife.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pecans over the melted chocolate and let the candy cool completely.
You can leave it simply like this, or melt the rest of the chocolate in the microwave, turn the cooled candy over and spread the melted chocolate on the opposite side and sprinkle the rest of the pecans on top of that.
Whichever you choose to do, once it is completely cooled, break it up into smaller pieces.

Parenting Pearls

All of my life I have worked with kids.  From babysitting to preschool teacher to being the owner of a child care center.  Most of the time my clients would come to me for parenting advice.  The truth is, I know a lot... on paper!  Putting Parenting Pearls into practice, and into practice consistently, is far harder than giving the advice that's for sure!  As the mom of four kids that have personalities that run the gamut, I've picked up a few things here and there... some on my own, but a lot from some amazing friends and family.  Hope one or two inspire you and I hope you add some of your own!

Mitch building a snowman before school

• You are responsible for your own behavior regardless of anyone else.  Just because your sister is being a snotty pants doesn't make it ok for you to be snotty pants, too.
• My friend Stacie is a mother of six and she says that it is her job to work her way out of a job.  I love that!  It is my job to train my children to eventually not need me to do it all for them anymore.
• Kids will reach as high as you set the bar.  If you don't expect much, you won't get much.
• I'm convinced that every child needs a schedule.  It's that consistency thing.  Every single one of them, regardless of personality does better on a schedule and the more difficult they are, the more they need the schedule.
• I read in a book once that getting up after the children is a form of suicide.  A bit bold but the point is well taken!  My sister gets up early every morning so she can have that time all to herself before her family needs to be up and getting ready for the day.  It's a time for her to read the paper and drink coffee in utter silence!  What bliss!
• I hate folding laundry.  Now that we live in a teeny tiny house, leaving piles of clean laundry isn't an option.  That's a good thing, I know, but I still hate to fold laundry.  Worse than that, I hate putting it away.  Well, I've solved part of that problem and, at the suggestion of a great friend, I'm on the verge of solving the rest of it!  I've decided it's time that my big boys learn to fold their own laundry.  I'm going to get a small laundry basket for each child and put their unfolded laundry in it.  I'll teach my boys how to fold the laundry and then they can take their basket upstairs and put the clothes in the drawers.  My friend Stacie pointed out that since their drawers get ransacked daily, why are we putting in all the effort to fold the clothes just to have them unfolded again??  Indeed!  With this new way of doing things, my boys will learn to fold their own laundry and maybe they'll not ransack their drawers anymore... and if they do, well, then they've wasted their time and not mine.
• School is about learning... not how fast we can get things done and not how much we can get done.  When we start checking things off our list or we're doing things just to get it over with then we know we're not doing it for the right reason.  If we focus on the learning, school becomes more fun and relaxed and we actually LEARN! ... and we realize we have time for family, friends and the fun stuff in life! 
• Families are a team.  My kids can tell you this.  They don't always emulate it, but they know the words!  Everyone pitches in to do their part and some days they pitch in to do someone else's part as well.  For this reason, we don't do allowances for chores in our home.  The work we do at home we do for our family and for ourselves.  It is our gift and our responsibility to care for our home, our things and other family members because that's what families do, not because we're getting paid to do so. 
• I have been so tired of hearing my kids bicker!  Mostly it's the 17yr old and the 9yr old!  When they get going, it makes life a near living hell in this house!  I read on another blog about a mom who makes her kids sit on the floor, hold hands and sing kum ba yah when they choose to bicker with one another so I thought I'd give it a try.  The first time I sat them down they thought it was really strange.  I sang with them like everyone was enjoying a moment with God.  Then, before they got up, I let them know that every time I hear them bicker with one another they would have to do this... and, God forbid we were in a store or other public place when they decided to be nasty with each other!  They got the picture.  Mitch immediately said, "Janie, let's only bicker upstairs where Mom can't hear us!"  Glory be and Hallelujah!  Fine by me!  They have only had to sing kum ba yah one more time since!  They've decided that bickering just isn't worth it.  Best parenting advice I've gleaned in a great deal of time!!
• Say yes more than no and when you feel the urge to say no, ask yourself why.  I tend to say no a lot.  All day long I'm bombarded with questions... "Can we go to the park?" "Do you want to play a board game?" "Can I be done now?"... and the list goes on ...  My immediate answer is either no or we'll see--which is just my way of not committing.  My kids deserve an answer and one that is thought out rather than spewed in a reactionary way.
• When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.  I know that I need to take time for myself.  To every now and then take a walk or go out to dinner with my husband, sans kids.  I know that naps are an important weekend event for me.  Taking these times makes me a happier mom who is more willing and able to share that joy with my family.

Speaking of weekend naps.... my husband is on vacation this week and it sounds like the baby is getting ready for his morning nap!  Mama's happy!

Holiday Crafts for Kids

It's that time of year when everyone is so busy and schedules are all messed up due to holiday events and company coming.  I love crafting with my kids or just handing them a pile of craft supplies and seeing what they make.  Almost nothing is off-limits to them to create with.  We have a stock of felt, construction paper, stamps and ink, scrapbooking paper and stickers, hot glue, glue sticks, glitter, beads, googlie eyes, popsicle sticks, magnets and sheets of foam... among other things... MANY other things!  There's always a mess to clean up afterward, it's true, but the kids have the best time just being able to create!
I thought I would put together a few holiday crafts that your kids could do easily without much mess.  Hope you have as much fun crafting with your kids as I do with mine.

Christmas Tree

Cut a Christmas tree out of green construction paper and let the kids stick foil star stickers on them.  I usually use a cookie cutter to cut the shape of the tree and give each child their own tree.  The foil star stickers are a little tough for younger kids to manipulate, but it's a great fine motor skill activity and there's nearly no mess.  Be creative.  Look in the office supplies as well as the craft section of your store for other stickers like dots that would make great looking Christmas balls.  Make different sized trees.  Tape them all to a string and hang them on the tree or over a window as garland.  Put a magnet on the back and put it on the fridge.  Tape them on the wall to create a forest of Christmas trees.  Take your garland to a nursing home and ask if you can place it on their tree while you visit with the residents there.  (when i had in-home daycare, we planned monthly visits to the nursing home.  we would do a craft there that the residents would help us with and have a snack.  one year, i read the christmas story and the children acted out the parts.  they simply love company!) You can use the free clip art from Carson-Dellosa to print a tree on construction paper if you'd rather.  (this website has lots!  you can save the pics to your computer and use them as coloring pages, too!)  This is a great, low mess, fast craft.

Cinnamon Bear Ornaments

Have the kids help you mix 1/2 cup of cinnamon, 1/3 cup of applesauce and 1 tablespoon of glue together in a bowl.  Dust a cutting board with cinnamon and roll the dough out.  It should be about the consistency of cookie dough.  Have the kids cut out Christmas shapes using cookie cutters.  Use a straw to make a whole in the top so it will be easy to string.  Place the shapes on a cooling rack that you've placed in a large cookie sheet.  Put the ornaments in the oven with a temperature of 200 degrees.  You can also let these air dry but it will take longer.  After they're dry, the kids can decorate them or they can go straight on the tree after you've put a string of ribbon through the hole.

Snowmen

There are so many ways to make a cute snowman!  One of my favorites is with paint.  Don't cringe!  It can still be a clean and easy craft.  Here's what you'll need:

1 sheet of blue construction paper per child
white, orange and black paint
a top hat cut out of black construction paper or felt (don't worry about being fancy if you don't want to... the kids don't care nearly as much as we do about that kind of thing)
2 or 3 sponges cut into circles, one a litter smaller than the other
a pencil with a full eraser
a paint brush

Pour a large amount of the white paint onto a paper plate.  Pour a small amount of the black and the orange paint onto another paper plate.  Dip the largest circle sponge in the white paint (you don't need a lot of paint to do this) and direct the child to stamp it near the bottom of the page... it's their project, so don't direct too much.  Repeat this with the other sponges having the child stack the circles to make a snowman.  Dip the head of the pencil eraser into the black paint and have the kids stamp eyes, mouth and buttons on their snowman.  Using the paint brush, you can paint a skinny triangle for the nose or older children can do it themselves.  Have the children glue the hat onto the snowman's head.
You can also draw a snowman on a piece of construction paper and allow the children to glue cotton balls or marshmallows on the snowman.  Eyes, nose and mouth can be made with construction paper, buttons, popcorn, cheerios or just about anything you can think of.  Use pipe cleaners for arms or popsicle sticks as seen here.

One more tip to give is if you have lots of kids to craft with, put a Christmas movie on and hand out popcorn.  While they're watching the show, invite one child at a time to the table to complete the craft.  That gives you great one-on-one time with your kids and makes the craft time nearly stress-free.
Make memories with  your kids.  It's this stuff, not a gift that is "bigger and better", that creates the memories that last a lifetime.

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Three: Coconut Balls

One year at Christmastime we were visiting at Joseph's mom's house and his cousin, Shelly, lived across the street.  We went over there to visit and she had THE BEST treats!!  I never did get the recipe for Coconut Balls from her but she said she got it from her grandmother's cookbook.  I love that.  I love anything that has been passed down from generation to generation.  It always makes me wonder about the people who used the recipes, who ate the food.  What was their life like?  Were they happy or was sorrow touching their life?  It's for this same reason that I love antiques.  I want to ask each piece, where have you been and what have you seen?  So this recipe to me, although I made it up myself, has deep roots in the past which is always comforting to me when I make them.

Coconut Balls

1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 14 ounce package of shredded coconut (5 1/3 cups)

Combine the two ingredients in a bowl (you can add a little almond extract to this if you like it).  Carefully form the mixture into balls.  This is really messy but would probably be made easier with a melon baller.  Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment paper and put them in the freezer for one hour.  Melt almond bark as you do for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls.  I always add about a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to this and melt it with the almond bark.
Bring the coconut balls out of the freezer and dip them in the melted chocolate.  Put them back on the cookie sheet because they'll probably need a little help setting up because of the addition of the chocolate chips.  I sprinkle some melted white almond bark on top to distinguish them from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls.  Depending on the size of the treats, this recipe will make from 2-3 dozen.

Our Advent Calender

When my niece was little, I purchased an Advent calendar for her.  It was the kind with little pockets and she would move a little felt mouse from pocket to pocket every day counting down til Christmas.  The little pockets had treats in them... one treat for every day.  This is what an advent calendar was to me.  We have never done an advent calendar in our family.  I thought the idea sounded like fun and was eye-ing an advent calendar at the store and thinking I might purchase one for my kids.  In the end, I opted not to.  You see, one day we were riding in the car and the children were talking about what they would like to get for Christmas.  All of a sudden, I realized that I hadn't once heard them say that they were anxious to GIVE anything.  Now, my children really are not ungrateful and they were just being normal kids at Christmas time, I think, but I wanted something more for them.  I wanted them to see Christ in this time of year.  I wanted them to understand the sacrifice He made in coming to earth to serve and to save.
With that in mind and a little inspiration from the friend of a friend, I put together our family's first Advent calendar.  I didn't fill every day with activity but the goal was to put my children in a different frame of mind... to give them a different focus for this holiday season.
I thought I'd list what we are doing in the hope of inspiring your own holiday season.

• Make and send Christmas cards to our Compassion International sponsor children
• We chose to donate cash and a gift basket to our local Shelter from the Storm by offering to work for friends to earn a donation.  We chose Shelter from the Storm to honor the kids' godmother whom they lost to domestic violence.  We composed a letter and emailed it to our local friends asking for their consideration.
• The Angel Tree.  JCPenney and the Salvation Army have teamed up with an online Angel Tree.  The kids chose the gender and age of the child they wanted to purchase for and JCPenney offered many items at a drastically reduced price.  Both of my kids independently felt that they would best serve their "angel" buy buying her pajamas (yup, they both chose girls!).  I thought that was sweet.
• Serving you.  The kids have one day per week that they serve someone else in the family.  Serve Mom day is coming up on Saturday and I really can't wait! :)
• We are preparing to gift a soldier (my cousin Artie) for the holiday reminding my kids that there are people out there fighting to protect their way of life and the right to celebrate.
• Since we have an abundance of books and videos at our house, we will be going through our surplus and donating some of those items to the library.
• My husband works for Union Pacific and it is our plan to descend on their morning meeting with holiday baskets of homemade gifts and treats for them.  These men are so important to us and we love them like family.  We'll also be handing out invitations to a casual Christmas party/open house.  These plans are still a little sketchy to me as I would love for the party to be filled with ways they can serve our guests and gift them as well... any ideas that you have will be great!
• We love to spend our tithe money in creative ways and one of our favorites is to shop Samaritan's Purse online Christmas catalog.  You can purchase blankets, chicks, Bibles, goats... almost anything you can think of that helps families in poor countries learn to be self supportive and ministers to these people body, mind and soul.
• I love this idea:  The kids are going to write a thank-you note to a person who has made a difference in their life.  I can just imagine the look on a person's face who receives that as a Christmas gift this year... the knowledge that they affected someone's life in a positive way for a lifetime.  What better gift is there??
• We plan to offer free babysitting to one (or more) of our friends so they can go Christmas shopping.
• We will go through the kids' toys and donate our many "extras" to the office where foster children have family visits.
• We plan to go to the "Living Nativity" for the first time.  I'm told it's amazing and what a tangible way to teach the Christmas Story!
• We also plan on reading the Christmas Story from the Bible and watching the movie "The Nativity" as well as baking a birthday cake for Jesus.

I'm so excited to see what my kids have learned by the end of this month.  I'm hoping to see a humbleness that is currently lacking and maybe the beginnings of an eye toward serving others.  The real challenge, tho, is to make this an on-going project.  Although it's a great lesson to learn during the holidays, I want the kids to continue this attitude of service throughout the year.  I hope that I can lead by example as well as direct their paths. 

A Lesson To Learn... A Page From My Journal

Tuesday, November 15, 2010

and aren't they worth it?

"I'm sitting here in the quiet of the morning, waiting for the full force of the impending storm to hit.  Planning my day, examining my life.  I read in Isaiah 48 the other day.  The chapter is titled 'God's Stubborn People'.  When I read that, I knew it was about me.  The line that caught my eye was v.2, '...you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel...'  Do I call myself a Christian and merely talk about depending on God?  Who am I fooling?  Only myself.  I'm short-changing my life and my relationship with God.... the most important and dependable relationship I have!  You know how they say you always treat the people closest to you poorly because you know they'll always be there?  Is that why I treat God in such a 'fair-weather friend' kind of way?  Shouldn't I treat Him and the others around me--those that are closest to me with the greatest love and respect?"

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe Two: Gingerbread Bears

One year in a Christmas basket from my sister and her family, there were a couple of gingerbread men tucked in among the other treats.  I've got to tell you, it was love at first bite!  I had to have the recipe!  I love things that make a memory or remind me of someone and this always reminds me of her. 
A cup of coffee and a gingerbread bear (i don't have any "man" cookie cutters that i really like so i use a bear) can double as a holiday breakfast at my house and has many times!  I suppose I shouldn't recommend that but, what a treat!

"gingy"

Gingerbread Bears


3 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice/cloves

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg

Mix the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl, mix the butter, molasses and egg.  Blend the dry ingredients with the wet to form a stiff ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch.  (don't roll it too thin... fat bears are softer and yummier)  Cut out cookies and place them on the cookie sheet (i always bake with parchment paper now but i've never greased the pan either way).  Bake each batch for 10 minutes (i think that all cookies should be baked for only 10 minutes because then they are softer).
You can decorate your bears after they've cooled, but I never do.  It would be a fun thing to do with your kids, tho.

Try them for breakfast with your coffee... I promise, I'll never tell!

Just Had To Share...

I'm so glad that my kids love the "old" cartoons!  The other day when I was walking past the table, I found this piece of paper with Mitchell's handwriting and started to laugh!  Yep, that's about how it usually goes!

Our Christmas Treats: Recipe One: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls

This week I'm going to start a series of posts with recipes for some of our favorite Christmas Treats and the stories behind them.  In that way, I hope that we can share a little of our home with you during the holiday season.

Today's treat is...

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter balls are one of the foods that my best friend always said she could never live without and so it was always among any gifts she received from me each year!  Peanut butter was her biggest food love in life and I never make them without thinking of her.  What a treasure to find her in even the little everyday things!  Read about my girl in other posts I've published.  She was an amazing friend and I'm blessed to have known her even in the smallest way.

1c. peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2c. crisp rice cereal
1c. powdered sugar
1pkg (14 ounces) chocolate candy coating (almond bark)
2T vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and butter and sugar.  Add the cereal, mixing until evenly combined.  Form into balls and set on waxed paper.
Melt the almond bark and shortening together for about 2 minutes in the microwave (or with a double boiler on the stovetop).  Dip each peanut butter ball into the chocolate mixture and return it to the waxed paper to cool and set up.

Giving Thanks

Today, Lord, I'm thankful for family.  I'm thankful for a husband who endures the good, bad and ugly of his job because it pays our bills and allows me to stay at home with our kids and teach them.  I'm thankful for the honor You bestow in trusting me to raise Your children.  I'm thankful for a beautiful daughter who is growing into a strong woman and for three wonderful sons who are learning so much from their Dad about how to be a man.

I thank You, God, for parents who are always there to encourage me thru life.  I thank You for any and every opportunity You give me to serve them in return.  I thank You for brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and dozens of cousins who all, in their own way, have taught me and helped to shape my world, my heart and my compassion.  I thank You for Grandparents that I achingly miss every single day because they made such a massive impact in my life.
Thank You, God, for family traditions.  For things I will never forget because they are etched in my mind as lighthearted days full of laughter and peace.
I thank You for a warm house, employment, and plenty of food.  I thank You for friends, both here and gone.  They are so clearly Your gift to me.  Please don't ever let me take that for granted.
Most of all God, I thank You for the gift of being able to talk to You.  Thank You for showing me why I believe and that my prayers count.

I hope and I pray that I never forget who and what I am thankful for.  I want to make memories for my family that will last a lifetime and continue on for generations.  I want to be the parent that my parents have been and the grandparent that my grandparents were.  I want to leave a mark in this world that points others to the Cross because EVERYONE will see one day that, THAT is the only thing that will EVER matter.

The Best Pancakes... or so they say....

I love pre-made mixes... anything that I don't have to think a lot about makes me happy!  In an effort to save money and to prepare food with fewer impossible-to-pronounce ingredients, I found a great all-purpose recipe that I can use to make pancakes, shortbread, biscuits, muffins and even cake!  It takes just a few minutes to throw all of the ingredients into my kitchen aid and blend together and I've got enough mix to last our family about two weeks.  I can't double the recipe in my mixer because it isn't big enough so I've decided to start doing two batches at a time.
Master Mix

9 cups flour (use whatever flour you want to.  sometimes i put in 1 cup of whole wheat, 1 cup of oat flour and 7 cups of unbleached white... my family doesn't really like the texture of whole wheat)
3t. baking powder
3t. salt
1t. baking soda
1/2 c. dry milk (i've been told that dry milk isn't very good for you and my original recipe called for 1cup.  i continue to use the dry milk because the ratio is so low)

Put all the ingredients in a mixer with the whisk attachment or whisk by hand until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

farm fresh eggs are the BEST!

Basically, you've just made a homemade Bisquick.  Store it in an air-tight container.  When I make pancakes/waffles with this, I add milk, egg, butter/oil and vanilla.  My husband says that they're the best pancakes he's ever had!

We also make our own syrup because, oddly enough, we really don't like real maple syrup.  Must be because we grew up with the cheap kind you buy in the store, but I found a quick and easy recipe using ingredients you probably have in abundance in your house anyway...

Basic Pancake Syrup

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. corn syrup (we all know corn syrup is evil, so i'm going to try agave syrup instead when i get the chance)
1 c. water
1 t. maple flavoring

Boil together for 3 minutes until the sugars are dissolved and store in the refrigerator.

The Master Mix recipe is adapted from a cookbook called "Prairie Kitchen Sampler" by E. Mae Fritz and the syrup recipe came from RecipeZaar.

Doesn't this sound like a fabulous combination on a brisk and snowy morning?  Add in my friend Jackie's homemade hot cocoa and this meal paints a rather cozy picture.  Really low temps and flying snow in our forecast... I'd better make sure I have plenty of everything ready!

Way To Go!!

At a recent MOPS meeting our group made plates... you know, the kind where you design what you want on a piece of paper and then send it off to a company who will then put your design on a plastic plate.  Anyway, I chose to make mine a "Way to Go!" plate.  Every day someone is "awarded" the way to go plate at dinner time.  The first night Daddy was served dinner on the Way To Go plate... for working so hard for us and having to work out in the cold... then Janie got it for going the extra mile when teaching Spanish to Mitch... Mitch was next for wanting to be a team player when the motorhome cover got blown off in the wind and for saying that he really learned a lot in homeschool (ah, don't we love to hear THAT!)... Max will get it tonight for being a good patient at the eye doctor.  I was even given the Way To Go plate with breakfast in bed for always being the one to get up with the baby and let my husband sleep!  Every one of us, without exception, felt really special when it was our turn to use the plate.  It's been great because it has really helped me keep on the lookout for good behavior and it affirms the good in my kids and shows everyone that what they do is appreciated.  We make a big announcement about it at the dinner table so that everyone knows what special thing the plate user did.  Any plate will do.  Try it and watch the face of the person you give it to.  You'll be amazed!

Circus Peanuts in the Freezer

Four years ago we spent our first holiday season without my mother-in-law, Donna.  She was a fantastic grandmother and the best mother-in-law a girl could dream for!  She died from emphysema.  The cruel joke of her generation... that smoking is good for you... promoted as a "healthy" habit for someone prone to anxiety and stress as Donna was.  Whenever my children see someone smoking or even hear the word "cigarette" they think of their grandma and how she died.
Donna was an amazing woman who was very artistic.  She drew, painted, sewed, crocheted, and crafted all kinds of things.  She loved involving her grandkids in anything she was doing and her house was set up so that the kids could rule when they were visiting.  She had games and paints, crayons and lots of extra paper.  She'd purchase craft kits and do them with the kids and then there was her garden.  She'd let the kids water and dig.  Her favorite word with her grankids was "yes!".  They all remember cinnamon toast cut into triangles... standard fare at grandma's house... and to this day cinnamon toast just wouldn't be the same if it isn't cut just so.
Every Halloween she kept the trick-or-treat candy in the freezer with the theory being that if it's frozen it will take longer to eat and perhaps it will last longer!  One of her favorites was Circus Peanuts, which we currently have in our freezer... reminding me whenever I open it about how much I miss her.
She was equally as good to us... her kids.  There was never any such things as "adopted", "step child", or "in-law" with her.  She treated everyone as if they had always belonged to her.  I miss being able to call her up to tell her something funny that the kids did or said and hearing her laugh on the other end of the line.
Two months before she died and one month before I knew she was ill (yep, somehow she managed to keep it from us) I wrote an entry in my journal titled, "Ten things I appreciate about you".  I made a list out for each of my parents and my husband's parents.  It was my intention to print it out and frame it and give it to her for Christmas that year.  She would've loved it but she probably would've kept it in her room as she was never one to want to bring attention to herself.  Maybe this will give you a better idea of who this remarkable woman was...

donna

What I Appreciate About You...

Donna

1. Positive attitude

2. Devotion to her grandchildren

3. Her artistic talent

4. Her ability to forgive

5. The thoughtfulness she puts into every gift

6. The joy she receives from her sons

7. Her giving nature

8. The hard knocks she took in life are lessons for me to help direct and protect my kids

9. Her sharp mind

10. Her ability to see right through me and love me anyway

A Page from my Journal...

Especially when we lived out in Cove, I loved writing an account of our day as a family.  We tended to have days that were very "country" and it always seems that those days were full of peace, family strength and were some of the the most "honest" days of our existence.
Journaling is my way of immortalizing for generations the day to day life that makes up the fabric of who we are.  My hope is that my family will love reading about the "mundane" events in our lives as well as the exciting ones.
"Monday, June 9, 2008
The day is ending in a glorious sunset.  What a strange weather day with clouds, sun, wind and rain...

the orchard

We woke early to start another day... another week.  I prepared Joseph's lunch as he prepared the coffee.  Mom and Dad were going home today.  I made sausage and an egg for Joe and french toast for the rest of us.  We shared the meal with Mom and Dad before they drove off around 730 headed home to the beach, the rest of us quickly slipping into our routine.
Max and I went for our walk while Janie and Mitch got ready for the day and worked on their chores.  We walked by the snow-fed stream that rushes under the road--my favorite part--and eyed the pink cherries that are developing in the orchard across the street.
While Max napped, I braved a load of laundry on the line in spite of the somewhat ominous looking clouds.
Janie and Mitch sat down with me for a snack and our first lesson on Native American culture.  We're doing a unit study this summer.  Every day is a new craft or activity aimed at teaching some aspect of the Native American day-to-day history.  Today we learned about teepees.  We constructed a miniature Indian village and the kids recited to their dad everything they had learned.  (Did you know that the Indian women build and tear down the teepees and that they can disassemble and/or assemble in as little as 3 minutes!?)

new chickens in '08

We all went outside, and while Max ate his snack in his highchair on the deck, Janie, Mitch and I moved the clean straw from the garage to the new chicken coop.  I spread a bale of straw that had gotten wet onto the ground in the scratching yard but Joe wanted the chickens to eat the grass down first.  I guess that means tomorrow I'll be moving it again!
After lunch the boys laid down for a nap and Janie read while I took care of some family business and continued with the laundry.  Eventually the weather caught up with me and I had to move quickly to get the sheets in off the line before they became soaked.
I took some pictures this morning of the garden and some trees that seemed to have died.  I was finally able to send them off to our landlords who are in Malaysia right now.  We'll see what they want us to do with that tree.
Janie cut out the apron pattern she had pinned last week and she and Mitch both practiced the piano.
Joseph and I went down to the garden just before dinner and were surprised again at how quickly it had grown!
We finished the day listening to Joseph read.  I baked bread, rolls and brownies before bed and... I got to rock Max."

I do hope these days paint a memory picture for them some day that brings them joy.

The Oregon Trail...

Since my kids are so far apart in age (17, 9 and 3), we've found unit studies to be the best way to educate all of them at once.  At first I was a little wary of my 17yr old doing crafts or my 9yr old doing tedious time lines and research but it has all worked out so well!  Since the point of school is to LEARN, we'll take that knowledge any way we can get it and the funner, the better!

Just imagine seeing this from your covered wagon!!

Our first unit study of the year was on the Oregon Trail.  I bought the Oregon Trail video game and that became a favorite teacher of just how many "hiccups" you could run into on the trail!  The first thing I learned is to not use your own kids' names members of your party!  It's kinda disturbing when the computer tells you that your baby just died!  Yikes!
Along the way we made a playdough model of the trail so we could get somewhat of a physical sense of rivers, mountains and plains.  We also made hard tack, miniature covered wagons and took two field trips.  We were able to walk parts of the Oregon Trail and see the ruts as well as a grave for a wagon master!  Can you imagine losing your wagon master??  While walking a bit of the trail in the woods you really got a sense of how courageous the emigrants really were!  Out there in the woods could be all manner of animal ready to eat them for a snack and I think I would begin to doubt that anyone knew where they were going!  How quiet and eerie and yet beautiful!  What adventurous souls must've traversed such unforgiving and untamed land in search of something better for their families and as a consequence, created something better for us all!  It was a humbling and awe inspiring experience.

Live oxen at the Oregon Trail Museum in Baker City

We also read books depicting life on the Trail... we did anything to make it real.  Making it real is what allows for learning.
One field trip was to the Oregon Trail Museum and Interpretive Center in Baker City.  There were a lot of hands on displays for the kids and visual displays that were interactive as well.  We were fortunate enough to visit on the day that there were live oxen on display!  These oxen weighed more than 3,000lbs and were about 6ft tall at their back!  They were amazing to look at.  One has to have a good deal of respect for an animal of that size... and a back-up plan or two!!

max painting his covered wagon... and apparently his nose as well... and his hand... and arm...

making hardtack... or beating your brother with a rolling pin... whichever works!

Here are a few pictures of projects that we did.  If you've never done a unit study before, try the book, "Unit Studies Made Easy" by Valerie Bendt to gather ideas and inspiration.  Basically, we pick a subject and find books, art projects, field trips, movies, games, whatever... anything that will help the kids learn about that particular area of study.  We love it!  It really is great fun!

I Believe...

• I believe that I can do it all
• I believe that school is where my children share germs with others, are socially ridiculed and learn bad manners
• I believe that even though I can do it all, I should have help
• I believe I should spend time every day exercising
• I believe I should nap every day... naps are a gift from God
• I believe that everyone should have at least four children
• I believe that families should live near each other but everyone should live in the one place that their soul feels at rest
• I believe I should be joyful all the time
• I believe I am forgiven so others deserve my forgiveness as well
• I believe in baking cookies with my kids
• I believe in smiling even when the world is falling apart
• I believe medication is a necessary evil
• I believe laundry belongs in drawers not in piles on the couch... like mine often is
• I believe beds should be made every day and sheets should always be crisp, clean and lovely smelling
• I believe everyone should have one friend that they can call on who will always be there
• I believe that bathrooms should always be meticulously clean... even tho mine rarely is
• I believe in family dinners around the table
• I believe in getting up before the children so I can experience the peace of early morning
• I believe in bettering myself
• I believe children should be read to by their Daddy every evening
• I believe children should be bathed every night before crawling into their crisp, clean and lovely smelling sheets
• I believe Daddy should pray with all of his children before bed every night
• I believe my house should be clean but not at the sacrifice of my children, family fun time, normal family living or my sanity
• I believe that parents set the tone for the holidays... either we're stressed or excited
• I believe traditions are an amazing gift that we give to our children
• I believe that parents should leave their children a family home that is filled with amazing memories... not expensive "stuff"
• I believe grandchildren are going to be amazing
• I believe in dates with my husband
• I believe that people connect over a strong cup of coffee
• I KNOW that life is short
• I KNOW that God loves me and cares about the success and happiness of my family and me
• I believe that as long as I exercise a little every day, eat healthy and drink plenty of water, it doesn't matter what size my jeans are
• I believe in taking care of myself, body, mind and spirit so that I can live a fulfilled life
• I believe in learning something new every day
• I believe aprons are pretty as well as functional
• I believe in seeing the beauty around me... and trying to capture it with my camera to share with others
• I believe that one can never have enough beer, chocolate, tortilla chips and kitchen towels
• I believe my children are the personification of what is the best of me and the worst of me
• I believe everyone should have fluffy pajamas and new socks
• I believe in adopting others into my family
• I believe my husband has potential :-D
• I believe that I should not be afraid of people
• I believe that mamas should craft with their children at least once a week
• I believe that homeschooling is an amazing way to build a family
• I believe the most important thing you can teach your children is to have a heart full of service and compassion for others
• I believe the length of my hair and how distressed my jeans are is a representative of my personality, not my age
• I believe the man should arrange for, ask for an dpay for the date
• I believe that wearing granny panties, makes you granny panties
• I believe I am a work in progress until the day I die
• I KNOW I want it all
• I believe that parents are and always will be the greatest influence on their children
• I believe that people need someone to listen to them more than they need someone to listen to
• I believe God has great plans for me... not mediocre ones

Life Update

Everything has happened so fast I figure I should start with an update...We purchased a home in town in May of this year.  It's a small farmhouse style home with three bedrooms and only a single bathroom!  We moved in shortly after June 1st after we refinished the floors and painted and did other small repairs.  The house is within walking distance to the library, the park, the store and the ice cream shop!  The back yard is large and fenced which is a relief to me.  It's such a cozy little spot and I truly love it.  This is a picture of our dining room.  We do most of our homeschooling in this room.  It's comfortable and feels very homey to me.
In July I surprised everyone (again) by going into labor on my own and having my baby quickly... something I have never done!  i was only in labor for a total of seven hours and was only in the hospital for about 4 1/2 before our baby bo arrived!

Joseph Boaz

Joseph Boaz was born six days early on July 16th shortly after 9am.  He was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 21 inches long.  He did great from the start and is continuing to grow in leaps and bounds.  At two months he had already gained about five and a half pounds and grown four inches!  He's happy and smiley and he fits in really well with the rest of the rowdies that live here!
I am homeschooling all of the children full time this year and, I have to say, for my family this is the only way to go!  Mine and Mitchell's relationship has really grown and God provided us with a schedule that has been beneficial to us all.  We are really involved with other families doing co-ops and we're involved with the local homeschool group, too.  Janie sees a friend once a week to learn Spanish and my friend Jackie teaches her Geology while I do a craft and playdate with her kids.  Tomorrow my friend Jenni starts a cooking class that my kids will attend.  There are once a week field trips with the homeschool group and we're trying to wrap up our second unit study of the year!
The trial for my friend Lisa's murder will be held this month... 14 months after her death.  Jury selection starts next week and trial is scheduled for November 15-19th.  We'll see if it happens in that time frame.  It would be good to put this part of the trauma behind us so I'm praying that everything will happen swiftly.

Happy Birthday!

So, today is our Lisa's birthday!  We called an impromptu holiday and everyone stayed home.  Lisa had a bicycle that she loved to ride and she loved to walk or run on the beach.  This morning the kids went for a bike ride then we came home to watch The Sound of Music... her all-time favorite show with a bowl full of popcorn.  Mitchell has been working all day to make some sort of sculpture out of play dough in her honor. :)  I baked an apple pie.  I admit that I don't know her favorite choice for dessert but I know she liked apple pie so that's what I've done.  It turned out great and we ate it for dinner!  She had a magnet on her fridge saying something about pie actually being fruit so it seemed appropriate for tonight! :)
It is a family tradition to have a "singing candle" for every birthday.  On her last birthday I gave her one of her own since her ex-husband seemed to have gotten the other one in the divorce!

It was a challenge to keep our chin up today but she loved her birthday so much that being sad today, of all days just wasn't an option.  We miss her so but are so grateful for the love that she gave to us while she was with us.  We have so many great memories of birthday's past that they have definitely sustained us today!  Making it special for her was the best part.  The line she put under her photo on Facebook is now widely used among her friends and reads like this: live, laugh, love, life is too short for anything less.
Make it a great day!

Living the Life... Again!

What a long journey I've been on these past few months!  To say they've been trying would be an understatement!  Life is for living, tho, and so here I am putting my effort forward on the things that matter most to me.
I am 19 weeks pregnant now and morning sickness is finally over!  Everyone says our baby is most certainly a girl with all of the nausea I've had this time around.  We are hoping so but will not find out for sure until the doctor schedules an ultrasound.  I'm guessing we still have a couple of weeks before we do that.
                  Joe, working hard :)

Joseph is working out of town now.  He leaves on Sunday and returns on Thursday to spend the weekend with us.  We miss him but I like this schedule much better than "compressed halves"  where he works for 8 days and then is home for seven.  Hopefully his gang will move closer to home soon so our family schedule will be more normal and our expenses will be lighter.

Janie is such a blessing to me!  Where would I be without her?  She has been there helping out when I'm exhausted or sick to help with Max and housework and still manages to work on her schooling.  She attends afternoon classes at the high school and is a "straight A" student there.  Her artwork is improving and she is making a head and foot board for a bed in metal shop.  She finds that her favorite medium is chalk.  She takes a very hands on but short computer class and then spends time one-on-one with her computer lab teacher.

Mitchell started second grade full time last month.  It was a really difficult and painful decision but he is glad to be so occupied during the day.  It has taught me a lot.  We are working on his behavior now from a different angle.  Mitchell seems to require lots of attention... this we've known for a long time... and he will get it any way that he can.  I find that I need to "beat him to the punch", so to speak, and give him the opportunity to receive positive attention before he creates havoc and only gets negative attention.  Negative attention is exhausting for all of us!  We started with chores and small expectations.  Since he normally throws a fit about doing his chores, I've given him a daily deadline to complete them and if he completes them by this deadline for two days then he gets some special time with just me.  He finished his first two days today and we went to the library together.  I'm hoping that the extra attention and the reward for good behavior vs. consequences for poor behavior will make a difference for him and for our relationship.  I'll keep you posted on our progress.

Max is becoming a potty-trained little boy!  Hooray!  I always fuss about potty-training with every child only to realize in the end that they will train themselves when they are ready.  As long as he's wearing underwear instead of a diaper he will ask to use the bathroom almost every time.  He's such a cutie and a huge blessing to me.  I am really grateful for his loving and snuggly self on days when life gets hard.  His new thing is to pat his belly and say, "See my baby?"  Crazy boy! :)
All in all, life is getting back on track.  We are grateful for Spring and that it reminds us that life is full of new beginnings and there is hope in that.  Hoping for you and yours that your Spring brings the opportunity for your own budding and blooming and reminds you of the only hope that is everlasting... the hope that comes from God.