As I was checking my memory card on my camera, I saw some pictures from this fall that I meant to post but never did. These are from our trip to the pumpkin farm.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Fall Pictures
As I was checking my memory card on my camera, I saw some pictures from this fall that I meant to post but never did. These are from our trip to the pumpkin farm.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Holiday Crafts Part 2
I've been trying to remember the other crafts we've done in years past. It's funny how my memory slips after just a few years. I didn't make any extra, so I don't have any pictures or examples to show you. But here are some other ideas that we've used. Many years Evan made one craft and Amy made another, that is why there are more than one per year.
- Homemade lip gloss- I got a recipe off the internet
- Rootbeer that the kids help make and bottle at a microbrewery. (Sean's brother used to work at one. But the public can do this too.)
- Seed kits - We saved seeds from our garden, then bought little tins at Michaels to put them in. As a bonus, the kids made little labels to fit on the containers to tell what seeds were in each one.
- Birdhouses - This was last years project. Dad took over since I had a baby to nurse!
- Soap-on-a-Rope - I got the recipe off the internet. Basically, you shave Dove soap, add oatmeal and maybe something else, microwave and roll in a ball around rope tied in a knot. It was very fun for little ones.
- Fizzy bath salts - A recipe from Family Fun Magazine
- Candy Jars - From Martha Stewart Living Magazine
- Candy Frames - In the oven we melted round peppermint candies together forming a frame. We put the kids school pictures (wallet size) in the frames with red rick- rack glued as a hanger.
I'm not good at coming up with ideas on my own, but I'm really good at copying a good idea! Almost all these crafts you can find online. If you would like more information about any particular craft, I'll try and see if I can find my original recipe. I have a huge file drawer of all my magazine clippings!
Monday, November 13, 2006
Holiday Crafts
When Evan was 4 and Amy was 2 they started the tradition of making Christmas presents for their relatives. Until last year that has consisted of 5 grandparents, and 12 aunts and uncles. Now we have 2 cousins with 2 more on the way. What began as a way to minimize cost for so many relatives, has now become a fun tradition.
The first craft we made were beeswax candles. I bought sheets of beeswax and candle wick at a hobby shop. To make the candle, you place a piece of wick 1/2 inch longer than the sheet of wax, on the edge of the wax. Then roll tightly, rolling the wick into the middle. When you are done rolling gently smooth the seam into your candle. You can cut the wax to different sizes to make different heights for your candles. You can also cut it into a triangle and roll from the widest end to the tip for a spiral candle. We used a maroon colored wax and didn't cut it. We rolled from the long side to make a tall candle, then grouped two candles together and tied with a black ribbon.
My kids had a lot of fun making and giving these as gifts. I'll try and post some of our other ideas. Sometimes it's helpful and fun to have some crafts for the kids to do over Thanksgiving weekend. If you have ideas for gifts that kids can make I'd love to hear them.
The first craft we made were beeswax candles. I bought sheets of beeswax and candle wick at a hobby shop. To make the candle, you place a piece of wick 1/2 inch longer than the sheet of wax, on the edge of the wax. Then roll tightly, rolling the wick into the middle. When you are done rolling gently smooth the seam into your candle. You can cut the wax to different sizes to make different heights for your candles. You can also cut it into a triangle and roll from the widest end to the tip for a spiral candle. We used a maroon colored wax and didn't cut it. We rolled from the long side to make a tall candle, then grouped two candles together and tied with a black ribbon.
My kids had a lot of fun making and giving these as gifts. I'll try and post some of our other ideas. Sometimes it's helpful and fun to have some crafts for the kids to do over Thanksgiving weekend. If you have ideas for gifts that kids can make I'd love to hear them.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
The Jeans Dilemma
I thought this was sooo funny because I had almost the same conversation with my husband just last week! I came home with HIS jeans, which took 2 minutes to find, but none for me. But don't worry, I didn't throw my cell phone at the salesperson!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Homeschool Project
This week Emily had ( and still has) Roseola and is feeling miserable. So for school we are pinch hitting with activities that need less "Mom involvement". We're doing lots of flash cards, Quarter Mile Math, reading and handwriting. We also finished a project that we started this summer when we were studying California History. Here is our Mission San Francisco de Asis also known as Mission Dolores. Pictures were taken by our aspiring photographer, Evan.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Bran Muffins
Yesterday we made my grandmothers bran muffins with whole wheat flour (White Whole Wheat from King Arthur), and evaporated cane juice, instead of white flour and sugar. They turned out great. This recipe has been in our family forever and we all love it. My grandmother claims the dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. But we've never had it last that long. It does make a big batch so you'll need a big bowl to mix it in. I think my Kitchen Aid is 5 quarts and it just barely holds it all.
Refrigerator Bran Muffins
2 cups boiling water
2 cups Bran Buds (made by All Bran now)
1 1/4 cups butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups All Bran original
1. Stir the boiling water and Bran Buds together and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time.
3. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the Bran Bud mixture and mix.
4. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in All Bran
6. You can add raisins or nuts if you like.
7. Spoon into muffin cups or greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Refrigerator Bran Muffins
2 cups boiling water
2 cups Bran Buds (made by All Bran now)
1 1/4 cups butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups All Bran original
1. Stir the boiling water and Bran Buds together and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time.
3. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the Bran Bud mixture and mix.
4. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in All Bran
6. You can add raisins or nuts if you like.
7. Spoon into muffin cups or greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Just For Fun
The things in bold I have done. (Thanks to Leslie for this list.)
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside outside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raising children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
What have you done?
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside outside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raising children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
What have you done?
Thursday, November 02, 2006
God's Will is Never Second Best
My husband did not get the promotion. For the umpteenth time he came in second. They may promote two people this year, but then again they may not. (And then he would have to go through the whole process again next fall.) We must wait… again. I think this is the hardest spot for me to be in. If he came in dead last, it would be obvious that God did not want him in a supervisory position. (I would think.) I really wanted him to come in first! But second is hard.
I think that I am more disappointed than my husband. He seems to be handling it well. I on the other hand spent yesterday on and off in tears. My husband had the day off since it was Halloween. I just now realized as I write this that God was so good to me to allow us to find out the night before Sean was to be home! Sean was very encouraging. And he’s the one who didn’t get promoted! I was just so worn out physically and emotionally from having full time responsibility of the kids and house while he was away studying. I also had my eyes on what I wanted.
This morning I was reading from Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace . They were talking about conversation, spending time in the Word, and other things about marriage. I was reminded that while I did hope that Sean would get promoted, I specifically prayed that God would bring about what would draw us closer to Him. Whatever it took to make us long for God and put him first in our lives, give us that. Yesterday I actually forgot that I had prayed for that. I also forgot that God’s answer to my prayer could be something other than first or last. I most importantly forgot that what I really long for is not for Sean to be promoted, but to love Christ and enjoy Him above all. If getting promoted is a hindrance to that then I don’t want it.
Yesterday I talked to myself and told myself that God is sovereign; this must be His will. I knew it in my head, but it seemed to stay there. I listened to music that praised God for who he was: almighty, awesome creator, healer of our brokenness. I knew it was good for my soul, even if it didn’t lift me out of my “funk”. But I think that even though I had a day of despondency, feeling like a failure in all areas of my life, God used the music and what I had been reading in months past about his sovereignty and goodness to keep me from falling further into despair. I am so thankful that God is pulling me toward Himself and not letting me sink in my own emotions. After a good night sleep, and a few weird dreams, exercise while reading a good book, and lots of hugs from my husband, I realized that I “felt” normal. Joyful and not depressed. I have never had such a quick turn around in emotions before. I count it as a gift from God!
I also read two other blogs today, Laurie’s and Leslies’s, that spoke about families who are remembering loved ones who died. Boy did that cap off the day and put things into persective. My husband didn’t even loose his job! It feels silly to be depressed about not getting promoted, even if it means more money and respect you think you “deserve”, when others are mourning the loss of a child.
I think that I am more disappointed than my husband. He seems to be handling it well. I on the other hand spent yesterday on and off in tears. My husband had the day off since it was Halloween. I just now realized as I write this that God was so good to me to allow us to find out the night before Sean was to be home! Sean was very encouraging. And he’s the one who didn’t get promoted! I was just so worn out physically and emotionally from having full time responsibility of the kids and house while he was away studying. I also had my eyes on what I wanted.
This morning I was reading from Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace . They were talking about conversation, spending time in the Word, and other things about marriage. I was reminded that while I did hope that Sean would get promoted, I specifically prayed that God would bring about what would draw us closer to Him. Whatever it took to make us long for God and put him first in our lives, give us that. Yesterday I actually forgot that I had prayed for that. I also forgot that God’s answer to my prayer could be something other than first or last. I most importantly forgot that what I really long for is not for Sean to be promoted, but to love Christ and enjoy Him above all. If getting promoted is a hindrance to that then I don’t want it.
Yesterday I talked to myself and told myself that God is sovereign; this must be His will. I knew it in my head, but it seemed to stay there. I listened to music that praised God for who he was: almighty, awesome creator, healer of our brokenness. I knew it was good for my soul, even if it didn’t lift me out of my “funk”. But I think that even though I had a day of despondency, feeling like a failure in all areas of my life, God used the music and what I had been reading in months past about his sovereignty and goodness to keep me from falling further into despair. I am so thankful that God is pulling me toward Himself and not letting me sink in my own emotions. After a good night sleep, and a few weird dreams, exercise while reading a good book, and lots of hugs from my husband, I realized that I “felt” normal. Joyful and not depressed. I have never had such a quick turn around in emotions before. I count it as a gift from God!
I also read two other blogs today, Laurie’s and Leslies’s, that spoke about families who are remembering loved ones who died. Boy did that cap off the day and put things into persective. My husband didn’t even loose his job! It feels silly to be depressed about not getting promoted, even if it means more money and respect you think you “deserve”, when others are mourning the loss of a child.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Harvest Festival Heroes
Our children will be attending the Harvest Festival as Mr. Ninja and his sidekick, Princess Leia. Suffice to say, the throwing stars and atomic blaster gun will not be attending the event!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Introducing A Joyful Army of Six
My good friend Cara (who we visited in Oregon) just started a blog! She has written a great post about what God is teaching her through her homebuilding project. I was so encouraged! She also posted a poem that echos my thoughts as a mother of small children. You can view her blog at A Joyful Army of Six.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Introducing Skyler
After 65 hours 50 minutes of loving labor, Skyler was born! His parents had hoped to have him born at home, but after 40 hours of labor at home, pitocin drip at the hospital, and 4 hours of pushing he got stuck. He ended up being delivered C- section. They are just happy that he is here safely. It was a long weekend!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Happenings At Our House
This past month has been very busy for us and yet I've been in a writing slump. Sorry! I actually wrote a post about Evan's Cub Scout camp with pictures and everything, but when I hit publish, it got deleted and was lost in blogland forever. Oh well. Just to give you a taste of what's been going on, here's the latest.
Sean is testing for a promotion this month. (This has definitely been the biggest reason why I have not had time to blog lately.) He did very well on the written test, and has an interview with 3 higher ups from out of the area on Wednesday morning. We should know then if he got the promotion. In the mean time, it has been and intense month of studying, politicking, and praying.
While Sean was studying for the written test, the kids and I had a great trip visiting my parents. One of the advantages of homeschooling for us has been the flexibility of travel. We just packed up a basket of books and had school at Grandma and Papa's house. My dad even volunteered to watch the kids so my mom and I could go shopping for some new clothes for me. He totally surprised me with a gift certificate to Macy's. What a blessing!
Then the next weekend, Evan had Cub Scout camp. The whole family went and had a great time boating, shooting, crafting, and eating. There are a great bunch of boys and dads in his den.
Emily took her first steps this week! She won't walk to me, but toddles on command to Evan and Amy. It really is hard sometimes to get school done, when they stop to clap every time she does something new!
Tomorrow I'm hoping to post the name and gender of our newest cousin. Sean's brother Pat and his wife Tammi were at the hospital last we heard. The kids are soooo excited about their second baby cousin!
Sean is testing for a promotion this month. (This has definitely been the biggest reason why I have not had time to blog lately.) He did very well on the written test, and has an interview with 3 higher ups from out of the area on Wednesday morning. We should know then if he got the promotion. In the mean time, it has been and intense month of studying, politicking, and praying.
While Sean was studying for the written test, the kids and I had a great trip visiting my parents. One of the advantages of homeschooling for us has been the flexibility of travel. We just packed up a basket of books and had school at Grandma and Papa's house. My dad even volunteered to watch the kids so my mom and I could go shopping for some new clothes for me. He totally surprised me with a gift certificate to Macy's. What a blessing!
Then the next weekend, Evan had Cub Scout camp. The whole family went and had a great time boating, shooting, crafting, and eating. There are a great bunch of boys and dads in his den.
Emily took her first steps this week! She won't walk to me, but toddles on command to Evan and Amy. It really is hard sometimes to get school done, when they stop to clap every time she does something new!
Tomorrow I'm hoping to post the name and gender of our newest cousin. Sean's brother Pat and his wife Tammi were at the hospital last we heard. The kids are soooo excited about their second baby cousin!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Amy's Fall Flower Arrangement
While shopping at Michael's the other day, Amy decided to spend her own money to buy some Fall silk flowers. Here is the arrangement that she did (with just a little help from mom).
It reminded me of the story "The Gardener" by Sarah Stewart. After finishing her special garden she writes to her mother and grandmother to say, "I've tried to remember everything you ever taught me about beauty." I hope Amy will have fond memories of the time we've spent creating beautiful things together.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Changing Things Around
Lavender in our garden in full bloom.
When I changed the name and played around with changing the look of the blog I accidentally changed the posts too. I just realized that everything that I've written has been smooshed together with no paragraph breaks! Sorry! I know that can be tiresome to read. I'll try to get that fixed soon.
I'm actually in the process of switching this blog over to Wordpress. You can see the start of it here. Until I figure it all out, including how to transfer everything over, I'll keep blogging at this site. I'll let you know when the new site is up and running.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Farmers Market Dinners
Right now our Farmers Market is full of wonderful produce. Something I love to do with the kids is have a "Farmers Market Dinner". This is especially great with preschoolers who are just learning about what they do and don't like, and who like to "help" as much as possible. Why not get them helping with dinner and loving vegetables! Because there are no recipes to follow and most vegetables cook quickly this is an easy dinner, plus the kids get excited about "their vegetable" and are more prone to try others. My kids have brought home broccoli flowers, brussel sprouts, beets, as well as the usual carrots (to be eaten with the greens attached!), corn and peas.
We all go to the market and I let the kids taste whatever is being offered. They get to pick out one vegetable each. I pick out one I like and we get one dad likes too. Then we pick up a chicken on the way home, or grill fish or hamburger patties (something easy and simple). The kids help shuck the corn. Someone always picks corn. They can help snap the ends off green beans and wash the different vegetables. Then we either steam or boil what needs to be cooked. The rest gets set on the table after washing. When they are this fresh a little salt and an herb or two (think basil sniped or torn by a 3 year old over sliced tomato) is all that is needed for really delicious food. I've had company over who swore they didn't like a certain vegetable actually enjoy it when it was freshly picked that morning!
Of course, berries with ice cream for dessert makes everyone happy and is a great way to end a Farmers Market Dinner.
We all go to the market and I let the kids taste whatever is being offered. They get to pick out one vegetable each. I pick out one I like and we get one dad likes too. Then we pick up a chicken on the way home, or grill fish or hamburger patties (something easy and simple). The kids help shuck the corn. Someone always picks corn. They can help snap the ends off green beans and wash the different vegetables. Then we either steam or boil what needs to be cooked. The rest gets set on the table after washing. When they are this fresh a little salt and an herb or two (think basil sniped or torn by a 3 year old over sliced tomato) is all that is needed for really delicious food. I've had company over who swore they didn't like a certain vegetable actually enjoy it when it was freshly picked that morning!
Of course, berries with ice cream for dessert makes everyone happy and is a great way to end a Farmers Market Dinner.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Yellowstone
Emily and Amy in the swing at our cabin.
For the last leg of our trip we went to Yellowstone. It was so great to go off season and avoid all the crowds. There are definite perks to homeschooling! We got to see Old Faithful twice, a herd of bison and elk, and just about every license plate in the United States. It was a great vacation. Even though it was a busy one, it was different enough from our usual routine to feel restful in a way. We're now back full swing into school, work, lessons and such.
These pictures were all taken by Evan.
A Few More Pictures
Evan and Amy enjoying the views.
Old Faithful!
This mud pot really stinks!
Evan, ever the photographer.
Emily and Eva in the swimming pool. Eva is the daughter of my good friend Cara. For some reason I couldn't get this picture up on that post, but it's just too cute to pass up!
Old Faithful!
This mud pot really stinks!
Evan, ever the photographer.
Emily and Eva in the swimming pool. Eva is the daughter of my good friend Cara. For some reason I couldn't get this picture up on that post, but it's just too cute to pass up!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Montana
Another authored by Sean.....he's on a roll!
Before we left Idaho we had a quick visit to Couer D' Alene. This town was beautiful! We stopped at a downtown park near the lake and were facinated with a 6,000 square foot play structure built by the community. It was a huge fort that could have entertained our kids for weeks - except that we had to hustle to make our dinner date in Montana!
Before we left Idaho we had a quick visit to Couer D' Alene. This town was beautiful! We stopped at a downtown park near the lake and were facinated with a 6,000 square foot play structure built by the community. It was a huge fort that could have entertained our kids for weeks - except that we had to hustle to make our dinner date in Montana!
Our dinner date was with Jim and Jacque, friends of ours who have recently moved back to Montana. They hosted us in their beautiful new home, allowing our little ones free reign of the place! It was a great opportunity to catch up with good friends.
Jim and Jacque's amazing house is complimented by an excellent community, a rock-solid church, and is only minutes away from their daughter and son-in-law. Seems to me they're "home at last!"
Jim and Jacque took us to the Museum of the Rockies, which has a large collection of dinosaur bones. They have the largest skull of a T-Rex as well as several other skeletons that were excavated in Montana.
More on Montana
During our visit to the Museum of the Rockies we were able to see an outdoor historic exhibit in which people were dressed in mid 1800's clothing as they demonstrated early life on the farm. One hard-core gun collector allowed Evan to hold an actual rifle from the Revolutionary War!
Amy and Emily in the Saddle!
Emily and Jacque grew quite attached to one another!
The farm experience included allowing the kids to wade out into the garden and "harvest" jumbo sized carrots! The farm house in the background is over 100 years old.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Idaho
Authored By Sean...........
Our next stops were in Idaho where we visited Grandpa John, Uncle Pat, and Aunt Tammi.
Grandpa John lives on a real-life farm and has hundreds of acres of wheat surrounding the century-old farmhouse he lives in. Grandpa John’s mother was actually born in this house nearly 100 years ago.
Grandpa John piled us in a trailer and towed us on a tour of the freshly harvested fields. While we bumped and bounced, we got a lesson on the topography and early homesteaders. On our next visit we’ll have to remember to rent a 4x4 SUV so we can HEAR the tour!
Below is the old corn crib (building at right) used to dry...you guessed it...Corn! Sean's great-grandfather was an award winning corn farmer from Idaho. The family hopes to restore the 12 horse barn sagging in the left.
Sean’s brother, Pat, and his wife Tammi were brave enough to host all of us, even though Tammi was eight months pregnant! They recently moved to Idaho after spending 2 ½ years in Alaska. Needless to say, they are enjoying the less extreme weather changes and are excited about the community they’ve moved to. And Emily was quite smitten with her Uncle Pat and waved at him every opportunity she got!
Our next stops were in Idaho where we visited Grandpa John, Uncle Pat, and Aunt Tammi.
Grandpa John lives on a real-life farm and has hundreds of acres of wheat surrounding the century-old farmhouse he lives in. Grandpa John’s mother was actually born in this house nearly 100 years ago.
Grandpa John piled us in a trailer and towed us on a tour of the freshly harvested fields. While we bumped and bounced, we got a lesson on the topography and early homesteaders. On our next visit we’ll have to remember to rent a 4x4 SUV so we can HEAR the tour!
Below is the old corn crib (building at right) used to dry...you guessed it...Corn! Sean's great-grandfather was an award winning corn farmer from Idaho. The family hopes to restore the 12 horse barn sagging in the left.
Sean’s brother, Pat, and his wife Tammi were brave enough to host all of us, even though Tammi was eight months pregnant! They recently moved to Idaho after spending 2 ½ years in Alaska. Needless to say, they are enjoying the less extreme weather changes and are excited about the community they’ve moved to. And Emily was quite smitten with her Uncle Pat and waved at him every opportunity she got!
Visiting Cara in Oregon
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
I met Cara the first week of school, my freshman year in college. We found out right away that we had both been dancers (Royal academy of Dance Ballet). Then we found out we were both Christians. I think we literally jumped up and down for joy! Later we realized that both our moms made bread with a Magic Mill and a Bosch mixer, and we were not allowed to play with Barbies! We had a lot in common back then.
Cara and I during our freshmen year!
Fast forward 16 years and several kids later. We are both homeschooling our kids using a Classical Christian method and growing in our love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also have one other very important thing in common now, soon to be two. Cara's brother Aaron married my sister Shauna in 2000 and we both get to be Aunties to CJ and his little sister (due Jan 2007).
Cara's husband Brian is in the Military so they have moved around quite a lot. After being away from the west coast for awhile, they are now back, building a house in Oregon. We had a wonderful dinner the first night we were there; Cara is a fabulous cook. We had a great discussion about her kids' food allergies which led to the topic of sugar. Many of you know my family recently concluded a study at UCLA regarding our son's Tourette's Syndrome. One of the things the psychiatrist from UCLA mentioned was that sugar and chemicals in foods can trigger ticks in Tourette's Syndrome or make them worse.
I had always thought of just the nutritional value of sugar (0), in comparison with honey and sucanat (very minimal). I simply thought if we cut back on sugar that would help. Cara reminded me that sugar is processed chemically and it's the chemicals that her kids are allergic to. So I have been inspired to read up about this and possibly eliminate refined sugar from our diet. Its actually not that drastic for us since we don't eat a lot of sugar anyway and our kids are already used to sucanat. In fact, Evan's favorite cookies are Peanut Butter made with whole wheat flour and sucanat. I took the kids to our local farmer's market to test the different types of honey. They picked out the ones that they each liked best and are excited to get to use that as their sweetener. Amy is going through candy withdrawals, but I figure it is better for her to go through it now then at my age! He he!
The next day we went to see the land that they are going to build their house on and went swimming. Sean and Brian took the older kids to see where Brian works while the little ones napped and Cara and I got to catch up. That night after another wonderful dinner we participated in their family worship. It was such a blessing to be with other believers and see what God is doing in their lives, and have them pray for us.
It is so incredible how God works sometimes. Right before our trip I had read a post from Leslie about being Bible Saturated. In it she talks about memorizing a large portion of Scripture, why it is important and a recommendation of how to do it. I had been praying about what portion of Scripture to start with and even more importantly, how to approach my family with this idea. We have never tackled more than a few verses in a row (other than Psalm 23) and I had an idea that it might scare them if I told them I wanted us to memorize a whole book!
During the worship time with Cara's family they recited the entire chapter of Romans 12 together. This has been the chapter they have been working on as a family. Sean was very inspired and spurred on to want to memorize scripture with our family in that way. I told him about Leslie's post and the books I thought might be good to start with. With God's help we are now purposing to commit to memory the book of Colossians. If we are able to memorize a verse a day (we're on verse 5 out of 95!) we will be done a week before Christmas. I am so excited! It has been fun to work on this together. And the way that God moved in my heart and then my husband's through the example of our friends just makes me realize even more God's goodness to me and my family. It also makes me love Him so much more, too.
I met Cara the first week of school, my freshman year in college. We found out right away that we had both been dancers (Royal academy of Dance Ballet). Then we found out we were both Christians. I think we literally jumped up and down for joy! Later we realized that both our moms made bread with a Magic Mill and a Bosch mixer, and we were not allowed to play with Barbies! We had a lot in common back then.Cara and I during our freshmen year!
Fast forward 16 years and several kids later. We are both homeschooling our kids using a Classical Christian method and growing in our love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also have one other very important thing in common now, soon to be two. Cara's brother Aaron married my sister Shauna in 2000 and we both get to be Aunties to CJ and his little sister (due Jan 2007).
Cara's husband Brian is in the Military so they have moved around quite a lot. After being away from the west coast for awhile, they are now back, building a house in Oregon. We had a wonderful dinner the first night we were there; Cara is a fabulous cook. We had a great discussion about her kids' food allergies which led to the topic of sugar. Many of you know my family recently concluded a study at UCLA regarding our son's Tourette's Syndrome. One of the things the psychiatrist from UCLA mentioned was that sugar and chemicals in foods can trigger ticks in Tourette's Syndrome or make them worse.
I had always thought of just the nutritional value of sugar (0), in comparison with honey and sucanat (very minimal). I simply thought if we cut back on sugar that would help. Cara reminded me that sugar is processed chemically and it's the chemicals that her kids are allergic to. So I have been inspired to read up about this and possibly eliminate refined sugar from our diet. Its actually not that drastic for us since we don't eat a lot of sugar anyway and our kids are already used to sucanat. In fact, Evan's favorite cookies are Peanut Butter made with whole wheat flour and sucanat. I took the kids to our local farmer's market to test the different types of honey. They picked out the ones that they each liked best and are excited to get to use that as their sweetener. Amy is going through candy withdrawals, but I figure it is better for her to go through it now then at my age! He he!
The next day we went to see the land that they are going to build their house on and went swimming. Sean and Brian took the older kids to see where Brian works while the little ones napped and Cara and I got to catch up. That night after another wonderful dinner we participated in their family worship. It was such a blessing to be with other believers and see what God is doing in their lives, and have them pray for us.
It is so incredible how God works sometimes. Right before our trip I had read a post from Leslie about being Bible Saturated. In it she talks about memorizing a large portion of Scripture, why it is important and a recommendation of how to do it. I had been praying about what portion of Scripture to start with and even more importantly, how to approach my family with this idea. We have never tackled more than a few verses in a row (other than Psalm 23) and I had an idea that it might scare them if I told them I wanted us to memorize a whole book!
During the worship time with Cara's family they recited the entire chapter of Romans 12 together. This has been the chapter they have been working on as a family. Sean was very inspired and spurred on to want to memorize scripture with our family in that way. I told him about Leslie's post and the books I thought might be good to start with. With God's help we are now purposing to commit to memory the book of Colossians. If we are able to memorize a verse a day (we're on verse 5 out of 95!) we will be done a week before Christmas. I am so excited! It has been fun to work on this together. And the way that God moved in my heart and then my husband's through the example of our friends just makes me realize even more God's goodness to me and my family. It also makes me love Him so much more, too.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
More Pictures
My dad sent these pictures from our day at Old Sacramento.
Amy is drawing at a desk similar to those used by the French who came to seek their fortune in gold, but made more money as artists. There were booths set up to represent several different nations. They showed how the people lived and made their living during the gold rush. Many had interactive displays so the children could get a hands on history lesson.
A rare picture of all of us inside a train.
Amy is drawing at a desk similar to those used by the French who came to seek their fortune in gold, but made more money as artists. There were booths set up to represent several different nations. They showed how the people lived and made their living during the gold rush. Many had interactive displays so the children could get a hands on history lesson.
A rare picture of all of us inside a train.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Sacramento, Ca
normally, I don't equate visiting a state capitol with an exciting vacation. But, since we were studying California History this summer and had to stop somewhere, it turned out pretty great. The tour of the capitol was very interesting, and when we went next door to the courts, the kids got to sit in the "Big Judge Chair". The court was actually closed, but some nice security guards let us in anyway. I guess a homeschool family on vacation isn't much of a terrorist threat! Here is a picture that Evan took of the capitol building.
The next day, we met my parents in Old Sacramento for a trip to the Train Museum, and "Gold Rush Days". It was so fun! All the kids had a blast, even Emily. She loved looking at all the horses. Evan loved everything, but especially the California Military Museum. And Amy had a good time, but loved the candy shop!
Emily loved this display of model trains. She could stand up and see it, and it was moving!
The Military Museum has a great collection of model airplanes. One of Evan's great loves.
Evan and Papa at the Train Museum.
Amy getting in some swim time at the hotel.
Friday, September 15, 2006
We're Back From Vacation!
We just got back from a wonderful 2 week road trip. The car is unpacked and the laundry mostly done. God in his goodness helped little Emily to sleep 4 1/2 hours today during her two naps! We'll blog more about the trip, including pictures, but for now I will leave you with our Road Trip Top Ten Things to be Thankful About.
1. After traveling over 3,000 miles and through 9 different states we made it safely home a day early. Sean wisely made the choice to hard charge the last leg of the trip cutting down our drive home from Yellowstone from 3 days to 2.
2. We enjoyed great food, fellowship, and fun with our good friends the Bergerons, and the Hays as well as Sean's brother Pat and his wife Tammi, who hosted us while being 8 months pregnant!
3. We were blessed with two unexpected special events in places where we visited. During our visit to Sacramento as part of our state required "California History" studies, we got to participate in "Gold Rush Days" where the streets were closed in Old Sacramento and covered with dirt. People dressed up in period costumes and there were many activities that helped to show what it was like in the 1850's during the California Gold Rush. The day was made even more special because we got to share it with my parents who came over to meet us for the day!
4. Likewise, in Bozeman, Montana at the Museum of the Rockies, they too had a special reenactment of farm life on a well preserved farm from 1905. Admission was also free that day!
5. God has blessed our family with an exceptionally good driver (Sean-not me! Ha Ha) with a built in GPS system in his head. After inadvertently taking the wrong road because it had moved from the last time Sean had come through Oregon, he had a "feeling" that we were going the wrong way. We then realized that the maps were all left back at the hotel room 200 miles back. Sean took a look at the mountains (I'm not kidding!) and took an unknown road that took us in the right direction and through a different route to the place we wanted to go with only 30 minutes lost in our trip.
6. We were reminded of the absolute beauty of God's creation. We were able to travel through lush thick forest in Montana and northern California, see amazing geological thermal features in Yellowstone, and pass through a beautiful rock canyon in Arizona.
7. I had a new breakthrough. On the last day of the trip I was able to read in the car!!! I always get so sick, but for some reason, I decided to try and was able to read half of Robinson Crusoe.
8. Evan became the new aspiring photographer. Thanks to his Papa who gave him a nice digital camera with a 1 GB memory card as an early birthday/ Christmas present. Evan took more pictures than Sean. We'll post some of them later; quite a few turned out really good.
9. Preschool Power! Emily would not have made the trip so well if it were not for this video series. Yes, we let her watch movies in the car. And even though we're all a little sick of the incredibly catchy songs about brushing your teeth and making a snack, it was better than hearing her cry! She also would take her naps as soon as I turned on Kenny G! We've tried lots of other classical and instrumental music, but she likes Vivaldi and Kenny G. Go figure.
10. Did I tell you how glad we are to be home?
1. After traveling over 3,000 miles and through 9 different states we made it safely home a day early. Sean wisely made the choice to hard charge the last leg of the trip cutting down our drive home from Yellowstone from 3 days to 2.
2. We enjoyed great food, fellowship, and fun with our good friends the Bergerons, and the Hays as well as Sean's brother Pat and his wife Tammi, who hosted us while being 8 months pregnant!
3. We were blessed with two unexpected special events in places where we visited. During our visit to Sacramento as part of our state required "California History" studies, we got to participate in "Gold Rush Days" where the streets were closed in Old Sacramento and covered with dirt. People dressed up in period costumes and there were many activities that helped to show what it was like in the 1850's during the California Gold Rush. The day was made even more special because we got to share it with my parents who came over to meet us for the day!
4. Likewise, in Bozeman, Montana at the Museum of the Rockies, they too had a special reenactment of farm life on a well preserved farm from 1905. Admission was also free that day!
5. God has blessed our family with an exceptionally good driver (Sean-not me! Ha Ha) with a built in GPS system in his head. After inadvertently taking the wrong road because it had moved from the last time Sean had come through Oregon, he had a "feeling" that we were going the wrong way. We then realized that the maps were all left back at the hotel room 200 miles back. Sean took a look at the mountains (I'm not kidding!) and took an unknown road that took us in the right direction and through a different route to the place we wanted to go with only 30 minutes lost in our trip.
6. We were reminded of the absolute beauty of God's creation. We were able to travel through lush thick forest in Montana and northern California, see amazing geological thermal features in Yellowstone, and pass through a beautiful rock canyon in Arizona.
7. I had a new breakthrough. On the last day of the trip I was able to read in the car!!! I always get so sick, but for some reason, I decided to try and was able to read half of Robinson Crusoe.
8. Evan became the new aspiring photographer. Thanks to his Papa who gave him a nice digital camera with a 1 GB memory card as an early birthday/ Christmas present. Evan took more pictures than Sean. We'll post some of them later; quite a few turned out really good.
9. Preschool Power! Emily would not have made the trip so well if it were not for this video series. Yes, we let her watch movies in the car. And even though we're all a little sick of the incredibly catchy songs about brushing your teeth and making a snack, it was better than hearing her cry! She also would take her naps as soon as I turned on Kenny G! We've tried lots of other classical and instrumental music, but she likes Vivaldi and Kenny G. Go figure.
10. Did I tell you how glad we are to be home?
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