Reading Quiz

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

I'd say that's true about me.

I was going to post about how Amy's reading is coming along. But this was quicker. We're getting our tree tomorrow and the living room had to get cleaned! There is only so much I can do in a day. Check back in a day or two for Amy's update and hopefully pictures of our Christmas tree.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is what I am bringing to our family's Thanksgiving celebration. I won't be hosting this year. It comes from Sunset Magazine (November 1979/1996/1998). It's very easy and so good.

This year I found some gingersnap cookies made with canola oil and dehydrated cane juice for the crust. The brand is Mi-Del. The cookies were a hit. I had to go buy another bag for my recipe!

I'm going to make this today and freeze it then pull it out Thanksgiving morning. What are you making this year?

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

8 oz. gingersnap cookies
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons melted butter
2 8oz packages of cream cheese ( I use neufchatel)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin

1. Crush cookies to make 1 3/4 cups crumbs. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press over bottom and about 1 inch up pan sides. (I always do the sides first, then press the bottom. That way you don't get a big lump in the crease.)

2. Bake crust at 325 F until slightly browner, about 15 min.

3. Meanwhile, in a mixer, blend cheese, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cheese mix into a small bowl. Add five spice and pumpkin to remaining cheese mixture and mix well.

4. Pour pumpkin filling into hot or cool crust. Drop rounded Tablespoons of the reserved cheese mixture onto the pumpkin filling. With a knife tip, swirl to marble the white and orange.

5. Bake in 325 F oven until the center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. (At this point, I turn the oven off and open the door slightly to cool.) Cool on rack. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 1/2 hours. Run a knife between cake and pan rim; remove rim. Serve with whipped cream flavored to taste with pumpkin pie spice or crystallized ginger.

Picking Apples

We made some yummy baked apples with these. We were fortunate to get the last U-pick day of the season.

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.

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!

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 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!

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.

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!

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?

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

My Little Helper In the Kitchen

I've Moved!

I am now blogging on Wordpress. You can go to my new site here!

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.

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.