The Gratitude Journal

Farewell 2011. Hello 2012!

2012-01-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

The house is quieting down as the children settle down for naps. The earthy smell of canadian wild rice cooking on the stove comforts me in more ways than one: memories of family and home, but also the knowledge that I have a head start on dinner tonight. :)

This post has been begging to be written for days now. But the urgent things of daily life always come first, right?

Now that Christmas is over, the wedding of the year {for our family} is past, the New Year has been properly welcomed in {with favorite relatives playing games and partying around our kitchen table} . . . it's time to start afresh on a new year!

2012. It has such a nice sound. It rolls off the tongue easier than "twenty-e-lev-en". And it's an EVEN number. My family and my man know how much I like even numbers because back in the day I even insisted that my wedding day be on an even number. Embarrassing?! But it's the truth. No denying it.

So here's a small recap of December happenings . . . and then at the end, a little announcement.

_______________________________________________________

What a treat to spend several hours

with one of the dearest friends ever

a week before Christmas!

{thanks, sil Susan for keeping my children!!}

We laughed and talked for three hours straight . . .

pretty much as fast we could til our time was up!

And thanks for introducing me to Rachel's Creperie, Clarita!

Loved it.

_________________________________________________________________

A merry little christmas for just our little family.

_____________________________________________________________

Though my family gave to GFA or Compassion or World Vision

instead of buying gifts for each other {we had so MUCH fun with that, btw!}

these sweet grandparents couldn't help themselves when it came to giving

just a few things to their grandkids. :) Mom made the adorable sock monkeys,

and Dad gave this cool wooden block marble roller thing-a-ma-jig.

Also, one of my brothers rescued and repaired this very-slightly damaged mini guitar

at the store where he works and so generously gave it to Dietrich!

He couldn't have chosen anything better!

Dietrich is so proud of his new instrument and "practices" often

so that he can become a great player.

I'm looking forward to the day he really can learn to play!

Just a few more years??

______________________________________________________

And then there was the wedding!

Ben & Zahra's wedding!

It was a beautiful day,

and I am so very very happy

that my brother has

been blessed with this beautiful bride.

I have very few pictures because my arms were occupied

with one child or another much of the time.

Still waiting for more from my sister,

and will add them here when she sends them my way,

especially ones of the couple themselves!!

The beautiful bride.

{the church was so cold in some places,

hence the coat over Claudia's flower girl dress.}

The bridesmaids dresses

the remaining "eligible" brothers. :)

my sister with less than a month til baby comes!

the family still at home . . .

__________________________________________________________

To stretch the fun of gift-giving & receiving out a little longer,

Uncle Chad came over several nights ago to give

a gift to each of the children.

They love him and his gifts!

________________________________________________________

Thus conclude our memories of 2011.

Safely tucked away in our hearts {and photo albums} to remember always.

And I, as always, relish the gift of a New Year.

Full of possibilities and opportunities.

In order to get a good start on this year's goals,

some of which include a better blog,

I am taking a short break from blogging in this month of January.

I am currently taking a blogging course,

as well as working on a few other things

I hope to share with you here.

I plan to begin blogging again the first of February

and hope that you will still {graciously} come back again then!

Thank you so much, friends!

Happy New Year 2012!

May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,

and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T07:39:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to you!

You Won't Catch Me With Other Gingerbread Men!

2011-12-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

This is for the momma {and others like her} whose son has been begging to make gingerbread cookies. You simply can't go wrong with this easy, peasy recipe. My sil Lil shared it with me last year and I know that as long as my children are young, these will be our gingerbread men of choice! And maybe, because the scraps from these things are my favorite part, I'll be making them long after the children are out of the house.

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 teaspoons soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 1/2 cups flour

Melt butter and cool for 5 minutes. Mix in all other ingredients.

{Batter will be thick.} Spread in a 10x15 cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350* for 10-20 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes. Cut shapes!

You can sprinkle with 2 TB sugar before baking.

You can dust them lightly with powdered sugar after they are cooled.

You can be all fancy and fun for your children's enjoyment and make white icing.

I used a quick-hardening recipe I found online,

and I'd link you to it, but can't find it at this moment.

Sorry, you're on your own.

And then the children put on their little sprinkles,

chocolate chips, raisins, mini m&m's . . .

or whatever you have on hand.

{which wasn't much in our case}

Notes: I have no idea why the baking time says 10 -20 minutes.

Seems like a huge difference. Of course, as with any cookie,

if you prefer them more crispy, you definitely bake longer.

I like these at about 12 minutes. Just right! :)

Whole wheat flour, spelt, raw sugar, or demerara sugar

can be substituted pretty easily for a more healthy cookie!

{my computer is not health-minded!

he doesn't know how to spell these ingredients at all!

i may have to give him an education . . .}

And now for the best part . . .

yes, the best part of these cookies,

in my opinion, is the scraps.

So *good* to eat.

And pretty to look at.

{And no one really keeps track of how many scraps you eat!}

You just drizzle all your leftover icing over the tops,

let them dry, and then store them in a pretty jar.

Be sure to hide them well from yourself.

I wasn't too successful with this part!

Happy Baking!

Your children will love you. :)

Three Cups {book giveaway}

2011-12-21T16:45:00.001-05:00

And the winner for "Three Cups" is comment #2 . . .

Rosanna!

Please contact me within the next week to receive your book.

Congratulations to you, and thanks to all of you for entering and sharing your

personal childhood experiences with learning these principles!

I enjoyed hearing from each of you.

{just to be clear, I always number the comments I receive,

starting with the comments on my blog first

and then tacking the FB comments on the end of the list,

and then enter the total number into the random.org generator.}

_____________________________________________

I liked this book from the very first glance.

Some artwork and illustrations really make me want to read a book,

and those three cracked, chipped cups on the cover,

with their tape & marker labels really pulled me in.

So, I said "yes, i'll take it!"

Another drawing factor was the topic at hand.

With my oldest child now being four years old,

and with his interest in "getting paid" for certain chores,

or learning to recognize the size and value of coins,

I know that the time for teaching him the principles

of wise money management is now upon us!

I remember the day my own parents labeled three small baby food jars

with similar labels and taught me how to divide a dollar

by percentage into the designated containers.

What a feeling of growing up and {Responsibility!

I loved it!

When the book arrived, I sat down and read it through on the spot.

My children were napping, so they got to hear it later,

but I couldn't wait to see if the inside was as good as the cover. :)

And it is.

{from the back cover}

This book:

~ Provides a solid foundation for the proper handling of money throughout life.

~ Teaches children how to make good choices between spending, saving, and giving.

~Includes a "Getting Started" guide for parents to easily implement the Three Cups system in the home.

I'm pleased to own this book,

and I'm also happy that one reader here can win a copy as well.

{US mailing addresses only, please}

Leave a separate comment for just ONE or ALL of the following:

1. Leave a comment telling something your parents did to help you learn

about money when you were a child or something you've used with your children.

2. Share a link to this post on Facebook.

3. Like this post on Facebook.

4. Subscribe by email to Gratitude Journal updates

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become a friend/follower

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christmas-y things

2011-12-15T14:10:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here sipping Tension Tamer Tea . . . {I was going to make a Gingerbread Mocha. Have you tried this really great homemade version?} . . . but I decided to try the tension tamer route first because, well, morning events have left me a bit, um, tense.

{i have been fascinated with pomegranates since the day

i first saw one back when i was 15 or 16 years old.

the shiny, scarlet seeds catch the light like little sparkling gems.

beautiful, beautiful.}

Did you ever wonder how life with children can be so peacefully happy one day, and completely chaotic and emotionally draining the next? I wonder at the dynamics often.

Is it me? Is it them? Did we eat red dye or too much sugar? Too little sleep? Too much sleep? Am I pampering them? Am I too hard on them? Do we need more structure & discipline? More hugs and kisses and snuggling? Or do we just need counselling??

Today the baby is teething, and the 4-year-old is partially deaf from swollen ear/throat glands and has been talking VERY loudly for the past few days. He misses half of what I say, so I end up repeating things and shouting back at him just to be heard! The middle child has needs all her own that I do not or cannot always take time for. Like how a shoe or the sleeve on her shirt has to be adjusted just exactly a c.e.r.t.a.i.n way, and still I'm not sure if I got it right, because her bottom lip is still pooched out pretty far.

{so good in yogurt!}

Nap time just cannot come quickly enough, but even the rituals of reading stories and tucking into bed are cut short because one miss move and this child bursts into another fit of tears, or that child over there is fussing over something gone a-rye in her little world.

But in spite of today, I have been enjoying this month. Really. :) It has been my goal to do something special with the children each day in the month of December. And though some days we just haven't gotten to the "really special" thing due to change of plans or a big shopping trip, we have enjoyed making snacks, baking cookies, cutting & gluing projects, Christmas Advent times of reading, playing games, and more.

{cutting & decorating gingerbread cookies.}

Only a few more days til my family begins trickling in for our Christmas together, and then off to the city for my brother's wedding! I was talking to my mom on the phone last night and she was happy to know that I'm feeling pretty laid back and not stressing out about everyone coming to my house.

Well, I'm not stressing out yet, and I probably should be because there are drawers and corners in this place that could really use a good cleaning-out before every square inch of our small place is filled people and stuff. But in typical me-style, I usually save my stressing out for the last minute . . . so there's still time! :)

Oh, and the few items of clothing that this family still needs for the wedding. Now that stresses me out. I do not like shopping for clothes-shoes. Where to start looking for what I have in mind when there are 20 gazillion stores in the area?? And I can only handle going into two per shopping trip if my brood is with me. I'll have to see about leaving them with their father one night this week, perhaps.

{baking bread for our neighbors.

we're blessed with good ones!}

Alrighty . . . gotta run. I haven't been needing much sleep the past few nights due to excitement over houseplans that are formulating. {Oh, and the things I still want to do in this week before Christmas~but I'm not stressed, at least not yet!}

So I stay up later and get up earlier than is ever normal except when I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, but that is certainly not my problem now . . . but I kind of like it! More time to get stuff done without dragging myself in and out of bed. It's more like bouncing to and from bed. I think it's starting to drive the Mr. a little crazy, so hopefully I can calm down a little in the near future. Maybe I should drink "sleep tight" or "sleepy time" tea next?

{being silly with the adorable little snowmen ornaments

a friend sent us yesterday in a box of surprises.

it's so much fun to open packages!}

Thanks for stopping by and come back tomorrow for a little giveaway.

Meanwhile, it's been a day or two since I wrote all of the above, and I'm off to spend THREE WHOLE HOURS with a wonderful friend whom I rarely see!! I don't know when the last time was that we actually spent time together ALONE!! I am jittery with excitement {and maybe just a tad too-little sleep?}

Happy Tuesday-Before-Christmas to one and all.

Our Baby is One!

2011-12-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe we've come to this milestone already! My third child is one year old today! I was reminiscing with her daddy about how we were all feeling and what we were doing this time last year. He heaved a sigh and said he much prefers it being "one year later."

And though I love my teeny-tiny babies, I do have to agree with him . . . this age & stage is so much fun, and not quite as tiring as those first days and months of a newborn life.

We all get a kick out of Sophia Noelle. Her hair is extremely blonde and fluffy. Her fingers can stretch farther and grab things faster than any baby we've known so far, she shrieks loudly in delight {and in demanding things and when threatened by a certain older sister, though we're working on those aspects of the use of her shrill voice}.

She loves music and lets us know when she wants to sit on the piano bench to poke around or makes little grunts to let us know she wants us to sing for her . . .

She adores her older brother and will laugh and giggle for almost any little antic he performs for her.

She has taken steps, and we think she could walk if she'd want to . . . but out of the three children, she is taking the longest to get the walking thing down. {Dietrich walked fairly well by his first birthday, and Claudia walked well at 11 months.} She is, however, a master at getting on and off furniture {like the above chair, for example!}, causing me to issue many safety warnings her way when I see the pacarious positions she gets into!

She repeats many words we say, and is quite proud of herself for it. :)

Today was again a beautiful, mild December day! Completely different from last year's harsh temperatures over the time of Sophia's birth. And although her birthday comes at a bustling time of year, I enjoy the change of weather and birthday possibilities that December brings as the rest of our family has birthdays in spring & summer. {Note: that's a pomegranate she's holding, not an apple!}

This morning we went to the library for another stack of books, bought a little "Brownie Bomb" at the cafe to bring home for Sophia's 1st Birthday Cake, and then on to the grocery store for a few items, including birthday balloons {at Dietrich's request}.

{I did say the weather was pleasant, but not quite "barefoot" pleasant. I simply cannot keep track of the middle child's clothes-changing and clothes-removal schedule at all!! She took her boots off while we were at the library, but since she had climbed into Sophia's stroller, I just picked them up and carried them out to the car. However, I completely forgot to put them back on before we entered the grocery store. It wasn't a big deal, because I loaded them in one of those extremely-obnoxious-to-drive carts with a little car on the front right next to our van, and she rode around the whole grocery store in that thing. But she climbed out during checkout, and then walked all the way back out to our car, across a large expanse of parking lot in socks!! Only when I buckled her up did I see dark-black-dirty socks peeking out beneath her pants. She stripped them off on the way home . . . and thus was barefoot for this photo taken in December. And then upon setting foot back in our house, she stripped off every. single. piece. of clothing I'd put on her this morning, and emerged with a completely, completely new set, right down to the panties! And it wasn't that anything needed to be changed. What a child.}

We celebrated tonight with a little party of just us. Older brother wanted to invite the entire extended family, but with my three still getting over a little bronchial congestion, and the Mr. being fine with just us, this ~~lazy?~~ mother was all too happy to agree to a simple celebration!

Our soup and fresh bread were good, but the children couldn't wait to get past that so they could inhale the fresh pineapple . . . and I let them go for it, since I had only gotten that tiny brownie bomb . . . for five of us?? Well, I figured with all of the December baking and sugar highs going on, and the children already struggling to stay healthy, one bite each would do just fine. And it did. They usually prefer fresh fruit over sugary desserts anyway.

{when she saw her cake, she put her hand over her mouth! :)}

{and what would a party be without plenty of present-opening helpers?

some day in the not-too-distant future, I'm sure she will want to find out,

but for now, she's pleased with the help. :)}

Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet baby girl!
How we thank God for you and the joy you bring to our home!

Changing My Mind About Christmas.

2011-12-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

I started writing out thoughts for this post back in November. I still don't have all the answers and solutions for how we should do Christmas in our Christmas-crazed society, but here's a bit of my story and desire to celebrate Jesus, no matter what the little details of our celebration look like.

I know many of you have been challenged by some of the same articles mentioned later in the post, and I'm glad and encouraged to see Christians longing to honor Christ in a way that really counts for eternity~at Christmas and every day of the year.

So for what it's worth, I share this . . .

_____________________________________________________________________

It always made me uncomfortable when my mom brought up the subject. She did it at least several times during my teenage years, I can't remember exactly how often, but I just didn't like her idea.

She felt that maybe this year we could skip the Christmas gifts to each other and help needy people instead, or send money to support an orphan child, or a native missionary, or give our money to send the Word to those who didn't have their own copy.

My mom has always been less concerned with her own needs, and passionate about the needs of others. To my shame, I being the eldest child, usually shot down her idea pretty quickly with some good reason why we needed to give gifts to each other . . . "It just wouldn't feel like Christmas." or "Don't you want to give us gifts?" I felt that we already had a pretty simple Christmas celebration in comparison to cousins and friends. And how embarrassing would it be to admit we hadn't gotten any gifts?!

But I'm older now, and hopefully a little wiser. And what do you know, but I'm now the one trying to shift my family's focus from the hoop-la of the gifts for each other . . . to the GIFT, and truly giving to the One whose birth we celebrate . . . by giving to those He loves and died for. He did say, when we do it to the least of these, we do it for Him.

I don't have it all figured out. Sometimes it's really hard to change things like this. {And did I mention that I love gifts~both and giving and receiving? But there can still be a place for it. That's where the personal decisions on the matter come in.} And choices and decisions must be mutual agreement between a husband & wife. . . but it's on my heart and mind. I have been mulling it over for a little more than a year. Desiring change! Desiring our hearts and lives to be full of true love for Him and the ones He loves.

A few of the articles influencing me and giving ideas for implementing change, and making a more {not less} meaningful Christmas celebration are here: Christmas~Deciding Whose Birthday It Really Is and Ways to Celebrate Christ in Christmas and Three Gifts. And there are others, but this is a start.

It made me proud when, several weeks ago our gift catalog for Gospel for Asia came, and I explained to Dietrich how we'd like to give some of these gifts to children and families who have almost nothing. He was excited and began pointing out gifts he'd like to give, or asking questions about ones he didn't understand.

My heart was full of thanks for the opportunity we will have to bless others, and how my children will be excited to be a part of the blessing.

But then last week, in the toy aisle of Target, the "gimmies" were taking over as he pointed out toy after toy after toy that he has been wanting to own {though he didn't even know most of them existed just a few minutes prior!}. It made me smile a little, because I know exactly how he feels. Just weeks ago he was wanting to give his entire piggy bank for the cause of the needy in Asia, but today, he wants so many things for himself.

Giving requires sacrifice! I guess it's just a matter of how much of a sacrifice I want to make. This is where I pray for wisdom and a heart for eternal things more than my personal pleasure.

This quote from a supporter of Gospel for Asia was a comfort to me . . .

"It is too easy to be selfish in today's society and this is a small way to be selfless."

So though we don't always know how to balance the giving to others or spending on ourselves, I believe each act of giving to a person or worthy cause is one more way we can turn our hearts to the things, the people, that Jesus loves.

For this year, in our own little family, we are still giving gifts, simple though they be. And then on MY side of the family {my parents, siblings, etc.} we have decided to give to organizations such as Compassion and Gospel for Asia in each other's honor . . . and then on Christmas day when we're together, we're going to make a game out of guessing what each person bought/gave. {A goat? Two chickens? A sewing machine? A mosquito net?, etc.}

We're excited! And I think my mother is pretty happy too.

Have you been feeling "a change in the air" for your Christmas? Still thinking about it? I love some of the thoughts and meaningful traditions that a few of my friends have shared with me in real life conversations. I'd love to hear from more of you here!

Merry Christmas!

Gratefulness in December

2011-12-06T15:47:00.001-05:00

mild temperatures

{i haven't complained about them yet!}

rainy days & candles

peppermint mochas

_________________________

doing special things . . . with sisters-in-law and little cousins

while the husbands were at the cabin

{such as} sitting in the kids' area of B&N for an evening

{such as} a late night movie session with Sue Thomas F.B.Eye

{have you never watched these? you should!}

{such as} thrift store and open-house shopping

{such as} kids night at Bob Evans

____________________________

hearing my hero/over-the-airwaves-mentor, Nancy Leigh DeMoss,

in person last week at a church in the Lancaster area

a Christmas brunch at Shady Maple with church ladies and other friends

{and for the Mr. who kept the house & children

under control so I could go to both of these events back-to-back}

_____________________________

a fresh-cut blue spruce hauled home from the mountains

{looks like the forest moved into our small house}

the advent stories and ornaments that help us teach

our children the anticipation and joy and truth of Christmas!

the daily appearance of Christmas cards and photos in our mailbox

our homegroup people who love & pray for each other in beautiful ways

{so privileged to be part of this group!}

Christmas shopping at Goodwill and a local thrift store!
Gotta love last year's premium wrapping paper from Target ($5/roll)
now for only .99 cents at the Goodwill. And duplo. And old books.
And the EXACT ornaments I was looking for.
And a $3 stable for the children's wooden nativity.
And more! FUN!

Children who are in awe of the Nativity

{a stable lavishly decorated with ornaments and love}

{a blue ~~tissue~~ blanket for the Christ Child}

And those are snippets of December so far.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
His mercies never come to an end.
The are new every morning.
Great is His Faithfulness!

The Last of November

2011-11-30T14:45:00.001-05:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this year's autumn and thanksgiving season . . .

so much so that I have had a little difficulty transitioning into winter/december/christmas!

But I think the excitement is coming,

especially with the Mr. bringing home our first-ever real live tree last night,

and the children playing with our nativity figures today

while I read the first of the Advent Scriptures to them.

But before I jump into the next season {after all, it can wait til December 1st, right?},

let me take one moment more to reflect on the season past . . .

The gang around our Thanksgiving Feast table last week:

Our little family,

my brother Ben,

his fiance Zahra,

and her lovely sisters.

Outside for pictures before the sun dips too low.

The wedding is in exactly a month . . .

we're so excited & blessed to have Z join the family!

____________________________________

And these pictures of my beautiful blue-eyed baby

have been setting in the archives.

These were taken in October when she was ten months old.

It was a chilly day and she was wearing this camp knitted/crocheted??

{i'm afraid i don't really know the difference}

by her great grandmother, especially for her.

In just two weeks we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday!!

{where does the time go??}

_____________________________________________

Oh, and these.

So nice to have our driveway paved,

and so much fun to watch this crew

of brothers and brothers-in-law get it done!

______________________________________________

All right. I think that satisfies my remembering.

I'm ready now to move on into December.

Nine Words to Live By

2011-11-23T09:36:00.001-05:00

I would love it if Thanksgiving week would automatically turn me into an all-the-time-grateful person. Kind of like the turkey soaking in marinade in the frig just now that will be thoroughly saturated with flavor by morning . . . by the time this week is through, I could expect the gratefulness to ooze out of my every pore simply from living through these days on the calendar.

Unfortunately, it just isn't that easy.

But much like the turkey, immersion is required. In Scripture. Sitting & soaking. Taking it into my very being. And then {the harder part} fleshing it out by giving thanks daily. It really isn't hard to do, but it is sometimes a hard choice.

I was facing that choice a lot today. You mean it's hard to choose to be grateful even on the day before Thanksgiving? Uh, yeah. Sometimes it really is. And sometimes it's nothing very important that can "throw you off".

Just cleaning up the 946th crumb off the floor that I scrubbed clean last night, for example, or changing the 138th pair of wet panties on someone who is supposed to be trained~and searching for the puddle that most likely accompanies it, or circling back to a chore I started 572 distractions ago! Oh life with small people can be so exasperating. And I wasn't always giving thanks with my lips like my head knew that I should . . . but I did keep mulling over this . . .

Words of wisdom from Barb Hess, a dear, wonderful lady from our church. She called it "Nine Words to Live By" and then proceeded to give us the verses in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Rejoice

Always.

Pray

Without

Ceasing.

Everything

Give

Thanks.

Yup, just nine words. So easy . . . and yet, not. So those words were in my thoughts all day. And it did help me to remember to pray. And to laugh a little when I felt like crying. And to let that son help with yet another kitchen project. And wrap that daughter in a cozy blanket and just snuggle and tickle because that's what she loves. And to rock and sing to that not-so-small baby because she was born with a liking for songs.

I didn't do it perfectly. Not even close.

IdidraisemyvoiceandIwishedthey'dallgotoworkwiththeirdaddyforawhileandIwishedIcouldjusthaveoneareaof myhousestaycleanformorethantwominutesandIwantedtositandreaduninterruptedfor10minutesandstuff.

But those nine words are my desire! I will get up tomorrow morning and remember them again. I will review them and immerse myself in them. I want those attitudes and actions to flavor my person and my life so strongly, that there will be no mistake where and with Whom I've been marinating.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me. And you. Yes it is.

Amen.

_____________________________________________________________________________

One of the most soul-stirring links of the month. One way we live thanks to the Lord and experience great joy is by giving to help another!

Photo credit: everystockphoto.com

Pumpkin Spice Cake

2011-11-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

Mmmm . . . I made this cake a few years ago for a family get-together, and though some of you may be "pumpkined out" by now, I have been craving this pumpkin-maple combo for the past several weeks. I think it's so pretty too!

I'm thinking about baking this to add to our Thanksgiving Feast this week. My brother, his lovely fiance, and her three sisters will be joining us for the second consecutive year. Maybe it will become tradition{them coming, not the cake}? It would be a great one. I love having at least one family member near, when the rest are all soooo far away!

The Cake
3 cups all-pupose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

The Frosting
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powered sugar, sifted
2 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round pans. Combine flour, baking powder, spices, soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, water, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frosting: beat all ingredients in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Cut each cake in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Frost between layers and on top of cake. leaving sides unfrosted. Garnish with nuts, if desired.

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In case you don't follow the lovely blog of JDC, you might like to check out these free printables for Thanksgiving! So pretty and fun!

A Movie-Free Week

2011-11-20T22:06:00.001-05:00

Yes, we survived it.

But not only did we survive, we thrived!

It's rather embarrassing to admit how much I had come to depend upon my electronic babysitter, and how I wondered what we would do without it.

I mean, really, my mom didn't have one, and neither did my grandmother, and generations of women before them. When did I begin to rely so heavily upon it to "save" my days?

And truly, it wasn't that I let them watch a whole lot every day, usually just at my most pressing moments of the day, like if I needed to get showered or finish making dinner. But I wonder if even that {short} movie or two a day were making my little boy lazy and unimaginative?

The two oldest asked to watch something a few time the first day or two. But after they got it out of their systems and saw that I really meant what I said, I think they forgot about it completely.

{mini musicians}

I was prepared to spend much more time with them reading or playing games or something, thinking they were going to be hanging around my "skirts" all day long, but I was so happy to see Dietrich delve into his toys and really play and create and imagine all on his own~something that wasn't happening a lot the last while.

Claudia, of course, followed her brother's lead and loved playing along with him, or on her own, with her dolls and kitchen things.

{turning leftover bread dough into pretzel shapes for their lunch}

I have seen so many positive results in Dietrich as a result of changing this ONE thing in our home this week. He has been creating, drawing great pictures I didn't know he was capable of, really imagining and playing with toys, looking at our family photo albums and listening to me tell the stories, helping me cheerfully, and just so much good!"

And we did spend more time together. But nothing grand or outstanding. Just the amounts of time a mother probably should be spending with her children. The kind of things I always thought I would and should do with my children.

{she likes the little "I Spy" book from the library,
and this 70 degree, sunshiny autumn day was glorious!}

We did start Monday out by going to the library and checking out a stack of books bigger than any we've ever gotten before. :) I wanted to be sure to have plenty of fresh reading material, both for my benefit and theirs. We hadn't been to the library since we finished the summer reading program in July, so it was great to see their excitement for new books again.

I also had the oldest two helping me in the kitchen a lot more this week, helping to make their own lunches, cutting things up for supper, and baking. Kitchen "help" always ~~grows my patience a little~~ reveals the impatience in my heart, but they learn so much and it's probably the highlight of their days. :)

{fresh out of bed and helping to slice eggs for our creamed eggs over toast}

The only time that I reeeeeaaaallllly wanted to pop a movie in for the three of them was on Friday morning when I was trying to get my shopping & errand list together, plus gather a few things together around the house that I needed to drop off places, etc.

I hate leaving the house in a mess, and it just seemed that as I moved around the house, trying to collect my thoughts and things, the three of them were thinking this was the time to start new projects, empty another toy basket, or whatever. Messes everywhere! And we left the house like that, and came back to the house like that, and saw that a relative had stopped in at our house like that while we were away, and I wished the house had been picked up, but OH WELL, I thought, this mother just can't do it all~especially during no-movie week!

{talking to each other at the window}

I told Phil that we are going to continue on our little movie-free living spree indefinitely {he's glad}, BUT that I will use my "electronic babysitter" on the morning of the week when I do need to get a list/coupons ready. So the littles will be happy, and I can clean up the place, and we will go out and return again to a peaceful house.

So that's the plan. Again, I must say that it feels so elementary to be writing on this subject and all of the good things we discovered as a result of this little movie fast. I mean, don't we already know we'd be better off without most {or at least too much} of the stuff like that? I guess we just get so used to it and even dependent on it that we wonder if we could live life any other way.

And at the beginning of this Thanksgiving week, I just have to say that I am so thankful for my children. I know they are a blessing from the Lord, and that He has entrusted them to my care for specific purposes and reasons. This past week made me even more grateful for their individuality, personalities, gifts, etc. It's my desire to use my time with them wisely. I need so much help in that! Wisdom, love, patience . . . Oh Lord, please help me turn their little heart and souls to You!

____________________________________________________________________________

P.S. As we look ahead to the month of December, here's a post about spending special times with your children from a new friend Bonni Greiner, that I love! Maybe an idea you'd like to incorporate into your holidays? I think I'm going to try it this year!

Also, if you live locally and would like to join me at a Christmas brunch {at Shady Maple} where Bonni is speaking on Saturday, December 3rd, I can get a ticket for you {$13.50}, but the deadline is Tuesday {tomorrow}, so let me know!

Christmas Cards {My Publisher}

2011-11-16T15:28:00.001-05:00

I just have to tell you about one more company that prints beautiful photocards {and then I'll be done}. I tried My Publisher this month for the first time since they had a little promotional deal going on at the time. They are a little pricier than the other companies I have ordered from, but oh, do they have sweet paper products!

{^^Don't look now, but that just might be one of the cards I'll be sending out in a few weeks.^^}

You can even get little envelope liners in a color that coordinates with your cards for no additional charge. So sweet and "homemade" feeling. You can also get your return address printed on the envelopes~free of course.

And the box the stuff ships in? I know it has nothing to do with the final product you mail to your friends, but the inside of the box is red, and when you lift the lid, you see the words, "Ta da!" Just fun. That's all. :)

So, thought I'd mention these guys to you for consideration. As with all these online companies, it never hurts to do a little google search for discount codes when you place your order. A free shipping code, at the very least, can often save you a small bundle!

Disclosure: I am not receiving anything from My Publisher for this review. Just wanted to tell you about them!

Christmas Cards {Tiny Prints}

2011-11-15T16:49:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to create a free card at Tiny Prints a couple of weeks ago. It was my first experience with this company and I like their card selection and quality. They may be "tiny", but I'd say they're pretty "mighty" too.

I prefer flat cards for Christmas, but was making a regular greeting card on this particular day. A nice feature with this company is that it seems you can add text and photos on all sides of the card. Kinda cute!

Many great card choices await you at this link: http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm

I think I might try this card for our family pictures . . .

From what I can tell, prices are comparable to other companies I like and purchase from, and all photo companies right now are quite competitive and offer pretty good discounts on many products, and sometimes free shipping! Just be sure to check out the home page thoroughly and to add applicable discount codes to your order.

In addition, each company has their own styles and choices so, check out Tiny Prints {they have recently started printing photo books too and are currently offering a good discount}. This may be the site for you to create your Christmas cards this year!

Disclosure: I am receiving free Christmas photocards from Tiny Prints for my review of their Holiday Cards.

Christmas Cards {Shutterfly}

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about the coming holiday season is sending and receiving all those cards! Photo cards are especially fun. I love to show off our growing family, as well as keep up with my friends near and far!

Last year I posted a review on products I had ordered from Shutterfly. And again this year I'd like to remind you that they are a great place to order your cards for the holidays, whether for Christmas, the New Year, or some other occasion.

Here are a few of the cards I've purchased from them in past years . . . {yeah, can you see them?}

I have been absolutely pleased with the paper & print quality, Shutterfly's customer service, and fast shipping! And because I am liking stationary paper so much these days, I am pleased that Shutterfly offers that option for no extra charge, as well as the more traditional photo paper.

Right now Shutterfly is offering 40% off Holiday Cards, 50% off calendars, as well as free shipping for orders over $30.00. {Be sure to enter the proper codes available from their web site.} And, if you are a first time customer, you can also get 50 4x6 prints~free!

These are just a few reasons . . . and only a few of their current deals going on . . . that you might want to check out.

In the next few days I will also be posting about two other companies I tried for the first time this year {and loved}. Stay tuned!

So are you a Christmas photo card person? If you are, it's time to get ordering, my friends! Can you believe we're nearing the half-way point in November. Crazy. Absolutely crazy.

Disclosure: I am receiving 25 free holiday photocards from Shutterfly for my review of their holiday card collection. My opinions, however, are my own, and I order from them even when I'm not getting free product.

a little of this 'n that.

2011-11-13T21:10:00.001-05:00

Wow. After dropping off the face of the {internet} world for about a week, I am back again. My husband snatched us away to the mountain cabin for hunting! Well, he hunts, and we hang out. And since there is no phone or internet access, we do other fun stuff!

Would I make you too jealous if I told you that I laid out and journaled nearly half of our photos for our 2011 family album? That works out to about 25 double spreads or 50 pages. It's amazing the things you can get done without your own housework to do or the email & internet that distracts when you do finally make it to the computer to "scrapbook". I highly recommend it. :)

And besides that, we still found time to read lots of old Little Golden Books, cook food for the hunters, visit my girlfriends Marla & Lydia and all of their children at the neighboring cabin, and dig a few treasures out of the Ulysses thrift store.

Oh, and just to keep things real life, let me say that my children have not yet adjusted to the new time! It doesn't seem to matter what we do: no naps, staying up late, making sure their room is dark, etc., at least one of them insisted on waking up at 6:30 every morning, and in just a matter of minutes {or was it seconds?} all three of them would be fully awake.

Yeah, so can't say that sleeping in was part of this little vacation. Maybe next time?

The other thing that I don't recommend or endorse is allowing your children to watch cartoons for several hours each day. But I did. Sometimes out of desperation so I could finish that meal before the men got back or just so I could do one more photobook page.

If it were up to me, I would keep the television end of things at that cabin just as primitive as the phone and internet. It used to be like that . . . and wow that really did feel primitive, and quiet, and nice. But since that's not in my jurisdiction, and since I forgot that the VHS had been swapped out for a DVD player, our Thomas the Tank Engine VHS tapes didn't do us any good.

So I let them watch their "cute" little kid's shows, becoming more convinced every day that there is a reason we don't have access to it in our house. It's so chattery, and noisy, and so full of stuff that I can't control . . . so I found myself constantly flipping to another channel til the current one was decent again.

So that was the last 4 days . . . and then today when Dietrich asked to watch a movie here at home today, I made a rash statement saying that we're not going to watch any movies for a week! And the worst part is that a week without movies sounds like a long time! How far have I fallen from my movie-free kids ideal?

But I meant it. No movies for a week. And I'm declaring it here, so you can keep me accountable. Of course, I don't know what the three will do to stay out of trouble on those mornings when I have to take a shower . . . or when I'm trying to wrap up a project and just need some clear space around my feet . . . but we'll just have to figure that out as we go. Wish me well. :)

Hmmm, that was a little off course, maybe. But there you have it. Our days at the cabin . . . oh, and YES, my man got himself a buck! Now that really makes a cabin trip well worth it for me. So happy for some red meat to fill my freezer again. We thank the Lord for that!

Good night!

P.S. Needing some motivation to get your Christmas photocards ordered? Next up, I'll have a few posts and reviews on a few companies I love! Check back again tomorrow.

The {weekly} Daybook

2011-11-03T20:49:00.003-05:00

Outside my window . . .

It's another beautiful autumn day!

The snow from that most unusual storm last weekend is gone,

and normal temperatures and sunshine have returned.

The yard is still a mess, though.

A lot of fallen limbs and leaves need to be cleaned up.

I think we're going to work on that this evening.

I am thinking . . .

and thinking and thinking.

About the advantages to building a home on our current property,

or buying a fixer-upper home in some nearby town.

What do you think?

I know no one can really answer this question for us,

but we go back and forth on the matter all the time.

We currently live in a paid-for trailer on a paid-for property.

The thing is, we are beginning to burst at the seams

and an upgrade is very desirable.

So, the options that seem clear to us now are:

build at our current location

or sell this place and move elsewhere.

I have loved this place from day one . . .

that hot & humid day in June when my Phil showed it to me.

It was so perfectly nestled in, off the beaten path of any main Lancaster County road.

I loved that, because I was coming from very rural Northwestern Ontario~to here,

and it just seemed nice to be "tucked away."

Some days we get tired of the wooded area . . .

but clearing more trees could help that problem.

We love the privacy and safe places for children to play.

Building costs more than buying these days,

so we might not get as much "bang for our buck" if we build.

I love old houses with character,

and you just don't get that when you build.

We like our current location in relation to extended family and our church,

but also feel we could do better with staying home evenings

if we were a little farther removed.

We like that we can easily have a garden and a few animals where we are now.

And on and on it goes . . .

Yes, I'm thinking alright.

We're thinking and talking about it.

And praying.

Sometimes we just don't know what we want or need, you know?

But I know that HE does.

I was encouraged while reading yesterday morning . . .

that one of Jesus' names is Counselor.

We can ask Him for wisdom when we need it,

and He will give it generously.

"The Lord of Host is wonderful in counsel

and excellent in guidance." Is 28:29

So we'll continue to wait on Him to show us,

through closed & open doors,

the desires of our heart.

I am learning . . .

that it is crazy messy to let kids eat in our vehicles.

Last week after my brother Joe attacked our van with a vengeance

{shop vac & rag in hand},

declaring our van to be the worst he'd seen in a long time.

{no doubt he's been hanging out with cool single guys at camp too long

who are desperately lacking little ones riding around in their cars!},

I decided to rule out all snacks from henceforth.

It worked for about a week.

And then their daddy offered them cookies,

and I momentarily forgot the rule,

until I went back there about five minutes later,

and saw the disaster~everywhere.

Shop vac has a job again,

and I am reinforcing my rule again.

{Until the next time they are crying 'n stuff.}

I am creating . . .

hmmm . . . this one gets me more than any of the others.

Creating?? Sometimes I feel so un-creative.

I do like to putter around my house, though.

I used to feel kind of guilty for just enjoying myself at home,

rearranging things, finding a better spot for this or that,

writing a couple of letters {which I did today},

or any number of little non-grand things to blog about.

But then about a year ago I met these sisters,

and I got everlasting permission to, unashamedly putter.

They offer great inspiration for creating a warm,

welcoming home that meets your family's needs

and expresses your personality.

Maybe you want to visit them?

The Inspired Room

Nesting Place.

There now. That took care of the "creating" part of this little daybook.

I am hearing . . .

"How lovely is your dwelling place"

on Michelle's playlist just now.

How funny is that? Cause just last night at choir practice,

our director was talking about this song,

Brahms, about going to Philadelphia this week to hear

Westminster Choir, etc.

One day I will get Phil to take me there on a date, right?

I am going . . .

to make breakfast for brothers-in-law

who come to pave our driveway

bright and early tomorrow morning.

They won't know that it's the earliest

that I'll have gotten up

in a very long time.

But it will be.

And they should feel honored and blessed and stuff.

Except that really,

I'm the lucky one . . .

to have them come help out like this.

I am hoping . . .

to win something from the many giveaways I entered this week. :)

With thousands of entries, it's not likely, but someone has to, right?

Not small prizes either.

Room-design makeover,

kitchen aid appliance,

canvas art,

Dayspring tray that I've been loving for-evah,

and more.

I think there is still time to enter tonight.

Check out this link for the details.

Around the house . . .

What are favorite things your children like to play

or projects you give them to do?

And are all projects messy?

Yesterday I let the three of them scoop macaroni

from bowl to bowl, and they loved it!

But then, it felt like I spent almost as much time cleaning

it all off the floor as they had spent happily playing.

I am thankful for . . .

my growing children

D's helping hands

C's cuddly hugs,

S's antics and learning to walk

free haircut for D from a barber friend

conversations about Jesus with ladies while I sit for a pedicure

sunshine

books

and time to read them

tea

a cozy house.

In the kitchen . . .

Tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

are on the menu for supper tonight.

Yesterday I made these pumpkin scones

and they were yummy!!

I made mine with half whole wheat flour,

and only put half of the icing on.

One of my favorite things . . .

My man pulling me in close when he happens to stop in midday.

I often marvel at the contrast between

the hard strength of a man's physique,

and the softness of a woman.

A picture . . .

{Uncle Joe was a hit with the children.

Besides playing "give me 5" on the Strasburg Train,

he also read stories, ran around outside,

transplanted about 10 hosta plants for me {mostly in the rain},

played piano & guitar for us,

told his own stories~always has been his expertise,

showed us his pics and video from a Suwanee River Trip,

and just hung out with us for 2 days.

Loved it!}

Heaven is for Real for kids {book review}

2011-10-31T05:36:00.000-05:00

Ta-da! We have a winner!
According to random.org,
today's winner of Heaven is For Real {for kids} is. . .

Katrina Nisly
who commented on the FB link and said,
"This is another of the cool things that you're giving away that if I don't win I just might need to buy for myself! :)
The reason that I'm most excited about heaven is that I'll get to experience the glory of God
in ways that I only catch glimpses of here on earth.

You will need to contact me with your mailing address
and we will get this book to you!

Again, thanks to all of you for entering
and sharing your thoughts and excitement for heaven.
What a day that will be, when our Jesus we shall see!

________________________________________________________

Mr. UPS man just delivered this book to us several days ago,
so it has been our book of choice for storytime.

I read the original, adult version of this book several months ago and loved it.

Sometimes in the midst of our busy earth-bound lives,

we lose sight of our glorious God and the home with Him that awaits us!

I just loved how that book took my thoughts to heaven,

and in the words of a child who had been there and back,

made the Scriptures about heaven come alive to me again.

This children's version of the book is actually quite a keeper,

in my opinion, because it highlights the things that this boy saw or experienced,

with the corresponding Scripture passage printed on the opposite page.

Maybe I was having a bit of an emotional day anyway. . .

but every time I'd read the Scriptures,

I felt my eyes getting a little teary . . .

Heaven is a wonderful place!

And heaven is for REAL!

Here's also a link to additional information

and coloring pages to go along with the book.

_______________________________________

If you'd like a chance to win this book,

please leave your name in the comments

or on my Facebook page beneath the link to this post.

And just for fun, mention what you're most excited about in heaven!

This giveaway will close on Friday, November 4th.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and posted on the 5th.

_______________________________________

Keep looking up, my friends!

Our redemption draws near

and we're a little closer to home

than when we first believed!

The Family Photo Shoot

2011-10-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

It's that time again.

That time of year when my love-hate relationship

with "the family photo" rises to the surface.

I wouldn't miss taking one for the world

{last year proved it . . . trying to take a picture indoors

a week or two after Sophia's birth} . . .

But something within pleads and begs

for a yearly documentation of us,

all in the same photo,

looking

at the very least,

semi "put together."

{so typical of this daughter~

clinging for dear life to her daddy.}

So there is the

deciding who should take the photos,

finding clothes to wear,

and announcing this event to my husband.

He feigns scorn for the idea of a "professional" shoot,

{"Don't we take lots of pictures all through the year??"

Yes, but dear, we're rarely in the same photo,

along with our dear offspring."},

but in the end,

always supports my decision

and makes it a pleasant time.

We were lucky enough to have the lovely

Claudia Barkman

consent to take our pictures.

She did so well with making us feel comfortable

and capturing our young, active family . . .

no easy task!!

{just back from four days

with his daddy at the cabin,

hunting, spotting, tracking,

and all that "man stuff".

they make me proud.}

So, for now, here are some of my favorite shots.

The best family photos have to wait til Christmas

'cause I haven't made my final decision on which one will

end up in the mailboxes of our friends and family.

But for now,

I am enjoying these moments

of captured time.

{Baby @ 10 months}

{the kids~b&w}

{the kids~color}

{the kids~just plain crazy}

{one family shot}

{and last . . .}

the

who got

this whole

party

started!

{oh, and the little notes our photographer added

to a few of the photos made my day.}

fun!

and

the end.

Book Review & Giveaway

2011-10-24T14:28:00.004-05:00

And the winner of this book giveaway is
Alyssa.

Congratulations!
Please contact me with your mailing address
{my email can be found in the "contact" tab}.

Thanks everyone for entering!
Always love to hear from you all.

I have another book to giveaway in a few days.
Check back!
I really love this one!!

____________________________________

Hi to all on this Monday!

I've got several books here sent to me by Tommy Nelson that I'd like to tell you about.

And if you'd like, you can enter your name in the comments to be entered to win one for yourself.

A Pumpkin Prayer is a colorful board book thanking God for

the sights, sounds, smells, and colors of autumn.

It's short and sweet, as most board books are~perfect for my girls' ages.

I really like this book.

This book is about a couple in Mexico who don't have any children of their own,

but who love and welcome children into their happy, fun-filled home,

teaching and demonstrating the love of God to them.

It's a warm, happy story about the many ways we experience

God's love for us on a daily basis.

And of course, the phrase, "Smack Dab" is repeated throughout,

which is something my 4-year old enjoyed. :)

This is a cute story from the perspective of a guardian angel

as she watches over the little girl she has been assigned to.

My children enjoyed the story

(and the fact that the character's name was "Sophie")

and it did give us a springboard

for conversation about guardian angels and God's care for us.

I like real, factual stories, especially when it comes to things

about God or heaven, or angels,

so to be honest, I'm not sure I would have spent my own money on this one,

but overall it is a good story~and I do like the artwork.

___________________________________________

So there you have it.

Three new books hot off the press from Tommy Nelson.

If you'd like a chance to win one of them,

please leave your name in the comments

and mention which book you'd like to have if you are the winner.

If, for some reason, you have trouble commenting here,

you may leave your name on my Facebook page

beneath the link to this giveaway post.

This giveaway will close Thursday (27th), and the winner will be announced Friday (28th).

__________________________________________

Happy Monday and Happy Reading on these cool Autumn Days!!

{and stop by again next week for another book review and giveaway}

The {weekly} Daybook

2011-10-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

Outside my window . . .

It's a breezy day with scattered clouds.

And the leaves are coming d-o-o-o-w-n.

I tried to start our blower twice so far today, 'cause the patio is covered.

May have to try again later.

Husband usually takes care of fallen leaves,

but once in a while I get some gusto for cleaning up outside too.

I am thinking . . .

Everyone ought to have the joy of ~~shopping~~

treasure hunting discount grocery stores now & then.

I was thinking I ought to go to one near us again,

so when my sil called me up yesterday, I was in!

Nothing quite so fun as having a large grocery cart nearly level full and paying just $60.

That included pull-ups, chocolate, olive oil, balsamic vinegar,

salt in a grinder, curry, wild rice, canned beans, broth, tomato sauces and chunks,

granola bars, frozen raspberries, cream cheese,

two flavors of greek yogurt (which we ate this morning and loved!),

kefir, hummus, a fresh vegetable tray w/ dip . . .

and more!

Sometimes I buy outdated items, depending on the item and the date,

but for the most part, I try to get stuff that isn't outdated at all . . .

fun stuff!

What I am learning . . .

It pays to keep my husband happy {!!}

in whatever matters most to him.

a steady supply of pumpkin pie

a clean house,

dinner ready when he walks in the door,

happy children,

listening to him dream

caring about my appearance

. . . .

{you fill in the blank}.

I am creating . . .

another photo book.

I would do this for pay.

Anyone need a photo book designer?

to help get your digital pics off the computer

where no one sees them . . .

into simple, but beautiful books?

I am going . . .

to be singing in our church choir this year!

Husband signed up again,

but then on second thought decided I should go

since I am not currently heavy-laden with child

or staying put with a nursing infant.

I was actually resistant to going the very first time.

I mean, don't people need me around here?

and what if I'm just too out of practice?

and, and, and . . .

yeah, I really couldn't think up too many valid excuses.

And I LOVE it!

{glad he made me go.}

I am hoping . . .

for nice weather into next week

for that infamous family picture.

Yes, I know, we had all year.

But I like them taken closer to Christmas . . .

it's just that when we were scheduled to do it two weeks ago,

all of the children had pink eye.

Nooooo!

So, like I said, here's to hoping!!

Around the house . . .

All is peaceful. All is still. Dietrich is gone with his daddy and the girls are sound asleep.

Peaceful music by David Nevue is playing somewhere in the background . . .

I am thankful for . . .

A weekend in South Carolina with my parents,

several siblings, and extended family.

It was neat to be at the boys camp graduation,

seeing first-hand how God is developing leadership skills

and love for others into my brother Joe,

hiking & marching in time to my brother Jeremy's

boot camp "chants" {not sure of their official name},

safe travels to and fro,

and {always a favorite} to see my children

loving all the interaction with my family!

In the Kitchen . . .

I baked an apple pie this morning.

Well, actually, I had the pie all ready to put in the oven

when husband came home in a rush to leave for the cabin.

I didn't realize he planned to head out so soon.

S-o-o-o

the pie, still in it's raw form, went with him.

Hope it makes the trip and bakes well! :)

One of my favorite things . . .

soaking in the beauty

and comfort
and new ideas

of pictures and words

on these blogs

during this months of "31 Days".

Lovely Limitations

No Brainer Wardrobe
Personal Style

Love-Making

Cleaning Routine
Inspired for the Holidays

and there are many, many more.
over 700 linking up to this "31 days" thing, I think!
But these are a few of the ones I've chosen to follow.

A picture . . .

{happy baby in the apple orchard}

Bye for now.

Crisp Air & Cozy Campfires {or what to do when you don't have a fireplace}

2011-10-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

We have enjoyed campfires around our little fire pit numerous times throughout the summer. But, oh, how very lovely our campfires have been in recent weeks with the cooler temperatures of autumn closing in around us.

I love that Phil initiates this time outdoors after dark for our family. Sometimes we're alone. Other times we have friends or family join us. But always, the crackle and snap of burning wood and the warmth and light of the fire are so welcoming, comforting. I could sit there all night.

{my cousin Susanna with D one night this summer . . .}

This summer we ate our share of s'mores, but now we've made the {greatly appreciated} switch to popping popcorn and drinking apple cider. Mmm . . . campfire popcorn is divine.

We sing songs and tell stories. {And pull them back from danger occasionally.} The kids love it. Hopefully they'll remember it forever . . . the songs and stories, that is. Not necessarily my panicky voice when they try to walk through fire.

A time or two we've put tired children to bed and sat out there by our lonesomes. Just the two of us. It's divine. {Did I already use that word? Should probably go look for my thesaurus . . .}

So on those days when we discuss building a house and I mention some type of fireplace . . . and husband tells me that fireplaces are overrated . . . I know in my heart that I would love a fireplace. In much the same way that I love a cozy campfire. Sure, they might not be something that gets used every day. They might even get in the way occasionally. But when the times and temperatures call . . . nothing can quite take the place of a happy fire~indoors or out.

{and just for the record,

I see absolutely nothing overrated about this!

Do you??}

Black Beans & Rice

2011-10-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I wrote about cooking black beans for a black bean soup I was making. A friend, Christy, whom I hope to meet in real life someday, commented on that post with this,

"Do you want another

black bean recipe?

This is one of our favorites--

simmer black beans with salt, black pepper,

and generous portions of cumin, garlic, fresh cilantro,

and a few drips of lime juice.

If there's not plenty of juice already,

you can add some more water.

I serve it over rice.

Sometimes I first saute chicken

with the same seasonings and add the beans to it.

Either way, we love it!"

Well, I've cooked and eaten black beans many ways and sometimes similar to this, but something about her simple little recipe just grabbed me! So I followed her instructions and we loved it too! So for all of you bean lovers out there, here's something delicious to try when a chilly day comes your way!

Thanks, Christy!

**And the photo is from dreamstime.com. Do you know how many times I've made black beans in the past 1/2 year and never once took a picture of them? I tell you, we eat them down~fast!! So instead of delaying in posting this any longer, I finally broke down and added this picture, even though I prefer to use my own.**

A Few Beauty Tips

2011-10-11T22:48:00.000-05:00

One of the things I enjoy from September-April

is getting together with ladies from our church for "Tuesday Tea."

The gals who plan it put their hearts into it

and make it a beautiful, wonderful mix

of encouragement, prayer, Bible Study,

practical tips, and fellowship.

I love them for it!

all photos from dreamstime.com

Two weeks ago a friend {and hairdresser} from our church, Amanda,

showed up to give us a fun hour or more of hair and skin beauty tips!

This is by no means a complete list of the things she showed us

while doing "makeovers" on her three models.

Just a few that I remember most or pointers that were like "aha" moments for me,

and I thought maybe you might like them too.

Now, you have to know Amanda . . .

but since most of you don't . . .

just know that she is sweet, beautiful, fun-loving, and good at what she does.

I love to watch her work and hear her talk.

She makes me laugh.

And when she's working with hair and skin,

she reminds me of an experienced chef or cook

Not "bound" to certain rules or exact measurements or methods.

But whatever she does turns out beautiful and "tasteful."

For example, she will mix together old eye shadow or blush

~or colors that she doesn't like~

to create something new.

She tries new ways of applying things, or using a product in a new way,

other than what it may have been intended for

or what the directions on the package may have said.

So, a few things I liked . . .

Tip #1.

If you've only got a very short amount of time

to get yourself looking presentable for the day . . .

moisturize your face,

apply bronzer over entire face~

with upward brush strokes~

to get that healthy glow.

For your hair, spritz a little water into the

front and crown area and blow dry,

with your head upside down,

or by combing hair completely forward,

then completely to the left, and completely to the right.

{A little harder to describe this in writing than showing in real life,

but the point is to get the cuticles of your hair a little "confused"

so that you have more body on the top . . .

Amanda said to "think old man with big comb,

completely combing all the hair on his head in one direction}

Tip #2.

Applying some type of moisturizer to your eyelids

makes eye makeup stick and last longer.

Of course, my MK consultant friend has told me this many times,

but I can get bogged down with too many separate things to apply.

I like streamlining the process!

So Amanda's huge amazing secret

is that she just applies her regular face moisturizer to her eyes too!

Wow! Not sure why this was so eye opening for me.

{Ha! Pun intended!}

Tip #3.

She recommended "Well Rested" from Bare Essentials

as a must-have for brightening your eyes when

you are lacking in sleep, have puffy eyes, etc.

Basically, she had us so convinced of the virtues of this product

that my sil and I were ready to dash to the nearest store

for our "all in one" miracle beauty product. :)

You can even use it as an eye shadow

or on your lips before lip gloss,

which takes me to my last and favorite tip of the day . . .

Tip #4.

I am not a lip stick girl.

I've tried it and I just feel like it's a little complicated

and too easy to mess up.

But I still want my lips to look good!

Of course.

So, when Amanda said to put some eye shadow on your lips

and then apply your lip gloss . . .

I knew it was something I wanted to try!

And I love it!

Adds just a little bit more glam. :)

So while I may still try to get into the real

lip stick stuff for special occasions,

this shall be my easy lip solution for most days.

So there you have it,

and I'm off to get my beauty sleep.

Oh The Things You Can Do . . .

2011-10-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

{with Almond Flour}

One of the most difficult parts of the first phase of the Maker's Diet for us

is not being able to sink our teeth into bread,

or most any type of starch for that matter.

No potatoes

No beans

And definitely no bread.

Lentils are about as starchy as you can get.

That's when almond flour comes in really, really big.

I don't know what we would do without it.

Especially when a man like my husband lives

for the next "baked good" he can consume.

Now, admittedly, by baking things with almond flour,

we did go a little over our "1 TB of honey" per day per person limit.

But we figured since we weren't on this health plan to save our lives,

a little extra honey couldn't hurt too much.

So without further adieu,

here are some of our favorite ways to use almond flour.

_______________________________________________

Almond Pancakes

{not original with me, but I'm happy to pass it on.
Oh, and almond flour can usually be purchased at a health food store
or you can grind your own raw almonds in a coffee grinder or other food processor.}

4 eggs
1 cup almond flour

2 T. honey
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt

Beat eggs and add all other ingredients.
Fry in butter on low/medium heat.
Makes 6, 4" pancakes
Top with maple syrup, dollop of yogurt, and fresh fruit.

{We drizzled a little honey over the fruit since we weren't eating maple syrup.}

_______________________________________________________________

Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes

2 T melted butter
1 T. water
1 egg
1/4 cup honey or about 5 T. sugar
1 T. cocoa powder
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 cup almond flour

Blend wet ingredients and then add all dry ingredients.
Pour into a muffin tins
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes
Makes just a couple of muffins, so you may have to double the recipe.
Eat warm with whipped cream.

_______________________________________________________

Almond Flour Pound Cake

{Which I usually just bake in big individual muffin tins.
This recipe can also be turned into chocolate cake
~a larger amount than the previous recipe~
by omitting the lemon extract and adding cocoa.}

1 cup butter and/or Coconut Oil
1/2 cup honey
5 eggs
2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon extract or grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Again, just blend wet ingredients first, add in the dry.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes {for muffins,~cake takes longer of course}
These tend to burn easily, I think because of the high egg content.
So a lower, slower oven is better than too hot or fast.
Just watch 'em!
And then enjoy.

Esther from Fleur Cottage told me about
this lady's amazing website which has many recipes for almond flour.
So interesting!

Choose This Day {what you will eat}.

2011-10-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Phil and I were on the Maker's Diet for a while, intending to do all six weeks. After two weeks, we were feeling rather down about missing out on some of our favorite autumn foods: me~a couple of pumpkin lattes from the coffee shop & him~apple and pumpkin baked goods of all types!

Having finished the hardest part, we decided to go one more week on phase two, bringing our cleansing diet up to three weeks. So we did that and then . . . well some of the stuff we consumed at the local fair and a restaurant in the next few days just did not sit well with our stomachs! Instead of feeling deprived of a few of our favorite foods, we were now complaining about headaches and "feeling fat".

I looked at him and said, "This is ridiculous!! We're either eating well {feeling well} and whining about what we can't have OR we're eating what we want and complaining about how we feel. We'd better CHOOSE one or the other and then be HAPPY with the results!"

We have decided as much as possible to stick to the healthy stuff! Especially here at home. Eating with others or away from home is always more difficult {temptations!!}, but those three weeks of eating super well have given us a renewed appreciation for how it is to feel great and is helping us make better choices over all!

One of my goals while on the Maker's Diet was to drop a few more pounds . . . which I did! But the greatest benefit was going through a monthly cycle with none of the usual cramping and intensely numb, achy legs. Sorry if this is TMI for some, but really, since baby #3, I've had more severe symptoms than ever in my life. And, wow, they have disappeared~at least for now.

I'm just throwing this out to encourage you to consider even a short cleanse and whole foods diet if you have any type of "little" physical ailment. I know many of you {my friends} know what it's like! But for others who've never done it, I'd say go for it.

Check back tomorrow for a couple of our favorite recipes that got us through the hardest part of our cleanse . . . and things which I am still loving because they help me maintain my weight and both of us, our healthy living!

Happy Things!

2011-10-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hi! and a Happy Monday to you.

Just a few things from last week that warmed my heart and made me reach for the camera:

{another photobook completed, capturing our family's memories of 2010

i'm usually pretty loyal to Creative Memories,

but i bought a voucher for PhotoBook America last year and decided to try them out.

their program is almost too simple for my liking~lacking in paper options, etc,

but the print quality, pages, and cover are amazing!!}

{you've got mail!! real mail. from a new friend.

as in walk-to-the-box-to-reach in-and-pull-out-a-fat-envelope-for-you kind of mail.

kind words, cute somethings, even a note for my daughter.

what fun! reminds me to send a little more of the real stuff myself!!}

{an adorable "milk jar" candle from my friend marla

i love how little gifts like these make me think of the person

while i stand at my kitchen sink.}

{brand new baby chicks.

little hands that hold them.

the giggles of delight from the children.}

{this stage of babyhood.

it's pretty messy most of the time. . .

but still, it's so. very. very. sweet.}

{the soft & beautiful blanket from my sil tilda is, I think,

Sophia's first very own blanket/quilt.

the other two babies got plenty, but this is her first.

and it's so lovely and has an "S" monogrammed in the corner.}

{gathering apples for cider. mmm.}

{I have been liking this website lately, esp. her printable notes, adding my own embellishments,

and ta da! some simple but lovely note cards to send out!}

Oh, and one more thing!

Since meeting Melissa & "The Nester" at a blogging conference last year,

I have been loving their sites, The Inspired Room and Nesting Place.

This month they and many other bloggers are doing "31 Days" of something . . . anything!

I have found several blogs that I definitely want to follow through the 31 days.

Maybe you want to check it out.

And just to show you some of the fabulous ideas from Nesting Place so far,

check this out: ways to use dressers with missing drawers, or drawers that have no dresser!

I love it! And to quote the nester, "Puts me in a drawer breaking mood."

{all drawer photos from thenester.com website, further photo credit listed there.}

Alright, Gotta go! Happy, happy monday!

Guest Posting at Baileyandme2!

2011-09-28T10:57:00.000-05:00

I'm over at this lovely site with my friend Jenny today. I hope you join us there!

Quote of the Day

2011-09-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

After seemingly endless days of dreary and rain, this quote seemed so appropriate today!

I hope you are enjoying beautiful autumn sunshine wherever you are!

Fall Decorating Ideas {from you}!

2011-09-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

I am loving every single photo sent to me so far. It's fun to be inspired with fun, simple, beautiful ideas!
{If you missed the previous post asking for your ideas, you can read it here.}

Many of you are telling me you haven't done anything decorative for fall yet. I understand. I think this may have been my earliest year so far. But if you do something within the next week or so, I'd still love to post your pictures!

And now I can hardly wait to here from more of you! It can be ideas from Autumns past, or your fresh inspirations this year. Email the pictures to philandshelly@epix.net. Come join the fun!

____________________________________________________________________

The first is from my sister Heidi in Kansas and she says,

"Your post inspired me to get a few fall decorations out myself.

Didn't do a whole lot but I'm happy with my little coffee table decor.

By the way, Vincent just helped me refinish the coffee table.

I'd picked it up at a garage sale this spring for $2 and it was the ugliest thing you ever did see.
The varnish was a terrible orange color and looked awful.

We stained the top with ebony black and then painted the rest."

____________________________________________________________________

Charlotte Long from Indiana sent these ideas and wrote,

"I don’t blog but LOVE to see other people’s simple,

cheap ideas for decorating for the different seasons.

Here are some things I did last year.

I love bittersweet vine and a friend of mine gave me some last year.

It is so beautiful.

For the wreath I just used a fake berry strand as the base

and then wrapped the real bittersweet around it so it looked fuller."

"This is really not a good picture and I can’t re-take it since I did it last year

but I loved the simplicity of it. I picked up the clear glass vase at Goodwill

and then put stones in the bottom, clipped some branches

from the back yard and stuck in some bittersweet branches.

I also took some heavy gauge wire and curled it to make a hook

and hung clear glass votive from them. I used really thin florist type wire

to make the “handles” for the votive cups."

"I picked up the orange lantern at a garage sale

and then just stuck in a spring of bittersweet with the towels."

____________________________________________________________________

These from Laura M.

Hi Shelly, love your idea! Just thought I'd share a few pictures...

We are in the process of MOVING to a new house right now,

so decorating isn't high on my list of priorities!

But, after unpacking box after box, every once in a while I let myself do something fun!

I am not good at taking pictures...hopefully these come through okay.

Love your blog!

______________________________________________________________

Lorene from PA sent these pics "hot" off the press. :)

"I'm the queen of simple decorating...no great, new, brilliant ideas,

just simple. After looking at some of the other pics on your blog I
almost decided to skip sending my pics (a little intimidated maybe?)
but since you told me where to buy cheap pumpkins I thought I owed it
to you. so, here they are."

__________________________________________________________________

Esther from Fleur Cottage

has these lovely tutorials to share on her blog.

Outdoor Autumn Display

Autumn Door Basket

____________________________________________________________

Louise from Iowa wrote
"Am loving the Autumn Inspirations on your blog.
I too haven't done much at all yet, but I DO love the splashes of vibrant fall colors.
So here are 2 of my little "pops"; one is my deck and one is the kitchen table runner."

________________________________________________________________

Ervina from this precious blog wrote:

"The first thing you see when you walk in our front door is our kitchen,
so I love having it look beautiful and inviting.
My favorite style has always been classic and clean,
so for this year's fall touches I went through my mom's cupboards
and pulled out any whites and crystals I could find.
I added a few bare twigs, pussy willows branches, pinecones,
white pumpkins, or whatever I could find outside.
And of course, lots of white candles everywhere."

____________________________________________________________

Laurie M. from Westminster, SC, says,
"The Southern heat has just given way to a little cooler, crisper fall feel in the air
and the Baptist church down the street is setting up their version of the Peanuts "Great Pumpkin Patch."
Once they put out their pumpkins I'll take my kids down there to buy our pumpkins.
For now I just have a few natural touches of fall collected from our flowerbeds and the side of the road.
I enjoyed what others have shared so I'll share this very little bit of autumn from our house."

_________________________________________________________________

Thank you, ladies!

Are you next?

Send your fall decorating ideas to philandshelly@epix.net and I will post.

Don't forget to include a link to your blog if you've got one!

Fall Nesting Pt 2

2011-09-18T19:55:00.001-05:00

I know I said August is my favorite month, but friends, this season we call Autumn is absolutely beautiful! I remember being in awe of it the first year I lived in Pennsylvania . . . and I know I have liked it every year . . . but maybe this year I feel more "alive" and aware of it because I'm not pregnant or trying to nurse a wee one?! {Just trying to keep up with three very loud and lively growing ones, that's all!!}

Not that I have fit those categories every year since I've lived here . . . but close! I don't know. Maybe there's no real explanation for it, but whatever it is, I am loving fall.

The children did very well on our Friday errand run~making up for our outrageous shopping trip earlier in the week, I suppose? But we never did make it to the birthday breakfast {lunch or brunch?} for my MIL due to misunderstandings on my part and multiple time-changes on my SIL's part. Ha! It was a nice thought tho, wasn't it? We did join the whole family then, for a birthday party in the evening. :)

{If you are local and need to know about this place

where c.h.e.a.p. pumpkins can be found, let me know!}

{I fell in love with the green apple gourds

and used one on my kitchen shelf last year,

but these guys were all h.u.g.e

so I settled for just the little white pumpkins instead.}

And, yay, I wore my boots on Friday for the first time this season, which you can only see one little snippet of in this picture along with longer-length sleeves and fall colors [remember the newly organized closet?~helps so much!] . . . my getting-so-big-son was my professional photographer and loved every minute of it!

These shelves in my kitchen {which Phil made for me while we were dating} are the main place that I play with and change around with the seasons. I love them!

But I've also found myself challenged and sometimes frustrated with decorating two shelves. Sometimes I get one exactly how I like it, but then find myself wondering what to do on the other one and how to tie them together. We also have very low ceilings, so anything with height just doesn't work.

So, when I saw this lady's cafe shelf inspiration, I decided to incorporate some of her ideas. The only thing I bought were the little 3/$1.00 pumpkins. Otherwise, everything was elsewhere in the house, in drawers, etc.

The clock has to stay, because it's our kitchen clock, the frame and wreath idea came from this post, as well as the number idea {for the # of people in our family}. I've been wanting to try numbers on many things since that rage hit the decor and blogging world, but this was my first attempt. I know, I'm behind the times . . . I would have liked an awesome yellow print like she had, but the red-ish stripe was the best I have~for now. And then there's the stack of old hymn books, the framed piece of music, and the little extras thrown in to hopefully look good.

Oh if you would know how it stretches me to post a picture like this, you would surely have compassion on me! :) I'd rather cook you something any day and tell you/show you all about that.

BUT, in order to do what I want to suggest next, I figured I had to do it. {Listen up, this part is where I need you.}

Last night my sister sent a picture of a little touch of fall she'd arranged in her house . . . and I loved it! So I thought, why not ask all and any of you to send a picture or two or three of fall decor around your house. It could be your front door, or one small area in your house. Whatever it is, I'd love to see it! Of course, if you blog and have done a whole post on it, you could link up to The Inspired Room's fall nesting party, but if you just want to share on picture or idea and would like to share it with me and readers here, I would love it!

Of course, my timid self was almost too embarrassed to suggest this 'cause what if no one want to do this? But, I'm just thinking it could be fun {almost as much fun as when my famous friend Jenny had a "show & tell" living room thing last year on her popular blog.} and inspiring to see all of the creative ideas for fall.

So . . . if you want to get involved, send a photo, any words you want to share, and {if you have one} the name of your blog. I'll post them this week, and add them as they come in. {blush~maybe I'll have my one and only picture standing alone . . . but that's ok too.} Send them to philandshelly@epix.net.

Alright, enough about decor now. It's not even my strong point so how'd I get off on that tangent in the first place??

Other autumnish things from our weekend . . . dear husband took us on a trip to the mall {I hate to go there by myself, so he usually goes with me two or three times a year.} to spend a giftcard my aunt gave for Sophia's belated baby gift {I take belated gifts whenever anyone wants to give them!} and to spend some some free Coldwater Creek money they sent me in the mail. I think I was in that store once before in my life, and I had forgotten how expensive they are! Not my regular clothes-shopping type of store. But, wow, do they have a beautiful autumn display of clothing/colors!

After trying on several things, I settled on this beautiful scarf and cami . . . both in the same luscious shade of purple. I was hoping for a jacket or cardigan, but couldn't find the right fit. I felt so rich to open up that prettily wrapped package of clothing when I got home last night and to wear the scarf this morning to church. It's refreshing to have a few nice and new things added to the wardrobe!

Just as a side tangent . . . would you take a look at the size on that cami? XS(4). People, do not be deceived. I neeeeevvvver wear xs clothing or anything in size 4! This store is absolutely crazy with their sizing! I've read about vanity sizing and have seen it happen over the past 5 years (where I can now wear a "smaller" size than before I was married/kids when in reality I'm basically the same and sometimes bigger than when I was younger . . . But this store was an experience in vanity sizing I had never experienced before! Craziness! I'm not too sure what size the for-real extra small people that I know would wear (obviously wouldn't shop here, I guess). So, not to burst your bubble or anything, but if you only shop at Coldwater Creek, you should know that XS for you is really a M in the real world. But whatever makes you feel better.

The other fall nesting, make-my-husband-happy project that I did yesterday was figuring out how to make a pumpkin pie with no dairy or flour. I just googled and up popped a great recipe on none other than Oprah Winfrey's website. Can't say that I've ever followed any of her recommendations before, but this one seemed safe. :) I had to modify it a little to meet our diet restrictions, but it turned out great and is GONE now before I had a chance to take a picture. Poof! Husband has been very grateful for anything I figure out how to bake for him these days. Baked goods are his main staple in life, I think.

And last but not least is a reminder about the September Giveaway here at my blog.(Enter Here). Also wanted to mention a giveaway at this lady's blog (I love her and her blog! She teaches a Bible Study which I am privileged to attend and does a.m.a.z.i.n.g. tablescapes and cooking which you will want to see). Her giveaway closes tomorrow and mine on Tuesday. So hurry on over to enter!

Alright, I'm done. That was a long one. Hopefully you got it all. :)

Good Night.

Fall Nesting! Pt 1

2011-09-16T06:26:00.000-05:00

Hey friends.

So excited about today. A lot of little things rolling around in my mind to do . . . and if I even get a few of them done, I will be happy!

First, you should know about the Fall Nesting Party going on over at The Inspired Room. Met this lady at the Relevant Conference last year in Harrisburg and have absolutely loved following her blog ever since. She is my kind of lady when it comes to decorating with purpose, and I love how she says it doesn't have to happen or come together all at once~making your home beautiful is a process . . . of making your spaces a reflection of who you are, the things you like and enjoy, and not a carbon copy of someone else's house {or magazine}.

Yesterday I did some of my weekly cleaning in order to make space and time today for a little fall nesting myself! I'm ready to transition out of summer and into beautiful autumn!

So after breakfast out to celebrate my MIL's birthday with a few of the sisters {should be a great kick off to this day!}, I want to stop at a pumpkin farm with my children and pick out a few things to begin adding some fall color and beauty both inside and outside our home.

Oh, and speaking of clearing out old and bringing in new, part of my cleaning yesterday involved completely emptying our master bedroom closet and taking stock of that situation. Whew! It was in need!! The ceiling was showing some water damage from the days of rain last week and I knew I needed to check and make sure mold wasn't growing on anything . . . thankfully, no.

Besides an old cosmetic bag that husband didn't want anymore anyway, everything appeared to be safe and dry~ it was just the ceiling that needed some sealer/paint sprayed on it so that we could start over all fresh and new. {I love it when household maintenance can be solved with a spray can!}

I organized husband's clothes, laying aside a stack to ask his permission to get rid of since I don't think I had seen him wear most of the items in our five years of marriage! Yes. He said most of the stuff could be thrown or given away. Such a great feeling!

I did the same with my clothes, shoes, purses . . . organized, threw away, made a pile to give away, packed away some summer stuff, pulled out the longer sleeves and hung them, and made a small pile of items needing alterations so that I can put them back in the closet and actually WEAR them!

Oh I just love the feeling of a cleaned out closet {and a few drawers got included in the purge too} . . . reminds me of what I have to wear and lets me know what I may need to buy. Autumn is my favorite time to buy new clothes. The colors, styles, and cozy things are so much fun!

{Did you know that "peacock inspired" clothing and jewelery are "in" this fall? The rich colors, but also the real/faux(?) feathers themselves. I find it fascinating and a little crazy how fashion and trends begin and I'd be interested to know this feather story. . . }

Last night I brewed our first pot of chai tea, mixed in some honey for sweetness, and a little milk {a bit of a Maker's Diet cheat . . . but a pretty good cheat if I may say so!} for creaminess. Mmm . . . the perfect thing for our first really cool day of the season!

OK, so I'm off to get started on that list of ideas. Time to get ready for fall, everyone! Decorations, warmer clothes, and the warm flavors of pumpkin & apple, cinnamon, maple, and gingerbread. {happy dance!}

If I'm brave enough {and like the results of my decor today~I am the LEAST of the least when in comes to being great at decor!}, I'll post a picture later . . . But I did already see some ideas over at the nesting party that look so be-U-ti-ful and maybe I can copy?? We'll see . . .

What are you up to today?

Imagination Stretch in the Kitchen

2011-09-14T06:32:00.002-05:00

Husband declared several weeks ago that he wanted to do the Maker's Diet. I said "OK, I'm in!"

I did it by myself {in our household} along with some other friends about 1.5 years ago and really liked it. 40 days of very, shall we say, "strict & structured" eating? {Well, what diet isn't . . . but if you've ever done this one, you know what I mean.} I always thought it would be fun to have Phil do it with me, but also realized that it would make it harder for me to be creative enough to satisfy his taste buds and large appetite.

Oh, and you should see the reactions he gets from people when he tells them he's on a diet (he may or may not try to mention it as often as possible to the ladies in the office just to get their reaction :)). Almost fall out of their chairs or laugh out loud! Possibly because in their minds, a diet is only something you do when you need to lose weight~never considering the health benefits or the discipline aspects of it.

The kinds of foods you can eat in the first two weeks are veeerrry limited in things like dairy and starches~even beans! So I've been doing my best, racking my brain, and praying to the Lord for inspiration and wisdom in how to make our meals appetizing and appealing for husband and children.

The things we are allowed to have that are most starch-like and filling are lentils and winter squash. So I've been trying many variations of those two things along with the whole list of other vegetables to go along with our meats and salads. {If you are familiar with the Maker's Diet and have suggestions for me, I'd love to hear from you!}

Oh, and almond flour. When I did the MD the first time I discovered that almond flour is absolutely the best thing since sliced bread~well actually better than sliced bread when you aren't allowed to eat bread! Ha! With almond flour you can make delicious pancakes {a thousand thank yous to my SIL who shared the recipe with me who got it from her friend who . . . invented it? I'm not sure . . . } and cupcakes, and other such delicacies that taste very "real".

This evening husband grilled these cornish hens, I made this lentil salad, steamed some broccoli, and had almond flour cupcakes topped with a little yogurt and blueberries.

It was all quite tasty! And I think this was my first time trying red lentils~and I like them a lot. They are smaller than the usual grey/green lentils and made a very nice salad, I thought.

So that's what I'm up to in the kitchen these days. Nothing great or glorious, but definitely takes some for thought and work!

Oh, and I'll share the almond-flour pancake recipe next time. Folks have been known to like these so much for taste and health benefits that they eat them on a regular basis, not just when they are on a special diet.

September Giveaway {closed}

2011-09-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

And the winner is . . . .

Julia from Manitoba, Canada!

Congratulations, Julia.

I hope these things will help make your Autumn

just a little bit sweeter. :)

Please contact me with your mailing address. Thank you.

________________________________________________________________

Where has the time gone? I had full intentions of putting this together the first of the month. I am such a sucker for giveaways~signing up for them and the action in doing one right here on this little blog~so here's a little something to celebrate September!

Now that the storms have passed, we are again loving the sunshine and beautiful, pleasant days. It's still more summer than fall, I think, but the berries on our winter berry bush have turned from green to red, nights are a bit cooler, and the local fairs are beginning!

I've already been burning candles and brewing hot tea. Just can't help myself when it comes to moving into the next season. Even Dietrich has been pulling out his long, cozy pants on days when it's hardly necessary. Seems we all must like the changes that a new season brings.

So here we have the September issue of Whole Living, three PartyLite votive candles in teakwood, three 5x5 greeting card prints from RedLetterWords, a mini tea infuser, a 1oz container of Eden Salve, and 1/4 lb. of Red Rooibos Chai Tea.

Mmm . . . this tea is a favorite of mine~and it's naturally decaf, so you don't have to worry about staying up all night like a certain SIL of mine did when I gave her a sample of the regular black chai tea. Ooops! The Eden Salve is one of those must-haves for your purse or car~a little medicine cabinet on the go. I used my little tea infuser last tea-drinking season nearly every day . . . and well, the rest is stuff I just really like too.

So, if you'd like a chance to win this little package of goodies, all you need to do is subscribe to my blog posts by going to the right hand column near the top of this blog and enter your email address OR become a "friend" of this blog (at the bottom of the page) OR enter me into your news feed or reader. One of the three will do.

When you've done that, leave a comment on this page letting me know. And that's it!

This giveaway will close September 20th.

Beautiful September to each of you!

Rainy Day{s}.

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

I love rainy days when they come one, and maybe two at a time, but after the third, fourth, fifth day it requires extra "spirit" to stay upbeat and imaginative about what to do next~or at least what my children could do next~while I putter around the house working on projects, not really feeling like doing the cleaning that could be done, or unpacking that last bag from our trip to Indiana over the weekend.

But I hear that this hurricane Lee has parked right on top of us, and so the heavy rains will continue to fall. Our old roof is holding up pretty well so far. There's just one spot in a closet that started dripping a little last night. {Another one of those things we don't want to invest more money in if we plan to build in the near future.} I am so very thankful that I don't live in a tent, or even in a flooded area of our county, or in bone-dry, burning Texas. Yeah, when I start counting my blessings, they really are pouring down like rain!

Speaking of living in a tent, many of us were either in campers or tents during the reunion with my dad's side of the family. On the second night of our gathering, a severe thunder storm {with possibly a hint of a twister?} blew through just as we were eating dinner. Tree limbs came down all over the place, narrowly missing all the vehicles parked in their shade to escape the sweltering heat earlier in the day, one tent blew into the nearby garden, my parents tent blew in the opposite direction and wrapped around a tree, our pop-up camper top collapsed and the canopy tore loose from the camper, and a neighbor's chicken house {one of those huge, long kind} 1/2 mile to the east collapsed. No lack of excitement that weekend for sure! And we were so grateful for no major damage to our belongings, and especially that all of us were safe!

A few pictures {of sunny, dry days} taken in recent months . . . oh the happy days of summer!

Blessings to you friends today. Whether you are in the midst of heat, cold, drought, fire, or flood, may you know the peace of Jesus in every moment of today.

No Electricity {& Remembering Breakfast in Cape May}.

2011-08-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

{possibly the best breakfast in town!}

It's a little scary how almost everything about our daily lives is dependant on a POWER source. Cooking & baking, laundry, cleaning by wet rag or vacuum, phone calls (at least if you still have a cordless landline), taking a shower, anything related to the computer and internet . . . and seriously . . . the only thing I have been able to think to do is to read~IF you have enough light to see to do that!

{Just an ordinary breakfast order . . . but the flavors, great plates,

and presentation made everything very special!

Oh the French toast was gooood}

Thankfully we have kind friends who loaned us a generator big enough so that we can now run water, turn on lights, and especially keep our freezer cold for several hours at a time. All cooking still has to be done on the grill/gas burner on the patio.

{two enormous, scrumptious chocolate chip pancakes for the kids

can you tell I sampled something from everyone's plate?

My worst restaurant habit ever.}

I feel a real "kinship" with my Amish neighbors now. We have sometimes ~~grumbled~~ mentioned the fact tha our peace-loving Amish neighbors often make more noise on our lane than any of the "English" neighbors do, because of their generators, weed-eaters, and leaf blowers which are often running for a majority of the mornings or most of the day on Saturdays. But, hey! Now I'm right in there with 'em! Except that I, the one who thinks I can hardly live without electricty turned my generator off at 10:00 this morning, while my neighbor's was still going strong. {Oh brother! I have a "new" comparison going on in my life. Does it make me a worse or better or more spiritual housewife if I turn off my generator before my neighbor or would running it longer show that I'm working longer and harder or?!} Oh the irony of the peaceful, simple life.

We first heard we may be without power til the 1st of September, but now there's hope we may be up and running again tomorrow!

{I am a wrap & sandwich girl . . . and this breakfast wrap??

Most definitely worth my time!}

God bless all those guys out there working to get the lines back in place! I heard that our electric company has crews in from Arkansas and Kentucky helping with the work. Hmmm. Interesting. Didn't know how they do all that recovery work. Just happy this is all we'll have to remember Hurricane Irene. So happy that beatuiful Cape May didn't get the terrible storm surge predicted there either. Kinda wanted to go back again sometime~sooner rather than later, and couldn't imagine those beautiful old hotels and resturants with their first floors under water.

{And the happy family ready to dig in. Notice the clean orderly table has already been destroyed and littered with bottle, baby food jar, shreds of napkin compliments of Sophia, and silverware scattered about. I love the servers in the mirror too. One is trying to make Sophia smile and the other is standing there ready to serve my wrap!! :) Oh and the people out on the street are just waiting for a booth to open up for them so they can eat their breakfast}

And so ends this little post to say a word about how much we live by electricity, but mostly to show off that breakfast food. Isn't it fabulous-looking??

Ok. Need to go get a few things done before the lights go out.

Oh, but one more thing. If anyone ever wondered before why a person like me might always have to "fight the fat" that threatens to "collect" on me . . . guess you don't have to wonder any more! Right?! I just find food so fascinating and wonderful to create and eat and photograph and talk about, and well, sample and enjoy. I was so embarrassed a few mornings ago when I woke up and the first thing I remembered was that I had once again mentioned food as a "favorite thing" in that category of the {weekly} daybook post. I mean, there are hundreds, if not thousands of other non-food things I could mention, but food almost always comes to mind first. Embarrassing!! I'll have to work on that point and not be so narrow minded!

Good night.

The {weekly} Daybook.

2011-08-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

Outside my window . . .
Looks like I'm back to my real world of country life vs. the seaside vacation we enjoyed the past few days. I usually look forward to being home again and delving into the challenge of getting the house, laundry, and our lives back in order, but this vacation was a little hard to come "off" of ~ for all of us I think. It was pleasant in every way, and a treasured time together.

I am thinking . . .
Cape May, NJ is one of the nicest places on earth . . . or at least one of the nicest places on earth within a three hour drive from our home! And the nice part is that my husband loves it too. Maybe I won't have to work so hard to go to the shore again soon. Now if I could just get him to love the shore more than his mountain cabin, we could sell the cabin and {in our dreams} buy a beautiful seaside villa . . .

What I am learning . . .
To pray about everything instead of worrying about anything. I love the song with these words (from this album) that reminds me often to pray instead of worry. It's common for a mother to worry about her children, right? After all we're facing some scary-looking propositions for the future of our country, and the world for that matter, and I think so much about all the things that could ever happen to my children, not to mention the "normal" ways that one can get hurt or die . . . but I just love to turn these worries into prayers for my children. Their Father knows and loves them so much more than I. So thankful I can turn their lives over to His care.

I am creating . . .
Ummm. Creating, creating . . . Can't think of too much that I've been creating lately. Aside from vacationing it feels like I spend soooo much time cleaning and picking up stuff. Does that count for "creating order"?

Oh, but on this week's little getaway I was able to scrapbook!! So I guess that counts for creating something. I am so excited to almost have our 2010 family album complete. Trying to make an August 31st deadline so I can get an extra discount on printing and shipping!

I am hearing . . .
Quiet "noises" in the house that speak all is well. The ticking of the clock, the noise maker in the baby room, soft music in the living room. Yay, it's nap time!! :)

I am going . . .
To run to the store when the littles wake up. Need a few things, plus would like to scout out a few gifts for some very special people in my life~people I haven't seen in a loooong time. Oh, I am so excited for a campout with my dad's family coming up very soon. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Cousin's children all together, not to mention my own immediate family whom we live so very far from, most of them will be there too! Yay for the Yoders!!

Around the house . . .
A few bags are still waiting to be unpacked, the children have built a big "fort" in the middle of our living room, and about 12 quarts of tomato chunks are canned and ready to be carried to the pantry. And, no, I am not super-woman, and I did not can them myself at 6am this morning after coming off of that beautiful vacation. The truth is that my blessed mother-in-law has taken pity on me {or maybe she worries about the tomatoes going to waste} twice (or thrice?) in the past 2 weeks and has picked, canned, and delivered them to my door. I don't really care what it is that motivates her . . . I like it . . . at least after I get over my pride and all. :)

I am thankful for . . .
The knowledge that I am safe in the grasp of the Rock of all the Ages!
Earth tremors that don't last too long!
Pudgy little hands that grab sand, collect seashells, and give sweet hugs.
Late nights for dessert & coffee with Phil
Time to journal and read, and scrapbook.
Fresh tomato sandwiches. Pure, simple pleasure, for sure.
Biking past beautiful historic beach houses, stopping to watch boats glide out to sea.
The spray of salt water in your face.
The delight of children to see waves crash on the beach.
Watching two very hungry children consume food like there's no tomorrow.

One of my favorite things . . .
Seafood eaten by the sea. So fresh, so flavorful. Mmmm. It's a dangerous thing that we have now been to The Lobster House in Cape May, for how shall we ever be able to resist it when ever we are in the area??!

A picture . . .

{If I had a dollar for every time someone walked by and exclaimed about what a great idea this pool was . . . I probably could have paid for my dinner at Lobster House that night. It was a great idea, and one that I can't take credit for since a friend from church is the one who inspired me!}

Birthday Club Freebies.

2011-08-18T15:55:00.001-05:00

As promised, I wanted to tell you about the birthday clubs that my children are signed up for. I love to add to and extend the "it's YOUR birthday" feeling as long as possible around our house, so having a couple of places to go and receive special treatment adds to the fun {for them & me!} :)

I have linked the store names to their sign-up websites for your convenience.

{please excuse the morning hair, PJ's~or not,

and Toys R Us markers scribbled on cheeks!

It's the morning after our visit to the store!}

This year we received the royal treatment at Toys R Us: "Golden" crowns, helium ballons, and of course, their $3.00 coupons to spend on anything they wanted. We happened to go in the week that all the Crayola markers, crayons, and paints were "buy one, get one", so we left the store with a very nice stash of mostly-free stuff for our craft/project box. {Last year, D had a $3.00 coupon, PLUS received a free engine to add to his Thomas collection!}

K-mart has a birthday club too. Last year they sent a $5.00 coupon to be used on any toy. I was able to get a set of doll asseccories for Claudia for free. This year, though, the coupon said $5.00 off any toy purchase of $25.00 or more . . . Hmmm, not so good. I actually ended up throwing that coupon away, because we definitely don't need to spend or store $25.00 worth of toys around here. Maybe better luck next year??

B&N was a fun one! They each got to pick a cookie or a cupcake at the cafe. I guess the g-i-a-n-t cookies were too tempting, because they both went with that! Of course, while I was in the store, I finally got to pick out a journal I'd been craving for a looong time! It wasn't free by any means, so I'm not sure if WE got the bargain with the free cookies or if B&N got more than enough from the sale of my journal to cover the cost of the cookies! :)) In any case, I *did* use a coupon to lower my bill. You knew I would, right?

And here are a few more birthday clubs you might like:
Olan Mills offers a free portrait of your child on their birthday.

Some restaurants you can sign up for are Burger King, Boston Market, Friendly's, Sonic, Baskin Robbins, Bob Evans, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.

Adults can have some fun birthday stuff too! I'm not signed up for many, but one I look forward to each year is a free coffee drink from Dunkin' Donuts. Chili's sends out coupons for a free dessert or appetizer~usually with the purchase of an entree. I haven't used mine yet this year, but have it tucked away for "just in case". Panara Bread gave me a pastry of choice on my birthday. I also saw recently that Starbucks gives a free coffee drink if you buy a gift card from them and then register the number online (or something like that ~ haven't tried it yet.)

Do you have any fun/tasty places you or your children are registered at? Share in the comments if you like.

Oh, and one more thing, I recomend having an email address (seperate from your regular email address) that you can use to sign up for things like this and other free offers and coupons throughout the year. I do this and wouldn't want to do it any other way. It keeps spam and too many unwanted offers out of my main email . . . Just be sure to check that other email account once in a while~especially when birthdays come around!

Cheers to Happy Birthdays ahead!

The Winner, Technical Difficulties, and Patience

2011-08-17T09:12:00.004-05:00

Hello my friends . . .

If you've tried accessing my blog in the past couple of days, you probably noticed messy looking stuff if you were able to view anything at all. Ahhhhh . . . the learning curve for setting up with a different host and designing a blog in Wordpress was a little bigger than I had anticipated, especially when I only have short amounts of time to devote to making the change, between all the regular housekeeping/mommy duty things around here. So, for now I am redirecting to blogger until things can be worked out on the other end.

In other news, Esther Glick from FleurCottage is the winner of last week's giveaway. I had posted that announcement on the new blog, but since I'm back to blogger temporarily, that post was lost . . .

So, congratulations to Esther, and thanks so much to all of you who participated! I love hearing from readers, learning a little more about you, and reading your beautiful descriptions/reasons for liking the month that you do!

Happy Wednesday to all, and thank you for your patience (I'm *trying* to be patient) as we work out some of the technical difficulties around here.

~Shelly

Birthday Goodness

2011-08-12T10:26:00.009-05:00

"I'm a huge fan of my own birthday."

That's what Lydia Jo wrote in a comment on the previous post . . . I love it because that's me exactly. After a lovely day yesterday, and really, a great week, I told Phil at the end of the day that it's probably just the selfish side of me that loves the attention, gifts, cards, special outings, and the excuse to do things I've wanted to do all year anyway! But selfish or not, my family does a great job of humoring me. :)

I began hinting around a while ago . . . and then eventually just came out and said it . . . that I didn't really want a surprise party. I did it for him, and a few of our friends have had surprise 30th's lately, and I love when it's them. But I can't say that I love, love surprises of that nature!

{It took me so long to recover when once-upon-a-time my knight in shining armor appeared on my doorstep by surprise and only an hour or two later proposed to me!! My dad likes to joke that this was Phil's was of getting me to say "yes". I was sooo happy to see him and had been waiting for the moment I could say "yes", but the surprise part almost put me in a tail-spin!}.

After all, I am firstborn. I like to know what's coming, like to be prepared for the occasion, and even more importantly, I love to look forward to the event!

Also, I think that if I would live near to my life-long friends and close relatives, a surprise party could be fun . . . but relationships in my current setting are all pretty young and, hmmm . . . being the "surprise" center of attention can feel scary. There I said it. A surprise party might scare me. :)

So all of that long explanation to say . . . I got exactly the birthday gift I wanted when Phil gave me parts of two days to myself! There is simply not a more pleasing gift one could give to me in this busy stage of raising young ones then the gift of their time to be a.l.o.n.e. {Or date my man. Both are treasured!}

I spent 5 hours scrapbooking at an event with ladies from our church. I enjoyed hearing snatches of conversation around me, and conversing with Diane, my table partner, but other than that, I put my nose to the books, or uh, screen . . . and scrapbooked like mad. Was so pleased to digitally scrap a little more than two months worth of pictures in our family album!

On Monday afternoon I took 5 more hours . . . spending several at Panara Bread with a coffee drink, computer, journal & pen, and Bible. Again, such a sweet time of solitude and refreshment for my soul!

And can I just point out to you my new journal? Yes, the old-world-map looking thing under my coffee cup. I just can't get enough of old maps lately or of thinking/praying for India {and India is on the dead-center of the cover}, and the real leather smells sooo good, and the lines are college ruled, as all good journals should be. It makes me veeerrrry happy! It was a birthday gift to myself which I picked up at B&N on Saturday morning when I took my two eldest children in to pick out their free birthday treats.

For the first time ever, ever, I didn't buy myself a real journal when the last one got filled up at the end of last year. I have been writing some on the lined pages of my day planner, and also began keeping a journal on my computer, in order to write more, faster when the need arose! Well, neither of these options fully satisfied that need of holding a real book journal, so finally, with August now upon us, I allowed myself the luxurious loveliness of chooooooooooosing a brand new journal.

For those who don't journal or don't love journals, I apologize for what may seem like "a fit over nothing"~you'll just have to trust me on this one and believe that I am not exaggerating my feelings on the matter at all. Not even a teeny-weeny bit.

After my time at Panara Bread, I picked up a few things we needed at Target and then spent the rest of my time shopping for kids' clothes, keeping in mind that Autumn is not too far away. It's always fun to do this when a person can think, if you know what I mean.

And then my time was up, and I was homeward bound again . . . to all the people who had increased in sweetness while I was gone. :)

On Tuesday night {the night before my birthday}, Phil prepared a lovely little dinner with a few appetizers picked up from Costco, Tariyaki Chicken Breast and Rice, and Taramisu as my birthday cake/dessert!!

It was all delicious, and the Taramisu from Costco is simply the BEST. It hasn't been our first one this year either, although we do reserve it for very special occasions! {Thanks to my friend Charmaine for getting us hooked when we were visiting AL earlier this year. :)}

For the children's sakes, I wanted to put some candles into the dessert. Well, let me tell you, we searched high and low and everywhere for the pack of candles leftover from Claudia's party on Sunday. Absolutely no where to be found! We finally scrounged up this lone yellow candle and a plastic lion from D's cake last year, and there wasn't even a question about whether or not the lion should be given an honored position on the powdery, cocoa top. So we all smiled happy as the candle melted away and little voices {and one big} serenaded me with a verse of "Happy Birthday!".

My birth day {Wednesday}, was for the most part a normal day with Phil at work and me at home with the children. My mom called, tho, to wish me a happy birthday, and my MIL dropped by with a couple of gifts, to tell me that she will can a batch of tomato chunks or juice for me (!!) with the tomatoes that are growing like crazy in my garden, and to say she's keeping the children so Phil and I could go on a date!! {The gift of time, once again!} Wow!

So when 5:30 rolled around, we dropped off the children, and were on our way. Knowing my love for Thai food, he took me to a new place called Sukho Thai, located in an old remodeled warehouse near an old train track in Lancaster.

The service at Sukho Thai was great, and the food amazing! On our waiter's recommendation we ordered the crab won tons. Mmmmm. So delicately crisp on the outside with a soft crab &amp; cream cheese filling on the inside, and a tangy sauce to dip in. Oh they were so good (picture above)! I ordered a papaya salad as well, and then we split a coconut milk &amp; bamboo red curry dish, served over rice.

After dinner, we drove around looking at some of the beautiful historic homes in that part of town. And then we happened across The Gardens at Conestoga House which were open to free, self-guided tours on this particular day. A wonderful "treasure" to happen upon, because back when we were dating we had stopped in once, only to find that they were closed, and we'd never been back since.

What a beautiful place!! The Colonial revival architecture, mixed with the varied shades of green growing and blooming beauty is breathtaking and so lovely it makes your heart ache. In my minds eye I could see ladies in fancy hoop skirts, carriages, handsome gents, and parties taking place on the terrace. Mmmm, I could have stayed a looong time, but we only had a short time til closing, so we hurried to take everything in, getting a few pictures, oohing and aahing over the old swimming pool and bath house, the tennis court, the formal gardens, rose gardens, stables and so much more!

It was a lovely way to end an already wonderful birthday! A perfect way to celebrate 30 blessed years of life.

{FYI: The Gardens at Conestoga House are open to the public for self-guided tours every Wednesday from 1-8pm from mid June to August, and from 1-7pm in September. We saw several families and groups of women who looked like they had spend quite a bit of time there, picnicing, playing, perhaps a book club group, and a little luncheon/party. Something you may want to plan to see on these beautiful summer days we're enjoying here in PA!}

To Celebrate 30 Years {a giveaway}

2011-08-10T08:54:00.005-05:00

How gracious is our God to give us life! He has given us physical life, the beauty of His created world all around us, and most importantly, eternal life~to be enjoyed now and in eternity!

I love celebrating birthdays . . . and though turning thirty may sound a bit daunting, it's really just one more day with choices to be made, work to do, people to love and serve, and a Jesus to know more intimately.

In celebration of today and my favorite month, here's a little giveaway to thank you, my family & friends & friends still to be made, for coming back again and again to read what I write, sharing little bits of your lives with me, and for blessing my life in many ways in the past and present.

What we've got here: Dayspring tote bag, Mary Kay lip mask & balm, and the August Issue of Whole Living. Two kitchen tools that were new for me this year and I just love them: an herb scissors and Pampered Chef mini whisk. And last, but certainly not least is a pack of six pretty little dishrags from Target.

{I bought a pack for myself last week after having "new dish rags" on my shopping list for, maybe, allllll summer. I would have been embarrassed for you to see what I was using in my kitchen~utterly ugly and kind of indistinguishable from other house-cleaning rags. So, having a thing for yellow & green lately, I bought these and have been happy every single day since just looking them setting on my window sil or draped over my sink. Anyway, I went back a few days ago to buy another pack for YOU.}

So, to enter to win, just leave a comment telling your favorite month of the year and why (apart from a major holiday). Please make sure I know you or have a way to contact you! AND . . . if you have a hard time getting the commenter thing to work {I've had problems with blogger lately) then please leave a comment under the link to this post on Facebook. I'll add that list of names to the bottom of the comments on this post when it comes to numbering/random drawing.

**Deadline for this giveaway is Sunday, August 14, 2011.**Thanks, and HAPPY AUGUST 10th!! :)

A Daughter is Two.

2011-08-09T15:08:00.003-05:00

It's so much fun to introduce a two-year old to all the action of a birthday!

Claudia started the day, not quite sure of all that was going on, but would grin whenever we told her it was her birthday. By the end of the day, she understand fully that this day really was all about her, and was loving every minute of it. :)

The various birthday songs. the ear pulling, cheek pinching, extra kisses, phone call from Gramma, gifts from relatives, a kitty cat from her daddy, a funny little e-card from her auntie, balloons! Wow, what more could a little girl want?!

When Dietrich turned two, I came across this Birthday Song and have sung it to the children on every birthday since~many times throughout the day. They love it and so do I!

Claudia's birthday landed on a busy weekend, and a Sunday at that. And since we attended another church because one of Phil's favorite singer/musicians was there, we decided to skip the Sunday School hour in order to have a little more time at home for her special day.

This gave some time for Claudia and I to bake her cupcakes together. Doing this brought back all the memories of making birthday cake with a two-year-old Dietrich. What a fun age it is, taking their cake-making job so seriously and all! :)

Well, after many licks and double-dipping of fingers in the batter {at least they get baked at 350 degrees, right?!}we got the job done in time to leave for church, and then iced them when we returned to enjoy with our Sunday lunch, with older brother as an eager participant, of course. Skimpy on the icing and heavy on the sprinkles seemed to be the outcome of their handiwork!

We love our Claudia Grace! She is a busy little lady who loves to keep up {and go everywhere} with her Daddy & brother, while also "managing" everything from nuks, bottles, lights out & noise maker "on" in Sophia's little life.

Her name meaning, "Conquerer" or "Overcomer", fits her incredibly well. We marvel at the determination and spunk with which she addresses almost every aspect of life!!

Maybe this is part of the reason she basically potty-trained herself last week? I took her a dozen times throughout the day on Monday & Tuesday of last week. She seemed to love it, and only had several accidents. Before I knew it, she was taking herself to the potty~and managing quite well with dumping all and any contents of the little potty into the big potty, much to her mother's dismay/amazement! Oh how wonderful to now only have one child~the baby~in diapers!

The negative side of this trait can be extreme stubbornness and independence, but through "Grace" {grace to train her well, HIS grace upon her life, and her learning to live graciously} we look forward to all these things used for the glory of her Maker!

Happy Birthday, Two-Year Old!

**Check back soon to see some of the fun and free birthday freebies we've received just by being on the right mailing lists! You may want to sign up too**

**Oh, and coming up tomorrow in celebration of my 30th Birthday. . . . . . a giveaway I hope you'll enjoy and want to enter!**

A Tempting Trilogy

2011-08-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

{Summer Squash Saute}

Just had to share three of the dishes I have been sinking my teeth into the past month or so. The variety of flavors and dishes that can be put together using summer squash, tomatoes, onions, plus a variety of fresh herbs and a few other ingredients are simply tantalizing to the taste buds!

{Or maybe I should speak for myself and say, my taste buds! I never cease to be SHOCKED when I learn that someone doesn't like tomatoes or mushrooms or cucumbers or onions or, or?? What does such an one do for taste bud tantalization? Especially in the summer?}

So, first for the summer squash saute . . . no recipe needed . . . it's just something my mom made a lot during the summer when I was growing up, and we all loved it. Except, we used zucchini because we didn't/couldn't? grow summer squash. I use either one or a mixture of both. Saute' some onion in a nice amount of butter, add the squash, cover with lid to steam til tender. At the last, add chopped tomatoes and a fresh herb such as basil. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese {or a little feta as I did above~no cheddar in the house!} and serve.

{Tomato Cheese Pie}

Second, is a tomato pie, inspired, in a round-about kind of way, by a magazine page that I've had pulled out, just waiting to try my hand at it for several years now . . . It was delicious! But there are so many takes on tomato pie {just google "Tomato Cheese Pie" and you will see!} that I think I would try several more before settling on a "favorite". Also I keep hearing about a restaurant not too far from me who makes tomato pie their specialty, so now I would love to try theirs as well.

So which recipe would you like to try? Like I said, you can find so many recipes online! I patterned my pie after this one, chopping my tomatoes instead of slicing, mixing my crumbled bacon in with the cheese and mayo, and using fresh basil instead of dried. Next time, I'd pre-bake my crust for ten minutes . . . and maybe take the time to make enough crust for a full top layer instead of my sad-looking strips that I was trying to piece together from the bottom crust leftovers. :)

And third is a dish that's great as a healthy breakfast or brunch. The idea came from a nutritionist I heard speak several years ago. Never would have thought of this one on my own, but occasionally I get hungry for exactly this!

{Baked Vegetable Breakfast}

You simply chop a variety of seasonal vegetables & herbs, place in a baking dish with a dab or two of butter, sprinkle with salt~I love Herbamare seasoning for this!~and then bake covered at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Crack several eggs into the dish, cover again, and bake til eggs are done to your liking. Let cool a little and then dig in! :) You could add cheese and serve toast with this as well. Delicious!

And that's all for today. Happy weekend to you, and if you have a favorite, easy-to-put-together dish using bountiful summer harvest, then by all means, let's hear about it!

August {i love it!}

2011-08-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

{August 2009 on Lake of the Woods}

August has been my favorite month of the year~for ever, I think.

When I was younger, I loved August because it was my birthday month {which I also shared with my mom}, for the beautiful summer weather, for the flowers in my rock garden that were in their prime, for one last month of carefree days before school began in September which often included camping and days on the lake, for wild canadian blueberries that were so abundant {i liked eating them~not picking.}, for the DQ ice cream cake my mom often bought for my birthday, because our local DQ was closed half of the year, and by the time my birthday came around, we were all happy for a reason to eat ice cream cake!!

I always wanted to get married in August, but at the time two more months added to our already 9-month engagement seemed too long! So I got married in June, and my sister who never thought August was anything special, went ahead and got married that month!

{Picking blueberries summer 2009~mmmm . . . so, so tasty!}

Now I am a little older and live in an entirely different location, but I still love August. I can't help the fact that I still love {my} birthdays . . . and I am happy now to share this birthday month with my first daughter! And while the thought of wild blueberries many hours north sometimes leaves me green with envy, I now enjoy fresh peaches growing on our orchard trees {easier to pick!}, tomatoes in abundance, and still many days of beautiful weather left in this season to enjoy.

{2010 Peaches! Have you EVER seen such bounty??}

Welcome, August 2011!

A Four Year Old

2011-07-26T21:45:00.002-05:00

It is just so hard to believe that my little boy is four years old!

His tender heart, kindness, cheerful attitudes, and helpful, responsible, first-born ways bring much happiness to my days and to our home. He also talks non-stop which is a character/patience developer { for me} time and time again. :)

We spent this past weekend with family in Ohio, and it was kinda handy to slip a party into the whole mix, since many of his cousins {best playmates} were already on location!

They played some ball, ate some cake and cones, threw water balloons, and played with some of the gifts that the aunts gave.

Except for a little melt-down when it came to the water balloons activity {I still don't know why exactly . . . except that if anyone needed a reason besides the extreme heat to begin melting down?? . . . }, he was grinning and having a wonderful time the entire day.

Happy Birthday, Dietrich, My Boy!

The {weekly} Daybook

2011-07-21T14:36:00.003-05:00

Outside my window . . .

Our trusty a/c unit is doing its thing and making life quite comfortable for us inside the walls of our little house.

Words cannot express how grateful I was that first summer, when I had just (married and) moved from mostly-cool-and-comfortable Northwestern Ontario to hot-and-sticky Pennsylvania, that my groom went and bought a window unit pronto! It was a kind gesture on behalf of his new bride which made him more comfortable too, I'm sure~in more ways than one! ;)

A year or two later we upgraded to a central air unit when he found two of them at an auction and bought them for $1.00. Of course it costs about that amount to run it each day . . . but oh how lovely to come inside to coolness after being out in the heat, or to lay down in comfort on those hot, sticky nights that are common to this region!

I am thinking . . .

How SMART it is to go shopping. by. yourself. every once in a while! After several times of in and out of the van Monday and Tuesday for swimming with friends at the pool and picking up a few things at the store . . . and all in this hot, hot weather, I just couldn't bear the thought of doing it a third day.

So, my kind neighbor kept the children yesterday morning for a little more than an hour while I drove a fast loop from my house, to the library, to the post office, and to the store for a cart load of groceries. I was able to pick up several items for my neighbor too(who is Amish and doesn't own a car), so we were both grateful for the exchange of favors.

And then, can you fathom such a thing, I told my man that I needed to go on a "date" by myself last night for about 1.5 hours. I first told him . . . and then I asked him. ;)

He let me go . . . so off I went to Target to pick up a few essentials, and a desperately needed white tee-shirt {my other one tore for no reason several weeks ago . . . and to me, a white shirt is a MUST in hot summer.}

I put three white shirts in my cart {a woman short on time doesn't waste time in the dressing room!} with plans to return at least one and maybe two of them.

With those items checked off my list, I took several minutes to stop at Panara to redeem my free espresso drink~yes an iced latte will do fine, thank you! Oh, and a gift card for someone who did us a huge favor many moons ago . . . and then to fill up with gas . . . and home again {just 15 minutes past my originally-asked-off-time}.

It's amazing how 1.75 hours, quietness, ease of movement from vehicle to store, a few purchases, and an iced latte later is often all that it takes for a mom to feel rejuvenated and happy to come back home again! And after I gather the courage to just do it, I sometimes wonder why I don't do it more!!

In my kitchen . . .
Nothing is cooking at the moment. My children had a diversion from all manner of oats this morning and ate French toast and peaches instead. I am continuing on the 3rd day of a cleanse: eating fresh fruit & vegetables, drinking lots of water, and drinking the vegetable stock I cooked up 2 days ago. (I confess to drinking an iced latte last evening and a few other "cheat bites", but over all, quite pleased with my progress.)

Granola was baking last night, as well as meatloaf for supper. Yeah, it's a hot week and I've tried to keep oven usage to a minimum . . . but I stuck those two items in the oven together last night, trying to conserve the energy.

Fresh cherries, peaches, and cantaloupe are setting on the counter. Mmmm I love the fresh, sweet bounty of summer!!

I am hearing . . .
The happy sounds of my children playing with ropes and cowboy clothes. Also the tinkling of a few piano keys as they try to tie their ropes to it in various places.

The peaceful, soothing music of Hidden In My Heart is also wafting over to us from the kitchen . . .

Around the house . . .

It's cleaning day! 'Twill be nice to get everything in order before going away for a bit . . . Nothing worse than coming home to a dirty house after some time away!

My children (almost 4 & almost 2) are becoming true helpers to me! They can entertain the baby, pick up toys in a hurry, gather the laundry, empty all the little garbage cans, run little dust rags over chairs and other furniture, run out-of-place items to the room where they belong (and then I come along later and put them in the proper place), set and clear the table at mealtimes, gather the eggs from our chicken coop outback, fold little wash clothes, and more.

It's rewarding when you start to see the chore routines, the times of allowing them to "help" before they were really a help, and little steps of training along the way really beginning to pay off!

I am thankful for . . .

Two days at the pool this week with friends.
My children's health and safety time and time again!
Times of solitude and reflection.
Days of Rest {aka Sunday}.
Icy drinks on hot summer days~especially Strawberry Lemonade, Orange Julius, and Iced Coffee.
The wonderful "technology" of telephones~still one of the best ways for my parents and I to communicate. And now my children have taken a liking to talking to their grandparents too. It's not uncommon to have eldest child asking his gramma to sing a song or tell a story over the phone. We, in turn, quote verses and sing songs back to them. It's the sweetest thing to watch/hear. :)

One of my favorite things . . .

On the heels of saying how much I love a bit of time to myself . . . one of my favorite things is spending time with my family. Especially when my man takes charge and says we're gonna do "so and so" or go to "such and such" a place.

Last Saturday he said he planned to take us to Pinnacle Overlook along the Susquehanna River. I packed our burgers and a few other things to eat and we were shortly on our way.

I have sweet memories of a date at another point along the Susquehanna River just a month or two before our wedding, with my Prince Charming grilling food for me that time as well. I love how certain places, an atmosphere, a scent, or a song can transport you back, back, back in time. In this case just a little over 5 years, but the memories come back as clear and vivid as if it were last week!

While I remember, I look across to the tall handsome man who is now my husband, and around the table to the three energetic, sweet, and noisy children we've been given, and I can't help but grin. We've come a looong way, Baby {in a fairly short amount of time}! :)

We enjoyed our cookout, chatted with a couple of Amish families picnicking around us, walked the trail to an overlook, took a peek through the Amish boy's telescope, stole a few pictures, and watched the beautiful sunset.

Summer . . . O how I love thee. And how I love the man that makes these adventures happen time and time again.

A picture . . .

An "english" princess & amish knight??

{They were communicating in their own little ways

as they gazed into the sunset

and threw pebbles over the fence in front of them.}

Grilled Vegetables w/ Yogurt Sauce

2011-07-14T15:47:00.001-05:00

The idea for this recipe came some years ago while I was still living at home in my parent's house, and I just seasoned and doctored it a little til I felt it was right! It has probably been the most loved, most-asked-for recipe that I have ever made {besides bread}, and since some have been asking for it again this summer, I thought I'd share it in a post.

Vegetables (option 1):
1 small eggplant,
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 red bell pepper
1 red {or other sweet} onion
1 8 oz. box fresh mushrooms

Cut all the vegetables into thick chunks {peel eggplant if desired, seed the pepper, etc.} and set aside. The eggplant takes longer to soften when grilling, so it's best to keep it seperate from the other vegetables~and if you prefer your mushrooms a little firmer {less time on the grill}, you can keep those seperate too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vegetables (option 2):
If you are tomato, mushroom, onion-happy folks anything near to what we are, you'll also enjoy this second combination for grilling and serving with the sauce. I usually make this one when the squash and eggplant aren't in season . . . or just because we LIKE it a whole lot.

2 Sweet Onions
2 8 oz. boxes fresh mushrooms
1 box grape tomatoes

(These amounts are approximate. I just chop and add more/less according to the number of people I'm serving.) Grill the onions and mushrooms together, adding the tomatoes in just a couple of minutes at the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See that scary-looking sissors?

It's a gift from my MIL which she bought in Europe last year.

I wasn't sure if I'd love it or if it would be one of those kitchen gadgets

that sound really nice, but never get used.

Well, I'm happy to report that I use it all the time!

It makes snipping fresh herbs sooo easy and fun.

Marinade:
2-3 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar (balsamic is my favorite in this recipe.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (or 3 tsp dried)

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, pour over the vegetables, set aside for at least 10 minutes, stirring once or so to make sure all vegetables are coated. {This can be refrigerated for up to a day ahead of time to make dinner prep easier when having guests.}

Yogurt White Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
1 heaping Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
A bit of freshly ground pepper
A dash or two of seasoning salt or your favorite steak seasoning
2-3 Tbsp fresh, chopped basil (or 2 tsp. dried)

Whisk sauce ingredients till smooth.

Don't have a handy grilling bowl?

Run to the nearest store with a camping/outdoor living department and buy one!!

You can also put these vegetables on kabab sticks, but it's quite time consuming,

especially when serving a number of people.

Oh, and if you should happen to not even be the happy owner of a grill,

you can cook these vegetables in your oven broiler.

Never have tried that myself . . . just love that grilled flavor so much!!

Grill vegetables to your liking and serve with some of the dressing {nicely}drizzled over top. Or do like we do and smother those veggies in the sauce. Makes the rice and everything soooo good. Delicious served with grilled meats, rice pilaf, etc!

This serves between 4-6 adults {all depends whose eatin'! :)}
Aaannnnd if you have any leftovers, try chopping them up to use on a salad, as a sandwich topping, in a burrito, on in your favorite pasta sauce.

Two Week Menu Plan

2011-07-13T21:07:00.002-05:00

We're half-way through this menu plan already since I didn't take time to post it earlier. But for those of you who like the food ideas and a few new recipes, here's the dinner list. I hope to post a few of the recipes in the next few days . . . or weeks at the longest.

{You just never know what might come before writing these days! Could be another diaper to change, a fight to referee, a meal to cook, a book to read, berries to pick before my in-laws strip the bushes clean!;), some raspberry muffins to bake, laudry to hang on the line, or take down from the line and fold, or a good book to read. Oh yeah, and then there's always a floor to clean, a mouth to wipe, a band-aid to stick, a trick to watch, a story to listen to, a trip to the pool to cool hot bodies, sympathy to give, the phone to answer, a cheek to kiss, an appointment to make . . . and these are only a few of the things that come to my mind without really thinking.}

I'm not bothering to post breakfast and lunch because Muesli takes us through breakfast almost each and every day, with an occasional egg breakfast of some type. Lunch is easy as long as I keep a few lunch items on hand like fresh bread, cheese, sometimes leftover meats, and cookies~The fresh fruit and garden goodness fill in the cracks!

BLT's

Marinated Chicken Breast, Butter & Dill potatoes, Green Beans

Taco Salad

Tortellini w/ Mushrooms & Bacon

Black Beans & Rice

Meatloaf, potatoes, garden vegetable of some sort!

Grilled French Bread w/ tomato & cucumber salad

Ham Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Sauted summer squash, cumber salad

Steak, Grilled Vegetable Medley w/ sauce, Basmati Rice

Hot Dog Roast w/ cousins . . . Watermelon, Green Beans, S'mores :)

Grilled Burgers w/ all the "trimmings"

Corn on the Cob, Parsley Potatoes, Green Beans

(Out or Away 2x's)

As you can tell, some things like Burgers, Pizza, and Taco Salad almost always make the list in a two-week period in the summer time! Also, I've been trying to have more "meat and potato" meals since we have those and garden vegetables so readily available. And green beans?? Well, yes, I love them and will even go so far as to cook them up with onions, butter and salt to go along with a doggie roast. Any more explanations needed?

Oh, and the underlined items are meals I hope to post with recipes soon.

Ok, gotta run. Another little person is begging for another story.

{See, told ya!}

Orange Julius

2011-07-11T14:06:00.000-05:00

This hot summer weather calls for pulling out all the stops on cold, icy drinks!

This is one I remember my mom making when I was young and occasionally through my growing-up years~we rarely had pop {or soda as I am now being influenced to say in this region of the country} but we had orange julius! And now our little family happily re-discovered it again last week . . . and have had it multiple times.

Did you happen to forget about it as I had? Or maybe you've never tasted?? Enjoy!

Orange Julius
1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 to 12 ice cubes

Blend til smooth and serve immediately. Serves 4
Sooooooo Easy!

**My notes** If you have real orange juice on hand and no concentrate, as I did last week, you can use 1 cup juice and eliminate the water. Also, if you know me, I try to skimp on sugar {esp when making this for myself or my children, but then as you can see, I had to add some cinnamon fish to their diet to make sure they sure-enough are getting enough sugar in their systems!} and it still tastes great with less, but for the full sugary pleasure of a sweet drink, go ahead and add that whole 1/4 cup. :)

No Longer A Slumdog {free book}

2011-07-05T16:24:00.000-05:00

Just finished reading No Longer A Slumdog by K.P. Johanan and want to share a few thoughts with you, as well as tell you where you can get your own copy~for free!

The message in this book is heart-wrenching, eye-opening, and makes me wonder again how I ever get so caught up in my own little world as to think that I need one more thing from the store, or that one more item ordered from a particular website might make me happy.

How can I get so caught up in trivial things? when precious children {as precious as my own!} are hungry tonight and have no safe {let alone comfortable} place to lay their heads.

I know it's an age-old story, but maybe because I'm a mom now, or maybe because the Lord is finally getting through to me, these children's stories have captured me and I can't shake the feeling that I personally must get involved in their lives.

While talking to my mom about this book and sharing how I hope to be able to sponsor at least one more child monthly . . . she proceeded to tell me about a couple she knows, who~though not extremely wealthy in our standards~sponsor 1,000 children every month!! They pray constantly, relying on the Lord to meet their needs so that they can continue to give to those One Thousand children's needs every month.

Amazing!!

If one couple can do this through prayer and trusting in our Heavenly Father, I wonder what is keeping me from stepping out in faith to do just a little {or a lot} more than what I already do?

I don't know how long this free offer will last, but for now, you can go to this site and request your copy of No Longer A Slumdog.

But if you get the book and read it, be prepared to dosomething, for as C.S. Lewis said,

"The more often we feel without acting,

the less we will be able ever to act,

and, in the long run,

the less we will be able to feel."

Just as I am finishing this post, I notice this by Ann Voskamp, who is an advocate for children through Compassion.

"What better way to thank God for the blessed country we live in . .

than to reach out to this child with those blessings?

But only by the grace of God, we were born here in this land of plenty

-- now to be the means of grace for a child born in another country?

We really could make a difference today

and another child could celebrate the best country of all

-- the Kingdom of God!"

I love that!

So whether it be sponsoring a child through GFA Bridge of Hope, Compassion, or Bibles for the World, I pray that it will all be done in Jesus' name and for His sake, and that perhaps I could encourage you to take one or a few children under your care?

And as you do, may you experience the joy of serving and loving Christ Jesus Himself.

Amen.

{We have experience with all three of the above-mentioned organizations and would highly recommend each to you. From what we know and can tell, they have the same basic goals and ways of ministering to children's spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. I think it's wonderful to have these groups in place that help us help children in need!}