Sunshine in the House

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T13:27:00.002-06:00

Valentine's Day is such a great time to focus on loving those around us. I treated my hubby and kids to "7 days of love" this week. Such a fun and easy treat (found on Pinterest). My hubby's had a little love note for each day, along with the candy. Tonight we are having a meal of all red, pink or white. I wonder how that will taste???
Have a great day and go share some LOVE. <3

My Favorite Things Party

2012-02-07T13:39:00.001-06:00

Last fall I read about a "Favorite Things" party on pinterest.com and knew I wanted to host one in January. I love hosting parties, and the idea behind this one seemed so creative. I invited 15-20 friends and asked each of them to choose one of their favorite things in the $6 price range. They were instructed to buy three of the favorite thing they had chosen (three of the same item), package it up, and bring it to the party.

At the party, each guest wrote her name on a three tags and threw them into a bowl. We passed the bowl around and each guest drew out three names, making sure to not get our own name or duplicates. We went around the circle and gave our "favorite things" to the 3 names we had drawn. It was so fun to see what everyone brought! Some of the "favorite things": lotion, lip balm, pens, journal, chocolates, nail polish, spatula, room freshener, kitchen soap, salsa, perfume, puzzle book, rolling pins, flavored syrup, eye liner, and more that I can't think of at the moment!

The best part of the evening was spending it with some of my favorite people!

Broken

2012-01-30T21:12:00.001-06:00

Broken...
lives, hearts, homes, relationships, this world.

It is so hard for me to write this post. Last week was rough. Things have not been well with our Native American exchange student for some time. Levi is no longer with us.

Our hearts are hurting. He is filled with regret. Life is so complicated. Commitment is a challenge. Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Peace is not always present. Battles have to be fought and victories are not always won.

We pray that Levi can return to our home. His future is unknown...unknown to us, but not unknown to our Lord.

God knows the plans He has for His child, Levi. I used to tell Levi that his theme verse was Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We are praying that he will believe and remember the Truth that he heard while he was with us, and that he will battle every day to make a better life for himself.

I am choosing to think on these truths:

with Jesus, we can have peace in all circumstances
God pursues individuals...He knows where and how to make Himself known to Levi
because of my belief in the power of the Holy Spirit, I can expect the unexpected
God overcomes opposition through the prayers of His people
God orchestrates opportunity through prayer
Even though I feel that time is running out, God has more than enough time to accomplish His plan

Please pray earnestly with us.

Wordless Wednesday--hate waking up to this

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

January craftiness

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

I haven't done much crafting in January, but the months not over...right???
I hope to get at least one scrapbook page done. I know if I do one, it will lead to more.
And there are always Valentine's to be made. January is the best time to make homemade Valentine's, because there's no rush yet.
Today I made something I pinned on Pinterest quite a while back. I thought it was perfect to have on display in my home in January and February. Fortunately I had picked up a shadow box frame at Hobby Lobby last fall--half price. :)

It took under an hour to make this. I especially love the words on each of the hearts I cut out.
(I photocopied the antique hymnal page. I can't bear to cut up my old books.)

"I Love to Tell the Story"
"...because I know 'tis true"
"...listen to the story"
"I will sing to you of Jesus..."
"...of Jesus and His love."

Praying that I have lots of stories and songs about Jesus.

He will do it

2012-01-16T15:58:00.000-06:00

I am so grateful for Bible Study Fellowship. It is my first year to be a part of this Bible study, which includes groups all around the world studying the same passages of scripture each week. Being part of an organized Bible study has helped me be more consistent about reading the Bible. I really need that.

Today all six kids who were in my house slept late, and I was able to catch up on a few days of this week's lesson. I read through 1 Thessalonians and was spurred on by a couple of passages.

1 Thess. 1:3
Paul was talking to the church...
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
I need to focus on these things...it seems like it should be simple. :)
faith -->produces work
love -->prompts labor
hope -->inspires endurance

1 Thess. chapters 2 and 3
Paul is such a great of example of how we are to love others; especially those we are shepherding. I really want to work to be more like Paul.
1 Thess. 3: 12-13
"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones."

1 Thess. chapters 4 and 5
These chapters are loaded with so many instructions on how to live a life that's pleasing to God. I needed this reminder...
1 Thess. 5: 16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

And this final nugget. My favorite of the whole book:
1 Thess. 5: 23-24
"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

Bowling Party

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

We had fun bowling with friends last weekend. What a fun thing to do on a winter Saturday night.

Mini-craft day

2012-01-10T14:51:00.003-06:00

Meg and I thought it would be fun to host a craft day with her friends over Christmas vacation. The day before school started up again, some of her friends came over for an afternoon of crafting. She called it "mini" craft day, since they were kids and only hanging out for a few hours. She knows that the craft days I host with my friends are an all-day-crafting affair!

We made some fun crafts and hope to do it again sometime.

All their crafts were inspired by things we found on Pinterest.com

(toilet paper tube snowflakes, felt flower pins, friendship bracelets, corner bookmarks)

Today: Spring Fever

2012-01-05T18:56:00.001-06:00

Today I saw...
cars being washed
dogs being walked
a driver in a convertible with the top down
people running/jogging
boys playing football
Christmas lights being taken down
kids playing basketball
neighbors visiting on driveways
garages being cleaned out

Today many Iowa towns broke a 56-year-old record for the high temperature on January 5. Our town had a high temperature of 63 degrees. It felt like spring. It was glorious!

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T15:06:00.000-06:00

Time, the cradle of hope...

Wisdom walks before it, opportunity with it,

and repentance behind it.

He that has made it his friend

will have little to fear from his enemies,

but he that has made it his enemy

will have little to hope from his friends.

Charles Caleb Colton

Hawaiian Slider Rolls

2011-12-29T07:57:00.000-06:00

I tried a new recipe yesterday. These were great and I will likely make them for New Year's eve. They can even be made the day before and refrigerated. I could see having them for supper on a busy evening or for Sunday lunch. Great with soup or salad!

Hawaiian Slider Rolls

24 Hawaiian slider rolls
1 lb. honey ham (24 small pieces)
1 pkg. Swiss cheese (cut into 24 pieces)
1/2 c. mayonaisse

sauce:
(I didn't use all of the sauce)
1 1/2 T. dijon mustard
1/4 c. melted butter
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. poppy seeds

Cut rolls apart and spread each with mayonaisse. Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on each, then replace tops of rolls. Place in cake pan or on heavy baking sheet.

Mix sauce together in small bowl. Pour or brush sauce onto each roll, just using as much as you need to cover the tops. Let sit approx. 10 minutes until the butter is set. (Can be covered and placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.) Cover with foil and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted. Remove foil and bake 2-3 more minutes. Serve warm.

After Christmas

2011-12-27T11:34:00.000-06:00

Christmas is wonderful--one of my greatest joys in this life. I love to spend time with family, hang greenery and decorations, do extra baking, make homemade gifts, listen to beautiful Christmas music, and plan ways to offer gifts to the needy in my community. All these things bring richness to my life, but I sometimes find that they fail to satisfy my hungry soul. My soul longs for Jesus. He is the One who can satisfy. So I read books, listen to music, and open scripture to help me anticipate the coming of a Baby--the Savior of the world. What a gift He was for mankind! What joy Christ brings to my Christmas!

Unfortunately, most of us experience the other side of Christmas as well. The days after Christmas can bring gifts that don't fit, time spent with family that caused hurt or disappointment, exhaustion due to the busy season, more shopping for returns and exchanges, the list goes on and on.

In these days after Christmas, my mind keeps returning to the same thought: I am so grateful for what Jesus offers us AFTER Christmas. He didn't stay a baby in a manger. He became a man--a man with a purpose. His purpose to redeem us changed my life forever. He loves us more than I can comprehend. He is life and light, hope and peace to me. During these days after Christmas, I hope you can join me in receiving a gift that doesn't end with Christmas. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift you brought us as a man. The promise of heaven to those who know You, and the hope You bring to each day is what truly satisfies the soul.

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may

overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

A few of my favorite things...

2011-12-25T13:36:00.000-06:00

Some of my favorite images from previous years. I framed this in my house this year.

Our Christmas card

2011-12-23T13:34:00.000-06:00

This is the card we sent to friends and family this year.

Merry Christmas!

Decking the Halls

2011-12-17T13:19:00.000-06:00

I have been decking my home with holiday cheer. I love this season for so many reasons.

A few days ago, I had a chance to stay home and decorate a bit more. I found this free BELIEVE printable banner and had one up on my fireplace within 30 minutes. I printed it on kraft cardstock and then cut it out and threaded it on ribbon. It was just what my mantle needed, since we don't hang stockings on this fireplace.

Be sure and check out the wonderful blog at Second Street because she has multiple free printable banners. This year's is a MERRY CHRISTMAS banner which is also really cute.

My Redneck College Student

2011-12-16T11:02:00.000-06:00

My redneck college student came home from college (like he actually ever left) and...

got his first haircut in 3 months
dropped a pile of dirty clothes in the middle of the laundry room floor
trimmed his beard, because he hasn't shaved in 6 weeks
took 2 naps his first day at home

gathered siblings at 7:00am to wake up Levi by singing Jeff Foxworthy's Twelve Redneck Days of Christmas (plus "Jingle Bells, Levi smells...")

loaded his truck with guns and traps, to spend the next week trappin' coons in Missouri for extra spending money
cut his toenails in the dining room before leaving for Missouri
shared a gallon of chocolate milk with little brother (did you both drink out of the jug???)
lives in jeans, flannel, boots and carhart overalls

Favorite Christmas Read-alouds

2011-12-13T07:56:00.000-06:00

From last year in December...

Years ago, before I had any children, I started a book collection. I read the books to myself, and I read the books to my classes when I was a teacher. I chose books that made me laugh and/or cry. Our book collection continues to grow, and our home is currently at risk of being overtaken by books.

When my kids were very young, I read an idea to use a Christmas book basket as a sort-of countdown activity. I wrapped all our books in gift wrap and put them in a basket under the tree. We let the kids choose one to open each evening of December. We bought a new book each year (and wrote the date inside the cover) to add to our collection. Choosing one or two each evening helped us get all the books read, and gave the kids the treat of opening a gift. After 12 or more years of this, we have a huge collection of Christmas books, as well as a "favorites" list. (Luckily I don't have to spend the time wrapping them anymore.)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is an all-time favorite, because of it's longevity. My teenagers still enjoy it, while most of the picture books don't keep their attention any more. The copy I read from is 25-30 years old--mine from when I was a kid. It takes a few evenings to read and has very few pictures, so it is probably best for school-aged kids. It will make you laugh out loud and will cause you to pause and consider the wonder of the birth of Christ in a fresh way.

One Wintry Night is a favorite chapter/picture book. A boy is caught in a mountain blizzard at Christmas time and ends up staying in the cabin of an older woman who had known his grandfather. She tells him the Christmas story, beginning with creation and ending with the resurrection. It's like a condensed version of key events of the Bible, showing a big picture perspective of how the birth of Christ fits in with God's bigger plan for mankind. The illustrations are large and amazing, but this book will take a few evenings to finish.

One of the earliest purchased Christmas books of our collection, set in the Appalachian mountains during World War I, is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. Easy to read to young children in one setting. I'm warning you mothers, have a tissue ready.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski is a tender story of a lonely man whose wife and child died, and he has become bitter. He lives in the same town with a widow and her son and they ask Mr. Toomey to carve a nativity set for them. They begin spending time with him as he works on their nativity. In the process of carving the nativity set, Mr. Toomey deals with some of his grief and his heart is softened toward making new friends. (sniff-sniff)

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard H. Schneider is a story of how the young tree, Small Pine, gives shelter to many creatures in the forest, but sacrifices a perfect appearance as a result. In spite of the imperfections, the queen chose Small Pine as her tree for the castle, because she recognized these imperfections as the result of sacrifice for others. It teaches that living for the sake of others makes us beautiful in God's eyes.

The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt is as much an Easter story as it is a Christmas story. In this folktale, three trees are disappointed that their dreams are never achieved. Each tree eventually gets his wish in a manner that only God could have fulfilled.

I will always love The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. It is good for young children -- a great story of a family who generously gave away a prized possession.

When Washington Crossed the Delaware is an amazing way to include our nation's history with our Christmas season. It was written by Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney. It retells a dramatic event that took place on Christmas night in 1776. The book is lavishly illustrated, which makes it extra enjoyable.

Snow Globe Look-a-Like

2011-12-10T15:06:00.001-06:00

I've been seeing mason jar "snow globes" everywhere this Christmas. They have such a whimsy about them that I love! When I saw the post by Ashley Ann Campbell from Under the Sycamore about how easy they are to make, I realized I had everything to do it.

I also pulled out one I made probably 10 years ago. Maybe it's back in style???

Here is a picture of my new "snow globe."
(Old pickle jar with the lid spray painted red. Little deer and bunny from Meg's tiny animal stash. Old tree and fake snow from Hobby Lobby.)

Here is the old and new:

Now we just need some snow outside! Hoping for a white Christmas!

December Daily

2011-12-02T10:19:00.001-06:00

Are you joining Ali Edwards and so many others and making a December Daily album?

You can see mine from 2009 on the right sidebar--just scroll down a bit and click on the December Daily 2009 link. It was one of my favorite Christmas projects ever. Also one of the most time consuming. So worth it to actually have a month-in-our-life during Christmas captured in an album.

It's not too late...keep your camera VERY handy and take lots of pictures--at least one each day. If you miss a day, fill in with a souvenir or memento or even a page of journaling (like a list of your favorite things of Christmas, etc.).

Many people have the album ready to go before December 1 and fill in each day as the month progresses. I did it differently and made mine during the week after Christmas. During the month I took pictures most days and kept some journaling for each day to help me remember what we had done once it was time to put it all together. I loved doing it in the more relaxing days after Christmas, rather than add something else to the busy days prior to December 25. That's just what worked best for me. Very important--make it work for YOU.

So go take a picture and start your own December Daily!

Craft Day #4

2011-11-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

We had our November craft day last week. We had a big group, fun crafts to make, and an abundant lunch to share.

Cute Christmas trees:

We gathered lots of ruffles to put on bags or aprons, or make into flowers:

Mindy's adorable banner:

(Maybe she can show us how she made it sometime.)

Sheet music candles:

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T14:04:00.001-06:00

We had a very relaxing weekend. Our family enjoyed plenty of food, rest and relaxation, time with friends and each other, food, a little decking the halls for Christmas, and some more food.

Thanksgiving day was so warm we decided to go cut our Christmas tree. It seemed wrong to be taking the "Christmas tree" picture with kids in t-shirts. No complaints though...it was awesome to be outside walking around the tree farm with the temperature in the 60s.

The time off provided opportunity for laziness...

I hope your weekend was full of blessings!

A Prayer for Our Homes

2011-11-25T09:56:00.001-06:00

I read this prayer at Life in Grace today, taken from the Lutheran prayer book.

Lord God, our home is among the most precious

gifts we receive in this life.

We realize this all the more as we remember our Lord Jesus.

He set aside home and family.

Having no place to lay His head throughout

His ministry, He chose to sojourn among those

He came to save.

We prayerfully invite Him to dwell in our earthly abode

even as He continually invites us by Word and Sacrament to dwell

forever in our heavenly home, which He prepares for us.

Make us ever grateful for this shelter from life's storms.

Keep this house always the home of comfort, joy, peace and forgiveness.

According to Your will, protect this home from the spiritual assaults of Satan,

but likewise make our home a fortress against the calamities of nature

and the wickedness of sinful man.

Grant us the virtue of hospitality, the joy of harmonious living,

and the blessing of gathering around Your word

and bringing our families' prayers before You.

May all who dwell in our home be blessed

by your presence and your peace,

and may all who go forth give thanks for the grace

they receive from You,

through us, our dear children.

We receive your loving kindness in our home

as a reminder of the eternal home we inherit through Your son,

Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T22:02:00.001-06:00

There are so many things I'm grateful for right now...

Having Byron as my partner as we parent 4 teenagers and 1 preteen. It's hard work and he's really good at the things I'm not so good at. I am thankful for 25 years of marriage with him!

Brandon is enjoying college and has made new friends who have so much in common with him. I am especially thankful that he is close to home and we still get to see him often.

Ellyn is such a great sister and friend. She values the people God has placed in her life and makes relationships a priority. She's a good student and works hard to do her best.

Levi is learning so much at school and about life. I am most grateful that he recently made a decision to put his faith in Christ. We are missing him now, since he is spending Thanksgiving break back in Rosebud.

Ryan is growing tons and healthy. After our scare this spring/summer with his stomach cramps, I am so grateful that he is completely well. He's doing great at school and likes learning.

Meggan is also doing well at school. She has such great friends in her grade! She is always willing to go with me to run errands or help in the kitchen, so I get to talk with her a lot. I'm proud of the girl she is growing up to be.

All the kids have really great friends!

Byron and I grew up in families who loved us, provided for all our needs and gave us so many opportunities in life.

I am so thankful that Jesus changed my life one summer 30 years ago, and that He is still changing it today.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

more learning...

2011-11-22T20:53:00.000-06:00

Just as Paul and Timothy prayed this for the Colossians, and I pray that it will be true in me.

Colossians 1: 9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

I was bought for a price. My life is not my own. So thankful for Jesus.

My Husband, the Rule-Breaker

2011-11-21T10:54:00.001-06:00

My husband is a rule breaker. I am a rule follower. The following story illustrates my husband's belief that he only has to follow rules that make sense to him. : )

We buy goldfish by the dozen to keep Meggan's turtle fed. At Walmart, there is never an employee to scoop fish back in the fish department...or in any aisle remotely close to the fish department. While shopping this weekend, I sent Byron to get fish while I filled the cart with groceries. I explained that it was a good time to get fish, since he would have plenty of time to track someone down and wait for them to scoop out all the fish. After all, I had a LOT of groceries to buy. I was only half way through the grocery section when he showed up with a bag full of goldfish. I was so surprised!

As I questioned how he got the fish so quickly, Byron explained that he doesn't wait for someone to scoop his fish. He just does it himself. "But you have to have the numbers!" I exclaimed with great concern. He proudly produced a piece of paper with many numbers and the quantity of fish written on it.

Next stop, checkout line:
While teenagers unloaded the groceries from our shopping cart, Byron handed the fish and the paper-with-numbers to Checkout Guy. Checkout Guy punched in the fish numbers, nothing...punched in the fish numbers again, nothing...punched in the fish numbers a third time, nothing. Then he called a manager over to help. (I am stifling my nervous giggles at this point. Are we going to get caught???)

Checkout Guy explained to Manager that he didn't have the right numbers for the goldfish. Manager asked in disbelief, "they didn't write the code down?" Checkout Guy held out paper-with-numbers and said, "This is all I got!" I am thinking of crawling behind the cart at this point. Do-they-know-we-scooped-our-own-fish!?!? Byron was standing with a casual, smug expression on his face, revealing no guilt.

Checkout Guy and Manager figured out the necessary numbers to allow us to pay for the goldfish. Which is great, because in Byron's words to our family on the drive home, "Hey, it wasn't like I was trying to steal the fish!"

Then the funniest part of the whole thing...Checkout Guy held out paper-with-numbers and said to Byron, "do you want this back?"

BUSTED!

Snickerdoodles

2011-11-19T14:24:00.001-06:00

I love snickerdoodles, but haven't made them since I was a young girl in 4-H. Snickerdoodles were the first cookie I learned to make in cooking class. Since becoming a lots-of-kids-want-lots-of-cookies mom, I haven't had a recipe that I liked. Until now...
My friend, Mindy, of Best Energies Best Affections came through for me. It started one night when I arrived at her house and there were fresh baked snickerdoodles on the counter. yummmmmy! My cookie recipe collection is not large, because I only bake WINNERS in the cookie department. This one is a keeper and got added to the collection!

Here is her delicious recipe:

Snickerdoodles
(also works for cut-out sugar cookies)

1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. water
1 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Cream the first five ingredients; add the dry and mix.
Refrigerate dough for an hour or so.
Form balls and roll in cinnamon/sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Pour a glass of milk and enjoy!

I am as flexible as a garden hose in July...

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Flexibility is a requirement in my life right now. Byron's sister said the words in my title to me one time and I thought it was so funny! I am learning to be more flexible.

Some of you might be wondering how things are going with Levi, our student from Rosebud Indian Reservation. He has lived with us for exactly three months now. These months have been some of the most intense I have had. Some days are great, some days are stressful, some days are stable.

Levi is respectful, cooperative, and helpful. He has made attending school a priority and is working hard on homework. He is interested in life and asks questions all the time. There are so many things here (everywhere!) that he never experienced on the reservation. We have enjoyed having him with us and consider him part of our family.

He has had a few rough events in these three months. We have tried our best to work through them with him, helping him learn that he can trust us to look out for his well-being. We have shown him that we (and others) truly care about helping him make a better life here. We are excited to help him with plans for his future. It has been easy to come along-side him, since he is working so hard to do what it takes to succeed. It hasn't been easy for him, but he is making lots of good choices.

When we agreed to have Levi join our family, I could not have predicted some of the experiences we would encounter. I was prepared for things to be hard. For a while, just after making the final decision to have Levi live with us, I even had a day of panic. The unknown of what was coming filled me with fear. I believed the lies Satan fed me that said I needed to be completely available to parent my own four children, and no others. I believed the lie that said my children needed me too much for me to take on anything new, since three of the four were beginning public school and college for the first time. I was afraid to take a risk! We had arranged our lives to be predictable and safe. I knew that whatever came my way on a daily basis was likely something I could handle without problem.

Fortunately, God spoke truth to me and calmed my fears. He showed me all of the many people who have invested in my children over the years--friends, family members, teachers, coaches, church leaders. I realized that they would be just fine in their new educational experiences. He showed me how much my KIDS had to offer someone coming into our family. It wasn't just going to be my husband and I investing our time, energy and resources, they would be "givers" too. I realized how wonderful it would be for our family to do something for someone with no expectation of receiving anything back in return. God showed me that He would direct my paths.

I am learning not to plan for what the future days are going to look like. God is teaching me to take each day as He gives, and He is also providing what I need to get through what that day brings. I once said that hosting a teenager from Rosebud would keep me in God's word and on my knees. I didn't know the truth of my words at the time I spoke them. Thanks to God for providing for our every-single-day needs. I will try to let Him direct where we're going and I'm just going to keep working on being as flexible as a garden hose in July!

Hunting Season and a Birthday

2011-11-15T12:31:00.001-06:00

Brandon turned 19 last week. Our family enjoyed taking him to Hickory Park to celebrate. I baked him a cake the night before his birthday, and we didn't even put candles on it. He's officially grown up, I guess.

He has enjoyed the dry fall very much. College life has brought him more time for deer hunting, one of his greatest passions in life. : ) He has been bow hunting and killed this buck in Missouri:

In Iowa over the weekend, he got another big one:

I think he will remember the fall he turned 19 as a memorable one--and not because of his birthday. :)

Happy Birthday Ellyn

2011-11-04T09:25:00.002-05:00

Ellyn turned 17 this week!
I didn't want her to.
Seventeen is just. too. old. Period.
Seventeen means she's closer to growing up and leaving home.
She is sunshine in our house.
She is fun, creative, dramatic, stubborn, smart, determined, talented, outgoing, and the list could go on and on.

We love you Ellyn! I hope you enjoyed your special day.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am trying an experiment--making my own laundry soap. We do a lot of laundry in this house, and I feel like we are running out of laundry detergent all the time. We'll see if this mixture gets the clothes clean.
I got the "recipe" from here: homemade laundry soap

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday Ryan!

2011-10-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

Ryan is a teenager today. He was born in the wee hours of the morning on October 23, 1998...13 years ago! He was the tiniest and quietest of my babies. He has grown into such a neat kid. He's so unique and original, and we love him so much!

He has had so many interests over the years,

one of them being building really tall domino towers.

His current passion is running and he decided to run 13 miles this weekend!

We love you Ryan! Hope you had a great birthday!

Growing a Family

2011-10-22T22:46:00.003-05:00

I keep thinking about the post by Ann Voskamp of the holy experience called what a family is really about.

Because our family is growing and changing, especially since Levi joined us, it was particularly meaningful to me. I love her descriptions of how individual members of a family change and grow. Over time we become more mature and more forgiving, but it's one step at a time.

It's comforting to me to be reminded that "It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow." 1 Corinthians 3:7

I will keep tending the seeds, which seems overwhelming on some days, but I will rest in the knowledge that God is in the center of the process. It is He who will make things grow.

This and That Randomness

2011-10-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

Meggan wanted to plant a garden this year. We are enjoying the fruits of her labors. She has made homemade salsa several times and it is fabulous--always gone within a few days. She is enjoying school and doing well. Sometimes homework is a drag. She is fortunate to have a great group of friends that make school more fun!

We bought a carton of eggs that was frozen. Most of the shells cracked. It was a mess, but Meggan enjoyed peeling the shell off of one to see what a frozen egg looks like. It looks like this:

Cross Country is over for Ryan and Levi. We had great weather for most of the meets.

Ryan is glad it's over, because he has his own running plan that he is ready to get back to. Sometimes working within the coach's plan was a challenge for him. He is very independent and self-motivated. He is also doing great in this new venture called public school.

Levi has cross country behind him and is looking forward to trying wrestling. We are proud of him for trying new things. He is getting into the swing of school and his classes. He has recently enjoyed some weekend trips with other families: one to K.C. for a day of fun, including a trip to a pumpkin patch; the other took him to MN for pheasant hunting.

Brandon has been enjoying fall hunting season by making a trip to Missouri. He brought back deer meat from a friend's kill. We ate it fresh last night, and a new friend of Brandon's joined us for supper. He is from Minnesota and is at ISU without a car. He hasn't sat around a table with a family for a while! I hope we weren't too overwhelming. This is the first fall in eight years that Brandon hasn't been playing football, which leaves more time for hunting.

Speaking of football...
Ellyn doesn't know what she's going to do when football season is over. She can hardly stand the thought of her football manager "job" coming to an end for the year. She loves football and the other manager/friends. I bet she'll fill her extra time with something... like dance, the school musical, friends, etc. She never seems to have a dull moment in her life, which is partially due to loving her siblings so much and hanging out with them during her free time. She almost couldn't handle last weekend when Brandon and Levi were each gone hunting, and Ryan and Meggan were gone to a retreat.

Each week I say, "I think things will settle down a little around our house this week." Byron laughs now when I say it. There is always something unforeseen that seems to take the extra minutes of this season of our lives.

The things I had planned to do once school started are still surrounding me. The piles of photos will have to wait. The messy craft table will also wait. This blog...it has to wait as well. :)

But Byron and these silly darlings will not wait...

Learning...

2011-10-04T17:30:00.003-05:00

--learning that I don't know the future, but God does
--learning that He will provide all that I need
--learning to rely on the Word to restore my mind
--learning that the hope I have in Christ is such a gift
--learning how to "...fix my eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
--learning that the Holy Spirit has equipped me with power (Acts 1:8)

Craft Day

2011-09-29T16:29:00.003-05:00

Back in February, Meg Duerksen, who is one of my favorite bloggers, held a craft weekend. She invited her crafty friends to her home for a weekend of craft making, antique/junk shopping and yummy food. I wished that I was one of her crafty friends.

There were no kids, no hubbies, only Waffle the Wonder Dog was allowed to stay home for craft weekend.

Waffle and Mandie would be such good friends. They both lay on furniture with children, have birthday parties, get dressed in various articles of clothing, and ride around with their people in vehicles.

Meg's Waffle:

Our Mandie:

I forgot this was a post about craft day...

After school started in August, I scheduled a craft day with some of my crafty friends, so that I could have fun like Meg Duerksen. We didn't spend the weekend together...just the day. We didn't get to go junk/antique shopping. We didn't stay up late into the night sewing. But we had a great time enjoying our crafts, a pot-luck lunch, and great fellowship. It was like therapy to me. I can't tell you how it felt to see my friends walking up my driveway carrying bags full of crafty goodness in one hand and sewing machines in the other! I wish I had a photo of it, but it is only a snapshot in my mind. Pure happiness!

My friends, Mindy of Best Energies Best Affections and Nicole of Farmgirl Chaos, blogged about our August craft day in a more timely manner than I. Just click here to read and see more pictures: Mindy's Craft Day and Nicole's craft day post

We made fabric flower brooches, tile coasters, and gift tags hand-written in my friend Mary's beautiful font.

We just had our second craft day this week. (I am trying to host craft day once a month.)

It was just as fun and therapeutic. If it weren't for craft day, I don't think I'd be making anything creative. I had so much fun, that I only took time to snap one picture:

So far, our craft days have used a lot of chalk board paint. : )

These gals in the photo above are painting antique trays with chalkboard paint.

Here is a picture of my final products. New pillows for fall, tile coasters (didn't get time to make any last time) and another flower brooche. I started the white scarf prior to craft day... a tiny bit more trim and it will be finished.

Please go to Nicole's blog and check out her pictures. You must see the adorable button bracelet she made...next on my list!

JJ Heller - Love Me

2011-09-22T11:43:00.000-05:00

It's so hard to listen to this without a tear slipping onto my cheek.
I am so grateful for the love of my Jesus!

Let's have a party-- a scavenger hunt

2011-09-15T11:52:00.001-05:00

This week, I am continuing to write about our summer parties. These should have been written about weeks or even months ago, but I am just now getting to it.

The last weekend before school started in August, we held a photo scavenger hunt. It was our second time to host a scavenger hunt, and I was very excited to have another one! It is such a fun way to usher out the summer by gathering a bunch of friends together for some fun. I am going to explain how I put it together, so that you can host one if you want. Everyone has a great time!

Scavenger Hunt 2009

2-3 weeks prior to the party...

Pick a date and send out some type of invitation/text/email.

The guest list needs to include an adult driver for each team, so I keep that in mind as I make the list. Each team needs a digital camera, so I usually include that on the invitation information and ask everyone to bring a snack to share.

A week or so before the party, my friend Lisa, from Running Towards Love, and I drive around a take lots of pictures of random things in our area. Two years ago, we only took pictures of things in our town. This year we included photos from five small towns that are all within 5-10 miles of each other to make it harder.

Make sure you don't take a picture of anything that is likely to change by the time of your scavenger hunt or anything on property where you don't want a bunch of crazies taking pictures.
Yes, we learned by our mistakes. Sometimes big RV campers get driven away for the weekend.
This hair salon was open when we took the pictures, but the sign was gone on Sunday evening of our party:

These are a few of my favorites from this year:

Preparing the photo packets...
We pick 20-30 of the best shots and print duplicate sets of photos for how many teams there will be. We usually have about 5 teams, and they all have the same set of photos in their packet. Once we have the printed packets of pictures divided up into matching sets, we analyze the order we want the teams to travel. We arrange each team's packet of photos differently, giving each team a different starting point so that they don't all end up at the same places at the same time. This takes the most time.

We put a sticker on the start location-photo for each packet to help us keep things organized. To keep the pictures in order, I punched a hole in the corner and used a metal ring. (Ziplock baggie also works, but they get out of order in the chaos of the hunt.) Somewhere with each team packet, include your cell phone number, so that they can call if they need help with something, need more time, etc.

When the guests arrive...
Choose an adult as each team's captain and driver.
*this game gets soooo competitive that even the adults find it hard to obey traffic rules!
Divide up teams however you want.
Make sure your drivers have their vehicles gassed up. :)

Get a cell phone number from a non-driver team member in order to be able to reach each team during the hunt. (In case you want to change the ending time of the hunt...which is a bad idea if you can't reach every team.)

Set an ending time for everyone to be back. Our first hunt took an hour and this year's needed more than 90 minutes, since we included 5 little towns.
Have everyone grab a drink for the road if it is hot weather.

Hand out the photo packets and watch them race to be the first out of the driveway. (Still haven't mastered a plan for that... my hubby's team has been blocked in the garage both years and he gets very agitated about being last on the road!)

Each team must identify what's in each photo, determine its location, travel to the spot, take a picture of their team at the spot, be the first team back with the most points. We determine a point system, in case the teams don't reach every location. We gave each photo 10 points and 4 "super hard" photos were worth 25 points. Like this picture of the nearby batting cage:

Once everyone returns, there is some work involved. Perfect time to eat a bunch of snacks!
While everyone snacks, someone needs to add up all the points and someone needs to load all the images from each team onto a computer. Thanks Becky and Lisa:

One of our favorite aspects of the party is finishing the evening by hooking the laptop up to a projector and showing every team's photos on the "big screen" (garage door).
Talk about hilarious! Some teams are very dramatic:

Some teams are in a big hurry:

But they didn't hurry enough to win...and it had nothing to do with me changing the ending time in the middle of the game. Just sayin'.

Some teams are very creative:

This team wasn't in a hurry at all. They were making phone calls and stopping for food:

It's really important to make time for play. Which is why I love to have these parties:

Becky's winning teams...yes, she won both years!

big prize: a Casey's cup and a $ for a drink

Scavenger hunt 2011

SO MUCH FUN!!!

Let's have a mini-food birthday party

2011-09-14T16:12:00.000-05:00

For Meggan's birthday in June, she wanted to have a mini-food baking party. She has always loved tiny things and loves to bake, so it was a great combination. We invited a few friends over and made a giant mess in the kitchen. It was so much fun!
Here are some pictures:

Let's Have a Party--BINGO

2011-09-11T16:35:00.001-05:00

I love to think of an excuse to gather a bunch of people in my house or yard for a party. Sometimes my family tires of my party ideas...other times they enjoy the fun I scheme up. This summer we had a chance to host a few parties and I am finally going to blog about each of them this week.

In June we had our third BINGO party in the back yard. You can read about another one we had by clicking here: BINGO party.

We pulled out the BINGO cards, buttons for marking the numbers, all the tables and chairs, and some cheesy prizes. We had root beer floats to finish off the evening.

You can tell by the faces in these pictures that everyone had a great time...
and that they LOVED their awesome prizes. : )

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

2011-09-03T22:04:00.001-05:00

I tried this recipe for supper tonight. Definitely a keeper...if you love tomatoes and shrimp.
I found it via Pinterest.com on the RealSimple website. Click HERE to see it.

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta
5 large tomatoes, cut into 1/8ths
3 T. olive oil
2 T. minced garlic
kosher salt and pepper

1.5 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c. fresh chopped parsley
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. Feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and pour oil/garlic over them, toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on the top rack for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add shrimp, parsley, lemon juice and Feta cheese.
Return to the oven for approximately 10-15 more minutes, until shrimp are done.

Next time I might consider serving it over pasta. Definitely delicous with a loaf of french bread.

Where do I start...

2011-08-28T19:11:00.001-05:00

I have been away from my blog for more than two weeks, and I hardly know where to start. We've had a lot going on, and I really want to get it all recorded before it slips from my memory, so here goes!

--On Aug. 14, we had the "End-of-Summer Scavenger Hunt" with 4 other families. It was our second scavenger hunt and was a blast! I want share more about it, so watch for a separate post about how to plan a photo scavenger hunt with friends!

--On Aug. 15, we added a member to our family. A 17-yr-old boy named Levi, from the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota came to live with us for the school year...we're praying it will be even longer. Our church created an exchange program and brought 23 kids from the reservation to live with host families in towns around the area.

--On Aug. 16, we moved Brandon into his dorm room at Iowa State University. It wasn't too hard on me emotionally, since he rode back home with us after we carried in his stuff and got it put away. :) We took a picture of Byron and Brandon outside of Byron's old dorm room, which is in the same building. The other pictures I took of the day don't even have Brandon in them! My good intentions of taking lots of pictures was spoiled by rain. I could have at least taken one of him in his dorm room, but didn't!

--On Aug. 18, my youngest two, Ryan and Meg, started public school for the first time. All four school kids posed for this picture:

first day of school - 2011

Then, they hurried to jump in Ellyn's car to head off to school. Except her car wouldn't start and it was blocking my car in the garage. I slowly worked my car out and we rushed off to school with the kids in a panic that they were about to be late for school on the first day!

--That same day, I started a new journey (which was my 2011"one little word") of being home all day with only a dog to keep me company. I had wondered all year what this day would be like, so I had saved lots of errands for this first day of school and had scheduled an appointment to donate blood (in case the day got too long!). Instead, the time flew by and I almost didn't make it back on time to pick up kids at school. :)

--The weekend of Aug. 20-21 brought a trip to the Des Moines farmers market with all seven of us on Saturday morning and to the Iowa State Fair on Sunday afternoon (Byron, Meg and Levi).

--On Tuesday, I hosted a craft day with friends. I had wanted to host a craft day since reading about Meg Duerksen's craft weekend back in February. I started smiling the minute I saw cars pulling into my driveway and ladies getting out carrying bags of crafty goodies and sewing machines! We had such a fun day and took lots of pictures--it definitely deserves its own post.

--This past Friday, Byron, Ellyn and I left for Rosebud to take Levi back for a funeral of a dear family member. It was my first time to go to Rosebud, after first hearing of it 4 years ago when Brandon went on a mission trip there. This weekend was also the Rosebud Fair, so several of the host families made the 8 hour drive to take their students back home for some fair fun and a chance to see their families.
We drove 8 hours on Friday and 8 hours back home yesterday. Ellyn stayed and rode back with another family today.

We are pretty tired today, so I am glad to be having a lazy Sunday afternoon! And especially glad to be catching up on the blog. :)

Sonoma Chicken Salad

2011-08-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

I tried a new recipe tonight, and we loved it. It's a perfect summer supper and was very simple. A new twist on chicken salad for my family.
I found the recipe on this site: click here

Sonoma Chicken Salad
2 lbs. chicken breast, cooked and diced
3/4 c. chopped pecans
2 c. red grapes, cut in half
3 stalks celery, diced (I left out the celery)

dressing:
1 c. mayonaisse
5 t. honey
4 t. apple cider vinegar
2 t. poppy seeds
salt & pepper to taste

Dressing can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated.
When ready to serve, combine chicken, pecans, grapes, celery, and dressing.

Home from Camp

2011-08-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at camp and survived the extreme heat. We came home sticky, stinky, and tired...but I think it's that way every year!
Here are a couple of pictures from our time away.

the favorite camp craft--tie dye:

after the crud war (food fight):

ellyn, always competitive:

Gone to Church Camp again...

2011-08-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

I am away from most electronic devices and phones. I am at church camp with the two girls... I am sweating alot, but thankful to be sleeping in air conditioning! Enjoying every minute of camp songs, making crafts, tie dye, worship and teaching, memorizing Bible verses. Good stuff!
You can read more about our camp in an old post of mine by clicking HERE.

Wyoming Vacation--part 3

2011-07-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

Just some final notes on our wonderful vacation to the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole Wyoming.

I love the way Wyoming changes from east to west:

A government funded program "Music in Nature" allowed us to sit in the woods by Jackson Lake and listen to this fabulous brass quintet:

Never get tired of pretty horses...

Never get tired of this view:

This guy takes us on some really awesome trips...love him so much:

So grateful to get to spend the week with these guys!

Wyoming vacation--wildlife

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before we got to Grand Teton National Park, we heard about the grizzly bears.

Apparently from 2006-2008, a mama grizzly bear (#399) raised three cubs near the road to Jackson Lake Lodge in the park. She brought them down from the mountains to keep them safe from papa bears who have been known to kill cubs. She had lost a cub this way the year before. She safely raised the three cubs, and it was witnessed by many. The grizzly family became famous and brought lots of tourists to the park.

Fast forward to summer 2011...
The same mama bear (#399) has three cubs, and one of her female cubs (#610) from 5 years ago has two new cubs of her own. They are both raising the cubs around Jackson Lake Lodge. You can google them and see awesome pictures and videos.

As Byron made our reservations, prior to our arrival at the park, a park employee told us about the bears. She said she and her husband drove the road almost every evening, but had not seen these famous grizzly bears.

Our second morning driving into the park, we saw 610 and got a picture!!! We approached a group of cars pulled off the road and 4-5 park rangers. As we slowed and looked off the side of the road, and there she was--610! I started snapping pictures! Grizzly 610 is out of focus, but I am thrilled that we saw her and got the pictures. Her little cubs were probably nearby, but we did not see them. It is so unusual to see grizzlies from the road, we considered ourselves very fortunate.

The other favorite wildlife sighting of our trip was this moose cow and calf:

The first morning in the Tetons, while wearing our pj's, we watched them walk through the yard of our rental house and wander through the little neighborhood. Apparently this mother moose was on the small side...???

We also saw elk, bison, mule deer, antelope and bald eagles. Glad we had the cameras along, but wish we had remembered binoculars!

Regardless-- it was awesome!

Vacation 2011 -- Wyoming and the Grand Tetons

2011-07-25T12:04:00.001-05:00

When Ryan went into the hospital and ended up having surgery, we thought our vacation plan was doomed! We were supposed to leave the Friday he had surgery, but ended up leaving Sunday morning instead (with the blessing of his surgeon).

It was a bit of a challenge to wrap my mind around packing after being gone and stressed for several days, but it all worked out great. We loaded up, and I crawled into the back of the van and stared into space for a very long time. It was a good way to recover from stress. I know some people who might have done a hard work-out, or gone for a run or something...but sitting and staring at nothing-ness worked well for me! : )

Riding in the van wasn't a bad way for Ryan to recover either. Other than getting a little stiff from sitting in one position for so long, riding for hours on end forced him to limit his activity in the first 48 hours following surgery. Each day of the vacation he felt better and added activity. He and I did sit out of the white water rafting trip, due to his surgery. The other kids said I was glad that I didn't go--that I would have been crying and begging to get out of the raft. The record snowfall of the winter has led to very high river levels and very FAST rapids. It was the highlight of their trip and Ryan and I missed it! After seeing the pictures (I hope to show them later...we have to purchase and have a cd mailed to us), I think I am relieved to have missed it.

We were in Grand Teton National Park in July of 2005. They have grown a lot!

We did some really fun activities while on vacation, including some meal trips. We were taken to a site by boat or wagon and then served a meal. We enjoyed them so much, because we were taken to very beautiful locations and then served delicious food! It was a neat way to see different parts of Grand Teton National Park. Each trip lasted 3-4 hours.

my version:

Mystery Diagnosis: Meckel's diverticulum and intussusception

2011-07-14T01:48:00.003-05:00

I've been gone from the blog for a while, but boy, I have a good reason. The past week seems like a month. Most of you know why I've been absent, but I thought I'd better go ahead and document the story on the blog. Just a warning, this is going to be long.

My youngest son, Ryan, has had a rough couple of months. He started having stomach cramps on Monday, May 16. Every day, at least once, but sometimes twice; he would lay on the floor moaning and groaning that his stomach hurt. Nothing helped it. When it quit hurting after 30 minutes or an hour, he would get up and go ride his bike, or go for a run, or whatever else he felt like doing...because he felt completely fine when his stomach wasn't hurting. I was baffled. I didn't know how to help him. I offered multiple over-the-counter products, but nothing ever helped. He didn't seem sick and had no other symptoms. Trust me...I quizzed him about what was going on in the bathroom almost daily. I couldn't find a connection to any foods he was eating, and the stomach spasms were getting rather alarming.

After exactly one month, when we were finally done with all the senior party/graduation business for our oldest son, the girls' dance recital, college orientation, our 25th anniversary trip, and Ryan's week-long trip to Student Life Camp in Colorado, I took him to the doctor. Yes, I win "Mother of the Year" for getting my son to a doctor in a timely manner. But I've forgiven myself, so moving on...we saw a P.A. who ordered an x-ray of his abdomen. I got a call later in the afternoon telling me that Ryan was constipated. I was surprised, considering that he had communicated a different story almost every day for the prior 3-4 weeks. Regardless, x-rays don't lie, so we started 7 days of laxatives as instructed by the doctor.

After 7 days of laxatives, Ryan vomited the next day when his stomach was hurting. He was completely cleared out, but he had continued to have stomach cramps during the 7 days of laxatives. I was even more alarmed than before, because vomiting was a new symptom. He didn't vomit the next two days, but still had stomach cramps. By this time, it is the fourth weekend in June and my husband left for a work trip to South America. On Saturday, Ryan vomited and on Sunday he vomited a LOT of times. I took him to the emergency room in a bit of a panic Sunday afternoon, June 26. His stomach had been hurting daily for SIX WEEKS! The ER doctors were busy, but did blood work and assured me that he must have a flu bug. His blood work was completely normal, so they sent us home and Ryan continued to vomit through the night, but was better by Monday morning. I took him to another doctor, who is a family friend, on Tuesday morning. She ran bloodwork and did another x-ray. Everything checked out great. We had no idea what was wrong with him.

For the next week he had stomach cramps daily, but no vomiting. He thought they might be getting a bit less intense, so we were hopeful that things were going to improve ANY MINUTE, for Pete's sake!
We traveled to Missouri to celebrate July 4th weekend and had a great time with the relatives. Ryan swam and played, and of course, had stomach cramps at least once a day for about an hour.

We came home from Missouri the night of July 4th and were looking forward to leaving on a vacation to Wyoming on Friday, July 8th. We had some appointments and haircuts, etc. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ellyn called me around 11:30, as I finished an appointment with my dermatologist on Wednesday and said Ryan had vomited a few times and seemed worse than usual. She told me I needed to get home. I called our doctor/friend who told me to take him straight to Blank Children's Hospital emergency room. She didn't need to tell me twice.

As I drove Ryan to Des Moines, he laid in the back seat moaning and writhing in pain, vomiting every 5-10 minutes. I drove really fast, and imagined what I would say if I got stopped for speeding. I felt ready to burst into tears but knew I had to hold it together.

When we walked into the ER, Ryan started vomiting again right at the check-in desk...and that gets you a room really fast.

We were in the ER from 1:00 pm until after 11:00 pm. Fortunately, Byron works two blocks away and had been able to join us during the afternoon. During the first 4 hours in the ER, Ryan almost climbed the walls in agony. He literally moaned, writhed, rocked, paced, pulled his hair, etc. They had an iv going very quickly, but had to try three different pain meds through the iv before he got relief and could lay down and relax. He had an allergic reaction to morphine and had to have benedryl through the iv, which complicated things even more. They also did another x-ray and bloodwork, which came back normal. Once his pain was under control around 5:00, they decided to do CT scan. Ryan drank the contrast/cherry flavored drink for the CT scan, and then we waited for 3 hours. He was somewhat comfortable and had the attention of a lot of ER staff. They started talking about admitting him, because his pain was not able to be controlled well.

The CT scan came back showing something abnormal in his small intestine. I felt optimism for the first time in weeks. The ER doctor then called a pediatric surgeon. At 10:00 pm the surgeon decided to try a procedure that he thought might correct the problem the radiologist had seen on the CT scan. I'm not going to describe the procedure, but I will say that watching Ryan go through it was like watching someone give birth. It lasted about an hour and did NOT work. Ryan was then admitted.

Byron headed home to be with the other kids, who had been alone since noon. (Glad they aren't little anymore.) Ryan and I got to his hospital room around midnight. Wow, what an unbelievably looooong day it had been. I was exhausted and Ryan had been through hell. And I don't say that lightly.

The next morning (Thursday) we met with the surgeon who asked us to relay the whole story again...when the cramps started, other symptoms, what had transpired in the 7 weeks, every detail we could think of. He had talked with the radiologist who read the CT scan and he thought he knew what the problem was: a Meckel's diverticulum. (keep reading...I will describe what it is a bit later.)

Ryan spent Thursday in a hospital bed with iv fluids and pain meds, but did not have any stomach cramps. He could eat or drink NOTHING, in case of surgery. In the afternoon, he had something like dye put through his iv to work its way through his entire system. I don't know what it was called, but he went to nuclear radiology for the "dye imaging" which required him to lay still for 75 minutes. No problem, he fell asleep watching a movie.

His siblings visited and provided entertainment and a much needed distraction from hunger. Ryan hadn't eaten anything on Wednesday, since he'd been sick. He was feeling hungry by Thursday afternoon.

The surgeon was hoping the dye image would show the Meckel's diverticulum. He warned us ahead of time that it could be in Ryan's intestine, but not show up on the image. This dye image/test was a possible way of confirming it without cutting into Ryan to find out.

disclaimer: I am not a doctor, but I will try to explain the problem
A Meckel's diverticulum is a remnant of the yolk sack/umbilical cord that is supposed to dissolve shortly after birth. In two percent of the population it doesn't dissolve. It usually makes itself known within months of birth, by causing bleeding and extreme pain in infants, due to the fact that it produces acid. (The intestines are non-acidic.) Very rarely, they go undetected if they do NOT produce acid. The surgeon quizzed me about Ryan as a newborn: did he cry a lot, did he have bloody diapers, was he premature. No, no, and no. The dye image came back inconclusive for a Meckel's diverticulum. It didn't show anything wrong. Ryan was scheduled for exploratory surgery for first thing Friday morning. (The same Friday we were supposed to leave for Wyoming.)

Ryan--looking relaxed as he heads for surgery

Ryan had surgery at 9:00 am and by 10:00 we learned that it was indeed a Mickel's diverticulum, with a major complication: intussusception. The Mickel's diverticulum would normally be like a 1-inch pocket in the small intestine wall. Ryan's had inverted, so it was sticking up into his intestine and causing things to catch on it as they passed through. As things caught on it, it began to telescope his small intestine into itself: imagine reaching into the end of a tube sock and pulling to turn it wrong side out...that's what was showing up on the CT scan. It was the cause of Ryan's extreme pain--his small intestine was starting to turn wrong side out.

funny sidenote story--Throughout the 7 weeks of stomach cramps, Ryan would say that he thought he had a twisted gut. Sweet little sister Meggan told him he had a demon in his liver, something she picked up on some tv show called Untold Stories of the ER. The surgeon told them they were both right, only the demon wasn't in Ryan's liver, it was in the small intestine and he cut it out.

Ryan had two very small incisions and one a little larger, and he had the problem corrected and his appendix removed (preventative measure that is very common). They took pictures of his "guts", so we have been able to see the entire problem with our own eyes. We were elated to know that the diagnosis was correct and that the surgery fixed the problem!!! Meckel's diverticulum with intussusception in a 12 yr. old is considered rare, and we are so grateful that it was found and corrected. The surgeon told us that he was planning to mention Ryan's case in his next lecture.

Ryan -- ready to go home

The doctor encouraged us to continue with our vacation plans and just leave a couple of days later. he gave us instructions for Ryan and his cell number in case of a problem. Ryan was dismissed at 2:00 on Saturday. We left for vacation at 7:30 Sunday morning. My brain was just a tiny bit fried. Being gone from home for 3-4 days prior to leaving had made it very difficult to get anything ready. I packed in a hurry, and we are now relaxing as a family in the beautiful Grand Tetons!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

"That's How It Goes" by Marcia Ball

2011-07-05T08:53:00.004-05:00

There is so much S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E in this music video and post by Meg Duerksen of the blog "whatever" that I just had to share it. I want to hear this song every morning before I get out of bed!!!
click here:
Meg's post on Marcia Ball

Make sure to allow some time to explore her blog if you haven't already seen it. It's one of my favorites.

Thanks to Meg Duerksen for introducing me to Marcia Ball.

And the Play Me, I'm Yours project...so creative it made my senses tingle!

Please check it out, you won't be sorry:

Petunia Love

2011-07-03T06:29:00.000-05:00

Be still my heart...

I hope they survive while I neglect all the flowers and go on vacation.

When the weather turns hot--Make THESE!!!

2011-07-02T08:43:00.001-05:00

I make these recipes for frozen fruit cups every summer. I like to keep them in the freezer in individual cups, so that they can be eaten as a refreshing treat anytime. We love both recipes; the second one is easier to keep the supplies on hand for since it doesn't require fresh fruit.

Banana/Strawberry Frozen Fruit Cups
6 bananas, mashed
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
10 oz. frozen sliced strawberries, thawed (I usually double)
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 lg. can fruit cocktail, undrained
1 lg. can crushed pineapple
28 oz. 7-Up

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Freeze in individual plastic cups or 6 large Cool Whip containers. Thaw 30 minutes before serving (my kids microwave them).

Berry Frozen Fruit Cups
2 lg. containers frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
1 lg. can sliced/diced peaches, drained
1 lg. can crushed pineapple
1 bag frozen blueberries

Boil 1 c. water with 1 c. sugar in microwave until sugar dissolves.
Pour over the fruit mixture, stir and freeze.
I double this recipe and use 1 bag blueberries and 1 bag raspberries.

*freeze in short, clear plastic punch cups--line them up in a cake pan to fill

A few of my favorite things...about the month of June

2011-06-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

1. lightning bugs in the yard at night
2. blooming flowers
3. Meg's birthday
4. ripe strawberries
5. lemonade on the patio
6. walks in the evening after supper
7. softball/baseball games
8. dance recital
9. no school!
10. BINGO parties in the back yard (more about that later)

Homemade Father's Day Gifts and a Naughty Dog Story

2011-06-28T22:38:00.003-05:00

The girls came through with some awesome homemade dad gifts this year.
Meggan made a fun poster using candy for some of the words:

It says:
Dear Dad,
We were going to give you "100 Grand" but we know you already have "Good & Plenty" because you are a "Smartie." You take us on trips as if we travel through "Orbit." Thanks for letting us keep our "Kit Kat," and the dog you got us is an "Almond Joy" because she gives us "Kisses." Whenever we are in a "Crunch" you become our "Lifesaver." "Now & Later" without you, we would fall into "Reese's Pieces." We love you from here to the "Milky Way."
love,
your "Sour Patch Kids"

Ellyn made a beautiful photo collage: 10 reasons why we love you.

10 Reasons why we love you...

1. you provide clothes for our backs and pets for our souls

2. you take us to the top of the mountain

3. you run our races alongside us

4. you challenge us

5. you love our mom

6. you protect us and keep us safe

7. you are stylin' and smart

8. you are full of wisdom and great advice

9. you teach us to love our siblings

10. you take us to new places and to do new things

We love you because you help us to understand ourselves; we love you because you show us what a hard worker looks like; we love you because giving is important to you; we love you because you make us do things we don't always want to do. WE LOVE YOU.

============
I am so glad my kids have a great dad!

It was a great Father's Day, but could have been better...

Too bad we had a minor disaster with the dog and all the chocolate for the poster Meg made.

Turns out that Meggan left all the candy on the floor downstairs the night before, where she had been working on the poster creation. While we went to church the next morning, Father's Day, Mandie ate four candy bars and a bag of Hershey's Kisses...including all the wrappers. When we got home and discovered what had happened, we called the vet. He told us we had to induce vomiting. Yeah...that's what I said. Induce vomiting... for our dog. Using hydrogen peroxide. Have you ever tried to get a dog to drink 3 tablespoons of peroxide? It took about 90 minutes and multiple attempts to get the job done. We were finally successful. Outside in the yard.
I was glad the deed was done, so that it didn't happen in our house in the middle of the night.
I figured it was going to happen eventually.
Then we had to go by more candy for the poster!

And that's the story of awesome homemade Father's Day gifts and our naughty dog. Good thing she is always good, even when she is naughty(as Ellyn would say.)

2011 Cornerstone Church Worship Arts Camp "Your Love"

2011-06-27T22:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a video of our performance for Worship Arts Camp.

Worship Arts Camp--year 2

2011-06-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

Instead of Vacation Bible School, our church has held Worship Arts Camp the last two summers. We have tons of kids attend and learn about worship through singing, rhythm, mixed media, painting, woodworking, etc. This year was my second year to be a part of it, along with both girls. We are super tired, but can't wait for Sunday morning when we perform the "feature" song from the week at our church's worship services. Spending a week listening to children singing is a joy, and I feel so blessed to have been part of such a wonderful opportunity.

We focused on Psalm 103: 8-12:
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.
He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dwelt with us
as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He
removed our transgressions from us."

I can't wait to share this year's feature song, but until then...

click here for a look at last year's song: For You Are Good

Summer Bucket List

2011-06-22T17:31:00.000-05:00

On the last day of school, within the first hour of being home, my girls made the summer bucket list:

This is the chalkboard in my mudroom, so we see it every time we walk out to the garage.

We have done a few things already, and left room for extra things that we thought of later.

I love summer and the opportunities for gathering friends for fun outside on the patio or in the yard.

Or opportunities for spending time in the cool basement, making awesome craft or sewing projects, when it's way too hot to be outside.

Our summer seems to be flying by, because our calendar has a number of things on it that take family members away from home:

college orientation days at Iowa State

missions trips to Panama

work travel to South America

church camp (still in central Iowa)

vacation to the Tetons in Wyoming

Good thing we have the bucket list on the chalkboard! It is a good reminder of how we want to spend our free time and that we better not let the summer slip away.

So what's on your summer bucket list?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Dance Recital 2011

2011-06-14T16:28:00.001-05:00

My girls had their dance recital earlier this month. Ellyn has been dancing since 1999, when she was 4 years old. Meggan's first recital was in 2004--she hadn't even turned 4 yet! The little ones are always so adorable at the recitals!
This is a picture of Ellyn's costume for her second recital. The skirt had a battery pack in the back that powered little lights all over it--of course, because they danced to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Meggan's costume her first recital:
(They had a fish headpiece that I had her take off for the picture. It was really big.)

Now, my girls seem so grown up in their dance costumes and make-up:

Things have changed a lot over the years of dance recitals...no fish on their heads or twinkling skirts.

This year, I did very little make-up and no hair styling before the rehearsals and performances. Just a quick run to the store for extra hairspray and bobby pins. (That never changes!)
They take care of it themselves, or Ellyn does Meggan's hair for her. They don't need any help getting dressed either. It makes things less hectic during recital week, but makes me aware of how much they've grown up.

I'm so proud of them. They did a great job at all three performances. I think dance has taught them so much more than how to be a good dancer--confidence, understanding of their bodies, fitness and strength, how to keep your cool in front of an audience--just to name a few.

And...
as soon as the recital is over, the talk of summer dance and next year's dance classes begins! : )

25 Years

2011-06-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

Today my hubby and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
He had a beautiful bouquet of 25 roses delivered and planned an overnight trip to a bed & breakfast in Galena, IL.
I am so happy to have had twenty-five years of marriage with him. We were teenagers when we said our vows! You can read more about our story by clicking here: love story
Happy anniversary honey!

We had visitors again...

2011-06-07T08:29:00.000-05:00

After our Memorial Day weekend in Missouri, we brought back my niece and my parent's dog, Digger to spend a few days. He is our dog Mandie's brother. We had a fun and busy time while they visited. It was also dance recital week, so there was a lot going on. During the free time, the girls did some crafts and sewing. They also took the two dogs to Pet Smart for a visit. It was a great time! Gramma came for the dance recital Thursday night. No dogs allowed at that event! She spent the night and on Friday we had to say goodbye. Thanks for visiting us!!!

One last graduation celebration...

2011-06-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day weekend was a busy one for us. We headed to Missouri and hosted a second graduation party for Brandon with the friends and relatives there.

Thanks to all of you who came. I know he has felt very honored by all who have celebrated his graduation with him. So many of you have shown support and love to him over the years, and we are really grateful.

This time of year is so beautiful...

2011-06-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

For the beauty of the Earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on Earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thyself, best Gift Divine!
To our race so freely giv'n;
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth, and joy in heav'n:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

Brandon's graduation

2011-05-25T22:13:00.001-05:00

We've had a busy month, but things have finally settled down. I think it will be a little easier to pay attention to my blog now that school is out and all the "senior" activities are over.

Brandon's graduation party/open house was May 14. I spent a lot of time this past year thinking about details of the party. It was fun to gather photos and keepsakes from his life. Many friends came to celebrate with him. I know he felt really loved and honored.

Here are some pictures of the party...

These dear friends helped me set up and serve the food. I couldn't have done it without them!

We had a whole hog roasted in the yard and served pork sandwiches, beans, cheesy potatoes, slaw, fruit and veggies, and monster cookies for dessert.

This is the tent we rented in case of bad weather. We had bad weather: May 14 broke the record for the coldest daytime high temperature. It never even reached 50 degrees and there was drizzle a good part of the day. Some guests used the tent, but most milled around visiting inside where it was warm and cozy.

Remember these?

I grew oats to use as the centerpieces for the tables in the tent. All 12 buckets came up as thick clumps of grass/oats. The buckets were wrapped in burlap and tied with twine.

(Thank you to the friends who helped me!!!)

Each table had a runner of brown paper and crayons.

Our guests left Brandon some really cute messages!

This is the display table. Lots of fun things to see from his 18 years of life:

The week following the party, we attended the senior awards banquet, senior scholarship awards night, baccalaureate, a 5-8 grade band concert, high school state track meet, and then...
It was the weekend again and time for more grad parties and graduation. We were really glad we'd had our party early.

The graduation ceremony was wonderful. I love this picture...

Even some grandparents made it up for the graduation:

My oldest is now a high school graduate.
It brings a lot of emotion, although I expect that August is when I will feel the reality of it all. Sending one of my little birdies from the nest will not be easy for me.
I'm hoping that this summer is a time of fun memories for our family!

Today was the last day of school and we made our summer bucket list, but I'll save that for another post...

Track Season, in a word: Disappointment

2011-05-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

Brandon is a really fast kid and has six medals from the Iowa High School State Track Meet to prove it.
He runs the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400. Track is his best sport, and Byron and I love to watch him run!

(Someone asked me once if he got his speed from me. I almost fell on the floor in laughter. I'll just say that his dad ran a lot of track in high school, and I didn't.)

Brandon got to run at state his first three years of high school...and hoped to be a four-year state track runner.

This year's track season began April 5, with a long and cold meet that lasted until 10:00 pm--just like the three years prior. Then things took a bad turn. Due to a cold, wet spring, the second meet was cancelled... and the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth. Our boys track team didn't run in a meet for 16 days. There were only 10 meets for the entire season and four had been cancelled.

When the weather improved, we had two weeks/four meets until the district meet where they would run to qualify for state. There was so much to figure out and only 4 meets to do it. They hadn't even settled on the relay team combinations, since they had only had two meets to test them.

During the time of the cancelled meets, Brandon continued to work hard. He planned extra workouts for the weekends. He worked harder than the previous three years, knowing it was his last hurrah and wanting to be in the best condition he could be.

It all went south during track meet number eight, on May 3rd, nine days before the district meet.
As he ran his first race of the meet, he tore his hamstring while rounding the curve and stumbled off into the grass. It was heartbreaking to watch. And, it was over. This injury ended his high school track career.
We were stunned, because he'd never had anything like this happen. In a second, it was over. It felt like the season had barely started!

He has spent the past two weeks going to physical therapy, which has helped him regain his ability to put on his own shoes and socks and walk without a limp. Running hasn't even been on the radar. The boys track team didn't do so well at the district meet. Ballard boys track is only sending one kid to state--the shot/discus thrower. Quite a change from previous years when 3-5 relay teams made it.

Attending the remaining track meets of this season has been different: never yelling my son's name, cheering on the others, and reminiscing about last year.

I've been wishing for a new set of senior year track pictures to print... I even bought a new camera lens for the track season, but it didn't get much action.

I had this poster made for his graduation party, from his freshman year at state. Somehow it cheered me.

Brandon has had a great attitude. In spite of the huge disappointment, he has kept his chin up and a smile on his face. I'm so proud of him. It would be easy to go down the path of how unlucky this seems: injury during your senior year. We are choosing to focus on how fortunate he has been to get to run at state three times. We have awesome memories!

Thursday starts the Iowa High School State Track Meet and we'll be there to cheer. (We are happy that some friends from the girls team will be running!) It will be strange to have Brandon in the seats next to us. We'll just be making a different kind of memory, and possibly wiping a tear or two.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful day with your families to celebrate Mother's Day.

I asked for a picture of me with my darlings:

Besides the picture, my crafty and artistic daughters made this cute artwork as my gift from the gang:

Brandon gave me a cute card that gave me a chuckle.

My husband grilled for lunch and bought me flowers. :)

It was a wonderful day!
Count your blessings, name them one by one...

Band Trip

2011-05-07T12:03:00.001-05:00

My teenagers went on a band trip with their high school band in mid-April. The trip was to Colorado Springs, CO. They had a great time once they got there, but it took much longer than expected.

Maybe you remember hearing about a late-spring snow storm closing I-80 in western Nebraska...
Our band kids got stranded in North Platte, Nebraska in a Walmart parking lot for 10 hours. It took that long to get all the cars cleared from the interstate so they could re-open it. The kids had Walmart and a couple of restaurants to hang out in, besides the two charter busses they were traveling on. They ended up being on the busses for 24 hours before reaching their destination. Colorado was great--Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Colorado Rockies baseball game, and the Air Force Academy. The trip home went much faster and included a stop at the Omaha zoo! They had fun, but they were glad to get back home. (I'll bet their teachers were as glad to get home as the kids were.)

Busy times...

2011-05-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

I haven't been spending much time writing blog posts recently. It's spring. I have a senior. It's track season. It's softball season. I'm planning a party for my senior. Busy times.
I'm too busy to blog, because of crazy things like this:

But I'll be back later. I'll tell you all about the graduation party, the disappointing track season, the jungle we've grown in our flower beds, and anything else that seems worth mentioning.

Happy spring!

Garage Sale Success!!!

2011-05-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to tell you that our garage sale turned out great!

Because of so very many generous people and the blessing of God, we were able to raise $3000 for the wonderful Leland family!

Yes...$3000.
I have never heard of such a thing at a garage sale!

Thank you for coming...
so many came to donate, work, shop, and give!

It was a blessing to be part of this effort.
And such fun to watch God's work in a garage full of hand-me-downs and a bunch of generous people.

Come shop and help my friends...

2011-04-25T12:18:00.001-05:00

Our friends the Leland's are adopting two little boys from Africa. You can read more about their family on their blog Running Towards Love.

To help them raise money toward the fees for the adoption, some friends and I are having a benefit garage sale this Saturday, April 30, in our town--Huxley, IA. Some come and shop, and help the Leland's bring home their two little boys! You could be part of this wonderful opportunity to give two dear children a better life!

By His Wounds We are Healed

2011-04-22T08:55:00.001-05:00

From the archives...

"He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our sin.

The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,

by His wounds we are healed."

Isaiah 53: 5

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When they hurled their insults at Him, he did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;

by His wounds you have been healed.

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

1 Peter 2: 22-25

It says in the book of Isaiah that He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and that He was silent as He went.

He was despised and rejected, ridiculed and mocked, beaten and spit upon.

He was nailed to a cross

My salvation: free to me, but so costly to my Lord.

I have been delivered, redeemed, set free.

He came for one purpose: to die on a cross,

and because of that single event, my life is forever changed.

That cross He died on...
a bridge to a new life for all who call on His name.

Call upon Him today.

That's why He died, and He's waiting to hear from you.

Experience what your heart was created for...access to the presence of God.

Put your hope in Him alone.

"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him."
Psalm 62: 1

The song "By His Wounds" that is playing is from the cd called Glory Revealed.
Click here to see it on Amazon.com

Genius Organizational Tool

2011-04-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

This is Byron's sweet aunt, who we went to visit on our Houston trip:

She gave me a new use for an old kitchen gadget. I love using tools in non-conventional ways to serve our organizational needs! Aunt Norma uses these lazy susan's in her bathroom cabinets, as well as the refrigerator. I thought it was a genius idea and bought 3 in the same week! The problem of all the little bottles in the back of the top refrigerator shelf--finally solved! Thanks to Aunt Norma!!!

Some days your the window, Some days your the bug

2011-04-18T08:24:00.002-05:00

Feeling a little bit like the bug recently. My two younger kids have been fighting a virus lately, and it's getting in the way of life!

I am so glad I have this time of busy days taking care of kids, but it's a little on the crazy side sometimes.

I like capturing a "day-in-the-life" in writing, so that I remember what raising 4 kids really looks like.

I'm thankful that its not usually this hectic!

Here is a look at a recent Monday:
(Because of the kids' illness, we didn't even get normal school work done, and they missed band and art classes.)

8:30 am
--doctors appt. at the medical clinic for Ryan's sore throat
--pharmacy for antibiotic
--sign papers at physical therapist (Brandon had been there while we were at the drs. appt.)
--go back home to get Meggan

10:00
--drive Meggan to school for band lesson
--trip to vision clinic regarding Ryan's broken glasses
--back into medical clinic with a question regarding Meggan's symptoms that are still hanging around
--back to school to pick up Meggan

***I'm thankful the medical clinic, vision clinic, pharmacy, and physical therapist are all near each other!

11:30 --spend some time reading history, eating lunch

12:30 --Angie haircut

1:15 --doctors appointment to re-check Meggan (3rd time at the medical clinic today)

2:30
--drive to Ames to return Brandon's tux from prom
--drive to copy center regarding graduation invitations
--errands at Target

4:45
--arrive home and make a quick supper
--pack blankets, coats, camera, food for track meet

5:30
--leave for Brandon's track meet
--stop at pharmacy for Byron's prescription refill (3rd time at the pharmacy today)

10:00 --home from track meet

Five years ago today...

2011-04-15T08:18:00.003-05:00

Five years ago today, I looked at this ugliness and brokenness:

My brother Jason and our cousin Tanner died in this fire. You can read about Jason in this post.

The little house that stood in this place went up in flames in a hurry--the fire probably started by a spark from a bonfire with friends during the evening. The house was engulfed in the early morning hours. A house that had been a home to so many of my relatives over the years and was located about one mile from the home I grew up in.

It was Saturday morning, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
My mom called me at 5 am--we were already in Chillicothe, visiting for the holiday weekend.

"Tanner's house burned," she said. She told me that they weren't sure if Tanner and Jason were in the house and that they were calling all the friends to try to find out where they were. She would call me back when she had more information. I was confused, my mind racing, wide awake. She asked me to start praying.

When we hung up, I heard the voice of God. He didn't speak out loud. He spoke within me. It was a dominating and commanding voice, and it covered all my thoughts.
He said "I am the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

While my mind raced with details of what to do and where to go and who to call... I could not focus!
I could not think, because of the Voice that would not quit speaking to me. Over and over, He kept saying "I am the same yesterday, today and tomorrow." I realized that those words were all I needed to know. While my mind screamed for information about what was happening in a fire a few miles from me, my heart knew that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow" was all I needed. I have never heard from God in that way since, but He knew that I needed His words at that time. He also knew that I would be listening.

We soon found out that Jason and Tanner were in the house. They were gone. Our disbelief and shock played with our minds. We could not see their lifeless bodies to help us accept. We knew what was true, but could not believe. While the world seemed to crash in around us, I kept thinking, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow." I will be in the palm of His hand. He will protect me while nothing else can. He will be my Rock, while all else crumbles.

Our world was dark and ugly and broken that day. Our loss seemed more than we could comprehend and more than we could carry. At some point, I thought of that day, that Saturday we were trying to survive, as the day after Jesus died. It was, after all, the day after Good Friday. What must His family and friends have felt like? The darkness of losing the Savior of the world must have been unbearable. The pain of His mother...did it look like the pain I saw on my own mother's face? Did those who loved Jesus walk around longing to be with Him? Did they expect to see Him, only to remember He was gone?

On that Easter Sunday morning...the day after experiencing devastation...I realized that Jesus lives on. He bled and hurt and died, because of ugliness. Ugliness like the picture above. Ugliness like the feeling I had in my stomach. Brokenness of families who would never be the same. He could not be held down by death.

I realized He lived for me.

He lived for me to be able to live on after tragedy.

He died, but lived on, so that I could find hope and go on with all the tomorrows He had planned for me.

Let Him carry you in your pain. Fall at His feet and weep.

Cry out to Him with your tears and anger.

He makes all things new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

He comforts those who mourn. Matthew 5:4

He brings hope to the hopeless. 1 Peter 1:21

He gave us life to live abundantly. John 10:10

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

I am so grateful that my Jesus lives.

I know that I heard His voice that day because of the ugly, broken, painful event beginning to unfold.

I know that I saw His hand at work in my life, as he taught me and changed me

in the weeks and months after the fire.

I am sad today, because five years ago my loved-ones' lives on this Earth ended.

But I rejoice today, because I heard His voice.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
James 13:8

Prom 2011

2011-04-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was prom for my son Brandon. His final high school dance.

He and his date went with a fun group of kids. They looked so spiffy!

They had an unseasonably warm and sunny day, so the girls didn't have to worry about how to keep warm in their dresses. They had a fun time at the dance and then attended the post-prom event at a pizza and game place in Des Moines. Afterward, some of the group crashed at our house and then had a waffle breakfast together on Sunday morning.

Another Car in my Driveway

2011-04-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

My daughter Ellyn got a car.

I am enjoying having another driver to help get kids to their events, but...I am also concerned to have another teenage driver to worry about--like when they drive late at night, or in bad weather, or with other kids in the car,... Oh my, I'd better spend some more time in prayer for them!

Don't worry, be happy! Right?

Sports Rules for Parents

2011-04-09T08:59:00.001-05:00

In light of the fact that all the spring sports have started, I thought I would print this excerpt from "The Sport Parent's Manual" by Tom Doyle.

Things parents do that their kids really appreciate:

Taking time out of your busy schedules to come to games and support what we do.
Bringing snacks after a game.
Supporting the whole team, not just me.
Cheering the team even when losing badly.
Telling us we did a good job.
Being proud of us even when we didn't win.
Being quiet unless cheering with everyone else.
Never yelling at a coach or ref.
Making friends with the other parents.
Telling a "negative" parent to be quiet.

Things parents do that embarrass their kids:

Trying to teach me how to do something "correctly" after a game.
Coaching during games even though you aren't the coach.
Telling me what I was doing wrong after every game.
Being asked to leave a field by an official.
Going crazy at the refs--because it's not your job. It is the coach's job to question bad calls.
Taunting other players, opponents, refs.
Yelling things at coaches and getting involved with something that was between coach and me. It was none of your business.
Coming to a game drunk or after drinking.
Acting disappointed with what I am doing instead of reassuring me I will do better next time.
Getting a technical foul against our team.
Don't tell me I'm really cute in my uniform.

one of my favorites--Meggan's first year of t-ball
May 2006

Happy Birthday to my Dad

2011-04-07T12:58:00.001-05:00

My dad is celebrating a birthday! He is 66 years old today.
I am putting his age in print, because for a little while today, my parents thought he was 67.
Keeping track of your age seems to get harder every year!

Hope you have a great day, Dad! Wish we were there to sing "Happy Birthday" and share some cake and ice cream.

Nov. 2010

our dog and our van

2011-04-04T17:18:00.001-05:00

We sold our van a couple of weeks ago. We sold it to friends of ours, which we were glad about, since we were sort of sad to see it go. We might walk down the street and visit sometime. Mindy said we could.

We made a lot of memories and traveled a lot of miles in our van.

Our dog really loved our van too. She got to go almost everywhere in the van with me. And liked to sniff the fresh air out the window.

The night we cleaned and vacuumed the van, Mandie had to sit in her seat while we cleaned. I could hardly bear to tell her that it would be her last time to sit there.

(Sorry for the blurry picture. It was dark and in the garage. Meggan was vacuuming under the seats. And no, she didn't get glasses--they are fake.)

So if you think you see us in our van, go ahead and wave.

Mindy and her family are friendly and will wave back.

But you won't see a cute dog hanging out the window.

Eagle Watching

2011-04-01T11:55:00.001-05:00

UPDATE:
The first eaglet could hatch today!
Many are watching--notice the number of viewers.
Click the link at the bottom of this post.

Below is a link to a live webcam of an eagle's nest in Decorah, Iowa. I think it is amazing that we see eagles on a regular basis in Iowa now. My kids tire of hearing me talk about it--about how I never expected to see an eagle as a kid. About how I didn't see an eagle until I was an adult. About how amazing it is to see an eagle. About how awesome eagles are. The kids like eagles, but they think I'm little obsessed.

They told me it was a lie when I claimed to have a pet eagle. But there is a large eagle who hangs out about 3 miles from our house on a road I drive multiple times a day. I call him Baldy or Pate (short for Patriot). I feel a special attachment to him. He flew really low over the windshield of my car one day, when I scared him up off his road-kill deer. Sorry if that was offensive. I took his picture one day, but only with my phone so it's not that great.

Anyway, take a look at this awesome-ness.
I wonder if she ever has a strange feeling of being watched...

Click on the link below:
Decorah, Iowa eagle nest-- live stream

Music, Music

2011-03-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

In the past month, my two younger children have been "extra" musical. :)

Meggan's piano teacher had a fun event for her studio students in late February. She spent the month of February having them work on duets with another student, then scheduled a performance at a chocolate shop in Ames. Parents came to listen and enjoyed snacking on some fine chocolates. Meggan and her duet partner did a great job! It was such a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Right before we left for spring break, Ryan had solo contest. He played a clarinet solo he had worked on for weeks and received a I+ rating from his judge! (That's the best rating, for those who don't know.)
Way to go, Ryan!

Spring Break 2011--Houston

2011-03-27T15:33:00.002-05:00

We all went south for spring break.
Three of us went to Houston, while the remaining three + the dog stayed with the grandparents in northern Missouri. Everyone had a great week! The spring-like weather helped so much!

Byron, Brandon and I went to Houston to visit Byron's relatives.

They were so hospitable and made a lot of effort to pamper us. I considered staying for a very long time.
(I couldn't help but want to stay! My clean laundry was left folded on my bed at Aunt Norma's house--what more could a girl want in life!)
These dear people were our hosts:

We had a great time seeing the sights of Houston, dining on delicious food with good company.
Three Carson men:

We enjoyed 80 degree weather, sunshine, blooming flowers, and green grass. We loved getting a chance to be outside in t-shirts!

We visited the Houston Museum of Art and saw a huge exhibit of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.

We went to NASA's Johnson Space Center and saw spaceships and "behind the scenes" work.
We're pretty sure that there was some stuff they didn't show us at NASA, since the stuff we saw didn't look very "high tech". This computer is really old. Rather surprising, since its NASA:

I was also surprised to see that they use sewing machines at the space center:

We went to Rodeo Houston, which lasts 20 days and is the largest in the world. They raise tons of money for scholarships, youth programs, and charities every year.
I thought it was funny to see Brandon and Aunt Norma texting at the same time:

We saw lots of fun things like the calf scramble, where a bunch of calves and kids are turned loose in the arena. The kids are supposed to catch a calf, which is pretty difficult. Even if they do manage to catch a calf, it's about impossible to keep ahold of it.

There was never a dull moment and we loved every minute of it--bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing, bronc riding, etc.

Zac Brown Band was the entertainment after the rodeo. (We had to choose which night to go--Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley were playing the other 2 nights!)

He and the band were amazing and sang all of our favorite ZBB songs.

This picture shows that there were ALOT of people there:

Then after the show, we left ... at the same time as all those other people... and waited in this ridiculously huge maze of people to get on the bus back to the parking lots:

It was well worth it though. We had a wonderful time!

Ellyn, Ryan and Meggan stayed in Missouri with the grandparents and also had some nice weather. They enjoyed sewing, crafting, fishing, a cousin ballgame, a cousin sleepover (three girls and a lab slept sideways in the same bed).

Since we've been home, it has not felt like spring. We are looking forward to warm and sunny days in the near future!

Please Respect the Birds

2011-03-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful spring break last week. I will be writing about it soon.

Today I read this and it made me smile. And it made me think of spring...longingly. And I must say that I have no memory of ever reading this before. : )

Deuteronomy 22: 6-7

"If you come across a bird's nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life."

(FYI: I have instructed my children to leave the young birds and eggs alone, as well as the mother bird.)

Spring

2011-03-11T15:05:00.000-06:00

Today is warm and sunny. The air smells like dirt. But it never feels like spring until I set out this picture:

Ryan -- age 8

Family Journal

2011-03-07T08:27:00.000-06:00

Last week I was sorting through a pile of papers and pictures to scrapbook. It was a deep pile. :(

At the bottom of the pile, I found this little treasure:

In an attempt to get my older two kids to write more, during the summer of 2001, I started this journal. They were seven and nine. My younger two kids were 12 months old and 20 months old, so they weren't involved.

The first page entry was written by me:

"Dear family, when you find this journal, write an entry and pass it on to another family member. You may put it in hidden place to be discovered by the next family member, like in their laundry basket or under their covers."

Each family member only made about 3 entries, but reading the words written so long ago was like discovering treasure. I laughed when I saw Brandon's first entry. He obviously wasn't that interested in the written word and probably wished he could put the journal in a hidden place to NEVER be discovered again. He's like his dad and likes to write numbers:

Ellyn loved writing, so it was fun for her. I love her creative spelling.

The journal got hidden in Byron's suitcase when he went on a business trip, so one of his entries was written from another city.

This journal didn't get used much, but I am so glad to have found it again. It captures a moment in time that would have easily been forgotten.

Friday Night Entertainment

2011-03-04T19:57:00.000-06:00

The after-supper entertainment for our family tonight: trying to explain how you can be your own grandpa.

Yes, you read that correctly. We had a conversation-- it went on for quite some time as various family members tried to explain, about how a man could be his own grandpa.

Can you figure it out? Read the song lyrics by clicking here.

If you understand it, could you please explain it to my youngest child? She is having trouble understanding it.

What am I saying? I AM HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING IT!

I laughed for an hour and wished 138 times that I had a recording of our conversation.

Good times!

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbooks

2011-03-03T13:10:00.000-06:00

So what's your favorite cookbook?

The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook was the cookbook my mom reached for for all her cooking needs while I was growing up. She got it when she got married in 1965.

1965

When I got married in 1986, she gave me my own copy as a gift.

1986

The red-checked cookbook taught an 18-year-old bride how to hard boil eggs, where different cuts of beef are located on the butchered steer, substitutions for common ingredients, measurement equivalents, and how to make my favorite homemade waffles.
The first edition was published in 1930, so the cookbook celebrated 80 years last year in 2010. I celebrated by buying the new edition. (As well as a couple of extra copies to use as wedding gifts this year.)

2010

My 25th wedding anniversary is in June and I thought it would be fun to have one of the cookbooks from the year I was married and new one to commemorate 25 years in the kitchen. I also love the link to my neck of the woods in central Iowa--Des Moines is the headquarters for Meredith Corporation, which is the publisher for this cookbook.

Since getting interested in the history of the cookbook, I made sure my mom knew that I would want her copy someday. I was excited to have recently found my grandmother's copy, which has a gold cover commemorating the sale of 10,000,000 cookbooks.

To be honest, the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook is probably not my very favorite cookbook, but it is an essential in my kitchen. My favorites are church cookbooks, with everyone's best recipes.
I would hate to be without this favorite, as well:

Pioneer Woman Cooks book signing
Mall of America, MN
Nov. 2009

February Birthday Party

2011-02-28T10:50:00.000-06:00

My husband and my mother share birthdays on Feb. 20th. We got to celebrate this year with a fancy cake and a fun group of friends.

I tried a new recipe for the birthday cake: Chocolate Raspberry Hazelnut.
It was delicious and beautiful. It would be a great cake to make for Valentine's Day in heart-shaped pans.

Hazelnut Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
mix in electric mixer for 2 minutes:
2 large eggs
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 t. vanilla

stir together these dry ingredients in separate bowl--

2 c. flour

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

3/4 c. finely chopped hazelnuts

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Add 1/2 flour mixture to electric mixer bowl and beat on slow.

Then beat in:
1 c. low-fat sour cream

Add remaining flour mixture and continue beating.
Then stir in:
1/2 c. hazelnut-flavored liquer
1/2 c. hot water

Grease and flour two 9" cake pans. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake 22 minutes at 350 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.

whipped cream:
beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form:
1 c. heavy cream
3 T. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
set aside

chocolate icing
In small saucepan over high heat, bring
1 c. heavy cream just to a boil
remove from heat and add
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. Nutella spread
Let sit 1 minute, stir until smooth
Let sit 5 minutes until room temperature.

To assemble the cake:
Place 1 cake layer on cake stand;
spread with 1/4 c. seedless raspberry jam.
Spread 1/2 chocolate frosting evenly over jam.
Top with whipped cream.
Arrange 1/2 c. raspberries around edge of cake.
Top with remaining cake layer.
Spread with 1/4 c. raspberry jam and remaining chocolate frosting.
Sprinkle with more raspberries.

Tomato--Tomahto

2011-02-26T13:34:00.000-06:00

My husband and I are very different. We like to go with the "opposites attract" theory.
While in Colorado, we doodled on our paper tablecloth at Blue Moose Pizza.
Our drawings tell much about us:

Chicken Rollatini

2011-02-24T13:03:00.001-06:00

I like to try new recipes, but seldom are they "keepers." It seems that my tried and true, made-a-million-times recipes are the best. I recently tried this chicken recipe and we loved it. I tore it out of a magazine, but it was too long ago for me to remember where it came from.

Chicken Rollatini
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
pepperoni slices
6-8 provolone slices
18-24 asparagus spears
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pound each chicken breast to 1/4" thick.
Place 4 pepperoni slices, one cheese slice, and three asparagus spears in the center of each breast.
Roll up the chicken breast and secure with a toothpick.
Spread 1/2 c. sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Put chicken rolls in pan, top with remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 44 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Happy Birthday George Washington!

2011-02-22T15:07:00.003-06:00

I am so inspired by George Washington. Beyond inspiration, I am extremely grateful.

The more I learn of this man, the more amazed I am at the sacrifice he was willing to make for our country.

Born in Virginia, as a boy he was a good student, was strong and ambitious, and loved adventure. His father died when he was eleven, and he and his siblings were left to care for his mother. He learned to work as a surveyor while in his teens and spent much of his time working in the woods measuring the land.

By age twenty-one, he was over six feet tall, strong and tough, but humble and caring. He was a public surveyor for the state of Virginia at this time, but became Major Washington when the governor of Virginia sent him to see a French commander at a fort near Lake Erie. Washington was to tell him that he had built on land belonging to the English and that he and his men must leave or fight. Major Washington had to travel a distance of 1,000 miles to the fort and back. He had to climb mountains and swim rivers--there weren't any roads to travel through what was called the Great Woods.

When he finally returned, after being shot at and nearly drowning and freezing to death, he was made a lieutenant colonel. Washington was then sent back with 150 men to build a fort and protect the same land from the French. In the process, he was almost killed. He had two horses shot out from under him and four bullets that went through his coat.

The English eventually gained possession of the land from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. George III of England was now in charge of a lot of land, but needed to send more soldiers to protect it. He wanted to force the thirteen colonies to pay for the cost of keeping the soldiers. He tried a lot of different ways to force them to pay, but it didn't really go over that well. The colonists knew that they were being taxed without representation, which was against the law of England. They wanted the same rights as the people in England, and they were willing to fight for those rights. Remember the Boston Tea Party?

The colonists began to unify for the first time. The idea of fighting for independence, rather than just representation, was born. They started calling themselves American's. They started gathering weapons and powder. They knew they might be forced to fight. Then one night British soldiers killed seven Americans in Lexington. Remember Paul Revere?

The fighting had begun. It was 1775. It continued and the leaders of the colonies decided George Washington should command all the forces of the American army. By this time, he was living a quiet life as a farmer with his wife Martha. He gave up a very comfortable life at Mount Vernon to fight for the cause of freedom.

The fighting continued as Washington led the Continental Army against the British. They had a difficult time--they did not have ammunition, enough food, proper uniforms, etc. There were times when they were freezing and starving to death, but they fought on. So much was at stake!

Remember Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776?

A major turn of events happened about a year later, however. Benjamin Franklin was in France, convincing them to join us in fighting against England. Thank goodness they hated the British and the king agreed to help. They provided money, soldiers, and ships. The War for American Independence lasted seven years, until 1783. Great Britain signed an agreement giving the colonies their independence.

When Washington was certain the fighting was over, he returned to Mount Vernon, where he hoped to spend the rest of his life. He would have been over fifty years old. The war had been hard on him.

But the trouble wasn't over. The states began to quarrel. There was no strong central government. The states operated as 13 separate countries.

In the summer of 1787, the leaders of the country joined together to figure out a plan. George Washington didn't want to go, but he was so respected by all, that the Virginia delegates begged him to. They looked to him to pull everyone together.

That summer the Constitutional Convention talked and argued, until they had a plan that would establish the government of the United States. The Constitution was written behind closed doors and nailed-shut windows. When it was finished, Washington returned to Mount Vernon. He was almost sixty years old.
He wanted to spend the rest of his years with his wife, as a Virginia farmer.

Instead, the delegates who had signed the Constitution begged George Washington to be the first president. They knew he wouldn't try to become the king of America. He said that becoming president was the greatest personal sacrifice he was ever called upon to make. But he accepted, out of duty to the people of his country. He was elected in February of 1789. He recorded in his diary, "I begin the presidency with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express."

As the new president, he established a pattern for other presidents to follow. He was humble and insisted on being called "Mr. President" instead of the suggestions of "His Exalted High Mightiness" or "His Highness the President." He only served two terms, knowing that America didn't need a President who stayed in power too long. He recognized that our Constitution should be what ruled the land, not the President.

When he retired from the presidency in March of 1797, he returned to Mount Vernon again. He died just over two years later. He had given so much to our country, when he really just wanted to be a Virginia farmer. He was one of the greatest men in the history of the world.

Celebrate his birthday today by saying the Pledge of Allegiance

or singing The Star-Spangled Banner

or flying the stars and stripes!

Happy birthday to you, George Washington!

===============

I read these books to my kids as we studied George Washington and early American history:

George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster

The Story of the World vol. 3 by Susan Wise Bauer

Exploring American History by D.H. Montgomery

We love this picture book by Lynne Cheney:

My husband says this one is a "must read":

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

2011-02-18T09:53:00.000-06:00

This is a great recipe for a busy evening, as long as you can get your hands on a roasted chicken. It was really easy and everyone liked it. The recipe came from the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

1 1.75-2 lb purchased roasted chicken
1 med. onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 T. olive oil
1/3 c. cider or white wine vinegar
1/2 c. tomato sauce
2 T. molasses
3-4 T. seeded and finely chopped fresh red and/or green serrano chile peppers*
2 T. snipped fresh thyme
2 T. water
1/2 t. salt

6 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Cut the meat from the chicken, discard bones and skin. Use two forks to shred.
In a large skillet, cook onion in hot olive oil. Use medium heat and cook about 5 min.
Add vinegar and cook and stir 1 min. more.
Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Add chicken and stir gently to coat.
Serve on rolls with sweet pickles.

*I used long thin slices of sweet bell peppers instead of chopped chili peppers--tasted great!

Organizing

2011-02-16T15:11:00.000-06:00

When we went to Colorado in January, I read this book:

It is really good for me to read ideas from people who aren't "savers". I get emotionally attached to many things in my home, and then I can't part with them. I have to find the space to store them, and that can be a problem after a while.
Plus I'm a crafter. And a seamstress. I have fabric and paint, ribbons and trims, papers and glue, ...
You get the idea.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful,

or believe to be beautiful."

--William Morris

19th century artist and designer

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:45:00.000-06:00

I feel like I fell off the planet last week. In reality, I got a sinus infection and landed on the couch for a week. I am glad to be feeling better!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Last week, Meggan and I worked on a fun and easy Valentine craft. We cut out approximately 25 medium sized hearts (using a punch would be a great option for this craft). I drew a heart shape, very lightly so it wouldn't show much) on a piece of cream card stock. Meggan folded, bent and distressed the hearts and then glued them on the paper within the pencil line. I framed it in a pretty frame with the glass removed, so that all the ruffley texture wasn't smashed. Very pretty!

Have a great day and make sure to give all your Valentine's some extra love today! <3

Bundle Up!

2011-02-08T15:32:00.000-06:00

It's really cold outside, so make sure you bundle up!

(In case you're wondering...yes, this hat was made just for Mandie.)

Fancy Grilled Cheese

2011-02-05T07:02:00.001-06:00

I got this recipe out of Quick Cooking in 2000, which is now called Simple & Delicious by Taste of Home. It is a recipe that I don't make often, but we really like it and it's quick and easy. It tastes great with thin slices of tomato grilled on it and/or with tomato soup...yummy.

3oz. cream cheese, softened (I microwave)
3/4 c. mayonaise
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. seasoned salt

Photo Organization--Part 2

2011-02-03T17:44:00.001-06:00

Have you been working on organizing your photos?
That project is still not crossed off my list. I am determined to get to it this winter!

Here are some of my thoughts on how to handle all the different versions of edited photos, as well as what to do to make sure a computer crash never causes you to lose your dear photos.

Regarding edited photos:
When I print photos, I have a mix of edited and non-edited. It is always a bit of a challenge to figure out which one of the little thumbnails is the version I want to print.

For pictures that I edit, I save the new version with the word "edit" added after the file number. It looks like this: IMG_123edit or IMG_123editBW. (Sometimes there are several versions of the original, i.e. a color version and a black/white or sepia version.) I include something in the new file name to help me know these details. Then when I am uploading to facebook, my blog, or my online printer it makes things much easier.

I keep the edited and original versions in the same folder on my computer, so that I can find the original easily in case I am not happy with the edited version and want to start over or make a change.

Regarding backing up your digital photos:
I have an external hard drive hooked up to my computer. It allows me to choose how often I want it to back up photos, and then it does it automatically. This protects my images from being lost in a computer crash. It would not save them from a fire or natural disaster.

My second "back-up" is my online printer. I use Walmart.com to print and then pick up at my local store. As long as my account is active, my photos are kept in my albums stored on their site. All the photos I have printed over the years could be re-printed, if I ever lost my files or printed pictures kept at home.

I also use Picasa and Flickr, which are free photo-sharing sites. If you publish photos to an online album, they will be stored in a location separate from your computer. I only have a few of my photos stored in this way. It is really not intended for backing up photos, but some of my favorites are stored online.

One of the best options, there is a fee however, is online storage--websites devoted specifically to storing digital photos. I have not used any of them, but it's a great concept. The files for all your photos are stored in a place separate from your home, protecting them from computer crashes, as well as fires, floods, and tornadoes.

Regardless of how unorganized your photo files are, get a plan for backing up your files. Don't be fooled into thinking your pictures are safe--a computer crash can happen without warning. You don't want any regrets when it comes to family pictures.

ellyn's bedroom {guest blog}

2011-02-01T16:27:00.017-06:00

my mom asked me to "guest blog" about my bedroom makeover that i got as part of our new addition/remodel. i don't have very good before pictures, because our house/lives were pretty chaotic when they tore into my room. here are some snapshots of my bedroom over the past couple years:

the paint color was Dancing Green from Sherwin-Williams, which was my wall color for the past six years.
& i had carpet, which collected a lot of animal hair from all those lovely pooches.
another thing i didn't like about my old bedroom, was that not very many colors looked good in it--mostly just pink or green.

but now...

i have this:

my new color is Mesa Tan from Sherwin-Williams.
& i have lovely wood floors!!
now i don't have to worry when my dog pukes, or when my friends come over & would like their clothes to stay pet-fur-free. it is w o n d e r f u l.

<-- some little things i love, including an elephant my Nana won at a Bingo party & a box my mom brought back from New Mexico that holds roses from my uncle's funeral.

<--jewelry box my Uncle Jason gave me, & framed wallpaper from my mom's room growing up.

all of my furniture came from Target's Shabby Chic line about six years ago.
but i still love it.
the old telephone was from my Gramma & Grandpa's house.

the photo wall has been there for a few years. i just switched out a couple of the pictures, & some really need to be replaced still. (the middle one of me... yikes, i still had braces.)
& the tissue paper balls i made. you can get directions on how to make them here.
the ladder is from JBknacker. the store is full of old junk. its like a dream (i really like old things, if you can't tell:) i painted the ladder aqua.

my dad & i made the peg board. i picked out knobs that i liked, or extras that we had laying around the house, mixed some paint together & painted the board, & he screwed the knobs in. thanks dad!

the framed fabric was my Great- Grandma's.
this wall is still in progress. i have several black picture frames waiting to be hung up. the wall will revolve around this picture:

the quilt is not new, but i'm too in love with it to ever part.
& the oval frame is from JBknacker, & then painted aqua.
i've been wanting to make some kind of fabric headboard, kind of like this one here.
but we'll see if i ever get to that...

the wire basket & the green table are also both from JBknacker.
& i made the hat box.

these are closet dividers that i made because... well i guess because i felt like being crafty!! but aren't they cute? i think my mom thought i was crazy for making them. i used cheap wooden picture frames, painted them, cut out scrapbook paper for the front, & Mod-Podged it on. i made six of them. if you wanted to make these for a real purpose, you could use them for a baby closet & put stickers on the divider to separate all the different sizes. or you could sort by color. or you could just put them in there to separate your sweaters from your t-shirts like i did. :)

now my project for this snow day is to make a bounty banner like the ones here.
i don't know where i'll put it, but what else is there to do? & i've ALWAYS loved the look.

now go drink a cup of hot chocolate & snuggle up with your dog.
its cold outside!
-ellyn

Waffle-love

2011-01-31T10:49:00.000-06:00

We had homemade waffles yesterday. Everyone loves them. We usually have a few left after everyone stuffs themselves. Like I mentioned, everyone loves them.
Some family members really, really, really love them. And some family members were really bored.