Character Enhancement

Well, the first day of some restriction at the computer was not too bad...partly because the girls had other activities in the afternoon. After supper, when I took the 2 younger ones to the YMCA for swim lesssons, Lydia was playing a little bit on a site that is O.K. However, the restriction box pops up alot during it (because of all the advertising) and she got frustrated. When I got home she was not happy about it. She was even having problems with facebook and the flair page. Anyway, I got that smoothed over. then later she was doing research for homework and it was restricting sites again and she was MAD. I turned off the program so she could just do homework. When I came back later she was doing something else and not homework. So I had her turn it off. Some of her issues have to do with a friend from church that has unlimited access to the computer (as far as I know) and when she goes over there they play alot on it. I really feel that time should be limited with it and that other activities should be going on. She just gets locked in to playing on it and kinda zones out.
All in all, I glad that we are doing this for now....I think that it will teach some self-control and maybe patience too!!!

restrictions

Well, we love having the internet at the house although the children would love to have other computers with connections so that they wouldn't have to share!!! We are going to stick to our guns and just have 1 home computer plugged-in to the internet connections. This last weekend, however, we encountered our first attack of some sort of virus or malware. It was VERY frustrating and I was annoyed with the tactic used to get us to click on the box (said it was a virus scan or something). Anyway, we called Jeff and he got us on a good malware program and we found 9 of those stinkin' bugs!!! ARGH!!! So, after that got cleaned up I set about using the free filtering program and will hope to control what sites are being visited and what items actually show up on web pages. It is a little frustrating now but hopefully our list of approved sites will get built up and the kids will be back to using the computer with ease. Elias wanted to add You Tube as an approved site but I said that I wanted to keep that under parental control because there is stuff there that shouldn't be visited (in our opinion). So for now....that particular site will only be allowed when we (the parents) know about it!

Productive weekend

Had a really beautiful weekend. The weather cleared out and warmed up (for which I'm very grateful). Husband and I along with our son spent Saturday doing some outdoor repair work. Our basement cellar entrance was in really bad shape after many years of service. Although we didn't fix the actual door...we did completely replace the framework for it. The old boards were in sad shape and had some insect damage. We used some of the pressure treated lumber that was removed from a deck on the other side of the house and framed it in. It is not perfect but at least it is sealed up better. Today we are cleaning out the rest of the junk (from before we moved in) that is in the cellar. Tomorrow is the city will be picking up the junk for free...so we are making good use of that service!!! The next step will be to add some plastic (i.e. can't rust) storage shelves down there to house the paint cans, caulk and other items that can't freeze but need a remote storage area. After that I want to put down some sort of plastic flooring squares (like you see in YMCA locker room areas) and make it a little nicer. There is occasion for us to be down there when there is a tornado warning and the place is pretty gross!! I'm hoping to at least get a corner decent enough to hunker down in as well as maybe setting up some emergency type items down there (like a crank style radio and flashlight and maybe a latern or something). I don't want to go all out but it definitely needs some attention.

We also cleaned out the garden beds and filled in some siding on the house that is in disrepair. Next year we are hoping to embark on siding the house...one side at a time. And we will probably fix/replace windows as we go along. We hope that if we approach it in this manner that it will be not so expensive and if we don't get it all done in a year...then it will not look so bad in the process of repair.

The girls had fun playing outside during all this work time. We had made a makeshift fort out back by using one of our old aluminum boats upside-down for the roof and a ladder in the corner. They like climbing up there and sitting on top (which husband doesn't like but is o.k. with) and then pretending they are explorers or something. Ahh... the creative life of children!

A fun "found" item was our carrots in the garden. I had really given up on them ever producing (they were planted too close together) but found that we had about a dozen of them grow big enough to eat. So, we will be making a potato soup with them!!!

Internet

Finally broke down and got internet hook-up at the house. The older kids really need it for school work and going to the library or our offices was getting too cumbersome! So I made a makeshift desk with a piece of nice plywood and some closet maid shelf things. It turned out nice although I should paint or put some sort of finish on the plywood so it doesn't get stained or ruined.

So yesterday at lunch hour I put the computer together and hooked it up. Everything is great (except our printer is still not "talking" with the computer yet). BUT....since we have never had internet connection to our home computer (it is 4 years old) we had about 50 microsoft updates downloaded!! It took about 2 hours to get the batch in and then another 2 1/2 hours when we powered down to have them installed!!! WOW. Now if I can get some time in on the machine I will download some photos (either here or one facebook).

It is nice to be catching up on technology!!!

Building Memories

Life is Busy!!! It's the mantra of most people I know. I definitely have a way of getting caught up in the busyness if everything and then when the end of the day comes....I'm all done in. This can be a good thing but lately I've been challenged to think outside of myself. I've been challenged to consider how my kids see things. Some days I feel like I just brush them aside. So I've been purposefully working toward building memories with them. This last weekend was one of those occasions. There was a "girl day" on Saturday. Me and the girls went to the zoo, had dinner at Culver's (an especially good burger restuarant with fabulous ice cream!!), then a quick shopping excursion to Kohl's. We also set up the tent in the back yard and did an overnighter out there (I only made it to about 3 in the morning before I went back to a regular bed!). It was a good thing! Then yesterday we spent a family day with a bike ride at a trail near a lake and took along a picnic lunch to eat along the way. Afterwards, we loaded everything up and then headed down to the beach for awhile. Kinda reminded husband and I of going to the coast except without the crashing waves, the smell of saltwater, and the ocean view (but it was good enough for Iowa!). We all enjoyed the day very much and was a good bonding time for all. I hope that these are memories that the kids will come back to when they grow up!!

Garden Gifts

I have found our little raised garden beds to be quite a delight! It is like finding presents everyday when I visit it....and the raised beds have hardly any weeds to contend with....so much the better! Lately we have been harvesting green beans, okra, yellow squash, some yellow pear tomatoes and roma tomatoes. There is also basil which has been amazing! I really love it's scent and the beautiful flavor in our food. We are seeing some great looking tomatoes on our beefsteak variety...they are all still green but will be amazing when they get ripe. Can't wait to eat them! Then there is the banana peppers which are just now starting to come on...looking forward to pickling them to enjoy this winter. The cucumbers are putting on plenty and I'm considering making some bread and butter pickles or some dill pickles with them. Or maybe some relish instead.

We planted some strawberries at the beginning of the season and I had thought that nothing had happened with them. However, the other day I was weeding the planter box that they were in and found 1 plant did finally come in. YEAH!!! I know that it will begin spreading and that we will have strawberries in our garden next year. There is nothing like the taste of fresh picked...vine ripened strawberries (while they are warm from the sun). MMMM...just like heaven.

Next year we will make sure to cage our tomato plants better....they are just laying all over the place! I will probably separate them into their own area rather than mixing them with other plants.

Schedules!

Husband's direct supervisor/boss got fired about a week and a half ago. This was very unexpected (but a possibly a blessing because the boss liked to micro-manage a lot). Yesterday husband had a meeting with his new supervisor (probably temporary...but may be a while before a true replacement) and straightened out vacation, professional leave (for his on-site master classes....2 weeks fall and spring) and his general schedule lay out. The new boss basically said that he has confidence that husband can set his own schedule and that vacation means just that....VACATION! So, starting yesterday afternoon he started vacation for a week. YEAH!!! This has helped my schedule tremendously now that I'm in the crunch time before our big annual sessions (I do all planning and registration work). He will basically be "Mr. Mom" for the next week. I will be asking my boss about reducing my number of hours per week by about 10 hours so that I have more time to keep on top of the home life. Hopefully all will smooth out this coming year.

Blueberries

A member from our church is away on a trip to visit family. She has 4 lovely blueberry bushes. Knowing that we love them (we picked some last year from her bushes) she asked if we would stop by 2 times a week to pick them. Of course, we humbly said YES!!! Last night I rode husband's bike over there (he has a geeky basket on the front of his bike) and picked a 1/2 gallon of them. They were BEAUTIFUL!

This morning the family was greeted with fresh blueberry muffins that were (in my opinion) delicious! It is a good recipe that I got from a Bed and Breakfast that we stayed in while traveling through Washington.

God is so very good!!!

Garden

I feel that I have been on the negative note of late. Sorry about that! Today I am relishing in the work of God. It started at the beginning of summer when we built 3 raised beds for a garden spot. I planted seeds...etc. and left the work in God's hand. Last night while working on taming the overgrown grass surrounding the boxes I spotted 3 ripe and ready to pick squashes and 1 cucumber!! These are huge plants and will produce plenty for us. There are also many tomatoes (of several varieties) that are green but will be an abundant harvest as well. Can't wait to can some of them so we can enjoy them this winter.

Some other plants didn't fair so well...namely the peas and the carrots (and the green bean bush doesn't seem to be going anywhere either). Next year I will plant those items in their own beds and keep them away from the tomatoes and squashes (which like to take over the territory!!)

The raised beds are so much easier to tend to then having a large plot tilled in and planting in rows. So far it has been a pleasant experience.

Staying above Stagnant Water

Yesterday was our church's business meeting (which are usually pretty dry). One of the subjects was the proposal to install a motorized window covering over the middle stain glass window (that faces west). One of the main reason for this is that any evening event has to deal with the problem of blinding light that comes in that window. You simple cannot sit in the middle section and not be uncomfortable with the amount of light. this has been a problem for years and sometime in the past they use to have shades for those windows that had been removed but the old brackets are there.

Well, the older generation (those 70 and older) just had a fit! They are concerned that the sanctuary will become like a public auditorium or will be less "worshipful". Or that the stain glass is what inspires worship. Our pastor had originally started the conversation several months ago about installing a projector system that would also have the screen placed over that window (there are two other windows that flank the center one....but those will be left alone) with the dual purpose of projection and covering in the evening. this concept was trashed because of the expense. However, the trustees want a covering system that will be minimally obtrusive. Those older generation folks just keep talking about that the curtain/shade will lead to the projection system. Something they don't want. There were comments made that if the youth like the media systems then maybe those items could be installed in the youth room or the in the fellowship but that we should not change the sanctuary because it is a place of connecting with God.

Then, there was also some statements made that there are a number of families that have stopped attending church and that offerings are low and the budget tight.

I think that there is connection between the two. The older generation likes to see the youth there but they don't want to embrace them. The person that did the presentation and his wife are very spirit filled individuals and are in the 70's. They both were very sad that this body doesn't want to change to reach out to youth. They are both very active in the church and are willing to help anywhere needed. The wife sat beside me and said that the issue is pretty much dead in the water. She was sad about it.

I was glad that Spencer wasn't there....he would have had a fit (although it might have been good for them to hear his passion). When I told him of the conversation his comment is that this church is going to end up a museum....a statement of the past but with no real impact on the future. I think that we are going to do some visiting of other churches that are in our denomination that are vibrant and see how they handle their generation connectedness. Of the 35 churches in our state....there are only about 6 that are truly growing. The rest are stagenant and dying. Another alarming point was that our summer youth camp attendance was noticably lower this year....because there is really not a lot of youth in the denomination. Those churches with growing youth numbers are deciding that missions trips are a better use of their summer youth emphasis. Interesting!

Passing along FAITH

Last night our pastor called to let us know that a man from our church had died suddenly (he was in his mid 50's with no known illness). This was very sad news. Husband and I know that he was not saved. He came with his mother (whom he lived with) and sat behind us in church every Sunday. We would hear him critique the sermons during the sermon and make little comments. He was a very sour person in his attitudes and speech.

This had me thinking about the passing on of the faith. Both of his parents were/are faithful Christians and served in many ways to the church community. I'm sure that their kids always went to church with them and they continued to do so in adulthood. One of their children is going to be a pastor while this child lived with his parents. But somewhere there was a disconnect of faith.

This thought has been on my mind already. Parents....bring your children up in the Lord! This has to be a very deliberate exercise on the part of the parents. I have been realizing that our younger 2 children have been put on the back burner lately with me working so much and husband working and doing his masters' studies. So, we are working on a plan for me to be able to spend more time (really THERE time) with the kids. Passing along the faith to our children is really a top priority!!!

Layers of creation

The hired-out portion of the kitchen work is done. LOVE having my counter space available when doing meal prep and not just a big pile of dirty's waiting for washing (or clean ones in the drainboard waiting to get put away!). Now I just got to paint, do the back splash and figure out a way to make a pull out trash can holder.

The real topic for today is how amazing God is!!!! Was out in our yard yesterday working on our raised garden beds. Was appreciating our peony bush and it's flowers. Decided to cut a bunch to bring indoors to enjoy. After cutting and arranging 2 pots worth, Lydia and I were appreciating their delicate fragrance (not strong like our Lilac!!) and the softness of the petals. Isn't it cool how God layers HIS creation!! LOVE IT!

Phase 1 of kitchen

Today is the day of the kitchen work - phase 1! We are changing the countertop, moving cabinets, fixing the outlets, and adding a dishwasher. It is so very exciting!!!! We found a contractor who we trust (he was the group leader for Awana's for Joanna's age) so I'm very optimistic that it will be done well. By Friday (if all goes well) we will be done! YEAH!!
We had decided to work on the kitchen (which really could use a total makeover) one wall/section at a time. I'm going to try my hand at tiling the backsplash and if that goes well then I'm going to try to tile a small countertop area next to our stove. Phase 2 will hopefully be the pantry wall shelving and a rack to hang our cast iron pans from (and a shelf above for cookbooks). And then Phase 3 will be removing the wall between the kitchen and dining area. That will be a big one because we will be moving the chimney run, adding supports to the ceiling and fixing the ceiling in both rooms (they have those 12" ceiling tiles). We will make a pennisula/eating bar there. Husband kind of likes the idea of doing that but doesn't want to tackle the work. We may have to hire out some of that project.

I took a picture of the before of the area. So hopefully I can figure out how to load pictures and send a before and after.

The Estate

It has been nearly a year since my mom passed away after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. The saying "the long goodbye" is true. Watching her decline was one of the hardest things I have had to work through in my life. I'm so very thankful for good care that was found in an "Alzheimer Care Facility". While it was hard to see her there....they took very good care of her right to the end. They were like extended family in some ways.

Just this last week her estate finally settled. I hadn't been expecting much (due to the amount and length of care she needed) but when I got the check it was a surprise. About 3 times what I had been expecting. So....now it is time to consider how to handle it well and not spend it all!!! I had been reading Dave Ramsey's book "7 steps to Financial Freedom" (or something like that). His advice is to stop getting in debt (duh!!), build a 3-6 month emergency fund, pay off ALL consumer debt (other than the house), and then start working on a retirement fund (there are some more steps after that). With this blessing from mom we are able to put the emergency fund into place. We had already dealt with all consumer debt so now it's time to plug something into retirement. It is a place I never thought we would get to.

I am amazed how it feels to come over this hump. We have lived paycheck to paycheck almost our whole married life. And now that we are here I can see how God has spent these many years breaking away my need for STUFF. If this event had happened earlier in life I think that I would have not done well with it. But now....the stuff is just not important! Last Sunday I was able for plug some $$ into our churches Good Samaritan Fund and that felt really good. We are now looking at doing a family mission's trip next summer (hopefully). The kids will have to do some "investment time" for this to happen. Perhaps it will be to earn some $$ or collecting something that we can give to the mission work.

It is good not to be servant to our debt anymore (other than the house) and instead be able to serve wholeheartedly to the Lord and his work through our local body of believers!

The Beauty of the Lord

There is a benefit to sleeping on the couch. Last night (like many other nights recently) I was having trouble sleeping. This gets compounded by husband's snoring. Most nights he is willing to move to the couch to sleep but last night I went out there to the family room. It took some time to get comfortable and relax but then sleep was good. As morning arrived, I was pleasantly awakened by the birds singing! This is the benefit to me. It was such a happy sound! Thank you Lord for the beautiful sounds of birds (crows are a different issue....but I won't go there!)!

Take time to seek the beauty of the Lord today! It is everywhere!

Birthday Day

It is a birthday day around here. It has been an amazing journey these last 11 years with Abigail. With her debut at 4:45 am logging in at an amazing 10 pounds and 6 ounces(!!!) through her collective journey of health concerns. It certainly was a path I would have not necessarily chosen (and then again, how many things in life do we truly choose?) but it is a path that has made me a better person and christian believer. Truly, when faith gets challenged in the fire....it is when the dross falls away and you are left with something more pure.

So here is to FAITH and to GOD for choosing (or allowing) difficulties and blessings to challenge my path. Lord....keep on lighting my way!

Sticky Notes

http://vimeo.com/1700732

You all need to visit this link to see a cool video about sticky notes!! Too fun!

Where are the Youth?!

Where are the young people? Went on a trip yesterday with my son to Eastern Illinois (almost to Indiana). It was about a 6 hour drive one way. We decided to just do the whole thing in a day (Yeah....I'm still crazy after all these years!!!). It was a good bonding thing to do with my teenager and he got to practice his driving skills (which also increases the amount of white hair on my head!!). Anyway, we were to drop off some computers to a staff member at the national level of our denomination. Those will be going to a missions work in Belize. We attended church there (a small town of about 1000). There was about 50 in attendance. I think that I saw one other teenage person and about a handful of elementary kids there. We have also had the opportunity to visit some churches over the last couple of years (now that husband is not pastoring) and I find it very alarming the lack of youth in many of those churches.

What is happening?! I had heard a sermon the previous week (again at a church with only 2 other children in attendance!) and the preacher was speaking on passing down the blessings from the older generations to the younger generations. Afterwards they had a potluck meal and I noticed that no one was sitting with the youth (and the couple of college age kids) and interacting with them! The older people all just like to congregate to their comfort zone. That has really been on my heart. I'm just not seeing the older generation stepping up to the plate and getting involved in the younger generation. At our church, it is pretty much the parents who do the work with the children and youth. Most of the next generation (50 and older) just like to be together and not involved in a large way with the passing down of the faith to the youth. Some will kind of help with special events but even then....it is not much.

I really feel stuck in between. I really need those in the next generation up to get involved with my kids. And I'm just not quite available enough to start sowing into the next generation! This is tough. How does a person start a "rally cry" to the body? I need to pray and TRUST God!

Body Betrayal

I feel like my body is starting to betray me!!! I'm not even going to the realm of the weight with this post (be happy!). It all started last year (and probably before that with some minor injuries from poor body mechanics). I got excited to begin digging up and cleaning our landscaping. "Shouldn't be a problem" I said to myself. HA!! I ended up with some carpel tunnel syndrome issues with hands tingling and falling asleep during the night. This is absolutely miserable! Well, after backing off of some of the more labor intensive digging work and having our son do all the mowing (have to pay for that!) I started to feel better. Then, there began the pains in the shoulders from painting and home repairs. This became discouraging....what was going on with my body?! After some work from the chiropractor and some weight lifting to strengthen my back and shoulders, I am making some headway on that.

Well, yesterday was the day to start mowing the yard. It was getting pretty lengthy and it was the first run of the mower for the year, so I thought I would mow it and have the kids make supper. By the time I was done, my wrists were in agony again!!!! MAN!!! So back to pampering them....and having son do the work (which is OK....he needs jobs to do).

I miss the days of just doing whatever....and there is no reminders from my body of my age!

Teenagers

Having teenagers around is a very challenging time of life. Yesterday, our church was setting up for a garage sale to support a missionary from our congregation. I sent our 2 oldest children there to help carry boxes, etc (nothing like young people to do the manual labor!!). They did great, however, our oldest (15 and will be 16 this summer) saw a computer. He really wanted this computer for his room. Now let me give some backround. He has a laptop already in his room (it's keyboard is not great and he has to plug in a different one in order to use it), we also have a nice desktop unit in our "office" room....which is fine except it doesn't like to "talk" to our printer. I asked him why he needed this computer when we already have 2 others (the one at the garage sale was older that both of our models). He said he wanted to be able to play games without his sisters bugging him. I said that he could do that in the office because it has a door that could be closed. Then he said that he has no life because we don't have modern technology in our home (i.e. internet, cable, his own cell phone....). I finally put down a firm no and that was the end of that!

I got thinking about that "no life" comment. I think a lot of that stems from hanging out sometimes at a friends home who has all the modern conveniences of life including an almost unlimited time on internet and playing on the computer. The friend is a nice kid (a little geeky....but nice). Then I was thinking.... how would hanging out by yourself in your room give you a life? We have a no game/tv in bedrooms rule that really drives him nuts. However, I think that kids need to learn how to be part of the community/family. Thankfully, he is very involved in our statewide youth leadership program and has an interest in serving at camp this summer (probably that is a glorified way of being out of the house). Our churches youth group is lacking real leadership and challenge....that is a different issue, however.

After he completes driver's ed he will have to get a job (this will be awesome!!) in order to be able to drive. Part of our deal is that children will have to pay for their portion of the monthly insurance and their own gas. Probably will have to buy their own car too...but can probably use ours to begin with.

I hope that he will be ready to "have a life" because that means responsibility and being part of the community! Ah....the joys of growing up!

Remodeling

When we look at our home some 2 years ago, I thought it's livable with lots of space and a great beginnings of a garden. Well, now I see all the work and fixing!!! We knew it was coming but I was hoping that I could resist the urge to do it all at once (darn that sin nature!!). So last year it was the roof project. It really consumed all our summer and it wasn't even on our list of things that needed work immediately. However, the leaks made it a priority! We took the winter off from anything major (Husband had much rejoicing over that) and now we are starting phase 1 of the kitchen work. This space really needs some love. We thought that we would tackle it one wall at a time. So the first work is adding a dishwasher. In order to do this we need to move some cabinets, fix the outlets on the wall, and extend our countertop! Considering our lack of true expertise on home repairs....we are hiring someone to do this project (I think that if there wasn't a sink/plumbing work to be done we may have considered doing it ourselves). Now I've got to coordinate the appliance guy, electricial guy and the general remodeler guy to get this done in a way that we won't be without water for too many days!!! It will be awesome when it's done.

Also, we have built our boxes for raised bed gardens. Can't wait to get started on that!!! I read a book called "the New Square Foot Garden" that really is what I want to achieve for the space. I'm looking forward to fresh produce...hopefully critters won't want to snack on it!

Pieces of Flair!

I've been cleaning my folders/storage stuff lately. Took all my files out of husbands office space so that he can have "free" reign there to do his master's study stuff. So, all my files/storage will now go into my sewing area (small area by laundry area!!). I had this massive pile to sort through and can't believe all the junk!!!

Anyway, within this pile is some of my "antique" stuff. One item in particular is the pencil case I made in highschool out of blue jean material and velcro at the top (also a pocket on the front for notes from friends!!). It's really of no use anymore but I just enjoy seeing it every now and then. Well, during high school I enjoyed collecting pins and putting them on this pencil case. It was a way to show Identity!!! My teenage daughter saw it and asked about it (especially the pins) so I explained it's origin and then dug out some other pins that I had in my jewelry box. She got such a kick out of it! Then my oldest came in and exclaimed....hey, that's like Pieces of Flair! I thought to myself....cool, I have the original Flair!

Still makes me smile.....have an awesome day!

Various thoughts

I'm so excited about our tax refund!!! It is better that it has been in years because husband is no longer "self-employed" (pastoring). We are looking at appliance updates since most of ours are "found" ones given to us by family members or work friends. Our list includes microwave, dishwasher (adding this new because there is not one in the house...at least the automatic variety :-) !!), chest freezer (our side-by-side freezer section is just way too small for a family of 6!!), washer/dryer, and a flat screen TV. Our larger size one frizzled out and we are now watching TV on a 19" TV that we got from Vickie (thanks Vickie!). Husband is certainly hesitant about all those items so for now we are looking at just the kitchen things. Those items will greatly improve our meals and operations in the kitchen. Now we just need to find a handy friend to help up rearrange our lower cabinets and change our countertop so the dishwasher can fit. This all very exciting stuff.

This last week, I attended 2 meetings at church. One was to work on a summer youth intern. We had a candidate who we were ready to go with and then he back out last weekend. So, we ended up putting the whole thing on hold. We are hoping to find 6 interested people/couples to tag-team work with our youth over the next year (each taking a month at a time). We'll see. The person that is doing it now really doesn't offer anything of substance and challenge. So hopefully this will be a better option. The second meeting was our board of elders. This is a fun group, however, we are facing some declining attendance and shortages in funds for the budget. So there was much talk on how to approach members who are not attending regularly. Many of those are young families. I think that our family is pretty much the exception at church. We are always there for just about everything. Many (actually most) just don't do it. We are really seeing this struggle between the older generation and their style and the younger set. The service is pretty traditional (really lacks charisma but the preaching is good). They even increased the amount of Sundays with organ accompaniment from 1 per month to 2. This just about drives husband nuts!!! We are really seeing ourselves as "missionaries" at this point. I think if it wasn't for the pastor....we wouldn't be going there.

The last thing that is on my mind is that today....the Iowa courts overturned a previous ban on gay marriages. So for now, we are the 3rd state to allow this. Can you believe it?!!! I just never imagined that Iowa would be that liberal!!! Anyway, been thinking about Christian school again and possible home-schooling. I just don't want some of that thought going into my kid's young minds.

Have a blessed weekend....Mary

Spring Break recovery

I feel like I just survived some sort of marathon. Last week was spring break for the kids. They had the whole week off. This is an incredible amount of time when there is no holiday nearby, no funds (or time off) for a vacation, or no fun outdoor activity to go do (like the pool or the park...too yucky of weather). At other schools they usually pair spring break with Easter which works very well with our work schedules and usually allows us to travel to visit family. So, we ended up taking a night away after work last Thursday and then back home by Friday morning. We rented a nice suite at a motel in Pella (about 20 miles away). Then we went out to eat, swam at the pool and watched cable T.V. The hot tub was out of order and the in-room jacuzzi had yucky stuff in the jets when it was turned on, so the girls just played in the big tub while we watched TV. It was a good break but we all were extremely out of sync the next day!

Then there was a huge wedding at the church over last weekend which I had to work my cleaning schedule around (challenging!!) and husband had a "gig" at a church for Saturday night and Sunday morning (he did come home for the night however). That made the weekend somewhat stressful!

So we ended up wrapping up our "spring break" with a girl day yesterday with some friends (mom and her daughter who is friends with Lydia). We went shopping to Target, JC Penneys and Herberger's .....some great sales!!! And Elias went to their house and had a boy day with his friends and played Rock Band on the Wii. We all ended the day watching Celebrity Apprentice last night. We enjoy the business lessons that get portrayed by those on the show. It also gives some good life lessons to the kids. We also made a wish list for items needed at the house (as well as some repairs). We are expecting our tax refund soon and the final closure of my mom's estate. After blessing our church and putting away a chunk for an emergency fund (something that I have always wanted to do!!!) we are going to get at some appliances that need replacing and some other things....EXCITING!!

Blessings to you all.....Mary

the ultimate cheap meal

Before I begin this final menu of the cheap week (today is payday and groceries!!!)....I must preface by saying that I saw my first robin!!!! Hurray....now I know that spring is almost near. I probably need to go to the YMCA and start doing some mild weight lifting to prepare for the gardening season (I have been having problems with my shoulders with pinched nerves that get aggrevated when I do lots of strenuous work...such as gardening :-) !).

Anyway...our meal last night was not served at home. It turned out that the 2 older kids had food at the Tech Club meeting (which they brought some leftover punch from campus ministry stuff....husband had it) and the rest of us ate some food in the kitchen before an event held at our church. Husband actually got to go through the line and said ALL the food was fabulous. The 2 younger kids and I had some green bean casserole and ham balls and apple slices. So yesterday was the ultimate in CHEAP!!

I did have to make an item for the meal at the church...it was escaloped corn. Super easy and cheap too and I had all the ingredients on hand (had to use powder milk in it....but with baked stuff nobody knows the difference). I had some crumbs left of garlic croutons which I used on the top of the dish. Spencer said it was Awesome.

Hope you all enjoyed this view into our homelife on a very interesting week.

Wednesday's meal

Wednesday's menu: I did manage to get bread going in the bread machine while I was home for lunch (that was leftover macroni and cheese with a peanut butter sandwich and a side of carrots). So for supper we had:
homemade bread
mashed potatoes
hamburger gravy (husband makes the best gravy and 2 of our kids just can't get enough of it...this is the ultimate compliment!!)
the rest of the pinapple chunks and some canned orange slices

It was a good meal....something for everyone. I ended up making scones for breakfast this morning. It's an easy recipe and I can make powder milk to use with it (nobody notices that when I use it for baking....it does taste gross for just drinking :-) !!). I have been making latte's in the morning with my espresso machine....that certainly gets me on the move. However, with no milk to add to it this morning I just put sugar in the espresso (it was probably a double shot worth). It was VERY strong but tasty. Husband kept trying to sneak a sip!! He's funny that way.

Tonight is the grand finale of our cheap eating week.....not sure what we will come up with. I think that I have some chicken nuggets left....I'll probably work with that.

Till tomorrow....blessings!

Tuesday menu

Onwards with the menu gig! Last night was the ever popular Speghetti and meatballs (used the last of the frozen meatballs and the 2 leftover spaghetti sauce containers from the fridge....there was some compliants about not enough sauce but I thought it was just fine). Garlic toast...always well received....and pinapple chunks. This is not Abby's favorite meal but she had food at the library's story time (pancakes and sausages...her favorite) so I didn't care if she ate supper.

I did run out of milk this morning so I'll scrounge around for money and get another gallon (cereal just has to have milk!!). I could just make pancakes in the morning and skip the milk (I use powder milk for that)....I'll have to decide.

I'm thinking that I'll make some homemade bread in the bread machine today (I can start that at lunchtime and set the timer so it comes out just in time for supper) not sure what to put with it.

Usually we are O.K. for groceries every month but for some reason we are short this month. I make it a mental game to try to make it stretch....then it doesn't seem so bad. Only 2 more meals to go until grocery day!!! (that is...2 more supper meals :-) !).

Monday Menu

I've calm down since my last post (and the weather has gotten warmer!!). Husband watched the younger 2 kids while I went to Ankeny to pick up the older 2 kids last Saturday night. I went early and had the chance to shop with my Christmas gift certificates (shopping therapy!). Anyway.....got a cubby shelf thing at Menards to use in my sewing room (acually more like a corner, but a girl has to dream :-) !). This inspired me to get my act together and get creating. I really love making things but the mess has been holding me back. My area is next to the laundry as well as next to the mud room area. Things/stuff usually get set there (i.e. dumped) and that leads to frustration. So, I've cleaned and organized the piles and life is moving back in the right direction and I'm feeling inspired...not sure what I will work on first but definitely gonna get going on something.

This is the last week of the month and we both get paid on Friday. Usually by now we are generally out of money and I have to stretch the groceries/menu until shopping day (Friday!!). So I thought I'd share our dinner menu for the week. Here was Monday supper:

Apple cinnamon muffins (from a mix....used the last of the oil but had enough!!)
Shells and Cheese (macaroni noodles with Velveeta cheese)
Tuna (to put with the shells and cheese)....used the leftovers for tuna salad for lunch today
beef hot dogs (the last 4)
the last 1/4 can of pizza flavored Pringles (much "discussion" on how much each child gets)
Tropical fruit mix

All were happy and we had leftover muffins....so that took care of breakfast!

the Edge

The other day I realized that I live very close to the emotional edge. That day started like this....I had not had a good night of sleep (I have been having trouble with my hands falling asleep during the night which wakes me up) and then husband was not feeling well so I had to take all the kids to school. This led to a serious time crunch. By the time I got to the elementary school and started walking Abby to class (I usually do this because she has a way of not getting to her destination well) I was very spent emotionally. Then a staff member of the school stopped me and told me I needed a visitor's pass (something that I had never needed before nor had I ever seen other parents of special needs kids have this in the morning). This really just tipped me over the edge!! I went to meltdown mode (NOT a pretty site!). I proceeded to unload on the school secretary about it (NOT something that I'm proud of). The rest of the day was shot!

After analyzing the whole thing, I realized that something has to change. I'm seeking God on life issues and how to get myself away from emotional overload! Also, I need to find a Bible study group or a mid-week meeting that would fuel up spirit. I definitely need a creative outlet!

Lots to think about....but I know that God is with me in ALL that I do!

LOVE

You know that you have married a great person when they are willing to go clean up puke in the middle of the night!! Rock On to my man!! He really is amazing....working on a full-time master's program, full-time campus ministry and full time dad/husband. He make the best food (although the less mature taste-buds in our house haven't caught on yet :-) !). He has a great sense of music and creativity....What a wonderful gift he has been (through thick and thin and all the other stuff that makes up a marriage vow)!

Lately I've been helping out (when I can) at a friends house. Their family is working on going out as missionaries to Belize. They have 4 kids about the same ages as ours....I can't imagine the logistics of the whole process! Anyway, they have been living in a extreme fixer-upper house and have been worried about selling/renting it. So, a group from our denomination has come forward to provide $$ and man-power to provide our own "extreme home makeover". It has been amazing to see so many come and help...incredible! Can't wait till they see it (they have been out raising support for their work and are expected home on Valentine's Day). I hope they feel the love that has been poured out to them.

To all who read my posts....make sure to share the love of Christ to all!!

Blessings....Mary

Cabin Fever

As usual, winter has a way of making me feel unsettled. Call it cabin fever...if you will. Life really just feels routine and it seems that all I do is work at "motivating the masses". Such is the life of a mother. So many days I wish that I could just stay home and take of business there but that is just not possible. Pretty much our whole married life has required me to work at something to make ends meet and so, husband has endeavored on a master's degree. Our hope is that will land him on a more stable job with a better financial outlook. Working in the ministry has always been a year-by-year thing....never knowing if the "job" will be there. This is tiresome!

In my devotional reading, Elisabeth Elliot has been writing on the Supremacy of God. She commented on things that she had worked so hard on "in ministry" are no longer evident. Was it all in vain? No, she said....because those times were a fire of purification in her life. Those testings were an opportunity to lay down her life for the Lord. Hmmm, good stuff. It has help me look at life as a seasons of opportunity for God to purify me.