Family Time Friday- 14 years ago....

14 years ago my oldest and first child was born.  It was a day filled with expectation, and excitement, and also fear.  My husband I were newly married, still trying to get to know each other (still are!  LOL) and we were now charged with taking care of a helpless child.

Since that day, he has grown into a wonderful young man.  I never imagined how he would change and how he would grow and mature at this age.  I never imagined it would go so fast!  It seems like just yesterday he was this tiny baby.  Before I knew it he was sitting up.  Then I blinked and he was walking.  The day I took him to Mother's Day Out for the first time I cried all day.  When I picked him up he said his first sentence; "I wanna hold my lunch box, mama"...  I about fell out!  I'll never forget it.  The first day of Kindergarten I cried again.  A few short years later we decided to homeschool  I was scared to death AGAIN!  But, now we're in the swing of that and I'm so glad to not have to send him somewhere else every day.  I'm so happy to have the privilege of spending time with him.  A lot of time.  Time that I'll never get back.  He'll never be 2 again.  He'll never be 10 again.  He'll never be 14 again.  And soon...  too soon he'll be moving out and going off to college, getting married, having his own life.  I know I'll always be part of his life, but it will never be the same again as it is today.  And, while I dread the day he moves out, I am excited at the same time.  I'm excited to see him grow into a man.  I'm excited about where he is now in his walk with the Lord, and I know he is going to do great things in his life.  I can't wait to see it.

So today, I want to say thank you, Auston, for being who you are:

Loyal, compassionate, loving, forgiving, believing, trusting, honest, fun loving, sweet, smart, determined, grounded in your values, a jokester, my son.

Thoughtful Thursday- Movie Review

I watched a movie the other night that I received through the Book Sneeze program to review. It is a Christian based movie about the power of prayer, in a nutshell. The movie, The Way Home is about a family whose 2 year old son has gone missing. Through out the movie you see differing points of view from the searchers, and the first responders. Thought I found the movie to be somewhat predictable, and the acting better at some times than others, I was very moved by the film. I came away from the film reminded of the important things in life, like smiles on our children's faces, and quality time spent with family. I was reminded of how little the "other stuff" matters in the end anyway. I spend a good deal of time with my kids, being a homeschooling mom, but even in that I find there are days that I don't interact with them as much as I wish I had. This movie moved me to be recommitted to spending more quality time with my kids, and to remember what's important. I would recommend this movie for a home group or church movie night, just be sure to have a LOT of tissue handy!




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this movie free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wordless Wednesday- Buell Family Women

GratiTuesday- Home

Well, by the time it was all said and done we traveled a little over 4,000 miles. We had a fantastic time, and saw many things. But, by the time we rolled in here Sunday night, we were ready to be home! Today I am grateful for my space. I live in a small house, but it seems so big now! LOL... I'm grateful that we made it back. I'm grateful for the time spent as a family. In the foster to adopt world it isn't over until it's over, so I'm grateful to have been able to take my babies on this trip. I'm grateful that they were so happy when we got home, and it felt good to see them get excited to see their rooms and stuff :) It wasn't easy taking babies on this trip, but I'm grateful for every moment.

And, because I'm still exhausted, and I have about 4 mountains of laundry to do this post is short LOL... Do you have any idea how much laundry 6 people produce in 2 weeks???? I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.....

Menu Monday- 10/11

Back at home and back to real life this week! My meat order came in while I was gone, so I've got plenty of meat, just need to decide what to cook with it :)

Monday:  Court of Honor for the Scout Troop, so  no need to cook!  WOOHOO
Tuesday:  Mexican Beans and Rice
Wednesday: Chicken and Dumplings, Birthday Cake for Auston :)
Thursday:  Southwest Chicken Salad
Friday:  Probably taking Auston out to dinner for his birthday
Saturday:  Sandwiches
Sunday:  Snack Dinner

Breakfasts:  Homemade Granola, I got 3 pounds of sausage, so I'll make Breakfast tacos this week, Breakfast cake

Lunches:   Sandwiches, Quesadillas, Nachos, leftovers

Supper Sunday- Kitchen Gadgets

Today I want to talk kitchen gadgets with you.  Why?  Because I used to hate to cook.  Really.  I started thinking I could venture into the cooking world when Rachel Ray came out with 30 Minute Meals.  I got into that because I figured if the meal sucked, I'd only invested 30 minutes into it :)  And, it got me thinking outside the box too....

Then I was invited to a Pampered Chef Party.  This is really where it all changed for me.  Let me preface this by telling you I am not a Pampered Chef Consultant, nor have I ever been.  This is truly my opinion about Pampered Chef  :)  I learned through the Pampered Chef parties that my issue with spending hours in the kitchen was merely a case of not having the proper tools.  So, here are a few of my favorites, that I consider must haves for your kitchen.  :)

• 
  Garlic Press
  $16.50 I use this all the time! You don't even have to peel your garlic before you put it in here :) 
• 
  Garlic Peeler
  $7.25   If you have a recipe that calls for whole cloves, this is the thing for you- it is super fast and super easy. You know I'm all about speed in my kitchen!  
• 
  Large Bar Pan
  $34.00 The think I love about stoneware is that NOTHING sticks to it. This and my round stone are my go to tools for baking :)
• 
  Large Round Stone with Handles
  $32.00   
• 
  5" Santoku
  $50.00  You need a good knife. That's all there is to it. For years I didn't have a good knife because it is so expensive. Now I realize that I wasted so much time trying to deal with a bad knife. Get a good knife. Really.
• 
  12" Skillet
  $148.00    This skillet lives on my stove top. It is soooo easy to clean, and it will hold anything I cook in it. It can also go into the oven, so I can use it for something that needs to be cooked on the stove top and baked :) I love love love this skillet!
• 
  Bamboo Tongs
  $7.00  How did I ever get my toast out of the toaster before? I just don't even know LOL...
• 
  Ice Cream Dipper
  $15.00    I will never use another ice cream scoop again. This has a fluid in the handle that reacts and causes the ice cream to melt so it can be scooped.
  Best. Ice cream scoop. EVER...
• 
  Mix 'N Scraper®
  $14.50  My other go to tool. I use it when baking, I use it when cooking. I use it almost every day!
• 
  Mini-Serving Spatula
  $5.00    You know how when you cook something like Lasagna, the first bit out of the pan is never the right shape? You usually end up just piling it on the plate... This makes it so you can get even the first serving out flawlessly :)
 

Like I said, I don't sell Pampered Chef..  I'm just a very loyal customer.  I've never been disappointed by Pampered Chef.  I recommend you make a wish list and start building your collection.  If you can't afford to buy stuff, have a party!  I average around $100-200 in free products every time I host a show!

 If you are a Pampered Chef consultant, please feel free to leave your contact information in the form of a comment- be sure to say what state you live in!

Singing Saturday- Open Me

Open Me- By Shawn McDonald

Would You open up eyes, so I can see
Would You open up my ears, so I can hear
Would You open up my mind, so I can know
Would You open up my heart, so I could love You more

I want to serve You, my God
I want to give All of Me,
I want to serve You, my King, yeah
I want to serve You, my Lord
I want to give You everything, yeah

Would You open up eyes, so I can see
Would You open up my ears, so I can hear
Would You open up my mind, so I can know
Would You open up my heart, so I could love You more

I want to serve You, my God
I want to give You everything
I want to serve You, my King, yeah
I want to serve You, my LOrd
I want to give You everything, Yeah

Here I am with my arms open wide
Asking for You to come up, up inside
Won't You make me new, won't You make me true?
Jesus, won't You make me like You?

Would You touch my eyes, so I can see
Would You touch my ears, so I can hear
Would You touch my mind, so I can know
Would You touch my heart, so I could love You more

Won't You open me
Won't You open me, open me
Won't You open me, open me
Won't You open me

Family Time Friday- Rock Band

 

While in Utah this week we had such a great time just hanging out with the Carters.  One thing they do well is family time.  They have the Rock Band for Wii.  I've never really understand the allure of this game before, but I do now!  We got it out and everyone took turns singing, playing guitars, or drums.  We had so much fun!  And their son Brycen totally rocks on drums!  ;)  it was pure family fun for all, even the little ones got into it with singing and dancing while we played :)  If you don't have this, consider it for a family Christmas present.  REALLY.  And don't buy it just for the kids... Play it as a family!

.

Thoughtful Thursday- Real Friends

Sorry this is late..  It's hard to stay on a schedule when you're on vacation!  LOL...  Anyway, I want to tell you about deep friendships.  I've talked in the past about life long friends, and how that is a different friendship.  Today I want to go deeper.

We have some friends, whom I have known most of my life.  I believe I met Jeremy when I was around 6 years old.  Jeremy's wife's sister and I went to school together, so I've known her since around the 8th grade-ish.  Being friends with someone for almost 30 years is a long time.  Jeremy and I have grown up together.  We're really good friends.  We have been very good friends for a long, long time.  Long enough to go through some tough stuff together.  Of all of my friends, I cherish my friendship with Jeremy the most.  I'm not trying to pick favorites, it's just that it's different with him.

Because we grew up together, we're almost more like brother and sister than friends.  We have complete confidence that the other one will be there always.  No matter what.  Unlike brother and sister, though, we don't have the sibling rivalry stuff :)  We can be completely real with each other and bare our souls to each other and know that the other one is a safe place to fall.  We can tell each other when we think the other one is screwing up, and know that the other means the  best for us :)

While my family was visiting with Jeremy and his family I spent some time thinking on that closeness of our friendship.  We are both married and we each have 4 kids.  When we get together it's a 12 pack :)  8 kids.  That's a lot of kids!  Their ages range from 14 years old all the way down to 10 months.  Any you know what?  The whole time we were together the kids all got along great.  I think a lot of that has to do with our similar parenting styles.

Jeremy's wife has a whole lot to do with our friendship too.  She's an amazing woman who is open, loving, honest, trusting.  She's the kind of mom I want to be.  I watch her with the kids and I try to soak it all up to make myself better.  I really look up to her.  One thing I admire most about Jeremy and Melissa both is that they really have a comfortable relationship with their kids.  They are able to be parents, not spoiling their kids, but still have the relationship with them that encourages interaction.  That's what I want with my kids.  Sometimes I fail at that.  I'm so busy trying to get through the tasks of the day that I forget what's most important.

What I want to convey today, I suppose, is the importance of real friendships.  People you can be real with.  I mean really real.  People you can fart in front of, so to speak LOL.  It's so important for us, but also for our children.  I want to really help my children develop the kind of friendships to last a lifetime like I have.

Wordless Wednesday- Tree

GratiTuesday- Family Vacations

This week has been such a great week. We've traveled somewhere in the area of 2,000 miles in my Father-In-Law's RV, and seen many different landscapes. We've been surprised by the low gas mileage and some of the high prices of gas along the way. We've worried about money, worried about the RV, worried about the kids not drinking enough water. We've laughed, we've cried, we've screamed. We've made memories. Memories with our kids. Memories with each other. I was able to finally take my husband and kids to see the Grand Canyon, which I have seen several times, but they have never seen. I was able to show them the Glen Canyon Dam, one of my favorite stops as a kid while we were driving to Phoenix to visit my grandparents. I was able to see my mother's best friend Tevis, whom I haven't seen since the Olympics in 2002, and she got to see the family. Now we're visiting with some childhood friends of mine. Through it all, we've seen some amazing things.. But nothing as amazing as what is inside this RV. Watching my kids and husband experience these things for the first time, and experiencing them together is beyond words. We're not staying in 5 star hotels. We're not eating Steak. We're living off of corn dogs and burritos. I'm sure there are some Ramen Noodles in here somewhere too LOL... But here it is:

We may be traveling poor, but the memories we're making with our kids are worth every penny.

Today I'm grateful for family vacations :)  Even with the baby screaming his head off in the back seat because he's sick of being in the car seat :)

  

Menu Monday 10/4- Tips

Well, since we're on vacation this week I gave you the menu for our trip last week. This week I thought I'd give you some menu planning tips and I'd really like it if you'd leave a comment here on the blog with any other tips you'd like to share with the other readers.

• To reduce costs incorporate 1 soup night, 1 breakfast night, and 1 snack dinner night into your menu.
• Try to create a plan that allows you to cook once for two meals, for example, when I make ham and scalloped potatoes I cut up the left over ham into bite size chunks and put it in the freezer with the left over scalloped potatoes.  Then I use that mixture for a morning after breakfast, either for breakfast or for dinner.
• Freezer cooking is awesome.  There are so many things you can freeze and eat later.  Some of our favorites:  Burritos, Pizza Pockets, Steak Fingers, Mini Apple Pies
• Cook once, eat twice...  If you have a casserole to make, make two- one for that night and one for the freezer.  Just do the prep work on the second and throw it into a disposable pan.  Seal it up and stick it in the freezer!
• Ok, this may sound stupid, but plan your menu.  Some people plan what they're going to eat each day, some people make a list.  I do both- I plan the dinners, but list breakfast and lunch.
• Be flexible!  If you end up diverting from your menu plan, don't worry about it!  You just already have what you need for a meal for next week!
• Inventory your pantry and freezer.  I actually haven't done this yet, but it's on my to do list for when I get home.  I can't tell you how many times I've re-bought the same stuff because I didn't know I had it!
• Get your kids involved!  Make them cook a meal once a week!  Husbands too!  Gives you a break :)
• Find a way to keep yourself accountable.  It's so easy to just fall off the planning wagon, that's why I blog mine!
• Share your menu with friends, and read other people's menus.  It helps you to get ideas and not get stuck in a rut.
• Have 3 weeks worth of menus and grocery lists ready for back up.  That way if you have a busy period of time where you just can't think, or if you get sick and someone else has to cook for you it's already done :)
• Don't be afraid to try new things.  Just have Pizza Hut on speed dial in case it doesn't work out!  ;)

That's about all I can think of right now, but I'm really looking forward to reading your tips too!

Supper Sunday- Chicken and Dumplings

It's getting cooler in many parts of the world, so I'm going to share one of my favorite cold weather meals with you :)

Chicken and Dumplings (Adapted from a recipe from my MIL)

Ingredients:

Whole Fryer Chicken

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

1 small package of frozen mixed veggies (with corn, peas, carrots etc)

4 small cans of cheap refrigerator biscuits

Salt, Pepper, Tony Chachere's Seasoning or your favorite seasoning

Directions:

Place chicken in a large pot and cover with water.  Sprinkle a good amount of salt and pepper and seasoning over the top.  Bring water to boil and simmer covered for about 2 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone, making sure to replenish water if necessary.  Turn off and allow to cool slightly so you can work with the chicken.  Remove the bones and skin from the pot and break up the chicken into bite size pieces.  Turn heat back on to medium high heat and add in the soups, veggies and about 1/2 of the can of evaporated milk.  Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, and seasoning.  Heat to boiling.  Break up the biscuits into bite sized pieces and put in the pot one at a time.  Press down into the soup mixture to cook evenly.  Simmer another 15-20 minutes or until dumplings are done.

This is one meal I find that tastes better the second day.  The flavors have more of an opportunity to meld together by the next day.  Also, the more dumplings the better, so put as many as you can fit in there!  Yum. Yum.

This will make about 12 servings :)

Singing Saturday- Grace Like Rain

Grace Like Rain- Plumbline

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, they're washed away

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Chorus

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun

Family Time Friday- You Were Made to Make a Difference

 

I've got a teenager in my house, and boy do I now understand the saying that really made me mad as a kid- "Teenagers- move out now quick!  While you still know everything!"

Oh. My.  Gosh....

I love my son so much, and there are moments (a lot of moments) when I am completely amazed by him.  He is an incredible boy, turning into an incredible young man, who will one day do incredible things in this world.  I know that in my heart.  He is one of the kindest people I know, and I wonder often what he's going to teach me today.  He's so mature in spiritual matters that sometimes it's unnerving.  

But.  He is a teenager!  And, he sometimes acts like a teenager.  *growl*...  It's hard to get through these teen years intact.  Really hard.  So, I'm constantly looking for books that will stretch him, books that will inspire him, books that he can relate to.  

And I found one.

You Were Made to Make a Difference

This is just the book for my kid.  From first crack you can see that this book will capture his interest.  As I began to read the pages inside I quickly realized that it was inspiring me too!  One of my favorite quotes (out of many) is, "When you serve others, you serve God.  And when you serve God... oh man, get ready.  It's the moment in your chaotic teenage life where the insecurities disappear, worries fade, and questions die."  THIS is the book for him!

The book is broken down into 12 cleverly titled chapters, like, "Plain Cheese Pizza", and, "Unplug and Tune In" among others.  The book starts small, on how you live your day to day in your own world and then challenges you to look outward- first to your circle of friends and then beyond- way beyond.  It ends with a chapter on how to make a difference every day.

This is a great book.  I bought it for my son for his birthday, and now I'm not sure how I'm going to give it to  him.  If I'm going to give it to him for his birthday and let him work through it, or if I'll work through it with him, or maybe we could do it with both the older boys.  Either way, I'm confident by this time next year it will be a very well read and worn book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

12 things in 12 months

One of the blogs I read, written by a long time online friend of mine found another blog that is hosting 12 new things in 12 months.  What a great idea!  I think this will be fun, and if you're planning on doing, please leave me a comment with link to your blog as well.  I really look forward to hearing what others are trying to do.  So, without further adieu...

Here are my 12 things:

September:  Learn to make Anglican Rosaries (Already did this :)

October: Take my husband and kids to the Grand Canyon :)

November:  Make Homemade Wheat Bread

December:  Make homemade gingerbread- I've made houses for years, but always use the box of cake mix...

January:  Make homemade tortillas that actually taste good

February:  Walk every day for a month (I know, I'm cheating using the shortest month LOL)

March:  Plant a vegetable garden

April:  Learn to play the Guitar

May:  Make thumbprint charms with Art Clay

June:  Sew my own apron

July:  Memorize the books of the Bible in order :)

August:  Blog for an entire year straight :)  By August I will have done that- hopefully!

This was WAY harder than I thought it would be!  I'm interested to hear what everyone else wants to try :)

Wordless Wednesday- The Shave!!!