I LOVE Swagbucks

Did you know that you could be earning FREE Amazon gift cards simply by doing toolbar searches that you probably do daily anyway? Swagbucks has been a huge blessing to our family. I have purchased many Amazon gift cards that I immediately put into my Amazon account. I was able to buy most of my home schooling material this year for FREE thanks to Swagbucks. For just 450 Swagbucks, you can snag a $5 Amazon gift card. Of course, there are many other things you can buy (like Paypal cash and Starbucks gift cards), but I stick with my trusty Amazon gift cards.



Here's how it works. Click on the image above and sign up for Swagbucks. You will download a simple Swagbucks toolbar and that's it! Once your toolbar is up, begin using it for your daily searches.

There are other ways in which you can earn Bucks as well. You can do daily polls and surveys. You can also try promotional offers and earn big Bucks. Recently, I signed up for a 30-day trial of Netflix. Our family enjoyed a months worth of fun movies and documentaries, and I enjoyed 1000 Swagbugs! Cha-Ching!

Here are just some of the gift cards I've redeemed. I've got two more waiting to be delivered into my account.

$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card

Go up to the link above and sign up now....you won't regret it!

Mama Told Me There'd Be Days Like This

It's a beautiful, lazy Saturday morning. Mommy and Daddy are relaxing, kids are playing, older girls are gone getting fitted for bridesmaid's dresses, no pressing appointments to worry about. Sounds perfect right?

In our eighteen years of parenting, one thing we've learned is that when it's TOO quiet, it's time to check on the little ones. Our instincts proved correct!

We came upon a scene of total art madness. In our older girls' room, no less. The guilty suspects? Our two, and three year old.  BUSTED!  Where shall I begin?

Sketching pencils strewn about.  Open tubes of acrylic, oil, and watercolor paint all over the carpet.  A "redesigned" abstract painting that Celeste had just painted last night, ruined, courtesy of little sister.  And, of course, Jonathan and Genevieve, covered in paint.

The little sleuths got into the big girls' room despite having a "child safety knob" on the door.  I didn't know whether to be glad the girls weren't home to see the condition of their room, or be furious that a certain, unnamed child didn't put away her painting supplies!

Never fear, Superhero Mom and Dad dove in head first and conquered the chaos.  The girls will neeeever know what happened.  Well, except for that redesigned painting....and the paint on their sheets, and the empty paint tubes, and......

It's days like this that I am eternally grateful for my handy dandy carpet cleaning machine, which got ALL the paint out of the carpet.  It definitely works overtime in our home.  It's just the nature of having children, especially a lot of children, that messes like these are a regular, and expected,  part of our life!  We just clean them up, and laugh about them later....much later.

Photo Credit

Free Chips and Queso

Would you like....

 

Simply click on link above and print your FREE chips and queso from Chili's!

Under Construction

Well, I'm finally doing it. I'm redesigning my blog. New look, new name, new domain. GULP!

Things may look strange and unfinished around here a while, but I hope to complete the job quickly.  It will be a process, so please bear with me!  :)  Don't forget to check back....

Amish White Bread

This is hands down our favorite white bread recipe.  Even though we mainly bake whole wheat bread, we can't resist this delicious, sweet bread.  Give it a try!  You will love it!

Amish White Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

Directions

1.    In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2.    Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface (or in your very large bowl) until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Rising in a warm oven (turned off) works best.

3.    Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4.    Bake at 325 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. 

Recipe courtesy of The Marathon Mom :)

Dropping the Ball

Do you sometimes feel like you've "dropped the ball" in the midst of the daily demands of mommyhood? 

Whether it's your husband opening up his underwear drawer, only to find it empty...OOPS!  Or you signed up to take a family a meal, only to remember the very moment they're waiting for you to show up at their door! Or forgetting that dentist appointment that you've waited three long months for!  You get the picture.  Sometimes as moms, even we organized moms, occasionally drop the ball.

Recently, I dropped the ball with my one of my older girls.  Our oldest daughter participated in two years of Dual Credit.  If you're not familiar with this program, it allows your high school student to take college courses for free, earning both college and high school credit. 

Well, it was time to begin the enrollment process for our next daughter.  She had already taken the SAT and we were just waiting on scores.  Life had been busy during that time with a difficult pregnancy and then new baby, so I hadn't been paying much attention to dates and deadlines.  While at Bible study one night, a friend mentions something about the Dual Credit enrollment deadline passing.

WHA!?!  "Did you say the deadline has PASSED?"

"Oh, yes, it was last week.", said my friend!

At that moment, I really felt like I had dropped the proverbial ball.  How could this be?  School doesn't start until August and it was only March.  Surely I can still get her signed up.  But, after lots of calls and emails, hope was lost.  Not only did I miss the deadline, but the enrollment process was for the entire year....not just one semester.  My daughter will miss an entire year of Dual Credit.  Not only would Dual Credit have eased some of my teaching responsibility, but my daughter was looking forward to trying her hand at a couple of college courses.  I felt absolutely terrible and I beat myself up for days over this.

Until.....

I was reminded that God is sovereign.  That God directs our steps.  That if I truly believe that "all things work together for good" (Rom 8:28), then I should trust that there was reason I dropped this ball.  Perhaps it just wasn't God's plan for Celeste to attend college this year.  Maybe she wasn't ready.  Maybe she was being protected in some way.  I don't know, and perhaps I'll never know.  What I do know, is that if it was His plan for her to be there, we wouldn't have missed the deadline. 

My point to this story is not to use life as an excuse to ignore our responsibilities, or miss important deadlines, but as a reminder to not beat ourselves up when we occasionally drop the ball.  If we understand that God is at work in all circumstances, we can rest in this knowledge, learn from our experiences, and move on to other tasks....like those "whites" so my husband will have clean underwear for Pete's sake!

As for my daughter, well, she was very understanding...and we'll just shoot for next year.  Will someone please email me in OCTOBER to remind me?  ;-)

Photo Credit

Flaky Deli Slices

Looking for something new to make for lunch?   Here's a recipe for you.  Everyone loves these flaky, savory slices in our home!  They're fun. Yummy.  And it's not your ordinary sandwich! 

2 pre-made pie crusts
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 pkg pepperoni
6 slices (or more) favorite ham
1 cup grated Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350*

Unroll both pie crusts.  Spread out 1/2 cup of Parmesan on each crust.  Next, layer pepperoni slices over Parmesan, making sure to leave about a one inch space around the perimeter.  Then, place about three slices (or more) of ham over the pepperoni to cover.  Finally, add 1/2 cup of Cheddar evenly over top of ham.

Tightly roll up crusts, being careful to hold everything inside.  Tuck each end under and place on baking sheet seam side down.  Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Slice into 1-inch pieces and serve with fruit or carrots.  Serves 6-8 (or more if you're serving fruit/veggies on the side).

Four Months

Four Months

We've held this precious girl in our arms for four months already!  With each child, the time seems to pass more quickly than I can take in.  Nonetheless, we've cherished every moment with Amelia. 

She's as sweet as can be with her big smile and her vocal nature.  She's a talker! 

She's strong.  Loves to stand and can even sit up almost by herself.  She loves to roll over and she loves the timeless magic of ELEVATION!  She's happiest in the arms of whomever is standing up or walking around.  But we know it's simply because she wants to take everything in.

We love her.  We're thankful for her.  And we pray she doesn't grow up too quickly, though experience has taught us otherwise.  :)

Blessings!

Engagement

In Case You Haven't Heard.....

THEY'RE ENGAGED!

 

Greg and I are honored to announce the engagement of Cheyenne and Nathan.  We are all giddy with excitement and ready to begin planning a wedding.  But most of all, we are blessed beyond measure that God has brought these two together to be united as one.  Nathan is every bit the man we prayed for our daughter since she was a baby.  We are truly thankful for His goodness and faithfulness, and look forward to witnessing their lives together. 

Aren't they the cutest?!

(photos taken by Bethany Warren and Robin Klein)

Cue Feeding

Examining the Evidence for Cue Feeding of Breastfed Infants

Excellent artcle...fairly long, but well worth the read.

http://www.tulipgirl.com/index.php/2010/12/examining-the-evidence-for-cue-feeding-of-breastfed-infants/
ht: Kristen S.

Cheyenne's Graduation

Cheyenne's Graduation and Recital 2011

                     We're so proud of you, Cheyenne!  Congratulations!

                       Cheyenne and Sophia playing "Beauty and the Beast"
                                                                        

                  Cheyenne and Olivia playing "Wonderful, Merciful Savior"

Taking a bow

Daddy presenting diploma to our first home school graduate

Gramie, Grandpa, and the Graduate

The proud Grandpa's speech

                                         

Addie and Ella congratulating Chey

                          Mrs. Woodard, Chey's wonderful piano teacher

                              Beautiful cake made by our sweet friend, Blair

Chloe taste testing the food

Touchdown Taco Dip

This is probably my all-time favorite dip.  It's actually a Pampered Chef recipe I got from my friend, Stephanie, years ago after she made it for her party. 

Your family will love it....and not just during football season!  ;)

Touch Down Taco Dip

Ingredients:

1 can Refried beans (or this homemade recipe) 
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2-3 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup (1 ounce) shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
2-3 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Additional sour cream (optional)


Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread beans over bottom of 10 x 10 or oval baking dish. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning mix and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well.

2.Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over beans. Grate cheddar cheese over top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

3.Dice tomato and thinly slice green onions. Slice olives. Finely chop cilantro. Sprinkle tomato, onions, olives and cilantro over dip. Garnish with additional sour cream, if desired.

Yield: 8-12 servings


Photo Credit

Trey's Not-So-Secret Brisket Recipe

My good friend, Blair, gave me this recipe for one of our annual church Progressive Dinners.  It was soooo good, it's what we do EVERY time now! You gotta try it!

Ingredients

Any size brisket (the bigger, the better....you'll want to have lots of leftovers for those sandwiches.  Trust me!)

16 oz Lowry's Seasoned Salt
8 oz Cavender's Greek Seasoning (yellow can)
1 tablespoon Meat Tenderizer
1 tablespoon Black Pepper

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly.  Return as much as will fit back into the Lowry's bottle.  Label (w/ Sharpie) "BRISKET" on the Lowry's bottle.  Put remaining powder into something suitable and use up first.

Preheat oven to 320* F. 

Using trimmed brisket is fine, but the fat layer on an untrimmed will add flavor and juiciness.

Coat brisket heavily on both sides...don't be shy.  Wrap brisket tightly in heavy duty foil, fat side up.  Needs to be liquid tight.  Cook in 9 x 13 pan.  Bigger brisket equals bigger pan. 

Depending on size of brisket, cook 5-7 hours.  Longer time = tenderness.  Unless it's a tiny brisket...I say go for at least 7-8 hours.

Remove brisket from oven and increase oven temp to 425*.  Carefully, poke holes in bottom of foil and drain all juice into a saucepan.  Open foil and sprinkle some more seasoning on top.  Rewrap and put back into oven.

Cook one more hour and then let rest on counter for 30 minutes before slicing. 

Gravy:  Add water to the juices until desired saltiness.  Dissolve some cornstarch in a small glass of cold water...just enough to make a runny paste.  Bring juices to a boil and add cornstarch.  Stir constantly until thick and bubbly.

When slicing, use a very sharp, non-seraded knife...and slice against the grain.

Serve with your favorite brisket sides.  We like mashed potatoes (for the gravy, of course), a green salad, and our homemade rolls. 

With the yummy leftovers, make a sandwich with a little mayo...oh. my. goodness!

Photo Credit

Two Months

Sweet Amelia, Two Months

 

We just love this little girl more than words can express.  With her big blue eyes and her sweet disposition, she's reeled us in!  She smiles a lot and tries so hard to talk to us with her coos.  She's already rolled over and she's been sleeping through the night since about six weeks of age.  Hallelujah!  Sweet, sweet baby girl!

Kids and Gramie

I Just Love This Picture

This picture was taken just before I had Amelia.  It's special because my beautiful mommy was here for the birth and was able to pose with her grand-babies.

And since Amelia wasn't in the above picture, here she is with her wonderful Daddy!

Amelia June

She's Here

We are rejoicing over the birth of our baby girl, Amelia June. She arrived safely on Friday, March 11 at 2:22am. She weighed in at 8 lbs (though we don't think she's that big) and was 20 inches long.

It's hard to believe she's finally here after many months of waiting and wondering whether she was a boy or girl. Labor was long, and difficult near the end, but she was worth every minute of it.

We are humbled by God's goodness, His protection, and His many blessings in our lives. Welcome to our family, my sweet Amelia! We love you!

(Will post more pics soon)

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Ring

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend (2 oz)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon sesame seed

DIRECTIONS


1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage and onions over medium-high heat 5 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in bell pepper; cook until tender. Remove from pan.

2. In small bowl, beat 5 eggs, salt and pepper. Add egg mixture to skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally from outside edge to center. Cook until eggs are set but still moist. Stir in sausage mixture and cream cheese.

3. Unroll both cans of dough. Place dough on cookie sheet, long sides overlapping, to form 14x13-inch rectangle; firmly press edges to seal. Spoon egg mixture down center to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with cheese. Starting at longest side, roll up; press edges to seal. Shape into a circle; pinch ends to seal. Cut six 2-inch slits around top of dough. Brush dough with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Photo Credit

New Trampoline

It's A Hit

After many years of contemplating a trampoline for the kids, we finally did it. My parents graciously sent us Christmas money for the kids which helped us make the purchase. The kids have had a blast almost every day on it. Maybe once I have the baby, I'll give it a go too. :-)

Here's the little ones having their turn.....



And here are the "older" little ones (Ethan is missing)....



And even Greg has had his share of fun on it. The kids LOVE when he bounces on it and makes them fly up into the air....


We're so glad to have a trampoline. I'm sure I'll still worry about injuries, but we'll just pray everyone stays safe. It's been a great way to expend energy and get daily exercise. Thanks Mom and Dad for helping us to finally get a trampoline.

Genevieve is Three

Genevieve is Three!

Happy Birthday to our sweet and sassy...and a little mischievous baby girl. It's hard to believe it's been three years since she was born. She was my first home birth baby and loves talk about how she was born in the bath tub. She has a unique personality that we love and we are so thankful for her.

Happy Birthday, Genevieve! We love you!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

A few more photos of family happenings. Our church recently held our first Children's Choir and Hand Bells performance. It was a sweet time and all the children and teens did very well.

Here's a close up of Seth and Sophia singing...

Celeste playing her bell...

A quick smile for mom and dad....

This year we had fun building craft foam gingerbread houses. A neighborhood friend gave them to us as an early Christmas present. They were a little challenging for the younger kids, but everyone enjoyed doing this.

Here's the finished product....cute, huh?

The following week we made our annual grahm cracker gingerbread houses. We'll post pics of that day soon.

Have a wonderful Christmas Day....for unto us and child was given......

Catching Up: Photos and More

We've had a lot going on around here...but I just couldn't find the time to sit down and journal our everything, so I thought I'd combine a few posts into one and just share some highlights.

Early this month we decorated our tree and home. We always have a great time doing this as a family. Here's a pic of all the kids after we finished the tree.



December 11th, Chey played in her second Christmas Recital with the Castle Hills Conservatory. Cheyenne played O Holy Night and did a beautiful job...as did the rest of the pianists.



Our church recently held our Second Annual Progressive Dinner. It's a night with just the adults and the church teens provide childcare. We begin with appetizers at the Blair's home. The dinner portion is in our home, and dessert is at the Smith's. It works really well because we all live off of the same main road, so it's easy to get to each home in a timely manner.

Here are some pics of the dinner portion. We transform our living room into a restaurant type setting.
We served the food on this red table cloth below...this pass thru makes for a great buffet.

The opposite view...



As you can see, we pull out all the stops. Linens, china, stemware, and centerpieces make it a very special evening. We had a wonderful night...the food was amazing and the fellowship was sweet. Already can't wait until next year!


And finally, here is Sophia baking. She has become pretty comfortable in the kitchen and shows great interest in learning how to cook and bake. She recently made a batch of Sugar Cookies by herself for a gathering we had with some friends.

I hope to do another post soon of some other fun things happening around here, but until then, hope you've enjoyed these! :-)

Weary Mommy...Again

This original post was from Dec of 2007. I was pregnant with Genevieve and feeling quite weary.

Well, here I am again....two pregnancies later, identifying with all that I wrote three years ago.

Circumstances are different, trials are different, even the fatigue and hormonal shifts are different.

But one thing remains the same....a Lord who renews our strength and is faithful to give us just what we need minute by minute. I needed to read this again to be reminded of this truth...and be encouraged. :-)




God is so good to always be molding and shaping us into His image. He allows us to go through many trials, whether big or small, to teach us, to grow us, and to remind us that we can do nothing apart from Him.

Well, my trials over the past month or so have been small compared to many I know, but nonetheless, have taught me that our reliance upon the Lord isn't simply day by day, or even hour by hour, but rather, minute by minute!

This pregnancy has been my most difficult, hormonally speaking. I've never experienced such drastic hormonal shifts, and ups and downs as I have this time. I'm also the most tired I have ever been in my life.

I'm irritable, snappy, and grumpy most of the time!

As it is, life with six kids (two of whom are fairly needy) and being nine months pregnant with number seven, certainly comes with a few challenges. But, throw in there some unpredictable hormones and voila!....you've got ME!

While all of these very things bring me great joy, hard days are just to be expected.  And....for all of this...I rejoice!  I thank God for allowing me to be in a place where I am calling out to Him, and being reminded that I cannot get through the day, or even the next minute, without Him!

I am also being reminded of what it means to love unconditionally through the love of my husband. Greg has shown such mercy, love, and patience with me during my not-so-pleasant mood swings. He amazes me by always displaying a heart of Christ. I have a lot to learn and he has always been a great teacher to me.

This post happens to be my 100th post, which took more than a year to get to. Traditionally, I guess you're supposed to list 100 things about yourself, but rather than do that, I thought I'd post a few things about me that show a little transparency, a little vulnerability, a little humility and a lot of praise for my precious Lord, apart from Whom I can do nothing.

God is good ALL THE TIME...even at our weariest moments.

A Handy Link

While reading another blog, I came across a very cool site and thought it would be a good idea to post it here.

It's called Fixya.com.

If you're experiencing any type of "fix it" problem, simply enter in a description of the problem and it will give you the solution to fix it. Their tag line is: 3,068,299 Solutions to Everyday Product Problems

So, if you're washing machine won't drain or your calculator is not working, go to Fixya.com and find out how to fix it yourself....and save a bundle!

ht: Smockity