Birth Days

Brock's birthday is tomorrow and that prompted a little birthday talk as we were sitting around tonight.

They were being silly......

Me:  "Braden, you were born on a Saturday."

Braden:  "I was born to par-tay."

Me:  Brock, you were born on a Sunday morning."

Brock:  "I'm holy.  Me and Jesus were meant to be together."

 That made me laugh!  I thought it was cute.  Apparently, all of us not born on Sunday are just plain heathen!

All in good fun!

Teeny Tiny Hearts and Flowers

I've been playing around with size 3 crochet thread and a very small hook.

I found the sweet little heart pattern on Pinterest and have just been improvising on the flowers.  

Well That Was a Flop

First recipe from my new book failed miserably.  I did it correctly and the presentation was nice.  I even chopped the green onion and cilantro for garnish.  I didn't mind it, but the guys said it tasted awful.   It was a spicy honey glazed chicken.  I think it was the honey in the sauce, apparently dh doesn't care for honey.  I'm not giving up though.  I will keep trying.

In addition to my plan to actually plan, I joined a fruit and veggie co-op; picked up my first bag today.  For $6 I got green beans, red potatoes, oranges, fugi apples, pears, grapefruit, roma tomatoes and some kind of little red peppers, not sure what to do with those.

I will juice some of it, Brock loves to juice.  I want to make green beans with the potatoes in it.  I have to say I've never made "real" green beans before.  I will have to search for a recipe.

Here's the Plan, Stan

What's the plan?

Uh, to actually get a plan.

Right now, I'm reading Feminine Appeal, Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney.  This was part of my morning's reading:

"Proverbs 22:3 advises, "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."  Planning is a method of "hiding" ourselves and our families from trouble.  Yet so often we "go on" with our lives without stopping to plan.  As a result we reap the same consequences over and over again."


So, yes, getting a plan is the plan!

Last week I mentioned my need for developing my skills in the kitchen.  Most of the problem is due to the fact that I simply don't have a plan.  I don't sit down and make a menu for the week.  I don't have a list when I go shopping.  Whatever happens, just happens to happen!  

Well, I have a plan, I think.

Shani recommended Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely.  I was able to download a copy to my handy-dandy Nook and read through it.  It is mostly recipes and shopping lists organized a week at a time, with tips and tricks thrown in as well.  Looks great.  Today I picked a week and made my adjustments, printed it out, and did my shopping.  We'll see how it goes.   My goal, whether I use the book or not, is to have a menu plan and shopping list for each week.

I know the book and the lists aren't magic or anything.  It's really going to take me putting forth the effort to make the changes that need to be made in order to do good for my family, and to glorify God in my role as keeper of my home.

Count it All Joy

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  James 1:2-4

"She's the only one I know who smiles while she's in labor." This was spoken a few days ago about a sweet lady who was about to give birth to her fourth little girl.  The verses above came to mind.


It's really a beautiful scene if you picture it.  A mother laboring to deliver another little miracle into the world, all the while smiling and praying, letting her body do what God created it to do.  It's painful and hard, but she smiles in anticipation of the end result.  She relaxes so as not to tense up even more preventing her body from doing its work.  The more she yields to the contractions, the tightening and the stretching, and, yes, even the pain, the faster her body might finish its work of delivering the baby.  Fighting the natural process might prolong her laboring.  

In the end the baby joins the family and rejoicing begins.  For mom, the pain lingers for a bit, but soon will be forgotten.  A few scars may remain, but they only bring back memories of God's blessing.   

For years I struggled to understand the above scripture verses.  I'm not sure when I finally came to an understanding, but that sweet picture of a smiling mother in labor helped to illustrate its meaning for me.  

God sometimes uses trying circumstances and trials to do his work in us, further conforming us to His image.  How do we meet those challenges?  Do we cry, "foul," or "injustice," thinking this shouldn't be happening to me; or do we say, "Father, do your work in me," in anticipation of the end result? 

  

  

Pink, Red & White

I decided to put a few "Valentinesy" things on my shelves at the craft shop. Shown here are pink and red cloche hats and one of the stringy knotted scarves made with several different yarns.  I took three up there, all were a little different.

I'm not sure what I'll do with the flower yet.  I think I might add a pin/clip combo fastener to the back, so it can be used as either a brooch or a hair-clip.

Adventures in Camping

I can't wait to get some lights to hang on the awning

I received  my picture books today.  They bring back some good memories, and some not so good memories of our fall camping trips.

In August, we were blessed to get a pop-up camper.  Now, you may think that August in Texas is not exactly the best time to go camping, and you'd be right!  That's why we got one with a/c, and plus we waited until September to take our first trip.  ;-)

Our first trip was to Tyler State Park in east Texas.  We weren't there 4 hours and Rick hurt his foot.  He jumped in the lake, the water was a little more shallow than he thought, hit his foot just right and landed in the ER.  The raccoons were vicious.  I'd swear they were following me and one got right in my face as I got a drink out of the cooler.  We had to tie down the cooler lids each night to try to keep them out.  The boys had fun "'coon hunting" with their sticks though.  They just chased them away.  Rick bore the pain and we made the most of it.


Our second trip in October was much better.  We went to Lake Bob Sandlin, another east Texas State Park.  No injuries this time, and that makes for a more pleasant trip!  We enjoyed fishing and walking the trails.  There were a few historical markers too, which I always like.  I particularly enjoyed the birds.  We saw (and heard) a woodpecker, cardinal, and even a bald eagle swooping down for a fish from the lake, that was really cool.  We heard an owl one night too.

I hope to get in a late winter camping trip this year.  If not, I'll be content with a few trips in the spring.  We'd like to go back to Tyler State Park, forego jumping in the lake, and try to see a little more of the park.    

          

 5x7 picture books from snapfish.com

All the pics in this post are from Lake Bob Sandlin

      

Mmm-mm, Not So Good

  "She looketh well to the ways of her household..." Proverbs 31:27a


I've never been very good at putting my goals down on paper, or one to make New Year's resolutions for that matter.  Not sure why, never really thought about it.  I do have a little something I'd like to work on though, and it just so happens to come to my attention at the beginning of this new year. 


One area I lack inspiration in is the kitchen.  Oh, sure, my family is fed, and occasionally I'll get a 'this is pretty good' out of one of them. Oo-oo and the other day dh said my fried chicken tenders were better than chicken place in town!  Apparently, I've made some improvement over the years.  But then there have been times I've had to scrap whole meals because the meat was burnt - or the oven catches fire.  Maybe I had forgotten didn't have an ingredient because no forethought was put into the meals for the week.  Perhaps the meal was just meat and a veggie with no particular taste to it.  Dh jokes that he survives on cereal.  He's in a habit of eating a bowl every night before bed.  I take it good naturedly, and he loves me just the same; but there is obvious room for improvement in the meal department.  


I want to "look well to the ways of my kitchen."  


I do enjoy baking and am pretty good at it, but it's the meal times that are particularly lacking.  I definitely think attitude plays into it. It's hard to get passionate about something that you aren't all that good at.  And sometimes I see it as no more than an interruption to my day.  "What?  I have to stop what I'm doing and feed these people?"  Seems very selfish now that it's typed out in black and white. But that's the truth.  Not all the time, but often enough.   


I know providing meals for my family is part of my ministry here on this earth.  God created me to keep this home -  and that includes the kitchen part!  


I am purposing to change my attitude when it comes to preparing meals for my family.  I need to see it as the ministry, the privilege, that it is.  Be thankful for the family I have and the opportunity to show love by cooking good food for them.  No, I may not have a natural bent for cooking, but I need to seek out resources that will inspire me to try harder and find the joy in cooking.  (anybody have any good links? or resources?)  Maybe the old saying "you get out of it what you put into it" will apply.  I may never be a gourmet chef, but it's more about the attitude anyway.  
  
So that's my resolution that I'm not really setting or putting down on paper.  Or did I just do that?!  :-)    

New Year Treats For My Sweets

It seems to have become a tradition that I make a few treats on New Year's Eve.  Of course the 'sweets' are Rick and the boys.

I've never made the Chocolate Crackle Cookies before, but I must say they turned out yummy.  Rick says he needs coffee to go with them.  They are pretty sweet.

I used a recipe that came on a container of cooking oil.  Actually, that is why I bought that particular product - I wanted the recipe!

I make the Chex Mix more for myself, I guess.  We will all snack on it, but I think I like it more than the guys do.

It was always a holiday tradition growing up.  My Oma made it every year.  And, yes, Cheerios do belong in Chex Mix, or Party Trash as we called it growing up.  I just use the seasoning recipe on the cereal box and just add my own mix of cereal, pretzels and nuts.