Christy's Blog

Grape Jelly

2012-02-10T13:17:00.002-06:00

We've discovered wild grapes all around our neighborhood during the late summer months. Malia was the great gatherer last summer, but the rest of the family got in on an outing or two. These grapes have a wonderful flavor, but they're pretty tart; they're also small and have a seed. So I cooked them and strained out all the juice. It seemed too busy to make it into jelly right away, so we froze the juice. February seemed the right time to pull it out and get busy.

Here's about half of the finished product. I'm really not into canning, so I always hold my breath wondering if it's going to work. It did! And we made it using the "no sugar added" stuff from Rainbow. Since the juice was so tart, I added 3/4 cup honey to every 4 cups of juice, and substituted one cup of the wild grape juice for one cup of grape juice from concentrate (still 100% juice). Everyone likes it and I'm happy about having some jelly that's a bit healthier!

Valentine's Day Fun

2012-02-06T21:19:00.001-06:00

Last year we made these cute little fellows out of Hershey's kisses, foam hearts, little pom poms, and movable eyes.

Levi made these butterflies for his co-op class, using construction paper, two sticks of gum, heart stickers, movable eyes, and pipe cleaners.

This was a valentine for one of our girls using scraps of pretty paper and kisses.

We like homemade pizza, so this was our Valentine's Day edtion.

A few candles leftover from our wedding, our red tablecloth, a pretty placemat and flower....this was our centerpiece.

DJ had fun creating these little guys with sticks of gum and pipe cleaners. I think he made one for each kid in his co-op class.

Kade turns 3 last October

2012-02-04T20:35:00.000-06:00

Kade loved the whole fireman theme last October when he turned three (and he still does), so we made the cake with lots of little boy help. Everyone ate some, but the best part was decorating and taking pictures, and of course, blowing out candles. (He is a fireman, afterall). The coat is size 24 months, and he continued to squeeze into it over and over again until Christmas when Kalai got him a new one.

We continue to give thanks for all our children, but I'm always mindfully aware of how fragile life is when I think of Kade's entrance into this world. He is a challenge in so many ways as he learns that he must obey and follow someone other than himself. He often leaves me scratching my head, trying to figure out what motivates him. He hears my praise over his good deed and it's as if he says, "Rats, I really didn't mean to make her happy." He has some very sweet moments, though, when he seriously relates his desire to follow Jesus. He loves to laugh with his brothers, hide from mom, try funny words out, read firemen books over and over, and work hard with Daddy, whether it be shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, or moving furniture. He really is a little man.

Thoughts on movies and media

2012-01-20T21:07:00.000-06:00

I came across this blog post today http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2012/01/20/is-it-a-sin-to-watch-a-movie-that-takes-gods-name-in-vain
and felt like it was very thought-provoking concerning the misuse of God's name in our current movies, music, games, and literature. While I think all followers of Christ do or should agree that personal use of God's name in vain is wrong, there is a lot of conflict of opinion on whether it's "okay" to watch a movie that misuses His name. I personally cringe at the thought because I really feel like I'm dishonoring my Lord when I choose to watch something that misuses His name. Just as we make choices to honor our mates, our entertainment choices reflect the honor we give to God and His ways and desires. When we marry our mate, we give up all attachments to others and by all we do and say show that we have committed our lives to this one person. Doesn't God deserve this even more!? Why would I tolerate, excuse, or put up with something that directly dishonors Him?

I don't want to be misunderstood here though. Entertainment is something entirely different than our normal every day lives as we go about in the world. We can't escape corruption or profanity completely. We really shouldn't even try to escape it completely. To do so would to be to cut ourselves off from the world, and then we would have no chance to shine as lights. But entertainment is entirely a pleasure and a choice. Does it reflect the honor due our Lord? Anyway, I did appreciate the thoughts of Bob's blog post.

A January Day

2012-01-18T15:16:00.001-06:00

At 5:15 this morning, Kent helped push me out of bed (literally), and and I made it the the ladies' gym. He's so good to me...really! Morning is hard for me. I take a long time to wake up, but am feeling better when I exercise regularly! I bundled up because it was 4 degrees!

We had these http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-pancakes/detail.aspx (substituted whole wheat flour for the white four and used honey instead of brown sugar) this morning for breakfast. I'm always looking for ways to use the pumpkin in our freezer, and it's so good for us, too.

We started school at 9:06 (I do notice because we're always shooting for 9) or so with our Bible time, reading from Keys for Kids and Character Sketches. The morning consisted of math and language with DJ, a grumpy Cody who went down early for his nap, a quick phone conversation with my sister, a 5 minute piano lesson with Levi, a tracing book with Kade, a minute or two helping Malia with geometry, redoing Levi's bandaid, assuring him that he will heal, and making soup for lunch. I rarely sit down and play the piano, but I did this morning because I was feeling frustrated with attitudes and grumpiness of my children.

We had potato soup and toast for lunch, followed by smoothies. We make them occasionally in our heavy-duty mixer, and today they had frozen berries and bananas, pineapple and an orange, some grape juice concentrate, two handfuls of fresh spinach, a chunk of cabbage, and a couple small handfuls of carrots. The younger boys announced them to be the BEST, and I felt happy because we used up some fruit and ate a good amount of fresh veges.

After lunch we worked on thank-you cards for the grandparents, worked on teaching Cody that the markers were still off-limits, helped DJ write his speech for co-op, read books to the little boys before their quiet time, and journaled on my blog. (I miss journaling and blogging).

Christmas Greetings from the Davidsons 2011

2011-12-21T21:28:00.000-06:00

This year:

Kent led the 20th bike tour of 200+ miles as a fundraiser for our Bible camp,

served as a deacon, built a "castle" tree house in our backyard, planned and executed some solo bike/camping trips, was father of the bride, continued his work at Best Buy on the dot.com team, tutored Kalai in college Algebra now and then, built "forts" in the boys' bedrooms, and began to teach our 4th daughter, Malia, to drive.

Christy continued in home schooling our children and especially enjoyed the amazing group of families in our home school co-op, took a trip to Las Vegas to see some very missed friends (thanks to her helpful and kind husband), enjoyed lots of company during Tana's wedding, started doing more exercising, and felt pretty blessed to be enjoying a life rich with God's grace and strength through the busy years of raising children.

Alyssa, 21, continued on in pharmacy school in Arkansas, participated in a medical missions trip to Peru, worked at a Chinese restaurant, and made it home for just a few days now and then. She was one busy girl!

Tana, 19, finished her freshman year at college and married our new son-in-law, Patrick, in August. It was a fun wedding with over 250 dear friends and family joining us. She and Patrick promptly moved to Arkansas for college where she started her second year, and he found a job teaching. They are happily making their new home and meeting new friends all the time.

Kalai, 17, began her senior year of high school doing PSEO college from home, continued to enjoy her art class, went on a mission trip to Mexico, worked and camped many weeks at Bible camp, announced her love for ice skating on MN ponds, and is out snowboarding this very day.

Malia, 15, is learning to drive, went to Mexico also, identified 64 bird species on her morning walks, is working on writing a novel, is playing trumpet for her 7th year, and learned to make home made bread.

DJ, 9, is finding that he loves to read and especially enjoys all that is science related, has big dreams of hunting and fishing, does Geo-cacheing with dad, started band and is playing the baritone, is asking lots of questions about what it means to make Christ his Saviour, and still enjoys bringing all recyclables back into the house for a "project."

Levi, 4, often prays, "Thank you, God, for being so nice to me," has dreams of becoming a policeman, tells mom that she needs to teach him to read, hopes to play the trombone someday but says that the PVC pipe and funnel will do for now, loves to go to camp, and thinks "rainbow car washes" are the best.

Kade, 3, is sure that he's a fireman and makes many decisions based on "what will a fireman do," loves Bible stories, especially any that might involve fighting or war (sometimes to mom's chagrin), enjoyed going to a new family camp in Wisconsin with mom, dad, and brothers; he's still a night owl just as much as his brother Levi is an early bird. He's teaching mom and dad to keep being consistent and work on teaching him to please God.

Cody, 16 months, is such a bright spot in our lives, making messes, learning to talk, learning to obey, and giving many bright smiles. He's always trying to keep up with his brothers which is quite a task for a new toddler. Everyone always comments on his very "white" hair.

We're thankful for our church family and our life group, which have challenged us and encouraged us over and over this year. We are thankful for our parents who have continued to support us and love our grandchildren. Most of all, we're so thankful that God has given us a Savior, to whom we owe our very lives and existence. This truth we continue to learn daily, as we struggle to overcome self and find victory in Christ. Great is His faithfulness!

Love to all of you this season! We cherish the cards, pictures, and letters we've been receiving. Please come visit us if you're in our area!

Jackpine Retreat - September

2011-10-17T15:07:00.000-05:00

Pictures I find on my camera...

2011-06-05T22:18:00.002-05:00

Wedding In August

2011-04-28T17:05:00.001-05:00

Wedding bells here in Minnesota! Tana and Patrick have set a date and are planning on an August 7th wedding. You can imagine what will be happening around here the next few months! It hardly seems possible to be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary and looking forward to our daughter's wedding in a few months. We are praying for God's blessing on these two as they begin planning their lives together. I have a feeling it's going to be quite a family gathering come August!

6th Anniversary: Afton House Inn

2011-04-27T17:21:00.001-05:00

This is where we stayed for our anniversary get-away, a historic landmark sitting quietly by the St. Croix River. Afton is so small and quiet, especially in the early spring, that we enjoyed amazing relaxation and a walk through the whole town in about 15 minutes.

The beautiful spiral stairway from the lobby to the rooms upstairs.

Our room had a view of the St. Croix. Unfortunately, it was mostly covered in boats moored for the winter, but I can imagine that in the summer, it is a beautiful view.

I thought this lamp was especially pretty, sitting on an antique vanity.

This radio actually worked.

The formal dining room was ready for Easter. In the evening it was especially classy with candles on each table. We didn't actually eat here, but we had to peek in.

The following morning a nice little breakfast buffet was available. It was a little like the continental breakfast you receive at some motels/hotels, but a notch or two higher with fresh fruit, bagels, pastries, oatmeal, batter for waffles, yogurt, and a variety of drinks.

This blue and white pitcher caught my eye, as does most blue and white. It looked quite pretty sitting on the mantel in the breakfast room.

Here's where we walked and talked (and pushed a baby stroller). Did I say Cody came with us? He was actually a very good baby and didn't interrupt too often. He even made us smile a time or two with his latest chuckles.

We really felt like we needed this time, and thankfully, no one was sick, and we have wonderful friends and helpful sisters to watch the younger ones. Besides, Kent got a great deal using Groupon, so this room was at least 50% off the usual price. Gotta love a good deal and a memorable weekend at the same time!

6th Anniversary: German Restaurant

2011-04-26T21:33:00.004-05:00

Kent and I got away for our anniversary last weekend. We didn't travel further than 20 minutes, but it felt like we were miles from home. With no definite plans in mind, we were pleasantly surprised to happen upon this German restaurant. Winzer Stube, open since 1999 by a native German woman, is located in the lower level of the historic Opera house in downtown Hudson.

The walls were lined with postcards from Germany.

A German woman was our server, making the whole experience seem that much more authentic! She brought us this delicious sourdough bread before our meals were ready. It was ever so soft on the inside with a chewy crust on the outside.

German books sat on the shelf by our booth (not that I could read them but it was fun to look at them)
, and the little lamp on our table actually had dried flower petals and leaves on its shade.

Kent ordered all-you-can-eat fish and chips.

I ordered a Reuben because I love them, and never make them at home. It came with a cup of wild rice and chicken soup all for $8. The menu was also fun to read because it told a little about the owner and her family as well as descriptions of the food and their philosophies.

Kids eat free Thursday nights. Certain dishes are 1/2 price on Wednesdays. Appetizers are 1/2 off from

4-6. Winzer Stube was voted the ninth best German restaurant in the United States.

Yum! Cookie dough!

2011-04-25T17:24:00.014-05:00

Plain oatmeal won't ever be quite the same after this! I was baking cookies last weekend for the girls' after-tournament treat, when, unbeknownst to me, one of the big brothers knocked this cookie-dough covered whisk on the floor. I turned around to find Cody quite happily getting a few tastes! I started to snatch it away and then realized the harm was already done. I decided I might as well get some pictures!

Special Lady

2011-04-24T17:19:00.002-05:00

DJ, Levi, Kade, and Cody with Grandma Alice.

(Kalai and Malia had already left for a class)

Living in the Twin Cities has its perks, the close proximity of the airport being one of them! For the second time, Alice has had a chance to pay us an unexpected visit due to a layover in Minneapolis. She volunteered to give up her seat in return for a nice voucher to be used in the future. A couple weeks ago, she was able to spend afternoon and dinner with us. What a pleasant surprise! This special lady is grandmother to our children, mother-in-law to Kent, and gift from God to me. She is the mother of Susan, Kent's first wife. She exemplifies a woman who loves and fears the Lord, "her children rise up and bless her." She has encouraged me, welcomed me, inspired me, and even gently corrected me. God's family is amazing!

Remembering...

2011-04-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to this again...summer dinners on the porch,

And freshly picked hydrangeas from my backyard!

Cody - 8 months

2011-04-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

I'm 8 months old and I....

tried out the infant swing for the first time...loved it!
am gradually adding solid foods like sweet potato, rice cereal, avocado, and banana
am scooting forward and almost ready to actually crawl
know that there's food under the table after dinner for me to pick up
put everything in my mouth...every piece of fuzz, every staple, every tiny Lego, stickers, etc.
am learning to sleep on my own (and it's probably more difficult for mom and dad than for me!)
often pat mommy on the shoulders when she picks me up because I'm so delighted
would rather play with a phone than any other toy you might place in front of me

One bed is fine

2011-04-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

They each have a toddler bed, but occasionally, Kade will decide he'd rather sleep on the floor right between the two beds, right on top of Levi, or, like this picture, beside him. Precious moment for mom!

Black Belts They Are

2011-04-07T20:00:00.001-05:00

Kalai and Malia passed their black belt testing a couple weeks ago. I think I'd like to have one on either side of me wherever we go. :) They've worked very hard to get to this place. Even though I'm personally no expert on Tae Kwon Do, having never even participated in one class, I've managed to learn some through their talks around the house. Their instructors have the highest standards and expectations which has been good for the girls. They've also become strong physically and have learned the value of exercise and keeping in shape. And for the most part, they're still gentle and sweet, not running around looking to beat anyone up! I feel like that a good attitude is emphasized at this school, and I'm glad our girls have had the chance to develop skills and build self-discipline.

I've learned that I'm a silly emotional crier at these things. I get all choked up when they go to break a board. Very silly. And I laugh at it. So do the girls. But I can't help it.

Malia's Creation

2011-04-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

Malia and Kalai had received a gift card to a pottery/paint shop nearby. They spent an evening there and this is what Malia chose and painted. I especially like the mushroom add-in at the bottom of the cup. So cute!

The Firefighters Hall and Museum

2011-03-14T14:34:00.001-05:00

This museum is located in Minneapolis, open to the public on Saturdays. We took DJ's friends here on his birthday. If we had come during April through October, we could have had a ride around the neighborhood in a vintage firetruck. While this place is truly a museum, showing beautifully restored vintage firetrucks and other related items, it also has plenty of hands-on activities to keep younger visitors interested for a good hour or more!

A guest gets to pull an old-fashioned fire alarm

One fire engine is completely open for children (and adults) to climb on and explore. The wipers and several sets of lights kept this boy busy for quite some time.

A wall of firemen gear for trying on!

Kade took this seriously. He insisted he needed to walk in these over to the fire truck and climb in.

Cody

A large car/train table for the little ones.

At the "fire station" this table is loaded with books to browse through...all about fire, firemen, and fire trucks.

The museum has expanded to include a room for police.

A firemen's pole to slide down was another fun activity here. The website has interesting descriptions of this place and tells the stories behind many of the engines (if you're interested in that sort of thing). Also, the library has museum passes available, allowing two free admissions per group. That was a nice plus!

Visit in Illinois

2011-03-11T12:18:00.001-06:00

In January, we made our annual trip down to visit Kent's mom and Bud. We always have so much fun just being together for a weekend.

Kent's sitting with his nephew Jordan. Kade really liked this guy, often still mentioning, "My cousin, my Jordan." And when we went to a restaurant recently, he asked, "Will my Jordan cousin be there?" So cute.

Kent's brother Kevin and wife Sheila and their family

Venita had some special time with Cody!

This vehicle was lots of fun and got driven around quite a bit. The little boys kept asking for their turn and our girls were pretty nice to take them all around the farmland.

DJ turned 9

2011-03-08T21:29:00.000-06:00

The brothers get in on helping...as always it must involve tasting!

The birthday boy and friends celebrate in "firemen style"

DJ blows out all 9 candles...house afire.

Very fun gift from Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol

The cake...Playmobile pieces contributed by the boys, trees found in the cupboard from previous years, log cabin crafted by dad, design by mom. So much fun.

Can it be? Nine years old. For some reason, this birthday has me feeling quite sentimental about DJ. Every other birthday seemed right... still very little boy. Nine just has the ring of growing up...of leaving little boyhood behind. Don't get me wrong. He's not all grown-up yet. I savored a cuddling time today which he ended promptly after I kissed him too many times. He was my first baby, even at 2. My first little person to call me mom. The first time I felt that unprecedented love that a mother feels for her child. Even though I'm going to miss his littleness, I'm excited about watching him grow into a young man, with the prayer that he will walk in God's ways with a heart that draws near to our Father.

DJ Highlights

Likes to cook eggs for breakfast

Can't wait to go shooting at the indoor archery range

Asked Dad tonight if they could build a trap to catch a squirrel

Gets distracted from school work when using the dictionary :)

Knows more facts about animals than mom

Is memorizing James 1

Loves to keep recyclables even though mom tries to sneak them out of the house to the trash

Loves to chase his brothers and hold Cody

Is hearing mom read aloud a children's biography about Teddy Roosevelt

Is developing questions about his spiritual walk and future new birth

Is building a bike with Dad

Cody is 7 months

2011-03-08T16:47:00.000-06:00

Cody's mom isn't keeping up on scrapbooking every month during his first year, so she's pretty glad for blogging to keep quick records of what he's doing. Of course, Cody's not doing anything remarkably different from any other baby, but it's still remarkable!! His mom and dad are enjoying each and every new stage, knowing that it goes ever so quickly.

Cody...
- rolls over and over
-enjoys playing on the floor more than before
-ate bananas for the first time...and liked it
-cries when mom leaves the room
-still likes most people unless he's tired
-just moved from pack-and-play bassinet to crib
-put himself to sleep for the first time today!
-weighs around 18 lbs.
-has 2 bottom teeth
-isn't super cuddly and would rather look all around
-can sit up unsupported and rarely falls over anymore
-loves peek-a-boo
-still is our little "piggy" because he "snorts" a lot
-ends up in mom and dad's bed every night because that's the only way he'll sleep (oh well! it will pass)
-is a generally happy and content baby, as long as there's activity to watch (and there's usually plenty of it!)
-likes taking a bath with his brothers but is very scared of running water or the shower

Make/watch a "Burp Rocket"

2011-03-01T16:00:00.001-06:00

The video didn't post so I'll work on that tonight. Sorry. It's pretty cool to watch the rocket take off. :)

With just three simple supplies you can make this amazingly fun "rocket" with your children. We learned about it last week from Aurora Lipper, a science lady who does stuff like this all the time. You will be amazed! Here's DJ's version.

Needed: A white film canister (the lid needs to snap inside, so the black kind doesn't work)
an effervescent tablet (like Alka-seltzer, but a generic brand is fine)
water

Valentine Craft/Cards

2011-02-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

We've been crafting our Valentines for our home school co-op party this Thursday. Here's what we accomplished today...even with a couple sick boys. I love, love this holiday because I love all the things you can make with hearts and candy, and pink and red!!

This caterpillar was DJ's original creation! The only thing we had to purchase for these crafts was gum and Hershey's kisses. The rest of the supplies were hanging out around our house.

This is a more grown-up valentine for one of my girls. :)

Christmas Memories

2011-02-10T17:46:00.000-06:00

I like dressing my babies up in strange little outfits, especially on Christmas Day! These pictures have been waiting to be posted for quite some time. Our month of company, celebration, girls home from college was lots of fun, but too busy for blogging. And now it's February. How can it be?

This was Daddy and DJ's surprise for Levi and Kade on Christmas morning...their very own semi-truck.

Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Betty arrived Christmas evening. I thought this picture was priceless!

Cousins Kylee and Zane came, along with their daddy and mommy!

We made a gingerbread train together and this is Zane carefully rolling out the dough.

Cody Joel - 5 months

We had our 2nd annual tea party.

The weather was nice enough to play outside for hours!

Kylee and DJ had fun sliding down our sled track and into this tunnel!

Zane and Kade took the tea party quite seriously!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T09:30:00.002-06:00

Making Chocolate Letters

2010-11-24T21:00:00.002-06:00

I was looking for a simple way to include the baby's name on some cheesecakes for a baby shower recently. I didn't want to have to make fancy icing and get out all the tools for that so I tried something that worked pretty well. Using chocolate chips, wax paper, letter cookie cutters, and cooking spray I made chocolate initials of the little guy we were celebrating. One plus of using chocolate is that if you mess up, you can always melt it again and start over.

Melt about 1/2(?) cup chocolate chips in a bowl. Lay a piece of greased wax paper on a plate and spread the chocolate onto the wax paper, making sure it's thick enough for your letters. Place your letters in the chocolate and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so. (I didn't time this but kept checking it.) Remove from fridge when chocolate has hardened a little bit, enough so that you can remove the letters and stencils from the chocolate and remove from the wax paper. Let the letters, with the slightly hardened chocolate, cool even longer in the fridge still in the cookie cutters. When chocolate is nearly hard, gently remove the chocolate letters from the stencils. If one breaks, you can do it again or cover the break with a tiny bow like I did! :)

Turkey Fun

2010-11-23T21:00:00.002-06:00

Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol have a tradition of coming to our house before our camp auction each year. Grandma Carol always brings a food project for the children to put together and add to the tables of auction items. This year it was these adorable turkeys made from oreos, whoppers, reeses, chocolate frosting, and candy corn. The picture I have is without the eyes that they added later, using a dab of red icing and a chocolate sprinkle.

Ready for snow

2010-11-22T21:58:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we woke up to a beautiful snowy morning. My boys were utterly thrilled. Before breakfast, Kade came to me like this...all ready to go play outside. Got to love their enthusiasm.

Here's the first snowman of the year.

Waiting and watching.

Cody's three and a half months

2010-11-21T22:47:00.000-06:00

Our Cody is smiling ever so much, and we're finding that he's very social. He loves watching the action of those around him and can hardly keep from wriggling with smiles when someone talks to him.

He weighs 15 lbs. 8 oz. and wears 3-6 month clothing...but not much longer!

He likes taking baths, lying under his hanging toys, sleeping with mommy, waking up late in the morning, classical music in the van (at least he gets quiet when it's playing), laughing at DJ's antics, and taking long naps in the car seat.

He's loving his new bumbo seat. The other boys didn't have one, but when our bouncy seat broke, I decided to try this out. I'd heard so many good things about them, but they're very expensive. I found one at Once Upon A Child and so far, it has been wonderful! He watched the boys getting their baths the other night with not a single complaint. He watches me cook while sitting up on the counter (the warning on the seat says not to place on elevated surfaces so I am always nearby and will have to be cautious as he gets bigger and moves around more). It's portable and just what we needed!

Making Granola

2010-11-21T21:57:00.001-06:00

I made granola this weekend and decided it'd be fun to share pictures. When I

first married, I bought granola and found that it was rather expensive. Often I was disappointed with the ingredients. Finally, I started making it, and usually we have some on hand. Kent really likes putting it on our oatmeal and ice cream. The boys like it with plain yogurt and some fruit. I like it with a few chocolate chips mixed in (but that's when no one's looking!)

I always put nuts in ours, usually chopped almonds or walnuts.

I like to use a mixture of oats, triticale, and barley that I order in large quantites from a co-op.

So here's the basic recipe...but it's very flexible!

10 cups rolled oats or any other rolled grain
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups choppd nuts
1 cup dried fruit

Pour oats in a large bowl. Stir honey and and oil together. Add mixture to the oats and stir well. Chop nuts and add to oat mixture. Grease large glass pan and pour mixture into the pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes (the total time I'm uncertain about!). Check every 10-15 minutes and stir. Remove from oven when oats are lightly browned. Cool and add dried fruit.

You can vary the amount of oil, honey, nuts and fruit to your liking. I've found that it works out pretty well no matter what! Just don't forget about it. I've burnt a large pan of granola to a blackened mess. That's what I get for relying on my memory instead of a timer.

Love to Dress-up

2010-11-13T15:50:00.000-06:00

Striped Deals

2010-11-08T21:48:00.001-06:00

I don't really go shopping much. To clarify, I don't go clothes shopping much. I figure that there will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I'm busy raising my babies and trying to keep up with teenagers growing up, and as much as I like wearing something nice, I just don't lately. At least when I'm home during the day. Usually, it's comfy exercise pants and a sweatshirt. That way I don't mind when greasy hands get wiped on me, the baby spits up, or dinner splatters on my clothes. But I do love hunting down a deal when I get a chance. My favorite thing is the thrift store. You can find such nice quality items at times, but it takes a lot of looking. I do like that when I have time. The other day, Kent took the boys geocaching. My girls were at a youth retreat. So Cody and I had fun at the thrift store (he slept and I had fun). I found these two good-looking shirts for Kent. At least I liked them...and he didn't say they looked like tablecloths (he has said that before). :)

Geocaching with dad

2010-11-08T18:57:00.001-06:00

This Sunday afternoon we went on a bike ride with a purpose. Kent found the coordinates of nearby geocaches and we took off on a "treasure hunt."

Here Kent records our find in the log book of this cache.

DJ exchanges a little treasure of his own for one in the cache.

This was one of the only places I saw pretty leaves. For the most part, they're gone, but we're having beautiful warmer weather the past couple days. Love it!

Some of the family, along with a neighbor boy, looking for the hidden cache.

Our line-up of bikes and trailers. Cody is fast asleep in the last trailer.

Our Malia. Growing up so fast!

A close-up of one of the caches and Kent's GPS.

I quit a little early because I thought Cody would wake up and be ready to eat, so I biked home alone along paths through the woods. What a beautiful quiet time. I really enjoyed it and thought I was so far ahead of the rest of them. I barely made it in the house and I heard voices in the garage. I guess I wasn't as fast as I thought.

Geocaching is such a fun activity, especially when coupled with biking or hiking. Once you have a GPS, it's practically a free sport. The initial cost of a GPS is a lot, but I think they're getting cheaper and you don't have to have the most expensive one to do the job! Kent has found over 600 caches, most of them within a 7 mile radius of our house.

Geocaching has other benefits as well. Once it got me out of a speeding ticket that I deserved (although I wasn't meaning to speed)! The officer that stopped me told me that my husband's name was so familiar. He kept insisting that he knew my Kent's name. I assured him that my husband hadn't been in trouble lately. :) He laughed and after he checked things out, asked me if my husband geocached. He then told me to tell Kent that "bald eagle" said hello. I guess that was his geo name. He went on to tell about his outings with his son. I had to say a big "thank you" to him...and to Kent when I got home! :)

I'm a poet

2010-11-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

It worked for a day or two and then we were back to the same old mess. :) Oh well. I thought I'd share and hopefully find a solution for our shoes somewhere. Don't you think I should write more quality poetry!

Around our house this month...

2010-11-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

Busy days of laundry, school work, and play

Reading books...even upside down

Smiling baby Cody

Silly brothers "sleeping" on the stairs

DJ holding Cody, showing him the "magic window" as DJ calls it

It almost seems magic. Cody loves this spot!

Sporting some old glasses and feeling quite grown-up!

Little frogs that go everywhere with Kade...from the doctor to the highchair, to church and up to camp

Bike rides with daddy

In the bike trailer getting ready to find a geo-cache

Levi's pinecone people we made recently

Our candlelight dinner tonight...all very spontaneous and instigated by my ~~candle~~ fire-loving boys.

We're Hiding

2010-11-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

Peek-a-boo

Because he's so photogenic!

2010-10-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

Orchard Trip

2010-10-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

Two Saturdays ago, we went to an apple orchard nearby. It's our favorite one because it's very homey and they don't charge admission to pick apples. (I could hardly believe that many places charge per person...before you've even picked apples). We also fed the turkeys, chickens, and saw their goats. We sampled apple cider and spread out our picnic on the grass under one of the big trees. I love this time of year! However, it was surprisingly warm, and we would have been more comfortable in t-shirts and shorts. Unfortunately, 80% of the apples in this particular orchard were ruined by a recent hailstorm. So, we didn't pick our apples. The owners let us go out in the orchard and see if we could find anything. We managed to pick a few small ones, and they were delicious. I bought a bag of Haralsons seconds for a price comparable to the grocery store. Sadly, the apple trees nearby our home are not producing this year. I've heard that apple harvest goes in cycles. I so enjoyed homemade applesauce the past two years! My camera was out of battery so I only managed to get a few pictures. This trip was so unlike last year's which I posted about. It was cold, a bit snowy, and the little boys were miserable. :) Kade even toppled out of the wagon. Ahh...I love memories!

Children's Museum Outing

2010-10-20T11:03:00.000-05:00

We went to the free day at the Children's Museum last Sunday.

We painted our faces.

We ate apples we found in our stroller from our trip to the orchard!

Cody hung out in mom's sling or in the stroller.

I liked this thought!

There was a room devoted to space exploration. This was very timely for us, as we studied space last year quite in depth because DJ found it so interesting!

Exercising in space

After-bath Smiles

2010-10-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

I'm almost 11 weeks. I weigh 13 lb. 13 oz.

I smile often

I'm starting to sleep and wake more consistently

I'm cooing and responding

I'm in the 90th percentile (mom's not sure how to handle a big baby like me!)

2010-10-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Kade turned 2, so his brothers volunteered to help in any way possible.

We went with a zebra cake idea, so I found a picture online of a zebra cake with a neck and head. Kade's only comment when I showed him the picture was, "Broken," with his head shaking back and forth sadly. :) I went ahead and made the "broken" zebra because that's as far as my talent could go! He kept calling it an airplane.

I made a carrot cake that my grandmother used to make for every special occasion. We loved it as kids and it makes me think of her. Along with the carrots, it has whole wheat flour, honey, applesauce, and walnuts, making it a very moist cake.

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

He really liked the licorice "mane."

Skyping with Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Betty

Opening presents was fun!

Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol came to celebrate! This is one of his new books.

Our happy boy. We are blessed!

At 2...Kade weighs 26 lbs.or so.

Loves rubber frogs and lizards enough to sleep with them

Makes trumpets nearly every day out of "marble run" pieces

Says, "hold you," whenever he wants mommy to hold him

Calls Cody, "Toady" (that's how I spell it!)

Likes big trucks

Steals daddy's bouncy balls from his collection

Loves fleece tied blankets

Says big words like "basketball," "airplane," "elevator,"

Prayed for his sisters by name the other night

Trumpets

2010-10-10T22:41:00.003-05:00

Malia's daily trumpet practice has inspired these boys. Our Marble Run pieces have become trumpets. Kalai and Malia's old music books have found someone to use them again. Here...Levi and Kade prepare to "play" their "trumpets."

Cody's Smile

2010-10-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

Cody is 9 weeks old here. We've been savoring his smiles and little coos. The fun is just beginning!

Big Truck Day

2010-09-28T17:20:00.000-05:00

We had a local business host a Big Truck Day recently, their parking lot filled with all sorts of trucks of many sizes, shapes, and purposes. But mostly...they were BIG! :) This was the city bus.

There was a continuous noise of honking horns, as the children took turns sitting in the driver's seat, honking the horn...and pushing other buttons, as well. As one police officer got ready to go, he turned to us and said everything that had an on/off switch had been turned on during the course of the afternoon! ;)

Watching a hook-and-ladder truck get ready to leave. I love how Levi looks like he's pledging allegiance. He's really just trying to keep the "fireman sticker" on his shirt.

Seven weeks old and just starting to smile!

He's 12 pounds 2 ounces and 7 weeks old in this picture.

Jackpine Retreat

2010-09-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Here's our get-up.

DJ sporting Gregory's gun...of course, with no ammunition! :)

These guys played constantly, enjoying the sandbox and the fire. We all left with bright red cheeks that looked sunburned, but were actually chapped from sitting by the fire.

Good friends to sing with.

Gathered for singing and Bible lesson, man and beast alike. :)

Our wee one, toasty warm and cuddled all weekend long. 6 weeks old and first camping trip!

A very weary 3 year old... all ready for bed, sitting by the fire.

He finally gave in! Bedtime was so easy that night.

Cody hangs out on our front "porch" while I do dishes. And yes, it was COLD!

They actually stood still long enough for a picture.

Our family (Alyssa and Tana have left for college and Kalai was at a different retreat that weekend).

We always debate whether it's worth it to drive such a long way for a short weekend of camping. But we always end up going, glad that we did. It's a nice laid-back time of fellowship, relishing the joys of camping, singing around the fire, and hearing God's Word. I always come home with a renewed thankfulness for modern conveniences and a great appreciation for the beautiful world God has created for us.

Middler Bicycle Ride

2010-09-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

Each fall Kent puts together a bike ride for the 3rd-6th graders from the church. He usually comes up with some theme, game, or treasure hunt to make it pretty exciting! This year the group divided into teams, each with a digital camera. The goal was to take pictures of the team completing the list of assigned poses, activites, etc...and make it back in time for dinner.

Sleeping on a park bench was one picture!

This one was the puppet show over the hedge...I believe.

The tunnel picture.

Their distance was 8 miles and they were gone for about 2 hours. Happy Fall!

Just some random cuteness...

2010-09-15T23:41:00.000-05:00

DJ is such a good big brother.

G'pa Wayne and G'ma Betty were here for a visit. Cody is about 2 weeks old here.

G'ma Vineta came for 2 weeks. Here Cody is three and a half weeks.

Can I feel proud of myself? Just a little bit? I took all four boys to Home Depot's kids' project activity while Kent was helping someone move. We did the project without anyone eating any nails or hitting anyone on the head with a hammer. I have to add, though, that the glue was sampled by Kade.

This was a fun picture to take. It's actually easier to get them to stay in one place and look at me than when they're all standing together. Now if we could just get a picture with everyone! :)

Kade asks me numerous times each day, "Hold him?" concerning Cody. He really just wants a quick hug and then quickly pushes him back towards me saying, "All done." This picture was taken on a recent evening when Kade wouldn't go to sleep because he had such a late nap. He had a great time with Cody and I got some fun pictures. Here we are having fun at the uneartly hour of 10:15 pm or so.

Kade's working on getting fishy lips, too!

Cody seems to enjoy the sling and it helps keep my hands free while trying to get things done. He does okay in the swing, but it just doesn't do the trick for him that often.

And that's it for this random post of pictures!

Cute sayings I need to remember

2010-09-13T17:38:00.000-05:00

Levi says....

"Mom, this is my pet frog." (A rubber frog) "His name is Jack. And I love him because God loves me."

"Mom, there's a turtle growing in my tummy. And it's getting bigger."

"Mom, did the doctor take Cody out of your tummy?"
"Yes, Levi."
"Did he say we could keep him?"
"Yes, Levi. Cody is our baby."
"Mom, we aren't going to give him back."
"Nope, we're not."

"Mom, I have a job for you. You get to read to me."

"Mom, we don't litter. Because God doesn't like it." (not sure where he ever got that one!)

Summer Ends

2010-08-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe school starts for our family next week. I guess I should say it starts for those not in college. Tana and Alyssa are both at college and getting used to things. Kalai also started her PSEO classes through a college in the area. So, DJ and Malia have until next Tuesday. I'm feeling pretty ready to start doing more structured learning with DJ but I know it'll be a bit of a transition at first. Lately, it can take me until 10 a.m. just to have eneryone fed, dressed, and kitchen cleaned up. By then, it's time for morning snack! :) As much as it goes against my personality, I'm learning to go with the flow and not get as stressed out if plans don't go as planned! I know I'm really going to have to remember that loving my children and training them in character and Godly ways are the most important things...not necessarily completing every page of assignment, having my house even halfway spotless or doing lots of extra-curricular activities.

Baby Cody is filling out in the cutest places. His little elbows have dimples and his adorable chin now has been joined by another cute chin! I feel like we sit on the couch and eat almost constantly, but I'm enjoying him so much!! The boys are pretty enthralled, too. Malia likes to hold him so much more than she did the other babies. Levi asked me again today, "Mommy, why do we have him?" But I think he likes him because whenever he's awake he wants to hold him...even when Levi's wet and muddy from playing outside.

My mother-in-law was here for two weeks and was a huge help. She did all my laundry yesterday before leaving today. I couldn't figure out how I managed to stay out of it completely. I really had planned on helping her, but it just didn't happen. We had fun watching the boys out on the slip and slide. We also played a game with her called Loaded Questions. We're missing her already, and it was so nice to get to know her better and sit around visiting in the evenings. She's certainly one amazing lady.

Our garden is producing!! We're enjoying delicious tomatoes and cucumbers and some fresh herbs. Ours is a rather small garden, but it's about right for us. I'm looking for ways to save/preserve my herbs.

Life is good! I'm blessed. Trying to live in the moment and say "yes" more often to my kids even if it means more clean-up, waiting to do the next chore so I can read them a book, giving them a second popsicle, smiling when Kent lets them get wet and very muddy just before dinner (instead of being upset about extra baths), trying to take advantage of our cell phones and call our college daughters more, and read Proverbs each morning. I think being a parent makes you realize how really unqualified you are to raise children. I feel so inadequate with all my weaknesses, but I know Christ can make the difference, and I can take small steps towards my big goals. So this year I will strive to smile at my children more, be slower to anger, be silly more often (not my natural tendency), spend more time in scripture than on the computer, each day make Kent glad he married me, and place the most value on things that are eternal...such as relationships, attitudes, and service. I can get so discouraged thinking about how I'm not measuring up to what I thought I would/could/should be as a mother and Christian, but I'm learning to trust in Christ's goodness and perfection and His work in my life rather than on my work.

Cody...around 12 days old and whole family

2010-08-19T11:24:00.000-05:00

This is how he came

2010-08-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

I don't know about every other mother-to-be, but I read a lot during my pregnancy...about pregnancy, labor, development of baby, etc. I have a stack of books by my bed, and even though I had been pregnant twice already, this time with Cody was no exception. I still read. I find birth fascinating. I want to hear about other mother's births. I don't just want to know baby was born. I love hearing about how it all happened. Maybe I'm weird, but I know a few others just like me. And I was so anxious to see how this time would turn out with Cody. So I share our little story...August 5, 2010.

I woke up around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday morning and told Kent I had just had an uncomfortable contraction. It didn't surprise me though. For about 2 weeks I'd been having similar type contractions off and on. A week ago I'd been told I was dilated to 2 cm. Then the day before I was at 3 cm. I knew things were happening, but they were long and drawn out compared to my first baby where nothing happened until the day of birth. I had a few more uncomfortable contractions (around a half hour apart) when I decided to get up and take a shower...just in case. I then had a break from contractions with one or two sporadic ones and decided I must not be in labor. The little boys got up and I started fixing breakfast and then they started again around 8:30, fairly strong and intense. Kent had me beep him on the phone (while he worked in the basement) every time I had one so he could write down and keep track. They were painful enough that I had to lie down, which was very difficult in trying to change messy diapers, fix breakfast and dress little boys. Contractions were coming between 6 and 9 minutes apart.

Finally, I called Kent around 9:20 and told him I couldn't do it by myself anymore and that I thought we were going to have to go soon. He found me on the couch. We called Tana up to watch the boys. Levi said the cutest little prayer about baby and the hospital and something about baby getting lots of presents. :) Kade laid his head on my belly and waved to baby. DJ was so excited about getting to spend the day with a friend!

We drove 20 minutes or so to the hospital, arriving at 10:10, and Kent got a wheelchair for me. I told him I could walk, but then a contraction hit and I was glad I could sit down. A very nice nurse got me into a room and asked me if I thought I was in labor. This was between contractions so I was nice and calm and told her that I thought I was. Inwardly, I was a bit worried. I felt like I was much further along than anyone thought, but I hate to be demanding or just end up being silly, so I kept quiet. I changed into a gown (after Kent took one last picture of me) and started breathing through contractions. They were painful enough that I couldn't really talk. Finally, a nurse came in the room while I was in the middle of one. She asked Kent, "So how long has she been like this?" Suddenly, she seemed to spring into action, calling someone to come in, talking about the doctor coming, having me checked, etc. I was dilated to 7 cm. and she said something like, "I think I might just be delivering this baby." They started asking me about my birth plan and getting the room already.

At this point, I think I mentally slowed down. I didn't want to have the baby before my doctor arrived. I also was struggling with the pain (back labor too, which I hadn't experienced before) and started feeling a little anxious about letting things move too quickly. So I didn't go to a more upright position which was what I felt like doing. For some reason, I just laid back on the bed and took each contraction, breathing through them and answering questions between. I remember realizing that I had forgotten how painful labor was. The saying really is true. You do forget. I had.

Finally, the doctor arrived (not the doctor I had planned), and he told me they could break my water and let things progress, since that was the only thing keeping me from giving birth. I had to think about it for a couple minutes and then decided to go ahead. Kent thought it was a good idea, too, and he kept up the job of fanning me since I was breaking out in a sweat.

At this point, I knew I was going to have this baby and I realized the VBAC really was going to happen (vaginal birth after cesarean). I kept thinking that very soon it would all be over, and we would know if we were having a boy or a girl. But, WOW! It was so intense, and I got to the point where I told the doctor that I actually felt like I wanted something for pain. He told me I could start pushing and have it over very soon. That was enough for me. So at 12:23 I started pushing and at 12:30, we found ourselves with a little baby BOY! All I could think was how glad I was to have it over and how happy I was to have a little boy (only with a slight chagrin that Kent and I only turn out boys).

The nurse that coached me was wonderful. I wish I could have slowed things down a bit in those last seven minutes but I was really having trouble with the pain and wanted it over so badly. Looking back, I know I was very blessed with a relatively quick and easy labor compared to so many others. I don't know how I could have handled a much longer labor.

I got to cuddle Cody for quite some time and even nurse him before they weighed him and cleaned him up. He was so alert and quite a voracious (the nurse's word) nurser. I was quite surprised to hear that he was 8 1/2 pounds...which explains why my belly got so big towards the end. I'm glad I didn't go to 40 weeks!

Kent and I spent quite some time admiring our new little Cody Joel. I looked over and saw Kent praying, thanking God for a safe delivery. I cried a couple times but mostly felt like smiling. We started calling friends and family. And I held our new little bundle for hours!

First time meeting their brother

They asked about his toes!

Levi said, "I love my baby Cody."

Tana was the only sister at home during this time.

DJ said he had hoped for a girl but I think he fell in love pretty quickly with Cody!

Two days old and headed home!

Cody

2010-08-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

Today...

2010-08-03T23:21:00.000-05:00

-we had cinnamon oatmeal pancakes for breakfast

-the boys and I packed up and went to the county park for a free day at the play area

-I met a family from the area who home school and are in a co-op I'm interested in

-we were so sweaty and hot that the boys played in the pool in the backyard until naptime

-we had cucumbers from our garden and juicy, cold watermelon for lunch

-Kade was the only one who slept during naptime

-I worked on names and middle names for up and coming babe, sharing my list with Kent after his busy day of work. We have such a hard time picking names we both dearly love. I think we have our girl name, and I'm working on trying out our boy name throughout the day because I don't like it as well as Kent does.

-Tried a new recipe from Taste of Home with zucchini, green peppers, Roma tomatoes, green onions, fresh basil (I have a plant by my kitchen sink), chili pepper and shrimp. I told Kent we were having a surprise ingredient at supper because this is possibly the second time I've ever bought shrimp. We ate our dinner over brown rice. Yum!

-Kent took the two older boys to get a tire fixed on our little blue car. Kade and I washed dishes. Kade's new thing is "cups." He loves to stack them and fill them with water and arrange them, even carry them to bed. I had to tell him we weren't sleeping with "cups." Poor guy was disappointed.

-We had neighbor friends over for apple pie and visiting.

-Levi has some funny new sayings: "fly smatter" for "fly swatter"; when asking for salad dressing he said he wanted "the tree branch." I finally figured out he wanted ranch dressing. There have been more like that lately, but I need to write them down right away.

-I'm not sleeping very well which is to be expected, I suppose. So I sit at my computer a little too long. I browse baby names. I pray for our sleeping children and our older girls off on their own unique adventures. I consider that I need to be more patient with childishness and more firm with bad attitudes. I notice all the places in our house I could be sorting and cleaning, but I'm in waiting mode and I don't want to get too busy on anything. I'm actually excited about how this whole birth process works out. I know I'm not looking forward to some aspects of the birth, but there's something pretty amazing about how each little person makes his appearance. I want the baby to come when laundry is put away, dishes are done, beds are made, and the refrigerator is full. That only happens once a week or so and it's never all at the same time!

I'm going to hold this baby a lot and enjoy the littleness, the newness. I want to savor each moment of newborn because it goes so fast. I want to take lots of pictures. I want to watch my other children cherish their new little brother or sister. And I want to sleep on my tummy again. :) So thankful tonight for God's blessings!

"Camp-out Date"

2010-08-02T07:21:00.000-05:00

This year we just couldn't manage an overnighter for our anniversary. I browsed Bed and Breakfasts and even thought we should do a camp-out. Kent raised his eyebrows at that last one because I was pretty pregnant. I thought it would be fun and doable, especially without children. I even dreamed about going camping and woke him up one night to ask if we could take an inflatable mattress with us!

All that said, we ended up taking a good 4 or 5 hours away while my mom was here in June. Kent packed up our bikes and off we went. We took the easy route and ate Chinese take-out...outside, of course, to fit our camping theme. We then biked to a nearby lake and county park.

The wildflowers were beautiful!

We had an idea that we might be met with thundershowers. There were dark, ominous clouds that day (although it's hard to tell in this picutre). So Kent even brought along a tent for shelter since there was nothing to speak of anywhere near where we were "camping."

In this picture, he suddenly took off, leaving me behind with my exciting find!

Wild raspberries...and lots of them! I picked a nice handful.

Then I hurried to find Kent. Here he was, putting up a tent faster than I've seen done before. :) Yeah, I wasn't a whole lot of help working on shelter from the coming storm!

Our transportation around the county park.

Ready to head back home. We weathered the storm (which ended up mostly bypassing us), enjoyed wading in the lake, picking a few more raspberries, and biking around the trails. I think we did about 12 miles or so. What a fun day!!

38 weeks

2010-07-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

DJ was my photographer this morning. Here I am. 38 weeks. Baby has gotten lower, and I had a super uncomfortable day 2 days ago. I could hardly walk! It has improved though and today is good! We're getting so excited to meet this little one (I almost said "guy"). I'd be really pleasantly surprised to have a girl, but I think we're having a boy. Just my hunch! And we can't get settled on a name.

Snatches of our summer fun

2010-07-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater and remembered to bring our sand toys. Sand and shovels are a perfect way to keep a boy entertained for hours!

I took Malia and DJ fishing. The extent of that was just that. They did the rest by themselves while I watched the little boys. They did catch a few but threw them back.

"I like hats!"

Indoor play...while mom tries to get work done.

We've had a few fires in our little fire pit, roasting hot dogs or marshmallows.

More construction!

Levi has a toy trumpet and loves to imitate Malia when she practices. He insisted we find the music stand so he could do it just right!

Our best attempt at a group photo of the boys after graduation.

Reading books on couch.

First dentist appt. for Levi. He has been looking forward to this all year!

Tana has been gone most the summer but we did get to spend a little time together up at camp.

My sister Esther came for a week, along with Kylee (4), Zane (1), and our mom. We picnicked after Chutes and Ladders after meeting up with our aunt and cousin.

Zane enjoyed the shark pool on our deck.

So did Kade. Although Kade's style is more about emptying the pool...bucket by bucket!

Levi laughs as Grandma Betty lets him get her wet.

We had a wonderful time!!

Cousins on our mom's side came for dinner!

More time outside!

Our slip and slide looked inviting to me one day. It did feel good!

Grandparents visit

2010-07-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Bud and Grandma Vineta drove up for Tana's graduation and my mom flew in also. We had some very busy moments getting ready for everything, and I never could have done it without their help! (I didn't get any pics. of Tana's graduation so I have to get some from the other

people there. My camera didn't make it there.)

When the work was over, we had some nice moments visiting in our front yard.

Grandpa Bud and DJ had many conversations about hunting and fishing.

And while we watched the children play, they decided they needed to sit and visit too!

Levi did a few stunts for us on his tricycle.

Fort Snelling

2010-07-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

My cousin's family came to the cities. We took a day to visit Fort Snelling. It's a musuem but it's full of live, in-period costumed characters helping make the place come to life. We took part in a marching drill, watched a cannon fired, had a lesson at a school house, visited a general store, watched food being prepared for the "General Snelling", and got to actually try out the beds that the men used.

Levi and Kade watch the infantry drill.

Aaron, Malia, and Ken (my cousin) are among the spectators.

Our school lesson

Dishes displayed in the general's house. I happen to love blue-and-white dishes!

Mara and Malia play chess at the general store, with DJ and Jonathan looking on.

Yummy in Pink

2010-07-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

I went to a baby shower for a little girl...soon to arrive. This is the hooded towel I made with a bath towel and washcloth. It was fun picking out the ribbon to sew on the edges, especially because I don't get to see these colors much around our house. Our girls are too big for lots and lots of pink, and well, my stacks of folded laundry are primarily blues, greens, and browns! This was fun and easy to make.

http://www.makeandtakes.com/easy-hooded-bath-towel

This is where I got my directions. She uses a handtowel instead of a washcloth, but the principle is exactly the same...only you don't cut the washcloth in half.

Posted to the wrong blog

2010-07-21T00:22:00.002-05:00

I'm using Tana's computer and somehow managed to write an entire blog post and publish it to her blog. I haven't figured out how to fix that yet so if you want to read my latest...check out Tana's blog. She has posted a few neat posts but doesn't get on her blog very often. I'll have to delete my post eventually because it sounds pretty weird having her blog launch into a description of the final weeks of pregnancy. :) http://faithsquared.blogspot.com/

Beautiful home

2010-06-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

Friends of ours invited us over for my birthday last month. It was a beautiful May day and I kept noticing the artistic look of things around their home. Sitting by the water was so peaceful (except for when the boys wanted to throw rocks). I especially liked this way of storing and displaying their canoe paddles on their nice wide front porch.

We had a lovely grilled dinner outside on their front porch.

And I have to include a picture of strawberries. They're one of my favorite things about summer!!

Cousins

2010-06-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

My sister Esther came to visit with her two children, Kylee (almost 5) and Zane (1). Our mom came too and bought the children matching t-shirts. We loved them!! Here they are after a wonderful outing to the Chutes and Ladders Park.

33 weeks and counting!

2010-06-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling less like I'm desperate for an afternoon nap

I'm happy that I don't know the gender

I'm not quite as hungry anymore but am glad it's summer and can eat LOTS of fruit!

I'm growing out of some of my maternity shirts

My legs bother me but have improved with some herbs recommended by my midwife of last pregnancy

I am trying to mentally relax about having a vbac

Kent and I are not any closer to picking names

I'm treasuring the moments of this last pregnancy even though it's uncomfortable sometimes

Levi keeps asking if the baby is still inside me and Kade points to his belly and says, "baby" but he knows it's a joke which makes it even funnier

Looking forward to meeting this new little one and am surprisingly unanxious about how this little person will fit into our already busy family.

Summer SO FAR

2010-06-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

We've enjoyed:

1. A visit from Grandpa Bud and Grandma Vineta

2. A visit from my mom

3. Tana's graduation and open house

4. A trip to Teddy Bear Park

5. A night of roasting marshmallows and eating dinner outside on our porch

6. A half-way successful attempt at potty-training Levi

7. A date out with Kent to Red Lobster and St. Paul Symphony Orchestra (and we only spent $5...love that!)

8. Watching Kent teach Alyssa and Kalai how to drive

9. Having flowers planted in my front yard by my mother-in-law!

10. A trip to camp to help work and enjoy sunshiny hours by the lake with the boys

11. Reading a book with Malia

12. A garage sale of our own

13. Rearranging all the kids' bedrooms and getting used to new sleeping arrangements

14. Planting my first hanging tomato plant... a gift from my mom

15. Taking Kent out for Father's Day to Famous Dave's

16. A bike ride to Caribou with Kent the other night

Dates are Fun!

2010-05-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

Our overnight anniversary outing turned into a dinner date only in Stillwater. (DJ seemed to be fighting something, and we didn't feel comfortable being gone overnight). I was a bit disappointed, but we had a great evening, and because we left our little town, it felt like we actually went somewhere.

Nacho Mama's ended up being our choice. (We had a coupon and it fit the criteria of being unique...not a chain!)

The decor was fun and unique.

The food was superb!

Pansies were blooming in buckets and baskets all over Main Street.

27 weeks!

I'm 3 and I love birthdays

2010-05-18T22:31:00.000-05:00

In my family, my birthday seems to come at the end of a very long line of birthdays, eight to be exact, starting in February and ending in May.

I love birthdays. Afterall, I'm now just 3. I've had a lot of experience these past few months making cakes for my sisters. And always asking mom..."Where's my birthday?" For awhile I thought it was gone, but she assured me that May was coming....and that she had to wait for hers, too.

So with the big day at hand, we started on the cake. I insisted on using the "old mixer" and mom still doesn't know why it was so important to me. Halfway through making my cake, I suddenly realized I needed to call Grandpa Bud and Grandma Vineta to thank them for my Veggie Tales B'day card.

The old worn-out mixer worked beautifully and my spice cake was done. DJ helped us. You know, he's quite experienced and can run the mixer himself.

Of course, licking the beaters is the best part. Maybe this activity is why mom kept me in my pj's long after breakfast!

For a long time, I've known it was to be a train cake. It was settled. Mommy said it was fine. I also wanted to be sure that I had my train shirt washed and ready to wear. I actually did remind mom several times last week that I wanted to wear that shirt on my b'day.

So while I was napping, DJ and Mommy did the really messy part, leaving the fun part for me later. DJ was thrilled to take lots of pictures of the process.

Thankfully, mom had DJ's advice, because he consulted "The Little Engine That Could" several times to be sure we were getting some of the details correct...such as the color of the engine!

This was where I came in...all rested and ready to decorate!

Actually, I think I was more ready to sample the candy mom bought in the bulk bins at Cub Food and "oreos" from Trader Joe's.

We decided this certainly was a zoo cake and needed some animals too.

I was so happy to see myself on this cake. DJ thought it was a little weird to cut up one of my old pictures, but it worked!

Because I am so proud of each and every car, I must show each one!

This was super fun!

And to think, I got to blow out the candles myself. I love that part!

Kade got a small piece of cake and devoured it, along with some candy. You should have heard mom exclaim the next morning how late Kade managed to stay awake in his crib that night. She blames it all on the sugar high!

Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol came, too. It was so fun to have them. And daddy figured out how we could have a video call with Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Betty so they could watch me blow out my candles.

This was the best I could do for the last picture of the night. You think Kade was hard to put to bed. I had him beat!

History Project

2010-05-18T21:31:00.000-05:00

Our history this year has included the time period of castles and knights. It has been such fun! Our activity book always has many ideas for projects, and DJ makes sure we always read through them. I wish we had done more of them this year. This was one project we managed to do...a rice krispie castle.

As you can see...he was pleased with the results!

Bronco Riding at Bedtime

2010-05-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

2010-05-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

When I told DJ we had a surprise the next day, he was quite astonished when I told him it was a ride in an airplane. On a beautiful April day we drove about 45 minutes to a small airport to enjoy a plane ride! The pilots from this club volunteer to take children from the ages of 8-17 on a free 20 minute ride. This airplane wasn't the one they flew, but I liked it!

Here's the pilot with his excited passengers.

THE plane

Some spectators!

Travis held Kade quite a bit, and Kade warmed up quickly! I just had to post this picture because of Kade's expression. This is his classic, "Don't look to0 long at me. I'm trying not to smile."

Harrison and DJ show-off their planes they put together.

Fun stuff

2010-05-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

I made my first hooded towel for a baby gift last month. I received a big fluffy one when Levi was born and we LOVE it and keep using it. This was fairly simple, so I think I'm going to make some more for some upcoming babies. Picking out the ribbon is fun!

Kent's favorite cookies...oatmeal, walnut, chocolate chip. I cut back on the sugar and use half whole wheat. They're so yummy and I think I ate almost as many as Kent!

Our lilac bushes are right outside the kitchen window. My boys are great at keeping me supplied with fresh flowers! Love these!

Flowers from our trip to the conservatory at Como Zoo. What a feast for the eyes! Wow.

Kent decided to cook dinner one night while I made a quick trip to the store. I was going to make spaghetti and this was his new twist. It was good and he always enjoys "presentation" (which I find kind of cute...no same old boring for him) so I had to take a picture because he put it on my fancy platter.

DJ and I made this yummy, very rich chocolate mousse after learning about France during our history time. This recipe was in the back of the book and DJ is always enthused to try projects!

Twenty-four weeks

2010-04-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

You'd think it wouldn't be that hard to stop and say to someone, "Hey, can you take my picture?" I keep meaning to do it... just because it's fun to look back and compare (and see how much bigger you were with your third than your first!), and remember. But this is only my second picture of this pregnancy...late, late one night before bed!

I'm feeling more aches and pains, but I have to say, my energy is much better than even last month. I can skip my afternoon 20 minute snooze and still make it through the evening. There are some days, though, I just don't want to do anything.

Still enjoying food, but not quite obsessed with it as I was the first weeks of pregnancy. I'm enjoying beef, but couldn't stand the smell when pregnant with Levi. I still want Reuben sandwiches but I'm not ordering them any chance I get like I did when pregnant with Kade. Lately, though, I've been carrying around pistachios and finding them to be extremely yummy. They're a treat anyway, but when a friend brought some over, I kept wanting them the following days until I actually bought some at Sam's Club. Yeah, I used to laugh at all the pregnant stories about food, but now I believe they're true!

And if you're interested, I'm dreaming like crazy. I have all sorts of people showing up in my dreams. And I've been trying to plan our anniversary trip. So one night, while dreaming all night long, or so it seemed, about my hair-brained idea to go camping for our trip this year, I actually woke Kent up and asked him if we could take an inflatable mattress with us if we did so choose to go tent-camping. He assured me we could, and I promptly continued to sleep and dream about our plans.

So off I head to bed now to work out some more issues in my dreams and see what friend shows up!

Malia's 14th Birthday

2010-04-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

Our Malia Joy celebrated her 14th birthday this month. She started out the day requesting to sleep in. I find it funny how they all get this desire to sleep more as they hit their teen years! :) Later that evening she had some friends over. It was a fun, simple evening together. They jumped on the trampoline, played Apples to Apples and had hamburgers on the grill, home fries, and corn for dinnner, eating it all out on the patio. (Why, oh why, wasn't I taking pictures??? I think it has something to do with our busy little ones. :)

Our main activity for the night was tye-dyeing. I'm really not much of an expert, so they read the design ideas and went at it. They turned out so pretty. ( I don't have pictures of those either.) They were pretty creative!

These pictures show how pretty the colors were. Obviously, they turn out lighter after washing them.

Malia has to be one of the sweetest young ladies. Can I brag on her? God has blessed her with a tender heart and a desire to serve. Inspite of the fact that she often has her mind cooking up some story she's writing, she manages to see ways to help so often. I think moms find a special thrill to see their children doing work around the house without being asked. This is Malia's specialty. She frequently tells me I need to take a break or sit down. Isn't that just amazing? She also has become quite a nurturer to her little brothers. She finds a unique joy in nature and has an amazing ability to create stories in a well-written style. I am blessed to be a part of her life and am so glad she gave her life to Christ a couple years ago!

Our 18 month old Kade

2010-04-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

I love overcast days outside. It makes it so much easier to take a picture without the problems of sun glare. These pictures of Kade do really represent a genuine aspect of his personality. :) He tends to be a bit serious, has some quirky expressions, and can frown like crazy. :) His newest thing is to stick out his lips like a fish whenever he's a bit shy or uncomfortable. And the sand...he really likes it. I thought after a taste of two, he'd decide it wasn't worth it. But no, he likes to go back for more.

Lately, we've had some grumpier days. I'm not sure if he's teething more or what. But when we get outside, it's as if the world is 10 times brighter from his persepective. That does become challenging because he really can't go out there without me. One day, though, he became engrossed in the sandbox in the back yard and I was able to get dinner ready and wash dishes while watching him from the window. That was nice!

I had to throw this picture in because Kade has his silly moments. He's learning to tease a bit, and he laughs the most with his two brothers. They can be quite silly!

His vocabulary now:

ball, mommy, daddy, Malia, dropped, more, please, duck, doggy (everything with four legs is a doggy), bird, owie, swing, moon, balloon (oon), ice. Can't think of any others right now, but he understands so much and I'm thinking that's nice for when this new baby arrives.

Moments from our trip to Branson

2010-04-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

Love this picture. Levi's favorite Bible story book came along with us. He loves to recite the parts he has memorized. And DJ likes to read the parts Levi can't remember. I think Grandma Carol had a chance to read some!

Kade kept removing the rubber covers off the doorstops and carrying them around in his mouth. I finally decided to collect them myself and return them to their proper place when we were ready to leave.

We had a lovely afternoon picnic by a lake.

We visited a local fish hatchery which was very interesting and fun...especially for the boys. DJ was only very disappointed that he couldn't put his hands in the water and try to catch one.

This building was an amazing and beautiful place to see. It was where we saw the show "Noah." We had heard it was remarkable, and we weren't disappointed. Live animals, amazing effects, and a very well-done show left us feeling glad we went! Obviously, they had to add to the Bible story to make it a show, but they it was refreshing to hear them refer to the actual Genesis chapters and recommend that the viewer read it themselves. The grand finale really tied everything up with a view toward Christ and His return.

This was just outside the entrance. Of course, the boys would have liked to stop and play in this fountain!

The auditorium

Indoor architecture

The second half of the show began with the "stage" on three sides of the audience. It was as if we were inside the ark, with animals surrounding us. This is a miniature model of what the auditorium looks like at that point during the show. The boys did really enjoy it although it got a bit long for their young ages (the younger two).

Note: I can't take credit for these photographs of the Noah part. :) My lovely daughter Kalai took these with an eye towards art, I do believe. :)

2010-04-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol invited us to join them for vacation in Branson, Missouri last month. What a fun-filled week we had! It was somewhat challenging with the two younger boys, but we managed to fit in some naps and still see and do so much!

On our last full day we went to Silver Dollar City, an amusement park with so much more than just amazing rides! We saw a gospel music show, many craftworkers, had a train ride, had to bypass an amazing cavern tour, and smelled many delicious smells. Levi enjoyed the little kids' section of rides so very much! This was his first time to do anything of the sort.You might be able to catch a glimpse of the three girls and Carol and DJ on this ship ride. Tana had fun riding with Levi. This was the most "wild" ride I tried (as a 20 week pregnant gal).

With a sleeping Kade in the stroller, Kent and I stepped in this workshop and watched in amazement as this craftman blew a hunk of glass into a stunning masterpiece. I wish I had a picture of the finished product.

During a rainy afternoon, we had to forego the rides. Secretly, I was glad...because we saw some stuff we probably wouldn't have otherwise. This was a fascinating demonstration! DJ could have watched for hours. The man had been making pottery since a highschooler. All of their finished products are sold right there.

The spellbound audience (all except for Kade).

Some of the beautiful work!

Let's just say...

2010-04-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

...I'm not blogging much right now, but I miss it. It's a fun way to chronicle life...to share some of it with others. To put the past month briefly...

-we traveled to a winter retreat up north for a weekend

-my parents came for a visit

-we hosted 3 college girls for a week while they served with the urban ministry

-our daughter Alyssa came home for spring break

-a friend and I drove down to Rochester for another friend's baby shower

-our family took a vacation to Branson with Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol

-I got the stomach flu (and was reminded how much easier it is to be sick when you're not a mommy!)

-I went to my first prenatal visit today

-Kent and I have to decide "do we find out...or not" at our ultrasound tomorrow (we're leaning towards leaving the secret for that amazing moment at birth)

I'm trying to get the boys outside every day. They love it! I'm trying to get caught up on my overflowing closet of stuff. Hoping to dust someday again. Learning lots about space with DJ. Needing to take the girls thrift store shopping for some non-holey jeans, nice long ones, and some clothes fit for a wedding next month in Arkansas. Trying to remember to stoop down and look long in my little one's faces and forget the cleaning up for a few moments. Working with Kent to purposefully plan time with each of our girls. Asking God to help me control my temper and be more patient. Learning to love the life I am blessed with.

Dennie's Birthday

2010-03-08T13:22:00.000-06:00

I'm 8.

I'm smiling a smile that's minus a few teeth.

I'm suggesting that people call me Dennie lately.

I love to play with my little brothers.

I'm loud when playing.

I can sit very quietly looking at science/animal books.

I can't wait to build a model with dad.

On my last "date" with mom I chose to go to Creative Kidstuff.

I'm memorizing part of I Cor. 13.

I love to talk.

I'm learning, learning to follow.

And I set my antlers on fire at my birthday party.

It started with these invitations...after we decided the theme would be all about hunting and camping.

I also drew up detailed plans for my cake so mom would know

exactly how to make it.

Since I had ordered a tent on the cake, mom surprised me one morning with this!

Levi was quite concerned that mom had lost his birthday, but he was content to help out in any way he could that had to do with taste-testing.

I love, love using small kitchen appliances. And it's really great. Because lately, mom lets me use the mixer with almost no supervision. For some reason she won't leave the room, but I can manage it pretty well.

OH! Mom bought boxed jello. It's only on special occasions when we need "water" that she'll actually buy the stuff. So this was the river she cut out.

And this was the chunk of cake we cut out so the river would have a place to lie.

Dad and I set up these tents. One for dining in the kitchen and one for other stuff in our living room. I think I could actually put one up myself now. My brothers and I had a blast playing in those and mom was glad dad didn't mind doing it. She said it just looked exhausting!Mom thought our guests might need some directions, so she made this sign and hung it in preparation! Later some of us thought it would have been nice to have added some bullet holes!

My brothers practically lived in the tents up until the party. We were hoping the tents would still be up for everyone to see.

I invited four friends over and we started with some target practice with the nerf guns. Dad had this nifty idea to use the beanie babies as we couldn't truly go hunting although that would be a dream come true!While we all went to Home Depot's craft project, mom made lunch. We had fish filets that we had "caught" and hot dogs. Dad called them "tube steaks."

Grandpa Stacy and Grandma Carol joined us!

These are some close-ups of my cake. Notice the hunter and his dog, along with the fisherman spearing a fish!

We played a silly game of pin the antlers on the deer. I think mom realizes this game has too many loopholes for 8 year olds. She'll use it again for only five year olds and under!!

When it came time to blow out my candles, I thought it'd be a great idea to tape my deer antlers to my head. The only problem...they were very flimsy paper antlers, and they immediately fell into the cake and burst into flames. Fortunately, Grandpa Stacy had the presence of mind to grab them. Mom just stood there, mouth agape, camera in hand. She was disappointed that the video wasn't going at the time.

I had fun opening gifts. This one's going to be especially fun to work on with Dad.

Kalai's 16

2010-03-07T17:17:00.001-06:00

I met Kalai when she was 10. It's hard to believe she's 16, entering her junior year of high school next year. She is a very special young lady who loves adventure, is learning more about how much she loves art, is aware of the feelings of others, doesn't want to settle for mediocrity, loves to learn about the "why's" of politics and spiritual things, and most of all, is growing in her life as a Christian. Sometimes she doesn't say a lot and then we have some amazing conversation and I see how her love for Christ is deepening and how she desires to serve God and live in a Godly way.

We have our difficult moments as she learns to grow up gracefully and I learn to parent in a wise way. We have a ways to go, but I'm so thankful for her and am looking forward to our relationship taking on new dimensions in the future.

I recall with fond memories Kalai walking around on her hands and knees acting like a "cat," Kalai attacking me each night with tickling (until I was pregnant with Levi), Kalai bringing humor to an otherwise depressing situation, Kalai going with me to pick out my wedding dress, Kalai wearing her knitted blue and white crochet hat all the time, and Kalai's special hugs and smiles. She's growing up and we wouldn't have it any other way. I miss the little Kalai but am enjoying seeing the young woman she's becoming. My deepest prayer for her is to allow God to overtake her life in every way as she steps into adulthood. For her to learn to trust His wisdom and goodness and to make choices that honor her Heavenly Father. Of these I have great confidence and hope!

We celebrated her birthday with a taco salad meal, a few friends, and some roller skating. She, of course, wanted an ice cream cake. Here's our birthday girl.

Media Choices: Part 5

2010-03-03T17:20:00.000-06:00

For awhile I really struggled with a particular view in regard to choosing God-honoring media. Do I make my decisions based on whether there is any sin in the movie, book, or song? For example, if there's lying or stealing do I decide that it's a no-go? Philippians 4:8 is a wonderful verse that should guide us in our thoughts, but to apply it as the exclusive rule for our media choices isn't possible. There isn't a story written that doesn't have some character with a moral flaw. There has to be some evil or wrong committed or at least presented for there to be a story. That's life! And without it, there is no plot. There is no story. There are no realistic characters. In fact, there is no way to show true virtue. Without the temptation of evil, goodness isn't really goodness.

So I knew I needed another approach. This approach presented in the last post has helped me immensely in making choices. If there is lying in the story, is it shown to be wrong and are there clear consequences? Does the viewer or reader recognize that lying isn't laughable? That it isn't justifiable? Would we finish the story with the feeling that honesty is honorable and desirable?

Unfortunately, many movies and books have to be tossed aside when held up to these standards. The producers and authors of most media today are not necessarily looking to promote Godly, even moral, values. In fact, often, you will find quite the opposite.

Recently, the movie Fireproof showed an excellent example of the 3rd test...is the sin shown in such a way that it is explicit, graphic above necessity, even exciting in a wrong way to the viewer? The husband in the movie is struggling with an addiction to pornography. The producers of this movie showed very clearly that this was what he was doing regularly on his computer. They showed how difficult this struggle was. They showed the devestating effects it was having on his marriage. But they never showed actual pornography. In a very God-honoring way they clearly showed the sin without being explicit to the viewer.

So...if a movie I'm about to view has adultery or fornication as so many do today I must ask myself. Is this sin condemned? Is this sin shown to have clear consequences? If it passes those two tests, it would be a very rare movie. The third test would also need to be assessed. Do they show the sin in such a way that it becomes graphic or explicit, causing the viewer to see more than necessary?

I understand there will still be subjectivity involved even when using these guidelines, but I truly believe if we would all strive to be excellent in what is good and innocent in what is evil (Romans 16:19) we would come to some more similar conclusions.

I am trying to be objective and factual in this post, but I'm also feeling grieved and saddened. Should we as followers of Christ be allowing our children to see movies that go entirely against the principles that we are teaching our children? We take our girls to purity conferences and teach about purity at camp classes and church classes and yet our children are watching movies that present an entirely different picture. Take for instance, a newer movie, Valentine's Day. This movie, popular among teen girls, shows (without actually showing) numerous unmarried couples sleeping together, even has a gay couple in it, and basically gives the idea that sex is what people do when they like each other. How contrary is this to God's Word? We are fools to think we can tell our girls one thing and yet allow them to be entertained over and over by the world's values. (I haven't actually seen this movie so if I'm totally wrong, please correct me. But I've read reviews on Kids in Mind and Plugged In).

I'm hoping that we can challenge one another in our choices. I believe we need to be guarding our hearts and honoring God. If you've actually managed to read this far...wow. Thanks for considering. :) I'm probably going to write one more post to consider one other aspect. Please feel free to agree/disagree and encourage us all to be Christ-like in our entertainment choices.

Media Choices: Part 4

2010-03-01T08:47:00.000-06:00

In my last post about this topic, I suggested that we can use the Bible's depictions of evil and sin as a guide for us in the choices we make concerning media. Here are some of my observations of God's Word in this area...

1. When sin is relayed in a Bible story, we, as the readers, are seeing it for what it really is in God's sight. The sin is shown in such a light as to be repulsive, wicked and unholy. We never see sin shown in a favorable light. Sin is never laughed at or made to seem petty or inconsequential. The characters of noble character condemn sin as well.

2. Sin in God's Word is shown to have consequences. We aren't left with the idea that the character sinned and all was well. We are shown the unpleasant, far-reaching, and even deadly results of their sin.

3. Sin in God's Word is not depicted with the idea to entertain with explicit details or with the idea to excite or "tittilate" (how's that for an interesting word?) the reader, perhaps making the reader wish for more or be tempted to sin. Earlier I mentioned the story of David and Bathsheba. Sin was certainly commited here. The Bible clearly relays the story and yet we ourselves, as the readers, are not tempted to sin by a vivid description of the scene David saw from his rooftop, describing the "beautiful woman." Furthermore, we are not given a steamy account of their night together, yet we know perfectly well what sin and evil were commited.

These three observations of God's Word can help us test the choices we are making in regard to sin and evil. Busy day ahead and so...I'll come back to this later.

My Favorite Mexican Casserole

2010-02-23T23:36:00.002-06:00

My sister and I were chatting the other night on the phone. Our conversation often turns to food because...well, we're cooking a lot...as well as the rest of the mommys! Sometimes it's so hard to figure out what to cook. Anyway, this recipe is one in our church cookbook and all but one of my children love it (although if your young children don't like spicy this might now be the best choice). I don't think it's for everyone (esp. if you don't like lots of things mixed together), but I like the fact that it uses minimal meat and has lots of great veges and beans in it...and it is very flexible to whatever you may have on hand. You can also make it ahead. It's also flexible with little kids because you can work on getting the filling prepared a little bit at a time.So here it is, Esther.

Casserole

1 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 lb. shredded, cooked chicken meat (I have used ground beef and shredded turkey too)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans drained (I have often used just one or the other type if I didn't have both)
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained (I usually use frozen corn)
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. prepared salsa
1 c. chopped red onion (I've used yellow onions quite regularly, but I think red would be great!)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I usually omit this because I don't have it on hand)
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. each, salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I go easy on the pepper..prob. 1/4 tsp)
6 oz. grated Monterey Jack Cheese
6 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese (I normally use grated mild cheddar because it's what I have)

Garnishes

2 c. ripe tomatoes, diced
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves (I usually serve salsa and sour cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9-in. baking dish, then scatter crushed tortilla chips evenly on the bottom. Combine the chicken, beans, corn, tomato sauce, salsa, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt andepepper in a bowl. Place half the mixture evenly in the baking dish. Combine the cheese, then sprinkle half over the chicken mixture. Cover with the remaining half of the chicken mixture and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. (I sprinkle the top with extra crushed tortilla chips and then sprinkle with cheese). Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with garnishes in bowls, so guests can top their portions with diced tomatoes, sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. Serves 8.

Esther, when you make this this week, maybe you could take a picture so I can post it! :) Thanks.

Vocabulary

2010-02-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Levi handed me an object today saying, "Mommy, here is a hazard." It was a marble. :)