Tree and Ornaments

Gwen spent last night with Grandma, so this morning it was just Zeke.  Wow.. how quiet the house seemed!  We put up the tree yesterday to see if it would encourage him to move.  He's scooting a little bit and raising up just slightly.  He's getting there.

One of my favorites for this year.  This is how I feel after Thanksgiving and Christmas. :)

I like this little guy too.  Probably because he's the underdog.  I mean, he's losing his scarf, his mouth looks like he has a deformity... but I think he's adorable. :)

My Little Seed

"The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows-- how, he himself does not know.  The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head."  Mark 4:26-28

I'm trusting in God that he knows how Gwen and Zeke will grow and mature.  I just have to do my part... watering and keeping the weeds out.  :)

Homemade Turkey Sausage

I tried this last night. Boy, it was good and everyone raved about it.  It's infinitely better for you than pork sausage.  I'm going to make a batch and freeze it all crumbled up for later use in breakfast casseroles or something.  I had to buy a new spice for this I didn't have... marjoram...but it is SO WORTH IT!  Once again, I got it from my favorite blog:  www.heavenlyhomemakers.com

1 lb ground turkey
3 T minced onion
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 oregano
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
2 tsp sea salt
1 egg

Mix everything.  Chill for about an hour.  (I didn't and it's fine) Form into patties and saute in a little butter.

House Work

These are some home improvements that we've been up to lately.  Now the whole downstairs has had the popcorn ceiling scraped off and painted a new color.  We only have two more rooms upstairs to do.  The hall bathroom and Beki's room.

Here is the downstairs half bathroom before.  Lots of wood.

We painted it, put in a new toilet (thanks to mom and dad), painted the wood and put in a new mirror.

I've also been busy hanging up things.  It has taken 3 years for me to hang stuff up.  Yes, 3 years.  These are some photos I bought from someone at an arts and crafts show.  I bought frames for them and put them up in the hall downstairs.  I think they are cute.

Happy America Recycles Day

Do this printable activity book with your kids.  Gwen and I are doing it.
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/occasions/earth1.htm

Here's Juan

Here's Juan Wijngaard at work.  His sleigh is in the garage.

Book and Bible Questions

I thought I'd share my favorite children's book at the moment.  It's called Going To Sleep On The Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison and illustrated by Juan Wijngaard.  I LOVE the illustrations to this book.  Can you tell partly why in that last photo?  ;)

I've decided with the "funk" I've been in lately I need to spend more time with the Lord.  More time in prayer, more time reading, more time just thinking on good things, things that are profitable and less on worry.  Big revelation huh? :)  Well... I started yesterday reading Proverbs 31, the famous bit looking into Biblical womanhood.  I got to verse 15 and it reads, "She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens."  Maidens?  Does that mean I can hire a house cleaner??  :)  Then I went on to read some of Mark.  After a dry spell I always start with a gospel to reintroduce myself to Jesus.  I read in the introduction that Mark is the first of the gospels and can be dated to about A.D. 55.  Now, why write it after oh... 22 years after Christ's death?  If you knew you had seen the Son of God wouldn't you have written it right then?  I mean, I know you've got the whole inspired factor in there too, but still I asked myself that question.  I found that after I read a bit, prayed a bit in the morning I had much more patience with the kids and I feel like it is a positive thing to think about my day from the Lord's perspective.  I mean, if our lives are like a vapor I'd better love as much as I can and serve as much as I can.  Ya know?  Let's all live on purpose today!

Meal Plan

turkey sausage patties, eggs, fruit (I have a new recipe that makes sausage from ground turkey... gonna try it)
BBQ chicken, steamed broccoli, potatoes
bowtie lazagna, salad
chicken noodle soup
frozen pizza
chicken burritos

Stuff I'm Learning

Well... here it is... the rant post.  I guess every blogger is entitled to at least one even if they don't publish it, which I haven't decided I'm doing to or not at this point.  I feel overwhelmed most days.  Gwen screams most of the day... and I mean loud.  She gets spanked, sent to her room, and the circle goes round and round.  I work with Zeke for hours on end at crawling.  He gets frustrated and we both cry together.  It's not all like that though.  We laugh and tickle and learn and grow.  Change is coming... that's for sure.  I've been short on words for this blog lately because I've just been in a funk.  I mean, how do you balance a vibrant walk with the Lord, a love relationship with your husband, have friends, and raise kids all at the same time?  I haven't figured it all out yet.  I know I am blessed.  I guess with motherhood I worry more than I ever have in my life.  It feels like I can't help it because I love my kids so much.  I worry I'm not raising them correctly as God would want, I worry Zeke will never move and I'll be carrying a 50lb 3 year old around.  Seriously, I'll think of something to write about sometime.. but I'll try to keep the whining and self pity down.  Like anyone wants to read that?  You still there?  CONGRATS!

Meal Plan

quiche and salad
bean and cheese burritos
vegetable beef soup- crockpot
hot dogs and baked beans
taco potatoes
chili and cornbread

7 Years Today

Then, in Rome.

Saturday night, Overland Park.

Daddy the Popular and Turkey

Now why are the kids always excited when Ben comes home?  :)



If you are looking for some really fun and easy crafts for your kids check out this site:  http://www.first-school.ws/
I go here quite a lot and print things for Gwen and I to do.  They have all sorts of topics on there and I just look at it during her nap and decide what she'd like... especially when it is getting to cold now to spend much time outside.  We usually spend some time playing outside, but yesterday we almost got blown over by the cold wind and she was wearing a dress!  Would you believe my tomatoes are STILL going?  I digress...  Yesterday it was this turkey.  It's great because it uses shapes and she practiced gluing.  At least it occupied her for oh, say 10 minutes. :)

Need A Laugh?

Meal Plan

corn dog muffins, beans
sloppy joe and cheese whole wheat pockets
ranch pork chops and steamed broccoli, salad
cheesy beef and brown rice
turkey patties and garlic cous cous, peas

*Ranch dressing mix- attempting to make my own for Christmas friend gifts.  My Christmas friend gifts will include ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, homemade vanilla extract and possibly granola or other treat like cowboy cookies. Any other suggestions for a friend gift?  Maybe hot chocolate mix?

Halloween 10

We had a fun time dressing up and having fun.  Beki and I dressed up as pirates together and the awesome thing about these costumes is that we didn't spend a dime on them.  Zeke went as a dinosaur (costume given to us) and Gwen as Raggety Ann (costume given to us). :)

Leaves

My Sweetheart

Conversations with Gwen

Here is a video I took of Gwen the other day.  Sorry for the longish length, but I wanted to share it.  She is quite the talker and extrovert.  She is always sure of what she wants and very verbal... so believe you me she gets lots of instruction these days.

Skull Fracture

This is baby.  Gwen carries this "soft and cuddly" doll all over the place.  Actually, it is hard and non cuddly.  The other day I shut the van door and while it was closing she dropped baby.  I heard a crunch and I thought baby was no more... well... a skull fracture, some Elmer's glue later, and then inspecting the skull fracture over and over all have resulted in this.  Baby is just sitting there.  She doesn't seem sad about it.. but she sure likes to look inside baby's head.  I wonder what is inside my baby's heads too.  Somehow I don't think it's the same though.  :)

Who Am I

This is my new favorite song. This isn't the best audio of this... but here ya go anyway.