I can only remember ever dressing up for Halloween one time during my childhood. That was in second grade while we were on furlough in Escondido, CA and I was an Alaskan Princess. I remember everything about that night. We went to my friend Missy's (she dressed up as a cheerleader) house and her sister, Lynette, who was much older and way way cool put tons of makeup on us. I remember getting lots of candy and being so excited because we didn't have candy like that in Indonesia. But that was the only year I ever dressed up. Somebody can correct me if I am wrong, but we didn't ever have any Halloween celebrations in Irian, did we? I don't remember any, but I could be wrong.
So anyway, I never thought much of Halloween, because we didn't celebrate it (not for any specific reason, I just don't think we really thought of it, and when it's 100 degrees outside with 100% humidity, who wants to put a costume on anyway??). But in the last couple of years since we've had Ivy and now Genesis, Jake and I have really begun to enjoy it, through a child's eyes. Everything seems better that way. When Ivy was about 8 months old, we dressed her up as a cute little duck and headed out into Branson to go Trick-or-Treating. She doesn't remember it, but Jake and I had a great time. Then when she was about 18 months old, she and I were in Ohio visiting relatives and my uncle David and I took her trick-or-treating there. She was a penguin that night. She remembers that to this day and still talks about all the yummy chocolate she got at Marie's Candies. Last year Ivy was Minnie Mouse and we also had Genesis, who was only about 2 months old, but we didn't dress her up as anything, cuz she slept the whole time anyway! We took Ivy down to the Branson Landing where all of the stores were handing out candy. She and her buddies, Zane and Alex had so much fun. And now this year, Ivy was a fairy and Genesis was a butterfly (for trick or treating) and then a penguin for the Hallelujah party at our church tonight. Speaking of which, was amazing and our church did an awesome job hosting the party. They had a meal, jumping houses, face painting, crafts (beads, etc), ring toss, bball hoops, and a lot more stuff too. It was a lot of fun, and Ivy was so wound up when we came home that I had to chase her and Genesis through the house for a while to get her energy out.
Tomorrow, I have an appointment with a doctor for following up on my Optic Neuritis that I was diagnosed with a couple of years ago. I am supposed to get an MRI every year to make sure that everything is clear and that I don't have any lesions. As defined on Wikipedia, optic neuritis is the inflammation of the optic nerve that may cause a complete or partial loss of vision. My right eye was affected, but I only lost a small amount of vision in it. The only reason I need to keep up with the MRI's is because ON is 20-30% of the time the presenting of the onset of Multiple Sclerosis. Naomi is going to sit with the girls here at the house while I go, hopefully it won't take too long!
I usually make pancakes on Sunday mornings, as I did this morning. The girls love them, as does my husband. So I will leave you tonight with that recipe.
1 1/4 c. milk (or more, if you prefer thinner pancakes)
1 egg
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tbs. brown sugar
2 tbs. oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
I make mine in my kitchen aid mixer, so I add the milk and egg and mix really well and just leave the mixer on while I add the rest of the ingredients. This recipe makes very thin pancakes, but you can add more milk if you want even thinner. Pour onto greased griddle (set at 350 degrees). I make smaller pancakes because of the girls, but you can size them however you want to :)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Home
We arrived home in Tremont around 4:45 this afternoon. We got out of the car, and immediately heard high-pitched squeals coming from my inlaws side dining room window. Ivy had her hand over her mouth, as if trying to stop her squealing. Oh, it was so cute. There is no better welcome home than to feel the arms of your children engulf you, never wanting to let you go again. Both the girls did that, and man did we soak it up! My mother in law had prepared an amazing meal, so we ate and than sat and chatted about our week. The girls were in such great moods- dancing, singing and just chattering away. It feels so good to be home.
We walked in the door of our home to a very clean house... thanks to me for cleaning it before we left so it would be spicknspan when we came in the door. ;) It was bathtime, so I told the girls to go right upstairs and ge ready to get in the tub. They ran so fast, screeching and giggling and racing each other... it was hilarious. We got upstairs and I undressed Genesis before I started the water running... took her diaper off and everything. I turned the water on in the tub, and got Ivy's hair ties out of her hair. Then I turned around and went back into Ivy's room, where I had left Genesis playing. To my horror, I saw three turds on the ground next to her foot, and she was just about to smush one into the carpet. Ohhhh thank goodness I had walked in when I did. I scooped her up, wiped her little bottom and put her into the tub with Ivy. Then I cleaned up the little gifts in the bedroom, without telling Ivy what had happened (because she would have started screaming) and went on with bathime. It feels so good to be home.
And to briefly summarize the rest of our trip: We left Sault St. Marie and headed south, eventually meandering through Petoskey, Charlevoix and Traverse City, MI. They were all were wonderful towns. We would recommend that area of Michigan to anyone looking for a more state of the art vacation with lots and lots of money to spend... which we didn't have, but we still enjoyed ourselves.
Tomorrow is Halloween in Tremont. We will be Trick-or-Treating with a purple fairy and a pink butterfly, both with beautiful wings. I have enjoyed Halloween for the past 3 years, much more so than ever before in my life, because I actually have kids and see the fun of it through their eyes. I am excited for tomorrow night.
Goodnight folks. I'm beat.
We walked in the door of our home to a very clean house... thanks to me for cleaning it before we left so it would be spicknspan when we came in the door. ;) It was bathtime, so I told the girls to go right upstairs and ge ready to get in the tub. They ran so fast, screeching and giggling and racing each other... it was hilarious. We got upstairs and I undressed Genesis before I started the water running... took her diaper off and everything. I turned the water on in the tub, and got Ivy's hair ties out of her hair. Then I turned around and went back into Ivy's room, where I had left Genesis playing. To my horror, I saw three turds on the ground next to her foot, and she was just about to smush one into the carpet. Ohhhh thank goodness I had walked in when I did. I scooped her up, wiped her little bottom and put her into the tub with Ivy. Then I cleaned up the little gifts in the bedroom, without telling Ivy what had happened (because she would have started screaming) and went on with bathime. It feels so good to be home.
And to briefly summarize the rest of our trip: We left Sault St. Marie and headed south, eventually meandering through Petoskey, Charlevoix and Traverse City, MI. They were all were wonderful towns. We would recommend that area of Michigan to anyone looking for a more state of the art vacation with lots and lots of money to spend... which we didn't have, but we still enjoyed ourselves.
Tomorrow is Halloween in Tremont. We will be Trick-or-Treating with a purple fairy and a pink butterfly, both with beautiful wings. I have enjoyed Halloween for the past 3 years, much more so than ever before in my life, because I actually have kids and see the fun of it through their eyes. I am excited for tomorrow night.
Goodnight folks. I'm beat.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Our trip so far...
First, I want to post some pictures of our girls. They were taken by grandma and grandpa while we've been away. The first one is of Ivy, when she and Grandpa went to see Disney On Ice. She was so excited and then had such a great time while they were there. I guess she kept telling Grandpa that evening at bedtime, "thank you so much for taking me, grandpa..." over and over. I am so glad she had a great time. Her favorite part of Disney on Ice was Tinkerbell. She has always loved Tinkerbell, so it made sense to us!
The next picture is of Genesis during a bath. Like I have said before, she likes to growl a lot and she often gets this look on her face when she is displeased with something. It is one of my favorite :) In this picture, she was probably being told not to turn on the hot water.
This one is of the girls together in the tub. We miss them so much. We also just got word from my mother in law that they are both sick with ear infections and coughs. Of course it would hit them both when we are away. At least we know that they are in good hands and being very well taken care of.
Onto our trip. It's been a very relaxing time so far, as it has rained every single day and been really foggy. Our drive up was uneventful, but beautiful as well because a lot of the leaves are still on the trees and the colors are amazing. We got to our hotel in Mackinac City at about 8pm and then went to an Irish Pub for supper. We spent the rest of the evening at the pool and hot tub- there was really no temperature difference between the two. The pool felt kind of gross :)
We slept in the next morning and missed breakfast, but it was so worth it. Then we caught Shepler's Ferry over to Mackinac Island and spent most of the afternoon over there. It was gorgeous... with the Victorian style homes and buildings, the quaint Bed & Breakfasts, the fudge shoppes, the Grand Hotel, etc. I did not take these pictures, but they kind of gives you a taste of what the island is like.It is a very unique island in that no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. So visitors can either walk, ride bikes (that you can rent per hour or per day right after getting off of the ferry), or horse and buggy. You don't have to worry about getting hit when crossing to the other side of the street! There are about 500 people who live on the island year-round. They have a school of 70 students, a football team, ballroom dancing, and lead just about the same lives as we do... although, there is only one grocery store and everything else shuts down for the season around October 23rd every year. We were fortunate and caught their last day that they were open. When winter arrives, the ferry's continue to go back and forth to the island and Mackinac City, but when they can no longer run because of ice, an "ice bridge" is used by snowmobiles to go back and forth. The ice bridge is lined by Christmas trees, to tell the locals where exactly to go. There is also a private airport on the island, and locals can hop from the island to Mackinac City or St.Ignace by chartering the planes for $50.00 a person. It was fascinating to learn about.
We left Mackinac City the next day, and went up to St.Ignace, which is right over the bridge on the Upper Peninsula side. We were quite disappointed, however, because St.Ignace had also closed down the previous day. There were a couple of lone shops open, but nothing to look at, really. So we got in the car and headed up to Sault Saint Marie. The fog was pretty dense, and just kept getting more so the more Northern we went. We decided to pull into the Chamber of Commerce when we got into town to get some ideas of what to do while we were here... for two night and two days. Hmmmm, surprise surprise... it's also the end of season here, and everything has shut down. So we drove around for a while, and then checked into our very nice hotel that has a fire place and jacuzzi. Luckily it was so nasty outside, we didn't really want to be out in that anyway, so we just snuggled down into our room and watched tv and read. We brought both our laptop and IPAD along so we could both be on the internet and watching whatever we want at the same time. Pretty nice. We ate at Applebees last night and then came back and swam until about 10pm. Then back to our room to sleep... and sleep we did, until 9:30 this morning! That is really sleeping in if you're used to being up with little kids, so we have been enjoying it very much.
We spent the morning down at the Soo Locks. Here is an explanation of the Locks, taken from wikipedia.com: The Soo Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The locks pass an average of 10,000 ships per year.[4] This is achieved in spite of the locks being closed during the winter from January through March, when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes. The winter closure period is used to inspect and maintain the locks. The locks bypass the rapids of the St. Marys River where the water falls 7 meters (21 feet) from Lake Superior. Sault Ste. Marie gives its name to both the Canadian and U.S. cities at the site, in Ontario and Michigan, respectively. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge between the United States and Canada permits vehicular traffic to pass over the locks.
We got to see two huge barges go through the Locks and it was an amazing experience. Here is a picture of Soo Locks, again, not taken by me.
And now we are back in the room, relaxing again. Tonight we will eat at a Chinese buffet down the road and then probably go swimming again. We leave in the morning to go back down south over the bridge to Charlevoix/Petoskey area. There will be a lot to do down there, so now that we have relaxed and caught up on some sleep, we can have some real fun! :)
Have a super Tuesday everyone.
Here is a recipe for 7 Layer Salad. I am in the mood for some right now, but of course can't make any since I am not home. My MIL introduced me to this salad a few weeks ago... I had never heard of it before, but I fell madly in love with it.
The next picture is of Genesis during a bath. Like I have said before, she likes to growl a lot and she often gets this look on her face when she is displeased with something. It is one of my favorite :) In this picture, she was probably being told not to turn on the hot water.
This one is of the girls together in the tub. We miss them so much. We also just got word from my mother in law that they are both sick with ear infections and coughs. Of course it would hit them both when we are away. At least we know that they are in good hands and being very well taken care of.
Onto our trip. It's been a very relaxing time so far, as it has rained every single day and been really foggy. Our drive up was uneventful, but beautiful as well because a lot of the leaves are still on the trees and the colors are amazing. We got to our hotel in Mackinac City at about 8pm and then went to an Irish Pub for supper. We spent the rest of the evening at the pool and hot tub- there was really no temperature difference between the two. The pool felt kind of gross :)
We slept in the next morning and missed breakfast, but it was so worth it. Then we caught Shepler's Ferry over to Mackinac Island and spent most of the afternoon over there. It was gorgeous... with the Victorian style homes and buildings, the quaint Bed & Breakfasts, the fudge shoppes, the Grand Hotel, etc. I did not take these pictures, but they kind of gives you a taste of what the island is like.It is a very unique island in that no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. So visitors can either walk, ride bikes (that you can rent per hour or per day right after getting off of the ferry), or horse and buggy. You don't have to worry about getting hit when crossing to the other side of the street! There are about 500 people who live on the island year-round. They have a school of 70 students, a football team, ballroom dancing, and lead just about the same lives as we do... although, there is only one grocery store and everything else shuts down for the season around October 23rd every year. We were fortunate and caught their last day that they were open. When winter arrives, the ferry's continue to go back and forth to the island and Mackinac City, but when they can no longer run because of ice, an "ice bridge" is used by snowmobiles to go back and forth. The ice bridge is lined by Christmas trees, to tell the locals where exactly to go. There is also a private airport on the island, and locals can hop from the island to Mackinac City or St.Ignace by chartering the planes for $50.00 a person. It was fascinating to learn about.
We left Mackinac City the next day, and went up to St.Ignace, which is right over the bridge on the Upper Peninsula side. We were quite disappointed, however, because St.Ignace had also closed down the previous day. There were a couple of lone shops open, but nothing to look at, really. So we got in the car and headed up to Sault Saint Marie. The fog was pretty dense, and just kept getting more so the more Northern we went. We decided to pull into the Chamber of Commerce when we got into town to get some ideas of what to do while we were here... for two night and two days. Hmmmm, surprise surprise... it's also the end of season here, and everything has shut down. So we drove around for a while, and then checked into our very nice hotel that has a fire place and jacuzzi. Luckily it was so nasty outside, we didn't really want to be out in that anyway, so we just snuggled down into our room and watched tv and read. We brought both our laptop and IPAD along so we could both be on the internet and watching whatever we want at the same time. Pretty nice. We ate at Applebees last night and then came back and swam until about 10pm. Then back to our room to sleep... and sleep we did, until 9:30 this morning! That is really sleeping in if you're used to being up with little kids, so we have been enjoying it very much.
We spent the morning down at the Soo Locks. Here is an explanation of the Locks, taken from wikipedia.com: The Soo Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The locks pass an average of 10,000 ships per year.[4] This is achieved in spite of the locks being closed during the winter from January through March, when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes. The winter closure period is used to inspect and maintain the locks. The locks bypass the rapids of the St. Marys River where the water falls 7 meters (21 feet) from Lake Superior. Sault Ste. Marie gives its name to both the Canadian and U.S. cities at the site, in Ontario and Michigan, respectively. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge between the United States and Canada permits vehicular traffic to pass over the locks.
We got to see two huge barges go through the Locks and it was an amazing experience. Here is a picture of Soo Locks, again, not taken by me.
And now we are back in the room, relaxing again. Tonight we will eat at a Chinese buffet down the road and then probably go swimming again. We leave in the morning to go back down south over the bridge to Charlevoix/Petoskey area. There will be a lot to do down there, so now that we have relaxed and caught up on some sleep, we can have some real fun! :)
Have a super Tuesday everyone.
Here is a recipe for 7 Layer Salad. I am in the mood for some right now, but of course can't make any since I am not home. My MIL introduced me to this salad a few weeks ago... I had never heard of it before, but I fell madly in love with it.
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce - rinsed, dried, and chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
- 10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
- In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.
Friday, October 22, 2010
All Ready
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go... and I'm feeling so excited about tomorrow! This is our first real vacation ever by ourselves since our HONEYMOON, which was 6 years ago! We've taken other vacations, but they were with Ivy when she was younger. This time, we have 8 whole days to just take our time, meander through whatever towns we want to, sleep when we want to, no children, no early mornings, etc. Ahhh, it's going to be wonderful, and thank you mom and dad Stuber for watching our beautiful girls for all that time. I hope you don't get too exhausted and overwhelmed. We're outta here at about 9am tomorrow morning, and our first day will consist of a long 9 hour drive, but then we'll get there (our first night is in St.Ignace), and the fun times will start to roll.
I don't know if it's just me, but I am kind of OCD about coming back to a very clean, neat house after being gone somewhere else for a while. I want to come home to find clean sheets on my bed, laundry all folded and put away (and ironed for the next week if possible), dishes put away and dishwasher empty, fridge cleaned out, and floors vacuumed with everything else put in its place. It's just such a GREAT feeling to walk in the door and know that everything is the way it's supposed to be. Ahhh. My only thing on this list left to do is unload dishwasher.
I also want to continue thanking my mother in law, because she has spent a lot of this week helping me with tons of stuff. She motivated me to clean out my car yesterday by telling me that she would help me with all of it. And folks, my car was pretty nasty. If you know anything about me, keeping my car clean is not on the top of my priority list- I try (for a little while), but then I just feel like I can't keep up with all of the stuff that the girls and I lug into it! So, I spent about half an hour cleaning the junk out of it, just to get it to the point where we could start wiping down the sides, the ceiling, the dashboard, etc. There were cereal pieces, coffee cups, sippy cups, books, other toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, money, basically any small object that you could think of... piled in my car. It's all gone now, thrown away or organized, don't worry! Then we went to it with wash cloths and cleaning solution (can't think of the name right now). Ivy helped and Gwen and I scrubbed out the inside that baby until it was sparkling! Then we went over to my inlaws driveway and I spent another good chunk of time scrubbing down the outside... getting all the bird doodoo and grime off of it. Man she looks pretty now. Jake and I are going to have a nice little ride tomorrow.
Anyway, back to my mother in law. After doing the car, she spent the rest of the morning helping me pack and clean up the house. She fixed lunch for Ivy and I (while Genesis took a very long nap). Then she went shopping, and bought a couple of things I needed for us, and didn't know if I'd make it to the store or not, then came home and fixed supper for us. And then... today she watched Ivy for me from 8-9:30 this morning while I took Genesis to get her 1yr vaccinations. I love her.
Tonight we were invited to a friends house for a wiener roast with some other families from church. It was kind of a spur of the moment invite, but we were very happy to oblige (especially me, so that I didn't have to cook tonight) and excited about getting together with some people that we don't hang out with a lot. It ended up being so enjoyable. We had perfect weather, a great fire, hot dogs, soup and bread (the MOST amazing soup ever, which I will be getting the recipe for soon), chips and dip, apples and dip and then s'mores to finish the meal off. Ivy had fun playing with a little girl who is 5 (I think), while the little girl played that she was constantly getting out of jail and Ivy was the police officer who had to chase her every time she escaped jail. Needless to say, Ivy was exhausted and fell asleep almost instantly tonight. Genesis spent the whole evening wandering around, trying to find Ivy and trying to climb the steps up to go down the slide, which she never did figure out.
And Jake got to see his movie tonight. He went after I had put the girls down, and just got home a minute ago. He loved it.
I guess we are taking our laptop and our IPAD on the trip, so I'll continue to write and fill everyone in on our amazing trip :) I hope!
Don't know if anyone else likes Deviled Eggs as much as our family, but here's a no-fail recipe from my grandmother.
6 eggs, hard boiled
1/4 c. mayo
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp sugar
Boil the eggs in enough water to cover them for 20 minutes. Run cool water over them until they can be handled. Remove the shell. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolk. Mix yolks with other ingredients and then spoon into egg whites.
I don't know if it's just me, but I am kind of OCD about coming back to a very clean, neat house after being gone somewhere else for a while. I want to come home to find clean sheets on my bed, laundry all folded and put away (and ironed for the next week if possible), dishes put away and dishwasher empty, fridge cleaned out, and floors vacuumed with everything else put in its place. It's just such a GREAT feeling to walk in the door and know that everything is the way it's supposed to be. Ahhh. My only thing on this list left to do is unload dishwasher.
I also want to continue thanking my mother in law, because she has spent a lot of this week helping me with tons of stuff. She motivated me to clean out my car yesterday by telling me that she would help me with all of it. And folks, my car was pretty nasty. If you know anything about me, keeping my car clean is not on the top of my priority list- I try (for a little while), but then I just feel like I can't keep up with all of the stuff that the girls and I lug into it! So, I spent about half an hour cleaning the junk out of it, just to get it to the point where we could start wiping down the sides, the ceiling, the dashboard, etc. There were cereal pieces, coffee cups, sippy cups, books, other toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, money, basically any small object that you could think of... piled in my car. It's all gone now, thrown away or organized, don't worry! Then we went to it with wash cloths and cleaning solution (can't think of the name right now). Ivy helped and Gwen and I scrubbed out the inside that baby until it was sparkling! Then we went over to my inlaws driveway and I spent another good chunk of time scrubbing down the outside... getting all the bird doodoo and grime off of it. Man she looks pretty now. Jake and I are going to have a nice little ride tomorrow.
Anyway, back to my mother in law. After doing the car, she spent the rest of the morning helping me pack and clean up the house. She fixed lunch for Ivy and I (while Genesis took a very long nap). Then she went shopping, and bought a couple of things I needed for us, and didn't know if I'd make it to the store or not, then came home and fixed supper for us. And then... today she watched Ivy for me from 8-9:30 this morning while I took Genesis to get her 1yr vaccinations. I love her.
Tonight we were invited to a friends house for a wiener roast with some other families from church. It was kind of a spur of the moment invite, but we were very happy to oblige (especially me, so that I didn't have to cook tonight) and excited about getting together with some people that we don't hang out with a lot. It ended up being so enjoyable. We had perfect weather, a great fire, hot dogs, soup and bread (the MOST amazing soup ever, which I will be getting the recipe for soon), chips and dip, apples and dip and then s'mores to finish the meal off. Ivy had fun playing with a little girl who is 5 (I think), while the little girl played that she was constantly getting out of jail and Ivy was the police officer who had to chase her every time she escaped jail. Needless to say, Ivy was exhausted and fell asleep almost instantly tonight. Genesis spent the whole evening wandering around, trying to find Ivy and trying to climb the steps up to go down the slide, which she never did figure out.
And Jake got to see his movie tonight. He went after I had put the girls down, and just got home a minute ago. He loved it.
I guess we are taking our laptop and our IPAD on the trip, so I'll continue to write and fill everyone in on our amazing trip :) I hope!
Don't know if anyone else likes Deviled Eggs as much as our family, but here's a no-fail recipe from my grandmother.
6 eggs, hard boiled
1/4 c. mayo
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp sugar
Boil the eggs in enough water to cover them for 20 minutes. Run cool water over them until they can be handled. Remove the shell. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the yolk. Mix yolks with other ingredients and then spoon into egg whites.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Such a Loser
That's me! I am such a loser. My husband had been talking all week about going and seeing a particular movie tonight. He'd put the girls to bed (because is was his turn) and then he'd go watch the movie that was showing at 9:30. My mother in law made supper for us tonight, as it's the last night we could spend together before Jake and I head on vacation on Saturday morning. So I decided that between supper and him going to the movie, I might be able to squeeze in a game of raquetball with Jake's uncle Phil. Sure, uncle Phil said he could play at 7:30, so I was super excited. We ate supper, and then rushed out the door at 7pm for Jake to come put the girls to bed and for me to go to raquetball. Now, uncle Phil is really really really good. I have beat him one time out of a million... so the first 3 games went fairly fast. Then we decided we'd play another game. It was 8:20, so I had plenty of time still to get home so that Jake could get to the movie on time. We ended that game at 8:45, and decided (OH SO STUPIDLY!!!) that we'd play just one more game! I thought that it would only last about 15 minutes, then I'd rush home so Jake could get to his movie. Well, the game was awesome... we were tied 13 to 13 for the longest time, and then he won. I looked at his cell phone, and it was 9:15! Agh, my heart sank- I knew Jake would not be able to go to the movie now. It takes about 10 minutes to drive home, and then it would take Jake about 20 to get to the movie. So I RACED home and ran in the door, to find a disappointed husband who was very sweet and told me not to worry about it. But man, I feel so ashamed and so so sorry, but no matter how many times I apologize I still feel bad. We're going to go see the movie together now, while we are on vacation, but I still feel so bad. What a selfish person I was! Sorry Jake :(
I have been packing tonight, and the job just seems un-ending. I am packing for us... going to into freezing weather in N.Michigan and then also packing for the girls who will be spending the 8 days with Jake's parents. So everything is kind of half-hazardly thrown together right now. I will get a better handle on it tomorrow.
Well I am exhausted, so I am going to go to bed. Goodnight All. Here is a really wonderful fall recipe that I made a couple of weeks ago. Yumm.
Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake
Ingredients
I have been packing tonight, and the job just seems un-ending. I am packing for us... going to into freezing weather in N.Michigan and then also packing for the girls who will be spending the 8 days with Jake's parents. So everything is kind of half-hazardly thrown together right now. I will get a better handle on it tomorrow.
Well I am exhausted, so I am going to go to bed. Goodnight All. Here is a really wonderful fall recipe that I made a couple of weeks ago. Yumm.
Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 3/4 cups shortbread cookies, crushed
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
- Cheesecake:
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 2/3 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup crushed toffee candies
- Topping:
- 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Caramel ice cream topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- For Crust: Combine cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
- For Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch and cinnamon; beat well. Pour into crust.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly. Remove from oven; top with toffee candy pieces.
- For Topping: Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over warm cheesecake.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Babies babies babies
Tonight was Naomi's baby shower! It was so much fun. The women that gathered to celebrate baby boy Anderson were just plain lovely :) We laughed, ate and just had a great time sharing stories, advice and Naomi got tons of gifts too. Here are some pictures from the evening. Pictures taken by Gwen Suber!
The first picture is of the adorable cupcakes that were just one of the desserts at the shower. The second pic is of Aunt Ann, Aunt Cindy, Naomi, and Aunt Dana. These are the aunts who threw Naomi the shower. They put a lot of work into it, and everything turned out so cute! The third pic is Naomi and her mom, Gwen, my mother-in-law. Aren't they beautiful?? And the fourth pic is of Ivy's tush. Poor girl is at a weird stage with her jeans because she is so tall... the jeans that fit her waist are way too short, but the jeans that are long enough for her are too big around the waist... so she ends up looking like this half the time! Cool Dora underwear though, for sure.
Other than the shower, it was a stinky day, and I kinda felt like I had been run over by a truck by the time the shower came around tonight. Let's just say that life with two little kids can be overwhelming at times and frustrating. Something was up with Genesis from the second she woke up this morning, and continued all day- she is either teething, not feeling good somewhere else, or is constipated. Can't really tell which. She just growled and literally threw stuff at me all day. She also got in the toilet tonight, and unrolled a whole roll of TP, she dragged pans out of cupboards while I was trying to cook supper and was just a wrecking ball all afternoon. And Ivy, well that's a story for another day. She was extremely trying today and I'll end with that.
I did make the BEST meat loaf ever tonight for supper and it was an accident, so before I forget what I did wrong in the recipe that made it so yummy, I'm going to jot it down here and share it with all of you!
The first picture is of the adorable cupcakes that were just one of the desserts at the shower. The second pic is of Aunt Ann, Aunt Cindy, Naomi, and Aunt Dana. These are the aunts who threw Naomi the shower. They put a lot of work into it, and everything turned out so cute! The third pic is Naomi and her mom, Gwen, my mother-in-law. Aren't they beautiful?? And the fourth pic is of Ivy's tush. Poor girl is at a weird stage with her jeans because she is so tall... the jeans that fit her waist are way too short, but the jeans that are long enough for her are too big around the waist... so she ends up looking like this half the time! Cool Dora underwear though, for sure.
Other than the shower, it was a stinky day, and I kinda felt like I had been run over by a truck by the time the shower came around tonight. Let's just say that life with two little kids can be overwhelming at times and frustrating. Something was up with Genesis from the second she woke up this morning, and continued all day- she is either teething, not feeling good somewhere else, or is constipated. Can't really tell which. She just growled and literally threw stuff at me all day. She also got in the toilet tonight, and unrolled a whole roll of TP, she dragged pans out of cupboards while I was trying to cook supper and was just a wrecking ball all afternoon. And Ivy, well that's a story for another day. She was extremely trying today and I'll end with that.
I did make the BEST meat loaf ever tonight for supper and it was an accident, so before I forget what I did wrong in the recipe that made it so yummy, I'm going to jot it down here and share it with all of you!
- 1 ½ pounds of ground beef
- 1 cup of dry bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon of iodized salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon of dried onion, minced
- 1 can of tomato sauce (8 ounce weight)
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons of white sugar, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons of prepared mustard
A Beautiful, but Lost Turkey
For some reason, my heart has been in Turkey this morning. Between my junior and senior years of college, I spent 6 weeks doing an internship on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey. I went with an organization called MUP (Missions to Unreached Peoples) that is based out of Seattle. There were about 13 of us on the trip, from all over the US, all of varying ages ranging from 18-mid 40's. I did not feel like we accomplished much in the areas of outreach, but rather it was definitely more of an informative trip where we learned about Turkish culture and did a lot of touring of southern and southwestern Turkey (Antalya, Fetiyeh, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Marmaris, Corinth, Bodrum). I have some of the best memories there, because the land itself is AWESOME and so beautiful.
But the people of Turkey are very lost. It is a semi-closed country... you may not speak the Word of God to anyone in pubic, missionaries are there under the guise of certain businesses because missionaries themselves are not allowed. With a population of about 12.8 million, Istanbul currently only has 3 churches. All three are disguised, and the congregations meet in unidentified buildings. 99% of the country is considered Muslim, but Secularism is becoming very popular. Turkey desperately needs the gospel.
Here are some pictures of the places that our team visited while there.
This is on the island of Buyukada, meaning "Big Island" because it is the largest of the Prince's Islands in the Sea of Marmara. Motorized vehicles are prohibited, so the only forms of transportation are by foot, horse drawn carriages, bicycling, and donkeys. It was absolutely beautiful, with bougainvillea flowering everywhere, and tree lined streets, like in this picture.
This is a "hotel" of sorts that our team stayed at when we were touring Fetiyeh, in southwestern Turkey. It was actually more like a Bed and Breakfast because it was so small, with only 5 bedrooms. Our meals were served outside on the back patio as well, and the meals came with the lodging cost. One of my best memories is from this hotel. It was really fun, because we were the only guests there. The first night we got there, the owner went out to the pavillion next to the pool and began BLASTING the Gypsy Kings over the loud speaker. It was weird and wonderful all at the same time... listening to latin flavors of music in a Turkish setting.
These two pictures are from Ephesus. The first in a picture of the public toilets that were built in 1C AD. There was a fee to use them. There was also a pool in the middle of the room. So I'm not sure if you would go to the bathroom, and then go for a swim?? Not real sure there... but it was amazing to walk around and see these old buildings. The second picture is of the Great Theatre, that was supposedly the first one to be built in the Hellenistic period in third century B.C during the reign of Lysimachos. But it was enlarged during the Roman period to what is seen today.
And last, but definitely not least, is a picture of the Blue Mosque, which is located on the European side of Istanbul. It was built between the years 1609-1616. While still used as a mosque, it has also become a very large tourist attraction.
Please join with me as we pray for the people of Turkey today.
No recipe yet. I'll put one on tonight! :)
But the people of Turkey are very lost. It is a semi-closed country... you may not speak the Word of God to anyone in pubic, missionaries are there under the guise of certain businesses because missionaries themselves are not allowed. With a population of about 12.8 million, Istanbul currently only has 3 churches. All three are disguised, and the congregations meet in unidentified buildings. 99% of the country is considered Muslim, but Secularism is becoming very popular. Turkey desperately needs the gospel.
Here are some pictures of the places that our team visited while there.
This is a "hotel" of sorts that our team stayed at when we were touring Fetiyeh, in southwestern Turkey. It was actually more like a Bed and Breakfast because it was so small, with only 5 bedrooms. Our meals were served outside on the back patio as well, and the meals came with the lodging cost. One of my best memories is from this hotel. It was really fun, because we were the only guests there. The first night we got there, the owner went out to the pavillion next to the pool and began BLASTING the Gypsy Kings over the loud speaker. It was weird and wonderful all at the same time... listening to latin flavors of music in a Turkish setting.
These two pictures are from Ephesus. The first in a picture of the public toilets that were built in 1C AD. There was a fee to use them. There was also a pool in the middle of the room. So I'm not sure if you would go to the bathroom, and then go for a swim?? Not real sure there... but it was amazing to walk around and see these old buildings. The second picture is of the Great Theatre, that was supposedly the first one to be built in the Hellenistic period in third century B.C during the reign of Lysimachos. But it was enlarged during the Roman period to what is seen today.
And last, but definitely not least, is a picture of the Blue Mosque, which is located on the European side of Istanbul. It was built between the years 1609-1616. While still used as a mosque, it has also become a very large tourist attraction.
Please join with me as we pray for the people of Turkey today.
No recipe yet. I'll put one on tonight! :)
Monday, October 18, 2010
In Fear and Trepidation
I have said this phrase to many people since moving here to Tremont, "If you had asked us one year ago if we thought that we would ever be living in Tremont today, we would have said NEVER." I have to give all praise and glory to my Father God for bringing me and my family here... God led us and it all fell into place so perfectly- from Jake getting a job almost immediately, to us finding an awesome rental, to us finding a tenant for our house in Branson, etc. Since moving here, we have been attending a wonderful church, which also happens to be my in-laws home church. We have been welcomed with open arms and the most sincere love. We really want to be involved on a more intimate level, and so, Jake and I have decided to become members of NCF. In order to do so, however, we must stand before the congregation and give our individual testimonies. Ohhhh maaaaan... that is where fear and trepidation come into play. Tonight we were able to meet with one of the elders (I am going to call him "Mr.Elder") from the church and just kind of go over what we are going to say when we stand up... which will be sometime in November. I know that both Jake and I were nervous. Neither one of us like to stand before groups of people and speak, and we don't have a lot of experience with it. My hands were sweaty and I felt a little bit like I was going to throw up, my heart was racing and my mouth could not keep up with my brain. But reviewing everything with Mr.Elder really helped and I think that when we do actually have to stand up, it will go smoothly. I really need to refine what I am going to say though, because I sure do know how to babble on and on when put on the spot.
One thing that I was telling Mr.Elder tonight is that I really wish I would have taken off a year or so after high school before starting college. At 18, I did not have a CLUE what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I chose a major (International Studies-Missiology) where I was familiar with the topics and just assumed that because I was familiar with what it was about, then I would probably enjoy it. I did not! I can hardly remember a class that I even enjoyed... aside from several Bible classes that were GenEds. I have a substantial amount of guilt... thinking about wasting all that time and money on something I am never going to use or have any desire to use! Ugh. Makes me sick. But I know I can't dwell on the "if onlys" of life. If only I could go back to the year 2000, and not go to college, work for a year, and then go Le Courdon Bleu in Chicago! Now there- that would have been a dream fulfilled.
Totally changing the subject, my in-laws just drove in to our driveway in an almost brand-new 2009 Town and Country minivan. Woooohooooo! My mother-in-law has been looking for months for a minivan to cart around her growing brood of grandchildren. And finally, they found this amazing deal in Peoria tonight. Jake and I went outside and sat in the new van for a bit, while they showed us everything on the inside- dual DVD player, GPS, bluetooth capabilities, voice command, heated leather seats, etc. Amazing. Jake said "Ok, now I want to go on a vacation," and I replied "Yes, honey, we're going on vacation, but we're taking our dinky little Honda '97." Back to reality. When we came back inside, after turning a bit green ourselves, we said to each other "we'll have one even better than that one day!" We can only hope. :)
Tomorrow, which is Tuesday, is probably my favorite day of the week. I am involved in a women's Bible study at our church, and we are doing a Beth Moore study called "Here and Now... There and Then". It's on the book of Revelation. To be honest, I was not too thrilled about the first lesson, and was contemplating not going back again. But I am so glad I did, because I am amazed at everything I have learned in the last month. We watch a DVD for about an hour.15 min or so and then break off into smaller groups to discuss homework from the previous week and also pray a bit. It's fascinating, and I am eating it up! And I love my small group and just the opportunity to get to know the ladies in the church a bit more.
And to make tomorrow even better, there is a baby shower tomorrow night for my sister in law, Naomi. Her baby is due on November 14th, and we are all getting so excited to meet the little guy. I went and bought my gifts today and had so much fun picking them out. The thought of a new baby in life just seems to make things better and more exciting. Now that my in-laws have the new van, baby boy Anderson can make his appearance any time he wants!
And to end with, here is my Grandma Hook's recipe for Wassel Tea. I could use some right now.
1 qt. Cranberry Juice
3 c. water
1/4 c. red hots dissolved in water
3/4 c. orange juice
juice of 2 lemons
1 c. or less sugar (to your taste)
2 dashes of salt
Combine all ingredients in large pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drink hot or cold.
One thing that I was telling Mr.Elder tonight is that I really wish I would have taken off a year or so after high school before starting college. At 18, I did not have a CLUE what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I chose a major (International Studies-Missiology) where I was familiar with the topics and just assumed that because I was familiar with what it was about, then I would probably enjoy it. I did not! I can hardly remember a class that I even enjoyed... aside from several Bible classes that were GenEds. I have a substantial amount of guilt... thinking about wasting all that time and money on something I am never going to use or have any desire to use! Ugh. Makes me sick. But I know I can't dwell on the "if onlys" of life. If only I could go back to the year 2000, and not go to college, work for a year, and then go Le Courdon Bleu in Chicago! Now there- that would have been a dream fulfilled.
Totally changing the subject, my in-laws just drove in to our driveway in an almost brand-new 2009 Town and Country minivan. Woooohooooo! My mother-in-law has been looking for months for a minivan to cart around her growing brood of grandchildren. And finally, they found this amazing deal in Peoria tonight. Jake and I went outside and sat in the new van for a bit, while they showed us everything on the inside- dual DVD player, GPS, bluetooth capabilities, voice command, heated leather seats, etc. Amazing. Jake said "Ok, now I want to go on a vacation," and I replied "Yes, honey, we're going on vacation, but we're taking our dinky little Honda '97." Back to reality. When we came back inside, after turning a bit green ourselves, we said to each other "we'll have one even better than that one day!" We can only hope. :)
Tomorrow, which is Tuesday, is probably my favorite day of the week. I am involved in a women's Bible study at our church, and we are doing a Beth Moore study called "Here and Now... There and Then". It's on the book of Revelation. To be honest, I was not too thrilled about the first lesson, and was contemplating not going back again. But I am so glad I did, because I am amazed at everything I have learned in the last month. We watch a DVD for about an hour.15 min or so and then break off into smaller groups to discuss homework from the previous week and also pray a bit. It's fascinating, and I am eating it up! And I love my small group and just the opportunity to get to know the ladies in the church a bit more.
And to make tomorrow even better, there is a baby shower tomorrow night for my sister in law, Naomi. Her baby is due on November 14th, and we are all getting so excited to meet the little guy. I went and bought my gifts today and had so much fun picking them out. The thought of a new baby in life just seems to make things better and more exciting. Now that my in-laws have the new van, baby boy Anderson can make his appearance any time he wants!
And to end with, here is my Grandma Hook's recipe for Wassel Tea. I could use some right now.
1 qt. Cranberry Juice
3 c. water
1/4 c. red hots dissolved in water
3/4 c. orange juice
juice of 2 lemons
1 c. or less sugar (to your taste)
2 dashes of salt
Combine all ingredients in large pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drink hot or cold.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Very Blessed Evening
I guess that October is definitely the most popular month for birthdays in our family (on the Witzig side). I think we have 5 or something all from the 1st until today... we were counting them up tonight. Our evening was spent at Jake's grandparents house in Morton, IL, which is about a 6 minute drive from where we live. We all gathered to celebrate Great Grandma Witzig's 78th birthday. It was a beautiful evening, and picnic tables had been set up outside with a variety of pizzas on each table. We ate, chatted, and tried to figure out how to use an interesting contraption (a scooter of sorts) that a family member had brought for entertainment- we didn't have too much luck with that. Then after we had consumed every bite of pizza and most of the dessert, we headed indoors to warm up a bit. And then, after sitting for a while, Great Grandma said that she would love it if all of us could sing hymns together. This is a tradition on this side of the family, but it is one that I have never personally experienced. I can tell you that it was a wonderful experience and blessed my heart greatly. Every time a hymn would end, somebody would call out another number and the pianist (Jake's cousin, Abi) would begin playing and we would join in and start singing again. Unfortunately we were not able to do this very long because people needed get home, but for the time that it lasted, it was wonderful. Thank you great Grandma!
Today is Sunday. Sundays, in my mind, have been "Stress-days" for me for a while. They didn't used to be like that, but I think that all changed when we added Genesis to the mix... you know, having a toddler to get ready and then a wee baby as well... but then it just didn't get any better even as Genesis got older and is now 13 months old- because of the fact that Genesis is a HUGE napper. She is still taking morning naps and afternoon naps as well, and sometimes a short evening nap. So, I would just dread Sunday morning. Getting breakfast, getting everyone ready, getting myself ready, trying to deal with a crabby baby who we'd just be taking to nursery right at her nap time. You get the idea. So I had been reading a friend's blog who was going through a similar situation, and realized that she and her husband were trading off every other Sunday. One would stay home with the sleeping baby while the other went to church and the next week they would switch. So I brought the idea before my husband, and told him I thought it would greatly diffuse my stress.. and he agreed! This is week four, I think, and I am loving my stress free Sundays! Genesis gets her 3-4 hour morning nap, one of us gets to go to church with Ivy and it is working great. I am trying to wean Genesis to more of an afternoon nap, like holding her out as long as possible till about noon or so, but it's going to take a while, and until then, we will continue to do our Sundays like this. Everyone is much happier.
We have a very busy week in front of us- Bible studies, Naomi's (my sis-in-law) baby shower, etc. Then on Saturday, Jake and I are taking off for 8 days of vacation- without the girls! My in-laws have been so gracious as to offer to care for Ivy and Genesis while we are gone. I think they know what they are getting themselves into! :) Jake and I are going up to northern Michigan (Sault Saint Marie area), and then making our way back home slowly, stopping in different towns every night or two. We'll be staying in several Bed and Breakfasts and hotels along with the way, and then finishing up our vacation in South Haven, with some friends of my parents who have invited us to stay in their home for two nights. We are so excited, beyond any words that I can use! This will be the first time we've had a vacation (that lasted longer than an overnight) alone since Ivy was born 3/2007.
And I need to get off of the computer now. So with all that being said, I leave you with another favorite recipe. It is yet again a recipe from my mother-in-law... and it is so yummy. Great for this time of year. It's awesome, served with corn bread.
Cheddar Ham Chowder:
2 c. water
2 c. cubed peeled potatoes
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can (16oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/2 c. cubed fully cooked ham
In a large saucepan, bring the water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat; do not drain. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Blend in flour. Add the milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir into the undrained veggies; return large saucepan to the heat. Add corn and ham; heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
Today is Sunday. Sundays, in my mind, have been "Stress-days" for me for a while. They didn't used to be like that, but I think that all changed when we added Genesis to the mix... you know, having a toddler to get ready and then a wee baby as well... but then it just didn't get any better even as Genesis got older and is now 13 months old- because of the fact that Genesis is a HUGE napper. She is still taking morning naps and afternoon naps as well, and sometimes a short evening nap. So, I would just dread Sunday morning. Getting breakfast, getting everyone ready, getting myself ready, trying to deal with a crabby baby who we'd just be taking to nursery right at her nap time. You get the idea. So I had been reading a friend's blog who was going through a similar situation, and realized that she and her husband were trading off every other Sunday. One would stay home with the sleeping baby while the other went to church and the next week they would switch. So I brought the idea before my husband, and told him I thought it would greatly diffuse my stress.. and he agreed! This is week four, I think, and I am loving my stress free Sundays! Genesis gets her 3-4 hour morning nap, one of us gets to go to church with Ivy and it is working great. I am trying to wean Genesis to more of an afternoon nap, like holding her out as long as possible till about noon or so, but it's going to take a while, and until then, we will continue to do our Sundays like this. Everyone is much happier.
We have a very busy week in front of us- Bible studies, Naomi's (my sis-in-law) baby shower, etc. Then on Saturday, Jake and I are taking off for 8 days of vacation- without the girls! My in-laws have been so gracious as to offer to care for Ivy and Genesis while we are gone. I think they know what they are getting themselves into! :) Jake and I are going up to northern Michigan (Sault Saint Marie area), and then making our way back home slowly, stopping in different towns every night or two. We'll be staying in several Bed and Breakfasts and hotels along with the way, and then finishing up our vacation in South Haven, with some friends of my parents who have invited us to stay in their home for two nights. We are so excited, beyond any words that I can use! This will be the first time we've had a vacation (that lasted longer than an overnight) alone since Ivy was born 3/2007.
And I need to get off of the computer now. So with all that being said, I leave you with another favorite recipe. It is yet again a recipe from my mother-in-law... and it is so yummy. Great for this time of year. It's awesome, served with corn bread.
Cheddar Ham Chowder:
2 c. water
2 c. cubed peeled potatoes
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can (16oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/2 c. cubed fully cooked ham
In a large saucepan, bring the water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat; do not drain. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Blend in flour. Add the milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir into the undrained veggies; return large saucepan to the heat. Add corn and ham; heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
My Favorite Season
When I was younger, I can remember asking my dad what he missed most about living in the U.S. *I was a missionary kid, and my parents have been on the mission field for about 40 years, with just 2 more years left until retirement.* So when I would ask him that question, he'd always respond by saying that he missed the changing of the seasons the most. And I would think to myself, why would anyone miss that?? I now understand what he meant. I have fallen in love with the changing of the seasons! My favorite is summer to fall. I love how the air begins to get crisp and everyone pulls out their sweatshirts from old suitcases stored in garages/attics, I love the smells of the new candles that arrive particularly for the fall season on the shelves of the stores, I love the bright colors of the changing leaves, I love the change of menus in our household as we start eating more pumpkin/apple/cinnamon flavored foods, and my list could go on! The anticipation of Halloween- mainly Trick or Treating (especially since we have children and now we can live our dreams through them) and then Thanksgiving and then finally Christmas is almost just too much to bear! So unbelievably exciting. Can you tell I am overjoyed? Dad, I understand now, you have always been so wise :)
Tonight we celebrated my husbands 27th birthday. His actual birthday was on the 14th, but it was a busy day and we decided to wait until today to actually celebrate because his brother was coming home from college for a couple of days. It was the most absolutely perfect evening for our celebration. He didn't want a big deal to be made out of his 27 years, so his mom made stuffed green peppers, rice, crescent rolls, white cake (with amazing almond frosting and jelly layers) and his sister brought a yummy green salad. We all gathered on their patio and ate and then sat around the fire pit, making s'mores, telling stories and just laughing together. I haven't asked him yet, but I think that Jake would say it was the perfect evening, celebrated just right... even though, he is kind of freaking out about how close he is getting to 30! :) Happy birthday, honey!
Jake and I take turns every night getting our girls ready for bed. We used to both do it together every night, but it just got to be so time-consuming and exhausting, we decided to give each other a break every other night :) Might sound silly to some of you, but that is our routine. We have always given baths every night, then snuggly time, then bed. Genesis passed out so fast tonight, even though she had taken a 4 hr. 30 min. nap today, and did not make a peep after I closed her bedroom door. Ivy, on the other hand was so wound up. Seems like bath time winds her up for some reason... can't figure that one out yet. So I got in bed with her and we reviewed her verse for AWANA (Matthew 3:17), and then I read her the same book 4 times to get her to calm down a bit... she has a new favorite... Dr.Seuss, but I can't remember the title right now. One of those really annoying ones where it repeats over and over. Oh yeah, it's Oh the Wonderful Things Mr.Brown Can Do. By the time I finished reading it for the fourth time, she was sound asleep. She's only ever done that one other time in her life. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she laid there, tucked in so tight under the covers with about 4 squishy pillows surrounding her and numerous stuffed animals to keep her company. I am so blessed, Lord, thank you.
One thing that I have neglected to say about this blog is that I will be posting a recipe every day to go along with my post. It may be related to what I have to say, or it might just be a favorite of mine that I would like to share. Maybe that will keep you coming back for more! I know Lacey (my bro-in-laws gf), you will benefit from these recipes :) I love to cook/bake and this will actually help me categorize all of my recipes better. So the recipe for tonight is my absolute favorite. It is a recipe from my dear mother in law, and it is the most amazing thing you will ever taste in your life :) It's a Honey Bun Cake. Here you go! Enjoy!
Honey Bun Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a 9x13 pan.
1 Pkg. Super Moist Butter Yellow Cake Mix
1 c. butter (softened)
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbs. milk
1 tsp vanilla
Remove 1/2 c. dry cake mix, reserve. Beat remaining cake mix, butter, eggs, and sour cream in large bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. Spread 1/2 batter in pan. Stir together dry cake mix, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Carefully spread remaining batter evenly over pecan mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes or until deep golden brown. Stir powder sugar, milk, vanilla until thing enough to drizzle. Poke top of warm cake with a fork. Spread drizzle over cake. DEVOUR!
Tonight we celebrated my husbands 27th birthday. His actual birthday was on the 14th, but it was a busy day and we decided to wait until today to actually celebrate because his brother was coming home from college for a couple of days. It was the most absolutely perfect evening for our celebration. He didn't want a big deal to be made out of his 27 years, so his mom made stuffed green peppers, rice, crescent rolls, white cake (with amazing almond frosting and jelly layers) and his sister brought a yummy green salad. We all gathered on their patio and ate and then sat around the fire pit, making s'mores, telling stories and just laughing together. I haven't asked him yet, but I think that Jake would say it was the perfect evening, celebrated just right... even though, he is kind of freaking out about how close he is getting to 30! :) Happy birthday, honey!
Jake and I take turns every night getting our girls ready for bed. We used to both do it together every night, but it just got to be so time-consuming and exhausting, we decided to give each other a break every other night :) Might sound silly to some of you, but that is our routine. We have always given baths every night, then snuggly time, then bed. Genesis passed out so fast tonight, even though she had taken a 4 hr. 30 min. nap today, and did not make a peep after I closed her bedroom door. Ivy, on the other hand was so wound up. Seems like bath time winds her up for some reason... can't figure that one out yet. So I got in bed with her and we reviewed her verse for AWANA (Matthew 3:17), and then I read her the same book 4 times to get her to calm down a bit... she has a new favorite... Dr.Seuss, but I can't remember the title right now. One of those really annoying ones where it repeats over and over. Oh yeah, it's Oh the Wonderful Things Mr.Brown Can Do. By the time I finished reading it for the fourth time, she was sound asleep. She's only ever done that one other time in her life. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she laid there, tucked in so tight under the covers with about 4 squishy pillows surrounding her and numerous stuffed animals to keep her company. I am so blessed, Lord, thank you.
One thing that I have neglected to say about this blog is that I will be posting a recipe every day to go along with my post. It may be related to what I have to say, or it might just be a favorite of mine that I would like to share. Maybe that will keep you coming back for more! I know Lacey (my bro-in-laws gf), you will benefit from these recipes :) I love to cook/bake and this will actually help me categorize all of my recipes better. So the recipe for tonight is my absolute favorite. It is a recipe from my dear mother in law, and it is the most amazing thing you will ever taste in your life :) It's a Honey Bun Cake. Here you go! Enjoy!
Honey Bun Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of a 9x13 pan.
1 Pkg. Super Moist Butter Yellow Cake Mix
1 c. butter (softened)
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbs. milk
1 tsp vanilla
Remove 1/2 c. dry cake mix, reserve. Beat remaining cake mix, butter, eggs, and sour cream in large bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. Spread 1/2 batter in pan. Stir together dry cake mix, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Carefully spread remaining batter evenly over pecan mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes or until deep golden brown. Stir powder sugar, milk, vanilla until thing enough to drizzle. Poke top of warm cake with a fork. Spread drizzle over cake. DEVOUR!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Hello
Well, this is probably about my 3rd or 4th attempt to start a blog. I am hoping, with the help of some friends, that I will be able to keep this up and running. I can't figure the aesthetics out tonight because I am so tired, but I'll work on it little by little. And if you any of you out there have any really cool tips on how to make a blog look better, please do let me know. It's a bit frustrating to me as I haven't been in "web development" classes for a very very long time.
Anyway, with this being my very first post, I am going to make some introductions. I think the best way to describe myself is "mommy". That is what I am for the majority of each and every day, as I stay at home with my two girls. I hear it about a hundred times as I run up and down the stairs, cook in the kitchen, do laundry, nap, watch tv, you get the idea. That is my roll in life, and it is one that I have tried my best to embrace with arms wide open. Back to the point- I am a stay at home mom, and wife. My husband is a wonderful man who makes me laugh till I cry and cares for me in the most amazing ways. I love him so much and he is my one and only "partner in crime" in life. He has seen me through my best and my worst and he's definitely the only one that can put up with me day in an day out.
I love love love cooking/baking, watching really good movies, rollerblading (I know, it's such a 90's thing, but I've just never gotten over it), volleyball and racquetball, being outdoors, coffee- this is a fairly recent love, my children and my husband.
Our eldest daughter is Ivy. Ivy is three and a half ("mom, don't forget the half!!") and is our very outdoor-loving, rambunctious, tender-hearted, beautiful brown-eyed girl. She is at the age where I am really beginning to have deep, enthralling conversations with her, and I am amazed countless times throughout the day when a sentence will come out of her mouth and I think to myself "she's three??? how did she know that?" She's amazing. I don't know how I even had a life without her, she opens my eyes each day to the simplicities of life that I would never have noticed before. Some of her favorite things are: anything crafty- painting, drawing, cutting, pasting, molding; oysters- she loves to eat canned oysters with crackers; Dora the Explorer- major obsession for at least a year now... and the list goes on, but you'll find out as you keep reading this blog what her other favorites are.
Our youngest daughter is Genesis. She is 13 months old and also quite the live-wire. She began walking at about 10 months, and has not stopped being on the go... she is our Destroyer of all things, kind of like a small tornado that daily goes through the house and makes havoc of everything in it's path. She likes to growl and will have an instant temper tantrum after hearing the word "no". So, I think we are going to have our work cut out for us. I thought, when she was first born and also through her first couple months of life, that she would be our mild one. Boy was I wrong! But, OH do we Love her. She's my snuggly buddy who loves to give kisses and hugs, who loves to hold my hand when we walk, who sleeps through the night (and has since she was about 3 months old), who is attached to her bottle (and refuses any sippy cups- what do I do??)... I do love her so. :)
Oh my, it is late. I will write tomorrow- I think this could get very addicting, if I can just figure out how to upload cool stuff and remember to write on a more consistent basis!
Goodnight friends.
Anyway, with this being my very first post, I am going to make some introductions. I think the best way to describe myself is "mommy". That is what I am for the majority of each and every day, as I stay at home with my two girls. I hear it about a hundred times as I run up and down the stairs, cook in the kitchen, do laundry, nap, watch tv, you get the idea. That is my roll in life, and it is one that I have tried my best to embrace with arms wide open. Back to the point- I am a stay at home mom, and wife. My husband is a wonderful man who makes me laugh till I cry and cares for me in the most amazing ways. I love him so much and he is my one and only "partner in crime" in life. He has seen me through my best and my worst and he's definitely the only one that can put up with me day in an day out.
I love love love cooking/baking, watching really good movies, rollerblading (I know, it's such a 90's thing, but I've just never gotten over it), volleyball and racquetball, being outdoors, coffee- this is a fairly recent love, my children and my husband.
Our eldest daughter is Ivy. Ivy is three and a half ("mom, don't forget the half!!") and is our very outdoor-loving, rambunctious, tender-hearted, beautiful brown-eyed girl. She is at the age where I am really beginning to have deep, enthralling conversations with her, and I am amazed countless times throughout the day when a sentence will come out of her mouth and I think to myself "she's three??? how did she know that?" She's amazing. I don't know how I even had a life without her, she opens my eyes each day to the simplicities of life that I would never have noticed before. Some of her favorite things are: anything crafty- painting, drawing, cutting, pasting, molding; oysters- she loves to eat canned oysters with crackers; Dora the Explorer- major obsession for at least a year now... and the list goes on, but you'll find out as you keep reading this blog what her other favorites are.
Our youngest daughter is Genesis. She is 13 months old and also quite the live-wire. She began walking at about 10 months, and has not stopped being on the go... she is our Destroyer of all things, kind of like a small tornado that daily goes through the house and makes havoc of everything in it's path. She likes to growl and will have an instant temper tantrum after hearing the word "no". So, I think we are going to have our work cut out for us. I thought, when she was first born and also through her first couple months of life, that she would be our mild one. Boy was I wrong! But, OH do we Love her. She's my snuggly buddy who loves to give kisses and hugs, who loves to hold my hand when we walk, who sleeps through the night (and has since she was about 3 months old), who is attached to her bottle (and refuses any sippy cups- what do I do??)... I do love her so. :)
Oh my, it is late. I will write tomorrow- I think this could get very addicting, if I can just figure out how to upload cool stuff and remember to write on a more consistent basis!
Goodnight friends.
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