Life In MN Woodlands

2011-12-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

Our 25 Days of Christmas - Day #2

Today's tea selection, Celestial Seasoning's Peppermint Tea was chosen from necessity due to Gabriella not feeling well and having a fever. It seemed like the logical choice. So we all settled in for an afternoon story with some hot peppermint tea to relax for a bit, then send Gabriella off to bed to rest. We all of course enjoyed it...after all, how can you go wrong with Peppermint?!! This particular peppermint is particularly peppermint-y...no watered down flavor disappointment here. Plus it helped settle her tummy & ease her fever.

We enjoyed 2 stories today, a picture book as well as a short story from the Christmas in My Heart series.Ruby's selection was: The Christmas Wolf by Michael Gay which is a very old book that we picked up at a library used book sale. It was a sweet little story. Here is a review from an Amazon.com reader.

"In response to questions from his cubs (how come Christmas doesn't come to their mountain home??), Father wolf travels in disguise down to the town to try and get Christmas presents for his family, gets outed and sadly starts to make his way home. I cry when I read this book, but in a good way. If you can find this book, buy it. My kids loved it. "

Our second story was called A Few Bars in the Key of G by Clifton Carlisle Osborne (**included in Christmas in My Heart Volume 1 - more info about these books at the end of today's post). This short tale is set in the old west. The reader is carried along pell-mell with the O' Henry-ish narrative, not knowing until the very end what in the world is really going on! The kids enjoyed the mystery involved in this story and at the end all had a big "ah-hah" moment :-)

The evening hours brought another tea & story time while we all relaxed with our ill patient resting in the recliner. The kids all wanted to revisit the Sleepytime with Vanilla Tea we had discovered the previous evening because they liked it so much (note to self: will be needing another box soon). Michael actually chose the story that would take us through several hours...his all-time favorite Christmas book: The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper by Jean Van Leeuwen. Now when I say "all-time favorite", I mean it! Michael first read this story over 30 years ago, he thinks at the age of 10. Since then he has read it (THE very same copy of this book he has kept since first discovering it) EVERY year. When we were dating in college he read a chapter of it to ME every night throughout the month of December until the book was finished...yes ladies, I definitely thought he was the absolute cutest thing ever! Probably one reason I married him :-) Now he reads it out loud to our kids - now how cool is that!!?? This year he received an extra special treat; we discovered it had recently been made into an audio book - so this year Michael got to be a listener instead of a reader for the first time ever. We all enjoyed the story for several hours while sipping our tea.

If you read any Amazon reader reviews you will see just how much of a beloved classic this book is for many. Here is one example that also gives you the basic story line:

"A Quirky Classic about Mice and Christmas. Read it anyways (5 stars)...

Marvin the Magnificent, Raymond and Fats are three mice out to enjoy life ... in Macy's department store. When the toy department's Santa gets kidnapped they are on the case in the best manner of old-movie private eyes. But how can three mice track him down and rescue him before Christmas? Narrated by Marvin himself, this story is absolutely hilarious. Don't be stopped by the mice. It was one of my favourite books growing up and I still recall it with great fondness (and a vague sense of irritation that my children's books got sold a few years back). There are at least three other books about this mouse trio, and I think a couple of them are still in print. This one, however, is my favourite, and worth looking for. "

**Not familiar with the Christmas in My Heart book series by Joe Wheeler...OH MY! You simply must explore these wonderful stories. I believe at this time, there are around 20 volumes - enough to keep you busy reading all winter!

"Open up this precious treasury of classic stories and you rediscover what makes Christmas so special.  Fond memories come flooding back as these heartwarming tales transport you to happy times surrounded by family and friends.  What makes these stories such a special gift is that they come from the heart.  They share the spark of Christmas in all of us--the caring, the sharing, and the self-giving love.

Joe Wheeler's great discovery is that the best of Christmas is in our hearts, and we embrace life in new ways when we read heartwarming stories about this joyous season.  He was so convinced of this that he began to collect all sorts of Christmas stories, old and new, from far and wide.  With the trained eye of a seasoned English professor, and the sensitive heart of one who grew up listening to wonderful stories year after year, he knows a good story when he hears it.

In Christmas in My Heart, the author brings together the best old familiar favorites and fresh new yarns from his literary treasure trove.  The riches of master storytellers such as Pearl S. Buck, Madeleine L'Engle, Taylor Caldwell, and O. Henry are combined with stirring tales from the golden age of Christmas stories to form a priceless treasury of holiday classics.

Read them once, to loved ones or in peaceful solitude, and they will forever become a part of your family's Christmas traditions.  Because these stories sparkle and shine with the true spirit of Christmas, they will make you smile, bring tears to your eyes, and give you goose bumps all over.  You may give this delightful collection as a gift from the heart to someone you love, or buy it for yourself.  No matter what, you won't be able to put it down, or to let one Christmas pass by without opening this timeless treasury of heartwarming stories.

About the Author

Joe Wheeler's writing career started in the fall of 1992 with a collection of heart-tugging stories called Christmas in My Heart, a series that he has become well-known for. Joe Wheeler has been called everything from Keeper of the Story to Father Christmas. He has been a frequent guest on Dr. James Dobson s radio show Focus on the Family, and today is considered to be one of America s leading story anthologizers. When asked how he got started, Wheeler tells interviewers that it all dates back to being home-schooled by a remarkable woman, Barbara Leininger Wheeler, his mother (both a teacher and a missionary) in Latin America. His mother, an elocutionist of the old school, memorized thousands of pages of stories, readings, and poetry, and frequently recited in public. But her specialty was the old-time, sentimental, Judeo-Christian short stories. And his mother poured herself - and her stories - into her son, inoculating him with a terminal case of the storyitis virus. "

2011-12-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

Our 25 Teas of Christmas - Day #1

"Vanilla lovers, rejoice! We've added the creamy, nutty flavor of rich vanilla to our beloved Sleepytime^® blend of floral chamomile, cool spearmint and lively lemongrass. With its comforting aroma and perfectly balanced flavor, Sleepytime Vanilla is an exquisitely soothing new way for you to wind down your day."

—Charlie Baden, Celestial Seasonings Blendmaster

Ahhhhh...good 'ol Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea - a long standing favorite of mine. Therefore imagine my surprise to discover this new version which is exactly the same as the original with the addition of a hint of vanilla...mmmmmm. I plopped it into my cart this week lickety-split, and I'm so glad I did because it was the perfect tea for us to have tonight after a very long, tiring day. Everyone was already sleepy, so the tea only provided the relaxation to listen to a bedtime story, then crawl into a snuggly bed. Sleepytime Vanilla was given "thumbs up" by all - especially a very enthusiastic Michael who really, REALLY liked it! (The girls added a bit of honey to theirs for extra yummy-ness.)

Tonight's tea-time story was a chapter out of our Advent book this year called Tabitha' Travels by Arnold Ytreeide. This is the third in a book series written especially to read daily leading up to Christmas. Our family has read the entire series several times, and never grows tired of it. The books are meant to be read out loud as a family (a different one each year), ending on Christmas Day. Each book focuses on one character in the shared storyline of the 3 books, telling it from their perspective and experiences. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It has truly been one of the most treasured Christmas traditions we have done as a family. (Be sure to begin with Jotham's Journey, the first book in the trilogy and our personal favorite :-)

**The books also include optional added instructions for lighting Advent candles to go with the chapter readings throughout the month. We enjoy how much this adds to our family worship & story time.

Tabitha's Travels

In a page-turner like Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage, this exciting story takes readers through Advent to Christmas as they follow young Tabitha on her adventures. Curious, competent, and courageous. Tabitha is the daughter of Eliakim, a shepherd who is taking his family on caravan to his birthplace. Along the way she meets and becomes friends with Jotham and Bartholomew, watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zachary and Elizabeth, rescues her father, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ's birth, and ends her travels with the wonderful climax at the stable in Bethlehem. Following each chapter is a Spiritual reflection that gives readers an opportunity to respond personally to a spiritual truth embedded in the story. Ideal for family devotions.

2011-11-29T10:48:00.001-08:00

25 Teas of Christmas at the Amick House 2011

December...typically a time with too much to do & not enough time to do it - at least that's how it is at our house. Not this year. I have purposely NOT overfilled the family calender with things to do, places to go & people to see in order to have the time to enjoy some of the activities we really want to experience; but that always seem to get pushed out of the plans as we are rushing about.

So this December I have taken it upon myself to enforce a daily time of relaxation on my family! We will be celebrating the "25 Teas of Christmas" at our house. Each day we will relax with a hot cup of tea (a different kind each day) , and READ selections from our Christmas book collection (which has grown huge). I will also be returning to my long neglected blog to document our experience and share reviews on the tea sampled that day & the book read. I am greatly looking forward to having this family down-time as part of our day this upcoming month, as well as slowing down to do the things that make Christmas memorable...

** We'll also be having fun shopping for new teas to try and are happily accepting suggestions!

Amick Family Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Ruby (age 5)

R - reading is being learned since she's in Kindergarten now
U - unusually expressive & theatrical, she keeps us all laughing
B - busy dancing in class and at home
Y - yodeling chicken calls to her flock each day while collecting eggs

Gabriella (age 9)

G - gardener - flowers & veggies
A - absolutely "Type A"
B - beautiful dancer, blessing many through her worship dance team
R - reading is a huge joy
I - interested in playing board games
E - excellent young sewer! Made PJ's, a jumper, pillowcase & apron
L - Little Mama Hen to her pet chickens
L - loves school!
A - artistic: violin, piano, singing, dance, painting, card making & pottery class

Elliot (age 11)

E - eager to help in the kitchen, quite the baker!
L - loves brussel sprouts & sushi (but not together!)
L - learning to downhill ski = new favorite winter activity
I - itchin' for a 12 string guitar! Plays guitar & piano & helps w/ worship
O - officially a brown belt in Karate - addressed as "Mr. Amick" now in class
T - totally hates math, but suffers through it anyway

Christopher (age 14)

C - "cool" clothing freak of the family
H - helps teach Karate classes as a brown belt, working towards BLACK!
R - rockin' to Christian music bands Mom doesn't enjoy, but Dad can groove on
I - into RipStiking for fun (similar to skate boarding)
S - still wishing for an iPod-touch....(keep wishing)
T - taller every single day! Passed up mom recently, and will soon overtake Dad!
O - official Amick dog whisperer w/our newly adopted dog Maggie and our beloved Pepper
P - playing piano as always
H - helped Grandpa Mark & siblings build sq. foot garden beds in the spring
E - eats EVERYTHING!
R - ready to take driver's ed this summer! (Parents still in denial)

Susan

S - super busy homeschooling the kids
U - up on kids at church, keeping them all busy & connected to Christ as their youth leader
S - sweet tooth addiction conquered 2010 - YES!
A - a burnt-out cook dreaming of hiring a kitchen chef
N - never reaches the bottom of the "to-do" list

Michael

M - multiple work trips & speaking engagements
I - iPhone addicted
C - camping motivator
H - helping with kid's church Pathfinder group (like scouts)
A - a brand new Karate pupil in the dojo (his sons help instruct him)
E - elder at church
L - likes Netflix documentaries late night to relax

Family Highlights 2010:

All kids welcomed 2010 in with Chicken Pox over New Years!
Adopted another Dog (Maggie) a Golden Pyrenees
Incubated & hatched 8 chicken eggs in April that have become beloved pets
100 mile bike ride trip this summer
Visited Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit
Multiple camping experiences
Blue Ribbon winners in the county fair this year - all 4 kids - great fun!
Attended Lifelight Christian Music Festival in SD over Labor Day
Participated in a homeless awareness event - slept outside in boxes Oct. 29th
Operation Christmas Child warehouse volunteers in November - sending gifts to kids worldwide

Grilled Grapefruit - Warm & Comforting Winter Eats

2009-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Every winter, November through March our home is filled with fresh citrus, full boxes of grapefruit & oranges each month that we purchase from our church fundraisers. We all enjoy and look forward to this tradition and winter would not be the same without it. Eating citrus with breakfast, as snacks, and so on is not only a hit with our taste buds, but is a huge immune system booster, which is a great perk!

Despite the fact that we all usually just eat the fruit "as is" and grapefruit w/o any added sugar, we do look for a few creative recipes to use the fruit in as well. Our all time favorite is the infamous Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache that uses entire steamed oranges (skin and all) in the recipe.

Recently we discovered a new idea for our grapefruit that has been added to our "repeat recipe" archive, and it adds an extra special touch to Sabbath morning breakfasts... Grilled Grapefruit. Below are some variations on the recipe to get your creative juices flowing... this is really a yummy way to eat them that all ages can enjoy. Ruby even loves it (and she's a picky eater)! Another perk... the kitchen smells heavenly....

Grilled Ginger Grapefruit

1 whole grapefruit
1 Tbs. unrefined sugar (or sucant, or brown sugar)
1 tsp. peeled & minced fresh ginger

Cut grapefruit in half. In small dish mix together the sugar & ginger and sprinkle over the grapefruit. Place on a baking sheet & put it under an oven broiler or in a toaster oven. Broil for 6 minutes, until the sugar & ginger start to bubble & caramelize.

Cinnamon-Honey Grilled Grapefruit

Ingredients Serves two

* 1 grapefruit, either pink or orange
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

* Set oven to broil.
* Cut the grapefruit in half. Using a grapefruit knife separate the flesh from the rind. Then, cut along the segments toward the middle of the grapefruit; you're trying to make it easier to eat.
* Spread one tablespoon of honey over each half of the grapefruit. Then, sprinkle each half with about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
* Place grapefruit onto a shallow baking dish and put under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.

Maple Grilled Grapefruit

Makes 4 servings

2 grapefruit cut in half
½ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp. melted butter (optional)
dash cinnamon
handful golden raisins

Combine syrup, butter, and cinnamon, and spread over the cut half of each grapefruit (You may want to cut each section free before broiling). Sprinkle raisins on top. Place on broiler pan about 4" below flame and broil 2-4 minutes. Serve hot.

Baked then Broiled Grapefruit (from Susan Powter)

One Serving (double, triple the recipe depending on the amount of people)

1 large juicy fresh grapefruit
1 tsp soy butter (optional)
Organic Maple Syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cut grapefruit in half. Using a sharp knife cut the sections and loosen fruit from shell. Dot each half with a tiny bit of soy butter. Drizzle maple syrup over the top of each and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over that.

Place in a baking pan and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, then broil until top is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Ginger Grilled Sliced Grapefruit

4 servings

2 large Ruby Red grapefruit
2 teaspoons light sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 tablespoons orange blossom honey
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Remove the skin and pith from the grapefruits and cut the flesh into 1-inch-thick wheels. Remove the seeds and arrange the slices on a broiler tray. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, ginger, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Brush the grapefruit with the seasoned oil.

Preheat the broiler or grill until very hot. Grill the grapefruit slices on one side for approximately 2 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize. Remove from the heat.

To serve, arrange the fruit on a warm platter. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Laundry... the Battle Continues

2009-02-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Remember "My Daily Battle" post ? If not check it out to refresh your memory on my war with laundry, then read on.

Well thanks to a problem with water backing up in our basement repeatedly over the past few months (now finally fixed) I have been forced to stay on top of the laundry (no, not sitting on top of the pile for you wise guys reading this)...

Yet, now that there is so little to deal with I notice that some things "just don't belong here", as the old Sesame Street song goes. My sleuthing led me to discover why I likely had such excess to begin with! It's summed up in this lovely little cartoon...

Pumpkin Pop-sicles - Cooking Class with the Kids

2009-01-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

This recipe is so easy anybody can make it!

Today we are enjoying one of the cooking class projects done by the kids and we all highly recommend the recipe to our friends of ALL ages!

Pumpkin Pie-sicles anyone? They are not only an incredibly healthy dessert/snack but they are delicious too! YUMMY.

We followed the recipe from Family Fun Magazine, except we substituted coconut milk for the cream. Also, be sure to get the mixture nice and creamy in your blender, food processor, or vitamix machine before putting in your molds or dixie cups.

Mike came home from work for lunch so he could sample one and gave it 2 thumbs up!

This recipe is a winner folks - try it for yourself! What a great way to sneak those orange veggies in on the kids :-)

PS Oh, we had some leftover after we filled the molds last night, so we warmed it and had it with supper - it was awesome!

Pumpkin Pie-sicles

These butternut squash ice pops taste just like the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

	2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash
	1/2 cup pure maple syrup
	2/3 cup light cream (we used coconut milk)
	1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Step 1
To make a batch, cut a butternut squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds.

Step 2
Boil, bake, or microwave the squash until it's soft. Let the squash cool a bit before scooping its flesh into a medium-size bowl.

Step 3
Add pure maple syrup, light cream, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mush the squash and blend all of the ingredients.

Step 4
Spoon the mixture into ice pop molds (we were able to fill 10), add sticks, and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

Tracking New Year's Goals with Smiley Joe

2009-01-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

Okay... you may be asking WHAT is with the big ol' smiley face today (interestingly following the big ol' Grinch post)?

Well... I'm just happy today I guess. Now you of course ask, "why?". Well, I'm feelin' good today because I had taken some time in the last few month of 2008 to contemplate my life over the past year and decide on some changes I want to make in 2009. So, some simple, but important goals were set for myself to attain during 2009... some may term this process as making New Year's Resolutions.. call it what you wish.

In a nutshell, my 2009 mission statement could read, "To take the time needed for myself to strengthen me spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically in 2009". Self is a thing that I have neglected in recent years, my cup is empty when it should be runneth over - therefore... this year I'll be requiring a refill.

My smiley little friend is my new icon that will be my reminder and my tracking device via a fabulous free online goal tracker program I found at Joe's Goals.com I highly recommend this helpful tool for anyone of any age to track daily goals/habits (good or bad), and it also includes an optional log to add any details you want to remember. I may just get my kids using this to track their goals as well.... it's super easy, quick to do and fun. You'll even get an email from "Joe" after a few days if you have not recorded your progress - a helpful reminder to keep you on track and be accountable to.

Anyway... so far so good here with goal keeping, but I have a long year ahead to keep myself on task - I'm relying on my "Smiley Joe" to keep me in check!

**You can see my progress too by simply checking the chart on the right margin of my blog. If you see me having difficulty, please feel free to send a note of encouragement - I probably need it!

December Disaster

2009-01-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

A few weeks into the month of December, something completely unexpected, unplanned, and unwanted occurred in my life... it was basically a haze of last minute activities and events that left me in a state somewhere between Eboneezer Scrooge and the Grinch. My friend who has always deemed me a "Christmas elf" was in shocked confusion all month, as was my husband, family and admittedly myself. Although many of the activities were "fun" for the kids, they really were not for me since I somehow ended up being at the forefront of planning and organizing most of them, I'm still not sure how I got this job over & over again - various parties for the kids in groups they belong to and so on. But the one that took the cake, or that you might say was the straw that broke the elf's back was the last minute request to put together a children's Christmas program for church - one that would take up the entire church service (by last minute I mean a week and a half before the date it was to be performed). Did I say "yes" to this insane request... YES!!! what was I thinking??? - but never again. All in all everything went well with the program and all the other events, but I had nothing left to give at home... the Christmas elf was no more this year... resulting in few decorations, even fewer gifts, next to nothing of our usual family holiday traditions... sad I know. The kids did fine though, but thought mom was a bit "off" this year. Christopher's wise words to me were to" just say 'no' more mom..." I added that to my resolution list for 2009.

Christmas eve & day were very nice though - surprisingly quiet. ALL the company we expected cancelled. We were alone and it was lovely. Christmas eve we attended a lovely service at our church that brought me back to where I had wanted to be all month - focused on Christ with peace in my heart. Late that night we even watched my favorite holiday film It's A Wonderful Life - something we had not been able to do on Christmas eve for a number of years and I had missed it. We ended up having a very relaxing Christmas Day and holiday vacation due to repeat weather situations causing cancellations, poor travel and so on.

New Years was a blast though... we travelled to Fargo to see a few families who are dear to us and bring in the New Year in style with lots of yummy food, fun music and great conversation. It was a pretty happening party made up of: 6 adults, 2 teens, 1 preteen, 4 kids, & 2 dogs.... Ya, if you do the math, the big people were really outnumbered!

Now we are in January and life resumed it's normal state today with homeschool, activities and schedules... but at least we had some down time to end the year :-)

I have made some very firm decisions about how we spend our time next December and plan to stick by them no matter what, after all I have 11 months to practice saying "NO!". I should have it down by then huh?

Next year, I'm confident I'll be back to my normal self in December.... ???? Let's hope anyway :-)

Focusing on Christ - Planning an Evergreen Candle Service

2008-10-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

On November 30th our church will host an Candlelight Evergreen service to prepare our hearts for the holiday season . The social committee (which I am a member of) will be planning the event and doing the work. The following photos and information as to how the service is conducted are posted here for those interested in attending to gather further information about what to expect out of the evening.

What is the service?

The 4 weeks preceding Christmas (commonly referred to by many as Advent) is a period of time, not a single day or moment. It is a time of preparation, of readying oneself to celebrate the true meaning of the birth of Christ. It is a time that Christians can contemplate the years of waiting the Israelites experienced for the arrival of the Messiah, and in so doing, gain renewed hope and faith as today we patiently wait for His return.

A candlelight evergreen service is a beautiful, reverent way for anyone to enter into the Christmas season and help people focus on it's truest blessings. It is especially helpful at a time (immediately following Thanksgiving) when our culture becomes bombarded by the commercialism & secularism of this time of year. This with the added frenzy of activity many experience can lead families & individuals to lose track of the very important reason they are even celebrating - to remember the birth of our savior.

The single most important element in the service is the mood. The right mood of the person carrying it, the mood of the children - and, most importantly of the parents, as they come into it, is absolutely essential. Every step and detail must be thought through and planned (and every mistake and disaster anticipated) so there is no hurrying, no flapping about, no hesitation, no furtive whispers exchanged ("what do we do with the apples?" "Oh no, the wax is dripping on the pine branches"). One can thus see that the participating families must be thoroughly prepared in advance for what will take place!

Basically, the idea is this: a large walking path is created of pine greenery and interesting branches. It is decorated with pine cones and other wintry items from nature. In the center stands a non wobbly stump with a flat surface - on this stands a large pillar candle, lit, a large Nativity set could also be there. Outside of the walkway someone stands with a tray with one red apple per person. The apples will have been cored and a small candle put into each. . One adult carries the trays and hands an unlit apple candle to each person as s/he in turn comes up to the path. Why an apple? The fruit represents the fall of man into sin (Adam & Eve in Eden), the red color symbolizes the blood of Christ that was shed for our salvation. The lit candle placed within the apple signifies the individual placing & keeping Christ in the center of their life and following the light he imparts to us. The evergreens used to create the path remind us of the everlasting life we can have through Jesus Christ.

The room is dimly lit. Someone might be gently playing Christmas carols on a harp, lyre, flute or piano. A few people softly humming spiritual Christmas carols can be very nice. What you don't want is lively singing! So no "Jingle Bells"!!

The room should be all set up first and families collect in another waiting space. No one can be late!!! Everyone takes off their coats and gets sorted out before coming into the room. Everything should be as quiet and peaceful as possible - the children should do their running around and shouting outside before they come into this room - once in there the mood must be quiet so they can absorb what will take place in the room. Babies and toddlers can be a challenge - but if this really is done properly and if the parents are fully on board and carrying the right mood in their hearts, most tiny ones are completely swept up by the reverential mood and not a peep is heard. When everyone is assembled in a separate room and ready to enter the service, a Bible reading on the birth of Christ will be done to set the mood and get the hearts and minds of the participants ready.

So now everything is set and the leader opens the door to let everyone into the dimly lit room. Other adults in the room start to gently hum carols - or an instrument is played. Everyone is ushered to their seats quietly without talking, but all may choose to join in humming carols if so desired.

Everyone is now seated. Someone who knows what they are doing begins - there is no verbal instruction, no welcome, no little speeches, no 'what shall we hum now'. Everything happens like clockwork. So the appointed child or adult approaches the apple candle person and is given an apple. She walks the path, slowly. She approaches the candle in the center and lights her candle. The large center candle represents the light of Jesus, and you are re-welcoming Him into your life, or asking Him into your life for the very first time as you light your smaller candle. (As you light your candle, you can also think of the true meaning of the coming Christmas season, and the gift of Jesus, or be praying for yourself, someone special to you, or someone in need of prayer... or giving prayers of thanks.) She/He then turns back and finds a good place to put her/his candle amongst the greenery. Every person gets to come up - if a child is too shy to come up on her own, then it's fine for an adult or teen to accompany her.

Once everyone has finished, sit and admire the lit candles. The room should only be lit by the candles. Continue to hum quietly. The leader, at the right moment, quietly opens the door for families to quietly - in silence or still humming - to file out. The hallway, all the way to the exit will be lowly lit to not spoil the mood. Everyone remains silent or humming as they get their coats on and go home. There should be no talking or running about - let the image of the candle lit room work on your hearts as you go home.

This service can be done outside - in a wooded grove is really wonderful - seeing a lit pathway amongst the trees is magical. And nature will be happy to help you create the right mood if you let it. We are considering this as an option, but will probably utilize the school gym instead.

A few things to consider: make sure all the children have long hair pulled back and no dresses or skirts!! You don't want to start a fire! Adults should fully discuss with their children well in advance the meaning of this event & exactly what will be happening at it so they understand the service & why their very best behavior will be required of them.

We hope you, your family, and friends will enjoy this very special and reverential event as you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

A Weekend with Mr. Moll

2008-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of September we were blessed with a special visit from our dear friend Lawrence Moll from Fargo, ND. We had only seen him once since moving, briefly at church one weekend we were back in town; therefore it was wonderful to be able to catch up with him.

Arriving early Friday afternoon, Mr. Moll spent no time sitting about - he was immediately off with the kids touring the house and yard, then practicing a song on the guitar with Elliot to welcome Mike home with, followed by some target practice with the BB gun in the back yard! Then it was time to get ready for the Sabbath, which we welcomed in with a supper of soup, bread and song. (Mr. Moll was thoughtful enough to bring us several varieties of bread from Great Harvest bakery which everyone loved. We sooo miss that place!)

Sabbath morning we were all off to church where Lawrence was kind enough to share his musical talents with our church during the service. Many who were there shared with us how much they enjoyed his song. After a lovely Sabbath afternoon, we closed the Sabbath with prayer and song once more. The kids played piano or guitar while we all sang. It was such a blessing to share that time together.

That evening Mike & Lawrence had fun with a rousing game of cribbage, then I joined them in watching my favorite version of Pride & Prejudice (the 5 hour long one I blogged about this spring). Anyway, it seems Mr. Moll had read that blog entry, and his curiosity lead him to explore the film on his own - turns out I think he loves it more than me! So of course, we had to introduce it to Mike who had yet to watch it!!!

The next morning we were up early to head off to a pancake breakfast at the church. Since it was a fundraiser for the Pathfinder group, Christopher & Elliot had to make pancakes, collect money, etc. Turns out they were the only Pathfinders who showed up to work that day, so they were kept quite busy. The breakfast was a success, and Lawrence was also able to see some other friends who had moved from the Fargo-Moorhead area as well who were in town, and had arrived at the breakfast.

Last agenda item before heading home was a tour of Brainerd to see the college, the camp the church owns (located in a beautiful forest area), and see the Mississippi River up close.

It was sad to see Mr. Moll leave that day since we had such a wonderful time with him - the house was filled with music during his stay, as well as good conversation. He was so considerate of & encouraging towards the kids; giving them so much of his time - which they very much enjoyed. He spoiled us all a bit too much with parting gifts though, but everyone of them is greatly appreciated since they remind us of him frequently. We are hoping he returns for another visit soon... until then we'll just keep thinking about that hearty laugh accompanied by the twinkle in his eye whenever Ruby said, "wwwightning and funder"!

Plus each day we are reminded of him by little Ruby who strolls about the house singing what she calls "Mr. Moll's song"... Heaven Came Down. It always makes me smile.

Martin Luther King - His Immortal Vietnam Speech Applies Again Today

2008-10-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

The children and I have currently been studying the Vietnam War in preparation to go see the Vietnam Moving Wall Memorial which is in MN this week. We came across this speech and were very moved by it. The echo of Dr. King's wise words should be listened to in our country today.

Watch it - it's only 2 1/2 minutes long - and is incredibly well articulated.

October Camping In Itasca State Park

2008-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of October our church had it's yearly campout at Itasca State Park. As always it was loaded with fun. The weather was cool, but the bonfires kept us all warm (as well as the space heater someone lent us for our tent - saved MY life!). We enjoyed the fellowship with our church family the entire weekend and the park was stunning with color. The BIG event for our family and a few others was a 10 mile bike ride through the park in the leaves to admire the fall colors. We biked to the Mississippi Headwaters and crossed the stones and bridges from one side to the other before heading back to camp.

I decided to attempt the bike ride, a somewhat bold leap on my part since I had not ridden a bike in 2 years (didn't own one) and more importantly, I've done nothing that challenging for my knee since my surgery and have not been on any regular exercise program. Throw in that the ride back to the camp was extremely hilly, with one huge doozy at the end that nearly everybody said they get off and walk their bikes up... hmmmm... I liked the challenge, so I decided to give it my best shot. To my utter delight, I was able to complete the ride without having to walk my bike - even up that incredibly nasty hill (the kind when you think you're actually standing still and not really moving at all). I was so pumped that I did it and my knee was okay! YES! I'm back baby! Well, getting there anyway, it still causes me problems with certain things - cannot take on volleyball yet!

Giant Waterbug Video

2008-10-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Here's your chance to see what our little buddy is like. Maybe more info than you really cared to know?

Gabriella's New "Pet" Project - Giant Water Bug

2008-10-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

In the Sabbath School class I teach at church we always include time to learn about nature and all of God's creatures, therefore I encourage the kids to bring items from home to talk about and show to the class.

Well over a month ago one of my favorite students, sweet, quiet 3 year old little Millie brought the nastiest bug I had ever saw. It had been discovered in their garage that very morning and her mom bravely captured it. No one was sure what it was, but one adult thought it was a harmless tree cockroach. It looked familiar to me though, but couldn't place it, other than it looking very cockroach like.

Since we had studied insects for a good portion of the year and recently concluded we decided to bring it home to examine more closely upon it's death - but it never died! To make a long story short we still have the beast and discovered he is a Giant Water Bug, or "Toe Biter" which is quite a nasty biting creature that will eat everything from insects and small fish to small animals that it can tackle. Gabriella (my budding entomologist) has enjoyed feeding it grasshoppers and goldfish, and the kids all are amazed to watch it kill and eat it's prey. I on the other hand cannot stomach it.

Turns out this guy can live up to 2 years! Not sure if we can go that long or not - some family members have expressed fear of being in a room alone with it at night. (Friends of ours beg us not to set it free once we tire of him, but to destroy him in an effort to protect the children and small pets in the area in case he should fly off with one.) We do have to be careful with him since he can deliver a very, very nasty bite.

Our little buddy is currently in a small, portable aquarium with a tight lid (since he can fly as well as swim). He sits in a place of honor in our main living room area to be noticed by all throughtout the day - we did move him out of the kitchen area, don't worry! Gabriella insists he needs a home upgrade though - I personally think his petite tank with a purple lid and pink gravel is hilarious since he is so absolutely UGLY swimming about in his girly paradise... but oh well. She wants to try to give him snails next.... friends or food - we'll find out...ewwww.

MJ Leaves for His New Home

2008-10-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Mid August we had another happy ending, but a sad day...

MJ was picked up at our home by a lovely case worker who was to drive him to his new home with a couple that plans to adopt him. This is an ideal setup for MJ because they are a couple with adult children and really want to raise another child. Last report I got.. he was being horribly spoiled, in my opinion he needs a dose of that for awhile. We witnessed yet again God's hand at work with MJ's placement... as it turns out this couple is in the same small community as my cousin who is adopting MJ's brother & sister - they see each other very regularly. We are all so thrilled for them!

Ruby had some difficulty after MJ left though, she still misses he and Fawn often since they were her best buddies and play pals. I do not think I'll ever forget watching MJ drive away from the house in the back of the car looking out the back window and Ruby calling, "MJ, MJ, MMMMMMJJJJAAAAYYYYYYY!" It made me so sad for her.

At first life was strangely quiet here and seemed too still. The kids needed some time to adjust to the change in the house, but now all are doing fine and we are back in the swing of how life was before when it was just us. I feel such a new awareness of my children and feel so blessed to be able to completely focus on them again. In some ways I feel like I'm getting to know them again since the past year was so, so full and my time alone with any one of them so very little.

Despite this, I would not change what we did for the world. I can truly say that I felt God work through me, and my family to help three kids find a better life and experience love. I don't know if I can say I have ever been more proud to be a part of something; something so much bigger than I will ever really know or understand. I am so thankful to God for all of it.

August Weddings

2008-10-14T02:38:00.000-07:00

Singing at the wedding - nerves of steel!

The girls with their gifts given to them for singing

Me with my group of best friends from high school
(I have no clue why my mouth is open...)

In August we had two more weddings to attend. The first was our good friend Connie who was the teacher at the private Christian school in Detroit Lakes, MN where the kids attended the program for homeschoolers each week when we lived in Moorhead. All of us grew quite fond of Connie and miss her greatly. She requested that Gabriella and Ruby sing His Banner Over Me is Love during the ceremony, so they did. I was apparently the only one nervous because neither of the girls suffered any stage fright whatsoever. It was a beautiful wedding in Connie's parent's home.

The next wedding this month was that of Debbie, my best friend in high school and college roommate. It was such fun to see so many of my school friends again and do some catching up. I even got to see some that could not attend our school reunion last summer which was such a great experience.

Sadly, we were invited to a couple of other weddings in August, but could not get them all in the schedule, or they were too far to travel to.

I'd say that August is a fabulous month to get married, although maybe I am biased since Mike & I celebrated our 15th anniversary on August 14th!

Mike & Sue Vacation in Maine

2008-10-14T02:02:00.001-07:00

Standing on the deck outside our room

All dressed up for the wedding!

Sue, David, Mel & Mike

Mike, Carlos, Jill & Sue

In June, after taking the kids to Family campmeeting for our usual summer vacation, Mike and I left for Maine to go to our close friend David's wedding. This was the first time Mike and I had been anywhere alone for longer than a day since Christopher was born - we were there for 4 days! (Only exception being our 2 day homeschool conference this past April.)

We had a grand time at the wedding which was absolutely amazing and beautiful - every bit of it. Mike & I were in the wedding party so we got to do lots of fun jobs to help out. Mike's favorite was being the DJ after the really awesome women's group finished playing at the reception. Many said that Mike was the most dedicated, fun DJ they had ever witnessed - AND he was voted Best Dancer by many of the guests! It was a great group of people to hang out with which made the wedding extra enjoyable - no crazy 20 somethings going crazy and wild - you know what I mean?

After the wedding festivities, we went to do some sight seeing in the Bar Harbor area - all breath taking - then off for a short visit to see our friends Jill and Carlos before they moved to Chile (yes, the one in South America). Jill was the midwife for our 4 children's births and a dear friend - so we HAD to see her before she left the country!

I thought I would miss my kids more than I did - what exactly does that mean? Hmmmmm? We had a fabulous time!

Sushi Candy Birthday

2008-10-14T01:47:00.001-07:00

Watch Mike's B-Day Video

Mike's Birthday July 29th

2008-10-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, yet another birthday (I'm off duty now until my own in December-which doesn't count, so I guess February). Anyway... Mike had a birthday, we're so glad... let us see how many he has had... or not? Note there are no candles anywhere, neither do you see a cupcake (gasp)! The kids and I decided to deviate from the cupcakes for Dad when we came across the idea to make cakes that look like sushi - since it is his #1 favorite food. We just could not resist. I threw in the trifle dessert for the rest of us to enjoy, which we did very much! It is my friend Beverly's recipe and I haven't made it in a long while - it was amazing of course (thanks Bev!).

We gifted Mike some books that he was wanting - what else would you expect??

July Fun on the Road

2008-10-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

Kids and Grandpa Mark at his river cabin in SD

Christopher & Mike displaying Christopher's solo catch

Having fun on the slip n' slide after a long day in the fishing boat

Kids bathing Pepper with Alyssa's help with a shower head looking device

Shereen persuading Hank to perform for us

Boys having fun cutting Matthew's hair

In July we all headed to Whitlock, SD to do some fishing with Grandpa Mark at his river cabin on the Missouri River. Great fun was had by all the gang, including MJ who was missing his siblings. Fish were caught, excitement was had on the slip n' slide, and just hanging out on the deck. We got to see Grandma Shirley while we were there too which was an added treat!

On the long drive home (nearly 9 hours) we stopped near Valley City, ND and spent the night at our very close friends' - the Meyer family. All sorts of craziness was had there including bathing the dogs multiple times after they went rolling about on dead critter remains, cutting Matthew's hair (he's the big cool 17 year old, so this was especially hilarious), horse rides, the performance of Hank the cow dog singing Happy Birthday and saying "I Love You", the moms (ah, yea that be Shereen & I) jammin out and disco dancing to the Bee Gees while making blueberry muffins in the kitchen (while the husbands & kids pretend not to notice), kittens living under the kitchen sink... you name it. My kids never wanted to leave - MJ wanted to move in under the sink with the cats I think!

At last we arrived home the next day, tired, tan, and toast!

Fawn & Justin Head to Their New Home

2008-10-14T00:26:00.000-07:00

Mike & I with my parents, sisters, brother, and all the kids

My sister Becky with our parents and her children, Justin, Fawn & MJ

July 5th marked a day that was an answer to prayer and filled with great joy, but also one that carried some sadness; it was the day Justin and Fawn left our family to begin life with a new one in which they are being adopted.

We had a family reunion that day at my Aunt's home and nearly everyone was there from my father's side of the family, more miraculously was that all of my siblings were present together as well as my parents for the first time in many years. It was such a wonderful time to be all together again after so many trials and problems over the years. My sister Becky was able to spend time with her kids before they went to their new home.

My cousin Wayne, his wife Jodi, and their son Thomas are an answer to prayer - they decided to add Justin and Fawn to their family and are in the process of adopting them. Despite being so incredibly happy for them, I could not help but feel somewhat sad when we drove away at the end of the day. They had been a part of our family for so long and I had fought the fight for them for what seemed like forever. God had it all worked out all along. I know they will be so loved in their new home.

MJ's 8th B-Day June 2nd

2008-10-14T00:15:00.001-07:00

MJ's birthday on June 2nd followed Christopher's. We had fun as a family and did some special things MJ requested, including a playdate with friends.

MJ received some cool water toys for the hot summer days ahead, some clothes, and other small gifts.

His meal selection was one of our family fav's... the healthy(ier) vegan version of the Taco John's Super Potato Ole (think tator tots piled high with taco salad fixins like refried beans, avocado, onions, tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, nacho cheese sauce - yes vegan nacho cheese sauce... etc)

Mj's Birthday cupcake of choice was Pumpkin Chocolate Chip. They were a BIG hit!

Christopher's 12th B-Day on June 1st

2008-10-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy turned 12 years old on June 1st and it was an odd feeling for me to say the least. He seems to be changing weekly before our very eyes. He has shot up in height to where he is just a mere couple of inches shorter than me, and the most crazy thing is that his voice has changed. I do not even recognize him when he speaks unless I actually see him talking!

We enjoyed Christopher's birthday together as a family and for his special event he chose to see the movie Prince Caspian with his parents and brother Elliot. We are all C.S. Lewis fans and have read the Chronicles of Narnia series, so we were eager to watch the film adaptation which was enjoyable (yet not completely true to the book, no surprise hmm?).

Christopher received gifts of money from grandparents, audio books, 2 more classic Hardy Boys books for his collection and a set of books called The Kingdom Series, that he had a desire to read (A Riveting Medieval Parallel to the Bible).

Last but not least... Christopher's birthday cupcake of choice? Apple Cider Cupcakes... mmmmmm! His birthday meal selection was vegan crepes (made by Dad)!

Homeschool End of Year Program

2008-05-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

On May 2nd, we participated in our end of the year production/project fair with our homeschool co-op. It was a great event that had tables set up displaying all the work the kids had been doing in their various classes all semester, complete with photos, projects, etc. There was also a two hour program where the kids did things in their class groups, as well as individually. Our overall subject theme this semester was mostly dealing with government in some format, so many of the program pieces were in this area. Both Ruby and Fawn's classes sang songs, such as "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue", Yankee Doodle Dandy and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Ruby's class invited their Daddies to join them on stage for a rousing round of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", which was a crowd pleaser to be sure. Mike did great and was able to keep up with the preschoolers quite nicely.

Gabriella had two classes she presented with, one where they went through all the presidents of the United States, and the other was the class I taught; we signed "God Bless America" in ASL.

Christopher was part of a skit (he was the narrator) and also helped with a government class presentation, as well as helping with the mock election that took place that night to conclude a semester long mock campaign for mayor that two women from the community participated in to really allow our students to experience all aspects of the campaign process and an election.

Individually, Christopher played a piano selection, and Gabriella recited a memorized poem, then concluded with a piano piece. They both did wonderfully.

Elliot sadly was not able to be there that night due to having been ill all week prior and still was at that time. He was hugely disappointed.

After the program, there were treats and time to visit. It was a special night to end a fabulous year with our homeschool group. We are so blessed to be a part of a group with so many wonderful families.

When we arrived home, we told Elliot all about the evening, and let him watch the videos we'd filmed throughout the program.

Homeschool Co-op Classes This School Year

**All the kids had Phy-Ed class each semester in addition to the following academic classes

Ruby: 1st Semester - Sign Language & Story Starters Class
2nd Semester: Little Patriots & Art/Music/Creativity

Fawn: 1st Semester - Drawing & Story Starters (activities that accompany classic children's books) 2nd Semester: Human Body & The Minute Kids (government class)

Gabriella: 1st Semester - Whiz Kidz Science & Art
2nd Semester: American Sign Language & Government/Presidents Class

Elliot: 1st Semester - Debate & Human Video (artistic movement to music to tell a story)
2nd Semester - Chemistry & Government

Christopher: 1st Semester - Institute for Creative Writing & Human Video
2nd Semester - Debate & Government

My Daily Battle

2008-05-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

My quest seems hopelss, yet I forge on with it day after day... the effort to try to have the entire house clean at one time. I feel good if I can just keep the main living areas tidy. When I bust my back getting the whole place clean top to bottom, it's serene pleasure ends within hours, or even minutes depending on who is at home & who is not.

Don't get me wrong, there are no dishes piled sky high or anything (the laundry on the other hand is a different thing), but there are items strewn about everywhere constantly needing to be put away etc...

The floor area under the kitchen table is swept daily, often multiple times, yet everytime I turn around there are enough dropped food items to feed a dozen ant colonies, mixed in with crayon wrappers, coloring sheets, crayons, pencils, slippers, who knows what?....

On the days I can get one level clean I go downstairs to find the basement trashed with toys everywhere. Kids bedrooms - let's not go there. A constant battle. I can say my own bedroom fluctuates too.

Laundry... my #1 nemesis... HATE everthing about it!

It seems the day is so full of homeschooling, hours of cooking and meal prep, running errands or taking kids to classes/activities and so on, that the house is difficult to focus on for great lengths of time.

Yesterday though, due to several sick kids resulting in no school here at home, I was able to tackle some cupboard cleaning & reorganization, which felt good to accomplish. It's been one of those areas that has driven me (and my poor husband, the neat guy in the home) NUTS! Speaking of my poor husband, the "neat, orderly-minded guy" he has been very challenged with my... well... challenges in homekeeping. I regularly think to myself that if I hear, "A Place for everything, everything in it's place..." ONE MORE TIME, I will dive out the closest window and run screaming through the woods. WHAT was Benjamin Franklin thinking of when he coined that phrase? It has only caused homemakers throughout the ages to harbor guilt or have compulsive fixation on the matter. Have you ever stopped to think that not everything Good Ol' Ben sputtered is not THE last word on the subject? Take this one for example... hmmmmmm? I beg to differ with you Ben.

Despite these difficulties, I am happy that our house is by no means a pigsty, it is however full of kids stuff, books, and all their clothes - which seems to be any many as the grains of sand on the ocean shore. I have been sorting and discarding, but the whole job of packing away winter clothes, getting out summer clothes, saving sizes for the next kid, etc. etc.. makes me dizzy with 7 kids - one in every size from 4-13 and shoes being passed down and around at a rate where I just cannot keep up. When we do laundry, it's a family activity where I just hold it up and the owner claims it. Socks are a nightmare - we sit in a circle and I pass out socks (using the hold it up method) until everyone has their socks matched and mated. The kids however think it's quite fun.. the "sock game", or "sock time.... yeah!" as they call it - wish I shared their enthusiasm for this chore.

I know that I should be happy in my humble work and do it all to please my maker and my family, but boy does it get mundane. Luckily spring has finally arrived to possibly revive my spirits - although spring cleaning may have to wait until... ummm late summer, possibly fall??!

A Year of Teaching American Sign Language

2008-05-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Counting in ASL - signing "9"

This year in our homeschool co-op the classes I taught were American Sign Language. The first semester I worked with 2-3 year olds, since I was used to teaching baby & toddler signing classes this was a breeze and quite fun. My class consisted of all girls the age of Ruby (who was also in the class) and we referred to the class as "The Little Princess Class". They had fun, and at the end of first semester in the winter production they sang and signed 2 songs: Jesus Loves Me and Happy Happy Home.

Ruby signing "flower" with some of her classmates

Last week, I finished my second semester of teaching a class of 6-7 year olds, which included Gabriella, who absolutely excels in signing (she's quickly passing up mom!). I was a bit more challenged by this group, not really for lack of material, but because of the different personalities in the class. A few of the kids just did not seem overly enthused about the subject material, while others, like Gabriella and her friend Matteya loved it and wanted to move at a faster pace. All in all though, the entire group ended up doing very well and learned a great deal, the inclusion of learning about Koko the gorilla who signs 1,000's of words increased topic interest all the way around! In the end-of-year program, this group signed and sang God Bless America; you can see them practicing in the photo below.

It just so happened that last week the college where Mike works put on an ASL presentation for children. The two college classes, along with two high school classes joined forces to present 3 short plays: The Three Little Pigs, The Gingerbread Man, & Goldilocks and The Three Bears - all done in ASL, with a narrator translating. In between the plays there were musical presentations the high school kids signed to, such as: Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Lean on Me, and Waiting for the World to Change.

My kids had a great time, and several of the kids from my ASL class were able to attend too, which was a great conclusion to their semester. Ruby was a bit nervous during scenes with the Big Bad Wolf, or the scene when the 3 Bears came home - on the other hand, she laughed herself silly when the Gingerbread Man ran about the stage! In the end, the entire auditorium gave a huge round of applause in ASL!

Gabriella & classmate learning signs about home and family - signing "mother"

learning to sign "turtle"

The Jane Austen Journey Continues....

2008-05-06T09:49:00.001-07:00

A modern Austen fan reading my personal favorite Pride & Prejudice

If you have been reading this blog you know by now about my new membership in the Jane Austen fan club (well not officially 'cause there is one, but ya know what I mean...). It began in February, so you can relish the posts there and into March to catch up if needed!

Anyway, since my enthusiasm was unbridled, I was able to hook up with a few lovely ladies from my church who had an interest in reading some Austen and shared a desire to watch the weekly Jane Austen series on PBS on Sunday nights that ran for several months, ending April 6th. Each Sunday Sue, Sharna, and myself (also Sue obviously), met at Marlene's lovely house - free of children, husbands, telephones, and anything "needy" - with the possible exception of Marlene's cats. Our lovely hostess provided us with goodies each week, consisting of popcorn, apple wedges, tea or water, and in a lovely sugar bowl off to the side was nutritional yeast (my favorite popcorn topping)... she was thinking of me especially, I felt so special. These delights could somewhat mirror a snack Dear Jane might enjoy... well at least the tea and apple wedges, popcorn may have not been "lady like" and reserved for festive evening fun solely with family members, when hulls stuck in a lady's pearly whites may go unnoticed. Anyway... it was a relaxing, pleasant time. Mike's Grandma Shirley joined us a guest one night while she was in town visiting and had, in her words, "a grand time"; we enjoyed having her there too.

This group was my first real "girls night" out, just for fun since I moved here, and it was most enjoyable! While we discussed books we read, we also enjoyed seeing Jane's characters come to life on the screen. Since we started late into the series, we were only able to actually watch Emma and Sense & Sensibility (BBC versions - not Hollywood). They were both very good. Some of us also jammed in reading Emma during this time. It was such a delight to get to know these women better, and to stay up chatting wayyy too late in the night!

We had such a great time, we have decided to reconvene as a book club in the fall. Currently we are in "planning mode" where we all are considering what books we want to suggest for the reading list. We also discussed doing additional things like making food to share that goes with the story somehow (thus the reason I was recently reading the Book Club Cookbook), as well as watching film versions of the books for comparison. I think this will be a great group and am looking forward to it; everyone brings a different flavor to the group and it will be exciting for all of us to expand our horizons with different styles of reading selections. We're taking suggestions, so fire away if you have any!

Currently, I have begun Persuasion by Miss Jane, which I have been eager to read for some time... but it was never in at the library. FINALLY, I discovered one of my book club buddies had it, so when she returned it, I was on it like... well, like, really fast...

Over the summer we may try to sneak in a few of the films from the PBS series we missed. One of the ladies emailed me that her mom purchased the DVD set, so we can catch up! Hopefully there will be some sultry summer nights where we can lounge with a fan and enjoy the refreshing tales of romance that are signature Austen.

48 Days Without Chocolate and Counting...

2008-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Susan (hi Susan), I am a chocoholic.....

I was born a chocoholic, who knows, my mother may have put chocolate milk in my baby bottle when I was yet an infant (it is not outside the realm of possibility). As a child I did not care for any other candy aside from something chocolate, no cookies or cakes either. Donuts needed to have chocolate icing, hot chocolate & toast was my favorite breakfast item (ya, I know...). My entire life has been filled with chocolate obsession. It is given to me for Christmas, birthday and Valentine gifts because everyone knows it is my heart's desire. My husband was programmed to arrive home with it if he knew I had a bad day, or was anticipating a difficult one ahead. It was, in some form, my favorite treat for movies, driving snacks, restaurant desserts, and the majority of the desserts I made at home. It WAS a huge part of my life. I say WAS, because on March 18, 2007 I gave it up. Today is my 48th day completely chocolate & cocoa free - not a chip, speck, dusting or sprinkle. Maybe you're wondering why I did such a thing? It was just time.

I have been very aware for some time how chocolate ruled my moods and how dependant psychologically I was on it... it functioned as a crutch, a chocolate fix for me was just that. I eluded myself by thinking I was doing much better by giving up milk chocolate and going only with the "healthier" dark variety over a year ago... but ya know what, despite the all the new stuff you read everywhere about how good it is for you, it really is not when you read the "real" research on it. I knew it all along, I just needed a kick in the pants to get me to take the plunge into chocolate free living, something I had never in my entire life experienced. Well, I got the kick I needed when I discovered that my chocolate lover was a contributor to my messed up hormonal problems, causing me to turn into Mommy Dearest for about 7-12 days a month. That was the incentive that I finally needed to stop my nasty love affair with chocolate/cocoa of all forms. So I gobbled up the remainder I had in the house on March 17th and went cold turkey the next day.

The first few days were challenging and it was obvious to me I would need to retrain myself in many ways. No more bite of chocolate when stressed, when kids are on my nerves, when needing a quick pick-me-up and so on. So much of my chocolate use (abuse) was incredibly habitual. THAT was the hard part to break out of.

Overall things have been going okay, Easter was weird at my aunts - everything was chocolate (except the pork...grrrr). I am continually amazed at how chocolate is EVERYWHERE! I dare you to try to go without it for awhile and you will see how difficult it is to get a snack, dessert item, nutrition bar, etc without it staring you in the face - it is astounding. The number of other options are meek in comparison. I would say my hardest battle with it was just recently when we had our end of year homeschool co-op production. We all made brownies to bring for afterwards (including me - and NO I did not lick the batter bowl or spoon) plus the group purchased a ton of brownies from a bakery. At the end of the night there were a ton left over that needed to be wrapped and frozen for upcoming events - guess who got that job?? Yours truly had to handle and foil wrap over 100 brownies that looked soooo yummy, some with frosting, some w/o. And of course I had to bring home my personal ones that were left over, much to my kids great joy & delight. They are still in my kitchen...they were calling to me bigtime yesterday, but today they have lost their power over me, so their voice is now silent. I have not succumbed to the temptation! Whew!

Ya know, I have given up ALOT of food in my lifetime. I came from an eating disorder background where food controlled my life, and with God's help I have really turned that situation around. Today I am a vegan (no meat, dairy or eggs), but I also do not drink coffee, pop or carbonated beverages, eat junk food (chips, candy, etc), I don't use white sugar or flour in my house (I'm an all whole grains, natural foods, raw veggies, sprouts, and so on... you get the idea kind girl). My last dietary vice was the beloved chocolate. I feel good giving it the boot.

Will I be able to remain chocolate free forever? I do not know, but it is nice to know that I can control it, instead of it me. I don't have a desire to invite it back into my life, so for now I'll keep on with the carob and some of my other new found yummie snacks....

Wish me luck and continuing success!

My NEW snack/treat favorites:

Mary's Gone Crackers & Hummus (homemade or Sabra)

Pretzels and Mustard (especially horseradish mustard)

Newman's Ginger O's Cookies

Soy Delicious Carob Peppermint Frozen Dessert

Herbal Teas, favorite is Good Earth Original w/o caffeine

Parsley & Oranges Blender Drink (lots of fresh parsley, whole peeled oranges w/o seeds, & OJ - {or water & frozen OJ concentrate in place of OJ})

SUSHI!! - can't get enough!

Gabriella's Dance Recital

2008-05-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

Gabriella with two of her homeschool co-op/dance class friends.

For the past year, Gabriella's regular weekly joy has been to attend her dance class at Heart & Sole Dance studio. I will firmly state that prior to last spring I had never once considered allowing my girls to be involved in dance for many reasons; high pressure, immodest clothing & outfits, inappropriate dance styles for young girls, all to name a few... but after I saw a group of students perform under the direction of a Christian teacher with a Christ-centered focus, my mind began to change. I explored the teacher and studio further and spoke to parents who had children work with her previously - I only received glowing reports. This woman had rules about the kind of clothes worn to dance class -modesty required, it was not high pressure performance based dance (regardless of the age group), and it was not about proudly displaying yourself, but to use the body God gave you to praise him through dance. After several months of consideration and prayer, Mike & I decided to enroll Gabriella in the class for the school year - a dream come true for her, she has always had a passion for dance since she was a toddler.

Many of the girls in Gabriella's class were also in our homeschool co-op, so she was surrounded by friends each week. Her teacher is a gem and probably the most patient woman on the planet, and her talents abound. She makes the class fun, not stressful and begins each class with a devotion period.

In April, the big day finally arrived for Gabriella's dance recital - all students in the program would be performing from age 4 through adult. I still harbored concern if Mike & I had made the right choice in having Gabriella involved, but all of it faded away as we watched not only our child, but many others including teens and adults dance in praise to God in a variety of dance styles - all of it artistic, pure, and uplifting. All performances were to Christian music, including hymns, classics, hip-hop, pop, and praise tunes - including favorites like I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me, I Need Thee Every Hour by Selah and You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban. We also were able to see the teacher perform, she was splendid to watch. She gave a short talk about her dream to start a Christian dance program to praise God through dance and how it came to be, and her hopes and prayers for the future of the program, including the fact that no child would be turned away for lack of funds or talent. The entire program was in a word: uplifting.

Gabriella did an outstanding job and really shined. She was front & center on the stage and not a bit nervous. Her age group performed twice, once alone and the other with ALL of the students of all ages on stage together for the final dance. She had a fabulous time and has already made her request to be involved in the program next year; she is saddened to have to take the summer off.

Last week we had our last day of homeschool co-op. In one of her classes she had show & tell time where she could bring 2 things to share about that were really special to her this year. She brought one of her American Girl dolls she received as a very special gift from her friend Laura, and her dance slippers. Her teacher found me later specifically to tell me what Gabriella shared with the class (since I was teaching elsewhere). She said when Gabriella talked about dance she summed it up with, "I love to dance because I feel like I'm dancing for Jesus and He is the only one watching. I feel happy when I dance."

Bible Verse from the first class devotion time:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

Gabriella with her teacher Cyndy Murdock (green dress)

Some of the Heart & Sole dance students on stage after final performance

Mike & I On Our FIRST Getaway in 12 Years!

2008-05-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, I bet you're intrigued aren't you? WHERE would we get away to after going NOWHERE together w/o children for 12 years.... yes, TWELVE years as of June 1st this year....

Did we go to a fancy resort? A weekend in the cities maybe? Jump on a plane for a romantic escape you wager? no... we headed off to the MN homeschool conference (MACHE) April 18th & 19th - yippee! Now I mean YIPPEE! and yippee when I say that. When you have gone noooo place together alone for the majority of your marriage, any place holds excitement and relief AND I was especially excited to attend a homeschool conference since I had never done so yet in my years of educating the kids in this fashion. Yet, after all the work of finding childcare for all the kids, getting a hotel in Duluth on the lake, etc... it was sort of odd and disappointing that Mike & I would have little time to actually be together and just relax. We both would be busy attending meetings and speakers and looking over curriculum booths.

Nevertheless, we had a great time, took in some outstanding presenters/info that will be hugely helpful in our homeschool next year, and purchased most of the curriculum we will need for the fall. There was some time to visit with friends that were there too, which was relaxing and pleasant. Mike had also scouted out great places to eat in the area: a pizza place that had lots of vegan options, and also a delicious Indian restaurant. The hotel was beautiful too - I could've sat in my room for half a day lounging if time had only allowed.

Meanwhile our kids were hanging out at our house with Mike's mom, who was wonderful enough to come from SD to stay with them, and our three extra kiddos were visiting another foster home in the area that they LOVE to hang out at - a horse farm, every kid's dream home.

It was a great trip, but Mike & I are greatly looking forward to our first REAL getaway coming up in June, where we WILL be jumping on a plane for a romantic getaway to Maine for a dear friend's wedding. While there we hope to have enough time to actually enjoy one another's company!

Gabriella Turns 7 Years Old

2008-05-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

April 17th was the day our Gabriella turned 7 - can you believe it? I can't. She's such a young lady, mature and intelligent beyond her years, yet how can she truly be seven already?

Her celebration was small, just our family and Grandma Marilyn present, but the b-day girl was not picky. We whipped out the good old cupcake stand and vegan cupcake cookbook again and set to work. Chocolate Mint Cupcakes were the selection made, so I made a batch of them, as well as a batch substituting carob for all the chocolate in both the mix and frosting - both of them turned out scrumptiously yummy and I marked another successful recipe in the newly beloved cookbook.

Gabriella enjoyed her gifts: clothes from Grandma, and some books, hair items, watch, and felt coloring poster from the family. She also go to select a figurine, horse and fairy for the ongoing collection here of knights, castles and figures she and her siblings play with.

I look at her and still cannot believe she is already 7, but then there are many days I am amazed she is only 7 .... go figure!

Finished Physical Therapy!

2008-05-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

After 12 weeks of physical therapy twice per week, I graduated on April 8th! My last day was weird... you get to know your team of therapists pretty well when you're with them 2-3 hours per week for 12 weeks straight. I was sad to say goodbye to them, and they expressed how odd it would be not seeing me at 7am in the morning to start their days twice a week. They sent me off with parting gifts; t-shirt, huge microwave heat bag, exercise props and a plan of continuing action. I must confess with the crazy calender we have had in April, I have done no work on my continuing recovery plan - but am pumped to get on track in May. I just need to, there is no other way. Even doing this plan faithfully, it will take me 1- 1/2 years to have full recovery and use of my knee from surgery date to finish.

Currently I can walk great, but not fast for long, and certainly cannot jog or run. I am not able to squat down or kneel yet either, and I do need to be careful how I move it. Yet, I am so thankful to have it functioning w/o pain and a major limp.

So.... back to getting on track with my exercises! I'll be doing very specific ones to build the muscles in certain areas in my knees and legs, as well as a walking program and yoga. In addition, I have orthopedic inserts on the way for my shoes since my feet are soooooo horribly flat it really messes with my knees, as well as my back. New shoes need to accompany the inserts too - it's a wicked $$$ spiral, but in the end it will hopefully prevent me from walking like an elderly woman at the age of 50!

Therefore, I welcome any peppy, motivational email you care to send my way to cheer me in my efforts to better health!

Newsboys Concert - Fantastic!

2008-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Call us crazy, but on the day when we knew our region was to endure one of the biggest snow storms this winter season, Mike, Christopher, Elliot and myself made the trek to St. Cloud (1 hr drive) to attend a Newsboys concert on April 10th.... Were we die hard fans? No, actually we were only slightly familiar with their music. Why did we venture out insanely then.... not sure, but so glad we did!

The story that brings us to the day of the concert is brief: one of the families in our homeschool co-op was getting a group together to go and she was buying the tickets to get a group rate for everyone. She had seen the band 3 times previously and her enthusiasm for them was contagious. Her older children had also been to their concerts and enjoyed them (ages 9 & 10). We had to make a decision by the end of the day, so the kids and I got on youtube and started watching some of their music videos. We decided that they were worth checking out further. From Mike & I's perspective, we felt it would be a great introduction to the world of rock concerts for the boys: good Christian music, attending with a group of their peers in the company of their parents, and wholesome fun.

On the day of the concert there were continuous storm warnings, travel warnings, cancellations and closings all going into effect for that night and the next day. We knew we would be able to make it to St. Cloud fine, but the getting home after would be another story... hmmmm? We checked with the other families - all were still committed to the adventure, so we hung in with the plan too. We dropped our other 5 kiddos off at our friends home and hit the road. Within 20 minutes we encountered bad blowing snow that only worsened the farther we traveled. By the time we arrived at the concert we knew it was going to get really bad... and it was moving that way FAST.

Anyway... we went inside.

Our friends had saved us a spot with our group, which was set up with the boys on a bleacher, the girls on the next one up, then parents behind them (moms together with Dads behind their wife) - all so well thought out for being able to chat and have fun.

First band was Article One from Canada - they were really good. They have this amazing violin player that "completely rocks!" (to quote one of the teens I was with). Next up was a soul style band called New World Son (also from Canada) that was super fun. Mike especially enjoyed these guys. The last warm up band was Rush of Fools from Alabama. Christopher & Elliot really perked up when this band hit the stage. Prior to this they had been standing still with hands over their ears and monkeying around with their ear plugs due to the mind blowing volume they had never in their little lives experienced, or even thought possible. Now, at last they became engaged and I saw them enjoy themselves a bit; I admit I enjoyed this group the most thus far too - they must share their mother's taste in music!

At last the Newsboys made a great entrance and the night took off! All I can say is that they were wayyyy more than I was expecting. It was a completely awesome performance that was fun, pure (no rock band insanity), and inspiring. The youngest concert goer I saw was around 18 months old (that was insane), the oldest had to be in her 80's... everybody having a blast. The concert included various styles of songs from slow and beautiful to loud, fast and fun. The lead singer also shared his testimony which was moving and touched the massive crowd. The grand finale of the show was a drum duo between the lead vocalist and the drummer which was exceptionally entertaining and included revolving, upside down drum sets and more.

Mike and I watched our two sons change from stiff dweebie like fellows into clapping, smiling concert goers who were actually getting into the fun. They didn't go all crazy by any means, but they were animated and enjoying themselves tremendously - the ear plugs even came out of Christopher's ears!

After the concert they were all chatter about how great it was, "could we buy a CD?", and so on. We were all hooked and instantly transformed into Newsboys fans.

The ride home was treacherous, with next to zero visibility and wicked blowing snow which had accumulated several inches while we were at the show. We saw countless vehicles in the ditch and many pulled over to spend the night. You could not see the road in most places and had to rely on the car ahead of you to lead the way (if there was one). The snow continued to pile up as we drove 15-20 mph home, taking 3 hours instead of 1, with Mike grasping the steering wheel with a death grip and both of us leaning forward in our seats trying to see out the windows in the wall of blowing snow. When we finally reached home we were exhausted. We had to leave the other 5 kids at my friends home for the night, it was after 2am and we could not go further to get to her house. They remained there until the following afternoon when our driveway and area roads were finally cleared from the several feet of snow we had received.

Any regrets about going - NOPE. The boys are still talking about the concert, and Christopher has requested a Newsboy CD for his upcoming 12th birthday - happy to oblige... that is if Mom can borrow it?!

Favorites tunes from the concert:

A Sunday Out to a Mozart Concert for Kids in Minneapolis

2008-05-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

On Sunday April 6th we all went to Minneapolis to see the Symphony performance titled *Mozart You Kid You!, geared especially for children. It was very educational as well as enjoyable and included several young performers: a 15 year old opera student, a trio of 3 young boys from the area boys choir, and a 9 year old girl who is an incredible piano prodigy. The concert was narrated by a entertaining and witty performer (Jamie Bernstein) dressed as Mozart who shared snippets of Wolfgang's life from childhood to death between symphony pieces & youth performances. We all learned more about his life, music and era while enjoying the talents of rising musicians along with the skilled Minneapolis Symphony.

While in the big city, we ate lunch at a fabulous Indian restaurant that was all vegetarian! Yum.

*Jamie Bernstein returns to Orchestra Hall after her popular Bernstein Beat concerts in 2005! Ms. Bernstein continues the tradition of her father Leonard Bernstein, presenting music to kids in a fun and unforgettable way. This concert celebrates the music of Mozart, from his first minuet at age 4 to his final opera, The Magic Flute. Hear guest performers as young as Mozart was when he entertained the kings and queens of Europe. Mozart favorites on this concert include Symphony No. 40 and the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro.

April is National Poetry Month - Get Inspired!

2008-04-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

You probably already know that April is National Poetry Month, so why not use that as an excuse to spend a little more time with poetry, which is so often set aside in our busy schedules.

I love poetry books, and am amazed at how many fabulous poetry collections there are for children (not to mention adults)! We usually have a few poetry books in the family room for the kids to look through, but I have brought them all off the shelves and placed them in a basket next to the sofa for the month to encourage extra reading. I have challenged myself and kids to try to read at least one new poem per day this month... we'll see if we can keep on top of it. I'd like to encourage all of you to consider setting a poetry goal of your own for April too!

Below are some creative ideas I thought of to sneak some poetry into our lives....

1) Have books placed around the house where adults & kids sit to relax. Get some from the library if needed.

2) Add a poem or two to your daily family read aloud time.

3) Listen to poetry on CD, tape or MP3 players while driving

4) Don't forget the nursery rhymes for younger kids!

5) Subscribe to a "poem a day" email list.

6) Google "National Poetry Month" or "poetry for kids" for lots of great lesson plans and ideas.

7) Try to attend a poetry reading, or have your own.

8) Encourage children to read a favorite poem in any talent shows or programs they may have coming up.

9) Read the biography of a poet you or your children especially like.

10) Write some poems just for fun!

11) Place a poem in a lunchbox, current book being read, etc as a surprise.

12) Get that magnetic poetry kit back onto the fridge! Or check out this online version the kids might enjoy: online magnetic poetry

13) Encourage kids with their own email accounts to select a few favorite poetic lines to use as their email signature/footer, and don't forget your own!

14) Celebrate the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day April 17th! The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores. Create your own Poem In Your Pocket Day event

Here is a link where you can make a special stapleless book to carry for this very purpose (for extra fun).

Hope I have inspired you, just a teeny bit?

PS The Dollar Tree is currently carrying a few of Mattie Stepanek's poetry collections. His work is beautiful and inspiring. What an amazing child. http://www.mattieonline.com/

Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.
--ANTONIO VIVALDI from the Four Seasons

In My Arms by Plumb

2008-04-03T07:40:00.001-07:00

I heard this song for the first time a few days ago while driving. I immediately loved the artist's voice and style, as well as the lyrics. I plan to explore more of her work.

In My Arms by Plumb

your baby blues
so full of wonder
your curley cues
your contageous smile
and as i watch
you start to grow up
all I can do is hold you tight

knowing clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

story books are full of fairy tales
of kings and queens and the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
you'll someday see the truth from lies

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

Castles, they might crumble
dreams may not come true
but you are never all alone
'cause I will always
always love you

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms
in my arms

Ruby Turned 3!!!

2008-03-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

You can view more birthday photos at Mike's Flickr site. Click here.

On March 21st Ruby turned 3 years old - our baby is now a little girl, who seemingly became so almost overnight. She bounces about the house in her pigtails, clothed in pink (98% of the time) and chats up a storm & sings all day.

We celebrated her birthday by having a little family party (just us) and viewing the new film Horton Hears a Who... which was very entertaining and made all of us, from the very small to the very tall, laugh out loud with unbridled glee. My personal favorite line in the film was "In my world, everyone would eat rainbows and poop butterflies." Maybe you have to see it to completely appreciate it??? Anyway, a great "G" rated film that got the Amick "two thumbs up".
Back at home, the kids & I had spent the day making homemade pizzas and... VEGAN CUPCAKES from our new cookbook (see blog previous to this one). Lucky little Ruby was the first to get to choose her birthday delight... which were Cookies & Cream Cupcakes & Gingerbread Cupcakes w/ Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting. They turned out fabulously yummy!
Ruby opened her gifts, her favorites being a Hello Kitty outfit from Grammi, some Monkey hair accessories, a Hello Kitty beginning phonics reading set of 12 books, and a wonderful wooden memory game called I Never Forget a Face. It teaches multi-culturalism to young children in a creative way. Mom way digs it!

She also was given a copy of a book she has often enjoyed from the library called Pinkalicious, a story about a girl who eats too many pink cupcakes and turns pink! Hmmmmmmmm???? There is also a sequel called Purplicious we have had fun reading.

Ruby celebrated her birthday in Sabbath school today, which was great fun. She was one of 5 children I sang the birthday songs to, and had prayer for - it nearly took up half of the program time for the day, but was delightful.

A New Family Tradition...Special Occasion Vegan Cupcakes!

2008-03-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

I love cookbooks and always enjoy looking over new ones. Currently I have The Complete Book Of Sushi checked out from the library that we enjoy looking over and getting ideas for making vegetarian Nori rolls and more.

A few days ago I got my very own copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule . I had seen it before and had wanted to own it to assist me with the frequent challenges of creating good vegan birthday cakes. I thought this would be a fun tradition to have an entire book of fabulous cupcake recipes for the family to choose from (with photos) for their birthdays and display them in a creative way... forget the big cake! (Exception being the long loved popcorn cake b-day tradition we enjoy.)

I purchased one of those cupcake tier stands to put all the little gems into and wa-lah! Better than a cake - you have a tree of cute little baby cakes. Genius!

The entire household is busy picking out their cupcakes to be baked for their birthdays - bookmarks galore in such a little cookbook!

By the way... the cupcakes are quite divine! No one would be disappointed with these, nor would they ever suspect they are vegan (shhh - don't tell) - they put your usual cupcakes to absolute, utter, and may I add, complete shame.

You just cannot leave a single crumb behind!

The Departure of a Minnesota Winter...Perfectly Penned

2008-03-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

The excerpt below is from Blue Heart Blessed, a Christian fictional novel I am currently reading. It is set in current day Minneapolis, MN. (You can learn more about it by investigating my book shelf on the right margin of this blog site.) I enjoyed this passage since it spoke so closely at my time of reading it, in relation to the current day & season... and my own life experience.

Some people say spring in Minnesota takes its time arriving. Winter --- that lovely white season that never wants to let go -- can hang around till after Easter. It can leave and then come back. There was many a time growing up when I wore a wool cap to church on Easter Sunday instead of a bonnet. I've played soccer with mittens on my hands. I've sat before a fireplace on May Day. I've put blankets on newly planted window boxes when frost was predicted. There are years when it seems like I live a mere stone's throw from the North Pole.

And just about the time you think you'll go mad, you see your first robin, and that's all anyone talks about because they've all just seen their first robin, too. The last of the snow --- truly disgusting stuff that's more brown than white-- finally melts away and the heads of tulips erupt from the ground like little green noses. May can begin with a lovely set of days that tease you into thinking you can put away your coat and gloves, but halfway through the month an arctic wind will leave you shivering at softball games, track meets, and outdoor graduation parties.

Then one day, maybe it's Memorial Day or the first of June, a lever will be thrown somewhere in heaven, and the climate will make an abrupt shift that has you fiddling with your heater one day and your air conditioning the next. That to me is not spring taking its time. That is winter taking its time. Taking its time leaving. Spring arrives in one day in Minnesota. And leaves the next.

It is abrupt, not sluggish.

The weather will be cold and blustery one day--- and then the next, warm and muggy. It can happen that fast.

Your world can change that fast.

Squirrels and More Squirrels - Homeschool Focus in Art Today

2008-03-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Today we combined many learning experiences we have enjoyed over the past few weeks into one fun project. Our work in our nature notebooks as well as attention to poetry have both been dismal these past months as we have focused our time and energy on more core subject material - so today we had a bit of a "homeschool holiday", and killed a few birds with one stone, as the saying goes.

This winter we have learned much, and found pleasure in bird watching/feeding to accompany our lessens in zoology. Part of this time has been spent observing a pair of squirrels visiting each day climbing the tree near our deck and forming a plan to get onto our deck to carry out their mission of stealing all the bird food and goodies. For weeks we watched the sly pair sit in the tree, which was ohh too close for comfort, eying the variety of birds with keen interest and us even more as we watched through the sliding glass doors. But alas! Last week the shifty duo managed to carry out their scheme and haul away all the birdy booty, but not good enough... the gluttonous ground squirrels check back daily for any fresh supply, eager to hoard it all until the arrival of better spring weather.

Incidentally, for Christmas this past year, a good friend of ours who knows we collect Christmas Nutcrackers gave us a gift that was a bit of a fun twist on the theme - a giant, functional, silver squirrel nutcracker called Davy Crackit. Our jolly rodent has been the centerpiece on our table next to a bowl of nuts since being welcomed into the home, and the kids have enjoyed many a happy hour cracking nuts open with him (and making quite the mess).

A few weeks ago, we came across a wonderful book at the library that possessed the most intriguing artwork: Squirrels by Brian Wildsmith. The illustrations were bold and colorful, and I immediately recognized some of them created by the wet-on wet painting technique that is popular in Waldorf schools and that we used to do with frequency when Christopher & Elliot were younger. I was inspired to renew the acquaintance with our long lost pastime and whip out the paints.

Thus today the children were assigned to write a poem about our squirrel visitors and then we used the artwork in the book by Wildsmith to inspire us in our watercolor paintings using the wet-on-wet technique (although some of the kids deviated from it into more traditional watercolor work). We will place the finished paintings and poems together in each of the kid's nature journals.

It was a refreshing day of creativity!

Christopher's Squirrel

(although we think it looks more like a kid dressed up in a tiger suit!)

Gabriella's Swimming Squirrels on A Sunny Day Among the Reeds

Elliot's Squirrel Duo

Ruby's Fiery Red Abstract Squirrel

Mom's Rendition of Brian Wildsmith's Squirrels

Invasion Of Illness on the Homefront

2008-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Last week we were invaded with sick bugs of all kinds at our house. The first victim was MJ on Tuesday who was diagnosed with pneumonia, the next day Elliot got positive strep test results, and the following day Justin too was given positive strep throat results. Christopher threw in a bit of variety with a sinus infection, and all the little girls had varying levels of a respiratory illness... which now a week later I am lucky to have picked up.

All the boys continue on their meds and are improving. All are back at school and battling the last of their lingering symptoms.

Fun! Fun!

Elliot's 9th Birthday... Wolf Captures & Bonfires

2008-03-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

On February 23rd Elliot celebrated his 9th birthday. It was an eventful day that began with a long awaited opportunity our entire family was excited about. We were given permission (along with some others) to accompany a research team into Camp Ripley to observe the yearly wolf capture there. There is a wolf pack (or 2) living in the woodlands there that are being monitored and researched by using radio collars. It was now time to find the wolves using an airplane to track their signals, then a group in a small helicopter go try to chase them out in the open enough to shoot them with a tranquilizer dart and bring them back to an area in the forest to measure & weigh them, put a new collar on etc. We were to be observers of this process and were on location early in the morning brimming with excitement. Sadly, after 4 hours outside and cold they were only able to bring in the alpha female, who shocking to all was dead, and had been so for just a few days. It was noticed that she had several bite wounds on her body that may have become infected and caused her death. The team planned to study her further. The remaining hours they had difficulty catching the wolves due to them hiding in culverts, tunnels etc - it was shared with us that this lack of capture success was very unusual and that all typically goes much more smoothly. In the end, the helicopter became damages when it nicked some heavy branches, so the project was ceased for the day. There were many adults and children who left in disappointment... including ours. Ruby is still praying for the "dead mama wolf"!

Upon returning home around 2pm, we cooked up Elliot's meal that he requested for his special day (our homemade vegan/healthier version of Taco John's Super Potato 'Ole) and had his popcorn b-day cake. Then Elliot opened his gifts and was glad to receive a watch that he had his eye on, and the audio book of Pilgrim"s Progress. After a short rest we all headed off to our friends home for a church social that included an evening outdoor bonfire (MORE outside time), sledding, crockpots of homemade hot chocolate, and good company. We returned home exhausted and collapsed into bed! What a day!

More Time on Austen....

2008-03-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

Since the last writing I have read 2 more of Jane Austen's books and enjoyed them very much. Sense and Sensibility was the first, followed by Northanger Abby, which I just concluded.... I was surprised by the somewhat change of style and and alter of approach to topic that I found In the later of the two - I appreciated it greatly (a bit of variety ya know).

I also rented and viewed The Jane Austen Book Club last week, waiting for an evening that Mike was out of town so I could savor it all alone. It was very entertaining and witty.

Not sure which of her books I'll pick up next, I guess it depends on what the library has available tomorrow!

Pride And Prejudice - Best Film Option

2008-02-18T20:31:00.001-08:00

This segment captured the essence of the film beautifully. (sigh)

Becoming a Jane Austen Junkie??

2008-02-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I had read Jane Austen back in college due to being an English major, and also due to taking book & film classes, but I never really enjoyed her work all that much. Maybe it was because I was young, or possibly because I was in a hurry to get the reading done (since you only get a week or less), or might it have been the fact that I had to read it .... I know not - but I was never absorbed by any of her books or overly impressed with them... until yesterday.

Over the past few years I have been revisiting many of the classics that were crammed into my college days, and undoubtedly enjoying them so much more, or even for the first time as I read them now vs then. Jane Austen is an author who has been on my list for some time to re-read, so after a timely chat with a fellow homeschool mom who adores her work immensely I decided to take the plunge once more (and set Dickens aside temporarily). Ironically, the very night I had this conversation, I had earlier that day purchased the film version of Pride and Prejudice (the 1995, 6 hr long mini series by BBC). I had ordered it with some homeschool materials because it was on sale and I am always thinking ahead - plus it was the film version of choice by any true Austen fan and most closely follows the book.

So, there it was decided, I would begin with the tale of Darcy & Elizabeth (again). I started the book a bit last week, but due to time limits only got a few chapters into it, but then Saturday night I read like a fiend and became so engrossed in it, I did not want to put it down.. so I was eating my V-Day dark, dark, dark chocolates to try to keep my eyes open to read till the end. When blurriness forced me to surrender to sleep, I set the book aside quite reluctantly. The next afternoon I was able to seize the story once more (after kicking butt on the house and occupying the kids so I could give my full attention to my reading enjoyment). I finished the book in short time and LOVED it. I saw, understood, and appreciated so much that I had missed before, and even though I had seen a few film versions of the story already, I was captivated by the book details and incidents that were left out of them. Now I was on fire to watch the entire BBC film...

Did I mention that Mike is in Florida? Oh yes, so I had the time to do what I wished (aside from taking care of the seven kids of course...). So, that night after they were asleep or in beds reading I began my movie marathon of Pride & Prejudice, and even though I had just finished the book, I was consumed by the film as I amazed at how well the film makers and cast captured Jane Austen's work on screen in an accurate, true light... nothing was left out... nothing! I never wanted to see it end! I was most fascinated by Jennifer Ehle, who played Elizabeth and how she was without a doubt born to play the role of Elizabeth Bennet - the way she captured her was nothing less than astonishing, and Colin Firth was truly the best Mr. Darcy I could ever imagine on screen as well. (Keep in mind I have seen all other film versions of this book previously.) Be sure to watch the film trailer above created by a devoted fan.

I immediately got online (mmm, around 2am) to see if any sequels had been written - huh! Check this out if you dare! I don't even know where to begin!?? After doing some online reading I am in fear of becoming what is known as a "JA Junkie"... but would that truly be so bad I guess? I even found a quiz to help you discover which Pride and Prejudice character you are ... My score was most close with Jane (sweet, sweet, angelic Jane) - can you believe that??? It may say something about the accurateness of the quiz huh? (Oh, next I was closest to Elizabeth.)

If you'd like to hear the first chapter of this delightful book read aloud (in a most creative way)... go here.

Anyway... tonight I rented the new to video film Becoming Jane . I'll let you know how it is!

Next Day:
Okay... I watched it. To sum it up, I had a difficult time getting into it because I just did not like it initially. I actually stopped the film for awhile and did some chores, then resumed it. After this break to readjust my mind about what to expect I was able to enjoy it as "just an entertaining movie". Which it was, and there were some very moving parts in it, but as far as a true representation on Austen it was lacking. My sentiments lie with this reviewer. If you are just seeking a romantic film, you'll enjoy it. If you are seeking authentic Austen adjust your thinking or leave it on the shelf.

I think I'll give these a peek! Wish I could've caught them all...

"The Complete Jane Austen" on Masterpiece Theatre (PBS):

Jan 13
Persuasion

Jan 20
Northanger Abbey

Jan 27
Mansfield Park

Feb 3
Miss Austen Regrets

Feb 10-24
Pride and Prejudice (3 2-hour episodes)

Mar 23
Emma

Mar 30-Apr 6
Sense and Sensibility (2 90-minute episodes)

My Favorite Valentine Song This Year

2008-02-18T19:01:00.001-08:00

On Valentine's Day I had to do 6 hours of driving, so I heard ALL sorts of love songs from every style of music and decade (oldies, 70's, 80's, 90's, and today). BUT, even though this one was played after the Valentine song runs were over - it was my personal Valentine's Day favorite... enjoy!

Valentine's Day Fun

2008-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

We had some fun this year in preparation for Valentine's Day. About two weeks prior to it, we drew names within our family for secret pals (of course Ruby & Fawn needed some assistance). For this period of time the kids had fun doing special things secretly for their pal, such as making their bed, giving them extra help, leaving them notes, giving them little gifts, etc. Everyone had a great time and looked forward to the revealing on Valentine's Day... surprisingly, only 3 of us guessed who was our pal correctly!

Other fun things included a massive Valentine prep day the Sunday before the holiday. Now, we have never use the little boxed cards that kids can purchase because we have just enjoyed making home-made ones each year, but this year was tooooo beyond that due to Justin, MJ & Fawn having classes to supply them for and my kids + Fawn having the homeschool co-op to bring for - we were in excess of 100 easily! Therefore we were all about Hello Kitty, I Spy, and Pixar fims Valentines!

Of course, on party day(s) each of the kids came home with bags of cards and plenty of treats. I had to confiscate the goods from the smaller, untrustworthy ones to give out gradually (and just throw some of it away). Those of us who attend the homeschool co-op got to make V-Day boxes to have people put things in for us and also enjoyed a potluck. Fun, Fun!

Mike and I did not get to have our usual V-Day ritual of watching Chocolat or another film from our romantic favorites list due to traveling etc. (yet) But we did exchange gifts...

I gave him some books that he is very excited about and that came highly recommended by a friend (I know, not very romantic to most?) .... definitely read the info about the first one listed below - "Listed by Abraham Lincoln, alongside the Bible and Pilgrim’s Progress, as one of the books that most influenced his life, few true tales of adventure and survival are as astonishing as this one."

Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival on the Sahara by Captain James Riley

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King (a revision of the above)

We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth

Mike gifted me my usual assortment of fine chocolate bars from a variety of countries ( new ones to try each year - yummy!) and a new suede winter coat (I've wanted one for a few years and have not had a NEW coat in over 12 years! All second hand store stuff until now!)

Our Favorite Romantic Movies for Valentine's Day

1) Chocolat
2) Phantom of the Opera 2004
3) Gone with the Wind
4) Pride and Prejudice 1995 version newly added!
(be prepared to snuggle up and cuddle for a long time!)

Observing the District Spelling Bee

2008-02-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Ever since watching the film Akeelah and the Bee over a year ago, my kids have been way into having spelling bees at home. It was a very inspiring film for them and they attacked the subject of spelling with a new kind of conviction.

Today we ventured out to watch the district spelling bee for 4th & 5th graders in our region. It was an interesting thing to experience and the atmosphere is one in which you could hear a pin drop... despite this little Ruby and Fawn did wonderfully and allowed the rest of us to focus on the spellers.

I was amazed at the 12 kids we observed in the 4th grade group and what good spellers they are. I consider myself a good speller and enjoyed the opportunity to visualize the words in my mind as they were called off... but I must admit, there were two words I got wrong! In the "spell down" to break the 4 way tie between the final four 4th grade students the words were surprisingly difficult... and now of course I cannot even recall any to list as an example (we were all getting weary of the pressure of complete silence by now and restlessness of body and mind were settling in after nearly 2 hours). In the end, the boy that Elliot had predicted would be the winner prevailed and carried away the trophy to move on to state competition in a few weeks.

All of us enjoyed the opportunity, and when we returned home the kids immediately hit their lists to study for their own spelling test scheduled for later today. They did however express relief that I had not copied down the words from the bee to create their future word lists from!

Knee Surgery Update

2008-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I have written, due inititally to just not getting on the computer often or for very long because of my knee recovery. Steps were challenging and our computer being in the basement, just was not very inviting. Then, once I got more mobile, I was so behind with everything that priorities had to come first, and then my knee was tuckered out and I was back in the chair. Excuse of late, many topics I am desiring to blog, but just am too exhausted at the days end to write. Alas, here I am to plug in an update....

We were very blessed for 3 weeks following my surgery to receive suppers deliverd to our home from church members due to my near permanency in the chair and not being up for long on my legs. We ate like kings each night and the kids lived off of cold cereal and PB & J sandwhiches during the day! I also have a dear friend who popped by each week to round up the kids into a work crew and oversee and organize the household chores, including laundry which is always challanging! It was so helpful!!

I have been, and continue to go to physical therapy twice per week. The exercises grow more challenging each week, and now that I am off crutches (but still wearing the brace) I get to do more interesting things which also include work with weights, balance, etc. My knee and quadrecep muscle are doing well in their return, now I am begining work on my hamstring recovery - that whole area is totally on vacation! I am fortunate to have a great therapist and his entire team are fun to work with and make the experience pleasant.

At home I have exercises I should be doing, and still have the "zapper machine" as I call my Neuromuscular Stimulator Tens Machine. I still just do not enjoy using that thing!

I continue to work for and towards a full recovery of my knee, although the possibility has been stated that I may not get complete range of motion back with it. I tend to have faith that I just might anyway.

ACL Surgery Video

2008-01-04T12:36:00.001-08:00

Lucky me - on December 27th, 2007 I had this very procedure done (but it is not me starring in this film version)... Merry Christmas! (and when was the new year exactly??).

Now, one week later I am strong enough to get to the computer and watch this... NO WONDER I was in such pain for days! I am sooo thankful I was completely out for this - I could barely watch this short film, and the kids were um... freaking - except for one of them who kept pointing out the holes in my leg to match the ones being made in the film. Or the other who asked how in the world I stayed asleep through all of that (I don't even have a clue there).

I'm woozy now... I'll write more later and let you know how recovery is going after week #1.

Can I just say... owie???!

Tim Hawkins - A Homeschool Family

2007-12-19T20:28:00.001-08:00

This was sent to me by a fellow homeschooling mom, and I just loved it. Mike and I explored more of Tim Hawkins' comedy online, both on youtube and his website - he's very funny on a variety of topics (with clean humor). If you need some good laugh therapy - do check him out. Enjoy!

The Beatles - Birthday

2007-12-15T22:28:00.001-08:00

December 15, 2007

Click the above for your listening pleasure while I tell you that "TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!"

I knew I would have a good day when while still in the shower this morning, the shower curtain was slowly drawn back slightly by my darling husband who held out a fork with a chunk of brownie on the end ... fresh from the oven still oozing and warm to wish me a "happy b-day"! Fresh baked brownies for breakfast (!??), certainly not the norm here, but a fun and romantic surprize to be sure! He's just that way sometimes, could I be more lucky?

I had a very nice day, that included being sung "Happy Birthday" to at church potluck, Christmas caroling, and an enjoyable Christmas party that I helped plan and coordinate at the church.

This evening I am alone and will soon watch a movie I have been wanting to see. My kids are having a slumber party in one of their bedrooms, while Mike took our extra kiddos for a visit with their mother - they departed this evening (late) after the Christmas party and will return Sunday night.

Maybe after I conclude this post I'll enjoy my pan of birthday brownies, or some of the scrumptious chocolates I received as gifts from my crew. Or maybe I'll listen to my lastest addition to my Christmas CD collection (a b-day gift tradition since my first year with Mike)... who knows - maybe I'll just go all wild and crazy and hop in bed all by myself and sleep in late while the kids gorge themselves on candy from the Christmas party loot..?!

After all.. I SAY IT's MY BIRTHDAY!

Who else may claim..."It's My Birthday too, yeah!"... you may wonder? Since you asked, one famous fellow I've always known shares my birthday is Tim Conway, legendary funny man from my youth. Name doesn't ring a bell.. see the post below.

Tim Conway the Dentist

2007-12-15T22:22:00.001-08:00

I was reminded of this skit recently - I had seen it years ago when my family watched The Carol Burnett Show every week.

Happy B-Day to Tim today too!

Does having seen this air originally date me at all? Whew! Sure feels like it!

Happy Christmas music video by John Lennon:

2007-12-15T21:17:00.001-08:00

This song has spoken to me each Christmas for a long as I can remember. Recently we heard it on the radio and my son Christopher commented, "That was a really good song Mom" and I knew he understood the deeper meaning held within the lyrics and I was moved by his sensitivity. I have never mentioned my fondness for this song to anyone previously, so his comment was genuine, and all his own.

Tonight I did not expect to discover the film above while exploring what was to be found on youtube to accompany this music. I thought long about whether to post this video on my blog... or not, due to the upsetting and disturbing images it includes... but ultimately I decided that is the very reason it should be shared with others.

As much as I enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ each Christmas, it is of utter importance that we not stop there, but remember the lessens he taught and the message he preached during his life here; and when I take pause to look beyond my own "little world" into the much bigger one that demands all of our attention, I long for the day Christ will return again and there will be no more tears.

May this serve as a reminder for all of us who live in a country where it is easy to forget about the war, famine, poverty, and weeping "over there" that so many suffer everyday - even Christmas Day.

" And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Rev. 21:4

My Speeding Ticket Rant - AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

2007-12-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons I utilize this blog, mostly to record our life events, sometimes to journal for myself (occasionally forgetting others may be reading it), and rarely to vent - like today. Since I am the only adult in my little world right now until Mike arrives home for supper, and then there is no time for adult discussion for hours anyway, dear blog (and readers) today you are my outlet for frustration... you may wish to move on to another entry if at this point you don't wish to be privy to my keen irritability at this moment.

But, in hopes that I can "get it off my chest" and move on with my day and care for the kids without being a nasty beast.. here we go...

Reasons why my day was ALREADY rotten...

1) My two nephews spent the morning being cranky & testy towards each other during breakfast and down the driveway to the bus.... nice start to the day.

2) Spent the morning preparing for tribal court at the beginning of next week, a very pivotal hearing is planned. As always an emotional, stressful process.

3) Trying to get house clean, schoolwork done, and ready all for church social and supper I am helping organize for Saturday night before leaving late morning to take Justin to the dentist at 11:30am.

4) Receive a call from Justin's teacher that he has had a "meltdown" at school related to the upcoming visit with his mother this weekend. He is missing and cannot be located at present moment. All students are looking for him, and I need to come in. This is the first time this has ever happened since him coming to live with us, so I am surprised, concerned, and irritated all at once.

5) Yank Ruby out of her bath with wet hair and get she & Fawn ready to dart to the school, while assigning my three oldest children lessens and chores to do while I'm gone.

6) Trying to leave, and Fawn's preschool bus shows up, blocking me in the driveway and I need to get out and spend 10 minutes explaining that Fawn does not go to preschool on Fridays and correct all paperwork on the spot, standing in the cold (while the driver remains warm inside the bus and my two itty-bitty's wait in the van).

7) Arrive at the school and get debriefed by Justin's teacher as to the details of "the event". Am still being informed as I realize I am supposed to be standing in the dental clinic at that very moment and it's across town - which in Brainerd due to the stop lights set to keep the 87% elderly population that resides here driving at a comfortable pace equate to taking FOREVER to get there. I depart - driving the speed limit regardless, and arrive 20 minutes late.

8) I leave appointment with a boy who has a mouth full of gauze and is even more sullen than when I picked him up - still wondering what is up with him. Make 2 fast pit stops on the way home for items that were needed ASAP.

9) NOW... the clincher.. I am driving home (the legal speed limit) and am about 1 mile from my house. Ruby had mentioned a few times earlier she had to pee - now she really has to go. I speed up to just under 65 to get that extra mile home covered quick, and who turns the corner... yes... it's Robocop... with a short circuit, I kid you not. After he saunters back to his vehicle, takes a nap there and decides to finally return, he hands me a ticket for $117 and says "You're a really good driver, nothing on your record." I wanted to say... "Gee, thanks for the break, Merry Christmas and be sure to ask for a sense of humor from Santa", or "hey, maybe since you seem to have nothing better to do, maybe you'd like to clean the urine off my daughter's booster seat now before you head out?" All I could do was remain silent and look at the ticket in utter disbelief - I have not received one in over 11 years and was dazzled by the inflation in prices I was now subject to.

I returned home (about a 1 minute drive), slapped the ticket on the fridge with the rest of the papers and forms to be dealt with ASAP, put Ruby back in the tub and made lunch for the kids. I now need to close this rant session, do some deep breathing and have a counseling session with Justin in hopes of finding out what is in his head today.

Breathe in... breathe out....

Family Weekend Getaway with the MN Orchestra's Sleigh Ride Performance

2007-12-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had a special family getaway to Minneapolis that included attending the MN Orchestra's Family Christmas Concert Sleigh Ride on Sunday afternoon.

I was blessed enough to WIN 6 free tickets in early October, after trying to purchase them in August, to find them sold out for all nine performances - and was placed on a cancellation waiting list. I was incredibly disappointed when I thought we would be unable to attend, then was elated when I received an email several weeks later notifying me of winning FREE tickets - it was certainly a "God thing", because I NEVER win anything... ever - and the email was discovered at the end of a particularly challenging day. I felt it was a direct gift from Him to me to lift my spirits and remind me he cares about even the little things that matter to us.

Justin, MJ, and Fawn spent the weekend with a lovely foster care couple here in the Brainerd area that have a horse ranch (40 total) and 5 dogs. This is an older couple with adult children who adore kids. Their home was so decked out in Christmas decor I was even amazed! The kids of course had an absolute fabulous time and are asking when they can visit them again...

Meanwhile, our now "small" family of six set out in the seemingly empty 12 passenger van to Minneapolis where we spent the weekend in the home of our good friends Jim & Jan Hiner. We never tire of their company and our kids adore them... plus Jan makes the best vegan food - how can you go wrong? We were honored to help Jan celebrate her 52nd b-day on Sunday morning with a lovely vegan brunch that Jim did the majority of the cooking for.

While there, we attended the church where Jim is the pastor and got to enjoy his sermon, we also spent time shopping Saturday evening at a fun toy store, a fabulous book store, Maegers and Quinn, that I highly recommend, and the Whole Foods Market and Byerly grocery stores for fun food.

On Sunday we attended the concert which was full to capacity, and were in the fifth row on the floor! Great seats! We have enjoyed the Fargo Symphony Orchestra which is very good on many occasion, and also the Heartland Symphony that travels through our current area.. BUT I must say that the MN Orchestra is without a doubt exceptional - so much so, they were just nominated for a Grammy Award for their CD release of Beethoven's 9th.

The concert was extremely enjoyable and it's theme was sleigh ride songs from around the globe throughout history. There were also other pieces intermingled within and amazing performances by a ballerina from the MN Dance Theater and dancers performing to a Russian Dance, as well as enormous puppets (the kind with people inside of them), and the String Students from MacPhail Center for Music joined in on the last piece (Beethoven's 9th). As a former Suzuki method family, it was amazing to see between 80-100 children of all ages play the violin beautifully alongside the Grammy nominated orchestra! Inspiring!

All of us enjoyed the entire concert immensely, little Ruby was absolutely transfixed the entire time. Following the concert we ate at a pizza kitchen, then hit a coffee house and savored delicious cups of hot minty cocoa (w/soy) topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy canes. Can you say... kids gotta BUZZ????

Then the journey home - listening to Christmas songs all the way...
"oh what fun it is to ride in a.... great big empty van! Hey!"

Notes about the concert:

Sleigh rides guided by many composers will help you travel from one country to the next. In Russia, you'll find highlights from The Nutcracker. In Germany, watch as In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre brings to life the “Evening Prayer” from Hansel and Gretel. Celebrate the New Year as they do in Japan, with the stirring finale to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, featuring a “chorus” of young violinists.

Sleigh Ride
December 9th, 2:00 Orchestra Hall

Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride

Sergei Prokofiev Troika, from Lieutenant Kijé Suite

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Selections from The Nutcracker Suite
Miniature Overture • March
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy* • Trépak (Russian Dance)*
Minnesota Dance Theatre*

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Sleigh Ride, from Three German Dances

Englebert Humperdinck Evening Prayer and Dream Pantomime, from Hansel and Gretel
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre

Johann Strauss, Sr. Radetzky March

Traditional/
arr. Percy Faith/orch. Lee Norris Brazilian Sleigh Bells

Ludwig van Beethoven Finale, from Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Choral
String Students from MacPhail Center for Music

Steven the Vegan (G) Version

2007-12-05T23:07:00.001-08:00

I LOVED this video when I saw it and wanted to share it with everyone - and was elated when I saw someone had created a "G" version! Enjoy a glimpse into the life of a vegan, with my buddy Steven! And yes, you do get questions like these believe it or not!

A Treasure Hunt At The Christmas Tree Farm

2007-12-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

On November 26th, we set out to a nearby Christmas Tree farm to select the Amick tree for 2007. We did not tell the kids where we were headed, only that it was a surprise and they needed to dress warm. We met our friend Marlene at the farm to assist her in getting her tree as well and help her get it up in her home (a hard thing to do alone with those frustrating Christmas tree stands!)

After hiking about the farm we decided on a... ummmm.... a VERY lovely tree. I will let the pictures above tell the story.... needless to say, we are all enjoying our majestic tree (all but Dad I guess, who is having claustrophobic attacks).

This is our families second year visiting the Christmas Tree Farm and it is so much more fun and special than just picking a tree out from the boy scout stand, or the Nodak parking lot as we had done in Fargo for so many years.

It's fun to march about in the evergreen forest looking for just the right tree and then witnessing the process of cutting it down, putting it in the mesh and getting it on the van. We also dig the great crew of teenage elves that work there every year. They are really a great group of kids who have a cheery attitude and make it all the more fun... plus they do all the work, you simply stand and point (that is until you get home, then Mike becomes the elf... but I still get to stand and point!)

Note: Eye Spy with my little eye the kid in the Christmas tree hat in the photos...a.k.a. Gabriella who wears her new hat with brimming joy, but was especially excited to hike about in it during the tree hunt!

Move Over Chicken Noodle... here comes something even better...Hotdog Soup!

2007-12-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

Illness at the Amick house struck Saturday night, November 24th, while we were having a fun evening out at the home of the Olson family, who have become good friends of ours. We were enjoying an evening of board games and conversation, when Justin began to complain of a tummy ache. He hung in there all night while we visited, spending most of his time on the sofa - but vomited shortly after arriving home. Thus begun the plague of stomach pain, nausea, headache, and fever that swept through our home afflicting all but M.J. over the course of nine days. We seemed to go down in sets of two, then experiencing a mild recovery period followed by a relapse = fun. Through all of this, the kids had very sensitive stomachs that did not tolerate much, so we stuck to simple foods like... toast for awhile. Towards the end of the week, I had a desire to make a soup that would be power packed with nutrition, yet appealing to them, since they had lost much of their appetites. It was then that I discovered an idea sent to my very own email address via my Mothering Magazine weekly email newsletter... Potato Kale Soup (a.k.a. "Hotdog Soup") I looked it over and thought it was just the thing I needed to spark their interest in a healthy meal, so I called in my shopping list to Mike and set to task when he arrived home after work with the goods.

Needless to say, it was a HUGE success and the entire HUGE soup pot was devoured with requests for more. It was deemed the new "favorite" soup by several of the kids. We've made it twice already (the second time w/o the hotdogs, just adding more veggies and they still loved it!)

I have shared the recipe below along with the adaptations I made. The recipe is from one of Cathe Olson's cookbooks. I have her book The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women - And Their Families which I love and cannot recommend enough - so I am always game to give one of her recipes a try.

Potato-Kale Soup

By Cathe Olson

We call this dish "Hotdog Soup." Kids love the veggie-dog chunks.

6 medium potatoes peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I added extra)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

6 cups water or vegetable broth (I used homemade veggie broth, since I was going for maximum nutrients)

1 cup minced kale (I added extra, as well as some fresh spinach and put it through the food processor first to make the pieces very small... impossible to pick out of the soup!)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (I added extra)

1/2 cup powdered milk (dairy or soy) dissolved in 1/2 cup water (I used regular soy milk from the carton)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 Tofu Pups or other vegetarian hot dogs, sliced

1 tablespoon miso (I used light colored miso - could be left out if you have none)

*I also added big chunks of carrots, then removed them when cooked, mashed them, then added them back to the pot

* In addition to the veggie broth, I tossed in a few Rapunzel brand vegan vegetable broth cubes for added flavor

Place potatoes, garlic, celery, salt, and bay leaf (and carrots if using) in large pot with water or broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf. Add kale, nutritional yeast, milk powder/milk, and pepper. Mash until smooth. Stir in hot dogs. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in miso.

Makes: 6 servings

Recipe from Cathe Olson's Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes Your Infant and Toddler Will Love. GOCO Publishing, 2003.

Pepper Love - A Boy & His Dog

2007-11-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember a few years ago the joy our family experienced in being able to bring a dog into our family for Christopher, who had dreamed and hoped to have one since he could say the word "dog". Due to Christopher's pet allergies it was not something we could consider for many years, and because of his simple hope and strong faith we began to work with his (and our) diets and doing as many things as we could to prepare his immune system to be able to handle a dog. For many months we looked at and planned to adopt a greyhound, or another short haired dog. We lived in Moorhead at the time and could not even consider an outside type dog and had a small house, so we needed something small, or at least lazy. God as always, had other plans for us though...

Our very dear friend is a strong animal advocate and volunteers much of her time to the organization "Adopt A Pet". She often fosters various dogs and shares stories with us about her experiences, so my kids would often view the Adopt-A-Pet website to see the animals up for adoption and be able to converse with her about them - but we did not plan to adopt from them. One day, for some reason I cannot recall I decided to take a peak at the site for fun and saw a photo and brief description of a sheltie mix named Pepper, I cannot explain why, but I knew that this dog was THE dog. When these experiences happen to me, I can only attribute them to God's leading.. which this certainly was.

When we learned about Pepper, she sounded like the perfect personality we needed, but what about all that hair... and dander?? When we met her we all agreed she was wonderful and she was perfect, except for..all that hair... and dander? When we had her come stay with us things started off well, but slowly Christopher's allergies began to creep up on him until Mike and I were very concerned that this was not going to work out and that the trial period would be just that...a trial period that would end with a broken hearted little boy, a risk we had been hesitant to take. I remember praying for my little boy, whom I would find sleeping beside his new best friend on the linoleum floor in the kitchen in the middle of the night - he had already come to love her so. How could we take her away after he had waited for so long for her?

We tried it all, special shampoos, sprays, the list was long and none of it very effective. Then my dear friend on a whim ran into a woman who treats animals naturally and also worked with their owners for the very type of problems we were experiencing. We decided to make an appointment. To make a long story short, her work was nothing but miraculous and after a week of treatment Christopher was able to coexist with HIS dog w/o problems and was remarkably improved around other animals for short periods. Pepper was with us to stay, and it was an answer to Christopher's longest, dearest prayer.

Now Pepper has been a member of our family for almost three years and it is hard to imagine life without her. She has become an outside dog since our move to Brainerd and now thinks she's a wolf... continually patrolling our property and scaring the pants off of anyone who dares step foot on our borders (human or animal). She has become a second mother to the children and escorts them on all their bike rides and hikes, making certain they are safe. Her favorite game is Pepper- soccer, in which she is the star and doesn't like to share the ball. Her current naughty habit is "haul the shoes and boots out of the garage & into the yard and hide them from the owner"... we all just love that!??

As for Christopher, I am always proud of him and admire his tender care of her; daily changing her water - 3-4 times in the cold months due to freezing, feeding her happily, checking for and removing ticks, taking time to play with her even in nasty cold weather, and always and forever being her advocate. His loyalty and love for her is paralleled only by hers for him. They are truly... a match made in heaven. God hears the prayers of even the youngest who come to him in faith.

Thanksgiving with My My Knee Immobilizer

2007-11-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

November 16th held a most unexpected event for me. It began as any other Friday in which our family gets Mike off to work, then my nephews off on the bus, then the remaining six of us dart off to our homeschool co-op for the day, except this day would be different. During the P.E class in which I am a co-teacher, we are teaching the children the game of volleyball... one of my all-time favorites! Volleyball is MY game and always has been since 8th grade - I was co-captain of my varsity team senior year and was involved in the college program at MSU. I was enjoying focusing on it in the P.E.class for the homeschool group... until that day. It's amazing how everything can change in one simple movement that does not even take up a minute of time in your life, but can affect the rest of your life thereafter. Quite simply, I jumped in the air, I landed on my feet and my knee exploded leaving me to collapse onto the floor feeling intense pain that I had not recalled since i had broken the same leg in 3 places in elementary school decades previously. All pain, not able to see anything but blackness and stars, and feeling nauseated I focused on the deep breathing techniques I have used in labor and taught for years in the childbirth classes Mike & I present. I could do nothing more.. except pray - which I did repeatedly for pain relief and repeatedly that my leg was not broken or seriously damaged. Although people were talking to me, I had great difficulty responding with more than a head nod or shake and then I was alone and in prayer again... suddenly there was a incredibly substantial decrease in the pain and I was able to retain composure and open my eyes and actually see again; what I saw moved my heart and I understood instantly why my pain had so suddenly subsided. I looked upon the entire student group and the teachers halted from the volleyball activities and joined in prayer on my behalf... it is a moment I will not ever forget and a permanent testimony to the power of prayer that will remain in my mind forever.

To make a long story short, I was diagnosed with damaging/tearing my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the middle back of my knee and put in a knee immobilizer to prevent further damage in the area during healing. This monstrosity was quite something to wear and while probably helping my injured knee, was sure taking it's toll on my good knee and hip due to the fact I had to walk around like Quazimoto.

Now with Thanksgiving soon approaching and me being "Gimpy" as my dear Brainerd friend newly adorned me, with doctor's orders to elevate and ice the owie many times daily, I was wondering how I was going to plan the holiday and cook. I had no choice but to call in.. "the gang". I had them get the best cookbooks off the shelf and we made our menu of regular family favorite food items and then I set them to work finding recipes for the items that we experiment a bit with each year, then we formed the shopping list - this is where Mike came in! We also had fun sitting and making place cards for everyone and reading some holiday stories and poems.

Thanksgiving day turned out to be very lovely. I had plenty of help in the kitchen, and with the cleaning; then we had a quiet day together which included a short Thanksgiving worship service here at home after our delicious feast! In the evening we broke out the Christmas movie collection and got off to a good start viewing favorites.

Interestingly, during the week leading up to Thanksgiving in our evening family worship time I came across something I was reading to the kids that struck me as quite profound. Ann Hibbard in her book Family Celebrations: Meeting Christ in Your Holidays and Special Occasions says the following: "Yet we don't always feel thankful.... When hardship comes, the natural reaction is one of anger, resentment, and complaining. Thanksgiving seems absurd at such a time. God's word, however does not command us to feel thankful, rather to give thanks. Thanksgiving is something one can do, whether one feels like it or not. It is a discipline, like prayer. Someone once said 'Pray when you feel like it, pray when you don't feel like it, and pray until you feel like it.' The same can be said about thanksgiving. It is an act of will, a recognition of God's goodness and provision in our lives. Thanksgiving is to take place in our solitary prayer, in corporate worship, in casual conversation, and in our thought life as we go about our day. Emotions sometimes accompany thanksgiving. More often they follow the act of giving thanks. Many times the feelings simply are not there at all - the business of giving thanks is a mere act of obedience, nothing more, nothing less."

I found that this passage hit me over the head like a 2'x4' because it had been that very day that I had been at the doctor, received the knee brace, and was told that surgery was probably necessary if I wished to play sports or be active again with my children... or quite simply, be able to do anything where I needed to jump. My half hour drive home from the clinic was one of many emotions - not very many thankful ones (but a few). That night when further contemplating what I had read, I realized that once again God was forcing me to have a stopover. I simply had not been doing it enough (or ever) on my own - so here I was physically forced to. What required my full attention so much? Many things, but mostly, just me I think. In all my years of sports and lifetime of physical activeness I had never sustained an injury until now... was it because I am just getting old (that nasty b-day creeping up again in December ya know) or was there something more to it?

My knee continues to heal and I abandoned the knee immobilizer early before I crippled my good leg... but the doctor forgave me! I have more appointments set up for MRI's, evaluations and physical therapy. I continue to be "Gimpy" and have discomfort, but I continue to try to find reasons to thank God for this situation and pray for his healing hand on me and guidance in the choices that lie before me.

Amick Thanksgiving Menu

Vegetarian Turkey Slices in Vegan Gravy

Mashed Potatoes with Vegan Chicken Gravy

Sue's Super Stuffing (adapted from Grandma Julie's recipe)

Fruited Wild Rice Salad

Spiced Sweet Potato & Sliced Tart Apple Bake

Herbed Bread

Cranberry Relish (our Amick family recipe tradition)

Sparkling Pomegranate Juice

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie (Sue's recipe)

Pecan Pie (Grandma Helen's secret blue ribbon prize winning recipe)

Homemade Whipped Topping

Peek-A-Boo in the Woods

2007-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

A Blessing for the Woods
by Michael S. Glaser

Before I leave, almost without noticing, before I cross the road and head toward what I have intentionally postponed—
Let me stop to say a blessing for these woods: for crows barking and squirrels scampering, for trees and fungus and multi-colored leaves,
for the way sunlight laces with shadows through each branch and leaf of tree, for these paths that take me in, for these paths that lead me out.

Autumn Apple Tree

by: Christopher

Twice a year we

Reap your

Everlasting harvest and

Enjoy it.

Wonderful Tree

by: Gabriella

Tree, Tree
Wonderful Tree,

I like You.

Tree Songs

by: Elliot

Tap - Tap says the woodpecker in the tree

Robins sing beautiful songs

Everyday, every night

Every bird tries to do their best to make the world bright.

Contemplating Trees

by: Susan

Tickling me as sunlight glits through your leaves and branches

Rewarding me with the fruits of your labor

Every season endured, yet continuing to grow strong

Elevating me to remember your creator and mine.

Visiting the Local Fire Station by Gabriella

2007-11-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

In October Dad took us to the fire station and we had a lot of fun! We got balloons and we got to spray the big fire house, and go inside a large fire truck. It was too bad that Mom and MJ had to stay home because MJ was sick.

I learned that when you hear a fire or see smoke you should only roll on the floor and touch the door and if it is hot, open the window and jump out and you and your family should meet at the end of the driveway.

I learned firefighters wear a big red suit, boots, oxygen mask, and big hat, and they use a huge hose to spray the house until the fire is out. They need the fire truck because the hose is hooked onto it and a long, long ladder to climb on to rescue people.

My favorite part of the visit was spraying the fire hose!

Homeschool Fieldtrip to the Science Museum - A Day in Pompeii - told by Elliot

2007-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Near the end of September our entire family went to the Science Museum in Minneapolis for a fieldtrip. We went there because we will be studying Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in our homeschool this year and the main exhibit on display at the museum was A Day in Pompeii along with an omnitheater film on Greece.

We began the day with the film about Greece. There is a huge, huge theater in the museum that is bigger than a regular movie theater, this is where we saw the film. It was all about Greece and how they found the homes and remains of people from ancient times. The movie had many images of volcanoes erupting. Being in this theater is kind of strange at first because it seems like you are moving when you are not because the screen is so big.

Next we went to the Pompeii exhibit where we saw a whole bunch old, old dishes, coins with pictures of ancient leaders from Greece and Rome, & a huge balance they used for weighing things at the market. There were loaves of bread, olives and other food that had been preserved in the ruins. There was a movie you could watch about life in Pompeii and how the volcano erupted. At the very end there were body casts of humans and animals that were discovered. Before going to the exhibit, we watched a movie at home on Pompeii and we were able to see some of the casts that we saw in the movie. Lastly we looked at a display about the different volcanoes in the world today and where they are located on the world map.

Before leaving the museum, we took Paster Hiner (a friend who met us there), and Justin, MJ, and Fawn to see some of our favorite things in the rest of the museum, including the dinosaur area, the tugboat, the giant fish scale and more.

After we left the science museum we went with Pastor Hiner to a really good pizza place that even had vegan pizza with vegan cheese. We were sure to try the Greek pizza (to keep with the theme of the day), as well as a BBQ, a vegan cheese w/olives, and another one I can't remember!

A Modern Day Saint Nick Story by Christopher

2007-11-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

The following is a story Christopher wrote for his writing class. It was a lesson on how to create a story from a set of three minimally sketched drawings. The pictures he had to work with were 1) A person snorkeling in water, 2) A law officer beckoning the person towards him, and 3) The officer leading the person away in the background of the drawing with a water fountain in the foreground. He came up with the following story to turn in, and for fun we searched the Internet for pictures to post here to accompany it... we came up with some very interesting images indeed... but decided to use the one you see here.

A Modern Day Saint Nick

by Christopher Amick

One night in New York City, an Italian man named Giovanni was snorkeling in a public fountain because he was stealing coins that people had tossed in. He happened to look up and saw a police officer beckoning to him with one hand, and with the other he held a pistol pointed directly at him! Hopelessly Giovanni just stared at the officer dumbfoundedly until the law enforcer fired his pistol causing a bullet to zip by just two tiny inches from his face! It was so alarmingly close that it actually hit his snorkel tube causing Giovanni to to have water fill his mouth. Energetically he spat his water in the policeman's face. Giovanni was confused; he could not figure what he had done wrong since he swam in the fountains in Italy often.

The angry officer kept his gun raised while Giovanni asked his pardon, but before he could do anything else the officer had him by the scruff of his neck and was dragging him along when suddenly Giovanni howled "Wait! I need my hat!" Then he quickly snatched up a Santa Claus hat that was lying beside the fountain. Next the law man put Giovanni in the back of his car and drove him off to police headquarters. Upon arrival he was taken to a room to be searched - even though he was only wearing swimming trunks?????? They discovered coins from the fountain hidden in his speedos (which had a secret hip pocket sewn into them)! After this he was taken to jail until the time of his trial, sadly his orange prisoner suit did not match his Santa hat.

A few weeks later at his trial he explained that each year on St. Nicholas Day (December 6th) he honors the memory of this special man by placing gold coins in the shoes of poor children just as St. Nicholas had done. Since he was from Italy and only had coins from there, he realized at the last minute they'd be useless to American children, so he desperately began trying to gather American coins. Noticing the fountain and all that it held he decided to collect them to distribute. The judge was so deeply touched by the man's kind intentions that he set him free from bondage to follow in the footsteps of the great Saint Nick.

Painting Nudes or Painting in the Nude?

2007-11-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

--Pablo Picasso

Tonight we whipped up the paint and the kids began a holiday gift project for special loved ones. They were painting a wooden family tree photo frame into which we will place an assortment of the photos we took on our official family photo shoot back in October. Since we did not have paint shirts for all involved it was time to just strip down and follow-up with baths and showers for those who needed it.

All the kids enjoyed the activity, but I'd have to say Ruby did most of all. This little girl just loves to paint and will do so for very lengthy amounts of time. There is not a week that passes when someone from homeschool co-op does not approach me and share with me how amazed they are with her artistic tendencies as well as her attention to detail and level of focus/patience during her classes. Ahh, the wonder child? Future Artist? Who knows.. but she sure does love it!

This evening, even though she had painted her entire tree completely (ALONE and better than several of the other kids) she continued to paint and touch-up for another 30 minutes after the rest of the kids were long gone from the scene. We finally had to drag her away for Pj's & storytime. Below is a short video of Ruby during this evening's family project... enjoy.

Here is a video of: Ruby The Artist!

The Amick "Nog" Creation

2007-11-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

Are you an egg nog fan? I most certainly am, and Mike and I have a history of nog drinks being a part of our relationship since our first year of dating. It all began when my roommate and I were hosting a Christmas party for friends and co-workers and coming up with a menu. Mike and I decided to try our hand at making homemade egg nog (w/o the alcohol) and it turned out so yummy and was such a hit that a tradition was born!

For several years we used that traditional recipe that took over a dozen eggs, and all the other usual ingredients with some rum flavoring, and it continued to be enjoyed at the yearly holiday parties and gatherings that we regularly took huge batches of it too.

As years passed, and children came along, we weren't so interested in giving our kids a drink so full of raw eggs so we began buying some of the egg nogs sold at the store. These were okay and the kids enjoyed them as part of winter traditions. Soon, with the elimination of milk from our diets, we converted to the Silk brand "Soy Nog" which we have been enjoying for the past several years; but yet, Mike and I were still mourning our original nog recipe that was far superior to anything store bought.

In October I accidentally created a recipe that has revolutionized our family's "Nog Experience". It has become such a favorite with ALL SEVEN CHILDREN, as well as Mike & I that we felt we must share it in case any of you are searching for a more satisfying, delicious, and healthy nog option that will knock your socks off! I have been told it is "THE BEST NOG" that any of them have ever had AND they request it several times a week for dessert, therefore I gladly make it... when you see the ingredients you'll know why!

It began when one day I cooked up a big batch of butternut squash and then decided not to serve it with the meal, so needed to find a use for it the next day. Somehow a smoothie recipe popped into my mind that I had made over a year ago that called for sweet potatoes and I thought I would find the recipe and see what I could possibly do with the squash instead. When I looked over the recipe I decided to give it a try and make a few changes - and of course since I was preparing enough for 9 people, I do not measure and just dump and add stuff until I think it tastes good. When I did this, what I created was incredibly different from what we originally had the year prior, and to my astonishment it tasted like... egg nog!??? I said nothing about the ingredients and served it up to see what kind of response I might get from the gang, (I did not even mention that I thought it tasted like egg nog). The feedback I received was one of overwhelming delight. Everyone loved it (Mike too) and declared it the "Best nog ever!"

We continue to make it and they do not grow tired of it... maybe we'll try it out on guests during the holidays to see how others may like it. I also shared it with my childbirth students who were struggling to get their orange veggies into their diets. This is a fabulously healthy, yet super yummy concoction. Don't be put off by the ingredients... the final product is surprising!

Below is the original recipe, accompanied by my changes. I do not follow the measurements and add way more squash than called for. I also add more ice when I want to make it cold and frosty (the best!). Throw it all in your vita-mix or blender and enjoy! Make it your desired thickness.

Amick Nog

1 medium sweet potato, cooked peeled, and cooled (I have used butternut or delacata squash thus far, but plan to experiment with pumpkin and sweet potatoes)

1/2 cup milk (I use Silk brand Soymilk with DHA added)

1 banana (I use FROZEN bananas)

1/2 -1 apple (core removed)

1/8 tsp nutmeg (I use freshly ground or good quality pre-ground, and add extra to taste)

1 Tbs honey or other sweetener to taste (I use raw honey)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

2 cups ice cubes

Christopher's Report on Cephalopods (If You Don't Know What They Are - You'd Better Read it!)

2007-11-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

What Makes Cephalopods Unique?
By: Christopher Amick

Octupi, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses... these are the creatures who make up the species known as cephalopods. Amazingly cephalopods can quickly change their color, texture and shape, as well as defend themselves using ink that their bodies create,or by squeezing through minuscule spaces! They have three hearts and blue blood making them very different from other species such as mammals. Zipping along the ocean floor they can propel themselves at a tremendous speed! Regarding location, cephalopods can live in all oceans, no matter how yawning, or in any temperature of water. Cephalopods are more intelligent than their variety of cousins the oysters, clams, and garden slugs; yet their senses rival ours. Many sagas and epics have been inspired because of cephalopods since recorded history, including the classic story 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which stars a giant squid. Cephalopods are indeed a unique group of creatures.

2007-11-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

The year has turned its circle, The seasons come and go.

The harvest all is gathered in and chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures, The fields, their yellow grain,

So open wide the doorway- Thanksgiving comes again!

~Unknown

I cannot believe we are already this far into November! The days pass by so quickly as an adult, unlike childhood when time seemed to crawl along at a painstakingly miserable pace.

The calender has been filled with classes, teacher conferences, appointments and events. Last weekend we took in the fall festival at our church and happily returned home cake walk winners (we sorta loaded the wheel up with all of us - how could we not win?) as well as the owners of many prizes. Mike was in Utah on a business trip for several days, therefore missing this fun, but thankfully arrived home safe and sound with many funny stories to share... including seeing entertainment such as "The Dancing Grannies" and "The Cowboy Poet" - entertainment meant to be taken seriously, but was actually hilarious.. if you know what I mean?

Looking ahead to the Thanksgiving meal.... what to make? We'll be having Mike's mom join us which will be nice. We haven't seen her for some time now.

I am so looking forward to the end of November this year because we will be on break from teaching childbirth classes and from our homeschool co-op until January. This will free up two days of our week for the month of December... Yippee!

Well... on to the school work.

Stopping

2007-10-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Stopping to smell the roses....

Stopping by woods on a snowy evening...

Stopping to "enjoy the moment"...

STOPPING.

We can all read the famous phrases above and have an understanding of the meaning within the words, but yet... do we do it enough in our daily life... or even ever? Do we really possess a complete understanding of words like these at all?

In the book Stopping: How to Be Still When You Have to Keep Going by David Kundtz, the necessity to just stop and do nothing, if even for just a moment is explained and stressed as being necessary in this crazy ADHD world we all currently reside in. Various kinds of stopovers are explained ranging from short to extended, planned to unplanned, and the reasons we need them, or why our body and/or mind enforces them upon us.

I purchased this book several years ago and enjoyed it very much, I thought so highly of it that I actually purchased several copies as gifts for friends and relatives whom I felt might enjoy it and employ the wisdom within it's pages. I admit though, that my book and it's teachings recede into the back of my mind lying long forgotten until periodically (usually once per year) my body forces an involuntary stopover on me out of necessity... then I remember my book and I dust it off and re-read part of it during my recovery from illness. An odd tradition? Yes, but it has become just that.

I was due for one of these stopovers just last week, but one such as I had never experienced before awaited me. I began my Monday as always, and faced an incredibly full week. Everyday a list of meetings, classes to teach (at home, in the community, at church), court dates for our foster kids, meetings with social workers, travel time, shopping, HOMESCHOOLING and caring for kids, meal prep, the list was endless...

Then on Monday, late afternoon within minutes while doing errands a little tickle developed in my throat and with 15 minutes became a raging sore throat with a fever out of nowhere with chills coming and going... aches soon to follow. By suppertime I was toast and zonked out on the couch leaving Mike to feed the gang. I was totally out of the game. The next day I was doing better by early afternoon (after a shaky morning) so was off to the dentist with three of the kids. As I sat in the waiting area my fever crept back up and my symptoms returned... back home ill once more (but not as bad as the previous night) I surrendered over our childbirth class for the evening to Mike - who did a fab job from the reports I received. The kids and I hit the sack.

Wednesday... HAD TO be well due to the fact I needed to head out of town with 5 of the 7 kids for the nearly 3 hr drive to meetings with case workers and spend the night to be at an early court hearing the following day. I got through the day physically, but due to stressful events, was growing weary mentally. Arrived home Thursday late afternoon in time to feed everyone, tag team with Mike and head off to a mandatory meeting with my homeschool co-op group. Unexpectedly, this is where I found myself entering into a kind of stop, more like a grinding halt, that left me reeling. During the later part of our meeting it was a time to discuss any personal things happening in your life that others could support you with in deed & prayer. When my turn came to share, I can only say that months and months of "stuffed" emotions, thoughts, and tears came pouring out beyond my control. I had never experienced anything such as this, with a group of women who are practically strangers to boot. I left exhausted physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I was worn out. The following morning I was to teach a class at the co-op, it was the most difficult class I believe I have ever done - only because I could not think, and I was so incredibly weary in every imaginable way. I had to quit teaching early and fill the remainder of time with craft activities (which was fine, but unplanned, and not me at all). The rest of the day I felt like I wasn't even present... I longed to go to bed, I longed to sleep... if only I could just get through this day. By afternoon I was very ill once more - this time respiratory related - lungs on fire, excessive coughing, asthma attacks... the sore throat and aching were back.... I just ached to sleep, nothing more. I learned that night that my mother-in-law had decided to come for the weekend, but as much as I wanted to see her I nearly broke into tears due to my only desire & need to escape into sleep. I did go to bed that night at 7:30pm and slept until 11:00 when a sick child woke me up for a few hours.

The next day I did not attend church (or teach my class there) and I stayed home (with the one {now} only sorta sick child). My mother-in-law, being the wise woman she is, decided to postpone her visit to avoid illness and allow me to recover. I spent the day resting, and when I felt better I remembered my Stopping book... ahhhh the ritual. I read parts of it. That afternoon I also shared with Mike my Thursday night experience (which I referred to as "my breakdown"?) It was incredibly helpful to have him to discuss it with.

Although I was back in swing & out the door by that night, what I was still experiencing continued processing in my head throughout the weekend. It was by no means a grand "stopping experience", but it was enough to get me to pay acute attention to some things I need to address in my life for the positive... that I guess, is what stopping is all about.

*If you want to look over samples of this book, this is a great site with many pages/chapters online you can read. Visit the site and do a search for the title. http://books.google.com/

A Tale From Redwall by Christopher Amick

2007-10-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Watch out Brain Jacques... here comes Christopher Amick! If any of you are Redwall fans, you may enjoy the short story below that Christopher wrote to fulfill an assignment for his writing class. I was quite pleased with his zestful use of words - the thesaurus is his friend!

Christopher is a regular reader of the Redwall books and found his inspiration from the many stories and characters he has enjoyed within those pages. He was also inspired by a another classic story that you may be be familiar with... see if you can bring it to mind as you enjoy Christopher's original installment to the Redwall writings!

Reed the Red Becomes A Better Fox
by Christopher Amick

A long time ago in the Moss Flower Woods where clan animals lived, there was a certain clan that had an utterly vain fox. Since *culled at birth to be known as Reed the Red he was chief of many ferrets, weasels, stoats, foxes and rats. One day two scoundrels, a stoat named Black Fang and a ferret called Jade Eyes decided to try to procure leadership of the clan with a bold plan of deception. Enthusiastically the deceivers went to the chief, Reed the Red, and said "Because we are talented tailors, our desire is to create a cloak for you that is exceptionally glamorous! The material would possess the wonderful quality of being invisible to the simple-stupid-headed creature." Reed the Red thought that this would be stupendous even though he already assumed most of his clan members were dull-witted, he thought it could still prove useful. Then the fox chief, who was a bit stingy inquired, "How much will this magical cloak cost?" Regarding this question, the stoat named Black Fang stepped forward and answered, "It will cost many sapphires..." "And cold coins!" added the ferret. "Let it be done, but it must be ready by the time of my clan feast six days from today in Moss Flower Woods," Reed the Red decided.

That night the two fablers used bone needles falsely sewing and clipping away at thin air, they continued this for three days. Now it came that Reed the Red wanted to know how the cloak was coming along, so he sent his captain to check on progress. As the captain arrived, the tricksters were cutting imaginary fabric with their scissors. Dramatically they pretended to hold something as the captain approached them. "Doesn't it look colorful?" they questioned. "Oh yes!" the captain replied, even though he could not see a thing. The false weavers explained the patterns and colors of the cloak in great detail to the captain before he departed. He did not want the chief to think him a fool so he reported all that the cloak weavers had related to him of their three days of work. The next day, Reed the Red came with his captain to view the cloak. The chief could not see the cloak, but agreed with the weavers about everything, then left. About morning the cloak was finished. Reed the Red merrily waited for the cloak weavers to show up. When they arrived, he asked if he could try it on. Black Fang and Jade Eyes pretended to adorn the chief with the cloak. Reed the Red then suspiciously stated, I cannot feel anything on my shoulders." The vermin weavers replied, "that is because the material is so light." They proceeded.

When the day of the feast arrived, Reed the Red was wearing his new cloak (although he really wasn't) and all the clan beasts were praising it, even though they honestly could not see anything of the sort! Forbid they be thought stupid! Anxiously they continued to praise the chief and his supposedly fabulous cloak. A ratling (which is what they call baby rats), suddenly squealed, "there is no cloak!" Everyone stopped eating, slowly every other creature began to agree, even the rat captain. The chief fox slowly realized what was truly happening. Clenching his teeth, he immediately ordered his guards to bring forth the lying stoat and ferret, and sentenced them for life to a newly created official court position... Master of sock,diaper and underwear wash and repair. They were supplied with plenty of real fabric and thread to sew with until the end of their wretched lives. Throughout his lifetime Reed the Red always remembered how proud and vain he had once been, and became a better fox because of it.

*culled: named, called, christened

Capturing the Family Photo

2007-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

I LOVE & dearly treasure family photos and individual portraits of my children, therefore taking them yearly is a must for us - no exceptions! This year we decided to try our hand at doing our own (actually we decided on this late last year, so one of Mike's 2006 Christmas gifts was a tri-pod!). I began sifting through area second hand shops last fall trying to get burgundy shirts for all of us and guesstimate the sizes we would be needing for the 2007 fall photo shoot. I would pick up long sleeve shirts in this hue here and there and throw them in a large bag I had in my closet until I had accumulated enough, extra even - which turned out to be a good thing since we had a few more bodies to outfit for the pics this year!

We had planned all along on having outdoor family, group, and individual photos taken during the fall in the peak of the colors here in the woods, but sadly there were only a few days that would have been ideal in mid-late September and we were already busy on those days... so we waited and waited for a day w/o rain, wind, cold, etc. that might work to get the job done. As we waited we watched the colors fade, and the leaves fall and began to give up the hope of our fall shoot... BUT then I heard there might be a glimmer of hope for this past Saturday. Indeed, we discovered a short window of a few hours Saturday afternoon - so quickly we suited up, grabbed the equipment and went to scout out possible locations where there were: 1) Still leaves on the trees that looked nice, 2) Areas we could pose with kids of various ages and heights, 3) not too far away because we had early evening plans.

Amazingly God pointed the way just 3 minutes from our home and we were off in a whirlwind of creativity. Mike took many images that day and of course with 7 kids to try to pose and get all looking half happy and presentable in the shot while Mike set the camera timer and came racing into his spot was quite mmmm... interesting - but we got it accomplished!

Now, begins the selection process for Christmas cards, enlargements for framing and so on. Our goal is to mail holiday greetings to all of you by the end of November - let's hope! The pic you see above was one of the first ones taken that day... many, many more followed.

Rain and Yet More Rain

2007-10-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

It's been cloudy here for over a month and it feels like forever since we've had a sunny day. The rain continues to fall, varying from sprinkles to pouring. The color and feel of the day never changes from when you awake to cloudy grayness in the early morn until the sun sets all the sooner in the early eve due to the smothering clouds that continue to hover in our skies above. It grows wearisome and does nothing for my mood... yet again today.

The Rainy Day

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the moldering wall,

But at every gust the dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast

And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

** Gabriella is most definitely my own little Gene Kelly. She loves to venture out into the rain wearing one of her bright raincoats or carrying her ladybug umbrella - and don't forget the mud boots! And, yes of course.... sing at the top of her lungs whenever she is moved to do so! Then there are also the days when I believe her to be playing quietly inside, only to discover her at the door soaking wet (with no rain gear on) after being outside enjoying the rainfall for up to an hour...

I am thrilled with a series of photos (including the ones above) Mike caught of her out one day alone enjoying rainfall in our front yard.

Mini-Devotions that Speak to Me

2007-10-14T22:05:00.001-07:00

This past week has been one where we are dashing from one thing to the next and getting ready to do so in between! I have a list of things I want to write about, but that will be for when my mind is a bit more "fresh". I need to go to bed so I can be off and running to start the new week in the early a.m.!

I happened to be watching a music video moments ago that I have in my favorites list. For me, it's like a 5 minute mini-devotional time to get me reconnected. I thought you might enjoy it as well.

The Voice of Truth - Worship Video

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2013280456

The image above is of a painting by Nathan Greene. His artwork also inspires me to think deeper about everyday things I do, and how I do them. I enjoy studying them very much... they also serve as mini-devotionals for me at times.

Teaching Natural Childbirth Once Again

2007-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that the last childbirth class Mike and I taught was the summer of 2005 - how time zips right along! I remember finishing that series, then breaking due to the fall being upon us and not being able to squeeze in another series before the holidays began. It was that December Mike was offered his job here in Brainerd and life went crazy busy with preparing to move, then actually doing it.

We've been here for over a year now and last night we began our first Bradley Method Natural Childbirth class in this area, teaching three lovely couples. All of the couples already have children and were unhappy with the birth situations they previously had, and are looking for a birth experience this time around that we, as instructors like to help couples achieve - so I guess they came to the right place!

I have been debating on teaching this class for some time now and took wayyyy too long in making the decision and getting back to these folks, but they were ever so patient and understanding with my heavy concerns about being able to fit one more thing into our busy days. Ultimately, we decided to do it and I think it will work out well for us all - everyone hit it off splendidly during class #1 - so I think it can only get even better.

Our kids had a grand time while we taught - we are teaching at the school Justin attends and so they had the gym to themselves . Additionally, the kids from one of our student couples joined them to play - they too will be coming each week with their parents - so there will be great fun to be had burning up lots of energy. It will definitely give our gang something to look forward to while we teach the 12 week series.

Whew! Just hope we can all take the big weekly night out and I can keep up with it all.

Family Style Drive-In (Walk-In) = Weekend FUN!

2007-10-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had some good old family fun that we all immensely enjoyed. The college where Mike works was showing a family film on a huge outdoor screen that they had rented. The community was invited to attend for free - just bring something to sit on out on the lawn. Since I grew up 2 miles away from one of the last remaining drive-in theaters in the state of MN (which I just loved going to!) I have always wanted to take my kids to one, just to experience it - it's just too fun! Anyway, when I learned about this event, I was all over it!

We were so fortunate to have absolutely beautiful weather this past Saturday (85 degrees on Oct. 6th!). It was warm, with a soft breeze and sunshine. So that evening Mike and I kept it secret what the outing was and we gathered blankets, water bottles and made brown paper sacks full of popcorn and loaded up the gang. A few of them were quite suspicious, due to the popcorn (a regular treat for our family movie nights at home) and were onto us - but could never have imagined that we were going to watch a movie outside on the Goliath of a screen we saw when we arrived at our destination - what squeals of delight! We made a camp, broke out the popcorn & water bottles and awaited the film to begin. Plus the college was giving away free popcorn - so we had lots of refills when needed.

The movie for the night was "Cheaper by the Dozen" starring Steve Martin. This was another reason we chose to go to this, since it is one of our kids all-time favorite flicks. What could be funnier than a couple with 12 kids? Hmmmmm... one with seven? J/K. Anyway, regardless of the fact that the adults in the viewing crowd often find themselves thinking the parents in this movie should really just take charge and begin acting like parents, it's still just plain enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny!

Despite the great humor in the film, a very strong message binds the story together - one on prioritizing your family over everything else. I have seen this film at least three times before this particular outdoor viewing, and I'm not sure why it wasn't until this time I took note of what is most definitely Steve Martin's most profound line in the entire film... "If I screw up raising my kids, nothing else I achieve will matter much." Doesn't that ring true huh? Maybe I just needed the massive screen and speakers blasting at me to be able to catch it this time - after all watching a film with 7 kids does lend itself to frequent distractions... grrrrrrrr.

After the film we joined with the crowd in a round of applause, shook the popcorn off our blankets onto the grass (what joy - my kinda clean-up it wasn't on my sofa and carpet for once), collected our garbage, our kids, then made the short trek back to the van. The 2 little girls were sound asleep by the time we got home - great fun was had by all. We will definitely check out next year's film since they said it would now be an annual fall event. Yippee!!! I no longer have to mourn for the dearly departed drive-in that once signaled the turn to my road home.

A Book Review - "Someday"

2007-10-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Love books, I love to read... sadly I have so little time to read anything other than things related to homeschooling - but it still provides me with joy. Along with my love of books is my passion for children's books, especially the kind that have wonderful illustrations and a story or message that is captivating to the reader - the kind that are timeless and will never lose their magic no matter how many years transpire before the cover is opened again, whether it be 2 yrs or 32 yrs.

Today was a good day... sunny, productive, positive. I was also looking forward to the fact that it would be the first weekend that Mike and I would be able to have the weekend alone to spend with just our own children (the first since late spring) due to the much anticipated first visit alone my nephews and niece were to have with their mother (my sister)... they were bubbling with excitement and counting down the days until Friday. Sadly, this all came to a screeching halt late this afternoon when I received a phone call which cancelled these plans for all of us due to reasons I won't expand upon, that needless to say, left me quite angry...no livid, with my sister.

After breaking this news to my nephews, we had to head off to MJ's school bookfair/family fun night. Since we all love books I thought this might be a good thing to lift our mood. While we were scanning the rows of tables filled with absolute "twaddle" I found one educational book that I liked for a bargain price about historical princesses and their lives. Soon enough everyone was ready to hit the playground - so I was left to stand in the checkout line. While waiting, a small book, nearly buried with only the corner sticking out from under a stack of books caught my eye. The last of it's kind, the title read "Someday". I was intrigued, so I read it as I waited in line. I knew after the first page that I was hooked and this was to surely be purchased because it touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes with a message that penetrated one's mind strong and clear.

Tonight after a sort of crumby night for us all (icky supper due to new recipe being a failure, tons of homework for Justin, bickering, ill Christopher, crabby mom, tired Ruby, the list goes on...) I pulled the book out before bedtime and read it out loud. The children understood it's message completely and it touched them as it had me - they understood immediately why I purchased it (and not the many books they had asked me to buy). They knew what I was communicating to them through the writer's words in the book.

Yet another reminder from God... yet again on the temporariness of childhood. He seems to beat me over the head with this message I think, and for good reason :-)

Below is a review of the book to give you a glimpse into it's simple beauty. I plan to read this to my children often so that the words are firmly fixed in their memory to recall someday when they are grown. It's the message of every parent's heart & hopes. Read it the next time you're in a bookstore, you won't be sorry.

Novel Review: Someday by Alison McGhee

Written by Gina Ruiz

Someday tells the beautiful story of a mother and her baby daughter in eloquent but spare prose accompanied by simple, yet powerful illustrations.

The book is very sweet and moving. It tells the story of a mother and her baby daughter from babyhood to childhood. "One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one," the mother says. Moving on to present day brings the declaration, "Then, you were my baby, and now you are my child," then, finally imagining the future of the child, a bittersweet send-off: "Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me until I no longer see you."

Someday is very touching and almost made me cry thinking of my own children and how they’re grown now with families of their own. The emotion builds with each page and I found myself smiling, teary, wistful and hopeful. The book portrays a young mother’s hopes and dreams for her child in such a beautiful way.

The simple pen-and-ink and watercolors quietly and profoundly emphasize each page in a way that compliments the text perfectly. The colors give a sense of the dreams and hopes in a soft, almost wispy way. I found this story to be absolutely lovely.

Wading in the Mississippi River by Gabriella

2007-10-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

While we were at Itasca Park we went to the Mississippi Headwaters. We put on our mud boots so we could walk in the water. We walked across a log bridge and also rocks. It was absolutely fun!

Everyone except Mom got water in their boots, because they went in too deep for their boots to protect them! So, on the walk back to the van, we had to dump the water out of our boots and wring out our socks... then wear our shoes with no socks!

Building a Fort at Itasca by Elliot

2007-10-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a camping ground at Itasca. When we got there it was dark and late. We set up our tent in the dark and it was challenging to do it right. We had to have people hold flashlights so we could see. After that we sang some Bible songs at the campfire and then went to bed.

The next morning we woke up and had oatmeal and biscuits for breakfast. After that we followed Mr. Wicklund to a giant pit in the forest that had two logs across it. So we started walking across the logs trying not to fall in, some of us pretending to be hungry crocodiles down in the hole waiting for someone to fall in for us to eat!

Then we started finding more logs to put across the pit. Next we found a large dead tree that we took the bark off of and used it to make shingles over the pit, covering poles we had laid over it. After doing some digging in the hole, we made a fun fort to play in.

All the kids in our group enjoyed playing in the pit and hope it's there next time we visit Itasca!

Climbing The Tower at Itasca by Christopher

2007-10-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

We were in Itasca State Park last weekend and climbed the fire tower. There were 209 steps that we counted as Gabriella, Elliot, Dad, Justin, MJ, and myself climbed them, when we reached the top we discovered we were high above the trees and the winds were blowing madly...

I thought my hat was going to blow away so I grasped it tightly! The view was spectacular! The trees were changing colors and you could see trees and trees and more trees for miles, with lakes scattered in the forest too.

MJ and I are afraid of heights, so none of us stayed at the top for long. Going down was easier than up, and I was the first one down.

Let Them Be Little

2007-10-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

If it's one thing I am at fault for almost daily is forgetting how all too soon my children will be grown and on their own. With the fullness of life, it's easy to wish they would be able to do more on their own so I can have more time to myself or with Mike. When I look at this picture of Ruby and Gabriella I cannot believe that over 2 years have passed and the curly haired, blue eyed girly-girl I now have before me is the same baby (except the attitide captured in this pic remains unchanged!). One of my greatest joys is watching her run now, as her entire body bounces/trots along causing her curls to bounce all over her head - she makes me laugh with joy and admiration!

Occasionally I come across something that brings me back to the reality of how very short the time is I will have my children with me, and how beautiful and special it is. It might be a poem, a Bible verse, an article, or a song that makes me stop in my tracks long enough to really understand and remember the fact that God only gave them to me for this time, and soon they will be grown... this is a time of wonder, a miracle.

I need to remind myself to ever be present in the blessing God has given me in this phase of my life, and take the time each day to enjoy the presence of my children and this amazing season in my life that will be over before I even realize it.

The reminder that God sent me today was a song, one I had never heard before by the artist, Billy Dean. Listen to it yourself and see if it doesn't put things in perspective a bit.

Listen Only:

Watch Video:

Artist: Billy Dean

Song: Let Them Be Little

Album: Let Them Be Little

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.

You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.

How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.

Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,'

Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give 'em hope,

give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.

I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.

An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.

Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give them hope,

give them praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let 'em sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:

You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little,'

Cause they're only that way for a while.

Give them hope,

give 'em praise,

Give them love every day.

Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,

Let them sleep in the middle,

Oh, but let them be little.

Let them be little.

Weekend Camping at Itasca State Park

2007-10-02T13:58:00.001-07:00

This past weekend (last one in September), our family joined with other church members at the yearly weekend campout at Itasca State Park. We rented a private group camp area that was tucked away from the other areas of the park. The site included many modern conveniences, as well as hiking/bike trails and access to a quiet lake. The weekend was filled with campfire singing, active time outdoors (of course!) and adults chatting around the campfire. Our family all stayed in our new tent - big enough to accommodate all of us... and even though one night was a bit frosty, everyone had a grand time in it (except maybe Mom).

The park was absolutely stunning - painted in brilliant fall colors and we all enjoyed the peaceful beauty that surrounded us. Highlights from our visit included wading in the Mississippi Headwaters, climbing the Park Fire Tower (the picture above was taken from the top of it), and the kids building a fort in the woods.

Look for more details to follow this blog on the specifics shared by the kids...

Sure were glad to be home on Sunday, but all are already looking forward to next year's fall weekend visit there.

Finally Back To Blogging!!

2007-10-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I know some of you may have given up hope on this blog long ago, but rest assured it is up and running again! Sadly, after the last entry (prior to Christmas) life got a bit full for a few months - then life changed drastically when our family became involved in a family crisis that resulted in Mike and I becoming foster parents for my sister's three children: Justin, MJ, and Fawn. We have had a very full year, with a great deal of adjustments happening for all of us and busy, busy schedules to say the least.

When I was finally able to think of blogging again, I was disgruntled to discover that procedures for Blogger.com had changed I could not get into my blog to do anything with it! It wasn't until just last night that I called in my super hero hubby to aid me in my distress over the situation, and of course within a short amount of time he had it solved - so here I am. That is why HE is the Director of Online Education at the college (and I am most certainly NOT!).

Therefore, stay tuned for more blogs from me, as well as the kiddos. I will be encouraging them to blog independently to develop some tech skills. In the meantime, enjoy the picture above of our entire gang and the BIG 12 passenger van we had to purchase to get us all around!

The Christmas Shoes

2006-12-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

Since childhood I have adored Christmas songs from all kinds of music styles. My mother played holiday records throughout the holiday season and I still remember many of the album covers, music artists and song selections I adored. Since reaching adulthood I have formed my own collection of tapes and CD's that our family enjoys, and we add to it yearly. Through all of these years there have been many songs that I have loved, and many that have touched my heart or made me shed a tear the first listen, but never have I been so affected emotionally as by the song, "The Christmas Shoes".

I first heard "The Christmas Shoes" by Newsong a few years ago on the radio. I was working in the kitchen and had the radio tuned to a 24 hour Christmas song station. I was only half listening, but when the song began, something grabbed my attention and I went to increase the volume. I literally stood there frozen, listening to the song while a wave of emotion rose inside me, then cascaded down my cheeks. Never had a Christmas song stirred such a response in me. Was it because I was a mother with young sons? Was it the way the song was performed? Or simply was it the beautiful, eloquent way it expressed the love this boy felt for his mother, and his understanding that he would soon be parted from her until they met in heaven? It was probably all three.

Like the first time, and everytime since, when I hear the song my heart aches, my eyes swell and I cannot speak. The song has not lost it's impact on me, I have not grown accustomed to it's message in any way. My children are the same. When the song comes on the radio, or is being played - wherever they are and whatever they are doing, they stop and they listen. I can see the emotion rise up in them as well. While it may not be a song about the birth of Jesus, it is a song about the love and hope those who know and love Jesus hold in their hearts - even the youngest heart, and how that power can influence others for the good.

Last year I learned of a movie that had been made based on the song and the original book itself (from which the song had been created). The kids piano teacher had a copy and lent it to us. The kids and I watched it and enjoyed it very much - of course all knowing the ending from the very start. Mike came home a few minutes from the end to find all of us motionless in front of the screen and blurry eyed with tears.

This year I decided to read the book. I must admit, this is a totally backwards approach for me (I always read the book before the movie - family rule), but previous years I just had not felt up to what I knew would be a massive, emotionally draining reading experience. This year I was ready, so about a month ago I checked it out from the library and read it in one sitting after everyone in the house was alseep. As I predicted I cried nearly thoughout the book and was in full gasping sob mode by the ending chapters. Christopher came up to get a drink of water at this point and asked me what was the matter. I simply showed him the cover of the book and he immediately understood. The next day he expressed interest in reading it. I told him "no", I felt it was better a story to be read aloud as a family - so it's scheduled to be read Christmas season 2007 (just can't do it twice this year!).

I was pleased to discover that both the book and the film carried the same beautiful messages as the song which I have grown to love so much. There are differences between the book and film - sometimes I liked one better than the other, but they were both very good.

If you are looking for a story that truly grips the heart - this is such a story indeed.

Listen to the Song or Watch the Music Video

Film info or Book Info

The Christmas Shoes
by Newsong

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Chorus:
Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
Mama's gonna look so great

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

Bridge:
I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about

Repeat Chorus

December Days till Christmas

2006-12-18T00:43:00.000-08:00

Since returning from our trip to SD for Thanksgiving, the days and weeks for us have been filled with what seems like countless events and activities related to the Christmas holiday. We have attended the symphony holiday concert, various Christmas parties, a library discussion on a favorite Christmas book, baked cookies with friends, shopped for gifts, donated gifts to Operation Christmas Child, decorated the house, learned Christmas songs on the piano, prepared for the Chrsitmas play, made homemade gifts, listened to Christmas music all day, wrapped presents, celebrated Advent for nightly worship, and for the first time in several years prepared Christmas letters for our entire recipient list (hitting mailboxes this week!). Whew!! No wonder I'm so tired!??

In reflecting on all of this we have had some discussion on our family Christmas traditions that have developed over the years that we delight in each season. It was enlightening to hear how much these things have impacted our children's memories and how much they have come to mean to them...

Celebrating Advent:

Each year we celebrate Advent in our home with traditional purple, pink and white candles, lighting the appropriate ones each evening while we read an excerpt from our special Advent book, followed by a segment from our Jesse Tree book and place the corresponding ornament on the Jesse Tree. Then we read a chapter from The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper (a book that Mike has read each night leading up to Christmas since he was a small boy). We end with prayer and the kids go to bed after moving their individual Advent calenders in their rooms.

Advent Books: 3 year Series by Arnold Ytreeide (Jotham's Journey, Batholomew's Passage & Tabitha's Travels)

The Advent Jesse Tree; Devotions for Children & Adults to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas by Dean Meador Lambert

Holiday Reading:

Each year we all dive into our favorite Christmas books together and independently. Some all-time favorites are:

The Christmas Story from the Bible
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Grandma Moses
A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg
The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper
Christmas Stories from the Little House books
The opening chapter of Little Women by Louise May Alcott
Christmas books by Jan Brett

Favorite Holiday Films:

It's A Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause 2
Home Alone
The Nutcracker Ballet
The Christmas Shoes
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Carol
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Frosty The Snowman
The Little Drummer Boy
A Charlie Brown Christmas (check out this NPR segment on this cartoon http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1545774 )

Other Traditions:

We listen to holiday Old Time Radio programs whenever we can squeeze one in. We continue to find new favorites yearly, but our long-time tradition has been to begin listening to The Cinnamon Bear segments beginning Thanksgiving night and it takes us up to Christmas eve. Each segmant is 15 minutes long and ends in an old fashioned cliff hanger leaving the kids eager to resume the story the following night. Visit www.homeschoolradioshows.com for free downloads.

Honoring St. Nicholas Day Dec. 6th by remembering who he was and what he did and partaking in some special activities. (We do this instead of having Santa Claus as part of our Christmas traditions.)

Live Christmas Tree every year - this year we went to a tree farm and cut our own! No theme tree here. Our tree is covered with ornaments all of us have received as gifts each year or made, as well as those from Mom & Dad's childhoods, teens, and years up to present. It's more like a "memory tree" everytime we decorate it.

Kids shopping day - the kids get their Christmas list and specified $ amount and hit an area dollar store to shop, then come home to wrap. It's all very secretive, and trying to be clever so no one else sees your purchases is over half the fun.

Each year Mom gets a new Christmas CD as part of her Dec. 15th birthday present to add to her ever growing BIG collecion of holiday tunes. Her all-time favorite among all the choices she has? Jim Brickman's Christmas CD - it's also the one played each year when we open gifts Christmas morning.

The Nutcracker Tree(s). We have a collectionof nutcracker ornaments that have always decorated a small little table tree - this year it's spread over 3 small Alpines 2', 3', & 4' tall.

The Nativity set displayed on the piano. (Mom looked at it longingly for 5 years before finally purchasing it - good thing too, that was the last year it was made.)

Attending Christmas Eve or Christmas morning church service and singing carols.

Hang our stockings and have fun finding what's inside Christmas morning before taking turns opening gifts.

Hurrying to find the Christmas Pickle ornament hidden on the tree Christmas morning, with the winner receiving an extra gift.

Participating in a Christmas play - an absolute must!

Fabulous food on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day! Including Mom's special Christmas scones...yummy.

Company for a week with visitors tag-teaming in and out= up though New Years. Whew!

Thanksgiving Program

2006-11-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, November 19th the kids joined the local Adventist church school children to present a Thanksgiving program. The week before was filled with practice at the school and at home to be ready for the big night.

It was a delightful humor filled event titled Did You Know?, consisting of information about past presidents, patriotic songs, musical pieces and a short play on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Christopher, Elliot and Gabriella all did a fine job with memorizing their speaking parts, joining the voice choir, the bell choir, and playing their piano solos.

The audience was drawn into the action as well, with a historical quiz on the presidents and other questions. There was a very good turnout for the event with around 70 in the crowd, all seemingly enjoying the entertainment at hand.

After the program's conclusion refreshments were served, all recipes being directly from first ladies/presidential families of years past. Our family unanimously found Amy Carter's peanut butter cookies to be the best recipe of the night!

Flying High with Grandpa Dennis

2006-11-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we arrived home after church and potluck to hear a phone message from Grandpa Dennis stating that he was in his airplane and in route to our home for a visit. What a huge surprise! Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Lynette live near Wessington Springs, SD and we have only been able to see them once in the past few years. During this time Grandpa Dennis had earned his pilot's license and had been enjoying flying the friendly skies visiting family and friends. Grandma Lynette, from what we gathered, is still a bit cautious about her frequency of plane travel and for the most part is remaining a land traveler! (I'm with her, flying is not for me!)

Anyway, we were all most excited for the unplanned visit, and for all of us to see Grandpa's new plane. We cancelled our plans to spend the day with friends and awaited the arrival of Grandpa Dennis.

Around the expected time of his coming, Mike actually saw him fly over our house! He, Christopher, Elliot, & Gabriella hopped in the van and headed for the airport to welcome our much anticipated guest. Ruby was napping, so she and I stayed behind. Within 40 minutes I received a call from Mike who asked me, "Guess where we are?" Of course he and the kids were flying high with Grandpa over the city and looking for our house. When they returned home later I was given the exciting details of the flight by all on board.

We all enjoyed a lovely evening with Grandpa Dennis that included supper and a tour of the house. Ruby got to meet him for the first time (she was only 8 months old and asleep when we last saw him). She warmed up to him almost immediately and within no time was perched on his lap calling him "gampa". Gabriella wanted to read him many stories (to which we had to enforce a limit) and the boys enjoyed listening to the stories Grandpa shared about when Mike was a little boy. There was much laughter had by all, for Grandpa Dennis has a genuine warmth and humor that no one can resist.

All too soon, it was time to return Grandpa to the airport for his trip home ( 3 hrs). We parked near the runway so we could watch his take-off and he flew right over our van and away into the night sky. We watched him float away in the distance like a blinking star and were thankful for the very special surprise the day had brought. Grandpa, come again soon!

Our First Snowfall in the Woodlands

2006-11-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

First Snow-Fall

THE sun that dim November day
Had failed to kiss the clouds away
From quiet Nature's furrowed face,
Where autumn tears had left their trace.

And, by and by, on fields of brown
The feathered flakes came floating down
From Heaven to this world of ours,
Like spirits of departed flowers.

And fast and faster through the night,
Till Morn arose on meadows white,
And o'er the landscape lightly stepped
Where tired Nature, smiling, slept.

__Albert Bigelow Paine

In the early morn on November 13, I was awakened by Elliot with such a level of excitement in his voice I could not fathom what would be the cause of it in my sleepy state... "It snowed out Mom, come see quick... the trees are covered in snow, hurry look out your window! Can we go outside to play in it?"

It seemed the three oldest children were awake and the house already a hive of activity as they all anxiously lingered in the hall outside my bedroom door for my answer. I told them that they could go play outside before we began our school day. Then there was a scurry of activity in the entryway closet while they suited up in boots and snowgear to dash outside to experience the most magincal of snowfalls... the first one of the year.

First Snow
Mary Louise Allen

Snow makes whiteness where it falls,
The bushes look like popcorn balls.
The places where I always play,
Look like somewhere else today.

As I looked out my bedroom window for the first time that morning, I too could not be but impressed with the beautiful view all around our home. The trees covered with glistening, white snow that reached down to the ground and covered all beneath it in a restful slumber. It was breathtaking. I went from room to room looking out the windows admiring the lovely, still peacefulness outside that made me feel as if I were dwelling in a December calender scene, like the many I recall viewing in years gone by. Living as long as I have, both on a farm and in the city - I do not ever remember such a glorious winter site from my very own window! I could not help but send up a quick prayer of thanks to God for giving us such a wonderful home, in such a perfect place for our children to grow up. It is most definite that living here in the woodlands, you witness the beauty of God's creation magnificiently every day, of every season.

Great fun was had by all the kids and they ended up playing all morning outside and a bit in the early afternoon as well. A snowman was made, snowballs were thrown, sleds were unpacked and giddyness abounded. Additionally, moose tracks were discovered in the front yard, or so the kids are convinced, and they had the MN animal track identification guide out to show me how they reached their conclusions (I think it was a rabbit myself).

After their time in the white world outside had ended, hot cinnamon tea was served to warm chilly bones and the business of school work commenced. Sadly, by the days end nearly all the beautiful snow had disappeared, and the remainder was gone by the following day... now being only a faint memory as they patiently await the arrival of December snow whose blanket will cover the forests and spend the winter with us... and then some. Who knows maybe it will be a Christmas snow?

I don't know about you, but the first snow of the season always brings the words of Jimmy Durante, the narrator in the classic cartoon Frosty the Snowman. His words still chime in my memory and bring a warm glow to my heart after all these years....

"I supose it all started with the snow, you see it was a very special kind of snow. A snow to make the happy happier and the giddy even giddier. A snow to make a homecoming homier, and natural friends enemies. For it was the first snow of the season and as any child can tell you, there's a certain magic to the very first snow, especially when it falls on the day before Christmas. For, when the first snow is also a Christmas snow.... well, something wonderful is bound to happen..."

** The photo included in this entry was taken from our deck.

Hogwild for Sabra Hummus

2006-11-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

Okay Hummus fans (and those of you who aren't..yet), I have a testimonial for you!

Our family has always been a "hummus family"... it seems that you either are (you like the stuff, you eat it regularly, it's a staple in your diet, you bring it to gatherings, etc) OR you're not (never eat it, don't care for it, can take it or leave it sorta relationship).

All of the above having been stated and defined, I will share our recent discovery that has turned into an addiction...

It all began the first weekend of October when we had our good friends Jim & Jan (also a "hummus family") come to stay for a weekend. A few times during their visit they had mentioned bringing some hummus along on the trip and needing to be sure get it out of the vehicle and into the fridge, needing to remember to bring it home, etc. I recall thinking that they were very careful about their hummus and certainly were not going to forget it by any means when they departed. This really caused me to take a "mental note" because in my opinion the only good store bought brand of hummus was made by Holy Land Bakery in Minneapolis and it was hard to find (but was delicious when you did!). I, and my family had long ago given up on even tasting store bought hummus because it was such a dissapointment - and often just plain disgusting. We made our own weekly and loved it, and also enjoyed it on rare occasion at specific restaurants.

Now the time arrived for our guests to depart and once again the topic of the coveted Sabra Hummus resurfaced. Upon questioning I discovered that they felt this stuff was amazing - better than Jan's own recipe (and she didn't have to make it - even better), and better than any store brand - even the Holy Land's version. NOW they had my attention. They shared that they purchase it weekly or even more often and simply cannot get enough of it. At this point the cherished hummus assortment was unveiled and our family was permitted a taste test of the flavors they had on hand. There was no doubt - it was absolutely unparalleled in it's exquisiteness, a flavor and constistency like none other yet fallen on human taste buds. My entire family was amazed, then quickly troubled - Where would we ever find it here in Brainerd? Jim & Jan purchased theirs in Minneapolis. To have found such a treasure and then have it stripped from you in a matter of moments - ohhh despair! In pity, they left the remainder of their great discovery with us to enjoy, since they would soon be able to stock up on more once home. Needless to say it was devoured before they were anywhere near reaching their destination.. it simply called to us from the fridge ever more enchantingly than any puff, pastry, cake or cookie could ever aspire to.

Two weekends later, while entertaining my mother-in-law for a few days here, she & Mike made a run to rent a movie and grab a few groceries. I received a call with a very excited husband in a grocery store asking me if I could guess what he had found - yes indeed, in a grocery store we seldom shop at the amazing Sabra Hummus had been located! A few kinds were purchased and quickly brought home to serve as our movie viewing treat. It was just as good as we had remembered it to be. Since this very night we have visited that store regularly and purchased it weekly to enjoy. It has become a favorite item of each individual in our home, everyone with their own favorite variety. Now, when Mike and I have a video date night, instead of our long time snack favorites of many years (popcorn, Veggie Booty, Soy Delicious ice-cream, or milk chocolate) we enjoy Sabra Hummus and chips!

Last weekend the kids and I took a trip back to Moorhead to visit friends, attend appointments, shop and such. The kids stated that we simply MUST share our discovery with my very good friend Polly because she is a huge hummus eater and has a definite "hummus family". We planned to bring her a variety of kinds to try as a surprise. Ironically, while talking to her on the phone a day or two before going there the subject of hummus came up, she stated she had eaten TWO containerd that very day of it. Curiosity hit me and so I inquired as to if she had ever tried Sabra Hummus? Her response was immediate - "HAD SHE! YES, YES YES!!!" It was that very brand of hummus that she had inhaled two containers of single handedly earlier in the day. She went on to share how she, her husand and daughter could not get enough of it and nearly filled small grocery baskets with it weekly. She wasn't kidding... when we did visit her she had 8 or more containers in her fridge ready for us to feast upon, no need to convince me!

I have read over the ingredients in this stuff a number of times wondering what in the world make it so different. It has all the ususal ingredients in other brands and recipies... hmmmm? It is healthy (all the families mentioned above, including us, are health minded and would not be eating it otherwise), but I cannot help but wonder if there is some secret ingredient in it to addict the taste buds in such a way... why else would we all be such crazy nuts for it? Maybe because it's just plain old amazingly yummy! Try it for yourself and see what happens to YOU - but beware that I warned you of the possible consequences as described above with THREE normally very sane families :-)

Sabra Hummus website:
http://www.sabra.com/hummus.html

http://www.sabra.com/sabras_hummus.html

** No, I have not been paid to promote or advertise this product in anyway - despite the fact that I probably should be!

Good Old Fashioned Church Carnival & Cakewalk

2006-11-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight the kids and I attended our church's yearly old fashioned fall festival (Mike was in Mississippi on a business trip, so he missed the fun). We entered the gymn to see an assortment of booths and activities to choose from, the kids were immediatiately excited to be part of the action as soon as I could get tickets.

I quickly delivered the cake I'd made to donate to the cake walk (a 4 - Layer Chocolate Barvarian Torte, a definite family favorite that gets made about once per year for something special), then got in line to purchase tickets and enter the doorprize drawings. We explored the various booths to plan our ticket purchases... hot apple pie & ice-cream, cinni-buns, root beer floats, supper plate, balloon/dart game, floating ducks game, old fashioned country store, little tykes automated train ride, dunking booth, book sale area, or cake walk?

The answer was clear - cake walk - this had been the event my children were waiting to experience all week. We figured if the 5 of us were on the wheel we'd have a pretty good chance out of 15 spots (yes Ruby got involved too and loved it)! First round, we didn't win anything, so we decided to go again, Elliot had set his mind to going home with a cake! The accordian player began playing and around we went until she stopped. Number 10 was called, and I was on it! I told the kids they could choose for me from over 20 cakes on the table. They decided instantly that the one we brought was the one we would return home with, since they thought it was the very best one there (talk about melting a moms heart...). There was much teasing and pretend protest from the other cake walkers who all claimed that THAT was the one they wanted, etc. etc... making the kids feel quite proud of Mom's cake AND the fact they had won it back to it's rightful owners. Too funny :-)

After that the kids had fun in various places...

Ruby loved to pick floating ducks and win small farm animals to add to her collection. She also tried to hijack the kiddie train several times, even though she was always given extra long rides anyway.

The other kids had fun all over the place, winning prizes everywhere - including ANOTHER cake ( a lovely bundt cake this time). We also found a special treasure in the country store area we were not expecting - a certain ceramic popcorn bowl no longer made to replace one that Elliot had received years ago for his b-day (since popcorn is his favorite food). It arrived broken in the mail and we could not get it replaced. We glued it together as best we could and kept it until we finally gave it up when packing to move - since it was unusable. NOW, here was an identical one in pristine condition for a few tickets - joy! Snatched up before you could spell p-o-p-c-o-r-n!

Christopher's proud moment of the evening was at the "Baptize the Pastor" dunking booth. He bought one ticket - had one ball and took him down with one throw.. splash!!!

Christopher & I also enjoyed looking through the books that the Adventist Christian Book Center had brought to sell. I purchased one as a gift and Christopher bought a very interesting biography he was intrigued by.

The close of the evening was the doorprize drawings. Amazingly each of us won a little something, which was fun.

In the end, there were LOTS of prizes and goodies to be had by all, and I don't think one child present left even close to emptyhanded! My crew is already asking if next year our family can plan and run a booth of some kind... I told them that we have plenty of time to come up with an idea!??

Fall Happenings

2006-10-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

The morns are meeker than they were
The nuts are getting brown
The berry's cheek is plumper
The Rose is out of town.

The Maple wears a gayer scarf
The field a scarlet gown
Lest I should be old fashionedI'll put a trinket on.

Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

The months of September and October seem to have passed by all too fast, with days and evenings full of lessons, activities, events, and visitors. We had weekend visitors nearly every weekend during this time frame, being blessed with family and friends traveling to stay with us and join us for woodland hikes, tasty meals and good conversation. I think some of the motivation behind all these visits taking place of late was so that they could experience the beauty of the fall colors here. I have always enjoyed the majesty of the fall season, but here in the woodlands it posesses a splendor of all it's own. Our family saw a variety of colors that we had never before known could paint the trees with such amazing brilliance. Every drive, even the tedious errand, was transformed into a time of wonderment at what God had done all around us. The kids spent extra time outside both in play and for school. Our family became members of the Paul Bunyan Nature Learning Center located outside the city and the kids have taken a number of classes there already, and are registered for the year long ecology series - this gives them plenty of time outdoors during school time too!

Our homeschool subjects have kept us ever busy each day and we have enjoyed the many subjects we have on board for the year. Along with the usual subjects, the kids are also enjoying their study of the Bible, Shakespeare and his work, artists & composers, ancient history, astronomy, phenology, piano, creative writing, a century notebook, current events, and French (yes, the whole gang got on board with Gabriella for this one, so they are learning it together).

In addition to our homeschool, we also belong to a small homeschool coop that we meet with twice each month. Here the moms and dads join forces to teach a number of subjects to the kids as a group. Lots of subjects and projects are planned for the year including sewing, latch hook, American Sign Language, carpentry, dissection, baking, first aid, a kid's book club and some field trips. Thus far, we have all had a fun time learning together, and it's especially enjoyable having the Dads lead out in the education once per month while the moms take a breather! On Fridays we have a special PE time where we join an area Christian school for their recess period, so the kids get to engage in some group sports which they really look forward to. The school has also included us on a field trip to the state capital (which was a great day) and we'll be participating in their November school program with them as well, which focuses on America's presidents.

The kids continue to be involved in the Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs which meet twice per month and sometimes more. The kids are working on a number of awards/patches this year. They also perform a program at the area nursing home once each month - singing songs, reading, etc. Two weeks ago the clubs were in charge of the church service and did a very nice job with the program. Each of our children had a short speaking part, sang songs with the group, and Elliot played piano during the offering while Christopher helped collect it.

Other fun activities recently included a huge bonfire supper at our friends' home, which was very cold, but still enjoyable. Other news tidbits...

We are entering Gabriella's 5th week wearing a "boot" on her foot after she fractured it jumping off her brothers top bunk... ooopppps! She has not let it slow her down though - she's till playing and hiking about, but she is frustrated she cannot play kickball during Friday PE time!

Mike and the boys have spent some time helping some friends of ours who are building their house themselves. They began work this fall and many friends from church and work, as well as family have gone over to help out on the project when they can. It may be likened to an Amish barn raising... except it's a house - and taking more than one day! Anyway God continues to bless their progress and Mike has greatly enjoyed his time helping them.

The study of spelling took a fast forward, turbo-charged leap after our family watched the film *Akeelah and the Bee. Suddenly my kids wanted spelling bees every week and we began a whole new approach to the subject, which they have loved. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see them LIKE spelling, ask for the new list of words for the week on Sunday (?), and spell things they see while driving in the van. I am sooooo overjoyed by all of this - especially because prior to this, spelling was a hated subject by the boys and a weak one as well. WOW, the motivation sparked from watching one inspiring film can move mountains huh!? Oh - Ruby is even trying to spell words and absolutely must get in line to participate during our home bees!

Ruby is learning more words and has taken an interest in books and school time. Every subject we study she demands to be involved in and have her workbook, notebook, and pencil in hand. She loves books read to her and to look at them on her own. She looks at all sorts of books, magazines and catalogs each day. She tags along with us to all of our outside classes and activities.

We have had a sense of adventure participating in the "Secret Family" program at church. We have a family we do special things for in secret, and someone has our family as well. The kids really enjoyed the large shoe box (boot size) full of chocolate chip cookies that was left for us last week... mmmmmm! Our recent undercover activity involved Mike and the kids going to the home of the family we have under the cloak of night with a freshly baked apple pie, cinnamon tea and card. They basically did a leave it on the doorstep, knock-knock runaway routine and sped away in the family vehicle that was parked down the road a ways. Great excitement was had by all, but in the midst of trying so hard to escape before being discovered they forgot to wait long enough to see if the family found the goodies or the raccoons had a tasty treat!

Mike continues to enjoy his job at Central Lakes College as the Director of Online Education. He has had opportunity to attend a number of workshops and trainings in other communities these past few months and is preparing to present his master's thesis at an education convention in Mississippi in November. In addition to his duties as director, he is also teaching an art class at the college which he is thankful for - he still loves teaching students.

And now enters November.....

The peasant celebrates with song and dance
the harvest safely gathered in.

The cup of Bacchus flows freely,
and many find their relief in deep slumber.

The singing and the dancing die away as cooling breezes
fan the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep without a care.

The hunters emerge at dawn, ready for the chase,
with horns and dogs and cries.

Their quarry flees while they give chase.

-- Autumn excerpt from Vivaldi's Four Seasons

* Akeelah and the Bee film description: A precocious eleven-year-old girl, Akeelah Anderson, from south Los Angeles, is discovered to have a talent for words. In spite of the objections of her mother Wanda, Akeelah enters a spelling contest. Her gift takes her to compete in the National Spelling Bee, the most famous competition of its kind in the world. On the way, she is helped by a forthright, mysterious teacher, Dr. Larabee, and other members of her community.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/akeelah_and_the_bee/ (don't be mislead by the name of this website - check it out!)