Outpouring.

Today was our Vacation Bible School in the park. It was a great day weather wise and while it was still hot to be out all day it was nothing like it has been in the past month. We had a nice breeze and even some cloud cover, but God is good and no rain was in sight!

We crafted.

We played.

We served.

 

We worshipped.

We had a great day!

God is good. His love endures forever.

The Muny

I had the awesome opportunity to take my older girls to see the "Sound of Music" at the Muny. The Muny is an outdoor theatre in our area. It is one of a kind and is known for its wide array of shows each summer season. We got tickets through our local homeschool group and they included a backstage tour before the show!

Waiting for our tour

On the stage

Everything at the Muny is "copywrited" and so no pictures were allowed through most of the tour. But we were able to see how they do scene changes, prepare props, store costumes, and do dress changes during the show.

Eating our picnic

After the tour was over they had reserved a picnic area for our group and we were able to eat dinner before the show. This was the girls' first time to attend a live performance of any kind and they were totally in awe of the whole experience. We got up and walked around to view the stage from different angles because they had a hard time understanding that the people weren't on a screen! It was pretty cute and so much fun to be able to be there with them as they explored yet another part of life. And it was an added blessing to be able to take along both of my sisters to the event as well.

These are the moments that I will never forget as a mother.

A Prayer

Psalm 73:24-26   You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Lord, I ask You to change my desires. I want to loosen my grip on the things of this earth until I desire nothing but You. I am weak and I am tired. I cannot serve You in my own strength. I need you to be my strength and my portion. I want to feed upon Your word and to draw life giving water from Your fountain. As I serve you today, please help me to stay within Your strength and Your will. Guide me in Your ways and when I have served you fully take me into glory with You to praise You for all eternity. I have no one but You to serve, to love, and to live for. Amen.

Buffalo Chicken

My husband loves anything spicy. I have a couple of children that are the same way. Recently we had some buffalo hot wings while visiting family for dinner. My family LOVED them. So, I asked about them and got the brand and place to purchase them. I thought they might make a nice treat, but I knew we probably wouldn't buy them all the time. I am not too big into the idea of buying prepackaged and prepared food.

But, I went to price them and was SHOCKED!! The cost was absolutely ridiculous. It was more than I was willing to pay even for a special treat. So, I set out to make some of my own. First, I used chicken tenderloins because at the time my local store had these at an amazing price and I had stocked up.

I breaded my chicken by rolling them in floor, then an egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. I seasoned my flour with garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper.

Then I placed them into a baking dish with a little melted butter. And baked them at 400 degrees until they were done. I turned them about halfway through to brown on both sides.

I served them just like this because I knew the sauce would be too hot for some of the children.

But then I made this yummy buffalo sauce for dipping or pouring or whatever your heart's desire might be. It was so tasty and so yummy that we finished the whole pan of chicken in one meal!

Buffalo Sauce

1/4 cup butter melted in a pan

4-5 tbsp of hot sauce (to taste)

1 tsp white vinegar

Melt butter on stovetop. Add hot sauce to taste and stir in white vinegar. Serve over chicken.

What does it look like?

As the homeschooling momma to four,  soon to be five children, I have a question for you. Come this fall I will be homeschooling two children and will have a preschooler, a toddler and a newborn. I am a little bit nervous about it.

There I said it.

I am SCARED!!

I want a large family and I know that it is doable but will I make it work? What will suffer?

My main concern?

My quiet time.

My time alone with God already is broken up and short to say the least. I find myself praying while doing the dishes. Standing in the shower and asking God to rain His blessings and peace over my life as the water runs over my body. I pray throughout my day for guidance through this very challenging job of training and raising children. But I long for more.

I want to get up earlier than my children to spend time in the Word. I want to read and memorize His Word and be able to give my undivided attention to praying for those in my congregation. But then, as I pray and ask God to grant me more time with Him, He wispers a reminder into my heart.

Be still. Be still and know. Be still and know that I am God. Even at those times when I am "busy" with my children I can be "fed" by Him. In a moment I can pause and take a deep breath and allow His spirit to refresh my soul. I can remind myself that He is God and I am doing this all for His glory. My time will come. This season of up and down during worship and interupted quiet times will end and I will have hours to devote to quiet study and prayer. But right now, I need to train my children in the ways of God. I need to show them how to study the Word and to pray. And during this training my heart too can be refreshed and challenged.

If I desire to memorize scripture I should include my children and make it a family affair. If I desire more time in the Word, I should read it to my children. So, mothers, today I want to encourage you. This season will pass and we will have time to sit in quiet meditation of His Word. But for now, our time with Him might be short, or interupted, or even while standing at the sink or while bathing a child or changing a diaper, but He will honor any time that we give to Him. Any action that we do for His service will not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father.

So, during these busy days and up and down nights dear mommas just take a moment. Be still and know that He is God. Allow Him to be your strength and your peace as well as your companion and comfort. This calling of motherhood is hard and full of sacrifices. Remember who made the ultimate sacrifice for us and spend time worshipping Him no matter how short!

He loves you and will bless you beyond your wildest imagination if you seek to serve Him in ALL that you do!

Ephesians 3:20

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Very late birthday

Maggie turned eight on July 3rd. I know I am late but here is her birthday post.

Oh, my dear oldest. How time has flown by. It has been eight years since you came into our lives and we have never been the same since. You have so much determination and when things don't go your way you struggle at times to keep on trying. You want everything you do to be perfect or you get really, really, frustrated with yourself. That drives you to work hard but makes you your own worst enemy at times.

You are so much help to me! You love to help me cook and clean and you are amazing with your siblings. You change diapers, fix meals, and occupy them whenever I need you too. At eight years old you amaze me how quickly you have picked up on homemaking and mothering skills and you almost never mind to use them to help me.

You are now learning to play the piano and you love it. You practice all the time and always look forward to lessons. Aunt Meagan says that if you keep up the desire you have now, you will go places. You have also learned to use a hula hoop, to do the monkey bars all the way across and to swim all by yourself. You seem to be learning new things all the time now and are not afraid to try something new.

You have a beautiful heart and I can't wait to see what God has planned for you. You love Him with all your heart and you desire to please Him and to serve Him more everyday. Your spirit touches my heart and I love to hear you lift up your voice to Him in song during worship. You sing from your heart and it is so evident to others. Even as young as you are you are such an example to others. I am so proud of you!

So, as another birthday comes for you, I pray that God would continue to work in your life. That you would continue to serve Him and to grow in your love for Him over the coming year. I pray also that you would use the gifts that He has given you to bless others. I love you so much and I can't wait to see what the coming years may bring for you. I will be by your side through it all. I love you my firstborn, my daughter, my friend. May God richly bless your life!

You helped Aunt Erin and I decorate this cake. You were so pleased that she was here for your birthday this time that you wanted to spend every waking moment with her. You relationship with her is so special and I love that.

I love you, my little princess!

My Household Notebook - Lots of links

So I had lots of people asking about sites that I used to build my notebook. Here are the best ones I have found -

Organized Home - Lots of printables for everything from cleaning schedules to the inventory lists I use for my deep freeze and pantry.

Fly Lady - Lots of organizational tips and notebook building steps to follow here.

I also forgot to add yesterday that in my "To Do" and "School" section I have included just this summer my ideal cleaning routines and basic things I want done each day and each week and each month and also a chore chart* for each child that will be used more consistantly once school starts again.

I printed these out and put them into plastic page protectors so that they will last longer and I can still mark off items with a washable marker and then just wipe clean when done. This saves on paper and saves me time from writing them out everyday.

I also have, in these page protector pages the Fly Lady's lists for each room that pertains to my house which I have edited to fit my needs. While I don't follow these each time or do every job each week they keep me on track and help me not to miss any part of my house as I work my way through.

I hope this helps to answer some of your questions. If you have any more I would be more than happy to answer them. Just leave me a comment! I will try to add a post of pictures soon!


* This site offers free costumizable printable charts that work for everything from piano practice to chores to daily reminders (brush teeth, make bed etc.) for kids. I can't say enough good about this site!!

My Household Notebook

Lots of women use one system or another to stay organized, on schedule, and to fit everything in. I have used my notebook for years and while at times I have fallen away from it I always come "crawling" back to it after my house is in shambles around me and I am feeling overwhelmed and frazzled. And then I always wonder why I left it! So, what is in my notebook?

I have dividers in mine. Four total actually. I have them labeled "To Do", Kitchen, Church, and School. I wanted to give you a little glimpse into each section.

"To Do" - This sections contains lots and lots of ruled paper. I usually have a list a week and it is hand written. It allows me to write down even the smallest job. I write everything from laundry to sweeping. I am a list driven person and having a list to look at helps me to be much more productive. I love seeing the list shrink and drawing lines as each job is done. I know it sounds really really weird but I will even at times write down "laundry" three and four times so that as each load is done I can cross out another line. It keeps me going through out the day and helps to keep me focused. As the week goes on I add things here that my husband asks me to do or phone calls I need to make. It is pretty much just what it says. This sections is full of lists of things I "need to do".
Right now I even have one for "before baby", "before school" etc. It is, at times, more than one list.

"Kitchen" - This is one of the most used sections of my notebook after the "to do" section. This is where I keep all my inventories, my menus, my on going shopping list. My freezer cooking plans and ideas and recipes that I want to try. I use this all the time to make sure I don't run out of anything but also to help me stick to my menu and shopping list.

"Church" - Since my husband is in ministry this section of my notebook became essential to my life. While he is the pastor and I am "just the pastor's wife" my life is busy and I have lots of irons in the fire even at church. In this section I write down things I need to remember to do from cards to mail to phone calls to make. I also use this section to write down ideas for future events I want to pray about. I keep lists of who I have collected money from when the situation arises. I keep a shopping list in here too. This is pretty much my "brain" when it comes to church info. It reminds me what to do and allows me to have written proof of certain information instead of trying to remember it all.

"School" - This is not my lesson plan/log notebook. I have all that "stuff" seperate. In this section I keep field trip ideas, plans I have, and a list of books I need to buy for the coming year. I also keep lots and lots of notes from our homeschool group that includes contacts, websites, and feedback on different issues we have discussed. I use this to assist my lesson plans and logs. I refer to it when looking for ideas or help when I need it.

I am not a "schedule" cleaner. I don't do the same thing, the same day of each week. I have tried to "force" myself into this box and have sat for hours to make up routines and schedules only to have them not work and be back to this rhythm of writing out my list and marking things off within just a few days. A household notebook should be your friend, not your master. It is should help you be more productive not keep you tied to a routine that sucks all the joy out of homemaking. Make it work for you and your family. To get you started here are a few great websites full of ideas, tips, printables, and such to help you build your notebook. It is a big task and isn't something that happens in a day. But if you can build it to work for you I can honestly say I bet it becomes your right arm. I know mine did.

Got any questions? Do you have a household notebook? Can you tell us what works for you? I would love to hear your ideas, questions, and feedback.

Updated - I will be posting more on this topic soon. I will be including pictures and such next time. So check back soon.

The Joys of Homemaking

There is a month long event at Happily Domestic especially for homemakers and mothers. I have followed this blog for quite awhile and she has some great ideas and helpful posts. Head on over to her blog and follow up and get ready for this event. It is so sure to be a lot of fun!!

Friday Finds.

I went yard saling today. I was really looking forward to it. Then Kate threw up in the car twice before we even got out of town. Man, that girl and her car sickness will be the death of me yet. She got sick on Sunday and since then she has been super clingy and crabby. And very very tired most days she is ready for her nap by 11:00am and I am fighting to keep her awake.
Anyway, after we changed carseats, clothes, and shoes we were off again. And the finds began. I started out the day with $15 and I still have a little over $2 left. So all of this was bought on less than $15!

Baskets for 25 cents each

Three pair of little girl shoes that were on the list of "needed" items! Only 50 cents a pair!!

Three boys polo shirts 2 for now and 1 for next summer all like new and only a dime each!

Beautiful, long, cool summer dress that will look great with a red shirt for only 50 cents!

A new pitcher for tea and some fun swim toys that were inside it and also some great sandwich holders!

A cd I had on my list for school. It is all addition facts set to music!

Three new sleepers for Jeremiah. Can't wait to use them!

A new skirt for me (post baby), but I love it!

Set a nice play dishes for Kate.

This is the new bedding for Jeremiah. Super excited to get it into the newly painted room soon!

So, I am very pleased with my finds today and can't wait to attend a "free" sale at the church uptown tomorrow. Everything they have will be free for the taking and I am hoping to be there when the doors open at 8am to snag some great finds!

Did you find any great bargins this week?

My Thoughts Today.

John 10:29

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

What a promise! No matter what the world may throw at us or tell us about ourselves. No matter how we feel today or tomorrow. No matter what lose we experience or what friends we may loose, we are HIS! He loves us as no other.And nothing, no one, and no choice can ever, ever, ever seperate us from HIS love. He is greater than all and He is watching over me. So, really? What do I have to worry about?

Freezer Cooking

Edited - I did not bake the burritos prior to freezing. I just filled, rolled and froze. Now when we want one I pull it out of the bag, place on cookie sheet and bake for about 30min.


As I mentioned on Monday I have been cooking. And doing lots of it. With almost every meal I am making extra for the freezer. This method works so much better for me than spending an entire day in the kitchen. Especially right now when my feet are apt to hurt after being on them for any length of time. So, what have I been cooking? Well lots of things. I have made extra cinnamon bread and froze that. I made extra bread dough and froze some dinner rolls that are ready to rise and bake. And then there are these . I used them as a starting place and then took the recipe and made it my own.

Here is what I did -

I browned hamburger with some onion in it. Then I seasoned it up like taco meat and added some salsa to moisten it. Then I took the flour tortillas and layered them with refried beans, my meat mixture, and lots of cheddar cheese. I rolled them up and brushed them with a little oil and baked them at 350 degrees until they were crispy. These were amazingly simple and yet so very yummy my family couldn't say enough about them.

I also froze many extras by laying them on a cooling rack in the freezer for about 20 min. Then I transfered them to a freezer bag and now they are nestled in the freezer waiting to be reheated when needed!

I have lots more ideas to come so check back soon to see what other things you can add to your freezer to make those busy nights easier.

A Cleaning Epiphany

I was cleaning the other day. It is something I do all the time but for some reason this day it turned into something different. I decided to work on my dining room. I mean everything in my dining room. I cleaned the ceiling fan, dusted the furniture, cleaned windows, and even scrubbed the table and chairs.

But something happened when I decided to wipe down the baseboards. I got down on my hands and knees to wipe them off and I noticed how absolutely disgusting my walls were. Not the whole wall mind you but everywhere from about three feet and down. So, I set about to not only clean the base boards but also the lower portion of the wall. That is when my mind started going in a different direction. While my hands were busy cleaning the walls, my heart was receiving a message. And it was a hard hitting one.

You see, I never really noticed how dirty the lower portion of my walls were because I walk above them. I am now thinking I should start cleaning on my knees from now on. On the level of my children, you know. That perspective would open a whole new world of chores for me. But how many other things in our life are changed by the perspective?

I may think my house is clean when I walk through it, but if I walked through it on my children's level would I feel it was the same kind of clean? And then my heart was stirred. You ready for the kicker? It hit me hard. If my house seems clean from my perspective but isn't from my children's what does my life look like?

From where I stand it might seem to be in order. Yielding to the will of God. Serving those He brings into it. Even living the "higher calling" that others might not feel the need to lead. But, from God's perspective is it really in order? Does my life look as "clean" or yeilded to God as it does to me? I strive to live the life that God calls me to and to yeild to His convictions within my life. And while I may tell myself that I am doing well what does God think?

So, I have started looking at my spiritual life from a whole new perspective. From God's perspective. Trying to view my life as God sees it. Not where do I measure up when it comes to others but where do I measure up compared to where God wants me to be. It has been eye opening. I am seeing that while I strive to climb higher and higher toward the life God wants me live, I am climbing in my own strength and that is wrong.

I must use His strength or there is no way for me to reach the level of "cleanliness" He desires.

Just like I had to get on my knees to see the need to clean my walls, I must get on my knees and serve and grow and live in HIS strength. That is what He is calling me to do. And day by day I must recommit myself to this lifestyle.
So, dear sisters, won't you too, take on this life of living in HIS strength?
Come and live with me while we live in HIM!!!

Not Me Monday

It is NOT me that can't believe that it is already Monday again.

It is NOT me that just realized over the weekend that our baby #5 will be here in 16 short weeks! Eeeeek!!

It is NOT me that is in full swing nesting. With organizing, cleaning, purging and such going on everyday.

My children did NOT get to spend an entire fun filled day with Aunt Erin (recently returned from 4yrs active duty in the military) on Friday. Their day did NOT include bumper boats, arcade playing, and ice cream at 4:30pm!!

I am NOT so glad to have both of my sisters again, especially as we prepare for the birth of our next son.

It is NOT me who is craving all things salty by the bucketloads. This craving is NOT causing major sweeling in my hands and making them feel numb and puffy. Oh the joys of pregnancy!!
My garden is NOT getting ready to produce its crop and I am NOT really looking forward to the days of canning and freezing and watching my shelves and freezer fill with the bounty of summer.

I am NOT also filling my freezer with all sorts of pre-cooked food for when baby comes or when, in the last trimester, I just don't feel like cooking! Which I am sure is bound to happen!

Visit MckMama's blog for lots more mommas posts of what they did NOT do this week!

Greener Grass.

Most of us have those days when someone else's life looks so much nicer. They have a bigger house. They drive a nicer car or make more money. They have more kids or less kids or whatever the case may be. But we find ourselves looking longingly at their life while wrinkling our noses at our own life. But God has given us all a path to walk and we are called to walk it with joy for Him. And while someone else's life might look more pleasant or easier have you really stopped to consider everything?

When you're weary of fixing yet another meal and doing dishes yet again, somebody wishes they had food to put on the table.

When you've folded and put away a(nother) mountain of laundry, somebody wishes their children had proper coats and hats to wear to school.

When you're groaning over the highest heating bill yet this year, somebody wishes they weren't so cold.

When you're losing sleep and gagging over a child's stomach bug episode, somebody is praying for a miracle over her child's hospital bed.

When the exhaustion and nausea of the first trimester are about to do you in, somebody is weeping (yet again) over a negative pregnancy test.

When your headache intensifies over your teen's college financial paperwork, somebody is visiting the site of her teen's fatal wreck.

When you wake up to another cloudy, rainy day, somebody is praying for moisture to end a season of drought.

When you pick up your husband's dirty socks and take out the trash because he forgot, somebody is wishing that for just a moment she didn't have to do it all alone, all the time.

So, when you feel as if your life is too hard and you just can't go on. Let's think of others and it will help to put it all into perspective. I have used this for several weeks now, ever since I read this and I know for me, it has totally changed my outlook on the temporal things of this world. Things today that weigh us down and cloud our outlook will soon enough pass away. Because...

Ecclesiates 3:1-8
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Asking a Favor.

In the Mommy Business  is a great new giveaway blog that is just starting up. A friend of mine is one of the creators of this blog and I am loving the products that they choose to giveaway. They truly have something for everyone, from snacks to toys to cleaning products. Since they are just starting out the entries are low and you can often find yourself a winner. Now, here is where I need the favor. To increase awarness of their blog and to thank their current followers if you click the link and become a "follower" via Google Friend Connect or a subscriber by email and then comment on their post  ( this one )I get extra entries if you mention that I sent you. They are giving away an awesome laundry soap package that I use for my cloth diapers this week and the extra entries would really come in handy. So, if you don't mind, hop on over and become a follower and mention that I sent ya! You could win some awesome free stuff and help me out at the same time. Thanks!!

4th of July Cupcakes.

Here is this mornings project. Fourth of July cupcakes. Each cupcake is three colors inside as well. I made a cake. Then I just divided it into three bowls and colored one red, one blue, and left one white. Then I put about half a tablespoon of each batter into the cupcake liner. I didn't stack the colors I put each color in a pile around the edge of the cupcake. It looked kind of like a pizza cut into three pieces once I was done. Then I just baked according to the directions.

Once the cupcakes were cooled, I used Wilton's Buttercream icing recipe. I then made some blue, some red and left some white. Once the icing was colored I "rolled" it into logs and slid each one into my icing bag in much the same three sided star shape as I used in the cupcakes. Then when I piped the icing on I got the cool tie-dyed effect. I am very happy with the way that they turned out.

Are you making any fun patiotic food this weekend? Got a blog post about it? Send it my way please I would love to see it and pass it on here on my blog.