Long time...

Man! It's been a long time since I've been able to update this thing! And so much has happened/changed since I did.

Let's see...my oldest son is out on ship again in the Persian Gulf. My oldest daughter graduated high school, moved to Illinois and is now expecting a baby.

We moved "back home" in May to the town we lived in before moving to Texas in 2005, and couldn't be happier! We are attending our "home church" again, after 6 years of being away. That feels incredible!!

The other kids are doing fine. We have been really enjoying our summer here. We've done activities with the local recreation center (bingo, board games, gym activities, craft events, movies, etc) and we have been very involved in our local library's summer reading program. And of course, there's the backyard swimming pool. THAT has really had a workout!

We had a 3 day trip to Las Vegas for Father's day. That was load of fun.

Where we stayed:
Inside the Adventuredome:
The girls:
The guys:Kids on the bumper cars:

I call this pic "Eyes of Fire". One of the lions at MGM Grand:
The kids "over looking the strip"
The summer stuff is beginning to wind down now. The gym activities end this week and the reading program ends next week. We have a couple of birthday parties and a wedding to attend still this month. there are a few rec activities that the kids are planning to attend in August but not many. We have a conference to go to and maybe a family camping trip. Then school will start. Wow, time goes by so fast!

so, now you know why I've been MIA. well, all of that plus the fact that I've yet to get internet service at home!! that will be happening soon too I guess. we'll need access for school stuff!

Opinions and Pride

I have been listening to a song by Jason Upton called 40 and part of it says

God the great artist designed you and me
With His will and purpose in mind
But I keep on striving and trying to be
Someone I've made with my pride

And those words have been burning in my Spirit and filling my mind for over a week now. I can't help but feel an extra connection to the song since I will be turning 40 in just a few short months. But I'm asking myself... Is that what I'm doing in this life? Am I really living for Him or am I trying to live up to what prideful decisions and choices have created me to be?

Am I who He wants me to be? who He has created me to be...

Or
am I the product of trying to live up to what others expect of me
am I the result of "fitting in"
am I a copy of what my friend has decided to be?

A really excellent post was written by Lady of Virtue about living your life based on God's direction and not that of people. I encourage you to go and read it.

I had a dream along these same lines last night.

I was in the church and someone commented about something my daughter had done "oh, she's on her way to being what sister _____ is aspiring to be" and my response was "well, let's focus on pointing her to be like Jesus, according to God's Word and not according to what someone else is". And in my dream, sister ______ became offended and others who heard began to treat me like I'd said something wrong, like I shouldn't dare cross sister ______. My first thought was "oh no, now I've upset the crowd" but deep inside it didn't matter. I knew that my comment was from my heart as a desire to please the Lord in raising my child. It wasn't that I didn't like sister _____ or what she represented, it was just that I knew that another person was not what we are meant to measure ourselves against and I didn't want someone putting that mindset on my child.

What are you measuring yourself next to? Is it what someone else thinks you should be or do? Or is it the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you that directs your decisions? A question we must all ask ourselves daily.

Crockpot Wheat Bread

Crockpot Wheat Bread

(yes, the bread actually BAKES in the crockpot!)
I just made a loaf and it tastes wonderful!

Ingredients

1 tbs yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs oil
2 tbs honey
1 egg
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 3/4 cup whole wheat hard bread flour

dissolve yeast in warm water. mix all other ingredients in mixer. add yeast/water mixture. mix until well formed. put into greased loaf pan. put 1/2 cup water into crockpot. place trivet or crumpled foil in center of crockpot and loafpan on top. close lid and cook for 3 1/2 hours on high.

04.08.09

dish order

I was thinking today about the process of washing dishes. We do not own a dishwasher (and actually, even when we did I seldom used it unless we had company or some other reason for an unusually large amount of dirty dishes) so I'm talking about the good old fashioned way of running some hot water in a sink with some soap. Now, I don't do much of that right now because I have two teen daughters and 2 other children who are having their time of learning that task but when I DO wash them (and how I've trained my children to wash them) is a process. I have always washed the cups and glasses first, then the plates and bowls, followed by the silverware and utensils and finally the pots and pans. I do not remember if I was taught that way but I've done it that way as long as I can remember. I've been reading other blogs lately of other homekeepers and I've read the same thing on some of them. Was this order established somewhere back in time for a reason?? Was their some purpose in this particular order? I often want to understand the reason in doing things a particular way rather than just doing them because "that's the way we've always done it". Do you ever think about things like this or am I the only one?

Spring Break Week

Kids are on spring break this week so we have 2 menus. Lunch and dinner. Our breakfast routine is sporadic due to the fact that everyone wakes up at different times. They can choose what they want: cereal, oatmeal, toast & fruit, yogurt, etc. So no breakfast plan.

Lunches:
Monday: spaghetti, cantalope
Tuesday: pb&j sandwiches, orange slices
Wednesday: tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
Thursday: ham sandwiches, apple wedges
Friday: leftovers

Dinners
Monday: beans & dumplins
Tuesday: Chicken & rice
Wednesday: hoagies
Thursday: Tamale Pie
Friday: Cheesy shells casserole
Saturday: Spaghetti
Sunday: potluck dinner w/family

ABC's

A - Age: 39.95
B - Bed Size: king
C - Chore You Hate: mopping
D - Dad's Name: Joe
E -Essential Start Your Day Item: Coffee (even if it's decaf, I have to have the SMELL)
F - Favorite TV Show: right now, biggest loser
G - Gold or Silver: depends on what I'm wearing
H - Height- 5-5'.
I - Instruments You Play(ed): i am learning the keyboard
J - Job Title: Home Manager
K - Kid(s): 5
L - Living Arrangement: single level 3 bdrm 2 bth
M - Mom's Name: Donna
N - Nicknames: Jazzee, Nonee
O - Overnight Hospital Stays Other Than Birth: only the 2 weeks following my first child's birth, 2 surgeries due to birth complications
P - Pet Peeve: lying
Q - Quotes You Like: If it first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you
R - Right or Left-Handed: Right
S - Siblings: a lot, all lumped together - 5 sisters and 2 brothers, inlaws: 2 sisters, 5 brothers
T - Time you wake up: 4:30 (yes, AM)
U - Ultimate Dessert: coffee lovers from coldstone (with a brownie)
V - Vegetable You Dislike: italian green beans YUCK
W - Ways You Run Late: i don't really
X - X-rays You've Had: Teeth, back, foot
Y - Yummy Food You Make: oh wow, i can't choose. i'm a pretty good cook!
Z - Zoo Animal: giraffe