Filled With The Joy Of The Lord

Sushi

2011-11-14T10:40:00.001-07:00

Since my daughter, Abby, does such a fabulous job taking pictures and writing on her blog, I thought I would just lead you to her blog and you can see my first attempt at making sushi! I feel like I have my own professional photographer following me around! How awesome is that?

FollowGodEveryday

Legacy

2011-09-15T09:38:00.000-06:00

For many years, my husband and I, have felt drawn to mentor college students. My husband grew up in a family that not only served and loved college students but also taught them about Jesus Christ and His example of serving.

During our college years, they taught us how to serve and we were blessed to be served by many people who cared about college kids and wanted them to know Christ and grow more in love with Him.

College can be a very confusing time for young people with all the different beliefs and philosophies they are surrounded by. Our son will be a college student next year and we definitely don't want him to be thrown out into the world without strong believers around him helping him to remain firm in his faith.

The mentoring,teaching, and most importantly the love we received in college helped firm up our Christian foundation and showed us how important it is for us to reach out to college students. This is why, I believe, we have such a heart and desire to work with these young kids. And, I can't forget how much they bless us! It is exciting seeing these young kids get excited about God and growing and maturing in Christ.

Below is a link to an article we wrote for a newsletter and blog for the college students we work with at Boise State University.

Legacy

Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood by Dennis Rainey ebook special

2011-09-14T15:15:00.000-06:00

Please take advantage of this special ebook by Dennis Rainey and tell all of your friends and family about it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCxLJqfAkc4&feature=youtu.be

How important is it to dress modestly?

2011-04-04T13:24:00.000-06:00

I believe all girls and women should watch this powerful video.

I pray today that we, women and girls, will be convicted by the Holy Spirit to take a stand to help men fight the battle of lust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVMZoZoKT-o

SWEEP

2010-10-07T11:38:00.000-06:00

Our very close friend, Diane Roark, felt God leading her to develop Bible games to Sweep the Word in Every Earthly Place (SWEEP)! www.sweeptheword.com Please spread the word about this website and be praying that God can do some amazing things through her humble efforts and obedience to God.

Diane has lived through many extremely difficult situations. When her son, Caleb, was so sick and his shunt was failing, I witnessed her calm spirit and enormous amount of faith. Despite all the obstacles that the enemy has thrown towards her, she continues to love her God and serve Him mightily!

You can read about some of these in the Resources section on the website. We pray God will continue to use her life stories to bring Him All the glory!

Is it hard for you to wait on God?

2010-07-20T14:06:00.007-06:00

Lately, I have been struggling with being patient with God in my requests. I find myself not wanting to keep asking God for certain requests because it "seems" like nothing is happening. I have been praying for several people in my life for many years and I have been growing weary in trusting God for these precious souls. Is He not in control? Am I disobeying by not trusting Him? Was it an accident that I found these words from E. Elliot today? I don't think so!

"Be persuaded, timid soul, that He has loved you too much to cease loving you..." (Keep A Quiet Heart by E. Elliot)

"To want what we don't have is impatience, for one thing, and it is to mistrust God. Is He not in complete control of all circumstances, events and conditions? If some are beyond His control, He is not God...

A spirit of resistance cannot wait on God. I believe it is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest sufferings. Opposing the workings of the Lord in and through our "problems" only exacerbates them...

It is here and now that we must win our victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victories are won in the quiet acceptance of ordinary events. Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy..."

I pray that you also will be encouraged by these words and keep waiting with a patient spirit.

Do you believe in the power of prayer?

2010-07-05T10:20:00.006-06:00

If you care about our Nation, please take the time to watch this message given by Dr. Charles Stanley.

http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/this-week-on-tv

Noisy Worship?

2010-04-13T14:23:00.011-06:00

I listened to a song that my husband told me about and got chills. Is my worship to God noisy sometimes? How about you? If more Christians would give up the show, would more people see Christ?

Just some powerful thoughts for me and you to ponder!

Jon Foreman is lead singer in the band, Switchfoot. I believe it is based from Amos 5:21-24 and also Isaiah 1:11-17.

Click on the title to listen to it: Instead of a Show performed by Jon Foreman, Switchfoot

Lyrics: Instead of a Show

I hate all your show and pretense
The hypocrisy of your praise
The hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show

Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when you're singin' 'em
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show

Your eyes are closed when you're prayin'
You sing out aloud with the band
You shine up your shoes for services
There's blood on your hands

You turned your back on the homeless
And the ones that don't fit in your plan
Quit playin' religion games
There's blood on your hands

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Let's argue this out
If your sins are blood red
Let's argue this out
You be one of the clouds
Let's argue this out
Quit fooling around

Give love to the ones who can't love at all
Give hope to the ones who've got no hope at all
Stand up for the ones who can't stand at all

I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Live Web Cam of Wild Barn Owl

2010-03-19T12:33:00.010-06:00

This is a really cool site that lets you look into a wild barn owl as she sits on her eggs that will hatch any time now.

Click here to see Molly

Enjoy!

Rough Day and God's timing

2010-03-12T10:02:00.022-07:00

Yesterday was a pretty rough day for my sister. Of course that makes it a rough day for me and my other sister. We three sisters (I am the youngest) hurt when one of us is hurting. We lost our Dad to cancer when I was 21 and newly married (2 wks) and our mom 10 years later to cancer. We have seen a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. We three girls are all that is left to continue the Christian legacy that our parents left to us (thanks Mom and Dad!) and it has not been an easy road for us. The enemy continues to try and steal, kill and destroy but we know that Christ has won the battle and we have victory in Him! Hallelujah!

Now, back to the story. Melinda (the middle sister) logged on to read her emails yesterday and a close friend had forwarded her an email from New Way Ministries with Dr. Larry Crabb. She immediately felt God speaking directly to her. The words came at just the right time! Could this be from God? She wanted me to see God working and be encouraged and forwarded the email to me. The words spoke powerfully to me, as well.

Yes, God provided words of comfort! Sometimes when life just gets so hard, it is difficult to see God at work. I know I am not alone. When life gets tough, are you able to recognize God at work in your life? I am thankful that God continues to open our eyes to see Him at work even when the storm is raging and there seems to be little hope.

Click here to read the email from (from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.) You have to click on Day 19

I pray that this book will encourage you as much as it is encouraging me!

May all of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior struggle well as we wait in hope!

A Poem

2010-02-08T16:03:00.017-07:00

My sister told me about a poem that her friend wrote and I wanted to share it with you. Barbara and Ed Bice started a ministry to help people overcome addictions and they have touched so many lives. I thank God for this precious couple and how He has used them over the years. I hope that her words will bless you as much as they blessed me today!

Listen (below) to Barbara read her poem about her path through life.

I pray that we will all live our lives with no regrets!

Live Like We're Dying _ Are you?

2010-01-19T09:52:00.018-07:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard a new song by Kris Allen. Kris won American Idol last year. Below is the link where you can listen to the song.

Live Like We're Dying Lyrics - Kris Allen

Sometimes we fall down and can't get back up
We're hiding behind skin that's too tough
How come we don't say I love you enough
Till it's too late, it's not too late
Our hearts are hungry for a food that won't come
We could make a feast from these crumbs
And we're all staring down the barrel of a gun
So if your life flashed before you, what would you wish you would've done

[Chorus]
Yeah, gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start thinkin' it
Every second counts on a clock that's tickin'
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we're dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbyes
Should be so careful who we left out of our lives
So when we long for absolution, there'll be no one on the line

Yeah, gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start thinkin' it
Every second counts on a clock that's tickin'
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we're dying

Like we're dying
Oh, like we're dying
Like we're dying
Oh, ike we're dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we're dying

You never know a good thing until it's gone
You never see a crash until it's head on
All these people right when we're dead wrong,
You never know a good thing till it's gone

Yeah, gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start thinkin' it
Every second counts on a clock that's tickin'
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we're dying

Like we're dying
Oh, like we're dying
Like we're dying
Oh, like we're dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we're dying

Monday

2010-01-11T10:01:00.014-07:00

Well, it is Monday and for the life of me I can't think of anything to post! I took a little break last week just trying to get back into a more normal week. My wonderful husband helped prepare a menu and got the older kids helping out more with meals so the week went pretty smooth.

Monty and I are studying the Precept Upon Precept Colossians course with another couple and a friend on Wednesday nights and I am enjoying it so much. I took it about 10 years ago in Portland Oregon and it was so good. It is amazing how much you forget.

Last week we talked about who Christ is and that He is all we need. It was a great reminder to me because we live in such a world that tells us we need more time, more money, more stuff, etc.

We made a list of who Christ is:

Col. 1:15 The image of the invisible God
Col. 1:15 Firstborn over all creation
Col. 1:16 All things created by Him and for Him
Col. 1:17 He is before all things
Col. 1:17 He holds all things together
Col. 1:18 He is head of the body, the church
Col. 1:18 He is the beginning
Col. 1:18 He is the firstborn from the dead
Col. 2:9 All the fulness of the Diety dwells in Him in bodily form
Phil. 2:6 Existed in the form of God

The list could go on and on but I like making lists because it really helps me slow down and see who Christ is. We also listed what He claimed and what He accomplished. I learned so much about who my Lord and Savior is and what He has done for me. This week the lesson is on the church which is a great lesson and one that many do not understand. I am anxious to discuss this lesson with the others.

Have a great week!

Pizza

2010-01-05T08:42:00.008-07:00

We have been trying to make homemade pizza for over a year now and finally we are beginning to really like it. My wonderful hubby bought me a large round pizza stone and a huge pizza peel for Christmas. I love it! He also bought me a huge dough mat for the counter and I was also thrilled to get it.

It seems that the key to making good pizza is heating the stone in the oven on 500 degrees for an hour. The peel helps be able to get the pizza onto the hot stone quickly and the stone doesn't lose heat. When the dough hits the stone it will start cooking immediately. I think next time I am going to try and cook the dough for a few minutes and then add the toppings. It is definitely a process and we are always learning on how to improve.

The pizza above has sausage, onions and bell peppers.

Our favorite is bbq chicken pizza using Sweet Baby Ray's Bbq sauce, purple onions, cliantro, chicken and mozzerella cheese.

Gifts and Fun!

2009-12-30T09:16:00.010-07:00

Grandpa bowling with the Wii

As you can tell by my face, I was pretty excited because I got a kitchen scrubbie. Abby crocheted it from tulle and she also crocheted me the beautiful scarf.

We had lots of fun opening gifts and playing games and this is what Dasher did most of the time! It's tough being a dog!

Birthday party

2009-12-28T09:52:00.007-07:00

We were invited to our neighbors birthday party on December 23 and this picture was taken before we left. They are from India and they served authentic foods but much milder. It was good and plenty hot enough for me. We watched a magic show and enjoyed some good fellowship with some of our neighbors.

King of Kings!

2009-12-24T09:24:00.008-07:00

My daughter is a part of a group of girls who have fun together and also study the Bible together. At their Christmas party their leader shared with us one of the names of Jesus Christ and it was King of Kings.

We went around the room and everyone told a word that described Christ and what kind of King He was.........humble, powerful, serving, forgiving, mighty, etc.

She made each of the girls a crown ornament to remind them that they are the Princess of the King! She told them they could hang it in their room or on the mirror to always remember how special they are. It is really beautiful!

I Timothy 6:11-16

I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Merry Christmas everyone! I will be taking a little break from this blog to spend time with my family.

Christmas in the Kitchen

2009-12-22T09:45:00.006-07:00

This little tree sits in the window in front of our sink in the kitchen. It was simple to decorate and fun to look at.

Handmade Ornaments

2009-12-21T10:03:00.004-07:00

Several months ago I started working on these red work ornaments. I didn't finish as many as I would have liked but at least got a few made. I had so much fun working on them. It is amazing how much you can get done if you have everything ready in a bag and take it with you wherever you go.

They are very simple and inexpensive to make.

Bob's Sweet Stripes

2009-12-18T10:26:00.009-07:00

Every Christmas morning we would drive to my mom's parents house in Savannah, Tennessee. It would take us about two hours to drive. We would get up very early and open our presents and then go to their house. Of course there was always lots of food to eat and we would see many aunts, uncles and cousins who lived in the same town. I always remember eating soft peppermint sticks at their house. Sometimes we would stick them in an orange and try to suck the juice out with the peppermint stick. This year I bought a huge container of Bob's Sweet Stripes. When I see the jar filled with them or suck (I usually just chew them because I am too impatient) them I am reminded of my Mamaw and Papaw and all the wonderful memories we shared together. What Christmas memories/traditions do you have?

Crochet Fleece Blanket

2009-12-17T09:52:00.006-07:00

One of my good friends turned 40 and I crocheted around some fleece and made a blanket for her. They are really easy to make and with the help of a skip stitch blade it makes it much faster. This blade goes in my rotary cutter and cuts little holes in the fleece so that I can crochet in them. I enjoy making these because you don't have to concentrate very much and I can do it while watching a movie with the family.

Snowflakes

2009-12-16T08:26:00.006-07:00

We hosted the Christmas party for a girls group that Abby is a part of and below is a picture of how we decorated. Saturday night at about 9pm Abby showed me a snowflake she had just made. I couldn't believe that she made it and asked if she could make more and we could use them for decorations. It worked out perfectly. I wasn't able to find any table cloths so I used our Christmas wrapping paper and wrapped the small folding tables with it. It worked perfectly because it was a white background with blue snowflakes. It was all very simple but it looked nice and everyone thought we bought the snowflakes. Abby is so crafty and comes up with some really great ideas.

Another family tradition

2009-12-15T09:27:00.018-07:00

I bought this book this year and our 7 yr old reads it every night before we read Jotham's Journey. There are 25 books and each day is a short story leading up to the birth of Christ. She does an excellent job reading and looks forward to it every night!
After she reads the little book we hang it on a little tree.

Our Mary and Joseph

2009-12-14T08:02:00.012-07:00

The little girls put on a play about Mary and Joseph for us on Saturday night.

Abby had her Girls Club Christmas party at our house yesterday and the girls acted out the birth of Christ and she was an angel and a wise man.

Sewing Lessons

2009-12-11T10:31:00.007-07:00

My 12 yr old daughter has been taking sewing lessons from her Grandma and I wanted to show you a stocking that she made a few days ago without her Grandma's help. I am so proud of her. She made it all by herself. She is so creative and does an excellent job. We are so blessed to have Grandma here to share all of her talents with us. I know the memories that they are making together she will never forget!

Spending time together

2009-12-10T08:28:00.014-07:00

Every night we have been reading a book called Jotham's Journey by Arnold Ytreeide http://www.jothamsjourney.com/node/39
and lighting our candles while we read by the firelight. This special time together has become the highlight of our night. The story is suspenseful and yet reminds us of what Christ has done for us and how we can show His love, grace and mercy to others. I am thankful for this book and also for the memories we are creating. The author actually lives about 30 minutes from us in Nampa, Idaho. There are two other books in the series and I can't wait to read those too!

We have also been making ornaments for our trees and the girls have been having so much fun creating! Last night we watched Miracle on 34th Street and Santa Clause 1. My family is a huge blessing to me! The picture below shows the girls stringing popcorn. Even though we were using day old popcorn it was a challenge for them to string it and not eat it! After we hung it on their little trees I noticed quite a bit of popcorn on the floor. I thought our dog ate it off the tree but I found out that Amelia ate some and later her little 2 yr old cousin had to try some out too! I think we might need to stick to non-edible garland next year!

First snow yesterday!

2009-12-08T10:24:00.008-07:00

We of course were excited to see our first real snow. We are all sick but the little girls just had to go out and play. Dasher had a blast running around as fast as he could and also eating the snow. Last night our temperature got down to 7 degrees so it was pretty cold. It usually doesn't stay that cold for too long and I'm glad!

Snow Angels

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

2009-10-02T12:13:00.010-06:00

I just got this Bible and we are absolutely loving it! I bought the cd's so we can listen to it being read.

You can go to this link and listen to some of the book being read:
http://www.christianbook.com/jesus-storybook-bible-every-story-whispers/sally-lloyd-jones/9780310708254/pd/708257?event=AAI#curr

Enjoy!

Mattie Grace is 7!

2009-09-29T08:51:00.008-06:00

This year we had a dress up tea party and then we did some crafts.

Red Fish Lake Stanley, Idaho June 2009

Broadsided!

2009-09-28T10:31:00.008-06:00

Have you ever been in a car wreck where you were driving along and all of a sudden something hit you and you didn't even know it was coming? I was young and don't remember all the details, but I do remember what a shock it was when the car hit me. I never saw it coming. Well, last week, God reminded me of this accident.

Monty and I are teaching a Precept Upon Precept Bible study on Covenant with some college students. We had just met together for the first meeting and I had just reminded the class to be looking out for the enemy because he would be after them because they were studying the Word. The deceiver doesn't want anyone to know the truth. It was such an awesome time seeing these young people excited and willing to study God's Word. I was really pumped up but also pretty drained from our busy day. The enemy had already been working on me that day so I was watching out and ready for him. Well, I thought I was anyway!

Without going into too many details, within minutes I was broadsided again.......just this time not with a car! The enemy used something that is very near to our hearts, our children, and really tried to bring me down. I have to be honest and say that I really let it get to me. I allowed anger and bitterness to harbor in my heart for the entire night and the next day. Through the help of my family and friends, I was able to overcome and see what the enemy was trying to do. I was really surprised and disappointed in myself that I didn't recognize the enemy immediately and also that I couldn't move beyond my anger.

Have you been broadsided lately? I pray that you can learn from my situation and be ready for any attack that comes your way!

Jesus said in John 10:" I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." The Message

Little is Much

2009-09-21T12:56:00.023-06:00

Do you ever feel like you really don't have anything to offer to God? I know I do! I think the song "Little is Much" by the group Downhere is going to be my theme song in life. I just love the wording ....... "little is much when God's in it"! I challenge you today to give what little you have to God and just see what He can do with it! I think you too will be amazed at what God is doing around you. I am seeing more and more how when I surrender what I have and obey Him, He is able to accomplish much!

Here is a link if you want to hear it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC8PupxlEko

Little Is Much

What is the measure of a life well lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have

Artist: Downhere
Album: Wide-Eyed And Mystified
Year: 2006
Title: Little Is Much

Amelia's Birthday

2009-08-24T11:05:00.005-06:00

We had a very fun time celebrating Amelia's birthday at a local park. There was a fountain at the park for the kids to play in and they loved it.
I was decorating the cake a few hours before the party was to begin and I accidentally broke the dolls arm off. It was the kind of doll made for doll cakes and was only the top half of the doll. I had just watched a you tube video on how to use a real Barbie doll so we quickly came up with plan B and it worked. God is so good to me! Getting the cake to the park was also a challenge but we made it and all was a success. I made felt crowns for the girls to take home and I think they turned out pretty cute.

I'm finally back!

2009-07-28T10:59:00.024-06:00

Red Fish Lake: Stanley, Idaho June 7, 2009

The Sawtooth Mountains......absolutely beautiful!! It takes about 3 1/2 hours to drive from Boise.

You can barely see our trailer way in the back

This is our bathroom, I mean hole in the ground!

It was quite cold and rainy at times, but we had a super fun time. We spent many nights inside playing games and watching movies.

Eagle, Idaho

2009-03-27T21:08:00.007-06:00

March 9, 2009

I am wanting to learn more about photography so I drove to Eagle, Idaho which is about 15 minutes from our house. Last year Abby took a writing class in the neighborhood where these pictures were taken.

Spring is coming!

2009-03-26T13:57:00.007-06:00

This is a picture I took out my kitchen window. I love watching the little birds come and fill up on thistle seeds and water in my birdbath.
I wish I could get some better pictures because they are so pretty. Many days there will be at least six birds in the tree and on the feeder. This one is a pretty yellow and some are a peachy orange color. I seem to stand at my sink many hours a day so I am thrilled that I have such a nice view. Pretty soon this tree will be full of white blooms!

Our weather today does not feel like spring but at least the sun is shining! I know spring temps are coming soon!

Organizing my recipes

2009-03-25T11:23:00.007-06:00

I got a three ring binder and put scrapbook paper in the outside plastic pockets to make it pretty.

I still have many more recipes to organize and will need to make another binder to put them in. I will label the spine with what is in the binder....breads, desserts, salads, etc.
Some of my recipes I just taped to a blank piece of copy paper and inserted the page into a page protector.

I really like these dividers and hope I can find some more like them.

These dividers have pockets and I am going to put recipes that I am going to try in the pockets and if it is a keeper then it will go into a page protector. The pocket will also work if I am in a hurry I can stick it in the pocket until I have time to put it where it belongs.

This took quite a bit of time, but it has been so nice to just grab the binder. I love having them in page protectors so that they don't get all dirty while cooking.

Baby blanket for my nephew's new baby boy!

2009-03-21T09:52:00.007-06:00

My nephew, Morgan, and his wife, Ashley, had a baby a few months ago and this is the blanket that I made for Peyton. Morgan is serving our country in Baghdad and got to come home for two weeks when he was born. I am so proud of Morgan and so happy about his new little family! If you feel led by the Holy Spirit, please pray for Morgan as he is in harms way and away from his family. You could also pray for Ashley and Peyton as they are away from him too!

I got a new sewing machine for Christmas so it was fun getting to use it for the first time. I didn't realize how old my other one was until I sewed on the new one!

The LOVES of my life!

2009-03-16T14:23:00.013-06:00

Valentine's Day!

My sister, Melinda, bought the girls these cute shirts!

We had aValentine party with a few friends and my sweet friend, Nicole, brought the cutest craft and the kids had so much fun.

Lettuce Wraps

2009-03-14T16:07:00.001-06:00

My husband found this recipe online and we really love them! We did not use the hot mustard and also didn't have any rice noodles. We bought some but I think you have to fry them and then that adds more fat to the meal so we skipped it. Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Main Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Rice Noodles (styrofoam type noodles)

Special Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Hot Mustard Ingredients
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chili paste (add to top of wrap if desired)

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions Special Sauce:

1. Dissolve the sugar in water in a bowl (1 recipe makes about 1 cup sauce).
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. Hot Mustard: Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside to serve with the meal.

Note: If you desire, make the special sauce more spicy by adding your desired amount of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. Serve remaining mustard and red chili paste as condiments.

Stir Fry Sauce: Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

Chicken and Other Ingredients: 1. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
2. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.
3. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
4. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
5. Mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
6. When chicken is cool, mince it to the size of small peas.
7. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
8. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
9. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes

Serving: Using lettuce leaves as "cups" or taco style shells, put a base of rice or rice noodles (fried "styrofoam") covered with the chicken mixture and top with the special sauce. I cut up my chicken in very small pieces and then cook until done.

Chop onions, garlic, mushrooms, and water chestnuts

Mix up sauces. One sauce you put in while cooking the chicken, mushrooms, onions, etc. the other sauce you put on while you are eating your lettuce wraps. I usually mix up several recipes of the sauce you put on when you eat the wraps and keep it in a bottle in the refrigerator.

We LOVE this rice and bought it at Costco. It is calrose rice.

ENJOY! At first it took us a while to make these but now that we have made them so many times it doesn't take that long and especially if you have sauce already made up in the refrigerator. We couldn't believe it but even my picky eaters liked them.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! 12-21/08

2009-01-01T22:49:00.012-07:00

Skiing at Bogus Basin!

My son is born again! October 19, 2008

2009-01-01T21:52:00.008-07:00

This was a great day for us as our son decided to be baptized
and become a new creation in Christ! We are thrilled with
his decision to give his life to Christ.

Many great friends came (with very short notice)
to show their support and love to us and we were
overwhelmed with joy!

Boise River....brrrrrrr!!!

Let's celebrate!

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-29T20:42:00.010-07:00

Decorating cookies!

Grandma and Grandpa came for our traditional Christmas Eve meal, Clam chowder. Monty made the chowder and it was really yummy. He also cooked shrimp and I made two chicken holiday wreaths from a Pampered Chef cookbook. We had pumpkin pie and cookies for dessert. We finished the night singing Christmas songs and talking about the birth of Christ. We also enjoyed watching it snow and we didn't have to dream of a white Christmas this year!

My new kitchen gadget!

2008-12-10T08:35:00.022-07:00

After I finally figured out how to work the cookie press it was so much fun and the cookies were so delicious!

The girls had lots of fun decorating them! I am trying really hard to make sure that we do these type of activities more often not just once a year. I struggle to do stuff like this because it takes lots of patience and usually a pretty big mess to clean up. Mattie Grace did help me clean the kitchen so that was nice.

Jesse Tree

2008-12-05T10:00:00.013-07:00

We are making our own Jesse Tree this year and it is amazing how much the kids are learning from it and me too! We are hanging ours on our stairway instead of on a tree.

Each day we hang on a new ornament. If you would like to find out more about making a Jesse Tree click here http://www.eriercd.org/jessetree.htm

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall
blossom.”
Isaiah 11:1

I hope this Christmas you will take the time to stop all the busyness and reflect on Jesus Christ, Emanuel "God with us", who came to die for us to be our Savior! If you haven't asked Jesus to be your Lord and your Savior I pray that you will do that right now. There is no reason to wait.....you don't have to get your life right first. He will give you the power to change things in your life that are not pleasing to Him! That is why Jesus Christ is so awesome! The only thing you have to do is believe in Him and let Him take over your life. I did and I can't imagine living a day without Him! I hope you will join me in living a life full of joy and peace!

Easy Maple Granola

2008-12-04T09:39:00.021-07:00

2 cups regular old fashioned oats, not quick or instant
1/2 cup nuts
Generous 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 to 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries or other dried fruit or more to taste

Also you can add a couple Tablespoons of wheat germ, flax seed, sunflower, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Either butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil (or melted butter), and maple syrup.

In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, ground cinnamon, and salt.

Pour liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and toss together, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated with the liquid.

Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally so the mixture browns evenly. The browner the granola gets (without burning) the crunchier the granola will be.

Enjoy!

I'm back again at least for today!

2008-11-18T16:43:00.013-07:00

Life has been pretty crazy I just haven't had the time to post. My family is coming in for a week so I won't be posting again until they are gone. I'm sure we will have lots of pictures from their visit. We are so excited they are coming! I really can't believe it is going to actually happen. Abby asked us to dress up this Halloween so crazy as we are, we decided to go for it! I got busy sewing and collecting from thrift stores and came up with some costumes. Thought you might want to see what we came up with........

Miss Idaho, puppy dog, Minnie Mouse

Cinderella

Butterfly

Miss Idaho

A man at my inlaws church drew these pictures of our family at their Harvest party. He did a fabulous job!

Signs of Fall!!!

2008-09-30T08:18:00.005-06:00

Top of tree is turning yellow!

Leaves are falling

Our mum is blooming

Thrift Store Find!

2008-09-26T08:18:00.009-06:00

Well, I guess I have to admit that thrift stores are my weakness! I enjoy browsing especially at books and old linens. It seems like there is a thrift store on almost every corner! Some of them are very proud of their stuff but every now and then you find a gem! I really don't know what I will do with it yet, maybe save it for my future grandchildren!!! LOL

This wall hanging was handmade and has
beautiful hand stitches! At the price of
$1.99 I just couldn't resist!

This is a close up view of the front. I really love
red work embroidery. I am working on a few very
simple red work Christmas ornaments hopefully
to give as gifts or hang on our tree. I'll try and post
some pictures of those when I am finished with
them.

This is a close up view of the back

I love Fall!

2008-09-25T15:22:00.011-06:00

I just bought this simple little fall decoration along with a pumpkin spice candle and it is funny how both of those simple little things really make me smile everytime I look at them and love the way the candle makes our home smell so yummy! I love watching the leaves change colors, cooler weather, pumpkins coming into the stores, apples and caramel and the list goes on. I hope you will stop and enjoy this new season!

Here is a verse from Isaiah that I was reminded of today and I hope it will bless you as much as it did me!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

Isaiah 40:28-31

Our visit to Seattle Washington August 8-13 2008

2008-09-18T14:29:00.025-06:00

Kendall was born in Seattle 14 years ago and we got to go back and celebrate his birthday where he was born. We haven't been back since he was 6 weeks old. We stayed with our good friends, Bill and Davitra Lawrence, and had a wonderful time.

The flowers were so beautiful!

We rode the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry and it was quite cold and windy!

Seattle Part 2

2008-09-18T14:29:00.023-06:00

August 10, 2008 Kendall's birthday! We went to see the Seattle

Mariners at Safeco Field. Mariners vs Tampa Bay Rays

The kids got to run the bases but Amelia wasn't

too happy about it!

You can see Kendall pulling Amelia around the bases.

This is B.J. Upton who played for the Montgomery Biscuits farm

team and we saw him play in Montgomery.

Want revival in our Nation? Start praying!

2008-09-17T12:00:00.005-06:00

I just learned that people all over our nation are praying every Thursday at 12:00 pm for revival for our Nation. Will you join me?

http://www.precept.org/site/PageServer?pagename=gen_PrayerForOurNation
Thursday Noon Prayer Meetings through the November Election

In the tradition of the Fulton Street Revival of 1857, we are calling those who fear God to come together for corporate prayer every Thursday at 12 noon for 30 – 60 minutes of prayer in churches and places of business. Ask God to rend the heavens and come down again in His mercy and lovingkindness, to visit this nation and turn our hearts back to a fear of God as He is revealed in His Word, the Holy Bible.

Red Fish Lake Part 2

2008-09-17T11:28:00.008-06:00

We rented a pontoon boat and cruised around Red Fish Lake. It was fabulous!

Chillin' in the shade!

Brother hugs!

A little tired after a day in the sun!

It was getting cold as the sun was going down! We had to turn
on our heater in the trailer because the temperature was
getting down to somewhere in the 30's!

Many wonderful memories were made on this trip! God has truly blessed us beyond what we deserve!

Red Fish Lake Stanley, Idaho 9-5 - 9-8

2008-09-17T11:03:00.005-06:00

Monty took a few days off and we headed to Stanley, Idaho. We camped near Red Fish Lake and the Sawtooth Mountains. You could see the Sawtooths out our trailer window and it was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was cold at night but beautiful during the day. On Sunday the campground cleared out and we were almost the only people in the park. It was very quiet. We had a wonderful time!

The kids played lots of games

The Sawtooth Mountains were just beautiful!

Red Fish Lake: The lake was so clear and beautiful

The chairs were set up for an afternoon wedding. No decorating
needed for this one........ just natural beauty!

Dasher loved the beach. They had a part of the
beach just for dogs to run around and he met
lots of new friends!

We saw two deer right by our trailer

Dasher is at the door of the trailer impatiently waiting as we
went to see the deer!

Monty and Kendall went on several hikes and these are some of the
pictures he took.

September 15, 2008

2008-09-16T19:02:00.008-06:00

August 28, 2008 Abby's 1st Slumber party for her 11th birthday!

September 15, 2008 It's been awhile but I am back!

2008-09-16T18:49:00.006-06:00

August 23, 2008 Mattie Grace's 6th Birthday party: She wanted a flower party!

We had flower sugar cookies that the kids decorated

Very serious cookie decorators!

Waiting to blow out all 6 candles!

Gabe stayed with us a few days while he was waiting to deploy.
We put him to work to get ready for the party and he was
very willing to pitch in and help out! We are missing him!

We couldn't find our pin the tail on the donkey game so Abby
quickly made a pin the petal on the flower game. She is so creative!

Here are all the girls (and Dasher!) with their
flower head bands that Abby and I made for them
to take home! Don't they look so cute?

August 7, 2008 A VERY special day!

2008-08-07T10:10:00.008-06:00

Today Mattie Grace turns 6! She woke up with a huge smile on her face. She said that Dasher gave her a birthday kiss and she didn't even force him to give it to her! She's too cute! Grandma and Grandpa are coming over for her birthday dinner that she chose.....fried shrimp!

This picture was taken on our last camping trip. She had fun digging in the sand.

Abby and Mattie Grace being silly!

How does our garden grow?

2008-08-07T10:01:00.010-06:00

Not too impressive but we are excited to have a few tomatoes coming in.
We also planted a few pepper plants and one squash.

I also planted some basil, oregano, thyme and I think rosemary.

Here is a wildflower that came up from last year. We
were really blessed our house we bought already had
a raised bed for a small garden.

August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T09:13:00.005-06:00

Here's one that's gotta make you smile!

I just downloaded some pictures I took and this one was on the camera. I am guessing that Kendall took the picture of the girls playing around. It definitely made me smile I hope it makes you smile too!

July 1, 2008 Moreland-Gilman Family Reunion

2008-08-04T14:20:00.007-06:00

Cascade, Idaho on Cascade Lake

Kendall's fish!

Marcus' fish!

Kendall driving the boat

Carly driving the boat

Lookout! Mason is driving! Just kidding, Mason is a great driver.

Aunt Monica and Aunt Melodie!

All of the girl cousins!

You can barely see us in a Pontoon boat that Grandpa rented. The mountain still had some snow on it. It was really breathtaking. The picture just doesn't show how beautiful it was.

Grandpa and cousin Carly

We had a wonderful time all being together enjoying nature. Uncle Ralph, Aunt Lynelle and cousin Christy drove from New Mexico and we were thrilled that they would travel so far to see all of us. A group went rafting down the Boise River and Mason lost his glasses twice.....the last time was for good! The girls made a trip to see the American Girl movie, Kit, and it was a great movie. It was especially fun to watch it with cousin Carly, Aunt Melodie, Aunt Malisa, Aunt Monica and Grandma! Some wonderful memories were made and we are so thankful to God for blessing us with such a super family!

Sunday July 27, 2008 Family Outing

2008-07-27T22:42:00.006-06:00

We have been enjoying riding our bikes together especially with the weather not as hot and humid as in Alabama. We have a fun neighborhood to ride in with sidewalks that are not curbs. The way they are designed makes it nice to get off of them without a huge bump.

We rode quite a long way and stopped at Maggie Moos and ate some ice cream! It was really expensive but very good. Amelia fell asleep on the way and she was very happy to wake up for a stop for ice cream! On the way home we found a little Maltese dog that had gotten out. We found him at a church parking lot and brought him home. The kids were so excited they were thinking we might keep him if we didn't find his owner. It ended up that he lived right by the church so we found his owner and they were so thrilled.

Tuesday July 22, 2008 Abby's New Girls Club

2008-07-23T09:41:00.009-06:00

Abby's New Club

Last night was our third meeting for a new club that Abby is a part of. We are studying a book called A Young Woman After God's Own Heart - A Teen's guide to Friends, Faith, Family, and the Future by Elizabeth George

Chapters
1. A Heart Devoted to God
2. A Heart That Loves God's Word
3. A Heart Committed to Prayer, Part 1

Last night was on prayer. I love how Elizabeth George challenges the girls to set goals to committ time to getting to know God and His Word. It is not about checklists and rules but about a true relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ! The leader, Mrs. Briggs, really makes it fun. She challenged the girls to learn Romans 12:1-2 and gave them a wooden nickel with a Bible verse on it if they learned it. She also plays ice breaker games which the girls absolutely love!

After our study we made flower headbands to use with costumes. A couple of us sewed the bands and then the girls glued flowers onto them. A group will be going to Sun Valley Idaho for a Renaissance event in August and they will wear their headbands. We had such a great time together!

Cutting the felt for the headbands

Picking flowers to go on the bands

Glueing the flowers on

Abby's headband; I think she did a wonderful job picking out the different flowers and arranging them. Way to go Abby!

Our 2nd Camping Trip! May 23 - 26th Memorial Day

2008-07-16T15:00:00.008-06:00

Banbury Hot Springs, Hagerman Idaho

This was our first time to go camping with about 8 families. We home church with two of the families. We had a really fun time. The weather was supposed to be cold and rainy but it turned out to be just beautiful. We did have to use our heater at night and I couldn't believe it since it was the end of May. I'm still trying to get used to the change in weather. Needless to say, it isn't very hard getting used to it! LOL

I am crocheting a little bit and Kendall is whittling a walking stick

Mattie Grace playing Junior Monopoly

Lots of good food! You can see the yellow tape behind the tables and
that is where very strong winds came through and destroyed quite a
few trees just a few days before we came.

Dasher was well loved by everyone!

The group minus Monty who is taking the picture

Our trailer is the one in the middle of the three trailers

I'm back again!

2008-07-16T14:36:00.008-06:00

We have been super busy so I haven't had a chance to blog lately. I am going to go back and post a few pictures from May that I thought some of my family might enjoy seeing.

Mother's Day at the park May 11, 2008

Grandma reading her card

Amelia helping Grandma open her present

A serving tray to put family pictures in

Grandpa and Grandma after our picnic lunch prepared by the kids

Feeding the geese

Monty and his mom

Playing at the playground

Thursday June 12, 2008 Drama Costume Party

2008-06-13T11:40:00.010-06:00

Abby took a drama class with our co-op group and they had a party yesterday. They each were to dress up like something or someone that they had studied during the school year. They read out five clues and then the kids would try and guess who or what they were. Some were quite creative.

Benjamin Franklin

Abby as a pioneer: She studied all about the Oregon Trail

The whole group: The girl with the yellow box was the ark of the
covenant and she held up a jar with bread in it for the jar of manna,
a stick for Aaron's staff and paper ten commandments.

Below is a section I found from an article about the items in the ark of the covenant and although I have studied this subject many times I learned a few new things so I hope it will bless you too!

"These three articles were preserved in the ark throughout Israel’s history as an unpleasant symbol of man’s sins and shortcomings, a reminder of how they rejected God’s provision, authority and right standard of living. It pointed to man as a helpless sinner.
It may have been uncomfortable to think that God’s splendor was so close to the three articles associated with man’s sinfulness. But this is where God’s provision comes in. When God looked down from His presence above the ark, He did not see the reminders of sin. They were covered by a necessary object — the atonement cover. "

If you would like to read more about the tabernacle you can go to the website below:
http://www.the-tabernacle-place.com/tabernacle_articles/tabernacle_ark_of_the_covenant.aspx

Wednesday June 11, 2008 BSU Orientation

2008-06-13T11:31:00.007-06:00

Today I went to Boise State University to their New Transfer Student Orientation. It was very helpful as I have not been a student in twenty years! I am hoping to take at least one class this Fall.

View from the new parking garage

The tall building in the back is the stadium

June 9, 2008 Abby gets stitches removed!

2008-06-09T20:14:00.004-06:00

Abby had to have a mole removed from her neck last Tuesday. She was so brave. She had to go to the operating room and we were allowed to be with her. Her daddy sat by her holding her hand and I sat behind him so that I could not see anything! I'm not so brave. When it was all over the Dr. looked at Monty and said "are you ok?" I looked at him and his face was very white and pale. He then decided to sit down for a minute.

Abby in the waiting room!

Dr. Garner and Abby

I just had to take a picture of him because he was such a gift from God. We were referred to him by our dermatologist and had no idea who he was. As soon as he walked in the room the first time we met him it was amazing. He was so kind and gentle. I had such a peace about him treating Abby. The whole experience was just amazing. She felt almost no pain which I credit to his gentle and slow approach and of course God being in control of the entire procedure. Praise God for providing this wonderful doctor for us! This situation was definitely a faith builder to me as I daily had to give this over to the Lord (waiting many years knowing the mole needed to be removed) and He of course carried me through every step of the way! My mother died from melanoma 11 years ago and that type of cancer is heriditary so it definitely had to be taken off.

June 6, 2008 Nampa Idaho Homeschool Conference

2008-06-09T19:58:00.013-06:00

College Church of the Nazarene, Nampa, Idaho

We were so excited because we got to meet the author of
some books that we ordered from the internet when we lived in Alabama
several years ago. He has two more books out so we of course bought them.
The kids can't wait to read them. You can check them
out at http://www.scripturesleuth.com/

We had no idea that Matt was from Boise.

Taking a lunch break! The girls had fun in their class that
was on Friday and Saturday. They played games and made
crafts. Kendall went on Saturday to a class on public
speaking and communication.

And here we are at lunch break. Amelia is spending the day

with Gma and Gpa! Monty got to join us on Saturday.

June 5, 2008 Places I go

2008-06-09T19:48:00.004-06:00

We have so many second stores here and I have found many
good deals.

This is the library we go to the most. It is such a nice place
to go. Everyone that works there is very nice and helpful.
They have a very nice section for the children. They have
toys and puzzles for them to play with and the best thing is
a bathroom in the children's area.

Here is Kendall looking up a book on the computer.

June 5, 2008 Mattie Grace: No Training Wheels!

2008-06-09T19:42:00.005-06:00

She is so proud and is having so much fun riding around our new neighborhood!

And of course here is Amelia.....she loves getting her picture taken and is also very proud that she can ride her new tricycle!

May 3, 2008 It Gets even Better!

2008-06-04T15:12:00.013-06:00

Part 2

We went out shopping to our Goodwill store and also Craft Warehouse. We had such a great time they couldn't get me to leave. They were trying to get me to go home but I just couldn't understand why we would go home when we were just beginning to have such a great time together. Little did I know again! They had told me there were no other surprises.......and why did I believe them? I still had no idea what would be next! The doorbell rings and I should have realized something was happnening but I didn't.

It was my other very good friend, Diane, from Louisiana. She used to live in Montgomery where we became very close friends.

It was not easy for Diane to come and visit me. She also has
5 children and one of them has very special needs which makes
it even more difficult to leave. Her husband travels and is gone
several days out of the week so she definitely deserved a
vacation. I so appreciate ALL the sacrifices she and her family
made just for me!

Here we are all together once again! What a happy time!

And of course I had to show you the man behind the great plan!
The girls planned the trip and my wonderful husband devised a way
to make it a surprise. Needless to say, he pulled it off very well!
He also should be praised for driving around his 4 wives! We all
had many good laughs about that. He was a trooper putting up
with all the chic flick movies, late night decorating, organizing the
pantry (thanks Diane!) and much more!

May 2, 2008 Part 1 : The Biggest Surprise in my Life!

2008-06-04T13:47:00.015-06:00

It was Friday around 5:00 pm and I was expecting our good friends, Gabe and Katie, from Montgomery Alabama to come for a visit. Gabe worked with Monty when we lived in Montgomery and our family became to love Gabe and Katie. Of course I was thrilled when Gabe emailed us saying his company was sending him to Idaho to work on a project for a few days. I thought only God could arrange this neat reunion!

Well, little did I know when I opened the door to greet them it was my sister, Melinda. (I haven't seen her since we moved last August from Montgomery Alabama) At first I thought, "oh know!, Gabe and Katie are coming too!" but then she told me she was Gabe and Katie. A few minutes later one of my best friends appeared at the front door! I just couldn't believe my eyes! I truly felt like I was going to have a heart attack from the shock of it all! It was the biggest surprise I have had in my life! I then realized that they had come for my 40th birthday! What a gift!

And then I see my friend, Angela!!!! And I need to mention that Angela has never flown, never been away this far from her 5 boys! My sister also is very busy and keeps her grandbaby so it was HUGE deal for her also to make arrangements to come and see me!

What a GREAT day! I will never ever forget it!

Part 2 to my story coming soon!

I'm finally back!

2008-05-27T15:34:00.012-06:00

There is a reason that I have not blogged in a while but you will have to wait a few days to find out why. So for now, anyone who might be having some hot weather I thought I would post a few pictures that might cool you off a little!

I've been trying to put in a video but I am not having any success. I will try again later.

Monday April 21, 2008

2008-04-21T22:05:00.010-06:00

One week without a pacifier, but where did it go?

Scroll down to see why Amelia doesn't have a passy anymore......

Dasher got it!!!!!

Not really, but it has been about a week and a half now. I searched the whole house even the garage at about 3 am one morning and couldn't find one so we (NOT Amelia)decided that was the night we would give it up! So, now she is sucking her index finger that she calls a thumb. I guess it doesn't help that your older sister sucks her thumb! Oh well, at least we don't have to go looking for a finger!

For those wanting to see new Dasher pictures, here they are!

BEFORE hair cut

AFTER hair cut

It was VERY difficult trying to cut around his eyes with a pair of scissors but we did ok. We are going to try using some clippers instead and see if that will be any easier. Now I know why they charge so much to have them groomed. Of course he is still a puppy and hopefully it will get easier as he gets more used to it.

Dasher goes tomorrow to the vet to get "noodled" as Mattie Grace called it. I'll let you figure that one out!

April 20, 2008 Passover

2008-04-21T20:24:00.022-06:00

Below is a picture of the centerpiece the girls made for our table as we celebrated Passover. We invited another family and Monty's mom and dad to join us as we remembered what God did for His people many years ago and also remembering what God has done and is doing for us! Grandpa and Grandma cooked the lamb and we grilled out chicken and had different side dishes along with the traditional foods that were served at Passover. Many of us had never tasted lamb so it was a real treat! It was such a rich, encouraging night of celebration with our friends and family. I hope it will become a tradition for our family. It was so neat seeing how these events point to Jesus.

This is a close up picture of the lamb that the girls made that goes in the middle of the centerpiece.

These were supposed to be flags but this was a quicker and easier way to do it.

Mattie Grace colored the lamb

Amelia colored this picture

I just ordered this book after wanting it for many years. I wish I would have ordered when I first found it. It is so helpful. It also has unit studies that look so good and are designed for homeschoolers. I ordered it in book form but also where I can have it on a disc and print off the sheets easily. It also has activity worksheets that go with each Holiday.

http://biblicalholidays.com/

Tuesday April 15th Mattie Grace loses 2nd tooth!

2008-04-16T14:06:00.006-06:00

As you can see in the picture she is pretty excited.

A few months ago we bought a dehydrator. We bought a 9 Tray Large Excalibur. Below are some pictures of some of the things we have been drying. We absolutely LOVE the bananas! The ones we had tried in the store were crunchy and not much taste to them. I did some research and found that they fry them in coconut oil before drying them. We like this way much better.

This is Abby cutting the bananas

Bananas before they are dried.It takes about 7 or 8 hours to dry them.

Bananas after they are dried. I think you can dip them in pineapple juice so they don't turn brown but the color doesn't bother us and they are usually eaten within a day so we don't bother doing it. The bananas are so sweet it is almost like eating candy!

Mushrooms

Apples

Monday April 14th Mattie Grace loses her 1st tooth!

2008-04-16T14:04:00.008-06:00

We all helped to make dinner for our neighbors who just had a baby last week. Abby made chocolate chip cookies and they were delicious. Monty grilled pork chops that were so yummy and I made mashed potatoes, green beans and macaroni and cheese.

Here are pictures of Abby making our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup brown sugar firmly packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (12oz)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in bowl and set aside. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes.

Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat.

Add flour, salt and soda and mix.

Add chocolate chips

Yummy!

April 10, 2008 Co-Op Day

2008-04-10T16:55:00.009-06:00

Today we went to our co-op group and it was fun. Amelia now goes to the pre-school class and calls it her "little class". I teach art the first hour with Mattie Grace and then I go to Amelia's class and help out with her class. In art today we used Perler beads and made them into magnets. Mattie Grace made a flower.

Here is the flower that Mattie Grace made.

My friend, Sarah, took this picture of me ironing the beads. We teach art together and we have a fun time even though both of us really don't like coming up with art projects.

Here is Amelia holding her paper she made about the senses. Her favorite song at school is about 5 little monkeys. We had to sing it ALL the way home today. She was so cute singing it. It goes something like this:
5 little monkeys swinging in a tree, teasing Mr. Alligator you can't catch me, you can't catch me, when along came Mr. alligator quiet as can be and SNAPPED that monkey right out of that tree! 4 little monkeys swinging in a tree.......It has cute hand motions that go with it.

April 9, 2008 Wednesday A Big Surprise outside!

2008-04-10T16:37:00.009-06:00

Woke up today and was so surprised when I looked out the window! Here is what I saw.

It didn't stay long but it certainly did surprise us.

Today is appointment day!

Kendall at Primary Healthcare.

Kendall fell Sunday night and we thought he sprained his ankle. Here he is at the Dr. getting an xray of it to see what happened. The Dr. thinks he might have broken it but wanted the radiologist to look at it and will call with the results. For now, he is to stay off of it as much as he can!

Abby at the orthodontist!

Abby had an orthodontist appointment to make sure her retainer is keeping her teeth in place and making sure it still fits. As you can see, she has a beautiful smile!

Mattie Grace now has her two bottom teeth loose, so pretty soon she will be losing them!

Sunday April 6, 2008 Monty and Kendall Bogus Basin

2008-04-10T16:27:00.005-06:00

Monty and Kendall went skiing probably for the last time this season. They have had such a fun time being together, laughing together, talking together, seeing the beautiful mountains together and last falling together! What an awesome experience that God blessed them with and I know Kendall will never forget these special times with his dad!

April 4, 2008 Friday - Park Day!

2008-04-10T16:19:00.005-06:00

We met our P.E. Homeschool group at the park today. It was really cold but the kids had fun anyway. I saw a girl at the park who had on a top with spaghetti straps and I had on my heavy winter coat. I guess I haven't adjusted to Boise weather yet. They say that this is an unusually cold winter.

March 26, 2008 Celebration at Chunk E Cheese!

2008-04-10T15:53:00.006-06:00

Monty passed both of his MCSE certification exams and we decided to celebrate at Chunk E Cheese (this is what Amelia calls it). It was Amelia's first visit. We had a lot of fun as you can see in the pictures.

Mattie Grace has her first loose tooth!

2008-03-28T22:13:00.008-06:00

The other night after reading our book she accidentally bumped her mouth with her knee and said her tooth hurt. I took a look and discovered her bottom tooth was loose! She was so excited. Tonight at dinner Amelia said she couldn't eat her meat because her tooth was loose. She is so funny she doesn't want to be left out.

Sunday March 23 Easter Sunday

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We went to The Center for a sonrise service. Monty, Kendall, Judy and Tim fixed a delicious breakfast starting at 6:30am. They served whole wheat pancakes, hash browns, eggs and sausages. We met them around 6:45. It was a very meaningful time as we sang songs and shared what Easter meant to us. We sat in the chapel area with large windows all around watching as the sun came up. It was a beautiful sight!

All dressed up in their new clothes!

Saturday March 22, 2008 Dyeing Easter Eggs

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Doesn't need much explanation......just FUN!

Mattie Grace patiently waiting to dye an egg!

Friday March 21, 2008 Dinner at The Center

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We took taco soup to The Center to eat with Tim and Judy. Monty and Kendall went to the scrimmage game that afternoon and then met us for dinner. Monty's parents are usually there but it is Spring Break and they went back to New Mexico to check on their property that is for sale and also to visit with their youngest daughter and her family.

We meet at The Center near Boise State University on Friday nights for a short devotional and then games or a movie. It is quite fun!

P.E. At the Gym

2008-03-18T15:52:00.009-06:00

We meet for P.E. each Tuesday and this month we are meeting at a church gym. Kendall plays basketball, Abby cheers, Mattie Grace plays games and Amelia is with me playing outside if it is a nice day.

Abby cheering

Kendall playing basketball

Amelia and Mattie Grace playing ball

Amelia playing Red Light Green Light

Kendall's new pillows

2008-03-14T09:26:00.014-06:00

This is Kendall making his new pillow shams for his room. His little sister, Mattie Grace, is watching him!

Here is Kendall so proud of the pillows he made! He is decorating his room in Boise State University colors: blue and orange! Go Broncos! We had fun making them together.

More zoo pictures!

2008-03-13T23:58:00.004-06:00

Mattie Grace trying to hold her breath for 1 minute like the penguins!

Amelia and Mattie Grace riding the penguins

Boise Idaho Zoo

2008-03-13T21:06:00.010-06:00

These are some pictures of my family at the zoo.

Thursday March 13, 2008 A Very busy day!

2008-03-13T14:02:00.013-06:00

Our co-op homeschool group met today. I teach art for one hour and we painted our salt dough creations that we made last time. We then made wind socks that turned out real cute. After art, I helped in the pre-school class. Amelia really likes to go to this class. I got the special job of setting up bowling pins and retrieving balls! Boy am I tired! Kendall finished dissecting a perch and then on to his lego buidling class. Abby went to drama and Oregon Trail and Mattie Grace was in art and Picture books. She talked about the author Eric Carle and made a picture of a butterfly with tissue paper and glue. It turned out very pretty! After co-op we quickly drove through McDonald's and then dropped Abby and Kendall off to their writing class.

My first day blogging!

2008-03-12T23:17:00.008-06:00

I guess I am now officially a blogger! I am going for it and hoping I can figure out how to do what seems like everyone in the world is doing now! I can't be left behind! I know I can do it because I have a husband that knows everything about computers and he will for sure help me out. You know I love you, honey!

It was a beautiful day today so we met Monty for lunch at the Boise Zoo. Amelia kept saying we were going to see the "aminals"! It was so cute. We had a really fun time. The highlight of our day was watching the condor eat a rat. We were about 2 feet from it so it was quite fascinating. We also got to see the tiger up close too! He was sitting next to the glass wall. I knew they were big animals but I just couldn't believe how big he really was especially his paws! I hope to have some pictures from the zoo up soon!