Gotta love it

I'm proud...er...humbly pleased to say that my family of 5 ate at the Olive Garden yesterday for $20! $23 and some change including the tip! Mmm...maybe we'll eat there more often now. Oh, and the manager came over and told us that the hostess told her our children were the most well behaved children she had ever seen. I was kind of hoping she'd offer to pay for our meal :) but that's okay. She sent us off with loads of free breadsticks and those chocolate mint thingy's. Olive Garden...here we come!

~A

Good music #3...or is it #4??

I thought I'd share one more of my favorites! John and I really like Totally Acappella. It's an internet radio station that plays only christian acappella music. Let me give you the brief story behind why we like it so much. When John and I first started attending a Mennonite church we listened to contemporary christian music, like most christians. But some of the more conservative mennonites would actually believe that God does not approve of using musical intrustrument. They have several Bible verses they use to back that up and such. Well, John and I took this very seriously. We wanted to investigate, research, pray, and find out what was the truth. So, we did. We even "fasted" from musical intrusment for a year so that they wouldn't be a distraction to us. Our conclusion? We don't agree. We feel musical intruments are fine. (That's a whole blog post by itself, though.) But, we did discover a few things in the process. We really, REALLY enjoy acappella music for worship. I feel it's less distracting, less emotional, and doesn't put the focus on "the worship band", plus it's beautiful. We listen to both types alot. At first we were having a really hard time finding acappella music that fit our style but then we stumbled across Totally acappella. It has lots of different types of acappella music on there. Most we like. So, anyway! There is another glimpse into some of my musical choices. Usually when I am on the computer I like to listen to it. Try it out! Thanks for reading!

~A

And because I know you all love my Bradley stories...
Tonight, Bradley decided he needed a little exfoliation. But why pay $$$ for those expensive sugar rubs when you can just get mom's brown sugar off the table, spill it on the floor and roll around in it?? Why didn't I think of that!?

Your opinion?

So, my sweet little Luke is having a birthday in about two weeks. He's at that age now where he actually has opinions and a few months ago I was looking through a Family Fun magazine and he saw this:

My little boy has a slight obsession with anything mobile. Especially tractors. So when he saw this- it was love. "Mama, can I have that cake for my birthday?" I like to think I'm a pretty fun mom, willing to try lots of different things, but this seems...a bit overwhelming to me. I'd love to. Don't get me wrong. And if I had 2 less children and wasn't already feeling exhausted from pregnancy I'd totally do it. Well, now I'm not quite sure what to do. It would be fun to see his face light up if I made it. But another part of me just wants to go to the store and buy a Thomas the Tank Engine cake, which he also has an obsession with. Speaking of which, I'm not even sure how he found out who Thomas the Tank engine was. One day he just started talking about Thomas and pointing him out in stores. Weird. But...I digress. So, what are your opinions? Should I make him the cake? (We won't even talk about all the "bad stuff" involved in the ingredients) Or should I buy one? Help me out! Thanks!

~A

Memory Lane...

It's this time of year that I always miss Kansas the most. You can ask John. Every fall I start running down memory lane, talking about "In Kansas we used to ____ in the fall..." or "I remember my family used to ____." So, since I now have a blog, I thought I'd share three of my very favorite places to go in fall. And for you Kansas City-ians I highly recommend you take a day and go with your sweetheart or family. You'll have fun. All of these places are in Weston Mo. and really not too far from each other. The first place is Vaughn's Orchard. It's an apple orchard and it's really cute. You can get all kinds of apples, cider, apple butter, hams, sorguhm, and lots of other stuff. I remember one time we went there and bought some sandwiches and apple fritters and then had a picnic. Way fun. Which brings me to my next spot of choice, Weston Bend. I love this place. It's my favorite place to hiking around close to home. It has trails that run through the woods and comes out to a bluff that overlooks the Missouri river. They have picnic areas and playgrounds. I love it in the fall when the leaves have just started to change. It brings you closer to God, really! And my last favorite fall place....Red Barn Farm. Again, this place is so cute. It's a great place to take children. They've got pumpkins galore as well as animals and hayrides. It's a really fun place to take fall pictures of the kiddo's and just let them run around in the wide open. It's a real, live operating farm and the people are so sweet. So there are my recommendations. If I can't enjoy them (yet again!) this season then I'll make sure other people can! Hope you go and have fun!

Running the race,
~A

I Love This Kid!

Ode to Bradley

I gave a short introduction to my youngest child a couple of entries ago. Bradley. But, Marie requested that I post some sort of funny picture of him. I thought I'd do one better than that and share pictures of the recent (honestly, all of these have happened in the last month) messes he's made. I told John I was going to start taking pictures of all of this so that when he gets married I can make a slide show to play at the rehearsal dinner. What a way to welcome the new daughter in law. "This is what you're in for!!!" My little boy is quite the.....adventurer.

This is what I walked into the other day. I was in the kitchen doing the dishes. When I was done I walked into the toy room to see Lilly and Luke but no Brad. Uh oh. Never a good sign. I found him in his closet and he had single handedly undone all of the organizing I had just done a few days ago.



I know you can't see it very well from the picture but see all those little black things on the floor? Raisins. And a ton of them. Now, I must admit that he had help from his big brother on this one. Somehow they got a hold of the bag and thought they'd invent a fun game. It involved spilling almost all the raisins on the floor and then running back and forth across them to see how many would get stuck to their feet. Nice, huh?


He also loves dirt. Does this surprise anyone? Whenever we go outside it is the first thing he heads for. He takes huge handfuls of it and pours it all over himself. To be honest, I think it's kind of cute. But still a mess in the end.


This is not including the messes I wasn't able to get pictures of like:
~getting the butter off the counter top. Eating half of it and spreading the other half all over the school room floor and his brothers bed.
~Using my toothbrush to clean the toilet. Praise the Lord I discovered it!
~ He managed to open my acrylic paints and paint half of his body a bright orange color. It DID NOT come out of his clothes (or mine, for that matter). But, luckily, it DID come out of his hair, skin, teeth.....
~twice now he's climbed up on something to attain my Bible. I now have 6 pages missing. Sorry, Lord. I don't think I'll be reading 1 Corinthians very much.




But, I wouldn't trade him for the world. This little guy who spent the first week of his life in intensive care, struggling to breath, has burst forth and embraced this life at full speed. I think I'll keep him. After all, he is kind of cute.



Running the race,
~A

A fun day

Yesterday was a good day. And at the end of the day I realized something. I haven't had a lot of good days lately. I started thinking about this. Why? Also, yesterday I got my copy of "Keepers At Home" for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a magazine that is directed towards Christian, women, homemakers. I love it. It is a breath of fresh air every time. Anyway, several times in the past few days this reoccurring message has been coming up. Once from an older lady in the grocery store, once from "Keepers", once from a homeschool web site, and once just in random thought. The message is "Enjoy your children now, while their young. Because the years will fly by and then they won't be there anymore." Since I don't believe in coincidences, I have to believe this is a message from the Lord. I think lately I've been so overwhelmed and discouraged. I've been trying to do it all and do it all perfectly. Trying to keep the house perfect, keep meals on time, stay caught up with the laundry, make school fun and challenging, and keep the kids happy. And realistically, I can't do it. I had a total break down two nights ago. I mean, in the bathroom sobbing because I let the devil lead me to believe I was a failure and that John just didin't understand and that it was so unfair! How unfair to John and really how selfish. Not what I want to be. After prayer, I came to realize that at this stage in my life I just can't do it all. I've got to do the best I can. I am reminded of some lyrics to one of my favorite Keith Green songs. He says, "Just keep doing your best and pray that it's blessed and He'll take care of the rest."
So, why was yesterday so wonderful? I just...let go. I let go of trying to do it all. I did a couple things around the house (swept the floor, switched some laundry, etc.) then I took the children to the park and let them run around. We took a walk. Had a picnic lunch (thanks, McDonald's!) at home and then played outside some more. And then when John got home we had a picnic dinner outside followed by some relaxing time laying in the hammock while the children played in the yard. Oh yah, and we have a sod field not too far from our house and so we walked down there and took off our shoes and ran around in it for a good while. It was sooo fun! (Just a note- don't do this in any random field. I'm not sure the owner would like it. Luckily, we know the owner and he wouldn't care.) I read a couple really good quotes yesterday in my "Keepers at Home" and I thought I'd share them. Maybe they can be an encouragement to some other frazzled mom.

"As adults we lose some of the wonder of life. Every day can seem pretty much the same, and if you're like me, some of your children's "experimenting" is frustrating because it interupts your busy day. However, if you take a moment to look at life through the eyes of a child you may be amazed at what you've missed." -Rebecca Miller- (This is totally where I was!)

This is the quote I read yesterday that really started all of my thinking.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."-Robert Brault

How true! You know, my children won't remember cob webs in the corner, or laundry that sat in the basket for an extra 3 days. They'll remember picnics, and art projects, and trips to the zoo. I don't want my children to look back and remember me as an uptight, cranky mom but as a mom who reflects the love of Jesus in all that she does. Anyway, I just wanted to share what the Lord has been teaching me lately. Being a mom (wife, homemaker, etc.) is a hard job. Would I want to switch with John? No way. It's not like his is a cake walk either. But that is why we need each other. To encourage and help. God designed me as He did and I love my role-challenges and all. I KNOW there are other moms out there who feel the same way. Pray for me, if you will. I still have a lot of learning to do. I have a lot of things I need to let Jesus take control of. But I'll keep doin' my best and praying that it's blessed. :) Thanks for reading.

Running the race (humbly),
~A

And on a totally unrelated note: I'm always fascinated by what people take on picnics. How do you not make it so boring?? So, I thought I'd share what we took on our little impromptu picnic.

-tuna and cream cheese sandwiches
-celery with pineapple cream cheese
-chips
-cookies and brownies (I bought these at the Mennonite restaurant in town, yum!)
-lemonade

There you go! Have a picnic yourself!

The Beauty of Yogurt Cheese!

I've been trying to stay away from making every single entry a recipe. Even though I have lots to share and I love getting new recipes from other people, I do have a life outside of cooking. But today I want to share with you one of my favorite things to make. Introduced to me by my very healthy friend, Heather B. (love you!), yogurt cheese is right up there with sour cream for me. It's wonderful. It has all the benefits of plain yogurt because, well, it is plain yogurt. Versatile, healthy, and really pretty tasty. So how do you make this crazy yogurt cheese? Allow me.

Yogurt Cheese

2 quarts plain yogurt

Place 4 layers of cheesecloth (or a coffee filter, or a couple layers of paper towels) in colander set over a bowl. Add the yogurt and let drain overnight in the refrigerator. The desired consistency is that of soft cream cheese.

Wow. Pretty easy, huh? Here's a couple dorky facts about it:

1. Yogurt cheese takes on the flavor of whatever you mix it with. That means you can "thin out" the fat calories from ice cream, peanut butter, mayo, etc. by mixing them with yogurt cheese.

2. If you are on a diet, yogurt cheese can help you stick to it because it tastes rich- no sodium or chemicals are added as they are in commercially " lite" foods.

3. If you make yogurt cheese from sweetened yogurt (like vanilla or lemon) most of the sugar will drain out with the whey but it will still have a sweet taste. Although, it's not as good for you as plain.


Now, here's some things you can do with yogurt cheese. I'm totally copying and pasting here, people.

10 TIPS TO LOWER FAT & CALORIES WITHOUT GOING ON A DIET

1 BAGEL & CREAM CHEESE: spread a bagel with plain yogurt cheese. Variation: mix in a teaspoon of jam or spreadable fruit.
2 DANISH: split an English muffin in half, toast it, and spread with sweetened yogurt cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon and heat under broiler until bubbly.
3 PEANUT BUTTER: mix 1 tablespoon peanut butter with 1 or 2 tablespoons yogurt cheese (the yogurt cheese takes on the peanut butter flavor).
4 MAYONNAISE: mix 1 tablespoon commercial mayonnaise with 1 or 2 tablespoons yogurt cheese (the yogurt cheese takes on the mayonnaise flavor).
5 BAKED POTATO TOPPING: add sour cream flavor buds, chives and/or herb mix to yogurt cheese.
6 WHIPPED CREAM: mix 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to vanilla yogurt cheese.
7 ICE CREAM: mix 1/4 cup commercial ice cream and 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt cheese.
8 LEMON TART: place a thin cookie in the bottom of a cupcake paper; spoon in lemon yogurt cheese; top with slice of fruit. Chill.
9 CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: add 1 packet low-calorie chocolate drink mix to 1 cup yogurt cheese.
10 VANILLA FROSTING: mix 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with 1 cup vanilla yogurt cheese. Chill. Spread on cake just before serving.

Most of the time I will substitute it for half of the sour cream or mayo in a recipe. It's great and healthy. It's a good way to sneak in some plain yogurt, which my kiddo's won't touch, without them even noticing. Try some of the above recipes. I know I'm going to! Yum!


And just so you know, while I was typing this up my 18 month old got ahold of our Smart Balance butter and decided to eat about half of it. He also managed to smear it all over the floor in the school room, and all over his brothers bed. Awesome. :)

Running the race,

~A

Care-free Cleaning

In my attempt to make my family healthier I started really paying attention to what we eat. I feel since God has placed me in charge of planning and preparing meals it's my job to watch out for them. So, I cut out trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and so on. As time went on I started noticing the things I was using to clean my house. Actually, what brought it to my attention was a book called "Organic Housekeeping" (great book!) In this book the author talks about all the nasty (and I do mean NASTY) things that go into chemical cleaners. Hmm...with 3 kids that like to lick everything at their level, it got me motivated. So, I started making my own cleaners. I love it! Not only do I not have to worry about my children getting under the sink but I can actually give them a spray bottle and say "Wash the windows!" It also feels good to know that I am not hurting the environment. Oh, and, it will save you alot of money to make your own. I thought I'd share some of my homemade concoctions today.

Floor Cleaner

Distilled white vinegar
Water
Essential Oil (optional)

Okay...this is pretty easy. Get a spray bottle, fill it with equal amounts vinegar and water, then add 15-20 drops oil if you want. (Try peppermint) To use: squirt on the floor and wipe with a clean rag. If you want to mop: do the same just in larger quantities in a bucket. This cleaner can be used on finished wood, ceramic tile, and vinyl.

Tub and Tile Cleaner

1 2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid soap*
1/2 water
2 T. distilled white vinegar

*if you use concentrated soap reduce amount
Mix baking soda and liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with water and add the vinegar. Mix with a fork until any lumps are gone and mixture has a pourable consistency (you may need to add more water). Pour into a squeeze container (I use an old dish liquid container). And shake before using. Make sure you keep the lid closed so it won't dry out. I made a batch of this today and I was in a hurry. So, I mixed everything right in the bottle. Bad idea. Have you ever mixed baking soda and vinegar?? The solution shot straight up out of the bottle and I now have it all over my celing. Nice. Use it on tile, tub, sink, or toilet bowls. Rinse well. If you notice a baking soda residue use less baking soda next time.

Glass Cleaner

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup liquid soap*
2 cups water
Essential oil

*Again, if you use concentrated, use less.

Mix soap and water in a spray bottle. Add vinegar and essential oil (try lemon). Shake well. Just a note:Once you have cleaned your windows a couple of times with this formula, onit the soap ( it removes the waxy residue left hehind by conventional cleaners) and switch to 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 cups of water.

All purpose Cleaner (aka the work horse)

2 T. distilled white vinegar
1 t. borax
16 oz. hot water
1/2 c. liquid soap*

Mix vinegar and borax in a spray bottle. Filly with water and shake until the borax has dissolved. Add the soap. Shake to mix again. To use: spray and wipe. I use this cleaner for everything. Cleaning off high chairs, tables, counters, sinks. It's a gem.

Veggie and Fruit Wash

vinegar
hydrogen peroxide

Alrighty, most of you probably know that fruits and veggies bought in the store are covered with pestisides and waxy goodness. And most of you probably wash them before you chow down. But, please, don't buy those over prices washes they sell at the store. Here's a much cheaper and simpler way to do it. I keep a spray bottle of vinegar and a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide under my sink in the kitchen. Simply, spray with vinegar first and then hydrogen peroxide. Wait a minute. Take some joy in watching all the little nasty bacterias bubbling away and then rinse!

So there are my homemade, simple, cheap cleaners. I've been very pleased with them all. And if you feel so inclined buy that book "Organic Housekeeping". She goes into details about every nook and cranny of your house. Hope these can help you out and happy cleaning!!

Running the race,

~A

Fun times

I ran across this picture today and it is one of my favorites. It's from Luke's birthday last year. Just thought I'd share. :)


~A

Baby Blues

For those of you who haven't heard of the comic strip "Baby Blues", let me introduce you! I love this comic (and I am REALLY not a comic strip type person). It fits my life so well. Hubby-kins tell told me the other day that I was Baby Blues come to life. Ha! I thought I'd lighten up my blog a little by sharing the humor.


If you click on the image you can see it a lot better...just so you know.

~A

I'm praying for you, Mr. President

So, it's that time of year again. Elections are coming up. People are wanting to know where I stand and what I think. Who AM I going to vote for?? Well, I'm not. Truth be told, I never have voted nor do I intend to. Now, I know I'm going to get a lot of grief for this entry. But it's okay. I'm used to it by now. When you believe radical things like I do you get used to being in heated discussions. :) Let me share. This is my third election that I am eligible to vote for. My first one was when I was 18. I didn't vote, simply because I was too lazy. I was registered in a different county and didn't want to go through all the trouble of getting it changed. Silly, I know, but true. My story really starts with the election of 2004. I was 22. With the war in Iraq it seemed like this election was very heated and very important. And I had every intention of voting. I did my research, looked into each candidate and was going to vote. But then I started praying about it and reading my Bible. And something was very, very unsettled within me. I kept praying and reading. Something just didn't seem right. The day of election came and I drove to the place I was to vote. I sat in the parking lot for a good half hour, watching people walk in and out, praying, wondering. Finally, I started my car and drove away. And I have been at peace about it ever since. So, what was it that made me not vote. Well, one reason, it hurt my conscience to do so. As I read my Bible, I tossed aside everything I had been taught. Everything that had been ingrained in me since I was a child. "Vote. It's your American duty." "How will God's will be done if the Christians don't vote?" And I tried to see it through the eyes of Jesus. I didn't see him getting involved in politics. He realized that He was not a citizen of this world but a citizen of a higher kingdom. He told us to pray for those in charge and to obey our government. And that is all I read about being involved in the government. But the question was still on my mind, "If the Christians don't vote, how will His voice be heard??" And then I started reading 1 and 2 Kings. I saw how God's sovereignty is in no way effected by our actions. God knows all and is in control of all. I hope this is all making sense! I have lots of thoughts running around my head and am hoping they are coming out right. So, I don't vote. Quite simply, because I don't believe God wants me too. As I look at this years election I see that both McCain and Obama claim to be christians. So, if they are both brothers in Christ how am I to support one and offend the other? How am I to wear the t-shirts, post the signs, whatever, for one? I just couldn't do that to another brother. God has already declared who is going to be the next president. I feel my job is simply to pray for both McCain and Obama, as their sister it is my job. I have no idea who will win the election. But I find peace in knowing that He does. I encourage you to read your Bible on this subject. Toss aside everything our American culture has told you and seek His will. If you read and pray and still feel the need to vote. Then do! God forbid, you do something you feel is wrong. Which is exactly why I don't vote. Hope that explains a little about why I'm so quiet when it comes to politics. Let the comments begin!


Running the race by His grace,
~A

Good Music #2

Another fantastic musician I want to talk about it one named Derek Webb. Some of you would probably recognize his voice. For years he was one of the main singers of the band Caedmon's Call. He's been singing solo for several years now and I believe he's better than he's ever been. His voice has seen me through lots of different stages in life. The thing I appreciate most about Derek Webb is his willingness to say what needs to be said. I don't think there is anything wrong with praise and worship music but it seems to me that that is what makes up 98% of christian music today. Derek's (we're totally on a first name basis....) music says more than just that. He says what nobody else will say but what everyone desperately needs to hear. Some people call him a prophet for today's world. I certainly don't doubt that God is behind his music. Once you listen to them you won't doubt it either. Another cool thing. Is that Derek gives his music away for free. Inspired by Keith Green he is involved with NoiseTrade, which is a website that gives music away free. Check it out. Here's one of my favorite's. It's called "Wedding Dress". The record company almost wouldn't let him publish it. They thought it was too.....harsh. Oh, and there is a story behind it too. If you want to hear it go to youtube and look up derek webb- intro to wedding dress.






Running the race,
~A

A heart like His

This morning the children slept in late and hubby-kins had to go into work early. That left me with a little time to be by myself to reflect on things. I thought about my children and how much they've grown over the past year. Yes, they have a sinful, selfish nature (just like all children) but I see a lot of our Creator in them too. Their unwavering faith and trust in us as parents. Their endless joy. Their willingness to believe. Those are just a few of the things that make me wish I could go back. A lot of you who read this blog are young parents or maybe even just about to dive into this crazy world of parenting. So, let me give you a little advice. Foster these qualities. When a child shows one of our Fathers qualities encourage them, praise them, pray for them. Sadly, if not taught and encouraged they will disappear and be replaced with what the world teaches them to be. Lilly, I can already see, has a giving heart. She loves to make/send people little gifts. The other day John and I were sitting in the living room working on a project and we see her walk in with two mugs of water and sets them on the table. She said, " I saw that you were working and thought you might be thirsty." She had the biggest smile on her face (and so did we) like she knew she was doing something to make us happy. Yesterday, I had to run to CVS. The whole way she was talking about who she wanted to buy cards for so she could let them know she was thinking of them. The tally was up to five by the time we got there. And my Luke, even at such a young age, he already is given to prayer. If he sees that I am tired or not feeling well he says, "Mama, I'll pray for you." Then he goes and buries his face in the couch cushions for a few seconds. He sits up with a big smile on his face and says, "I prayed for you." His prayers are so innocent and sweet. Today, during family devotions (we call it "Praise and Prayer") His prayer went something like this, "Dear Father, please help daddy, and me, and my toys. In Jesus name, Amen." Ha! Anyway, if we teach our little ones at a young age to love God and teach them to pray, and read the Word, and serve, and love others, it will bring blessings. I truly believe that. Teach them to pray.Not only before meals and before they go to bed but when they've lost a toy, when they scape their knee, or when they've hurt someones feelings. Even if they seem young, they are listening. It's so important. "Train up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it." says God. Godspeed. It's a big job but the most important of your life.

Running the race,
~A

Good music

First, before I start I have a message for Marie: Poop. There. Are you happy??? Okay. Moving on!

This entry is dedicated to all those Keith Green fans out there. For much of my life I had no idea who Keith Green was. I didn't grow up listening to christian music, especially christian music from the 70's. It wasn't until I was married that my husband introduced me to the music he grew up listening to. Keith Green. At first, I thought he was so cheesy that I could never listen to him. But then, as I started listening ot the lyrics and learning his story I was totally hooked! I have never, NEVER heard a more powerful musical evangelist. As one of John's co-workers put it, "It's like a sermon in every song." And that's true. I haven't heard a song yet that I haven't been moved by. And I don't mean to give him all the praise. He obviously had a very close relationship with the Lord. So, download his music. It's free! Shortly before his death (he died in a plane crash at 29 with 2 of his children) he released all of the rights to his music. He thought that the Lord had given him these songs and he wanted to share them with everyone. My favorite song of his is "Prodigal Son". Amazing music and lyrics but it's also 10:00 minutes long. So here is a video of my other favorite song "Asleep in the Light". Enjoy!

~A

Names, names, names!

Pretty much everyone knows that John and I are expecting our fourth baby at the end of February. We are very excited, of course! But one thing that both John and I dread is talking about baby names. You see, John and I have totally different ideas about what names sound good. We discovered this very quickly with our first baby. Me, being the excited first time mom, wanted to talk about baby names right away. As we sat in Wendy's eating our food, discussing names, I realized this was going to be harder than I thought. After many, many months of talking we decided on the name Hannah (or Owen, if it was a boy). Yah! But, as the date approached I began rethinking and we started talking again. Sigh. Eventually we agreed on Lillian. Praise the Lord! Since then it has been something we still struggle with. You'd think by baby #4 we'd know what the other likes. And I do. It's just that I don't like the names he likes and he doesn't like mine. Ha! Example, if it had been up to him Bradley (baby #3) would have been named Boaz. BOAZ!! Now, in his defense, Boaz is one of John and my favorite people in the Bible and if my son turned out to have a heart like him I would be thrilled. But I'm just not nuts about the name, okay? I'm a simple girl and I like simple names. Well, the subject came up last night. We had been putting it off because we already knew it would lead to frustration. I was shocked when the conversation was actually going somewhere. And, miracles of miracles, we picked out a girl name! I couldn't believe it. I kept going around saying the name over and over. I just couldn't believe we had decided this early! All that's left is deciding the boy name. He's still rooting for Boaz but I don't think I'll budge on that one. Not to offend anyone but we aren't telling the names....yet. We usually aren't the type of people to keep things to ourselves but we've decided to wait just a while. But! I thought it might be interesting to see what the top baby names of 2007 were. So, here you go!

Boys

Aidan
Braden
Kaden
Ethan
Caleb

Girls

Ava
Abigal
Cailyn
Madeline
Isabella

It's none of these, by the way. I wouldn't give it away that easily! Anyway, thanks for checking in with us again!

Running the race,
~A

P.S. I just thought I'd share that as I was writing this my 2 year old decided it would be a good idea to wipe himself after going stinky in the potty. Let me assure you, not a good idea. Never a dull moment, people!

Ideas? ...Anyone?

Hello there, friends! So, once again, I need some advice. John and I have kind of been running out of ideas as to what to do on our dates. To make matters a little harder, we live in po-dunk. Sometimes we drive to the closest big city and go out to eat. But usually we have to eat and then turn around and go home so we can get home in time to pick up the kiddo's. Plus, I'd like to do something different once in a while. I'd love to hear some things you'd suggest to do. What do you think? I'd love to surprise him with some fun, creative date. Any ideas? (p.s. John if you are reading this don't tell me. You'll ruin my surprise. :) )


Thanks!
~A

Arts and Crafts Time!

As most of you probably know, I home-school. I love it and am thankful I have the opportunity to do it. I try to stay pretty balanced. I realize that academic learning is valuable but I also realize that there is a lot more in life than "book work". So usually during the week I try to set aside some time for art, music, physical exercise, etc. I've said it before, I am not a creative person so sometimes coming up with art projects can be kind of challenging for me. That is why I love Family Fun! They have lots of great ideas for children of all ages. Our latest one was a collage house (and garden for Luke- the only catalogs I had left were seed catalogs!) It was really fun to see them be creative, to see what Lilly would pick out to have in her house and what Luke had for his garden. I must admit, I had to help Luke a little. When I came to see what he had cut out he had a whole pile of tools! No greenery, whatsoever. Ha! What a boy! So, we looked through the catalog together and picked out what he wanted. Here are some pictures.


Here are my little artists hard at work cutting away. Lilly found one of those advertisements for books and cut out about a million tiny little pictures of books. It took her forever to glue them all down.


Here they are, again. I love the look on Lilly's face as she contemplates which pictures to glue next. Such a little thinker! Luke's philosophy was the more glue the merrier. So, we wound up with dollops of glue about the size of quarters. But at least none of them will fall off.




And here they are with their finished products! I was actually very impressed. Lilly even separated her house into rooms and Luke gave his garden a flower border all the way around (is that normal for a almost 3 year old??). Maybe they inherited their daddy's creative gene!

So that was art class with the Washburn's. Anyone else have any creative ideas for 3 and 4 year olds?? Again, if you are looking for something crafty for your little ones to do check out www.familyfun.go.com It's got lots of goodies, even fun recipes to try. Thanks for checking in with us!

Running the race,
~A

Help me save money...pretty please!

Okay all you couponing fiends, I need your help. I'm into saving money, just like everyone else but I'm a little unsure of the whole coupon thing. First of all, I live in the middle of no where. I've tried before to find a paper that actually has coupons on Sunday but so far have had no luck. And what is the grocery game?? How does is work? Will it work for me, who lives in the middle of no where?? I need some advice. Plus, do you get coupons for things other than processed foods? I don't want frozen dinners or biscuits in a can. Can you get discounts on staple things? I am totally clueless here! Help!

~A