Daydreaming...

The past couple days I have been spending spare minutes popping on and off the computer, looking at the same bookmarked web page. What am I looking at?? Let me back up a bit. For years, John and I have been planning to build a house. It's been put on hold until we find a good place to settle down, land we like and can afford, etc. But this house we want to build is not just like any house. Over the past couple years John and I have been researching and learning about building a straw bale house. I can hear those of you who have never heard of one saying, "What?!?!" and picturing some little shack on a deserted island. They are actually amazing structures! They would have a frame like a normal house but the isolation is actually made of straw bales. What's the point? Well, it's "green" first of all. You use local materials and limit the amounts of plastics. It is also cheaper. I've seen people build beautiful houses for $50,000. And it is also such good insulation that the average electric bill is around $20-$35 a month! We have a guy here in Montezuma who is willing to sell us straw bales for $1 a bale! That's some cheap building material!! But, I'm not quite sure we'll be building our little dream house here. So we will just keep dreaming for now. As I was looking yesterday I was really amazed at how many different styles and floor plans there were! I found a few that I really love. Several years ago we lived in a house that had one big common room. The kitchen, dining room and living room were all one big open space and the bedrooms were rooms off the sides of that. We really loved that. It was very family-time conducive and that's kind of what we are going for. We'd like to have maybe 5-10 acres of land and get a little farm going. Some cows, chickens, sheep (okay, maybe not sheep but I think it would be so cute!!), we'd like to grow most of our own food. It may sound kind of out there for you city folk but people down here do it all the time. We just haven't got there yet! So, of course, I must include some pictures so ya'll won't have the "Tahiti shack" image in you head anymore. :) This is the house that we like best so far. Enjoy!






Running the race,
~A

For the love of Milkshakes!

I made my very special "Milkshakes" the other night. It was Bradley's first time having one. He was so funny I just had to share some pictures. And, of course, I'll put the recipe at the end!




Then, there are these two hams who, once they discovered I was taking pictures of there brother, had to have their pictures taken too.










Oh, and, please excuse the overflowing trash can in the background of that last picture. Taking out the trash is John's job, for which I take no responsibility.

And last, but not least, here is the recipe:

Low Fat Vanilla Milkshakes

1 c. peeled, sliced bananas (frozen works best)
2 T. vanilla extract
2 c. ice
2 c. milk
2 T. honey
2 T. cocoa (if you want a chocolate shake)

Put all that in a blender and blend! Serves around 6

Thanks for reading!

Running the race,
~A

First Baby Pictures!

Bradley seems to see tractors in these pictures. I'll let you be the judge. And just so you know, you can click on the picture to see it better. :)

My burden this week

First, let me just say, that I know most of you who read this blog regularly totally agree with me. But I just have to write this for anyone who happens to stumble across my blog and is not a Christian!

I've been praying for someone this week. Someone pretty random, who I actually had never specifically heard of until last weekend. Her name is Shirley Phelps. I think she is the daughter of Fred Phelps. Almost all Kansans know that family. Somehow last weekend I stumbled across a video of an interview with her. I was in totally shock. The anger that came from this woman in the name of God! She actually got so flustered that she called the newswoman a bimbo. I couldn't believe it. I grew up in Kansas, about an hour away from Topeka. In high school the Phelps family actually came and protested at the church I was attending. So I was familiar with their message. I guess I just hadn't thought about it in a while. Because it's been really bothering me all week long. If you aren't familiar with them let me give you a little introduction. They would believe it is their duty as "God's messengers" to warn people of their sins. Which isn't necessarily bad. My problem is the way they choose to do this. They picket with signs that say "God hates fags" or "God hates you" and things of that nature. What?!?! I would just like to say that according to my Bible God never hates anyone. No where does it say God hates certain people. Now, there might be certain actions he hates and he certainly hates sin. But NOTHING we do can make God love us more or less. He loves us in spite of our sins because He is just that amazing. So does God hate gay people? No. He hates the sin not the people.

As I've been praying this week I've also had a little sympathy for the Shirley Phelps. Funny how God does that, huh? It's hard to hate someone when you pray for them. I watched a few interviews with her and I see the way people treat her. Granted, she has a pretty hard message to swallow, but instead of having a loving Christ-like attitude with her they call her a nut or the devil or something like that. Is that really going to get her to see her problem? Probably not. I just wonder if anyone has tried to minister to her. Also as I was praying about it this morning I was thinking about some of what they say. Terrible, terrible things. That I am sure have hurt people to the core. And it hit me. What absolute lies from the devil. You know, Satan is a pretty tricky guy. He will use anything to keep people away from God. So why not use people coming in God's own name? What does the Bible say about that?

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." ~ Matthew 7:14-16

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." ~ Matthew 24:11

"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." ~ Mark 13:22

And my personal favorite....

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." ~1 John 4:1

So, for those of you who aren't Christians, please don't believe this message that God hates people. It simply isn't Truth. The Truth:

" But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:39

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16

God loves you. And for those of you who are christians...let's be aware that there ARE false prophets out there. Some as obviously as the Phelps and some may be even more disguised. Also, while I know it's easy to be angry with the Phelps we need to try and ask ourselves what Jesus would have done. Not that I have this part figured out yet! Anyway, that's my ramblings for today! I hope that God is blessing you today and that you are giving Him all the praise. :)

Running the race,
~A

Baby talk

Yesterday I had my 20 week ultrasound. Even though this is my fourth one, I still get so nervous! I was fine until just a few days before my appointment. And then I started thinking, "What if something is wrong?" or "What if they tell me my baby won't survive or something terrible?" I'm sure many of you know how it goes. Not that I have ANY control over it or my worrying will solve anything but I am a worrier. Of course, everything turned out to be fine. The children were really excited. It's fun now that they are at an age that they can understand what is going on. It's always funny going out to places where they really aren't used to seeing....well...Mennonites, I guess. We get a lot of stares. They see this couple with 3 very young children and the mom is pregnant! I get a lot of comments like "Oh! I bet you have your hand full!" or "You must stay busy!" I simply smile and say, "Yes. It is a lot of work. But they are a blessing and I wouldn't have it any other way." To which, they usually smile back. :) During the ultrasound Bradley kept pointing at the screen saying, "Tractor! Tractor!" I know those babies can be a little hard to make out on the screen but...a tractor?? The nurse assured him there was no tractor inside of Mommy's tummy. Ha! We decided not to find out what sex the baby is. We think it is a lot more fun at delivery time not to know. We didn't find out with Lilly or Luke and then did find out with Bradley. So, we've tried it both ways. If we have a boy, I'm all set with baby stuff. A girl, though! It's been 5 years since I had a girl and a different season then when I had Lilly. I'll have to send someone out to buy supplies! Anyway, I'm going to try and get John to scan in a few of our pictures and post them on here. Stay tuned for the first pictures of baby #4! Thanks for reading!

Running the race,
~A

A new leaf

We, here at the Washburn household, are turning over a new leaf. John and I sat down yesterday and figured out our budget, something we've been avoiding for a while now. As we were talking about ways to cut back costs we decided a couple things. Now, when I tell you the first one you may not think it's that big of a deal. But any mom, especially with lots of young children, will understand how big of a sacrifice this is for me. As of yesterday, the Washburn's will not be buying bagged, dry ceral anymore! Oh! Even typing it makes me stressed. Well, maybe not really. I've always been outraged at how expensive it is to buy ceral. For a while I was buying all of our ceral at a local food salvage store but even that was kind of expensive. Plus, it's very hard to find ceral (unless you buy organic which is $$$) that has no "bad stuff" in it. So, John and I agreed that cold ceral was out. So far things have been going okay. Ha! Maybe not. This morning the children woke up starving and they had to wait about 20 minute while I fixed them some oatmeal (real oatmeal, not that boxed stuff). By the time breakfast was on the table Luke was crying on the floor and so hungry I had to feed him! But, this can all be remedied if I would only GET MY LAZY BONES OUT OF BED EARLIER!!! I have the bad (BAD, BAD) habit of waking up when the children wake up. I hate it. I always have. But I am a slave to it. It's actually something I've been praying about lately and I really feel the Lord telling me I need to do it. Sigh. Maybe this will be my motivation. Here are some of my breakfast ideas:
~ muffins (easy to make ahead and freeze)
~ oatmeal
~ pancakes/waffles ( again, make ahead and freeze)
~ french toast
~ homemade granola (I have two REALLY good recipes)
~ eggs and garlic rice (okay, this one sounds wierd. But my sister in law is from the Phillipians and she makes this for us whenever we come visit and it is WONDERFUL. John's favorite, by far.)

That's what I got so far. If you have any suggestions, let me know. My plan is to make a schedule and each day of the week have the same thing. That will make it easier for me, I think.

We've also made the decision to make the switch to cloth diapers. Well, switch back really. We had been using them and then when we moved I used disposibles and never went back. So, my very expensive Fuzzi Bunz have been sitting- not used. But I need some advice. I've written emails to a couple people asking this questions but, people have lives, I understand! After the diaper is soiled what do you do with it?? I understand you dump the...ahem...solids in the toilet but then do you drop the diapers in a bucket with some sort of solution?? If so, what? Anybody know? I'd really like to start using them as soon as possible so if anyone could solve this mystery I'd be endebted.

There are a few other things we are doing too. I'm baking all of our bread from now on. John is riding his bike to work. We are keeping the heat at 65* and so on. But those are the two things that will probably effect me the most. It should be an interesting adjustment period! But to tell you the truth, I feel really good about it. We have been wanting to get a lot...simpler. And more self sufficient. So, I think this is a good move for us. I've just got to give it up to the Lord! Thanks for reading, again. God bless!

Running the race,
~A

I love homeschooling!

*This post is especially for my mom. Who sent me an email today telling us that she missed us. She's a teacher and would love this kind of stuff. So, expect random pictures of the kiddos. Love you, mom!*

Today was a lovely day. It was around 80 degrees or so and I was trying to think of a way to get the children out of the house. Then I remembered that we were a good bit ahead in our curriculum. So that meant.....field trip!! Didn't you always love those as a kid? Of course, I had to make it a somewhat educational one to make myself feel better. I came up with a list of things I wanted each child to look for, depending on their academic level, and we headed off to a playground outside of one of the churches in town. My town is not..uh..blessed enough to have city parks so we take what we can get! I am so thankful that I homeschool and that I have the opportunity to do things like this with them. Here are the pictures, mom!


Luke was assigned to look for something round. It's hard, after 10 minutes of searching and him being distracted by every little thing, to not start point out anything closely resembling a circle but he finally got with the game and started finding things left and right.

Lilly was to find a rectangle. She really had no problem with this. She knows her shapes just fine but I wanted to give her a couple easy ones.

Next, Luke had to find something red. Not hard considering the church must have been painting some of their cabinets and there was this huge, red, bookcase right there.


Lilly needed to find three of something. 3 acorns, 3 flowers, etc. She did really well! She was running all over the playground yelling, "Look, mama! 1-2-3!!"

So, anyway, you get the general idea. We stuck to shapes, colors, and numbers, which was pretty good for Luke but next time Lilly needs something a little more challenging. And, of course, after the scavenger hunt I let them run around and play. Which they loved. Mom, you remember the playground we went to before? With the big track to run around on?

Hmm?? And where is Bradley?? DO YOU EVEN NEED TO ASK???

I really don't think this boy can go anywhere without bringing pockets full of dirt home. Sigh...I love that boy!

Thanks for checking in with us today. God's been really good to us (as always!) this week and we are feeling very blessed. I hope you can say the same!!

Running the race,
~A

Proclaiming the Truth

I first heard about Voddie Baucham a few weeks ago on another blog. I was so impressed with what I heard about him that I looked on YouTube to see if they had anything from him. Of course, they did! Doesn't YouTube have everything?! John and I had been listening to a lecture series by Walter Veith (check it out!) every night but Saturday, after the kiddo's went to bed, we took a break to listen to Voddie Baucham's message called "Biblical Womanhood". It was fantastic! On YouTube there are 8 parts for a total of an hour and a half (I think). If you watch this first one, make sure you watch them all. He also had some video's titled "Biblical manhood" which John listened to and he said they were excellent as well. We are getting ready to read his book " Family Driven Faith". I've heard it's a great book. Anyone read it? Watch the video if you have time and enjoy!




Running the race,
~A

Luke's Birthday!

I love our family birthday's. We try not too make it a huge ordeal and we like to keep it pretty family oriented. We also like to keep things simple. At the same time, we want the child to know
how very special and loved they are. So Luke's birthday was really fun! Here are some pictures.

Because I know everyone was losing sleep and unable to eat...here is a picture of the cake. Now, I must say, that I cannot take credit for it. Wednesday night rolled around and I was still trying to figure out what to do. Finally, John said "I'll make the cake." I kind of wrinkled my nose and said, "What??" But, my John, is an artsy-fartsy. And I knew he already had his mind made up that he would do it. (His mom is a baker, I should probably tell you) So, I released the whole thing to him. My job was to bake the cake and get the icing ready. He cut the cake out and frosted it. Pretty good, huh?? I was actually pretty relieved, truth be told. Luke loved it. John modeled it after Luke's favorite Matchbox car. :)


Here's the birthday boy in all his glory! He was pretty excited. Mainly for two reasons 1. He couldn't wait to eat his orange truck cake and 2. Now that he is 3 he gets to start "school" on Tuesday. I don't even think he realized he was going to get presents!


This picture doesn't need much explaining. He was pretty excited though.


Grandma and Grandpa bought him a Thomas the Tank engine train set. He was VERY excited.


We got him a tricycle. He still hasn't quite figured out how to ride it but Lilly loves it! Ha! Luke likes to sit on the little step on the back and let Lilly drive him around.




So, anyway, it was a really good day. Most of the afternoon was spent watching the little ones play with all the new stuff. We had planned to set up the tent, start a bonfire, and roast hot dogs and marshmallows but the weather didn't cooperate. We'll have to save that for another day.

Last but not least. Here is a prego picture of me. I was officially 20 weeks on Friday. This may be TMI but I've been really swollen this pregnancy. Probably because I am on my feet ALL day. :)

I really hope everyone out there is doing well. And let me just say, I really enjoy reading everyone's blogs. I was just telling Marie the other day that it is fun to see what everyone is up to. So, keep posting! And thanks for reading!

Running the race in love,
~A

Happy Birthday, Bud!

Today is my Luke's 3rd birthday. Three years ago today, after 25 hours of labor, he came into this world. The first thing I heard after he was born were the doctor's saying "Whoa! That is a big baby!" I'm not joking! 9lb. 15oz and 23in. I wish each of you had the opportunity to know him like I do. God has created a very special person in him, I tell ya! In honor of his birthday I made a little slide show. Enjoy!






~A

Confessions

I have a problem. A fault, a weakness. I have a real problem with letting people see inside my heart. I hate being vulnerable. I would much rather talk about cooking or kids than what is really going on inside my heart. I hate letting people see me cry. I'm not really sure why I'm like this. It isn't that I don't want people to see my weakness, trust me. I'll be the first person to tell you that I do NOT have it all together. My husband says that I hate inconveniencing people, to the point that it can actually hinder me in things. Maybe that's what it is. I'm not really sure. That's why, on my blog, you'll probably see a lot more posts that involve recipes or the crazy antics of my children then real glimpses into my heart. But for some reason, I woke up this morning and I felt the Lord saying, "Amanda, it's time to make a confession." So, (deep breath) if you will bare with me for the next couple minutes, I'd like to share a little bit about the state of my heart.

The past couple years I've felt this....cancer growing inside my heart ( we're talking figuratively, people.) I've come to realize that I don't believe in God's love for me. Now, generally, I know God loves me. But deep down...I have doubts. My realization started several months ago when I started reading Beth Moore's "Breaking Free". I didn't finish the book. In fact, I only got into the first couple chapters. But I started reading some of the obstacles that could hinder your walk and one of them was something along the lines of "not believing in God's love". That one kind of stuck with me for a while. I thought about it and then forgot. Well, again, a few months ago I was rereading "Hinds Feet in High Places" (awesome book, by the way) and by the end of the book I was in tears. Is this really what the love of God is like? Do we really have a God who is so compassionate? Who will swoop in and fight for us? Who will let us lay our heads on his shoulder and just weep? This is when I knew something was wrong with my heart. As I thought more and more about it I realized that I have been paying too much attention to the areas of the Bible that talk about fearing God and not enough to the parts that speak of His love. I didn't do this intentionally. But over time, my perception of God has changed into a God who is constantly disappointed in my failures ( meaning ALWAYS disappointed!) and shaking his head at me. This issue came up again last night. We are having a week of meetings (aka- revival meetings, as any good southerner would know) at our church this week. Last night the speaker was talking about forgiveness. He was saying that when a christian sincerely repents God is right there to forgive and extend His love. Again, this stuck with me and I've been thinking about it all morning. Doesn't God hold it against me for a while? Doesn't He hold it over my head and remind me of it? Or wait....maybe that was the devil bringing up past sins up all this time.... So, this is my confession. I have doubts. And while in my head I KNOW that God loves me, my heart has yet to learn it. Pray for me. Encourage me. Hey, if you feel led...teach me! Thanks for listening..er...reading.

Running the race,
~A

Let me hear it!

I'm feeling a bit inspired by the Pioneer Woman, lately. Recently she had a contest and was giving away a Le Creuset dutch oven. All you had to do was type in what you were having for dinner that night. Of course, I entered. Call me naive, but I honestly thought I might win! Ha! To no surprise, I didn't win BUT it was really interesting to go through some of the entries and see what people had for dinner. I know how boring meal planning can get when you have the same thing over and over. I also know that most wives/moms like to try new things. That's why sites like Pioneer Woman and food gawker and so on are so popular. So, I'm proposing that we all share! I think it would be fun for people to post their favorite recipe. It can be anything - favorite bread, dessert, appetizer or favorite main dish. I'm sure most people have more than one favorite. You can either respond here as a comment or, if it would be easier, post it to your blog. And the winner will win a Le Creuset dutch oven! Okay, okay, just joking on that one. But you will get a big "Hey! I like your recipe!" from me! (totally comparable, right?) So, let's hear it! Another inspiration from the Pioneer Woman....I'm making my own pumpkin puree tonight AND roasting the seeds. Yum! Anyway, I'll start by sharing one of mine:

Italian Bow Ties with Sausage

1- 16 oz. package of bow tie pasta
1 lb. ground sausage (I always use turkey sauage but italian sausage would be best)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 t. minced garlic (fresh is WAY better)
2 - cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. dried basil
Parmesean cheese

Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook sausage, onion, and garlic. Stir in tomatoes, cream, salt, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Add pasta. Toss to coat. Top with Parmesean cheese. Just a note: I always serve this with a salad and French bread with oil and vinegar to dip the bread in. Mainly because I think the pasta, with a little bit of baslamic vinegar is really good! Oh, and, if you think that it is too soupy, next time drain the tomatoes. Enjoy everyone!

Running the race,
~A

The only reason I hate living in the country....

Hours of fun

My parents sent Luke a birthday present yesterday. P.S.- thanks, mom, for the Cherry Mashes. They were excellent. Moving on, along with the present my parents had bought some fall clothing for the kids and a couple other little toys for Lilly and Brad. They actually had to go out and buy a box because they couldn't find one around that was big enough. So, yesterday afternoon was spent playing with all the new toys. Well today the toys were forgotten and the children discovered.....the box. Honestly, they spent a good hour playing with that thing. First they were chicks coming out of their eggs, then it was a tent, then they were turtles and the box was their shell. It was pretty hilarious to sit and watch them imagine. Did I used to do that? Gosh, where has my imagination gone? If someone were to hand me a box now I think I'd probably just blankly stare at them. And believe it or not, they are still playing with that thing. I finally made them take a break because they were starting to fight but right after dinner they were back at it. So grandparents, if you are going to send your grandchild a birthday present, make sure you get a nice big box.

Loving it,
~A

Inspiration

Toddlers are difficult. And when you are around toddlers all day, I think it's very easy to focus on those difficulties- their selfishness, their stubbornness, their messiness! But lately I've been noticing a certain beauty in my children's personalities. I see a lot of attributes in them that I wish I saw more of in myself. Finally the other day I wrote out those qualities that I appreciate so much in them. And I discovered that I have a lot to learn from them.

10 GODLY CHARACTERISTICS I SEE IN MY CHILDREN THAT I WISH I SAW MORE OF IN MYSELF

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." ~ Matthew 18:3

But Jesus said," Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

1. Trust ~ they trust us, as their parents, completely.
2. Joy ~ they are brought joy by the simplest things.
3. Contentment ~ they are just as content with a cardboard box or laundry basket as they are with some fancy toy.
4. Forgiveness ~ they can have a huge fight with their sibling one minute and then all is forgiven and forgotten the next.
5. Peace ~ they go to bed at night without a care in the world.
6. Curiosity ~ they have a hunger to know everything about this big world God created.
7. Obedience ~ when we ask them to do something, they do it simply because we asked them to.
8. Non- Judgmental ~ Black is no different than white, poor no different than rich, old no different than young.
9. Sincerity ~ they say what they mean and mean what they say.
10. Love ~ from cuddles to kisses, flowers to hand made cards, they express their love in so many ways with no shame or embarrassment, anywhere!


Be inspired to look for these in your children when you've had a hard day with them. They are there. If we nurture and encourage these beautiful, godly qualities while they are young the world with not drown them out. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ~ Proverbs 22:6 May God bless your day as you live to fulfill His purpose for you and your family!

Running the race,
~A

Good ol' Mennonite recipe

You simply must try this cake recipe. It is so amazingly delicious, it might just be my favorite. The first time I tried it was shortly after Luke was born and someone from church had brought us a meal and this was the dessert. It is, indeed, a good ol' Mennonite recipe which means it isn't very healthy. You could make a few changes. Substitute whole wheat flour and cut back on the sugar. But the original is so yummy that I dare not. I hope you enjoy!

Apple Cake with Warm Cinnamon Sauce

4 c. apples, grated coursely
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nuts

Mix sugar and apples; set aside. Beat eggs slightly, then beat in oil, vanilla, and apples. Mix and sift dry ingredients and stir into apple mixture. Add nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350* for 1 hour. Serve warm with cinnamon sauce and ice cream.

Cinnamon sauce:

2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. clear jell or cornstarch
2 c. water

Mix and cook until thick and clear; remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons butter.


Yah. I told you it wasn't healthy. I rarely make it for that reason but when I do....it's wonderful. :) May God bless your today!

Running the race,
~A