tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41149008371601445672024-02-19T11:35:10.722-05:00TheRobinson'sHousePeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-62378928719552191212013-10-28T07:51:00.000-04:002013-10-28T07:53:16.873-04:00God's Perfect Timing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4_T3d3zlDqRGwaiAB0V1UDX6NoeWtV-sYcOp0B-quhQ8gtXjY1kTNcafmvIcIWHaKGxDQRjpfC6JNgeCqCUjv3O1I476RaFZcZStLZiba-zfUtvUjVQ6GbnZRR15zz4u43gpUTMOXfs/s1600/235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4_T3d3zlDqRGwaiAB0V1UDX6NoeWtV-sYcOp0B-quhQ8gtXjY1kTNcafmvIcIWHaKGxDQRjpfC6JNgeCqCUjv3O1I476RaFZcZStLZiba-zfUtvUjVQ6GbnZRR15zz4u43gpUTMOXfs/s320/235.JPG" width="320" /></a>As I have written about before, I had a miscarriage in January of 2012, an event that affected me so deeply and so fully that it changed who I am. Since then, as friends have loved me, listened to me, shared their stories with me, and prayed with me, I know I have healed. But miscarriage is one of those events that I am not sure someone can ever completely heal from. For months following the loss of our baby, I was on a mission to become pregnant again. It consumed my brain and I couldn't make it stop. I studied ovulation charts, read books, stalked pregnancy web sites, consulted with friends and family members, spent a ridiculous amount of money on ovulation prediction kits, and pretty much drove my husband crazy with incessant planning. My husband was a good sport about my, "we have 12 hours to get pregnant" announcements month after month, only making sarcastic comments roughly half of the time. Seriously, this man should get an award for his love and patience, especially since during part of this baby craze, he had a drainage tube in his side for some kidney stone issues he was having and he still didn't tell me to give it a rest. He was mostly patient and understanding and I am continually thankful that God chose this man to be my husband.<br />
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During all of this planning and research, I started to become
convicted about the whole thing. As I prayed, I was continually met
with God asking me, "Do you want this baby more than you want Me?" and "Don't you trust Me?". At
first, I pushed those questions away because surely I loved the Lord above
all and trusted Him fully, I didn't even need to think about it. But then, I started
examining how I spent my time. Did I really think about this
non-existent baby more than I thought about the real and living God?
Was I spending more time perusing natural fertility web sites than I was
studying the Word of God? It terrified me to come face to face with this truth. God is definitely first in my life, but the fact that this concern was even in my mind gave me a new outlook on having another baby. <br />
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Finally, I had had enough. I could no longer calculate the best day to get pregnant. I couldn't handle the pitying look the cashier at the Dollar Tree gave me as I purchased yet five more ovulation kits. That two week wait to find out if I was pregnant was just too dreadful for me to endure. I certainly couldn't tolerate the possibility of this baby becoming an idol. As much as I wanted another baby, I prayed for God to change my heart if this wasn't His will for my life. I also prayed that He would give me a desire for Him that was greater than anything else in my life.<br />
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A dear friend gave my family the opportunity to have an affordable beach vacation, which happened to be the week that our baby would have turned a year old. I was relieved for the distraction from our every day life and glad to be able to get away with my other three little blessings from Jesus to have a fun week. But as the anniversary of my would-have-been due date came, I found myself feeling a bit sad. It seemed the beach was filled with one-year-old babies and pregnant women! I couldn't help but think about how much fun it would be to have a sunblock and sand covered toddler with us, chasing seagulls, spilling juice boxes, finding lady bugs and eating dirt. I again longed for that baby I didn't get to meet. I also thought it was strange that I was so grieved by this day that I began to physically feel pregnancy symptoms. Unwilling to let my emotions and now physical ailments ruin our fun, I ignored all of this and continued on with our vacation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXgFa1cm-uLo6OixtstD_Sr3W_lfQcIk11pppSeF8E2K68Oo7f-y6mkJIwjS8k24IEmcrM6t5zUxYoBKciKYSa1xun3u8-t08HaI8f22mORSobivbV9p9cUAgE86D88KjiUtL0IMGMYg/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXgFa1cm-uLo6OixtstD_Sr3W_lfQcIk11pppSeF8E2K68Oo7f-y6mkJIwjS8k24IEmcrM6t5zUxYoBKciKYSa1xun3u8-t08HaI8f22mORSobivbV9p9cUAgE86D88KjiUtL0IMGMYg/s320/064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the waves on Lake Michigan.</td></tr>
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We got home and unpacked in the evening on August 29th, a year after the day our baby would have been due and I still felt not-quite-right. I still had a pregnancy test in the bathroom and decided to take it just in case this nausea wasn't all in my head. It was positive. I was in shock. I wanted to be excited. I wanted to love this baby and think about who he or she would be. In reality though, this was not at all how I imagined I would feel when I finally did become pregnant. I wanted reassurance that this baby would be healthy and a guarantee that I would be holding this little baby in the spring.<br />
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Doug and I decided to wait to tell our kids until after we heard the baby's heartbeat. When I miscarried, there was never a heartbeat, so this seemed like a good milestone. At nine weeks, I had an appointment with a nurse and I lost it. I told her about my miscarriage and how unenthusiastic I was about being pregnant. She had experienced a miscarriage as well and understood, so she squeezed me in for an ultrasound. I got to see little hands and a little heartbeat, so I did feel much better knowing there was a live baby in there! We told our other kids later that evening and they were excited about having a new baby. My daughter had just turned four and is obsessed with babies, so this news was the best ever for her. She even asked me if this baby can be her own child when it grows up. I am not sure what that means exactly, but I know this little baby is loved already! She tells everyone from the nurse who gave her a flu shot to the cashier at the grocery store that there is a baby in her Momma's tummy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWzEe3my7oU45vYjan0HSC9y7ShewqjvQVrNM7RSH4cQvhESoyjsdx6meEbFaaUF9sEvYkJvhKKyuDYn2SxAeSLYwQAQpY5oyDhTpskL1lFG5_laQzjsPqwvpiZHQ8XbZZK_LAWAeeSY/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWzEe3my7oU45vYjan0HSC9y7ShewqjvQVrNM7RSH4cQvhESoyjsdx6meEbFaaUF9sEvYkJvhKKyuDYn2SxAeSLYwQAQpY5oyDhTpskL1lFG5_laQzjsPqwvpiZHQ8XbZZK_LAWAeeSY/s320/176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellery making footprints in the sand with her baby doll, Logan.</td></tr>
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I am excited to meet the baby God has made for our family. This baby is the one He chose for us, not the one I planned and orchestrated. Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." It can be so hard to "give up" sometimes when I want something so much that I felt like I need to help God in order to make it happen. That wisdom He gave me when I was faced with those hard questions wasn't easy to accept. But thankfully, God has made a way for me to have another baby, but in the way that He planned from the start.<br />
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<span class="p"><i><span style="color: purple;">"My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2</span></i></span><br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-12810423827220249782013-10-19T15:22:00.000-04:002013-10-19T15:22:29.717-04:00Knowing You, Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a homeschooling schedule that I try to follow each day as I teach my three blessings. By "schedule," I mean that there are subjects and lessons that I aim to complete with my kids each day any time during our waking hours. We do a good job of completing assignments for the most part and I have learned not to get frazzled if things don't go as planned. Sometimes my kids learn far more during the orderless days than they do when I meticulously plan. This week, my sweet daughter called me into the living room, declaring it was time to worship the Lord. I am pretty sure this girl will be a worship leader or pastor some day, as she is always setting up church and forcing us to sit and listen to her preach and pray and sing. On this particular day, she had the radio on and was twirling around, eyes closed, arms in the air, singing, "Knowing You, Jesus." How could I not join in this time of praise and worship? She is an enormous interruption much of the day, but times like these I am glad she interrupted. Who needs to know how to convert decimals to fractions anyway? ;)<br />
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I am fortunate to have a few moments alone with God throughout every day. This time might not be at the beginning of the day or when I would have planned it, but somehow I always find myself with chunks of time when things are going smoothly enough for me to sit alone with the Lord. You might think that a homeschooling mother must be so busy that it's unimaginable, but I have found that this is far from the truth. Sure, I could place unrealistic demands on myself and my children and fill our time so full of curriculum that none of us could breathe, but why? There are times when my daughter is occupied with her doll house people and my older kids are completing their hour of independent reading or when Max and Ruby are entertaining my daughter while my sons finish their math assignments, when I find myself able to read my Bible or pray for longer than thirty seconds. I haven't always made this time for prayer and studying the Word part of my life. In my twenties, I strove to be the perfect wife, the ideal mother, the invaluable neighbor, the productive employee, the supportive friend. All of that striving didn't produce perfection and instead left me feeling empty, discontented and exhausted. I was still lacking something, but it wasn't clear to me what that something was.<br />
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I know much of this need for perfection came from being the wife of a man who was lost in an addiction to prescription drugs, whose continual health issues left him in a constant cycle of abusing drugs to cope with the chaos inside his heart. My twenty-something self needed to feel like everything was okay, that I was in control of something, though my life was out of control, unpredictable and unhappy. I had to prove to my children that we were going to have a happy family and a happy childhood, regardless of our circumstances. I had to prove to myself that I would not give up on my marriage, just because it was hard, just because I was miserable. During that time, though, I didn't make room for Jesus. I believed that Jesus died for my sins, I believed that I was going to Heaven, but I didn't cling to Jesus with all of my heart. I had no idea what I was missing and how different my life could be, if only I would surrender completely.<br />
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Sometime in my mid-twenties, I finally found what it was I had been searching for to fill this emptiness in my heart: Jesus. Jesus, for real. To know <i>about</i> Jesus and to <i>know Jesus personally </i>are two entirely different things. Up until this point, I was unaware there was a difference. I thought that as long as I had "heard the good news," I would avoid going to hell. What I hadn't realized was that I couldn't just hear this news and push it to the back of my mind, continuing to harbor bitterness toward my husband and his addiction and continuing to live my life independently, apart from the will of God. This knowledge of an all-powerful, loving, merciful God hadn't consumed me and given me the hunger for more. I had felt the same way about this information that I did knowing my address or knowing that my kids preferred their PB&J cut into triangles instead of squares. I knew the information, but it didn't change me. I thought that I could know God was God, but that I could live for creating a perfect life instead of living for Him.<br />
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A decade after I first heard about Jesus, I understood what it meant to follow Him, to live for Him and to be loved by Him. I was no longer enslaved by my feelings of inadequacy and the constant struggle to make life better, more rewarding, and happier somehow. I no longer felt that it was necessary to pick up the pieces after my husband had produced yet another path of destruction for himself. I could finally see that his addiction was his problem and his responsibility. I was free from that massive burden of making perfection my true god.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bvS-3hoNDf2GRpsi5jU7jwSsJXuzyXHAQ91r8cOwoq5HzmQg-7Uu_qV0jbC5lZRpYxCzYeJ-LXezC1X369BQR6oFcTRb9OCV_UexLcpVp7d_BvouZwuUt_7KWeGu__DoX6k5w5-pEys/s1600/234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bvS-3hoNDf2GRpsi5jU7jwSsJXuzyXHAQ91r8cOwoq5HzmQg-7Uu_qV0jbC5lZRpYxCzYeJ-LXezC1X369BQR6oFcTRb9OCV_UexLcpVp7d_BvouZwuUt_7KWeGu__DoX6k5w5-pEys/s320/234.JPG" width="320" /></a>Now, almost two decades after I first heard about Jesus, I am in awe of just how incredible our God truly is. I still want to be a good neighbor, a supportive friend, a God-honoring wife and mother, but that want isn't what I live for and it is something that I know isn't possible on my own. I try to do everything God sets before me with the desire to honor Him. As I think about how different the circumstances in my life are compared to what they were even ten years ago, I cannot help but praise the Lord for what he's done.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #351c75;">John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, <span class="woj">“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."</span></span></i><br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-82855355017735137792013-10-19T13:51:00.002-04:002013-10-19T13:51:36.009-04:00Baby Hats Galore!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQM981aUXnKiIqo2NjT0GuGhHYKntAVz_CvURhz3oIJf-8gpAenKaHE3ZQ-NosMVAy6bvM9EZouqwdm09gap-k9y8UUDPiXhGgE1onQ3zfNolYt1vy9H8kHuoBsA2P5qsi4NOfdrdEEU/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQM981aUXnKiIqo2NjT0GuGhHYKntAVz_CvURhz3oIJf-8gpAenKaHE3ZQ-NosMVAy6bvM9EZouqwdm09gap-k9y8UUDPiXhGgE1onQ3zfNolYt1vy9H8kHuoBsA2P5qsi4NOfdrdEEU/s200/114.JPG" width="200" /></a>Since opening my Etsy shop, I have made all kinds of different things to sell: sweaters, slippers, blankets, wash cloths, toys, and bibs. The item I sell the most of, however, is baby hats. I have added all kinds of baby hats to my shop over the past few months and they've been selling like crazy! I have more ideas in my head, but less time available than I need to complete them. For now, I'll just stick to making LOTS of the hats I have already designed. :)<br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-50597135702699808692013-09-06T11:48:00.001-04:002013-09-06T11:48:04.411-04:00Parenting From Proverbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most years, our neighbors pick a Saturday and have a neighborhood-wide garage sale. This year, however, just a few of us had the time and stuff to have a sale, so we met at my house and had one, big sale. My children wanted to have a lemonade/baked goods stand at the end of the driveway during our sale to earn money for an upcoming vacation. I am a bit grossed out by children pouring beverages (I have observed too many hands digging in the dirt and fingers in noses), so I agreed to bake some cookies, Rice Krispies treats and mini loaves of bread for my kids to sell, along with some bottled water. <br />
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My middle son and I tend to disagree on most things. I have prayed about this, yet nothing changes. I try diligently not to argue with this twelve-year-old blessing from Jesus and have accepted that he and I have different perspectives. My prayer now is for his future wife, my future daughter-in-law. I pray that she is living a life that is preparing her for his strong personality. Anyway, he was not happy that there would be no lemonade at this lemonade stand. I had to pick up a few things at Meijer and he asked to ride along. I was suspicious, as he is not fond of shopping. When we arrived, he asked if he could use his own money to buy Country Time Lemonade and cups to sell lemonade the following day. I was at the point of my day where I didn't really care whose boogers ended up in whose cup of lemonade, so I agreed. <br />
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The lemonade mix was on sale for $2 and the cups were $1.46. He waited in the checkout lane behind me and when I was finished with my purchase, the cashier rang up his two items. I was standing nearby, but close enough to hear her tell Brodie his total was $1.55. He handed her the money and met me where I was standing. I looked at him and asked him how his transaction went. He said that the things he bought must have been on sale because it didn't cost as much as he thought it would. <br />
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I was tired and cranky after my day of getting merchandise in order for a yard sale, taking care of three kids and our house, and baking and baking and baking. I just wanted to go home, make dinner, bathe my daughter, get our bedtime business finished and go to sleep! As exhausted as I was, I couldn't ignore this teaching moment that the Lord had placed in front of me. I could think of a hundred places in Scripture that told me I had to teach my son something despite my mentally and emotionally drained state.<br />
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I told Brodie that something seemed wrong and we needed to look at his receipt to be sure that the cashier charged him for both of the items he bought. Sure enough, only the cups were listed on his receipt. I asked him what we should do about it and he shrugged his shoulders, as a twelve-year-old would. I gave him some words to use to explain to the Customer Service cashier what had happened and stood back while he remedied this situation. She was shocked that he was so honest, collected his money for the lemonade, and gave him a store coupon for $2 off of his next purchase. We didn't know he would get that coupon, intending for him to pay for the lemonade without the expectation of a reward and I really wanted him to know that even if it costs us, we still do what is right. But I guess it was a good reinforcement to show him that it pays to be honest. <br />
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There are many books written on the topic of parenting and while many of these books can be useful, I am ever-thankful that the best parenting instruction comes directly from the Lord. Proverbs 12:22 says: "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." How amazing and wonderful that a twelve-year-old boy can bring DELIGHT to the Almighty God! As a mother, my greatest prayer for my children is that they will desire God and choose Him above all. I want to raise children who will be godly men and women, who will be living testimonies of the power of our risen King. How fortunate I was that day in Meijer for that unexpected moment that will shape my son's heart in preparation for the man he will become.<br />
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In the end, Meijer still lost $2 in the form of a coupon, only it was lost in a way that honored God, delighted Him even. It would have been easy to avoid all of the hassle involved in paying for the lemonade. It would also have taught my son that it is okay to profit from the mistake of another person and that it pays to be dishonest. Instead, ten minutes of my already long day, taught him that it is important to be honest, truthful, and a good witness for Christ at all times, not just when we "feel like it." <br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-48396316057464344032013-08-06T21:38:00.001-04:002013-08-06T21:38:32.326-04:00A Recipe for the Easiest, Yummiest Pasta Salad Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer just wouldn't be summer without this pasta salad! My husband and kids (and nieces and nephews!) love this pasta salad. I've been making it for as long as I can remember, probably because it is super-easy to make and when I first got married the most I could cook was cinnamon toast. :) <br />
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Plus, I despise mayonnaise. Finding summer side dishes without mayonnaise was a challenge a decade ago, before the days of Pinterest, so I was beyond excited to find this recipe at the time. I still make it at least a couple of times each month and my kids have yet to grow sick of it. <br />
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In the summertime, this pasta salad accompanies grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken kabobs, or even PB&J sandwiches. There is really no "wrong" way to make it, but my kids' favorite combination is: pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and Meijer brand Reduced-Fat Italian salad dressing. If you have a garden and you plan <br />
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<u><b>Easiest, Yummiest Pasta Salad Ever</b></u><br />
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16 ounce box of pasta (our favorite is Rotini)<br />
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1 16 ounce bottle of Italian salad dressing <br />
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Chopped vegetables of your choice: cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, green onions, olives<br />
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Directions: Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Place in a large bowl and cool. Add the entire bottle of salad dressing and mix well. Add vegetables. Chill completely before serving. Enjoy!<br />
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<br /><br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-55676951345004790772013-04-19T13:43:00.001-04:002013-05-01T19:21:42.387-04:00A Date With My Husband at the Kalamazoo Gospel MissionMy husband and I aren't a "date night" kind of couple. Occasionally we get crazy and go to Meijer for groceries after dinner, leaving all three children home to entertain themselves. Most of our dates include standing in our kitchen at 9pm, eating store-brand Triscuits and coming up with solutions to each others' life problems. It works for us. Plus, I like to wear pajamas and be in bed by 10pm. <br />
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<a href="http://book.liquidweb.com/%7Ekzoogosw/wp-content/uploads/cropped-logo_part.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Kalamazoo Gospel Mission" border="0" height="200" src="http://book.liquidweb.com/%7Ekzoogosw/wp-content/uploads/cropped-logo_part.jpg" width="181" /></a>One of my husband's burdens is that he feels called to serve people in our community who are broken, homeless, addicted, and in need of a Savior. Sometimes he hesitates and needs a push to get started on things. I'm <strike>a little bit bossy</strike> an encouraging wife and if he shares something like this with me, I will find a way to help him. He had mentioned helping out at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission and through Facebook, I heard about a Lunch and Learn meeting that they hold once a month or so. We missed the first one I knew about because Doug was in the hospital with a tube through his back into his kidney. This month, however, there are no tubes attached to anyone, so I signed us up. Lunch without children = a date at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. <br />
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The day arrived and it was a warm yet rainy walk from our car to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission. We passed several women who were ignoring their fussing children, while avoiding eye contact as we walked by. It was obvious to me that these kids were entirely exhausted and bored. I have seen this same behavior in my own children, the difference being that I am able to tuck my babies into their own bed or hand them a jar of Play-Doh or even start a Dora the Explorer DVD. These mothers, being homeless, didn't have those options. And so they stood, waiting for the hour to arrive when they could enter the Gospel Mission for lunch and a moment out of the rain. We later learned that the residents of the Gospel Mission get to eat first, followed by the general public, including these emotionless mothers of distraught children.<br />
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As we entered the building, we were greeted by a kind, approachable woman named Tammy, who led us into the Lunch and Learn meeting. She reminded me instantly of a dear friend of mine from church. I often wonder if God makes certain people familiar so that we are drawn to them and comfortable engaging with them. In the meeting were pastors from local churches and another representative of the Gospel Mission named Nancy. It was a smaller group than I expected and we quickly realized that it is typically pastors and community leaders who attend these meetings rather than individuals. We were just two people there because of Jesus. I'm sure we weren't the first couple without ties to an organization to attend, but it was clear that it was rare. Thankfully, we felt comfortable in this setting and everyone there was warm and welcoming. Plus, we are very much used to standing out from the rest of the world. Being a family who doesn't do things the way most families do we just have that something that attracts attention and questions. Rarely do we "fit in", yet we've learned to be comfortable with that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kzoogospel.org/wp-content/uploads/get-involved-idea-1-copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-753" height="96" src="http://www.kzoogospel.org/wp-content/uploads/get-involved-idea-1-copy.png" title="get involved idea 1 copy" width="320" /></a>As the meeting continued, we were presented with lots and lots of information about the services provided by the Gospel Mission. The love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit were evident throughout this presentation. Nancy and Tammy spoke about the people who come to the Gospel Mission and how these people walk in alone, but are able to walk out with a relationship with God. We were given a tour of the building and met people who were once residents in the shelter, who were now employees whose lives have been transformed and redeemed by Jesus. There were men eating lunch, wearing backpacks with all of their possessions inside. There were mothers holding tiny babies and others helping older kids with their homework. There was evidence of an enormous problem in this community, but also of the hope that can be found in Christ alone.<br />
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As we left, we passed more people smoking cigarettes, combing unwashed hair and organizing their small piles of belongings. They were depressed, displaced and wandering, not knowing where to go or what to do with this day. Their lack of motivation and ambition is exhausting to me. They are not necessarily bad people, as our community is so quick to label them. Some of them seem oblivious to the fact that there is more to life than drifting up and down sidewalks, carrying plastic grocery bags of stuff they've accumulated. Others appeared vulnerable and miserable, knowing that there is a different way to spend their time, but lacking the knowledge and ability to change. My prayer is that these people will utilize the services provided by the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, that their brokenness will lead them to this place where they can learn about Christ. They are literally footsteps away from the entrance to this building, but their hearts are miles away.<br />
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Doug and I didn't see the latest movie release or enjoy dinner at a fancy restaurant, yet our Lunch and Learn date was time well-spent together. We even had grown-up conversation in the car without children asking questions, telling stories and sharing their opinions, which is rare. It was time that strengthened our relationships with Christ and with each other. A successful date, to say the least. <br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/317994_10150863537512688_207995517_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="spotlight" height="73" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/317994_10150863537512688_207995517_n.jpg" style="height: 256px; width: 696px;" width="200" /></a>There is currently a campaign to raise money to build a new facility, as the current Gospel Mission is crumbling in some areas. There are also opportunities to serve as a volunteer at the Gospel Mission or to donate just about anything you can think of and things you wouldn't think of! Visit their web site to find out more: http://www.kzoogospel.org. And the next Lunch and Learn is in early May, if you're looking for a memorable "date afternoon." <br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-78852936192591391242013-04-19T09:46:00.001-04:002013-05-01T18:57:23.540-04:00A Wonderful Web Site: www.TakeThemAMeal.Com<br />
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<img alt="Take Them A Meal" border="0" src="http://www.takethemameal.com/files_images/ttamlogotoptight.jpg" style="float: left; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 45px; padding-top: 10px;" /></div>
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A few years ago, when Doug had surgery, a dear friend from church offered to arrange to have dinners delivered to our house for a week or so after he came home. I was six months pregnant with my daughter at the time. My boys were still attending a public elementary school. Life was busy and taking care of a recuperating husband just added to that mile-long list of things I had to accomplish every day. Having dinner delivered in the evenings made my day a little bit easier.<br />
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Months later, this same dear friend was stepping out of her role as the Meal Coordinator for our church. She told me that she'd been praying about who to ask and she wanted to know if I would like to lead this ministry. Knowing what a blessing it had been for my family months earlier, I was delighted to be able to do this for other families in our church.<br />
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I was given a list of names and phone numbers of people, mostly women, in our church who had agreed to prepare meals for families in our congregation who were hospitalized, had just given birth, had just lost a loved one, or who were going through a difficult time in their lives. Now, I am not a phone person whatsoever. I only talk on the phone when it is absolutely necessary. I prefer email or face-to-face conversations. My husband and I don't even have cell phones. (We do have TracFones to communicate with our children when they are home alone and we're at the hospital or out and about.) I wanted to lead this ministry and I knew that God would be honored by it, but I didn't enjoy calling people to ask them to make and deliver a meal to someone. It just seemed very time-consuming to call person after person until I could reach someone who was available to take on this task. I tried to come up with a more efficient way to fulfill this role as Meals Ministry Coordinator, but was unsuccessful and continued to use telephone calls to complete this task.<br />
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When a friend shared <a href="http://www.takethemameal.com/index.php">Take Them A Meal</a> with me, I was thrilled! This web site enabled me to create a meal schedule for a family, including which days meals are needed. I simply enter the details and send a single email that is received by all of the Meals Ministry volunteers. This allows the volunteers to sign up and share what they are bringing so that the family receiving meals doesn't wind up with 12 pans of Lasagna. I am able to provide details about what the family does and doesn't like to eat, any food allergies, what time they eat dinner, and how many people are in the family. These details are helpful for the volunteers and keeps everything organized. <br />
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The web site also sends out an automatic email to each volunteer the day before their meal is needed, reminding them that they have signed up and also what it is they signed up to bring. Since it stores the email addresses of everyone I've sent emails to in
the past, it takes just a few minutes for me to create a meal schedule
for someone. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcJqYGZzNKp-oEnEvslyilS9eL-CED_OZurOEa7X9GHpsmaFW1dEKjOgqrRDQIjCeV15KDVLI51_HhyqATfyVqrQUmTRR7vEZzn1Jy1ogm3wNQvK-J2W7vDRIPrl2OnM8i0dnK1PBag4/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcJqYGZzNKp-oEnEvslyilS9eL-CED_OZurOEa7X9GHpsmaFW1dEKjOgqrRDQIjCeV15KDVLI51_HhyqATfyVqrQUmTRR7vEZzn1Jy1ogm3wNQvK-J2W7vDRIPrl2OnM8i0dnK1PBag4/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Years ago, my husband and I stopped trying to determine what God's
"reason" was for allowing Doug to have so many health problems. It is miserable. It's
exhausting. It's inconvenient. It's expensive. It's annoying. It's painful. It is altogether a burdensome journey. I'm convinced,
however, that if we focus only on the negative things about having
chronic health problems, we would crumble. It's just that devastating. The great and wonderful things that come with all of these hospitalizations and surgeries can be just as overwhelming though. These are the things we try to dwell upon. We're not always victorious when it comes to this, but we try.<br />
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If
Doug hadn't had so many surgeries, we would never have seen the way
that God surrounds us with people who love us. Each and every time he
has had a hospital stay, friends, family members, neighbors, even
nurses, pharmacists and soccer coaches have offered to watch kids, make
dinner, do laundry, or even grocery shop for me. Allowing others to help me is something I struggle with, so I rarely accept these offers, but just
knowing that there is an army of willing helpers is such a source of
comfort when I am sitting in a surgery waiting room or next to a hospital bed, awaiting test results. An email from friends letting me know that they're delivering dinner to my
children while Doug's surgery unexpectedly drags on for hours or arriving at the hospital at 9am to find dear friends in the waiting room, ready to pray with us are such a wonderful gifts.<br />
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Our family relationships are strengthened during these times. I adore how my children help each other so completely during Doug's hospital stays and illnesses. They watch out for one another, entertain each other and rarely argue. They tell me stories of games they've made up while I was gone, Youtube videos they've re-enacted, or ways they've helped out around the house. They're learning how to adapt to changes and still get their household duties finished, complete their schoolwork, and even fill in the gaps for Doug and I when we're busy or at the hospital. Skills they will need in adulthood are being perfected at their young ages. My oldest son can put a casserole in the oven for he and his siblings, remember that Friday is trash day, and he has even learned to plunge the toilet! These small things are big things when my mind is full and scrambled with other details.<br />
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One of my most-favorite Psalms is Psalm 91. Psalm 91 begins, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." More times than I can remember, I have sat in waiting rooms with my Bible open to this Psalm, thinking about how remarkable it is that God would be covering me with his feathers! <br />
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This Psalm continues on, "Because he loves me, says the LORD, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." What comfort this is to my heart! I may spend the entire drive home from the hospital crying and praying and pulling myself together before arriving home to be smothered in hugs and kisses from my children. Being worn out from spending hours upon hours at a hospital makes me an emotional mess at times. Coming home to a box of tea, some
chocolates, and some wonderful shower gel and lotion, left by a sweet
friend is such a much-needed reminder of not only the love of my
friends, but also the love of our Creator. He provides for ALL of our needs and lifts me up, using His people.<br />
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This Psalm and witnessing how completely God's promise has shown itself in my own life are strong reminders to me that the Lord does not promise to keep us from trouble. Instead, he promises to be with us in those times. I have thought about how dreadful it must be to live a life without Christ as the center. Unpleasant circumstances will come to everyone; it's not "if", but "when." I am grateful that God chose me. Even when I'm in a situation that I'd rather not be a part of, I am able to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.<br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-90984189627426168232013-02-16T08:51:00.001-05:002013-05-01T19:02:31.920-04:00It's Been 'Snow' Much Fun in February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWRvyRwxfv4tKlH6tU-UgcO4dVoyoO5YD3TqjWGY0KlMdCF9m8p73ETuYnWW3lv7_w9ptBcIP9X9zvnVTgzFpyJxJhA4UEhtGZ4PpBWsUAV7fPlzPWvpRnKootUlyhoGbe6TcWMEVTLA/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWRvyRwxfv4tKlH6tU-UgcO4dVoyoO5YD3TqjWGY0KlMdCF9m8p73ETuYnWW3lv7_w9ptBcIP9X9zvnVTgzFpyJxJhA4UEhtGZ4PpBWsUAV7fPlzPWvpRnKootUlyhoGbe6TcWMEVTLA/s200/020.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRo-g5KghdsWX8-amsfrFfZV84vdTj_jZnvEGTpDfjLkszF07G6IF-J703eTkpgvvHgutxqSVX13TzSJYmipIxSRQuqZf-qVvLbjrK45HjCcd6rz1wR8aZehTkTQ90t6oOq1IGRpyWcKI/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRo-g5KghdsWX8-amsfrFfZV84vdTj_jZnvEGTpDfjLkszF07G6IF-J703eTkpgvvHgutxqSVX13TzSJYmipIxSRQuqZf-qVvLbjrK45HjCcd6rz1wR8aZehTkTQ90t6oOq1IGRpyWcKI/s320/018.JPG" width="240" /></a>This winter has not been a very snowy one until recently. In the last few weeks, we've had tons of snow! My kids have been loving it, except for the shoveling of the driveway. I think they secretly even enjoy that part as well, since it is something my husband would typically do and they love doing "manly" jobs.<br />
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Every day, I look outside, never knowing what I'll find. It could be a snow man in a disco-dancing pose, a snow man with angel wings and a tennis racket halo, kids pulling each other in sleds, toddlers and dogs making snow angels together, or a giant heart, stomped out in footprints in my front yard. They're creative and don't mind the cold. I prefer to watch them from the window and prepare hot cocoa and graham crackers to warm them up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3BScJMsmS_p2dNHDPIAC-4uQ8prAa0zhyphenhyphenHaEMsKw2CBuTL3guT0AK65t7iAt85t_iZJDuna-NsQqyLYBDiOuIzQ-mcBN8g-GFyLgwZ1a_S99lX0XfHOyW7xmVoWiD6AMjvbEB9H8VLY/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3BScJMsmS_p2dNHDPIAC-4uQ8prAa0zhyphenhyphenHaEMsKw2CBuTL3guT0AK65t7iAt85t_iZJDuna-NsQqyLYBDiOuIzQ-mcBN8g-GFyLgwZ1a_S99lX0XfHOyW7xmVoWiD6AMjvbEB9H8VLY/s200/021.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoAF4qugSahG6B0lkqhlPx0aoJLuhqdKIQZ7DL8xVYWZrqedTZ9HethPvsFtrxIJTlsRXmENNXsyQVME6aB6U-5POwiFwUVJu5JnY3iiYLf_OygLvK6FdbFY-2iTeb27lPBO4ygctjPI/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoAF4qugSahG6B0lkqhlPx0aoJLuhqdKIQZ7DL8xVYWZrqedTZ9HethPvsFtrxIJTlsRXmENNXsyQVME6aB6U-5POwiFwUVJu5JnY3iiYLf_OygLvK6FdbFY-2iTeb27lPBO4ygctjPI/s200/006.JPG" width="150" /></a> Our Golden Retriever, Maggie, loves the snow too. She insists on rolling in it EVERY time she goes outside to potty, so that when she comes inside, her fur is caked with snow. One of my least-favorite parts of winter is stepping in those melted snow puddles she leaves on the kitchen floor. The boys love to wrestle with this huge dog when they're bundled in snow clothes. My younger son pretends she is a wild dog and he has to escape her death-grip. My daughter likes roll around with her and claims that Maggie is making snow angels with her. My oldest likes throwing snowballs, which confuses her because she can never find them to bring back to him. <br />
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As I was catching up on Pinterest one day, I came across a pin for snow ice cream. My kids were having a bored moment, so I suggested we try it. It was easy to make and tasted a lot like soft-serve ice cream. It did have a hint of "snow" flavor to it though. Not bad, but not as delicious as we had hoped for. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoCCk9U2sw17JPCbJINW5M1XiT7W8W3sx0Wy7qodjHoyJFJhNeFMEL4foD9oRLGm5KTB-0k27CdbqNM-utgddigSxaogOVMNOsre66Ts2XDFXwuDY-nhHPgZ52nudqIaILAylG3WSnNQ/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoCCk9U2sw17JPCbJINW5M1XiT7W8W3sx0Wy7qodjHoyJFJhNeFMEL4foD9oRLGm5KTB-0k27CdbqNM-utgddigSxaogOVMNOsre66Ts2XDFXwuDY-nhHPgZ52nudqIaILAylG3WSnNQ/s320/001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Here is the Robinson Family version of snow ice cream (the recipe we used made sloppy ice cream, so we edited it a bit to make it firmer):<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 cup of milk<br />
1/2 cup of sugar<br />
1 tsp. of vanilla extract<br />
A lot of clean snow (10-12 cups)<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Whisk together the milk, sugar, and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the snow until it becomes the texture of soft serve ice cream. Enjoy!<br />
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My daughter wanted to save some for my husband, who was in the hospital at the time, so we put a Tupperware container of it in the freezer. Three days later, it was a block of yellowish stickiness. I wouldn't recommend freezing it for later! <br />
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<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6628220.501936;sz=300x250;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463511;pid=540142;usg=AFHzDLtIRD8Av7j27F-nvD7dWWXLCZjAYw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.kohls.com%252Fproduct%252Fprd-540142%252Fcuisinart-ice-cream-and-sorbet-maker.jsp%253Fpfx%253Dpfx_shopcompare%2526cid%253Dshopping3;pubid=570979;price=%2459.99;title=Cuisinart+Ice+Cream+And+Sorbet+Maker;merc=Kohl%27s;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kohls.com.edgesuite.net%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fkohls%2F540142_Red%3Fwid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26op_sharpen%3D1;width=135;height=135" vspace="0" width="300"></iframe><br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-3190281026757219392013-02-12T07:55:00.000-05:002013-05-01T19:19:03.664-04:00Who's Hearing the Gospel In Room 224?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0aejCbFyx_Qn0PPgvCT9AaH0zol990zWc18PnFF_h1Zh8vq0o6oRXlx6NBgwgIt5BsUaNQhnrTsxPv5U5-qpYD5rdNNahJBzhTSc6FzQMx01pxURUF-_QeXOyw6Q1W8ymkf89qXiRhU/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0aejCbFyx_Qn0PPgvCT9AaH0zol990zWc18PnFF_h1Zh8vq0o6oRXlx6NBgwgIt5BsUaNQhnrTsxPv5U5-qpYD5rdNNahJBzhTSc6FzQMx01pxURUF-_QeXOyw6Q1W8ymkf89qXiRhU/s320/102.JPG" width="320" /></a>During Doug's last hospital visit, the kids and I visited him after lunch one day. The nurse came in to check on Doug and asked if our kids had a snow day that day, since they were at the hospital during "school hours." When I told her we home school, she was full of questions. She had been thinking of homeschooling her son because he was being bullied at his public school. We began talking about our reasons for homeschooling and how God nudged us down that path. Instantly, I could tell she was offended by my faith and my reasons for homeschooling.<br />
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A few sentences later, she revealed that she grew up attending a Catholic school and had read the Bible, but she had abandoned her faith years ago. I began to encourage her to change her heart, when she got a page from another nurse and had to leave, but she assured me she'd be right back. After she stepped out, my husband said that he'd already tried to talk to her and she shut him down and she was going to feel "attacked." <br />
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Doug and I exchanged a few sort-of-not-nice words with one another about obedience to God and our faith. Our boys, who had said nothing until then, chimed in with their observations. They began talking about how you could "feel" the Holy Spirit when we were talking to this nurse. They compared it to a movie and kept wondering what we were going to say next. They are at an age where they are intrigued by wars, battles, and the fights between good and evil, making this conversation between the nurse and I extremely interesting to them. If nothing else, I was glad that my three children were experiencing firsthand how not everyone will be receptive to us as Christians and not everyone will choose Jesus. I think my husband had the same thoughts.<br />
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When the nurse returned, my husband, who moments earlier said my words sounded attacking and harsh, pretty much threw a spiritual brick at her head. She explained how she's a "spiritual" person and is raising her kids to have good morals and values and is a nurse because it's what God wants her to do. Before I could say anything, Doug blurts out, "Well, that's good and all, but you need Jesus Christ" and proceeded to explain how God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins. This is where I'd like to say that she accepted Jesus right then and there and her life will be forever changed. Instead, she said she didn't have time to talk about this anymore and had to tend to another patient.<br />
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This experience was not new to neither Doug nor I, but to my children this was baffling. Why didn't she want to hear more, to know more about Jesus? They couldn't understand, after hearing about God's love for someone, how that person could not immediately be affected. The Bible talks about child-like faith and I love that I have three examples of this in front of me nearly all of the time. What a great reminder! There are times when I share my faith with someone when I wonder exactly who it is I am witnessing to. At the time, I thought it was the nurse. Looking back, it was really my children. It would have been wonderful for them to see this heart-broken woman
turn to Christ. But they learned more in that half-hour of overhearing our conversation than I had
taught them all morning using our highly-rated homeschooling curriculum! <br />
<br />
PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-1689264877447929212013-02-09T11:38:00.000-05:002013-05-01T19:18:11.614-04:00Kidney Stones and Caterpillars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3QGcQoEZLexerRY6iFpL1vsjOwzkWOE0D4SQ-tVMtl2NsLlnUSmfanM-4fsknBIjcC0eUcf-qjFzy4R5P0wmKYQNF0nQ5asSpoB7YJG9CuQW_89hIl0XqyJDuk7jtgspSLaTs8BOOWY/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3QGcQoEZLexerRY6iFpL1vsjOwzkWOE0D4SQ-tVMtl2NsLlnUSmfanM-4fsknBIjcC0eUcf-qjFzy4R5P0wmKYQNF0nQ5asSpoB7YJG9CuQW_89hIl0XqyJDuk7jtgspSLaTs8BOOWY/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a>A couple of Wednesdays ago, my husband woke me up at 3am, telling me he had a kidney stone and needed to go to the Emergency Room. I'd been asleep for approximately four hours. In an effort to get just two or more hours of sleep, I plugged in a heating pad and gave him some Ibuprofen. Doug gets kidney stones frequently, thanks to his Crohn's Disease, so this was not a new thing for us. Usually, he is able to pass them on his own, but occasionally, he has to have surgery to remove them. Five minutes later, he insisted this was not helping and was not going to help and he needed to get to the hospital.<br />
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Still in denial, I got in the shower and started getting ready for the day. I knew an ER visit would take hours with testing, scans, etc. and I was hoping that with a little time, the kidney stone would make it's way out. As I was stepping out of the shower, Doug came in the bathroom puking. Fun times. If you've never gotten dressed and dried your hair with someone hurling their guts out three feet from you, you're missing out!<br />
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We arrived at the emergency room and were ushered into a room where an IV was started, blood tests and CT scans were ordered, and Doug's pain and nausea were alleviated, sort of. The CT scan revealed not just one stone, but a massive stone blocking the ureter, along with several other large stones close behind it. His entire left kidney was approximately 1/3 full of kidney stones. His urologist decided that the best way to remove these stones was by a Percotaneous Nephrostomy. It would involve two surgeries: the first one to insert a tube through his back into his kidney and the second to use that tube to remove the stones. The first surgery was scheduled for Thursday and the second would be scheduled as soon as a special team of radiologists and doctors was in place. Apparently it is a tricky, surgery that takes three or more hours to complete. He was admitted to the hospital for what we thought was an overnight stay.<br />
<br />
Throughout that night, an infection was causing Doug to have a fever of 103 degrees. It was a scary time of high doses of antibiotics and lots of prayer, but two days later, the fever finally came down. The surgery to put the nephrostomy tube in his back was complete and as soon as he was rid of the infection, he would be allowed to come home before the second surgery two weeks later. Thankfully, that happened on Monday, so now we just wait for phase two.<br />
<br />
While all of this was happening, I had some custom orders placed. One of these orders was for a baby cocoon that looked like the caterpillar from the Eric Carle book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I have seen these adorable cocoons, but didn't have a pattern for one. My mind was kept busy with figuring out how to make this thick, warm, wonderful cocoon and little matching hat. I love it so much that I want to make more, so I created a listing for one in my Etsy shop: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/123077460/knitted-the-very-hungry-caterpillar-baby">https://www.etsy.com/listing/123077460/knitted-the-very-hungry-caterpillar-baby</a> I am always grateful for these projects, so that my times spent in hospital waiting rooms seems productive. My husband felt how soft and cozy the cocoon was and wondered if I could make one for him. It may have been the Dilaudid talking, but it might not be such a bad idea! If you visit my husband in the hospital after his second surgery next week and he's wrapped in a cocoon, you'll know what I was doing in the waiting room while he was being operated on. But more than likely, I will just stick to knitting hats or a set of golf club covers!<br />
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/>PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-71321892067407741572013-01-22T17:30:00.000-05:002013-05-01T19:16:32.533-04:00Adventures in Yogurt-Making<br />
Since leaving my full-time job when my daughter was born three years ago, I am constantly looking for ways to make things or do things inexpensively. In the last year or so, Pinterest has been my go-to way of finding recipes or instructions for these experiments. I still Google specific things I am looking for, but many times Pinterest has inspired me to do things I never would have thought possible.<br />
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Yogurt-making was never something I intended to do on a weekly basis, but thanks to Pinterest, I make a batch of yogurt nearly every week. I use my crock pot, making it super-easy to transform milk into yogurt. There are no strange ingredients to buy in order to get started. I've talked to people who use their oven and coolers, but I'm not that ambitious, so this crock pot method is perfect for me! Here is a link to the web site that I use:<a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html">http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html</a><br />
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I was reluctant to try making yogurt because I had heard that homemade yogurt is thinner than commercially-made yogurt. I love Chobani Greek Yogurt, which is extra-thick and creamy, so the thought of runny yogurt just wasn't appealing to me. At $1.25 per cup, however, it is a bit costly when both my daughter and I are eating it on a daily basis. I can usually buy a gallon of milk for $2.50. I am able to make a half-gallon (~10 servings) of yogurt each week, costing just $1.25...the same as one 6 ounce serving of Chobani. <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N963.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6527721.7;dcadv=3632184;sz=180x150;lid=41000613802463511;pid=1320642;usg=AFHzDLuEgvIaoX_80hvf3UvF_ku9WI-tCw;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.kohls.com%252Fproduct%252Fprd-1320642%252Fcrock-pot-7-qt-slow-cooker.jsp%253Fpfx%253Dpfx_shopcompare%2526cid%253Dshopping3;pubid=570979;price=%2429.98;title=Crock-Pot+7-Qt.+Slow+C...;merc=Kohl%27s;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.kohls.com.edgesuite.net%2Fis%2Fimage%2Fkohls%2F1320642_Charcoal%3Fwid%3D500%26hei%3D500%26op_sharpen%3D1;width=85;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><br />
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At first, I was discouraged with the consistency of the homemade yogurt, but have since discovered that adding slightly more "starter" (plain yogurt) during this process makes it much thicker, almost as thick as Chobani. I don't measure anymore, but I add ~3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup. I don't add fruit to my yogurt until we're ready to eat it. In fact, we
usually eat it plain, as it has a much milder flavor than traditional
plain yogurt. We also like it sprinkled with granola or my daughter
sometimes likes mini chocolate chips or M&Ms in hers.<br />
<br />
This is how I make Homemade Yogurt, adapted from the instructions using the blog I referred to above:<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 cups (half-gallon) of 2% Milk<br />
<br />
1/2 cup
live/active culture plain yogurt (I used Dannon Natural Plain Yogurt)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Instructions:</span><br />
<br />
Plug in your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">crockpot</span></span></span> and turn to low. Add a half gallon of milk. Cover and heat on low for 2 1/2 hours.
<br />
<br />
Unplug your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">crockpot</span></span></span>. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.<br />
<br />
When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2
cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of
store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents
back into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">crockpot</span></span></span>. Stir to combine.<br />
<br />
Put the lid back on your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">crockpot</span></span></span>. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">insulation</span>.
<br />
<br />
Let it sit for 8 hours.<br />
<br />
Chill in a plastic container(s) in the
refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a
starter to make a new batch. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-8066040773076277122013-01-21T15:20:00.001-05:002013-05-01T19:14:26.401-04:00A Christmas Blog Post in January :)<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJve1DCYl_xkL_T5eQTc4iNB_rXjQCemxP9ACRTaNZ0uM7KuK55HIHp3XVCRxwJHKkiLKxlCkpkRj9oSU2synMz3kEqr58M9P7UYuECItPZAx49xrqfienEOV7BSMWDRAE_F238gZKzeo/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJve1DCYl_xkL_T5eQTc4iNB_rXjQCemxP9ACRTaNZ0uM7KuK55HIHp3XVCRxwJHKkiLKxlCkpkRj9oSU2synMz3kEqr58M9P7UYuECItPZAx49xrqfienEOV7BSMWDRAE_F238gZKzeo/s200/002.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Every day, I am amazed at how God provides for my family. Seriously. Every time our family needs anything, we pray continuously and wait and God always shows us His providence. My husband and I reflect often on how truly, abundantly blessed we are. When our family needs something, somehow God makes it happen. <br />
<br />
I try not to be a Scrooge, but I really have a strong desire to "simplify" Christmas. We worship Jesus and celebrate His birth all year long, not just on December 25th. My husband and I have had many <strike>arguments</strike> discussions about the necessity of giving our kids elaborate gifts and can't seem to agree on this issue. In November, my children began talking about Christmas and which gifts they would like to receive. As I listened, the gifts grew in price--my daughter wanted a Toy Story Woody doll, my youngest son wanted a really cool baseball bat and some throwing knives (I know, my thoughts exactly!), and my oldest son wanted a Taylor acoustic guitar.<br />
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In case you are unaware, Taylor acoustic guitars START at $600. I immediately told him to choose something else because it isn't happening. Our son helps our children's librarian at our local library run a guitar club for kids and they give free guitar lessons to around twenty kids every Thursday and Friday. He is a responsible, obedient, godly young man who loves the Lord, works hard at homeschooling and helps out around the house like no other teenage boy I've ever met and he loves playing the guitar. We went to Guitar Center and let him play a bunch of different guitars and our good friend and worship leader brought over some guitars for him to play. The joy on this little boy's face while playing these guitars was priceless. He even offered to put $100 towards this gift. But spending this much on a single Christmas gift just didn't make sense for our family. <br />
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My family jokes that if they need something, that I am usually able to knit them whatever it is or find a way to make it using Pinterest. A few days later, we agreed that we would pray about this and see what God would do. That's when the Etsy orders started rolling in. I was knitting non-stop and couldn't keep up! I shipped birds nests and golf club covers and slippers and bunny rattles and hats all over the United States in December. My sister got orders from some people locally and I knitted more slippers and more hats and gloves and stuffed animals. A dear friend asked me if I would like to cater a brunch for her mom's group. More friends bought hats and birds nests. A random check for $20 came in the mail because I'd purchased a certain kind of toilet cleaner (weird, right!?). I love that, in a way, I was able to knit my son a guitar!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzI8lJ02HiNy3r0RjixftUqr-vNNQtr-VRXwAcw5380izqIzaXW0PIGYkW4k9sMF4oji0r0LnGEBLPmLbxK1qd9KgifPeLYdzwEhI4-lvAhSyFb3PhZntPH5VdyoMx5nki2BupFMmodA/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzI8lJ02HiNy3r0RjixftUqr-vNNQtr-VRXwAcw5380izqIzaXW0PIGYkW4k9sMF4oji0r0LnGEBLPmLbxK1qd9KgifPeLYdzwEhI4-lvAhSyFb3PhZntPH5VdyoMx5nki2BupFMmodA/s200/019.JPG" width="150" /></a>During this time, other non-monetary bonuses kept popping up. I "bought" Amazon gift cards with my Swagbucks balance. If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, please feel free to use my link: <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/sarahrobinson">http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/sarahrobinson</a>. I used them to buy the really cool baseball bat and the throwing knives (these may end up being a temporary gift that is confiscated until he's a bit older!). I even had enough left over to buy a Polly Pocket helicopter, two books, and a guitar tuner. Then, Meijer had an mPerks offer for $30 off of my next general merchandise purchase. Woody from Toy Story costs $39.99, so just $9.99 after the mPerks! At this point, I am astounded that I've only spent roughly ten dollars of our "real" money on my children's Christmas gifts and gotten them everything they wanted. I bought them a few other things as well, but I didn't spend anywhere near the amount I anticipated. </div>
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PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-29864656637992489692012-09-28T13:41:00.000-04:002013-05-01T19:15:36.839-04:00Homeschooling 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is the end of our third week of homeschooling this school year. A recent conversation with a friend who also home schools her children (and who has been a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement!) made me think about my family's homeschooling journey. Three years ago, after much prayer and research, my husband and I made the decision to home school.<br />
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Three years ago at this time, I was overwhelmed, holding a newborn baby, reminding my children to pay attention for the millionth time, traveling back and forth to the hospital to visit my husband who was recovering from yet another surgery, and certain that I made a terrible mistake by choosing to home school. I thought back to the summer when we made this decision and was sure it must have been a moment of pregnancy craziness. Everyone knows you shouldn't make life-altering decisions during the third trimester! But, here I was in a big, heaping pile of the chaos as I tried to make sense of our homeschooling curriculum, grade books, planning, and teaching, while nursing a newborn, keeping my house semi-clean, going to soccer practices, doctor visits, and spending time in surgery waiting rooms. It was one of those places in my life when I was doing lots of things, but none of them were being done well. I've been in those places more than once and they're not a fun place to be!<br />
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I am glad that I had many family members and friends praying for us during that time! My husband eventually came home from the hospital, the newborn baby adapted to our family and the process of planning and teaching and record-keeping became less-intimidating. Three years later, I am sure that I heard God clearly when he spoke to my heart about homeschooling. I feel very confident that I am not going to "mess up" my children's education. I'm not easily frustrated when my lesson plan and actual school day do not even resemble one another. I'm okay with giving my children Honey Bunches of Oats for lunch or knitting an Etsy order while one of the boys reads our Science lesson to save time. I've found a Math curriculum that practically teaches itself. And if my three-year-old empties her dresser and tries on every bathing suit she owns while I'm teaching History, that's fine by me.<br />
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The Robinson's house is much more relaxed these days. When I remember those first few weeks of homeschooling and the circumstances surrounding them, I am reminded of how blessed I am today. My husband is as healthy as he can be (seasonal changes are never easy for Crohn's Disease) and he's not in the hospital. My kids are all three becoming responsible, respectful, intelligent, kind, compassionate, wonderful warriors for Christ. I am keeping busy with just the right amount of Etsy orders. And most importantly, God is in the center of all of this. We still have our days when nothing I do can make my children remember how to spell the word "substitute" or no one can remember what the lowest common denominator means, someone older than age five asks me if December comes after October and I wonder if a mother's brain can actually explode. I have moments when I feel like I am not teaching the right material or that I don't have enough time to teach my kids everything I want them to learn. Experience and time have shown me that I need only to trust God and everything will work out just the way he planned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mvz0MXCXjYtM8R8elJ3BPrsqpOQrM0b25arNlK89lf8z-rJATGEhA8CGjcbnjN4Fd7YTdWfWzI2lmgqdze2_995LT9WPURLvcGEQL05dZGcGt9jkF3dVF4PsxCcnypkVK1hBBAwWwkg/s1600/073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mvz0MXCXjYtM8R8elJ3BPrsqpOQrM0b25arNlK89lf8z-rJATGEhA8CGjcbnjN4Fd7YTdWfWzI2lmgqdze2_995LT9WPURLvcGEQL05dZGcGt9jkF3dVF4PsxCcnypkVK1hBBAwWwkg/s320/073.JPG" width="320" /></a>Our memory verse this week was Philippians 4:19: "<span class="text Phil-4-19" id="en-NIV-29462">And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." I'm grateful for His faithfulness and his provision in ALL circumstances. Thankfully He gave me just enough strength and hope to continue teaching our kids. It would have been extremely easy to give up on homeschooling and send my kids back to public schools, where they would receive an education, along with exposure to the undesirable things of this world that we work so hard to protect and shelter them from. Homeschooling is hard work, but the rewards are better than anything I ever imagined. </span><br />
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<span class="text Phil-4-19" id="en-NIV-29462"> </span>PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-14844593134598762082012-08-28T08:49:00.001-04:002013-05-01T19:24:32.923-04:00My Would-Be Due Date: August 29, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjg5nVa75-EgClwoCTouyfP7_MtD3wwYrJKKJcCtr0eh7F4Q7TlzcRaL8mTM6xiSzxFBAXHLCYgrLkolZ5d7KEzz-g-1D4dlraKDmgK7fMGkIxQYuEtXsXRMk2M-Vjx5keWwHKD4kSfc/s1600/190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjg5nVa75-EgClwoCTouyfP7_MtD3wwYrJKKJcCtr0eh7F4Q7TlzcRaL8mTM6xiSzxFBAXHLCYgrLkolZ5d7KEzz-g-1D4dlraKDmgK7fMGkIxQYuEtXsXRMk2M-Vjx5keWwHKD4kSfc/s200/190.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Since my miscarriage in January, not a single day (hour maybe?) has gone by that I haven't thought about it. Most of the time, it's just a passing thought, as I think about how far along I'd be or how big the baby would be. But sometimes, it overwhelms me so much that I find my heart breaking all over again. This week is proving to be especially hard for me since our baby was due on August 29th. Seven months later and the thought that I should be getting
ready to bring a baby home from the hospital is still floating around in
my mind. <br />
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Yesterday, as I played baby dolls with my daughter and watched how loving and sweet she is with pretend babies, I lost it. She often asks me for a friend and points out that Ian and Brodie are friends, but she doesn't have a sister. Ellery asked me if I was crying because I missed Great Papa. I know she was trying to remember a time in her life when she had seen me this upset and my grandpa's funeral came into her mind. I told her I was just sad and she said, "It's okay, Momma. You will see Papa again someday. He's with Jesus."<br />
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I thanked God for the comfort he sent to me in the words of a two-year-old. I had the World's Most Wonderful Grandpa and I thought of him holding my baby in Heaven. A few days before he died in June, he told me he wanted to hold my "other baby, the baby girl." When I told him Ellery is the only baby girl I have, he told me I was wrong and he would hold my other baby later. This delightful old man said lots of things that didn't make sense toward the end of his life, so I didn't think much of it. But now I'm thankful for his seemingly crazy talk. And I am thankful I have a grandpa who walked with Christ, who is now in Heaven loving on the baby I haven't gotten to meet yet.<br />
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Often, I wonder about those who don't know Christ. How do they make it through each day? How do they endure a miscarriage with no hope of ever seeing their baby in Heaven? Anger and sadness must overtake their lives. Even on my hardest days of healing from this loss, I know that God's hands are wrapped around my life and He loves me. How amazing and wonderful to know that the Creator of the entire universe has chosen me to be His child and he holds every tear I've ever cried.<br />
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I always seem to turn to Psalms when I need encouragement. There is always a verse that speaks directly to my heart. Psalm 62:1-2 says: "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."<br />
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What an awesome reminder that when we are feeling overwhelmed, we need to seek God and his wisdom, rather than attempt to figure it out on our own. I may never know why my miscarriage happened, but I know the One who does. And I trust Him.<br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-70577924274242601802012-08-27T22:00:00.001-04:002013-05-01T19:28:01.253-04:00Target Loves Me So Much They Pay Me To Shop There...<br />
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<a href="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418893_10151154757117941_1702616911_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="fbPhotoImage img" height="140" id="fbPhotoImage" src="https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418893_10151154757117941_1702616911_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>I love Target. The Target store nearest to my house is just close enough to shop there frequently, but just far enough so that I am not tempted to go there daily. Last week was an especially fun Target shopping trip for me because it's "Back-to-School" sale time and they were giving things away...after coupons anyway. Here is what I got for free last week, in addition to cheap toilet paper, granola bars and diapers: (2) packages of Papermate pens, (3) twin-packs of RoseArt glue sticks, (6) 24-packs of RoseArt crayons (technically 9 packages of crayons, but I shared one of my coupons with another customer so that she got 3 packs for free), (2) Up & Up brand eye drops, and (2) packages of Hershey's Simple Pleasures chocolates.<br />
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My sweet cashier, Libby, even had another employee bring me the two packages of chocolates at the cash register because I couldn't find them while I was shopping. For a Momma shopping with three children, one of whom was barefoot, covered in Dora the Explorer stickers that she found in my purse, and is eating one of the granola bars we haven't bought yet, this act of kindness is VERY much appreciated. She also is a super-fast coupon scanner. Libby deserves a raise. <br />
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These fun freebies made the purchase of new soccer cleats for Brodie a little less unpleasant. Dunham's never has their $17.99 sale-priced cleats in stock in Brodie's size, so we always end up with the more expensive kind. Why do little boys' feet grow so quickly!? <br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-51368606909900222092012-08-18T23:20:00.001-04:002013-05-01T19:32:35.388-04:00Farmer's Markets and Knitting<a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000000000342669&pid=1032642&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kohls.com%2Fupgrade%2Fwebstore%2Fproduct_page.jsp%3FPRODUCT%253C%253Eprd_id%3D845524892910077%26mr%3AtrackingCode%3D8043FF1E-C472-E111-9D2A-001517B188A2%26mr%3AreferralID%3DNA&usg=AFHzDLuJM9PhsVeIiyAgyhmuh1VwibeBJA&pubid=570979" rel="nofollow"></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9VpZzV82_WOgjZaiaOsHW4tzjbH4R6pYqK_LvZPEtVvXQ2qbsLpZqaRdfLz48pSD1_8QvQb5tmVP885xd-IilE2JxbJDUzRVwXc5-G4rSHzIkrCCasVmo6E5UN7ucT9WzLxbTzSinuc/s1600/204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9VpZzV82_WOgjZaiaOsHW4tzjbH4R6pYqK_LvZPEtVvXQ2qbsLpZqaRdfLz48pSD1_8QvQb5tmVP885xd-IilE2JxbJDUzRVwXc5-G4rSHzIkrCCasVmo6E5UN7ucT9WzLxbTzSinuc/s320/204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Farmer's Market table set up in the living room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My kids and I decided to try selling some of the items from my Etsy shop at our local farmer's markets this weekend. Friday, I set up a booth in Plainwell and sold absolutely nothing. I did barter with another vendor who wanted a rattle for his newborn son, so my family got some cinnamon swirl bread to enjoy. There were not many potential customers, though I did share a few of my business cards with people. I also finished knitting some slippers that I'd been working on. And the little girl in the booth next door was so intrigued with my knitting that she spent the entire day watching me and talking to me. She was eight years old and my favorite quote from her after she asked me how old I was, "Oh, when I think of people who are, like in their thirties, I think they're usually taller than you are." :) She also shared with me *possibly* too much information about her family and I shared with her the love of Christ, so overall the day was a success.<br />
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Saturday morning, my three sweet children awoke early and helped me set up a booth at the Otsego Farmer's Market. I made chocolate-covered pretzels and watermelon-shaped Rice Krispies treats for them to sell, along with a few dozen eggs from our backyard chickens. Since they only played video games the night before while I prepared these treats and they got to keep all of the profits, I'd say this was a good deal for them! Armed with My Little Ponies, baby dolls, books, crayons, and snacks, I envisioned my smiling boys selling treats, my daughter playing quietly nearby, and people buying up all of the items from my Etsy shop before lunchtime.<br />
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Instead, I sold just a few items from my shop and my boys sold all of their treats and brown eggs. I did meet a lot of people who loved my work and want to place special orders for things that I was selling in different sizes. I learned that people don't bring lots of cash to farmer's markets, so purchasing sweaters and hats is difficult. Thankfully, many people took business cards and seemed truly interested in making a purchase.<br />
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My boys were fascinated by the older man next to us, though I only found this out later in the evening when they were sharing the details of their day with my husband. His name was Mel and he was a watermelon expert. He was a character of a man who gets his watermelon seeds from Arkansas. He gifted us with a watermelon because "those kids are so nice." As we were packing up, a couple of other extremely generous vendors shared cucumbers and sweet corn with us as well.<br />
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I decided to wrap things up a bit early when I noticed my daughter playing in the back of our vehicle...without her clothes on. Naked toddlers and farmer's markets aren't a good match.<br />
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PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-4680324768212281342012-07-15T16:17:00.000-04:002013-05-08T13:48:25.918-04:00A Saturday of Groupons, Free Underwear, $3 Target Shirts, and Owls<div style="text-align: right;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKaDJv4iLM_teq5LNFaOG7wlqBMZxULwV7LqYo5SI2DaQhTUjO5cmdPYOOPXdGXOr2IPQASNDjyd7oHLegNsLFzW1yC506kKDEg82ioCo5YOW-V5EG6UkWpUGJv9UYsGxaqHHumfB9d4/s1600/071412+kingman+museum+%284%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKaDJv4iLM_teq5LNFaOG7wlqBMZxULwV7LqYo5SI2DaQhTUjO5cmdPYOOPXdGXOr2IPQASNDjyd7oHLegNsLFzW1yC506kKDEg82ioCo5YOW-V5EG6UkWpUGJv9UYsGxaqHHumfB9d4/s320/071412+kingman+museum+%284%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love Saturdays when our family is able to have fun and not spend tons of money. This past Saturday was one of those. While some of us may have had more fun than others, we were all together, doing something. This summer has been a HUGE blessing to our family, mostly because this is the first summer in three years that my husband has not had to endure abdominal surgery. For a while, we were spending both spring and summer vacations in hospital rooms and doctor's offices. So, no matter what we do, at least we aren't cooped up in a hospital!</div>
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Last month, I purchased a Groupon for an annual membership to the Kingman Museum in Battle Creek and we needed to go there to pick up our membership cards. The cost was $19, which is a GREAT deal, but I had a $5 off offer from Groupon, making it just $14! It's the little things that make this Momma happy. The Kingman Museum is just an "okay" museum. <i>But</i>, with this membership comes a reciprocal membership to many museums in every state, including the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Our plan, when we began homeschooling in 2010, was to go to the Chicago-area museums during the first week of school every year, as a kickoff to the school year. Thank you, Groupon for saving us <i>a lot</i> of money on this upcoming trip! If you use my referral link (<a href="http://www.groupon.com//raf/UserReferral_rp/121015/10r1act/lk/uu27177111">http://www.groupon.com//raf/UserReferral_rp/121015/10r1act/lk/uu27177111</a>) I earn $10 when you purchase YOUR first Groupon. :)</div>
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Our first stop was a nearby mall. I despise the mall. We were only there because Victoria's Secret sent me a coupon for a free pair of underwear and Bath & Body Works had a Facebook offer for a free bottle of lotion and we were already in the same area as this mall. My oldest son also had a gift card for Dunham's Sports and needed to go there to buy a ShakeWeight and a pair of shorts. These items will likely end up in a garage sale for a quarter in a few years. I imagine his future apartment will be cluttered with all kinds of those "As Seen on TV" products...and airsoft guns and fast food wrappers. As I'm thinking these thoughts, I try to be encouraging about his decision and we joke about what huge muscles he will have "<i>in just seven minutes a day"</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgdO0Ipu1ZdLjysZRYVHzNvsuIIjSXrTDyYr3o95QmjhbM9P8vn1bFMw2CAsG9f8wts5X_F6dGyIgKfby11_OQui2GVUR6LH3AJMJnUpjE2KNlF4w9oOiItQH3Wtq_dmIgstUpWlp7ms/s1600/071412+kingman+museum+picnic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgdO0Ipu1ZdLjysZRYVHzNvsuIIjSXrTDyYr3o95QmjhbM9P8vn1bFMw2CAsG9f8wts5X_F6dGyIgKfby11_OQui2GVUR6LH3AJMJnUpjE2KNlF4w9oOiItQH3Wtq_dmIgstUpWlp7ms/s320/071412+kingman+museum+picnic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After collecting my free gifts, my children were hungry. I stopped at Target to pick up "picnic food", aka: a loaf of bread, some lunch meat, and a bag of Target brand snack mix. While I was there, I found two shirts on sale for $6 each. I had two $3 off coupons, making each shirt just $3! After ignoring discontent teenage comments about going to Taco Bell like normal people, we had a lovely picnic lunch at some picnic tables outside of the museum. There was a big hill that Ellery loved running down. She also decided that this was a lovely spot to poop, so after a diaper change and a couple of family pictures, we made our way to our original destination. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6g7kxEnqMKdov3Vuu1xwyOEkI762YSbUTZNvAKsLjfC0a5uG5vxH1dSSYs7KPWmMjIHUuvX1cPpt-dFfFu5fVePevH9igPJyVudUWD_Il2p0EG-dMxT533Nf14rGMApbQxTcjyts-fQ/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6g7kxEnqMKdov3Vuu1xwyOEkI762YSbUTZNvAKsLjfC0a5uG5vxH1dSSYs7KPWmMjIHUuvX1cPpt-dFfFu5fVePevH9igPJyVudUWD_Il2p0EG-dMxT533Nf14rGMApbQxTcjyts-fQ/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a>We gave our membership information to the adorable, friendly volunteer at the Kingman Museum. She gave each of our children a sea shell and a tiny piece of dinosaur bone. We savored the air conditioning for a few minutes as we took a quick look at the exhibits, before venturing back into the 92-degree day. </div>
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When we arrived home, I sewed the finishing touches onto an owl I had knitted and listed it in my Etsy shop. This owl is slightly different from the owls I've made in the past, but I think I like it better. I'm thinking about making these owls in different colors, but haven't had time to experiment yet. Here is a link: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/104405736/knitted-chocolate-owl">https://www.etsy.com/listing/104405736/knitted-chocolate-owl</a><br />
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PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-42980675318240767852012-04-29T17:01:00.000-04:002012-08-19T13:40:18.249-04:00Peace Like A River...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikdRhtiz4w-DqFlMA3RnN6c2eV1j_QDuppzjwUMU7SYhpR2BYATJxc1zqtcAOBKMfsBwEYvwvOexs4qWf9qCkDjznBaYaYGIXTKewiR3XdSTayan2_jnjFxk8G8R6HhcdUbNhDbfZXW8/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikdRhtiz4w-DqFlMA3RnN6c2eV1j_QDuppzjwUMU7SYhpR2BYATJxc1zqtcAOBKMfsBwEYvwvOexs4qWf9qCkDjznBaYaYGIXTKewiR3XdSTayan2_jnjFxk8G8R6HhcdUbNhDbfZXW8/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The Friday before Christmas, I discovered that we'd be welcoming a new baby into our family in the summer. I decided that wrapping the positive pregnancy test, along with a cute scrapbook paper creation featuring the baby's due date, August 29, 2012, would be a fun gift to give my husband. Since we don't typically exchange gifts with each other, this was perfect. Christmas morning arrived and after the kids had opened their gifts, Doug opened his. What a happy morning this was! It was all captured on video, of course, as is every Christmas morning of my children's lives. Throughout the day, we talked about how that this would be our last Christmas as a family of five and how next Christmas, we would be toting around a four-month-old baby. Would it be a boy or girl? Whose room was he or she going to share? What if it was twins? My kids were full of questions and excitement!<br />
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Over the next couple of weeks, we talked about baby names and a bigger house. We read BabyCenter emails each week, watching our baby grow from the size of a poppy seed to a sesame seed to a lentil, to a blueberry, and then to a kidney bean. I went to the doctor for my eight-week visit and expressed my concerns about not feeling the same pregnancy symptoms that I had with my other three children. I was told not to worry, that every pregnancy is different, that I was "lucky" to not be sick or tired.<br />
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I was reluctant to share our exciting news with everyone, but my husband convinced me that it was time. We announced our big news and had lots of friends and family members sharing in this wonderful time in our lives. Prayers and well-wishes were sent in abundance. Baby Number 4 was already loved by many who couldn't wait to meet him or her. Just a few days later, that baby went to be with Jesus.<br />
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Nothing could have prepared me for the devastation and sadness that overwhelmed me during those next agonizing weeks. The loss of this baby, whom I had not met, but who was very much still a
part of me, caused more heartbreak than I could have imagined. I would cry suddenly at the thought of anything relating to a baby or the summertime, knowing that my summer was not going to include the birth of a new son or daughter. I woke myself up, sobbing, re-living all of the details in my dreams. This affected me deeply. For several days, I could not force myself out of bed. I sat there, crying, praying, and hurting. I thought about God's plans and His grace. I thought about all of the parts of the Bible that should be comforting to me, yet none of them were. I listened to my husband and children praying for me in the other room and I felt numb. I had a friend tell me that it was okay to be angry with God, yet I wasn't. My husband tried reassuring me that we could still have another baby, but these words and his inability to understand what I was feeling frustrated me. I wanted THIS baby who had already spent the last couple of months growing inside of me and who was no longer there.<br />
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Several days after the miscarriage, I finally woke up, put on real clothes and make up and went to the grocery store. My husband said, "I am so glad you're feeling better", but the look on his face said, "I am relieved that you are not wearing flannel pajamas, crying and eating ice cream toppings straight from the jar today." Even now, a few months later, I still get teared up when I think about how far along I'd be in that pregnancy. I still can't talk about it without crying. It's a strange place that I'm in, yet not a bad place. Knowing that my little baby is resting in the arms of Jesus and will
greet me one day, makes the emptiness in my heart a little bit less empty-feeling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDtiXfljlqr6lkLCkxM17IG5QAt9slJXx8oyzL_GGQ8u9ZjQDat-0RKdbm-46fEKUO-Z-99Ed_fmXuuGU7IGzH6IIfyp_HovmRL5myzG609HZHGpjC5eRCPuUcEwnsbvWGs4cw5-Whn4/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDtiXfljlqr6lkLCkxM17IG5QAt9slJXx8oyzL_GGQ8u9ZjQDat-0RKdbm-46fEKUO-Z-99Ed_fmXuuGU7IGzH6IIfyp_HovmRL5myzG609HZHGpjC5eRCPuUcEwnsbvWGs4cw5-Whn4/s320/059.JPG" width="320" /></a>This season of my life has definitely changed me, my marriage, my children, and my walk with Christ. My heart is broken for the women who go through a miscarriage without access to medical care, running water, a bed to curl up in with a down comforter and high thread-count sheets, a husband to look after other children, friends to bring dinner and pray for them. And when I think about women who don't know Jesus, I cannot comprehend what that is like. What a hopeless, lonely, terrible time that must be! My experience is nothing compared to that. As I write this, my two-year-old is in her bed, fighting a nap and singing, "I've got peace like a river in my soul." I love her. That's where I am today too, with peace like a river in my soul---this terrible thing happened to me, but I have Jesus, so I have everything. That's a peaceful place to be!<br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-56095950847246354502012-01-14T14:35:00.000-05:002012-01-14T14:35:02.136-05:00Snickerdoodles<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some day, when my kids are older, I will open a bakery. Every day, I'll get to create all kinds of yummy things and it will be wonderful. Cakes with fancy decorations and pies with decorative crusts, cookies in fun shapes and bars in unique flavors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since there is no time for that now, I'll have to be content with baking just a few things throughout the week for Doug and the kids. There is a "famous" Snickerdoodle recipe that is baked constantly in my house. When ever my husband is scheduled for surgery and I ask him what he wants, this is what he requests.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Knowing that he will be unable to eat for days (or weeks!) I can't NOT make them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Neighbor children check our "cookie dome" to see if there are Snickerdoodles to be enjoyed and sometimes are disappointed to find only chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin. One of my sons has a friend who loves these cookies almost as much as my husband. Every time he spends the night, he asks my son if we have any of THE cookies. Usually there are a couple of dozen of them in the freezer and I have witnessed these boys eat them frozen! The combination of butter and shortening gives them a buttery flavor and a perfect, milk-dunking crispiness. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZk4lhD4rXGn2B7q9vpi2W1iD3nu936p_d2GRo2ku6RlMwcRlfqmMWTraaqES9NW_C83u5BrdGzCsUvxegTY3Tvl_KskQuYTL6rKIFO3vy1uNczOTsmQHbp1osXiC32KfEYSB6x1Y2ak/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZk4lhD4rXGn2B7q9vpi2W1iD3nu936p_d2GRo2ku6RlMwcRlfqmMWTraaqES9NW_C83u5BrdGzCsUvxegTY3Tvl_KskQuYTL6rKIFO3vy1uNczOTsmQHbp1osXiC32KfEYSB6x1Y2ak/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Snickerdoodles: </span></b></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup butter or margarine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup shortening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 3/4 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tsp cream of tartar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(1/4 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon</span>)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, and shortening. Add eggs. Mix in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Shape into 1" balls. Roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture and place 2" apart on un-greased cookie sheets. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bake 10 minutes (these cookies don't look quite done, even though they are!). Cool completely before removing from sheets. </span><br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-546511418262300342012-01-07T15:31:00.003-05:002012-01-12T08:16:07.693-05:00Play Doh Boogers and Other Things God Blessed Me With<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqWaEo-ui3gboFoo8Q5NKQG3yIoRrtcTflh4STWIXPRc5rd8nu_-D2f09fYAeazQ6SpPUcJTldD72DPlXeo8oF2svpsIqXVwbCGPr5zpCWKsXdzz7smvyW84Wiv9yWUBJNsdTDabN5NM/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqWaEo-ui3gboFoo8Q5NKQG3yIoRrtcTflh4STWIXPRc5rd8nu_-D2f09fYAeazQ6SpPUcJTldD72DPlXeo8oF2svpsIqXVwbCGPr5zpCWKsXdzz7smvyW84Wiv9yWUBJNsdTDabN5NM/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love weeks where things fall into place, even when they don't go the way I had planned. My dear husband had an unhealthy week altogether. This kind of thing can really disrupt my organized, meticulously planned week of homeschooling and running my household. God has *finally* shown me over the past few years, though, that this is not necessarily a bad thing and that it is part of HIS plan anyway. His plan is always better than mine. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What began as some pesky little Crohn's Disease symptoms, escalated to the point that he had to remain in bed for a few days. When he finally began to recover, an infected tooth sent him to the dentist for repair. Thankfully, all of his ailments are resolved now and we're enjoying a laid-back weekend!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">During this week, I had many moments where I stopped just to think about HOW I was juggling so much at once. Don't misunderstand, this week had nothing on the weeks that Doug is in the hospital recovering from surgery, but it was a challenging week, nonetheless. Time and time again, God gave me just what my family needed to make our life feel less hectic and even productive. Ellery was beyond excited to play Play Doh during school one day--for two hours straight! She ended up making "boogers" out of the green Play Doh (those brothers teach her well!) and I had to stop often to look at her many creations, but that time she kept busy was a very appreciated gift.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And so, I thanked God that day for Play Doh Boogers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOd1Ikpgq2gYoOULy2PLMzxvjuIvNr2RcmJPhV966UuzXDcn_EvSz345jieEQ-ozminVA1sXzOII_wDzt21c089SvaEHCCCFej-_ckfuYVjAZM7zmB8mifTv1mX5ubqtlS1-LcjntLMmA/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOd1Ikpgq2gYoOULy2PLMzxvjuIvNr2RcmJPhV966UuzXDcn_EvSz345jieEQ-ozminVA1sXzOII_wDzt21c089SvaEHCCCFej-_ckfuYVjAZM7zmB8mifTv1mX5ubqtlS1-LcjntLMmA/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was able to start and finish a cute pair of monkey slippers during my breaks (aka: naptime). You can check them out on my Etsy site: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89849288/knitted-monkey-slippers">http://www.etsy.com/listing/89849288/knitted-monkey-slippers</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />I also found a wonderful web site for making tests. If you home school your children, I highly recommend this free web site: <a href="https://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx">https://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx</a>. A BIG time-saver for me!</span><br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-73905885995703009052012-01-04T19:24:00.000-05:002012-01-12T08:16:57.046-05:00A Snowy Day<div style="text-align: left;">
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After weeks of waiting, my children's prayers for snow have finally been answered! While they wanted the snow so that they could go skiing, they seemed pretty happy about tromping around our backyard in it. Their Dad has promised them a half-day of school to go skiing, but is having a terrible week with his Crohn's Disease and isn't quite up to this kind of physical activity. Growing up around a sick father has taught them a lot about waiting, patience, and compassion! My heart is sad for them sometimes when this happens, but I know that this will make them remarkable men, husbands and fathers some day. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHLL46mO07w/TwTWNcvREYI/AAAAAAAAAKY/NKk_VgBQ20I/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHLL46mO07w/TwTWNcvREYI/AAAAAAAAAKY/NKk_VgBQ20I/s320/019.JPG" width="240" /></a> They informed me that it wasn't good "packing snow," so my snowman will have to wait for a while. Instead, they rolled around, played on the swing set and trampoline and wrestled with our dog (there's something about a boy in snow pants that makes him feel strong enough to tackle a 90-pound Golden Retriever!). Brodie tried out his new snowball launcher from Grandpa, but the snow was a bit too fluffy. Instead they set some "traps" in case anyone tries to jump over our fence. Apparently they saw some footprints, likely from the gas meter reader, and are convinced someone is going to end up over our fence (these kids have some lively imaginations!). Of course, they eventually got bored with the snow--plus, Ellery
hit her head on the patio steps and needed her Momma--and came in for
hot cocoa and cinnamon toast. The perfect ending of a snowy day!</div>
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While all of this snowy fun was taking place, I was able to finish
knitting an adorable new baby set that includes a sweater, a brimmed
hat, and slippers. It would make a wonderful baby shower gift! You can find it in my Etsy Shop: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89694036/golden-baby-sweater-hat-and-slippers-set?ref=v1_other_2">http://www.etsy.com/listing/89694036/golden-baby-sweater-hat-and-slippers-set?ref=v1_other_2</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECHYEurYRlb0miJSzErGfTzxe2fj4MAWxcFY4gJ_dUEg7nR51wllCIpVipROiXNgYUfBLEXRPFui-OOOKDhTwE63e6sDubrG5N2GZSplbW3SNI4F1VpmnTRZ4k0CdW4pk6pzgkm5SVxM/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECHYEurYRlb0miJSzErGfTzxe2fj4MAWxcFY4gJ_dUEg7nR51wllCIpVipROiXNgYUfBLEXRPFui-OOOKDhTwE63e6sDubrG5N2GZSplbW3SNI4F1VpmnTRZ4k0CdW4pk6pzgkm5SVxM/s320/023.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-57884411323436840122011-12-17T13:40:00.000-05:002011-12-18T19:46:35.110-05:0024 Christmas Gifts for under $8!?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJSQzZ9tWM6gwCQXpYJVROuAwXKVQuoHgw53RB6QIJqk5vuozm_1qkSQeOv1RBY9ZJzFcfxEhePM4zY5Ts43xZ6flM1BdXjjrowufmAH4N1CmlULLPCGHcC0dgNsAErrtWIpmL6ROXCQ/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJSQzZ9tWM6gwCQXpYJVROuAwXKVQuoHgw53RB6QIJqk5vuozm_1qkSQeOv1RBY9ZJzFcfxEhePM4zY5Ts43xZ6flM1BdXjjrowufmAH4N1CmlULLPCGHcC0dgNsAErrtWIpmL6ROXCQ/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year has been filled with many things that have literally drained my family's bank account. From multiple surgeries that my husband has had to undergo, to growing children that eat more food than I ever imagined possible, household and car repairs, to ever-increasing medical expenses, this year was definitely one of "pinching pennies." Yet, I am deeply thankful for the financially unstable year that my family
has endured. A crazy thing to be thankful for? It may sound that way
on the surface, but thinking back over the last year, God has shown me
so many new things about Himself that I definitely would not have been
able to see if more money had been in my bank account. <br />
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I also love the creativity that comes from these seasons in our life. In our house, things have been fixed, not replaced. We've learned to grab a sweater or blanket, rather than heating the house a couple of degrees more. My children have re-discovered things they forgot they had, like Legos, Play-Doh, Nerf guns, and model car kits. And we're happy. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kc9ldohFZKT60UEDL7-kNpLkDMTWDBE2Ws-lHE9y1g3G5u06FnXZ8XAeFG8Sq_sKe4p6ZXILNAD7oVgEod7rvPczL98eUlch_xeHperSljjAYBZCv-Mn4h9GHgQPT-4IpGYi2fr6GaM/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kc9ldohFZKT60UEDL7-kNpLkDMTWDBE2Ws-lHE9y1g3G5u06FnXZ8XAeFG8Sq_sKe4p6ZXILNAD7oVgEod7rvPczL98eUlch_xeHperSljjAYBZCv-Mn4h9GHgQPT-4IpGYi2fr6GaM/s200/010.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCJO-VedziU5Fncr604OuDGmLN2lnblSCB_nuiy0DpdLFWU3WbUUgQpX8AZny6uIbnLYLNU4CznVkIOMJQK098KXMgYDgyTvIu2LjIwxTYAddTQ7cZ02Qo7wQ7yb7d4_QSt4kEQ-HnFg/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCJO-VedziU5Fncr604OuDGmLN2lnblSCB_nuiy0DpdLFWU3WbUUgQpX8AZny6uIbnLYLNU4CznVkIOMJQK098KXMgYDgyTvIu2LjIwxTYAddTQ7cZ02Qo7wQ7yb7d4_QSt4kEQ-HnFg/s200/018.JPG" width="166" /></a>When thinking about Christmas gifts for our extended family, we knew giving gifts to everyone this year was going to be impossible. But, after doing some browsing of craft web sites, I came up with a few ideas for things we could make inexpensively to give as gifts. As a family, we decided on painted Christmas ornaments, using our fingerprints. I already had paint that we could use and I found clear glass ornaments and frosted glass ornaments at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. Total cost to make 24 gifts: $7.42. God had provided us with an affordable way to give gifts!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6veWDszffyduSvJBWqPSTPxJsgPPXiH7UicgmHgdQCcd7Ye3SZMH6onV-kL-q88eKvItVyvqYHPUSXAdOQGKTweB1EhUlJnW4_CXD_0fUTzdqSmCvg55-XZCObAGyGvXGrTMBJ5hzAFU/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6veWDszffyduSvJBWqPSTPxJsgPPXiH7UicgmHgdQCcd7Ye3SZMH6onV-kL-q88eKvItVyvqYHPUSXAdOQGKTweB1EhUlJnW4_CXD_0fUTzdqSmCvg55-XZCObAGyGvXGrTMBJ5hzAFU/s200/001.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkVe5T1_otspefCsGIi3E9EEBo-eI1BsnBwGkGQAKjDbuFLS7ygaZhRAXOGpfLY3Il4IlmBL3K2XQVX51YJqgEGecb-rH1Z1aYcLYO92FT2rSFDWFnD0k4KeymU41dx-xK4_YIOoUONU/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkVe5T1_otspefCsGIi3E9EEBo-eI1BsnBwGkGQAKjDbuFLS7ygaZhRAXOGpfLY3Il4IlmBL3K2XQVX51YJqgEGecb-rH1Z1aYcLYO92FT2rSFDWFnD0k4KeymU41dx-xK4_YIOoUONU/s200/009.JPG" width="200" /></a>As I dipped my daughter's little fingers in paint and then my sons', it became clear that these were not going to be just cute, they would be ADORABLE! All five of us chose a character to create from our fingerprints and decorated each ornament. Doug made a Santa Claus, I made a wreath, Ian made a penguin, Brodie made a snowman, and Ellery made a reindeer. I then wrote our names and the date along the bottom and these little masterpieces are ready for gift-giving!<br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-5433972464325093462011-12-16T08:16:00.000-05:002011-12-16T14:15:00.666-05:00Lady Bug Slippers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhtybJxeZzozwL7Nz-eKvXXWgtBr_EaiSMQQxUz_DAJHCAKL7qvuz1juierYgLu_HGxrjPMSvFfe_j125lmFYdZ_XUiwxuNMvzZIGOs3Mqqj7shkOqsxILmX3J_Ip27BMyQQoFUjyrxA/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhtybJxeZzozwL7Nz-eKvXXWgtBr_EaiSMQQxUz_DAJHCAKL7qvuz1juierYgLu_HGxrjPMSvFfe_j125lmFYdZ_XUiwxuNMvzZIGOs3Mqqj7shkOqsxILmX3J_Ip27BMyQQoFUjyrxA/s320/025.JPG" width="222" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MXiE8yh-foOxxNR04YruU8kUD80edMHbpCjbkFOKf6MggOyUIc8N8oyhjJvPY-_kE0hyphenhyphenlsl7iOFk4-r210o1MIEgsrTJXw-Jm8rRCt95y9MVkmgOuW2D3zQWoAnI0hnfzdSwFCdAMQU/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MXiE8yh-foOxxNR04YruU8kUD80edMHbpCjbkFOKf6MggOyUIc8N8oyhjJvPY-_kE0hyphenhyphenlsl7iOFk4-r210o1MIEgsrTJXw-Jm8rRCt95y9MVkmgOuW2D3zQWoAnI0hnfzdSwFCdAMQU/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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These ADORABLE Lady Bug Slippers are now available at my Etsy Shop! </div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88215547/knitted-lady-bug-slippers">http://www.etsy.com/listing/88215547/knitted-lady-bug-slippers</a></div>
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4114900837160144567.post-26884160086639015602011-12-15T20:48:00.003-05:002011-12-15T20:48:47.079-05:00Favorite Christmas Cookies<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Each of my boys has their favorite cookies that they love to bake or decorate with me at Christmastime. We made Brodie's favorite cookies---Green Holly Cookies. They probably have a fancier, official name. My mom called them wreath cookies, as they are supposed to be shaped into little wreaths. (This takes far too much time and effort to be worth it since they will be gobbled up quickly! They are just as pretty and yummy as holly leaves.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This recipe was given to my mother by my dear preschool teacher, Miss Jean, when I was three years old. My mom made them every year after that and my boys and I do the same. Ellery will join in the fun some day, but this year she was much more interested in sneaking Red Hot candies to share with her Daddy, than actually helping with the cookies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Green Holly Cookies</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1 Package Marshmallows</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4 Tablespoons of Butter </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">6 Cups of Corn Flakes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Green Food Coloring</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Red Hot Candies</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Melt marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan over low-medium heat. When completely melted, add enough green food coloring to tint the mixture a deep green color. Remove from heat and stir in the Corn Flakes. Mix and stir until the flakes are completely covered in green goo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Work quickly to prevent the mixture from hardening and drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Place three Red Hot Candies on each clump to resemble a holly leaf (this part is great for kids to help with and my boys' favorite step). Allow to cool and harden slightly before enjoying. </span><br />
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<br />PeaceFilledMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09496028900897678320noreply@blogger.com0