Life seems to be going by at the speed of light these days!
Lots of things going on and the last thing on my mind is being on this here blog.
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Lyndsey was home last week for spring break. In her own words this morning, "Mom, break was NOT long enough!" She is back at school with only about 6 weeks left til summer break.
The Lord is so faithful!!! I can't even begin to thank Him for His provision for us. He has seen fit to pay for Lyndsey's school bill. Despite her commitment to search for a job almost daily this last semester, no job has been secured as of yet. But...God has paid her bill!
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Why is parenting sooooooooo hard some days????????!!!!!!!!
What is it about us as humans that make us so prone to disobedience (it's our sin nature)??? Why do we like to 'bend' the rules? Why do we act amazed when we receive punishment for our disobedience?
These are some of the questions I have had lately.
People told me years ago that parenting is not always easy. They were right. I thought parenting 2 kids 19 months apart in age was hard when they were babies. I think it's much more difficult parenting 2 kids 19 months apart in age when they are approaching adolescence. Oh, the fights and arguments and the scowls and the.....(insert so many things here)! The difficulty is because we MUST exercise tough love and a LOT of it right now. This mother's heart breaks when we MUST do it. I dislike punishment (come to think of it....who enjoys it at all?). But, so far they seem to be doing better (at least right now at this very moment:) ).
Another difficulty is hoping that we, as parents, are making the right decisions while raising them. Do my children see Jesus Christ in me and in their dad? Does my life make them desire a relationship with Christ more and more each day? Do I encourage them to serve God? Are my words critical or do they uplift?
More than anything else, I want my children to accomplish God's will for their lives. Walter and I have friends that have raised their children in godly homes and yet the children choose to live their lives completely opposed to the Bible (it's their choice, obviously). Oh, how my heart breaks for those parents and for those kids (turned adults), too! I pray that my children will choose to serve God as adults.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tyler had his birthday last month. A friend spent the night and Tyler really wanted to have a nerf gun war. With only 3 boys, that was not going to work out. So, I decided to play with them (can you believe it?).
I had the time of my life!!!! It was a blast!!! I screamed like a girl so many times!! The boys loved it.
We turned out all the lights in the house. Two would hide at one end of the house and the other two would seek. Lawrence had a laser light that we would use to see with. We played for over 2 hours. The dog had a blast, too. She gave up the hiders so many times but it was still a blast.
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We have a college student from Lyndsey's school coming out each weekend to help us with a Spanish ministry. His name is Oscar. He stays at our home.
Last weekend, Oscar was here and Lawrence stayed the night as well. He brought his nerf guns, too.
The boys really wanted to have another nerf war. I was too tired to play but Oscar decided to play. "What a sight" is all I can say! I think that was funnier than me playing with the boys! Those boys screamed like girls (all 4 of them)! They scared themselves silly! But, oh the fun they had!
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This coming weekend our church is hosting a youth rally. A group of college students will be coming from West Coast Baptist College to help us with it. Walter and I will be hosting 7 young men in our home. It's going to be a blast!!!! Phyllip and Tyler are looking forward to them being here and are hoping for a humongous nerf war with the guys!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Coming Soon
More posts with pictures.
At one point we had 4 computers in our house. A few weeks ago, we lost one of the towers (which had our music and pictures on it). The current tower we are using is going down - it's only a matter of time - problems with it as well. If I load pictures onto it it will be as slow as a snail. Lyndsey has hers at college. And that leaves us with my mobile office computer for our church (I try not to use that one for personal use). We have currently found a computer we like but are trying to be frugal and just wait until this one has crossed the point of no return.
However, my Mr. Wonderful bought me an external hard drive a couple of weeks ago. I did happen to save all our pictures to cds which are in the safe so as soon as I find time to figure out how to work it, I will be able to load pics again here.
I have lots of pictures from January when we had a week of storms. Beautiful mountain pictures. But that will have to wait a little while longer!
At one point we had 4 computers in our house. A few weeks ago, we lost one of the towers (which had our music and pictures on it). The current tower we are using is going down - it's only a matter of time - problems with it as well. If I load pictures onto it it will be as slow as a snail. Lyndsey has hers at college. And that leaves us with my mobile office computer for our church (I try not to use that one for personal use). We have currently found a computer we like but are trying to be frugal and just wait until this one has crossed the point of no return.
However, my Mr. Wonderful bought me an external hard drive a couple of weeks ago. I did happen to save all our pictures to cds which are in the safe so as soon as I find time to figure out how to work it, I will be able to load pics again here.
I have lots of pictures from January when we had a week of storms. Beautiful mountain pictures. But that will have to wait a little while longer!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Something You Need to Read
Update: Oops! I did the wrong link. I fixed it.
Just click on this link and read the post. You will find it funny! I promise.
Just click on this link and read the post. You will find it funny! I promise.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Ragu Bolognese
I love getting my Taste of Home cooking magazine in the mail. It is always chock full of great recipes that are really yummy! The latest issue has not disappointed!
I tried the Ragu Bolognese and it is absolutely fabulous! I know it's great when my husband tells me to throw out any recipes I have for spaghetti sauce or lasagna sauce and use this one!
DO NOT let the amount of ingredients scare you. It's VERY easy to make. So here's the recipe:
Ragu Bolognese
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used stewed and they worked fine)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is ALWAYS better!)
Hot cooked pasta and additional Parmesan cheese
In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork, bacon, onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth; cook for 4-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Add the cream, butter and parsley; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in cheese. Serve with pasta and additional cheese. Enjoy!
I tried the Ragu Bolognese and it is absolutely fabulous! I know it's great when my husband tells me to throw out any recipes I have for spaghetti sauce or lasagna sauce and use this one!
DO NOT let the amount of ingredients scare you. It's VERY easy to make. So here's the recipe:
Ragu Bolognese
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used stewed and they worked fine)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is ALWAYS better!)
Hot cooked pasta and additional Parmesan cheese
In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork, bacon, onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth; cook for 4-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Add the cream, butter and parsley; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in cheese. Serve with pasta and additional cheese. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Randomness
Well.....where do I begin?
I took a bit of a break from the blogging world because life got so crazy.
Lyndsey came home for the Christmas break the 15th of December and since that day, I think I've only been home without going anywhere 3 days total since then!
She ended up getting an interview and then a job selling Cutco cutlery. The schedule for training was crazy, to say the least. But after training was over, the actual job was even crazier - almost like organized chaos! We would leave the house between 8 and 9 am and most days didn't get home til around 9 pm or later. This went on for about 10 days. We were exhausted - we were snapping at each other from the stress of going seemingly all.the.time. There was no such thing as family time and it got old real fast!
It turns out that the company Lyndsey was working for wasn't exactly forthcoming with how the business works (which I had my doubts about from the beginning - just call it mother's intuition). She got to where she absolutely despised it. But she was able to make some money and finish paying off last semester's tuition.
The knives are incredible, though. We got to keep the sample set of knives and I am in "knife heaven" so to speak. If you are in the market for new knives, get Cutco - their guarantee is really great.
Momma had to drive her around to all her training (120+ miles roundtrip for 5 days) plus her appointments. It was really hard to be gone all day every day. The boys didn't exactly like it, either. I was happy to drive her around but even she got tired of the constant traveling.
We didn't let Lyndsey get her driver's license because she wasn't going to need it in college and we couldn't afford to pay the insurance for her. We are rethinking that one now! If she comes home for the summer, she WILL get her license and pay for her own insurance.
I took a bit of a break from the blogging world because life got so crazy.
Lyndsey came home for the Christmas break the 15th of December and since that day, I think I've only been home without going anywhere 3 days total since then!
She ended up getting an interview and then a job selling Cutco cutlery. The schedule for training was crazy, to say the least. But after training was over, the actual job was even crazier - almost like organized chaos! We would leave the house between 8 and 9 am and most days didn't get home til around 9 pm or later. This went on for about 10 days. We were exhausted - we were snapping at each other from the stress of going seemingly all.the.time. There was no such thing as family time and it got old real fast!
It turns out that the company Lyndsey was working for wasn't exactly forthcoming with how the business works (which I had my doubts about from the beginning - just call it mother's intuition). She got to where she absolutely despised it. But she was able to make some money and finish paying off last semester's tuition.
The knives are incredible, though. We got to keep the sample set of knives and I am in "knife heaven" so to speak. If you are in the market for new knives, get Cutco - their guarantee is really great.
Momma had to drive her around to all her training (120+ miles roundtrip for 5 days) plus her appointments. It was really hard to be gone all day every day. The boys didn't exactly like it, either. I was happy to drive her around but even she got tired of the constant traveling.
We didn't let Lyndsey get her driver's license because she wasn't going to need it in college and we couldn't afford to pay the insurance for her. We are rethinking that one now! If she comes home for the summer, she WILL get her license and pay for her own insurance.
~~~~~~~~~
Walter was offered a second job back in November (I was trained in the job as well so that we can be on call 24/7). He jumped at the chance because we have been praying for a way to help get Lyndsey through college.
We flew up to northern California a couple of weeks ago - just Walter and I - to meet the owner in person and to be trained.
Wow! That's what came out of my mouth when we got to the cottage we stayed in. I wish I had had my camera while we were there. It was the most beautifully decorated home I've ever been in! It had top of the line furniture in it that was incredibly comfortable (leather armchairs that were oober comfy with throw blankets over them, the bed - incredible, a massage chair that Walter fell in love with, bose home theatre system, etc.). The decorations were just enough - not overstated at all. Beautiful antique lamps and end tables finished it. We were given access to the internet at our leisure. There was a hot tub (we didn't use it because of lack of time plus it was soooooooooo cold while we were there). The bathroom towels were plush and soft. The bed sheets were "out of this world" comfortable.
Tom (the boss) had emailed us a few days before we went there and asked what kind of food and snacks and drinks we liked. He told us to be specific and not bashful. We're the kind of people who are happy with pretty much anything but we did give a couple of specifics. When we got there and looked in the kitchen everything we had told him and more was loaded in it! The refrigerator was full - the freezer was just about full! Tom's wife had even left us a gigantic Hershey's chocolate bar on the end table next to the bed.
We were treated like royalty while there!
Tom and his wife are very strong Christians and he was looking for someone of like faith to help him take care of some business that we live close to.
The cottage we stayed in is what Tom's church uses for all of their guest speakers and missionaries. Walter asked who had stayed there before us and we felt like we were walking where royalty had been. We felt like we were part of the family while there.
We have since started the work down here and so far, we like it.
Walter was offered a second job back in November (I was trained in the job as well so that we can be on call 24/7). He jumped at the chance because we have been praying for a way to help get Lyndsey through college.
We flew up to northern California a couple of weeks ago - just Walter and I - to meet the owner in person and to be trained.
Wow! That's what came out of my mouth when we got to the cottage we stayed in. I wish I had had my camera while we were there. It was the most beautifully decorated home I've ever been in! It had top of the line furniture in it that was incredibly comfortable (leather armchairs that were oober comfy with throw blankets over them, the bed - incredible, a massage chair that Walter fell in love with, bose home theatre system, etc.). The decorations were just enough - not overstated at all. Beautiful antique lamps and end tables finished it. We were given access to the internet at our leisure. There was a hot tub (we didn't use it because of lack of time plus it was soooooooooo cold while we were there). The bathroom towels were plush and soft. The bed sheets were "out of this world" comfortable.
Tom (the boss) had emailed us a few days before we went there and asked what kind of food and snacks and drinks we liked. He told us to be specific and not bashful. We're the kind of people who are happy with pretty much anything but we did give a couple of specifics. When we got there and looked in the kitchen everything we had told him and more was loaded in it! The refrigerator was full - the freezer was just about full! Tom's wife had even left us a gigantic Hershey's chocolate bar on the end table next to the bed.
We were treated like royalty while there!
Tom and his wife are very strong Christians and he was looking for someone of like faith to help him take care of some business that we live close to.
The cottage we stayed in is what Tom's church uses for all of their guest speakers and missionaries. Walter asked who had stayed there before us and we felt like we were walking where royalty had been. We felt like we were part of the family while there.
We have since started the work down here and so far, we like it.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Riddle
How many men does it take to change 4 lightbulbs in my 2001 Buick LeSabre??????
3!!!!!!!
We were pulled over by the police a couple of weeks ago because our tail and license plate lights were out (didn't know about the license lights). The officer let us go and I went the next day to get the replacement lights.
Walter had tried 3 times to replace the lights but finally gave up because he ended up not having the right tools. Jiffy Lube had offered to replace them a couple weeks back and Walter turned them down thinking he could replace them. We ended up taking the car back to them on Sunday and asked if they would change them for us.
They did. But.....it took 3 of them to do it!! No joke and no exaggeration!!!!! It took one to hold the trunk lid and one to unscrew. After that, it took one to hold the tail light/license plate contraption (one big piece), one to hold the trunk lid, and one to replace the bulbs!
In their defense, they had no other work going on at that time and they were really very nice guys. It just made me laugh thinking about the old joke that says, "How many guys does it take to change a light bulb?"
3!!!!!!!
We were pulled over by the police a couple of weeks ago because our tail and license plate lights were out (didn't know about the license lights). The officer let us go and I went the next day to get the replacement lights.
Walter had tried 3 times to replace the lights but finally gave up because he ended up not having the right tools. Jiffy Lube had offered to replace them a couple weeks back and Walter turned them down thinking he could replace them. We ended up taking the car back to them on Sunday and asked if they would change them for us.
They did. But.....it took 3 of them to do it!! No joke and no exaggeration!!!!! It took one to hold the trunk lid and one to unscrew. After that, it took one to hold the tail light/license plate contraption (one big piece), one to hold the trunk lid, and one to replace the bulbs!
In their defense, they had no other work going on at that time and they were really very nice guys. It just made me laugh thinking about the old joke that says, "How many guys does it take to change a light bulb?"
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas to All!
Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone!
Life is very busy these days (we aren't home much) - so much for a vacation! We are very happy to announce that Lyndsey has gotten a job!
She starts training on Monday. We are thrilled for her.
We hope everyone enjoys this Christmas season.
Life is very busy these days (we aren't home much) - so much for a vacation! We are very happy to announce that Lyndsey has gotten a job!
She starts training on Monday. We are thrilled for her.
We hope everyone enjoys this Christmas season.
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