Moments in March

 

 

 

Isabelle's first batch of cinnamon rolls sans any help from Mom as I was gone at our church's women's retreat. They were declared delicious by all who had them!

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Birthday Boy!

I don't know how I missed this cutie pie picture in his birthday post...I couldn't resist!

 

 

 

 

 

Cowboy Kitchen Crew

 

 

 

Celebrating Ressurection Sunday with our sweet friends the van den Heuvel's and Grandma Kay. 

 It was replete with delicious food, excellent fellowship and good 'ol football!

 

 

 

 

 



Christmas Week Memories

Just a few photo memories from this last week!

 

 Last Saturday we had a great afternoon watching the Washington vs BSU game .... an excellent game that ended with BSU taking the victory at 28-26.

The game was fun but as usual the fellowship with our dear E family

was the sweetest and far exceeded the game!!

 

 

Traditional opening and then silly photo of Christmas Eve PJ's from Grandma Honey!

 

Christmas day with Grandma & Grandpa!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And some general silliness.... possibly too much Christmas sugar!!

 

 

 

 

Christmas Baking

 Yesterday was a very fun day of Christmas baking with dear friends.  Jodi and I have been friends for many years, she is a treasure to me!  We met long ago in MOPS when all of our kiddos were little, Mitchell was 4, Isabelle was just 6 weeks old and her two, Alyssa and Riley were just 6 & 2!  The Lord has knit our hearts together over the years, and through the ebb and flow of life He has created a strong and deep friendship between us.  I am so grateful for the sovereign hand of the Lord intertwining our lives together as sisters in Christ and dear friends!  Years ago we did Christmas baking together but as our families got bigger and busier our baking together slid by the wayside.  I am happy to say we resurrected the tradition this year and have all intentions to reinstate the baking as an annual event … hopefully! J

 

We made lots of nummy stuff….  Frosted Sugar Cookies, Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies, Peanut Butter Balls, a perpetual favorite…..Rolo Turtles and our new absolute favorite … Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from allrecipes.com … wow those are CRAZY GOOD!

  

 Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

 

1/4 cup olive oil                1 3/4 cup flour             

3/4 cup white sugar           1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract          1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. almond extract      1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 eggs                                 1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts

 

 Directions:

 

- Preheat oven to 300 degrees

- In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended.  Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs.  Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. 

- Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand

- Divide dough in half.  Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily. 

- Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown.  Remove from oven, set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.

- Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 - 1 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet.  - Bake approximately 8-10 minutes or until dry.  Cool. 

                                                       

*A couple notes- the dough is VERY wet and seems almost too wet to form into a log but it does work.  Also, we dipped ours in chocolate for extra yumminess!

 

 

 

 



A Gathering of the Who's

Izzzy-Lou Who and Shelley-Sue Who off to a Whoville Party with some nummy Who-Pop!

 

Much fun was had by all! 

 

 

 

 

 

The original recipe for the candied popcorn was found here … Fruity Kool-Aid Candied Popcorn … but I will share the Honey Who - Pop recipe with my adjustments. Since this recipe was somewhat similar to my caramel corn I knew how I wanted to adjust it.  I halved everything in the recipe except the baking soda and I didn’t use a candy thermometer.  Having made my caramel corn so often I know you simply get it to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.  We used Tropical Punch flavored Kool-Aid so the popcorn had a “fruity pebbles” flavor, but you could use any flavor you want! 

 

 

Honey Who - Pop

 

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup butter

1 envelope Kool-Aid any flavor

1 tsp. baking soda

15+ cups popped popcorn (I popped 3 batches of popcorn in our Whirly Pop)

 

 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

 

Be sure to remove all of the popcorn kernels and place popcorn into a large bowl. 

 

Lightly grease a large turkey roaster pan or a jelly roll pan.  A turkey roaster pan with sides just makes it easier when stirring the popcorn during baking but I use both kinds of pans all the time. 

 

In a small bowl combine the Kool-Aid packet with 1 tsp baking soda, set aside.

 

In a medium size saucepan melt the sugar, corn syrup and butter over medium heat. 

Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. 

 

Remove from heat and stir in the Kool-Aid and baking soda mix. Stir for a solid 20 - 30 seconds until all is mixed well.  The mixture will foam but that is expected.  

 

Pour the hot sugar mixture over the popped popcorn. 

Work carefully but quickly and mix until well combined. 

 

Spread popcorn into the turkey roaster or jelly roll pan.

 

Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

 

Remove the popcorn and immediately spread it out onto waxed paper or foil to cool.  Break it apart into pieces as you lay it out.  Store in an airtight container to maintain crunch. 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Trot 2012

Yesterday was SO MUCH FUN!!! I was so nervous for nothing!  I did not sleep well at all the night before, even with a melatonin! You know what I mean?  The kind of sleep where you know your brain is still on and running in the background?!?  I was nervous on so many levels.  Afraid it would be a competitive (not fun) run, afraid of the unknown terrain and simply afraid I might struggle to finish it … even though I have been running 3 miles (and sometimes more) 3x’s a week!

 I am so DELIGHTED that I ran it! It was so not what I was anxious over, AT ALL!  It was FUN and the group we had made it much more than fun… it is a precious memory I will always treasure! We had a fantastic group of runners….some newer runners, some old runners and some cold turkey runners!!   I finished in 37 minutes and some unknown seconds, I forgot to look!  I was the last one of our group to come in (and believe me I am SO ok with that) and there was something quite special about having almost 20 people cheering for you as you come to the end!  I had to fight back tears!  Even with no desire to “compete” in my times, just to run and finish it felt like such an accomplishment!!  

It was also very fun to have Mrs. Vandenbos there.  She is a much loved piano teacher for quite a few in our group of runners, including Mitchell!  She is a marathon runner, so this 5K was small potatoes for her I’m sure!  She did great and she joined us for our “after” photo!

So many in our group did so well! There was about 200 - 300 people participating and many of our group finished under the 30 minute mark (or just over)and we even had some ribbons that were won!  Mitchell finished nicely under 30 minutes, which was his goal.  Taylor B. won 1^st for her age group, Roscoe P. won 3^rd (I believe it was) for his age group, Titus B. got 3^rd in his age group and my sweet hubby got third for his age group with a 21:01 and 19^th overall.  I am so proud of him! He was in the 30-39 age group but the two that beat him were younger than him!  No one the same age as him or in the next age group up (40-49) finished before him! I keep telling him that he should actually train more over the next few months so when he turns 40 he will be ready to really run!!  He was quite the runner in HS and when we were first married.  He commonly ran his mile in HS in the 4:20’s with his best time being a 4:10!!! He used to finish his 5K’s between 15-16 minutes! The last official race he ran was almost 18 years ago, about a year after we were married, the Frost Bite Foot Race in Anchorage.  This is a race held in downtown Anchorage in JANUARY!  It was in the single digits for temp. and that did not include the wind chill, it was crazy cold!!   It was very special to me to run my first “race” together with Chad and Mitchell.

We finished our adventure off with a delicious feast at the E’s home…. Egg casserole, Quiche, Blueberry pancakes, sausage, fruit, cinnamon rolls, coffee and sweet fellowship!   It was a very special morning on so many levels.  Completing the Turkey Trot  was an awesome milestone for me, but experiencing it with those dear to my heart was the icing on the cake!  I can’t wait to do it again!!

 

 

 

 

 Before the run....

 



 

 

After...

(some don't look any worse for the wear)

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Little Man

…turns 5! Our “Little Man” JD turned 5 this month and we had a sweet time celebrating this milestone birthday.  There is something special about turning 5, stepping out of the toddler years and tip-toeing towards the “big boy” years. 

How do we sum up JD in one blog post….virtually impossible!  He is our treasured little boy.  He is a delight and a handful.  He can be the most charming little fellow and the biggest stinker all in a span of a minute or two!  He is definitely the baby of the family and seems to not only know his position but with his incredible smarts, he has learned to maneuver in such a way that he gets the most benefit from where he falls in the birth order!  Our tiniest treasure chose a fun birthday dinner…. homemade fried chicken, “legular” mac & cheese (“legular” means regular…. boxed KRAFT…. NOT momma’s homemade!) and baked artichokes with melted butter.  A unique meal for a very unique and precious boy.   Happy, happy Birthday Jeremiah Daniel, we love you and pray God will shape you into a man used mightily for Him. 

Isabelle took these sweet photos below...she wanted to do a "5 year old" photo shoot of JD!

 

Snow... Snow... Snow...

Even though I don’t love SNOW... I do love the song “Snow” from the movie White Christmas and the sweet mixture of the beautiful voices of Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Danny Kay and Trudy Stevens.  Trudy Stevens wasn’t actually in the movie but instead she sang while Vera Ellen, the fourth star of the movie, lip synced the words.  Vera Ellen might not have been able to sing, but she sure could dance! We love the tradition of watching White Christmas every year!

This month we have had our fair share of snow around here.  First we drove North to the snow for a weekend of sledding, snowmobiles, games, good food and sweet fellowship and then the snow came to us….way too much for my taste!  Afer growing up in Alaska, I have experienced enough snow to last me a lifetime! Nonetheless, in the eyes of the children the snow has been outstanding fun and they have definitely enjoyed it.  Alas, I will write no more on the subject but instead, thanks to a recent English assignment, I will leave you with a few paragraphs on snow and the adventure it brings from Mitchell’s perspective.  

Snow: the smell of it, the wintriness in the air, the mesmerizing scene of intricate flakes falling from the sky, its silent beauty, and the frosty taste of snow flakes on your tongue. From a teenager’s perspective, snow is a blessing and a curse. It can provide countless hours of fun, but also countless hours of teeth grinding frustration while sitting behind the wheel. Most parents have an obvious distaste for snow, though the rare few who enjoy it make up for what the snow-haters are missing. Love it or hate it, snow is a beautiful manifestation of God’s creation.

Being towed behind a snowmobile or quad while riding an inner tube and flying over the snow at a high rate of speed is not the hardest thing to accomplish in the world, but it could be one of the more dangerous. Given this fact, it is beyond important to wear headgear while being towed. A helmet will protect you from flying ice or rock, a concussion, or possibly death. For example, if you get thrown off a tube while being towed on a frozen lake, the outcome will be much better if your helmet cracks instead of your skull. Please, for the better good of your health, wear a helmet.

This past week, I obtained permission from my household vice-commander-in-chief (mom) to venture outside of the protective, warm, and comfortable atmosphere of home; and into the arctic environment to be retrieved by a friend named Terry riding a mighty steel steed. Subsequent to manipulating my insulated carcass onto the back of his quad, the fun began. We went back to his playhouse, i.e. the farm shop, to retrieve a second quad for myself to ride. After doing so, we played like two good ol’ boys will do in the snow and on the ice. Of course, as we were leaving the shop, Terry tells me “don’t get stuck,” but how can you not! After getting stuck more times than I could count, doing brodies on our road that could’ve doubled for an ice rink, and losing feeling in my face due to the cold, I returned to my clement domicile. That night will be added to my mental file of accomplishments past, and things that were fun, but slightly stupid.

Much Love and Many Thanks …. Again

I know it has been a while since I last posted.  Things are so very different here; I am not sure how to put it all into words.  Some days are so much better and some days are very, very hard.  We decided to go ahead and make changes to “Papa and Gigi’s” part of our home.  I wrestled with moving too quickly but at the same time I could not handle going in there multiple times a day and have it all look the same…smells, stuff….everything. We packed things up, painted and made it into a family/school room and it is functioning quite well.  Still, so many visions pop into my mind every single time I go in and out of that room.  It is especially hard at night to have it so dark and hear nothing.  No quiet breathing or music playing, just silence. To leave and not kiss Papa goodbye, to back out of the driveway with his windows dark, to come home to an empty house…  so incredibly hard.   We all miss having Carren , our Hospice nurse, and her sweet self here every Wednesday. We miss our dear Ramona terribly. She loved Papa and Gigi and it showed in her tender care of them  over the years.  We did have her here for her birthday dinner last month and we love the fact that she has stopped by unexpectedly a couple times for a visit.  We miss her, she is part of our family and from her lips, we are part of hers.  

Once again we were overwhelmed with the love and care of those near and far as my Papa went home to be with the Lord. These words of gratitude are almost verbatim of what I wrote when Gigi passed away.  We have been abundantly fed in all areas….. physically, emotionally and spiritually. We have been so blessed by the words of love, sympathy and encouragement that came in the form of cards and letters from near and far… almost daily.   It has been a blessing to hear from people deeply impacted by my grandfather’s life.    

We were astounded again at the outpouring of love and service from our precious church family. The meals again came like crazy, children cared for, our family and extended family blessed by meals brought while they were here and an amazing meal served at the church after the memorial….genuine love in word and deed. Many details of the actual memorial service… programs, the fellowship and food afterwards, clean up….all of it diligently taken care of by our dear, sweet church family. Words cannot express how thankful we are to have Spring Creek Bible Church be where God has planted us for these last 11 years. We are especially thankful for our Pastor(s) and Elders and their example of loving and serving others in many practical ways. We thought we had known and experienced love at the hands of the body before, but again these last few weeks have far surpassed anything we could have imagined. What an encouragement it has been to our family as we are reminded how important it is to minister to others in their time of need or sorrow. Our church family is a beautiful gift from the hand of the Lord.

We are tremendously blessed. We know it, are grateful for it, and don’t take it for granted...thank you. We look forward to the opportunities to love others as we have been loved.

Romans 12:9-21

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Campout, Fevers and a Birthday….

Another annual church campout has come and gone and once again it was a time of abundant fun, sweet fellowship and new memories made. Mom and my Uncle Ken were able to come and stay with Papa and I know he enjoyed time spent with both of them! Hours of biking, fellowship, swimming, volleyball, badminton, horseback riding, the annual Olympics, fishing, friendship bracelet making, singing around the campfire, a special Sunday service, testimonies, all church campfires, SMORES (with all different kinds of chocolate and candy… my favorite…Reese’s PB cups!), LOTS of coffee and a WHOLE tub of Red Vines! This campout is a highlight of the summer for our family and within our power; we would not miss it for anything! Isabelle also celebrated her 11^th birthday on Sunday!  That was the day we arrived home from the campout and it was good to be back and celebrate her special day with Papa, Grandma and Uncle Ken.  Earlier on Sunday JD began running a fever and slept most of that last day of the campout.  Unfortunately, Isabelle joined him later on in the day, a birthday sickness….so sad! Their yuckies lasted till Tuesday.  I think the photo of JD with his bowl of applesauce, children's tylenol and mug of water speaks for how the both of them felt those days! Shelley fell prey to the fever on Monday but thankfully it was short lived.  No more of us have fallen and all are better now…yah! It took a couple days but we were finally able to do her “birthday cake” of choice….key lime pie….nummy! Isabelle’s birthday always signals the beginning of the end of summer for us! We are looking forward to enjoying the last few weeks …of hopefully warm weather….. before school begins! Already….really????

Friday at the Farm...

...Stoney Ridge Farm that is! Since Sweet R was here with Papa and Gigi on Friday, I was able to take the younger 4 children on a field trip with friends to our local Stoney Ridge Farms.  We really love Stoney Ridge ...and Naomi and her children :-).... and since we do not get to go every year it is truly a treat for our young ones!  It was a perfect fall day and the farm was beautiful!  We enjoyed plenty of pumpkins, animals, a tractor/wagon ride, hay ride, corn maze and very nummy pumpkin cookies!  Naomi and I REALLY enjoyed the apple pie ala’ mode with hot caramel sauce amply poured over the top…..that was to die for!  Thanks to Naomi for the photos….I forgot to charge my camera battery the day before! The kids and I got to end our morning adventure with a visit we had planned with a dear friend and her girls who live across the road from the Farm.  I wasn’t exactly sure if the visit would happen as plans with a 3 ½ year old can quickly change…but all was well and we enjoyed fall sunshine and fellowship with dear friends….it doesn’t get much better than that!!