I miss blogging. I miss connecting with other bloggy friends. I miss selecting pictures, tweaking them with Photoshop and then crafting my words for a meaningful/witty/random blog. Facebook is so quick and busy and full of life, it’s easy to forget the joy of blogging. Texting is instantaneous and immediate, there doesn’t seem room for the slower work of blogging.

David and Sarah spent some time last week washing the new van.

Life is so full and rich these days, I’m overwhelmed by the many details, activities, and challenges. Tim and I are continually striving to grow in our marriage and be wise in our parenting. The responsibilities of running a busy household and homeschooling five children keep me humble and on my knees.

Sarah and I got matching aprons for Valentine’s Day.

I find myself struggling to balance the various disciplines - spiritual, physical, mental, etc. When I excel in one area, I fail in another. It is interesting, this life here on earth. We long for perfection, rest and joy, but instead are mired in imperfection, unease, and worry.

Praise God for His Word and the promise that His mercies are new every morning.

Books and board games are favorite gifts (to give and receive) in our house.

We had a fun Valentine’s Day. Tim and I love to celebrate as a family and cherish the big and small moments with the children. This year we ended up with some extra Christmas gifts (still working on the whole Christmas/budget concept) and set them aside for Valentine’s Day. We held a family party on the 7th. The blessing (reward?) of working so hard on parenting (and it is HARD WORK) is actually enjoying your children. We truly love to be with our five kids. They are fun, generous, kind, silly, caring and worth every bit of the diligence, effort and attention.

Daniel and Joshua gave David Nerf Swords for his birthday.

David’s birthday was this week. How in the world did my sweet, little boy come to be nine years old?? My goodness, he and Sarah are no longer babies. Can I still call them the “Little Ones?” At least for a little while longer?

Vanilla cake and ice cream sandwich dessert. Yum!

David constantly touches my heart - his reflections on life are unique and precious. We have a tradition of decorating the house in honor of the birthday child. All decorating happens in the wee hours in the night so the birthday boy or girl wakes up to a celebration. This past year the older children have taken on some of the work themselves and surprised me with their creative help.

The night before his birthday (Tim and I had just returned home from a long weekend in Leavenworth and the children from the Duckabush), David came up to me and quietly asked, “Would it be rude to ask for birthday decorations? I was just wondering.” Ha! I shhhhhed him and said, “Absolutely, no talk of decorations! Don’t even mention it.”

As the years have passed, I’ve often wondered if the children still care about those silly streamers, balloons and birthday signs. The older ones, in particular, might be too “grown up” and “mature” for such trivial things. It’s certainly no longer a dramatic surprise - it’s a tradition. Ahhhh, but here was a little boy who was still hoping for the wonder of a birthday celebration. How could I resist?

Throughout the days following his birthday, David repeatedly thanked me for the decorations - not the gifts, cake, family outing to the zoo, the decorations. “I just love those birthday decorations, Mommy, it’s why I keep saying thank you. I love to stand and look at them.”

A creative use of birthday plates.

Interesting how a thankful heart brings such delight and joy in response. I can’t help but think how the Lord wants me to be thankful, to thank Him for His wonders, His gifts, His goodness. Does my thankful heart please Him in the same way that David’s cheerful attitude blesses me?

Rachel helped with the birthday cake decorating.

It makes me want to sneak into David’s room, on a random Thursday in the middle of a random month, and hang up signs and streamers.

Maybe I will.

Kathy

Now that our cumulative 14″ of snow has completely melted, and the presents are (mostly) opened, we have a moment of respite from our hectic Christmas schedule. We drove out to the Duckabush to spend Christmas evening with my folks, and stayed for a couple of days. It is never long enough, when we go out, and we slighted a few friends, for which I am sorry.

Happily, since the time of this photo, Daniel has acquired manly black snow pants.

The snow was still heavy on the ground, and had begun to melt by the time we were ready to leave. There was about 6″ of slush on the road, and I was very much afraid we would get stuck or slide off the road as we left the valley. I worked myself up into a fearful tizzy, and was quite short-tempered with Kathy — I just wanted to get the van down the two hills and get it over with, so I wouldn’t be afraid anymore.

I don’t think I’ve been that scared, since my Army days as a paratrooper. Funny how the mind can play tricks — we drove down both hills safely, and made it home with no trouble.

As soon as there was some quiet, Kathy rushed to fill the void: “How ’bout we have a New Years’ Eve party?”

I reluctantly agreed. As an introvert and a parent of five children, I treasure my hard-won peace and tranquility. “Couldn’t we just have a quiet evening at home?” I begged, querulously.

Kathy was relentless. “Let’s see, I’ll make Mesa Manna rolls, and Spiced Cider Tea … we’ll invite some of our friends, and it will be great!” One of the things I love best about my Kathy is her enthusiasm for life.

Rachel’s good friends, Sarah and Jenny, came over before the party

We decided to host a game party, and phoned ’round to gather some friends. As is often the case, we forgot a few people (for which we apologize) but we still ended up with a houseful — 13 adults and 24 kids. We permitted guests to stand around and talk a little, but pretty soon we got the game tables going. We played many games:

• Scum — a card game in which people try to get rid of all their cards and move up the feudal ladder, each round
• Apples to Apples Bible Edition
• Scattergories Bible Edition Board Game
• House Rules — a game about the family by Focus on the Family
• Mexican Train Dominoes in Tin
• Bohnanza — a card game about bean farming (it’s a lot more fun than it sounds
• Killer Bunnies
• Scarab Lords

A friendly game of Scum

The party divided into various groups: people who wanted to run around wildly, a few who wanted to hide from the wild people, social folk who wanted to play loud party games, and the intelligentsia, who wanted to do some serious bean growing.

There’s one in every party — a person who just wants to curl up with a good book.

“Stop running around wildly,” Kathy scolded me. So I spent the evening growing beans with a few like-minded deep-thinkers.

I’m sure they had fun at the “loud party game” table, but I lost interest in that table when I was relegated to Scum (the lowest-ranked player). Nobody says I have to be a graceful loser.

Bohnanza is a fun and addictive game in which you try to plant various bean crops, and are compensated according to the number and rarity of your beans. Some players tried to build bean empires on the rarest of beans, cashing in on Cocoa, Garden and Red Beans. I developed an occasionally-winning strategy with the mid-class beans, including Soy, Green and Chili Beans (although I dabbled in Garden Beans when the opportunity presented itself).

The Bean Futures Exchange

Our friend Steve lost a couple of rounds, so he decided to invest in the cheapest and most common beans, including Coffee, Wax and Blue Beans. Building an empire on bean donations, he managed to eke out a victory a little after midnight, much to the relief of his family. “We’re not leaving until I win,” he growled after the third round.

Showing heroic diligence, I was careful to sample each of the cookie varieties.

I had a lot of fun, and there were many delicious things to eat. Julee brought a delicious Prime Rib soup and Cheesy Sausage dip, and cookies abounded. Don and Jennifer brought meatballs, and even set some aside that were ‘clean’ (no sugar added) for Kathy. There were brownies and Grape Fanta for the kids. Michelle brought some Chex mix and a white chocolate pretzel mix, and a chicken lasagna in a crock pot. There was a huge veggie tray and frosted pumpkin bars. Someone brought several bags of chips, and I broke out the last of my hoard of Banana Punch.

The next morning, we talked about the fun we had, and how many food items we forgot to offer to our guests. “We should have another party,” I enthused, momentarily abandoning my introverted ways. “Why don’t we do Game Night every Friday”? I asked, conveniently forgetting the all-day cleaning frenzy that had preceded this party.

Kathy smiled at me patiently.

“Or maybe we could just invite people for whom we don’t need to clean … ? ” I suggested tentatively.

Happy New Year!

Tim

Today is Christmas Eve, and my heart is full of thanks and joy. We spent the evening at church, delivering cookies to friends and neighbors, and watching a Christmas movie. We opened one round of presents, and now we’re waiting to celebrate the Birthday of our King.

Most people get their last chance to play a part in a Christmas pageant when they’re in grade school. By the time you’re in sixth grade, you’ve hung up your shepherd and wise man costumes for good. This year our church offered monologue opportunities to a select few, and I snapped up the chance. “I’d love to be a wise guy,” I e-mailed rapidly. “I wouldn’t mind being Joseph or Simeon, and in a pinch, I’d take Herod.”

They let me be a wise man, and gave me 4 minutes in both the Christmas Eve services. I dressed up in a robe, with a piece of golden cloth from our friend Tina as a rich accessory, and borrowed leather sandals (I couldn’t find mine). I decided to forgo the turban, since it seemed to require a 30′ long piece of cloth, and a lot of patience in assembling. One of our elders did a first-person monologue as Herod, and another talked to us about Mary. One of our pastors told us about the lessons Joseph’s life taught, and our senior pastor focused on Jesus himself (senior pastors are sometimes greedy that way).

Here is my monologue — I offer it up to my Lord as a birthday present:

Salaam aleikum. I am Melchior, one of the Magi who came from the east to worship the new Jewish king.

My colleagues and I spend our lives in the study of the skies. Over the years, we’ve developed many elaborate theories about the meanings of these stars and planets, and the times of their appearance … truth is, I’ve never been very sure about many of our conclusions.

One thing we all could see plainly: this new star was in the part of the sky that indicated a major event in the House of Jacob, among the Jewish people who lived northeast of Egypt, near the Western Sea.

We argued about it for a long time, my companions and I, but we finally agreed that the appearance of this new star must indicate the birth of a king. One of us suggested a wild plan: we could send a delegation to find and meet this new king.

I knew immediately that I had to be one of those who were sent. We planned our journey and selected gifts that we could bring, items of value that would help to make us welcome in foreign lands. One selected gold (always a good choice) and another frankincense (preferred by royalty). I had some difficulty deciding what to give to a Jewish king, but I settled upon high quality myrrh, a valuable resin made from the sap of a thorny tree in our region. I’ll admit it was an odd and somewhat sinister gift for a new king, most often used in burial rituals.

We set off in a caravan, following the star whenever we could see it, heading west toward the Trans-Jordan area. Arriving at last in Jerusalem, we discreetly asked about the new king, but soon came to the attention of Herod, the brutal, half-breed Jewish king appointed by the Romans to rule over that area.

I must say, I was worried. Here we were, far from home, with a minimal escort, telling an uneasy ruler about a potential threat to his throne. He seemed unaware of any new prince, and our hearts sank. Had we come all this way for nothing?

When Herod summoned the priests, our hope was renewed. Their scriptures indicated that the king would be born in a small village just south of Jerusalem. Herod sent us on our way, with apparent good will, encouraging us to search diligently for the child and to tell him all about this new king, “so he too could come and worship him”.

I’ve got to say, I never believed him. Sure, a king has his dignity, and he’d look foolish searching the countryside on a rumor … but I couldn’t help thinking that the only ‘worship’ this new king would receive from Herod would be at the tip of a spear.

As we approached the village of Bethlehem, the star was once again revealed, and it moved so that it stood over a particular house. Not a palace, just a simple house, with a peasant family living inside. There was a work table and a few tools, a man, a woman … and a little boy child, toddling about.

I could hardly believe my eyes; was this the king that we’d come so far to find? But the star we’d seen and followed had moved, and clearly indicated this house … so this must be Him. I felt a certainty, welling up in my heart, an ability to believe that had never gripped me before: this was the king, and more than a king, foretold by the star.

We prostrated ourselves as though the child was the Roman emperor, and offered our gifts to the boy and his parents. As they told us the story of his birth, the things that had been told them by angels, and what the shepherds saw and heard, I came to understand that this was no earthly king. Rather, in the body of this little boy-child, God … had come to live among us.

The night before we had planned to leave, we each had a dream, sent by God. He told us not to trust Herod’s intentions toward the child, and to go home another way, not by passing through Jerusalem. We felt very honored and overwhelmed by God’s kindness to us, showing us a small part of His plan and confirming that this child really was sent by Him. We made our way home, filled with joy and wonder.

In these ten years since we visited Bethlehem, I’ve often wondered about that boy, as he grows up, thinking about what he will do. I still watch the skies for further signs, and I eagerly question travelers from that area. Back home, our story was met with skepticism by those who didn’t journey with us, but I believe that God has come among us, and is working out His plan among the Jewish people. I was there, and I believe.

Tim
Merry Christmas!

It’s not that I don’t want to blog regularly, it’s just that I need sleep. And I need to educate my children. They also produce a vast amount of dirty laundry, dishes, and general clutter. Those things combined with a strange blogger’s block, has kept me rather silent on the blog of late.

December 1st brings with it our fun Advent calendars.

I’m afraid I also struggle with the occasional bouts of intense bloggy insecurity.

This should be the FUNNIEST blog ever!
No, wait, it should be an amazing HOMESCHOOL blog, full of resources, tips and curriculum reviews.
But don’t forget the spiritual emphasis, really the blog needs to be deep and meaningful.
And the photos, those should be stunning and creative.
What about popular? Of course, I want to have the most read and commented upon blog EVER.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on one little blog. It’s enough to send a girl scrambling for the bed covers, sneaking chocolate at an alarming rate.

Sarah was a big Advent prep helper. She put together calendars and got things ready for our Advent fun.

Thankfully none of you dear readers put those expectations on the blog, so I can just pick up the keyboard and jump back into my writing. I’ve missed you! I’ve missed the conversations and the mental challenge of crafting my posts. Frankly I’ve missed the quiet evenings when I have the house (and computer) to myself.

What about you? If you are a blogger, do you write daily? Weekly? How much time do you devote to reading other people’s blogs. If I’m not careful, the computer tries to eat up great chunks of our homeschool day, and then, not satisfied, it wants to snatch away precious family time. Greedy computer and the cyberworld it dangles before me.

David and Caedie are great friends and they were sad to see co-op come to an end last week.

It’s December 8th and I’m determined to enjoy the holiday season! I want to take pleasure in each day and savor the anticipation of Christmas, the wonder of Christ’s birth, and the joy of my family. Tomorrow is Rachel’s birthday (excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor - how did my sweet little girl become a teenager??), and the month is full of one activity after another. I’m praying for balance and a child-like joy.

Kathy

I hope it’s not too late to share a few of our Thanksgiving recipes. We had a wonderful holiday together as a family. Strange not to host grandparents or cousins, but we spent a good bit of time going around the table giving thanks, and they were mentioned often.

Turkey baking bags? Could life get any easier than that?

I decided to try a different bread recipe for Thanksgiving. I don’t know why I’m compelled to venture away from our very favorite, so easy, tried and true Mesa Manna, but every once in a while I just have to try a new recipe. This year I spent several hours reading recipes from The Pioneer Woman’s blog. She has such gorgeous pictures, the food practically jumps off the computer screen.

Now if I could just it to actually do that, I wouldn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen cooking.

It’s important to search for the right kind of help on big holidays. This gentleman is in high demand.

The thing that sold me on these rolls was the promise I could make the dough Wednesday night, and prepare the rolls on Thursday. Mesa Manna gets a wee bit yeasty tasting the times I’ve let the dough sit overnight. Can’t have our bread too yeasty, now can we. Here’s a link to Ree’s dinner rolls. These turned out delicious, but, frankly, weren’t that much better than Mesa Manna. Definitely not worth the extra work (heating milk) or the calories (a cup of oil and sugar). Fun to try a new recipe, which, I guess was my goal.

With the all repetition in my life (”What, there are dirty dishes to wash again? Laundry too, you say?”) I steal the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of variety wherever I can.

Daniel and Rachel set the table, complete with crystal, silver and cloth napkins. Sarah gave each person five kernels of corn for our time of sharing.

In my search for a low-carb veggie casserole recipe, I stumbled across a fun vegetable website. Maybe ‘fun’ is not exactly the correct word for a vegetable recipe site. How about tasty or creative? Most of the recipes come with pictures (so handy for those of us who are visual learners). I made a broccoli/cauliflower dish. Yummy.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin

1 pound fresh broccoli florets
1 pound fresh cauliflower florets
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces cheddar cheese, 1 cup
3 ounces parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 ounce

1. Steam the vegetables until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes; drain well and season with salt and pepper.
2. Put the vegetables in a greased shallow baking pan, 9×13″.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise and the next 5 ingredients. Spoon this mixture over the vegetables and spread as evenly as possible.
4. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese over the top (skipped this step as I ran out of parmesan cheese).
5. Bake at 350º 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.

Rachel’s requested pistachio salad turned out to be ridiculously easy. Don’t you love it when that happens!

Pistachio Salad

1 small box of Pistachio pudding
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 bag of mini marshmallows
carton of Cool Whip

1. Pour undrained pineapple into bowl.
2. Sprinkle pudding mix on top. Stir and let sit for five minutes.
3. Fold in marshmallows and Cool Whip. Let chill in fridge.

We were invited (or maybe we invited ourselves, I lose track) to some friends’ house for dessert. I ran out of time and ingredients to make an apple pie (turns out you need apples for most apple pie or apple crisp recipes - go figure), but did manage a chocolate cream pie and pumpkin pie cake. One family member said the chocolate pie was a little too strong, we’re still working on his background check. Too much chocolate? Gasp! There’s certainly no such thing.

Chocolate Cream Pie in Oreo Crust

1 Oreo pie crust
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs yolks
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Add chocolate chips & unsweetened chocolate. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 2 minutes.
2. Place egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually pour half of chocolate mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly.
3. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into chocolate in saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
4. Pour mixture into Oreo pie shell. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with shipped cream.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a holiday without some fun board games. We played Pirate’s Cove here at home and then several rounds of Apples to Apples with our dessert hosts.

Pumpkin Pie Cake was unanimously requested by my family over pumpkin pie. Interesting. It’s a family favorite and a ready hit at parties. I’ll share that recipe later.

It’s almost Monday and we still have some leftovers, although Joshua’s eating them as fast as he can. I already have a request for another batch of cornbread dressing.

I think Joshua has eaten a plate full of these delicious leftovers nearly twice a day since Friday. Yum! Nothing like a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to fill our tummies, and thankful spirits to warm our hearts. I hope each and every one of you had a good Thanksgiving, remember to whom we give thanks.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalms 100:4-5

Kathy