ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

One year ago, our little boy, Josiah, went to heaven. I'm thankful that our God is sovereign and in complete control of our lives, even if we don't always understand what He's doing. I love knowing that all our days are ordained and written in His book. God knows the day we first have life, and He knows the day our lives will end, as He did with Josiah. Josiah will always hold a very special place in our hearts, and will never be forgotten. In all things, we give God the glory!

CHRISTMAS

I hope and pray you all had a wonderful Christmas. We were blessed to have Evan's family here. They arrived Christmas morning and leave tomorrow. Our time has been very relaxing and productive. It's amazing what projects get done with 2 extra guys around! Our side deck is almost built!

Along with Evan's parents, we have Erika, her foster son, Derrell and Justin, a 15-year old that Evan's parents have taken in for the last 2 years here visiting. We've made many good memories, many of which include laughter and of course food!

We have spent HOURS (and I mean HOURS!) playing the game "Settlers of Catan" that I got for Christmas. At first I don't think anyone was really getting into it, but now it's a fight over who gets to play. Guess I need the extended version next year so we can all play! We spent time ice skating on the pond and finally have gotten snow today. Other than the guys getting out for a day of fishing on Saturday and heading to church yesterday, we have spent the entire time around here just enjoying each other's company. It's been wonderful.

My Christmas cards are turning into New Year's cards, but that's okay. Just know that if you normally receive one from us, my goal this year is to be so late that it's the LAST card you receive. Not really, but it probably will be.

I hope to post some pictures soon, but time is limited right now. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"IS IT NAPTIME YET?"

I about fell over when those words came out of Kiana's mouth today. We still have Gramma, Papa, Aunt Erika, Derrell and Justin here and she actually WANTED to take a nap. Most days it's a challenge to even get her down anymore! She must have been tired, because she was out in less than a few minutes.

YUP, SHE'S TWO!

I put Joel in the tub last night and stepped out for just a minute to deal with the dogs. When I came back in, I found Kiana in the tub with Joel, only she still had on all her clothes! Sweats, socks, even her hair ribbon was wet, but in place! I really regret not taking a picture, but it was just one of those moments I won't ever forget!

PREGNANCY UPDATE

I thought by adding a pregnancy update to my blog, you will better be able to keep up with where we are at. If you click on the "Week _" it will bring you to information about what is developing with the baby during this time, how big it is, etc. I'm not 100% sure on the accuracy of everything, but it will give some idea anyway.

Things have been rather quiet on my blog front, as I have been quite sick with this pregnancy. More so than any other, or at least that I can remember anyway, and Evan would definitely agree with that statement. Being sick is a very good sign, however, and I'm so thankful to be pregnant that I'm not going to complain! We had an early ultrasound a couple weeks ago, saw a strong heartbeat (150 beats per minute) and the baby was measuring a perfect size for where it should be. Things are looking very good! We are praying daily for a healthy, full-term baby, and are totally trusting God for being in control.

I will say this pregnancy has not come without fear. I have done some Bible research on fear, turning scriptures into prayers for God to take that away and give me His peace. He has done that. I still have my moments, but really do feel a peace about this pregnancy. Every day I thank God for another day of being pregnant, and when I can check another week off, my heart is even more grateful.

Thanks for your continued prayers. The support I've had from friends around here has been indescribable. I was in Costco last weekend, suppose to be getting groceries. I almost broke down b/c nothing sounded good, and cooking has NOT been my forte these past few weeks. I came home with oranges, apples, cereal, milk and celery. That's it. God has provided all week long for us. A friend called Monday and said, "Can I bring you a pizza tonight?" without even knowing really what was going on. Tuesday, our friends who own Subway, brought over this huge spread from Subway. Wednesday we were invited out for dinner to a friend's house -- another yummy meal. When we came home, there was a bag full of yummy goodies on my table from my friend who sells Taste of Home products -- soups, bread, etc. Along with fruit, she also gave us this yummy dessert called Kuchen. Thursday, my friend, Kristen brought a full meal over. So, my lack of groceries was not a problem, nor was my lack of being able to cook. I'm so thankful for good, Godly friends, and for a God who cares enough about me, to impress on hearts ways that they can help. I'm so extremely grateful! God is good, and He is in control!

NEW TRADITIONS

Since our move 1300 miles from home, 5 1/2 years ago already, we have had to create some new family traditions around the holidays. Growing up, we had so many traditions for the Christmas season every year that I look back on and truly appreciate. I want to create that for my own children.

One thing we have done every year for at least the last 4 years is that we have gone to Red Lodge for their annual Christmas stroll. If you ever get to visit Montana, you can't miss the little town of Red Lodge. It's at the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains and has so much character. They shut down main street from all traffic, and play some great Christmas songs, serve free hot chocolate and goodies (IN EVERY STORE!) so the shoppers can truly enjoy the experience. They also offer free horse-drawn carriage rides, which we missed out on this year because the temperatures were so cold, they took the horses in early.

We always start the afternoon by "tagging" our Christmas tree. It sort of feels like hunting. You walk and walk until you find just the right one, then once it's cut down, you have to put your tag on saying it's "legal". The kids all have to help with the cutting, of course. This year we took some new friends with us and had a great time with them. After we successfully tied our trees to the top of the van, we headed to our favorite pizza spot before hitting the stores. Had we known how much "free" food would be offered, we probably could have passed on the pizza first!

Here are some pictures from our trip earlier this month...

Family

Cutting the tree

Joel, Kiana and myself

My friend, Rachel, and Myah

The Sandpiper

By Robert Peterson

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.
"Hello," she said. I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
"I'm building," she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
“Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.
A sandpiper glided by.
"That's a joy," the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."
The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life seemed completely out of balance. "What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy... I'm six"
"Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on.
Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an Ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.
"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know. You say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk."
Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
“Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.
Strange, I thought, in winter.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."
She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other Things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.
Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even Greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home. "Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone Today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath. "Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, My God, why was I saying this to a little child?
“Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and -- oh, go away!"
“Did it hurt?" she inquired.
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?"
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there.
Feeling guilty, ashamed, and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door. "Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much.
I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."
"Not at all -- she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said.
"Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukemia. Maybe she didn't tell you."
Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.
"She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no She seemed so much better here And had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice faltered, "Shesomething for you, if only I can Find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?" I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely woman. She handed me a Smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a Yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed: A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY. Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I uttered over and over, and we wept together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one year for Each of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, and undemanding love. A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand -- who taught me the gift of love.

NOTE: This is a true story sent out by Robert Peterson. It happened over 20 years ago and the incident changed his life forever. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other. The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.

Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas can make us lose focus about What is truly important or what is only a momentary setback or crisis. This week, be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment... even if it is only ten seconds, to stop and smell the roses.

This comes from someone's heart, and is read by many and now I share it with you...
May God Bless everyone who receives this! There are NO coincidences!
Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. Never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can teach us?

I wish for you, a sandpiper.

BRAD PAISLEY!

I know most of you are not at all interested in country music, nor do you follow it at all. Since moving to MT, we have had very little choice in our music options here in Hardin when tuning into radio stations, and over the past several years, we have really come to enjoy country music once again on occassion. I have always had a liking for it, but Evan has really gotten into it this past year as often it's all he can tune into his work truck on some very long drives. I think it's somewhat related to the fact that we can actually relate to so many more of the songs since we've moved out here.

Long story short... my husband surprised me with tickets to see Brad Paisley in January!! I am so excited as I haven't been to a country music concert since my teen years! I'm so looking forward to our date night out!!!!

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

My sister's friend gave this great idea to add to your traditions every year when putting up the tree. Of course you need a REAL tree to do this... I thought it was a cute idea!

More on Christmas traditions to come....

SATISFYING A PREGNANT WOMAN'S POTATO CRAVING

For some odd reason, I tend to crave potatoes when I'm early pregnant. I have in the past, and I am again this time round. This recipe was a good way to satisfy that. My family enjoyed it as well. It's super easy, and tastes great!


POTATO BROCCOLI SOUP

red skinned potatoes, washed and unpeeled (I actually just used regular potatoes, but I peeled them!)
broccoli (fresh or frozen)

Put potatoes on bottom of pan with broccoli on top -- more broccoli than potatoes. Cover with water. Put lid on and let simmer till potatoes are tender. Puree in blender (may add cream, milk, or water from pan) until smooth consistency. Flavor with salt and pepper. It looks kind of weird, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good it is, and healthy too! :)

EVAN'S HUNTING TRIP CAUGHT ON TAPE!

A HAPPY HUNTER!

Evan came home yesterday from a successful hunt. God blessed him with a buck, a doe, and a wild turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner. We once again will have meat for our freezer! We are always thankful for the healthy food hunting provides for our family! He had a great time with some great guys from our church. Sounds like they had a memorable experience, slept well and stayed warm in a wall tent with wood stove, and ate like kings for being in the wilderness. What more could you ask for?? (Maybe someone to do all the meat processing for us...now the work begins!)

Evan with his buck






buck and doe

a petrfied tree

a rancher's antler collection

EXCITING NEWS!

We are going to have another baby! I am due mid-July! Please keep us in your prayers!

BRINGING A SMILE TO YOU!

(photographer unknown)

SOLVING THE LUNCH DILEMA

Lunch at our house is usually a little boring. Unless we have a good amount of left-overs from dinner the night before (which is becoming less and less it seems!), we usually have to resort to one of the same ole' boring things to eat mid-day. I found this recipe and made it for lunch today. Everyone loved it. It was super easy, and doesn't cost much too make! Better yet, it's made with all things I usually have in the house! Enjoy!

Creamed Tuna on Toast

2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can tuna, undrained
1/2 bag frozen peas
whole wheat toast

Mix milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until smooth. Turn on the heat and stir until thickened. Add tuna and frozen peas. Let each diner break the toast into bits sized pieces on his plate before topping with the creamed tuna sauce.

YUMMY CINNAMON ROLLS

I just typed this up for a friend, and thought I'd share it here, too. These are our favorites!

DOUGH
1 cup milk (80-90 degrees)
1/4 cup water (80-90 degrees)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour (sometimes I'll do 1 cup whole wheat, 3 cups white)
1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

FILLING
2 Tbsp. butter (usually I just spread soft butter over the rolled-out dough)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

FROSTING
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 1/2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1) In bread machine, place dough ingredients in order. Select "dough" setting on bread maching.
2) When cycle is complete, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Let dough rest 10 min. Mix sugars, and cinnamon together. Roll dough into rectangle (20"X10"). Spread with butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with the long side. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1" thick slices. Place 12 slices, cut side down into a greased 9X13 pan and remaining 9 slices in greased 7X11 (or 8" square) pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
3) Bake in 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before frosting.
4) In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until well mixed. Frost warm rolls. Store in refrigerator.

CATCHING UP WITH MYAH

Myah turned seven this past week. SEVEN! Growing up way too fast in her mommy and daddy's opinion, but we can't stop the clock. It seems like yesterday we brought her into this world. Through the years, she has brought many gray hairs to our heads (with more to come, I'm sure...), but she is turning into a sweet girl who's heart is true and right. She loves Jesus. She understands the Holy Spirit and how He is the gift of living water to us. She never lets us forget to pray. She knows her Bible stories, sometimes better than her mommy. She recently started reading her Bible because she knows in her heart that truth is found there, and that it's the most important book, even though many of the words are tough. My prayer for her is that she is a light in this dark world, used mightily by God to further His kingdom for His glory. She knows God has a plan for her. We pray her on that path, attempt to teach her and guide her on that path, and trust God with the rest!

Myah's passion is horses. Since she was 2 years old she would pray to Jesus to "please someday give me a horse!" God graciously answered that prayer for her this past summer and she is in her glory. She has many horse-loving friends as well, whom we are also thankful to God for. (Something about living in Montana and having girls -- I don't think we can get around them not loving horses!) She has a special way with animals. She tries to train her chickens and goats, and still rides the pigs on an almost daily basis. (We decided they have been getting too much exercise, so she has to cut back. They need to get FAT, not lean!) She loves smelling like a farm, getting dirty and being outside. She explores insects and birds and gets excited about anything new she discovers. She has a very thankful heart.

Myah's favorite things in school are History and Math. (Yes, MATH!) She likes doing science experiments, but still can't stand phonics, even though it's helped her learn to read, which she does enjoy. She's currently reading, "My Friend Flicka" and I think she picked up "Black Beauty" again as well. Though it will probably take her a VERY long time to get through, she likes the fact that she's attempting to read chapter books now. Myah also loves sewing and any other craft project you can lay before her. She's constantly saying, "Let me fix that hole", or "Can you teach me to sew a button on?"

We still have our ups and downs, but we trudge onward with Jesus being our goal. We are so thankful for our precious daughter. God bless you, Myah! Keep pressing on for Him!

A TWO-YEAR OLD, A PIZZA, AND A BABYSITTER

A few days ago, I made home-made pizzas. Due to limited time and not enough stuff for toppings, I only actually put one together for that meal. My pizza dough recipe gives me enough for 2 pizzas and I had thawed enough sauce for 2 as well. So, I decided to make up the crust and sauce and stick one in the freezer for a later time when I had all the goodies to put on it.

Kiana helped me today. She rolled out the dough onto the pizza pan. She rolled and rolled and rolled until I finally made her help me put the sauce on so we could get it in the freezer. Our big chest freezer is downstairs in our laundry room, and I laid it right on top so it wouldn't tip.

Our trusty babysitter came tonight while Evan was in Billings and I was at my ladies Bible study. Hang with me here and try to visualize this.... Jodi was getting the kids a bedtime snack. Myah and Joel were helping her in the kitchen when all of the sudden Kiana appears in the doorway with a pizza! (Keep in mind, Jodi had no idea we had this in a freezer in the basement.) Jodi could not for the life of her figure out where she got the pizza from because they were in the kitchen the whole time. Kiana kept asking me all day if the pizza was done yet. I think she thought we put it in the freezer to cook it, and she was antsy to eat it! Moral of the story...when a two-year old wants a pizza, you better not get in her way! She went downstairs by herself, opened the freezer, got the pizza out and brought it up to a very confused babysitter.

I thought this was funny, but maybe you had to be here to think so.... :)

BOOKS THAT HAVE BLESSED OUR LEARNING

I can't say enough for our new curriculum this year. I am so pleased with it. "My Father's World" has been a perfect match for our home-schooling needs. Through this curriculum we have been blessed by reading so many great books. I'm going to highlight just 3 of them in hopes that maybe someone may pick one up to share with your kids. These are great! Hopefully I'll find more time to share more later on!

This book is based on a true story of a little girl who gets lost in the woods. She is cared for by a bear for several days. It's about a father's faith not to give up hope and about a stranger's obedience to a dream he had. I had tears in my eyes, and Myah just loved it as well.

"American Pioneers and Patriots" is a book that we have used to help us study American History. We have just loved this one!



















"What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?" is the main book we used to when we learned about "Dd" for dinosaur. It gave Biblical perspective on questions that can be difficult to answer when looking in most books that are out there. The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) provides amazing answers that make sense and went right along with our views on creation, the flood and what most likely happened to the dinosaurs. They did all this in a way that really kept the kids intrigued. Joel now has a new passion for dinosaurs that he never had before!

A LITTLE EXCITEMENT AROUND HERE...

We added a new little guy to our lives today. Tristen is a 9 month old little boy who needed someone to watch him 3 days a week, and we joyfully took on this challenge. He has been one of the easiest kids I've ever met. He loves to observe all the activitiy that 3 kids bring to a household. He is full of smiles, easily entertained and a great nap-taker! Taking care of him will probably be temporary, but for now we welcome him with open arms!

A GORGEOUS SUNDAY MORNING!

Just wanted to share some pictures Evan took before heading out to church on Sunday. There was a low fog and with the sun coming up, it was just breathtaking.

3 deer walking through the field before the sunrise

You can just start to see the light from the sun behind the bluffs.

JESUS is the light of the world!

COOK & FREEZE ITALIAN SAUCE

I wanted to share this recipe because it has been such a blessing to have in my home. I got this recipe from "Hopkins Healthy Home Cooking" (love that recipe book, by the way!) and made a big batch. I think it cost about $10 total and I got 10 quarts of sauce from it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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"Cook up this big batch of Italian sauce and freeze it in quart jars or plastic containers. It makes such an easy meal to take some out of the freezer on a busy day. It can be used as spaghetti sauce, lasagna sauce, pizza sauce, or over noodles for an Italian pasta dish. On a very busy day, just make whole wheat toast, spread with garlic butter, and serve with a bowl of sauce to dip into. Very nutritious with all the 'disguised' vegetables!"

In a HUGE pot, combine:

1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can whole tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen spinach (optional -- I used one bag)

Process until finely diced in a food processor:

2 broccoli stalks (I omitted b/c I didn't have any)
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
5 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 lb. fresh mushrooms

Season with:

2 bay leaves, broken in half to release flavor
2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. basil

Mix processed vegetables and spices in the sauce and simmer for at least 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. It tastes even better if you simmer it for a few hours, letting the seasonings bring out their full flavor. Cool thoroughly, scoop into containers, and freeze.

ANIMAL PICTURES

Their days are numbered! I have a great picture of Myah riding Wilbur (the other pig).

I'll have to post that when I get a chance.

3 of the 11 chickens with their chicken herder!

Noodles and Rio.

Mossy.

She won't leave the horses alone. She just loves them. Every ride we take, she's tagging right along, and she's often hanging out with them even when we're not riding!
(This picture is for you, Bev. Traci tells me you read my blog! :))

I have more pictures, but no more time to post. I'll have to add them later...

REMODELING UPDATE

Here you can see the new roof!

This is the porchwe are remodeling. Once it is finished off, the sliding doors will be taken out and it will actually be an addition onto the house. Since this picture, the eve (that Evan is ripping out in the picture) has been totally taken out, and the ceiling has been raised about a foot. You can see our new entry door. We are going to build a wall down the middle of this room, so where I'm standing to take the picture will eventually be the office/school room, and Evan is in the entry.

The big picture window will be in the school room/office. There are more windows in the room, they just covered by the housewrap to keep the wind/rain out until the new windows come next week. For those of you who have been here, you can see that we ripped out the old porch stairs. We plan to build a new deck over the concrete stairs that are there. They are very narrow and steep and will be dangerous come winter. We are still deciding between two colors for siding, but are going with the Canexel brand. It gives the wood look without the maintenance.

RANDOM THOUGHTS...

I never regretted titling this blog the way I did, because sometimes it's nice just to sit and write without any real ideas behind it. Sometimes it's nice to just write my thoughts for the moment.... thus, here are "Today's thoughts..."

Life is so busy right now, I feel like having a single moment to hold onto for myself is very rare these days, and then I even feel selfish for desiring such a thing. I'm looking forward to next weekend when we are taking our 3rd annual trip to visit friends in White Sulphur Springs. While there, Evan and Jeremy will get out for some elk hunting, and Marissa & I (alone w/ no kids!) get to go to Bozeman for the day on Saturday to enjoy a fall flea market, which I hear is incredible. I'm pretty excited for that day! Just getting out will be very nice, and the trip is always beautiful this time of year.

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For you parents out there, do you ever feel like you hold grudges against your kids when they constantly disobey for a season? Somedays it seems like all I do is discipline, and then when they are having a good time laughing, I find it hard to join in on the fun b/c in my heart I'm holding a grudge. I know how important it is to combine joy with discipline when it comes to training our children. Why do I struggle sometimes with that? One thing God showed me about a week ago, is that I often have been blaming my kids for my own sinful heart. If I get angry or upset, I'll think to myself, "Well, I have the right to be angry b/c if they wouldn't have disobeyed for the umteenth time, I wouldn't get angry!" God gently, but strongly, told me I have an issue to deal with, and that regardless of my kids' behavior, I need to obey him. It then is as much MY issue as it is theirs! Whether or not I even express my anger, it's wrong in these circumstances. He's working on my heart just as much as He's working on their hearts. Thank you, God, for not giving up on me, and for your grace that comes daily!

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Amidst the busyness of remodeling and trying to get our house winterized (we were up till midnight a couple nights ago blowing insulation in the attic!), we are taking some time to have fun. Last night, the three kids spent about an hour with the pigs. I think Myah should become a professional pig rider -- she's pretty good at it. Evan & I spent some time on the horses in the small riding corral we have. We were both riding bare back (I'm trying to work on my balance, and bareback is the best way to do that!) -- I on pokey Noodles and Evan on Rio. Rio is the opposite end of the spectrum from Noodles. Noodles would be happy walking his life away, while Rio wants to GO! Evan had him just flying through the fields the other night! :) The instant you get on him, he gets all dancy b/c he wants to go. The best way to learn about horses is to dive in and get some. Evan has amazed me with how much he's learned just from reading, watching videos and just working with them. They have kept us busy, but it's been really fun, and we are thankful God has allowed us to have this experience. They are a nice relief from the stress of the work of the house.

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I leave you with this quote that inspires me. I'm not even sure where I got it..

"A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband (and everyone in the home) of stress."

There you have it, my random thoughts for the moment.

"INTO THE WEST"

If you have not seen this mini-series, I would highly recommend it. We've gotten it through Netflix for the past month (It's a 12 hour series) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a story of a fictional family, but is completely based on historical facts. It's educational as well as entertaining. It goes to great lengths to show both the white man's side and the Indian's side of what happened in our past. Be sure to watch the disk with the special features as well. I really think think you'll find this series worth watching.

NEW FALL BIBLE STUDY!!!

I'm so excited to have begun yet another Bible study through Beth Moore. Her teachings stretch my mind and always excited me to dig deeper into God's Word for myself. This fall we are studying the book of Daniel. What an inspiration he is for us to follow in this present day Babylon that we live in. He resolved in his heart not to bend in his faith and he did just that. God's blessing was on him. His boldness is inspirational and his focus was right where it needed to be. Last night, we studied in detail Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2). It's amazing to me how that prophesy is still unfolding today. Biblical prophesy intrigues me, as a person can take one look at the Bible and see how flawless it really has been throughout history. It's living proof of our great God!

The study is separated into two parts: 1) Lives of integrity and 2) Words of Prophecy. I'm SO excited to embark on this journey of digging into God's Word. This study covers a lot of history, which is something I desire to learn more about. Along with that is a deeper look at eschatology, which is something else I've been wanting to have a better grasp on! I'm holding on! I think it will be quite a ride!

FINAL RECIPE CORRECTION

One of these days, I'll find my brain back after having children....hopefully....

The original way I wrote the chicken 'n dumplings recipe was correct, so please disregard the "correction" I made on it. (Which I have now deleted.) I had my baking soda and baking powder mixed up in my brain. Hopefully none of you attempted it with baking soda! :) I apologize if you did.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING....

One of the things I love most about homeschooling is that I get to learn right along with my kids! Either I've forgotten a lot of stuff, or am just more excited about details now that I'm older. Whatever it is, I am thoroughly enjoying it! Here's a brief update on what we've learned these past few days.

Joel
We finished our study on leaves, where we learned how important it is to live and grow in Jesus. We talked about how if a leaf decides not to be a part of the plant because he wanted to be his own boss, life doesn't end up very well for that leaf. This was tied in with how important it is for us to stay with Jesus.

We studied the different trees in our own yard. We collected several and made a book. We painted leaf outlines, and made leaf rubbings. We talked about the different parts of the trees, and discussed how/why trees look different depending on what season we are in. We dried leaves and made a stained glass leaf picture from them. (Very cool activity!) We read several books about leaves.

Joel is now studying apples. We have talked about how if we stay in Jesus, we will have much fruit. We talked about the different fruits we get from the grocery store and how that is different than the kind of fruit we will produce -- the fruits of the spirit. (We are studying these in more detail during our devotional time in the morning.) We studied several different types of apples -- counted the seeds, and discovered that if you cut it in half opposite the way a person normally would, there is a star in the middle. We are almost done with our study of apples and will move into learning about nests next.

Myah
Two weeks ago, we had a detailed study of Indians. Myah learned about some of the different tribes and some of the different housing Indians use to live in. She made a wigwam and and a teepee. We learned all about the life of Squanto and also about Pocahontas and John Smith. Last week, Myah spent studying pilgrims. We made an oiled window, to see first hand the types of windows the pilgrims used in their houses, and why they would oil them. We are learning several different patriotic songs, including "America" and "God Bless America", along with the pledge of allegience. By the end of the year, we will have worked through many of the patriotic songs.

We studied stars in Science this past week as well, with a good look at the Sun, Betelgeuse, the Big Dipper, the North Star and the Little Dipper. We talked a little about constellations and galaxies, and how truly amazing it is that God knows the names of every star out there, when we don't even know all that is out there. We also talked a little bit about the speed of light as a way to measure distance.

This week our focus has been on the Dutch and their move to America from the Netherlands. It's been fun to read about since that is our heritage! We've also been learning about Jesus being the Bread of Life, and this has been tied into science with some fun experiments with yeast.

Myah also has been busy making pot holders. She just loves any craft activity, and I love them when she doesn't depend on me every 5 minutes to help! :) This project has been perfect for her!

A TYPICAL HOMESCHOOL DAY

(for those of you who wonder what really goes on

during this homeschool family's day!)

I mostly post this information for our families in order to let them know what goes on in our daily lives. The rest of you may read it, too, but may not find it as enjoyable to read as Grandma and Grandpa. :)

Monday-Thursday

7-8:30
Eat, Dress, Make bed, pick up bedrooms (if needed), one extra chore, brush teeth/hair
(I ususally start a load of laundry and if I'm really on top of things, think about dinner!)

8:30-9:00
Bible/Devotions

9:00-10:30
(Myah) Morning work: Handwriting, Math, Phonics
(Joel) Math, My Father's World study (the remainder of his curriculum)

10:30 -- Take a break!

10:45- 12:00
(Myah)
* finish up Math, Phonics
* Spelling
* more Bible, History, Science (My Father's World curriculum)

(Joel & Kiana) -- playtime

12-12:30 LUNCH

12:45 Book Basket time (silent reading for 15+ minutes)

1:00 (Joel) reading time with mom, speech homework practice, then a nap!
1:15/1:30 (Myah) any unfinished morning work, reading to/with mom

Kiana fits in there somewhere, too, but mostly just tags along with the rest of us. She goes down for her nap right after lunch.

BEING A DISCIPLE

Though I am very far from being all that this says, it does explain my heart. This is who I want to be! A disciple is a "disciplined learner". I am learning every day what it means to follow Jesus. I want to be the person that this describes, and no matter if it takes me until I die, I will strive to be just that... a disciple of Jesus. I may fall, but I will get back up.

I Am A Disciple of Jesus Christ

(written by Bob Moorhead)

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

I have Holy Ghost power.

The dye has been cast; I have stepped over the line.

The love of God controls me; the decision has been made.

I am a disciple of His.

I won't look back, let up, slow down or back away.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,

my future is secure.

I am finished and I am done with low living,

sight walking, small planning, colorless dreams, mundane talking,

cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need prosperity, position,

promotion, preeminence or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops,

recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk in His patience,

live in prayer and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is the kingdom of God.

My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away,

turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored

up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I must go until He comes, give until I drop,

teach until all know, and run until He stops me.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ!

RECIPE TIME!

I've been trying some new recipes out again, and wanted to share just a few. Though I don't have time to put them all on here right now, hopefully I will get around to it again soon. Enjoy!

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Make your own buttermilk...

I have often made my own buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk, but I have found a much better alternative. Purchase a small amount of store-bought buttermilk, and you will never again have to buy it again. Pour 1/2 cup of the store-bought buttermilk into a quart canning jar. Fill the rest up with regualr pasteruized milk. Mix well, cover and let set on the counter for 24 hours and you have your own buttermilk. (Store in refrigerator after the 24 hours.) Repeat the process using 1/2 cup of the "homemade" buttermilk, and you will always have some on hand when you need it. Makes those pancakes or muffins super yummy, and you will never again have to purchase any!

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CHICKEN 'N DUMPLINGS

(Taken from "Hopkins' Healthy Home Cooking")

I have always wanted to make these, but never found a recipe that I wanted to try...until now. These were super easy and VERY yummy!

1 whole chicken

Put in large pot with lid. Cover chicken with water, and simmer until meat is tender. Remove chicken from pot and add to broth:

4-6 potatoes, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1/4 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried sage

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 cup frozen peas

Simmer until veggies are tender. Then add chopped chicken meat. Mix 1/2 cup flour into 1 cup water until smooth. Stir into boiling broth and simmer until thickened.

Egg Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Stir together until moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto boiling soup. Cover pot and do not raise lid for 10 minutes. They will steam inside and be just perfect!

BACK TO SCHOOL 2007-08

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR....

Well, I can officially say we've put in two good weeks of school this year. Our first week was cut short because of Kids' Camp at church, but we made up for it this week. It makes a difference when 2/3 of my kids are regualar participants in school instead of just 1/3. It seems to draw everyone in instead of having the opposite effect of pulling the one out.

All three of my kids sit down for school this year. Though my focus is not directly on Kiana (our two-year-old), she is absorbing more than I could have hoped. I'm beginning to realize how much I love routine in our household! Summer is great, but the lack of routine causes me to have difficulty accomplishing much of anything. When I know what is on my agenda for a day, and I wake up ready to hit it hard, I can accomplish so much more than if I'm not real sure what the day has in store. Those days I tend to spin my wheels!

Joel is doing very well. For the most part, his attention span is amazing. I can leave him with an activity and come back several minutes later to find him still working on the assigned task undistracted. He has already whipped through his first math book (which we started earlier this summer) and really the only thing slowing him down with any of it is his handwriting. He can trace anything, but he has difficulty going from the tracing to having to do it on his own. So, we are doing as much tactile work with him as possible. Salt trays and clay are his favorite and have helped him in this area already. He has learned about Ss = Sun and Mm = Moon. I love how his curriculum ties in phonics and learning the letters/sounds with science and Bible. We talked about how Jesus is like the sun and we are like the moon. The moon is dark without the light of the sun, just like we are dark without Jesus. But when we have Jesus, his light shines through us so that we can be a light to the dark world (just like the moon lights up the dark sky at night!) I thought that was a really neat analagy. This week we made raisins from grapes, a sundial and sun tea for just a couple of his activities.

Myah's school has been fun for all of us. After two weeks, I feel like we have already made some huge strides with her. I felt like her school was cut short for her a bit last year with my miscarriage throwing us off for a while right after Christmas, and then our move in April. The biggest change I see in her is that I feel like she's actually, for the most part, ENJOYING it! (Though she would probably never ADMIT that to anyone....!) :) Yes, we are trudging through some of the "must do's" of phonics, spelling and math, but with much less complaining than in past years. I think it boils down to the fact that my little girl is growing up! Together we are thoroughly enjoying learning about American History, doing science experiments and studying the names of God, along with their meanings. We started that study with talking about her name and the meaning behind it. She even sewed a pillow with her name on it to help her remember how special she is that it's our hope and desire for her to be a "Joyful servant whose heart is close to God". (Myah means "close to God" and her middle name is Joy). She is learning to look up Bible verses and is even beginning to read them herself. We studied about Leif Ericsson and Christopher Columbus from a Christian perspective, which was really neat. We made boats (Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria) and had boat races when they were sailing from "Spain" to "America" in our little pool. We also started reading a book called "American Patriots and Pioneers" from Christian Liberty Press that I would HIGHLY recommend for a read-aloud for any child. Myah has been sucked right into that book and never wants me to stop reading.

That is just a taste of what we have done these past two weeks, and though I know not every week will be as full or exciting, I am thoroughly looking forward to the rest of this year. The kids are at a place where they know what is expected of them and that helps a lot.

Before school began this year, I sat down and was just praying about our homeschool. I laid it in the Lord's hands, and he gave me a verse, which I have kind of adopted to help me keep my perspective this year through the ups and downs of school. Taken from the Psalms, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain." Unless the Lord builds our homeschooling, childrearing, etc., we will labor in vain. I have given our children to him, and I have given our homeschooling to him as well. I'm so thankful we have been called to do this task, even though the laboring will be difficult and sometimes discouraging, as I have learned in the past, the fruit is so rewarding, and I love seeing it firsthand!

"PARENTING IN THE PEW"

by Robbie Castleman

I recently started reading this book, and it has really sucked me in. Our children have their own time of worship at our church with the kids, but I've been starting to think more and more about my role of really teaching them to worship with us. My mom gave me this book a while back, and it's one that has sat on the shelf until "just the right moment" as I see it. (I have many books that have done that, and somehow they find their way into my hands with perfect timing.)

Though this book is quite different from our own circumstances, I have been able to pull many quality things out of it. For starters, I have come to a conclusion that it is completely our role to really teach our children about true worship, and not just allow Sunday School to fill in this gap. I'm thankful for our Thursday night Bible studies. Those evenings allow our kids to experience, observe and participate in worship with adults, and I am beginning to mull things over in my head about how/when to have our kids participate in our worship at church as well. Don't get me wrong... our Sunday School teachers do a fabulous job of teaching our kids about God's Word and also worship. I'm just starting to see that it isn't 100% their job, but ours as well.

A quote which defines worship...

"Worship is not a refueling to get us through another week. Worship is not a system of traditions built up over many years of congregational life until everyone feels comfortable. Worship is not a time to unwind, relax, tune out or take a mental vacation. Worship is not an hour of Christian entertainment. It is not what makes us good people, faithful Christians or successful parents. Worship is the surrender of our souls to a God who is jealous for our attention, time and love. Worship is a challenge...we need to work at our worship" (Castleman 24-25).

KEEPING FOCUS

It seems that I've been bombarded with this thought lately, through our teaching at church, and also our home Bible study. It's so easy to get distracted by life, and what distracts us may be different for every individual. The Christian walk boils down to keeping "the Main Thing, the main thing". If we take our eyes off Jesus, we will fail, but with Jesus, we can walk through anything God allows in our life. The problem is, keeping our eyes on Jesus all throughout the day is a disciplined thing. Satan is always there to lure us to a different focus -- usually a selfish one. Where is your focus today? I'm working on mine, and thankfully, I don't have to work at it alone.

Update from MT! (July 30, 2007)

We had a great weekend, full of fellowship and friends. We got the roof done (with the exception of some minor finishing work) last Friday, which was a great relief. Saturday, Evan hit the river with 4 other guys for a day of fishing. The wives/kids hung out here from about 3:00 on, and then we had a cook out with about 30 bodies (kids & adults) that evening. It was great, and we hope to do it more often. That same night, Evan went to pick Erika and Derrell up from the airport around 11pm. We are looking forward to spending time with them.

We decided to keep Noodles, so we officially own a horse! He has been great. His personality is so sweet & loving, there is no way we could have given him up. :) Joel isn't interested in riding, but loves to brush and feed him. Kiana & Myah love to ride, and I must say Evan and I enjoy it, too. We'd like to get him a buddy someday, so more of us can ride together, but that will have to wait for now. I think Evan has plans to make him into a mountain horse for some bow hunting this fall. He definitely will be an added blessing to our family. Life has sure changed since we made this move to this house!

We had one rough evening last week, where we had to bury our kitten. He was in a cat fight, and got some infection, which by the time we realized what was really going on, it was too late. It was good lesson for the kids, and that's a part of life when you have pets. I do believe it helped them realize that life is a gift, and we are to treat it as such.

That about sums up our news for this week!

Weekly Update -- July 23, 2007

I guess I'm being kind of lazy by avoiding my e-mail lately. I have to re-enter all our addresses into our new e-mail account and just haven't had the time to do it. I will send out our new address to everyone soon, though.

It was a blazing hot weekend with an even hotter week to come. We're still over the 100's mark, and ready to move to Alaska for some cooler summer temps. This is crazy. Evan and I both said that we haven't sweated like we did this past weekend in a LONG time. Of course it doesn't help we were doing our roof. We would get up early and work until noon, take a nap, and then go back out in the evening when the temps cooled to about 98*. The temps really have made the progress slow, but it is coming along. I finished piling the last of the old shingles on the trailer this morning. We had about 4,500 lbs. of old shingles to pick up and take to the dump. Just the clean up was a huge job! The roof isn't done yet, but I'll be sure to post a picture when it is.

Myah had her first horse show this weekend, which for the most part was fun and went well. The horse she has been using was pretty cranky that day (could it have been the fact that it was HOT with NO shade??? we were all a little cranky... :)) and had a mind of her own. She took off running after her buddy once who came loping by in the arena while they were warming up. Myah went for quite a ride and I about had a heart attack, but she hung on and wasn't hurt. That's the scary thing about horses. They are big animals, and no matter how well you think you know them, they can still have a mind of their own. She came home with some ribbons and a very good experience to look back on.

The other new news is that we are trying out a horse for the week. His name is "Noodles". We call him "Mr. Noodles" after the goofy guy on Sesame Street. He's a 5 year old gelding palamino with a great personality, as far as we can tell after 24 hours. Myah's riding instructor is coming tomorrow to give us her opinion. This world of horses is a whole new thing, so we can't help but learn fast. We are seeking God for the right one at the right time. The kids have already gotten pretty attached to Noodles, but we aren't sure we're going to keep him yet. Joel has absolutely no interest in horses at this point. He likes anything with motors and wheels, but wants nothing to do with riding Noodles.

For now that's about it. We are anticipating a new school year, which is quickly creeping up on us. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.

Myah with Noodles

Kiana on Noodles

(we can't keep her off!)

Riding Noodles

Weekly Update -- July 17, 2007

I usually send out weekly e-mails to our family/friends that live far from us, but for now I've decided to just post my updates on here.

It's been a busy & tiresome week here at the VO household. We ripped the shingles off the house on Saturday morning, only to have it rain on us later that afternoon. Thankfully it was a quick rain, so there wasn't any damage. There is a chance for more, however, for the next 2 days, and we haven't had time to get the new roof on yet. It doesn't help the temps have been over 100*, so the actual time we have to work is very limited. I got the fortunate job of cleaning up the old shingles. A friend came to help last night, and we got two sides of the house cleaned up. The kids have been a big help as well. Joel even sacrificed an evening of swimming in the pond -- something he loves to do -- to keep helping out! It's a big job!

The kids are doing well. We are on our last week of swimming (Finally!) They progressed so much in that area this year, that every minute spent there was well worth it. Both kids are much more comfortable swimming now. Myah's horse lesson includes a trail ride tomorrow. Even I get to go along! It will just be Myah, her instructor and myself. We get to ride through the hills. LaDona wants her to be comfortable in all settings, not just the arena. I'm kind of exited I get to participate as well! :) We have a couple of horses in mind that we are going to check out to see if we want to purchase them. Myah's been fighting her flesh and working a little harder around here lately b/c she knows it's expected if we're going to get her a horse anytime soon. She won't just have one handed to her on a silver platter, but must do some sort of work to earn it. This has been very good for her, as working without complaining is not a strength of hers -- not yet anyway! We're working on it.

I'm including some photos of the hay field. Notice the driver in the bronco.... if you can guess who it is and get it right, you're a winner! (& no, it's NOT me, but I am driving the tractor!) :)

Hope all is well with everyone!

MYAH'S FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!

For Myah, the 4th of July ranks right up there with Christmas and her birthday. She begins to ask about it right after the holidays and continues to do so until it arrives. For the past several years, we have gone to our local small-town rodeo on that day. It has become a favorite past time for our whole family, and nearly the whole town! We always end the day watching fire works with some close friends.

This year, Myah and Joel both rode on the back of sheep. Each of them took a pretty good spill, and Myah's sheep even rolled over top of her. She wanted to get right back on, and though Joel wasn't so sure, both of them held on for a good amount of time. No injuries, and no tears! Just a ribbon and a dollar bill for participation! :)

The pig scramble is also a favorite event of the day. Whoever catches a pig can either keep it or sell it to willing buyers. Myah had her hand on a pig's leg, but lost it to someone else. Maybe next year! We did end up buying two pigs from some friends, so now we have two more critters to feed!

In the pictures, Myah is wearing pink, and Joel is wearing red.