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.