November 14, 2008 - Show & Tell Friday -- Advent Puzzle
For Advent, a time of preparing for Christmas, we typically will read stories including Jotham's Journey and this year we will probably read the next one in the series. When my in-laws last visited they brought us an advent puzzle that we are all looking forward to putting together. The boys love puzzles and can put the 1000 piece puzzles together in a matter of days. So, they are itching to get working on this new puzzle but we will wait until Dec. 1st. The puzzle is called Passion Tree by Jack Dawson and it follows the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Each ornament in the painting illustrates an event and shows HIS story. It includes a short devotional for each day as you search for the various things hidden in the painting, all the while pointing us to the only reason we celebrate Christmas. They sell this on FamilyLife today and I see they have an accompanying hardcover devotional book to go along with it. (Click on the photo for more info.)
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November 7, 2008 - Show & Tell -- New Glasses
I have had the same glasses since Pete & Re-Pete were babies. I remember clearly picking them out as it was one of my first outings with three children. I was by myself trying to carry two baby carriers along with getting my 2 1/2 year old to follow along. Oh, those were the days.
Anyway, I usually wear my contacts, at least when in public, and so it didn't matter much if I had new glasses. This time when my prescription changed I decided after 6 years it was time for a new pair of glasses and I planned on wearing them more frequently seeing as the contacts are disposable and more costly than I had thought. So, I have new glasses and am enjoying wearing them and will now wear contacts only periodically (that's the plan for now).
Pete took this picture of me at the pumpkin farm. If I have my hair "poofed" enough when pulling it back, some say I look like Sarah Palin. :)
Thanks for hosting Show & Tell Friday Mary! To see more visit her at CanadaGirl
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November 2, 2008 - One Year Old Today!
Baby Boy turned one year old this morning! What can I say about my little ray of sunshine? He is one of our happiest babies (Tank was our other) and loves to smile. I would say that he is the cuddliest baby, which I thoroughly enjoy! Thankfully he is still a Mama's boy and what a wonderful feeling to watch his face light up when I walk into the room.
Baby Boy has had quite a year, first being diagnosed with laryngomalacia (floppy esophagus) and going through testing for that. Thankfully he seems to have outgrown it for the most part and only occasionally will I notice a stridor when nursing. He also had two hospital stays both for respiratory problems. Through it all he kept a cheerful disposition to which the nurses always commented on.
Baby enjoys being with his siblings and doesn't care much for playing alone. He needs to be where the action is and lately he is working on joining in. At this point he doesn't walk for which I am very happy about but he is walking along furniture and tries to walk pushing anything that moves.
He loves food (but don't most babies?) and it seems that he would eat constantly if I let him. He has 7 teeth right now and I thought he was cutting his 8th but this one is slow in coming. His best friend is his thumb, either one. He is rarely without it, which makes me wonder how we will ever stop this habit when the time comes.
Baby makes the sweetest little "oo oo" (as in "moo") sound with pursed lips when he is excited about something and we love to make him do it. Of course he likes to make us laugh and we have such fun with him. Baby Boy is such a joy and delight to our family.
Thank You Lord for blessing us with this precious little boy who brightens our days and reminds us of Your goodness to us!
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October 28, 2008 - Race Banquet
I am slowly trying to catch up on blog-worthy events from the past month, so, a few weekends ago John and I were able to attend the end of the year race banquet. As he was points champion in his class we looked forward to the evening and the time away alone. 
We arrived at the banquet and as I was looking through the program for the evening saw that he was also named Pro Driver of the Year!!! He had no idea and was thrilled about that. He had nine podium finishes and four wins this season and what an honor to receive that title with all of the competition! I enjoyed watching him give two speeches with a huge picture of him on the screen behind. Words seem to come easily to him in this venue. He came away with a monetary award, two trophies, and a remote control truck (the boys were thrilled!). Unfortunately he said with the economy the way it is right now this was the worst possible year to win a title as potential sponsors for the coming year will be buckling down. Congratulations on a wonderful year John! We enjoyed watching you all the way!
There he is, my 2008 Super-Buggy Champion! 
Here he is with his Dad and trophies.
Don't we coordinate nicely! :) I never realize how much taller he is until I look at pictures of us. I was even wearing heels. (This is the same day as my last post which is why I am wearing the same thing).• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
October 24, 2008 - Show & Tell -- Ladies Tea
A few weeks back I had an event-filled day. My day began at a harvest fest on the riverfront where a children's folk singer was preforming who the kids so enjoy. Even Daddy was getting into the actions and singing songs such as "Eight Hugs A Day!"
The afternoon brought me to a "Ladies Tea" with the theme being brides. I enjoy tea parties and getting dressed up and so I enjoyed this time in addition to being with my sister, my mom and my grandma. It was also a good reason to get my wedding dress out of hiding as dresses were on display. It was neat to see the different generations represented and you could always tell which time period the dress came from. Some were very yellowed with age and then there were some with an empire waist from my Mom's generation. Next came the dresses with puffed sleeves, many sequins and beads covering the dress and on the pictures also "big hair". The dresses from when my sister and I were married began to be more simple but elegant in style and finally the dresses of today are also simple but sleeveless seems to be in. One of these days I should actually try on my dress as the kids were so excited to see it. I look forward to more tea parties and am thankful for a little girl to share them with.
My sister, mom and me with our wedding dresses. Mom's dress was originally white but mine and my sister's were cream to begin with.
Here we are with my paternal grandma (middle) and her sister, my great-aunt.• 9 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
October 17, 2008 - Happy 3rd Birthday!
Happy Birthday Missy Blue Eyes! At 8:11 a.m. you turned 3 years old! The reason I really remember that time is because she weighed the same amount when she was born -- 8 lb. 11 oz. I know I say this with every birthday that comes but I cannot believe how fast time has gone!
Missy is a sweet little girl and every bit the princess -- sometimes taking that role a bit too seriously. Thankfully she has proven almost everyone wrong in that she is not a tomboy but a definite girly girl despite having five brothers. She loves her dollies and everything PINK! She enjoys having a tea party and I am so happy that the boys oblige her with that. I think they are fascinated with her as she is so completely different then they are.
Missy calls herself "Daddy's girl" which she began after wearing a t-shirt bearing that phrase. She is a petite little one, weighing only 2 lbs. more than Baby Boy (he is 24 lbs. and she is 26 lbs.) making it difficult to find pants that stay up. She enjoys dressing up and having her hair done pretty and is such a show-off when she is. Missy Blue Eyes is a joy and a delight to our family!
Missy Blue Eyes 1 day old
Taken in August• 3 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
October 8, 2008 - True Woman Conference
I am so excited to be getting ready to attend the True Woman Conference in Illiniois this weekend!!! I was able to coordinate a group of 20 ladies from our church to go together. We are each looking forward to this time away and to see how God will work in each of our hearts through the biblical teaching. I have never been to an event this large before and so look forward to hearing 6000 voices joined in praise to our God!
Two ladies from our group and I have decided to volunteer as there was a great need for this and so I am not sure how that will all come together. At this point I will be in the resource center beween sessions.
We providentially were able to get rooms at the convention center itself and are so thankful for that! At first we were staying a mile away as the convention center hotel was filled quickly but over time I continued to check availablity until the day came where I was able to secure the six rooms we needed.
So, we leave tomorrow and I am still working on getting packed and getting food together for my family for my time away. I know it will be a wonderful time though!
If any of my blog-readers will be there please leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to meet you! And for those not able to attend this awesome conference there is an option of watching it live by visiting the site at www.truewoman.com.
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October 6, 2008 - Mmmm Monday
In working at the farm we have been getting a lot of eggplant this year. Last year I tried a recipe or two and none of us really cared for them. It was too mushy and not a lot of flavor. This time I wanted to find some way to use it up and came upon a recipe for Sausage Stuffed Eggplant. This is yummy! I don't think you can taste much of the eggplant as you scoop out most of the inside and mix it up with Italian sausage. I chop it so fine so that no one can find it. Anyway, I am sharing the recipe with you on this MmmMonday. :)
Sausage Stuffed Eggplant (Or I call it Italian Veggie Bake for those who might be turned off by the thought of eggplant)
1 (1 1/2 lb.) eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 T olive oil
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage ( I like to buy unseasoned meat and season it myself to avoid the nitrates)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
ground fennel -- to taste
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 c. spaghetti sauce, divided
1 c. mozzarella cheese, divided (the pesto flavored one is really good with this!)
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Brush cut sides of eggplant with olive oil and place, cut-side up onto a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, brown the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place into a mixing bowl, and season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and the beaten egg; mix well.
Once the roasted eggplant has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh to within 1/2-inch of the skin to create a shell. (I did a little more) Roughly chop the eggplant meat, and fold into the sausage mixture. Divide evenly among the two eggplant shells, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until the filling has set, and the cheese is bubbly and golden-brown, about 30 minutes. While the eggplant is baking, warm the remaining spaghetti sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat to serve with the eggplant.
I used two of the skinny-kind of eggplant for this.• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
October 6, 2008 - Traveling and Flight Trackers
Two weeks ago my husband was in Korea for a few days on business. Unfortunately to get there in time for a meeting on Monday he left here on a Saturday, leaving us on our own for the weekend. Now he has been traveling almost every other week as of late but this time I was quite emotional and nervous as the thought of him so far from home was not sitting well. His flight was 14 hours and he didn't look forward to that.
I went through my day in kind of a blur not knowing what I was doing. Thankfully I found a real-time flight tracker where I could watch exactly where my husband's plane was at that very moment and I felt a little more connected to him. I did become a little addicted to watching and the boys enjoyed it as well. Flying over Canada took the longest but by their bedtime he was over Alaska and headed to Russia. Most trackers do not allow you to see anything past Canadian or US airspace but I did find one that I could still see his plane over Russia. I so wanted to wait until I could see his plane land but that wasn't until 2 a.m. and so I reluctantly went to bed. By the time I woke it was nighttime in Korea and he was headed out for a late supper.
So, if someone you know is taking a trip by plane try out some of the live flight trackers and watch the little plane move over the map. www.flightstats.com is the one I like best, although it doesn't track internationally.
My husband had a good time seeing the Hyundai plant which is who he is working on a project for. He also was able to do some sightseeing and try interesting cuisine such as cow heart, intestines, and stomach. His was fried and he said it tasted good, just a little rubbery. 
I'd share pictures of his visit but he still has them on his laptop. He was happy to come home again and said it was crazy there in Seoul with millions of people.
The kids and I were thrilled to have him back home!
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September 30, 2008 - My little scavenger
Baby Boy has suddenly become my little scavenger. It all began when he started to eat cheerios and some would end up on the floor for him to find.
For the longest time Baby did the army crawl but lately has really picked up on crawling faster on all fours. This has led to him finding anything and everything dropped on the floor but he is especially on the lookout for dropped morsels of food. Now, I know other Moms have told me their children pick up everything on the floor and into the mouth it goes. But I have never had a child interested in what is on the floor, at least not that my husband or I can recall. So this has been a new experience and of course our floors are never spotless. 
Baby Boy's routine is playing in another room after a meal but then he tends to make a beeline for the kitchen, especially to the counter where the kids sit on stools as there are always crumbs there. He will circle it and see if anything was left. He reminds me of a little puppy. Yesterday he figured out that our swivel sweeper might have some leftover cheerios or other appealing thing for him if he bangs on it enough. That is disgusting! My husband says that is smart. I guess we'll make sure to empty it after every sweeping.
Baby Boy pausing from his search to pose. Oh, I see he missed a cheerio!
Baby was following Tank around as he swept. Tank kept saying, "Get him away from me!!" Here he is banging on the sweeper. Don't worry, he didn't get anything out.• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
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