My Favorite (Christmas) Cookie

(Pretend there is a picture here of a cookie, with strawberry jam in the middle, and a drizzle of frosting across the top)

Strawberry Cream Cookies
1 c. softened butter
1c. white sugar
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour
Jam (I use strawberry preserves, and wonder if that doesn't help prevent overflowing the cookie)

Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese together, add vanilla and egg, and mix well. Add dry ingredients and chill dough. Shape the dough into small balls, place on cookie sheet and make an indention in the middle. Fill indention with jam. The cookie will grow as it bakes, so you don't really have to worry about the jam overflowing.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. And then I make a stiff frosting with powdered sugar and milk and pipe it back and forth over top. These freeze well. And they are yummy!

Yup, We Train 'Em Young...

My men doing dishes for me. :)

Why We Celebrate Christmas

Lu 2:10. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

John 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Between secular materialism on one hand, and pious disregarding on the other, these verses help us find a balance in Christmas. Surely the fact that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to earth to save us, should be cause for celebration!

Atmosphere

Cabin atmosphere

      I was sitting in my house Saturday evening after we got home from the cabin when something suddenly occurred to me. I realized I had the same feeling about being home that I had had at the cabin all weekend. Which got me to thinking about atmosphere and what kind we create. And maybe part of my feeling at home in either place has to do with my MIL and I having a similar style at decorating. But anyway...
    The other week Clark and I were on a date and went to eat out at Perkins. Now, the walls were painted a cozy color, and the decorating was nice, and even the lighting was nice. But, the music was jazzy and the two TV's on the wall certainly did not help. Atmosphere? Yes, I suppose. What I want when I'm on a date with my man? Nope.

    I like clean and uncluttered, but still homey (as in perhaps knowing it's clean under the clutter). It helps my state of mind. When the kitchen is piled with dishes, I do not get the feeling of a peaceful atmosphere. Right now, neither the laundry corner, nor the chest of drawers in my bedroom give me the impression of an uncluttered state of mind. And the back room certainly doesn't give anyone the impression of peaceful and uncluttered.
     But I think that atmosphere can also rise above environment. On Sat. eve. the table was piled with odds and ends, and the floor was covered with books and toys. Yet there was still a warm and cozy and peaceful atmosphere. I think that the attitude we show in our homemaking, is a reflection of our internal life. If I am content inside, my home likely will reflect that. If there is turmoil or busyness, my home often reflects that as well.  On the flip side, I can have ever so cozy and homey of an environment, and if there is disagreement and bickering, the atmosphere is decidedly not peaceful.
   What kind of atmosphere are we women creating in our homes? A place of peace and rest at the end of the day? Or constant hustle and bustle and busyness?

And I am Thankful...

     For LIFE...and health. We had a close call with a semi last night.  I don't like to think about it, what could have happened. I think Clark and I would have come out ok, but not sure about Benny. And I'm doubly thankful for my men today.
     For Salvation...and those who are taking the gospel to others. To all of you that are working with the kids on the Reservation, keep going. You are doing a good work.
     For family. We love you all and have great times together. And to our parents for raising us. Clark and I are often amazed the the similarities in our up-bringing. I'm afraid our kids are going to be raised the same way we were. :)
     For church family. We love you dearly.
     For a messy house, it's warm and it's home. For dirty dishes, we have plenty of food to eat. For dirty laundry, we have plenty of warm clothes to wear.
     For a little boy that is wanting attention. It means he has a mommy and they love each other.
    

For My Mom

...And anyone else that cares.

     This is post-hair cut. This was a week or so after, so it had grown out a little. And it's grown out even more now, so I'm happier with it then I was at first. Cutting the hair of a very active one year old is an interesting feat, I knew i had about five or less minutes before he'd be tired of the project. I think I did it in about three minutes, and it looked like it!

     This week was one of those tough mothering weeks. His very stubborn side tooth was bothering him again. I hope that THIS time it comes all the way through. And then he got a head cold as well. So for about four nights I was getting  up every hour or so. And that was with Tylenol. Last night he slept better, as in only getting up every 2-3 hours. And he's happier and eating again this morning. So I'm hopeful that we're over that hump. I had to wonder yesterday, how I ever did it when he was newborn and nights like that were a fact of life. It seemed much harder this time around.

     And I wanted to paint my whole bathroom this week. Ha!

Tidbits From Our House

Fall is slowly giving way to winter. We had frozen precipitation falling from the sky the other day.

Here is a recipe that I've made a time or two this fall.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

 Mix together:

2 c. mashed pumpkin

3/4 c. vegetable oil 

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Then add:

 2 c. flour

1t. salt

2 t. soda

2 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. each of cloves, nutmeg, allspice

Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350.

And then I like to frost with either a sugar crumble, or caramel frosting, which is:

1 stick of butter

1/4 c. milk

1 c. brown sugar 

Mix together and heat until the sugar is dissolved. And DON'T let it boil (learned that the hard way one time). 

Then take it off the heat and add 2 c. of powdered sugar, and beat in well. Let it set until it's cool (don't stir again), and then spread over your cake or cinnamon rolls or whatever.

      So those are my fall recipes. Speaking of cinnamon rolls, I'm going to make myself hungry for some if I think about it too long. I suppose I should make a pan and send them to work with Clark sometime. 

    Today I read the book "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn. And I've also been reading "He Chose The Nails" by Max Lucado. Both are very thought provoking reads.

    I'd post pictures of the little man's new look since his haircut, but I guess we haven't taken any yet. Hmm. Clark is coming home to figure out what and where the funny smell from the dryer is. I'm wondering if something somewhere didn't get a little too hot. Not a good feeling. 

Our Last Week in Pictures

 

     We are having absolutly gorgeous fall weather this week. We're soaking up all the sunshine we can, winter is not far away. It's actully rather unusual to have such nice weather this late in the year.

      It's a good feeling to have our gardening and harvest over and mostly put up for the year. Sometime I think it would be fun to do a Harvest Celebration, and have everyone bring something they've raised.

     Here are a few hooligans enjoying a pile of leaves. :)  They had a big pile raked up, and were jumping off a tree branch into the pile. I'm not actually sure how many peoples are in there; five maybe?

      We've been frantically working on outdoor projects while the weather is nice. Here Benny is trying his hand at planing. 

     We took a flying trip out to NE last weekend. It was soybean harvest time, so we got to see a little bit of that operation. I think I like NE best in the fall. We had a lovely, fun time there. 

 

     And finally a few pictures of my super-cute, way-too-grown up kiddo. He's been loving this weather, and likes nothing better then when I let him play on the deck. I'm not sure what he's going to do when the weather gets cold. I'm afraid we shall both suffer. He's a neat freak; bits of stray papers are promptly thrown in the trash can, as well as the occasional toy and sippy cup. He hates having sticky hands too. Both traits inherited from his father. And he has discovered the joys of books (inherited from his mother), and thinks I have nothing better to do with my time then show him a book. He says a few words, and is discovering animal sounds, his favorites being "rowrr", "moo", and a snorting sound for a pig.  He loved playing with Gabe's cat and dog when we were in NE. 

     Here are a few more pictures.

Real men don't cry?

Really,
       Real men don't cry? Who said? The little red car isn't running right. I am watching a savings account slowly dwindle due to shortened work hours. Things are happening at work that aren't exactly assuring. (I won't detail them here.) It is fall and most of the projects I wanted to do this summer are left undone. A leaking roof, a room that needs cleaned out, some pipes  that need re-plumbing, lots of shelves to  be built, and did I mention a propane tank that needs filled? Now that I sit here and list a few of these it doesn't seem like much to cry about really, but I don't feel any better. Maybe it is because every now and then men have to cry. Then they will dig deep  find out why they are here and what is important. I came home from work today on the verge of tears. I don't why either, I don't think my job is that stressful. Anyway, this too shall pass. I have a wonderful wife, a healthy baby, and a loving church family. Now that is worth crying about, happy tears that is. You know, now that I think about it, there are men I know that I respect very much, and they cry too. Even Jesus cried. So it must be OK.
        Anyway, I think I will be OK in the end. This is life. So I guess I have to square my shoulders and face it like a man. Tears or no tears. (It could be the weather too, who knows.)

 That is all. I will quit complaining now. God is good and so are tears. 

P.S.   There are real reasons to cry though and those reasons have to do with eternal souls. Some one you love throws it away, broken homes, and so on.

Since We've Been Talking Motherhood...

     My baby is a year old. That's hard to believe. He trots all over the house. And investigates everything. I feel like all I do is say "No" all day long. Children definitely do not "get it", after only one or two times. It's line upon line, precept upon precept, for years on end I suppose. The whole parenting thing does not get easier with time, that's for sure.  By the time I get done raising my kids I can give the pat answer to anyone that asks me child training questions, "I don't know how I did it. There but for the Grace of God go I..."  And I am glad for the older women in my life that don't have answers, but they do understand and say, "Yes, I remember that stage." And my MIL told me once," It's good to at least start with ideals, they might not work, but at least you had them to start with." And in lots of ways, I have the easy stage now. No worries about potty training. Nor about schooling. Or running out to the road. Or what they are listening to, or viewing online. Or who their friends are. Or if they are following Christ. I just have to make sure Benny has food, clothing, and plenty of hugs and kisses. But,  every other stage of parenting has it's blessings as well.  In the end, all that matters is that they grow up to love and serve Jesus.
    

For All You Homemakers Out There...

I found this website the other day. There are lots of neat interior decorating ideas, they won't break the bank, and they aren't hard to do.  I've found about half a dozen different ideas I'm going to try sometime.


Someday soon I'll write a real post, I promise....

PS to the last post....

The trial is off, meaning no jury duty for me. Praise the Lord!! And there are 13 pints of salsa in my kitchen. Benny still has a slight fever, but I can deal with that I think.

Why I Haven't Posted In Awhile; Or My Complicated Life.

   See this was the month of August. The month I ran so fast I could hardly catch my breath. This week seems to be the capstone of living in a whirlwind.
  So, I got a jury summons in the mail two weeks ago. I need to appear this week. They wouldn't excuse me for being a SAHM and nursing a baby. I guess they figured an 11 month-old can survive without mommy for a day. Which I suppose is a reasonable expectation, but not for an 11 month-old that views big people food as an experiment. So, the complications of who to take care of him, and how and where. At this point it looks like it's going to have to be his Daddy. Because last Friday morning when Clark went to leave for work, his car refused to start. Which after some digging and testing and talking to others, he decided is a fuel pump problem. So, no car for me. Which means I have no way to get to the courthouse. And I refuse to go on public transportation. But, Clark needs to take off work so I can do my stupid jury thing. Which feels ridiculous to me, because I know that when I get in there, they'll likely kick me off anyway for religious conviction, and hopefully personal responsibilities. Which means I blow half a day for them to tell me what they could have just told me in the first place, without me having to go in there.
    Then last night Benny woke up with a fever. Today was the day I had slated to make salsa. I cannot make salsa and take care of a sick baby. And somehow sick babies and Daddy taking care of him while Mommy is in the courthouse don't seem to mix in my mind. The logistics of making everything work look impossible. Unless he wakes up from his nap and feels better; then I can go ahead with the salsa plan.
    Now, several weeks ago, before all this happened, Mom asked me to teach ladies SS. We're starting the book of James. So I had that added to my pile, but I really wanted to do it. Of course, the first four verses deal with having a calm cheerfulness while surrounded by trials. So we can become patient which makes us perfect. Why do we always get to put our learning into practice? And the next four verses deal with asking God for wisdom and being double minded. And I get to practice that too, because I have been praying really really hard that the trial gets settled out of court, so I don't have to mess up my life and someone else's and appear at the court house. Though the question I want to have answered is are those verses dealing just with asking for wisdom? Or is it for all of prayer life? And see I'm posting this before I know whether or not I have to go in tomorrow. I find out this eve. But I thought perhaps it would have more punch if I do it while I'm still in wondering and waiting mode. Because if I don't have to go in, then I can have this nice, pat story to put in here. And if I have to go in, well, then I have lots of questions, and disappointment, and likely I wouldn't put those on here. Though in the end I'm sure it would work out for the good anyway, and maybe there would still be a nice, pat story.
    So those are my thoughts for the day. Sometime soon hopefully, if and when life lets us breath again, we can do a post on our camping and Andrea's wedding.

Link to Video In Last Post.

Here is the link to the video that was posted in the last post. For some reason Blogger kept breaking the link to the one I had posted on my last post.

Tidbits

     This is going to be a random post. I'm sitting on the couch eating chips and taco dip. My house is clean. I gave it a lick and a promise too many times during the last month, and Monday morning a poor frog went hopping across the living room floor, covered in lint and wound about with hair. We rescued him, and released him to the outside world, and he hopped away so I assume he survived. I have absolutely no clue how he got inside. But I decided it was high time to do a deep clean.
     We've had two camp outs and one wedding so far this summer, and one campout and one wedding to go before the end of August. I told Clark today that I want to pack to go somewhere and all I have to take is my clothing. No food, no bedding, no towels, no camping gear, no fishing gear, etc. But it will all be fun and we've always survived so far.
     We attended a really sweet wedding last Sat. The bride has been suffering from Chronic Lyme disease for almost a year I think. Or maybe longer. But the groom stuck with her through it, and they are very happy. It was good to be reminded about love and commitment, and to see it in real life. Just because everything is fine and good and happy when you get married, doesn't mean that something bad won't happen after you are married. 
     The small man of the house is doing well. He still doesn't have very much interest in eating real food. I guess someday he will get hungry. This week he decided that he'd rather try to feed himself. Which consists of pushing food around his tray with a spoon. Or dropping it on the floor. But definitely not more then a few pieces in the mouth. Clark accidentally captured him doing this last night, and I'm uploading it for my mom to see. Oh and Clark wants you to know that he's not swearing on the end, he's saying, "I got that on video! I can't believe I got that on video!". Clark was playing with the video setting, and Benny decided randomly to practice his walking.Edit: Here is a link for the video.
      Well that's a small update on our lives. I hope you all are having a good summer as well.