MPen7

School, school and more school

2010-02-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

Lately, that is what I feel occupies every part of my life. Mike started school this January at PUC, which is in Angwin, California, a 2 hour commute one way. Brandon, Mikey and Annika are still homeschooling, with Joshua getting ready to officially start next year. And me, well I am set to "graduate" with my AA this June since I will have only 1 class left.

This new time in our life has brought about a lot of new things. First, Mike being gone anywhere from 5 to 12+ hours a day has been a new adjustment. But with him being gone I am sad to say I do get a lot more done, especially kids schooling, as there are no "daddy" distractions :)

We have also figured out that Bran can graduate this coming December, which means that I might have a college kid. That in itself is funny as Mike and I will both be still in college. We are so excited to see where God leads this amazing young man that we have been so blessed with!

For the official news: Mike has been accepted into the nursing program at PUC!!! He started going there this quarter so he could finish up some generals he needed like a couple religion class and physiology. God has been amazing as his religion teachers allow Mike to go back and forth with them and ask them real questions and better yet get real answers! He was originally not able to get into one class that he needed for the nursing program, but again God turned that around too and is actually how he found out he got into the nursing program early :) Isn't our God amazing! I am continually in awe of what he does for us and long before we think or ask.

Thank you again to all who prayed and continue to pray for and with us. God is truly hearing you, please don't doubt that for a second!!! We don't always know when He is going to answer or how He is going to answer, but never doubt that He answers!

Now, off to get my final going, do a spelling test, get started on some geometry and go through some ABC's and then tonight I might learn more about physiology ;)

Amazed

2009-09-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Amazed about sums it up. On Monday our "baby" turned 17. I know I am just as shocked! For his 17th birthday he invited some friends to go paint balling with him and then invited them over for pizza and a movie. It was a perfect birthday party for him :) Then on his birthday we do what we do every year and that is eat their favorite food. This year Bran chose broccoli soup in a bread bowl and pot stickers.
I still cannot believe that he is 17! I am truly shocked! And yet I think I am one of the most blessed moms out there! He is incredible! This year he is being homeschooled and has been such a wonderful help to me and his dad. Plus, we get to spend extra time with him before he heads off to college in a couple years.
One of the things I love the most about him is how much he can pick on his little brothers and sister and yet love on them like no one else! It is so sweet to see Mason curled up asleep on his lap, Joshua wanting to show "Kuya" how he wrote a J, Annika wanting to play with him, or Mikey wanting to just be near him and do what he does.
Just wait to see how shocked we all are when he is 18...!

Almost the end of garden

2009-08-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely amazed at the amount of food we were able to grow this year in our garden. We had so much zucchini that if you invited us over to your house you were bound to get some :) We also had a ton of tomatoes that we have made everything from spaghetti sauce to chili with. We have also had 2 amazing basil plants that are still growing strong. If you want tips on basil I found a great article that gave great information to help ours grow. We were also very blessed to have almost 10 cantaloupe and 1 honeydew melon. I did learn though that if you do not fertilize the melons they will be very small. I had a couple that I called Joshua and Mason size :)
I am already thinking onto next years garden. What I did not like this year, what I want more of next year, how I will water better, fertilize differently, what new things I want to plant. I even want to give the kids a bit of land to grow on.
I am a little sad to see that my tomatoes are slowing down and that there are only 2 more cantaloupe out there. My zucchini is almost done, but I am not as sad about that, lol. So if you are in the area and want an excuse to stop by now you have it (but you do not really need an excuse just knock).

Yup, we are still here...

2009-08-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

As always, we have been busy. Mikey, Annika and Joshua just finished a week at Pathways camp. If you have not sent your kids there, boy are you missing out. It comes around 1x a year, but it is the week I set out to do everything :) The kids go to camp at 10am and I pick them up at 3:15 for Joshua and 3:30 for Mikey and Annika. They sing songs, do crafts, have Bible time, meet friends and then they have a big carnival at the end! Mikey and Annika look forward to it all year (and so do I, lol). Joshua had a couple mommy separation times, but after 5 minutes he was fine. He had amazing teachers as did all the kiddos. Now all I have to do is get Mace potty trained by next summer and then he can go to :)
Bran is gearing up for homeschooling. We are trying to figure out programs, schedules, extra curricular stuff and just life :)
I just found out that my last class for my degree will be June 13th, Joshua's birthday :) Which will actually have me getting a degree before Mike, lol.
Hope all is well with you and yours :)

Gardening

2009-06-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I think I can finally say I am a gardener. Last year we started with an 8x4 boxed bed, where we grew tomatoes and herbs, this year we went bigger. 16x16 to be exact, plus our box :) I am so excited as most of our tomato plants (7 out of the 9) are not only flowering but growing tomatoes. The other night I was able to pick 3 zucchini's and today I just trimmed our sweet basil and Italian basil down. We had so much basil that I took some over to my friend Annette's who offered to dehydrate the rest of what we had. With all the basil we filled 8 out of 9 of her trays, lol. So now we will have dried basil (Thank you sooo much Annette for blessing us). I also have about 15 yellow crook neck squash that will be picked in the next few days and some of the cherry tomatoes will be ready to go by then too.
It is amazing to see how God works everything together, even in a garden. I mean things as simple as the plants need good soil and the worms need good stuff to eat off of and they all work together to grow both.
Lastly, I am addicted to a magazine all about gardening it is simply called "Grow." It has so much information, tips and tricks. I have tried a couple of them and they have all exceeded my expectations. If you see it in Lowes or Home Depot (I can't remember which one it is at) pick it up and take a look, it is a great find.

Can you believe it? He is 4!

2009-06-15T17:16:00.001-07:00

Yes my baby is 4, well not quiet my baby, but you know what I mean. I remember like it was yesterday when I found out I was pregnant with him. The fear was beyond overwhelming and God just kept telling me "be courageous, if you really believe this is from Me, then be courageous!" I do not like it when God tells me something I know that is obvious, but my fear is such a mountain it is sometimes hard to see Him. After Noah died having another baby was unfathomable. It is truly through His mercy and grace that we have Joshua.

Joshua asked me the other day "Mama, why am I Joshua?" I told him "you are Joshua, because God told us to be strong and courageous just like he did Joshua in the Bible. When we found out we were having you we wanted to honor God for pulling us through our owies." Yes I know honor and owies in the same sentence, lol.

So here goes my trying to be creative, lol.

J is for Joshua - because God is making him a strong and courageous little man

O is for Ornery - because he likes to push the limits

S is for smiles - because his grin will melt your heart

H is for his heart - that reaches out to everyone

U is for unimaginable - because we never in a million years thought that God would bless us with more kiddos after Noah, boy are we ever glad he did

A is for amazing - because everyday we are amazed at this little guy and how God is using him even though he is only 4.

God is slowly working ;)

2009-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have been praying for awhile that God would help me figure out how to run a house. I know I am a mom of 5 kiddos you would think I would know and yet... I guess it comes from that old adage "you don't know what you don't know." Last night I went with my friend Rachel to a meeting at my friend Amys house. It was a budgeting meeting and in all honest I went begrudgingly. If I had not told Rachel I would drive us then I probably would not have gone. The bottom line was that I did not want to hear it again, I was sick of hearing the problem and the solution, but people forgetting that sometimes (many times) finances are a heart issue. That is where Beth comes in, she is the woman who spoke last night. I had the walls around my heart built up because I knew I would get blasted and yet as she spoke tears filled my eyes as I realized that God was using her to speak to my heart! She kept reinforcing what God has been laying on my heart "In ALL labor there is PROFIT." Now all of you know I am not a morning person and yet I keep waking up at 6:30 which is when I toss and turn and try and do everything I can to stay in bed. It was funny though this morning after I got in bed I realized I have a lot of profiting to do today. So I got my crockpot out and planned out our dinner (sides and everything). Total off note: Another friend of mine was at this meeting and she made a great point that shot me awake (about dinner), know what you are doing for dinner by 9am other wise you will not get it on the table, it will not be as healthy as you wanted it to be and/or you have a higher chance of getting fast food. So ribs are cooking (they smell yummy already and it has only been an hour, the kids are dressed, I am dressed, breakfast is about to be taken care of, then school for them and then go pick up Bran. I know my day will be profitable!
I want to leave you with a story that Beth told that brought me to more tears last night. She explained how she did not have money to buy clothes for herself (her and her husband have 8 kiddos-and you thought I was blessed ;) . As she stood before her closet she prayed "God I have nothing to wear, will you please get me some clothes." Her husband had told her they did not have the money and yet she was tempted to just go buy clothes. A friend of hers called and said hey can you meet me on Saturday. Beth agreed and there was her friend with a huge box (almost as tall as her and about as wide as a washing machine). She opened it up and would you believe it, it was full of summer clothes! As she hung up her clothes she thanked God and then prayed again "God it is awfully cold, could you please get me something warm to go with these clothes you have given me." The next weekend at church someone had given her a bunch of cashmere sweaters that would go perfectly with her new summer clothes to keep her warm through the winter. She concluded with this "If I had done what I wanted too, which was to go take care of it myself, I would have first been disobedient to my husband and second I would missed the opportunity of God doing his work for me, God dressed me and I could have easily missed it."

Dad and Mom Job description

2009-04-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Tricia sent this to me and I thought it was perfect! I know that many of you will enjoy it as well. Keep up the great work!!!

POSITION: Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required..

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and bean embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis. WAGES AND

COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
** AND A FOOTNOTE¦ THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

My way chicken parmesan

2009-04-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

Dinner has once again come in our household and once again I was stumped on what to make. I had chicken breasts and knew it had to be something with that. I was going to put it in the crockpot, but..... it didn't get there. My friend Annette gave me a great black bean salsa soup and after I told her I had all the ingredients, because I was sure I did, I went to the freezer to grab the frozen black beans that I had in there and they were gone! By that time Mike had told me I needed to grab Bran from school at 4:30 and after 30 minutes of searching for him he finally appeared from practicing with his friend Vinni for the talent show. So with all that said and done I had 5 very hungry kids getting home at 5:30 and I needed something quick. So of course I thought of spaghetti, quick, simple and no prep, gotta love that. But Brandon sighed and started asking if we had any meatballs. So once again I went to the freezer to see if we had meatballs or ground turkey and once again I came up empty handed. And then I saw the chicken breast. So this recipe is my simple try at a somewhat healthier and yet easy chicken Parmesan.
1lb Chicken breast
about 1 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons or so of Spike
3 tablespoons or so of Parmesan cheese (I just used the jar stuff, cause that is what we had, lol)
1 egg
splash of milk (I didn't have this but I think it would be a nice addition, lol)
1) Get out 2 dishes with edges (plates will work fine if they have higher edges)
2) Pour your bread crumbs, spike and Parmesan onto one plate - set closest to the stove - do not get it so close that it catches on fire ;)
3) On the second plate put your egg and splash of milk and mix till it looks like an uncooked scrambled egg - put this plate just to the side of the other one
4) On a cutting board cut your chicken breast into a little bit bigger than bite sized pieces - put this next to the egg
Now you have an easy assembly line with a lot less mess :)
5) Heat up your pan to about medium to medium high depending on your stove. You can spray a little bit of Pam or something to keep it from sticking, I didn't use anything and I didn't have a problem with it, but just in case.
6) Now take as much chicken as will fit in your pan and put it in the egg mixture. Turn it with your hands or tongs and coat all the sides with eggs.
7) Now take your chicken and carefully put it in your bread crumb mixture and once again coat it on all sides.
8) Put your coated chicken on your hot pan and cook till nice and golden. Turn your chicken after about 2-3 minutes or till cooked on that one side. Continue to rotate your chicken so all the sides get nice and brown.
Because I did not use oil it did not get a real crunchy crispy crust but it was a great flavor.
Serve on top of some spaghetti noodles and sauce. Eat and enjoy.

Shepherds Pie Review

2009-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had a couple people ask how the shepherds pie was so I thought I'd post it here. Feeding our family of 7 used up a little more than half of the shepherds pie, but!!! Joshua then had an extra serving and Brandon and Mikey had 2 extra servings. Even Mason and Annika ate all their food, which is saying a lot. So by the end of dinner there was an empty crockpot on the counter. I am going to cut down on the cheese next time and add other veggies and see what everyone thinks. Well off to put my 2 little guys to bed, nap time is calling them :)

Dinner is getting going and it is only 11:49am

2009-03-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yes it is only 11:49am and my dinner is cooking. Thank goodness for amazing friends (Annette) who invite us over for sewing class each week only to flood us with amazing aromas coming from her crockpot:) So I figured I would follow suit and since we need to go grocery shopping today, the fridge and freezer are a bit bare, I would use what I have and get it in the crockpot. Now as most of you know I am not someone who "knows" how to cook. I am a husband taught, cookbook reading, friend receiving recipes cook. Today I went on my favorite crockpot blog, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ yes there is a blog out there with 365+ days of crockpot recipes, everything from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. I usually go there to get ideas and then go off of the recipe.
So here is what I am smelling right now :) Crockpot Shepherds Pie. It was super easy and smells delicious, greatest part is it couldn't be easier. So here is my take on Stephanies recipe, just in case your mouth is watering.
Approximately 3 cups of left over mashed potatoes (I didn't have any leftover potatoes so I made a quick batch, come on with a family of 7 do you really think I will have left overs...)
1lb ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
1 pkg frozen veggies (I used peas and carrots)
Spike (I just sprinkled it over the top of the ground turkey till it looked and smelled good, lol)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped (if I had this I would have put it in, but maybe next time)
1 cup water
2 cups shredded cheese

Take the chopped up onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes then add the ground meat and sprinkle with Spike. Cook until browned all the way through, then drain.
Pour frozen veggies, 1 C water and drained meat into the crockpot. Mix it all together (if you want add some onion powder, black pepper, paprika or other seasonings, I figured I added enough Spike to the meat that I would leave those off and see how it worked).
Sprinkle the 2 cups of cheese on top of mixture and then place your leftover mashed potatoes on top and smoosh down (yes I love technical words, lol). Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. At the end of the time remove the lid and let cook for another 30 minutes just to give you a crispier top.

Like I said it smells yummy and it's an easy recipe that your kiddos can easily help with. Hope you enjoy!

10 years and still going strong...

2009-03-20T18:39:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is our ten year anniversary! I am still in shock at being able to say I have been married for 10 years! Mike and I are very blessed because my in-laws are taking Mason for a few days, my mom is taking the older 3 tonight through Sunday morning and then our dear friends are taking them till Sunday evening (Brandon is still in Africa).
We are going to be staying at the Sterling Hotel which is a place that I actually called when we were getting married as it is a beautiful hotel. Tomorrow night my husband has planned for us to go to a murder mystery show, lol. That will be fun, hopefully I won't have mommy brain and can actually contribute.
So to everyone who said we wouldn't make as we were to young, thanks, because it was one of those things that we would mention every once in awhile and say "well I guess we gotta stay together a little longer or they will have been right." lol. But seriously thank you to everyone who has ever lifted us and/or our marriage up in prayers. God, as always, has provided more than we could have ever thought or asked!

No Bake Cookies :)

2009-03-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

As I started to think about what to bring for a treat tomorrow at our science co-op I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate a little bit of frugality into it, yes this is actually a fun challenge to me. And I remembered a great recipe my mom use to make when I was little that is so yummy and yet pretty frugal. This is why I think it is on the frugal side, for one you only use 1 pot (so less things to wash, saves on water), second you only use the stove for about 5-8 minutes depending on your stove (so no preheating and having the oven on as well as no roasting your house in the summer) and third you use oats (I know flour is pretty cheap but I love the texture of the oats, it makes me feel fuller faster). So now that I've built these up here you go, I hope you enjoy.
No Bake Cookies
2 Cups sugar, 1/2 Cup milk, 1/2 Cup butter, 3 Cups of oats, 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder (I use Nestle Quick Mix), 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3/4 Cups of creamy peanut butter.
Take your first 3 ingredients and put them in a saucepan to boil. Mix them all together and once they boil time for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add everything else. Mix thoroughly! Pull out sheets of wax paper and put on the counter (if it is summer time you can put the wax paper on baking sheets to place in the fridge or freezer), drop by teaspoonfuls onto the waxed paper. Let cool and then enjoy. They look a little different but they are delicious. I'll try and take a picture of them and put it up soon.

Great week and it is only Tuesday

2009-03-03T08:46:00.001-08:00

Well this week has already been pretty exciting. My mom (Ladonna) and dad (Jim) came down from Canada Saturday and we got to spend 2 hours at an In-and-Out in Merced with them and some of my family from Bakersfield. It is a funny thing about family. You can not talk to them for weeks sometimes even months and when you get together it's as if the puzzle pieces just fit perfectly. God is really good that way. I wish I had more time to spend with them, but that 2 hours was great and I'm so glad I did not pass it up and that they were willing to meet us halfway. It was the first time for them to see Mason and as Papa (Jim) kept telling Joshua "where'd your diaper go?" So in 3 years, when Mike has been working for a year as a nurse we are planning on taking a vacation up there (see it is in writing now so it has to happen).
The next news is that Mason has decided to not stay in his playpen at all! He is not even 2 yet but knows what he wants. After putting him back in his playpen 3 times with punishments and all I finally took him to Joshua's toddler bed and told him to go to sleep. He tried to get up 1 time, I told him no and he went back to sleep for a 2 hour nap :) Last night he went to bed at 8:30ish and I got him up at 6:45am (we had to take Bran to school). He did not get up once!!! So now we need to find another toddler bed, lol.
Mike took Joshua and Mikey to San Francisco for 2 days to work with him. I am praying that Mikey comes home with a better work ethic. He loves to do stuff, but having him see the big picture and being able to accomplish it without getting overwhelmed is our newest venture, yes I know he sounds like me :)
Last but not least it is only 1 week, yes 7 days till my 30th birthday. Can you believe it?! I am really excited, which is funny because my birthdays are usually passing thoughts to me. So if you see a silly grin on my face you will know why, it's because I will be checking off a new box on surveys :)
Have a blessed week everybody and keep in touch!!!

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

First of all Happy Valentines Day. To all of you (yes if you are reading this this does mean you!) on this day especially know how much we as a family and I as one person love you. I know many times all of us get so busy and forgot to give a much needed hug or forget to tell someone how important they are to us. So just in case, actually forget that because I know there are many times where I haven't said I love you, I care, I'm praying for you, you are an important part of my life, of our lives! So I/we am/are saying it now, you are important, you are loved, you are cherished, and we pray often for you, you may not always know it, but we do! So with all that said Happy Happy Love Day!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy and some chicken :)

2009-02-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

Life has been ever chaotic! Brandon has decided that he would like to go to a boarding school that is about 2 hours away. He really likes a few of their extra programs such as photography and a First Responders class. So with all that said we have made a few deals ;) and we will also go down and see what all of us think of it. Not sure if I'm ready to let him go 2 years early, but when he talks about this school you can see his face light up. He has really tried to step up and take a lot more responsibility as well, I know this is inevitable, I am so proud and yet my heart is a bit sad........
On a more lively note, everyone has gotten a cold, poor Annika and Mikey had the stomach bug for about a day as my friend Annette says "stomach bugs pass through your kids sooo fast!" Praise the Lord. We are now at the tale end of the colds and I now have my voice back. What's a mommy without her voice.
Mike also got his test results back.........(that's my drum roll, lol) he passed and now just has to do his paperwork before May then if all is done he can start in August and then our 18 months of school start :)
So onto some chicken!
I found this great website that is all about crockpot meals throughout the year. I have this whole chicken that I bought for about $1 a pound and was going to boil it and make broth and chicken noodle soup, but with everyone sick my attention has been else where. So today I thought I would check out this blog and see if she had anything for whole chickens, which she does! So my older boys (hubby and Bran) decided that rotisserie chicken sounded great, the only problem was I don't have most of the spices she calls for. I guess when you are trying not to make unnecessary purchases spices are the first to go :) So after trying to figure out what to do I remembered my friends Annette and Tara turned me to this new spice called Spike (you can find it at Elliot's off of Greenback-yes I love their store they are so sweet and helpful over there!). So here is the easy recipe:
1 whole chicken defrosted, de-skined (which wasn't bad, just use a sharp knife and have your pulling muscles out), and take out all the inner "stuff" it comes with.
1 yellow onion quartered
a couple cloves of garlic roughly chopped
Spike
Take your whole deskined, defrosted empty chicken place it in the crockpot breast side up. Put your onion and garlic in the inner cavity and a bay leaf if you want. Rub some Spike all over this side of the bird. Flip the bird (carefully so it doesn't fall out of its new home) and rub some Spike all over the other side. Put the lid on and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Beans beans the magical fruit 2

2009-01-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

Well, hear is the truth on beans, lol. They not only double in size, but some I think triple. I made all the beans and the only things I would do different are use bigger containers, since the beans grow so much and have smaller storage bags for individual sizes. I also made up a batch of crockpot beans and refried them, I then put them in small baggies (freezer kind) and when we are craving burritos or nachos, I just pull them out and warm them up :) Have fun with your beans!

Beans, Beans The Magical Fruit....

2009-01-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

As I looked at the front of our blog it made me a little sad to realize that Christmas once again was over. How quickly the year truly flew! On a totally different note I am trying something completely different. It seems as things tighten up I am drawn more to having to make everything from scratch if I want a little bit of health to it, either we buy cheap with all the preservatives or we buy all the whole foods, break them down and make them from scratch. My first endeavour is beans. Not just regular old pinto beans, although we make re-fried pinto beans quiet often, but all different types of beans. Tonight I am soaking Northern White, Pinto, Black and Red Kidney beans. I asked a friend of mine how to do it and am hoping it works out.
So if you are interested (and it turns out, I'll let you know in a day or so...) this is how you do it.
Take your beans, I actually measured mine out so I would know how many cups are in each bowl, put them in a container and add water to cover. Go through the beans and find the ones that are broken, you don't have to make it perfect, but get what you can. It is that simple. Now as I get more experienced I figure I'll add different seasonings as I learn what the different beans taste like and what I will be using them for. After you soak them overnight drain the beans and rinse them well. You can then put them in freezer bags and freeze :) I'm going to try and measure mine out to two or four cup servings, not sure which yet, and put them in the freezer bags. Make sure you label everything clearly! I figured I would use freezer bags as the beans will lay flat and make more room for other stuff.
Well I hope all of you have had a great Christmas season, we wish all of you a year full of hope and blessings!!!

Turducken #4

2008-12-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here is our done Turducken I am bummed because I forgot to take a picture of it being cut open. The inside looks like a lasagna. It can be a little difficult to serve but if you use a big spatula or even a cake server it works great! We were able to serve almost 20 people and have about 2 days of left overs.

Turducken #3

2008-12-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

While Mike was deboning the birds I was making the stuffing. I took a recipe I found online and changed some things about it. But here is the gist of what and how it is done.

Take about 1/2 C or 1 stick of butter and melt it in a large skillet over high heat. Add about 3 cups of diced onions and 1-1/2 cups celery also diced. Saute until the onions are dark brown but not burned, it takes about 10-15 minutes. Make sure you stir it though so they don't burn. I then added 1lb of turkey sausage (I would have added 2lbs, but we only had 1lb) to the skillet and cooked it about 5 minutes or until the sausage was browned. Next I added paprika (2 tbsp.) and minced garlic (3 tbsp.) and cook approximately 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups of stock and bring to simmer. Continue cooking until stock evaporates a bit and oil rises to top, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2-3 cups toasted bread crumbs and mix well. Add more bread crumbs if mixture is too moist or more chicken stock if you need it more moist. I think next time I'll actually make double this recipe as we had to be really careful as to how much stuffing we put in between the birds.

We turned the oven on to 225 degrees. Once we had all three birds deboned, we laid the turkey out flat on the chopping board. Mike then smeared butter and minced garlic all over the inside of the turkey. We also sprinkled some garlic salt and paprika. I quartered up an onion and then Mike put them in different spots on the turkey (like under flaps of the bird or in crevices to give it a little more flavor). Next we poured out some stuffing (if you divide your stuffing up first it helps a lot) onto the turkey and spread it out. Place the duck on the stuffing filled turkey and repeat with the butter, spices, stuffing and onion. Then place the chicken on the stuffing filled duck.

Now this is going to take 2 people minimally, lol. The turkey is very slippery. Have everything ready that you need to sew up the bird, yes I said sew. We found a great product at the grocery store that has metal skewer things that have a hook on 1 end. It comes with about 5 metal skewer things and some twine. I do wish we had had 2 of these packages it would have helped. First, close up the chicken, then the duck, and lastly the turkey. The second person needs to sew the opening closed while the first person is holding the turkey together.

Once the Turducken is sewed closed place it in a roasting pan, sewed side down. We then smeared the outside of the Turducken with butter and sprinkled it with garlic salt and paprika for coloring. We put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any stray drippings.

We plopped the beast in the oven and let it cook for 2 hours. Then we basted it. Let it cook another hour and then baste it again. And then yet another hour and baste it again. We then made a foil tent to cover the birds and kicked the heat up to 275 degrees. Continue to baste the bird every hour or so. It took us about 8 hours to cook but we read that it can take up to 10 hours. Just make sure that you check the internal temperature of the bird, it needs to be at 165 degrees.

Turducken #3

2008-12-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

The picture above is of the chicken being deboned and the picture on the left shows the duck being deboned .

Turducken #2

2008-12-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is where the mess begins. Grab about 3 plates to put all the bones, giblets, extra fat and skin on, we saved these for our gravy. Here is the link we used to debone the turkey. Mike accidentally deboned the turkey upside down but it still worked :) http://homecooking.about.com/od/turkeyrecipes/ss/deboneturkeysbs.htm

Turducken #1

2008-12-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here is Mike with our turkey. We actually saved over half of our grocery shoping so we could get a free turkey. Our store had a promo where if you buy $100 worth of groceries you would receive a free 15lb turkey and if the turkey weighed more (which ours was 18lbs) then you paid the price per pound which was only .99c. So for the whole turducken it was $23.

Many asked so here it is :)

2008-12-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know many of you asked what in the world we were thinking at Thanksgiving. As many of you know Mike does something different with the turkey each year and this year was no exception. We poured over a bunch of different ideas but the one that kept coming back to us was the Turducken. I wanted to capture this memory as it was one full of laughter and exhaustion, lol. So I tried to take pictures all throughout the process and even kept a time log for this beast :) Let me know if you try this out and what you think. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasty endeavor. For your viewing pleasure (well the only yummy looking picture is when the bird was done) here are the recipes, directions, and pictures.

Black Bean Crockpot Stoup Recipe

2008-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

So, I've been craving black beans, but only had an idea of how to make them. I finally took a few recipes and mixed them together to make this stoup. A stoup, for those who do not know, is a middle place between a stew and a soup, it is usually more chunky and think, but still a bit watery, if that at all makes sense, lol. The great part was everybody enjoyed it. The nice part about this is that you can scoop out some of the beans and put on a tortilla for a burrito or on chips for nachos, or just in a bowl for stoup :) Here's the recipe, let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1lb Ground Turkey meat cooked up till browned and seasoned with garlic salt, drain fat
1 16oz bag of dried black beans
1 small onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1-1 1/2 Cups of salsa
Optional Toppings
cheese
sour cream
avacodo
green onions chopped
Put black beans in crockpot and pick out all the beans that are cracked or broken and discard them. Place chopped up onion and garlic into crockpot as well. Add enough water to beans, garlic and onions so that it will cover the mixture plus about 1-2 inches higher. Place lid on it and cook on low all day. That night drain all the contents of the crockpot into a colander. Add beans, salsa and cooked ground turkey back to the crockpot. Add water or chicken broth till desired thickness is achieved. Let cook for about 30 minutes (doesn't take long if you have just cooked the ground turkey as that will be hot) or till everything is heated through. Now the fun part. Put stoup in bowls (liquid and all) and sprinkle with whatever toppings you like, we did avacodo, shredded cheese, and sour cream, Mike and Brandon made theirs into burritos so they used a slotted spoon to put the beans onto a tortilla and made it that way. Our family consumed the entire contents of the crockpot, so we will probably have to do two bags next time for a couple of left overs. Hope you enjoy and let me know if you make it, what you think, and what tweaks you made to it.

Holding our children's hearts...

2008-11-19T17:29:00.000-08:00

"No one else named “Mom” lives in our homes and holds our children’s hearts and lives like we do. Let’s not miss our greatest ministry!" I received this out of a great e-mail from a friend (thanks Kim) that just smacked me up side the head and these two sentences were the last ones on that e-mail. As I read that I looked and saw how many opportunities I miss because I want myhouse clean, or I want homeschooling done, or I want my kids to act just right, or sometimes even my husband, but how many times have I missed their hearts? I know that is one of the biggest reasons why we homeschool is for our childrens hearts. Isn't it amazing how God can put a simple sentence on our heart that makes us search so much deeper for Him and for Him for our family?!

Annika is 7!!!

2008-11-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it?! My baby girl is 7. Yes she is still has tiny as ever, wearing only size 5 clothes, but she is amazing. Some of the many accomplishments she has had this year: Horseback riding (thank you Chelsey for making that dream a reality!), sewing - yes with a real sewing machine, she has made a double sided apron and a Christmas stocking with a pocket for her stuffed baby monkey, reading and writing like a whiz, and drawing everything she can. We were blessed to have some dear friends come over and be a part of her special day. Hope you enjoy seeing the pics. Have a great week!!!

Amazing Classes!!!

2008-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I had the honor of going to not just one but 2 amazing classes. It is very rare that you find people who are at an expert level who can explain what they do and how they do it to a novice like myself. But God has been putting people in front of me who do just that.
At 8am I went to the Fair Oaks Horticultural Society. The Master Gardners there were doing classes on all different winter stuff. The one I wanted to learn about was gardening in the winter. The MG was so awesome. She gave me a pamphlet of when to plant what, and invited me to come back next month, to open garden day, and ask any questions I had. After that class I rushed to the library grabbed some books and headed to a cooking class that I received a complimentery pass too. God worked ahead on that one as well. I really wanted to go this class but couldn't bear myself to spend $35 for it. Low and behold we got a package from our chiropractor and his office and there was the certificate in it :) Dr. Ken and Rachel, who taught the class, have such a passion for serving God through teaching others. They had so many great tips recipes. We got to try everything!!! I brought home some recipes and today we are going to make the muffins. I'm going to do Rachels tip and make a double batch and freeze some for quick healthy breakfasts. It was so much fun.
On another positive note: Mike got his grade back from his first Chemistry test. He not only got an A+ but got the extra credit for 4 extra points. I'm so proud of all his hard work.
Not only is Mike going to school but he is joining us for co-op this year. The kids are so excited! Mikey is taking "Exploring the Human Body" and "Games, Sports, & Songs", Annika is taking "Cup Stacking" (which if you don't know what that is go to www.youtube.com and type in cup stacking, you will be totally amazed) and "Draw Write Now", Joshua is in a "stories and craft" time and also has a snack and game time, and Mace will be in the nursery. Mike is going to be doing worship for the entire group. Please keep him in your prayers as I know he truly wants to glorify God and bring kids into a great worship experience.
Well that about concludes last week, lol. Hope all of you are having amazing weeks as well!!!

Still crazy but slowing down

2008-09-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to look back and see how God has been working. Mike was able to get into every class he needed to. So my hubby is now taking Microbiology, nutrition, chemistry, and is taking class at the University of Phoenix. He is now in school 7 days a week, but all different times of the day. It does make for a hectic schedule, but we are learning to work around him.
I just received the grades for my first 2 weeks of school and praise God I'm doing good. It is truly by the grace of God that we are even making it through this. Only 2 years and 50 weeks to go, lol!

New College Students

2008-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well today I started my first two classes at The University of Phoenix. I had to post a bio, which was actually hard to do, but I did realize how much of my time truly is spent with homeschooling, potty training, bottles, cleaning, and just running after kidds :) . I also started my reading assignments, printed out my two syllabuses and calendars. I really am liking this whole going to school online thing, can't beat turning in homework at 11pm, lol.
Mike started school as well and God has been opening up insane doors left and right. Now there is only one door left, a psych class. When God opens that door (whether it be tomorrow or next semester) that will be all the prerequisites that he needs to start nursing school this next fall, which would be huge! A lot of people need their prerequisites for nursing also and these classes are really hard to get into, that's why I know it is God.
I was reading a bio on the makers of the movie "Facing the Giants" (which if you haven't rented it, go immediately to your nearest video rental store and grab it!) and they were talking about how people have written them and said "those miracles in the movie don't happen" as to which one of the brothers replied "all the miracles are real, if you can completely explain something then it's probably not a miracle, but many things happen that should have never been possible!" That's how I'm looking at the journey we are going on right now, simply put it's MIRACULOUS!
Thank-you to all of you have been praying for us, please, please, please, keep it up. We know God is leading us and can't wait to see what He does next! I pray next I'll be able to write that Mike got that last class he needed :)
Have an amazing week everyone and keep your eyes out for the miracles!

lots of stuff going on...

2008-08-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well it has been an insane month. First off we have found an amazing church that we love. It's called East Valley off of Hazel Avenue near our house. They, so far, have everything that we've been praying about. The pastor has been doing great sermons about the armour of God that have truly hit home.
We've have been trying to figure out where God is leading us and Mike has been feeling a calling to go back to school. We've praying about it for a bit, since some doors needed to close and others needed to open. And God did just that. Not only did He open the doors for Mike to go back to school but also for me to go to school also. So we will both be college students as of August 25th. I will be doing all my schooling online though (a huge door opening right there) while Mike will only have to go on campus 1 day a week for 4 hours (another huge door opened).
With all the talk of schooling out we also prayed about our housing situation. And felt that we should humbly move into Mikes parents house. This actually had a lot of positives but one huge negative our pride, lol. We now will have Brandon 24/7 and he will only be a few blocks from school. Mikes parents will be living primarily in San Francisco as his mom will work full time there and only 2 days a month (if all goes as planned). Plus God has already provided a potential renter for our home. That's been a really hard one for me to let go of. But God has been more than faithful!!!
We also are taking a class through our chiropractors office called Body By God. It has been amazing and so much fun. And a couple of my girlfriends and I are going to one of their "healthy" cooking classes soon :)
I know its been awhile since I've posted anything and there is so much more than these few paragraphs that have been happening, but know that God is working and we are doing our best to follow the direction that He leads. There are still huge mountains but we are following faithfully knowing that those mountains will be moved!!! Thank-you so much to so many of you who have continued to keep us in your prayers, they have been and continue to be answered and we are forever grateful for friends who love us enough that they lift us up when sometimes we just don't have the strength. I pray all of you are truly able to wear and feel the "boots of peace" surrounding you and your families. Have an amazing week and know that we are lifting you up in prayer and love as well.

God is good

2008-07-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how God seems to give you exactly what you need, just not exactly what you thought you needed, lol. I am starting to love gardening and am seeing how it truly does take me back to the basics and remind me of Gods undying love. All of our plants started at about an inch tall, not to much to talk about, lol. And even though this is my first year gardening and I have no idea what I'm doing (thank God for friends and google, lol) these plants are not just growing but flourishing. It's amazing how even though we planted them and sometimes we forget to water them our veggies seem to know that if they just hold on one more day they can grow even bigger. I am realizing how much I need to apply that to my own life. I've been so worried about getting things perfect or not doing them at all that I seem to forget that God doesn't forget to water or fertalize, yes garbage happens, but he is always faithful. He has been constantly reminding me to be "strong and courageous". How can you be strong and courageous when somedays you want to stay in your nice comfy bed and just lie there? I looked up the word courage and this is what it said "to act in accordance with one's beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism". I hate to admit it but that criticism whether real or things we think are being said or thought are tough to get past. But it doesn't say to be courageous because there is nothing to be afraid of it says inspite of it we are to stand up. So go for it, when you feel like falling down, go to your knees instead, when you feel like crying cry tears of joy because you are loved, when you feel like you can't take one more step Know that He is with you!

Getting back to our roots

2008-06-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mike and I took Annika, Mason and Joshua to our local farmer's market. We bought some apricots, plums, pluots (pronounced plew-ot, they are a crossbreed between a plum and an apricot), and some nectarines from an organic farmer there and then we met an organic dairy farm stand. The people were amazing and their cheeses.... if you haven't tried organic cheese you are missing out. We bought 2 chunks from them as we realized we would actually be using less cheese since their cheese is so much more pungent. We also bought some stuff called Quark. It is a German style cream cheese. We bought the vanilla bean flavor to use with our fruits for a dessert.
Then I found an amazing treasure through a friend (thanks Annette). It is the Tomich farm off of Chestnut Avenue, 6702 Chestnut Avenue to be exact, can you tell I want you to visit, lol. I went there thinking I would get a box of peaches that were seconds, for those of you who don't know what seconds are (I didn't before 2 weeks ago, lol - it is the fruit that is slightly bruised or nicked that is still good to eat but great for preserving, but found out there was a short waiting list (I think everyone else had the same idea as I did). So instead the 2 wonderful ladies there showed me 2 other boxes that were a little more bruised and nicked (I'll call them thirds, since I have no clue what they really are called), I figured I'd take one. The boxes were 20lbs each and I paid my $10 for the 1 box - yes I really did say $10, I was just as shocked that they were so cheap, and took it out to the back of my truck. When I stopped and thought about all the great peach butter and peach jam I could make I turned around and asked for the second box. Mike was surprised to see me with 40 lbs of peaches for only $20. I did call them later and took my name off the list but found out that if you call them they will tell you if there is a list and you can get your name on it or have them make you a box even before you get there. BTW these peaches were picked that morning. This morning I did juice a few of the peaches and they were delicious (we did add a couple of the other fruits as well).
Today I will start teaching Mikey and Annika how to make peach butter and jam. I will hopefully get some good pics, I keep forgetting to take pictures so all of you can see, lol.
PS. If anyone wants the number to the Tomich Farm (BTW it's NOT the Tom Tomich farm right off of Greenback, it is the Tomich Farm off of Chestnut and Greenback (I guess 2 brothers split a farm and went in different directions) the number is (916)988-0165, if you want to reserve your box. The ladies said they are getting so many peaches they are having to throw quiet a bit away. Let me know if any of you try it out and what you think :)

A look at this week...

2008-06-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well as I said in an earlier post Joshua didn't get in the water for his swim lessons for 2 days. Tuesday we tried to bribe him with going on the slide at the playground there, but that was a no go. So I actually let Mikey and Annika go slide so he could see that they were being rewarded because they went swimming. Wednesday we went to another chiropractor appointment and then swim lessons again. Once again I tried to get Joshua to go to his lessons and once again he started crying and saying he didn't want to leave me (it wasn't the swim lessons that he didn't like it was that Mommy wasn't going in with him, lol). So I made him sit on a bench and watch everyone else swim. Well he didn't like that so he asked to go to his class. We walked half way around the pool and he decided he didn't want to go again.... We went back to the bench to wait for Mikey and Annika when low and behold Joshua saw his class playing with toys in the pool. So I explained to him the kids in his class got to play with toys because they were swimming. He didn't like that and said he wanted to go swimming. So we took that long walk again and guess who went to play with his class :) He only had about 5 minutes with his class, but I was so happy. When swim lessons was out we went straight to the playground and went to the slide. The next day guess who wanted to go to his class right away? Joshua loves his class now and does amazingly well. He loves to dive under the water to grab the toys, loves to kick in the pool, and loves to jump in to the pool.
On some other exciting news Annika now will be going to the chiropractor only 1 day a week instead of the 3 days a week she has been going with Mikey and I. The doctor will do this for a few weeks and then reevaluate if she is still making good progress. Dr. Jeff is wonderful with the kids, Mikey and Annika were both really nervous after their first appointment, but Dr. Jeff decided to try a different technique and the kids now ask when their appointments are because they are so excited to go. Annika was actually bummed that she is dropping down to 1 day a week.
Tonight Mike and I are taking Brandon and his girlfriend Ashley to a picnic dinner at the drive in. I never thought I would double date with my son, lol. This "date" is to celebrate their 5 month anniversary :) Man I remember when I use to do that to...... But before that 2 of my girlfriends and I are going to go celebrate one of their birthdays. It will be a very fun filled evening.
And tomorrow we are taking all the kids to the farmers market to get some organic fruits and seconds (which are fruits that are slightly bruised or cut) for the week and for our new juicer (Thank-you G.G. we love it and have tried some fun concoctions). Hope all of you have a fun filled and blessed weekend.

Swim Lessons

2008-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

The joy of summer... We had our first swim lessons today which over all went really good. Mikey and Annika both really like their teachers, their classes have about 7 kids in each of them so not a terrible amount. But then there is Joshua.... Yes my dear sweet 3yr old little boy, cried the entire time and didn't want to do anything with his class, even though the day before we went over to some friends house and he "swam" for a couple hours. I think it is more he doesn't know the people. I had him go over and talk to his teacher after class and we are going to try again tomorrow. Hopefully it goes good.
On another note, Annika had her tap recital on Sunday. She did so good, we were very proud. She really knew the dance and some of the other girls looked to her to see what their next move was :) Their song was "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear" and with their costumes they got little teddy bears who were dressed in the same outfit as the girls that they get to keep. I think that was the most exciting part for all the little girls is that they knew their bear was coming home.

Busy Busy Busy

2008-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how all year long we wait for the summer when we think we can slooowww down... yeah like that ever really happens. Well since the car accident Mikey, Annika and I have been going to the chiropractor 3 times a week, now don't get me wrong we love our doctors and the staff there is amazing, but it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get everyone ready, there, adjusted and back. And now we added swim lessons right after our appointments. But the kids are having fun and enjoying summer even if Mom is making them do a little school during the summer. Well, I hope all of you are having a great summer whether busy or just cruising along.

Been Awhile

2008-06-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I posted on our family blog. We were actually set to go on vacation last week, BUT Mike had to work out of town. So my mom and I decided to do fun stuff around the area. Well Monday was our first venture. Brandon actually watched Mason while my mom, Mikey, Annika, Joshua, and myself went up to Truckee to go visit a kids musuem. Well our planned trip turned sour pretty quickly.... Joshua got car sick and threw up on himself and his carseat. Mikey was so awesome as he was sitting next to him and trying to take care of him till we could pull off. We got Joshua cleaned up and realized that I forgot his extra clothes in our car (we were in my moms car), so now we needed to find a clothes store for a shirt. We stopped at a few places but all of them sold adult sized clothes. We decided to turn around and go to a thrift store that we saw. We were at a stop light waiting to turn when the SUV behind us hit us. So we pulled over to a parking lot where a young girl got out of the car, she was petrified. We found out her foot slipped off the brake and punched into the gas. When I looked at the back of my mom's car there were 2 wholes about the size of tennis balls in her bumper and a big dent in her trunk. God was truly with us as there was no major trauma done to us or the kiddos. We did go to a chiropractor as my neck was really giving me problems about 20minutes later. And then after my visit with the chiropractor I decided to bring the kiddos in as Mikey had complained of some headaches, and I wanted to be safe more than sorry. So that was our exciting trip. Praise God my mom was around as I couldn't lift up Mason without it hurting, let alone Joshua. We learned a lot of great lessons that day, the biggest one being that we have the choice to have a good time no matter what happens. We did have a good time and Mikey, Annika and I are spending time together driving to and from the chiropractors office :) I guess it really is a lot of how you look at it. Have a blessed weekend. BTW Annika's dance recital is this weekend so we will hopefully have some good pics of her up soon.

Cheese!

2008-06-11T21:23:00.001-07:00

Here's Brandon with his braces off, isn't he handsome!

An exciting week for 2 boys

2008-05-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well this last week was a great week for 2 of my boys. Brandon finally got his braces off. He was so excited. He now has an "invisible" retainer that he needs to wear except for when he eats. So far he hasn't lost them so that in and of itself is pretty good. I will hopefully get a picture of him up real soon with a before and after.
Mason got his first hair cut this week. He now looks like a little Peña boy. His long hair in the top middle of his head are now in a baggy waiting for a scrapbook to be put in (we will see how long that takes, lol). He is absolutely adorable.

Thank-you

2008-05-26T21:28:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our family wanted to take a moment and thank all the men and women who have served or are serving our country. We are truly greatful to each and every one of you. We know that freedom is not free and many have payed with their lives. You all are in our hearts and prayers.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

Family Day

2008-05-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Mike has been wanting to go to the beach, which is odd in and of itself, because he is more of a home body. So at 8am we headed to Stinson Beach, near San Francisco. It took about 2 and a half hours with a stop for a family breakfast where we sat and talked about The Great Wall of China. The drive was beautiful, with lots of trees and shrubs all around and then the kids saw the ocean. Their mouthes dropped open and couldn't believe where we were. We parked and got everyone and all of our stuff out; Mason's backpack carrier, a diaper bag, a towel bag, cell phones, lol, and walked to the beach. We all sat down and took off our shoes, well everyone but Mike (yes even Mason had no shoes). The kids ran and jumped in the sand. It was pretty cold there, so we all had pants and sweaters on, but the water was just too tempting. So Mikey, Annika, Joshua, and Mindy all rolled up their pant legs and headed out to chase the waves. We were winning against the waves that is until Annika was trying to outrun one, and "accidentally" fell and rolled around in the wave and sand. Poor thing was so cold, her lips were quivering. Mindy took her to the outdoor shower where she tried to no avail to get all the sand out of her hair, ears, face, and clothes. The girls walked back to the boys who were having fun playing in the sand. We decided that Annika was to cold so we decided to call it a day. But before we left Mindy walked Mason out to the waves where he stuck his little feet into the ocean, which he didn't like, he wasn't to sure about having sand on his feet either. Everyone except for Mike and Annika fell asleep in the car. It was a great day. We are going to try and go back this summer and actually do a bit more swimming and not just wave chasing.
PS. Happy B-day Kelly, Annette, and Sarah I pray that it is the best year so far for all of you and that God blesses you beyond what any of us could ever think or imagine. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Love you all

Play List

2008-05-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well today I added a playlist as you can probably hear, lol. It was so much fun to go through all of the music that we love. When our kiddos were little we "gave" each of them a song that reminded us of them. Brandons song is "Just The Way I Am" - because when Mike and I got married he was already here :) And I love him just the way he is, Mikeys song is "You Are My Sunshine" because he just always wants people to feel loved, Annikas is "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" of course cause she's the only girl and I love all the oldies, Joshuas is "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" with having so many now I remember looking at him and thinking I'm so blessed to stay at home with all of you and I don't want to miss a thing, and Masons is "You're Gonna Be", this song is so beautiful and just touched a mommy cord in me. And Yes I even added the song from our wedding "From This Moment", everytime I hear it I can still see us standing at the altar getting ready to plunge into marriage. It was so much fun to put all their songs together and think back over their lives. Wow God has blessed us with them beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined. I hope you enjoy the music and it makes your heart smile :)

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

Mothers Day

2008-05-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

First of all Happy Mothers Day to all you momma's out there!!! I honestly wasn't expecting anything this year and was greatly surprised. My 4 younger kiddos made breakfast for me with their daddy only supervising. Mikey (8) fried up some Turkey Bacon, Annika (6) cracked, scrambled, cooked, and even flipped scrambled eggs, Joshua (2) made cinnamon rolls - well his daddy opened the container, but he pulled them out, put them on the pan and even frosted every single roll and Mason (1) supervised. They brought me breakfast in bed with a card with the sweetest picture attached of them in the kitchen and a Lowes gift card. Now most of you are thinking man that doesn't sound fun. But I had told my dear hubby that all I wanted was for him to really think of me. And he really did this year! I've been planning to plant a garden and have been trying to save up funds and plan so the Lowes card will actually help with our garden. We went there today and checked out all the neat plants they have there and got really excited about what we will be harvesting. I pray all of you momma's felt thought of and loved today! Once again Happy Mothers Day!

The Beginning

2008-05-11T02:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, so this is the beginning. I never thought I would start a blog, but I wanted all our extended family and friends to be able to see what we've been up to. BTW Happy Mothers Day to all you Mommy's out there, you are beyond important, thank-you for doing what you do.