Sunday afternoon.... - 07:58, Sunday, June 14, 2009

The kids have been excited.... dad has been working on creating a tree house from one of our very old mulberry trees out front.... this tree is really old ( 100plus yrs!)... so far he has put in 2 swings, and a climbing rope. ( we have some boys who love to climb!)  He plans on making a tree house that has a slide that comes out of it...... should be fun.........

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner tonight.  I tried a new recipe for baked beans that are fabulous!! Not one drop was left in the pot!  These are easy to put together, but do require 3 hours in the oven.......but oh they are worth it......

                                  Baked Beans

2 Cans 31 oz of Van De Kamp's baked beans

1 / 2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp mustard

1 med onion grated

1 package of bacon , fried and crumbled

Combine all the ingredients in a 13 x 9 pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Yields: 12 good sized  servings

Strawberries, Dirt & God's goodness - 08:58, Wednesday, June 3, 2009

 The kids and I enjoyed strawberry picking at a local orchard. Although we have been spoiled by Northwest berries. ( they are huge in the NW!) We still enjoyed the visit to the orchard and ended up making some yummy treats with the berries.

With 10 kids , picking berries went quickly to say the least!! Many hands does make for light work!

Even the little kids enjoyed the visit to the orchard and did their share of picking. :)

This is one of the treats we made with our berries. :)

Nothing like fresh strawberry pie. :)

                                        Fresh Strawberry Pie

1   9 inch pie shell baked and cooled

3 pints strawberies

1 cup sugar

3 TBS cornstarch

1 TBS lemon juice

1/4 tsp almond extract

Whipped cream

Place 1/2 of the strawberries in a pot and mash or puree.  Add sugar and cornstarch. Cook slowly over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in lemon juice and extract.  Let stand to cool.  Add remaining berries.  Pour into cooled pie shell. Chill and serve with whipped cream.

On the home front, we finally got our good dirt delivered!! Yeah!! It is wonderful dirt and we can't wait to re-plant our garden again!!!  Lord willing we won't lose it again. My husband thinks we need to put a fence around it to make sure no critters get in. :)

The weather has been fabulous! In the 70's with lots of sun after a few days of rain.

Oh yes, I have a praise report to share! 

I have  been struggling with seasonal allergies and a few days back they were pretty bad. I couldn't sleep at all, and by morning I was weasing and I knew I needed to break down and purchase a nebulizer.  We don't have health insurance, so each time we go to the doctor's it is out of pocket.  As I was about to make the call for an appt with the Doc, my Pastor calls at the very moment. When he hears my voice and how I am gasping for air, he asks me if I wanted to use their nebulizer!!! I said, YES!  Well, long story short his wife came by and brought the nebulizer and the liquid meds that are put in it to help with opening up the lungs! Oh my, what a difference this has made! I had been taking claritin, but it wasn't taking care of the breathing difficulty. Using the nebulizer a few times a day has made the world of difference!

I love it how God does that! He knows our needs before we even ask for them! He knew I needed the nebulizer, and He also knew that it would be extra costs for us.  Even before I even thought of praying about the situation, He sent the blessing!

Isn't God wonderful?  It's so wonderful to know we have a God who even before we utter a word, takes care of our every need!

I also realized that I neede to be more thankful for the air I breathe. I think I have always taken that for granted -- AIR -- something that we have and we just don't even realize is so critical for our well being, until we can't get it enough of it!!

Thank you Lord for the air we  breathe!

Thank you Lord for providing for my every need!

We serve an awesome God!!!

Family Life - 09:55, Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Sugar and spice and everything nice... - 11:49, Friday, May 22, 2009

    Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.... or so the saying goes......  it's so lovely to see my girls embrace their feminine nature.  One of the things they so enjoy doing is dressing up in period clothing.   Here is Rebekah..... I played around with the sepia to add an "old fashioned" look.....

Here is another shot of my girl....

Oh for the days when ladies looked like ladies..... of course I love a pair of capris on a hot summer day. :) 

Generall speaking I do encourage my girls to embrace their feminine side. 

Although I will honestly say that this young lady above is known to run barefoot climbing trees in a pair of cutoffs. :) 

Gotta love it,

gloria

The newest addition to the family ... - 04:39, Monday, May 11, 2009

   Here is the newest addition to our family.... and a very popular addition I might add.....

I can not believe I let my kids talk me into another cat!! I mean it's not just the cat -- but it's the shots, and getting the cat fixed down the road.  But oh, how could I resist the pleas of my children? Plus this kitty is so cute with black and white longish hair.......and so we took it home and called it "oreo" because of the black and white coloring......

Oreo is settling into a lovely life of 10 devoted children caring for it's every need and wish.... oh how I detest "prima donna" cats... oh well...... what's a mom to do? It will definately stay outside! No indoor cats for me! Did that once and learned the hard way about fleas,  litter box,etc.

Oreo is a boy -- but we'll still get him fixed. I really don't believe in letting pets going around unfixed.  Which reminds me we need to do the same with our big farm dog. I forget because he is a male. :)

I did  let the kids bring in the kitten into the school house, but it is a distraction, so today may be the one and only day I allow this.

In any case, he is cute -- don't you think?

Gloria

ps. I was playing around with photo shop and made the photo with a "cartoon" like feature. :) Not sure if I like it, but I am too tire to change it now.

MIA - 09:19, Friday, May 8, 2009

   Wow....it's been almost 2 weeks since I have last blogged...... yes, sorry I have been MIA ( missing in action) for the last bit...... life has been "full" to say the least! ( when hasn't it been with 10 kids 16 yrs old and under?!!)     Our family took a trip back west for 1 week plus and just recently came back home. Whew....I have been "catching" up on laundry, yard work and email and just now able to take a moment to blog.

 I shared on my last blog entry how the Lord had blessed us with the resources to travel back West for my niece's wedding.  It was a miracle for sure!  My kids and I had been praying for months that the funds would be there for us to  be able to travel ( no easy thing travelling over 1,800 miles in a huge van with 10 kids!).  We prayed and prayed and it was just the week before the wedding that the necessary funds were made available -- thank you Jesus!!  It was a wonderful witness to my children that God does provide!  We were amazed at how the money stretched -- we travelled with $2,000 cash and that payed for hotel, gas, and an occasional meal out. ( I did a Sam's club run before we left and loaded up on fruit, bagels, veggies, snacks, etc)  We were amazed at the great deals we got on hotels/motels. There were some nice places we stayed at and on many occasions we were offered a big discount on the rooms ( we need 2 rooms for our size family!). We also ate out a number of times too, a rarity for us as well. The Lord was so faithful. We were very careful with our funds, and were constantly amazed at how the money just seemed to stretch! Thank you Lord!  I even came  back witih a few hundred dollars in the pocket book! Amazing! 

 The car worked great, no problems and the kids were champs. It is about 28 hours driving from Missouri to Seattle and that doesn't include stops.  So it took us 2 1/2 days to get there.  My sister offered her home to stay in, since she was in the city staying at a hotel with her daughter for her wedding.  That was so nice to be able to stay in a home and do some laundry.   The wedding was lovely - the bride ( my niece just beautiful).  Here are some snapshots of her special day.

My niece with her hubby, walking down the aisle. He is a wonderful young man. ( I say "young" because this couple is in their "20's" and my husband and I are in our "40's"!

My daughter, Hannah.... waiting for the wedding to begin...

She has grown into such a lovely young lady.

It's hard to believe my big sis's daughter is all grown up and married now! I remember well the day she was born! My how time flies.... this young woman is beautiful on the inside and out!  I am so glad we were able to be there for her special day.

After the wedding we headed out to the reception.... there was lots of dancing and good food. It was nice to be able to visit with my parents again. As always it was hard to say "goodbye".... I get so emotional, because they get so emotional. It's hard living 1,800 miles away from them and with them being so aged, I am not sure when the good Lord will call them home.  After saying goodbye, I cried and cried, until I couldn't cry no more...... I finally just prayed and gave it all to the Lord. Knowing full well He can take better care of them than I could if I were there.   Here's  the whole "crew" ( that is my children, husband) with my parents. :)

On the way home from Seattle to Missouri, our family stopped at Mt. Rushmore.  The kids and I stopped by last year and it was so amazing, my husband who was with us this time wanted to stop and see for himself. He was not dissapointed. Mt. Rushmore is amazing! Every American should visit this historic site! We also visited the Crazy Horse site, which is not completed yet, but still impressive.

Here's the family before the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln.  

We were blessed with good weather, and we spent taking walking tours around the scuplture. It is truly an impressive site!

The next stop was the Badlands in S.Dakota. It's about 1 hour or so from Rushmore. This was another impressive site to behold! We stopped and the kids and dad were courageous enough to hike up to the top! I had to close my eyes, as some of the kids climbed pretty high!

Yes, that is my daughter, Rebekah and my husband a few feet off the ground waving to me !!!   Praise God they made it down without any falls!

We really did enjoy a good trip, a side from my being so sad about having to say goodbye to my parents again. ( after a good day or so of crying I finally gave it up to the Lord). The kids enjoyed themselves and we were so blessed by the Lord thru our journey.

We arrived home a few days ago, and the kids and I have been busy catching up on laundry, putting away luggage, cleaning up the yard and such that I have not had time to blog. Thanks to those of you who left notes of concern wondering what happened to me..... well now you know!

Oh yeah, I came home and was thrilled to see that all the wildflowers we had planted are coming up! Yeah!! The sad news is that our neighbors cows had some how come thru the gate seperating our fields  and our garden was trampled! Ughh.. yep everything that we had planted is gone....... I was so dissapointed.......we had a bit of clean up to do yesterday, clean up cow pies and trying to see what could be salvaged from the garden. Looks like we are going to have to re-plant.

My kids were excited today to pick up a new kitten! The Amish store we purchase dry goods from had some kitties for sale and we picked up a lovely black and white long haired one and name it "Oreo". :) The kids are enamored.:)  Oh yes, we also had a mishap today with our son Samuel. We had returned some library books to the library book drop and his finger somehow got lodged/stuck in the book drop... so we had quiet the drama contacting the librarian ( thank goodness for small towns, where we know where the librarian lives!) and then getting some City officers over to help pry the metal drop open so samuel's finger could be released! Praise God he didn't break it, but it was scare none the less!

Well as you can tell we have had an eventful week! We're hoping to get back into our homeschool schedule next week and hopefully things will "quiet" down a bit. ( as quiet as they can get with 10 kids -- but one can hope, can they not?!)

Hope you all enjoy a lovely evening,

gloria

Happenings - 08:43, Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  I just realized it's been a week since I have blogged! It's been a full week and time is zooming by! This past weekend I was blessed to travel back west to celebrate my parent's 60th wedding anniversary!  Yes, that is 60 yrs! Amazing, huh? Many people get married, but precious few make it to 60 yrs!  I am so proud of my parents. They raised 5 girls who have gone on to have families of their own -- and amazingly not one of my siblings or myslef have been divorced! That is amazing in today's world! I know that my parent's example has been a amazing example to all of us of committment, love, patience, forgiveness.  

These are my amazing parents above -- and "yours truly". Mom is 82 and dad will be 89 yrs old this summer! They both are blessed with good health, live on their own still and dad still drives around town.  They are both agile and really spry. Amazing, I know! 

Mom & Dad were born in Havanna Cuba in the 1920's, and worked hard to build a business and raise a family. In 1960, their lives changed forever when Fidel Castro came to power. Their home and business were confiscated by the communist govt and their world was changed forever. Mom & Dad came to the U.S. to seek freedoms, especially the freedom to worship. They started "all over again" and worked hard to provide a wonderful home and life for their 5 daughters.

My parents taught me how to work hard, how to make a dollar stretch and so many other things. They were honest hard working people. 

I was so blessed to spend a few days with them and just enjoy them. I live so far away from them now, that this is really a special treat for me.

We enjoyed a lovely celebration in their honor and they renewed their vows at Church. It was precious !

They were married in Havanna Cuba on Easter Sunday, 1949.

Their wedding photo was on the cake. Amazing how they can do that now a days!

While I flew to WA state, my husband "held down the fort" and watched the kids at home for me. He did a great job, and I came home to a clean house and yard.  That was so nice, as I had not slept the entire night before and was exhausted!  I also thinked I picked up some kind of flu bug on the plane. I am feeling much better today.

I sure hope that all of my siblings and I will all make it our 60th wedding anniverary! That is truly something to celebrate!

Gloria

Family Devotions - 11:14, Wednesday, March 25, 2009

     Each week , our family  choose a new praise song or hymn to learn. Something we are not familiar with. This week we have chosen " God is so good". It's a precious little song that is easy to learn and the melody is so sweet. My children love it and have learned it quickly. 

    God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me.  He answers prayer, He answers prayer. He answers prayer, He's so good to me.  He cares for me, He cares for me, He cares for me, He's so good to me. I love Him so, I love Him so, I love Him so, He's so good to me.

  We've also had fun adding our own made up verses to the melody.... God is so kind....... God is so loving, etc.

   We sing before we begin our bible study, and before we kneel down to pray....it really helps all of us to focus on the Lord when we sing first..... it helps quiet the hands and feet of little people. ( and sometimes teens too!)  Teaching children to worship is so important.  As a mother it's one of the most important things I can do each day to worship the Lord with my children and to teach them from God's word.  Even I can't seem to get anything else "right" or done with my day..... I am pleased if we devoted time to worship and study and prayer.

   We also choose a new passage of scripture to memorize each week.  This week's passage goes right along with the song:

  " O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. "  - -   1 Chronicles  16:34

   God is good! He is so good!  His mercies are new every morning. I am so thankful He loves me, a sinner that I am. I am so glad that He hears my prayers, even when I cry out the same plea over and over again......... I am so glad He never tires of us, never is worn out or crabby or just "too busy" to hear my prayers.

  No, He is truly truly GOOD!

 Praising Him,

gloria

Spring Fever... - 05:17, Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The weather has been warming up... today we enjoyed temps in the low 60's....... oh my we have spring fever something bad!

After the kids finished up their school work and did their chores they headed outside to play some games........seems like forever since they played croquet and rode bikes!

Peter enjoying a game of croquet.........

Miss Naomi loves to ride her bike! What a smile.... don't ask about the purple pants, red shirt and green boots! She is 'way into' dressing herself these days! She has not mastered the art of "matching clothes"  yet!  Give her some time, she's only 4!

Jacob, my lanky country boy..........

Right behind him is my future garden spot......you can see in the corner a broken down shed that we hope to turn into a chicken coop this spring/sumer! I can't wait..... the soil in that area has tons of moles...... I have been told that this is a good sign of good soil... but oh, will I have problems with moles in my garden? What do you think? I have planned for the garden in that area because that is where our well hand pump is for watering in the summer months.

This good weather reminds me that I need to start looking for a garden tiller on craig's list. I really am looking for a troy built one. Need to really start scouting for the right one.

I am so anxious to see things "green up" around here...... seems like I have forgotten what green grass and budding trees look like......

Ah spring.....hopefully just around the bend.......

~ gloria ~

Weekend Activities - 01:42, Monday, February 16, 2009

Hello, dear readers. We enjoyed a full weekend with lots of fun activities!  We kicked off the weekend with a special Valentine's breakfast...... this time I cooked my personal favorite -- eggs benedict. It was delicous.  As I mentioned before I really love Valentine's Day and enjoy decortating the table with flowers, special treats and little homemade valentines for my family to enjoy.........

The children really really get excited about these simple traditions...... I usually set aside something special at each person's place at the table........ this year it was small box of chocolates, a homemade valentine, heart sucker and a flower for each daughter.....oh yes, and the traditional conversation hearts..

Sunday we enjoyed celebrating my son Jacob's 16th birthday..... can hardly believe my oldest is now 16 yrs!! oh my!  Where has time flown?!  He enjoyed his new book by his favorite author, Joel Rosenberg, ( end time prophesy writer)  &  the Left Behind Movies in a DVD set.   Jacob loves to eat ( what 16 yr old boy doesn't???) so he had a few things he wanted me to make for him on his special day....... breakfast complete with homemade blueberry muffins, orange juice, hash  browns, eggs & bacon............dinner  was garlic shrimp fettucine, garlic brocoli, and for his birthday cake he asked for "blueberry cheesecake"...... oh it was delicous........

Jacob is a wonderful son ...... he is a happy , good natured boy, who is a tremendous help around the homestead......he loves all things outdoors, loves to read ( anything end time prophesy!) and enjoys debating politics....... he dislikes rock music, and prefers country western. ( I love that about him!) He is happiest in a pair of comfty jeans and cowboy boots..... and longs to have cattle and a horse to take care of...... one day , hopefully soon!  

We really enjoyed our weekend activities.

Hopefully you all enjoyed a lovely weekend too!

~ gloria ~

Valentine's Party - 01:48, Friday, February 13, 2009

Yesterday ,  we enjoyed a lovely evening.   We gathered together with friends to visit the with the residents at a local nursing home. I hope we brought them some cheer. They sure looked and seemed so very lonley. Many of the ladies just kept saying over and over again "thank you, thank you".  The kids had made valentines and we handed them out  . We also sang " Jesus loves Me" & that brought a smile to those souls there.  Some of the residents were so very frail, my children were afraid to shake their hands.  It was so good for my kids to be around the elderly. It made me also realize we need to do this more often. I hope we can return and visit again. We were blessed by the visit.

Afterwards the kids enjoyed a Valentine's party at church. We had crafts for them to do, and lots of yummy treats. The girls and I baked cupcakes & cookies and they had such fun decorating them with valentine sprinkles & decor.  We really enjoyed our evening.

Here are the "little ones" enjoying their crafts.....

The "big" girls working on their crafts.......

Daddy & sarah making a beaded necklace together....

Lots of yummy goodies........

I also realized the need there is to visit the lonley & the widow in the nursing homes. Most towns have a nursing home or retirement facility. Do you know that most of these souls hardly get out and some never leave their rooms? It just breaks my heart. I told my kids, "please don't put me here when I am old and feeble". They assured me they wouldn't.

As we visited with these precious souls -- I couldn't help but wonder "what" their lives had been like and where their children and families are now.  What brought them there -- obviously some were very week and ill and certainly needed care..... but oh I was so broken to see how lonley and alone they were......I was also reminded of my own aged parents. They are both in their 80's and enjoy good health and are still very independent, living on their own and dad still drives......but as I looked into the eyes of these women, I couldn't help but think of my own mom......I couldn't bear to have my mom alone in a nursing home.... I will do all I can to take care of her....... I know some of these folks must be there .. but oh my, may the Lord help me to be able to find a way to care for my aged parents if the time comes that they need care.

I have purposed in my heart to visit again and soon. My children need more opporotunities to really learn how to reach out and minister to the elderly. I realized that last night. They were a little shy, and after a while they were able to be more warm and open with the residents.

I hope you all enjoy a lovely Valentine's Day ~ surrounded by those you love ~

~ gloria ~

Help in time of trouble ... on a cold winter night! - 12:23, Wednesday, February 4, 2009

   Dear Readers,

It is very late, and I should be in bed...... but I wanted to blog about this expierence that happened to me and my son tonight , while it was still "fresh" on my mind. It is such a witness to me of how the Lord truly is aware of our needs - especially in times of trouble.......I hope it  encourage you as well!  We serve such a faithful & awesome God!

                      ________________________________

 " God is our refuge and strength a  very present help in time of trouble "  - Psalm 46:1 KJV

This is the passage of scripture I kept repeating to myself over and over again tonight as I sat on the highway in the middle of "no" where ......... it was 10 pm and my son and I had just returned from a trip into town to get groceries ........ "town" by the way is 30 miles away...... 30 miles of farmland........ and no gas stations...... yes, you read right.....my almost 16 yr old son was driving the van, and he didn't realize we needed to gas up...... "mom" was sitting in the seat next to him humming along with Randy Travis...... uh oh...... no one was paying attention to the gas gage....... that is until it hit empty....... jacob handled it well and pulled the van over gently.   I stopped singing and began to pray...... I had no idea how close we were to the nearest gas station...... oh yeah , we had NO cell phone with us.... and it was about 10 degrees out....... hmmm........

Well what is one to do at a time like this ???   PRAY!  I prayed, jacob prayed........ we had hoped God would start the car up and help us to have enough gas to get to the nearest station ... however far that was...... well after some prayer, we realize that we have to move on to plan "B".......... so Jacob thinks he spots a house with some lights on.... I can't see anything..... I "think" I see a reflection or something, but not sure.....what to do .... it could be miles of open country...... and to send my son out there in that freezing cold weather? This is the midwest., where farms "dot" the countryside..... that means you see a house every 5 miles or so........

Jacob decides to take a chance and look for help..... I stay in the car and begin to pray..... my greatest concern is my son..... I pray that the house he "thinks" is over the hill really is there..... and that the people that live there will be good Christian folk that will be kind and let a teenage boy use their phone to call dad to bring us out some gas........ 5 minutes pass by...... nothing.... then 10 .......then .... well by then I began to really pray... I was fine....the car was warm enough, but it was my son I was concerned about..... the only thing on my mind was my son.... out there in that cold night ........

"Lord please let him find help.... let him find a friendly Christian couple who can help him out "....... I kept saying the passage from Psalms 46:1 over and over again out loud...... I was crying out to God, but there was a calm and peace and assurance in the midst of my cries...... I knew God would take care of us somehow...... I know He takes care of and protects those that trust in Him. ( Nahum 1:7).

About 1/2 hour later I notice a car come down the hill from the place where Jacob "thought" he saw a house with lights on........ "that's a good sign" I thought........ then the car pulls out onto the highway and it is on the opposite side of the highway from me -- across the median --- as the car drives by the driver flashes the brights on and off...... "perhaps jacob has found help... I tell myself"...... and sure enough when the car was able to turn around, it pulled up behind me and out comes running jacob , my son.

"Mom, mom... you'll never believe this!  Carolyn, the gal who owned the antique store you love to shop at lives in that house mom"....... " She's here and she's going to drive us home".......

" Thank you, Jesus"! You answered my prayers yet again!  Carolyn and her husband have a farm right off the highway -- her husband runs cattle and she owns an antique store that I love to shop at. Carolyn and I have had many conversations about the Lord - she knows the Lord!  " Thank you, Jesus" you not only brought my son back safely to me, but you brought help too!"  

Isn't the Lord, great??? Here we were driving along on a cold winter's night and we didn't realize we were out of gas -- but the Lord did... and the car happened to run out of gas just about 1/4 mile from Carolyn's house!  I was concerned about my son being able to find help and find the right home.. I mean he is a teen age boy and not everyone would maybe feel ok with letting a stranger, let alone a teen age boy into their home! But, the Lord in His goodness knew and the car ran out of gas close enough to a Christian family's home where we could get help.

Carolyn was kind enough to drive my son and I home.  Then my husband and I drove out with a can of gas to get my van and drive it home.  I thanked her and told her what a godsend she was that night and how the Lord answered my prayer! 

A couple of hours later I am safe & warm blogging about this expierence.

I wanted to share this  -- so that if any of you doubt that our Lord is mindful of our every need - please don't doubt....... He is so aware of our needs... and He does hear our cries for help......

He is truly a very present  help in time of trouble!

Blessed be His name!

~ gloria ~

Samuel's birthday! - 09:08, Tuesday, January 13, 2009

It is SO hard to believe that our son Samuel has turned 11 yrs old! It seems like yesterday we brought him home from Guatemala!  He was just 2 mos shy of turning 5 yrs old when we adopted him and here he is celebrating his 11th birthday!!  Samuel is a wonderful young man. He continues to be a gentle soul, the champion of the underdog who has a very tender heart. Samuel also loves the Lord so much and really loves the Word of God. I will often find him in a corner or quiet place just reading his bible. In my mama heart I wonder if the Lord will raise him up to be a pastor......... he has such a heart for the word of God and really does love Jesus so much........  this boy has blessed our family in many ways.  

Samuel asked for his favorite dinner tonight..... spaghetti and meatballs........

Rachel and I baked him a double chocolate cake..........

May the Lord bless you & keep you Samuel, and may His face continue to shine down upon you.......

Love,

mom

Cute photo - 11:08, Sunday, January 4, 2009

I thought I would share this photo of my children -- taken a few weeks back at our little church's Christmas pageant. My camera broke down that night and my pastor's wife took this snapshot. :)  I loved it........ this was our children's first ever Church Christmas pageant.  Our previous Church never held Christmas pageants or Christmas' Eve services, so you can imagine how very excited the kids to be involved with the nativity pageant this year!  The text was taken right from the bible word for word, so the kids had a bit of memorizing to do - but they did a great job and enjoyed themselves.  ( they are holding treat bags in the photo -- the "wise man" brought "gifts" for the children)

The kids had the following parts:

Hannah: Mary

Jacob: A Wise Man

Rachel: A sheperd

Samuel: Joseph

Paul: Zachariah

Peter: An angel

Rebekah: The angel Gabriel

Sarah: A Sheperd

John & Naomi :  "sheep"

I am so thankful for my little Church that focused on the true meaning of Christmas this year and really chose godly activities to bring Jesus front and center to the Holiday season.  It is so refreshing.

~ gloria ~

Our Christmas in photos... - 02:08, Saturday, December 27, 2008

We were blessed with a lovely and peaceful Christmas this year.  We began the day with singing carols around the piano and the reading of the birth of Christ in the Bible.  The kids then exchanged the simple gifts they had for each other ( they drew names so each child had one sibling to purchase or make a gift for).   We enjoyed a quiet morning.... Christmas is very very simple in our home.......

Here are a few snapshots chronicling our day........

We began our Christmas festivities on Christmas Eve. Our church sponsored the anual town Christmas service & nativity pageant.

Here is our Sarah Grace as a "sheperd" .. sore amazed when the angels appeared.......if you look below sarah on the ground are the "sheep"..... they were precious! Dressed all in white and with furry backs......

Bowing down before the baby Jesus..........

Sarah Grace, Peter & Paul enjoying their Christmas treats....... check out those smiles!

 Peter very very happy with his farm tractor he received from his lil' sis, naomi .......he ended up fililing it with Christmas candy.......

Dru working hard on getting our hearth / chimney completed for our wood stove.......yes , he did work on Christmas day! He got the chimney re-mortered ( it was in disrepair) , replastered and got our hearth layed out and tile installed!!!

Hannah, holding up Jesus' Birthday cake!!  She is my "right arm" in the kitchen!

 Big brother Jacob, taking out little sibs'  Naomi, Sarah & John to go sledding on the "big hill"......yes, we enjoyed a white Christmas!

My "big" helpers on Christmas day were Rachel Anne & Hannah Elizabeth! They were indespensable to me! We baked and baked and baked........ good job girls!

Oh yes, I can't forget our #1 dish washer -- Miss. Rebekah! She did load after load after load......

After all our hard work....... we sat down for a lovely Christmas dinner of Spiral Honey ham...... mandarin orange salad...... swedish cardamon braids....... vegetable medley casserole &  yams & pecans.......

And here is the "resident cook" ......... "your's truly"...... taking a minute to enjoy the presentation of this bounteous feast before we devour it!   Yes, I do look tired..... I worked hard all day to create this feast! :)

I so enjoyed spending the day at home - baking and cooking with my girls...... while little ones played with their new toys and big boy jacob and dad worked on the hearth..... After our delightful dinner we bundled up and caroled again..... we got back about 10 pm and then sang  "Happy B-day Jesus" and enjoyed our delicious Rum & Pecan Cake, yummy Christmas cookies and homemade eggnog!  We ended the day watching The Christmas Carol, one of my favorite Christmas movies.

It seems like just yesterday we were anticipating this special day and here we are "looking back" to yet another Christmas past......... and looking foward to another Christmas yet to come.......

I always feel a little bit of sad when I realize Christmas has passed again........ I love this time of year.... and the girls and I all sighed sadly as we started to clean and take down decor........I keep reminding them that there will be yet another Christmas again and of course each and every day is reason to celebrate the JOYous news that our Lord lives & reigns!  I know many folks are relieved that Christmas is "over" but not so for me. I love this time of year.... I love the carols, the lights, the sounds and smells..... and most of all I love the focus on Jesus.......... ahhh....... I will miss Christmas...... every year I feel this way........

Praying & hoping that the beauty  & memories created this season  warms our hearts all thru the coming  year.... until next Christmas.

~ gloria ~

A freezing cold midwest winter day .... - 10:51, Sunday, December 21, 2008

Well praise God, we are mostly over the flu or so I hope & pray!! :)  The weekend has brought us very very cold weather...... near zero with lots of wind...... the kind of cold that when you step outside your breathe is taken away, kwim? Oh my..... this girl from the Pacific NW, just isn't used to these bitter cold midwest winters...... this is our 3rd winter, and I still don't feel I am acclimated to the winters......... maybe someday?  Can't wait for that woodstove to get installed.....it's coming......it's coming.......

Meanwhile, we continue to deal with furnace woes! Can you believe our furnace goes out in the coldest week we have had all year long? I woke up last night to use the restroom and as soon as I stepped out of bed I *knew* the furnace had gone out completely......... sure enough by morning, the house was down to the mid fifties. Dru was able to get it running, but again it's not running at full capacity...... just enough to keep us somewhat warm.....about 62 so I can't complain.....I have some space heaters we have plugged into the parlor and bedrooms and that helps immensely. 

We also are dealing with plumbing woes! I tell you when it rains it pours!  Dru is replumbing our upstairs bathroom as I type........ oh the joys of old homes! You know I love love old homes for their charm and history....... but oh one does need lots of love and TLC when working with one of these old homes. :)

I am crossing my fingers that we can get our plumbing problems under control!

Oh yeah, I am almost forgot -- my husband's truck broke down as well..... like I said when it rains it pours! : )  I am not worried about things -- God is in charge and He is more than able to take care of things.... but oh the timing! Oh well. I guess we'll really appreciate when that stove gets installed and working up a wonderfully warm heat!!

Meanwhile, I stayed home today and enjoyed a quiet day at home........ put on a good pot of lentil & italian sausage soup & made 2 loaves of wheat bread......... we enjoyed some Christmas flicks , including a new one that we absolutely loved: An Avonlea Christmas. We are BIG fans of Avonlea and we absolutely loved this movie!! It was wonderful!

I also made another family favorite & holiday tradition.  My camera is broken so new pictures to share with you all. :(    This is a fabulous recipe, and is wonderful good served with warm sauce & a cup of tea.

                                            Gingerbread & Lemon Sauce

2 cups white flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2/3 cup boiling water

1 tsp baking soda

2 well beaten eggs

1. stir together flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar together, add molasses and eggs. Set aside

3. In a seperate bowl, pour boiling water over soda. Add other ingredients.

4. Beat well.

5. Pour into a well battered  9x9 pan and bake at 325 for 40 min. or until done.

                                           Lemon Sauce

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 TBS cornstarch  + 1 tsp cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1  1/2 cups water

1 TBS  butter

1/4 cup lemon juice

1. In a med saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon rind

2. Gradually add water and stir continually and cook until mix thickens.

3. Cover and cook on low for about 8 min. Stir occasionally.

4. Remove from heat and add butter & lemon juice.

Serve warm 

                ______________________________________________

Here's hoping each one of you enjoy a warm evening ~ this is a special week as we look forward with anticipation to the day we celebrate our Lord and Savior's birth! I have many things planned for this week and I am committed to not letting these problems with things at home breaking down get "me down" or rob us of the JOY that truly is in Jesus this time of year!

I pray each one of you finds your greatest JOY and strength in our precious Lord ~~~ He truly is worthy of our Praise!

Blessed be His name,

~ gloria ~

Battling the Flu - 09:11, Friday, December 19, 2008

We have been battling the stomach flu here this past week...... today it was "my turn"..... it wasn't too bad, but I can't eat and I am just drinking lots of water.  Fortunately this is a 24 hour bug -- so I really can't complain......... I am hoping that it was have gone thru the family before Christmas next week.  I have 10 children, so you can imagine how long it takes for the flu to work it's way thru the family....... get the idea?

Honestly this has been a challening week on many fronts -- starting with our furnace breaking down, last Sunday night ... and this being one of the coldest weeks ( in the teens) ....... and then kids getting sick......

But I am trying to not be anxious for anythings, as Paul writes....... but in all things giving thanks to God. ( Ephesians 5:20) ..... the furnace worked enough to make sure the house didn't get so cold, and our pipes didn't burst! Praise God for that! Plus God answered my prayer of finally putting a fire under my husband to order that much needed stove pipe. It was supposed to be here today -- but didn't arrive, so hopefully tomorrow. Meanwhile dru is busy building the hearth for the stove to sit on......so in the midst of the challenges, good things are happening too!

We spent the afternoon watching some really cute Christmas videos ...... and just resting....... you may have noticed that I changed my template.....I really really love sepia photos ...... so I took one of tthe shots I had taken of the kids this week and played around with it...... hope you like it. :)

God is good -- faithful & our ever present help in time of trouble --ever much so when this mama of ten is sick......

Hope you are all staying warm & healthy,

~ gloria ~

First Snow of the Season... - 04:01, Saturday, November 29, 2008

The children are all excited.... they are busily putting on hats, gloves and boots to head outside to enjoy the first soft snow of the season.....it's really a "wet" snow right now, but it's supposed to get colder as the evening comes and we should have some snow on the ground by morning. What a wonderful way to begin the CHRISTmas season!

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

Praising Him!

gloria

ps. I have changed my blog template to reflect the changing of the season.......

Beautiful Fall day! - 08:25, Sunday, November 2, 2008

We awoke to a beautiful day! The temps have risen a bit and we are in the high 60's..... oh it's so beautiful! We appreciated the lovey weather today as our church held it's Harvest Gathering. We enjoyed  a lovely day of fellowship, a wonderful meal, complete with wonderful soups and stews, and delicous pies and pumpkin treats.  The girls and I made a big pot of beef stew, and a batch of pumkin cornbread and whole wheat corn bread.  The kids so enjoyed the day! We enjoyed a beautiful hayride down country roads......it was gorgeous!  The kids will be talking about it for weeks to come! Such a wonderful alternative to the Halloween traditions.

After getting the kids bathed and cleaned up, we heated up some left over stew and had a bite to eat before heading to bed.......

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely day!

~ gloria ~

It's raining leaves - 12:59, Tuesday, October 28, 2008

We woke up this morning to our first freeze/frost. of the season.  The ground was white and it was cold. The sun is out and shining and it is a gorgeous fall day. Since it froze last night the leaves have been falling all day........ and I mean in mass amounts.... yesterday our 2 very old ( over 100 yrs old) mulberry trees were completely full of leaves..........as of early this afternoon about 3/4 of the leaves have dropped! The kids were laughing and saying it was "raining" leaves today!  It's amazing how that happens..... all it takes is a good freeze and the leaves drop drop drop.... 

The little ones have been enjoying making huge piles of leaves and jumping into them....

This morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of hot german apple pancakes and cinnamon nutmeg sauce. Ooooh it was so good!  Piping hot out of the oven it was the perfect breakfast for a cold fall day.

                              German Apple Pancakes

1 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

2 cups milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

12 eggs

3 med sized apples, peeled, and thinly sliced

topping: granulated sugar & cinnamon mixed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heavily grease a 13 x 9 pan.  Beat eggs well in a large bowl. Add the other dry ingredients and beat well.  Pour into pan.   Arrange apples on the batter.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mix on top. Bake for about 25 minutes until cooked thru. Serve hot.

               Cinnamon Nutmeg Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

3 TBS white flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups water

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBS butter

In a large pot, mix sugar and spices.  Add water and heat until thickened, stirring continously. When thickened, add vanilla and butter. Stirl until melted and serve over hot pancakes.

Enjoy!

~ gloria ~