Send me an email at 7morans@comcast.net so I can get you your software!
Congratulations!!!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Winner Announced!
Send me an email at 7morans@comcast.net so I can get you your software!
Congratulations!!!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
A Quick Reminder!!
If you like scrapbooking, you will love this! You can find all of the details HERE.
Sign up to become a follower and comment to tell me you did OR comment and tell me you already are a follower. You must be a follower to win. For an additional entry you can go to MYMEMORIES.COM and then comment on my blog which digital paper or layout you like the best.
Enter by midnight EST!! Winner announced tomorrow!! (drawing by random.org)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Our Family Schedule
My honey will be the first to tell you, this family must have a schedule!
In order to do all that has to be done, everything has to have a time slot. He and I only have each other. We get no help from grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. We are it. We must successfully manage doctor appointments, dental check-ups, soccer practices, grocery shopping, school-work, cooking, visits to the eye-doctor, cleaning, laundry, haircuts, his more than full time job, and everything else that goes on in a family of eight. We are often envious of families where the grandparents baby-sit, or take the kids to the dentist, or teach a subject of school, but that is not the circumstance the Lord has us in.
We have learned that if we are going to manage everything, and do it well, we must maintain a schedule. If things don't get put on the schedule, they won't get done.
There have been periods of time when we have abandoned our schedule (a move, a new baby) and things quickly turned to chaos. The key to success for us is to have a good schedule and stick to it.
We have to know who is doing what, and when, and make sure that everything that needs to be done is getting done.
Before we go any further and you start thinking we pull this off perfectly everyday let me assure you, we don't! The schedule is our goal. It is our plan. It keeps us focused. There are many days we get off track but since we have a plan we are able to get back on track if we derail. We can jump back in where we should be. We know what the plan is for each day but we allow room for grace. When company comes, or someone is sick, or we have an opportunity to do something special, we alter the schedule or just get the bare bones of it accomplished.
Here is our current family schedule. It changes frequently as we tweak it throughout the school year, as seasons change, as babies get older, and as sports seasons begin and end. This is what we are doing right now.
6:30a.m.- Mom up, shower, dress, start laundry, read bible and pray. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine before going downstairs. Once I am downstairs I start coffee and then have my bible/prayer time.
7:30a.m.- Kids up. Mom - feed baby. Kids - shower, dress, make beds, chores. The 2 oldest kids shower in the morning. We have 2 other kids that shower at night and the 2 youngest ones take baths at night. So, for the 8 of us we have 4 of us that shower in the morning and 4 that shower/bathe at night. It works for now. The children have morning chores like feed the animals, empty trash cans, swiffer the floors. They work on getting ready and doing chores while I feed Clare Grace.
8:00a.m.- Breakfast and clean-up (Ethan), switch laundry. Every Friday I wash sheets. We have 7 beds so I do 3 beds one Friday and the other 4 beds the next. Each bed is getting clean sheets every other week. After breakfast one child unloads the dryer and another one puts what is in the washer into the dryer.
8:30a.m.- Kids - Bible time, Mom - tend to baby, get everything ready to start school and start dinner. When Dad is here he does catechisms with Olivia while the other children read their bibles and spend time praying, journaling, and working on memorization. They do this alone in separate locations and I use that time to do any little quick thing I need to do before we start school. Sometimes I answer an email, or return a *quick* phone call, or make copies of a worksheet, or gather materials, or whatever I need to do. Clare Grace usually lays on a blanket with some toys near where I am or swings in her little swing in the family room. I also use this time to do any sort of dinner prep I can do. I like to go ahead and start dinner in the crock-pot if I can and let it cook while we work.
9:30a.m.- Language Arts - Ethan, Nic, Eli, and Olivia. Colin - Algebra with Dad. On the mornings Dad is here he does Algebra with Colin and gives him plenty of work to do independently for the mornings he is not here. I do Language Arts with the other children and just move around from one to the next. I use this time to do Olivia's reading lesson also. Baby naps.
10:30a.m.- Math - Ethan, Nic, Eli and Olivia. American Lit - Colin. At this time I feed Clare Grace but I am available to the children if they have questions or need help. It takes about 1/2 hour to feed and change the baby and then I put her on a blanket near us and help the children with their work.
11:30a.m.- Printing/Cursive practice younger ones, Bible for the older boys. The younger children copy verses from the bible to practice their handwriting while the older boys work on their Bible. We use this time for Balancing the Sword, and Christian Character, or Plants Grown Up. While the children are doing this I start lunch prep. It only takes Olivia a few minutes to do her printing practice (she's 5) so I bring her in the kitchen with me to help get things ready for lunch.
12:00noon- Lunch and clean-up (Colin), switch laundry. After lunch one child unloads the dryer and another one puts what is in the washer into the dryer. The baskets of clean laundry are put in my room to fold later. Every time the washer is open I start another load. *Yes, we do that much laundry everyday!*
1p.m.- Read aloud. I read to the children during this time, or sometimes one of the older children will read. We read all different kinds of books. Sometimes we read a book about a missionary, sometimes a history book, sometimes a classic that is on our "to read" list or a good biography.
2:00p.m.- Mom- feed Clare Grace, Little ones nap, older ones work on science lessons. I'm available to the children if they need help with their science lessons and after I feed Clare and put her down I usually have someone to work with. Sometimes we are doing a science quiz or a science project. Occasionally we will have a science video to watch. Colin is doing Chemistry, Ethan - Physical Science and I combine the younger boys' science lesson.
3:00p.m.- History While the younger ones are napping I help older kids with History. Right now Colin is studying American History while Ethan does World Geography. I teach Eli and Nic a combined History lesson. On Fridays we don't do Science and History and I use that time to grocery shop. I take two helpers and the baby with me and the rest of the children stay home with Dad. The children who are home get to read books or do art. We rotate the helpers each week so that everyone gets a turn to go. For some reason our kids love to grocery shop.
4:00p.m.- Snack. Kids-free time, Mom- cleaning. We do a light snack at 4p.m. and then the kids are free to play. They usually head outside. On Tuesdays and Fridays we leave at this time for soccer practice. If Dad is home he takes the boys to soccer and the girls stay home with me. If Dad is at work, I take all the kids with me to soccer practice. On the days that I am home during this time I clean. I take an hour each day and clean something. I have different zones to clean each day. I do not ever have 6 or 7 hours straight to clean house anymore ( I used to have a cleaning day when the kids were little). I work on cleaning 1 hour each day. That adds up to 5 hours of cleaning during the week and I do additional cleaning on Saturdays if I can (depending what we have going on). By cleaning a little each day the house never gets terribly dirty. The kids clean their bedrooms and their bathroom once a week. One child is in charge of cleaning the hardwood floors each day with the Swiffer. I work on dusting in each zone and deep cleaning the kitchen and the other 2 bathrooms.
5:00p.m.- Mom - dinner prep. Sometimes there is a lot to do, other times not. If dinner is in the crock-pot I might just cut up a salad. On the soccer nights when I will be taking the kids I make sure to have a crock-pot meal so once we arrive home dinner is ready.
6:00p.m. Dinner and clean-up (Nic). We try very, very, hard to stick to this. Soccer may delay it slightly but as soon as we are home we eat dinner together as a family. Usually we are home from soccer by 6:30 at the latest and if dinner is ready in the crock-pot, or if I stayed home while Dad took the kids, then we can quickly sit down to eat. On Wednesday nights if we are going to church we need to leave by 6:45. Tuesdays and Fridays are soccer nights. Wednesdays are church nights.
7:00p.m. Baths/showers. After dinner and clean up 2 boys head upstairs to their bathroom for showers and the 2 girls are given their baths in another bathroom. The 2 oldest boys usually take the dog for a walk during this time or work on "homework". We all meet back up at 7:30 in the family room for devotion.
7:30p.m.- Family Devotion. We read the bible and talk about it as a family, discuss prayer requests, pray, and have a family meeting. I feed Clare Grace while we are having our devotion time. She is diapered and in her pajamas and will usually sleep until her next feeding.
8:30p.m.- Read aloud. Most of the time Dad reads but if he is not home I do or occasionally one of the older boys. This is when we read Jotham's Journey or some other book like that. (This may turn into my exercise time since I don't really know when else to do it. Just last night I walked from 8:30 to 9:00 and it worked out well except I missed read aloud time. I'm still working on where to put my exercise time.)
9:00p.m.- Kids to bed, Mom - fold laundry, work on checkbook/bills, correspondence, baby book, etc. This is the time when I get to work on all of the things filling up my to-do list. Answer email, write out the bills or write a thank you note, or catch up Clare's baby book or work on the kids' scrapbooks or fold clothes and put them away or balance the checkbook or........the list is never ending. I do run into some trouble here if I have a lot that I need to get done and I will work for hours and hours. The house is very quiet and I am able to concentrate and I enjoy the peace. I have one teenager who likes to stay up later and work on things he wants to do and we allow him to choose his bedtime for the most part. He is pretty responsible.
10:30p.m. Mom - feed Clare Grace and put her to bed for the night. I should probably go to bed here but I have never gone to bed at 10:30 in my life! The ideal amount of sleep to me is 6 hours so I try to be in bed by midnight. If I work from 9p.m. until midnight with a half hour break to nurse the baby I can sort of stay on top of things. I like to do a coupon match-up and make a grocery list on Thursday nights and I like to at least jot a few notes in the baby book periodically. If I am sending a thank you note or birthday or get well card this is a good time for me to write those out because I can think about what I am doing since only me and the washer and dryer are up,and sometimes that teenager I mentioned :). Once a week I will use this time to clean out my purse and balance the checkbook and write out the bills that are due. I try to avoid turning the t.v. on since it can be a major distraction. This time has also been nice for private talks with my older kids if they have something private they need to talk to me about when everyone else goes to bed. I will put down whatever I am doing if they need to talk because I see that as more important than pretty much anything else.
Well, there you have it. That is our current Monday-Friday schedule. We fully realize that Jesus Christ is the power behind the schedule. Without Him we are nothing. We ask God to help us when we fail, show us when we are wrong and bless our feeble attempts to be organized. He is so faithful! Feel free to shoot me an email or comment if you have any questions!
In order to do all that has to be done, everything has to have a time slot. He and I only have each other. We get no help from grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. We are it. We must successfully manage doctor appointments, dental check-ups, soccer practices, grocery shopping, school-work, cooking, visits to the eye-doctor, cleaning, laundry, haircuts, his more than full time job, and everything else that goes on in a family of eight. We are often envious of families where the grandparents baby-sit, or take the kids to the dentist, or teach a subject of school, but that is not the circumstance the Lord has us in.
We have learned that if we are going to manage everything, and do it well, we must maintain a schedule. If things don't get put on the schedule, they won't get done.
There have been periods of time when we have abandoned our schedule (a move, a new baby) and things quickly turned to chaos. The key to success for us is to have a good schedule and stick to it.
We have to know who is doing what, and when, and make sure that everything that needs to be done is getting done.
Before we go any further and you start thinking we pull this off perfectly everyday let me assure you, we don't! The schedule is our goal. It is our plan. It keeps us focused. There are many days we get off track but since we have a plan we are able to get back on track if we derail. We can jump back in where we should be. We know what the plan is for each day but we allow room for grace. When company comes, or someone is sick, or we have an opportunity to do something special, we alter the schedule or just get the bare bones of it accomplished.
Here is our current family schedule. It changes frequently as we tweak it throughout the school year, as seasons change, as babies get older, and as sports seasons begin and end. This is what we are doing right now.
6:30a.m.- Mom up, shower, dress, start laundry, read bible and pray. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine before going downstairs. Once I am downstairs I start coffee and then have my bible/prayer time.
7:30a.m.- Kids up. Mom - feed baby. Kids - shower, dress, make beds, chores. The 2 oldest kids shower in the morning. We have 2 other kids that shower at night and the 2 youngest ones take baths at night. So, for the 8 of us we have 4 of us that shower in the morning and 4 that shower/bathe at night. It works for now. The children have morning chores like feed the animals, empty trash cans, swiffer the floors. They work on getting ready and doing chores while I feed Clare Grace.
8:00a.m.- Breakfast and clean-up (Ethan), switch laundry. Every Friday I wash sheets. We have 7 beds so I do 3 beds one Friday and the other 4 beds the next. Each bed is getting clean sheets every other week. After breakfast one child unloads the dryer and another one puts what is in the washer into the dryer.
8:30a.m.- Kids - Bible time, Mom - tend to baby, get everything ready to start school and start dinner. When Dad is here he does catechisms with Olivia while the other children read their bibles and spend time praying, journaling, and working on memorization. They do this alone in separate locations and I use that time to do any little quick thing I need to do before we start school. Sometimes I answer an email, or return a *quick* phone call, or make copies of a worksheet, or gather materials, or whatever I need to do. Clare Grace usually lays on a blanket with some toys near where I am or swings in her little swing in the family room. I also use this time to do any sort of dinner prep I can do. I like to go ahead and start dinner in the crock-pot if I can and let it cook while we work.
9:30a.m.- Language Arts - Ethan, Nic, Eli, and Olivia. Colin - Algebra with Dad. On the mornings Dad is here he does Algebra with Colin and gives him plenty of work to do independently for the mornings he is not here. I do Language Arts with the other children and just move around from one to the next. I use this time to do Olivia's reading lesson also. Baby naps.
10:30a.m.- Math - Ethan, Nic, Eli and Olivia. American Lit - Colin. At this time I feed Clare Grace but I am available to the children if they have questions or need help. It takes about 1/2 hour to feed and change the baby and then I put her on a blanket near us and help the children with their work.
11:30a.m.- Printing/Cursive practice younger ones, Bible for the older boys. The younger children copy verses from the bible to practice their handwriting while the older boys work on their Bible. We use this time for Balancing the Sword, and Christian Character, or Plants Grown Up. While the children are doing this I start lunch prep. It only takes Olivia a few minutes to do her printing practice (she's 5) so I bring her in the kitchen with me to help get things ready for lunch.
12:00noon- Lunch and clean-up (Colin), switch laundry. After lunch one child unloads the dryer and another one puts what is in the washer into the dryer. The baskets of clean laundry are put in my room to fold later. Every time the washer is open I start another load. *Yes, we do that much laundry everyday!*
1p.m.- Read aloud. I read to the children during this time, or sometimes one of the older children will read. We read all different kinds of books. Sometimes we read a book about a missionary, sometimes a history book, sometimes a classic that is on our "to read" list or a good biography.
2:00p.m.- Mom- feed Clare Grace, Little ones nap, older ones work on science lessons. I'm available to the children if they need help with their science lessons and after I feed Clare and put her down I usually have someone to work with. Sometimes we are doing a science quiz or a science project. Occasionally we will have a science video to watch. Colin is doing Chemistry, Ethan - Physical Science and I combine the younger boys' science lesson.
3:00p.m.- History While the younger ones are napping I help older kids with History. Right now Colin is studying American History while Ethan does World Geography. I teach Eli and Nic a combined History lesson. On Fridays we don't do Science and History and I use that time to grocery shop. I take two helpers and the baby with me and the rest of the children stay home with Dad. The children who are home get to read books or do art. We rotate the helpers each week so that everyone gets a turn to go. For some reason our kids love to grocery shop.
4:00p.m.- Snack. Kids-free time, Mom- cleaning. We do a light snack at 4p.m. and then the kids are free to play. They usually head outside. On Tuesdays and Fridays we leave at this time for soccer practice. If Dad is home he takes the boys to soccer and the girls stay home with me. If Dad is at work, I take all the kids with me to soccer practice. On the days that I am home during this time I clean. I take an hour each day and clean something. I have different zones to clean each day. I do not ever have 6 or 7 hours straight to clean house anymore ( I used to have a cleaning day when the kids were little). I work on cleaning 1 hour each day. That adds up to 5 hours of cleaning during the week and I do additional cleaning on Saturdays if I can (depending what we have going on). By cleaning a little each day the house never gets terribly dirty. The kids clean their bedrooms and their bathroom once a week. One child is in charge of cleaning the hardwood floors each day with the Swiffer. I work on dusting in each zone and deep cleaning the kitchen and the other 2 bathrooms.
5:00p.m.- Mom - dinner prep. Sometimes there is a lot to do, other times not. If dinner is in the crock-pot I might just cut up a salad. On the soccer nights when I will be taking the kids I make sure to have a crock-pot meal so once we arrive home dinner is ready.
6:00p.m. Dinner and clean-up (Nic). We try very, very, hard to stick to this. Soccer may delay it slightly but as soon as we are home we eat dinner together as a family. Usually we are home from soccer by 6:30 at the latest and if dinner is ready in the crock-pot, or if I stayed home while Dad took the kids, then we can quickly sit down to eat. On Wednesday nights if we are going to church we need to leave by 6:45. Tuesdays and Fridays are soccer nights. Wednesdays are church nights.
7:00p.m. Baths/showers. After dinner and clean up 2 boys head upstairs to their bathroom for showers and the 2 girls are given their baths in another bathroom. The 2 oldest boys usually take the dog for a walk during this time or work on "homework". We all meet back up at 7:30 in the family room for devotion.
7:30p.m.- Family Devotion. We read the bible and talk about it as a family, discuss prayer requests, pray, and have a family meeting. I feed Clare Grace while we are having our devotion time. She is diapered and in her pajamas and will usually sleep until her next feeding.
8:30p.m.- Read aloud. Most of the time Dad reads but if he is not home I do or occasionally one of the older boys. This is when we read Jotham's Journey or some other book like that. (This may turn into my exercise time since I don't really know when else to do it. Just last night I walked from 8:30 to 9:00 and it worked out well except I missed read aloud time. I'm still working on where to put my exercise time.)
9:00p.m.- Kids to bed, Mom - fold laundry, work on checkbook/bills, correspondence, baby book, etc. This is the time when I get to work on all of the things filling up my to-do list. Answer email, write out the bills or write a thank you note, or catch up Clare's baby book or work on the kids' scrapbooks or fold clothes and put them away or balance the checkbook or........the list is never ending. I do run into some trouble here if I have a lot that I need to get done and I will work for hours and hours. The house is very quiet and I am able to concentrate and I enjoy the peace. I have one teenager who likes to stay up later and work on things he wants to do and we allow him to choose his bedtime for the most part. He is pretty responsible.
10:30p.m. Mom - feed Clare Grace and put her to bed for the night. I should probably go to bed here but I have never gone to bed at 10:30 in my life! The ideal amount of sleep to me is 6 hours so I try to be in bed by midnight. If I work from 9p.m. until midnight with a half hour break to nurse the baby I can sort of stay on top of things. I like to do a coupon match-up and make a grocery list on Thursday nights and I like to at least jot a few notes in the baby book periodically. If I am sending a thank you note or birthday or get well card this is a good time for me to write those out because I can think about what I am doing since only me and the washer and dryer are up,and sometimes that teenager I mentioned :). Once a week I will use this time to clean out my purse and balance the checkbook and write out the bills that are due. I try to avoid turning the t.v. on since it can be a major distraction. This time has also been nice for private talks with my older kids if they have something private they need to talk to me about when everyone else goes to bed. I will put down whatever I am doing if they need to talk because I see that as more important than pretty much anything else.
Well, there you have it. That is our current Monday-Friday schedule. We fully realize that Jesus Christ is the power behind the schedule. Without Him we are nothing. We ask God to help us when we fail, show us when we are wrong and bless our feeble attempts to be organized. He is so faithful! Feel free to shoot me an email or comment if you have any questions!
Monday, September 26, 2011
MONDAY MOTIVATION #3
It's Monday again! I know I said this last week but, it just amazes me how quickly each week gets here.
How are the challenges going for you? They are not easy for me. Getting up earlier than normal is hard. Mainly because I still haven't kicked the habit of staying up late at night. There are just so many things I need to do and I start working at 9p.m. when the kids go to bed and I work straight on until 1a.m. or later. Wanting to stick to my challenge I did manage to get up an hour earlier all but two mornings (on those mornings I got up at my regular time). Getting to bed at a decent hour is going to continue to be a challenge for me but I am working on it. As for the other challenge, being pleasant and smiling at my family, that one is not always easy either! It's easy in the happy, warm & fuzzy moments but not so easy during times of discipline, or when we're running late, or when everyone is talking at once or.......you get the picture. With the Lord's help I am going to keep working on that too. (Don't know what in the world I'm talking about? Go HERE and HERE!)
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: EXERCISE 4 TIMES, AT LEAST 30 MIN.
Many of you may already be doing this regularly, but I am not. I don't spend any time exercising ( since running errands, and chasing children around doesn't count). I want to change that so this week I am challenging myself, and you if you are interested, to exercise 4 times for at least 30 minutes. There are many, many fabulous reasons for exercising and my only trouble is making t-i-m-e to do it. I am going to have to work on my schedule to find a place to fit it in. The things that are important to us we usually find time for so I guess part of the challenge will be to make exercise important. There are so many benefits from exercising that it is sort of like giving yourself a gift! Think of it that way! *smile*
I'm planning to walk in my subdivision. What are you going to do??
How are the challenges going for you? They are not easy for me. Getting up earlier than normal is hard. Mainly because I still haven't kicked the habit of staying up late at night. There are just so many things I need to do and I start working at 9p.m. when the kids go to bed and I work straight on until 1a.m. or later. Wanting to stick to my challenge I did manage to get up an hour earlier all but two mornings (on those mornings I got up at my regular time). Getting to bed at a decent hour is going to continue to be a challenge for me but I am working on it. As for the other challenge, being pleasant and smiling at my family, that one is not always easy either! It's easy in the happy, warm & fuzzy moments but not so easy during times of discipline, or when we're running late, or when everyone is talking at once or.......you get the picture. With the Lord's help I am going to keep working on that too. (Don't know what in the world I'm talking about? Go HERE and HERE!)
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: EXERCISE 4 TIMES, AT LEAST 30 MIN.
Many of you may already be doing this regularly, but I am not. I don't spend any time exercising ( since running errands, and chasing children around doesn't count). I want to change that so this week I am challenging myself, and you if you are interested, to exercise 4 times for at least 30 minutes. There are many, many fabulous reasons for exercising and my only trouble is making t-i-m-e to do it. I am going to have to work on my schedule to find a place to fit it in. The things that are important to us we usually find time for so I guess part of the challenge will be to make exercise important. There are so many benefits from exercising that it is sort of like giving yourself a gift! Think of it that way! *smile*
I'm planning to walk in my subdivision. What are you going to do??
Friday, September 23, 2011
MY MEMORIES GIVEAWAY!!
Also, they have given me my very own coupon code to give away to my readers that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the mymemories.com store - a $20 value!!!
To enter to win:
- Leave me a comment telling me you are a follower (entry #1)
- or Become a follower and leave a comment telling me (entry #1)
- Visit mymemories.com, choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then comment on my blog telling me which ones you love. (entry #2)
COUPON CODE -STMMMS23697 (use this code for $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store)
YOU MUST CHECK THIS OUT!!! Go HERE!
Look how much fun I've been having! ( I made these in just minutes.)
Go here for the MyMemories blog!
ENTER TODAY! YOU COULD WIN!!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Seven Simple Suppers!
Here are 7 delicious crock-pot recipes for you. Making dinner in the morning makes the day brighter! Don't believe me? Try it!
#1 Mushroom Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pkg dry chicken gravy mix
- 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom or chicken soup
- 1 cup white wine
- 8 oz pkg cream cheese
#2 Family Favorite Casserole
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 1/2 cups peas
- 1 1/2 cups macaroni, cooked
- 10 3/4 oz can cream of celery soup
- 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
#3 Easy Roast
- 3-4 lb beef roast
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes
#4 Slow Cooker Beef Sandwiches
- 2 - 3 lb chuck roast
- 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
- 12 oz can coke
- 6 large green peppers
- 1 lb ground beef, browned
- 2 Tbsp minced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
#6 Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham
- 10 potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup fully cooked ham
#7 Chalupa (one of our favorites!!)
- 3 lb pork roast
- 1 lb dry pinto beans
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 4 oz can chopped green chilies
- water
Monday, September 19, 2011
MONDAY MOTIVATION #2
I've been thinking a lot about what this week's challenge should be. There are so many things I need to work on. I have a very long list of areas in my life that need improvement. And while we are moving on to a new challenge, I am continuing to work on last week's challenge as well. (see THIS.) It is not my intention to work on these things for a week and then return to my old ways. I am going to continue to focus on each item as the weeks build on one another.
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
GET UP ONE HOUR EARLIER THAN MY NORMAL WAKE TIME.
You may be, once again, asking yourself, HUH? Let me explain. Lately I have struggled with feeling as if there just aren't enough hours in the day. My plan is to find an extra hour. No, I can't turn my day into a 25 hour day while everyone else makes do with 24. The truth about feeling overwhelmed is that the Lord hasn't given me one more thing to do than there is time to do. I have to find an extra hour somewhere in my 24 hours and I have decided to find it by getting up an hour earlier than I normally do. It's amazing what you can get done just by getting up an hour earlier. If the children are still sleeping, that one hour might be worth 3 hours during other parts of the day! We are all in different situations and have different schedules and must find what works best for our own families. Currently I am nursing a 4 month old and that makes things just a little different for me. However, she does sleep through the night so I am not having to get up at all hours anymore. Do you want to know what my problem is? I stay up way too late at night and try to get by on 3 or 4 hours sleep. Although sleeping only a few hours may be a short term solution it is definitely not a long term solution. Sleeping too little can have adverse affects on your health and make for a grouchy mama too. The challenge for me this week is not only to get up 1 hour earlier than my normal wake up time but also to go to bed at a decent hour. We moms must guard sufficient sleep in our lives very carefully. The temptation for me is to trade it for quiet, late nights when the children are asleep and I can have some peace. It isn't worth it! I am going to do my very best to go to bed on time this week and get up earlier. I believe by doing this I will find more "hours" in my day.
Is this a struggle for you? Join me in this week's challenge!
Friday, September 16, 2011
BANANA COOKIES
One of the things I love to do most is to bake. I love that my kids love to bake also. Almost everyday we are baking something - cookies, bread, cake, pie. The house seems so cozy and inviting when the smell of yummy goodness is wafting from the oven.
I want to share with you a new cookie recipe from my friend Hannah. After eating her cookies at a recent potluck I just had to have the recipe and she graciously sent it to my inbox. Thank you, Hannah!
Banana Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup of shortening
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream together sugar, shortening, and vanilla until light and fluffy. (*Hannah says it will cream a little faster if you add a little butter, about 2 tbs, softened.) Add eggs, and beat well. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and gradually add to the egg mixture. Gently stir in bananas.
Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and onto cooling rack immediately.
These cookies really are delicious. They taste like banana bread, but better. YUM-O!!
I am linked up with Comfy in the Kitchen today! Click HERE!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A Company Meal
Saucy Penne & Three Cheese Bake
1/2 (1lb) pkg Penne - cooked as package directs
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 (26 oz) jar spicy tomato & pesto pasta sauce
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded & divided - 2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In saucepan, over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned; pour off fat. Add pasta sauce. In medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg. In lightly greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish, layer penne, sauce mixture and cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
I'm going to triple this because I will be serving a crowd but as it is written above it will serve 4 to 6. I will also have a big tossed salad and lots of garlic bread to go with it. Try this soon! Your family will love it!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Just to make sure my "challenge" is challenging enough,(see this post), our water is turned off! Just keep smiling, just keep smiling. Is is possible to be pleasant without a shower? I'm not sure. Add to that the toilets won't flush and there are 8 people living here, well, only 7 toilet users, but you know what I mean. I AM making the choice to be pleasant remember? I had a moment of total panic this morning when I went to the sink to brush my teeth and no water would come out. DID I PAY THE WATER BILL??? Yes, I did in fact pay the bill. A main water line in our area is broken (hubby called the water company). It will be hours and hours until it is fixed. UGH! Just keep smiling, just keep smiling. We are attempting to do school work and the laundry is on hold. I'm not looking my best without my morning routine of a shower and such so I am praying no one drops by for a visit today. The boys have a friend coming over this afternoon to ride with them to soccer practice so I'm just hoping the water is back on at least 30 minutes before he gets here. I wouldn't want his mama to think this mama chooses to look like this, or worse, that this is what 6 kids can do to you. And if these boys don't get a shower before soccer practice they will definitely need one after. I better pray!
Oh....and did I mention I went to bed at 4 a.m. and got back up at 7 a.m.? I'm living on coffee and Jesus! Just trying to remember......a cheerful attitude goes a long way in a less than ideal situation!!
Oh....and did I mention I went to bed at 4 a.m. and got back up at 7 a.m.? I'm living on coffee and Jesus! Just trying to remember......a cheerful attitude goes a long way in a less than ideal situation!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
MONDAY MOTIVATION
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
SMILE AT THE CHILDREN AND BE PLEASANT.
You may be asking yourselves why someone would need to set a goal such as this. I will tell you why. If I play back in my mind many of my interactions with my children, especially when it comes to discipline, I picture a stern look on my face. I want to be able to discipline without being emotionally involved. I not only want to be able to discipline without negative emotions I also want to be pleasant. Proverbs 16:21 says, "The sweetness of the lips increases learning." If I want my children to learn from my instruction then I will need to listen to God and use sweet words. If I were to hold up a mirror to my face throughout the day as I am teaching and training my children how would my face look? Angry? Stern? I want my face to look pleasant as I interact with my children. And taking it a step further......I want to smile! How many times a day do we smile at our children? Sometimes I am distracted by dinner preparations when a child is telling me something and I brush them off or give them a blank look. Other times I remind them to do something with an agitated look on my face. Maybe you have the same struggle. This week I am challenging myself to SMILE at the children as much as I possibly can. I'm going to challenge myself to smile even when it is difficult, not just the times when it would come natural. I am going to make a choice to smile and be pleasant all week! This is an area the Lord has shown me that I need to work on. Join me if you will!
Friday, September 9, 2011
MAXIMIZE YOUR GRANDPARENTING SKILLS
In honor of Grandparent's Day this coming Sunday I am posting a list written for grandparents by John Van Diest (grandfather of nine).
Love each child equally.
Give gentle hugs and hold hands.
Be good listeners.
Read and tell good stories.
Know basic first aid.
Be supportive of the child's parents.
Look for teachable moments.
Have a cheerful attitude.
Tell the children positive traits you see in them.
Remember birthdays and special occasions.
Initiate fun ideas and activities.
Play board games.
Keep regular contact by visits, phone calls and letters.
Pray regularly.
Spoil a little but not too much.
To all of the grandparents who are investing in the lives of their grandchildren, HAPPY GRANDPARENT'S DAY!
Love each child equally.
Give gentle hugs and hold hands.
Be good listeners.
Read and tell good stories.
Know basic first aid.
Be supportive of the child's parents.
Look for teachable moments.
Have a cheerful attitude.
Tell the children positive traits you see in them.
Remember birthdays and special occasions.
Initiate fun ideas and activities.
Play board games.
Keep regular contact by visits, phone calls and letters.
Pray regularly.
Spoil a little but not too much.
To all of the grandparents who are investing in the lives of their grandchildren, HAPPY GRANDPARENT'S DAY!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY
Birthdays are coming around way too quickly here. The years go by faster and faster it seems. Our 3rd oldest just turned 13 on Saturday and I can hardly believe it!
and we always blow up the big birthday cake inflatable in the yard.
This year for Nic's 13th we weren't sure if we should put it up or not until he came to us and said, "You are going to blow up the birthday cake in the yard aren't you?". We were happy to do it! My husband was actually relieved that he still wanted us to.
Our goal for each birthday in our family is to make the birthday child feel really special. We want that child to know how much they mean to us and how much we all love them. We make birthday signs to hang around the house that we all help decorate. Sometimes we put balloons in the birthday child's room at night while they are sleeping for them to find when they wake up on their birthday. We usually have everyone write notes to the birthday child and my hubby and I pick out a special Bible verse for each child on their birthday. I usually make a note in my Bible to whom the verse was given and the date. This year we made a special poster and now all of the kids want it to be a new tradition as well so they can all get one.
Nic asked that we make stuffed crust pizza for his birthday meal and everyone loves to help out with making pizzas.
If you want our recipe for making stuffed crust pizza you can find it HERE.
At our house you get to choose any kind of birthday cake you want (or birthday pie, as some have chosen). We've made all kinds around here but this year Nic wanted simple chocolate. We sing every year, no matter what. The kids love it even though it is silly. And we usually round out the birthday with presents. My husband likes to put that part off as long as possible to increase the anticipation. This year he really surprised Nic. Nic asked for an air soft gun but we told him no. He also asked for a lot of soccer stuff that he needs. We planned to buy him things for soccer but at the last minute my husband changed his mind. I didn't really want to do the gun thing but since I am working on being a submissive wife I thought it best to let my husband be the decision maker. And, being the mom in a house full of boys sometimes I just have to cave. Nic was SHOCKED, especially since I had told him he was not getting an air soft gun. My husband loved surprising him and has loved playing with the guns too! We somehow ended up buying Nic three, not one. ahem ~ guess it's not all about Nic. *smile*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIC!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
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