Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

I want to teach my son to be thankful and thoughtful. Since he was a little bitty baby, I would try to buy something for someone and have Jake give it to them. Today, I was at Walmart, hankering for some cake, and ran across these cupcakes. Knowing I didn't need six cupcakes around the house to tempt me any further, I decided that we would bring them tonight to Church and Jake would give them to his nursery workers. He is the only baby in the nursery, so sometimes I feel bad for one lady to stay in the nursery with him. I'm trying to train him to sit still, so that he can start sitting upstairs soon, but right now, he lasts through the song service and that is about all! So anyway, I purchased these cupcakes at Walmart for around $ 4.00. Then I bought these clear cups, and some quart size bags...all in all about $ 6.00. It took me about one hour to re-package them, make the tags and fix them up. I'll have Jake hand them out tonight after Church. I've been a Church nursery director before and it is a HARD job! A little thanks goes such a long way!!!! I hope as Jake gets older that he is thoughtful to people who are doing things for him, and thanks them! I think this is a forgotten courtesy, but one that is a mandate in the Bible!

Life

Summer is here in full force in Kansas. It's been in the 100+ degrees for the last two weeks. I HATE hot weather. I'm from northern Wisconsin and I just don't deal well with the heat here in Kansas. I decided I'm going to pray for a hard winter...cold temps and lots of snow. Then I'll be begging for warmer temps...never satisfied are we? LOL

We have been presented another adoption opportunity. We are praying about it, and might start inquiring about it a little. Just thinking about it brings back a whole lot of memories-good and bad. John and I were talking about it tonight and we just don't feel the "desperation" that we felt last time. Granted last time was the first adoption we had ever gotten to experience. After several years of heart break and disappointment, God allowed us to complete an adoption and we finally became parents. Our reasons don't seem as selfish this time around. We want Jake to have a sibling...either brother or sister, we don't care, we just want him to have that. He is going to be such a great big brother too! He is so loving to other kids and is such a diplomat. I've been very proud of him in watching him with other children. He is the only baby in our Church nursery right now, but when we have visitors, he seems to do fine. We had a few children who were older than him, already in the two's and were in the "mine" grabby stage, and when they would take something away from him, he would just find another toy to play with. One child he hugged every time the child would grab a toy away from him, after about 5 times, the child thought it was enough hugging and started to push him away. So I guess you could say we have a lover, not a fighter. I do realize; however, that he isn't quite two yet, and my time of "mine" and such are probably coming. Right now, though, he is doing great with that. 

I look forward to welcoming another (probably the last adoption we will seek) child into our home. Jake has been such a blessing and joy. This could only get better! The little guy has taught me so much about myself. Stuff I don't think I would of learned without him. I understand how important it is for me to be the Christian God wants me to be, in order to be the Mother I need to be. I understand the importance of family and friends. I understand more about the relationship between me and my Husband. I know a love I never thought I'd ever get to experience...the unconditional, unsolicited, never-ending, pure, innocent love of a child. Yep, he has taught me so much in the short 21 months that we have been blessed with him! I look forward every day to what he teaches me and what God tells me to be teaching/training him. One of my greatest titles...Momma! 

Childhood Memories

Isn't it funny the things from your childhood that evoke such interesting memories? My family was dirt poor. We didn't know where are next meal was coming from a lot of times, but Mom always managed to come up with something. Now that she lives down here with us, I've been learning how to make some of my old childhood favorites and have been realizing just how simple and cheap these meals were. We had a ham dinner for Easter. So when we had eaten our fill, I boiled the bone with the rest of the meat on it. It makes a delicious broth! Then I peeled and diced up some potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. I added that to the broth with shreds of ham. This is what Mom called, "Boiled Dinner". I remember her mashing the veggies up and putting them in a bowl and pouring some broth on top. MMMM. I had a taste when I was letting it cool down to put in the frig, and there they were...all the old memories! Mom lived in a simpler time. She never had any money. Growing up she worked but usually gave her money to her Mom. When she got married, she worked because my Dad had a bad back and couldn't do much. Then she got divorced from my Dad and had three kids to raise unsupported. We had a house. We had clothes. We were schooled. We had food. That was all that was required. She didn't have a lot of ways to show us she loved us...but she did with her food. Now I'm making it for my little guy! I hope he realizes thats one way that I show him I love him is by cooking for him!

Hubby's Hobby

When I met John Williams in Bible College, he opened up a whole new world to me. He listened to bluegrass music, he played the banjo and he "hunted" morel mushrooms. The bluegrass music took a little getting used to. I liked the sound of the banjo, it wasn't nearly as sad sounding as a guitar. But "hunting" mushrooms...what????? I had NO idea people did that! He took me one time, I was not any good at it. You walk around aimlessly, staring at the ground, and looking for something that is camouflaged very well on the ground. He was good at it, and have been doing it for years! When he brings them back home, we wash them well, soak them in egg wash, dust them in flour, back in the egg wash, and then into either crackers/flour mixture or some new concoction that we have created. Then we fry them! They are delectable! We love them! I still don't like to hunt them, but as long as he likes to do that, I'll fry them and eat 'em!

Resurrection Cake

This is the resurrection cake I made for Sunday lunch. I want Jake to know the real reason for the season. It was SO fun to do! I used a box cake mix, and my Pampered Chef Mixing Bowl. I made the frosting (recipe follows). I can't wait until Sunday to have a piece! =)

 CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cups margarine, softened

2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate cooled

3 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

2 tsp real vanilla extract 

Mix together until blended. 

Garnished cake with two drops of food coloring, 1/2 tsp of water in a ziploc bag. Add the coconut and knead. Add more food coloring for deeper tone.

Sunday School Curriculum

I am a Teacher at heart. I LOVED being a preschool Teacher for almost 10 years! My favorite preschool job was working for a Church here in Ottawa. The used Abeka preschool program for the daycare. I was raised with A.C.E.-Accelerated Christian Education (I think it's called School of Tomorrow now) all my life in my Church's Christian school I attended. Although A.C.E. had it's faults, it was a good curriculum overall. Then I got exposed to Abeka. It is an amazing preschool curriculum! One of my favorite parts of it was that Jesus already had short hair (I didn't have to give him a hair cut) and that all the Scriptures/Bible verses were in the King James Version. They had me sold! I have already started collecting pieces of the curriculum to start with Jake within the next year.
I was the Nursery Director at one of the Churches we attended and I was looking for a Sunday School curriculum for the Toddlers (2-4 years). I looked at several companies but ended up back at Abeka. Their Joyful Life curriculum is very good http://www.joyfullifesundayschool.com/. I ordered a bunch of it for the class. Then last November we started attending a Church closer to home. I have recently been asked to start co-teaching Jr. Church. I asked what kind of materials they had. The first couple of times I did it, I brought a book from home and printed out a coloring page. I've had to make my own curriculum before (secular and Biblical), but I always left what I made at the place I was working/worshipping. Then I happened upon a whole stack of Sunday School Curriculum in the Church office, and guess what? It's a Joyful Life curriculum! Yeah!!! The Pastor's wife said that I could organize it and use it if I wanted. I'm SO excited!!!! I might bring some home to start teaching Jake too. While I was researching curriculum this time to buy (before my Church office discovery), I came across curriculum out of Heritage Baptist Church in Lawrence, KS https://mercyandtruthministry.com/products-page/sunday-school-curriculum/ and also Striving Together out of Lancaster, CA http://www.strivingtogether.com/. Both are very good Independent, Baptist, KJV Sunday School curriculum, and come highly recommended by some Pastor friends that I trust and respect.

Weight Watchers

When I was growing up, I was too skinny. The Doctor told me to eat more often and put some meat on my bones. Boy, some days I wish I still had THAT problem! LOL I wasn't particularly an active child, although in high school I enjoyed playing volleyball, basketball and softball. Ours was a small school and so you played on a sports team whether you wanted to or not. I always wanted to...well, most of the time! LOL Then in College I got sick and gained 15 lbs in 2 weeks, was super tired, and started losing my hair. I thought maybe it was the stress of planning a wedding, as I had just gotten engaged. When I went to the Doctor, I found out that I had a thyroid problem. He put on me on synthroid and it made the symptoms better, but losing the weight was increasing harder. Several years later, I became pre-diabetic and had to take some medicine for that too. I have only been on one "diet" in all this time and then I found Weight Watchers. My first experience with WW was a positive one. Hubby and I lost quite a bit of weight. I like WW because it trains you how to eat right and makes it easier to become a healthy lifestyle. Although we haven't always practiced this healthy lifestyle, we know we should. We have stopped and started WW a few times, but are always encouraged by the results that are forth-coming. I'm at my heaviest that I have ever been. I want to be around for my children, and be a "fun" and healthy Mom. So I started it again, online...this time, almost 3 weeks ago. I'm down almost 10 lbs and if I reach my 10lb mark by Easter I'm going to buy a new Easter dress. I'm so excited! I always hate that I let myself get to this point...but am grateful that I can change it. That reminds me of God's love. Sometimes He lets us walk away, but it's good to know that we can't ever so far that His love isn't there for us and we can always go back. There will be consequences for our actions, but He loves us and we can always come 'HOME'. I'm thankful for second chances on health issues and for spiritual issues! =)