Wordless Wednesday

Luke being held hostage on his Birthday with his own weapons!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Silly Anna getting ready to light the cake on her recent Birthday!

 

Our New Addition

First, let me apologize because these pictures were taken with my cell phone. I have become a bit lazy in taking out my camera. My cell phone is usually near by so it comes in handy. I really need to get back to using my camera so that I can have better quality pictures.

Anyway,

Meet Dodge

He is around  5 months old. He is supposed to be here temporarily. Umm, we'll see how that goes! This is supposed to be Jeremy's cat but he is in the middle of changing apartments so Dodge should be here for a few weeks.

Micah with Dodge

He loves to cuddle. He is very sweet. We are falling in love.

He was given the name Dodge because her purrs, and he purrs a lot and very loudly. So the former owners  named him Dodge, after the Dodge Charger.You know, the car?



And look who is taking a liking to him!

Dodge and Tigger eating together.

Now they are even napping together.

But this guy still thinks he is king of the hill!

So time will tell if it is only temporary!  I promise I will not become the crazy cat lady!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Two boys and their dog. The little bit of blurriness you see at the left of the picture is the cat's whiskers. He was being nosy and wanted to investigate what we were doing. 

 

I am still here!

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted a regular post here. The summer brought about a great deal of activity and kept us pretty busy.

The activity started in May. The Children's Pastor from our church was co-writer/ co-director of a movie that will probably come out next year. It was filmed in Kentucky and my kids had a chance to participate.

First, our six youngest and I were extras in a wedding scene. We had to wake up really early and drive about an hour away to get to the filming location. It was an incredibly long day. Being an extra calls for sitting around  for a lot of hours and having a great deal of patience. Our son Josh was an intern on the set, so it gave him wonderful experience for his future. Josh is going to school studying Media Communications and plans to make movies. Josh's fiance, Jillian, joined us that day and sure made they day a whole lot more fun!

The following week we spent three days at a school so the kids could be extras in scenes there.They were long days, but the kids enjoyed having their chance of being in a movie. I think it can be more tiring just sitting around not doing much than actually spending you time doing something.

This is a Christian Movie and I really believe that it is really going to be awesome! I cannot wait until it comes out. My children will probably been seen a little bit. Micah was in a classroom scene and I think that there will be a shot of him sitting at a desk.  He and the rest of the kids also participated in hallway scenes and on the playground. It will be fun to see if we will see them.

June rolled around and that started Musical rehearsals at our Church. This was the sixth Summer our kids spent a great deal of their summer doing a  musical. Our Children's pastor was responsible for this as well. He wrote the script with his sister. Each year the musical is about a character from the Bible.

Micah is a tourist in this scene. He is the one with the blue visor.

Here is Micah in the basic costume, singing and dancing.

This is the only picture I have of Anna right now. She took this with her ipod. I hope that someone else has pictures of here that they can share with me.

Each year the musicals have grown and grown and so many kids have become involved that they had to make two musicals. One for the older kids (7th -12th grade) and one for the younger kids ( K-6th grade). This year was Ruth for the younger kids and Rahab for the older kids. This year brought on a new adventure because so many kids were participating. They divided the older kids into two different casts! It turned out well because it allowed so many more kids to get parts.

Since I had 2 kids in Ruth and 3 in Rahab, this required a lot of back and forth to our church which happens to be about a 45 minute drive. Yes, it was crazy, but it was worth it in the long run.  The performances started about mid August. Ruth gave two performances and each Rahab cast gave 2 performances. We had to be at every performance since Tori had to sing in both casts and Matthew helped with the Lights during the other cast's performances.

Matthew and Samuel are in the Roman Guard Costumes. They are characters named Diamedes and Ulysses.

Matthew by his "drum". This year they did a really cool stomp routine using buckets, trash cans and some other things! It was really cool! They did an amazing job!

Tori's character was a set builder. She's too pretty to be a guy, don't you think?

Here is Tori with some of her good friends.

Samuel with our Children's Pastor.

I must share that these are not just any ole church plays. There is tremendous quality associated with them. From the writing, acting, to the singing, to the choreography, to set design. Everything is truly amazing!.

On a somewhat sad note, our Children's Pastor has since resigned to take a job to make more Christian movies full time! He is such a talented man and I pray that God will use him mightily for His Kingdom! We are going to miss him terribly but at the same time, we are excited to see what God is going to do through him.

In July, we did mange to sneak in a visit to visit my mom and extended family in Virginia. It was so great to spend time with family and I wish we could visit there more often.

The public schools in our area started in mid August. We did not end up starting until the day after labor day. We had spent so many evenings at church for dress rehearsals and performances that it just made more sense to wait. We are finally falling back into  the groove of things. It kind of feels good to be back into a regular routine, but Summer is always welcome back any time!


Well, that is all for now. I hope to be back real soon with more!

Have an Awesome Monday!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Luke found this nest in the courtyard at church on Sunday. A Mama dove and her babies. 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Micah on his recent Birthday. Glasses and hat were a present from his big brother Jeremy. Coconut was a last minute present. When he woke up that morning, he said, "I really hope I get a coconut for my Birthday!" Rebekah was out that day, so I called her to pick up a coconut. How could I refuse?

 

Wordless Wednesday

Celebrating Cow Appreciation Day while visiting family in Virginia last month.

 

Wordless Wednesday

Remembering My Dear Precious Faith!

 

Pregnancy Prayer List Update

It is way past due for an Update from the Pregnancy Prayer List! So here goes.

Our first baby is Annalyn Marie. She was born on April 3, 2012. Congratulations to Tina and Steve and Big Brother Andrew! Steve is my nephew and I took care of him when he was little! I get to see pictures on Facebook and she is just beautiful! I am so excited for them and look forward to meeting little Miss Annalyn very soon!

Next I would like to congratulate Crystal on the birth of her son Charlie Bastian. Charlie was born on June 11, 2012 at 6:35 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. I am so happy and excited for Crystal because she has traveled a long difficult road to bring a baby home. She has three sweet babies in Heaven. Please stop by her blog and congratulate her and her husband Louie!

Georgiann is next on the list. She welcomed her 8th child, Ian Matthew on June 12, 2012 at 9:34 pm. He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. Congratulations to Georgiann and her family on this wonderful addition! Stop by her blog to congratulate them!

Next is Ava Kate. She is the new daughter of my niece Melissa. Ava was born on June 13, 2012 at 8:29 pm. She weighed 8 pounds 12.6 ounces and was 19 inches long. Ava has a big sister named Ella. This is another sweet baby I am hoping to see very soon! Congrats Melissa, Nathan and Ella. She is beautiful and I can't wait to hold her!

Next is Holly's baby, Evanee Graycen. Evanee was born on June 18, 2012 at 1:07 am. She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

Most of you probably know Holly through the blogging world. She has reached out to so many of the Mamas in the Baby Loss Community. She has definitely been a Blessing to so many even through her own grief. This is Holly's second Rainbow baby since her sweet Carleigh was born into the Arms of Jesus over three years ago. Congratulations to Holly and Anthony and big sisters! Visit Holly's blog to congratulate them!

Last on the list is Robin.She gave birth to Zachary Stephen on June 19, 2012 at 8:35 am. He weighed 8 pounds even and was 20.5 inches long. Robin is my cousin's daughter. I babysat Robin when she was little as well! Unfortunately Robin lives on the other side of the country, so I have no idea when I will ever get to meet her 3 boys!

Congratulations to Robin and Dan and Big Brothers Nathan and Caleb!

Actually, if you look over at the list on the right side bar, all of these ladies have given birth. So, do you know what that means? That list is going to be empty.

So, If you or someone you know is expecting and would like to be added to the list please let me know. Just leave a comment or send me an email. I would be delighted to pray for you.




Congratulations Again To Each Of These Families!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Luke left his pillow on the couch, so someone decided to curl up with a book!

 

Wordless Wednesday

This little guy met us out by the driveway the other evening!

 

Yay for Crock Pot Tuesday! Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Today is Tuesday, so that means it time for Crock Pot Tuesday!

Really, I do not always have something cooking in my Crock Pot on Tuesday and Tuesday is not the only day I cook in my Crock Pot. It just seems that I  use the Crock Pot on Tuesdays more than any other day of the week.

I absolutely love Crock Pot cooking. Just fix it and forget about it! I also prefer to use recipes that do no require to cook the meat (or anything else for that matter) prior to putting in the Crock Pot. I just want to be able to dump and go!

Today we have Chicken and Dumplings cooking! Yum-mo!

My Grandmother made Chicken and Dumplings from scratch and that was always my very favorite. Actually my Grandmother lived next door to me growing up and just about anything she cooked was fantastic! I have often wished that I was locked in her kitchen and made to learn to cook like her! I am sure I wouldn't have gone for that back then, but now I wish I knew how to make so many of the things she used to cook! My Mom has been able to make the Chicken and Dumplings like my Grandmothers, but I have not tried yet.

This Crock pot version is not exactly my Grandmother's, but It is still quite good. My kids have come to love this and ask for it often. Micah told me recently that he wants it for his Birthday dinner for the rest of his life!

When I make this  I generally double the recipe. This recipe can also be found here.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
   
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.                

*Note: When putting the biscuit dough into the Crock Pot make sure to push it down  into the broth a little. It usually takes more time than called for the dumplings to be done. Usually an hour or more.

**Note: When I make this I need to make more dumplings than fits into my Crock Pot so what I do is transfer some of the chicken and the broth to a pot on the stove and then add in the biscuit dough. This gives me more space for dumplings.

 

Bereaved Mommies Tuesday Link Up / Blog Hop

Today I wanted to link up with Tesha from Tesha's Treasures. Every Tuesday she has a link up for Bereaved Mommies. Tesha created this link up to encourage other Mommies that have lost a child. Tesha lost her precious Jonathan on January 24, 2012.

For those that are new to my blog, My precious Faith was Stillborn on October 28, 2008. You can read her story by clicking on the tab at the top labeled Faith's Story.

Those of us that have lost a child are at different stages of our grief journey. It has been over 3 1/2 years since Faith has been gone, but my heart still aches for her. Yes, the pain is not so raw, but there is an empty place. When I read about all the newbies to the Bereaved Mommies "club" my heart hurts so badly for each of them. I wished none of us needed this club, but since we do, I have been Blessed many times by the friendships that I have found in this community!

If you have not visited Tesha's blog, I highly recommend that you hop on over to her beautiful blog, especially if you are a Bereaved mommy. She has such a sweet spirit and and has been quite a Blessing to so many!

 

Wordless Wednesday

I dropped my favorite coffee mug so I had to resort to using this one! It kinda defined my mood afterwards!   :)

 

Wordless Wednesday

Luke and Micah dressing up for the camera.  I did a little playing around with Picasa!

This is what the original looked like.

 

Crock Pot Tuesday ~ White Chicken Chili

I absolutely love to cook in the Crock Pot. There is something about throwing it all together in the morning and cooking all day that brings a little bit of joy to my life! The best part is when 6pm rolls around, dinner is usually ready without too much effort. It also makes the house smell good all day long!

 It seems as though Tuesday ends up being the day of the week that I use the Crock Pot the most. So, recently I have been referring to Tuesday as Crock Pot Tuesday.

Today, I have White Chicken Chili in my Crock Pot. This has been one of our favorites around here for several years.

I found this recipe in the Fix it And Forget It Cookbook, but I did change it up just a little. This recipe makes up a very large batch that does fill up my 6-7 quart Crock Pot.

White Chicken Chili  

Ingredients:

4-6 Whole Skinless Chicken Breasts cooked cut into chunks ( I boil mine) 

2 chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 (4oz) cans chopped green chilies

2 (4 oz) cans of diced jalapeno peppers

4 tsp Ground Cumin

3 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Salt

6 ( 1 Pound ) Cans of Navy Beans, Undrained

1 Can of Chicken broth

Directions:

While Chicken is boiling, I mix everything into the Crock Pot except the Chicken Broth. When Chicken is ready I stir it in and then add the Chicken Broth. Cook on High for 4-6 hours.

I usually make up a batch of cornbread to serve along with it. Some of us stir in a little bit of shredded cheese into our chili. Some prefer Mozzarella and some use Colby Jack. We also enjoy a dollop of sour cream and some tortilla chips to dip in the chili.

While this would be perfect on a very cold winter evening, we also enjoy it the rest of the year as well. It is so easy to prepare and is very yummy!

Enjoy!

 

Wordless Wednesday

Anna, Luke,Micah and Samuel at the Pinewood Derby 2012!

 

You Are My Refuge

Have you ever heard something over and over again and you were pretty sure you knew what was meant by it and all of sudden it becomes very real to you?

I was raised in a Christian home and grew up in the Church. Believing in God and trusting Him and His Word came pretty easy for me. Let me say here, that I am not perfect and I haven't always done everything right, but thank the Lord for His Mercy and Grace!

Anyway, I would hear God's Truths over and over again.  Things that I would hear presented many times and in many different ways, and really I feel like I started taking some for granted. Then all of sudden, something would click with me and it became very real to me.

This happened to me on Sunday. While at Church, we were singing the song "I lift My Hands" by Chris Tomlin. This song really ministered to me. It starts out saying, "Be Still There is a Healer, His Love is Deeper than the Sea." Just that part is so amazing in itself! We all need God's Healing in our lives and then His love for us cannot be measured. He loves us unconditionally, you know, like no matter what we do or say, He Loves Us, Period!

The part of the song that really became real for me yesterday was where it says "You are my Refuge You are my Strength."

Like I said, I have heard this over and over again in my lifetime.You know the scripture Psalm 91:2:

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.”


I knew in my heart that I could always run to Him. But something about singing this yesterday made it come alive for me. I could actually picture running into His arms. I really felt His Presence and I felt like He was holding me. It was such a Blessing to know that He is my shelter! He will hold me and keep me protected from the worries and cares of this world.

Here is the definition of refuge from the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary:

: shelter or protection from danger or distress 

: a place that provides shelter or protection

: something to which one has recourse in difficulty

I don't know about you, but I need protection from danger or distress. God is waiting with His Arms Held Wide Open to be that shelter for us! 


I am so thankful to have such a loving God that is always there for me and loves me no matter what! His Arms Offer that Shelter that we need from the difficulties that life can throw us. 


I pray that you also will trust Him to be your Refuge as well!

Enjoy!

 

Wordless Wednesday

A Little Bit of Easter 2012

 

Show Us Your Life: Mom Of Boys

Mother Karen has seven sons, seven sons has Mother Karen...

Welcome to you who are visiting from Kelly's Korner!  I am Karen and I am mom to 10 living children total! Seven which happen to be boys!

Today Kelly is having a link up on Mom's of Boys. I think I qualify since I have seven! I just happen to have three girls as well!

Let me introduce you to my sons.

Jeremy is our oldest at 25

Jeremy recently visiting with my Mom

Tim is second at 23. He has been married to Naomi since January 2010.

Tim and Naomi

Josh comes in 3rd at 20. He just recently got engaged to Jillian. A June 2013 Wedding is planned.

Josh and Jillian on Easter 2012

So you can see, my three oldest are boys! Next came two girls. Rebekah and Victoria.

Matthew is next in line at 14.

Matthew on Easter 2012

Up next is Samuel at 12.

Samuel on Easter 2012

After Samuel we had a little break from boys and had another girl, Anna.

Then came Luke who is now 8.

Luke on Easter 2012

And Coming in last, but most definitely not least is Micah at age 6!

Micah on Easter 2012

Being a mom to boys can be challenging, but it is also a joy! It is fun to see life from their perspective. It is also so sweet how much they love their Mom! I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world!

 

Wordless Wednesday

The other day as I was taking a walk with some of the children, this wild turkey came running out in front of us!

 

Our Trip to the Creation Museum ~ October 2011

I have missed blogging through the past several months. I had pictures ready and waiting to be posted to a blog post, so now I am trying to catch up. So here is the first post playing catch up!

In October I took several of the children to the Creation Museum. It was a beautiful, warm, Fall day.

We tried to make the most out of our trip and see as much as we could.We walked through the whole museum and saw most of the movies and visited the planetarium. We enjoyed walking through the beautiful gardens and the petting zoo. We were quite tired when we were finished.

This first picture is of Samuel, standing in front of Adam in the Garden, with some animals.

Samuel

 

I believe that the dinosaur display was a favorite of most of the boys.

These silly boys decided they had to have a break while walking through the museum.

Samuel, Matthew and Luke

We stopped for a lunch break at the Noah's Cafe.

Micah, Matthew, Luke, Anna, Rebekah, and Samuel

I love the beautiful Fall Colors. We walked around for quite a long time.

We saw this pretty little guy on our walk to the petting zoo.

The four youngest enjoyed the petting zoo quite a bit. This guy was very eager to be fed!

I thought this guy was quite pretty.

Micah was trying to feed this guy but he was a little intimidated by him!

Micah

This is a Zedonk.

This is a Zorse.

Meet Gomer. The kids enjoyed having a ride on him!.

Anna and Gomer

Luke and Gomer

Micah and Gomer

Samuel and Gomer

While walking through the Gardens we encountered this bridge. The kids had a lot of fun going back and forth. I personally was glad to get off!

Luke and Anna

Micah, Luke and Matthew

Luke, Micah and Samuel

After walking around for quite some time in the warm weather, we found this gazebo and enjoyed the shade as well as the fish we were able to feed.

Micah and Luke

Micah

I pretty much had to pry Luke and Micah away from the Fish!

And this is as we were leaving and were pretty worn out!

Samuel, Micah, Rebekah, Luke, Matthew and Anna

We had a wonderful day at the Creation Museum! Now I would love to see the Spring foliage.I know it must be beautiful!