Shoveling . . . . corn (?) in February

After our sledding fun, we came inside for a bit and then it was time to go to Grandpa Arlin's. We had some cattle work to do. Yep, all of us would be helping . . . and only one would do the whining.

Eliza, Eden & Emmet while we wait for Daddy to get a few things set up for our project. Our project: clear out the ear corn that we put in the barn last fall so that we can make that into a pen for the heifers, our cows who are about to give birth for the first time.

Ready and waiting. Daddy is bringing the loader bucket for us to scoop the corn into the bucket. The loader bucket on the tractor doesn't reach to the pile, thus the scooping job.

We had a couple of methods for getting the job done. Here is Eden sitting right by the bucket tossing the ears in by hand. We also had three scoop shovels. Otherwise we were just tossing them in . . . one by one by one by one. Eight buckets worth.

Taking a break while Daddy dumps the loader bucket. Oh, and I should mention that while we were scooping the corn. We saw the appearance of not one, not two but probably about 20 mice. The kids were pretty thrilled to watch them scurry away from us. Just for the record, no mice were harmed during this project. Although I do have reason to believe that the cats had a feast on Saturday night.

All in all, it was a pleasant February afternoon, we enjoyed the work and enjoyed doing it together. Now we're just waiting for a calf or three to be born in the new pen.

Sled + Smiles = EXCITEMENT

I think it was Friday when we woke up to a few inches of snow on the ground. It was a heavy wet snow and the ground wasn't frozen underneath, so it was a bit muddy. We weren't able to be out in it on Friday but on Saturday we knew this was our last chance. After lunch the kids bundled up and Seth fired up the 4-wheeler.

Waiting on Daddy to air up the innertubes.

Ephraim and I. It was instinct to tell him to smile but I guess it didn't matter.

Emmet and Eliza on the sled first. You can tell that the snow is disappearing fast.

Eden and I on the innertube.

Emmet was on the innertube with us for a bit. He was so HAPPY! He made up his own joke: What's a smile plus a sled? EXCITEMENT. And just the way he said it, you could tell he was having a great time. I want to remember the way he said this forever. Part of what we want to leave our kids is the memory of doing fun things as a family.

Ephraim (and Eliza behind him) on the sled.

A look at where we ride. We're losing the snow :( But this is a perfect spot to ride the tube and the sled.

Two boys coming in after an exciting ride.

Eliza and I on the tube.

Eden was ready to be done after a short time. So we stood off to the side and watched the boys. And played with the cat. We have big, healthy cats so it was a bit much for Eden to handle.

And Eliza handling the same cat! Not sure the cat is enjoying this but he is at least tolerating it.

I'm glad we were able to get out and enjoy this last bit of snow. There may be more snow coming, but it won't last long. We're also glad that our schedule allows us to take in these random moments of enjoying the snow.

Pictures of the week, February 12 to February 18, 2012

Ah, the week of Valentine's Day!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

After church we made our weekly stop to see Seth's Grandparents. It was our chance to give them their Valentine and Anniversary card. Sixty-four years for them this year! We are so grateful for the Godly example of marriage they have left for us.

(Don't be fooled by Miss Grumpy front and center of the picture, there's always one who isn't happy about Mom's camera!)

Monday, February 13, 2012

It's a game night! Here we're playing Lego Creationary. You pick a card, try to build the object or vehicle or building with the provided Legos and then someone has to guess what you built. Some are easier than others!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day! The kids got a dot-to-dot or coloring book, Skittles & Starbursts. The girls got heart necklaces. The pink one said "big sister" and the purple one said "little sister." Perfect! And the boys got narwhals--they were cheap and we'd just studied narwhals in Science. Seth got me some chocolates that are just for me to eat.

In our house we have a love/hate relationship with coffee. Seth loves it and I don't! BUT . . . because I love my husband and because he loves his coffee, I got him a small coffee grinder and some Smokey Row coffee beans. I think he likes his gift!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Here is what we gave out to our Grandparents and Great-Grandparents for Valentine's Day. They are laminated bookmarks. On the front is four pictures of the kids spelling LOVE with their bodies and on the back is a greeting and Bible verse 1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

It was a simple project all done at home--the picture-taking, the design, the printing, the laminating and the tassel.

Also, on Wednesday night Seth and I enjoyed our Valentine Dinner with about 15 other people (haha). It was a FREE supper at the Molengraght Restraunt sponsored by the bank and we had to listen to a marketing speaker for about an hour. The speaker was pretty good and the food was DELICIOUS!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

We also made a bow/arrow craft this week. The kids enjoyed it for over two hours! Here is the link for it. We were making these in preparation for Seth to make them with his Cadet boys.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Homemade pizza has to be one of the best meals. One of my goals this year is to share more recipes on my blog. If not for my readers, then for documenting for my family what our favorites were and how they changed over the years. This recipe is so easy! It comes from my sister-in-law Michelle. I like it because on Friday afternoon, you can throw together the ingredients for the dough. Let it rise a bit and then roll it out and customize with your toppings. We enjoy sausage and pepperoni and sometimes Canadian Bacon if I have it on hand. Add a little onion and some cheese and it is perfect!

I do have one boy who won't eat pizza. Crazy, I know. That's why we don't order it from Casey's or go out to eat--he just picks at it and I don't want to waste money on food he isn't going to enjoy. He did have to eat at least several bites before he could leave the table. I heard once that your tastebuds change every 7 years . . . . if that's true, then I'm ready for Ephraim's to change!

Pizza Dough

1 cup water

2 T oil
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Heat water & oil to 120 degrees. In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Add warm water and mix with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead dough either by hand or with dough hook attachment of the mixer until dough is smooth & elastic. Shape into ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and roll out on pizza stone. Cover with pizza sauce and your choice of toppings. Bake on center rack in oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The new doll dresses from my t-shirt that you can read about in a previous post. Seth had taken the boys to burn a pile of brush so the girls and I did some sewing and card-making.

Sweet Sisters

The bond between sisters is sometimes tightly woven, sometimes loosely held, but never broken.

I may be a bit biased, but I have two precious girls.

I had the chance to take a few pictures of them before church this winter in their Christmas dresses.

Cute one of them, but I had not done Eliza's hair yet.

Okay, that's better. I love the "Little House on the Prairie Look" with their dresses and braided hair.

Love them with their hair braided like this!

I'm often asked about how the girls are alike or different. Here's a run-down:

Alike:

They like to play dolls together.

They both like Veggie Tales and Strawberry Shortcake.

They have the same appetite and like all the same foods, although Eliza favors Ketchup more than Eden.

They'd spend an hour in the tub if I'd let them.

They love their pop bead jewelry.

They are both tender-hearted, wanting to be included in what the boys are doing.

They are both finally potty-trained and going #2 in the potty (took A LONG time to get that accomplished with Eliza). And neither one is wetting the bed at night. Yahooo!

They are both early risers (they get that from me).

Different:

Eden is left-handed, Eliza is right-handed (or both if you've read a previous post)

Eden knows her ABCs and 123s better than Eliza.

Eliza is a lot better at fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, coloring) than Eden at this point.

Eliza is a bit more coordinated and would make a nice gymnast, if we wanted her to participate in that.

Eliza can lay down and be asleep in a matter of minutes. Eden tosses & turns.

Eliza's hair is longer and lighter. Eden's is darker, thicker and all one length.

Adorable with a bit of an attitude. Hug-able and happy. Sweet and spunky. Tender and tough. LOVE THEM!

Best friends we are, my sister and me!

Sisters share a closeness no one else can understand . . . A sister's always there to give a hug or lend a hand. Sisters are the best friends in the whole wide world, it's true--and that friendship is a blessing that lasts a lifetime through.

Looking for some websites to pray specifically for daughters. Here are my two favorites.

Praying Proverbs 31 and MODSquad.

Card-Making

On the same Saturday that I made the girls' doll dresses, we got out the stamps to make cards. I have a stash of stamps and supplies to make my own greeting cards and I love to do it! It saves money, too. But the time isn't always there. A lot of times my friend Stephanie and I will get together and make cards but this time it was just me and my girls.

The girls got their own stamp set for Christmas so they were eager to play with it. And they enjoyed making their own cards, too.

Here's a sample of what I made. Birthday cards for male & female, thank you cards (for the Christmas gifts we received, better late than never, right?) and four anniversary cards.

Then I embellished them with embroidery floss. I really like how they turned out and in an hour or two, I have a lot of cards to add to my event calendar. I didn't make any kid birthday cards this time, but that's on my to-do list!

Tshirt = doll dresses in 1 hour

I have this shirt that I haven't worn in a while and it was time for a repurpose.

Here's the "before" picture. I've had this shirt since at least 1994-ish. Amber and I got matching tye-died shirts for Christmas one year. And just for the record, she still has her shirt, too!

I cut out 2 fronts and 4 back pieces. I used the bottom of the shirt for the bottom of the dress, thus saving me the work of hemming it.

I'm not very good at taking a picture of EVERY step, there are other websites you can google to find a tutorial for that. I sewed the shoulder seams, then the arm seams and the neck hem. Then I did velcro and a hem in the back. And tada! In less than one hour on Saturday morning, Lily & Katelyn have new stylish dresses! Not to mention, my closet is minus one shirt.

Here they are sporting their new dresses.

I texted my sister with a picture that said "Recognize the fabric?" And she did! That's when she told me she still has her shirt, too.

And then we added a belt for fun! Or to actually hold it closed in the back :) I used one inch pieces of velcro in the back, but if I make something similar again, I'll probably have velcro for about 5-6 inches down the back seam.

If you're looking for doll clothes online, just google "18 inch doll patterns free".

Liberty Jane Patterns is one favorite of mine. Also, NewGreenMama has a tutorial for making a doll tshirt from a tshirt. This is the pattern I used, but adapted it for a dress. Really easy!

Come, Now is the Time to Worship

The boys' Sunday School classes sang in church on Sunday, the 12th. It is always a joy to see them up there singing. And there are a lot of them!

They sang for first and second service. Their musical selection was "Come, Now is the Time to Worship." I never tire of hearing the kids sing praise songs. Ephraim is in the back row, far right. Emmet is in the middle row, 3rd from the right.

Here is the 2nd service group, maybe a few more kids this time. But we have it arranged so we sing at the end of 1st service and at the beginning of 2nd service to accommodate most of the kids both time. Having the kids sing in church on a regular basis is great for the kids' self-esteem and it is great for the congregation to see how many kids we have!

Ephraim is second from the left and Emmet is third from the left.

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come


One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God
One day ev'ry knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come


One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God
One day ev're knee will bow
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose You now

Celebrate Calm

In January, Seth and I had the opportunity to attend a free, 90 minute parenting seminar in Pella. It was entitled Celebrate Calm. Kirk Martin and his son speak on a variety of topics including defiance, sibling rivalry and power struggles.

Here are a few of the take-away points from the session:

Children should not question our authority, it is give to us from God and there's no getting around that.

When they have meltdowns, draw them close to you rather than send them away to their room. When they're away from you, you can't create a relationship with them.

Learn to listen, don't always lecture.

Give them choices and a consequence and keep your promise.

Sit on the floor with them!

Sit down in a chair to give them instructions. Let them make some of their own decisions even if it means they will fail.

Sit down when you need to discipline them. Don't stand over them.

Show self-respect to your self; your interests are important, too.

Step back so your kids can step up.

We need to control ourselves, work on our need for perfections, control our anxieties. When we're anxious, it doesn't go well.

Ignore the person irritating you. This is applicable for sibling rivalry.

Introduce them to adults with their strengths and not their weaknesses. Give them a job and make them feel important. Find something they care about and use that to motivate.

Make a list of talents & passions that your children are drawn to. Find ways to express those. If they care about something and want it, that is good motivation.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Watch how many times you say "maybe." Watch your impulse control.

He packed a lot into the 90 minutes and he was very good! If you ever get the chance to see him, it is worth it. I know it helped us be more aware of our parenting style and what we can do to be the best parents we can be.

From the mouth of the girls!

Yes, it is time for another post of what the girls are saying.

This was Eden the other day. We were in our bedroom and Eden was looking at our wedding picture. She's holding it in her hands since it is just a 5x7 photo. And she says "Wow, you guys got new heads!" Now, I didn't think our hair and glasses were that bad but apparently we have changed a bit in the past almost 12 years! All I could do was laugh with her!

The kids spent some time with my parents this past weekend. Mom picks up Eden and says "Wow, what have you been eating? Bricks?" Emmet pipes up and says "No, she's been eating boulders." Eden, looking a bit puzzled, says "No . . . I just eat normal food."

And now one from Eliza on Monday morning. She holds up her right hand and asks if this is her left hand. I say no and tell her it is her right hand. She holds up her left hand and asks if that is her left hand. And I say yes. She thinks a minute and says "So, I'm both." Haha. We talk about being right-handed or left-handed and Eliza is thrilled to find out that she is both :p

Pictures of the week February 5 to February 11, 2012

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Super Bowl Sunday for some, but for my family it is more like "Was there a game on?" No, really! A couple times in the week prior the boys were asked about the Super Bowl or football teams and they have this glazed look in their eyes that says "Huh?" Yep, not really a sports fan in our house, but we couldn't pass up a party for the boys on Sunday night with some of their friends. Above is Ephraim and Emmet trying to play ping pong with Levi & Sam. They are friends from their Seekers in Sneakers group on Sunday nights at church.

Monday, February 6, 2012

We're still working on reading the Bible in a Year. Seth is on the 90 day plan and he's actually ahead of schedule. The kids and are on the 600 day plan or so . . . give or take a day. There are 1188 chapters in the Bible and I try to read two chapters a night. But, when you're reading Numbers, it can be hard to read more than one chapter. I figure we'll make it up when we get to Psalms.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The boys' Clover Kids shirts. They attend Clover Kids (4-H for kids too young for 4-H, make sense?) once a month for one hour. They get to do fun activities and then they're eligible to enter projects at the fair.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Medicine for Ephraim. He's had a cough for two weeks and we all know that's the point at which the doctor will finally prescribe something. All the over-the-counter stuff wasn't working. Just a bronchitis bug that wasn't going away and now it is!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

I've been busy sewing again. This time it was three more doll swimsuits. Another goal checked off the list!

Friday, February 10, 2012

This boy is TJ and he's 10 years old. He goes to our church and his parents are friends of ours. In fact, his dad and Seth go WAY back to the days of their youth. You can read their story on TJ's Caring Bridge site. We, along with another couple, had the chance to visit them in the hospital on Friday night. We are so glad we could be there to pass the time with his parents and offer a bit of laughter. The road ahead is going to be a tough one but God has brought them to this point and he will take them through it. It is time like this where our faith becomes our hope. We do have a great God and we do believe in miracles. We are also reminded of what is truly important in this life. Stuff is not. Treasure every moment with your family.

We were also able enjoy the evening with Phil & Theresa, the couple that we went with. After our hospital visit, it was time to find someplace to eat. Not being real familiar with the eating establishments we pick a restraunt. As we're walking in, we decide that it might be wise to look at a menu before we're seated, just in case it is $30 a plate. And it's a good thing we did! Yep, it was $30 a plate. We left only after causing a minor scene and found a restraunt, Old Chicago, that was a bit more affordable for our cash budget systems ;p

Saturday, February 11, 2012

One of my homemaking goals was to get back into couponing. I took a break this summer when I was trying to use up our pantry and freezer goods. And then I started homeschooling and it just seemed like couponing took a back seat. Not that I was spending a ton on groceries anyway, we still have a good stockpile to use up! But, I'm ready to clip again and get some good bargains. And what I do clip and don't use will be going to a military base where those families can use them for up to 6 months past the due date. So, it's a win-win for everyone.

Cinnamon Rolls tradition

We've had the tradition of making cinnamon rolls for Saturday morning breakfast for a long time, or at least since Seth and I were married (going on 12 years). However, after a while, we grew tired of buying the kind in the tube. It gets expensive and with our growing family, it just wasn't enough! I love recipes and I like trying several recipes of the same item, so I've been trying out cinnamon roll recipes. I really enjoyed one from my Iowa State Fair cookbook, but it makes a HUGE batch! And that's okay some of the time.

I've been using this recipe for a while now and really like it. It is from Money Saving Mom's website. And it is a bread machine recipe. Put all the ingredients in the bread machine on a Friday afternoon, it is done 90 minutes later, we roll them out and put them in the pan to rise over night. Bake in the morning for 20 minutes and we have a yummy, hot breakfast.

Sometimes the kids are involved in the process and sometimes not. Here is Ephraim learning the technique of using dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls. It really works the best if you haven't tried it. I do love that the kids want to help with this process, it teaches them so much about the basics of baking. Traditions don't have to be extravagant. Something as simple as cinnamon rolls on a Saturday can be pretty special.

Pictures of the week, January 29 to Feb 4, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Coats? Yep.

I've had this dilemma for a while. The boys have their Carhartt or off-brand Carhartt coats to wear in the winter. And that's the problem. It is their only winter coat and they wear it everywhere--on the farm, out and about, in the cattle lot and in the snow. And then it is Sunday mornng and their coats are less than clean or dry. I'm too cheap to buy them two winter coats, or at least at regular price anyway. So, I checked the online sales at Lands End and on MLK Day they were having 60% off and free shipping. I got $60 coats for $19. That's okay with me. I bought the boys' coats big so they should last at least two years. And the girls' coats should last that long too. For right now, these coats are just for church. Or in the words of Eliza, "church and meetings." I wasn't aware that Eliza was on a lot of committees, but whatever!

Tuesday, January 30, 2012

Just a fun picture of the girls with their tinkertoy creations: a swingset, fairy & tree and a mobile.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A picture of Ephraim with his latest Lego creation: a fire truck with a long ladder.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Our trip to the Farm Power Show!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Our walk to the crick in February . . . without coats. Emmet is holding on to a bit of ice from the crick--and then he throws it in the water.

Friday, February 3, 2012

We picked up the boys' Lego creations from the Christian bookstore that was sponsoring a Lego contest as a fundraiser for missionaries. Emmet made a vehicle and Ephraim made a dinosuar and vehicle.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Seth has been wanting to teach the boys chess so here they are getting a lesson in strategy! All three of them have been enjoying it so far!