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Gratituesday: Honey…I’m Home!

May 18, 2009 by Laura 19 Comments

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I know that not everyone “gets” to be a stay-at-home-mom. I know that not everyone wants to be one. I know that some women want to be home and for some reason or another, it isn’t working for them. I know.

But I still feel the need to express how thankful I am to have the honor of staying home to take care of my family.

I mentioned here that we spent all day Friday at a track meet…then turned right around when we got home and left for a birthday party. We left the house at 7:30 am and got back home after 9 pm. It was a full, fun day and oh my goodness the boys slept like rocks that night!

After getting the boys to bed that night, I looked around at the piles all over our house. Piles of clothes both from the track meet and from swimming at the party. Piles of dirty dishes. Piles of trash and etc. from the cooler we’d taken to the meet. Piles of jackets. Piles of mail. Piles of soccer shoes, shin guards, socks and shirts from the day before when we arrived home late from game and needed to head straight to bed.

Piles that I was too tired to mess with.

I was once again reminded: Being away from home – even for one day – makes keeping up with housekeeping quite difficult.

I was tempted to listen to lies about what a terrible job I sometimes do with keeping up with things around the house. But, no. It really was simply that being away from home and on the run all day had put me behind.

And again, I was reminded of what a blessing it is that I am able to be a stay-at-home-mom. It’s a blessing that I take for granted.

I’m thankful that my husband agrees with my desire to be home. I’m thankful that we’ve found a way to make it work financially. I’m thankful that most of the time, the kids and I are able to hang around our house together making messes…and then cleaning them up!

I LOVE being home. It is my favorite place to be in the whole world.
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Join us for Gratituesday! Read the details here, then come link up with us. If you don’t have a blog, leave a comment letting us know what you’re thankful for!

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Well, That Was Brilliant

May 18, 2009 by Laura 23 Comments

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Every once in a while (often) I say something that is perfectly ridiculous. Two Sundays in a row, I’ve proven myself to sound less than brilliant talking to people at church. Just in case you ever do something similar (although I’m sure you never, ever do)…I thought I’d share these stories with you. I’d hate for you to ever think that you were alone in saying something ridiculous.

Let’s begin with a story from last Sunday.

If you recall, last Sunday was Mother’s Day. From the moment we arrived at church, everyone was wishing all the mothers a happy Mother’s Day. Much of our service was centered around motherhood and celebrating women. The children got to get up at the end of the service and get a flower to bring back to their mothers. It was lovely. I was feeling loved, appreciated and cheerful.

The service ended and we all began greeting each other. The person sitting in the pew in front of us turned around and said to me, “Happy Mother’s Day, Laura!”

Out of habit (because I had been saying it all morning), I returned the greeting with, “Thanks!! You too!”

Which was so, so kind of me. Except for the fact that the person who greeted me and wished me a happy Mother’s Day was a MAN. And also he was not a mother.

We had a nice chuckle together. At my expense. Hey, it’s easy to do. You know…like when you’re going on a vacation and your friend says to you, “Goodbye! Have a great time on your trip!” And you say, “Thanks! You too!”, even though they aren’t going on a trip. You know you’ve done it. (Please say you’ve done it!)

Skip ahead now to this Sunday.

We had just finished our Bible study time. We were visiting with people in the foyer before going into the auditorium for worship. I went to the “great meeting place for women”. You know…the bathroom. Really, if you want to be sure to greet the womenfolk at church, just go to the bathroom between class and worship. You’ll find them there.

Anyhoo.

I greeted all the ladies that I always see about one time a week in the uh…same place each week. Then, I saw Ruth, whom I don’t normally see in the bathroom on a Sunday morning. Delighted because it was such a surprise to see her there, I brilliantly said, “Oh! Are you here today?!”

This brought a nice laugh from all those who heard because…yes, of course she was there today. See? There she was, right there. Today.

Hey. She knew what I meant. Her husband preaches each Sunday in a town several miles away and she usually goes with him. I don’t usually have the pleasure of seeing her at church on Sundays. And there she was! Right there. Today.

Ah, fun times.

It just occurred to me that I’ve never shared the story of my sleeves. Brilliant conversation, it was. You know you want to hear that one now don’t you?

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Menu Plan for the Week

May 17, 2009 by Laura 12 Comments

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Shew. We partied all weekend. Matt performed a wedding ceremony on Saturday and of course there was cake. Then we went to a graduation reception that afternoon…where there was cake.

Sunday afternoon we were invited to about five more graduation receptions. Five parties…five cakes. You’d think instead of the Eat More Fruits and Veggies Challenge…I’d put my family up to the Eat More Cake and Also More Cake Challenge.

No, we didn’t eat cake at every reception…not that the boys didn’t ask. Actually, by the end of the day, I don’t think their little punch stained faces wanted to see another piece of cake either. :)

Here’s our very cakeless yet very fruit and veggie full menu for the week:

Sunday, May 17
Pumpkin muffins, bananas
Roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots
Graduation parties (cake for dinner?)

Monday, May 18
Simple sourdough pancakes, fruit
Skillet meatballs, stir fried asparagus, fresh pineapple
Tuna casserole, peas

Tuesday, May 19
Scrambled eggs, toast, oranges
Quesadillas, fruit-kefir smoothies
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, May 20
Baked oatmeal, apples
Hummus on crispy cheese crackers, fruit salad
Popcorn chicken to go, carrot sticks, apples (Hershey Track meet day…anyone else participating in a Hershey Track meet in your area?!)

Thursday, May 21
Potato, egg and pepper scramble, clementines
Homemade pizza, raw veggies
Lamb burgers, creamy scalloped potatoes, steamed mixed veggies

Friday, May 22
Apricot breakfast bars, applesauce
Chicken chef salad, garlic toast
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Saturday, May 23
Biscuits and gravy
Grilled burgers, baked beans, fruit salad
Spaghetti, tossed salad

I hope you’re going a little crazy with all the wonderful fruits and veggies available this time of year!

Hey, I have a question. As you understand it…is corn a vegetable…or a grain?

(and while you’re at it…which came first the chicken or the egg?)
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Once Upon a Day in May…

May 14, 2009 by Laura 18 Comments

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Ah, the month of May. I love, love, LOVE it!

Here’s what our Thursday looked like:

Our morning began with a nice round of light saber wars. Check out that ninja in the background with the purple light saber.

My living room is alive with this type of “violence” on a regular basis.

We spent time outside planting okra (yes I know that wasn’t on my original list, but I had a little extra space and Matt loves okra). I also put the boys to work pulling out a bunch of “sticky weed” (I’m sure that’s the official name for it) around the garden. They pulled it out and stuck it all over themselves. It was loads of fun…until the itchiness set in.

Asa with his sticky beard is the main feature of this picture…but if you would like to take a peek behind him at one of our garden areas, I can show off my little potato plants to you! And way in the back protected by milk cartons are our little broccoli plants. So far, they’ve all survived!

Here’s how our potato container looks now! Isn’t that SO EXCITING?!?!?!? Okay, maybe you aren’t a garden geek like I am…but little green plants growing out of soil makes me giddy. I added more soil from our compost area so that the “growing potatoes in a container” project could work. Notice that last time I showed you pictures of our container, it was the left side handle that was missing and this time it’s the right side handle. How did that happen?

After our time in the yard, we went in and cooked up lunch.

Here’s Chef Justus. Is that hat the greatest or what?! Here he is stirring our mac and cheese. Notice he changed out of his sticky (turned itchy) clothes after pulling weeds.

Malachi couldn’t wait for lunch. This little guy has been HUNGRY lately. I mean, more than normal.

Our last soccer games of the season were tonight, and Asa wanted a treat for his teammates. We baked these cookies into bars and put them into baggies to share.

Here we are on the way to our last games of the season. Justus decided to sit in a booster seat, which is why he’s so high up on his chair there. Silly kid!

One last event to end our evening…

Malachi has been shy about playing on the field with his teammates (he’s a little four year old guy out there with four, five and six year olds), so most of the time he just sits on the bench and shakes his head no at his coach when asked if he’s ready to go in. I REALLY wanted his season to end on a good note. Soooo…I asked Malachi, “If Mama goes onto the field with you, will you play?” And he said yes. And so I did.

There I was on the field with a bunch of little people running after a soccer ball. I was trying to stay out of the way, yet trying to push Malachi over to get the ball (which he really didn’t want to do). Other parents were waving and smiling their ~~teasing~~ encouragement (probably very happy that it was me and not them).

Malachi finally had a chance to kick the ball twice and had big grins on his face and we went and sat down again. Oh the things a mother must do (and where in the world was the daddy?) (at Justus’ game…so he had a good excuse).

I’m so sorry to report that I don’t have a picture of this part of our evening…I guess you’ll just have to picture that little event in your head.

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High Five Recipes: Justus’ Shaved Ice

May 14, 2009 by Laura 15 Comments

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High Five Recipes 2

Yum

I’m not sure how often I’ve emphasized to you how much Justus (my nine year old) LOVES cooking. He wants to be a “restaurant worker” someday…he calls himself a chef (I am sometimes privileged to be his assistant)…and he really just can’t get enough of the kitchen. He LOVES it.

Of course I love it too. While the other boys mostly love to cook so that they can lick a beater, Justus truly loves everything there is about cooking.

He got a new cookbook for Christmas and has been waiting for a warm day to make the shaved ice recipe he found in it. We adapted it to make it healthier (ah yes, I’m teaching him how to change a recipe already!) and here’s what he came up with:

Justus’ Shaved Ice

1 cup fresh or frozen peach slices
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey

If your fruit is frozen, place it in a bowl with warm water (not the water mentioned in the above list of ingredients) for about fifteen minutes to thaw. Drain.

Put fruit, water, orange juice and honey into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Poor mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 6 hours.

Remove from freezer and allow it to sit on the counter about ten minutes. Use a large wooden spoon to “shave” icy mixture into serving bowls.

The “bummer” about this recipe is that we had to wait for SIX whole hours before we could eat it. Not much instant gratification there! However, it was worth the wait!

All the boys (and the parents) loved this treat! It was super refreshing on a hot afternoon.

And, of course, it’s a wonderful recipe to help you get another great serving of fruit. (Are you taking the challenge?!)

Any other recipes you’d like Justus to come up with for us?!

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Gratituesday: My Broken Dryer

May 11, 2009 by Laura 12 Comments

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My dryer is was around 35 years old. Yes, that’s as ~~old~~ young as I am.

We bought it used and cheap when we lived in Colorado and it has served us well for around 11 years.

A couple of years ago it stopped working. But, when your old dryer breaks down, do you go buy a new one? Of course not. You have your father-in-law take it apart and fix it for you when he comes to town for a visit. And then you thank him profusely and start using your old dryer again.

But last week, ye old dryer broke again. I discovered that it was broken when I went to take the clothes out of the dryer and noticed that the clothes were still very wet. I started the dryer again (sometimes it would take two rounds anyway). An hour later…wet clothes. Wet towels and socks to be exact. Ick.

Matt called his dad (who had the nerve to be at home in California this time when our dryer broke) and talked through some of the issues and possibilities. Over the next few days, as he had time, Matt took the dryer apart and tested some of the things his dad suggested could be the problem.

I have to say…I think it was mighty considerate of my dryer to break down in May, instead of say…January. I’ve been hanging most of my laundry out on the line anyway…so a broken dryer this time of year doesn’t really bother me. Except for the fact that I’m not a big fan of crispy socks…and the idea of hanging out our thunderwear (sorry I just couldn’t bring myself to blog the real word) makes me feel a little too up close and personal with the neighbors.

Anyway, long story long…our dryer is a gonner. We could have spent $200 on a part that might have fixed it, but yeah, I don’t think so.

But guess what? We just so happened to have another dryer. (Have I ever told you that we own a few storage units in town that we rent out?) Yes, we own a few storage units in town that we rent out. About a year ago when someone moved out of their storage unit, they left their washer and dryer behind. They told us just to sell them or give them to someone who needed them. We’ve offered them a couple of times to some folks who we thought could use them, but no one took us up on the offer.

So, yay for us. We pulled the old dryer out, and put the new (to us) dryer in. Easy as that! (says the girl who had nothing to do with lugging the old dryer down the stairs and out the door and hauling the new dryer in and up the stairs and getting it set up and ready to use).

I’m so grateful for our new dryer…and I think I’ll head upstairs right this minute and go start a load of um…socks. :)
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Join us for Gratituesday! Read the details here, then come link up with us. If you don’t have a blog, leave a comment letting us know what you’re thankful for!

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Menu Plan for the Week

May 10, 2009 by Laura 5 Comments

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Happy Mother’s Day! I’ve had quite a lazy day, because my men wouldn’t let me cook all day. Or do dishes. Ah. So nice!

Instead of cooking and washing dishes, I had extra time to work on and finalize an idea that’s been brewing in my brain for a while. Wanna know what it is? You’ll have to come back Monday for that! It’s not a huge big deal. It’s just a simple something that I’ve been wanting to do for my own family…and if it helps you too, then YAY!

Here are a few hints:

Anyone can do it
It’s nothing weird
It’s the most basic, simple, easy thing I can think of to launch us all toward being healthier!

And that’s all I’ll tell you today. ;)

On that note, here’s our menu for the week….

Sunday, May 10
Cereal (because I wasn’t allowed to cook…but we wanted to be at church on time!)
Steak on the grill, ranch potato wedges, green beans, corn, cheesecake
Chicken alfredo, peas

Monday, May 11
Whole wheat waffles with strawberries and whipped cream
Sloppy joes, creamy cole slaw, sweet bell peppers
Chicken enchiladas, taco salad

Tuesday, May 12
Scrambled egg sandwiches, oranges
Homemade corn dogs (recipe experiment!), carrot sticks, strawberry-peach slushies
Roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy

Wednesday, May 13
Honey whole wheat bagels, applesauce
BBQ beef (from leftover roast), potato salad, steamed mixed veggies
Bean and rice bowls with salsa and kreme fresh, grapes

Thursday, May 14
Applesauce bread, bananas
Hamburger patties, creamy mac and cheese, raw veggies, watermelon
Honey mustard chicken, rice and veggie stir fry

Friday, May 15 (Track meet all day!)
Peanut butter honey toast sandwiches, clementines
Tortilla wraps, baby carrots, fruit leather, apples, cookie bars
Salmon patties, fried potatoes, fruit-kefir smoothies

Saturday, May 16
Homemade donuts
Tuna salad, cottage cheese and peaches, raw veggies
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas

I hope you’ll join us for Gratituesday! And, be sure to come back Monday to find out what this “simple, healthier” thing is all about!
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Why Do I Do This To Myself?

May 10, 2009 by Laura Leave a Comment

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When I said that I would read your acrostic Mother’s Day poems and then pick my favorite…WHAT was I thinking?

Like I can actually pick a favorite? I don’t think so.

I’d read one and say, “Yep, that’s my favorite.”

And then I’d read the next one and say, “Well, maybe that one is my favorite.”

Yeah…I did that with all of them.

Perhaps I am a poor decision maker…or maybe you are all just good acrostic poetry writers. I love your creativity! Your poems brought tears to my eyes…and a smile to my face…. (wow, sounds like another poem in the making…)

Anyway, I copped out and drew two random winners instead. The winners of the downloadable recipe card packs are:

Megan M.
and
Jill R.

Thanks to everyone who played along. I’d make up an acrostic poem for the word T.H.A.N.K.S. but I’m too full of Mother’s Day cheesecake.

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Women with a Mission: How Are YOU Serving?

May 7, 2009 by Laura 2 Comments

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Catch up on this series here.

Several weeks ago, I threw out the question to you…What are YOU doing to minister to others? I loved hearing from you and plan to share your ministry ideas as I can. I hope reading these will inspire you all toward searching for how God can use you best!

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Kathy wrote: I have the distinct pleasure of working with women who are recovering from different forms of abuse. Specifically so far it is just domestic violence and sexual abuse. We hope to expand to as many different types of recovery as possible (Eating disorder, grief, divorce, infidelity….the list is endless. We are all recovering from something and need spiritual support along the way). It is amazing to see the sovereignty of God in the lives of these women who have endured so much! My “job” is mainly to train leaders who have been through this type of abuse to lead spiritual support groups for those who are in the midst of recovery.

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Jeannie wrote: I am still trying to figure out how to balance mothering, being a wife and serving God in a meaningful way. To that end, my son Roman signed up to serve in a local nursing home. We will help with Bingo for the first time on Monday – my true hope is that we can in some way participate in reading the Bible or singing with the residents. I also believe it is vitally important for my son to understand the circle of life and serve those who go before him.

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Jennifer wrote: I have found hospitality to be a great way to minister to others while having little ones at home (I have a 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and a 15-month-old). Our major focus has been a dinner before a church meeting on Wednesdays. We have at least 4 people over, often ones we don’t know (or even know they were coming!). This is followed by a prayer meeting we host twice a month with around 40 people. Mind you, we have a 1400 sq. ft. house! We’ve also had a kid’s klub in our home, though my children aren’t at the age to really be involved.

I think too often mothers of little ones get caught up in their own lives and the lives of their children. Having people over regularly, and none of them being moms, has challenged me and forced me to think about others. My children help cook and clean for our company, and have built relationships with others we might not have ever talked to before. It also allows some in our fellowship to be hospitable when they couldn’t otherwise (they invite people to our house).

This form of ministry is not easy for me; it is a sacrifice. Our home is small and gets “invaded” every week. My husband makes very little money and feeding all these people stretches us. But, it is a way we can serve the Lord now. And it is a way my children can begin to serve others along with us.

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Laura has an ENTIRE BLOG dedicated to sharing how she and her son minister together. Please go check out Willy Toole!!!

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I plan to share more of your ideas in the coming weeks! (Thanks for your patience as I work my way through them!) I LOVE reading what you’re doing for God’s kingdom! If any of the rest of you would like to share your ministry, please email me! (laura at heavenlyhomemakers.com)

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Don’t Buy Stuff

May 5, 2009 by Laura 31 Comments

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That’s it. My title is my post. Don’t buy stuff…that’s all I have to say.

When asked what my favorite frugal tip is…Don’t Buy Stuff is the best thing I can come up with.

When you buy stuff, you have to pay for it with money. And then you have to find a place to put it once you bring it home. And it won’t stay where you put it because someone will get it out and not put it away. And then it will get lost. Or broken. Or forgotten.

Buy food. You need to eat.

Splurge on toilet paper. It’s very useful.

Invest in soap…using soap is good.

But don’t buy stuff.

You’ll save a lot of money.

And…if you didn’t really need it in the first place, you won’t even miss it. ;)

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