random thoughts

Hey there. I know I totally forgot to load pictures for Friday's photos around the farm. I have some on my camera, but I haven't loaded them yet. Anyway, I just wanted to get on here and  share with you the secret to awesome chicken salad. Many of you probably already know this, so please excuse my dumbness, but.....rotisserie chicken! I have started buying rotisserie chicken because it's almost the same price as buying a whole fryer and taking the time to cook it myself. Besides, my chicken never turns out as flavorful and tender as rotisserie chicken.  But you pick the meat off the rotisserie chicken, chop it fine, add celery, onion, sliced grapes, and glazed pecans chopped into small pieces. Add in mayo or miracle whip and bam! Amazing chicken salad. I make french bread and we smear it on the bread and it's a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I was always a little apprehensive about making homemade chicken salad because I was used to the chicken salad back in Pennsylvania. But my husband told me the other day that he likes this homemade kind better. Yay!

Also, in a totally unrelated subject....we started school last week and so far, I am really liking our new schedule. I usually try to cram as much as I can in the morning, but this year I just decided to accept that there will be some things that will have to be done in the afternoon. So this year we are starting around 8:30. For the first half hour we work on Awana memory work. Then Charlotte goes to math and the other two girls work on English. Then they switch. At 10 we have a half hour break for recess and snack. Plus, I can start on lunch if I need to. Then from 10:30-11 they do handwriting and spelling. From 11 to noon is free time. Noon we eat our big meal for the day. Then after the littles go down for naps we do either history or science, and the girls have reading time. We have also started to do spanish in the afternoon.  I realize that this probably won't be our schedule forever, but for right now it works, and I am so thankful. I don't feel so rushed. Part of it too, is probably the girls are getting older and able to do more on their own.

But the meal planning and housekeeping....that's a whole other story!!!!!

That time of year again...

That time of year is coming upon us again....school! I had hopes of starting this week, but with the sweet corn just about ready, I figured I'd better wait until the bulk of that was finished. We will have a lot at once for cutting and freezing, and then we have more that will be more staggered for fresh eating. So it looks as though school will be starting next week.

Larissa will be in fourth, Alaina second, Charlotte first, and then two toddlers. Yes, Anne is now toddling around! And Landon is a big three year old. I am not sure how the morning time will go with a very busy boy and a little girl who will be transitioning out of morning naps at some time during the year. It feels as though there is some kind of change going on.

The girls will be doing Math U See for math this year. Language Arts, Alaina and Charlotte will be doing Sing, Spell, Read & Write. Larissa will be finishing up her SSRW from last year, and then starting Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola. We are doing Sonlight for history this year. We will be doing American History. Science will be Apologia's Land Animals of the Fifth Day. I got the lapbook CDRom for that and so we will have a little crafty time, hopefully on Friday afternoons.  They will also be working on printing/cursive and I thinking about spanish. I don't know. Between piano, dance, riding lessons, Awana, and co-op starting in September, I feel as though we will be plenty busy. Too busy. How does that happen?

Something different I am doing this year is I got each of the girls their own planner. I want to try and write out the week's assignments so they can see what they have to do and then can check it off when they are done with that day's assignments. Some of them do well with the idea of checking off a list. We'll have to see if this mom can keep up with it. (smile)

The next big thing is figuring out the house cleaning routine and fitting it in with schooling so it's not all done on one day. I would like to spread it out, yet feel unsure about how to do it. And the school schedule too. I want to try and do our main subjects, math and language arts, in the morning, and then after lunch doing history, science and their own reading. It sounds and looks so simple on paper, yet trying to stick to it is the hard part.

I am also still trying to fit in ladies bible study and worship team practice....so it feels as though our plate will be full. Full of good things. Yet I am praying as we go into this year, it will be with an open hand and that when I feel the nudge to cut something, I won't be afraid to do so. Wisdom, a discerning spirit, patience, flexibility.....oh how I need all of this!

Here's to a productive, inspiring, hope-filled year!!!

When it hurts...

I have been soaking up my little baby days. They will be gone too fast. And it hurts. I feel such a finality that this little baby, our Anne Noelle, will be our last.  It's bittersweet. I am looking forward to the days ahead, of watching our children grow....grow in stature, grow in maturity, grow in wisdom, grow their faith...make it their own. But a snuggly baby, that smell, that soft skin....will be missed. And so, I have been busy, being mom, wife, cook, teacher, organizer, bookkeeper.....and the list goes on. But I am trying to remember to live IN each moment, to be PRESENT in whatever I am doing. So that's a little of the reason why I haven't been writing much. If you have the choice between writing or snuggling this one.....I mean really, what would you choose? (grin)

I have also been reading some really good books....which once I have time to flesh out my thoughts on them, I will. But just so you know, I have recently read, Radical by David Platt and Seven by Jen Hatmaker. I also have the Irresistible Revolution up next and a book called the Seven Sacred Pauses. Book review coming in the future....maybe!

But for now, here is a Day Journal......

Outside my window...... are puffy white clouds over the mountains, warm breezes, and golden sunshine

I am thinking.... of how I will arrange our house, once it's ready, paint colors, lighting fixtures, and how overwhelming the whole process is!

I am thankful for......my family, healthy children, my husband, a God who is faithful even when I am not...

From the learning room..... praying over our new school year, and figuring out what we will learn, and when we will learn...what with a toddler who is forever getting into something, and a new little one..

From the kitchen.... finding a granola bar recipe to use the granola mix I got this morning

I am reading..... The Irresistible  Revolution and Seven Sacred Pauses and How to Make a Nature Journal

I am hoping..... to be obedient in all the Lord tells me, to encourage my kids to do the same, to love my husband and children more, and to follow hard after Jesus....

I am hearing..... the children playing, the air conditioner and peaceful music on Pandora...

Around the house.....I am slowly packing up for the move, whenever that is!

One of my favorite things....waking up in the morning and he hasn't left yet for work!

A few plans for the week....making cookies, washing the suburban, mowing the yard, making baked oatmeal for the morning, finish reading Little Women aloud, sweet sleep!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

What I am reading....and some thoughts

I have a list of books that I reread every year. During the colder, windy months of winter here in Arizona, I usually find the time to read through the whole Anne series. I find that my favorites are Anne of the Island, because she finally "sees" Gilbert, and Anne of Ingleside because of their houseful of kids. I enjoy reading about their escapades and the loving and gentle way Anne deals with a houseful. It actually gives me encouragement. In a fictiony sort of way. ( Is that a word? Apparently not because my spellchecker came on!) I have also read through One Thousand Gifts again. Actually I guess that was 2011. I read that book twice in one year. I will probably read it again. I have also read through some homeschooling books. I find I usually need the encouragement and push to get through the rest of the  year after Christmas. This year is no exception with now entering my third trimester and feeling tired all the time! :) I am almost through reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson, and there was a line or two that caught my attention. Thought I would share them:

"There is no law that can create God's spiritual fruit in our lives. It comes only from the Spirit of God in our hearts as we let Him live through us."

"Freedom comes not from depending upon someone else's wisdom, but from following the Spirit's leading into my own convictions that guide the decisions and allegiances of my heart. I walk by faith. I cannot let someone else walk by faith for me......I personally need to keep my mind renewed with this truth of God's Word so I don't subtly fall into the trap of thinking I need a formula to please God, or worse, begin to suggest that others do. Living by faith is not a life of formula, but a life of freedom. I want to be sure I'm living in that freedom and offering it to others."

I was struck by how often I look for a formula. A proven method to produce fruit, not only in myself, but in my children. I want a manual on how to raise my kids, how to be a wife, how to be a friend.....basically everything. I just want someone to tell me how to do everything so I can't fail and will produce good fruit. Only thing is, God doesn't work that way. He is a personal God. Not a one size fits all. What works for one mom may not work for me. I am living in a house with individuals.  I find this in homeschooling. I will ask a friend about a certain curriculum, about schedules, about balance, and there is nothing wrong with that. We can glean so much wisdom from our friends and family. But if what works for them doesn't work for us, we can't walk away feeling like failures. I need to be in the habit of first going to God and asking Him if this will work for my family. I am realizing how little I include Him in my plans. And in order for me or my children to produce the spiritual fruit I am praying for, I need to let Him in. Let Him guide and direct me. And if people disagree with my method, that's okay. My obedience needs to be to my Heavenly Father before anyone else.  So I want to start being more intentional. To ask and wait for the answer. Oh, the waiting is so hard. But so essential. Part of the process. The refining.

What I am reading.....

What am I reading? Not a whole lot! I have found that during this season of my life, with a bunch of littles running amok, I don't always have a lot of time for reading. Most reading I do is children books, or the short magazine article. I am reading a daily Bible reading plan, which I am amazed that I have stuck with it. Unfortunately, I don't always have follow through in that area.
But, I do have two books that I have been squeezing in during "quiet times" or after the kids go to bed. I am reading, "Anne of Ingleside" by L.M. Montgomery. I love her books. I read through the Anne series faithfully almost every year. This is actually my second time reading this particular book this year. I love to read this book when I am feeling frustrated with parenting. Not at my children, but frustrated with myself. I just read this book and realize that I take myself too seriously sometimes and that laughing is allowed. Not only allowed, but MUST happen. One of my favorite lines in the book is from Susan, the housekeeper, "Some folks think they (babies) are luxuries,' I said, 'but at Ingleside we think they are necessities.'" It just makes me smile.
The other book I am reading is called, "Educating the Wholehearted Child" by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson. I am really enjoying this book. Some of my favorite quotes, regarding books...
     "Give us a house furnished with books rather than furniture! Both, if you can, but books at any rate!" by Henry Ward Beecher
"To be a genuine lover of books no house is completely furnished which has not a good many of them, not arranged formally in one room, but scattered all over the house." Margaret E. Sangster
"Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books-even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome." William Gladstone
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." Charles W. Eliot
Shelves of books just make me happy. Especially old books. Old hardback books, that have been well-loved. Dog-eared pages. It just makes me happy.
This book encourages home-teaching according to the Charlotte Mason theory, which has captivated my attention since first hearing about her. She believed in teaching children from "living books". Whole books. Great literature.  So this year for homeschooling, I am taking a step off the edge and trying a free curriculum called Ambleside online. They give you a book list and week by week what you should be teaching, and you do your thing. You can buy the books or get them from your public library. But they are whole books, not textbooks. So I have been having fun getting my packages from Amazon the last few weeks. I want to have a good private library for our children, especially since the public library isn't very close for us to use frequently and is pretty small. Plus, trying school this way has cut my curriculum bill in half. Which is amazing.
I am hoping to instill a love of reading in my children so that in the future that is what they will turn to for entertainment rather then the television or computer.
What are you reading????

field trip

Before I share pictures of our field trip to the Chiricahua Monument from this past Sunday, somebody is turning three months old today!!!

I must say that with each baby I am enjoying this stage so much more. I guess because I realize now how quickly they move from this sweet cuddly, helpless stage into a mobile, independent little person. I just can't get over his smiles and how much he LOVES his sisters. Even when they give him NO personal space. He just smiles and laughs. I wish I could react to life that way.....

AnYwAy, here are some pics from our recent trip to the Monument

The girls has a blast climbing up the rocks and looking at the view. During harvest, Nate is so busy that it's hard to find any time to carve out as a family. Last week he spent a lot of time in the tractor, working ground so he can plant oats before we leave for Christmas, which by the way is a month from now! So he is working extra hard. One night he stayed out and disked the entire night. So we stayed home from church last Sunday and spent it as a family.  We had homemade burgers and french fries, and then packed up the kids and headed to the Monument. We spent a few hours up there, climbing rocks and admiring God's creativity. Some of the rock structures are just amazing. It was the first time the girls were up there. Next time we might try camping up there.....yeah, I'll let you know how that turns out! :)

Easy meals

I know most of us are pretty busy, whether it's running a house, working a job, raising a family, or running around to various activities everyday. I had been struggling earlier in the year with homeschooling and balancing all the other household duties that I needed to accomplish throughout a day. And so I determined that I was going to become super disciplined and plan out my meals, two weeks in advance, so I could do my shopping and I would wake up each day knowing what I was making that day for our big meal, which we eat at lunchtime. So trying to homeschool and get that done in a morning was sometimes difficult.
Well, two things that really helped me was the Gooseberry Patch Super-Fast Slowing Cooking Cookbook, and  the Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites cookbook. The Once-A-Month cookbook was actually featured on a Focus on the Family Radio program last year, and I ordered it right away, and it's made my life lots easier.
Anyway, I thought I would share some of the recipes I have found that are super easy and don't take up tons of time. I especially loves those that I can just throw into the crockpot and forget about until dinnertime! This is what I made yesterday:

BEEF GOULASH

2 pounds extra lean beef ( I use stew meat, and cut it up into small pieces)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/3 cup catsup
1 TB worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce (I don't usually add this)
1 14.5 can beef broth
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
4 medium potatoes (I don't use this either)

Brown the ground beef, chopped onion, and red pepper in skillet on medium heat. Drain and cool. Mix all ingredients together and put into crockpot. Make sure potatoes are under liquid. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.

If you use the stew meat, you don't have to brown the meat. I usually make rice to eat along with it, and we eat it in a bowl, rice first, then goulash and sometimes we sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. It's so filling and good on those cool winter days. I can just throw it in the crockput in the morning and by lunchtime, we have dinner!

This recipe is from the Once-A-Month cookbook by Mimi Wiilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg, and can be found on page 28.

And something that I have found helpful, is when I am at the grocery store, I will stock up on lots of onions, carrots, celery, peppers, bring them home and chop up a bunch to store in my freezer, so when  a recipe calls for them, I can just pull them out. Saves LOTS on time, which is a precious thing. I'll try to post some more as I think of them. I know I love to get new ideas.