Mother of Seven + 2

This is a healthy breakfast that is easy to throw together.  It is a great one to bake when fresh strawberries are in season.   Remember I'm not much on cooking first thing in the morning, so it has to be easy for me to do it. Dry ingredients: 2 c whole oats 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt Mix together and set aside. Wet ingredients: 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 cups milk 1 egg 1 mashed banana Mix together and then gently fold in dry ingredients. Pour into well greased pie plate.  Bake for 25 minutes at 375.  Then lightly sprinkle the top with 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Put back in the oven for 5 minutes.  Serves 4.  (I have to four times this recipe for my growing teens.)  Serve topped with fresh strawberries that have been lightly sweetened.

This weeks money saving tips: 1.  Plant trees that are useful for food.   We have a peach tree and an apricot tree.  I'd really like to have a couple apple trees.  We just haven't figured out if we really have a good place to plant them.  Our peach tree looks like it's dying, so perhaps we'll replace it with an apple tree.  The kids love eating the fruit they pick off the trees.  Fruit is expensive, and so I'm always happy when the fruit on our trees is ripe.  Last week we enjoyed eating apricots.  The fruit we couldn't eat before it spoiled was made into apricot jam.  Yum! Cory getting ready to enjoy an apricot he picked. 2.  Re-use plastic food storage bags when possible.    I rinse out plastic bags almost daily and dry them to use again.  Those ziploc bags add up in expense.  If I've just stored bread or fresh vegy's in a bag, it is an easy wash job.  I don't generally re-use bags that I've stored meat in.  They are harder to get clea

Reflecting on the role of prayer in my journey through life. Bedtime .  Covers tucked round about.  Mom listening beside me.  Childlike prayers filled with thanks, and simple requests uttered.  "God please make my dog, Puddles, get better.  Please help me find my lost toy." "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."  Mark 10:14 Mealtime.   Heads bowed.  Words brief and to the point.  Hungry stomachs grumbled, chasing away more thoughtful prayers. "Give us today our daily bread."  Mt 6:11 Teen Years.   Feeling alone.  Wishing for a special someone.  Fighting unhappiness. Crying out to God.  Finally realizing that He was enough. Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net   "He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."  Psalm 62:2 Graduation .  Salutatorian of my class.  Terrified.  Hated being in front.  Tried to get out of th

I wanted to share my favorite card that I got on Mother's Day.  It was a simple card cut out of purple construction paper.  Inside it was handwritten.  I'll type it exactly as it was written. From:  Cory To:  Mom Thank you for making my food. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for washing my clothes. Thank you for buying toys for me. Thank you for cheering me up when I'm sad. Thank you for being my cool mom. Thank you for the game time. Thank you for the cards. Ask me when you need anything done. Mom your the best mom ever. You have made a defrens in my life. Love you Mom This card meant so much to me because it comes from my boy who struggles with writing.  It is a lot of work for him.  Early on dyslexia was a challenge for us when it came to school.  Now at nearly twelve he has become an avid reader.  He still has to work extra hard in spelling and writing though.  For him to take the time to write me a special note m

This week's tips: 1.  Install devices on showers to turn water off temporarily.   We found our water bill to be sky rocketing.  Last year my husband installed some handy dandy little devices in our showers so that we can take "military" showers.  We turn on the water and get wet.  Then we push the little button or turn the knob and the water turns off.  Time to soap up without all that water just running down the drain.  Then we push the button or turn the knob and the water comes back on and it's still adjusted to the temperature we like.  Rinse off, and our shower is completed having used at least half the amount of water normally used.  (Now I have to admit--in the winter I do not like "military" showers.  Brrrr...Cold.  I like the warm water running on me constantly.)  I don't know how much these little devices cost, but it's not much.  It saved us money immediately. Downstairs shower head with button turn off switch. Upstairs shower

Image: Sujin Jetkasettakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net "Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."  Deut. 34:14 Does the way I live my life stir up the jealousy of God? "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?"  James 4:4-6 My life should be lived in submission to my Creator.  He wants my full love.  He desires my complete devotion. "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you."    James 4:7-8a I want to be near God.  It is my heart's desire.  I question myself.  Have I fully submitted?  I think I have.  But then this thought comes from within, "Then kneel before Him in praye

This has been a month of conflicting emotions for me.  I'm happy.  I'm sad.  I'm proud.  I'm teary.  I'm at peace.  I'm emotional.  How to explain it?  I'm not sure. My oldest son, Ryan, finishes high school next week.  I'm proud of him and his accomplishments.  He's finishing at the top of his class in his on-line high school.   He's way smarter then me when it comes to math, science, music, and computers. I'm happy because I have confidence that the choices he's made will take him far in life.  He's chosen to be a man of character.  Most importantly, he puts God first in his life.  There is nothing that could bring this mom greater happiness. Starting his life with Jesus. So, why the tears?  I guess they are mostly happy tears.  But there are sad tears there too.  There is a little selfish spot deep inside me that is sad for me.  Sad that life is changing.  Sad because I know I'll miss his quiet ways around our hom

This week's money saving tips: 1.  Use beans to stretch your meat.   Most hamburger is almost $3 a pound right now.  Dry beans which you have to cook yourself are the most economical, but the prepared canned beans are also less expensive then beef.  When I make taco meat, I often add one can or about 1 1/2 c. of cooked kidney beans to each pound of hamburger.  This enables me to use about four pounds of beef rather then eight pounds.  It cuts the cost from about $22 to $16.  That's an amount worth saving. Crock pot full of hamburger and kidney beans. 2.  Save #10 cans to use around tomato and pepper plants in the garden .  We live in town.  The cost of water is high.  We had previously watered our garden by running the sprinkler on it.  Last year we found that it was much more economical to change our watering habits.  We saved #10 cans (which I have a lot of because we buy green beans, pineapple, re-fried beans, etc. from Sam's Club).  Using the can opener we re

When my babies were little, I didn't mind sacrificing for them. It was natural to me, I loved ministering to my little ones. I enjoyed a hot meal, but if my baby needed fed, I'd gladly sit down to nurse them, cuddling their warm soft bodies close even as my food grew cold. In the still of the night when my babies were restless or fussy, I loved rocking them or snuggling them up close in my bed as the darkness enveloped us. Inhaling their sweet baby scent we floated off to a world where it was just us loving each other. The selfless attitude that came naturally when they were babies, I've found is a struggle now. Perhaps it's because they are more capable of doing things for themselves. Perhaps it is the many demands of seven children. Perhaps it's being asked to love when it is not the natural thing to do. Whatever the reason for the change, God has brought me face to face with my selfishness. Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.n

Walking down the road Searching for the right words  Trying to listen with my heart My hurting son beside me Shuffling his feet Kicking at stray rocks Lagging behind Head tucked down Image: chrisroll / FreeDigitalPhotos.net "What is wrong" "Why all the anger" "Please talk to me" I'm begging Pleading  Praying for answers Bit by bit They come But he's hesitant and fearful He wonders "What it might be like" "Why I feel this way" He worries He will hurt us We may not understand We might be angry I tilt his face up to look into my eyes I tell him "It's ok." It is natural to wonder about living with his birth family It is wonderful that he loves them God made it that way They are part of who he is We are not hurt We understand We are not angry His pace picks up His arm soon wraps around my waist I put my arm around his sh

Money Saving Tips for the Week: A reader commented that many times "it is the little things" when it comes to saving money.  That is true.  I don't have one huge thing to tell you that will save lots of money.  However, when the little things are combined, they do add up to be a significant amount.   This week I'm going to share some "little things."   Re-use and Re-cycle is my motto. 1.  Re-use birthday candles.   I've been known to buy only one box of birthday candles in a year.  We always save them from birthday to birthday using them for three or four birthdays before trashing them.   A few times we've had to rush the birthday song because the candles were getting so short.  Fun memories!  The kids will probably grow up telling stories about the year the candles on their cake were only one inch tall and the cake about went up in flames. My container of used birthday candles. 2.  Use plastic shopping bags to line trash cans.    When th

"You love the other kids more then me!  Everyone wants to adopt Mikey and Amber but not me!" were the angry words spewing from Troy's mouth.  His whole body was tense.  He had been hurt in the past, and he was afraid he would be rejected again. In a quiet voice I patiently said, "I don't expect you to believe me when I say 'I love you.'  I'm just asking you to give me time to show you my love."  This scenario played out over and over that first year before our adoption was finalized.  Life had hurt our Troy.  At just eight years old he unfortunately had been told by other foster families that he was not wanted but that his brother and sister were.  He suffered the consequences of adults showing favoritism. My boys--No favorites here!  Troy and Alex "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism."  James 2:1 In the book of Genesis the story of Joseph also shows the effects

Image: bulldogza / FreeDigitalPhotos.net "But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."  Phil. 3:20-21 I've always struggled with open caskets at funerals.  I'm not sure why.  They say it is important to view the body in order to have closure.  The first funeral I remember going to, I was shaken because for the first time I realized the human body is just a shell.  The body without the spirit is dead.  The person I knew and loved was no longer there.  I did not want to remember them as a lifeless form.  I wanted to remember them as a smiling, living, and breathing human soul. When I was in high school, there were two sweet dear older ladies that I visited weekly.  Beulah taught me how to tat and spent hours telling me about growing up back in th