tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61310587123162804032024-03-13T12:55:35.036-07:00Embracing Abundant LifeThoughts on my life in Christ raising a large family on a little ranch in Texas...Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-7498554090136302622015-08-23T22:53:00.001-07:002015-08-23T22:53:30.210-07:00My Blog Has Moved!!I have changed my blog to Wordpress, and now you can read my posts at<br />
www.embracingabundantlife.com<br />
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I hope those of you who followed me here, will follow me on my new site. I have already posted a few blog posts at the new website, and I would love it if you would go check it out and share it with your friends. <br />
<br />Be blessed, and embrace the life God has given you!<br />
Thank you,<br />
Michelle<br />
<br />Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-21705557198584656132014-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:002014-12-29T11:17:53.064-08:00Happy New Year from the Erdners We have had a wonderful time this Christmas season, though it seems to have been even busier than usual. As usual, we love to take a little time during this season to reflect on the last year. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and we are truly thankful for everything. I'll try to give a little update on everyone without writing a novel!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFh-W_AgqpzE8SZG4SyEuwBs3WAld10XyCN3V-0TrEzy7n_rrvaLlJGn4WLMZH45zOEQPjS9Po77KGD6N4dOplQuuKG0AR5wldn5ny2BvHZ-ztPPIIo2UerbJzjVaIxcp-vUJH3yrwrI/s640/blogger-image-1615396847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFh-W_AgqpzE8SZG4SyEuwBs3WAld10XyCN3V-0TrEzy7n_rrvaLlJGn4WLMZH45zOEQPjS9Po77KGD6N4dOplQuuKG0AR5wldn5ny2BvHZ-ztPPIIo2UerbJzjVaIxcp-vUJH3yrwrI/s200/blogger-image-1615396847.jpg" width="200" /></a> Todd has been busy as usual, still working for Intel as a manager. Of course, his work pays the bills, but his passion is his family and investing in their lives. Todd coached basketball and soccer for the younger kids and is very hands on with all of the kids. He's a great dad. Todd has also been very consumed with working on a 2100 square foot addition to our home! We were able to move into our new master bedroom shortly before Christmas, and Todd is still finishing details in the new space, but we are at least moving in the right direction. It is so wonderful having the extra space, and we look forward to finishing everything so we can complete the rearranging of children and kitchen items so we will be less cramped. I am especially enjoying having our own bathroom and a real closet after 8 years of sharing the bathroom with the kids and not having a closet in which to put all our clothes. </div>
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I've kept busy homeschooling the children, and starting a new speech and debate club in South Austin along with a good friend. I also help manage our little farm with the help of mainly my daughter Nina. I have recently been challenging myself to get into shape after the birth of our 10th baby, and I feel really good about that. Life is good. I am so thankful for everything The Lord has blessed us with, and sometimes I can't believe the bounty in our lives. Mostly my wonderful husband and children, whom I will be describing next.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTK8cQ3znwbxVX-CSybFdUfBoPfKaKpVHCdqLG4nAvgTAIhgqsDlTqaFDjvKykI3dO72lpnq1iGVY67wx7D3HBQsTXTO7f0pWoZoiSsIwJQHAtwNTK7MKLnpVByJVS3bI2Z8ZWH5RVCQA/s1600/Abby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTK8cQ3znwbxVX-CSybFdUfBoPfKaKpVHCdqLG4nAvgTAIhgqsDlTqaFDjvKykI3dO72lpnq1iGVY67wx7D3HBQsTXTO7f0pWoZoiSsIwJQHAtwNTK7MKLnpVByJVS3bI2Z8ZWH5RVCQA/s1600/Abby.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Abby is now 17, a senior in high school, and looking forward to graduating in May. I can't believe my little girl is all grown up! Abby continues to take classes at ACC for dual credit, along with a couple of classes through One Day Academy and a few at home. She is playing select soccer and is very committed to speech and debate. She went to Nationals in June with her Persuasive speech and Duo Interpretation. She plans to compete in Team Policy debate as well as 5 speech events this year. On top of all of this, she is working part time at a doctor's office helping with billing. Abby is excited to have been admitted to the University of Texas at Arlington where she plans to pursue a degree in nursing! We are very proud of the young lady that Abby has grown up to be. She loves the Lord and is excited about what He has planned for her in the future.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi47xH0GZnHRQXssf2y86WMK4fTxwt-DGlbc_xSldFcxS7ArktPmoUtY09PKkifSmnaTbG1nuLbTgI420pgWDvp55zlMKKgCsFsBK5i8j1N7QO0hXWfNjFhFYx7Rfza2Vo_l2dbhT5SwY/s1600/Datiya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi47xH0GZnHRQXssf2y86WMK4fTxwt-DGlbc_xSldFcxS7ArktPmoUtY09PKkifSmnaTbG1nuLbTgI420pgWDvp55zlMKKgCsFsBK5i8j1N7QO0hXWfNjFhFYx7Rfza2Vo_l2dbhT5SwY/s1600/Datiya.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Datiya is 16 and became our second licensed driver in October! She is doing well with that so far. Datiya continues to be the wittiest, spunky girl. We love her fun personality and the way she makes everyone feel comfortable and welcome. Datiya easily befriends everyone she meets, and they all love her. She is taking 2 classes at One Day Academy and the rest at home. She is riding with her sister, Nina and her cousin on an IEA equestian team. A few weeks ago, Datiya had major surgery on her upper and lower jaw for orthodontic purposes. She is recovering well. It hasn't slowed her down too much. In fact, she was back on social media almost immediately after being wheeled out of the recovery room. Datiya will compete in speech and debate in at least 5 speech events and Team policy debate. Datiya is creative and artistic, and I can't wait to see how God will use all of her talents and her gifts with people. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgvJK9RSAWf3YgZ5fWIVS0CFn-k3D4-S5BA7FpqoXWoXLOgLmPMh7yKRl130gNEh_tQ798BuVBhnDGCyo6JU-AN99UhXk_sN1UDU4E2sYbCJPJeXdm-kQiuushM_tGU03zeFqKWvzgeA/s1600/david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgvJK9RSAWf3YgZ5fWIVS0CFn-k3D4-S5BA7FpqoXWoXLOgLmPMh7yKRl130gNEh_tQ798BuVBhnDGCyo6JU-AN99UhXk_sN1UDU4E2sYbCJPJeXdm-kQiuushM_tGU03zeFqKWvzgeA/s1600/david.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> David is 14, and becoming a young man! He has long ago outgrown his older sisters, and all of his little brothers idolize him. David plays select soccer, and he has been invited to join a team that will be traveling to the United Kingdom this summer to compete. He is so excited about this opportunity. We are proud of him because in order to make this particular team, the coaches look not only for athletic talent, but also for young men with excellent character. David was chosen based on both, and we couldn't be happier for him. One thing I love about this opportunity is that in order to go, the boys must raise the money themselves by working, not simply asking for donations. So, if you are in Austin and need any manual labor, you can call David! David is taking 2 classes at One Day Academy and the rest at home. He does well in school. He is also competing in Team Policy Debate as well as 2 speech events. I'm trying to convince him to add a platform speech along with Duo Interpretation and Impromptu. Even with all of his successes and accomplishments, what I love most about David is his way with his younger brothers. He has 4 (5, including the baby) little brothers who are watching every move he makes, and he treats them very lovingly. I'm always reminding him that he is setting the example for those little boys, and I'm proud of his example. He's a wonderful young man, already on his way to making a difference in the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TMXm9-R1Uts8n4Zqd_1BCi1xzqMcY8_9m_eWrJ9EOA_xL3H7TS4FezMnxcrQLjroNYramENx0xHwlPDFa_FSFkSC69f1qxgrtcDQ-Y87s9iAUmGti9GR99yik45pwGro1I-pj3pDurM/s1600/Nina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TMXm9-R1Uts8n4Zqd_1BCi1xzqMcY8_9m_eWrJ9EOA_xL3H7TS4FezMnxcrQLjroNYramENx0xHwlPDFa_FSFkSC69f1qxgrtcDQ-Y87s9iAUmGti9GR99yik45pwGro1I-pj3pDurM/s1600/Nina.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Nina just turned 13, and she is truly going on 17! I need her to slow down a little bit on this growing up stuff. With two older sisters, she just has always been very mature. This year, Nina is taking World View (Starting Points) at One Day Academy along with Forein Policy (with her three older siblings). She is by far the youngest student in that Foreign Policy class, and she is certainly holding her own. Nina has always been a very diligent student. Last year, her first year competing at the senior level of speech, she qualified to Regionals in 2 speech events! She was competing against students as old as 19! This year, she is competing in Team Policy debate and at least 5 speech events. Can you tell she is really into speech and debate? Nina also continues to ride horses, and she is competing on an IEA equestrian team with Datiya and her cousin this year. She is already qualified for Regionals in walk, trot and canter! Nina also enjoys cooking and baking. Recently she has expressed an interest in attending culinary school. She will be showing turkeys again in 4H along with a variety of home skills. Nina is a spunky, fun-loving girl who is well-grounded in her faith. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jQt6MxVFFKHp34oSkrRAw9EaRoCYdgXr7-cYNi-tKvJNDKMywq0OCzCDV0mT3M-22072mx6r38h1bG_yYeYw6_XA5WgCsHfzVgOkEBXdpP-t4m-7fiKMpwcl-vpdOTkuWK1l67jlecE/s1600/Enoch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jQt6MxVFFKHp34oSkrRAw9EaRoCYdgXr7-cYNi-tKvJNDKMywq0OCzCDV0mT3M-22072mx6r38h1bG_yYeYw6_XA5WgCsHfzVgOkEBXdpP-t4m-7fiKMpwcl-vpdOTkuWK1l67jlecE/s1600/Enoch.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Enoch is 11 and an active and bright boy. Enoch plays select soccer. He is small in stature, but fast on the field. I think that sometimes his opponents don't know what happened when this little guy whips past them to the goal! Enoch is good at math and gets his school work done quickly, so he can spend his time free on our land! He has enjoyed building forts with his brothers, jumping on the trampoline, and riding his bike. Enoch and Lillah competed in Juniors for speech last year, and they did really well with their adorable Duo Interpretation. Enoch is well on his way to being a great speaker. He is probably one of our more social children, always wanting to call a friend to "hang out." Enoch is a kid who knows what he wants and goes after it! This summer he wanted to make some money, so he put up signs advertising his lawn-care services, and he got his first job! The people who hired him were very impressed by how hard he worked and what a good job he did. Enoch is still as sweet and tender as ever with his baby brothers. He is sensitive and caring. I know God is going to do great things through this bright, confident, caring, outgoing young man!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHbMkjE1y7p0hLFjWs13i-EKb2QVTSYauSrdnmHK8OUsZpPyrQMBZ4_s98xsxonx5nVkA5g9l63bDiSr4cTgpPgselHqqV4ZrW4MCjZo-4-1JzwoCufzXyRzWPgYIEFuxRmjB5IHWX-g/s1600/Lillah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHbMkjE1y7p0hLFjWs13i-EKb2QVTSYauSrdnmHK8OUsZpPyrQMBZ4_s98xsxonx5nVkA5g9l63bDiSr4cTgpPgselHqqV4ZrW4MCjZo-4-1JzwoCufzXyRzWPgYIEFuxRmjB5IHWX-g/s1600/Lillah.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Lillah is 9! She is active, free-spirited and loved by all. Lillah is very bright and does well in school, but she doesn't have a lot of patience for school right now. She would love to spend her days running on our acres with the wind in her hair. She is a tomboy, keeping up with her brothers with no problem. When we had another boy instead of the little sister she was hoping for in April, she said, "That's ok. I'm used to boys." That pretty much sums it up. Lillah is still the strong leader she always has been, thoughtful and fair. I think someday God is going to use that in her life. She always makes sure we save treats for anyone who may have missed out for whatever reason. She tries to make sure everyone gets to play what they want some of the time. Lillah loves horses, and has taken some lessons this year. She would love for us to buy her a pony (like most little girls)! She and Enoch will compete in Junior speech again this year with another adorable Duo Interpretation. She also is taking piano lessons along with her older siblings. She even played along with the rest of the family on Christmas Eve as we sang a rockin' version of "Silent Night." I think she wants to grow up and be the next Taylor Swift. No matter what, this sweet, thoughtful girl is sure to grow up and do great things for God.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZyZzv-hMFLquwq-cqVVTL-8lySgU_O1G59zEbDiddNLjN1u9EmTwfzCX_aogqbHvOBWbJ1GXLLhhk3hI7alHHKXEvcPVwyXzMMqP5-v2j9YGB4x7oDyzCKLKP7KKgngMiptLRQAp1io/s1600/Sim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZyZzv-hMFLquwq-cqVVTL-8lySgU_O1G59zEbDiddNLjN1u9EmTwfzCX_aogqbHvOBWbJ1GXLLhhk3hI7alHHKXEvcPVwyXzMMqP5-v2j9YGB4x7oDyzCKLKP7KKgngMiptLRQAp1io/s1600/Sim.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Simeon is 7, and our most serious child. This doesn't mean he doesn't goof off and have fun. He can be very goofy. Simeon is very pensive, and thinks about a lot of things. He is gaining ground as a reader, and soon he will be drinking in vast quantities of knowledge about all of the things that interest him. I can hardly keep up. Simeon has become very diligent this year to get up and get his school finished. He has been keeping up with the older kids in Bible memory, and has the verses down better than the other kids at times. Simeon plays soccer with daddy as his coach, and he loves it. He is fast and scores lots of goals. Recently, he and his siblings have been using the large great room that is in the addition as a giant roller rink for their rip-sticks. They are having a blast. Simeon is the one that Jed and Hezi really look up to. It is sweet how he takes them under his wing. Simeon is also the most precious, loving boy. He will often spend all of his money to buy a gift for a sibling, grandparent or mom and dad. We regularly get love notes and picture from him left on our pillows. Whenever we go out anywhere, Simeon runs over to give us hugs and kisses and to say, "I love you more." I'm excited to see this sweetness remain in him as he is growing up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqxkNloQ82pta9t719dp_EuziY7ClHZJVhauL0qaBraDWooccZnjGFSfDOnUr_vwZkNjVks5mhZxIuNpYkZqKLye-hupGGfzr3hCbOEOhs1rP4VAUt4UezcezyVOsVhB5vSt3UfJJw_g/s1600/Jed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqxkNloQ82pta9t719dp_EuziY7ClHZJVhauL0qaBraDWooccZnjGFSfDOnUr_vwZkNjVks5mhZxIuNpYkZqKLye-hupGGfzr3hCbOEOhs1rP4VAUt4UezcezyVOsVhB5vSt3UfJJw_g/s1600/Jed.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a> Jedidiah is our spunky, active little 5-year-old. He radiates energy. I'm so glad we get to homeschool him. Here at home, he can be himself and be loved and secure in who God has made him to be. This boy never stops moving. He runs and jumps and wrestles and climbs. He spins and flips. He is the most accident prone child we have, already sporting 4 scars on his face. When you sit next to Jed, you can feel the electricity jumping from his little body. Jed got to play Upward basketball in February on Simeon's Kindergarten team, and he just ran up and down the court. It was pretty funny. Jed also plays soccer now. Jed is extremely bright, and there is always some extraordinary thought rolling around in his brain. Every now and then we get to hear some of these thoughts, when he slows down enough to share with us. He says the funniest things. Right before the baby was born back in April, we had a rare moment when Jed was just sitting inside with me and my mom as we waited for our overdue baby. He was talking on and on about how he has done all of these amazing things so far in his life, like jumping over a HUGE shark in the ocean ("it was actually 2 sharks!"). Then he got quiet for a minute and started talking about things that are "annoying." He said, "You know what would be really, really annoying? I mean soo soo annoying? If you were born without a brain! Because then you'd be soooo stupid!!!" Umm, yes, I guess you could say that, Jed. Haha! Jed is the child that one minute is making you want to scream (for example for no apparent reason, he took his new baseball bat he just got for Christmas and smashed a new toy the baby just got for Christmas--whyyyy, Jed???), and the next minute is melting your heart with his sweet hugs and kisses. He, like Simeon, always says, "I love you more!" He will look you right in the eye with his beautiful green eyes, and you just see heaven. If you take a moment to see past his super-activity level, you can see the precious heart that God has given to Jed. This boy, I'm confident, will change the world someday. God is really going to use my little Jed, and I am so privileged to be his mama. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwfbtwLRIGrDbLjMLw9sQ3L-q5mkcFUGpoSKwSRg2kC1euW2AkItTrJ-V1IuD_LatFANlSd79cvXK6hmFKHmyWefJpkZ3pc0SZ9CxCrrIL2DuZXe8prie6ajTfCXQcLFj05vXTjFemyM/s1600/Hezi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwfbtwLRIGrDbLjMLw9sQ3L-q5mkcFUGpoSKwSRg2kC1euW2AkItTrJ-V1IuD_LatFANlSd79cvXK6hmFKHmyWefJpkZ3pc0SZ9CxCrrIL2DuZXe8prie6ajTfCXQcLFj05vXTjFemyM/s1600/Hezi.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
Hezekiah has grown up so much this year. He turned 3 in November. His sweet little face is precious with huge brown eyes framed in long dark lashes. Hezi is happy, sweet and talkative. He can be a little hard to understand even now, but he will patiently repeat himself until you understand what he is trying to say. Hezi is much quieter than Jed, and will play for hours alone with his little cars. He can often be overheard making the cars talk, having them act out little stories. Hezi is a very friendly, loving and happy little boy. His big sisters love to make him say funny things. Ahh, the life of a 9th child with teen siblings. I can't wait to see how his personality develops as he grows. It's amazing how much joy these little ones can bring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxPMlpc7fejPWOhmxJJokCP58cYequsXBWkb4SyEGy3n0RofCS6ioaynL0_S754psI0CgqEh2hc-rbgtuaK6vTe1q0KdITRT43kXRWkBX8oJ1rTApd8zjdOIyR3v7nkWmyPWNFZNxVCU/s640/blogger-image--1416608872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxPMlpc7fejPWOhmxJJokCP58cYequsXBWkb4SyEGy3n0RofCS6ioaynL0_S754psI0CgqEh2hc-rbgtuaK6vTe1q0KdITRT43kXRWkBX8oJ1rTApd8zjdOIyR3v7nkWmyPWNFZNxVCU/s200/blogger-image--1416608872.jpg" width="150" /></a> Our precious little Toviel Zechariah joined our family a week overdue on April 23rd, 2014. He surprised us by deciding he really did not want to emerge from his cozy cocoon as easily as his predecessors by pushing<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkE6qatvQa_NHEz9zTik71R8r2FgJvSKHJj4rq0JVSqYOW4aWqxCvCU2pIEsZBwODMgwf87qiePCezOVVAweY6JoCW_1pfPKv0RVFL5SMY1OGAHMqoDN_9d7TztzZxpkfcONltpNsjyA/s640/blogger-image-922706846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkE6qatvQa_NHEz9zTik71R8r2FgJvSKHJj4rq0JVSqYOW4aWqxCvCU2pIEsZBwODMgwf87qiePCezOVVAweY6JoCW_1pfPKv0RVFL5SMY1OGAHMqoDN_9d7TztzZxpkfcONltpNsjyA/s200/blogger-image-922706846.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="147" /></a>backwards during the pushing phase of labor. After his heart kept dropping alarmingly during contractions, we elected to have a c-section, which no one expected after 9 relatively easy births. We felt like we tried every position and everything we could do, and he was not meant to be born any other way. We are so thankful for the goodness of God in keeping me and Tovi safe through it all. We believe God orchestrated every aspect of his birth, including the decision earlier in the pregnancy to have the baby at the hospital instead of the home birth I had wanted. I'm so glad I was in the right place for this birth. God knows what is best and we trust Him completely. Toviel means, "goodness of God." Our little son is beautiful and sweet and such a reminder that yes, our God is GOOD! </div>
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We are so very thankful for all of the blessings in our lives. I haven't even begun to touch on everything that has happened this year. We hope you have had a blessed Christmas season. It really is a wonderful time of year. Whether you believe Jesus was actually born in December or not, it is so wonderful to see the openness and receptiveness people have this time of year to hearing about God who was the baby born to save the world. I love seeing the kindness people show this time of year. And, yes, I love to see the people who come to church only once or twice a year, because perhaps this time they will hear and believe the story of the most precious GIFT ever given to men. </div>
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May 2015 bring you joy and blessings!</div>
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With love,</div>
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<i>Michelle and Todd </i></div>
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<i>Abby, Datiya, David, Nina, Enoch, Lillah, Simeon, Jedidiah, Hezekiah, and Toviel</i></div>
Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-1772687758357221712014-08-05T05:55:00.000-07:002014-08-07T07:04:21.177-07:00Shadows of My Father<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several years ago, when my older children were very young, the oldest being only 4 or 5 at the time, we were invited by some friends to ride on their boat with them. My husband is a very good water skier, and our friends had water skis on their boat; so we decided Todd could show off his ski skills. He was doing great, shooting back and forth over the wake, looking like a pro. The kids were cheering for daddy, their faces lit up with admiration and pride. Their daddy was pretty cool. Then, suddenly Todd hit a big wave and went down fast. My children reacted by screaming in panic and fear, then bawling while our friend steered the boat back to get him. They were terrified that something had happened to their daddy. It took several minutes for our oldest daughter to calm down and realize that everything was fine, and that daddy was not hurt. In those moments, I realized just how much my children adored their father. I thought about how much a part of their life he was, how important he was to them. In those moments, I wondered what life would be like if something ever happened to Todd. It gave me a glimpse of the profound loss it would be for us all. This may seem kind of dramatic after a little fall while water skiing, but the way my children responded in those moments when they thought their daddy was badly hurt really caused me to reflect. It was a moment and a feeling that burned into my memory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember feeling the same way about my own daddy, when I was a little girl. The first memories I have are of times with my father. He was larger than life in my little world, with his big, wide smile and thick Cuban accent. My father is fun-loving, gregarious, charming, and engaging. He was always laughing and playing with me when he was around. When I was nine years old, my father decided to leave our family. I was completely devastated, wondering what I had done wrong. Why didn't he want to live with us anymore? Surely, there was something I could do to win him back to us. I spent the next countless years subconsciously trying to be the perfect child, perhaps secretly hoping he would come back to us someday. That wasn't to be. Over the years, I accepted that. While I had my reasons to resent him and what he had done to our family, I always loved him and longed to see him. I enjoyed the times I had with him growing up. I am a lot like my father in many ways. My dad was an intellectual who enjoyed reading the paper, journals, and articles to gain more knowledge. He would photo copy articles he found interesting and send them to me and my sisters. I have always loved learning, so I looked forward to receiving his little educational blurbs in the mail. When we were together, we could talk for hours. As I got older, I valued talking to him and listening to what he had to say. Once I began following Jesus, I was able to let go of all the resentment I had held onto over the years due to the divorce and abandonment I had felt from him. I was able to see him as God sees him, and I was filled with compassion for my dad. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We recently spent a week visiting my dad and stepmother at their home on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico in the Florida panhandle. While we were there, in a setting so beautiful and peaceful, I finally saw for myself the reality of what is happening </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to my father. About 1 1/2 years ago, my dad was diagnosed with "probable" early-onset Alzheimer's disease. I was not willing to accept this diagnosis. At that time, much of his lapse in memory could be blamed on absent-mindedness. He had always been the "absent minded professor," so I didn't want to believe that his memory issues were anything out of the ordinary. He was getting older, and of course, memory issues usually come with age to some degree. I struggled to make excuses for his apparently increasing lapses in memory. My dad was forgetting things like dates and other seemingly minor or more common things for people to forget as they get older. I rationalized that he had depended on secretaries to keep his calendar and schedule for so long that it was natural for him not to remember things like what day of the week it was. Just one year ago, my sisters and I visited my dad with our families, and I was able to explain away the little stream of forgetfulness we all saw widening into a river. Reality began to set in, however, last October, when I was speaking with my dad on the phone while I was in the car with one of the kids. I felt like there were two different conversations going on at the same time. I would say something, and he would respond with something that seemed completely unrelated. That was the first time I thought that maybe there was something deeper going on with my dad. He mostly stuck to easy, nonthreatening things like the weather. He kept asking me if the kids were enjoying the trip. I had to remind him a couple of times that I was with only one of our children and we were just taking our goats 1/2 hour away to get validated for 4H. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three months later, at the follow up visit at the Mayo clinic, the doctors confirmed the diagnosis and said that my dad had declined significantly since the visit the year before, and that he was very progressed in the disease of Alzheimer's. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really wasn't until this recent visit, however, that I truly saw how bad things are getting, and how far gone my father truly is. Not once did my own father spontaneously refer to me by my own name! He called me, "baby's mama" or even "hey, you!" He was still laughing and gregarious, and we managed to get him out of the house and to the beach several times during our visit. It was so sad for me to see him puttering about the house going through familiar motions over and over, such as watering his plants. The problem is, he now repeats this little ritual a few times per day, and my stepmother tells me that he is actually killing some of the plants with over watering. The rest of the day, he spends blankly staring at a TV he isn't really watching. He sits in his favorite chair and stares at the screen; or he may turn and look out the window at the gorgeous view of the ocean beyond his back porch. I know that when we aren't there, he spends hours like this. It grieves my heart.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My father hurt our family deeply and crushed my little-girl's heart when I was 9 years old. But years ago, because of the grace of my Lord Jesus, I was able to forgive him. I was able to release the bitterness and exchange it for compassion. I was able to see him the way God sees him. Now, I wish to be closer to him so that we could see him more often. I long for him to be able to be around all of my wonderful children who so obviously brought him joy when we were together. I want to have as much time as possible with my daddy before he slips further and further away from us. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br>A few days ago, we were on FaceTime with my dad, and as the children came by one by one and spoke to him, he just smiled, laughed and had a grand old time. At one point, he saw my face fill the screen, and he exclaimed, "Oh! Look! You haven't changed at all! My daughter! My daughter!" My heart was filled with a mixture of happiness and grief. He recognized me, but he didn't say my name. I felt like I was watching my dad water skiing behind the boat, waving at me with a smile before he fell into the deep waters below.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18</i></span></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-88871622836421776622014-06-17T09:11:00.001-07:002014-06-20T13:13:17.136-07:00Addicted (...To Speech and Debate)<div>I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> have just returned from spending a week in Virginia with my oldest daughter and my 7-week-old baby boy. We were there for my daughter to compete in the NCFCA 2014 National Championship. What a whirlwind of activity we had! It's hard to explain, but I have post-tournament high. We also have a term we call "post tournament hangover" which is the state of exhaustion in which one finds oneself after a speech and debate tournament. This time, however, I'm mostly feeling the high. </span></div><div><br></div><div>I have to admit it. I'm addicted to speech and debate. The funny thing is, so are my kids. If you had told me a few years ago that my children would be so into speech and debate, I would have laughed out loud! Our journey to this point began several years ago. June 2007, our oldest child had just turned 10 (which at the time seemed so old!), and we were expecting our 7th baby any day. Our dear friends, our college pastor and his wife and family, were coming to our neck of the woods for the national championship of their speech and debate league. They had shared with our family previously how valuable they felt speech and debate was for their kids. We decided to go up to Belton, TX and see what this was all about. We were able to watch our friends' children in their events, and of course we were so impressed with them. But they weren't the only ones with whom we were impressed. The campus was crawling with teenage boys in suits and ties and teenage girls in business attire. Everyone looked so professional and put together. Appearances are one thing, but then I was able to hear them speak. I took the older children with me that day, and we listened to persuasive speeches, interpretive pieces, and speeches on current events and our responsibilities as believers in this day and age. I was so impressed with everything I saw. I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> knew then that in a few years when my children were old enough, this would be a very worthy activity for our family. Little did I know then how much time and sacrifice this would involve.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Fast forward three years. Some friends of ours were involved in a speech and debate club that was affiliated with NCFCA, the very league we had witnessed in action at Nationals 2007. I wasn't sure if we could make it happen that year, as we had a year-old baby (again! But what else is new?), but we went to meetings that fall. I was completely overwhelmed and had no idea where to start. I heard there was a steep learning curve. Todd was skeptical, mainly because club meetings were on Friday nights. So most of the meetings I attended were by myself with all the kids. I wasn't able to be in on many of the meetings since I had to keep an eye on my little ones, so by the time the practice tournament came along, we were still clueless. My girls prepared "illustrated oratory" speeches about the trip to Israel they had taken with their dad that October. They brought bright orange posters with pictures from their trip. Umm, the problem is that the boards are supposed to be black or white boards of a certain size, and not flimsy like poster board. Not to mention the elaborate and intricate things competitors use on their boards to enhance their speeches. Looking back now, I can laugh at our mistakes. But that day we realized how truly clueless we were, and so we gave up for that year. I didn't even try to take the children to any tournaments. The following year, we were expecting another baby in November, so I didn't attempt going to the club. However, God is so good, and we somehow decided to sign up for a theater class at One Day Academy. A few months into the year, the teacher told me that the girls could actually compete in NCFCA tournaments with the "duet" literary interpretation they were working on for that theater class. We decided to take the girls to a tournament ("just one") the Spring of that academic year (2012). I knew that we weren't anywhere near competitive, but I wanted to get us to a tournament and see what the girls thought. I forced each of them to prepare a persuasive speech as well as the "Duo" they had been preparing for theater class (oh, they just thanked me so much for that). We went to our first tournament in Granbury, with some friends we had met through the theater class. As much as the girls were against going to the tournament, especially with their persuasive speeches, they had a lot of fun while we were at the tournament. I was immediately hooked! We signed up for one more tournament the next month in Houston. This time, with all 9 of my children in tow, including our baby Hezekiah who was only a few months old, we threw ourselves into the tournament. The girls competed, the younger siblings who were old enough timed speech events and debate. I was even able to judge one speech round while someone watched my little ones. </div><div><br></div><div>I was doubly hooked after that tournament. Not only did the girls have fun, but we connected with people from the club we had attended the year before, and everyone was so welcoming to my kids. That tournament was what we needed to commit ourselves fully the next fall. This time, my husband was 100% on board. We got our friends from the theater class to join us, and our kids teamed up as debate partners. Abby, our oldest, and her friend Ethan decided to do a duo together that year, and everyone had speeches they prepared. David, our third, debated with another friend. That was the year we learned so much. I judged every chance I got so I could better learn what the different events involved. The kids were thrown into the lions' den in debate, and they learned mostly through experience (trial and error--mostly error 😜). We never missed a club meeting that year, and by the end of the year, we *all* were hooked. Abby and Ethan actually won third place at one of the tournaments in which they competed that season in duo. I couldn't believe it, but that summer the kids were even willing to attend debate camp! </div><div><br></div><div>This year, we again were fully committed. My fourth child was old enough to compete, and we went to 4 qualifiers in our region. The kids did so well--all four of them qualifying to Regionals in at least one event, and Abby qualified to Nationals in both persuasive speaking and duo interpretation. It's safe to say that we are all extremely excited about this activity. My kids keep up with happenings at tournaments in which they are unable to compete, and national opens as well. They talk about debate even when it's not the assignment of the moment. In fact, all of my competitors are already planning what events they want to do next year.</div><div><br></div><div>We love going to tournaments. As I keep mentioning, I am completely addicted. I'm addicted to the atmosphere at these tournaments. I am addicted to seeing all of these young competitors dressed up in their tournament attire. I'm addicted to being around them, talking with and interacting with them, and observing my children with their speech and debate friends. What a great environment for them! I'm addicted to attempting to judge every round I possibly can. This Spring, just weeks before our baby Tovi was due/born, I took the kids to their 4th tournament, and I was able to judge (thanks to some friends from church helping at home with our little guys and for my awesome husband for keeping them home instead of having me take them with us). I judged almost every preliminary round at that tournament, and two outrounds. I am addicted. Why did I judge so much? It wasn't for the grand prize for most rounds judged (haha), but it is because I am addicted to hearing these outstanding young speakers. I LOVE hearing them speak on topics about which they are passionate. I LOVE hearing them debate skillfully and courteously (call me crazy, but I LOVE to flow rounds). I LOVE watching the creativity of the interpretive speeches. I LOVE getting to fill out ballots and write lots of comments that can help speakers improve their speeches. I truly LOVE getting to encourage them with words that express to them how much they encourage *me*! I love to pray for them and tell them that I'm praying God's blessings on them as they continue to strive for excellence and above all strive to glorify a God and learn to communicate well for His glory. I LOVE getting to know the other parents, hanging out and talking with them. I have been encouraged and inspired by so many wonderful parents over the last few years. I truly, truly LOVE this activity for my kids, for my family and for myself! Oh! I can't forget to menttion how I LOVE this activity for my younger kids, who get to time events so they can be a captive audience and hear great speakers and be inspired for their own future communication. They have even had the chance to compete at the juniors level at some tournaments.</div><div><br></div><div>This is all wonderful, but it does require commitment and sacrifice. It takes a lot of time to prepare and compete. Traveling to tournaments can be costly as well. We are at the point where we like to go to as many qualifiers as we can, so this all adds up to lots of time, money, and the sacrifice of other activities at times. But I am here to tell you that it is all worth it. The benefits both Todd and I see from participating in speech and debate, even for the younger children, far outweigh the sacrifices we make to do it. </div><div><br></div><div>So, I see this as just the beginning of our family's adventures in speech and debate. With all of my children down to our tiny little 8-week-old Toviel, it is one activity to which we will remain committed. We hold this activity above so many others in which our family can be involved because it is so important for our children to learn to communicate well as ambassadors for Christ in this fallen world. If we have to give up activities for whatever reasons, this one will be the last to go. Abby, Tovi, and I flew from the National Championship in DC to Florida to spend the week with my dad. The rest of the family drove to meet us here. I have had a few days to reflect on this tournament "high" that I felt last week. One thing is certain: I can't wait til next year! </div><div><br></div><div>"...<i>sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 1 Peter 3:15</i></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbvPdsxubr1duhWcye82N4rAEYWHO1uN8QHIKfMWEy389wVorPts5Uhcwsp2GnLmntIr3wDPqjxFaTDqQGE6EZfcPdpa_QksQtLWJCdCUkJ2uXmabNjDRi84zEOXYR_RE50uQATLiOc0/s640/blogger-image-1609553328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbvPdsxubr1duhWcye82N4rAEYWHO1uN8QHIKfMWEy389wVorPts5Uhcwsp2GnLmntIr3wDPqjxFaTDqQGE6EZfcPdpa_QksQtLWJCdCUkJ2uXmabNjDRi84zEOXYR_RE50uQATLiOc0/s640/blogger-image-1609553328.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-9804315053703555302014-06-02T07:04:00.000-07:002014-06-23T16:30:34.678-07:00A Year Gone By: From Loss to Life!So much can happen in a year. Today marks one year since we discovered that we were losing the baby that was in my womb. I was almost 12 weeks along, but that day one year ago, I found out with certainty that what I somehow already knew in my heart was true. Wheeled into a cold, sterile room, I stared at the screen during the ultrasound, hoping to see the familiar flutter of a little heartbeat. Instead, I saw a still little form, arms floating out to the sides, little legs still, no pulsing little heart. My baby was gone. Forever in the arms of Jesus. In the sadness that followed that week, I knew that God was holding me and that my baby was with Him. I was so thankful for the beautiful ways that the Lord revealed Himself to me and my family during that time of loss. You can read more here: <a href="http://embracingabundantlife.blogspot.com/2013/11/of-loss-and-love-god.html">http://embracingabundantlife.blogspot.com/2013/11/of-loss-and-love-god.html</a><br>
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Of course, time goes on as it will. God blessed us with another pregnancy just one month after the miscarriage. What a joy! I blogged only a couple of times during my pregnancy. Life was so full, and everything was moving along so quickly. We had joined an academic co-op which was keeping us on track with school, but which also was taking most of my time due to having to prepare and keep the children going with their studies. It was very good for our family. The blog posts I wrote during my pregnancy focused on my desires to have a home birth with baby #11 (10th living). I was so upset at first, but after a couple of months, I felt such a peace about delivering again at the hospital. I looked for a doula, and I found out that a friend of mine from a few years back is a doula. All the pieces were falling into place! God was definitely directing us that we should deliver our newest blessing at the hospital. I knew He had His reasons, but of course, we can't predict what will happen. I thought maybe the Lord was humbling me and reminding me that I always must follow His direction, even when it goes against what I desire for my life. <br>
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Our very active little baby was growing fast and keeping me aware of his presence by constantly kicking me, and turning somersaults in my belly. I even nicknamed him "squirmy" because of his nonstop activity. Towards the end, he still moved around a LOT. I felt that I was carrying him higher than most of my previous babies, but I knew God was in control. My due date approached. Then it came. Then it went. How frustrating! My mother arrived, and we waited for a week past my due date. FINALLY, we had some action, and I began having contractions. Things were happening! We were finally going to get to meet our newest baby! Over that weekend and in the hours when I was in the early stages of labor, several friends texted or emailed me to tell me that God had laid me on their hearts to pray for... Interesting, I thought. I felt that something was going to happen. I was not worried because I knew that the Lord had wanted us to be at the hospital. I felt that there was a reason. <br>
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On Tuesday, April 22nd, my contractions picked up a bit. My doula has a friend who is a midwife who lives near me. She came over to check me in the afternoon, and I was already about 5-6 cm dilated. She thought that once I had a few strong contractions, we should head to the hospital. She did mention that the baby's head seemed to be a little cocked to the side. Neither one of us thought much of this. After all, this was to be my 10th birth. A couple of hours later, I had a few good contractions within an hour, but still nothing regular. I called my doula, and she decided to come over before traffic hit. While she was here, I did have some stronger contractions, so we headed to the hospital. Todd met us there. I was excited, and all of us thought we would be meeting our baby in just a couple of hours. All of my labors had been under 5 hours once things got going, and I was already 6 cm dilated. But the hours dragged on. I labored all night, taking turns relaxing in the deep bathtub filled with warm water, and getting up to the bed to have the baby's heart rate checked. I was having a lot of pain on the right side of my body. I felt like I was in a time warp--like things were taking forever, but also that hardly any time had gone by. Was it really almost 6am?? We had arrived at the hospital at 6:30 the night before. I had been certain I would have been holding a new baby in my arms by midnight! <br>
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FINALLY, around 6:30am, the nurse checked, and I was complete! Strangely, I didn't really feel the urge to push. Usually I feel that urge before I am even completely dilated. My water hadn't broken, so I thought maybe that was why. Everyone got set up, and I was ready. But nothing happened. No contractions. No overwhelming urge to push. We all sat there. The doctor checked and then decided I wasn't really fully dilated. I was so discouraged!! We thought it might be a good idea to break my water so I would most likely dilate fully very quickly and deliver the baby. The baby was still pretty high. The doctor left the room, but they told me she would be right outside because they thought things would go very fast. Well, that wasn't to be. Another hour passed, and I began to feel such intense pain on the right side of my body, my back and my lower abdomen. It was nearly unbearable, not to mention I was so discouraged because things weren't happening the way they should! The doctor had me push a little to see if the cervix would melt away. I felt the baby was pushing on my ribs and not moving down as I pushed. The doctors changed call shifts, and my own OB arrived. When she checked me, she thought my cervix was beginning to swell on the right side. Also, the baby's heart rate began to dip alarmingly low with every contraction. I asked for an epidural, thinking that maybe I was too tense from the intense pain on my right side. I thought that if I could relax it might help. The anesthesiologist was reluctant because everyone thought that I would be having the baby at any minute. But I insisted it would help. I got a 1-hour epidural. I was able to relax and rest, and my swelling went down, thankfully. I was complete and the doctor wanted me to push. But the epidural had worn off, and that horrible pain on my right side was returning. We tried several different positions to try to bring the baby down as he was still so high up. Nothing seemed to work and by this time the baby's heart rate was dropping into the 30's and 40's with every contraction and every push. They put an oxygen mask over my face to supply more oxygen for the baby. I was pushing with every ounce of strength I had, and I felt the baby was just lodged in my ribs and that his body was over to the right side. He just wasn't lined up right, and I was getting very worried about his heart rate. <br><br>My doctor really didn't want to say the word "c-section," but by this time it was about 10:00am! I had labored naturally for over 12 hours, pushed for more than 2 hours, and the baby was not descending. We had even tried the squat that had helped with baby Hezekiah during his birth. Nothing seemed to help. I pushed a few more times, really giving it all I had. Baby's heart rate was in the 30's and everyone looked worried to me, though they were reassuring me that the heart rate was coming back up between contractions. I knew in my heart that I should have had the baby long before if I were going to be able to do it. It seemed unreal, but necessary for me to have a c-section. The doctor really didn't want to do it. She offered for me to try for another 30-45 minutes. I was worried we would try and end up with an emergency c-section anyway if the baby's heart rate stayed too low. I felt disappointed but at peace about our decision. Everything was calm and there was no panic. I was wheeled into the room where the c-section would take place, and everyone was helping me remain calm as by that time the pain was so excruciating. Todd was with me. Within a few minutes, I was ready, and completely numb from the ribs down. I had such a caring nurse anesthetist who stayed by me and talked me through everything. I was able to have my hands free, and to be awake and aware of everything. The moment the baby was born, I was able to hear his little cry, hear my husband exclaim, "It's a BOY!" They wrapped him and brought him right over to my face where I could see him up close and kiss his precious, soft little face. It was not the way I wanted it to happen, but it was still such a profoundly beautiful moment. I sobbed with tears of relief and joy! Our GOD is so GOOD! <br>
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My two oldest daughters were so sweet, and stayed through the labor. My second oldest was there through the entire night, waiting for her sibling to be born. She was the only one still there when the baby was born via c-section, and when they brought him back to the room, even before I was there (I was still being put back together), she was the first sibling to get to hold her new brother. It was sweet for her to get to bond with him in that way. <br>
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We had two lists of names: a boy list and a girl list. None of the names on the boy list seemed to be just the perfect name. It took us almost 2 days to figure out the right name. We found the name Toviel which means "my God is goodness." The middle name is Zechariah, which is Hebrew for "the Lord remembers." How GOOD is our God, who remembers us in every moment and circumstance in our lives, especially when we need Him most. I am confident that had we been at home for this birth, my wonderful midwife would have transferred me, as it seems that was what would have been necessary. So things would have most likely been just fine, too. But we were right where we needed to be--no rushing to the hospital, no panicked feelings. My nurses were all wonderful and very supportive of my natural laboring, and my desire for no interventions. My OB was also so wonderful, trying as hard as she could to allow me to have the delivery I was wanting and working so hard to achieve. She never pressured us to have the c-section. When it was time, we just knew. The nurse anesthetist was so kind--I would have been a wreck had it not been for his calm presence, and his words talking me through everything step by step. How GOOD of the Lord to lead us to deliver in this hospital in the first place. For those of you who have read my previous blog posts, you know that I was longing for a home birth or birth center birth. The Lord said NO. Now I know why. Toviel was meant to be born just where he was born, in just the way he was born. I still do wish I had been able to deliver him naturally. We did everything to make that happen, but the Lord knew his story from the beginning of time. This is little Tovi's testimony, and part of mine, too. <br>
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Now, exactly one year to the day that I found out that our little one had gone to be with Jesus, I am holding another precious little one. Another reminder of the GOODNESS of our God! I am overwhelmed with thankfulness, and so hopeful for the future. This year has been full of times that have built up my faith and drawn me closer to the Lord, to Todd, and to all of my children. I am at peace. And I know with confidence that the Lord will continue to walk with us and guide us through this life. I'm filled with joy and peace. Next year, on this date, what will I look back and see?<br>
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<i>"O taste and see that the LORD is good; How </i></div>
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<i>blessed is </i><i>the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8</i></div>
<br>Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-90798769455192749842014-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:002014-03-07T20:23:09.835-08:00Extreme Nesting! 6 weeks til DDay! I am not a huge Facebook Dweller, but I do like to post almost every day. I post Bible verses and words I find encouraging nearly every morning. I post pictures of my family and what is happening on the farm. This month, in observance of Lent, I have decided I would like to give up browsing on Facebook and reading through the news feed. I can get sucked into spending a little too long looking through my news feed and then reading various interesting articles people are posting. So, I have decided instead to just post a link to my blog posts on FB and then avoid any browsing during the 40 days of Lent. <br />
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It has been quite a while since I posted. The last post was in December when we were still trying to figure out where I would be delivering sweet bambino #10. I was struggling a lot with my desire to have another home birth, which we decided against purely for financial reasons. Then we were hoping to get coverage for a birth center birth. Sadly, the birth center wanted to charge us $1200 more in out-of-pocket charges that would not count towards our out-of-pocket maximum, so we would have had to pay an extra $1200 for the birth beyond our maximum, which we will most definitely be reaching this year. Todd felt that with all the expenses we have this year building a large addition to our home, that we should have the baby at the hospital. At first I was very disappointed, but it didn't take long for me to find peace in our decision. God will bless no matter where we choose to deliver our baby. Also, I really do love my OB, and I've had 7 hospital births, with 3 of those being natural deliveries. My fourth birth was probably my second best, peaceful birth aside from the water delivery we were blessed to have with Jedidiah, baby #8 and our first home birth. The LORD holds us in the palm of His hand. <br />
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After we decided on the hospital delivery, I began searching for a birth doula who would be able to help me with the delivery at the hospital. As I began my search, I was discouraged, because some of the charges were almost as much as the birth center delivery would have cost us out of pocket. That would not have been feasible for us. I posted a request to my Facebook friends, to see if anyone knew of a doula who charged a lower fee, and I received a message from a sweet friend of mine I had met several years ago through our homeschool field trip group. We had recently reconnected on Facebook. She told me she is a trained doula, and her fee was completely within my budget! I had just been praying that morning that the LORD would bring just the perfect doula at a price I could afford. When I received the message, I cried tears of joy! What a blessing! I know that it wasn't anything I couldn't live without, but the Lord was showing me His graciousness, and in my mind confirming our decision to deliver our baby at the hospital. I am so excited! I know the Lord's hand is in this pregnancy, and He will be with us every step of the way. I am at peace! <br />
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So, now we have 6 weeks to go til baby's due date! Up until very recently, I have been pretty worn out in the evenings, the time when I would normally be cleaning stuff out and nesting. I was beginning to think that the nesting instinct would never kick in. Just a few days ago, I came across another idea for Lent. It's called 40 bags in 40 days. You take 40 days, and every day you clean an area of your home and try to have at least one bag of trash or one larger item to take out of your house to give away or throw away. I started a day early because that will take me right up to my due date. So far, I have cleaned out the linen closet downstairs (2 bags of trash and stuff to give away), tiny pantry (2 more bags of stuff to throw out), and some toy shelves we have in our family room (1 bag of trash and 1 plastic drawers set filled with stuff to give away). I'm so excited about this because it fits in with the Fly Lady mentality of just taking baby steps to reach the goal of decluttering your home. So far, doing a little area every day with the goal of just 1 bag of stuff to get rid of has seemed very doable. Now I feel like the nesting instinct is taking hold, and I am on a roll! <br />
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Here are a few pictures of my progress so far in these little areas:<br />
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Day 1: Downstairs Linen Closet: Before<br />
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Day 2: Tiny Pantry Before</div>
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Day 3: Toys Shelves Before</div>
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After!</div>
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Feeling a sense of accomplishment! More to come!</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-85240344303557988922013-12-21T07:30:00.000-08:002013-12-21T08:39:06.962-08:00Man plans his way, but God directs his steps"The mind of man plans his way,<br />
But the LORD directs His steps."<br />
Proverbs 16:9<br />
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Lately, I have felt that I am being tested in the area of patience and facing disappointments. I posted previously about having to be super patient with the building of the addition to our home. Things have just not gone according to my plans there. We have seen a little progress recently. In fact, we are now able to walk on the foundation of the new section of our house! I have had thoughts of how nice it would be if things were ready in our master bedroom before baby arrives in April, but I am accepting the fact that that most likely will not be the case. <br />
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Why do I sometimes feel like a whiny toddler when things don't go my way? I have had a few days of feeling that way in the past several weeks. This attitude has caused me to reflect on exactly what is going on inside my heart, and how to deal with everything emotionally and practically. <br />
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I have been particularly disappointed recently because of my hopes for the way that I want to give birth to this baby growing in my belly. My last two babies were born at home, and I absolutely preferred my experience there to my hospital births. I was hoping for another home birth this time, but the expenses of adding onto our home, running our little farm and of course, all that goes into raising 9 growing children, led my husband to feel that it didn't make sense when the insurance wouldn't cover any part of the homebirth. I thought my only option was the hospital, but I recently discovered that there is a wonderful birthing center in South Austin. I found out that my insurance would cover the cost of a birth center birth, and I began to get excited about this option. While my mom was visiting for Thanksgiving, we went together for a tour of the facility, and it was so beautiful! I was pretty much ready to plan on transferring my care there for the remainder of the pregnancy, but then we received the financial estimate from the birth center. It turns out that the birth center isn't contracted with our insurance, so when the insurance doesn't think a service is worth a certain amount of money, and they adjust the cost and set what they will pay, if the provider chooses to bill the patient for the balance, they can do so. This isn't such a big deal except that this amount goes above and beyond our deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, meaning any extra money we pay to the birth center will not count towards our out-of-pocket maximum, whereas at the hospital it will. When I finally understood what this means for us, I was so frustrated and angry that I just began to cry! I was so sure this would be cheaper than the hospital and that it would work out great for us. While it is cheaper than the hospital, the cost we would end up paying will mean if we reach our out of pocket maximum, we will still be paying over $1000 that we wouldn't have to have paid if it had counted towards our out of pocket maximum. This makes it very hard to decide to pay so much extra for this birth center birth rather than going the hospital route. I was pouting about it for a whole day last week. I reasoned to myself that my husband should view this as a gift to me. I thought if he really wants to make me happy, he should just agree to pay this extra amount and that would be it. My attitude was kind of like the attitude my younger children often display when they don't get their way. <br />
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We are attempting to negotiate something with the birth center to see if they will reduce our cost, but I just have no idea what the outcome will be. In the past week, while I have been waiting to see if I will get a discount at the birth center, we have had a few more unseen expenses added to our growing list of expenses. Today I am trying to be more adult about this and view it from the perspective that God knows exactly where this baby should be born, and I just need to rest and trust in His plan. Maybe it will go the way I want it to. Maybe they will work out a lower cost that Todd can live with, and I will get my way. But there is a very good chance that I will have to go ahead and have the baby at the hospital. If that is the case, then I am praying that I can joyfully trust that this is just where God wants our sweet one to be born. In the long run, all that really matters is that God has blessed us once again with a new little life to join our family. I am so humbled and grateful beyond measure. I get to do this again! What a privilege. It sounds so crazy to a lot of people since I have already had 9 children, but each one is a special gift and I am so honored to be their mama. There is nothing I would rather be doing than raising my children and teaching them at home, watching my older kids become young women and men, and just enjoying who they are all becoming. What rich times we have! What fun! And, oh what the future holds! My heart is full. <br />
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So, while I am praying still for the birth center to work out, and while I also covet the prayers of any of you who would like to pray that on my behalf, I am also praying that I will be ready to accept it if I end up needing to deliver at the hospital. God knows best. <br />
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I think about my children and all the things they want or think they want. At times, I need to tell them no, because I see the big picture, and I understand the circumstances surrounding everything. I can see that what my child wants may not be the best thing for him or her. I'm trying to see things this way; perhaps God is directing this birth to the hospital for a reason. He is sovereign, and He knows best. He cares for me and for this unborn child. I may have my plans, but I am trusting fully in whatever The Lord sees fit. <br />
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I'm always learning to rest in The Lord more and more. I truly get to the point where I feel like I'm trusting Him, and then this type of thing comes up. May I learn to truly rely on Him.<br />
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Blessings to all, and I'll update more on this as things become more clear.Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-54247305148406028582013-11-28T07:11:00.003-08:002013-11-28T07:27:53.792-08:00Lessons in Patience and Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="thankful" height="240" src="http://www.southboonechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/thankful.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!<br />
Thanksgiving is at the top of my list of favorite holidays. I love the time with family, the food, the warmth, and the focus on thankfulness. I love the way the house smells with all the delicious things in preparation for all the festivities. This time of year, our family reflects on all that God has done in our lives. It is humbling for me to think about how little I truly deserve, and yet how richly I am blessed--beyond measure! Recently, however, I have had a slight discontent brewing in my heart which has caused me to want to reflect more on what the Lord has done in my life. We moved to our wonderful property over 7 years ago, into the structure that was going to be our garage. The plan was that we would live here for around 1 year, while we built our "dream home." Then we got the idea that it would be prudent for us to be debt free, so we worked to pay off the small mortgage we had on our land, and finally reached that goal a couple of years ago. This whole process has been a hugely humbling experience for me, and I have learned much about cultivating a heart of gratitude through it all. As I reflect on this holiday when we come together with family and friends to thank God for all He has done in our lives, I have been thinking back on everything I have learned so far and how I think it has affected our children as well. <br />
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First off, though I might have described myself several years ago as being somewhat patient person, my patience has been tested and tried so much during these years of waiting to see my "dreams" for my home and the property come to fruition. Our previous home, which was large, and finished, and on a really nice property of 1 3/4 acres, took us 14 months to sell! Talk about trying my patience! I thought we would never sell that place! The funny thing is that at the time, I couldn't wait to get out of that house and over to where we are living now. Looking back, I see that I was living in a beautiful home that many people would have loved to have as home. I was so focused on getting to the next place, that I could only see what was "wrong" with my really nice, beautiful home. Now, I'm not saying that I regret our choice to move, but now I see my attitude at that time in a different light. We still have pictures of that house on our computer and sometimes I see them scroll by when the computer is on "sleep" mode. It was truly a beautiful place, and we really loved our neighbors there, an older couple who became like another set of grandparents to our young children. Sometimes, we miss the beauty and blessing of where we are right now because we are so busy trying to get to the next great thing.<br />
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Finally, after the 14 months of trying to sell the house, we sold it and had to be out in 3 weeks! The garage-house on our 20-acre property wasn't quite finished yet, but we had to get out of the house we had sold. The kids and I went to stay with my dad in Florida for 2 weeks while Todd and his dad finished some things here that needed to be done before the house could be considered "livable, i.e., put in at least 1 working toilet, air conditioning (September in Texas is hot hot hot!), and a bath tub (no shower yet) in one of the bathrooms. When the kids and I returned from Florida, we moved into our little place, which really wasn't finished yet, and the real adventure began. Our former house was over 3500 square feet, and this house is under 2000 square feet, with very little storage space. Here, also, began the real lessons in thankfulness, patience, and cultivating a heart of contentment in my own life and the lives of our children. <br />
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At first, we had no kitchen, adding a microwave shortly after we moved in, and putting in the fridge and oven/stove as well. The cabinets and counter tops were not in yet, either, which meant we had no sink in the kitchen. We washed our dishes outside in a large plastic tub I purchased at Walmart. I decided to start teaching the children from the Prairie Primer, which focuses on lessons around the Little House on the Prairie books! I felt like I was a pioneer woman. The funny thing is, as difficult as this was, especially with 6 young children, I began to see the benefits, at least in my own heart, to living this way. I was learning valuable lessons about what is truly necessary to live and even thrive. I learned that having to wait on things, even the things that we in America consider "necessary" or "standard" in a home, was helping me to appreciate every little luxury as they were added to our home. It was 2 months before we finally got our kitchen sink installed, mostly because the counter tops kept being broken by the workers as they tried to install them. Once we got our counters, sink and dishwasher in the kitchen, I felt like a QUEEN! What an impression that made on me! These are "basics" to us here, but honestly we did fine without them for such a short time, and when I did finally get them "back" in my life, I was humbled and grateful for such a simple, common comfort. Even now, 7 years later, I often thank God for my kitchen, sink, and of course, especially the dishwasher! We didn't get around to installing the tiles in the downstairs bathroom, which was the only working tub for a while, until several months after we moved into the house. There were always other pressing matters, and it just didn't top the list. Baths were fine, though, similar to my feeling when I finally had a dishwasher again, I was thrilled to take my first shower in our little house! I can think of many other things like this that have been slowly added and for which I am so much more thankful than if I had not had to live without them for a while.<br />
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Besides these kinds of basic luxuries, we had moved into a place that was totally unfinished inside. The walls were not primed or painted, there was no trim or baseboards, no carpet anywhere, and the floor in the downstairs rooms was basic concrete, polished a little so it wasn't quite as rough as a driveway, but still pretty rough. These little things bothered me a lot. I was living in a house that was definitely not "nice" or "pretty" like my old house was. I knew these little things would eventually get done, but we had to move along slowly because Todd was doing all the work to save money, and of course, he does have a paying job! The house was built cash, so we felt every little expense. Over time, we have added trim, door frames, baseboards in most places (though there are still places that don't have baseboards!), etc. I have come to realize that though it can be a little humbling to not have everything finished perfectly, these things aren't necessary. There is an appearance we feel we need to put on, mostly for others, and it can become such that we feel we "need" it for ourselves as well. For me, I have had to think often about why this would be important to me, why it's ok to not have everything instantly, and to learn to wait. When we painted, I felt so happy. Every little "appearance" thing we add does make me really appreciative, but I know for me deep inside that these are little vanities. There is nothing wrong with wanting them or having them, but they certainly aren't necessary, and definitely aren't important. I have struggled with the idea that as a wife I am to create a "haven" for my family, especially for my husband. Sometimes, I have felt that is hard to do in this little garage-house. I am still learning that the "haven" is in the atmosphere I create, not in how outwardly beautiful (or sometimes, neat and organized) things are, but mostly in how I set the tone. How do I treat my children? How am I relating to my husband? I create the "haven" in the heart of the home, the love and warmth from within, the life that radiates from my heart to the heart of those for whom I am trying to create that "haven." <br />
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Todd and I have always enjoyed entertaining, and having people in our home. When we moved into our little "diamond in the rough" as we sometimes call our place, I found that more humbling to do. Todd was really good at keeping the flow of people coming in and out of our home. This wasn't always what I wanted, as I was humbled by the way things were/are in our home. We live in a very unconventional way, and it was challenging for me to have people over to our home especially at first, when we didn't have the same things in terms of luxury or appearance that others we know possess. It sounds so awful to put it that way, when I look at those words on the page. It's all in the thinking of what I have or don't have in comparison to what others have. We have chosen to live here and we have a beautiful property, lots of space for the children to grow and play. I can get wrapped in the vanity of still comparing this to what most of my friends have in their homes. So ugly. <br />
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What I have learned about this over the years is that what truly matters are the people inside this house, and how we welcome and love those who set foot in this place. We bought 20 acres, and have been building from the ground up, everything from the water, septic, driveway, etc. We have dreamed mostly of blessing our family through this, and blessing all those who walk through our door. Whether we have painted walls, trim, beautiful decorations, or unfinished, roughness in the home, with dirty little fingerprints everywhere that I just can't seem to keep up with, what truly matters is how we make people feel when they are here. This includes our own children. I don't want them remembering that all I cared about was how our house looked to others or how nice things were here. I want them to have a happy place to live, where there is laughter and love and where the little messes that come with simply living are just ok sometimes. I want them to feel that this house, big or small, furnished in luxury or furnished with items that are a little beat up from all the life here, is the place they really want to be. I want people who come here to feel that this is a happy place, where they are loved and accepted, and where we care about them and not about impressing them. <br />
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We have reached the point where we are ready to build, the money is there to begin the addition to our home, and we have started the process. This is where I have felt a heart of discontent creeping back up in me. We started the foundation two months ago, and due mainly to the very, very wet weather we have had in Austin this fall, we have made pretty slow progress. I find myself at times looking out that back door at what will someday be more living space for our family, complaining. Why aren't the workers here when it's dry and sunny? How long is this going to take? Wow, I thought it was messy here before, but now with all this dirt and new mud from the construction....! Grumble, grumble, gripe, gripe, gripe. What is my problem? I am looking at what will eventually be a really nice addition to an already wonderful place we have to live. I have so much compared to so many, and I can't wait a couple more months to see even more blessing added to my life? So, again I am humbled, and again I learn. This is the art of learning contentment. The art of looking at the blessing already realized instead of focusing on what I may not have (yet or ever). I have learned most importantly that this is an exercise, an ongoing discipline. I may never arrive at the perfect place of contentment, but I must daily choose to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. <br />
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I think the final lesson I have learned is a simple one. I know we as parents all should know this. Yet, I am reminded that Todd and I are the models of contentment and gratefulness in our children's lives. If I am not content with the many, many blessings that I have in my life, I am modeling to my children to be dissatisfied and ungrateful for what they have. In our home right now, 8 of our 9 children share a large room, kind of like a bunk house. There is a girls' closet and boys' closet, and each child has his or her own bed and a place to keep their personal things. I always laugh when people ask me if we have a big house and how many bedrooms we have (since we have 9 children, we must have a 10-bedroom house, right?). Is this perfect or ideal? Maybe not. Is this what all their friends have? Well, probably not. Is this going to damage them for life? Most definitely not! In fact, I think it is teaching them valuable lessons. They are learning to live with others in harmony, respect others' things and space, be considerate of others, and so much more. When they compare themselves to their friends, they are learning to focus on what they do have rather than on what they don't. We share with our kids that we don't have to live this way, but that we have chosen it in order to be financially free, and also because the trappings of this world aren't really what's necessary in life to be happy. We wanted the land and space, and we have chosen this lifestyle for ourselves.<br />
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I'm not writing this to make anyone feel that they need to live the way we have been living or choose what we have chosen in order to have a grateful heart. What we are doing isn't "better" than what someone else is doing. That's the point. We are all different. I am reflecting on what I have learned, and I hope it blesses you wherever you are in your walk in life. The universal truth in this post is that this world is fleeting and what really matters has nothing to do with all the material things in our lives such as our homes, the contents therein, the cars we drive, the gadgets we own, etc. What matters in life is relationship, knowing our LORD and being satisfied in Him. When all the things of this world fade, what will remain is how we lived our lives, how we treated those with whom we came in contact, and how we reflected the Lord through it all. I am so thankful today that I can say that I have learned so much from some difficult choices and some humbling experiences. <br />
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I love that today, we will make thankfulness the centerpiece of our day, as we gather, share the special meal, and remember what the LORD has done for us. <br />
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May your Thanksgiving be BLESSED! <br />
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<b><i>I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Pslam 9:1</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness. Come into His presence with joyful singing! Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Psalm 100</i></b>Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-27428506391354592482013-11-22T05:40:00.000-08:002013-11-22T05:40:23.710-08:00Of Loss and the Love God<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was a very blessed mama in that I hadn't experienced the pain of miscarriage with any of my 9 pregnancies. I always knew that it was a very common occurrence, and that it could happen with any pregnancy. Honestly, I think I thought it would happen almost every time, especially as I have gotten older. In April 2013, I found out I was expecting our 10th baby. I was so excited, as the older I get, the more I feel the reality that my childbearing years are quickly drawing to a close. I am acutely aware that I may never carry another child in my womb again. So I was thrilled to see a positive pregnancy test that day in April. I honestly wasn't too worried about losing the baby to miscarriage this time. I was busy with my bustling household of growing children, homeschooling, helping with the animals on our farm, and spending time with my husband.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Things seemed to be going well for the first trimester. I went in for a pregnancy confirmation with my OB at 9 weeks, and I even got to see our little one's heart beating away, very strong. I was at peace.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Shortly after the 9-week visit with my OB, I did actually begin to feel that something wasn't right. I felt like my belly wasn't growing as quickly as it should be at that stage for my 10th pregnancy. I have a Doppler fetal heart rate monitor, with which I had been able to hear Hezekiah's heartbeat at 10 weeks. So, at around 10 weeks, I decided to try and find baby #10's heartbeat. I was aware that it was kind of early to be able to hear the heartbeat, but I tried anyway, remembering that I had found it with a little patience during the same time in my pregnancy with Hezi. This time, I tried for a really long time, and all I heard was static or my own heartbeat. I mentioned it to Todd, and he reassured me that it was really early and I shouldn't worry. I waited a week and tried again, thinking that surely this time I would hear it, since I was a whole week further along. After searching longer and harder this time, I was discouraged by the sounds of static and again just my own heartbeat. I began to feel that something was definitely wrong. By this time, the children knew that I was expecting, and they were beginning to tell people. They all get so excited about a new baby in the family.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Right around 11 weeks, we had a field day at our house for a homeschool group in which we have been involved for years. While we were introducing families to new members of the group, Enoch excitedly announced that we not only had the 9 children present but were going to have #10 in December. I had a strange feeling about announcing the pregnancy to so many people. I just had that gut feeling that something was wrong.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">That weekend I kept trying to find the heartbeat to just reassure myself that all was ok. I never found it. On Sunday, June 2nd,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> while we were at church, I started to spot just a tiny bit. I felt so sick and shaky. I had never spotted with any of my previous 9 pregnancies. I just knew in my heart that the baby had passed away. We decided to head right to the hospital. Someone from our church took our kids home for us after the service, which was a blessing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I kept trying to think positive thoughts, like spotting is pretty common in pregnancy, and I wasn't really bleeding. Maybe it was nothing serious, and we would find out the baby was just fine. Deep inside, though, I knew our baby was dead. A couple hours later, I was told that everything seemed to be fine, and we could go home and follow up with my OB the next day. I insisted upon having an ultrasound while we were there. They wheeled me back, and I had a very detached ultrasound tech coldly measure a bunch of things, all the while telling me nothing. I could see what I knew was the form of our baby, still and lifeless, no familiar little heart beating as I had seen so many other times in ultrasound rooms. The tech wasn't supposed to say anything, but I wished she could tell me everything was fine. I knew for sure then that it wasn't all fine, but we still had to wait for the doctor to come tell us. To me, the doctor was cold and unfeeling, not even saying he was sorry for our loss. I cried on Todd's shoulder, and we waited to be released. The nurse who discharged me was the only sympathetic person in that whole experience at the hospital. She was very sweet, and looked at us saying, "You're still young! You can have more babies in the future!" Todd and I kind of chuckled and thought, "You have no idea!" Still, our loss was very real to us. A child would now be missing for our family, and I felt that ache I know so many women have felt--women I have known and tried to comfort when I knew really nothing of what they were feeling. Now I did know. Even though it was our 10th child, it was still very difficult for me. We went home to wait for the miscarriage to happen. I had had what they call a "missed miscarriage." My baby had died around 9 weeks (must have been right after I had seen the ultrasound) but my body was holding onto the baby. We decided against having a D&C, hoping everything would happen naturally. I also really wanted to have something to bury, as odd as that might sound. This was my baby, a little sibling of my children, and I didn't want him or her to just be thrown away in a hospital.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">As I waited to miscarry our baby, I wondered what I had done wrong. Had it been dragging our new dairy goat to the shed every morning and struggling to get her on the stand? Was it the running I had been continuing to do even after I found out I was expecting? Maybe I hadn't eaten the right things. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep. Had something I'd done or not done killed my baby? Those feelings of guilt were unlike anything I had ever felt before. I cried a lot, but I was ok a lot, too. It was definitely an emotional roller coaster.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">We had planned a trip that week to go to Dallas to see my niece graduate from high school. I had bought a cheesy shirt that said, "Baby on board" to wear so we could announce the pregnancy to the family when we arrived in Dallas. The shirt arrived in the mail the day after I started spotting. I dreaded going to Dallas and having the miscarriage happen there. I just wanted to stay home.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">We left that Tuesday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> for Dallas, and I still hadn't started to even have any cramping. During this time, also, Todd's beloved grandmother was nearing the end of her life in Pittsburgh, PA. We heard upon arriving that she had stopped eating and was no longer conscious. Everything seemed so sad. Getting there and being around family, however, was just what I needed. Everyone was so wonderfully supportive and loving. Todd's sister, who had experienced a miscarriage with her second baby (who was due just a month after our first child), was such an encouragement and comfort to me. I was so glad to be there surrounded by our wonderful, loving family. Instead of the dread I had previously felt, I was relieved and blessed to be there.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">All day Tuesday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> passed, as well as all day Wednesday. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I didn't even have the slightest cramp. As sad as I was for our loss, I began to just hope and pray that my body would begin to work to get the baby out so I could move on with my life. I knew I could be waiting for a while. The doctors had said it was ok to wait for my body to take care of things, but I really didn't want it to go on and on.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Early Thursday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">morning, June 6th, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I began severe cramping and heavy bleeding. I desperately wanted to find the baby as the miscarriage progressed, so as morbid as it sounds, I searched for it. I was bleeding so heavily I wasn't sure I would be able to find the baby. I began to panic in the middle of that night as I seemed to be bleeding quite a bit. We thought about going to the hospital, but waited to see what would happen. Todd's mother came in around 6 am </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">to tell us that his grandma had passed away around the same time I had started bleeding that morning. It was devastating, but I could imagine in my mind sweet Grandma Beighey holding our little one on her lap in heaven. What a comforting picture that was to me.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">All that day, I felt like I was in labor, with contractions coming every few minutes, back pain, and leg pain. I was able to rest and lie down, even sleep as most of the day went by. The graduation was Thursday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">evening, however, and I began to think I wasn't going be able to be there. That would have been a huge disappointment to me. Miraculously, just about an hour before we were supposed to be ready to leave the cramping let up a lot, and I felt ok enough to get up, bathe and get ready to go. I was so thankful to The Lord that I hadn't had to miss out on this special event. I could really see the hand of God in everything. I was sad but thankful and blessing The Lord through it all.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">My bleeding started to really lessen by Friday.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> I was disappointed that I hadn't gotten to see the baby, but I had accepted that perhaps God didn't want me to. Maybe it would have been too upsetting. I was glad to be able to begin to move on a little.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">We returned home Saturday,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> and the worst of the cramping and bleeding was over. Looking back, it was such a blessing to have had the miscarriage happen in Dallas where I had lots of support and help. Todd had to fly to Pittsburgh very early Sunday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">morning for his grandmother's funeral. I thought about how awful it would have been if I had had the miscarriage while he was gone.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Todd came back Tuesday e</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">vening. The miscarriage seemed to be pretty much over. Two days later was Todd's birthday. That morning, right after he left for work, the baby passed out of my body. Since I had mostly stopped bleeding, it was unmistakable. I was floored by the goodness of The Lord in granting me this desire to have my baby to bury properly and be remembered. We had a little funeral that evening. Though it was Todd's birthday, and really not the most uplifting thing to do on his birthday, it was such a blessing to be able to gather the children, read scripture and pray together. We buried our baby on our property and we plan to plant a tree over the place where he or she is buried. Doing this, we were able to give everyone some closure. We named our baby Shai Jordan Erdner. Shai means "gift." I don't think all of the children really felt the loss until we held our little funeral for their baby brother or sister that they would never meet this side of heaven. We all cried together, and some of the children cried quite a bit. Poor little Enoch cried for probably 2 hours after the funeral.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">A couple of weeks later, I went to a movie and dessert with Nina and a friend and her mom as a reward for the girls timing a lot during the speech and debate regional competition in May. While we were eating our dessert, we began talking about the miscarriage, and my friend mentioned a book she had read entitled <u>Heaven is for Real</u>. She said I should read it because it would encourage me. There was mention of a miscarried baby being seen in heaven by a little boy who was given a vision of heaven (his older sister, miscarried before he was conceived). Nina looked at me and said, "I wonder if the baby would have looked like you, Mom." Then she cried for about 10 minutes. A little girl missing the sibling she wouldn't get to know on earth. I cried with her.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I kind of forgot about the book until August, when Todd and I got to visit some dear friends as we traveled to Oregon for a few days. As I shared with my friend about our miscarriage, she ran and got a book and said, "You have to read this!" It was the same book my other friend had mentioned to me. I began reading that evening and finished it on the plane ride home. It was an amazing book. I loved reading about the sister of the little boy who had been miscarried before he was conceived. She introduced herself to the boy and said she had no name because her parents hadn't given her one since she was miscarried early in the pregnancy. I was so happy we had chosen a name for our baby.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Just a few days later, I found out I was pregnant again! I was so surprised and incredibly humbled and blessed. I had not expected that The Lord would bless us with another baby so soon after our loss. I have to admit that these first few months of pregnancy it has been extremely difficult not to worry. I really am not a worrier, but I couldn't help but worry about everything. I wasn't feeling too sick, was something wrong? Was my belly growing fast enough? Would I find the heartbeat this time width my Doppler? What if I couldn't?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">This time, I tried to find the heartbeat right at about 9 weeks, which is extremely early. I searched for a while, and just when I was thinking it was just too early, there it was! Thank you, Lord! Very faint, but most definitely the baby's little rapid heart beat. I checked again several days later and couldn't find it. I worried and cried and begged The Lord to spare this baby. When I tried again later that night, I easily found it. I felt like my baby had been resurrected! It was a strange experience, and I don't really know what happened, but I know God has given us a gift that He can freely choose to take away at any time, even later in the pregnancy, as I've seen happen before to several women I know. After that day of panic, I have resolved to just lay this baby at the Lord's feet, fully trusting Him for the outcome. He is so good.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">I am just about 18 weeks pregnant, with this 11th baby, and I am feeling wonderful. The children are so excited. It is such a blessing and an honor to be carrying another little one. I am older, and these childbearing years are soon fleeting away, but I am trusting fully in His plan for me and my family. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us. I have seen such LOVE in the midst of the LOSS that we experienced this past summer. I have a very real and loving God who has made Himself so very present and so very gentle and caring with me at such a time of pain and grieving. How blessed I am to know Him! And I know with full confidence that I will see our precious missing baby #10, baby Shai Jordan, someday when I get to heaven! How wonderful will that be!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><i>"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." </i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Job 1:21</span></i></span>Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-32782865618540449732013-07-21T13:21:00.001-07:002013-07-21T13:21:20.094-07:00The Incomparable Jedidiah <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">The Incomparable Jedidiah</span><br />
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Recently, an adult we see regularly told my oldest son that he didn't like our 3-year-old son, Jedidiah. Todd and I weren't there at the time, and Jed was being his usual, rather loud self. So this person went on to tell David that he usually loves all children, but he just doesn't like Jed, and "that was saying a lot." Well, when we got home later that evening, David shared with us what this person had told him about his younger brother. Needless to say, as this little boy's momma, I was none too pleased for many reasons. One of which is, I'm not really sure what my 13-year-old son was expected to do with this person's declaration of dislike for his little brother. Of course, I was also just a bit peeved that someone would voice something like that regarding a young child who actually likes him. Jed had greeted me earlier laughing about how funny the person was who apparently doesn't care much for him.</div>
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Interestingly enough, I was already in the process of writing a blog post all about our little boy Jedidiah. He is a unique blessing. He is a "handful"--loud, electric, and truly just as lovable as he can be. I am not one to ever say I dislike any child. But the remark made by this person recently made me remember something that I hope and pray I still remember when my kids have grown up and grown out of much of their childlike ways. We should remember to have grace with other moms (parents) and we should have grace with children who are still learning how to navigate life and how they should behave. I am seriously looking into designing and creating custom t-shirts for my little boys, particularly our little Jed, that say "In Training" on the front and have the verse "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov 22:6) on the back. I'm dead serious. I need about 7-8 of them so he can wear them every day to remind both myself and others that this is a little child, that he needs both my diligent attention and my grace as he learns. Grace. Grace. That is something that can be very lacking at times when we believing parents are looking at one another and one another's children. The following is the post I was originally going to put up on my blog about Jed. He is truly a delight, and I think everyone should be blessed with a sweet little boy like him, though he is a bit of work to handle and train. I wouldn't trade his personality for the world!<br /><div>
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Every family should have a child like you! That is something I tell each of my children all the time!! :) It's true! They are each such a wonderful blessing in their own special way. It seems each child has such an individual personality. I thought I had seen it all in the first seven, and then we had our precious Jedidiah. </div>
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Looking back, I never realized how relatively calm the other children had been as babies and toddlers. I never had to deal with a truly precocious child until we were blessed with Jed. From the beginning, I never even know what he would turn out to be like.</div>
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Jedidiah was a very easy going baby. This was a child who could sleep anywhere, be held by just about anyone, and be dragged from one event to be next without any sign of fussiness. For example, I flew to Miami with baby Jed for a weekend with my mom and sisters when Jed was 6 months old. He was exclusively breastfed. We had tickets to see a musical. The day before the production we called to make sure I could bring the baby with us, and were told that the baby would need a $72 ticket!! My brother-in-law bravely volunteered to keep Jed with his three kids for the few hours of the production. I left baby food for him to try with Jed if necessary, but was sure he wouldn't take it as he had never tasted solids before. Jed was perfect the whole time we were gone, and then after we picked him up, he slept soundly in hingsis stroller as my mom, sisters and I ate dinner in a rather loud restaurant. "What a calm and easy going baby," we all thought. Jedidiah was always smiley, happy, and he slept amazingly well. He was definitely one of my easiest infants in the whole bunch!</div>
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Even Jedidiah's birth was my most peaceful. After desiring a home birth ever since my 4th pregnancy, Todd agreed that we could have baby #8 at home. After a relatively less painful labor, I was able to give birth to Jed peacefully in a warm birthing pool in our bedroom! Beautiful and amazing!!! The whole family was present for the birth of the new baby. He was born in the evening, so the lighting was perfect. Everyone watched the birth (in the murky water, it wasn't too graphic), and then Todd took the children all downstairs for dinner that we had frozen ahead of time and he had taken out to thaw earlier during my relatively easy-going labor. I'm serious, it almost doesn't sound true, but it was just that perfect!! Fast forward a year, and all of a sudden, my easy going baby transformed into a super busy, super precocious bundle of energy! I often laugh at how God waited until baby #8 to give us such an active little boy.</div>
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When Jed began to walk, his world exploded into a million possible things and places to explore, many of which, in his mind, are best explored by dumping things onto the ground. When Jed turned 1 and began to walk, we had a gate to keep him from walking upstairs. When it broke (due to heavy traffic in the house of course), however, we never replaced it because he learned how to safely go up and down the stairs. Of course, the drawback to having no gate is that now Jed the toddler was able to sneak quietly upstairs and suddenly be into something before we detected he was even gone! My babies #6 and #7 never really got into trouble like Jed did, so I had to remember if it ever got suddenly quiet, Jed was probably dumping something on the floor (let's see...the little rocks that go in his sister's fish tank, math counting chips, earrings belonging to older sisters, dental flossers, nail polish left on a desk by an older sister--that one got "painted" onto the floor, the entire train set, Legos, etc, etc, etc). One Sunday morning before church, I emerged from the bathroom to find that Jed had emptied the contents of an entire box of cereal, along with nearly 1/2 gallon of milk onto the floor. Breakfast, anyone?? I could write a whole book full of the antics of Jed, but for now, I just want to give you a glimpse of this little boy's personality. </div>
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Jed is super intelligent, and has an amazing memory. Having teenagers in the house, this can lead to some interesting things coming out of his mouth! Sometimes he comes up with the funniest things to say. I love to hear his sweet little boy voice, often chiming into conversations with words used by people much older than he is. It's fun when he voices some of the thoughts running through his busy brain. One time as we were on the way to Dallas to see the grandparents, we were stuck in a huge traffic delay. After driving 3 hours and not even making it halfway there, Jed piped up with, "Hey, everyone! In opposite world, we are already at Mammy and Granddaddy's house!!!" He also has informed me that when he is big and tall and can drive, he is going to take me out to dinner with him. My heart melted big time over that one. So sweet. He asks people questions that are blunt-not necessarily rude-but just funny. For example, he will ask people when they are going to die. Recently, a woman we had just met told Jed that he looked like Abby. He looked at her like she was crazy and said, "No...I'm a BOY! And my name is Jed--idiah!" These things are not what makes him such a handful, but sometimes the verbal stuff can be humbling as well. I never know what he will say to someone or ask them. He is not the least bit shy, so it's all fair game. Of course, he is only 3, so most of the time he is just talking about little things, but I always have to find out what he has just told someone when they start laughing after he has shared something with them. Many times it's things like, "Hey, I just burped!" or he will have sung them some lines from a song he learned from an older sibling (nothing horrible, but not "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star"). </div>
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I often tell people that Jed has an electric charge that you can actually sense radiating from his little body when you are near to him. He is wiggly all the time, smiling a mischievous smile. Many times he hasn't even done anything wrong (yet), but his face tells you he is either thinking about it or he already has! </div>
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One last and maybe surprising highlight about Jed is that he is my most affectionate child by far. Most active and "wild"...most loving. I get tons of kisses from little Jed. I can say with certainty that I am kissed more by my little Jed each day than I am by all of my other children combined. I may have gotten more kisses from him in one day that I usually get in a month from some of the other children. Jed will grab my hands and kiss them. He will bend down and kiss my ankle or my foot. He always squeezes super tight when he hugs. His hugs and kisses can brighten up any day, and he just seems to know when I need some of his sweet love. Precious boy.</div>
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The funny thing is, as exasperating and exhausting as it can sometimes be to parent my little Jedidiah, I wouldn't trade it for the world. He is so full of LIFE! He reminds me of the kind of joy and abandon with which I want to live my life. Jed can go from being unhappy and crying to giggling and laughing in a split second. Most of his existence, though, is spent with that mischievous smile on his precious little face. He dances through life, and his arms and legs are in constant motion. The only time this child is still (or mostly still) is when he is asleep.</div>
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This more "difficult" child, maybe the child who isn't so "likeable" to those who don't really know him, the child parents of other young children don't want their child to be around because of what he might do or say...this child is a precious, sweet child with a heart as big as the whole world. His eyes light up with mischief, yes, but there is JOY and LIFE that is contagious. Jedidiah is a blessing from God. He keeps me humble. He keeps me on my knees. This child I would never trade for an easier child. My little Jed is going to grow up and change the world. Someday, his training will be over, and he will be polite, strong, bold, with a big heart and an attitude that is ready for anything. But I do I enjoy him now, and I hope everyone around him can have the grace to see in all the bits of "electricity" how wonderful he truly is. </div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-63308816531515909752013-05-12T06:49:00.000-07:002013-05-12T06:49:11.519-07:00Happy Mother's Day! Celebrate!<br />
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Today is a day to celebrate! Celebrate your mother, celebrate being a mother, and celebrate those who are mothers, even if you are not. It's not a day to feel sad and sorry. I know that this day can be hard for some people. Maybe your mother wasn't there for you. Maybe she was abusive to you. Maybe on this day, you long to be a mother and your dreams haven't yet been fulfilled. Those are terribly difficult things to face on a day like today when we celebrate and honor mothers. I want to encourage everyone out there today to celebrate. For those of us who are mothers, celebrate without guilt. For those of us who haven't yet become mothers, focus on those around you who are mothers and celebrate them! For those whose mothers were absent or abusive in some way, maybe today would be a good day to celebrate the life that they gave YOU, which may be the only gift they gave to you. I know that can be hard, but today try to do that. It may lift your spirit. Today could be a day for you to celebrate a wonderful mother in your life who is not your own mother, but who has invested in you in some way and has been like a mother to you.</div>
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I felt compelled to write this today, because over the last several years, I have noticed a trend on this day in which people want to focus on the negative. I have sat through several sermons delivered on Mother's Day focusing on those whose mothers were abusive or absent and how we need to forgive those mothers. While this is true, can we save that talk for another day? Can we encourage everyone to celebrate God's invention of the mother? In its ideal form, the form that God intends, it is a beautiful reflection of HIM! Can we find the good and the worthy and that which mirrors the heart of God and celebrate *that* today? I pray that today across country, instead of guilt, sorrow, or self-pity, there will be celebrating. The negative talk can wait for another day. There is no need for those who are blessed with being mothers to be made to feel guilty because there are others out there who desperately want to be mothers and haven't realized that dream. We do mourn with these women, but today it's okay to celebrate and be celebrated. </div>
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I recently read an article that spoke of not being the "Hallmark" mom, not being the perfect mom. Well, of course, none of us are that perfect mom, but it's ok to let your children celebrate you, to let them tell you how wonderful you are, even though you aren't perfect. It really doesn't matter if this day was created by a card company. What's wrong with a day set aside to celebrate mothers? In this day and age, mothers are rarely revered and exalted. Many times, mothers are told they could or should be doing something "more important." Today, let's remind them they are doing the *most* important thing, and that it is God Himself who has called them to that place!</div>
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I felt today I needed to write a word of encouragement to really celebrate this day. No guilt. No sadness. Think on the positive side. I don't mean to come across as insensitive to those for whom this day may be difficult. My intention is to encourage everyone today to find the mother who reflects the heart of God in your life and celebrate her. It is to encourage the moms out there who deeply feel all their inadequacies and failures to bask in the love and attention of the dear ones in their lives and allow themselves to be celebrated! </div>
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To all mothers out there, I shout with joy: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Enjoy YOUR day! This doesn't happen very often! Be blessed today!</div>
Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-59724897070394260092013-05-06T16:03:00.001-07:002013-05-15T08:21:22.388-07:00Tater Tot Casserole: A Step-by-Step Freezer Cooking RecipeIf you are looking for a meal that will get your kids to eat some vegetables, this one is for you! This recipe is very kid friendly, and extremely easy to make in bulk. I make the "easy" version, which uses canned soup, but you can also actually make this recipe with homemade soup base instead of canned, if you prefer (see recipe below). Tater tot casserole is a great meal that is full of vegetables for the kids, and they just love it! It freezes very well, too, so if you cook several batches at a time, you can freeze them and eat later whenever you need a meal that is ready to pull out of the freezer and go! The recipe and step-by-step guide here is for a batch of 6 9x13 pans. We are getting to the point where our family can eat two pans of this in one sitting, so if I make 6, we will most likely get 3 dinners out of it, with a little left over for lunches. <br />
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<u><b>Tater Tot Casserole (x6)</b></u></div>
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6 pounds Ground Beef (I always use ground turkey)</div>
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1 1/2 cups Onion, chopped</div>
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3 cloves Garlic, minced</div>
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6 10 3/4-oz cans Cream of Mushroom Soup</div>
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6 cups frozen Peas and Carrots</div>
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6 15-oz cans Sweet Corn</div>
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6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese</div>
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192 oz. Tater Tots, frozen (or 6 32-oz bags of tater tots)</div>
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Brown the ground beef or turkey together with the onions and garlic. </div>
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Drain corn. Thaw peas and carrots.</div>
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In a large bowl (I usually use one of my large stockpile because I don't have a bowl big enough to mix all of the ingredients in), mix together ground beef or turkey, vegetables, and soup. </div>
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Ladle evenly into 6 gallon-sized freezer bags or directly into 9x13 foil pans. <br />
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[When I was making this latest batch, I was taking three trays to a friend of mine and I was planning to freeze the rest. I took a ladle and ladled a scoop into each of three foil pans, then each of three gallon-sized freezer bags, and then repeated until it was evenly distributed among the 3 pans and 3 freezer bags.]</div>
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Place 1 cup cheddar cheese in each of 6 quart-sized freezer bags. Leave the tater tots in the bag in the freezer until you are ready to thaw and cook this meal. [When I took this to my friend, I just assembled it completely and paced the tater tots on top as well. You can freeze it like this. I've done this before, and when I want to cook it, I either take it out and thaw overnight in the fridge, or I take it out, preheat the oven, and bake covered for about 1-1/2 hours then uncovered for 1/2 hour more or until hot and bubbly and tater tots are golden.]</div>
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Freezing and cooking directions:</div>
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Place all three bags (ground beef mixture, cheese, and tater tots) together inside a 2-gallon freezer bag (if you can't find a 2-gallon bag, you can use a small plastic bag to keep it all together and then label the top. If you freeze in the 9X13 pan, you can sprinkle the cheese on top first, then wrap with heavy duty foil and freeze. Keep the tater tots near the pan in the freezer or place the pan together with the frozen tater tots in a plastic bag together, label and then freeze.</div>
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To serve: Thaw ground beef mixture and cheese. Pour ground beef mixture into a 9X13 pan. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Top with enough tater tots to cover the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tater tots are golden brown. <br />
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If you freeze this in the trays, you can just defrost in the fridge and bake at 350 as directed above. Or you can bake from frozen covered for about 1 1/2 hours, then uncovered for 30 more minutes until bubbly around the edges and browned and crispy (tater tots) on top.</div>
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Comments: You can vary the vegetables as desired. Add a can of green beans or any other fresh or frozen vegetables you desire. <br />
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NOTE: For a more natural soup base, here is a recipe for homemade cream of "mushroom" soup, if you are inclined to make your own instead of using canned:</div>
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You can freeze in these "can-sized portions and then thaw and add to any recipe that calls for canned cream of "whatever" (you can add different ingredients to make cream of mushroom, chicken, celery, etc.) soup. </div>
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<u><b>Cream of "Whatever" Soup</b></u></div>
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Makes equivalent of one "can"</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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1/2 small onion, diced</div>
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1/2 cup main ingredient, diced</div>
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1/4 cup butter or substitute</div>
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1/4 cup flour or substitute</div>
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1 cup milk or substitute</div>
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3/4 cup broth</div>
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Cream of Whatever Soup Base Table<br />
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Cream of Whatever Main Ingredient Table<br />
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Directions:</div>
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Saute garlic, onion and main ingredient (mushrooms, chicken, celery, etc.) and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add “milk” and broth. Add sauteed garlic, onion and main ingredient. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until it reaches desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper and use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe. If I make it ahead of time, I pour the soup into a pint canning jar and refrigerate it for up to four days.</div>
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Freezing Directions:</div>
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You can freeze these in batches in pint or quart size bags or use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe and freeze that dish. A great way to keep “cans” at-the-ready for your CrockPot recipes is to make a quadruple batch and bag each “can” serving in a pint-sized freezer bag. Place those bags in a gallon freezer bag, label and freeze. When you need a “can” of condensed soup, pull out a bag, thaw, and drop it in your crock or use in whatever recipe calls for it!</div>
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Servings: 1 “can,” about 1.5 cups</div>
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Author/Source for Cream of Whatever Soup:</div>
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Kristi @ Onceamonthmom.com</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-44252528364569300052013-03-10T17:06:00.000-07:002013-03-10T17:06:18.761-07:00Bulk cooking: Step by Step Veggie Stuffed Shells<br />
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First off, I'm very sad because all of my photos for this step-by-step recipe were accidentally erased from my phone. So I will walk through this recipe without photos. I plan to post another recipe and step-by-step guide soon.</div>
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This recipe was one I wasn't really sure the whole family would end up liking. It has no meat, which was attractive to me, but it also meant that there were veggies instead (also attractive to me, but usually not to the children). There is some yummy cheese in it, though, and the veggies are hidden inside. Of course, the spaghetti sauce is over everything, so the actual veggie content is well-masked. (Mwahhahaha!!!) I decided I would make 6 meals' worth and hope they liked it!! I enlisted the help of my 11-year-old daughter, who thought stuffing each shell was super fun, and we got things rolling.</div>
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Each recipe is supposed to feed 4-6, but we had enough for our whole family, sometimes with leftovers, and I made 6 meals' worth (plus some extra which I divided up among all the bags. The day I made this, we ate it for dinner and then froze 5 meals' worth.</div>
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<b><u>Veggie-Stuffed Shells*</u></b></div>
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<u>Ingredients:</u></div>
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144 Jumbo Pasta Shells (I always make more just in case)</div>
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84 oz. Chicken Broth</div>
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3 cups Carrots, shredded</div>
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6 cups Potatoes, diced</div>
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6 cups Onions, chopped</div>
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12 cups Cottage Cheese (I use fat free)</div>
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6 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (use part-skim for lower fat)</div>
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12 Eggs</div>
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4 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated</div>
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4 T Italian Seasoning</div>
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24 cups Spaghetti Sauce (optional recipe below)</div>
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When I make something in bulk like this, I either chop everything the night before or in the morning. Then when I'm going to assemble, it's already done and saves me time. </div>
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<u>Assembly Directions:</u></div>
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Cook pasta shells for half the recommended time. Do not overcook (the pasta will be softened when the frozen dish is thawed and baked later). Drain. IMMEDIATELY spread in a single layer over cooling racks, waxed paper,nor even just paper towels to cool and drain completely. If you leave the shells in the pot for too long after draining. especially large quantities of shells, they will stick together and break when you try to separate them for filling. I might know this from experience... Maybe... :)</div>
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Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth to boiling in a large saucepan (I have really HUGE stock pots I use for this kind of thing, and I actually also mix together in the large stock pots because they are the only thing the entire recipe can fit in). Here is a picture of one of my huge pots full of one of my bulk recipes:<br />
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Stir in carrots, potatoes, and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp (again, because you are freezing this, you don't want things to get soft or they will be mushy when they are thawed). Drain well.</div>
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Mix all the ingredients except shells together in a large bowl (or a giant stock pot, which is what I do). Fill each shell with about 2 T. of cheese mixture (this was my 11-year-old's job). If you have any extra cheese, fill any extra shells you may have boiled, or you can freeze it for later recipes (great for lasagna).</div>
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Place shells in rigid freezer container OR you can fit about 24 in a gallon-size freezer bag. I use the freezer bags so I can lay them flat in the freezer (next recipe I will post a photo of the bags stacked in my freezer). This is a lot more space-saving.</div>
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<u>Freezing and Cooking Directions:</u></div>
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Package the shells and sauce in separate bags or rigid freezer containers. Tape the bags or containers together or place them in a 2-gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze. If you don't use homemade sauce, you can just purchase your jars of sauce and label them to keep in your pantry. The last time I made this, I just used jars, and it was super convenient. I had all 6 jars and saved them to use with the recipe.</div>
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To serve: TWO OPTIONS</div>
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1. Thaw. Place shells in a 9x13 casserole dish, cover with sauce. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a salad. </div>
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OR</div>
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2. Super easy method!! I recently discovered this, and it is so easy I wanna do a happy dance! Take bag of shells out of the freezer, and thaw only slightly to separate shells enough to fit in crock pot. Place frozen shells in crock pot, cover with sauce, and cook on high about 3 hours or on low 6-8 hours. If you would like, you can add a can of French-style green beans before covering with sauce. I've done this before, and the kids loved it.</div>
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<u>Marie's Spaghetti Sauce</u> (for 6 recipes, this is easy to double and freeze for 12 meals!!)</div>
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3 lb. Ground beef (optional--I used meatless sauce)</div>
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6 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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1 1/2 cups Onion, chopped</div>
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36 oz. Tomato Paste</div>
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36 oz. Water</div>
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90 oz. Stewed Tomatoes (any of the following seasonings:pasta style, basil, garlic and onion, or oregano style)</div>
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3 t. Basil</div>
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2 T. Oregano</div>
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I wish I could post the adorable pictures of my kids' reaction to this recipe. They LOVED it!! It is yummy and healthy! I hope your family tries it and enjoys! I just used up the last of my frozen shells, so it's time to make a new batch! This time I will do a photo journal and just post the pictures.</div>
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*This recipe is from a friend of mine, Marie Cole's, cookbook, <u>Freezer Pleasers</u>. She and a close friend had a freezer cooking business, but they are no longer doing that, and the book is no longer available. I use it all the time, though, so I will share recipes here on my blog. Thanks, Marie!!</div>
Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-19297965375637170802013-02-20T15:12:00.001-08:002013-02-20T15:12:56.594-08:00Menu Planning 101<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This may seem pretty basic indeed, but for me it took several years and adding many, many babies to my family to realize how helpful it is to plan a simple menu for at least a week at a time. I've shared before how just a one conversation with my husband about what was important to him began a revolution in how I plan and cook meals for our family. The next big step for me was planning a menu for all three meals per day and snacks too for a week or more at a time. <br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6131058712316280403" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I personally like to plan meals for at least two weeks at a time. This way, I can shop for non-perishables ahead of time and then I can also look to the menu with confidence when thinking about the week. I have a nice little magnetized dry-erase menu (pictured above) on my fridge, and every week I write in breakfast, lunch and dinner so that everyone in the family can see what is for each meal. They still do come and ask me "what's for dinner, breakfast, lunch....?" But the menu is there so everyone can see it. I like having a menu plan because it also helps the children to see what the items I have bought are for. Last year I stopped buying packaged and processed snacks to have in the house. They were for the most part not that healthful, plus they cost quite a bit of money when you add things up. So the fruits and vegetables we have in abundance in our kitchen are for the taking whenever anyone may need a snack. Other than that, most items are for a specific meal, and the children have learned (for the most part) to leave those things in the pantry, fridge or freezer. </div>
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Here are some tips that may help you in planning your own menu:</div>
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<li>Make a list of your family's favorite meals. These are the things they like so much that repeating them once a week or so won't bother them. Include lunches and breakfasts as well as dinners.</li>
<li>Make a list of easy meals you can throw together fairly quickly.</li>
<li>Refer to your list of meals you may have in your freezer ready to be used (if any)</li>
<li>Pull out a blank calendar, or even just make a list down a page with each date and then B, L, and D down the page so you can fill in what you will have for each meal of the day. If you prefer, at least just plan your dinners. I really do like to have each meal planned. I think in general it helps make the house run more smoothly, and it keeps us from needing to resort to fast food or pizza so much. :)</li>
<li>Fill in the favorite meals a few times in the month or over your two week period for which you are planning. Try to have your schedule for the time period for which you are planning nearby, so you can plan a simple meal or plan to take something out of the freezer on days when you may not have as much time. If you want to make several times a recipe, plan to do that a few times throughout the month on days when you have more time to spend in the kitchen.</li>
<li>If you want to try new recipes, plan these according to your schedule (easy or complicated)</li>
<li>Either post the month's menu plan in a spot where your family can see it, or at least post a week at a time. </li>
<li>Use your menu to plan your weekly shopping trip! If you have a plan, you will be a lot less likely to have to run to the store many times throughout the week, so you will save money in the long run, and you will have what you need for all the meals for a week or two so you can be flexible!</li>
<li>BE FLEXIBLE!! This is a theme in the life of a homeschooling mom (or any mom really, for that matter)! The menu is your tool to help you not panic when it comes to meal times in your home. If you have a plan and have shopped for at least a week's worth of meals, then you can flex as necessary and switch things around as life shifts and throws its curves at you! </li>
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<i>"She is like merchant ships; </i></div>
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<i>She brings her food from afar.</i></div>
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<i>She rises also while it is still night</i></div>
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<i>And gives food to her household </i></div>
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<i>And portions to her maidens..."</i></div>
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<i>Proverbs 31:14-15</i></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-70192389828943461232013-02-19T06:38:00.003-08:002013-02-19T06:38:42.733-08:00The Basics of Freezer (Bulk) CookingI haven't posted in a while, but I have been writing, so here is the first in a little mini-series about meal planning and freezer cooking (bulk cooking) I had promised previously.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">When Todd and I first got married, I wasn't completely clueless in the kitchen, but I still had a lot to learn. We began having children, and before I knew it I had three children all under the age of 3 years old! We wanted to homeschool the children, so we decided to "practice" by beginning with preschool. I soon found that I was so preoccupied with caring for little ones, teaching them a little nursery curriculum that I found through A Beka, and trying to keep the house running (including laundry and meals), that I wasn't doing the best job with most of it! I sat down with my husband, and asked him to help me prioritize all the things for which I was responsible. I was actually surprised by his response. His top priority for me, of course, was teaching and caring for the children. After that, he told me if I could get meal planning and cooking under control, it would greatly bless him. For my husband, the "clean and tidy" house wasn't at the top of the list. I had thought that it was, so once the children and I were finished with our "school time" each day, we had gotten to work straightening and cleaning up so when Todd got home the house would look presentable. Oftentimes, however, when he would arrive home, I would suddenly realize that I had no idea what I would be cooking for dinner that evening. I would rush to throw some chicken breast in the microwave, steam some broccoli, and slap some BBQ sauce on the side. Not exactly the best meals ever. Once I knew how important this was to my husband, I began to find ways to help me prepare meals without having to spend all afternoon in the kitchen. There had to be a better way. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">A friend of mine told me about a book entitled <u>Once-a-Month Cooking</u>. I decided to buy the book and try this thing out. It completely revolutionized the way I thought about cooking. I really do enjoy cooking. I love trying new recipes, and I enjoy the process of making a hot, home-cooked meal, fresh bread and baked goods. However, I also needed to survive this busy time of my life. The babies kept coming fast and furious, until we had 6 ages 7 1/2 and under. Freezer cooking helped me survive, and even thrive during this time! The way I freezer cook has taken on a different style over the years, but now that I have teenagers to help me, I may try the once-a-month method again. I will be sharing how I plan my menus, what I do to get meals in the freezer right now, as well as the tried-and-true (but truly exhausting) method of cooking for 30 meals in one day (errr, weekend, usually in my case). </span></div>
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<b>How I did it in the early days</b></div>
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After buying the book, I just dug right in and tried the 30 meals in one day method. The book also has meal plans for two weeks worth of meals. I soon realized (especially at that time in my life,when I had only 3 little ones) that when I cooked a month's worth of meals, I was actually cooking for at least 1 1/2 months' worth of meals. Between leftovers, eating out, traveling, etc. I always was able to stretch out my freezer meals. I started out by trying to write certain meals down for certain days of the month, but I quickly found that I could just as easily just keep a list on my freezer of what meals I had in there and simply cross them off as we ate them. I still like to have a general plan, but if I need to juggle something around it's no big deal. </div>
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<b>There are a few things to think about if you are going to try to do a cooking "day":</b></div>
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<b>1</b>. The cooking day really ends up being the whole weekend. I would chop and prep Friday night (my husband would usually help me with this). Saturday was the big cooking/assembly day, and then Sunday I always had dishes to clean and maybe a meal or two left to assemble. If you go into it thinking that it's all going to be finished in one day, then you might be a bit shocked. Plan to be consumed with cooking for the whole weekend. This is pretty much true even if you are just doing the two-week plans. </div>
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<b>2</b>. Plan for your husband to take the kids for the entire day Saturday, or arrange for a babysitter. It was really useful for my husband to take the kids away from the house for a good chunk of the cooking day. They would be gone for several hours. If I had a nursing baby, I would obviously have to keep the baby nearby, so I wore the baby for a lot of the day, or tried to entertain him/her in the swing, etc. If you have a nursing baby who will need you every few hours, maybe hire a babysitter to keep him/her happy and occupied between nursing sessions, or if you have a family member in town this would be a great time to enlist their help! Having kids on top of you for cooking day will slow you waaaaaay down and possibly hinder your success in completing the cooking in a timely manner. So be prepared to have them occupied by someone other than yourself. My husband took the kids on some really fun outings on my cooking days. They visited a reptile farm, the Austin Zoo, numerous parks and swimming holes, window shopping adventures, etc. It can be a great time for dad to make memories with the kids. If you have older children, as I do now, they can help you on cooking day! I'm thinking if I do try this bulk method again, I will definitely offer my older girls some incentives for being my cooking partners. It could be a fun, bonding time as well. </div>
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<b>3</b>. Prepare yourself for a long time in the kitchen and lots of work. You will be exhausted at the end of this weekend, but it is well worth it. I used to open my freezer every couple or hours and just take in the beautiful sight of all my meals made and ready to be served with a salad and side dish. It was a huge weekend, but it saved me tons of time in the kitchen for weeks to come!</div>
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<b>4</b>. Invite a friend to cook with you and split the meals. I did this most of the time when I was doing once a month cooking. Occasionally we made two of everything, other times we each took enough for 15 meals. Still not too shabby, and I had a partner to share the load, have fun with rather than spending all those hours working hard alone. One friend was super efficient, and we always finished faster!</div>
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<b>The Process</b><br />
If you use the freezer cooking books, they have shopping lists for you, and all you do is shop for the ingredients listed. They will tell you what to prepare in advance, and the order in which you will assemble the meals. The books also tell you what types of freezer bags or containers you will want to use to freeze the meals. <br />
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If you decide to choose your own recipes, you will need to compile a grocery list from all the recipes. You will make yourself a list of to do's, such as what you will need to chop the night before. You can then group your recipes according to common ingredients (chicken dishes, beef dishes, etc) and make yourself an assembly order. Then you just work through it on cooking day, letting things cool and then freezing things as you go. <br />
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<b>Here is an example of a general order:</b><br />
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<b>Friday</b></div>
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Shop and chop (onions, peppers, any other veggies)<br />
Brown ground beef, if necessary<br />
Pre-cook chicken, and dice or shred if called for in your recipes<br />
Start something in the crockpot so you will have one meal ready to freeze in the morning!</div>
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<b>Saturday</b><br />
Cool and freeze crock pot meals<br />
Chicken recipes (including marinated raw meat that you can freeze in bags to thaw and grill later)<br />
Ground beef recipes<br />
Beef stews<br />
Vegetarian meals<br />
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<b>Sunday</b><br />
Finish any meals you may not have gotten to<br />
Put remaining dishes left to cool in fridge overnight in freezer<br />
Wash remaining pots, pans, measuring cups and dishes <br />
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<b>Tips for cooking day:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li> Definitely have at least one or two crock pot meals cooking overnight Friday, and cool/freeze in the morning.</li>
<li>Have your assembly order and recipes well organized, and laid out. If you have a recipe stand, use it to easily see and follow assembly order and recipes</li>
<li>Move your trash can right next to your work area</li>
<li>Wash pots and pans as you go</li>
<li>Take short breaks between recipe groups to wash things, or sit and have a cup of tea so you can keep going</li>
<li>Place your spices in a row on the counter so they are easily seen and used</li>
<li>Have one set of measuring cups for wet ingredients and one for dry </li>
<li>Make sure you have purchased the right kinds of containers for your recipes--foil pans and heavy duty foil for casseroles or lasagnas, quart-sized, gallon-sized and 2-gallon sized freezer bags</li>
<li>Have masking tape and permanent markers nearby to label your meals before freezing. You may prefer to make typed labels ahead of time on the computer. </li>
</ul>
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<b>If you want to choose your own recipes, here are some tips:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Choose family favorites, and double those.</li>
<li>Make sure you have a variety of chicken, beef or pork, and vegetarian dishes. </li>
<li> Make some soups, roasts, and casseroles</li>
<li>Have a few recipes that are good for serving when you have company or meals that you can take to someone who has just had a baby or surgery or whatever. </li>
<li>Plan according to how many burners you can have going at the same time, and also according to oven space.</li>
<li>Recipes.com and other recipe websites will convert the ingredients list according to number of servings, so if you want to double or triple a recipe, this is an easy place to start. </li>
<li>Choose recipes that freeze well: honestly, almost anything will freeze well. Pasta dishes may need to have pasta slightly undercooked. Don't try to freeze things like raw potatoes. </li>
</ul>
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<b>Equipment to have for bulk cooking:</b></div>
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*Appliances:</div>
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Blender or mixer</div>
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Crock pot</div>
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Food processor or grater </div>
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*Pots, pans, skillets</div>
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1 extra large pot, canning kettle, or 2 large pots</div>
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1 large saucepan with lid</div>
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1 medium saucepan with lid</div>
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1 small saucepan</div>
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1 large skillet</div>
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1-2 rimmed baking sheets</div>
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*Bowls and containers:</div>
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1 set of large med and small mixing bowls</div>
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8-12 small to med bowls or plastic bags (for chopped, grated, sliced ingredients)</div>
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Heavy duty aluminum foil</div>
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Freezer bags--both gallon and quart and 2-gallon</div>
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Foil pans, if needed</div>
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*Misc tools:</div>
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Can opener</div>
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Colander</div>
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Cutting board</div>
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Hot pads</div>
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Kitchen scissors</div>
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Knives (cutting and paring)</div>
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Ladle</div>
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2 sets measuring cups (dry and wet)</div>
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2 sets measuring spoons</div>
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Metal or plastic spatula</div>
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Mixing spoons</div>
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Rolling pin</div>
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Rubber gloves</div>
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Rubber spatula</div>
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Tongs</div>
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Veggie peeler</div>
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Wire whisk </div>
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<b>Ways to freeze more effectively:</b></div>
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Use gallon
sized bags. Lay flat to freeze. Almost any meal can be frozen in
gallon or 2-gallon bags. Casseroles with toppings put in separate bags (main part in larger bags, and toppings in quart-sized bags)
and place all together in a 2-gallon freezer bag. Label all with
permanent markers before freezing, or type labels. Make a master list
to post on freezer with what you have frozen so you can cross off you
use the meals. </div>
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<b>What I do now:</b></div>
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I really did enjoy my once-a-month cooking years. It was wonderful having everything in the freezer for weeks and weeks. However, I was unable to continue to do this as my children got older and we had more weekend activities. BUT, the once-a-month way of cooking really changed the way I look at meal preparation. Now I rarely cook anything without either doubling or tripling the recipe to have enough to freeze for another meal or 2 (or 3 or 5!). I have lots of recipes that I know my family loves that I have adapted to freeze. I keep several of these "staples" in the freezer so that I can plan to pull something out of the freezer for us to eat at least once a week. I always have at least 10 meals in my freezer at any given time. Sometimes the number drops down, but I can replenish it in a couple of relatively easy days of cooking a recipe we love times 3 or even 6. I decided to stop the bulk cooking day because it was really hard once we had more children in soccer and other weekend activities. I didn't see how I would be able to dedicate an entire weekend to cooking. The ideal would possibly be to cook a bulk day and then supplement the freezer throughout the weeks by doubling or tripling recipes as you may have time to cook. This is probably what I will do next. On a weekend where I may have time, do some bulk cooking, and then just keep those meals on hand for times when we really need them. I can do this in combination with slow cooking and making other simple meals. Over the next few days and weeks, I will give you some examples of my menu and meal planning and how I can put all of this into practice. </div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-30008620030939643492013-01-11T06:14:00.000-08:002013-01-11T06:14:03.027-08:00Desperatemom.com!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKvT0zqEauteXiai6_MCvR1wPljhULRK7fRdMDQ1ZsHmRm_68O5v5wgl_h88BCIPizM52FeKw5ZEKiU6GwMzOlt1x1yV-A0QJdbBwjySlQu7C1rloAxSLepdojjYgzLJO_laskNr-idk/s1600/134B0257-BE6B-4F5F-9160-0CDD60154647.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKvT0zqEauteXiai6_MCvR1wPljhULRK7fRdMDQ1ZsHmRm_68O5v5wgl_h88BCIPizM52FeKw5ZEKiU6GwMzOlt1x1yV-A0QJdbBwjySlQu7C1rloAxSLepdojjYgzLJO_laskNr-idk/s320/134B0257-BE6B-4F5F-9160-0CDD60154647.PNG" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none;">I have purchased my book and several extra copies! I'm so excited to read it and lead my MomHeart group though the book! </span><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none;">
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Today, check out SarahMae.com to enter the latest giveaway--a $300 Target Gift Card and an iPad Mini! If you read the book, let me know what you think!</div>
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Have a blessed day!</div>
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<i>As iron sharpens iron, </i></div>
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<i>so a friend sharpens a friend. </i></div>
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<i>Psalm 27:17</i></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-85934155086413190242013-01-09T15:56:00.000-08:002013-01-09T20:43:45.143-08:00Do you ever feel desperate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The reason I began blogging was to create a sort of chronicle of our life as well as to hopefully encourage others out there in their walks mothering, homemaking, and spiritual life. Today I want to share a really awesome ministry that has encouraged me over the last several years. </div>
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As a mom, have you ever felt "desperate?" Have you ever felt like things are out of control, like you can't do anything well, or like you can't even come up for air in the midst of your schedule, caring for your children, husband, and house? Have you ever felt like just curling up under the covers and hiding there all day? Have you ever thought or said the words, "I just can't be a mother today?" I have had babies and toddlers in my house now for 15 1/2 years straight, and I have definitely had those days. With my 9 precious children, I am in the very interesting position of having a baby, toddler, as well as teen aged children (and everything in between) in my home now. I know a lot of people look to me for advice and answers to their questions. The truth is that I have lots of ideas, lots of things I have done wrong and a few things I have done "right." I have felt very alone at times and still can have those lonely days, even with such a full house. As moms, we need to know we are not alone. We can reach out to others and listen for the voices of those who are reaching out to connect with us. I love to be available to younger moms to encourage and mentor them in any way I can, and I also love meeting with older moms who have been down the path ahead of me and have raised their children well from whom I can glean wisdom. Sometimes I get this kind of "mentoring" and encouragement from reading books by such moms.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">This is why I am so excited about Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae's new book, <u>Desperate</u>! I have attended Sally's Moms' Conferences in Irving,TX for coming up on 10 years now, and I always come away refreshed and inspired in my high calling of motherhood. The new book is available now! Here is a link to the web site and a video about the new book:</span><br />
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http://desperatemom.com/</div>
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Even better, on Sally's blog right now there are a couple of very amazing giveaways, including a spa retreat and an exclusive mentoring weekend with both Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae!! I know I would love to win!! Check it out:</div>
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http://www.itakejoy.com/celebrating-desperate-launch-and-grand-giveaways-mentoring-monday/</div>
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Right now I am leading a MomHeart group and we are going through Sally's last book, <u>Dancing With My Father</u>. It is always such an encouraging time when we come together as moms to discuss the book and pray together. If you live in or around Southwest Austin and are interested in joining our group, it is not too late! We meet in SW Austin twice monthly on Sunday afternoons. If you are interested, comment below or contact me via messaging on Facebook. </div>
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I am purchasing my copy of <u>Desperate</u> today, and I'm planning to have our group go through this book together in the spring! The book is extra cool because there are QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter. If you can't join us for the discussion now on <u>Dancing With My Father </u>now, consider reading <u>Desperate</u> with us in the Spring, if you live in the Austin area. I may do an online group for <u>Desperate</u> as well, if anyone out there who is not local would like to join in. I'll post an invitation on my blog and on Facebook before we begin.</div>
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Praying that you will be encouraged in your walk with God today as you seek to know Him more and to "be still and know He is God!" He will carry you through your desperate times and into a place of joy!! Also know that you are never alone!--there are moms like you everywhere.</div>
Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-56358459279646169852013-01-07T22:22:00.000-08:002013-01-07T22:28:49.578-08:00Some yummy recipes from this evening and a look ahead!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">Tonight</a> we had a nice meal that most of the kids loved. I wanted to make something meatless for today, so I chose a broccoli casserole that had only a few ingredients and looked really easy to throw together. I doubled it, and it fed my family just fine, with a little bit left over (I do have lots of little ones still who don't eat quite as much). Even the most skeptical of the children ended up liking this and going back for seconds or thirds. My oldest son had 5 helpings! I was able to make this a meal for us because I added some leftover "party beans" (recipe for this on 12/24 of my blog, "Day 30 and 2 Bonus Recipes) and yummy cornbread with honey butter.</div>
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Broccoli casserole </div>
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Serves 4</div>
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2 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli spears, thawed and cut into pieces</div>
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10 1/4 oz. can cream of celery soup</div>
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1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided</div>
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1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion</div>
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1 cup baked potato chips, crushed</div>
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1. Combine broccoli, soup, 1 cup cheese, and onion in *greased* slow cooker.</div>
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2. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours or until broccoli is soft.</div>
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3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and crushed potato chips in a bowl. Sprinkle on top of casserole 30 minutes before end of cooking time. Leave uncovered during the last 30 minutes of cooking.</div>
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Note: I would possibly skip the crushed potato chip topping. My family loved this dish, but they weren't crazy about the topping. They devoured it all anyway, but I think we would all have liked it better without the topping. Just our preference. </div>
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I served this with fresh homemade cornbread and homemade honey butter, which was a big hit! Here is the simple recipe for the honey butter:</div>
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1 stick of butter, softened</div>
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2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk</div>
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5 Tbsp. honey</div>
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Mix together with beater or in food processor until smooth. Serve with warm bread. Sooooooo delicious!!<br />
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I am preparing to launch a series on my blog on freezer cooking, so stay tuned!!<span id="goog_1608976130"></span><br />
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Also, check out Sally Clarkson's new book, <u>Desperate</u>. I can't wait to get my copy!! <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">http://desperatemom.com/</span></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-22077016188593571862013-01-02T06:18:00.000-08:002013-01-02T06:18:01.114-08:00Happy 2013!!! Praying for the "Wisdom From Above"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSJwmSAO0UGY1pnJ8IHtrjDV1OQDx3uJ93xXW8HKOnXPtEPUbiUGsr8vYc3XadXW-DZjQohhQkZ1pFXWj_jMyWansJNNnZ5N4WB7yLbT7q2d-NE3LqDZO4afoDPkWW2j_9lmmfv3i_2I/s1600/835CCD08-BD08-42AB-8B11-4970D5D4C18E.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSJwmSAO0UGY1pnJ8IHtrjDV1OQDx3uJ93xXW8HKOnXPtEPUbiUGsr8vYc3XadXW-DZjQohhQkZ1pFXWj_jMyWansJNNnZ5N4WB7yLbT7q2d-NE3LqDZO4afoDPkWW2j_9lmmfv3i_2I/s320/835CCD08-BD08-42AB-8B11-4970D5D4C18E.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">A new year! </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">2012 was a good year for us. No big changes except, of course, for the big changes happening in each of our children as they grow and learn. I always feel so good about a new year. I don't usually have a hard core resolution I try to fulfill (does anyone actually keep these for real??), but I feel like I get a new start, a new beginning, a second chance at who I want to be in this new calendar year. I like to think about things I would like to improve or do better. Do you have resolutions? What are they? I think this year, if I were to pick some things I would like to focus on, I would choose three categories for myself, and I feel like the Lord also pointed me to one for our family as a whole this morning as I read Scripture. </span><br />
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For myself, one area is physical/health (this is usually one big category for "resolutions"). I would like to get back to eating a bit healthier, and for us, we are convinced that changing to a more plant-based diet is the way to go. So, area one is to find a good balance between this and the cravings my family tends to have for meat in particular. Also, I would like to figure out how to bulk cook and freeze while trying to eat this way. I think I will focus my blog on this area quite a bit. I will begin posting about my meal planning, bulk cooking days, and I will give a play-by-play of how those things go. If you would like to follow along and meal plan with me, I would love that! I will continue to use my crockpot quite a bit as well.</div>
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Another area on which I would like to focus myself is to really become more "minimalist" when it comes to our possessions. I have had mild success with this in the past year, but I can most definitely improve. I will be pulling out the trash bags to throw and give more things away inside and outside the house. Also, I would like to practice using caution when it comes to purchasing new things with which to "clutter" up our already small spaces in this cozy little house.</div>
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The third area is spiritual. For me as well as for all the family, spiritually, I feel like at times our home is a war zone. Children find so many things to fight about. Who has a bigger serving of food, what game we should play, who wins or loses the game, whose job is what and when and why... the list goes on and on. I realize that sometimes I play just as much a part in the war as the children do. I try to be peacemaker general, when perhaps I need to make peace myself with each child and teach them to be peacemakers. I need to focus less on who is right or wrong in each case and help us to all focus more on this one principle: be the peacemaker, no matter what the circumstances. I am currently reading through the wonderful book of James in my quiet times. This morning, these verses jumped off the page and into my heart: </div>
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"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a heart of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." </div>
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James 3: 16-18</div>
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This year, my focus will be for me to rid myself of any selfish ambition that may exist in my heart, and as a family, I think these things would be a great focus as well: to rid our home of selfish ambition and jealousy. If these things exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice! Boy, can I see this in our home at times! Next, I will focus, and hopefully help the children focus on the positive virtues contained in these verses, and on being the ones who make peace. "A heart of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." That sounds pretty good. The root of all kinds of problems is pride and selfishness. This year it will be my prayer for myself and for each member of my family, that we will learn and practice selflessness, take the focus off of selfishness and turn the focus onto others and being the one to make peace first. I will be thinking of ways to help encourage the children especially in this, so if any of you reading this has any ideas for me in encouraging these things, whether with incentives, exercises, reading material, etc. let me know, and I will definitely share all ideas on my blog.</div>
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May this year be a year where we all grow to be more excellent, and where we truly grasp the "wisdom from above."</div>
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Here is the definition of "wisdom from above" found in James in a different translation. May we meditate on these verses and be filled with God's wisdom. How excellent that He promises that He will give it to us (promise found in James 1:5)!!</div>
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<i>"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."</i></div>
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<i>James 3:17</i></div>
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<i>"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."</i></div>
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<i>James 1:5</i></div>
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Praise God for His faithfulness, and may 2013 be the most excellent year for all of you!!!</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-7260187721779784002012-12-24T08:19:00.000-08:002012-12-24T08:19:32.614-08:00Day 30 and 2 Bonus Recipes!!<br />
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<i>"For unto us a Child is born, </i></div>
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<i> Unto us a Son is given; </i></div>
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<i> And the government will be upon His shoulder. </i></div>
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<i> And His name will be called </i></div>
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<i> Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, </i></div>
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<i> Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. </i></div>
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<i>Of the increase of His government and peace </i></div>
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<i>There will be no end."</i></div>
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<i>Isaiah 9:6-7a</i></div>
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Merry Christmas! I can't believe Christmas Eve is already here! We are just relaxing today, reading Christmas books and watching Christmas movies, addressing our Christmas cards, and enjoying time together. I finally have a moment to wrap up my 30-Day crockpot recipe spree! </div>
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The last day of the challenge I made an easy creamy vegetable soup. The kids even thought it was really good. It was perfect for the evening because we ate early and then went to the Austin Trail of Lights! I had lots left over, so I froze enough for two more meals! Yay!!</div>
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Friday, my husband returned from a week in India, so I wanted to have a nice special meal made for him. We have been cutting down on meat for several months, but I thought he would enjoy this yummy Beef Chuck Roast dinner. I took my older kids to the mall Friday, so I was glad to have dinner slow-cooking the whole day while we were gone. We were stuck in parking lot traffic for over an hour upon leaving, so it was a good thing dinner was already made!! My mom made yummy mashed potatoes, and dinner was ready when we made it home. Unfortunately, Todd's flight was delayed, and he didn't make it home in time for dinner, but he had some for lunch Saturday and loved it! I froze the rest for another meal--I will make tacos out of the leftovers, and I'll post about that when it happens (easy way to convert leftovers into taco filling).</div>
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Last night we had friends over to go to a local live nativity, so we ate hot dogs from the grill, and I made a very festive, yummy, perfect side for cookouts--"Party Beans!" I doubled the batch, and will freeze for later. Everyone raved about the beans, and my friend even told me she doesn't ever really like beans as a stand-alone side dish but she tried these beans, and loved them. She said they were very flavorful! So that tells you something! Enjoy the recipes and enjoy your Christmas!!</div>
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Blessings!</div>
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<u>Creamy Vegetable Soup</u></div>
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Makes 12-15 Servings (full 7-quart slow cooker)</div>
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3 14-oz. cans chicken stock (I used vegetable)</div>
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3 15-oz. cans cream style corn</div>
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3 cups fat-free milk</div>
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48-oz. pckg. frozen mixed vegetables</div>
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1 onion, chopped (you can pre-sautée if you want it ready sooner)</div>
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Freshly ground black pepper to taste</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Combine all ingredients except pepper in slow cooker.</div>
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2. Cover and cook on low 3 hours. </div>
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3. Serve with warm bread and sprinkle fresh pepper over each bowl to taste.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Variations:</div>
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*Add 2 potatoes, cubed, in step one (if you're in a hurry to have it ready, pre-boil)</div>
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*Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs to taste in step 1.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Beef Roast with Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers</u></div>
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Makes 10 servings</div>
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4- to 5-lb. beef chuck roast, cut in half</div>
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2 14 1/2 oz. cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained</div>
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16-oz. jar salsa, your choice of mild, medium, or hot</div>
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2 or 3 medium onions, cut into chunks</div>
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1 or 2 green or red bell peppers, sliced</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Brown roast on all sides in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place in slow cooker.</div>
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2. Combine tomatoes and salsa in bowl. Spoon over meat in slow cooker. </div>
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3. Arrange onions around meat.</div>
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4. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender but not dry.</div>
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5. Add pepper slices 1 hour before serving, pushing them down into the sauce.</div>
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6. Remove meat from slow cooker and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Place on serving platter and top with vegetables and sauce.</div>
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7. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Partytime Beans</u></div>
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Makes 14-16 servings</div>
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1 1/2 cups ketchup</div>
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1 onion, chopped</div>
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1 green bell pepper, chopped</div>
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1 sweet red bell pepper, chopped </div>
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1/2 cup water</div>
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1/2 packed brown sugar</div>
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2 bay leaves</div>
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2-3 tsp. cider vinegar</div>
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1 tsp. ground mustard </div>
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1/8 tsp. pepper</div>
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16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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15 1/2 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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15-oz. can Lima beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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15 1/2 oz. can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained </div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Combine first 10 ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.</div>
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2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. </div>
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3. Cover. Cook on low 5-7 hours, or until onion and peppers are tender.</div>
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4. Remove bay leaves before serving. </div>
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5. Serve with grilled hamburgers or hot dogs, tossed salad or veggie tray, chips, fruit and cookies.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-71747897480606944222012-12-20T21:54:00.000-08:002012-12-20T22:08:54.014-08:00Day 29: BBQ Pork Loin--Super Simple and Delicious!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAobftyTpfG1_vijYOeNR7mABTxSWMrvSuXr2ud-IbneM9YL0_PHPF9KoIPQxVUfuLcf1CPJkVKnRrKmg6HLwC1CTOZQ1dovXG3YzZIPf8lyK7nXukJGIjyb64aUKdZnhmhPRVcZ90W0/s1600/74923CB7-B0BF-41AA-A0D6-3F20081B6F8B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAobftyTpfG1_vijYOeNR7mABTxSWMrvSuXr2ud-IbneM9YL0_PHPF9KoIPQxVUfuLcf1CPJkVKnRrKmg6HLwC1CTOZQ1dovXG3YzZIPf8lyK7nXukJGIjyb64aUKdZnhmhPRVcZ90W0/s320/74923CB7-B0BF-41AA-A0D6-3F20081B6F8B.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's the holidays, and I've been going for the easy, minimal-ingredient variety of crock pot meals. Yesterday, dinner was in the crockpot in literally one minute. Super simple, super yummy--my mom (visiting from Miami) and the kids loved this. I am cutting down on meat, so I ate mostly rice with the sauce and a huge helping of the green beans I steamed on the side. The sauce was really good! </div>
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Barbecued Pork</div>
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Makes 8 servings (I doubled and had leftovers enough to freeze for another meal)</div>
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2-lb. boneless pork loin</div>
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1 1/2 cups chopped onion</div>
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1 cup diet soda</div>
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1 cup low-sodium barbecue sauce</div>
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1. Place pork in slow cooker. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and then pour over pork.</div>
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2. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or until meat is very tender. </div>
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3. Remove pork from slow cooker. Slice or shred pork. Stir back into sauce. </div>
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4. Serve on wheat or multigrain buns. Or serve over rice with steamed vegetables on the side. </div>
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Variation: Add another 1/2 cup barbecue sauce in Step 1 to create a juicier sandwich filling. </div>
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I hope you are all enjoying all the wonders of the Christmas season! We are trying hard to focus on the Reason for the Season: Jesus!!</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-70628191061484878162012-12-18T22:53:00.002-08:002012-12-18T22:53:41.660-08:00Day 28: It Doesn't Get Much Easier Than This!<br />
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I love easy, delicious meals! Who doesn't?? The meal I made yesterday in the crockpot seemed way too easy to really taste good. Well, it turned out to be Super tasty and a huge hit with the family! We had a teeny bit left over, and the children made me divide it equally among them <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">for lunch today</a>. I would even be proud to serve this to company over steamed rice with a green bean casserole and a nice salad on the side.</div>
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Three Ingredient Crockpot Turkey</div>
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Makes 6 servings (I, of course, doubled it)</div>
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1 frozen turkey breast, NOT thawed, bone-in (about 5 min) or boneless (about 3 pounds)</div>
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1 lb. can cranberry sauce </div>
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1 envelope dry onion soup mix</div>
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Preparation:</div>
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For bone-in turkey, put all ingredients into 5-6 quart crockpot, cover, and cook for 2 hours on high. Then reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 4-5 hours until turkey registers 170 degrees F on instant meat thermometer (or until meat is cooked through--I didn't check with a meat thermometer). Note: I actually cooked this on high for 2 hours, then on low for 6 more hours, and it was perfectly cooked through. </div>
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For boneless turkey breast, follow instructions above. When you reduce the crockpot heat to low, start checking the turkey after 1-2 hours. It may only need that long to reach 170 degrees. As my previous note stated, if you want to just cook on low for several more hours, it isn't going to make it tough or anything. The meat turned out perfect. My meat was also a bit thawed, so that probably made a difference. It was delicious!</div>
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To serve, slice turkey breast and serve with sauce over rice. For a really nice full meal, serve with a steamed vegetable and salad on the side.</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-42598379564096945232012-12-16T06:05:00.000-08:002012-12-16T06:05:02.045-08:00Days 26 and 27: In the Holiday Spirit! Wassail PLUS a super-easy Sunday Dinner!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRdLFuCQrUFBLQTh1CfByV6NaiY5mfCmXQxfg9oa2Q6LvSs0rFxrN1-YNqF28EFNstgMt813e2UPNRvCoXLjZxM_GeMKRbHhvN-Wjo5BdTUkmToQhLQmyHMci16GaMqz-EuHsHkEEWHg/s1600/E93522AC-0CA4-4DB6-B558-05459B48C1E3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRdLFuCQrUFBLQTh1CfByV6NaiY5mfCmXQxfg9oa2Q6LvSs0rFxrN1-YNqF28EFNstgMt813e2UPNRvCoXLjZxM_GeMKRbHhvN-Wjo5BdTUkmToQhLQmyHMci16GaMqz-EuHsHkEEWHg/s320/E93522AC-0CA4-4DB6-B558-05459B48C1E3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Yesterday our children had a piano recital. There is always something about doing this at this busy time of year that makes me feel more of the Christmas spirit! Our teacher has only a few students--our children and our neighbor's children. We had the recital at our neighbors' beautiful home, which is decorated with lovely things. We decided to have a brunch afterwards, and then we got to visit for quite a while afterwards. It was lovely. Add that to the fact that my mom arrived Friday from Florida, and I had the opportunity to take her to Michael W. Smith's Christmas concert last night, and I am now officially in the Christmas Spirit!!</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">For the brunch, I made a yummy Fruity Wassail in the crockpot. It was very well received.</span></div>
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Fruity Wassail (from Fix it and Forget It: Recipes for Entertaining)</div>
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Makes 20 servings</div>
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6 cups apple cider</div>
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1 cinnamon stick</div>
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1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg</div>
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1/4 cup honey</div>
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3 Tbsp. lemon juice</div>
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1 tsp. grated lemon rind</div>
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46-oz. can pineapple juice</div>
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1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker.</div>
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2. Cover. Cook on low 1-2 hours.</div>
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3. Serve warm from slow cooker.</div>
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Variation: Use 3 cups cranberry juice and reduce the amount of pineapple juice by 3 cups, to add more color and change the flavor of the wassail.</div>
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Dinner for this evening has become a regularly appearing meal in our household. It is simple to prepare and tastes surprisingly good. The first time I made this, I didn't expect it to taste as good as it does. I guess the juices flow down over the vegetables and create a very nice flavor. I can get this one ready in less than 5 minutes. It cooks all day, so I like making it on a Sunday before church so we can enjoy our afternoon and I don't have to worry at all about dinner. Serve with a salad and bread, and you have a nice meal. I've brought this to several potlucks as well. People seem to really like it. What is really nice about this recipe is that you can make more or less according to your needs--bigger or smaller. It's not exact, so it is very flexible.</div>
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Grandma's Sausage Crock-Pot Dinner<br />
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Your favorite potatoes, skin on (quartered)</div>
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Green Beans (canned or ore-steamed)</div>
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Hills hire Farm Smoked Sausage (Lil' Smokies--I use store brand turkey smokies)</div>
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1 stick butter</div>
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Salt and Pepper</div>
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Wash as many potatoes as your family will eat. Quarter them and place in the bottom of the crock pot. Add as many quarts of green beans as your family will eat (I usually put in two large cans). Pour some or all of the juice over the top. Over the beans, place as much of the Hillshire Farm lil' smokies as your family will eat. (NOTE: this is pre-cooked, not raw or ground--the kind that come in packages and look kind of like little hot dogs. Typically called "lil' smokies.") Slice one stick of butter over the top and season with salt and pepper. Slow cook on High for 6 hours or low for 10 or more hours. It sounds too simple to be good, but you will not believe the taste or the delicious smell. </div>
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<i>Enjoy your family today, and hug your loved ones close. Remember those who have lost dear ones in the terrible tragedy in Connecticut, and be thankful for every day you have to enjoy the life with which we are blessed.</i></div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-6050140644750047552012-12-14T07:33:00.000-08:002012-12-14T07:33:59.592-08:00Day 24 and Day 25: An Easy Dinner and then a Delicious Breakfast!<br />
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Yesterday was cleaning day, so I wanted to make something super simple. I found an appealing recipe entitled "Easy Stuffed Shells." This sounded like something try on a busy day like yesterday. There are just three ingredients in the recipe, and I had this in the pot in under five minutes! It can cook on low all day, or on high for 3 hours, which is nice if you aren't able to get it ready early in the day, as long as you get it in the pot three hours before you want to eat it, you are still ok! The kids all seemed to like this one, even the green beans. They told me it was kind of like lasagna. I do have a couple of kids who aren't crazy about lasagna, but they still ate it.</div>
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My mother is arriving this morning from Miami for a 2-week stay. We are busy getting ready for her arrival, so I thought it was a perfect day to make breakfast for Day 25. We are having a pizza party for my daughter's birthday party <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">tonight</a>, so no need to crock for dinner. As I have said before, it is simply lovely to wake up to the aroma of a nice, hot breakfast already cooked and ready to go! This Crockpot Apple Oatmeal recipe is a favorite of almost everyone in the family. Last night, I took my oldest three children to see the midnight premiere of "The Hobbit," so my amazing and wonderful husband actually got the Apple Oatmeal ready and in the pot!! Gotta love that! Did I mention that he is my hero??? :)</div>
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Easy Stuffed Shells</div>
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Makes 4-6 Servings (I doubled this, and the children ate almost all of it--Todd and I went out on a dinner date last night)</div>
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20-oz bag frozen stuffed shells (I actually used a 64-oz bag of jumbo stuffed shells, and this was fine with only doubling the sauce)</div>
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15-oz. can marinara or spaghetti sauce</div>
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15-oz. can green beans, drained (I used the French cut for this recipe)</div>
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1. Place the shells around the edge of a greased slow cooker pot. </div>
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2. Cover with marinara sauce. </div>
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3. Pour green beans in the center.</div>
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4. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours or on high for 3 hours.</div>
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5. Serve with garlic toast and salad. </div>
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Variation: Reverse steps 2 and 3. Double the amount of marinara sauce and pour over both the shells and the green beans.</div>
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Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal</div>
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Serves about 8 (I always double this and we normally don't have leftovers)</div>
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4 cups Milk</div>
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1/2 cup Brown Sugar</div>
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2 T. Melted Butter</div>
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1/2 tsp. Salt</div>
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1 tsp. Cinnamon</div>
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2 cups Oats (not quick oats)</div>
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2 cups Apples, peeled and chopped</div>
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1 cup Dates or Raisins (optional)</div>
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Spray a large crock pot with nonstick spray. Combine and mix well. Cook on low overnight or 8-9 hours. Stir well before serving. Serves about 8. </div>
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Have a blessed weekend!</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131058712316280403.post-41806079098504197992012-12-13T05:24:00.001-08:002012-12-13T05:26:13.146-08:00Day 23: Red Beans and Pasta<br />
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Above is a picture of most of the (36!) cookies-in-a-jar that we made yesterday! Aren't they beautiful?? I'll be adding the gift tags with the recipe attached today!</div>
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We had a fun and busy day yesterday, full of holiday spirit and friends. Four of our children were able to attend the Nutcracker ballet with our field trip co-op, and we hosted an informal Christmas party complete with a screening of the hilarious Christmas movie, "Elf." Later in the evening, my friend (who happens to also be my neighbor) came over and we made cookies in a jar to give as gifts to teachers, friends, husband's co-workers, etc. My family has done this every year now for at least 5 years. It is so much fun and a wonderful, inexpensive festive gift to give.</div>
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In the midst of all of this busyness, I was able to still throw together this easy dish for dinner. The one thing I would definitely change is that I would add the pasta towards the end of the cooking time, maybe 1/2 hour to an hour before serving. The pasta was mushy and overcooked. I will have to experiment and post about the perfect timing on adding the pasta. I'll be sure to do that in the future, because this was yummy other than that! I doubled the recipe. I'm not sure I want to freeze the leftovers because the pasta won't freeze well since it's so mushy. We will probably just eat it for lunch and feed whatever is left over to the chickens--they will LOVE it!!</div>
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Red Beans and Pasta (Fix it and Forget It: Entertaining)</div>
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Makes 6-8 servings</div>
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3 15-oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth</div>
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1/2 tsp. ground cumin</div>
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1 Tbsp. chili powder</div>
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1 garlic clove, minced</div>
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8 oz. spiral pasta</div>
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Half a large green bell pepper, diced</div>
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Half a large red bell pepper, diced</div>
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1 medium onion, diced</div>
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1 15-oz. can red beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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Chopped fresh parsley (for serving)</div>
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Chopped fresh cilantro (for serving)</div>
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1. Combine broth, cumin, chili powder, and garlic in slow cooker.</div>
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2. Cover. Cook on high until mixture comes to a boil. </div>
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3. Add pasta, vegetables, and beans. Stir together well. NOTE: I recommend waiting to add the pasta until maybe one hour before serving.</div>
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4. Cover. Cook on low 3-4 hours.</div>
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5. Add parsley or cilantro before serving.</div>
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Abundant Life Mommahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644652759294754706noreply@blogger.com0