Making a House a Home

Mr. U is a pastor and we live in the parsonage that our church owns. It’s a fine house and we are very thankful to be living here. We have had some major water problems in this home since we’ve been here and the floors have been in need of repair. So, while we were in China, the men of our church undertook the task. Not only was the floor soft, but apparently it was rotted and even the joists were swollen with water!! It was so bad that even the beams under the stove and refrigerator were collapsed in two!!! We’ve been told that the only thing that kept us from falling through the floor was the linoleum- oh my!! How many times have I complained about that linoleum, I have no idea. How grateful I am that it held us up all these years!!!!

Here's a picture of the men working on the floor. Yes, that is the ground you see!! Every bit of wood was ripped out of the kitchen floor!!



So… here are some before and after pictures. I LOVE the look of the new flooring! Believe it or not, it is linoleum, too, but it looks SOOO much like wood!! It’s lovely! Now I just want to get that wallpaper off and paint the wall! When? Ummmmm… sometime in the future!!


(before)

(before)

(after)

(after)

Also, we were blessed with a new stove! I’ve been so used to cooking on the old one that it’s taking me a bit to get used to this new fancy one!!! LOL! Isn’t it nice??!!!

(old stove)

(new stove)

How blessed we are!! A new STURDY floor, beautiful new flooring and a new stove all to welcome our new little blessing home!! The Lord has spoiled us for sure!!

We are finally home from China!! We got home on Saturday, March 10th and have spent the past several days trying to get Elizabeth to adjust to our time zone. Bless her heart, she was ready to play at 3:00 in the morning!! She's been doing better, though, and I'm sure will be sleeping through the night soon. :)

I've missed my blogging friends and hope to catch up with everyone. I have been so very blessed with such wonderful blogs to learn from. I'm not sure how often I will be able to post, but I will definitely share what the Lord is teaching me in the areas of homekeeping and motherhood when He leads.

This picture is the first one I took of Elizabeth when we arrived home. She fell asleep in the car on the way home from the airport and I just hated to wake her up. She looks so sweet in her pink flowery outfit.



This picture shows Elizabeth's personality the best!!! She is a very happy 10 month old little girl and is full of life!!! She is such a blessing and we are so very thankful that the Lord has chosen her for our family. God is GOOD!!!

This is going to be my last post for about a month. Why? Because we are leaving TODAY to go bring our daughter home!!!! We are BEYOND excited and oh-so-ready to end this almost 2 year wait we've had.

She's coming home!!! She's coming home!!!!

If y'all happen to think of us, please pray for our safety, Elizabeth's adjustment to our family, that none of us will get sick (my sister gets massive migraines- especially pray for her as she's going with us.) and most of all that we will be an example to all we meet of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the meantime, take some time to look at the wonderful websites and blogs that I have listed on the right side of this blog. There are plenty of really great blogs to be reading!!!

His,
Mrs. U

Mr. U always chuckles when he sees me fussing over a room- straighten a little here, move this pillow there, stack those books, fold this afghan, etc. But fuss I will because I want to make our house a home.

I consider our home to be clean, but clean doesn't always mean tidy. These two pictures are just a small example of the difference between tidy and untidy. I've discovered over the years that it's the small things that really do make a difference.

Yes, I am quite aware that YESTERDAY was Valentine's Day and that I should have posted this then. Sigh. I may be a day late, but I am still in love with Mr. U so I do want to share about how we met and a little about our wedding.

We met December 9, 1997, online. Yup, you read that correctly. We met online. :) While we did email back and forth a bit, it still seemed kind of creepy to me to be conversing with a man that I hadn't met face to face. Then one day, lo and behold, he happened to mention the name of his aunt and uncle and I knew them personally!! I was very well acquainted with them and, in fact, LOVED this family!!!! I knew that I just had to meet Mr. U at that point!!!

We met face to face on December 23, 1997. There he was- so handsome, so kind and caring, so SMART!!! And I was a nervous wreck!!! For him, he said he fell in love on our 2nd date. I asked him how in the world he "does" a funeral (I couldn't think of a better word- HA!!). He's a pastor, so I was curious. Just how does one "do" a funeral. He smiled and told me later that at that moment, he knew I was "the one".

It took me a while to know he was "the one". After almost 2 months of knowing him and after MUCH prayer and fasting, God gave me complete peace that Mr. U was the man for me. I knew that I loved him, but I wanted the Lord to confirm that he was the man God had chosen.

Mr. U asked me to marry him on July 20, 1998. I may share the details of how he asked me one day, but not now. :) We planned our wedding day to be December 12, 1998, and boy was I ready!!

The day was overcast and COLD!!!! I had always had dreams of a very sunshiny wedding day, but this was not to be. However, I think we had MORE than enough sunshine beaming from the smiles of Mr. U and myself!!! I walked down the isle on the arm of my dad and walked out of the church, 30 minutes later, very proud to be Mrs. U. What a dream come true!!

Since the Lord saved me in 1989, I had been praying about being married one day. I prayed about my husband- for him and his possible needs, for his character, for his walk with the Lord. I also prayed that the Lord would teach me what it means to be a loving, godly wife. I am so blessed that the Lord gave me such an incredibly husband in Mr. U. He is a man of great conviction and character and I truly admire his walk with the Lord and the wisdom he has from studying God's Word so much. I have far to go in becoming a loving, godly wife, but with Mr. U by my side, leading the way, and with the Lord as my Strength and Shield, it will happen. Slowly but surely, it will happen.

To God be the Glory.

(This picture was the last shot taken before Mr. U and I drove away from the church after our wedding reception. We were in Mr. U's Jeep and it was WAY too small for my dress!! LOL!! My dress was smooshed in the Jeep and it was so poofy that it came up to my armpits when sitting in that car!!! I was holding a container of food that the caterer had prepared for Mr. U and myself and it was sitting on top of my dress almost up to my chin!! LOL!!!)

For more encouraging posts on "Celebrating Marriage", please visit The Homespun Heart.

Cute, huh? Well, it's MUCH more than just cute. It's TRUE!! I DO love Mr. U!! He's the most wonderful man I've ever met!! I'll tell y'all just a smidge more about him tomorrow on Valentine's Day!!

Oh, and I found the heart here.

The Homespun Heart (another neat blog I recently discovered) is hosting a Blog Tea Party!!! All of us are invited to participate!!!

Here's what she says...

So, here's what we are going to do...our tea will be themed on celebrating marriage. You can tell us all about your wedding - show a photo of your invitation, program, dress, flowers, etc... Tell us about the ceremony or reception - just whatever you want to share about it. We'll do this on Valentine's Day ~ come back here and I'll try to figure out the Mr. Linky thing, grab your favorite cup of tea and enjoy visiting with each other!

Here is my hope for this, that we will encourage one another in the gift of marriage and celebrate what God has given us in our spouse. You will see more about this in my posts on our tea party that is taking place at my home.

Here are the rules:

1. Come back here on February 14th to enter the link to your post. You may use the above button to advertise this on your blog.

2. Share photos and details about your wedding.

3. Only share positive qualities that you enjoy and appreciate about your husband. I am not interested in hosting a gripe session. Include something you love about your husband, so that he is encouraged as well.

So don't forget, y'all! It's tomorrow!! What a neat way to show your love for your husband- declare it to the world!!!!

The Lord is good!!!!!

We're not "rich" by worldly standards. We ARE rich in the Lord, but sometimes needing "stuff" to function in this life is a necessity and we need "stuff" for Elizabeth when she finally gets to come home.

This past Saturday, our church family gave us a baby shower and BOY did they shower on the gifts!!!! I was in awe as I saw the the mountain of presents for our baby!!!! I feel like the Lord has spoiled us to pieces- He gives us salvation, He gives us Elizabeth, and now He makes sure she has things she needs. How GREAT of the Lord to provide like this!!!!


I have to tell you, though, of all the gifts that we have received, my FAVORITE gift was the sweet bunny slippers in the photo!!! Aren't they just BEYOND adorable!!!!!

Also, a lady in the church made us this incredible diaper "cake"!!!! Can you get over it!?? I counted and there are 90, yes NINETY diapers all rolled up and stacked on top of each other. Plus she "decorated" the cake with lots of sweet baby things all around the cake- hair bands and bows, socks, bath scrunchies, bunny rabbit on top (complete with bunny slippers to match!!!). It was lovely!!!

Now... I'm off to try to straighten up Elizabeth's room. It's amazing to me how a little bitty girl who is on the other side of the world can have such a messy bedroom already!! Haha!!!

EDIT- For another EXCELLENT example of a diaper "cake", please visit Susan's blog, A Place Called Home.

Diet Coke.

Since the fall, I've been on a big sweet potato kick. My FAVORITE way to eat them is to bake them in the oven like french fries! YUMMMM!!!! Here's the way I make them...

Sweet Potato Fries
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut up like french fries
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or whatever oil you use)
salt
pepper

Once all the sweet potaotes have been cup up, place them on a cookie sheet and drizzle the oil on the fries. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and mix the sweet potatoes around to make sure they are all coated with the oil. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. About 1/2 way through, you may want to flip them over on the pan for more even cooking. When they are done, sprinkle with a smidge more salt and enjoy!!!

These are really good, in my opinion, and I've eaten this VERY often for breakfast!

Not only are sweet potatoes mighty tasty, but they pack a great big healthy punch of good nutrition! Check it out here.

Yesterday I made tastiest drop biscuits to go with our lunch. I'm pretty sure that I could have eaten every single one of them!! Oh my!!!

I got the recipe from a cookbook from The Bread Beckers. I buy wheatberries from them and grind them into flour. While this recipe does call for freshly ground wheat, I don't see any reason why you couldn't use regular whole wheat flour from the grocery store instead. I haven't tried it, but I certainly would try it if I didn't have fresh wheat.

Okay... enough talk... here's the recipe and, oh my stars, are they delicious!!!!

Cheese and Herb Drop Biscuits
(from The Bread Beckers)

2 cups freshly milled flour (hard white)
1 T baking powder
1 tsp.salt
¼ cup oil
1 cup milk
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T parsley
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix dry ingredients together. Make a “well” in the middle and then stir in milk and oil. Drop by big spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

I just LOVE when spring flowers start blooming!!!!!

Although it is quite cold here, springtime bulbs are starting to open already to remind us that the Lord is soon going to be sending the next season our way.

These are paperwhites. They are in the daffodil family. While I usually see paperwhites in the section with other bulbs, like amaryllis, to grow "by force" indoors each winter, I like to plant mine outside with my daffodils. Every flower in the daffodil family makes me SOOOO very happy when I see them. They are a sweet reminder to me that even though things may seem gray and cold, the Lord is always in control and will soon send His change of season to us soon!!

Daffodils are probably my most favorite flower of all. How happy, sunshiny and smiley they are!!!

Okay... you ALL can think of MANY blogs that you love to visit, right? And most of you love to find more, right? Well, Everyday Mommy is hosting Hidden Treasure 2007 Blog Awards and wants you to do just that- get out there and discover new blogs!! Then, once you find some you really enjoy, hop on over to her blog and nominate your new favorites between February 1 and February 7 in the following categories- Children & Family, Faith, Marriage, Motherhood, Homemaking, Humor, Current Events and Life. On February 8, the voting will begin.

So, what are you waiting for?? Get out there and discover new blogs!! So many "hidden treasures" are out there in the blogsophere just waiting for us to stumble upon them!!!

Okay... I was tagged about a week ago by Jordin and I am just now posting this. It took a while to narrow all the weird things about me to only 6. LOL!!!

6 weird things about me…

1) When I get Taste of Home magazine, I first look through it backwards AND upside-down at the same time. I simply CANNOT bear to look at the recipes until I find that hidden toothpick!!!!! Drives me NUTS!!!

2) I MUST have dishes in the dishwasher facing the same direction.

3) I do NOT like monkeys. Something about them gives me the creeps.

4) I cannot stand being licked by a dog. Ewwww!!!!!

5) I do not like ANY kind of seafood. At all. If it’s in water, I’m not touching it.

6) I cannot sleep in an unmade bed. The sheets have to be pulled tightly with no bunching and tucked in all nice and neat.

I made a chocolate pound cake recently. OH BOY!! I love all kinds of pound cake, but apparently people don't make chocolate pound cake as often as I thought. So people are missing out on such a great tasting cake? HORRORS!!!

In case you've never eaten a chocolate pound cake, please try this recipe. While it is far from healthy, it is INCREDIBLY good!!! Oh, and it is VERY easy, too! Can't beat that- tasty AND easy to make!!

This is my mother's recipe. You can see in the picture that I wrote it out- but that was years ago. That poor piece of paper has drippings from the batter all over it. I definitely need to write it out again and put it in a special place. I would hate to lose such a mouth-watering recipe!!!

Chocolate Pound Cake
1/2 pound of butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 cup of shortening
3 cups of sugar
5 whole eggs
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk
3 cups plain flour (all purpose)

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let it cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn onto cooling rack.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the chocolate pound cake. I baked it for a business near us that was holding a raffle to raise money for cancer research (Relay for Life).

I've been part of an anti-procrastination challenge all week long!!! I've been reading some of my very favorite blogs and BOY did the conviction set in!!!! I even left a few well-meaning comments on others' blogs that I needed to heed myself- "Good job!! Isn't it amazing how little time it takes to do something that we've been putting off for weeks?!!" HAHAHAAA!! All the while I was sitting here staring at my own little pile of procrastination.

So... without further procrastinating, I finally did it!! I've been wanting to purchase some day to day towels and then Susan over at A Place Called Home recently found some Martha Stewart dishcloths which were exactly what I've been wanting!!! So I purchased them the other night and brought them home to launder. I (Oops. Confession time here.) completely forgot about them being in the dryer and they came out looking like this...

You can probaby tell what I had been procrastinating- ironing!! LOL!! So I FINALLY have these all crisply ironed and ready to use. Aren't they just lovely now?

Thank you, Mrs. Wilt, for encouraging us to stop procrastinating!!

Homemaking meme...
Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
Sadly, I only have two aprons. Neither of them are pretty or very likeable. I was SUPPOSED to blog about this soon, but perhaps this is all that needs to be said –WHERE CAN I BUY CUTE APRONS THAT AREN’T A FORTUNE???? Yes, I need help.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
Thing? As in singular? Cookies. No wait... cake.... no, no... uh....bread.... oh dear.... I can’t pick ONE!!!!

Clothesline – Y/N?
No clothesline.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
No, I haven’t made them yet. But they ARE on my list of “to be made in the future“ along with homemade marshmallows. Yum!

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Pick up after everyone (including myself)

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No. A dream for one day...

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
We have two dogs...tee hee...

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
I would have said all the wonderful homemaking blogs, but I just got Martha Stewart’s new book and it’s wonderful!!!

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Love it!! Well, maybe not so much actually doing the ironing, but I LOVE the crispness in the results!!!!

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Drawer? Or should that be “drawers“? HA! I’ve got... oh, do I have to be honest???? I have 3.

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
It is currently white cabinets with beigish lineoleum and a sort of flowery wallpaper. But we have had major water damage to the floor in our kitchen and we are getting a new floor in just a few weeks!! Looks like it’ll be hardwood! WOOHOOO!!!! And, who knows? Maybe I can finally get myself to pull that wallpaper down and paint!!!

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Keeping the house neat and tidy so that Mr. U always comes home to it that way.

Mop – Y/N?
Do I mop? Yes. Do I like it? NO WAY!! It’s the job I like least in the home.

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
Hand wash keeps them longer.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Open the oven.

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Chicken, BBQ sauce, red onions and lots of extra sharp cheddar cheese!

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Read blogs, of course!

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
It’s a simple wood box.

Style of house – What style is your house?
1970 ranch style.

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
Oh we use napkins, yes!! But they are the disposable kind!! LOL!.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Nothing toxic under there, just tons of vases that, for some reason, I think I need to keep.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Twice- Monday and Thursday. I’ll vacuum more if we have people coming over. Mr. U LOVES a freshly vacuumed home and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to see lines in my carpet! LOL!!

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
6

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
I don’t do this everyday, but I work much more efficiently when I do make a list for myself. I should strive to make a list each day to keep myself on task.

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Mr. U does the mowing, but I do the rest. I LOOOOOOOVE gardening and prettying up the yard with flowers and plants!!!! I love the smell of dirt!!!!!

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
I always make sure the kitchen sink is empty and then I scrub the sink with my dishcloth.

My FAVORITE ingredient in the kitchen, one that I cannot live without and definitely the most used is extra virgin olive oil. Not only does it taste wonderfully delicious, but nutritionists and doctors alike are recommending this oil because we all need a small amount of healthy fats in our diet each day.

I think the best informtion on olive oil can be found at www.whfoods.org. Here's a smidge of what they have to say about this very healthy oil.

Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world would tell you about the health benefits, as well as the wonderful flavor, of a good dose of olive oil on salads, pasta, fish and almost anything else. Fortunately, it is available throughout the year to satisfy taste buds and promote good health.

Olive oil is made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. The fact that olives are rich in oil is reflected in the botanical name of the olive tree-Olea europaea-as oleas means oil in Latin. Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor and most antioxidant benefits. read more...

Oh my stars!!! This recipe is from Rachael Ray and is the BEST soup I've ever had!!! Make sure and follow her directions and DEFINITELY use smoked mozzarella- it is WELL worth it!!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomato
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

3 cups chicken stock
1 pound chicken tenders
1 bay leaf, fresh if available
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
4 slices thick, smoky center cut bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
Salt
4 cups lightly crushed corn tortilla chips
2 cups shredded fresh smoked mozzarella or smoked sharp white Cheddar, 3/4 pound
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, chopped
Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Bring broth to a simmer and add chicken tenders, poach 6 to 7 minutes with a bay leaf.
While chicken poaches, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp then remove with slotted spoon. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons in the pan. Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook 5 minutes then stir in chipotles and tomatoes.

Remove chicken from stock, dice and then add to soup. Pass stock through a strainer then add to the soup.

Place a pile of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of each soup bowl. Cover liberally with smoked cheese then ladle the hot soup down over the top. Serve with lime, raw onions and cilantro at table to finish the soup.

I learned the neatest thing and just had to share it with y'all!!!!

Every time I crack open an egg, I will either crack it against the corner of a bowl or on the counter. Sure, it cracks open, but it always cracks into a crazy maze of cracks and usually will indent the egg and, oftentimes, will get a small amount of the shell into the egg white when I pour it into the bowl. Does this happen to y'all?

I read recently (and I am sorry to say that I have completely forgotten where I read it) that if you crack an egg on top of a towel, the break will be a straight line every time. I've done it every time since I read that and it DOES work!!! Every time the crack is in a straight line and I haven't gotten any extra little shell pieces that end up in the egg white!!! What a wonderful "trick" to learn!!!!

I was recently reading part of Martha Stewart's new book Homekeeping Handbook. I do not own the book yet, I was just perusing through it at the bookstore the other day.

She mentions a book by a lady named Mrs. Beeton. Well, my curiousity was piqued, so I had to find out more about her. I found a web site about her which is very interesting. But this paragraph is what really got my attention.

AS WITH THE COMMANDER OF AN ARMY, or the leader of any enterprise, so is it with the mistress of a house. Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path. Of all those acquirements, which more particularly belong to the feminine character, there are none which take a higher rank, in our estimation, than such as enter into a knowledge of household duties; for on these are perpetually dependent the happiness, comfort, and well-being of a family. In this opinion we are borne out by the author of “The Vicar of Wakefield,” who says: “The modest virgin, the prudent wife, and the careful matron, are much more serviceable in life than petticoated philosophers, blustering heroines, or virago queens. She who makes her husband and her children happy, who reclaims the one from vice and trains up the other to virtue, is a much greater character than ladies described in romances, whose whole occupation is to murder mankind with shafts from their quiver, or their eyes.”

Ladies, do you SEE how important your role in life is? Feminists will tell us that we are wasting our life away "just sitting at home". The world screams at us that we are nobody unless we have a career. But do you see what is written here? And this is just a small part of the importance you play in the lives of your husband and children. Your role as a wife and mother is crucial to society. You provide the safety, the warmth, the comfort that your family needs in this crazy, mixed up world we live in. You are training a future generation of warriors for Christ and you are cleaning the wounds of your knight in shining armor that is protecting his beloved family from the attacks of the enemy. Your career as a wife and mother is needed and very much welcomed.

Thank you for serving your families as the mistress of the house.

With all the excitement about Elizabeth coming, I've let my homekeeping slide a bit. Not good. So yesterday, I tried to start putting things back in place. It's amazing how a few days of not keeping up with things can ruin a neat and tidy home. LOL!!


So, what have we have up to? Well, Mr. U and I have been talking about painting our spare bedroom for a while and we finally did it on Wednesday!!! Yippee!! The walls were a cream white color and we painted them a lovely green color called Jewel of the Nile. LOVE IT!! Today I am heading out to look for some new window treatments. I'm not quite sure what I want, but I know I will know it when I see it.

Today is my birthday and our adoption agency just updated their website with the BEST news anyone could ask for on their birthday...

"Great news! We received matches today! The packet includes those families with a log in date of 9/12/2005. We did not receive matches for families with a LID of 9/29/05. We also received matches for Chinese descent families with a log in date through 3/15/06. We will be notifying these families by phone on 1/4/07."

PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What does this mean? Our logged in date (LID) is 9/12/05 and we have FINALLY been matched with a baby!!!! Our adoption agency will call us with all the details about her- her Chinese name, the city and province where the she, if she's in an orphanage or foster care, how old she is, etc. We requested a baby girl between the ages of 6 months and 12 months, but I've seen people be referred children older OR receive a boy instead of a girl. So, who knows what tomorrow brings!!!! I am just SOOOO thankful that, after 15 1/2 months of waiting, we will be seeing our daughter's face for the FIRST time tomorrow!!!!!! She is REAL!!! She's not just a dream!!!!

God is good and He does good!!!

I will definitely post a picture of her sweet face when I finally have it!!!

I just LOVE ringing in the New Year!! While it’s always sad to see another year go by, whenever a new year begins, for some reason, I feel like I’m starting with a clean slate. I think I’m a pretty optimistic person and January 1 seems SUPER optimistic to me! An entire year of possibilities is before me!!!

I know this year will bring BIG changes to our family with the addition of Elizabeth!! Oh, and when we find out about her, y’all will be among the first to know! What will life be like with a baby in the house? What an exciting adventure the Lord has ahead for our family!!! I cannot wait to tell her all about Jesus!!!

I want to work on being a better helpmeet to Mr. U. He really is a wonderful man. The Lord has spoiled me by giving him to me!!! Is he perfect? Oh no. But he is mine and I am oh so thankful. I was created by the Lord specifically to be Mr. U’s helpmeet. What a blessing and privilege. I want to serve him to the best of my ability and, in doing so, bring honor to the Lord.

I’m planning on being more organized in my home keeping this year, too. I’ve got a partial calendar made up for myself to follow. I must admit, I’ve been slack in my cleaning routine this past 6 months. While we were still homeschooling (Joshua graduated in May this past year), it was much easier to keep my cleaning schedule because I had to keep things straight in order to make sure we kept our schooling straight!! After he graduated, my regular routine kind of went out the window, so I plan on getting back to a routine (but not so rigid that I can’t change it if need be).

I plan to read more this year, too. Fiction is fine and usually a very quick read, but the Lord has brought so many difficult counseling situations to Mr. U and myself lately that I REALLY need to read and study more about true biblical counseling. People don’t need a Band-Aid nor do they need to blame their sins on “what so and so did to them”. Christians need to be taught to be responsible for their own sins and how to deal with them biblically.

Also, cults, false religions and false teachings are creeping into the church and into the lives of fellow believers. I want to read and study the Truth so much that when the false appears, I (with the Lord’s help) can identify it and confront. If the truth is not spoken by Christians, where will the lost hear it? To say nothing and allow people to THINK they are Christians is a vile, hateful act – like allowing them to continue with their disease and doing nothing to help them, even though you know the answer.


In order to do these, I obviously need to spend MUCH more time in the Word. Goodness knows, it’s SOO easy to talk about the Lord but so much more difficult to spend time with Him and really get to know Him. Why? On my part at least, selfishness and laziness. I long to be drenched in His Word daily and to know Him much more intimately than I do now. I have many faults that the Lord has pointed out loud and clear lately. I’m sure He and I will be dealing with those as well.

So there you have it. My optimistic look ahead at what 2007 may hold. Sure, I can plan all I want, but I know the Lord is the One who determines my steps. I will follow Him. His plans are always best.

Blessings to you in the New Year!!!

His,
Mrs. U

My mother taught me how to clean the house. She did a very good job teaching, I just usually wasn’t in the mood to learn. I always hated cleaning until Mr. U and I married and I wanted to take the best possible care of him and our home. Aaaaah, love!!!!

My mother always taught me to clean using a washcloths. Cleaning kitchen or bathroom counters, cleaning the toilet, dusting shelves, nightstands, side tables, etc. She taught me to use a washcloth and to simply launder them when I was finished. No waste. I, of course, thought I new better. I would go through tons of paper towels simply so that I wouldn’t have to rinse out washcloths or bother laundering them. I wonder just how many paper towels I’ve wasted over the course of all these years?

Recently, I discovered my old friend- the washcloth. I’ve realized what a waste it is to use paper towels and how much BETTER washcloths clean!! I clean the counters, hand mop the bathroom floor, scrub shower walls, clean the toilets and sinks- all with a washcloth!!!! When finished with my cleaning, I simply rinse it out and throw it in the washing machine!!

Also, I’ve recently had problems with my hands getting exceptionally dry in some areas. I decided to stop using harsh cleansers and now I clean with a bucket full of hot water and add some liquid hand soap to the water. Not only does this clean well and smell good, too, but it also is less harsh on my hands. When I rinse out the washcloths once I’m finished cleaning, I don’t have to worry about making sure all those harsh chemicals are out because I’m just using hand soap, water and good, old-fashioned elbow grease!!!

This post was shared this week by my pastor (see "about me" in side bar). Thank you, Pastor U!!!



What Christmas is Really About

Isaiah 9.6- For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Those of us that are Christians spend a lot of our time telling our children and families that Christmas is about giving instead of receiving. But according to the Scripture above that is not what Christmas is all about.

Giving is much better than receiving. It teaches us not to be so hedonistic, materialistic and selfish. Giving is a good character trait. Giving is a worthy goal to teach our families. Giving is a good thing but it is not what Christmas is about.

John 1.29- The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

The people of Israel were familiar with lambs for the sacrifices. At Passover, each family had to have a lamb; and during the year, two lambs a day were sacrificed at the temple altar, plus all the other lambs brought for personal sacrifices. Those lambs were brought by men to men, but here is God's Lamb, given by God to men! Those lambs could not take away sin, but the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) can take away sin.

We all are born separated from God. We do not get to God by good works, stopping a bad habit or cleaning our life up. The only way that our hearts will find forgiveness, peace, and contentment is to acknowledge that we are sinners and we need forgiveness.

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin, live as He was born (in perfection), die upon a cross and three days later conquer the grave. We as sinners are to acknowledge that:

We are sinners and need forgiveness
Call out to Jesus Christ for that forgiveness
Commit yourself to following Him as your Lord and King

Christmas is about God sending His Son so that our salvation would be possible.

That is God’s gift to us. He is the giver. We just need to receive Jesus as the Gift that has been given.

On Tuesday night, a big group from our church went Christmas caroling!! We've been doing it for several years now and it is just so much fun!! We all bundle up, squish into vans and off we go!! We sing at several different homes and share about 5 Christmas hymns at each home.

When we are done, we return to our church for homemade cookies and hot cider!! I made Gingerbread Men Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Cranberry Orange Cookies. To drink, I served Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider. Yum! Two sweet young ladies in our church volunteered to make cookies, too!! They showed up with chocolate peanut butter cookies, brownies, German shortbread and MORE!! We had a feast of cookies!! Wish all of y'all could have been here for the fun evening.


Gingerbread Men
½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
Royal Icing (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add next 6 ingredients and beat till combined, scraping bowl. Beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar till combined. Carefully beat in most of the flour with the mixer. By hand, stir in the rest of the flour. When mixed thoroughly, cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough mixture until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Baked at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the edges of the cookie turn golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute and then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Cool completely before decorating.

This is the recipe for royal icing, but PLEASE decorate however your family wants!! Any kind of icing is good as long as you and your family like it!!


Royal Icing
3 eggs whites
1 pound powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Beat 5 to 7 minutes.

Put icing mixture into a piping bag and decorate your cookies!!!

This dries VERY fast!!! Work quickly.




Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup PLUS 4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
Sifted powdered sugar

Stir all the ingredients together (except for powdered sugar) and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll into powdered sugar. Place balls 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or till the edges are set and tops are crackled.

Also, I stuck Hershey's Kisses in the middle of each cookie just as they came out of the oven. I LOVE chocoalte, but these Kisses are FILLED WITH CARAMEL!! I LOVE caramel!!!!

Don't you just LOVE finding wonderful new blogs? Heaven only knows just how many blogs are out there, but I love finding encouraging blogs as well as blogs that will help me grow!!!

I always find challenging articles The Dead Theologian. But just the other day, I came across A Place of Quiet Rest. The blog as a whole is absolutely wonderful!!!! The article that stood out the most to me (probably because we are expecting to find out about our little Elizabeth any day now!!) is the article entitled The Quiet Bag. Just grab yourself a cup of tea and read what Heather has to share with us!! What a blessing!!!

Every so often I have an inspiration that proves to be very helpful to my family. One of my inspirations has been 'The Quiet Bag' and over the years it has been a wonderful blessing and 'mother's helper'! I have shared this idea with other moms of young children, and I wondered if it might be something helpful to some of you as well - or even a gift idea for some young family.

Last night we had two functions in a row where the children were required to sit quietly for long periods of time, our Dreamer's piano recital and the children's Christmas Program at church. It was definately a night to grab 'The Quiet Bag'. Not only was it helpful for our family, but several children in the pew with us enjoyed the contents of the bag - we were the quietest row in the church, I think!

Our bag is an old used leather 'one shoulder' backpack style bag which we used to use as a diaper bag, but anything durable and 'husband friendly' will do. The contents vary occasionally as I 'trade out' less popular items and try to keep a rotation of fresh things to do.

The rules are simple, everything in the bag must be 'quiet', not too heavy, and requires no parental instruction. There is no playing with the contents of the bag at home or even in the car, unless we are on a long trip. It is reserved for special occasions like sermon time, funerals, the Doctor's waiting room, a fancy restaurant, or an 'adult' function where they need to be seen, but not heard. At 9, The Dreamer is expected to listen to the sermon and take brief notes, follow in the Scripture reading and sing in church, but there are still times when it is too much to expect her to be still for the length of time needed, so she enjoys "The Quiet Bag' too.

Now for the contents! We have a variety of things, but these are our favorites. Many have been purchased at the gift shop in Cracker Barrel's Old Country Store, at Wal*Mart, the Dollar Store and in educational type toy stores. There are no batteries or sound producing toys, nothing sticky, messy or glittery. Most of what we have was inexpensive, and of course has changed to be 'age appropriate' as the children have grown.

*Wikki Stix (these are so fun, but get sticky in warm weather, so they only get added to the bag in cooler months)

*Mini Etch-A-Sketch

* Mini Magna-Doodle

*Silly Putty

*Felt Story People, Fuzzy Felts or Felt Kids (a small felt board)

*Magnetic books (Construction set, Thomas the Tank Engine, Horses etc.)

*Sticker books (we like the little Dover books)

*Magnet face 'Willy' - where you use a 'wand' to put 'hair' on Willy

* 1/2 sheets of cardstock paper and mini paint sets (for in restaurants)

*Fun Pad, mini coloring books, maze books

*Fabric Activity Books

*Flip-A-Fish and The Peanut Game ( they are pretty quiet ;0)

*Magnetic Car Bingo

*Brain Quest games

*A mini photo album of family and friends

* Hand sanitizer, a small first aid kit, kleen-x, and dried fruit snacks complete the bag

We have had hours of quiet fun with this bag. When I was describing our use of 'The Quiet Bag' to the young mom beside us last evening, she was very positive and encouraging. I think she was planning to put together a bag for her own young boys. I decided that since she thought it was such a great idea, you might find it useful information too!

Click here to go visit Heather!!

Yes, I use a hand crank can opener. Call me old-fashioned, I don't mind. I just simply CANNOT get any other can opener to work!! And I am not kidding!! My mother has some fancy kind that you just hold the can up to it and it's supposed to automatically "catch" and take over. Not for me! No sir!! Either my mom or my sister has to come to my rescue every time.

However, I DO love my can opener. It opens quickly every time. I've had this one for 8 years now and have only had 1 problem. I used to wash it after each use, but it started getting rusty and eventually didn't want to turn as easily. A friend told me that it was rusting because I washed it too much. Too much?? What??? She said that unless I was going to dry it off completely right after each washing, then I shouldn't wash it every time. She said this is what caused it to rust.

I have since stopped washing it after each use and there is no rusting going on at all!! Yippee!!!

What did we do about the part that WAS rusting? A little elbow grease and some olive oil took it off and lubed it up!! I'm sure I'll get years more use out of this!

What kind of can opener do you use??

Mrs. B has written a marvelous post entitled "Dirty Toilets and Drop in Visitors". I had to chuckle when I first read it because I have been there!!!!

She offers some great ideas about doing little things each day to keep the house tidy and ready for visitors at a moments notice. Thank you Mrs. B!!

Below is the article, but, sadly, her blog is now gone.

Once, many years ago, some friends of ours stopped by to say goodbye on their way to a vacation out of state. Before they left, my friend's husband asked to use our bathroom. Those were the days before I had any daily cleaning routines set up for myself, and I cleaned whenever I felt like it-or not. Well, this happened to be one of the "or not" days, and my bathroom was rather a wreck. I *had planned to* clean the bathroom, but hadn't gotten around to it yet when my friend needed to use it. Needless to say, I was mortified, and to this day, I still remember the embarassment of that moment.

Last night after supper our pastor called to see if he might drop by for a spur of the moment visit with us. Of course we told him to come on over.

I was so glad then that, over the years, I have learned to keep to some basic daily cleaning routines. I am no longer embarassed when someone asks to use our bathroom, and I don't find myself scurrying around, a stress-filled mess, when someone drops by unexpectedly.

Last night all I had to do to get ready for the pastor's visit was finish washing the supper dishes and put on a pot of coffee. We had a very enjoyable visit with him, very relaxed because I wasn't worrying about the state of my house.

Here are some of the absolute basics that I try to do every day in order to keep our home presentable:

*make beds
*do dishes, clean counters
*make sure bathroom is presentable (swish toilet and wipe counters daily or every other day)
*sweep floors
*put anything away that has been left out in kitchen or living room

After these things are done, I can go on to other projects, resting assured that I could welcome someone in to our home that day with no need to be embarassed. You don't have to strive for PERFECT; you just want to have it comfortably neat, clean, and attractive.

What things do you do in your own home to be ready for drop in visitors?

Have a wonderful day, friends!

On Monday night, at our monthly ladies fellowship at church, we had a cookie exchange!!! We all showed up with at least 6 dozen cookies and we went home with lots and lots of different cookies to share with family and friends over the Christmas holidays. What fun!!! I took gingersnaps and here's the recipe...

Gingersnaps

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup shortening
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground white pepper
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ of the flour plus the brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and white pepper. Mix well until combined. Stir in remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the extra sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops are crackled. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet and then move to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 48 cookies.

*These aren't very "snappy". I always thought that gingersnaps were to be thin and hard. These are a little puffy and soft. But they are sooo YUMMMMYYY!!!!

Every year at Christmastime, I make Crock-pot Chicken with Cranberries-but only on one certain day. It's a family tradition!! The day we go out to buy our Christmas tree, we fill up with this warm and delicious meal and then head out into the cold to pick out just the right tree.

Crock-pot Chicken with Cranberries

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Place all ingredients (except the flour/water mixture) in the crock-pot. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, until chicken is tender. Add flour mixture in the last 15 minutes before serving and cook until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, pasta or (my family's preference) couscous.

Don't be scared when you peek in your crock-pot after it's been cooking a bit and the cranberries are still staring back at you. The longer this cooks, the cranberries will heat up and start to "pop". By the time I serve this, I cannot tell that cranberries were ever in this. They simply melt into the sauce and become yummy and delicious!! Mr. U who, does not like cranberries at all, LOVES this dish!!!

You can find more mouth-watering recipes over at Sandra's blog.

Oh boy!! Did I ever find a GREAT recipe in my new Christmas Cookie cookbook that I won from Susan P.!!!! Mr. U chose a recipe called Carmelitas. It is really, REALLY good. Whatever diet you are on, throw it out the window when you eat these!!! My, oh my!!!!

Carmelitas

18 ounce tube refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
6 counes semi-sweet chocolate chips
32 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup half and half

Slice cookie dough 1/4 inch thick; place slices in the bottom of an ungreased 9x9 baking pan. Pat to make an even crust; bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly; sprinkle with chocolate chips and set aside. Melt caramels and half and half together in a double boiler over hot water. Spread caramel mixture on top of chocolate chips. Refrigerate for one to two hours; cut into squares. Makes 3 dozen.

Okay... now here's the truth... I did not follow this recipe exactly. tee hee (anyone who knows me is not surprised by this fact). I just HATE to buy pre-made cookie dough. So, I made half a batch (and used only 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips) of the Nestle Toll House cooke recipe that I have here. I pressed that into the bottom of a pie plate (didn't have a 9x9 available) and you can see that in the picture. I baked it at 375 for 25 minutes and then sprinkled the other half of the chocolate chips on top. Then I put the caramels and the half and half in a microwave safe bowl and microwaved on high for 2 minutes- stopping every 30 seconds to stir. At the end of two minutes, it had turned to a creamy caramel sauce. I then poured it all ove the pie. I let it come to room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. I cut them into little bitty triangles (think tiny pie piece) and ate them. They are TO DIE FOR.

If y'all make this, be sure and let me know!! And if I gain weight at my Weight Watchers meeting on Monday, I figure I can just blame Susan P.!!!!! :) HAHAHA!!! Just kidding, Susan!!!!

Note: I was SUPPOSED to share a picture with y'all of what a piece of the carmelitas looked like when it was cut. But... well... they just disappeared too fast!! Oops!!!

I LOVE MR. U!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eight years ago today, December 12, 1998, Mr. U and I were married. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful, loving, godly man.

We met December 9, 1997 and we both quickly knew that the Lord was leading us to marriage. Truly the Lord has spoiled me with such a fantastic husband.

Happy 8th anniversary, sweetie! I love you soooo very much and am sooo very honored to be called Mrs. U!!!!

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine..." Song of Solomon 6:3

The hand mixer is an absolute necessity in my kitchen. Our kitchen is very small and I don't have room for one of those big leave-on-your-counter stand mixers. They are QUITE nice, though, so please don't think I don't like them. I really would love to have one someday, but it's just not practical in this home.

This hand mixer is my favorite!! Why? Because I burned out the motor in two previous hand mixers and this guy is the only one that's been able to keep up with me!!!

Hand mixers are great for mixing up cookies, quick breads, muffins, brownies, cake batter, icing. The list goes on and on. I just pull mine out (another benefit- I can just store it in a cabinet!!!), pop in the beaters and away we go!! I don't have to practically break my arm to make chocolate chip cookies for Mr. U, I just plug this in, mix up the cookies and presto!! Mr. U's got a plateful of warm cookies!!!

Do you have a hand mixer? If so, do you use yours often?

Some of y'all will remember my post the other day about handkerchiefs. Do you know what sweet Kelli over at There is No Place Like Home did? She sent me a handkerchief!! Is she kind or what??

Kelli, it is a LOVELY handkerchief and I am oh-so-thankful for such a thoughtful gesture.

Susan P. over at A Place Called Home had a contest a few weeks ago and I WON!!! I won a Gooseberry Christmas cookie cookbook!! YUMMMM!!! When the package arrived in the mail, not only was I ecstatic to find the cookbook, but she also included a Yankee Candle tartlet for the tart warmer in Mistletoe and a tooo cute gingerbread man cookie cutter!!! Adorable!! She tied it all up with a beautiful christmasy (can I say that?) bow. What a wonderful gift to receive in the mail!!

Thank you for the fun contest, Susan!!! And thank you for the lovely prize!! :)

Now... off to baking some of those cookies!! :)

What is wrong with this picture? Look closely. Got it yet? It has no PIE in it!!!! We've GOT to do something about that!!!

My sister and I were discussing yummy recipes yesterday and this one came up. Boy, is it DELICIOUS!! So, I figured if we loved it so much, y'all might, too!!


Peanut Butter Pie

1 (3 oz) pack cream cheese, softened
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
¼ cup milk
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen Cool Whip, thawed
1 graham cracker pie crust(9 oz)

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in peanut butter and sugar. Gradually add milk; mix well. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate overnight.

I think this is supposed to be 8 servings, but when it's THIS good... good luck making the slices that small and not hearing complaints!!! :)

Enjoy!!!

Okay, I promise this is not another lecture from me about the health benefits of garlic.

This IS a post about how wonderful garlic presses are!!! What IS a garlic press? It's a gadget that's used to press garlic cloves through a perforated grid to extract the pulp and juice from the garlic.

Look at the picture...



See those little holes? The garlic clove gets pushed through there and out it comes all mashed up and ready to use!!

I will often use my knife to chop my garlic, but sometimes I don't feel like chopping and pull out my garlic press. I just LOVE it!!

When the days get shorter and the nights get longer, the absence of the sun makes me sad. No, I don't deal "officially" with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but I do get tired. I asked my doctor about it and he said that the sun has a huge part to play in the function of our bodies. His perscription to me? Get out in the sun about 10 minutes each day!! Hey, that's easy!!!

I found this article online and found it very interesting. I figured y'all might find it interesting as well.

Happy sunning!! :)

Get out in the sunshine

The importance of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for good health that comes in its largest quantities from the sun. Some foods have been fortified with the vitamin, such as milk, but a US study proved that only 30 per cent of the samples tested contained a sufficient recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D.

Diseases such as rickets, osteoporosis and osteomalacia are kept at bay with a healthy dose of sunshine-induced vitamin D. However, with a lifespan of only one week, vitamin D must be topped up regularly. But even when using sunscreen has been found to hinder vitamin D production, it must still be safely maintained.

The low light levels of winter can cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a prolonged psychological state much like depression. Symptoms are often a poor appetite, considerable weight loss or vice versa, insomnia, agitation or inertia or feelings of worthlessness, guilt and indecisiveness.

SAD can only be relieved by sunlight (via vitamin D) as the sun can raise serotonin levels– the body’s natural happiness chemical. Regular indoor light does not produce the same effect as it does not supply vitamin D.

Vitamin D from the sun’s rays is also essential in building strong bones and teeth. Research also suggests that low vitamin D levels could potentially increase type 1 diabetes, muscle and bone pain.

Women may find that sunshine can relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which include stomach bloating and cramping, breast tenderness, fluid retention, headaches, mood swings and appetite shifts.

Read the entire article here...