Here's our little Caroline at 2 months old. WOW how much she has changed!! So full of love and life and SMILES and giggles! I LOOOOVE it!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
2 months old...
Here's our little Caroline at 2 months old. WOW how much she has changed!! So full of love and life and SMILES and giggles! I LOOOOVE it!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Next Food Network Star....
It's no secret. I LOVE to cook. And I really enjoy watching the Next Food Network Star. My favorite this year? Hands down, Aarti!!
If any other NFNS fans are reading this, be aware that you can go vote for the Fan Favorite!! You can vote up to 10 times a day until August 16th and the winner will be 6 episode web-only show. FUN!! I want Aarti to win the whole thing AND win the web show, too! Go Aarti!!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Baby Conference....
Our family has been in San Antonio, Texas, attending The Baby Conference. What FUN we've had here!! We were blessed to meet some old friends, make new friends, visit a beautiful city and be encouraged in our family vision! It's been wonderful!!
Were any of y'all here?
Saturday, July 03, 2010
A pumpkin shortage????
I know I can't be the only one out there that has looked EVERYWHERE for canned pumpkin lately, can I? If you're like me and cannot find it, I just found out there is a pumpkin shortage!! For real! Read about it here...
Still, this doesn't AT ALL change the fact that my family and I are really craving Pumpkin Sausage Pasta and Thai Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup!!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Napping....
Yep, I just finished a nice little 30 minute nap. I've always loved being able to take a quick nap, but now that we're still adjusting to Caroline, I'm definitely in need of them!!! And how wonderful to know that naps are good for you!!! While Elizabeth and Caroline are napping away, this mommy will certainly find time to fit in a little shut eye.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What our family has been busy with lately.....
Yep!! A BABY!!!! Caroline Elaine was born May 12 and we were able to bring her home yesterday, June 16. We are SO blessed!!!Thank you all for your prayers and support of our adoption! I am quite sure more stories and photos of her will be on this blog soon!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Regeneration...
Regeneration
O God of the Highest Heaven,
occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme, lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.
Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul.
served with my every act of life.
Thou has loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favoured, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.
I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
ne ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee; But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.
HT- A Portrait of a Lady
O God of the Highest Heaven,
occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme, lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.
Thou art worthy to be praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul.
served with my every act of life.
Thou has loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favoured, clothed, adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.
I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
ne ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee; But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide, solace, joy.
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth and a blessing to all.
HT- A Portrait of a Lady
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Raising Homemakers...
I am SO looking forward to learning from this blog!! Y'all be sure and check it out!!
RaisingHomemakers.comwas born out of a desire grow, learn, and be encouraged by women who were living out Titus 2 and who were managing their homes well for the glory of God.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Brokenness and Worship...
From Nancy Leigh DeMoss
It seems there’s a lot of emphasis in the church today on freedom, love, and worship, as there should be. But we need to remember that God has established a process that leads to true freedom, love, and worship—and there are no short-cuts.
True worship begins with brokenness and humility over our sin. Mourning over our sin leads to repentance and then forgiveness. That produces freedom from guilt and bondage. Freedom gives us a greater capacity for love and then for worship.
And of course, true love and worship will lead us back to a new level of brokenness, deeper repentance, increased forgiveness, freedom, love, and worship.
So there’s nothing wrong with popping in a worship CD. But remember, we can’t experience true freedom, love, and worship unless we enter by way of humility, repentance, and forgiveness.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Trouble in a 9x13...
I have made Congo Bars before and they were good. But these? Oh dear. Trouble. Nothing but trouble. The recipe is slightly different but WOW is there a big difference in taste!!!
Thank you, Bakerella, for sharing this recipe!!
Congo Bars
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
By mixer:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Stir in chips and then pecans.
By hand:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Our graduate...
Yep, that's my Joshua!!! He graduated this past Saturday from Liberty University! YAY!!! He's now working toward a degree in Masters of Arts and Religion with a concentration in Biblical Studies. It is so hard to believe that this is the same little boy that used to snuggle with me. Who said he could grow up so quickly???? But WOW am I proud of him!!!
Oh, and in case anyone is interested, he completed his undergraduate degree (and now working on his Masters degree) through Liberty University Online. He LOVES it!! Feel free to contact him through his blog if you have any questions.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Thank you!!!
THANK YOU to everyone who helped support our next adoption by shopping with Blessings Unlimited!!! We were so blessed by Charree for allowing us to have her commission for the sales.
Now... just to bring a baby home...
Monday, April 26, 2010
You are cordially invited....
.... to my blog party!!!!
Yep, I'm very excited to announce that I am having a Blessings Unlimited party!! My sweet friend (and new mommy!!) Charree, at Held in His Hands, is a representative with them and is very kindly giving all her commission from the sales of this party of us for our next adoption!!!! I am soooo humbled by this!!!
Anyway, y'all be sure and head over to Blessings Unlimited and place an order. Mother's Day is coming up and this would be the perfect place to find a gift for your mother or grandmother or the special mother in your life that you want to bless that day. Or you could find something super cute to go in your own home.
Here's what I found out about Blessings Unlimited...
Not only does buying from them help our adoption, but it also supports a Christian company, too!
This online party will be over Friday, April 30th. Thank you to EVERYONE who can help us through this party!!!
Yep, I'm very excited to announce that I am having a Blessings Unlimited party!! My sweet friend (and new mommy!!) Charree, at Held in His Hands, is a representative with them and is very kindly giving all her commission from the sales of this party of us for our next adoption!!!! I am soooo humbled by this!!!
Anyway, y'all be sure and head over to Blessings Unlimited and place an order. Mother's Day is coming up and this would be the perfect place to find a gift for your mother or grandmother or the special mother in your life that you want to bless that day. Or you could find something super cute to go in your own home.
Here's what I found out about Blessings Unlimited...
At Blessings Unlimited, our Mission Statement is "To pursue the heart of God and bring blessings to others." We are a company which operates upon Christian principles for the purpose of Christian ministry, not just a company that sells religious products.
Not only does buying from them help our adoption, but it also supports a Christian company, too!
This online party will be over Friday, April 30th. Thank you to EVERYONE who can help us through this party!!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Contented at home?
Because we are all sinful human beings it can be very easy to be a keeper
at home who is miserable, discontent, longing for “greener pastures” and
foolishly plucking down her home with her own hands (Proverbs14:1).
Self-absorption and the demanding of our “rights” can steal our joy and destroy
our effectiveness in the mighty work the Lord has given us to do.You can read the rest of the article here.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Spring cleaning, anyone?...
Since Spring weather has officially arrived in our area (although it was in the 90s last week.... kind of seemed more like summer!!!), it's time to get spring cleaning done!!!
Here's a link to suggestions from Martha Stewart about spring cleaning ideas- click here.
Have you already started your spring cleaning?
Friday, April 02, 2010
Ricotta Cookies....
(Yes, there is a cookie missing. I am guilty!!!)I'll be the first to admit that using ricotta cheese in a cookie recipe sounds a little weird. That's just not normal. Ricotta is used in cheesecakes and lasagna- not cookies!
But WOW was I impressed when Elizabeth and I made these Thursday! I wanted to try a new cookie to share at a church meal and found this recipe while browsing Allrecipes (LOOOOOOOOVE Allrecipes!!!!)
The cookie reminds me more of a Little Debbie snack cake instead of a cookie. It is cakelike inside and slightly sweet and ooooh soooo good!! The lightly lemon flavored glaze surrounding it really pushes this over the top in goodness!!
See how puffy they got! Yum!
Enough talk. Y'all try them soon!! They are REALLY good and definitely not like your typical everyday cookie!
Ricotta Cookies...
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
16 ounces ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1/2 cup colored candy sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the ricotta cheese and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, stir into the ricotta mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting warm the milk, 1/2 teaspoon of butter and shortening, in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until solids are melted. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar and lemon extract. Dip each cookie into the icing then dip in colored sugar or sprinkles.
See, even Elizabeth loved them! Of course, I think her favorite part was putting sprinkles on each cookie.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas...
I love trying different enchilada recipes and I was excited when I saw Kelli share this recently. They are really good!! I'm thinking that it's the cilantro (my FAVORITE herb in the world!!!!) that made it sooo delicous!!!
Thank you, Kelli!!!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup salsa
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
1. Mix sour cream, enchilada sauce, salsa, green chiles, and cilantro together in bowl. Set aside.
2. In separate bowl, mix shredded chicken, 1 cup of the sour cream mixture, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. I also seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, and a little cumin.
3. Heat tortillas in microwave oven until soft. Pour enough of the sour cream mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish to coat bottom.
3. Place 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour remaining sour cream mixture on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbling.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies...
These are crispy cookies with a very slight chew in the middle. Yum. My normal sugar cookie recipe is very soft and almost cakelike in the middle. This is a nice change.
Mr. U, who normally doesn't like sugar cookies, said these were quite tasty and that they reminded him of pound cake!! WOW! I think it must be the sour cream in the recipe. They don't make me think of pound cake, but they are good!!!
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
-adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees line cookie sheets with parchment paper (my FAVORITE thing in the kitchen these days!!!). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.
With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; mix just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon.)
Scoop 1 1/2 T of dough into your hand and roll into a ball and then roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 13-17 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.
Makes about 30 cookies.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Our Forever day...
My dearest, loveliest Elizabeth. Three years ago today you were placed in our arms. That was the happiest day of my life!! I am so glad that the Lord chose us to be your forever family.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Waiting....
So, what's up with our adoption? Well, our homestudy update was completed in November and we're officially in "waiting" mode. This could take weeks, months or, gasp, years. Yep, I recently found out about a family that waited FOUR YEARS for their child. Oh my. Am I prepared for that?? Heaven help me!!!!
The wait for China was much easier. I knew how their system worked and I knew that we were kind of standing in line for it to be our turn to be matched with our child. But now? Oh my. There is no line. There is no system to figure out. It's just one big waiting game. Sigh.
So... what does a girl do while waiting? Well, you go shopping, of course!!!!
I didn't buy anything major. These are just some burp cloths, tiny socks and tiny onesies. I realized the other day that we have NOTHING in this house for a newborn, so when "the call" finally does come, we'll be going crazy trying to get things together!! So I figured I'd buy a few things here and there to prepare.
I don't know whether to buy girl or boy things. We requested a little girl because we already have tons of girl things and also because our house is small and the baby will be sharing a room with Elizabeth. If the agency calls us with news of a little boy, I am KNOW we will be more than thrilled and, well, we'll just figure out what to do about the bedrooms. :)
So that's where we stand with our adoption. Waiting. Just waiting. And one day "the call" will come and I'll be a nervous wreck. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
The wait for China was much easier. I knew how their system worked and I knew that we were kind of standing in line for it to be our turn to be matched with our child. But now? Oh my. There is no line. There is no system to figure out. It's just one big waiting game. Sigh.
So... what does a girl do while waiting? Well, you go shopping, of course!!!!
I didn't buy anything major. These are just some burp cloths, tiny socks and tiny onesies. I realized the other day that we have NOTHING in this house for a newborn, so when "the call" finally does come, we'll be going crazy trying to get things together!! So I figured I'd buy a few things here and there to prepare.
I don't know whether to buy girl or boy things. We requested a little girl because we already have tons of girl things and also because our house is small and the baby will be sharing a room with Elizabeth. If the agency calls us with news of a little boy, I am KNOW we will be more than thrilled and, well, we'll just figure out what to do about the bedrooms. :)
So that's where we stand with our adoption. Waiting. Just waiting. And one day "the call" will come and I'll be a nervous wreck. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Cheeseburger Soup....
Once again, a post with NO PHOTOS!!!! I am sad, but what could I do? We had company today for lunch and she would've thought I was NUTS for taking pictures of the food! HAHA!!! I do promise, though, that we all LOOOOVED this!!! I most definitely will be making this again!!!
Cheeseburger Soup
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 1/4 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley flakes
4 T butter, divided
4 cups chicken stock, divided
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 T all-purpose flour
8 ounces process American cheese*
1-1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
In small sauté pan, melt 3 T butter. Add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes until mixture turns light brown. Gradually stir in 1 cup chicken stock, whisking as you add more stock to make a smooth and thick mixture.
In a dutch oven, melt 1 T butter and then brown beef; remove any grease and then stir in onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley. Add 3 cups chicken stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add butter/flour/stock mixture to dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
8 servings
*I used 8 oz of American cheese sandwich slices!! Yep, I unwrapped each one. Seriously!! It was SO perfectly wonderful!! I'll do it again, too!! YUM!!
Cheeseburger Soup
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 1/4 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley flakes
4 T butter, divided
4 cups chicken stock, divided
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 T all-purpose flour
8 ounces process American cheese*
1-1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
In small sauté pan, melt 3 T butter. Add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes until mixture turns light brown. Gradually stir in 1 cup chicken stock, whisking as you add more stock to make a smooth and thick mixture.
In a dutch oven, melt 1 T butter and then brown beef; remove any grease and then stir in onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley. Add 3 cups chicken stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add butter/flour/stock mixture to dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
8 servings
*I used 8 oz of American cheese sandwich slices!! Yep, I unwrapped each one. Seriously!! It was SO perfectly wonderful!! I'll do it again, too!! YUM!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lasagna Soup...
While the snow started coming down last Friday, I was MORE than happy to make this delicious soup for my family. Boy is this GOOD!!! Thank you, Jesse, for the recipe!!!
Lasagna Soup
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
8 oz fusilli (or other) pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and saute 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat from pot. Add onions and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown color (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes with their juices, stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add pasta and increase heat to medium high. Boil soup until pasta is cooked. Discard bay leaves and sitr in basil and salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper and mix well. To serve, place 1 1/2 T of this mixture in each bowl. Sprinkle with mozzarella and ladle soup on top.
Lasagna Soup
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
8 oz fusilli (or other) pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and saute 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat from pot. Add onions and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown color (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes with their juices, stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add pasta and increase heat to medium high. Boil soup until pasta is cooked. Discard bay leaves and sitr in basil and salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper and mix well. To serve, place 1 1/2 T of this mixture in each bowl. Sprinkle with mozzarella and ladle soup on top.
Makes 13 cups
And, I am sorry to say, I do not have a photo of this dish. Next time I make this (and the whole family insists I WILL be making this again!! YUM!!!!), I will take a photo to share.
So, y'all, make sure you have all the ingredients and make this SOON for your family!!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Farmhouse Crackers....
I got a sample issue of Mary Jane's Farm a week or two ago in the mail. Included was a recipe for Farmhouse Crackers. Yum. Homemade crackers. Crackers that don't have tons of weird ingredients listed in them like this...
What IS all that stuff, anyway?
Ahem...
Not only are these SUPER easy, but they are VERY tasty, too! Mr. U said "Stop buying those flavored Cheez-its for me and make these from now on!!!" I'll be more than happy to do that!!!
This is how my recipe ended up (remember, I have a VERY hard time sticking exactly to any recipe!! HA!)...
Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper Farmhouse Crackers
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear off three sheets of parchment paper (2 will be for cookie sheets and 1 will be used to roll out the dough).
In a bowl, combine dry ingredients and then stir in oil and water. Take 1/4 of the dough and put it in the middle of a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top and smoosh it down a bit (LOOOVE my technical terms!! HA!!). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out as thinly as possible (I go for 1/8th inch thick). Carefully peel the top piece of parchment off and then score the rolled out dough into the shape and size of crackers you want (a pizza cutter or pastry wheel will make quick work of this) . Then, just bake them in the oven about 14 minutes until the crackers are crispy brown. Mmmm.
Take them out of the oven and remove the whole piece of parchment paper and set it on a cooling rack. Wait about 5 minutes and then carefully break the crackers apart and let them cool about 10 minutes longer before moving them off the cooling rack.
Repeat this same process for the rest of the cracker dough.
I have NO idea how long these will keep. They've never made it more than 3 days here before we eat them all up. Yum!!!
UPDATE: I forgot to add in this post that the last time I made these crackers, I added 1 tsp of garlic powder and WOW they were good, too!! I also made a batch where I left out the parmesan and the black pepper and added 1 T fresh, finely minced rosemary and 3 cloves of finely minced garlic. These were very good, too!!!
And y'all, if you make your own variation and they are great, PLEASE let me know!!!!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Old Love...
I found this on Mrs. B's site the other day. I just love it.
Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?
Yes, there is a more beautiful thing.
It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped; their faces are seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one another.
Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love....
Old love.
~Author Unknown~
Friday, February 12, 2010
Around here lately...
My camera is broken. Such a sad thing!! We sent it to Canon to be repaired and it'll be back on Monday, but until then, I've been camera-less. Not good when you're someone who likes to blog with photos!!! :)
After hearing about all the snow up north, we are FINALLY getting snow here!! YAY!!! We Southerners surely like to see snow... maybe because it doesn't come very often and when it does, it's not very much. It's coming down pretty heavily, but not sticking to anything. Who knows? Maybe we'll wake up to a winter wonderland tomorrow morning!!!!
Tonight for dinner? Lasagna Soup!!! Sounds delicious! It's a new recipe from our friend Jesse and YUM I can't wait to try it!! I'll have to share the recipe (minus the photo, mind you) later on. Any recipe with fresh basil and ricotta cheese has GOT to be delicious, right?
What are y'all having for dinner tonight? Any new recipes you are trying out?
After hearing about all the snow up north, we are FINALLY getting snow here!! YAY!!! We Southerners surely like to see snow... maybe because it doesn't come very often and when it does, it's not very much. It's coming down pretty heavily, but not sticking to anything. Who knows? Maybe we'll wake up to a winter wonderland tomorrow morning!!!!
Tonight for dinner? Lasagna Soup!!! Sounds delicious! It's a new recipe from our friend Jesse and YUM I can't wait to try it!! I'll have to share the recipe (minus the photo, mind you) later on. Any recipe with fresh basil and ricotta cheese has GOT to be delicious, right?
What are y'all having for dinner tonight? Any new recipes you are trying out?
Friday, February 05, 2010
Around home today...
It's been raining and cold all day. No fun. Gray skies give me thoughts of heading back to bed!! HA!!
Today has been a day of being lazy for Elizabeth and I. We had a quiet morning and then we cooked lunch. Because Mr. U works right next door to our home (we live in the parsonage) and Joshua works just a mile down the street, we have our main meal of the day at lunchtime. We LOVE having the biggest meal earlier! Oftentimes we'll have leftovers for dinner or just a sandwich.
We were supposed to have roast chicken with potatoes, but the chicken didn't thaw out soon enough. So, I thinly sliced the chicken and it thawed out very quickly!! Then I sauteed it with onions, peppers and garlic and stirred in some pasta sauce. Next I served it over pasta and served green beans on the side. YUM! It came together quickly and prevented me from allowing myself to get in a bad mood because the chicken wasn't thawed completely! YAY! Gourmet? No!! Quick and easy? YES!!!! (Do any of y'all ever allow yourself to get in a bad mood when something food related doesn't turn out like you like??)
Elizabeth is resting now. She hasn't napped for months, but will rest quietly in her room each afternoon. I use this time to check email or blogs or even take a nap, too!!!
We don't have any big plans for the weekend. Hopefully we'll be enjoying sunshine tomorrow instead of all this rain we've been getting today!!
Monday, February 01, 2010
What helps you grow in holiness?
This is from Nancy Leigh DeMoss....
What helps you to grow in holiness?
“Come to the Holiness Conference—this weekend at the Expo Center!”
“Buy 7 Steps to Holiness today, at your local Christian retailer.”
You know, God uses something surprising to teach us holiness—suffering! In fact, the pathway to holiness always involves suffering.
When our lives are all roses and no thorns, we tend to be spiritually complacent. We neglect serious self-examination and confession. But affliction has a way of stripping away the stubborn deposits of selfishness that build up in the course of everyday life.
The psalmist put it this way, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”
Are you going through a time of suffering? Let me encourage you, hard as it may be, to embrace it as a gift from God. Ask Him to use this time to make you more like Him.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Happy National Pie Day 2010!!!
Happy National Pie Day!!!!!
We celebrated with a Chocolate Chess Pie. YUM!!!
What kind of pie did you and your family celebrate with?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Peanut Butter Granola...
Elizabeth LOVES Peanut Butter Granola for breakfast! And I love that I know every single ingredient that is in it.
Peanut Butter Granola
(adapted from Hillbilly Housewife)
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
Begin by melting the butter and peanut butter together in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the honey, vanilla and salt. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and hot throughout. It doesn’t need to boil. Add the oats. Stir until the oats are completely coated with the sticky gooey peanut butter mixture. It will be chunky. Turn the mixture into an ungreased cookie sheet, or a large 9 by 13-inch pan. Spread the granola out evenly and bake it at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes. It should be brown and crispy. Now remove it from the oven and allow it to cool right there in the pan. Break it up into pieces after it is cooled. Transfer the granola to a sealed canister to store.
I'm not sure how long this would actually last before spoiling. Elizabeth eats it too quickly!! :)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
TONIGHT!!! Return to Cranford...
I am positive I am not the only one who fell in love with the dear townspeople of Cranford. And tonight Masterpiece Theatre is airing part one of Return to Cranford!! Be sure and check your local TV listings so you can watch it!!!
Friday, January 08, 2010
New dish towels...
I just LOVE starting off the new year with a drawer full of fresh new dish towels!!! I buy new sets every two years and get so excited when it's time to purchase them!
We don't have a lot of storage space in our small home, so after I wash and dry the dish towels, I fold them and roll them up so that they fit neatly into a kitchen drawer.
Is there something that you do every year or every other year in your kitchen to make your house a home?
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Coming soon!! National Pie Day!!!!
Once again, I'm going to be celebrating National Pie Day!! Anyone else wanna join in?
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, will be the date to serve and eat some delicious pie!!!
Hmmmm... now to narrow down which pie I want to make to celebrate that day...
(Photo found here.)
Monday, January 04, 2010
3 years ago today....
Three years ago today we got to see our first glimpse of our dearest, loveliest Elizabeth when our agency emailed her photo to us. I had NO CLUE that I could ever possibly love one human being so very much!!!!
How did we ever live without her? We are SO blessed!! Thank you, Lord!!!!!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Cinnamon Rolls...
UPDATE: Okay, so we put the extra cinnamon rolls in the freezer for later. We couldn't stand knowing they were in there, so the next day we took them out of the freezer, let them stand maybe 5 minutes and then popped them into a 250 degree oven for 18 minutes (we put them in a cold oven) and they were even BETTER than they were the day I first made them!!! Seriously!!!
Yep, these are THOSE cinnamon rolls. YUM!!!
Anyone that loves to cook and is online has surely heard of the Pioneer Woman by now!! These are her famous cinnamon rolls! Oh my are these GOOD!!! I halved the recipe and they still came out PERFECTLY!! 24 yummy cinnamon rolls!! One pan we gobbled up immediately and the other is in the freezer (fully cooked and iced!!) for another not-too-distant day.
Yep, these are THOSE cinnamon rolls. YUM!!!
Anyone that loves to cook and is online has surely heard of the Pioneer Woman by now!! These are her famous cinnamon rolls! Oh my are these GOOD!!! I halved the recipe and they still came out PERFECTLY!! 24 yummy cinnamon rolls!! One pan we gobbled up immediately and the other is in the freezer (fully cooked and iced!!) for another not-too-distant day.
Friday, January 01, 2010
A homekeeper....
The job of keeping a home is an honorable one. There is a difference between a housekeeper and a homekeeper. A hired housekeeper will keep the home clean and do the duties as expected of her employer, but a homekeeper does the duties in her home from her heart. She does it out of love for her family. She looks upon her duties as the most important job in all the world. It takes a lot of patience, skill, commitment and love to be a keeper of your home. Be faithful; in due time, your familoy will rise up and call you blessed. I am honored to be the keeper of my home.
Mrs. Martha Greene, from Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills
Monday, December 28, 2009
We have a NEW winner!!!
Congratulations to Mrs. Pear!!!! She is the winner of the book A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman!!!!
Mrs. Pear, please email me as soon as possible with your mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can send you your autographed copy of her wonderful book!!!
Congratulations!!!!!
Mrs. Pear, please email me as soon as possible with your mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can send you your autographed copy of her wonderful book!!!
Congratulations!!!!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
And the winner is.......
Update: kimlessig, please email me by this Sunday, December 27th, so that I can get your mailing address. If I do not hear from you by then, I will need to draw another name.
Congratulations to......
I am confident you will love this book, kimlessig!! Please email me with your full name and mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can get the book mailed to you!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Congratulations to......
kimlessig said...
This looks like a really nice keepsake book.
Hope to win.
I am confident you will love this book, kimlessig!! Please email me with your full name and mailing address so that Mrs. Ehman can get the book mailed to you!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Corn Chowder and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!
Mmmmmmm... nothing warms me up better than a bowl full of soup, stew or chowder. Today's recipe isn't just any old regular corn chowder, however. It's from an awesome book I just finished entitled A Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehman- a book about hospitality and welcoming others into your home and your life.
Mrs. Ehman kindly shared some of her favorite recipes in her book. Corn Chowder is just one of them and it is DELICIOUS!! All four of us LOVED it!!! Let me get to the recipe...
Corn Chowder
In a large pot combine:
4 cups chicken stock (or 4 cups water with bouillon cubes to taste)
6 cups diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Then add:
3 T butter
1-2 cups finely chopped leftover ham
1 1/2 cups leftover corn
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Just before serving, add:
8 ounces sour cream
Thin with a little milk, if needed. Stir well. Serves 8-10.
YUMMMMMM!!!! Warm and delicious AND my family loved it. What can get better???
Okay... so there's the recipe.... NOW for the GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For everyone that leaves a comment before SUNDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 20th, before 8:00 pm EST, you get ONE entry.
If you blog about this on your blog, too, then you can be entered TWICE!!!!!
What is the giveaway???? Mrs. Ehman is graciously giving an AUTOGRAPHED copy of her wonderful book, A Life That Says Welcome!!!!
Y'all will be so encouraged and challenged with this book! I love it and I am sure y'all will, too!!!!
Please enter right away!! Sunday night will be here before know it!!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Southern Living at Home...
My real life friend, Melissa, at Desiring to be a Godly Woman, just started selling Southern Living at Home!!!
If y'all have never seen any of their products, please go visit her website. WOW!! Lovely things for your home, for sure!!!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls...
I know I'm not the only one around the web to have discovered Pioneer Woman's cooking site called Tasty Kitchen. There are some seriously YUMMY looking recipes on there!!!
Recently I made the Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls and they are just that- perfectly easy!! They are definitely the easiest rolls I have ever made AND they were tasty, too!!!
Here they are before rising and baking. And remember, the recipe says to roll these into smooth balls. But hey, I had a 3 1/2 year old helper and, well, this is as smooth as they get. (And I'm pretty sure they were extra tasty because Elizabeth was helping! smile!!!)
Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls...
Prep Time 20 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes
Servings 24
Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
1 cup Warm Water (105F To 115F)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
½ cups Butter, Melted (1 Stick)
½ cups Sugar
3 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
4 cups To 4 1/2 Cups Unbleached All-purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Combine the warm water (I usually go to 115F) in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let stand for 5 to 8 minutes for a good proof. Stir in butter, sugar, beaten eggs and salt. Beat in 1 cup flour at a time (I use a wooden spoon) until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 days in a lightly greased bowl.
Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan (I use butter). Turn out chilled dough onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise in a warm location until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve. You can obviously make clover leaf rolls from this recipe.
And here is the end result. Seriously yummy dinner rolls!!
Recently I made the Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls and they are just that- perfectly easy!! They are definitely the easiest rolls I have ever made AND they were tasty, too!!!
Here they are before rising and baking. And remember, the recipe says to roll these into smooth balls. But hey, I had a 3 1/2 year old helper and, well, this is as smooth as they get. (And I'm pretty sure they were extra tasty because Elizabeth was helping! smile!!!)
Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls...
Prep Time 20 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes
Servings 24
Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
1 cup Warm Water (105F To 115F)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
½ cups Butter, Melted (1 Stick)
½ cups Sugar
3 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
4 cups To 4 1/2 Cups Unbleached All-purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Combine the warm water (I usually go to 115F) in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let stand for 5 to 8 minutes for a good proof. Stir in butter, sugar, beaten eggs and salt. Beat in 1 cup flour at a time (I use a wooden spoon) until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 days in a lightly greased bowl.
Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan (I use butter). Turn out chilled dough onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise in a warm location until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve. You can obviously make clover leaf rolls from this recipe.
And here is the end result. Seriously yummy dinner rolls!!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
So sorry...
To all of you that comment on my blog as "anonymous", I am so sorry, but I have had to stop allowing anonymous comments. I've gotten TONS of comments with links to businesses, places of ill repute, even just plain old weird comments. All of these I have had to go back and delete. I am simply tired of going MANY times a day and deleting the comments. Perhaps in the future I will be able to allow anonymous comments again, but for now, I will not.
I am very sorry. I do pray that all these spam comments stop posting on blogs. So sad.
His,
Mrs. U
I am very sorry. I do pray that all these spam comments stop posting on blogs. So sad.
His,
Mrs. U
Friday, December 11, 2009
Table manners...
(photo found here)Since the Christmas season is upon us and many of us will be invited to other homes for meals, I thought it might be of interest to read up on table manners.
Thank you, Mrs. S., for sharing this on your blog!!
Table Manners
1.) A meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. Guests should then do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. The napkin rests on the lap until the end of the meal. The host will signal the end of the meal by placing their napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate.
2.) When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.
3.) Once used, your utensils, including the handles, should not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.
4.) Pass food from the left to the right.
5.) Always say please when asking for something. Be sure to say thank you to your server or host after they have removed any used items.
6.) Taste your food before seasoning it.
7.) Do try a little of everything on your plate.
8.) Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait.
9.) Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.
10.) Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.
11.) Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.
This rule is especially important as we are able to enter a bad flu season!
12.) Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.
A few General Rules
A few General Rules
1.) Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Do not arrive earlier as your host or hostess may not be ready for you yet.
2.) Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Challenge for TONIGHT!!!!
Anyone up for a challenge tonight? Why not take a few minutes and do the 27 Fling Boogie from Flylady!!!!
27 Flling Boogie....
We do this assignment as fast as we can. Take a garbage bag and walk
through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
A job for a "big girl"...
Yep, that's my sweet Elizabeth carefully putting all the cleaned silverware back in its proper place. She LOVES to do this!! She is a "big girl" now with a big girl bed, wearing panties (even during nap time!!!) and getting big girl jobs to do around the house. She couldn't be happier!!!
Friday, December 04, 2009
Gingerbread Scones...
Thanks to Heritage Schoolhouse, we had a yummy breakfast this morning of Gingerbread Scones and piping hot coffee. Mmmm! Definitely the best way to start off a day!!!
Gingerbread Scones
8 servings
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup plus 2 T milk
1 egg, separated
sugar
Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8 inch circle; cut into 8 wedges and place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm and enjoy!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Question for fellow Blogger users...
For those of y'all that have blogs with Blogger, have you had problems lately with people commenting on old posts? Some comments are super weird and some are a bunch of links to strange websites. Some of them have been names you can click on and go to a not-so-decent blog and some have been from "anonymous". Thankfully all comments, no matter how old, all come to my inbox so I immediately delete all odd comments from my blog. Still, I'd love to know if I'm the only one experiencing this problem.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thai-Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup...
I can't even begin to tell y'all how WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS this soup was!!! It was soooo good that I have no picture to show you. It smelled so incredible that I had to get it in bowls as soon as possible so we could eat!! No time for bloggy photography today!!!
This is a picture of the recipe in the magazine. So good! So fresh! All of us LOVED it!! It has all the flavors that our family adores- garlic, ginger, lime, cilantro (I'm a big time cilantro fan!!!!). This definitely will be on our table again soon!!!
Thai-Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup
(from Crock-Pot’s Slow Cooker Recipes “Crocktober 2009 Issue”)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large white onion, thinly sliced (I used a yellow onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T minced fresh ginger
½ to ¾ t crushed red pepper
2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
2 carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!!)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
½ cup mango nectar
½ cup fresh lime juice (I used the stuff in a bottle)
3 T rice vinegar
½ cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
½ cup heavy cream
1 T cornstarch
2 to 4 cups hot cooked rice (We used Basmati. Jasmine also recommended)
3 green onions, minced
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Lime wedge (optional)
1) Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer to crock-pot.
2) Stir in celery, carrots, pumpkin, peanut butter, broth, water, mango nectar and lime juice. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
3) Stir in rice vinegar and ¼ cup cilantro. Stir together cream and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir into soup. Turn on HIGH. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until soup thickens.
4) To serve, put rice in soup bowls. Ladle soup around rice. Sprinkle each bowl with remaining cilantro, green onions and peanuts. Squeeze fresh lime juice over soup, if desired.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wrong Thyme of the year....
Just what IS this jumbled mess of a dead plant? It's supposed to be the herb thyme. Oh dear. Obviously I've done something wrong. HA!
I had wanted this to grow indoors in my eastern facing kitchen window. Y'all have any ideas about growing thyme indoors? I LOVE this herb!!!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
What a happy face...
I snapped this as Elizabeth took her very first bite of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. What a happy face!!!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Adoption update...
I know I mentioned a while back that we are in the process of adopting again. This time we are going to be pursuing a domestic adoption. This means our next child will be born here in the USA.
Today we had our home visit with our caseworker. BOY WAS I NERVOUS!!! But she is such a sweet lady who clearly loves the Lord, it is so easy to talk with her. She visited with us for our official in home meeting and then she even stayed for lunch with us. What fun!!
What's next? Well, our paperwork is all done now and we will be waiting for the official letter from our agency saying our homestudy is complete. Once that happens, our family profile (basically a scrapbook with pictures of our family and basic information about us) will be made available for birthmothers to look at. In this adoption, a birthmother will actually have to choose our family (with China, the huge government agency, CCAA, matches up a child's file with a family file). It could take a few weeks or even a few years. It all depends on whether a birthmother likes our family or not.
We will also be contacting groups about adoption grants. If y'all know of anyone that handles adoption grants, would you mind sharing that with me? We would really appreciate any help we could get!! :)
Anyway, if y'all think about it, please pray for us. We do need funds to cover the adoption and to purchase things for a newborn baby (Elizabeth was 9 1/2 months when we got her, so we don't have any newborn things). If the call came in the next few weeks, we would have to say "no" because we don't have all the money we need.
I can't wait for the day when I will be able to show pictures of our new little one!!!
Today we had our home visit with our caseworker. BOY WAS I NERVOUS!!! But she is such a sweet lady who clearly loves the Lord, it is so easy to talk with her. She visited with us for our official in home meeting and then she even stayed for lunch with us. What fun!!
What's next? Well, our paperwork is all done now and we will be waiting for the official letter from our agency saying our homestudy is complete. Once that happens, our family profile (basically a scrapbook with pictures of our family and basic information about us) will be made available for birthmothers to look at. In this adoption, a birthmother will actually have to choose our family (with China, the huge government agency, CCAA, matches up a child's file with a family file). It could take a few weeks or even a few years. It all depends on whether a birthmother likes our family or not.
We will also be contacting groups about adoption grants. If y'all know of anyone that handles adoption grants, would you mind sharing that with me? We would really appreciate any help we could get!! :)
Anyway, if y'all think about it, please pray for us. We do need funds to cover the adoption and to purchase things for a newborn baby (Elizabeth was 9 1/2 months when we got her, so we don't have any newborn things). If the call came in the next few weeks, we would have to say "no" because we don't have all the money we need.
I can't wait for the day when I will be able to show pictures of our new little one!!!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Flee from these things...
Yep, that's my son! Joshua has a blog up and running and, y'all know how it is, I just HAD to share with you!!!
“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” ~ 1 Timothy 6:11-12
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