Making a House a Home

Mr. U and I have had a VERY busy and tiring day today. Family Life Today hosts an adoption conference called If You Were Mine. Today they held one at a church near us and our adoption agency (Chinese Children Adoption International-CCAI) asked if we would mind putting up a booth at the conference and talking with prospective adoptive families about the agency. We had the BEST time talking with couples about CCAI and adopting from China. We LOVE talking about adoption!!! The time flew by and before we knew it we were packing up to come home. While we did have a blast, it is amazing how tiring it is just standing there talking with people!! LOL!! We both pray that many families will want to adopt, whether from China or somewhere else. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord by helping others know how they can make the difference in the life of a child through adoption.

Fall is just around the corner. And today that corner seems awfully close!!!

I was pulling weeds in the garden earlier and noticed all my flowers are either dying or going to sleep for the winter. My big beautiful hydrangeas on either side of the front porch aren't lavender and cheery anymore. The petunias that grow with such passion are left leggy and in need of a visit to the trash pile. The lovely black-eyed susans have all lost their sunshine yellow petals. Sigh. As much as I love fall, I hate to see the happy flowers of summer go.

While pulling weeds, I realized that I don't have to be sad about my flowers. I can have a fall garden!! I've never actually planted any flowers in the beds for fall and the only flowers I know about for fall planting are mums!! I know there have to be many more flowers that I could plant for fall and I was wondering if any of y'all could help me out? What are some fall flowers that I could plant this year? Annuals, perennials, biennials, doens't matter. I just LOVE color in my flowers beds!!!

Please, if y'all think of any, let me know!!

It was our first full year homeschooling. We had pulled the children out of a private Christian school in January, so this was the start of our first official full year of homeschooling and we were all very excited. Joshua was sitting on the sofa working on a subject and Danielle and I had just started working on Geometry. Mr. U was checking email. Breakfast was finished, dishes were done and the day was getting off to a good start.

While Mr. U was sitting at the computer I heard him say, “What in the world?” and he immediately turned on the TV. A plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. “How horrible!!!” we all agreed as we gathered around the TV to watch. What happened? Perhaps something was wrong with the pilot? Was the plane having problems? What caused it to happen? As we were sitting there wondering all these things, it happened. The second plane flew into the other tower.

Two planes? Tears streamed down our faces. There’s no way that’s an accident. That’s planned. But by who? And WHY???

We sat spellbound in front of the TV all day long. The phone rang off the hook- some family calling to check on us and we were making sure they were alright as well. Mostly we had senior adult ladies in our church call. The sweet widows who had no one else to talk to. They wanted to understand what was happening. Were they going to be okay? Were we at war? They figured the pastor could help them understand.

At one point during the day, Mr. U had to go to town to get something from one of the stores. Joshua went with him and I remember thinking “PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!!” I was scared to death. I was scared of war. I felt helpless, alone.

That night we had a special prayer service. Normally, since it was a Tuesday and not a typical “church” day, you would think there wouldn’t be many people at church, but there were MANY there!! People feeling unsafe. Wanting answers. Needing reassurance that God was STILL in charge. Desperate to be with fellow believers and lift their voices, together, to the only One who could fix the situation.

While crawling in bed late that night, I wept as I prayed. “I shouldn’t go to sleep”, I thought. “If I go to sleep, something may happen and I won’t be able to react quickly enough.” Silly thought considering we are in Georgia and the World Trace Center is thousands of miles away from me.

But the whole experience felt as if it was in my own backyard. As if I had personally been attacked. This is MY country. These are MY people. Land of the FREE, remember? Home of the BRAVE. I wasn’t feeling very free OR brave at that moment nor for days afterward.

Five years later, here I sit. Life is back to normal. For our family, anyway. We didn’t know anyone personally who died in any of the attacks. We hurt for those who did, though.

For the thousands of families that are missing someone so very badly, we will never forget. Your loved one WILL be remembered. While your sorrow is much deeper than mine, I still cry for your family. I imagine all the times you’ve thought of that day and replayed it over and over in your head. All the “what ifs”.

Regardless of what happened that day, God is still in charge. He IS good and He DOES good. Always. He had reasons for that day. Reasons we may never understand this side of Heaven. But, truth is, He knows best. So follow Him. Follow Him hard. Life is shorter than we realize.

Never forget.

edit: Visit Snannon at Rocks in my Dryer for more 9/11 stories.

When I originally wrote this post, I had just discovered Everyday Mommy's blog. There were some really good articles there, but the one that really caught my attention was the first one written entitled To Moms of Little Girls. In it, she shared what we've already seen- the clothing for young girls is not "little girl" at all!!! Where has modesty gone? Where has CHILDHOOD gone??

In this post, she was calling us to let our voices be heard!! We, as mommies, will NOT buy the horribly immodest, tramplike wear they try to sell to mothers of young girls. Not me, nu-uh, no way, Jose!!!!

Here, just read the mission statement...

Moms for Modesty Mission Statement:
-As a Mom for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women.
-I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women.
-I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.
-I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.
-I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls' and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.

Let retailers know that you want your little girl to actually LOOK like a little girl. Let them know you stand for modesty. Let them know that you stand by what you say. And, most of all, let your daughters know that you love them by protecting them from what retailers are trying to make our daughters into- the image of a depraved, fallen world.

Your daughter is worth it.

Okay, so I sorta stole this from Tammy. Well, kinda sorta. My name DOES start with a letter in KNITTING IS FUN!!!

1. Are you craving anything and if so, what?
Diet Coke!!! I know, I know… this stuff is SOOOOO bad for you (believe me, I’ve read all the articles about it) but I just LOVE it!! So… I'm just opening a fresh can.

2. What is the weather outside, and do you wish it would change?
Slightly overcast and mid 80s. I wish it was a clear, sunshiny day and there was a crisp breeze in the air and I could hear the freshly fallen leaves rustle as the wind blew. (Yes, I’m ready for fall!! LOL!!!)

3. Do you wish you were somewhere else and if so, where?I wish I were in China with Mr. U getting Elizabeth and bringing her HOME.

4. Do you wish you were someone else, and if so, who?I really enjoy being me!!!! I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. Everything the Lord has allowed to happen in my life, good AND bad, has made me who I am and made me long for Him even more. But, I do wish to look more like Jesus and less like me.

5. Tag?
Okay, to copy Tammy (I’m so not original), I’m going to say that I tag anyone whose initials start with any of these letters – I LOVE MY HOME.

Most of y'all will remember my issues with taking YEARS (literally) to finish my son's crocheted afghan. Well, I have promised myself to never let that happen again. So, to prove it to myself (haha!!), I have started another afghan. This time it's for Elizabeth. Hopefully, by the time she gets here (I am praying we can have her here around Christmastime!!!!), I will be finished. But, with my track record... who knows???




The first pretty picture is a photo of the actual picture in a crochet book called Afghans For All Seasons (can you see my finger in the top left of the photo??). This is the afghan that I am making for Elizabeth except I am using Lion Brand Bubble Gum Pink and White. You know, fun, girly colors.




This photo is of the colors- Bubble Gum Pink and White. They look MUCH prettier in real life. Oh well. So far I have made the first two pink rows and the first two white rows. I just need to make 7 more pink rows and 6 more white rows and then I can start doing a weave in the crochet to make it look like a thick woven blanket!!

Yes, I know that all babies are cute, but SOME babies are more cute than others!! Like this little one, for example.

This is my new little niece, Sarah. Is she beautiful or WHAT???? She is a little over 5 months old right now. I got to spend Saturday morning with her and I am just amazed at how she can be so gorgeous AND so sweet at the same time!!

She's a little bald right now (I LOVE LOVE LOVE bald babies!!!!) and hopefully her hair will come in red like my brother's (Sarah's dad) and sister's hair!!! I just love little redheads!! Congratulations my dear brother and sister-in-law!! I hope y'all have many, many more babies!!!!

Gosh, it's fun being an aunt!!!!! (I'm sure my sister would second that!!!)

In a few weeks, we are having a ladies fellowship at church. We are going to have a fellowship once a month and each month there will be a different "theme". The theme for the September fellowship is apples. I LOVE apples, but we are all supposed to bring an apple related recipe. It doesn't have to have just apples in it, but an apple product needs to be in the recipe- apple cider vinegar, apple sauce, apple butter, you get the picture. All I can think of to take are apple desserts or apple salads. Do y'all happen to have a favorite, tried-and-true recipe that you serve your family as a main dish that has apples or an apple product in it? If you do, would you mind sharing? I would GREATLY appreciate it!!! You will be the "apple" of my eye!! HAHAHAA!! ... ahem... seriously, though, folks, I would be so thankful for any help.

Thank you!!!!

Mr. U and I LOVE this recipe!! It's too good not to share. It's got the "Pot Pie" in quotes because you don't actually make a crust for it- you simply serve it over store bought refrigerated biscuits!! Quick. Easy. Warm. Delicious. Definitely a keeper in our home.















Chicken and Ham "Pot Pie"
1 (7 1/2 ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 Tablespoon butter
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 pound boneless ham steak, cut into but sized pieces
1 (16 ounce) package of frozen veggies (we use Asparagus Stir-fry blend)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves (actually, we use about 6 BIG cloves!!!)
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup skim milk

Prepared biscuits according to package directions.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and ham and cook until chicken is cooked. Add frozen veggies, onion and garlic. Cook until veggies are thawed and stir in chicken broth, thyme and black pepper. Cook until heated through.

Dissolve cornstarch in milk and stir into skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Put the hot biscuits in individual bowls and top with this yummy filling and serve.

This is supposed to serve 8 people, but often, well, the three of us make it into two meals.

NOTE: I like to add extra veggies to our meal. I always keep frozen green beans in the freezer, so I will add a handful or two of those. Plus, I have a large bag of diced summer squash (yes, the yellow stuff) and I'll put a handful or two of that in as well. Mr. U actually LOVES the veggies in this!! Hip hip hooray!!!!!

Also, you can definitely make your own homemade biscuits instead of using the store-bought ones.

Our church hosted a prayer meeting last week. Most of the ladies in our church made some sort of appetizers to share with everyone after the prayer meeting. My goodness, the ladies in my church can cook!!! While many of them made beautiful AND great tasting food, I took very simple things. I took Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sausage Cheese Balls and Frozen Orange Balls. My sister and I actually called these Orange Basketballs when we were younger. Whatever you call them, however, just remember to call me when you make them!! These are GOOD!! Just make sure they are eaten pretty soon after you get them out of the freezer- they get kind of mushy when they start thawing. They still taste incredibly awesome, but they get a little messy.

Frozen Orange Balls

1 (12 ounce) box vanilla wafers
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1 cup nuts (optional)
Coconut

Crush vanilla wafers and mix with sugar, butter, orange juice concentrate and nuts (if used). When thoroughly mixed, roll into balls and then roll in coconut. Freeze. Serve frozen.

I know not everyone will appreciate this picture, but some of y'all that LOVE those vacuum lines like I do will surely enjoy this!!! I took this picture last week (what's a girl to do when the computer is down, for crying out loud???) and just HAD to show y'all!!! Yippee!!! It's those LINES!!!!

No need to pile up your recipes in a stack like this anymore!!!! Y'all be sure and take a trip over to see Deb at Mountain Musings. She's got all the participants listed in her Recipe Box Show & Tell!!!

I have to be honest with you. I am not artsy. I can draw a picture and I can cook up a meal (and I can crochet but it takes a REALLY, REALLY long time), but I cannot make pretty things for our home. Well, I couldn't until recently. And, like I said yesterday, this past week of being lost in cyberspace with our computer down, I've accomplished a good bit more than I thought I could.

Mrs. Wilt has inspired MANY of us to get creative in the home and this past weekend I actually decided to make a go of it and try to create a fall wreath for our door. Here's what I started with...



- a grapevine wreath
- some plastic apples
- a spool of some ribbon that matched the apples
- a plastic "zip" fastener
- hot glue gun



First, I decided which part of the wreath I wanted to be the top so that I could then wrap the ribbon around the grapevine wreath and hot glue it at the starting point and the ending point. I started the ribbon at the bottom of the wreath so that it would be hidden behind the apples and bow (you'll see what I mean with the finished picture). Then I used the "zip" fastener (sorry, I don't know the official name of the thing) to fasten the apples onto the back of the wreath. Lastly, I tied the bow and hot glued it into place. Voila!! A simple, fast and easy-enough-for-me wreath to welcome our guests to our home!!!

So, what do y'all think??

Amazing things have been happening while our computer has been down this past week!! Okay, well, maybe not AMAZING, but... do y'all remember me telling you about how long I've been working on my son's crocheted blanket? Well, lo and behold... drum roll puh-lease.....

I AM FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I know, most of y'all that truly know me are probably having a heart attack right now, but it's TRUE!! Here's a picture to prove it.

Yup, that's him asleep with his new blanket. So, while it was hard being separated from email and the online world this past week, I did accomplish a good deal!! I've even started a blanket for our daughter, Elizabeth!!! I wonder just how long this one will take me, huh? Any bets?

I am sitting in our public library right now with some very sad news to share. Our home computer is out of commission for a few days. Yes, our family is floating around somewhere out in cyberspace until we are up and running again.

There are several words that I have heard Mr. U say lately like "mother board", "bios", "video card" and "processor". I have no idea what any of these words mean, but dear Mr. U does and will have our little problem fixed in just a matter of days (we're waiting on some part to come in the mail).

Until then...

Deb over at Mountain Musings is hosting a Recipe Box: Show & Tell!! What fun!! She asked us to take a picture of whatever we use to store our recipes in. Well, this is mine. HAHA!!

I received this simple wooden box at one of my wedding showers almost 8 years ago. Underneath, you can see a manila folder. It’s ugly and unorganized, but chock full of really good recipes!! I’m not sure whether “the box” or “the folder” has more good recipes, but I love them both!!

A few years ago, a sweet lady at church gave me a beautiful binder so that I could organize my recipes. As you can tell, however, I have not done that. If and when I do that, I'll be sure and post about it here! But, that's a big "if"!!

Here’s where I keep all my cookbooks. I LOVE cookbooks and enjoy sitting down to read them just like one would read a regular book.

Tonight we are having a college and career Bible study in our home. I just love having people come over and when you add to that studying the Word, wow!! Does it get any better??!!

I’m planning on having some refreshments. Along with coffee and sodas, I’m serving my BEST Brownies (you know, the ones that are super fattening and delicious!!) and Sausage Cheese Balls. I hardly ever make these Sausage Cheese Balls because they are really fattening, too. I like to make them for special occasions. Mr. U just loves these and was happy to hear that tonight qualified as a “special occasion”!!!

Here is the recipe for the Sausage Cheese Balls. Very simple and very good.

Sausage Cheese Balls
1 pound uncooked sausage (I use hot)
3 cups Bisquick mix
4 cups of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Crumble raw sausage into large bowl; add cheese, and mix well with hands. Blend Bisquick mix into sausage and cheese mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I recently shared about how I LOVE to vacuum and I REALLY love the nice lines that are in the carpet when I’m finished. Well, I also REALLY love the lines that are in the grass when Mr. U is finished mowing!! And here they are- you can see some of the lawn with “the lines” and our faithful cat, Sam, who insisted that he be in the picture, too!! Mr. U just mowed this morning, so the yard looks so fresh. I just love a freshly mowed lawn.

Mr. U LOVES a good Reuben sandwich. Whenever we are eating at a new restaurant that serves them, he always has to try it and see if it’s “the best he’s ever had”. While he has had some really good Reuben’s at restaurants, his still LOVES the way his dad makes them- quick and easy!! Here’s the recipe…

Mr. U's Famous-In-Our-Home Reuben's
2 – 12 oz cans of corned beef
3- 14 ½ oz cans of sauerkraut
8 oz of thin sliced Swiss cheese

In a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, empty both cans of corned beef. Spread the corned beef to cover the bottom of the pan. Next, drain the cans of sauerkraut. If you don't drain them very well, the extra “juice” that is in the cans will cause your sandwich to be too “soupy” and very difficult to eat. After you have drained the extra liquid from the sauerkraut, pour the sauerkraut on top of the corned beef and spread it around to cover the pan. Last, layer the cheese all over the top so that every part of the sauerkraut and corned beef is covered. Bake in a 400 degree oven until it starts to bubble a little around the edges and the cheese is melted on top.

This will make 8 good sized sandwiches. Just cut into 8 sections and serve on whatever kind of bread you want (I believe it’s traditionally served on rye bread) and top with mayonnaise, mustard, thousand island or Russian dressing, pickles, or whatever you like on your Reuben sandwich!!!

Movies. I’m sure most of us watch them. Have you ever rented a movie or gone to the theater to see a movie that is rated PG (or even G) only to find out it is NOT something neither you nor your family should be watching? If so, check out Screen It. They give very up-to-date movie reviews and have TONS of movies reviews from the past.

When you first go to the site, they will ask if you want to join. You can join if you like, but you can also click on “No Thanks” at the very bottom of the page and you can continue on to look at the movie reviews.

The next page will bring up different options. When in doubt, just click on “search” and type in the name of the movie review you want to read. A Google bar will then come up so make sure you type in the name of the movie and that “search Screenit.com” is clicked before you hit “Google Search”.

We use Screen It for ALL of our movie reviews. Some of the movies that come out look very interesting and some of them look quite funny. However, when we go to Screen It and read the review for a movie, it is often SHOCKING at the things that are said and the situations that are presented (and oftentimes, the body parts that are revealed!!).

Try Screen It and see what you think. I am so very thankful for their site and their reviews. There have been MANY movies that we have not gone to see after reading the horrible review. I have been very thankful that the Lord has made us aware of Screen It.

A home is a place of safety and part of making a house a home is protecting it from harm. Harm can easily come in when we allow movies that are not honoring to the Lord into our home. Little hearts and minds (including big hearts and minds) can be led astray by the world and its ways so quickly. Don’t let harm be brought in by you. Read the review of the movie BEFORE you watch it with your family. It’s worth it.