A Good Night's Sleep

Actually, it was TOO good of a night's sleep because Mike was late for work this morning. I'm attributing it to the fact that Laura slept through from midnight until 7 this morning. That has got to be a record!

It's Here!

Mike's finally off the Internet after downloading his new Ubuntu operating system. Now I can see what I can do on here. Tracy and I have not been feeling well; I'm wondering if we got some sort of food poisoning or something yesterday when we had lunch. She was throwing up in the night, and I certainly could have. However, after many bouts of throwing up when I was pregnant with her, I've learned to control it a little better. :) We had a lazy day today.

Made it Home

Tracy and I made an excursion for her dentist appointment in Thief River Falls this morning. We did that and returned some socks I bought for "Big Foot" and got him size 12-15, which DO fit! :) (Aaron) We also bought "special" toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Christmas stockings and had sandwiches for lunch. I had a doughnut, and Tracy had a piece of cake for dessert. I came home to a quiet house. Jason is visiting a friend which means he and Emily aren't arguing and Aaron doesn't have anyone to pick on. :) Have a great evening!

Tuesday's Treasures

1. My "baby" slept really well throughout the early morning hours.
2. The house stayed presentable all day.
3. Tracy had an excellent violin lesson (and also a long one!)
4. Lunch was eaten with no complaints.
5. School work was finally finished.
6. Almost all of the supper was eaten (and no complaints.)
7. We're getting 1/2 beef this week sometime.
8. Tracy has a dentist appointment tomorrow (not that that is really a "treasure," but we'll get to spend some time together.)
9. Mike has a list of stuff to do tomorrow while I'm gone. :)
10. I'm sure there are more, but the kids are just about ready to have books read to them. Good night.

Luke 11:1-4

1. Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
2. So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

Aaron's 13th Birthday

We now have two teenagers in the house. We had cherry cheesecake for breakfast and corn dogs and chips for lunch. Aaron had a couple "Bionicles" he thought he really, really wanted so we got those for him along with a blanket sleeper.



In the middle of the afternoon, our friends came over for a fun-filled time for my children (and theirs.) As they came in the door, each person asked, "Where's Aaron Trott?" (because they have an Aaron too and NO WAY did they want to give candy to him...Ha ha ha!!!) and presented him with a candy bar. What a treat! He did get himself a little sick last night trying to eat too many; in fact, I'm surprised that he even had enough room in his stomach to eat a little breakfast this morning. :)




The kids played a while then we served cake and ice cream. For supper we had a chicken hot dish, a tuna cold dish, carrots, pudding, peaches, pina colada, and bread and butter.
















Along with all the candy, they also gave him a couple gifts. He has really enjoyed the guns, and I'm sure the science kit will get its use later this afternoon.

Saturday Trip

Saturday I had the chance to go to Grand Forks with a friend. She took me in to Sam's Club so I was able to get some wonderful deals on some things we needed and some things I wanted. I also was able to stop at Target and get some sleepers on sale for the kids for Christmas and birthday gifts. They charge tax on clothes in ND! After we were done shopping, she took me out to eat at Panda Buffet, a Mongolian restaurant. I ate lots of yummy food, got my mouth spiced out, and even tried some sushi. I couldn't, however, bring myself to try the octopus. :) Maybe next time...

"Special K" Bars

I made a pan of bars tonight only to have them wiped out after a few minutes. I managed to save Laura's second piece for Mike to have for breakfast tomorrow. I use the basic recipe below but use corn flakes, wheaties, special k, honey bunches of oats, or whatever cereal like that I may have.

Boil 1 cup sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter for two minutes. Take off the heat and add 1 cup peanut butter. Pour over 6 cups cereal; mix; put into a 9x13 pan and cool.

Chuck E. Cheese's Coupons

Would anyone be able to use these? I have two sets of them that expire 10/31/08. I bought the drinks for a "Cubbies" snack and didn't pay any attention to the packaging until now. Post a comment if you'd like them and I'll send them out in a hurry.

Psalm 34:1-3

1. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

A Year Ago

We're getting older... :)

AWANA

Tonight at Awana Emily not only said the books of the Old Testament, she went on to say Psalm 23. I did not even know she was working on that. For "years and years" I've been teaching the kids the books of the Bible for part of their schooling (we review them every fall,) and the picture below shows how I've always tried to make it interesting. This past time I made the things it was just with brown, but I usually make them colorful and have colored the letters in. I also teach how they are divided into the 5-12-5-5-12 pattern for the Old Testament. It works for us. Several have fallen or have been taken down because I need the pins for Melissa's school letters we're hanging on the wall.

Dentist Appointments Follow-Up

Well, good news for Aaron and Melissa. No cavities and beautiful smiles...

Jason has one cavity and Emily has two (though no new ones.)

Jason has been referred for orthodontics so that will be coming next month.

Tracy and I have appointments next week so hopefully we do as well.

I still have to convince Mike to go in. One of his fillings fell out.

Dentist Appointments

Ugh...today my four middle children have dental appointments. I know one has two cavities we never had taken care of last time, but I hope nobody else does. I sure hope they're running on time; last time I had scheduled an hour's worth of appointments and was there for more than two. What a waste of time!!! :)

Link to Mike's Blog

I'm putting the link here for my friend. Enjoy. :)

Birthday Party

We went to a birthday party yesterday for some friends, and four of our children went swimming with them and spent the night.

Today we had a pizza for lunch and roast with potatoes and carrots for supper. I was going to make soup with the leftover potatoes and carrots, but Someone ate all the carrots as the day progressed. :) Oh well, they were good for her, and I have a few others I can use.

Mike's home for his five-day weekend so doesn't have to go to work until Wednesday morning. He's been working on a computer for another friend.

Hip Hugger Bars

I made a pan of these tonight but they didn't last long enough to even take a picture. You'll have to check out Brittnee's post for a picture. :)

Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Sweetened Condensed Milk
Stir together 1/2 cup cold water and 1 1/2 cups powdered milk until smooth.
Microwave 3/4 to 1 minute until milk steams.
Stir in 3/4 cup sugar.
Cool.
Makes a 14 oz. can.

Another Day

It was a beautiful day for our last day of soccer. The parents beat the children hands-down in the junior game but had to admit defeat when playing against the seniors.

Since Laura finally fell asleep, I'll get to bed. Have a good day tomorrow!

Trying Again

I started a post earlier, and Laura shut the computer off on me! :) Every single one of the kids has gone through the stage where it's fun to push that little button. Gotta love 'em...

Anyway, I had written that Laura had gotten into some BBQ sauce from McDonald's and has a rash on her face now. That happened the last two times she had some too; it makes me wonder what's in it.

I cleaned the living and dining rooms tonight so we're able to walk through; there's still a lot of stuff around the edges but it's better. Laura was serenading me on the guitar while I was cleaning, but when I got the camera out to share on here, she quit and went to do something else.

It was a good day overall though I don't seem to have gotten much done. I made a batch of blueberry muffins only cooked it like a cake in a 9x13 pan. I was going to let the kids have some for a 2:00 snack and then bring the rest to our soccer meeting tomorrow, but they demolished the whole pan. It's a good thing I had already set a few pieces aside for Mike.

I'm out of peanut butter once again. I haven't been able to find it lower than $1.50 for an 18 ounce jar lately so will have to use that as my "good deal," I guess. We can easily use one a day using it for breakfast and either lunch or a snack.

Fun Pictures

My brother and sister-in-law sent this set of pictures, and I couldn't get it to load so my daughter did it for me on her blog.

Spring in October

The older set of children dubbed our big puddle in the yard "Lake of the Woods" when we moved out here. Yesterday the younger children were out playing in the water and had a blast getting wet. It was almost warmer outside than it was in the house yesterday!

A Quarter for Jesus

I copied and pasted this from the Little Red Hen and company Archives blog. I've come across it before so wanted to pass it along. Sometimes our small actions mean the most.


Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

A New Baby

Mike's niece had her baby today.
Olivia Rae 6 lbs. 7 oz. and 19 3/4 inches long

Psalm 19:1-6

1. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
2. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
3. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
4. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun.
5. Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Tired Out!

I've been trying to catch up on some sleep. The tournaments went well yesterday, and spending the day outside was good for me. A lot of it was spent shivering though. The wind was chilly for those sitting.

We have lots of dishes to do today, and the kids have been playing with the Legos.

We have to get the rest of the stuff out of the vehicle also. I was too tired last night.

We're having a taco salad of sorts for supper. I have to work around likes and dislikes so several of us pick things out. :)

Have a good evening.

Accomplishment

I have five children sleeping and it's not even 10:00. Of course, one isn't mine, and one of mine is spending the night at a friend's house. I'll have to kick Jason off the computer. The little girl I'm babysitting went to bed and only fussed for about two minutes. I sang "Jesus Loves Me" over and over to her until she relaxed. Now I'll get ready for soccer tournaments tomorrow.

Exhausted

Last night I babysat a three-year old who was a bundle of energy. She finally fell asleep around 1:45 a.m. after I tried every trick I knew to get her to sleep. She's coming back tonight, but I CANNOT have that happen again. I am exhausted already. Actually, I think I'm just getting old. :) In her defense, her parents work straight nights so she probably doesn't get a lot of attention during the hours she's at home or at her regular daycare.

Tomorrow we have soccer tournaments and then are done (Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) except for the wrap-up meeting and game against the parents next Thursday. My calendar looks strangely bare but I love it.

We may get our van back on Monday. The man is waiting on one more piece that was back-ordered then has one piece to prime and paint and has to adjust the hood before we can get it back. I'm so thankful to our friends for letting us use their vehicle, but I'm looking forward to getting 20-some miles to the gallon again instead of 10.

Laura's "Nigh nigh"

I'm sure I started this one, but Laura calls her blankets "nigh nigh." I'm sure it's because I grab her, ask her if she wants to nurse "night night," and then cover her with a blanket. She also drags them all around, which I'm not so sure I like, so I frequently change them out; I don't want her attached to a specific one. She has several so that's not a problem at this point. Anyway, here she is, all tuckered out, holding on to tonight's nigh nigh for dear life. :)

Philippians 2:3-4

3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Putting the USA Back Together

I was inspired by this post from my friend Beth. Enjoy!

Soccer

I just gained four hours of my life back because soccer practice is canceled tonight due to the rain. :)

Not a lot has happened today. The kids have been enjoying playing on the computer, and we got our school work done fairly early. I still have to correct Jason's math, come to think of it.

I can't think of what else I was going to write so I'll quit boring you. :)

Potato Soup for Supper

Mike walked in from sighting Aaron's new rifle and said supper smelled good. I told him he had to remember he said that! We have 1 cup of "hidden" vegetables in it along with onions, potatoes, and carrots. We're also having grilled cheese sandwiches on STORE BOUGHT BREAD. What a treat!!!

Applesauce

Here's a picture of our applesauce after eating a bit. Not a lot, but I'm thankful for every bit we did get.

Garden

Well, if I did nothing else correct with my garden, I did do the compost well. This is the compost after only four months with Melissa adding some grass today.



I planted around 30 carrots and got these. Quite puny, but they should taste good.



Of the 16 onions I planted, 15 grew. There's one nice-sized one in the bunch.



Last night I picked the last of the green beans and cooked them along with the few kernels of corn I pulled off of the corn on the cob. The corn didn't do well at all but those few kernels tasted good as a bedtime snack. :)



I pulled up the stakes and rolled my fence and put those things into the shed. Now I'll see what else I can do around the yard. I hesitate to do things too early because the kids just pull them back out to play with them. I did sort-of clean out the shed a few weeks ago so we can get the snow blower in and out and get to Mike's Christmas tree when the time comes.



Oh, I did leave these two plants of lettuce in. Maybe I'll use them on a sandwich tonight or tomorrow. I had planted eight seeds much later than the rest to see what would happen. Not a lot. hee hee hee

Almost Done

Here's the picture of the dress I am making out of a jumper that was given to us--too small for me but too big for Tracy. I just need a zipper; the only thing I'll have to pay for for the dress. After that's done, I hope to send it down to our little friend. :)

Soccer Games

I went to a friend's doctor appointment and ultrasound today. She's having twins so I'm very excited. We went to the grocery store while we were in that town and stopped and visited the crisis pregnancy center also.

After I got home, we loaded the vehicle and went to town for soccer games. The junior team lost, and the senior team won. Mike had 23 or 24 children to play today. (The rest Aussie ate!!!) hee hee hee

We made 1/2 batch of chocolate chip cookies when we got home and now are getting ready for bed.

Partners in Crime

Mike asked me if I'd get his clipboard ready for tomorrow's soccer game. I found Laura feeding the kids to Aussie earlier! Mike has the kids' names on tagboard with a little bit of sticky tack to keep them on. She was pulling them off for him, and he was eating them. At least he'll have a fully belly tonight. :)

It's fixed!

The man who fixed our water softener left just a bit ago. It's charging away and shows all the information it did before it quit last year. There was a lot of sand in it, and this piece was broken and cracked. Hopefully we'll be set now for another nine years. :)

I have a couple loaves of bread dough rising. We're having "open-faced sandwiches" for supper tonight so I need to find something to go on them.

I'm also working on a dress makeover for a friend of ours. Pictures should be coming soon as the project is going very well.

DelMonte Harvest Selection Meals

Mercedes is having another giveaway to celebrate a year of blogging. Check it out if you're interested. Congratulations again, Mercedes!