But now, she is 10 and she's all about Martha Stewart! And it's pretty cute.
"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." Psalm 128:3
July 31, 2007
Can an obsession with Martha be hereditary?!
But now, she is 10 and she's all about Martha Stewart! And it's pretty cute.
July 30, 2007
Saltwater stress relief
This summer we have listened to How to Win Friends and Influence People, (for the second time because we love it! Great historical stories and guidelines on how to 'love your neighbor.') The Boy who became President (sequel to the Boy who Ran for President, -It's funny and educational) and now we are on Eldest. (sequel to Eragon)
In only 40 min. we are splashing in warm salt water! We know that because we are weird enough to time it!
I've mentioned before that my hubby enjoys leaving the beach more than he does arriving but that has all changed now. The key is that we don't go until after dinner or around 5:00 or 6:00 pm. Then it isn't beastly hot or crowded. Now he loves it and he's the one saying we should go twice a month! It's a beach going miracle!!!!
When we arrive, we all go straight for the water and play around. Nobody does any relaxing on the blanket....
Joy found this last time and it is truly the best shell any of us have ever found. It's huge! It might have been considered 'live shelling' because there was certainly something ALIVE in it. But we didn't see any signs prohibiting live shelling at this beach... and so we kept it. So, don't tell the beach police! And when 'IT' died, our whole street could just about smell it. Lovely!
Maybe it's time spent enjoying God's creation that does it, but by the time we leave, the cares of this world seem a lot smaller. The wind and the waves just seem to wash all that other stuff from our minds and we see more clearly what is important in life, like loving and obeying our Creator and focusing on time spent with our kiddos.
After taking in a gorgeous sunset, my hubby and I feel all blessed and stress free! : )
It is definitely worth the drive!
~Becky
July 29, 2007
Nathan and chess
Then he decided that his life was "not all about chess" and he got serious about Junior Bible Quiz. For three years that was his thing and he didn't play any chess.
July 26, 2007
The winner of something yummy at Starbucks is...........
And the number is.....
Slow Cooking Thursday
It's a spaghetti sauce that I think is 'fancy' enough for company too. Go and visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for more wonderful recipes.
Italian Beef Spaghetti Sauce
2 lb. beef chuck roast cut in one inch cubes
2 med. onions in chunks
1 red sweet pepper
1 can of spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini (there would be a revolt if I added this at my house, but you might like it) : )
salt pepper
whole wheat pasta
In crock pot put beef, onions, red pepper and spaghetti sauce. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hrs. or on high for 5 hrs. Serve over pasta. Serves 4-5. I usually double this for my gang plus company.
Blessings,
~Becky
July 23, 2007
Great lengths for floral appreciation!
After the jog, I rested a bit. No one else wanted to go back out on my flower photo op. so I grabbed the camera and our golden retriever, Honey. Now, Honey was walking as slow as could be because of the jog and the fact that she is like 49 yrs. old! : ) And when we finally got back to 'the flower', MY CAMERA'S BATTERY WAS DEAD. Oh joy! So, back home we went.
She's cute even when she's ornery, so I took this doggy protest picture.
July 21, 2007
Bloggy Giveaway
The drawing will take place on Friday morning. Winners are limited to the US and Canada.
Be sure to check out all the other fun giveaways at Rocks in my dryer this week!
~Becky
Edited Monday to update: please make sure I can get a hold of you if you win. There are a few sweet ladies that I won't have a way to reach if they win, so leave an email address if you don't have a blog or enable your profile to show, if you do. Thanks for entering! This is a blast!
Edited Tuesday to update: the only draw back to doing a Starbucks giveaway is that you read 135 comments about everyone's favorite drinks and desserts and they tell you how yummy they are. Which majorly makes you start to crave some STARBUCKS! : ) And so I have succumbed to the pressure today! You guys were right, the Raspberry Mocha is awesome!
Note to self: next time you do a giveaway, make it something non-fattening like a book. ; )
Edited Thursday to update: This contest is now closed. 301 enteries! Wow! I'll be back in the morning to pick a winner! Thanks for entering and for all the fun comments!
Oh gracious!
What a surprise! And so if anyone read today, I probably appeared to be one cool mom for the day or rather schizophrenic! ha ha
I was helping my son make a blog yesterday and I must have really botched it up because his bio became mine....
I don't "practice the drums while listening to my ipod." (I wish I had an ipod! And I am too uncoordinated to be a drummer)
But, I am "waiting until the end" and "looking for His appearing" just like my son is. : )
Sorry about that. All back to normal now!
~Becky
Is it useful or beautiful?
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
useful or believe to be beautiful." ~ William Morris
Isn't that great?! So, if something isn't either one of those....
then out it goes!
Have a blessed weekend! ~BeckyJuly 19, 2007
Slow Cooking Thursday
Today, I am sharing a delicious stew! My family loves this! I always double it, and you may want to too. I serve it in bowls with mash potatoes on top. Yum!
Beef and Bean Stew
1 lb. boneless beef
1 15 oz. can chili beans
4 med. onions
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 of vegetable oil
1 tsp. honey
1 1/4 cups of beef broth
1 tsp. thyme
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
Cut beef into one inch pieces. Heat oil in large saucepan or dutch oven, add meat and garlic and saute until meat is browned. Add onions, beans, honey, beef broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Cook on low for 6 hrs.
Enjoy! For more, go check out Diary from a Stay at Home Mom! : ) ~Becky
recipe from Leanne Ely
July 18, 2007
Fun bloggy give aways
She also mentioned we may want to give away something that is significant to our blogs... That sounded really fun. So, I thought about giving away:
~an olive plant (as in literally a plant and not one of my kids!) but postally speaking, : ) that isn't going to work
~a Home Depot gift card in honor of the remodeling blessing, but I'm not sure LADIES would really enjoy that although my hubby was all for it (not that he could enter)
~ a gift card to Joanne's Fabric because I should be quilting and not blogging, but I'm not sure everyone has one of those
And then it hit me! SOMETHING that almost everyone will love!!! So, come back on Monday and enter the contest and see what it is. : )
~Becky
Wednesdays in the Word
Someone at church gave our class a copy of 1 Cor. 13 - "the love chapter" in which they substituted the word "love" with the word "I" because we are suppose to be love. I thought that was a great idea. It is in the Amplified version, I believe. I've been praying these verses lately and they have been a convicting blessing. : )
"I endure long. I am patient and kind. I am never envious and never boil over with jealousy. I am not boastful or vainglorious, and I do not display myself haughtily. I am not rude or unmannerly, and I do not act unbecomingly. I do not insist on my own rights or my own way. for I am not self-seeking, touchy, fretful, or resentful. I do not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but I rejoice when right and truth prevail. I bear up under anything and everything that comes. I am ever ready to believe the best of others. My hopes are fadeless under all circumstances. I endure everything without weakening because the love of God in me never fails."
~Blessings,
Becky
July 16, 2007
Some storm!
If this had happened 5 minutes later...
then my hubby's truck might very well have been underneath it. Isn't God good?!
This branch is from our neighbor's tree across the street. It is blocking our whole street and it knocked out our phone line. It could have been so much worse!
~Becky
Evaluation day
This is always a really big day for us. We have a wonderful evaluator that our kids look forward to seeing all year. And then we always celebrate the end of the school year by going out to lunch when it's over. We also go shopping for a group gift for my favorite students.
This is the first time Zach hasn't been evaluated. He took a standardized test this year instead. But he made a wonderful slide show for us on movie maker to show her all the activities and field trips we did this year. It's great. (want a copy Grand Dad?)
Another first is that we've never done this in July before. Our appointment had to be postponed twice so it was pretty hard to get into the school mode, after a month and a half of vacation, in which all of it has been spent on our (do it yourself) kitchen remodel. We could have all told her more than she'd ever want to know about gutting a kitchen and how many trips we've taken to the dump and what kind of flooring and counter tops we are putting in.... but she didn't ask. : )
One thing she always does ask them, is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" They said:
A missionary
An evangelist
A lawyer or an evangelist
And those answers blessed me. ~Becky
July 13, 2007
*Edited to update:
She went to be with the Lord on Saturday. I know their family could still use prayer for some time to come. Thank you for praying.
There's a little girl we know of on life support tonight...She was found in the swimming pool on Monday. She is 15 months old. Please pray for her and her precious family.
Thank you.
"For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37
~Becky
Sisters really are priceless
I finally did it! I listed an item! Hooray! And as I was doing that, I heard this funny conversation going on around me:
Older brother: "One of these days I'm going to see how much I can get for my sister on ebay. The starting bid will be $27.17."
Only sister: "I'm glad you are asking such a good price for me."
Older brother: "And I'm going to have a Buy it Now option." ; )
Have a blessed weekend!
~Becky
July 12, 2007
Slow Cooking Thursday
These are the best Sloppy Joe's we've ever tried. And even our picky eater eats them. : )
Sloppy Joe's
July 11, 2007
Wednesdays in the Word
(these are my guys hanging Christmast lights with my hubby last year)
I guess you could say that the house did some 'flourishing' too, because we put on an addition, but that is still the same tree and it is a great word picture for us! : )
~Becky
July 9, 2007
Because everyone needs a quilt in the middle of summer
I made my sister a quilt during all the hurricanes we had three years ago. (but I don't have a photo of it)That was a fun one with some funky fabrics.
Last year for our 15th year anniversary, I made this one for my sweet hubby. You can't see it but there are hearts quilted on the squares. I couldn't find a dark blue chenille so I had to make it in light blue. I guess it was meant to be a throw for someone of my small stature because it really isn't long enough for him, but I promised him a better one for our 20 yr. anniversary. : )
By the way, I don't claim to be good at quilting, I just enjoy it.
I've made about 10 baby quilts for friends and relatives having babies. That was back when mine were babies and I wasn't a full time home school mom yet.
Here is the one I made while pregnant with Joy. This was before I found out she was a girl, or there would of been no end to the pink fabrics I would have used. : ) It has bunnies on it. It has been really loved on over the years which makes it even more special.
This one I made just for fun to match our living room a few years ago. Joy asked if she could have it and so I gladly gave it to her.
I've found that when patterns say that "you can make this over the weekend," they are lying. ; ) Not really, but if somebody or should I say, everybody, can make it in a weekend then I now know that I can make it in a month!
So, I fell for one of those patterns again and made my largest quilt ever made for Carlos as a Christmas gift.
I thought a bachelor would enjoy a homemade quilt as long as it looked masculine, that is.
By Christmas morning I had it pieced and basted together with the batting...
And I gave it to him just like that! Then he had to give it back to me so that I could quilt and bind it. Tacky, I know.
I thought I would have it done for him by New Years. Oh, am I ever an unrealistic quilter. I was planning to quilt it by machine to get it done fast, but my peddle seems to be broken and I've finally just ripped out the machine quilting and I'm quilting it all by hand. Here it is July, and it isn't done yet. He teases me that 'I am going to milk this gift for all it's worth' and give it to him again for the next holiday too. ha ha - Not a bad idea! But, really, he's been very patient about it.
Since it is flannel, it is one mighty warm quilt. I was sweating bullets with it on my lap last night. And ya know, it is going to be bitterly cold here in FL in AUGUST when I finally finish it, so it will really come in handy! ; )
~Becky
Dog sitting
Her family stopped off on their vacation in Nashville, TN to attend The Call on 7/7/07 with 100,000 other believers to fast and pray for a revival in our nation among the youth. I can't wait to hear all about it!
~Becky
July 6, 2007
Kitchen remodel
Their computer said that I "turned in dvd's with dirt and a strange white substance in them" and that I need to be more careful with their materials. Oops! That goes to show that we had dust absolutely everywhere.
July 5, 2007
Cravings for Key Lime Pie
Then with Nathan, I craved ice cream. And ate it faithfully, every night!
With Joy, I craved McDonald's chicken sandwiches and fries and my sweet hubby made lots of late night runs over there.
With Andrew, it was key lime pie!!!!
Yesterday, I found out that I can make an easy one for a lot, lot less $ and it tastes just as good as the ones from the bakery we used to buy.
Here is the recipe that one of the members of our home school group shared.
It's a good thing I didn't have this recipe back then or Andrew may have weighed more than 10 lbs and 8 oz when he was born at home and if he did, I wouldn't be here today. ha ha ; )
Easy Key Lime Pie
1graham cracker crust
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
2 cups Cool Whip
Mix milk and lime juice until combined. Chill until set. Top with Cool Whip.
Serves 8
And sure to meet any key lime cravings! : )
~Becky
July 4, 2007
Try the green sauce! It rocks!
And since it is raining and we can't yet venture out and grill my hubby's chicken, that's all we've eaten so far and it is enough! YUM!!!!!!!! Next best thing to guacamole from San Diego!
Thank you Big Mama and Boomama for sharing!
~Becky
The dangers of taking your wife with you to Home Depot
Home Depot is just about my hubby's second home... While we were there this morning, I squealed in delight at finding this obscure item that I wanted and it startled him. (which means he must not shop with me very often) : )
Well, I must have really flustered him because a couple seconds later he starts talking to one of the employees and saying "Do you smell...?" But he meant SELL! : )
And if that wasn't too funny, then he said "Of course, you do!"
(but when he said 'of course you do!' in his mind he was thinking of smell as in ya know, does your nose work? Because he's been having really bad allergies and his doesn't)
But, the way it came off sounding was "Of course, you do!" As in, 'We all know, that you Buddy, have body odor!') Then he got out the "Do you sell nylon ties?" And even though this guy was looking at us weird, he did politely tell us where to find them and not send us on the wild goose chase we probably deserved.
And I laughed out loud and could not contain myself for 4 aisles!!!
Maybe you had to be there because our kids didn't think this story was very funny when we told them and you might not either, but it WAS and we are still laughing about it.
He is such a sweetheart and would never offend anyone on purpose ever! And so, when he felt so bad about it, that he wanted to finish our shopping at a different Home Depot, I had to laugh all the more. : ) He is so cute!
(and it was very sweet of him to let me blog it)
Happy 4th!!!
~Becky
July 2, 2007
My hubby's bbq chicken
~Becky