More winter weather fun!!!

UGH. I, for one, am very ready for spring to hit northeast Iowa. We are under another winter storm warning. School let out at 1:15 today. Roads are ICY, and the wind is blowing quite hard. The light snow is blowing like crazy and drifting across the north/south roads.

Ask Ron how badly they are drifting. He and another pastor exchanged pulpits for Lenten services tonight. Ron called our church at about 8:30 and said he was stuck in the snow, behind a semi that was stuck in the snow. Unfortunately, the other pastor had already left and got stuck waiting on the OTHER side of the semi! At least Ron and George got to visit in a warm car while waiting for the semi to get pulled out.

Now...the question of the night...will there be school tomorrow or not?

Ethan had a visit with the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday morning. His diagnosis is torn ligaments. OUCH. No wonder the kid was in pain. He's still wincing quite a bit when using it. He wears the sling to school, because he's afraid of getting it banged up, I think. But at home, we make him take it off and use the arm some. He's getting more and more mobility back. He's still taking tylenol, but slowly improving. He's glad "it wasn't something really BAD!"

Sigh...all fun must end sometime

and Ethan's fun day of sledding ended a bit painfully. Ron took the kids BACK to the sledding hill after dinner, but came home shortly with Ethan in tow...unable to move his right arm. He went sailing down the hill, over a ramp and flew off his sled and landed on his right arm/shoulder. We gave him a hot bath to warm him up a bit, and when he just couldn't move his arm without lifting it with his left arm and whimpering, we decided a visit to the ER was in order.

Of course, they took x-rays. The doctor and nurse were both surprised to see that nothing was dislocated or fractured. But, because of the amount of pain, and the way he's holding it, they decided a further look would be beneficial. They put him in a sling, gave him tylenol with codeine and sent us home for the night. First thing in the morning, Ron and he will travel to an orthopedic doctor in Charles City...just for a further look.

So...here's hoping he has a good, pain free, restful night!

A picture is worth 1,000 words

so, I'll let a few pictures show how we spent part of our snow day!

Snow, Ice and ICK!

What a horrible weather weekend we've had here! It started on Friday with nasty sleet/hail, and overnight turned into ice that just didn't stop! On Saturday Ron and the boys chopped about 2 inches of ice off the driveway! Our power was out from 10am til about noon, and then again from 6 pm to 11. I was quite thankful for my gas stove that allowed me to use a fire starter to get the burners going so I could cook a nice meal!

Due to all the ice, we have lots of branches down...some thudded on the house quite loudly! It was a challenge for the kids to find something to do that didn't take electricity. Ron and the kids spent some of the electricity free time taking apart an old photocopier from the church and daycare. It didn't work anymore and was big and clunky. What an adventure with tools THAT was! Everyone enjoyed getting out their tools and trying to take the big thing apart to see how small they can get it.

After supper we braved the BLIZZARD (snowing hard, blowing harder!) conditions and took our dog KT, and the 4 kids and we went for a walk. The kids had a blast trudging through the snow! 13-18 inches of snow was predicted throughout last night, but instead it was mostly rain. It snowed another couple of inches today, but mostly it's a slushy mess outside.

The town has power now, , but the surrounding country homes have been without power for 24 hours, and they are saying it might be close to a week before everyone has power again. I'm thankful we live in town. The kids are THRILLED with a 2 hour delay in the morning, although every OTHER school in the local area has already canceled for the day. Maybe we'll get lucky yet and get the day off, too. It would be our first one this year!

I'll close with some pictures of icicles on our deck, and one of the huge ice covered buds that were falling off of our trees yesterday!

Happy Birthday, Cameron!

Wow! My SECOND child turned 14 today! Cameron was SO excited for his birthday. Ron took him to Casey's for a breakfast pizza this morning...that was a real treat for him! Lots of "Happy Birthday" wishes at school. I picked him up at 3, so we could go to New Hampton so he could take the test for his drivers permit. Yes, one of the JOYs of living in Iowa is that a kid can get their drivers permit at the age of fourteen! YIKES!

Cameron was pretty nervous about it, but got a PERFECT score on his test. The lady at the office was quite impressed, as that was the first perfect score she'd seen in her 7 years on the job! He was proud of himself!

We got a few groceries, and then came home to settle in for the weekend. We made yummy homemade pizza, and later we'll have butterscotch pudding (Cameron's dessert request, LOL) and birthday cake (Thanks "Grandma" Marge!)

Major snow/ice conditions are expected over the weekend. We are under a winter storm warning from 6 pm tonight until 6 pm on SUNDAY night! "They" are predicting 1/2 inch of ice, and then 12-18 inches of snow. A local meteorologist called this "the biggest weather event of the decade for this area!" We will see what happens, as the last snow event they predicted we got NOTHING.

Currently it is 27 degrees and we are having a major THUNDERSTORM of all things. It is hailing and the thunder and lightening are pretty continuous. So far, all has gone according to predictions this round.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. No more Alleluia's til that glorious Alleluia on Easter Morning. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 day period (not including Sunday's) before Easter. Ash Wednesday is a time of contemplating our sinfulness and the death that should be ours because of that sinfulness. It is a time to be reminded that there is no "good" in us, and that we all have sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God". On Ash Wednesday, we are especially mournful because of who we are and what we have done.

What does it mean for me personally? I am sinful. I can do nothing on my own that pleases God. I deserve nothing but an eternity in Hell for all of the sins that I have committed and continue to commit on a daily basis. There is NOTHING that I can do to make things right with God. Nothing. I am a sinner. I will ALWAYS be a sinner.

Of course, that isn't the end of the story...Ash Wednesday is the BEGINNING of the story...the BEGINNING of the season of Christ's Passion...his miserable humiliation, suffering, and painful death on the cross...the miserable humiliation, suffering and painful death that he allowed Himself to go through for ME...so that MY sins are forgiven...so that when God looks at me, he sees a saint...a perfect human being, with absolutely no blemish of sin. I am PERFECT in God's eyes...because of what Christ suffered all those many years ago. Jesus LOVES me so much that he suffered all of that for ME! Amazing!

And you know what? That painful suffering and death that Christ went through? He did it for YOU, too! Isn't God great? To provide a Way for us to be pefect...when we don't deserve it, when we can't earn it...God gave His Son to be a Way for us to be Holy, perfect, sinless.

Wow. There is no measure for the love that God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son have for you and me!

How well do you know me?

Ok, I never have 3 posts in one day, but I discovered something new that I want to try! I have created a quiz about ME, and I want to see who knows me best! So, click on the link below, and I'll be checking back to see the stats, to see who knows me, and who DOESN'T!

Create your own Friend Quiz here

Good luck!

A trip to Versailles!

Missouri, that is! Rachel, Ethan and I left last Thursday to travel to central Missouri, to visit our good, good friends, the Rottmann family. One wonderful thing that happened on this trip, is that we discovered that, by going a different route, the trip is only 6 1/2 hours instead of the 8 that we've been traveling these past 6 years! What an easy trip!

We had a wonderful visit. Our kids and their 3 children get along very well, and had a good time visiting, playing, occasionally getting a bit "wild", and just having fun being together. Rachel had a great time playing "little mom" to their 2 year old...and HE had a wonderful time running away from her and saying "I'm gonna get you!" The 2 of them spent much time reading books, tickling toes and giggling together.

We spent Friday just visiting and playing and chatting. Saturday we traveled to Jefferson City to tour the state capitol building. That was very interesting and we all learned a lot about the state of Missouri. Sunday, after a great Sunday School and worship service, we headed out to Sedalia to a roller skating rink. We had a GREAT time trying to stay upright on those wheels. Some of us had more luck than others, but I'm not telling who!

Monday we left the beautiful 53 degree weather, and headed north to Iowa.

We are truly blessed by God to have such wonderful friends!

Here are a few pictures from our all too brief getaway.

Sympathy and Prayers extended

My prayers are with the Robertson family of Sumner, IA. Mrs. Robertson is a teacher at the high school where my son, Caleb, attends. She is one of his favorite teachers, and he works hard to please her. On Saturday, she was taking her speech team to a contest in Ames. Her daughter, Reegan, age 9, was also in the school suburban. The vehicle hit a patch of ice, and rolled into the ditch, flipping several times. Reegan was killed in this accident.

I can't imagine the grief those parents are feeling! My only prayer is that they know Jesus, and turn to Him for the peace and comfort that ONLY He can give at such a horrible time in life.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day. Ethan and I forgot til the last minute to get cards for him to take to school. So...I made him some. Here is what he's taking for his classmates.

Here is a dessert that our family loves! It is elegant looking, and tastes fabulous. Our youth group hosted a formal Valentine's Dinner at City Hall on Sunday, and this was the dessert that was served. It was the hit of the evening. Best part of all is that it is made with ingredients that you most likely have in the house. And it is EASY to make. What a great way to make your family feel special, and make guests feel like you fussed for them!



Cream Puff Dessert

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Topping:
1 1/2 cup milk
1 small package vanilla pudding
cool whip
Chocolate syrup

Boil the water together with the butter til the butter is melted. Add the flour all at once and stir til a sticky ball forms (wooden spoons work best). Add eggs, one at a time, beating (with the wooden spoon), until well blended before adding the next egg. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. It may be puffy, but will be golden brown. Cool completely.

Mix milk with vanilla pudding, and stir well. Pour over cooled crust. Chill til the pudding is set. Top with cool whip. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Beautiful and delicious...sure to impress!

And finally, here is what I created for Ron as a Valentine's Gift...we'll frame it for his office.

Hot Chocolate Days

Woo Hoo...got my laptop back, and so far....the power chord is staying connected. What a blessing a computer is in this household. It has been a rough few weeks, with all 6 of us sharing ONE computer for a while!

Today is a day that everyone in the area is disappointed in our weather forecasters. 4-6 inches of snow and then high winds were predicted, and had everyone talking about late start...no school...no practicies... It was ALL that was on the news yesterday afternoon and all evening long. The kids (and some teachers, too, I'm sure) were just hoping for a late start at the least! What did we get? NOTHING. No high winds, MAYBE a half an inch of snow, but that would even be stretching it. What other job could you have that you get paid SO much money to be wrong SO much of the time??

We were supposed to be hosting the circuit pastor's conference here today, but because of all the hype on the news, they decided to cancel it last night. So...we feel silly for cancelling it, BUT...I'm also praising God for the first day in MONTHS that I do not have to leave my house. What a wonderful feeling that is!

So, with the bone-chilling cold that we've had here the past couple of weeks, we've had plenty of opportunity for hot chocolate. Often we make the big "garbage bag" recipe for hot cocoa, and it's good, but THIS recipe, made by the cup full, is rich, and creamy and oh so yummy. Try it the next time you need to warm up after being out in the snow!

Hot Chocolate by the Cup
(from an online recipe site, but I can't remember which one!)

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired

Mix cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches the perfect drinking temperature.

Walking Tacos

OK, Hummie...you ask...you receive! Walking tacos...yummy...kid friendly and oh, so easy!

You simply take individual size bags of Doritos, and squeeze the bag so the chips are crushed a little bit. Then, cut the bag open on the LONG side (not the top where you normally open the bag.) Fill with a plop of taco meat, and hand over to the person who wants to eat it. They can add other taco toppings like lettuce, cheese, tomato, onion, salsa, and/or sour cream. Eat it out of the bag with a plastic fork, (while walking around...hence the name...WALKING Taco. ) (Unless you are being served this for lunch in the cafeteria...the cooks kinda frown on kids walking around while eating lunch in the cafeteria.)

Around here, this is a huge food item at football/basketball concession stands, graduation parties, etc. Cameron will be Confirmed in April, and this is the meal he has requested for his Confirmation dinner. Kind of different, BUT...it IS his party, right?

Let me know if any of you make these, and how they are received. I can almost guarantee that they are gonna be a HIT!

Music, Music, Music

It's a busy weekend filled with important contests for Caleb! He plays the sax for jazz band, and they had State Contest in Sumner at the high school today. They played at 8:00 am! YIKES that was early, but they sounded awesome! After playing, they had to do a sight reading test...he said it all went well. They got a Division II rating, which was good, but they were really hoping for a I!

Then, at 9:20, the Sumner-Fredericksburg Sensations, (swing choir) had their State contest performance. Caleb plays the valve trombone for that. The choir got a Division I rating! They were AWESOME!!! I love show choir performances. He and I stayed to watch until about noon.

Had to hurry home when we got a phone call from Rachel that Ethan had been bitten by his hamster Chippy. He was sore and bleeding, but mostly...sad that his beloved pet would do that to him! All is well now!

Ron headed to Camp IO-DIS-E-CA to take the junior high youth for their retreat. He has other chaperones, so he just had to drive down there. Cameron was excited about the event, and looking forward to tomorrow's Snow Olympics! BRRRRRR!

Off to make walking tacos for supper :) MMMMM.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Once again, the kids are thrilled with the 4-5 inches of snow that fell early this morning and throughout the day! It was a light and fluffy snow, fortunately for Caleb and Cameron who had to shovel it!

Church had a slim crowd today, due to all the snow that fell. Ron went part way to West Union for the 8 am service, and turned around and came home. The roads were not good enough for him to continue on!

Services were very nice, and we came home and had honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes and corn. A yummy Sunday dinner. The kids enjoyed playing in the snow and watching movies. The only disappointment about the snow is that it didn't wait 12-24 hours so they'd get a Snow Day out of it! :)

Caleb and Cameron have done a good job of shoveling this year! (of course, we've only had snow TWO times! Caleb worked hard at getting the driveway cleaned off this afternoon! Thanks, boys!


The kids are SO anxious to go sledding, but we just don't have a place for it around here! We may try to go and visit some friends next weekend that have a nice, very hilly, back yard! Rachel had a fun time making SNOW ANGELS this week! Here's some of her artwwork!

TGIF!

It's Friday, and we all survived a week without the man of the house around. We miss him terribly and will be glad when he gets home late tonight!

Caleb has all the paperwork ready for him to get his school permit, allowing him to drive to and from school without an adult. Shall I count my gray hairs NOW, and then compare them to how many I have after he's made the road trip a few times? NOT ready to have a driver! And next month, Cameron turns 14, which means we'll have a second kid with a drivers permit! YIKES! How old am I again?? Caleb also has been stressed over getting his school schedule worked out for the next two years. He finally turned it in this week, and seems to be feeling pretty good about it.

Cameron got great news this week! He was accepted into the Tri-State Honor band! We are thrilled for him...what an honor. Now...to practice! He also had 2 basketball games this week. Yesterday the middle school had a field trip to the Gallagher-Bluedorn Theater associated with UNI in Cedar Falls. I was a sub for the day, so got to attend, too. It was a 1 hour play on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. QUITE good! After the 1 hour bus ride there, 1 hour play, and then an hour ride back to school, Cameron and the bball team got BACK on a bus and drove an hour + to Postville for their game. Cameron said they won by over 50 points, so he got lots of playing time ;-). It was 8:45 til he got home for supper...he was HUNGRY!

Rachel had piano and spent lots of time outside playing in the snow this week! And Ethan had Scouts, and, the homebody that he is, just wanted to veg out at home most of the week. They did both go to Cameron's ball game on Tuesday night...under duress!

Haven't posted a recipe lately, but here's a GREAT one....it is DELICIOUS with pretzels dipped in it, or as a spread on a chicken or ham sandwich. Once I start, I can't STOP eating this stuff. mmmm. I got this recipe from a friend at school, who got it from yet another friend :)

Mustard Dip

1 small bottle of yellow mustard
1 pint sour cream
1 pint Mayo (I use miracle whip)
2 packages of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, dry
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons horseradish (NOT SAUCE)
2-3 T. dry minced onions

Blend it all together in a large bowl. Chill and ENJOY!

Let it SNOW!!

or not....I just said that 'cause my kids are SO happy to finally have snow here in NE Iowa! They've been waiting all winter for the white stuff to come down from the sky! It wasn't a "snow day" technically, because there was no school today anyway, due to teacher inservice. So the four kids enjoyed sleeping in, and then playing in the snow. We had to dig out all the hats, boots, coats, gloves and snowpants...a HUGE task. The good news is that there were hand me downs or stored stuff for everyone to get by for today! Even KT the dog got in on some of the snow fun! They all played outside for quite some time, and then had to come in and enjoy some hot cocoa, of course! After the paper route today, we all headed out to the farm fleet store for snowboots and snowpants for Cameron...the only winter supplies we needed to purchase this year! Woo HOO!
Then we shopped at Pamida for a while, and then enjoyed a dinner at Subway. (anyone guess who is gone on a trip this week? LOL...RON...that's why we got to go to SUBWAY! ) We miss him, but we have lots and lots to do this week, so I'm sure the time will go quickly til he's home again!

A good day for us all, even if it WAS bitter cold and snowy!

Happy 2007!!!

It's been a while, huh? December is gone?!?! How did THAT happen? Ugh...I spent at least 2 weeks of the month really sick. And the rest was just busy, busy, busy!

Christmas with the family was lots of fun. The kids were thrilled with their gifts. A HIGHLIGHT of the Christmas holiday was when Caleb and Cameron and I got to go to a St. Louis Rams/Minnesota Vikings game!!! Go RAMS!!! That was so much fun. None of us had ever been to an NFL game, and the boys are such HUGE Rams fans that it was incredibly fun for ME to watch them watch the game. The final score of 41-21 Rams, was the icing on the cake.




While Caleb and Cameron received tickets to the game for Christmas, Rachel and Ethan were given a day of unlimited rides at the Mall of America. Ron's folks joined us for Monday's adventures at the MOA. We all had lots of fun there. There was so much to see and do! The food was yummy, and we all found a couple of things that we "needed". Of course, the no tax on clothing in Minnesota was a guarantee that we'd come home with some clothing for the kids, at least.

It was a great get-away, and we are glad it all went so smoothly. There WAS one glitch in the whole trip, after we stopped at a rest area. We climbed back in the car, drove away, and an HOUR later, Ron's cell phone rang and he heard his 11 year old daughter say "Daddy. You left me at the rest area!" Oh, the horror we felt. We praise GOD for the custodian working at the rest stop who made sure she was taken care of, and the MN Highway patrol who brought her partway back so that we could be reunited quicker. God was watching over her for those few hours!

Now we're all back to school/work/subbing and trying to find out what "normal" means again!

Oven Beef Stew & Thankfulness

Ok, I've been quite lax in keeping up with this thing, haven't I? Probably 'cause I haven't made anything new and exciting!

Today is the Friday after Thanksgiving. I, for one, am thankful that I'm NOT shopping today! UGH..can't imagine fighting those crowds!

My sister and her husband and 2 kids are here visiting for the holiday. I'm very thankful for that. We have a great time visiting and laughing. Today is the day that we'll have our big Thanksgiving dinner. Our friend Dan will also be joining us again this year. We will miss our dear friends Kent and Mary Beth and their kids at our dinner this year! I'm thankful for email and phones, so that we can keep in touch while so far apart!

This year's appetizers include Hot and Spicy Cranberry dip, sausage, cheese and crackers, salsa and chips and veggies and dip. The main dinner is the usual...Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin pie. MMMMM. I'm thankful for great food to eat! And for the ability to cook it!

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who got up at 7 or so this morning to go down to church to get the turkeys reheating for me. I got to sleep an extra hour or so because of that. He's the light of my life...Thankful doesn't even begin to describe it!

I'm thankful for 4 healthy kids. Each one of them is unique and special to me in their own way. God has blessed me more than words can say.

I'm also thankful for the many, many friends I've been blessed with...both in real life friends and the huge online community of friends I have. They keep me sane in an often crazy world!

OK....on to the recipe. When Sue Ann and Bill travel on Thanksgiving day, they don't feel like eating a huge meal, so we save it for Friday. Last night, I made my favorite stew...

Oven Beef Stew

Chop a couple of onions and put in bottom of a pan (I use my big roaster (that holds 3 sticky chickens, LOL). Put all the stew meat on top of the onion. Mix a couple tablespoons of flour, couple shakes of paperika and some pepper (to taste) together. Sprinkle over the beef. Sprinkle about 1/4 or so cup of Soy sauce over the floured meat.

Cover tightly and cook about an hour. Stir.

Add chunked potatoes and (baby) carrots. (last night I added 3 bags of baby carrots, and 20 potatoes, to my 4 onions and 3 big roasts chopped up).

Cover and bake an hour. Remove cover, stir and bake another 30 minutes or so. ( I don't always take the cover off...I just keep it on, as it is really thick already.

My FAVORITE!

Chicken Enchillada Casserole (YAY--my computer's back!)

OK, so it's been since JULY since I've had my computer in a reliable, usable way. I finally got it back yesterday. It SEEMS to be working ok...sort of. The power cord still isn't staying connected all the time. I'm sure I'll have to take it back in again before too long. UGH.

I've been teaching almost full time as a sub! A day at the elementary, a day at the middle school, then 4 days for one person, and 2 days for another...one day I was 4 different people throughout the course of the day!!! That was an exhausting day.

Caleb made this recipe last night for supper. It is a family favorite ;)

CHICKEN ENCHILLADA CASSEROLE

3 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

Cube and cook chicken breasts. (Sprinkle with taco seasoning in the last little bit for added flavor if desired). Mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup, chicken and cheese. Place a layer of tortillas on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 (or lasagna size) pan. Spoon a layer of chicken/cheese mix on top. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with additonal shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

VERY tasty!

Breakfast Egg Muffin sandwiches & Sunday

Well our Sunday was a rainy, gloomy, dreary day. Ron (of course!) had a a wonderful message at church today about how "Jesus has the words of Eternal Life". Bible class was a "getting to know you" day of coffee and donuts, and we'll kick off the lessons next week when Ron will have services at West Union at 8:00 am (YUCK!) so he will be around for classes at St. Paul's. YAY!

The rain was a motivator for a nice long nap this afternoon, and then Ron and I went to Adult instruction class at church. A good class, and the last one with this group of people. We've enjoyed having this class with them!

Breakfast meals are definitely a hit around here. Making eggs this "new" way worked beautifully! I've got some in the freezer as well, for one day this week.

Meat, Egg and Cheese "Mc"Muffins

12 English muffins
12 eggs
12 slices cheese
12 Sausage patties

Scramble eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of milk, as desired. Pour onto a cookie sheet with sides. Bake in a 350* oven for 10-12 minutes. Slice with pizza cutter or knift. OR spray a muffin top pan thoroughly with PAM. Fill each hole completely with egg. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until cooked.

Assemble sandwiches without adding cheese. Wrap sandwiches and put them in a larger freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To Serve:Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Microwave on high for one minute. Add a slice of cheese. Microwave on high for 20 seconds.