God Seekers Academy

Cranberry coffee cake

2012-01-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

We had leftover cranberry sauce in the fridge (homemade with love by Jaden) . . . what better way to use it than to make a yummy cranberry coffee cake!

After a quick call to Nana to get the recipe, we got started - Lael and Jaden helped by adding the cranberry sauce layers!

Here it is - hot out of the oven . . .

. . . and with the glaze added!

So delicious . . . Lael and Jaden pronounced it "the best coffee cake ever"!

And here's the recipe:

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Cream: ½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

Add 2 eggs (1 at a time)

Sift and add dry ingredients alternately with 1 cup sour cream:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

½ tsp. salt

Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract (can also use almond extract)

Put a layer of batter in greased and floured bundt. Add a layer of cranberry sauce (1/2 can). Then put remaining batter on top. Top with remainder cranberry sauce.

Bake 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Spread topping on while still warm.

Topping- ¾ cups conf. sugar

2 T. warm water

½ tsp. vanilla extract (or almond)

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T16:54:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful worship service - so special to bring in the New Year with brothers and sisters in the Lord! Afterwards there was a time of fellowship in the auditorium. Last year, we left before the New Year due to sleepy kids - but surprisingly, this year they made it til midnight!

We had fun getting dressed up . . .

My precious big kids

Ready to make some noise!

Noah couldn't quite comprehend what all the noise and fuss was about!

The auditorium was beautifully decorated . . . Jaden was fascinated with this one!

My sweetheart and me

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve service last night . . . the theme of the evening was "The Story Must Be Told" and we were reminded of the importance of the message of the first Christmas and that we need to share that message with those around us.

Here's a taste of Christmas Eve at our church -

Harp being played . . .

O Holy Night being sung . . .

A few words being shared by our pastor, reminding us what Christmas is really about . . .

The children singing . . .

. . . praises to the newborn King!

And a reminder that the old, old story MUST be told!

May the Light of the World light your way this Christmas!

Making memories at the Nutcracker

2011-12-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

We've been studying about Tchaikovsky in preparation for our outing to Symphony Hall for their annual performance of The Nutcracker. Lael has had the opportunity to attend twice before, but this was Jaden's first time!

We arrived a few minutes before the performance began, which was just enough time to get a quick picture . . .

and find our seats.

Can you tell we're just a bit excited???

The performance was absolutely marvelous . . . and Jaden (who was a bit reluctant about going because of all the dancing) said after each scene, "That was my favorite part!" By the end, he decided it was all his favorite!

Special thanks to "Miss Barbara" - who invited us to go with her! It was a wonderful afternoon full of sugar-plum memories!

Family times at Christmastime

2011-12-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

One of the things we always look forward to at Christmastime is spending time with family. In this case, it was the annual family dinner with Daddy's paternal grandmother and the extended family.

The matriarch of the family is Great-Grandma Irene (pictured here with her husband Clarence) . . . she is such a blessing to all of us!

Opening a gift is quite exciting for little ones (and bigger ones)!

And one of the things that Jaden remembered about this particular family gathering is that there was an air hockey table there . . . he was anticipating some fun times playing!

(Noah wanted to be part of the action too - he thought he'd help keep score!

They played the "double-puck" version of air hockey.

After lots of running around, Noah needed a bit of quiet time with Grandma playing with a puzzle game.

Ooops! Caught Jaden exploring the inner workings of an upright piano . . . he was quite fascinated by all of it!

We are so thankful for our family . . .

and are glad that we can at least get together once a year!

Pictures that didn't quite make the cut

2011-12-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

In the interests of keeping things real, here's a glimpse into our recent photo shoot. Who knew that getting a picture of three great kids could be so tough?

If Noah wasn't crying . . .

. . . he was walking out of the picture . . .

. . . or sticking out his tongue.

However, we did manage to come up with some beautiful pictures - but you'll have to wait a bit longer to see the final product! (Christmas is full of surprises and secrets, you know!)

All that cuteness . . .

2011-12-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

. . . rolled up into a package we call Noah!

Out and about in Beantown

2011-12-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

Noah is ready to go . . . although he's not entirely sure where we're going!

Waiting for the blue line train to arrive

Enjoying some absolutely yummy food in Quincy Market

Lael was loving her pizza . . .

. . . while Noah preferred the fries!

We even ran into Benjamin Franklin . . . he was quite far from home!

Some random pics

The kids were excited to see this statue of Sam Adams.

After an adventure-filled day, it was time to head back to the hotel for some swimming and wind-down time!

Bye-bye, Boston!

Boston's Museum of Science

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Boston's Museum of Science . . . where it's fun to find out!

That was the advertising slogan for the Museum of Science in Boston when I was growing up. I remember hearing that often when commercials for the museum aired on television. Our family had a museum membership one year, and I remember enjoying it so much.

While up in New England for Thanksgiving, we took a trip to the Museum of Science . . . alot has changed in 25 years! The displays are alot more "high-tech", but still so much fun!

We all enjoyed the mathematics exhibit . . . lots of optical illusions and things to figure out.

Then there was the "Creatures of the Night" exhibit . . .

Don't I have the cutest bats in the world?

Here's Jaden-the-bat . . .

. . . and Lael-the-bat!

Yes, this is a picture of a picture of my kids! They are in a completely dark room, and they're trying to figure out which hole a particular peg fits into - very tricky when you can't see what you are doing!

A highlight for everyone was the lightning show! This was something I really wanted the kids to see because I remembered it from my childhood visit to the museum. (However, Noah didn't enjoy it so much, so he and I visited some other exhibits while Daddy and the big kids stayed.)

This is the Van de Graaff generator. During the lightning show, bolts of lightning are produced by this generator, which is the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator.

Yes, that's Lael in the lower left-hand corner . . . she looks pretty little next to this dinosaur model.

We had fun looking at models of sailing ships from different times - ancient Egypt, Greece, Phoenicia, Rome were especially exciting to see since we've studied those time periods in school this year!

Lael would have spent all day here if she could . . . waiting for a chick to hatch! Unfortunately, no chicks decided to emerge from their shells during our visit.

The museum tired this little guy out!

It was a great field trip . . . so much fun that they didn't realize how much they were learning!

Swimming fun

2011-11-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

We took a much-needed family vacation/Thanksgiving visit to Massachusetts over Thanksgiving week. For a trip to qualify as "vacation", we must stay in a hotel with a pool - at least according to Lael and Jaden! So that's exactly what we did!

Noah enjoyed the water - as long as he was held close in Daddy's arms! Otherwise, the water was a bit chilly for him . . . but he still didn't want to get out!

Jaden loves everything about the water - whether it's hanging on the side of the pool . . .

. . . or jumping in!

(Of course, making the biggest possible splash is a given!)

Lael loves the water too . . . and I've been so pleased to see how confident both of the big kids have become with their swimming! They were swimming several laps the length of the pool!

Jaden's also gotten quite good at floating on his back.

One game everyone - even Noah - could play was "catch the ball" . . . Noah enjoyed throwing the balls for Lael and Jaden to swim after!

First Haircut

2011-11-07T07:01:00.000-05:00

It was time for a haircut - just a trim!

Here's the before . . .

. . . and during . . .

. . . and after!

Isn't he so handsome!

Snapshots of our homeschool co-op

2011-11-03T18:30:00.000-04:00

This is our third year as part of our homeschool co-op . . . the focus this fall is the arts.

Jaden has an art class taught by his most favorite teacher in the world - his mom! :) Called Meeting the Masters, each class has focused on a different artist and his artwork. Today we learned about Vassily Kandinsky . . . here Jaden is working on his own version of Concentric Circles in Squares.

He also has a building class - they've made all kinds of Amazing Structures from many different building materials - like marshmallows, pound cake, toothpicks and raisins, grahams and marshmallow fluff . . . here he's working on his popsicle stick bridge.

While the big kids are in class, Noah spends time in the nursery - being cute, of course!

Lael is taking a drama class - we are excitedly awaiting the premier performance of their play next Friday night!

And no co-op would be complete without a gym class - Lael and Jaden have their gym class together. Here they are having fun with the parachute . . . you can see them, right???

We enjoy our Thursday mornings so much, so we thought we should share them with you! :)

Exploring Lego Digital Designer

2011-11-02T08:21:00.000-04:00

This is a scene created by Jaden.

The characters are based on those in Indiana Jones movies.

Indiana Jones himself is front and center in this scene. Can you find him?

(Here's a hint: he's holding his trademark whip in his hand.)

Beautiful fall day . . .

2011-11-02T08:11:00.000-04:00

On a beautiful Sunday in October, we decided to take a few pictures . . .

Jaden

(in his favorite picture-taking spot outside our church)

Noah with Daddy

Lael relaxing at home

And Noah being his sunshiny self!

Fire safety night

2011-10-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

We had the opportunity to attend a fire safety night with our homeschool group this past week. The firefighters at Perseverance Volunteer Fire Station did such a great job! The kids got to see the equipment on different fire trucks and learned about what situations merited the use of which rescue vehicle.

You never know when some massive cutters will come in handy!

Of course, a highlight of any fire station visit has to be climbing into the vehicles . . . pretending to be a firefighter is so much fun!

Trying on the gear of a firefighter really helped Lael know that the clothes are really heavy and HOT!

Firefighter Jaden hanging out with a new friend!

The kids saw a firefighter in full gear so they could see (and hear) what they could expect if they ever were in a situation where they needed to be rescued.

In addition to all that, they even got to fight a house fire (okay, so the fire wasn't real, but the hose was)!

Pictures of that to come ;)

It was a great night!

Noah on the move!

2011-09-14T12:17:00.000-04:00

I'm learning how to use the video feature of my camera . . . so thought I'd practice on Noah (he didn't seem to mind at all)!

Labor Day fun!

2011-09-05T17:25:00.000-04:00

Today being Labor Day, it seemed only fitting that we spend it with family enjoying the beautiful outdoors, cooking on the grill, relaxing in the sunshine while our children play quietly at our feet . . . okay, so that wasn't exactly what happened!

There was no sunshine to speak of (although the rain held off until after the kids got a bike ride in) and quiet play isn't in order when you have six children in the house because it's raining. But we did have hot dogs cooked on the grill before the rain started and we were with family, which always is a treat!

Lael and Jaden were happy to get some bike riding in . . . they have become quite proficient bikers!

Side note: Jaden went on an 11-mile bike ride with Daddy on Friday afternoon - he completed a 5 1/2 mile loop in 51 minutes!

Noah enjoyed having others his size to play with - like cousin Hanna!

(And yes, he's already learned to "cheese" for the camera!)

He also decided to practice standing by himself - and did so for ten or fifteen seconds before reaching for Daddy's hands! Walking is right around the corner!

The sliding glass door was a favorite place for little ones today . . . sorry about the fingerprints, Grandma!

And when Noah needed some alone time, he put himself in the toy box . . . not sure why he did, but he seemed to like it there!

The babies all managed to share toys very well, which is pretty impressive considering that Noah is the oldest (at 15 months). Hanna is about 10 months old and Abby is 11 months old.

When the big kids needed some time in a "baby-free zone", they retreated to the upstairs playroom where they did what else? Make a blanket fort!

Grandpa had to brave the rain to entertain the babies on the other side of the sliding glass door - but I don't think he minded very much! :)

We had lots of fun today! Thanks for having us, Grandma and Grandpa!

My apologies to Lael and Carrie . . . that they weren't more prominantly featured in this blog post. They were having so much fun playing together - just in different rooms from where I was taking pictures at the time!

Our first "box day"

2011-08-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

Although we've been homeschooling since 2006, most of our curriculum has been gathered "bits and pieces", so we've never had the excitement of opening up a box which contained our school year . . . until this year!

The waiting was almost unbearable, so when the box arrived everyone was thrilled!

I had to convince Jaden to stop hugging the box so I could open it and see what was inside!

Lael was beaming because she knew there were new books inside!

Even before Jaden and I finished checking to make sure we had all the items on our packing list . . .

. . . Lael had already found something that caught her eye and was off in another world!

Looks like another exciting, learning-filled year at God Seekers Academy!

(Special thanks to Jaden for his assistance with the photos for this blog post!)

Playing is hard work!

2011-08-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

Our little guy plays hard . . . and sometimes he sleeps in very interesting places!

Walking through history . . .

2011-08-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

We had a fabulous field trip yesterday to the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival - what a wonderful experience! Here are a few photos (which don't at all do this event justice) . . . it was literally like a walk through the 18th and 19th century lives of Pennsylvania Germans.

Noah is "strollered" and ready to go!

All three kids excited about the Festival

Visiting the blacksmith

Wheelwrights

Trying some colonial games

Noah providing some comic relief :)

Jaden needed a quick break ;) - loved the rocking chair

The ice wagon - we saw a picture of it on the festival's website so Jaden wanted me to take a picture for us to have too!

19th century quilting bee

Making apple fritters over an open fire (18th century style)

This gentleman showed us what a soldier might carry with him - fascinating for my seven-year-old especially!

Threshing grain by hand - no machines here!

Lael got to help make candles - each row of candles would need to be dipped at least 25 times!

Jaden enjoyed the view from this stone wall . . .

. . . so much that he convinced his sister to join him!

Churning butter

This churning will yield about 5 pounds of butter!

Now it's time to do the laundry

If only they were that quick to do laundry at home! ;)

Lael had a lesson in making sauerkraut

Another favorite - seeing the militia fire their muskets

The Goschenhoppen Festival parade

Wagon ride - with several of our homeschool friends

Jaden "warming up" by the fire while waiting for Lael to finish her cornhusk doll

Lael made a wonderful cornhusk doll - complete with bonnet and apron!

Jaden got the hang of this game quite quickly :)

We also tasted some yummy treats like apple butter, potato candy, funnel cake, watermelon, corn pie, apple fritters, faschnaughts, apple cider and freshly made peach ice cream! It was an absolutely marvelous day!

Twelve years ago . . .

2011-07-10T23:18:00.002-04:00

Twelve years ago, Bill Clinton was president of the United States, a gallon of gas cost me 99 cents (at least sometimes), and none of the current players of the Philadelphia Phillies had played a single major-league game. Alot has changed in 12 years. We've had three presidents, the Phillies won the World Series, and we won't even talk about gas prices!

Twelve years ago, I began a new life - as the wife of an amazing young man! In those 12 years, we've called three places home . . . owned three different vehicles . . . served in four different ministries . . . more than doubled the size of our family - from 2 to 5. Alot has happened in 12 years!

Here we are then . . .

. . . and now!

Twelve years ago we began this amazing walk together through life together - I thought it was wonderful back then . . . I had no idea that it would get better with each passing year! Happy anniversary, Brent! You are God's precious gift to me! I look forward with great anticipation to the next 12 years, and the 12 after that, and the 12 after that, and the 12 after that . . .

So, what are you doing for the next 90 days?

2011-07-10T23:05:00.000-04:00

If you are like me, that is probably an overwhelming question! I don't actually think I WANT to know everything that lies ahead for me over the next 90 days! After all, doesn't the book of Matthew say something about not worrying about tomorrow because each day has enough troubles of its own???

Okay, but just for the record, I'm not planning for troubles over the next 90 days . . . I'm actually really excited! I'm going to be reading through the Bible in 90 days, starting TOMORROW! This won't be the first time I read through the Bible - I did it during Bible college - but this will be a slightly more intense reading schedule ;)

Why am I doing it? After all, isn't there enough on my plate already? Well, here it is in a nutshell (time for a little transparency and vulnerability) . . . I have struggled at times to find consistent times alone with God in His Word since Noah joined our family. I can pray and worship throughout my day, but getting into the Word requires time to sit, read, meditate - and that hasn't been happening as consistently as I desire.

Part of it is that I just forgot how busy life is with a little one at home - not to mention two big kids and a husband to keep up with. I love this season of life, but I can't wait for things to "settle down" before I get back into that rhythm of consistent time in the Word.

So when I heard about reading through the Bible in 90 days, the Holy Spirit immediately said, "This is for you, Lisa." So I'm choosing to obey. I'm not sure of all that the next 90 days will hold, but I believe that God is a God of His Word - and He says that when I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me (James 4:8). If you think of it, I'd appreciate your prayers during these next 90 days . . . and I'll be sharing here from time to time just how the journey is going!

Happy birthday, America!

2011-07-05T21:57:00.000-04:00

We had a fabulous 4th of July! (What a difference a year makes!) Just thought I'd share some of our highlights . . .

The main event of the day - a church picnic! What could be better than great food

(including Noah's first taste of watermelon - he ate two slices) . . .

. . . water balloon tosses . . .

. . . even though some people got VERY wet!

A moonbounce is always a hit with the kids! Jaden and Lael both enjoyed this activity, although Jaden came home sporting a few bumps to the cheeks from colliding with someone's elbow mid-bounce.

And did I mention yummy desserts???

And not just any dessert - these desserts were all part of a bake-off competition. Lael and Jaden both decided that they wanted to enter a dessert. Lael made Brownie Bites, a scrumptious confection that combines my from-scratch brownie recipe with Reece's Peanut Butter Cup candies in a mini-cupcake . . . I'd show you a picture, but they were gone before I could take one!

Jaden chose to make Banana Split Dessert - which he renamed 4th of July Cake in honor of the occasion. He had Mom's help in a supervisory and advisory capacity (and to do things like run appliances), but this was very much HIS dessert. It was chosen as one of five winners based on presentation by those attending the picnic!

But that wasn't all . . . Jaden's dessert came in FIRST PLACE - out of all those who entered! He was pretty shocked at first . . . then really excited!

His Sunday School teacher came in second with a magnificent pineapple upside-down cake! Here they are with their prize baskets . . . although Jaden was told that he would receive a more kid-appropriate prize soon! ;)

However, he really liked his first place ribbon!

Not to be outdone by her little brother, Lael won the drawing for a digital scrapbook kit! I think she and Mommy will enjoy that prize!

And then what picnic would be complete without a swing ride for Noah?

We came home exhausted . . . but in such a good way!

Happy birthday, America!

A Tribute to the Father of My Children

2011-06-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

I am so blessed . . . to have such a wonderful man as my husband and father of our children. I don't know where to begin to share all that he means to me . . . to us.

I have always loved watching him with our babies . . . talking to them, telling them things about the world, telling them how precious they are.

"I love you!"

"You're precious!"

"You're special!"

He's not one of those dads who sit on the sidelines watching the children do things - but he's right there with them.

He makes sure to spend time with each of his kids individually . . .

. . . doing things that they enjoy!

He also loves hanging out with the whole gang - at those times he's got his hands full!

He loves having fun with them . . . in fact, sometimes he's just a big kid himself! ;)

He encourages them to try new things - taking baby steps toward bigger things!

Thank you, Brent, for being such a wonderful father - our children are blessed to be able to call you "Daddy"!

Birthday boys!

2011-06-03T20:17:00.000-04:00

We had fun celebrating both Jaden's 7th birthday and Noah's 1st birthday over the Memorial Day weekend.

Noah couldn't quite figure out what all the excitement was about - but he was ready for it!

Cousin Carrie was very excited to give presents to Jaden and Noah

Noah thought the whole ripping paper thing was lots of fun!

Here are my sweet birthday boys!

Lael and Jaden couldn't wait until the toy was out of the box before they started teaching Noah how it worked.

Noah's toy camera was a big hit!

Cousin Hanna was carefully observing the whole event - after all, her birthday will be here soon!

And Abby just thought everything was funny!

Ready for his very first cake - ever!

Jaden took care of the candle-extinguishing . . .

. . . but Noah was very much into the eating!

Then it was outside to play - after a wagon ride to the playground.

Ever the monkey!

Lael - queen of the monkey bars!

The big kids also got their first bike rides of the season . . .

. . . for Jaden, it was his first on his birthday bike - AND with no training wheels!

Fortunately, grass is soft to fall on when you're learning!

Time for a "Noah-break"!

A wonderful day to celebrate the precious gifts that are my two wonderful boys!

Happy birthday, Jaden! God heard my prayer and gave me the gift of YOU! I love you!

Happy birthday, Noah! I can't imagine our family without you in it! I love you!

What a difference a year makes!

2011-05-26T17:17:00.000-04:00

One year ago today, I fell in love . . . all over again . . . with being a mommy.

One year ago today, I held the tiny hand of my third-born child and prayed that God would continue to cradle him in His almighty hand.

One year ago today, I marveled at ten tiny toes.

Over the next seven weeks,

I was able to watch my little boy grow on the outside of my body . . .

. . . and I thanked God daily for the precious gift of his life!

I watched my husband grow as a father of three -

he's such an amazing daddy!

I saw the joy of my son as he held the answer to his prayers for a baby brother in his arms.

I saw my daughter blossom as a big sister.

When the day finally came for our little blessing to come home,
it was yet another reason to rejoice!

Over the past twelve months, this little guy has grown A LOT
(he must be eating more than just socks) . . .

. . . smiled A LOT . . .

. . . played A LOT . . .

. . . and in general, added so much joy to our lives!

Happy 1st birthday, Noah Matthew!

You are a gift of peace and rest from God

and we are so thankful that He gave you to us!

More park fun

2011-05-10T22:45:00.000-04:00

Jaden is definitely outgrowing his bike! (But he's getting every bit of use out of it that he can!)

What a big boy Noah is becoming!

Practicing his standing with Daddy

Pausing from her scootering to smile for the camera

This little guy loves, loves, loves swing rides!

Will he make it the whole way around?

Introducing Noah to the slide - he wasn't sure if he liked it or not

But he did like flying to the treetops in Daddy's strong arms!

What we like to do at the park . . .

2011-05-01T23:46:00.000-04:00

Noah likes to swing - a new favorite activity

Jaden and Daddy like to climb the rock wall

(and stand on the very top while Mommy holds her breath until they climb down again)

Lael likes to play on the tire swing

And Mommy likes to take lots of pictures of her favorite people playing at the park!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

Here we are on Easter Sunday morning . . . excited to worship our risen Savior!

My boys

Lael LOVES her baby brother!

My sweet children - love them so much!

Jaden - growing up so fast . . . almost 7 years old!

And Lael is practically a young lady at 10 years old!

Not to be left out, here's our sweet baby . . . almost 1 year old!

From our family to yours,

have a blessed Easter!

Hurray! We see the sun!

2011-04-07T11:47:00.004-04:00

After a winter like we've had, sunny days are such a blessing! (Even if the temperature doesn't get as warm as we'd like!) We've been taking advantage of the sunshine and getting outside as much as possible! Among our favorite activities:

Going on nature walks to look for "signs of spring"

Riding scooters at the park

Taking stroller rides - okay, that's mostly Noah

Tire swings Climbing the rock wall (and then sitting on top of it)

Climbing trees

The next thing we're looking forward to - being able to pack our winter coats away . . . for a few months anyway!

Christmas 2010 highlights

2011-02-12T08:52:00.010-05:00

Yes, I know that it's almost Valentine's Day . . . I guess I'd better get these pictures posted! (At least it's still winter, right???)

Here's the gang on Christmas morning

One of our Christmas traditions is reading the Christmas story from a book that we got for Lael her very first Christmas - when she was one week old in the NICU. We've read it every year since - but this year Jaden read it to the family . . . he did a fabulous job!

Lael's big gift this year - a wardrobe for her American Girl dolls and all their clothes and accessories.

Jaden's big gift - this really cool castle LEGO set!

Noah was just taking it all in . . . at one point he wiggled off my lap and into the trash bag - I think he did it just to get some attention ;-)

(By the way, his big gift - a high chair, just so you don't think we forgot about him.)

Christmas Day was spent putting LEGOs together - at least for Daddy and Jaden! We also had a yummy dinner of white garlic lasagna and watched Toy Story 3 . . . fun all the way around!

We weren't able to get together with Grandma and Grandpa until mid-January due to winter weather and sickness, but when we did it was a laid-back, relaxing day . . . even had some reading time!

Both Lael and Jaden were excited to receive slippers, Odyssey CDs, and especially books!

Noah's present was pretty fun too! It was a great day!

We're still waiting for some "cousin time" - we didn't get to see any cousins this Christmas - and we need a good visit with Nana and Papa too! But we are so thankful for the family time we had and the sweet memories that were made.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!

Thanks for coming to earth as a baby so that we could have abundant life!

Spinach-Feta Strata

2011-02-11T16:44:00.002-05:00

Here's what we had for breakfast today . . .

Verdict: DELICIOUS! MUST MAKE AGAIN!

If you want to make it yourself, here's how:

Spinach-Feta Strata

10 slices French bread ( 1-inch thick)
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 10-oz. box chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. groung nutmeg
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c. (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

In a greased 13x9 pan, arrange French bread in a single layer.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, spinach, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Pour over bread in pan.
Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours (or overnight).
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the strata comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

A couple of notes:

I actually chunked up my bread because it was very dry and difficult to slice and it was still yummy.
Also, I actually prepared this on Wednesday night and baked it this morning (Friday) - and it was yummy.
Great to have for a busy morning when I still want to have a hearty breakfast for my family.

Just some cute pictures

2011-01-09T14:41:00.005-05:00

Jaden and Noah had matching outfits on today, so I had to take pictures - after all, someday they won't want to wear anything that matches!

So then we had to have a picture of the amazing big sister with her baby brother . . . you know where this is going, don't you?

. . . then the three of them together . . .

. . . and then Noah by himself 'cuz he's just too cute!

Seriously though, isn't that the absolute best smile you could ask for???

Doesn't it just melt your heart??? (It does mine!)

I just love my kids (and love taking pictures of them)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!

2010-12-25T08:51:00.003-05:00

From our house to yours,

Merry Christmas!

May you be blessed as you celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Christmas Cookies - Part 1

2010-12-08T21:46:00.009-05:00

Today in our Christmas fun box, Lael and Jaden were somewhat puzzled to find a pound of butter. Their puzzlement turned to delight when they discovered that we were beginning our Christmas baking today . . . and that they each would get to choose a cookie recipe to make!

As soon as breakfast was over, they rushed to take care of their morning responsibilities - then they each grabbed a Taste of Home Christmas cookie magazine and began perusing every recipe. Not only were they looking at the pictures, but they read through the list of ingredients to see if we had what we needed to make what they selected.

Finally, they settled on their choices . . . although both of them commented that there were just too many yummy options to choose from! Jaden's choice: gingerbread cookies (I'm ashamed to say I've never made them before. Ever. It seems almost un-Christmas-like somehow.) Lael selected a chocolate chunk shortbread cookie - she's a girl after my own heart. (Chocolate always makes everything better!)

We started with Jaden's gingerbread dough -- although he was a bit crestfallen to discover that we had to chill the dough and would need to bake his cookies tomorrow, he overcame his disappointment quite quickly!

While Jaden and I worked on making his dough, Lael had the all-important task of entertaining Noah . . . it's rather hard to concentrate on measuring ingredients when there's a crying baby in the room - ask me how I know! She did a fabulous job, as did Jaden. He especially enjoyed smelling the different spices that we were including in his cookie dough.

After Jaden's dough was safely chilling in the fridge, Lael got to make the dough for her Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies - such a simple recipe . . . only five ingredients!

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

Yield ; About 3-1/2 dozen

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Additional confectioners' sugar

(Note: I used dark chocolate chips, but probably should have chopped them just a bit for easier cookie production.)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Stir in chocolate.

Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in additional confectioners' sugar.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30-33 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Our first day of cookie baking was a delicious success!

As for Noah, he thinks making cookies is exhausting!

My beautiful children!

2010-11-27T09:18:00.004-05:00

I know that every mother says this, but aren't these the cutest kids you've ever seen???

They are such treasures, and we love them so much!

Six months ago . . .

2010-11-26T21:28:00.003-05:00

. . . God brought a wonderful blessing into our lives.

We named him Noah.

And every day we thank God for the joy this little guy has already brought to our lives!

Happy half-birthday, Noah! We love you!

Happy boy!

2010-11-11T19:21:00.002-05:00

Noah is such a happy baby . . . and here's the proof:

I know I'm probably biased, but in my opinion, he's just too cute!

Raptors - close up!!!

2010-11-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

In September, we traveled to Camp Sankanac with our homeschool co-op for a presentation on raptors that was just AWESOME! Jonathan Wood travels all around the country with The Raptor Project and shares his testimony as to how God has guided him as well as his passion for all types of raptors: eagles, hawks, falcons, owls. He travels with many of his winged friends and introduces them in the course of his presentation.

We were able to get up close to many of these majestic birds . . .

(yes, I took the above picture of a live bald eagle)

. . . and Lael was even chosen to help feed the bald eagle!!!

(Sorry it's not a better angle . . . I didn't have a very good seat to take this particular picture)
While Jaden enjoyed the raptors, he also enjoyed cuddling his baby brother so that Mommy could take pictures! And both kids were excited to take home baby owls (stuffed animals) as a reminder of this wonderful trip!

Singing for Jesus

2010-11-07T19:43:00.001-05:00

The children of our church are working on a musical that they will perform in the spring, but today they gave us a preview by singing one of the songs - called "Forgive and Forget".

Lael sang the verses as a solo, and Jaden sang enthusiastically with the group; he knew all the motions and did them perfectly! I love seeing children use their gifts for the Lord - and it's a special blessing when it's my own children!

Meeting Abby

2010-11-02T19:32:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we met a new cousin . . . little Abby! She was exactly four weeks old and oh, so sweet! (Oh, and it was good to see Uncle Brock and Aunt Becca too!)

Even though we have a baby at home, Jaden and Lael were so excited to have some cuddle time with a new little one!

I can't believe I'm saying this . . . but Noah actually looked BIG compared to his cousin!

Welcome, Abby! We're so glad you're here!!!

Jaden the Gymnast

2010-10-03T15:03:00.005-04:00

Jaden embarked on a new adventure this fall - he's taking gymnastics! He started last month at Lehigh Valley Sports Academy and absolutely loves it (as the following pictures indicate):

He's learning to use the parallel bars,

the pommell horse,

and the rings, among other things.

But his favorite part of gymnastics is swinging from a rope into "the foam pit"! A perfect activity for our very active boy!

Lael's limericks

2010-09-15T17:36:00.004-04:00

This week we've been learning about limericks, and today Lael decided to try her hand at writing her own. This is what she came up with . . .

There was a young man from New York
Who never would eat with a fork.
He slept in a shed
Underneath his big bed,
And the hat on his head was a cork!

and

There once was a fuzzy old bear
Who decided to go to the fair.
He snacked on a lime
Which he bought for a dime.
Then he headed back home to his lair.

Well, what do you think???

Nature study

2010-09-08T12:13:00.002-04:00

There are so many things I love about homeschooling - and one of the best things (in my opinion) is that we can learn in lots of different environments and settings . . . we aren't confined to the four walls of a classroom. Today was a perfectly gorgeous day, so we headed outside to do a little nature study.

This year in science we are studying animals - using Considering God's Creation as our spine. This week's focus: insects - so after studying the characteristics of an insect, we went outside to observe God's insect creations.

Lael enjoyed drawing what she saw, while Jaden preferred taking pictures.

Daddy even joined us for a bit!

While we were outside, we saw:

flies
ants
two different kinds of butterflies
a bumblebee
a moth
a cricket - although it was dead

Lael and Jaden are already looking forward to our next nature study day!

Ahh, muffins!

2010-09-01T11:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, when he woke up, Jaden said to me, "You know, Mom, tomorrow is September 1st. Don't you think we ought to celebrate or something?" And since I'm always looking for an excuse to celebrate things, I was all for it.

When I asked him how he'd like to celebrate September 1st, his thought was that we should make something to eat that was "fall-ish" . . . and after further discussion, we decided that pumpkin chocolate chip muffins would be just perfect!

So this morning, I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for breakfast . . .

HAPPY SEPTEMBER 1ST!!!
(And don't forget to celebrate something every day!)

Thoughtful Thursday!

2010-07-29T13:31:00.003-04:00

I read this quote today, and it really spoke to me . . . such a timely reminder of just how wonderful our God really is!

“Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.”

Space and time are irrelevant to God. Stop. Let that thought sink in . . . God is always a step ahead of you. This means He is already in the middle of your day and in the center of all your tomorrows. When you grasp this, it is easier to trust Him with our lives and situations; the ones here today, and the ones to come.

~Lorrie Flem~

He's HOME!

2010-07-27T10:37:00.009-04:00

That's right, our precious baby is home!

Noah Matthew, who was born on Wednesday, May 26th, arrived home on Saturday, July 24th - just two days shy of being two months old! We are so enjoying having him with us all the time!

Here are just a few snapshots of his first days at home . . .

Our final moments in the NICU! Yay!

In the car seat, ready for his first car ride - straight to our house!
And here it is . . . the long-awaited, first family picture in our living room - with all FIVE of us! All glory and praise to God for His awesome work in Noah's life!!!

We enjoyed introducing Noah to Aunt Becca . . .

. . . and Noah enjoyed napping with Uncle Brock! ;)

Welcome home, sweet Noah! We all love you so very much!

Brothers

2010-07-24T07:50:00.002-04:00

Whether it's reading to him . . .

. . . or holding him,

Noah couldn't ask for a better big brother than Jaden!

Sibling snuggles!

2010-07-05T22:16:00.003-04:00

Lael, Jaden and I headed in to see Noah today . . . a regular happening these days. But they were so excited when they found out that they would BOTH be able to hold Noah! As you might imagine, it was such a special time!

Lael is a pro at this -- she's already held Noah once . . .

. . . but this was Jaden's first time to cuddle his brother - and as you can tell, he absolutely loved it!

In fact, Jaden told me afterwards that holding Noah "is way better than playing computer games"! So there you have it!

(Oh, and by the way, Noah is now 3 pounds, 6 ounces and 16 inches long . . . for those of you who are keeping track of those kinds of things!)

So happy together!

2010-07-03T21:45:00.004-04:00

Time is racing by . . . Noah is already 5 weeks old and has reached what would have been 32 weeks gestation if he hadn't been in such a hurry to meet us! He's 3 pounds, 1 ounce and gets cuter every day!

I got to spend time this afternoon with my three kids . . . cuddling the youngest with the other two close by! It was a tiny taste of what life will be like when Noah comes home - minus nurses (although ours are wonderful), monitors, and isolettes! I'm getting oh so excited and looking forward to that time!

I have such precious children -- all three of them! While we were visiting this afternoon, Noah brought his hands together in his sleep . . . Jaden decided he was praying that he'd soon be big enough to come home, and Lael agreed! They insisted that I take a picture of it!

Noah, we're praying that you'll be big enough to come home soon, too! We love you!

Someone LOVES being a big sister!

2010-06-29T09:13:00.002-04:00

Can you tell? Lael had a special treat yesterday when she went to visit Noah . . . she got to hold her baby brother for the first time! She also read some books to him, which he seemed to really enjoy!

One month old!

2010-06-26T09:45:00.001-04:00

The newest addition to our family is one month old today!

Happy birthday, Noah!
We are so glad that God sent you to us, and we are counting down the days until you can come home!

Pumpkin smile!

2010-06-25T09:40:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it!

My big boy has lost his first tooth!

I still remember when he got his first tooth . . . has it really been that long?

He's growing up sooooo fast!

Snuggling with Noah

2010-06-22T09:26:00.003-04:00

In case you weren't sure, I love having times to snuggle with Noah! I would sit and hold him all day, every day if I could!

Here are some more pictures of our big boy -- he's getting so much more alert!

Mommy-Noah time!

2010-06-19T07:45:00.002-04:00

I absolutely love times when I can go in and snuggle with Noah. It's not the same as holding your baby at home . . . with all the wires and monitors, but it's still oh, so sweet!

Such tiny fingers . . .
. . . and toes!

Sweet baby face!

2010-06-08T09:11:00.003-04:00

You have to love this sweet baby face!

(And is he sucking his thumb???)

Snuggles with Noah

2010-06-08T08:44:00.004-04:00

Every parent looks forward to having their baby placed in their arms for the first time. We had to wait a little longer than most, but that only made the moment sweeter!

Mommy first held Noah on June 1st - he was 6 days old!

And Daddy's turn came four days later, on June 5th!
Lael and Jaden were there to see Noah snuggled in Daddy's arms . . .

Daddy with his two boys

Now we're all the more eager for those wonderful snuggle times once we get to bring Noah home!

Isn't he handsome!

2010-05-30T14:52:00.002-04:00

This morning while the nurse was changing Noah's "gear", I was able to snap a quick picture of his handsome face with no breathing equipment . . . doesn't he look wonderful?!

He's my handsome youngest son!

The Slingshot Heard Round the World!

2010-05-28T10:16:00.003-04:00

Recently, Lael and Jaden participated in their very first church musical - entitled "The Slingshot Heard Round the World" . . . otherwise known as the story of David and Goliath. They worked so very hard to prepare for this musical, including many weeks of practices. And they did a GREAT job! (Spoken as a proud mommy!)

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend in person - because of being in the hospital on bedrest - but Daddy got some pictures, and friends from church videotaped it so I could see it right away. (The official video won't be ready for a few weeks.)

So, here they are in their stage debut . . .

Jaden had a speaking part - as Eliab, David's older brother!

Lael had some speaking parts AND a solo!

They both love to worship with flags! Great job, Lael and Jaden!!!

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for using your gifts to serve Jesus!

Family pictures!

2010-05-27T18:48:00.007-04:00

Here's our first family picture - as a family of five!

Lael and Jaden were so excited to meet baby Noah!

Lael was fascinated with the tiny diapers, while Jaden was curious about all the tubes and wires that were attached to his little brother.

Both of them are so proud to be the "big" kids of the family!

Mommy was just thankful to have all three of my children together in the same room!

I soaked up lots of hugs from Lael and Jaden.

Aunt Cherie came up for the day to spend time with Lael and Jaden -

and then she met Noah too!

Lael and Jaden enjoyed playing with Aunt Cherie and cousin Carrie! They also had fun shopping for gifts for their brother. And they were so surprised to find out that Noah had gifts for them too! How did he know how much Jaden loves legos . . . or that his big sister needed a new bike helmet? He's going to be a great little brother!

Introducing our newest addition!

2010-05-27T14:54:00.006-04:00

In case you haven't heard, we are now a family of 5! Noah Matthew was born on Wednesday -- weighing in at 2 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 14 inches long! He is absolutely perfect, but still tiny.

Here are some of his first photos:

Thanks so much to all who have been praying for us during this time of bedrest and the birth of our son! Continued prayers would be appreciated - for health and strength for Noah, for healing for Lisa from surgery, and that we will soon be able to all be under the same roof - all 5 of us!

Things I'm pondering . . .

2010-05-21T11:35:00.004-04:00

"The pressure of hard places makes us value life. Every time our life is given back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. The pressure helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathize with them."

A. B. Simpson

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it . . . . But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselved and learned how to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

(2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

Sunday, April 4, 1999

2010-04-04T07:00:00.004-04:00

Do you remember what you were doing exactly 11 years ago -- on Sunday, April 4, 1999? I do! It's a date I will never forget . . . and here's why:

Eleven years ago, this young man

made this young woman (which happens to be me)
the happiest person in the world when he asked me to be his wife! He proposed on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday morning.

(I apologize for the quality of the above picture . . . this was before the days of digital cameras, and we had to rely on the kindness of strangers who happened to be walking on the beach at sunrise to capture this memory on film!)

Later in the day, we celebrated with an Easter dinner and special cake with Brent's family.

Thank you, Brent, for stepping out in faith and obeying God eleven years ago! Thank you for the many wonderful memories over the years of our life together! I cannot imagine my life without you in it! And thank You, God, for the precious gift You gave to me in my husband!

Happy engagement anniversary, Brent! I love you so much!

Co-op Speech Meet, Part 2

2010-03-30T11:10:00.000-04:00

And here is Lael sharing her poem, a cinquain about the Winter Olympics:

Olympic Games by Lael Martin

Vancouver

Crowded, competative

Skiing, skating, snowboarding

Hoping for a medal

Olympics

Lael and Jaden, you both did a great job! Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you!!!

Co-op Speech Meet, Part 1

2010-03-30T10:51:00.003-04:00

Public speaking is pretty new to our kids . . . they haven't had much experience with it. So that made this semester's co-op closing exercises more intimidating for Lael and Jaden. Each student was asked to share a poem - Lael and Jaden each shared poems that they had written themselves!

Here is Jaden sharing his poem:

And in case you couldn't make out all the words, here they are:

Seasons by Jaden Martin

I like to play in the cold winter breeze.

In the fall I like seeing the leaves roll off the trees.

In spring I like sitting on the beach.

In the summer I like hiding out of reach.

Mmmm! Homemade granola!

2010-01-08T10:17:00.003-05:00

We LOVE granola cereal here . . . but it's hard to justify the hefty price tag at the grocery store when it's sooooo easy to make at home! Here are two of our favorites:

Granola

3 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup honey (can use more)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 - 1/2 cup of any of the following: raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, coconut, slivered almonds

(I often throw in some wheat germ and ground flax seed as well)

Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat honey and oil on stove until liquidy. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add honey and oil mixture; stir until everything is moist. Bake in 13x9 pan for 30-60 minutes (depending on how crisp you want your granola to be). I bake mine for 60 minutes. Also, I've found that we like it better when the raisins and/or craisins are added when the granola comes out of the oven; otherwise, they dry out too much if they're in while you bake it.

This is a very forgiving recipe -- you really can't mess it up! And I usually make at least a double batch so it lasts a few days! ;)

Peanut Butter Granola

(this recipe is from another FIAR mom -- thanks, Rebecca!)

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup peanut butter

Melt these two ingredients together until smooth, over low heat. Then stir in:

1/3 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

When all ingredients are warm and smooth, stir in 3 cups of rolled oats until well coated. Put the oat mixture on an ungreased cookie sheet or 13x9 pan. Bake at 375 for approximately 10 minutes, or until crisp. At this point, you can toss in raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, etc. Then cool and store tightly covered.

This is especially delicious with sliced bananas on top! Yummy!

What's cooking at our house . . .

2010-01-06T18:46:00.002-05:00

We are trying to eat healthier in the New Year . . . okay, so we always try to eat healthy (it's just that sometimes we're more successful than others). Anyway, I found this recipe a few months back and we LOVE it! It's really healthy and very inexpensive too, which is another plus!

Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole

3 cups broth (chicken or veggie)

3/4 cup green lentils

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 300. Combine broth, lentils, rice, onion, and spices in 13x9 glass baking dish. Stir together and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 20 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with steamed broccoli or a garden salad. Enjoy!

Ten Predictions for 2010

2010-01-02T19:02:00.000-05:00

I found these online somewhere . . . can't remember where at the moment . . . but they really encouraged me. I hope they do the same for you!

Ten Predictions for 2010

The Bible will still have all the answers.
Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on earth.
The Holy Spirit will still move.
God will honor the praises of His people.
There will still be God-anointed preaching.
There will still be singing of praise to God.
God will still pour out His blessing upon His people.
There is still room at the cross.
Jesus will still love you.
Jesus will continue to save the lost.

Isn't it great to remember that He is really in control! The Word of the Lord endures forever! (1 Peter 1:25)

Word for 2010

2010-01-01T08:16:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe that it's 2010 already! It seems like only yesterday we were beginning 2000 . . . anyone remember Y2K??? I was a newlywed, celebrating our first New Year's as husband and wife. Ten years and two children later, our lives have definitely changed -- for the better!

Anyway, for the past couple of years, I have chosen a word to focus on throughout the year -- something to give me a direction as I seek to grow in my relationship with the Lord as well as in the relationships I have with other people.

This year, the word that God really impressed on my heart is ADORE. The week before Christmas, Brent preached a message about what it means to adore Christ. As He was preaching, God spoke that He wanted me to focus on adoring Him in the upcoming year. I know that when my focus on the Lord is where it should be, other things in my life will fall into place.

So, what does it mean to ADORE? According to the dictionary, to ADORE is to regard with the utmost esteem, love and respect. It can also mean to worship. One of the things Brent said in his message is that true adoration is a product of the heart; it's not just doing things out of obligation. It's so easy to find myself doing things . . . even good things . . . out of a sense of obligation. Whether it's spending time in the Word, serving at church, even caring for the needs of my family, I want to learn how to do all things flowing out of my adoration of the Lord.

Okay, enough rambling for now . . . but I will be revisiting this word again and again this year. I'm looking forward to all that God will teach me about adoring Him!

Another Christmas Fun Box

2009-12-04T19:40:00.001-05:00

In today's Christmas Fun Box, the kids found red and green food coloring, salt and mint extract. Strange combination? Not if you're making red and green playdough, which is what we were going to do!
They each took turns measuring the ingredients for their playdough -- Lael made red with orange extract mixed in and Jaden made the minty green. Then they had to stir . . . and stir . . . and stir . . .

. . . until the playdough was "the consistency of mashed potatoes" -- of course, that didn't mean as much to the kids as it did to me. After all, they usually eat mashed potatoes without contemplating the consistency of the dish.

Then Mommy kneaded the playdough to get it nice and smooth -- it was still really hot so the kids couldn't really touch it. Then they had to wait for it to cool so they could play with it. Doesn't it look pretty, and so festive? I predict that we'll enjoy this playdough a whole bunch this Christmas season!

Fun school in December

2009-12-02T11:03:00.003-05:00

I love Christmas time . . . and everything that goes along with it -- the baking, shopping, decorating, and extra-special family times like snuggling up on the couch to read a book or watch a favorite Christmas movie.

This year I wanted to be purposeful about incorporating fun into our days, so I came up with the Christmas Fun Box. Each day I put something into the box to give a clue about the fun activity that our day will hold! I have some FUN things planned!

Today, when the kids came downstairs, this is what they found on the dining room table:

Inside the box were all different kinds of buttons and bells. Add some pipe cleaners and look what we made . . . (photo courtesy of Jaden)

I love adding some fun and whimsy to our day!

Railroad Museum of PA

2009-11-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Another stop on our vacation to Lancaster County: the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania! This place truly had something that the whole family could enjoy! Daddy loved learning about the history of the railroad in Pennsylvania. Mommy enjoyed seeing how the train cars changed over the years to make them more efficient. And the kids loved finding where they could climb up onto the different cars!

2009-11-25T13:41:00.004-05:00

I am extremely behind in my blogging . . . chalk it up to a busy fall! I hope over the next few days to get caught up again -- so that we can share all the fun holiday plans we have!

One major event of the fall that was missing from my blog was our annual fall family vacation. We've gone on vacation in October for the past several years; we love taking a couple of days to get away. Usually we've gone to Ocean City, Maryland in the past, but this year we decided to head to some familiar ground . . . Lancaster County!

One of the places we visited -- Choo Choo Barn! Such a fun field trip! Here are some pictures from that excursion:

Please stay tuned for more from our vacation!

Mystery solved!

2009-11-25T13:38:00.002-05:00

Jaden was reading a book about the Pilgrims today. One of the pages said, "The first winter many people died because there wasn't enough food to eat."

When he got to that part, he looked up and exclaimed, "You know, I've been wondering about that for a REALLY long time!" Then he went back to reading.

Glad we were able to clear that up for you, buddy! ;)

Nature walk

2009-11-07T12:19:00.003-05:00

We've had some beautiful fall weather . . . and we wanted to get out and enjoy it! So we headed to one of our city's many wonderful parks for a fall nature walk. The colors of the leaves were just magnificent! As we say at our house, God has been busy with His paintbrush!

While we were walking around, I told Lael and Jaden to look for things that they thought would make good components of a nature collage that we'd be working on at home.We found lots of beautiful things, both small . . .

. . . and not so small!We so enjoyed being out in the fresh air!

As you might expect, Jaden's favorite place was up a tree!

Once we got back home again, they started to work. I didn't give them much in terms of directions except to create a collage using the materials they had collected. Lael decided to make two small collages.
In this one, she used the items she had collected to represent parts of an outdoor scene. Do you see the clouds, birds, trees, flowers, path and grass in her artwork?
This one was more abstract -- but full of color!
Jaden didn't want to be photographed while he was creating his artwork -- he did the JUMBO size collage! (It spans the width of our treadmill to give you some perspective.)We definitely need to do this again soon!

More co-op fun!

2009-11-06T11:46:00.001-05:00

The fall semester of our homeschool co-op is winding down . . . both kids have been having so much fun!

Jaden's class spent time retracing the steps of Lewis and Clark as they explored our great country.

They also played a fun game of Geography Twister -- okay, so it wasn't really Twister, but more of a "find this place and step on it" kind of game! ;)

In math class, Jaden and his friends had fun "shopping" -- and learning to add two-digit numbers at the same time! Pretty cool!Lael's ARTifact class spent two weeks working on coil pottery . . . first making them, and then painting them.
Closing exercises are just a couple of weeks away!

Reflections on the pumpkin patch

2009-11-04T12:04:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Daddy and the kids had fun at the pumpkin patch, along with others from our church. I asked Jaden to write about his time there; this is what he wrote (translation in small print) . . .

At the pumpkin patch, I saw . . . pumpkins. I rode on the ciyoody run. ("Coyote Run" - a ride that they had at the farm) When I got home we made a lef piyl. (leaf pile) I love the pumpkin patch.

The best part of this entire exercise was that he enjoyed doing it! In fact, part way through, he looked at me and said, "This is really getting fun!" And that's the way it should be, in my opinion!

Introducing cinquains

2009-10-30T11:29:00.002-04:00

One of my goals this year is to introduce the kids to different styles of writing poetry. (Quick side note: I always dreaded having to write poetry in school, so I approach this particular genre of writing with much trepidation.) Anyway, this month we learned about cinquains . . . and since we were studying about Christopher Columbus at the time, this is what Lael came up with:

Ships

Strong, magnificent

Sailing quickly, smoothly

Like to watch them

Vessels

and

Isabella

Helpful, supportive

Royal, faithful, Christian

Kind to other people

Queen

Not bad for a first time, don't you think!

More Monday Motivation . . .

2009-10-19T13:00:00.002-04:00

. . . for homeschooling from Steve and Jane Claire Lambert. Jane Claire is the author of the Five in a Row curriculum that we use here at God Seekers Academy.

We're not trying to do ‘School at Home’; we're trying to do homeschool. These are two entirely different propositions. We're not trying to replicate the time, style or content of the classroom. Rather we're trying to cultivate a lifestyle of learning in which learning takes place from morning until bedtime... seven days each week...

Mmmm . . . apple dumplings!

2009-10-18T19:45:00.001-04:00

That's right . . . warm, cinnamony (is that a word) apple dumplings with a scoop of Turkey Hill Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Bean ice cream . . . does it get any better than that? Probably not!

Now, before I go any further, I should offer this disclaimer . . . the recipe that follows is absolutely scrumptious but should NOT be a part of your daily diet -- it's definitely a "special treat" kind of dessert! Okay, having said that, let me share:

I found the recipe here -- there are some amazing recipes (and photos) on this website . . . I get hungry every time I visit there! And yes, her pictures are better than mine -- but you won't get to see my beautiful children there! ;)

First, you wrap apple wedges in crescent roll dough as Lael is so expertly doing here:

Put the wrapped apple wedges in a greased pan . . .

Cover with a mixture of sugar and melted butter (I told you this is a special treat) . . . Then pour in some Mountain Dew (or in our case, Sierra Mist) and sprinkle with cinnamon, then bake!

When they are done, they look like this: . . . and taste like this!

Let us know if you try these apple dumplings . . . so we can come and help you eat them!

Crossing a river

2009-10-16T13:18:00.001-04:00

We are having such fun in our homeschool co-op group! Both kids have a history class -- Jaden's is studying famous Americans with five other "early learners" -- who are preschool and kindergarten age.

As anyone who works with young children knows well, active play is an important part of their day, and the teacher of this history class is excellent at interspersing active play with quiet listening. Two weeks ago, the historical figure the children were learning about was William Penn. The children colored a map of Pennsylvania and traced some of the major rivers. Then, we "crossed" some "rivers" -- otherwise known as a jumprope waving on the floor! They LOVED it!

Yes, that's Jaden in motion! So then this week, when we were talking about George Washington, we had to play our game again -- after all, everyone knows about George Washington crossing the Delaware River ;) Here is "George Washington" leading his troops across the Delaware -- sporting a nifty tricorn hat!

They're all up for the adventure! (And so very cute!)

2009-10-09T13:42:00.001-04:00

We had a fun field trip to the fire station with our homeschool co-op group the other night . . . it was an excellent presentation, and the kids got to do some things I never did when the fire department visited our school when I was a kid!

Lael was very glad when we finally got there -- the GPS had a bit of trouble locating the little town fire hall that was our destination (so we were a bit late).

There was a neat display outside of antique fire trucks and fire fighting equipment that Jaden really enjoyed looking at!
After the presentation and a time of Q&A, the firefighters took the kids in small groups to a back room that was completely dark. There they were able to look through a special heat-sensitive "camera" to find where some firefighters were hiding in the room. In case of a fire, fire fighters can use this equipment to find people who might be trapped in a smoke-filled room where it's hard to see anything or anyone.

Then they took the kids outside and gave every child an opportunity to hold the fire hose and spray some water at an old car! This was a definite highlight of the night for both Lael and Jaden! (Sorry that the pictures are so dark -- it was a nighttime field trip).

Here's Jaden with the hose . . .

. . . and here's Lael taking her turn!

When they were done outside, they came back into the fire station -- there were all kinds of gifts waiting for them . . . fire hats, coloring and activity books, rulers, mini flashlights, crayons! They even received certificates for learning about fire safety! What a great field trip!

Time for a "new do"

2009-10-05T19:33:00.004-04:00

After about a year and a half of growing out her hair, the day finally arrived for Lael to get her hair cut to donate . . . she's been beside herself with excitement ever since I told her I had made the appointment! We decided to go to a real salon (Sweet and Sassy) for this momentous event -- and they made it so special for Lael. Here she is before the stylist got started . . .

Next it was time for my favorite part of having my hair done -- the shampoo!

Then the cutting began! The stylist took off an 8" ponytail that will be sent to a program that makes wigs for cancer patients.

Then the new hairstyle began to emerge . . .

Once the cutting was finished, Lael had her hair styled -- including hair glitter and a spray that smells like vanilla cupcakes (she smells so yummy right now)!

And here's our princess! Isn't she lovely!

And to celebrate, we went out for a sweet treat -- of course!

Lael, you look so beautiful . . . and I'm so proud of you!

Monday motivation!

2009-10-05T14:06:00.003-04:00

Here's a quote I just love:

Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.

~ W.B. Yeats ~

This is what I want to always remember as I homeschool my children . . . my goal is to kindle a love of learning that will last them a lifetime!

Homeschool co-op has begun!

2009-10-01T13:48:00.001-04:00

We are now a part of a homeschool co-op! This is such an answer to prayer . . . probably two years worth of praying! We've had two weeks already, and the kids are both loving it!
The morning begins with "opening exercises" -- some stretches, Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, prayer, a Scripture passage and devotional, and a song. Then it's off to classes . . .

First period is a history class -- Lael's class is learning about heroes of the faith, while Jaden's class is looking at important people in American history. The kids made headbands and clay beads after learning about Pocahontas.

Second period for Jaden is a math class -- things like finding patterns in the world around you, so it's very hands-on. Lael is learning square dancing for her gym class (and she loves it)!

The final class of the morning is soccer for Jaden, and an art class for Lael where she is learning about different cultures and time periods and some of the things different people groups have made.
Coming up this week is a field trip to the fire station . . . stay tuned for more pictures to come!

East Coast Conference 2009

2009-09-27T18:28:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful time at In the Light Ministries' annual conference . . . it's always wonderful to go back and enjoy times of worship and encouragement in the Word of God. It's also fun to see friends that we don't get to visit with very often. And we always throw a bit of "vacation fun" in there too! For Lael and Jaden, as long as we stay somewhere with an indoor pool, it's officially a "vacation". So Willow Valley Resort definitely qualified as a vacation spot -- not only was there a pool, but there were three pools and an indoor water playground, complete with a huge water slide!

We spent the afternoons at the pool -- and didn't get out of the pool until we were completely shriveled up!

At the conference itself, Lael really enjoyed the times of corporate worship, especially being able to worship with flags. And of course, both Lael and Jaden were glad to see their "In the Light" friends like Jenesis!

A definite highlight of conference for Lael and Jaden was the visit by Forgotten Friends.

Forgotten Friend's founder, herpetologist, author, photographer, and certified class clown, Jesse Rothacker is actually married to Brent's cousin (just a bit of trivia for you) . . . and he did a fantastic job teaching the kids all about reptiles.

The kids got a chance to be "up close and personal" with some of the reptiles . . .

. . . and some got CLOSER than others!

It was a whirlwind trip, packed full of fun and lots of wonderful memories!

Silly Saturday!

2009-09-19T12:05:00.004-04:00

I thought I'd share a conversation that I had with Jaden this morning . . .

Jaden: Mommy, where did this come from? [pointing to movie popcorn box]
Me: It's leftover popcorn that Daddy and Lael brought home from the movies last night to share with you.
Jaden: I'll try it, but I don't think I'll like it . . .
Me: Why not? You love popcorn.
Jaden: Yeah, but this is FISH popcorn!
Me: [trying not to laugh] Uh, honey, actually it says FRESH popcorn!
Jaden: Oh, okay!

Cut him some slack . . . he's only in kindergarten, and the R in FRESH sort of looked like an I. And besides, I think it's pretty brave of him to be willing to try "fish popcorn"!

The Great Allentown Fair

2009-09-12T12:55:00.004-04:00

Sunday afternoon we headed out to the Great Allentown Fair! It wasn't on our original plans for the weekend, but we were blessed with tickets and the weather was absolutely beautiful, so we just had to be out and enjoy it!

Lael loves animals, so it was no surprise that she would have loved to spend all day petting the different animals. The 4-H area had lots of baby animals in a "petting zoo" type environment, including goats, rabbits, ducklings, a calf and a pony. There was also an incubator with hatching chicks!

Jaden enjoyed the animals too . . . just not touching them! At least not the real ones -- he didn't mind milking this "cow" at all!

Then there were the rides . . . so many to choose from! Lael and Jaden went on this one with Daddy -- it's called the Spider, and they decided when they were done that they didn't want to go on that ride again!

The carousel was much more appealing!

Add in some funnel cake and this was just a perfect day at the fair!

Mmm! Peaches

2009-09-12T09:02:00.003-04:00

Last month, we were invited to pick peaches with a couple from church . . . how could we refuse?!

I think Jaden's favorite part of picking peaches was pulling the cool basket-carrier around the orchard!

We did quite well, don't you think?

Life as seen through Jaden's eyes

2009-09-10T10:36:00.000-04:00

Jaden loves our digital camera! He recently got ahold of it, and here's what I found when I downloaded the pictures . . .

Girls' night out!

2009-09-09T10:17:00.005-04:00

This past Friday, Daddy sent his girls out for a fun night together . . . isn't he great?!!! (Then again, maybe he and Jaden just wanted us out of the house so they could do "boy stuff" like wrestling on the living room floor?)

Either way, we took him up on it and went out to do something I've wanted to do with Lael for a while . . . we went to a pottery studio to paint pottery! We decided to paint bowls so Mommy and Daddy would have special bowls for ice cream and popcorn eating too (in case you don't remember, I made bowls for the kids back in July) . . . the only ones they had were a bit fancier than what I had in mind, but Lael liked them, so that's what we went with.

Lael painted a bowl for Mommy, and Mommy painted one for Daddy.

Don't worry, honey . . . it's supposed to be red when it's finished (not pink)!

Between coats of glaze we used a blow dryer to thoroughly dry the glaze we had already applied.

And what better way to end a girls' night out than to head to Barnes and Noble for Double Chocolate Chip blended cremes (ala Starbucks) and Cookies and Cream Cheesecake (ala Cheesecake Factory)?!

Lael, I had so much fun hanging out with you . . . let's do it again soon!

Monday musings . . .

2009-09-07T17:25:00.001-04:00

Here's a quote to ponder . . .

When God shows up, things get expensive.

I must continually ask myself -- Am I willing to pay the price?

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Matthew 10:37-39

Fun with friends

2009-09-04T17:44:00.001-04:00

We love it when friends come to visit! And any friends that travel over an hour one way to come and see us must love us a LOT!

Lael and Jaden had so much fun playing with Ladea, Mikya and Joshua when they visited last week -- and the mommies had fun chatting in person rather than over the phone for once!

Here's the "boys team" . . .

. . . and the girls' team! Thanks for coming, friends! Next time, we'll make the drive to visit you!

More from the corn roast

2009-09-02T17:35:00.002-04:00

A traditional part of each corn roast is a candy scramble for the grandchildren and great-grandchildren . . . as long as they are still children (so I had to tell Brent to leave the candy for the little kids). This year they divided the children by ages to make it a little less chaotic!

It's amazing how much fun picking things up can be when you're picking up something sweet to eat! Now if I could just figure out how to accomplish the same thing when it comes to cleaning up the playroom! ;) The kids had the floor completely cleaned up in no time at all!Jaden loves his littlest cousin so much . . . . . . and it's easy to see why! Isn't she so cute!