Friday, August 29, 2008

I am still here! It has been a busy week with school starting back. I homeschool 3 of my 4 kids. My oldest child, Daniel, attends a public highschool. My homeschooled kids and I attend a co-op once a week. I am just beginning to lapbook with the kids. It looks like a creative, thorough way for them to learn a topic. I think we are going to begin with the election. If anyone has helpful tips concerning lapbooking, please pass them along. My daughter, Isabel(2), is learning her letters and their sounds. She has initiated this herself. None of my other children were interested in letters at this age, just catching bugs and being outside. I did have one who ate dirt like it was chocolate and fish food for dessert. I am not kidding! The pediatrician said I shouldn't be concerned. I was! It isn't like we didn't have real chocolate in the house. This child did eventually come around and traded dirt for chocolate. I want to share an easy and tasty recipe that I use with Isabel. It is peanut butter play-dough. 1/3-part peanut butter, 1/3-part dry powdered milk, and 1/3-part honey. Mix well and knead for a few minutes until dough sticks together. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight container to keep for a week or more. This is great because after creating letters, numbers or whatever, the child can eat it! Have a safe and peaceful weekend!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

I have been thinking about the last sentence in my first blog entry. The word worthy was not a good choice. God calls me His friend, but am I worthy? Absolutely not!!! I am so grateful anyone calls me friend. I mean this, especially lately. I have been so consumed with walking a very familiar road due to someone else's choice in my life, that I haven't been a very present friend. Thank you friends for sharing a small or large part of your life with me. I always ask God to give me the friends He wants me too have and He does. We don't choose our family, we do choose our friends. Some of mine are as close as or closer than family. Now about the less than desirable road I've been on lately. It really is a matter of trust. Do I trust Jesus? Do I believe He knows what is best for me? If yes, then who am I to question what has been allowed to take place in my life? Is it easy? I would have to answer with an emphatic NO! I remind myself of God's truth. He only allows what He knows I can handle. It is for my good. He gives me the grace I need. He is walking it with me. He loves me. Whatever you may be walking through is not hidden from Him. May you find peace in that. "In my trouble I called to the Lord. I cried out to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached his ear." Psalm 18:6.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Chocolate chip pudding cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2-1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
large pkg. instant coconut pudding
12 oz. choclate chips
1 c. nuts, chopped (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
I use vanilla pudding mix and use half the vanilla extract. These are my oldest sons favorite. I thought since I mentioned cookies in my post before, It wouldn't be right not too share the recipe. Enjoy!
Hello! I am hoping this can be a place to come and be encouraged and meet new friends. This is very new to me. I started this blog at the urging of a dear friend. I am so grateful for the ones God allows to touch our life lightly and some deeply. There are people who are there for a season and ones who stay longer. For the past several years I have had the privilege of knowing what it is like to have more than one friend at a time. I tend to be a loner and have always invested in one friend at a time. Then I got older and reluctantly pushed out of my comfort zone to be surprisingly blessed with a variety of people who enrich my life. I love to bake, but get tired of baking the same chocolate chip cookies week after week. Sometimes, just adding 1 new ingredient makes it less mundane. This is how I feel about really knowing a handful of gals I call friend. They replace the staleness of life with freshness. I do not use the word friend carelessly. It takes time to build a friendship. Sometimes you get hurt, but it's worth it for the times you don't and find a gem. Thank a friend today in your life who is worthy to be called friend.