Proud New Owners

Well, we have finally made the mini-van commitment. We are now the proud owners of a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country Touring. After much consideration, we decided that our budget could not handle a Honda or Toyota (at least as new as we preferred). So we researched all the other options and the Town & Country seemed to get the best reviews.

We went to test drive one last night and unexpectedly came home with it. :) It is white (the color I didn't want :)) but the deal was unbelievably good! We ended up trading in our '91 Honda Accord for way more than we could have sold it for and negotiated the price down further. We love the new van and our kids are thrilled! It has leather seats, DVD, stow-and-go seating, and power everything. Anyway, we are thankful for God's provision of a vehicle for a better price than we imagined.

I never thought I would be driving a mini-van - I was an SUV girl all the way. And I never imagined that I would be driving a white, non-Honda mini-van. But you know, it doesn't matter. I'm thankful and my children are way more important than my "ideal" vehicle. :) Travel will be fun this summer!

Why Blog?

I've been contemplating blogging lately. Not in a bad or negative way, more in a reflective, pondering way (sorry, I couldn't resist :)). Perhaps it has to do with feeling some burn-out. We initially entered the blog world because many of our friends had joined. That's the honest truth. We thought it might be fun and we thought it would be a great way to keep in touch with people. At the time, we had no idea that blogger world was so big and that there was even blog etiquette. And over the last couple of years, the we in this blog mostly became me. :)

One thing I've realized is that people have a lot of different reasons for blogging - money making, advice, reivews, journaling, photo display, etc. So, why do I blog? I think I have a few reasons. It definitely is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family (as we hoped!). It's a journal of sorts and a fun, creative thing for me. It's also been my hope to use it somewhat as a platform for adoption advocacy. While you may not find lots of posts regarding this topic, it's only becaue I'm holding back. :) Interestingly, I've also learned a lot about myself as I've written and as I've read other blogs. I'm enjoying the personal journey.

Companies, media, and many others are taking note of bloggers. I cannot believe how blogging has exploded since we started a mere 2 1/2 years ago. Bloggers are talked about on the news, in periodicals, and in political, social, and religious settings. It's becoming an influential and well-known "club."

As a human race, we long for the respect, adoration, and praise of our peers and it's easy to feel like the success of blogging is based on comments or hits or whatever but I would submit that success cannot be measured by these things. We must step back and ask ourselves, why do we blog? (Oh and I'm not immune from feelings of elation or devastation based on people's response to my posts - I'm just learning there is so much more to it. :) And I do love the conversations that are stimulated by blogs whether it's on the blog or in social settings - it's an interesting phenomenon.)

I don't ever expect to be a well-known blogger or to attract 100's or 1,000's of people to my little corner of the internet (unless I only do giveaways! :)). But I do hope to continue blogging about our life - the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Of course, I hope people enjoy it, find encouragement, or at least think my kids are cute. :)

Blog for your own reasons. Enjoy it. And if you don't enjoy it, quit. It's as simple as that.

Hmm...

I'm not quite sure how to respond when my son takes both of my hands, looks into my eyes, and sincerely says, "Good job, Mommy" when I've had "bathroom success." Potty training praise must be wearing off...

Memorial Day & Things

Today I am thankful for the many men and women who have protected our country and sacrificed their lives over the years. I'm thankful for those currently serving in the military all over the world. I am thankful for their courage and bravery.

We've had a delightful day at our annual C. family picnic. We enjoyed wonderful food (ate too much!), great fellowship, and lots of play time at the park. The boys had a very good time but were exhausted and we had a melt-down when we got home. :) After a quick supper and bath, they are tucked in for the night. Let's hope all the excitement means they will sleep in! (I'm not holding my breath. :)) Here are a few pictures from the day:

Oh and I'm excited that today launched the first day of recipe collection for a C. family cookbook - I can't wait to see all the submissions! We have absolutely amazing cooks in our family and every gathering features delicious food! I will be working on the book with a couple of other family members.

Finally, I blogged on the boys' blog today - I've been neglecting it of late...

Interests & Growth

Lately, I've been getting a running commentary on life...from Patrick. He not only loves to be my right-hand man but he LOVES to tell me everything that is going on with him and his brother. It's adorable although my ears are very tired by the end of the day. :) Patrick is really in to semi-trucks, trains, helping in the kitchen, and playing outside. He is so loving and affectionate these days and gives us many spontaneous hugs. He love to "pop, up" (be picked up). :)

Calvin is ever the ham. He keeps us laughing every single day. He is talking more and more and we are working to understand him. :) He is also a big helper and loves to feed the dog and let her out of her crate - he also let her out of the fence the other day but that is another story for another day... :) He is especially excited about transportation, puzzles, letters & numbers, and playing outside. He is also a cuddle bug and loves to snuggle while we read books or watch a movie.





They continue to bring us daily joy! They are excited about playing soccer and going to school this fall. They amaze us as they grow and learn. What a blessing to have them as our sons!

Meals for the Week

This week will hopefully be better in terms of actually making meals. :) We will be at a picnic tomorrow with my mom's side of the family - lots of great food! Saturday is our church picnic. Sunday is my birthday so I invited my parents and sibs over for a cookout just because...it's my last birthday before the big 3-0...I say celebrate! :) Anyway, I'm planning by day this week.

MONDAY: Macaroni & Cheese, Black Bean & Corn Salad, Chocolate Chip Almond Muesli Cookies

TUESDAY: Grilled Fish, Sauteed Greens, Applesauce

WEDNESDAY: Mexican Lasagna, Fruit Salad

THURSDAY: Pizza, Fruit, Veggies

FRIDAY: Grilled Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

SATURDAY: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Loaded Potato Salad, Cupcakes

SUNDAY: Appetizer Bar - Mini Burgers, Buffalo Chicken Fingers, Honey Fruit & Nut Brie, Stuffed Mushrooms, Chips & Salsa, Hummus & Pita, Fruit, Veggies, Cake

That's the plan - I'm quite certain some of it will not happen but that's okay. We made a bbq chicken pizza this past week and it was great! I used 4 oz. smoked cheddar and about 8 oz. of extra sharp cheddar, bbq sauce, and chicken. Orgjunkie has many more menu plans - check it out!

Heavy Heart

My heart has been so heavy since learning of the tragic death of the Chapman's daughter. Please pray for them. I cannot imagine the tremendous pain. They are such a shining light for Christ through their ministry and are wonderful advocates for adoption. It's been a tough week around here but learning of this yesterday made my troubles pale in comparison. Please lift up this family to the Lord - it will be a difficult road ahead. That's it from here for this week - I'll be back on Sunday or Monday. Give your family an extra hug this weekend. Blessings to you all.

Wow!

...I was wrong and I'm so surprised! Cook won!

One son has an especially horrid attitude this morning - yay...or definitely not. It will be a long day. Such is life.

Not Working

Let me say...the menu plan for this week has just not been happening. Not even one meal has been made. I'm exhausted, Andrew isn't home, and life is just happening. Oh well. It's not our healthiest week but we will survive... More on my day later or tomorrow.

Prediction: David Archuleta has it in the bag. They are both amazing and David Cook is actually my favorite but Archuleta will win. It was a great show last night!

Memories

Last week, I heard a sound that always brings back wonderful memories of my childhood. It was the ice cream truck. We have a couple of trucks that go through our neighborhood but this was the first time this season. I love hearing it - it is the sound of carefree childhood. Andrew admitted to me that he has never had ice cream from the ice cream truck and I was horrified. We will have to remedy that this year. :)

Anyway, two memories are prominent. The first was having a lemonade stand or two in order to make money to spend on ice cream. I remember excitedly racing to the truck with my money clasped in my sweaty hand. Being a new reader, I struggled to read the selections but didn't dare admit to my older friends that I couldn't get through the list. I think I ordered the first thing I could read - a bomb pop or maybe it was a drumstick. Good no matter what.

The second memory is rather different. I remember being downtown Chicago (we lived in the suburbs) with my family and cousins. We had enjoyed a very fun day at Lake Michigan - swimming, building sand castles, and tormenting the only boy at the time (sorry, Ev). As the final treat for the day, our parents bought us ice cream from a truck in the park. I remember vividly that shortly after we started eating our tasty treats, police came and arrested the man selling ice cream. At the time, I thought the man was trying to poison people with the ice cream and I was a little scared to eat mine. :) In retrospect, I realize that he was dealing drugs... :)

As the summer approaches and the ice cream truck rings through neighborhoods beckoning children with it's happy tune and irrestible goodies, I will remember the delightful summers of my childhood. I can't help but smile, feel a bit nostalgic, and wish for magical summers for my own children. I must be getting old. :)

Weary but Planning Anyway

There is a part of me that really wants to not plan the menu for this week but I know that my week will be more challenging without it. The kids have been sick for a week now and it has been accompanied by general grumpiness and neediness. :) This week will be a bit challenging because Andrew will be gone the first 3 evenings. So I'm planning 5 meals for this week.

Chicken, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, Fruit
Black Beans & Rice, Fresh Salsa, Pineapple
Grilled Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup, Mixed Green Salad
Mexican Lasagna (I didn't get this made last week!), Corn, Mixed Green Salad
Homemade Pizza, Breadsticks w/Cheese Dip, Veggies & Dip, Fruit

For dessert this week (a rarity!), I'm planning to make this amazing and easy chocolate pudding (thanks, Catherine) and these cookies that I came up with this past week to use up some ingredients we have around here. I'm planning to make a double batch and freeze them.

So that's the plan - all subject to change. :) For more menu ideas, visit Laura's Site. And as always, feel free to check out my recipe site, ask questions, share a new recipe, or tell what you are having this week! Happy Cooking!

Farmer's Market Finds

I went to the organic & natural farmer's market today at Trader's Point Creamery and here are my purchases:

1 approx. 3# whole chicken (yes, I'm making myself do the whole chicken :)) - $2.85/lb.
1 lb. breakfast sausage - $3.50
1 bunch asparagus - $4.00
1 bag mixed mustard greens - $5.00
1 bag pea shoots - $3.00

The pea shoots are new greens to me. The farmer let me try them before buying and they are delicious! He said you can use them in stir-frys, salads, etc. but not really in soups. They taste kind of like fresh spring peas. Yum!

All in all, a productive trip. The organic chicken will feed us for at least 3 meals as will all the different greens, the sausage for 2-3, and the asparagus for 2-3. This was the first market held outside this year and it was a beautiful day to be there!

You Can Make A Difference

My friend, Jenna, blogged about how you can join the bone marrow registry for free until May 19 (it's normally $52). It's free to the first 10,000 online donors and the first 36,000 in-person donors. What a great way to potentially give life to someone who is waiting for a match.

Please consider joining. It takes 15 minutes or less to register online and they send you a cheek swab kit in the mail. You never know how you might make a difference. We joined today and they haven't reached 10,000 yet - let's help with that goal. Thanks for spreading the word, Jenna!

New Cookies

This morning, I talked to my mom and she said she was going to make cookies which sounded like a good plan for our house, too. In my pantry I had muesli - we don't like it even a little and in my fridge was almond butter that needed used... So I created some cookies this morning and they are really good! They are packed with healthy ingredients since the muesli has things in it like flax, sunflower seeds, and barley but they also have some chocolate. :) You can find the recipe here.

Anything new in your kitchen these days (new recipe or creation)?

Laundry & Gas - Ugh!

The laundry had to be delayed until today. By the time the boys got up from their naps yesterday, Patrick's fever was almost 102 and he was feeling horrible. So we chilled out and watched a movie instead. :) Today, the boys were a bit better, so we headed to my parents to use their washer. We enjoyed our time there - our loooong time. We had a back log of laundry and it took several hours. I think we are mostly caught up...we have a couple of loads that are currently drying.

I had hoped for at least one outing this week to the Children's Museum but with the boys being sick...well that won't be happening. The good part is that staying home doesn't use gas. :) Is anyone else shocked and horrified at the price of a gallon of gas?!! We are trying to cut back on our trips out. I put $45 worth of gas in the Jeep (or 'Mommy's car' as the boys call it) and it filled the tank less than 3/4 full. Frustrating!! It makes everything so much more expensive!

Well, that's about it. It's pretty boring around here.

Spring Colds & Spring Cleaning

The boys are battling spring colds this week. Patrick has it the worst with a low grade fever, runny nose & eyes, and cough. Calvin just has the cough and runny nose. They are a little extra needy and whiny but it could be worse. :) We've been enjoying some extra cuddle time, learning not to throw huge wads of kleenexes into the toilet, and drinking lots of water and juice. They are napping now and I hope they take long ones - they both need it!

I woke up today feeling overwhelmed by all that needs done and with a very bad headache. Not the best combination. :) I don't know about you all, but I have a long list of chores that I don't particularly like to do and therefore put them off. Today, I decided that despite the headache, I needed to get started on one or two of the distasteful tasks. :) So, the downstairs baseboards and the stairs are vaccumed and the windows washed. I had hopes of finishing the upstairs windows also but they will have to wait. I cleaned up the kitchen though I still need to mop the floor and go through some stacks of papers - I think papers are going to take over our life sometimes! I need to find a better system...

This afternoon, the boys and I are headed to my parent's house to use their washing machine. Ours is broken and is one of those purchases that we have regretted but have endured for the past 4 years. We've had it repaired before but decided that it might be time to shop for another one instead of paying to have it repaired again. So, we are looking for an inexpensive replacement. I'm planning a trip to Sears Outlet (mostly scratch and dent) to see what can be had for not much. :) So that's our day...Spring cleaning has officially begun (maybe it officially began when I switched out all the clothes :)). I'm definitely looking forward to my Mom's Night Out tonight!

Great Grandpa & Grandma C. Come to Visit

The boys were so excited when we told them that Grandpa and Grandma C. would be coming! They couldn't stop talking about it! They came over my Mom's birthday weekend and helped us celebrate. We enjoyed having them overnight!

I absolutely love this last picture! So sweet - the boys love all the attention and were so sad when Grandpa and Grandma had to go home (we all were!). We'll see them again soon!

My Boys

Here are the boys that make me smile and make me proud to be their mom!

They bring great joy and delight to our lives! They will stay with Nana (my wonderful mom) this afternoon while I work for a few hours - they can't wait! We appreciate her willingness to care for them so I can still work some hours every month - she is so patient with their high energy level and they always have a great time! :)

Mother's Day Thoughts

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! I've had a wonderful day and been thoroughly blessed by my husband and kids. It's such a privilege to be Calvin & Patrick's mom - I pray that I never take that for granted. God chose a wonderful though often challenging and certainly emotional path to motherhood for me but I'm thankful for His way. God has given me a fantastic gift in my children - I love them more than I could ever express.

In the beauty of my day, I can't help but think of the millions (yes, MILLIONS - I heard a recent estimation of 137 million) of children that don't have a mom. My heart breaks for them. I cannot imagine not having a family to come home to, no one to call with exciting news, no mom to kiss away your tears and tell you it will be okay, no one. I pray that many children will be united with their forever families this year and that God will continue to bring adoptive families forward. I pray for the families that I know adding to their family through domestic adoption and international adoption - China, Ethiopia, Guatamala, Kazakhstan, Russia, Taiwan and many more! I thank God for the love He has given you for these children. I pray His blessing and provision as you give of yourselves financially and emotionally. I thank God for your walk of faith. You bless and inspire me!

And today on this day that recognizes mothers everywhere, I pray for the many, many couples experiencing infertility. Your walk is a difficult one and very often not understood. I pray for peace amidst the tremendous pain - the often silent suffering. I pray for understanding family and friends who embrace you with love and sensitivity. I pray for your dreams of parenthood to be realized.

May God bless all of you!

Menu 5/12 - 5/18

Last week worked pretty well - we ate 5 out of the 6 meals. The burgers were amazing as were the onion rings - our caloric splurge meal for the week. :) We planted our garden yesterday and eagerly anticipate incorporating the delicious produce into the menu this summer! I'm not sure how this week will shape up but here's the plan:

Big Salad w/egg, cheese, veggies, and maybe chicken, homemade french bread

Mexican Lasagna, Corn

Tuna Melts, Veggies & Dip, Fruit

Egg Casserole, Blueberry Muffins, Fruit

Chicken & Broccoli Stir-fry, Brown Rice, Egg rolls

We will be headed to Chicago on Saturday for the Green Festival so I'm only planning 5 meals for this week. I also have our monthly Mom's Night Out on Tuesday! Have a wonderful week! And as always, check orgjunkie for more menus.

Tagged

Jen at Life in Small Town USA tagged me today! I'm in a bit of a funk and was glad to have this to blog about instead of a bitter diatribe...okay, I promise I would have spared you the sarcastic, depressed entry. Anyway...

What I was doing 10 yrs ago:
I was working at Conner Prairie, getting ready to travel to Scotland for 2 1/2 weeks, and planning to start college in the fall to major in dental hygiene.

Five things on my to do list for today:
1) Work
2) Send out a couple of e-mails
3) Make pizza with the kids
4) Fold laundry
5) Have a family night (unfortunately Andrew has to work late so just the boys and me!)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1) Adopt many more kids.
2) Start a non-profit to give adoption grants.
3) Donate to Compassion International, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Samaritan's Purse.
4) Build a sustainable home on several acres.
5) Open a lunch and dessert restaurant.
6) Travel.
7) Invest and save for our children's future and our retirement.
8) Hire a maid for cleaning & laundry. :)

Three of my bad habits:
1) Chewing ice.
2) Forgetting about laundry.
3) Leaving the driver's seat too far forward for my tall husband.

Five places I have lived:
1) Indiana
2) Chicago, Illinois
3) Central Illinois
4) Kansas
5) Florida

Five jobs I have had:
1) Babysitter
2) Autism Therapist
3) Historical Interpreter
4) Dental Hygienist
5) Event Planner

If you would like to join in the fun, please do!

Farmer's Market

In our quest to eat more locally and seasonally (continued from last year and spurred on by my recent reading - Plenty and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle), I plan to highlight some of the resources that have been helpful. May and June are usually the beginning months of the farmer's market season, so I will also begin sharing some of my finds and trying some different markets. This may be helpful to some of you that live here in Indiana and may encourage those of you living elsewhere to look into your own local markets.

I will say that (as I have mentioned before) Trader's Point Creamery is my favorite local market so far. The produce and meat are mostly grown and raised using organic or natural practices. The farmers are always willing to answer questions and they have a beautiful location that just inspires your creativity. The other shoppers are always friendly and I've had several products recommended and recipes shared.

Shopping at a Farmer's Market takes a little extra time - you can't go whenever you want (usually they have 1 or 2 days a week) and you may not be able to buy all the things on your grocery list. I would contend, however, that patronizing the local farmer's market accomplishes many things:

1) Supports local agriculture.
2) Ensures the highest quality of food.
3) Creates awareness of seasonal foods in a society where you can buy all foods all year.
4) Fosters a feeling of community as you rub shoulders with vendors and other shoppers.
5) Decreases our contribution to the energy crisis.
6) Inspires with it's beauty and tantalizing sights.

We are committed to it for all of the above and because it just tastes better! I have found that my "needs" from the grocery store are less and often I will skip it all together in favor of the farmer's market. I would rather pay a little more for better quality fruits, vegetables, and meats that are locally produced. And the best part is that it isn't always more expensive - it depends on what you are buying, when you are buying it (as in time of year), and how much was grown (how well the crop did). Another wonderful thing is that your money is going directly to the farms and the families that run them.

Some things to consider as the market season begins:

1) Be willing to try new vegetables and fruits - the farmers will tell you how to use them. We discovered watermelon and lime radishes last year and really enjoyed them.
2) If you like something, be sure and tell the farmer the next time you are at the market. I know it would make my day!
3) Bring your own baskets, tote bags, or re-usable bags - they may have plastic ones available but it's far better for the environment to bring your own.
4) Know that you may spend a little more but consider the benefits. Remember these are almost always family-run farms.
5) Purpose to use everything you buy - maybe you can cut some other things out of the budget and maximize your use of the great products you find.
6) Return egg cartons as much as possible if you buy the farm fresh eggs (I highly recommend them!).
7) Ask the farmers questions - they love what they do and are usually proud of their products. They will share information about their farm, nutrition, recipes, etc. They are a great resource and have lots of experience.

Enjoy it! There really is nothing like wandering around the market feasting with your eyes and maybe with your mouth, too. They often feature yummy baked goods in addition to produce!

To find a market near you - check out this site listing Indiana markets. For those of you not in Indiana, try this site, check with your local health food store, or find them listed in the newspaper.

It's Official

Well, it's official, the boys are registered for preschool. We've thought long and hard about it (and I'm sure we will some more!) and decided to enroll them at a nearby Lutheran Preschool. It has 10 children per class with a teacher and assistant. The boys will be in the same class and will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I plan to begin some homeschool curriculum with them. I'm excited for them to have an opportunity for both forms of learning.

We are hopeful that Calvin's speech will continue to improve as he spends more time with other children and is forced to express his needs to his teacher who will not immediately understand everything he says. He will also be receiving private speech therapy through Riley. We are so excited about that and just waiting to hear from the insurance and hopefully we will start that in the next month.

We are so thankful for God's direction throughout the education and speech decisions. We trust He will continue to show us what is the right path for our family!

2 Things

#1: If you live here in Indiana, don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!

#2: If you have any extra hygiene items (maybe from CVSing :)), I'm planning to send a donation to Two Hearts for Hope. This is a ministry begun by two moms who adopted from Kazakhstan last year (obviously near to our hearts!) and May is hygiene month. These donations will go to the orphanages in a couple of different regions. They will be put to great use. If you would like to contribute (even just 1 thing), let me know - I will cover the shipping costs.

Here are some of the suggested donation items:
Wash cloths
Shampoo
Soap
Baby wash
Lotion
Diaper rash cream
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Feminine hygiene
Deodorant
Hair brush/comb
Q-tips
Pacifiers

Really?

I just read this on a recipe review:

I thought this would be really easy to make, since there are only four ingredients, but I couldn't find the recipe for ice cubes, so it wasn't very frozen. It was more like chocolate milk with ice cream in it.

The "recipe for ice cubes" - are you kidding me? Do they really not know how to make ice cubes? That is sad.

Mothers everywhere take note: make sure your sons and daughters know how to make ice cubes and while your at it, make sure they can boil water, too.

What's For Dinner!

I'm so happy that the weather is warming up and I'm cooking outdoors a few nights this week! We love grilling! It's so yummy! I'm also going to try planning a little differently - I'm going to post 5 or 6 different meal plans for this week but not assign a day. It seems that I don't do 1-2 meals per week due to busy-ness, lack of interest :) etc. So, I will have everthing on hand for all the meals listed and put them in to the week in the way they work best - as we go! We'll see how it goes.

Pasta w/homemade sauce (tomato & fresh herbs), Mixed Green Salad
Big Salad w/egg, veggies, cheese, Homemade French Bread
Grilled Chicken Fajitas, Fresh Salsa & Guacamole, Chips
Vegetarian Pizza (broccoli, peppers, onions, cheese), Veggies & Dip
Mushroom & Swiss Burgers w/balsamic mayo, Onion Rings, Oven Fries, Strawberries
Eggs, Toast, Fruit Salad

Andrew will be in charge on Sunday for Mother's Day. :) We look forward to spending some time together as a family. Saturday we will be spending a lot of time outside (hopefully the weather will cooperate!) putting in our garden. We are expanding it this year and hope to rely on it for much of our produce this summer. I'm looking forward to it!

Check out orgjunkie for lots more menu plans!

I Found Him...

...in the closet, with his back against the door, in the dark, eating cookies. He did not seem very sorry... We had a chat. All this in the 5 minutes that I was getting myself ready for the day. Sweet tooths run in the family, he comes by it honestly...

Not Much

Today will be my last day teaching Biology! As much as I love the kids, I'm thrilled to be done! It takes a lot of work and I'm ready to not have so many things taking up time. I have a big project that I need to be making more headway on for work and hopefully one less thing will help!

We are getting anxious to work outside and put the garden in - we are expanding this year and very committed to doing it well and preserving or giving away what we can't get eaten. :) I'm looking forward to trying a few new things this year. And, of course, I always have lots of herbs - some of the perennial herbs are already up and smelling fantastic!

We have a full day and full weekend. Calvin will be having his initial consultation at Riley for Speech this afternoon. We are hoping it will all work out!

Happy May everyone - maybe it will finally get warm and stay warm!