Hi guys!!!
I originally started this blog as a place to spill out my thoughts, during a season of life when I felt very isolated, and needed someone to talk to. So, I picked you!!! ;). Since then, my postings have been inconsistent, random, and all over the place. And I'm ok with that, because that's kind of how I am. However, I've spent the time this blog has been quiet, getting a lot of things in order (I'll explain more in future posts). And, now it's time to get serious about my little blogging project, too.
So, while I've been getting a more efficient cabin routine established after baby, I've been learning a few things about blogging, and how to make my site more user friendly.
This has been a small challenge. Because, I am not very technically savvy. But, I've learned over the past few years, if I have access to Pinterest and YouTube, and my amazingly intelligent hubby, I can pretty much learn how to do anything. Ha!
So, come Monday, things will look a little different. Be sure to stop in and take a look around. I think I have all the kinks worked out. But, if you have trouble finding your way around, let me know. Hopefully, you'll be seeing a little more consistency around here ;). Thank you for always being so patient with me. I'd like to say more, but my morning partner (Carli) just spilled my coffee, and I think I smell the kids' eggs burning. Yikes!!! Talk to you tomorrow!!!!
Friday, January 29, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday Snow Day Soup
Hi guys!!!!! While the rest of the country is stuck beneath a blizzard, we are watching the last few inches of our snow melt away under the Sunday sun. It is still cold here, however, and this kind of weather makes me want hot comfort foods, like hot chocolate and hot soup.
Today, I'm sharing with you, a soup recipe I concocted while pregnant with Mia Joy. I guess I was needing soup that day? BUT, Eric appreciates a little more substance to a meal than most soups have to offer, and I knew I needed to make it enough like soup for my craving, but enough like "not soup" to satisfy his appetite. So, I shopped my pantry and my fridge, and this was the result. This is a very thick and rich soup.
I call it Prego Soup. Because I was pregnant when I first made it. And because that's about as creative as I was feeling during that pregnancy ;).... So, grab these few things, throw them in a large stockpot, simmer the rest of the afternoon, and enjoy :).
Note: No pics, because I always forget to take pictures of our food before we eat..... I'm trying to do better :)
Prego Soup
Serves approx. 6 people
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 (12 oz) cans pinto beans
2 (12 oz) cans Great Northern beans
6-8 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced (I use Yukon Golds)
1/2 cup-1 cup ham pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Tarragon
8 oz sour cream
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 T butter
Directions:
In a large stockpot, combine water, beans, potatoes, and ham. Season generously with salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, coriander, basil, garlic, and tarragon. (Honestly, I rarely measure, and probably season with A LOT more than the amounts listed in the ingredients. Taste, and add as you like :)). Once potatoes begin to tender, add sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. Simmer until cream cheese is melted and flavors are blended.
Serve with hot homemade biscuits, and a tall glass of milk.
Enjoy!!
Today, I'm sharing with you, a soup recipe I concocted while pregnant with Mia Joy. I guess I was needing soup that day? BUT, Eric appreciates a little more substance to a meal than most soups have to offer, and I knew I needed to make it enough like soup for my craving, but enough like "not soup" to satisfy his appetite. So, I shopped my pantry and my fridge, and this was the result. This is a very thick and rich soup.
I call it Prego Soup. Because I was pregnant when I first made it. And because that's about as creative as I was feeling during that pregnancy ;).... So, grab these few things, throw them in a large stockpot, simmer the rest of the afternoon, and enjoy :).
Note: No pics, because I always forget to take pictures of our food before we eat..... I'm trying to do better :)
Prego Soup
Serves approx. 6 people
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 (12 oz) cans pinto beans
2 (12 oz) cans Great Northern beans
6-8 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced (I use Yukon Golds)
1/2 cup-1 cup ham pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Tarragon
8 oz sour cream
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 T butter
Directions:
In a large stockpot, combine water, beans, potatoes, and ham. Season generously with salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, coriander, basil, garlic, and tarragon. (Honestly, I rarely measure, and probably season with A LOT more than the amounts listed in the ingredients. Taste, and add as you like :)). Once potatoes begin to tender, add sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. Simmer until cream cheese is melted and flavors are blended.
Serve with hot homemade biscuits, and a tall glass of milk.
Enjoy!!
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Snow Day at the Cabin
Hi all! We've been working so hard since baby #5 was born, to get some of our major cabin projects done. I'll be featuring some of them here on the blog over the next few weeks! So, now that we're getting more used to having a newborn along with a few toddlers, I'm hoping to be more consistent with my blog posts. Because I know you all are wanting more updates on our oooohhhh so exciting life ;).
Anyway, while you are in suspense for our next post, here are a few photos from our hike around the cabin last night. Eric got home just before sunset, and we were able to walk the property together <3
One of the bridges over our creek :)
Our "barn."
Anyway, while you are in suspense for our next post, here are a few photos from our hike around the cabin last night. Eric got home just before sunset, and we were able to walk the property together <3
One of the bridges over our creek :)
Our "barn."
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Cabin Breakfast- an Unexpected Favorite
Happy December!! So, we had an accidental breakfast creation a few months back, and turns out, the kids LOVE it!!!! It is a super odd combination, but somehow, it tastes pretty good! Here it is:
Scrambled Eggs
An enormous amount of cinnamon
Raisins
And there you have it. Not a professionally written recipe at all, but I think you can figure it out ;). You might be surprised by how much you like it. And if there are kids involved, make more than you think you should ;).
Blog notes: We are starting project Cabin Christmas today. That means, we are attempting to convert our little cabin into Christmas. We've had some sickness, so things may move slowly, but we will update as we go along.
Also, I haven't been including photos in my blog posts, because I'd misplaced my lap top charger, and my lovely blog doesn't like accepting photos from my phone. BUT I found a charger. So, hopefully more pictures soon :). I do post some pics on our Facebook page. So, you can follow us there for more of a visual and less words :).
Anyone else decorating for Christmas today?????
Scrambled Eggs
An enormous amount of cinnamon
Raisins
And there you have it. Not a professionally written recipe at all, but I think you can figure it out ;). You might be surprised by how much you like it. And if there are kids involved, make more than you think you should ;).
Blog notes: We are starting project Cabin Christmas today. That means, we are attempting to convert our little cabin into Christmas. We've had some sickness, so things may move slowly, but we will update as we go along.
Also, I haven't been including photos in my blog posts, because I'd misplaced my lap top charger, and my lovely blog doesn't like accepting photos from my phone. BUT I found a charger. So, hopefully more pictures soon :). I do post some pics on our Facebook page. So, you can follow us there for more of a visual and less words :).
Anyone else decorating for Christmas today?????
Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death
Many of you mothers know very well the feeling of waking with a sick child. Night time seems to always be the most difficult for a little one that is not feeling well. A few weeks ago, early in the morning, we heard the cry. It was Mia, our 2 year old. She thought there was a wasp in her bed. But, our tough little girl, that would normally fall right back to sleep when I told her she was safe...... didn't. She was insistent I take her to daddy. So, down the hall we went, and she felt so very hot. We did all the usual things you do to help a sick baby. But, in an instant, things changed. She became unresponsive, and we hurried to get dressed for the emergency room. Before we could leave, she began having a seizure. And it wouldn't stop. They took us back right away, when we arrived in the ER, and the nursing staff worked as quickly as they could to get her heart rate, oxygen levels, and seizing under control. The Lord gave Mia the very best Doctor for her, and she worked hard to get little Mia's body to stabilize.
In the rush to get her to the ER, and make sure our other children were cared for, the Lord had held my heart and fought off the fear that was nagging to overtake me. But then, standing in that room, watching her struggle, and seeing the looks the nurses were silently giving to one another..... my peace fled. Fear began to suffocate me. And there he was. Death was in the room. And I was watching him take one of my most precious gifts. I turned to Eric for comfort, and that's when I saw. Head bowed, pleading for help from the only One that could give it. And somehow, that's when I knew the Lord would prevail. He would give her life. There was nothing too hard for Him. We continued to beseech the Lord for 2 1/2 very long hours. Her poor body had been through so much. There were so many questions. Would she ever be the same little Mia we knew? Would she walk or talk? Would seizures be a part of our lives from now, on?
Finally, her body was able to stop fighting. And she rested. We waited to hear her sweet voice again. When she finally woke, she was frantic. Eric got her calmed down, and she slept some more, The next few days were filled with tests and a very irritable Mia. We watched the Lord answer so many prayers for Mia during our hospital stay. When we brought her home, she could not sit up without assistance, her balance was so bad. Within days, she was running and playing again :). She still doesn't do well in crowded or unfamiliar situations, and a few other things we've noticed are a little different than before. But, she's here. She is still a little ball of joy, rolling through our family. And I am so very thankful :).
Psalm 30:12 "To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever."
In the rush to get her to the ER, and make sure our other children were cared for, the Lord had held my heart and fought off the fear that was nagging to overtake me. But then, standing in that room, watching her struggle, and seeing the looks the nurses were silently giving to one another..... my peace fled. Fear began to suffocate me. And there he was. Death was in the room. And I was watching him take one of my most precious gifts. I turned to Eric for comfort, and that's when I saw. Head bowed, pleading for help from the only One that could give it. And somehow, that's when I knew the Lord would prevail. He would give her life. There was nothing too hard for Him. We continued to beseech the Lord for 2 1/2 very long hours. Her poor body had been through so much. There were so many questions. Would she ever be the same little Mia we knew? Would she walk or talk? Would seizures be a part of our lives from now, on?
Finally, her body was able to stop fighting. And she rested. We waited to hear her sweet voice again. When she finally woke, she was frantic. Eric got her calmed down, and she slept some more, The next few days were filled with tests and a very irritable Mia. We watched the Lord answer so many prayers for Mia during our hospital stay. When we brought her home, she could not sit up without assistance, her balance was so bad. Within days, she was running and playing again :). She still doesn't do well in crowded or unfamiliar situations, and a few other things we've noticed are a little different than before. But, she's here. She is still a little ball of joy, rolling through our family. And I am so very thankful :).
Psalm 30:12 "To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever."
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
DIY Hummingbird Nectar
Hi all!!! I took a little break from blogging during this last pregnancy with baby #5. But she's here now, and growing strong! So, the blog will start seeing some more activity :).
I usually get sentimental when we bring a new baby home, and I start thinking about all the special memories I have from childhood. Then, I want to create those same special memories with my kids. My mamaw is one of my special memories :). She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and we don't he get to visit her NEAR as much as I'd like.
If you were to visit my mamaw today, she'd greet you with a beautiful smile, invite you into her log cabin for a glass of the most deliciously sweet iced tea, and she would visit as if you are the most important part of her day. If the weather is nice, she may take you to her cozy front porch, where you can sit on the porch swing and soak up the wisdom she will share.
It won't be long on that porch, before little hummingbirds will begin buzzing around your head, past your ears, and straight to one of the several feeders Mamaw has hanging for them. I don't mean one or two. I mean, dozens of birds! It is so fun! Those little critters buzz back and forth all day long! Her secret? She makes several batches of homemade hummingbird nectar each week, and fills her feeders with it.
So, when Eric mentioned he'd seen a sad and hungry hummingbird trying to find food in our feeder, which has been empty all summer :(, the kids and I decided we better make some special Mamaw nectar!!!! We made the super easy mix last week, washed and filled our feeder, and waited. We couldn't believe how quickly Mrs. Hummingbird found her special treat, and how often she has returned! We've spotted her every single day, and today, we've seen her three times already (I'm writing this at noon :)).
So, I decided to share my mamaw's recipe for hummingbird nectar, in case you also have a hungry little bird at your house that needs fed :). It is SO easy!!!
Just boil 4 cups water, stir in 1 cup sugar, let cool, and fill your feeder. Keep any extra in your refrigerator for up to one week :). That's it!!!
You can add red food color if you want it to look like the store bought nectar. But, the birds will eat it just as well without the color, and I read somewhere once that the dye in the nectar really isn't good for the birds at all. So, all natural and dye free here at the cabin :). Now, go fill up those feeders, and let me know how your hummingbirds like it!!!!
Oh! Ely and I have been trying to click a picture of our little hummingbird friend, but so far, she's been too fast for us. We'll keep trying, and if you get a photo of yours, be sure to share it in the comments :).
I usually get sentimental when we bring a new baby home, and I start thinking about all the special memories I have from childhood. Then, I want to create those same special memories with my kids. My mamaw is one of my special memories :). She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and we don't he get to visit her NEAR as much as I'd like.
If you were to visit my mamaw today, she'd greet you with a beautiful smile, invite you into her log cabin for a glass of the most deliciously sweet iced tea, and she would visit as if you are the most important part of her day. If the weather is nice, she may take you to her cozy front porch, where you can sit on the porch swing and soak up the wisdom she will share.
It won't be long on that porch, before little hummingbirds will begin buzzing around your head, past your ears, and straight to one of the several feeders Mamaw has hanging for them. I don't mean one or two. I mean, dozens of birds! It is so fun! Those little critters buzz back and forth all day long! Her secret? She makes several batches of homemade hummingbird nectar each week, and fills her feeders with it.
So, when Eric mentioned he'd seen a sad and hungry hummingbird trying to find food in our feeder, which has been empty all summer :(, the kids and I decided we better make some special Mamaw nectar!!!! We made the super easy mix last week, washed and filled our feeder, and waited. We couldn't believe how quickly Mrs. Hummingbird found her special treat, and how often she has returned! We've spotted her every single day, and today, we've seen her three times already (I'm writing this at noon :)).
So, I decided to share my mamaw's recipe for hummingbird nectar, in case you also have a hungry little bird at your house that needs fed :). It is SO easy!!!
Just boil 4 cups water, stir in 1 cup sugar, let cool, and fill your feeder. Keep any extra in your refrigerator for up to one week :). That's it!!!
You can add red food color if you want it to look like the store bought nectar. But, the birds will eat it just as well without the color, and I read somewhere once that the dye in the nectar really isn't good for the birds at all. So, all natural and dye free here at the cabin :). Now, go fill up those feeders, and let me know how your hummingbirds like it!!!!
Oh! Ely and I have been trying to click a picture of our little hummingbird friend, but so far, she's been too fast for us. We'll keep trying, and if you get a photo of yours, be sure to share it in the comments :).
Monday, May 4, 2015
A Day In Our Life {Monday, May 4, 2015}
Happy Monday!!!! Today, we had LOTS that really needed to be done. Eric and I got up and he left for work (without breakfast :(), and the kids were already starting to wake up. So, we made some oatmeal, bananas, and yogurt quickly, while I snuck drinks of my coffee (I wasn't feeling like sharing this morning), and had our vitamins. Mia's diaper had a little trouble doing its job during breakfast, so it made a puddle on the floor... While I was cleaning that up, she took the defective diaper off before she realized she wasn't quite done..... Aaaaannnnnddddd, she ran through the kitchen, dining room, and living room before all business was fully taken care of..... So, that was quite the clean up operation.
After breakfast, Ely gave us all a lesson in the CORRECT way to color a tiger. Then, we got dressed for some hard work in the sun and headed outside. We were planning to go straight to the garden, but the kids talked me into playing bubbles first while Carli giggled in her swing. I liked this idea, because it gave me a chance to grab a banana and some milk. Our crazy, pregnant cat had come thru the kitchen screen door and eaten my breakfast while I was getting everyone else settled at the table, and I didn't notice until too late...
So, we played bubbles, and fed the animals. Of course the cat wasn't hungry for cat food, since she'd already eaten someone else's breakfast :/. But we fed her anyway, because we're nice like that. Then, we gathered shovels and Silas' Tonka dump truck, and headed to the garden. We stopped to pet Oatmeal and throw her ball a few times, then got to work weeding the garden.
Ely's home school project right now is to grow her own strawberry patch. She wanted to last year, but I procrastinated too long and missed the opportunity. So, this year, we got her two little plants, Eric tilled her a small patch just for her, and we let her do her thing. Today, her very first strawberry was ready to eat!!! She said it wasn't for sharing, but she did describe in detail how delicious it was!!! I will have to be patient to find out for myself..... if she EVER decides to share ;).
Eric had cultivated on Saturday, so it made our job MUCH easier!!! Mia and Carli played contentedly in a portion of dirt that hasn't been planted yet, and Ely and I filled our buckets with weeds while Silas hauled our loads to the "weed pile" outside the garden. This served three purposes. Silas loves to work with construction equipment, it kept me from having to waddle back and forth everytime my bucket was full, and it kept Silas busy and away from our vegetable plants (we're still learning to watch where we step ;)).
Things were going amazingly well for a while. Until Ely spotted a bug she wanted to show everyone. I never saw it, but she said it had a tiny shell that looked just like a turtle. But when she picked it up, it wrapped black poky legs around her finger and bit her. The drama that followed was a little more than I was prepared to deal with. So, we decided to all go get a drink of juice and regroup. While we were trying to recover, and Ely was still crying, Mia informed us that she was too tired and needed her bed. Everyone agreed, so we headed upstairs, read a story about a duck named Grumble that complained all the time, but then learned to be content, so they changed his name to Bubbles. Then, we changed diapers and put Silas and Mia to bed. Ely had already fallen asleep on the floor, so I decided it might be wise to let her stay there. Then, I fed Carli, and took several trips back upstairs to take Silas potty.
He was almost potty trained when I found out I was pregnant with this new baby, and I was SO sick, I couldn't make myself take the many frequent trips to the potty or clean up poopie accidents. So, I got lazy and put him back in diapers. Well, I feel better right now than I ever have when pregnant. So, I decided I better hurry and get him used to going potty, while I'm not constantly throwing up, and before new baby gets here. He's done really well! So, that's exciting :)!!!
However, I still haven't gotten his new room set up. So, between all the potty trips, he woke up both sisters prematurely, and I found myself at the end of nap with no housework to show for it. Maybe tomorrow ;). We had some lunch, and headed back outside. We intended to go finish all the weeding, but instead decided it might be a blessing to daddy if we cleaned off the porch. So, we worked on that for a little, until Silas was too exhausted, and we headed back upstairs for some quiet time for the kids and a shower for me. I had an unexpected disagreement with someone I really care about, and I HATE that. So, I spent the rest of the kids' quiet time praying about if I'd been wrong in my actions, which had caused the breech. Disagreements are no fun and generally make me sick to my stomach.
Ely woke up first. We had an apple and peanut butter snack and talked about a few things, and then we saw daddy out the window! So, we ran outside to see him before he started weed eating and working on another project he's almost finished with. After supper, everyone was exhausted. So, we took it to bed, and I remembered I still hadn't put sheets on our bed. I checked the dryer, and sure enough they were still damp. So, I put on the mattress cover, and hoped that would suffice for tonight :/. Definitely better than a bare mattress.
This was our uneventful day :). What did you do today?
After breakfast, Ely gave us all a lesson in the CORRECT way to color a tiger. Then, we got dressed for some hard work in the sun and headed outside. We were planning to go straight to the garden, but the kids talked me into playing bubbles first while Carli giggled in her swing. I liked this idea, because it gave me a chance to grab a banana and some milk. Our crazy, pregnant cat had come thru the kitchen screen door and eaten my breakfast while I was getting everyone else settled at the table, and I didn't notice until too late...
So, we played bubbles, and fed the animals. Of course the cat wasn't hungry for cat food, since she'd already eaten someone else's breakfast :/. But we fed her anyway, because we're nice like that. Then, we gathered shovels and Silas' Tonka dump truck, and headed to the garden. We stopped to pet Oatmeal and throw her ball a few times, then got to work weeding the garden.
Ely's home school project right now is to grow her own strawberry patch. She wanted to last year, but I procrastinated too long and missed the opportunity. So, this year, we got her two little plants, Eric tilled her a small patch just for her, and we let her do her thing. Today, her very first strawberry was ready to eat!!! She said it wasn't for sharing, but she did describe in detail how delicious it was!!! I will have to be patient to find out for myself..... if she EVER decides to share ;).
Eric had cultivated on Saturday, so it made our job MUCH easier!!! Mia and Carli played contentedly in a portion of dirt that hasn't been planted yet, and Ely and I filled our buckets with weeds while Silas hauled our loads to the "weed pile" outside the garden. This served three purposes. Silas loves to work with construction equipment, it kept me from having to waddle back and forth everytime my bucket was full, and it kept Silas busy and away from our vegetable plants (we're still learning to watch where we step ;)).
Things were going amazingly well for a while. Until Ely spotted a bug she wanted to show everyone. I never saw it, but she said it had a tiny shell that looked just like a turtle. But when she picked it up, it wrapped black poky legs around her finger and bit her. The drama that followed was a little more than I was prepared to deal with. So, we decided to all go get a drink of juice and regroup. While we were trying to recover, and Ely was still crying, Mia informed us that she was too tired and needed her bed. Everyone agreed, so we headed upstairs, read a story about a duck named Grumble that complained all the time, but then learned to be content, so they changed his name to Bubbles. Then, we changed diapers and put Silas and Mia to bed. Ely had already fallen asleep on the floor, so I decided it might be wise to let her stay there. Then, I fed Carli, and took several trips back upstairs to take Silas potty.
He was almost potty trained when I found out I was pregnant with this new baby, and I was SO sick, I couldn't make myself take the many frequent trips to the potty or clean up poopie accidents. So, I got lazy and put him back in diapers. Well, I feel better right now than I ever have when pregnant. So, I decided I better hurry and get him used to going potty, while I'm not constantly throwing up, and before new baby gets here. He's done really well! So, that's exciting :)!!!
However, I still haven't gotten his new room set up. So, between all the potty trips, he woke up both sisters prematurely, and I found myself at the end of nap with no housework to show for it. Maybe tomorrow ;). We had some lunch, and headed back outside. We intended to go finish all the weeding, but instead decided it might be a blessing to daddy if we cleaned off the porch. So, we worked on that for a little, until Silas was too exhausted, and we headed back upstairs for some quiet time for the kids and a shower for me. I had an unexpected disagreement with someone I really care about, and I HATE that. So, I spent the rest of the kids' quiet time praying about if I'd been wrong in my actions, which had caused the breech. Disagreements are no fun and generally make me sick to my stomach.
Ely woke up first. We had an apple and peanut butter snack and talked about a few things, and then we saw daddy out the window! So, we ran outside to see him before he started weed eating and working on another project he's almost finished with. After supper, everyone was exhausted. So, we took it to bed, and I remembered I still hadn't put sheets on our bed. I checked the dryer, and sure enough they were still damp. So, I put on the mattress cover, and hoped that would suffice for tonight :/. Definitely better than a bare mattress.
This was our uneventful day :). What did you do today?
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