Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for . . .

261. a washing machine and dryer in my home.

262. upcoming missions trip to Arizona for our youth.

263.  the YouthWorks missions trips who are coming to Kokomo for their missions trip and the opportunity David and I have to work with them at Kokomo Urban Outreach (more on that in another blog post).

264.  God-planned encounters with students through Bridges Outreach.

265.  hand-me-down toys.

266.  lazy mornings with the kids.

267.  how easily my children forgive me.  I could learn a thing or two from them!

268.  my guitar.

269.  the freedoms and luxuries I have in this country that I take for granted every day.

270.  flip-flops, and never having to wash socks all summer.

What are you thankful for?

An apology

I'd like to take a moment and apologize to all of the female population.  Because last night I was one of those women. 

Now before you get too intrigued, it all transpired at Menards.

A few days ago I was trying to figure out what to do with the little patch of dirt next to our garage.  Nothing grows there, not even grass, and it is kind of ugly.  Since we are thinking of selling our house, I was trying to come up with a solution to "ugly dirt patch".  So, I decided I would get some patio blocks (I know that's what they are called now.  At Menards I called them pavers, and that is NOT the correct term.), dig up the dirt a little and put them down.

So, here's where I embarass my gender. 

First, I take Elise (a 2 year-old) and we head to Menards.
We walk through and find the stones we like (on clearance) and then proceed to wander around looking for help. Did I write down the kind of stone I wanted?  Did I look at the color name?  Of course not!  I had to be a stereotypical woman and say to Mr. Menard, "I like these stones out there.  Can you get them for me?"  So after a trip back to the stones, I ask if I need anything else.  Tip:  never ask that at a home/garden store.  OF COURSE YOU NEED SOMETHING ELSE.  MANY MORE THINGS!  Sand, mortar, tools, levels, etc.  They had me so confused, I just decided to buy the blocks and run.

Except I had to drive to the lumber yard and pick up the stones first.

In David's truck.

Did I mention I am terrible at backing up?

I think I made every worker in the lumber yard cringe with fear that I was going to back into something.  But I got the blocks, thanks to another Mr. Menards who helped me. 

The only thing that made me feel better was the fact that he was totally acting like the stereotypical male.  These were his exact words while I was helping him carry the patio stones to the truck:  "I usually carry three at a time, but I'm feeling lazy today, so I'll just carry two."

So, I guess we are even.

Once I get this whole project complete I will share some photos (if it doesn't look like a total disaster.  Actually, I'll probably share even if it's a total disaster!)


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Garden update

The green beans are budding.  That's a good sign.  We should have real beans in a couple of weeks.  In case you are wondering, we freeze our beans, which means you boil them for 3-4 minutes and cool them, and then put in ziploc bags.  Much easier than canning and they last all winter!

 This is what our broccoli looks like.  It should make one big flower, but ours split early, so we probably won't have as much broccoli.  Also, if you ever grow broccoli be very careful to wash it because it gets these little green worms that are easy to miss, so you might end up with a little extra protein if you're not careful.

 Cabbage is coming along nicely.  Each cabbage produces only one head, but there isn't really too much to do with cabbage as far as saving it, so a few heads is plenty for us.

 Cucumbers are still growing, and the beetles are still chomping away.  David actually bought some more seeds to try cucumbers again if these don't produce.  We will have to wait and see.

 The first of many green peppers is starting to grow!!!  Now we just have to wait.  And wait.  And wait.  And hope it doesn't fall or get bugs before it's ready.

 Jalapeno peppers.  These have always done very well.  If you've never had a garden before, I'd suggest trying hot peppers, because they seem to grow pretty well.  Plus, you can just pop them whole into a ziploc bag, keep them in the freezer, and use them all winter.

 If you pull one of the onions, this is their size right now.

 The old adage is that corn should be "knee high by the 4th of July".  I think we are on the right track. 
 

 Tomatoes are starting to look good, too.



If you look carefully, you can see a little zucchini growing back there.  We didn't get many zucchini last summer, so we are hoping for a better outcome this summer.  If you have extra zucchini, you can shred it and freeze it to use in soups, breads, etc.

And here is our new favorite pico recipe:

Fresh Corn and Avocado Pico de Gallo

1 poblano pepper
1 red, orange, or yellow sweet pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup corn (either fresh, frozen, or from the can--drained)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 avocado, chopped

1.  Broil poblano and sweet pepper in oven on a foil-lined baking sheet for 7-10 minutes.  Let cool and peel skin away, get rid of stem and seeds, and chop up the rest.
2.  In a large bowl combine the peppers, tomatoes, corn, red onion, cilantro, lime peel, lime juice, salt, garlic, and hot pepper sauce.  Cover and chill 4-24 hours.  Stir in avocado right before serving.  Goes well chips or on top of grilled chicken.

Enjoy!!

Breaking the fast for some Roo's

These are my new shoes.  When I say "new", I mean they are new to me.  They belonged to some old man on highway 19 until I bought them at a garage sale today for one American dollar (as my good friend Alison would say).  I gave up buying clothes (including shoes, etc.) for a year.  Not because I'm trying to save money, but because I am trying to better understand "needs" and "wants".  So many times I think I need something, when in fact I already have several of those "needs" in my closet.  My fast is technically not over for a few more weeks, but I couldn't pass these shoes up.  It's not like I'm going to ever find them again (except maybe at the same garage sale next year). 

But I wanted to show them off to you, because I am simply in love.

And now I'm spending the rest of the day trying to figure out what to put in the little zippered pockets on each shoe.  Ideas, anyone?

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

251. a great Father's Day, spent with my father and the father of my children.

252.  catching up with an old friend.

253. finishing Charlotte's Web with Noel.

254. seeing my little monkey hang from the bar above the slide.  How can you look at that and not smile?

255. cars that run and no car payments.

256.  joy in the midst of chaos and frustration.

257.  the miracle of a sunset.

258. Snack Pak puddings.  Seriously, those things are amazing.

259.  lazy summer days.

260. hugs from my little ones.  There is no greater feeling than their arms wrapped around my neck.

What are you thankful for?

Welcome, Summer!

Since Summer is officially upon us, I'd like to welcome it!

Hello, summer!  Welcome! 

So far, our summer has been going well.  I will admit that having both kids to myself all of the time can be a little. . .hmmm. . .overwhelming?  Not sure that is the exact word, but entertaining 2 children from sun up to sun down can really get to me by the end of the day.  Don't get me wrong, we are having fun.  We've been swimming and biking and playing and eating popsicles and going to parks and reading books and dancing and eating ice cream and running races and all kinds of other things.

There just isn't much down time for me.  And I recognize that in the grand scheme of things this isn't a problem worth complaining about.  I have healthy children who are fun to be with.  I recognize how much I am blessed.  It is just the selfish side in me fighting to come out.

Good news and bad news--gardening edition

 Well, I wanted to post some pictures of the garden and how it is going (since I'm sure you all care so much!) It's actually pretty cool to see it week by week.  The above picture is of the cucumbers.  David put the trellaces in, and they look good from far away, but. . .

 It looks like the dreaded cucumber beetle has struck again.  Either that or some kind of fungus.  It's incredibly discouraging.  All of the hard work and we might not get a single cucumber.  I think about people in third world countries who work so hard and if some kind of bug gets to their plants, they don't have the option to heading over to Meijer to buy their food.  And to think I have any reason to complain!

 In better news, the pepper plants are doing well (hot peppers on the left, bell peppers on the right).  David tied them all to stakes to keep them from falling over once the peppers (cross fingers) come in.  One of these plants is basil, and we actually picked the basil on Friday for freezing.  You can basically puree it with olive oil and freeze it so you can use it as a paste for sauces, seasonings, etc. all year.

 The tomato plants are looking good and are now caged, so they won't run away :) 

 Corn looks good.  The back part of the garden is the second batch of corn, and little sprouts have just popped up, so that seems promising.

I didn't post a picture of the onions last week, so here they are (didn't want them to feel left out).  You can pick an onion at any time.  They just keep getting bigger and bigger.  Right now they are about the size of a cherry and are very pungent.

In sad news, the broccoli plants are not doing well.  They started to flower too soon, so there isn't much hope for a big outcome there.  And broccoli is one of my favorites.  Oh, well, it's the nature of the beast.

If you have any gardening tips or helpful hints (or recipes) PLEASE let me know!

Happy gardening and Happy Monday!

Happy Father's Day!

Traits I inherited from my father:

*love for puzzles of all kinds
*love for cooking
*sarcasm
*appreciation of a good nap

Things I have learned from my father:

*patience
*looking at things logically
*helping others out
*how to make the best fudge ever

My father is a great man.  He has been through a lot in his life, and I think some of it weighs heavy on his heart, but he's not one to share.  He is a quiet man, but one with insight and wisdom. I wish that I could keep my thoughts to myself sometimes like he does.  My dad is not the greatest babysitter (he doesn't really get down and play with the kids much), but my 2 year-old girl is positively smitten with him, can't get enough of him. 

She is her mother's daughter.

Thursday Thank-yous

This week, I am thankful for. . .

241.  surprise visits from old friends.

242.  surprise visits from family!

243.  impromptu trips with the kids that turn out well.

244.  the sidewalks in our neighborhood.  Endless adventures await us every day!

245.  being a part of the ministry at Kokomo Urban Outreach.

246.  sunscreen.

246.  quiet time in the morning before the kids wake up (after that, it's not so quiet around here for the next 12 or so hours).

247.  the comic strip "Pickles."  It has seriously turned my disdain of the comics in the newspaper around.

248.  watching Noel and Elise eat ice cream cones. 

249.  upcoming fun plans for the summer.

250.  learning more about the Holy Spirit.

What are you thankful for??

Aunt Vicky can teach us a lesson or two

We went to the library today for story time and summing reading program, and we ended up meeting Aunt Vicky.

I call her that because that's what she told us to call her.

I was getting the kids buckled in to leave the library, and up walks this older lady who, I realize later, is carrying all of her belongings in 2 plastic bags and 2 purses.  She walks right up to me and starts explaining that she is diabetic, hasn't had her medicine, and hasn't eaten in two days.  She tells me that if she can get to the Rescue Mission for lunch (which was already starting) she has been promised a hot meal.  She asks for a ride. 

And before I even have a minute to think about it, she's buckled into my van and we are headed to the Mission.  On the way, she tells me about how she gets motion sickness, especially on airplanes, and that the last time she was on a plane she rode in a 747 from Indy to Dallas and then onto Las Vegas.  She also told me that her name is Vicky, not short for anything, just Vicky, but everyone calls her Aunt Vicky.  She also told me how cute my kids were and asked if there was anything she could pray about for us.  (Did I mention the Rescue Mission is about 3 blocks away?  Aunt Vicky is quite a talker!)

So we took her to the mission, got her in the door, and were headed on our way.  The whole incident took less than 5 minutes, but it left me thinking.  What if there were more Aunt Vicky's out there?

Wait.  I don't quite mean it the way you think I mean it.

I definitely don't wish there were more homeless women with diabetes and no place to eat.  What I mean is that I wish more of us could just be honest with each other about what we need.  I saw Vicky walking through the parking lot of the library, but I didn't think to ask her what I could do to help her. 

I think about all of us walking around, some of us really needing something.  It might not be a ride or a meal.  It might be some encouragement.  It might be some guidance.  It might be a need for someone to show them God's love in a tangible way not seen before.  But we don't walk up to people and say, "I really need a friend today, can you be my friend?"  Instead, we go through life with a mask on, pretending that everything is okay, that we don't need anyone, and we go without.

I don't know if I'll ever see Vicky again.  I don't even know if she got her hot meal.  But I do know that she showed me to speak up when I am in need and to open my eyes to those in need around me. 

What's Cooking?

In keeping with my "garden" post yesterday, I wanted to share a recipe with you today.  One of my favorite go-to meals is bbq chicken in the slow cooker.  Basically, you put some chicken breasts, bbq sauce, ketchup, and whatever spices/sauces you want to make a sauce and you let it go for the day.  I follow this recipe, but you can do just about anything.

But last week when I made this, I also tried making my own buns to serve the bbq with.  And it was about the easiest bun/bread I've ever made.  Plus it didn't take all day.  Only 30 minutes of rising and the only kneading was done in the mixer with a dough hook (if you don't have a mixer, you could knead it by hand for a couple of minutes).  And they were DELICIOUS!  I kept thinking that I wish this was the first bread recipe I ever tried, because some are very meticulous and have lots of potential to fail, but not this one.  Click here to see the recipe.

I also used this recipe from Pioneer Woman for roasted potatoes, and I may never be the same again.  They were soooo good and crispy.  Noel told me they were the best "fries" ever, so I consider it a success.

What have you been cooking this summer?

Our Garden

Okay, so when I say "our" I am being a little dishonest, because 98% of the work on our garden is done by my amazing husband.  But I just had to share the progress of our ever-growing garden.  Every year we add a little more.

 These are the cucumbers.  David puts a netting on them so the bugs stay out until they are big enough to withstand some beetles.  Cucumbers are David's favorite food and the reason we started a garden 7 years ago, so he's a little protective of them.  And no, I don't make pickles from them.  Yes, I have some very easy recipes, but I've never tried. 

 These are the peppers.  Hot peppers are on the left and bell peppers are on the right.  Our bell peppers were a total bust last year, so we are hoping for a better outcome this summer.  We freeze peppers and use them throughout the year.  You just dice them and quick freeze on a cookie sheet, and once they are frozen you can put them into ziploc bags. 

 And here are the tomatoes.  Again, it was a rough summer last year for the tomatoes, so we went a little overboard on the tomatoes this time.  We don't can tomatoes, but we do can salsa.  Also, you can put tomatoes in the blender and then freeze and add to soups, sauces, etc. all year.

 And now we have come to the part of the garden I dare not touch:  the corn.  David grows lots of sweet corn (the back of the garden is for the second installment of the corn).  We freeze most of it and eat on it all year.  The other vegetable we freeze for all year is green beans, which I didn't get a good picture of, but are behind the cukes.

Snow peas, cabbage, broccoli, and onions.  We are already enjoying the snow peas and broccoli.

So, there you have it, our garden in a nutshell. I'm going to try and take pictures every week so we can capture the progress.  And if you have any gardening questions, I have NO IDEA, but I will gladly pass them onto my husband.

5-Minute Friday

Welcome to 5-Minute Friday!  If you haven't seen this before, it is a blogging "exercise" from this website, where you write for 5 minutes straight on the given topic.  No editing.  No changes.  Just write. 

Today's topic:  BACKWARDS


GO

This world has got it all backwards.

God has such an amazing plan for each of us.  A plan that will bring us peace, unity, joy, contentment, and grace.

But we turn it around and live it backwards.

Instead of living for Him, we live for ourselves.  Instead of helping the poor, we try and get as much as we can.  Instead of working together as united believers, we disagree and argue over petty differences.

Jesus said to serve.  To live backwards.  And it's a daily struggle to wake up and not be swooned by the ads that say I "need" the new shirt or I "deserve" the new car.  It's a struggle to love those who are hard to love.  It's a struggle to forgive, even when someone hasn't asked for forgiveness, doesn't even think they are wrong.  But this is living backwards.  This is what Jesus did when He was on earth.  Befriending sinners.  Loving prostitutes.  Speaking the truth in love, whether it was popular or not.

In 1 Corinthians, it says that the wisdom of God looks like foolishness to this world. Talk about backwards.

May I live "backwards".  In contradiction to this world, and in favor with the One who made it.

STOP



If you want to take part in 5-Minute Friday, link your post up here.

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

231.  ELECTRICITY!!! 

232.  Kokomo Beach  (you laugh, but it is wonderful).

233.  homemade rolls in the oven to go on top of slow-cooked bbq chicken.  Yes, sir.

234.  summer reading program at the library (even if all of Kokomo has invaded "our" library and taken away our secret hide-out spots and good books).

235.  dinner with good friends.

236.  a group from our church is leaving in a few days for Zimbabwe to work on an orphan house our church has helped fund.  So excited (and a little jealous) for them.  Still want to go.

237.  popsicles.  What would summer be without them?  Have you found mango-flavored ones?  I have :)

238.  batteries.

239.  the growing garden in the back yard.  Already had some snow peas and broccoli!  (not thankful for the weeds, though.)

240.  seeing people stop talking about church and actually being the church in numerous ways.  It makes me crazy happy!

What are you thankful for?

Sell, Sell, Sell!

I hosted a garage sale this weekend for our youth group's mission trip to Arizona (I think I already shared that yesterday. . .ANYWHOOO).

Let me share some thoughts from the whole garage sale experience:

Garage-sale people are a unique breed.  They have no problem asking "Can I use your bathroom?"  "I know this is a dime, will you take a nickel?" "Can I smoke right over the books you are selling?" (Actually, nobody asked that last question, they just went ahead and smoked RIGHT OVER THE MERCHANDISE!)

But garage-sale people are also funny, and friendly, and they are trying to stretch their dollars, which is impressive.  In previous years I've shopped lots of garage sales, although it's getting a lot harder with 2 kids begging me to buy every toy they see.  I'm a firm believer in re-using clothes, especially kids clothes.  But shopping a garage sale and having one at your house are two different things.  Wow.
I had never held my own garage sale.  I did not realize how much crap, I mean, stuff, is left over.  Even after 2 days, our garage was full!  What does that say about how much stuff we as Americans have?  Wow.  I also didn't realize how much work it is to get everything put out and displayed.  And the heat!  Yowza!! 

So, while it is fun to see your stuff go to a better home and get some money for it, I'm not sure I'm cut out for this every year.  And as my friend Leslie (who helped out like a champ) noted, it's such good people watching.  I mean, where else are you going to see a middle-aged man walk up to someone's house, buy a ceramic kitty cat, and leave pleased with his purchase?  That's good stuff.  Good stuff.

". . .it's like camping. . .but not so much fun."

So, on Saturday (and Friday, by accident) I hosted a garage sale to raise money for our youth group's mission trip.  It was long and tiring, and very hot, but we made some good money.  As we were packing up all of the leftover "treasures" that didn't get sold, I just kept thinking how nice it will be to relax Saturday night and lay on the couch, play with the kids, read a book, etc.

Little did I know we were going to be left in the dark, literally, for the about 27 hours.

There was a pretty big storm that blew through Kokomo, and some of the wind knocked a tree over in our neighborhood, leaving us without any power from Saturday night until Sunday night.

Ugh.

I know in the grand scheme of things it wasn't really a big deal, and I tried to keep perspective.  It wasn't 3 degrees out.  We had a lantern and some headlight flashlights.  The storm was over quickly, so it was calm out.

But I was still frustrated and hot.  Mainly because my plans had been unexpectedly changed.  I tend to stress when I haven't had time to adjust to a new situation.  I don't mind change, but I like to be warned of the change in advance.

Anyway. . .these are some things we learned from our power outage:

*You can still give kids baths and read bedtime stories without power.

*Chinese take-out is still pretty good even when it's cold.

*Sam's Club is good for more than 96 cent pretzels and cheap dog food.  It's also a great place to cool off when you have no power on a hot day in June.

*We really love electricity.  Love it.  If it were a person, I would buy it a nice steak dinner.

(But if the electricity goes out again, I'm asking for a refund on the steak.)

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

221.  air conditioning.

222.  relaxing summer days.

223.  healthy kids who keep me running all day.

224. downtime with good friends and family.

225.  God turning tough situations into opportunities to honor Him.

226. new "treasures" for my children, thanks to garage sale donations.

227.  the first batch of broccoli from the garden.

228.  s'mores.  My favorite thing about camping, hands down.

229.  the power of prayer.

230.  the students from our youth group who are graduating.  Watching them mature throughout their high school years is always a treasure.

What are you thankful for?