October 31 Fun

On Halloween we always avoid being home. Last year we decided to go shoe shopping at our local mall, and we found out that trick-or-treating at the mall is the "safe" alternative to trick-or-treating on the street.  It was overrun with little goblins and freaks, but since we were in the minority, as virtually the only non-tattooed, non-costumed family, we appeared to be the freaks...

So this year we decided we would do something different.  We took the kids on a Mystery Ride out to Lake Mohave for some star hunting.  Living in the dry, non-cloudy Southwest, we are in what would be a great area for stargazing IF Las Vegas would shut out the lights for once! Well, it was plenty dark for finding the major constellations, anyway.  We are new to the star map, so it was an education for us big people. AND, I might add, it was deemed a success when we found both the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.

It was also a good opportunity to try out the "dark" settings on my digital camera:

Not quite dark enough for stars.

 

Where's the Big Dipper?

 

Piggy flashlight helps find stars. Oink Oink Oink.

Serious star student.

Happy star-gazers!

Actually, they are happy because they found something a lot more fun to do than craning their necks -- playing hide-and-seek in a very LARGE, very DARK parking lot, with only two flashlights (one being the dying piggy, oink oink), and DAD! One of the girls paid their daddy the highest compliment as we drove home: "None of those poor kids who went trick-or-treating had as much fun as WE did!  We got to play hide-and-seek with DAD!!" The "dad" sentiment was repeated several times tonight. Aren't dads great?!

A Blog Worth Following

A little while ago I was given a blog award that had something to do with discipling. While I really do appreciate the spirit of the award, I thought the timing was ironic, since I have not posted that kind of material in a while. And, I don't know... I just don't like to spotlight myself. I believe Jesus Christ gets all the glory for anything good that comes from me.  I sincerely thanked the giver of the award, and I was going to let it drop there. 

But today I came across a blog that I want to share.  I am not even going to tell this blogger that I am doing this, because I know she would not want the praise. But if you are feeling like you are in dire straits with your spiritual life, your children, or your relationship to your husband, AND if you are REALLY ready to follow some good, godly counsel, then do go and spend some time at Camilla Anderson's blog, Growing in Truth. Read her testimony, her "secret" for staying on top, how she has trained herself in financial accountability with the Lord's help, how she bought back her children's hearts  from the world. Camilla has some really wonderful counsel in the daily, practical areas of a Christian woman's life.

What?  You ask why am I not posting entries on these things myself?  Simple.  I am still working on them.

 

UPDATE: Camilla has shut down her blog, but there is another blog out there that bears a striking resemblance to hers.   It is right here.

Psalm 119 on the Bible

Some time ago as I was reading through Psalm 119, I decided to make a note of all of the things I was instructed to DO with God's Word, either by example or by direct command.  As I then continued to read through my Bible, I also continued to write these things in the flyleaf of my Bible. Too bad I didn't note the references.  Do you have any additions?

What to Do With God's Word

walk in it

keep it

respect it

learn it

take heed to it

seek it

hide it in my heart

rejoice in it

meditate on it

delight in it

long for it

take counsel in it

understand it

talk about it

choose it

adhere to it

observe it

love it

trust in it

hope in it

find comfort in it

remember it

think on it

turn to it

know it

consider it

abide in it

perform it

fear it

esteem it

stand in awe of it

praise it

publish it

thank God for it!

note to self: used 3/12?

Church Picnic

Do you remember how, when you got your yearbook, it was full of candid shots of all of the yearbook staff's friends?  Now I know how that happens.  I missed some key people this afternoon!  So sorry, to those of you who were omitted from this slide show. (You can go over to Kristy's blog and see hers!)

Also, this was my first attempt using Slide.com... Nearly every time I tried to put in a caption, the photo moved out of order.  VEEERRRRYYY SSSLLLOOOWWWLLLYYY!  So most of them aren't labeled.  Anyway, we had a great day, and I think this fall picnic is going to have to be a regular event.  Here you go:

 

 

Okay, it goes too fast, and it makes me sick to my stomach, bouncing around like that.  And since I didn't sign up, I can't edit it...

Sunday's Sad Dinner

On Sundays I like to have something quick to make for dinner/lunch (depends which part of the country you are from ). I thought spaghetti would be quick and easy and very Baptist, lol, and I even remembered to take some ground beef out of the freezer before we left for church.  Good for me. When we got home, I got the sauce going and decided that we needed to eat something more than just spaghetti.  Like a salad.  Or rolls or something.  I was too lazy to make a salad, so I figured I would just toast some bagels under the broiler, with butter and parmesan cheese on them.  Yum, yum, right?  I sometimes do this with left-over hamburger buns, but Passionforpurple had just made a Sam's Club run for me, and had sent me home from church with fresh bagels.  So I got the spaghetti boiling and used up all but about a tablespoon of the parmesan cheese on the bagels (had to save a bit for DH's spaghetti), then I popped them into the oven. And forgot about them. Sad day for Emily!

Wash Day

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Cremes

Earlier today Audiam posted a request for holiday recipes, including turkey, veggies, and of course, one of the staples of my life, desserts.  We don't "do" the holidays here, but this recipe has been handed down for generations in my family, and for some reason I do not know, these wonderful things only appear (and quickly disappear!) in December.  Personally I think they would be great all year around, but no one in my family ever makes them in any other month. ...As far as I know.  If they do, they aren't telling, and they don't share! (Photo from Flickr.)

Chocolate Peppermint Cremes

Combine 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

Cream together in a different bowl, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 2 T water, and 2 eggs, and then add 12 oz. melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Add the combined dry ingredients and mix well. The dough may be stiff, especially if you used real butter.  If it is very soft, refrigerate for a couple of hours. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then flatten a bit. Bake on greased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes, at 350.  Don't overbake them -- they should be soft in the centers. Cool completely.

To make the filling, cream together 1/3 cup of butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp of peppermint, a dash of salt, and 3 T + 1 tsp milk.  Spread liberally onto cookies and sandwich together.  Makes about 4 dozen. Enjoy.  (And please bring some over here to share with me!)

This reminds me, I saw something today that I am going to HAVE to try the next time I need a real chocolate fix, something that might even be better than the killer brownies I made the other day. (Those go toooo fast!)  Ever hear of grilled Nutella sandwiches? Nutella is now at the top of my grocery list for next month! I might not wait that long...

Charlotte Mason?

Somebody please give me a good but succinct resource to learn about Charlotte Mason.  I like what I have read from homeschoolers who use her methods, but I really don't know what her philosophy and practices were except for nature journaling. I don't think that is something we will be doing -- we only have rocks for our nature!  Is this something I can start with an 8th grader?