Sweet Summer Memories

I was cleaning off my camera card and came across some pictures from this summer.  What sweet, sweet memories these are - especially in the dead of winter!

This was a backyard stay-cation that Mike put together at the spur of the moment.  

We had just found out we were expecting.  Days later, Mike was given notice that his position at the school district he'd served at for the past 6 years had been terminated (out-sourced) and he was given one month's notice.  On top of that, he was being treated VERY unkindly by an administrator at the district. 

The day before this stay-cation, our church's youth group left for NYR - an annual camping trip in the Colorado Rockies that Mike hadn't missed in 20+ years.  Even the year I had Xavier in June, he went.  His luggage was already in CO with the early crew.  His heart was in the trip.  However, this year, he knew God was saying "stay.  Be with your family - do the job hunt, go on interviews, put out your resume.  Just stay." 

Satan was trying to take a hold of my husband...it truly could have been one of our darkest times had Mike allowed it to be.

Instead, Mike dove into the Word.  He studied it and clung to it.  We filled out applications, reviewed resumes, and got him ready to go on job interviews.  We prayed - together, separately - and we hung tightly to Jesus.

My husband...he pitched a tent, got out the fire pit, and threw a backyard camp out for his babies so they would never guess that daddy might be hurting.  He roasted hot dogs, made s'mores, played t-ball till it was dark and left the canopy off the top of the tent so we could see the stars. 

 He made a dark moment into a beautiful memory for our family. 

And God didn't fail us.  Not then and not now.  Micheal finished his 1 month at the school district on a Friday and on Monday began a better job as an IT at a college an hour and a half from home.  We never went without a paycheck.  We got health insurance back (something the kids and I had been without since I quit teaching).  Even better, Mike started being treated as a human again and thoroughly enjoys his new position & all the challenges and opportunities for learning that it offers.

 

As we prepare to move to the town Mike is employed in I've had several people ask me how I can do it.  How can I leave my hometown, my family being around the corner, the little house I love?  

But truly, it's easy.  When I felt God call me to be a stay at home and homeschooling Mama, Mike didn't say "no way."  He said "I've got your back and God's got mine - do it."  This is my turn to do the same for him.  It's no sacrifice really...it's an adventure and I'm blessed to be on it!

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 
Psalm 30:5

Our joy and excitement at what God has planned for us is abounding!  Tonight, on this frigid 9 degree night, I'm thankful for these summer memories and the real story behind them...God's assurance that we can rest in Him and He'll always have our back.

Beeler Family Pictures

You remember me mentioning Mike's Grandma Betty in the post of our Final Christmas of 2013, right?  

Simply put, she's a classy lady with a ton of gusto and vigor at 90 years old.  Recently she was diagnosed with a couple of superficial carcinomas on her leg, so a thought started rolling in my head that after treatment for these was decided maybe we should do a new set of Beeler family pictures in case the treatments made her feel lousy.  The last ones we took were in 2010 when the boys were babies:

I mentioned my thought to Mike's cousin's wife and she was very on the ball and made contact with a photographer who was able to do pictures this past Saturday for us.  Everyone was able to come so we just shot straight ahead and did them.  The children were very well behaved and after the professional session (which we did in our home church) Mike and I snagged a few pictures of just our kids.  

The memorial window belongs to Betty's late husband, Mike's Grandpa.  Xavier's hat is also Grandpa Dale's.

 

We also took a couple pics to say "we're happy you're coming!" of our family to print and put in the baby's book.  I did not realize quite how wide this dress made me look and am feeling weary thinking about looking at the professional pics.  However, at 31 weeks pregnant, maybe wide is the way to go? UGH.  At any rate, Baby #3, we're excited you're coming!!

 (The children's excitement seems to be waning, huh?  ^^ This was the last pic we did.  They'd done pics for almost an hour and a half and been model listeners.  Time to be done!)

31 Weeks {#3} & Other Random Ramblings

I'm tired.  I feel big and my body feels bulky.  I hate that.  I long to go out and take walks and revive my energy, however the side streets are sheets of ice and after my fall already I dare not try it.  I walk up and down the stairs here at the house LOTS of times a day and try to keep myself up and on my feet with the children to stay active.  Natalee and I do ballet together - I look silly but at least my body is stretching out.  

{Bonus picture - I might not look as silly as daddy but isn't he the best sport ever??}

I shall not whine.  I do know how blessed I am.  I get pregnant and carry babies fairly easily.  I often stop and remind myself of this and praise Jesus for His goodness and pray for those who have a much more difficult time of it. 

This baby is strong.  The gestation calendar says (s)he has tiny finger nails and toe nails now and is the size of 4 naval oranges.  Baby's activity level is still fairly high and visible from the outside to anyone who stares for a minute at my large tummy.

I'm starting to think about packing bags - at least the beginning stages of them.  I have lists made of what we want to take - we are choosing to try to do even more natural routes with this baby than with our first two so we've ordered chlorine free disposable diapers and wipes to take to the hospital and to use for the first few weeks until we are ready for cloth. 

The baby book is here and so darling.  My mom and dad gave me the nicest maternity/nursing PJ set that I am super excited to wear and I ordered myself a night gown.  These type of things speak straight to my heart and give me energy in and of themselves.  I finished sewing all the repurposed cloth diaper burp cloths which is a ton of cuteness.  (Some will be put away for gifts...some kept for us).

[made from Gerber flat diapers]

 [made from Gerber prefold diapers]

Things are coming together.  

All that's left on the pertinent to do list is to sell this house and find a place to live in the same town as Mike's new job.  Oh gee...that's all?

Leaving it up to God - he brought us to is, we have no doubt he'll get us through it. 
Pray for us if you want...we wouldn't turn it down!

Soaking In the Sun

After church, we made a point to enjoy the outdoors today with a high of 51* and some sun because the forecast for tomorrow is back to the dreary winter days of clouds and a high of 9* with wind chills reaching -20.  As I type, the wind has picked up, the rain has started, and the snow is supposed to come in.  We are WEARY of winter but we are trying not to lament and be whiners.  We are trying, though not always succeeding.  Our bodies are aching for the sunshine.  I noticed some winter blues in Natalee this week and started her on Vitamin D chewable supplements to help her pull herself back up.  We've noticed some improvement and the melancholy listlessness abating so I hope they're helping. 

The children rode bikes and scooters when we got home - Natalee played outside on the deck at my folks' house after lunch while the sun was shining right on her and enjoyed it very much!  She's my sunshine girl and the older she gets the more I see that, when grown up, she could very easily leave the MO/IA area for a place that has more year round sun.  Her body craves it like no one I've ever met before!

Mike put together his new motorcycle jack that my folks got him for Christmas and played mechanic in the garage for a few minutes with Xavier.

And me?  I just enjoyed sweeping off and picking up the porch a bit and breathing the fresh air.  Spring's coming - it just has to...are you ready?

Mama's Homecookin' - Chicken Pot Pie

I'm no super chef.  We eat what I was raised up on - good strong home cooking (and the occasional Tyson chicken nugget).

My favorite thing on earth is pot pie...chicken, turkey - it matters not.  My mom makes the best.  She makes homemade pie crust and her "sauce/stew mixture" is always perfect.  I try but I haven't gotten there quite yet.  I make a variation of mom's pot pie using biscuit crust instead of pie crust...mainly because my pie crust making skills aren't perfected quite yet.

The reason I'm blogging this is simple - every time I mention it on Facebook several people ask me how I make mine.  Trust me...it's no fine science.  But I'll walk you through it best I can.

We usually have pot pie when I've done a baked chicken the day before.  There's always leftovers and it gives me an excuse to make my favorite dish!

I take my chicken (already cooked, mind you) and shred it into a large stovetop pot (I use my 6 quart Paula Deen pot).  I wish I measured things better for you.  I'm guessing I used about 1 1/2-2 cups of chicken.  In a pinch, when I REALLY wanted pot pie, I've used canned Tyson chicken before, but it's not my favorite way to do it.  Really, you can use however much chicken makes you happy.  It's your pot pie.

Then in the chicken pot I throw in my veggies - I've used canned, fresh, frozen...a combo.  Usually I use a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and then in a small pot on the stove I cook up some diced potatoes until they are soft.  Tonight I used leftover fridge veggies from the last week (corn, green beans, peas) and fresh carrots/potatoes - the carrots got diced and cooked before going in the big pot too.  

Next, I take a box of chicken broth and cover it all.  I didn't use quite all of a 32 oz box in my "stew" tonight.  (But I saved the rest, b/c when you reheat chicken pot pie with biscuit crust adding more broth keeps it from drying out!).  Tonight's broth of choice was Aldi's new Simply Nature Organic Free Range Chicken Broth.  At $1.79 for a 32 oz box of organic it was a bargain.  (loving Aldi's new organic options!)  The broth should cover your veggies/meat so it stirs easily.  It will resemble veggie soup.  I turn that on to simmer while I make up my crust.

For the crust I DOUBLE the recipe below.  This, combined with the large batch of "stew" makes a 9x13 pan of pot pie and a smaller pan that I always make up to take to Mike's grandma.  Sometimes she freezes it unbaked and it always bakes up nicely after thawing.

Crust (this is our favorite biscuit recipe too!):

Combine:

3 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 T sugar

1 tsp salt

2/3 tsp cream of tartar

Add:

3/4 cup soft butter until crumbly

Add

1 cup milk (the heavier the better...we drink whole milk but anything would be okay)

Remember, you are doubling that to make enough crust for the top and bottom of the small and large pans.  {If you want to make biscuits, roll, cut out with round cutter and bake 10 min at 450}.

I do all that in my Kitchenaid stand mixer.

Take that dough right into your hands and work 1/2 of it into the bottom of your pans and up the sides.  It doesn't have to be beautiful. I mean, it can be - but mine rarely is.

Alright, take a break from the crust and go back over to your pot on the stove.  Grab a glass (I use a coffee cup 'cuz mama always did!) and fill it about 1/4 full with corn starch.  Add just enough cold water to make it able to be stirred - about 1/2 full.  Mix it smooth and then pour it in your simmering, yummy smelling pot of "stew".  That will thicken it just enough to set well in the pie.  Stir the stew well and let it simmer and thicken just a few minutes.  I also add a bit of salt at this time.  I.like.salt.  Turn off your burner, take that yummy goodness and start filling your pans!  I use a ladle to scoop from pot to pan.  Tonight God cooked with me and I had *just* enough stew to fill both pans.  Sometimes I have too much - I've never run out!  I like it as soup so I'm fine with just eating it rewarmed - if you have leftover you get to decide what to do with it yourself!

[Preheat your oven to 350 degrees - you're almost ready to bake!]

Once filled, starting laying on the top crust.  You can make this so much prettier than I do!  I basically take my dough in small balls and press them out on the counter to 1/4" or less thickness and lay them over the filling.  A good woman would make one big crust and lay the whole thing over.  I'm not that good of a woman.  Do it however makes you happy!

 

Pop it in the 350 degree oven for 20-35ish minutes (I'm so bad at keeping track..I just smell it and check on it.  It's done when the crust is golden brown).

I should have taken a pic before my family ate 1/3 of it.  It's hearty and yummy and a very easy way for me to get veggies down my kids.  

Alternately, you could also make the "stew" on the stove and make regular biscuits and have your pot pie over biscuits.  You know why I love pot pie?  You can't really mess it up.  Experiment...and enjoy!

{Xavier} Love Languages of Children

Before Mike and I were married we read the book

 

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

We enjoyed it and discovered our primary love languages, which has helped us communicate with each other for the last eight years.

A couple of years ago I picked up the book

It's not a ton different than the original.  Enough to read through (and I did snag it on clearance!) and a good reminder that even children have different ways of showing and receiving love.

While the book suggests you not apply a love language to children under the age of five, a few weeks ago Xavier's primary love language hit me over the head like a bag of bricks.

It started because he was driving me nuts.  Sounds harsh, huh?  But truth be told, he was.  

Every time he walks by he has to reach out - to poke, rub, hug, kiss, or lightly punch whomever he's passing.  That's right - his love language is physical touch.  The LOWEST on my rating of 1-5.  No wonder he was driving me nuts!  Every time I turn around he's on top of me or wrestling someone.  If he sits besides you he leans into you.  Constantly in others' personal space it seems.  

Once I realized that Xavier was just trying to express his love language and that I was probably not filling his love tank like he needed we've made some strides.  Nothing super huge, but at least a better understanding of each other.  I've made more of an effort to pull him for a quick hug, squeeze his shoulder when he passes, and snuggle him into my ever shrinking lap when he allows.  I also pointed out that this was his primary love language to Mike and, although they needed no encouragement, he's made sure they are getting their wrestling and rough housing in at night too!

I've also worked with Xavier on touching others.  Not that he was touching inappropriately - just so much poking and wrestling towards his sister and friends.  It's a work in progress...maybe by the time we get "there" his primary language will have changed!

Natalee - Schooling Right Along

Natalee is still chugging along and enjoying school everyday!  Her math and reading curriculums have both introduced songs, which she LOVES of course!

She's working on skip counting by 2's in math and has a much better understanding of it than I would have guessed she would.  She's also been doing doubles addition and +1 addition.

Reading is still a review of the letters and, while sometimes easy, it's been great to review the sounds and how to correctly write each one.  A solid foundation of letters and sounds will make reading that much easier!

The littles find great delight in "playing" with the math manipulatives when they get permission!

Piggy Mommy

The other day Natalee got frustrated at me because something didn't go her way.  She expressed her frustration well with her words and said she was going to draw. 

A few minutes later she brought me this:

I thanked her, surprised she'd drawn a picture for me since it was me who upset her in the first place.  

And then she said, "It's a picture of you.  I drew you as a pig."

This is your warning...don't get on her bad side.

She was over her frustration though so perhaps she worked it out while drawing.  I'll still take a pig over a tantrum any day.