Wordless Video Wednesday: Moments From Our Week, February 19th-25th

Tuesday Tidings: Hope For Paws

Please watch this video and share:


I wanted you to see this because Hope For Paws is the reason why I want to foster dogs when I am older and help them any way I can. I have a soft spot for animals of all kinds, but dogs are my favorite.
When I see stray animals out on the street or by the highway I pray that people like Hope For Paws will find and take care of them.
I wish I could help them now but I'm too young. I would like fostering dogs once I'm old enough. I want God's will in my life. So every time I think about it, I pray for His Will to be done, and that He will show me if I am meant to do this when the time comes.

I hope you enjoyed, and remember Embrace The Adventures In Life!
Sierra

Monday Madness: Women Role Models in My Life

Recently I was asked to name my role model. It wasn't an easy question. I don't have one role model, I have several, many of them women that inspired me to be who I am in my chosen field of wife and mother:

In no particular order, but starting with the most important influence on my decision to be a wife and mother:

• My mom. My mother is the main reason why I knew exactly what I wanted to do from the time I was little. I can remember being as young as 3-5 years old, gazing at my mom doing something and thinking, "I want to be just like her when I'm a big person." No, my mom wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for me.

• My grandmas on my dad side. My grandma and great-grandma were important in showing me how to do things that would later help me become a wife especially. How to manage my home and help make ends meet. My great-grandma could stretch a dime till it cried in protest and I loved hearing her stories of how God helped her family get through the Depression.

• My grandma on my mom's side showed me that despite the time frame she was raised in where women were not encouraged to go to college, they could. I made the choice not to go to college but hearing her stories of how she would drive a couple hours every day to get to her classes at the University and get her teaching degree taught me that I had it in me to persevere. She also instilled in me the desire to teach, but not to a whole classroom, to my children. I remember visiting her classroom a couple times when I was in Elementary school and thinking, "I want to teach..."

• This might sound weird, but my own daughters. There are times I look at them and think, "I want to be like you when I grow up..." My oldest daughter is so much more mature spiritually and emotionally than I was at her age. By the time I was almost 19 I had turned my back on God feeling that He had given up on me and my mistakes. My 16-year-old is so much more outgoing and self-confident in what she wants than I am even now! She has been independent since the time she could crawl! My 14 year old learned how to deal with depression and anxiety two years ago by going to the source of her strength, her faith in Christ. When I went through it at her age, I didn't think to tell anyone, not even God what was scaring me or causing me to panic and be sad. My almost 13-year old is so sympathetic to the causes of everyone, she takes after me so much in that area. She is so much better in fighting for others than I was at her age. I was so worried about what other people thought of me that I was scared to stand up for others. She FIGHTS for others, where I just worried.

There are so many others, I honestly don't know where I would end if I didn't stop now. That being said, I thank the Lord for each one of these women that have shaped my life!


Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi
Numbers 6:24-26

Scripture Sunday: 2 Samuel 7:22

Surprise Saturday: Gus

On Tuesdays you will find guest blogs by my daughters and many other people.
This one is from Sierra,
Enjoy!!

Gus is our Chihuahua...

Gluten Free Friday: Black Bean Brownies

Welcome to Gluten Free Friday!

I have talked so much about this particular recipe that I have had friends and family beg me to pass it on to them. 

So...here it is:

Black Bean Brownies

Blast From The Crazy Past: Shelby Walking?

This was originally posted on:
Thursday, 17 November 2005

Wordless Video Wednesday: Our Week- February 12th-18th

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Rocking Chairs by Sierra

OK, this is totally random but....I love rocking chairs! I like rocking in them, and I like old movies that have them on a covered porch.
I also like rocking chairs to rock baby's in. That brings back memories: holding baby's and trying to get them to sleep, and getting totally lost in their face. I love rocking chairs for those memories.....Bittersweet memories.
That's why I like rocky chairs.
Embrace Life,
Sierra

Tuesday Tidings: Hospital Visit

Tuesday's Tidings Are Brought By:
Sierra

Three or four years ago, I had to go to the hospital...

Monday Madness: Feeding The Birds

What's On My Mind Today:

Experimenting...

Scripture Sunday: Hebrews 2:1

Surprise Saturday: I'm Fourteen?

Today's Surprise Saturday is brought to you by Sierra!

Sometimes it's hard to believe that I am actually fourteen years old. For fun, I made this video and now I do believe it!

Hope You Enjoyed My Blog Post, And Remember Embrace The Adventures In Life!
Sierra

Gluten-Free Fridays: Meal Planning

Meal Planning:

This particular subject has less to do with being gluten-free and more to do with how 

I budget.

Meal planning helps me stay within my grocery budget.

It also helps with making sure I am "shopping" my pantry and using things up,

instead of buying things I don't need.

So first things first:

For Breakfast and Lunch, I have a menu that really doesn't change too much

unless it is neccesary.

Breakfast Menu Looks Like This:

Sunday- Oatmeal

Monday- Eggs

Tuesday- Oatmeal

Wednesday- Smoothies

Thursday- Pancakes

Friday- Eggs

Saturday- GF Cereal

Lunch Menu Looks Like This:

Monday: Homemade Ramon

Tuesday: Tomato Soup

Wednesday: GF Mac N Cheese

Thursday Leftovers

Friday: Meat, Cheese, Nuts Smorgasborg

These menus get changed up every couple months as the seasons change.

In the summer we tend to do more salads and cold things for lunch.

When it comes to my dinner menus, it's a little more involved and I make it out every 2.5-3 weeks.

Here are the steps I take:

1. I go through my pantry, cupboards and freezer to see what I have.

2. I figure out what recipes will use what I have.

 I look through my recipe box for tried and true recipes.

3. I also get on Super Cook and see what interesting recipes I could try.

4. I get out a piece of paper and my calendar.

5. I then look at my calendar for the period I am making my menu and decide

what dinners would work best on which night.

(For instance, I prefer having a crockpot meal on Wednesday nights because that is easier

for heading to church afterwards. Rather than GF pizza that takes some prep time,)

6. Then I make out my menu. It looks something like this: 

Yes, I have my menu in a nice frame on the kitchen wall!

If you can read it, you will notice that there are a couple question marks. 

On those nights, we typically do whatever comes to mind, breakfast-for-dinner or

what my family calls "Fend For Yourself" which is their absolute favorite.

They are free to raid the pantry and frig to see what they can come up with.

I also put the date and day of the week on my menus. 

The date is more for me to keep track as I am writing out the menu,

the days of the week make it easy for the kids to quickly see what is on the menu for the night.

And there you have it, how I meal plan or make a menu!

Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Blast From The Crazy Past: Busy Happy Weekend 2009

Step back in time to January 2009 with me:


It has been a wonderful, happy and busy weekend so far.


Last night was Shelby's 9th birthday party. She was such a happy critter! It was funny, all day long she was a chatter-box about her birthday. Then when people started getting here, she clammed up and we could hardly get her to say anything. She does that when she gets REALLY happy. It's almost like she sits back and soaks in all the "happy".


Today we went for a drive up in the mountains. Something we have regrettably not done for a year or so. It's our favorite family thing to do, but the way the gas prices were last year we had to give it up and walk places. Then even after the prices went down, we had no money! However, today, we decided it was time to have some fun!


After we got home, we all laid down and rested. Then we got up, tidied the house for Sunday and then we played a new game we had bought for our Video Free month. It was fun! It was Littlest Pet Shop Monopoly. The girls loved moving the little critters around the board. Great for our older two practicing money and the younger two with counting and recognizing numbers. Tony sat in his highchair and chortled happily at us!


God bless your weekend. May you, like me, be blessed to have a family that you can enjoy spending time with!

Wordless Video Wednesday: Our Week- February 4th thru 10th

Tuesday Tidings: Book Report

Book Report Time

By Shelby

Recently, my mom wanted me to do a book report on the last book I read.

Then today she told me for school to write a blog

on the book report. So, here you go!

Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book:

Sherlock Academy

It's about a school where boys and girls can go to learn to

be great detectives, like Sherlock Holmes.

Who:

Rollie Wilson and his friend Cecily Brighton.

They live close to each other and Cecily comes over to his house a lot

so they can do 'detective' stuff.
Rollie also has an Aunt Ei (really his grandma).

and she is also really important in the book.
The villain's name is 'Herr Zilch'.

What:

A story about a boy and his friend going to an academy/boarding school

and unraveling a mystery.

When:

He gets the offer to go to the academy on Friday, June 27, 1931

He goes to school August 1.

Where:

Sherlock Academy, a boarding school/academy for boys and girls 

who they think are destined to become great detectives.

Why:

They don't know what 'Herr Zelchs' plan was,

but they think it was to shut down

Sherlock Academy.

!!!bye!!!

~Shelby~

Monday Madness: The Straw Law

The Straw Law

By Sierra

OK, there is a really odd law that California is trying to pass, I call it The Straw Law.

If this law passed, it would mean that if a waiter or waitress placed a plastic straw on a customer's table without asking whether he or she wants it,

 they will be fined $1,000 or sentenced to six months in jail! 

We are going to talk about the pros and cons for if this law was passed. 

Pros: You won't be wasting plastic if you didn't want a straw. 

People who think plastic is bad for the environment won't have to touch them or worry. 

Cons: First of all there are a lot of elderly women who have been doing this for thirty or more years. They are great at their job, being hostesses to people dining. 

However, they probably don't have any retirement money in the bank and are just trying to get by. If they mess up by accidentally leaving a plastic straw on someone's table, 

it could leave them with a whole lot of bills. 

Secondly, there are also the younger adults who possibly are saving for college, 

or already in debt because of college.

They are trying to make a living, and likely already have a mountain of bills 

sitting on the desk at home. 

Both of these groups of people could be going through it mentally, this would make any normal person feel stressed and forgetful. 

Then that one day comes, that day that they are just trying to get through and WHAM! 

They are in court, either adding a new bill to the pile or going to jail. Spending the rest of their lives regretting that small mistake that will keep them in the diner for the next twenty years, or a past they want to forget.

That is the pros and cons of this new law for California.  

To top it off....did YOU know that straws were invented 130 years years ago???

Scripture Sunday: Isaiah 41:13

Gluten-Free Friday: Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

YUM!

This is the word that best describes

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup!

Last night for dinner, I was able to combine two of my loves:

My Crockpot

Butternut Squash

My grandma gave me a call a couple days ago and told me that

she had several butternut squashes that required eating quick.

Being one to:

a) love free stuff that I can use

b) appreciate my grandma's large garden

c) love a challenge

I told her I would be happy to take them off her hands!

Yesterday I got online and found this yummy recipe that involved

my favorite kitchen tool, my Instant Pot/Crockpot.

Now...I'm not a fool. I knew that 96% of my family would HATE it.

Apparently, the five-year-old and I are the only ones that love adore 

squash...

of all kinds!

Side Note Time: When he moved into our home over a year ago, I couldn't get him

to eat a vegetable to save my life. I had to resort to all kinds of crazy methods to get veggies

in him. Now the boy eats anything I put in front of him.

That being said, my family also needs to get used to eating more of a variety of veggies.

It's true, ya'll, you do! And you know it!

Being a kind person, I also provided chicken noodle soup for their consumption.

You know, just in case butternut squash soup might be the end of the world.

{insert eye roll here}

I will say, at least 50% of my family tried the butternut.

Out of those four, 50% of us LOVED it.

25% said that it made a good dip for crackers and

the remaining 25% were non-committal.

Along with our yummy soup, I tried a new Bob's Red Mill GF package.

I gave their cornbread a try and that was an instant success 100%.

All in all, I count this recipe a success even if only two of us love it.

It will be going in the recipe box, for sure!

The plus side, I was able to freeze the remaining soup in little individual 

containers to heat up later.

Although I had to pull one back out when my five-year-old informed me that he 

wanted it for lunch today because it was:

DEEEEEEEEEEE-licious!

Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Blast From The Crazy Past: Surprise, Surpise

Since February is Shelby's Birth Month, I decided I better share this sweet post from when Shelby was around 9 months old:



So just when you think you know your kids so well, they up and surprise you.


I thought, well, hoped, that Shelby would take her time with walking and all that. I mean, she did take her time going from the army crawl to the out-and-out-crawl...so...I thought that I might have a break.


BUT....I don't think that is going to happen....sigh....why do the babies have to grow up so fast????


ANYWAY....back to what brought this subject up in the first place......


Shelby won't be 9 months for a couple more days. Regardless, in the past couple weeks, she has started pulling herself up to things. This means that the beds, coffee tables, shelves and anything under 2 feet tall is totally fair game to a young child of almost-nine-months! After learning how to stand in one place and totally thrash a coffee table, she moved on to walking around the furniture and destroying EVERYTHING within her little grasp!


SO....I mistakenly thought that this would be the end of new learning processes for a little while. You know...learn something new and then concentrate on perfecting that ability?? HAH! Not with my little fruitcake!


Yesterday I walked out of the office with Miss Shelby standing by the couch...when I walked back in the room...there she was....I watched her let go of the couch and slowly lower herself to the floor to pick up a toy! ACK! This means that she potentially could get those little piggies moving away from furniture any time soon! Sigh.....


What's a mother to do???


Here is Miss Shells at her first Birthday!

Tuesday Tidings: Home-schooling

Tuesday's Tidings Are Brought By:

Sierra

Is homeschooling fun?

Monday Madness: ACV?

Recently I was reminded of my friend, apple cider vinegar.

I am well aware that there are many people like my sweet husband

who do not feel that ACV is a friend! 

I feel quite differently.

One of my favorite ways to get it in is by drinking it with tea.

Iced tea, to be exact.

I can't imagine it tasting good in hot tea...

although admittedly I have never tried.

I sent the picture above to my mom the other day.

She asked for the recipe and I had to admit, there was a little more 

to how I make my tea than I realized!

Then I thought...hmmm...

there might be a blog post in this.

And...here we are.

Let's start with why ACV?

Better known as apple cider vinegar,

ACV has many health benefits.

I will include some links but here is a couple:

1. Regulates Blood Sugar

2. Soothes a Sore Throat

3. Lowers Cholesterol

4. Clears a Stuffy Nose

5. Sunburn Relief

The list honestly goes on and on...

I actually found things that I had no idea ACV could help with....

Like removing warts? Whitening laundry? 

Keeping cats away from areas you don't want them to be near!

Who knew?!

So you can check it out yourself, here are just a few of the websites I ran into:

(I am not affiliated with any of these and am not being sponsored by them.)

Mama Natural

Dr. Axe

Reader's Digest

Swanson Vitamins

And now on to the recipe for my favorite way to use apple cider vinegar:

1. I brew up some raspberry (or any berry) tea along with 

a couple bags of oolong tea, a couple sticks of cinnamon and some ginger.

2. Fill my mason jar up with ice, clear to the top.

3. Toss in a small handful of berries and a teaspoon or so of chia seeds (optional).

4. Then I add a tablespoon of ACV and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

(I will insert that if you are not used to ACV, build up to it. Maybe start with a teaspoon.

I am actually working up to 2 tablespoons.)

5. Finally, I fill up my jar with my raspberry tea. Sometimes I put a little sparkling water in!

If you put chia seeds in, you will want your drink to sit for a few minutes before you start drinking it.

Otherwise....it's a little crunchy!

Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

I found this helpful list on Swansonvitamins.com:

Scripture Sunday: Psalms 36:5

Gluten-Free Friday: Recipe Organization

For anyone who knows me, I'm a practicing minimalist. In other words, it's a constant struggle with a family of eight, but I prefer the less is more concept.

This even comes down to my recipes. If I buy a recipe book, I have to know that I can use 95% of the recipes not just one or two.

Since 2011, I have used a 8.5x11 binder for my recipes. I had most of the recipes either in plastic sleeves or laminated. I realized when we made the life choice to go wheat/gluten free that many of the recipes just would not convert to GF easily and there was no point in hanging on to them. Some recipes I hadn't used in a long time and I knew I would need to try them again and see if we still like them.

I finally decided that in order to make sure I am fixing my family recipes that they know and love, that I needed to reorganize my recipes. I asked Peter if I could have a recipe box for Christmas and he blessed me with this one:

How do I organize my recipes?

1) When I get a recipe to try (whether from a friend, cookbook etc), I write it out or cut it out and put it in the front of my recipe box.

2) Once I have tried the recipe and made any adjustments needed, then I carefully write it out onto a recipe card and then I laminate the card.

 Fun Fact: Did you know that to feed our family of 8, I often need to double 

or even triple a recipe?

3) Then I pop the recipe into my box under the proper index card.

4) I had several recipes that may not be GF but are part of our family heritage that I wanted to keep with us and possibly see how we can make them GF (gluten-free). Regardless, it is special to have recipes from our grandparents!

See? Easy Cleanup of your recipe.

No need to worry about your  cookbook or recipe card getting dirty!

This makes it SO much easier when it comes time to clean up.

 Simply wipe off the recipe card with a damp cloth.

Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Blast From The Crazy Past: Shelby's 4th birthday

Welcome to memories...my memories....welcome to a Blast from my Crazy Past!

I wrote this post in 2009 for Shelby's Fourth Birthday...

Shelby will be 13 years old in three days!

Enjoy!