La Dolce Vita! (The Sweet Life)

When we first met..

2011-05-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

Tiny and I met while working the Los Angeles County Fair in 2007. This is a couple of pics of us when we first started dating. I can't believe we're celebrating our wedding anniversary in just 6 days!I pulled up the first picture and Jenna exclaimed "Wow mom! You were so skinny!" lol. I was only 10 pounds lighter in this pic than I am now. It's amazing the difference 10 pounds makes. (BTW, give

Story Time...

2011-05-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

(Above, from left: Christian, age 8, (on his lap) Autumn, 5 or 6 months old, Gwen, 3yrs 4 months, Jenna, 2yrs 3 months. Taken on the last Christmas we spent with my grandmother. )I was going through some old files and I found this, dated Friday, June 18th, 2004. It was in with a bunch of old emails I sent my sister when she was serving in Iraq with the Marine Corps. I used to send her all kinds

The Great Popcorn Fiasco

2011-05-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

This happened several years ago-it kind of makes me grateful that our lives have settled down a bit now that the girls are older.(Above, the guilty party)Often people ask me what I do all day, staying home with my kids. I think maybe some of them assume I can't possibly have enough to keep me busy or entertained without working outside of the home. Here is one day in our lives for those who

Tunnel Fun!

2011-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

AutumnJennaGwennieEchoMommy (My Gwennie took this picture!) :0)3 LittlesMommy and Autumn

Pictures!

2011-05-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

Two pics from my wedding that I didn't even know existed until today! I love them, and the rest of the 380 other pics that were taken along with them ! Thank you so much, Patti!

Growing Weary

2011-05-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night I was terribly sick with my asthma. (yeah, I have been fighting too much illness lately. No fun.) I lay in bed, coughing and struggling to breathe...and finally gave in to my inhaler. I puffed it and it helped tremendously. I didn't sleep well, tossing and turning and coughing a lot. My chest was all sore and my body was achy. Just a not so good night all around.First thing

Compassion

2011-05-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

I had a really great day with my girls yesterday...we played with bubbles and sidewalk chalk, did the Cha Cha Slide in the front yard, and just generally had fun. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and the kids got out of school early, so I was able to spend more time with them than usual-my favorite kind of day. For dinner, we had a freshly made chef salad piled high with tons of veggies,

My Wedding Anniversary

2011-05-01T15:49:00.001-07:00

is in exactly 30 days! I want to be healthy and slender for my husband. My anniversary present to myself (and him) is that I am trying to lose as much weight as healthfully possible before our big day! So far i've lost 13.8 pounds-10 of them in the last 6 weeks, when I really started getting serious about this. The super fun thing is, hubs has jumped on the health bandwagon, too! He bought us a

Picture Time!

2011-04-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

A pic of me with my oldest daughter, Echo Jade.

Today Only-Free copy of 31 Days to Clean!

2011-04-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Sarah Mae, over at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee, is giving away free copies of her book, 31 Days to Clean- Having a Martha House the Mary Way. Click here for details! This sounds like a wonderful book to inspire me to do some spring cleaning around here! I can't wait to get my copy. Thanks, Sarah Mae!

Monday Means...

2011-04-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Preparing for the week ahead by making breads, tortillas, and granola bars for my family. On this most recent Monday, (last Monday) it meant making 38 flour tortillas, 18 sandwich rolls, 16 almond dark chocolate chunk granola bars, and 1 loaf of whole wheat flax seed bread.I feel so grateful when I look in my fridge and pantry and see freshly made tortillas and breads that will last my family a

Foodiacs King Arthur Prize Package

2011-04-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

Foodiacs' Spring Fling Giveaway is offering a King Arthur prize package which includes a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and a year's supply of King Arthur flour! Click on this link to enter.

Our Family Portrait by Mahan Media!

2011-04-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

They are making a new church directory at Valley, and we were told that we should bring the family and have our picture taken for it. When we got there, I was surprised to find our worship leader, Jessica Mahan, behind the camera lens. This woman is talented! She not only beautifully leads worship at our church, and gives voice and piano lessons, but also, apparently, takes stunning, professional

Communion

2011-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

The worship band sings "Oh Glorious Day" up on stage. It's one of my favorite songs. My husband sits next to me. He takes his huge, strong arm and puts it around my shoulder, pulls me close to him. I rest my head against his chest...and he starts to pray. "Dear Lord, we thank you for all these blessings You have put upon our lives, Father. We ask that you would watch over the children, Lord...

My sister Lena

2011-04-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

and her family are in the process of adopting a beautiful, precious little bundle of joy named Anna Faith.She has started a blog to chronicle her family's adoption journey-and boy, is it a beautiful one! Would you mind clicking on over to my sister's blog and checking it out and praying for my beautiful niece and her family?

My son...

2011-04-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Christian, now has his own music page on facebook... Click here to check it out and like it!

Spring Break Fun!

2011-04-01T16:20:00.001-07:00

We were supposed to spend a day picnicking at San Antonio Falls near Baldy summit during spring break, but it rained just about the whole week. The one day it didn't rain it wasn't warm enough to take the girls up there.A cold day demands hot chocolate! We decided to have a "tea" (hot chocolate) party. The girls and I made homemade biscuits to go with our hot chocolate. Gwennie had hot herbal tea

Highlights of the Week

2011-04-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

Jenna does her daily read-aloud in the kitchen. Every evening she reads to me while I cook dinner.Autumn in her "cardboard box Jeep" for 1st grade safari day. The first graders got to "safari" all around the school and show off their Jeeps. Autumn's had real working taillights. :0)Gwennie got the citizen of the month award at school! Great job, Gwennie!

Perfect Peace

2011-03-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You. ~Isaiah 26:3

Unequally Yoked

2011-02-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful to be married to a fellow believer, but I know there are so many Christians out there who are not. This is the best article I have ever read on being unequally yoked. Absolutely beautiful, well written and encouraging-in fact, I love Courtney's whole blog altogether!Thriving In A Spiritually Mismatched MarriageThe ending is spectacular, and I think there are several principles we can

Disneyland!

2011-02-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

All aboard the Disneyland Railroad...At the end of the day we went on the Astro Blasters....We were having so much fun we didn't even take very many pictures! I'm so happy that I got to spend a day with my family at Disneyland. My littles had never gone before, it was an awesome experience.

Valentine's Present

2011-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, my hubby bought me new kitchen appliances. A fridge, and a new electric stove. I'm so grateful, because our last 2 stoves were awful-the first one kept making these big popping noises and then going out on us. The second one had one large burner that kept going out as well, and a very small oven with only one rack. It also burned almost everything. Even when I turned it down

At the end of the day

2011-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

I need to be loyal to my Lord...my God. I need to be true to Him. I need to fully submit to only One...nobody on this Earth matters as much as Him. I don't live for man's approval, I live for the Love of Adonai. El Shaddai. The only One in my life capable of raining his Agape love down on me. The only One who has mercifully forgiven me of every dirty sin I have ever committed. At the end of the

Praise...

2011-01-23T15:49:00.001-08:00

Lord, thank You so much for the awesome message I received at church this morning and the cleansing time I got to spend with You in communion. Thank You, also, for making me feel refreshed as a mother and wife this weekend. Please help me to do my job with a joyful heart, and know that I am beyond blessed with the wonderful husband and precious children You sent here for me to love and

Romans 12:8

2010-12-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:18 (New International Version) 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Quadruple Layer Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

2010-11-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Quadruple Layer Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe2 c. pumpkin (see below)2 c. sugar1 1/4 c. vegetable oil1. tsp. vanilla extract4 eggs2 c. flour3 tsp. baking powder2 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. saltPumpkin pie spice: (see below)2 tbsp. cinnamon1 tbsp. ginger2 tsp. nutmeg1 tsp. cloveswalnuts (for garnish)Pumpkin: You will need one small pie pumpkin. Cut a round hole in top, scoop out seeds. Cut pumpkin in

Quadruple Layer Pumpkin Spice Cake

2010-10-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

I made this last night to go with dinner. If I have time today I will try to post the recipe. It was yummers! I think i'll use a different frosting next time though.

"...and then I got saved. The end."

2010-09-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am joining the Good Morning Girls for Women in the Word Wednesdays.Romans 10: 12-13 states:" 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentiles-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." "I love how this verse proclaims that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be blessed-no doubt,

Split Pea Soup Recipe

2010-09-20T09:30:00.002-07:00

Well, this is not an innovative or new recipe by any means, but split pea soup can be a frugal and deliciously healthy dish. Dried split peas are very economical and have a long shelf life. (I like to buy mine in the bulk section at Winco.) I got my potatoes for 99 cents for a 10 pound bag, my baby carrots @ 79 cents a pound, and the celery was pretty cheap, too. Add half a brown onion, chopped,

Heart of the Home

2010-09-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

We don't own a home. We live humbly, but I try to make our surroundings pleasant. This is my kitchen window. It has (unfinished fabric) curtains that I got for less than 2 dollars per yard a while back to line my bread basket with. I liked the fabric better as curtains and it really brightens up the room so I hung them up-they aren't hemmed yet, that's on one of my UFO lists. Clock above the

Fried Rice Recipe

2010-08-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

When it comes to frugality in the grocery budget, using up leftovers tops the list. This recipe uses some leftover rice and meat, and if you have leftover peas and carrots you can throw those in here as well. (Personally I like using frozen peas and carrots in this because they retain their texture as they cook and don't become soggy.) I like to make mine in a large heavy bottomed nonstick 12

A Tall Tale

2010-08-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a man.......and his sandwich...As an added plus, the tomatoes and green peppers on the sandwich came from our garden. Yay for growing stuff we can eat! :-)Proverbs 12:11 He who works his land will have abundant food...

My Little Bugs

2010-08-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Love Nest...

2010-07-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31:12: "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."As we go through the somewhat complicated process of moving William into our home, it has been a bit chaotic. First off, I had been sharing the master bedroom with Autumn and Echo, and Gwennie and Jenna had one of the smaller rooms. We decided to put all 4 girls in one room with 2 sets of bunk beds and William and I

Braelyn Rae Photography

2010-07-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to have Braelyn from Braelyn Rae Photography take pictures at my wedding. She is awesome, and takes the most beautiful pictures...I just wanted to post a couple of my faves, and post a link to her main site.Me and my handsome groom!My bouquet, a hand tied bunch of wildflowers. I thought it suited Tiny and I perfectly, as we love nature and doing things outdoors.ETA: I don't

Kindergarten Baby...

2010-06-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, she is no longer a kindergarten baby. :( On the first day of school last August, I put Miss Autumn on the bus to start kindergarten. I thought I was going to be able to ride with her to the school like I did with her older sisters, but, apparently, because of liability issues, they do not allow parents to ride the bus with the kinders on the first day anymore. This is what Miss Autumn

Pancakes with sweet ricotta filling and triple berry reduction

2010-06-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is what I made for breakfast this morning. Pancakes piled high with sweet ricotta filling in between and a triple berry reduction syrup on top. I didn't have any, myself, and instead opted for a ham, swiss and scrambled egg sandwich on whole grain bread, but the kids tell me this was delicious!To start, make your favorite pancake recipe. Any pancakes will do, but because of the sweetness of

Kickin' off Summer!

2010-06-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we decided to take some friends up to Stoddard Canyon and kick off summer by playing in the water and going hiking. Tiny and I had a little adventure when we hiked up the middle of the creek and had to climb down a 20 foot log on our hands and knees to get back out.I think the crowning glory of the day, though, was watching everyone go down the waterfall. Tiny went down first, and then

Bringing Sexy Back...

2010-06-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really, I just thought it would be a cute name for this blog post. LOL.After yesterday's BBQ sauce fiasco, I was determined to redeem myself.This morning, while the kids were at school, I put a cute, little (but not skimpy), kind of sparkly top on. Then I slid into my favorite, dark, slimming pair of skinny jeans. The finishing touch-my husband's favorite pair of black high heels-open

Of BBQ sauce and other things...

2010-06-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while my husband slaved away at work, I was at home excitedly making one of his favorite things: BBQ sauce. I don't usually eat BBQ sauce, but he loves it, so I thought i'd try my hand at making it homemade. I had an awesome dinner in mind for us: bbq chicken, beef spareribs in tangy sauce (recipe to come) that had been baked for 4 hours on low and then grilled for a bit afterwards,

Wedded Bliss...

2010-06-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

My friend Challice had this posted as her FaceBook status, and I thought it was beautiful.~~Let the wife make her husband glad to come homeand let him make her sorry to see him leave. ~ Martin Luther~~

Thank you, Mom

2010-06-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Mom helps me get ready for my big day.More pics to come!

On May 30th 2010

2010-06-02T11:39:00.001-07:00

I officially became Mrs. William Figueroa. I thank God for sending such a wonderful man into my life. I'm so excited for the future, with my husband and our beautiful family!**Above image courtesy Braelyn Rae Photography.Yeah, I dunno why Christian's head is cut off in this pic. LOLMore pics to come!!

Our honeymoon!!!

2010-05-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

My uncle Jim and Aunt Marna just called to tell me that they have reserved and paid for 2 nights in the Pirate room at the Castlewood Cottages!! Here are some pics, the website is absolutely amazing! I'm so excited, I never thought we would be able to have a honeymoon!

I'm Getting Married!!

2010-05-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have an event page on facebook.http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=121940147840434This is so exciting! It's a bit stressful too. Yesterday I didn't even have time to eat all day!

Cinnamon Almond Crusted French Toast Recipe

2010-05-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

In the fall I like to make pecan crusted pumpkin french toast topped with a dollop of maple whipped cream. It's almost more of a dessert than a breakfast. I wanted something lighter for the summer months, so this morning I experimented with cinnamon almond crusted french toast. Please excuse my pic of breakfast, above, as I am certainly not a food photographer, haha. The little white lumps are

My Echo

2010-05-12T17:13:00.001-07:00

never smiles for the camera. I had to take soooooo many shots to get this one! It was right before she busted up laughing. Isn't her smile beautiful?

Biggest Loser

2010-05-11T21:52:00.001-07:00

About 4 weeks ago, I joined a Biggest Loser contest with a bunch of other HK ladies. It has been so much fun! I haven't lost a whole lot of weight-actually, less than 10 pounds-but I have started exercising consistently, eating much better than I was, and getting to bed at a decent hour each night. I have noticed some awesome changes in my body from the exercise, and my energy levels have

Princess Gwennie

2010-05-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Pics taken December 23rd, 2009(Haha, I put the wrong date at first and my friend emailed me and asked me how I could take a pic of the future.) Thank you, Leigh! LOL!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

I spent a good portion of the day scrapbooking with my kids. It was a lot of fun! This is only the second time I have scrapbooked but I hope to do it more often. (Those of you who are pros, please forgive my novice scrapping, haha.) What a lovely way to relax and record memories with my children. * An added bonus: Most of my scrapbooking supplies were bought at the 99 cent store. Frugal AND fun!

Sissies...

2010-05-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Echo and Autumn, my oldest and youngest.

Strawberries!

2010-05-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

...in my backyard.Tiny bought me these for Valentine's Day and they are finally producing fruit!

The girls wanted their room painted

2010-05-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

PINK!Who were we to argue?I feel all happy inside every time I walk into their room and look at the cotton candy walls. An added plus-the paint only cost $3.50. It was a custom color that the store mixed for someone. They weren't satisfied with it, so they didn't purchase it. At first I thought flat paint would look odd, but I really like it. It has a nice textural look to it when you see it up

National Day of Prayer

2010-05-05T12:01:00.001-07:00

...is tomorrow-Thursday, May 6th.You can go to the official NDOP webpage to find events in your area.Also, make sure to read their mission statement here.I plan on attending the prayer rally for my city at Upland Pacific Christian Center.Let's all get together and pray for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and

Jenna's Baptism

2010-01-03T20:26:00.001-08:00

This is Jenna. She is 7 years old. She is getting baptized today.We start with an awesome praise and worship service led by our church's worship band.Jenna is so small that we can't see her face above the baptismal."I baptize this, my sister, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit."Jenna is dunked and comes back up dripping. Tiny said he could see her giggling, blowing bubbles

Fall comes late

2010-01-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

in Southern California.Gwen, Jenna, and Autumn have fun with the leaves anyways.With Love,Carissa

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

January 1st, 2010I look out my back gate at the aftermath of last night's festivitiesWe spent New Year's Eve making piles of tamalesA lovely pumpkin walnut bread for a dear friend from church. Recipe coming soon.Ah, I can't take these kids anywhere, I tell ya.Happy New Year from our family to yours!With Love,Carissa

Free iTunes Christmas album

2009-12-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

iTunes is offering a free Christmas album here. The offer started on Tuesday, December 8th and will only run for one week, so get it while you can! Happy Holidays!

Laundrymat fun...

2009-08-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

What better way to entertain ourselves...at the laundrymat... ...than by taking pictures?

2009-08-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm on dial up now, and life is so busy sometimes that it is hard to find the time to update. Summer is winding down, and school starts next Wednesday. My kids will be in 10th grade, 8th grade, 3rd grade, 2nd grade, and kinder. Wow. I can't believe the littlest is starting school already. I will have 3 odd hours of time with no kids in the house..weird. This is a pic of all the kids this past

Field Day

2009-06-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last night, Gwen and Jenna diligently packed their Trader Joe's totebags with a fresh towel each, some sunscreen, and a change of clothing. Today was to be Field Day at school, in which they would enjoy water balloon hot potato games, a BBQ, and lots of other fun summer day activities. This morning I woke to see hail bouncing off of the roof across the way outside my window, accompanied by

Don't squeeze the Charmin...

2009-03-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

My toilet paper is white.My toothpaste is also, white.Thus, last night while taking a bathroom break from cleaning the kitchen, I did not notice that somebody [most likely under 3 feet tall] had apparently painted our toilet paper quite liberally with toothpaste...I did not notice, that is, until I was almost done using said toilet paper.Oh, dear Goodness, the PAIN.Of course, the girls thought it

Autumn Loves Snails...

2009-03-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

I mean really, really LOVES snails. I have found them in bed with her. I have found them in her toy dresser. One night at the dinner table I heard her talking very quietly to something near her plate. I looked closely and there was a snail on her tortilla and she was lovingly trying to feed it a pinto bean that was half it's size.So, imagine my delight when, this morning, while I was helping a

Prayers answered...

2009-03-05T07:08:00.001-08:00

can be a funny thing. God has this strange way of answering prayer sometimes. Take my prayer to get up in the morning, for instance...ever since I prayed for Him to help me get up earlier, I have found that He has placed things in my life that actually make me HAVE to get up earlier. For example, my neighbor came to me a week or two ago and explained to me that sometimes she has to go in to work

Mornings...

2009-03-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

^walking Gwen and Jenna to the school bus stop this morning <--Autumn, sleepingProverbs 31:15She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. I have been praying that God would get me up and out of bed earlier. I have always loved the time before the dawn and I enjoy watching a quiet sunrise in solitude while drinking my coffee. It is a

Southern Red Beans and Rice Recipe

2009-02-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

I made this for dinner tonight and it was yum! However, it was like 70 degrees while I cooked it. I think it would be great on a colder day. It's a very warming dish.1 pound of small red beans1 pound of sausage (less if you like less meat in your dish or are trying to save money by using less meat/many cooks prefer andouille but any good, firm sausage will do.)1 medium sized onion, chopped1

January 12, 2009

2009-01-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

<--Little Miss Autumn at her Santa Bear tea at Christmastime at the library. All the kids made little glittery reindeer antlers to wear. :)Autumn woke up sick. I spent the morning cuddling with her and trying to nurse her back to health. Apparently it worked because by midafternoon she was feeling fiesty, playing with her sisters and eating everything in sight. :)I'm trying to lose a few pounds

Little Footprints

2009-01-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

I took this picture of Autumn's (4 years old) little footprints at the beach this summer. I just thought it was so cute, I couldn't resist posting it.

Atole de Arroz recipe

2009-01-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

It's pretty chilly tonight, so i'm making atole. Atole is kind of a sweet, hot rice cereal type of stuff. It's really good and warming. This is how i'm making mine.I'm not putting raisins in because I don't have any, and, well, i'm not really into hot raisins. :) This is a pretty cheap recipe to make because it consists of mostly rice and milk.Atole de Arroz 3 cups milk 2/3 cup rice ¾ cup sugar 1

Proverbs 3:3

2009-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:3 (NIV) Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3 says that two things should never leave us: love and faithfulness.The Bible addresses Love quite often, probably most famously in the "Love passage", 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, which states:4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does

January 7th, 2009

2009-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we just took it easy. My body is almost out of pain now, with the exception of my kidney area being very sensitive. My iron is low again, and I am having some trouble with fatigue and shortness of breath. My girls are having some trouble getting used to an early bedtime since Christmas break ended. Instead of going to church, like we usually do on Wednesday nights, I decided that we

Tomato Hamburger Mac

2009-01-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

This is what i'm making for dinner tonight. It's simple, fairly quick, and it can be quite cheap depending on the type of hamburger meat you use. It's also a one pot meal, which is always convenient! :)2lbs. ground beef (I use the 7% fat ground beef)1/2 medium white onion, chopped1 tsp. minced garlic1 28 oz. can tomato sauce4 cups frozen green beans1, 16 oz. bag of dried large elbow macaroni

Proverbs

2009-01-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have been going through the book of Proverbs, and writing down verses that I feel particularly pertain to me. There are some nice ones about learning the word of God, and there are some really inspiring ones about taking good care of my household, but, embarassingly enough, the ones I write down the most are always the ones about keeping my mouth shut.I have the WORST problem with talking and

Navy Bean and Sausage Soup Recipe

2009-01-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is a great winter dish! Thick and warming with a rich flavor.1 pound dry navy beans1/2 onion, diced1 tsp. minced garlic1, 14 oz. beef smoked sausage, cubed (I used Hillshire Farm brand)2 medium sized carrots, diced (or sliced if you prefer)3 large stalks celery, sliced1/2 medium zucchini, halfed lengthwise and then sliced5 or 6 good sized russet potatoes, peeled and dicedSort navy beans and

January 6th, 2009

2009-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Took it easy most of the day yesterday. I did have to go out shopping to get some milk and bread and necessities, and it HURT! Sitting around the house didn't hurt that bad, but when I got in the truck and went out every bump magnified the pain my my ribs. YEOUCH!I made navy bean/sausage soup last night. It came out quite good. I put some white beans, sausage, onion, garlic, diced carrots, celery

January 4th/5th, 2009

2009-01-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

We went to the snow yesterday, as kind of a last hurrah before school starts. We had to go all the way up Mount Baldy near the ski lifts because most of the snow had melted. There were SO many people there! We borrowed the church van and took another family from the church, and two sleds.Unfortunately we weren't at the snow for very long...shortly after we got there, this lady came hauling butt

Simple Pleasures

2009-01-03T14:12:00.001-08:00

There is something inherently comforting in hanging out in my warm house with my family on an overcast day, eating toasted english muffins with melted cheese on top accompanied by a steamy hot bowl of creamy tomato soup.

January 3rd, 2009

2009-01-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

I got my first goal for the New year done. I went into the girls' room and organized all of their new Christmas toys. I also filled a box with some older toys to give to the Goodwill, to make room for the new toys. Now their room looks really beautiful and they have spent HOURS up there playing since I cleaned it up! It was a mess after they dragged all their new toys home on Christmas!

New Year's Day

2009-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

It is our family tradition on New Year's Day to have a pork roast, applesauce, mashed potatoes and turnips, peas, and gravy. It's the dinner we make and eat as a family every New Year (sans one or two when mom wasn't feeling well and we didn't get together.) On Friday we all went over mom's house around 4 and helped cook. Of course, my mom, being the mom that she is, had already done most of it

Little Keepers at Home

2009-01-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

I ordered this book for my littler girls, from Keepers of the Faith. It's really cute. It has all kinds of skills and projects the girls can do to earn badges, kind of like Girl Scouts. They really wanted to join Girl Scouts earlier in the year, and we went to an informational meeting but were never called back. I started thinking about it, and we do a lot of stuff outside the home anyways. I

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T12:27:00.001-08:00

Well, without a working camera, my blog will be pretty drab for now. I am a very visual person and I find myself less interested in blogging when I don't have pictures to accompany it...For New Year's Eve we went to our church at 7, until almost 11, and played games and put together puzzles and stuff. We had cookies and goodies and snacks. It was a really nice, relaxing time, only a handful of

25 Days of Christmas Devotionals-Day 2

2008-12-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

This evening we did our second devotional for our 25 Days of Christmas countdown.I started off with the word "Christmas", and explained to the kids that we are sort of spelling it out-last night we started with 'Christ' and learned about how our families, lives and hearts need to be centered on Christ, and tonight we were going to learn about the "M", which (for us this year) stands for "Making

25 Days of Christmas Devotionals-Day 1

2008-12-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

This evening, after dinner, I started something new with my kids (ages 12, 7, 6, and 4.) it's a 25 day Bible study, kind of a devotional for the 25 day countdown to Christmas. I started by teaching them about establishing Christ as the center of our holiday season, of our family, and of our hearts. I read them Epehsians 2:19-22: "19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

Day 23: (I know, i'm way behind, but I have catch up drafts i'm working on...) Today I am thankful for my friend Amanda, and friends in general. Yesterday (Friday) was really hectic-among other things, Jenna came down with strep throat and Christian sprained his ankle. I called Amanda and was just telling her all the bad stuff that happened. All of a sudden she says "What are you doing tonight

On Proper Church Attire

2008-11-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry Autumn, you cannot wear that to church honey. After church you are welcome to put it back on to play in though. :)

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Day 9: Today I am thankful for the Good News Club at my childrens' school, and the awesome people who give of their time to make it happen. The Good News Club at Gwen and Jenna's school is run by Jason, a youth minister who works at Calvary Chapel Upland. Jason not only does youth ministry for Calvary, but he also does Good News Club every Monday at the local elementary school (which happens to

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Day 7:Today I am thankful for the Titus 2 ministry at Calvary Chapel Church in Upland. Today from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30p.m. I enjoyed teachings from elder women in the faith. It was beautifullly set up (they always make make their functions so lovely) and so very uplifting! From 8:30 until 9:00 a.m. we had a continental breakfast with fresh fruit, muffins, yogurt and granola, bagels and cream

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Day 6: I am thankful for Friday evenings with my family. We can stay up later because there is no school in the morning, and we try not to really schedule anything on Friday nights so we can just hang out. There is no homework on Friday nights so we can just relax. I usually rent a movie and we throw pillows and blankets on the living room floor, turn off the lights and have a "movie theater". I

Suing God?

2008-11-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

[Note: I am in no way offiliated with the Christian Examiner. I just happened to find this little snippet of "news" humorous.] From the Christian Examiner, Inland Empire edition, November 2008:Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against God"LINCOLN, Neb. (EP)-A Nebraska judge has dropped a lawsuit against God because there is no way to properly serve Him legal papers. In his ruling, Douglas County District

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Day 5: Today I am thankful for three hours of quiet time. Every Thursday the girls go visit their father after school 3:30p.m. until 6:30p.m. I have to admit, when he first got visits in April I was extremely nervous, as he hadn't really participated in their lives before this. For their first visit I sat and counted the minutes miserably-would my children get home safely? Would they have all

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

<--my churchDay 4: I am thankful for the chance to worship at my church on Wednesday evenings. The kids get out of school early on Wednesdays, so we get everyone's homework done and then get ready to go.Our church serves dinner on Wednesdays to the congregants, made by the wonderful Miss Deedee (the pastor's wife.) It's only 3 dollars per adult and 1.50 per child. They also provide chicken strips

Mmmm...I wike pie, it's vewy vewy good.

2008-11-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

<--Gwennie's picture of a pie.Gwennie (7) walks up to me the other day and hands me a piece of printer paper folded in half like a greeting card. (She even drew a "UPC code" on the back-I thought that was pretty cool.)"Here mommy, I made you a card." She says. "Thank you!" I say, and I open it up to look at the little picture she's drawn inside. It's a picture of a pie-with a message:"It is good

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Day 3: I am thankful for the person who thought of this writing assignment. Her name is Rebekah Bentley, and she has a blog called A Lady in Waiting. Rebekah and I are in a Yahoo group together and she sent out an email inviting people to join her in this assignment:"Would you care to join me for the 27 Days of Thanksgiving? Beginning November 1, you can link from here to your blog every day

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Day 2: I am thankful, grateful, full of praise because I was born in a country that lets me worship as I choose. I have a black T shirt that has a bold red cross on the chest and the words "This shirt is illegal in 51 countries." On the back there is a large cross with scripture reminding us to pray for the persecuted church. When I wear this shirt it starts a lot of great conversations. It

27 Days of Thanksgiving

2008-11-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Jenna and Autumn sleeping. They are just as cute as puppies in a basket! :)Day 1: I am Thankful for having an extra hour to sleep in this morning. :) I awoke feeling quite refreshed and happy for another wonderful Sunday.I woke up at 7:40 (which would have been 8:40 but for daylight savings time) just feeling ready to face the day.Started my day with prayer that He would give me the energy to

ABC's of Homemaking

2008-11-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

A vintage photo of my beautiful grandmother, Doris Staley. She was always a lady.ABC's of Homemaking*Aprons--y/n -- If yes, what does your favorite look like?*I have several from my grandma and great grandma, but I don't wear them often enough. My favorite is a very old mint green one that was great grandma's...it's kind of sheer with a scalloped pocket on it.*Baking--Favorite thing to bake?*

Earth Hour 2008

2008-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

My family and I participated in Earth hour last night, March 29th, from 8p.m. until 9p.m. We turned out all of our lights, turned off the tv and computer, and just hung out together in the dark. It was a lot of fun! At first I thought my little girls would be afraid (they are 6, 5, and 3) but my 12 year old son turned off all the lights and got his guitar out and the next thing ya knew the girls

Spring Break!

2008-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day of spring break!Christian's alarm clock went off, as usual, at 7. LOL. So much for sleeping in on the first day of spring break! I hung out and played online and enjoyed my morning coffee for awhile as the kids slept in. Then, after a liesurely morning, we made brunch together. The kids helped me make drop biscuits, gravy, sausage, fried taters topped with melted cheese,

Awards all around! :)

2008-03-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Wednesday Jennaveve got her two awards at her assembly at school: citizenship and a reading award (see previous blog from Wed). Jenna's kindergarten class started reading groups just like her big brother and sister. Jenna's in the green group and she gets to bring home a new book to read me every evening. Thursday Christian brought home an award for his Reading Counts points. He was

Shoes...

2008-03-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, shoes! I found these at Payless and they look JUST like a pair I had in junior high. I couldn't help it-they made me feel like a kid again, so I bought them. I find the bright lime green color especially pleasing. :) As a plus, my 12 year old son saw them and said "Wow mom those shoes are TIGHT!" I thought this was funny because when I bought them I figured he would be terribly embarassed. I