Wise Counsel

I don't make New Year's resolutions, as a rule. I know myself far too well. I start strong, but I don't always finish well, depending on what it is. I need to take ownership of something in order to be motivated to see it through to completion, and a calendar date doesn't normally serve as a catalyst.

I can decide that it's time to eat better, work out harder, clean more, get organized, revamp our school schedule, be nicer to my children, remember to iron Craig's shirts before he needs them, catch up on emails... the list goes on; 

but God's Word tells us to number our days, to make the most of every opportunity, to take up our cross and daily follow Jesus.

None of those former things matter much apart from the latter, and January 1st doesn't have to be the day that spurs me to frantically start checking things off, just to find in a couple of months that I don't have enough steam left to accomplish my lofty ambitions.

Still, while cleaning up Christmas and New Year's messes, putting away decorations, and gearing up for the rest of the school year, it's a good time for reflection and planning.

2011 was an exciting year for us, full of change, blessing, and challenge.

I can't make any particular declaration about what I expect to see happen in 2012, but these things I do know:

~ God is faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13)

~ His mercy is new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

~ He longs to be gracious to His people. (Isaiah 30:18)

~ He has promised in His Word to bring to completion the good work that He has begun in us. (Philippians 1:6)

Tomorrow, we have the wonderful opportunity to take a day trip and visit some special friends. I'm looking forward to this time of fellowship and refreshment before resuming our daily routine here at home.

After that, I plan to spend the rest of the week doing some spiritual "assessment" with the children and seeking God's will and direction for the rest of our school year.

A friend shared this blog post from a faithful brother in Christ, which I find especially useful and inspiring. Craig and I read it and have decided to put Mr. Phillips's counsel into practice.

I'm sure that our lists will differ from the Phillips Family's lists, but several of Doug's suggestions are worth copying, such as his advice to personally thank those who've blessed and influenced us, and encourage our children to do the same.

I'm excited about taking time with the children to recall God's specific blessings and provision for our family over the past year, and looking ahead to what He has in store for us next.

Wedding Soup

Having lived away from our extended family for most of the past nineteen years, the responsibility of holiday dinners has been almost entirely mine. Only on a few occasions have we spent a major holiday away with family.

It's been especially fun when my parents have come for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I love working in the kitchen with the two best cooks I know!

As the children have grown & become more adept in the kitchen, my work load has become lighter.

This year, the work of Christmas meal prep was even lighter - for me, at least.

The children did almost all of the baking. I only made one batch of lemon sugar snaps (from Martha Stewart; my first time; marginal results).

We were invited to share Christmas dinner with The Cousins, with "instructions" to bring whatever we wanted.

Nice!

The girls made a couple of quiches and some desserts, and I got over easily.

I decided to make soup, and the girls made a special request:

Wedding Soup.

Being from Pittsburgh, I learned about Italian food (and Polish food and German food) before I ever learned about "soul" food. In fact, growing up, my exposure to "soul food" was relegated to a mere handful of basic options (although, with my parents, even ordinary foods are extraordinary):

Fried Chicken

Ribs 

(I'll ONLY eat my dad's.)

Collard Greens

(I ONLY ate my dad's until Craig learned how to make them.)

As I've already mentioned, my parents are the best cooks I know, and this is true even with Italian food.

However, I never had wedding soup while growing up in their household.

I don't even know anyone else who makes it at home, except for a lady I once met in an Italian market. As a visual learner, I didn't remember much of her verbal recipe sharing that day. So, when I was ready to make it at home just a few years ago, I had to search online for a recipe.

I ended up finding two recipes that seemed promising. Each one lacked something that the other offered, so I combined the best of the two.

For the past several years, this has been a favorite, not only for my household, but also for friends and relatives who've tasted it.

On Christmas Day this year, though, I decided to wing it, and it ended up being the best yet! The Cousins don't eat much beef or any pork; so to be safe, I made turkey meatballs.

Here's what I did:

Turkey Meatballs = ground turkey, crumbled bread (a slice or so of something good - I used my homemade wheat bread and grated it manually), chopped onions, herbs, salt, pepper, egg, milk.

Don't make them too large. I used a tablespoon to scoop mine, and that's about as large as they should ever be.

Cook the meatballs in the bottom of the soup pot you plan to use. Add chopped vegetables when the meatballs are sufficiently browned:

(It'll be necessary to push the meatballs to the sides of the pot & add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.)

fennel

(I was out of celery, and I'm SO glad! Fennel is the way of the future. For sure.)

carrots

onion

garlic

spinach

(Confession: I use frozen spinach.)

I keep a cute little covered dish of coarse salt next to my stove. I always feel more chef-like as I pinch and sprinkle while cooking. Don't be shy, but don't overdo it. That goes for pepper, too. It doesn't hurt to add a bit more herbs and other seasonings along with the vegetables. I added some ground celery seed, as well.

OK, I can hear your question. 

("Which herbs?")

I used rosemary, thyme, sage (all fresh), and dried oregano. I may have thrown in a little savory, but I can't recall for certain.

NOTE: This soup got rave reviews, even from The Cousins (who, surprisingly, had never tasted Wedding Soup before). So, if yours turns out bland, don't blame me. I am a seasoner. I just can't direct you on exactly how much. You'll have to sample as you go.

My only caution is that it is possible to use too much oregano, and it doesn't take much to cross the line. That stuff is powerful, unless it's fresh.

Cute little covered dish (gotta love Polish pottery, eh?)

 When the veggies start to get a little tender, go ahead and add chicken broth. Now, I'm leaving this up to your discretion. It really depends on how many meatballs you have, whether or not you add a mini pasta (I usually don't), and how brothy you like your soup. It's totally a matter of personal preference, but at least use enough broth to cover the ingredients and leave room for evaporation as it simmers.

That's it. That's how I made my wedding soup. It's all in how you season it - and your meatballs really make a difference, too. Please - whatever you do! - DO NOT cheat by buying frozen meatballs. Seriously. It's worth the effort to make them yourself. If you decide to ignore my advice, just don't tell anyone where you got the recipe, OK?

;-)

The girls said that this photo makes the soup look more like swamp water (the camera is still in the shop); but I assure you, it is far superior to that.

Two Decades & Still a Rookie

This is late, but blame it on Christmas.

Twenty years ago, on Christmas Day, Craig & I embarked on a grand and fabulous new journey...

of parenthood.

One would think that two decades and five children later, we'd be the go-to people for how it's done.

Au contraire,

we are not.

But we strive to "bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4)

Each new day, season, experience, etc., of parenting is just that: new.

Thus, we remain rookies.

This is exactly as it should be, lest we deceive ourselves and assume that we no longer need to depend on the Lord for wisdom and guidance.

With fear and trembling, we seek counsel from the Word of God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we aim these children in the "way they should go".

We are fully dependent on the mercy of our gracious Heavenly Father, from Whose hands they have been given.

I'm grateful for the twenty years I've had so far as Caelyn's mom. She is a true blessing, always eager to serve joyfully, humbly, quietly.

Her quick wit, inherited from Craig, lightens the mood of our home and offers us the much-needed "good medicine" of laughter.

Caelyn loves people and has a knack for making anyone feel welcome in her presence - from the elderly, all the way to babies and toddlers, and anyone in between.

She is a true friend who "loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17).

This is the purse I made for Caelyn's birthday, using this pattern that I first saw at the Houston Quilt Show. I knew right away that I must make it for her. I started it in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, and finished it around 1 a.m. on Christmas morning. I'd change a couple of things about the construction in the future, but overall, I love the design! I kept thinking, "These people are so clever!"

Why We Homeschool: Part 1

(So our dogs will be smarter. ;-)

I can still recall the first time I ever heard the word "homeschool". I was watching a special news report about a family who had taken their children out of the public school system in order to educate them at home. As I watched and listened, I thought, 
"That is the strangest thing I have EVER heard, and that mom must be some kind of incredible woman with super-smarts and ultra-patience! Somebody should make an action figure of her!"
(Just kidding about that last part.)


A year or so later, we met a family who not only had more than two children 
(!), 
but also educated their children at home. My thought then was,
"Yeah. They would."


A couple of years after that, I began reading - somewhat "accidentally" - some real-life accounts of homeschooling families. I appreciated that these moms shared the good, bad, and ugly about their daily journey. This really made me start thinking that homeschooling might be an option worth considering.


We were "dirt poor" in those days, so private school wasn't something we could even consider as Caelyn, our oldest daughter, approached school age. 
Eventually, I came across a statistic about the number of hours children spend in a classroom, compared to the number of ours the average family spends together.
Ugh!


I started to prep the battlefield, so to speak, with Craig, whose response was something like, "Yeah, that sounds like a really good option; but it's not for our family."
I quietly walked away and resolved not to hassle him about it (totally out-of-character for me).


Another year or so passed, and I brought up an idea that was entirely unrelated to the education of our children. Craig's seemingly random response to me was,
"I think you should, instead, focus on homeschooling Caelyn this year."


Whaaa...???


This was in June 1997. We were gearing up to travel to PA for a family visit just before relocating from Kentucky to Georgia, and I was rather pregnant with our fourth child. Having received a negative answer to my earlier request to homeschool, I had made absolutely no preparation, whatsoever.
Perfect. 


"But he said to me, 
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)


The agreement that we made when we began homeschooling was that we'd take it one year at a time and consider putting the children into school later. After the first year, we decided to continue all the way through elementary, and possibly middle school, with a plan to send them to high school.
By the end of the second year, we were committed to the long haul, realizing that the teen years would be no time to relinquish the guidance and discipleship that our children desperately need from us as they begin making larger, farther-reaching decisions.


It was around that same time that we decided it would be important to put into writing our goal and purpose of taking on the responsibility of teaching our own children - a mission statement, if you will. I recently came across the notebook where we sketched out our idea:


"To encourage a love of learning in our children by creating within our home an environment conducive for educating the whole child: mind, body, & spirit; making godly instruction the cornerstone while following biblical doctrine, thus producing wise, disciplined, God-fearing youth of character with a Christ-centered world view."


Reading this again after so many years, it's clearer that we, as parents, can't "produce" any particular type of youth; but we are fully dependent upon the Lord to have His way in the production department as we strive to be obedient to the commands and principles written in His Word concerning the instruction of our children.


Farther down the notebook page, additional thoughts were jotted down:


"... fully armed and capable to transform the world for Christ, if it is His will..."


"... armed with the Truth and capable to ignite the match of the comfortable-in-Christ and sound the trumpet for the lost..."


In America, the grand (and astonishingly successful) marketing scheme of universities has decided for us exactly how we are to define education: getting a college degree. Period.
We hold that there is so much more to education than that, and even a cursory background search of most of our key early-American historic figures would show that education a few generations ago was much broader than what takes place while sequestered on a campus for four years.
Shoot! Most key historic figures of any period were educated far beyond any university campus!
But I digress.


If you can get your hands on a copy of Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary, you'll be surprised at how the definitions of many words have lost much of their luster in modern times. Take this one, for example:


EDUCATION, n. [L. educatio.] The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties. 


'Nuff said.
(For now)


*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *


In case you're interested, Part 2 of "Why We Homeschool" should follow as soon as I get the time to organize my thoughts. Currently, we are enjoying some R&R at a weekend family retreat in a beautiful country setting, where my sweet husband is the speaker. 

What's On Your Thanksgiving Menu?

A loaf of bread awaiting its execution transformation

I have a basic blueprint that I follow each year when planning menus for major holidays, but I like to change a detail or two, just to keep it interesting.

This year, The Cousins will join us for Thanksgiving dinner, and one of them offered to bring the turkey!

Selah.

Even with two ovens, it's a tremendous relief that I won't have to strategically time the use of them in order to accommodate something so large as a turkey and still make everything else in time for dinner.

I've been back in fitness mode recently, and I'm trying so hard not to load up on lots of heavy fare.

Even my pared-down menu still threatens the waistline, but not as much as in years past.

Trust me.

My dad bought this cute little garlic roaster for me a few years ago. Roasted garlic is a key player in my cauliflower pureé, which will be served in lieu of mashed potatoes, much to Morgan's chagrin. (I've promised to make it up to her on Christmas.)

What this photo lacks in aesthetic value, it makes up in culinary flair. This ordinary scene will morph into Craig's AMAZING collard greens (Daddy's recipe), sweet potato casserole, & cauliflower pureé.

The next generation of apple pie baker has graduated. Morgan normally makes the crust while I make the filling, but today she made the entire thing from start to finish. (It's probably more accurate to say that I've graduated. I wasn't a control freak about it, and she was free to create.)

What's fueling my operation today?
Ethiopia Harar Longberry

These bread cubes will become my stuffing (Mom's recipe), which will fill rolled flank steak (also Mom's recipe).

The remainder of today's prep includes making the topping for the sweet potato casserole, blanching brussels sprouts for roasting tomorrow, making cranberry salad, and mixing "pretty" herb butter to display on a cold plate.

The Line-Up:

Cauliflower Pureé

Roasted Brussels Sprouts


Collard Greens

Cranberry Salad

Sweet Potato Casserole

Stuffed Flank Steak

Whole-Wheat Rolls with Herb Butter


Apple Pie

(And from The Cousins:)

Turkey

Salad

Green Beans

Pumpkin Cheesecake

*  *  *  *  *

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy 14th Birthday, Graham!

In those days, he carried "Bear-Bear" and sucked two fingers. His favorite companion was "A-bah-dah" (Gabriela), and he loved to play with her hair.

He was a special "pet" to his big sister, Caelyn, and absolutely adored her.

He called himself "Ham", and referred to Morgan as "Doe".

We never thought he'd master English, but he has become quite a brilliant young man.

Graham has since traded his stuffed animals for pocket knives, multi-use tools, and Chinese stars.

(True story.)

He loves to play football, Risk, or Chess, and is enthralled with military and martial arts movies, cars, and music.

He doesn't say much, but when he has something to share, it's always interesting.

I love to observe Graham's relationship with his siblings.

He's affectionate, humorous, and ever so protective of all of them.

He shares a strong bond with his older brother, Craig Grayson. The two of them are like James & John, the "sons of thunder", in the New Testament.

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
   are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
   who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
   when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Psalm 127:4-5

Precious Moments

Often these days, I find myself lamenting the fact that the children have outgrown so many of our favorite books, toys, and clothing.

A colonial-period dress and a Pilgrim dress that I made for Gabriela have become sewing room decor, and many of our children's books & toys have been set aside for visitors or future grandchildren.

Today, Morgan showed me that seventeen isn't too old to enjoy a special mommy-daughter moment together with a favorite.

I was lying on Gabriela's bed, talking to her as she cleaned her closet, when Morgan handed me Joyful Noise, plopped down beside me, and snuggled up in a blanket.

Oh, the giggles that ensued!

One day she'll be reading with her own children, but today I'm thankful for this special time that will soon be only a memory.

As Craig says to encourage young parents,

"The days may seem long at times, but the years are short."

Take some time to read with your little ones... or your not-so-little ones!

I Did It! (Finally)

I mentioned earlier that I've been planning to make a duvet cover for Gabriela, but I had hoped to surprise her.

I've had my eye on this fabric for a couple of years, and I finally bought it recently at a 50%-off sale.

The only thing I still lacked was a window of time with Gabriela away from the house, so as to surprise her.

Today was that day.

After searching a bit online for some direction, I had it all figured out in my head and just decided to wing it. I ended up saving the striped fabric that was supposed to be the accent. I'll use that for pillows, instead.

Anyway, it turned out that, after taking the girls to work with him, Craig decided to come home early.

Yikes!

I wasn't quite finished, but I was on the last step of assembling the cover. The older children tried to create a barrier in the doorway of the sewing room. Not realizing what they were doing, Gabriela crawled between their legs to come and ask me a question.

Oh well.

She was surprised. It just happened in the sewing room, rather than in her bedroom like I had planned.

I love giving her new things. She gets so excited. I felt sorry for her when she realized that she had inadvertently ruined her own surprise. I assured her that it was perfectly OK, and she spent the rest of the day thanking me and talking about how exciting bedtime would be tonight.

This was my very first time ever making piping. I actually made this way ahead of time and set it aside. Gabriela thought that I was planning to use it in my room. Tee-Hee!

Hats off to all those heroes who can perfectly match a directional pattern when piecing fabric together to make up width. I aspire to achieve that status some day... but not anytime soon, please.

I used a yellow sheet from Target for the backing.

Time to make pillows...

Wow! Thanks, Penny!

I've taught my children that it's not nice to pick favorites when it comes to people - whether friends or family.

So, I won't call Penny my favorite bloggie buddy; but she definitely has what it takes to be anyone's favorite!

Today she solved a dilemma for me.

Before we moved from Moçambique last year, I learned that my beloved Grandma Betty had passed away.

When we moved back to the States, my mom & aunts had decided that I should inherit Grandma's needlecraft supplies, which included some crocheted squares that never made their way into afghans.

Not having learned to crochet, I really didn't know where to begin to use these squares, but Penny has offered the perfect idea!

I hope to soon turn these:

Into something akin to these.

Thanks for the fabulous idea, Penny!

Green Goodness Dip

It's been a while since I've said that I love my Vita-Mix, so I'll open with that thought.

Yesterday we gathered with all of the cousins again for a multi-birthday meal, as several of us have recently entered a new year of life. 

I haven't been feeling well lately, so I got away with only being asked to bring a salad. However, I do have a "staff" of helpers, so we added a fruit salad to our contribution, and instead of a green salad, I decided to take crudités with remoulade and one other dipping sauce. 

I wanted the second dip to be green, but I couldn't find the "Green Goddess" recipe that I printed long ago. An online search yielded a seemingly infinite number of choices, so I decided to trust my culinary instincts and wing it.

Here's what I ended up tossing into the Vita-Mix:

Green Goodness Dip

madebydayna

yoghurt

(plain, fresh, homemade)

avocado

(bad news for my male family members)

a few garlic cloves

(this may sound scary, but I believe garlic can't be overdone; besides, it's a natural immune booster)

a chunk of fennel bulb

(my new favorite vegetable; jicama is my other new favorite vegetable; but I digress)

cilantro

basil

sea salt

freshly-ground pepper

juice of one lime

dash of cayenne pepper

ground celery seed

I didn't write down my ingredients as I added them, so a day later it's possible that I've forgotten something. The beauty of it is that it's mine, and yours can be yours! Change whatever suits you.

By the way, it tastes just as wonderful on Day Two; and if it accidentally mingles on your plate with the remoulade, worse things have happened.

Just go with it.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Craig and I recently had our bikes serviced so that we might begin to explore the territory around our neighborhood. I was so excited when he sent me a text on his way from work on Friday, telling me to "get changed" for a bike ride.

I hadn't ridden for a while, so I'll just say that after a moderate ride, I was hoping that my weekend wouldn't involve much sitting.

The soreness didn't last long, thankfully. I enjoyed "breaking in" my new seat.

We had a marvelous evening ride, complete with some bird spotting. My camera is broken, so I'm having to use my phone for now. (Please forgive the quality.) Sadly, I didn't get any bird photos.

At one point, we came upon a flock of water birds that flew up and circled overhead, leaving me motionless in awe. 

It was magnificent!

Just as they began to take flight, Sara Groves's rendition of "Breath of Heaven" began to play in my earphones.

The piano intro was the perfect segue to what seemed like a choreographed dance in praise to our Creator.

It brought tears to my eyes.

I felt a little like this guy.

Suddenly I realized that Craig hadn't stopped with me. 

It took some effort to catch up with him.

At this point, we realized that we were approaching a private residence, so we turned around and headed back.

Although I was thrilled to move to the Houston area, I was afraid that I might never see anything green. To my great joy, I learned of this place, and our family headed into the city for their get-acquainted-with-the-outdoors event.

We enjoyed a birds-of-prey demo, which was the biggest highlight for all of us.

Craig couldn't wait to see a falcon, since he's wanted one for several years. This one is rather young and still in training for doing demos; but we enjoyed every minute!

We got to see this hawk "hunt" for the "prey" on this leather lure. What a treat to get a close-up view. It was literally right beside us.

This is probably cheating, but our boys were glad to see an airsoft booth at the event. I'm sure they meant this for younger children, but Craig Grayson & Graham couldn't resist the challenge of target practice. Graham walked away with the record for the most targets hit in the least amount of time.

Craig Grayson did well, too; but he couldn't keep up with his younger brother.

He's always a good sport, though.

Gabriela wanted a turn, too. She did well, considering that she hadn't shot before.

There were many other exhibits, including this wildlife center that had a few reptiles on display. We miss our ball python, "Kaa", which we gave away when we left Alabama.

The Hunter's Education booth was a favorite of the guys. They're anxious to get "legal" in the state of Texas.

Craig was intrigued by this gentleman's tales of hunting in South Africa.

I'm still amazed at the idea of electric cars. This booth was advertising "charging stations", two of which are already available in the city.

Snow cones in the shade

On Sunday, we were privileged to join our friend, Leo, in watching his son's team play (and beat) the Texans here at Reliant Stadium.

With my puny iPhone camera, I managed to at least show proof of Stefan talking with his uncle/coach, Steve Wisniewski, before the game.

Football fans really are a rowdy lot. My ears were ringing long after we returned home.

We had loads of fun, though.

We were especially grateful for the stadium's roof, as it rained quite a bit yesterday.

After the game, I ended up taking off my shoes, which were irritating my feet. We had a long walk in the "cold" rain to where Craig had parked, but I felt like a kid splashing barefoot through the puddles and dodging rocks.

A shower never felt better.