Always a New One Each Thanksgiving

We have always had a new one with us every Thanksgiving. Whether it be a new baby or a new life inside this mother. I thought for sure this would be our first Thanksgiving without a new baby or new blessing on the way but I was wrong. : ) God is gracious. Due August 5, 2011 but will most likely deliver by c-section around week 38 July 21st or so. May the Lord carry you through little one.

Happy Birthday Baby Chops

Our baby Matthew is two. Oh, I already miss you as a baby. I love you so much. I made you some Ga (anything that's super yummy in this family is Ga). I made you some oreo cookies. I think you liked them.

Mommy rolling the dough out between parchment paper

Making the frosting for the inside

Cutting out the little hearts

Num num Matthew. Here is your Ga.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Things I love about you right now: You kiss everything... you can look outside and see that it is dark and give the dark a kiss. You still grab your blue blankie and put your chops on it and so a little scream for fun. You are very serious about reading books... I think you are going to be very smart because you are so attentive. Lastly, you are so considerate and have such good manners. Goodness, you say "scuse me" about everything you do. You are such a good boy, love to be held and are such a joy in our lives.

Home Made Oreos Recipe

Wafers

• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C plus 2 T butter, room temperature
  
• 1 large egg

Use a biscuit cutter to make into perfect circles. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.

Filling

• 1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whip all together in a mixer and put in cooled cookies.

Marmalade With Enzymes

Here's Orange Marmalade from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.

3-4 organic oranges

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/4 cup whey (made from straining yogurt for several hours)

1/2 cup Rapadura (sugar that still has the molasses in it)

I put this all in the food processor and placed in a quart jar and let sit at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to the refrigerator. The whey and salt allow the good bacteria and enzymes to develop but inhibit and kill any growth of any bad bacteria. I found this to be pretty good. I mixed some of this in with our cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving Day.

Making Sauerkraut

Momma with the kids

Daddy with the kids

We made sauerkraut for the first time a few months ago. I can't get enough of it now. It is so delicious.

Shred 1 cabbage
Add 1 Tablespoon sea salt
Add 4 Tablespoons of whey (derived from homemade yogurt)
1 Tablespoon of caraway seeds
Pound for 10 minutes and store in jars for 3 days at room temperature, place in refrigerator.

Hannah

Hannah, you are getting to be so pretty. You always want to be held and love to "hug" in the morning. I will miss that one day.

Reading The Bible Together

Daddy reading a Childrens' Bible to you kids

Mommy with Baby Leah

Homemade Bean and Pork Soup

I've been saving all the scraps of bone and meat from our pork in the freezer each time we have pork. Well, this day I made a bean and pork soup from the scraps in the freezer. I added some collards and spices and this is how it turned out. We are having some of the leftovers for lunch today with tuna sandwiches. Yum.

The New Bunkbeds

We bought some beautiful, used bunk beds from 2good2toss.com the other day for only $99.00. They included a built in desk and dresser and mattresses that are in great shape. While daddy was assembling the beds upstairs with the two older girls, I watched you two romp around on the mattresses downstairs. It was fun.

On another note, I am having such a hard time having bunk beds. You see, I really miss tucking both you older girls in the same big bed each night. It means a lot to a mother to feel like she's taking care of her kids even until the end of the evening. I had just bought you some fleece sheets to keep you warm up there at night and really felt like I was taking good care of you. I saw these bunk beds and thought they would be a good bargain but didn't think about what I would miss... : ( It's not the same not being able to tuck you in in the same bed. You both seem so far from me. Sigh.... I think I'm just too touchy on these things. Well, I hope you enjoy your bunk beds. I can't wait til you're out of them again, personally.

Leah's First Birthday

Oh, Leah you are already a year old. You have been born into a bit of a noisy family having three siblings not much older than yourself. I hope your life will be full. We love you sweetie.

We're all having num num cake. You kids all refer to anything sweet, fattening or good as Ga. Ga is good... especially this cake as I made it with some Lindt chocolate bars I found on sale.

One year old on this day

Enjoying that cake

Going up the stairs

Playing in Mommy's drawer

Getting a little grouchy!

Tired after a long day

Homemade Olive Oil Lamp

I came across something some time ago I've been wanting to try to make; an olive oil lamp. It consists only of a canning jar, olive oil and a piece of wire and string for the wick. My husband put it together fairly quickly and it looked lovely on our table. Olive oil burns very, very clean and if the kids tip it over or the glass breaks, it will extinguish itself so it's fairly safe.

Our Summer

Here's a whole gamut of pictures from our Summer here in Ocosta. I'm trying to catch up from August. : )


Okay kids, your daddy took this picture a few weeks ago. You were with him (all four of you), down at the barn and the pasture having fun while mommy had some quiet time.

Here's a toad. Many, many frogs we spied this year but not too many toads.

Here's daddy growing a beard. You should see him now! I love it on him.
He sure looks handsome. ; ) I see his pictures without the beard and I keep telling myself that his face looks naked. Isn't that silly?

Here's another picture daddy took

And another. Finally, daddy got some bees in his hive after 3 years of waiting. See the honeybee going into the hive? Unfortunately, they didn't make it. It's been too cold out and they didn't build large enough to last. Maybe they will remember to come back next year. We'll get honey yet...



Okay kids, when you are older I wonder if you are going to remember this? You all went "slug hunting" to get a little snack for the piggies. Yes, you picked them up with your little fingers. Hmm, maybe you'll still be hunting for slugs later too.



Leah, you look puzzled! A week away from 1 year old. You and Chops (we call Matthew Chops because he used to like to bite), will both be a year old for a few weeks. Wow, two 1 year olds.

Our collards, bib lettuce and another type of lettuce

The collards got quite large. We still have some growing into monstrous size.

Good ole green beans. We can't get you kids to eat your greens at the table, but by golly all daddy has to do is bring you down to the garden and you eat to no end.

See, you little piggy's are just feasting now.

Unripe but a pretty picture. Daddy took good pictures today.

Our common little frogs around the property

Our two piggies. They are in our freezer now. We had pork chops tonight.
The sausage is the best!

Matthew kissing/blessing his pumpkin

Our pumpkin patch a couple of months ago

Here's some pictures of Leah, pretty girl.

I love this picture of you little Leah

Resting on your napping father, Chops.

Yum, yum banana. You are always so cute to me.

Hannah, now it's your turn.

Big, three year old girl!

You two don't always play together much because you are always playing with your sister Elisabeth, Hannah. So, I had to catch this rare occasion.



Doing a little school time. We spend a little time each morning coloring and doing flash cards. You are all doing so well with the letters. I think Elisabeth is going to be ready to start reading here pretty soon.





You look so quiet and proper Hannie. But, we all know you are the "bouncy" one to say the least. : ) I love you.