Sledding Fun with the Bachman Family

We had such a good time with the Bachman family while they were here. It has been such a long time since we were able to fellowship with visitors like that. We did not know that they were coming to the church until they were there on Sunday night. During one of the congregational songs Chad came down from the platform and told me that he was thinking of inviting them to stay with us. He told me to think about it. During the invitation he looked and me and said, "What do you think?" My reply? "Whatever you want." I am not normally so easy to get along with, but I have been trying to work on my submission and reverence. ;) So...they all came and spent two nights with us. It was very busy but very fun!

One of the funniest moments was when I overheard Brian talking to Bro. Bachman.
Brian - "You remember all their names?!"
Bro. Bachman - "Well, I try to!"
Brian just couldn't believe that even their own dad would be able to keep them all straight. (If you are not familiar with the Bachman family, they have 13 children.)

Derek

Brian with one of them (right now I can't remember) :)
Joseph

Derek and Tyler being pulled by Daddy

Notice the tear in the corner of Tyler's eye

Sweet Elisabeth

Budge

Bro. Bachman, Sandra, and Lauren

Elisabeth, Amanda, and either Carrie or Christina

Lauren

Ben

German Pancakes

A couple of weeks ago we had a day off of school, and I made a big breakfast for everyone. One of our favorites is German Pancakes with homemade caramel syrup. This is absolutely delicious! But I must warn that they don't taste anything like pancakes. However, it is very nice. After we finished breakfast, the children informed me that from now on I need to bake 3 or 4 pans instead of just two.

The beginning of the syrup

See the nice caramel color? It's almost done.

The pancakes in the oven

The pancakes get wonderful mountains in them that the children love to watch. They deflate after a few minutes out of the oven, though.

The syrup looks and tastes just like caramel

Here's the recipe for German Pancakes:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 t. salt

1 - 2 T. butter, melted (I always use two)

Put all of these ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

Pour into a greased 13x9 casserole dish. (It seems to work best if you stay with this size.) Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

While it is baking, this is the syrup we like.

Buttermilk Syrup

3/4 c. buttermilk (or 3/4 c. milk and 1 T. vinegar and wait for 5 minutes)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 stick butter

2 T. corn syrup

1 t. baking soda

2 t. vanilla

Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil and boil for 7 minutes, or until the color resembles a nice caramel color. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Serve.

Notes:

1. The syrup gets very frothy as it cooks, so be sure to use a much larger pan than you think you need.

2. I always make a double batch of syrup and use the leftovers as an apple dip. Yummy!

The Evening Times

We've been having so much fun together in the evenings--just being a family together. Since the little ones set the table for dinner, there is usually some surprise or another waiting for us on our plates. They came a little late to the table last night, but they had Valentine surprises for us, complete with very wet glue!! :)

Tyler is just starting to get interested in food - at nearly 10 months. To be funny, Chad took the serving spoon and acted like he was feeding Tyler. Ty thought he was serious!

After Chad put the spoon back in the pot, Tyler decided to do a little feeding on his own. He could never quite get the spoon to his mouth, though.

I think he's full now!

Time for Root Beer Floats!

I considered not blogging anymore because it doesn't seem like there's much interest in it, but I decided to keep it going for the sake of the grandparents. Enjoy!

Be Mine Craft

This past Monday the ladies at our church had our Abundant Blessings meeting. We have about 4 or 5 a year--not so many that husbands get upset at how often we're out but enough that we have time to fellowship with one another occasionally.

Anyway, for the past couple of years at these meetings I have been in charge of presenting some kind of craft for the season. I usually do a couple crafts and a recipe or two. Since this meeting was in February, we did a few things for Valentine's Day. A young mother helped me out also with some really cute ideas.

The above picture is a little Valentine holder that I put together for Elisabeth. It's made out of felts, and I just printed different sized hearts from the computer to use as a pattern. It was fun and easy--just a few seams.

My little friend had the cutest ideas. She baked chocolate cake in clear glass mugs. They took 15-20 minutes to bake. Then she topped them with marshmallow cream when they came out of the oven. They looked like mugs of hot chocolate. So cute. Then she took a long, thin photo frame (one that had 4 openings on it) and put cute Valentine wrapping paper in place of pictures and used it as a serving tray. So adorable. It could also hold candles and candy dishes or whatever. It was a super cute, easy idea. And so affordable as we all have stray picture frames lying around that we don't know what to do with but don't want to get rid of either.

I would appreciate a few prayers, if you find the time. I am having a few minor health problems that we are trying to get to the bottom of.

A Small Boy's Hand

I know that it's out of focus, but the picture was so cute to me. Lauren was dipping pretzel sticks in warm cream cheese, and Tyler stuck his hand right down in the bowl. He didn't taste any of it, but he had so much fun squishing it together before I realized what had happened. I am so in love with that little guy!

I think of all the joy and love that he has brought to our home, and I realize that had I not surrendered myself to God's will, then Tyler wouldn't be here today. Growing up, my life's verse(s) were Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." I had no idea as a teenager that presenting my body a living sacrifice would be through carrying and birthing many children.

Folks will sometimes make different comments to me and Chad, some nice, some not so nice. A few weeks ago, he looked at me out of the blue on the way home from a date and said, "There's one difference between us and people who don't have many children. We know what we're "missing out" on, but they have no idea what they're missing! He's right. Sure, having a "large" family is much work, but I never have to be lonely again. I spent so much time as a child lonely. There was no one to play a game with or go bike riding with or just act silly with. Now, at any given time, I have 3 or 4 people ready to do something with me. It's great!

I'm thankful that God has allowed us to have these children. We are truly blessed!

No More Monkeys

Our local grocery store has candy machines out front. You know, the kind that you put your quarter in and get out a gumball or 10 little chiclets or something like that. Well, our kids are fascinated with the one that sells little monkeys. They can't wait to go with us to Glen's so that they can get their little monkey. They, at times, have had up to 10 of these things at once. One day, Derek was playing with them, and I thought, "What a perfect way to play 'No More Monkeys Jumpin' on the Bed!'"

This is one of our little monkeys. He only stands about an inch and a half high. They come in all different poses.

Derek has just in the last month begun to talk. When we first started "No More Monkeys" he could not even get even get the words out of his mouth. Now listen to what he says. It is so cute.

My Leader

This was the sight that met my eyes when I came downstairs this morning. Isn't it precious to see your family, led by your husband, reading their Bibles? My heart just skipped a beat when I saw them and I had to have a permanent record of it. It is certainly not a one-time occurence, but I'm usually already up and in the kitchen when they begin reading, so it was a pleasant surprise to come down and see them already reading. I love my leader!


*Please pray for my dad. He hurt his back some time ago. He missed two weeks of work, is on painkillers, and is going to physical therapy.

We bought Tyler his first sippy cup this morning, and, my, but he loves it! I think I put the pictures in backwards this time, but I don't want to start over, so...oh, well. You have upload the pictures opposite of how you want them to be seen. In other words, the first picture I put in will be the last picture seen, but I get so confused every time. This time, I lost it! ;)

Our church is having our Mid-Winter Revival this week, and Bro. Darrell Cox from North Carolina is here preaching. We had the privilege of taking him out to eat last night before the service. He is just about my dad's age, and I really enjoyed just listening to him and Chad talk. All of his children are grown and married now, all serving the Lord, and I just soaked in everything he was saying. He never had one bit of trouble with his children.

He preaches a sermon entitled "Why Proverbs 22:6 Doesn't Work." In case you are unsure, Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." We focus so much on the training, training, training the we forget about Proverbs 23:26, "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." If we first get the hearts of our children, then we can train them, and they will want to please us. Furthermore, that first says, Let me have your heart and then watch me and do what I do.

Back in the 60's the Beatles stole the hearts of America and created the hippie movement in the process. If we can get the hearts of our children, they will want to be just like us. Chad and I have watched several young people completely turn their backs on their parents, church, and God. We always discuss it and ask ourselves why. Of course, each person has their own free will to choose, but I can't help but think that the kids wouldn't desire to turn away if their parents and God and the church had their hearts.

Over the past couple of years, I have lost my own "heart" for being a wife and mother. I haven't been putting much heart into what I'm doing, and I certainly have not been focusing on tying heart strings with my children, something that Michael and Debi Pearl teach. If my husband and children have not had my heart, then something else has. What is it? I'm not really sure at this point, though I do plan on investigating it some more. For now, I am going to be content to give my heart back to my first loves -- God, my hubby, and my children.