Russian Orphans and Gingerbread Houses

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I’m going to be a sewing maniac today, but first I wanted to share a few photos from the weekend.  Friday night our family worship group gathered in my home to put together Christmas boxes for an orphanage in Russia.  One of our member’s father visited there a few weeks ago on a missionary trip and what he found just about broke his heart.  Every child there was so precious and had so many needs. He felt almost powerless to help.

His daughter had the idea to recruit some help to gather necessities and some fun items to send out to the children.  All of our children helped choose what to gather.  Then on Friday we put it all out on my dining room table.

There were handmade hats and scarves (from all over the USA) and gloves.  Toothbrushes; soap and washcloths.  (Check out how cute these are!  Pam bought plain white washcloths then appliqued a heart on each one.)

For the Girls

For the Boys

There were small baby dolls; toy cars; bouncy balls and yo-yos.  Stamps; crayons, coloring books, calendars, pencils, silly bands, and bookmarks.  And for the older girls journals and lip gloss.  There was also gum and several kinds of candy.  Each of our children drew the age and gender of a child from the orphanage, then walked around the table choosing the right things for that gift.

Then the kids headed back to their parents to wrap a gift box so it could still be opened by Russian officials at inspection.

With 6 boxes to wrap (that was tricky!) I stopped taking pictures here.  But what a great evening!  It wasn’t without a little drama.  Some of the kids were confused and took more than one of each item for their bag.  It was traumatic on their egos to spread things out. But after explaining how the children might feel to find their friend with 3 and themselves with none…it made more sense. And my dear little Brandon thought he was making a gift for he and his best friend Isabelle to share.  When he found out that wasn’t the case, it was pretty awful. But after a few tears he was able to find the joy in giving a gift to a child he didn’t know who has nothing and will be able to truly appreciate it.

Then the next morning, I packed up the kids and headed to Grandma’s for our traditional gingerbread making party with cousins.  No kits were used here.  My mom bakes everything from scratch using a cast iron mold that she has had for nearly 20 years.

My nephew, Sean (what a cutie!)

Aunt Erica helping Brandon

My Heather

Heidi, almost 13! and my niece, Maddie.

Caleb

It was a hoot trying to get all of them to look at the camera at the same time.

Not a Swimming Pool

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But I’m excited. Here’s a before shot:

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This is actually a picture of the twin closet in the adjoining room. But they were set up the same. I painted it ultra pure white, even the ceiling. It helps reflect the most amount off light in the windowless space, and shows the clothes in their true colors.

And After:

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I’d like to make cute labels for the baskets. But for now I’m just putting things away.  RugsUSA.com is hinting at a nice black friday rug sale and I’m thinking about getting one of these for the closet floor if they go cheap enough. Do you have a favorite?

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Or

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I also plan to look for an affordable large framed mirror for the end of the room. Old Time Pottery usually has somethig fantastic at a good price.

I snagged this one on second discount from Big Lots:

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It’s too girly for them though. I hung it in the Living room already even though I still need to paint. You can see a smidge of the new paint color peeking to the right of the mirror.

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It’s a light taupy gray and looks awesome with white trim. I used it in the bottom half of my dining room.

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She’s already to lay the paper floor over the ugly vinyl. I’m so glad I made a detailed tutorial on how to do this a few years ago on my blog. It’s been so long, I need a refresher. Caleb is holding his breath for me to finish it, so he can have his birthday party. He was 11 October 22nd and still hasn’t gotten his cake or presents yet!  Whatever I do for his party, it better be good. The saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.

New Closet or Swimming Pool?

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Brandon cracks me up.  He’s so tiny and has a little voice, but he thinks grown up–with a dry sense of humor. Today I was painting his closet.  He wanted me to do other things–like get him a stick of gum :).

His room is a disaster and we are hoping a new closet system will help.  Right now the places to put things that he can actually reach are pretty limited.  So things end up in a pile on the floor.  I forget the exact measurements of his room (that he shares with Grant and Warren) but it’s huge.  The bigger the room, the bigger the mess!

The whole time I was painting, I was thinking of how lovely the new closet system is going to be.  And I said to Brandon, “just wait, you are going to be so excited when you see your new closet!”

He replied, “A new closet is going to make me excited?  I don’t think so.  Now if you were in there making a swimming pool, that would be something to get excited about.”   I was on a step ladder cutting in the ceiling, and didn’t say anything.  I was too busy concentrating on staying on the ladder while holding an open bucket of paint and shaking uncontrollably in silent laughter.   He’s too short to get a drink of water.  He still has all his baby teeth.  He wears footie pajamas.  But the boy has logic.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since the weekend about frugality and making a home.  I’m  in my potential dream home right now, but it needs a LOT of work before I can even feel comfortable having a neighbor drop by for tea. It feels like everything takes money, or time–both things in limited supply.  There was a day when I would drag stuff down the street from the neighbor’s trash and clean it or redo it for the home. But my methods are changing a little this time.  I’m really thinking about what DIY projects will save me the most cash for the least amount of time spent and then saving up to buy the rest.  I still watch and wait for the sale and keep detailed lists of what I’m looking for. I’m no longer looking for “anything” but THE thing that will make the area perfect.

Their closet kit is an example. I spent a lot of time researching all the options. Priced building it out myself and then finally settled on this set from Amazon.  I waited for my swag-bucks to accumulate to cover about half of it and then took the plunge. It sat around for weeks since we did our own demolition of the old closet, mudding, sanding, and painting.  I think that’s the hardest part about frugality–it’s the waiting.  Trying to have patience for the great thing to come while we fit the labor in around our crazy busy lives.  But there’s also a peace that comes from paying cash for things as we go and not having any bills accumulate along the way.

 

Food Journal Week 2 Day 1

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Combine a super busy schedule with not writing my food down and you get a total nutrition fail. But that is behind me now. 🙂 The musical is over, soccer is soon to follow and we are carving out family time again.

Last night we started our November tradition of reading aloud Stories of the Pilgrims. I love this story and the kids do too! 15 pages a day will have us finish near Thanksgiving Day.

Pictures of the musical to follow later today. They are on my good camera and it’s dash to work time. For now, here’s my easy breakfast:

1 cup bran flakes, 1 Tbs sunflower seeds, 2Tbs craisins, 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

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Snack 1: 1 cup mountain high lowfat plain yogurt with 1/4 cup peanut flour, 1 Tbs stevia and 1tsp homemade vanilla extract stirred in. Topped with 1 chopped gayla apple. And a dallop of whipped topping.

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Right after the snack, I did the Fit Yummy Mummy workout of the month. November Tabatas A. I loved this one because there was no equipment involved and I could complete tthe whole thing. Yet it was still hard enough that my muscles felt super challenged.

Lunch: 2 cups each lettuce and spinach. 3 oz chicken breast, 2 Tbs craisins, 1 oz almonds and 2 Tbs raspberry viniagrette. I’m out of this dressing now and decided to try making my own so I can pronounce the ingredients. I’ll let you know how it goes.

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I was still starving a little later so had 2 slices of winter wheat artisan bread with Neufchatel cheese and strawberry jam. Then regretted it. It put me way over on my calories for the day. A hot cup of peppermint tea would have been a better chaser.
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Snack 2: 1 string cheese, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 cup black grapes and 1/2 oz almonds.

Dinner: 1 cup homemade lasagna soup with 100% whole grain noodles. 2 oz homemade bread from Healthy Bread in 5 minutes a day recipe.

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Totals: 1843 calories, 233g carbs, 99g protein, 40g fiber. If I want to burn fat tonight, I will need to add my intervals in before bed. My day is busy enough tomorrow that it would be nice to get them out of the way now. I plan to run stairs for 15 minutes after doing homework with the first grader.

Grant likes Pomegranates

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The first time we tasted a real pomegranate was 3 years ago. My MIL worked in a local food pantry and several cases of the fruit were donated. None of the underprivileged would take them–at least there, they preferred cakes, doughnuts, and prepackaged foods. And often left the fresh fruits and veggies to rot.

They were going to have to throw them away, so my MIL brought them to me, dozens of them.  I had never seen one before and was shocked when I broke into it. It was like a cache of rubies! The gems were filled with the most delicious juice and a tiny seed that gave just the right amount of crunch.

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I was hooked. But the fruit are expensive! We hadn’t had once since…Until today. Aldi had a sale and I bought just 1. I peeled it this morning and rubbed the little rubies free of their white membrane.

Grant was instantly by my side as if to say, “What lovely thing do you have there?” I gave him a taste expecting that to be the end of it. I thought the seeds would deter him.
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But instead, he snatched the entire bowl for himself. He ate the whole thing cupping his baby hand around the spoon as he brought it to his mouth so none of the precious rubies would fall to the ground.

I’m glad he likes healthy food. I wish I bought 2 🙂

Fall Colors on a Missouri Drive–Plus guess the answer

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Darren preached in Macon yesterday. It was a 3 hour drive. We left home with 3 kids in tow at 6:30 so I slept most of the way. My eyes popped open when we were 30 minutes out and I was overcome with how beautiful the trees were.  I snapped sone pictures:

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Grant enjoyed the drive too 🙂

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The older children stayed home and went to our regular church for the first Christmas program rehearsal. It’s hard to believe it’s already that time of year. Speaking of Christmas, do you know when the cheapest prices are for buying Christmas gifts? Put your guess in the comments below and I’ll reveal the answer later this week.

More pictures from Front Sight

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I can’t wait to go back to Front Sight Next Year.  What an amazing experience!  I was definitely not a gun person before I went out there. (I had only shot once and had never fired the gun I took with me.) Every time my husband asked me to go target shooting with him, my heart would sink. Now I’m not afraid of handling a gun anymore.  I know how to use it; how to unload it and make it safe; and I’m on my way to having decent aim. On the other hand, I’m also more aware of how much skill I have left to build.

Practicing what to do when there is 4 bad guys and just me.

Slowly re-holstering. Trying to get comfortable doing this without looking, but it's one of the more dangerous gun maneuvers. No sense in rushing and losing a foot.

Darren and my brother competing in the last man standing competition. They are waiting for the fire command--and looks like they are in a western showdown, lol. Darren ended up winning 2nd place in our range. Not to shabby for his first time in class.

 

My Ammo Box. Looks too messy to me, but I move so fast normally that I don't take time to stay organized. My SIL snapped this picture because my sparkly lip gloss tickled her funny bone. I was the queen of sparkly lip gloss on the range. It helped me keep my girly edge during a fast draw. And we were in the desert--can't have too much sparkly lip gloss in the desert.

Weekend In Las Vegas

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Just in at the airport. Elvis sighting! Check out the guy behind me on my left (your right.)

 

Scenery near our hotel in Parumph, NV

DH and his new ammo box freshly decorated with stickers.

The MM store -- too bad we ran out of time and couldn't go in.

Giant Coca Cola Bottle Elevator

Eiffel Tower Restaurant

 

Outdoor Escalators leading to the bridge over the street so pedestrians can cross without stopping traffic

Treasure Island Hotel and Restaurant

Gondola Rides

More Gondola Rides

One of our instructors in our 4 day Defensive Handgun Course at Front Sight. Each class session has a short talk; demonstration; and then dry drill and live fire drill.

My Brother Getting one-on-one instruction for his first live fire round.

Dad getting his one-on-one session.

Dad's Dinner. When it was served my brother said, "What is that? A meat Banana Split?" We were so tired after spending all day in class that we couldn't stop laughing. Bwa ha ha ha. Did you have to be there? I'm still laughing just typing it....Tee Hee.

The hardest part about this trip was leaving my kids behind, then getting my menus out on time while traveling.  And then trying to relax while thinking about shooting guns–which is scary for me.  And yet I believe in the 2nd amendment and think that if I’m going to own guns I should be skilled at using them.

I showed up the first day with my cargo pants pockets filled with sparkly lip gloss and then promptly broke a nail trying to clip my holster to my belt.  By the end of the day, I was very comfortable with my weapon.

The first night we walked the strip in Las Vegas and I took a few photos for my kids, because it is a place I will NEVER bring them. If you have been there, you know what I mean.  The best part was the fountain show at Bellagio. I filmed it and maybe will have time to upload the video tomorrow.

Run for Life 5K

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Thank you for all your support. The Women’s Clinic met their financial goal of $20,000 and even exceeded it by a little. I finished in just over 33 minutes a personal best. My team won first place for fund raising thanks to the readers here. Four of our members won first place time slots in their age divisions.

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Heidi, Me, and Kelly Marshall in front of the Independence Courthouse just after our run. Note to self: Do not run with a water bottle. It's heavy and they have people along the sides who will feel bad if you don't take the water that they volunteered their morning just to be able to hand you.

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Heidi and Me before the run. Trying not to feel nervous.

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Heidi, her cousin Haley and two of their friends from church just after the run.

Wish I took more pictures!!!!  I enjoyed the experience a lot and am looking to see the which next 5k (local) that I can work into my schedule. Then maybe a 10k, half marathon or something bigger–like an obstacle or mud run?

Things I did right this year:

Dressed in layers that I could take off and attach to my body while still running.

Trained 3 days a week on hilly terrain with days of rest between.  For training I used a Gym Boss timer with 1 minute running and 1 minute walking.  As I increased in fitness I increased my running speed during that interval.

Ate a great breakfast to run on: Smoothie with  1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop designer whey protein, 1 Tbs cocoa powder, 1/2 banana (frozen) and 5 frozen strawberries.

Wore sunscreen.

Took my cellphone for photos.

Left my purse at home with just my id, $20, and single car key in a zip pocket in my running pants.  Pinned my cellphone pocket shut so it couldn’t bounce out while I ran. It was 55 degrees at the start of the race. I wore Walmart brand full length black boot-cut running pants in a performance knit with a zippered id pocket.  Perfect.  On top I had a 3/4 length cotton shirt, the official race t-shirt over that and a zippered hoodie over that.  At the first mile marker I was ready to lose the jacket.  Other than that, I was right climate wise.

Took melatonin the night before so I would get a good night’s rest.

Prepared the night before with the race route, clothes laid out, hair plan (to keep it out of my eyes), weather watch, food plan, and showered the night before so there was very little to do the morning of.

And carefully selected good running shoes and ran with them several times before race day to break them in.

Things to do next time:  No water with me (too much to carry), and take extra safety pins in case team members need their bibs pinned on.  (another team member saved us this year–thanks Janelle Bird!)

Just Checking In

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My plate is feeling super full right now. But I wanted to check in and let you know we are okay. Everyone is fighting colds and I’ve spent the last two days in bed. I was too miserable to blog yesterday, but it sure felt good to rest.

My friend and I traded pianos last week, so now I have an apartment baby grand in my living room. The new living room furniture will arrive this Tuesday, and the area rug will come the first week in October. I bought paint for the room too, but haven’t gotten past filling the holes in the walls. It will all come together in time. I took advantage of some fantastic Labor Day sales to get everything at the lowest price possible. It was less than buying everything used on Craigslist and I got just what I wanted. Here’s a reminder picture of what I’m hoping for:

It will be awhile before we replace the green carpet with hardwood floors. The area rug will help me wait

I’ve been working on a new ebook for single serving mug recipes that will be released next Saturday. I have a handful of recipes to test this week to finish up.

I’m still trying to get into a comfortable place with teaching High School Choir. I’ve devoured several books on the subject and poured my heart out to God on many occasions. If When we succeed, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be because of Him.

My 5K is in 3 more weeks and I don’t feel ready.  I first attempted to jog the whole distance 3 weeks ago and injured my right hip.  I haven’t been able to run since and am hoping it will heal up soon so I can train.   Even if I have to walk it, I will be there.

Not long after the race I will head to a retreat for 4-days of defensive hand-gun training. After which I’ll be a pistol packing mama.  It’s not my first choice of hobbies, but my husband and Dad insist.  I’ve been to the shooting range a couple of times in preparation and was surprised how much fun target practice can be.  This is one skill I hope to never need.

Musical practice has started for the kids at school.  I have 4 kids in the play and 5 costumes to sew.  Ballet, Soccer, Handmaidens and Scouts start this week too.  There’s not a night of the week that we are not booked.  That’s not a good feeling, but I’m not sure which child to say no to.  I feel like all these experiences are valuable, so we are just pushing through the busyness right now.

So that’s what’s going on around here.  Never a loss of things to do, lol.  What’s new with you?