What Did She Just Say?

Cassandra is constantly bringing me such joy.  I love that time when kids start to embrace vocabulary and come up with their own funny twists on word interpretations.  When Cassandra asks me a question if my answer is "I don't know, we'll see" or "Maybe later,"  her reply is "so, that's a yes Mom."  Then we have a conversation of how that is a not yes but a let me think about it and I'll get back to you.  She just can't grasp that and says "So, it is a yes."  Let your yes be yes and your no be no.  Right?  The other one that confuses her is "Tomorrow."  She will ask "is it church today?"  I'll say "tomorrow."  She says, "so after breakfast?"  "No, after we go to sleep and wake up."  "The next day then."  "Yes, the next day."  The funny thing is we have had this conversation more then once.  

Cassandra Saying cheese

 Isabella on the other hand doesn't talk.  She show's little interest in talking and prefers to just scream for things.  We say "Drink, you want a drink?"  and she replays "aaaaahhhh".   The other day she caught me totally off guard.  Cassandra and Isabella were eating pancakes and I asked Cassandra "Are the pancakes good?"  To which Isabella replied "pancakes good."  Cassie's mouth dropped and said "Mom!"  I said "yes, it sounded like Isabella said pancakes good."  

Her vocabulary might improve if she didn't have her thumb in her mouth so much.

Latisha trying a cute bun and braid combo.  Real cute.  She does a lot of cute things with her hair.

 Oh and last but not least, I finished my blanket.  I made it for our church's Girls Ministry fund raiser.  I had some yarn left over so I decided to start another blanket.  Of course that is kind of silly because I will have to go and get more yarn and hope they have the same color.  But I really enjoy trying out new patterns and it relaxes me as I listen to the girls read.

The finished product.

 Well, now were off to another fun filled weekend.  The conference last weekend was very good.  This weekend Sierra and Danika have their last Bible quiz match of the season.  Have a great weekend.

God Bless
Alicia

Beloved let us love

I love love, and love being in love.  It is a great thing that God is love (1John 4:7-8).  Love is pure because God is pure.  Many have tried to pervert love, but true love cannot be perverted because true love is God.  I am thankful that God knew that "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18).  Marriage is a wonderful union where God blesses that love he has given to a man and woman and they are now one.  But love goes beyond that as they are fruitful they pass that love to their children and train them in the ways of righteousness.   The children learn that "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." ( John 15:13)  This is Christ's love.  The love that he laid down his life for us that we might spend eternity with him.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16) Friend, my prayer for you today is that you know this Love, the love of the Father and the you believe in him that we may all spend eternity with him.  If you do not have God as your saviour please see the ABC's below and seek God.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines day.  It has been a while since I have posted.  We have had a busy week with Valentines activities.  Some fun things we did were Sunday heart french braid the girls'
hair.  I did not get pictures this year but it is a annual tradition

 Monday we had friends over for a little party, where we ate heart shaped pizzas, salad and heart cookies.

Then Monday evening we had our family Valentines dinner (Alex was unable to be there on Tuesday so we moved it up a day).   We had a guest with us.  For dinner we had Chicken Courdon bleu with hollandaise sauce, salad, bread sticks (we dipped in olive oil, vinaigrette, and garlic), baked potato, and punch. We love to decorate and use our china, silverware, nice glasses, and candles.   We also dressed up.

 For dessert we had chocolate dipped strawberries and Crock pot cake.  It is an amazing recipe that we got from a friend.  I will share it below.

 Tuesday morning we had pink chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, milk and juice.

 A family joke is how I never get chocolate for Valentines day.  I always give it to the kids and David but rarely get it.  So David put an end to all joking and provided me with enough chocolate to last quite a while.

 As I was out side Valentines morning I saw a cute heart on our house and had to take a picture.

 Wednesday night my Stars class had a Valentines party but I forgot my camera.
Thursday was Bright Lights and we had a Valentines party and did our unit on Courting.  I think it went really well.

Now tonight my girls and I are going to a purity conference with Leslie Ludy.  She is the author of "When God Writes Your Love Story."  She and her husband wrote the book together and I really enjoyed reading it.  My children are now reading it and are enjoying it. The conference runs through tomorrow.  That will make it a week of love.  Love and purity, what a wonderful combination.  Well, I must get on to school, have a great day and God bless.
Alicia

A: Admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:10, 23, 5:8, 6:23
B: Believe in Jesus. John 3:16 John 14:6
     Become a child of God by receiving Christ.  John 1:12
C: Confess that Jesus is you Lord.  Roman 10:9

Chocolate Crock pot Cake
Use 4 mixing bowls-serve with vanilla ice cream
Mixing bowl 1:  2 cups flour
                           4 Tblsp baking powder
                          Mix and set aside
Mixing bowl 2:  1 1/3 c sugar
                           6 Tblsp cocoa
                          2 tblsp vanilla
                          1/2 tsp salt
                          2/3 c milk
                          Wisk together until throughly mixed
Mixing bowl 3: Microwave safe
                         12 tblsp butter
                          2/3 c chocolate chips
                         Melt in microwave 30 sec at a time, stirring well each time until completely melted and
                         smooth
                         Combine all bowls together until well mixed- pour batter into an oblong crock pot that is    
                         well sprayed with cooking spray.  Spread evenly.
Mixing bowl 4: 2/3 c brown sugar
                          2/3 c sugar
                          2/3 c cocoa
                          3 cups hot water.
Mix until sugars are dissolved.  Pour this mixture slowly over batter in crock pot.  DO NOT STIR.  Cover and cook 1 1/2 -2 hours on hight.  Done when cake pulls away from sides.  Turn off, uncover and let set for 25 minutes. 

Be Encouraged

 Good Day.  Saturdays around here we try to make a fun breakfast.  Today was Swedish Pancakes.  At least that was what we called them when I was a kid.  Really they are crepes.  It is one of Danika's favorite breakfast and she is my morning girls on Saturdays.  During the week she has a hard time getting up but every Saturday she is up and going and the rest of the house is silent.  Except of course for Isabella.  So Danika will go get Isabella.  Quite a blessing for me.  Our recipe is

Swedish Pancakes
3 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt add
1 Tblsp sugar add
3/4 cup flour add
1 1/4 cup milk add
1/4 cup oil add (we substituted applesauce for oil today and they came out great)
beat till slightly lumpy, pour, and cook like pancakes, very slim.  butter, top with jelly, roll up.

We have used various fillings like, powder sugar and lemon juice, canned apples with syrup, and for a dessert filled with bananas and drizzled chocolate sauce over.   When you use applesauce instead of oil be sure and keeps cooking surface buttered or sprayed.  We double the recipe for our family.

batter almost used up.

cooking

finished product

satisfied costumer

 Have you ever turned something over to God and thought you knew what the outcome would be but it didn't go as you had hoped.  I think it is very easy to get discouraged.  Thankfully God has given us His Word.   May I encourage you as I encourage myself.  Galations 6:9 says And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.   Psalms 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.  Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.   In our Bright Lights group we love to sing a song by the Wissmans.  It is called "I am Your Shield."  It is such an encouraging song.  The girls love to sing it.  We have decided to perform it for a rest home and then at a variety show at church for a girls ministry fund raiser.  The girls sing it so lovely and are hoping to be able to perform it with guitars and piano.  I have also started a new project for the fund raiser.  It is a new afghan.  I am really enjoying the pattern.  Here is a picture of it now and I will have to post a picture when it is finished.  Be of Good cheer, the Lord your God is with you.
Alicia

my new project