Fall is Here

It definitely feel like fall as the brisk weather increases to quite chilly, to cold.  A sure sign is my laundry room.  Yesterday I did four loads of laundry and this morning I woke up to the baskets filling quickly.  The reason of course is as the weather gets colder the clothes we wear are bulkier and fill up the laundry baskets quicker.  Which means more laundry.  

 One of my favorite parenting times is reading books.  I love spending time cuddling and reading to my children.  Isabella is really developing a love for this time also.  She snuggles up and listens as I read and smiles up at me and even tries to make the sounds of the animals.  She will even get books, put them in "our chair" and take me to the chair.  I have made it a priority to read with her as much as I can.  She is still not talking and I hope that the books I read will help.  We had another doctors appointment the other day with not a lot more insight except she is developmentally delayed and sometimes children when they hit 4 years old just take off and start talking.  So I guess for now I'll keep reading her books, working on sign language, doing therapy, enjoy her sweetness and pray for her.  What a blessing she is.  

Only a few days until the ultrasound.  So stay tuned.  We are so excited to see our new little one and find out the gender.  The plan is to Skype Alex at college so he can actually be there with us.  Children are such a blessing.  I must say I am tired of the reference to my "advanced maternal age." I get it and I trust the in the Lord.   The other day a girl in my class I teach at church, came up to me and said "So, you are having another baby."  "Yes, I am."  "Well, you must really like children."  "Yes, I do."  She smiled and walked away.  It just blessed me and I hope it impressed on her a feeling that it is good to be blessed with children.  Have a great day and may God bless you.

Alicia

What's in a Name

Last weekend David and I went on a camping/hunting trip with a couple other couples.  It was the first time I have left Isabella since her hospital trip and I was quite nervous but everything went just fine.  We went to a place called Black Rock.  The road was dirt and bumpy and just kept going and going.  The fall colors were amazing but we were getting concerned we might have missed the campground.  When what to our wondering eyes should appear but a big old black rock sticking out next to the river. I said to David, "Do you think that is the the black rock they named the camp ground after," and sure enough as we turned the corner there was the sign.  We had arrived.  This very neat rock just standing there so magnificently just makes you wonder how did it get there.  I'm sure evolutionist have some explanation of thousands of years of work but I am so glad I believe in the Creator who made all things.  I think sometimes He just has fun and goes "How about a big black rock right... here."  Just wandering around the mountains was so gorgeous, seeing God's creation in such vibrant colors.  I'm not a hunter so for me the weekend was so relaxing.  My mornings were time with God, His word, wandering through his Creation and spending time chatting with a couple friends.   Then relaxing evenings playing games and sitting around the camp fire with our spouses.  A very nice weekend with my hubby indeed.  We are all very blessed to be surrounded by the creation of a very creative God.  Have a great day.

God Bless,

The black rock is in the background

This is the river, more of a creek right now, that ran through our camp ground.

Alicia

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty."  1 Corinthians 2:27

Pumkins...

What a lovely day and lovely weather we have been having lately.  It is quite brisk in the morning and warms up nicely through the day.  It is funny what turning on the heat does.   The other morning one of the kids commented "It smells like Christmas."  I think they were referring to the smell of the furnace and I know what they mean.  I get the same fluttery feeling when I awake to that smell.  Actually, the other morning when I woke I got all excited for Thanksgiving and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It is a very silly tradition I have had since childhood and have passed on to the kids.  Thanksgiving morning always finds us around the tv multitasking the days activities but watching bits and pieces of the parade.  Yes, that is a bit away still, but smells have a way of bringing out different memories.  The kids think it would be so wonderful to go and see it in person.  I wonder.  It looks awfully cold and crowded but I'm sure it is a fun experience to be there in person.

Yesterday I got to have a wonderful day blessed with some of my favorite people.  It seems like we just haven't been getting together with other people much lately.  But yesterday I was able to have a fun lunch with my dear friend Amy for her birthday.  Then in the evening our family got to go to one of the sweetest families, Chad and Jessica's, and spend time with them.  They just finished building a beautiful home on a lovely piece of property for their family of 8.  Their 6 kids are 8 and under and so sweet.   I was even blessed to hold their new baby and he is such a sweetie.  We are looking forward to our own new little one and the kids are counting the days down to the ultrasound (3 more weeks exactly).  

Some of our fun has been cooking with pumpkins.  I harvested the pumpkins and have been having a good time baking and filling our home with wonderful scents.  We have had pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin trifle.  All have turned out so yummy.  I am looking forward to trying a recipe for pumpkin soup tonight although no one else is quite as enthused as I am.  Better have something fun to go with it.  Unfortunately I haven't been good at taking pictures but here are a couple and some ideas for cooking up the pumpkin.  Have a blessed day.

Alicia

pumpkin cookies

 Pumpkin cookies
3/4 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c cooked pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
mix well  add...
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
/2 tsp nutmeg
stir in 1 cup chocolate chips
bake 15 min at 375 degrees

pumpkin seed almost gone but quite yummy.  Toss clean seeds with melted butter, garlic salt and dash of paprika.  Bake for an hour stirring every 15 min at 220degrees

Pancakes are also fun just add pumpkin to the mix, a little cinnamon, pumpkin spice and chocolate chips and yum.

P.S.  I would like to add that it has been my experience when working with home grown pumpkins, that the puree is runnier than store bought.  So to compensate I add more flour to the mixture to reach the consistency I want.  

Our peach harvest

All canned and ready to put up for a special day.

Well, I am so excited to be harvesting peaches again.  It is just so fun to have planted a tree only 2 1/2  years ago and to be able to gather a bountiful harvest from this tree.  We tried some fun things this year and we will see how they work out, adding a little sugar and cinnamon to the peaches just adds to the fun.  Unfortunately, the trees I planted at the same time have not had the same results.  One even died this year.  Very sad.  I have always loved growing my own food.  Several years ago we went to Hawaii for our tenth anniversary.  While there we brought home some of the yummy pineapples.  A friend had told us to cut off the tops and plant them.  In seven to ten years you would get a new pineapple.  Well, we planted two and they did wonderful for a couple year.  I got a bright idea to set them outside in the fresh air and forgot about them until the morning.  It had gotten quite cold that night and killed my beautiful plants.  So I decided to plant avocado seeds in their pots and see how that went.  Unfortunately a year later after they had grown significantly, I tried again to get them some fresh air and they also got left out and died.  Again I tried with some new avocado seeds.  They took off wonderfully and even survived a move.  They grew so big that I had to replant them.   When we moved to this house they were over 6 feet tall.  I put them in a sunny spot with lots of room and watched them fight for their lives.  Their 18 inch leave would grow and then wither and grow smaller and wither until nothing grew.  I was so bummed, I prayed over them frequently but they just stood there bare trunks.  What happened.  It finally hit me that I had placed them under a heating and air conditioning vent.  In the winter the hot air was blowing on them and in the summer they were chilled by the cold air till they could no longer take it.  Environment has a lot to do with how things grow or die.  It is the same for ourselves and our children.  What is the environment that we live and raise our children in like?  Are we allowing the outside influences to chill our hearts and theirs until we can no longer grow spiritually.  Is it sunny and roomy but unseen influences are creeping in and snuffing our joy and spiritual growth?  I had fun looking for verses on God opening spiritual eyes and would like to share them with you.  Acts 26:18 says Paul speaks of how God is sending him to the Gentiles to "Open their eyes, and to turn them from darknesst to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."  That is beautiful.  In Numbers 22:31 "Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face."  How powerful.  2Kings 6 starting in verse eight tells the story of Elisha and how the King of Aram had his armies surrounding the city Elisha was in to capture him.  The Lord sent an army to surround their foes.  Elisha's servant couldn't see God's army and cried out in fear.  Elisha prayed and his servants eyes were opened and he saw.  What a mighty God we serve.  This is such an encouragement.  May the eyes of our hearts be opened that we might see God better and be able to remove any and all damaging influences in our environment.   May God bless and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you this day.  Here are some fun picture updates.  Have a blessed day.  

Alicia

Here's our new little avocado and pineapple plant.   Between Isabella and the cat they have had some struggles but I pray they will take off now and grow and produce fruit. :)

Danika enjoying soccer

Me growing rounder every day.  It is a cute little ball but it will widen and stick out even more.  Glad to be through the first trimester and feeling so much better.  

Warning

 Aren't four year old great.  Cassandra wanted to help dad mow the yard.  So cute.

The other day I decided to can some homemade salsa.  I did it last year and it was fun having in the pantry.  So this year I grew most of the ingredients in my garden.  I was so excited to see all the tomato's, green peppers, onions, and jalapeños growing and being so fruitful.  After getting all the ingredients together I began the process of cutting up all the ingredients and mixing them up.  My hands began to feel a little weird and I thought that was probably because I had been cutting up ingredients for a couple hours.  Then they started to sting a little.  I remember watching a show once that said always wear gloves when cutting up jalapeños.  I had never had a problem in the past but I thought I better wash my hands real good.  Well, it got worse and worse.  My hand felt like they were on fire.  I have burned a spot on my hand in the past and had to keep that spot in ice water for a while but this was worse and all over both my hands.  I googled looking for solutions to the pain between soaking my hands in ice water.  I tried several of the solutions even one that recommended running your hands under hot water to open the pours and release the toxins.  I couldn't stand the pain so that did not work for me.  All night long I had to soak my hands in ice until they were numb, wrap them in a cold rag, sleep for a bit and wake up to my hands on fire again.  I then would have to go get some new ice and start the process all over again.  It was a very long night but finally by morning I was better.  I'm sharing this in hopes that no one will make that mistake.  I highly encourage you to use gloves when cutting up jalapeños.  For most of you this is common knowledge and some may be like me and have never had a problem in the past, but my advise is wear some gloves when cutting up those spicy little things.  :)  I am happy with the salsa, although it always taste better when fresh.  So, I have some extra ingredients waiting for the right meal, and you better believe I will be wearing gloves when cutting up the jalapeños.  Lesson learned.

 One of the problems in our area right now is forest fires.  Our air quality is horrible and our sun and moon are orange because of the smoke.  I am grateful to the firefighters who are risking their lives and some have even died fighting these fires.  This morning when I woke up the sky was grey and the sun a orange/red color.  I am disappointed my camera couldn't get the true colors, but it was erie to see this morning.

I hope you are all having a blessed day enjoying the cooling weather and the leaves starting to change colors.  God is good.  Have a great day.

Alicia

Radiant Purity

What a great conference we had.  I was so happy to see all that attended.  My dear friend, Ivy, worked so hard organizing everything, that it went off so well.  I was so blessed to be working with her and the group of girls that was our staff.  The worship team of a pianist, violinist and three singers were wonderful.  I was concerned that a video conference would not get much response but I was pleasantly surprised.  The fun part was I didn't even know the majority of the people that attended.  Sarah Malley and her Bright Lights team did an amazing job of putting the information together in such a wonderful way that the hours of sitting watching it in our not so comfortable chairs after a while, was so worth it.  The conference was full of valuable information that so many of us want to convey to our daughters, such as Radiant Purity, Seeing Life From God's Perspective, How to Guard Your Heart, Emotional Purity, Living by Faith, Not Fear, and Delighting in the Lord.  Such good information for our girls.  Then for the parents, we watched Mr and Mrs Malley encouraging us.  I pray that all were given encouragement and tools for life.  May the seed planted in these girls and their parents grow and bloom.  I encourage you if you are single or a parent of a daughter and have the opportunity to attend any of the  Bright Lights conferences it is well worth it.  God bless and have a great day.

Alicia

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; he's leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  

Bright Lights

Here are some of our girls at the tea party teaching etiquette

Wow today is the day.  We have our Bright Lights Video Conference today and tomorrow.  I must say that over a year ago when we started our little group that I had no idea we would be hosting a conference.  I am so excited to see all God is doing with our obedience.  For quite a while we only had a few people registered and I was wondering how this would turn out.  We were hoping for around 50 people and are now expecting 80 girls and parents.  That is so exciting!  If you have a moment in your prayer time today please remember our conference.

Pretty Isabella

Having such a good time today.  So much better then 2 weeks ago.

oooooh!

Isabella update she is doing great and has more energy then ever.   Her doctor appointment went well and the doctor was encouraging.  She also begins speech therapy next week.  Maybe we'll have her talking yet.

Baby update:  now 12 1/2 weeks along and growing like I always do.  Ever since the third pregnancy my tummy knows the routine and pops right out to make room for baby.

God bless and have a great day.
Alicia