Anniversary!

Our 2 year anniversary is very close...sometimes I can't believe that we've been married for two years already and sometimes it feels like we've been together much longer than that.



It hasn't always been easy...in fact, as much as we love each other and each other's families, sometimes it has been downright difficult. There were times we've second guessed our marriage decision...just to come back to the realization that we KNOW it was God's will. We prayed and prayed about it for a long time before we took the "big step."



I don't think it is usually very easy when two people try to blend a family. No matter how ALIKE my husband and I are...soooo very alike in so many ways...there have been differences in how we have raised our families. We believe the same way and if we were to talk about discipline etc. we would have agreed that we believed the very same way. HOWEVER, coming right down to administering that discipline consistantly is a different matter altogether. It is not always easy.



Blending two older families...and having them live together 24/7 is hard, hard, hard!!! It is not for the weak! So many times we have both just wanted to say, "Ok...never mind, lets just go back to dating each other again...THAT was FUN!" But we haven't done that nor will we ever do that! By the GRACE of GOD....there's those words again... we are going to keep it together!



MOST OF THE TIME, IT IS FUN! There are lovely times with the family...especially when they're all together and we're acting crazy! Sometimes my husband's family looks at mine and wonders what hit them and how did the other half grow up so ...well...crazy! I wonder the same thing, sometimes! But then I look at me, the mom, and I ADMIT that is where the craziness and silliness has come from!



Children ARE a blessing! I fully believe that...but sometimes in that BLESSING there are some heartaches. It is so difficult to convince those children when they are being difficult that they ARE loved. How do you convince a step child...on either side of the family...that although they have misbehaved and are "in trouble with us"...that they are LOVED so deeply? Sometimes it is even hard for us to FEEL loving all the time. But we know we love them deeply deeply deeply.



Sometimes I just want throw my hands up and say, "Ok...that's it...I'm done..." Sometimes I HAVE said that...but I know those emotions will pass. Nothing comes from giving up. Things worth having aren't necessarily easy to get! There will be fruit from our labors. Maybe not right away but there will come a day where we see our productiveness.



So Tuesday, June 2nd, Roger and I will celebrate our anniversary. I bought a new dress for our "date"...found coupons (of course!!!!!!) for a nice restaurant in our quaint little town. I'm sure we will be romantic and talk about our courtship, honeymoon and our married life so far. I'm sure we will talk about our kids. We'll probably even HEAR from our kids DURING our date.



OR MAYBE....we'll just turn off our phones and tune out our "Blessings" for just an hour or so. They might not understand but I'm pretty certain that GOD will be ALL FOR IT!!

BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY!!!

Just in case the title wasn't obvious enough...this post is about BABY!!! Baby number two is on his/her precious way to my son Aaron and his pretty wife Holly! Dylan is a wonderful five year old and he's going to be a big brother in January...Lord willing!

This dear child...who I am totally and completely in love with already...makes number three for grandchilden for us. I am blessed to be a step grandma....technically only....in my heart she is fully MY little sweet wonderful granddaughter! (and beautiful and intelligent, may I add!! :) ) She is 6 months old and I am thrilled to be able to care for her several times a week. It is a real blessing to me to have her here and love on her as often as I can!!

It is so sweet to be a "fairly" young grandparent and really ENJOY them and be able to do things with them. It is almost equally sweet when I take them out in public with me and people think they're MY children. I don't lie about it...of course not...if they ask, I tell them that I'm the grandma. However, if they just assume and don't ask...I don't admit ANYTHING!! But then there's my youngest daughter, Rebecca, who feels it totally necessary to be completely and fully honest and tells them that I am the GRANDMA!! Hmmmm....there's something said for the old saying, "Children should be seen and not heard!!"

Haha! God is always good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings!

Beth

Official last school day of the year! Field trip day!!!!

What a beautiful Indiana day! I've been baking cakes for my nephew's graduation party! I have some of them done and am planning to do the rest early this evening.

Today is the last official day for Rebecca's elementary homeschooling days.! Next year will start her in Junior High HOMESCHOOLING! Not much difference, I guess, but it just does seem like a passage of life...no longer an elementary schooler. Kind of sad, kind of proud of who she is becoming! Next year she will have a new classmate. Not exactly a "classmate" I suppose, but a "schoolmate." Her sister Jennie...who will be a sophomore...will also be homeschooled! Praise the Lord! She had been balking at the idea of homeschooling and then she decided that it would be a very good thing for her. She told me that "there are things at school that aren't good influences on me...." and I couldn't agree more!

So, today is going to be a "field trip" day for Rebecca...we're going to Connor Prairie. For those who don't know, it is a living history museum north of Indianapolis. It is just awesome! She will also be able to work on a 4-H project at the same time. She's doing a kind of "do your own thing" exhibit on Pioneer Pastimes. She's made many things for her project but I thought that this would be a good time to see more and learn more! I love how we can use 4H to help round out her school year! Kind of a grand finale in July before school really starts up again in August!

I'll be posting some pictures later of our field trip!

May the Lord richly bless you this day!

Love,

Beth

Birthday...

Today is my firstborn's birthday. Wow...I can't believe it! I just don't feel like I'm old enough to have a son that is his age! Actually, I'm not...I had him when I was five...ok, so that's a lie. I just don't feel like I'm that old. Where does it all go?
Things are changing so rapidly for us...new grandchildren being born, new in laws to add to my family...new blessings to thank God for...but it seems like I should BE his age, not celebrating his birthday with his wife and son! I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD!!! I guess I should be happy that I don't feel that old...yet! I'm sure those days are coming.

God has blessed us tremendously. I just can't say Thank You to God enough...for His provision, His love, His Salvation...for my husband and family. Thank you for adult children who are raising their children in church and telling them about Jesus. Thank you for those grandchildren...hopefully there will be more to come. With eight children between my husband and myself...I pray that God will bless us even more! Just think about those future (God willing) holidays at Grammy and Grandpa's house...Wow!! I guess it's ok getting a little bit older...as long as it comes with grand kids!!
Happy Birthday, Aaron...you are and always have been my BLESSING!

Do Something Nice

Sometimes it doesn't hurt to just step out and do something nice for someone for no particular reason. I don't mean doing something nice for someone you LOVE, that's easy and should be done regularly! Do something for someone NOT in your life.
I think it puts a smile on your face for a long time...it HAS to be good for you!
It will bring happiness to someone ELSE also.
Several years ago I was at a Christmas concert/drama at the very large church that I belonged to. It was an evening performance and it had snowed. My children and I were late getting out to our van and most of the vehicles left in the parking lot were the performers. I knew that they had been doing the same performance for several weekends and they held down full time jobs. I decided that it would be nice to show some appreciation if I would scrape the snow off their cars after I scraped mine. It didn't take too much effort but it sure made me feel good. I don't know whose cars I cleaned off and those people have no idea that it was me but that doesn't matter. I still feel great when I remember having done that. I guess I would have to say that I was being just as selfish as I was being NICE because it made me feel so good! (I used it as an opportunity to teach my kids about being "NICE." One of them asked me whose cars they were and I said, "I don't know, I just wanted to do something NICE.")
Doing something NICE can be as little as letting someone go in front of you in line at the grocery store, picking up something someone has dropped, holding the door for someone. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BE NICE!!! This world can be so mean and hateful...it's wonderful to come across someone who is NICE!

Little is Much When God is in it!

I know that I am taking the classic song out of context when I borrow the phrase, "Little is much when God is in it..." and I apply it to our supper a few nights ago. I've been trying very hard to be frugal as we are living on one income in our home. I don't know if it's just me, but I really actually enjoy "frugal living." It seems like everyone is having to do it...or they feel like they have to live frugally in these economic times...but it is more of a way of life for me! I mean, that's the way we were raised.
Many many times my mother would tell us just how much she spent on our supper at night...certainly not to try to make us feel guilty...or even grateful, necessarily, but to show us how we can do much with little money. We lived on a small farm so we gardened and had our own chickens. Sometimes we had a beef calf that we raised as well. Mom would tell us just where all the food had come from, "The green beans were canned from our garden last summer, the apples in our pie came from the ones I peeled and froze,..." and it went on and on. I was impressed and I continue to be impressed by frugality!
I'm doing the same thing for our kids. Very often I will announce how much our supper cost. Usually it is under $5.00 to feed 5 to 6 adult sized appetites. I do this to get the children to understand that in eating out...even for fast food (if it qualifies as food)... it is hard to feed just one person on less than $5.00. We don't eat out as a family very often but when we do, wow!! I cringe at how much it costs! I could feed us for almost a week for what it costs for one meal at a restaurant!

That takes me back to our frugal meal we had recently. I'm a very thrifty shopper and EVERY TIME I go to the store...to run in and pick up a few gallons of milk or whatever...I take a quick trip to the meat section. My eyes have become very good at picking out the stickers that indicate that it is the last day they can sell certain packages of meat! Those are incredible bargains and there is nothing wrong with that package of meat! I buy what I KNOW my family will use and either freeze it or cook it immediately and freeze it in the prepared state for a future meal. I recently bought 10 pounds of sausage for 99 cents a pound that is usually about $4.00 a pound. THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF, not off brands or unreliable brands. I do try to be careful about how much sausage I give my family since it is high in fat. I brown in on the stove, run very hot water through it to rid it of excess fat and even squeeze as much out as possible.
I am also a "saver"...of everything! (gets me in trouble sometimes...) I save the ends of loaves of bread, the last hot dog bun, homemade bread that we didn't completely finish, bread sticks, WHATEVER, and I freeze them until I have enough to make a "breakfast casserole." That's what I made for supper the other night! I fed six people...and had leftovers...for $3.50! Here's my recipe and how I did it....

Beth's Breakfast Casserole

Spray the bottom and sides of a casserole or cake pan with non stick spray. Break leftover bread, biscuits, rolls, or whatever you have into pieces...slightly larger than bite size...and lay in the bottom of the pan. This should be well covered. (This can be a thinner layer if you're trying to cut back on the bread consumption.) (Since I used various breads I've collected in my freezer which normally would be thrown away or left to get stale or moldy I considered it "free" and didn't include it in the cost of the meal...)
Next, brown approx. one pound of sausage and drain and rinse. Sprinkle it on top of the bread.
(This was the 99 cent sausage so...thus far I've spent 99 cents!)
I buy our shredded cheese in bulk at Sam's or Costco. I used approx. 1 1/2 cup, more or less depending on what I have on hand. (I used about $1.00 worth....so far I've used $1.99. ) Sprinkle on top of the sausage and bread.
Since I was planning to feed six people, I used a dozen eggs. Often I buy the cheaper "repackaged" eggs from the store...anyway, I figured I used about $1.00 (sometimes a little more depending on sales, or if I purchased the eggs in bulk etc...) (Now I've spent about $3.00 or so...)I crack the eggs into a large bowl, add a little bit of milk...maybe 1/2 cup? I then add whatever spices I want...onions, salt, pepper, red or green peppers into the mix and beat with a fork or whisk. (estimating maybe 50 cents worth??) Then simply pour over the layer in the pan making sure the bread has absorbed as much of the egg mixture as possible.
I've been thinking of adding vegetables to this mixture just before I pour in the eggs. Possibly a bag of frozen carrots and peas to make it a more well rounded dish and get the kids to eat more veggies! This will probably add $1.50 to the cost.
I then bake at 400degrees until the top is nicely browned. I use a knife to make sure all the egg mixture is thoroughly cooked...if not, just put it back into the oven for a few more minutes and then test again. This usually takes a total of about 25 minutes depending on how many eggs were used.

Along with the egg casserole, I served homemade chunky apple sauce. This was another freebie...but you can buy a jar of applesauce for around a dollar if you shop carefully...family dollar stores, etc....

THIS IS NOT A MEAL I PREPARE FOR MY FAMILY OFTEN BECAUSE OF THE FAT CONTENT IN THE CHEESE, EGGS AND SAUSAGE. This is just an example of an inexpensive meal. I usually made MUCH healthier meals using low fat chicken breasts and veggies!

I'll post more frugal meal ideas later!
Because of God's Grace,
Beth

I had a LOT to say last night when I was trying to sleep...lots of clever, meaningful things!! I kept Roger (my dh) awake with my constant chatter. I wonder where all those interesting (to me...) thoughts went?? Where do our thoughts go, anyway? I have been wondering about that lately...I mean, I am sure that EVERY thought we have ever had lies dormant in our brains somewhere........
Scary, huh?
I do remember thinking about THAT last night...that every thought we have that we allow to set up house in our minds, our souls, is like a seed that we have planted. Sometimes seeds take a long time to actually come up! So is every thought that I have...thoughts that I haven't taken captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) waiting to sprout? Maybe they will wait until I'm old and am not fully aware of what I say...or do... OR maybe they will wait until I am coming out of surgery and am "dopier" than usual...or maybe...and VERY likely, they will speak out when my husband accidentally wakes me up and I am not in the best of moods. I think that if we allow ourselves to mull over unhealthy and ungodly thoughts and feelings, we actually GIVE LIFE to them. They're not doing us any favors...those nasty thoughts and feelings are just waiting to come to life and show themselves to everyone...showing that side of us that we are trying to "die" to...the side of us that we are least proud of....ANYWAY, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT...when I can't sleep!

About Grace

Grace...the miraculous gift of God...given freely through His Son...transforming us into something different than what we are and WHAT WE COULD HAVE BECOME. I've experienced God's Grace so many times in my life. I accepted Jesus as my Savior as just a little girl of 8. I remember talking to my Sunday School teacher on Mother's Day and accepting Christ into my heart. My mother cried, saying that it was the best Mother's Day gift she could ever receive. I know now that it was the BEST GIFT I COULD EVER RECEIVE!!
I'd like to say that I have led a very godly life since those promising years. But that would be a lie.

There have been a lot of times since then that I have trampled on God's Grace. One time when I was still a teenager, I told my mother that "I wish God would just leave me alone!" I had no idea what I was saying and I am so grateful to Him that He didn't do that! He has yanked me back time after time like a shepherd would do with his sheep...keeping me from total disaster.

I have had a marriage fail...and lived with the guilt that maybe, PROBABLY...MOST CERTAINLY...I wasn't everything that God wanted me to be in that marriage. No, I wasn't unfaithful but I was married to a man who wasn't a Christian. I wasn't ALWAYS the good Christian wife who could have "won" her husband to the Lord by her example. Thank you Lord for showing me your Grace and that my life wasn't through...nor were you through with me!

So that is what I hope this blog is about...just a sinner who has been saved by grace...but a sinner none the less. Good days, bad days...days I just wonder how anyone can put up with me?? All surrounded by my God's Grace. I hope there will be fun things, some serious things, but most of all...things that pertain to living the Christian life as a devoted wife and mother/step mother of many. I hope to be an encouragement to others like me...perhaps those who haven't necessarily lived the "perfect Titus 2 life"...but those who are striving to be the woman (or man) that God wants us to be! I sooo want to be the Titus 2 and the Proverbs 31 Woman!

So now it's time to close...my home schooled daughter desperately needs the computer...or so she thinks...and I have lots of housework to do. I think I'll bake some fresh Zopf bread for supper tonight. Soon I'll post that recipe! But first, I think I'll have a hot cup of tea....oh WOW do I love hot tea! (and tea cups and teapots.....)