Garrett's riding a 2 wheeled Bike!!!!

Last week we went to the bike trail and Garrett was talking about how "he thought he would be able to ride a 2 wheeled bike, you know without those little wheels, by well maybe his birthday (end of June)" I told him that I thought he would be able to do it before that if he tried. Well on Saturday afternoon, Robert was away and he asked Gary to help him. Here is the results!!!!

Fun dessert

One of my kids and husband's favorite desserts is Taffy Apple Pizza. This is really good in the fall, but they like it any time of year!!!

Taffy Apple Pizza
1 pkg refrigerated sugar cookie dough
16 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
5 medium apples
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping.

Pat the cookie dough onto a pizza pan and bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes or until light brown. Let this stand and cool.  Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread this over the cooled cookie crust. Then peel , core and slice apples. (Dip the slice in a solution of 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent browning) Arrange apples on the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle caramel topping over the whole pizza. Nuts are an additional option is you like nuts too. Cut into wedges and serve!

Make Ahead Blueberry French Toast

As a recipe for the recipe swap with Karen Ehman's book study. Here is a great breakfast recipe: Bakes Blueberry French Toast
12 slices of day old bread or 1 loaf Italian bread (cubed)
2 (8oz) pkgs of cream cheese (cubed)
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
12 eggs

Spray 9x13 inch pan. Layer about 1/2 the cubed bread first, then all of the cubed cheese, and next all of the blueberries. Then add the rest of the bread on top. Mix the milk, eggs and syrup together and pour over the top of the bread layers.

Refrigerate over night

Remove from the fridge in morning and let sit at room temp for 1/2 hour. Then bake at 350degrees covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 30 more minutes.  Serve with maple syrup while still hot.

Early Spring - Who can You bless?

With the early spring here, (80's in March is unheard of!) The daffodils are out, the forsythia are in full bloom and Easter is still 2 weeks away! So yesterday as I was pruning some bushes, the neighbor was out for a walk. I went right over, cut off a bouquet of forsythia and handed them to her. Her face just lite up add it made my day to be able to share something so simple. So what can you share and bless someone this spring? Could you go do some spring clean-up in a yard for someone? Deliver flowers from your garden? Or maybe, even though it is inside, offer to help someone with spring cleaning? It is refreshing to you too to help someone else!!!!!

Grilling Season!!!

Wow somehow, we went from winter shortly through spring and now are enjoying 80 degree temperatures! Well get the grill ready and get outside for some grilling! here is a link to a propane tank refund. It worth $3 or $3 dollars depending on where you get your propane, but hey every dollars counts!!! http://www.bluerhino.com/BRWEB/Tank-Exchange/Coupons.aspx

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

This is the little leprechaun that arrived home from school yesterday to my house. Hopefully he is a well behaved leprechaun and doesn't cause too much trouble today. Maybe if I can catch him I will find his pot of gold!!! Maybe he will paint his rainbow for me with that paintbrush!!

Green pancakes and shamrock shakes today!!! YMMMMM

Time - Children's Sermon

Yesterday I once again had our children's sermon at church. I had a couple of ideas (will share those later) but when I went to change the clocks, I knew it was perfect for a lesson on time.
I started as I was going to the front with"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date Come on kids get up here, hurry up a bit" (as they poked along because they were tired) And we sat down, and I asked them what time it was? I looked at my watch and then the church clock -"Oh dear they don't match. What other ways do we keep track of time? how do we know our schedule?" A few kids came up with the calendar and watches. "your right - so what's on your schedule?  School, homework, but what about prayer time? Is that ever on your calendar? How about your to do list?" And the kids looked at me a bit weird. So I asked "Is now the right time to pray? (some said yes and some said no) Is there a right time to pray? The pastor always asks us for our joys and concerns before we pray, but is that the only time to pray?" They responded no. "So what is the right time to pray? According to the Bible we are to pray unceasingly. But I have other things to do than pray all day. Should we skip recess and school to pray? (They thought about that one for a while) We can pray anytime it comes to mind. We can pray before a test, while doing our chores, while playing at school or at home. It is like the radio that is on in the background. WE can stop and pray just like we can stop and listen to the radio if something gets our attention.

I then read Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 to the children and stopped along the way to explain a few, but at the end it says that "God has made everything beautiful in its time. And we need to remember that no matter what it is, prayer time or play time, slow people in front of us. No matter what God gives us- it is in his perfect timing."

Happy 100th Birthday Girl Scouting!!

Today is the 100th Birthday of Girl Scouting. As a Gold Award recipient, I know that Girl Scouting can completely change a person's life. I had opportunities to be a Counselor in training, to be a Day Camp Director, to attend a Wider Opportunity and to travel to Savannah, GA to the home of Juliette Gordon Low as a scout. These were great opportunities for me when I was younger. The badge work and service projects taught me to be mindful of my time management and that helping others is something that is always needed.

So as a passed scout - Happy 100th Birthday Girl Scouting!!!

National 4-H Week

It is National 4-H Week and if you don't know what 4-H is, let me take a minute or so of your time and fill you in. As a 4-H Alumni and a current 4-H leader, this has been a very valuable organization in my life that I would like to share with you. 4-H is 100 this year and therefore it has seen it's share of changes as does any organization that has been able to change with the times. But 4-H is an organization, originally meant for rural youth, but has since spread into the urban and suburban areas. 4-H works to help kids discover their interests, follow those interests and do it in a hands-on way. 4-H provides a safe place for youth to try new things, experiment with leadership skills and being a leader. It gives opportunities to excel in places, skills and talents that school never gets too.

I am proud to be a 4-H alumni, as I made so many life long friends through 4-H. But I also learned that I had leadership skills, youth development skills, and the ability to help others work through challenges through 4-H. 4-H isn't just an organization, it is a family. There is a whole new community created through 4-H. Be it computer skills, raising livestock or dairy projects, sewing, cooking, nutrition, gardening, money management, career development, public speaking, wildlife studies, etc. There is just about something for everyone. 

This week, I challenge you, that if you don't know about 4-H to ask around and see if there is 4-H in your community. If so find out what they do and how you could be involved.

  If you are involved with 4-H, I challenge you to take time to thank someone that has been an influence in your  4-H career.

4-H Motto : To Make the Best Better

4-H Pledge : I pledge my head to clearer thinking,

                     my heart to greater loyalty,

                     my hands to larger service

                     my health to better living

                      for my club, my community, my country and my world.

Dr. Seuss Game

Yesterday I emptied an oatmeal canister and immediately started thinking about Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat. This canister is perfect for a very simple Seuss hat. I simply took some red paper and wrapped it around the canister. I then cut 1 1/2" strips of white paper and just taped them into place. I then cut a circle on red and cut out the center for the hat brim.  I started with the hat and then what were we going to do with that?


 I sat it on the table and thought, thought, thought
Then a thought, should we, ought?
A ball pitch, bean bags, then the red flags
The catapults and bean bags!!!

A word is called and a rhyme is made
Then the bean bags shot can be made
Can it hit the hat
Or will we hear "rats!"
Get the bag into the hat
It is simple as that!


The boys both had a great time coming up with words that rhyme. Garrett was really into it but had a little bit of trouble getting some rhymes, so we pulled out our Leap Frog Word whammer. I put in a word and then Garrett had to change a letter to make it rhyme. This was a great 45minutes of learning, because the launching of bean bags held his attention to getting rhyming words. So make a rhyme and then get a chance to launch the catapults. A lot of fun with a lot of learning all at once!