Prayers of a child

This morning the laptop battery was completely drained.  We need to purchase a new power cord, but keep forgetting about it.  Normally, if you hold it just right it will charge the battery.  This morning that was not the case.  Of course my plans for the day involved working on some school stuff online.  So I asked the kids to pray that God would fix the computer.  

Jeremiah's simple pray was, "Dear God, Please make the computer work."  Within seconds of his "Amen", Josiah was yelling, "Mom it's back on."  I am forever the doubting Thomas.  I didn't believe him!  But as you can see the computer is back up and running.  

I love it when God uses simple things to grow my kid's faith!

So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.  Ezra 8:23

Christmas Morning: Strange Family Tradition

I grew up in a family that has lots of traditions, especially around the holidays.  I don't think it has so much to do with making memories as my family doesn't like change.  So once we start doing something we just keep doing it.   I think that is how this tradition started.  I have spent every Christmas morning at my grandparent's house.  When I was little we would get up, some years while it was still dark, open our gifts at home and hurry to grandma's house.  We would open presents there then eat breakfast.   As we got older, the grand-kids convinced grandma to slowly push the time back and we now eat breakfast first.   But it  is still rather early - this year we had to be there at 9am.   Since our kids like to sleep we have to wake them up to open presents at home, before going to grandma's.  The first few years Trevor and I were married, we had to go to my parents before going to grandma's.  Once we had Eliana we stopped doing that.  

Once we arrive at Grandma's the traditions continue.  She makes every roll or coffee cake imaginable.  

Then we have multiple breakfast casseroles.

Then there is fruit frap.  I have no idea how it got it's name.  It seems to be my grandma's favorite punch recipe and she only makes it Christmas morning.  

This is the first year my grandma didn't have sleigh gifts.  She has always bought small gifts that go in the sleigh.  We were only allowed to touch those gifts as children.  As we got older she started using codes, instead of names.  When she started doing that it was always fun to try and figure out what your code name was.   They were also only for the kids.  She continued that tradition with the great-grand-kids. 

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The last tradition at grandmas was the yearly picture.  I think we all hated it growing up, but now I'm glad we have the pictures of our childhood. 

From the size of Justin I am guessing this is Christmas circa 1985

As each year passes, I know that it could always be our last Christmas at Grandmas.  I am so happy that I have all the memories that her and my grandpa created through our family traditions!

Book Review: Against The Tide

Against The Tide
Elizabeth Camden

This book is set in the late 1800's, and it follows the life of a young immigrant girl named Lydia in Boston, Massachusetts.  Her work in the Navel yard allows her to use her skills with language as she  meets a lot of different people.  One person who is in need of her translations skills is a young man named Bane.  Her relationship with Bane leads her to things she never expected to do with her life.  The book is full of mystery, as you never really know what Bane is up to.  It covers a problem from this time period that I was not familiar with; the mass use & illegal trade of opium.  I read this book in one day.  It was very hard to put down.  It has everything you would expect from a historical fiction novel; suspense, a complicated love story, and characters that seem so real. 


I received a copy of this book for free from Bethany House Publishers a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

Another Book List

Here are the books we plan on reading together.  Any one want to take a guess on who picked what books?

 Fiction: 

 Lilith by George McDonald 

  Pilgrims progress  by  John Bunyan 

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyersky

  Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

 Candide by Voltaire

Non - Fiction:   

1^st born advantage by Kevin Leman

 George McDonald Unspoken Sermons vol 3 

Kisses from Katie  by Katie Davis

 Time starved marriage by Parrotts 

The Inescapable love of God by Thomas Talbott

 Another Mans War by Sam Childers

Eliana Post: If I was a snowman

If I was a snowman I would catch snowflakes on my tun.  Roll around in the snow. I would stay in the shade so the sun won't melt me.  I would try to go to the north pole.

It Is Cookie Time!

It is that time of year again - Eliana is selling Girl Scout Cookies!  The cookies are $4 a box.  Eliana has set the goal of selling 300 boxes.  She has her eye on a golden retriever stuffed animal in the prize catalog.  Here is the list of the what she is selling. 

Savannah Smiles:  These bite sized, lemon-wedge cookies are dusted with powdered sugar and bursting with zesty lemon flavor.

 



Trefoils:  Traditional shortbread cookies.  Delicate-tasting shortbread that  is delightfully simple and satisfying.

Do- Si- Do:  Peanut Butter sandwich cookies:  Crunchy oatmeal sandwich cookies with creamy peanut butter filling.  No artificial color or flavor. 

Samoas:  Crisp cookies coated in caramel, sprinkled in toasted coconut and striped with a dark chocolaty coating. 

Dulce De Leche:  Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, bite - sized cookies are rich with  milk caramel chips.

Thank U Berry Munch:  Crispy rice delivers a satisfying crunch in these hearty cookies with premium cranberries and white fudge chips.  

Tagalongs:  Peanut butter patties:  Crisp cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating. 

Thin Mints:  Crisp wafers covered in a chocolaty coating made with natural peppermint.

Update: Eliana's troop is sending cookies to troops stationed over seas.  If you don't need the cookies at your house, think about sending some to them.  Those boxes still count towards Eliana's goal!

Cookies will be delivered the 1st week of March.  If you are not local and would still like to help Eliana out - we are happy to ship them.   

If you have any questions send us an email or leave a comment on the blog. 

Thanks to everyone who has all ready ordered !

Winter Fun: Attend the elf party

Every year our friends host an Elf party.  Everything is based off of the movie.  You can read in detail about it on their blog HERE

Eliana was really excited about this game.  She wanted to practice before the party.  The object is to see how many cotton balls (marshmallows) you can fit in your mouth and still say Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins.  She got 5 in her mouth.

Asher spent most of the night playing in the red & green pasta

Last year Eliana really wanted to try spaghetti and syrup but was to embarrassed that everyone was watching.

This year she dove right in!

Bethany's Book List 2013

Last year my goal was to read 24 books.  I ended up reading 40.  To see what I read you can look at my pin board  HERE.  Since I read 40 last year, I decided to set the goal of 48 this year.   Here is the list of 36.  Trevor & I are going to read 1 book a month together.  We haven't picked those books yet, but we will let you know what they are when we have a list.







1.  The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
2.   The Road by Cormac McCarthy
3.   Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl by Susan McCorkindale
4.   Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman
5.   The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias
6.   Your Time Starved Marriage by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott
7.   Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World by Zig Ziglar
8.   The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch
9.   A Mom's Life by Kathryn Grody
10.  Parenting Isn't for Cowards by Dr. James Dobson
11.  Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by Sarah, Stephen, & Grace Mally
12.  Celebration: The Book of Jewish Festivals by Naomi Black
13.  Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics by R.C. Sproul
14.  Faith Training:  Raising Kids Who Love the Lord by Joe White
15.  Friendship For Grown Ups:  What I Missed and Learned Along the Way by Lisa Whelchel
16.  Growing Up Amish:  A Memoir by Ira Wagler
17.  The Healthy Home by Dave Wentz
18.  Homeschoolers Guide to Free Teaching Aids by Kathlenn Nehmer
19.  The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
20.  Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Evans
21.  No More Meltdowns by Jed Baker
22.  That's My Boy by Rick Johnson
23.  7:  An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
24.  So Sexy so Soon by Diane E. Levin & Jean Kilbourne
25.  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
26.  Little Girls Can be Mean by Michelle Anthony
27.  Creative Corrections by Lisa Whelchel
28.  The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
29.  Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman
30.  The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
31.  The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
32.  French Kids Eat Every Thing by Karen Le Billon
33.  No Happy Cow by John Robbins
34.  Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman
35.  15 Minutes Outside by Rebecca P. Cohen
36.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett