Lusco Land

More Dec & Jan Scrap Pages

2012-01-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

Update in Pictures

2011-12-31T23:47:00.000-08:00

We installed new vinyl plank flooring in our old family room & kitchen, then moved the dining room set into the new dining room. We all worked together to take out the old carpet and lay the new flooring. It only took 8 hrs to install the 2 rooms! We finished the trim and moved the furniture back in the next day. What a difference! We have so much more room around our table. We removed one set of furniture from the front room and put the TV and leather set in there. Love it!

New dining room

New flooring

My parents & brother were with us for Christmas weekend. We had a quiet, relaxing weekend at home with lots of presents! The kids are so great...all they had asked for were "olives, pickles & Star Wars DVDs." Santa brought them more than just olives & pickles, though!

Recent Scrap Pages

2011-12-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

Photos from Fall

2011-12-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

I have been very lax in blogging here lately....Here are some photos of our recent adventures.

Max and Lana & kids were with us over Thanksgiving. We all went up to the woods and cut a Christmas tree and took a little walk in the snow.

Abby is so grown up as an almost 9-year-old. She enjoyed playing volleyball and just finished basketball season, with me as her assistant coach.

Drew was the biggest 3rd & 4th grader on his football team. He is in his first year of wrestling and doing well. He has two meets left and we love watching him on the mat!

Mally keeps me busy in my days at home. She is really liking preschool and her new friends.

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

A fun way to remember the Reason for the season!

Old Man Drew

2011-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

My Old Man Drew is trying to win some cash from the Blue Mountain Eagle's costume contest. You can vote once daily for the next 2 weeks. Abby's Dorothy of Oz and Mally's Princess Bride pictures are also on the site.

We had a busy, fun night. After the kids got home from school, we shaved Drew's head, changed and went to VV Assisted Living's party. They had carnival games, raffles and food. It was really fun! From there, we met Andy and took the kids trick-or-treating near the elementary school. We have a basket full of candy and the chocolate is already making its way to my hips!

Meet Milly

2011-10-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Abby's birthday present came early this year. She has a new Australian Shepherd, Milly.

I'd forgotten how much work puppies are! She is very sweet and loyal and would follow me around all day if I'd let her. Aside from chewing and jumping like all puppies do, we haven't had any major losses from the pup.

The Huntress

2011-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back to our normal routine after Mally's surgery. Thankfully, she did great and was back at preschool 3 days after surgery. She's pretty proud of her 5 silver teeth.

I drew a buck tag in the unit where we live and was able to get one opening morning! Our neighbor up the road has 2-3 bucks that come in to her apple tree every night and she was happy to let me shoot one.

I was hoping for a bigger buck but decided that this one would taste just fine. We were home by 8am, so this was the easiest hunting I've ever done. Our second kill of the morning was this little rattle snake in the road. The deer is now in the freezer as stew meat, jerky, dog treats and burger. We also both have cow elk tags, so we may need a second freezer soon!

Digital Scrapbook Software Giveaway!

2011-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting a great giveaway over at Mama Lusco Handmade! Enter before 10/5/11 to win a copy of My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software. It's been very easy to learn and the options are endless!

They've also given me a great discount code for $10 off the software and a $10 credit to the MMS store. Copy & paste code: STMMMS87580 at checkout to purchase My Memories Suite software for $29.97 and receive $10 to spend in the MMS store. This is an excellent value...why not try it today?

Head over to the other blog and enter today. Open to everyone! If you aren't a Blogger, just comment as 'Anonymous' and leave your name or email. Good luck!

Mally Update

2011-09-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Mally Nugget is doing well after surgery. They found another tooth that needed a mini-root canal so she ended with 5 new silver teeth. She was under anesthesia for 4+ hours but woke up pretty quickly. No vomiting or pain so far - Praise the Lord!

She was very wobbly on her feet for a few hours in the motel. It was funny to watch her...so determined to be independent! She looked like a little drunk girl :) It didn't slow her down, though, and she & Grandma went for a walk this afternoon while I took a nap. She's been eating jello, crackers, juice and even had a few bites of Chinese food & a Frosty for dinner.

She fell asleep while we were at the restaurant, rallied for her Frosty, then put herself to bed by 7pm. I'm hoping to finish some shopping tomorrow morning before heading back home. Keep those prayers coming - they are appreciated!

Surgery

2011-09-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm in the waiting room this morning as Mally has oral surgery. She was very brave but a little grumpy when she couldn't have anything to eat or drink this morning. Thankfully, she slept late and we only had about 30 minutes before heading in to the office.

We stopped in Prineville to see an old college friend, Jenny Brooks, and her 2 girls on our way to Bend yesterday afternoon. Their oldest girl had surgery this year so Jenny can sympathize! We don't see them often enough....hoping to spend some time together at EOU Homecoming in October.

Mally came in to the dentist's office this morning wearing her new Disney wizard princess hat. She hasn't taken it off willingly since we bought it at Goodwill last night. She rode the coin-operated horse in the office, changed into the surgery jammies and watched Curious George while getting her first sedative injection. She got very goofy, giggling at who-knows-what and wouldn't leave her surgical cap on. She thought it was funny to pull off the cap and throw it in the air. Silly girl!

Mom just got here and will spend the day with us. I'll let you all know how she does.

Teen All-Nighter

2011-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had a marathon weekend! Andy's first game, Drew's first game, then the Naz Teen All-Nighter.
Here's a video highlighting the night. Andy was with them all night then came home to sleep for 3 hours before starting on his football film & meetings. It was a short weekend and we're still catching up on sleep!

School Time & Summer Photos

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

First day of school - Drew 4th grade, age 10 - Abby 3rd grade, age 8

It's school time! Our summer felt much too short but I've welcomed the start of school. I think we were all ready to follow a set routine again.

Mally's first day - age 4

Andy went back to work Aug. 22 and Drew & Abby started Aug. 29. Mallory started preschool yesterday. Football started for Andy in mid-August and Drew started practicing last week. Abby starts volleyball next week, so it has been challenging who will get the kids where they need to be. The kids get on the bus at 7am and the pm bus brings them home around 4:45, so it's a REALLY long day for them. Thankfully, we've found a friend for Drew to go home with on days he has practice and they get him there on time.

Andy & Drew cut & peeled the juniper poles for Drew's new bunkbed.

I have been working 2-3 days/week through August but am planning on just 1-1.5 days through September. My week on call in August was very busy with several after-hours trips to town. I'm dreading my week on call in September after that one! We have a new (young) manager so it will be interesting to see how my job will be affected. I'm praying I'll get to keep my 1 day a week because it has really helped our financial stress.

She'd rather be naked

Bad news last month - Mallory needs oral surgery. The dentist found deep cavities in all 4 molars at her first cleaning/check-up in August. She referred us to a pediatric dentist in Bend who confirmed the problem and recommends pulpectomies (mini-root canals) and crowns on all 4 molars which is done under general anesthesia for ped patients. After reviewing all the options, we scheduled the procedure for Oct. 13 in Bend. We're really nervous about it but the other option of pulling them and placing spacers is even more expensive and also done under general anesthesia. Please pray that it goes smoothly and without complication and that I won't worry about the cost.

August trip to Newport, Yaquina Head

I'm struggling to make time for blogging here and at Mama Lusco Handmade...I'm hoping as life settles down I'll get back into posting more often. I've have several new pattern-makers using me to test & review new patterns so much of my extra time has been sewing instead of blogging. Not a bad problem, but unless you're on Facebook, updates may be slow. HINT: Get a FB account, Moms :)

Abby's first sewing project won best of show & blue ribbon!

Mama's Fair Prizes - 1 best of show, 6 blue & 2 red ribbons

We've enjoyed a few visits from family over the summer months. Here are a few pictures from our adventures. Enjoy!

Abby's a good shot!

Angie & cousin Jen

Where Has the Summer Gone?

2011-08-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Dad taking Abby for a ride

I hope you are enjoying summer as much as we are! It's hard to believe that football camps start next week and school in 3 weeks. The start of football means the end of summer vacation for the Luscos...

Our Redneck Toy Hauler

We have been enjoying our weekends camping and have been able to visit both of our families. We have another campout scheduled for this weekend before we settle in again.

Fishing at Unity Reservoir

On Vacation

2011-07-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is flying by! We have one month before football starts and summer vacation officially ends for the Lusco family. We've had a great summer camping, fishing, swimming in our new pool and visiting family. We're in Idaho right now with Andy's family and head home late this week for Angie to make some more spending money :) Next week Andy will be at EOU's football camp with our high school team. We're still planning a few more short camping trips and a visit to Angie's family in August. Our garden is taking off, so the canning and preserving will start in August as well. I'll share some pictures after we're home again. Hope you are having a fantastic summer, too!

We All Survived!

2011-06-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

Andy & the kids survived my week at WyldLife camp and I was able to keep up with my 8 girls. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep, though! We were busy 18 hours a day with meetings, challenges, games, swimming at the water park and having tons of fun. I was drafted for several messy challenges, which the girls LOVED, but my hair may never be the same :)

The rewards were eternal - one girl accepted Christ for the first time and six others recommitted. All the girls have asked to do a Bible study with me now that we're home so I'm trying to figure a way to work that in. Definitely not plan to start a teen girl ministry, but it feels like that is where God is leading right now. Oh, the strange ways He works!

Andy & I celebrated our 12th Anniversary on June 13th. He and I drove to Nampa, ID that day to buy a small 5th wheel travel trailer to put on the new flatbed gooseneck trailer he bought the weekend before. We drove over 1000 miles that week trying to find a new trailer/toy hauler. In the end, he got just what he wanted - a gooseneck trailer with our 5th wheel mounted at the front and room for the quads or boat behind. I need to take some pictures; it's not as weird looking as it sounds :)

We'll be home for about 2 weeks before heading up to Troy, OR and then the Moscow area to visit Andy's family. We'll be taking the new trailer and doing lots of camping. It doesn't look like we'll get to go pike fishing this year, though :( They'll have another year to grow for us! The kids are really excited about seeing their cousins.

May Review

2011-06-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

May has come and gone and June is well upon us. The days have been flying by here. Drew is now 10 years old! It so hard to believe that my first-born is 10 and he is half-grown...only 9 more years in my home! We had a "Camp-Out" sleepover party where the boys roasted sausage dogs for dinner, made smores, played flashlight games in the dark and camped out in the shop. My parents stayed one night, then we had a BBQ on his actual birthday. It was a fun weekend for Drew!

We spent Memorial Day camping NW of Burns near where I hunted as a girl. The weather was miserable. We had snow & rain all but 6 hours all weekend! We packed up Sunday afternoon and came home a night early. Mally & Drew loved to shoot the .22s.

We planted our little yard 3 weeks ago and it's just starting to sprout. We've had so much rain and cold weather, so the garden and plants will be late this year. We're working on planting the garden and hope to finish this weekend.

Andy has been very busy planning the Mt. Vernon School Open House & Community Dance, which was held June 3. They teamed with the alumni association and had classrooms decorated by different decades of graduates. They had a dance in the gym. He had a great turnout - over 200 community people plus students. People could leave painted handprints on the gym & hall walls. It was really special.

The next few weeks will be busy with football camp and Wyldlife camp. I hope summer weather comes soon!

New (to me) Furniture

2011-05-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

We love to visit yard sales, thrift shops and watch the online classifieds. Grant Co. even has its own Free Classifieds page on Facebook where we've found & sold many items. Here are my recent big purchases. Andy says no more furniture unless I start getting rid of things :)

Pie Safe

Buffet

Chest - I really didn't want this, but it was a packaged deal. It's huge!

I haven't taken a picture of my "Gossip Seat" but it's similar to this one except the phone table is on the left. Your phone went on the top table, phone book underneath and you sat on the seat while talking or gossiping on the phone in the days before cordless phones.

Andy took these photos one afternoon last week. He caught us! I love how Mally puts her arm around me, too! She still loves to snuggle.

We have a busy week ahead. I'm working Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur this week then having Drew's sleepover BD party on Thur night. Dad & Mom come Fri night and the CHROME motorcycle rally is at church all weekend with services Sat & Sun. Sunday pm is our Young Life/Wyldlife season finale BBQ, then I'm back to work the 23rd & 24th. Looking forward to resting all day the 25th!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

Easter Pictures

2011-05-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy as usual in the Lusco Home. We were glad to have my parents and brother here for Easter. The kids went to the community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday and brought home buckets full of eggs! I still have a few in my fridge...how long do they keep?

My sister-mom, kids, and I

Brother Trent, kids & I

I've been very busy with work. Our full-time nurse is on vacation for 3 weeks (1 more to go!) and I've been on call the past 2 weeks. Thankfully, I've been able to handle all the on-call stuff over the phone. The next paycheck will be nice but it sure makes me tired. When I'm not working, cooking, or cleaning, I've been sewing. I entered a sewing competition without realizing it was going to be a competition with weekly themes & deadlines. If you also read Mama Lusco, you've seen what I've been up to.

Andy is having a great year teaching. He is also working on 2 Masters level courses to earn more credits and move up on the pay scale next year. He's at Masters degree & 30 credits now, so he is well-educated! He's also been beating Drew & I at Risk on a regular basis.

The kids are doing well. Abby is improving in her math skills and Drew has been doing a science experiment on the effects of acid rain. Their school open house is Thursday night, so we're going to see Abby's volcano erupt and Drew's science experiment display. Mally's having fun playing at the sitter's house with her new BFF, Garrett, and spending some days at the child care center as well. She really likes the variety and each morning asks "Where am I going today?" She moans when I say we are staying home :)

This will be our last weekend at home for the next month. We hope it will be dry enough to spray & till the garden and put in our lawn. We have plans to go to the cabin in Troy and Buck Springs camping later in the month. June will be busy with community events, football camp, and Wyldlife camp. Looking forward to getting some warmer weather, hopefully soon!

Here are a few pictures of our property since clearing the sage & junipers.

4/29/11 snow

My Ears Are Hurting

2011-04-12T20:22:00.001-07:00

Snow, Really?!!

2011-04-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

We woke up to 2" of snow again yesterday and temps in the 20's. It's April, right? My poor crocuses were just starting to bloom and the daffodils are about 3" high now. I miss my early Spring bulbs!

I've been busy stocking my Etsy shop. I'm really liking the new eco-totes from feed bags. Do you have one yet? I use mine for grocery shopping but they would also be great for books, gardening, the beach and wet bags for the pool or river.

We don't have anything planned this weekend. We're still cutting away at the junipers and sage and have about 1 acre left to clear & burn. Andy got his teaching assignment for next year. It's a relief to know they're really planning on him teaching next year! My job is going well. I'm still feeling a little insecure because it's all new but I really enjoy the work. I'm now only working 1 day a week and as needed when we get busy. I've added some days in May and the summer vacations are being scheduled so I'll be busier then. I'm enjoying the slower pace!

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home! It's really good to have ZERO travel plans for the next month!!

Our trip to LA was a good experience. We left at 12am on Fri the 18th, driving straight thru to Burbank, CA in about 19 hours. The roads were good going down and the drive was smooth. Saturday, Andy and Drew helped serve at a homeless shelter in downtown LA. Saturday afternoon we went shopping at the Glendale Galleria We spent Sunday morning at the church where they hosted a potluck lunch then drove to Hollywood. Sunday it rained like a typhoon all day, so we bought ponchos and braved the rain while touring Hollywood. While in Hollywood, we toured the walk of stars and saw a movie at the El Capitan theater.

Lego Store in the Galleria

In Hollywood with Shrek

El Capitan in Hollywood

Organist at El Capitan

Ready for the movie at El Capitan

Monday morning, Andy & Drew went with the group to a rescue shelter while the girls and I went to the Fashion District in LA. What fun! I bought about 100 yds of fabric...most of it was sold by the pound and I took home about 50 lbs. We met back at the church then went down to Venice Beach. The weather was much nicer - cool & breezy but blue skies.

The teens and men served at a rescue mission on Tuesday. Wednesday, we spent 16 hours at Disneyland and California Adventure. A fun, exhausting day!

Mama's Chocolate Cake!

Ready for the Toy Story ride!

Rain in Disneyland

Our trip home began Thursday morning. The mountain passes were requiring chains so we took an alternate highway around the passes thanks to a tip from a fellow Jack-In-The-Box customer. We were just getting back to our original route when the van broke down. Dead. In the middle of nowhere, Nevada. Actually, the nearest town (20 miles away) was Hawthorne, NV aka John Day, NV. It's at least an hour from the nearest town, only 3000 people in a county of 5000, high desert and a lot like the John Day area. Not a good place to be stranded.

We were thankful to have cell service and were able to call a tow truck that could accommodate the van and trailer and 2 additional vans to shuttle all of us to town. We called all 12 churches in the town trying to find a place to sleep but none answered. One of the tow truck drivers helped us by calling her church & friends. Just as the van & trailer were hitched, she got a call from her friend, Jennifer, inviting us to all stay at her house and asked "Have they had dinner yet?" We arrived at Jennifer & AJ's house about 45 minutes later to find dinner cooking, beds made and welcoming new friends. The next morning, after working all night, AJ took Andy & Brad to town to look for parts. Hawthorne did not have the right parts, so he loaned Andy a car to drive to the nearest bigger town 1 hr away. After the guys got back with the right part, AJ loaned Andy tools and helped him work on the van....after 36+ hours without sleep. Andy was able to get the van running and we were on the road again about 1pm on Friday. We were blessed beyond measure by this family. It really was the highlight of the trip. We had gone to serve others and ended up being the recipients of this kindness & hospitality.

After a stop for dinner in Winnemucca, NV, we drove all the way to John Day without stopping. The ignition had been acting up all week and finally broke as we arrived in John Day...the van would not turn off! They guys had to unhook the battery to turn off the van. Another God-thing that we decided not to fuel in Burns...

Test driving the van

We were so amazed how God provided for us. We avoided the snowy roads and ended up where a Good Samaritan family could take us in. He kept the van running until we made it home. God is good!

In the panic of trying to find somewhere to stay, none of the churches had emergency phone numbers on their answering machines. Other people contacted just said no. It's made me wonder how many times I've missed the opportunity to bless others because of inconvenience, laziness or avoidance. Do we make ourselves available to help others? Would I have taken in 13 strangers from another church? My gut reaction is to say no but after meeting Jennifer and AJ and being on the receiving end of hospitality, I want to say yes next time.

Wedding Fun

2011-03-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

We had another quick trip last weekend, north to Kayla & Willi's wedding. We're thankful for good roads, safe travel and a fun weekend.

Abby the candle lighter & Mally the flower girl

Max, Jr.

Abby & Georgia

The gorgeous bride, Kayla

Shy Lynne and Mally Rae

Josie

Mally

Brenna & Mally on the dance floor

Drew & Brenna getting dance lessons from Papa Bill

Happy cousins

We're leaving tomorrow night for Southern CA. Please pray for us as we travel and that we'll touch lives.

Words to Live By

2011-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

February Snow

2011-02-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

Winter decided to appear again after 2 weeks in the 50's...

Temps are slowly warming up during the day but we still have 6" in the back of the house and where it is shaded. The deer have moved in again and really like the ground we have cleared. This picture was taken just before the snow came.

Overall, we're adjusting well to my being back to work. I guess I'll be working part-time for awhile. I'm feeling confident in the Home Health nursing but need training with Hospice. On-call has become part-time until my manager changes her mind :) Mallory love playing at the neighbor's house and has spent several days at the child care center in town, as well. I couldn't have asked for a better start back to work. Thanks for the prayers!

We will be on the road every weekend in March. Andy's birthday is coming on the 5th and he wants to be at the Albany Gun Show. The 12th we'll be in Moscow for niece Kayla's wedding. Spring Break starts the 18th and we'll be leaving that morning for Los Angeles with the THRIVE Youth Group from church. Andy will be the bus driver, I'm driving the Expedition and the whole family is going! It should be a challenging week - driving 18 hours straight to LA, working in a men's homeless shelter, Nazarene missionary retirement home, church construction project and cooking for 16-18 people. Andy will be working with Pastor Brad to keep the kids on task while Jill & I manage the food, 5 little kids and help with missions as we can. This is my first mission trip after 20 years of Christian living. We could use prayers for safety and wisdom as we travel to and minister in LA.

Change is Coming

2011-01-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

What a few weeks we have had! It's been quite a challenge to not be anxious. The school board has decided to close the Middle School where Andy teaches and move the 6th graders back to the Elementary and 7th & 8th to the High School. Enrollment is declining which reduces the districts income. They can operate for about 5 years without major cuts if schools are consolidated. Fiscally it makes sense but personally it is painful. Kids are scared and staff are worried about lay-offs. Andy was the last hired in his department, so he would lose his job if another social studies teacher does not retire. It sounds like a high school teacher is retiring so he should keep his job. It was really iffy for a week or two, though.

Along with Andy's work situation, our renters are now 4 months behind in rent. It's worrisome enough that I decided to apply for a job. Thankfully, my dream job opened at the same time we decided I should start looking. I'm excited to be starting at the Blue Mtn. Home Health and Hospice office administered by the local hospital. I worked as a CNA and student nurse in HH/Hospice in LaGrande and really enjoyed it. I'll get to be part of a team but work independently. My past experience in The Dalles will fit nicely with this new job but I'll have much to learn! I start next Tuesday.

Pray for us as we make the transition. I've really enjoyed staying home the last 1 1/2 years and it will be a big adjustment. I'll be working part-time the first month or so then as a casual (on-call). I'm not sure how my new preschool curriculum will fit into the work schedule and I also need to find backup childcare. One of our neighbors will be my primary Mally-watcher but I need another couple of backup people. That's the scariest part for me. I miss having my mom to help out!

We have worked 2 weekends at clearing junipers and brush and have finished about 3 acres. We only have one little strip in the lower lot and along the road to finish. Hopefully, one more long weekend and we'll have that job done!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:25-27 New International Version

We are so thankful that He feeds the birds :)

Pre-School & Pajamas

2011-01-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

A Facebook friend of mine shared a link to the pre-school curriculum she was starting with her 2 young kiddos and Mally and I started it this week. It only takes 30-60 minutes, 5 days a week. Mally is loving it! Here's the link for free curriculums from age 0-11. We're using the preparatory curriculum. If you have young kids, check it out!

Last weekend, we started clearing the brush and junipers from the lower 4 acres. We have about 1 acre done and hope to get more cleared this weekend.

The kids had pajama day at school today. They waited until 5pm Thursday to tell me they would like new pajamas, "We don't have any that fit!" Here's what I came up with...

Big Deal!

2011-01-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

I've read online a few times about Big Deal.com. It's an online auction site where you can get new electronics & more for a fraction of the retail price. The catch is, you have to buy bids to then bid on the items. You may need to spend $100 bidding to win an SLR digital camera for $15. Net savings = $600+. Ipads are selling for less than $100! I've been wanting a Kindle reader so when I saw them selling for $8, I wanted to jump in the bidding. It was midnight, though, and I've been known to make some really crazy infomercial products late in the night :) So, I waited...I did register for a Big Deal account. After not buying anything for 5 days, they sent me 5 free bids which I used to purchase 10 more bids for $0.11. Pretty fun stuff! I'm wanting to buy more bids so I have a nice stockpile before going for the Kindle.

If this sounds like fun to you, head over to Big Deal and register using my link. When you purchase tokens, we BOTH get 10 free bids! Wanna join me?

Eco-Friendly Product: CleanFlame Fire Logs

2011-01-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to tell you about a relatively new eco-friendly product that is worth endorsing - CleanFlame fire logs. I was impressed that CleanFlame is produced from 100% recycled waxed corrugated box material; material that would normally go to landfills. Their website states, "Our aim is to save trees, relieve overburdened landfills and create a totally sustainable and virtuous manufacturing process - one that can be a model for the world." Unlike Presto (and other) manufactured logs, CleanFlame can be used for cooking and would be a convenient product to take camping. CleanFlame produces less creosote and carbon monoxide than natural wood and is better for air quality than wood. Best of all, CleanFlame is cheaper than traditional firelogs and is likely available at your local grocer (check their website for where to buy.)

We received 3 CleanFlame fire logs to try. These come packaged in a sturdy paper which you simply light to start the fire log. No kindling needed! The log lit quickly and produced a warm, even flame. We were able to burn the CleanFlame log with regular wood in our fireplace - another benefit over traditional fire logs. It's burn time and heat was similar to the pine we normally burn and produced little ash. They stack compactly and leave no mess. I'm definitely keeping these on hand as an easy fire-starter.

I highly recommend CleanFlame fire logs for the occasional wood burning family. Perfect to take to the campground, make a bonfire, or burn in the fireplace. Feel good purchasing CleanFlame because they are saving trees, reducing waste and reducing pollution while providing a worthy product.

Chinese Fake-Out

2011-01-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Friday night was Chinese Fake-Out at our house. Andy and I are eating low-carb again and eating well! Basically, we can eat veggies, meat and cheeses. To satisfy my Chinese food cravings, I tried a new Egg Drop Soup recipe and our old favorite Moo Shu Chicken (sans noodles.)

This Egg Drop Soup is very quick, easy, and tasty. Two thumbs up! Remember to thicken your soup BEFORE adding the eggs, though, so they get stringy instead of fluffy.

Rachael Ray's Moo Shu Noodles was my first attempt at Chinese-style cooking. I use soy sauce and worcestershire sauce, green onions & cabbage, white mushrooms - nothing fancy. Whole wheat spaghetti works great instead of the fettuccine. Be brave- cook something new this week!

Winning Chili Recipe

2011-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Photo from About-Recipes

Here it is...the chili recipe that has become our new favorite and the winner of the 2010 JD Nazarene Chili Cook-off!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/soups/favorite-chili/

Like all recipes, I made a few changes :) We prefer pinto beans to kidney beans, so I use 2 cups of dried pinto beans (soaked overnight or boiled until soft) instead of the 2 cans of beans in the recipe. It's also very good with 1 cup dried black beans and 1 cup of dried pinto beans. Dried beans are much cheaper here, so that's what we use instead of canned. In the winter, use 1 pint of canned tomatos for the fresh ones. This recipe works well in the slow cooker - my preferred method for easy meals. This has a mild taste that even the kids love. It goes well with Corny Cornbread....all this typing is making me hungry!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:13:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you will pause to remember the reason for the season...Blessings to you! Angie

Crazy Christmas Prep

2010-12-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

Where have the last 3 weeks gone? I've been doing more Christmas sewing and Drew is just finishing his basketball season. We spent the 3rd-10th in ID/WA/OR hunting at Uncle Jon's ranch near Troy, OR and visiting Andy's family in Moscow. We came home with the flu, bounced back and I'm doing more frantic sewing trying to get the gifts done before leaving again tomorrow for my parents. Here's a quick recap in pictures...

Leelou Blog Giveaway Days

2010-11-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

The design I use over at Mama Lusco Handmade is from Leelou Blogs. She has so many free designs that are darling! Leelou is hosting some great giveaways through November. Check them out here!

Christmas Card Preview

2010-11-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

Snowflake Damask Holiday Card

Shop hundreds of holiday photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

This is the card I chose using the free promo code I won through Esbe Chic blog. The picture was taken last weekend at before our church Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Love it! I need to get busy with my Christmas card list since we'll be gone most of December...

Turkey Dice Game

2010-11-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

I just came across this version of Little Giraffe's Roll a Turkey Dice Game. This looks like a fun family game that even the little ones can enjoy. I'd also like the kids to try making butter using the instructions in the same post as
Roll a Turkey here. Hope your family tries something new over the long weekend!

November, Where have you gone?

2010-11-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

Wow! I did not realize it had been so long since I updated the blog here. Life has seemed crazy here lately. It was supposed to slow down after football season ended, but it really hasn't yet. I do have a small excuse for early Nov. when we were without a computer for 9 days, but I've just been busy/lazy since getting it back the 16th.

We were happy to have Andy's Mom & (practically) stepdad down for the last football game on Nov. 5th then stay for the weekend. As usual, I ended the weekend with a fridge full of leftovers so I didn't need to cook again until Tuesday :) Without a computer the following week, I was able to make good progress on some Christmas gifts.

Drew is on our church's Bible quizzing team this year. They meet weekly to study together then have quiz meets 3 times a year over in Nampa, ID with other Nazarene quiz teams. His first big meet was the 13th, so we were able to spend Friday night in Nampa and eat out at Olive Garden on Saturday before heading back home. Drew is doing very well and won a gold medal for scoring over 90% on his quizzing and earned a blue ribbon for perfect memory verses. So studious! He also started basketball practice the 2nd week of Nov. and that goes through December. His first Jamboree was Saturday and he's improved since last year. I'm not sure he'll ever play serious basketball, but he's trying hard :) He really wishes there was a youth wrestling program here.

We've been making slow progress on the new Mud Room. Andy has installed my counter top edging & back splash, hung coat hooks & closet rods, installed the sink & range. I etched and painted the floors and counter tops. I'm not impressed with the counters but they are water-tight and usable now. We plan to laminate or something once our house in Lebanon sells. Over Thanksgiving we're hoping to finish the room - insulate the ceiling, move in the freezer, stain the counter edges & back splash, plumb the sink and touch-up painting. It's finally to the point that we can use it - just in time for the wet snow!

We woke this morning to about 1" of snow on the ground and it still falling. Something about snow on the ground makes me smile :) Mally was so excited that she couldn't stay in the house. She was out playing in her church dress and no gloves and was so cold! Stubborn thing wouldn't come inside to get a coat or gloves, though. It sounds like we should get some more snow the next few days.

Today was our church's Community Thanksgiving Dinner. I cooked and baked and baked some more for the dinner this year. After a failed batch of pecan bars Friday night, I woke Saturday to find that our dog Lucy had ruined the 4 dozen dinner rolls I had made. I didn't think she would jump up on the counter to get the rolls, but she did. A mini-melt-down later, I baked another 2 desserts and pulled my other rolls from the freezer so it turned out alright. I also found the most amazing stuffing recipe! I'd never made my dressing before but it was easy and delicious. Another recipe I need to share someday...

Harvest Party/Halloween Fun

2010-11-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Our family had a fun time Saturday night at our church Harvest Party and Chili Cook-Off. I won the best taste award with a yummy mild chili recipe I will share here soon. We all went in costume except for Andy. I tried to talk him into dressing as Mario, Sr., but he wasn't excited about that.

Sunday night we took the kids trick-or-treating around town and came home with a huge bag of candy. I will be thankful once the chocolate is gone so I'll keep out of it :)

Abby's Secret Notes

2010-11-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

Abby - also known now as Abbie - has been writing secret songs. I found this one folded in her little backpack pocket. She's also decided to spell her name with an -ie "like your name, Mom." She is growing up too fast!

Pancake Mix Recipe

2010-10-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last week we fed Andy's football linemen breakfast - 20 boys - so I tried a new pancake mix recipe that used ingredients I had at home. I was able to prepare the mix ahead of time and it stores like other dry pancake mixes. The taste was great with a little crisp to the texture from the oil. I bet it will make great waffles, too! We had a few extras, which I froze, and the kids have been putting them in the toaster for a quick, hot breakfast before school. This one will be a new staple in our house.

Instructions
Combine the following dry ingredients in a plastic container or gallon-sized bag and shake to mix well
( I stirred them together in a big bowl then poured into a bag):

12 c. flour
4 c. dry instant powdered milk
3/4 c. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
2 tablespoons salt

When you're ready to make the pancakes, use the following recipe:
1 1/2 c. of the dry mix (We like 2 cups for thicker cakes)
1 cup water
1 egg
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Cook the pancakes in a skillet or on a griddle. They are ready to flip when the top starts to bubble.
Write the recipe on the outside of the storage container for easy reference the next time you prepare pancakes. Store the dry mixture in a pantry or refrigerator until ready for use.

Read more: How to Make Homemade Pancake Mix | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/print/how_2310641_make-homemade-pancake-mix.html#ixzz131jL8oEA

Remembering Joe Rodewald

2010-10-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Andy took a quick trip to Albany this weekend for his former student and player, Joe Rodewald's service. Joe was killed last Wednesday while serving as a Marine in Afghanistan. Joe was a special man who was one of Andy's favorite players. He will be missed!

Utility Room Preview

2010-10-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

I've been plugging away at the new Utility Room and just posted pictures over at Mama Lusco's blog. We're getting closer!

Fall Rush

2010-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 2 weeks since I've blogged here? My days have seemed so busy! The garden is finally done and the only canning I have left for the year is apples...I have a box waiting for me as I sit. I finished the last jars of pickles and corn yesterday. I replanted the raspberries that died and also added some garlic for next year. I have daffodils, crocus and irises to plant yet before the cold sets in.

The last 2 weeks I've been working on the utility room - painting everything again with a 2nd coat, painting handles, cleaning cupboards, moving canned goods, making & hanging curtains, installing outlet covers & light fixures. The next big job is cleaning the floor so we can epoxy paint it. We may just epoxy the countertop, too, then tile the backsplash & edge. I need to research that, though. I also need to find/make hooks for coats & backpacks and a bench to store shoes in/under. Looking forward to having the mud room ready before our 10 inches of rain a year comes. I really don't miss all the rain of the Valley :-)

We lost our rooster, adopted a new rooster, and lost 2 hens. I turned them loose yesterday and found one dead this morning. I think Lucy got it, so we'll need to figure out how to train her to leave them alone. We've been getting about a dozen eggs a day, so it's time to start selling! Need to add a sign to my To-Do List, I guess...

Mommy Rhapsody

2010-10-05T19:55:00.001-07:00

This one made me laugh out loud...

Mommy Rhapsody from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Drew's Tree

2010-10-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

We've been wanting to put in a lawn and shade tree on the north side of the house and finally got around to part one last Sunday. We purchased an Autumn Blaze maple tree from a local nursery and Drew planted it for us. The leaves have already started turning red and gold. This one is going to be gorgeous!

Recipe to Try: Homemade Oreos

2010-09-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe this morning and can't wait to try it! They sound wonderful...


Photo from Bake at 350

Find the recipe for Homemade Oreos HERE.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce & Bread, Anyone?

2010-09-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

MMMmmm....That's the sound I keep making as I work in the kitchen today. The pizza/spaghetti sauce has simmered to perfection and the jars are popping as they seal. French bread is rising and home-grown beans are cooling in the fridge. To top it all off, we'll finish the locally-grown Kimberly peach pie from yesterday. Thank you, Mennonite ancestors, for the amazing recipes, love of cooking & baking and my curvy figure!

Here are the recipes I've adapted from the Fairview Favorites II cookbook, the Mennonite church where I grew up in Albany, Oregon.

French Bread - (Italian-style soft loaves)
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 T. shortening or lard
2 c. boiling water
Combine in a large bowl and let set until warm. Add 1/2 c. warm water, 1 Tbsp. dry yeast and 1 T. sugar; stir until yeast dissolves. Mix in 6 c. bread flour. Work down with spoon every 10 minutes 4-5 times. Divide into 2 balls. Let rest for 10 min. Roll out into 1/2 inch thick rectangle (as for jelly roll); roll up and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double; slash tops several times. brush top with 1 beaten egg and 2 Tbsp. milk, mixed. Bake at 375' for 25 min or in convection oven 365' for 18 min.

Tomato Sauce To Can
4 gal fresh tomatos
4-6 peppers, bell or anaheim
4 large onions, peeled
3 carrots. peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 jalapeno peppers (optional)
Wash then crush veggies in a food processor or blender. Heat to a boil in heavy pan and cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Sieve and discard pulp. Add to puree:
2 Tbsp. Oregano
2 Tbsp. basil
3 Bay leaves
1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
Simmer puree uncovered until thick, 2-4 hours. (To speed thickening and make the sauce go farther, I add 48 oz. tomato paste near the end of cooking.) Pour into sterile jars. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice per pint or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice per quart. Process in pressure canner at 15 lbs for 15 minutes or Hot Water bath 45 minutes for pints/ 55 minutes for qts. Yields about 12 pints.

This is my first year canning tomato sauce and let me tell you, it is amazing! So full of flavor and delicious as a pizza sauce or pasta sauce. I've made two batches so maybe someone will get lucky and I'll share at Christmas!

Football Season is Here

2010-09-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

The frenzy of football season is upon us!

We were too late for the kids to fly at the John Day Fly-In this year, but Abby had fun trying on the fire-fighter's gear.

I'm still working at canning tomato sauce and beets. My beans and corn were disappointing this year, so I'll need to buy some during our case goods sale next month. It stinks to have to buy veggies after planting a 1/4 acre garden! Live and learn while gardening at 4000 ft elevation in a cool spring & summer I guess....

Laboring Away

2010-09-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I was relieved to get the kids back to school and Andy back to work. Unfortunately, things haven't slowed down at all yet! We were expecting company for Labor Day so we turned down a trip to McCall, ID only to have them not come. I guess it was a blessing in disguise because the girls had head lice. YUCK! This was the first - and hopefully last- time. So, we've labored away on this...

And this...

And this.

Andy started football games this week and is going to have a hard fall. He is coaching both JV and Varsity teams this year so he is traveling every week. Drew is practicing and starts games next week. He's having fun and looking forward to a scrimmage at the home Varsity game tonight. We're still trying to finish the interior of the utility room. I'm hoping to paint everything this weekend. We'll see...

Fair Fun

2010-08-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

The family had a great time at the county fair last week. Abby entered cookies and a family portrait; Drew made a Lego sculpture; and I entered some canned goods, garden basket and sewing items. We all came away with ribbons and a little cash. It was a learning experience and we have some more ideas for next year!

The kids were in the Kids Parade last Friday afternoon with a group from church. Saturday, Abby was in the big Fair Parade with her fellow dancers. We enjoyed a long day at the fair and watched the rodeo Friday night.

Drew & Abby were happy to start school on Monday. Drew is a 3rd grader and Abby's in 2nd grade. Mally and I are enjoying our long days together and she's quite a little helper. We're still working in the garden and have started painting the exterior of the new utility room. I'm hoping we'll be able to finish the tape & texture and paint inside this weekend. Still so much to do!

Time is Flying

2010-08-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Andy's in full swing with football doubles and teacher inservice this week. It's also fair week here. The kids are in the Kids' Parade tomorrow and Abby's in the main parade on Saturday with her dance group. I've been busy getting our fair entries done & entered, parade shirts made, canning and school sewing. The kids go back to school Monday and I'm ready to have a routine again. We've had a good, busy summer but it's time to have a quiet house!

Dad & Mom came last weekend for their 35th Anniversary!

Friend Jill Williamson had a book signing, so I made a shirt for the occasion :)

Utility Room Addition

2010-08-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Summer's almost over and we're back to home base for football. Nephew Bradley, 14, was with us last week to help Andy and just hang out. We loved having him! We've made good progress on the new addition - framed, sided, electrical done & insulated. I hope to paint the exterior soon and we'll work on sheet rock this weekend. Andy found free kitchen cabinets on Craigslist that will fit perfectly! I have a range top and big utility sink for canning and a built-in desk for my sewing machines. It's going to be my sewing/craft/canning room and have closets & coat hooks on the other side for the mud room.

The garden is slowly producing. We have beautiful potatoes, green beans, peas and beets. It's been hard to can / freeze because I replanted most things twice and they are maturing at different times. I've been able to put up some peas, beets & green beans so far.

New bar stools

Andy and Drew had appointments in Bend this week and we found a replacement kitty there. We welcomed Doodle Bug - now 'Bug' - and he's adjusting pretty well. He was an inside cat and had 3 siblings, so he keeps trying to sneak in the house. Lucy the dog and Whiskers the kitty sure like him!

Doodlebug

Last of Summer Vacation

2010-08-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

We're back from our last big vacation of the summer. Andy was able to get lots done on Mom's house and we enjoyed 3 nights at Killarney Lake south of Couer d' Alene, ID. I caught the most fish! Fishing was slow but we enjoyed the new boat and playing in the water.

Abby and I had a special night at the Clay Walker concert. It was her first concert and my first in over 10 years. So fun!

Since getting home on Sunday, Andy's been framing my new utility/mud room. More picts of that to come. Here is a preview of my new bar stools. I still need to decide how to paint them but they turned out great!

RIP Buddy the Kitten

2010-08-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Buddy is in kitty heaven now. Mama backed over him this afternoon :( He was the kitten with spunk and would rub against my legs while I hung up the laundry on the line. Abby's in Idaho so she doesn't know yet. My name shall be "Cat Killer" for the foreseeable future. RIP little guy.

First Veggies and Updates at Home

2010-07-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

We've had nice two weeks at home! Our garden is starting to produce fresh peas, onions, beets & cherry tomatoes. I added some bacon and mayo/sour cream dressing and it was the best salad ever. My flowers and grasses are growing well and we've had some great thunderstorms and sunsets.

Fuqua Homes came to install my new island counter top last week and Andy hung a chandelier over our dining table. We found the chandelier at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore (salvaged items). I love it! For bar stools at the island, we found tractor seats at a yard sale which we will epoxy paint and mount with a swivel to tall milk cans that we got at a local antique store. I can't decide if I should paint the milk cans or just leave them? Either way, I'm hoping to have them welded soon after we're back from Idaho.

Speaking of Idaho, we're headed that way again. Andy, Drew & Mally left today. We're hoping to get Mom's house addition finished and do some camping and fishing. I was lucky to win a Meet & Greet with my long-time favorite country singer Clay Walker tomorrow in Caldwell, ID!!! Abby and I will go to the concert then drive up to Moscow on Sunday to meet the rest of the family. I'm really excited to meet Clay and have been a loyal fan since 1993. Makes me feel a little old :)

I'm not sure if we'll have internet access in Idaho, so I likely won't be back for a week or more. Hope you're enjoying summer as we are!

Back to 5

2010-07-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm breathing a little easier this week. It's back to just the 5 of us! We had fun with our nieces & nephew visiting but after 2 1/2 weeks of having extra kids I'm glad to slow down a little :) Today, the kids served me lunch AND let me read in the hammock AND take a little nap. It was a great day!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Newport and Lincoln City last week with Roy & Becca. It was Roy's first trip to the Pacific Ocean. We took Becca for her time 5 or 6 years ago.

We found this little guy washed up on the beach, but he made it back to the water.

Birthday Fun in Scenic Eastern Oregon

2010-07-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

We've had another fun weekend traveling and seeing Andy's family. I celebrated my birthday (the 9th) with a big chocolate cake in Troy, OR at John Fogerty's river house. We drove our camper down to sleep in since we had a house full! Even Roy & Rebecca were able to come. The back deck of the house overlooks the river and it had a really cool "Hillbilly" hot tub and juniper pole rocking chair. Andy had me take lots of pictures so he could try to make them here :)

Mallory's birthday (the 10th) brought another chocolate cake and Mallory Family Reunion potluck later that night.

We left Troy on Sunday and drove to Wallowa Lake. Along the way we passed an amazing circular barn, the ghost town of Flora, OR and the beautiful Eagle Cap Wilderness near Wallowa Lake. It was fun to show the kids where Andy & I used to play in college and got engaged at the lake.

Roy & Becca came with us and are spending the week here. Drew walked across the stream balancing on a log to earn a milkshake and Mally had fun making "Sand Angels" along Ice Creek.

Drew had his braces put on last week in Bend and he has not complained at all, despite not being able to eat Grandma Kate's rice krispie treats. He is getting so big!

We're trying to get Roy & Becca to the Oregon Coast while they are here, but one of Andy's football players is in critical condition after an ATV accident last weekend. He may need to be here this weekend to help with a fundraiser & football practice so our plans are not sure yet. We still have more camping trips to squeeze in before Andy starts football in mid-August...only 4 weeks of summer left!

Summer Fun

2010-07-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted because we are enjoying summer. We were just talking yesterday about how the summer days feel so full and busy...and fun!

The cats are surviving and growing. Mally loves them and usually has a cat with her. The kids dressed up the poor things one night and here was their fashion show:

We were in Idaho with Andy's family last week. We stayed with Mom & Bill, spent a night out at Matt & Jo's property around the campfire;

The kids rode horses in the round pen;

And jumped on the tramoline with a sprinkler underneath;

And they slept all night on the trampoline.

We were also able to visit Mitch & Jenne's house for a spit-roasted beef roast and BB gun fights. Justin worked with his horses while we were there and Georgia painted the girls fingernails. Max & Lana had us over for dinner, too, but I missed that one thanks to a major headache. After 4 attempts at painting Mom's ceiling, I think I finally got it right :)

We brought Brenna home with us this week and will meet up with the family again this weekend for the Mallory Family Reunion in Troy, OR. We're hoping to bring back another cousin or two from the reunion. I've taken the kids to Magone Lake twice since Brenna is here for some cold mountain lake swimming.

Andy found some deals on Craigslist and came home July 3rd with a new (old) camper and fishing boat. He's been cleaning up the boat, rebuilding the platform for easier fishing and getting it ready for its maiden voyage. The camper was owned by a retired couple and is spotless inside. It's still all original orange, gold & olive green, too! My parents had a camper the same make & model when I was a kid. I have to laugh at our toys....most are as old as Andy & I! Fun on a budget! Yes, the boat is painted camo :)

After seeing these pictures I hope you understand why I've been too busy to blog...We are enjoying our family time together before it ends in mid-August. I hope you are enjoying your summer, too!

More Farm Animals

2010-06-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

We went to look at bunk beds and came home with 2 male kittens instead! Mally has not stopped packing her poor Whiskers around since we brought him home. Abby named hers Buddy and they have settled in to their new cat house while Lucy (the dog) watches over them. Precious!

The chicks are happy in their chicken house and Andy finished their outside run yesterday. We have not lost any chicks like we'd expected, so still have 20 hens and 2 roosters.

First Camping Trip of 2010

2010-06-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Andy is finally back from football camp and has the next 7 weeks off before football starts again. I was ready to get away so we took the first camping trip of the year to nearby Magone Lake. We had good weather Friday and enjoyed canoeing, fishing and driving around the area that day. Saturday we did some more canoeing and fishing and the kids tried to swim. That afternoon the thunder clouds & rain moved in and continued through Sunday morning. We packed up Sunday after breakfast and came home. The lake is only 45 minutes from our house so it was nice to have a quick trip home. Today I did loads of wash and am airing out our wet rugs from the trailer. It's so nice to have some sun today!

Blogging will be sporadic this summer. I'm getting busy keeping up the garden and enjoying time outside. Have I told you I've killed 2 snakes in my garden so far?!! We'll be visiting Andy's family in Idaho soon and will be doing more camping trips. I'll keep you updated as I can.

Calling for Washcloths!

2010-06-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Craft Hope is an organization of crafters who donate their services & products to worthy causes. I participated in Craft Hope for Haiti earlier this year and am planning to help with Project 8: Gulf Coast Oil Spill. Towels will be used to help clean marine animals affected by the oil spill. To help, you can knit, crochet, cut or sew simple towels in either washcloth (10x10) or hand towel (14 x 27) size and send them in by July 3rd. They are requesting cotton fabric/yarns as these are the most absorbent.

Some ideas that would be cheap and easy:
- Buy thrifted cotton sheets and have the kids help cut them to size. Cotton knit does not fray so would not need hemmed, just cut to size.
- Use up your stash of cotton fabrics by layering a few pieces and simply sewing or serging around the edges to hold them together...no fancy hemming needed since they will be thrown out after use.
- Use up your cotton yarn stash to crochet / knit a few wash cloths. I personally have a big spool of cotton yarn from my blue phase but now my kitchen's red, so I might as well make some up to donate.
- Tell your friends to help and fill a USPS Flat-Rate Box to send in.

More information about Project 8 and contact info is available at their blog here.

More Cleaning Recipes

2010-06-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

I've been busy planting the garden & flower bed, caring for the chicks and sewing so this little blog has been neglected. We spent last weekend cleaning the Lebanon home before our new leasors move in. We are happy to have them buying our home and think they will love it there as much as we did!

In my efforts to be frugal, I've found a few more cleaning recipes that I wanted to share. I have been using the liquid laundry soap for over 6 months now and have found a recipe that works really well. Here's what I'm using now and it cleans normal loads well with 1c. per large top-load (1/2c. for HE front-loaders). If my load is very soiled, I'll also add 1c. Oxy-clean.

Angie's Liquid Laundry Soap

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (This really works the best!)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

1 Cup Oxy-Clean

- Grate bar of soap and add slowly to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. Adding a little at a time makes it melt faster.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda ,Borax.& Oxy-Clean. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. - leave about 6 inches at the top because the Oxy-Clean will cause foam. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 1 Cup per load (Approx. 100 loads)

-Front Load Machines- 1/2 Cup per load (Approx. 250 loads)

Angie's Shower Spray

3 c. Hot Water

1/2 c. vinegar

1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap

1 Tbsp. Borax

- Mix together in spray bottle. Spray down shower doors &/or walls after each shower. This works really well on hard-water scum.

-It smells like vinegar, so if you have any suggestions to mask the smell pass them on!

Angie's Window Cleaner

2 c. Warm Water

3. Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. liquid dish soap

-Mix together in spray bottle. Use as you use Windex. This recipe works really well without streaking.

Linked to:
Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday

Ramblings and a Recipe

2010-05-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Andy and I are cutting carbs again, trying to finally lose the weight we've kept on since Mallory was born. Two weeks in and we're feeling good! I saw this recipe today for Jalapeno Poppers by Creative 2x Mom that make my mouth water. Definitely adding jalapenos to my shopping list, since we could eat these on our diet.

Photo from Creative 2x Mom

I was able to plant the garden seeds on Thursday before the rain started (again!) It looks like my sweet potato starts were killed with our snow last week, so I planted more red potatos in their place today. My Walla Walla Sweets are also looking dead, so I replaced them with white onions. Definitely a big learning curve for gardening in Zone 8 vs Zone 4 where we were before. All but one of my fruit trees is budding or flowering. The nectarine was also hit hard by the cold but I'm hoping it comes back. This weekend we hope to go buy tomato and pepper plants; the last of our garden to be planted!

It looks like we're staying close to home this weekend. The weather is too cold and rainy for me to go camping - I'm a fair weather camper :) I'm hoping we'll get in some fishing one day and possibly drive to see my brother near Buck Springs Campground where we grew up hunting. Today we're finishing the chicken coop's outer shell and clearing the chicken run from boulders and building a retaining wall there. Have you seen all our rocks? I need to post some pictures of all the boulders we've been moving the last month. They were unearthed with the excavation for the home & shop sites so we've been moving them around the (soon to be) yard, house and along the base of our dirt banks. Andy's probably wondering what's taking me so long to get back to helping, so I'm off to hang more sheet metal siding!

Happy Birthday, Drew!

2010-05-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

My oldest is 9 today...so hard to believe! This morning, Drew crawled into bed with us and we snuggled while I told him about the day he was born. It was 101' that day - a far cry from cold weather and snow we have falling this year as he turns 9! We celebrated with a kid party on Friday night with pizza and whoopie pies, family movie night on Saturday and Wii Fest today trying out his new Wii games. We are so thankful for our kind, loyal, loving son!

Friday I spent 6 hours making whoopie pies for the party, church and bake sale. Here's what 100 whoopie pies looks like....Yummo! They are already gone :)

Chicks Are Here!

2010-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to get some chicks! Our local farm supply store ordered us a variety of laying hens including Americanas, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Arachanas and a few Legherns - 20 hens in all and 2 Americana roosters. I've missed having animals and fresh eggs. Mallory asks about the chicks every hour or more since yesterday...she is smitten!

We had a nice weekend over in the Valley for cousin Rachelle's wedding. Mom had a houseful with Aunt Jerri and Uncle Chet from Virginia as well as our brood. It's always fun to see them and spend time with my parents, brother and this trip the whole Roth family. They hosted a pizza dinner for the whole family then we saw them all again on the wedding day & dinner reception. Mom and I are now expert cake cutters (not!) and have cute matching aprons from the Retro Fun pattern. I didn't get any pictures, but they are cute!

Since getting home, I've transplanted 10 gallons of day lily and perennial geranium starts that I dug from my old house. I had loads of laundry to finish and got the house cleaned so now I can blog! About our house in Lebanon - it is sold! We signed a 2 year lease option to buy contract last week and they take possession on June 15. We get a big down payment and they will make the entire mortgage payment then have to cash us out after 2 years or we get to sell it again. They seem like a wonderful family and this feels like an answer to prayer!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

I wish my Moms and Grandma were closer. If they were, they'd be receiving a fabric flower bouquet and burnt flower corsage like these. I hosted a Ladies Night here today for women from church. It was a small crowd, but we had a nice evening and I'm glad they came. I was able to share a corsage pin with each of them. Go here to learn how to make your own!

Photo from Lanie from Lovely

Snow?

2010-05-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

Someone, please tell the weather that it is now May and my flowering fruit trees do not like snow. Snow? Yes, Snow. On May 5th. I thought it was supposed to be in the 70s and 80s in May here, but we have snow. And it's still snowing....

Cheap Wedding Gift

2010-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used vinyl wall art? I really like the stuff and have ordered from Vinyl Design & Decor and Dirt CheapWindow Decals, both with really nice products. I really like vinyl lettering on wooden signs like these from A Simple Impression, the shop that I used to order one for my parents.

With our budget being tight, I decided to try making one of these as a wedding gift. I contacted Dirt Cheap Window Decals about a custom vinyl order and they delivered for only $9.99. Andy cut the board and painted it with supplies we already had. Here's the final product:

It looks really nice. I had to turn my flash of because of the reflection, but we added a clear coat sealer, so there's a slight sheen to the black. Hope they like it!
Linked to: Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday
My Frugal Family's Talented Tuesday
Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday

Zumba and Mom Jeans

2010-04-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my mom for trying a Zumba class! I hope she doesn't chicken out after seeing this video. It's fast paced and fun, but difficult since I don't dance. Just keep those feet moving, even if you can't figure out the step :) This is a full Zumba workout, so lace up your dancing shoes and get moving!

I also found this hilarious (and so true!) post and wanted to share it here, too. It's over on my Mama Lusco blog, but worth repeating here. So, head over to this post to learn about avoiding the "Mom Butt Jeans" and get a fabulous looking rear end :) You may need a tissue as you read...I was in tears laughing at her scientific presentation and sense of humor. Enjoy!

Sightseeing With The Parents

2010-04-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

We were so glad to have my parents come for a quick trip this past weekend. Mom had been driving around with my Costco order in her trunk for the past month, so it was time she deliver! Dad has been busy at work, so I'm glad they could come over so we could show off our new house.

Saturday afternoon we drove to Prairie City and east to the rest stop with the big covered wagon. We saw 2 antelopes and took some pictures on the wagon. Fun times!

Looks like Blogger won't let me upload photos directly from my computer, so I've been using Flickr. Their Picnik editing program is great! I've had fun editing...can you tell?

Totally unrelated to The Parents, I'm considering heading back to work as a casual or very part-time. I'm starting to miss the affirmation of a job well done and friendships made with co-workers. I'm loving my time at home, but longing for a way to better fit in here. The extra income would be really nice, too :) I took my CPR renewal class yesterday and it made me really start thinking about working again. The hospital has openings right now, so we're going to pray that I would know if now is the time. They work 12-hour shifts, so I'd only want to average 1 a week or ideally 2 days every other week. It's got me thinking...please help us pray for direction and clarity about what would be best for our family.

Easy Granola Bars

2010-04-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

My kids love granola bars, but they are expensive to buy here in John Day. I did a quick search online yesterday and found these yummy, easy Playgroup Granola Bars. I made the first batch with raisins, only baking 22 minutes and ended with a delicious, chewy bar. My changes are in parenthesis below. Next time, I'll double or triple them because we ate the whole pan last night. Enjoy!

Photo from All Recipes

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats (2 1/2 c)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (1/2c)
1/2 cup wheat germ (ground flax seed)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (1 tsp)
1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
3/4 cup raisins (chocolate chips or craisins)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 (8x8 for thicker bars) inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 (20-25 for chewy bars) minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

I just finished another batch, this time doubling the recipe and spreading it into a jelly-roll pan. Baked them for 25 minutes and they are perfect! Next time I think I'll add some peanut butter and chocolate chips instead of raisins :)

Linked to Craftaholics Anonymous Recipe Swap.

Heavenly Caramel Twix Bars

2010-04-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Photo from Taste Buds blog

These bars were as delicious as they look! I would rename them Heavenly Caramel Twix Bars...they are that good! I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13" pan. In the topping the recipe calls for (doubled) 2-4 cups of chocolate chips and I used 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and they were perfect. They are a hit with the whole family and have moved to the top of my favorite desserts. Follow the link above for the recipe and enjoy!

Weekend Warriors

2010-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

We are learning that our plans are often redesigned by LIFE, so we are becoming weekend warriors. So much for getting things done during the day or after school! This past weekend we were able to finish sheeting, roofing and painting the new dormer where my future mud room/pantry will be. For now, it's basically a covered patio until we can save more money to finish the room. We're really happy with how it turned out!

A funny story about this rock above...I had the job of painting the fascia black to match the house. I am afraid of heights and was so proud of painting the tall parts without falling or freaking out. I was on the last side (the one pictured) and not really thinking as I backed down my ladder. As I stepped down with my left foot, I tripped backwards over this rock, landing on my butt and left shoulder. My right leg came up under the bottom ladder rung and it hurt! Somehow I managed to keep the gallon of paint upright as I fell....a miracle if you have ever seen me paint - I always spill! No major harm done, thankfully!

Andy and I also planted 7 fruit trees in the new garden space. They are semi-dwarf trees except 2 dwarf 5-in-1 pear trees. Looking forward to getting the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes & kiwi in once they arrive. I have already bought my veggie seeds and onion sets. I'm trying to keep them alive until we get the garden plot tilled and it warms up so we can plant. Gardening here will be more challenging because of the cold nights & hot days, but we're up for it! My sewing days are soon to be gone once the garden is in...

Deer stay out! We have several "flocks" (as Abby & Mally call them!) in the neighborhood and hope our 6 1/2 foot fence will keep them out.

Mallory was really cute this weekend as we were getting ready to head outside. We all wear overalls, usually striped ones, as a legacy learned from my Grandpa Roth. He was always wearing hickory-striped overalls around the farm. Our family all have work overalls except for Mallory. She dug through her dresser to find these striped short-alls from last summer. They barely fit, but she insisted on wearing her "work clothes, too!" I think Grandpa is smiling down on her...

Huge Giveaway Day

2010-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Tip Junkie is hosting a huge giveaway day on Tuesday, April 13th. Over $10,000 in prizes! Here's the link.

Kid-isms

2010-04-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

My kids say the cutest things. Doesn't every parent think so?

"I like the poka-nuts" (polka dots)
"I wear my hee-highls" (high heels)
"Gay men" (amen)
- Mallory, age 2 1/2

Drew (almost 9) had a misunderstanding at school one day. He thought a teacher-assistant told him he could not have dessert, so he was pouting at the lunch table. Later that day, that teacher saw him and asked if he was still upset with her. "No. I forgive you, because I'm a Christian." She shared this with me and it made me so proud!

Abby (7) has become quite the writer and story-teller. Here's one she wrote on our first night at the new house.

Interpretation:
My test is about horses. Horses are beautiful animals. They have beautiful hair. They only lay one egg a month. It is very interesting because only the mom horses lays eggs. I mean horses are all the same, right. Anyways, I have a poster of a horse in my room. I hove horses so much! The End.
By Ashley Miller (Abby Lusco) Feb. 15, 2010

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

We had a change of plans and were in Idaho with Andy's family over Easter. The kids looked so pretty (& handsome) in their outfits from Grandma Marilyn. We went to church with Joleen's family, then had lunch with Max's family. We ended the day with a movie back at Grandma Kate's house. The kids really enjoyed spending time with all their cousins & aunts & uncles the past 5 days in Idaho/Washington. Next time we visit, we pray circumstances will be more normal and we'll be able to just enjoy it. Here are some pictures of our time together:

Heavy Heart

2010-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our hearts again are hurting over another life gone too soon. Our brother-in-law, Matt Cochran, and his friend died yesterday in an avalanche while snowmobiling near McCall, Idaho. Matt leaves behind Andy's sister, Heather and 3 kids, Kayla (21), Roy (14), and Rebecca (12). We'll be leaving soon to go spend time with the family in Eastern WA/North ID. We don't know when services will be, but plan to be gone through the weekend.

We are most concerned about the kids involved. Kayla is struggling through nursing school, work, planning a wedding and dealing with several deaths of friends & family members recently. Roy and Becca are going to need a positive male role model and Heather will need peace and balance as she faces life without Matt. Please remember us, too, as we try to comfort and minister to the family. It's always hard to know what to say when terrible things happen, especially when others don't share your faith. We'll miss Matt's laughter and gusto for life. He went out doing something he loved!

Break is Over!

2010-03-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of our Spring Break. It didn't feel like much of a vacation since we didn't go anywhere, but we did get plenty of work done at the house. The garden still needs one gate put up, then we're ready to plant the 6 fruit trees I bought in town last week. We had the South Albany baseball team up for dinner Wednesday night since they were in town for a tournament. It was good to see some old, familiar faces! Andy was able to install a new water softener/filter and my shower has stayed white for 6 days now! We have so much iron in the water that I had been scrubbing the tubs & toilets every 2-3 days, so this is a huge improvement. The contractor had a crew here on Friday to start the new dormer/utility/mudroom addition. We had 2 inches of snow that day, so they had to quit and will come back this week to get the dormer on and room framed. Andy will be finishing the new utility/mudroom this spring. We've been missing a big mudroom! Andy's mom and step-dad were here Saturday and headed home this morning after a quick trip to bring back my regular tires. It was a productive break, but I'm not feeling rested :) Looking forward to getting back into the routine of school again. April will be a busy month with more company coming, youth basketball, and outside projects planned. I ordered grapes, berries & plants so we'll be busy with planting as the weather warms up. It will be nice to have a big garden & orchard!

Spring Break Work

2010-03-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is here and we have plans to work around the house. Over the weekend Andy rented the Bobcat tractor to dig the post holes for the garden fence and new mud/utility room on the house. We worked Friday evening digging post holes and again all day Saturday on the garden post holes and fencing. We were able to get the posts in and the bottom 3 feet of fencing around the garden. We hope to finish the top 3 feet this week sometime.

Progress Friday night

Saturday evening - almost done!

Andy also spread gravel around the front of the house and driveway while we had the tractor. We still have plenty of raking to do to get it smooth! It started raining on Sunday afternoon, so we quit early to rest. Today it's snowing!

Decorating My Home and Other Concerns

2010-03-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the curtains and pillow covers for our bedroom yesterday. I'm really happy with them. The fabrics remind me of being in a resort and look rich. I'll post more pictures over at Mama Lusco. Andy also hung my pot rack over the island, giving me more cabinet space. Today I'm working on hanging up pictures, so the house is really coming together now.

Other things on my mind lately have been worrisome. Three weeks ago, a supposed leader of the Aryan Nations visited town and announced plans to relocate the group's national headquarters to Grant County. The community has rallied against the idea of a hate group coming here by organizing prayer meetings, community meetings & coalitions and holding rallies. So far no property has been bought, but legally it will be hard to stop them from buying land here if they really plan to.

Back in November Idaho Power announced plans to possibly put a massive power line through the county, running from Boardman, OR to Hemingway, ID. The original routes had run along I-84, but counties there protested and alternate routes through Grant County were drawn. Last week, they announced the final 3 route possibilities and one of them runs right along our property (possibly through it). My stomach is aching at the thought of 150 ft high towers and 125 ft wide path through, above, or below our property. No one locally has supported the line coming through, but they have already mentioned 'eminent domain' and plan to take what they want.

Please pray for us living in Grant County as we face these threats.

Is it Spring Yet?

2010-03-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

We had been enjoying days in the 60's but woke up to snow this morning. Is it Spring yet?

PTL! Mallory's skin is almost healed and she only has one day left on her antibiotics. I'm on a new antibiotic for my pink eye because it didn't respond to the gentamycin drops. I'm ready to be done with all these antibiotics in the house!

We enjoyed a quick visit to my parents over the weekend. We were able to return Dad's trailer now that we're done moving, visit some good friends and our old church and celebrate Andy's birthday. He went to the gun show and added a few more rifles to his WWII collection. It was a great weekend! Since then, I've been measuring, cutting & sewing curtains for 2 days solid. I'm heading to town today for more buttons and hope to have pictures of the family room & master bedroom up soon.

Living Room Curtains DONE

2010-03-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

I was able to finish and hang my living room curtains yesterday. They are fabulous! I posted more pictures over at Mama Lusco, but here's a sneak-peek...

Sewing Contest Finalist!

2010-03-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging this one on both blogs because I'm so excited...I made the final 15 in the Lil Blue Boo/Dharma Trading Challenge! Visit Lil Blue Boo here to vote for your favorite.

Quick Update

2010-03-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

Mally's skin funk continued to get worse, so I took her back into the doctor today and he changed the diagnosis to impetigo. I had looked online yesterday and that was my best guess, too. I feel bad that I hadn't been using the antibiotic ointment on them like he suggested a week ago - but it hurt her so I didn't use it. If I had it likely would not have progressed like this...No going back now, so she's started another oral antibiotic and I'm bathing/washing 3 times a day and using topical antibiotics, too. Tonight she was crying and asking to get out of the bath, knowing next would come the painful drying and applying ointment. To top it off, I now have pink eye. These make us sound like a dirty family, but I promise I wash & clean my children and home :) Oy! I'm tired and ready to have a healthy family again...

Relaxing Sunday

2010-02-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

After a busy, productive Saturday, we were able to relax today and enjoy the beautiful 60-degree weather. Two little friends from church spent the afternoon with us and got to ride quads for the first time. It was really fun to ride again!

Mallory's respiratory and ear infections seem gone, but her skin is looking worse. I'll be calling the doctor's office tomorrow to see what we do next...Here's a few pictures I took of the sunset Friday evening.

Here She Is

2010-02-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

My little Mallory is finally starting to feel better. She woke up this morning without a fever and has played well today. The hair hasn't been combed in 3 days and she dressed herself. Those are leg warmers on her arms and her newest V-day socks from GM and new Crocs for summer. What a girl!

Her arm is looking terrible and still spreading, though. The nurse practitioner called today to check on her. He was kind of stumped about her lesions, but chicken pox was his best diagnosis. Definitely not typical because they are localized, but we are 3 hours from a dermatologist so we'll keep watching them and praying they heal. If they're chicken pox lesions, the scabs will be there for about another week. I'm taking pictures to document the progression...it's the wound-care nurse in me! If you don't want to see them, beware the picture below :)

MIA

2010-02-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA here lately, thanks to sickness and sleep-deprivation. Mally has had a fever & cough since Friday and also a mild case of the chicken pox. I took her to the doctor on Monday afternoon and she's started an antibiotic for the ear infection/upper respiratory infection. Unfortunately, the first two doses Monday night were vomited on my new carpet, so the new house has officially been christened :) She was able to keep today's dose down- praise the Lord! The chicken pox are only down her right arm, but they are painful for her. Andy and I are hopeful we'll start getting better sleep soon. A sick little one makes for grumpy parents...

Slow Progress

2010-02-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

The big move on Monday the 15th went really well. I was able to unpack most of the kitchen on Tuesday and cleared a pathway through the living & family rooms. The new phone, internet, and Dish were installed and I found my camera USB cord, so I'm finally connected again!

Here's a few before and after pictures...The blue is in my utility and one wall of the family room; red in the kitchen; light beige in the living and family rooms; darker brown in the master bedroom and green above the shower wall in the master bath; purple girls' room; dark blue ceiling in Drew's room; green 2nd bathroom; disaster area after the move!

Almost There

2010-02-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

It looks like we have finally met all of the bank's requirements and will be closing the house & property Thursday or Friday! What a relief to finally be done faxing and re-faxing documents, delivering bills and legal forms and coordinating builders, contractors and inspectors...

Inside the house, I have painted the 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, family & utility rooms. I still need to paint the living room, entry and hallway - hopefully will be done painting tomorrow. Mallory has been so good to just play and listen to music while I paint. We've been leaving at 8 after the kids are off to school and come home just as they get off the bus at 4. After I'm done painting I need to start packing before the big move on Monday. It looks like we'll have some help from the football coaches & players with the moving. Still so much work to do, but so close to the end result!

My photo printer stopped working and my camera cable is packed, so no digital photos on the blog until I can find them from the storage stuff. I really want to share pictures of what we've done, but those will have to wait. I probably won't be blogging again until we're connected at the new house next week. Our internet will be connected on 2/17, so I'll update you then!

Yeah!

2010-02-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

The home passed it's final inspection with the county today, so it's legal and livable! Andy and Trent finished building the steps and landing and also insulated and sheeted the interior of the shop over the weekend. Mom and I painted the bedrooms then today I finished the kitchen and kid's bathroom. I still have to paint the master bath, family & living rooms this week. The big move is scheduled for Mon. the 15th and I still haven't started packing....maybe after the paint is done :)

Smile

2010-02-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Since my last post was so sad, I thought I'd give you a smile this time! Mallory is talking well now, but had some funny words that crack us up. The other morning she was laying in bed with Andy and I and kept talking about "Polka Nuts"...after a minute I figured out she liked my polka-dot pajamas! I know I've shared this over at Mama Lusco Handmade, but Mallory's favorite play shoes are her "hee-highls". I guess high-heels just doesn't sound right to her, so they've always been "hee-highls"!

I hope you noticed my new Mama Lusco Handmade button in the right-hand column. I made it and the link all by myself, with the help of some other crafty bloggers' directions. Pretty happy with that one!

Mom & Trent are coming over this weekend to help finish up the house and paint. Tomorrow I'll be buying paint for both bathrooms, kitchen, and all 3 bedrooms. Andy and Trent will be finishing the insulation & inside sheeting on the shop and making the steps & landings for the home's 3 entries. Fuqua will be finished inside on Friday the 5th and final home inspection with the county is Monday the 8th! We're waiting for the final bills to come in from the builder & contractors then need a re-inspection by the appraiser before the bank will finalize the loan. We're hoping to move on the 15th!

Hug Your Child Today

2010-02-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

My heart is breaking for the Ayer family in Tangent, OR. They were a part of our church back in Albany (and now attend The Grove). I know Courtney from Bible Study and Women's events and cared for her 2 boys in the nursery. We share many mutual friends...They lost their almost 3 year-old boy yesterday to a tragic accident. While Courtney was jogging and pushing her youngest boy, Dylan, in a jogging stroller the unthinkable happened and Dylan was struck by a semi-truck trailer and killed. We still don't know exactly how it happened, just that the Ayer family and the driver will be forever changed because of what happened. I remember Dylan and Mallory as babies at Bible Study. They drew as much attention as the study most days! Today I cannot stop looking at her and wanting to hold her. I cannot imagine life without her and my heart breaks for Courtney and her family. Please pray for the Ayer's and all involved yesterday. Also remember their friends who are ministering to them during this awful time. Give your children a hug today and tell them how much you love them; we never know when our days will be over.

Shop Almost Finished!

2010-01-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

Andy and I worked this weekend to finish our responsibilities on the shop. We finished the front siding and trim on Saturday then painted the unfinished sides this afternoon. It looks great! The electrician needs to finish the wiring inside and the garage door will be installed this week, then we'll be done. It will likely be 1 1/2 weeks before the final inspection is done and we can use it!

The house is also almost complete. The contractor is finished with the block skirting and this week they will backfill soil around the base of the house so it only sits about 18" above the ground level. Inside the home, the sheetrock has been completed and touch-up painting is done. The finish work looks great! This week they'll be coming back to install the carpets, light fixtures and make sure all the doors are close/open correctly and ensure everything is in working order. The builder expects to be done this week with the final walk-through on this Friday! The bank appraiser is scheduled to come the week of Feb. 8th for re-inspection to ensure everything is done then our loan will fund and it's officially ours. We're still praying for no major holdups so we can have everything completely done by Feb 13th so we can start moving! We've been amazed how smoothly things have come together. God is good!

January Review

2010-01-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

With the new year we started new money-saving strategies. I've shared about the new food budget and adventures in making laundry detergent. So far, we've done great with both of these! No allergies to the new soap yet and I'm impressed with how well it's working. It doesn't have the stain-fighting power of my old detergents ( Kirkland Environmentally Friendly and 1 scoop OxyClean), but if I pre-treat my stains with some homemade soap &/or OxyClean it works great. For extra dirty loads I use 1 cup detergent plus a scoop of OxyClean and normal loads I use 1 cup detergent. This is about 2x their recommended amount but I didn't think the clothes seemed clean enough with just 1/2 cup.

For the food budget, we ended the month $4 over our $440 budget. Trent was with us for 5 days last week and our breakfast out put us over the top :) I was able to enjoy 3 meals out on this food budget and cooked lots of great meals. Homemade refried beans are the newest family favorite. I'll share the recipe soon!

Our diet isn't going very well since Trent came last week. We're both down a few pounds this month but I'm not going to work at it until after we move. It's just too stressful right now trying to coordinate the builders, inspections and projects to worry about my diet. I've tried to keep sweets out of the house and avoid white flour and that really helps us. Once in awhile I just need some warm chocolate chip cookies for comfort, though! Hope your year is off to a good start. Hard to believe February is here so soon!

I shared these on my other blog, Mama Lusco Handmade, but wanted to show them here in case you don't read my crafty blog. I finally finished some throw pillow covers this week. I still had the Christmas ones on before these! I'd bought the fabric on clearance several months ago and love the color & texture. These were so simple and they make me smile! I ordered all the fabric to make the drapes for the new house and am excited to decorate another home.

Master Bedroom Curtains:

Family and Living Rooms:

This week I'll be purchasing paint for all 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and the kitchen. I've decided to leave the family and living areas the antique white (light beige) that the whole house is painted. At least I won't need to paint the ceilings!

Today's Giveaway

2010-01-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Today's Giveaway and have won something there in the past. This is a huge prize that I'd love to win, so I'm blogging to earn extra entries. These SodaStream machines make soda at home! No cans to recycle and it's cheaper than buying soda at the store (if you live in the boonies!!) Visit here to learn more!

Simple Pleasures

2010-01-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to receive my new dished today! I've been searching for a few months and finally found some that made me happy, so I bought them. I had been planning to go back to Corelle because of their durability but just didn't find a pattern that made me sing. The other night I decided to check out QVC and HSN.com and found some on clearance! I settled on these beauties from HSN.com and they were only $28/set shipped. I love the red plaid and florals together. I was wanting to find a set in red with a casual country feel and these are perfect! They have already sold out of the completer set, but plan to find some red serving platters & bowls eventually. All 4 sets arrived unharmed and I'm glad to have dishes that make me smile when I take them out. Now they are all back in their boxes awaiting the move to my new kitchen - very soon!

Shop Progress

2010-01-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's been wonderful to have my brother staying with us since Thursday. Trent is presently unemployed, so he's been able to come and help Andy work on the shop. The guys got an amazing amount of progress done on the shop this past weekend. I've been the gofer, bringing them lunches and running to town for supplies. On Friday they were able to sheet the entire roof and put the metal sheeting on 3/4 of the roof. Saturday we woke up to a bit of snow but it melted off and we had a beautiful day, even getting sunburns! They were able to finish the roofing and completed the siding on the back of the shop. All that's left for us to do on the shop is to install a window then side the front and the contractor will finish the rest.

The house is ready for the water/septic inspection and power to be turned on. These should be done early this week then the contractors will fill all the trenches and put the skirting around the bottom of the house. Once power is on the home builder will come finish the tape & texture work and install the carpets. Everyone is on track to be done around Feb 1st! The bank is still waiting for the appraisal and have told us they'll wave the late fees if we don't meet our Feb 15th deadline because of that - hallelujah! That has been our biggest concern and it sounds like they'll take care of it.

We are getting really excited about moving and I need to start thinking about packing. I don't have room for boxes here in the rental, so I'll probably just pack things before we take them out the door. Definitely not the usual Kropf way :) Thanks for your continued prayers. God is good!

Laundry Soap Making and Giveaway

2010-01-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a fabric covered planner and note-taker over on my crafty blog. It ends Monday 1/25. Enter here!

I tried another adventure in frugality; making my own laundry detergent. My blog friend, Mama Caffee, blogged about her trial of making laundry soap here and it made me want to try it, too! I used the liquid detergent recipe from the Duggar Family blog (scroll down the recipe page and you'll find it). I happened to have some Zote soap bars on hand - they're good for stains - and found the Washing Soda and Borax at our local grocery store. Thursday, Mally and I grated and stirred and mixed until we had about 2 1/2 gallons of liquid soap. It took me about 1 hour to get the grating & mixing completed. After that step you let it set overnight, but since we'd done it in the morning I moved on to adding more water later that night. I filled my empty detergent bottle and diluted it again and started washing with it yesterday. I'm waiting to see that none of us are allergic to it, since we all have sensitive skin, but so far so good!

My Borax and Washing Soda cost a total of $6 and I'll get another 4-5 batches from them. The Zote soap was about $1/bar and you can order it online or from your local Mexican store. In all, it costs about $2 per 10 gallons of detergent and I estimate a batch will last me 2-3 months. I'm pretty excited that it was so easy and hope it works well!

Grocery Budget Challenge

2010-01-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

Part of preparing for our new home has involved looking at our budget. We haven't really stuck to a budget since I quit working when Drew was a baby, so it was time for us to look into budgeting again now that we're back to one income and two mortgages. I enjoy reading All You magazine and their December issue features the winner and some finalists in their Grocery Challenge. For the challenge, readers limited their food budget to $25 per person per week. That includes everything - food, drink, even meals out! That a whopping $3.57/day per person. After reading the article I thought "We can do this!" After actually doing it I'm thinking "How do people do this?!"

I started on January 3rd with a food budget of $110/week for our family of 5. I decided to only give Mallory $10/week to cover her milk, but may rethink that in the coming months. I'd always used coupons from the local paper and thought I was conservative when buying food, but I've definitely cut back on my usual spending to meet the new budget. We didn't have any left over money the first 2 weeks, so no eating out. Andy insisted on celebrating the new house with a meal out on Monday, and I'm trying to conserve on groceries to keep under budget this week, but think we'll be over. I've been buying whole foods like bulk carrots & potatoes, dried beans for soups and long-grain rice instead of instant. Fresh oranges and apples instead of bags of chips are the new snack for the kiddos. I'm using up my huge stockpile of canned goods, which is really good since we'll be moving soon!

Andy and I have both lost over 5 lbs already this month with our conscious effort to eat better and save money. I challenge you to look at how much you're spending on food and try the $25/person/week budget. Let me know some ways that you save money on food, I'd love to hear them!