The best thing is I didn't even have to threaten him with this to get one and if I did he wouldn't care about the golf clubs maybe it should say magic cards instead!!! Thank you Honey!!!

Real Meaning of Christmas

You Won't Believe It Unless You See It

My Grandmother(pictured center) married my Grandfather and had 5 children(one passed away) and they all got married and......


had these children(minus 2 that weren't there). They all got married(well 2 of them haven't yet) and........


this is what happend.....



We had our Christmas party this past weekend and there were 8o people there...here is the break down:
1 mom
7 children including spouses
20 Grandchildren including spouses(2 cousins were missing and 1 spouse)
48 Great Grandchildren(1 was missing and 2 in bellies do they count yet)
2 Great Grandchildren
And 1 boyfriend and 1 girlfirend

Santas Workshop

We made these for the children of the families we home and visit teach full of some yummy treats!


I found these cute little boxes and filled them with some delicious choclate for those who stop by over the Holiday season..you can imagine the surprise of the sewer cleaners as I hand them a check and some chocolates(I am sure I made the day)!



For the children n my childrens classes we have some goodie bags. I tried to seal them with a candy cane instead of a pencil and after a few breaks of candy canes holiday pencils it was.


My husband since starting to work after graduating, his employees have jokingly called him Mr Keebler for his love of all things sweet and so he found these a fitting gift for them!!! The tag says "May your Holidays be warm and delightful!"


The final item was these cute soap bottles and the tage say,"May your Holiday be filled with Happiness, Joy and Soap"

All in all we made 147 little gifts for others and it has been a very sweet experience for our family this year!

The Christmas Orange

When I was growing up we always had an orange in the toe of our stocking and the reasoning was always because it fills the bottom so well and gives you something to eat as present open commences. As I became a parent I too would put an orange in the toe of at that time my one childs stocking with little or no meaning. Then in 1996 I received this story and has remained one of my most precious gifts and gives a wonderful meaning to my childhood tradition of an orange in the toe of my stocking.



The Christmas Orange

Jake lived in an orphanage with nine other young boys. In the wintertime it seemed that any extra money went for the coal to heat the old buildings. At Christmas, the building always seemed a little warmer and the food a little more plentiful, but more than this—Christmas meant an orange. It was the only time of the year such a rare treat was provided, and it was coveted by each boy like no other thing that they ever possessed.

Each boy would save his orange for several days, admiring it, feeling it, loving it, and contemplating the moment he would eat it. Some would even save it until New Year’s Day or later, much like many of us relish saving our Christmas trees and decorations until New Year’s just to remind us of the joy of Christmas.

This particular Christmas Day, Jake had broken the orphanage rules by starting a fight. The orphanage mother took Jake’s orange away as punishment for breaking the rules. Jake spent Christmas day empty and alone. Nighttime came and Jake could not sleep, silently he sobbed because this year he would not have his orange to savor with the other boys.

A soft hand placed on Jake’s shoulder startled him and an object was quickly shoved into his hands. The child then disappeared into the dark to leave Jake alone to discover a strange looking orange an orange made from segments of nine other oranges;nine highly prized oranges that had to be eaten that Christmas night instead of saved, admired, and cherished until a later date. What a special gift of unselfish love had been given.

This year, may the orange remind us all of the unselfish love taught to us by our Savior and may we share that love with one another.

Love,
The Keplers

Teenage Driver...can it be!!!

Today I drove with my teenager for the first time...I always thought I would be the over anxious, gasping at wrong turns, near collapse at the end of it all and I was so surprised with myself today....I was calm as could be even as we drove over a curb while he was trying to figure out how to turn the blinker off..my reply as we are coming off the curb was, "It is only curb, keep driving." I think I might be able to handle being chauffered around everyday!!!

A Quick Back Up

For Preschool we had a Mini Thanksgiving. All the children helped make part of the meal and their thankful placemats and turkey napkin rings. It was one busy morning but they absolutely loved it!!!!

Lynn Bowen Walker of Queen of the Castle writes, "I try to remind myself that the December 25th deadline for love and togetherness and goodwill toward men is not a deadline at all. There is no time limit on doing good deeds, on giving people notes or tokens of appreciation, on making an out-of-the-ordinary meal and taking time to enjoy it with my family. .......Only by slowing down and looking at where I want to end up - sitting at the feet of my Heavenly Father, appreciating the gift He's given me in Jesus Christ - will I have a truly successful season."

The exclamations in the house this morning:

"It's snowing FINALLY!"
"The snow is staying on the ground, that means I need to wear boots to school"
"Yeah I love its snowing!"
"Snow...Snow on the Ground YIPEE!"

Thanksgiving in a Pan Recipe

The time is approaching what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers. This is one of our favorites:
















Ingredients
• 1 package (6 ounces) stuffing mix
• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 1 jar (12 ounces) turkey gravy
• Pepper to taste
Directions
• Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Top with turkey, beans, gravy and pepper. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

A Buggy Treat

To Make:
Take a Nutter Butter cookie cut in half
Spread one side with frosting
Lay 3 stick prestzels across
Break 1 pretzel stick in half and make a V at the top
Top with other half of cookie
Take M&M's and make eyes and dots aattaching with frosting

The results smiling faces!!!!

A NEW FAVORITE

One of my new favorite things is to replace one of my old favorite things which is cream cheese..I love it but it is not so good for you. My new option is only 35 calories a wedge and oh so flavorful....

LAUGHING COW GARLIC AND HERB WEDGES!!!

PIRATE COOKING CLASS

David or should I say Scallywag David took a Pirate Cooking Class this past weekend and here are some pictures of his creations:

Buried Treasure Cakes


Medallion Cookies


They also learned how to make Pirate Punch and how to throw a pizza dough in the air!

I wish I would have had time to stay a bit and take pictures of him with Chef Patrick and the other boys actually cooking themselves into a pirately frenzy but the happiness on his face when I arrived to pick him told me how much fun he had!!!

I have a friend that posts some of the best quotes. The best ones however are her own thoughts. Thanks Michele for consitant reminders of your goodness and our own.

I absolutely love her most recent post:


It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you it is what you think of yourself!! When you know your heart is true and you have the best of intention then you can have peace within yourself!! :) I believe in who I am and what I am becoming!! Each day brings growth and each obstacle brings enlightenment!

BROWN BAG MICROWAVE POPCORN

1/4 c. unpopped popcorn kernels
1 brown paper lunch bag
Tape

Seasonings like melted butter, kosher salt, seasoning salt, Creole or Cajun seasoning, bacon salt, or Garlic Bread Seasoning

Place unpopped popcorn in the brown paper lunch bag. Fold the bag over twice, tape it shut, and gently push the air out. Pop for 2 1/2-3 minutes or until there are 1-2 seconds between pops. Remove the bag from the microwave and shake gently before carefully opening the bag. Season as desired.

APPLE SLICES

To make these you cut an apple in slices from the top down and then cut out the core with mini cookie cutters. Then to keep them from browning I have them take a swim in a bowl of pineapple juice.


I make these all year with different shaped mini cookie cutters.

MONSTER VEGGIE TRAY

This was so fun to do with my teenager.

To make the veggie monsters you need to:

1. Deseed a green pepper and put a small mouth slit near the bottom

2. You peel a carrot and then make a long peel for the tongue

3. Slice a cucumber with the peel on

4. Cut some large broccoli florets

5. Cut 2 toothpicks in half

Now to assemble it you need to:

1. From the inside of the pepper poke the toothpicks through where the eyes should be and them add a cucumber slice to both and a grape tomato to both.

2. Add Broccoli to the top for the hair

3. Add peppers to a platter surround with vegetables.

4. Insert carrot tongue into slit and place over vegetables.

The kids really got a kick out of these 2 guys!!!!

Witches Fingers

Cut a cheese stick in half

Dice green peppers

Add peppers to ends of cheese sticks with a dab of cream cheese


So easy to make unless you are making over 75 of them!!!!

PUMPKIN "carving"

"PUMPKIN" dinner

My teen and I set out to surprise the little ones with this oh so cute dinner....






You take orange peppers and cut the stem out like you do with a pumpkin and then deseed. Carve jack o lantern faces into the peppers and fill with your favorite pasta filling. We made spaghetti sauce and then stirred in angel hair pasta for the filling in these little guys. YUM YUM!!!

Fall Preschool Idea

Click HERE to see the fun fall idea!!!

2 Halloween Games in 1

Need to Make Cans:
recycled cans(I have the can opener that doesn't leave sharp edges-I highly recommend getting one)
Different patterns of orange scrapbook paper
Halloween stickers
Glue

How to Make Cans:
Cut paper to fit can
Glue paper to can using glue stick
Add Stickers

Game One:
Stack cans as shown above and throw bean bags at them to knock them down or you can roll a pumpkin at them.

Game Two:
Cluster cans together and try to throw black and orange pom poms in them or black and white beans.

Halloween Game and Craft

To Make:
First cut a 12x12 piece of scrap book paper in four making 6x6 pieces of paper and add a pumpkin die cut to the center with a glue dot(see picture below). Then you program a six sided die with the words or pictures of nose, right eye, left eye, mouth, sticker, and sticker.

Needed to Play:
game card you made from above
die you made
black markers or crayons
Halloween stickers

The Rules:
You pass the die around and roll and you add the item rolled with a black marker or add stickers if you roll the word sticker. First one done converting their pumpkin into a jack o lantern wins.

Pumpkin Farm

(Not too bad of a picture considering I only had enough battery left in my camera for this one shot)

This marks the 17th year we have been going to this pumpkin patch. The kids always have such a fun time there and as always we followed the trip by going to get the best nachos EVER!!!

Top 10 Best Small Cities To Raise A Family

and at number 4.....

4. Midland, Mich.
Metropolitan Statistical Area: Midland, MI
Commute Time Rank: 30
High School Graduation Rate Rank: 10
Median Household Income Rank: 15
Home Ownership Rate Rank: 13
Cost of Living Rank: 48

A NEW FAVORITE

THIS:



PLUS THIS:



AND A SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS:




EQUALS ENDLESS MOVIES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!!!!!


*If you have these 3 items and then go to the netflix website for free they will send you a DVD that you insert into your WII. When on click on the Netflix logo and you will have an array of play instantly movies at your fingertips.

Other tips I found useful:

* You also can set parental controls so only the movies you approve of will play.

*We have found if you go to the website on your computer and play the movies you want for a moment then they will be right there as previously viewed.

THE CRACKED POT

A Water Bearer in India had two large pots; each hung on each end of a pole,
which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and
while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of
water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the
cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one
and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect
pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was
made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and
miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made
to do. After two years of what perceived to be a bitter failure, it
spoke to the Water Bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. " What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for
these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my
side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full
value from your efforts," the pot said.

The Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion
he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the
beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun
warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered
it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had
leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its
failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on
your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I
have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from
the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick
these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being
just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws; we're all cracked pots, but if we will
allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's
economy, nothing goes to waste.

So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to the tasks
He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them,
and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of
beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly, knowing that in OUR weakness we find
HIS strength.

Homecoming 2010

CHRISTIAN AND KENDRA

Bentos Examples

This was so easy to do because for dinner we had a salad bar and I just made salads their favorite ways while cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. Put a few pieces of cubed chicken on a toothpick for fun add some dressing to a container for dipping or drizzling and I am positive their will be nothing left of these healthy lunches

Again so easy I took the fruit salad that was left over after dinner, added grape tomatoes, and cottage cheese and I had one happy girl and I can tell you there was nothing left.

This day I was in a hurry because we had eaten out the night before, so I decided to time myself. I quickly cut string cheese and added those along with mini pepperoni to the toothpicks(David had pirate toothpicks). Added some crackers and pizza sauce and chopped up a romaine heart for salad and grape tomatoes. Using food writers I wrote a quick note on their bananas and in under 10 minutes they had a fun lunch! Can I tell you they were so excited for this lunch!

I have always struggled with packing lunches it bores me...another peanut butter and jam sandwich even though I would cut them into cute shapes the monotony of it all made me lose interest and I always felt like they needed healthier options.

The other thing I had not considered was I now make Jensen's lunch when I make Julianna and David's so that is something taken off my list to do during the day. I am glad I had enough foresight to buy him his own box.

This has really worked for me and I am sure to share other bento options in the future and the reviews around here have been fabulous, David has even said he only wants cold lunch(he always loved hot dog day but not now) all year which proves to me I made the right choice of switching how I make lunches!!!

Oh What Do You Do in the Summer Time When Most of the Water is Drained from the Lake

do you pack up your cabin, whine and complain, and throw a fit all day if that's what you did yoiu missed out!!!!!

WE HUNTED FOR TREASURE





and FOR LITTLE FROGS



and KAYAKED THE DAY AWAY



WE LAUNCHED BUNCHES ACORNS WAY UP HIGH




TOLD STORIES BY THE FIRE




LOOKED FOR JUPITER UP IN THE SKY



TRAVERSED SOME LOGS





WATCHED A MOVIE WHEN IT RAINED




AND LOOKED FOR RAINBOWS IN THE SKY




If thats what you did so did we!!!

This was our last weekend of summer and as you can see we had fun even without a lot of water!!!!