Fall Fun (October)

I just turned the calendar over to November... Wow!  I think the month of October has gone by quickly because we've been keeping busy.  Here are some highlights from this last month.

I recently became an Assistant Den Leader for the Wolf Den, so we had our first Den Meeting here at the house last Monday.  Asher was busy this month selling popcorn for Scouts.  Thanks to all our (new and old) neighbors, friends, and family for your support!  Because of you, Asher was able to reach his goal of selling over $400 in product.  Inspired by the recent lemonade stand at the neighbor's house, Asher set up a popcorn stand in our yard for a few days:

We have been blessed to see family three weekends in a row.  On the 12th of October, we surprised the boys and drove to PDC for lunch.  Grandma and Grandpa just happened to also be in town enjoying the Fall colors ;)

 

We all came back to Waverly the following weekend.  Then just Asher and I came back to Iowa the weekend after that.  It was great to see family: my parents and sis and kids; Becca coming through town; Alex, Kelly, Kristi, & Pat.

All the kiddos were THRILLED to have a whole day to play at grandma & grandpa's house, especially outside in the play house.

Ezra loves to sit on Grandpa's tractor.

Asher loves hiking in the trees.

The new play house... everyone was sooo excited!

Ezra & Grandpa in the "living room" of the play house.

All the kiddos had a great time in the play house...

...and outside too.

Royalty arriving.

Queen Katelyn, King Asher, and Knight Chase.

Ezra with his spear of wood, stone, and duct tape.

 

Ezra loves when cousin Katie plays with him.

I had a great time with Mom at the UNI Craft Fair, while Asher had a day with grandpa.  While there were many examples of Asher enjoying time with grandpa and my dad spoiling Asher, I think the gem of the weekend was Asher being able to work with grandpa to build a pirate ship:

Asher in Grandpa's shop with his pirate ship.

Close up of Asher and his "Three Skeletons" pirate ship.

Cuddles and talk time with Grandpa.

Making paper pirates after adding more details to the pirate ship.

Tomorrow, Asher is bringing his pirate ship to school.  He was so excited that he told his teacher all about his weekend with grandpa.  So, Asher's teacher told him how great it would be if he could bring the pirate ship to school to share with the class.

You may remember that daddy promised Ezra could get a skateboard if he learned to ride his bike without training wheels... and how, a few weeks after that promise, Ezra told dad to take off the extra wheels and Ezra just took off.  Well, while Asher and I were away last weekend, daddy had to fulfill his promise to Ezra and visit a skate shop.  Ezra decided not to get a long board because he wants to learn to do tricks some day.  Mommy came home to a very excited little skater!

The boys were excited about Oktoberfest activities at school and in our town.  We took them to the Torch Light Parade, which was at night with lots of strands of lights and glow sticks adorning the people and parade floats.  Also, Asher learned to count and sing in German.  Al and I were treated to a performance by Asher (singing and playing guitar) and Ezra (on improvised drums).





















Other "events" this month included Ezra having his first day at 4K being the "Special Helper."  This meant he got to do all the special tasks including opening/circle time and being the line leader all day.  Also, he brought snack for the class and a toy for show-and-tell.  The boys had great conferences.  It was so nice to get to chat with their teachers, but I can't believe the quarter is ending next week, and then we're getting the first report cards of this school year!

Here's hoping that you're fall has been festive and filled with time with family and friends.

Crazy for Costumes and Candy

Well, the kids had a great Halloween and scored LOTS of candy.  Both boys were able to dress up at school and had Fall parties today.  Of course, they came home from school with a bag of candy, before we even went out trick or treating in our neighborhood.  It was nice to walk around our neighborhood, to see kids from the area trick or treating, and to say hi to all of our neighbors.  I felt like we really are starting to get to know our neighbors.  Part of the reason that our kids scored so much candy is that some of our close neighbors were very generous with our boys, which was very sweet.  And, while the boys will enjoy the candy for weeks to come, I do think another very enjoyable part of the day for them was being able dress up all day long.

Ezra knew right away that he wanted to be Batman.  I am thankful that all I had to invest in costumes this year was to get few new batteries for Ezra's utility belt.

Asher, however, had a harder time deciding what to dress up as.  I think the progression was a vampire, a pirate, an old man, a lawyer, and then he decided on mayor.

Asher did get some green vampire teeth in a school goody bag though, so Mr. Mayor was transforming into a werewolf as the sun went down.

We had candy for kids coming to our house, pumpkins outside, and Fall decorations all done, but it didn't dawn on us to actually carve the pumpkins until just last night.  I'm going to blame the chaotic nature of the last few days on our refrigerator dying. Anyway, here are a few pumpkin pictures.

Ezra picked a big pumpkin at Gays Mills but decided he wanted to carve a medium sized tall pumpkin.  He was very proud because he designed and executed the carving all by himself.  

Asher picked out the biggest pumpkin he could find at Gays Mills and knew exactly how he wanted to carve it.  

Daddy carved the big pumpkin that Ezra had cast aside.  It's hard to tell in the night photo, because the details were done in permanent marker, but he carved it to look like our cat Lucky.

Fall 2013 Family Photos

"The Only Thing Better Than Having You for Parents is My Children Having You for Grandparents"

Chase (6), Katelyn (8), Asher (7), Ezra (4 1/2)

My awesome parents...

 













...who have modeled for my sister and I how to be wonderful people, committed partners, and amazing parents.


Holly and family:

Our family:

 

A big thank you to my sister for making time and taking such great family photos!  Also, here are a few shots of just the kids:

 

Positive Perspective

1 Thessalonians 4:9 "...you yourselves are taught by God to love one another." 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another."  

1 Thessalonians 5:12-21 "...Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit... examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good."  

Philippians 4:4-9 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 


Today I'm sharing scripture, some of my own thoughts, reflections from others, and some resources I've found helpful in prioritizing, parenting, and just keeping the right perspective.  (Note: If you click on any of the blue text below, you can see the entire article.) 

I've been focusing more on how to pray without ceasing.  It seems to me that a strong mother would try to take time to put things in perspective and to pray before speaking and acting... but I'm a work in progress.  I'm more aware now though of how I need prayer and of what can quench the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ... Yes, I often pray for God's Spirit to work in my life.  I know I need to focus not just on my children's behavior but also their heart and on my own heart. 

Today I read a perfectly timed article: Why You Should Smile Right Now 
"Do I really smother my own joy because I believe that anger achieves more than love?" Ann Voskamp asks in this reflection.  Anger is a choice. Choosing joy in the midst of frustration and disappointment is hard. Insert picture of me scraping frost from the windshield, youngest screaming in the cold wet grass that he refuses to wear the coat beside him, oldest waiting inside the car knowing he now will be late for school. Yes I really needed to read this article this morning after another temper tantrum seemingly throwing our whole morning off track.  Ann Voskamp also notes that "Cynicism isn’t strength and ranting doesn’t rejuvenate and frustration can never accomplish what Faith can."  Amen!  Am I walking my faith?  

She poses the question, "Does my life testify to my belief in the power of complaint — or the power of Christ?" The church message two days ago had a powerful line in it: Every complaint is a confession.  

Donovan Santamaria has such a passionate message and a deep look into scripture and prayer.  Here you can click on the recent sermon about Prayer Life - Ephesians 3:14-21.  His commentary on how we need God to give us strength to comprehend is beyond what I can summarize here.  Donovan explores the depths of how "He (God) is able to do far more abundantly more than we can ask."  When emotions run high and I know I can't do what I need to all by myself, I remember that Donovan emphasized, "But there is a Father who cares.  And He has strength, He has power, He has abundance. He wants to move toward you in mercy and draw you near to Him... You don't have strength in your inner being? He does!"  Today I prayed Ephesians 3:14-21. 

Another gem from Ann's entry today stated "If neither height nor depth nor death nor anything in heaven or earth can separate me from the love of God — surely neither can messy bedrooms or dirty sinks or loud kids or ugly days separate me from the joy of the Lord. Really — if nothing can separate me from the Love of the Lord — can anything separate me from the Joy of the Lord? Breathe."  Also, I liked that she ended with the statement "Smile. Let something steal your joy — and you let something steal your strength." and the questions "What’s stealing your joy right now? Distractions? Fear? Busyness? Stress? Worry? Anger? Is it worth it?"

Another perfectly timed BLOG post is one that I read when the boys were going back to school: A Different Kind of School Year.  Lysa TerKeurst opens by saying, "As we get back into the routine of a new school year, I’m making a commitment: no more unglued mama mornings. I want our mornings to go better this year with less frustration, yelling, and chaos."  I love her plan: 1) Tell the world to wait. 2) Remember that I'm managing blessings. 3) Let my kids own their irresponsibilities.  This article has many important ideas that I need to keep coming back to throughout the year.  As she blatantly states, "All of this is going to take some intentionality, and I doubt I’ll do it perfectly. But I’m excited about trying. I’m excited to 'put on my new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.'"

I often enjoy reading the reflections on A Holy Experience.  This one really had a lasting impact though: The 1 Mantra That Everybody, Every Family & Every Kid Needs.  Ann has a great message about teaching kids that life isn't all about rules and that what's important is relationships.  I love her focus on faith in God's love and the reality that we all make mistakes but Jesus is bigger! In her story Ann Voskamp recounts, "The tone of voice, the tension in my hands as I grabbed the steering wheel, the tight forehead. I was 180 degrees from the mom I want to be."  Yes, I've been there.  However, she continues, "If I were flawless, I would need no Savior.  If my kids were perfect, there would be no Easter.  Instead, we need to be reminded of six words that have become a mantra in our family: Jesus is bigger than any mistake."

In Judgement Carrie asks "How many times a day as mothers do we judge ourselves?  Fill in the blank: 'I am not (patient enough, strong enough, capable enough, smart enough, kind enough, etc)'
How many times a day do we fill in a blank for other mothers and other families? ... How often do we find grace not only for others, but for ourselves?"

It never ceases to amaze me how God can work whenever and wherever I am!  I'll close with another on-point post I saw on Facebook this morning:
Let's allow the balm of grace to be the soothing oil on our frayed nerves today.
Ask the Lord for a gracious abundance of it ... He'll deliver as we respond with open hearts.

{thanks Grace Interiors & Design Co. for this photo!}

Parenting Resources

Following are some resources with specific strategies Al and I have been using when disciplining our boys. (Note: If you click on any of the blue text below, you can see the entire article.)

In A Different Kind of School Year, Lysa TerKeurst opens by saying, "As we get back into the routine of a new school year, I’m making a commitment: no more unglued mama mornings. I want our mornings to go better this year with less frustration, yelling, and chaos." In regards to #3 of her plan to “Let my kids own their irresponsibilities,” my husband and I have recently been reviewing the need to properly utilize consequences.  Here are some great resources to get you thinking about this type of parenting...

1. natural consequences
2. logical consequences
3. restitution consequences 

Of course, being proactive is preferable to being reactive in most situations where we are dealing with negative child behavior and attitudes.  Sometimes I really need a specific technique in order to avoid reverting to bad patterns of behavior.  For example, we are working on being consistent and not engaging in a power struggle or even ongoing discussion when whining and nagging are problematic. After reading Child Nagging and Negotiation, we have successfully added "Asked and answered." to our parenting dialogue.  Another helpful article I've recently read was related to getting to the heart of back talk: How do you stop children from back talking?  While she offers some great practical ideas, I think most important thing Nicholeen Peck says is that "The issue with back talking is never about what is said, it is about what is felt."

What Nicholeen said about feelings and something in Lysa's article triggered a reminder for me of a precept we often forget... when you want to address a child's behavior, it's critical to get to the motivation behind it.  As we continue to grow and nurture our children's physical, emotional, and spiritual growth, it can be important to go to resources to remind ourselves what's truly developmentally appropriate for our child at their particular age.  We get emails about "ages and stages" as our youngest child keeps growing up.  This one in particular is applicable to my 4 1/2 year old boy, but is also a great reminder to parents of children of all ages about how to support emotional intelligence: Emotional Intelligence is Being Aware of Others’ Feelings.  Sometimes our children can communicate current surface level feelings, but sometimes we can miss deeper feelings and attitudes.

How often do we overlook when they just need more attention, love, reassurance, or help?  It follows then that it is important as parents that we don't just grow in private but that we also share some of our journey with our children.  Why not talk to your child about how you need God's help and love?  The brief story titled A Father's Love was a great reminder for my husband and I to pray with our children and to acknowledge that we all need and have God's unconditional love.

Apples, Apples, Apples... Oh my!

What's the best way to celebrate the start of Fall?  Well, until this year I may have answered differently, but now I must say it's with all things apples!

Asher was thrilled to have a small birthday party in his new home town.  Thanks to my parents, Holly and family, and the Perkins clan for driving here to help us celebrate.  Also, Asher invited the families of two of his local friends.  So, what does that have to do with apples?  Well, last year Iowa didn't have many, but this year my parent's neighbor's trees were very bountiful!  And, this was the weekend that start all the apple fun, because my mom was awesome enough to bring us up a bunch of yummy Iowa apples.

Not too much going on in this photo?  Did you notice that tray full of delicious apples?  Well, Al was thrilled because I made two dishes of apple crisp that week.  Then, for his birthday, I made his favorite dessert (next to my mom's chocolate chip cookies): French Apple Squares.

Also, see those cute chevron curtains in the background?  Another weekend project ;)  I saw these online and immediately went to our local Target to search for the last two they had in stock.  (I've been looking for 6 months for the right colors/fabric to replace the lace curtains in our kitchen.) On sale for $10 each, they were a bargain!  Not to mention that I made two valances for the kitchen, a table runner, and a throw pillow for the living room in addition to these two cafe curtains all from two curtain panels.  There were some "snags," but my sewing machine and I are now on good terms.

The Fall festivities continued when we took the boys to La Crescent's Apple Fest parade the 22nd of September.  They loved the parade and candy, and I loved the great deal on 15 pounds of Wealthy and La Crescent apples! 

 

In addition to lots of applesauce and another apple crisp, I tried a new recipe for apple cake:

 

Crust/Topping: 3 c flour, 1 1/2 c brown sugar,
1 1/2 c oatmeal, 1 1/8 c butter.  Mix & put in
greased 9x13, saving 1 1/2 cup for topping.
Mix 6-8 c sliced apples with sauce.  For sauce,
cook: 1 c sugar, 1 c water, 1 Tbsp corn starch
until clear & then add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp
vanilla.  Pour apples with sauce over crust and
add topping.  Bake in preheated 325 degree oven
for 1 hour.





The apple fun continued the last weekend of September when we met family in Gays Mills.  It was great to end our summer with another trip to PDC to see Holly, Mark, and the kids.  It was a wonderful treat to see Michele and family, Kristi and Pat, and Kelly and Alex that weekend too.  It's been too long (maybe 5 years) since we've taken the kids to pick their own pumpkins and enjoy some Fall fun!  I think we've started a new family tradition :)

 

 

So, what do you do with a bushel of McIntosh and Gala apples?  Make more apple crisp, applesauce, and French Apple Squares of course.  Also, it's good inspiration to try some more new recipes!

 
Who knew applesauce was so easy?!  Thanks to cousin Kristi for the following links:
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/stocking-your-freezer-with-homemade-applesauce/ for freezing applesauce and http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/canning-applesauce-step-by-step-guide/ for canning applesauce

I think next year I'm going to try canning (because my freezer is pretty full right now). I made pink applesauce again, at the boys' request, but then they decided they don't like it anymore.  Oh well, I'm going to use it in another new recipe for Applesauce Sweet Bread tomorrow.  So here are a couple new favorite recipes...




Apple Butter:

I have never made this before, but I'm so glad I did! 

After seeing a friend write about making it one day, I thought that sounds easy enough.
And, yes, it is tasty!

Fill crock pot with apples and add: 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/8 tsp allspice,
1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a dash of ginger and/or cloves. 

Cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for up to 8 hours.  Stir occasionally.  Puree when done and freeze in containers.

Instead of just giving the boys' teachers an apple and cute thank you card, we also gave them each a little apple butter too.  Al thought it was a little too cute, but the teachers have been raving about how they can't stop eating it.










Drum roll please... My first ever apple pie and homemade crust!

Of course all the apples, ghords, and pumpkins and the few leaves changing color already inspired me to come home and do a little Fall decorating:

Another project: My $15 Hoosier cabinet base

Thanks to sis I've been exploring digital scrapbooking and discovering even more options for what I can do in Adobe Photoshop.  Here is a sample of what I did for a picture frame (seen above) in the living room:

I've been doing a few more projects including a new picture ledge and frames to go behind the couch... I'm really excited about displaying more than just family photographs.  I got to thinking about all the places we've traveled and wondering why we don't have any of those places on display in our home.

Won't this look great on a canvas?! I'm just thrilled to have figured out how to photograph an old negative and then use Photoshop to make it into a positive image! More to come soon on those projects.

Happy Fall everyone :)