More Summer Fun...and "Poor Man's S'mores"

This past weekend we visited my brother's hobby farm a couple hours away where we got together with some family and had a TON of fun!! There was lots for the kids to do since my brother has 18 goats and a few acres to run around and roam, not to mention swim and play! We had lots of time to hang out and talk and even played some fun lawn games. We are so glad we went and added some family fun like this to our summer! Of course, when we get together, there's got to be eating. Trust me, we ATE!! Everything was delicious! Yum! Thanks to my sister in law, we were introduced to "Poor Man's S'mores". Instead of using graham crackers and Hershey's chocolate with your roasted marshmallow, substitute Fudge Stripe Cookies! It's so much easier to eat and doesn't fall apart either! Less ingredients to bring too! What a great idea!! This is something we'll definitely be using again.
Thanks, Lori!

Summertime

Ah,the lazy days of summer. Although, not really here. Somehow we've managed to keep our calendar busy enough that summer is unfortunately, flying by quickly. A bit too quickly! There seems to be so many things I'd like to do yet. Trips (however small they may be due to the rising cost of gas!), projects and the on-going to-do list. Lots to accomplish yet and soon my garden will be in full-swing, which means more freezing and canning to do as well. Oh well, I do enjoy it all even though at times it leaves me with a lot to juggle at once.
Something that has made my life easier this summer is a quick and easy summer salad recipe I received from my sister in law. I can't count the number of times we've eaten it since the 4th of July when I first prepared it! I like to throw it together as a last minute addition to our main meal, especially at suppertime.

Here's the recipe:

Fresh Romaine lettuce or Spinach
1 cup Mandarin Oranges
1 cup Pecans or Walnuts
1 firm Banana


Mix up the lettuce, oranges and nuts. Add banana just before serving.

Dressing:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed

After mixing dressing ingred. you can put them in a squeezable bottle to serve dressing with salad or to save for a later serving.
Feel free to alter amounts of nuts, oranges or banana to your tastes.

Enjoy! I know this is quickly becoming our family favorite!!

Another Concert To Remember

My husband and I enjoyed another "date night" at a Christian concert last weekend. The artist, Mark Schultz, again got us up on our feet for some of our favorites like, "You are a Child of Mine", "I Am the Way" and more! He again warmed our hearts with songs like "Letters from War", "Broken & Beautiful" and "Back in His Arms Again". To put it simply, he is a great entertainer!! We have enjoyed 4 of is concerts now in the last 16 months and wouldn't miss another! He keeps his audience laughing and totally entertained throughout the show. Newcomers and concert veterans like ourselves seem to enjoy his kind spirit and gentle, Southern-way that leads the listeners to Christ. He's currently in the studio preparing another album sure to be FILLED with hits and heartfelt songs. If you have the chance to see him in concert in your area, I strongly encourage getting tickets. You'll want seats up close to enjoy every minute!!
Check him out at :www.markschultzmusic.com

Suppertime Prayers

If you were to join us for supper in our home, in addition to our before meal prayer you would also hear a list of prayer intentions offered by our kids (mostly our daughter), that goes something like this: we pray for a baby sister, two more brothers, grandpa's leg and grandpa's leg,Carrie & Mike & Olivia, Joseph & Katie, Josh & Becky's baby, Hannah's knee. So, if you made the list, you can feel honored that you are thought of and prayed for. If not, I guess you need to do something important enough to be worthy of their prayer intentions or that you have some type of injury.
Notice that mommy and daddy are not on the list. I wonder why?? Although, thinking about it, I guess we are in a way since we're supposed to take care of the "baby sister & two more brothers" part!!
Some times other prayer requests get added, however, these are the major ones covered. I'm starting to consider putting the food on the table AFTER prayers have been prayed, BEFORE it gets cold!!

Potty Party

Ok, so the idea of throwing a "Potty Party" seems kind of odd. Unless you are the mommy of a certain 3 year old who is stubborn to get going to the bathroom and not the least bit interested in wearing "big kid" underwear! Then you know where I'm coming from. The Potty Party idea was one I read about when we were potty training our daughter. It was used as an incentive for her and once she was going potty on the toilet and staying dry (at least most of the time)she was allowed to invite whomever she wanted to her party. So, at 3 1/2 she invited both sets of grandparents, an aunt and uncle and a cousin. And of course, my husband and I and our son. We made it into a HUGE deal complete with decorations, cake and of course, GIFTS!! Well, we finally were able to celebrate with another Potty Party, this time for our 3 year old son. This past weekend we went ahead and stuck with our now "family tradition" and held a Potty Party! We kept it simple, but followed the same rules...same guests, cake and gifts. We've got a ways to go until complete toilet mastery, however, I am happy to have my big boy in his Thomas, Cars and Diego underwear!! Hooray for Jonah! Who would've thought these were the memories I'd be making as a mom!!??