About Me

Here you are... a few things about me. I know some of you who read my blog know me pretty well, and some of you do not know me well at all. After this post may you get more of a drift of who I am.

I grew up in one of the largest cities in the Midwest ( Minneapolis/St.Paul)

I've always adored traveling and I want to travel the world.. not just touristy places, but the back roads.

I try to buy anything we need second hand... through garage sales or thrift stores (except for underwear). Of course this excludes food!

I like seeing where my food comes from and meeting the people who grow it.

I buy as much fair trade and organic produce and products as possible.

My dream is to live wholly off of our land and be totally self sufficient. Though i know we more then likely will never get to this point, it's still fun to think about.

I like supporting friends in their various endeavors. My favorite is to support people that we know who go into missions.

I am allergic to anything that has fur or flies, also i am allergic to hay and an assortment of various greens, which makes having a farm very difficult. After every pet of the cow, and dealing with feeding and gardening i usually have to scrub down my hands or take a shower because my allergies will flair up.

I can not eat wheat, gluten, mushrooms, yogurt, yellow cheese,raisins, radishes or carrots. During certain seasons i can not eat fresh fruit without my mouth itching terribly.

I secretly (though me writing it out doesn't really make it a secret does it?) hope that God will bless us with more children, especially a girl

Matt and I did not kiss each other until we were pronounced man and wife. It was a choice i would stick by again and I know was a great choice for us, though we both had kissed other people before each other.

A few of my favorite bands/singers are - Nickel Creek, Lifehouse, anything classical and instrumental, Steven Curtis Chapman, Ginny Owens, Dixie Chicks, Hillsongs United, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Rob Thomas, and SO So SO much more... but generally anything classical, country, jazz, christian/worship or has a good beat or interesting story line

Tragic love stories intrigue me.

Life is so empty without Art and Music.

Jesus is my all and my everything. I am nothing without him. I come from a family that has been broken in many ways, but rebuilt to be a glory to God. Though not all parts of my family have come to know the Lord's love, my greatest prayer is that the ones i love most will come to know God's loving, ever present, and healing nature and see His unique and awesome calling on their life.

Blue is my favorite color

lilacs are my favorite *flower, i wish my house was surrounded by them

The smell of mint and lavender will always remind me of pregnancy

I will always seek out a natural solution to a health issue before i resort to modern medicine... because usually the natural solutions have been around and proven for hundreds of years longer then modern medical solutions

I LOVE wearing dresses and skirts, i even run in my skirts and dresses sometimes, though i never had done so in public. I think it would be fine but Matt thinks it looks weird. I choose to wear dresses and skirts more then pants, i think, because i am surrounded by males and i like to set myself apart from them as a female.

I wish my hair was more curly

I went to public school from K-4, i was home schooled from 5-9, 10th grade i went to a private school, and 11th-12th i went to a community college and worked at a daycare to save up to pay for college.

A good friend of mine discovered Prairie Bible College and told me about it. I applied, and the first time i ever set foot in Canada or saw the school was when i moved there to attend. My mom was in shock that her baby, whom she thought was such a mommas girl, could move so far from home for college.

It was a running joke for a while with a good friend that i would marry a Canadian... and she's the one that ended up marrying the Canadian even though she didn't attend school there... my most successful match making attempt yet :D

I've always had a huge soft spot for pregnant teens. I would love to run a home for them.

My mom is my hero. She has such strength of character and love for the Lord that is unwavering.

English is my favorite school subject

I try to live in a way that no matter where our income level is at (a millionaire or only making "ends meat" ) we live simply and only on what we need and give the rest away.

Gospel for Asia is my favorite Missions organization, if you have never heard of them you should check out what they do

I've always wanted to be a missionary to foreign counties, but until that is possible i am a missionary to the people around me and my family, and I enjoy being a sender.

My favorite thing to eat is potatoes and strawberries

Chocolate makes me cranky (weird i know) and i wish i would learn my lesson every time i eat it, but sometimes i give in and can't help it.

I never get tired of the stars and astronomy fascinates me. Constellations are the coolest EVER!

When i was pregnant with Joshua i watched pretty much every Cary Grant Movie ever made.

Music never fails to bring a memory or feeling about in my soul

I have a love of classic cars purely because i feel like it brings me closer to my birth father

I was buying my clothes and going garage saling WAY before it was considered "cool" and "vintage"

My husband loves when i wear my hair in a ponytail, so that is why my hair is almost always up!

There is never so terrible a situation or deep a hole that one is in that Jesus can not save one from, and there is redemption, grace, forgiveness and love for ALL... everyone, no matter what they have done or where they have been, i FULLY believe God desires everyone to come to him.

Yes, i was a boy band lover in high school... nsync and 98 degrees where my favourites.. and i still know pretty much all of the songs by heart. I know, terrible right? ... but they have such a catchy beat most of the time!

When i am gone, all i want to leave behind is a legacy of love and grace pointing towards the Lord.

Okay... I think that's about all the random, about me stuff, that i can think of right now! feel free my friends to add anything you like that you know about me :)


Look Maria! I'm wearing my glasses... :)

Sorry I've been absent for a little bit. I'm still here, just living life day to day. Feeling kind of off this week. A little emotionally and a little physically. Emotionally because a few friends had their babies (which both are girls) and it always seems to make me slightly sad to know that we will not be having anymore children (unless God preforms a miracle, which has been known to happen). And I'm feeling physically off because I'm fighting some strange virus.
Something is making me want cinnamon... i mean i am craving cinnamon like CRAZY... it's so weird.
We found a new home for our ducks as they were not laying anymore. I was sad to see them go, but it's hard for me to keep animals unless the have a purpose. Even though i was happy to see them everyday and hear their quaking... it didn't make sense to keep feeding them. Anyway, Matt has ordered a whole assortment of random barnyard poultry for my mothers day present and he is going to build me a nice big coup... he also promises there will be some sort of duck a part of the all the poultry that he has ordered, so that makes me happy.
I sent in my order form for my spring seeds this year. I'm pretty excited. I'll be growing beans, peas, lemon cucumbers, watermelon, and corn. I would grow lots more but our garden space is limited and these are the only things that my boys like well enough for us to grow. I'm hoping to expand their palate someday!
Speaking of boys, i realized that i am REALLY surrounded by boys now... it's just me and the dog that are female.. other then that even the cats, the goat and the cow are boys! sigh

Anyway... there you are, my thoughts are so random, you can see why i haven't blogged much lately!
OH and i wanted to add, Canadian friends are welcome to enter into my giveaways... so don't be scared off if you are worried that i won't want to ship something up to you!

a few of my favorite things...

Here are a few of my favorite things...





and in honor of Joshua's birthday and my birthday (only a short week away), I am giving away these things!
All you need to do is comment on this post on what your favorite things are and you will be entered. It will be open to enter until noon on February 3rd... my birthday, and as usual Joshua will draw the winner :)

coming soon...

a birthday giveaway! yay! I love giveaways!!!!!

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday my little boy turned 6. I've got many reflections on this subject that i'll share sometime... for now, here are some pictures from Joshua's birthday party with friends! It was a success and Joshua really enjoyed it!

I got little wooden treasure boxes for Joshua's friends to paint and take home.

Daniel (as a pirate king), Evie and Tabitha (they were a queen and a princess)


A pink super hero, Elizabeth


Joshua, who dressed up as a cowboy, and John and Moshe who came as kings


Izzy came as herself :)


Daniel, my little pirate king


Daniel checking out the paints before the party


The cakes... a viking on a raft attacking a pirate ship for his treasure


Singing happy birthday to Joshua


Happy Elijah!

Three little boys on a sunny day...



worked hard to help their Daddy...













and by working so hard to help their daddy, they couldn't help but nap, which in turn greatly blessed thier mommy

Mary and Martha, a mother's perspective

I was thinking about the story in the Bible about Mary and Martha the other day and equating it to my journey in parenting. If you are not familiar with the story here it is... it's only about two paragraphs long so I encourage you to read it if you have never read the story as i think that it will help you understand my post.

Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

For the better part of my parenting journey I've always focused on what has needed to be done. Diapering, feeding healthy foods, napping, schedule keeping, clean cloths, warm house, ect. I'm very much of a Martha type of mother. Always looking out for the physical needs of the children and the way the house is running. Though it is not a bad thing to be concerned about the needs of my children and to provide a safe and healthy environment, i really desire to be there for my kids emotionally and spiritually and just sit with them, and listen to them and really connect. When i grew up i always remember we had such a clean house and i always remember my mom cleaning. Though I know my mom loves me very much and we have a great relationship, i don't remember her sitting down to play dolls with me or a game. I'm sure she probably did, but for some reason I can't think of an instance of being a child and playing with my mom. I remember plenty of times of my mom taking care of me while i was sick and rubbing my back and head for hours while i had migraines. She was and always has been there for me. I just want my boys to grow up and not think about how well i kept the house clean, or how i always had meals on the table. I want my boys to grow up and to think about all the times that mom dressed up like a knight and pretended to have battles with them. Or all the times i would play risk with them into late hours of the night, or sitting and reading non-stop to them and just being there. I want to be more like a Mary type of mom. Enjoying my children and not being so "worried and upset about many things". I have a long way to go, though i thoroughly enjoy my children, for i am much more of a Martha mom then a Mary mom. I know that there is a good balance in there somewhere and I am determined to get there for the sake of my children.

One cannot have a pack goat without the propper supplies! We are so excited to go camping and hiking this spring and summer! Check out Pippin's new gear!

Music

Our home will be filled with music! I love playing and listening and i know that my children as well have a keen curiosity with music. I took piano lessons as a youth, as well as flute and piccolo lessons for many years, so I'm excited to introduce the making of a beautiful noise into my boys life.
Thanks to Matt's parents we now have a very nice keyboard... and when i say nice... i mean like expensive, makes you almost feel like you are playing a real piano nice. The boys are almost excited as I am... hopefully they will feel that way when we start lessons :)

It's churches like this one, who give Christians a bad reputation....
I'm not sure what else to say, but that fact that this grieves my heart of the hate that they hold.

as promised... hashbrown waffels...



How has your day been?
The sun has been shining here, the children have endless energy and i'm tired. Looking forward to Matt getting home from work, the roast beef dinner that is in the oven, and maybe the kids going to bed early tonight since no one decided to nap... A girl can dream right?

Must read books...

Here is my list of books that i HIGHLY recommend specifically for parents who have children who struggle with autism. The last two are not focused on special needs, but i recommend them for ANY mom :)

-Children with Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder - Jaquelyn McCandless

-Finding God in Autism: A Forty Day Devotional for Parents of Autistic Children -Kathy Medina

-Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Carers -Julia Moor

-God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos: Bringing Peace Home -Keri Wyatt Kent (not necessarily a book about autism, but a great book for encouragement and ideas on keeping the peace)

- Real Moms...Real Jesus: Meet the Friend Who Understands -Jill Savage (also not about special needs, but a great book for moms)

I can't stop cooking!

Today for lunch I tried making hash browns in the waffle maker. They turned out rather tasty and now i have found a new way to make hash browns!
So what you do is Take 1 1/2 pound of hash browns (if you do frozen hash browns then leave them out to thaw and squeeze out the excess water, and if you use fresh squeeze out excess water) 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon salt mix together and scoop into 4 equal parts on a preheated on high waffle iron (about 1/2 cup per section). Cook for about 15 minutes and walla... hash brown waffles. If your waffle iron does not have a function to do different temps, i would say just cook the hash browns a little longer. I think it just really depends on every ones waffle iron on time and you might have to experiment for a bit to get it just right, but it's worth it because it's super tasty. Next time i make it I'll take a picture.
So what else did i make today? well I tried a gluten free soft pretzel recipe. It was OK.. not good enough for me to say YOU HAVE TO TRY IT.. and i think it may need some tweaking and it could taste and turn out well... here is the result that i got for the first try.


And the last thing that i tried today was chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips...



Basically use the chocolate chip recipe that i posted earlier (I'll learn how to link up soon... i really will) and replace 3 tablespoons of the flour blend with unsweetened cocoa powder, also replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips. Did i mention, GLUTEN FREE?!?! Seriously... if i gain weight it's going to be off of these cookies. Good thing I'm training for a 10K right now.

Okay enough with the food. Today was a great day despite Matt being sick, but he's such a great Daddy and hard working husband, he played with the kids all day and also got to tilling up my garden and mixing in some manure so we can have big juicy veggies this summer/fall! Thanks to Ferdinand (our steer) for providing the manure. :)

(You've gotta love the 40 degree winters in the pacific northwest, though i hear we are supose to get a some heavy snow this week, i guess we'll see)

what do you do with little boys who have lots of energy?

You stick them on the treadmill, and i promise you, he likes it very much!

Oh and i had to share this picture. Matt made the boys a toy box. The boys like to sit in it and play pretend, like it's a train or a cave. Daniel is actually just hiding out from Elijah in this picture because he needed a break from him.

Hope for today

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

May you trust the Lord to lead you in ways you have not known, make the rough places smooth, and trust that He will NOT forsake you in whatever season of life you are in today.

a note on vaccinations

First off, I just want to say thank you friends for the support and encouragement from my last couple of posts!

Now, I just wanted to clarify on something that i said about vaccinations. I said that we stopped vaccinating shortly after Joshua's diagnosis. I just want to make it clear that i do not think that Joshua and Daniel struggle with autism because of their vaccinations. Though Joshua did regress after he received his MMR vaccination (and he actually got the measles from the shot) I do not wholly contribute his struggle with the vaccine. He had certain issues that we did not realize (like leaky gut syndrome) that contributed to his developmental delay. I do believe that the vaccinations played a part in my children's diagnosis... but i do not believe that they are the leading cause to it. In fact I think it's a number of factors and you can't just say this one thing is the cause... like saying the MMR shot is the soul cause of autism. Daniel hasn't had his MMR shot and he struggles with autism. Anyway... in the ways of vaccination i just believe that the united states vaccine schedule is ridiculous and we are putting to many things into out little kids bodies before they can handle it. The schedule needs to be reevaluated. I think that vaccinations have their place and in many instances has in fact saved lives. I've done much reading on both sides before we concluded on holding off on vaccinating for a while and even got the support from our doctor, who is for vaccinating. My recommendation if you have children is to do research, talk to parents who are on both sides of the fence, talk to your doctor, and don't be scared into vaccinating or not vaccinating.

Follow up...

It's hard for me not to delete my last post as i feel extremely exposed, but I'm going to keep it up. Though i am through the dark days and now i feel like my days are filled with hope and light, it's still important to share the hard times. When i re-read over the last post the story of Eustace and the dragon in the voyage of the dawn treader came to mind. Briefly I'll explain if you have never read the story. Eustace was a selfish little boy and because of it he became a dragon. After some time and his heart being changed, he so very much wanted to be a boy again and felt sorry for all he had done. But with all that he tried to scratch off his dragon skin, he could not even peel a layer. It wasn't until Aslan came along and peeled off the skin for him, that Eustace became a boy again. And though during the peeling of the skin it did hurt, it was a good pain that was restoring him. I feel like Eustace, a selfish person, only caring about my own needs and desires and through that i was turned into a dragon. The Lord reached out and saw my broken and longing heart and started peeling away the layers. I LOVE my children deeply, they are such a source of joy. Even through the hardest times i could not give them up even for a second, but I am a selfish woman who had expectations dashed to the ground and i felt like i was turned into a dragon with no hopes of becoming a human again. But the Lord has been ever so gracious and loving and he has started to peel away dragon and restore me. So i will press on, for my Jesus, and continue to love and serve these precious little warriors he has given me. And though the world may see them in a certain light, I know that God has BIG plans for my little boys and that i need to continue to view my boys through the eyes of Christ. In Him i have more then enough strength to get through the day and be all that my boys need me to be.

I didn't what this.... from the depths of my heart...

Okay, I've done alot of light and fluffy blogs lately about gluten free cooking and holiday celebrating and home school loving. And now it's time to share from the depths and pain of the past couple of years. There is no secret in the fact that my two oldest boys have special needs. There is no secret that Daniel can not utter the words mommy, or tell me that he loves me, or even tell me he is hurting, happy, or confused. There is no secret that my two precious sons are viewed by the world as damaged goods. But there's a secret in my heart.. there is pain that i hold so close to me that I'm ashamed to let go. I'm ashamed at the things i have said and the ways that i have accused God. I have been weak and broken, I am weak and broken. Why, i have screamed to the Lord, WHY DID YOU GIVE ME THESE BOYS, I DIDN'T WANT THIS, I CAN'T HANDLE THIS. I've spent hours crying and pleading with the Lord. I've spent hours in self pity and pain. I would look at others life's in envy and longing thinking that their problems were so little and trivial. It was such a struggle to listen to friends complain to me about their child not stopping talking and asking them questions and wishing they could have a moments peace, when i would spend HOURS each day intensively working with my son to look at me and to even utter the word "milk". My heart was bitter and in pain. Why me? I love children. I have always wanted a house full of children. Everyone said i would be such a great mom, and now God lands me with not one, but two boys who have special needs. The irony of it is that when i was in college in the first year Matt and i were married, i did children's ministry in a nearby town and there was a little boy who had down syndrome. I remember just loving that little boy and my heart setting itself that one day, i would have a child with special needs... not biologically, but maybe through adoption. Which is really funny to look back on. There are the common catch phases that people tell you to make you feel better, that they think will help make life easier... " God knew you could handle them, he knew that you had the heart for it". And other saying like that. Which at the time you think, yeah right... sure.. you are just thinking, thank God my child is normal because i wouldn't want to go through that everyday. My favorite are the people that so lovingly give you suggestions or glances at the store and they have NO idea that they are just wounding you deeper. As if you aren't a good mother, as if you don't know what's best for your child, as if they could do it better. I went through this season of pain and grief and utter despair. I would avoid social contact at all costs, and mostly because of it being hard on the boys with change in schedule, but a good part of it just feeling so in the depths of despair. I would hide behind my children, i couldn't go certain places or do certain things because of them. Which in part is the truth, but a lot of it just me protecting my broken and fragile heart from more heartache. I didn't want to form new relationships or meet people or even continue to develop current relationships, because it was so much easier to just avoid the pain. It was easier not to have to explain our children and our situation. I remember when we got pregnant with Elijah (our youngest son) shortly after we realized that Daniel was also special needs and i just prayed and prayed that we were pregnant with a girl. Because maybe if we had a girl, we would have a "normal" child. When we found out that Elijah was a boy i was in a panic. I thought for sure he was going to struggle with the same issues that his brothers had. I spent hours researching everything i could find on autism and family connections. Earlier in Joshua's diagnosis and then in Daniel's we met with a naturalpathic physician and started Joshua on a gluten free diet and on supplements . Matt's parents thought we were crazy. After more research we decided against continuing vaccinations ( as Joshua was typical and regressed after his 18 vaccinations) for Joshua and for Daniel. So from then on anything i heard that may cause developmental issues where a no-no in our house. It could be ANYTHING. After Elijah was born i was very adamite about him always having everything organic, no vaccinations, no chlorine diapers, etc. I was obsessed with every little thing, so worried, so worried to have another child who the world would view as broken. I would cry to the lord about how i could not handle three children with issues, let alone two and to spare my youngest son. By this point Joshua was doing great, talking interacting, asking questions and wanting to be around people. Many prayers were answered and each day we turned into a "normal" boy. At the same time Daniel got worse. He was had extreme separation anxiety among other issues. We stopped going to church, socializing as a family and generally going anywhere that involved being social. Though i was so excited about Joshua's improvement and recovery, i felt myself slipping deeper and deeper into my pain. My darkest days were dark. I would hold Elijah close to me, as he was still a baby, and cry and try to stay Strong for my children. Try to be a good mom, try to love them and work through my pain to help them. Everyday, doing the same thing, saying the same things over and over, repetition... trying to get Daniel to communicate his needs, trying not to just want to give up. I isolated myself thinking that i was protecting myself and my children. Little did i know i was just hurting us more. I came to a breaking point and i was convinced that maybe if we moved life would be better. So we tried to move, and it didn't work. Funny, though i thought for sure if we wouldn't be able to move it would break me beyond repair, it did break me, but it broke me to be fixed. God broke me, so that i could be fixed and repaired in his image. I can't pinpoint a certain event or day... but my heart started to change. I've always loved my children. I've always tried everything possible to keep them safe, loved and healthy.. but I just didn't understand how to accept who they were and love them where they were at. I know this sounds strange. You have dreams... you dream that your son will be like this, or your daughter will be like that and that they will grow up and do things and interact with people. I had those dreams for my children, and i still have them, but when you throw autism into the mix, it almost kills those dreams and leaves a void of empty promises and questions. God took my heart, and opened my eyes to my boys. He opened my eyes to their pain and their heart and helped me to see them in a different light. He opened my eyes to our situation and he opened my heart to be healed and most of all, I felt his forgiveness. For all the times that i yelled at him, for all the time i doubted him and wondered if he really knew what he was doing. I never lost my faith in Him, i never wanted to turn away from him, but i certainly felt wounded. I'm still healing, and i know that it's going to take a long time. I also know that there may be even darker days ahead, but i know that He will be there, holding me up and speaking to my heart through the dark hours, while I'm crying and screaming and kicking all the way saying I didn't want this. The hour is growing late and I'm tired... I really want to share more, and i will... this isn't easy for me, but i know that it's needed in order for me to heal.

*disclaimer- i am terrible at spelling and grammar and all when i am spilling out the depths of my soul.. so please bear with my writing and hopefully my heart can shine through :)

Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies

Okay people.. I'm going to let you in on a gluten free secret that I've come to discover over the past couple of years... it's all in the flour. You can't just stick with one flour when you are baking gluten free. White rice flour, sweet sorghum flour, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, garbanzo bean flour... etc... you can't just use one. The best way to a half way decent gluten free meal is having a good flour blend. So.. that being said.. the best flour blend i have used and tried through many recipes and succeeded so far is the one that Silvana Nardone uses in her cookbook "Cooking for Isaiah". Seriously, if you are going gluten free, are gluten free or know someone who is gluten free, get this cookbook! Okay... so the selling is done and on to the recipe, because I'm just going to share it on here... my version...

Chewy Chocolate chip cookies (previously chewy chocolate chunk cookies, but i just had chips)

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons Silvana's all purpose flour blend (i posted this on an earlier post on gluten free food and i would link up to it if i had the time or energy but i don't so you'll have to go find it yourself !)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter (in the cookbook it says vegetable shortening, BUT i like to do butter and Joshua can tolerate dairy in cooking so i stick with butter, because it's just better)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla (i usually just pour in however much looks tasty to me)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chunks, whatever you prefer

preheat oven to 375. lightly grease baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk together the flour baking powder baking soda and salt

In a separate bowl beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour mixture and stir in chocolate.

Using a spoon scoop into balls and drop the dough unto cookie sheet. Bake until golden at the edges (i would say anywhere from 9-12 minutes depending on your oven) let cool for a minute on the pan. and then transfer with a spatula to a plate. And yummy gluten free cookie eating will be yours!

C is for Cookie

Don't these look good?

I know what you are thinking...They can't be gluten free, they look to good... oh but they are gluten free! Do you want the recipe? Just leave me a comment and i'll share it with you :)

Today in pictures

Resolutions big and small

Things that I want to work on this year

1.The atmosphere of my home. I want my boys to be challenged to grow and learn in an environment of love, calmness, and order. I want our home to be a place of refuge and hope that those who come will feel the peace of Christ in our home and in our family.

2. My reaction to unfavorable events. Instead of getting impatient and frustrated when one of the boys has destroyed something or made a mess, or not listened for the 30th time that day, i want to react calmly and peacefully and stay self controlled, keeping my speech firm, but still loving.

3. make breakfast. I am not to much of a morning person, which i am working on, and making breakfast has never been something that I've desired to do or worked hard at doing for my family.

4. read more books. Not just books of self improvement, homeschooling, or devotional... but books I've always wanted to read like " The Swiss Family Robinson" which i am Reading right now.

5. Drink more water

6. make my children brush their teeth. I am absolutely horrible in this department and I must confess that my children very often go to bed with unbrushed teeth.


That's really all i have, though they are plenty! :) What are your "resolutions"?

And the Gluten Free Winner is....

I know you don't like the Bob's red mill mixes so I'm going to give those to Megan (i guess both of you won!) and I've got a couple of other "mixes" for you to try.