Bits of Randomness

The Purge Continues...

It has been so great to be getting rid of all the things that have been cluttering up our home (and lives) lately. I've made a big list of all the areas in our home to go through and sort, purge and organize. I've found stuff all over the place that we don't need or use or want. It is so freeing to just let it go and step that inch closer to a simple organized life.

As you probably guessed from the last purging post, we are heading toward a garage sale in a few weeks now. However, we will be learning from our mistakes last time and doing a few things differently. First off, I'm inviting a few more families to take part. This makes for a bigger sale and really great company during the sale. The second thing is we will be advertising, advertising advertising. Two years ago we only used craigslist, but this time we will have signs and ads in the newspaper and craigslist, too.

Lately, I've been really in love with Craigslist. As you know, we got our free $90 stroller with their help, but also, I've been selling bigger things in a sort of a pre-garage-sale sale, just to get the big stuff out. I cannot even tell you what we've sold in the last few weeks! They include: a dining room table, a tv, a mini fridge, a few outside ride-on toys, a large hall tree, a small hutch- and much more. They were mostly things we bought right after we were married. And I've got more listings to go, ready to be posted tomorrow. With part of the money, we bought something that we've been wanting for a long time. Real bookcases. Pretty Bookcases. Now they hold all of our theology books and classic novels and lots more. Our hardbacks look so nice now! I'm even reserving a spot on the bottom shelf of each for a better looking container of toys. Maybe galvanized buckets, but we're not there yet. (And guess what is next on my list of things to sell? Yep~ the old laminated bookshelves. It's continuing the cycle!)



Also, I am now 27 weeks pregnant and you know what that means~ 3rd trimester. So apart from all of the nesting and sorting and cleaning and organizing and schooling, I am also making myriad lists for baby A's arrival. This week I'm working on food prep for the family while I am laid up. As I type, I have a 22lb turkey in the oven that I will carve and make into a few casseroles and other dinners and stick in the freezer for the baby adjustment period. I'm starting on the food now because gathering ingredients and all of the big batch cooking will take a while. It feels really great to be getting prepared!

Beautiful Provision

I am in love. I love this little guy who has yet to be seen. He's so active (he'll fit in well with his brothers), and even my OB called him a wild child because he wouldn't stay still during the last appointment. Dabney's infant car seat is about to expire at the end of the year so I've been checking out deals for new infant seats and found a great deal on this seat by Graco. (Do I ever pay retail for anything?) I love it. I love to carry it and I love all the features and I love the colors. I feel like I know so much more now about baby gear than I did when we were pregnant the first time. Anyway, I figured that we'd be ok with sticking the new car seat in the double stroller and going on our merry way without a "travel system". I've been trying for a long time to be content with what God gives us and not looking for "the next thing".

However, Tim and I like to check out the free section of Craigslist every now and then. So last Saturday night we were looking around online and found a family about 5 minutes from us giving away a free Graco stroller that had a broken wheel~ that just happened to be brand new and just happened to match and fit our new carseat. Coincidence? No way. I picked it up that night and set to work to fix the wheel. It took a bit of time and some Gorilla Glue to get it set just right, but the wheel is as good as new now and spins and turns just as it should. God is always faithful to provide and we are so thankful for what He has graciously given.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

We thought you'd like to see your furniture in it's current location. And, for the record, we love it so much! See that sheen on the chair in the second picture? Yep. I did that this weekend so that the kids don't ruin the chairs. The blue sideboard holds most of our homeschool books and tools. I can't believe how good God is to us sometimes, with these blessings unforeseen. As you can see from the pictures above, the kids love doing their schoolwork at the new table, and I feel like Mom in my seat closest to the hutch. We recently sprung for Math-U-See and Dabney's been zooming through the recent lessons. David, on the other hand, only wants to build things with the manipulatives, but that keeps him occupied while I'm teaching Dabney. Anyway, I have to get back to the kiddos and the household duties, which seem to be legion today. Love you, Mom and Dad! Thank you again!

A Faint Light at the End of the Tunnel!

(Before the baby comes, that is...)

Overheard

"Dabney, you make the macaroni and I'll get the mail."

This week I've been clearing out the clutter and spring cleaning~ so there's my excuse for not posting in a week. What a job! So much we don't need or don't use or have outgrown. Today, I'm listing things on Craigslist after spending most of yesterday in the basement and crawlspace. The thing the kids are playing with in the pictures above is on the list to find another home, but don't tell them just yet. I'll wait until naptime. It feels so wonderful to purge and clear out and get rid of the excess! I can't wait until it's all done.

Daring Bakers Challenge #13

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.



2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds.


Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C


9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet. I checked the cake at 25 minutes and it was very dry. I would begin chicking the temp at 15 minutes if I did it again.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.




Light, airy vanilla ice cream was the perfect accompaniment for this rich fudge-like cake.


Wendy's Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too).
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer
Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.


If you have never made homemade ice cream and you have the ability, please, please do this for your family. It is so easy and it will make them love you forever. The above recipe is "Philadelphia-style", not because I'm partial to the city, although I am, but because it doesn't require you to make a cooked custard for your ice cream. Easy, easy, easy and very delicious. And please, I beg you, use real vanilla beans. But, you already know how I feel about that.

A Few Random Things

As you can see our little window seedlings have grown into a veritable window jungle!
David is holding the pumpkin sprout and Dabney has the green beans. We also just got some more seeds~ broccoli, watermelon, corn, cucumbers, peas and zucchini. The kids have loved this so much. We can't wait until we can take them outside in a few months.



I broke down yesterday and bought one of those 6 cube wire organizers to keep my 12x12 scrapbook paper nice and neat and I am totally in love with the results!


I printed the color names on cardstock tags and then ran them through my laminator (because I am obsessed with my laminator) and then punched small holes in the tags and attached them to the wire shelves with pipe cleaners (although the label on the bag called them "chenille stems" and that makes them sound much fancier and much less kindergarten-ish).



As you can tell from the pile up above, I'm still sorting all of my lovely paper, but it is so great to know what I have and where I have it, that is to say, at my fingertips.

A Little Prenatal Bonding

Well, here we are 23 weeks along, and Sweet Little Guy is growing right on schedule. I'm full into my maternity clothes and visibly pregnant to the world. Unfortunately, when people hear that we have our 3rd boy in a row arriving in Spring, usually they offer me some sort of condolences, not to mention the just plain rude remarks. Even families who embrace lots of kids say something like, "Oh wow. Three boys... that's... exciting..." Which usually means something like, "I'm so glad that I am not you!" It's true that little boys take a special understanding, and that follows logically because well taught little boys turn into extraordinary men, so of course you will have to put in lots of work and prayer and discipline to reap wonderful fruit later.

Anyway, with all the hubbub about another boy, it brings me great joy to feel his kicks and acrobatics (mostly in the evenings and after I eat), to buy him little treats, and call him by his name~ which I might reveal to blogland later. Although he has a nice amount of hand-me-downs from his brothers, I feel like he still needs a few new things, so when I saw the little outfit last weekend at a store closing sale, I couldn't resist. I also have started and almost finished his baby quilt, which is made from little soft fabric remnants I've collected for a while. And since we will continue to cloth diaper, I made him a few dozen big, soft, turned and topstitched wipes. (It's the green spotted pile in the middle of the picture.) It is so sweet for me to think that in a few short weeks he will be here. His brother and sister talk about him all the time and can't wait to hold him. Some of my favorite baby memories of the others are at night, when the house is quiet and the big kids are in bed (I think this began with David) and our nightowl baby and I can snuggle together on the couch or take warm bath in the little tub in the kitchen by the heater vent. I'm so looking forward to meeting our Little Guy~ the eternal work God does in his life is so worth a few years of mine!

Valentine's Day Candy Massacre

"Can you please stop taking my picture now?"

Funny Boy

Dabney's Birthday

This picture is only to prove that yes, indeed we did go to the bowling alley again, like the last few birthdays. Although Dabney had the highest score (with bumpers) David was the crack up this time. Everytime he'd get his ball from the ball return, he'd say thank you to it. And I tried to get the look on his face everytime he's bowl his ball down the lane. He'd turn around and just have this serious game face on~ no smile, no jumping up and down like Dabney. Almost as if he wanted to say, "Bring it on!"


I wanted to get a group shot, but they kept giving me crazy looks. And after all, Josh just wanted to get down to the cake business.

But these two are always more than happy to oblige. David said, Happy Birthday, Dabney" all day long, and Dabney would just smile shyly and say, "Happy Birthday, David".

Five big wishes for our big girl!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

My dear Dabney,

Can five years really have passed since our sweet girl was delivered into our arms? It seems like the years have disappeared and here you are~ a big, beautiful, thoughtful girl big enough to have earrings and begin kindergarten.

God has blessed you so much, Sweetie. Your brothers love you so much and genuinely enjoy being around you. They love to play with you because you are kind and fair. In fact, you are so good to your brothers (even though sometimes they can bug you) that God has decided to bless another new brother by giving him you as a big sister! You have grown so much in your character: your patience is improving, your self control is developing (homeschooling is a huge help) and God has given you a beautiful heart for other people. It blesses me so much to see you identify obedience and disobedience, like what you said just last night when you knew you disobeyed, "I'm just like Eve, huh?"



You are a genuine help to you mom and dad, and we are thankful for you everyday. You are also growing in your practice of peacemaking and conflict resolution. This is a tough one, but for the oldest child this is especially important. We are blessed to be your parents, Dabney. We had no idea what we were getting into when we found out that we were expecting you, but God is so faithful and although we had some hard times when you were younger, the fruit we see in your life is remarkable.


We are so grateful for our Dabney. With our 3rd son in a row coming in June the thought can be intimidating, but we know this is God's blessing to us. And I know that God gave you to us first~ on purpose. You are a help already to us and you tell me everyday how you can't wait to help with your new baby brother. And I know you will.

May your heart grow in God's grace every day throughout your 6th year, and may He bless you one day with a daughter as delightful and beautiful as He has given to us.

With so much love,
Your Mama and Daddy

Window Seedlings

I think every kindergarten classroom across the planet has something like this in their window.

We chose to grow the seeds in the canning jars instead of a pretty terracotta pot so the kids can see the roots develop. They are so thrilled every morning to see the progress in their tiny window garden.

An Addition for our New Addition pt. 6

Ok, welcome to our 4th bedroom. I've hesitated to do this post for almost a week, but the room really isn't done yet (will it ever be?) and I'm still lacking energy and motivation from the flu we all had last week. Our builder friends finished trimming and texturing last Tuesday and it looks pretty great~ as great as texture can look, that is, but that's another post. We also played musical beds with David this last weekend and moved him into a spare toddler bed we had in the crawlspace and moved his convertible crib into the new room. Ultimately we're looking for bunkbeds for the boys' room like this, hopefully with a trundle underneath one day to fit all 3 brothers in the same room.

So the boxspring is on the frame, but I'm waiting for the zippered mattress pad to arrive before I add the mattress and linens.


The crib linens are in the washer right now. See, I didn't even move my dropcloth out of the way for this picture. I think the books will be moving out of the room, but they're here for now. There you have it. I'll be working on it more this week, but the laundry really needs my attention today.