Sunday Snapshot 

{the last 4 days... a whirlwind of activity!}

 I got to visit with my dear college friend, Kat and her kids, on Thursday night and Friday morning during our trip to celebrate our State's 150th birthday!

Here are 6 of our 8 kiddos all together (Nate was playing and P was sleeping:)

 Friday morning we visited our State Capital,it was a first for all the kids. There is a lot of renovation going on but we still had fun!

We visited the Senate Chambers and the House of Representatives.

 Our guide did a great time explaining things to the kids.

 

The kids were amazed by the long hallways and I just kept thinking about all the history if these walls could talk...

 Then we visited the State's Historical Society Museum, because it was for the "Birthday Celebration" there were lots of extra activities!

Amelia Earhart even showed up!

We stopped by the Governor's Mansion for a photo and the kids played in the snow in his front yard! Yes, there is snow every where and my children aren't wearing coats! It was 60+ degree on Friday! They had a blast!

 We made one more stop to see Kat and her kids again then started the LONG trek home, getting in late Friday night.

 Saturday morning found us heading to town and a nervous little girl in the back seat! Lenna played in the Music Educators Piano Festival on Saturday morning. She did a wonderful job and ended her song with her nose... playing "Mozart by a Nose!"

Stop by Stefanie's to check out Sunday Snapshot!

Compound eyes, home made hamburger buns & the winners!

We have been reading about insects lately and their compound eyes. These critters started appearing in my house not long afterwards! Eeek!!!

I also wanted to share this home made Hamburger Bun recipe. I made pulled pork for sandwiches this week and forgot to buy buns so I found this recipe and tried it! We LOVED them! They also only took about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish with rising, etc. I think from now on, I'll just make my own. I did adjust the recipe a little. First, I doubled it, then I used honey instead of sugar. Doubled, the recipe calls for 9 cups of flour- I used 6 cups of regular bread flour and 2 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour. They were a hit and we finished them off for lunch today with ham sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The picture on the recipe link shows sesame seeds on the buns but I made mine plain.

And the winners of the book, One Thousand Gifts! When I started the give away, I was planning to just give away 1 copy of the book... I have now decided to give away 3 copies I have been blessed by it so much! And... everyone who signed up will be a winner of a small journal that I will send you if you are willing to join me in journaling 1000 things you are thankful for in 2011!  I started my own journal and I am learning so much even in the first few days of writing down the little things that I am thankful for.

Now for the winners!!!

 Book winners are:

Lisa at Two Strawberry Girls

 5ennie at Our Mothership Adventures

Amy P

Please email me your mailing address at quiltnmama2@gmail.com and I will get your books shipped to you!

Everyone else who entered, please email me your address at the email listed above if you would like a journal to start your list of 1000 Gifts!

Hope you have a great weekend! We are off to celebrate our State's birthday tomorrow at the Capital!

Wordless Wednesday {almost}

***Don't forget that today is the last day to sign up for the Giveaway! Go to this post to read about it and leave a comment!***

Sunday Snapshot 

{Ice Fog mornings, One Thousand Gifts
and a cup of tea...}

PLUS a little giveaway!

This past week we had a few morning of fog and ice. 

Though the roads were treacherous,

it truly was beautiful outside in my eyes... 

there is something about the fine details of nature etched in white...

Maybe is is the way you can hear the crackle of the ice in the branches when the wind blows...

or the crunch when we walk across the grass... 

There is just something beautiful about it to me...

 

Or maybe it is the quietness of the morning... my time to have moments with God alone, seeking Him and praying for my family... all in the company of a cup of tea. This week's quiet moments have been filled  with the words of a new book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

 The act of sacrificing thank offerings to God–even for the bread and cup of cost, for cancer and crucifixion–this prepares the way for God to show us His fullest salvation from bitter, angry, resentful lives and from all sin that estranges us from Him.~ Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Ann's book has challenged my heart to think about giving thanks in absolutely everything and how in my learning to do this, my heart is changed, my reactions to everyday life is changed and brought into focus. I love her honesty as she reflects on how life as a busy mom has caused her to miss moments and how she has learned the importance of stopping for the moments... "I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God." (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts.)

You can read more about Ann Voskamp on her blog, A Holy Experience, one of my favorite visited when I have a moment!

I miss so much in the hurry... at times I hold on to the hurt and don't take the time to give thanks in difficult situation... when life gets crazy I forget the words of Matthew 4:4

"Man cannot live by bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God."

I want to pass on this book, One Thousand Gifts, that has blessed me this week! Leave me a note on this post by Wednesday night at midnight CST and we'll have a little drawing on Thursday morning! Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave me a comment letting me know that you did and I'll add your name twice:)

Be sure to stop by Stefanie's and check out some other Sunday Snapshots too!

Stone Soup & my favorite home made rolls!

Today for school, a play version of the story, Stone Soup, was in Lenna's reading lesson. We have loved this book for several years since our friends gave it to our kids as a gift. We decided that since it was cold outside, it was a great day to make our own stone soup!

Lenna headed out and found a few stones, then mommy had her scrub them really good! Next Mommy boiled them to sterilize them for a long time:)

 After that, we started with making our soup. We sort of winged it today...

In our pot we added...

Water- about 5 cups

6 stones- one for each of us at lunch today

baby carrots- a handful that we chopped up

2 potatoes- peeled and diced

5 beef boullion cubes (not healthy but they gave us some flavor)

2 Tbsp. of butter

1/4 of a cabbage- chopped up

fresh parsley

1/4 c. chopped onion

noodles- the book says barley but we didn't have any

salt & pepper to taste

Combine everything except the noodles and cook until the potatoes are done. Then add the noodles, cook until they are done. Serve. 

*In the story, they mention adding cream at the very end. Lenna and I tried adding some milk to our soup and it was very tasty!

We ate our stone soup today with my new favorite dinner roll recipe. 

I found this base recipe online and then adjusted it to this...

My New Favorite Dinner Rolls

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 1/2 cup warm water

3/4 cup dry powdered milk

6 tablespoons shortening

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups bread flour

3 Tablespoons flax meal

In a large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to proof (bubble.) Add the milk powder, shortening, shortening, eggs, honey, salt and the whole wheat flour. Turn on mixer and mix well. Add the remaining flour and allow the mixer to form a soft dough. I then allow mine to mix/knead for about 7 minutes. Turn dough into a oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm location and allow the dough to double- takes about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough and form golf ball size round rolls and place on a greased cookie sheet.

(The boys helped me shape them today...)

Allow to rise about 30 minutes. 

 Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake rolls in the oven about 18 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Brush with butter immediately after removing them from the oven and serve warm.

"They are awesome!" according to my kiddos!

These guys were visitors in our backyard this afternoon... They seem to like my unset clothes line poles!

The story, Stone Soup, is an old folk tale. I realized when I looked it up on Amazon there are many versions- you can check each one out here:

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Stone Soup by Ann Mcgovern and Winslow Pinney Pels

Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth

Stone Soup by Heather Forest

Stone Soup by Jess Stockham 

The Real Story of Stone Soup by Ying Chang Compestine

Stone Soup (The cook book:) by Bill Liao

Sunday Snapshot {a glimpse of last week...}

The icky cold bug has been living at our house for the last week. Ugh! I haven't taken many pictures and haven't blogged either. Here are just a few pictures from our week, hopefully we will get to feeling better soon and have some exciting things to share:)

Batman and his sidekick have saved us frequently this week from the "bad guys" of the world.

 This was the girls' big gift under the Christmas tree this year. They are learning to use it and working on projects for 4-H.

 One of Lenna's friends was over to play early in the week. She wanted to learn to sew too. The girls are making pillowcases with their 4-H sewing group for a community service project. The pillowcases are being given to the local nursing home to brighten the residents beds...

 Abigayl is getting the hang of it...

 Lenna and K with their afternoon projects finished! They did a great job. K was so excited to show her mom when she came to pick her up!

 

 Abigayl went back to the eye doctor this week, we've been there every 6 months with her for awhile watching one of her eyes. They decided this time for glasses! Thankfully she is excited about them- for now at least- she has to wear them all the time:) I think she looks pretty cute:)

I am praying that everyone gets to feeling much better and that we have a great week! Hope you do too!

Stop by Stefanie's to check out some other Sunday snapshots!

but we had finally made it to the moment we had come for...
It had been a fun week in China visiting friends in Hangzhou,  spending time in Beijing sightseeing with my parents, a little excitement of missing Shawn at the airport when he flew in to join us and he spent the night with friends he met on the airport at their hotel. We had arrived at the apartment the night before and had much of the day to get settled,  but we had finally made it to the moment we had come for...Two years ago in my friend's apartment in Xian, we met this little man and I became mommy to our 4th treasure.

Tonight as I sit here and think about that first meeting, tears flow. For 9 months, we had stared at pictures of him, gotten a few brief updates and poured our hearts out to the Lord on his behalf. We had dreamed of this moment, prayed for this moment and longed for it. Finally, the moment had come...

 I clearly remember the other 3 kids so excited, anticipating meeting their brother, waiting to hear the door bell ring and then knowing that my son was on the other side. The next several minutes are a bit of a blur in my memory, but what stands out is how scared this tiny boy, my son, looked... everything that he had ever known was gone. His friends, the nannies who had cared for him, the 4 walls of his orphanage bedroom, his crib... things that were all part of life as he knew it. He was young and couldn't understand, but he was also very brave...

 I remember the moment when I finally got to hold my son. Tears flowed then as well. I remember thinking that he was much smaller than I expected... I remember feeling his little body tremble... I remember the look in his eyes. Those eyes were full of questions and I couldn't answer them with words. All I could do was hold him and try to comfort him.

 The next few hours, he was so quiet. No tears, just wide eyes taking it all in. He watched the other kids, accepted a sucker from his daddy and played with toys. The only word we could understand was "mama." He wasn't referring to me, he had no idea what a "mama" really was, that was what he called the blanket we had sent him in a care package.

Later near bed time, the tears came in a flood as they did for many nights to follow. As I think back on the road we have been on in the 2 years we have been a family, I reminded again and again of this scripture...

 but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

The next morning, we did see moments of joy, smiles and laughter... but there was a lot of sadness and grief as well. I wouldn't trade the world for it all, the rough road has taught me much as a mama and joy has come with it. Nate has grown and changed, time is healing his heart and he's learned what it means to have a daddy, a mommy and a family.

For those of you who know our story of bringing Nate home, you know that it was a long and winding road. Many things did not go as planned and it seemed to take forever to get to China. It wasn't my timing, but in hind sight, we see each day that it was His and we see and are reminded of the blessings that resulted in His perfect plan. We are so thankful for the families that we got to meet while we were in China and watch their lives be changed by their children as well.

 How blessed I am to hear the laughter of our children echo through the house. How thankful I am that God chose to adopt me as His child and brought adoption to our hearts and then that He called us to grow our family through adoption.

 I am thankful that two of my children are no longer orphans but my heart aches for those who wait not having a family to all their own. Around the world, so many children go to bed each night alone, maybe not literally alone but without a family to call their own.

God heart is love, I am thankful that He loves each of us and that He loves the orphan and the widow. He also calls us to care for them and it looks different for different people... Is He calling you to make a difference?
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18

I can tell you that your life will forever be changed!

Nate, my sweet son, I am so thankful for the last 2 years that you have been in our arms and part of our family. I am also thankful for the 9 months that you grew in our hearts as we waited for you to come home. God is molding you and shaping you, I know He has great plans for you son. I am thankful today that God chose me to be your mama.

Happy Family Day Nate!