Easter Cross Craft

Pin It I want to make the this time of preparation for Easter special for my kids. I want them to anticipate the resurrection of Christ like they do Christmas or their birthday. I want them to be excited and joyful about what Christ did for them on the cross and also have a time to be repentant and thankful for his sacrifice.

It is tough with a 2 and 3 year old and a spunky and destructive 1 year old. What can they understand? What can they remember? I am continually surprised at the truth of God's word that they repeat back to me throughout the day.

So, my plan... lay it on thick, let them know all the details of what Christ did without boring them and if they grasp any of it... great! Read books, make crafts, tell stories, watch dvds, memorize verses, all about the story of Easter.I have a good list of activities that will start to prepare their hearts, even if it is in a small way, to grown to learn about the majesty of Easter.
Here is our first project... a big hit.

Easter Cross Kites

These were very simple.

• We traced the boys hands and let them cut them out (don't look to close at the one on the left... Jack might have cut off most of his thumbs).
•  Then we glued them together to form a cross and I let them decorate them with whatever stickers I had. 
• We had some leftover birthday streamers that we used for the tail and tied some bows in it to make it a little more exciting.

We talked about the cross and what Jesus did for us at Easter. Then we talked about kites and how they move in the wind. We asked "is it windy today?" "If you run with your kite it looks like the wind is blowing it." "Can you say thank you to Jesus for what he did on the cross and the wind?" 

Then we hung them on the boys door so we might remember what Christ did for us every night beofre we go to bed during this season of lent.

.08 English Muffins

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Take a look at these beauties! I was fishing around a blog that my sister had sent me and found this recipe for English Muffins. We eat a ton of these because my hubby makes his famous egg sandwiches on Sunday after church. They turned out beautiful, but this was a picture of my second try. They only thing I found confusing about her recipe was that it calls for 3 c. of flour and then she only tells you to add 2 1/4 cups. I added the full 3 c. and the constancy was correct. I, also, rolled them out too thin the first time and the next time I had to fatten them up a bit.

So, I will leave you with a fun fact about English muffins... they are cooked... in a frying pan, not baked. That is why they are golden brown and flat on each side. I was not expecting that.

The joy of trying something new!One more thing... they are only .08 a piece to make. The budget loves these even more then I do.

Creative sick day

Pin It I went to bed last night knowing what would be in store for me today, but I still woke up ticked this morning that my head was stuffed and my eyes wouldn't stop watering.

So... what can you do on a day that you have the flu and every job seems like a huge mountain? 

I really just want to sit on my rocker with my box of Puffs, rub my temples and let the boys and Abigail rule the roost. Who cares if the boys volunteered to make breakfast and you noticed the hot sauce was empty? However, the thought of the clean up that would await me is enough incentive to get my act together. Also, the boys have decided they are young explorers and the allure of the "woods" scares me, because I am not sure what woods they are talking about and where they might end up with 15 minutes unattended outside.

I know people would say tell you to take it easy, put your feet up, but that is just not a reality for a mom. I have found that the day must go on, food must be wiped of little patties, and boys must be allowed to go po-po and ask for help being wiped. BUT...I can look for some less energetic ways to spend my time today and creative ways to keep the boys occupied.

So here is what we are doing today...

• Ordering my photos that I have been meaning to do for 6 months. There is a coupon code for Snapfish if you order more then $30 (FSFEB30). I might have ordered that many prints. Lets just say it has been a long while. I would also like to note we have 4 photo books to fill now and that is a lot of copies of the same cute photo of my little dreamers. However, I did save $16 bucks on shipping.
• Throwing graham crackers out the front door sporadically. Doesn't that sound creative? Well, it is. It adds at least 30 minutes to the outdoor play time and a quiet house is not easy to come by.
• Everyone is staying in their jammies. Please do not stop by. I may be included in this activity. 
• Making phone calls that I have been meaning to get too. Hopefully the lady at the pediatricians office doesn't mind my man-voice.
• Going on a diet. Nothing sounds good, so it is a good day to start.
• Eating leftovers for dinner. Sorry babe. Please still come home.
• Breaking into the vault of coveted crafts. "Yes, boys! Pick whichever one you want. The world is your canvas! Isn't this fun... Mom will be on the chair."

I might have to break down and get dressed. I am living in fear someone might come to the door and I really don't want to have to hide all three kids and myself if I hear the doorbell.

This is what is store when you get home tonight Dad!

Isn't he the best?

Homemade binoculars? Hours of entertainment people.

"We love it outside mom! We want to stay out here FOREVER. More graham crackers please!"

A Visit

Pin It One of my beautiful sisters came over today. We fed kids, wiped noses, and when a few went down for a nap we squeezed in a nice little chat.
Sometimes, as stay-at-home mommas, we need a little chat time. However, I don't crave those conversations that don't speak life. This was a quick chat that gave you the boost you needed for the rest of the day. A conversation that spoke life and truth into the other person. We spoke about what God was teaching us and what we wanted to do better. It made me want get going and live out the rest of the afternoon with conviction and passion as a mom. As soon as she left I mopped my floors, washed the dishes and deboned the meat.

Why don't all of our conversations speak life into other people?

Our home is a special place that people come and get to receive a piece of the spirit of our home, whether that is a godly, encouraging spirit or one that weakens and discourages. I want our home to be a place that speaks life.

John 10:10 " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Lettuce Wraps

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This is the only Asian meal that I cook. My mom used to make chop suey when we were kids... and I hated it. Every time she made it she would let me just eat the white rice. Which, looking at it from a parenting stand point, it was quite gracious of her. Now, I have an only white rice eater. Hmmm, what to do with him?

Anyway, this is one of my hubs favorite meals. If he sees lettuce wraps on a menu somewhere he has to try them. Then he will proceed to rate those wraps against all other wraps he has ever had. so naturally I had to try to find a recipe for our house. He always seems quite pleased with these and can eat at least 5-10 wraps in a night. I consider that a hit. I have to double this recipe and if you are feeding around 4-5 hearty eaters you will need to as well.

I had to purchase a few Asian products, but I had most of the ingredients at home. The main products you will need, and probably don't have unless you are a big Asian food family, are rice wine vinegar and Chinese hot mustard. So here it is:

You will need: 

• 2 T. butter or oil
• 2 Chicken breast or ground chicken breast ( I used the breast here, but the ground is definitely the way to go if you want to splurge on it).
• 1 c. water chestnuts
• 3 T. chopped onions
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 4-5 romaine lettuce leaves

Special Sauce

• 2 T. sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. rice wine vinegar
• 1 T. ketchup
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. hot mustard
• 1t. water

Stir Fry Sauce

• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix up the stir fry sauce and set aside.
2. Saute breasts or brown ground chicken. If using chicken breast, cut up into small cube size pieces.
3. Add onions, garlic, water chestnuts and stir fry sauce. Cook until onions are soft.
4. Make special sauce by dissolving sugar into water in a small bowl.
5. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, and lemon juice.
6. In a separate bowl combine hot mustard and water and stir well until it is smooth. Add mustard mixture to sauce right before you are ready to serve.
7. You can top you meat mixture with the special sauce or leave it is a small craft for people to pour over their wraps. Justin says the sauce makes this recipe. It is surprisingly sweet and tangy so make sure you get to this part.

I serve this with white rice and stir fry veggies and we pile it all in the lettuce like an Asian burrito. Take a look at my happy hubs!

Plate full of sauce. Just the way he likes it!

Justin: "Babe, I love you so much. Thank you for the great meal."

Krista: "You are welcome, Honey. Anything for you." 

Just a glimpse into the beautiful conversation that fills our home. 

It may have gone more like, Justin: "Why are you taking my picture, you weirdo?"

Krista: "For my blog, now SMILE!"

Creating Home

Pin It I needed to change the title to our blog as I looked what Christ was doing in my life and what I want my children to remember of me. I am realizing how important the home is. I think this is why I love my garden so much too. It is a great word picture for what us moms do at home.

 I prep my garden it in the fall (or I am supposed too, I know we are going to do better this year). I think about it all winter, reading books and trying to figure out how to get a more fruitful crop next year. Then spring comes and I stalk the beautiful aisles and people at the fruit market and think of excuses to stop in one more time. Summer comes and I spend most of my time out there. Weeding, hoeing, watering, and watching. It consumes my thoughts during those summer months. Then, my favorite part... everything canned and frozen looking so abundant and rich on my shelves and in my freezers.

That is the same as what our home life has done to me, it consumes my thoughts, and more recently, my actions. I want to work the soil of our home life so that is prepped to grow a strong foundation in faith for my family. I want to study and read God's word tirelessly so that when the summer of my children's lives come I will be strong in wisdom and knowledge for them. I want to love to shop God's word and dream about the fruit that will come and the beauty that will be seen when my children choose to walk with the Lord ( 3 John vs.4), when they rise and call me blessed ( Prov. 31:28). Then, I want to work through the summer, the fruitful, hot, tiring, months and years of their lives. I want to weed and prune and shape them into little warriors and maidens in Chirst who know their strength and value in him. I want them to grow tall in their inheritance that awaits them as priests in the kingdom. I want to be the one out there in the garden of their lives. I want to pray over each little seed that is sown. Then I want to be able to sit back and look at the beauty of Christ in them. The abundant, rich, beautiful, committed life in Jesus.


This is what happens at home.

Home is the place that gives me the time and the challenges to model Christ through the hardships and the blessings. This is my call, my battlefield, my ministry and my most important job. Everything I do throughout the day is for this end goal.

Gross things I did today...

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1. Pulled Abigail's little fingers out of a recently used, non-flushed potty
2. Separated the fat from the meat on a VERY FATTY cooked ham -I am just glad no one is cooking me and trying to find the meat... it would a bad day... a long day
3. Changed two orange and raisin filled diapers - don't let your imagination take you there
4. Washed out a sleeper and pants filled with the diaper treat. Please people... where is the best place to wash these out?
5. Fed 5 kids sloppy joes
6. Caught a glimpse of my thighs. This pregnancy forgot to send them the memo that the baby, in fact, will not be growing there.
7. Cleaned out a sink drain. Is this something we fail to talk about as mothers? I would like to bring the sheer bravery and courage we have into the light. 

It is only noon...

Books a Million

Pin It My hubby and I had a bookstore date for Valentine's Day. I forgot how fun that was (highly recommend for your next date). We meant to spend about an hour there, but as two hours neared we were ticked that we had to get going. I think we could have stayed all day, drank 6 coffees, and who knows how many books we could have powered through. The bookstores name got changed to BAM!, Books a Million. Justin thought that was quite funny, maybe a little too funny, and added a BAM! to the end of most of his statements while we were there (that might have been the only con of the date.) Anyway, I got some amazing reads there and it got me thinking how there IS a million books out there. How do we choose what to read? What is going to give us the most bang (or BAM...for you babe) for our time invested? As a busy mom, my reading time is limited and I want to make every book count.
Starting in March, I am going to offer a book club/book study at my house on Tuesday nights. I have a great list of few favorites that have been life changing I want to get through them again... ASAP. It will be a six week class that powers through four good books. My definition of a "good" book is one the pushes me deeper into the word of God after I finish reading it. Here is my thoughts on the schedule:
Week 1: Pre-read and discuss Godliness Through Discipline Jay Adams
Week 2: Discuss First We Have Coffee -  Margret Jenson
Week 3: Discuss Satan, You Can't Have My Children - Iris Delgado
Week 4: Discuss the first 70 pages Teach Them Diligently - Lou Priolo
Week 5: Discuss 70 - end of Teach Them Diligetnly
Week 6: To be determined. I have a few to many good ones contending for this spot.
The schedule will be quite rigorous, but I want to get through a lot of material and use the meeting time to discuss and brainstorm as wives and mothers.
Let me know if this is something that interests you. 

Party Time!

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Valentine's day was beautiful. Here are a few pictures of our sweetness celebrating her 1 year!

Birthday Girl! Already in a hand-me-down dress from cousin Anna and Aunt Meme. Too Cute!

It was Papa Bartlett's birthday too! You can always count on Nana and Papa to be color coordinated for the holiday!

CAKE!

Lovin' it

Her favorite present... the car seat

Jack had to take over caring for the baby. Abigail was just not giving it the attention it needed. He also asked me, "Mom can you tell Spencer to quit shooting me and my baby doll?". 

Cupcakes!

The three amigos. 

Oatmeal Bread

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I had a couple requests for the bread recipe from my starving the budget post. This is my mom's recipe and I don't know where she got it, but it is amazing, a no fail favorite, and the BEST BREAD EVER. We used to come home from school and eat 2 loaves between 4 or 5 of us girls. A grown man could polish of one loaf by himself, no problem. My boys are following in the tradition and can put down at least three pieces at a time. Best of all... it is CHEAP to make. So here it is:

1 C. of Oatmeal

2 C. Hot water

1/2 C. Brown sugar/honey

2 T.  Butter

1 T.  Salt (not heaping)

Put all these together in your mixture or a big bowl and let sit until the butter melts and the hot water cools. This gets the oatmeal all mushy.

Put in a separate dish

2 T. Yeast 

1/2 C. Warm water (not too warm)

Add the yeast mixture to the oatmeal mixture when it is cooled. Then mix in:

5-6 cups of flour

The bread should be a little sticky still. If you are making it in the mixer the bread should stick the the very bottom, not be completely attached the the hook.You don't want it hard as a brick but a little elastic-like and sticking to your fingers.

Let the dough rise until it doubles in size. Then take it out, punch it around (I have heard this is called kneading), and then pinch the middle until you get two loaves. Make sure there are no creases near the top of the loaf because they will split open while cooking. That is a pet peeve of mine because I want PRETTY loaves.

Let the newly formed loaves rise until they double and size. Stick em' in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then take out a stick of butter and rub it all over the top.

The oatmeal makes these loaves so moist! This is sure to be a favorite.

Let it rise

The pans have shortening and then flour dusted in them so the loaves don't stick

 Ready to hit the oven

Out of the oven, hot and ready

Loaves ready to head to the neighbors

The best part... feeding my little man. The strawberry jam really throws this over the top. I think he approves!

A Bartlett Valentine's Day

Pin It Today we will try to squeeze two birthday parties (Papa Bartlett and Abigail), cousins over, a special project for the each Nana, and a quiet moment to enjoy and reflect on the marriage covenant we live out everyday. I love the chance to show an extra amount of love to someone. Showering blessings and encouragement is not my natural bent, but a day just for that allows me the freedom to go over the top. Abigail is going to get balloons and cake. Papa Bartlett will get steaks and baked potatoes. The Nanas will get valentines and heart necklaces made especially for them by two beautiful boys. 
BUT... my hubby. How do I show him exactly how special he is? How horrible life would be without him? How thankful I am for all his hard work? I am stewing up a few ideas as I write. My best thoughts include things I know he loves. Dates, movies, treats, a clean and warm house, and words of affirmation. However, this morning I was reading about my job as a wife and the need to pray against strongholds in his life and for the his spirit to be strengthen and fed by the word. This is the gift that I really want to give. To heap blessings on his life and I claim God's word in his life.
Here are a few key promises I want to remember to pray for him:
Protection from the enemy - "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." John 17:15
A wife with a merry/cheerful heart - "but the cheerful heart  has a continual feast."  Proverbs 15:15
That he would have the joy of the Lord - "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Neh. 8:10
That he would delight in the Lord and meditate on Him - "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalms 1:2
Angelic protection - "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will life you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12
There are so many more. I can hardly contain myself from looking for everyone and memorizing each truth. I know this will be the best gift I can ever give.

A gift for Nana

The sweetest treat of all... two godly Nanas.

Menu for the week

Pin It I have another blog I love to read, Heavenly Homemakers. She posts a menu plan every week and it is so helpful for me for generating some new ideas. We have a few restrictions in our house (that means... if I make them my husband will not eat them) so I don't and we are both happy. No casseroles, no peas, and limited white sauce dishes. If I feed him cream of ANYTHING soup he might wake up with night terrors over his horrible dinner experience. I don't include too many of these in my menu plans or look at these on other websites, but that is the beauty of the internet, you can pick and choose for your family.
Here is our plan this week:
Monday: Chicken tortilla soup, tortilla chips
Tuesday: Steak, potatoes, salad (birthday party for Dad B)
Wednesday: Quiche, sausage links
Thursday: Chicken Lettuce Wraps, rice, veggies
Friday: Potato Pockets
Saturday: Dinner at neighbors (we have to go any chance we get before our family gets too big and no one invites us over anymore)
Sunday: Roast, carrots, potatoes
The boys and I have the same schedule for breakfast and lunch for each day of the week. It just keeps things simple and then I know what to have in the house and I only need to be creative about dinners.

Starving the Budget

Pin It I want to get our budget so it is like a anorexic form of it's previous self. However, my husband and I share different views of necessities and so I have to be creative in the things I scrimp on. For example, I would just never buy cereal (a splurge in my book), but he would look at me so sad on Saturdays mornings that it would never fly. Here are a few of my latest money savers:

• Taking the boys INSANE amount of clothes to the consignment store. Then I use the money on credit to get half price formula. The date is still good (don't worry babe) and Abigail is lovin' it way more then the full price stuff, I am sure.
• Making homemade bread. It is a great housewarming gift or bring to coffee-chat- time with friends and a jar of homemade jam, WHICH, I HAVE A TON OF. Anyone need some plum jam?
• Staying home more. I get more work done and I spend less money. I don't know why I didn't figure this out earlier, but I think I was scared of not having interaction with the outside world. We have a good amount of visitors and I have been disciplined in my crafts and projects for the boys so they don't get bored. Now going to a cousins to visit is an absolute treat or a reward for good behavior. 

I absolutely love saving money, but it is only rewarding if I get to see the fruits of that labor when we are allowed to give out of our excess.

Debt Snowball Update

Pin It My sister just recently commented that she was checking her bank account frantically to see if her tax return money was there. As if she was going to do something fun with it rather than pay down her rolling debt snowball. I am happy to say the debt snowball has already spoken for our tax return as well. We will be moving it out of our bank account an on to the student loan just as quickly as we can. After that payment we will have one more loan that is scheduled to be paid off in April/May. Then we will be DEBT FREE except for the house! We still feel like we have a long way to go, but at least we look a lot better then we did this time last year. Thank the Lord for giving us the passion to take charge of our finances.
Now If I could just squeeze in a trip to Arizona to see my parents and let my boys run around in their undies... doesn't hurt to hope!

A Few Pics

Pin It I am supposed to be balancing checkbooks right now, but I have not posted any precious pictures of my little dreams in so long that I just had to take a break to look all of them. Here are a few to remember this sweet season of life.

All three in Christmas PJ's


More jammies...hmmm I am beginging to see a theme


Bros! Slamming eachother with snowballs


The lovebirds!


Spencer on his trip with Dad. Please take notice of his mini-me Dutchman shirt.

I could just look at these all day long. Thank you Lord for a beautiful healthy family and so many good memories.