Celebrate!

Jillian turned 9 this month (Blessing #1139) and for her birthday we decided to try and make a balance beam for her. I found a DIY website that made the beam construction sound pretty easy(#1140), so we got the supplies (after procrastinating several days) and began construction (after procrastinating some more) 2 days before the big day. Plenty of time!

 

First, we glued 6 8-ft 6x1 boards together. Then we enlisted the help of our handy neighbor to plane the boards to make them even and smooth. (Thanks, Mr Lum!). And then Jacob and Chad attached the legs.

Next, I wrapped it with padding and imitation leather, and Waa-Laa!

This is how you hug a balance beam!

Jillian spent the next 2 days celebrating. (#1141) After school that Friday, Jillian had a party at Gutterz Bowling with 8 extremely energetic little friends (the longest 2 hours of my day).

Jacob & Jenica even found a spot in this photo

And then we picked up Jillian's special friend Marilyn and took her to McDonalds for supper. Marilyn loves Jillian and sits by us in church every Sunday. Marilyn had been looking forward to Jillian's birthday just as much as Jillian. Jillian and her friend Ava provided the entertainment for everyone at McDonalds that night....just ask the Stratton's. (#1142)

Jillian, Ava, Marilyn

The next day, we celebrated her long-anticipated birthday with our families that lives close by. (#1143) Since my nephew Adam had a birthday the same week, we celebrated his birthday also (#1144). As you can see, Jillian got into the play makeup before we lit the candles.

Jillian (9) & Adam (8)

 

Twelve Eggs

That's how many egg whites it took to make my first home-made Angel Food Cake last week. Because the 2-step Angel Food Cake Mix is easy-peasy, I never really desired to make one from scratch. But this year we hosted Easter (Blessing #1136), and since my mom is allergic to the preservatives found in the boxed kind, I wanted to attempt baking one from scratch so she could eat some too.

 

The result? It looked beautiful and tasted wonderful! (#1137) I don't think I'll ever go back to boxed angel food cake again.

It was so easy to cut, and unlike the boxed kind, it didn't get all squished up when I sliced it. (#1138).

Now, what do I make with the 12 leftover egg yolks?

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed!

 

 

We sang this song at church today - it's one of my favorites. (Blessing #1132) Even though we face many trials in this world, we can take our eyes and lift them up. Up to heaven, where we will one day be with Jesus for all of eternity. (#1133) It's sometimes easy to get caught up in the hard things we face, but we can readjust our focus on what really matters - Eternity - and then the things that seemed so big, all of a sudden become very small. (#1134) The best is yet to come (#1135), and I look forward to the day when God restores everything back to the way it was meant to be.

No more tears, no more shame.

No more sin and sorrow ever known again.

No more fears, no more pain.

We will see you face to face. See you face to face.

And we will worship. Worship.

Forever in your presence we will sing.

We will worship, worship you.

An endless Hallelujah to the King.

An endless Hallelujah to the King.

 

Beau Joins Our Family

After Rollie died in December, we knew that it would take some time for our family to move forward and add a new dog to our family. It was a hard wait for Jillian, but the day finally arrived. (Blessing #1128) We really wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter, and after speaking to the gals at Heartland Pet Connection in Hastings, we knew we found the right place. (#1129)

We were really impressed with how they work with their pets, teaching them skills, helping them overcome adversities, and prepare them for a successful transition into their new families. And this is where we found Beau. (#1130). He's a year-and-a-half, beautiful yellow Lab. He's a bit shy, but just in the time we spent with him at the shelter, he's already developing an attachment to us . . . especially Jenica.

His favorite place to lay down is a small little corner of the living room, between Chad's lazy-boy and the couch. It must feel "safe" to him right now.

He had a big day yesterday as he was introduced to life outside the shelter. And he's gettin' lots of love in his new forever family. (#1131)

Soccer and Singing

It's spring! But the weather sure hasn't felt very spring-like lately. Tuesday, the sun was shining (blessing #1121), but the cold wind kept us wrapped in blankets during Jenica's first JV soccer game of the season. "Bundle up, snuggle-cup", as Jillian would say.  She likes to make up silly rhymes. (#1122)

Because Jenica's game and Jillian's spring concert were scheduled for the same night, about 30 minutes apart, I was only able to see half of the JV game before it was time to get Jillian over to The Tassel for her Spring Music Porgram. Chad was coaching the boys team on the adjacent field and was able to switch fields for a while so he could watch Jenica play her first half. I'm grateful it was a home game, and that Chad and I were both able to see part of her first game. (#1123)

Mrs. Butler always does a great job with her kiddos, and we could tell they were having fun. (#1124) Jillian's favorite song (and mine too) was the one called "Fireflies". Each of the 2nd graders had flashlights that they flashed on and off while singing when they dimmed the lights. It looked like fireflies were fluttering around on stage. Too cute!

After the program, Jillian searched and searched and proudly showed us her 4 pieces of artwork, which were on display in the foyer. (#1125)

Jenica's game ended just in time for her to walk across and catch Jillian's portion of the program. (#1126) The bad news of the day was that my nephew Xander (also a 2nd grader) got sick earlier in the day and missed the program. Things like that can't be avoided, but it sure creates some sad moments for both mamma and child.

As I sat watching the kids and enjoying the program, I happened to notice several of the boys yawning off and on while trying to sing. And those yawns took me back in time about 14 years to when Jacob was a little boy and yawned his way through music programs too. Flashbacks like these are always a welcome gift. (#1127)

Grapefruit Knife

My Pampered Chef grapefruit knife is one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets. (Blessing #1120) And it gets used heavily this time of year, thanks to the fresh grapefruit coming in from Texas.

In my attempts to find a link to the Pampered Chef grapefruit knife on their website, I discovered that it's been discontinued. (Gasp!) What?! Say it isn't so! If you like grapefruit and wish you had an easy way to separate each section easily, you'll want to find a knife like this with the curved end. The one end allows you to separate the fruit from each membrane, and the curved edge allows you to cut away the fruit from the rind. If you find one on eBay or amazon, snatch it up right away!

Broiled Grapefruit

Each year, my parents bring us fresh grapefruit from Texas. Big, juicy, Ruby Red grapefruit. (Blessing #1119). Some times they are so sweet, you don't even need sugar sprinkled on them.

Today, I decided to try something that I saw on Pinterest. Broiled grapefruit. First, I used my handy-dandy Pampered Chef double-sided grapefruit tool, (which upsets me that it's been discontinued) then I sprinkled each side with 1 TB brown sugar and a little cinnamon. Then I broiled them for about 5-6- minutes, until the sugar carmelized. They were really good! But will I make them this way again? Probably not. Plain grapefruit, sprinkled with a little sugar, is still my favorite way to eat a grapefruit.

Thanks for breakfast, mom and dad!

Track.....I think not!

That was my thought back in high school. Why run when you can walk (or ride a bike . . . or drive), and still get there? I had a "jogging" class in 8th grade, which i didn't mind, but we didn't have to jog the whole time....just part of the time. And I eventually got to where I didn't mind jogging. But running? Uhhh, no thank you!

Our kids did track in junior high and pretty much hated it. So when they got into high school, both Jacob and Jenica opted for soccer instead. I haven't told them, but it appears that there is a lot more running in soccer than track.

Today, Jenica brought home her new girls soccer t-shirt, which is always designed by the senior girls. I like it! (No offense if you're someone who enjoys track.)

Different strokes for different folks. I'm thankful we live in a community where several different options exist for the athletes to chose from each season. (Blessing #1118) And I'm glad I don't have to run. I'll let my children do that instead.

St. Patrick's Day Mulligan

Well, I totally dropped the ball yesterday. It was St Patricks Day, and the only thing I did was dress Jillian in a green shirt. It wasn't until I was tucking her in bed last night that she told me that it didn't feel at all like St. Patrick's Day. She was disappointed. I then realized that I evidently rely on her teachers each year to make it feel like a special day, but this year it fell on a Sunday. And I dropped the ball.

That's why today was our mulligan. Our do-over. Praise God for second chances! (Blessing #1114)

Jillian helped me make green cupcakes with green frosting after school (#1115), followed by green pasta (a little food coloring in the boiling water does the trick nicely) with Chicken Alfredo sauce and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Alfredo sauce. (#1116)

As you can see, she was elated. Our St. Patty's Day Do-Over gave all of us a chance to add a little more green to our diet. (#1117)

The Year of the Snake

Chinese New Year began on February 10th. And for those of us who have been blessed to experience a Chinese or Korean adoption, we know that all government offices close for a whole week during the Chinese New Year. This means that yet another delay is encountered by anyone waiting to bring their child home. However, these little darlings are worth the wait, and we gathered last Sunday to celebrate them and the biggest holiday of their heritage. (Blessing #1112). Unfortunately, we were missing two little darlings, who were hit by the influenza bug.

Lily, Lainey, Mya, Emma, Jillian

We really don't need a reason to eat Chinese foods, but we seized the moment and filled the table with both Korean and Chinese favorites.

I love it when we can celebrate something so special with others who know what the international adoption journey is all about. (#1113). My prayer is that many, many others will get the "adoption bug" too, and step out in faith to experience one of the biggest blessings ever.

 

Finding Rest

When faced with a problem, my initial reaction is to accept it, weigh my options, figure out a solution, and move forward.  I am a problem-solver by nature.  I had a boss one time who said, "don't come to me with a problem, unless you've attempted to come up with a solution."  I love that advice! 

 

But what about those problems where there's another person involved?   I can only control my own response.  I can't control the actions of others.  So what do I do with those struggles?  Or when the problem just isn't going away and seems to be lasting forever? 

 

When I'm feeling weary . . . When I'm feeling heavy-laden . . . When I'm feeling frustrated . . . discouraged . . . overwhelmed . . . and exhausted?

 

What are my options?

There’s HGTV and the Food Channel.

There’s calling someone and complaining.

There’s pumping myself up with positive self-talk.

There’s finding something comforting in the fridge or that bag of chocolates.

And of course there’s always pity-parties.

But it seems to me that the best option is taking it to the only One who can fully satisfy our every need.  Including rest.  And that solution is Jesus.  (Blessing #1111)

 

 

 

 

But just how does Jesus give us rest?   By showing us The Father.  By reminding us to trust the One who is big enough to handle whatever problem comes our way.  I picture myself as a little girl, climbing up onto the lap of my daddy, and hearing him say, "it's going to be okay, Janet.  Everything will be okay."  It's like that with God too.  We can climb up onto his lap, feel his loving arms around us, and hear His words, "everything is going to be okay.  I've got this.  You can trust me."

 

 

Matthew 11:28-29

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

 

 

Welcome to the World of Gymnastics

Jillian is trying something new this school year.  Back in September, she nervously stepped out of her comfort zone to try something new.  Gymnastics. 

Not that we're anything close to being experts on the subject, but she seemed to be a natural when it came to cart wheels, splits, head stands, and such.  So we thought gymnastics might just be her thing.  However, she's a bit of a perfectionist and doesn't take mediocre very well.  She puts a lot of pressure on herself and hates to mess up.  Needless to say, we've been trying to help her overcome this, but it's not happening over night. 

Jillian loved what she was learning in gymnastics and couldn't wait until the next class.  She was catching on quickly and caught up with the other girls in her level 2 class right away.  In fact, she was invited to be on their competitive team after her fourth class.  We weren't sure we wanted to push her in that direction quite yet, but we noticed a confidence developing in Jillian (blessing #1107) and thought we'd give it a try. 

A week ago she had her first competitive meet.  I must say . . . I am impressed with how smoothly and quickly they run these meets. (#1108) There must be some incredibly organized women in charge! 

Jillian was so nervous, but we said a short prayer in the bleachers before she took the floor to warm up, she took a deep breath, and then joined her team.  It didn't take long and she was all smiles, totally enjoying herself.  (#1109)

Introducing the Holdrege Level 2 Team

 

And for her first meet, she did really well.  When I asked her what the best part of her day was, she didn't say anything about her medal; instead she said, "I had lots of fun."  (#1110)

Super Bowl Goodies

Anyone else out there watching the Super Bowl tomorrow?  It's never at the top of my list, but because others in my family enjoy it, we always have it on the TV.  And I must say, those Super Bowl commercials are the best.

As I was flipping through the pages of my Rachael Ray magazine, I happened to notice that Rach has a Super Bowl Commercial Bingo game that I could print off and take with for some added fun.  Talking baby commercial?  Cross off that box.  "Star Wars" reference?  Cross off another box.   Now that's what I'm talking about!  The Super Bowl is about to become way more fun.  (#1106)  At least for me.  If you want to join in the fun, click here to print off your own Commercial Bingo cards.

And a Super Bowl party wouldn't be the same without some yummy snack foods to take along.  And because our New Year's Resolutions include eating healthier, I found a this delicious low-cal Black Bean Salsa (#1107) recipe to share with everyone.  It's AMAZING!  (I don't anticipate any left-overs.)

Black Bean Salsa
Combine the following:
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped 
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TB lime juice
Serve with Tostito's Multi-grain chips.  

Who do I think will win?  Ummmm...... I'm almost embarassed to admit this, but I'm not even sure who's playing.  

A New 'Do

Jillian's been growing out her hair for a long time.  Oh, we trim it once in a while to get rid of the dry ends, but she has wanted really loooooong hair for a really loooooong time.  Every once in a while, she asks me to measure it and see how long it is.  She likes to swing it back and forth and look in the full-length mirror to see how long it is.

 

You can do a lot of fun things with long hair, and she's enjoyed having long hair.  Most of the time.

But some days, she gets tired of all the static, the tangles, and her hair getting in the way.  I don't know how many times her hair needed washed after eating a sucker.  Sticky wet suckers don't mix well with ponytails.

But all that changed for Jillian yesterday. 

She willingly donated her 10" ponytail to Locks Of Love.  (#1105)

We've been talking about it for several months.  At first, she was quite attached to her long locks and didn't like the sound of cutting it all off.  But the more we talked about it, the more she liked the idea of giving up her hair so a wig can be made for a little girl who lost her hair to cancer.  I'm so proud of her!

To make the donation, her clean hair (no sucker globs allowed) had to be a minimum of 10 inches long in a ponytail.  And did you know that it takes 6-10 ponytails to make just 1 wig? 

Last night before bed, we prayed for the little girl who will receive Jillian's hair.  That she will feel special because of Jillian's gift. 

Jillian LOVES her new bouncy hair-do, and she was anxious to see if any of her friends would recognize her today at school. 

 

Good Job, Jillie!

Steady My Heart

There are times . . . many times . . . when I catch myself saying, "I don't have time (or the energy) for this right now."  Or "I don't want to deal with this right now (or ever)."  Or "I want everything to run smoothly."  Or "why does this have to happen to me?" 

Can you relate?

Like when you are running late and you realize you have a flat tire . . . Or when there's a foot of snow and you go outside to start the snow blower and realize it's not gonna start, no matter how hard you kick it . . . Or when you sit in a doctor's office with a sick child, waiting and waiting and waiting, when you have a million other things you could be doing . . . Or when you back into the mailbox . . . or the garage door, thinking you had already pushed the button to raise it . . . Or when one of your child's friends is diagnosed with an agressive form of cancer . . . Or when someone you love has hurt you . . . and the list goes on.

Why do some things in our life have to be so hard?

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be moved."

When we feel like our world is being shaken, and we don't quite know how we are going to get through it, we can ask God to hold onto our hearts.  He is near us, He will sustain us, and He will steady our hearts.  (Blessing #1104)  We can choose to hold on to the One who is faithful.

Saying "Good-Bye"

It's been a sad day.  This morning, we said "good-bye" to our dog Rollie.  He was 15 years old.  We've had him since Jenica was a baby, and we gave him a home when Chad's cousin wasn't able to keep him any more.  It seems really strange to go outside and not have him at our feet, rubbing against our legs or giving Jillian a kiss.  We have great memories with Rollie, but he's left a big hole in our hearts today. 

A Hallelujah Christmas

As soon as Thanksgiving was behind us, I started listening to Christmas music.  My family has gotten used to this about me.  It's one of my most favorite things about the Christmas Season.  (#1099)

And because our local My Bridge Radio station wasn't playing very many Christmas songs yet, I decided to check out K-Love.com to see if they had more Christmas music playing on-line.  

What I discovered was so exciting! 

They have an on-line Christmas Channel that plays Christmas Music constantly.  (#1100) As I was listening, singing along, and enjoying their music, my ears perked up when they said that they were giving away several Christmas CD's from top artists to some of their listeners.  The only thing I had to do to enter was type their code word that day to 21947 (yes, I have it memorized).  That was it.  I could only enter once per give away.  But they gave away a new CD every 3-4 days. 

And guess what? 

I won!   Twice!  (#1101)

Hillsong and Mandisa - Oh, yeah!  Thank you K-Love!

K-Love's Christmas channel has been playing one particular song that Chad and I both really like called "A Hallelujah Christmas".  We're sharing it with you today




Here's the blurb about it from K-Love.com:   

A band named "Cloverton" recently surprised their fans by releasing a Christmas song titled, "A Hallelujah Christmas." For the song, the band changed the lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah," and turned it in to a beautiful holiday rendition that speaks of the miraculous birth of Jesus. "God created everything. He created each of us. He created our voices. He created our ears, our emotions, our tastes, our creative spirits. Each of these is related to music, whether it's enjoying it or creating it," Lance said. "We want to shed light on His truths while reaching people creatively with melodies that seem familiar and songs that touch souls. We are messengers, hoping to creatively communicate the truth of God's word and love for us."   (#1103)

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Ice Skating

Jenica's been wanting to take a few friends ice skating at the Event Center for a few weeks now, but it just hasn't worked in our schedules. 

Until yesterday. 

After another great message in by Pastor Paul, we ate a quick lunch, picked up a few friends, and headed over to the ice rink.  (Blessing #1097)

Jenica, Ashlyn, Bailea, and Madi

Jacob, Sami, and Jillian

All done, still smiling, and no broken bones. (#1098)

They had so much fun, I think we'll try and go again over Christmas Break.  Here's the public skating schedule in case any of you want to join us. 

An Elf named "Feathers"

We have a new house guest that's been living with us this month. 

 

She's an elf who came from Santa's workshop (wink), and she has become a fun little hide-and-seek game that we are all having fun with.  (Blessing #1094) In fact, Jillian decided to keep a tally of who finds him her the most times.  (I keep forgetting she's a girl.)



She made snow angels out of sugar.

Jillian has several friends with similar elves, and after hearing about the fun and sometimes mischievous things the elves do, Jillian decided to add an "Elf on the Shelf" to her Christmas list.  However, elves arriving after Christmas aren't much fun since you'd miss out on all the fun leading up to Christmas.  Which is precisely why we woke up one morning to find an elf sitting under the tree.   She held a book telling us all about our new house guest and the reason why no one is allowed to touch her.  

 

Chad is currently brainstorming of how we could come up with a silly "elf-like" idea of our own.  Check out this article on Foxnews.com on how they turned a simple family tradition into a multi-million-dollar business and a house-hold name.

 

As the story goes . . . Each night after everyone's asleep, Feathers uses her magic to go back and forth from the North Pole, and we awake to find her in a new spot each morning.  According to the story, you are not supposed to touch her or she'll lose her magical powers.  Here are a few of our elf discoveries.   

 

She TP'd our tree!

 

She roasted marshmallows.

Holding Baby Jesus.

And then there's the picture below. . . this is the spot where Jillian accidently touched Feathers when she bumped her and knocked her over, to which Jillian right away wrote a note to Feathers to appologize.

 

Sending a message with Lucky Charms.

And this is the spot where she found Feathers the next day, along with a little note back to Jillian from Feathers, explaining that she is forgiven and that Santa shows grace, just like God shows us grace.  This led to a sweet conversation between Jillian and I all about God's grace.  (#1095)

Feathers found her favorite movie in our cabinet.
She wrote a note to Jillian in response to her apology.

As a P.S. to her letter, Feathers mentioned that she loves the movie "Elf" and would love to watch it together with us.  Which is exactly what we did this afternoon.  Spending time with my family, watching Christmas movies together, is a great way to spend a cold wintery day. (#1096) 

One is Silver, the Other Gold

"Make new friends, and keep the old.  One is silver, and the other gold."

I've made so many great friends since we moved to Holdrege . . . gosh, let me see . . . has it really been 16 years ago?  Wow, how time flies!  And I treasure all these friendships.  Friends who've been with me when I had babies, when I tried to figure out this thing called "parenting," when I sat by my child's bedside before, during, and after surgeries, when I received the news from my doctor that I needed to stop working for the benefit of my health; friends who encourage me when I'm feeling a bit discouraged.  I wouldn't want to go through life without them.  (Blessing #1081)

And then there's my old friends.  Not "old" in age, but "old" because I've known them since I was a little girl.  We know each other's families; we remember the teachers, the birthday parties, the pets, and all those little details from the deep past.  (#1082)  One friend, in particular, will always have a special place in my heart.  We went to college together, were in each other's weddings, and vowed to keep in touch forever.  Even though our lives have taken different paths, and we live in different areas, we still find time to get together a few times each year.  (#1083)

Last weekend, Lanise & I cleared our schedules, met in Lincoln, and then headed to Kansas City for a much-needed girls getaway.  (#1084)  It was so great to spend time together ~ more than just a couple hours over lunch, which is all we usually get. 

We had GREAT weather (#1085) and really didn't need our coats much except at night. 

The view from our hotel room.

We were able to meet up with my cousin Crystal and her hubby Jay for a late lunch at The Yardhouse one day, which was a blessing, because they weren't able to come home for our family Christmas the weekend before.  We heard about Crystal's fascinating medical mission trip to Tanzania last summer and the really cool way God used her while she was there.  (#1086)  And because Jay & Crystal live in KC, they were full of great tips of where to eat, shop, park, and how to get from point A to B.  (#1087)  However, their good directions were offset by an out-dated Garmin which led us astray a few times.  We saw it as a well-rounded tour of the city instead of an annoying delay.  (#1088)

They told us about Happy Hour at The Melting Pot on the Plaza, where we enjoyed some amazing fondue at half-price.  (#1089)  The lights in the plaza are just awesome, and it was such a beautiful evening that we were able to just walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.

They told us the best place to get sushi, which is something I've never tried before for two reasons.   #1 it's expensive.  And #2 it's raw fish.  However, I learned that it's not expensive when your friend has a gift-card she wants to spend (#1090 - Thanks for sharing, Lanise!), and that it's not all raw fish - some of it's fried.  They recommended the Drunken Fish Restaurant, which had an hour-and-45-minute-wait when we arrived. 

We took that as a good sign (it must be good with the long wait), and since they said they'd call us when a table was available, we were able to check out at a nearby Dueling Piano bar while we waited.

Check out our table at the Sushi place.  The table glows!  Red!  (Perfect for Christmas.)  It was a really fun experience, and I discovered that I DO like sushi.  (#1091)

We enjoyed our table, the company, and our sushi!  We ordered the california roll (with crab, cucumber, and avocado)  and fried philly roll (salmon, cream cheese, & avocado, covered with eel sauce, but don't let the word "eel" scare you - it was yummy).   Would Chad have liked any of it?  Probably not.  It's so much fun getting to choose a restaurant when I don't have to think, "where can we go that the kids will find something on the menu they'll like?"

We stayed at the Westin Crown Center (with great rates (#1092) thanks to Lanise's skills with Priceline.com) and had a great view of a Christmasy Union Station from our room.  It was so pretty!

Union Station from our hotel room.

It was a great, relaxing weekend with my dear friend.  It's hard to get away with a girlfriend when family activities are at a high, but God carved out a gorgeous weekend for us to travel, and there were no parties, programs, or activities holding us back.  And that in itself is a miracle.  (#1093)