Feliz Navidad!

Was your Christmas weekend special? We sure had some fun days. But, we are still anticipating the best yet to come!! =) Chuck & Katie, Jim & Rachel, and Pete & Audrey are all due to arrive this week, and then the fun really begins. I think I have been more keenly aware this year than any before, how important, special, irreplaceable, and comfortable it is to have siblings, family, & loved ones to share life with. And the more my siblings & I grow up, the more amazing it is to relate to other adults, on adult terms, who think & act alot like I do! =) It is SO much fun.

Back to this holiday weekend ... it was kind of a challenge to come up with fun, creative ways to celebrate the day, when our main celebrations are still a week ahead. We had a big snow storm on Christmas Eve, so Daddy & the boys were out for 3 days straight getting all the snow removal customers taken care of.  I feel bad that Jason didn't get a single day off just to relax, but again, that is still coming. Thankfully, the cabin we are headed to is far enough away that he won't be able to come back for work if it does snow again. =)

On Christmas Eve we had a fun snack-supper & family night. Squirt cheese, summer sausage, crackers, cookies, Bugles (!), nuts, drink, etc. The children thought it was pretty fun to eat as many snacks as they wanted. Plus, they were allowed to eat them in the living room while we watched Touched By an Angel. Double fun.

After the movie, we tucked the little tots into bed, and brought out all the fun items for making gingerbread houses! I mixed up small batches of frosting-glue, made with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2 t. of water. I put it into ziplock bags with a tiny corner snipped off, and it worked wonderfully for gluing all the little houses together. I had thought we would just make one large house, but each person wanted to make their own, so we ended up with a whole village.

Josiah & Micah creating their masterpieces.

Christi was delighted with the whole cady idea. She plastered as many pieces on as possible.

The whole town on top on the piano.

By the time all the houses were done, it was way past bedtime and Mama got to clean up a very messy kitchen. It's good that some things happen only once a year.

Christmas Day dawned beautiful, with fresh cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast. Jason & the boys were gone for the morning shoveling snow, so the rest of us had a relaxed morning with bubble baths and games. Then mid-afternoon, my family came over for a genuine Guyanese supper.

I made Bhunjal Beef.

And curried chicken & potatoes.

And roti.

It was very delicious, very authentic, and received rave reviews.

Not your normal Christmas fare, but special just the same.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

 

Homemade Fajitas & Flour Tortillas

Need a fresh supper idea? Try this.

Cut a piece of beef into thin strips. Stir-fry with Italian dressing, sliced sweet peppers, and plenty of sliced onion. In your heavy, cast-iron pan, of course. =)



Then mix together in a bowl 3 and a half cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 4 Tablespoons of shortening, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and about a cup of water (enough to make a soft dough). Knead a little into a soft dough. Divide into 12 balls, and roll out with a rolling pin into 8-inch circles.

And if your children all help with the rolling, do not expect them to look perfectly round. =) Place tortilla on a hot skillet or pan. I use my comal from Guyana. There is just nothing that works quite like this, and I love it! It is also perfect for making roti.

Fry for about a minute per side. The time greatly depends on how hot your pan is. You want lightly browned spots on your tortillas, but not dark brown or black.

Serve immediately with sour cream, rice, beans, hot sauce, or whatever else you desire. These tortillas, in my opinion, are super yummy and way better than store bought, however, they will not stay soft very long. They tend to get crispy & crunchy if they set out a while. So I cover them well, and as soon as we are finished eating, I wrap the left-overs in a dampened paper towel, then in a zip-lock bag to keep them soft and fresh.

This meal is always a huge hit at our house.

Homespun Christmas

Christmas seems to be getting less & less complicated the more babies I have. In fact, last year I did not put up one candle or wreath. Why bother when little people yank them down, destoy garlands, eat candles, and and smash Mary & the wise man? Is it worth my frustration to try to preserve the 'look' of Christmas?

But this year I decided I had to do something. I want my little people to love Christmas, to catch the excitement in the air AND in their Mommy. I want them to look forward to the special events and extra-fun splurges that are just for once-a-year.

Soooo ... we dug out the nativity set. Bought a few cheap-o replacement pieces at Wal-Mart. And oh, it's been fun watching the little ones learn who's who. And we went to the live animal Christmas Play. Yes, it was torture making 2 tots sit for 2+ hours, but it was also so rewarding to see how much the older ones understood and grasped. Christi was in awe of the angel. "Mom!", she whispered! "It is my first time ever seeing a real, live angel!" Next on my list is making a gingerbread house. I have never tried it before, but judging by the excitement factor of the other participants, it cannot fail. I also want to do some cut-out cookies {big hit!}.

Another simple idea that I am loving is something I saw at a MOPS meeting a few weeks ago. You hang clusters of Christmas tree ornaments on longs ribbons. I recently found all Christmas decor at 50% off at a local thrift shop, so I scored a large bagful for just a few dollars. This morning Christi helped string them onto ribbons, and we all love the results!!

I did 3 clusters like this, and the best part is, the little ones can't even touch them!

What do you do with your little ones to make Christmas special?

Before & After

It all began as an {ugly}, 3-dollar thrift store find. But it was solid wood, and I figured I could sand it down and refinish it to a beautiful finish. That was my first error. It was a solid piece, and most of it was wood. Except of course, the top. I bagan sanding the tar out of it only to discover .... flakeboard. Alrighty then. Plan B.

I went ahead and sanded down the rest of it, and painted it black. For the top I put on a piece of fabric, with about 6 layers of Mod-Podge. And I think it turned out pretty well for my first time working with the stuff. The top is all shiny & glossy & smooth.

What do you think?

Tales from Mommy-land

I totally love my offspring. I really do. But sometimes this life 'in the trenches' leaves me wondering if I will emerge on the other side of parenting with all of my faculties still intact.

<> Will I think it normal to use the toilet with several on-lookers?
<> Will it seem like no big deal to have pads and tampons spread around the house by toddlers?
<> Will I continue to scrape off offending sticky wads from the bottoms of my socks instead of scrubbing my floors?
<> Will I still blush when I remember how my son answered the phone yesterday morning? He told the caller, "Yeah, well my mom is changing a very dirty diaper, and everybody is talking to her and needing her, and she is about to go crazy. So, yeah, maybe you shouldn't talk to her right now." Wow. Hmmm.
<> Will I think of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and Alvin & the Chipmunks' "Had a Bad Day" as quality music??
<> Will I consider baby puke on my shirt no big deal ... just use a wet wipe to clean up the worst of it?
<> Will I consider grocery shopping *by myself* a delightful break?
<> Will I sing "I'm a Little Teapot" to myself 100 times a day?

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This morning I informed my boys that they needed to each set a couple of mouse traps out in the storage shed. Micah, being my dramatic one, sighed a tremendous sigh and said, "Mom, are you kidding? Do I have to?" Then Josiah pipes in with "Of course, Micah! You are, after all, the BEST mouse-trap setter!" Micah replied with "I know. I AM the professional. But my years are over." Talk about cracking me up. How many years has a 7-yr. old put in by now, anyways?

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Another funny. I was frustrated by tripping over the same jacket for the 7,528th time, when suddenly, inspiration hit. "Boys", I called, "come out here a minute." When they came I explained that I was going to start a "confiscation box" of any item I deemed out-of-place long enough or often enough to warrant being confiscated. To earn each item back, they would either get to pay me $0.20, or select one of a list of chores I wrote on the whiteboard. And to start things off immediately, I had Micah's favorite camouflage jacket, and Josiah's most useless precious cell phone. They thought this was hilarious! Josiah quickly came up with 2 dimes to get his phone back, while Micah began memorizing a scripture {one of the choices on my list} so he could go outside with his jacket. All of a sudden, it hit them. They ran frantically around the house, picking up and putting away every last thing they could find that belonged to them! I laughed & laughed. This is working better than I had dreamed .... Then their second thought hit them ... lets throw all of our school books around the house and leave them laying there! We all dissolved in heaps of laughter while I assured them that in addition to a 20-cent fine, they would be doing double lessons in any book I might find laying around.

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I'm so glad I'm a mom. I'm glad I can laugh. I'm glad that I have tiny little bodies to rub down with lotion after warm, soapy baths. I'm glad that I have little girls who absolutely love to sing fun little songs all day long. I am glad that I get to teach new ideas and concepts for the first time ever to open, hungry minds & hearts. I am glad I have 10 little hands to help unpack the nativity set, and that I can teach my 2-year old about Baby Jesus and Mary and "Jophus" for the first time ever. I am glad that when I go to bed at night, I get to check on 5 quiet, snuggly, warm little bodies, and speak special blessings over them. I am so blessed.

Creativity 102

I really am having fun exploring & learning with paint, sand paper, fabric, scrapbook paper, and much more! Since I lay around on the couch all day have only a couple of free hours after the children are in bed each evening, I am not getting a huge amount done very quickly, but it is progress. =) Hopefully you all won't mind if my blog is sprinkled with make-overs from time to time.

I decided to re-do my little lamp table in my living room. Again, it wasn't absolutely horrid, but neither did it look elegant or even pretty. Plus, I needed a guinea pig to try out a white paint job. I didn't even think to get a good "before" picture, before I took off the built-in lamp post. I did manage to find one in the background of another photo though, to give you a little idea of what it used to look like.

After the lamp post and cords were removed.

I filled in the center hole with a little chunk of wood, and some wood filler. Let that dry, sanded the whole thing down, and added several coats of white paint. I am very much enjoying the end results too.

The black lamp is one I found at a garage sale for $1. It didn't work, til I fixed the wiring. No, I am not as handy as I might sound ... it was just a loose wire inside. But I am very tickled with my "new" lamp!

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Thanksgiving was very laid back and simple at our house this year. The Zooks from near and far were all together about 2 weeks ago for a big work day at the home place. And the Gehmans are all gearing up for a big Christmas she-bang. So we enjoyed a lazy day at home. Playing games, watching movies, and of course, a delightful lunch. The grocery store was totally sold out of turkeys when I did my shopping, but I gotta say, the ham was not a disappointment either. And the ham soup bubbling on the back of the stove makes it even more sweet.

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Did anyone else brave the early morning Black Friday rush? For the first time ever, I did. My good friend Beth asked me to go with her, so we set our alarms for o'dark thirty and headed to the outlet malls. There was lots of great deals to be had! I found a few items for the kiddoes, a few for myself, and my favorite deal of the day? A pair of heavy winter boots for my hubby, marked down from $70 to $19.99. I must admit, I felt very virtuous, even if I was in Kohls at the ridiculous hour of 4:47.

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Well, that's all for now. There is a diaper "screaming" to be changed. Not to mention it's owner to be trained ... Sigh. Back to reality.

Til next time ...

Creativity 101

eI've always loved seeing before & after pictures. When I was little, my mom used to get used Country Woman magazines, and the first page I would turn to was the make-overs where a woman would get a new haircut, new make-up, and look like a whole different person. I just love seeing how much you can improve something with some creativity {maybe I'm just alittle weird ... I know, I know}.

Anyhow, recently I have found a couple of blogs that feature a lot of make-overs. Remodels. Before & afters. And slowly, slowly the thought began to dawn on me ... I could do that! So this week I aim to try my hand at a few such ventures and see what I come up with.

This evening was my first attempt. I decided to start off with something easy and small ...  in case it was a dismal failure then maybe I wouldn't feel quite so bad. So I found this little footstool at a second-hand shop last week, and while there was nothing really "nasty" about it, I had a different picture in mind.

So I set about taking it all apart ... sanding ... painting ... sanding ... painting ... and then the fun part, re-assembling everything with the new fabric. I love how it turned out! What do you think? It might even be for sale ...

I think I could call this a success.  Now maybe I'll have the courage to tackle my next, much bigger project. Stay tuned.

Monday Morning ...

Giggling :: because my little 4 yr. old is dressed up in Mama's pantyhose & high heels.

Excited :: because of some breakthroughs in my life ... God is working in me, and I am so glad.

Depressed :: if I happen to glance at my kitchen. How it gets so bad over the weekend, I do not know. I was tempted to take a picture to show you what I mean ... but that would be ::embarrassing:: !!!

Sad :: because of some changes approaching. One of my best friends of 15 years is moving away.

Adventurous :: with some new ideas I'm trying out this week! If they go the way I hope they do, I'll be back with more details!

Anticipation :: because we just reserved a gorgeous cabin for the Gehman Christmas get-together. I cannot wait!!

Disappointed :: because my brother Phil will be missing. He is spending 3 months in Guatemala learning Spanish.  Then on to Honduras do help Chuck with mission work.

Peaceful :: because my Redeemer lives, and I am seated with Him in heavenly places!!

a little bit Ashamed :: because I am blogging while my to-get-done-today list is not getting a bit shorter!! *grin*

Just keepin' it real.

The Gratitude Journal: Ever Grateful Memo Board & Easel [Giveaway]

My friend Shelly is hosting a fun give-away over on her blog: The Gratitude Journal: Ever Grateful Memo Board & Easel [Giveaway] Check it out!

God Moments

Did you ever have one of those moments where you're sitting there listening to a speaker, or a preacher, a song, or whatever, and all of a sudden a sentence leaps out and crashes headlong into your very spirit & soul?  Time seems to stand still. The thought echoes through your brain over & over, and you know that it was spoken just for you. Meant for you. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God himself chose the words, signed His name to it, and handed them to you. I have.

It is truly amazing how it happens. I can be sitting there so unsuspecting ... never even looking for a word from Him. And yet He so knows when I need to hear from Him. Need to be assured of His involvement in my life. I love it.

Today God spoke to me through a speaker at our MOPS group. She was going along beautifully speaking on growing deeper friendships, when she paused, and began sharing some of her own personal story. And right in the middle of it she said, "I thought that my struggle was too big for God. That I needed to {control it all} myself." Wow. I am so there right now. And it's amazing how I don't even see it until God gently shows me from His perspective.

Anyways ... there's my little "God Moment" from today. I've been missing my blog lately. So so so much life happening these days. It's been great, but somehow the blog hits a back burner. I hope to get back into the groove quite soon.

Girls in White Dresses with Wide Satin Sashes ...

... these are a few of my favorite things.

Okay, so they are not in white dresses, but they do have satin-y tie-bows, and they are definitely some of my favorites!!

I finished the little dresses today by adding a wide strip around the bottom, and adding tie-belt ribbons. I think Jenna will wear hers for quite a long time. *smile* I think they will also look terribly cute with matching long-sleeved shirts underneath.

My little man took his first steps yesterday!!! He is 10 months old, kinda petite, and very determined. I love his toothy little grin.

In other news, Jason had a day at home today between jobs. What a treat! I suggested to him this morning that he could do the homeschooling while I cleaned the kitchen. He assured me that he would clean the kitchen while he taught school, and that I should go on and do something else. Sure. Uh-huh. I think he had a startling introduction to how much concentration it takes to keep 3 kiddoes gainfully occupied. So I cleaned the kitchen myself, peacefully and without interruption. By 11 am, Jason herded the scholars outside, muttering that he better have 'shop class' with them or else he would feel like he had gotten nothing done the whole morning. I confess I had to stifle the chuckles.

Other "Favorite Things" about my day ...

~ browsing homes for sale with my hubby & dreaming about which one we'd chose ~
~ getting the whole yard mowed! In the same week! ~
~ warm, homemade bread, toasted, with homemade strawberry jam ~
~ getting the whole basement cleaned ~
~ a phone call from my best friend ~
~ sorting & organizing old pictures .... a flood of great memories ~
~ cuddling with a happy toddler after a good nap ~


What was the best part about your day?


~

It's A Big World ...

... through the eyes of a child.

He makes a bee-line for the door any time it gets left open even a crack. I love to see him gazing out the window. I think he has a bit of farm-boy in him. The tractors & combines & corn wagons going by these days have him in awe. And every last thing in this house gets pushed as a tractor. The stool ... my phone ... a cup ... any toy .... it's down on one hand & his knees, crawling along while pushing that "rig'. It is so cute! HE is so cute!

                                                                   ~10 months old ~

Apple Cidering

Every year one of our favorite activities which signals Autumn's arrival is making apple cider. My Dad in true Gehman form, designed & built his very own apple cider press. I love to see it in action. I would almost venture to say that I would have known it was his even if I had not seen him make it. The talent that man has to visualize something  -and then make it-  floors me. I love it!

This year's apple cider day was balmy compared to those of past years. No frozen fingers stiffly fumbling to wash and sort apples, no layers of jackets and coats and leggings, no bitter wind urging us to finish up quickly. We picked up bushels of apples in the orchard ... yellows, reds, greens. The more flavors & varieties the better cider you get. The little girls had so much fun helping Grandma wash apples. Then through the chopper .... the press .... the strainer ... and into jugs. We stopped with 32 gallons to share, simply because our freezers are too full. There seemed to be just as many apples as when we arrived.

This whole week now I've wished for spiced hot cider. So tonight I poured half a gallon of cider in a pot, added some cinnamon sticks, a few whole cloves, and a touch of brown sugar. Simmered it together for 15 minutes, and ladled a cupful out. Ooohhhhh! It was so perfect. I have to confess I am on my 3rd cupful. It's like Autumn in a teacup.

:: Randomness ::

:: Autumn days are so invigorating! ::

:: I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, but I am starting to believe there is a Pencil Sharpener Theif and a Pacifier Monster visiting our house daily. ::

:: 9-month-olds are sooo much work fun! ::

:: Spending time with siblings which I haven't seen in months & years is such a privilege. ::

:: I'm beginning to think that no matter how old I get or how much I learn, I will never really figure God out. And I'm trying to figure out if that is how He wants it to be or not. ::

:: My brother is getting married in 19 days! ::

:: De-junking & hauling many bags of "extras" to Goodwill feels extremely satisfying. ::

:: I love to sing to my little ones in Spanish. It is such a beautiful language, and it seems to flow like a lullaby. ::

:: I am so blessed to have amazing friends!! ::

:: Homemade bread just out of the oven = a little slice of heaven. ::

:: Where is a mom of many littles supposed to fold laundry?? ::

:: I am loving the MUMS on my kitchen table. ::

:: My hubby makes some killer apple crisp! ::

:: If rejection still hurts, does that I mean I still have issues to deal with? Did it hurt Jesus? ::

:: The custard has to come out of the oven, & tomatoes gotta be diced up for supper. ::

:: I gotta run. *grin* Later - ::

Scrub-Top Make-Over

I love blogs that show make-overs. Old dishes displayed as gorgeous wall art. Ugly end tables with a new paint job that look breathtaking. Or even tin cans sprayed with black-board slate and used for something beautiful. Often I wish I had an eye for things like that, 'cause I sure do love the end results!

A few weeks ago my mom & sisters & I were shopping at a second hand store. A few XXXL scrub tops caught my eye, mostly because they were in a cute Strawberry Shortcake pattern which my girls adore right now. I could not quite picture how I would make them over ... but they landed in my cart anyhow. *grin*

Tonight at 9:30 the inspiration hit to dig them out and see what I could do with them.

I cut the bottom half off for a skirt.

Then cut out some bodice pieces & sleeves.

Everything was already hemmed, and I used the original necklines too. Super easy!

Within an hour (and a nursing-baby interruption) these two were finished!! I'd like to add red ribbon ties yet at the waist, and Christi's may need a ruffle at the bottom for some length. But overall I was so pleased and surprised how easy & fun these were. I am gonna have some very smiley girls in the morning. {until I tell them they can't wear them to church! *smile*}

Call Her Blessed

Every now & then I drink too much Southern Sweet Tea. I think that the year I spent living in the South has forever corrupted us that way. *grin* A few select people here in the Midwest have learned the art of sweet-tea-making, but as a whole this part of the country offers bitter, nasty, unsweetened stuff that is totally unappetising. But that is completely besides the point ....

One such tea-laden night way back in January, I lay awake in bed long past a decent hour, wide awake. And as usual my mind was spinning. I remembered that my Beloved Mother was turning 50 this year, and I began to think, ... hmmm ... unlike my Father (who turned 50 last summer & strictly warned us NOT to throw a party), I bet she would love a party in her honor! In my mind, I began planning it all out .... dim lights, candles, flowers, glassware, elegance, ... right down to the theme colors of black, silver & lavender and the list of friends to invite. I knew I would do it, even though I had 7 months yet to plan it!

Fast forward to August, 2010. I had arranged the location. Lined up the decorations. Ordered the cake. The guests were all invited. And the big surprise was that BOTH of my out-of-state sisters flew in for the party! And big surprise #2 -- my mom's parents drove out for it too! My house was just about buzzing with excitement and anticipation that morning of the 28th as I fetched my sisters from the airport, picked up the cake, and began last minute preparations.

~ Entrance Arbor ~

~ The Table ~

Finally the moment came when Mama was supposed to meet me to "go out for supper together". See, we had a plan. We had "reservations" at a "fancy place" and I was taking her out for her birthday. *grin* To say she was surprised would be a severe understatement.

Then the fun began. Over delectable hors-de'voirs, everyone shared how they first met Mama. Then everyone told a favorite memory of some way that she had impacted their lives. There was lots of laughter {remember the time she yelled 'yoo-hooo' to a golfer who was all set to take his perfect swing} and quite a few tears {where in the world would we be without her tremendous example}. It was most definitely a time of rising up and calling her blessed. Extremely fitting.

~Mama, her Mom, and her 4 girls ~

We love you Mama! Here's to 50 more birthdays!