the farmers

Blake's Baptism

2012-02-13T14:05:00.000-06:00

We have had a busy weekend! It was such a blessing to be surrounded by our families this weekend as we had Blake baptized. We know that he is a child of God and we are committed to raising him in the faith.

Pictures can tell the story so much better than I can, so enjoy these...

Blake was baptized by Rev. Doug Barnes, who is Sarah's brother -in-law.

Blake is wearing the same baptismal gown that Rebecca wore, as well as Sarah and Grandpa Pontier (62 years ago).

We had 26 people at our house to help enjoy this yummy cake (although the youngest 4 don't eat cake yet :)

Grandma Pontier spent the last 10 days with us - we'll miss you!

Grandma and Grandpa De Vries with their 7 grandchildren.

Birth Announcement

2012-01-25T14:49:00.003-06:00

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

More of Blake

2012-01-24T12:03:00.000-06:00

Here are some more pictures of Blake at the hospital and then a few at home.

Headed Home!

Rebecca is "reading" Blake some of the cards we got in the mail.

I had some fun posing him while he slept. The hat was made by Grandma Pontier.

So Cute!

Announcing...

2012-01-20T16:21:00.000-06:00

Blake Daniel

Born January 19 at 10:25am

9 lbs. 2 oz. and 22 inches long

We are all doing great!

Proof of his weight :)

First bath with Rebecca supervising.

Rebecca is definitely in love with her new little brother.

Mom and dad are in love with our new little bundle too!

Still Waiting...

2012-01-12T08:51:00.001-06:00

As you can see from the baby ticker to the right, we are now past our due day and still waiting for baby. I honestly didn't think I would get this far. I don't know why, lots of women pass their due date. The waiting is just very hard. Every night I go to bed thinking I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night with some good contractions, but then I don't (just lots of trips to the bathroom :). We know that in all things God is in control and we continue to trust his plan for us, no matter how long it takes. Be prayerful and patient with us!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-28T09:12:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had a pretty quiet holiday, but every enjoyable. We opened gifts with each other after church on Christmas morning, took a little nap, and then spent the rest of the day with Dan's family at his sister's house.

This picture of Rebecca was taken on Sunday morning before her Christmas program on Dec. 18. She looked so cute! Sadly her hair does not hold curls for very long!

One of Rebecca's favorite gifts was her Leapster 2.

The other day when we were driving home and Rebecca was playing with her Leapster in the back seat, she said to me, "Mom, I was just working so hard to be good, but I didn't think that Santa was going to bring me a Leapster because I was really being naughty. I'm just so glad he brought me one anyway, so I'll try and be better." She makes us laugh so much!

Here are all the De Vries cousins with Dan's parents.

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby. I'm 38 weeks and counting. I'm finding this time of waiting to be long and tiring. Knowing that baby could arrive tonight or could take another 3 weeks, is hard. But above all we are trusting that God will provide for our needs and praying for a safe and healthy delivery when the time comes.

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-12-17T16:31:00.000-06:00

I know it is closer to Christmas than Thanksgiving now, but I have yet to post about Turkey Day and still want to do that. For Thanksgiving we traveled up to Hills, MN to my sister's house to spend the weekend with the rest of my siblings. We've done the same thing the last 2 years, but this year my parents were unable to make the trip from Canada. Here is a quick recap in photos.

We decorated the table with style.

The men fried the turkey, which was the tastiest turkey I've ever had.

All 18 of us sat around the table and thanked God for our many blessings!

And of course we attempted the traditional family photo. This is not the best one, but at least everyone's head made it in the frame. It was a great and memorable weekend!

"Quick, find the yellow brick and break a window."

2011-12-06T19:41:00.002-06:00

I found the following post on a website I visit from time to time. I love the logic behind it and concern for the budget of their city. But I question how often they need such a brick. Any guesses what the brick says or the sign on the wall?

In the Chinese province of Heilongjiang, the Public Transport Company replaced the emergency-use hammers with pairs of yellow bricks on all city buses.

“The special hammers are expensive and people were always stealing them,” explained a spokesperson from the Harbin Public Transport Company. “We don’t think anybody will be interested in stealing bricks.”

Hauling hay

2011-12-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

I spent a day this past week hauling hay home to where I overwinter my spring cows. As I was hauling my last load I thought to myself, "I think I have a pretty nice looking rig. I should take a picture to share."

This is my 1086 tractor with a gooseneck trailer hauling seven bales. It can haul two in the postion over the tires but I rarely do it. This can be pulled by a pickup and is normally.

I put a gooseneck ball on the top of my bale carrier and can do the work by myself of loading and unloading. I pull the trailer to the field with the tractor, then load the trailer with the tractor/loader. Then pull the load home and unload it.

31 Weeks

2011-11-12T10:38:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, these are the first "baby bump" pictures I have taken with this pregnancy. The second time around is much different than the first. What hasn't changed, is that we are so thankful for another healthy pregnancy and can't wait to hold this little one in our arms. So for those who are curious, here I am at 31 weeks.

Better Late than Never

2011-11-10T15:44:00.001-06:00

We have some catching up to do here. Going back a few weeks...Rebecca had a Fall party at school and was able to wear a costume. She chose to be a fairy again this year, which was great because we still had the wings from last year. She had a lot of fun showing everyone how she could "fly."

We also made a few Halloween treats for friends and neighbors. I got the idea off another blog of course, but now that I am looking for it again, I can't find the blog back. They turned out really cute!

How to: Dip Nutter Butter cookies in melted vanilla almond bark (I thinned it down with Crisco). Let it harden and then drizzle additional melted almond bark over the cookies (I used a paper decorator bag with the tip cut off). Add melted dark chocolate eyes with a toothpick.

A Little Organization

2011-10-18T21:00:00.002-05:00

When life is crazy busy and I feel like I have no time to even pick up the dirty socks on the bathroom floor, it feels great to get a little corner of that crazy life organized. So, yesterday I did a tiny thing - hung up our photo cork board that we had up before we remodeled the kitchen. Months ago I spray painted an old frame white and framed the fabric covered cork board with the intention of hanging it up, but never got around to it. We like to hang Christmas card photos on it each year and I also had baby announcements piling up on the counter and side of the fridge so I got out the hammer and nails and got it done. Beautiful.

My other little bit of organization was inspired by my favorite blog Young House Love with their similar project found here. When I saw this project the other day, I though, "I can do that! And I even have all the supplies already." So tonight I got out the supplies and set to work to organize this corner of the kitchen.

This is the counter that our microwave used to sit on. Now that we have the microwave over the stove this counter is free to become the "dropping zone" for things that come into the house. I hate clutter and therefore hate this counter, so I wanted to try and organize it a little bit more.

So for this project you need the inside of a cabinet door, cork board squares, utility knife, glue, and a ruler. All of which I had on hand. I think I picked up the cork board about 5 years ago at either a thrift store or garage sale. There are 4 thin squares of cork in the package.

I started by measuring the inside of the door, cutting a sheet of cork, and dry fitting it in the opening.

Perfect fit. The other perfect fit was that 2 sheets was exactly the height of the door so I have minimal cutting to do. The cork did come with double stick mounting squares, but when I tried to use them I knew they would not hold up. So I just used hot glue. Yes, that will be a real mess if I ever want to take the cork down, but I don't see that happening.

YEAH! for a great place to pin up coupons, schedules, and recipes I want to try. I love it and it makes me feel a little bit more organized!

I also worked hard at finding a better home for most of the stuff that was collecting on the counter. I know that this will always be the "catch all" place in the house, but it feels good to clean it up for a while. I still don't like the phone charger cords "hanging around." Still looking for a good solution to keeping those under control. Please share it you have a good way to do that.

Projects

2011-10-05T15:36:00.001-05:00

We've been pretty busy this Fall! (One reason we haven't blogged much). Here are a few of the projects that we have been working on:

On Sept. 13, Dan's brother Andy and his wife Carol welcomed twin girls into their family. Carol asked me to make dark purple curtains and crib skirts for the girls' room. I used the crib skirt my mom had made for me as a pattern and whipped out two crib skirts in no time! If only all sewing was that easy :) I did not have a pattern for the curtains, but with a few measurement of the window, it was pretty easy too. I excel at sewing straight lines.

Not the best pictures, but you get the idea.

When I told Dan that I was going to blog about my sewing, he said I also needed to blog about his welding. Because according to him, it's really the same thing - creating something new from scratch, we just use different materials. And I guess I have to agree :)

Dan has been hard at work building a feed lot at a neighbors farm and part of that feed lot is a crowding tub and chute to work cattle in. He bought steel pipe and built custom gates for the project. A little dirtier and smellier than my sewing, but just as impressive :)

Here is Dan with one of the gates he welded.

Preschool

2011-09-21T13:24:00.000-05:00

Rebecca is now going to preschool in the mornings, 4 days a week. She started the day after Labor Day and has really enjoyed it. It is so fun to see her excitement and hear about her day. The best thing is that she is going to preschool at Delaware, where I teach. She comes with me to school in the mornings and then I bring her to daycare right before lunch. Her favorite thing to say on the way home is, "So Mom, tell me about your day." And then I ask her the same thing :)

Here is Rebecca on her first day of preschool.

Note: Fall = very busy = less blogging. Sorry to those who check this often.

Party Time

2011-09-04T13:03:00.000-05:00

Rebecca turned 4 years old on August 31 and we had a family party for her on Saturday. She picked a "Tangled" theme from the new movie about Rapunzel. I went online and found a good design for a cake that I thought I would be able to do. Overall, I think it was the best birthday yet. We had a great time with family, fun decorations, gifts, and yummy cake. Here are some of the highlights.

Rebecca and her "Tangled" cake.

Rebecca did a great job blowing out her candles!

Here is the cake and the table decorations. I got the idea for the candy filled glasses just the other day while on another one of my favorite blogs. Rebecca did a great job helping me sort the Skittles by color earlier in the day.

The party was topped off by enjoying cake and ice cream and playing with grandparents and cousins.

Happy Birthday Rebecca!

2011-09-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

Our Little Girl turned 4 on August 31st! I can't believe only 4 years ago we were in the hospital holding our new little bundle. Here is a little flashback.

On her birthday morning, we gave her a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Pontier - a new basket, bell, and flag for a bike. She knew after opening them that there had to be a new bike from mom and dad in the garage for her. She couldn't wait to ride it a little in the morning before we left for school. When she got home she rode it until supper time and even wanted to ride some more after her bath. Since our driveway is gravel, it's easier to ride in the garage and she likes makes hot laps around the car.

What a big girl! I wonder how long those training wheels will stay on?

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2011-08-18T08:28:00.002-05:00

It's been a very busy and tiring we for me, so I am just getting around to puting my feet up and finishing this blog post. One thing that I love to grow in the garden is zucchini. I grow it for pretty much one reason: Chocolate Zucchini Cake! The best part about growing lots of zucchini is that you can shred it and freeze it in 2 cup portions and make this cake year round.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour milk (put a little vinegar in milk and it will turn sour)
2 cups shredded fresh zucchini

Topping: sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts (nuts are optional)

Mix all ingredients together, I just do it in the order they are listed. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle the topping on (be generous :). Bake for 35-45 min. at 350 degrees.

Just a few notes about zucchini. If the zucchini is the size of a large cucumber like the kind you buy in the store, it is delicious sliced and sauted in a little oil. If you let your zucchini grow bigger like the size of your arm, they are great for shredding and using in cake and bread. To shred the zucchini, peal off the skin with a potato peeler, cut it length wise and scoop out all the seeds, then shred with a grater. If you freeze zucchini and want to use it in a recipe later, make sure you thaw the zucchini and include all the "water/zucchini juice" in the recipe.

I wish I was better at taking pictures while baking and cooking, but I'm not. Here is a picture of the cake - it doesn't last long in our house! Rebecca actually cried when I started eating the last piece. I reluctantly shared a little with her :)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2011-08-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

So two of Dan's favorites are snickerdoodle cookies and blondies. I recently when to a potluck picnic and a friend had brought some delicious bars and when I asked what they were called, she said they were Snickerdoodle Blondies. I had never heard of them or had them before, but what a great combination. I knew Dan would like them too. So I found a recipe online and here it is from
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/07/09/snickerdoodle-blondies/

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Yield: 24 blondies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl, until thoroughly combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the flour is incorporated.

4. Spread the dough evenly into the pan (I found an offset spatula was the best tool for the job, as it’s a thick batter). Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

And I was right, Dan said, "I think I could just eat this whole pan."

Outdoor Fun and Improvements

2011-07-29T16:23:00.003-05:00

Rebecca and I did a little shopping this morning and scored at the DAV thrift store! I love good deals. Just about every time I drive by the store I look in their back fenced area where they keep any patio furniture, bikes, and other outdoor stuff that had been donated. I'm actually on the look out for another small bike for Rebecca since her other one was tragically "killed" when Dan backed over it with the truck. When we drove by the store today we saw a Step 2 Wagon and a Little Tykes picnic table in the back, so of course we had to go back and check it out!

We passed on the picnic table, it was a little too faded and I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it in the car. But I could not pass up the wagon. For Rebecca, it was love at first sight and I didn't mind the near perfect condition and the $24 price tag. Before making our final decision, I checked the value of a new wagon on my phone. Target was selling them for $60.

Rebecca had fun washing it with the hose and then filling it with some animals and pulling it around the yard.

She has also enjoyed playing on her improved playground lately. This main play structure was here when we bought the house and since then we have made a few improvements. We added the swings, slide, canopy, steering wheel, and yellow handles. Here is a (bad) picture of the play area last summer.

Summer 2010

Just this summer Dan (with a little of my help) dug out all the sand that used to be all over the inside of the wood border. I hated walking in the sand and Rebecca didn't like it much either. We build up the sides of the sandbox under the play house and replaced the rest of the sand with playground grade wood chips that we bought a truck load of from a tree service in Des Moines. The other improvement this summer was extending the horizontal bar the swing hung on and made it long enough for 2 swings and added the A frame support on the far side. As you can see, I still need to stain the new wood. I love how great it looks now with the wood chips and it's ready with 2 swings for 2 kids next summer :)

Summer 2011

Vacation

2011-07-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

It's been a quiet week on the blog because we were on vacation last week with the Pontier family. It would be impossible to recap everything we did and load all 200 pictures, so I will just give you some of the highlights.

My parents found a rental house near Linn Grove, Iowa. It is a bed and breakfast with a small vineyard and pond. We rented the whole house for the week so the owners left and we were on our own. The house was very large and spacious and beautifully decorated. The house only had 4 bedrooms, but each room was the size of a hotel room with 2 queen beds and a large bathroom with a whirlpool tub. It was a very hot week, so we spent a lot of time swimming, canoeing, and kayaking in the pond. We also when swimming and boating in Storm Lake which was only 25 miles away.

Some other things we enjoyed were inside board games, big family meals, reading and relaxing, and a "corn hole" (beanbag toss) tournament. It was great to spend so much time with family that we only see a few times a year. Can't wait until next time!

Stars and Stripes

2011-07-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late for July 4th, so you will just have to remember this for next year. Here are some cupcakes I made for a get together with friends last weekend.

Make vanilla cupcakes in red, white, and blue cupcake wrappers. Frost cupcakes with whipped topping (so easy!). Then decorate with fresh blueberries and stripes of strawberry fruit roll-ups. Cutting the fruit roll-ups is a little tricky and sticky, but they are so cute, it's worth it. Enjoy (next year :)

Little Moments

2011-07-08T17:03:00.000-05:00

I just love this picture! It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

Here is the story behind the picture. Dan bought a semi load of hay from someone and they delivered it to our house. The semi is parked diagonally across our driveway. Dan unloaded the hay bails with his tractor and drove them down the hill to the barn. Rebecca likes to be close to the action and wanted to be out side to watch. I looked outside at her before this and she was watching and riding her bike around while the semi driver was sitting on the step. She then came inside and said she was hot and needed a snack. I gave her a freeze pop and she went back outside. When I looked out at her a second time this is what I saw. She had gotten a chair from the garage and parked herself next to the semi driver to watch too! It's these little moments that can make everyday life special.

Stuffed Shells

2011-07-06T14:56:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite meals for several reasons:
1. it's so easy and makes about 3 meals worth - love meals in the freezer!
2. my grandma used to make these every time she came to Iowa to visit - good memories!
3. they are delicious - yum!

Stuffed Shells
Prepare a box of large pasta shells according to the box, drain, and rinse with cold water.

Cheese mixture:
2 containers of ricotta cheese (30 oz. total)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 T. parsley flakes
optional - 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

When shells are cool enough to handle, put a heaping table spoon of cheese mixture into each shell and lay them on a cookie sheet. It should come out pretty even with shells and cheese mixture. I usually end up with a few shells left over because I over stuff mine :)

Freeze the shells on the cookie sheet and then transfer them to a zip lock bag. When you want to enjoy your shells, lay them in a baking dish seam side down (about 3-4 shells per adult) and cover generously with your favorite pasta sauce. Bake shells at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Bubble Wrap

2011-07-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

I think I might wrap Rebecca in bubble wrap next week and keep her in her bedroom. After a week like this one, I don't think she can handle any more injuries! I know she is only 3 years old, but we've already noticed that Rebecca is not very coordinated and tends to fall down and bang into things a lot. But this week takes the cake.

On Monday night she was at VBS and fell/tripped and landed in such a way that she split open the front of her knee about an inch. It really looked liked it needed stitches, but wanting to avoid the ER, we waited until Tuesday morning to take her in. Her doctor did put 5 stitches in her knee. I won't go into too many details about the procedure, but it was awful for everyone and I've never heard Rebecca scream so much!

She is doing great now and hardly notices that there are stitches in her knee. We have to keep reminding her not to run or crawl on her knee. She gets her stitches out on July 11th.

In addition to stitches on Tuesday, Wednesday she managed to fall down the deck steps and land on the concrete. She scraped up her shoulder, bumped her head, and added another scrape to her knees. On Thursday at VBS again, she was climbing on something and scraped and bruised the under part of her arm. And to top it off, Friday she slammed her thumb in the car door! The scary thing is that all of these injuries were "self-inflicted", she didn't need help from anyone else. We pray she survives childhood!

Banana Bread

2011-06-29T13:05:00.001-05:00

I feel like I've been going "bananas" the last few days (I'll post more about that later this week) and the bananas on my counter have been going bad. So this morning (yes, I'm a day late again with my recipe) I decided to make a bunch of banana bread and muffins. I got this recipe from my mom and I doubled it twice to use all my rotten bananas.

Banana Bread
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 c. margarine
2 T milk
2 eggs
nuts (optional)

Cream together banana, margarine, milk, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add nuts if you want. Makes one loaf pan or 12 reg. muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins. or until knife comes out clean. Let bread cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from pan to finish cooling.

2 loaves of bread and large muffins. There is one more loaf in the oven.

Farm Tiling

2011-06-26T15:10:00.001-05:00

We did some tiling this spring on our farm. The tiling machine below is what puts the tile in the ground. This is a 350 horsepower Cummins powered machine with four wheel drive and a 7 foot wheel trencher on the back. It has a 20,000 lb 5/8 cable winch on the front and we used it extensively because of the muddy conditions.

This shows the rear of the machine well. The wheel moves counter clockwise and as it rotates the dirt falls from the wheel getting expelled by the belt to the side of trench.

This is view of the cab. It is GPS guided and is auto steer. Technology at work. The driver drives the machine in reverse where he would like the tile to go. Then when the machine is in the ground and going forward the computer places the tile with appropriate drop/slope.

This shows how wet one spot was. Norm, the owner, was driving the machine on the reverse course to get a new string strung and wanted to go right through the heart of this wet spot. After getting unstuck we decided to go above it a little. The 20,000 lb winch was used to the maximum to get him out. The tires are about 6 feet tall when not stuck.

This video shows smooth running of the tiling machine. The wheel hauls the dirt up the front of the trench dropping it on the belt for expelling out the side. Then the tile boot, the attachment on the back of the wheel, cleans the trench for placement of the tile in the bottom. You can see the black tile being pulled into the tile boot.

Check Out Our New Ticker! ---------->

2011-06-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

That's right, Rebecca is going to be a BIG SISTER in January and she is pretty excited about it! We are thrilled too!

Sarah, Plain and Tall

2011-06-21T17:44:00.002-05:00

This title (the "plain" part) is so true when it comes to how I like to eat. I know that I set the goal of posting a new recipe every Tuesday and I still plan on trying to do that. But today while thinking of what we have eaten lately trying to think of a recipe to post, I realized that very few meals that I make regularly actually use a recipe.

I like my food pretty plain. I know that I am the black sheep of my family when it comes to my passion for food and being in the kitchen making it, but it works for me and thankfully Dan doesn't mind too much. Although, I have had to remind him a few times that he did not marry my mom.

One of my favorite "plain" meals, no recipe needed.

Marinated (in Zesty Italian dressing) chicken breast - grilled, pasta with butter, peas, sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese.

Oatmeal Cookies

2011-06-15T09:20:00.001-05:00

These are my favorite oatmeal cookies and Rebecca and I are planning on making them later today.

Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups quick oats

Additions: 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 cup craisins (this is what makes the cookies SO GOOD)

Mix together and drop about table spoon balls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake, you want them to be chewy, not crunchy. Enjoy!

What is your favorite thing to add to a basic oatmeal cookie recipe?

(I know that I am a day late on this recipe, but I'm on summer vacation...no schedules!)

Bam Bam Ball

2011-06-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Rebecca in action at Bam Bam Ball from Saturday.

Strawberry Update

2011-06-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

We also made pie! YUM!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2011-06-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

I've been finding it hard to keep up with the strawberries in our garden this last week! I guess that's not a bad problem to have, but with so many strawberries I've been looking for good ways to use them all. So I attempted for the first time to make freezer jam.

I cleaned about 6 or 7 cups of strawberries and let Rebecca smash them with the potato smasher - she had fun! I had to do a little math to figure out exactly how many cups of sugar and pectin I should use with the amount of berries I had. After I mixed the berries, sugar, and pectin, I let it set for 30 minutes like the directions said. I didn't think the jam was setting up very well (my berries were VERY juicy) so I added an extra table spoon of pectin to each jar. Then after another 30 minutes the jam seemed to be a little more set.

The taste of the jam is great! It tastes like strawberry puree, which is fine by me. I'm not going to post the recipe because I really didn't follow one very closely. I just followed (roughly) the directions on the fruit pectin container, which called for berries, sugar, and pectin - easy!. Here are the containers I froze.

What is your favorite thing to do with fresh strawberries? I'm going to have a lot more in the next few days!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was filled with lots activity. On Friday my sister Grace, her husband Doug, and 5 of their 6 kids can to our house. A few hours later, Grace and I abandoned our husbands (with all the kids) and drove to St. Louis to spend a few days with our younger sister Rachel. I don't have any pictures from St. Louis, so I will save the details of that for another time when I got a few pictures from Rachel.

Back at our house the kids had a great time hanging out on the farm. One of the highlights of the weekend was Jake finding a salamander in the window well of our house. It was their "pet" for a few days and everyone had fun watching it. I've gotten accustom to all the frogs around our house and pond, but I had no idea there was also salamanders around - a little unsettling, but I guess they are rather harmless.

Jake with the salamander.

Rebecca, Joanna, and Jake with the salamander and two frogs.

Olive Garden Breadsticks

2011-05-31T17:18:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe a while back and tried them last week. They were a big hit and I will definitely make them again. Mine weren't quite as light and fluffy as the restaurant's, but they tasted was great. I don't make yeast breads very much because of the time it takes, but these bread sticks only take a little over an hour from start to finish - not bad.

Olive Garden Bread sticks with whole wheat pasta and meat sauce.

Olive Garden Bread sticks
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp. yeast
2 1/4 flour
1 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Begin by dissolving the yeast in the warm water. Add butter, salt, and sugar. Add the flour and mix until combined. Knead a few times. (My dough was very dry and I had to add a little more water.) Cover dough and let rest for 45 minutes.

Mix together 1 Tbs. melted butter, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. garlic powder and set aside.

Shape dough into 8-10 bread sticks and place on a greased pan. Bake at 400 for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and brush each bread stick with butter mixture. Bake for 8 more minutes or until lightly browned. Brush the rest of the mixture over the bread sticks. Serve warm!

Granola

2011-05-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

Here is the granola recipe that my mom makes. I think this is only the second time that I've made it, but I have no idea why? It's so easy and good - I should really make it more often.

Granola
6 cup quick oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried milk
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup oil

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine honey, oil, water, and vanilla. Pour over dry mix and stir until everything is evenly moist. Divide granola into 2 baking pans and bake at 325 F for 45 minutes, stirring after every 15 minutes.

Let granola cool and store in an air tight container. As it cools is gets crunchy and will clomp together - just break it apart carefully. This granola is great with milk, yogurt, and even ice cream :) Enjoy!

Water Play

2011-05-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

Rebecca LOVES to play with water. Ever since she was a baby, she has loved bath time and now that she is older, she loves to play in the sink and with the water hose outside. I've let her "wash" dishes a few times in the kitchen, but the water overflowing the counters and floor is enough to drive me crazy. So this winter after she had flooded the kitchen yet again, I decided that when in warmed up I would build her a water table for outside. That idea evolved into an "outdoor kitchen" concept. And this is what I built her this week.

Pretty great right?! I was impressed with my mad skills too *wink* *wink*. I used the miter saw, the circular saw, and the electric drill all by myself. The wood I used was what we had in the garage and we've had that blue tub for so long, I don't even know where it came from. So this project cost me nothing except a little time. I have to give some credit to Dan too. He cut out the top hole where the blue "sink" drops in. The deck needs to be stained again this summer, so I will give the kitchen a good coat of stain too.

It's a big hit! Many hours of fun for Becca!

Arby's Tonight

2011-05-17T14:04:00.002-05:00

I know I promised a yummy recipe every Tuesday, but today I'm going the easy route! I will very likely pick up two of Arby's Markey Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad sandwiches for supper tonight or tomorrow. So I thought I would just share this coupon with you. Enjoy!

Update: I should also note that the coupon expires on 5/22/11. My Arby's was super nice and let me pick up 2 sandwiches even though it says "one per costumer, per visit".
http://www.arbys.com/maySocialoffer05162011_chicken/

Baby Gifts

2011-05-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

My friend Cara and her husband Jamie welcomed a new daughter Emrey into their family. I wish we lived closer so I could give her these gifts in person and hold precious Emrey! But I hope these arrive safely in the mail soon.

The baby blanket is double layered flannel with a fancy stitch. The flower headband is made from the same flannel fabric and the same pedal flower I made in felt HERE. I made a second felt box fold flower for the headband as well. I attached velcro to the headband and to the back of each flower so they are interchangeable.

For Supper Tonight

2011-05-10T15:48:00.002-05:00

Here are a few things I will have cooking for supper tonight Sloppy Joe meat on Whole Wheat Rolls with Sweet Potato Fries.

Whole Wheat Rolls, from Finding Joy in My Kitchen

1 1/2 T yeast
1 C + 1 T warm water
1/3 C oil
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 C White Whole Wheat Flour

Begin by dissolving the yeast in the water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes until yeast is foamy.
Add in the oil, sugar and salt.
Then, add in the flour, 1 C at a time stirring until incorporated.
Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, until the dough is well formed and easy to work with.
Add additional flour as needed to get the dough to become workable.
Divide the dough into 9-12 sections and roll into balls. {9 if you'd like larger rolls, 12 if you'd like smaller ones}.
Place the rolls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover.
Set in a warm place and allow the dough to rise/rest for ~20 minutes.
Then, bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Sweet Potato Fries

Peel 2-3 sweet potatoes

Cut into fries

Lightly coat with olive oil and sprinkle with season salt.

Spread fries in a single layer on a baking sheet.

(I bake mine on parchment paper so there is no sticking and fries don't break apart as much when flipping.)

Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, flip fries and bake for another 10 minutes or until tender.

Enjoy!!

Teacher Appreciation

2011-05-05T19:14:00.000-05:00

This is Teacher Appreciation Week. Here are a few simple ways that we appreciated the people in our lives. And who doesn't love a little play on words?

On the last day of Sunday School we said thank you to Rebecca's teachers with a plant. The card says, "Thank You for Helping me GROW in the Lord." Rebecca decorated the front of the cards and I wrote a note on the inside.

This is also Child Care Appreciation week (I'm sure there are many others lumped into this week before Mother's Day also, but I don't know the whole list). We are so fortunate to have a great place to bring Rebecca each day that I work. Rebecca has been going to Angie's since she was 4 months old and just loves her. I don't know if we could have found a more caring person to take care of our daughter! Here are of few thank you treats for Angie this year.

Assorted Berries

Donut Holes

I hope you find a great way to appreciate the teachers and care givers in your life with either thoughtful words or a simple gift.

White Cake Cookies

2011-05-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

These cookies are so simple and so pretty!

White Cake Cookies
white cake mix
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
sprinkles

Mix all ingredients well. Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and dip the ball into the sprinkles. Place balls on a cookie sheet sprinkle side up (do not press or flatten balls). Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown on the bottom but not on the top.

TABS! TABS! TABS!

2011-05-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Look up and check out our NEW TABS!!

I've never been so excited about something on our blog as I am about our NEW TABS!

As many of you know, I love organizing. If fact I've thought at times that I could be a professional organizer (maybe some day...). So I LOVE that I can organize our blog by topics. I hate that so many posts get "lost" in the archive never to be seen/read again. But now you can have easy access to past posts through the above tabs. I will continue to organize and add blog posts. I know you are not even a fraction as excited as I am about this, but I do hope that you enjoy it!

Bam Bam Ball

2011-05-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

Rebecca had her first day of Bam Bam Ball yesterday and she really like it! Honestly, I was a little worried. She just finished 6 weeks of tumbling and although she was excited to go, her attention span for the half hour session was lacking. Bam Bam Ball is an hour session, but she followed direction pretty well. And unlike tumbling, she is not the least coordinated :) We do need to get her a different glove because she is left handed. And some practice with a bat wouldn't be a bad idea either.

We can't believe how fast you are growing up! We are so proud of you Rebecca!

A few little projects

2011-04-28T18:49:00.003-05:00

I never really knew the power of spray paint until reading Young House Love (my FAVORITE blog). They have a way of transforming a blah thing into a new piece of art with just a can a spray paint. So I thought I'd give it a try with a few things I had around the house. Nothing dramatic, just a little refreshing.

The first is a cardboard oval box that I've had for years. It sits on the top of our dresser and holds lotion, deodorant, and other bottles. It's never matched the room and I've never really cared, but what harm could a little spray paint do?

After

Before

The next is a picture frame that we've had and not used for awhile. Spray painting frames is not new to me, but I was unsure if I wanted to use this frame for a project. When I took out the glass, it broke - so there was no harm in painting it since I couldn't use it as a picture frame anyway. The center red fabric is covering a cork board. I plan to hang in it the kitchen again.

Before

After, with Rebecca and her bubbles.

The third was a basket that we have used as a "catch all" in our kitchen. It has it's own counter top now that the microwave is above the stove and I thought it would match a little more if it was a different color.

Before

After

The basket in action.

What do you think? Does a little spray paint help? What is the craziest thing you have ever spray painted?

Cream Cheese Dips

2011-04-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

Cream cheese is one of my favorite foods and I have loved just about every recipe that I've made using it. Here are two different dips that are so YUMMY and they're even easy enough for your 3 year old to make.

Looking good, Chef Rebecca!

Heath Bar Apple Dip
8 oz. of softened cream cheese
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup of Heath Bar Bits
(You can also use toffee bits, but I prefer Heath bits because they have chocolate on them.)

Blend well with an electric mixer - you might need to supervise your 3 year old with that :)
Enjoy with a freshly sliced apple. This dip makes eating an apple so much more enjoyable!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Dip
8 oz. of softened cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Blend well with an electric mixer - again, you might need to supervise your 3 year old with that :)
This dip is great with graham crackers or vanilla wafers. Enjoy!

Other Easter activities

2011-04-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

On the Saturday before Easter we got together with Dan's family to celebrate a birthday and Easter. The highlight for the girls was an egg hunt. Because of the cold wet weather we stayed inside, but they still had a great time and were very protective of their "loot."

Allison, Rebecca, and Jessica.

"Ahh...I love candy."

Last week I saw a fun Spring/Easter snack that I thought I would give a try. Rebecca and I had fun making bird nests with butterscotch chips, Chinese noodles, and jelly bean eggs.

If I ever make these again, I would melt chocolate chips in with the butterscotch chips. It would make the nest a lot darker brown, but a little more tasty.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:53:00.001-05:00

"But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!" Mark 16:4-6a

Rebecca in her dress ready for church on Easter morning.

Cream Soups

2011-04-19T14:04:00.000-05:00

I am going to try and be a more consistent blogger. To help me with that, I am going to give myself certain days to post certain topics. I chose Tuesdays to be a recipe day. Every Tuesday (sometime before mid-night) I will post about a recipe - one I want to try or an old favorite. Hope you enjoy.

In my attempt to be healthier, I am going to commit to no longer buying cream soups. I still plan on using the dozen or so I have in the pantry, but NO MORE buying cream soups, no matter the sale price! There's no getting around the ease of using them in so many tasty dishes, but they are easy enough to make and I can control what goes into them. I found a good and simple recipe at Finding Joy in My Kitchen and HERE is her post about cream soups.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Makes approximately 1 can
1 can (4oz) of mushrooms, drained (may use fresh as well)
1/2 C finely diced onions (I use minced)
1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C milk
1 T cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, saute onions with mushrooms in 1 T oil or butter (I omit if using a non-stick pan) until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add chicken broth and heat to boiling. Mix 1/2 c milk with cornstarch until well mixed, and add to the boiling mixture, stirring frequently until thick (about 1 minute). Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Makes approximately 1 can
1 C chicken broth
1/2 C finely diced onions (I use minced)
1/2 C milk
1 T cornstarch

In a saucepan, bring chicken broth and onions to a boil. Mix 1/2 c milk with cornstarch until well mixed, and add to the boiling mixture, stirring frequently until thick (about 1 minute). Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Have you tried making your own cream soups? What is your favorite recipe? Please share!

Final Kitchen Reveal

2011-04-16T17:31:00.005-05:00

Can you believe it? Our kitchen is done!!

Here is a flash back to what it looked like 6 months ago:

And here is our kitchen today:

Before

After

Before

After

We love the new storage bench to hold all Rebecca's art supplies.

Entry way from the garage with its new coat hooks.

Dining table and a good look at the new floor. Sorry for the window glare!

So there it is! We did all the work ourselves except installing the new counter top. The new appliances are Whirlpool and we found the best deal for them at Sears. The flooring was from Lowes. The new hardware on the cabinets was from Menards and the hinges were from Lowes. It would be great to give a break down of everything that we did, but honestly I don't want to know how much the total cost was :) What I do know is that we love the results and saved a lot by doing the work ourselves and painting the cabinets rather than getting new.

Just like when we finished our basement, we learned a lot of lessons while working on the kitchen. I'd say, "If we ever had to do this again we would do a few things differently." But honestly, who would want to do that again!? I hope if there is a next house for our family it is perfectly done - by someone else!

Linked up with Thirfty Decor Chick's Before and After Party!

Linked up with Remondelaholic:

As a side note: If you are a regular reader of this blog - THANK YOU and please consider becoming a "follower" in the right hand side of the blog. All that will appears is your tiny google id picture and it will boost my ego a little if I have more than 3 followers! THANKS! -Sarah

a day in the life...

2011-04-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

Just a day in the life of a farm family. Dan was working on building a new hay wagon. We all enjoyed the beautiful weather and I had fun trying new settings on the camera. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

A little shelf, A big improvement

2011-04-02T13:23:00.000-06:00

I did a little update/finishing of the entry way from the garage that I started HERE. I liked how it turned out in both function and style, but it needed a little more. When I originally bought the moldings, I tried a lot of different pieces to create a little shelf on the top, but nothing worked right. As with most creative projects, I put it on the back burner until I was ready to tackle it again. A few days ago I was in to mood to have a go at "building a little shelf" and headed to Menards and found the pieces I needed. I picked up a 1x2 inch piece of pine and a 1/2 inch piece of quarter round. Simple, I know.

Here is the coat hook moldings before.

Here are the two new pieces are added to the top and there's painter's tape around it ready to be primed and painted.

And here is the final shot sporting some art work by our very own in house artist, Rebecca.

I love it and it's not far off from my inspiration picture found HERE.

Sesame Chicken - Yum!

2011-04-02T10:15:00.001-06:00

Sesame Chicken is one of my favorite Chinese dishes to order (Dan and Rebecca are fans too). So when I saw an easy recipe for it HERE, I thought I would give it a try. I knew that it wouldn't be just like the takeout, but if the taste was good and it's even slightly more HEALTHY, I thought it would be a good alternative.

Verdict: it's a keeper! I steamed broccoli instead of green beans and used white rice because I didn't have any brown on hand. Overall everyone liked it, but honestly, it could never replace takeout altogether :)

Spring is here...almost

2011-03-23T17:44:00.002-06:00

A great sign of spring on the farm is the birth of our first spring calf. I think we have blogged about it every year that we have been blogging. So in true form...here's our first calf.

Although with snow in the forecast for this weekend, spring is not quite here for good yet.

Final Reveal!

2011-03-19T18:49:00.001-06:00

(Not of the kitchen...yet)

This final reveal is of Rebecca's "big girl" room. We started this project back in December of 2009 and are finally finished!

Here is a flash back to Rebecca's nursery...

And here is her big girl room (after about 20 minutes of cleaning :)...

We started by switching out her toddler bed for twin bunk beds. We got them from my parents and they are the same ones that my sister and I slept on as kids. With the new beds came new bedding. I found deep purple sheets on clearance at Wal-mart and the rest of the room evolved around that color. I found the same color purple poke-a-dot fabric for the bed spreads and it inspired the poke-a-dot pattern on the wall. Although I had good intentions of sewing the bed spreads and the curtains, they were a little out of my league. So with two different visits from my mom, the second of which was this past week, she help complete the room.
The other furniture is as follows:
dresser - craig's list, $20
desk - hand me down from Dan's sister
shelf - craig's list, part of an office set
fabric poke-a-dot bins (on the shelf) - Target
rocker - Babies R Us, stayed in the room from before
fabric cube storage (by the bed) - Wal-mart

I really think that this room will grow well with her and we won't have to redecorate for a long time.

Customer Service?

2011-03-08T14:10:00.003-06:00

So I'm going to vent a little because I can. Last year during an icy storm and a subsequent "snow day" from school I spotted some gorgeous boots on endless.com. I had been looking for a great pair of boots to warm my cold feet and here they were with free over night shipping!

I ~~enjoyed~~ loved my boots for almost a year before the seam on the front of the right boot began to split open. I knew I could probably sew or glue it back together, but I also knew that Eastland shoes had a good guarantee policy that I had used in the past to replace a pair of shoes. I went through all the leg work to email them and ask them about replacing the boots and with a small tear in my eye, sent them off in the mail. A week or so later I got a call from Darla at Eastland customer service who informing me that my boots were indeed defective and that I could have them replace. BUT they no longer have my size in that style and I would have to choose a different style. NO GO! I went to the website and liked NOTHING else they had to offer.
So I called Darla back and told her that I was disappointed and I would just like my boots back. She said, "I can't do that, they have already been thrown away." THROWN AWAY!! I was very upset to say the least. I was about to tell her to go dumpster diving after them, but I tried to stay calm. Long story short, I talked with a manager and let her know how upset I was with this policy of THROWING AWAY my boots. She finally agreed that although it is "against their policy", they would refund my money even thought I did not buy them through Eastland.

So the hunt is back on for warm boots to keep my toes from freezing...next winter.

Bring on Spring!

Flowers are Blooming

2011-02-22T20:01:00.001-06:00

My craftiness comes and goes depending on my mood, inspirations, and time. Last week I had parent teacher conferences, which was BUSY, but then I had an extra day off on Friday. I was very productive on Friday - painting, laundry, cleaning, and CRAFTING. I've been eyeing a few different flower tutorials lately and decided to just give them a try. Not bad for my first try!

Felt flower with clear, round buttons in the middle.

Fabric flowers with a pin on the back.

While making the felt flower, I thought, "This is so easy I could make a tutorial for it." But then I thought, "No, I'll just give credit to the person I got the idea from and save myself the time." So here is the link to the felt flower tutorial. And here is the link to the fabric roses.

(click on the word "link" to find the website)

I'm seriously thinking of hosting a craft night at my house for those who are interested in making things like this or have another simple craft to share. I'll be in touch...

Hooking Up

2011-02-12T17:30:00.006-06:00

It just so happens that my least favorite place in the house is in my new favorite room (the remodeled kitchen). I have never liked the entrance to our house from the garage. You step directly into the kitchen - it's cramped and usually covered with shoes and in the winter, coats, hats, and boots. Our long term plan is to maybe build a small entry room in the garage and step up to the kitchen, but I still wanted a fix for now. When I saw this idea on another blog, I knew it would work in our house too.

So here is my least favorite place in the house as it usually looks. The shelf works well, but it doesn't really go with the new white cabinets. I also don't like that Rebecca can't hang up her own coat and backpack or get them down after Dan or I has hung them up.

So here is the new design. I bought two pieces of molding - same profile, but one is is taller that the other. I also got new hooks that would match our new cabinet hardware. The larger molding went on the top with the double hooks and the other molding went on the bottom with the smaller hooks.

You will still need to be careful to not trip over the shoes, but there is more room to hang up coats and Rebecca is excited to be able to reach her own coat and backpack. I do want to find a hanging basket of some sort for extra hats and gloves since there is no longer a shelf. I'm also excited to decorate the wall with a little art work over the top - either some white picture frames or vinyl wall words. So now this is no longer my least favorite place in the house :)

(Feeling the need to give credit where credit is due. Here is the blog I got the idea from, which was a link from this blog that I visit often.)

Spicing it Up

2011-02-12T16:33:00.003-06:00

In an attempt to keep my new kitchen organized I bought this spice rack for $10 to put in the cabinet above the microwave.

When I brought it home I showed it to Dan and said, "I bought this to organize my spices, but if you build me one just like it, I will return it." I knew that would get him because I have yet to find anyone as motivated to save money as my husband. So today we worked together to make our own spice rack out of a 2x4. How great is that? And Dan successfully save us $8. Every little bit helps with this major kitchen redo.

(Yes, mom, I still need to alphabetize my spices :)

The New Counter Top

2011-01-27T13:12:00.006-06:00

The new counter tops are in! There's not a whole lot to say about them except they look FABULOUS!

Before:

During:

After!:

And a close up of the beautiful sink and faucet.

As you can see, there are still cabinet doors to finish, but I'm making progress and the drawers are done and in.

Hey Good Lookin'

2011-01-21T20:21:00.003-06:00

Whatcha Got Cooking?

That's right, the appliances are here. And for the stove to answer that question, my go-to favorite, Sloppy Joe. It's going to take me a while to learn the heat settings on the gas stove, but I love it already. I really love the the full top grill. It makes setting pots down and moving them around so easy. The oven bakes wonderfully as well.

And for the microwave to answer that question, NOTHING! Because the microwave doesn't work. I guess we just thought we could install the microwave, plug it in, and it would work. But that's not what happened. We installed it, plugged it in, and it did not work. A new one is being delivered on Monday.

The fridge is my new best friend. I LOVE not having to bend over to get in the fridge. I also love that the drawers and shelves are clear and I can SEE everything. No more lost leftovers shoved to the back and found weeks later.

I'm sure our dish washer is a little jealous that he does not have a shiny stainless steal finish, but he has a few more good years left before we need to think about replacing him. We also got word today that the counter top is coming on the 27th!

Flooring!

2011-01-14T13:54:00.005-06:00

Yes the flooring is in and looking great! I had a snow day on Tuesday of this week and was able to finish all the painting that I wanted to do before the flooring was laid. This is my "I...can't...breathe..." picture. The kitchen and dining room were a complete mess! So right after I took this picture I cleaned up everything and could finally breathe better.

We bought laminate flooring from Lowes. We liked the durability of laminate and the easy of installation. I was pretty picky about the look and feel of it and felt we got a pretty good "almost wood" look. Dan and I laid to first few panels on Wednesday night and he insisted that I include a picture of myself. Believe it or not, this is the best we had :)

Thursday Dan and Scott finished the floor by the time I got home from school! We took out the stove and will be eating microwave meals until Monday when the NEW APPLIANCES!!! come. The old fridge is still in the middle of the dining room on cardboard, but oh well.

Look how great the white quarter round looks at the base of the freshly painted cabinets! I love that look!

As you can see there are still no cabinet doors or drawers. These are in a pile in the basement waiting to be painted and I plan on getting to them soon. I don't mind the "no doors" look too much and it's easy to get things, but the not having drawers is a big pain. Those are the things you use every day. So drawers will get painted first!

The "new" cabinet

2011-01-14T08:23:00.004-06:00

I posted earlier about our need to make the cabinet above the stove smaller to make room for the new microwave. Dan's solution was to simply cut the old cabinet down to the right side. I wasn't crazy about this idea, but told him if he made it perfect, I would be fine with it. Well here it is - nearly perfect.

Above is the cabinet cut in half, glued back together and wood touched up with wood putty. Below are the doors that are cut in half and glued back together with a new wood insert.

Doors with wood putty to fill in the cracks.

And the "new" cabinet in place above the stove with a new outlet for the microwave. The doors still need to be painted and installed (that may take a while).

Photo editting...

2011-01-03T14:43:00.004-06:00

...another thing I wish I had more time for.

I wish I had a better camera for many reasons, but for now I am okay with photo editting on the computer. There are many different photo editting programs out there and many are free online. I just used Picnik to edit our Christmas photo. Obviously I should have done this before I sent it to all our family and friends - but, live and learn.

Before:

After:

Family Life Highlights

2011-01-01T20:11:00.003-06:00

Keeping Up With Rebecca
Rebecca Grace
Short version of Rebecca's birth story
Rebecca's birth announcement
Rebecca's Baptism
Rebecca Turns One!
Look Who's Two!
Rebecca's 3!
Rebecca's 4!

Meet Blake Daniel
Introducing Blake, More of Blake
Birth Announcement

Holidays
Christmas 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
Christmas 2009
Thanksgiving 2009
Pumpkin Patch Fun (2008)
Thanksgiving 2007
Christmas 2007

Weddings
Our 6th Anniversary, 2010
Jon and Tonya, June 2010
Andy and Carol, April 2009
more of Andy and Carol

Vacations
Oh, Canada 2009
more of Jasper
Neerlandia, Alberta
the largest mall in North America
Family Vacation in Michigan 2008

Craftiness

2011-01-01T17:41:00.005-06:00

Baby Blanket and Flower Headbands
Thank You Gift Ideas - Teacher Appreciation
The power of spray paint.
Felt and Fabric Flowers
Bathroom Art
Pretty Drawer Liners
Step Stool Makeover
Baby Blankets and Tote bag
Thomas the Train Tote bag and more
Baby Blanket and Tag Blankie
Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat cosumes
Wordle fun
My New Sewing Machine
My Cricut Machine
Lining a Tote Bag
The Making of a Baby Quilt

Home Projects

2011-01-01T14:27:00.003-06:00

Kitchen Remodel 2011
See how it all came together from start to finish!
(Links are in reverse order)
Final Kitchen Reveal
A Little Shelf Part 2
New Coat Rack Part 1
Spice Rack
New Counter Tops!
New Appliances
The Flooring
Making a Cabinet Smaller
Painting Cabinets
Wallpaper Removal

Finishing the Basement
Our documentation of this big project is lacking, some day I might go through our old photos and do the project justice. These posts give you an idea of how it started, but not how it looks today.
Cutting in new windows
Installing some new windows
Last egress window is in
A little sheet rock is up

Other Projects
Rebecca's Big Girl Room
New Front Porch
Improved Swing Set
Cork Board Cabinets

The Joys of Farming

2011-01-01T14:24:00.008-06:00

Hauling Hay (Dec. 2011)
Farm Tiling (June 2011)
A day in the life... (April 2011)
Spring is Here...Almost (March 2011)
The New Grain Bin (2010)
Chicken Saga (2010)
The crops are in and up (2010)
In the Fields (2010)

Our New Chickens (2009)
Chicken Drama
Chicken #3
Grinding Hay (2009)

Introducing Rebecca to Farming (2008)
It's a Hay Buster!
Meet our Bull Dozer

Life on the Prairie (2007)
At the end of the Rainbow (2007)

A Collection of Recipe Posts

2011-01-01T14:13:00.014-06:00

Favorite Food Blogs:
Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Good (cheap) Eats

My Posts on Food:
Main Dishes:
Sesame Chicken
Cream Soups
Whole Wheat Rolls
Stuffed Shells

Side Dishes:
Sweet Potato Fries
Whole Wheat Rolls
Granola
Strawberry Freezer Jam

The Sweeter Side:
Cream Cheese Dips
White Cake Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies (with cinnamon and craisins)
Banana Bread
4th of July Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Blondies
Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Kitchen Redo...progress

2010-12-28T17:59:00.008-06:00

Just because we haven't posted about the kitchen lately, doesn't mean no progress is being made. With some vacation days between the holidays I am trying to make good progress.
The ceiling has a fresh coat of white paint and there is a new light fixture in the dining room. The new light and paint brighten up the space so much!

We also started with the upper cabinets. We removed the doors to get ready for paint. Thankfully the inside of our cabinets are in great shape and a light wood finish, so we are not going to paint inside - that saves a lot of work!

So far most of the upper cabinets have been primed and painted. The doors have one coat on them and are waiting for some more coats. I am so happy with the results so far!

We are trying to do as little construction as possible, but the cabinet above the stove needed to be changed to make room for an over the range microwave. The current cabinet was 5 inches too big. My solution was to buy a new smaller cabinet to replace the old one. Dan's solution was to cut the current cabinet in half and cut out the 5 inches from the center. Well, much to my dismay, Dan's solution seems to be the best option because I could not find a matching door style at the local home improvement stores and getting a cabinet specially made would be $200 or more. The cabinet pieced back together pretty well, but he hasn't tried to cut the doors yet...to be continued...

Next up...replacing hinges and hardware on the painted cabinet doors and getting the kitchen back to "normal" in order to host my family (15 additional people) for New Years!

Holiday Goodies

2010-12-18T16:19:00.003-06:00

I love and hate making holiday treats. I love looking at them and eating them, of course, but the preparation and clean-up I hate. Regardless, these have to be the cutest treats I've ever made and they weren't too hard either.

How to:

1. Dip Nutter Butter cookies in melted chocolate (I used almond bark with a scoop of peanut butter in it).

2. While chocolate is still soft, add an m&m for the nose, white chips for the eyes, and broken pretzels for the antlers.

3. Use a toothpick to add melted chocolate to the eyes.

These are really easy and I will definitely make them again!

Step One: Wallpaper Removal

2010-11-21T16:27:00.003-06:00

What a nightmare!! Anyone who has removed wallpaper knows what I'm talking about. I didn't think that it would really be that bad because I knew that the wallpaper was only about 10 years old. But I guess it doesn't matter how old it is, it is still GLUED to the wall.

Here is an official BEFORE picture of our kitchen. I know that it is not that bad. But we really want to update it and brighten up the space. The biggest things are the beat up linoleum floor and the "older than me" appliances. But why stop there? We are also planning on painting

cabinets, replacing the hardware, and getting a new counter top - bye bye fake butcher block!

To start, I bought a wallpaper scorer and the blue striper gel. We had a scraper from previous drywalling projects. Those are really the only tools you need in addition to A LOT of muscle.

Here is the main wall of paper that needed to be removed. Those are little roosters on the wall.

At this point I was cursing the previous owners for puting up the paper and rubbing my aching shoulders. I might add that the next day I could not raise my arms above my head without massive pain!

I might add that removing wallpaper is a very messy job. It would be nice if it all came off in long strips, but that would be too easy. The floor where I was working was covered with tiny pieces of paper. As Rebecca watched me, she told me that I had to sit on the naughty bench for making such a big mess. But she finally let me off the hook because I told her that I would make sure to clean up all my mess.

But at last, a few days later it was done and the spotty paint job underneath was revealed. Next up - painting the ceiling and walls and getting the cabinets ready for a coat of paint. (No promises on when the next post will be!)

Our Little Bowling Fairy Princess

2010-11-14T17:00:00.005-06:00

We went bowling with some friends which is something we did often before having kids, but haven't done since Rebecca was born. This was her first bowling experience and she had a great time. It was slow going, but once we started using the dino-ramp Rebecca even got a strike! She was everyone's cheerleader.

Rebecca dressed up as a fairy princess for Halloween. We had a few neighbors and family that wanted to see her and then we went to a friends house for a little party and the kids had a great time in their costumes.

Coming Up...we have started our kitchen re-do. I wish I could just post the before and after pictures, but this is going to be a looonngg process. Project number one should be done later this week. Stay tuned...

busy, busy

2010-10-21T08:14:00.003-05:00

We've been staying pretty busy around our house. Dan finished harvesting last weekend which was a huge blessing. We have had a great stretch of weather which has made working outside very enjoyable and easy. Last weekend we also made applesauce. I got apples from a local orchard and we filled all the jars I have and also froze a few containers. It was a lot of work, but so worth it!And of course I have also been crafting. Here's the latest addition to the house. Again I got the idea from here, one of my favorite blogs, Creative Crate. I need to print off some more black and white photos to fill up the frame, but these were all that I could find at the time.

Bathroom Art

2010-10-01T10:26:00.004-05:00

I've always wanted to put something on the wall behind the toilet, but what? Bathroom decorations are hard! But the first time I saw this on Creative Crate, one of my favorite craft blogs - I also love her playlist, I knew it was just what I had been looking for. This blog is full of great ideas and I've gotten in the habit of just copying the images that I like and saving them in my craft idea file on my computer so that I don't forget or have to try and find the same post again when I have time to be crafty.

So here it is my new bathroom art. It was suppose to be a "free" project by using supplies I already had, but I ended up buying a new frame because I didn't love the one that I already had. So it cost me about a half hour on my Cricut and $12 on a frame.

I couldn't have done this without my Cricut - love it!!

Rebecca had fun finding letters she knows and she learned a few more too.

The finished project up in the bathroom.

The Giant Green Bean

2010-09-26T16:10:00.006-05:00

The new "green bean" is up at the farm, at least that's what Rebecca calls it. The rest of us would know it as a grain bin. Dan has been working very hard on getting this grain bin moved from near Kellogg to Marv's farm near our house. There was a lot to do involving this move, but here is my non-farmer, shortened version of the whole process: First Dan disassembled part of the grain bin in its original location and had the top of the grain bin moved by a special trailer. Then the grain bin was reassembled in its new location. Lots of hours and helping hands were needed, but things went pretty smoothly.

Taking the grain bin down a few rings.

The new pad of cement for the grain bin.

The grain bin top going over Interstate 80.

The grain bin top reached its new home.

The grain bin in its new home with only 2 more rings to add.

Some more helping hands and the 2 shiny new rings added.

Birthday Girl!

2010-09-05T21:26:00.002-05:00

Rebecca celebrated her 3rd birthday this past Tuesday and we had a family party for her on Sunday. We continue to be amazed at how fast she is growing up! She has been talking for weeks about wanting a Strawberry Shortcake cake. So with the help of a few figurines, she got her wish.

Opening gifts - this one is from Grandma and Grandpa Pontier. Thanks!

We took a few pictures outside before church. For the past year Rebecca has not loved the camera and usually will not smile or look at me. But today I found the trick - she loves to look through her scrapbooks that I have made for her. So I told her I needed cute pictures to put in them so she could look at them all the time. She ate it up and finally smiled for me!

the last bits of summer

2010-08-30T20:53:00.001-05:00

The last weekend before school started we did a few fun things. We made it to the State Fair and were able to spend some time with my brother Jon and his wife Tonya. Tonya's family has dairy goats and Rebecca enjoyed petting the goats.

We also got together with Dan's family for supper and went to the park afterwards. It was hot, but lots of fun.

Weekend at the Lake

2010-08-12T07:49:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed a great weekend at Lake Rathbun with friends and my sister. We had great weather too - the humidity moved out for a few days and we were very comfortable. I didn't seem to get very many pictures of the action in the boat, but we did a lot of things. Dan and I both like to ski and we are learning how to wake board. We can both get up on the wake board pretty well and are learning how to stay up :) We also did a fair amount of tubing. Rebecca also likes to ride on the tube with me as long as we go slow.

This is by far the best picture of the weekend!

6th Anniversary

2010-07-26T16:25:00.006-05:00

We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary this past Saturday on the 24th. We knew we wanted to spend some quality time together, but didn't make plans until the day before :) Rebecca spent the evening with some friends. We went out to eat at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. It was the best food and service we have had in a long time - a very relaxing meal. After dinner we went to Grays Lake thinking we would just walk around the lake, but then we saw the paddle boats and for $5 for a 1/2 hour, we couldn't pass them up. Here are some pictures from the water.

After we got off the water we decided to so check out the new pedestrian bridge over the Des Moines river. The bridge has a really cool design. It was nice to just stroll on the bridge and enjoy looking at the river and skyline.

We are thankful to God for another blessed year of marriage!

I'm finally here!

2010-07-13T19:49:00.001-05:00

I finally made it to Viterbo University. I have been working on my masters degree for the past 4 years and this week I am graduating! This is also the first time that I have been to the campus which is in La Crosse, WI. Here are a few pictures of the at campus and by the river.

I miss being home with my family so much! But I'm glad to have gotten this far and can't wait to be all done later this week!

Have some fun in your drawers!

2010-07-07T19:25:00.005-05:00

I got this simple idea from here. Although these drawers don't get much traffic so I used craft paper instead of fabric and did not protect the paper with anything. This was so simple, it took me all of five minutes to measure, cut, and tape. Most won't ever see it, but it will make me smile ever time I open the drawers.

Before and After (2 & 3)

2010-07-05T13:10:00.006-05:00

Here are a few more of my projects that I have been hard at work on. The first is something that I have needed/wanted for over a year now. The more sewing projects I do, the more thread I accumulate. So here it is...

Before

After

The next project was a little bigger. I repainted our bedroom. Most of the things in our room were going to stay the same so I had to go with colors that would go with the quilt and curtain and also blend with the furniture. I love how it turned out!

Before (this picture is a little embarrassing because I didn't really clean at all before taking it. All I did was make the bed and toss the quilt on the bed so you could see it better.)

After

I bought the paint from Menards and decided to go with the higher quality (aka more expensive) paint plus primer because I thought I would have to do less coats since the color was so dark. It was worth it. I only had to do two coats. I remember when I did the red wall in our dining room I had to do about 5 coats! The darker wall is "chocolate kiss" and the lighter walls are "lama brown."

These shelves are a new addition to the room. I got the idea for these shelves from another crafty blog. They are so easy to put up. Simply loop ribbon and screw into the wall and then put a thin board through the ribbons. Still not sure what to put on the shelves. All these items were taken from other places in the house and after the picture I put them all back.

Chicken Saga

2010-06-29T20:33:00.003-05:00

So the chicken saga continues this summer. Last summer we had a great time with our three chickens until a raccoon attacked! This summer we reinforced the cage so that no wild animals could get at our four chickens. I guess we didn't plan for domestic animals though! The neighbors two dogs got out and one of them nudged open the egg door latch and snagged a chicken. It then proceeded to run down the highway with the chicken in its mouth! So now we are back to three chickens. Rebecca didn't seem to care much that a dog took off with one of her chickens.

Before and After

2010-06-21T17:05:00.003-05:00

I love a good "before and after" projects and I'm hoping to have a lot of them this summer! I finished my first project today and here it is.

Before:

I found this bench at Goodwill for $2. I wanted a sturdy bench for Rebecca in the kitchen and I thought this one would work well. It's cute enough, but doesn't really go with the kitchen. So I gave it a make over.

After:

I used left over paint from our red wall in the dinning area and picked up some scrapbooking paper to match. I love the finished look. It still needs to have a coat of clear varnish so the paper is protected.

Wedding Weekend

2010-06-15T15:28:00.003-05:00

On June 12th my brother Jon married Tonya. We had a great weekend with the whole family. We also saw extended family that we hadn't seen in about 6 years at our wedding. The whole weekend was a lot of fun!

Rebecca was a flower girl in the wedding and although no flower pedals were actually dropped, she looked so cute!!
Congratulations Jon and Tonya!

Napping?

2010-06-02T13:53:00.002-05:00

I know that there is a picture in my baby book after I did this exact same thing. Making a mess of your room can be exhausting!

mmm...mmm good

2010-05-26T07:58:00.004-05:00

I can think of few things that are better than fresh strawberries from the garden!

The crops are in and up

2010-05-23T21:51:00.008-05:00

Spring has come and has seemed to turned into summer quickly by the looks of the forcast. As the saying goes, "you can almost hear the corn grow by walking in the fields."

I took a few pictures of the crops for those less able to walk the fields themselves. The cattle are all doing well and the pastures are growing well.

The corn is v3 to v4 and the soybeans emerged over the weekend and are big enough to row.

Also, the 'ditchweed' is growing without any assistance as usual.

summer is almost here!

2010-05-18T20:01:00.005-05:00

I have 12 teaching days left in the school year! I am so ready for a break and more moments like this:

More sewing

2010-05-06T08:23:00.006-05:00

I've made a few more blankets over the last few weeks and last night I attempted my first tote bag from scratch. All have turned out great! Here are the baby blankets I've made.

I love the green and blue together. This blanket was given to Trevor Anthony, Rebecca's new baby cousin, born to Dan's sister Debbie and her husband Greg. This next blanket I sewed ric-rac inside the edge. It worked out pretty well, but was a lot of work because I felt like I was sewing blind. I only had to go back a resew a small portion. I love this last fabric! Sorry it's upsidedown :) Here is the tote that I made. This week is Teacher Appreciation and also Daycare Provider Appreciation. So this bag is for Angie, who watches Rebecca. I have put lining in already made totes a few times, but this is the first time that I made the tote myself. I also put interfacing in the tote so it would stand up on it's own. I love how it turned out! It only took a 1/2 yard of each fabric. I filled the bag with some books for the kids. Rebecca was so excited to give Angie her "surprise" this morning.

In the fields

2010-04-22T08:28:00.003-05:00

Dan got in the fields this week and starting planting corn. He's been working very long hours, but is loving it. Rebecca and I went for a ride too.Rebecca got a new bike and loves to "ride" it. She doesn't know how to use the pedals so I have to push her around. She is starting to know how to steer the bike. Of course she fell off a few times. But nothing that a bandaid can't fix!

Spring time

2010-04-08T11:35:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the last 2 weeks. We celebrated Easter and a few birthdays with Dan's family. The girls enjoyed an indoor egg hunt and had even more fun stuffing the treats in their mouths!This last picture is of Rebecca playing in our back yard. She escaped the house without pants on and her slippers. It was a nice warm day and it was so funny that I couldn't be mad. I just took some pictures that I'm sure she will be embarrassed about years from now.

A few new things

2010-03-26T07:00:00.003-06:00

It's spring time on the farm and yesterday we had our first two baby calves. Rebecca was so excited! But she was also a little scared to get too close to the calves.Here are a few new crafty things I did last week. I've made ribbon barrettes before, but I had all the supplies to make more. I also really wanted to try some little flowers. The last "new" thing is Rebecca's bike. Last weekend I went to the thrift store to find her a bike. We actually got two. This plastic 3-wheeler and a real kids bike. One of the training wheels is broken off the real bike, so we have to get new ones. She is still trying to get the hang of pedaling, but she is getting better. She also LOVES her helmet! The day after I got the bikes it snowed 6 inches so we brought the bike inside for the day :)

Spring Break

2010-03-17T17:42:00.003-06:00

Yes, I'm on my spring break right now. Monday I was actually very productive and I "spring cleaned" all the bedrooms. But since then, well, I've been less productive ;) I just can't stop thinking about all the things that I would rather be doing than what I am doing.

In reality, I am enjoying myself. I love staying in bed in the morning with Rebecca crawling all over me. We got together with some other friends today and have another outing tomorrow. The weather has been nice enough to play outside and get really muddy. We're having a relaxing spring break.

Here are a few pictures of Rebecca out on the farm. It was so sunny and warm out today!

The ice is almost melted off the pond.

Daddy's little farm girl!

More little projects

2010-03-12T17:17:00.004-06:00

I'm having a lot of fun with small sewing projects lately. It's a good stress reliever - gives me something else to thing about than the things that are stressing me out.

Here is a bag I made for my nephew Josh who just turned one! I bought the tote and just lined it and sewed a pocket on the front.

This is a blanket I made for baby Kennedy due to arrive on the 17th to my friend Bev.

This last bag I made for Rebecca. She picked out the fabric and calls the monkey "George" becasue he is her favorite. It's her new church bag and is just the right size for a few books, paper and pencil, and a treat. I love making these little bags!

Some more sewing

2010-03-04T08:15:00.004-06:00

Here are a few other little projects that I have done lately. I made these for a friend and her new little girl. I love the monkey fabric!I also made my first tag blanket. I wasn't sure on the dementions (it's about an 9 inch sqaure), but it came together very nicely! I also finished another project last night, but it is another gift for someone who reads this blog, so I will post it later :)

Weekend Get Away

2010-02-24T17:41:00.007-06:00

I know that the cold, hard winter is getting everyone a little down and so many people that I know can't wait until Spring Break to get away. Well, we couldn't wait either! I had PT conferences last week and had Friday off from school. We went down to Kansas City to "get away." We didn't really escape the cold winter weather, but it was nice to be away from home and work for awhile.

We spent one night with Dan's sister Linda and had a great visit with her. It was good to see where she lives and Rebecca loved spending time with her Aunt Linda. Then we stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge. It was such a relaxing place to be and we didn't have to worry about Rebecca running down the hallway or screaming in the water park because the place is so family friendly. The lodge also has a spa where I enjoyed a good two hours of pampering :) Dan even got a massage!

Here's a few pictures...

Rebecca was able to go down the tube slides with one of us. She didn't really like it, but she still agreed to go a few times.

life, as it happens

2010-02-16T08:12:00.003-06:00

Here are just a few pictures from the last week. Not much new is going on. We are just living life.

Here is my favorite Valentine that I got from a student - so cute!

Rebecca is ready to go in the morning - breakfast in hand.

She has lots of fun in the tub!!

Sew and Tell

2010-02-09T08:11:00.002-06:00

I've been reading a lot more blogs lately - crafty blogs. And they have inspired me to make the things around me a little more beautiful. So my first "Sew and Tell" is a canvas bag that I put a lining in. I have to give credit to my mom for making me this bag years ago and I have used it for many different things. Recently I have been using it as my library bag to keep track of our library books and videos and my library card. I dressed up the bag by sewing in a lining and adding a pocket with a snap to hold my library card. I also lined the straps and now the bag is reversible!

From the mouth of a 2 year old

2010-02-02T08:17:00.003-06:00

Rebecca talks pretty much non-stop and here are a few of the things we listen to all day.

Just 2 days ago: "Why? Why? Why mommy? Why?"

Then yesterday: "Where? Where? Where mommy? Where?"
After the second or third question Dan and I just ignore her as best we can and eventually she stops asking.

Rebecca also talks in third person a lot which can sometimes be confusing. The other day she kept saying, "Becca come too, mommy!" Which means she wants to go with you. We also hear, "Becca do it! Becca do it!" a lot.

Although she is learning her pronouns more and more everyday. Last night at the dinner table she actually corrected herself. Dan said, "Do you want me to help?" And Rebecca said, "Yeah, me help. No, YOU help."

It's so much fun to have conversations with her in the car on the way home each day. She can tell me just about everything that happened.