Two Much: My Life with Twins + 1

The next step... Renal Failure...

2013-09-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

On August 21, we visited IU Hospital to finalize the process for getting Aaron on the transplant list. We drove down after work and stayed at the hotel I'll stay at during the transplant process. It was nice, had big rooms so that the kids can stay and we won't all be crowded. The best part is, that there is a shuttle to the hospital, so I won't have to navigate the crowds, parking, etc. I was excited about that part. Then, in the morning, we went to the hospital to have some blood work and tissue typing done. Then we met with the nephrologist on staff there at the hospital. They will do the monitoring and medicine regulating for Aaron from the transplant on--he'll be on anti-rejection medicine for the rest of his life (I'll have to write more about this visit later.) Until then, we still visit his Dr. in Fort Wayne. This doctor informed us (which we already knew from our own research) that the wait for a kidney from a deceased donor, with Aaron's blood type is 4 to 5 years (he has type O blood). The reason for the hold up is that there is such a demand for his blood type. His report is important to the transplant process, because he gives his recommendation to the nurse coordinator and she presents it to the transplant board. After that, we met with the social worker. We spoke with her about our family, finances, insurance, etc...it was really fun... err...not fun. We felt the weight, the breadth of the entire process that day, it was a bit overwhelming--This kidney thing, it effects every area of our lives for the rest of our lives. Next, we went to a kidney education class. It was a group class--with everyone else that was working on finishing their work ups that day. We watched a video that described how the transplant is done--do you know that Aaron will end up with 3 kidneys after the surgery? --they will not disconnect the dead kidneys, just add a new one in the front. It minimizes the risk of infection and all kinds of other things that are associated with surgery. But, as I sat in that class, the weight of how my life is so hinged on the kindness of another person is overwhelming. You see, my husbands kidneys are dead--they function at 19 percent at this point and that is considered renal failure. Since it is best, on his body and other organs that he not have to endure dialysis if he doesn't have to, or for as short a period of time as possible, we are holding off at this point. He will need to be on dialysis by the time his function is down to 10 percent-- but when he starts is up to him at this point. As long as he can endure his symptoms--he won't do dialysis. (His kidneys have not behaved well and his kidney function has declined 10 percent since we started this process less than 2 years ago.) Dialysis only filters certain things from your blood. It doesn't/can't do all that your kidneys do. For that reason, dialysis-though it saves lives, is also very hard on your body. One of the statistics that they showed during the educational class said that only 20 percent of people on dialysis are still alive after 5 years...and a large percentage of the time, they die of a heart attack. It's not hard to do the math on that one--

The day we were in Indy, Aaron's parents met us there and went through the day with us. His mom was also blood and tissue typed to see if she would be able to be his donor. Thankfully she was a match--so she will be testing to see if she is a viable donor. It's all just super scary.

Tuesday the 27th of August Aaron's nurse coordinator presented him to the transplant board and he was okayed to be listed. She then submitted him to our insurance for his 2nd approval--it is a complicated process. We got word Friday, August 30 that he received his insurance approval and will be listed this week. He has to be on the official list, and through the official process to begin testing his mom to see if she is a viable candidate for his donor.

Please be with us in prayer in these ways--

We are praying that Aaron's kidney function will level out--not drop off like it did earlier this year. (We need these things to last as long as possible)

We are praying that God will provide the right donor, with the right kidney for him. (we are hopeful it would be his mom--but if it isn't we need the right donor kidney)

We are praying that with this recent move, and the stress of the kidney situation, that God would give us peace, that he would calm our anxious hearts.

We are praying for our Decatur house to sell--we have a contract, but it seems shaky--we are currently paying 2 mortgages, 2 electricity bills...you get the picture. With the looming medical bills--we really need to just be done with it.

Thanks! (sorry if this is one great big run on--it's hard to write these things down, ya know...)

Blessings,

Amanda

Kidney Disease...

2013-08-02T14:33:00.001-04:00

(We've had a lot of people find out that Aaron is sick, and ask us what is going on--it is obviously a long story and I thought putting it to words, on here was the easiest way to tell the masses)

My husband Aaron and our big kids, Levi, Lydia, and Silas.

Life is funny sometimes....and then sometimes it's not. In October of 2011 Aaron went in for a routine wisdom tooth extraction...and ever since, nothing has been routine for my little family. Right now, less than 2 years later, Aaron is in kidney failure...waiting to be approved for the transplant list and trying desperately to avoid dialysis. We don't do anything, without considering the kidneys....

Let's back track a moment...

The summer of 2011 was great! We were riding bikes a lot, doing family rides--20 to 30 miles every weekend and participating in lots of organized events. Aaron was riding with a "team" from work and doing quite well building up speed and endurance. Because he likes to keep track of that kind of stuff, and because his work had a convenient blood pressure machine--he started to keep track. He noticed his blood pressure was going up, and we noted it and decided we would have it evaluated at our physicals that year that were coming up in July. During that appointment, Aaron mentioned that it was high and she noted it was, and made plans to see him in 6 months, but that his job must be stressful and hopefully it would get better. Needless to say, we fired that doctor... she was mediocre at best..

In September, Aaron was complaining of headaches. He decided that, since for the last 5 years or so he needed his wisdom teeth out, and just hadn't done it--that this was the culprit and he would just have it done. Knowing that there are good and mediocre people in every profession, and I didn't want to have to do the work to find one where we lived. So, we traveled to our hometown and had them done there...our family was there to watch the littles while I took care of Aaron, so it was a win win! Post surgery the Doctor came to speak with me regarding Aaron. He expressed concern regarding the level of his BP and explained that though they expected some nerves to raise the BP, that his was very high and it almost prevented them from doing the surgery.

At that point, I called our former doctor--Dr. B (from when we lived in town)--who is amazing--and we saw her right away. Needless to say, she was concerned--Aaron hadn't had a history of high BP or anything like this. After working hard to lower his BP she ordered some blood work. When that came back with a high creatinine level, we knew something was wrong--we just didn't know what exactly. That weekend was a whirlwind as we found a new family practice physician (because there was no way we were going back to the mediocre one who shrugged of the BP issue and we couldn't very well travel 5 hours to our home town every week to see Dr. B), got tests done, and medical records transferred, and took care of my sore, falling apart husband.

In the days, weeks and months to follow, we saw our new family doctor, had a ton of tests and scans, and ultrasounds, visited often with Aaron's nephrologist, an oncologist, and even had a visit to the ER (I'll spare you all the details). Just know that it has been scary and has a way of making you feel very vulnerable. In May of 2012, while I was pregnant with Simeon, Aaron had a kidney biopsy. They had already decided that his kidney disease had come first which causes the high BP--they kind of play off of one another. Most of the time, however, it is the high BP that causes kidney disease. They sent the results of his biopsy to Mayo to 1. Rule out a disease that is causing the kidney failure, 2. To find out how the kidney behave, 3. To try to determine what actually caused this, 4. The actual condition of his kidneys. When we got the results, it seemed to leave more questions than answers. That his how this process has been all along--there is a lot of testing and then some guessing, and then waiting and more testing. They did determine, however, that Aaron's kidney disease was not an actual disease--meaning that he didn't have cancer, or poly-cystic kidney disease, etc. His kidneys were damaged at some point by, what they assume was a medicine that he took. Medicine is filtered my his kidneys and they assume that either when Aaron was a kid and took a bunch or medicine for Asthma (lots! his whole childhood) or his car accident when he was 16 and they were trying to save his life (they pumped him with a lot of antibiotics). It gave us some answers, but also left us going to the nephrologist every couple of months to see if his kidneys had failed all they would fail, whether they would fail rapidly, or slowly decline. Aaron did a long, 6 month stint of prednisone to encourage his kidneys to behave, if you saw him during that time, he gained 30 pounds and looked like a different person--it worked short term, but then his kidneys decided to show us what they were made of. In the first few months of this year (2013), Aaron had his kidneys tested once again and the following day I received a call from his nurse asking how he felt and if he was sick. I was confused and she proceeded to explain that Aaron was officially in kidney failure. His numbers had dropped dramatically and he would need a transplant. Needless to say--I pretty much lost it! She explained that if he started to feel sick, weak, etc (general flu symptoms) that he didn't have the flu--and he needed to go to the ER immediately and let them know he was in kidney failure--the symptoms of end stage kidney, renal failure are similar to symptoms of the flu. They did give him a few weeks dosing of prednisone this time too...in hopes to avoid dialysis before transplanting. It helped, but is probably only temporary. We are proceeding with the transplant. I will go ahead and end this post here...it is already way too long, but will continue soon with where we are now. If you have questions, ask--I'll do my best to answer them as well as I can. In the meanwhile, please continue to be in prayer for our family. We appreciate it!

With Love,

Amanda

A little catch up!

2013-06-12T13:35:00.003-04:00

It seems hard to believe it has been a year and a half since I last wrote here on the blog. It seems like just yesterday I was writing constantly. What a difference a year and half can make! Our family looks differently than it did then--In July of 2012, we added a baby boy to our family.

Simeon Joel

7/11/12

Levi was excited it was a boy! We didn't find out what we were having, so it was a surprise for all of us. He said all along that he thought we'd have a boy, and was excited he was right!

I didn't think that Lydia would love him as much as she did! She thought he was born just to be "her" baby and when someone tried to take him away, would squeeze him tight and say-- "no, MY baby". To this day, she loves him lots and still squeezes him constantly!

Here is a picture of the crew! Levi and Lydia were very excited to have a new baby brother. Silas...he wasn't excited-- he thought we needed to have a girl, so we would have 2 boys and 2 girls and it would be even. He didn't want to hold Simeon at the hospital, but warmed up to him when we got home. To this day, he still says he hopes that next time it will be a girl...to help even things out. Love him!

Lydia helping daddy tend to Simeon. There wasn't a moment she didn't want to be near him!

The sign our children (and our moms) made to welcome Simeon home.

He has been a great baby, and an easy fit in our family. As we speak, he is 11 months and is a giggly, busy, happy baby.

Our Crew at the Zoo!

Praying that you have had a great 1 1/2 years too!

More updates to come!

Blessings,

Amanda

One last bit of fall

2011-12-06T14:06:00.000-05:00

Before I can completely wrap up fall around here and show you all of the fun things we are doing around here for Christmas...I wanted to take a minute to show you how we spent those months I spent not blogging...

Silas as a firefighter...at church for the harvest party

Lydia my little lady bug...at church

Levi wanted to be a cyclist...just like daddy!

Playing at the harvest party!

helping with the harvest at Mr. Marty's house

going to get the tractor...

going down the lane

That day the boys even took a nap in the cab of the combine...they just slid down on the floor when they just couldn't take it anymore. Most of the time, however, they were faces flat against the window. They love riding on the combine.


A quick front porch picture...at the end of one of my mom's visits...I think Aaron was napping!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

I'm thinking Christmas!

2011-11-13T17:50:00.001-05:00

I know I am just getting back to blogging, and I really haven't even been doing any blog reading over the last few months either (I will post later this week about our October). Today, while doing some catch up reading--my whole family was napping and it is a good day to rest and catch up--I saw this and just HAD to share! Check these out!

No..these aren't cupcakes--they're bath bombs! I love these--they are just so expensive! What a great Christmas gift too! Check out the tutorial HERE!

What a FUN idea!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Life

2011-11-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, though I do enjoy blogging, life has this way of taking over. I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. I meant to just take a week long break to figure out our new schedule, but life just took over. I used to love the back to school season. As a teacher, I loved shopping for school supplies, decorating my classroom, and getting it ready for a new group of kids, etc. But now, as we intentionally focus our lives on not getting too busy, I get frustrated during the month of September. Everything hinges on the start of the school year--for us, it was Awana started at church, gymnastics for the boys started on a different day, MOPS started, and I had planned and prepped to start preschool with the boys on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Honestly, I just got overwhelmed and needed to take some time to get re-organized. I found myself frustrated that everything starts at the same time...

So, I took a step back, pushed the start of school to October, and spent extra time playing with my littles that are growing up way too fast. We have been traveling too, though I don't love the packing and preparing, long rides in the car, and feeling overwhelmed at the thought of unpacking...I do love the time set apart with my family. As we speak I still have many things to put away from last weekends adventure, but just haven't felt up to the challenge...so I'll have to get to it soon.

Have you ever felt the strain of a schedule that just doesn't seem to work out your way? Frustrating isn't it!

Blessings,

Amanda

Break

2011-09-19T09:52:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying a bit of a bloggy break this week...I didn't mean to...it just got crazy around here! I'll be back next week! In the meanwhile, take a look at this beauty...

Smoothies!

2011-09-14T01:06:00.003-04:00

Sunday evening we planned to go on a long family bike ride, but when the littles woke up from naptime it was raining. We opted for a movie night and smoothies! The boys were thrilled and they always think that they are icecream. This is how we make em...They are super simple!

A simple banana

Frozen watermelon and strawberries from the freezer

2 T Maple Syrup, A handful of Spinach, and some water...start with 1/2 cup maybe upto 1 cup (depending on how runny you want it), juice from a lemon or a capful of lemon juice from a bottle.

Mix it up and pour...yum, yum!

My husband always grimaces at the spinach, but you can't taste it and it adds nutrition...but if you add too much--it will turn the smoothies green. I love these best with the watermelon and strawberries, but you could use any fruit you have in the freezer.

On top of having an amazing time with my family this weekend, I was a busy bee in the kitchen. Here are a few of the highlights!

Easy Granola Bars!

I added chocolate and pecans...the chocolate was melty..but they taste GREAT!!

Uncrustables

They make for a quick easy lunch on the go!

I used the excess to make croutons too!

I used salt free butter, so I used garlic salt and Italian seasoning to flavor them...yum!

They are GREAT!

I hope you are having a great week. We are enjoying the last few days of warm weather...I am hearing rumor of frost this week (on the news).

Blessings to you,

Amanda
Linked up at:

Sunday Five

2011-09-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

I have really been enjoying my family--spending time outdoors and playing, I haven't been spending much time on the computer. But I did have some time to pin some of my favorites this week!

1. I have been really trying to cut out processed foods from our diet...it is always easy to go out and buy snacky foods. We love goldfish around here, I usually buy the whole wheat or garden veggie ones anyway, so THIS recipe, for whole wheat goldfish crackers, is a real keeper!

2. Friday night, after movie night, I took some time to do some prep work in the kitchen. I had some bananas that needed made into bread, so I made a triple batch of banana bread, homemade granola bars, and then--I made uncrustables and homemade croutons that I saw in THIS post. I loved this idea. Often on gymnastics days, since we are in town anyway we have lunch with Aaron--I made these uncrustables to pack for the boys lunch. I also loved that there was no waste--the homemade croutons were awesome and easy to make too!

3. This recipe for Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup with Pesto Cream Cheese is our dinner for tonight! Erica, one of my college roommates from college posted this recipe on Facebook last week. It looked so good, I just had to try it. I plan to roast the veggies and take the recipe through step 7 and then freeze the extra. I hope it freezes well! It looks amazing...and I can't wait to eat it!

4. Last week I used THIS site to make name practice sheets for the boys. I just typed out their names and printed them off. Just a note...I had to change the orientation on my printer even though I had chosen landscape on the page. Also, when I printed them off...it all didn't fit on one page. I cut them up and taped them onto another page--to make copies of and then laminate...I LOVE my laminator!

5. I really like headbands with flowers and bows to put in Lydia's hair. While I was looking something else up this week, I saw THIS tutorial on how to make a felt flower headband I am going to have definitely do this very soon!

It is my prayer that you had a blessed weekend with your family!

Amanda

Family Driven Faith Chapter 5

2011-09-08T00:17:00.001-04:00

This weeks chapter in Family Driven Faith is such a simple, though often forgotten, concept. It reminds us to take responsibility for the teaching of the Word of God to our children. I thought Mr. Baucham did an excellent job of relaying the message in his first paragraph:

"Moses saw the home as the principal delivery system for the transmittal of God's truth from generation to generation. There is no hint here--or anywhere else in the Bible--of the multigenerational teaching of the truths of God being abdicated by parents in favor of 'trained professionals'. That is not to say that parents should reject any help. However, we must be careful to shift the responsibility for our children's biblical training to anyone else."

In short, God gave your children to you for you to teach, help, and guide--we don't cut out the things that we aren't so good at, or don't have that much confidence in ourselves doing-- in favor of giving that part of our responsibility to someone else. Sit down with your children, read to them, with them, give them an opportunity to learn and ask questions. This chapter was a great reminder that we are our children's first teachers...we need to teach God's Word. We can lean on books or people to help us and help them, but teach the Word....daily. Make it a habit. Your church, my church should be reinforcing what we teach...not exposing our children to it for the very first time. Commit to teaching and spending time with your kids, even the small moments can be big learning moments with your kids. Don't give up...you can do it.

Recently, I read a book that encouraged me to read the Psalms and Proverbs daily with my littles. I knew I liked the Psalms and Proverbs, but needed that extra push to make it a part of my daily routine. I decided to choose a few verses in Psalms to start. My thought was to read one each day for a month and then at the end of the month the littles would have a grasp of those scriptures and we would move into Proverbs, then back and forth--picking out verses throughout the year. The boys are sponges right now and are memorizing the Bible like crazy. I used a very scientific procedure to pick out the verses...not really, I just opened my Bible and picked out the ones that I liked at that very moment. I typed them up, cut them into strips, and placed them in a jar. I decided that breakfast time was a great time to have the boys pull out one scripture and read it together, repeating after me, and then filling in the blanks as we learn it better. I said we because I picked out verses that I need to learn too! Here is the post where I spoke about my jar plans. There are also some other great suggestions in the comments section on that post about what other people do to teach the Word of God to their littles.

The verses that follow are out of the ESV version of the Bible, they are the ones I chose to start off with. Please copy them if you would like (there are actually 9).

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

Shout for you to God, all the Earth; sing the glory of his name, give to Him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name. Psalm 66:1-4

Praise is due you, O God, in Zion. And to you shall vows be performed. O, you who hear prayer, to you all flesh come. When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! Psalm 65:1-4

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, who rules by his might forever whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Psalm 66:5-7

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! Psalm 67:1-7

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalms 62:1

Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. Psalms 55:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, til the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to sham him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! Psalm 57:1-3

O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Psalm 54:1-3

It is my prayer that you will be encouraged to teach your children the Word of God.

If you have time, take a look at the other posts in this series:
Invitation
Divided
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Take a moment and share with us what you do to teach the Word of God to your children. In the book Mr. Baucham suggested committing to reading a book of the Bible through with your family over the next week, buying everyone in your family a Bible, and after you have developed a routine with Bible reading--doing a devotional or study together.

Linking up today at:
Women Living Well
Raising Homemakers
Titus 2sdays
Raising Mighty Arrows

Daily Docket and Homemaking Binder Update!

2011-09-07T15:48:00.005-04:00

I have been working earnestly on making a daily docket that works for me. I think I've found it. I printed out ten of this puppy and am laminating them so they will go in my binder. I thought it might be easier to use a dry erase marker and erase after a week, but we'll see if that was a wise decision or not. If you are interested in a pdf copy or word attachment that can be edited, I can email it to you. I just don't know how to set up a link to do that on here yet. Send me an email at awilderman05@yahoo.com or make a comment below.

Also, I have used the menu planner located HERE for a while, I printed a new one off and plan to laminate it too!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Crafts for a Cause

2011-09-06T23:29:00.000-04:00

THIS blog is a new organization from my hometown...Crafts for a Cause is a not for profit crafty fair that donates to organizations/families in need. The first need is a family that is adopting a baby girl from China. This little girl will be needing medical care as soon as she arrives here from China. (I went to college with the parents) Their blog can be found HERE. I posted a coffee fundraiser link HERE before...it is still going on too! If you are near this fundraiser, maybe you would like to participate...if you like coffee, maybe you would consider buying some too!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Summer Bounty

2011-09-06T22:30:00.001-04:00

Last week the boys were visiting Illinois for the week...it was their first trip there without us. I took advantage of only having one little at home and worked at unpacking and organizing my office, deep cleaning the house, and generally getting caught up. It was at least 1 1/2 weeks of work on its own. But then, I went to Shipshewana, to the market to buy blueberry plants for my mother in law...5 for $20--and she is starting a berry farm, so a great deal for her! I happened to find some major deals which detracted from the original goal of getting things done. I bought 2 boxes of very ripe tomatoes for $1 each, 2 bags of very ready onions for $1, and 2 eggplants for $.50 each. I went to another stand and they had green beans 2 pounds for $1 and they needed to be cooked immediately, I bought 5 bags (10 pounds). Then, I went to the bulk foods store and bought a box, I think about a 1/2 peck, of apples for $17 (not fantastic, but not bad!). On the way home, and Amish farmer was selling sweet corn for $2.50 a dozen and I bought 2 dozen. Let's just say, when I got home...Aaron was leery about how we were going to get it all done and finish the monumental list of to do's. This is how we got it all done, and yes, I said we--because my awesome husband took care of the apples all on his own!

I started by cutting the tops off the tomatoes and cutting the spots out, I don't peel them because I have a great machine (a victorio strainer) that you'll see later. Plopped them in the pot, and added a little bit of salt. I cooked it on medium until they looked good and cooked down.

Meanwhile, I cut the ends off of the greenbeans and made 2 piles--blanch/freeze and cook immediately. Then, I blanched the beans and laid them out to dry.

place them in boiling water, for 3 minutes and add to cold water to stop the cooking process.

this is the cooling process...

drying

Then, I put the others in the crockpot with onions and bacon, and cooked them on low overnight for dinner the next day. Next, I went outside to shuck the corn and brought it in for blanching too!

after cooking and cooling

I use my super sharp cutco knife to cut the corn off the cob


I freeze in one big bag and just take out a cup or two when I need it!

In the meanwhile, Aaron was busy cutting the cores out of the apples and putting them in my awesome applesauce pot to cook down and get super soft.

I just throw my apples in the pot, add a little bit of water, and turn it on.

this is a super heavy pot, it's an old pressure cooker and doesn't burn the apples. This is the apples almost done cooking.

After the tomatoes and apples are done cooking and cooled, I put them through my Victorio...it looks a lot like THIS but is a much older model. It strains out the skins, and seeds, etc. It makes my tomatoes into tomatoes into juice and my apples into applesauce.

before it starts doing its thing

here it is spitting out all of the yuckies


I filled gallon sized bags about half way up, folded them over, and froze them in the pan so they would stack well in the freezer.

I chopped up the onions and froze them like I did in this post. I just pull them out by the handful when I need them. I also put the tomato juice in bags and froze them flat, for easy freezer organization. How have you been doing on preserving your summer foods?

Blessings to you,

Amanda
Linking up at:

Sunday Five

2011-09-04T15:54:00.000-04:00

We are having a lovely weekend out of town...I hope you are having a great weekend also. I've been kind of absent this week...I'll be back in full force after the trip home. Here are my favorite posts this week!

1. I have been wanting to make butter, and I loved this tutorial. I can't wait to try it!

2. I am getting my crafty juices flowing...and I absolutely love this website! There are fabulous ideas and tutorials on Kojodesigns. I really want to make this half skirt!

3. A friend of ours, Christan posted this recipe on her facebook profile this week. I think it sounds great...and pretty simple!

4. I love...LOVE sugar scrubs...I can't wait to try this idea! It is always so expensive in the stores and I can't wait to try to make it at home.

5. Finally, I have been waiting for a busy bag swap to happen once I found this site. If you are at all interested...jump on this idea now! LOVE this! This particular one is for math and reading...I can't wait!

Hope you have had an amazing weekend!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Winner

2011-09-01T23:30:00.000-04:00

The winner of the Frito Lay variety pack is Laurie!

Congratulations!

Please see the original post for directions on how to claim your prize!

Blessings,

Amanda

Family Driven Faith-Chapter 4

2011-09-01T00:54:00.001-04:00

Give Him Your Heart...there is more to it than going to church on Sunday morning, more to it than just saying your prayers at dinner and at bedtime, it is about living a life that is based on a Christian Worldview--"the big picture that directs our daily decisions and actions". You can't pretend with a world view...it is who we are, our language, our lifestyle, what we accept as ok, our thinking...all of these things make up our worldview. "You and I, [and our children] act upon what we believe."

Quick facts:
1. "The vast majority [of teens] cannot express themselves on matters of God, faith, religion, or spiritual life." (taken from a study done by Christian Smith)
2. Researcher George Barna found that "less than 10% of self proclaimed born-again Christians in America have a biblical worldview."
3. "Only 51% of America's pastors have a biblical worldview."

After finding these things out Barna states: "The most important point is that you can't give people what you don't have. The low percentage of Christians that have a biblical worldview is a direct reflection of the fact that half our primary religious teachers and leaders do not have one. In some denominations, the vast majority of clergy do not have a biblical worldview, and it shows up clearly in the data related to the theological views and moral choices of people who attend those churches"

Something has got to change!

What is a Christian Worldview?
A Christian Worldview says there is a God--he is personal, sovereign, holy, He created the world, created rules, and interacts with the world. We understand that, man is a special creation of God--we are made in His image, life is sacred and important and special. We are important to God, however, we sin--and fall short of his plan for us, we need him to redeem us through a personal relationship with him. We NEED Him!! In the Christian worldview, there is absolute truth. It doesn't depend on how you feel, or what you want. The Christian worldview understands that "we come to know truth through God's revelation in creation". We come to know truth through God's revelation in His word. In a Christian worldview, God determines what is right and wrong. "God's Word gives us clear instruction on ethics, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Ethics transcend time and culture" --God's Word is for today, for you, right now--just as much as it was for your grandparents and great-grandparents. What's right is right, and what is wrong is never right...even if it benefits us, or what is right offends us, or makes us uncomfortable in our culture-- what is wrong is still wrong.

It is important to not just teach our children these things by saying--this is what Christians believe, so believe it. No, we need to teach, talk, live it out ourselves. We need to hide the Word of God in our hearts and in the hearts of our children, so that they/we may be quick to give an answer for our faith (and worldview). What would our world look like if all of the people who proclaimed that they know God and believe in God would begin to live like they do? Link up your post below!

Everyone has a worldview...what is yours?

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Read the other parts of this series:
Invitation
Divided
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Linking up at:
Women Living Well
Titus 2sDays
Raising Mighty Arrows
Raising Homemakers

Snacks

2011-08-31T00:55:00.003-04:00

In a conversation with friends over the weekend, we talked about snacks and how to do them inexpensively. here are a couple of great recipes for snacky foods! Do you have any that you love and use often?

Easy Granola Bars

1c. Honey

1c. brown sugar

1c. peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

6 cups cereal, oatmeal, etc or a combination

1 1/2 cups dried fruit/nuts

Bring honey and brown sugar to a boil, add peanut butter and vanilla--beat until smooth. Throw in everything else and press into a coated pan...9x13. Cut into bars.

My friend Kristin made these recently...I haven't made them yet, but they are on my short list!

Cheese Crackers Recipe
1 1/2 cup flour
2 cups extra sharp cheddar, grated (use the kind you have to grate by hand, the other has added cornstarch and will change the consistency)
1/4 cup grate parmigiano reggiano (didn't have this, just used xtra cheddar)
1 stick butter, room temp
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. Add a tablespoon of water 1 at a time till the dough just starts to come together. (I used 3)

Press and form 2 balls and cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Then roll out each ball to as thin as you can get it - about 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut squares, place on parchement lined baking sheets and then poke holes in each cracker square. Bake 12-15 min at 325.

Share a link to your favorite snacky foods below!

Linking up today at:

Sunday Five (on Tuesday)

2011-08-30T11:09:00.001-04:00

This weekend we traveled down to our house down in southern Indiana, that still hasn't sold, to take our pictures and decorations down, clean up walls and fill in holes-- in preparation for a renter. It was kind of an emotional trip for me...I really miss my friends and our church there. Needless to say, I enjoyed visiting and catching up with friends, but the trip didn't come without tears for me. It was an emotional weekend. I meant to post my Sunday Five (my five favorite links for the week) on Sunday, but I was occupied...so here they are, I pray you had a wonderful weekend!

1. Just in case you are swimming in tomatoes that need processed quickly, check out this post on freezing tomatoes. If mine ever start turning red, I hope to be swimming in them soon!

2. I am loving this site. It is full of crafty ideas and great link ups! I am really excited to get my sewing machine out soon and start making some dresses for Lydia. I loved this twirl dress--I bought some material this weekend! yay!

3. I saw these dolls on a blog and followed a link to see how awesome they are! The company that makes them partners with World Vision, so a major plus! here is a blurb from their web site:

     It’s an undeniable fact that girls in many countries struggle against a lack of education, medical care,
     decent housing, and clean water and food. But when these basic needs are met, those girls achieve
     amazing things for themselves and their families. Sometimes, all they need is a little help.

     The Hearts For Hearts Girls™ mission is to empower girls to become agents of change in their
     communities, their countries, and around the world. We want to change the world one heart at a time, and
     you can be a part of that dream!

     It all starts with our dolls. Right now, there are six Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls: Lilian (Belarus), Rahel
     (Ethiopia), Nahji (India), Tipi (Laos), Consuelo (Mexico), and Dell (United States). Each of them has an
     important story to tell about life in her country, inspired by real girls who are strong, smart, courageous,
     and determined to rise above challenging circumstances.

     When you buy a doll, Hearts For Hearts Girls donates part of the purchase price through our charitable
     partner, World Vision, to programs that support girls in that country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa,
     schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the US, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

I think these dolls are GREAT! check them out! HERE is a link to the Hearts for Hearts Girls Website!

4. We have been working on cutting out processed foods from our house...it is a slow process--I didn't think we had much before since I make our food from scratch, but I am amazed at how things just slip in. I love buttermilk ranch dressing, my kiddos enjoy it too--though no white and creamy for Aaron. I love this recipe for Easy Peasy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing from Happy in Dole Valley and am whipping a batch up this week.

5. This link is to a website for a family in which, I went to college with the mom and dad. They have an amazing family and a heart for adoption. Their blog is HERE.   The link, however, is the link to their adoption fundraiser. It is a site where you can purchase coffee beans to help cover their fees for the adoption of their daughter, who will soon be adopted from China. If you love coffee...you'll love going to their site and purchasing!

I am off to clean--our fridge was dying last night when we got home, so we emptied it out put everything in to coolers (that wasn't already spoiled). The repair man is coming this afternoon and I am not sure how much I'll get done when he is here.

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Buying a Gallon of Vodka

2011-08-26T01:32:00.006-04:00

Well, I shocked Aaron last weekend and bought vodka!! No seriously, I did..the first time I have ever bought alcohol...except for wine to use in a recipe. And the vodka was for a recipe too! I bought a whole gallon!--what am I doing with a gallon of vodka?

I am making vanilla-and I am so excited! After I did the hard part of buying the vodka, I ordered the beans...80 of them to get this process going (some people I know in real life are probably getting some for Christmas). I learned the process from Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers.

I had a hard time finding a glass gallon sized jar to begin my adventure (Laura says it is important to use glass-for leaching purposes) So I bought a box of 1/2 gallon jars and I figure I'll use the rest in this summers canning adventures.

As instructed by Laura, I split my beans by cutting them almost all of the way to the top, leaving about an inch, with kitchen shears. She said I would need 80 beans for 1 gallon, so I filled the jars with 40 each.

Then, I poured in the vodka (I bought the cheap stuff). Tightly screwed on the lids and hid them in a back corner of a closet--where my kiddos can't find them.

That's it! You need between 4-6 months to make really good, flavorful vanilla--so if you act fast, you may just have it ready by Christmas. When Christmas rolls around, you will need to strain your vanilla using a coffee filter and a collander...but Laura goes through all of that on her blog too. She even has a series of recipe cards, an ebook, suggestions for bottles to buy (yes...they do have to be amber colored), and even a code for 10% off your beans at Olive Nation (where I ordered mine from--they are WAY expensive to buy locally; my mom is headed to Hawaii soon and I heard a rumor they are inexpensive there--I am hoping she'll bring some home for me.) Ok...so for the rest of the info, visit Laura HERE at Heavenly Homemakers. I still can't believe I bought a gallon of vodka!

By the way, I looked at the vanilla I already had in the cabinet--and you guessed it..alcohol was in it! If you want some really disgusting info on vanilla: imitation vanilla is made from wood extract...yuck! (I think I saw that on Heavenly Homemakers too, but I confirmed it on wikipedia. Anyway...great project--very simple! I hope you'll try it!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Linking up at:

Occupied

2011-08-25T08:54:00.000-04:00

I was busy in the kitchen, trying to get a few things done, and needed something that would completely occupy the boys for a while. I dug out a large bowl, added soap, got out measuring cups that were plastic, and some other containers of interest, and voila...instant water table, err bowl...activity!

Levi...loving it!

And this is Lydia, playing in the pack and play during the activity.

Blessings to you,

Amanda

A Give Away!

2011-08-24T23:36:00.001-04:00

Last week I announced a give away where Frito Lay will be sending out a Multi Pack of Lays Regional Flavors to one lucky winner. I am extending the deadline to enter. I will draw a lucky winner next Wednesday Night, August 31. The winner will probably be up first thing on Thursday morning. HERE is the original post, the directions on how to enter are at the bottom. Please take the time to enter...this is my first giveaway here on my blog! Thanks!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Family Driven Faith-Chapter 3

2011-08-24T23:19:00.003-04:00

Click here to order the book!

Mr. Baucham said this about our homes in chapter 3.
     "Those who visit us should notice immediately that they have left the world of self-serving, egocentric
     narcissism and have entered a safe harbor where people value and esteem others above themselves.
     Outsiders should enter our homes and never want to leave. Our neighbors should find excuses to visit us
     just to get another whiff of the fragrant aroma of love. The brokenhearted should long to be near us. The
     downtrodden and the abused should seek us out. Families on the brink of disaster should point to us and
     say, 'Why can't our home be like that?' "

The fact is, that most people don't see any more love pouring out from the Christians around them than they do the non-Christian. They don't see the selflessness, our homes aren't "safe harbors". There is nothing different about the way we love....But we can "learn to love". And that is the whole focus of this chapter.

In this chapter Mr. Baucham addresses the Greco-Roman Love Myths
1. Love is a random force
2. Love is an overwhelming force
3. Love is an uncontrollable force
4. Love is a sensual force

With the end result being: Love doesn't translate

We need to embrace the Biblical portrait of love
1. Love is an act of the will
2. Love is accompanied by emotion
3. Love leads to action on behalf of its object
and the advantages to Biblical Love:
1. The Biblical model of love is Volitional
2. It is transferable
3. It is secure
4. It satisfies

It is so important to remember that our children learn to love by our example. Moreover, other people see our love-they observe us love our spouse or our children, or others...and, hopefully they are impacted. I have a lot of work to do in this area, but I know one thing for sure: If my children don't go to college, if they don't make tons of money, or are super successful at anything--If they have learned to love, really love--then I have been a successful parent. It is my prayer that the statement at the top can one day be what someone observes when they come into my home or meet my family. Let's try to let go of the "love myth" and embrace the model of Biblical love. What did you think about this chapter?

Here are the previous links in this series:
Divided
An Invitation
Chapter 1: Lay of the Land
Chapter 2: A God with No Rivals

Linking up today at:
Women Living Well
Raising Homemakers
Raising Mighty Arrows
Titus 2sdays
The Imperfect Housewife
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Thread Up

2011-08-24T11:11:00.001-04:00

The thredUP community is where moms swap kids clothes and toys. The service is free to join and boxes of preloved clothes and toys costs just $5 plus shipping. thredUP is having a 48 hour back-to-school flash sale!

threadUP is where busy moms swap children’s clothes, toys and books online. This back-to-school season, thousands of moms are saving money and giving back by trading outgrown kids’ clothes for gently used school clothes that fit..I signed up and have been thumbing through the boxes to find one with the things I am looking for. It is a great way to recycle your clothes too. They sent the boxes to me so it is fairly painless! Right now you can get your first box free, just pay shipping! Happy Shopping!

(this link is an affiliate link I make a few cents when you click and join)

Breakfast burritos

2011-08-22T10:36:00.011-04:00

PLEASE visit my Caramel Corn Recipe...There is a give away going on and I really want to give it to someone! No entries yet!

A few weeks ago, during my freezer cooking marathon, I needed sausage for my salisburry steak. I went to Sam's and purchased 3 of the 2 pound rolls and I knew I would have enough for the salisburry steak and for some to have cooked and ready in the freezer for pizzas. I didn't anticipate the handiness of having the sausage cooked for other things...but I have loved having it in the freezer! A couple of weeks ago I got out some sausage for pizza and we never got to it, so I whipped up some breakfast burritos. I usually just make them with eggs and cheese, but I decided to add the sausage and made up a bunch.

I filled them, with eggs and sausage, and topped with cheese.

Then I rolled them up, burrito style.

I wrapped them in paper towel and threw all of them in a gallon sized freezer bag.

I ended up just leaving mine in the fridge, but you could put them in the freezer to grab on a busy work morning...I have been sending them with Aaron. You could add green peppers, onions, and/or salsa if you want, but I haven't yet. We warm them in the microwave for about 30 seconds (from the fridge) and yum! I made a rather large batch this weekend, because our house was full--and they were an easy, warm, meal. Thankfully, they take very little time to make. I thought they might be more time consuming, but they weren't. I hope you'll try these too!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Linked up today at:

Chili's

2011-08-21T23:07:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share a link with you, we love to eat at Chili's and often split a meal and get an appetizer. This is a great offer for free chips and queso, it makes for an inexpensive night out. Hope you enjoy!