Bliss

Remembering.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.

Our family had the opportunity to visit the Normandy region of France recently. This was something we definitely wanted to do while here in Germany. Hub is a major history buff, especially of military history, and one of his favorite parts of living in Europe is the chance to visit some of the sites he has read about. It is always a fun family trip, but also very somber, and my sweet husband becomes quite serious and gets choked up standing in these places where so many lives were sacrificed.

Utah Beach, Normandy, France

Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France.

While in Normandy, we visited Omaha and Utah Beaches, and Pointe du Hoc. We also visited the Normandy American Cemetery, which contains the graves of 9,387 American military members, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day operations, and a memorial wall with the names of 1,557 missing.

Looking out over Omaha Beach to the English Channel.

Before we went into the cemetery, we told our children that it was a place where we needed to show reverence. As we were walking on one of the beautiful paths, we came near a fork. My three-year-old whispered, "Mommy, I want to tell you a secret." So I bent my head to his ear, and he whispered, "Mommy, there are two pathways." I whispered that he was right about that, and then we kept walking toward the part of the cemetery where all the graves are located. As we walked, what my little boy said lingered in my mind and caused me to think about the choices that we have in life. We have many choices, but I think they can pretty much all be placed on one of two paths... the path of remembering and the path of forgetting. We either remember the past and learn from it enough to come to a resolution, and have it make a positive impact in our lives; or we forget it and lose the opportunity to have those important lessons shape us. This is true on a personal level, with our own life experiences, and also on a societal level, with the experiences of people throughout history.

"To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live."

With both Veterans Day and the presidential election nearing, I was thinking about the freedom that we have to help choose the person that leads our country, and the many who have sacrificed their lives in order to preserve that freedom. Politics and politicians can be very irritating, to say the least. Whenever presidential election season comes around, I hear a lot of people say that they are not happy with either candidate. I totally get that. I always agree with one candidate on some issues, but the other candidate on other issues. Sometimes I like one candidate more as a person, but think the other would make a better president. And then there is all the negative and immature behavior of politicians and everyone else toward people who disagree with them. It's enough to make me want to just forget about it and ignore the political process. And with our high-tech lifestyle these days, it's easy to distract ourselves and live in our own little world. It's easy to choose the path of forgetting. But, if I forget about it, I'm also forgetting about all those who sacrificed to make it possible for me to have the right to be involved in the political process. I'm forgetting the lessons of the past, when people didn't have the choices we have.

I hear people sometimes say that they are not going to vote because they aren't happy with either candidate and they want to send that message. The problem is, when people don't vote, it reflects apathy, rather than dissatisfaction. If you are like me, and don't just stick with one party or the other, it can be very hard to decide who to vote for. So, when I believe that both candidates are good people, I vote on the issues. I usually have to narrow it down to one issue that I believe is the most important one at the current time and vote for the candidate that I believe will best handle that issue.

I hope that we can somehow get the message to politicians that we don't like their negative campaigns and we would really appreciate some good old-fashioned honesty, but let's do it by being involved and remembering the sacrifices that have been made to keep us free, not by giving up in frustration.

And let's also teach our children to remember.

The Allied forces in Normandy were fighting to liberate France from Hitler, who was seeking to build an empire by stomping out the liberty of millions of people. Because of their sacrifices, France and the rest of Europe are now free, and American liberty was also preserved. I like to think that as we and others stood somberly on Omaha Beach, but also smiled, laughed and played with our kids, there were some spirits of the past watching and witnessing evidence that all they gave made a tremendous difference, not just in the large scale course of history, but in individual lives. And that they see, in the faces of children, a future that will be blessed by the lessons learned from the past and freedoms preserved by those who lived in it. I hope they see a generation of people that will choose to remember.

Fall Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Our neighbor's beautiful flowers.

I love fall! I love the crisp air, the beautiful clear skies and especially the food! It's been really fun getting into some of the German fall traditions this year, now that the kids are in the German school. A few weeks ago, my big boy and little boy sang with the Kindergarten in the village church for Erntedankfest (Thanksgiving). I couldn't see my little boy's face very well, but in one of the songs the kids waved their arms above their heads while singing the chorus, and I could see his stubby little arms sticking up by his head. He was also being a clown and dancing and clapping, so I got a few glimpses of that too. My big boy did a great job and was taking it all very seriously. :) Our boys were so cute!

Pumpkin fish!

We also visited one of our favorite parks that has a "Kürbisfest" every year. They have themed pumpkin displays set up throughout the fall season. Last year, the theme was fairy tales. This year it was marine life. So fun!

Three out of four Jack O' Lanterns. I need to carve baby boy's today.

For Family Night this week, we carved pumpkins while listening to Wee Sing Halloween, had french onion soup (and cereal) for dinner, and then pumpkin cheesecake and eggnog for dessert. Yum! It was a fun night. The kids drew pictures to show us what kinds of faces they wanted on their Jack O' Lanterns (my little boy just said that he wanted his to have a baby face), and then they danced to the music. Wee Sing Halloween will always make me think of Halloween with my kids because last year we checked it out from the library and they listened to it almost every night at bedtime for about a month before Halloween. And during the day they sang the songs all the time. I loved it!

Something else going on this time of year in Germany is preparation for St. Martinstag on November 10. The kids make lanterns at school and then carry them in a parade. Baby boy and I went to my daughter's class yesterday morning to help make her lantern. It's a pretty big deal here, so it will be fun to participate in that.

For breakfast this morning, I got started early to make Pumpkin Pancakes. Unfortunately, I didn't have any pumpkin, so I just made regular pancakes. As it turned out, most of them burned on my cast iron pan, and the texture was different than my actual pumpkin pancake recipe so the faces were hard to cut out and looked like a mess. And then, after finally getting one that looked good, I dropped pancake batter all over it as I was scooping some batter onto the pan for the next pancake. Fortunately, the kids didn't care. :)

Once the kids get home from school, we'll get their costumes ready, get the house cleaned up a bit (hopefully) and then make some Halloween Soup for dinner.

What are your favorite Fall/Halloween traditions or recipes?

Happy 4th!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:33:00 +0000

This is our little tradition for the 4th every year. We make flag toast (or just bread, since we don't have a toaster right now, and I just don't want to turn on the oven). It's pretty obvious how to make it, but here are instructions anyway.

Acquire some fresh blueberries and strawberries or raspberries. Cut the strawberries or raspberries lengthwise into quarters. Spread, no slather (of course), some cream cheese on a piece of bread or toast. If you want, you can sweeten the cream cheese first, to make it a little more desserty. Then arrange the berries as pictured. As you can see, the kids arranged their own berries on these 4th of July toasts we made last year. Have fun with it. :)

Making these with your kids gives you a chance to talk to them about the importance of our country's flag, or about the Pledge of Allegiance. My kids are eating this year's flag bread as I type this, and they were quick to point out that I did not put enough stripes on it. :) I'm glad they've at least learned how many stripes the flag has and why. Hopefully, each year, they'll learn a little more and gain a greater appreciation for our country and our freedom!

And four months later...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:11:00 +0000

I know, it's been a very long time. I am still working at making this blog part of my routine. I have asked myself if I should even continue to try... there are easier ways to keep in touch with family and friends. And I could just write in my journal, rather than put my thoughts online. But the truth is, I enjoy keeping this blog. I love that I can easily add pictures right along with my thoughts, and I love that it helps me focus on my priorities in life. This is a place where I can consolidate all the jumbled interests, ideas, and hopes that I have floating around in my mind. And I think that later in life, I'll be glad that I have this record. That being said, I am going to try to make this a habit. I have a lot of catching up to do, but for now, here is a glimpse of life around here these days.

Sheets hanging on the line on a breezy day... one of my favorite things about summer.

I used to love walking through them when I was a little girl. I still do. Now she does too. We had to leave our old house and awesome backyard because our landlords wanted to move back into it. I was sad when the news that we had to move sunk in. I wasn't expecting to have to cross that bridge for another year. But it has turned out to be a blessing. We found another great house in a beautiful village. This house has a lot of clothesline in the backyard, and that just makes me happy. :)

My good little helper.

We were able to move in time to get a vegetable garden planted and some flowers in pots going so that they'll have plenty of time to grow before the summer is over.

Five-year-old discoveries.

This guy found a cool rock with a plant growing on it. It's amazing what you can discover in your own backyard when you're five.

6 Months Ago...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000

this was my baby boy.

Well, this was me... but obviously, baby boy was there too.

When I took this picture, I was very ready to hold my baby in my arms instead of in my belly. And a couple of days later, that is exactly what I got to do. And since that day, our life has been very topsy-turvy, but so full of happiness. It is amazing to me how love is something that you just don't run out of. Our baby boy is our fourth child, and with each new addition to our family, my heart gets a new addition of love. I guess that's why, even though our life just seems to be getting more and more challenging, it is also getting more and more joyful.

This is my baby boy now. I love that happy smile. It adds such delight to my day.

And there are so many more little delights that come to mind as I think over the past six months. Like baby boy nestling into my neck and sleeping (that stage was over too soon *sniff*)... the sound of his little grunts and squeaks when he's waking up... listening to his soft breathing as he sleeps next to me (sometimes that seems to be the only way he'll sleep)... hearing his happy gurgles and coos from his bed after he wakes up from a good nap (good naps don't happen often around here, but happy gurgles and coos still do)... seeing him watch and listen to his sister and brothers and then seeing his huge grin when they look at him or talk to him... breathing in his fresh milky scent... feeling his soft little hand wrapped around my finger as he falls asleep while I'm holding him... listening to his big baby belly laughs when I take off his onesies, or tickle his neck or armpits... watching him fall asleep in his daddy's arms while they listen to music... seeing him try to figure out how to work those little hands and grab a toy... feeling his little gums chomping on my shoulder... hearing his sister and brothers laugh at the cute things he does... having him in his swing or baby carrier, keeping me company in the kitchen while I cook or wash dishes... seeing his face light up whenever I look at him, unless he's hungry, bored, or tired. Then he fusses if I look at him, but even that is a delight, because it lets me know that he needs me and I can help him feel better soon.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love being a mom! I feel incredibly blessed to be a mom. It's the most difficult thing I've ever done, but it's worth every second of sleep deprivation and all that other hard parenting stuff. I don't always feel my love for parenting in those difficult moments, but at times like these, when I can reflect on my deeper emotions, all the blissfulness of motherhood comes bubbling to the surface.

Coming Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:52:00 +0000

As the last of the troops come home from Iraq, I have been thinking a lot about the Iraq war and the impact it has had... on the world, on the Iraqi people, on the military, on our family, and on my husband (who also happens to be my hero, by the way). We all know there is plenty of debate surrounding our country's involvement over there, and I don't want to get into that... we've heard it all before. That's not to say, however, that we should ignore the issues surrounding our involvement there. It's important to learn from past experience. But, I hope that all the debate and division regarding Iraq will not be the only memory people have of our years there.

I hope that people will remember that although the troops are home, it is not over. It is not over for many of the troops and it is not over for the people of Iraq. The injured and the families of the fallen still carry this war with them everyday.

I hope that people remember that while the rest of the world may have been obsessed with politics, most of the troops were just trying to do their part to turn a bad situation into something good... or at least not so bad, and to keep each other and innocent Iraqis safe. Hub's deployment was during a time when the violence in Iraq was really bad, right before the troop surge. It was all over the news with constant debates about pulling the troops out, or adding more. While he was there, people often asked me what he thought about our involvement there. When I'd ask hub that question, he'd say, "Whether or not we should have come in the first place, it's a good thing we're here now."

Most of all, I hope that people will remember that America is still good, that most people all over the world are still good, and that war isn't. But sometimes, there are reasons why we should fight, and it's good to know that there are still people out there who are willing to sacrifice to preserve what is good. In fact, I think that most people are willing to do that, given the right circumstances. In an ideal world, we would only go to war for the right reasons. We don't live in an ideal world, but I hope that people will still remember to believe in the potential of humanity.

As I was trying to figure out how to put my feelings about all of this into words, I remembered a song that hub listened to while he was over there. It think it does a great job of capturing the spirit of sacrifice that I hope will not be forgotten... and the feeling that we are all in this together.

Sandstorm in Iraq.

I will drink the cup, the poison overflowing.

I will lift you up, watch over where you're going.

The first one in, the last one gone.

I'll be the rock to stand upon.

For you.

Hub in Iraq.

My spirit aches and I can't stop this river flowing.

In fear I take each labored breath I draw in knowing

That this could be my last, my final hour.

But faith and hope and love give me the power...

Together at last!

For you.

Visiting the grave of Hub's friend.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil for you are with me.

You are with me.

I'll be your salvation, though the storm's surrounding.

There on our own conditions, lay my body down.

In the wake abandon willing sacrifice.

I'll walk through the canyon, bring the shadows life.

For you.

Song lyrics: For You from the We Were Soldiers soundtrack.
By the way, Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews sing the song together. Can't go wrong with Johnny Cash. :)

Asleep on the hay.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:44:00 +0000

Here is something that we are doing during the month of December. My family did this while I was growing up, and a couple of years ago I decided I wanted my kids to do it too, so I used some fabric scraps and craft sticks that I had on hand and made one for us. The idea is to make sure that there is enough hay in the manger to make a soft bed for baby Jesus before Christmas Eve. It's so easy to make. Here is how:

Supplies

Mini crafts sticks (or you can make a bigger one with regular sized popsicle sticks)

Glue gun or wood glue and fabric glue

Two small pieces of fabric

Some kind of stuffing (cotton balls are great)

Hay (or yarn, garden twine, etc.)

Make the manger by gluing three sticks together for each side. Once they are dry, glue them together on one edge. Then use four craft sticks (two glued to each side) to make the legs. For the baby Jesus, wrap one of the fabric pieces around the stuffing, making an oval shape, and glue it closed. Wrap the other piece of fabric around the first, like a baby blanket, and glue it closed.

During the month of December, set the manger up somewhere and put the hay close to it. Every time someone in the family does something good for others without being asked, that person can put one piece of hay in the manger. Baby Jesus will need a soft bed on Christmas Eve, so hopefully, everyone in the family will do lots of nice things. For me, this is a lot of fun and a great way to help our little ones feel and understand the true Christmas spirit.

I love this too.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Just wanted to share another one.

I love this.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:02:00 +0000

I watched this video several weeks ago, and ever since, I have looked to it as a source of strength and inspiration. I just wanted to post it here to make it easy for me to watch again and again. Take some time to watch it of you haven't yet. It's definitely worth it.

Playdate Granola Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:52:00 +0000

The kids have some friends over to play once a week, and last week I was in the mood to make these granola bars for a snack for all the kids. I love this recipe because it is so flexible. You can use any combination of dry ingredients to make them different every time if you want to. Making these granola bars is a great way to clear out all those little bits of stuff left in the pantry that you don't have enough of to make anything else with. I had a little bit of coconut left in a bag, and some sunflower seeds, so I threw them in with some oats and rice crispies. I didn't have vanilla, but they tasted just as good as they did when I made them with vanilla before. Here's the recipe:

Granola Bars

Oats or cereal combined with your choice of other dry ingredients such as wheat germ, sunflower seeds, crushed peanuts, dried fruit, etc. to equal 4 1/2 cups.

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

4 T. butter or peanut butter

2 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt*

*If your butter or peanut butter is salted, 1/2 tsp. salt may be too much.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Cook the sugar, honey, butter or peanut butter and salt together until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mix with dry ingredients and press into a wax paper coated 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Let cool completely... putting them in the fridge so that they're very cold when you cut them works well. Turn them out onto a cutting board. Remove the wax paper and cut them into bars.

My kids love these, and it's no wonder because they are very sweet... great for a snack or even dessert!

The Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Big Boy, Little Boy, Baby Boy.

Sometimes, I can hardly believe that I have three boys. I'm so proud of my big boy for being such a good brother. He plays so well with my little boy, and he loves my baby boy so much. He's so interested in everything baby boy does. Whenever he catches him awake, he talks to him and shows him toys, or reads to him... just like he's doing in the picture. My little boy also loves his baby brother and shows it by always wanting to give him kisses, and saying things like, "He wuvs me, and I wuv him!" I just love my boys, and I sure hope they always stay such good buddies.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:26:00 +0000

All washed and ready to be made into soup.

Our next door neighbors are a really nice older German couple that have a beautiful garden. They gave us buckets full of apples this fall, and one day, the husband brought this lovely pumpkin to us. The husband may very well be Santa Claus. He has a beard, a twinkle in his eye, and he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. He doesn't speak any English, but with his friendly determination to communicate, and my very, very basic German skills, I came to understand that this Kürbis (pumpkin) was from his garden and it was the kind that's good for eating, not carving. And so, I decided that I would use this pumpkin for soup to take to our ward Halloween party. I had made this soup earlier and loved it, so I was excited to make it again. This pumpkin was the perfect size for a double batch of the soup. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

(4 to 6 servings)

2 T. butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 15 oz. can)*

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth**

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (1 12 oz. can)

*I like to add a little more pumpkin to make it thicker.

**I've just used water before and it's still yummy. Just add more salt and seasonings.

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in butter. Add the curry powder, salt and pepper. Then add pumpkin puree and broth. Simmer. Puree in blender to make a smooth soup. Add evaporated milk just before serving.

For the party, I cooked the soup on the stove, blended it in batches, and put it in the crockpot on low to stay warm until the party. Now, just as a warning, getting this soup to the party in the crockpot was quite the adventure. I held it on my lap on a baking sheet on top of my jacket while hub drove. The crockpot wasn't even very full, but every little bump made soup slosh all over the place because it's not a very thick soup. If I ever take this soup anywhere again, I'll use a sealed container. By the time we got to the church, my jacket was out of commission for the night.

In my opinion, a bowl of this warm, spicy soup with some bread to dip in it, is the perfect meal on a cold day. I'm sure I'll be making this soup many more times this fall and winter because it's so easy.

Two Months...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:34:00 +0000

seems more like two weeks... and forever.

It's already been two months since our baby boy was born. I think it's been the fastest two months of my life. When my third baby was born, I felt like the months following his birth were the fastest of my life. With each additional child added to our family, the time just seems to be passing more quickly. But even though the time since having this sweet baby boy enter our lives has flown by, it seems like I've known him for an eternity. I have a hard time remembering what it felt like to only know three of our children, rather than four. It just feels like he's always been part of our family.

I'm sure that the reason time seems to be passing more and more quickly is because we just keep getting busier. I'm not sure how this happens, but even though two months seems like just two weeks, one day can seem like forever sometimes. I must admit, I have moments when I dream about the days when my kids will be all grown-up, and my house will be as clean as I want it to be, and I'll be able to do whatever I want or need to do without interruption, and do all those things that just seem too hard to do while raising young children.

But when I imagine that future clean and organized home and life, I am very much aware that I am really going to miss all those little dinosaurs, ponies and cheerios strewn all over the place. I'll miss the sticky hands and chins to clean. I'll miss the little hugging arms. I'll miss the noise... because with all those cries, whines, and yells come laughter, singing and cute conversations, so yup, I'll even miss the noise. Adding a fourth child has not been a huge adjustment, but it does mean more to do throughout the day... one more mouth to feed, more diapers to change, more messes to clean, more noise, and more hair pulled out... but also more joy.

On the surface, our life seems messy, loud and stressful. But just a little deeper, there is something else. And I'm the lucky girl that gets to feel it, even among all the chaos. It's not always easy to find, but if I just remember to try, I can always find it. It's a feeling of serenity and love, that despite the speed of the passing time, is eternal. Our life may look like a mess, but in that mess there is bliss.
Blessed bliss.

Our Baby Boy!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:33:00 +0000

Our baby boy is here!

The ECV was successful, and baby boy was born later that day. We love him so much and we're so happy to have him with us.

The good things in life...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:33:00 +0000

are all around me.

We had a great weekend, filled with swimming, picnicking, pedal boating, carousel riding, flammkuchen eating, and just enjoying life. Hub also had to squeeze in writing a research paper, but even that was a good thing because it was the last thing he needed to do to finish up a very difficult and time consuming class he was taking.

We are now very much anticipating the possible arrival of our baby boy this week. He has been breech or transverse (he switches between the two) since the nurse-midwife first checked his position at 32 weeks. He was head down for a short time at 37 weeks. He turned just in time to avoid an external cephalic version. I guess once he felt like the danger had passed, he decided to move back into his comfort zone because a couple of days later he was no longer head down. At 38 weeks, the doctor and I agreed that we should schedule another ECV, and if it is successful, induce labor so that the little guy will be born before he turns himself the wrong way again. So that is happening this week. In a way it's hard to have this much control over my baby's birth. Whatever the outcome is, I feel like I am fully responsible. Not that I am anticipating a negative outcome, but I just know that inductions sometimes lead to more complicated births. But after much thought about all the options, I feel like this is probably the best way to go. But the first step is to do the version and see if it works or not. It would be nice if the baby boy would once again decide that he'd like to avoid that procedure and turn head down on his own. :)

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family and a beautiful world all around me. I'm so thankful for every moment that we get to spend together. I'm so thankful to have a new little one joining our family soon. I know that it is not something to take for granted. I know that life is about to get a little busier and stressful, but my goal is to continue to recognize the good things in life that are all around me everyday... every moment.

Kimchi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:18:00 +0000

I love kimchi.

The first time a tried it, I didn't like it, but while we were living in Korea, it grew on me, and now it is one of my favorite things to eat. It's just really refreshing. And it has a lot of health benefits too. If you've never tried it, or have tried it and didn't like it, don't give up on it. You may just become a kimchi addict some day. And if you make it yourself, you can keep adjusting the recipe until you get it just right. Of course, there are a lot of other great foods out there, so I'll stop trying to pressure you into eating kimchi. I just had to put a plug in for it since I've got an entire post here about how to make it. :)

I was so happy when my friend at church, who is Korean, asked me if I wanted her to teach me how to make kimchi. I told her that I most definitely did, so she brought all the ingredients over one morning and we made a big batch of kimchi, which hub and I ate within a week. I guess we'd been kimchi deprived for too long. It's hard to find good store-bought kimchi around here. It was actually not that hard to make. I made another batch the next week and took step-by-step photos. So, just in case anybody else out there happens to want to make some kimchi, here's how to do it.

*Keep in mind, this is not an exact recipe. I can't tell you the exact amounts of everything... it's just all to taste. And everybody's kimchi tastes a little different and may have some different ingredients.

The ingredients:

1 Napa Cabbage

1 Asian Radish (optional)

About 2 T. grated Ginger

A few cloves of Garlic

Hot Pepper Flakes

Kosher Salt

Sweet Rice Flour

Fish Sauce (or Soy Sauce)

not pictured:

Onion (white, green or both)

You can also add carrots, leeks or other veggies if you want.

You will also need one very large bowl, one medium bowl, a small saucepan, a cutting board, a knife, something to grate ginger with, and an airtight container that you don't mind not be able to use for anything other than kimchi ever again.

This is what the hot pepper flakes look like. You probably won't find them in your regular grocery store. If you live in or near a bigger city, try to find an Asian grocery store, or even better, a Korean store. You will probably find the pepper flakes there. I haven't had to buy any yet because my friend gave me enough to make a few batches of Kimchi, but she told me that after you buy it, keep it in the freezer or it will go bad soon.

After you have washed and chopped your cabbage, sprinkle salt all over it. Mix it up with your hands to make sure that all the cabbage leaves have salt on them. Don't worry about using too much salt... you are going to be rinsing it off later. Let it sit in the salt for about 1 - 2 hours, until you can bend a thick cabbage leaf in half without it breaking. I've also read that before you do this step you can soak the chopped cabbage in cold water for awhile and it will help speed up this process. Just be sure to drain it before you add the salt.

Chop your radish however you want to, just keep in mind that the thinner the pieces, the quicker they'll be ready to work with. Thin strips would wilt faster than these half circles. Now add some salt and sugar to your radish. You won't be rinsing them off, so you want to be a little more careful with how much you use in this step. You want to create a flavor that's salty and sweet, but not too salty or too sweet. You are going to use the salty/sweet water that is drawn out of the radish in your spicy sauce. Let the radish sit for about as long as the cabbage, until the radish is flexible and you have some water at the bottom of the bowl.

Now make your sauce.

Put 1 1/2 cups water into a saucepan and whisk in 1/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour. Cook until thickened to pudding consistency. If you want a little more sweetness, you can also add some sugar or honey to it. Then just let it sit and cool, whisking occasionally to keep a film from forming on top.

While your sauce cools, and your cabbage and radish wilt, grate your ginger (my friend has this handy little Japanese ginger grater, that made it so easy... I want one), mince your garlic, and chop your onion (and other veggies if you are using them).

Once the cabbage is nice and flexible, rinse the salt off. Taste it to see it if tastes too salty to you or not.

See the nice sweet and salty water at the bottom of the bowl?

Once your radish is bendable, and your rice flour sauce is cool, add this sweet/salty water to the rice flour sauce. Again, it doesn't really matter how much. Just hold the radishes back, and dump the water in.

Also mix the ginger, garlic, and onion (and other veggies), and fish sauce or soy sauce into the sauce. For the fish sauce or soy sauce, you really don't need very much. Maybe a couple tablespoons, but you can adjust it to taste. I don't like a fishy flavor, so I don't add much fish sauce. If you're really sensitive to fishy flavors or want to make it vegan, use soy sauce.

Now for those hot pepper flakes.
You want to add enough to make the sauce a nice rich red color. But, the more you add, the more spicy it will be, so of course this step is not exact. Just add a tablespoonful at a time until it is nice and red, and then add more if you want it really, really spicy.

Now for the final step.

Mix the cabbage and radish together and then dump the sauce over it. Mix it with your hands until the cabbage and radish are all well coated with sauce. My friend told me that it is a good idea to wear gloves to do this mixing because your hands might burn later if you don't. I haven't used gloves because I don't have any, and so far I haven't had a problem with burning hands. Maybe because I don't make mine super spicy.

Put the Kimchi into an airtight container and leave it out for several hours or up to a few days to get the fermentation process going, then store it in the fridge. If you'd rather have it fresh (I like it both ways), just put it in the fridge immediately. Either way, as long as you keep it in an airtight container, it should last for weeks in the fridge. Oh, and just so you know, whatever container you use will forever be your kimchi container because it will forever smell like kimchi... forever. I use a large Ziploc plastic container and haven't had any problems with my entire fridge smelling like kimchi, which is also a good thing to try to avoid.

Happy kimchi eating!

We're Ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:07:00 +0000

We've got the baby clothes all washed and put away, the car has been vacuumed, the family blog is finally caught up to the present, and I'm constantly cleaning the house and getting our homeschool plans organized for the year (nesting is exhausting, I tell ya), and we're so excited for our little guy to make his appearance. He seems to be a little acrobat, though, and isn't staying in the right position for birth. I was scheduled for an ECV last week, but the night before the procedure, I thought I felt him move his head down. I couldn't tell if he was still head down the next morning, but when we went to the hospital they did an ultrasound, and sure enough, he was. So we didn't have to do the ECV after all. Unfortunately, I think he only stayed that way for a couple of days. I'm anxious for my next appointment, so we can find out for sure what position he is in now. I have a feeling he'll be keeping us guessing right up until the last hour. But however he ends up in our arms, we're just excited for him to be in them!

More of our Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:55:00 +0000

It's been a great summer, but it has sure gone by fast! Although, this last month sure doesn't seem to be going very fast, but I guess that's just what happens when you're almost 38 weeks pregnant and you can barely move and your clothes don't fit anymore. Anyway, here's a short summary of our summer.

The kids found a slug and decided to make him a pet. The named him Froley. You can't see him in this picture because he was caked with dirt. He lasted for a day.

We got a lot of yummy raspberries in our backyard this year. Once they started getting ripe, the kids loved going out to pick them. Grandpa helped too.

Even my little boy got in on the raspberry pickin' action. But he wouldn't eat them.

The kids did lots of sidewalk chalk art on our back patio... when it wasn't raining.

My girl made a yummy side dish to go with our dinner one night. She found the recipe in a cookbook, made a shopping list, and then I helped her make it. It was called "Polka-dot Rice" and it was yummy.

We visited the Cologne Cathedral, and got in our workout for the week by climbing about a million stairs to get to the top. It was worth every step, though. The bells actually started ringing while we were in the bell tower! The kids didn't like that so much, so hub took them out, but I stayed for a minute, which was about all my ears could take.

We had our traditional flag toast for breakfast on the 4th.

Hub and I went to a concert where I accidentally spit chewed up food on the Flammkuchen we were eating before the concert started. It was disgusting, but made us both laugh really hard. We were probably the only people there not drinking alcohol (this is Germany, after all), yet I'm sure I appeared to be the one person there who'd had a bit too much to drink. Embarrassing. Anyway, hub caught me with the camera between laughs.

We went for walks in the beautiful countryside around our village. This was a walk we took with Grandpa one day.

My girl built a "fairy house." This was a really fun activity. Go visit www.fairyhouses.com for some fun pictures of fairy houses.

The kids got to be little archeologists and dig up some of our stuff that I buried in the sandbox. My girl is learning about ancient history this year, so that week we were learning about how archeologists learn about the past. They loved it, and keep asking to do it again.

A couple things that I don't have pictures of: swimming lessons, and trips to a couple of really fun parks in the cities near us. My dad was the photographer for those activities, so I'll have to steal some pictures from him.

So, that is just a little glimpse into our summer so far. I'm still waiting for some pictures from my brother from their visit. I'd better start nagging him. :)

Laundry? What laundry?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:01:00 +0000

Whew, it's been a busy couple of months! I finally decided to just ignore the huge pile of laundry that needs to be folded, let my boy and girl play (and fight it out) on their own, stick a movie in for my little boy (he hasn't been feeling well today anyway... constipation issues... poor guy, he deserves a movie), postpone making a pizza crust for dinner tonight, and instead, just sit in front of the computer and do some blogging. I am so prone to writing run-on sentences, by the way... in case you hadn't noticed. Anyway, here's some of what we've been up to the last couple of months.

We found out that we're having a boy! I love this picture of his cute little hand. I'm 30 weeks along now, but feel like about 39 weeks. I can't believe I still have 10 more weeks of growing to do. My belly got huge very fast this time. Maybe it will just stay the same size from here on out? Yeah, probably not.

Hub has been gone a lot for about the last five or six months. He was going to be gone again for our anniversary (apparently we chose the wrong month to get married), so before he left, we took a quick trip to Italy. We went to Pisa. We were there for a total of about 24 hours, but it was still worth it because it was a cheap flight and a lot of fun! We couldn't resist doing the typical tourist thing and take pictures of us holding up the leaning tower, only we thought it would be even better if my baby belly did it. Looking at this picture, I'm amazed at how much more enormous my belly is now. I can't believe I felt like it was so big then... it is SO much bigger now.

I turned 30, and the nice ladies of the Relief Society presidency gave me this giant cupcake, which the kids and I enjoyed very much. I must say, that at 30, I feel a lot like this cupcake looks... round and droopy, but full of happiness... because everybody knows cupcakes are full of happiness.

We had this for lunch a few times. Rice cakes with peanut butter spread on top, raisins for the eyes, nose and mouth, and fruits and veggies for everything else. A favorite lunch around here now.

We went to the Black Forest one day, and came home with a cuckoo clock. It's hanging on our wall now, and whenever the kids hear it start to cuckoo, they race over to watch the little bird come out and flap its wings. I was happy to find out that the cuckoo can be turned off, so at night, we turn it off and make that bird stay inside its clock. It's amazing how loud that cuckoo sounds in the middle of the night.

Daddy came home from his final work trip (at least for awhile), and then immediately left again to attend his great-grandmother's funeral. When he came home, he brought some toys from his great-grandma's house that he used to play with as a child. The kiddos especially loved playing with the legos.

We finally put some sand in our sandbox, and the boys were in heaven. They got to play in it for probably just a few days before it started raining a lot. We hadn't had any rain for weeks before that, as you can tell from the yellow patches of grass in the picture. But now that the sun has come back, the kids have rediscovered the sandbox. My girl loves it too, although for the last couple of days, she has been more interested in looking for slugs on the underside of the sandbox lid, than actually playing in the sand.

We watched bees on the flowers. I think the bee flew away before I took this picture.

Snowflake learned how to open the door of her cage outside. Luckily, the hutch was attached to it, so she didn't escape. By the way, Snowflake has been a pain lately, but that's another story for another day.

I turned our unused coffee table into a bench. I wanted to take our rocking chair upstairs for when the baby arrives, but that left us with very little seating downstairs. I decided we might as well put the coffee table to good use, instead of having it just take up space in our house. It's not the most comfortable place to sit, but it works.

The kids and I also painted some shoe shelves that we bought at the hardware store to make shelves for their toys. I wanted to utilize the space under their loft beds, instead of having their toys taking up space in their Schranks (German closets).

One of these shelves was totally crooked when we put it together, but it still works great for holding toys.

My girl made me this sugar scrub at girl scouts one day. It was my Mother's Day gift. I'll have to post the recipe. It was nice.

And last but not least, my brothers came to visit. They just left earlier this week and we really miss them. We had so much fun with them here! I'll have to post the pictures from their visit later because I let my brother handle all the photos, since he had his camera out all the time anyway. It was nice to not have to juggle my camera along with my kids for a change. I'm excited to get a disc of pictures from him in the mail soon... hint, hint... if you happen to read this, J.

Even though it was sad to see my brothers go, we are so lucky because my dad came too, and he's actually here to stay. Since my mom got a job here and will be staying for awhile, my dad decided to come on over and get a job here too. I've got such lucky kids... they get to see two of their grandparents all the time. It's too bad we're so far from the other two, though.

Hub and I are lucky too. In fact, I better go get that pizza crust made so the kids can have a pizza party with Grammy and Grandpa tonight while hub and I go on a date. How great is that?

Just one of the reasons I love my mom...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 May 2011 12:04:00 +0000

She's so fun. She comes up with such fun things to do with the kids... like what they did after she got home from work the other day. She went outside with a container of water and asked my little boy if he wanted to make dandelions curl. Pretty soon the older two came over and for the next little while I heard lots of laughing and excited little kid voices in the backyard. They had such a good time splitting the dandelion stems, then putting them in the water to make them curl up. My boy was so excited to show me "this teeny tiny" that he was holding in his little hand. I'm sure that the first time they got to make dandelion stems curl will be a fun memory and something they'll want to do again and again.

We've been very blessed to have my mom living with us since last fall. She's been a big help with homeschooling. She makes up fun worksheets for the kids, and also bought a workbook for each of them to work on in the evenings when she is home. She calls it "Grammy School," and the kids really look forward to it. Hub and I have also been able to have plenty of date nights, and even went on an overnight trip to celebrate our anniversary. The kids had such a fun time with my mom while we were gone. They went to the park in our village with some sand toys and played in the sand for hours. My girl started finding nails in the sand, and she and my mom kept looking and ended up finding 26 rusty nails in that sandbox! The park is a much safer place now because of my mom and my girl. :)

My girl has been telling me about it over and over again ever since. I know that they made a memory that day that she will cherish for a long time.

I couldn't ask for a better mom, and am so thankful that my kids are able to know her too!

Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:05:00 +0000

The kids, especially my girl, just LOVE having pets. My girl can sit and watch them for a long time, and she's always looking out for their well-being. She often says things like, "I think Snowflake wants to get out of her cage. She keeps looking at the door." Or, "It's a pretty warm day. Should we take the pets outside?" Or, "Should we give the pets a carrot? They haven't had any carrots for awhile." I'm so glad to live in a place where we can have these pets. Our landlords don't want us to have a dog or cat, but a bunny and guinea pigs are ok. My girl is so caring and concerned. I think having something to take care of is a really good thing for her. She and my boy each carry a guinea pig whenever we take them outside. My little boy always wants to help too, but I don't think that would end well. :) But before we leave here, he should be old enough to carry them around. Hub and I are looking forward to the day when we can have some chickens and goats, but a bunny and two guinea pigs are a good start.

Edible Nests

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:13:00 +0000

Here is one more birds' nest activity, and this time it's edible. I got this idea from Discover the Joy of Easter, and tweaked the recipe a little bit.

Crispy Nests

1 cup chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips

1/2 cup peanut butter or Nutella

3 cups crispy rice cereal or chow mein noodles

Combine chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips with peanut butter or Nutella.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.

Stir in crispy rice or chow mein noodles.

Spoon into greased or paper-lines muffin pan and press against the sides to make a nest shape, or grease your hands and form into a nest shape by hand.

Chill until set up.

Add egg-shaped candies to your nests.

We used butterscotch chips and Nutella and they turned out really yummy, but very rich!

If you are a better about controlling your sweet tooth than I am and want to make a healthier version, here are a couple of ideas.

Veggie Nests

Cut carrots or cucumbers (or both) into thin strips.

Pile them up to make a nest.

Use the bottom half of a bell pepper for the nest.

Add grapes or grape tomatoes for the eggs.

So simple.

The next recipe is a bit tricky, but can be a lot of fun, and still tasty, even if it doesn't work out and your nests fall apart.

Rosti Nests

4 medium potatoes (you can also use sweet potatoes, and/or add other grated veggies like carrots)

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional, but helps nests stick together better)

salt and pepper

1 egg for each completed nest

Wash and boil or steam whole potatoes (and other veggies).

Let cool and then peel.

Grate potatoes (and other veggies).

Squeeze out excess liquid and combine with other ingredients.

Form into nest shapes and place on greased baking sheet. Place under preheated (to medium) broiler and broil for about 7 minutes. *Watch carefully for burning*

Carefully turn them over and broil for another 5 minutes.

Break an egg into the well of each rosti and broil for another 4 minutes, or until egg is set and the rosti are golden brown.

More Birds' Nests

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:42:00 +0000

Here is the second birds' nest activity we did. I found this cute idea at Chocolate On My Cranium. It took a few days to complete because we had to wait for the nests and clay to dry. But you could also use the kind of clay that you bake to dry.

Here's what to do:

Mix 1/8 cup cornstarch with 1 cup water, and heat to boiling.

Stir constantly and let it thicken a bit, then remove from heat and let cool.

Just use store-bought liquid cornstarch.

I think that using some glue mixed with water would work well too... maybe even better.

Cut pieces of yarn or string into varying lengths.

Wrap some bowls or cups with plastic wrap.

Dip the yarn into the liquid cornstarch and wrap around the outside of the upside-down bowls or cups.

Let dry... it may take a day or two.

In the meantime, make some little birds and eggs to go in your nests. You could make them out of clay and paint them like we did (my daughter even made worms, bugs and seeds for her birds to eat), or come up with another way. I'm sure there are a lot of crafty ideas out there for making cute little birds.

Have fun!

Easter is coming...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:19:00 +0000

...and I'm thankful to have so many reminders of the reason for it.

Hub showed me this video this morning and I just wanted to share it.

All About Birds' Nests

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:09:00 +0000

This week, we learned a lot about birds' nests. It was a fun way to get even more excited about spring. We learned about the different kinds of birds' nests that there are, and the things that birds use to build their nests. Then, we went for a walk and found some nest building stuff to try to make our own birds' nests.

On our way, we met this snail that was attempting to cross the street. Not the best idea.

My girl immediately decided that the snail needed to be saved from it's very likely untimely death, so she moved it back into the bushes.

Meet Mr. (or Mrs.) Snail.

(When we studied slugs and snails last summer, we learned that they can be both.)

Digging up some mud.

More mud.

Lovely flowers.

Collecting sticks.

Once we felt like we had enough stuff (actually, once baby boy refused to go any farther because he suddenly remembered the scary goat that lives down the path we were walking on), we headed home, dumped our treasures on the table and made some nests.

My boy decided his nest needed some eggs so he went out back and got some white rocks. The long stick poking out the side of his nest is an "animal poker... so bad animals won't get the eggs."

My girl also added white rock eggs, but you can't see them because she put a roof on her nest. Inside, where she put the eggs, she did a bit of interior decorating with a pinecone, some dried leaves, and some flower petals. She also added a leaf to the outside for a door.

I decided to try to build an ovenbird's nest, which is suppose to look like a dutch oven. It kind of worked.

While we made the nests, we talked about how great it is that birds can build these nests so well... much better than we can, even though they don't have hands. We also talked about how great it is that the birds can find all the things they need to build their nests in their natural environment, in the season that they need them.

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and for the next two days, we followed up with a couple more birds' nest activities... coming soon.