Finish Each Day and Be Done With It.....Learning How To Love You #love

 We are nearing February, the month of #Love, for me it will be the one year anniversary of my mother's death. The last year has been a challenge for me, as I already suffer from chronic depression problems. I am slowly learning to love myself again and have been struggling to accept my life as it is now and move on. Join me for several posts about depression and how I have dealt with the crippling grip it can have on your life.

Finish Every Day and Be Done With It
You have done what you could
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
Forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a New Day;
You Shall Begin It serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense

"Ralph Waldo Emerson" 

K is for Kiddos and Spending Time #atozchallenge

Spending quality time with your kiddos goes such a long way to show them how much you love, respect and think they are important to you. If you are having a day full of challenges, behavior issues, tantrums and you are about to pull out all of your hair, think about what kind of attention they might be seeking from you. Have you been busy? Have you paid more attention to your phone than your kid? We all do it, sometimes unknowingly.

Take the time to spend some quality play time with your kiddos. Put your phone away. See how much better they act, you will be surprised.

 

 

Why do you stay home?

As a homeschooling mom I am asked by many well meaning individuals "why do you keep your kids at home?" "don't they need the contact of other children in regular school"? Honestly I want to look at those people and tell them to mind their own business, but that would be rather rude. So I just tell them that it works well for our family and if something is working just fine there is no reason to change it.

Here are my top reasons for homeschooling my children:

• When God tells you to do something you Do It!
• Prayerfully sought out answer
• We tried traditional school and did not like it at all (for our kids that is)
• Due to family illness, we were able to spend more time with my father as he was dying with cancer.
• We get to go visit grandma when we want to and not just on school breaks
• I know what they are learning!
• Can teach biblical principles and apply to our lives
• We have prayer in school
• We sleep late, mom works as a nurse and does odd shifts
• Field trips can be as simple as a drive to the grocery store to learn
• We learn 24/7 365 days a year no matter the weather
• We school all year round so we can take more breaks
• We can take a day off for fun if we want to.....anytime!
• Healthy options for meals and cook at home
• Kids are less affected by external distractions
• No meds needed anymore for ADD
• I have learned all of their learning styles and work around them.
• Done with work in way less time
• Can school anywhere in the house, even snuggled up on the couch or bed.
• Bring your pets to school everyday :)
• Show and tell everyday
• Cooking dinner can become a math lesson very easily
• Our home repairs and renovations become lessons easily
• Tv can be tailored into science and history learning
• I have an addiction for school supplies
• I love books
• Teaching my kids is an honor
• My husband gets to help and teach too.
• We all learn new things daily
• We get to learn and eat our work ie counting M & M's
• No bullies!
• No dress codes or expensive uniforms
• No wasting time, lining up, waiting on other kids that don't behave, lunch lines,etc
• They are living in the real world, dealing with real life problems that happen in our household everyday. Critical thinking skills and problem solving daily.
• My teen and I have had some really deep discussions about life,love and the world,that we may not have had if he was at school all day long.
• Many many more,I could go on and on!

So if homeschooling works for your family, Just Do It! If not that's ok. As long as your children are happy,healthy and learning that is all that matters, right?

 

Amish Friendship Bread Starter to the Pan~~

Starter Recipe:
1 package active dry yeast
2 - cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar

For Amish Friendship Bread Starter: Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a deep glass container. Stir in remaining warm water, milk, flour and sugar. Beat until smooth. Cover a large glass jar or bowl with a tight fitting lid works best for this. DO NOT REFRIGERATE! The starter requires 10 days for fermentation as follows: DAYS 1, 2, 3 and 4:... Stir batter
DAY 5:................ Add 1 cup each milk, flour, sugar and stir
DAYS 6, 7, and 8,9..... Stir batter each day
DAY 10: ............. Add 1 cup each flour, sugar, milk; stir.
Put 1 cup of starter in each of three containers or larger zip lock bags. Give away to friends and keep one. This will begin their Day 1.

Directions after you have your Starter:
Do not use any type of Metal Spoon or Bowl Mixing. Do Not Refrigerate.
It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment. Do not taste raw batter and Date Bag.

Day 1: Do Nothing.
Day 2: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 3: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 4: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 5: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 6: Add to the bag 1 Cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Mush the bag and let the air out.
Day 7: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 8: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 9: Mush the bag and let the air out
Day 10: Mix and divide starter as follows. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non metal bowl. Add 1 1/2 Cups Flour, 1 1/2 Cups Sugar, and 1 1/2 Cups Milk. Next measure 1 Cup Batter into 4 gallon size zip lock bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of the recipe. You will end up with 5 batches of bread (4 bags and 1 in the bowl)

I make a double batch yielding in (6 loaves) then i only have 2 starters left, one to give out and one to keep for myself and start all over again in 10 days.

Amish Friendship Bread(to bake the bread)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees 
 To the remaining batter in the bowl (about 2 cups) add:

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 large box instant pudding (or 2 small boxes)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
2 cups flour

If using Self - Rising Flour omit soda, salt and baking powder.

Grease two large loaf pans or one 9x13 inch pan. I use the disposable loaf pans, you get 3 loaf pans for $1.29. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half the mixture. Pour batter into the pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top. Bake for about 1 hour cool until bread loosens from the pan.

Wrap your breads in a decorative wrap with ribbon, add the recipe above and
you have the perfect pick me up gift for a friend, neighbor or coworker.
Enjoy!

What are heros??

Hero's= Parents

Thru thick and thin, better or worse my parents have stuck it out for the long haul of over 45 years. I love them for the fact that they are my parents, nothing sugar coated, just ordinary people with extra ordinary love for each other and us.

Glue= Jesus Christ

Without the glue..............nothing can stick together!!

My father is dying with liver cancer that has metastasized to other places in his body now, but knowing that he will sit at the feet of Jesus is the glue that is holding me together now. My grandmother will meet him at the gate and hug his neck so tight, she would be so proud of him now. Once an alcoholic, cancer brought him to the cross after many years of prayer and planting of seeds that grew into years of service to the kindom of God.

~~~Leslie~~~

Child of God

Daughter of grace