Multitude Monday #6

Multitude Monday is about intentionally fixing my eyes on God's blessings, big and small, whatever the season, whether life is good or the road has been rocky.

Picking up from two weeks ago...

73. Celebrating Pete's 39th birthday! My parents brought over cheesesteak subs and we all enjoyed an evening at the Lancaster Barnstormers game. It was a perfect night weather-wise...the calm before Irene.

74. A chance to meet Natalia's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. L. and an early peak at the classroom last Thursday. Today is her first day and she is so very excited!

75. My mom's help in canning peaches last week. I got almost 3 dozen quart jars in the end, but was fighting a sore throat, heavy head and all over aches that left me feeling pretty wiped out. Having mom there helped me power through it, but I fell into bed at 8:30.

76. Herbal supplements and ibuprofen combined with good rest have warded off whatever it was that wanted to kick me around.

77. Jen & Scott and their kiddos ensuring that our kids had a GREAT time while Mommy & Daddy were at the ballgame. Adam didn't want to come home!

78. An evening with Josh & Lydia Moser and their boys. We've really enjoyed getting to know this young family from church.

79. Protection from Hurricane Irene. We didn't lose power or have any close calls with tree limbs or flooding.

80. That Natalia got the teacher and Kindergarten time slot we requested.

81. That Adam plays well by himself. I think he will really enjoy his time alone with Mommy while Natalia is at school but be excited to welcome her home too.

82. A new (used) car! Pete traded in his Saturn for a 2001 burgundy Subaru wagon, pretty much a copy of our green 99 except it's stick.

83. Beef in my freezer!!!! It's been a long 2 months without it. We wasted no time in pulling out a steak for Pete's birthday last Saturday!

84. Cooler summer days. A refreshing end to summer in my opinion.

85. A weekly prayer group for the moms at Natalia's school. I'm really looking forward to meeting these ladies!

86. Homemade buttermilk waffles.

87. A new school year at Manheim Central High School for my hubby. Today is his first day with students.

88. For the many sources of encouragment and Christian co-workers Pete has at work.

89. A morning spent with my childhood friend Melanie and her children. Starting in first grade we rode the bus together, pitched tents for backyard sleepovers, played "the 5 W's" game, and confided secret crushes. In high school we were in many of the same classes and read each another's minds across the orchestra stage. It was so much fun reconnecting with her again!

90. Caprese Salad. I love tomatoes in cooked dishes, but don't care for them raw (such as in a sandwich or salad). This is an exception though! Love the blend of herbs and spices, vinaigrette and fresh mozarrella on top!

It Was Either Take Pictures...Or Cry.

I had just cleaned up a puddle.

A big-girl-I-waited-too-long-because-I-didn't-want-to-miss-any-of-the-video-puddle.

Right in the middle of making something on the stove that I really couldn't step away from.

*** Some of you can see it comin' already, can't you? ***

The culprit was to be napping.

I heard a faint bang of a closet door.

Turn off the burner, set pan aside.

Tend to daughter.

Race up the steps to find dry clothes for her.

*** Earlier that week I had just been singing the praises of the bi-fold door "locks" I had recently bought and how they were saving me SOOOOOO much time and aggravation because the kids couldn't get into their closets everyday. ***

See? Nifty, right?

I open the door and find...(shudder)...T.H.I.S.

I think I whimpered. Like I remember whimpering in the last hour of labor with my children.

My first thought was to melt into a puddle myself. Of tears, that is.

My second thought was "at least it's not poo."

The third, "poo would stink to clean up literally, but how am I to clean up TRIPLE PASTE diaper cream?!?!?! It's like the superhero of diaper rash creams."

So I removed said culprit from the room, stood him in the tub...and shut the bedroom door.

Denial.

It's the only way a mommy stays sane sometimes.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Three hours later I worked up the courage to open the door again.

And it took three back-to-back washings, powerful laundry chemicals, the grace of God and some really strong coffee to make things right again with the world.

I Get Alittle Giddy...

...every time I think of THIS.

Last Friday my family was blessed by my mother-in-law's generosity. She works for a division of Hershey and can get free tickets to Hershey Park. If not for this fact we would not go. It's just too expensive.

We took the tour through Chocolate World first and the adults ate the packed "supper" we each had brought along. The kids wiggled and squirmed and were too wide-eye-excited to think of eating food. The absurdity when such fun was to be had!

We spent awhile in the kiddie sections. Then a group broke off to go to the water park area and my brother Joe and I set off to brave the likes of FAHRENHEIT. Our loved ones said their goodbyes and assured us the life insurance policies were paid up. (!!!)

We chatted leisurely as we waited in the hour-long queue. It wasn't until we were debating where to stash Joe's glasses that any signs of doubt or trepidation were expressed. He accused me of talking him into this. (Let the record state that neither of us had needed ANY encouragement.)

It wasn't until we were in this position that my heart started pounding.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

What a thrill! What a rush! I could not stop LAUGHING the entire ride!

And since I had not been to the Park since 1995, I had to chase it with THE STORMRUNNER.

I <3 rollercoasters. The higher and faster the better!

Wordless Wednesday

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Er, that title should read CATCHING up with the Joneses. :-)

As I mentioned in my Multitude Monday post yesterday, we were delighted to spend Sunday afternoon and evening with old friends.

It's usually about once or twice a year that we get together. They were part of our small group from church when we lived in Maryland and we were just becoming closer when our family moved 4 years ago.

We hung out at the house for awhile after they arrived, had dinner, then drove to Long's Park for the free Sunday night concert. The kids kept us busy but we did squeeze in some good conversation. Both Pete and I share many interests with Josh and Danielle--the kind of friends you easily pick up where you last left off, however long it's been. And that is a precious thing!

Meeting Sophia for the first time. What a sweetie pie!
Sadly, this is my only picture of the Duncan and Owen. (D is in red, O in yellow)
Our families and commitments have grown, but we appreciate the Jones' intentionality in maintaining this relationship. Love you guys!

Multitude Monday #5

Multitude Monday is about intentionally fixing my eyes on God's blessings, big and small, whatever the season, whether life is good or the road has been rocky.

Picking up where I left off last week...

60. Reconnecting with old friends face-to-face yesterday. We only see them once or twice a year, but we treasure their ongoing friendship. Thanks for making the trip up Jones family! (Posting some pictures tomorrow.)

61. Continued summer work for Pete.

62. That Adam has officially kicked his Nuks to the curb. (It's been over a month, and occasionally he'll ask for one, but after attempts to ween him off of it at bedtime we accidentally lost all of them and decided they were lost for good...and it worked!)

63. Natalia's cardiologist appointment last Friday yielded no new treatment...and that we got through the visit. She hasn't been on any medication since this spring when we had that 2 month trial (and it was definately a trial for all of us). Despite her being very uncooperative for the first 45 minutes of the visit, she turned on the charm for Ms. Jo who does the echocardiogram. (I think it was the new location, doctor and nurses coupled with Natalia's medical history and tendency towards drama--she WOULD NOT let them touch her despite my preparation and best efforts.) Ms. Jo is a familiar face and not only is she great at her job, you get to watch a video while eating a lollipop during her 1/2 hour procedure. *sigh* Thank you Lord we don't have to do this often and Natalia is healthy more often than not. So many struggle with much worse.

64. Natalia's new cardiologist seems to understand and be receptive to our past concerns.

65. That our Batch #3 chickies are healthy and thriving. They are 6 days old today.

66. Celebrating my Grandpa Stauffer's 86th birthday this past weekend. His birthday was actually in July, but 27 of us were able to get together on Saturday evening at Grandpa and Grandma's home. That he is still with us, doing so well with his physical therapy, and leaps and bounds from how he was faring a few months ago is truly a blessing and answer to prayer.

67. That I made out like a bandit shopping for Natalia's back-to-school clothes at 3 local consignment shops and ROSS! 4 pair pants, 4 shorts, 6 tees, 3 long-sleeve tees, a fleece hoodie, a skirt for church, and 2 pair of shoes for $68. (I had $22 credit at one consignment shop.) This daughter of mine outgrew her entire wardrobe all of a sudden! All but her raggedy "farm" clothes... which I decided wouldn't quite make the cut for Kindergarten. This was such an answer to prayer.

68. An insightful, heartfelt, and well-written book entitled "Washed and Waiting" by Wesley Hill. I originally was introduced to it on Tim Challies's blog. Homosexuality is an issue that some people I know and love have struggled with, and I wanted to wrestle with the issue to better understand what Scripture teaches and how to lovingly relate to them. Challies writes, "[Hill raises] questions the church needs to be willing and equipped to answer. We have to be able to do better than “Homosexuality is wrong.” And that’s what this book is all about." Please read his review--it is very good and biblically sound. You can find it here.

69. RAIN! It's amazing what a little rain every now and then can do!

70. Homegrown tomatoes, potatoes and peppers.

71. Warren Boettcher coming to preach at our church yesterday morning. Pete and I always enjoy hearing him speak. Warren is senior pastor at the Sovereign Grace church in Marlton, New Jersey and provides direction for our pastors at Crossway as well as a few other S.G. churches in the region.

72. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace" ~Ephesians 1:7 I have never fully confessed my sin, been fully sorry for my sin, though I've sought to live as Christ would want me to. I am so thankful that my redemption is not according to the richness of my sorrow over or confession of sin. It is according to the richness of his grace. My salvation is dependant on Christ alone.

Tomato Pie

I found a recipe recently while blog-hopping, and I've made it 3 times in 3 weeks. After a few revisions (for reasons stated below) I thought I'd share it.

If you want to see the original recipe, click on this link. It promises to be "smack your granny" good.

If you want to try my "I was raised a pacifist" version, keep reading. :-P

What makes it different?

Well, I omitted the mayo (or cream cheese substitute) and decreased the tomatoes and shredded cheese, because I didn't want an overflowing mess in my oven and thought a cup of cheese was plenty. I cooked the onions before assembling the pie, because raw or slightly cooked onions give us old farts heartburn. :-) AND, I layered the bacon and onions on the bottom, then the tomatoes, then the cheese and crust. Maybe I'm dillusional but I think putting the tomatoes in first makes the bottom crust a bit soggy. (I also tried it once without the second crust on top, but it dried everything out. And that's practically a sin.)

Tomato Pie

Makes 1 pie plate, or 6-8 servings.

2 prepared pie crusts (I just buy the ones you unroll)

2 large or 4 plum very ripe tomatoes (homegrown, if possible--the taste is unmatched)

1/2 large onion

1 c. shredded cheese (Use 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 Mont. Jack or mozzarella)

6 slices bacon

basil, salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Set out your pie crust to bring to room temp. and preheat the oven to 400.

2. Core each tomato, cut in half through the equator, and use your fingers to scoop out the seeds and juice. Then slice and place in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and drain a bit more.

3. While frying the bacon, thinly slice the onion. After removing bacon to drain on paper towel, reserve a tiny bit of hot fat to brown the onions for about 5-6 mins. over medium heat.

4. While onions are cooking, chop up bacon, shred cheese and prepare bottom crust in a lightly greased pie plate. (Pull crust just a little beyond the edge of the plate so it doesn't fall in when you fill it. You want enough bottom crust to crimp to the top.)

5. Layer bacon, onions and then tomatoes in pie crust. Sprinkle with black pepper and basil and then top with cheese. Lay second crust on top, crimp edges of top and bottom crusts together, and cut a few slits to vent steam.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for 30-35 mins. more. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love pairing this dish with Spinach, Mushroom & Cheese Quiche, Sausage & Cheese Quiche, or both!

A great casual meal to make for dinner guests because the work is finished nearly an hour beforehand. Just slice and serve!

Enjoy!