Peace in the Pandemonium

Phew.........

2012-01-25T22:56:00.002-05:00

Is it really only Wednesday? I feel like we've crammed about nine days into this week already! It's been busy but good.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a great Ravens party with great friends. The loss was very disappointing but the fellowship (and the food!) was great!

Before the party on Sunday, we spent time "redding up" (any Lancaster County readers recognize that term?) our final spare bedroom for our newest addition-another Chinese exchange student named Daniel. Due to reasons beyond his control, Daniel had to leave the host home he was in previously. The host family coordinator asked us to consider having him in our home for the remainder of the school year and, after much prayer and consideration, we decided to go for it. Daniel needed a home and we had a spare bedroom (all six of our bedrooms are now full!) so we said "yes"! He has been here since Monday, and we have enjoyed getting to know him. His English is still coming along so we've had a few laughs trying to communicate, but Hero has been very good about translating for us when necessary.

Monday was a day off school for the older kids, and Daniel arrived late Monday afternoon. After a school basketball game for Sawyer, which they won 58 to 8 (ouch!), it was a busy evening of getting Daniel settled, a frantic trip to Wal-mart for some forgotten items that he needed, and falling into bed. Well, after I watched the latest episode of Downton Abbey, that is.

Tuesday was much of the same just busier! Tuesdays and Thursdays are always crazy because Sawyer has travel team basketball practice at 6 p.m. at a school 20-30 minutes away, depending on traffic. So I need to have dinner set for the rest of the family, get Sawyer fed and picked up from school basketball practice, and gather any things I need to "kill" a few hours while he's at practice. Life is never boring at our house! (Yeah! Just got a text that tomorrow's practice is cancelled! I'll get a rare night at home!)

Today was a bit more "calm". I had a busy but productive day at work. Dinner was fairly easy (pizza loaf) because Jeff leaves shortly after he gets home to take the older kids to church for their weekly youth gathering. Now I'm working on my meal plan and grocery list for the next two weeks, and Sawyer is working hard on a science project that's due Monday. Thankfully, he is organized and driven because I am less-than-zero help in the science project department!

Tomorrow will be busy again but, it's supposed to rain, and that always makes me smile! Dinner will be stew in the crock pot (a new recipe from my sister) and homemade bread. I was going to run some errands during Sawyer's practice but now I'll stay home and accomplish something like laundry or paying bills.

In closing, a few fun things I've learned/discovered during the past "busy" days

Baked potatoes are yummy when cooked slowly in the crock pot.
Rice cookers are A. MAZ. ING. I wanted to have rice readily available for Hero and Daniel so I got one. I am in love after just two cups of rice! Why have I waited 23 years to get one?
Brooke is sick in Indy with sinus and ear infections. Even when they're almost 20, it's hard to have them sick and far away.
Earlier this year, we decided our boys were old enough for Sports Illustrated. Tonight, I found out I could call the magazine and opt out of the swimsuit edition FOREVER. How cool is that? Thank you, Time Inc. I'm not normally a fan, but this is fabulous!
I've had my iPhone for almost a year, and I'm still figuring it out. This article has some very helpful tips!
Speaking of iPhones, this is THE. BEST. GAME, hands down. Forget Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja; exercise your brain and play Word Warp (Word Warp Xtreme is even more challenging and fun!)
Crescent rolls, cream cheese, and blueberries. Hard to go wrong with this recipe!

Hope your Thursday is calm and peaceful and filled with good food!

For Your Viewing Pleasure.....

2012-01-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

You know how you can "see" two people are genuinely in love? Well, if you haven't seen it before, you will definitely see it in the following engagement pictures of Brooke and Adam, taken by the lovely and talented Lindsey Plevyak (who totally needs her own website!) And, of course, I'm biased, but they are one good looking couple! We're going to have some adorable grandchildren someday, aren't we Amy?

Brooke VeStrand & Adam Terpstra

August 4, 2012

A Modern Fairy Tale: The End

2012-01-17T22:19:00.001-05:00

Jill finally convinced me that I needed to finish this once and for all. I apologize for my "slowness". I know you've all been sitting on the edge of your seats! Ahem........

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 5
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 6

::::::::::::::::::::::

So, after nearly 23 years, Jeff and Jen and Amy and Steve met again...in the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Springfield, Ohio. And they had lots of time to chat, since Brooke and Adam were in their own little world! And they spent the next few days doing the "college thing", which included shopping and packing and learning the campus and seeing old friends and Jen and Amy cried....A LOT.

Then, just three days later, they returned to their respective homes without their eldest children and home seemed awfully empty. But in Ohio, Adam and Brooke hardly thought of home; they were falling deeper in love. They only became closer and their love grew, and their parents' suspicions that this might be "it" turned into the knowledge that their children would be spending their lives together.

The first year of college went quickly. Before they knew it, they were heading back to Ohio to collect their college sophomores and start a new adventure. Adam spent the summer in Maryland working and making lots of new friends. Brooke found a job that she loved and decided that Cedarville might not be the place for her. They made some heart-rending decisions, and their parents helped them navigate the oft-treacherous waters of beginning adulthood and young love.

In the end, Adam headed back to Cedarville, and Brooke headed to Indianapolis to live with Adam's family and be closer to him while she pursued a different type of schooling more suited to her desires and personality. The changes came fast and furiously with many conversations and much research and concentrated prayer.

And, finally, their parents knew the inevitable could be avoided no longer: Brooke and Adam wanted to get married. They didn't want to wait. They were in love, and they wanted to start their lives together.
And while Jeff and Jen and Steve and Amy were overjoyed and grateful, they also realized that the beginning for Brooke and Adam was, in a sense, an end for them. Where had the years gone?

So the parents and their children shared some serious and heartfelt conversations. The parents laid down a few "ground rules"; a few things that needed to happen before anything "official" took place. For posterity's sake it should be noted that those things were that Brooke and Adam had to save (a new) $1000 together that was only for emergencies and not to be touched; they had to take Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace" class, and they had to work out various budgets based on various potential incomes once they were married. The parents were interested to see how serious Brooke and Adam really were; but they needn't have worried. Within two months, all three goals had been accomplished and even surpassed.

Then, one cold October afternoon, Jeff drove westward and Adam drove eastward, and they met at a hotel in western Pennsylvania for a very serious conversation. Adam wore his "Sunday best" and looked very handsome for such a big event. Jeff was more casual and tried to put Adam at ease. They spent hours talking and planning and praying together and when they left, Jeff knew Brooke would be "Mrs. Adam Terpstra", and Adam knew he would soon be buying a ring.

Just two weeks later, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Brown County, Indiana, Adam knelt down and asked Brooke to be his bride. She cried and laughed and, of course, she said "Yes!". Then they took a ride in a carriage embellished with a banner that declared "Just Engaged". They enjoyed the cheering and congratulations from onlookers and reveled in their newfound happiness. That evening they celebrated at the Melting Pot and called friends and family all over the country to share their news.

And the planning began in earnest. Over Thanksgiving, in a sweet bridal shop in Indianapolis, Brooke found the exact wedding dress she had been hoping for. The shop was just across the parking lot from a mall where Jen and her friend, Kim, had spent hours pushing their young daughters in strollers and dreaming about their futures while Adam played and grew just miles away. God's plan, much prayed-for and greatly anticipated by two sets of loving parents, was more perfect than they could have ever imagined. And they continued to marvel at how perfectly He had orchestrated the future of Adam and Brooke Terpstra.

And, all the while, Jeff and Jen and Amy and Steve continued to pray for God's blessings on their children-that He would grant them true happiness and that, like all good fairy tale participants, they would live "Happily Ever After".

THE END

You take the good, you take the bad.....

2012-01-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

Sigh. It's been a pretty crappy few days, pardon my language. (Sorry, mom!) Although, there have been a few bright spots, and those are what my always-pessimistic personality needs to write down and remember.

Let's start with the half-empty part of the glass, naturally.

1. One of our children was really hurt (justifiably so, in my opinion) by the behavior of some "friends". It took everything in my power not to "fix" things the way I thought these so-called friends deserved.

2. Someone I barely know asked me if I had left a group of which we are both members. I laughed it off, explaining briefly that her information was inaccurate. But later I realized that not one person in this group, many of whom I regarded as "close friends", had bothered to check on me or see what was up. I cried. A lot.

3. The above two incidents reminded me that, sadly, Christians seemed to have cornered the market on a complete lack of emotional intelligence. Even sadder is that often this [sinful] behavior is hidden behind numerous and varied "spiritual" excuses that I'm sure disappoint God much more than they disappoint me. How is it possible that, so often, unbelievers treat others with more love and respect than believers? Have you heard the saying "The only army that shoots its wounded is the Christian army."? Cheesy? Maybe. But also absolutely true.

4. We had to make a difficult decision regarding yet another child's participation in something that we could not condone because of a complete lack of regard for biblical principles. It was hard. For the child and for us. Frankly, it stank.

5. I have HATED the weather recently. I want January to be, well, January. Freezing cold temperatures. The constant threat of snow. Gray, blustery days. Everyone whining about how cold they are. People aren't supposed to be doing yard work or driving convertibles in January.

Now on to that ever-elusive (at least for me) half-full part of the glass.

1. This child responded to the hurt in a very Christlike and mature way. All was forgiven quickly, and no one seemed worse for the wear. A lesson learned for mom.

2. I will not just think about contacting someone I haven't seen in a while; I will actually make a phone call or send a note. Just to let that person know that he/she hasn't been forgotten. Just to be a true friend.

3. The glass is pretty much totally empty on this one. We live in a fallen world. The only thing I can do is to make sure that I always respond with emotional intelligence and ask for discernment and compassion when dealing with other broken believers.

4. The right decisions are always the hard ones. Again, I am pleased to say that this child responded in a very mature and Christlike manner and even admitted that he/she knew we had made the right decision, even though it was hard.

5. I'm pretty sure I have Reverse SAD. It feels so good to have a name for my "condition". HAHA!! I'm not as abnormal as everyone constantly tells me I am. I don't have to like summer or heat or swimming or, gasp, the beach! This hilarious article made me laugh--in spite of recent events. And maybe, just maybe, it will be cold and snowy in April. Hey, dreams are free, right?

Well, I'm off to check the weather and watch this. I'm pretty sure I don't have anything that a good English accent can't cure!

P.S. Fifty bonus points if you can name the 80's sitcom theme song that included the line I used in the title of this post.

Loving Lately.....

2012-01-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

I am working on the final Modern Fairy Tale post, although I think it may be fairly anti-climactic at this point! Thanks again for all your kind comments. I'm glad you've enjoyed it!

Until then, thought I'd share a few things I am "loving lately". Maybe you will enjoy them too!

A dear friend gifted me this for Christmas and it is A. MAZ. ING. Normally, I am a plain Chapstick kinda girl, but I really love this stuff. It tastes yummy [She gave me the vanilla cupcake flavor so it's hard to go wrong!] and, best of all, it lasts a long time on your lips! My only [very minor] complaint is the size-it's kinda wide compared to normal lip balms/chapsticks, but that's a small price I am willing to pay!

I have been reading about this show all over the internet-or at least all over the parts of the internet that *I* peruse. So I decided to check it out. Not to repeat myself, but it is A. MAZ. ING. [Probably even more amazing than the lip balm, if I'm being totally honest!] I'm not sure if it's the amazing wardrobes, the amazing house and scenery, or the amazing English accents [complete with perfect grammar and elocution and no cursing, be still my heart], but it is wonderful........and, dare I say, amazing! I mean, it's certainly not Grey's Anatomy (gag!!) or some geographic rendition of CSI (shudder!!), but it's certainly a better use of your television time! Hurry and watch the first season online here. The second season starts this week!

My latest read has been a totally new experience for me. Formerly, I would have been quite proud to say that I have never read anything by Stephen King. In fact, I never even considered it. I don't enjoy fantasy or science fiction or whatever particular genre his writing might happen to fall into, but I am humbly admitting that I am LOVING this book. I'm pretty sure it's because I really enjoy historical fiction, and I've always been fascinated by the Kennedy assassination, so I don't imagine I'll be picking up The Shining or The Tommyknockers any time soon. (Although, I must admit that I loved the movie versions of Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and The Green Mile.) Big Bonus: it's a really long book--as in 850 pages long--and that's always a good thing when it's also a great read!

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love to organize and simplify. I don't "do" clutter. I also have a "thing" for office supplies. In this case, "thing" may be a nice word for "obsession", but I'm totally okay with that. Now it seems that Martha Stewart and Staples have teamed up and debuted a new line called Martha Stewart Home Office. Be. still. my. heart. Jeff and I have a date night planned tomorrow night [thanks to some holiday gift cards]. I'm pretty sure our date will involve a trip to the Martha Stewart aisle at Staples. Contented sigh......

Next, a new [to me] blog that I have been "loving lately". First, I am totally jealous of where she lives. Second, her Christmas ornaments [and other crafties] are to die for. And, last but not least, she takes beautiful pictures and surrounds them with beautifully written words. Stop by. You'll be glad you did.

For your viewing pleasure, go here.......'nuff said.

And, finally..........Pinterest. What else is there to say? Follow me [jennifer vestrand]. I will follow you. And we can "repin" happily ever after. I will leave you with a few recent "pins"-to whet your appetite.

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 7

2012-01-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 5
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 6

Brooke ran toward Adam, screaming, and he scooped her up in a huge hug! The wait was over; they had finally met!! After a few whispers, they headed toward the luggage carousel to retrieve Adam's bag.

Jen sat quietly and watched from afar. She smiled to herself as she watched Adam "gaze" at Brooke. He literally could not take his eyes off her. They chatted quietly, talking about who knows what, while they waited for Adam's suitcase. Then it was off to Brooke's house. The "real adventure" was about to begin.

The next few days flew by way too quickly. They were filled with trips to Gettysburg, the Baltimore Aquarium, and Brooke's "special date" to The Melting Pot. Adam had done his homework. He worked at The Melting Pot in Indianapolis and had taken special care to call the restaurant in Maryland and ask about all the ingredients they used to make sure Brooke would not have an allergic reaction. They enjoyed an amazing night out on the town! And the talk of marriage began almost immediately. In fact, one night when Jeff and Jen and Brooke and Adam were out to dinner, Adam was bold enough to tell Jen "Mrs. VeStrand, I hope I'm not being too forward but if things keep going like they are, I don't want to wait four years to marry your daughter!" This was a man who knew what he wanted! He had even survived the annual amusement park outing with Jen's family (all of 23 of them!!), and he still wanted to be part of the craziness! :-)

At Baltimore Aquarium, July 2010

But, as we know, all good things must come to an end, and Adam's day of departure came all too quickly. Oh, the tears! They wouldn't see each other for six weeks; how would they survive? After they got Adam safely on the plane headed back to Indy, the VeStrands headed to Pennsylvania to visit Jen's sister. It was supposed to be a happy time, but Brooke was far from happy. She moped. She pouted. She tearily texted Adam. She called him and sobbed. Amy was seeing the same behavior in Indianapolis. Adam wandered around aimlessly, like he had no purpose. He answered teary texts and sobbing phone calls. And, within 24 hours, like all good young lovers who are forced to be apart, they had hatched a plan to be together.

They couldn't wait six more weeks to see each other at college so they were going to pool their limited resources and buy Brooke a ticket to fly to Indy in early August. They had it all worked out, right down to Adam calling Jeff and asking his permission for Brooke to visit (Smart boy, that Adam!).

But, when Jen and Jeff got wind of their scheme, they decided to have a little fun with it. You see, Jeff and Jen had already decided they were going to surprise Brooke with an airline ticket to Indianapolis for her birthday. So when, the kids made their own plans and spoiled Jeff and Jen's surprise, they decided to have a little fun with it. Jen worked behind the scenes with Amy and Steve, and they decided that the four parents would tell Brooke and Adam that they needed to have a "meeting" via Skype. They didn't tell Brooke and Adam what the meeting would be about, just that they wanted the four of them to talk.

Needless to say, Brooke and Adam were less than thrilled. They had visions of all kinds of terrible news being delivered. Adam was sure they were going to tell him that they couldn't talk until they got to school. Brooke, knowing her dad, wasn't quite sure what to think, but she knew enough to be nervous-very nervous!

Finally, the night came. And the "joke" could not have gone better! As they sat down to Skype together, Jeff began with prayer. The prayer, of course, was heartfelt and serious, but the looks on Adam and Brooke's faces were priceless. They could not imagine what was going on! After praying, Jeff told the kids that, as parents, they weren't sure about how quickly things seemed to be moving between Brooke and Adam so he had written up a "dating contract" that he and Jen and Steve and Amy had agreed on. Steve and Amy had a copy for Adam and he had one for Brooke in Maryland. He asked them to read it over, then told them they would discuss it, answer any questions, and ask them to sign it.

What Brooke and Adam didn't know was that the "dating contract" was really a copy of Brooke's flight itinerary to Indianapolis in early August!!! As they opened the papers and began reading, the screams of joy and heavy sighs of relief came quickly! And Jen has always regretted not getting a screen shot of those priceless moments!

And so another countdown began. Brooke headed to Indy just three weeks later and spent time with Adam and his family swimming and eating out and meeting Adam's high school and church friends, even taking a ride around the neighborhood on his motorcycle! Life was good! And just ten days after Brooke returned home, they headed to college, where things only moved faster and got even more interesting!

Merry Christmas to all.....

2011-12-24T23:28:00.002-05:00

I had big plans to finish the Fairy Tale but that didn't happen.
Instead I've been baking, cooking, laundering, wrapping, chatting, laughing, etc.
The final installment(s) was going to be my Christmas gift to you.
I'm thinking now it might have to be your New Year's gift instead.
I hope.

Merry Christmas to ALL!

May your day be merry and bright!

A Modern Fairy Tale, Intermission

2011-12-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for all your kind comments about Brooke and Adam's story. I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Having said that, I'm sorry, but this gal is too tired tonight to write the next installment. But I found something else I think you'll enjoy, although maybe not as much as the fairy tale ending I have in store for you! :-)

If you haven't heard about the "caption fail" videos on youtube, this will be a fun introduction. These two guys, Rhett and Link, take familiar songs and run them through the youtube closed caption tool, which generates automatic transcriptions for what it thinks is being sung in a video. Their latest video features Christmas songs, and it's hilarious.

Hoping to post another Fairy Tale installment tomorrow but, if it happens, it might just be a Christmas miracle!

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 6

2011-12-20T18:23:00.001-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 5

Oh, the dilemma! Should Jeff and Jen let this boy they had never met fly to Maryland to meet their daughter? Should Steve and Amy put their only son a plane headed toward a place he had never been and people he didn't even know? But it soon became clear that all of those questions didn't really matter. Adam and Brooke would not give up. And so their parents relented. Adam was coming to Maryland in July.

Later that evening, for the first time in more than twenty-three years, Amy and Jen had a long chat on the phone!! They decided on dates for Adam's trip and talked at length about how this whole relationship had happened and how unbelievable it had been! As they were talking in yet another ironic twist, Amy asked Jen what church they attended. When Jen told her, Amy realized that it was THE VERY SAME CHURCH that Amy's best friend's daughter attended! In fact, her friend's daughter, Emily, had been Adam's babysitter when he was young. She was now married--to the nephew of the people Jen began working for just a few months later!!!-and living in Maryland, and attending the same church as the VeStrands! Emily's husband, Tim, even sang on the worship team with Jeff! Needless to say, Emily was very excited about this whole blossoming relationship! :-)

But before any final travel reservations could be made, Adam had to make it past "Mr. VeStrand". You see, Jeff and Jen had always had a firm rule that any boy who wanted to take Brooke on a date must call and ask her dad's permission first. And, in spite of her protests, Brooke knew this step wasn't optional. (Her dad always told her this step was necessary to weed out the "riff raff". He reasoned that any boy worth his salt would have no objections to calling.) So Adam had to make that call. And he didn't waste any time! The very next night he called Jeff and asked if he could come to Maryland to meet/visit Brooke. In spite of some reservations about how quickly things seemed to be moving along, Jeff had a "certain feeling" about Adam, and after they had chatted for a while, Jeff gave his permission for Adam to visit.

So the countdown began. Every day on Facebook Brooke informed her friends how many days were left until Adam's arrival. They drove their families crazy with the excitement and anticipation of their upcoming meeting. Much thought was put into what they would do, where they would go, what they would wear, and all those other very important things! Both sets of parents noticed a definite upswing in the moods and general demeanor of their children. It was fun to see them so excited and happy!

While Brooke was walking on air, Adam was busy planning a few surprises. One day, Jen got a sweet email from him. His first question was what Jeff and Jen would like him to call them. His second question was what restaurants were nearby because he was planning a special evening out for Brooke. His third question was requesting details about her various and sundry food allergies (of which there were many!) because he didn't want to take her anywhere for dinner that might cause an allergic reaction. His note was very thoughtful; it was obvious Steve and Amy had trained him well!

Then THE day arrived. Brooke was up at the crack of dawn getting ready! They were to pick Adam up at the Baltimore airport at around 11 a.m., and time couldn't go fast enough. As they headed toward BWI in the pouring rain, Brooke was feeling excited and a little nervous. Jen wasn't quite sure what to think. (Although her thoughts may have been a bit clouded by the smell of the Bath and Body Works Sensual Amber shower gel, lotion, and perfume that Brooke had dipped herself in before they left. Ahem....)

Finally, they made it to the airport and found the gate where Adam would arrive. Then all that was left to do was wait. Jen could hardly stand it. She and Amy were texting furiously. Amy had been following Adam's flight on the internet and was keeping Jen updated. Jen was trying to figure out how she could video the meeting without Brooke and Adam knowing (since they had expressly forbidden any video recordings or pictures). Brooke paced then sat. Then she paced again. After a long six weeks, the last few minutes were the very longest.

Then they heard the announcement that Adam's plane had landed. After what seemed like forever, passengers started disembarking and walking down the ramp toward the baggage claim where Jen and Brooke were waiting. Businessmen in suits. Moms pushing strollers. Elderly couples eager to see their grandchildren. But no Adam. So they waited. And waited. Then, around the corner, came a tall, blond, very handsome young many carrying a red rose and wearing a blue shirt. Jen saw him first. "Brooke, there he is." she whispered. "Where?" Brooke asked. At first, she didn't see him. Then, all of sudden, their eyes met. Brooke threw her purse on the floor and took off running toward him, screaming as she ran.

Nearly twenty-three years after their parents had been college friends, nearly one year after he had first laid eyes on a video of her singing, nearly five months after he had friend-requested her on Facebook, and just four weeks after their first phone call, Brooke and Adam were finally going to meet face-to-face!

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 5

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4

[Correction from A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4: Apparently, Adam wasn't as "gentlemanly" as Jen thought. Instead, he was motivated. Adam contacted Brooke first on Facebook, not the other way around. ]

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As inevitably happened in those days, cell phone numbers were shared via Facebook, and the texting began. Jen and Jeff and Steve and Amy were even more grateful for the unlimited texting plans they had wisely chosen for their eldest children. Adam and Brooke texted during school, church, parties, and work. Brooke even texted Adam throughout her entire high school graduation party.

Then, one afternoon as Jen was working on the computer, Brooke walked in from work and said "Mom, guess who I have a phone date with tonight?" Looking back, it's a bit unbelievable that Jen did not immediately guess Adam, but she mentioned several people before Brooke said "Mom! It's Adam Terpstra!"

And so it happened. Nearly twenty-two years after their parents had been friends in college and less than four weeks after their initial Facebook contact, Brooke and Adam were finally going to talk! That first chat lasted about three hours; in fact, around 1 a.m., Jen had to give Brooke the evil eye and tell her they had chatted long enough!

And that was just the beginning. Suddenly, Brooke was rushing home from work every evening, heading straight to her room to make sure she didn't miss Adam's calls. They talked for hours about everything; Jen and Jeff had a hard time figuring out exactly how they kept finding things to talk about! In Indiana, Adam was spending much more time at home on the phone rather than out with his friends.

And then the rumblings began-in both Indiana and Maryland. At first they were barely heard and few and far between. But gradually, they grew louder and more frequent, from both Adam and Brooke. "Mom, we are NOT waiting until August to meet each other. That will be so awkward to get to college and meet him for the first time." Amy was hearing the same thing on her end "Mom, I need to meet her. I practically know her anyway. I have to see her before August."

Both Jeff and Jen and Amy and Steve said "No way! You can wait." After all, there were thousands of reasons why they would never allow this.

Do these kids think we're crazy?
We haven't seen them in more than twenty years!
Who knows what their home is like?
Brooke could be a total psycho!
Adam could be an axe murderer!

Then, one day, quite randomly, Amy mentioned that Adam's aunt and uncle were coming for a visit, and maybe Adam could catch a ride east with them when they returned home. However, Amy didn't realize that Adam's aunt and uncle lived quite far from Maryland, and that plan would never work. But that didn't matter. The seed had been planted. There was no turning back now.

Brooke and Adam planned, connived, schemed, manipulated and finally resorted to out-and-out begging. And, Jeff and Jen and Amy and Steve, worn down by the incessant nagging, started to reconsider.

On Father's Day, June 20, 2010, Jeff and Jen and the kids went to Bob Evans for lunch after church. They were having a lovely family dinner while Brooke was, of course, texting Adam. Suddenly, Brooke said "Can Adam fly out here in July?" The table went silent. Jeff looked at Jen. Jen looked at Jeff. Their looks said the exact same thing "Now what do we do?"

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 4

2011-12-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3

It was the winter of 2010. That year, eastern Maryland had two wonderful, terrific, amazing blizzards within ten days of each other and, since Jen and Amy shared a love of snow, they had been chatting back and forth on Facebook as Jen posted pictures of the glorious weather. As they chatted, they also talked about how Brooke and Adam had both been accepted to Cedarville (now) University and that they should connect via the Facebook group for the CU Class of 2014. This way, they would know somebody when they landed on campus that fall.

You see, Amy had been working a brilliant plan for a while. Initially, Adam was not the least bit interested in attending Cedarville. He had his sights set on Indiana University and wasn't easily swayed. However, Amy and Steve insisted that he at least visit campus before he made his final decision. By the time he graduated from high school, he was Cedarville-bound!

Interestingly enough, Brooke felt much the same way before she visited Cedarville. In fact, the day before Jeff and Jen took her to Ohio to visit the school, she told Jen "I don't see why we're even doing this. I am NOT going to Cedarville." Yet, after their visit to campus, she had changed her mind!

And so Amy worked her plan. In fact, Adam seeing Brooke's singing video was all part of Amy's scheme to prove to him that it WAS possible to find a cute, christian girl at Cedarville! A few months after Adam saw the video in November 2009, just after he had broken up with his then girlfriend, Amy wrote in the journal she had been keeping for Adam "Don't worry. God knows the girl who will be your wife. Remember, you already said you were going to marry Brooke VeStrand, the girl from Pennsylvania (Maryland)." And, throughout the remainder of the school year, as Jen and Amy talked on Facebook, Amy would tease Adam that she had chatted with his future mother-in-law that day, and Adam would ask how Jen was doing! Once he even said "I really should meet Brooke sometime!"

Fast forward to early 2010 - Jen mentioned to Brooke several times that she should send Adam a friend request, and Amy suggested the same to Adam. However, in true gentlemanly fashion, Adam thought it would be too forward for him to contact Brooke so he decided to wait and see if she sent him a request. Sure enough, after much prompting, Brooke sent Adam a friend request in late February. Adam immediately accepted but, as both of them were busy finishing up their senior years, etc., that was as far as it went.

Until May. Brooke was having a particularly emotional day, feeling sad about finishing high school, leaving her friends, going far away to school where she didn't know anyone, etc. Jen again suggested that Brooke contact some people she knew who were also heading to Cedarville. She reminded Brooke that several of her elementary school friends from Michigan were going, and, of course, there was also Adam Terpstra. Brooke decided to take her mom's advice and, on May 27, 2010, unbeknownst to her parents, she sent Adam a note via Facebook. She introduced herself, said she was also going to Cedarville, and just wanted to say hi so that they would kinda know each other before they hit campus in late August. Adam responded immediately.

To be continued............

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 3

2011-12-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1
Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2

It was a hot, hot, hot weekday afternoon. Jen was hot and bored. She needed something to do. She had heard a lot of people talking about this social networking site called Facebook. Up until now, she had resisted, knowing she didn't need another thing to compel her toward the computer and questioning the usefulness of such a thing anyway.

But curiosity and boredom won out that hot summer afternoon, and Jen signed up for a Facebook account. She was hooked. That afternoon she sat at the table for several hours, randomly searching for people she knew who might be willing to accept her "friend request". As she was searching, she stumbled upon a girl named "Amy Joslin Terpstra". It was Amy-the same Amy who had helped Jen deal with the roommate from hell many years earlier!! Jen was thrilled and quickly sent off a friend request. Amy responded almost immediately and, in so doing, became one of Jen's very first Facebook friends.

Amy and Jen caught up as much as distant friends can catch up via Facebook. Jen saw that Amy still lived in Indianapolis, that she had two beautiful kids, and that she was a piano teacher. But they rarely, if ever, interacted personally, other than occasional comments on each other's postings.

Then, in August, 2009, a particular posting of Jen's caught Amy's eye. Jen's daughter, Brooke, had sung The Climb in church that weekend, and Jen posted a video of her performance on Facebook. Curious, Amy clicked on the video, and as she sat and listened, her son, Adam, happened to walk through the room. He was immediately intrigued, both by Brooke's voice and her looks, and asked Amy who was singing? Amy answered nonchalantly that it was the daughter of a friend from college and that she was considering going to Cedarville, a school that Adam was also considering, although not very willingly. Adam responded quickly "Hmmm....I'm gonna marry that girl!"

And this is where things get very, very interesting..........

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 2

2011-12-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

Click to read A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1

The years flew by quickly. Jen graduated from college and worked as an editor for three years while Jeff attended seminary. They moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and decided, in the fall of 1991, that it was time to start their family. Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, Steve continued to work as an accountant while Amy enjoyed teaching. They bought their first home and started their family as well. During this time, Jeff and Jen visited Indianapolis frequently to see dear college friends, Rob and Kim Thomson, who lived there. Occasionally, Rob would mention Steve, who he had known at Cedarville and now worked with at the same accounting firm. Jen remembered Amy fondly and wondered how she was doing.

God chose to bless both couples with children and, on November 4, 1991, Steve and Amy welcomed Adam Harris. Of course, he was perfect. And they were overjoyed. On July 28, 1992, Jen and Jeff welcomed Brooke Ashleigh. She was also perfect. And they were overjoyed. And, just three weeks after Brooke was born, God blessed friends Kim and Rob with a beautiful daughter they named Rachel. Kim and Jen began to make many trips between Indy and Grand Rapids as their girls grew. They tooled all over Indianapolis shopping and chatting and spending glorious days together having a grand time and making wonderful memories.

As the years went by, Adam and Brooke grew healthy and happy. In Indianapolis, Adam enjoyed baseball and became an excellent pitcher and third baseman. He also became an accomplished trumpet player and a master of numerous video games. He loved all things Pokemon-especially the movie-and gained a love of motorcycles from his dad. When he wasn't spending time with his friends, he was saving lives as a lifeguard at church camp and also enjoying fun trips with his family.

Brooke grew up in various places-Pennsylvania, Michigan, and, eventually, Maryland. She, too, grew healthy and happy. She was outgoing and fun-loving and never lacked for friends or activities. She also had a most beautiful singing voice and sang her first solo in church when she was just five years old. She loved all things Polly Pocket and read voraciously. She also loved to act and was very involved in her church youth group.

During these years, both Steve and Amy and Jeff and Jen prayed regularly for the people their children would one day marry. They had each been blessed with godly spouses and wanted the same for Adam and Brooke. They were active in their children's lives and careful about friendships and relationships with the opposite sex. Purity was taken seriously and dealt with openly in their homes. They prayed that God would reveal his perfect plan in his perfect timing for their children.

Meanwhile, neither couple thought much, if ever, about their college friends. Over the years, they may have passed one another at Cedarville homecoming or read about a particular milestone in the alumni newsletter but, other than that, they went on with their lives. Until the summer of 2007.

To be continued.......

A Modern Fairy Tale, Part 1

2011-12-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned that we are in the middle of planning Brooke's wedding to Adam Terpstra. It looks like THE day will be August 4, 2012, and while it seems light years away right now, I know time will go very quickly.

Brooke and Adam's love story is part magic, part unbelievable, and mostly God! I wanted to be sure to tell it on the blog for three reasons. One, so that it is saved for "future generations" and maybe someday, my great grandchildren will enjoy the story of how their grandparents found one another and fell in love. Two, as a testimony that God works in amazing ways, despite our human foibles and incredulity. Finally, it is truly a fairy tale or, at the very least, one of the coolest love stories I've ever heard, and I hope you'll enjoy reading about it as much as I will enjoy telling it.

Once upon a time, in a state not-so-very far away called Ohio, four young and impressionable college students landed on the campus of Cedarville College, ready and eager to earn their diplomas and make their ways in the "world". Steve, a tall basketball player from Iowa, was studying accounting. Jeff, a handsome, quiet guy from western New York tried out several study tracks before landing on Psychology/Sociology. Amy, a sweet and studious blonde, came from Wisconsin planning to be an elementary school teacher. Jen, a tall, homesick overachiever, felt very far away from her home in eastern Pennsylvania as she studied Professional Writing.

Back then, Cedarville was a small school of just 1,900 students so Steve and Jeff and Amy and Jen all "knew" each other, although for the first few years, their paths never really crossed. Then, during Amy's junior year and Jen's sophomore year, divine providence placed Amy as the Resident Assistant (RA) for Jen's unit and co-unit in Printy dorm. And also that year by divine providence, although she questioned it regularly, Jen was assigned the roommate from hell. Said evil roommate meant that Jen and Amy spent quite a bit of time together getting to know one another as they dealt with various issues and infractions involving the evil roommate. It was a rough year for Jen; it was an even rougher year for Amy.

By this time, Amy and Steve had met and, after a summer of written correspondence and getting to know one another, were definitely an established "couple". (You see, in those days, the written word was frequently used to express one's feelings of love and affection since computers lived only in computer labs and telephones were still attached to walls.) Earlier that school year, Jen began dating a basketball player who was a friend of Steve's. The four students became friends and even went out on a double date that winter. By divine providence, for which Jen is eternally grateful, her relationship with the basketball player ended at just the perfect time.

Just a year later, Steve had graduated from Cedarville, gotten a job in Indianapolis, and bought a diamond ring. While Amy was busy finishing up her student teaching and planning a wedding, Jeff and Jen were touring Australia on a musical missions team. Once again, divine providence stepped in and made Jeff and Jen microphone partners and, by the end of their six-week trip, Jeff was planning to buy a diamond ring himself.

The following summer, on June 25 and July 23 respectively, Amy and Steve were married in Wisconsin, and Jen and Jeff were married in Pennsylvania. Steve and Amy settled into their apartment in Indianapolis, and Jeff and Jen lived in Cedarville while Jen finished up her final year of college. College had been a success, and the couples went their separate ways. Twenty-two years would pass before their paths would cross again.

To be continued..........

Overheard in carpool...

2011-12-12T21:43:00.000-05:00

The other day on the way to school, Sawyer made the following pronouncement

"My friend, C, smells like a Cabbage Patch doll."

Jeff and I looked at each other and silently wondered - should we be concerned that he knows how a Cabbage Patch doll smells or should we be concerned that he knows his friend smells like one?

Sigh. That boy..........

TOTALLY..........

2011-12-07T18:27:00.001-05:00

doing this next year! If I wasn't done the little bit of "decorating" that I did (if that's what you want to call it!, I would TOTALLY be doing this now. But now I have a year to scope out thrift stores for fun little things to put in the jars next year! Yippee!

You can get all the details here on her sweet blog!

Loving Lately.....

2011-12-06T18:28:00.001-05:00

Just a few things that I am loving lately. Some Christmasy, some not. All fabulous!

Anything pretzel + anything bagel=YUM! These have been hard to find around here, but they are sooo good!

This makes me wish I could sew-or even glue! Adorable!

I have proclaimed my love for these on Facebook. You don't want to know how many I have sitting on my laundry room shelf. (Have to use those coupons before they expire!)

I'm definitely not a fan of "store-bought icing". But this is a yummy exception!

These are the PERFECT addition to a cup of hot chocolate!

And, in keeping with my theme, these are AMAZING!

(I think I may need a peppermint intervention.)

And, last but not least, in my "spare time", I've managed to read this. Very good!

Oh.....and one more! This vintage Christmas pic. Just because I LOVE it too!

Parenthetically Speaking

2011-12-03T19:32:00.001-05:00

This weekend has been our first taste of the additional craziness that will envelope our home from now until March.

Last night was Sawyer's first basketball game. His travel team is playing in two leagues this year so he will have a game every Friday night and every Saturday morning through March. They lost the game, but Sawyer had seven of their fifteen points and eight rebounds! [I should also say that I am very thankful for the security of my salvation. Otherwise, sixth grade basketball refs would be my ticket to hell, I'm sure.]

This morning began with a quick trip to our storage garage to pick up the Christmas decorations, which Jeff is certain somehow multiplied in the summer heat! How in the world did we end up with five, yes FIVE, Christmas trees of varying sizes and styles? Right now, all of that is still sitting in the garage. Just thinking about all the "put up and tear down" it will require makes me tired. [I'm pretty sure when I'm old and (even more) gray that I will have one of those ceramic Christmas trees that sits on top of my television. If it was good enough for my grandparents, then it's good enough for me.]

Sawyer's next game was at 10:30, and this one ended in the win column! It was very exciting as his team outscored the opposing team 32 to 10 in the second half and won by 12 points! Sawyer had eight points and seven rebounds! [And today's refs did a great job, in my humble opinion.]

After a quick lunch, I slipped into taxi driver mode and discovered the hard way that the roads and traffic patterns in Laurel, Maryland, are the most confusing and ridiculous I have ever encountered. I had my phone and GPS going, and we still had trouble! The three teenagers in the car with me were less than thrilled, I assure you. [And I was reminded again that I birthed perfection on several occasions-because my angelic offspring NEVER make mistakes or errors. No sireee!]

Then, because my day wasn't going swimmingly enough, I decided that sanity was unnecessary and being of sound mind was overrated. Sydney and I put on our elbow pads, took deep breaths, and headed into the mall. Craziness. Pure unadulterated madness. It was full of rude, sweaty shoppers dressed in garish holiday sweaters and going deeper into debt with reckless abandon. I did almost all of my shopping online this year. It made me a little sad because I thought I would miss hitting the stores and hearing the music, etc. Nope. Today I realized I'm not missing a thing. [Except wishing "Merry Christmas" to all the politically correct store employees!]

Although, I will admit that you can't beat the "sights and sounds" of the mall this time of year. We were privileged to stand in line behind a lovely young man with a human eye tattooed on the back of his neck. (Gives a whole new meaning "to eyes in the back of your head", doesn't it?) And, as we left the mall, I think a sweet Asian lady might have asked me (in very broken English) if I wanted to give a monkey for Christmas this year? [Did I miss something? Are monkeys the hot gift this year?]

On to lighter fare....

2011-12-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Sawyer hasn't been feeling well lately but that hasn't affected his sense of humor one bit. Yesterday, he and his brother were taking great joy in making up silly "Your momma's so stupid......." jokes. (I know. I know.) Most of them weren't worth repeating, but this one made me laugh out loud.

"Your momma's so stupid, she went to the dentist for a blue tooth!"

I should probably be too embarrassed to share this publicly, but I have to admit, I'm a teensy weensy bit proud of his wit!

Love this boy, sporting his new "nerd" glasses

(exactly the look he was going for!) and some strange hair!

Where I Am and Where I've Been

2011-11-30T19:45:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's been a while, hasn't it? Actually, it has been so long that I completely forgot my blogger sign-in information, and it appears they have changed the blogger publishing format so I will have to spend some time exploring that shortly!

I hardly know where to start. While I have enjoyed not having the (purely self-induced) "pressure" of feeling like I have to write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, and edit blog posts, I have also missed writing and, surprisingly, I've had a few requests to "bring back the blog", so we'll give it a go. I'm not making any promises about frequency or content, but I will admit that I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things a bit! More than a few times I've thought "Now, that's blogworthy!", and I've been a little sad that I didn't have anywhere to share the love!

Life is as chaotic as ever. But, because we just don't have enough excitement around here, we've added a few new things this year as well.

Brooke decided not to return to Cedarville and, instead, is living with Adam's family in Indianapolis. She plans to complete her Associates of Arts degree in Health Services Management next summer. She wasn't really a fan of the dorm life, cafeteria meals, and girl drama that she encountered in college, so this has worked well for her.
And........speaking of Brooke and Adam, they have now been engaged for 25 happy days! I will post that story soon, complete with pictures, but for now, we are busy planning a wedding for late next summer.
We have also enjoyed having Hero, a Korean exchange student, in our home this school year. He attends the same high school as Sydney and Payton, and it has been a great experience to have him living with us. We have learned a lot, and I am quite certain that poor Hero will never be the same after a year spent with the VeStrands!
Sawyer entered middle school, Sydney is a junior, and Payton entered high school. All are thriving and doing well. I am left wondering where the time has gone? Jeff is one-third of the way through his fifth year of teaching fifth grade, and he continues to love his job and be loved by all of his students. A kind parent recently told me that Jeff is the only teacher at our school with a "fan club", and she was right!
I am working (mostly) full time at a job I love that has truly been a blessing to our family. I can see "corporate headquarters" (as Jeff calls it!) from our home, I have lots of flexibility when I need it, and I love the people I work with. It has been a great experience, and I am very thankful!

So that's mostly where I am..........the harder part is where I've been. If I used labels on the blog and were making this a separate post, this one would definitely be filed under "Keepin' It Real", so consider that fair warning!

I can say, without reservation, that these past twelve months have been the hardest of my life--emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally--in almost every way. I'm tired, and I'm ready to say goodbye to 2011. In late March, my younger sister was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, an aggressive cancer, that was, thankfully, caught very early. That, on top of some other totally unrelated but equally difficult struggles, has made for a year that I'm happy will soon be over.

I could tell you that I've grown and learned spiritually and that I am stronger because of the struggles. I could tell you that I've spent hours praying and reading about the trials of King David and the Apostle Paul. I could tell you that I never doubted God's love or His sovereignty. I could give you examples of how we've experienced God's amazing provision over the past year. But none of that would be true.

Honestly, I've been angry and hurt, and I've asked "Why?" more times than I can count. (You know that verse about God keeping our tears in a bottle? Well, I'm quite certain I have quite a collection of bottles!) I've gone into "self-protective" mode, and I've been very happy there. I have decided that some things and some people, both of which at one time were very important to me (and for whom I thought the feeling was mutual), just aren't worth my time and effort any more. Maybe they never were.

I know (in my head) about all the things I "should" be doing. I know (in my head) all about "letting go and letting God". I know (in my head) all about "claiming God's promises". I know (in my head) all about "things working together for good." But, honestly, my head isn't connecting with my heart these days. And that's where I've been. And that's where I still am. ( I warned you this would be "keepin' it real"??) So this "blogging break" has probably been a very good thing.

You might say that I'm jaded and pessimistic and that would probably be true. But I prefer to think of it as resigned and realistic. And, for now, my plan is to enjoy the holidays. Brooke and Adam will be home, and we'll be spending time with my sister, who is now cancer-free, and the rest of my family in Pennsylvania. My plan is to enjoy planning Brooke's wedding. The memories I have of planning my wedding with my mom are some of my sweetest; I want the same for Brooke. My plan is to enjoy watching Sawyer play on two basketball teams! That means three to four games a week! Bring it on! And my (optimistic) plan is to blog! I hope you'll hang in there with me.

Well, THAT didn't last very long.....

2011-04-07T20:21:00.002-04:00

Okay, this certainly isn't "inspired", but it's also too good NOT to share.

One of the things occupying my time lately has been my new iphone. I'm in love. Seriously.

And this is one of THE COOLEST apps I have ever seen. Wow! I may have to go to a Spanish-speaking (not to mention, HOT, definitely NOT one of my favorite things) country just to use this app!

Making it official....

2011-04-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

Obviously, the blog has taken a backseat to my crazy life.
So I'm just popping in to make it officially "official".
I'm out of time.
I'm out of inspiration.
I'm going silent for a while (longer).
If my time and inspiration return, I will be back.
Feel free to remove me from your Google reader (to the one person on whose Google reader feed I remain!)

Check this out!

2011-03-09T19:07:00.002-05:00

My sweet Sawyer has been bitten by the writing bug--and he does a pretty good job for being 11, in my humble opinion, of course!

He has decided to follow in his mom's footsteps and start his own blog! After MUCH consternation and polling of family members, he named his blog "Therefore I conclude.....". He chose this name because the things he posts will, naturally, be his own "conclusions" and also because he is our youngest child, and therefore, the conclusion to our family! I thought it was pretty clever! And, of course, he went with a lime green blog design because that is his (current) favorite color!

He would love for you to check out his new venture into the wonderful world of writing and leave a comment! Enjoy!

Comfort Food #4

2011-02-22T19:28:00.000-05:00

We are still alive and kicking here, and I haven't forgotten about my last few comfort foods! I could actually use a few of those foods right now as we got about 8 inches of snow last night, and Jeff and Payton are living it up in Costa Rica, which means we have no snow shovelers around here!

Really, we are fine. We spent the snowstorm with some great friends (Thanks Leatherwoods!) and today, a sweet neighbor and friend shoveled the driveway for us (Thanks Mark!). Tomorrow, it's back to school and our routine. Then Jeff and Payton will be back next Monday. Jeff has sent a few emails saying they are having a great time, and that Payton got his machete on their first night there! Not sure how they plan to get that home on the plane, but that was ALL Payton talked about before they went. So now he's happy, and the trip will be deemed a success!

Comfort Food #4 is actually more accurately titled "Comfort FoodS" as I have decided to combine two of my mom's amazing "salads" into one post. In my opinion, potato salad and chicken salad are two foods that a person doesn't universally like. In other words, I LOVE potato salad and chicken salad but only if it's my mom's potato salad and/or chicken salad. I don't know if it's just liking what you're used to or if I'm just picky, but I have never had either of these foods that tasted anywhere near as good as they do when mom makes them.

From what I know (mom, correct me if I'm wrong), both of these recipes came from newspaper/magazine articles when my parents were newly married. (I know the chicken salad recipe was titled "The Bride Makes Chicken Salad" so my guess is that it came from here, which was while my mom was pregnant with me!) They really aren't anything super-brilliant nor do they require any exotic ingredients or hours of labor in the kitchen. But they are THE BEST, hands down. And my sweet memories of eating one or both of them at every family picnic or enjoying them on hot and muggy summer evenings when it was just too hot to turn on the oven in the avocado green kitchen make them taste even better as they years go by! Enjoy!

Mom's Potato Salad

4 cups diced potatoes, cooked and drained
1 cup mayonnaise (NEVER Miracle Whip!)
1 tspn. mustard
1 tspn. salt
dash pepper
1 cup celery, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, cut up

In large bowl, mix mayonnaise (NEVER Miracle Whip!) and mustard. Add salt and pepper then add celery and eggs and mix. Add potatoes and stir to coat well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

* Above recipe doesn't make a huge amount of potato salad. I always half it again or even double it.
* I love the eggs so I always add extra.

Mom's Chicken Salad

In large saucepan, place one 5-pound whole chicken, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 large onion, 6 black peppercorns, and 1 quart water. Bring water to a boil over high heat then reduce heat and simmer covered for two hours or until tender. (After one hour, turn chicken over.) Remove from heat and let stand uncovered for one hour or until meat is cool enough to handle. Remove all meat from chicken, shred or cut into small pieces, and chill for one to two hours.

Mix the following in large bowl:

1 cup mayonnaise (NEVER Miracle Whip!)
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB milk
1.5 tspn. salt
dash pepper
2 cups celery, diced

To the above ingredients, add chicken and then chill all together for about 1 hour.

* Also delicious with red grapes (halved).
* Walnuts can be added as well. (but it's not quite so delicious, in my humble opinion!)

For the nephews......

2011-02-12T18:25:00.002-05:00

I have seven nephews--Garrett, Chase, Addison, Noah, Wyatt, Spencer, and Lincoln. (Yes, when you consider my boys, Payton and Sawyer, it's kinda like reading a phone book. First-name last names are popular in our family!)

This post is for them. I have no doubt that they will enjoy this video/song as much as my boys have enjoyed it--over and over and over and over. I mean, it really IS funny but it's that whole "too much of a good thing" idea.

Enjoy guys!

Love,
Aunt Jennifer

Please overlook the video quality and just enjoy the song! It's hilarious!

And thanks to Adam Terpstra for sharing this.

Comfort Food #3

2011-02-09T19:51:00.002-05:00

I have to cheat a little for this one, but it's totally worth it, and a list of my comfort foods would never be complete without it. Not surprisingly, Comfort Food #3, is courtesy of my mom, and it's not actually a food but rather a drink -- my mom's homemade iced tea. (Does it bother anyone else that it is so frequently written and referred to as "ice tea" rather than "iced tea"? grrr.........)

I believe my mom got this recipe from a friend when she and my dad were newly married, and it is one for the ages, I assure you! Payton and I call this iced tea the "nectar of the gods", it's THAT good! It has spoiled me for all iced tea anywhere. I can't even drink iced tea anywhere else because it's just "not right".

In that avocado green kitchen I mentioned in an earlier post, there was always a saucepan of tea steeping on the stovetop. When one pitcher of tea was made, the water was boiled and more tea was steeped. I remember my mom adding saccharin tablets when that was all the rage in the 70s, but I'm pretty sure that phase was fairly short-lived and good old fashioned sugar became our sweetener of choice.

This iced tea was present at every family gathering, picnic, or meal we ever had. When we got together with my dad's family on holidays, we always had a pitcher of "Lenhart tea" and "Hoppe tea"(my aunt's family), and even as kids we knew the difference (their tea was gross because it had no lemon!) and were very careful not to get a glass of the "wrong" tea.

Even now, some of my favorite snacks and/or meals just aren't complete without a glass of iced tea. I drink iced tea with everything. And I do mean everything. I drink iced tea with french toast for breakfast, with crackers and peanut butter for snack, and with Chef Boyardee pizza for dinner. And it's especially good with raw cookie dough and also with hard boiled eggs with lots of salt. Yes it is.

I don't remember exactly when I learned to "make" tea, but I'm sure I was fairly young. And, I am proud to say that all four of our kids know how to boil the water, measure the ingredients, and make a pitcher of tea. We have trained them well.

If you'd like to make a pitcher of this sugary (always decaffeinated) goodness, here's the simple recipe! Enjoy!

Mom's Iced Tea

5 decaffeinated tea bags

1 cup sugar

Place the above in a 2-quart saucepan on stovetop and boil 2 quarts water in a tea kettle. Pour boiling water over tea and sugar and allow mixture to steep for 8-10 hours. (This time isn't set in stone. It just depends how strong you like your tea.)

After tea has steeped, remove tea bags and pour tea into a 1-gallon pitcher. Add another two quarts of cold water. Then add 1/3 cup lemon juice and stir until mixed well. Enjoy!

Finally, a few disclaimers: you can't make this tea correctly in one of those silly iced tea maker pitcher things. It won't be right. Secondly, any powder that comes in a cardboard can and says "flavored with lemon" does not deserve to be called "tea". Lastly, don't mess this tea up with hoity-toity additions like sprigs of mint or slices of real lemon. It's perfect just the way it is. Trust me.

For Sandy.......

2011-02-05T19:56:00.000-05:00

The internet is an amazing thing--for many reasons. But the friends that I have reconnected with and made via this big world wide web are very near the top of my list.

Sandy is one of those dear friends. We "met" more than ten years ago when Jeff was pastoring in Grand Rapids and we were on a Pastorswives email list together. Somehow, we started chatting off-list and have since emailed regularly and talked on the phone, sharing our hearts and lives, even though I am no longer a pastor's wife. Someday, hopefully, on this side of heaven, we will meet in person.

This song is one of my very favorites. I needed to hear it yesterday, and I thought of my friend, Sandy, because I know she needs to hear it now too. May it encourage and bless Sandy and each of you as well.

Comfort Food #2

2011-02-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well, I was going to save this for later but since my mom brought it up, I will go ahead and mention it now. As strange as it may seem, considering all my comfort food "dislikes", my comfort food #2 is indeed meatloaf.

I'm not sure when I started liking meatloaf, although I do know it was after Jeff and I were married, and I was the one who was making the meatloaf. Like my mom said, meatloaf was definitely not one of those things she made well, and so meatloaf definitely isn't a comfort food because of the great memories it evokes. My mom remembers my Grandmom Lenhart making a delicious meatloaf, but Grandmom was one of those cooks who didn't have a recipe, per se, and so we've never been able to duplicate her meatloaf.

Honestly, I'm not even sure when I started making meatloaf, but at some point, early in our marriage, I was looking through a Zonta Club cookbook that Jeff's mom had given me, and I spotted a recipe for Ann Landers' meatloaf. It caught my attention for two reasons: it didn't include bread chunks or crumbs (I don't do soggy bread.) and it made two loaves--so I could make one and freeze the other. Thus a "VeStrand classic" was born.

And I am happy to say that my meatloaf is one of Jeff's most-requested meals. He and the boys love it. I have experimented with other recipes, but none has measured up. In fact, last week, I tried a new meatloaf recipe, and as we were eating Sawyer said "Mom, you should have stuck with the old recipe." And, once, I put a hard boiled egg in the meatloaf before I baked it so that, when I cut it, each piece would have an egg slice in the middle. I thought the kids would be thrilled to find such a fun surprise in their meatloaf. Boy was I wrong!!! You would have thought I baked a dead bug into every slice! Now, every time I serve meatloaf, at least one child asks "Mom, you didn't put an egg in this one, did you?" I don't think I will ever live that down!

So I guess I have to thank Ann Landers for this comfort food! Sorry mom!

Ann Landers' Meatloaf

3 pounds ground beef (I use meatloaf mix from BJs)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tspn. salt
dash pepper
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (my addition)

Mix all ingredients together and divide into two smaller loaf pans or one large loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Optional: you can top with one small can Hunt's tomato paste and/or two strips of bacon.

Comfort Food #1

2011-02-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

I've said it before, and I don't think I will hurt her feelings or surprise anyone when I say that my mom wasn't an adventurous cook. She will freely admit that she doesn't enjoy cooking and that's fine. I wouldn't say that I enjoy cooking either so the apple doesn't fall far......... However, although my mom wasn't very adventurous, a few things she did make, she made well! And you will hear about several of those over the next couple days.

I have mentioned many times before that I was blessed to have had an almost idyllic childhood. It was perfect in almost every way. One reason it was perfect (to me) is that it was predictable--and predictable is very good for my "oldest-child, people-pleasing, Type-AAAA" personality. Certain things in the Lenhart household never, ever changed--and when I say never, I mean never. Daddy got up every day and went to work at Graco (yes, as in the children's products), wearing a tie and carrying a brown paper lunch bag, containing a sandwich with one--and only one--piece of lunchmeat and one piece of white American cheese, sliced thin. Mom went to the grocery store (or actually three grocery stores), armed with her coupon box that Mr. Friedman designed just for that purpose, every Friday night. We never (and again I mean never) ate out at a restaurant. We never turned the heat above 65. It didn't matter if it was 65 degrees BELOW zero out; the heat was never higher than 65. We never made a peep--we didn't even breathe loudly--if the Oklahoma Sooners were losing the football game. And......last but not least.......we had Chef Boyardee pizza from a box every. single. Wednesday. night. before we piled into the Bonneville station wagon (otherwise known as the "Big Car") and drove the 2.1 miles to church.

And that memory of those yummy pizzas every Wednesday night is why Chef Boyardee pizza from a box is my first "comfort" food. Mom always made two pizzas--a square one and round one. They had veerryy thin crusts and, of course, they were only cheese pizzas because, remember, we weren't "adventurous" at the Lenharts, and pepperoni would have put us awfully close to that "adventurous" edge of the cliff. We couldn't have that! I remember walking through the kitchen while mom was making the pizzas and taking a chunk of mozzarella cheese and dipping into the yummy sauce from the pizza kit and sneaking a taste. It was soo good! And the smell of those pizzas cooking was to die for!!

When I think of Chef Boyardee pizza, I remember our little kitchen with green appliances and walnut cabinets and an avocado rotary phone, complete with a party line. I think of how we probably inhaled it most Wednesdays because we had to get to church on time. And I remember where every single one of us sat around the table as we ate that pizza-our assigned seats for twenty years. All of those memories make me "comfortable", which is why that pizza is a "comfort food" for me. Those list makers can have their chili and baked beans and, heaven forbid, shepherd's pie. I'll take Chef Boyardee any day of the week (but Wednesdays are my day of choice!).

We recently had our very own Chef Boyardee pizza (but we added pepperoni because we're "adventurous" like that around here). It's not Jeff's favorite, but he indulges me because I love it and it makes me happy. And I hope that someday, something I have made will make my kids as happy as that silly Chef Boyardee pizza still makes me!

P.S. Dear Mom, On the off-chance (ahem) that any of my recall is incorrect, don't tell me. Ignorance is obviously bliss!!

"Comfort" Food

2011-01-31T17:00:00.024-05:00

It's that time of year--cold, snowy, chilly, icy. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE every single bit of it. I would do well in Seattle. I could go to church here, and I would love all the rain and "grayness". But that's not the point.....

I've noticed that, this time of year, many magazines, websites, etc. talk about "comfort foods". And, I've been mulling over the term (because obviously I have nothing better to mull...ahem). To me, "comfort" is a very subjective thing. I mean, obviously, I am comfortable in snow, cold, and rain. But most people are not. (wimps!) I am also comfortable in my house by myself for days on end. Many people are not. I am certainly not comfortable in a bathing suit of any kind. Many people are way too comfortable in something that can only be very loosely described as a "bathing suit".

And it kinda bugs me that all those fancy-schmancy magazines and websites tell me what my "comfort food" should be. For some reason, almost every one of those places naturally assumes that "comfort food" means chili, chicken pot pie, beef stew, and, heaven forbid, shepherd's pie!

Interestingly enough, good ol' Webster's Dictionary defines "comfort food" as

...foods consumed to achieve some level of improved emotional status,

whether to relieve negative psychological affect or to increase positive.

Now, I don't know about you, but chili, beef stew, and, heaven forbid, shepherd's pie most definitely DO NOT make me comfortable, much less improve my emotional status or relieve anything negative. In fact, I would asssert that all of those dishes do quite the opposite to me.

Photo
(My apologies to the "Kitchen Goddess" who made the above Shepherd's Pie, but nothing in that picture looks appetizing!)

A quick google search revealed the following Top 25 Comfort Foods (my thoughts are in parentheses)

Apple Pie (of course!)
Baked Beans (seriously?)
Banana Pudding (gross, just gross)
Beef Stew (also gross)
Brisket Pot Roast (maybe)
Chicken and Dumplings (maybe)
Chicken Pot Pie (maybe)
Chicken Soup (of course!)
Chili (only the Cincinnati kind!)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (with the right recipe!)
Fried Chicken (KFC? of course!)
Gelatin (gross)
Green Bean Casserole (worse than gross)
Hot Dogs (only at the ball park)
Ice Cream (Breyer's or Baskin Robbins!)
Macaroni and Cheese (maybe)
Mashed Potatoes (homemade, of course!)
Potato Salad (only my mom's recipe!)
Pumpkin Pie (gaaagg!)
Shepherd's Pie (a blight on society. ick!)
Spaghetti (maybe)
Tomato Soup (maybe)
Tuna Casserole (a worse blight than shepherd's pie)

Hello................has anyone heard of Hershey's chocolate, brownies, Pepperidge Farm oatmeal raisin cookies, and my mom's chicken salad?? Now, THOSE are true comfort foods!

So I thought it would be fun to share MY idea of "comfort food". After all, this is MY blog! Over the next few days, I will share some of my comfort foods and maybe even the "recipes"--or at the very least where to buy them! :-)

In the meantime, what are your thoughts? What are YOUR comfort foods? If you have a blog, put a link in the comments or share a link to your favorite "comfort foods" recipe. Maybe it's time for some of us (ahem) to broaden our "comfort food" horizons.

Recipe Saturday

2011-01-29T19:01:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted a recipe! Yes, I know, it's been a long time since I posted anything on a regular basis. And somehow you've all managed to survive without me!!

Anyway, I got this recipe in an email last week, and it sounded good to me. I am always looking for quick and different chicken recipes, especially ones that don't contain "cream of something" soup and/or cheese.

Our Saturday was full of SAT tests, basketball games, and CPR training, so this seemed like a perfect day to try out this new recipe! It was DELICIOUS!! In fact, the boys literally fought over the last few pieces, and there was not a bite left. I highly recommend it!

Photo

Thai Chicken with Basil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
1 TB canola oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red or green jalapeno chilies, finely chopped (I used the canned chopped green chilies.)
1 TB fish sauce or soy sauce (What the heck is fish sauce?? I used soy sauce, obviously. Once I got the dang Kikkoman bottle open, that is!)
1 teaspoon sugar (I forgot this!)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (Would you be horrified if I admitted that I have never once in my life bought fresh basil? The dried worked just fine!)
1 TB mint, freshly chopped
1 TB unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
(I didn't add the mint or the peanuts.)

Spray a 12-inch skillet with cooking spray, then add oil. Heat over medium heat. Add chicken, garlic, and chilies to oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in soy sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil, mint, and peanuts.

And that's it! This wasn't one of those recipes that just "claims" to be quick and delicious. It really was both of those things! I served it over brown rice, and it was a hit!

Enjoy!

Your laugh for the day!

2011-01-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is hilarious or very, very sad. But, either way, it should give you a laugh on this Thursday morning.

** And speaking of sad, I am thinking of doing regular posts on some of the horrendous misspellings I see on Facebook statuses (the plural of "status" just seems wrong). Some are definitely worth repeating. If you have some to contribute, send 'em on over!

Yesterday, I........

2011-01-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

Felt guilty about not posting in so long, yet....
Remained uninspired about what to post
Skipped my shower, and then.....
Ran into a lady from church while I was at the store (naturally)
Did three loads of laundry
Googled the recipe for American Chop Suey (double ick) and then....
Made spaghetti for dinner instead
Googled information on freezing scrambled eggs before cooking and still have no answers
Found a dog sitter for Sofie while we are in Ohio
Crossed everything off my "To Do" list for the day
Spray painted something that I am now too embarrassed to display in my home
Enjoyed a bowl of Breyer's ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, which will always and forever remind me of my grandparents)
Chatted (via Facebook and text message) with several dear friends
Chatted live with my mom and sister
Did not manage to read any of this, which has been sitting on my shelf for too long
Wished I had better luck baking with yeast so I could make these
Drooled a bit
Decided I will be savings my pennies for this (be still my heart!)
Browsed the library a bit and post-browsing....
Wondered, once again, why the HECK "Romance" gets a category and lots 'o shelf space in said library.
:::::: And, last but not least :::::::
Found out there will finally be a reality show that I can totally relate to. It's about time!

Have a happy weekend!

Happy 2011

2011-01-02T21:21:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Max Lucado

Merry CHRISTmas!

2010-12-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Signing off for a few days and wishing you Merry Christmas on my way!

We are heading out for our traditional Christmas Eve "dinner" (at lunchtime this year) at Friday's, and then it's on to church for four Christmas Eve services in which Jeff is leading worship and singing, and we are all involved in various other ministries throughout the afternoon/evening.

Praying that your Christmas day is filled with peace and blessings! And that in the middle of all the gift giving and celebrating, you are able to stop for a minute and remember that because Christ came, ALL is WELL.

On the off chance.......

2010-12-23T21:23:00.000-05:00

that you haven't seen this yet, I just had to share it. It's hilarious--in a sad commentary on our society sort of way.

The long-awaited answers!!

2010-12-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

I'm back.....finally. I apologize for the delay. Blogger has been giving me fits, and this is the first time I've been able to log in for a few days. For the two of you who are waiting with bated breath (and for those of you who questioned me on this previously, it IS "bated" not "baited". See here.), here are the answers! Good luck!

True. Joseph WAS from Bethlehem.
False. Mary and Joseph were only engaged when the angel appeared to her and told her that she would be the mother of Christ.
False. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to take part in the census that Herod had decreed. Incidentally, the Bible also never mentions that Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem. It never says anything about how she got there, just that she was with Joseph.
False. The Bible never mentions that anyone told Mary and Joseph the inn was full. It simply states that they placed the baby in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. (Matthew 2:7)
False. Again, the Bible never specifically mentions a "stable", just that Mary laid the baby in a manger. Jesus could have been born in a barn or even a cave.
False. The date, December 25, was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church in the third century. December 25 is definitely not the actual date of Jesus' birth. Because Rome dominated most of the “Christian” world for centuries, the date became tradition throughout most of Christendom.
True. Although it was just one angel that initially appeared to the shepherds, that angel was soon joined by a "multitude of the heavenly host".
True. The angel clearly told the shepherds that they would find the babe lying in a manger.
False. Seriously? I hope this one doesn't need an explanation! Although it is worth noting that the Bible never says the angels sang it all. It actually says they "appeared praising God and saying....".
True. The star in the east led the wise men to baby Jesus.
True. Their inquiry greatly disturbed King Herod, who felt threatened by the birth of the true "king of the Jews".
False. The Bible never mentions a certain number of wise men; it simply says "magi". It is generally assumed there were three simply because Scripture mentions three gifts that were given to Christ. This is one of my BIGGEST beefs about Christmas. Have you ever seen a nativity set that didn't include wise men? Well, the wise men didn't show up until Jesus was probably two or three years old so their inevitable appearance in every nativity set is not founded on biblical truth.
False. Frankincense is a dried tree sap, or resin, primarily used to make incense.
False. Myrrh is a resinous dried tree sap that was used during Bible times for embalming the dead.
False. The Bible states that "an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream". It does not say that God himself directed Joseph.

So......how did you do?? I bet you learned a few things, just like I did! These misconceptions surrounding Christ's birth illustrate again the need to test everything we believe against Scripture--no matter what the source. The Bible is the final authority. And it doesn't matter how unexplainable these things may seem to us, the truth of Christ's birth is more miraculous than words could ever express.

Oh the glory of it all is HE came here

for the rescue of us all that we may live....

and we will never be the same.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Reader, did you know?

2010-12-14T22:53:00.002-05:00

Each Christmas season, Jeff gives this quiz to his fifth grade Bible students. It is always amazing to us how little of the TRUE Christmas story the kids know. So much of what they believe has come from stories, legends, and Christmas movies, and quite a bit of it has no basis whatsoever in biblical fact.

I thought it would be fun to see how much YOU know. Take the following true/false quiz (no peeking allowed) and, if you're feeling brave--or you wanna brag a bit--let me know how you did in the comments! I will post the correct answers tomorrow. Maybe I will even make the winner a fur wreath...ahem........

Joseph was from Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph were married when Mary became pregnant.
An angel told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem, where the baby would be born.
The innkeeper told Mary and Joseph there was no room in the inn.
The Bible says Jesus was born in a stable.
Christmas has always been celebrated on December 25th.
A multitude of angels spoke to the shepherds.
The angels told the shepherds to look for a baby who was lying in a manger.
The angels sang Joy to the World.
The wise men said they saw a star in the east.
The wise men stopped in Jerusalem to inquire about where to find Jesus.
Three wise men came to visit Jesus.
Frankincense is a precious metal.
Myrrh is a perfume.
In a dream, God told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

Be impressed......be VERY impressed

2010-12-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Okay-so if you have been reading here for ANY length of time, you have gathered that I am not in the slightest bit "crafty". I wouldn't even say that I am craft-challenged; I would say that I am downright craft handicapped. Not only do I hate all the "supplies" that crafting seems to require, but I have yet to ever turn out anything that I would be willing to show anyone. Until today. Today, I am pleased as punch to report that my crafting skills have just taken one giant leap forward!

Thanks to The Nester. I have been following Nester's blog almost since the beginning. I LOVE her soft blue and green and white house filled with birds and plates. I could never actually DO that in my house, mind you, but I certainly admire hers from afar.

So, when I saw her beautiful white fur wreath two years ago, I filed it away for future crafting reference, and this year, I decided to pull it out and give it a try. Mind you, it didn't take long to find since my "crafting reference file" is pretty much empty (as in that was the ONLY thing in it). But anyway.......

A few weeks ago, I used a mega coupon I had for Joanne's and got all the necessary supplies. Then last night, as the guys watched football and Sydney finished homework, I decided I better get that wreath made before Christmas had passed me by. And, a mere 30 minutes later, voila, I had my very own white fur wreath. And, if I do say myself, it looks pretty darn good.

If you want your very own white fur wreath, the Nester's tutorial is excellent! It had to be--even I could follow it! And, like Nester, I added some hairspray. But I think my wreath looks more like that blonde "Guy" from the Food Network than Ty Pennington!

And, now that I have had one "wreathing" success, I have added a few more wreaths to my aforementioned pretty-much-non-existent crafting file. Check these out!

I love this one, and I'm pretty sure it would be doable. Since I'm an expert now.......ahem!

And I LO-OO-OO-VE this one too!

And, I am pretty certain this is the ONLY thing on earth that tinsel is good for!

And I TOTALLY think I can handle this peppermint candy wreath next year (now that I know how to use my glue gun!)! Be still my heart!

Our other new favorite Christmas song.....

2010-12-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

Okay-I may be the VERY last person to the party on this one, but I just heard this on the radio last week and I love it!!

So without further ado, The Christmas Can-Can by Straight No Chaser. Enjoy!

Total randomness-and some updates too

2010-12-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

Lots going through my mind but not enough to make each "thought" a separate post. So I thought I'd just do a random "dump".

• So, who will admit that they actually went to that site and checked to see what my blog was really rated. Come on. You know you totally did. Well, even if YOU didn't, I most certainly did.

Shock of all. I am only rated "G". And my one infraction--using the word "fart" once. Seriously! I guess "fart" is worse than "barenaked" or some of those mammogram-y words from my past. I know to my own mother, "fart" is just about as bad as you can get, so she would NOT agree with that "G" rating.

• Update on the VeStrand 200--we stopped writing when we reached about 432. Yep! We have sailed past our goal. I'm thinking I'm going to be shelling out for wayyyy more than ice cream! But the lack of "stuff" and the resulting feeling of freedom are totally worth dinner at Bob Evans.

• Payton asked me yesterday why Asian people are allowed to work at "American" restaurants but "Americans" aren't allowed to work at Asian restaurants? Good question. And, yes, just in case you're wondering, he thinks waaayyyy too much.

• And, finally, for those of you who aren't on Facebook, a picture of the kids-plus Adam after we decorated the Christmas tree.

Happy Weekend!

This will get me an "R" rating for sure.

2010-12-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen those sites that rate your blog? Well, I'm pretty sure this post will send me tumbling head first over the PG cliff, that is if my mammogram posts from the past two years haven't done that already.

But I couldn't resist sharing this. Recently, I read that a certain blog author's favorite Christmas album was.......ahem.......Barenaked for the Holidays by none other than the Barenaked Ladies, naturally (pun intended). So, I decided to check it out, literally. I quickly reserved it from the library and gave it a fair shot, I think. I will say that I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how the heck anything by this group would qualify as someone's "favorite" but, hey, to each his own, right?

I can say, however, that this one song has quickly become a favorite. Sawyer belly laughed the first time he heard it on Sunday, ironically on the way to church. (Does it seem wrong to anyone else that we were listening to the Barenaked Ladies on the way to church??) And since Sunday, we have listened to this song at least five thousand times. Sawyer knows it by heart. Every. single. word. And, I have to admit, I have been singing it nonstop too. It's hilarious or at least we think it is.

So, without further ado, and in glaring contrast to the video I posted yesterday, I give you Elf's Lament by the Barenaked Ladies. Hope it gives you a good belly laugh too.

That's our girl!

2010-11-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

Brooke
singing Heather Williams
"Hallelujah"
11.28.10
Lifepoint Church
(with her dad singing backup)

The VeStrand 200....or more

2010-11-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

Because I don't have anything else to do this time of year and because I'm generally bored and idle....ahem, I have decided that this would be a great time to pare down around here and get rid of some things. I have mentioned previously that I have recently read quite a few books on living simply, and as I anticipated yet another round of much-requested but little-enjoyed christmas gifts, I decided we would do some "thinning out" beforehand and make things a little easier on December 27 when I'm taking down the christmas tree and trying to find a spot for all the new "favorites".

So.......with some inspiration from the internet, I informed the kids of "The VeStrand 200". Because I knew there would be groans and whines and choruses of "You NEVER let us keep anything!", I decided to make a game of it, complete with a reward upon completion. I told the kids that if we could get rid of--and by "get rid of", I mean sell or donate not throw away--200 things from our household by the end of the year, we would go out for ice cream or another special treat they would enjoy. The only rules: 1. Every single item counts as one thing--every video game, every baseball card, etc. I'm not being picky here folks. 2. Mom or dad must give final approval before anything makes the cut (the family job chart and cleaning supplies are off limits!). And, in order to keep track of our purging, I made a "poster" (term used very loosely as evidenced by the photo), hung it on the fridge, and said "Ready, Set, Go".

Boy howdy, I should have tried this years ago! I'm not sure if they are more excited about getting rid of things or writing those things on the poster, but you wouldn't believe the things my children have decided they can suddenly part with. Video games that haven't been played in years but just had to be kept just a few weeks ago have suddenly appeared for me to sell on craigslist. A ridiculously scratchy amusement park stuffed animal that was a "favorite" earlier this year is now on the way to Goodwill. Of course, we've also had sibling's names added and crossed off--because the love just flows here at the VeStrands!

And, the kids haven't done all the purging! Mom and dad have parted with several things on craigslist and are now planning how to spend the tidy sum we've made in the process. (Anybody need a sturdy, fireproof, lateral filing cabinet??) And....if you look very closely at the photo, you might be able to see that the fake dog poop, fart putty, and burp master have all made it into the donate box. Who says we aren't sacrificing around here?? My boys' sleepovers will never be the same!

I just checked the list and we are up to 82 things--since yesterday! I'm pretty sure we'll make 200--we might even make 300 or 400! I'll keep you posted!

30 Days of Kindness......

2010-11-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

One of my very favorite blogs is doing a series called "Thirty Days of Kindness". Each day Dandee lists one simple act of kindness--and I mean simple, like hold the door for someone or handwrite a letter to a friend or just slow down enough to really listen.

What a novel idea: kindness to others at a time of year when we are so often wrapped up in ourselves and shopping and decorations and all the holiday traps and trimmings. I think this series is a great way to remind us of the unmatchable "kindness" our heavenly father showed to us when he gave us the gift of his son. Go show kindness.

Question of the Day......

2010-11-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

How did you get YOUR Thanksgiving turkey home from the grocery store??

This worked perfectly for me today!

Recipe Tuesday

2010-11-16T20:54:00.000-05:00

Every few months I have the privilege of making a meal for our church worship team. I can do a Saturday night dinner or a Sunday morning breakfast. Normally, I choose Sunday mornings simply because I feel like the options are better (cooking creatively for 25 people--without going broke--is no easy task!). However, the past few months I feel like I've taken the same thing every time, and I needed some creative inspiration. This past Sunday it was my turn again, and I decided to be brave and try a new recipe. Thankfully, it was a huge success! And, since we are heading into that time of year where families come together for special breakfasts and brunches or we attend gatherings that require a yummy dish to pass, I thought you might enjoy the recipe too.

It's not rocket science, for sure, so don't be too impressed. I found the recipe easily on allrecipes.com and thought it sounded good. I will admit that I personally do not care for any sort of "overnight french toast" or breakfast casserole that contains bread. Just can't get past the sogginess factor. So, I was a little nervous to try this, especially after so many reviews mentioned the dish was soggy and mushy. But my main goal with this dish was to find something I could make the night before and just finish up early Sunday morning, and this fit the bill.

After reading many of the reviews, I did end up making some pretty drastic changes to the original recipe. If you want to check it out in its original form, go here. The version below contains my changes, which, from what I heard, were good changes! (I will also sheepishly admit that I didn't actually taste even one bite!)

Enjoy!! Oh--as you will soon see, this is definitely NOT low cal or low fat! But isn't that what makes it so good??

Baked French Toast

1 loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices (I used the hardest bread I could find to help combat the "sogginess".)
6 eggs
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping

3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Butter a 9x13* inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is preheating, remove dish from refrigerator and turn over each slice of bread. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. While baking, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and heat until bubbling. After 20 minutes, remove pan from over and pour topping over bread. Bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.**

* My pan overflowed and made a huge mess in my oven, not to mention filled the kitchen with smoke. If you have a slightly larger casserole pan, that might be a good choice!
** The dish was still pretty "soggy" when I took it out of the oven, but the bread quickly absorbed the excess liquid and the topping was sort of candied on the top.
*** You can also add whipped topping, fruit, or nuts, if desired.

Feeling Burdened?

2010-11-11T22:35:00.000-05:00

I hear religious minded people say all the time with good intentions "God will never place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it.". Really?

My experience is that God will place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it alone. He will break your back and your will. He will buckle your legs until you fall flat beneath the crushing weight of your load. And all the while, He will walk beside you, waiting for you to come to the point where you must depend on Him.

"My power is made perfect in your weakness." He says as we strain under our burdens. Whatever the burden, it might indeed get worse, but know this--God is faithful. And while we change and get old, He does not. When we get weaker, He remains strong. And in our weakness and humility, He offers us true, lasting, transforming, and undeserved grace.

Greg Lucas
Wrestling with an Angel

Because I need to remember........

2010-11-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

that I have MUCH for which to be thankful..........

COLD weather--finally
Brooke (and Adam) will be here in two weeks
Modern medicine
Payton made the school basketball team
Homemade oatmeal/raisin cookies
Sawyer's hugs
Sydney's willing and helpful spirit
Friends who deliver delicious meals
Football season is over
Craigslist
Libraries
Flannel sheets
Hershey's mint truffle kisses
My patient husband

No excuses....

2010-11-06T18:49:00.000-04:00

Wow! I guess some people actually read this here sad excuse for a blog! I've actually had quite a few people ask if I'm okay because it's been so long since I've posted.

I really have no excuse except a complete lack of "blog fodder"--and that's not an excuse as much as it is plain old fact! My creative juices have dried up. I hope they return. Is there such a thing as "blogger's block"? If there is, I have it for sure.

Will try to do better as soon as possible. Anything you'd like to hear about?? Because, you know, my life is sooo exciting.......

On my bookshelf.........

2010-10-18T20:56:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why or how, but I've managed to squeeze in quite a bit of reading lately. I used to read ALL the time--and I do mean ALL the time--even when the kids were younger. But now, not so much. Don't get me wrong--I always HAVE a book (or books) I want or plan to read, but the actual reading of these books seems to happen less and less these days. Of course, if I would stop "reading" blogs and Facebook, I may be able to open an actual book more often. Sigh............

Either way, I've read a few good books lately, and since I often have friends ask me what books I've recently enjoyed, I thought I would share a few here. Happy reading!

I stumbled on his blog, which led me to his book. VERY good! Just the inspiration I need to declutter even more!
Honestly, this one was more of a skim than a read because, although I absolutely believe that we must be good stewards of our planet, I definitely don't buy into the environmentalist whacko stuff. (And, yes, I think it's whacko.) But this book was still a good skim: thought provoking and inspiring.
Grab the kleenex and read this. So honest -- even wives of christian contemporary singers question God--but yet so encouraging to see God's healing power working in their lives.
You all know I am one of Chris Bohjalian's biggest fans. And this book didn't disappoint.
I love Anne Tyler too. All her books are set in Baltimore, and it's so fun to read about familiar street names and neighborhoods. This book of hers in one of my all-time favorite reads; this one I just finished was different but still very good.
This one probably doesn't need much explanation. Suffice it to say, if you have a daughter who hopes that you will also have a son-in-law someday, you need to read this book. 'Nuff said.
And, finally, I picked this book up for Sawyer's birthday, and the boys have enjoyed it immensely. If you have tween boys, I bet they would like it too!

And one more question for you: Each year, I try to read at least three classic novels. I read all the major ones in college (that happens when you're an English major), but I read them mostly to write the paper/take the test and not for pleasure so I'm trying to revisit them. But I haven't read any yet this year and, honestly, I'm stumped. What are your favorite classics? I need some inspiration. (Anything but Dickens. I don't do Dickens. Sorry Chuck.)

Before the Morning..........

2010-10-12T22:01:00.000-04:00

It's been "dark" at our house lately. I am ready for the "morning light".
In the midst of everything, I am trying desperately to dare to believe
and reminding myself of the joy that's coming.

Be encouraged!

A recap....

2010-10-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

Well, I had a wonderful trip to Cedarville, a wonderful time with my sister and her family, a wonderful time with Brooke, and then I had to come home. Back to the grind. The homework. The housework. The "work" work. Ick! But I've survived re-entry and lived to blog about it. So here I am.

Just a few pictures from last weekend!

The Student Center-Cafeteria, Post Office, Bookstore, etc

Brooke and Adam before the concert Friday night

All the choral groups and bands sang/played "America the Beautiful" to close the concert.

The beautiful Bible building across Cedar Lake

A view of the Student Center across the lake

The Dixon Ministry Center-chapel, classrooms, etc.

Brooke and Adam at the Homecoming Parade


My youngest sister, Becky, Brooke, and I at the Homecoming Parade

We had a great time! It was so hard to leave though. My sister and I enjoyed about 10 hours of uninterrupted conversation while we drove, and then we had a great time seeing old friends, meeting Brooke's new friends, and just getting away. It was a very special weekend!

Weekend at the VeStrands

2010-09-27T12:05:00.001-04:00

Not much exciting going on here but I know Brooke is looking for updates, so here goes!

Friday was Sawyer's 11th birthday. He had a friend over, and they enjoyed a great time at the Breakaway event at church. George (Sawyer's friend) said "You have the best church ever!"

George gave Sawyer this for his birthday. I cannot tell you the number of ping pong balls that have hit me and hit other people and things in our home this weekend. The boys are LOVING it.

Brooke's boyfriend, Adam, and his suite mates at Cedarville, have spent A LOT of time making their own version of Pong. It's pretty amazing. Click here to see it. And even if you don't care, I can pretty much guarantee that any male in your home under the age of 21 will love it, so show it to them! (Adam is "Terp" in the yellow tee shirt at the beginning.)

Saturday morning we had football concession stand duty for an hour. Yikes! That is quite a production!

Saturday evening Sawyer's football team won their game 13 to 6. Yeah!

Sunday we were supposed to have a fire drill during both morning services but the rain canceled the first service drill. Can't say that I was disappointed. Getting 1000 men, women, children out of the building in an orderly fashion is no easy feat.

We had friends over to watch the Eagles game on Sunday night. I made this. It was scrumptious! And I just had some for lunch. It's just as good the second time around!

We Skyped with Brooke for about an hour last night! It was great! She is doing well but missing home a bit too, I think!

In just three days, I get to go see Brooke and my sister! I can't wait!

It's raining and cloudy here-YUM! Fall might just finally be here!

Finally, I have been blessed to work from home for the past few years, but that is ending on October 15. We would appreciate any and all prayers for another position for me. (And if you or anyone else you know needs a great writer/editor or even admin help, let me know!) We are looking forward to seeing how God is going to work through this time.

Have a great week!

Be Still My Heart.....

2010-09-22T18:53:00.000-04:00

These may inspire me to try baking with yeast again. It's not my favorite thing to do. But I think these just might be worth it.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe and photo courtesy of Good Life Eats

My own intentions......

2010-09-21T18:18:00.002-04:00

Those of you who have been reading here for a while and/or know me in person know that I am a wee bit of a perfectionist. I have "my own intentions" and, in all honesty, I would really prefer it if my life happened the way I "intend" for it to happen.

However, I'm almost 43 years old and so far, I've noticed that my own intentions are pretty much worthless. Thankfully, I can look back over the past 43 years and see that God's intentions were MUCH better than mine in every. single. circumstance. And yet, every day, my own intentions rear their ugly heads and get in the way. Today I needed this reminder that sin--my own or that of others--has not changed God's creative purpose for me. I pray that my soul will be "open and cloudless" to HIS intentions for me. After all, they are perfect.

The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances. We are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree.

When we are born again, we [realize] God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us......

We must continually keep our souls open to the fact of God’s creative purpose and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants because He has put into them the very nature of God.

My Utmost for His Highest

Oswald Chambers

A Sunday Chuckle.......

2010-09-19T19:18:00.001-04:00

I needed a laugh today and this was just what the doctor ordered! Hilarious!

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2010/06/10/vintage-ads-thinking/#slide=1

Enjoy!!

P.S. Be sure to read the "editorial comments" on the right side of the page. They are funnier than the ridiculous ads!

Some much overdue linky love.....

2010-09-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've had these in my "Linky Love" file for FOREVER. Way too long. So here you go!

Oh.......I LOVE this! I haven't jumped on the "stick-sayings-all-over-your-house" bandwagon. Mostly because I don't want to have to "read" the walls of my own home. But this is a lovely alternative!

This is fun!! What a great decoration for your next birthday party! I think even *I* could do this. (Of course, it wouldn't be for a birthday party because we all know how I feel about those! ahem....)

Not sure what in the world I would do with this. But it sure is "purty"!

I am mailing LOTS of packages these days. Wouldn't these be fun on some of those boxes??

Yum! Get yourself a good printer and some good paper and the sky's the limit, thanks to her!

And, this is my very favorite new site. We all know that I am as "uncrafty" as a big rock but I think I may actually be able to pull off some of her ideas.

And finally.......We raked leaves and watched football today, which means fall is in the air! Which naturally means lots of yummy fall foods. Here are two "fallish" recipes for you to enjoy!

I shared this one last year, and it's on the menu for this week.

This is a new one that's also on the menu! I have never made a chicken pot pie. Actually, they aren't my favorite but these look so good I'm going to give them a whirl! I'll keep you posted!

Oh Happy Day, Happy Day......

2010-09-11T19:53:00.000-04:00

The weather is going to be nearly perfect in Balt'more this week.

You are welcome to stop in for a visit! :-)

How 40 dollars saved my sanity........

2010-09-08T11:06:00.000-04:00

So, like most of you, I popped out of bed this past Monday morning raring to go! My "To-Do" list was a mile long, and I was ready to tackle it. I was going to "labor" on Labor Day! When my head hit the pillow Monday night, it was going to be with a great sense of accomplishment!

But you know what they say about the best-laid plans..........

By 9:30, we were cruising. Jeff had gone to meet some friends for breakfast, and the kids and I were knee deep in piles of ~~junk~~ lovely used items that we were busily sorting and pricing for our upcoming community garage sale. Everything was going exactly as planned. Until...........

I knew that I had a Rubbermaid container of gently-used toys that I had been saving for our next garage sale. (That in itself is a minor miracle because I don't save anything. And I won't be saving anything in the future.) As I reached up to the top storage shelf to grab the container, I lost my balance and the container hit the floor. That wasn't such a big deal except that before the container actually hit the floor, it managed to hit and break the main pipe coming out of our water pump. Can you say "Old Faithful"? IN. MY. BASEMENT.

Yep! Hysteria ensued! The kids, bless their hearts, grabbed EVERY. SINGLE. towel and washcloth we own. And I'm not kidding. I'm pretty sure they managed to find some towels and washcloths that we don't own, but I'm choosing to ignore that fact! Sydney got Jeff on the phone and screamed at him to get home NOW. Somehow, I managed to turn every knob/switch I could see and get the gusher under control. But it was too late. We were standing ankle deep in cold, dirty water. And I found out the hard way that Rubbermaid containers really can float!

While I cried, the kids retrieved our Shop Vac and then ran next door to borrow the neighbor's Shop Vac as well. We started vacuuming up water, which was a great plan, until I realized that once the Shop Vac was full, I couldn't lift it to empty it. So we had no choice but to wait for Jeff to come home. The kids found more towels, and we managed to get most things to higher ground.

Finally, after about an hour, the worst of the crisis had passed. A kind neighbor came over and told Jeff what he needed to fix the pipe and offered to come over and fix it later that afternoon. We thought we were going to have to call a plumber on a holiday, so this was a huge blessing! We got all the water vacuumed up and had every fan we could find going to attempt to get rid of the dampness.

Once things calmed down, I surveyed ~~Lake Rubbermaid~~ the wet basement and realized that not only did I have about 5,730 wet (and heavy!) towels to clean up, but I also had NO water. And even when our water returned, it would take 12-18 hours for the water pressure to build up enough so that I could run the washing machine.

So, right then and there, I made a snap decision. I didn't care what it cost. I didn't care that it would further ruin my already-ruined day. I grabbed Sydney, loaded up the van, and we went to visit Tina. We don't know Tina. We've never visited Tina before. But somehow I knew that Tina and her Tubs and Suds that would save my sanity! Yep--we went to the laundromat.

Now I have to tell you I am not a complete stranger to laundromats. When we were newly married, I visited the laundromat several times a month. It was the laundromat in Cedarville, Ohio: not a place you enjoy spending a lot of time. Since then, I've only been to the laundromat a few times to wash things like oversized comforters, bedspreads, etc. I heart my LG front loading washer and dryer, and I normally have no need to visit the laundromat.

But Monday, I had a NEED. I had a need to have all those thousands of towels and even all our other laundry as clean as possible as quickly as possible, and dear Tina with her Tubs and Suds met my need! For a price--of course!

When we walked in the laundromat door, I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing and saw bright lights shining down on this sign.

Please excuse the poor cell phone pictures.
Amazingly, I failed to grab my camera.

Seriously? I could do 75 POUNDS of laundry in ONE washing machine! I didn't have to think twice. Sydney started loading wet towels, and I hit the change machines. Within 15 minutes, we had four 75-pound washers spinning and sudsing. My wet towels and dirty laundry were happy. And I was enjoying my book and smiling at Sydney, who was completely and totally enthralled with the sub-culture that exists in a city laundromat. And, let me assure you, there is definitely a sub-culture! (I should also say that Sydney was a great and willing helper! I could probably have left her there with all that laundry, and she would have taken charge and gotten it done! Thank you sweetie!)

Everyone was very nice and polite and, as far as laundromats go, this one was the Ritz!! Clean and shiny with sparkling chrome washers and dryers and ten different televisions for the patrons' viewing pleasure. Within 90 minutes, we had clean, dry, and folded towels and laundry and were happily headed home.

Jeff nearly choked when I told him how much my little "therapy session" had cost but, you know, that $40 saved my sanity and redeemed a little part of my day. I'm thinking I may have to have a monthly session with Tina. Just sayin'........

P.S. Yes, those of you who know me well will be happy to know that I do see the great irony in the fact that a Rubbermaid container was my downfall. My children have taken great pleasure in reminding me of that fact!

In Need of a Miracle....or Two

2010-09-03T21:19:00.000-04:00

It's been a long week: for reasons I can't list here and reasons that probably wouldn't interest you anyway.

But, as always, my favorite devotional book encouraged me today. And, I thought maybe, just maybe, some of you might be needing a miracle or two also. Be encouraged.

Living in dependence on ME is a glorious adventure.
Most people scurry around with their noses to the ground,
trying to accomplish things through their own strength and ability.
Some succeed enormously; others fail miserably.
But both groups miss what is life is meant to be:
living and working in collaboration with ME.

When you depend on ME continually, your whole perspective changes.
You see miracles happening all around,
while others see only natural occurrences and "coincidences".
You begin each day with joyful expectation, watching to see what I will do.
You accept weakness as a gift from ME, knowing that my power plugs
in most readily to consecrated weakness.
You keep your plans tentative, knowing that MY plans are far superior.
You consciously live, move, and have your being in ME, desiring that I live in you.
I in you and you in ME.
This is the intimate adventure I offer you.

CU, Class of 2014

2010-09-02T21:29:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago today, life changed forever. We loaded up the car and headed west. Jeff drove, Brooke watched Gilmore Girls, I read and slept and tried not to think about how quiet the car would be on the way home.

Friday morning bright and early, we stood in the very long registration line, which, thankfully, moved very quickly. We breezed through all the checkpoints, got the only thing that Brooke really cared about: her room key, and started the arduous task of moving two teenage girls into one very, very, VERY small space. After rearranging the room about 16 times, they decided that leaving the beds bunked was the best plan after all (mom was right!) and the unpacking began. Surprisingly, both girls had done a pretty good job, and we were able to fit everything in with little frustration. Brooke has been blessed with a great roommate and a great group of girls in her unit/co-unit. She has already made some lifelong friends. God is good!

The rest of Friday was filled with meetings, various orientations, and the Second Generation dinner in the evening. It was wonderful to see so many friends from our days at Cedarville, who now also had sons/daughters coming to college. We had a great time catching up! Brooke decided to spend Friday night in the dorm and we headed back to the hotel--without her. I cried.

Saturday was more meetings, more moving in, and a run to Target for some forgotten necessities. Saturday afternoon was the Class of 2014 dedication service. Dr. Bill Brown spoke to the incoming freshmen (more than 800 of them!) and the sniffling parents. At the end of the service, all the freshmen moved to the center of the auditorium and all the parents made a huge circle around them. Dr. Brown prayed and all the moms cried. At least, this mom did. I was actually standing right next to the balcony railing and I'm quite certain I dripped on the poor man below me, who probably thought the ceiling was leaking!

Saturday night the kids had more orientation stuff and we enjoyed dinner out with dear friends, who also happen to be the parents of Brooke's boyfriend, Adam. (A very cool story for another time.) It was great to spend the evening chatting and laughing and not thinking about the goodbyes that were ahead. We miss you, Steve and Amy!

Sunday morning there was a special worship service on campus, and we went with the kids. I cried again. We went to brunch, Brooke and Adam auditioned for the chorale and band respectively (and both made it!), and then it was time. We had to say goodbye. I have known for 18 years it was coming but that didn't make it any easier. We took some final pictures. Jeff took Brooke aside to give her the "final talk" and I cried. I bawled. The heaving, sobbing kind of crying. The definitely-not-pretty kind of crying. When Jeff finished talking to Brooke, he called me over so we could pray together. That was the hardest thing for me. I sobbed harder. When Jeff was done, I hugged Brooke for as long as I could and then she and Adam walked away. I don't even think she looked back. She didn't shed a tear. She grabbed Adam's hand and off they went. She was ready.

We left for home bright and early Monday morning. I cried when we got in the van and I saw Brooke's half-full water bottle. I cried off and on all the way home. And I have cried every day at least once, up until the past few days. I cried when I folded the laundry and there were only three "kid" piles rather than four. I cried looking at her empty room. I cried packing the box that I had to send to her last weekend.

Life has taken on a new "normal". I knew we would get used to not having her here but it makes me sad that we have. She texts me fairly often, but I don't hear her sweet voice that much or get the details I crave. When I start feeling sorry for myself, I remember that she is busy and having fun, and I am thankful. When she does call, asking me to talk to her while she walks to an unfamiliar building on campus and help her "find" it, I am thankful. She still needs me! When I look at Facebook and see her friends "enjoying" parts of college that I am quite certain I never want Brooke to "enjoy", I am thankful. She is singing in two groups where bringing glory to God through music is the chief goal. She is loving daily chapels with amazing speakers and worship music. She is connecting with new friends through Bible studies and her small group and fun competitions. She is loving her class on developing a christian world view. She signed up to be a big sister to a young girl in town who needs an older mentor. She hasn't had any laundry mishaps!! For all of this, I am so thankful.

We miss you Brooke but we wouldn't have it any other way. We know you are exactly where God wants you to be, and we are eagerly watching for all the amazing things HE will do through you!

Brooke on "The Rock", a Cedarville tradition

Cedarville University Class of 2014

Brooke and Adam at the Second Generation Dinner

Brooke, Jen, Jeff at the Second Generation Dinner

Dad's final words of wisdom

Brooke and Adam by Cedar Lake

She makes her mother proud.....

2010-08-26T22:03:00.000-04:00

Brooke is officially a college freshman! She is having a blast! I miss her a lot more than I anticipated! (Post and pics coming shortly.)

Tonight, she and Adam (her very "significant other") had dinner at Friday's. I was grocery shopping when she texted me the picture below and a message that said "Mom, you have to blog this! It's on the wall at Friday's!"

My heart swelled with pride! Not only did she recognize the misspelling, but she knows me well enough to know that I would love to see it and post about it! A proud mom moment indeed!

Tonight

2010-08-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

..........I feel like this.

We are packing Brooke, unpacking Brooke, repacking Brooke, trying to wash every shred of dirty clothing in the house in preparation for six people going in four different directions on Wednesday, shuttling to sports practices that are canceled after 30 minutes because of thunder that was already occurring 30 minutes before said practice began, packing three family members to head to Pennsylvania, packing the other three family members to head to two different places in Ohio, paying bills, refilling prescriptions, refereeing arguments, fighting over whose turn it is to walk to dog, taking the overflowing trash to the dump, etc. Oh and then there's the minor detail of dinner--and Brooke who is not-so-subtly requesting a favorite meal before she leaves.

And, then, in the middle of all of this peace and solitude (ahem...), Sawyer decided he wanted to enter the Red Robin Kids' Cook-Off contest. All he has to do is create his own gourmet burger and send off the recipe. Easy peasy, right? Sure!!! I came into the kitchen today to hear the blender whipping up a mixture of mayonnaise, miracle whip, onions, dill seasoning, and mustard. He decided he didn't like that and later I caught a whiff of bacon he had "carmelized" (his word) in barbecue sauce--in the microwave. Why not? I mean he only has until September 12 to enter. I wouldn't want him to leave it until the last minute, and we weren't doing anything today anyway. Ahem.........

To top it all off, for obvious reasons, I am going to be out of the office Thursday through next Monday. However, before I leave, my boss decided there was one HUGE marketing campaign that needed to get done first. So........here I sit. Blogging and wishing desperately for "Annuale" when I should be firing off some amazing marketing emails designed to maximize clicks and increase sales.

Before the night is over, I may need to be incarcerated pre-emptively like a wolfman.

Please send chocolate. Hershey's milk chocolate nuggets, to be specific.

And, for the love of all that is holy, if Sawyer wins that hamburger contest thing, someone send me a letter in jail. (If Sawyer were to win the grand prize, which is a trip for four to Orlando, he could obviously not take the entire family. This knowledge sparked a lively--and "loving"--discussion about which one of us "would be voted off the island" so we could meet the requisite "four" to partake of the prize. On the bright side, my incarceration would solve half of that problem. Sigh.)

Saturday Night at the VeStrands......

2010-08-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

As a family, we have been "collecting" Swagbucks for this purchase since January (long story). Finally, last week we had earned enough to order it through Amazon for FREE!

It arrived on Saturday and, within a few hours, our entire house smelled like fresh popped popcorn. As you can tell, my children were amazed, literally A-MAZED, at popcorn that did not come in a flat bag. Sad. We definitely need to get out more.

I'm not a popcorn fan at all but I will admit, this was really, really good. Although it might have been the. entire. stick. of melted butter we poured over it. After all, that much butter can make ANYTHING taste good!

P.S. If you don't know about Swagbucks, you should! So easy and so fun-especially if you download the toolbar! And if you want to sign up through my Swagbucks account (click below), we BOTH win!

Still here.......

2010-08-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

Life is busy. That's all there is to say. I have a nagging guilt that I'm not writing here more. But when I think about writing, I have a nagging guilt that I'm not cleaning something, running a child to a sports practice, buying a used textbook for Brooke, cooking a real meal for my family..........you know how it is.

This has been a week of mixed emotions for me. I was blessed to spend two days with my sister in Pennsylvania. Both boys had sports practices, and so Sydney and I drove up Sunday night and spent two days swimming and shopping. It was relaxing and fun. I laughed a lot with my sister and my mom, and we had a good time.

Unfortunately, while I was there I learned that dear, dear friends of ours--the kind of friends we have spent vacations with, who both Jeff and I are friends with (a rare find, indeed!), who we have walked through deep church struggles with and who have walked through deep church struggles with us---have separated and will probably divorce. Twenty years of marriage. Three beautiful children. None of it seems to matter now.

Sadly, in less than one year, the marriages of three couples we are very close to have unraveled to the point of probable divorce. I hope God has a BIG bottle for my tears because I have shed many over these situations. I don't understand why He would allow these things. I don't understand what these people are thinking. I don't understand how they can justify their behavior to their hurting kids. I don't understand the sinful choices and selfish actions. And, of course, I don't know every detail but I know enough to know I don't understand, and I know enough to know that Satan is having a hey day.

My heart breaks for my friends. And my heart breaks for me. I guess, in my own way, I am being selfish too. I miss my friends. I am grieving for what "should have been".

My favorite devotional book spoke to my hurting heart this week, like it always does.

My face is shining upon you, beaming out peace that transcends understanding.
You are surrounded by a sea of problems, but you are face to face with Me, your Peace.
As long as you focus on Me, you are safe. If you gaze too long at the myriad problems around you,
you will sink at the weight of your burdens.
When you start to sink, simply call out "Help me, Jesus!" and I will lift you up.

The closer you live to Me, the safer you are. Circumstances around you are undulating,
and there are treacherous-looking waves in the distance. Fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes.
By the time those waves reach you, they will have shrunk to proportions of My design.
I am always beside you, helping you face today's waves. The future is a phantom, seeking to spook you.
Laugh at the future. Stay close to Me.

Time for some...

2010-08-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, and my "Linky Love" bookmark folder is sagging under the weight of all the links I thought were worth sharing. So without further ado, here are a few of them!

Enjoy the "organizing" love!

It's that time again--back to school! Every store circular and commercial is screaming "1 cent crayons", "Free backpacks" and the like. Honestly, I find it overwhelming, but this blogger has streamlined it beautifully! I thought *I* was organized but this is over-the-top organized and very cool!

And speaking of organized, do checklists make your heart go pitter-patter? Does crossing things off a list make you leap for joy? Then this site will make your pittering pattering heart go leapity-leap!

Oh, oh, oh! I forgot I bookmarked this! I will be going to check this out further post haste. And "there's an app for that" too! And it's FREE!

And these free "ultimatest grocery lists" are the bomb! I have used them and they are great!

Finally, life isn't all about spreadsheets and lists. This site is chock full of tons of free printable clip art. With a little help from Photoshop or Lightroom or even Kinkos, you can have some great art for your organized home!

Hello from the tornado that is my life.......

2010-08-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

Oh. my. word. Would someone please stop the world? I'd like to get off this crazy ride!

My life in the past three weeks or so:

Jeff, Sydney, and Payton off to church youth camp for a week.
Payton off to Florida for a week---the same day he returned from church camp!
A very special first-time visitor to our home for Brooke
Our annual day at the amusement park with my family.
Two days at Club Knorr with my family
A wonderful visit with missionary friends from Brazil
A day trip to DC with these dear friends
A wonderful visit with my dear friend, Steph
One meal for 25 people on the church worship team
One escaped convict and lots of police presence in our neighborhood (our backyard even!)
Lots of college prep-financial, emotional, mental
One sleepover for seven 10-year old boys
Two birthdays and one wedding anniversary
Summer camp every day from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for Jeff and the three younger kids
Relocating Jeff's entire classroom
One new set of brakes for one car
One unfortunate meeting with a post at the gas station for the other car
A mysterious back injury for Sawyer
An anxious day awaiting x-ray results for above back injury. They were, thankfully, clear!
Numerous physical therapy appointments to diagnose and heal deep muscle strain in back
Five days of football mini camp
Soccer practice and/or games two days a week

And I'm sure I've forgotten some things! All of that plus working, laundry, shopping, cooking, paying bills, running children here and there, etc. Who is it that talks about the "lazy" days of summer! Not in my world! Fall is coming, right???

We ALL make mistakes.........

2010-07-21T20:47:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, even the "pros" at HGTV prove their humanity!! :-)

Ten Perfect Things

2010-07-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

If you are my friend on Facebook, you might have noticed that I've been complaining a bit lately. Honestly, it all "boils" down to one simple thing: I hate summer. HATE. IT. Mostly because of the weather but there are many other parts I don't enjoy either.

It occurred to me yesterday that I've been whining about the weather A LOT and so today I decided that I was going to "accentuate the positive" and list Ten Perfect Things about this past week (of torrid summer weather!) in the hopes that I would realize the MANY, MANY things that are great--maybe not perfect, but great--about my life--even in the hot summer!

Ten Perfect Things

Hearing Payton pray before a meal and thank God for our "awesome family". He meant our immediate family and the extended family we had just left. So many children can't pray such a prayer. I am sad for them and so thankful for the family God has given us.
Seeing all the Lenhart grandchildren together and enjoying one another and knowing how happy it made my mom and dad to see them.
Doing cannonballs off the diving board with my sister, neither of us caring who was watching or how hard they were laughing! (And, trust me, they were laughing hard!)
Knowing Brooke is so excited and eager to go to college. If she were sad, the inevitable goodbyes would be even more difficult.
Talking with Brooke about some of her heart's deepest feelings and desires. Seeing my kids blissfully happy is just about the best thing on earth! (And right now, Brooke is blissfully happy!)
Jeff telling me that I can't go away any more because he can't sleep when I'm not home. Many women would give almost anything to hear that from their husbands. I don't want to take it for granted.
Sawyer walking up and randomly giving me a hug and kiss then telling me it was "just because mom".
Sending Jeff, Sydney, and Payton off for a week to our church's youth camp, knowing they will make lifelong memories and be challenged spiritually!
Anticipating a quiet week at home with Brooke and Sawyer and looking forward to reading this, which is sitting on the bookshelf even now, daring me to get started. The problem is, once I start, I may not be able to put it down. So I will wait.
Realizing there are just 66 short days until fall is upon us here in Maryland! I can do anything for 66 short days, can't I???

I hope your weekend is full of "perfect things", wherever you are, whatever the temperature.

The Lenhart grandchildren

Age 8/Third Grade

2010-07-10T13:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my eighth year--or what I remember of it.

I began third grade in September, 1975. Mrs. Schmitz was my teacher. I loved her.

In the spring of 1976, which was also our country's bicentennial, our school did a patriotic program. I can still sing the states in alphabetical order because of a song we sang in that program, Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies......

That school year, our third grade class also did a play about missions. We told the story of Nate Saint and Jim Elliott and the other missionaries who were killed in Ecquador by the Auca indians and the story of the martyr of missionaries to China, John and Betty Stam. We also sang the song Be a Missionary. It wasn't until years later that I realized the correct words to that song are "Be a missionary, God's own emissary" and not "Be a missionary, God's own adversary." I always wondered why missionaries were considered adversarial?

That year, I won the third grade spelling bee at our school and was able to go to another local christian school to compete in the spelling bee final competition. I was doing fine until the word "judgment". On the word list we had been given, it was spelled with an "e", judgement. However, the spelling bee judges insisted that I was wrong when I spelled it that way. Mrs. Schmitz went to bat for me and I was allowed to remain in the competition. That worked great until the word "breathe" came up. I spelled "breath" instead and, well, Mrs. Schmitz couldn't really argue with that one.

Sometime during that year, I accompanied a good friend to her allergy appointment and was mortified when the doctor asked my friend's mom if he should "examine your son as well?" You had to know my friend's mom (Jill Moser for those of you who DO know her!), but once she stopped laughing, she was able to inform the allergist that I was not her son, in fact, I wasn't anyone's son, thankyouverymuch. I didn't think it was nearly as funny as she did.

Third grade must have been fairly uneventful because I have very few memories of it. Next week: fourth grade where things will get a little more exciting! Below is a picture of my third grade class for your humorous pleasure. Can you find me??

Life Lesson for Today.....

2010-07-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

Payton and I had an interesting conversation this afternoon while picking up a few groceries.

Mom: Okay, I have everything we need, except for SOS pads. Let's find the cleaning aisle.

Payton: What are SOS pads? Actually-forget it. They sound "girly".

By this time, we had reached the cleaning aisle and I had grabbed a box of SOS pads.

Mom: Trust me, Payton. No girl wants to use SOS pads. They are made of steel wool, and I use them to clean the kitchen sink.

Payton: Oh......ouch!

Always good to keep the lines of communication open, right? His wife will thank me some day, especially if she tries to send him to the store for some "necessities". Ahem.......

Age 7/Second Grade

2010-07-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

And here we are.......a few days late again! But at least I'm generally keeping up, right?

I know you've heard it before but I don't remember much about being seven or being in second grade. My most distinct memory of that age is probably the summer before third grade before I turned eight. My mom had gone somewhere for the day and my siblings and I were at a friend's house playing/being babysat. I remember the day very clearly and I remember feeling sick and then a little sicker and then really bad as the day went on. I remember watching every minute tick away on the clock and wishing my mom would come and take me home. I know that it was one the times in my life when I have felt the absolute worst. It was bad.

Finally, my mom came and the next 2-3 weeks are a bit of a blur. I do know that I was SO. SICK. Officially, I had pyelonephritis, complete with vomiting, extreme pain, and delirium. Unofficially, I felt like crap for a long time that summer!! I remember many visits to Dr. Leinbach, painful and invasive medical tests, and taking medicine for many months afterward. I remember laying on the couch and skipping church (which NEVER happened) and watching The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night (which also NEVER happened). I remember a particular incident of delirium where I woke up and told my dad that my little brother had just colored on the piano bench with crayon. I was insistent. So was my brother, who apparently felt unjustly accused. And, unfortunately, I was the one with the high fever so I'm pretty sure my brother got a pass that time.

And that was just the beginning of my kidney issues. I don't know if my kidneys started out bad and have gotten worse or if the summer I was 7 just made them mad but they've been nothing but trouble ever since. I've had kidney stones twice (I would rather have six more children completely naturally than have them again), lost some kidney function in my left kidney because of the kidney stones, and now, well, let's just say they don't "hold" as much for as long as they used to! Ahem.......... Don't think I'll ever be donating a kidney to anyone.

Other than that, my 7th year was uneventfully happy. Mrs. Gelina was my teacher. I'm pretty sure she only taught for that one year but I remember liking her very much. I also remember where she lived and to this day, every time I drive by her former home, I think of her. And I believe second grade was also the year I was introduced to the wonderful world of Victory Drill. It was a book full of lists of wonderful words that I was supposed to read as fast and as accurately as possible. I was a Victory Drill master. Nothing could stop me. I loved it. My love affair with words had officially begun. And considering that, in first grade, I was pretty much the last kid in the class who caught on to reading, I'd say I recovered pretty well! Did any of you have the pleasure of Victory Drill? If not, you missed out!

Mom--anything else eventful that year? Did I even get the above facts correct? Feel free to correct me if I didn't!

Next up: Third Grade. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

Yum-O!

2010-07-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

Okay-this may be totally old hat for many of you but it was a first for us today and it was a HUGE success!

I have been wanting to try grilling pizza for a while now. We LOVE brick oven pizza and I figured grilling it was the probably the closest we would get around here because, believe it or not, our home sweet home did not come with a brick oven!

I followed this tutorial from one of my favorite food blogs, and it was easy as, well, pizza pie!! And soo yummy! I made my own dough first thing this morning, then rolled it out very thin into five individual pizzas. (Payton is away at camp this week. We aren't starving anyone!) I refrigerated the crusts between pieces of wax paper and they were ready to go when Jeff got home. Everyone got to choose their own toppings and everyone was happy!

This is my pizza-mozzarella and tomatoes! It was delicious! I think we've found a new way to make homemade pizza at our house!

Hilarious!!

2010-06-28T00:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's hotter than HADES here in Maryland lately. And you all know how much I LOVE the heat. Ahem......

So I've been on the lookout for "cool" things that will make me laugh and take my mind off the dreadful sauna to which I've apparently been banished.

And this new site fits the bill! Young House Love says

".....the writer of this new blog, Catalog Living, is all about finding irony and humor instead. She basically takes an overly-styled room in a catalog and imagines what strange conversations must surround each beautiful but not-so-logical scene."

It's hilarious! And FUN! Kinda like The Far Side meets Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel. Just the kind of thing to take your mind off the thermometer.

So enjoy! I'm off to stick my head in the freezer..............again.

Two, Two, Two posts in One!!

2010-06-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I totally missed last Thursday's post on preschool and kindergarten, but I'm a day early for this week's post on first grade. So I think we're even.

Once again, these years are fuzzy, but I do recall a few important things.

Preschool and Kindergarten

My sister, Amie, was born in September, 1969, and my brother Adam in March, 1971. My mom was busy!
We moved to my childhood home in March 1971, right before my brother was born. I remember walking up the road to the new house (at the time we were living just down the road) while my mom was VERY pregnant with my brother.
I entered kindergarten in September, 1971. It was the first year that High Point Baptist Academy was in existence. My teacher was Mrs. Vogt. I don't remember much about that year except that I spent MUCH time in the playhouse during recess learning to lace and tie my shoes. This is a skill that I still have not totally mastered. I always have to pause and think before lacing shoes, and I tie my shoes in a very weird way. I was probably scarred for life in that ridiculous blue and yellow playhouse while the rest of the class was out at recess.
I was Betsy Ross in the school play that year. My mom made my costume. I don't remember exactly what my role involved, but I do remember the night of the play. I'm sure I was a huge success on the small stage. (Mom, I know there's a picture of that somewhere.)

First Grade

My teacher was Mrs. Hertzler. During the fall of that year, she lost her 12-year old daughter during open heart surgery, and we had a long-term substitute.
My love-hate relationship with recess continued: I spent many recesses inside with my head down on my desk because I could not. stop. talking. Most days that was terribly boring, but the day that Melissa Moser threw up all over her desk, I had a front-row seat for all the action.
My most vivid first-grade memory is the day that I dawdled just a bit too long washing my hands after bathroom break. When I came out of the restroom, Mrs. Hertzler asked me what had taken so long. Apparently, I didn't answer quickly enough so Mrs. Hertzler proceeded to ask me if I'd had a BM? Now, I have to tell you that in our home, my mother NEVER allowed words like "BM". So naturally, I had NO idea what Mrs. Hertzler was talking about. I must have looked at her like she had three heads because she mistook the look on my face for disrespect. My punishment was yet another class period with my head down on my desk while the rest of the class enjoyed a film strip on dental hygiene. I blame Mrs. Hertzler for my mouth full of cavities.
My sister Becky was born in October of my first grade year. On the day she was born, the school secretary came to my classroom to tell me that I had a phone call in the school office. After I said hello, daddy told me that I had a baby sister. I was totally bummed because I had really been hoping for another brother. Come to find out, one brother was more than enough (I love you Adam!), and I wouldn't trade Becky (or any of my siblings!) for anything.

And now for your viewing pleasure:

Me and my handsome daddy, May, 1968
Celebrating my 5th birthday, November, 1972

Quote of the Day

2010-06-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

Tonight, on the way to Payton's soccer game (yes, somehow, "fall soccer" has morphed into a-scrimmage-every-Tuesday-night-in-summer soccer. grr...), Sawyer and I were listening to the radio when we heard a commercial for the Maryland state lottery. If you live in Maryland, you know the one "Maryland Lottery, let yourself play."

Sawyer was listening intently and said "Mom, when I grow up, I'm going to play the lottery in Wyoming." Of course, I had to know what made him choose Wyoming. (We can address the pitfalls of the lottery at a later date.)

"Well, no one lives in Wyoming. So I have a better chance of winning there."

Well you can't argue with that. Apparently, all those lessons on ratio and probability are sinking in.

My apologies to any Wyoming readers.

November 18, 1967

2010-06-13T19:15:00.000-04:00

Oddly enough, even though I was there, I don't remember anything about my birth. But I can share the stories my mom has told me. I know I was due November 11 or was it 12th? Then again, maybe I don't know anything. Mom, please correct me if I'm wrong.

My parents were living in a cold, drafty farmhouse on Furnace Road in Geigertown. I was overdue and my mom was ready to be done! I know her labor lasted for days--and when she finally got to the hospital and they took her into the delivery room, Robert Goulet was singing over the sound system. My mom always joked that I am a singer because of that. I also know that Mrs. Harris (as in Miss Harris, the science teacher's mom) was my mom's labor and delivery nurse. I was born in Reading Hospital and delivered by Dr. George Sexton (yes, funny name for an ob/gyn, huh?) at 9:28 p.m. As you saw from the comments above, my dad was busy watching OJ Simpson and, to this day, he has a hard time remembering exactly when my birthday is. However, I bet if we asked him right now, he could tell us the final score of that college football game without hesitation. I try not to take that personally.

I was named Jennifer Robin. My mother insists that at the time she named me "there we NO other Jennifers", and we all know how THAT turned out. Thankfully, my parents were wise enough to never call me Jenny, but most people call me Jen and that's fine with me. Thankfully, they were also wise enough to spell my name "normally". (My sister, Amie, was not so fortunate!). I went to college with a Jeniffer and also know a Gennifer. Seriously? I would never choose "Jennifer Robin" but the alternative was "Martha Louise" so, as you can see, I got the better end of the deal. My mom wanted to name me "Brooke" but daddy didn't go for that. And while I would have much preferred "Brooke", I am thrilled to have my own "Brooke Ashleigh" now.

The only other detail I know about my birth is that my poor mom, likely in an unsuspecting moment of pregnancy-induced stupidity, agreed to have Thanksgiving dinner at her home in November of 1967. Of course, she thought she'd be home with a new baby and all settled and ready to go. Well, naturally, things didn't turn out that way, and we ended up coming home ON Thanksgiving Day to a house full of eager relatives. Mom doesn't remember that day very fondly--and those of you who have had a child and know how that first day/night home from the hospital is--can understand why. I do know that after all the festivities, my Aunt Judy stayed for a week to help mom and I'm sure that was wonderful!

So there you have it-Installment #1. A few days late. Just like me.

(I'm working on getting some pictures to spice up these posts a bit and embarrass myself into oblivion. Stay tuned.)

A fun summer series!

2010-06-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Sooooooo.....you've probably noticed that the blogging has gone in waves (or trickles) recently. I'm inspired for about a week and then life gets busy and there's nothing for two weeks. Then I'm inspired again, then busy, then inspired, then busy. You get the idea.

Honestly, I was dreading the summer and having to be creative with posts. I LOVE the writing. It's coming up with what to write about that stumps me. I also tend to be a perfectionist (if you hadn't noticed) and so I write and rewrite, then think about the post for a few days, and then rewrite again. This doesn't make for easy (or enjoyable!) blogging at times!

But yesterday, my summer writer's block was lifted, and I am so excited! I came across this blog and saw that she is hosting a series about recording your youth in 15 posts or less. How fun! I have mentioned before that I pretty much had a perfect childhood, and I am blessed to have wonderful memories that I would love to record for my children and grandchildren. So I am jumping in with two feet! I am already two days behind but I don't think that will matter. Posts will follow this schedule (hopefully!).

June 10:

Details about your birth/How you got your name

June 17:

Preschool-Kindergarten years

June 24:

Age 6 or First Grade

July 1:

Age 7 or Second Grade

July 8:

Age 8 or Third Grade

July 15:

Age 9 or Fourth Grade

July 22:

Age 10 or Fifth Grade

July 29:

Age 11 or Sixth Grade

August 5:

Age 12 or Seventh Grade

August 12:

Age 13 or Eighth Grade

August 19:

Age 14 or Ninth Grade

August 26:

Age 15 or Tenth Grade

Sept. 2:

Age 16 or Eleventh Grade

September 9:

Age 17 or Twelfth Grade

September 16:

Post High School

Hopefully, the creative juices will start flowing and by mid-September, you will know way more about me than you ever dreamed or desired! I may even learn to use that scanner sitting in the study and post some very embarrassing pictures! (Also, mom, I'm putting you on notice. I may need help with recall of some pertinent facts--you know, like which football game daddy was watching while I was being born and who is responsible for that horrendous river boat ride we had to take on that Kentucky vacation!)

Post One will be up tomorrow. Please come back and read. I know you can't wait!

Pomp and Circumstance......

2010-06-10T18:57:00.000-04:00

She did it.
She graduated.
She laughed and smiled THE. ENTIRE. TIME.
She had a blast, just as I hoped she would.
She had a wonderful evening and made some wonderful memories.
She sang like an angel-as always.
And I did not shed one tear.

Jessie, Sarah, Brooke at Baccalaureate

Brooke and Jordyn, Baccalaureate

Waiting for her turn to walk across the stage. And smiling!

Seems like just yesterday she was three!

Congratulations from Mr. Van Ness, Headmaster

I did it!

On to Cedarville University--and amazing things for God!!

We love you Brooke.
We are so proud of you!

For the love of teachers...

2010-06-08T18:08:00.000-04:00

This is my new favorite blog! Really. In fact, one day last week, I sat and read the. entire. archives. Yes I did. Because I don't have anything else to do, you know! I only wish she posted more often!

But, the other day, she posted these charming thank you notes, and I love, love, love them! It's that time of year--you know the time: teacher gifts. I happily appreciate my kids' teachers but I am woefully bad at coming up with creative ideas that don't break the bank.

But Dandee saved me! She offered a free pdf for these charming cards, and I just happened to have some postcard stock and adorable red ribbon on hand. (Miracles never cease! I actually had some red ribbon!) I printed off a set of cards, tied them up with a sweet ribbon, and off they went. Hopefully, we made a few teachers smile.

I'm sure Dandee would be happy to share the pdf with you. Then you can make some teachers smile too!

Dear Brooke....

2010-06-07T08:13:00.000-04:00

Today you graduate from high school. It's hard to believe since it seems like just yesterday we were joyfully welcoming you to the world!

Today is bittersweet. We are so proud of you and excited for all that you have to look forward to. We are also sad for us as we know that life in our little family will never be the same.

Until you have a child of your own, you will never understand how very much we love you or how our hearts long for you to follow hard after God. You are amazing and beautiful and talented. We are so blessed and privileged to be your mom and dad.

Today, as one door closes and another swings wide open, this is our prayer for you:

Sweet Brooke, be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you a wise mind and a spirit attuned to His will so you will acquire a thorough understanding of the way in which God works. We pray that the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and that you will continually do good, kind things for others. And that all the while, you will learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be made strong with HIS glorious power so that you will have ALL the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father who makes you strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that HE has for you! Colossians 1:9-10

And, finally, on this momentous day, we couldn't close without reminding you of our favorite family saying: Life is full of choices. Choices have consequences. Make wise choices.

Congratulations sweet Brooke!

We love you always,

Mom and Dad

Your laugh for the day.......

2010-05-26T21:41:00.002-04:00

OH. MY. WORD.

Go here.

And then, if you're really brave, put your 8th grade school picture up there. You know you could! Heck, couldn't we ALL!?

Tweet, Tweet

2010-05-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

Evidently I don't have enough to do because I had a brain lapse this morning and signed up for a Twitter account. Really, I was motivated by all the deals and coupons you can get via Twitter. But.......I ended up playing around for a couple hours. Yikes!

Either way, if you care to know when I go grocery shopping and when I'm folding laundry and exactly at what point in each day I temporarily lose my mind (you've obviously already missed today's moment), feel free to follow me on Twitter. My username is jenvestrand.

And, if you are sane and smart enough to avoid the sensation that is Twitter, you can just read my Tweets on the sidebar. Wasn't it nice of me to provide them there for you?

Okay. I'm off to accomplish. something. productive.

Sigh.......

Quote of the Day

2010-05-23T17:41:00.000-04:00

Sawyer is a crafty child. Which, as you know, is very unfortunate for him seeing as his mother is THE. MOST. UNcrafty person on God's green earth. (I will go to my grave asserting that play doh is of the devil.)

But, in spite of Sawyer's lack of "crafty parental influence", he enjoys doing what he can with what he's given which, I readily admit, is pretty much next to nothing. However, in a weak and desperate moment this school year, I bought some Sculpey clay. It was a school project thing and it makes play doh look heaven sent, let me tell ya!

For some reason, still unknown to me, I kept that darn stuff. And, not surprisingly, Sawyer knew exactly where it was. Yes, this is the same kid who regularly leaves one shoe at school and often grabs a tie from the school lost and found so he isn't penalized for his lack of uniform on chapel days. But he sure doesn't forget where that awful Sculpey clay lives.

And so last night, after declaring his boredom almost non-stop all day, Sawyer decided he was going to sculpt a starfish. (Don't ask me.) The starfish idea lost momentum quickly when it didn't turn out the way he'd hoped, and he moved on to sculpt a daisy, which he then presented to me with the disclaimer "It's not very good mom but here you go." I accepted it willingly, scraped that dang clay off the table with a power chisel, tossed Sawyer the turpentine so he could get his fingers unstuck, and proudly plastered that daisy on the fridge door, where it hangs this very moment.

Once the clean up was complete, Sawyer sighed loudly and grabbed a simple yet lovely piece of notebook paper and a pencil. As he got settled at the table next to me, he said wistfully

"I think I'll just draw something now, mom. I'm much better at 2D than 3D."

Indeed.

Be Still My Heart.....

2010-05-22T20:36:00.000-04:00

LOVE. THIS. SITE.

I'll take one of everything please.

This lovely image is now my desktop picture.

If you want one too--and you know you do--go here!

Already?

2010-05-21T13:24:00.000-04:00

Yum!

2010-05-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

It was my task to make dessert for our community group meal last Sunday night. I wanted to do something "summery", and I wanted to use strawberries! The ones I've gotten lately have been sooo good! I decided on angel food cake of some sort, but when I went to get my "angel food cake pan" (a Goodwill find), it was too small. Who knew they came in different sizes?

So I headed to google and found this recipe for making cupcakes with an angel food cake boxed mix. I followed the directions to a "T" and they turned out perfectly! Next, I needed a fluffy icing recipe. This one fit the bill exactly and it was delicious! The half strawberry and chocolate shavings on top were just fun yummy additions of my own. While I was making them, Payton noted that a chocolate-covered strawberry on top would be delicious too! And I heartily agree!

This recipe is a keeper! Enjoy!

Angel Food Cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) package angel food cake mix (made 18 cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line muffin tin with paper bake cups. Prepare batter as directed on the box. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Do not overfill. The cake batter expands! Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool Whip Cream Icing

12 ounces cool whip, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Mix all ingredients on medium speed until well blended. Then whip to desired consistency.

Isn't she lovely?

2010-05-18T09:29:00.001-04:00

Brooke's final senior prom was this past Saturday. After a few days of eyebrow waxing, fingernail painting, makeup applying, hair styling, and dress lacing, she was absolutely beautiful! And, most importantly, she had a great time with her friends.

This Tuesday, I celebrate Brooke. We love you sweet girl.

Keepin' It Real.......

2010-05-17T12:55:00.000-04:00

So we're walking out of church yesterday. Sawyer and I were chatting about how much he enjoyed helping in the preschool class and what fun he had with the kids. All of the sudden, he glanced up at me and did a double take.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Wow, mom. Your gray hair is pretty bad." he said very matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I know. I need to color it this week so I don't look like a skunk." I replied.

He put his arm around my waist and said

"It's okay mom. You're a beautiful skunk!"

Thanks.........I think.

Sping Spong

2010-05-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Alternatively titled: "What to do when the rest of the house is consumed with getting your oldest sister to her senior prom..."

First, you decide you'd like to play a game of ping pong.
The fact that we have no ping pong table is only a minor issue.
The kitchen table will work just dandy.
Throw in a few video games and some disposable container lids and the game's on.

All is going well. Until oldest son has a brainstorm and goes running.
One letter opener, one ruler, and massive amounts of masking tape later, two "paddles" are born.

The game continues until one boy is obviously convicted and decides to take a "biblical approach" to the makeshift net.

Satisfied that they have covered enough versions, play continues.
Alas, the ball rarely hits the table.
But it does make constant contact with painted walls, decorations, lamps, doors, etc.

Notice the concentration that is required to hit everything in the room EXCEPT the table.
Finally tired, the "sping spong" (as they've dubbed it) champs take a break.

But don't let them fool you!
Champ #1 is checking out "How to play offensive in ping pong" on that fount of wisdom, Wikihow.
The next match is sure to be even more exciting!

Stream of Consciousness

2010-05-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

Hang on! My mind is spinning lately!

I love the rain but these May showers are a bit much. I wouldn't care so much except that I got me some FREE perennials off Freecyle last week and they are languishing in plastic bags in my back yard just waiting to be planted. I was hoping for tomorrow or Saturday but the rain is supposed to continue tomorrow, and Saturday is Brooke's senior prom. This, of course, means that no one in our house will accomplish anything except getting Brooke ready for prom!

I cannot find a graduation card for Brooke. Have you ever looked for a graduation card? Why are they sooo cheesy or stupid? I just want a nice card for our daughter's high school graduation, preferably without neon butterflies, tacky sunrises, or a toilet on the front with the inscription "Way to go" on the inside! I even went into Papyrus last night, thinking surely they would have something. I had the younger kids with me and we had to leave because some of the cards were downright filthy. And please don't suggest I make one. Let's be serious here.

A friend recently asked me to join a book club she started. I've never been in a book club before! We are reading this book. It's really good; I only wish I had more time to read it!

My final voice recital was yesterday. All of the girls did a GREAT job! I am so proud of them. They have come a long way this school year. We had a great time!

Brooke is having a terrible time with her allergies this year. So last week we headed to the dermatologist, and once we got into the exam room and got settled, the nurse bustled in and said "Hello Brooke. I see you are here for the hair replacement therapy." I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look of pure confusion and terror on Brooke's face.

Last week a friend and I were discussing the lack of physical activity/exercise in our lives. We were commiserating over the fact that we feel like all we do is cart children from one activity to another and wishing there were exercises we could do in the car. Then it hit me: Kegels are exercise aren't they? I may not lose any weight but it sure might help other "issues." Don't judge me. I've had four children.

And, just in case you're wondering, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new computer. LOVE it.

Happy weekend everyone!

An ode to MACkenzie

2010-05-10T08:09:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, yesterday was my eighteenth Mother's Day. Where has the time gone? Anyway, I thought it appropriate to write a love letter to my newest baby.

Ahem.........here you go.

Dear MACkenzie,

Yesterday you came to live at our house and I couldn't be happier. You weighed in at 5.5 pounds, and you are 15 inches long. On Saturday, quite unexpectedly, your predecessor expired without warning, and so I got to spend a few hours yesterday at the bright and shiny Apple store at Towson Town Center, carefully choosing you and bringing you home.

You are truly amazing. You are so clean and bright. Your "K" key doesn't jiggle, and no cookie crumbs or chocolate shavings reside under your keyboard. One of my favorite features is the backlit keyboard that will allow me to work into the wee hours without having to "feel" my way as I type. And my other favorite feature is your magnetic cord connection. It's the little things, isn't it?

Your intel core i5 processor with turbo boost and hyper threading make my heart go pitter patter. You take me to all my favorite blogs, my facebook page, and the library website at practically the speed of light. And your dual processor is just the first indicator of your genius. Now, when I have to run those pesky PC-based programs, all will go off without a hitch--and I won't need one of those silly computers whose name rhymes with "hell! Oh, how I love you!

Your aluminum unibody is a beautiful sight to behold. I haven't yet decided if I'll dress you in a skin or just enjoy you in all your silvery glory. And your integrated HD graphics mean I will be able to watch corny youtube videos and Netflix instant movies to my heart's content--without waiting for the video content to catch up with the audio! It will be glorious!

Now I hope you'll understand that even though we just brought you home, today I have to return you for a few days so you can get all updated and fancy again. When I pick you up on Wednesday, all my familiar bookmarks and passwords and auto fills will be back where they belong! I can hardly wait. Yes sirree MACkenzie! Even though you are merely a 15-inch Macbook Pro, I'm pretty sure I'm in love.

Welcome home! I promise to love you with all my heart forever--or at least until a month from now-- when you are obsolete and I am longing for an upgrade.

Your giddy new owner,

Jen

A Soothing Treat...

2010-05-05T18:20:00.000-04:00

For better or worse, out of all of our children, Payton's personality is most like mine. Don't be too impressed - that just means he's a Type AAAA perfectionist worrier just like his mom!

Two months ago, Payton worked very hard auditioning for the lead male part in the middle school spring musical. And his diligence was rewarded. He was chosen to play Prince Charming in Cinderella. Of course, while this means lots of fun and great memories, it also means long practices, line memorization, singing and dancing lessons, and so on. This weekend all of the long hours and hard work will pay off in two performances, which I'm certain will be delightful.

But, true to form, Payton has been feeling the stress this week. Dress rehearsals, algebra homework, and science projects leave little time for playing catch with Jeff or shooting basketballs with Sawyer and often worry, sleeplessness, and all-around crankiness ensue.

I wanted to do something special to let Payton know how proud we are of him and all his hard work. But mostly, I just wanted him to know how much we love him. For Payton, a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries says all of that and much more! He was thrilled and hopefully the stress and nerves were gone as quickly as the strawberries. We love you Payton! Break a leg!

It's LIVE........

2010-05-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

My guest post is live here today! Try to suppress your laughter at the title "Another Healthy Living Blog". After all, you know, "healthy" can be a very subjective term. Enjoy!

Sigh.....

2010-05-01T12:38:00.000-04:00

I'm busy. I'm tired--physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. I'm tired of being busy. And, as you've probably noticed, I'm not winning any awards for frequent blog posting! That's because I'm busy and tired which, inevitably, leave me uninspired. I think I could handle the tired and busy if I knew some sort of relief was in sight. But relief eludes me. In fact, I'm quite certain the "tired of being busy" will only get much worse before it gets any better.

I want to go here. First for a week with Jeff. Then for a week with my ipod and a stack of good books. Then maybe I will be rested and unbusy enough to come home. Maybe.

Ahh-good thing dreams are free......

She...........

2010-04-19T19:48:00.000-04:00

was voted "Best Smile" for the Chapelgate Christian Academy Class of 2010. We aren't surprised.

Nothing in particular and everything in general....

2010-04-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

I don't love ice cream. I don't need to have a bowl every night before bed or anything like that. However, I recently discovered Green's Colombian coffee chip ice cream. It's dangerous. Take my word for it.

If I were skinny--and rich, I would soo buy this!

And this too. Look at all those fabric choices! Love them!

Some dull-minded bathroom renovator put white grout in our main floor bathroom. I HATE it but I imagine this would make it MUCH more bearable. Why didn't I think of that?

If you live near us and you heard whooping and hollering last night, it was me finding out that my boss is switching over to Macs for the office and I am getting a new laptop shortly. Hallelujah!

Watched this movie the other night. It was one of the. worst. movies I have ever seen. 'Nuff said.

We are hosting four sweet girls and one leader for Weekend 180 tonight through Sunday. This is HUGE for me. I most definitely do not have the gift of hospitality, and I lose my mind getting ready to be a hostess. I'm not kidding. Today I scrubbed my bathroom floor with a toothbrush and a magic eraser. And I vacuumed inside the cabinet under the sink. I also dust my hot water heater. I need psychiatric help. Or a housecleaning business. Or both.

I mowed the lawn today. And it was HOT. Is it October yet?

My guest post here should "go live" in the next 2-3 weeks. And, I am going to do another guest post here in May. I am honored and humbled. Stay tuned! Oh, and in the meantime, don't forget to go here and enter!

I've been pondering the following quote posted by a friend on Facebook this week. A good and timely reminder.

God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience.

I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will,

a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.

Elisabeth Eliot

Happy Weekend! G'night.

Keepin' It Real.......

2010-04-10T18:54:00.000-04:00

This phenomenal article (pretty much everything that comes out of Relevant magazine is phenomenal) really hit me between the eyes today. Like many, if not most, believers, I have been guilty of "misusing" this verse and even practicing one of those things that I hate the most: taking God's Word out of context. Indeed, I have to admit, I've never concentrated on the passages surrounding Jeremiah 29 or given much thought to the context into which these words were spoken. Today, however, was different.

Nearly ten years ago, when Jeff and I were wading (slogging) through very deep waters in the first of what I thought would be THE most horrific experience of our lives--betrayal at the hands of christian brothers and sisters who spoke love to us but acted in most unloving and unchristlike ways, which was then followed just six years later by an equally horrific and eerily similar experience (mamas don't let your babies grow up to be pastors)--I was the good baptist girl turned jaded pastor's wife who printed this verse out in a swirling serif font and plastered it between the spelling tests and dental appointment cards that adorned the front of our Frigidaire.

I distinctly remember standing in my kitchen in Grand Rapids listening to a beautiful rendition of Great is Thy Faithfulness on the radio. As I turned to put something in the fridge, the verse caught my eye and I sat right down on the linoleum, Sawyer crawling and drooling around me, and sobbed my heart out. I was quite certain God had no plan for us. He had completely forgotten we existed.   How could the heartache and pain we were feeling be part of this so-called hopeful future screaming at me daily from the refrigerator door?

Looking back, I can see that God's hand was working all through that time but I certainly wasn't seeing it then. And, six years later, when we were facing a similar situation, I remember asking God "So THIS was your plan to 'prosper' us? In case you haven't noticed, we are staring down the barrel of the same loaded gun here and it sure ain't 'prosperous'. I didn't want to leave Grand Rapids in the first place. Why did you bring us to Maryland just to put us through all this again? I would have gladly skipped this. Thankyouverymuch."

But I was still a good baptist girl albeit an even-more-jaded pastor's wife and, doggone it, I printed that darn verse out again and plastered it up on the new fridge almost daring God to come through in some miraculous way.   That was three years ago, and I would be totally lying if I didn't say that I am still waiting for that miracle. Yes, God has provided and we are fine. Don't get me wrong. I have absolutely no desire to go back three years, and I could make a long list of lessons learned and relationships gained through this painful experience. But life is certainly not what I had anticipated or hoped for. I can think of about a million things I would change about our life, and many (most) days, I certainly don't feel prosperous or hopeful. My pessimistic self is precariously suspended in the familiar state of "waiting for the other shoe to drop" because that's just how life seems to work for us. God is probably tired of hearing me pray "Why?", and contentment is a battle that I lose on a daily (hourly) basis.

And, as you might suspect, Jeremiah 29:11 is no longer hanging on our fridge. Which is probably a good thing, considering how "twisted out of shape" my view of God has become. I think I need to print out this article and give it a place of honor on the fridge instead.

I'm a Guest Blogger!!

2010-04-08T11:22:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited--and nervous--and honored--and surprised--and nervous!! Last week, the fabulous Hannah Keeley contacted me about doing a guest post on her blog! Since then, I've been e-mailing back and forth with the lovely Anna, who works with Hannah, and I think we've ironed out all the necessary details for my very first guest post appearance! I'm so excited--and nervous! Or did I already mention that??

Now, you regular readers will know things rarely happen to me without a large helping of irony and downright funniness attached to them. And this, my friends, is no exception! Have you ever heard of Hannah Keeley? Well, I sure hadn't. So I clicked over to her blog--and it became immediately apparent WHY I had never heard of Hannah Keeley! Her blog--the very blog she has invited ME to write a guest post for --the one where she shares tips, recipes, and even advertises her TV SHOW---yes, as in TELEVISION. SHOW.--is all about-------are you sitting down?? HEALTHY. LIVING.

(Insert pause for your hysterical laughter.......)

Yep! You heard me right: healthy living. After I almost peed my pants laughing, I promptly wrote her back and said Are you sure you have the right person? Have you read my blog? Do you know that healthy living is definitely NOT my.....ummm..............area of expertise? And she sweetly replied You can write on anything that keeps you mentally, physically, or emotionally healthy. You have four days to pick a topic and let me know what you want to write about!

So there you are! It's official! Hannah wants a guest post from ME (the epitome of un-healthy living that I am) and I have NO. IDEA. what to write about. I've basically told them it will be about organizing--of course--but I haven't narrowed down the topic yet. And this is where I could use your help.

As you can probably imagine , my house is pretty clutter-free and organized. And, honestly, it's really never been cluttered or unorganized so I can't write a huge post about how I went through like a tornado one day, cleaned out 123 trash bags of junk, bought a label maker and thirty Rubber Maid containers, and life has never been the same!

So this is where you come in! What do YOU want me to write about? Would you like to know how I organize a certain area of our home? Would you like to know how I stay clutter-free? What about my anal retentive organizing skills can help you? Please leave a comment and let me know! I have a few ideas swirling about in my brain but I would much rather write about something that people would enjoy reading about and that might be a tiny bit helpful to someone. So, let the commenting begin. And please don't leave me hanging here--someone say something--comment anonymously. I don't care! Just comment!

My post is due next Wednesday, April 12, and I'm eagerly awaiting your input. But, in the meantime, Hannah is hosting a FABULOUS contest for this blog series. Right now, you can visit her blog or American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning and register to win a $15,000 healthy living home makeover -- including a half-day home assessment with Hannah and a brand new home comfort system from American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning! The contest is open for entries so hurry on over to register! After you leave me a comment, of course! Good luck!