Wendy's Wonderings

2011-12-16T10:07:00.003-06:00

I'm Spreading the news!!! :-)
The nephew wants a new digital camera. BAD. He wants a Nikon. Just so happens Oh So Posh Actions is giving one away. :-)

Have you priced a Nikon D90??? HELLO!! To say I hope I win would be an understatement. :-) If you wish, head on over and sign up for the drawing. The deadline is TOMORROW, December 17th.
Love,

2011-12-10T13:53:00.004-06:00

I feel as if I should introduce myself....

It's obviously been a long time since I posted last. Sorry about that. We'll have to see if I actually finish this post and publish it. I'm so far behind on things I have wanted to post about that I don't even know where to begin. This may end up looking like a hyperactive kid who's had WAY TOO MUCH CAFFEINE typed this. :-) It's going to bounce around all over the place. So, bear with me, okay?

I guess "first things first" - It's Christmas!!! If you've been here before you know how much I LOVE this time of year. There are many reasons why. Yes, I love the music, the lights, the decorations, the food, the smells, the colder weather, the movies... it's "magical". I don't know if a word has been invented to describe the feeling I have about Christmas. I do, indeed, act like a kid about Christmas.

I love decorating the tree, playing Christmas music and baking cookies. I love making or buying gifts for others, but that's not the main reason. My family and I celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ, as it should be. To celebrate and thank God for His gift to us. To celebrate that He came to earth in human form, to live among us, love and teach us. And give us a glimpse of our Heavenly Father. What an amazing gift.

It's true that it's not about the presents, and all of the "hoopla" (although I love the hoopla)... all of that's fine, as long as it doesn't take away from the REAL reason we celebrate Christmas.

This week I have read two blogs that speak about this very thing, and they blessed me so much I'll share them here.

My "real life" friend, Amanda posted this one.

This one was shared with me by several friends and really blessed me.

I have to admit that as this week has felt different even for me. Not in a bad way, just different. I've been looking past "tradition" and looking at doing things differently as a family.

First, I didn't put out all of the decorations. Don't get me wrong, we did a good bit, but it just didn't seem important to put out everything. And, I was totally okay with it. :-)

We did go on annual trip to Santa Land this year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love driving through the park and seeing all of the lights and cut outs. There were some new things this year, and that's always exciting. It's a wonderful family experience that we have shared with both of the nephews. Seeing the looks on their faces and hearing their excitement when they point and shout, "Look at that!" :-)

But, the nephews are getting older, and I think some new experiences may be in order for our family. SO, I believe we'll save the Santa Land money (and a little more) and head to Grapevine, TX, "The Christmas Capital of the World" next year.

Doesn't that look awesome!! New family experiences; great photo opportunities, and the same "Christmas Magic".

On a totally different topic, I really hate that it's been so long since I have blogged. I use this as my way of "thinking out loud", and keeping up with people. Unfortunately, it is just so much easier to put out a quick "blurb" on facebook. That doesn't always allow me to say all I'd like to say though. But, then time and energy are factors and I end up not blogging. I'm definitely going to need to do better though.

In the last few months I have REALLY gotten into listening to Jason Crabb. I've seen them some on Gaither videos, etc. But, this last year I have taken time to really listen to his solo stuff, and I LOVE it!! There are two songs I play A LOT, and they're on youtube, so I'll post them here. (Family, if you're reading; $2 in the stocking to purchase these songs on amazon would be awesome. Please and Thank you.)

Both of these songs are such a blessing to me!!

I'm in the mood to create something and need a creative outlet. It's been a long time since I've painted or done any crafts. I'll have to work on that. :-)

However, my baking/cake decorating mood is getting satisfied now that it's Christmas. :-) LOVE that.

My sister, "J", has gone gluten-free. She can already see a major change in her health. She doesn't get sick after eating, which is a major plus, and doesn't seem to be as tired/fatigued as she usually was. It's been interesting finding out all about gluten-free stuff, and how VERY careful you have to be when you eat out, or prepare food at home. It truly must have NO contact with any gluten whatsoever. We are doing pretty good with it though. :-)

We have found MANY blogs/facebook pages/websites that have helped. Here's one
It's amazing how much stuff has gluten. Things I never would have thought of. Like shampoo. Gluten is in more stuff than just food.

A friend shared a recipe with me recently that we LOVE. Well, most of us. I have no clue if it's gluten free, but it's awesome. Here's the recipe:

Cowboy Dip

2 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese
16 oz of Sour Cream
1 can or Mild or Original Rotel
1 can of HOT Rotel
1 lb. Mild Jimmy Dean sausage ( browned and drained)
1 lb. of HOT or SPICY Jimmy Dean sausage (browned and drained.)

Put everything in a crock pot on low and let it melt together. Enjoy with chips! :-)

Well, I guess that catches me up for now. :-) I will try to do better about blogging more regularly.

Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-11-20T18:51:00.004-06:00

My friend, Amanda, at Royal Daughter Designs is having a "Countdown to Christmas" featuring other bloggers ideas for homemade ornaments. I'm participating. :-) Please, visit her often as she always posts things that are inspirational/helpful, and for more ornament ideas. :-)

This is a great one to do with the kids. It's messy, fun, and they make cute ornaments. It's also very inexpensive, and makes the house smell GREAT! :-) The size of the cookie cutters you use will determine the number of ornaments you will get. We got A LOT!!

I made these a long time ago with my nephew, but neglected to take photos. So, the photos you see are not mine. I borrowed the photo from this site, http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/cinnamon-dough-ornaments.html
Here's what you'll need:

1 cup of regular applesauce (not the chunky variety)
1 1/2 cups of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup of white glue

Assorted cookie cutters
Drinking straw
Colored ribbon

In a mixing bowl, stir together ingredients. Form the mixture into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes until the "dough" stiffens.
Sprinkle more cinnamon on a cutting board or a waxed-paper-lined surface, and turn the chilled dough onto it. Dust a rolling pin with cinnamon and use it to roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness (if it's thinner than that, the ornaments will be too fragile).
Cut out decorative shapes with assorted cookie cutters or a butter knife, then use a plastic drinking straw to make a hole through the top center of each cutout.
Let the ornaments air-dry completely before stringing them with ribbon. Ornaments will need to be flipped daily for 3-5 days while they dry. They will shrink some as they dry out. Once they are completely dry you can add a string the hole and hang on the tree or throughout your home. String several together to make a beautiful garland.

** Some people remove some of the cinnamon and add other spices such as Pumpkin Pie Spice, all-spice, cloves or nutmeg. This is totally a personal preference.

Hope you enjoy making these with your kids. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-09-10T14:56:00.002-05:00

It was a good drill....

You may have heard about the severe drought/wildfires we have been battling here in Texas. To say it has been HOT would be an understatement. Last Sunday we had a wonderful cool front come through, that brought much cooler temperatures, and some wind. It's reported that later in the day the wind knocked a dead tree down on a power line and that started a fire. It's also been reported they have started other ways as well; everything from cigarettes to arson.

It seemed like every few minutes reports of another fire popped up, and we had no idea which way there were going. People were understandably scared and confused.

Praise God the closest fire to us came within 10 miles, but never reached us. However, we are the "cautious" type, and always try to be prepared for "just in case" situations.

So, we decided to go ahead and pack the cars "just in case."

Everyone was told to pack a bag of clothes, and only take what cannot be replaced. We had 2 car trunks and 1 back seat we could use, but not overload.

I am proud to say we thought of almost everything. Everyone had 2-3 pairs of pants, 1 weeks worth of shirts, a pair of PJs, and underclothes, socks, etc. We packed our 2 First Aid Kits, including ALL of the Young Living Oils we own, along with the diffuser.

And photo albums. LOTS of photo albums.

I say it was a good dry run because we did learn a few things. 1) We each learned what was important, and what wasn't to us. 2) We only forgot a couple of things that really should go if we ever actually have to evacuate, and 3) I will no longer do traditional scrapbooks. While I LOVE the creativity it allows me, they are too heavy and bulky. So, it's digital scrapbooks from now on. Cost about the same, and take up a lot less space.

Other than that, we did really well.

Another thing I learned is just how grateful I am for Facebook.

Our local news station kept us VERY WELL informed via facebook. We were able to get notices of fires and evacuations a lot faster than if it had been on TV. There is also a page for fires all over Texas, so we were able to share information. People were so great to immediately offer help for families, and even for land to relocate their animals. It was amazing to watch all of this unfold before me on the internet.

I'm sure the creators of FB never thought of it being used in this manner, but either regardless of that I say, "Thank you."

The fires are still burning over many parts of Texas, and many people have lost their homes. We know people who have been evacuated, and also many who had their homes saved.

I have to say "THANK YOU" to ALL of the firefighters, many who have been fighting since it started, almost a week ago. YOU ARE HEROES.

To any of you who are also being affected by the fires, my prayers are with you, and please stay safe.

Please, pray for RAIN IN TEXAS.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-08-31T13:27:00.003-05:00

The Word of the Day is "Flexibility".

First, I'm sure you have noticed the new look. :-) I want to thank Amanda at Royal Daughter Designs for the amazing "face lift" she gave the blog. She is AWESOME. Be sure to check her out, and like her on facebook.

"Little Mark" and I are break this week. We, FINALLY, finished 8th grade last week, and we will begin 9th grade on September 8th.

I am now ending day 3 of my break, and this is the first time I have stayed up past 10:00 pm. I have managed to sleep in some. This morning I actually slept until 8:00 am. UNHEARD of for me. 1) because I don't like sleeping that late. It makes the rest of the day drag on, and I feel like I have missed most of the day when I could have been productive. I end up taking longer to get dressed, get my morning routines finished, etc. 2) By that time my back hurts from being in bad too long. Guess I'll have to do better about staying on my schedule; that way it won't be so hard to adjust when we begin school again. :-)

Speaking of school, we haven't even started yet and I'm already making changes to curriculum and our school calender. :-)

I sent a question to Alpha Omega regarding their Monarch program (which I was very excited about using) The nice person who responded sent me a side by side comparison of Monarch vs S.O.S. Most I knew, but a couple of things I didn't. So, I decided to stick with S.O.S. again this year for some of the subjects.

Also, we switched around our some of our days off, added some extra around Thanksgiving, and because we finished 8th grade 2 days later than planned we are starting 2 days later than planned. SO, this means we only get 3 weeks off in December instead of four. (Have I lost you yet?)

This is why I do my lesson plans/calenders in pencil. Again, "Flexibility" is my motto. ;-)

"Angel" has begun second grade, and comes over 4 days a week for me to tutor her. At least I try. She is in a dual language class, after all, and I remember very little from my ONE YEAR of Spanish. So far, I have remembered most of what she is doing this week, so I'm able to "hang in there." Of course, this is only the second week of school, so we'll see how long I last. :-)

And, that about completes my week. I have not been all that productive. I have mentioned to read the Sunday School lesson I will be teaching in a couple of weeks, but have not written it.
I read it while "Little Mark" was in his orthodontist appointment. The braces come off October 3rd. PRAISE THE LORD!!! He's been waiting for this since the day they put them in, over 2 years ago.

So, really, the last couple of weeks have been uneventful.

Well, except for the snake.

The BIG snake.

The one my brother found in the air conditioner closet a week ago tonight, that the policeman let go of, so it went in our attic!!

We are believing it is gone now. We have NO evidence to this, other than the fact that we have not seen it, and we are CHOOSING to believe it is gone.

Please, do not ruin our fantasy by telling us otherwise.

It is just a chicken snake, according to the policeman (And the animal control who were NO HELP because they are not allowed to go into the attic.) but, a snake is a snake in my opinion.

And enough about that because I will be going to bed soon and I don't want to dream about snakes. Thank you very much.

Y'all have a safe Labor Day weekend.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-08-19T06:11:00.008-05:00

Curriculum Round-up, 2011

Most of you won't really care about this post. But, DeeDee (at Fiddledeedee) is having a curriculum round-up today. And, because I don't really have anything worth posting about right now, and because I don't want to feel like I am the ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD CRAZY ENOUGH TO DO THIS "HOMESCHOOLING THING", I am going to participate. :-)

So, sit back and enjoy.

I have had the pleasure (most days) of homeschooling my nephew for about 12 years now. (And yes, I'm getting an eye twitch realizing I just typed 12 YEARS).

I was VERY idealistic (or is it overwhelmed?) when we first began. I was truly blessed with so many people giving me curriculum, and "created" my own using a little from each one. I pulled from KONOS, Weaver, various "store bought" books, etc. I did that for about 2 years.

I do NOT recommend you do that. For pre-K to 2nd grade take advantage of things around your home, your public library, multicolored blocks, craft supplies and M&Ms. That's really all you need for the first couple of years. Just sayin'.

After a few years of "trial and error" with curriculum, and spending too much money at book fairs, I finally got a good grasp of what works for us, and stayed in that direction.

I've pretty much used the same curriculum for the last few years.

Bible/History and Geography/Language Arts

I use Switched on Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega. My nephew LOVES computers. He always has. If he had his way we would have done all of our subjects on computer. But, I didn't want him sitting and looking at a monitor the whole time. And, since he really is a hands on learner as well, I wanted something more well rounded. So , we use other curriculum for the other subjects.

Math

We have used Math U See for several years now. I have to confess we were a little late getting started with math. I did it on my own, for awhile. You know, the basics of adding and subtracting. (He loved subtracting, because he got to eat the Goldfish or M&Ms.) But, since math is NOT my best subject, I definitely wanted to go with a curriculum that was a good fit for both of us. A great friend introduced me to Math U See.

All I can say is, "Hallelujah!!" Steve Demme is amazing. THIS is how I should have been taught to do math when I was in school. Maybe I wouldn't have freaked out when they through letters in with the numbers.

I love that there is a DVD and that each lesson is appropriate for all learning styles. It has been a Godsend for us.

Health/Science

Abeka is a really great, Christian curriculum. We were very blessed when a friend gave us the curriculum they no longer needed.

For a couple of years I also used "Considering God's Creation." This is a wonderful, hands on science curriculum that teaches science in the order of Creation. It can be used for grades 2-12. There are a lot of options for assignments at any grade level. My favorite part was the "Evolution Busters". This brought everything back to the Bible to show how only God could have hung the stars in the sky, and put together the complex wonder known as the human body.

Reading/Spelling

For reading I just use books we have, or those from the library. I began buying classics at used bookstores or curriculum sales a LONG time ago. I get lesson plans for them off of the internet, or if I don't find one I like then I purchase one from our Christian Bookstore.

For spelling, I choose words from the other subjects. I did use a spelling curriculum when he was younger, but another friend showed me that it is more practical, and economical, to use words from things he is already doing. Made sense to me.

Writing

As you can see from my awesome grammar/punctuation skills I do NOT handle the writing. That job has been passed on to my very intelligent brother. :-) He uses Writing Strands. He also handled the reading this last year as well. Yes, he ROCKS!! :-)

Good Citizenship

For this I have used everything from visiting policeman and the fire station to voting. My nephew has attended every election I have voted in since he was 4. He gets to see the ballot, watches me vote, and then we discuss why I voted the way I did. I always stress to him that voting is personal. It reflects MY beliefs, which may not always reflect his. The important thing to remember is that YOU vote YOUR beliefs, and you stick by them. But, know WHY you are voting that way. Don't vote for someone just because they are the most popular, etc. I believe he has a good handle on that subject. I also used a unit study that taught about our entire legislative/voting process, but can't remember the name. Sorry.

This last year we also used "Drive Thru History America". If you have not had the pleasure of seeing a Drive Thru History video, hosted by Dave Stotts, then I encourage you to do so. He is just quirky enough to hold the attention of almost anyone, but really gets the facts to you so you will remember them. I have learned just as much as the nephew has. The DTHA really focuses on the character of 9 early Americans, so that students learn not only more about the sacrifices made for America to become a nation, but about the character traits they need to become better people.

We've also used various things for Unit Studies, etc. And, he has had other subjects through our co-op, such as drama, Astronomy, etc.

P.E. has always been a "freelance" thing, I guess you'd say. We've done everything from karate, playing in the park, attending a gym, water aerobics, and just playing on the Wii.

Like a lot of homeschoolers, we school year round. My goal has always been to take all of December off, and be finished mid July, so we can have a 4-6 week break before beginning the next "school year." Of course, there are other days "off" thrown in there as well. It doesn't always work, but it's what we aimed for.

I've also done the 4 day school week, as well as the 5 day school week.

Now that we are entering his Freshman year in high school (there goes the eye twitch, again) I will be making some changes.

Switched on Schoolhouse will be changed to Monarch. It's pretty much the same things, but I don't have to deal with installation CDs. We will also add Science to the Monarch mix. We will go 5 days, and our goal is to have all of December off, be finished by July 31, and have August off, and of course there are scheduled holidays/days off throughout the year. Even a week off in April and 2 weeks off in June.

Lest you think he is chained to a desk in a dark room this entire time, let me assure you he does have outside activities. He is very involved at church and 4-H. He also does more than his fair share of volunteer work. As a matter of fact, we have cut back on activities this year, because we were both a little "overloaded" the last couple of years. And, since I am a little more than anxious about homeschooling high school (eye twitch) I felt it was in both of our best interests to take some of the pressure off.

Because there are not enough M&Ms in the world to help with that kind of stress.

Hope you saw something that helped you, and I pray you have a very exciting year of homeschooling your family. :-)

Love,

2011-08-01T08:23:00.004-05:00

Blogs I read...

Well, I told y'all I'd be back with a list on Sunday or Monday. It's Monday, just a week later than planned. :-)

In my busy schedule I do try to take a little time for myself, and there are a few blogs I read regularly. Some everyday, some a couple of times a week, and some whenever the owner of the blog has a new update.

I'm rather eclectic, and there are many blogs I read, all for different reasons. Some give me a much needed laugh/smile every time; some are nostalgic and bring good memories. Others are informative or creative, and I love to learn new things, while some are inspirational and uplifting. And others? Well, they just help me to feel "normal" because, like me, they just want to feel like they are reaching the "outside world", but not on a "political crusade."

Does that make sense?

And, I especially love the ones that use more run on sentences than I do because then I don't feel like the lamest person on the earth who should have flunked English instead of getting an A or B.

Which would be why Little Mark's Uncle handles the Writing subjects in our homeschool.

Thank you very much and AMEN.

So, if you feel like trying something new, you might give these other blogs a try. :-)

http://thebigmamablog.com/

http://boomama.net/

http://www.fiddledeedee.net/

The above three are the very first blogs I ever started reading. I don't even remember how I found them, but I just love them. :-)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/

If you haven't heard of Ree Drummond, AKA "Pioneer Woman" then let me introduce you. :-) I began reading her blog in '08 or '09, can't remember. It started when someone recommended her "love story" she had entitled "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". I thought it was very fitting. :-) She was putting on her blog, a chapter a month I think. At least it felt that way when you were waiting for the next chapter! Yes, I was one of the women waiting at the computer in my PJs on Saturday morning when she said the new chapter would be up by 8:00 am.

I have no life; thank you for pointing that out.

(You can now purchase it in book form, here) Or her cookbook here.

OR her children's book here.

I have read them all, and own the cookbook. (LOVE the cinnamon rolls and chocolate sheet cake.) OH, and the jalapenos. (Sweet mercy, they are AWESOME!) I do make one change to the recipe though. I throw in a bag of real bacon pieces instead of wrapping it in bacon.

Did I mention the are AWESOME? I also make a change to the cinnamon rolls which you can read about here.

The woman can do it all. And she homeschools and runs a cattle ranch with her husband. Did I mention they are also turning Black Heels to Tractor Wheels into a movie? Yep, they are. Ree will be played by Reece Witherspoon. If she has said who is playing her husband I must have missed that post, but I have some great suggestions. :-) OH, and she will have her own show on Food Network very soon. They already filmed the episodes.

I want to be Ree when I grow up.

I have to admit, I don't read PW everyday anymore, because HELLO, there is a lot there. But, it is informative and fun. And, she still writes like she always has, even though now she's "famous."

OK, more links:

http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/

This one is fairly new to me, but I am loving it. :-)

http://www.thethriftymama.com/

Again, fairly new to me, but great info.

http://daeofourlives.blogspot.com/

I love reading my friend, Amanda's blog. :-)

http://cozylittlecabin.blogspot.com/

And my friend, Vera's blog. :-)

http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/

This one is also new to me, but I LOVE the craft projects she shows. I especially want to make THIS.

http://juliesthoughtstothink.blogspot.com/

My friend, Julie, is always uplifting and inspiring. :-)

There are others that I read and recommend, but I'll stop here for now. I hope you enjoy them, and find something that interests you. :-) I know they will appreciate new visitors, just as I do. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-07-22T19:20:00.003-05:00

It's a list....

Goodness gracious, I can't believe I've let so much time go by since I posted, AGAIN!

Actually, I can... and I really have no excuse except that I don't feel I have a lot to say that would be all that important to someone else. And, I'm lazy, but that's beside the point.

Actually, I have had a lot to say, but since I try not to post anything "overly political", or use the blog to "vent" too much I tend to not post anything. I guess it's my blog, and I should get on my soap box if I want to, but I'd prefer this to haven of good things for me, and for others.

Oh, I do tend to get sentimental and nostalgic, and that's quite acceptable, but I just don't want it to be a place of negativity. And, I guess I've been looking more at the negative than the positive lately. I need to work on that.

So, here is a list of the positive, sentimental, nostalgic... not negative stuff I've been thinking about lately. :-)

1. My Young Living business is going really well. :-) I'm learning a lot about using the natural oils for healing, and I'm finding great success with what I have personally used. I'm walking without pain, have more energy, and I've even lost a few inches. But, best of all, I'm able to share it with others and they are having success as well, without the high cost of doctor bills. :-)

2. Little Mark and I are almost finished with the 8th grade. :-)

3. I am almost prepared to Home School High School, and I'm no longer overwhelmed by it.

4. Have y'all been playing on Gardens of Time on FB? It is relaxing. It's the only app I play, and doesn't take long during the day. Not one I would become "addicted" to, or have to keep up with lest I should "lose the crops, etc." But, it's a nice, occasional break from reality.

5. God has truly, truly blessed us the last couple of weeks. Need to praise Him for that.

6. Season 2 of Haven is back on!! :-)

7. Friday Night Lights has ended, and the final episode was wonderful. Still get teary eyed when I think about it.

8. I've been thinking about redesigning my blog. Still not quite sure about it.

9. Little Mark won the 4-H scholarship for record book keeping for the second year in a row. :-)

10. He missed going to state by 1 place. I count that as a great accomplishment, since this was his first year to qualify for state.

11. I'm contemplating joining the church choir.

12. I'd really like to take a day and tank full of gas and just drive around and take photos all day. :-)

13. I cannot wait for the movie "Courageous" to come out in September!!! :-)

14. There are 155 days until Christmas! :-)

There, lets end it on a really happy note. :-) I plan to be back tomorrow with a list of blogs I follow pretty faithfully. :-)

Okay... maybe Sunday. Or Monday... SOON!! :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-06-12T18:33:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile....

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged!!! Mercy! Things are so busy. Looks like this will be a random list. Please forgive me.

We are still doing school. We go year round and take several breaks throughout the year. As a matter of fact, 8 days from now begins a two week break for us. One is a family "staycation"; as in we won't be going anywhere, but the siblings have the week off from work and we don't do school. :-)

Well, that's not entirely true. We do plan to go to the zoo one day.

The week after that "Little Mark" goes to youth camp for a week. (Do you hear the Angels singing Hallelujah?!") :-) I get a whole week break. :-)

I have been posting at my YL blog, so if you are at all interested in using Essential Oils to help maintain your health, or help manage illnesses, please take a look. :-) We are so pleased with the successes we have had.

It is HOT!!

We had Vacation Bible School last week. We did the Big Apple Adventure. LOVED it. ;-) I was in charge of Missions for the 4th-6th grade. This is my 3rd year to do Missions. I really enjoy it. I hope to do it again next year.

I do plan to shower early and watch the Mavs beat Miami tonight. I'm thinking nachos are in order.

If you are at all interested in visiting East Texas you might want to check out this magazine. You can also find it in a hard copy if you are anywhere in East Texas. :-) I love that Neal McCoy is in the very first issue.

Did I mention it's HOT?

Our school year should end in August, and begin... in August. ;-) I've already picked my curriculum, and only have a couple to buy, so I'm set there. I've decided to go with MONARCH this year. Only for the subjects we already use Switched On Schoolhouse for though. So, no major changes.

I'm sure y'all are finding my list fascinating. :-)

I do have several recipes I need to share with y'all. I have been so horrible I can't even remember the last time I linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Again, did I mention it's HOT, and I've been busy?

Hopefully this didn't bore you too much. I think I'm going to take a cold shower and get ready to watch the game. Y'all stay COOL!!

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-04-19T11:47:00.004-05:00

I love "throw together" meals...

Don't you just love a meal you can throw together in one skillet? You just heat, add a salad and eat. ;-) That was lunch today. And it was good. I used a new ingredient, the Savory Garlic Cooking Cream. Yeah, it was VERY good. :-) Here is the recipe I, literally, threw together. You can change any of it to suit your needs/use your leftovers. :-)

Veggie/Chicken/Spaghetti Thing - great name, don't you think? LOL.. ;-)

Left over spaghetti from last night's meal. (or cook any pasta you wish)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bag steam fresh veggies - I used the mixed veggies with the corn, peas, carrots and green beans
about 3 tablespoons of the Philadelphia Cooking Cream
1 can of chicken breast, drained
1 small tomato, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
dried parsley - to garnish

Place skillet over medium high heat. Put in soup and a couple of large tablespoons of cooking cream. Add about 1/4 cup of water and stir together to break up the soup. Add the leftover spaghetti and coat in the "sauce." Put the veggie bag in the microwave and cook according to directions. Stir spaghetti to keep from burning, and keep it heating through. Add veggies when they are done, as well as the chicken, tomatoes and salt and pepper. . Heat everything through, stirring often. When it is hot turn off the heat and add the shredded cheese and parsley. Serve with salad. :-)

Best part, 1 pan to clean up. I don't really measure anything, so that's even less dishes. :-) Enjoy. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-04-13T17:25:00.002-05:00

I have a business blog...

Well, things have been busy around here. :-) "Little Mark", finally, finished Texas History. He's on the tail end of his 2 week break, and then it's back to school.

We only have one more 4-H competition to prepare for. He has until July to get his record book ready. He participated in the District photography contest and received 2nd place in 2 categories, so he moved those photos on to State.

My Young Living business is growing, in baby steps. I'm learning a lot, and having great success with the oils I have used. :-) I started a blog, just for the oils, so if you care to take a look at that feel free. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2011-02-14T14:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentines Day...

.... or, as several of my friends refer to it, "Happy Singles Awareness Day."

Because really, what does Valentines Day do except force couples to buy each other cards, flowers, candy, and jewelry, and tell each other they love them on a specified day of the year. And make Hallmark and Whitman's a bunch of money.

OR, it just points out the fact that single people are.... I don't know.... SINGLE more prevalent.

But, I'm not bitter. Really.

Seriously, I kid about the last part. I believe I have stated that I am happily single, knowing that God is in charge of my life, and until He sees fit to include someone else in that plan, I'm content to be single.

But, I can't lie and say it doesn't bother me, occasionally. It does. I think that's only human.

Which makes me wonder about those women, and men, who aren't content with their lives, or who don't believe God is in control of it. Or the ones who think love is only proven with jewelry, chocolate, or roses.

Last week my Sunday School lesson was about HOW we truly show someone we love them, as well as WHAT love truly is. In the words of DC Talk, "Luv is a Verb." It's an action.

The greatest show of love was when Jesus died on the cross for us. THAT was love in action. The proof that that love still lives is when He arose 3 days later. The love of God is the greatest love I will ever know, or ever need.

But, that doesn't mean I don't need to feel love from humans. And we all receive that differently.

I recently took the quiz for the "5 Love Languages", again, and my answer came out differently this time. I always thought my love language was "Words of Affirmation" and "Acts of Service". They are still high on the list, but the one that got the highest score was "Quality Time."

I can see that. I would much rather spend quality time with someone than receive gifts. As a matter of fact, "gifts" didn't score at all on my test. Not that I would not appreciate them, but they just don't "show me the love" that 2 hours of uninterrupted time would, or a note telling me something nice about me.

Or someone scrubbing a floor so I don't have to. Now, that's love people. :-)

So, what about you? What's your love language? What's one thing someone can do for you that would show you how much they love you?

And, if you want to "show me some love", let's sit down and play a card game, or some dominoes together and just have fun. :-)

But, I wouldn't turn down the chocolate or roses should you desire to bring some along. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-11-12T21:13:00.005-06:00

"I've got an oil for that..."

This very well may become my new mantra. Seriously, I believe I have uttered this phrase at least a thousand times over the last 3 days.

Ok, maybe not a thousand, but I have said it A LOT. And with good reason. ;-)

I have not mentioned it to many people, but I am now an Independent Distributor for Young Living.

Relax! There is no need to run and stop reading; this is not a sales pitch. However, for me, it is turning out to be a blessing in disguise. :-)

I believe I have mentioned SEVERAL times before that I lack heavily in the "health insurance" department. (i.e. I have none.) Hospitals and doctors kind of frown on that sort of thing. So, I have been looking for "alternative medicine" for quite some time now. A couple of my friends (THANK YOU "J" and "V") shared these oils with me.

Oh. My. Goodness! So much information. It took me several weeks of looking at the website and doing some research, but I finally decided this sounded like something that could help my situation, and it was natural. So, I ordered one of the starter kits and waited for the first opportunity to try it out.

It didn't take long. The first day was spent smelling the oils and reading about each one and how it could help us. That very day I used one on my sore ankle and within a minute or so my pain was gone. Mom was stuffy, so we used the peppermint oil and she has been breathing easy ever since. :-)

The nephew has slept through the night, treated warts and "been energized" with a few of the oils. When I was deciding whether or not to try them I asked myself: 1) Is it cost effective in the long run, and 2) Does it work. Answers: Yes, and Yes. So, I decided to give it a shot. AND, in the long run, it's cheaper than a doctor/hospital/pharmacy visit.

OH, and don't even get me started on the all natural cleaner. Heavens to Betsy!! It's a Godsend.

AND, did I mention, it's cheaper than going to the doctor?! :-)

Did this sound to much like a sales pitch? Sorry about that. I just got excited about the millions of ways these oils can help me. I'll have to see if there is one for chronic exaggeration. ;-)

Anyway, in the last 3 days anytime someone has mentioned any sort of physical ailment I immediately respond, "I've got an oil for that, " and I run to my trusty oils and the info book/catalog. :-) It kind of reminds me of the character in Holes that always says, "I can fix that." LOL... ;-)

Just thought I'd share.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-11-10T08:32:00.001-06:00

Chance for $500 Visa gift card...

Melanie over at Big Mama is giving away a $500 Visa gift card, sponsored by Swanson's Broth. You may find all of the info HERE.

Love,
Wendy

2010-10-25T09:53:00.004-05:00

I believe I need an editor...

Even though today is our first day back at school I've been goofing off on the computer some this morning. I'm waiting for "Little Mark" to finish an assignment, so I decide to just check out some blogs.

I am so far behind on reading some of my "favorite" blogs that I think I'm just going to have to empty my Google Reader and start with a clean slate. The thought of doing that kills me. But, every time I open up GR and see that big 1000 + staring back at me I remind myself of what an awful person I am for not keeping up with my friends blogs, especially the ones who are MUCH better than I am blog every day.

So, really it would be best for my self-esteem to just clear it. I'm sure they will understand. :-)

The one thing that REALLY bothers me though is when I go back and read MY blog posts and I see all of the mistakes. You know the ones that are written late at night, or in haste, and I just want to get it typed out? Yeah. I go back and I see so many stupid mistakes, like using the wrong form of a word; putting an apostrophe in the wrong spot; or my constant overuse of commas...

I am positive I have driven away several faithful readers who just couldn't continue to forgive me for my grammar/punctuation mistakes.

And we're not even going to discuss run-on sentences...

So, I think the only thing to do is "hire" a proofreader/editor. I wonder if there are any who wouldn't mind being paid in cookies...

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-10-21T23:42:00.004-05:00

Skip Christmas??? NEVER! ;-)

Again, I am fully aware of what month it is, but tonight the family and I watched "Christmas With the Kranks", and I laughed myself silly. :-)

I have to admit that when I first saw this advertise a few years ago I had no desire to see it. It just didn't seem funny to me. Then, I got bored one day and watched it. I'm glad I did.

If you haven't seen it, yet, go ahead and set aside about 1 1/2 hours and enjoy it. You'll be glad you did. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-10-07T20:26:00.008-05:00

Yep, it's a list... again.

First, let me thank all of you for still hanging around. I think its' pretty obvious by now that I stink as a blogger. ;-) There are some days I have ideas for wonderful blog fodder, and then no time to blog. Most other days... I got nothin'. And, I've forgotten the wonderful blog fodder I had intended to blog about.

Like now. I really don't have much of anything, but after almost 2 months I feel I should at least poke my head up and wave a little to those of you still here. :-)

So, here's a list of what I've been up to:

1. I learned to play Chess. Now, this may seem rather boring to some of you, but I've wanted to learn for years. I actually did learn once, about 20 years ago. My brother taught me, but refused to play with me the first time I beat him. ;-) Then, he forgot how to play as well. So, we looked at this really great book;

and inside it says that Chess is one game all boys should know how to play. After all, it teaches strategy, concentration, and they learn how to be good winners/losers. So, Cleggy, "Little Mark" and I learned how to play Chess, and we have loved it. "Little Mark" is surprisingly VERY good. :-)

2. 4-H is now back in full swing. We have had the first Photography workshop, and the food show/challenge will be in November. A LOT of new faces in many of the clubs this year. I am so excited. I never did 4-H growing up, but I wish I had. It is such an amazing organization and really teaches kids leadership skills, as well as many other life skills. I have seen so many kids "come out of their shell" over the last few years, and really build there self-esteem. But, more importantly, edifying one another and teaching others. If you haven't looked into 4-H, you should definitely take a closer look. :-) And, as I always tell new prospects, "It's NOT just showing animals." ;-)

3. My college homecoming is coming up after the first of the year and I've been busy planning our chapter luncheon. I like to plan WAY ahead on things, especially when I'm working on a budget. I've decided on spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, cake (which I'm making) and tea/water. That's budget friendly and easy for our youth to serve us. ;-)

4. I've started filling in for the lady who does the desserts for our supper at church on Wednesday nights. Last night was my first time. I think it went pretty well. :-) It's only for a couple of months, and doesn't take a lot of time from "Little Mark's" school work. He does most of it on his own this year anyway.

I've been very pleased with this years' schedule. :-)

5. I'm also learning the Metric System along with "Little Mark." I don't know where you went to school, but I barely remember learning a LITTLE bit about it, but not much. And that was in elementary school. So, I know NOTHING. I love the way Math-U-See handles it though. And, I've been very pleased with how quickly "Little Mark" has caught on. He definitely has the mind for math. :-)

And, I have found that I REALLY like Math!

I KNOW! I can't believe I just typed that either!! :-) I even sent my college Math teacher an e-mail telling her how much I like Math now. I found myself looking at a receipt a couple of weeks ago, and I mentally put the total in Exponential Notation FOR FUN.

I'm such a nerd... ;-)

6. The weather has turned cooler and I LOVE it!! Fall and spring are my favorite seasons.

7. I'm getting very excited for Christmas!! :-)

You knew that one was coming, didn't you?

8. I'm now one of the teacher's in my Singles Sunday School class, and I really like it. :-) Our class is growing, and we have even decided to have a float in the Christmas parade. WOO HOO!! Two of my favorite things put together. It's the equivalent of putting chocolate with caramel. ;-)

9. I am doing the Beth Moore Bible Study "Here and Now... There and Then". It's on the Book of Revelation. LOVE. IT. I highly recommend it.

10 I've been listening to a song the last couple of weeks that really touches me. I'll post the link below. It's such an awesome reminder that no matter what goes on in this world/our lives, the most important thing is whether or not we are leading others to Christ. Whether directly witnessing, or just living our lives as an example of Christ's love. I don't always do that, but I'm trying.

Well, guess I'll end the list with this. Guess I had more to say than I thought. LOL.. ;-) I will try to be a better blogger.

Enjoy the song/video.
Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-08-19T21:50:00.002-05:00

Some catching up...

Little Mark has been in Dallas for almost 2 weeks now. We FINALLY finished 7th so he has been on break. Which means I have been on break. :-)

We begin 8th grade on Monday, but until then I will enjoy the last few days I have to relax.

What have I been doing during all of that "free time"? Cleaning house, preparing for 8th grade, watching "North and South" books 1 and 2, playing Skip-Bo, eating stuffed jalapenos, baking, scrapbooking, cooking and playing on the computer.

I have also been listening to MANY people talk about how expensive school supplies/school clothes are and praising God we homeschool. I am so glad we don't have to deal with the hassle and expense of it all. One parent told me how much they spent on supplies and just a few school uniforms. I told them that was almost twice as much as I spent on all of Little Mark's curriculum for the whole year. They became very interested in homeschooling after that.

I seem to get a lot of phone calls around this time of year, and I have also been answering a lot of questions and advising several families about how to begin homeschooling. I have even turned down 2 offers to teach other children. I'm guiding the parents as they make the decision of whether or not they want to venture into the homeschooling world. I'm quick to tell them it isn't for everyone, but I am a huge advocate, and would definitely support their decision. and be happy to give any guidance/advice I can.

It is such a joy to see the smile on a parent's face who has a young one going into Pre-K or Kindergarten and say, you can homeschool this little one for FREE using the public library and what you already have at home. Save that private school tuition. It's a blessing. :-)

As you have probably figured out homeschooling is one of my passions. I could talk about it all day long, and have. :-)

Well, that's what going on with me. Tomorrow I plan to do a Home Blessing and watch a movie. We'll see after that. Things get back to "normal" on Monday, and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a great year. :-)

Blessings,
Wendy

2010-07-26T16:31:00.002-05:00

It's a deep one guys ~ Get ready...

Those who know me know that I am influenced by music. Most of the people in my family are. I have said several times that I could put together a soundtrack of my life based on what was popular at the time. I hear songs now and I can remember where I was living/what was going on in my life at that time.

There are some songs that really speak to me though. Maybe it's just me, but I take the lyrics to heart.

Two of those songs have really been influencing me lately. One is an older song, but one I have loved since it came out in 1990. "Only Here for a Little While" by Billy Dean, and "These are the Words I Would Say" by Sidewalk Prophets.

While the genre/music style is different, the message is the same; "Tell people what they mean to you while you are here! Get your business taken care of daily." We've all had those people in our life that we wish we could have spoken to one last time before they passed on. We wish would could have told them how much they meant to us. OR, we wish they would have taught us something; told us more about themselves while they were here.

My Daddy died when I was 15. There are many things I wish I would have said to him. He was a great man, and taught me a lot, but I know there was more he would have taught me as I got older.

I don't have any children, but I do have family and friends. I have two nephews, and an "adopted niece" who I love very much. I try to be a positive influence on their lives and teach them something whenever we are together. Whether it's important to spend quality time with people while baking cookies, or how volcanoes work, or just letting them know how important they are and how much God loves them.

So, today I took both of these songs to heart. I really thought about what I would want to say to each of them if I knew I would not be here tomorrow. I sat down, and I hand wrote each of them a letter. I let them know what a blessing they have been to me and gave them that bit of encouragement, love and advice I would give them if I were here.

They are sealed in envelopes in my drawer and will be given to them after I pass on. None of us are promised the next breath, and I won't stop encouraging, teaching and loving them as long as I am here. Hopefully, by the time they grow up the letters will be obsolete, because I will have said it all myself. But, just in case I want them to have that last bit from me.

I hope this doesn't come across as macabre. Sometimes it is really hard to translate the feelings/intentions I have in words.

Why am I posting all of this here, on a blog? Two reasons. 1) I want to let those family members who actually read this blog (both of you) know about it and know to give the young ones the letters. 2) To encourage you to tell your family and friends how much you love them. How important they are, and how much they have blessed you.

If you wish, here are the two songs that have inspired this post today. Listen to the lyrics, and tell your loved ones just how important they are to you.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-07-23T07:54:00.005-05:00

Five and Ten - Round Two

Instructions, just in case you forgot:

(1) Turn on your MP3 player/iPod.
(2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode.
(3) Write down the first TEN songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please (even if letting the world know you listen to crap "Weekend in New England" will humiliate you).
(4) Choose FIVE people to be tagged. It is generally considered to be in good taste to tag the person who tagged you, since there should be new songs appearing with Shuffle every time.

Ok, I got tagged, again. Cleggy and Phineas tagged me for this meme this time, and since I have over 1000 songs on my player odds are I will get a different ten songs, right? We can only hope.

And odds are at least ONE Eric Dodge song will come up, right? We can hope. SO, without further ado let me turn on the player and lets get started.... :-)

1. The Coloring Song - Petra
2. The Real Thing - Bo Bice
3. Massachusetts - Bee Gees
4. Anymore - Travis Tritt
5. A Few Good Men - Gaither Vocal Band
6. I Can Love You Like That - John Michael Montgomery
7. When You're Smilin' - Louis Prima
8. I Am Changing - Jennifer Hutson
9. Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
10. Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford

OK, Cleggy did not want to be outdone by Princess Ladybug, so he did a bonus 10. Well if he can then I can too. :-) Here is the bonus 10.

Isn't this fun?! :-)

11. Something to Talk About - Bonnie Rait
12. I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton John
13. I'll Be True to You - The Oak Ridge Boys
14, Soul Man - Sam and Dave
15. Song of the South - Alabama
16. Country Club - Travis Tritt
17. Try a Little Tenderness - Otis Redding
18. Rocky Mountain High - John Denver
19. Let's Fall to Pieces Together - George Strait
20. God With Us - Mercy Me

Unbelievable!!! Not even one Eric Dodge song came up. Oh well, maybe next time. :-) OK, since everyone If would tag has already been tagged I'll just open this one up. I you would like to participate, please do. And then leave me a message letting me know you did so I can come and see your post. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-07-20T21:35:00.012-05:00

Music Tag... Five and Ten

OK, I got tagged by Princess Ladybug over at Fly Away Home. Here's how it works:

Instructions...
(1) Turn on your MP3 player/iPod.
(2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode.
(3) Write down the first TEN songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please (even if letting the world know you listen to crap "Weekend in New England" will humiliate you).
(4) Choose FIVE people to be tagged. It is generally considered to be in good taste to tag the person who tagged you, since there should be new songs appearing with Shuffle every time.

1. Indescribable- Chris Tomlin
2. If I Know ME - George Strait
3. Daydream Believer - The Monkees
4. Through the Years - Kenny Rogers
5. If We are the Body - Casting Crowns
6. Sunglasses at Night - Cory Hart
7. California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas
8. The Snowman - Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby
9. How Can I Keep from Singing - Chris Tomlin
10. Common Man - John Conlee

I can't believe not a single Eric Dodge song came up. SO, let me take this opportunity to let you know that you can download a FREE song from www.ericdodge.com. The song is called "Home of the Brave" and is off of his new CD "Home To Me." You will LOVE it. :-)

Don't you like how I plugged that? LOL... :-)

OK, now I have to tag 5 people. Princess Ladybug tagged some of the ones I would have tagged, so I'll pick 5 different ones.

Amanda
Vera
Terry
Julie
LaVon

Even if you don't normally do these things, come on along and play. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-07-08T14:47:00.002-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Ok, so it's not really, but I'm sure getting in the mood. :-) Don't worry, this will not be a Christmas post, nor is it to make you hyperventilate thinking you need to start getting the decorations out of the closet/garage/attic; and start making lists of the gifts you need to get this year.

I have begun that list because I drew my wonderful BIL's name and I'm poor, which means I have to save and buy early. :-) And, T, you can continue reading because I'm NOT going to put what I'm getting you on here. :-) Fact is I still don't know... but I'm in the mood to make something so anything is possible.

Little Mark has been home from camp for a week and he had a wonderful time. I also enjoyed my time off, and I did everything on my "to do" list except read my camera manual. I was way too busy watching movies and eating massive amounts of salsa. It was a fun time. :-)

Little Mark will be taking one last vacation for the summer in August. He'll be gone for two weeks and I have already begun my "to do" list for while he is away. So far on the list:

1. Watch "North and South" Book 1. Don't ask me why, but I've been in the mood to watch it.
2. Purchase part of BIL's Christmas present and make plans for the rest.
3. EAT LOTS OF SALSA. You knew that one was coming didn't you? :-)

That's the list so far. I would add "listen to Christmas music" to that list, but those of you who know me know I've already been doing that. :-) I just might have to visit a Michael's or Hobby Lobby this weekend to look at he decorations/craft supplies. I need a "Christmas fix."

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-06-27T15:32:00.004-05:00

Plans for the week....

Little Mark leaves for camp tomorrow morning and I have been making plans of what I should do this week while he is away. After careful consideration I have decided on the following activities:

1) Get caught up on Scrapbooking at least one day
2) Watch movies via Netflix streaming/and on DVD, also via Netflix
3) Eat lots and lots of salsa
4) sleep
5) play Skip-Bo with my Mom
6) Eat lots and lots of salsa
7) Reread the manual to my digital camera and play around with it to see if I can learn to use it better, and I really should take some time to read more
8) Occasionally clean the house and cook a meal
9) Did I mention eat salsa?

That sounds like a full week of productivity to me. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-06-14T21:28:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm still alive.... and a recipe

Wanted to stop in and let y'all know that I am still kickin'. :-) I am also pretty worn out from VBS today, so I'm not doing a whole post. I do have several "in the works" though, so I will be posting soon.

For some unknown reason I have REALLY been craving stuffed jalapenos and salsa lately. Don't ask me why, but I could literally live off the stuff. Thankfully, jalapenos are inexpensive, and the salsa takes less than 5 minutes to make. :-) SO, here is the recipes.

Homemade Salsa

1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 jalapeno (chop the top off)
about 1/2 of a medium Noonday onion (any onion will work, but Noonday is in season and they aren't hot)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. sugar

Put everything in a blender until smooth.

That's it. It's all fresh ingredients, except the canned tomatoes, and it tastes great. For a milder salsa take the seeds out of the jalapeno first.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-05-31T18:13:00.002-05:00

Ramblings...

Obviously that whole "blog more" thing hasn't worked out. Sorry about that. Seems I have lacked motivation/time/blog fodder for a couple of weeks, at least.

Good news is, there are no pictures of snakes this time. :-) We did have one more battle with a snake, OUTSIDE, but that was my brother's battle, and he put up a brave fight. It was a rat snake, more commonly known as a chicken snake. We have a field just on the other side of our fence that the owners don't keep mowed very well, and we believe they are coming from there. It doesn't help that we don't rake regularly either. Oh well, enough of that.

I've been really nostalgic again lately. Perhaps it is because "Little Mark" will turn 14 in a couple of weeks. That seems so weird to type, much less say aloud. I can't believe it.

I've been thinking a lot about when my siblings and I were young. On weekends or holidays we would play board games for hours. It was nothing for a Monopoly marathon to last all weekend. When I was in high school we lived just outside of a small town. Since we lived so far out of town we spent many weekends at home, playing games. We would turn on the "oldies" station on the radio and listen for hours; they played requests. Or, we took turns playing our cassette tapes while we played Gin Rummy, or our favorite, 42. :-) I remember it like it was yesterday. Games, junk food, music, laughter and teasing... it was a great time.

Now, it's difficult for us to get together, and not everyone will play games when we do. We've all developed other interests, and it's a shame. I've tried to instill the love of board games/cards, etc. in "Little Mark", but it's an uphill battle. Kids today don't seem interested in those "simple" games anymore. Now, it has to be played on a computer, a Wii, or have a DVD involved to hold their attention.

Maybe that's just the way I see it.

We don't often get to take vacations, but the greatest one we could take ( in my opinion) would involve a whole Saturday at the kitchen table with the "simple" games of our youth lining the kitchen counter. Junk food in the fridge and music playing in the room. No responsibilities or places to go.

Just a leisurely day of fun... and me winning. ;-)

SO, what was your favorite game to play when you were young?

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-04-22T10:21:00.003-05:00

The Snake Incident

In my last post I mentioned that I had a snake incident. At the moment I am waiting for "Little Mark" to finish an assignment so I thought I would go ahead and write about it. I had so many people contact me I thought I would put your minds at ease.

OK, so NO ONE contacted me, but it gives me something to post and I'm trying to blog more. Bare with me.

A couple of weeks ago I was home alone. I had been enjoying a nice afternoon of catching up on Facebook, watching a movie on Netflix streaming and eating pizza. In other words, having a very productive day. :-) I went to the back of the house to use the restroom and noticed something on my bedroom floor. I stopped in the doorway, because I KNEW that nothing had been there a couple of hours ago.

I turned on the light only then watch a snake slither into the closet, under the door. The closet that holds a lot of clothes and bags. All of the "emergency bags" we keep packed just in case we have to leave quickly. (It's one of FlyLady's suggestions) The thought of that snake being in one of those bags freaked me out almost as much as witnessing it slither in there to begin with.

Now, I have to tell you that this thing was not very big around. It wasn't HUGE, or extremely long, but at that moment it looked like an Anaconda! It was a snake, that's all I needed to know.

Thankfully, I had my cell phone with me. So, I called my family, who was in a car 2 hours away. I know they wouldn't be much help, but I needed to tell someone, anyone that "THERE IS A SNAKE IN MY CLOSET!"

To my credit, I was calm. I was still in the doorway, and my eyes never left the closet door. And I STILL needed to go the bathroom.

My family reminded me to call Animal Control, so I hung up with them and called the non-emergency police number to ask for Animal Control. They put me through.... to a voice mail. Did I mention this was a Saturday? Because that is important. Our animal control officer is OFF on the weekend, and apparently there isn't enough money in the budget to hire a "weekend guy."

I attempted to leave a message and forgot to leave my phone number, but did leave my address and name. I was very calm as I let them know that a snake was in my closet and I needed someone to call me back very soon, please.

10 minutes later I still had not heard from them. It was then that I realized I forgot to leave my number. SO, I called the police again, very calmly told them I had a snake in my closet and that I was so nervous I forgot to leave my phone number. I must have been TOO calm, because the lady officer connected me with the voice mail, again, without even questioning the fact I had just said "THERE IS A SNAKE IN MY CLOSET."

I again left a message and this time listened to all of the options, even pushing the button letting them know this was an emergency. That might be helpful.

20 minutes later, still no phone call. At this point I needed contact with the outside world. I was still standing in the doorway, and my eyes still never left the closet door. I still needed to go to the bathroom.

I backed all of the way down the hall, never taking my eyes off of the closet door and went into to my sisters room turning only long enough to grab her laptop which was just inside her door. I then went back to my room, mustered up enough nerve to sit on the edge of the bed and still watched the door. I got on Facebook and told everyone of my friends THERE IS A SNAKE IN MY CLOSET.

I then called "Angel's" Mom and Dad and asked them to come get the snake out because Animal Control STILL had not called back. I had already called the police 3 times and did not want to call them again. I still did not know what kind of snake it was, or where it was as this point. I only knew it was "somewhere" in the closet.

Withing 20 minutes "Angel" and her parents were at my front door. I ran to open it and led them to the closet. "Angel's" dad did find the snake coiled up in a corner and determined it was THIS:

A Ground Rattlesnake. Approximately a foot long. "Angel's" Dad then took it outside and let it loose in the neighboring field, but not before "Angel" had a chance to touch it while Daddy held the held. The girl has NO FEAR. I was just glad it was out of the house.

They stayed a few moments to visit and left. I, FINALLY went to the bathroom and the rest of the weekend was rather uneventful. And the Animal Control people? They finally called... at 8:30 Monday morning. I'm sure glad it wasn't an emergency situation or anything.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-04-16T06:44:00.004-05:00

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Hello, again!! Well, I've been meaning to blog for several weeks and just haven't made it yet. I even have some blogging topics, such as "the snake", "some pictures to share", etc. But, I'll get to those. :-) I thought a recipe might be a good way to get me back into "the swing of things".

I'm doing some baking this week, to help out the youth of our church with their fundraiser. I decided to make some "Rice Krispie Cookies" because they are SO GOOD and they might bring in a little money. The fact that I doubled the recipe so we could have a few as well had absolutely nothing to do with my decision. :-)

I got the recipe from this cookbook:

If you ever get a chance to look at it please do; there are many recipes in the book, not just desserts. For you "healthy food" people out there they even have a bran muffin recipe. If you make it, please let me know how it tastes. :-)

After you leave here, please hop over to Gayle's and check out the other awesome recipes linked there. If you would like to join the recipe swap just post a recipe and follow the directions to Mr. Linky at Gayle's. :-)

Rice Krispie Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/ 4 tsp. salt

1/2 C butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 C Kellog's Rice Krispies

1 C quick-cooking oats

1/2 C shredded coconut

Preheat 350 degrees F

Lightly coat two large cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add both sugars and cream together. Add the egg and vanilla, beating to incorporate. Stir in the reserved flour mixture. Combine well. Stir in the oatmeal, cereal and coconut.

Drop the mixture by level measuring tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely and store in airtight container.

Enjoy!! :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

2010-03-25T11:29:00.002-05:00

Been Busy... but, here's a pic of one of the things I've been up to. :-)

I made my first wedding cake. :-) I also made the groom's cake. The football is made from rice crispy treats, which is something new for me. I learned that one from "Ace of Cakes" and "Cake Boss". I'll be doing that more often in the future. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-03-19T12:32:00.003-05:00

Hello/Recommendation :-)

I know, it's been awhile. :-) Things are going well with me, but busy. I'll post later catching up with me, but I read something this morning that excited me so much I had to share. I'm doing my "Happy Dance." :-) Ree from the Pioneer Woman IS publishing her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" story AND there is a wonderful announcement in regards to that. But, I'll let her tell you. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-02-16T21:33:00.002-06:00

"Behold He comes riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call; lift your voice, it's the year of Jubilee, and out of Zion's hill salvation comes!!"

2010-02-13T22:12:00.008-06:00

I'm Home. :-)

If you remember THIS link, then you know that this weekend was the "night away" my family gifted to me. :-) I was so excited, and looked forward to getting away.

A couple of obstacles ALMOST ruined it for me, but it worked out after all. First, "Little Mark" got the flu. It was bad. He ended up in the ER and was dehydrated. They prescribed Tamiflu. I don't know if you have ever had to take Tamiflu, but apparently it causes HALF of it's users to vomit. (That is what doctor #2 told me when I took him BACK to the ER the next morning.) So, she prescribed a med for the nausea and we discontinued the Tamiflu. It worked.

By Friday "Little Mark" was feeling much better and had been fever free for over 48 hours. So, I was back on. Or was I?

Thursday afternoon/evening brought East Texas something we don't see very often, snow flurries. Then, Friday morning we awoke to this:

I was stoked. :-) I haven't seen this much snow in over 10 years. Dallas got anywhere from 9"-14". We got around 6". We loved it, it was amazing. :-) Our street, however, looked like this.

Hmmm... I don't drive in snow. I didn't plan to leave until the early afternoon, so I was praying it would melt before then. The highways were pretty clear to drive on, so I loaded the car with my suitcase, plugged in my music, prayed and gave God the wheel. I was on my way.

I made one stop along the way and purchased a SMALL box of these.

My Valentine's gift to myself. :-) 4 little pieces of chocolate, and I was going to savor every bite.

All along the way I just was in awe of how beautiful the snow was. I lost count of how many snowmen I passed. I saw the tall pine trees I pass at least once a week, covered in white. I watched as the melting snow fell off the trees, revealing the green needles once again. I passed large fields that were still perfect, untouched by human feet or cattle. A Christmas song came up on the mp3 player, and for a moment I felt I was in another time and place, and I didn't want it to end.

I made it to my destination, entered a Mexican restaurant and requested a table in the corner. I wanted to read and people watch. It was a great way to spend and hour. :-) I checked into my hotel, purchased a coke from the vending machine and filled my ice bucket. I then settled into my room, unpacked and did my Bible Study homework for this weeks Bible Study.

My room came with a jacuzzi. NOT a jacuzzi tub. An actual jacuzzi. I had never used a jacuzzi before, but I was looking forward to using it. It should have come with instructions, because before I ever got in I was wiping down walls, floors, lamps, and the chair in the room. I did this TWICE before I figured out I had to get the water level above the jets before I could turn it on. :-) Once I figured that out though, it was all good. :-) I hopped out, showered, put on PJs and settled in for the night. It was about 5:30 pm. LOL... ;-)

I ordered dinner in, watched TV, listened to music, read, and then enjoyed my four little pieces of chocolate I treated myself to earlier. Best 99 cents I've spent in awhile. :-) The bed was very comfortable, and I was surprised at how well I slept considering I don't like to be in the house alone, much less a strange room.

I woke this morning, dressed and went to the breakfast room. I took my Bible Study with me to do a little more reading over breakfast, but I have to admit I "people watched" most of the time. :-)

I went back to the room, packed, watched a little TV, checked out and headed out for my day. Did a little shopping; bought 2 lip glosses, eye shadow, and some cake decorating stuff. I've been considering buying a new Bible for awhile, so I spent about an hour in LifeWay looking at different ones. I finally found one I really liked AND it was 50% off. :-) I also picked up this book:

I know I recommended the one for Children in my last post, but I thought maybe I should read this one as well. :-)

I also went to the local Art Museum. I hadn't been there since I took "Little Mark" to see the visiting Norman Rockwell exhibit. That's been about 8 years. I was able to take my time, read the information, sit and look at the paintings and photos. And I came to a conclusion; there are just some "artists" I'm never going to get. I think they were doing drugs when they came up with those paintings. I'm just sayin'.

I made a couple of more stops and decided at the last minute to ditch my plans to go see a movie and head on home. The Evergreens that had been covered with white just 24 before were now green again. Some remnants of the snow still lay on the ground where the shade protected it from the sun. I made it home, got some Chinese Food and finished my night watching a DVD; bringing an end to my "Me Time" away. I could not have asked for a better gift, and the fact that my family gave it to me without me ever saying anything about it let's me know they really are "looking out for me" and know what I need. :-)

It was so amazing, relaxing, and refreshing. I don't think a word exists to describe so I'm going to stop trying and just say, "THANK YOU, FAMILY!!"

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-02-04T08:50:00.005-06:00

The Five Love Languages of Children.

I believe I have mentioned this book, written by Gary Chapman, before. It is a wonderful book, and I intend to read it again. :-)

Today Homeschool View had a wonderful article about "How to Speak Your Homeschooler's Love Language." I have copied it here. If you homeschool but do not subscribe to Homeschool View's blog, I highly recommend heading over and signing up for it. It is through Alpha Omega, so you might need to register there first. I'm not sure about that part.

Do your children feel loved? Do they sense your unconditional affection and support as they homeschool? Although we may think we're showing love to our children during the day, many times our homeschoolers fail to feel loved because we use the wrong love language. According to The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, children sense love in five basic ways: words of affirmation, gift giving, quality time, acts of service, and physical touch. Do you know which of these love languages speaks loudest to your child's heart?

Determining your child's love language will enable you to achieve family closeness and provide a solid emotional foundation for your child while homeschooling with your curriculum from Alpha Omega Publications®. One simple test you can use to find your child's love language is to ask your child this question:

"If I was gone on vacation for several weeks, what would you like me to do when I returned home?"

• Tell you how much I missed you. (words of affirmation)
• Bring a gift back for you. (gift giving)
• Spend the day playing together. (quality time)
• Make your favorite meal for supper. (acts of service)
• Give you a big hug and kiss. (physical touch)

Although your child may say he would like you to do all of these, ask him to pick out the one action he thinks is most important. This will allow you to pinpoint his particular love language and enable you to communicate your love to him more effectively.

So, what are some practical ways of meeting your homeschooled child's need for love? Depending on your child's particular love language you might do the following:

Words of Affirmation - Mean what you say. No flattery allowed.
• Write encouraging comments like "great job" on daily papers.
• Offer sincere compliments when he demonstrates positive character qualities with siblings.
• Be polite and use "please" and "thank you" liberally.
• Praise him verbally as often as you can for both his efforts and successes in school.
• Pray aloud with him daily and ask for God's blessing on his life.

Gift Giving - It doesn't need to be expensive, just thoughtful and age appropriate.
• Purchase items (favorite candy bar, coloring book, etc.) from dollar-value stores to use as daily rewards on schoolwork.
• Choose a gift or plan an activity he has been wanting and give it as a reward for a successful school year.
• Create a surprise love bucket. Each week, fill the bucket with educational items like art supplies, an educational computer game, a new reference book, a new notebook, or other study items.
• Make homemade gifts. These gifts may even spark an interest in carpentry, sewing, photography, gardening, and other life skills.

Quality Time - Undivided attention required. No multi-tasking allowed.
• Cherish learning together. Don't hurry through school lessons.
• Take all the time necessary to work through questions he doesn't understand.
• Plan an individual homeschool field trip covering one of his subjects.
• Skip school and plan a regular date once a month to do something fun.
• Watch a movie, play a board game, or read a book together.
• Play a seasonal sport activity together for physical education class.
• Work together on a hobby he enjoys.

Acts of Service - Be creative. Go beyond the normal duties.
• Help him paint and redecorate his room.
• Plan a special party or activity for his homeschool friends.
• Wash and wax his car.
• Volunteer to help in his Sunday school class or youth group at church.

Physical Touch - Warning! This love language is not for young children only!
• Give kisses and hugs without measure!
• Cuddle in a chair while you share a book.
• Give a back rub while he is studying at the computer or the table.
• Give a pedicure or manicure as you study lessons on health.

Most importantly, don't assume you are communicating love effectively simply because you homeschool. Just as children learn academics in a variety of ways, they also feel love from their parents differently. If you want your children to remember their homeschooling days as ones filled with love, monitor their hearts through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, apply large amounts of God's agape love, and communicate in the love language they understand best!

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-29T22:46:00.003-06:00

All By Myself...

At times, those are very sweet words. Sometimes, as adults, we want to be alone; all by ourselves, AWAY from others and reminders of responsibilities. So much so that we could scream.

Or is that just me? :-)

As children, we all want to do things ourselves. Whether it be doing something without outside help, or just be left alone.

Alone, that's not something some of are very often. It's one of those things that most of look forward to, even if only for a few moments. We take that time to just breathe, listen to the silence, pray, or just sit and not have to think about anything for just a few moments.

I have to admit that I am one of those people who long for time alone. I don't get it very often. Sometimes the rest of the family goes somewhere and I get some time alone, but I am home and always think of something that needs to be done, someone I need to contact about something or other... it's just not as enjoyable/restful as it should be.

Then there are the times I am alone in the car, but I'm on my way to DO something, so I'm generally thinking about what I am on my way to do.

But, in just a couple of weeks I will be able to enjoy the greatest gift my family has ever given me.

Greater than any expensive jewelry, money, diamonds, or even.... chocolate.

That's right, better than chocolate.

They have given me TIME ALONE. Not just alone, but alone away from home!! I have been gifted a night and almost 2 days in another city, a hotel room with a jacuzzi, and a little spending money.

I get to go out to eat ANYWHERE I WANT, and eat by myself. I can go shopping, see a movie, or do nothing. I can listen to any music I want, sleep as long as I want, and just relax. I am not taking anything with me except clothes and a Bible.

I'm not even taking my cell phone. :-)

I don't think I have ever looked forward to a gift like this. Not even when I got my digital camera. :-)

I remember reading Lisa Whelchel talk about a "sabbatical" she took once. She spent a weekend in a friend's cabin by herself and did nothing but enjoy nature and God's Word. I remember being so jealous of that.

Not that I don't love being with my family. I do, truly. But, I also believe that everyone needs time alone at some point.

SO, I just want to publicly thank my family for this gift of love. You have NO IDEA how much I appreciate it and look forward to it.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-28T13:07:00.003-06:00

20 reasons to Homeschool.
I stole this from Julie at Elisharose. Thank you, Julie. :-)
*** If you have a hard time viewing it, go to Julie's site and click the picture. It will show up larger.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-22T07:11:00.002-06:00

Friday Recipe Swap

It is Friday, and that means it's time for a recipe swap hosted by Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge. :-) Once you leave here, please head on over and see all of the wonderful recipes linked there. If you would like to participate just be sure to link back to Gayle's site. Gayle has a good recipe today for homemade daily shower spray.

I'm going to be a little lazy today. OK, a LOT lazy. It's been a busy week, so I'm pulling out an old recipe. I originally shared this one back in August of '08, but I think it is a good one to share again. :-)

Homemade Hair Detangler - click the link to see the original post.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-15T18:37:00.003-06:00

Book Review

My sister "J" and "Little Mark" have become avid fans of Hannah Swenson Mysteries by Joanne Fluke. I had never heard of this series or author until they mentioned them. Hannah Swenson is the owner/operator of the Cookie Jar Bakery, and she solves murder mysteries. What a combination!

Actually, I have to give credit to "J" for introducing the books to Little Mark and a particularly long road trip. "J" had the first book on an audio book, and wanted to hear the last hour or so in the car. Little Mark happened to be in the back seat, and even though he didn't hear the beginning of the book HE WAS HOOKED.

I have to say that I have not read any of the books, and have only heard an hour or so of one of the audio books that Little Mark was playing, so I relied on "J" to say whether or not it was appropriate. She equated it with "an episode of Murder She Wrote, only the heroine is a baker instead of an author."

Baker? This could be interesting. :-)

What Little Mark and I both find very interesting is that the books also contain the recipes for the dishes she makes in that particular book. :-) Most of them are desserts (my kind of lady) ;-) but there are recipes of all kinds. All of the titles are named after a food. :-)

Little Mark has always loved a good mystery, and even though it may sound kind of weird that he would pick up on a book about a woman baker who solves murders, it has him READING!! :-) Not only that, the boy has spent HIS OWN MONEY buying the books. He looks for them now when we go to bookstores.

He has actually made one of the recipes for "Cinnamon Crisps", and they were amazing. He did them all by himself. He pretty much memorized the recipe, wrote a shopping list, followed the directions to the letter, and did it all himself. ;-) He has even asked if he could do a "Home Ec." project by creating a cook book from the recipes in the book, and then make dinner one night using only recipes from the book.

Did you catch that? The boy just gave himself a school project, and volunteered to cook!

I think I like this "Hannah Swensen"... :-)

He was also VERY excited to learn that Joanne Fluke is currently working on a cook book using all of the recipes in the book. It's due out October 2011. Future Christmas gift? I think so.

I am all for whatever gets a child to love reading, as long as it is appropriate, and this seems to be the one that Little Mark hooked. It his based on his recommendation, and request, that I give you this book review. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-14T22:13:00.002-06:00

Friday Recipe Swap

You may remember that I linked to THIS cinnamon roll recipe from Ree at Pioneer Woman Cooks. Well, I tried them, and they are YUMMY. My family missed the brown sugar in the cinnamon rolls that I usually make, though. SO, I "tweaked" Ree's recipe just a tad. I only made two changes, and let me tell you I am glad I did. :-)

I still LOVE Ree's recipe as well, and if you would like to look at the recipe with all the REALLY nice pictures she has, then please hop on over and see it. You'll be glad you did. :-)

OK, here is the recipe I used, with the TWO changes I made.

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 C whole milk
1 C vegetable oil
1 C sugar
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
9 C all purpose flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 Tbl. salt

Filling:

2 C butter, melted
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 T cinnamon

For the dough, beat the milk, oil and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on top of the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 C of flour, stir until just combined. Cover with a clean towel and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.

Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 cup of flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Place dough on floured surface and divide into two parts. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 X 10 inches.

Pour melted butter on dough and spread evenly. Cover with half of the sugar/cinnamon mixture and spread evenly. Roll the dough tightly and pinch to seal. Cut in 1 1/2 inch slices and place on buttered pan. Cover and let rise at least 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Icing:

2 lbs. powdered sugar
1/2 C whole milk
6 Tbl. butter, melted
1/4 C strongly brewed coffee
Dash of salt
1 Tbl. maple flavoring or maple extract (I used Maple syrup)

The only thing I changed is the sugar types and amount. Ree uses 2 cups of white sugar, but I divided it between brown and white. Crushed pecans may be added on top, or inside the dough before rolling, if desired.

To see other great recipes, please go over to Gayle's at Grocery Cart Challenge. :-) If you would like to participate, be sure to link to Gayle's blog. :-)

Come back tomorrow for a book recommendation. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-07T07:59:00.002-06:00

God Must be Laughing....

I was going to post about the weather and the whole Global Warming sca... uh... "thing." But, my friend Julie at "Thoughts I Thunk" said it much better than I would have, and I agree with her 100%, so I'm just sending you over there. :-) And I stole the title from her too. ;-)

Stay warm everybody. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2010-01-02T15:07:00.004-06:00

I got the "Beautiful Blogger Award" from Kwizgiver at "What if this is as Good as it Gets." Thank you, Kwizgiver. I am humbled and grateful.

The award does come with the some responsibilities.

1. I must thank the person who bestowed this honor upon me.

2. Copy the award and place it on my blog.

3. Link to the bestowers’ site.

4. Enumerate seven interesting things about myself. Here they are:

1) I love to bake.
2) I like decorating cakes.
3) My favorite ice cream is Chocolate Fudge Brownie with nuts.
4) My favorite colors are pink and purple (but not together)
5) I took Wado Kai (karate) in college, and was a yellow belt when I stopped.
6) I like to crochet.
7) When I was about 7 years old I road an elephant at the Houston Zoo.

5. Nominate seven bloggers that I find beautiful. Here are my nominees: Princess Ladybug, Elisharose, Pioneer Woman, Daes of our Lives, Grocery Cart Challenge, My Listening Heart, and Leighton Heart.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-12-25T09:50:00.008-06:00

Merry Christmas!!! :-)

It has been a wonderful Christmas, and I'm not just talking about today. This whole month has been wonderful. We took the last two weeks off from school, and I have been baking, and cooking everyday. :-) You may think that is a lot, but it wasn't all just for today or just for Christmas. We made MANY cookies to give away as gifts, as well as 2 batches of cinnamon rolls and an innumerable amount of Oreo Truffles.

I've baked 2 cakes for both a baby shower and a birthday. Actually, 2 for birthdays. I've spent the holidays trying to relax, and improve my cake baking/decorating skills. :-) The following photos show my progress.

Yes, I made that little "sweet" baby out of fondant. My first time to try to sculpt something from fondant. Also, the cake shows I watch are teaching me about sculpting cakes, but you can't do that with Duncan Hines. :-) So, I've been looking for sponge cake recipes from scratch. Found a couple and made one. It tasted really good, but I did not venture into the sculpting part yet. That is coming. :-)

To help me with my new cake adventures my family gave me a Wilton Ribbon Cutter and Embosser set. :-) I can't wait to try it.

And, my FAVORITE gift was.................................................

That's right, I got the cook book. :-) I plan to make the cinnamon rolls sometime this week. :-)

Of course, none of these things compare to THE ULTIMATE GIFT given to us by our LORD, His Son, Jesus Christ; and the gift He gave to us, Himself. :-)

Blessings to all you and your family.
Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-12-12T09:52:00.004-06:00

Nostalgia....

I am really showing my age here, but all of these old Christmas specials are making me nostalgic. Yep, it happens every year, and I love the Christmas specials. :-) We watch most of them, and even enjoy some of the new ones. Did y'all happen to catch "Prep and Landing" the other night? I laughed so hard I cried. :-) It will definitely become a classic, in our house anyway. :-)

But, during the shows it hit me what I've been missing. A LONG time ago Kraft used to sponsor the Christmas shows, and every commercial break the "man with the nice voice" came on and gave several recipes, using Kraft products of course. I MISS THOSE. That was one of my favorite parts of all the shows.

Maybe that's why I love recipes/cook books now. Maybe I had an "inner cook" in me back then waiting to get out. :-)

My family and I talked about those commercials the other night, and it really made me want to see them again. I sure wish they would do those kind of commercials during the holidays now. It would be a HUGE improvement over the junk they show now.

Anyway, I spent some time on Youtube looking for the old commercials, and I finally found some. :-) I can't tell you how excited I am. :-)

Enjoy!! :-)

2009-12-08T06:22:00.002-06:00

We Have A Winner!! :-)

I used the Random Number Generator this morning, and entered numbers 1-6. It shot out #5, so Julie at Elisharose has won the Yancy CD.

Congratulations, Julie. :-) I will e-mail Julie to get her address, and mail her CD.

If you would still like to have a copy of Yancy's CD, please see the original post. Also, we were in LifeWay this weekend, and turns out they sell it. :-) SO, if you're near a LifeWay just hop on over there and purchase one for $9.99 and save the shipping cost. :-)

Thank you for playing. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-12-04T23:22:00.003-06:00

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About How We Celebrate Christmas **

** but didn't care enough to ask.

I have no recipe today, so I am totally stealing this from Julie over at Elisharose News. :-) Thank you, Julie. :-)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I prefer Hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap. I love to wrap presents. :-) This year, I even wrapped empty boxes for decorations.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the trees, none on the house

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes, but not this year.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The Saturday after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I love it all. That's part of the fun of the holidays. If I HAD to pick just one, okay two, I would say Fruit Cake Cookies, and Cheeseball.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I love them all. But, I still think THIS ONE is the best.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I figured it out when I was around 6 or 7. When I asked my parents they told me the truth. It wasn't a sad thing though, I kind of liked being "in the know" with the grown ups.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With ornaments we have collected over the past years.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE IT. Wish we had some.

12. Can you ice skate? No. It is my firm belief that fat people who have no medical insurance should not be on any kind of skates, period.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I think that would be the stereo.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Remembering the birth of THE Savior, and instilling the real reason for Christmas to the nephews.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Can't pick just one. Sorry.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to Santa Land to "kick off" the Christmas season.

17. What tops your tree? An angel

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving!!!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love so many, but I think it's Silent Night, or Mary Did You Know.

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum.

21 Favorite Christmas Show? I can't choose just one, I love and watch them all.

22. Saddest Christmas Song? There are no "sad" ones, but Christmas Shoes and Merry Christmas with Love always make me cry.

Need a Christmas break? Go ahead, copy this post and fill it out on your blog. And let me know about it so I can read it too. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-12-01T09:42:00.006-06:00

Let's have a drawing!! :-)

Today is December 1st. That seems like a good day to give away some Christmas music for you to enjoy over the next several weeks. :-) And this CD is a good one for doing just that.

For those of you who have not heard of Yancy , she is a young, contemporary Christian singer/songwriter and author who's sound I would equate with Demi Lovato. "Little Mark" says she reminds him of Pink, but he isn't allowed to listen to Pink. ;-)

"Little Mark" came home from church camp with two of her CDs, and pre-ordered the Christmas CD. He has been playing it since October, and I have to say that while he and I differ on our taste in music (me usually yelling "turn that stuff down") I like Yancy. She is fun, energetic, and has a good voice and great Pop sound, but is not "overpowering" like a lot of mainstream female singers today.

The songs are a mixture of traditional Christmas carols and contemporary favorites, but all performed in a very fun and modern way. Yancy penned two songs: “Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas” and “Christmastime”. Both are sure to become staples for many Christmas’s to come. The song "The Greatest Gift" is being played at radio across the U.S.

It's definitely one of those CDs that the entire family can enjoy. :-)

Track listing:

1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2. Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas

3. Wonderful Christmastime

4. Joy To The World

5. Christmastime

6. The First Noel

7. Medley: Jingle Bells, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Feliz Navidad, We Wish You A Merry Christmas

8. Angels We Have Heard On High

9. O Come All Ye Faithful

10. The Greatest Gift

I think my favorite song is "Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas." I really like the energy and joy I get when listening to it, and being reminded of THE reason we celebrate Christmas. :-)

Yancy has been nice enough to send me a copy to give away in a drawing. So, to win all you need to do is leave a comment, and make sure I have a way to get in touch with you to let you know if you won. If you have a blog, link back to it, or leave me an e-mail address. This drawing is open to EVERYONE.

I will draw for the winner on December 8th, that way you are sure to receive it in plenty of time to enjoy during the holidays, or give as a gift. :-)

If you would help "spread the word" on your blog or facebook wall I sure would appreciate it. :-)

If you would like to just go ahead and purchase the great CD you may do so at www.amazon.com
from Yancy or from iTunes.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-11-26T10:57:00.000-06:00

Myspace Graphics, Thanksgiving Graphics at WishAFriend.com

2009-11-25T09:44:00.004-06:00

Projects and More Projects....

I am taking a break from making the Christmas presents for our Aunt and Uncle. I'm trying to make a DVD, and it isn't working out. SO, I'm stepping back for a bit, and decided to blog. :-)

I do have another project that I will need to start soon. I need to get all of my recipes typed up and printed into a cookbook. It is no longer a neat idea that I WANT to do, it is now out of necessity.

Why? Because of THIS:

And this:
That's my cook book that I write recipes in. The pockets are stuffed, and the pages are falling off of the spiral binder. Not good.

I spared you the picture of the "Gingerbread recipe" with the molasses stain. :-)

So, I'm thinking that after the first of the year I will be working on a personal cook book. I wonder how much it would cost to have it bound in hard cover? ;-)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!! :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-11-20T18:19:00.003-06:00

Cookie Recipe

Well, I did it. I read the "Pioneer Woman Cooks" cook book cover to cover, and I have determined that it would take A LOT less time and effort to just buy the book rather than copy each of the recipes I want to try. :-) So, when I get the money I shall plop it down on a new copy. Seriously, this is one you should take a good look at. Be sure to ask for it at your public library. :-)

OK, today is Friday, and that means it is time for the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap. After you finish here be sure to hop on over to Gayle's to check out all of the great recipes linked there. :-)

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a doctor's office waiting for my Mom, and I was flipping through magazines. I found this wonderful cookie recipe, and I was REALLY tempted to tear out the recipe and take it with me. But, since that is one of my HUGE PET PEEVES, I just searched for pen and paper and wrote as fast as possibly could to copy it down. It is beyond delicious! :-) I made them and for Bible Study this week, and there were NONE left. Since Christmas is coming, and many people will be attending cookie swaps, I thought it would be good to share this recipe with you. ENJOY!!

ROLO COOKIES

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2t vanilla extract
2 1/4 C flour
1t baking soda
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
48 Rolo candies (unwrapped)
Powdered sugar

Beat butter, gradually add sugars, beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to mixture and beat. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Divide dough into 4 parts. Refrigerate the 3 parts you are not working with. Divide 1 part into 12 pieces. Flatten each piece and roll a Rolo into each one. Bake 8 minutes. Cool for 1 minute and then move to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-11-09T14:01:00.003-06:00

Jealousy is such a bad characteristic...

but I am jealous. I guess you would say "coveting" more than jealous. But I'm getting ahead of myself on this post, so let me start over...

I have A LOT of cook books. I love them. I read them like a novel, and mark all of the recipes I want to make. Then, I actually do make some of them. ;-) A few months ago, I downsized my collection, and gave about half of them away. I held on to the ones I really love and use. One thing I have noticed is that most of the ones I kept are Christmas themed, or all about cookies/baking.

Hey, I know what I like. :-)

My family will tell you that I love collecting recipes, not just in cook books. I can't tell you how many recipes I have printed from the Internet, or copied from a magazine. I keep those in a three-ring binder, so that I cannot find the recipe when needed, and I print another copy. :-)

However, I believe I have THE COOK BOOK, and I want to recommend it to you. It is AMAZING, and very much something I would love to do some time. Here it is:

That's right, Ree at Pioneer Woman Cooks finished her cook book. I have not finished the whole thing, yet.

OK, I have flipped through it, but I can assure you I have found several recipes I will be copying and using this year, and by "this year" I mean before the end of '09. I am seriously thinking I may have to put money down and BUY this one at RETAIL. Yep, it's that good. I can also pretty much guarantee that before the end of this coming weekend I will have found myself a "semi" quiet corner in the house and curl up with a hot cup of cider to read the cook book cover to cover.

This is where my "coveting/jealousy" comes in. Not only do I want to make my own cook book someday (not for retail, just a personal thing for me and maybe some family members), I want Ree's kitchen. I want her talent for cooking/baking and I WANT HER KNOWLEDGE AND TALENT FOR TAKING AMAZING PHOTOS!" Or, maybe just her camera and photo software. That would work too. ;-)

Anyway, hop over to Ree's or Amazon and purchase your own copy of "Pioneer Woman Cooks" today; or just run down to your local public library and borrow it like I did. Just don't drool on the cinnamon rolls because someone else WILL want to check it out. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-11-03T22:35:00.002-06:00

Let the Holidays Begin!!! :-)

We are planning to make our annual trek to Santa Land early this year. ;-) I don't think I can contain my excitement. :-) Here is just a SMALL sample of what we will see. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-10-30T07:34:00.002-05:00

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap Friday

My goodness, it has been awhile since I have participated in a Friday Recipe Swap. :-)
I thought I would do a simple one, so simple there aren't any measurements. :-) I make this quite a bit as a side dish, but to be honest, it is very good on it's own as well. It is CHEAP, and very filling.

I hope you enjoy it, and please hop on over to The Grocery Cart Challenge, and see all of the wonderful recipes being shared there today. Gayle has a great one for Bay Leaf Tea that helps to fight the flu. :-) If you would like to participate, please do, and link your recipe to Gayle, and don't forget to mention the link in your post so others may enjoy all of the wonderful recipes being shared. :-)

Stewed Tomatoes and Spinach

1 large can of stewed tomatoes. ( I like to use the sliced ones)
small onion, chopped
minced garlic (as much as you like)
1 lb of spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

Combine tomatoes, onion and garlic in a sauce pan. simmer until hot, and the onions are soft/translucent. Add salt and pepper. Add washed spinach on top of tomatoes, and grate just a bit of nutmeg onto the spinach. Turn off your heat, and place lid on pan to allow spinach to wilt. This will only take a few minutes, and will allow the spinach to keep most of it's color. Give a toss and enjoy. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-10-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

For Our Heroes....

There are currently just under 2000 heroes waiting to be adopted. Please, watch the video, then go to www.soldiersangels.com and sign up to adopt a soldier today.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-10-22T20:23:00.007-05:00

Staycation and Christmas....

Dictionary.com defines "staycation" as: (noun) a stay-at-home vacation

Pretty self explanatory, I think. We have been on a "staycation" this week. I have a feeling that with the current economy MANY people will be taking staycations, if any vacation at all. I have to admit, when our Tennessee vacation turned into a "staycation", I was disappointed. However, I have to say that I did enjoy myself this week. :-)

We originally had several trips planned, within a 2 1/2 hr. driving distance, for this week. However, we ended up only traveling 2 of those days. The first day we actually spent at home, cooking breakfast for the week. We made things ahead of time that could be frozen, such as cinnamon rolls, pancakes wrapped around little smokies, etc. That way we cut down on the cooking this week, and were able to relax more even if we did not get to go anywhere. :-) It worked well, I think.

If you will indulge me, I'll give you a quick run down of our "adventures." :-)

Our first "trip" took us to a little town called Woodville, in southeast Texas. We went to Heritage Village to attend the Harvest Festival. We did actually have a little adventure here involving our low sitting car and a root, but I am going to let Cleggy tell you about that, because he will be much wittier than me. (Hear that, Cleggy? You have to blog about it now.) :-) I have to apologize up front to all of my scrapbooking friends. I am ashamed to say that I did not think to get a picture of Cleggy under the car trying to fix it, and once he reminded me about it we were already on the road and he refused to pull over and recreate the scene for me to redeem myself.

I KNOW!! How selfish could he be, right? ;-)

Anyway, the Harvest Festival was a lot of fun. All of the vendors were in period costume, and we saw them spinning yarn, making baskets, making hand dipped candles, etc. It was a great day.

On Sunday we went grocery shopping. Try to contain your excitement. ;-)

Monday we spent at home and played games. I finally got the rest of the family to play Mexican Train with me. :-) It was a lot of fun, actually.

Tuesday was our second and last "trip away from home." We spent the day in Jefferson, TX. Jefferson is home to several of "the most haunted places in Texas." I am happy to report that we didn't see any ghosts. ;-) Just a lot of old, historical buildings, a music/used bookstore antique stores, museums, etc. We ate lunch at the Hamburger Store. It was really good, and we loved the atmosphere. Everything from the red and white checker pattern on the floor and table cloths to the 50s music that filled the air. OH, and if you ever get a chance to go there, be sure and ask them about the story behind all of the $1 bills that paper the walls. :-)

And order the Chicken Fried Steak sandwich with sweet potato fries; I'm just sayin'. :-)

We also had floats and milk shakes and the "Jefferson General Store". This place was so neat, and really was like taking a step back in time. :-) And, we found THIS:

We didn't buy it mind you, we just saw it and took a pic. ;-)

Wednesday we "straightened" the garage and watched a movie. We also played games, and "Little Mark" and I painted Christmas ornaments.

Today and Friday will pretty much be the same; run a few errands, watch a movie, play some games, and just relax. I did finish making a Christmas tree I have been working on for our front porch. I made it using a tomato cage, greenery and decorations I got from the $1 store.

No we didn't travel umpteen hundred miles, stay in hotels and spend a lot of money eating out just to come home and "need a vacation from our vacation", but we did get out a little, got a few projects finished and relaxed a lot. With a little planning about the meals, and cooking ahead, we didn't spend all of our time in the kitchen, and we were able to just enjoy each others company. Really, isn't that what family vacations are for?

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-10-14T12:36:00.004-05:00

What to do?

I have been struggling with a decision for a couple of months now, and still have not come up with the proper answer. So, I thought I would post it and see what advice I get back on this.

I have a Bible that is over 20 years old. Actually, it used to be my brother's. I LOVE this Bible. It is a Thomas Nelson/KJV Study Bible. Well, the leather covering has literally crumbled off, and the spine is now separating from the pages. Recovering the Bible is not an option, because: 1. It is too expensive, and 2. One page (JUST ONE PAGE) in Isaiah is torn, so it it missing some of the words.

I have purchased a new Bible, but my problem is, "What do I do with the old one?"

I just cannot bring myself to throw it away. I mean, it's missing a part of a page in Isaiah, so giving it to someone who could/would have it recovered is not an option. I have done some research on this, and quite a few places say you should bury it, but I keep thinking the rest of the Bible is still perfectly usable; even though I have underlined and made notes in it. It seems a sin to bury it, but then I have to wonder if I am worshiping the Bible more than God? I mean it's THE WORD OF GOD... (Yeah, that's deep. I think I'm getting a headache.)

Someone even said to send it to a missionary and let them divide it up by "books" to use in the mission field. How do I find a missionary who would be willing to do that?

So, there it sits on my night stand, unused. Have any of you had this dilemma with old Bibles? What did you do?

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-10-11T23:01:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's me! :-)

I think I just heard a huge "gasp" in the blogosphere... yes, I am writing. :-) I can't believe that it has been so long since I have blogged... where does the time go?

I have started many blog posts, and even have a couple of them saved in notepad, that will probably never see the light of day. There are days when I had really great things I wanted to write about, and didn't have time to blog about it. Then there were days I wanted to be sentimental and inspiring... uh... yeah. Then there were the days I just wanted to vent, and they were mostly about politics. So, I typed them out. I even got up one morning at 3:00 a.m., because I just couldn't sleep, and began typing randomly. It made no sense, but helped me, so I guess it was therapeutic.

Then, I went through a time when I just didn't want to do anything. I stopped reading blogs I faithfully read everyday, and even considered whether or not I wanted to continue this one. I just went through a "funk." My mother swears I have entered menopause (sorry men), and she may be right. I even stopped posting recipes; the one thing I loved doing, and could always count on.

But, I'm feeling better now; I think I am getting my spirit of blogging back, and have even begun reading blogs again. ;-) I've missed them. It's like not talking to a good friend for a long time, and then losing touch.

One blog I read faithfully was My Best Investments, and I read it tonight for the first time in a long time. Leighton is the owner of this great blog, and he had a really good post I wanted to share with you titled, "Dreaming out Loud." I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. Makes a lot of sense.

I guess a readers digest version of "catch up with Wendy" might be in order, so here goes:

1. Homeschool is going great. New schedule this year seems to be working out.
2. Experiencing mood swings, and given to tears when I think of how the nephews are growing, pretty much anything sentimental.
3. 4-H is back in full swing, and I am NOT the manager. :-)
4. I am leading the photography project and it is going well.
5. Entering new season of life and, with God's help, surviving mood swings.
6. Very involved with church ministries and loving it.
7. GOD IS GOOD.
8. Pretty addicted to Facebook
9. Did I mention mood swings?
10. Biggest Loser competition... don't ask... They are doing it again in January
11. Chocolate is great for the mood swings, but NOT helpful in the Biggest Loser competition.

That about sums it up. ;-) Hopefully, I have not lost the 3 or 4 people who actually read my blog, and I hope you will come back. I have every intention of writing again soon. :-) Maybe next time we can share some spiced tea and cookies together.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-07-14T22:44:00.002-05:00

Please, watch and pass it on. Contact your Senators!!

I don't care what political party you claim to be, this is NOT a Republican issue, Democrat issue, etc. It is an AMERICAN issue. If you are a parent, or even just KNOW a parent, this affects you. Call your Senators, and urge them to co-sponsor this amendment.

2009-06-27T22:14:00.004-05:00

It was a lazy week...

"Little Mark" was at church camp this week. :-) He really enjoyed himself, and came up with a couple of new CDs. It seems a young lady named Yancy was the singer for the week, and "Little Mark" likes her VERY much. ;-)

His birthday was on Thursday. I still can't believe he is 13. The Children's Director arranged to have a cake brought to camp for him, and they had a "surprise" party for him. ;-) That was so sweet. We didn't know they were going to do that.

"Little Mark" also showed his bravery by going down the Zip Line. I believe it is 4 stories high, and most of the people in our household are afraid of heights, including "Little Mark." But, he did it. ;-) We're very proud of him.

While he was away I got a few things done around the house, but mostly I stayed on facebook, and caught up on the TV show "Harper's Island." Now, I'm hooked!! ;-) I did do my weigh-in yesterday, and I have lost another 2 lbs. That's 11 in all.

It's going slowly, but it is indeed going. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-20T23:10:00.001-05:00

Great day/ iPod cake...

We had a really great day today. We had the "family" party for "Little Mark's" 13th birthday today. He got the Wii he has been wanting, and we have all had a ball playing on it. ;-) I think bowling, tennis, and golf are my favorite. :-)

I made him another iPod cake, but I think this one came out so much better than the last one. "Little Mark" requested a blue one this time, so we made it blue. ;-) Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-19T09:11:00.003-05:00

Weigh-In #3 and Friday Recipe Swap

Well, this has been a busy week. :-) I am baking the nephew's birthday cake for tomorrow. I am going to make a few changes from the one I did last week. We'll see what happens. :-)

Tomorrow is the family party, and the day he gets all of his presents from us. :-)

"Little Mark" leaves for camp on Monday morning, so I have spent all week making sure he has everything he needs, and getting it together. I will spend Sunday afternoon helping him pack, and writing his name on EVERYTHING. :-) I plan to include a few "we love you" and "have a great day" notes hidden among his clothing. He has requested that I pack each days outfits as a set, so he can just "grab and dress". I am going to mark the set he wears on Thursday, so I can hide a birthday card in there, as well as $5. That way he gets a little surprise on his actual birthday. :-)

I know, it's corny; but I'm corny like that. ;-)

OK, the weigh-in for today is: I lost 3 lbs. this week. :-) It's moving slow, but at least it is moving in the right direction. :-)

Now for the recipe. :-) Remember, you can find more recipes by going to Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe. Gayle is so great about hosting this each week. If you want to participate, just post a recipe and link it to "Mr. Linky." :-)

Sassy Southwest Egg Rolls (From the Hungry Girl Cook Book)

3 Original (not large) Low Carb/High Fiber Tortillos (she recommends La Tortilla Factory)
1 oz of cooked, skinless, lean chicken breast; shredded (I used 98% Fat Free canned chicken)
3/4 C frozen, chopped spinach; thawed and thoroughly drained.
2 T canned black beans
2 T canned sweet corn, drained
1 oz fat free jalepeno jack cheese, shredded (I used the sandwich slices)
1 T diced red chili pepper

For sauce
2 T fat free sour cream
1 T mashed avocado
1 T diced tomato
1/2 t dry ranch dressing mix/dip mix
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.In a small bowl combine chicken, spinach, beans, corn, cheese and chili pepper. Microwave for 30 seconds.

Warm tortillas for 15 seconds. Place 1/3 of mixture in center of tortilla. Fold sides in and roll from bottom to top.

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray, and place wraps seam side down on pan.

Bake 12 minutes flipping half-way through the cooking process. Egg rolls will be crispy when done.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients for the sauce. Let egg rolls cool a few minutes and enjoy with the sauce. :-)

This makes 2 servings. Each serving is 181 calories, and 4.5 g of fat. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

VBS, weigh-in, and cakes...

That pretty much sums up my last week. :-)

We did VBS all last week, so we never made it to the gym. I knew this would have an adverse affect on my weigh-in, and although it was a set back, it was not devastating. On Friday I weighed-in and I had gained 1 lb.

Yeah, I was upset too.

HOWEVER, I went ahead and weighed this morning and saw I have lost 2 lbs. over the weekend, so I am not feeling bad anymore. ;-) Hopefully, the "official" weigh-in this Friday will show even more loss. ;-)

VBS was great. This is the first year I have done "Missions", and our project is putting together "Lifeboxes" for soldiers. The kids really came through with the donations, and it was all great. The lessons were great, and I think I would really like to do it again next year.

Moving on.... let me give a positive testament to "Coppertone Spray". We took "Little Mark" and a friend to a local amusement park on Saturday. I sprayed everyone down with the Coppertone before we went in. The guys even did their faces and the backs of their necks. I did my arms, but didn't do my face because of my makeup, and forgot the back of my neck/top of my back. NO ONE got burned except for me...... and guess where? Yep, a little on the face, and the back of my neck/back. Moral of the story: Coppertone works if you use it. :-)

The reason we took the boys to the amusement park was for "Little Mark's" birthday. It really isn't for a couple of more weeks, but this was his "party" with the friends. He opted for something more exciting and just take one friend. It was fun. :-) Well, except for the whole "sunburn" thing. :-) I made his cake again this year. This is a picture of it. :-)

I plan to do another one this coming weekend for the family party. He will be at church camp on his actual birthday, so we are having the parties a little early. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-05T07:27:00.001-05:00

Friday weigh-in.

Down 7 lbs. Not a bad start. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-04T23:43:00.003-05:00

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap...

Tonight we had "Pizza Pockets" from the Hungry Girl Cook Book. (She called them something else, but I don't have the book in front of me, and I am too tired to go get it. So, we are just going to name it 'The Pocket.') :-)

They were wonderful. The were filling, they tasted great and they were MUCH cheaper than the real thing, or ordering calzones from a pizza place. I'm posting the recipe here. Please, go to Gayle's for more great recipes. :-)

"The Pocket"

1 large low-carb tortilla
1 triangle of Laughing Cow, Low-Fat Swiss Cheese
1/4 C tomato sauce with Italian Seasonings
3 T FF Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T onions, diced
2 T bell peppers, diced
Mushrooms, sliced
about 4 or 5 slices of Turkey pepperoni (the original recipe did not call for this, but we used it and it is tasty!)

Microwave your tortilla for about 10 seconds. Spread the Swiss cheese down the center, and spread your sauce on top. Top with other toppings and cheese. Fold like a burrito,and place on pan with folded side down. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy! :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-06-03T20:08:00.008-05:00

So far, so good. ;-)

So far things are going well with our diet. We have been using recipes from The Hungry Girl. We checked out the following two cookbooks from the library:

And...

I have to say the first couple of days were very difficult, but the food had nothing to do with it. Let's just say that when your body (digestive tract) is not "normal" due to a horrible diet, and you suddenly change to a high fiber diet, but you are also dehydrated, because you do not drink enough water; this causes a severe stomach ache.

The stomach ache/problem is still here, but not as bad. I am trying to rectify the problem, and it is getting better. Just takes time. :-)

We have changed the time we go to gym, so we can be more consistent. This morning we were in the pool at 6:30 am. :-) I think this will work better for us. :-)

"Little Mark" has really liked the recipes we have used so far, and is even looking through the books to pick out others to try. Let me share one of the recipes we tried this week.

Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie

8 oz of boneless, skinless chicken (baked or boiled.) I used 98% fat free, canned white meat chicken.
98% fat free Cream of Celery Soup
3 C of frozen mixed vegetables
Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls

Combine chicken, soup and veggies in a 9 inch round dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir. Remove 3 crescent rolls from the package. Form into a small dough ball and roll into a thin circle. Lay on top of mixture and replace in oven for 15-20 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serves 4. Enjoy! :-)

It was quick, inexpensive, and tasted wonderful. We served it with a spinach salad. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-31T20:08:00.003-05:00

I'm a Loser...

At least, I hope to be.

I am sorry I have been M.I.A. for awhile. Things have been busy here. Our school will be wrapping up in a few weeks. My target date is July 15th. This allows "Little Mark" time for camp, Boys with Courage, and both of us time for VBS. ;-) I love the flexibility of homeschooling. ;-)

I did something on Wednesday I didn't think I would ever do. I became a "Loser." I hope to be anyway. For those of you who remember I was dieting, and losing weight, awhile back. I actually lost 45 lbs. in about 6 months.

Well, it has taken me 1 1/2 years to gain back that 45 lbs. No more, but exactly the same 45 lbs. (for me that is a miracle. I usually gain back the lost weight and more.)

How did I come to this decision, you ask? I was TRICKED, tricked I tell you!!

OK, maybe not "tricked", but it was definitely not my initial idea. :-) Here is how it happened: A couple of weeks ago "Little Mark" and I were doing Health, and he was learning how to figure up the daily calorie intake, and how many of the calories should be fat, etc; he mentioned how he really needed/wanted to eat healthier and get back on his diet. We discussed it for awhile and then he made the comment, "I wish they would have Biggest Loser for kids, I would join that."

The very next day we attended the closing day of "Walk Across Texas." Our 4-H club won first place in the state. :-) Then, the Extension Agent said, "Beginning June 1st we will have a 'Biggest Loser Contest' for the entire county."

You should have seen the look on "Little Mark's" face. ;-) He said, "Can we do it?"

Did you catch that "we" part? Yeah, me too. So, I said, "Let me look into it."

I checked into it and you have to be 18 to participate. He was disappointed. HOWEVER, the Extension Agent likes "Little Mark" and said "if you do it then we can weigh him 'unofficially', and he can still participate. He won't have to pay the $20 entrance fee, and he can't win any money, but he can participate unofficially."

Did I mention there was a monetary prize? Yes, the top 3 losers split the money. :-)

SO, I paid my $20 and did my weigh-in. I am right back where I started 2 years ago. So, I am considering this a "clean slate." I really had a hard time weighing in front of someone else, but I "sucked it up" and did it. "Little Mark" weighed in, and was promised that after the final weigh-in, in September, if he ties, or beats, any of the top three slots we will buy him a really nice prize, or give him cash. We'll see which.

SO, "Little Mark" and I are aiming to be "Losers."

Weigh-in days are on Friday. Since we did our initial weigh-in on Wednesday, we went ahead and weighed on Friday. As of that time I have lost 2 lbs, and "Little Mark" has lost 1 lb.

It's a start. :-)

"Little Mark" and I sat down and discussed how we wanted to approach this new endeavor. We have decided NOT to do the Fat Smash Diet again. Instead, we have decided to be realistic, and just admit "We like to eat!" We want real food, and to not be denied.

So, game plan is the following: We have cut our portions. We eat on small, salad plates, and keep it at one serving. We have increased our water intake, and cut out sodas. No eating after 8:00 pm. We also checked out the "Hungry Girl" cookbooks, and we are choosing recipes and making a menu. I believe "Hungry Girl" may become my new best friend. :-) Have you seen her recipes? They sound YUMMY. ;-)

The rest of the family has said they will also be participating "unofficially", so it will help. "Little Mark" and I have agreed to be each others "accountability" partners, and he is TOUGH. I have decided to post my results here each Friday, as I did before. That really helped. I will also post or link to any recipes we use that we really like, just in case you might like to try it. :-)

We are still going to the gym, which I think is one reason I haven't gained back more than the initial 45 lbs. We enjoy that. :-) So, between our game plan and exercise, I think we will be okay.

Please, pray for us. :-) We're going to need it. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-30T20:18:00.003-05:00

Take a listen! ;-)

Hi, everyone :-) I know it's been awhile since I posted. Sorry about that. I DO have a blog post in the works. Hopefully, it will be ready tomorrow. (I did something on Wednesday you aren't going to believe.) ;-)

I would like for you to take a look at my sidebar. See that big ol' tape player? This is my friend, Eric Dodge, singing a song he wrote called "Last Real Cowboy." Please, listen to the song. Each time you listen to it, it gives him a "vote", and he could win a much deserved recording contract.

This guy is truly amazing. :-) If you like it, please "grab it" and post it on your blog, facebook account, myspace page; anywhere you can. The more people who listen the better it will be for Eric.

Just a little back story on the song; Eric wrote this song right after his Grandfather died. He got up in the middle of the night, wrote it down and put it in a drawer for 2 years. Then, he had a friend help him "clean it up", he recorded and .... boom... here it is. The song is wonderful, and I truly believe you will be hearing it on mainstream radio very soon. He is already seeing success on Sirius Radio, and independent stations. :-) Give him a listen. Oh, and it is a country song, not rock. ;-)

Thank you. ;-)
Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-05T10:03:00.007-05:00

Easy Caramel Pie

I will be leaving town on Thursday. We are going to the Creation Museum in Glen Rose, and then to the Homeschool Book Fair in Arlington on Friday. So, I will miss the Grocery Cart Challenge. I wanted to go ahead and post one now. :-) I am very excited about the book fair, because we will get to meet John Erikson, author of the "Hank the Cowdog" series. :-)

This recipe is super easy, and very good. It was given to me by a lady I used to work with at the school cafeteria. You want to be sure to have good ventilation in your kitchen, because of all of the steam. :-)

INGREDIENTS

1 graham cracker pie crust
2 cans of condensed milk
Cool Whip

Place the two cans of milk in the a large pot; the kind you make large quantities of soup in, and fill it with water. You want to let the cans boil for 3 hours. (check the water level, and make sure the tops of the cans are always well covered with water) After 3 hours pour off the water and let the cans completely cool. Preferably overnight, but at least for several hours. (If you try to open them too soon they will explode, so make sure they are cool.)

After removing the lid you will have two cans of very sweet caramel. Spread both cans of caramel into the pie crust, and then refrigerate until you are ready to eat. Before eating, spread the top with Cool Whip.

This is a VERY sweet, easy dessert. :-) For more wonderful recipes, be sure to visit Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge on Friday. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-05-04T21:45:00.002-05:00

Helping the Homeless

Hi, Everyone :-) It's been a few days, but I wanted to expand on what our Singles Dept. is doing to help the homeless in our area.

It was really an idea one of the ladies in class came up with when she was approached by a man coming out of a store in our town. Our town isn't really that big, just over 13,000 people. She said the man approached her, and was very nice. He asked if she had a couple of dollars she could give him for something to eat.

She only had $5 in cash on her, but gave it to him. She apologized that it couldn't be more. He thanked her and said, "I will be able to eat twice off of this. I go to Jack-in-the-Box and get a kids meal. I can do that today and tomorrow and be able to eat twice.

She stood and talked with the man for quite awhile. She asked his name, and if he had shelter. He told her that he had only been homeless a couple of months. He had worked construction for many years, and had been with the same company for 17 years, but was laid off. Once savings ran out he and his wife split up, and now he is homeless. Just one of those things that could happen to anyone.
He was very humble, and this really opened my friend's eyes.

In our town we do have a ministry that gives away clothes to anyone who comes in and asks. They take the old ones, and give a new set to those in need. There is also a shower on the premises where someone can take a shower. My friend asked if the gentleman knew of this service, and he did not. He was grateful for the information.

My friend then asked something I would not have thought to. She asked the man, if she were to encounter him, again, what could she have in her car that would be helpful to him. His answer? Socks and water. This truly humbled my friend, and she couldn't believe that something we take for granted, like socks, would be the one thing a homeless man would ask for.

So, she came to us with the following idea. We put together gallon size Ziploc bags. In each bag is 1 pair of new socks, a bottle of water, a can of beanie/weenies, a McDonald's gift card, a plastic fork, a toothbrush, toothpaste, handy wipes, and deodorant. Each bag costs about $4 to put together.

Also included is information about resources in the area. The address of the local clothing ministry mentioned earlier, with a contact number/name and a map to the location. All information regarding our local food pantry, and a schedule of the days and times they serve meals. Unfortunately, the nearest shelter is 25 miles away, but the contact information for that is there too, as well as a map to get there. Also, they have a van that will come pick someone up from our area if they call.

Each week we take up a donation for the bags. Even if it is just $1 it helps. We now carry these bags in our cars, and the next time we are approached by someone in need, we can do more for them than just hand them a couple of dollars. We can pray for them, and give them the tools for them to get a new start. After all, in today's economy and hard times, this gentleman could have represented anyone of us.

I thank God everyday for His blessings, and I pray for all of those who have fallen on hard times. Perhaps you may be able to begin carrying a bag in your car to help someone in need. It isn't much, but to them it is everything.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-24T08:21:00.003-05:00

Catch Up and Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged, sorry. Every day I sit at the computer with an idea in mind, and then it never gets written and posted. I must do better about that. ;-)

I guess I'll just give you a run down of what has been happening lately and then get to the recipe. (For those of you who have come from Gayle's Recipe Swap, "Welcome" and "Thank you for your patience." ;-)

1. "Little Mark" got braces about a month ago. I was going to post several things about this, but never made it. The poor guy lived on Jell-O and Ensure for the first 3 days. His Orthodontist is a former Pro Baseball player, and he has a "3 strikes and your out" rule. If you break your brackets because you are eating things you are not supposed to be eating, or you are not cleaning properly you will get a strike. After 3 strikes you have proven to him that you are not serious about taking care of your teeth and he will pull the braces off. The kids even have to sign a contract. Harsh? I don't think so. I like the idea of making the kids responsible for taking care of their braces, and they know ahead of time what the consequences will be. So far "Little Mark" is doing great. ;-)

2. "Little Mark" won 2nd place in the 4-H District Fashion show. He was the only 4-Her from our county to participate. He missed a perfect score by 3 points. :-) He was so happy, and we are very proud. ;-)

3. Just one more "meeting" for 4-H and I am done. ;-) We are taking the kids on a field trip, and then I turn in my Manager's book. I'm looking forward to it.

4. Our Singles Dept. has begun a ministry to help the Homeless. This is too involved to get into here, so I will post about it another time. Please, remind me to do so. ;-)

There is more, but I think those who have waited for the recipe have been patient enough, so let's move on. :-)

Last week I was in a small library in a surrounding area. I found this book there, and just fell in love with it.
I LOVE vintage magazines. I think the ads, recipes, etc. from magazines from the 20's -50s are amazing. This book is actually comprised of articles submitted to the "Good Old Days" magazine, and this particular one is all about favorite recipes from the past. Each one has a story by the submitter about why they love it, or their special childhood memory concerning that particular recipe.

I have truly enjoyed reading it, and have found MANY wonderful recipes I intend to try. Here is one of the first ones I plan on trying. I do encourage you to check your local public library for the book. If they don't have it, try Inter Library Loan or, if nothing else go to Amazon.com :-) You won't be sorry.

Original Girl Scout Cookies
This 1930s recipe was used for cookies sold in the Newton and Lexington area of Massachusetts.

1 C Butter
1 C Sugar
2 C Flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, beaten well
2 Tbl. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter an sugar together. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture along with the eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheet; flatten with bottom of drinking glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

You just knew I had to start with a dessert recipe. :-) LOL.... Being a former Girl Scout I figured I had to start with this one. :-) For more GREAT recipes be sure to check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, and feel free to participate. We can all use more great recipes. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-15T14:18:00.002-05:00

I must think BEFORE I speak...

"Little Mark" just yelled from the school room... "Guess what my next assignment is about; WWI. I don't want to do it."

My response: "It is important to learn about it, so we don't repeat it."

After a moment it hit me; wasn't it repeated with WWII?!

This will be filed as stupid response #3, 482.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-13T21:11:00.004-05:00

Fantastic Movie!!!

Little Mark and I saw this movie today at a nearby theater. It was really great, and I highly recommend it to everyone. The cast/creators are very talented. :-) For more info, go here: http://widowsmightthemovie.com/ OH, and the creators of the movie were there and we got to talk to them. They were VERY nice, and a delight to talk to. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-04-08T19:56:00.003-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

In need of a vacation....

Yes, it's me, and I am alive. Things have been really busy here, and I think it finally caught up with me today.

Have you ever had those days when you just feel "blah"? You're tired, everything ticks you off for no real reason and then the things you do have a reason to get mad about just make you want to crawl in bed and put the covers of your head?

Yep, I've been in a "funk." :-( Then, to top it off, I woke up before 5:00 am (not intentionally) and left the house at 7:10 am to take "Little Mark" to his Orthodontist appt, which is about 1 hour away. Problem? His appt. isn't until TOMORROW morning. He was the one that realized it, when we were 10 miles outside of town.

Yes, I desperately need a vacation. I'm not talking about a huge vacation to another country or the mountains or anything.... at this point my DREAM vacation would be JUST ME for 2 nights at a Holiday Inn Express (Or a Hawthorn Suite) and nothing to do except watch TV and sleep. Maybe I would bring a book. Then, I would not leave the hotel for anything. I'd enjoy the free breakfast, order pizza or chinese food to be delivered, and sit in a jaccuzi. Did I mention I want a jacuzzi in the room? I do. Oh, and the fridge must be stocked with sodas and chocolate.

I do not want to hear the words, laundry, school, dishes, cooking, cleaning, meetings, or responsibility the entire time I am away. Yeah.... it's a nice dream anyway....

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-12T11:17:00.005-05:00

I'm laughing all the way to the bank... :-)

Over a year ago my family and I decided to make some cleaning products ourselves. We wanted to do this for a couple of reasons: 1) to save money, and 2) so we wouldn't have so many harsh, stinky chemicals to deal with. We found all kinds of things to clean with just vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. :-) We LOVED it.

Then, I began looking for other ways we save $ and make things ourselves. Several months ago I read a blog that talked about making your own laundry detergent. I immediately thought, "not for me. It sounds like too much work." So, I dismissed it.

Then, I found Gayle's blog, and she told how to make several things like fabric softener, window cleaner, etc. So, I tried the fabric softener. I loved it. :-) You will also recall that I made my own "detangler" using hair conditioner. I was hooked on the "make your own" thing.

One day I was watching the show "17 Kids and Counting" with the Duggar family, and I was once again introduced with the idea to make my own laundry detergent. I watched them do it on the show, and I thought, "That wasn't nearly as hard as I thought." So, I went to the internet and found this recipe on their site.

I purchased the ingredients, with a little grumbling of doubt from my family, and made my first batch. That was 2 months ago. Today I, finally, ran out and had to make a second batch of laundry detergent. I am now ready to report to you my findings. :-)

OK, overall cost for 1 batch (10 gallons) of soap was $1.86

A&H laundry soap - 10 cents
Borax 1 cent
Fels Naptha soap $1.75 I did not include shipping and tax

Regular soap approximately $3 a bottle. I did not include tax

This soap lasted us approximately 2 months, which means we would have spent $33 on regular laundry soap, because we filled the bottle 11 times. If we did that every two months for 1 year we would spend $198 on regular soap, and $11.16 on homemade soap, for a savings of .....

$186.84 a year!!

And, we don't have 11 plastic bottles to throw into the landfill. :-) Can you just imagine putting an extra $33 into your savings account every 2 months? It adds up! The detergent works GREAT, and is VERY economical. Oh, and my family is no longer grumbling. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-09T19:15:00.004-05:00

I'm Back :-)

I'm back from the Singles Leadership Conference. To say, "I had a good time and learned a lot" would be an understatement. It was that good. ;-) Grab a drink, sit back and let me tell you all about it. This could take awhile... :-)

First, 6 of us rode to Georgetown in a mini van together. That in itself was a lot of fun. I have only been a member of this church/Singles Dept. for about 2 years, so I am still really getting to know everyone. I had a wonderful time getting to know them better, and in turn they getting to know me. It was non stop laughing for the most part. :-)

We stopped and ate Mexican Food before registering at the church, and then going to the hotel. The food was amazing. ;-)

After reaching the hotel we all unloaded the van, helped everyone get their things to their room and decided we would play Farkle before going to bed. We all exclaimed, "just let us shower and get on our pj's and we'll be right there." My roommate and I showered, changed and got our things prepared for the next day. By that time, we were ready to just go to sleep. We went to the leader's room to let her know that we had changed our mind about playing the game, only to be told everyone else had the same idea.

We're a wild bunch I'm telling you. ;-)

So, we went back to the room and finished watching Twister on TV and fell asleep.

The next morning we all got up early and headed to the church. The theme for the weekend was "Extreme Makeover: Singles Edition", and to go with the theme of the weekend we were given a ministry opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity. It was a fantastic experience. There were about 30 volunteers, including the future homeowner. We got to learn all about the program of H4H, and work on her house.

I was able to help paint her shed and then help put up siding. I learned to use a nail gun. :-) Talk about POWER! :-) We were there for about 6 hours, and with all of the volunteers we were able to get A LOT accomplished. ;-) The homeowner was so sweet, and we were all truly blessed by the experience. The only drawback....

.... no one brought sunscreen, and I am a walking testimony to that fact. The arms? they are RED. Not quite as hot though and, surprisingly, I have not blistered. ;-)

We then drove back to the hotel where everyone had less than 1 hour to shower and change for the first session on Friday night. I still can't believe I showered, washed my hair TWICE, scrubbed the paint off of my hands, arms, body, hair, etc; dried and curled my hair, put on my makeup and changed my clothes in less than 40 minutes. And I looked presentable. I count that a miracle in itself. ;-)

H4H fed us pizza for lunch that day, and we later had Mexican food at the church during the Friday session. For that session we first met our speaker, Dave Edwards. They man is an amazing speaker, y'all. If you ever get a chance to hear him, watch one of his DVDs, or read one of his books, I strongly encourage you to do so. ;-) He is funny, yet is a strong speaker at the same time. :-)

On Friday night we were all still a little jazzed up enough to play a couple of games of Farkle before bed, although I have no idea how since we were all so tired from the day of physical labor. ;-)

I lost both games BTW... ;-)

Saturday was really the full day for the conference, and my cup was so full by the end of the day I am still processing everything that I learned.

We had two more sessions with Dave Edwards throughout the day, which were heart changing to say the least.

We also had a very talented Christian Comedian, Robert Burkhart, perform for us. He was hilarious, and I would LOVE to have him come to our church some time. You can hear samples of what he does HERE.

We also had a chance to choose some "Break Out" sessions to go to. I chose the following 3:

Living the Transformed Life by Michael Perron. Yep, the "ESPN/Abs of Steel" guy. He has an awesome testimony, and his entire session was about WHY it is important to tell your testimony, "your story." It was very inspiring.

The next session I attended was "Vacation with a Purpose", which told you how to plan a mission trip that was both productive and relaxing for your Singles group. The leader, David Nobles, was very inspiring, informative and motivating. I left that class wanting to plan a mission trip in the worst way.

The last session I attended was the "icing on the proverbial cake." It was the "Five Love Languages" of leaders, based on the "Five Love Language" books by Dr. Gary Chapman. The class was taught by Rev. Marcus D. King, and he was so down to earth, entertaining, and eye opening. I had read several of the book in the "Five Love Language" series, and learned so much. I had even mentioned it just a couple of weeks ago in our Bible Study about.... what else.... LEADERSHIP. Coincidence? I think not. ;-)

If I had to sum up the entire weekend in one word I would have to say "Motivating."

For several months our Singles Dept. has been discussing how we could better serve/reach out to our community, especially to the singles/single parent families. We have had a collective "burning" in our souls to do this, but, we had no game plan. Now, after this weekend, we have a game plan, and we ALL have such a desire to run with it. :-)

I even made the difficult decision to NOT continue my role as Club Manager of our 4-H club next year. We will still participate, because "Little Mark" loves it so, and I enjoy it as well. But, it will be as a participant rather than a leadership position. (Perhaps even another family member might take on the role of being involved in the 4-H part.) ;-) I want to be available for whatever position God wants me to have in our Singles Ministry. I am so excited about this I can't even describe it to you. ;-) When God gives you even a glimpse of what He has planned it is exciting. ;-)

That was my weekend. I hope I didn't bore you with it, but honestly words cannot describe just how awesome it was for me, and still is. ;-) Sorry it was so long, and please forgive any grammatical/punctuation errors. I honestly do not have the energy to go back and correct them. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-03-05T09:50:00.002-06:00

I'm off for the weekend. ;-)

This afternoon I will be headed to Georgetown for a Singles Retreat. ;-) It is the first one I have ever attended, and I am excited. Tomorrow we will be helping with Habitat for Humanity, and then the actual retreat begins tomorrow night. I'm not even sure what seminars/classes will be offered, but I am already expecting to learn a lot. ;-)

I am also looking forward to getting to know the others from the Singles class who will be attending. We have become a pretty close group, and we love to study the Bible and fellowship together; and of course have FUN. I have only spit something out from laughing once, honest. ;-)

Dave Edwards will be our speaker. I've never heard him before, but I am looking forward to it. I'll tell you all about when I get back. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-27T08:55:00.002-06:00

Recipe Swap Friday...

Today is Friday, and that means Gayle is hosting the Grocery Cart Recipe Swap. Be sure to head over there after you finish here. There are always lots of great recipes to be shared. She even has a very easy Rocky Road recipe there, and it looks fantastic. ;-) Join in the fun, if you are so inclined. :-)

I first learned today's recipe WAAAAYYYY back in Jr. High. It was one of the things we made in Home Ec. I always remembered it, because it was so easy, and very good. ;-) I don't remember the exact measurements, though, so I kind of wing that. Feel free to "tweak" it as you wish. ;-)

Biscuit Bubble Rings

1 can of 10 ct biscuits
1/4 - 1/2 C butter or margarine
3/4 C brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/2 C pecans

Melt butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and pour into the bottom of a pie tin. Sprinkle the pecans in the tin. Once the butter is melted dip the entire biscuit into the melted butter and layer all of them into the pie tin. They will touch, but that is okay. Bake according to the directions on the biscuit can. Most are 400 for 10 min. or so. You want the biscuits to be golden brown, and done. As soon as they come out of the oven put a plate on the tin, upside down, and turn the whole thing over onto a plate. It'll be gooey, just like sticky buns. ;-)

This is great for a fun, quick breakfast on a Saturday or for a Sunday brunch. ;-) Heck, I think it's great anytime. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-26T17:27:00.003-06:00

Yeah, it's a "hodge podge" of a post...

I really have had a lot of things I've meant to post. I could make a list, seriously. Then, there are the things I would make comments about, but it's not worthy of an entire post. So, we'll just call this one a "hodge podge"; sit back and enjoy the ride. ;-)

1. It is amazing how much a person can get done when they are extremely busy and overwhelmed, but when one has the time to "get caught up" very little gets done. "Little Mark" has been visiting in Dallas for almost 2 weeks. On any normal day I can teach, make lesson plans, work on 4-H stuff, church stuff, personal stuff.... the list goes on. However, since he has been gone I haven't been motivated to do too much. I have a list of things I have wanted to accomplish, and I have done some, but not everything I wanted. Why is that?

2. This last Sunday I taught a Sunday School lesson for the first time in YEARS . It was the first time I have ever taught my peers, much less a co-ed class. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I worked on it for a couple of days, and then felt the need to change everything late Saturday night. I stayed up until 2:00 am and rewrote the entire thing. God did a great work, and even convicted me AS I WAS TEACHING. Don't you hate it when that happens? ;-)

3. I have a lot I could say about the state of our country, economy, etc., but I'm not going to turn this into a political blog, so let's just say I am praying A LOT!

4. Speaking of praying, our church started a prayer room at church. It is open for the entire community to call in prayer requests. I am in the room 1 hour every week. I have been so blessed by this ministry that I cannot even describe it to you. ;-) God is good.

5. I am LOVING the Bible Study on Esther by Beth Moore. It's definitely NOT the story you learn in Sunday school as a child. I have had a real blessing being the facilitator on this one. I hope I can do it again, sometime.

6. I have really enjoyed catching up with old friends and family on facebook. I am still addicted, and someone might need to start a 12 step program for this. I heard on Fox and Friends this morning that people are even giving up facebook and myspace for Lent.

7. I made this cake today, and it is PHENOMENAL!!

8. VBS is only a little over 4 months away. I am helping to get it organized this year, rather than teaching. We are doing this one. Should be fun. :-)

9. "Little Mark" has been doing a wonderful job in 4-H and has even made it to the district level in the fashion show. :-)

10. I have decided that I would REALLY love to take a photography class, and perhaps turn it into more than a hobby. After all, once "Little Mark" graduates High School I'll need to get a "real" job. ;-)

I think I have bored you enough. Tomorrow is GCC recipe swap, so I need to find a recipe for that. Stop back by tomorrow. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-25T11:36:00.001-06:00

Grab Your Kleenex and Go Here:

http://virtuealert.blogspot.com/2009/02/tissue-alert-timely-message-for-us-all.html

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-20T08:29:00.004-06:00

GCC Recipe Swap....

It's hard to believe it is Friday already. ;-) Be sure to visit Gayle over Grocery Cart Recipe Swap for more great ideas. She has a great recipe for making your own Ranch Dressing Mix, rather than buying the envelope of dry mix. ;-)

I guess this one could actually be considered a "third installment" post. ;-) I'm giving your the recipe for the puppy face cookies I have been posting about. ;-) It is really pretty easy, but they make amazing cookies.

I have to give credit where credit is due. I got this from the Disney Family Cookbook. I bought this back in '96 or so, and it has served me VERY well with the kids. If you find a copy I encourage you to pick it up. It is a great investment. ;-)

Anyway, here is the recipe.

Sugar Cookies
1 C butter, softened (use REAL butter)
3/4 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 oz unsweetened Bakers chocolate

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix the 3 dry ingredients together in a bowl and then add to the creamed mixture in 3 installments, mixing well between each installment.

Dived the dough in half. Place the "plain" dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll into a disc, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then add to the remaining dough. Mix well. Place that between two pieces of wax paper, roll out. Refrigerate both discs for 2/3 hours.

Using a heart shaped cookie cutter cut out one "plain" heart and one chocolate heart. Place the "plain" heart upside down on your cookie sheet, creating the "face". Cut the chocolate heart in half and place one piece on each side of the "face", pointed tip at the top of the "head." Decorate the "face" however you would like. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

You could even wait until after they have baked and cooled and decorate with icing and candy. ;-) Be creative!

** Tip - be sure to keep the dough chilled. If it gets to warm to work with just put it back in the fridge for a bit. You could also just make pinwheel cookies by rolling the two pieces into a log and slice and bake. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-19T11:57:00.002-06:00

Puppy Cookie :-)

I found ONE, lone cookie in the bag, so I snapped a picture of it for you. "Angel" decorated this one. The main thing with this cookie is the recipe, and using the two heart cutters to make the face. The decorating could be done many ways. We used what we had.

If I were in the "perfectionist" mood I would have used 3 SMALL chocolate chips on each cheek, a black jelly bean for the nose, and a glob of white frosting for the eyes before placing the M&M. ;-)

But, we were going for fun, not perfection. And they taste amazing. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-18T21:54:00.002-06:00

I am still here... ;-)

Sorry that I haven't posted much lately. We have been busy, and then the last couple of days I have been lazy. No excuse. "Little Mark" is in Dallas, so I am trying to take some time to just relax. So far it isn't working well, but I'm hoping tomorrow I can be a little lazy.

Then, there's that whole "addicted to facebook thing." ;-)

However, I did have a sweet visitor today that I thought I would tell you about. :-) I woke up about 7:30 this morning. I slept in a couple of hours. ;-) Before my eyes could even adjust the doorbell rang, and I heard my mother answer it with these words, "Well, hello darling..." and her voice went up a couple of octaves. That tone of voice is reserved for 3 people, and two of them are in Big D, so I knew that "Angel" was paying us a visit on her way to school. ;-)

I went to the front door and there she was holding out two pictures she had colored for us, and written at the top of mine was "I love Aunt Wendy because we make the best cookies together." ;-) And she signed her name.

Yes, I was touched. ;-)

She then asked if she could PLEASE come and visit us after school today. We said, "Yes" and I prepared some cookie dough later this morning. I thought she might like to make some puppy face cookies. I saw it in a magazine a couple of weeks ago. I have tried to find a picture of it, but I can't, and they have been eaten. Sorry.

Anyway, she had a great time cutting out the dough with heart shaped cookie cutters, and cutting the chocolate heart in half with the pizza cutter to make the ears. In her own words "I'm a good cook, because I can use this and not cut myself." ;-) She did a great job.

Then, we watched some TV, played on the computer, and listened as she enthusiastically told us about the dream she had in which she went to Heaven and a little girl made a fire and took care of her. And then the very big cross was there (and here she interjects very dramatic, broad movements with her face and arms to show just how big this cross was) and she just looked at it forever and ever. And then she woke up. ;-)

So, I didn't get my day of relaxation, but I got a day of affirmation. I think that's better. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-13T10:31:00.003-06:00

GCC Recipe Swap...

Happy day before Valentine's Day; or for those of you who are single (like me) and will not be celebrating (like me) "Have a great Saturday." ;-)

Today is Recipe Swap Friday over a Grocery Cart Challenge. Please, check them out for more great recipes. ;-)

Anyway, with tomorrow being Valentine's Day I thought perhaps you might like to make this little gem of a dessert for your romantic dinner. I believe when I made this the word used to describe it was "sensual." You might remember when I posted about it HERE.

So, if it can be "sensual" for a bunch of women sitting around scrapbooking, just imagine what it could do for you and your spouse on a romantic day like Valentine's Day. I bet you might even score some jewelery with this one. :-) Enjoy :-)

Chocolate Truffle Pie

1 1/4 pkg. (10 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 C whipping Cream
4 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 C Cool Whip , thawed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place chocolate in large microwaveable bowl. Add whipping cream. Microwave on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; cool slightly. Add egg, sugar and flour; beat with wire whisk until well blended.Pour into lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 35 min. or until outer half of pie is puffed but center is still slightly soft; cool. Serve topped with the whipped topping. Makes 10servings. May also dust with powdered sugar for decoration.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-10T21:40:00.002-06:00

http://burnsfamilystudios.com/movies/pendragon/media/

The following is a direct quote from the HSLDA newsletter. I hope they don't mind. ;-)

Families Make Historical Epic Movie

By Natalie Harris

Unaware that it’s impossible to film an epic movie on a micro-budget, the Burns family did it anyway. Although everyone contributed, the vision and work was driven by the cousins of both families.

Northern Burns family: Back row, left to right: Aaron, Nathan, and Andrew Burns. Front row: Marilyn, Tracey, and Shannon Burns.

Southern Burns family: Back row: Ray and Adriane Burns. Front row, left to right: Chad, Peter, Nick, Sara, and Lisa Burns.

Twenty-six-year-old Chad Burns and his siblings and cousins have succeeded in filming, producing, and now promoting Pendragon: Sword of His Father with only $80,000. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the average cost of an MPAA film was $106.6 million in 2007.

Pendragon is about Artos, a young British warrior who must defend his native Britain against invading Saxons in 411 A.D. To do this, Artos must escape Saxon slavery, his own despair, and treachery.

The cousins had made movies before for fun, but with Pendragon, they wanted to get serious. They worked on the story for a year before presenting it to the family.

“They said, ‘We think this is what the Lord wants us to do, and here it is,’ ” Chad’s aunt Tracey said. “ ‘While the moms sat in stunned silence, the dads responded, ‘This is going to cost a lot of money. Where are you going to get the money?’ ”

Eventually, the families became a cast and crew. Chad directed. Nick, Marilyn, and Aaron acted and managed various tasks. Lisa, Sara, Peter, Shannon, and Nathan took on jobs such as photography and blog maintenance. Moms Adrianne and Tracey hosted. Dads Ray and Andy acted and advised. Everyone pitched in.

“The faithful support of many other Christian families, most of them homeschoolers, was what made it possible,” Chad said.

“The first big answer to prayer was the horses,” Tracey said. Unexpectedly, the Burnses received an email from the Atherton family who heard of the project and volunteered their horses. They even taught the Burnses to ride.

They were the first of many volunteers who sewed costumes, acted, and built sets such as the hill fort. One homeschool graduate turned cardboard and coat hangers into axe heads and spearheads, held together with glue and spray-foam insulation and finished with spray paint. About 450 people served as extras.

But what’s a movie without an audience? The Burnses were working on promoting the film long before they released it in November 2008. The movie premiered at Oakland University with standing room only for the 300 people attending. On January 24, Chad said the Burnses have sold 1,937 DVDs, though the Burns families have only spent $2,000 on promotion. They have received as many as 100 DVD orders in a day. The Burnses want to use the proceeds to promote the film and get the project out of the red. To do that, they will have to sell 20,000 DVDs. In the meantime, they have several distributors lined up to sell the film, and the Burnses hope to have Pendragon in 500 bookstores this February.

Without homeschooling, the Burns families don’t think the movie could have happened. Adrianne and Tracey agreed that homeschooling prepared their children for the world’s secular influences. At the same time, it gave the Burnses a desire to impact the world through film.

“To me, the measure of success is that they’re doing their best to walk in the truth and please God with their lives,” Tracey said.

Throughout the all-night film shoots, brutal retakes, and hours of editing, Chad and others kept going because of their mission statement: “Impacting history by inspiring young people to embrace the vision God has for their lives.”

“There are many dark days that happen along the way,” Chad said. “If we hadn’t felt that the Lord had led us along this path, it would have been difficult. I don’t know that we would have made it through to the end.” Chad’s advice for other homeschoolers interested in filming is to pray and to make sure the project is God’s will.

To find out more, visit the Burns’ website.

I ordered my copy tonight. ;-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

2009-02-04T09:04:00.003-06:00

We are "bracing" ourselves... ;-)

Please, forgive my feeble attempt at a pun. ;-) I have not forgotten about the post for yesterday, it is just taking longer to write than I first planned. It is in the works...

Please, also forgive this "ramble" of a post. I can assure you that there is not much substance here, no earth shattering changes or epiphanies; just my "this is what's happening in my world" type thing. ;-)

"Little Mark" has his first orthodontist appointment today. We have our consultation and preliminary visit to decide if he needs braces. Based on what the dentist said when he recommended we get the Orthodontist, I'm betting he needs them.

I never had braces, so I have not been able to answer the MANY questions "Little Mark" has been asking. The #1 question being "Will it hurt?" is especially difficult to answer. SO, "Little Mark" took it upon himself to do some research. He now knows a lot about what the braces do, how they will help him, how they are put on, etc. I was glad to see him show that much initiative.

In other news, I have been busy preparing for our college homecoming. It is this weekend, and we are expecting a couple hundred people. I am in charge of refreshments, again; and I am making a cake, again, this year. ;-) I am very excited to see everyone, but also sad that I cannot accompany "Little Mark" to the district food show this year. It's Saturday, the SAME DAY as homecoming.

The last couple of years I have skipped homecoming to attend the food show, but this year I actually have to participate in the meeting, so Cleggy and Aunt J will be attending the food show. However, my phone will be on and I expect a phone call to let me know how things go. ;-)

So, what's going on your world?

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-02-02T20:56:00.004-06:00

Hello, my name is Wendy and I am addicted to Facebook...

Just in case you have wondered where I've been. Anyone with me?

I will be back tomorrow with an actual post. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-30T08:19:00.002-06:00

Grocery Cart Recipe Swap.

It's Friday, and that means another recipe. ;-) This one has been on my mind lately. I guess because I love it, but haven't made it in awhile. I learned about it when I was a girl from a friend of mine. I don't even know the real name for it, so I just call it "skillet chicken", and it is GOOD. ;-) I'm doing this from memory, so I hope I remember it right. ;-)

For more great recipes head over to the Grocery Cart Challenge and visit the links. If you would like to participate just follow the directions there. Enjoy! :-)

Skillet Chicken - for one serving

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
about 1 T flour
ground ginger
season salt
rosemary or parsley
pepper
1 T butter (I guess you could use EVOO if you want, but HELLO, BUTTER.) :-)

Heat your skillet to medium heat. Wrap your chicken breast in plastic wrap and pound it pretty thin. About 1/2 an inch. Lightly flour each side of the chicken. I don't really measure my seasonings and spices for this, I just sprinkle it on to taste. Melt the butter in the pan, lay seasoned side down and season the other side. Cook each side until brown and cooked through. This won't take long if you pounded it rather thin, so don't overcook it. Serve with a salad.

Love,
Wendy

2009-01-26T20:58:00.006-06:00

You can win a $250 Keurig Platinum Brewer!

Gayle over at Grocery Cart Challenge is giving away a Keurig Platinum Brewer plus 4 boxes of K-cups. How awesome is that!? ;-) Please go HERE for more details and sign up for it. She will be giving it away on February 2nd, so hurry! ;-) THANK YOU GAYLE!

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-26T13:32:00.002-06:00

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival...

FYI, the quarterly carnival begins today. I will not be participating this time around, but if you would care to participate, or sign up for the MANY giveaways just go HERE. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-26T10:27:00.007-06:00

At least he's honest...

Update: "Profits" as opposed to "prophets"; Proof that medication, lack of sleep and blogging do NOT go together. I have corrected it now. ;-)

On Friday "Little Mark" was retaking a Bible Quiz. I say "retaking", because he chose not to study before said quiz and failed miserably. I went over everything with him, including studying all of the prophets. I knew he would have to list all of the major and minor prophets IN ORDER on the test, so before giving him the quiz I instructed him to be sure to study them, come to me and say them and once he could do that I would give him the quiz.

About an hour later he came to me, rattled off all the major and minor prophets in order and took the test. He made a 98. That is a respectable score, so we moved on.

Later that morning my Mom and I were talking about her new Myspace account. (We are dragging our Mom into the 21st century...) ;-) "Little Mark" then said, "Nana, I know you login and password for myspace." Oh really?! Yes, turns out the little guy heard us discussing it ONCE, several DAYS ago. It is well noted in our family that "Little Mark" has a wonderful memory for phone numbers. He can remember phone numbers we haven't had IN YEARS. I think he has most of my phone book in my cell phone memorized. Seriously.

I then asked the obvious question, "How is that you can remember things like passwords and phone numbers that you hear ONCE, days or even years ago, but it takes you an hour to memorize the minor prophets?"

His response: "Minor Prophets aren't fun."

Allrightythen.....

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-24T13:13:00.003-06:00

I got an award! :-)

I want to thank Kwizgiver for honoring me with the "When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade Award". Thank you, Kwizgiver!! ;-) According to the rules I must:

1) You must link back to the person you received the award from.
2) You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

So, my 10 will be...

1. Gayle at Grace for Gayle and The Grocery Cart Challenge
2. Melanie at Big Mama
3. Monica at Daily Dwelling
4. Julie at Elisha Rose
5. Dee Dee at Fiddledeedee
6. Leighton at My Best Investments
7. Cleggy at The White Horse
8. Lori at Queen of Dirty Laundry
9. Candace at Be Jolly, By Golly
10. Ree at Pioneer Woman Homeschooling

Thank you to each of you for the joy you bring me, the inspriration, laughter, tears and lessons learned. I love visiting each and every one of you. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-23T13:45:00.003-06:00

Recipe Swap Friday...

Gayle over at Grocery Cart Challenge is hosting the weekly recipe swap. Thank you, Gayle! ;-) I actually just made the following recipe last night. I saw it on 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray, and I had to adjust it a bit, because I didn't have the exact ingredients, but it looked so good I wanted to try it. It was, in a word, "GREAT." ;-)

Chick Pea Salad

1 can Chick Peas (Garbonzo Beans)
1/2 small onion, chopped (she used red onion, but I didn't have red.)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 C celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, grated or chopped really fine
1/2 tsp rosemary (she used fresh, but I used dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of red wine vinegar
about 1 T of EVOO ( I just drizzled some on and eyeballed it.)

Stir everything together and let set for about 10 minutes. ENJOY. See, very easy, inexpensive and healthy. ;-) For more recipes be sure to head over to the Grocery Cart Challenge. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-20T09:59:00.002-06:00

Pray for President Obama...

I was going to post about today's inauguration later today, but I just saw that Beth Moore has begun a prayer chain for him at her blog. It is no secret that I did not vote for President Obama, but he was elected by a democracy in what I still believe is the greatest country on Earth.

I prayed diligently before the elections, during the elections, and after the elections. I have not stopped praying. Today is not a day to be divided, but to be united in prayer for God to give President Obama wisdom, and a clear direction of where HE would have us to go as a nation.

Please, visit Beth's blog and leave your own prayer for President Obama in the comments.

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-17T08:05:00.002-06:00

Apologia Biology Give-Away...

If you homeschool you have probably seen this curriculum. Principled Homeschooler is giving away
a set of "Exploring Creation with Biology" second edition. Please, go over to Principled Homeschooler to sign up for the giveaway. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-15T15:36:00.002-06:00

Better late than never....
UPDATE: I ended up linking this post to Friday's Recipe Swap, so I want to make sure you guys go over to Gayle's at Grocery Cart Challenge to see the other wonderful recipes. :-)

I told y'all the other day that I would be back with a recipe. Obviously, that didn't happen. BUT, I am now here with it. :-) I made these last week to take the Bible Study. Yes, the same Bible Study in which they served the YUMMY Taco Soup. ; -) They were ALL eaten. And there were only 5 of us at the Bible Study. ;-) I guess they liked them. LOL... I know I did,.

OK, here's the recipe.

Spice Cake Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 egg
1/2 C oil

Mix all three ingredients together. Dough will be a little "crumbly", but still moist. Form small balls, about 1 inch round. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, flatten the cookie with your spatula. Let set for 2 minutes and then remove from pan. If the dough in your bowl begins to dry out, just mist it with a little water.

These actually make a crispy cookie, and is VERY good. We made them even better by spreading vanilla icing on them. ;-) I bet cream cheese icing would taste good too. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-13T19:28:00.002-06:00

It's a list...

I have to apologize. I have been meaning to blog for a couple of days now. Truly, I had all kinds of plans, I had the post thought out in my head, and everything. But, LIFE happened, and I just didn't do it.

I sat down at the computer several times to blog, and then I just couldn't get it all down, or I was too tired and changed my mind.... you know how it is.

SO, given all of that I have decided to just give you a list of what I would have blogged about this week. :-)

1. "Little Mark" competed in the county 4-H food show. He competed in 3 categories and came home with 3 blue ribbons. :-) He was excited, and he did very well. Really. The only constructive criticism that the judges had for him was to "relax." ;-) He goes to District in February, and he is looking forward to it.

What did he make you ask? He made these Oatmeal Bars, and these Multi-Grain chips. :-) He also did a place setting.

2. I know I have mentioned it in awhile, but "Little Mark" and I have been going back to the gym 3 days a week. I have been watching my eating, again, even though I have not done the diet I was on. For some reason I just can't seem to do those first 9 days again for phase 1. HOWEVER, I am eating much more fruit and yogurt. I am drinking a lot more water, and watching my portion control. WE EVEN BOUGHT A SCALE! :-) Results? This week I have lost a whopping 1.3 lbs.

OK, so it isn't the huge 15 lbs. I lost the first week last time, but it is a loss! :-)

3. I am almost finished with the Bible Study "Believing God" by Beth Moore. If you have not done this Bible Study may I urge you to RUN to your nearest Christian Bookstore and purchase it. It is amazing. ;-)

4. We begin the Beth Moore Bible Study on "Esther" this Sunday evening at church. I am leading it. ;-) I can't believe I am doing it. The leader of the Ladies Ministry asked me if I would do it, and after a few days of prayer I agreed. Pray for me, please. ;-)

5. A friend loaned me some DVDs to the Moody Science Institute. Y'all, I have fallen in love with the DVDs. I want to own a set! Dr. Irwin Moon did the "films" more than 50 years ago, but they are still relevant today. The way they are put together, the scenery... everything about them is amazing, and glorifies God as our Creator. I have had so much fun watching them with "Little Mark."

That concludes the list. Perhaps I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-09T07:34:00.004-06:00

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap...

Obviously my goal to blog more this week didn't work out too well. I'll strive to do better next week. ;-)

Last night I attended our first Singles Bible Study of the new year. I love Bible Study. I love the fellowship, studying the word, and the food.

Did I mention we eat at the Bible Study? I didn't? Well, we do. And it is good.

Last night our host made a Chicken Taco soup. I had never had this before, but OH. MY. WORD. It was amazing. We all had to have the recipe, and even though I have not actually made it, yet, I am passing it on to you today. Because you must make this soup. It taste fantastic, and is very easy.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 family size can of chicken and rice soup
2 cans of water (use the soup can to measure)
2 large cans of canned chicken
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 can of ranch style beans
1 can of Rotel
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 envelope of Ranch Dressing mix

If you want it "heartier" you can add more corn and beans, etc. You serve this with cheese and Fritos or Tortilla chips. OH, and we also had a salad, because we like to be healthy. ;-)

For more mouth watering recipes please head over to Gayle's at Grocery Cart Challenge. If you like, post your recipe and link up as well. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2009-01-05T15:39:00.005-06:00

Book Recommendations

Hello, Everyone :-) I hope you are having a really great new year. Things are beginning to get back to "normal" here. Whatever "normal" is... ;-) We had a nice two week break from school, and we started back today. "Little Mark" is doing well, so far. ;-)

We went back to the gym today, and I feel like my legs are heavy pieces of cement now. We worked out in the pool for over an hour, and according to the trainer that showed us around when we first joined that is like working out for over two hours on the machines.

It feels it too. But, I'm glad I did it. ;-)

Now that the holidays are over I hope to be better about blogging regularly. I'll strive for that anyway. :-)

For my first post of the new year I thought I would share some books with you that have really helped me the last few years. I guess I could have titled this post something like "Self-Help Day", but who would want to read that?

Now, naturally the Bible will be at the top of the list, so we are just going to give that a given. I can't even tell you how much The Scriptures have changed my life. That would require MANY blog posts just for the Bible. So, we will move on.

Breaking Free by Beth Moore

Now, I have made it very clear how much I enjoy Beth Moore Bible Studies. I did do the Breaking Free Bible Study as well, but before that I read the book. A lot of is covered in the study/workbook, but if you don't want to get into all of that the book is a tremendous help. I learned how to take my negative thoughts "captive", and to just let go of a lot of junk. Junk that was keeping me from not only growing in Christ, but hurting personal relationships with friends and family. This book really helped.

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley AKA "FlyLady"

If you have not heard of FlyLady you are missing a treat. I cannot tell you how overwhelmed/stressed I used to be. I would be so upset if someone saw my home and it was not "perfect." And, to me, it was NEVER perfect. I would also set myself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals for the day.

I would make a "To do" list for that day and there would literally be 25 things (or more) on the list. BIG projects. Things that would normally take a week a to do. Then, I would kill myself trying to get it all done, and I would beat myself up when I didn't finish the list. OR, I would do most of it and still beat myself because I didn't finish. Not to mention I would be cranky. Can anyone say "martyr syndrome?"

Once I heard about FlyLady and I resolved the fact that I am NOT superwoman I became much more relaxed and much happier. :-)

This book will totally change not only your life, but the entire dynamics of your family/household. :-)

Taking Care of the Me in Mommy by Lisa Whelchel

OK, so I'm not a "Mom." But ANYONE who deals with children on a regular basis, runs a household.... heck, if your a woman you need to read this book. It taught me that it IS okay to take time out for ME. To renew my spirit, my health, my sanity. I can't praise this book enough. :-)

OK, it's a short list, but a good list. Maybe I'll do some more later. ;-) I really hope you were inspired to read one of them. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

2008-12-30T11:40:00.002-06:00

Resolutions...

Do you make them? I used to. I "resolved" several years ago to stop making resolutions. All they did was depress me, because I always made the same resolution most people made and, like most people, I would fail. So, I just didn't make any.

However, as I look back on 2008 and take inventory of just what all I did do I have to say that God did some amazing things in my life. :-) He did lead me to join a gym which helped my health tremendously, and even though I didn't lose the weight I wanted to lose, the fact that I went at all (and was relatively consistent) is a HUGE improvement.

He showed me that I am much stronger (with Him of course) than I ever imagined I could be. He put to rest some old demons and stopped others before they could even arise.

He showed me Beth Moore Bible Studies, and put a fire in my heart to want to learn more, and LIVE His word, not just read it.

He has been my protector, my comforter, and my Best Friend when I needed Him, and even when I didn't realize I did. He has literally saved me more than once this year. I am almost finished with "Believing God", and this week God showed me that He has truly been with me even before I was born. He not only "knit me in mother's womb" He protected me.

When my mother was in her early stages of pregnancy with me she became ill. The doctor told her she had miscarried, but they did not perform a D and C, for whatever reason. She went home (to Texas) for rest and went to her "family doctor". He confirmed that not only was she pregnant she NEVER miscarried. Who knows what would have happened had the first doctor done a D and C? See, God was there. ;-)

Because of what He has taught me, this year I have decided to actually make a resolution. In 2009 I resolve to do my Bible Study EVERYDAY, no matter what. I resolve to memorize scripture every week, and "hide His word in my heart..." I resolve to look for evidence of His work in my life everyday, and I know I will find it; and praise Him for it. :-)

How about you? If you make resolutions what are yours?

Love,
Wendy Darling