Nichole is 8!

Today, the youngest member of our family is turning 8!! That is hard for her mommy and daddy to believe!
Nichole is a delightful child! Her laughter and constant smile are gifts from God to our family. She has a gentle heart, that we are seeing is especially tender towards handicapped children. We are excited to see how God uses her gifts for His kingdom. She loves Jesus, and shares that freely!

Nikki, we love you! You are a beautiful little girl! Have lots of fun being 8! Happy Birthday!

School updates!!

On Tuesday evening, Duane and I, along with Alex, attended his school's open house. We walked around and looked at his classrooms and met all of his teachers. It was fun to see where he spends his days.
It made my heart glad to hear that Alex is making a good impression on his teachers. He is getting the reputation of being one of the most respectful, helpful and attentive kids in 6th grade! I asked Duane if they were really talking about our son!! We pray that he will stay that way!!
His teachers are very happy with his grades and his participation in class.
Most all of his teachers are Christians, and his Principals, Mr. Wiles & Mr. Heideman are both believers. When we spoke with Mr. Wiles, he told us that it is his goal to have the first Christian Public school!!
The teachers and principals meet every Wednesday, off campus, for prayer before school!

Ashley's school is a lot bigger, and we haven't yet had opportunity to meet all of her teachers. She is doing so well with her grades, with Physical Science being the "hardest class ever!" She has made several really good friends, and is into the routine of school! She likes her teachers, with one being really hard to learn from. She will get the hang of it!
She has had two teachers ask her about her faith, admitting that they are believers too! She is also attending Launch Pad every other day, with Christian kids studying the Bible together, at school! The area leader for Launch Pad, Emely, is doing so much to help Ashley settle into the public school experience!

Nikki loves school!!! She has a great teacher, is friends with all the kids in her class, can't wait for lunch, and loves, loves, loves her music class!! She comes home everyday singing Frère Jacques, word for word. Nikki's principals and teachers are Christians as well, letting me know from the beginning that the students are covered in prayer, everyday!!

We are grateful for the way that God is helping our family though this new experience. He isn't absent in these schools, and we are grateful for His faithfulness to show Himself in BIG ways everyday!!

I am adapting to my quiet(er) days...staying busy with errands, housework and canning. I am going to a weekly Bible Study, and am thoroughly enjoying that! My days fill up faster than I thought they would, and then it is time to start my pick-up routine.
God is good!

Can You Say Peaches? Lots of Peaches!!

Salsa Recipe

Several of you have asked for my Salsa recipe, so here it is! It actually came from my mom, and I think she got a version of this from a friend, years ago!

30+ Roma tomatoes
2 green peppers

3 med. onions
4 med. jalapeño peppers (leave some seeds in for heat)
4 cloves garlic
1 large bunch of cilantro

I food processor or blender, coarsely grind un-peeled tomatoes. Add peppers onions and garlic until ground together.

Add:
1/2 cup of vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar

Simmer mixture over low heat for 25 min. Half-way through the cooking, add:
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin

Continue the cooking for the full 25 min.

Take off heat and thicken with 2-4 Tbsp. of cornstarch and water.

Pour into jars and hot bath for 20-25 min.

Happy Birthday Katie!!

Our niece Katie, is having a birthday today!!! We hate that we are so far away from her, and wish we could hug her more often!!

Happy #1 Katie!!
Love, Uncle Duane, Aunt Sheila, Ashley, Alex and Nikki

Canning Day!

A Boy Turns Twelve!

Alexander is 12!!
That is the headline in our house today.
Twelve years ago, a little boy made his entrance into this world, and our world hasn't been the same since. Alex is full of love, adventure, spunk, mischief and leaves his imprint on everything around him! I can walk around the house after he leaves for school, and I can tell where he has been and what he has been doing! Part of me gets so frustrated by that, until I realize what a gift he is to Duane and I!!
With Alex in our home, life will never be dull!

Happy Birthday, Alex!!
We love you!!

Autumn is Coming!!

This morning, I felt the Autumn crisp sneaking up on me!! So, what did I do..... I stuck some real branches off of my Blazing Maple Tree in my Antique Blue Canning Jar, and coupled it with a Bowl of Crunchy Red Apples!

Happy Birthday Ash!

It is difficult to believe that our firstborn is 15 today!! But she is, and we are proud of what a beautiful girl she has become!
She is a loving, compassionate, thoughtful girl, who loves to have fun! She is committed to a personal relationship with Christ, and is making her life matter!!
Ashley's thoughtfulness for others, is a gift from God to those around her.

We love you, Ash! Enjoy these years!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook