Big Pasta Salad

1 box tri-color rotini cooked
pepperoni - cut in 4ths
tomatoes - diced
cubed cheese - cheddar & Monterrey jack
Italian dressing

Combine all, let set in frig. Great on a warm day, no oven!!

Holiday Grand Plan

Yeah, the Holiday Grand Plan started this week. I love it. Lists, list and more lists!!!

This week is List Week/Front Porch. I have:

started my new Christmas notebook (updating the one from previous years)

- sorted through last years papers and filed the gift lists

-new Internet shopping list to keep account of items ordered

-new shopping list to work on (items for the house)

-new gift lists for this year - including Christmas eve presents and stocking stuffers

-new size list for the children (already have Brian and his girlfriend, Lauren's sizes all posted - now I just need the children that are living here~~)

-new to do list

-new present ideas list

Bought:

-book of stamps

Beginning to work on front porch... still lots to do for this week.....

So, even though I haven't gotten near all that is suggested for the week, I've started.

Is anyone else working with the Grand Plan???

MaMa

Mama's Chocolate Pound Cake

2 sticks butter
1 cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 t baking powder
5 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 t salt
1 cup milk
1 t vanilla




Cream Crisco and sugar. Sift all dry ingredients together in separate bowl. Add eggs, one at a time to shortening mixture beating well. Add alternately flour and milk, then the vanilla. Mix all well. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Added: I've been talking to my cousin Jill and she has sent me MaMa's icing recipe that goes with the chocolate pound cake. It's so good alone I never even knew it had icing to go with it. I will have to be trying this very soon!!!

Here's the icing recipe:

1/4 c. milk

1 box 10X sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 c cocoa.

Mix and beat well.

MaMa used to use a knife and kinda make pleats all around the cake in the icing. It was so pretty and she taught me how but for the life of me mine doesn't turn out the same. Actually, she used margarine so that may have made a difference in the consistency. Will take a picture of it and send it to you.

This recipe is from my great grandmother - MaMa. I can remember going over to her house on Sunday afternoons after church for a big family dinner and she would have cakes all around her counters. My granddaddy said she used to sell them from her front porch for extra money. She would line them up on her porch railing and people from all over town would come and buy one or two. Wish I was so industrious!!! :-)

Here's one more for her plain pound cake

Mama's Pound Cake

2 sticks butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

3 cups plain flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 cup Crisco

5 eggs

3 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

Cream shortening and butter together. Add sugar, mix well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add a little flour then a little milk. Beat well. Bake 325 for 1 & 1/2 hours.

Okay, while I'm here...

MaMa's 7-Up Cake

2 sticks butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup 7-Up

3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup Crisco

5 eggs

2 t vanilla & 1 t lemon (or 3t vanilla)

Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well and add vanilla. Sift flour. Add a little flour then a little 7-Up until all combined. Baked in a tube pan 1 & 1/2 hours - 325.

Frosting

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick butter

juice of 2 lemons

Mix well

20 Little (and some BIG) Things to Treasure

Inspired by a post at The Inspired Room.

1. A God who always forgives

2. A husband who works hard

3. Children who love to read

4. A clean sink

5. Toenail polish

6. Movies, movies and more movies

7. Time alone

8. Chocolate

9. Books by Beverly Lewis

10. Seeing my daughters cook

11. Watching sons grow into men

12. CF Diet Pepsi

13. Shiny windows

14. True friends

15. Reading God's word

16. Clotheslines

17. Empty laundry baskets

18. Time at the lake (yeah, Artie and I have a date - all day - alone - coming up this week!!!)

19. Maid service (well, I'm sure I would love it!!!) :-)

20. Exercise (okay, that one's a lie - I hate it!!!) :-)

The True Test of Homemaking

I read a beautiful post today about homemaking and thought you might like to read it. It is taken from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home and is titled...


(I've posted from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home before, she has so many great writings, you must check her out)


The True Test of Homemaking

before we can say that we have realized the ideal of a true Christian home, we must prove its spirit. What impression would our home and its like make upon a pure and simple-hearted child?

We may build a palace of marble. We may fill it with the rarest beauties of art. We may adorn it in the most luxurious fashion. We may furnish it in the most costly manner. It may be perfect as a gem in all its appointments, a piece of art in itself. Then our home-life may be as stately as royalty itself. There may be the most perfect order, the loftiest courtesy, the utmost precision of movement. Each member of the family may fulfill his part with unfailing promptitude.

Bring in the child and ask it what it thinks of your home. "It is very beautiful," responds the little one. "It is very grand. It is a palace. Does a king live here?"

You turn away disappointed. You have failed to make such a home as you wished. You have piled up grandeur; you have made a splendid piece of art; you have succeeded in setting up a model which all will admire; but you have not made a home of love, of tenderness, and of praise.

You begin anew. You do not seek this time for grandeur. You build your home with taste and thought. You put into it as many lovely things as you can afford. You set up your household life and fill it with the spirit of prayer, of love, of gentleness, of unselfishness. Again you call the child. She moves up and down, in and out. She sleeps under your roof; she eats at your table; she tastes of your pleasures; she mingles in the life of your household. You ask her what she thinks of your home and she replies, "I think Jesus lives here!"

It is not the grandeur that impresses her now, but the spirit that dwells within; not the stateliness, but the affectionateness, not the courtliness, but the sweetness. She finds love everywhere---love that shows itself in tone, in act, in look, in word and in countless little manifestations of thoughtfulness and unselfish tenderness. It impresses the untaught feeling of the child as a home like that in which the Master would live.

This is the true test of home-making. It matters not how little or how much of grandeur, of luxury, of costly adornment there may be. Money and art can do many things, but they cannot make a home. There may be more of the spirit of a true home in a lowly cottage or in the one room where poverty finds a shelter, than in the stateliest mansion.--

JR Miller, The Family

This is so my prayer today. Life can be overrun with things - dishes, clothes, lists, chores, noise, appointments. That Jesus may shine in our homes!!! What better goal in a homemakers life?

Whatever You Do...

I saw this picture on a new blog I found this morning - At the Well, In Pursuit of Titus 2.

Tuesday at the Quinn Home

Kelly - sorting kitchen items

Artie - working hard as always

Troy and Brenda - enjoying the beach with the church

It so changes the dynamics of the home when some of the children are gone. The littles are enjoying being the top dog and using the older kids things while they are gone. Shhhh, don't tell. They are also trying to eat out every meal. Yesterday they used their coupons for Zaxby's they got from Bible School. Not sure about today yet.

Emily, Stephen, Bobby, and Terry - all together making forts, and playing with tents

A fun summer day!!!

God is so GOOD!!

Our neighbor, Barney, is moving out. His mother died recently and he is moving into her home, which of course is coming complete furnished. He has been giving us things on a weekly basis as he has been slowing switching homes. Last night he hit his kitchen.

Here is a running list of just some of the things we have been given: glasses, cups, mugs, canning jars, plates, saucers, set of pots and pans, blender, Tupperware, silverware, kitchen utensils, colander, toaster, coffee pot and filters and coffee, grill, can opener, soup bowls, baking trays, Pyrex dishes, knife block, ice trays, complete unopened dish set for 8, 2 end tables, a computer chair.

That's just last night. Previously he's given me his mama's sewing machine and beautiful stand and chair along with her sewing kit, an older computer for the children to play on and computer desk, lamps, flowers, a washer and dryer (two weeks after our dryer finally died) . He's given Artie his mustang house (a fabric storage building with floor - Artie has turned it into a workshop), wood, books, a fan - more than I can't even keep up with out there!!

Tomorrow Artie is picking up a storage cabinet.

I'm so sorry for Barney's loss of his mother, but I believe she had been sick for some time and he is happy for her place with Jesus now.

We are a disposable family. Everything we have is temporary. Having 7 children in one home - nothing lasts too long. That goes from appliances to kitchen items to furniture - don't get me started on the windows!!! :-) If a average size family gets 10 years from a washer - that equals about 2 years of use in the Quinn home!! Pretty much - it runs all day every day. We use what God gives us until it is all used up and then He always comes to our need and supplies more!!! It has been like that from the day we married.

When I was pregnant with the twins (and a little scared of the future) we had four children and were temporarily living in a 2 bedroom house. We had just moved to town and were using a house from Artie's boss - Mr. Mickey - while we looked for something big enough. That was - big enough for the 6 of us - we didn't know about the twins yet. When I found out the twins were coming I have to admit - panic set in. Here we were 6 people living in a 2 bedroom house!! God was so good. We found a lovely old house (key word could be old, but lets make the key word lovely). When I went in the hospital to have the twins we were still living in the two bedroom house. When I came home we directly drove to the new big house. Artie had been working the month before trying to get things ready while taking care of his pregnant wife (a tough job in his life!!) and his four kids all at the same time. There was still so much to do. Our friends and family came in while I was in the hospital and did it all. Finished the painting, moving the furniture. When I walked in, the sheets were made on the beds, everything was unpacked and they had stocked the frig with food. God is soooo good and does always provide.

It's been like that our whole life. There is a need and God provides. Sometimes it just overwhelms me. Someone offered us a couch or something one day when we were first married and I was trying to decide if we really needed it or not - Artie told me not to turn down anything anyone gave us - there was gonna be a need for it. And it has worked out that way.

The one thing that sticks out in my mind is that God usually doesn't give us what we need until the need is already there. I think if we had waited on a house big enough for a big family to get pregnant, we would still just have one or two children. Trust God.....

I have a new favorite summer food... PEACH COBBLER!!! Yummo!! I used this recipe from Southern Plate. I actually don't know if I've ever eaten peach cobbler before. How can I grow up in SC and never have eaten peach cobbler - oh, I remember, it's not chocolate!! Anyway, I loved it. Can't wait to make it again...

Peach Cobbler

4 cups peeled and sliced peaches (measure, don't go by Daria's estimate)
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 cup s/r flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt stick of butter in oven proof casserole dish in oven while making pie ingredients. ( make sure your dish is big enough to hold the casserole - mine wasn't!!) :-)

Pour the two T. lemon juice over the peaches. Stir to coat. Pour 1/2 cup sugar over peaches. Stir. Heat in microwave for 1 minute so that sugar begins to melt.

Mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon until blended. Pour in 1 cup milk and mix until blended.

After butter is melted, take casserole out of oven and pour batter on top of melted butter. Pour peaches on top of batter. DO NOT STIR! Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over pie. (I also sprinkled some more cinnamon to look pretty)

Place in 350 oven and cook for 55 minutes or until golden.

Father's Day

We took some pictures of Artie and the kids on Father's Day before we went to visit Granddaddy and my Daddy. They turned out so good I had to post them all!! (Well, I didn't post them all, but several)

Daddy and Troy - I think this is my favorite in the bunch. Troy looks so handsome here...

Daddy and Brenda

Daddy and Emily

Daddy and Stephen

Daddy and Bobby

Daddy and Terry

(Such cute babies! I am so blessed for Artie to be their father!!)

Emily and Terry's Breakfast

This morning Emily is cooking more blueberry pancakes. Terry (6yo) wanted to help. Emily told him his job could be to get out all the ingredients. She laid the cookbook (cause she is my daughter and we have to have a recipe to boil an egg) out to the right page and Terry was on his way.

He started reading off each ingredient (I realize he learned to read in Kindergarten last year and has been reading to me a lot over the summer, but it still surprises me when he reads in real world places). He read off flour and wasn't sure where it was. Emily told him quickly to check the frig. I was married before I knew keeping the flour in the frig would keep out any little pesky bugs. He read off baking powder and didn't know what that was. I told him to just get the other things and Emily would get that in a minute. When he moved on to the salt he found a can in the hutch that said baking powder. He was so excited that he had read it and found it on his own. I can't believe how much the children are all growing up. I don't really think they need me here at all anymore (except maybe to referee for them). :-)

Sisters

Brenda and her friend Emily

Cute girls!!!

An Afternoon at Granny's

Of course there is always bike riding - forward only, holding the handlebars!! Brenda!! Must be Bobby's turn...

Wuthering Heights

Brenda and I also stayed up really late one night and watched Wuthering Heights. It was a fun movie, she hadn't seen.

Brenda and Hunter also watched Top Gun for the first time. I was surprised with all the language in it - hadn't remembered that from the showings I saw - too many years ago.

Anne of Green Gables

Summer Movies


This is what we've been watching for the past couple of weeks. I love Anne (with an E) of Green Gables. Brenda and I had seen the first movie but it was totally new to Emily and the little boys. The sequels were new to us all. It was so much fun. The littles were a little scared in parts of the last one with the war scenes. I tried to assure them it was Anne and that it would all work out in the end!! :-)

I love the library!!!

Terry and I went and got more reading books - grade level for each contestant today.

Here's today's rundown...

Emily - 3rd grade reading list

1. Jubal's Wish

2. Owl Moon

3. Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash

4. Junie B., First Grader: One Man Band - 2nd Junie B. book this summer

5. Little House in the Big Woods - this will be the biggest book Emily has read so far!! :-)

Emily also got a box set of Addy - An American Girl - books and cassettes to listen to and read along with.

Stephen and Bobby - 2nd grade reading list

1. The Cat in the Hat

2. Arthur's Honey Bear

3. Amanda Pig and Her Big Brother Oliver

4. Amelia Bedelia

5. Roller Skates

Terry - Kindergarten reading list

1. The Baby Bunny

2. Help for Dear Dragon

3. It's Circus Time, Dear Dragon

4. Cinderella at the Ball

5. The Little Runaway

All Margaret Hillert books

Currently Stephen is in the lead...

My Daddy

Here's Papa!! My Daddy is getting ready to retire. He has worked for Southern Railway since I was in Kindergarten and is an engineer. I asked him what he was going to do if he retires and he has decided that he is going to be a gardener!! I hate that we don't live close enough to help him eat it all up!!

Pancakes, BlueBerry, Peanut Butter

Last night Emily cooked blueberry pancakes for our dinner (except for Artie, who had chicken and rice - he doesn't like sweet things for dinner - while me, I can live off them forever!!)

Here is our pancake recipe

2 cups of flour

5 t baking powder

1 t salt

3 T sugar

2 eggs

2 C milk

1/3 C melted margarine or oil

Combine and pour on warm skillet. Cook until it bubbles and then turn and cook a moment more.

These are so simple and easy to make. There is really no need as far as ease for having to buy pancake mix. (now if you can get it for free with coupons that's a different story!!)

We added in 1 cup of blueberries for last night's meal. They were so good, they just popped in your mouth.

You can also change the recipe to make peanut butter pancakes by added 1/3 cup peanut butter.

I think we are going to make some more blueberry pancakes today and put them up in the freezer. Hey, our frozen blueberries turned out great too.

Next year I hope to buy more than I did this year. I only bought 5 pints this year while they were such a good price. I definitely need 10 or 15.

So what to cook with them now?

Our Summer Blueberry Week

Our blueberries are soooo good!!!!

We looking for more and more to cook with them.

The Kuchen turned out good. I finally had to google Kuchen and found out it was a German name for cake.

Here's the recipe we used for the Kuchen from Woman's Day

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp each ground cinnamon and salt
1 1⁄2 sticks (3⁄4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup milk
1 1⁄2 cups blueberries
1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into 1⁄2-in. wedges
1 ripe plum, pitted and cut into 1⁄2-in. wedges

Crumb Topping

3 Tbsp each all-purpose flour and light brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in bits
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

Line a 9-in. square baking pan with nonstick foil; let foil extend over ends of pan. (we didn't do this)

2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. On medium speed, beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture and milk until blended. Gently fold 1⁄2 cup blueberries into batter.

3. Spread batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Top with peach and plum slices, evenly spaced in batter. Scatter with remaining 1 cup blueberries.

4. Topping:

In a medium bowl, rub ingredients together with fingertips until moistened and clumpy, then scatter over fruit. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and kuchen starts to pull away slightly from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack.

5. Lift foil by ends onto work surface. Using 2 large spatulas, lift cake from foil onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.

The peaches were the best thing in the recipe. Now I'm ready to get a bushel of peaches next time I'm out!!

10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization

Emily is working on her multiplication tables this summer in preparation for school next year. Here is the plan we are using... (We are already up to the 3's and have skipped ahead and done the 11's)

10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization

1. Learn the 0’s

Any # times 0 is 0.

2. Learn the 1’s

Any # times 1 says itself.

3. Learn the 10’s

Count by 10’s - say aloud and write

10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80, 90,100, 110, 120

Practice the 10’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

4. Learn the 5’s

Count by 5’s - say aloud and write

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

Practice the 5’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

5. Learn the 2’s

Count by 2’s - say aloud and write

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24,

Practice the 2’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

6. Learn the 3’s

Count by 3’s - say aloud and write

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36

Practice the 3’s with a partner, and point to the answer on the paper.

7. Learn the 11’s

Learn the trick - a # times 11 says itself twice.

For example: 5×11=55(This works up to 9×11)

11×11 is 11 with a 2 in the middle (121)

11×12 is 13 plus a 2 (132)- 11, 12, 13 plus a 2

8. Learn the Double Rhymes and 7×8

4×4 isn’t mean, 4×4 is sweet 16

6×6 pick up sticks, 6×6 is 36

7×7 feeling fine, 7×7 is 49

8×8 fell on the floor, 8×8 is 64

9×9 ate a ton, 9×9 is 81

12 x 12 give 4 more, 12×12 is 144

5, 6, 7, 8 - 56 is 7×8

9. Learn the 9’s

Learn the trick - 9×7 starts with 6 (it is 1 less than 7) 6+3 more = 9

The Answer is 63. (6 and 3, The # less than 7 and the # added to get to 9)

Kids can hold up 7 fingers, take 1 away to have 6. Then, count up 3 fingers to get 9.

10. This Leaves Only 8 Left to Memorize

Learn the remaining 8 by making flashcards.

4×6, 4×7, 4×8, 6×7, 6×12, 7×12, 8×12, 9×12

You may want to concentrate on 4×8, 6×7, 6×12 at the same time.

All the answers end in 2. (32, 42, 72)

My favorite gardening books

by Mel Bartholomew

by Reader's Digest

Blueberries

I got a great deal on blueberries this week at Ingles and bought several pints. I think I will be back to get some more. I have several recipes I am wanting to try and hoping to freeze some as well while the prices are low. I looked up online to check on freezing them and here is what I found.

Q. What is the best way to freeze blueberries. Also, once they have been frozen, if you cook with them, do you defrost them first? Do you wash blueberries, before you freeze them?

A. If you grew them, know they have not been doused with pesticides, and are unconcerned about what has been climbing around on them, you don't need to wash them. Otherwise, do wash them, gently, and do it before you freeze them. Thawed berries tend to weep and are very fragile, and you wouldn't want to wash away their flavor when you scour the pesticides off them.

The best way to freeze blueberries is in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dry them as well as you can first without bruising them by laying them on a layer of paper towels and covering them with more paper towels. Place them lovingly, and without crowding them, on the baking sheet, pop it in the freezer, and wait. Once frozen, pack the berries into appropriate storage containers and return them to the freezer.

There are certainly some applications where you don't need to thaw the berries before use — blueberry muffins, for example, where they will thaw and cook in the muffins. Where they will be used as a topping or garnish, however, it is nice to thaw them first so that you don't wind up biting a crystallized berry.

Doesn't seem to hard at all, if there is any left to freeze. I think I'm starting with a Summer Fruit Kuchen recipe that I found in Woman's Day.

I'm so hip

Brian cracked me up a couple of days ago. He texted (or text?) me (cause I'm so hip now and text!!) and said "guess what I did for hours last night?" So of course I texted (?) him back and said "what?" Well then he said

(I feel like an episode of the Cosby show with Rudy and her mom and dad - he said, then she said....)

So, he said "I've been reading Life at the Quinn home for hours!!" :-) He's so funny. I ask him if he learned anything new? :-)

His friend Lauren was reading with him - from her house on her computer (just a little confusion there on my part??? It was the middle of the night.) So now Lauren is coming over with him Sunday to go to church and meet the family.

Now, I'm testing Lauren to see if she is still checking in on the blog. Which really would be bad cause I haven't written again since they were reading. Anyway, looking forward to meeting you Lauren. I'll be the frazzled looking mama trying to shush her children in church. So, if your still out there, leave me a comment. (you too Brian!!)

Southern Plate

I found a wonderful cooking site today that has me ready to get in my kitchen. It's Southern Plate -Recipes from Below the Mason-Dixon Line. :-)



















Here are some of the recipes that caught my eye...

Peach Cobbler

Mud Pie (or Chocolate Cobbler)

Pizza Rolls - there are many recipes with great ideas for hamburger meat

I get tired of cooking the same things too much. I love trying new food and this all looks like our kind of food...

Who knew such a little tiny piece of popcorn could cause such a ruckus. For everyone's knowledge - don't put this in your ear!!! :-)

We spent the morning with the doctor removing one from Stephen right ear. Not sure how long it had been there. Stephen ran a fever Saturday and Sunday - probably trying to fight off his ear invader!! Hopefully he will be great and ready for Bible School tonight. He had to miss last night...

Now we get to move on to the dentist - Troy's getting his first two wisdom teeth pulled today!! Somedays just don't seem all that fun!!!! :-)

Pimento Cheese

This recipe originally came from my sister-in-law, Glenda. It's Artie's favorite. I'm not sure if it's still exactly like she gave it to me?? :-)

16 oz sharp cheddar cheese - grated on medium grate

mayo

bigger jar of pimentos - don't drain, mash them all up

a little salt

combine all above, of course we double or triple this...

tonight we will be eating with celery, crackers and grapes. I couldn't resist after seeing how good they looked in the above picture.

Here's a great post talking about pimento cheese. Notice the mention of the Beacon!!! :-)

Summer Plans

I'm so happy it is summer!!! This is the way I want to spend my days!!! :-)

I have begun my summer plans today, little bits at a time. No more rushing, no hurrying. (and yes Artie I do hurry some times) Okay, maybe I don't hurry; but I'm stressed just from the fact that I should be hurrying!! No more stress!! Says the mama with seven children!!! :-)

Looking ahead to the summer plans.

My favorite summer activity is SUMMER READING!!! The little children are having a reading contest. We will be using the AR reading list and everyone reading on their grade level. I know there are lots of wrong things about being rewarded to read, but there are a lot of good things about reading, so I will handle the fact that they are reading for a contest and believe when they grow up they will still love to read. Just as my older children have. In fact, my older children are wanting in on the contest too. Maybe one just for them?

Tomorrow we will go to the library and get the first round of books. I still need a good summer book for myself. Any ideas? I will probably begin a new Grace Livingston Hill soon. I'm finishing up a book called A Place Called Sweet Apple about a woman who fell in love with an old abandoned house and took it and restored it with love.

We will also be updating chores. The little boys will be taught by Troy to take over the trash duties. Troy is going to have a big house project each day - lots of scrubbing and washing and some outside yard work. Emily is going to have something to cook each day. I want to have a "foods available to cook" list for Emily. Then she can cook when she wants to instead of being tied to a meal - desserts, breads, muffins, breakfast to cook ahead for the frig, casseroles. We will also be moving over to our summer meals - lots of salads and tomatoes!! Then there are always lots of new recipes waiting to be tried and tested!! Brenda will be working - some with Basketcase and some babysitting, so she will probably keep her usual chore schedule.

The calendar is quickly filling up more than I realized with weekly church activities for the little children, Bible school, beach camp, boy scout day camp, Jerusalem Project, parties

Then to fill in the blank days there is camping, swimming, cookouts, sprinklers, bowling, ice cream, Popsicles, watermelon, lemonade, strawberry slushies from Sonic and birthdays.

There will still be a little school for extra practice - mostly handwriting and multiplication tables. Maybe a couple of unit studies just to keep boredom at bay. Troy is thinking of summer school. ??

I'm hoping to get some good yard sale-ing in!! Saturday mornings usually seems so busy, but now that I'm not hurrying.... :-)

A Wise Woman Builds Her House

There is are two beautiful posts at A Wise Woman Builds Her House.

The first one I found was called On Things Hoped For... where a wise woman ponders her in-law children yet to be. Her daughter asks her - do you realize one day the size of our family will double? What a blessing that will be. She thinks on things yet to be...

• dinners with all the children and spouses
• helping with new grandbabies and new homes
• holidays together
• older sisters helping little sisters with their first gardens
• little brothers helping older brothers with their yard work

Imagine ... I get to gain 5 more daughters and 2 more sons!!! What joy. I am praying!! :-)

The second writing was so dear to my heart. One of my favorite quotes of all times is by Emilie Barnes (my Emily's namesake) saying "in the heart of most of us (women) is a little girl who longs to be a lady" (from The Spirit of Loveliness). So of course I couldn't help but love a writing titled How to be a Lady. The wise woman writes on the two aspects of being a lady - the outward and the inward.

Outwardly she shares that we should strive to ...

1. Carry ourselves with good posture not slouching.

2. Dress modestly.

3. Look clean and well kept (hair, nails, etc).

4. Clothes in good repair.

5. Dress femininely.

6. Smell lovely.

7. Peaceful countenance and joyful demeanor.

While inwardly striving for ...

1. A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

2. Love, joy, peace, patience

3. Discretion

4. Unselfishness

5. Purity

6. Humility

7. Kindness, Goodness and faithfulness

8. Self-control

9. Sobriety

10. Grace and mercy

11. Godly character

Wouldn't this world be a more wonderful place if only ...

School's Out!!! :-)

The air is feeling thinner by the moment - three hours of school left. The little children are riding with me this morning. We are taking a small thank you present (candy) to the teachers, saying good-bye and picking up report cards and then - SCHOOL'S OUT!!!

This afternoon, after all the celebrating and playing the children will wind down and be ready for a rest. I have School's Out by Our Gang for them to lay down and watch. I know they will love it. They love the Little Rascals!! Last summer they had such fun making their own BLUR!!

I love movies that inspire play in the children - yesterday afternoon while I was with Brenda's graduation party - they watched The Three Musketeers and then were musketeers all afternoon.

Teeny Tiny Thoughts

There is a cute post - 2 actually - from Totally Together Journal called Teeny Tiny Thoughts.

I love reading her train of thoughts.

Here are mine currently - this is the way I write to Gwyn sometimes just to get everything off my mind.

• it's past dinner time, Artie is hungry
• waiting on the ribs to finish cooking
• playing on the computer, should be washing dishes
• Emily is excited about making the deviled eggs, enough to set the table first
• Artie, Bobby and Terry are watching The Three Musketeers
• Troy and Stephen are taking a nap
• Brian came over for his birthday dinner last night (19yo) and didn't take his take home plate with him - I'm eating spaghetti for dinner, not ribs
• the air conditioner feels so nice - I have a wonderfully talented husband
• I wish the produce stand in the middle of town was open now
• hating there is nothing on network TV during the summer
• I'm reading a book by Eugenia Price called Early Will I Seek Thee
• I was so proud of Brenda at her 8th grade graduation today - did you see the picture on my facebook?
• waiting for 3 more hours of school to be done tomorrow to sit back and breathe a little - no more homework!!!
• clothes hanging on the line
• clothes drying in the dryer
• clothes washing in the washer
• clothes waiting to be next!!!
• I hate library fines too and have the same weird feelings - and almost always have library fines - even when I make myself little notes about what books and movies are checked out and when they're due - I think I just have way to much to think about to think about library due dates. Still paying fines is cheaper than buying books!! :-) (Which I still do too much!!!)
• I LOVE BOOKS~~~
• the little boys have a swimming party with the boy scouts Friday - they don't know and I'm not telling - not yet!!
• the kids are doing a summer reading contest - just here with our family - last year Stephen won and got a rocket for his prize - terry is excited because he can read this year too!!
• now I've got to print off the reading lists for all their different grades - we just use the AR reading list from the pubic schools
• first I need more computer paper - AGAIN!!
• spring is feeling nicer and nicer - I have almost cleared my head enough to enjoy the whole thing!! (3 more hours of school!!!)
• Emily is a wonderful cook - I am planning one cooking project for her each day over the summer and she is excited - today - deviled eggs (tonight we are cooking a dozen - making 24 eggs) - my mama's recipe - I wish I had a piping bag for her to play with - but I've cleared out everything unnecessary from the kitchen - maybe we'll at least use a sandwich bag to pipe with
• listening to WLFJ

Okay, now my brain is emptied out. Time for dinner.... What are ya'll having?