The Master of Disaster

^Ahhh....so sweet and innocent.....

^ Learning the ropes...(this is his first self-fed spaghetti meal)



^ He sometimes finds himself in a predicament...




^ But more commonly,  he invites trouble....

 

^Yes, I stood by with the camera, waiting for the events to unfold.

 

^Because even if I prevent this disaster, another one is surely just around the corner.

  

^ Sigh...    I never liked those bookends, anyway.

Well, THAT Was Unexpected!

Hello there!  I'm stopping by for a quick update. The past week has been full of surprises, so let me take a deep breath and tell you all about it!
Tuesday (1/18): Matt got a phone call requesting an interview for a job he'd applied for months ago.  The employer said he'd misplaced Matt's resume around Thanksgiving and had just found it again. (Ironically, it is a job Matt knew he was well-qualified for and he'd been wondering why they hadn't called him.)
Thursday: snow day.  Actually, more like an "ice day". The boys were thrilled they didn't have school. It was completely melted by lunchtime.  Unlike recent years, it's the only bad weather we've had all winter! (Tomorrow will be 62 degrees! Yay!)
Friday morning  I received a call from my nephew Jared.  He is the oldest child of my older sister and I have not seen him since...hmmm...1996? (He would have been about 9 then; he's 23 now!)  Anyway, he called to tell me that he and his sister ~ my 20 year-old niece ~ were enroute from California to Michigan and wondered if they could spend the night here.  Well, ummmm, YES!
He and Elizabeth pulled in around 7:30 that evening and I thoroughly enjoyed lavishing some good home-cooking on them. Jared had flown out to CA to help Elizabeth move back to Michigan and they had been driving for 2 days straight.  The previous night they had grabbed a few hours of sleep in their car at a rest stop in 21-degree temps, so when they arrived here hot showers and warm beds were greatly appreciated.  The four of us stayed up late into the night catching up on all those missed years.  Their 6 a.m. departure came much too soon. I'm so glad I remembered to snap a picture of them before they hit the road!

My nephew and niece, Jared and Elizabeth Winkel

Saturday morning Matt had his job interview. (I must say, he looked positively yummy in his sport coat and trousers.)  He felt good about the meeting and has a second  interview with them next week.  We're hoping and praying and trusting that it will bring a job offer.
Also on Saturday, an agent asked to show our home that afternoon.  It had been weeks months since we'd had a private showing for a potential buyer so we were eager to have the house in tip-top shape and spent the day getting it ready. We left during their tour and when we returned home we finally had a chance to sit down and relax.
Whew!  After all that excitement, I declared that Sunday would be a day of rest for the family.  We all  just took it easy that day: we had a late brunch,  shared family devotions, watched the NFL playoffs and just enjoyed the company of eachother. It was a rare but much-needed luxury.
Our agent, Brent, asked to show the house again on Monday morning at 11:30. We have our cleaning routine down to a science and have it timed out to take about 3 hours from start to finish.  With Zac and Seth at school that morning we had to put a little more responsibility on the girls but everything was moving along perfectly on schedule. That is, until the clients showed up at 10:15, an hour and 15 minutes early.  Yikes!
We aren't supposed to be here when people come through, but the realtor and clients apologized for coming early and insisted we not worry about leaving. The clients (who were in their 60's or so) said, "We know how hard it is to get little ones out the door.  We raised 10 children."  I laughed and replied, "Well, we have 8!"  Ahhh...instant connection. That's good when you're trying to sell something!  They left and I worried that the house had not been ready enough.
I guess they liked it, because that afternoon Brent called and told us that the couple was ready to offer our asking price in cash ...if we could close by this Friday and move out by the weekend.  Yayyy!!!

 Wait......WHAT????

No way.   First, we don't have anywhere to move to.  Secondly, even if we had a place waiting for us, we couldn't move out with 5 days' notice.  Brent told us that the couple also liked another house, which was vacant, and would give an offer in writing to either us or the other owners on Tuesday.  Matt and I discussed it, prayed a lot, and by Tuesday morning we'd decided that we would decline. We know that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is PEACE, and we did not have peace about it. To try to move a family of ten in 5 days to...nowhere... would be chaos, in the least.  God is not a God of chaos.
So...the couple, who were actually buying the house for their recently-widowed son and his 2 year-old, went with the other house. 
I'm fine with that. I'd rather be in foreclosure but in His will than force something that is outside of His plan for us.
It will all work out. I'm at peace.

And now for your entertainment, here's a video of Katie singing her geography songs.  Abby has taken it upon herself  to homeschool Katie and she is doing a tremendous job!  Abby loves writing out the lesson plans and following a schedule, and every morning she sets up a classroom in their bedroom.  All of this while getting her own online schoolwork done as well! She taught Katie several geography songs as well as Bible verses, and today I recorded Katie's performance of two short songs.  She says "motor" instead of "border" but it's adorable. (It's Abby's voice you hear helping her.)

It might take a moment or two to load, but without further adieu...

Welcome, 2011!

Happy New Year, everyone.  I'm starting the year by taking a short break from blogging.  I enjoy writing  for you and I hope you enjoy reading my posts, but I realize I've become increasingly more negative in my writing.  I'm at a difficult place in life right now and it shows up here -- and not in a positive, inspirational way. That is just the opposite of what I wanted when I started this blog last year.
Please forgive me for the negative attitude I've been displaying lately. I hope you understand my need to take some time off, to get my spiritual walk back on track and build my faith again so I can keep believing  things will improve for my family.
Thank you for your readership.  I won't be gone long!  "Twenty Feet of Grace" will be back soon.

Love, Rebecca

The Obligatory Post About Our Christmas

Christmas 2010:
Much like Christmas 2009, except with a borrowed Christmas tree as our sole decoration and a couple of sick kids.
I made cinnamon rolls and peppermint hot chocolate in the early morning.
Matt made our traditional sausage and gravy brunch in the late morning.
He and the boys played the board game Risk for several hours.
The girls played with their Barbie dolls for most of the day.
Luke was enthralled with his race cars and other new toys.
Nathan...well, let's just say that there's nothing that boy doesn't get into.  He makes motherhood exhausting.
Me -- I was exhausted. I drank a lot of coffee.

Yes, Christmas 2010 was much like last year -- except that last year Nathan wasn't a toddler, he was a newborn. Last year was much less exhausting.
And - last year I assured the kids we'd have a better Christmas in 2010, because Matt would have a job and we'd probably be living somewhere besides Oklahoma.  We might even visit Grandma and Grandpa in Florida for Christmas. Yes, surely this would be the scenario for Christmas 2010!

I was wrong.

I'm not making any predictions for Christmas 2011.


The End.

December 23

Today is what our kids call Christmas Eve-Eve, a phrase they adopted from the movie "Eloise at Christmastime". It is cold and dreary outside with the threat of rain -- not snow, much to their chagrin.
Matt noticed today how our holly bushes are thriving. I remember when we first landscaped the property in 2007, those holly bushes were tiny little things. The following summer we transplanted them from the front yard to the back.  By that time they had matured and were quite heavy to move.

While most bushes flower in the summer, hollys do so in the colder months.  They produce brilliant red berries and the sturdy leaves stay green even in the coldest weather. When God created them He must have known that we would enjoy a splash of color amidst the grey of winter.
I took these photos this morning.  Notice how they're already dressed for Christmas in their red and green!

A Lovely Gesture

Is there anything as tasteful and thoughtful as a homemade gift? Our neighbors Phil and Shannon brought over these goodies yesterday. (There were 10 cupcakes but the kiddos devoured them before I took the picture.)  The entire tray was wrapped in a billow of celophane and topped with a large gold bow. The jam is a labor of love from Shannon and their daughters.  It's so pretty I hate to open it; but I can't wait to enjoy some on biscuits this weekend with my morning coffee. The loaf is a fragrant and delicious pumpkin bread, which is similiar to the loaves I coincidently had baking in my oven when they stopped by.
They also brought over their yellow lab Copper, whom the younger children adore.  It was a bit too cold to play outside with him, but they were thrilled to briefly pet him on the front porch before the unforgiving wind forced everyone - except the dog - inside.
This Christmas season has been different from any we've experienced before for obvious reasons, but this sweet gift from thoughtful friends warmed my heart. I hope that next year we will be the ones delivering a timely gift and boosting the spirits of someone in a difficult time.

Oh, Snap!

I discovered this recipe a few years ago.  These cookies live up to their name -- they really are the best-ever gingersnaps!  We've made several batches already this season because they are so easy to whip up, and they disappear quickly. I decided I need to share the recipe in case there's a gingersnap-lover in you.
Last year I made a few batches extra-special by dipping half of each cookie in white chocolate, but these babies are delish just plain with a piping hot cup of coffee on a cold evening. The recipe also works well for making gingerbread men.
Enjoy!

Southern Living's Best-Ever Gingersnaps

1 c. sugar (recipe doesn't specify but I use brown)

2 c. flour*

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 c. shortening

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg, slightly beaten

*I use 1 cup of white and 1 cup oat or wheat flour, and add an extra egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine sugar, flour, salt, soda,and spices; stir lightly. Cut in shortening to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in molasses and egg.

Shape dough into 1" balls and roll them lightly in sugar. (Abby used red and green sugar once and they looked really cute.)  Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes.  If desired, flatten slightly with spatula after baking.  Remove immediately from baking sheets. Cookies will firm quickly as they cool.

Happy Munching!

A Must-Read

I've been whining a lot lately.  Things aren't going the way we thought they should.  In fact, saved to my drafts is an entire post devoted to complaining about how difficult our lives are right now.
Then....I received a good, old-fashioned "God-smack" (for lack of a better term).  He brought something to my attention which changed my entire outlook.  Even though I'm ashamed and humbled when He does that, I'm grateful.  It reminds me that my loving Father is teaching me and spurning me on to become more like Christ and less like Rebecca. 
The blog "Land of Milk and Honey" is the tool He used to change my heart and teach me gratefulness.  (The link is at the end of this post.) It caught my attention because of the author's honest, humble approach and her raw emotions.  I wept for her as I read of her loss and I realized once again that I don't have a right to complain about anything.   I don't know this woman, but her family has been on my heart and in my prayers since I first read it.
So -enjoy. I hope it moves you the way it's moved me.  Warning:  she's quite graphic when it comes to some of the chores she undertakes on her farm. However, you can skip those posts and go directly to the one titled "Good Grief".  It's beautiful and poignant.
Blessings to you, my dear friends and readers. Have a lovely day.

http://landuvmilknhoney.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html

The Long and Short of It

This is what our oldest son looked like this morning.  He's been growing out his hair to the point where we can't see his eyes most of the time.

Matt and I couldn't stand it anymore and insisted he get a haircut.  We compromised with him and said he could keep it longish but the shagginess had to go. He hemmed and hawed and finally agreed. 
This is what he ended up with, by his choice.  It's so nice to see those beautiful eyes again on my dashing boy!

A Break from the Monotony

It's been a while, hasn't it?  That's because there hasn't been anything to report job-wise or otherwise.  Try as I might to conjure up positive and upbeat posts, sometimes it just ain't happening. Sorry.
Today however, I took the girls to a fun event and I thought I'd post the pics.  OKVA (the girls' online school) hosted a "Gingerbread Winterland" at a local ice arena.  There was skating, meet-and-greets for each grade and an optional gingerbread house contest.  It was attended by a few hundred people and we enjoyed getting to know other homeschoolers in our area.  Matt had fun hanging out at home with Nate and Luke for a few hours so I wouldn't have to keep track of them at the busy, cold rink.

Here are my lovely daughters before we went inside:

Madi and Katie enjoyed looking at the gingerbread houses.

Madi, Ally and Abby skated really well!  I was impressed, considering they've never ice skated before today. Katie and I were chicken and stayed off the ice.

 
Who in this picture needs a root touch-up? Sheesh!!! L'Oreal is calling my name!

Bonus pic:  Nathan has taken to running through the house with laundry on his head. I thought his expression here is priceless!

 

Please Stand By

Well, another Thanksgiving is in the books.  It was an enjoyable weekend -- relaxing and family-focused. We finally took a week off from having an open house.  We seriously needed a break after hosting them for 10 weeks in a row. The only downside of the past few days was U-M's abysmal loss to Ohio State. It was a total annihilation!  On the upside, Matt and I  and various kids watched the entire the "Burn Notice" marathon on Thursday. DVRs are a glorious invention!
Now that the new week is in full swing, we are awaiting a phone call or two.  Or three. Matt has had a few job leads in the past couple of weeks and we hope to hear back from at least one - if not all - of them. They are all out-of-state which will make for an interesting situation if this house doesn't sell soon. I don't want to get ahead of whatever God has for us, but these are the most promising leads we've had in quite a while.  It's hard NOT to be optimistic. The idea of a job coming to fruition is something to be excited about. Inotherwords, I check Matt's email obsessively and I jump everytime his phone rings.
Christmas is 27 days from now and we are perhaps the only house in the neighborhood without decorations or lights. Although I miss getting the house dressed for the season, I try to keep my attitude low-key since the kids feed off of whatever I say.  So, we enjoy everyone else's lights and anticipate what we'll be doing and where we'll be living next Christmas. 
Anyway -- that's your up-to-the-minute report on life in our household. (By the way, do any of you fellow bloggers know why my current posts don't show up on my followers' pages?   My blog  is incorrectly listed as being last updated 6 weeks ago.)
I hope you all have a wonderful week, dear readers!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I'm looking forward to a cozy day inside with my husband and kids today.  The past several days have been around 75 degrees and glorious, albeit windy (we're in Oklahoma, afterall.).  However, a cold front moved in overnight and we're expecting a high of 35 with rain today. There's a winter storm advisory for parts of the state. I stored the cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie on the patio to make more room in the refrigerator since it's cold enough out there now.
This week I've enjoyed teaching Abby and Ally the finer points of fluting a pie crust and brining a turkey.  Yesterday Katie and Luke helped me make pumpkin roll and we had so much fun! Those kinds of memories are what make a holiday so special.
The site "Awkward Family Photos" posted the following link. It is a humorous read so please click on it when you have an opportunity. I'm pretty sure a certain sibling of mine could have written a very similiar letter. (The thought is frightening, but true!)
I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving Day today!  Hugs to you all.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2010/11/24/happy-thanksgiving-from-afp/

The Elephant in the Room

Sigh.  Or perhaps, a double-sigh followed by a wistful "alas" is more appropriate.  Today marks exactly one year since our lives were turned upside-down and Matt began this long journey of joblessness.  I won't dwell on the negative aspects of the past year, though I remind myself of them often;  today I choose to avoid them and post some light-hearted blather instead.

Let us discuss Vacuum Sweepers.  This family abuses that appliance like nobody's business.  Think about it...we are a family of ten with our house on the market.  We sweep our floors nearly everyday. While Matt and I understand that the hoses and motor are not intended to process Legos, Popsicle sticks, hair barrettes, 8-1/2 x 11" sheets of paper, shoelaces, crayons and pieces from broken CDs, our children tend to forget. As well, there are five females in this home, all of whom shed hair constantly. We have to de-hair the sweeper's roller brush at least once a week.

When we moved three years ago, we researched vacuums so that we could get the most bang for our buck.  After shopping price and reading plenty of consumer reviews, we decided to go with a Bissell Healthy Home.  We paid about $225 for it and  found it to be worth every penny.   Sure, I had to replace the dirt canister once when I whacked it too hard while emptying it into the trash can; and the main hose was patched with duct tape, the result of someone trying to suck up wood chips from the flower bed (don't ask...).  But still, I loved that vac.  However, it lasted just over two years.  A certain child broke the handle clean off while sweeping too aggressively. It was unrepairable and I sadly relegated the Bissell to the curb for the weekly trash pick-up. 

Bissell Healthy Home

That was February of this year, during a time when we were showing our house regularly and needed the floors looking spiffy at a moment's notice. So...off to Target I went to find a cheap replacement.

Dirt Devil #1

Enter the first of our Dirt Devil models.

Dirt Devil #2

 It lasted 3 months. We had to replace the belt once twice three times before it just gave out altogether. By that point our finances were at a serious deficit so I went with an even cheaper Dirt Devil that I suspect was designed for a small college dorm room.  The hose clogs every time we use it.  EVERY TIME. We started allowing extra cleaning time for showings just so we could unclog it.  Oy vay!

Our Open House two weeks ago was the last straw.  It took Matt over two hours to vacuum 2646 square feet because the dang thing clogged constantly.  We finally gave up.

Hence, our most recent purchase: a 12-gallon, 5.0 horse-power wet/dry shop vac.  This bad boy works GREAT and is (so far) indestructible. No roller brush to contend with, no dirt cup to empty, no belt to replace. Just pure sucking power at the flip of a switch.  Sure, it takes a bit longer than a conventional sweeper since it uses a hose attachment instead of an upright, but it edges along the walls effortlessly and fits under any piece of furniture to get those hard-to-reach places. I think our brood of vacuum-sweeper killers may have now met their match. Bring it on! 



Rigid Shop Vac



The Whole Mess of 'Em

Luke is rubbing his nose, but other than that I'm quite happy that I managed to get them all looking in the same direction and no one was acting silly.  What a great bunch of kids.  We are truly blessed!
P.S. If you want to see this zoomed in, just click on the pic.