Pirate Party

What a fun day! Joseph's 4 year old birthday party! What makes a good party? Pancake cupcake breakfast, personal pan sourdough pizza making with friends, outdoor treasure hunt, and a chocolate sourdough cake with coconut cream frosting! Did I mention fun with friends?
Here are some ideas for a treasure hunt:
1) draw a fun map you can photo copy and hand out to the kids when it's treasure hunt time. I put a dotted trail with X marks the spot at a few different locations with coins to gather at each x to show your on the right trail!

2) The final x is the hidden treasure box that I made from a diaper box, just detach one side and draw a jeweled locked box the kids can help paint. When dry attach inside out and tape together. Fill with goodies ( animal crackers, plastic coins, small toys, and bubble gum) then hide in the spot where the last X is marked!

The best baby shower activity!

When I was pregnant with my third I wanted to do something different for my baby shower. So we had the baby shower at a coffee shop in an extra room and served coffee, tea and pastries. I loved the ambiance! Instead of games with rice and cotton we had a few different sizes of onesies and fabric paint and fabric markers. Well we shared some prayers, stories, and poems and snacked, the ladies designed an infant onesie at their leisure. I did pick a favorite to keep the competition I mean creativity flowing. The results were fabulous, inspirational and funny! I put them away thinking it would be better to save them and make a quilt with them, but I suggest you use them! I pulled them out with my fourth child and every time I change him and see those onesies they make me laugh and smile, and give me some perspective in a crazy day. Dont be to serious, smile, and enjoy that growing baby!

Mission...homemade, healthy, tasty, BREAD

I am on a mission to produce a healthy tasty bread to go with ... everything! I have tried no knead spelt bread the grain was easier to digest, but it was to heavy...raw buckwheat, Light,Super easy to digest, but Not for everything and long process, not always tasty...gluten free, easier to digest,but not an everything bread... Whole wheat with yeast, lighter sandwich bread, but long day kneading and made me a little itchy, no- knead by baking in covered pot Fermented with yeast ... Made me really Itchy! Then I read how sourdough breads are usually tollerated by people with grain sensitivity! Yeah I love sourdough! It can be light, nutritious, and easier to digest, and in my opinion sourdough bread can go with everything. Have I hit the jackpot? We will have to find out. I have started two different sourdough starters. One Recipe I received from my favorite ministry Above Rubies, It's a rye sourdough. The second one is a starter you can receive free online, you can send in a donation if you like. This starter is an 1847 starter from the Oregon trail. They send it out to keep it being made. I'm excited to start my sourdough journey! I have to admit that I heard about sourdough making early on but thought it would tie me down like having a pet. Now with four children this is not a problem for me. So here I go on my journey to having a nice homemade family sourdough, easy to digest bread.

A mommy verse!

.....We shall
not all sleep,

but we shall
all be
changed.

1 Cor. 15:51

Lord, Your Beautiful

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,

Your face is all I seek,

For when your eyes are on this child,

Your grace abounds to me.


Oh Lord, you're beautiful,

Your face is all I seek,

For when your eyes are on this child,

Your grace abounds to me.


I want to take your word and shine it all around.

But first help me just to live it Lord.

And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.

For my reward is giving glory to you.


Lyrics of a Keith Green song

Do not dare cry for yourself!

These words have stuck in my head since I read them three weeks ago in one of my Above Rubies magazines, "don't dare cry for yourself! Are you a cry baby or a cry warrior?" I was truly listening since I had just finished having a "good" cry the day before. It may have felt good to give into the tears, but there was nothing "good" about it. I cried because I was feeling sorry for myself and I wanted to pout over all the ugly thoughts I entertained. Besides I deserve to cry I told myself I'm hormonal, postpartum, and tired . Maybe these things were true, but as I have learned crying about them won't help. I would only cry again feeling guilty that I wasn't strong enough to control myself and my thoughts. I am not telling you not to cry my daughters actually you can cry all you want especially when you are hormonal, God gave us the gift of tears especially during this time, but do not cry for yourself!
This was the message, "we must learn to use this weapon correctly because we are in a war that rages against normalcy, making mockery of God, and against tyranny and injustice. We battle for our homes and children...Warriors cry tears with a purpose...we cannot afford to waste one teardrop crying with self pity! It's like having a powerful weapon with the barrel pointed our way...let God choose your battles..." (Evangeline Johnson) I thought this sounded great, the Bible even says we should teach you, my daughters, to cry (Jeremiah 9:20).
Over Thanksgiving weekend I vowed to God that I would use my tears for others, I even had specific people in mind. Well today was the day to test out this plan!
I woke up tired and sore from having a dance party with my family last night. (Reggae to big band music, I believe this was the first good day of excercise I have had since before the baby was born). I am late getting up, trying to think of breakfast and lunch for dad, reminded of tonight's company dinner I have to get our family ready for, do we even have clean clothes? I need to get this house straightened before we start school, some more I wants and wishes. You know that feeling? before the day even starts you are ready for it to be over. I wanted to have another"good" cry, and then I was reminded of my vow. And of course my first thought was "how in the world do I do that? " I wanted to cry for me not them. But then I knew I had to try using my coming tears with a purpose, so I snuck downstairs and started praying for my "people". The tears came and as I realized some of the hurting people I was crying for were hurt and hurting as a result of living for their wants and wishes, My perspective shifted! I just wanted to share with you my daughters that self pity makes you ugly inside and out. Tears don't have to be wasted in making you feel worse, but they can be your weapon to cry for someone else. Prayer works, God listens, God is good!

Mother
By Cara
With every tear I cry for me
My heart is hurt and heavy

With every tear I cry for you My life is far from empty

Missionary Missionary
Sing your beautiful song
Contented to be living under Gods protection!

I am loved, I am in love

Repremanded, hugged

Missionary, Missionary
Mother, wife, and warrior
Water, shine, and wait
They are a Flowering destiny

P.S. new moms and prego moms cry a lot. Don't be discouraged my loves. Fight the desire to wallow in your anger or sadness and serve others with every tear. Depression cannot live in a thankful heart! Thank You Father God for my beautiful babies and loving husband!

Childrens Birthday Traditions

It was 5:30am and I couldn't wait to start the day. I don't always feel this way, but my baby girl is turning two and I was to tired to set up her breakfast party last night. I was hoping she wouldn't decide to wake up early with the kitchen sounds.

I cleaned the kitchen from last nights meal and searched the Internet for a fun breakfast idea. I decided on cupcakes made from pancake mix, This was perfect since I was running out of time; Emma would be up and dad needed something to eat before work. With cupcakes in the oven I turned my attention to decorating our kitchen table. Emma came in right after the last balloon was tied. She was so surprised. How do you tell a two year old today is special? Have breakfast in a room filled with balloons and redecorated pink! Her expression was priceless and worth the early rise.

Emma loves tangerines so I set up a bowl of them for pre-breakfast snacking. Time to eat! I topped the puffed pancakes with caramel Greek yogurt and a dollop of homemade butter cream frosting and served them with cereal and homemade almond milk. We sang happy birthday and Emma blew out her candles with Joseph coming at a close second. I gave Emma a birthday rose headband to hold back her hair and a glow stick wand with party favors for her brother and sister (bracelets and stickers this year).

I love birthday breakfast and I think my kids especially do. A fun way to start there birthday week! One day is just to short so I keep up the decor for a week and usually find a day of the week to celebrate with friends. Another tradition of ours is going to a family favorite restaurant, which in the past has always included mexican food, a sombrero and a birthday song that has "cha-cha-cha" in it.

I love Birthdays, it's a time to show somebody how special they are and how each one of us are fearfully and wonderfully made. During our children's birthday week we will take turns encouraging and blessing the birthday girl, I think a birthday speech is in order. Happy 2nd birthday Emma!

Buttercream frosting:
Whip 1 cup room temp butter ( I use hand held blender)
Add 2 cups powdered sugar slowly.
Preferably homemade powdered sugar from rapadura or erithrytol.
Add Vanilla extract
Few flavored stevia drops.
Add food coloring can use beet juice!

Put dollop of frosting on yogurt topped cupcakes. Enjoy!