I conquered an item on my "Too Hard" list

Do you have one of those?
A list of things that seem too hard to accomplish so you can't muster courage to even attempt them?

Well I do. And my husband frequently encourages me overcome and try.
On that list was something my family loves. Something reserved for a special treat because I found buying it expensive and not-so-very-healthy.

That something was crackers.

Notice I say was.
I tried making them. And you know what? they're not so hard after all. In fact, I liken them to making biscuits, and I do that all the time!
I tried a couple of recipes and tweaked them around until they met my criteria for food fit for my family to consume.
Consume them they do, it seems I can't keep enough of them on hand.

Without further ado, here's the recipes I use:

Wheat-Thin Like Crackers
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup butter
2 TBSP each: ground flax seed, oat bran, wheat germ
mix together well (I've heard a food processor works well, but I don't have one so I use my pastry blender).
Then add:
1 tsp honey
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
Mix with hands to make a stiff dough.
Allow to rest for about 15 minutes.
Roll out very thin, sprinkle with sea salt, roll lightly to adhere salt.
Transfer to a cookie sheet and cut into squares. Alternately, you can hand small cookie cutters to your children and let them go to town, allowing them to think you're the coolest mom ever.
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown -watch closely toward the end, you want them crisp, but not burnt!


Cheddar Crackers
8 ounces sharp or old cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 TBSP each: ground flax seed, oat bran, wheat germ
3/4 tsp salt
Mix well with pastry blender, then add:
2 TBSP water (more if needed)
Mix with hands to form a stiff dough.
Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes
Roll out thin, transfer to cookie sheet and cut into squares, or, you know, cookie cutters.
Sometimes these stick so I use parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

If you try these I'd love to know about it, I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does!

Levi's First Haircut

I have the most adorable boy on earth (and no, I'm not biased), but even I could see his hair was getting a little long.
So I got out the scissors, set him on Daddy's lap, and went at it.
And I was amazed by what a grown-up looking little boy I had!

Easy as ABC

Teaching a child to read.
For some unknown reason, that has been my biggest fear as I've thought about homeschooling.
Then Heidi wanted to learn, and I thought she was ready.
We began.
Her with excitement, me with trepidation.
You know what? It's not as hard as I thought.
We have our bumps and rough spots, but she's steadily learning and improving in skill.

My favorite part?
Watching her as she comprehends a word she has read and voluntarily offers a definition or uses it in a sentence.

"Cat" - "We had a cat but it got stomped on by the calves and DIED!"
"take" - "I will take you in the ambulance"
"has" - "the wood has fire on it"
"kiss" - "I'm gonna kiss you!" (this one ends with laughter as she tries to attack me with kisses)
"walk" - "we go for a walk in the hundred acre woods" (her name for our bush)
"rag" -"Oh, like, my clothes are all in tatters"

Me 'n My Boy, Levi: 5 Months

My happy boy, he awakens me in the mornings with his laughter!

My little man and I with his Christmas present from the rest of us - a snake of every color according to Heidi's specifications. When stretched out, he's over six feet long. Heidi thought we needed to keep going, but I saw visions of stitching and stuffing all night Christmas Eve and called an end to it while still a manageable project.

Gingerbread Houses

We've a tradition of putting on a gingerbread house decorating party every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas. When I announced it would soon be time,Heidi excitedly wanted to know when her cousins would be arriving. You see, we were in California last year and the cousins got to experience the fun together. I had to explain things wouldn't be able to work that way this year, but we did have some friends over and had a grand time!

Hannah concentrated very hard on getting things just right.

Yes, Karl actually grabbed the camera for a change!

I think my favorite part was watching how much personality dictated decorating style!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours,

We hope you have a joyful day of celebrating God become man.

Family Picture

I've come to the conclusion that... the more people you add to your family...
the more difficult it is...

to get a good family picture!

Eight Months

See that Pregnancy ticker in my sidebar?
The one that tells me I only have four weeks left before I meet this baby?

I don't believe it.

One, because previous experience tells me due dates are something to be bypassed before Baby makes an appearance. Two, because this pregnancy seems to have flown by compared to my first two. Three, because I still can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually having a baby. One would think that the feeling of having a bowling ball in my abdomen and all these kicks and squirms from within would convince me a little one is on the way. Instead, I keep forgetting and wondering what could be going on in there!
Wee Wagenhoffer #3 will make an appearance whether I believe it or not, and it seems my subconscious is picking up on that fact even if I can't fully acknowledge it. Nesting appears to be in full swing around here and every extra bit of time and energy is being spent on cleaning and organizing. I'm loving how much is being accomplished and hoping I can feel done before Baby arrives.
The other thing I'm hoping is in place before Baby comes is a name. Oh, we have a boy's name all ready (and it's NOT Maxwell, no matter how many dreams I have where I tell everyone that's my son's name) but we still have no idea what we will name a little girl should be blessed with one. Heidi is insistent she's having another sister. I've been trying to convince her a brother could be good too. She finally conceded and told me "Yes, Momma, you can have a boy baby. But first you will have a girl baby, then after this one grows up a little you can have another one and that one can be a boy. Actually, you could have one more girl to make three girls and then you could have three boys, that would work well!" I can see her point, another girl would be fun, but as I keep reminding her, God gets to choose, not us, and part of me is hoping for a boy just so we don't have to scramble for a name! Our absolutely not list is growing well, I just wish there were some names being added to the possibility list. Suggestions are always welcome!

I've Missed Posting

But don't worry, we're still our normal, silly selves around here.

A couple of weeks ago my Heidi was jumping all about as usual and I asked her where she got all her energy from.

"From God, Momma," was her logical reply,"you have lots of energy too!"

"I do?" I questioned, "Where is it hiding? I'd like to find it and put it to use."

"Silly Momma, it is hiding," She laughed, "it's hiding in your tummy!"

I wonder if she has any idea how right she is.

It seems that any energy or creativity I have at this point in my life is going straight to this little one God is creating within me. He's the One doing the work,and yet it seems to take all I've got! Add to that all the various illnesses going on around here (viruses, bladder infections, ear infections, Heidi's rash that was an allergic reaction to her virus {?! - how thankful I was to discover it was NOT poison ivy as I had originally feared}) and the fact that my blood clot is now several blood clots, and I simply have not felt much creativity was left for simple tasks such as blogging. Such is life and I'm thankful for all God is teaching me through it. I hope to get back to posting soon as I have lots of fun pictures to share and I'm sure far away family is ready to see more of my darling girls again.

Easter Eggs

We spent Saturday evening dying eggs as a family - I quickly realized how wise I had been to wait until Daddy could be there to join us, all those colored liquids are exciting!

Karl made me get into a picture just to prove I exist.

Hannah just wanted to stir and stir.

An Unexpected Vacation

Yesterday I was thinking how wonderful it is to have made it nearly half way through this pregnancy without any major complications. Maybe I could actually make it through without bed rest!
Last night I noticed a hard lump in my varicose vein right above my knee. This morning the doctor confirmed my concern. I have a blood clot. Thankfully I caught it before it got bad so a lot of leg elevation and heat should take care of it without medication.
Here I lay, not actually feeling bad, but assuming what seems to be my typical position during pregnancy, on the couch with my feet up. No accomplishing lots as I hoped to over the next few days, but at least I have an excuse to neglect the dishes!

I must be nearing the end of the first trimester

While pregnant, I don't set my expectations too high. I try to accomplish what's necessary for daily living; cooking, dishes, laundry and clean bathrooms, and anything beyond that is considered a major achievement. An added bonus if you will.
Today I actually had some energy - a first for the past few months - and put it to good use. I cleaned and swept the living room/dining room/kitchen with some help with Karl, made muffins and yogurt, had some ladies in for tea, thus creating more dishes than normal, got them all washed, dried and put away, did all the laundry in the house, including folding it, ironing what needed to be ironed, and putting it away, cleaned my fridge and freezer, cleaned the fish bowl, and started organizing a stack of paper work I've been meaning to get to. Whew! I don't think I'll feel like getting out of bed tomorrow, but how thankful I am for that bit of cleaning ability today!

I feel as though an appendage has been severed

I broke my camera. You know, that thing which is attached to me at all times because I know this time with my children is fleeting and need to capture every moment before it's gone. I feel lost without it. Look, Hannah's doing something new, I need a picture. Wait, it's broken. Heidi, did you really climb that all by yourself???? Let me grab the camera so we can show Daddy. Oh yeah, it broke. The kitchen is amazingly clean, I need to document this. What do you mean the camera's broken??? Karl will never believe me without photographic evidence (by the time he gets home, it'll be a mess again). Lost, really lost.
How did it break you ask? I can't blame it on anyone but myself. I was feeding the horses their grain, carrying the oat bucket in one hand and Hannah and the camera in the other. (If you're asking why I was carrying Hannah and the camera while feeding the horses, then you obviously aren't a mother of small children, and obviously have no idea how fanatical I am about taking pictures of them). Somehow, I dropped the camera. No big deal, I'll just pick it up again. As I went to do so, Hannah lurched and I almost dropped her. In an effort to hold on to her, I took a step - and came down right on the camera. No good. Some parts still work, others don't. I'm hoping I can figure out how to make it limp along as there's no room in the budget for a new one at the moment. And I feel lost without it. I have a few more pictures to share, but then I might have to actually begin to blog with words for awhile. We'll have to see how that goes.

Congratulations Heidi!

After thinking we were never going to get here, we have arrived. I hesitantly announce that Heidi is a big girl who is no longer in need of diapers! There is the occasional accident, but they are getting fewer and farther in between. Daddy and I are so proud of her (not to mention thrilled to not be changing diapers for two any more).
As a special treat to celebrate, we took the girls to a playground to play Sunday evening then out for ice cream. Now I have to figure out how to explain this won't be happening every time she uses the toilet.

Cultivating With Horses...

...is NOT as easy as Karl makes it look! We were able to find and purchase a used set of harnesses last Monday and have spent a few evenings this week learning how to put them on and how to make the horses go. I did okay with ground driving the horses around the yard (just driving while walking behind them) so when Karl offered me a chance to cultivate I didn't hesitate to try. The spring tooth harrows are the only implement we're fully set up to use at the moment and I had been watching Karl use it with seeming ease. I neglected to factor in that his walking speed is roughly equivalent to a charging elephant - which is to say, it's not exactly a relaxed saunter. I got behind those horses, asked them to go, and off we went! Now, freshly cultivated land is a bit rough, and soft, and with me tripping over the dirt and going as fast as I can just trying to stay upright and keep up with those horses, it was a full half a field length before I remembered I was in control and was supposed to be steering the beasts! After making a round, I gladly handed the reins off to Karl and declared it it be men's work after all. I'll be driving the wagon from now on, thank you very much!

Homesick

While on the surface I'm glad to be escaping the Chico heat, there's a deeper part of me that misses it, that wants to experience it, that wants to show my girls what a California summer is like.

• Swimming nearly every day in Creeks so clear you can see the fish swim beneath you and watch the crawdads scurry into their holes.

• Peaches and nectarines, straight from tree to mouth. Warm sweetness dribbling down your chin.

• Heat so intense it nearly knocks you over as you walk out the door, but, oh, the joys of air conditioning as you come in after a long day in the sun.

• Sunburns through clothes and 50 SPF sunscreen - oh, wait, that happens here too.

• Meeting friends downtown for Shuberts or Jon-n-Bon's.

• Mexican food - it doesn't exist here.

• Building with Daddy. Working fast to get the concrete done before it starts to set.

• Flowers, huge, intense, abundant, beautiful.

• Smelling cherry pie as it bakes, and knowing the joy of having picked, pitted and baked those cherries all by yourself.

• Family and friends, to laugh with, talk with, enjoy. I miss you my dear ones!

Father's Day Family Picture

It's a rare occurance, but on father's day we had all four of us together, plus a photographer, and we had a camera along!

Momma Needs Sleep

There are two orange spray bottles of similar shape and size in my house. One contains sunscreen, the other detangler. Guess which one I've been dutifully applying to my daughter's skin prior to our adventures in the sun?
On the bright side, I haven't had any trouble combing the knots out of her face or arms!

"Roots" Girls

There's a Canadian clothing company by the name of "Roots", and as that name holds special signifigance for me, I got my girlies some shirts there last week. Here's some pictures from our day yesterday.

Running with Heidi

Yesterday I took my daughters to the city all by myself. This was the first time I had driven there on my own, and I'm pleased to report that it went rather well. It seems silly that I have lived here for almost six years now and my maiden voyage to the city happened yesterday, but I had some physical problems that put a halt to my driving for a few years, and it's taken some time to regain confidence on the road.
It was something else that happened yesterday that made me realize just what a huge step this was. Heidi and I were walking on the sidewalk, pushing Hannah in the stroller, when Heidi asked if she could run. I said yes and we ran and laughed together, Heidi telling me "I love to run, Mama, it's my favorite way to go!" I don't know why it hit me at that moment, I've run with her before, but suddenly I realized I was running.
I was RUNNING!
You see, I spent nearly six years of my life using a wheelchair to get around practically everywhere but at home. I had extreme pain in my legs that increased with walking or standing. I spent a couple of years going to doctors and enduring what my mom calls "modern tourture chambers" (otherwise known as tests and procedures) all to discover that I had dysautonomic neuropathy. Which is a difficult way to spell "my-body-wasn't-doing-the-things-it-should-on-its-own-properly-and-this-was-somehow-related-to-my-nerve-endings-causing-me-pain". Which is a difficult way to say, "We have no idea what's wrong".
Not knowing what was causing the pain meant not knowing what would eventually happen with it. I was told, "It could stay the same for the rest of your life. It might get better and you could even be symptom free some day. Or, it could get worse." I thought, "Wow! It's a good thing you neurologists go to school for so many years, I never could have made that prognosis on my own!" But I said thank you and let them feel like they had helped me.
That season of pain was also one of growth for me. God certainly used it for good, and while I don't look back at it with pleasure, I do look at it with gratitude. Without it, I would not have learned many valuble lessons, nor have the same level of trust in my Lord. That said, I am pleased to report that He has chosen to heal me. It was a gradual process, one that seemed to start a couple of years after Karl and I got married, and to tell the truth, is still continuing. I last used the wheelchair when Heidi was an infant, and though I go through periods of pain, am so happy that for the most part I am able to keep up with my little ones. That had been one of my biggest fears, what would happen when I had children? Would I be able to care for them? Play with them? God took care of those things for me. I never should have worried. I know He is sufficient. Even had He not healed me He would have provided all I needed. To Him be the glory!
My Heidi asked me to run with her, and I did.