Starting Fresh

It has been so long since I have written a blog post.
A real blog post.
Not one of those like I did back in October.

A blog post where I really take the time to write about something that matters.

Every time I sit down to write, I wonder if what I have to say really matters.
I feel like I did when I wrote my very first blog post.

Three times since the New Year has begun, I have been directed to Philippians 3:13-14. Three times from three separate resources.

Is God trying to tell me something?

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Do I spend too much time looking back and feeling bad about all that I haven't done?

Well...YES!
I do!
I am really terrible about that!

So, as I sit in front of my blog, God's Words come to me.
How can I move on now that I've been so neglectful about recording months of family memories?

I will do what Paul has told me to do.
In the book of Philippians, Paul says to "forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead."

Funny thing.
When I asked my Paul about how I could possibly move ahead with my blog, he gave me the same advice.
Don't look back and don't try to pick up where you left off.
Don't look back at all.
Write now...right now!

Well then.
Here it goes...

One of our favorite parts of Christmas vacation is New Year's Eve!
Everything very noticeably slows down the week after Christmas in our home.

The rush of the holidays is over.
The shopping is done.
The baking is done.
Paul has vacation from work for the week.
The house is a wreck, but it doesn't matter.

New Year's Eve is a very quiet time in our home.
I'm not sure why. I'm sure that the noise level is the same as always...maybe even a bit more amplified than usual because of the new toys and gadgets and because of how cluttered the house is.
But every year, when I think back to New Year's Eve day and evening, my memories seem hushed.
Happy and hushed.

We've started having homemade pizza and nachos each New Year's Eve.
Here is one of our creations from this year...



The Littles started their partying early!
Which was a good thing.





A very good thing.
Their New Year's Eve ended a little early.





Josh woke up for a few minutes to see the ball drop, but he didn't remember anything about it the next day.



Paul's first picture of 2011...



My first picture of 2011...
Yes, I am quite bleary-eyed. I had fallen asleep too.
But I do remember seeing the ball drop.



Carrie and William are always the New Year's Eve troopers.
They LOVE staying up late. Their goal every year is to stay up all night long.

Maybe next year. :)





So...off we go into 2011!
This has been a much-anticipated year.
A year of new beginnings in so many areas.

This will be a good year!

A year to "Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

I am so thankful for God's mercies which are new every morning!

Lamentations 3:22-23
"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Enjoying the Journey,

Wordless Wednesday..."My Poor Neglected Blog"

I said "Blog"...not "dog."

Enjoying the Journey...
even though I have been negligent in blogging about it,

Good Luck Charlie

Enjoying the Journey,

A Taste of Home

Not too long ago, I asked my kids what they might think of someday when they thought of home.

I was really hoping that they wouldn't say, "Mom yelled a lot" or "Mom was always cleaning" or "Mom never cooked supper."

What they said made me smile..."The smell of just-baked banana bread and coffee."

I smile because it's those same sorts of things that make me think of my childhood home. Those yummy, homey kinds of scents that are way better than even the very best smelling Yankee Candle (which, in my opinion is the Spiced Pumpkin candle).

Those are the scents that can take me back to my childhood in an instant!

One of those very special memory foods is Apple Pizza Pie.
Mom made this one every fall.

For years now, we've made it a tradition to visit our local apple orchard (the very best apple orchard ever--that's just another one of my opinions). Each September when the Jonathan apples fill the trees, we pick a great big bag of those sweet-tart apples, bring them home, and make an Apple Pizza Pie.

It's something that we all look forward to...a very special part of our fall.




"Mommy's Yummy Pie Crust"

(This is copied directly from a recipe card that I must have copied when I was in the fourth grade...maybe 9 years old?)

For an 8 inch Two-Crust Pie
(I use a really big pizza pan, so I double my dough recipe.)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons water

Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening. Add water. Mix with fork.

Roll out dough and place in a pizza pan. Trim and flute the edge.




Apple Pizza Pie
I have no idea where this recipe came from. Mom's recipe cards usually give credit to the person who gave her the recipe...but this one, written in someone else's handwriting, has no original baker's name on it.

Arrange the slices from 7 - 8 apples (more or less) close together and neatly over round crust.

Sprinkle apples with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle desired amount over apples. You may also add some nutmeg if you like.

Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar; cut in 1/2 cup butter till crumbly; sprinkle over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the apples are tender.

Now...drizzle with a thin confectioner icing. This is listed as optional on my recipe card, but we don't consider this an option in our house. :)




Yesterday afternoon...a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day...we visited the apple orchard and picked a bag of Jonathan apples.

My brother, Rob, and his fiance...my soon-to-be sister-in-law (soon meaning three weeks away!)...were with us.

We took those apples home and made them into a taste of home.
Now I know why there is a recipe magazine with that name!

It's amazing how my childhood memories can make a connection to my children's childhood memories.

To me, Rob will always be my little brother, Robbie.
Silly Robbie!




Is it any wonder that I can't lose any weight?!
I'm busy trying to make some memories for my kids!
That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!


Enjoying the Journey,

Things Unscheduled

Of course, there were those things that came this summer that were totally unscheduled. Totally unplanned.

Those sweet surprises of summer...


















































































Planned or unplanned...scheduled or unscheduled...I can say that I feel blessed.

Goodbye Summer of 2010.

Enjoying the Journey,