Coffee: A Love Affair

Is it sad that I really look forward to brewing my morning cup of coffee?
 No. Like, really.
It's like a little event (and little events are a big deal up here in the woods of Montana). And the manner that I get to enjoy my morning cup remains a last-minute surprise.

 Sometimes I drink it while multi-tasking. This usually means I need to microwave some heat back into it.

I might do this up to about 3 or 4 times and then I figure I should dump it, because you know-it's probably radioactive at that point. The optimum coffee experience looks like this: it's quiet, and  early enough to still be dark outside, and my coffee is poured and there is something bittersweet nearby to dip- like a chocolate biscotti...(*sigh) Then, I
 get to sit down read and pray quietly. This is h.e.a.v.e.n.l.y.

I have a coffee station- a whole cupboard and counter top which is designated for the sole purpose of facilitating my coffee infatuation. Sure,  cocoa and tea have honorable mentions in the cupboard, but they are mere backup-singers in there. The real star of the show is my whole bean, light to medium roast. The smell in that cupboard is glorious. It has penetrated deep into the wood, and when I open the cupboard, I get a quick aroma of coffee whoosh my face. I'm telling you, it is a multi-sensory extravaganza!

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The coffee and tea cabinet.  My trusty "P" cup is
front and center. It is preferred cup #2.  (The cumbersome wood box is full of assorted teas.)

I have a "four cup"  French Press, which is really a two-cupper, by normal people's coffee standards.

I have two cups that I prefer to use. Both are a nice weight, and have sufficient space for me to slip four fingers through so that it will double as a chilly morning hand-warmer.This is important. This means that my cup needs to be light enough to feel the heat through, but heavy enough as not to burn me. If neither of my cups are available, I need to fix the situation or it will severely impede my coffee experience. Yes. I am a coffee snob.

 I probably pay a little more, but I figure it's offset by the creamer that we never buy.

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( best coffee.)

uh-huh!

Glacier Blend, the undisputed coffee champ in my book. Delish!

This one is good too. Check out those glorious oily beans.

I will try anything that isn't Dark roast, of which I am not a fan.

So funny.

Simple and inexpensive Biscotti Recipe:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/137825/Triple-Chocolate-Almond-Biscotti/detail.aspx

Good Morning, SONshine! Have a great Day!

Fruit

This resource that I had in my old bible that really helped me as I was learning about the Fruit of the Spirit.

I like to dig it out and chew on it now and then.

I pray for a deeper understanding of what it means to be functioning in the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:22,23

Love

Unconditionally desiring the very best for someone,

most clearly seen in my self-sacrifice.

Joy

The deep satisfaction and exuberance that

comes when I embrace God's will and

sovereignty.

Peace

An inner repose and quietness I feel even

amid adverse circumstances; God-given

peace that defies human understanding

Patience

Taking a long-range view of circumstances;

being able to rest even while I endure opposition.

Kindness

A consistent compassion and helpfulness

compelled by my growing grasp of God's love.

Goodness

A deliberate, firm preference of right over wrong;

resisting that which is not morally true.

Faithfulness

Reliable in my commitments;

being a careful steward of what God has entrusted to me. 

Gentleness

Not needing to force my way in life;

humbling submitting myself to God and others-

the opposite of anger.

Self-Control

Able to marshal and direct my energies wisely, 

especially in physical and mental areas. 

Squeaking in a New Years photo...

Have a Hap-Hap-Happy New Year!

Spence

Selah

Gabriel

sorry biggest baby! I didn't tap into my corny camera tricks back then.
In fact, get this---I used FILM when i took pictures of you.

Tips to the Rescue: Homeschool addition

Getting back in the post-holiday swing of things...

What an adventure homeschooling has been! I'm learning so much about my Gabe, the kinesthetic (hands-on/experiential) learner, and myself who, as it turns out, is kinesthetic, too! We are both easily distracted, as well- so planning ahead is a must!  I'm always on the lookout for tools to make learning fun, practical and the environment a natural place for it all.  This can be tricky when there are other younger children that require a lot of your time and attention. So again, it pays to plan ahead, remain flexible, and research as much as I can about how my child learns. It's also important to train the little ones to be self-directed

to some reasonable extent.

Here are a few a little ideas that have proven to be pretty handy for us.

We love hearing suggestions about what works for others! Maybe we could give them a try!

These are homeschool activity boxes for our preschooler. They are labeled Monday through Friday and contain art projects, games, small dollars store toys to keep her engaged so Gabe can get some uninterupted one on one time. It's good to shake up the contents for the sake of variety, and sometimes include age appropriate crafts that are in synch with what her big brother is learning.

The Monday box is filled with coloring and painting mediums

 We make a big fuss about getting out her homeschool box. She loves to feel included in school activities, and has started to associate the idea of learning with surprise & fun---> which means warm fuzzies for me!

Strategy #2
We coordinated quiet book time. Our preschooler can't wait to grow up.
She loves feeling independent and self-directed. So when its time for Gabe to read his books quietly,
it only made sense to present her with the same opportunity. Book time also breaks up the day. It marks the end of our more structured routine, and is a reliable map for the rest of the day.
We have also found that it is good to edit book options every now and then to make selections fresh and interesting- I would like to say that i do this consistently, but truthfully I probably remember twice a month. When I do remember, she definitely notices and has renewed enthusiasm.

Comfort and Joy

Every year, our family reads a devotional book called Christ in the Carols. It is such a blessing to read our beloved Christmas tunes with fresh eyes and cause us to consider the words that we re singing. They are typically doctrinally rich and worthy of a deeper treatment than is often available when we sing them.

I go on Christmas Carol kicks. I find one that resonates with me and that's the one that I play most. And then I will scout around for all the variations of the song I can find. Which is why I own eleven versions of O Come All Ye Faithful (last year's favorite). This year, my carol is Veni, Veni Emanuel. I'm up to five versions of it. And it brings me to tears-not that this is a big surprise to anyone that knows me. It automatically sends me to places where the scriptures promise that HE would come. And not only would He come, but He would to choose to come in the meekest estate, and know pain and poverty.
C.S. lewis put it this way:

"The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this. . . .

In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity . . . down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created.But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him."  

(from: Miracles)

"Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."
Is. 35:4

I hope it's magical!

Let them eat cake

Selah really looks forward to Wednesdays when she can play with other kids her age at preschool.

So, when I was asked to make Jesus' Birthday cake for the class Christmas party, I couldn't have been more thrilled. I really wanted to make it special.  I dug up a easy & yummy chocolate cake recipe, which is always a pleaser...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/too-much-chocolate-cake/detail.aspx

I wanted to add special embelishments, but since I didn't have the ingredients to make modeling chocolate, I  decided to go with fondant. I have messed around with fondant before, but I didn't want to buy a  whole ten dollar tub when I only needed a little bit of it. So, I went online and used this recipe, and was grateful that it only required three ingredients that I always have on hand.

Here ya go...

http://candy.about.com/od/fondantcandyrecipes/r/basic_fondant.htm

~just a word about this recipe, I kept dusting my hands with powdered sugar because it gets rather sticky the more you handle it.

Hard to believe this will be opaque and pliable, but it will.

We poured our fondant onto a pan and let it set. When it was tempered enough to touch, we made a figure eight motion in the pan and sure enough, it started turning white & forming a ball. Don't worry if it's crumbly,

just knead it like bread dough and allow it to rest.

Moldable. Now knead in food color.

Gabe made baby Jesus.

Ice cream cones make wonderful trees!

Graham crackers would have worked better for our manger but, since we had none, we improvised with gingerbread,

it was heavier and took longer to dry, but it worked. We used toasted coconut for hay.

We made gifts by covering mini wheats in fondant and making ribbon with fruit roll ups.