CLAIMING GRACE

Meatloaf and headaches

2011-08-23T22:53:00.001-05:00

Well Blake was cleared by the doctor today to start practicing. They removed his stitches and said he was good to go. Kinda scary to me. I figured he would be exhausted since he hasn't practiced in over a week. So I decided to make one of his favorite meals. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I know you are probably amazed but truly he loves meatloaf! He was so excited and said that mashed potatoes were exactly what he needed tonight. A rare treat around here since I have been cooking a much lower carb diet lately. Please continue to pray for him, he did have quite the headache when he got home.
I had planned on photographing the meatloaf and including the recipe; however, it turned out quite crumbly. About halfway through dinner I realized I forgot to put in any eggs! But I guess it didn't affect the taste since it is long gone now.

Blogging once again...

2011-08-23T00:21:00.000-05:00

It has been a really long time since I have blogged anything. Life has been full and busy, and I have just had other things going on. But I have missed this site and am excited to get back to connecting with my online friends. Hopefully I will be able to keep it going this time.

2009-12-02T22:51:00.001-06:00

Baby, Baby, Baby!
That's the comment my 7 year old niece made the other day! she went on to tell me that I never think of anything but 'the baby'. Now don't get me wrong, she is almost as excited as I am, but I guess my endless chatter was more than she could bear that day!
Anyway, I am sitting in the hospital waiting room as I type (love the blackberry). It seems Bre has developed toxemia, so the inducing has begun! Check back tomorrow to see our beautiful baby.

2009-11-12T23:41:00.001-06:00

Title: Kids
It seems like forever since I have blogged. I guess I just haven't been in the 'mood' lately. But I do have some sute pictures to post soon. We had Breanna's baby shower last weekend and she got such cute items. Also took some good pictures of her and Myles.
This weekend starts the first round of high school football playoffs and we are actually going! So good luck to the Warriors and congrats. I have some great pictures of Blake to post also. Maybe this weekend sometime.

Label: Home

The Glad Game

2009-10-27T19:09:00.001-05:00

Have you ever watched the movie Pollyanna? It is wonderful, kind of a warm fuzzy of a movie. Well, Kimmie, from Over the Moon with Joy is sponsoring a Glad Game right now. It is based on the movie because the young Pollyanna never has a bad word to say. She has suffered serious setbacks in her life but refuses to dwell on negativity.
When I taught 2nd grade there would always come a time when the arguing and complaining would begin. That's when I would show 'Pollyanna'. It always worked wonders on their attitudes.
So, this is how you play the glad game. You find something to be glad about in every situation even if it is the most minute detail. Then you focus on it instead of the "bad".
For instance: My son Blake has recently begun driving. It is not something I really have looked forward to. He doesn't get to drive everyday yet, but on the occasions when he does I am a basketcase. I think of all sorts of mishaps. However, my silver lining is that this time in our lives has boosted my prayer life greatly. I spend much of my time praying for that hedge to be around him and my faith is growing daily. I often wonder if my mother worried this much when I started driving!

Weekend

2009-10-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

This weekend flew by. I found a great bargain in a changing table/cabinet for Mylee. I changed the hardware and made a slipcover for the mat.
Douglas, Myles and Blake spent Saturday evening in the woodshop. Blake made a birdfeeder and Myles made cutouts of hearts and butterflies. Breanna has been busy painting the cutouts to hang in the nursery.
Sunday after church, Breanna and I went to my mother-in-laws to make curtains for the nursery. She picked out a chestnut brown and a pink and white polka. They looked fabulous together. I will post some pictures soon.
All in all it was a great weekend, busy but fruitful.

Garage Sale Finds

2009-10-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I decided to go garage-sale shopping while Blake was at football practice. The weather was a little chilly but I was hoping for some good finds anyway. And what a great day it turned out to be. I have been wanting dh to make a wall-mounted quilt rack for ages, and at my very first stop there it was. For only $4 no less. The Indian Maiden quilt top was handmade by my granny years ago. The arrowhead quilt was made by my mother-in-law, for my dh who loves to collect arrowheads. Aren't they both gorgeous!

I love this Harold Laughlin platter. It is in the Virginia Rose scroll pattern. I have a "thing" for platters. I inherited that quirk from my mother, so when I came across this bargain I couldn't pass it up. They had two for 3 bucks. One for me and one for mom!

Now I know that the pattern is a snowflake, but really I don't care. I love a true red, and so these were just the update my kitchen needed. I think they are adorable. They were purchased with an old high back baby high-chair, but I couldn't get a good pic of it. However, the lovely lady I purchased it from said her children used it 30 years ago. So there is another project for dh as it didn't come with a tray. He is sure that he can build one though; me too.

Baby Gown

2009-10-11T16:07:00.001-05:00

Today I finished my first baby gown. If I had known what a

'monstrous' pain this would be, I might have avoided it like the

plague. For one, I have NEVER sewn anything with sleeves before. Honest, I have always made jumpers of some sort. Also

the baby binding around the neckline was pure torture

because of the knit fabric. That brings me to my final

complaint. I WILL NEVER SEW KNIT FABRIC AGAIN!

I really, truly hate it. So...I am going to purchase some really

cute, sweet looking flannel. Hey, it's warmer anyway! ha ha

Baby Shoes

2009-10-07T14:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I couldn't resist! I have been eye-balling the stardust shoes tutorial for several days now and last night I finally decided to try it out. It looks very daunting at first, and I must admit, my first try is a little 'off'. But I am so excited to know how to make these shoes! I can't wait for Mylee to be born so I can use her measurements to make wonderful little shoes. I made these to match the itty bitty dress I sewed on Monday.

Aren't they adorable! Mistakes and all, you just can't resist them. Next time I make these I will post pictures of the 'process' so you can use it as a semi-tutorial lesson.

Pictures

2009-10-06T09:44:00.002-05:00

Here are the pictures I mentioned in the last post.

This is the not so great baby afgan. There are several reasons for the name! For starters this is my very first afgan so I have of course made lots of mistakes and learned tons about crocheting. One major flaw is that I actually made it too long. So for it to be proportionate it is really going to be huge for a baby. But hopefully it will be the thought that counts!

Next are the burp cloths. Aren't these just the cutest thing. I really like the way they turned out. They are functional and yet extremely cute.

Because I have been making hairbows, I decided to make a "hairbow holder". All you have to do is fasten the hair clips to the bow and ta-da...you have a place to store the bows. The 'm' of course is for Mylee.

Last but not least, is the itty bitty dress, I made. This pattern took me about 2 hours. However, I am not a skilled seamstress. What I love about this pattern is the simplicity, yet the embellishments can help to 'kick it up' so to speak. This is made from a vintage sheet I thrifted at my local store.

Mylee Lynn

2009-10-05T00:17:00.002-05:00

This is the name our son Myles and his girlfriend have chosen for the baby (Mylee Lynn). I think it is such a sweet name and of course it just adds to the excitement when you can finally call the baby by name. I think we are looking at somewhere around 8 weeks to go. Last week I got overly excited and said seven, so in a way it's good that I was wrong since I have much to do between now and then, but on the other hand I really can't wait!
I remember when I was expecting Blake and how my mother about made me crazy during the last few weeks. She was just sooo excited and by that point I was just soooo tired. Not that I wasn't excited I was just really worn out (I went 2 1/2 weeks overdue!). So...I am trying to remember that and not make Breanna nuts during this last few weeks with all my excitement.
Instead I am focusing my energy on making things for the baby. I have a dozen burp cloths made, several headbands and ribbons, a really cute ribbon holder, a not-so-great baby afgan (my first), and am now working on the itty bitty dress by Rae. My sewing skills are not the greatest, so I am practicing on an old sheet first. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow of all the above said crafts.

Educational Help

2009-10-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

As a former early childhood teacher, I have been considering blogging about some of the ideas and creative ways I used to help students learn. So stop by from time to time and look under the Teaching label. Hopefully you will find some ideas worthy of your time.

The first idea is for parents of young children preK and K age. If your child is struggling with learning the alphabet, I suggest turning to a kinesthetic methodology. Most children do not learn just by sight or sound, they usually need some form of hands-on stimulation. I recommend placing some kosher salt or sand in a cake pan. Use enough to cover the bottom about an half inch thick. Then have the child make the letter in the salt, with you helping to hold his/her finger the first couple of times. Have the child say the name of the letter while writing in the salt. Remember, most curricula start with the lower-case letters first, not capital. As he/she becomes proficient at tracing the letter, have him say the sound that goes along with that letter. For vowels always start with the short sound first. Do not teach the long sounds until after a full grasp of all short sounds has been mastered. So you would start with "a says /a/ in apple, a says /a/, /a/, /a/"...while the child is tracing in the salt. Try this and let me know how it works for you.

Prayer Request

2009-10-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine, who is an elder lady at our church, just lost her husband due to a freak accident. Her name is Honey. Please pray for her. She has had a couple of strokes and requires a driver most of the time. Pray that God will meet her needs during this time of loss.

Korker Hair Bows

2009-09-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

Well we are on the countdown for time for our grandbaby to arrive! Seven weeks now, that's all I have left to make all the "goodies" I have planned. Also, Douglas, my dh is going to start this week on the handmade baby bed. He has made a couple before but this one is going to be a little different...more on that soon.
I have been working on hair bows lately. And have learned how to make those cute "Korker Bows". So this is my attempt at a tutorial so that you will be able to make some korker bows also.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200*. Next take some grosgrain ribbon and wind it on a very, very small dow rod. Use a clothespin to fasten it to the dow rod. Wind it carefully around the rod all the way to the end. I don't cut my ribbon until I am finished winding that way there is no waste. After cutting the ribbon, fasten this end with a clothespin also.

2. Spray the rod with starch, I just used a light spray all around the rod. Let this dry for about 3-4 minutes then place on a sheet pan in a clean oven. (I lined my pan with parchment paper)

3. Bake the rods at 200* for 20 minutes. Then take out of oven and allow five minutes or so for them to cool off.

4. Gently enclose your hands around the rod and make a wringing motion in order to loosen the ribbon. Then place one hand at end of rod and use other hand to help the ribbon to slide off. If the ribbon tightens on the rod just gently roll it in the opposite direction it is wound, and it should slide off. The more you use the dow rods the easier it will get.

5. This is what your ribbon should look like in order to make your Korker Bow bouncy.

6. Now is the hard part, you will need to have about 25 pieces cut into 2.5" lengths. So bake away, and get your ribbons all curled. Then you will take your 25 pieces and lay them as evenly as possible onto a 3 inch length of thread or embroidery floss of a matching color. Tie a knot in the middle of the ribbons and ta-da there is your korker bow.

7. Now you need to decide if you want it on a headband, alligator clip, or other barrette. I used and alligator clip because I am making interchangeable bows to use with just a couple of headbands.

8. Now you know how to make those adorable Korker Bows.

Flag Painting

2009-09-23T17:56:00.002-05:00

This flag is a "borrowed" idea from my neighbor/friend, Diana. She made me one of these several years ago and so I made one to sell at the craft fair. I only made one because in the middle of my painting today, I tripped and fell flace on my face! So needless to say, I had to come inside and rest for awhile. Hopefully this will sell well and then I will know to make some more for the November fair. Oh, also I still have to stamp the white stars on the blue area.

Rice Bags

2009-09-22T13:01:00.003-05:00

Well I am getting ready for the arts and crafts fair at Fin and Feather on Lake Tenkiller. I have made some aprons, hair bows, and (today) rice bags. No, not the kind for weddings, the kind you warm in microwave and use to soothe what ails ya!
I love to use one when I am feeling under the weather.
Speaking of weather...today is the 16th day in a row of RAIN. I sure hope it goes away by this weekend.

4+

2009-09-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

This week my Youth Sunday School class started a new "daily Bible reading plan". It is called the 4+ plan. It starts with 4 days a week, then 4 weeks in a row, 40 days, and then finally a 4-life approach. We plan to read the verses, then the kids will text me with their reactions. (Those without cell phones have a scripture guide on which to record their responses). Anyway, if you would like to join us, just read the verses and post your response. I would love to hear from you!

Monday-John 3:16
Tuesday-1 John 4;7-8
Wednesday-Jeremiah 29:11
Thursday-Jeremiah 29:13
Friday-Psalm 51:10
Saturday-Psalm 57:1

Meatballs

2009-09-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

I am sure that some people think meatballs are outdated. A food of the past....not me! My family loves them and I have used this recipe to make several varieties of meatballs.

Hamburger ( For 4 people I use 1lb)

grated or minced garlic,

one clove2 Tbsp. of minced onion, make sure it is chopped very, very fine

1/2 tsp. dried mustard

1 Tbsp. each of parsley and basil
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1 egg
Bread Crumbs (approx. 1/2 cup, I use italian seasoned crumbs)
Cooking oil, I prefer olive oil
Mix all ingredients in order of list, making sure mixture is moist enough to hold together in a ball. If not, add another egg.

I use a pampered chef scoop to make the meatballs, that way they are all same size and cook evenly.

Last night I used this recipe to make spaghetti and meatballs since it is Blake's favorite;

Baked Spaghetti

2009-09-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

This dish is definitely yummilicious! My family asks for it on a regular basis.

Pre-Heat oven to 350*
1 lb hamburger, browned and drained
1 tbs. tomato paste
garlic, 2 cloves minced
1/2 lb boiled spaghetti
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce or your favorite homemade sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parmesean, finely grated (optional for garnishing)
1 egg

Directions:After browning and draining the hamburger, add tomato paste (I use the kind in a squeeze tube, that you refrigerate after opening). Cook the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate into the meat. Add the minced garlic, and cook til garlic is softened, but do not let it get too brown. Add the sauce and cook on low for 5-8 minutes. Once the noodles have boiled, drain and add an egg. Whisk it in quickly so it doesn’t scramble. Starting with the sauce so the casserole won’t stick to the pan, layer your noodles, cheese, and sauce mixture. I save the parmesean cheese for the very top, but that is optional. I always make sure I finish the dish with the cheese, and be sure all noodles are covered with sauce or they will burn. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

Jeremiah 5:24-25

2009-09-21T09:17:00.000-05:00

Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you.

Most of today's culture teaches that God is only love and kindness and that He wants to bless everyone. However, this is not the truth. In Jeremiah 5:24-25, the prophet explains that in order to receive blessings we are to lead lives that Fear God. This doesn't mean we are to be physically afraid of God. It means we are to love Him above all else and are to respect Him in all things. This verse teaches that in order to receive anything from God, we must turn away from our sins.

16th Birthday Party

2009-09-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

On Labor Day we celebrated Blake's 16th birthday! I can hardly believe he is that old, where did the time go? We rented an inflatable slip and slide and the kids had a blast. We also used my dad's tent (he does revivals and other ministries). It made for great shade and added a festive touch.

So anyway, life is getting ready to change drastically. It seems so different this time around with the driving situation. I was much more confident about letting Myles loose on the road than I am with Blake. It’s not that he’s a bad driver, I guess I’m just holding on…afraid to let go of that ‘little boy”. He will get his actual license next Wednesday, so I will have to be in much prayer between now and then.Other than that, our big news is that Myles and his girlfriend are soon to have a baby. Oh what joy, a grandbaby! We are soooo excited and can’t wait for the end of November to arrive. Watch the crafts lable for items I am making in preparation for our little princess.

Aprons

2009-09-21T09:09:00.000-05:00

Lately my mom and I have been sewing aprons. We are setting up a booth at a local arts and crafts fair and hope to sell some of our new creations.Here are some pics of the latest apron I made: I will post some more later.

New Beginnings

2009-09-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Claiming Grace! I am so excited to be starting a new blog. This is something I have considered doing for a while now and I’m glad to finally get started.I hope you like the name I have chosen for my blog, Claiming Grace. This says everything about who I am. A (very) flawed person who has chosen to accept the Grace given by God through his son, Jesus. By His grace, I am able to live in liberty, to be who he created me to be.Fall is my very favorite season…crisp air, beautiful leaves, and definitely football. Yes, as a mom to two boys, I am a huge football fan. It seems we are always talking or watching football. I guess it goes back further than being a mom to athletes though. Some of my favorite memories revolve around watching the San Francisco 49ers with my dad. Go Joe Montana! Dad was a self-employed roofer and seldom worked less than six days a week. So Sundays were always special. Not only did we get to worship together, but we always watched the games. So, while some lament the loss of summer, I must admit. I am ready.