My Buddy/Trainee/Son--I love you!

"Men of genius are admired; men of wealth are envied; men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted." Arthur Friedman


Reinforcements Coming:
There is a mighty army
Being trained to stand and fight,
A battlefield of soldiers

Learning what is right.
A Company of warriors
That will boldly take the word
To every tribe and nation
Till every soul has heard.
There is a mighty army,
I’ve seen them everywhere;
Most are wearing diapers
And dragging Teddy Bears.
Infants in the training,
Drilled in right and wrong,
Mom and Dad are making
Soldiers brave and strong.
There is a mighty army
Trained in righteous war,
Cheer them on to victory,
Children of the Lord!
~Rebekah (Pearl) Anast~

~I'm reminded that my work as a Mom is an eternal work. I'm training a soldier for the Lord. My son will, Lord willing, grow up to be not just my son, but my brother-in-Christ...throughout eternity we will be rejoicing. Amazing thought! Gives me strength, joy, and inspiration as I walk though my days with my son on my hip... for now. ;)

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 9:23-24

My future bro-in-law...

We love ya, George~

Train 'Em Young!

If Samuel is going to be one of many, I've got to have trained helpers. So why not start early? He LOVED it! He got so wet I had to take his shirt off!

What else has been happening...

Well, we've been busy the past few weeks. Now that our camera has been repaired, I'm sure I'll post more. Justin harvested his 1st deer on Friday evening, so that's been the highlight of this weekend. Plus, he had time to do a long "honey do" task yesterday....highlight #2 of the weekend: ceiling fans. (Thanks to Dave Ambrosetti...which, by the way, we're waiting for a bill!) The house looks finished b/c we have ditched the lonely lightbulbs hanging all over. :) We attempted some family pictures, but they didn't turn out good enough for a Christmas Card...lighting, Samuel's non-smiling face, etc... He does love the 4-wheeler!

We were delighted to have our friends, Chris and Lisa, Luca and Mahala for Sunday Dinner. Chris was part of the camera crew for the DVD project (Franklin Springs Family Media) and also pieced the whole film together. Now they are en route to visit relatives in Kansas. We're looking forward to seeing the DVD soon!

So, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves now...no need to dialogue any more.

The Search for "THE PERFECT" Dress!!

Imagine wedding dress shopping with a sick 5 year old boy, an excited 2 year old girl, and a 1 year old boy, who likes to explore everything! Actually, don't try to imagine it. :)

Mission Accomplished: She found "the one"!!! It's a tulley, sparkly, beautiful gown and she's gonna be a gorgeous bride! Congrats Krist!

Pictures from the Father/Son Camp~

After posting these pictures, I realized that there weren't many pictures of fathers and sons...oh well. Enjoy them anyway! Inspiring ministry, camping, canoeing, paint ball, rifle range, hiking, hay bale rolling contest, paddleboat races, and fishing were some of the highlights of the weekend. Many helpful ladies and men helped serve the evening meals for 400+ campers each night!

Luncheon Recipes

The past weekend was so much fun fellowshipping with friends! We hosted an annual Father/Son Camp at Walnut Point State Park. Us ladies had fun preparing food for 400+ campers...and all of this certainly wouldn't have been possible without the generous help of many friends and family. Last Wednesday, Mom, my sisters, and some of the ladies who helped out, came for lunch at my house. I'm posting these recipies for you, Emily. :) ...and anyone else who would like to try them out. Happy cooking!

Sweet Potato Soup

3 T. butter
1 c. finely chopped onion (in food processor)
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook onion till soft and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in sweet potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

2. Strain soup through colander, reserving liquids. Transfer liquids to a saucepan. Puree solids in food processor till smooth. (I had to add some liquids) Wisk puree into reserved liquid in saucepan.

3. Stir cream, salt, pepper and sour cream into soup and simmer over low heat till heated through.

Note: Soup can be made ahead through step 2 and covered and chilled for up to 3 days. Also, I doubled this recipe last week. For a thicker soup, don't add as much broth.

Chicken Strudel

Boiled and diced chicken breasts (I used a big pkg. frozen chicken breasts)
2 medium onions, finely chopped (easy to chop in food processor)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 oz fresh spinach sliced into fine strips (I added a bunch!)
2 egg
2 cups shredded Muenster cheese (I used white cheddar, and doubled it)
Thawed phyllo dough
1/2 cup butter, melted
Bread crumbs, paprika, waxed paper

*Heat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Saute onions in olive oil. Add spinach and cook till wilted...about 3 minutes. Remoe from heat and add eggs and cheese, stir. Add diced chicken to spinach mixture.

2. Place 2 sheet of phyllo dough on waxed paper. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Repeat 3-4 x's for 4-5 layers of dough. On the short end, place several spoonfuls of chicken mixture, leaving 1/2 inch border on 3 sides. Roll up jelly roll fashon and place on cookie sheet, seam side down. Brush with butter. With a knife make diagonal cuts 1/2 way through the rolls. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 15-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Salad:
Chopped romaine lettuce
Chopped mushrooms (1 large package)
Chopped green onions
Sprinkle with feta cheese
Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, parsley and oregano. (for smaller salads, just make sure ratio of oil and vinegar is equal)

Pumpkin Pie Squares:

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar {Press into 13x9" pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes}
1/2 cup butter

Filling:
2 cans pumpkin (15 ox. each)
2 cans evaporated milk (12 oz. each)
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon (I always add more)
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
~~Stir together and pour over crust--Bake for 45 minutes.~~

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. butter (soft)
~~Put on top and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool. Serves 16-20. Store in fridge~~

Note: I cut back on the sugar. We liked it better that way. But, the "correct" amt of sugar is 1/2 cup for the crust and 1 1/2 cups for the filling.

Samuel and Mommy making cookies for Daddy~