Thanksgiving 2008

We had planned on camping out for Thanksgiving at Palomar Mountain with the Vega Family and my mom and dad. It rained hard on Wed so we decided have Thanksgiving dinner at the Vega's house. It was very relaxing and all the food was great. I made pecan pie for the first time and I found my all time favorite green bean recipe (Green Beans Caesar), so those were the hightlights for me.

Thanks to the Lord for all good gifts come from Him.

I Heart Saturday AND......camping in November???

thanksgiving beauty remembered

my aunt connie's house

artistic, simple and lovely

this is my favorite art of aunt connies - it is beautifully hand painted and shows the locations of her "landmarks" in life ....one of which is the location of the house I grew up. It is gorgeous - picture cannot capture.

that is her behind bria, isn't she cute?

we will miss being there this thanksgiving day

walking

reading

playing

until next year

we are making these

I don't think these will taste all that great together...ginger snap and peanut butter/choc - but they are just so cute! I think we will end up just taking off the peanut butter cup, lick the frosting and then eat the cookie. Yeah, that works for me :)

thanks Rocks in my Dryer !

fun things

I stopped buying microwave popcorn a while ago just because I did not like the flavor anymore. My mom gave me this old popper that we used when I was growing up.

I love it - but I am needing to buy the middle cardboard piece and its only available on-line and I have been lazy.

but, Jen shares this super fun, easy, cheap way to make microwave popcorn

Urban Chick Gone Hillbilly

we are trying it today as we sip our hot chocolate and play scrabble - yeah! Nate is home from school this week! that is fun for me, I am so thankful for that big kid....

another fun thing - computer cameras that distort

brian and kids - fall 2007

3us, originally uploaded by paularennick.

I am playing with flicker edits

I Heart Saturday AND......french onion dip

attitude check

I have been struggling with a downcast spirit and overall negative attitude.

Here are verses I am committing to memory this month to help me in my sin.

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down"
Proverbs 14:1

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Proverbs 17:22

"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him."
Proverbs 22:15

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread."
Proverbs 30:8

I Heart Saturday AND ........my d-group

drunkn' chicken

Got this cool piece of pottery as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago from my mom-in law. I had no clue what it was when I opened it - which was really quite fun :) It is a drunkn' chicken cooker......

just by adding beer to the center of the pottery.....

a little rosemary and garlic to the center of the chicken....(hopefully no blond hairs )

the chicken goes right on top of the liquid center.....cook for about 1 hour and you get this super moist chicken - every time - I use this all the time and it makes a great gift.

you can get them here http://www.ceramiceggs.com/retail2.php

This is also known as "beer can chicken" and this cute girl shows how to make grilled chicken with the beer can in the center.

http://greenlitebites.com/2008/08/25/beer-chicken/#more-291

Sea Star

The kids are learning all about sea life in science at co-op with Mrs. Maitland. They really love it! We had so much fun being on a boat with our science class in Oceanside last week. It was such a beautiful day!

olympics unit study

Matt and Bria are studying Ancient Greece this year in history. We are combining Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer and the Veritas history cards. One of my favorite things to do is to make comparisons to how ancients lived and how we live, or what we learned or took from that particular culture. The kids loved studying the Ancient Olympics, particularly since they enjoyed watching the modern verison this summer.

They made this poster highlighting ancient and modern olympics. They did a great job and had lots of fun! We have history with the Vega family one day each week and while the kids shared their posters, we enjoyed Greek food as well.

I Heart Saturday AND........friends

Moo Mixer

I love the "Moo Mixer" available at Target's on-line store for $10. Bria got one as a gift last year and the whole family loved it! Im planning on wrapping one up with some chocolate syrup for my neices and nephews this Christmas. The little motor is so quiet and stirs up the chocolate and the milk perfectly! They are little bulky for storing easily but totally worth it.

election day - past and present

Ahh...to be 18 again, coming off the Reagan era - let's just say I was a very enthusiastic first time voter! Before the age of digital cameras and blogging - I took pictures of this big occassion (kinda quirky)...





my favorite yard in the neighborhood where I grew up- I always dreamed of having flag pole in my front yard someday....maybe I should move to Tennessee first as it seems a little redneck for CA.......

and I wore red, white and blue - of course! complete with my George Bush button. So full of hope and optimism - and paying so little taxes :)

Today, 20 years later -

I vote and I pray. I worry a little. I know Him who knows all things. I hate that evil is being called good and good is being called evil.

Yet, there is nothing new under the sun.

"Secularism advances, only as orthodoxy retreats. As surely as we yield the ground staked out for the church, the barbarians will advance to claim the terrain."

Charles Colson

I Heart Saturday AND........costume time

Trick or Treat

Still can't get over full-size candy bars and Rock Band being handed out! Only in

The CL!