Air Show

Kiddos with cousin Gavin

love  the A-10!

USAF Thunderbirds

All I Have Is Christ [Sovereign Grace Music]

While Abigail was washing dishes and Josiah was mopping the kitchen floor they were singing this song.  I love to hear my little ones singing especially when they are working.

Meal Diary

Lunch:
Beans and Rice
Trader Joe's All Natural Turkey Hot Dogs sauteed with broccoli, green and red peppers and onions
seasoned with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute

Supper:
Beans and Rice
cooked carrots, corn and asparagus with 21 Seasoning Salute
celery slices
hamburg on gluten free pizza crust bread with Trader Joe's mustard

Glorious Day (Living He loved me) ~Casting Crowns

Water Fun

A big "THANK YOU" to Uncle Paul and Aunt Colleen for taking my kiddos tubing and to Uncle Paul for playing in the water with them!  Kiddos had such a great evening and I did too!

Uncle Matt's Softball Game

Michigan Made

Lunch:

~Trader Joe's chicken Tenderloins

~sauteed green beans, sugar snap peas, red and green bell peppers, summer squash, broccoli and water chestnuts

~Brownwood Farms Cherry Barbeque Sauce

 Supper:

~Sweet potatoes fries...peeled and sliced sweet potatoes tossed in sunflower oil and sea salt then baked at 425degrees

~Rice with green beans, chicken and Sweet Italian Sausage from Pleasant Hill Farm

~beans

~sauteed broccoli 

~Brownwood Farms Cherry Barbeque Sauce

During our last shopping adventure at Whole Foods my kiddos had a sample of Brownwoods Farms Cherry Barbeque Sauce.  All three thought it very tasty! Brownwood Farms is located in Traverse City, Michigan and uses Michigan grown fruits in their products. 

Another Michigan food item we had today was Sweet Italian Sausage from Pleasant Hill Farm.  This sausage is made from healthy pork and sold by a local family.  It has a short ingredient list making it allergy friendly, yet it is full of flavor.  If you are in the area be sure to visit Pleasant Hill Farm at the Springfield or Battle Creek Farmer's Market and try their products.

Uncle Matt, Aunt Ellie and Gavin joined us for supper

Quotes

"Children need to learn how to do things which they do not want to do, when those things ought to be done.  Older people have to do a great many things from a sense of duty.  Unless children are trained to recognize duty as more binding than inclination, they will suffer all their lives through their lack of discipline in this direction."

-H. Clay Trumbell

"Duty then is the sublimest word in the
English language. You should do your duty in
all things. You can never do more, you should
never wish to do less." 

 - General Robert E. Lee

"'The hard but right way,' he said.  'The hard but right way,' Faithful repeated."

-John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress as retold by Gary Schmidt

Cloth Wipes

 My friend Theresa at Aunt Theresa's Adventures posted on cloth wipes.  It is a topic I have wanted to write about and Theresa is graciously allowing me to use her post.

Here is a great way to save a little money with that extra flannel you have.

I realized a few months ago how much toilet paper I was using.  

So I made some flannel wipes.

I know, sounds a little gross but it really isn't.

You can cut them to any size you like.  Put the wrong sides together and sew around.

 

I have a little drawstring bag by the toilet and once used, I just drop it in.

You can throw the bag in with a bag of towels or sheets to wash.

 Thanks to Sarah and her mom for the brilliant idea.

 

Some questions you may have.

Do they smell?

Only a drop or so ends up on the wipes.  I haven't noticed a smell coming from the bag but I don't let them sit there for weeks without being washed.  I throw them in the washing machine every time I throw in a load of towels or sheets.  I would also throw them in with diapers if I was using cloth diapers.

Do you use them for everything?

Nope.  I don't use them during that time of month and I don't use them for #2.  I suppose you could but that seems a little to gross for me.  

If I come to visit you, do I have to use these?

No, guests still use regular toilet paper.  Just want to put that out there in case you are thinking of visiting.  :)

What will they look like after the first wash?

The reason why you need to sew around the edges is that the edges will fray after the first wash.  They will also shrink a bit so make them a little larger than you'd like.

Does this really save you money?

It does for me.  With my endometriosis and small bladder I use the bathroom a lot especially when I'm drinking the required amount of water a day that you are suppose to. 

Sarah's notes....

We've been using cloth wipes at my mom's for two years.  She also has a drawstring bag for used wipes.  At home in Virginia I have an enamel pot with a lid for them.  I put baking soda and a few drops of essential oil in the bottom.  When it is time to wash wipes they get dumped out onto a used bath towel along with the baking soda and carried to the washing machine.  Using cloth wipes definitely saves money, doesn't add much to our laundry, is healthier than always using paper processed with chemicals and bleach, and  is better for the septic or sewer system. They are soft and pretty, and actually very pleasant to use.

Meal diary

Lunch:

 sauteed onion, parsnips and carrots with Whole Foods brand bacon

 rice cake with sunbutter

 Grandma Mona's homemade potato salad

 Salad...head lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, celery, apple, coconut and sea salt

Supper:

Trader Joe's Chicken Tenderloins

sauteed green beans and onions

sliced celery and carrots

Trader Joe's Baked Snack-O's - crunchy corn rings flavored with sweet onion seasoning

Smoothies

Our list of smoothie ingredients is quite long and the list of health benefits is even longer.

Due to food sensitivities our smoothies are made in stages...first mine, then my kiddo's and then my mom's.

Following is our ingredient list with a few of the health benefits:

Mama's Smoothie

Sunsational sunflower kernel milk - "Sunsational is high in fiber, contains heart healthy fats, phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein."

Pumpkin seeds - good source of zinc

Daily Boost Herba-smoothie from Bulk Herb Store - contains bilberry which strengthens the eyes

Rose Hips - supply bioflavonoids

Integris Life Solubles Powdered Rice Bran - Omega 6

Chia seeds - "The chia seed was once a staple food of the Aztecs, loved for its ability to sustain and to give endurance"-NaturalNews 

contains many amino acids and is a plant based source of complete protein

blueberries -"The anti-oxidant power of blueberries has been shown to be particularly useful in stabilizing brain function and protecting the neural tissue from oxidative stress." NaturalNews

                                                            raspberries-minerals and vitamins

apple- fiber

kefir water -enzyme rich probiotic drink

occasionally:

Turkish Mulberries -Benefit the kidneys

Kiddo's Smoothie

 

base of Mama's Smoothie 

along with:

Natural Milled Golden Flax Seed -Omega 3 and protein 

Erin's Green Drink Mix from Bulk Herb Store - contains spirulina which has chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and calcium

Powdered Goat's Milk - easy to digest and high in calcium

coconut oil-lauric acid

coconut milk -builds immune system, electrolytes, aids in building strong bones

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

mango- improves digestion or pineapple-strengthens gums

vitamin C

Grandma's Smoothie

base of Kiddo's Smoothie

along with:

extra coconut milk and coconut water

banana - bone health

Farmer's Market Delectables

This afternoon we stopped at a farmer's market and came home with a nice supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.

We used some of the produce for supper:

 Salad:

lettuce

carrots

carrot greens

heirloom tomatoes

strawberries

sea salt 

sunflower oil

Main Dish:

parsnips, carrots and sweet onions sauteed in sunflower oil 

baked beans

Hebrew National Hot Dogs

Meal Diary

Lunch at Uncle Paul and Aunt Colleen's:

popcorn

sliced carrots and celery

sun butter sandwich on gluten free pizza crust bread

supper:

deviled egg

baked beans cooked with bacon, onion and kombu

sliced carrots and celery

organic herb turkey from Applegate Farms

Meal Diary

Lunch: Sliced celery and carrots

            Mochi

           Chicken Salad made with bacon, red onion, green and red grapes, thyme, basil, dill, tumeric and Earthbalance

Supper: half a deviled egg

            celery stick with Trader Joe peanut butter

            mixed vegetables 

            beans cooked with bacon, onion and kombu

            stew meat, carrots and pearl onions

            
           

Homemade Ice Pops

My kiddos are quite happy with their homemade ice pops!

These ice pops were made with black raspberries that my kiddos picked from around the yard, cut up grapes and honey water.  I use about two teaspoons of honey with one cup of water.

We have two different ice pop molds and so far both work well.

I ordered the Tovolo Rocket Ice Pop mold from Amazon and purchased the Jelly Belly Flute Pops mold at our local Meijer.

Sunbutter Macadamia Dessert

Crust:

2 cups macadamia nuts

1/2 cup pitted dates

Place in blender or food processor and process to desired consistency.  Flatten into bottom of 8x8 dish.

Topping:

16oz sunbutter

1/4 cup maple syrup

few tablespoons rice milk

Mix and place on top of crust.

Store in refrigerator.

This dessert is delicious!

VBS Finale

My kiddos had a great time attending Vacation Bible School at Heritage Hills Bible Church.  Thank you to Grandma Mona, Grandma Alison, Uncle Matt and Aunt Ellie for giving rides to and from VBS.

At the Beach with Uncle Matt and Aunt Ellie

For Father's Day

 Happy Father's Day Daddy!

We love you!

Isaac

Josiah

Matthew

Abigail

John

Madison and Amie