Flying a Kite (kind of)

Sarah has a Dora kite that we haven't had a chance to use due to lack of wind and space to fly it. So David got the idea of attaching it to his fishing pole to fly it around the back yard for something to do. Amazingly, this worked really well. The other day when it was pretty windy, he was able to get the kite really high. The kids loved it and were entertained for several afternoons this past week. I love how creative David can be when it comes to figuring out stuff to do and keeping the kids entertained.

Calvin having fun trying to catch and hit the kite.

Everyone loves Spaghetti!

Pumpkin Scones: From the Garden to my Tummy

Normally at this time of year I'm thinking about what to plant in our little garden. This year I'll just plant some tomatoes, a couple of zucchini and pumpkin plants. We won't get to see the pumpkins grow. However, I know that the people moving into our home have little kids and all kids like pumpkins. As a part of the whole "moving plan" I've been trying to use up things in the freezer and cupboards. The other day I came across the last of the little pumpkin pucks that I froze last fall. So I baked up the last batch of pumpkin scones until fall.

Last year at this time I planted sugar pumpkin seeds, which according to my research are the best kind of pumpkins for pumpkin pie and other pumpkin baking. Once I harvested the pumpkins, I cut them into quarters, gut them and baked them. I then scoop the warm pulp into the blender and made lots of pumpkin puree. I was originally going to can the pumpkin puree but learned that it's not safe to do so for health reasons. So I got what I thought was a brilliant idea and froze the puree into muffin tins. Once the puree was frozen, I popped out the pucks and put them in bags. 2 pucks with a bit of the water drained off is equal to 1/2 cup. This worked out so great, that I plan on doing this anytime we have a garden. Fresh pumpkin, no waste, super cheap, very tasty...there isn't much better than that. So, if you've got a little extra garden space and like pumpkin, there's an idea for you.

Here is a pumpkin scone recipe that I've used and revised over the years:

Dry Mixture: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder , 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter

Wet Mixture:

3/4 cup while milk or buttermilk, 1/2 fresh or canned pumpkin, 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp vanilla

Sift all dry ingredients together. Cut in butter/ margarine. Stir together wet ingredients and add to dry mixture. Mix all together until just mixed and place on counter . The dough will be pretty sticky, so make sure you have a floured surface and hands. I pat the dough into a circle (see below) and cut it into 8 triangles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Let cool fully before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1/2 a brick (4 oz) of cream cheese

1/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Beat cream cheese and butter together and then beat the rest of the ingredients in until smooth. I top with caramel sauce as well (COBS inspired). I have clear Wilton containers that are great for the caramel topping.

I'm not a big breakfast eater. However, fresh baking, fruit and a cup of earl grey tea and I'm a happy girl. Yummy! These make the best fall breakfast or anytime treat, just have to plan for them now.

And so it begins...

This past week we've really got going on packing. We've been clearing out closets and boxing up anything that we don't use on a regular basis. I think our box count is now at 25, yahoo! We've still got a long ways to go but we're getting there. We've got a large pile in the corner of the living room, all set up for easy transfer into a moving truck. The hard part is keeping the kids of the boxes! We saved the good boxes from when we moved here, collected more from the winery in the summer and stashed away diaper boxes. It's great not to have to do the big box search now that we're at this stage of moving.

I've also started the process of listing items to sell on Kijiji and getting rid of things that way. I find that you actually get a bit of money that way and it's easier to have people come and pick things up rather than dropping them off at a thrift store, etc. Our plan is to have everything packed by the end of June and anything that we don't want to keep sold or given away by that time. Stages.

No Chairs

We're really started to get into packing, organizing, cleaning, etc. The other day I had cleaned the chairs, so they were outside drying out. The kids adapted well, Sarah happily ate her lunch on the Thomas the Tank step stool. Considering that we'll be selling our tables and chairs, we'll be doing a fair bit of picnicking before we move. Fun!

Go Away Rain

We're all feeling pretty ready for summer. We had a few really nice days last week but then the rain and cooler weather decided to come. Boo. I feel like I'm in Abbotsford, but without family and friends. It's time to move.

Anyways...here's a couple random pics of the kids from the other day. Calvin loves climbing into bed with Sarah when she wakes up from her naps. Sarah isn't usually a big fan of this.

A few evenings ago David and I were watching a movie while the kids were "sleeping." We heard some crying so I went upstairs to check it out. When I got into Sarah's room, she stopped crying looked at me and said, "it's raining." I replied, "yes it is raining." This all seemed like a big deal to her, but I tucked her back in and all was well.

This evening, we heard a door open and footsteps upstairs. So again, I went to check it out. Sarah was in the kitchen telling me that it was raining. David came up as well and we both listened to her telling us to look outside since it was raining. David opened up the door so that Sarah could get a better look at the rain. She immediately started to yell, "Go away Rain!" several times in a row. After a few minutes, I took her back to bed. We had a little snuggle under the blankets since she said she was scared of the rain. Such sweet little moments.

Rhubarb Cobbler

I've come to think that Rhubarb is a necessity in the backyard garden. It's not something that we eat often, however it's one of the first things that's ready to eat in the late spring. It reminds me that summer is coming, as well as all the other garden goodness. We've also already enjoyed fresh parsley and chives from our yard. I'm surprised how disappointed I am that I have to leave all our perennials behind. I planted all the tiny plants when we first moved here, and now they're all thriving and doing well. Sometimes I wonder where we'll live next and if I'll be able to have a garden there. Time will tell.

Sarah was a big fan of the rhubarb but Calvin didn't really know what to think of it.

We've got news, just not THAT news

We're thrilled to be expecting baby #3! We're due mid November (around the 14th) making us 13 weeks along. I had an ultrasound this morning and got to see our new babe wiggling and moving his/ her hands around. I was in awe at how much I could see this early on. What a miracle! I've been amazed how awesome this experience is each time; it feels no less special than our first or second pregnancy.

I'm feeling ok, but continue to feel nauseous in the mornings and even more so in the evenings. I'm still amazed that we'll have three kids by Christmas! We're thankful that baby will arrive after our move (to wherever we're moving to) and after the busy harvest time. Yep, 2011 is a big year for our family!

We would appreciate your prayers for a healthy and happy pregnancy. Not to mention, the next few months in general. With the job search, moving and all that has to happen before that, your prayers would be really appreciated. We're excited to see what God has in store for us!

Happy Mothers Day!

Wishing all the moms a great Mothers Day. I'm so thankful for my mom! How blessed I am to have such a wonderful, loving and caring mom. She continues to be a great example to me as I now have children.

Our plans for the day fell through, so we ended up just staying home together. I made rollkuchen for dinner. The kids were big fans of the watermelon and Rogers syrup (a special treat brought out for us from BC, they don't sell it in Eastern Canada).

No news

It feels like everytime I talk to someone, the same questions always come up. "So does David have a job lead yet, do you know where you're moving to?" No and no. These aren't things that we would keep secret from people, when we know we'll tell you.

For now, we're just planning to make the move out west at the beginning of August. Ideally, this would be to a location where David has a job lined up. However, if he doesn't have a job we would likely head to Abbotsford for the time being. Regardless of where we move to, we plan to at least visit Abbotsford in August. I can't believe it's already been a year since we've been out!

It's a really strange feeling to have no idea where we're going to be in a matter of just 3 months. We aren't sure about the city or even the country necessarily. Since (lucky me) is the admin/ PR person in the family, I've been doing most of the job searching so far. Part of me just wants to look for jobs in the Okanagan region of BC. However I have full faith that God will send us where he wants us to go, and therefore don't want to limit him or just look where "I" want to go. Therefore, David has started applying to jobs in Washington, California and yes, the Okanagan. There isn't a lot out there at the moment, therefore we must wait and be patient. I know that there is the "perfect" job out there for him, it's just a matter of when and where. So we've started to pack, even though we don't know where we're going. We hesitate in picking a moving date and deciding how we're going to move, especially since we don't have a destination. A lot can change in 3 months.

David is now finished the 4 year degree part of his schooling and is just working on his thesis. I am so... proud of him for being this close to done. It's funny how at the beginning of this kind of journey, 5 years feels like a long time. And then all of the sudden you're at the end and it seems like the time has just gone by. I am so excited for David and our family, I know that we're about to start another wonderful chapter in our lives. When we have news, we'll tell you. We can't wait!