Just a Quick Little Update

So for three weeks our computer has been sick...very sick. So much so that we are going to have to get a new one. NOT good timing. What am I to do at home when I get a craving for Scramble, or Jewel Quest? For Facebook or Gmail? For...the OUTSIDE WORLD?!?!?!?

Anyhoo, enough whining. Here are a few events that have kept us on our toes for the past month:

*Celebrated Thanksgiving together as a family with our dear friend Faith. Played games and talked and enjoyed each other's company.
*Anna came down with Chickenpox--BAD! She missed a week of school and was covered from head to toe .
*Jacob had his first band concert ever. He is playing the trumpet and is really really good at it. AND, if I may brag, he is teaching himself the guitar!! He can pick out just about any song by ear, and has learned tons of chords. We even played a couple of Christmas songs together (me, on the keyboard). What a dream come true for a piano teacher!!
*Caleb had his 3rd grade Christmas Program; he actually helped conduct one of the songs and did it PERFECTLY!! Talk about a proud Mom and Dad! I was smiling from ear to ear as my youngest sang his heart out...ON KEY!!
*Anna played her first basketball game EVER last Saturday. I guess she has enough of her Daddy's genes to actually play a sport. She did a great job! In all other respects, she's like her Mom. :)
*This past weekend Jarrod and I attended 7, count 'em, SEVEN, basketball games between our three kiddos! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it was and how exhausting it was!
*Jacob came down with the Chickenpox last night!!! He's had the shot, so it seems to be a very mild case.
*We are staying here in Newton for Christmas. Had great plans of going home to NM, but the timing just wasn't working out for my side of the family to be able to spend any real time together. We are all very disappointed, but we're planning to take a trip out there in a couple months. In lieu of NM we are going to spend it, once again, as a family doing super-fun things in Wichita. I'll let you know what we decide. ;)

To all my dear friends: I miss you so much and am so glad that we can "talk" through this fascinating little thing called The Internet.

Have a wonderful Christmas celebrating our sweet Saviour! Love to all!

Chicken Tamale Pie

This looks involved, but it's really a snap to throw together. We all need a new recipe now and then, don't we?

Chicken Tamale Pie

Filling:

1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, yada yada

3-4 NM green chiles seeded and chopped (OR 1 can chopped green chiles)

1/2 can creamed corn

2 c. shredded cheese

2 t. taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients and place in 9x13 pan. Mix all cornbread ingredients together well. Pour over the top of of chicken mixture and bake at 350° for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cornbread Topping:

1 c. cornmeal

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 c. buttermilk

2 T. melted butter, or oil

1/2 can creamed corn

2 eggs

Easy-Peasy variation:

*Use canned chicken or chopped chicken breasts

*Mix up a box of Jiffy cornbread mix and call it good!

The Things We Do That Make Us A Parent

I'm sitting at the computer in the dark. It's been a looong weekend. My poor Caleb has the dreaded H1N1 (aka: piggy flu, "Hiney" flu, whatever). Thankfully, he's doing better this morning. Fever is down a bit, he's still sleeping and I got a mostly full night's sleep.

I won't whine, mind you, but I will say that I am missing 3 important things this weekend:

Jarrod ~I sent him off to Kansas City yesterday to a Jayhawks game.

Weekend in KC with my hubby at a Jayhawks game

My 20th HS Reunion in Spring, TX

Ya know, God always has a reason for these quirky happenings that "mess up our plans".

"You can make many plans,

but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

~Proverbs 19:21

Jarrod just called this morning to tell me some of what God has spoken to him about...great, exciting stuff. Myself: I've had a weekend with my three kids in a tiny house and it's been good. I've let the house get messy (gasp!), we've watched lots of tv and movies (gasp!), we've baked STORE BOUGHT cookie dough (what?!? Not from scratch? Yeah, they're delish!)

When a kiddo is really sick, you stop everything and pour every ounce into getting him better.

Thank goodness for Facebook! I've been able to see pics from my reunion almost instantly! They're all old. ;)

Thank goodness for cellphones! Jarrod and I have texted and called a bunch.

yep, he misses me. :}

Plus, had I been in KC, I would have missed Jacob's first win yesterday: 18-6

GO WARRIORS!!

Now I shall begin the great clean-up.

Homemade Deliciousness...Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I must say that this is not MY recipe, but rather from my Mom's bestest friend ever, Julia Sommers. I must give credit where credit is due. She gave it to me at my bridal shower, so many years ago, and everyone goes nuts over it.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. oatmeal

Chocolate Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

3-5 T. boiling water

1/2 t. vanilla

Mix first 7 ingredients, then add dry ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 min. Cool.

Beat frosting ingredients together and spread over bars. Cut when cooled.

Yield: 12 servings

Oh my gosh, does it get any easier than this?!?

Today I...

On my Blessed Day Off I...

• Baked hamburger buns for our "Green Chile Cheeseburgers" tonight.


• Sewed up a clothespin bag (so easy, and so needed)


• Baked Whole Wheat Bread, which looks like it's gonna be hard as a rock...too much wheat flour or it's too old


• Watched old "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie" on hulu.com while I clean/sew/bake.


• Hung clothes on the line on this beautiful day, but one line fell down. boo hoo.


• Played a couple rounds of "WordWhomp" while I ate my lunch. Was craving Beenie Weenies, but had to sub the weenies for leftover meatballs. Not too bad.


• Need to change into nicer clothes to pick up the kids and take them for eye appts.


• Need to call and wish my Dad a "Happy 62nd Birthday"!


• Talked to Jarrod as he was going from one construction job to another.

She's Back

Pic #1:Mom, my cousin, and Myself
Pic #2: Caleb, Me and Jacob in the cccold stream.

In case you were worried...I'm still alive. I've kinda strayed from the blog-thing. Twitter captured my attention for a couple of months, but I'm bored with that. There are too many people who give a second-by-second account of their lives, and honestly,

I DON'T CARE!!

AND I don't think anyone really cares about MY little details on a regular basis. Boy, that sounds harsh.

Anyway, I'm back to "Blogsville". I've been so inspired by the cutest, most creative looking blog pages lately and it is stirring up the "left-hander" in me- ie: time to sew, bake, redecorate, shop..."let the creative juices flow!!!"

I was going to post about my summer adventure to New Mexico, but I did already mention some of the stuff I did there in my last post. Plus, I asked my Dad to post some pics from my trip as, *sniff, sniff*, I LOST MY CAMERA IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SANTA FE!!!!

OK, here's the low-down: So my parents (who BTW were AWESOME to be with), my kids and myself went up to the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Santa Fe. We did this twice while I was there to cook breakfast in the morning up in the mountains. We're weird like that. Eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and green chile just taste better up there. Well, then we drove up a little further for a hike. NOW, in case you are getting all impressed at my "athletic prowess", let me halt right there, partner, and make you aware that the term "hiking" is extremely relative. HIKE: to walk down the path at "my Dad's Rock" and enjoy the scenery.

So towards the end of our "hike", Mom and I decided to wait at the top at the van while Dad and the kids played in the stream downhill. I set my backpack down and walked around for a little bit. Then when the gang got to the van, I hopped in and we drove home. Lalala, I go about my day and begin packing that night to drive home the next morning, and I have this sickening feeling: THE CAMERA!! Too late now. It's a goner!

All that to say...I asked my Dad for any pics he had on HIS camera so I could post them on here. Well, I pray that these weren't his only pics, as I am lookin' pretty rough. But, in humbleness I will post these if you promise not to laugh.

Things I am Doing this Month

*Driving 12 hrs. straight with 3 kids to see my fam. in New Mexico

*Sitting in my sister's house in Albuquerque,blogging.

*Working waay to much and too early, and wishing I could be a stay-at-home mom again.

*Missing my hubby while he works in Kansas.

*Wondering why I feel like a Gypsy (never settled, always moving).

*Hoping beyond hope that God shows Jarrod and me just what on earth we are here for!!!

*Getting a pedicure today...I'm determined!

*Eating a huge Green Chile Cheeseburger from Blake's Lotaburger in Abq.

*Driving 12 hrs. straight back to Kansas to see my sweet hubby who works his butt off and is the greatest guy ever, and deserves...well EVERYTHING good that God has to throw his way!

*Making lots of yummy smoothies.

*Getting our new little home in order.

*Fryin' up our fresh eggs from our chickens.

*Scouring my Bible in search of what God is wanting to speak to me about. Looking for answers to this crummy life, and hoping to make the best of it while we all have to be here.

*Thanking God for ALL the blessings He hands me each day...my kids, my sister and her family, my parents, my good friends back in KS...and of course, Gooey Bars. ~sigh~

Will post pics of this trip when I get home.

It's Moving Day Once More

Yeah, we're either brave or stupid.
Today is supposed to be our big day. It doesn't feel like it, because we've been on a roller coaster of a ride for two weeks now with a "whole 'notha situation", plus Jarrod is working in 100°+ weather this week, I'm working EARLY mornings (today I went in at 4:30am), the kids are going to VBS...
You just do what you hav-ta do.
Jarrod and I (even the kiddos) could really use a vacation. We just don't get to take them. I must admit I am jealous of families who can get away every year to relax and refresh. My prayer is that this move will eventually allow us to experience that on a regular basis. Until then:
Thanks God, for my life. You've given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)

New Address

Hello all. I'm in a big hurry, but I want to let you know our new address as of July 1, 2009.
600 SW 24th
Newton, KS
67114
We'll be VERY crazy busy for the next two weeks, so I probably won't be on here until we get settled out in the country.
Three things I am soooooooo looking forward to:
1. PRIVACY!!
2. SPACE!!
3. QUIET!!!
Hmmm, can you tell I'm an introvert? No more revving up engines outside my windows all hours of the day and night. No more SHARING a single driveway with 6 other cars!! No more cops zipping by on 1st. St. at 50mph! No more train whistles causing my teeth to itch.

Space, glorious SPACE!!
Ok, I need to get ready for church now. Bye for now.

I Write When I'm Heavy-Hearted

Well, this is a not-so-fun-post. It's been a hard couple of days. There is a pastor/friend of our church who just this last week had to resign because of an affair with his Admin. Assist. He leaves a wife and 2 children shipwrecked.

Then today I opened a message on Facebook to find out that the marriage of two dear friends of ours whom we traveled with in Life Action is ending. Why? A homosexual affair that has gone on for 11 years was found out; he is a worship pastor. He leaves a wife and 5 children shipwrecked.

Believe me, these are only two out of umpteen families that I know have fallen apart. But it's two in ONE WEEK!

If you think for one second that you are immune, shame on you.

If I think for one second that Jarrod and I are immune, shame on ME!!

Do we REALLY not believe that Satan is prowling around, devouring Christ-followers? Is anyone as sick and tired and mad as I am that we constantly fall for the lies from the Enemy?

It doesn't happen "all of a sudden". It happens when for ONE MOMENT you let your guard down and tell yourself, "It's no biggie." Then multiply those "moments" and you're toast.

Last night Jarrod and I realized that WE need to reinforce the hedges around our relationship. He's the Student Pastor at our church. I'm on the Worship Team. What areas have even a tiny crack that needs repairing? How can we 24/7 have eachothers' backs??

This man that I am married to means more to me than any other person on the face of this earth! And my three kiddos are right behind my hubby! I NEVER want to shipwreck them!

Jesus, be the center.

Sum, sum, summer

Summer has arrived in the Flaming house! Here are a couple of things I am planning on implementing for the next three months:

• "Dog/Chicken Duty" - this means that each kid is in charge of one of our pets for a week at a time.


• "Chores List" - each day each kid is assigned a specific chore(s) that has to be completed (to momma's approval) before they are allowed to go off for the day.
  
• "Walk My Butt Off" - I've been walking EARLY mornings with two friends who are way more athletic than I...shh, I think I'm fooling them.

Thursday morning was a hoot...

Well, Wednesday night Anna invited her friend to spend the night. Then, we are taking care of our friend's Dalmation, Glimmer, for a week. She's old and no trouble at all, but now our adopted chihuahua thinks Glimmer's GINORMOUS dog bed is her's. THEN, Thursday morning I woke up to find our youngest kid sleeping on Glimmer's dog bed with her!!

And they slept until 9am! For the next week, the kids will rotate which dog they feed/water/walk, and I will handle the chickens.

Yes, our house is CrAzInEsS, but it's teaching them responsibility, which, of course, is a most important character trait our kids need to learn.

Any kind of new post

I just have to post something to get that other post from being the most recent one on here. I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend. We did. I wasn't sure what it would be like when it started, but we spent a lot of time with the Koerner's and it was great! And thank you GOD for the beautiful weather and lack of humidity!! This time last year we were here for a visit and it was hot and muggy!

I do still owe Melissa a nice picture posted here for our "war", but I don't have anything yet. I have been working on business cards and a flyer so she can get her piano lesson business going again. Here's what I have for the biz card for now. Check out her website if you're interested in lessons (and live in the general vicinity of Newton, KS) :)

It is actually in color, but I just don't have a copy of that right now. Here's a look at the flyer so you can see the colors. I like doing this kind of stuff. It's fun.

I just couldn't help myself

Ok, Jarrod's gonna kill me for this, but after going back and forth in my mind, I decided, "What the heck! This is so worth it!"

Meet "Chloe" the foster dog.

Speedy Quick

Well, I've totally slacked on blogs lately. I SHOULD be making my grocery list and heading to the store, but once again it's cold, dark and about to rain (I am SICK SICK SICK of the weather here!!!!) did I mention SICK?!?. I heard a girl on Wheel of Fortune last night say that she just moved to California from Ohio for the sunshine. We have a bond.
Anyway, the last week or two have been full with "end of the year" stuff. Jacob graduated from 5th grade. The kid is almost 5'9", taller than ALL the students in his school, and taller than many of the teachers as well. Jarrod and I couldn't have been prouder- not just because he's tall, but because he has worked so hard to catch up after moving here and has proven that he can do it!! Of course, during the looong program Caleb leans over and says, "I hate to say it, but this is pretty boring!". Spoken like a true little brother.
Let's see, I highlighted all the kids' hair this weekend. Jacob's been begging to get highlights in his hair, so being the cool mom that I am ;) I did it. Caleb's hair is just too dark to take highlights, but he thinks he can see them. They look too cute, and hey, they're happy.
Mother's Day was a Humongous treat! Jarrod and the kids did everything for me-down to the linen tablecloth, napkins, bouquet of flowers, and cards; fixing the delicious dinner and cleaning up afterward. And guess what? Since it was MY day, I didn't make myself eat the green beans (yuck)! There are perks to having your own special day.
Ok, I need to get moving. But let me just say that I believe that I have the BEST husband and kids in the whole universe!!

Only in the Flaming Household

So I am at work, when someone hands me the phone: "I think it's for you."

I pick up the phone, "Hello?"

"Mom, it's Caleb. (sniff,sniff). I have diarrhea. (sniff,cry, sniff)."

"Ok, Sweetie. I'll come get you and take you home, Honey."

"Ok. But, Mom, I AM at home."

"What?!?"

"I walked home (cry, sniff, sniff)."

"You WALKED home??? Does anybody know this at school?"

"No."

"Ok, stay there. I'll be there in a few minutes."

From that moment my mind began racing, wondering how in the world he managed to leave the school grounds without anybody seeing him!! What were his teacher and the secretaries thinking? Was there a search party going already? Did the nurse just send him walking?!? Surely not!

I called the school, and NO, they did NOT know he was gone! Good grief! I got home as soon as I could, and he was on the couch, opposite Anna Mary, who is home with a cold.

When I began to question him (gently, mind you because I know better than to force ANYTHING out of this kid), he told me some cockamamie story about how he went to the nurse but he couldn't remember what she said...

I just could not imagine him walking out the front door and no one seeing him. I called the school back, and was able to talk to the principal, who told me what seems to have really happened up until Caleb went AWOL. I told him Caleb was still crying and I needed to let him calm down before I got the whole story from him. Everyone was just glad that he was home safely.

Sooo, I called Caleb to my room once again, and calmly and lovingly got the real story: his class was next door watching a math video. His tummy hurt so he asked to go to the bathroom. His teacher gave him a bathroom pass, which he went and put on HIS desk, went potty, then because he had the big "D", he went back to his room, got his jacket and backpack and quietly went out the back door of his classroom and walked home! There WAS no nurse involved. All I could do was hold him and tell him that everyone was just so glad he was ok, and all the typical things you have to tell your kid about WHY we stay at school, etc., and that the police are on their way to take him to juvie. (JK) :)

The principal did tell me that he wants to talk with Caleb tomorrow. It's all good. This man is a great Christian guy who is FOR our kids.

Why me, Lord?

One of My Favorite Signs at Work

One of those days

I am so incredibly homesick today I could scream!! Here are some of the things I miss (in no particular order) :

*The Sandia mountains

*Green Chili

*The Desert

*Jefferson St. by my sister's house. It's a tree-lined drive that is so comforting.

*the Rio Grande

*Spanish

*My sister and her sweet family

*My parents coming down from Santa Fe to spend the night.

*My Grandparents and their house (also comforting)

*Old Town

*Blake's Lotaburger

*The drive down Paseo del Norte (never thought THAT was possible!)

*Going to lunch with my sis

*teaching piano

*the dry warm days and cool nights

*Green Chili Cheeseburgers

*Posole with pork and red chili

*New Mexican food in general

*The Fruit Basket (a tiny Mexican Fruit/Veg stand)

*Adobe homes

* Pretty much everything.

♫ "Spring, Spring, Spring" ♫

If you've ever seen the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" you hopefully remember that song.

The chicks really like Anna Mary. She carries them around all the time.

Here at the Flaming backyard we've been watching our little chicks grow for a month now. They are actually about 6-7 wks. old, and are changing so quickly. Scroll down for pics of the younger days. :)

It's amazing what you can build with scrap wood!

Jarrod and I have been working on the coop as often as we can, but the crazy Kansas weather has slowed us down- April has brought us 3 snowstorms!! yuck. But, we'll keep posting more pics as we make progress. The coop will eventually be painted red with white trim, and may even have a cute little flower box under the window.

Bat Dog

And this is Kansas, folks. No, the van is not moving. You should've seen Anna Mary walking to the car after school, or should I say, FLYING. Dang this wind!

Chick Pics

So, I got a few more pics of the chicks. Man, we can already see how they've grown taller and some of their feathers in just 2 days!

Pickin' up chicks!

Come on! Not that kind of chicks. Chickens! For a long time we've been wanting to have a bit of a "hobby farm" and now we're startin' with chicks! We just got home with our first 6 chicks - 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Gold Sex Links. I know it's a funny name. It means they are chickens which can be sexed at hatching. Learn something new every day, right?

We've been learning a lot from different websites and decided to go for it. One of our favorites is www.backyardchickens.com. Each of the kids has claimed one as their own and right now the chicks are in our basement in a box, adjusting to their new home. I think everyone has even named one. We have Thelma (Anna's), Redbud (Jacob's), Odie (Caleb's) Gussie (Melissa's) and Rhody (Jarrod's). Oops. One doesn't have a name yet, but I think Cookie would like to name it "Dinner".

Within 5-12 weeks they will be out in a chicken coop (which I have yet to build) and then a few more weeks before they are ready to lay eggs. Aren't they cute?!?

Feeling Jilted By My 7 yr. Old

I am sitting here. I am waiting.

Caleb and I are supposed to go on a date tonight. Jarrod and the older kids are in Wichita at a concert. So I told Caleb that we would get to spend time together, just the two of us. He's my baby, so I am looking forward to his choice of restaurant:

McDonald's

However, my youngest is a Wii addict today. I even offered to take him to a movie. "No thanks", says he, as he does another flip on the Wii and defeats the Storm Troopers ONE MORE TIME.

I am feeling stood up; jilted; 2nd place. Sigh. Guess I could MAKE him go on a date, but how much fun is that? I'll give him a few more minutes, then I'll wave a McDonald's sign in front of his face. Maybe that will bring him back from the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

The Reveal...finally

Well, as promised, here are some before/after pics of our new home. Man, 100 yr. old homes do have their quirks, but overall we are enjoying having a place to call our own. Watch and see what a little (or a lot) or paint can do!

Living Room

Dining Room
Bathroom


Kitchen ~ before

Kitchen~ after

Master Bedroom
My next project is curtains for all the windows. As for the kids' rooms...when they are clean (ha ha) I will post some pics.

A couple of funny things

Well, I just made a heart-shaped two-layer Chocolate Cake for Valentine's Day.

I ate too much of the frosting, and now I'm too sick to eat a piece of cake.



However, before I even frosted it I went into the kitchen only to find two big chunks missing from each layer! AAAANNNNNNNNNAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She just hid in the couch and raised her hand in surrender. No problemo. What Anna Mary doesn't realize is that now I get to put MORE FROSTING on to cover those holes!! yum.

Then, the other day I was making a snack for my kids: cinnamon graham crackers with frosting(do you see a pattern?). Anna Mary was in there when I was licking the spoon, and she says, "Mom, you better stop eating that or you're gonna get fat....(taking the bowl from me)...But I won't!" grrrr.

My Week Thus Far

It's raining outside this morning. But I still have to go to work. No fair, huh? This week I am working every day. I'd whine, except that millions of you are thinking, "Yeah, what's so bizarre about that?" Well, I am used to my little schedule of M-W-F, with Thur. afternoons thrown in there. Only, this being Valentine's week, and this being a busy catering week at work, I am being FORCED to cook every day (the nerve!).

Our store is serving 3 dinners on Valentine's Day. Yesterday I did a "trial run" on our entree to make sure that it's gonna be delish! Yep, it was.

SPICED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CHILI-CRANBERRY GLAZE. (plus a lot of other homemade deliciousness)

Today I am prepping huge amounts of two different soups for a group of 150+ on Thursday.

And why am I blogging all of this? Hmmm, I guess because this is about all that is going on in my life right now: WORK.

My house looks like it, too~

Yeah, I'll walk over that sock for the 50th time

What half -full bowl of cereal on the coffee table?

Feed the kids?!? I've been cooking all the live-long day!

As for celebrating Valentine's with my hubby, well, it'll have to happen NEXT WEEK. Don't worry, Babe, I'll make it up to ya. ;)

Superbowl Party 2009

We had a great time having 25 people over for our first party in our new home. Thanks for bringing good food and even better friendships!

Quick Post

Hey! We're still here! We're getting our internet installed at the house this Thursday! Yea! (Thanks Melissa for setting that up!)


This week has been cold, icy and snowy so far. I didn't work yesterday, so it was a good day to get some work done on the bathroom. You may recall that it only had a tub (and she don't do baths) :) So, I've been installing tub surround and walls for a shower. I'll post pics soon. Fun thing about this one is that they positioned the tub about 8" from the wall, which also has a regular-sized window in the wall. So, I framed up a wall for the tub and used the last 8" for a couple of shelves. I think it will work ok. I know everyone is ready to stop taking showers down in the dungeon and running through the freezing gauntlet past the back door.

I know this is quick and brief, and I assure you there will be more to come soon but... I am now the new Youth Pastor, Leader, whatever for Riverpoint Church. I know, I know...I never thought I would volunteer for something this crazy either. It's just that God has really put teens on my heart lately and I couldn't say no. :) I know God has some cool stuff in store for us. Now, all you prayer warriors, please put me way up on the list! :) Thanks!

Well, that's all for now! Stay tuned! We're comin' back online!!