Armour's visit

We have been enjoying our dear neighbors and it feels like they've been gone along time (actually 2 months) but now that they are back it seems like old times. We are so thankful to have them back even if for just a while.

The Armour's are coming for a visit

We found out last night they will be arriving tomorrow night! We are so excited to see our dear friends. Hopefully I'll be posting some pictures on the blog this week of their visit.

Incredible website

After Gina taught me about Kefir, I decided to do more research on healthy living. I came across an awesome website for homemakers www.passionatehomemaking.com. I HIGHLY recommend it. I found so many great recipes and tips on budget savers. This young Christian housewife is incredible! She makes delicious breads and healthy whole foods for her family of 4. She makes her own cleaners, shampoo, etc. I have lists of info. she provided to look into. Other helpful websites are given by her as well. I can't wait to try some of her recipes. I'll post the results when I get to them. She buys nearly everything organic and only spends $400 total (includes toiletries) a month!! I can barely believe it. She doesn't buy packaged and process foods. No snacks, no chips (ouch), no dinner in a bag. Another lady who is linked to her site www.heavenlyhomemakers.com was way helpful too. She feeds a family of 6 for $500 a month. She is a great gardener and I hope to one day have enough fruits and veggies too so I can read more from her on canning.
The personal care items I am suspect of. I remember trying to wash my hair with eggs in high school only to have a disaster! The Passionate Homemaker does have a lot of uses for coconut oil which I am interested in trying. Please peruse her site it is well worth your time. She states her purpose to teach good stewardship of God's resources. Amen.

Kara was sick

This morning Kara woke up rather early only to throw up. Her Daddy helped her and cleaned the carpet. She came downstairs and laid on the couch for the whole day getting up only to vomit and deal with diarrhea. She couldn't keep down water or Pepto. After dark circles appeared under her eyes, fearing dehydration, I gave her some Phenegren and that helped. The evening at 6pm she began to feel better and was able to eat some plain noodles and keep down some water. Poor Sweetie.

Bible study

For over two years now, me and a sweet group of dear sisters have been studying the book of John. We've made it to the upper room discourse in chapter 14. "Let not your heart be troubled" was spoken by our Savior during some very anxious hours (understatement) that they were about to walk through. He speaks of the Spirit that the Father will give and He encourages us in a way no other person can "truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater than these shall he do; because I go to the Father"John 14:12. How will this be accomplished? Verse 16-17 provides "and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you." As vessels of the Holy Spirit, we can see the work of Christ continue knowing it is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. May the Lord allow us to see His glory revealed as we share the Gospel and see the fruits of those who will be saved.

casting lots

We've been going for morning walks for many weeks now. Whether to walk, bring a scooter or ride a bike has been a topic of discussion continually. So, in New Testament fashion, I decided to cast lots to see which activity the children would engage in. We have a prayer jar in which we cast lots each meal to see who will pray so we did likewise for the activity to do. After 3 consecutive days of walking, Daddy cast the lot and chose biking. After the bikes were brought out, a flat tire was discovered on Ethan's bike. We then understood why biking had not been chosen the last few days while Daddy was at work-Mommy can air tires but NOT change flats! It rained this morning so although we got a late start, it was overcast and cooler.

fellowship with the Spear's

Last night we got to spend some time with the Spear's. We enjoyed dinner and great conversation about what the Lord has done and is teaching us. The Lord really used Randy to convict me of sin concerning worldliness and gift giving. Thanks Randy for loving us enough to tell us the truth! I really enjoyed getting to know Rosalie and she really encouraged me to stay away from bitterness and seek the Lord in His Grace to continue right relationship.

Stephenson's visit

Yesterday afternoon we got to spend some time with Yvonne, Mitch and Mikayla. The children were so excited to play with their old friends. They played with the pets, went exploring in the woods and found baby frogs and then swam, swam, swam. Yvonne and I got caught up on life and all the Lord has taught us the last several months. May the Lord provide continued opportunity for us to share life together in His will.

1 John 1-2

This morning during my prayer time with the Lord He reminded me of 1 John 2:4 "The one who says, "I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him;"
Yesterday I had been struggling with that thought. How can we say we are Christians yet walk (decisions and behavior) according to the world?
When the children and I sat down to study catechism this was the food I gave them. I started teaching them from 1 John 1:5-2:29. What a beautiful message this is from the Lord through the beloved apostle John. Please read this portion of Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.

update on Uncle John

Thanks again for the prayers and lifting him and his family up to the Lord. He had only a minor skin reaction to his first round of chemo. His wife, Nancy, is still unable to travel. Please pray for her as they found a spot on her lung during her physical and they have to determine whether it is active or an old spot. Tuberculosis is common PI so they must check it out before giving her the ok to travel. That pushes her date back to possibly August. He hopes to finish his chemo and return to PI after Christmas. May the Lord guide him.

Ice cream Sunday

We got a new soft serve ice cream machine last week. I got it off of www.woodlandsonline.com. It has condiment trays that will mix in your favorite treats into the homemade frozen yummy stuff. The ice cream tasted just like Dairy Queen. We hope to use if during fellowship time as a treat. Also, to reduce the the size of the Hernandez family we are limiting dessert to once a week. Thanks, Suzy for the inspiration and Emily for the great idea.

Happy Father's Day

The children made Albert some cards and we already gave him most of his gifts-poncho liner and portable grill. We spent the day at church and then home for some grilled hotdogs and sausage.
I called my Dad and wished him a great day as well.

more pics

visit from dear friends

We got an unexpected surprise visit from Elkin (we've been lifelong friends since we were 14), Krissy (goddaughter) and her fiance, Stephen today. They were in Magnolia to help another friend move. It was a blessings to get to meet Stephen. We gave them a early gift, the book our church recommended for those who are anticipating marriage called What Did you Expect? by Paul Tripp. The Lord's timing was perfect in that we had been reading it and were able to share it with those facing the committment. May the Lord guide them and cleanse them as they approach marriage.

Kara's birthday

Our little girl turned 6 today. We've been celebrating all week. The boys and I decorated her cake and we are going to Marble Slab this evening and to ride the carousel at the Woodlands Mall.

summer vacation

We headed down to Corpus Christi to be apart of the public release of the Kemper's ridley sea turtles. We had to be on standby because they had just hatched.
We left here Monday with a stop in El Campo to Buckee's. The children did not remember stopping at one before so it was a treat. Albert got a pecan log, I got a peanut patty, Christian got a blueberry muffin, Ethan got an Icee, and Kara a chocolate brownie. Funny, that's what they chose at Target when we stop for a treat. We got Christian a leather wallet for his birthday there as well. Once arriving in Corpus we headed to the county park at Packery Channel. We got hermit crabs by the bunches and enjoyed the evening. We were so glad to get there safely and see water. Tuesday, the turtles weren't ready so we headed to the marsh areas for some crabbin'. It was hot and the mosquitoes were pretty vicious to the guys since they were in the grasses. Thankfully, we had some Off to ward them off. We got 6 crabs so we headed to the beach at Mustang Island State Park. It was upsetting to see the day use area in disrepair. It had been seven years since we lived there for 3 months and we remembered the park being really nice. Albert got an Aussie portable grill forhis advanced Father's Day gift so he grilled us some sausage, hot dogs and crabs. We boiled the crabs with some Tony Chachere's. I missed my chest area and got quite a burn but thankfully I brought some lavender for the mosquito bites and remembered it worked well for burns too. It really healed it up fast! Thanks Jennifer for teaching me that. Highly recommend it for sunburns.
Wednesday was the big day. Turtles! They were so little. Padre Island National Park was a neat place and very well taken care of. Unlike, the state park, it was free of debris and the buildings were in great shape. If you were going to the beach, they gave you a big black bag to fill with trash. The rangers were nice and friendly. At 6:40 or so we got to head down to the beach for the big release. Thankfully, we got a close up view as they were put on the beach to scuttle to the sea. There were over 200 people there to celebrate the turtles. We all cheered as the first one made it out. The local news was there to film the event and Christian was asked to give his assessment of the event. He declined respectfully. We stayed until Ethan had to go to the bathroom then we scrambled to find the toilets. The visitor's center was closed because all the rangers were helping with the event so we had to find another restroom. We found the area were kayaking was popular and thought it would be great to take a small inflatable boat out there. People were wade fishing so it was quite shallow. We then toured the rest of the park and then headed for some breakfast since we had been up since 5am. Cracker Barrel was the choice Albert made since he had heard good things about there breakfasts. Great recommendation! Their bacon is delicious. After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel for some rest, a siesta. That was very refreshing. Then we went crabbin to another marsh area near Laguna Madre. We got 12 crabs that time. Note crabbing is not as good in Corpus as in Galveston. We were all hot and ready for some beach time so we headed back to Mustang Island with the idea of parking on the beach for our dinner and swim time. As soon as we started taking everything out for dinner, we saw dark clouds coming in from the west. We decided to wait and go swimming instead. It was so overcast and then is started to rain. It was so fun swimming in the rain. Then the wind got bad so we headed to the truck. Albert was watching the weather patterns online so we just waited until it past by. It was still sprinkling but the wind died down. We had our picnic and it really cooled off because of the rain. It was perfect. It was already late in the evening and so once the sun was gone, the mosquitoes rallied. Note, swimwear may be UV protective but is not mosquito proof. We got EATEN ALIVE in all the places the Off didn't cover us. By then it was 9:40 pm and the park closes at 10pm. I don't know whether we were more hurried to get out before being locked in or to get away from the blood suckers.
Thursday was time to prepare to head home. Of course, we had to stop by the beach on our way out and we had lunch and swam one last time. It was so nice. I couldn't help myself so I filled up a bucket with litter. Next time were are going to bring more gloves so each of us can help clean up. We parked next to the fresh water rinse and were able to get cleaned up before heading the 5 hrs. home. On the way home we stopped at Prasek's Smokehouse in Hillje which is near El Campo. The have the BEST BBQ. We ate chopped beef sandwiches that were the best I've had. We already get the sausage from HEB since they carry the brand but got some to take home. We tried their seasoned pork steak, buffalo sausage, jalepeno and smoked sausage (awesome stuff). Highly recommend it! Next time I want to get one of there smoked hams to try.

Deutoronomy 6

This morning I had a wonderful time experiencing the verse about "as you walk along the way". Our family has been going on walks each morning for exercise and time together. The children and I had great discussions on hospitality, manners, the Holy Spirit, prayer, wildlife, complaining, stewardship, feeding the soul and body etc. The 45 mins. we shared led me to be thankful to the Lord for providing a way to make exercising enjoyable and worthwhile.

The One True God by Paul Washer

We concluded our study last night at the Frye's. What a great study! All about God and His Word. We will miss our time with the Spear's, Justin, David, the Willie's, and the Frye's. Thanks again Frye's for your hospitality.

Laundry soap making day

For mom, it was make more laundry detergent time. Our well water is extremely full of minerals (I hope it is minerals...). So, our whites were coming out dingy. I bought some Tide for the whites but decided with this new batch I'd double the strength to make up for the water issues. I'll let you know how it works out. The cost for this is soooo inexpensive! I bought 2 bars of Fels-Naptha from Kroger at $1.19 each. I also had left over washing soda and Borax from my last batch. My last batch lasted 9 months!! I am so thankful.

checklists and chores

I love checklists. Christian loves them too. We feel so in control using them. Today we worked on chore rescheduling. Albert and I discussed a resolution concerning kitchen duties. We had been experiencing great delay due to the fact the co laborers were slacking so that the others would get the job done. We went back to the timer method which helped but we decided on a modified approach. Using the choosing by lot method, and a nifty list of duties, we scheduled out monthly for certain tasks. For example, unload dishwasher is breakfast time task. Each child has the duty for a month. So Ethan will be responsible for the month of June to daily unload the dishwasher. The list of duties is for all morning and evening meal related needs in the area of mopping, sweeping, counters cleared and wiped, table set, and dishes put away. I'll keep you updated as to the success of this new approach.

Costco

Last night a friend from church named Emily told me about organics at great prices at Costco. Well, the Proverb came to mind "she gets her food from afar" so I headed over there with Hubby's blessings. Very important aspect is the blessings. See I am a recovering shopaholic. No, really. In years past, I could have spent $500 easy at Costco. So many things and so much of it! But thankfully, as part of my sanctification, the Lord is working in me and teaching me stewardship. It was so neat to be allowed to go there (Kara went with me so glad He's training her too) and still maintain self control. I love how the Lord teaches and then only at the appropriate time He allows us to overcome. I was very thankful for finding so many products I needed at very good prices. I plan on going twice a month. Costco has a friend referral system so if this appeals to your need, don't forget to give them my info- name and address when you sign up. You and I will get the same gift card (nice).

This picture speaks volumes about birth order and our children.

running at the farm in Mineola

This underground home is on route from Crockett to Palestine, TX.

flood plain compliant

You can ride horses anywhere.

Princess Kara showing how to keep the house clean.

He really can play the part. See the post on the Christmas play from 2009.

Ethan realized heavy equipment is necessary when it rains around here.

This is not a swamp, no it is not a creek bed, it is right out our front door back in 2006. My godson, Tyler, is being rescued by his sister, Krissy as he had sank up to mid chest in our mud/quicksand. He was being threatened by her that we were about to call the fire dept. for help. Ethan is seconds from needing some assistance as well.

Our land after just purchasing it. It was so fun to go there and attempt to brushhog it with a push mower. We so enjoyed our time there we found reasons to go visit.

One of my all time favorites!

Baby Kara with her ears pierced. They had to be removed because her skin was too sensitive.

This was taken in front of our last home (which is 55o feet from our house now) during Easter celebrations in 2005.

Albert had just returned from deployment in 2000. This is aboard his ship the Frederick in Pearl Harbor.

old pics

The Pedersen's inspired me to post some old family photos.

This was taken from our hotel days before we left HI to come back to TX. Christian is standing at the window, amazing huh. He had strawberry blonde hair when he was little too.

great, easy recipe Sticky Pecan Pie Bars

Back when we went to Cypress Top, I picked up a recipe they had available. It is sooooo good. It is a great dessert for the last minute. I can't wait to bring it for church. Here it is:

Sticky Pecan Pie Bars

1 box yellow cake mix (do not follow directions on the box)
1 stick melted butter
1 egg
combine, press into 13x9 pan (I used glass) and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until light golden brown

Filling:
3/4 cup dark corn syrup ( I only had light corn syrup so I used 1/2 of it and added 1/4 of molasses)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pour into browned crust; bake at 350 for another 22-25 minutes until filling is set. Cool completely (we ate them warm)

(We ate ours with a can of whipped cream)

staining

Mr. Huffman stained our master bath cabinets today. I'll get some pics tomorrow of the progress. Thanks so much David.

Father's Day shopping and joyful news

After doing some schooling this morning, we headed off to get gifts for Albert and my dad. We ran into our friend and neighbor, Denise and were so happy to hear her good news. Brittany is engaged!! I hadn't seen them in awhile so I had to find out the details. FYI, Brittany is an amazing young woman who loves the Lord. She is a missionary having traveled to many places worldwide proclaiming the Gospel. She met her fiance at the Honor Academy http://www.honoracademy.com/ while she attended there being trained for missions. He is now on staff with them and Brittany will be joining him in Lindale, TX, after the wedding. Praise the Lord for their courtship and faithfulness to Him and each other. They are to wed before Christmas. Brittany's brother, Marcus, will be attending the Honor Academy in August. Denise said something that I want to share. She said she wished everyone she knew experienced a Christ centered life and the blessedness of His goodness. Amen.
We got an Aussie Walk A Bout portable grill for Albert from Home Depot. Then we headed to the Army Surplus Store in Spring for a special gift. We also got Grandaddy a gift as well.

Book of the Month

Our church has the men reading "What Did you Expect?" by Paul Tripp. It is a marriage book that prepares the unwed for the realities of marriage and convicts the rest of us. I am not sure I will finish this book. Too much responsibility! No really, it is great showing how grace given by Christ is what we desperately need to love our spouse as ourselves.

ENT update

Ethan went to Dr. Newland's office today for follow up after having his ear tube removed. He passed the hearing test with flying colors. The doctor said both ears were perfect. Praise the Lord.

money well spent

Ethan has been saving his money for quite some time. He had asked Santa for a game gun at Christmas and since he didn't get one, he's been saving up. Just to let you know, Ethan is a very practical person. He is also a law abiding citizen. He reminds me constantly to use my signal. Anyway, I matter-of-factly told him that even if he did purchase the gun from Gander Mountain, we had no big game trips planned and the State of TX will not issue him a license to use it at age 7. Well, that did it. No more talk of moose hunting in Alaska. Now forward to yesterday. He, on a trip to Home Depot with his dad and brother, found his next purchase. He decided to spend his hard earned and saved money on a grinder. He plans to make guns out of our fallen trees and sell them. He was very happy to explain to me how it worked in detail. He has to be patient with me because he knows I am girl.