In case you were wondering, we made it to California…and of course we’re having a great time here with our family.

Can I just say this?

CALIFORNIA IS A LOT WARMER THAN NEBRASKA!!!

Yes, it’s true.

It’s in the 40’s and 50’s here and since we’re used to 10 degrees and far below that right now…we’re LOVING this weather!! 

A few things about our trip out here…

• We did drive through a little snow, but it was MUCH better than we were fearing.
• When we drove through the mountains…the pressure in the van increased so much that a bag of chips exploded.  It scared us all silly.
• Driving through the mountains is SO pretty.
• At one point in our trip Malachi wanted to know, “Are we going to be in the van FOREVER?”  Yes, it did feel that way.  We ended up making it in about 24 hours though like we had planned.
• I can’t remember what day it is.

Okay, I’m going back to continue my vacation.  :)  You know I can’t stay away from blogging entirely while I’m taking time off! 

Remember that there will be no Gratituesday this week, but we’ll pick back up next Tuesday with How God Was Great in 2008! 

And now…back to the regular scheduled program of the Learn About Laura series. 

Just a few hours before take off…I THINK I have everything under control.  We’ll see.

Before I go, I want to tell you a few things.

First…I’ll be sort of taking a blogging break while I’m on “vacation”.  However, I enjoy being in touch with you too much to stay away entirely.  I’ve pre-written several posts and time stamped them.  Plus, Matt’s sister has internet and I’ll probably pop on now and then and check in.  Most of the posts I’ve pre-written are the kind that help you get to know me a bit better.  I’ve started writing an autobiography of sorts (emphasis on the “of sorts” part).   Stay tuned if you want to hear all about my shoe size in the eighth grade and other exciting stories from my past. 

Second…I’ve been making a few Christmas time menu planners for you and am finally getting around to tell you about it.  You can find them here…go help yourself!

Third…Malachi (my baby) is turning 4 on Saturday while we’re on our trip.  I’ve been in denial about the fact that my baby could possibly be four…and I apologize in advance that I will probably whine about this to you everytime his birthday rolls around for the next 63 years.  It’s just that how could my baby possibly be foooouuur?  Anyway…the latest cutest thing he’s been doing is that ever since he learned to say the “th” sound (instead of telling people that he’s “free years old”) he’s overdoing it by putting the “th” sound on words that really do need the “f” sound.  Like…he’ll tell me that it’s “threezing outside” and that he loves his “thriends”.  So, I guess he’ll also be turning “thour” on Saturday. 

Thourth, I mean Fourth…Since I’m leaving and trying to do all kinds of things to prepare for the trip, I’m disappointed that I’m unable to keep participating in Amy’s Bloggy Progressive Dinner…but if you’re able to…go check it out and take part in it.  AND…if you go over to Amy’s blog and check out this post…you just might win a free Heavenly Homemakers EBOOK!!!  Ooh, I love giveaways!!

Last…THANK YOU for being a part of my life and blogging community.  I pray that you and your families have a wonderful Christmas together full of all the wonderful things Christmas time brings.

Here it is! 

I think this is the sweetest picture of Austin 
showing his quilt to his mommy and daddy. 

Okay, I didn’t give the three year old a pokey needle. 
I handed him markers instead. 

Christmas presents are well on their way!!
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More Wordless Wednesday here.

My mom loved making quilts.  She would spend hours piecing together tiny bits of fabric to hand sew beautiful, beautiful quilts. 

She made one for us when we got married and it is my most treasured wedding gift.  Each time when she found out I was expecting another baby (or that my sister-in-law was expecting) she would start planning and cutting and piecing and sewing so that when the baby was born, a quilt would be ready.

Asa, Justus and Elias…as well my brother’s oldest kids, all have special quilts from Grammy.  (As a matter of fact, they each carried them as we walked into her funeral because they are such a precious part of who she was.)

In the final months before my mom died, she continued to get weaker and weaker…and I remember laying on my bed one day crying out to God.  I asked him to help me to feel joy again.  I had been feeling so sad for so many months as I watched my mom die…and I didn’t know how I could feel happy again.  How any of us could feel happy again.

It was just a few short weeks later that we found out that we were expecting (Malachi).  The news of our pregnancy gave our whole family something exciting and fun to look forward to and talk about.  The joy of this news was a refreshing relief and joy in the midst of sorrow and pain.

I remember how my mom looked when I told her.  We were both smiling at each other…and then we suddenly started to cry at the same time…both of us knowing that she wouldn’t live to meet this little one. 

Three months later, she died.

About two months after Malachi was born…I received a box in the mail from Pat, a neighbor and friend of my mom’s.  Inside the box was a quilt…with embroidered squares that I remembered watching my mom stitch years ago.  The quilt was complete and beautiful.  I sobbed as I looked at each beautiful stitch.  I had not been expecting to receive this gift.

Pat had enclosed a note letting me know that after my mom had found out that I was going to have this baby, she had directed her to go down to her craft room and get the quilt she had started years earlier.  She asked Pat to please finish it for her and give it to me after the baby was born.  She also told Pat to be sure to tell me to USE the quilt…and that it was alright for the baby to spit up on it!  (My mom never lost her sense of humor!!)

What a priceless gift that quilt is.  All of her quilts are.

Last weekend when I was in Kansas going through my mom’s craft room…I looked through pieces and pieces of fabric she had bought to make more quilts before she got sick.  I brought most of the fabric home with me.  I’m not much into quilting…but someday, I’d like to make each of my boys another quilt from Grammy.

And…for Christmas this year, I’m going to make my nephew, Austin, a quilt from Grammy’s fabric.  It won’t be nearly as fancy as one she would have made.  I’ll only tie it and bind it, instead of piecing it and spending hours hand quilting it.

But it will be special and it will still be made with love.

And it might be stained with tears.

We are friends with a blind man who told us once that driving through Kansas was the most boring trip he’d ever been on because there was nothing to see.  Mmmhmm.  Think about that one for a minute.

And now I’m here to prove to you that our trip to Kansas was not at all boring and there was plenty to see.

We left home Thursday night…sold concessions at an my dad’s auction (did I ever tell you that my dad is an auctioneer?) all day Friday…went to my nephew’s fifth birthday party Friday night…and spent all day Saturday going through stuff in my dad’s basement.  (May I never have so much stuff in my house for my kids to have to clean out.) (Dad + Auctioneer = SO MUCH STUFF)

Okay, that was the brief overview.  Now allow me to tell you some of the highlights of our trip.

1.  While we were driving there Thursday night, all the boys were sleeping…so Matt and I were engrossed in an uninterrupted conversation (remember what those are?).  So engrossed were we in the conversation…that we were thirty miles past our turn off before we realized that we were thirty miles past our turn off.  Good grief.

2.  At the auction Friday I met many nice farmers who are regulars at my dad’s auctions.  One particularly friendly fella stood visiting with me while I served up some sloppy joes and the conversation was enjoyable.  Then he suddenly said, “Did you see that nice port-a-potty out here?  That’s my son’s.  He takes it around to auctions and other events.” 

 <awkward pause> <say something Laura!> <longer awkward pause> <respond! say something nice about the traveling toilet!> <okay, but there are people waiting for their food and I can’t think of anything to say about the nice potty on wheels that wouldn’t cause a loss of appetite>

So I finally say, “Well…now…that’s not something everyone can brag about.”  <good one, Laura> 

And he says, “People say they’ve never been in a port-a-potty that smells as good as this one does.”  <blink, blink…smile…> <say something!> 

“Well, it was very impressive when I took my son earlier.”  <can I get anyone a brownie?> 

And the man nods, smiles proudly and walks away.

Well…what would you have said?  Did I mention there was a loud generator running just outside and I had to yell everything I said?  Okay, moving on…

3.  At the birthday party Friday night, I was happily holding my little baby nephew Austin (who is already almost 3 months old!) so that his mommy could serve cake and ice cream.  I was holding him with my left arm when I was handed my plate of cake, which I took with my right hand.  It’s tough to eat cake without any hands…so my friend suggested I set it on the cooler that was behind me and then sit on the chair so that I could eat it.  I didn’t really listen very well to those instructions…so I sat my cake on the chair (duh) and sat myself down on the cooler.  That would have been a fabulous plan, except that THE COOLER WAS ON WHEELS.  I ended up right on my booty on the floor within about a half a second….still holding my nephew….who (thankfully) was not effected by the fall.  Talk about feeling like an idiot.  Like I needed anything else for my brother to tease me about. 

<everyone is looking at me> <stop looking at me…I feel ridiculous!> <quick, divert the attention off of yourself and the fact that you are flat on the floor with a cooler flying off behind you and a baby in one arm > <Hey, have you all heard about the cleanest port-a-potty around?> <ah well, at least this is good blogging material>

And no…except for my pride, I wasn’t hurt.

I dare say, there is nothing boring about this trip to Kansas.

I mentioned a few days ago that this week we have friends visiting from Colorado.  Our friends David and Deb are here with their daughter Taleen.  David has business in Omaha this week (about an hour and a half away from us), so they all decided to come!

Every time they come for a visit, they spoil us rotten.  They are very generous and enjoy sharing what they have with others.

The boys now have new socks and jammies and matching sweats.  And Matt is now all set for winter with a new work coat and boots and gloves and wool socks.  Wow.

AND!!!  Deb took me to Maurices and made me try on tons of outfits.  I feel like I now have the CUTEST wardrobe.  W.O.W.  What a huge and generous treat.  I’m talking shoes and accessories too, not to mention a pair of new jeans and some tops.  Wow.  (I’m gonna have to keep saying WOW.  Sorry, I can’t help it.)  Wow.

Right now, we are in Omaha with them on a little mini vacation.  (Except for Matt, who had to stay behind and, you know, work.)  :(  We’re staying one night with them in a really nice hotel and planning to go to the Air and Space Museum.  (I love it when vacation and school happen at the same time.)

Always when we’re with these friends and they are asking things like… “What do the boys need?  How’s everyone doing on shoes?  When’s the last time you went out to eat and where would you like to go?  What does Matt need for work?”… I’m always so overwhelmed with their kind generosity.  It’s amazing. 

So here are my thoughts.

We’ll never in a million years be able to repay them for what they’ve done for us.  But they don’t care.  And, they don’t want us to.  They don’t need us to. 

And while we may never be able to take someone on a shopping spree or go out and buy new shoes for another entire family or take someone on a mini vacation…we can give to others in different ways.  In the ways God has blessed us to be able to give. 

We all have different gifts and abilities to serve and share with others.  Mine just happens to be in the area of food.  And hospitality.  That’s something I have to offer to others.  I can do that.

And that is how I can repay my friends who are being so generous with us.  By serving others.

What are the gifts God has given you and how are you using them?  Don’t be shy about sharing with us.  Sharing about your gifts isn’t showing pride…it’s a praise to God!  You’re only good at what you’re good at because GOD made you good at it!!

Prerequisite information:  Two weeks ago there was a “Soccer Shoot Out” sponsored by the Elks Club in town out at our soccer complex after our regular soccer games.  (Yes, I think it was held on my bad hair day.)  Whoever wins first place gets to go to the State Soccer Shoot out in Hastings (about an hour away).  On October 4. 
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All this week, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed.  Too many apples, too many dishes, too many soccer games, too many field trips, too many other events coming up that I have to get ready for.  Oh yes and there’s also that homeschooling thing we do where Mommy opens books and teaches the kids stuff out of them. 

I LOVE everything I’m doing and every apple and every event I’m preparing for.  I’m just a bit overwhelmed at the moment.  It’ll all be better soon.  There won’t always be apple trees exploding all over my kitchen.

On Wednesday, all of the things I needed to do were really piling up…and I was feeling the irony of how I had posted about Doing the Funky Kitchen  when all over my countertops were apples, and dirty dishes, and a stinkin’ pile of mail.  So then besides being overwhelmed…I had guilt, because I was writing about one something and not doing it myself. 

And then I looked at the garden and saw that I really should go out and pick tomatoes because it looked like quite a few more were ready to be picked and made into sauce. 

Not only was I overwhelmed with the tasks of the day, but I started looking ahead toward the end of the week.  We had a field trip to the pumpkin patch Friday, Matt was going to be out of town Saturday for college soccer, Sunday we’re all going out of town and I have all kinds of things to do to get ready for that…  At one point in the day, I thought to myself, “I am SO glad none of the boys qualified for the State Soccer Shoot Out on Saturday”. 

It was precisely 6:17 pm on Wednesday evening when I was trying to wade through the dishes on my countertops and throw something edible on the table before leaving for Bible class that there was a knock on the door.

I recognized the Elks man before I even made it to the door.  He was holding a brand new soccer ball and a plaque and a letter.  And I told myself, “Now, don’t cry.  This is a good thing.  Be happy.”

So I smiled and stepped over a bunch of marbles and greeted the man at the door.  And he apologizes for the late notice…but “Congratulations, Asa has won first place and qualifies to go to Hastings for the State Soccer Shoot Out on Saturday.” I kept smiling and being a proud Mama until the guy left.

Then I went out to the garden where Matt, bless his very sweet heart, was picking tomatoes for me.  And I started to cry and tell him how proud I was of Asa for winning the soccer shoot out, but now I have to go to Hastings on Saturday (sniff) and I don’t have time to go to Hastings on Saturday (sob) and I have so much to do and now I’ll need to make tomato sauce… 

Matt just kept kindly picking tomatoes for me and smiling encouragingly and letting me verbally feel sorry for myself and cry for a while.  Because he knew that’s all I needed and that after a good night’s sleep I’d be okay.

And I was.  Okay.  Just fine in fact.  It’s amazing what a good nights sleep will do for all of your apple and tomato (etc.) anxiety.

So today I’m in Hastings watching Asa compete in the Soccer Shoot Out.  But now I truly am excited and THAT truly is why there are tears in my eyes today.  Oh my word, I’m so proud of that kid.  He’s so awesome. What a great day to spend with my son.

Ever get so overwhelmed with everything you have to do, that all you can do is…cry? (Oh, I could cry just thinking about it.)

I recently received these questions about our Shaved Ice Business from Julie…

Does someone work for you?   What are the hours?  Since you use all natural real foods, what kind of flavorings do you use for your business?  What does your establishment look like?  How much does a shaved ice cost?  ….the list goes on and on…  I’d love it if you’d do a blog sometime (with pictures included) that tells about your business now that it’s up and running. 

Here are my answers (finally):

1.  Yes, we’ve hired three different teenagers to work for us so that Matt can continue to work his regular job.  Also, Asa works there sometimes and does a great job.

2.  At the beginning of the summer our hours were 11 am to 9 pm every day except Sunday.  (Oh, and except for Wed, when we’d close down early for church…and Thurs when we’d close down early to take the shaved ice machine to the Farmer’s Market.)    Now that school has started, we’re only open after school from 3:30-6pm.

3.  We have both 100% fruit juice for our shaved ice flavors and also sugar filled, dye your tongue a weird color flavors too.  We’ve been so glad to be able to offer our customers a healthier option if they want it.  Our 100% juice choices are:  orange, pineapple, grape, cranberry and apple raspberry.  Other choices are strawberry, cherry, lime, blue raspberry, pink lemonade, and bahama mama.  (I probably forgot a few in there somewhere.)  Many people like to have a combination of flavors.  (My favorite is the pineapple/orange mixed.  Or the cranberry/grape mix…can’t decide!)

4.  We purchased a concession trailer and re-did the sinks to make everything up to code.  (Of course I mean that Matt re-did the sinks….I just washed the new sinks afterward.)  Our set up is nothing fancy, but it works just fine.

5.  We sell a small shaved ice for $1.50 and a large for $2.50. 

Overall we’ve been pretty pleased with our new little business venture this summer.  We haven’t had as much business as we were expecting/hoping for…but remember all that road construction I talked about?  That kinda messed us up a bit.   But, it’s been a great experience and we’ve learned a TON about food service. 

Now, everyone come on over and have a shaved ice!

All day yesterday I was singing the song in my head, “It’s the most wonderful time…of the year…”  (And now you’ll be singing it too…sorry.)

But it just really is one of the most wonderful times of the year, when so many yummy fruits and veggies are ready for harvest.  We LOVE it!!

One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to take a trip to “Ms. Madge’s house” where we get to pick apples and pears.  She always thanks us for taking so many apples and pears off of her hands.  Um, you’re welcome.  Oh, how I love being able to “serve” others this way… 

Asa picking apples…

Elias picking apples…

Unknown boy picking apples… (Just kidding, it’s Justus)

Malachi helping Ms. Madge pick pears

There are two more boxes just like this one!  Woohoo!

Then we came home and picked peaches off of our own tree!

And tomatoes and peppers out of our garden…

Looks like it’s time for some salsa!!

And…based on all the pictures you’ve seen here…it looks like you’ll be seeing some upcoming posts on how to can applesauce, peaches, pears and tomato sauce!!  Guess I’d better get busy in the kitchen!

Wanna come over and help?!