Category Archives: family

January 13, 2020 · 9:23 pm

“The Batman’s Birthday!

25 yers ago, we began our adoption journey with “The Batman.” He was age 2 when he came to us, and time has gone so very quickly! Today, he is 27 years old! This past Saturday, he and I went for our traditional birthday lunch, just the two of us. He asked for Buffalo Wild Wings this time.

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I didn’t get a picture of our lunch, but here’s dessert!

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As you can see, his wishes for gifts have not changed through the years.

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As always, Red Robin is “The Batman’s” choice for his birthday dinner out with the family.

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And, another birthday done!

As always, I would just love it if you would join me in all of “My Journeys Through Life.” Just go to the subscription box at the top of the blog and enter your email information. After that, you will always know when there is something new happening. I hope to see you here very soon! -)

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Filed under Birthdays, family

October 1, 2019 · 10:45 am

Life Schooling

What is “Life Schooling” you ask? Well, it is working “school” around life, instead of the other way around. It is using life as a series of learning opportunities. And, in our case, it is taking time to minister to others, even if doing so happens during conventional school hours.

Today, all 3 boys are at a fellow church member’s home, helping to clear some land so they can put up a large dog pen, and then helping put it together.

Sometimes, it’s helping set up for a big occasion at church, and sometimes, it’s going out on a weekday with the Youth Pastor to visit others.

Sometimes, it’s doing odd jobs for pay, and learning to tithe off their income.

It has been going with me to help carry a meal from the car to someone I’ve cooked for, or just out to help me at the grocery store!

School doesn’t have to be just sitting at a table doing bookwork and paperwork. In fact, that is the smallest part of school for us! We learned a long time ago that while “school in a box” works for many people and their kids thrive on it, our kids do not, so we gradually changed to what works in our family.

If you’ve thought about homeschooling and been afraid you couldn’t, just know there are many ways to homeschool. The only “wrong way” to do it is the way that doesn’t work for YOUR kids and YOUR family. And, there’s nothing wrong with learning alongside your kids, either, I often find myself learning things I was never taught before!

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Filed under family, home education, homeschooling, Life-schooling

Tagged as family, homeschooling, Life-schooling, Relaxed Homeschooling

September 13, 2019 · 3:44 pm

Yummy Freezer Meals!

Today, “The Artist” and I put together 11 meals for the freezer!

“The Artist” is making the Baked Apricot Meatballs, while I make the sauce to put on them.

Here, we have the really good smelling topping to add into the Baked Cinnamon-Apple Pork Chops. I wish you could smell this, instead of just seeing it, because it just smells so yummy, and I’m sure it’s going to smell even better baking in the oven!

This is all 10 of the meals from the recipes above, 2 of each, plus a package made using the extra pork chops and Vidalia Vinaigrette, so a total of 11 meals.

And finally, 11 new supper main dishes in the freezer to add to whatever meals were left from the last time we did this!

We have a membership with My Freeze Easy, and every few weeks I just go in and create my own menu plan, but you don’t have to. Each monty there are 12 new menus to choose from. Each recipe will make 2 meals for the freezer, and we chose to use 5 recipes this time. I also set my meal portions per meal at 8 so there will be leftovers, often enough for a second supper the next day! If you click the link earlier in this paragraph (affiliate) You’ll find the join page, and also a “try it free!” click at the top. We have been using and loving this for almost 3 years now, and my crew loves it! We get so much more variety now, and I never have to worry about having something already prepped to just thaw and bake, slow cook, Instant Pot, or skillet! Another reason I started doing this is that I’m part of the “Care Bear” ministry in our church (Mesa Baptist Church). I never have to say no anymore, because there are always good meals in my freezer, which enables me to do a meal for someone in need wil very little notice. I like that!

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Filed under family, food, Freezer Meals, Freezer Prepping

Tagged as food, Freezer Meals, Freezer Prepping, Menu Planning

June 20, 2019 · 2:54 pm

Recovering From Oral Surgery . . .

“The Puzzler” was sleeping off the anesthesia after having all 4 of his wisdom teeth out yesterday . . .

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Filed under family, Kids

June 14, 2019 · 2:10 pm

What’s cooking at Our House!

Since, it’s been a bit since I wrote about our freezer menu plans, so I thought we’d do that today! Tuesday, “The Artist” & “The Puzzler” helped a LOT! We chose seven recipes this time, because we just couldn’t cut it down to five as we liked the sound of all these meals!

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We did our shopping on Monday, then worked on 5 of the recipes Thursday. We had to do the 2 burger recipes yesterday because an ingredient which was to be kept in the refridgerator got put in the pantry and I had to go shopping to repace it, so we ran out of time.

Here are just 3 of the meals, getting prepped to go in the freezer! We have:

Crispy Chedder Chicken Bake

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Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches & Red Onions

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And Bacon Wrapped Chicken

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Unfortunately, the pictures I took of the other meals being prepped didn’t come out, but boy, do they look good!

Here are the finished meals (14 of them!), ready for the freezer!

You can do this too, it’s so easy! We use My Freeze Easy, a wonderful website where you can use their pre-set menus each month, swap out recipes, or even create your own menu. This is my affiliate link. At the top of the page, there is a click to try a free menu.

This is bar none, the best money I’ve ever spent for our food budget!