A Lovely Afternoon

This past Friday we had the pleasure of a visit with the Stowman ladies!  They came for lunch and an afternoon of visiting, handwork projects, and hot chocolate.  It was a refreshing time, with good conversations and fellowship!

A Winter Sunday

 Winter weather!

 Mr. and Mrs. T. sang before the sermon....

...with Mrs. C. playing the accompaniment. :) 

Indifferent

‎"History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that became indifferent to God, and died." 

~ Whittaker Chambers

John and Abbey's Wedding!

This past Saturday our family went to a wedding a little over 2 hours southeast of us.  It was a cold winter day, but thankfully the roads were clear.  It was a lovely wedding and I really appreciated the message the gentleman who did the wedding gave.  (He is on the far left in the picture below.)  

~ John and his 4 groomsmen. ~

~ Beautiful decorations. ~

~ The Vows ~

~ The bride's youngest brother.~

~ Mr and Mrs. John T.!! ~

~ John's dad inviting everyone to the reception. ~

~ Oh Yum! ~

~ With my friend Rachel!~

Amy's Birthday...

 ...was on Friday!! 
She picked out a new recipe for us to make called Pasta Pie.  (Although I think it looks a bit more like a cheese cake myself...)  Ana and I had fun making it together and it was delicious!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!!!!!

This was her 'cake' - bars witrh layers of cookie dough, Oreo cookies, and brownie batter all baked together!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edited to add a recipe! :)

Pasta Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart
1 pound rigatoni
1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes).  One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together.  When done, rinse in cold water and drain again.  Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat.  Set aside.

Cook ground beef, stirring occasionally until browned.  Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Cook 2 minutes more.  Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.  Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.

Place springform pan on a jelly roll pan in case of leaks and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden.  Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold. 

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

How Much Is A Homemaker Worth?

(I read this today and loved it!)

The life of a homemaker is one that includes an endless amount of demands and to-dos. Depending on the size of the home and family, the position of homemaker can go well beyond the usual nine to five. We examined some of the tasks that a homemaker might do to find out how much his or her services would net as individual professional careers. We only take into consideration tasks which have monetary values and use the lowest value for each calculation.

Private ChefMeal preparation is one of the major tasks of most homemakers. From breakfast to dinner, there is plenty of meal planning and cooking to be done. The American Personal Chef Association reports that its personal chefs make $200 to $500 a day. Grocery shopping is another chore that needs to be factored in. A homemaker must drive to the supermarket, purchase the food and deliver it to the home. Grocery delivery services charge a delivery fee of $5 to $10.

Total cost for services: $1,005 per five day work week x 52 weeks = $52,260 per year.

House CleanerA clean and tidy home is the foundation of an efficient household. Typical cleaning duties include vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing sinks as well as loading the dishwasher and making beds. Professional maids or house cleaning service providers will charge by the hour, number of rooms or square footage of the home. For example, bi-weekly cleaning of a 900-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment with five rooms, costs $59-$124 . A 1,300 square-foot, single-story home with seven rooms runs $79-$150 . A 2,200 two-story, three-bedroom home with nine rooms averages $104-$180 . Additional tasks such as oven or refrigerator cleaning and dusting mini blinds can run an extra $20-$25.

Total cost for services: $118 per week X 52 Weeks = $6,136 per year.

Child CareHomemakers provide full-time, live-in child care. This type of service from a professional provider would usually come with a host of perks including health insurance, paid vacation and sick days, federal holidays off, dental and vision coverage, and bonuses. The International Nanny Association's 2011 survey found that nannies make $600 to $950 per week in gross wages, on average.

Total cost for services: $600 a week plus perks/benefits x 52 Weeks = $31,200 per year.

DriverA private car service might seem like a high-end luxury to most, but the beneficiaries of a homemaker get this service on a daily basis. Companies like Red Cap, which provides personal drivers that use the client's own car as the means of transportation, offer a glimpse into the cost of this homemaker task. An elite membership which includes 365 days of unlimited, round-trip service is $1,000 a year plus 33 cents - $2.03 per minute.

Total cost for services: $1,000 per year + [(estimated miles driven 8000 miles / 50 MPH) x 60 min/hr x $0.33 per minute] = $4,168 total per year.

Laundry ServiceClean clothes come at a cost when you have to pay for the service that most homemakers do for free. Professional laundry services charge by the pound. For instance, Susie's Suds Home Laundry Service, Inc. in Texas charges 90 cents to $1.00 a pound to wash, dry, fold, hang and steam your clothes. Items that take longer to dry such as comforters, blankets, rugs and winter clothes are assessed at a price of $12-$15 each.

Total cost for services: $0.90 per pound x 4 pounds of clothes per day x 5 days per weeks x 52 weeks = $936 total per year.

Lawn MaintenanceBasic maintenance of the exterior property is a less common, but possible duty of a homemaker.This could include things such as mowing, debris removal, edging and trimming the lawn. These services cost about $30 a week on average.

Total cost for services: $30 per week x 52 weeks = $1,560 total per year.

The Bottom LineTotal for a year of all services is: $52,260 + $6,137 + $31,200 + $4,168 + $936 + $1,560 = $96,261 per year.

The daily work of a homemaker can sometimes be taken for granted by his or her family members. However, these services could earn a homemaker a considerable wage if he or she took those skills to the marketplace. Homemakers in general contribute a lot more to the home in addition to these tasks, and no amount of money can fill those needs. 

Source for article.

Glory to God, Peace to Man

A Savior Is Born! Glory to God, Peace to Man

We listened to this amazing sermon by John Piper yesterday.  It is one that is worth listening to any day of the year! (Click on the title above to go to the website where you can watch/listen to the sermon.) :)

"Continually cultivate a sense of amazement that in spite of all your sins God has forgiven you through Christ. Be amazed that you have peace with God. It’s this sense of amazement, that I, a sinner, have peace with God, that makes the heart tender, kind and forgiving."

~ John Piper

"All I Have Is Christ"

I love this song!

ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST

I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross

And I beheld God’s love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin

Merry Christmas!

Saturday was the W. family Christmas celebration at Uncle David's!

I enjoyed holding my cousin's youngest son, Teddy.

 Amy and Walter!

Kristen handing out the gifts.

All the great-grandchildren with Dad's mom. 

Getting them all in one picture, sitting relativly still, was quite a funny experience! :D 

Pillows!

I've been in a pillow making spree the past few days!  They are all made from scraps of home decorating fabric a friend gave me.  The deer head applique was an idea I saw on Pinterest.  I am planning on trying a moose silhouette next...and then maybe a horse...and then...who knows! :)



...Major Dick Winters...

Major Dick Winters
Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the death of Major Dick Winters. He was 92 years old. 

I first read his book Beyond Band of Brothers, in 2010, and it quickly became one of my favorites. I don't know if he was a Christian, but he was certainly a man of integrity, discipline, and moral character. Here is the review I did back then, after reading the book:

I recently finished reading a book by Major Dick Winters called Beyond Band of Brothers. He tells about his experience as a paratrooper in WWII as a part of Easy Company, later known as the "Band of Brothers". On D-Day he parachuted into France and assumed leadership of the Band of Brothers when their commander was killed. When other officers were inadequate or shell shocked, he stepped up and saved the company more than once, demonstrating superior leadership abilities and battle tactics. After leading the men of Easy Company to victory on D-day, behind enemy lines, he continued to do so throughout the war. He fought with them in Bastogne in the famous Battle of the Bulge, and all over Europe, including Austria and Germany, captured Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" and liberated a concentration camp.

Here are his principles for leaders:

Leadership at the Point of the Bayonet

Ten Principles for success

1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
2. Lead from the front. Say "Follow me!" and then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape - physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs. You can't do a good job if you don;t have a chance to use your imagination and your creativity.
6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don't wait until you get to the top of the ridge and them make up your mind.
7. Remain humble. Don't worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful leader is to earn respect - not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang Tough! - Never, ever, give up.

The Official Major Dick Winters Website