Easy & Useful Teacher Gift

Thanks to the Shanty 2 Chic sisters for this awesome gift idea. If you don't follow the Shanty gals, you should. They have great ideas and easy tutorials.

My sister was here earlier this week and we cranked out a few of these babies. This one is headed to Mrs. Farrell tomorrow since it's the last day before Christmas break.

What? Last day of school is tomorrow?!?!

Photoshoot on the Fly

Photos by: Carl Zoch Photography

The Journey to Foster Care & Adoption, Part II

The signs are everywhere. You know the signs that fall from heaven on a blinking marquee sign? Well, those were hitting us left and right. From friends and co-workers deciding to adopt to learning about a Mom looking for a home for her soon-to-come baby. They were everywhere and then one Sunday the ultimate sign came down and hit us between the eyes. It was an announcement in the bulletin that said “Interested in Fostering or Adopting? The Call is a Christian-based, non-profit that works as a third-party with DHS to unit children with a temporary or forever home….”

BAM! Got it, sign received and understood. I told Stephen later on that night if we didn’t act on what we had been thrown our way I was afraid the next sign was going to be lightening striking. And you know, lightening never strikes once.

Let me back up a little and give you some more background. After more than three years of trying to get pregnant on our own, we had turned to fertility treatments. Three doctors, multiple tests, and what seemed like pints of blood drawn, we started the first fertility treatment in September. I have to say those treatments rank right up there on the “Top 10 Things I Never Want to Experience Again” list. I’d rather have a root canal, thank you very much.

Side Note: I wonder if all of us girls where in a giant room and asked if we had problems getting pregnant, how many of us would raise our hand. [If you were one of those he-looked-at-me-and-I-got-pregnant ladies, stop right now and thank God for that blessing.] The more I talk with ladies, the more I find how common infertility is and how doctors dispense prescriptions for Clomid like Halloween candy.

I digress.

October rolls around and it’s time for another treatment. At this point, I’m started to wonder if this is really what we need to be doing. I convince myself that we are going to finish out these four treatments (they would end in December) and at the beginning of the year and then re-evaluate. We moved forward with the October treatment and soon after our marquee sign in the church bulletin arrives. We make plans to attend the informational meeting about The Call and wouldn’t you know it’s at the exact time we need to decide on starting the next treatment cycle.

Soon after I call the doctor and pull out of the treatments. A few weeks after the interest meeting at church, we make plans to attend the “official” informational meeting. That is the big meeting that you need to bring your writing hand and a comfy pen because you are about to spill your guts on paper and submit your paw prints for a federal background check. Stephen was on call that week and of course his phone had been ringing off the hook, but miraculously his phone didn’t ring one time while we were in the two-hour meeting.

As of today all of our background checks have been submitted and we completed the DHS consult yesterday afternoon. Once January gets here we will complete our 30-hours of required training. At that time we also have to complete all of our family profile and home evaluation paperwork. Oh, and complete a whole day of CPR/First Aid certifications.

Add us to your prayer list, this journey isn’t going to be easy in many ways, but I’m sure it will be rewarding.

The Journey to Foster Care & Adoption, Part I

James 1:27 “…look after the orphans and widows in their distress…”

Foster parenting has never been an option in my book, but that all changed about eight weeks ago when I met a 5th grader at the school book fair.

For some out-of-character reason I signed up to work at the book fair at Alex’s school. I tend to avoid anything school-related where more than 25 kids participate. What I didn’t know was God had a plan for my family that He was about to set into motion.

As I was working at the fair I met a beautiful 5th grader. She kept hanging around the pencils and erasers like she really wanted one but didn’t have any money. A red flag went up when she asked, “Does anybody ever steal this stuff?” We talk and bit and I told her that they are only 25-cents and the book fair was going to be open for another week so she had time to go home and talk with her mom about getting something. Her reply knocked me off my feet, “I live with my Grandma. She don’t got any money.” Then she started to tell me her story as she was looking through the book fair trinket table - Mom is gone, Grandma is very, very, sick, and she lives with her 4 siblings who range from 5th grade down to Kindergarten.

I ended my book fair shift and headed home for lunch. What just took place starts to bother me, I mean really bother me. Stephen is home for lunch and I tell him the story and he asks why I didn’t just buy her a pencil. That would have been smart, but there were 24 other kids around and I didn’t want to buy everyone a pencil.

Later that night through a series of “God” events I learn more about these kids – multiple fathers, mom is in jail on drug charges, Grandma can’t take care of the kids anymore and they are headed to foster care the next day. My heart slams to the ground. These kids are going to school tomorrow like they would on a normal Tuesday but they have no idea what is going to happen by the end of school.

I go home and tell Stephen what I had learned. We are both heartbroken for these kids. Their poor little world is about to change in a drastic way in a mere 24 hours. Stephen tells me to go to the school first thing in the morning and buy the kids whatever they want from the book fair. They are going to have a crappy day so if it takes $500 worth of books to bring some joy into their heart, so be it.

The next day I headed to the book fair to make a few kids happy, even if it’s just for a few hours. I start to explain to the librarian what I want to do and before I could get five words out I start crying. For those of you who know me well, I’m not a crier and I’m certainly not a public crier. At this point, I have everyone in the whole library crying with me.

Side Note: Can I just say that our school has the best librarian in the whole world? She had the idea to pull the kids out of their classes one by one to tell them they have won free books at the book fair. It wasn’t until later in the day the siblings all started talking and discovered they had all won books at the book fair. I was told that one of them said, “I can’t believe I won! I’ve always wanted to win something!” Thank you Ms. C for your creative brilliance!

Stephen comes home for lunch again and I tell him about my morning. I’m pretty numb at this point knowing that the kids are just hours away from a life-changing event. Our conversation was a quiet one, but it had significant impact. It sounded something like this with lots of long thoughtful pauses.

Me: I just can’t fathom how those kids are going to feel at the end of the day. Their entire world is going to change, more than likely they will be split up into multiple homes. Who would take on five extra children?

Stephen: Just pick them up and bring them all home, we’ll make it work.
(At this point I’m wondering who this person is. My husband does not say things like this. God, what is going on?!?)

Me: We can’t. I’ve already researched it. There is a mountain of paperwork, home studies, and all sorts of things you have to do in order to become a foster home. It can take up to a year.

Stephen: You know, I never understood why my aunt [who has fostered many children over the years] does what she does. I think I get it now.

Me: I always said I could never be a foster parent because it would kill me to have to send a child back into a bad situation. I wouldn’t be able to handle it, but you know…the more I think about it, that’s very selfish. I care more about me and my personal heartbreak than about offering care to a child [orphan] in need.

Innocently volunteering to work a book sale started our journey towards becoming foster/adoptive parents.

And what about those five children you ask? They are in good homes and still attending the same school. They were split into two groups, but I’m confident those caring for them will make sure they see and spend time with each other.

If you are in Arkansas and are considering foster care, I would encourage to visit www.thecallinarkansas.org to learn more.

Fall is in the Air

Every fall I remember my mom bringing out a small pot and throwing in some whole cloves and a few cinnamon sticks. She would let it simmer on the stove and it would fill the air with the smell of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's been getting colder so I thought it was time to bring out spices and let them simmer. This morning as I was eating a grapefruit I thought that the peel would be a nice addition to my spices, so I trimmed off some of the skin and threw it in. It smells amazing!

Grab some spices and let them simmer on your stove for a bit. Just don't leave it on overnight, that would be bad!

Decision Time

I've never been satisfied with my choice in master bedroom colors so I'm moving to the opposite side of the color wheel and going blue in this house. Here are my final four. Right now I'm leaning towards the first and third and thinking of using the fourth in the master bath.

What do you think?

Before & After

Blogger and I aren't getting along today for whatever reason and I can't arrange my photos. Grrr! So this is an After & Before rather than a Before & After.

Grass Cloth, Behr Satin Paint (Love, love, love this paint. I'm a Benjamin Moore paint snob, but I'm switching teams, I'm a Behr paint snob now!)

Flat paint should be banned from all paint shops. It's cheap and HORRIBLE. Our builder used flat paint throughout the house and as a result half of my house needs to be repainted from all of the nicks and chips make from moving and just living with boys.

If this has to be in the bedroom, it has to be pretty. Guess what this really is?

Before.

Laundry Soap Part II

Today I tackled making homemade laundry soap before 9 a.m. What in the world is going on with me today? I never tackle anything before 10 a.m. it seems. Anyway, back to the soap. I exercised caution this time and did not follow the full Duggar family recipe (makes 600+ loads). If you want to try to make your own soap (safe for HE* washers), visit my blog from last October, the half of a half recipe is towards the bottom of the post.

A Few Notes from Part II:

• Fels-Naptha is no where to be found in this part of the country I now live in so I used an unscented Ivory bar of soap.
• I grated my bar of soap on the microplane part of my grater and it melted a lot quicker this time.
  
• Don't forget to use WASHING soda, it's different from baking soda.

I've also heard people using a homemade powder mix, but I'm a liquid laundry soap type of gal. Are you a powder or liquid laundry soap lover?

*HE washer? This soap works perfectly in HE machines because it doesn't get near as sudsy as regular detergent. I use it in my HE and haven't had a problem yet.

Gun Case or Furniture?

My husband as an ugly gun case. Okay, to a girl it's ugly but to a rugged man it represents your ability (or attempt) to hunt food for your family. When we moved the beloved gun case had no where to call home because it was a half-inch too tall to tuck into a closet. Then I found this blog. *Ding* The ideas started to flow!

The transformation has begun. I took off the door and hinges and took it to the glass shop to have the frosted glass deer removed and replaced with a mirror. I first thought about cork board but then realized that this was going to have to stay in my bedroom. Then I realized that I could have a mirror put in so it would serve a functional purpose as a full-length mirror. Genius.

The next step is to have the hubby help me drag that sucker into the garage for a little sanding, priming and painting. I'll keep you posted on how it comes together and hopefully remember to take pictures along the way.

I forgot what having ideas was like

I know that I've been out-of-touch with life for the past few months with moving. We are down to unpacking office and computer part boxes which can't be done until tomorrow when our built-in desk is installed. (Pictures of that to come!) Now that things seem to have a little more order and control, it's project time!

The master in our last house was always lacking. I never felt like anything went brilliantly together. I might have shuffled through about 3-5 comforter sets after painting to try and make it all work, but it wasn't fabulous. We sold our bedroom furniture before we moved which exiled us to sleeping on our mattress on the floor. When we moved into the new house we did splurge by buying a $35 bed frame. However, we are still sporting some not-so-fabulous 18-gallon plastic tubs as our bedside tables. Project Time!

Through my endless days of nothing (insert laugh here), I've stumbled across some blogs of some crafty gals. Friends, I'm now happy to announce that my creative mo-jo is working again. I've got plans, paint swatches, and sketches. Time to get the Hubs' approval on a design concept and move forward...right after I stain the deck and seal the fence. Wait, what?!?!?

Current Plans Include: painting, trimming an accent wall, curtains, dimmers on lighting, re-purposing Hubs' gun cabinet, and making a fabric covered headboard (you know...the ones you can buy for $1,000 but make for $200).

I'll let you know how things go and how many splinters I acquire with the deck-sealing project!

Lume' from Aldi

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but I've been a little busy. First with packing boxes and now unpacking boxes. In the middle of the move my shampoo ran out. I limped along using Hubby's Head& Shoulders (knees and toes) shampoo because I refused to buy another bulky bottle of Biolage only to pack it and move it.

Last week when I was trying to restock my kitchen with pantry essentials, I ran across Lume' at ALDI. The bottle said that it was comparable to *gasp* Biolage. I wasn't sure if I should risk it until I realized this is ALDI, land of "if you don't like it, you get your money back AND a replacement product of the same value." For a total investment of $2.99 I should just try it. That's less than 10% of the cost of one large bottle of Biolage shampoo. I also splurged and bought the conditioner for $2.99.

I love it. If it ain't Biolage in a different bottle, I don't know what is. I'm in love. Sorry, Biolage, I will, from this point forward, stick to ALDI's Lume'.

If you are running low on shampoo or just want to treat yourself, give Lume' a try. I think you just might like it. (If not, just take it back for a refund and a replacement product of equal or lesser value.)

Furniture for Sale

Our new house will not hold our King Size Sleigh Bedroom Suite. If you are interested, give me a shout! **Sorry, king mattress not included.**

Moving Forward, Literally

We found out today that we are indeed, moving. If you have packing and moving tips, send them my way. I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

My House is Ready for a Date

I feel like I'm getting my house ready for a date. I've spent a lot of time with a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels polishing and shining up my house so a complete stranger can come over and determine its worth. Reminds me of dating. Lots of time went into hair, make-up, and duh...the perfect outfit. So the bottom line, you get ready and then you wait trying to be casually calm about the whole thing.

So what am I doing in my sparkling house? Being casually calm and pondering another application of deodorant. Did I mention the guy is 20 minutes late? Geez, Louise.

Reckless Abandonment

My husband was sent a link to a blog yesterday from a coworker. He read it last night and something hit home. I read it today. It's still sinking in.

Take 30 minutes and read a few of the posts. This girl recklessly abandoned her nice, comfortable life to live in Uganda. Today she is a single mom with 14 adopted girls who are nothing short of beautiful.

Does Christ still call us to reckless abandonment? How do we respond? What does that look like?

How you nab (or keep) a man

• Marinaded T-Bones on a bed of spinach with balsamic vinaigrette
• Roasted asparagus
• Crustini
• Au Gratin Potatoes

Happy Valentines Day!

Duncan Hines to the Rescue

My poor husband. Everytime he tries to get me something nice for my birthday it always seems to get ruined. A couple of years ago my inlaws had to stay with us for 16 days (not that I was counting) and as a "thank you" they bought us the Kitchen Aid food processor I was dying to have. Guess who had bought me one the day before and had tucked it away for a birthday surprise? Bless his heart, he was so frustrated when his parents brought one over!

This year he ordered my favorite strawberry cake from the Wooden Spoon, a local Mennonite cafe, for my "Larsen family" party this weekend. In case you live under a rock, this is what the midwest is dealing with.

You can't tell, but there is a layer of ice, sleet, and now several inches of snow. The Wooden Spoon is in another small town, about 5-8 miles away. I was informed by my husband last night that I would have to pick up my cake because the weather being as it was, he wasn't sure if he would make it to the Wooden Spoon before they closed. I guess he forgot who he was married to, because this chick is not about ready to drive on hilly, ice and snow packed roads for a strawberry cake. Long story short, the strawberry cake is a no-go, so it's Ducan Hines to the rescue!
Yellow cake with homemade dark chocolate buttercream frosting. Yuh-UM. It's the next best to strawberry cake in my book. Hopefully the roads will clear so we can share the cake with family. If not, I'm sure I can take care of it alone!

Here are some more pics of the winter wonderland outside our windows.

Van Dyne Sourdough Bread

As long as I can remember, my mom, grandma, aunt, and countless Van Dyne cousins have been whipping up this sourdough bread. I think it's on to the third and fourth generations by now. Yes, the starter is technically that old, but technically it's not. I've shared the starter with a few friends, but it seems to be gaining in popularity. This sourdough is a day and a half job, so check the schedule before you start! Also, DO NOT use a stainless steel bowl or spoons when making this. It kills the yeast and your bread will be icky. I use a ceramic bowl that I bought at Walmart and my trusty Pampered Chef bamboo spoon.

Van Dyne Sourdough Bread

Night Before:
Starter (if you want some just ask)
2 c. water
1/4 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. bread flour (yes, has to be bread flour)

Add the above ingredients to the starter. The batter will be kinda lumpy, but don't worry about it. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and go to bed.

Next Morning:
Your mixture should have lots of little holes/bubbles and "grown" overnight. It will look kinda like this.
Take out 1 1/2 c. of starter and put into a glass jar (about 1/3 of the way for a quart sized jar) and add 1/4 c. sugar, mix well. (Also, don't screw the lid super tight otherwise you will have starter crawling out of it...been there, done that!)

To the remaining starter add:
1 c. water
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg beaten
2 TBS butter
1 TBS salt
5-7 c. of bread flour (humidity outside and inside your house will dictate how much)

When the dough starts to come together put dough on a floured surface and knead. You'll want the dough to be slightly tacky to the touch. Scrape out the bowl you used to mix dough. Spread Crisco or butter in the bowl with a brush, or your fingers, that's what I do. When your dough is kneaded, place dough in bowl then pull out again, turn it over so the butter side is now facing up and place back in the bowl (this helps that icky crusty stuff not to form while it's rising...a little trick from my mommy).


Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place in a "warm" spot in your kitchen. On top of your dryer is perfect, especially if it's laundry day.

Let rise until double in size. About 3-4 hours...again depends on the temp and humidity.
When doubled in volume, punch down (my favorite part). You can also let it go overnight on accident like my friend Kristen. Not to worry, she said that it still seemed to turn out okay.

Then form dough into loaves (you'll have enough for 2 large ones) and place in greased bread pans. Let rise again until double...another 2-3 hours.

Bake at 375* for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350* for another 10-15 minutes until the top is a nice, deep golden brown. Depending in your oven, you may have to adjust the temp and time.

When you pull the bread out of the oven, immediately use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen ( if you greased the pan well, you might be able to skip this part). Flip bread out of the pan and brush the top with butter.

Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before you tear into it. Or, if you have the patience of my Hubbs, wait 5 minutes and destroy.

Today's bread is still rising so I'll have to post a "Ta-Da!" pic later this evening. Give me a shout if you want to try this and I'll make a batch of starter for you. No, I can't deliver past NW Arkansas.

Ta-Da!

This is what happens when you don't Crisco your pan properly. Oops...

I *heart* Hunter Douglas

I keep finding these little tab clippies all over my house. I finally discovered they were from our Hunter Douglas blinds we have in our house. This tiny clip is the the tab that covers the bottom of the blinds where all of the strings are threaded. Apparently we have not been gentle when lowering our blinds and the little tabs are breaking off.

Today I decided to check on the blinds to see if they might be recalled because of these little tabs breaking off. Judging from the size of these clips, I'm seeing a chocking hazard for small children. I find the Hunter Douglas number and give them a call thinking that I'm going to deal with some cubical enslaved, ex-telemarketer with an attitude. It never fails that I get this person when I call customer service numbers. Can I get an Amen? To my surprise, my call was answered by a HUMAN on the second ring. Are you kidding me? I explain my problem and the lady says "Sure, I can send you some replacements. How many do you need?" At this point, I figure it's gonna cost me $10 for 10 new tabs. Wrong! They are sending me replacement tabs for free! Fantastically fabulous.

I have to say that my love for Hunter Douglas blinds is rooted in the fact that my 5-year-old blinds look fabulous and haven't cracked or faded (just like they assured me in the sales pitch). It was a hefty investment, but totally worth it. Now that they are sending me replacement parts for free, my love and commitment for Hunter Douglas has been renewed.

If or when I need blinds again, I will not hesitate to buy Hunter Douglas.

You have 15 minutes, GO!

I have been reading up on Flylady.net look for guidance on getting my house under control and establishing a routine. Last week went really well. I was so proud of myself. This week...I'm not feeling lucky so far! Kiddos are out of school today for Martin Luther King Day so my Monday routine is off. Now that all of my miscellaneous running around done, it's time for the 15 minute challenge!

So, here's how it works. Set a timer for 15 minutes and tackle one room/project around your house. When your 15 minutes is up, walk away. (Or set the timer for another 15 minutes.) You will simply be amazed at what you can get done in 15 minute increments of time.

Off to start the timer and tackle the "weekend" left behind in my kitchen.

Old School

Kindergarten, 1986

First Grade. I was rocking some serious style.

And many years later, I would marry this stud.


Thankfully, by 2005 we looked pretty darn good.


Add about 35 lbs to each person and that's kinda what we look like today.

It Was Easier When...

...my child was this age. Wasn't he a cute little punk? I had to wipe his nose and bottom, start Thomas the Tank Engine movies, give him a bath, BUT there was nap time in the afternoon! Almost enough time to get a few things done (alone I might add) and regain the composure that I lost earlier. Gone are those days. I'm reminded how much I miss those days when we're on what seems like day 52 of "Christmas" break. Do they really need to cancel school because of snow, ice, and negative temperatures?