Strength - He Will Carry You Through

God knows you by name and has your best interest at heart.

He will be with you and will carry you when you can't find the strength to stand on your own.

Just wanted you to know that during this difficult time you are loved, prayed for, and never, ever alone.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Romans 15:13

Autism Society of Nebraska

Coming up in May is the  3rd Annual North Platte Autism Puzzle Walk.  I have a niece who has a team, Team Kostman.  She asked me to see if anyone else would like to either join the team or donate money for the cause.  I know I am planning on joining the team and will be walking with my kids and niece.  If anyone wants to donate you can go here.  Hope to have your support!

 Apple Jack Cookies....

We made these cookies today for school.  We are working my measuring cups and spoons.  The kids loved them and even Anna, which is amazing because she doesn't like many sweet things. 


Ingredients:
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter
1 egg
1 1/2 C. flour
2 T. ground flax seed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. chopped peeled apple (I used my little mini food process, which I love.)  Also the next batch I make I may chop up some carrots with the apples. 

Directions:
Cream togeher sugar and shortening.   Beat in egg.  Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture.  Beat until well blended.  Stir in apples.  Drop in the shape of ball on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

God's Perfect Love & Amazing Grace

The greatest treasures in life begin with God's abundant goodness in giving us the gift of a Saviour.

Praying your day is filled with good things and thankful moments - a special time of celebrating the miracle of Easter, with glimpses of God's perfect love and amazing grace.

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

I Believe.....

Confessing The Truths Your Heart Believes

In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:8

I Believe Jesus is my redeemer and He has redeemed me through His shed blood. His redemption means that He has bought me at a great price, the highest price that could be paid for my ransom. I believe that His ransom means that I am no longer in bondage to Satan, stuck in a horrible pit of despair, or a slave to sin.

I Believe that my redemption means that I am no longer my own, and that my purpose it to serve Jesus and glorify Him, not unwillingly, but from the heart, as His bondservant. I count it a privilege to serve Him for love's sake.

I Believe His ownership of my life brings me great comfort, deep peace, and overflowing joy.
-Roy Lessin

Stitches.....

 Noah was being a stinker one day and Ruby ended up nipping his lip, so daddy had to take him in to get stitches.  He was a big boy about it, but wasn't too happy.  Hopefully he learned his lesson to leave the dog alone. 

SONGS....

Here's a few links to some songs my kids love.....

Fruit of the Spirit

J is for Jesus

Every Move I Make

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Days of Elijah

Here I am to Worship

Spin 

Hey, Jesus Loves Me!

Rainbow

SOCCER...

I signed all of the kids up for soccer at the Rec. Center.  They play on Saturday nights for an hour long.  After the first week Anna was ready to be done because she was so tired out.  It is now the third week and they are still pretty tired, but having fun.  They have three Saturday's left and I'm sure they will be sad when it's over.  I am thinking about putting them in the outdoor soccer in the spring, so they can get some more practice in. 

Picnic Time...

It was a nice day out, so the kids decided to have a picnic on the lawn.  In the picture they are stuffing there faces with black olives, which they can eat by the can.  there is never enough olives for them all.  I am looking forward to the nicer days, were the kids can spend most of the day outside. 

Valentine’s Week... Acts of Kindness Activities

I found a great link this morning for some great Valentines activities.  I wanted to share it with those who may be interested.  I am looking forward to Valentines this year because it's going to be a special and fun time for my kids.  Anna has already been working on making Valentines cards for her special friends.  I love how they can spend so much time on making things for others.  Gabe has also worked on a few cards.   

TIPS Please.....

A few weeks back Noah decided he was going to try and play his guitar to make some tips.  It looks nice out, but it was a bit chilly.  He says the music is free, but notice the pink cup, which is for tips.    Also take notice of his awesome roller blades.  He received those for his 5th birthday and the guitar was from Grandma & Grandpa from Christmas.  He is such a cutie.  I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of this when the warm weather hits. 

1-2-3 CAKE......

Genius! ----- 1-2-3 Cake. I love this idea!!!

You need two boxes of cake mix. One can be any flavor you prefer, but the other MUST be Angel Food cake mix. Mix them together (shake them in a big bowl). Then simply store the mixture in an airtight container until you get the urge for dessert. Then just put three Tbsp. of the dry mixture in a big coffee mug and stir in 2 Tbsp of water. Microwave it for one minute and you will have a single serving of cake! Top with fruit, ice cream, whipped cream or whatever! Awesome for those of us who want something sweet every now without making an entire cake!!!

Homeschooling Links.....

I founds a great blog called, "A Thomas Jefferson Education".  I read a great article on the secret to not being overwhelmed.  I wanted to share the link to those who are interested in reading it.

Also a friend posted a great ice cream activity to do with the kids.  Here is the recipe.

 In a small (7x7'ish) Ziploc baggie, put 1/2 cup half & half, 1 Tbsp sugar and a small 1 tsp vanilla. Tightly seal baggie. In a gallon size Ziploc baggie, fill 1/2 full with ice and about 1/2 cup salt. Put small baggie in big baggie and tightly seal. Start shaking and tossing around and the small baggie with work around in the ice/salt and start to form a custard. It makes 1/2 cup of ice cream. 

Very fun!!!

God Cares About Every Detail

God cares about every detail of your life...
He collects every tear in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8)
He numbers every hair on your head. (Luke 12:7)
He knows every hurt in your heart. (Psalm 34:18)

The Lord knows all you are going through.
He loves you, He cares for you,
and He will make sure not one detail is overlooked.
Thinking of You and Praying too

James 5:11

 ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Happy 8th Birthday....

 

My artistic, horse loving, happy little girl turned 8 years old.  Wow how the time flies by and how fast they grow up.  She had a great day of eating Chinese food for lunch and a little birthday party with Grandpa and Grandma Kostman in the afternoon.  It was a fun filled day!

Ballet Recital

This past semester Anna took ballet  from The Stage.  It was a challenging semester for her, but she learn a lot of different ballet steps.   So yesterday afternoon Anna had her ballet recital.  It was a long afternoon  because they did two performances with practices and pictures before and in between it all.  She was defiantly ready for bed last night.  Here is a couple pictures of my pretty little princess.... 

The Babe in the Manger

The Babe in the manger
Is Jesus my King,
Now reigning in heaven—
I joyfully sing.

He lived as a human
Like you and like me;
He suffered our manners,
And died on a tree.

But why did He do it?
’Twas love in His heart.
He saw my condition,
So He took my part.

He died for the sinner—
For you and for me;
He gave His life gladly
To set captives free.

A wonderful Savior
To rescue my soul—
In glad adoration
I give Him control.

My blessed Redeemer,
I love You today;
I’ll praise You forever
In heaven someday.

—Silas Martin (edited by J.E.)

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14)

God's Christmas Gift

Little baby on the hay,

soon there'll be another day

when nails shall pierce

Your hands and feet

as You provide our sin's defeat.

Risen Jesus on the throne,

we lift our praise to You alone-

for You're the gift that we receive

the moment that our hearts believe.
-Roy Lessin

This Christmas, as you consider all the awesome things that have come to you through Jesus, God's perfect gift, remember that it is but a taste of all the good things that are yet to come.

Knitting, Knitting, Knitting....

One of my favorite hobbies is knitting.  I have made a lot of hats, scarfs and cowls.  I tend to do more in the winter months.  Lately it's been getting more fun because my daughter is doing an excellent job at learning and I've been teaching her even more stitches.  She is catching on so fast. Also my son has learned to knit and has just finished up his first hat.  I have also been having fun making wash clothes or coffee pads depending on how big I want them to be.

Click here to find the pattern that I have been using.

Christmas Tree....

The kids and I had a fun time decorating our Christmas tree this past Friday.  They get so excited and love to see the ornaments they made last year.  The tree is pretty loaded, so we used every branch for something.  We also many other spots in our home that we have made pretty.  I'll share some another day!  

Pony Riding.....

All the kids have been having a fun time learning to ride ponies.  We have met some new friends here in Nebraska and it's been so great to spend time out in the country.  It's also wonderful finding friends who have many of the same interests and some different interest, so we can learn from one another.

Coffee Anyone...

 Gabe decided to use his sister's miniature tea cups one morning to have some coffee.  He had to have 3 or 4 cups before he decided to have enough.

Concert on the Lawn...

Our family really enjoys music, which is because I love music.  I grew up learning to play the piano and  they could hardly keep me off of it.  Then in high school I decided I wanted to learn to play guitar now I am able to pass this love of music down to my kids.  They decided they wanted to have a concert on the lawn.  Gabe is playing the harmonica  Anna the moraka and Noah the Ukulele.  They even included a tip jar.

   I made this cookie recipe the other day and they were awesome.  I didn't put the potato chips in them because I didn't have any and they still turned out great.  These cookies remind me of a grandma friend I had. Whenever we would go to her house she had these super yummy cookies.  I always wanted to get her recipe, but never did.  Now I found a cookie that reminds me of Violet.

Chocolate Chip Crispies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter, oil and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Combine milk and vinegar; add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and potato chips.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 8 dozen.

Someone Loves His Dogs.....

Abundantly

God's way is the abundant way!

There's no rationing in heaven, no skimping from the throne, no shortage of supply from the treasures of His mercies. His life gushes forth from the well of salvation; His spiritual refreshing flows from rivers of living water; His constant and consistent goodness is poured out through downpours of blessings.

He is the God of
abundant mercy Numbers 14:18
abundant kindness Nehemiah 9:17
abundant justice Job 37:23
abundant truth Psalms 86:15
abundant redemption Psalms 130:7
abundant loving kindness Jonah 4:2
abundant grace 1 Timothy 1:14
abundant satisfaction Psalms 36:8
abundant blessing Psalms 132:15
abundant pardon Isaiah 55:7
abundant life John 10:10
abundant joy 2 Corinthians 8:2
abundant power Ephesians 3:20
abundant outpouring Titus 3:6
abundant revelation Hebrews 6:17
abundant provision Psalms 65:11
abundant peace Psalms 37:11

Roy Lessin, from his blog Meet Me In The Meadow

School Room.....

The one thing I love about our new house is the place for us to have a school room.  It so nice not having it all over my dinning room table and kitchen area.  We have our bulletin boards, a dress to store supplies in, and a CD/Tape player so we can listen to music and books on tape. 

I have a nice eraser board and table & chairs that I picked up on Craigslist for $75.  Also those doors in the wall are great for storing games and craft supplies.  We are very blessed as a family to have this space. 

NEW AND IMPROVED

It was not difficult to fix up this little area.  After the kids picked up the rocks we then lined the bricks around the outside.  We then planted our flowers and stole some bark from our other landscaping areas to add a finishing touch.

Here is a shot from the side looking across the front yard.

Here is a picture of our dog Ruby trying to stay in the shade.  I also have a nice built in flower bed area, but  unfortunately one of the flowers died earlier this summer.  Just to hot, but all the rest of them lived.

Live Fully - Love Deeply

Live by faith. Galatians 2:20
Grow in grace. II Peter 3:18
Walk in love. Ephesians 5:2
Seek peace. I Peter 3:11
Be filled with joy. Psalm 68:3

Live Fully, Love Deeply, Laugh Loudly

New Year of Classes.....

  Today the kids are starting their new Sand-hills Coop classes.  I'm so excited to see how it goes.  They have their backpacks packed with supplies and will each be taking 3 classes.  Also this afternoon Anna and Gabe are both going to have a piano lesson from mom.  I am looking forward to seeing how much they can learn and grow this year.

  Anna is also going to be taking ballet lessons at The Stage.  I know she is going to really enjoy it and has a great teacher.  Lastly all the kids have Awana's this evening, while I check out a Cub Scouts meeting at the library.  Gabe's pretty excited and I hope this will be something he will enjoy.

So much going on these days, but it's nice to keep busy and see the kids having fun.

Summer Time Fun....

 The kids helped mommy pick up a bunch of rocks by the mailbox at our new house.  I'll post a picture of what it looks little another day.

 Face painting which was done at the a family fun day earlier this summer.

 Noah and Anna sitting out on their buckets enjoying the outdoors and an ice cream cone.

Anna's first hair cut before school starts.  I usually cut it myself, but JC Pennies was offering free hair cuts.  What a great price!

A Word Of Hope

Hope is a seed
God plants in our hearts
to remind us
there are better things ahead.
- Holley Gerth

Praying for you and believing with you.
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Potato Ole Seasoning

We have been enjoying Taco Johns, which is so much better then Taco Bell.  When we lived in Wisconsin we did not live close to one, so we never ate there.  Now that we are in Nebraska it is our new favorite place to eat, since we don't have Noodles and Company close by.  Anyway the kids especially like the potato oles, which have special seasoning on them.  I decided to look up the recipe and this is what I found.

2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoning
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp red pepper or I used cayenne seasoning

It is now going to be my new seasoning for french fries and other dishes.  Hope you try it out and enjoy it. 

Long Break......

I am back from a long extended break.  It's been a crazy time of packing moving and unpacking.  We are now settled in our new home and working at finding a  home for our things.  It's good to be in a place that we can now call our new home.  We have so much space to spread out, which has been nice.

It has also been really hot these past few weeks.  I have been enjoying the early mornings and the late nights after the sun has gone down.  We have also been seeing plenty of garter snakes around the yard, which has not made me very excited. I don't care for them at all even if they eat bugs and rodents.

The last few days we had friends, Ron & Sherry, here visiting us.  It was great to open our home to them and have great company.  The kids and I even got a few art lessons, which was a lot of fun.  Also we enjoyed watching fireworks with them from our front porch. They have continued now on there trip and we hope to see them again sometime soon.

Well I hope to share photos, recipes and crafts with you all soon.

Gabe's New Bike.....

This past weekend we went to a few garage sales and Gabe paid a whole $16 for this nice Trek bike.  He loves it and thinks he is so cool.  We have been spending most of our evenings at the park riding our bikes.  There are some nice trails for them to ride on.  It has also been doing a good job of wearing the kids out.

Ann's New Comforter and Rug

We hit the jackpot today.  We got this cute new comforter, pillow shams, rug, curtains and bed skirt for $25.  They are from The Company Store.  What a deal and now her room is going to be so special.  The hard thing now is waiting till we move.  She wants to take over my room, so she can enjoy it, but I said sorry can't do it.

The Power of His Love

Wider than the widest river...

Deeper than the deepest ocean...
Able to reach from the Savior in heaven,
straight to You with a single prayer...

That's the power of His love...
and I pray it fills you up today.

How wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18

Home Again....

The kids and I are home again after spending the week with Grandpa & Grandma.  We had a great week spending time in the quiet country.  The kids played outside in the sprinklers one day. Another day we took the kids to the Recreation Center to swim and then out to eat at KFC.  The hubby and I also signed a big stack of papers for financing on our soon to be new house.  It looks like it's going to be the middle of June before the closing date.

The house in DeForest is closing May 15th, which we are very happy about.  We are very blessed to have only had to pay a couple months of a house and rental payment.  Now I just need to work a little each day of packing away the things that we don't need each day or can live without for about a little over a month.  I'm looking forward to getting settled and seeing what God has for us.

Bead Work......
A friend stayed with us one evening and the kids always love having him around. He does some amazing bead work and worked with Anna to show her how to make a bracelet with the beads she had. It was pretty amazing and was something I would not of been able to show her. It's so nice to have friends to teach us new things. Anna loves to make crafts, so this was a lot of fun.

The kids also had a chance to learn about the Philippines, which was a great geography lesson. He had a lot of pictures to share from the time he had gone over to visit.

We had a great time visiting and opening our home to him.

Super Noah

Boys just love to pretend to be Super Hero's. They will use whatever they have to dress up. He decided this time that he wanted me to tie his Cookie Monster blanket around his neck.

Newness.....
This past week my husband started his new job at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, Nebraska. We are so excited about his new job because we have been waiting for almost two years. So much has been changing with a new job, new place to live, and new friends. Life still is not settle and it will be a few more months till we find a permanent place to live.

For now the kids and I are in Lincoln Nebraska, while my hubby lives at his parents house. The kids and I have also been spending a lot of time at grandpa and grandma's house too. When I get back to Lincoln I have work to do.

I have been doing some major cleaning to get ready for a garage sale. We live on a very busy street, so there should be plenty of people. I am also sure that the kids will want to try selling some lemonade and maybe we can bake up some cookies to sell too. Plenty of things to do to keep us busy these days.

Another One.....
Tonight daddy help Anna get out another tooth. She was so excited and now she is missing her top two front teeth. It makes biting a challenge and sounding out words a little harder. This is tooth number four.

God's Grace Covers Me

I am...
G - God's
R - Redeemed
A - Accepted
C - Chosen
E - Expression
of love.

God chose you from the beginning.
II Thessalonians 2:13

Friends Visiting....
We had a great visit from our friends from Wisconsin. Mommy and daddy knew for a week that they were coming and we kept it a secret. It was so hard to do, but we did it. The kids had a lot of fun playing together.

The guys acting silly.

Tooth #3....
We went to take a little rest this afternoon and the next thing I hear is, "It's out"!! Anna was so excited about it and has also been talking about getting $6 for her tooth because she was six. Well I thought that was a bit much, but the Tooth Fairy came up with $3 because it was the 3rd tooth she has lost. She's saving her money for something, but I'm not sure what.

Asking God for You.....

Lord, When we're weary, You're our strength.
(Isaiah 40:31)

When we're afraid, You're our courage.
(Deuteronomy 31:6)

When we're uncertain, You're our hope.
(Psalm 42:5)

Whatever our circumstance,
You're all we need...and more.
(Philippians 4:19)

Asking God to meet your needs,
encourage your heart,
and fulfill all His plans for you.

-A Prayer for You by Holley Gerth

Weekly Menu 3/12-3/18
I am finally getting back into the swing of things and have decided to start planning out our weekly menu. It makes life easier since I try to make most meals from scratch.

Monday: Haystacks
Tuesday: Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Salad
Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pies
Thursday: leftovers
The rest of the weekend we will be at Grandpa & Grandma's House.

Fun Learning Games.....
This past Christmas my hubby bought the kids Sum Swamp. The games teaches the kids addition, subtraction, and even and odd numbers. It's a fun way to work on math problems in a fun way. Well today I decide to pick up a game called, Digging Up Sight Words. It looks like a great way to have the kids practice reading and also learn 260 sight words. We have not played it yet, but I'm looking forward to using it this coming week and months ahead.

Hymn Sunday....
I decided I wanted to post a song that has some wonderful lyrics to encourage you on this lovely day. So much truth in these words...

What A Day That Will Be

---

There is coming a day,
When no heart aches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye,
All is peace forever more,
On that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

There'll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there;
And forever I will be,
With the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be

REdeemed

I am the LORD...I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.
Exodus 6:6 KJV

Redeem means to be bought back, delivered, ransomed, or purchased. As our Redeemer, God has purchased our freedom in Christ from the slave market of sin, delivered us from Satan's power, and made us His own possession. We have been redeemed from a useless life to a fruitful life; from a life of bondage to a life of freedom; from a life of guilt, condemnation, and judgment to a life of forgiveness, justification, and peace.

--Roy Lessin, excerpt from his New Devotional: REpurposed.