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.

Coming Back......
I am back from my long break if you want to call it a break. So much has happened over the last month with moving from Wisconsin to Nebraska. I have done so much packing and unpacking that I don't care to do it again for a while. Our duplex in Wisconsin is up for sale now and we are renting a nice ranch house from our brother in law.

We are getting use to Lincoln and have done a lot of exploring in the last few weeks. We still have a lot to find like a Awana program and a homeschool group. We are pretty settled in now that I now have time to look for those things. We have also been getting back in the school mode and the kids have been doing great. It's amazing how something is hard for them one month and a month later they are able to do it just fine. Breaks are good for all.

The hardest part about moving is leaving friends and I really miss all my wonderful friends back in Wisconsin. I had many dear friends and they had kids that my kids also loved. We have so many great memories.

Well that's all for now. I'll try and get some pictures of our house and post them here soon.

Packing Progress.....
We have made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks. We have gone through so much stuff and either donated it to Goodwill, donated it to the library, sold it on Ebay or sold it on Craigslist. We have also filled many containers that are now sitting in our garage ready to move.

I also went dumpster diving today to try and get more boxes for packing. I was able to find a bunch, which should hopefully get us though the weekend. I even lost our ice scrapper in one of the dumpsters.

Moving.....
Well all week my husband and I have been going through containers of stuff. It's amazing the stuff people keep around and even more amazing the stuff one gets rid of when they are moving a couple of states away. We will be heading to Lincoln Nebraska in about 3 weeks to live in a house that Brandon's sister and husband own. It's a major move and it's been 8 years since our last move. How time flies by and life changes.

We will then be putting our duplex up for sale in hopes that it sells quickly. We are sad to leave this area since we have gotten so comfortable here. We are also going to miss all the wonderful friends that we have made in the past years. I have so many great memories.

We are looking forward to a new adventure of exploring a new city and seeing what the Lord has for our future. Please pray for us as we pack, say goodbyes and head to a new home.

Happy 4th Birthday Noah....

He had a wonderful birthday. We had monkey bread as his cake this year and then went to Pizza Hut to enjoy some yummy cake. Anna knitted her brother a cowl for him to wear out in the cold and Gabe finger knitted him a chain. He also got a nice Thomas train set and a few other things. It was a nice day:)

Knitting....
I've been knitting up a few dishcloths or coffee coasters. I am using this Basic Knitted Dishcloth Pattern and using the Sugar & Cream cotton yarn. If you keep an eye out at Michaels they have it on sale for $1 a roll.

Size 7 knitting needles (US)

Instructions:

Cast on 4 stitches

Row 1: Knit 4

Row 2: Knit 2, yarn over, knit across the row.

Repeat Row 2 until you have 30 stitches. ( you can do more stitches if you want a bigger wash cloth)

Row 3: Knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row.

Repeat Row 3 until you have 4 stitches left on the needle.

Bind off and weave in ends.

Time of Waiting......
I have not been posting as much as I should. I've been staying busy with the everyday things that a mother has to do. The kids have been keeping themselves busy with playing and getting school work done each day. Anna and Gabe are both doing a wonderful job at learning to read and it's amazing to see their progress since the beginning of the school year. Noah also is growing so fast and will be turning 4 next week.

We have also been waiting to see what happens with a job possibility here in Madison. It's been tough just waiting and not knowing what the future holds. We have decided that if the job does not work out that we would move to the Omaha Nebraska area in hopes of finding a better job.

Other things I have been up to is knitting lots of Jayne Cobb hats. I sold 80 hats last year and 4 more hats so far this year. It's been fun and I have gotten wonderful feedback and the extra money has been great. I just had someone write me a message the other day and here is what they said,

"it looks awesome! I am the CO of "The 'Verse" a firefly/serenity costume club. right now I am searching for the most accurate Jayne hat to recommend to other members. So far I like yours the best. I find a lot of hats have "Red" for the ears.. I dont think that's right. Yours has that dark orange, I think that is correct. I am just starting my search so I still looking for input from other members."

I am really hoping that this sends me a bunch more business. I have to really thank my husband who asked me a year ago to make him A Jayne hat.

Well that is a little of what has been happening in our house hold. Please be praying for direction for us and peace of mind.

Doughnut Birthday Party....
Last week Anna had a chance to have some friends over to help her celebrate her birthday. The kids had fun playing musical pillow, which was a big hit and they also played Charades. Anna had a chance to open presents and lastly the kids enjoyed some pizza and homemade doughnut that we made before all the guests arrived. It was a fun time and I believe everyone enjoyed themselves.

Anna played Happy Birthday on the piano for everyone to hear.

Yummy doughnuts with frosting and sprinkles..

Knitted Hat and Cowl.....
This is my first cowl and it turned out great. Super easy to make and great for kids instead of a scarf. I like to use circular knitting needles and they are easy for Anna to use as well. This may be our new Christmas idea for next year.

The Giver of Hope.....

God bless you this New Year -
With friends and acquaintances,
and love ones too...
Hearts full of laughter,
and hopes, brand new...

May the giver of every good and perfect gift bless you with heaven's blessings this Year!

Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

Happy 7th Birthday Anna....

She is getting to be such a big girl. She likes to spend her day crocheting, knitting and playing songs on the piano. She also loves to color pictures and is doing a good job at learning to read. I love my girl and wish her the best birthday.

Merry Christmas!

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

May the Lord richly bless your family

as you celebrate the wonder of God's love and His perfect gift to each of us:
***JESUS**

The Gift.....

”He was poor, that he might make us rich.
He was born of a virgin that we might be born of God.
He took our flesh, that he might give us His Spirit.
He lay in the manger, that we may lie in paradise.
He came down from heaven, that he might bring us to heaven….

That the ancient of Days should be born.
that he who thunders in the heavens should cry in the cradle….
that he who rules the stars should suck the breast;
that a virgin should conceive;
that Christ should be made of a woman, and of that woman which himself made,
that the branch should bear the vine,
that the mother should be younger than the child she bare,
and the child in the womb bigger than the mother;
that the human nature should not be God, yet one with God

Christ taking flesh is a mystery we shall never fully understand till we come to heaven

If our hearts be not rocks, this love of Christ should affect us .

Behold love that passeth knowledge!”

~Thomas Watson

The Night When Love Was Born.....

Christ the babe comes in Christmas as Christ the Savior comes on the cross - seeking only our embrace.
The mystery so large becomes the babe so small and infinite God becomes infant.

And if there is no cross in my Christmas, then my Christmas has lost the Christ - What is the manger if not for the Messiah, the One who saves us with the scars?

Christmas isn't a product to wrap, but a person to unwrap.
Christmas cannot be bought.
Christmas cannot be created.
Christmas cannot be made by hand.
Christmas can only be found in the creche, in the cradling trough, in the mire and the stench and the unexpected and unlikely and only only in the person of Christ.

- Devotional Christmas words by Ann Voskamp

Christmas Tree.....
The house is all decorated for Christmas. The kids were a big help and we enjoyed some Christmas music while we worked.

Tommarrow night the kids have their Christmas concert, which I am really excited to see and hope I can take a good video to share with you all.

Jesus - God's Promises Fulfilled

The Promise of His Presence
The virgin will...give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel-which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

The Promise of A Saviour
Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

The Promise of Light
I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

The Promise of Rest
Come to Me...and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28,30

The Promise of Friendship
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

The Promise of Joy
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Excerpts from Jesus - God's Promises Fulfilled Daily Advent Devotions for the Christmas Season. Each day highlights a promise from God, a Scripture, and conversation starter questions.

THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE

Jesus never told us to predict a day or hour when He would return, but He did tell us to be aware of the times in which we live and to always be ready for His coming.

What are we to do and how are we to live in the light of all that is taking place around us? Look up! God has a plan and He is working out His plan. The coming of the Lord is drawing near.

Here are four things God wants us to be doing as we await the sound of the trump of God and our gathering together unto Him:
- Guard your heart (Matthew 24: 12)
- Come together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25)
- Make Christ known (Matthew 24:14)
- Be full of hope (Titus 2:13)

Devotional excerpt by Roy Lessin,

Special Visit.....

A couple of weeks ago the kids were able to spend time with their Grandpa & Grandma Kostman. We had a nice time, but the visit was way to short. I was able to get a few pictures.

Turkey Pumpkins....
Happy Thanksgiving!!!



The kids made these in their homeschool art class.
They had so much fun making them.

The distance doesn't really matter...
when the hearts are close.
Thanksgiving Blessings to all my friends and family!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good!
Psalm 118:29

Sorry for the lack of posting these past few weeks. I have been pretty busy and my camera takes awful pictures, so the pictures I do get are not that great. We have been staying busy with homeschooling, visits with friends and now decluttering the house to get ready for a big move sometime in January. There are going to be a lot of life changes here in the future, but I know God will be taking care of us. I guess the beginning of a new year is a great time to make changes. I'll be back soon to hopefully share some great recipes and pictures of the kids. Hope you all have a blessed time and don't forget to give thanks to the One who provides us with all that we need.

Presentation Night.....
Tonight was presentation night for our home-school group. The kids got all dressed up and I was able to get this nice picture of them. The boys have been spiking there hair lately, which has been so cute. Anna & Gabriel recited the poem, "The Caterpillar". They also sang the turkey song and we were able to enjoy other piano and singing numbers.

Here is the group of kids that presented that night.

Jesus, The Faithful One......

The confidence we have...
the trust we hold...
the hope we carry...
rest in His faithfulness.

Every promise He has made
He purposes to fulfill.
He has the authority to
accomplish all He has spoken.

His power is limitless...
His character changeless...
His love endless!

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 c. coarsely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. water or however much you need for the size pot your using
1 pint canned tomatoes left whole or blended up
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. celery chopped small
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 med. green pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 1/2 c. zucchini, chopped small
8 oz. frozen meat or cheese filled tortellini or small ravioli
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese

If sausage comes in casing, remove casing; cut into bite-size pieces. In a 5 quart Dutch oven brown sausage. Remove sausage from pan; drain reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in pan. Saute onions and garlic in reserved drippings until onions are tender. Add water, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Stir in green pepper, simmer another 10 minutes. Add zucchini, tortellini and parsley. Simmer covered an additional 25 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

Scripture Sunday.....

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

-- HABAKKUK 3:17-18

Free Stuff....

This past week the kids and I were driving around town and saw some free items sitting on the curb. When I saw this barn I knew we had to bring it home. Gabe was pretty excited about it and right away said, "I think we should paint it red." So the next day we headed to Ace Hardware to picked up some red spray paint.

Before:

After:

I love how it tuned out and the barn looks wonderful in the boy's room and matches the John Deere curtains, which has red barns all over them.

Camp-out......
The other night the kids set up a pretend camp out with the neighbor girl. It was so cute to see them out there in their chairs all bundled up. It was cold out and a real fire would of really felt nice, but they settled for a pretend fire.

Applesauce......
This past weekend the kids and I were busy making homemade applesauce. The kids just love the stuff and the awesome taste keep me from ever buying it in the store. The funnest part was peeling the apples, which was a snap with our apple peeler. The kids loved taking turns. I now have a bunch of containers in my freezer and 5 quarts and a 1 pint canned. I am hoping to have a chance at canning a few more jars.

s

My Boys.....

I knitted both the boys a new winter hat and they both look so cute in them.

There is Hope.....

You can turn back to God,
because He has not turned His back on you.

You can hold on to God,
because He has not released His hold on you.

You can love God again,
because He has never stopped loving you.

I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:21-22

Brussel Sprouts.....
This was the first time I have ever planted brussel sprouts. I watched a show on them earlier this spring and then saw the plants for sale. I decided to try them out and thought the kids would enjoy watching them grow. It is pretty neat how the brussel sprouts grow on the main stem.

Lady Bugs....

This past weekend the kids and I decorated our dining room to get ready for a birthday party. We also made a lady bug cake and cupcakes, which the kids had a blast doing. Our friend turned 4 and we had a wonderful party.

Field Trip......
Yesterday our home-school group took a field trip to the Cave of the Mounds. The kids had a wonderful time and saw some really amazing caves and learned some great new words like stalactite and stalagmites. If you are looking for some great activities to do with you kids you can go to this activity page.

Here is the group of 16 kids. I could not fit them all in my picture, but they were a great group.

The kids were identifying rocks, minerals & gems.

Apple Juice...
The last few weeks the kids and I have been making homemade apple juice. It is so yummy and has taught my kids what good apple juice taste like. The only apple juice I buy at the store anyway is the "Simply Apple". Luckily right now I have a bout 4 gallons of frozen juice in my freezer and am looking to put a few more gallons in very soon.

Fun at the Lake.....
We meet with a bunch of friends this past weekend and enjoyed some food by the lake. Anna especially had fun building a sand castle and mommy had a great time taking the Kayak out. I love to be outdoor and enjoying God's creation. I especially enjoy seeing my kids having fun with friends and in the beautiful outdoors.

School has started.......

We started a few weeks back, but now that fall is officially here we are having to dig in even deeper. The kids are doing great and we are having a lot of fun. Just this past week Anna had her first ballet class and then Gabriel will be taking a fun Spanish class starting in just a few weeks. Next week all of the kids will be going to Awana's on Wednesday night and I know that Noah will be super excited to start his Cubbies class. Gabriel will be going into the Sparks class and is going to feel like such a big boy. Anna is excited to see all the friends that she made last year. There are also home-school meetings for me to go to and a couple of field trips planned. It's going to a busy year!