Our Favorite Healthy Granola Bars

I started making these some time last year after I realized I was buying way too many granola bars for my children. I found this recipe online an decided to alter it a little by adding some more healthy ingredients. We take them on road trips, eat them for breakfast, bedtime snack or any time in between. I don't feel guilty about letting our boys have them because I have incorporated some healthy stuff.

In a large bowl combine

3 cups rice cereal

3 cups quick oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 pack of chia seeds (or more if you like)

Set aside...

In a small boiler combine 1 1/2 cups of honey

1/3 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

Bring it to a boil for 1 minute

Turn off the heat and add 2 tsp of vanilla and 1 cup of peanut butter (creamy or crunchy is fine)

Dump the creamy mixture onto the dry ingredients and mix very well to make sure all the dry stuff is moistened.

Spread it out onto a cookie sheet then add chocolate chips. I use the miniature semi sweet ones.

I cover with wax paper and squish it as flat as possible (with all my strength) using another cookie sheet on top of it.

Then place the flattened granola in the fridge for a couple hours to let it cool.
Then I cut it into 24 bars. (3 rows of 8)

Last but not least, I wrap each bar individually with saran wrap to keep fresh. I store them in the fridge to retain their shape or they will get gooey and mushy if left out at room temperature.

National Siblings Day

Well I guess today is a holiday so I might as well use this time to talk about my siblings. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. I grew up in FL with my mom & step dad through the 6th grade living with Tonia, Tim & Sarah. We loved to play outside and climb trees in FL. We had a trampoline and loved riding bikes with all the neighborhood kids.

Then I asked if I could go live with my dad when Tonia graduated. So Tim and I went to live our dad & stepmom and brother Travis.  We stayed with them until we graduated High School in NC.

 I had a good childhood. We never went without. Our parents took good care of us and I am thankful for the way I was raised. We are all separated now, living in different states and don't see each other very much. I do miss spending time with my family. We are all married and have children of our own now. Its hard to get everyone in the same place at once.

So to my siblings I want to say I miss you all and wish we could talk and visit more often.

HAPPY SIBLINGS DAY!

Breaking Ground~Above the Storm

I have been listening to this song a lot lately. It really is true, the sun does shine above the storm. I have been on a lot of airplanes with Jaron over the years. When it was cloudy and raining we would fly above the clouds and it would be so bright we would have to close the window. Down here on earth the storms seem so big and dark but if you just remember the sun is still shining

 and it didn't come to stay "it came to pass".

Life is that way too. When we have troubles in our lives and we are afraid or unsure when it will end, we need to always remember the SON still shines above the storm. Jesus is watching over us and he can see everything we are going through. I believe that God allows storms to come in our lives to help us grow. When we are at our lowest it is humbling and we learn to trust in the Lord for all our needs.

Breaking Ground wrote this song and they are a very sweet family. 

Hope you Enjoy!

Beginning Orthodontics

I took Jaron to his orthodontist yesterday for the 4th time. He finally put in his quad helix palate expander. It's a wire that is attached to his back teeth to stretch out his palate. He was sore afterwards and complained that it was hard to swallow. Its going to take some getting used to.

I made pancakes for dinner so he wouldn't have a hard time eating. At bedtime he did ask for some ibuprofen to help with soreness.

This morning when he woke up he said "I don't feel anything". Thank God the soreness is gone and he is getting used to it. We go back in 3 weeks for a check up and see how much it has moved. If he needs to wear it longer and if so he will have to tighten up the device.

We haven't gotten our plane tickets to Boston for his July 25th surgery date because we aren't sure he will be done with expansion. The orthodontist seems to think it will take a lot longer.

Please help us pray that we can keep our surgery date. We need to get this done during the summer and I know his surgeons in Boston usually book a year in advance.

Homeschool Curriculum DEALS!

I joined this AWESOME Co-op for FREE to get great deals on curriculum for our boys.

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/alpha-omega/?source=163912

They offer discounts and you earn points for every dollar you spend, for more curriculum.
Homeschool buyers coop also offers points for referring friends and family. I can also get member discounts from over 100 educational suppliers

They have online programs and books and cds also. There is such a wide variety to choose from for all grade levels.

I personally love the FREE homeschool ID cards they offer for the students.

Please check it out and share with your friends!

 The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a free homeschooling organization for both new and veteran homeschoolers.  Co-op membership is free and confidential, and entitles homeschooling families to discounts from hundreds of educational suppliers.  The Co-op also sponsors "GroupBuys" for curriculum packages that can save homeschooling families lots of money. On the site you'll find lots of free information, such as databases of free curriculum, field trips, and educational contests and scholarships.

Weird Weather

 It got warm enough to take a walk to the park one day.

 We set up our trampoline too. The weather was beautiful for a few days. All the snow melted which made for a lot of mud.

 And then it snowed some more....

Thoughts of a Homeschooling Mom

So here we go...the truth comes out! I am sure I am not the only one who thinks this way. At the risk of falling off the proverbial pedestal some have put me on....I have decided to share what really goes on in my head as I homeschool our boys.

I chose to homeschool our children. I wanted to keep them with me safe and free from bullies. I wanted to educate them with Christian principles.

At the time I wasn't thinking how hard it would be to teach 4 different grades at one time. I never considered all the housework still needs to be done also. I must have thought I was superwoman!

I am not going to lie....homeschooling is HARD! There are days I want to put them on the bus and just go get a job. It seems like it would be so much easier to let someone else teach them.

The playing and giggling and constantly having to keep them on track is EXHAUSTING!

There are some days I wonder how we got done so early. Then other days I beg them to finish because they are taking too long. Sometimes I wonder if they even learned anything at all.

Sometimes we take the day off just because I have a headache and I'm not in the mood to do anything.

They guilt that follows all these thoughts is overwhelming and I think the devil really knows how to get me down. I really want to homeschool our boys but it's not easy. I know its the best thing for them but I don't always feel like the best teacher.

God reminds me why I homeschool and my husband also encourages me not to give up. I cannot say I won't ever put them in public school because I don't know the future but as of right now I do not want to go that route. My desire is to obey the Bible and "train up a child in the way he should go..." Prov. 22:6

So if you homeschool and you have had these same feelings or thoughts just know you are not alone. I think it's common for moms to get discouraged while homeschooling. Don't be fooled by the ones that seem to have it all together. We all struggle and it's normal.

~No one said it would be easy but IT'S WORTH IT!~

Being Myself

Sometimes I get so tired of me

I wish I could be like others I see

I'm open & honest, too blunt they say

Filter my thoughts don't talk this way

I want to be meek, humble & quiet

So today I think, maybe I'll try it 

 I get around people and don't last long

The words just come out silly or wrong

Talking negative or sarcastically 

Fussing or complaining usually

Just As soon as the words are said

I beat myself up (in my head)

I am not perfect and don't claim to be

All I can do is just be me

Making mistakes will happen to us all

Up on the mountain and soon we'll fall

God knows my failures & my faults

He sees my mistakes & knows my thoughts

Yet he loves & forgives endlessly

His grace & mercy are sufficient for me.

Look in the Mirror

Raising children is a learning experience. Every day I have to remind them to stop pointing out each others faults but to keep themselves straight. It must be human nature to always want to find the worst in everyone. Always wanting to point out each others flaws. We all have done it at one point or another. It is rare to find someone who doesn't have anything negative to say about someone else.

BUT WHY? why do we feel the need to correct everyone else behavior except our own. If we look in the mirror at ourselves and consider how hard it is to change ourselves, then we will realize how difficult it would be to change others.

I want to be an optimist, finding the good in everyone I meet. I want to look past their flaws or differences. God made us all different and I am so thankful for that. If we were all the same how boring would this world be. Everyone does not like the same food, cars, homes or clothes, and that's OK. It's what makes us all special in our own way. We are different sizes and shapes and that is OK too.

Instead of always finding the negative I want to try and find the silver lining in every day. It's not always easy but with God's help I know I can do it. You should try too. How much better would our lives be if we complimented everyone we meet instead of picking out what we think is wrong with them.

Always fighting...

In this world we are not promised peace. There is always a battle raging with our spirit and our flesh. The Bible says the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Our spirit wants to please God but our flesh wants to please the body. The struggle is real.

Its not "bipolar" or depression. If you are saved you will have those struggles in your mind. The devil cannot take away our salvation but he can ruin our testimony by tempting us to do things.

I believe music is the devils BIGGEST tool. He uses music to influence so many in the wrong way.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."    Ephesians 6:12

If you do not struggle with right and wrong, if you do not battle with good and bad decisions, maybe you need Jesus. Maybe you don't have Him living in you heart.  The devil won't bother you if you are already one of his.

We should not act like the world, talk like the world, dress like the world or feel comfortable in this world. This world is not my home I am just passing through. I want to be different. I don't want to fit it.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  1 John 2:15

He sees what we don't

 When Chris had to go out of town last week for his grandfather's funeral, I was scared. I was nervous about driving in the snow 2 hours home from the airport with our boys and without Daddy. I was scared to be in this new house in a new neighborhood alone. It was definitely not something I was excited about. But I am so glad God knows whats ahead of us. He clears the way. We saw snow on the forecast the day he flew out and I was panicking inside worried about the drive. But on the way there we passed so many snow plows scraping the other side of the interstate (for me). It just reminded me how God sees our future. He makes a way when there seems to be no way.

We pulled out of our driveway and our windshield had about 6 inches of snow on it. It was so light and powdery it wiped right off. We might not have been sure about our long drive but God knew my fear. I already prayed asking Him to clear up the weather. It was windy but the snow stopped after I dropped off Chris at the airport and the roads were clear! Praise the Lord! It's those little things I pray for that might seem so minor to you but they are important to God. He knows our fears and our desires. I am so thankful he kept my husband safe and brought him back home to us.

A Warm Church in a Cold World

Settling in.....

We are settling in this nice big house, here in South Dakota. The snow comes about once a week. But it never melts from the week before. Snow boots are a must every day.

Going out to the van we all track snow in our car. And the next day we get in to go somewhere and the snow is still in the floor, never melted. It seems so strange, so different from Georgia. We had snow there in the past but it always melted the next day.

Its beautiful here. I never get tired of looking out the window. Everything is blanketed in white. Pure clean and quiet. A stray cat goes by once in a while, but not much activity outside. The boys want to play in the snow so they get all bundled up and go out but can only stand the cold for 20 minutes or so.

It's not icy like in Georgia. It's light, fluffy snow like baby powder. So light it wipes right off the windshield, 6 inches thick, with one swipe of the wipers. They are so good about cleaning off the streets here. Salting and sanding every day and scraping with snow plows all day long.

Jacob rides his bike to get the mail every day at the post office. The ground is too frozen to put in a mailbox. So we are using a PO box for now. He enjoys his bike ride but is always glad to get back inside and get warm.

No more trips to the store every day or two. Chris takes our only vehicle to work so we just stay home and do school. We have been going to get groceries on Saturday's.

I have never really liked coffee but I am drinking more and more hot tea now trying to stay warm. Bedroom slippers and robes are a must for all of us now.

The people at the church here have been so good to us. Going above and beyond to make us feel welcome. God has provided all our needs. Our church family in Georgia has gone above and beyond to take care of us also. We are so unworthy of all of this but we are thankful God is using us for His Glory!

The Potter knows the clay...

When God has another plan...

 I started packing things in our house 2 weeks ago. Just 4-5 boxes a day then we decided to take apart Jonah & Justus' bed to use their room for storage until we moved.

 We picked up the Uhaul Jan 4th so we could begin loading it.

 It was HUGE and barely fit down our driveway. We loaded as much as we could until more help came that night. We gave away our washer and dryer and sold our refrigerator.

 Our last night at home we slept in the floor. Not the best idea but we survived.

 So the road trip began Wed. Morning Jan 6th. Two boys road with Chris in the truck and I followed behind in the van with the other 2 boys.

 Stopping for gas meant someone wanted to switch vehicles and stretching our legs once in a while.

 We drove 6 hours to Dublin, KY to visit with some friends and stayed overnight in a hotel. We got up Thursday morning and finished the trip. What we thought was going to be 13 hours turned into 20 hours.

 The snow on I-29 north in Iowa was so thick I couldn't see and felt like I was smothering. After 45 minutes of HEAVY snow (going VERY slow), a lot of praying and some crying....the snow stopped.

Then we got on I-90 west and the roads quickly turned to a sheet of black ice. So we proceeded to drive 20-30 mph. the rest of the way here. We arrived at 2:30am Friday. After getting some sleep (in the floor) men from the church came over and helped us unload the U haul. We were able to return in that same day. Praise the Lord for a good church willing to help.

 The snow is beautiful here. Everything is covered in white.

 Every room was full of boxes and I wanted to unpack SO bad. But after day 1 up and down the stairs 100 times my calves were KILLING me. So I had to take it easy on Saturday.

 I am just not used to stairs so its going to be an adjustment. We are not comfortable living in such clutter so we got the dining room and kitchen cleaned up and organized first. The bathrooms are done and the laundry room is completed.

 Our van (Pearl) is not used to all this cold weather or being so dirty. But if we wash her now when the temperatures are below freezing she will come out of the wash frozen shut. So a bath for Pearl will have to wait until it warms up a little.

 Our back yard is beautiful.

 The temperatures Sunday were below zero and barely got above zero the entire day. But it was not unbearable. We all bundled up good and took the hour drive to the closest Walmart for a few household items.

 Our first service was a blessing we had 25 in attendance. God has been so good to our family and we just want to give Him all the glory for getting us here safely and providing all our needs.

 The people in the church all pitched in and bought us groceries so our pantry is full!

 I put together my desk and bookshelf yesterday. Slowly getting organized.

 

The living room is arranged on the beautiful white carpet. Our bedrooms need some more work so I'll post pictures of them later. One day at a time, I am trying not to over do it.