Continued Thankfulness

Today we enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with Granny and Donnie! We met up in Atoka for a little Mexican food, a little antiquing and a dip cone.  Sport kept Granny and Donnie company on the drive from Tulsa. 

Granny and Donnie had a houseful over Thanksgiving so with a day of rest they felt up to a three hour drive to Atoka.  We are so thankful that Donnie has completed his chemo treatments and the doctors did an amazing job on his reconstructive surgery. 

We also took the time to celebrate Granny's birthday a little early.  She looks great, you wouldn't guess she turns 79 next week!  She still works full time and has no plans to retire.  The visit was too short but it was wonderful to spend time together. 

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

Mani, Pedi and a Side of Guacamole

This morning we all enjoyed a little breakfast together before we split up for the day.  Jon took the girls to Oklahoma to have lunch with our sweet Hannah.  I think there is a limit to how long they can go without hanging out together. 

Mom and I spent the day doing girly things!  You know, mani and pedis!  Then there was time for more shopping, which of course led to more eating!  But with all the walking we did while shopping with our perfectly coiffed toes, I'm sure it all evened out the calories! Right?! 

It was a great mother /daughter day for us and the girls had a good visit!  Again, thankful for much . . . family for the holidays, Godly friendships, and making memories! 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 20:21

A Day of Thanksgiving

Aahh, the savory aroma of ham wafting through the air with hints of sweet brown sugar! It must be Thanksgiving! The table is set with fresh baked sweet potatoes; mashed potatoes with a hint of garlic; green bean casserole topped with crispy, salty, onion-y goodness; yeast rolls and a side of gravy! 

Around the table is the blessing of family and warm eyes. So many blessings and so much to be grateful for.  I miss my boy but I know he's safe in God care as he travels the world with LCU's study abroad group. 

Today was a laid back day to enjoy the festivities of the Macy's Day Parade.  At Frankie's request we watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Special. And when we had rested a bit from our big feast we enjoyed a sliver of cheesecake or two.  There may have been some napping in the late afternoon! 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Food, Fun, & Family

Today was another fun day with my Mom and the girls!  I think we ate our way through the day! We started our day off with biscuits and smorgasbord of homemade jams! 

Next we headed over to Studio Movie Grill to see the newly released Wonder movie. The movie is the heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. It was based on the New York Times Best Seller, Wonder!  The book and movie were both very heartwarming! 

After our morning matinee we took on a little more shopping at the Shops of Legacy, taking Mom to our favorite Kendra Scott store and a few others. Next we gave Mom a tour of the Collin College campus where Abigail attends.

By that time, of course we had worked up an appetite so we had a late lunch at PF Chang's.  It was so good!  I think the lettuce wraps and egg drop soup were my favorites. I think we came home with more food than we ate, but all of it was delicious! Abigail has already begun searching the Internet for copy cat recipes of the lettuce wraps! It was a really good day together! 

The eye that mocks a father

    and scorns to obey a mother

will be picked out by the ravens of the valley

    and eaten by the vultures.

Proverbs 30:17

Mom's Here!

Hooray, my mom is in town for the week of Thanksgiving! So where is the first place we head?  Off to the mall of course!  We got in a little, OK, a lot of early Christmas shopping together.  It was a great time of visiting and catching up while hanging out with the girls.  We also helped Santa check off a few names off the Nice List. 

Fun fact, if you hang out at the mall long enough you may run into friends!

After all that walking we certainly burned off a few calories to spare towards a delicious homemade Oreo cheesecake! And yes, it was as good as it sounds.  

A wise child makes a glad father,

    but a foolish child is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 10:1

Texas Bible Bowl Informative Speech for Jr. Toastmasters

Tonight Abigail gave her first informative speech of the school year with Jr. Toastmasters. It is a speech to provide the listener with information about a topic, the requirements include having visuals.  For Abigail's visuals she passed out the previous Texas Bible Bowl test, all six rounds! 

Want to try your hand at it?  Click HERE to print it out!  Just remember to pay attention to the times allowed on each section (time appears on the bottom of each page) and whether it is open or closed Bible (listed in heading)! 

If you want to participate in Texas Bible Bowl, I made my study materials available on Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,

    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

for I give you good precepts;

    do not forsake my teaching.

Proverbs 4:1-2

Iron Sharpens Iron

Our sweet Ms. Aimee came to visit our Bible Bowl class today! Back in 2000 at the Owasso congregation, Jon coordinated Leadership Training for Christ. At that time an 8th grade Aimee and a 7th grade Frankie were part of the Bible Bowl group.  Jon taught the boys including Aimee's brother Brooks.  I taught Frankie's group.

Ms. Aimee came by to encourage our class in their studies and pursuit of learning God’s Word! It’s so rewarding to see ‘our kids’ serving in the Lord’s work and encouraging another generation! It was so sweet to see my 'big kids' with my younger kids!  Ms. Aimee brought her sweet babies in with her, too!  Hard to believe she had a kindergartner! 

I love that these kids can see that what they are learning now will benefit them as adults when they serve in the Lord's body where ever life takes them! 

We had no idea in 2000 when Aimee and Frankie were studying 2 Kings for LTC in Oklahoma that by 2002 they would be at McDermott preparing for LTC and studying Genesis together!

As iron sharpens iron,

    so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

Canning Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Pinterest sucked me in again with an endless feed of canning recipes that I had never tried.  Since it is that time of year for Thanksgiving dinner, I was enticed by recipes I found for homemade cranberry sauce.  It is one of my Mom's favorite holiday dishes.  But I have to confess she always refrigerated a can and sliced it up to serve.

Canning cranberry sauce would give me that same convenience but with a delicious homemade flavor!  I wanted a recipe that I could use my Instant Pot to quickly cook my sauce.  Next, I wanted a recipe that I could use the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker to hands free complete the jelling process.  The results were delicious.  

Cranberry Sauce

32oz fresh cranberries (2 lb. bag)

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice 

1/4 cup water

1/2 C granny smith apple, peeled and diced 

Small pat of butter

3½ cups sugar

Spice Pouch

1 large piece of orange rind (pith removed)

6 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick 

Cheese cloth and string to tie pouch

Remove the cranberry stems. Rinse cranberries under cold running water. Discard the soft, discolored and wrinkly ones.  Prepare a spice pouch with orange peel (remove the pith), cloves and cinnamon stick.  Tie with string.  The spice pouch will let the spices flavor your cranberries but allow you to easily remove them. 

Combine cranberries,  orange juice, water, diced apple, butter and spice pouch into the Instant Pot.   Close lid and pressure cook on Manual at High Pressure for 1 minute followed by 7 minutes of Natural Release. Manual release after 7 minutes and remove lid. 

When the cranberries have cooled slightly, remove the spice pouch and use a hand blender to puree cranberries and apples. When they are the desired consistency stir in sugar.  You can puree the cranberries smooth or leave them a little chunky with fruit. 

Pour the cranberries and sugar into the Ball Jam and Jelly maker with the Stirrer. 

Press  jelly button – the cook time will automatically default to 25 minutes. Press enter. After 4 minutes the appliance will sound 4 short beeps indicating that it is time to add the sugar.  Since the sugar was added at the beginning of the recipe, ignore these beeps.  

The Ball Jam and Jelly Maker will continue to automatically stir your cranberry sauce while it cooks. Stay within earshot of the Jam & Jelly Maker, the appliance will beep again at the end of the process signaling cooking is complete. Press cancel and unplug the appliance.

Remove Stirrer using a pot holder. 

At this point you could serve; or refrigerate your cranberry sauce; or can. 

To can spoon the hot cranberry sauce into Ball Wide-Mouth Pint Jars and using the water bath method, process jars in boiling water for 15 minutes.

The cranberry sauce will be thick, dark burgundy red, and glossy. Because these have been water bathed that are shelf staple for a year.  A few days before serving remember to refrigerate your jar.   To serve you can use a table knife and slide around the edge and it will slide out.  At this point you could slice the cranberry sauce OR use a spoon to serve your sauce fluffy in bowl! 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Congrats, Mason and Wright!

What a wonderful day to celebrate the wedding of Wright and Mason!  Mason grew up at McDermott with Caleb and Richard.  Mason and Wright attended college at Tech in Lubbock and they all attended the Sunset Church of Christ together.  It's hard to believe the kids are growing up and getting married!  But it was sweet and beautiful to see them begin their new lives together. 

Mason's youngest sister, Delaney is Abigail's age and they have grown up together.  The girls had a great time surrounded in the romance and grandeur of the event.  

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  Ephesians 5:25

Fun Friday

I was excited to return to help out at the preschool today for Fun Friday.  Fun Friday is a special event day for the three and four year old.  We had a western theme!  

We had a great time building a camp fire in our class room.  Lots of western themed crafts. There were western twists on our songs, you know Lord's Army (Cowboy Style)!  For our Bible story we took a look at Moses. So much fun with the kids!

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. Exodus 18:5