Today, was a wonderful day.  We slept until we wanted to get up. then we stayed home. all day. with no agenda. just being together.  It’s been a couple weeks since we could do that.  It was refreshing.
To top it off, my daughter made me two of my favorite meals: mac-n-cheese, with hot dogs and peas for lunch and my favorite avo-cobb-chicken (without the hardboiled eggs, she forgot :D) salad for dinner.

Since we haven’t found a gluten free cake that tastes like “regular” cake we opted to skip that for a desert.  Instead we had what she’s named “Chocolate Delight” – it is a treat I found online {where else but Pinterest}. The original link came from Chocolate Covered Katie.  Hers are pretty and piped into the dish for eating.  I have found canned coconut milk is not the same in Alaska as it was when I was in the mid-West last summer.  It is not as thick.  So the texture of our is more pudding like — but it is oh. so. yummy!

It is made of simple ingredients – 1 can of coconut milk (refrigerated at least 7-8 hours), 1/4 cup + 1Tbsp of cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, sugar to taste (my daughter uses 6 spoonfuls of raw sugar).  For refrigerating the coconut milk – I take it out of the can and put it into a canning jar with a lid in the refrigerator.  Canned coconut milk is what I use in my coffee each morning.  It is now a staple at my house.

The tea cup I got with it’s saucer at an antique store with my cousin last summer.  I love it.

I have had a truly blessed year and look forward to the plans He has for this new year.  I appreciate all of you and your patience over the last couple weeks as posts have become extremely scarce.  It should be changing soon.  Have a blessed day!

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I took my son to get his driving permit.  He wanted to get it while he was still 14.  He had been studying faithfully, but I didn’t know his desire until last weekend.  The morning was insane, we didn’t get out of the house to head to the DMV until 1pm.  I was concerned because history has proven the later in the day you go, the longer you wait in line.  However, God was so good! {of course!}  We got our ticket and only had to wait for 4 people in front of us.  We went in, he took his test {passed!}, got the permit and walked out within 30 minutes.  Thank you Lord!

The next day he turned 15…..wait.what!  My boy is 15!1. We started the day making a radio ad for my dad. {remember that campaign thing I told you about? ya, it doesn’t care what the date is…}  2. Vince’s desire for his birthday was to go shooting & fishing. Right after making the radio ad we went to the archery range where Vince & Christine got to shoot for an hour.  3. Vince showing Christine how to hold a larger bow.  Her bow was too small & he’d brought two.  4. See that angled piece of 2×4?  Ya, guess who forgot the spatula to flip the burgers…  5. Vince getting to use his waders & fish in a creek.  6. See Vince’s fly rod?  He made that!  In Feb. 2011 he took a class and made it.  He was the only kid in the class, but he still loved every moment of making is own 1st fly rod.  7. My horribly ugly attempt at making an angry birds cake.  I hated this year’s busyness & lack of being about to do better.  First Christine made a gluten-free carrot cake, Vince wasn’t sure he was impressed :-D.  So, I bought a carrot cake, we pulled the frosting carrots off, and “decorated” it.  Not pretty, but it got the point across.  We had angry bird plates to eat dinner & smaller ones for cake.  8. This would be the path we drove into our picnic spot.  See that “dip-up”, ya – with my minivan.  I followed the step van in – not sure my dad realized how much lower my van was.  But, we still made it in – 4by’ing isn’t a normal activity for me, especially NOT in my van. 😀  9. The stream I crossed with my van….  10. Fireweed.  Let me tell you a few things about fireweed. First, it is our state flower.  Second, {fact/myth/reality} it is said, as the summer progresses, the fireweed blooms upward.  When it gets to the top, our summer is over.  uhhh, this one had less than an inch to go.  This is not encouraging; I believe you could count our sunny days on less than the fingers on both hands.  Third, I am allergic to it & this means I need to start taking allergy preventing stuff. Already.  11. The view on our drive home.  Look how the sun shines through the clouds over the mountains.  So pretty!  We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful state!!!! 

Another day Vince & I went to high school orientation.  Did you {hear} that?!  How on earth did we get to high school??????!!!!!!  I am super excited Vince wants to home school AND he has an interest in the classes he’ll take and mapping out his high school years.  I don’t mean this to sound prideful, but I am so thankful he is such a good kid.  I know it is only by the grace of God.  I also know that because God gave us freewill it can change at any moment.  Vince is thoughtful towards and kind to others.  He enjoys politics – the political system – the process of campaigning, elections, state government, and federal government.  It will be interesting to see what comes of this interest.

Another day was 19 hours long!  It included three trips into town, with one trip out being 12.5 hours long.  {My goal most days is to not leave the house, and if I do – only once for a couple hours.}  It was a day of campaign, life, friendships, and design work.  It was long, but good.  I even got a couple hours at a bookstore, all by myself.

My brain has been in denial ALL week – driving permit, 15, and high school orientation.  All in the same week!  Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of break between such huge milestones?  {UGH}  Is it any wonder I am exhausted at this end of the week?  I am still hanging onto the following verses.  I have emphasized for what they mean to me.  I am so comforted to know He already has a plan for each of us – and that plan is for our best.  Also, that He listens when we call on Him and pray.  And – the best.  He promises when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:11-13

Today has been spent working to figure out more WordPress, and taking in a campaign picnic – in the dumping rain.  So, there you go – that is a surface level recap of my last week.  I am tired, but He has a plan!

**I have to add I am horrified with the events in Aurora, Colorado.  I’m not trying to ignore what has happened; there just isn’t anything more to say.  My heart aches for the families whose lives have been forever changed.  I hope & pray this tragedy will be what it takes to put many on their knees before Christ.  That those who haven’t before bowed their knee or accepted Christ as their personal Savior, will see the fragility of life and chose to turn to Christ.  I have to cling to and believe what I know that I know – He has a plan, He will be glorified.  Even when it doesn’t make sense in my mind.  **

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Anyway, this last week was another mile-stepping stone for my little family of three.  My baby turned 12!  I am now mom to a 15 yr old & 12 yr old – they are in 9th & 7th grade….how crazy is that?!  

My heart aches at how quickly the last 12 years have gone by.  I am such a different person now than I was then.  The least of which is the obvious – I am now 12 yrs older 😀 … funny how instead I feel as if I’m 12 years younger.   I am thankful for this because it is ONLY by the Grace of God and Him working in me that I can so fully & honestly say, I feel & think of myself as younger and I believe that is okay.

On to the birthday — it started with breakfast and Christine getting to open gifts first thing in mom & dad’s living room.

Here are some pictures of the day:  My view while finishing my coffee & Christine opened gifts.  This is sitting on my mom’s couch ~ the peonies & daisies are from the front porch.

Vince & dad got Christine a 22 for her birthday.  She shot a couple weekends ago for the first time and was quickly hooked.  She is a really good shot. :-D!  They found the gun at a pawn shop, I guess it was in tough shape.  They took it all apart, refinished the wood, cleaned up & oiled it and got it all put back together.

How Vince wrapped the 22 – he rubber banded a bow on :-D:

Then she & I headed out to pick up her birthday cake {yes, I bought both their cakes this year – just absolutely no energy/time to bake a cake and decorate it} and made a quick run into Target to pickup plates & napkins for later in the afternoon.  We actually found a pair of jeans & a t-shirt she like and that fit too!  Skinny jeans and a “regular-old-t-shirt-but-a-cute-one-meant-for-girls”.

Then we headed to a candidate forum.  Both kids were so gracious with the reality of  having to share their birthday with events for the campaign.  I am going to repeat what I said about Vince and I mean it just as heartedly for Christine… I don’t mean this to sound prideful, but I am so thankful she is such a good kid.  I know it is only by the grace of God.  I also know that because God gave us freewill it can change at any moment.  Christine is thoughtful towards & kind to others.  She is also very empathetic, she hurts & feels deeply with others, as much as for herself.  She enjoys design, color, texture.  She can spend hours listening to stories and creating and drawing clothing fashions.  It will be interesting to see what comes of this interest. 

We went up to my Matt & Samantha’s after the forum.  Christine LOVES ribs, so mom had them all ready & we took everything up the road for a beautiful afternoon and family dinner.  When we got up there – Matt was waiting to take Christine, Vince & dad out in the plane to have fun shooting.  What a birthday!  She got a fly-out, target shooting afternoon – with her OWN 22! {I wasn’t there – I didn’t actually take the below picture, my brother did}

While they were gone flying & shooting – mom, Samantha, Ali & I hung out at the cabin.  I took a ton of pictures of sweet Ali.  Here she was smelling the flowers for me.

When they came back we ate dinner, had cake, visited, then they went out shooting again.  This time just a walk away.  At 9:45pm mom & I decided to go find them 9… When we found them, we just had to try it too.  {I am shooting the gun I sold my dad a raffle ticket for when I was in high school, uh 20+ years ago!} I haven’t shot a gun for 10+ years, and this made the 2nd time in my life I have shot, yet I actually hit the target!  Out of the six shots I shot, I got one bull’s eye & 5 in the two circles next out from the bull’s eye.  There was a spinning crow target too, I hit it 2 or 3 times.  I don’t remember how many I shot, but if there were more, they totally missed the target.  I have to say, I was impressed with myself & my kids were proud of me. 😀

I have to admit I am a little excited to see what God has in store.  The last 12 years have gone so quickly, what will the next 12 bring?   Again, reapeating from earlier:

“I am still hanging onto the following verses.  I have emphasized for what they mean to me.  I am so comforted to know He already has a plan for each of us – and that plan is for our best.  Also, that He listens when we call on Him and pray.  And – the best.  He promises when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Then you will call upon meand come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:11-13″

I am so very, very thankful He has it ALL in control!

{side note:  I LOVE that for her 12th birthday she got a 22, clothes, dangly earrings, backpack, notebooks & an obnoxious pen.  So wanting to spend time with her brother, uncle & grandpa; yet, still so girl.}

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