Family Time Picks for January and February

A.W. Pink once said: "The Bible is not designed for lazy people.  Truth has to be bought (Prov. 23:23), but the slothful and worldly minded are not willing to pay the price required. That "price" is intimated in Proverbs 2:1-5: there must be a diligent applying of the heart, a crying after knowledge, a seeking for an apprehension of spiritual things with the ardour and determination that men employ when seeking for silver; and a searching for a deeper and fuller knowledge of the truth such as men put forth when searching for hid treasures - persevering until their quest is successful - if we would really understand the things of God.  Those who complain that these articles are "too difficult" or "too deep" for them, do but betray the sad state of their souls and reveal how little they really value the truth; otherwise they would ask God to enable them to concentrate, and reread these pages perseveringly until they made their contents their own.  People are willing to work and study hard and long to master one of the arts or sciences, but where spiritual and eternal things are concerned it is usually otherwise."

How true his words were and very much still are today. How many times have I been told: "I've gone as deep as I want to go," or "I don't have time to read the Bible," or "I have other things I have to do," or "Look at all the ministry things I do and how I serve at church... that is how I serve God", or how many people simply read the Bible without meditating on its truths or even think about what it means to apply it to their life? Today's culture has lost the love of simply being alone with God and seeking Him.

Does it take time? Yes. Does it take discipline and determination? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Is the wisdom gained worth as much as gold and silver? It is worth much more!  Sadly, convincing others of that truth is not easy. Even though (as the western church) we say we are christians, where we we prioritize our time paints a much different picture. Statistically we are spending 40+ hours a week watching TV (and that doesn't include the time spent on the web, playing video games, reading novels, sports, etc...). Jesus takes a back seat to our other priorities. Where our time and money is... there is where our hearts are.

We want our children to grow up with the mind of Christ, with a insatiable love for the Word of God, with a love FOR God which translates into habitually spending time with Him, meditating on and memorizing His word. We want them to see the world how God sees it, to love people how Christ loves people, and to humbly serve Him with their lives. We want them to know about and study the great minds and missionaries of the past (Baxter, Bunyan, Bradford, and the puritans, Edwards, Calvin, Waldo, McCheyne, Murray, Augustine, Brother Andrew, Brother Yun, Mueller, and countless more). We want to teach them to work hard, study hard, and to be men and women of virtue. We want to pass the truths of the faith on to them through a lifestyle of discipleship which is what we see illustrated in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Home schooling Discipleship allows us to pour our time into our children, molding them, training them, teaching them, and demonstrating the love of Christ to them.

Do we struggle and fail? Epically and every day. We constantly have to repent and seek forgiveness from our children and our Lord as He sheds light on our shortcomings. We constantly "examine ourselves" to make sure we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). But is that an excuse to give up? No. Is it hard? Yes. Is it exhausting? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes! Do we have it all figured out? No we do not. With much prayer we seek to know how to raise our children in this manner as we plow through this unbroken ground hoping to pave a family legacy for generations to come. We read books and follow blogs by others who had this vision. We seek other families and listen to teachings from Godly men who are leading their families, pouring into their children, and washing their wives with the water of the word. But we also thank God for the resources that are available to us. Especially, because in the eyes of this culture (and EVEN in the eyes of the typical western church) we are extremists who "take the Word too far.."  Our "friends", family members, acquaintances, and even those within the typical church see us as that family: You know, the weird, unsocialized homeschoolers who eat weird, take the Bible too seriously, have a ba-jillion kids, reject dating and encourage courtship, make-people-want-to-sin, etc... you know.... we are THAT family. So to have a community of believers who have the same vision is invaluable!

But while we are serious about God's Word and giving them a Biblical worldview, it does not mean that it is a "dry" and super-serious undertaking that bores our kids to death... quite the opposite. There is so much wonderful, biblically-founded media out there and we are always looking for more things to learn from. But finding a place to start can be overwhelming, so I wanted to share some things that have blessed our family time so far this year! We are fortunate to have resources available to help immerse our family in the truth of God's Word and the application of it to everyday life! These resources have been so fun the last several weeks, and while we don't do them ALL EVERYDAY, we have routinely used all of them the past couple of months.

Balancing the Sword - This is a 2 volume set that gives questions/answers for every chapter of the Bible. It is filled with awesome illustrations and quotations from a variety of Christ followers of old. We use it to ask the kids questions about their daily Bible readings from their chronological reading plan and their monthly Proverbs reading plan.

Trial and Triumph - This is a book with several biographies of people in church history. It has been a great family read-a-long spurring many great discussions. From Peter Waldo, Augustine, Anselm, Bunyan, St. Patrick, etc. there are 46 biographies and you are sure to learn a lot!


Dangerous Journey - This is a great retelling of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress with AWESOME illustrations! Another great read-a-long stirring great family discussions!

How A Spider Saved A Man's Life and 51 Other Spurgeon Stories - We love C. H. Spurgeon and this little, fun book of children's stories is just great! They are concise, interesting, and keep our kids wanting us to read several at a sitting. There are great lessons to be learned from each story.  There is also a 2nd volume by the same author that we will definitely be getting!

The Peleg Chronicles - This series of 3 books is set in post-Babel times where paganism abounds. But there are some who still believe in Noah's God! The Bible speaks of huge beasts and giant people... what would it have been like to live back then??? Join us in reading about dwarfs, dragons, giants, and the faithfulness of a few in this series. These novels are packed with scripture and action. My 10 year old and I are reading them now. My 7 year old will begin soon. We are loving this series!

How to Disciple Your Family - a 200 Year Plan - I got my husband this DVD series for Christmas and we are carefully working through it. It has been great in giving us a model for family discipleship, prayer points for our kids and generations to come, a family catechism, etc... Doug Phillips and Geoffry Botkin are the presenters on the DVD's. Both of them are great teachers and examples of fathers who are raising godly children. I would definitely recommend this series (and almost anything that Vision Forum sells)!

The Kingdom Series - Wow... what can I even say about this series to do it justice? This is a series of 6 books (we purchased the audiobook version) that is a medieval parallel to the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Be sure to click on the link to read more about the plot... but I highly recommend this! The audio (drama) books are SOOOOOO well done! Because our family tends to spend a lot of time on the road, we listen to it in the truck during our hour long trips between here and out west. The story has ALL of us captivated and sitting on the edge of our seats! It is really worth the money! I love how the audiobook allows us all to enjoy it together! Even our 2 year old begs us to turn it on!

Well, there you have it! These are the resources that are blessing us at the moment! What are your family's favorites????

The Gold Mine in Your Own Backyard!

I really thought that I would have a lot more time to blog when I decided to create one... however, it seems like maybe once a month I actually get the chance to sit down and type. But, several times a week I find myself blogging in my head.... those blogs just never seem to make it to my fingers! However, I have been meaning to share about this topic for a couple of months now... Your local thrift store!

Yes.... this is probably OLD news to most people. And NO, I am not a "name brand" snob who only shops at Gap, The Children's Place, Old Navy, Dillards, etc...(In fact, my favorite things are hand-me-downs!)  But I haven't until recently made it a habit to make it to our local thrift store. In fact, I have lived here for nearly 13 years and my first time frequenting it was 2 months ago.  Why? I suppose that it is because I heard some rumors about it 13 years ago and it tainted my expectations of the store and I never revisited the thought of going there.

Well, I could not have been more wrong in not shopping at the thrift store. It is a GOLD MINE! It is very well organized, they are very picky about the clothing items that they choose to sell, the volunteers are great, the prices are great, and they even have great sales!

So what kind of treasures have I found? First and foremost: kids' clothes (especially blue jeans). Just a side note here... I'm not sure how a kid is able to actually outgrow a pair of jeans without getting a hole in the knee... I don't know that I have ever had that happen... and if it ever did, the next kid to inherit the jeans would certainly "do them in"... So blue jeans are a constant need in our family. If I have to pay full price for a new pair of jeans, then the holes in the knees really don't bother me. But if I can get a pair for $1.50 or less, then SOLD!  So, my favorite thing to browse through is kids' clothes....  But that is not all!!!

I recently have been wanting a few long denim skirts (A-line and tiered), but I have been too cheap to buy any online at $25-60 each. My first trip to the thrift shop yielded me FOUR long, denim skirts all in my size... 3 were A-line and one was tiered!!!! And the price? Less than $8 for all four of them (Gap, Maurices, and Lands End were the brands).  Then, we were in the need of 2 pairs of snow pants for our growing kids.... I actually could have gotten by with one, but my 4 year old son really didn't want to wear the pink pair that was passed down to him from big sister... So, back to the thrift store I went and I found just what I needed. And even better, it was "bag" day where a bag full of clothes costs only $3. I have also gotten 2 down vests (Lands End and Cabelas), a pair of insulated work bibs for my 10 year old, a pair of Keen mary jane shoes, a bread machine for my mom ($2.50), a RED crock pot that is perfect for overnight oatmeal (my recipe eliminates the last 4 ingredients of hers... we sweeten the next morning with raw honey), a like-new pair of camo waterproof, insulated, hunting boots, gallon and 1/2 gallon jars, drinking glasses, etc... In fact, my husband has never been there and it is his new favorite store!

OK, I'll stop going on and on about my finds right now.... but in case I'm not the ONLY one who is fairly new to the thrift store shopping experience, I wanted to give a few hints on what you might need that your thrift store "probably" has... Coffee pot carafes... Haven't you ever broken one? and when you went to Walmart to replace it, the carafe was more expensive than a whole new coffee maker??? Try looking at a thrift store instead! Our local store has a whole basket full of various carafes just waiting for a new home. What about soccer shoes for your kids? Instead of buying a brand new pair for the 6 week season, you might find a whole selection of shoes that were only used for 6 weeks the year before! And what about kids' dress shoes? I can't tell you how many times I have bought new black dress shoes for my oldest's piano concert and they were only worn one time (because ALL of his other dress clothes are earth tones which doesn't necessitate a pair of black shoes). Well, judging by the selection of black dress shoes, I'm guessing other moms have done the exact same thing! Other barely worn things that tend to abundantly find their way to the thrift shop are: snow clothes, holiday items, vases, glass ware, glass tea trays, dress clothes, small appliances, special occasion shoes (snow boots, dress shoes, soccer shoes, etc), purses, wallets, duffel bags, yarn, sheets, material, etc...

I don't want to down play Goodwill stores because some of them are very nice and I have found a lot of good things there too. Our local Goodwill is also great, but honestly, their prices are higher than our local thrift store, and they aren't as picky as to what they sell. That means that I have to "dig" harder to find clothes in good condition than I do at the thrift store. But if Goodwill is all you have, by all means go treasure hunting there... but don't discount your local thrift shop just because they don't have the advertising dollars.

Well, there you have it, my two cents worth on thrift store shopping! What is your favorite thrift store find????

Part II: Bosch vs. Kitchen Aid

OK, I have played around with the Bosch Universal Plus mixer for a few weeks now, using it for a variety of mixing needs, so I feel that I can give a (somewhat) educated opinion of how it measures up.

Bowl - The professional Kitchen Aid (KA) comes with a stainless steel bowl that has a handle (yeah... we love the handle when we are transferring the contents to another dish). The smaller KA had a palm-sized "foot" that you used to lock it into the mixer... the foot was very handy to hold on to when I dumped the contents out... even though it wasn't a true handle. The Bosch came with a plastic bowl, but the ss bowl is also available. Since my husband is so great, he also purchased the ss bowl. I love ss, but unfortunately, the Bosch ss bowl does not have a handle which did make it tricky holding on to it while I was scraping out the contents. The plastic bowl already had a couple of strikes against it in my mind (because it was plastic), but after using it, I have to digress. It has a bit of a different design than the ss in that it has a lip that goes all around the top edge of the bowl. This lip makes it super easy to hang on to when transferring contents. Also, even though it is plastic, it is a nice, heavy duty, plastic that is not flimsy at all. The one weird thing that I will mention, is that the Bosch bowls have a "cone" that sticks up from the middle of them. This is where the beaters attach and they are controlled by the motor which is underneath the bowl. The cone really isn't a problem cleaning, but it is different and it takes some getting used to.

Splash guard - I purchased a splash guard for my smaller KA, but the professional one came with it. It is a clear plastic that sits on top of the bowl and has a spout that allows you to pour ingredients into the bowl while mixing. The splash guard does not attach securely to the bowl, making it very easy to dislodge. It also doesn't do that great of a job preventing splashes. In fact, when I make butter, I have to take a large tea towel and drape completely over my mixer and splash guard to keep buttermilk from spattering all over my kitchen. The Bosch motor controls the beaters from underneath rather than the top of the bowl. Because of this design, the splash guard that comes with it is actually a lid. It is clear plastic and it fastens securely on top of the bowl. There is no mess, no splatters, and best of all.... it guards against any little fingers getting ripped off and mixed into the batter.... Only by the Lord's grace have my children escaped "helping" mix without losing some fingers because of the race to be the first one to taste the cookie dough!

Multi-tasking - Because of the beaters being "exposed" on the KA, I can not really turn my back on the machine because of keeping a watchful eye on my kiddos and their fingers... In addition, if I am working with any kind of "stiff" dough, the machine will "walk", so I have to be aware of it walking off of the counter. Of course, you could prevent this by setting the mixer in the sink...  With the Bosch, it does not walk, the beaters are not exposed, and I am able to get other things done around the kitchen without "babysitting" the mixer.

Beaters - The KA came with metal beaters, dough hooks, and whisks. The Bosch came with metal whisks and dough hooks. Cookie paddles are sold separately and the attachment for the paddles is metal, but the paddles themselves are plastic. My great hubby also purchased the cookie paddles.... ummmm probably because he really loves cookies he really loves me. I was skeptical about the cookie paddles because of them being plastic... but I have to digress again, they are super sturdy and do a great job. The thing with the Bosch, is that the design allows for a 2-sided dough hook, 2 whisks, and 2 cookie paddles. The KA has one of each. You wouldn't think that it would make a difference, but it really does. The whipping, mixing, beating, and kneeding with the Bosch is fantastic... and YES... I could tell the difference. They say in bread making that the double hook helps really develop the gluten (whatever that means). The motor handled my dough like a breeze and the bread rose wonderfully... despite it being like 20 degrees outside. So maybe there is something to this "gluten developing thing". I also made some brownies (heavenlyhomemakers.com has a great, healthier brownie recipe that I've used for quite awhile now). Mixing it with the Bosch made them even better than they were before. Probably because I mixed them up a lot longer because I was distracted multi-tasking, knowing that little fingers weren't getting in the beaters! I also made butter the other day with the Bosch. I've been making butter weekly for about a year now. I've tried every tip out there to get it done faster, but no matter what, it is going to take about 20 or 30 minutes to turn the cream into butter. And then, I have to clean up the thoroughly splattered, red, mixer.  I really didn't expect the Bosch to decrease the time for butter making, but I was excited that I wasn't going to splatter up my kitchen because the lid is really a LID! But, the butter was done in about 10-15 minutes! I am attributing this to having a double sided whisk... but what do I know? All I know, was that it was much faster and the clean up was quicker!

Attachments - I can't speak much about this, as I don't have a lot of them. I have the pasta making attachments for the KA, and I love them. Bosch also has them available, but I don't have them. I have the blender attachment for the Bosch and I love it... but there could be some improvements. First, it is a clear plastic... for the money, why can't it be glass? Also, there isn't a pour spout. However, it does pour out smoothies just fine. The metal blades are quite sturdy and sharp, and the base that the blender fits in to is also a metal attachment. However, at the bottom of the blender (that has the part that fits into the metal thingy that will spin the blades) is not metal. It would seem that it should also be metal. But so far, so good. I haven't broken it yet and smoothie making with ice tends to give blenders around here a run for their money.

I have read reviews that say the the KA is better for small batches of whatever and the Bosch is better for large, however, I used the KA for large batches of cookie dough all the time and it did fine. However, I have tried the Bosch with a small batch just to see if it was true and I would have to disagree. It did just fine on a small batch. That being said, on my smaller KA, whenever I did a larger batch of cookies or bread dough, the dough would climb up the beater and wrap itself around that little springy thing that the beater attached to and it did make it a bit of a bear to clean up. I also noticed that my smaller KA would leak oil or some type of black stuff from where the beater attaches. I've read reviews where others had similar problems. I did not experience this with the larger KA.

So there you have it... my not-so-professional opinion of Bosch vs. Kitchen Aid. Which one would I recommend? Probably the Bosch. However, if you have a KA already, that doesn't mean chuck it to replace it. I have enjoyed my KA throughout the years. However, if you plan on making a lot of bread, the Bosch definitely wins... hands down. But if you don't have any kind of a mixer yet, I would encourage you to check out the Bosch. Money-wise, the professional KA and the Bosch are similar in price (unless you count a possible trip to the ER to attach a finger that got caught in the KA.... then that makes the Bosch much cheaper)!

Part I: Kitchenaid vs. Bosch... One Mom's Opinion....

I think that it has been about one year since I started making all of our family's bread from scratch.... and from scratch I mean gathering the wheat, cleaning the wheat, grinding the wheat, and THEN making the bread. I do not use a bread machine, but I'm all about utilizing a mixer to mix up the dough! I have owned a Kitchen aid mixer for about a dozen or so years... and I have loved it. However, its bowl was only about 4 quarts which was becoming a challenge for my ever-expanding family. But honestly, the real reason I wanted it to die was because I wanted a RED one! However, my faithful mixer would not die. But as my bread making expanded, my little mixer was not keeping up: the bowl wasn't big enough, the motor wasn't powerful enough, (and it wasn't red.... because I know that the color really makes a difference on performance). So last spring, I decided that I had a good enough reason to upgrade my mixer.

Now, enter in the blogging world of information.... I can't say that I wasn't warned. In nearly every blog of faithful breadmakers, it was recommended that the best mixer to get would be the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine. Their expertise was that the Kitchen aid would not keep up with the 800 watt motor of the Bosch. Problem: the Bosch isn't RED.... and quite frankly, it isn't really attractive either... I told myself that I had to get the Kitchen aid because I had the pasta attachments for a Kitchen aid (and it comes in red). I mean, the professional model has a 575 watt motor... surely that is good enough right? And it's RED!

So, I saved my pennies and dimes, and for an early birthday gift my generous mother-in-law pitched in and bought me the beautiful, RED, professional model Kitchen aid about 6 months ago (and I gifted my little Kitchen aid to my friend). WOO HOO! Let the bread making begin! I have made dozens of loaves of bread since then with the Kitchen aid, and I hadn't really given the Bosch another thought... until December... when my Kitchen aid DIED right in the middle of my batch of dough! So how did it handle all of the bread making? It was mediocre, but all that was masked by the fact that it is red.  My recipe makes 4 loaves, and I do 2 batches at a time (actually I'm doing 3 batches at a time now). Before I consistently soaked my grains overnight, the Kitchen aid handled the dough OK. The motor did get hot and you definitely could hear it struggling at times, but it always managed to conquer the dough and we were on our merry way to fresh bread. I did have to stand by the mixer and "baby sit" it because if I didn't, it would walk its way off of the counter.  But after I started soaking the grains (which tended to yield a "stiffer" lump of dough to initially work through the next day), the Kitchen aid really started to bog down... culminating in dying right before my very eyes! I was horrified!  Thankfully, Kohls didn't need a receipt to exchange it and my DH was going to town that afternoon anyway and he graciously exchanged my mixer for another, beautiful, RED, Kitchen aid.

Funny thing is: as I unpacked the new, RED, Kitchen aid.... there was this little green card on top that said that the motor had a protective sensor that would shut the machine off if the motor overheated... and if you waited 20 minutes, it would again start..... OOPS.... maybe my first Kitchen aid wasn't broken after all... Oh well. So I continued with my bread making ventures! The very FIRST time I used the NEW Kitchen aid, I was mixing up my second of three batches of bread and it DIED... just like the first mixer! GRRRRRRRRR! This time I figured it was that protective sensor, so I waited 20 minutes.... still no power... 30 minutes... still no power... 40 minutes... 45 minutes... FINALLY, it turned on again. This was not exactly my most efficient experience in bread making! All this time I am lamenting that I didn't listen to all of the wise women's advice on the Bosch! I briefly mentioned to my husband that some time in the far off future, it would be nice to have the Bosch...

Little did I know, my DH decided to surprise me with a Bosch mixer for Christmas!!!!! I was super surprised!!!!  And now that I have used it a fair amount, I thought I would share my opinion of how the 2 mixers "match" up! My DH also got me the blender attachment for the Bosch, so I use the machine nearly every day in some fashion. The blender gets used for kefir smoothies, and I've used the mixer for cornbread, bread, cookies, etc...  It does a fantastic job. It effortlessly mixes stiff bread dough, developed the gluten (my bread did a fantastic job rising... even in the cold of winter), I love the lid that REALLY keeps everything contained while mixing... i.e. - there is not flour flying out over the top of the bowl... and it is easy to run. My 7 year old made double chocolate whole wheat cookies all by herself tonight using it.

So all-in-all, I am loving my Bosch even though it is not red... I will be writing a more detailed side-by-side comparison of the Kitchen aid vs. Bosch in part 2 of this post... coming soon!

In The Mood for Ginger...

I love gingerbread cookies.... I didn't use to, but after finding this recipe from Our Best Bites I am addicted! In my mind, this is a seasonal cookie... so I generally only make them during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.  Since we have radically changed the ingredients we cook with during the past year, I was excited to alter the recipe and give it a shot using "healthier" ingredients.  The result????  AMAZING! And even better than the original recipe!!!!

While I am completely in the "ginger" mode, I thought that gingerbread granola sounded fun and yummy... so I thought I'd give it a try last night. However, I was planning on using my "normal" granola recipe as the backbone for gingerbread granola and I couldn't find a recipe that was similar. I didn't look too hard, (so I'm not saying that there wasn't a comparable one out there) but I went ahead and made up my own concoction. It also turned out to be amazing!!!  The recipe below shows what I did originally, but next time I will probably just do 2 cups of honey and 1 whole cup of molasses.

So in case you might be in the mood for some gingerbread recipes.... here is what I did:

Gingerbread granola... it might last us a couple of days...

Homemade yogurt with gingerbread granola and Ginger spice cookies!

Ginger Spice Cookies - (adapted from Our Best Bites)
Ingredients:
3/4 C real butter or palm oil shortening
1 C sucanat (plus extra for rolling the cookies in)
1 large egg
1/4 C molasses
2 C fresh milled whole wheat flour
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 Combine butter and sucanat and cream until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg and the molasses and beat until well mixed. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls by hand and roll in sugar.(The kids love this part).
Place on cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set around the edges and you start to see “crackling” on the top.
Don’t overbake! They will be soft and chewy in the middle!!!!
Yield: about 4 dozen


Gingerbread Granola -
Keep in mind that we have lots of hungry kids at our house... so the following recipe is actually tripled. If you're family is not as hungry as we are, you can adjust it accordingly... :) Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place baking rack in TOP position.

12 cups rolled oats
3 cups unsweetened coconut
3 cups dried cranberries
3 cups dried apples (optional... I added some that I had dehydrated this summer because I thought  
                                they would add a nice touch...)
2-3 cups mixed nuts of your liking... (I threw in some organic trail mix I had on hand)
3 t ground ginger
1 t cloves
1/2 cup flax (optional)
3 t cinnamon

Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a saucepan melt together:
3 cups coconut oil
2 1/4 cups honey
1/2 cup molasses

Pour oil/honey/molasses mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Dump granola onto a PARCHMENT lined pan. Spread out evenly and bake at 300 for 20 minutes. Stir after 20 minutes and bake for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container. You can eat it dry, with milk, with yogurt, or make it into granola bars!

Our Family's Favorite Gifts....

I am much later in getting this written than I intended to be.... good grief, most people have their Christmas shopping done already... but better late than never, right? Over the years and especially as we have added more arrows into our quiver, it seems like choosing gifts becomes harder. Why? Because we don't necessarily need anything (especially more toys). And the things we want we probably already have. But we have discovered different items over the years that are durable, maintain the kids' interest over time, are educational, and are just plain fun! Here are some of our family's favorites....

MAGNATILES - We LOVE these toys! They come in solid or translucent colors and in packs of 32, 48, or 100. They are great for kids of any age and the sky is the limit on what you can build with them. We have 2 sets of 100 tiles that our kids all play with. We prefer the translucent tiles that you can see through. The kids have built parking garages, castles, corrals, roads, boxes, etc....  After the structure is built, then the kids pull out their horses, cars, or whatever other toy they can come up with to play in the magna-tile building.  As I linked up to the product page on Amazon, I did notice that the price has really increased since we bought our last set 2 years ago. I did always tend to get a better price on ebay than on Amazon, so shop around. The last time I bought a set of 100, I gave 4 of my kids each 25 pieces to unwrap for Christmas... No, they didn't fight over whose piece was whose... and ultimately, they are all stored in the same box.... but they all did have their own gift to unwrap. These are very durable, they don't take up much room when they are stored, and even the little ones can build with them.

Balance Bikes - These are amazing! My mom bought my 2 and 4 year old each one of these for their birthdays (a 12 and 16inch size)... and seeing my 4 year old now riding a pedal bike without training wheels... I am sold on these things!  In the past, my kids have had training wheels and when they were 5ish, we took off the training wheels and many hours, tears, pushes, coaching, and frustrations later... they finally figured out how to ride. The balance bike eliminates most of that. The kids learn on their own how to balance and use their upper body to control the front half of the bike by just pushing themselves along with their feet.  Once my 4 year old was balancing for a few feet consistently (of course once he ran out of momentum he had to put his feet down) I switched him over to the "real" bike without training wheels, gave him a push, and off he went pedaling away! The first time! Woo Hoo!!!! Note that we live in the country, so the kids didn't have the luxury of pavement... and they worked just fine on dirt.

Qwirkle - We got this game a couple of years ago and we just love it. It consists of 6 colors of 6 different shapes and you form a "crossword puzzle" type of pattern by playing groups of colors and shapes. This is fun for the little kids as well as the older kids.

HISSS - We got this game for the little kids/toddlers last year. I wasn't sure what to expect but it really is fun! You draw cards which each have a part of a snake on them (head, body, or tail) and lay them out to make different snakes. It does a good job teaching color matching, counting, etc... It is super fun seeing the multicolored snakes you create. Even the older kids love playing this game with the itty-bitties...

Orchard - This is another game that is great for the little kids/ toddlers. It comes in a few different sizes, we got the mini version. Essentially you roll the dice and collect the fruit from the trees. The goal is to try to collect all of the fruit before the raven gets it. The players work together to beat the raven, rather than competing against each other. Again, this is even fun for my bigger kids.

Settlers of Catan - Last year was our first experience with European board games... and WOW! We love them.  This game has become my husband's favorite and each time it is different. Our 7 and 10 year old are even able to play (it is my 10 year old's favorite game too).  There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you have played a couple of times you will be hooked! The game has several expansion packs to add on to the original and also a 5 and 6 player add-on that increases the board size.  I will let you go to the link to read more about the game/strategy... but rest assured.... your family will love this game! It takes about 45 minutes or so to play.

Ticket to Ride - This is another European board game that we love! There are US and Europe versions. Essentially, you are building train routes across the US trying to get the most routes completed, the most points, and the longest track. This one is a bit simpler to learn than Catan... 5 and 6 year olds on up to adults are able to play this.  I had a game night last year with a couple of my friends and each of them loved it so much that they bought one for their families.  Again, you can't go wrong with this game. We have loved European games so much that we are trying out some new ones for Christmas this year...

Lauri Toys - This company has a variety of great toys for toddlers/preschoolers. They are "foam" and depending on which toy... they help teach, colors, shapes, fine motor skills, building, letters, creativity etc... We have the shape and color sorter, peg set, travel set, and lower case alphabet set. These are great for entertaining the little ones during school time.

Vision Forum 18" Dolls - Want an alternative to the "American Girl" doll? Then this is your doll! Yes, they are pricey (so are the American Girls), but they are very nice. Last year we bought our 5 and 6 year old girls each a doll. (We also bought them an outfit and book set...). They were told that they needed to take care of them. Here we are, a year later, and the girls play with them nearly every day, and both dolls still look like new. Unlike other dolls that have been at the bottom of the toybox for months, these dolls have maintained their "elite" status.  Not to mention that you support a Christian company by ordering them. If you watch, you can get great deals too, they frequently go on sale.

Bicycles - Here is our philosophy on bikes.... go to a bike store and get a good one... especially if you have multiple kids that will be growing into them.  We have Trek and Specialized (mostly Trek though because that is what our local store carries).  We have found by experience, that the walmart bikes have completely worn out by the time 2 kids have used them. Whereas the better quality ones perform better and last longer.  As our oldest child outgrows a bike.... he moves up a size and the rest of the bikes are passed down to the next-in-line.  (That being said, we did buy a Trek for our 6 year old this year. They have a 6 speed, 20 inch that is a perfect bike for learning to shift on. The grandparents and aunts all chipped in to be a part of this gift to help with the cost.)  You can also look for used Trek (et. al.) bikes. We bought one used from our neighbors and some specialty shops also sell used bikes and/or have trade in plans. Our local store takes Trek trade ins and gives you 40% of your original purchase price towards the purchase of a new Trek... This is a great deal!!!!!

Trampoline - We bought our trampoline when our oldest was only 2... sure, probably kind of early for that sort of thing... but 8 years and a bunch more kids later, the trampoline still stands and is still a favorite play thing. The kids jump on it, kick balls around on it, seek refuge from the dog on it, read books on it.... we love our trampoline!  We got the large size that is sold at Sam's, I have never regretted getting a big one.

Well, this is certainly not a comprehensive list... but these are some of our top picks! Other things we love are family experiences: zoo, Cosmosphere, museums, etc...  Happy shopping and enjoy the season. I don't know about you, but I am so thankful for online shopping and the convenience of getting my lists completed without having to fight the crowds!!!!

We pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas season and spend time increasing and abounding in your love for our Savior!!! We have a Savior who loves us, died for us, and atones for us... and that is the Good News! Merry CHRISTmas!

A Meeting with the LORD...

Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the LORD. (Exodus 34:4-5 ESV)

On Thursday mornings (at 6 a.m.) a couple of ladies and I get together to study God's Word.  We have studied many different topics over the last couple of years. Last week we listened to this sermon by John Barnett on Daily Devotions.  We listened to it several months ago too, but a refresher never hurts. It is a great little sermon about hearing from the Lord and having a meaningful quiet time. This morning I was reviewing my notes and was reading in Exodus. This part of scripture really spoke to me and came alive with application.  Now, I am all about going "deep" into the Word and to the original languages... but there was no need for that this morning. Going "deep" has its merits, but a lot of time, the application and meaning is so plainly laid out that it is mind boggling. Today was one of those days where the simplicity is just stunning. So... if you are expecting a grand exposition of scripture... I'm not your person, and this is not your post...

I hear from God much more clearly when I have a pen and a journal in hand. Or rather, I pay more attention to God's promptings when I write them down and meditate on those scriptures I've journaled about.

Moses was prepared to hear from the LORD. He cut 2 tablets of stone. They were blank slates prepared with the anticipation that the Lord would fill them up.  I have never cut tablets of stone, but I imagine that the process takes time and patience.  As far as I can tell, God had created/cut the first tablets (Ex. 32:16  The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.) If so, I'm sure Moses was all the more careful to create the tablets to look as close to the original as he could. At any rate, I should not think it so hard to "trouble" myself to find an appropriate notebook or journal and pen to bring with me to meet with the LORD.... to be prepared beforehand and to expect that God will speak with me. (And for Pete's sake, when my journal is getting filled up.... get to Hobby Lobby and get another one!)

And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded...

I believe giving God our first fruits also includes our time. In tithing our money, we give off of the top (or give to God first). I should give God the first of my day as well.  And in order to do that, I need to get up earlier. A simple Bible search on "early morning" yielded many, many examples of people rising early in obedience to the Lord to hear from Him and worship Him. These were people who were far more busy and distracted than I am.  (I mean, really! They had to raise their dinner, catch it, kill it, clean it, and cook it... all before eating it!  Very often they had to do this! They also didn't have dish washers, washing machines, vehicles, etc....  These people were BUSY!) So the excuse of "I'm too busy to have a good quiet time" is just not going to "fly".  We are NOT too busy. And if we are too busy, we are filling up our days with unnecessary and/or ungodly things. Repent and simplify! Part of my being a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) means that I should sacrifice some of my sleep in order to meet with the LORD. Having communion with God that yields fruits should give me convictions and truths that I should spend my day meditating on. If my time with God is in the evening (habitually), then it leaves me little time before bed to meditate on the truths Jehovah has shown me.

Moses rose early and went...

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

Do you have a place to go and meet with God? Maybe it is a couch, or closet, or chair, or church... I have tried at times to stay and study in my bed, but I seem to fall back asleep when I do that.  I don't recall that pattern ever being portrayed in the scriptures. Moses went... Jesus departed and went.... Where do I go? What kind of place should I seek? In Ex. 34:3 (No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout the mountain), Moses was to come alone and present himself to God. Mark 1:35 said that Jesus went to a desolate place.  It seems that our "place" should be one where we can be alone and undisturbed and not distracted. I have little kids, so leaving my house isn't the best option, but there are places in my house where distractions and interruptions are minimal.... especially early in the morning...

If early morning doesn't work, this might be the only way to minimize interruptions around this house!!!

 Moses rose early, and went... and took in his hand 2 tablets of stone.

Moses went prepared, taking with him the blank slates in expectation of God filling them. When I come before God and expect him to speak, He always does. And even more-so when I come with pen and paper in hand, ready to record what He gives me. It may be simple or complex truths. It may be a rebuking for something I said or did... or did not do. It may be a call for intercession on behalf of someone. But whatever it is, usually it requires me to make a choice to respond in obedience or to turn and go my own way.  Throughout the day I meditate on what the Lord gave to me and what a blessing it is to share with someone about what the LORD opened my eyes to.

Lastly, we see that the LORD proclaimed: The Lord, the LORD, a god merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (Ex. 34:6-7a).

These qualities/charcteristics of God are so worthy to meditate on. How can I not worship Him? And proclaim His goodness? To one who has been so patient with me: a grave sinner and transgressor of the law... He has pardoned me. He is faithful, gracious, merciful, and abounds in love. And to think that I would value sleep or other worldly things consuming my time above meeting with the all-powerful creator??? Woe is me!

Ex. 34:8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

And so shall I!