It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that I am about to remove a link under my “praying for” section on the side bar. Reese Renee Kostjuk went Home yesterday, on her first birthday.

Her parents, Ashley and Todd, have done a wonderful job parenting at the hospital bedside. For the past year it has been my privilege to pray them and to watch their entire family give God all the glory through this trial. Reese is so blessed to have had such a wonderful family love her during her short sojurn on earth.

I beg you to keep this precious family in your prayers in the coming days. They rejoice in knowing that Reese is with our Lord where there is no more crying and sickness and pain, but that does not mean they won’t grieve the loss of their daughter, if only for a time.

If you know the Kostjuks, or any other family who has lost a child, personally, may I suggest you read this wonderful blog series by Molly Piper. She gives some very practical tips about how to come alongside them.

Ashley and Todd, if you read this, please know that we are praying for you. May God be glorified and may you have the joy of knowing that your daughter touched many lives, including mine. ((HUGS))

Munchkin had an EEG from Monday morning to Tuesday morning this week. The neurologist just called me with the results. The results showed severe infantile spasms. She is ordering ACTH injections. We had this last year and it did help, but it really wore on our whole family. Munchkin didn’t sleep longer than an hour for most of the month of treatment.

Please pray:

1. That the insurance approve this QUICKLY. This is a 6 week (minimum) course of treatment and Mr. Bean is due in 9-1/2 weeks.

2. That this WORKS.. for good this time.

3. My attitude… I really don’t want to go through this again, especially while in my third trimester.

This is an e-mail forward that someone posted on one of my mommy message boards…. tempted to try it sometime. LOL! –Ladybug

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read ‘Vote Obama, I need the money.’ I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had on a ‘Obama 08′ tie.  Again I laughed as he had given away his political preference–just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need–the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I’ve decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient deserved money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application. OR IS IT REDISTRIBUTION OF SOMEONE ELSE’S WEALTH IS A GREAT IDEA?

“Packages for ___________: We are home, please ring the bell. Thanks!”

If you were the UPS driver and you saw that note on someone’s (locked) gate, would you:

A. Ring the bell
B. Dump it outside the gate
C. Somehow get inside the gate and leave an info notice on the person’s door

No offense to friends who’s hubbies work at UPS, but my experience is that they usually do B or C.

Today, Saturday, I have been sitting home ALL morning waiting for this package to come. We paid extra for Saturday delivery, after all, so it would be stupid to miss it right? Well, I just walked outside and there was an info notice on my door! The driver even put the time that he was there on it.

Umm, hello, you obviously didn’t do as I asked and ring the bell, but did you even knock? I was sitting right behind that door at 9:43!!!!!

Needless to say, I called and filed a very strongly worded complaint and asked for an explanation as to why my note was completely ignored. They had better have a good answer. Better yet, they really should re-deliver it today because they did not follow my instructions.

Yes, I’m mad.

Rebecca Danielle
February 22, 2005 ~ October 25, 2005

It’s hard to believe it’s three years ago today that our precious Becca Bun went Home to be with the Lord. By God’s grace, the time has flown. Our arms are no longer empty; we have been blessed with Munchkin and we eagerly away Mr. Bean. Though we miss our firstborn, we rest in the knowlege that she rests in the very arms of the Lord of the universe who saw fit to place the sin of the world on His Son’s shoulders that we might live. Praise Him for His wonderful provision.

The day before the “remembering days” are always the hardest for me and yesterday followed that trend. Today is better; I’m still missing her a bit extra than usual, but it’s the fun kind of remembering if you know what I mean. Munchkin and I will be going to the grave with my parents this afternoon, but other than that it will be a very normal Saturday here. I’m glad that we can say, “we love Chubby Cheeks, but we have moved on by God’s grace.”

I am hoping to have her website updated in the next couple of days. I was going to try to have it up today, but it still needs work. I want the new design to carry on the tradition of giving all glory to God. In the meantime, feel free to look around the wonderful site that Heidi designed a few weeks after Becks went Home.

Also, here is the photo montage I created last year…

May God bless you!

Cynthia posted a recipe in the comments on the previous post and I wanted to make sure you all saw it! It looks absolutely yummy!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (Serves about 4)

Bring to a boil:
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (100% pure, not pie filling)
1 or 2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or cinnamon)

When it comes to a gentle boil, stir in:
2 cups old fashioned oats

Cook about 5 minutes, til creamy.

Remove from heat, add
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

(Optional) Top with chopped nuts and/or raisin, etc.

The kids and I loved it! I walked away from breakfast with a pumpkin pie taste in my mouth… (Ha ha) Yum!!

By the way: The recipe doesn’t call for a whole can of pumpkin, so to use up the rest, make Pumpkin French Toast. Make it just like regular french toast, except add pumpkin to the egg. The ratio is 2 Tbls. pumpkin to 4 eggs, plus 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks so much for sharing Cynthia. I wish I had pumpkin so we could have it for breakfast this morning, but I don’t and I know I don’t because I just organized my pantry yesterday… Anyway, I’ll definitely try it and let you know how we like it!

If you’re like me, it’s easy to think stewardship refers to finances, and maybe time, but what about space? Have you ever thought about how much rent/mortage gets paid every month on storing those precious treasures?

We live in a pretty small space, about 850ish square feet with no garage, attic, basement, or other storage outside the four walls of our apartment. Although not as small as what some people make work (especially considering we’re a family of three going on four) it’s still pretty cramped in here at times. I chose to get rid of a lot of stuff to make more space for our family. It’s been hard (my fabric stash and more than half our books were the hardest to lose) but both my hubby and I are pretty pleased with the results.

As I was packing up the latest Goodwill pile (one of the hardest because there were a lot of things I really loved that had to go) it hit me: I’m finally making the necessary choices to live comfortably and contently within our space means that God’s blessed us with! So yes, I can’t have a nice pantry or stockpile of items bought at the lowest possible price, I can’t really sew or do other crafts, I have to be selective about what gets saved, but who cares? This is where God’s put us and I can either choose to use our space wisely or I can fill every inch of space with “stuff” and then complain it’s not bigger.

WOW.

I can see that God has been working on my heart in this area for quite awhile and we’re really starting to reap the benefits of the freedom that comes with a streamlined and organized home, but today it really all came together

My friend Jenny posted this recipe on her blog.

1 pkg. Double Stuf Oreos – Cool Mint Flavor – (1 lb., 1 oz pkg.)
• use 22 cookies with cream centers included
• use 10 cookies with cream centers discarded
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 pkg vanilla bark

Finely crush the cookies in a food processor. Stir in softened cream cheese. Mix well. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place covered in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes to help retain shape when dipping in melted chocolate.

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

It looks so yummy to eat, but I’ll bet the best part is having to “discard” those 10 oreo centers. I’ll be happy to do that… right into my mouth! TFS Jenny!

Someone posted this on Diaperswappers and it made me laugh. ENJOY! –Ladybug

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road…

SARAH PALIN: I WAS GONNA SHOOT HIS SORRY LIBERAL BUTT OFF, FOR BLOCKING MY VIEW OF RUSSIA !

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

VP CHENEY: Where’s my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of crossing?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he’s guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmers Mark et to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can’t you people see the plain truth? That’s why they call it the other side. Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It’s as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

I found another great recipe: http://nancysrecipes.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/bbq-beef-sandwiches-crockpot/

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

3 to 4 lb. beef chuck roast
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 (1 ounce) pkg. onion soup mix
1 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsps vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Kaiser rolls
Cheese slices, your choice (I use monterey jack)

Trim fat from beef and place in crockpot.

Stir together all remaining ingredients together ~ except rolls and cheese ~ and pour over meat in crockpot.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or until fork tender.

Skim off fat. Remove meat from crockpot and shred. Return meat to sauce in crockpot.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat on bottom of each roll and top with cheese. Place under broiler to melt cheese if desired.

Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

The only thing is it was not done until closer to 6-7 hours on high. I’m not sure if every crockpot is the same in that regard, but in the future I’ll definitely make it an all day thing if I want to eat supper on time. Otherwise the recipe was a winner here!