Strawberry Bread, recent happenings

Yesterday we did some antiquing in Ephrata. And we enjoyed DKs for lunch. I love DKs.

A couple of days ago, we purchased a magnetic sweeper for "sweeping" loose nails and metal. This is a job that both Hazel and Oren are all over up at the build site.

Today Merit is umping a softball game.

We had several play dates last week and although fun, I am tired and this week will plan a little less. 

I thought this strawberry bread was delicious and although my family liked it, they still prefer the sour cream banana bread that I make. But it is yummy and would be really good during strawberry season.

Strawberry Bread

 2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg, room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup melted coconut oil, canola, or vegetable oil

1 and 1/2 cup strawberries rinsed, dried, and chopped and tossed in a Tablespoon of flour

Glaze

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

powdered sugar

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350

I used the stone mini loaf pan or you could do one big loaf

4 mini loafs took about 38 min, 1 big loaf would be about an hour

Random Thursday Happenings

Life is certainly picking up its pace! All of a sudden we have practices again, held responsibly. Thank you Moses Lake School District and coaches. 

I am busy again. It seems weird. Really good, yet I am racing the clock. 

Two children's books that have caught my eye in the past few days are 

The Boy and the Ghost

and 

Down Down The Mountain - good night time reads with the kids I am thinking :-)

Hazel spent some of her Christmas money at Ulta the other day. I love the lighting in Ulta. I sure miss the testers. Pre- Covid Hazel and I had little make up outings with the testers at Ulta Beauty. Anyway, Hazel loves deep conditioners - she has some thick hair! She is crazy about moisturizers, make ups, lip balms... she has a more extensive night time cleansing and moisturizing routine than I do. 

She bought some items that she was excited about and also with her Christmas money, she bought me a lipstick. It was so sweet. 

I found myself subbing 1st grade yesterday. Gosh I love kids. Their brains are sponges!  Their personalities are darling, well, mostly!  

One boy said "My parents have a lot of money, like 250 dollars." I asked "where did they get all that cash?" He said "they work hard." 💙He also told me his little sister just turned three and she should be ready for kinder in the fall. 

I laugh and smile and smile some more. 

And occasionally the laughter and smiles bite me in the butt a bit when the students start walking around when they aren't supposed to or try out a water bottle flip. (Because this lady just seems to be having fun)

And at that time I try to find my inner sternness. For me it is not easy to find.  But I (as a child) had two elementary teachers who were very old school and quite stern. They also looked exactly the same from age 40-70. You know the type? 

I love January.

My blessings and my struggles are woven into one day. And I know I am not alone in this. I have several who are heavy on my heart right now. Cancer, Covid, heart aches - physical and emotional. I can just pray and try to encourage. 

Cabin Cozy - the Desk of Memories

I love Favored Farmhouse which was formerly Shops on Alder which I also loved. 

A really neat vendor, Marion,  who was at Shops on Alder sold me this sweet blue desk. That was probably five years ago. I am guessing Hazel was six at the time. I have so many very sweet memories of Hazel crafting, reading, and writing at this desk. She has outgrown it a bit. So, we bought her a new one - well a new to her desk -  a few months ago. We moved this one down to the cabin ( I am not sure I will ever be able to part with it.)

When I purchased it, Marion told me her brother had driven that little desk all the way from Ohio! He had called her, knowing she was in the business of antiquing and thrifting and drove that little blue delight from Ohio to Moses Lake, Washington. 

Yesterday, Hazel and I lit candles in the cabin and just sort of hung out down there. 

This one room cabin has been such a sweet haven.

Stickers, some pencils, and a few other sweet items are stowed away in the little drawers, a memory and reminder of when Hazel was younger.

My friend Shannon had a wonderful service project idea. She wanted to write thank you's to the many who are dealing with Covid first hand... I think of the people who work the drive thru testing, the nurses and doctors who take care of Covid patients etc. Also, we know a few who are very sick with Covid right now. 

So tomorrow, three of us with gather in this cabin and write thank you's. 

Phil Bransma is a missionary from Lynden who is serving in Brazil. He and his wife Kristi are there with their 12 children. Please pray for him. He is very sick with Covid and the hospitals there are poorly equipped.

 

The Weekend is Here!

Willem's 15th was a hit! 

 We had sort of a rough time of online schooling the past couple of days, so this weekend feels very welcomed. 

Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow! 

We had a little visit with Uncle Matt! Always fun! 

The Favored Farmhouse

Super sweet small gifts! $5 - $7

Preparing things for the Favored Farmhouse! 

 And the weekend is here!!!

Happy Birthday Nellie!

 

First a little throw back Thursday!

This very sweet dog is 9 today! 

Happy Birthday Nellie!!

Happy Birthday Willem!

Happy 15th Wild Will!!! 

 

This kid is amazing!! 

He does not read my blog - at least not regularly - so I can get all sentimental and tell the embarrassing stories!

From birth to 7 months he was the most easy, peaceful baby! He came into this world weighing a whopping ten pounds. He was a chunky guy and a smiling guy. He is still a smiley guy! 

I reminisce with foggy eyes because we traveled then as a family and we struggle doing so now. But, I suppose it is just important that it happened. Willem went to Hawaii and Alaska within his first year. 

He then started getting ear infections and had a rough seven months. After the adenoids were removed and tubes went in his ears, he was very happy and the whole while very active. He started walking at ten months. He crawled out of his crib at 11 months. I really had a hard time keeping him in there. He was always up for an adventure. He would fish down at the creek at 3 years of age.

I taught him how to swim in a hotel swimming pool in Seattle while Uncle Matt, Vance, and Merit were at a Seahawks game. He was a very fast learner. Dunking his head and holding his breath in our hot tub had helped the learning. 

He cried every morning on the way to pre-school for the first three months. I was very pregnant with Hazel and I would try to drag him out of the car... it was quite the scene. One day he unbuckled himself out of his car seat and crawled into the back (I drove a station wagon then.) The pre-school teachers witnessed me opening the hatchback and pulling crying Willem out. 

One day Casey Garcia was in the parking lot, helping Delia get out of the car. I asked him to help me get Willem in. I was nine months pregnant and exhausted with this little human, Willem not Hazel. Casey smiled and said he wanted to, but that he did not want to force Willem because he wanted Willem to like him. 

Casey passed away two years later. This is one of my favorite Casey stories, but we have many.

I know you can never compare children. But Merit and Willem are so entirely different and in such an incredible way. They have become very good friends and this is one of my greatest blessings.

There is still so much to learn about Hazel and Oren so I am not sure how similar they may be or how different. 

Real Christmas trees are one of my favorite things in the world. Willem has agreed to bring me a fresh cut Christmas tree when I am an old lady.

Watching Willem play basketball has been of great interest to me. He started out being somewhat unaware of his strengths but knowing hard work pays off. He worked incredibly hard at defense and at rebounding. Our friend Danny Stuart nicknamed him "Rodman" - it has stuck.

I love watching him play football, basketball, and baseball. 

Willem has a great appreciation for Alaska. 

Will loves the outdoors, fishing, kayaking, hiking, exploring...

Willie loves his grandparents dearly.

Wild Will is a hard worker.

Willem can get a job done quickly and efficiently. 

He is honest. 

Willem, I pray that God uses you and blesses you in big ways.

January 19

We had a nice three day weekend and the boys and I finally went on a bike ride again yesterday! I think it had been two months. It felt so good! I get on my spin bike but it is not the same as an outdoor ride! And the company was so good yesterday too.

I love ALL four seasons! But the last couple of days, summer has been on my mind.

 

Please pray for Natasha today. She has had a rough couple of days. 

I am teaching fifth grade today! I love the kids. What they are learning is quite fun! I know this because we have a fifth grader in our house! :-)