Just Another Day In Paradise

A week in pictures

Our little entrepeneur

Our little cowgirl

The kids are working in the garden even though it's raining

Our Mary garden is in full bloom

The peach tree is full of beautiful peaches

The girls helping Daddy unload the truck

This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual @ soulemama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

 

A blast from the past

Last week we finally saved up enough money to treat ourselves to this beautful Crosley Lancaster Entertainment Center. I have been wanting to get this ever since our oldest daughter and husband bought one for their new place last year.

The main reason I wanted to get it was because I have had these Regina Martyrum Productions cassettes packed away for a few years and I wanted our little kids to listen to them just like the older kids did when they were younger. I considered transfering the cassettes to cd's, but it just seemed like too much trouble, so they sat in a box packed away for years.

I love the vintage look of this entertainment center and the crackling sound the old vinyl records make when we play them. I have been looking around all the local thrift stores for Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and any other wonderful artists from that era, but so far I haven't found any. I might just have to go to a few antique shops this weekend.

Who wants to go antique shopping with me? :)

 

Because someone didn't do dishes last night ;-)

Happy Feast of the Epiphany- Feliz Dia de Reyes

Mud pies in December

Our beautiful daughter Adrianna...

is having a...

BOY!!! His name is Joseph Nicholas and he is due on May 2nd. Please keep Adrianna, her husband Joseph and the baby in your prayers. We can't wait to met this sweet baby!

Merry Christmas!!!

My dear husband sitting between his mom and our new son-in-law. We gave him gloves, a bird feeder and season 2 of The Andy Griffith show. :)

I finally got another rice cooker after I accidentally left ours on the burner while it was still on. lol

Adrianna got a new set of mugs for her new apartment. This was supposed to be a wedding gift, which she picked out, then a house warming gift, but I forgot all about them so we gave it to her as a Christmas gift. 

Marygrace decided to wrap up all her halloween candy and give it to herself on Christmas morning. Such self control! :)

Teenage girls love clothes. That's pretty much what Cecilia got this year, plus a few art supplies.

Joseph LOVES to juggle. He's gotten so good at it that we decided to invest in a really nice set of jugggling clubs. 

Kolbe is our very avid reader. He absolutely loves Christopher Paolini and has been waiting for months to get these books. He finally got the Eragon / Eldest / Brisingr collection and the latest book Inheritance.

Angela is our little crafty girl. She loves making friendship bracelets and this was just what she wanted. 

Maria really likes Shirley Temple and I was able to find all 6 volumes on clearance, so we bought them for the whole family. My baby girl is getting so big!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

23 years ago...

I married the love of my life and we have been blessed with 7 beautfiul children. This morning one of our swet teenage girls surprised us with this note:

This is what I found in the fridge :)

Adrianna's wedding- July 16th, 2011

Not at all how I thought it would be

but I have loved every minute of it. I thought a few days before Adrianna's wedding our house would be immaculate and in perfect order, ready for out of town guests, but instead there are reminders in every room and corner of the house of the beautiful day we're getting ready to celebrate. 

Here are the center pieces for the tables.

2 electric roasters on our dining room table. 2 more will be delivered tonight since we are catering the reception ourselves.

The flowers that are taking up the other half of our dining table,

a very generous gift given to us by a very dear friend,

thank you gifts for the attendants, parents and helpers,

and reminders of all the food we will be cooking and serving. 

I'm so glad we are doing everything ourselves. We are creating so many beautiful memories and I'm treasuring every second of it.

+ Hot Cross Buns +

Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten for breakfast on this day, and are about the only luxury afforded in this time of mourning. Legend says that a priest at St. Alban's Abbey in Hertfordshire gave these to the poor on Good Friday beginning in A.D. 1361, and the tradition was born. It is customary, because of the Cross on the buns, to kiss them before eating, and to share one of these Hot Cross Buns with someone, reciting these words:

Half for you and half for me, between us two shall goodwill be.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup dried currants
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.
2. When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in machine till double.
3. Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
7. To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun.

Recipe source: allrecipes.com

Real life blogging- my kitchen

This is my kitchen st 5:00 pm. Notice how there is only 1 clean pot on the pot rack. The rest of the pots and pans are in the sink, on the counter or the stove. I'm not ready for my dear husband to walk in the door. At least dinner is ready- Italian sausage and chicken with mushrooms and rice. 

Gifts for the 12 days of Christmas- repost

Here is something new we started doing a few years ago. We give the kids small presents until the Feast of the Epiphany. On January 6th, the Three Wise Men leave the kids a present to be enjoyed by the whole family. It's a tradition we have kept from my childhood in Puerto Rico.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...a partridge in a pear tree. Sorry, but we can't find the partridge, so we are giving you some pairs in pears.

ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...two turtle doves...but dont' have any...will candy turtles do? (Give them a box of candy turtles)

ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...three French hens...well, we don't have any French hens. How about this chicken game? 

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...four calling birds...we can't find those calling birds though! Here is a book they left behind before they flew off (Best Ever Paper Airplanes)

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...five golden rings, but sorry, we're too poor for golden rings, but how about this ring toss game?

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...six geese a laying, but we know you don't really want the mess of six geese all over your house, do you? How about this Goose Egg speed game they left behind?

ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...seven swans a swimming! OK, we looked for the swans, but couldn't find them, but we did find some bubble bath they used while they were swimming.

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...eight maids a-milking. Here is some hot cocoa we got from the eight maids -- we think they must have been milking some brown cows! (Make them a cup of hot cocoa)

ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...nine ladies dancing...Here are some canes used by the nine ladies who were out dancing all night! (How about some candy canes?)

ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS: your true love gave to you...ten lords-a-leapin' - here are some leaping frogs who will teach you about 4 different rain forests. (Leaping Lilypad Game) 

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...eleven pipers piping, so here is a pipe of your own, have fun with it, but don't "blow" the whole day! (A bubble pipe and bubble solution)

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...twelve drummers drumming, but we figured twelve drummers drumming would take up way too much room, so we drummed up some pencils to make school more fun for you. (Drum Stick pencils)

This is what happens when chores done get done before bed

Breakfast time this morning...

eating with a baby spoon (that's ok because she's still my baby girl)

drinking out of a measuring cup

good ol' chopsticks (or should I say 1 chopstick)

14 years of friendship

 

and it keeps getting better (33 children between the 4 of us). I just wish they could have all been there. That was the best 4th of July we've ever had. I am truly blessed!

My husband's latest project

 

 

It's not quite finished yet. The door will be added later on today.

Homemade laundry detergent recipe

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
1 Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water.

 

Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

 

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

 

Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

 

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of the way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. (Approx. 650 loads)

This was made by our 8 year old daughter Angela. Thanks to my dear friend Molly for sending me the ingredients to make my own laundry detergent. I couldn't have done it without her inspiration. Recipe source: The Duggar's website

Celebrating the feast of Pentecost with food

Menu:

7 fruits of the Holy Spirit salad

pasta with Fire Roasted tomato sauce

Ham with red peppers

strawberry shortcakes

cherry chocolate ice cream

I've been waiting all year for this!