All the News that is News (but no house news)

Hi everyone! Hope this finds you all well.

We are excited to be able to share that Brent and Janelle welcomed their first little one! Grey Daniel arrived on November 29th and we can't wait to meet him at Christmastime when we go visit my family. So glad that he arrived healthy and that things are going well.

We are wrapping up school activities, getting ready for a much needed Christmas break. Today was Miranda's last literature discussion, Friday will be a zoology class/field trip for the boys--where else but at the zoo! Sunday will be our Sunday school program.

Today, I've been reading to the kids while they clean up the house. It's a great deal--they clean up one room while I read and then I move to another room and they clean up there while I read and so forth. Most of the house is clean now and we are pausing to finish getting dinner ready.

We baked a turkey that Mark's mom got on sale and gave to us. Mmmm! Does it smell good! Rachel's peeling potatoes to go with it and Miranda is peeling apples for apple crisp.

There's only a scattering of snow left outside and today was clear and bright. We have a new batch of hot chocolate mix made and all of the ingredients for chocolates for the Christmas parties. Luke and Reed have one with their zoology group, and each of the girls have one with girls their ages.

Next week we plan to do lots and lots of not much. We have a couple of new puzzles that I bought at Dove's Next Thrift Shop, so maybe we'll do those and drink hot chocolate. Maybe we'll even stay in our jammies all day so we don't have to do much wash. Then we'll wrap presents. Play games. Read books.

Just one week. It's going to be glorious. And at the end of it, we'll leave for OH and IL to start all of the wonderful Christmas festivities with our loved ones.

We have so much to be thankful for!

Update From Our Realtor

We are currently talking about switching realtors to one of Dave Ramsey's ELPs--Endorsed Local Providers. But in the meantime, we just received this email from our realtor:

The latest updates for this week so far are as follows:

1. The agent from Atlanta continues to ignore me. Very frustrating situation but I am not giving up until I talk to him.

2. I got another call on the house and the prospect went to look at it from the outside. He then called back and said he wanted me to refer him to a mortgage consultant as he was very interested. I sent his information to our in-house mortgage broker. He sent me an email late last night: Credit issues involved, not a buyer at this time. Maybe in about six months.

3. I am trying to get more information on the lady that wanted to rent. If we could at least get her in there as a lease purchase with a big down payment it would be something worth looking into.

Interest is there now, we just got to find a buyer with no credit issues. That has become a huge problem these days.

House Activity

Latest email from Ana:

The house was shown by an agent from Atlanta over the weekend and I have already requested feedback from the agent. Most agents do not respond to feedback over the weekend so I am hoping to have an update for today. I also offered to buy a home warranty at closing.

My buyers decided to wait until after the Holidays due to too much going on and having company coming from out of town. I will follow up with them after Thanksgiving.

Audrey's buyers were not able to qualify because of some credit issues they are going to have to work on and it will take about six months to get them off their credit.

I also received another call over the weekend from the new minister of the Hispanic mission at the First Baptist church. We are going to meet after the Holidays.

The activity will pick up again after this week. Everyone is so busy now for Holiday celebrations.

I will continue to request feedback from the showing this weekend and get back to you ASAP.

Email from Ana

Just received this email this morning:

The house is cleaned compliments of Audrey. The couple she showed the house to is
still on the fence, they are looking into financing but Audrey talked to them last night and told them the house could get an offer this weekend so they need to be proactive if they want to get this home.
I won't be able to get feed back on the showing today until the other agent contacts me which sometimes can take a few days specially over the weekend.

My buyers are still not sure about when they can get over to the house but I am still trying to make it happen this weekend.

Hope you have a great weekend and hope we can make it better. :)

Update for this Week

Ana, our realtor, sent this email yesterday. (Audrey is her partner.)

The updates for this week are as follows:
1. The couple Audrey showed the house to are still deciding.

2. I received another call from a new prospect this week and am trying to coordinate a showing for this weekend. They are also interested in another of my listings in Fairburn but yours is the lowest price point.

3. I received a call from an agent in Atlanta/Remax who is going to show the house this Saturday in the morning so I want to do my showing either Saturday afternoon or Sunday so I won't have a conflict.

The price reduction has for sure increased the showings and interest on the house. I hope one of these prospects makes an offer by the end of the weekend.

Showing and Eagles

The showing happened on Sunday, and the couple asked for disclosure papers so they are at least interested that far. We will have to wait and see if it goes any further.

This last weekend was the GW Board Retreat Weekend. At breakfast on Saturday, Lynn Stieglitz had the devotion and it was about eagles. Specifically, Deuteronomy 32:10-12:
10He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
11As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
12So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

We learned that an eagle gets its young to fly by destroying the nest and pushing the young out of it. But the young don't plummet to their death. No, the mother eagle flies beneath them to bear them up on her wings-- "spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings."

Moses was reminding the children of Israel how God had provided for them, even as the mother eagle. When they felt they had been pushed from the nest and were in free fall, God was bearing them up in safety.

And in verse 12, what a wonderful thought--He alone lead them--no other god was there to help. God through Moses says, I alone was the one to bear you up and take care of you.

We are know what it feels to be pushed out of the nest of safety and we've experienced the feeling of free fall, but we also know and trust the God who comes under us and bears us up.

Showing House this Weekend

We just received a call from our realtor. She has a couple that is interested in the house since the price drop. The wife is a nurse who works 12 hour shifts, so they can't come to see it until this weekend.

We appreciate your prayers and the loving care that we've felt from our friends and family. I just read this morning in Hebrews 10 how the new Christians took "joyfully the spoiling of their goods." I do not remember ever reading that phrase there before! And someone mentioned to me the other day that a house situation such as this really wasn't a large problem. And I would have to say she is right.

When people in Haiti are living in temporary tents (perhaps for the rest of their lives) with questionable water and food sources, little medical attention and fear of bandits and bullies, we live in a very nice little rental with all we need. And we have enjoyed good health, fellowship without persecution, the freedom to homeschool our children and even the freedom to vote people out of office!

So I just wanted to let you all know that we appreciate your prayers no matter what happens.

Enjoying a beautiful autumn day in Indiana,
Julie

Price Drop

Dear family and friends,

We have so appreciated your prayers and concerns for us during this last nine months of trying to sell our house. We just talked with our realtor and are going to drop the price another $20,000. We hope that this will finally get ahead of the market's downward spiral, get more showings and ultimately, an offer.

This has been a difficult decision, knowing that we won't have much to take away from the sale, but there isn't much choice in the matter at this point. Our realtors both there and here have discouraged us from renting it out, as it might only prolong the issue and probably cost us more money in the long run. (renting in a high crime/urban area, being landlords 11 hours away)

So, we are writing today to specifically ask for your prayers in this price adjustment--that our hearts can be stayed on Him who is Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord who Provides. That we can learn to trust Him to make bitter things sweet. That we can lean on Him and trust Him no matter what reality looks like.

G'Day Mates!

Recently we wrapped up our unit study on Australia, finishing with a week's worth of Aussie foods, including daily tea around 4 pm. Here are a few of the meals and recipes that we made.

Egg and Bacon Pie

1 17 1/2 oz pkg frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (2 sheets)
8 thin slices Canadian bacon
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley or chives

On a lightly floured working surface, roll out one sheet of pastry 1/8 inch thick. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry sheet and press gently into place. (We used a 9 x 9 because our pie plates are in an undisclosed location in the garage.) Cover pastry with Canadian bacon, overlapping slices to form an even layer. Crack eggs onto bacon-lined crust and break yolks with a fork. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, chives or whatever spices Rachel thinks might be interesting.
Roll out second sheet of pastry to 1/8 thick. With your fingers or a pastry brush, lightly brush the lower pastry's edge with water. Gently place the second sheet of pastry on top of the pie. Press edges firmly together and cut off any extra pastry. Flute edges by pinching pastry gently between your thumb and forefinger (this supposed to make it look as professional as my mom's pie crust edges, but I don't think we quite got the effect). Cut a few small slits in the middle of the top crust.
Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and deep golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. (We rolled up the scraps and baked them too!)

We served Egg & Bacon Pie with mixed fruit:

Anzac Biscuits
1 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
(why used unsweetened when you can used sweetened? :)
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 T. honey or light corn syrup
1 1/2 t. baking soda
2 T. boiling water
Preheat oven to 300. Measure the oats, coconuts, flour and sugar into bowl. Stir well. In a small pan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in honey or syrup. Place baking soda in a cup or small bowl. Pour boiling water over it and stir to dissolve. Add to melted butter mixture. Pour this mixture over oat mixture. Mix well.
Cover two baking sheets with kitchen parchment or aluminum foil (dull side up). Drop teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until evenly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes and remove to wire racks.
4 doz biscuits
As you can see, "biscuits" look a lot like cookies--Yum!


Creamy Pumpkin Soup
(Don't knock it till you try it--we all loved it and voted it a keeper. The boys were arguing over the little bit of leftovers the next day!)

1/4 melted butter
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. half-and-half (we used evaporated skim milk)
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp. minced parsley

Place melted butter, curry, pumpkin, and salt and process until smooth. Add half-and-half or milk and process again until smooth.
Pour pumpkin mixture back into saucepan and stir in chicken broth, cinnamon and parsley. Heat soup slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally. Garnish with a dash of parsley.

Crunchy Fish Fillets
We had a recipe in the Australian cookbook we got at the library, but it was so similiar to Mark's recipe that we just used his. Dip fish fillets in beaten egg then saltine cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs), then bake in the oven. Serve with homemade tartar sauce (equal parts mayo and pickle relish).


Curry (can use what meat you have--beef, chicken or pork. We used pork loin)

1 1/2 lbs meat
3 T. veg oil
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
(we compromised--only 1 onion, peeled and pulverized)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
(if you've never used fresh garlic, you gotta try it. It makes you feel like a real chef. Only put the cloves in the micro for 8-10 secs first, then you can peel them easily. The kids will love to use the garlic press for you too. Just remember to rinse it right away because stuck on garlic bits will steal the joy you just experienced!)
Where was I? Oh yes...
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh gingerroot
(I read that this is very different than the stuff in my spice cupboard, so I was all set to try it, but Kroger only carried Organic for $7. Hmmm, maybe we'll delay that experience for another time.)
1 1/2 T. curry powder (well, they don't call it curry for nothing)
1 t. salt
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 c. canned beef stock (I used broth--guess I'm not a real chef, I don't know
the difference.)
1 T. soft butter
2 T. flour

Trim any fat from the meat and place in casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and gingerroot, and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in curry and cook another minute or two. Add salt, tomato and beef stock. Bring to a boil while stirring.
Pour the curry sauce over the beef and cover with lid or heavy duty foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until very tender.
When curry is almost done, place butter in a cup and sprinkle 1 T flour over the butter. Mix flour into butter forming a paste. Then mix the second tablespoon of flour in.
Remove the dish from the oven and return curry to the skillet over medium heat. Add butter paste to curry to teaspoonful at a time. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid thickens.
Serve with rice and a selection of condiments. Suggestions: peanute, sliced bananas, golden or dark raisins, diced pineapple, sliced or chopped hard-boiled egg and bottle chutney.
[Curry was orginally an Indian dish, but became popular in Britain during British colonization of India in the 1700s and curry soon became a favorite in Australia as well.] Sorry forgot to take a picture!


Glazed Kiwi Tart (a nod to New Zealand)

1 9 in unbaked pie shell

Filling:
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, at room temp
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 T. heavy cream
3 ripe kiwifruit

Glaze:
1/4 c. apricot preserve
1 T. water

Prick bottom and sides of pastry shell and bake according to package directions.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Spread cream cheese filling in cooled pastry shell.
Peel kiwifruit and cut into thin slices. Arrange slices on top of cream cheese filling overlapping them in circles.
To make glaze, combine apricot preserves and water in a small saucepan and heat until preserves melt. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Spoon glaze over kiwifruit and chill tart until ready to serve.
A beautiful creation:


Lamingtons
[These cakes are named after Baroness Lamington, wife of the governor of an
Australian state at the beginning of the 1900s. They are still a favorite with
Australian children.]

4 eggs
3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 c flour
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan and line with wax paper so that the bottom and sides are covered.
Separate the egg yolks and whites into two bowls. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla to the egg yolks. Blend and then set aside.
Beat the egg whites with the electric mixer. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. (Lesson: soft peaks are when you lift the beaters, and it looks like mountains with peaks that fall over. Stiff peaks look like mountain peaks that stand up straight.)
Fold the egg yolk mixture into the whites. Add the flour, salt and baking powder. mix until the batter is smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 12 minutes or until the center springs back when touched. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes, then turn it out onto wire rack. Allow it to cool for a few minutes more, then remove the wax paper carefully. (Loosen all the edges first, then peel off the paper in strips)
Cut the cake into 12 or 16 squares depending on how big you want them. Allow them to cool completely.

Icing:
2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 T. butter, melted
3 T. cocoa
about 4 T. boiling water
about 2 cups coconut

Mix powd sugar, butter cocoa and enough boiling water to make a runny icing.
Using a fork, pick up a square of cake and spoon the icing over it to cover all sides. Allow the icing to drip for a few minutes, then place the cake ina bowl of coconut. Coat the cake with coconut, then place it on a plate to dry.

Repeat the process until all the squares are covered. Lamingtons can be refrigeratored or frozen.
A bonzer treat!


Bread and Butter Custard
(The ultimate in comfort food!)
1 to 2 T. soft butter
4 slices white bread
1/2 c golden raisins
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c heavy cream
3 T. sugar
pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla
ground nutmeg

Thinly butter bread and cut each slice into four. Arrange half in buttered 1 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle raisins over bread and cover with remaining bread.
Beat eggs with milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour eggs mixture over the bread. Let stand 30 minutes to allow milk mixture to soak into bread.
Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle nutmeg over dessert. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm, either by itself or with canned fruit.

Roast Leg of Lamb
Directions: Go to supermarket. Look for Leg of Lamb. Find Lamb Ribs for $20. Go home without Leg of Lamb. Pull out Mom's recipe for roast. Make and enjoy.

Damper
This classic bush tucker is the type that contestants in Australia Day bush cooking competitions might prepare. Bushmen baked their damper right in the campfire, but you can make it in your oven.
Directions: Check out ingredients and recipe in the book. Remember the round loaf of sourdough bread in the freezer. Pull that out and let thaw. Bake and enjoy warm with butter.

Pavlova
(We lova it!)
This is the best-loved dessert in Australia. It is as light and delicate as the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, for whom it is named. It is best on the day it is made, and it is a favorite dessert on a summery Christmas Day.

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 t. white vinegar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
kiwifruit, strawberries, bananas, passion fruit, or other fruit

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil dull side up. Using a bowl or plate, trace a 7-inch circle on the paper or foil. Preheat oven to 250.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is very thick. Add rest of sugar one or two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. When all sugar is dissolved, and mixture is very stiff, add vanilla and vinegar. Beat well. This mixture, called a meringue, should be thick and glossy.
Spoon meringue into circle marked on the foil. Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue out evenly within the circle. Build up the sides to form a bowl shape.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and allow to cool in the oven with the oven door ajar.
In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. (But not too much because cream that's whipped too much becomes butter!) Spread over the top of the pavlova. Wash and slice fruit, using one kind of fruit or a combination. Arrange attractively on top of whipped cream. Cut in wedges and serve immediately.


We learned several enjoyable Aussie songs as well. Here's part of one we wanted to share with you:

Now, when Italians meet, they all go crazy
The folks all like to hug each other, too
The Yanks invented "Hi!" and "see ya later"
While the Pommie will shake your hand and say,
"how do you do?"
Now watch out for a Frenchman, for he'll kiss yer
The Spaniards go for "Hola!" and "Ole!"
But in the land of the cockatoo
Cork hats and the didgeridoo
When you meet an Aussie, ten-to-one,
here's what he'll say...

CHORUS:
G'day, G'day, how yer goin'?
Whadya know? Well, strike a light!
G'day, G'day, and how yer go-o-o-in'?
Just say g'day, g'day, g'day and you'll be right!

OINC!

Well, recently (as in a month ago :) we had a vacation to the beach with Daddy's family. We rented a condo on Ocean Isle, North Carolina (OINC)and all 23 of us stayed there for a week! It was a BLAST!!!!! Here is the house we stayed at: 19 Sea Turtle---

What it mostly consisted of was............
Going to the beach...

and swimming at the pool

Cuteness and lots of it!!!!!

M&M's (about every kind you can imagine, including coconut)

Ice cream--from The Creamery and one night we made turtles. We also went out for Italian ice at Sunset Ice. Oh yum! We were so glad they were still there!


And here is what we did besides swim...!

Here are some random pics....

Well, that's about it! Mom might have more pictures to add later, but we are so far behind that I have to get it posted ASAP! :)

This is what we just received from our realtor in an email... We will be lowering our price again, and we pray that this is what is needed to get it sold.

To view the full So Fulton Mkt Watch, go to >> http://SoFulton.BushRealEstateGroup.com

So Fulton has sustained the 2nd most devastated real estate meltdown within the 9 county southern crescent region posting a 42.6% decrease in average home sale prices just in the past 3 years.

YTD 2010, So Fulton home sales posted a unit decrease of 13.7% compared to 2009 through the first 7 months of '10. Like all surrounding counties, a huge portion of unit sales are a result of investor purchases of the under $100K price segment which has skyrocketed in 3 yrs from 13% of total sales in '06 to 53% YTD '10, a 302% increase. Foreclosures are setting new records each year, mostly in the less expensive price points. Consequently, if you are only looking at total unit sales, you'd think So Fulton is close to bottom and is on the cusp of a rebound. Once we see from where those unit sales are coming from (see 2nd table, "Sales by Price,") then we can quickly see that traditional sales (non-distress, non-foreclosures, non-short sales) in So Fulton hasn't hit bottom and it is nowhere near a rebound.

Additionally, note the free fall of avg prices from $170K in '06 to $97K this year, a 42.6% decline. Again, that is a product of the unusual number of "under $100K" homes as a percent of total sales continuing to increase thanks to another record breaking year for foreclosures.

The good news; So Fulton has the 2nd lowest months supply in the 9 southern crescent counties, (just behind Clayton), posting a 9.0 months supply as of Aug 1. A 6 months supply is optimum.

Still Possible...

The showing that was supposed to happen last weekend didn't happen...yet. We hadn't heard anything by Monday and called Ana. She said the couple wasn't able to come and were hoping to come this next weekend. So, we are still praying that they have the showing and love the home...

Please Pray for our House Situation this Weekend!!

We just received this text from our realtor, Ana:

"Hallelujah!!! An agent just called, she wants me to email disclosure and she has an out of state client transferring to ATL and are coming down this weekend!!!"

That is 6 exclamation points in one text.

This is probably because when someone wants a copy of your disclosure, they have already seen the house listing on the internet and are interested enough in it to not only go look at it, but also to know the details like how old the roof is and what stays with it such as appliances, any additions or whatever.

So hopefully, these people will actually see it this weekend and fall in love with it like we did when we transferred to ATL and went down one weekend to look at houses...!!!!!! (six more for good measure)

Trusting our Father who knows best...

warning--written by julie mostly after midnight

The longer it goes, the bigger the job gets...catching up on this blog, I mean. I wish I had something ~*W*ND*RF*L*~ to share. Such as our S*LL*NG our H**S*, if you know what I mean...!

Okay, so here is our July so far if you want to know what's been going on in and around the Tippy and with the Tippyites. (Good thing you can't see the T*M* ST*MP on this P*ST, hee hee.

the first weekend of july we went out to illinois for a Young Brothers Picnic/Reunion where our dear second daughter rachel met many differnt cousins just was dark and beautiful as she is and she was amazed while our boys had lots of fun with about 14 other little youngites playing in grandpa and grandma's wonderful pool. i think reed and three others ran and jumped off the deck about 167 times each all in one hour. our oldest daughter had fun figuring out who everyone belonged to and who all their children were and where they fit in and what a lot of cool names to write down! we all had fun reconnecting with aunts, uncles and cousins. it is always fun to get together with all of my dad's brothers, their wives and kids. what a neat bunch of younguns and olduns as the case may be! (lots of grandpa youngs there!!) it was especially nice to see darwin and laurie. laurie is my age and we lived together at college. it was a beautiful day with perfect weather and we cherish the memories and look forward to many more! (just one more benefit to being in Indiana!)
the next weekend we were at family camp with many from leo and also other churches. sometimes, i feel like rip van winkle, waking up after almost 20 years away from central illinois... i met so many people there that i had known when i was still in high school or college. it is just weird to meet so many people all at once that are all 20 years older now especially if they were little kids and now are married! we camped at family camp and it was the first time since we moved to GA that we did. we had always meant to camp down there, but somehow had never figured out the right time. they said fall was the best time, but then we were busy with school and just never went. we put up our tent and then used the campsite shower room. it was funny on one morning when four of us women were all running hair dryers at the four sinks when they all clicked off simultaneously. something had gone wrong with the breakers or something, so we all had to figure out alternatives. I ended up using a plug outside of joe & heather's popup camper to finish my hair, looking into the reflection of their van window for a mirror. of course, joe got a couple of good pictures of the process, but he was repaid the next morning, when he realized that he only had an electric shaver--and it was dead and he had forgotten to bring the cord. hee hee.
family camp had started with teen camp, where all the teens and counselors loaded up and went a day early for devotions and activities that none of us could begin to keep up with and then the rest of us sane people went the next day. i think it would be fun to be one of the girls counselors, but i'm not sure i could survive it. i don't think they make coffee that strong. (miranda said she had 11 hours of sleep the whole weekend)
singing, games, meals, visiting, campfires--it was all good. a few things that stand out--it was abby's last weekend in indiana before leaving for japan where her parents are missionaries. it was so hard to see her go, because we will miss her so, but also because she is the youngest in their family and won't have any siblings to be with her at home. she is homeschooled (you don't want to go to japanese school/bootcamp) and will be able to spend very little time with kids her own age. the girls were all able to spend some very quality yet emotional time with her.
then on saturday night, two girls came to the teen campfire very emotional after a phone call from their dad. their brother-in-law's cancer was back and it was very bad. everyone stopped visiting and gathered around them, laying hands on them and praying together. i had come over to talk with miranda and rachel for a bit and check in with them, and i wept at the love and faith and caring that flowed from those kids' hearts.
Praise!--one young man simply asked another at one point if he knew the Lord Jesus as his savior and when the reply was negative, asked if he wanted Him to be. when that answer was positive, he was able to confess with his lips, and the angels rejoiced--cameron is a new joyfilled child of the King!
during singing on Sunday, the parents all stood and sang to their children, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." then (gulp, big lump in the throat) the children all rose and sang this to us, their parents. it was an awesome moment to see all those teenagers so serious and so full of enthusiasm for the ways of God.
we feel like family camp was a blessing to enable us meet many from other churches, but esp to really get to know some of the people from leo that we only see on Sundays. we stayed late on Sunday afternoon, letting the kids swim to their heart's content, and when they were good and worn out, we fed them ice cream for supper and brought them home and put them to bed. what a great ending to a great weekend...

this week, we were able to go blueberry picking with leanne and her kids. we didn't check the weather before we went and it was perfectly clear... but as we were picking clouds started building (see, i didn't put a comma there and you thought it said picking clouds but we weren't picking clouds we were picking blueberries if you read carefully and yes my friend if you are still hanging on through this long wearisome tiring sentence--it is a run on. Are there any other languages that have a thesaurus?) and it was looking pretty ominous, but we could see blue sky right behind them and thought it would just be a quick shower and then over. we kept on picking. it began to rain, just a little. we kept on picking. it rained harder, then let up. oh good, it's going to pass. then a big clap of thunder. reed came on the run. Mom! We gotta get outa here! then lightning. okay, i think it's time to leave. then the rain really came and we ran. by the time we got up to the building and under the eaves, we were soaked. we paid for the blueberries, plus bought some already picked (shoot, i didn't want to have to do that), and then waited for the rain to let up. i think that was a fun time but i'm nut sure... (that was a typo, i think.)
this week, gary and mary get here on tues to pick up luke, the privileged child who gets to go to the ball if he finishes his work--no, who gets to travel to OINC with grandma, grandpa and cousin clint. we made up for his getting to go early by giving him the detested job of vacuuming out the van, but don't feel sorry for him.
the rest of us leave on friday at noon. and we are hoping to have all of the wash done before then, however with our dryer--you know come to think of it i'm not sure it can even be called a dryer, maybe it's a wetter or a damper--no, i know, it's a tryer--but anyway, the plan is to have the wash done before we leave and take clean clothes with us. however if that doesn't happen because our tryer doesn't cooperate, then we'll either come in dirty clothes or wet ones. but i promise we will have some on.
we also plan to bring lots of food to Ocean Isle, because that's what we do there. and games. and swim suits. that's about it, i think. i don't know why packing always seems like such a hard job. or writing this blog. tonight it's just kind of flowing don't ya think?

No News is Bad News

Nothing much going on with the house. I haven't posted about it for awhile so I thought I'd do an update. We have had trouble with the humidity making the basement damp, so we've had to turn up the air and get a dehumidifier going down there. We so appreciate Philip and Lana checking on things and giving us their opinions on things. It is a blessing to have someone we can trust right there.
We also appreciate John Brewer and his willingness to go to the house when we need it. Our realtor suggested we wash down the paneling in the basement and check behind it for any wetness and/or mold after we had the leak from the upstairs bathroom.
We have dropped the price again, but no offers. We continue to wait and trust.

We will be in Illinois over July 4 for a Young Reunion, and we are looking forward to that!

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Tippy Brownies

We made a pan of brownies here at the Tippy the other day...

VBS, baseball, tornado, etc

This week we have VBS every morning from 9-11:30. The theme is Developing Godly Character, and each day we are focusing on a different character quality--righteousness, loyalty, honesty and kindness, with the last day being review and wrap up.

The boys have also been playing baseball in the Wildcat league, which is relaxed summer baseball. Since it is just two blocks from our house and since it is just easy going and fun, we decided the boys could play. Boys that want to get serious about baseball play Little League; boys that just want to play to have fun or get some beginning instruction, play Wildcat. All of they players wear the same shirts and hats--you can tell who the runners are because they have on blue batting helmets. There are three coaches who coach all of the teams and they give instruction while the kids play. There is one coach that also gives running commentary and comedy during the games and practices so it is a lot of fun!

Last Friday night, I had just dropped the girls off at Sauders for Youth Fellowship and was on the way home. The sky was pretty dark, and then the storm sirens went off. We still had our tent up in the backyard and rushed to take it down. We had it right by the sliding doors to the sun room when the wind hit. Luke was helping Mark and I, and it covered his face so he couldn't see where he was going. Then when he got out from underneath it, Mark thought the wind was going to carry him up over the fence with the tent. We finally got it in and slid the door shut. The wind was whipping and the sky was black, but we still didn't really think it was a tornado. We told the boys to both go to the bathroom and stay there. Mark looked out the front door and our basketball hoop had fallen over, knocking the sand bags off onto the ground and then the wind had picked it up and cartwheeled it across our lawn. It was part way onto the road, blocking traffic, so he dashed out and moved it to the ditch. The rain still hadn't really come, but the wind was whipping the trees wildly. Finally, the rain came down hard but not for very long.
Later, we found out that a tornado had touched down two streets past ours. It must have just hopped over us before it touched down. It really only did damage in about two blocks, but one lady had a tree come down on her trailer. Lots of trees were damaged, mostly branches torn off, but one huge tree looks like it got twisted off about ten feet from the ground. It looks like lots of toothpicks sticking up out of it, and debris and branches around everywhere.
We are thankful the tornado went over us--we don't have a basement here. We were also thankful that the girls were at Sauders. The guy who built their house was paranoid and built it with reinforced steel rods and extra strong construction. He even had an escape tunnel that goes from the basement to the outside. (It's great fun to use when you are playing Capture the Flag--you can come up from the tunnel and grab the flag before anyone knows you are there!) Anyway, we knew they were safe in "the bunker."

Happy Birthday to Mark!

Today's is Mark's birthday! And it is a beautiful sunny day! Yeah!

Last night, we had Hannah, Cooper & Connor over night. The boys set up the tent in the backyard. I think they left the tent flap open too much before they went to bed, because they looked like the mosquitoes got them pretty good! They didn't seem too bothered by it this morning though. They got out the slip n slide and had great fun with that!

Hannah and Rachel stayed up late watching Much Ado About Nothing, a Shakespeare play that the girls love. The girls were quoting some scenes and I was amazed at how much they have memorized, but Mark said he wasn't surprised, because they've watched it at least 4386 times.

So today when we took their friends home, the kids and I stopped to surprise Mark at the office. He usually comes home for lunch, but we drove him home and then I took him back for the afternoon.

To catch up a little on what has been going on around here... We went to OH the first weekend of June for Yikealo's first American birthday. He is now four and a precious little guy he is. You should have seen his eyes while we were singing happy birthday to him. David and Larisa brought him home last July, so it has been a whole year of seeing other people have birthdays and get sung to. It reminds me of Frances, "That is how it is, Albert, your birthday is always the one that is not now." (A Birthday for Frances, children's book) Anyway, it was FINALLY his birthday! It was fun to celebrate with him and we are so glad he is a part of the family.

It was also a pre-OINC party. Ocean Isle, NC, that is. We have two new additions to the family to introduce to OINC this year. Yikealo and Jarin, Julie's husband. (We are looking forward to having newlyweds with us as well!) :)

After we got back home from OH, Miranda went to Junior High Girl's Camp in IL. Her friend Monica went with her, and Rachel stayed with Monica's sister, Rachel in OH. Luke had stayed at Clint's when we came home so he was still in OH too. So that meant from Thursday to Sunday night, Reed was an only child! We had a great time, playing Uno and Sorry, and Daddy read to him each night.

Miranda and Monica arrived home on Sunday night and then Monday, we met Becki at a park halfway to exchange the girls back. She also brought Luke back, so by Monday evening, we had four children and a full house again.

Monday evening, the girls had a Pride and Prejudice Slumber Party at Raquel's. We had told Jenny that we wanted to have one, but didn't have enough room, and she offered to host it. I'll have to see if I can post the Smile Box from that evening. They had some great fun dressing up and doing skits and then watched the five hour long Pride and Prejudice until the wee hours.

Next week is VBS. It is the first time we've done a week long VBS and we are looking forward to it. Lorelei asked me to teach with her and we have 20 students in 5th-6th grade, Luke's class.

Well, that's about it! Tomorrow night, Mark and I are going to try a new restaurant for his birthday. I was able to get a $25 gift certificate from restaurants.com for $2. You have to spend at least $35, so we should be able to have a nice meal for about $12!

Please Pray for Zach Bertsch

Zach just called this week and told us he has been diagnosed with cancer. He has a tumor in his colon and it has probably already spread. They are meeting with specialists and deciding the course of treatment, but he is probably looking at chemo, radiation and surgery.

Please pray for them during this difficult time. Also, Cassie Bertsch, Zach's sister, lives in Athens, and it must be hard for her to be so far away.

(Mark lived with Zach and Jenny Bertsch when he first moved up to Leo. Zach was the business manager at Gateway whose position Mark was filling. Zach's new job is at the AC nursing home in Bluffton. They just moved back to Bluffton in May. They have two small children, Zion and Moriah.)

Last Weekend and This Weekend

Last weekend was Memorial Day. We were glad to go meet Daniel and Diane at a park for the afternoon. They had been out helping Morgan and Kyra move. It was the first time that we got to see little Lana Rose. What a sweet little rose she is! She is four months old and yeah! she has a hint of red in her hair. It was neat to Daniel and Diane in the role as parents and see how much she has them around her tiny little finger! We couldn't figure out who she looked like, though Diane said she looks like her baby pictures. We just know she is CUTE!

On Sunday, we went to a park where a hot air balloon was supposed to be getting set up and lifting off, but there wasn't enough wind. So we came home and set up the tent. The kids slept out in it, and then we all got up and went on a canoe trip on Monday, Memorial Day. There were about 25 of us in about 11-12 canoes. We were uncertain in the morning whether to start out because it was thundering and threatening to rain, but we went anyway and the weather was perfect all morning. The rain didn't come until they were unloading the last of the canoes--but then it came with a vengeance! We were at Troy and Bonny's for a picnic, which was moved indoors. We visited and played games and came home in the early evening. It was a nice relaxing weekend!

This weekend we are going to Ohio to be with Mark's family to celebrate Yikealo's first American birthday--his 4th--and also to have a pre-Ocean Isle party.

Our realtor in GA is planning an Open House for us, so we are being prayerful about that...

I also have a praise to share...Mark stopped at a garage sale down the street several days ago. It was a nice elderly couple and they had a mower out front for sale for $25. It is a small Honda--you have to fill up the gas tank several times to get our whole lawn mowed, but it works and it pulls itself. So now, we finally have a mower and for not much money! Luke has been excited to finally be able to go out and mow. It is something to do outside and something that he can do to help Dad!

Can't believe that it's June already! Luke's soccer is over and Reed's last game is tonight. We are mostly finished with school, just wrapping up a few things. Then it's on to planning next year...I have a Used Book Sale next Tuesday morning and a co-op planning meeting in the afternoon.

Well, I wanted to catch up before we leave for this weekend!

Strawberry Picking!

We went strawberry picking last week and we have been feasting on delicious ripe strawberries since then! Here are some pictures.

Below you see the perfect strawberry, and since we are huge fans of naming things this is Miz Liz McGuire : )

The day after we went we found Great Grandma Ifft's recipe for Strawberry Shortcake and we made it. YUM!!!!!

We probably won't be buying any store brand mix any more!!!!!!!!!!!

One State

Mom and Dad brought the rest of our stuff out to Indiana so it's all here now. It is good to have everything in one state again. We appreciate that they hauled it all out here!

The problem is that the house we OWN is in Georgia, our licenses still say we LIVE in Georgia, we can only VOTE in Georgia, but we are living in Indiana!

Anyone want to buy a house?!?

African Meal

We have finished up our safari through Africa, so we planned our African meal. This was just a bit more of a challenge than any so far, since their diet on the Dark Continent is pretty foreign to us. However, Mark found an article in the newspaper that was highlighting North African cuisine, and from that we created our main dish: Spicy Chicken Tagine. We made a valiant atempt at making our own injera, the staple bread of Africa, but humbly gave up and used a thin flexible pizza crust instead. (Injera is made of teff, which is a native African grain, so even if we had made it of wheat flour, it wouldn't have been authentic.) We added Shuku Shuku, a rich coconut candy, for dessert, and Rachel and the boys made scary African masks to complete the fun.

Clockwise Left to Right: Shuku Shuku, Spicy Chicken Tagine, American Injera Spicy Chicken Tagine:

2 T. olive oil plus a pat of butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 t. rosemary

1/2 t. ginger

2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

***See note below

1/2 t. cinnamon

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (could use boneless thighs)

6 ounces dried apricots

2 T. honey

14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

salt, black pepper

Fry the onion in oil and butter. Add rosemary, ginger, chilies, and cinnamon. Stir well, then add chicken. Cook until browned. Chop apricots in food processor. Add a little water to the honey to make it runny and toss with the apricots. Add apricots and tomatoes to the chicken. Add a little water if necessary to make sure there is enough liquid to submerge the apricots. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste before serving hot with injera. (You might want to take the lid off towards the end to cook off some of the liquid.)

***Important Note: The meal coordinator asked the grocery shopper to get 2 red chilies, but the grocery shopper got 2 cans of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, 7 oz. The chef just dutifully put in the available ingredients and we didn't realize it until it was on the table! We all believe that this was a grand mistake, and though it might not be authentic African, it was SO good--not to mention so HOT! Next time (we have another can!), we might not quite put in the whole can--then again, we just might. But if you make it the way we did, don't say we didn't warn you!
Shuku Shuku:
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup self rising flour
extra powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together coconut, sugar, and egg yolks to form a stiff dough. Squeeze into 1 inch balls and roll in flour to coat. Place on baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can serve warm or chilled. (We tasted them warm and then later ate them cold out of the fridge.)

I have to mention that we really should have put the chicken tagine in a communal pot and used the bread to dip it up instead of using utensils. We also should have sat around the pot on the floor. But we were glad to use our table and our forks! :)

It was a simple but wonderfully flavorful meal, and we all agreed that we definitely wanted to make it again!