Hot!

Our power has been out for over an hour! What a hot day to have no A/C.

I think I see chick-fil-a in our future. Our pork chops are in the non-functioning crock pot :( just sitting on the kitchen counter.

I feel wilty.

Ninja Turtle cake

Spencer's birthday party was great! I'm so glad it is over :) I hot afternoon with 9 six year olds.

I'll do a full post later, but here's a photo of the requested ninja turtle cake. I did a 4-layer checker board cake. It was kind of fun.

Birthday Boy

Spencer is six. . . SIX. He is such an incredible blessing to our family. His younger brothers look up to him and try to do whatever he is doing. He is thoughtful, kind and has such a great mind. A wonderful brother, son and all around great kid. He has such an obedient heart and infectious smile. We are so blessed to have him in our family.

Here are some photos from the day.

Around lunch time Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to wish Spencer a happy birthday. He got a video game he has been wanting and a great shirt for starting first grade. We have year-round school, so Spencer's kindergarten graduation is July 1 and he starts 1st grade on July 25.

In the afternoon Spencer went to the splash park with a friend and had a great. Jacob stayed at home, but insisted on putting his swim suit on too. Finally dad came home from work, (a little early and that was super nice!) Spencer couldn't wait to open his presents, so that was the first item of business.

Spencer got lots of great gifts. A journal, some cars, swimming goggles, a miniature guitar, and an iPod touch (loaded with audio books like; Narnia, My Father's dragon, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites.) Spencer wished there were games, but alas it has no games and no WiFi. Just the way mom and dad like it. He loves listening to stories so I think it was hit, even without Angry Birds. Last night at 10PM he was still awake listening to stories. And once Grandpa Bassett moves here he might have to give Spencer some pointers on the guitar.

On to the cake! Spencer requested a lemon cake. I made a 10 inch cake (in a spring form pan) with a frosting layer and lemon glaze on top.

He has requested a race car cake on Saturday at his Friends Party. We'll see how that works out. Also, I have been practicing my animal balloon skillz to be used at the party.

Backyard Fun

Walgreen's

Of course everyone wants to ride in the tiny cart.

Crock Pot Time

A few months ago I tired the crock pot cooking challenge. You basically make 40 meals in 4 hours and put them in your freezer.

This was a BIG success. These 40 meals lasted us about 3 months. Some weeks we did 5 or 6 meals and some weeks only one. Needless to say it was awesome to just have a meal ready to drop in the crock pot whenever I wanted.

I am ready to do it again. This Saturday will be day-o-fun. A couple hours shopping and about 4 hours in the kitchen.  For Round 2, I am keeping 12 of the original recipes and trying 8 new ones. A friend of mine shared this link with me: http://saksfamily.no-ip.com/crockpot.html There are so many recipes!

Here are the new ones I plan to try:

Alpine Chicken

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 ounces diced Canadian bacon
2 carrots -- thinly sliced, -- (up to 3)
1 rib celery -- thinly sliced, -- (up to 2)
1 small onion -- thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
6 Chicken breast halves, boneless skinless
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup -- (11 oz.)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

*Add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
*Serve over egg noodles

Arizona Chuck Wagon Beans

2 cans pinto beans
1/4 Pound pork loins, lean, boneless --diced
1 Large Onion -- chopped
1 garlic clove -- minced
1 Large Green pepper -- chopped
1 1/2 Pounds Round Steak -- cubed
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano -- crumbled
1/4 Teaspoon Red pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Ground cumin
8 Ounces Tomato sauce

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

2 1/2 lb. lean boneless chuck roast
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 garlic clove -- crushed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

*Serve on buns

Cheesy Artichoke Chicken and Pasta

1 lb boneless chicken breasts- cubed
4 oz roasted red peppers -- chopped
15 ounces artichoke hearts -- quartered
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup

*serve over pasta
*Add 8 oz American cheese
*sprinkle w/ cheddar cheese

Beef And Broccoli

1 pound boneless beef top round steak -- trimmed of fat, cut into cubes
1 1/2 C. mushrooms-sliced
1 medium onion -- cut into wedges
1/2 cup condensed beef broth
3 tablespoons purchased teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seed
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups green giant select® frozen 100% broccoli florets

*2 tablespoons water
*1 tablespoon cornstarch
*Serve over rice

Peking Pork Chops

6 pork chops, about 1" thick
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1-2 cloves garlic, mashed
salt & pepper, to taste

*serve over rice

Slow Cooked Sweet & Sour Pork

1 1/2 pounds pork loins, lean, boneless -- cut into cubes
8 ounces canned pineapple chunks in juice – undrained (unsweetened juice)
1 medium red bell pepper -- cut into squares OR green bell pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water

*serve over rice

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

6 cups Frozen Shredded Potatoes  (Southern Style32 oz bag)
1 cup Peas, frozen
1 1/2 cups Ham, extra lean - diced
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup Onion - diced
1 tsp. Dried Parsley

*add one can evap. milk

Candy land

Wouldn't you know it. . . Luke won :)

Fun in the family room

This is just a day in the life. . .

Pizza with grandma & grandpa

Macaroni rocket

Our title of liberty

Tonight we had a fun Family night. Our lesson came from the July 2013 Friend magazine (pages 40-41.)

Our lesson talked about how important families are.  We read a little bit about Captain Moroni and the title of liberty. We then looked at "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". We then talked about three things about the proclamation. 1) Everyone in the family has a job and contributes to the family. 2) Everyone should work hard and do their best, 3) Everyone should have fun. Everyone talked about how they contribute to the family, we even talked about Luke and what he adds to our family. Then how we can work hard and finally how we have fun.

Then we made our own Stirling Family Title of Liberty. We thought of all the things we like to do and what represents our family. The title has our house, the temple, an apple tree & bee, balls, stars and planets, hearts, balloons, smiley faces, the earth, Book of Mormon, water (for swimming in), hearts, a pink bow (for little sister) and flowers. I think it looks pretty great!

So now we have our "Stirling Title" displayed in the kitchen, so we can always remember.  Kind of the perfect dedication for Father's Day. We really do have the best dad, even. What would our family be without this amazing father and husband? Our family is so blessed by him.

For Father's Day I gave a Dave an electric razor (that he picked out) and the boys picked out peanut butter M&Ms and a grilling basket for his grill. We had grilled salmon for dinner and Dave's favorite for dessert, apple pie. The boys and I made the pie this morning before church. They love to help.

Best. Family. Ever.
How I adore them.

Supervising making cupcakes

Making cupcakes

Shiner

This is what happens when little monkeys jump on the bed during "nap time" and face plant on the railing.

China Adoption Update

Well, our dossier went to China the end of May. We got a call from our adoption agency (Great Wall China Adoptions) and they let us know a little about the next steps in the process. We said goodbye to our dossier specialist. We had been working with her since February. I have been totally impressed with all the people we have worked with at this agency. Caring, professional and informed.

We got to chat with Kim on the phone yesterday. She will take us through the matching/referral process up until we travel. We had a great conversation with her. She asked us some questions about what special needs we are open to and just got to know us a little better. She also knows we hope to be matched with a girl under 3. It looks like CCCWA has recently updated their computer system and there are some growing pains associated with the upgrade. And by "growing pains" I mean delays.

Kim told us she expects our LID to be issued this month. CCCWA releases files once a month of newly available children. That will be most likely when we will be matched. It looks like there will not be any new files released in June, because of the system upgrade. So, the soonest we could be matched will be some time in July. And of course, "as soon as" never really happens to most parents. But, I told Kim the timing is not as important and knowing that she is the right child for our family. If it takes longer, we can wait. Jacob's adoption was 4 1/2 years, and he truly is ours.  He was worth every moment of waiting.

Now let's play The Guessing Game. . .I love this game. . . :)

If we are matched in July, we will most likely travel about 8 months later. We could have a daughter by March of 2014. . . .make that "as soon as" March 2014.

Busy week

It has been a busy week.

Last February when I went in for my mammogram, they discovered a mass. After a followup mammogram, ultrasound and speaking with two specialists, I decided to have the mass removed.  Last Wednesday I went in for surgery to have a lumpectomy. The surgery went well. After a little over an hour in the O.R. I was off to recovery trying to get the yucky anesthetic taste out of my mouth with cranberry juice. Once the pain meds wore off they sent me home. Lucky for me my sister Janelle was with me and Dave was home with the boys.

As soon as I got home it was off to bed and I slept the rest of the day. I got a call from the doctor on Thursday telling me the results of the pathology, no cancer. The doctors felt it would be benign, but it was great to get the official results. It was rather large, 11cm (4 inches).

Dave has been home from work being Mr. Mom this last week. I have been resting a lot and just now getting back up to speed on things. Dave works from home today and then back to just me and the boys on Wednesday. I am so grateful for Dave and also my family and neighbors. They made this a manageable experience.

I am still tired in general and see a lot of TV time in the older boy's future. The last two nights I went to bed at 6:30PM and slept for 12 hours. I think I'll go to bed early again tonight. I still have to sleep on my back and can't wait to sleep on my side or stomach again. Frankly, I am looking for getting my stamina back the most. I feel like a wilted slug.

But, I do have some good news too! I have finished my book! I am so excited about that. It is around 43,000 words. I still need to have Dave proofread the last two chapters. I also need to compile all the chapters into a final document. Once that is done, I will do one final read-through to proof for errors. Then I will print it and mail it to Cedar Fort as a finished manuscript. I am really excited to see it all printed out. Right now it is just amassed in a variety of folders on my desktop (backed up on the cloud naturally.) I hope that one day I will see it as a bound book on my bookshelf.

For my timeline; I had the idea in February. Started researching about publishing in March and started writing the first of April. So, it has taken me 2 months of actual writing and about 2 months of planning and thinking about it.

It has been a great experience. I have really enjoyed researching and writing about this topic. I always thought I would just write this book and be done. But now that the project is basically over I am wondering what my next project should be.  I am glad I wrote this book, even if it is not published. But I wouldn't write another book unless I thought it would have an excellent chance of being published. It just takes a lot of work and mental energy.

Here are some things I have learned from this whole experiment.

• I can do hard things. At first when I had the idea I thought it would be too hard. I actually thought it would take me longer to complete this. I put in as many hours as I thought I would. I just didn't realize that I would find so much time each day to write (mostly after the kids were in bed.) My original goal was 500 words a day. I ended up writing closer to 750 words a day.
• Keeping a journal is important. I looked back on my mission journal several times to relive and capture some of the experiences I had. Keeping a journal (or now blog) is just helpful. I can process so much better with a frame of reference.
• I am glad I can be a mom AND do other things. Sometimes being a stay at home mom is hard. Occasionally I feel like my IQ drops with every conversation I have with my three year old. It is nice to engage my brain with things other then laundry, Thomas the Tank and refereeing the never ending squabble over "I had it first." I like to feel like I can still do "smart" things
• Being supported is so important. My husband has read and proofed every chapter. My sister Janelle has even printed out each chapter and written notes and corrections in the margins. My mom and other sisters, Tiffani and Sandy, have given me feedback and helped me take the project in the right direction. But most of all, they all have been there to support me and cheer me on. Feeling this love and support has really made a difference. What a great example to me of how I want to be.

I will keep you posted on how the final draft goes, but there really wont be much to tell until I hear back from a publisher. Wish me luck :)

Cool dude

Luke is our resident rock star, with rock star hair.  Last week I clipped his hair a little around his ears. Tonight I gave him his second trimming. I took a little off the top.

He is looking so much older.

Fun!

Having fun with spencer at school today. He's showing me all the cool stuff he has learned and can do.

Luke crazy hair

And now he is clapping.

Saturday project

Today we cleaned out the garage. It feels good to get it done. We took a truck load of stuff to the dump. Who knew we had so much junk, literally.

We are getting the space ready for my dad to store "The Black" for a couple of months. The Black is his classic 1967 mustang- fast back.

Can't wait for my parents to move here in August. Until then. We'll be content to house "The Black."