time change + 3 children + 12 days missions training = FATIGUE

As we begin the exciting process of the Lord preparing us for missions in Budapest, Hungary, we'll be posting more at www.BudapestAlive.org... And I've said it before, but will say it again, time change is the enemy of mother's of young children everywhere!

This was a decent fall photo, until

One child thoroughly lost interest... while another began crawling away. I don't even know what that third one is looking at! Sometimes it's fun to post a snapshot of real life, because, well, it's a bit challenging to get three children to have semi-enthusiastic expressions, while at the same time trying NOT to trample any pumpkins. Happy fall!

Big Girl Got Baptized!

Grace's Baptism from Budapest Alive on Vimeo.

leaving on a jet plane (again)

We've received word that the missions organization we applied with, has approved us to attend Base Camp, a 2 week orientation and training session. We are ecstatic and will be flying as a fam of 5 to Colorado in the fall!! Check back for more adventures as we walk through the doors God is opening. I'll be sure to post pics of our packing procedures, which include strapping a car seat onto a piece of rolling luggage, with a toddler in it, while older girls hopefully walk through security. Thanks to friend EW, who has been traveling with her own herd of 3 kids, and gave me the idea.

passing the bean dip

As a new mom many moons ago, I wish I would have known how to handle the "well meaning comments of others" concerning parenting. "Wow, your baby is small" "how long are you breastfeeding?" "your babies all sleep on their tummies? oh my...". It seems universal to receive comments about one's children, and sometimes even find yourself commenting to another poor, unsuspecting mom yourself. I ran across this blog post, and although I am in no way endorsing the entire blog (since I have not read all its contents), this post is terrific. Enjoy, and pass the bean dip!

because I miss Hungary...

.. I made a marzipan torte (or marzipan cake with raspberry sauce). If you have picked yourself up off the floor at the thought that my baking was a SUCCESS, compose yourself and try your hand at the recipe.

3 TBSP all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (NOT BAKE SODA, have made that mistake many times)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
8 oz almond milk pulp from this recipe (or almond paste in a can). Try it my way and you get yummy almond milk for the kiddos, while the "pulp" is used in the cake.
2 eggs seperated
2 TBSP orange juice

Mix first 3 dry ingredients in a small bowl and put aside. With electric mix, Beat butter until creamy, add sugar and almond pulp or paste, continue to beat on low until well blended. Add dry ingredients, beat some more. Put in 2 egg YOLKS (put the egg whites aside), beat some more, put in final ingredient OJ, beat some more.

In a seperate bowl, beat on HIGH the egg whites until firm peaks form (took me 5 min!!). Gently fold in the egg whites with the rest of the cake mix. Pour into a wax paper lined or springy pan, this is a fluffy cake and does not do well with the flip and cool method once its done (TRUST ME). I drizzled some melted choc on top and put raspberry sauce on the side. The raspberry sauce is a bit of frozen fruit beat with mixer, some OJ and sugar. Oh yea, and bake the cake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Jó étvágyat! (or bon appetit in Hungarian).

I'm starting to think the new, taller fence we are installing out back, is more for the containment of my children... than for the new dog.