May Goal: Check!

Let me tell you with the end of May rolling around I was afraid, I wasn’t going to accomplish my May goal. Now, I realize that there is a chance I might or might not accomplish my goal each month but the entire point of the 30 year goal project was to pick aspects of my life that I wanted to change or work on but also something that I could be successful with. I wasn't going to pick things that I wouldn't meet success with, sheesh, this is supposed to make me feel better about turning thirty not the other way around.

Although, I dont see to be having as much as a problem with it as I originally thought. I am trying to embrace this change, hell the first 30 years weren't bad, maybe the next thirty won't be either :) Ok, a little Tim McGraw there...... There is just something about a man in a cowboy hat, now that I am totally off of topic. Enjoy a little Tim and I will catch you in a couple.

Now that we got our country boy fix, back to 30 year goal plan. I have been taking an online photography course to improve my skills. It is amazing to me what a little bit of knowledge can do for a person, I look back at my pictures and cringe at the little mistakes I made that could have made the picture that much better. Live and learn right? 

My biggest part of the goal was to return to school and work on my masters. I did get accepted, but my classes will not start for another two weeks. Go me, so excited. One of the last things my grandpa told me was there are two things in this world that no one can take from you, one is your education, once you learn something it is there. Maybe that is why I am constantly trying to "learn" and "discover."  The second things is your heart. He always said, someone can break your heart but you own those feelings and the more love you have the better.  

He would then turn to me and say, "You remember that."  Well, Grandpa, I did and I do. I try to live and believe it.   With that May's goal is accomplished :)

Flag Jello

Jello is by far my favorite snack food! Not only does it taste good, it is a good healthy snack but you can do so many things with it. One of my long-standing family traditions is Ribbon Jello. Great tasting, but time consuming. 

My flag jello- works with any holiday, just swap the colors/flavors!

You will need one large box or two small boxes of each flavor of Jello you want. For my flag, I used lemon, cherry and blueberry, one can of crushed pineapple, one 8 oz pkg of cream cheese and one cup of cool whip. 

To make your first layer, mix Jello according to package directions and layer in a 9 x 13 pan. Let set completely.

layer one

Once the bottom layer is set, mix lemon Jello according to package directions and put into fridge. Do not let completely set. Beat cream cheese and slowly add in the drained pineapple and cool whip. Once the lemon Jello is partially set, add to mixture.   Pour onto bottom layer of Jello and let completely set.

Partially set yello- mixing with ingredients- halfway through- adding jello to the mix

adding the yellow to the blue

Once your two layers are completely set, mix your top and final layer according to directions. Pour onto pan and let set. If you mix it too early, your top layer will become cloudy. It doesn't affect the taste but it doesn't look as pretty!

fimished product

Memorial Day

I have always had a respect and fascination with the United States Military. There is something about the honor, courage and determination it takes to join and be a member. Memorial Day and fourth of July are one of my favorite holidays. They are days to honor and remember the men and woman who have given their lives so we can be the country we are.

During my many People to People trips with students to Washington DC, we are given the privilege to walk through Arlington Cemetery, although I have been there numerous times, it is such a humbling experience. On one occasion I had a student ask me, "Do you ever get goose bumps, when you walk through here?"  Each and every time.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in our every day problems, when on the greater scheme of things they are minor. 

This is one of my favorite songs and again, goose bumps everytime I hear it.

In honor of Memorial Day, take time and explain to your little ones how lucky we are to live here and be apart of this great nation.

With some of my students discussing war, loss of lives and the story surrounding the Vietnam Memorial

The Vitenam Memorial ~ 2005

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Missing You....

To My Brother

© Anne Harskamp

To my Brother:

Words are hard to describe feelings,
I have always been better with images.
Yet writing down how much I miss you,
Seems to give me more tranquility.

Writing to let go, to give this all a place.
It will never heal, it will never go away,
But just learning to give it time and space.

I can tell you how much I care, how much I would give to have you back in my life,
But you know all of this and it won't change anything, that's what I am learning within time,

Writing to tell you how much I have learned, to show you that through fragility I become a stronger person
More able to understand, more able to listen and to care,
Hurt through loss, I've become yet a wiser person

Herb Crackers

One of my favorite snacks as a child and now my kiddos favorites is Herb Crackers. Not sure where the recipe originated from but they are easy to make, very budget friendly and so yummy! My kind of snack!

You will need:

One packet of ranch dressing mix, (about $1.00)

one teaspoon of dill weed (I purchased it 2 years ago for $1.60)

one cup of olive oil  (a staple at my house, I buy a 5 gallon jug about three times a year)

one teaspoon of garlic powder (a staple at my house, about .69) and

two 12 oz bags of oyster crackers. ($2.50 on sale)

First step is to combine the oil and ranch dressing,

add in the dill weed and the garlic powder. (It looks a little funky)

Stir the mixture until all of the dressing is dissolved. It has a cloudy color to it.

Put the crackers into a container. I like the ziploc bag then it is easier to eat and prepare.

Pour mixture over crackers. If using a bag, you can easy shake them to mix the mixture. Or use a spatula to help mix. 

Let the crackers sit to absorb the oil. My rule of thumb is about three to four hours.

Easy peasy! A great snack for about 4.00. These crackers will last about one month if stored in an air tight container, although in my house, I might be lucky to get four days out of them.

Enjoy!

Organized Chaos

My house and life, just like everyone's I'm sure, can be organized chaos and more commonly just chaos. Mornings and getting ready for school are the worst, I can never seem to leave on time. One of my biggest problems is Peanut's ability to move slower than a snail! The one and only time of the day when he isn't like the energizer bunny.

Every morning, we have a battle about getting ready for school. "I don't like this outfit", can't I just wear the same thing I wore yesterday . (YIKES!!!!!)  I can just hear the phone call from the school now! To help eliminate this problem and hopefully make everyone's life easier, I made dividers for Peanut's closet and clothes.

On Sunday, we spend about 15 minutes picking out his clothes for the week. Once the outfits are picked out, we hang them up behind the correct day tag. I created one for Saturday and Sunday but we only use those for special occasions. The deal is, he can pick the outfits and which day he wants to wear. Once, I approve the outfit, (he is still in that stage where matching is kind of hard), it is set, it can no longer be changed. 

creating them in photoshop and printed on cardstock.

yay for an organized closet!

I get excited from knowing this problem has been fixed!

We have been doing this for about two weeks now and let me tell you, my life is that much easier!  If only I could create a tag for everything in life :) When I created his closet tags, we designed each one to be something he loved, in hopes that this would help motivate him. We have a tag for surfing, the ocean, construction, balloons, sports, dots and a swirl like his favorit shirt.  The ironic part about it is he had the nerve to ask me when I was going to get Pumpkin's clothes and closet like his. Guess it is never to early to start!  Check out my etsy store to purchase your own custom set of closet tags!

Family Mission Statement

May's goal = learning. Learning is something that happens everyday and whether we want it to or not. We learn little things through each day and it helps to make us the people that we are. In addition to my returning to school, I wanted us to learn to be a stronger family unit.

During this past week, I sat down with Peanut and Pumpkin, although she was more interested in playing with the markers and looked over our family mission statement. Peanut and I had written this a few years ago, but I felt like it was time for us to revisit and make sure that the information still applied and to see if we needed to add anything.

I started with this website http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/  they have great ideas about families and what you want yours to look like, how you want your family to function and creating a family dynamic. It has an entire section on defining who you are, conquering the chaos and even family fun ideas. One of my favorite aspects of this site is that it teaches you to be you and not worry so much about keeping up with the Jones. (By the way, I hate that phrase, who in the heck made them so special, that we have to live up to them!)

The next website, that I used to create our family mission statement was http://www.franklinconvey.com/. This website will walk you step by step through the writing of your family motto/mission statement. The process starts with you jotting down ideas and putting it together into sentences. I did this by asking Peanut ask what he loved about our family, and what were his favorite memories, activities and what he wanted to do more of. Once, I had our information, I plugged it into the generator, approximately 12 steps later (think this is a coincidence?), our mission statement was created.

 Our family mission statement:

As a family we are at our best when we are having fun and being silly.
We will try to prevent times when we are not supporting each other .
We will find more time with each other to play games, go for walks, sit by the fire, swim, visit the beach, camp, look at the stars and be silly.
We will help each family member listening to each other, helping each other when we are down, giving hugs and encouragement.
We will help others by donating our time, money and unwanted belongings.
We will stop procrastinating and start working on: supporting each other,  focusing more on each other rather than things, and becoming more resourceful. 
We will be viewed as a family that down to earth, caring, selfless people.
We will fill our home with LOVE.
We will make choices and decisions based on: kindness, humility, trust, hard work, love and respect.

We will constantly renew ourselves by focusing on:

• enjoying the moment, treating our bodies as temples
• loving and worshiping God in unlimited ways
• maintaining our wits
• talking through our emotions and
• Remembering that we are truly blessed.
• Loving each other All the Numbers, All the Time

Our Mission Statement hangs in the living room and not only does it serve as a reminder for our family but shares with the world who we are and what is important to us.
In addition to our family Mission Statement, we have been writing down and perfecting our family traditions! I cannot wait to share those with you!


James E. Faust, May 1983, said:
"Develop family traditions. Some of the greatest strengths of families can be found in their own traditions."

Here are the reasons we must create family traditions: ( a friend of mine emailed these to me, and I would love to be able to share where she got them (I'll keep you posted).)

We ALL have these basic human NEEDS:1. A need to BELONG
2. A strong sense of IDENTITY
3. ACCEPTANCE by others
4. Emotional & physical SECURITY
Family Traditions can:1. Bind hearts & give family members a sense of identity
2. Connect family members to heritage
3. Remind family members what they stand for
4. Acknowledge & celebrate important events in the lives of family members
5. Give a sense of security & continuity
6. Cement people together as a family unit

 

Flowers that Taste Yummy

I love flowers, they are so pretty and smell nice but die way too quickly for my liking. Not that I  am against flowers, but if I am going to spend my money on something, it is going to be worth it. For my sisters' surprise graduation party, I made her centerpieces out of edible flowers. Helps with the budget and served as dessert! Have to love killing two birds with one stone!
I have made these flowers a few times before, they are simple to make and turn out beautiful. For my students we made them for their parents for Valentine's day and Mother's day.


These are a bit time consuming but very easy and fun, my 5 year old actually helped me with them.

I love the way they turned out. Edible centerpieces!

Cost breakdown per centerpiece (I made 10) about $3.00. Now you might be thinking that isn't that great of a deal but when you realize this was also dessert! Woo hoo!

Ingredients:

4 boxes of strawberries

4 bags of chocolate, whatever flavor and color you wish. *if your color is not available, buy white and add food coloring*

100 BBQ skewers

 

I like to use a plastic bowl, that way if I need too I can throw it away and the bowl doesn't get too hot in the microwave. You can also use a double broiler and melt the chocolate, but this is the fast way. It is already time consuming enough, let's not add to it!

Step one: Using a skewers add a stem to every strawberry.

Stems check- you can color the skewer with a marker for a better effect



Step two: Melt the chocolate, be careful not to burn it. Usually 30 second intervals work and make sure to stir often. You want a thick consistency.  (If you are adding your own color, add the food coloring now)





Before Microwave

After microwave

Step Three: Take a  strawberry and while tilting the bowl, twist the strawberry until it is completely covered. Make sure to twist and not dip. as twisting gives it the petal effect.

old picture: forgot to take a picture at this step. Making them with one of my students

Step Four: Prop the berries up to dry. I use a box with holes punched in it or a basket turned on it's side. Whatever you have available.

Step Five: Arrange dried strawberries into an arrangement for your centerpieces, or dessert table.

Linking up to:



 
 

Outta Here! Graduation!

Many of you know that my sister graduated college on May 7. I can hear you know, then why did it take you so long to post. Well, the answer is simple, we have been throwing her a surprise party and I had to wait until it was over. She is a follower of my blog and that is all I needed her to read it on here!

Graduation was fabulous, I was and still am so proud of her. In the midst of loosing our brother, we had this joyous occasion that we didn't want to ruin. It was hard but we knew he was looking down, watching and saying "That's my Sister."

For graduation, I surprised my sister by having custom shirts made. Peanut and Pumpkin were attending graduation, and then it hit me, why not do a series shirt that incorporated all of us. It was a great way to coordniate us as a family and give her a reason to smile. They turned out FABULOUS!!! I loved the look on her face. Some people were looking at us funny but we had fun and it was for her anyway!



I was the "we" shirt, pumpkin was the heart and peanut was the "sa"

Graduation was beautiful and I couldn't help but think they catered the speechs to our family. The main speaker spoke about how you are to be engaged in life. Not engaged the married kind, but engaged where you live the life you want and are there! I kept thinking the entire time, oh my they are talking about us. The next speaker spoke about time and how when you look back that is all that you want more of. Not the fancy cars, or the bigger bank account but more time! It seemed perfect, as that is how I try to live my life, enjoying the ride and with as little regrets as possible!

Ok, Ok, back to graduation. My sister looked elegant and as always beautiful. It was like this ceremony not only signified her graduation from college but also her graduation into life. She was so poised when she walked down the aisle to the stage, with a big smile on her face. You could see her excited and her ready to start a new stage in her life.

walking to the stage

Graduation was the best day but not the most important, it is all the days that lead up to graduation. You have to be consistent and work hard to get where you are and where you want to be. My sister did just that and she was recognized for her hard work. You can read about that here. Congratulations to my sister and all of her friends who graduated. Enjoy the next journey of your life!


us in our shirts



Whenever one of us couldn't make and event we also pose like this, the siblings





That's My Sister!

May's goal is about Learning and celebrating life's moments. Graduations are a huge celebration to learning and not only to they signify an end of a journey but the mark the beginning of another.

One of my favorite graduation memories is actually not one of my graduations but my sister's from high school. Looking back it is one of my favorite brother memories as well. Go figure, a funny family memory involves my brother, who would have thought!

My sister graduated high school in 2006. She came home from school one day and was carrying a letter about the expectations of graduation, the principal expected that everyone would sit during the ceremony there would be no cheering and no celebrating. Are you kidding me? My brother read the letter, and said "OK." You could see the wheels turning.

A couple of days before graduation, he wanted to go to the costume store, again, with him you never know. I said I would go with him and off we went. After an hour, we were heading out of the store with a pirate costume. I kept asking him what it was for and all he kept saying was "You really don't get it?" with this puzzled look on his face; like I am the weird one who has to get a pirate costume in the middle of June.

even peanut got in on the action!

Graduation day was upon us and we were getting ready. My brother comes down in his pirate costume and we were all laughing to the point of tears. It was great. It finally hit me why he was dressed liked that, our school mascot was the Commodores! Wow, did I feel silly!

We got to graduation and the principal made an announcement, "Please refrain from cheering, clapping etc." Everyone booed and graduation proceeded. It was so dry and boring. Then it came time to announce my sister. They read her name, and my brother stood up, blew an air horn and screamed. "That's my sister!" The crowd went wild, people were cheering and screaming. Graduation was great again. The superintendent looked at my sister and asked who that was she replied "my brother." His next comment was "tell your mom, I am calling her on Monday."  I don't think he ever called.

After graduation, while everyone was celebrating and taking pictures, people kept coming up to my brother asking him to take his picture. They were telling him how great it was and that he made graduation. That's my brother! He had a special way of making life exciting and enjoying those little moments. The funny part is looking part, I would have never expected anything less!

One of my favorite pictures of us!

on the way to graduation!

When I look back and remember him, I do not get sad, don't get me wrong, I miss him terribly. I feel sad for the people who never had a chance to meet him. My sister and I have these fabulous memories of him and we know that through those memories, he will live on forever.