We're looking forward to this new year and all that it holds. 2009has been hard for us in so many ways and we have been stretched and have hopefully grown into deeper wisdom and maturity through these trials!

Our little church plant has been plugging along now, for nearly four years, through many ups and downs in congregation growth and location changes. It's with this new year that we have a lot of changes ahead.The economy here in southern Oregon has been especially hard hit with the recession and it doesn't look as if it will be improving in the near future. Several of our church members are out of work and the group here is too small to continue supporting us and paying John's salary. After much prayer and consultation with the congregation and our elders, and after months of pursuing fund raising and additional work here, we have concluded that the Lord must have something else in mind for us!

Our plan is to list our home here in the next few weeks (prayers for a quick sale are appreciated!). We are hurriedly getting cosmetic touch-ups done here and there. If anyone in the Rogue Valley needs a good landscaper or painter we have recommendations!

John is looking for work.....pastorate work isn't readily available,so he's looking at leaving the pastorate for a time and using some of his other skills. He is very interested in returning to the pastorate in the future, but for now he just wants to find something to support us! I am also looking for something that I can do from home to supplement our income.

We are looking to relocate early this spring and are hoping to make our next home in Moscow, Idaho.This will be a good place to be refreshed and serve. John and I both have good friends in Moscow and we are looking forward to their fellowship. It will also take us closer to Canada and John's family.Maybe we'll get to see them more than once a year.  :)

Please keep us in your prayers.

And lastly, to keep up with the moving & changing theme, after 5 years my blog has moved on to new stomping grounds. Please update your links and feeds to my new website. And a big thanks to Ben & Emeth Casbon who have been working on setting it up and transferring over my old posts.Check it often for more updates on our adventures!

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My blog account has finally been renewed, so look forward to more frequent posting.

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There have been quite a few shopping posts on here lately, but I've been restocking all of our wardrobes, so you all get to read about it. :)
When I read my email this morning, I came across a notice from The Children's Place that their Monster Sale was in full swing. In order to keep my little ones clothed, I usually shop GoodWill or Yard Sales, but when the end-of-season sales come around, I am able to buy brand new for what I'd pay at GoodWill.


$1.39

So, if you don't mind buying ahead, then this sale's for you! I was able to round out both Aletheia & Vance's summer wardrobes for next year and the year after, plus I found several Christmas & Birthday gifts for others on my list. All in all, my purchases were less than $3.00/each which included shipping.


Bow Sweater - $2.99

Use this code (FA79) and you'll save an additional 15% off of the clearance prices.

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My friend, Jenn, introduced me to Shade and their line of modest clothing. They are having their end-of-season sale with deals as low as $2.99! My favourite Shade items are their tops which have a longer length and no-gap necklines. Here are a few deals that I nabbed this week.

Printed Bubble Tank - $2.99


3/4 Length Scoop Neck - $4.99

And Aletheia will love this dress for next summer....

Girly Polo Dress - $4.99

Here are a few other modest sites that I enjoy ordering from:

DownEastBasics

DiviineModesTee

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I tried this salad as a spur of the moment dish for Bible study a week or so ago. As with much of my cooking, I improvise as I go along, so I've noted my changes next to the original recipe which I found here.

• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons vegetarian fish sauce (Anchovy paste was all I had!)
  
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried rice noodles
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I didn't have any on hand - still tasted great)
• 4 leaves napa cabbage (I used lettuce)
  
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
• 4 sprigs fresh mint (I didn't have any on hand - still tasted great)

1. Mince the garlic with the cilantro and the hot pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce or salt and sugar; stir well. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles; boil them for 2 minutes. Drain well. Rinse the noodles with cold water until they have cooled. Let them drain again.
3. Combine the sauce, noodles, carrots, cucumber, mint and Napa cabbage in a large serving bowl. Toss well and serve the salad garnished with the peanuts and mint sprigs.

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The yard-sale & thrift store finds have been very good lately in the toy department! Here are a few of our new favourites:

Fisher-Price My First Dollhouse ~ $2
(Aletheia's Birthday Present)


Fisher-Price Talking Ship ~ Free
(Ours came minus the people)


Fisher-Price MedievalCastle ~ $4.99

What are your latest finds?

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For those of you who are barbecuing this weekend, you might like to try this marinade. It's a family favourite and was shared by our camping/hunting friend, Juanita.

Juanita's Steak Marinade

4 cups Soy Sauce

-or-

2 cups Soy Sauce

2 cups Red Wine

2 cups Sugar (I usually use Brown)

2 heads, Garlic

1-1/4lbs Ginger, peeled

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Let sit 1/2 hour. Strain through cheesecloth or strainer to take out ginger fibers. Keeps for several months stored in the refrigerator.

To marinade: I usually add whatever steaks I have to a Ziploc bag and pour over enough marinade to coat thoroughly. Let sit for several hours if possible and then grill to perfection. Pour away used portion of marinade.

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Our neighborhood has been holding regular barbecues the past couple of months and John & I would soon like to be able to host. This spring I've actually been able to spend time in our backyard working to make it a cozy retreat for friends & family! I can hardly believe this will be our fourth spring living in Medford....

2006 - We were renovating & painting our home in order to move in.
2007 - I was pregnant with Vance (i.e. sicker than a dog for several months)
2008 - Enjoying my newborn and active toddler....yard can wait.  ;)

This year, both of the kiddos are mobile enough to be outside without me needing to carry one around. I'm able to work in the yard while they play all sorts of fabulous games together nearby. One of their favourites is to pull the wagon into our "lawn" (bed of clover) and pretend that they're asea. Aletheia loves to jump overboard repeatedly and "swim". I even caught her buck naked the other day swimming in the grass. She claimed she was a mermaid!

The beginning - 2007

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I've been meaning to share this recipe for some time now. Once again I found it on AllRecipes and for someone who's not so fond of mushrooms, I LOVED this soup.



Russian Mushroom & Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix inleeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill,salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard thebay leaf.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute themushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup.
3. In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stirinto the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill toserve.

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At our house we are always trying out new ingredients. A few of the recent additions to our pantry include:

I have been using regular Balsamic vinegar for years now in salad dressing and dipping oil, but have found that it can be too strong for little tastebuds. At one of our Sunday fellowship meals my friend, Heather, brought a delicious green salad. When I asked her about the dressing, she said she had used Golden Balsamic which has a sweeter, more delicate taste with just enough of a vinegar bite. It is very smooth and Aletheia loves it. We especially like it on spinach or sauteed zuchinni.

For a quick salad I combine the following:

spinach
olive oil
golden balsamic vinegar
dash of course ground salt
generous dash of course ground pepper

Toss well.

Then, depending on what I have in my cheese drawer, I often grate a bit of cheese on top of each serving. Lately we have had Gouda, Parmigiano, Gruyere and Mizithra.

Very simple salad but delicious. It pairs well with steak.

Quinoa

Quinoa is grain-like, very high in protein and has a delicious nutty flavor. Since I'm trying to avoid wheat as much as possible (gluten intolerance), I've been trying out various grains and wheat-free pasta. The Joy of Cooking has a wonderful Quinoa recipe and it's ready in about 20 minutes....here it is.

Basic Cooked Quinoa

Rinse in a fine-mesh sieve and drain: (I didn't have a sieve so I omitted this part)

1 cup of quinoa

Heat in a large, deep skillet over medium heat:

1 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are separate and golden. Stir in:

2 cups water (I used chicken broth)
1/2 Tsp salt (didn't use this because of the broth)

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

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Tonight I prepared this recipe and served it with steamed asparagus & roasted chicken. Mmm!

So, what's new on your table?

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Don't you love surprises? I do (good ones) and am looking forward to Abra's surprise....in order to receive one, I need to give some away myself, so read below and be quick about it.  :)

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If you want to join in the fun and get a little something in return … be one of the first THREE people to leave a comment on this post and you’ll receive a gift from me during this year. There’s a small catch…You knew there would be didn’t you? Post this on your blog or Facebook wall (sorry, no MySpace-ing) referencing this post then come back and leave a comment on this post, telling me you’re in. Fun, huh? And by in, you do know that means you have to pay it forward and give something to three people on your blog or Facebook page. I don’t even care if you make something … just giving something is good with me!

Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift from me. When and what will be a surprise.

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As you probably could tell by now, I love thrift shopping. :) So once again, I share with you my latest finds!

From the first yard sale of the season....

Baby Lambskin
($19/Reg.$70)
(no that is not our child)


Do you have any thrifty finds that you've blogged about recently? Send me the link as I love to read other shoppers' stories.  :)

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This is the last day of the J.Jill sale, both online & in stores. All of their clearance & sale items are an additional 50% off. I found some lovely clothes for spring at Ross prices.  :)

Linen Flared Skirt

Available in several colors - No, I didn't get white. I don't think it'd survive my children. :)

Corded Cotton Cropped Pants

These are very comfortable and just the right waist height (at least for me) that it makes me feel slim without being at my armpits. ;-)

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