Summer is coming...... I can feel it!!!

It's FINALLY getting warm here.... it's awesome!!! We have been so busy finishing up school, playing outside and enjoying the warmth!!! Thought I would share some pics!!!

Food for the Week.....

Monday- Homemade Pizza with Ranch Salad
Tuesday- Burgers with sweet potato fries and Artichoke Vinagarette (sp?) Salad
Wednesday- Tortellini Salad with Homemade Bread
Thursday- Breakfast- homemade orange rolls, eggs, bacon, fruit kabobs
Friday- Enchiladas with chips and Guac
Saturday- Chicken Fajitas with homemade refried beans and mexican rice
Sunday- NO COOKING FOR MAMA since it's my birthday and Mother's day!!


Have a blessed week!

For Today..... April 29th!

Sorry it has been a while since I posted..... just plain busy!! :)

For Today...

Outside my window... a beautiful sunny day is beginning!

From the learning rooms... finishing up Ancient Rome and starting to read Quintus!

I am thankful for... children who are helpful and homeschooled!

From the kitchen... lots and lots of grilling...... and some new yummy salads!

I am wearing... a knee length skirt and layered purple and black short sleeved shirts

I am reading... the 4th book in a Karen Kingsbury series and a child training book

I am hoping... to find Liberty's birthday present here in Canada!

I am creating... chip board books and Province flashcards.

I am praying... for the Lord's direction in our "after Canada" plans!

Around the house... we are trying to finish up school and declutter!!

One of my favorite things... family game nights and a cup of coffee!

A few plans for the rest of the week... school, park, zoo, school, playing OUTSIDE and reorganizing my recipes and school!!

Here are a couple pictures I thought I would share with you...

I dont know why the pics always go to the top???? Oh well there they are! Just a couple pics from a Museum we went to when Mimi was here!

for today.....

For Today...

Outside my window... sun, bright, shining and warm!!

I am thinking... about dance moves for my workshop and next weeks menu plan (since we will have company- yeah! )

From the learning rooms... finishing up history reading, personal reading, and doing some painting crafts for our "art wall".

I am thankful for... my thoughtful husband..... he is really a special man!

From the kitchen... smoothies, grilling and new salads!!!

I am wearing... a pinkish skirt with layering shirts and a black flower clip in my hair :) aww warmth is here.. out come the skirts and dresses!!

I am reading... the 4th book in a Karen Kingsbury series... I am officially addicted!

I am hoping... warm weather tis next week, family and friends to arrive safely and a blessed time with them!

I am creating... my little boys outdoorsy/ fly fishing room!!!

I am praying... for God's will in the Steng household

Around the house... spring cleaning, finishing decorating and washing all the windows!

One of my favorite things... having freidns over for dinner and playing games!

A few plans for the rest of the week... LOTS of playing!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... this picture is of Kaleb and Liberty playing resturant and this is what you see in the drive thru.... you want coffee?? french fries?? chicken?? ice cream??

Toronto Zoo...... Field Trip!

This was one of our many trips to the zoo I am sure of this for two reasons...... one it is HUGE!! We walked around for hours and saw 1/3 of it. Two, we bought a membership, so we will go back for sure, probably weekly when we are finished with school!! They have such a wide variety of animals, especially exotic, rare ones. It was very educational. I bought a biblical zoo guide from Answers In Genesis and we had a blast putting it to use, especially stumping a evolutionist zookeeper! I will share a few pics.........

Hiking Adventures......

We had a great day hiking in Orangeville, Canada!! All 4 kiddos did the hike ALL by themeselves..... it was a little more than 2 miles and there was some pretty high hills!! I am so proud of Bee and Kaleb they were so awesome!!! It was the most beautiful weather and a beautiful day!!

I love the weekend....

Just thought I would add some cute pics from the weekend!! We had a relaxed weekend! Caught up on some laundry and cleaning on Saturday, went shopping (kinda) and had some friends over for dinner. Then on Sunday we went to church, lunch and the park. It was nice just to be together and hang!! :) The other little girl in the picture of James reading to Liberty is the kids' cousin Promise.....cutie patootie!

My little Irish girl.... Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I can't believe out of all the festivities that were going on around here for St. Patricks Day I only took these pictures!! Well it was a BIG day around these parts not only because the girls got to wear green glitter on their eyes (which only happens on VERY special occasions ;) but because we spent all last week studying St. Patrick. He really was an amazing man. Anyways we had such a good time getting ready for our party, the older two girls help me make irish cheddar potato soup, bacon cheesy bread (which is so unhealthy but phenominal), crab cheesy english muffins, reuben stuffed twice baked potatoes, potato fries, honey carrots, KFC coleslaw, chips and guac (because its green), chocolate chip scones and a green tea sparkling punch!! We spent most of the day cooking but it was so much fun! I added pictures of Liberty and one of the picture the girls drew of St. Patrick. If you can't tell there are 3 pirates about to kidnap Patrick and take him back to their ship to sail for Ireland. Patrick has a bible in his hand and a shamrock to teach about the trinity in the other! We all learned so much this past week and the party was the perfect end to our week!

Praying for our children....

I read this on someone else's blog and it really spoke to me so I am going to share it.....

Jesus prayed to His Father. Jesus prayed for His disciples. Jesus prays for you and me. How much more should we pray for our children.I will pray for my children:

1. That they will know Christ early in life. Psalm 63:1; 2 Timothy 3:15

2. That they will hate sin. Psalm 97:10

3. That they will be caught when guilty. Psalm 119:71

4. That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives; spiritual, emotional, physical. John 17:15

5. That they have a responsible attitude in all their personal relationships.Daniel 6:3

6. That they will respect those in authority over them. Romans 13:1

7. That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. Proverbs 1:10-11

8. That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one.2 Corinthians 6:14-17

9. That they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure.1 Corinthians 6:18-20

10. That they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances. James 4:7

11. That they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ.Romans 12:1-2

12. That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. Hosea 2:6

You will notice that there are 12....one for each month!

for today part 2......

Outside my window... I can see the grass turning green and the geese coming back!

I am thinking... about my order of school things I will need for next year!

From the learning rooms... we will be studying the birth and life of Jesus Christ for the next 2 weeks!

I am thankful for... women who have a deep passion for Christ and share that on their blogs and my awesome Husband!

From the kitchen... Grilled Fish with veggies, brown rice and salad

I am wearing... cozy pants, black shirt, pink socks and glitter on my eyes!

I am reading... a Karen Kingsbury book called Fame

I am hoping... that spring comes quickly and the Lord's will be revealed!

I am creating... a huge mass of food for tomorrow's St. Patricks Day dinner party!

I am hearing... worship music, birds chirping (from Liberty's sound machine), the heater turning on and children fast asleep....which actually sounds like nothing :)

Liberty's Love of Art...

I have never seen a child love to do crafts, color, glue, paint, dot, watercolor or any other kindo or artsy activity and much as Little bee loves it! She is constantly doing something artistic even if it is rearranging her room. For a while she was waking up in the middle of the night with pains in her right arm and for the longest time we couldnt figure out why....then it dawned on us that she was having cramps from all the artwork she was doing!! Poor thing! So we limited her to an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon so she wouldn't be in pain!! How crazy is that? Bee is so funny and so creative! I am going to start framing her work and hanging it in her room so she can see her accomplishments everyday!! We were watching some videos online about the Northern lights because we are going to try and see them this spring and I thought I would share her Northern Lights picture!

Our newest addition to the basement family...

This was a total score off of craigslist!!! I paid 10 bucks for this thing!!!! It is Kaleb's new best friend!! Just thought I would share some more basement fun!!! We can't wait to start taking these things outside!!!

For today....

For Today...

Outside my window... the sun is rising and it looks cold out there

I am thinking... about my great party I have planned for St. Patricks Day with our new friends

From the learning rooms... we are having a half day week in school, just math and reading, a sorta spring break!! But we will be doing plenty of St. Patrick/Missionary studies and crafts

From the kitchen... I am going to clean out the cupboards and then make homemade calzones

I am wearing... my hair curly, black shirt, pants and fun striped socks

I am reading... some really nice blogs, Theras and His Town and a Karen Kingsbury book

I am hoping... for warm weather and that I find decent priced horse riding lessons

I am creating... St. Patrick Day crafts, board books for Bee and Kaleb and some more rice milk and butter

I am hearing... the sound machines and peaceful sleeping children (which don't really sound like anything but noise machines...but oh well)

Around the house... laundry, beginning of spring cleaning, school planning for next couple of weeks, cookies to make, bathtub to scrub and spring clothes to shift through

One of my favorite things... is a cup of black coffee in the quiet of morning before everyone else is up reading my bible

A few plans for the rest of the week... grocery shopping, party planning, go to the dollar store (they have the nicest dollar store I have EVER seen here), call the horse riding school I found, go to the library, finish researching free things to do in the Toronto area, have lunch with a new friend, take new photos of my kids and definitely go for a couple of walks....... :)

Aislyn's tooth!!

I have never in my life seen or heard of a child literally praying and hoping and wishing for their tooth to come out for 2 years!!!! Well God finally answered AIslyn's prayers yesterday!! She has not only been over the moon since yesterday but is still showing everyone and smiling everytime someone looks at her!! :) Aislyn is very EASILY amused and amusing!! SO anyways this morning she woke up and looked under her pillow and there it was a shiny new Canadian dollar!! Now a dollar to Aislyn is like finding a $1000 bill to you! Like I said easily amused! :) Things are so great and so innocent to kids... I love when my kids delight in the purest simplest things in life and are beaming for days :) Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!!

New Week....New Meals....

here's the new week of food... :)

Saturday- friends house bringing artichoke dip
Sunday- Taco Soup w/ chips
Monday- Waffles w/ berry syrup and fruit smothies (huge hit last week)
Tuesday- Chicken, sausage and rice skillet w/ homemade bread and layered salad
Wednesday- Grilled Salmon w/ steamed veggies and brown rice
Thursday- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie w/ autumn salad
Friday- Hot Wings w/ ranch salad


Anyone have any yummy breakfast or lunch ideas?? I feel like we have the same things over and over...... I need some new things..... thanks :)

School Days......

So I was thinking of posting our school day type schedule thing .... :) Only because I am so proud of myself for being so diligent the last few months on doing school and have seen some serious progress!!!

8:00-8:30 school with little kids- letter of the week, workbooks, reading
8:30-11:00 shurley grammar, saxon math, state and capitol flashcards, science reading and journaling
12:00-12:30 little kids blanket time, bible study (right now its here comes heaven-awesome book!! ), read a child's garden of verses
12:30-1:00 audiobook
1:00-1:45 history
1:45-2:15 read aloud
2:15-2:30 girls independent studies- depending on the day its geography, explode the code or spelling
3:00-3:30 all kids do sign language or spanish depending on the day
3:30-3:45 study a famous artist, read come look with me, little kids blanket time
3:45-4:15 girls independent reading, mom reads to little kids
4:15-5:00 (not everyday) xtra activities like cooking, art, craft, nature walk, homemaking

Just thought I would share :) The Lord has definitley blessed this house with a wonderful schedule and happy hearts to fullfill it....most days :P

My menu plan.....

Marnie you have such great ideas I feel like such a copycat but oh well :)

Monday- Crockpot chili and homemade cornbread
Tuesday- Grilled reuben sandwiches w/ chips, asian salad and fruit smoothies
Wednesday- Teriyaki Chicken over brown rice and grilled veggies
Thursday- Shredded BBQ pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw and homemade sweet potato wedges
Friday- Sloppy joes w/ BBQ ranch salad
Saturday- Nachos with Homemade salsa
Sunday- Waffles with homemade berry syrup and fruit smoothies


Hope everyone's week is blessed!!

Things that make me smile.....

1. a husband who cuddles.
2. a clean home.
3. cuddling with my littlest 2 to read.
4. family time playing board games.
5. little house on the prairies nights with the older 2.
6. xoxoxoxoxox's
7. my son's bald head (surprisingly)
8. coffee
9. the artwork my older girls do for me daily.
10. here comes heaven bible study with my girls.
11. making a dinner everyone loves.
12. deep conversations.
13. music
14. a husband who brings me home a coffee.
15. Liberty's little girly bedroom.

Kaleb's Haircut!

We decided it was time for Kaleb to have a haircut and he was so funny because he was so excited and he had no clue why! We started cutting his hair and kept asking us "where my hair go?" or saying "I'm a big boy now" or "I like Daddy"!! It was tooooo cute!! Well I thought I would post the pics and let you enjoy our newly buzzed older-lookin handsome little guy!!

homeschooling tips.....

I would love to hear of any homeschooling tips that you all just love!!! Things that have worked for you and curriculum you have found.......whatever you love about it I would love to hear about! Thanks <3

Casting Crowns!!!

WOW!! Thats almost all I can say about the Casting Crowns concert last night!! It was so amazing! James and I were so blessed by going to see them. They were funny, touching and you could feel the love for Jesus just by being near them :). Something else new happened last night we sponsored a little girl from Ethiopia. We were really feeling lead to sponsor a child for the rest of their lives and decided to sponsor a little girl. Her name is a little hard to pronounce so we call her Boo. We are so excited to write her and know she is being taught about Jesus with her own NEW bible !! We are so blessed to help our special little boo :) We have decided to cut our grocery bill by $5 a week and the girls are going to give up 2 snacks a week to help pay for Boo's sponsorship. I think it will be an awesome reminder atleast 2 days a week that their are starving, cold, sad innocent children that don't have the luxuries or blessing we have and take for granite. Anyways..... it was a good night, I had a great time with my man and we had awesome chats while driving and waiting for the concert :). I thank God for my hubby, he is the man I thought I would never have or deserve and yet he is mine!! :) Hope you all had a blessed weekend!

LOVE days.....

Ok so I am not a new spokesperson for Vita-Mix but I could be I love mine so much! James and I have wanted to get one for over a year now and I am sooo glad I finally have one! We have already made our own smoothies, juice, butter, mayo, frozen coffee treats, rice milk, hot soups, whipped cream, pancake mix and when my order comes in we will be grinding our own wheat and spelt! I just thought I would share........another share is my husband surprised me with concert tickets to see Casting Crowns on Saturday!!!!! I can't wait. Yeah he loves me! I LOVE Casting Crowns! I love my hubby! Yup it's one of those I love everything days......it's gonna be a good day! Hope your day is blessed!!

Pride

I read this and thought this was so true. Pride can damage our lives in so many ways.


My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.
My name is Pride.
I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you.

Just thought I would share........

picture issues

I tried to load up some pics and its just not working for me. If you really want to see the creative writing sticks I can email pics to you :) Ta Ta

Creative Writing Sticks.....this one goes out to Marnie :)

Ok so I am going to explain the creative writing sticks it's simple, free and fun! All you need is a sharpie pen, popsicle sticks and somewhere to keep the popsicle sticks. Basically is the kids are stuck on what to write or want to arite a story it makes it fun to pick a stick that gives you the setting for your story. For instance a couple of things we have on our popsicle sticks are if I were a pirate, if I lived when Jesus walked the earth, if I were lost at sea, if I lived in a castle, if I could breath under water, or if I lived in another country. There are also some that have only one word on them for example dinosaurs, birthday, summer, vacation, knight and so on. This way they can write about anything that includes the one word. We have done this for 2 years and still they come up with awesome stories! We also use Prayer Sticks. We put family, friends, and random people on them. For example we have pray for homeless people, pray for someone that doesn't know jesus, pray for orphanage children, pray for people with addictions and so on. The of course we have some with all of our families and friends ( they each have their own stick) :) This not only reminds us to pray everyday but to pray for others, not only ourselves. We have found that sometimes we will pick the same sticks a couple times in a row ( the chances of that are slim there are atleast 75 sticks in the jar) and we will call them to see whats up and 9 times ou of 10 there is something going on specifically that they need prayer for. The girls get so excited because its God showing them who to pray for when they pick a stick (because they know he puts it in their hands :) anf then they get to see prayers answered. Prayer is a powerful thing and I am so glad my children enjoy praying for others!

Journal Entries.......

My kids write in their journals everyday. They can think of what they want to write about on their own or choose a stick from our creative writing cup, which have all kinds of ideas written on them. Faith and Aislyn chose to write on their own yesterday. Faith wrote about God's armor and how she likes to put it on everyday, how she feels safer and like a real warrior here on the earth to conquer satan and share Jesus with all :). I think she just wishes now I would let her talk to ALL strangers :). Then there is Aislyn. Aislyn wrote about Marco Polo, don't ask me why we arent even studying him yet we are still in Ancient Greece and Rome. So anyways Aislyn wrote about how he was a believer, and how he came to a new land and found nuts as big as his head and how he saw monkeys and thought they were little men with tails. She could hardly control her laughter while reading her entry to Faith and I. So as the tears were pouring down her cheeks and she is hysterical, she stops dead in her tracks....stops the laughter and the tears and says.......hey there is a game you play in the pool called Marco Polo.....I wonder why he never swam in his story, hey mom do all believers know how to swim and why isn't there a game called Christopher Colombus??? Or Florence Nightengale or William Bradford??? We all laughed so hard and then later on that afternoon I was thinking back on what she had said and, giggling, I thought how many 7 year olds even know who those people are?? Homeschooling just rocks....I admit I hate teaching math with a passion but I LOVE history and is shows because my kids devour anything historical and love it. I am so glad I get to cater to their loves..... <3

27 Random Things....

1. 3 of the 4 places i have lived in my life start with a C.
2. I am really into photography.
3. I like cleaning my kids' ears out with Q-tips ( totally weird but true)
4. I really, really like coffee- black, espresso, iced...whatever I like it all.
5. I wasn't into reading until I read Francine Rivers.
6. I really like planning and decorating for birthday parties.
7. I would rather hang out with people than sleep.
8. I love board games.
9. I am afraid that one day I will have to live without my husband. :(
10. I really love In-n-out and Chipotle.
11. I have grown up to be a total history buff.
12. I love the Lord with all my heart.
13. I don't care for jewelry or diamonds, lucky for my hubby.
14. I really love music.
15. I dance everyday.
16. I cried with each kid when they read their first book.
17. I love having friends over for dinner.
18. I cry EVERYTIME i watch Little House on the Prairie.
19. It grosses me out and makes me gag when my husband pulls lint out of his belly button.
20. I lost my love for cooking when we found out about the kids' diseases.
21. I think i-pods are the best invention.
22. I love chick flicks.
23. I love good will.
24. I love rooting for the underdogs.
25. I would love to have my own garden and farm one day.
26. Growing up I always wanted my name to be spelled Katelynn.
27. When the kids are grown James and I want to have a coffee/fly fishing shop called Hooked On Espresso!

100 Things....

100 Things

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!*

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo.
11. Had stitches
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea - on the beach, at least
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Lived in another country
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten cavier
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Kids are such a blessing...

My kids just rock, now i know other people's kids rock too, but I just love my kids. Last night I went upstairs to give Bee and Kaleb a bath after dinner when I came down the dinner table was clear, dishes were done, counters had been washed, the highchair was cleaned and the floor was swept. All thanks to my 8 and 7 year old daughters. They just knew I was tired and decided to jump in and do my work without me even hinting i wanted help. They are just awesome! To top it all off they packed their daddy's lunch for the next day and switched the laundry for me. Then i find a note on the table that read " dear mom, i love you but have nothing to give you all i have is my love and my help. You are the best mom. Love you, Love faith. Ya kinda just gotta feel you are doing something right when your girls do something like this together and happily. What sweet pure hearts children have. Now don't get me wrong they have their days but for the most part they have turned into such sweet, helpful, fun, loving, funny, entertaining kids :)

Who knew basements were so fun???

I just wanted to share how much our basement saves my afternoon and my kids from saying " I'm bored"...blah, blah, blah!! Living in Canada is not very easy not only because .....well lets not get into the reasons why I don't really like Canada....basically its really cold!! It's not the kind of cold you could bundle up and still play outside in it's -14 degrees outside!!! Thats cold! So anyways back to the basement! I love our basement its all concrete and its huge! It rocks! Did I mention basements rock?? Ok. So i thought i would post some pics of what goes on down there. There's alot I don't have pictures of like....finger puppet shows, building castles, houses, schools, orphanages and hospitals out of boxes, three legged races, chariot races, and many more. We have also come to realize you can find many things in your basement such as: lost orphans, abandoned puppies, kittens who's mother has died and monkeys, aparently alot of crazy monkeys....who knew?? Kids are so awesome. I just love that my kids can make something out of nothing...what a blessing...to have an imagination :)