Several months ago my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and all of us decided to head to Florida in lieu of a family Christmas celebration. The kids, having never been there before were so excited. For weeks before we left, we were hounded with questions like “When do we leave?” and “Will it be hot in Florida?”

Of course, it will be hot in Florida. Wrong!

The evening we arrived, Florida was experiencing some of the coldest weather in a long time and frost warnings were out. To amply things a bit, we left sunny Minnesota where people were experiencing record breaking HIGH temps for this season. So when it was 60 degrees in Minnesota, it was only about 40 degrees on our first day in Florida. Instead of spending a day at the pool as planned, we headed for SeaWorld. This decision ended up being a great one, as we all loved SeaWorld. The crowds were low, the middle of the day was sunny, and the interactions with the Dolphins ended up being a trip highlight.

Traveling with nine people was a blast, but we quickly experienced one of the week’s major destinations; the bathroom. It seemed like someone always had to go, so we became experts at scoping out  and “touring” all bathrooms along the way.

Of course, the kids were excited to spend three days at Walt Disney World, and we visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. When asked which one they liked best, none of the kids could choose. The day we went to Magic Kingdom, we got up very early and were there by the time the park opened. This ended up being an excellent decision. The crowds were manageable, there were no lines for any of the rides, and the weather was fantastic! The biggest tip I have is RENT A STROLLER, if you have a younger child. What a blessing it was to have a place for our youngest to sit, not to mention a place to pile sweatshirts and other items so we didn’t have to carry it all.

I don’t know what happened to Mickey’s status at Disney, as the girls didn’t have to wait in line at all to have their picture taken with Mickey and Minnie. The line for the princess posse was an hour, so we skipped that at the urging of our kids. Hey, if they didn’t want to wait, why should a bunch of adults. Did I mention that the adult to kid ratio was 2:1 ? It really made for a nice time for all of us and plenty of supervision for the kids.

The “free” shuttle from our hotel to Disney was a mixed blessing. While it was very nice to have a free ride both ways, not have to rent a vehicle, pay a taxi, or park at Disney, we definitely were at the mercy of the shuttle service. One night we decided to pay for a taxi instead of wait for the shuttle, as we were all tired and hungry. It was $30 well spent in my opinion. Another night we had to run, and I mean RUN to catch it. That made for a hectic few minutes, but a fun memory of me flinging myself in front of the bus  to force the driver to wait for my parents running with my youngest. Ok, I didn’t fling myself in front of the bus, but I did hold it for them. Lastly, there was one time when we were waiting a bit too long for the bus. A picture captured the sentiments of our crew that day.

We spend one day at the pool and another day at the ocean. We rented two cars and drove to Clearwater Beach. For those of you who are fans of the movie “Dolphin Tale”, I don’t need to explain the significance of being in Clearwater, Florida. The movie is my youngest daughter’s favorite movie, and she has a stuffed dolphin she calls Winter. As it turned out, Winter the dolphin and the Clearwater Marina was across the street from the beach. We took the kids over there to meet Winter, and it quickly became another highlight of the trip.

Who can reminisce about the beach and ocean without mentioning a flock of seagulls. At one point I looked up to see my parents disappear into a beach tent with no less than a dozen seagulls. Moments later they emerged followed quickly by a dozen seagulls. My mom had made the mistake of taking out a crack to snack on, which you don’t do! Crackers on the beach serve only one purpose apparently; feeding the seagulls and luring seagulls close enough to poop on your sister’s head. Still laughing…

I’ve posted a few tips (rent a stroller, don’t eat crackers on the beach, go to Magic Kingdom early), but I’ll leave you with one final tip. Call your bank and tell them you plan to use your check card in another state. To repeat any of the stories associated with this might get my anxiety and blood pumping again. Suffice it to say you don’t want your card declined at inopportune times!

I have an exciting story to tell. It starts a while ago when we went to pick up a few bags of wood pellets for our pellet stove.  We switched to an alternative heating source a couple years ago to save money on our heat and allow us to burn whatever fuel is available. We burn wood pellets during the fall because they burn clean, are in expensive, and readily available. With corn prices higher right now, wood pellets remain really affordable. Later in the winter we begin mixing wood pellets with corn,  during the coldest months because of how hot the mixture burns. We’ve been so lucky thus far in January with unseasonably warm temperatures, but we know that won’t last.

On the coldest of Minnesota nights, when the wind chills are well below zero, our pellet stove keeps us very warm in our 3,300+ square foot home without the help of our furnace. The only time we run our furnace is when we are gone for an extended period of time.

One thing I’ve learned since buying our pellet stove is that the quality of fuel is essential. Whether you are burning corn, wood pellets, or wheat, the fuel must be clean, dry and pure. That’s why we buy Indeck Premium Wood Pellets from Running’s when we burn pellets; but back to my story. When we picked up our wood pellets I remember seeing something about winning a free ton of wood pellets in Indeck’s recent promotion. Sometime after we picked up our pellets I entered the drawing. When we returned from our family Christmas celebration we were delighted to learn that we had won a free ton of wood pellets from Indeck! They promptly connected with Running’s in Hutchinson and made sure our pellets were ready for us to pick up. We know we have enough fuel for the rest of the winter and spring, as well as enough to share with some friends should they need any. With so many grocery store contests and brand giveaways I always find myself wondering who wins these things. Well, now I know.

I want to thank Indeck Premium Energy Wood Pellets for their generosity and keeping our family warm. What a kind and caring promotion!  I also want Running’s to know that I appreciate their coordinating our pick up of the pellets, and American Energy Systems for reassuring us that switching to alternative heating would be something we’d love, and we do!

“Preparing for the Savior’s birth”

“Arriving to find baby Jesus in his manger”

“The cat and the little Lord Jesus lay down their sweet heads”

“Go, quick! Tell all the good news!”

This year I heard of something shocking. Earth shattering really. Someone said a turkey could be baked from a fully-frozen state to near perfection. Blasphemous! Who ever heard of such a thing. It’s been done the same way for generations and that includes starting days a head of time, placing the turkey in the fridge, checking on it, continually finding it frozen rock hard, and then finally thawing it on the counter and never admitting it.

A couple weeks ago I failed to take something out for dinner and resorted to rifling through the freezer and fridge in a desperate attempt to come up with a plan. (Admit it; you’ve been there too!) That’s when I saw the turkey in the freezer and remembered the option of cooking it from frozen state. So I did what any 2011 mom would do; I Googled it! Can you believe I found tons of information on cooking turkey by this method, as well as an endorsement by the FDA?

Well, I gave it a try and it worked perfectly. In fact, it was the easiest turkey I’ve ever made and it tasted so delicious. You’d think it would dry out cooking for 5 1/2 hours, but it didn’t. It was wonderful. All I did was place it in a shallow pan (uncovered) and put it in a 350 degree pre-heated oven. After about 3 hours I removed the gravy bag and extra parts. I gave it a little salt and pepper and put it back in for 2 1/2 to 3 hours and took it out to rest. Simple, huh?

Dinosaur Train reigns at our house, and it’s the theme for my daughter’s 4th birthday. Here’s the cake I made with Buddy in the nest, surrounded by Mom Pteranodon’s red flowers, the train station, big pond, and Shiny hunting for fish. Sound familiar?

Please forgive me, as it’s been over a month since my last confession and blog post. Where does the time go?

This fall we’ve had the pleasure of hosting our foreign exchange daughter, Kate. It seems like yesterday she arrived and we talked about doing so many things. She leaves next week for her next family, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.

My baby is turning four. She’s a walking encyclopedia on the topic of dinosaurs. And then there’s the matter of the holidays fast approaching. Thanksgiving is upon us in a matter of 48 hours!  Christmas and New Year’s will be here, as well as our big family trip to Walt Disney World. Good grief Charlie Brown.

Is your life like mine? I’m not complaining. I am very blessed. Sometimes it simply feels like I’m sprinting along side a car, trying to catch up like the scene in “Home for the Holidays” where Holly Hunter is being strung along while her brother Robert Downey Jr. keeps inching the car forward, not allowing her to catch up. This is one of my favorite movies of all time by the way AND it’s a Thanksgiving flick.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’d like to take credit for a recent shopping trip that saved over 50%, but I can’t. My 12 year old daughter deserves all the credit. After years of watching me do coupon match-ups and accompanying me on trips to double coupon days, she is a pro.

I’m so proud of her, that I thought I’d share what she did.

As an almost 13 year old, my daughter is into having ample beauty products on hand. Gone are the days when I can hand her any old shampoo or conditioner. She is particular about her facial scrubs, nail polish, lip gloss, and the list goes on.  While she has earned money babysitting, it wasn’t long before she learned that beauty products are expensive.

One day last week I came home to find her combing through my manufacturer’s coupons, doing match-ups with the in-store coupons she located online and printed. Once she formulated a shopping plan and had things organized, she had me double check she had done everything correctly. She knows that she doesn’t want to get to a register unprepared. I was amazed! She did her match-ups perfectly, and off to Target she went.

She saved over 50%; spending only $15 when she would have spent $30. The only trouble she had was on a B1G1 deal, and she stood her ground (I wasn’t along) and informed the cashier of their coupon policy. The cashier accepted the coupon and my daughter came home to show me all she got for $15… a whole bag of stuff!

Are you teaching your kids to coupon? I’d love to hear from you.

photo credit: Jack Everett

It’s funny. I have been listening to Steven Curtis Chapman for years, and when we started our first adoption over eight years ago I was acutely aware of their adoption journeys. When tragedy struck a few years ago, and their littlest daughter, Maria died at age five, I was so moved. We were in the process of adopting our second daughter from China when it happened. Since, then the story of their tragedy faded in my mind, and we added our youngest to our family.

About two weeks ago, I was in Bath and Body in Hutchinson when a stranger came up to me and apologized for being too forward, but told me that I really needed to read Mary Beth Chapman’s new book, “Choosing to SEE”. I remember hearing that she wrote a book, but this lady insisted I read it. She told me I would be moved. I bought the book later that week.

I have to say “Choosing to SEE” has not only failed to disappoint, but I haven’t been able to put it down. It is so good that I’m likely to move it to my Best Books Ever Read list, and highly recommend it to others. If you’ve ever been a mom or wife, you will relate. If you’ve been depressed or know someone battling with depression, you’ll gain insight. If you’ve been through the adoption process, you will laugh and cry. It is extremely easy to read, written with such love and devotion.

Check out their website for Adoption Care, called ShowHope.

What are you waiting for? If you are a family or friend reading this, yes, you can borrow my copy! Just Ask.

Yes, the same pellet stove we purchased last year is going to be on TV! In case you missed me writing about about our stove, you can read, Our Corn Stove Story.  I’m pleased to share the press release from American Energy Systems with you and hope you’ll join me and 93 million others in watching Designing Spaces airing on Lifetime next Friday!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Magnum Pellet Stove To Be Featured on Designing Spaces Airing on Lifetime

Hutchinson, MN/USA-September 14, 2011: If you are intrigued by the hundreds of thousands of people turning to energy efficient appliances that save money and our planet by burning renewable energy, then get ready! American Energy Systems is pleased to announce their products and company President will be featured on “Think Green”, a television series on Designing Spaces which airs on Lifetime. The segment will feature the Magnum Countryside, Model 3500P which burns a variety of biofuels such as corn, wheat, and wood pellets. The “Think Green” producers filmed the Magnum Countryside in action, burning renewable energy. You’ll see how simple and cost effective a pellet stove can be when you tune into Designing Spaces airing on Lifetime Television Network on Friday, September 23, 2011 at 7:25am Eastern & Pacific and 6:25am Central time.

About American Energy Systems: Around since 1973, AES invents and manufactures alternative heating products that burn a variety of Wood Pellet, Corn and biomass fuels. AES has achieved international recognition for their MagnuM Countryside Corn burning appliances and are recognized in the hearth industry as leaders in Flex-fuel / Biomass & Corn burning technology. The company is currently developing new combustion technology and an exciting lineup of flex-fuel appliances for the future.

Mike Haefner, President of American Energy Systems; 150 Michigan Street, Hutchinson, MN 55350 Contact online or (320) 587-6565