Merry Christmas Eve Eve! | Mom Life Journal

  I missed a day of writing, so I'm making up for it today. 

  Can you believe it's already Christmas Eve Eve? The anticipation at our house has built to a fever pitch of excitement. Especially for the younger two. 

  The kids and I spent today relaxing, cleaning, catching up on laundry (more on that later), baking the last couple of holiday treats and I worked on a couple of items that need finished before Christmas. I really need to do the last little bit of wrapping and fill the stockings. 

  Now for the being behind on laundry story. I know I have mentioned the utility room remodel, and how we started it this past weekend. What I haven't mentioned is the fact that we sometimes have a small plumbing issue in regards to the laundry and bathroom. It isn't all the time and we thought for sure we had it all fixed this past fall. Turns out we were wrong, and we weren't able to run laundry over the weekend. 

 (There was also a day there where no one could shower and I had managed to spray myself with a bottle of champagne I was trying to empty into the sink. 👌🤦🏼‍♀️Yep. I have skills like you've never seen!)

  We typically wash laundry on Monday and Friday, we weren't able to wash on the Friday before we started the utility room project due to having to run errands that day. 

Ok. So that catches you up through the weekend, as to why we were behind on laundry. On Monday we started laundry and the plumbing started to act up. We babied it by and for a few loads done. Monday evening moved a load to the dryer, and when I pushed the button to start it...it made a snap and click sound and nothing happened. Although it did start to smell like that burnt electronic smell. It was toast. 

 Thankfully we had the new dryer in the garage, and Dustin swapped them out on Tuesday night. Hence why we have spent all of today trying to catch up on laundry. I'm a house with six members you tend to get a lot of laundry. 

  This new dryer is absolutely amazing! It is so fancy and works wonderfully. I'm so thankful for it! 

We have never owned a new matching set washer and dryer before. I really hated to bring this dryer in during the construction, and plan to cover it with a drop cloths whole we work. I'll be heartbroken if it gets paint of something similar on it. 

  And that concludes me catching you up on the utility room/dryer/plumbing drama that is going on at our house. 

____________________________________________

Now to discuss tomorrow, Christmas Eve!

I promised Anna(5) that she could bake and decorate sugar cookies for Santa. Sugar cookies are not my favorite thing to bake. They make a mess coming and going. Also with young children it turns into more of an art project and less of an edible creation at the end result. 

  We will be starting the sugar cookies fairly early tomorrow, so I have time to clean up the mess.

I got busy today and forgot that I had a few food items to prep for tomorrow's evening meal. The family wants turkey and ham sandwiches for Christmas day as part of our budget for the day. To save myself time and effort, we are having a ham dinner tomorrow evening and will have the leftovers for Christmas. When I was busy today I totally forgot I was supposed to make cranberry sauce. I'll do that in the morning as well.

I still need to make cheeseball and prep vegetables for the veggie tray for Christmas day. 

  We have a snow storm coming through Ohio tomorrow. I'm so excited! I can't tell you the last time we had snow for Christmas. The weather is suppose to be kind of crazy tomorrow while the storm moves in. Dustin has to work all day tomorrow when he planned to take the day off. We are all kind of bummed and have had to rearrange some of our day to accommodate him not being home. We have some traditions that take place on Christmas Eve and it would be sad to have to do it without him.

 I still can't hardly believe tomorrow is the beginning of Christmas!

I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures to share here. 

~Lyndsay

Day...I have no idea. 

Bethlehem Star | Mom Life Journal

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Numbers 24:17 ES

What a blessing for us to be alive during this period of time to experience this star. This is an image of the star through a telescope at a college in Indiana. What an amazing thing to behold!

~Lyndsay

Monday 12/21/2020 | Mom Life Journal

It was shrimp fajita night. A family favorite.

~Lyndsay

Day 7

Vanishing Green Bean Casserole Recipe | Money Saving Meals

  Green bean casserole is a favorite for some of the people at my house. It is also a crowd pleaser at most potlucks. We make green bean casserole every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Alex(15) absolutely loves it. He eats most of the pan by himself. 

  I like green bean casserole also, but I sometimes feel like it tastes a little on the bland side. I decided to change it up a little today and added a new ingredient. It made all the difference and even the few people who eat it but don't love it said it was better than normal.

  I will always make it this way from now on. So I won't forget what I did today, I'm posting the recipe here. 

VANISHING GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

*Click title link to print*

4 cans green beans(drained)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 packet onion soup mix (that's the new ingredient)

1 tsp ground pepper

1 container fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, worcestershire sauce, onion soup packet, pepper and half of fried onion container in bowl. Stir to combine and coat green beans. 

Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish. bake for 30 minutes until bubble. Top with remaining fried onions and bake another 10 minutes, until golden brown. 

Allow to cool for 10 minute, serve warm.

Enjoy!

~Lyndsay

Day 6

Chocolate Cherry Mice | Mom Life Journal

 This Christmas has been strange for us. As I'm sure it has been for most families. It's hard to find normal and to be in the Christmas spirit this year. We are trying, but in reality we all have been walking around commenting that we kind of just wish the Christmas was over so we could take down the tree.

 

  Even though it is a strange Christmas we are still trying to follow our old traditions and muster up the spirit. Especially for the Littlest Moehrman...Anna. She is so excited and can not wait to open presents on Friday. So we are all trying our best for her. 

 Keeping in the tradition of the spirit of Christmas, today was Chocolate Cherry Mouse Day! We make them the weekend before Christmas. We typically give most of them away as gifts, but decided against it this year. I'm doing my best to make less of all of the goodies this year, because normally we make a lot and pass most of it along. 

  The mice are Dustin's favorite holiday treat and continually asks when they are going to be made each year. He and the older kids like to eat them all in one bite, while holding it from its tail, like a giant. It is quite humorous. 

  The girls helped me make the mice this year. We made less, but there are still quite a few. My husband doesn't know it yet, but I snuck and hid half of them in our sons room to surprise him on Christmas Day. He is always so sad when they are all gone. Now he is in for a nice surprise when he thinks they are gone. :) 

 We also made Christmas Crack and buckeye dough.

  Today we also unexpectedly started the utility room remodel. Well it was unexpected to me. Dustin and I had discussed moving the deep freeze today and removing a few items in preparation. However, Dustin informed me he was ready to gut the room and get started. The kids and I jumped in and helped him get everything removed and sorted into other rooms, the garage and wood shop. Dustin made a supply list. I helped pick out a few items, a new back door and light fixtures to name a couple. I'm so excited to see this room take shape in the next few weeks. After Dustin made the supply list, he started on the tankless hot water heater. It is now mounted on the wall. He is going to Menard's first thing in the morning to get supplies.

 I remembered to take before and during pictures today. I'll be starting a remodel post with them shortly.

                   Today was day 5 of consistent writing. I feel like it is getting a little easier. Plus, basically no one is reading it, and that makes this more or less my journal. I'm ok with that for right now. 

      

  ~Lyndsay

Day 5

Better late than never...right? | Mom Life Journal

 It is 10:15 pm, and everyone is in bed. Notice I did not say asleep, but just in bed. I promised myself I was going to start writing everyday, and here I am. Writing words. I'm glad I decided to do this, but the day I decided to do this, I realized there would be days like today. Days when I went a thousand miles an hour all day and then crashed on the couch to eat dinner and watch a movie with the family. Today was one such day. 

I left the house by 8:45am, dropped the little girls off at the office, took the oldest daughter to Kroger with me, shopped for holiday food(Food, Starbucks and do a little Christmas shopping for a friend), got gas, picked up the little girls, came home to unload groceries and make some phone calls checking in on some friends who are ill, checked email, turned around and went back to the office to have lunch, bank, played Santa by dropping off gifts on a special little girls porch for a friend, home to do school, back out to Walmart for a pick up order, home to do chores and put away groceries, back in the car to pick up dinner with the husband and look at a piece of property we are considering purchasing, home again and on the couch for family movie night by 8:05pm.

Told you it was a crazy day. I have no plans to leave my house again until Tuesday or Wednesday, when I will get fresh produce and milk for Christmas. Although I might be persuaded by my husband to accompany him to Menards to pick out flooring. He said there are too many to choose from and I need to help pick.  

School is finally done! Yay! Except the high schooler has an essay to finish and a painting to paint. It should hopefully be wrapped up and finished by Tuesday. Thank Goodness because this Mama is so ready for a break it isn't even funny! 

Tomorrow is Saturday, I plan to work on a few cleaning projects, move the deep freeze to the wood shop in preparation for the utility room renovation, clean my room (It's a mess and I'm never in there, I blame the husband and the little girls.), and to make  some holiday goodies. My husband has been promised chocolate cherry mice and I normally make them the weekend before Christmas. Yep, the time has come. 

Ok. I have now accomplished my goal of writing for the day. I have zero plans to proof read this one. If you happen to read this, you are a saint to make it this far. 

~Lyndsay

Day 4

Thursday...and a picture! | Mom Life Journal

    Well, would you look at that? I put a picture up. Ha. I get busy with life sometimes and that I neglect to take enough pictures, and other times I take a ton of them. 

Today is our next to last day of school and eight days until Christmas. I really just want to announce that school is out and be free. Although we really need to finish our days. Especially with the four weeks we are taking off afterwards. All of this hard work will be worth it during this upcoming break and in May, when we are ready to be done for the summer. 

All of our Christmas plans have been cancelled because of Covid. Some of our family members have compromised immune systems, and we have opted to avoid catching any viruses between now and our time off. We hate to miss things this year, but we aren't the only ones being extra careful. We have been known to be this careful in past years, but this year we aren't the odd ones out doing it. It isn't so much about Covid for us, as it is all viruses. If we catch the flu it hangs around the house for a month or more, and brings its friends sinus infection and bronchitis. Toss in some asthma and we are down and out for an average of six weeks. We really would like to get through this winter without being six for a month and a half.

As of last Friday I had nine packages floating around in the oblivion of the delivery systems. A few of them are gifts for the kids. A couple have randomly shown up this week. One finally arrived yesterday, and a few more might straggle in within the next week. The one that came last night was semi important, the rest I can work around, or do without. 

Tomorrow morning I am going to the grocery store for groceries for the weekend and part of next week. Since tomorrow is the last day of school for most of us,(The high schooler will be working through part of break.)  I'm thinking a pizza party might be in order! 

On Sunday, Dustin (My husband) is planning to smoke a turkey on the smoker he got in early fall. He has smoked just about anything he can get his hands on this fall. The kids and I are making all the trimmings to go with the turkey and calling it an early Christmas feast. 

On Christmas Day we will be having more of a buffet style meal to snack on throughout the day. Plus most of the kids eat junk half the day and are rarely truly hungry until later in the day. I'm planning to make a very small ham, a Butterball turkey breast, meatball and lil smokies in the crock pot, cheese ball, a veggie tray and a few other things to snack on throughout the day. It takes the stress off of me having to try to make a big meal and then everyone sitting at the table and not wanting to eat it.

I think I am going to try a new recipe for dinner. Cheesy Tater Tot and Ham Casserole. We've been trying to see how long we can go without going to the store for groceries this month. With the utility room remodel happening in a couple of weeks, we needed to use up some of the food in the freezer and pantry. Plus it was getting to be time for a 'use and restock' of the freezer and pantry. Aside from shopping for food for the week of Christmas, I probably won't go back to the store until sometime in mid January.

Well, I think I have spent enough time clicking away at this keyboard for the day. Time to get dressed, get on with the school day and then move onto chores in the afternoon. 

~Lyndsay

Day3

It's Snowing! | Mom Life Journal

   It is snowing! I love snow, especially when it drops inches and it stays for a while. They had been predicting 1-3 inches, but in true Ohio fashion, have changed it to a small amount of snow and then rain. Talk about a let down. Oh well, moving on. 

   Today is Wednesday, December 16th. It's nine days until Christmas, and three more days of school for us, including today. After Friday we will be off school for four whole weeks. We typically only take two weeks off for Christmas and New Year. However, since it is 2020 and nothing has gone as planned, we did not take any trips this year, so we are taking more time off during the holidays and into January. We are so ready for a break!

   During the break we are going to finally finish the last room in the house, the utility room. It has been a long time coming, and I'm excited about it. We are switching to a stacked washer/dryer combo and from a chest style freezer to an upright to save space. Also in the theme of saving space, we will be swapping out our hot water tank for a wall mounted tankless propane hot water heater. Our dehumidifier will also be changing from a roll around floor model to one that is attached to the furnace air filtration system. No more emptying the dehumidifier tank a couple times a day. 

  There will also be more storage for household items, a counter with stools and computer work station, a pantry, shoe storage and winter coat storage. Many much needed improvements to that particular room. I will be taking before and after pictures of this particular project. Sometimes I get busy during these types of projects and I do not take enough pictures. I will be taking more pictures and sharing them here. 

 Well, it is time for me to get school finished up for the day, and to start tackling some of my to do list that has been neglected so far this week. I also need to work, read my Bible and read the Advent Devotion with the kids. 

~Lyndsay

Day 2

Why don't I write more? | Mom Life Journal

 I used to love writing, I did it every single day. It brings me peace, helps me to sort out how I feel about life and centers me in an ever changing and sometimes chaotic life with four kids, homeschooling and owning a business with my spouse.

I should write more. I want to write more. In reality it becomes more difficult to pick it up again the longer you are away from it. It has been a VERY long time since I have written on a regular basis and it will take me a while to get back into the swing of it. 

Some reasons why I shy away from posting have to do with a personal struggle with perfection. I see other blogs and want mine to be just as beautiful. I want to say things as elegantly. I also don't want to risk being judged or offending others. All things I need to work on within myself. 

As I sit in front of "my husband's" laptop, helping my son with algebra, thinking over my to do list, contemplating how quickly Christmas is approaching and considering some chocolate, I ask myself...Why don't I write more?

The answer is a mixture of all of the reasons listed above. However, I feel all of those things listed, the sum of their parts, does not a good excuse make. Especially when the Lord has been prompting me to pick it up again.

I am going to challenge myself to write again, daily. It doesn't have to be beautiful, poetic, 'Gram' worthy, contain a picture, or even make absolute sense. I'm not going to even make any assumptions as to what my writing will be about.  I'm just going to start putting thoughts to page, and see where my words and the Lord lead me. 

~Lyndsay

Day 1

Change Your Life Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I'm about to share one of my family's absolute favorite cookie recipes with you. I'll be honest and confess that I'm tempted to keep this recipe to myself and make you all have to be my friend and live in hope that I'll reveal it to you in my will, upon my passing.

That was dramatic, wasn't it? We are about to start into week three of COVID quarantine over here, give me a break. 

I started making these cookies last fall when our oldest started having issues with sugar. I was looking for a lower sugar, high protein cookie. We have to be very careful how much and what kind of sugar he consumes. He is not correctly considered diabetic, we are actually still trying to figure out what is going on. However, he can't eat the standard American diet, and sticks mostly to the diabetic diet...but can have some sugar if it is combined with enough protein. It's been a crazy journey figuring out what does and doesn't work for him. As of right now, his sugar and health are fairly stable. Praise the Lord! 

I discovered this recipe last November and have been making it fairly regularly ever since. I figured my family would be sick of them by now, but they keep asking for them. I'm not going to fix what's not broken, and will continue to make them until they refuse to eat them. 

I normally wouldn't share a recipe as my own, unless I have made it enough and changed it to suit my family. We love this recipe and I have changed it a bit to our liking, so I'm going to officially call it mine. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 Cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Crisco
1 Large Egg
3 TBSP Milk
1 TBSP Vanilla
1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Salt
1- 1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips (We prefer semi-sweet but have used dark chocolate.)


Preheat oven to 375°
Beat brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer on high speed until smooth and fluffy.
Stir flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl until blended. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating just until blended.  Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.
Drop in spoonful amounts onto a lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes, DO NOT OVER BAKE, it makes them hard and crumbly. You should pull them out when they look just a little golden around the edges, but still a little doughy in the middle. They will continue to set up while they cool.

Tips

1. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Seriously, I mean it. There is a very fine line between these cookies being perfect and over done.
2. Don't try to sub butter for the Crisco, it will be a mess. Yes, I know butter is better for your health, and I agree, but it just won't turn out right without the Crisco.
3. These are best with a glass of ice cold milk, or a coffee. YUM!

ENJOY!

Mexican Goulash Recipe

I've been dusting off some old recipes recently. I don't know why we stopped making some of them, because everyone loves them. We do that sometimes though, we have meals we love and then it's like we just forget they exist. 

This is a family recipe from my husband's mother's side. His Grandma Ellen created it years ago, and all of the grandkids grew up eating it. Anytime I make it we always comment that the house smells like Grandma Ellen's house. 

It has kind of an odd name, but it is also like no other recipe I've ever found. It's called Mexican Goulashh. It's not technically 'goulosh', it's more like a Mexican dip...but not like any Mexican dip I've ever seen. I'm kind of a traditional person and I would never attempt to change the name of a recipe that a beloved family member has created. So, it will remain a goulash, although it's technically not. 

We serve this with sour cream, guacamole, fresh jalapeno and tortilla chips. 

Mexican Goulash
(Printable Version Below)

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (browned/drained and seasoned with taco seasoning)

1 can refried beans

1 large package shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups chunky salsa (We use medium, you can use whichever you prefer)

1 onion (finely diced)

Instructions

The layers are listed below. 

Layer 1- Refried beans spread evenly in bottom of 9x13 (or smaller) dish. 

Layer 2- Beef taco mixture

Layer 3 Cheddar cheese

Layer 4- 2 cups salsa, spread evenly

Layer 5- Cheddar cheese

Layer 6- Onions

Layer 7- Cheddar cheese

Yes, it's a lot of cheese...and yes, you really need all three layers of cheese. I've tried cutting back on the layers of cheese, and it just doesn't taste like Grandma's. Something magical happens to all three of those layers when they melt in the oven. It's amazing. 

Bake uncovered at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until golden and bubble. 

*I sometimes follow this recipe but double the meat to stretch the recipe farther. 

Enjoy!

I've made this for a pot luck more than once and I always return home with an empty dish. 

This meal is fast, semi healthy,(if you over look ALL that cheese.) and budget friendly. 

If you give it a try, be sure to come back and leave a comment! 

~ Lyndsay

The Fish in the Toilet Story

** This is an incident that happened at our house last January. It showed up in my memories today, and I realized I wanted to share it here. **

It's story time folks. 

  Last Thursday night one of our Betta fish passed away. I was up most of the night with a sick kid and didn't bother to do anything with it until the next day. 

It was Alex's fish, so I had him and Emma flush it down the toilet. In typical preteen/teen fashion they started goofing off, being silly and absolutely ridiculous about it. Alex kept saying he didn't want to flush it, then Emma was joking that it didn't go down. Which then morphed into them continually 'pranking' each other about it coming back up in the toilet, bathtub, bathroom sink etc. 

Low and behold, who was watching them? Their newly potty trained, now traumatized baby sister, Anna. 

  Yep. She went from being all but 100% potty trained to absolutely positively NOT potty trained in about thirty seconds flat. She was also afraid to wash her hands and take a bath because the fish might come back up the drain and 'bite her on the butt'.

  

  I started pulling out all the tricks trying to remedy the situation. Lies, candy, bribery. At one point in time I tried to just place her on the toilet and it looked much like the old cartoons, when they try to bathe a cat! 😂🐈🚿 It. Was. Bad. 

  We finally got her to go number one on the potty again, but she refused to go number 2 because the fish might see. 🤷🤦‍♀️

We tried to tell her that we took the fish back out, but she wanted proof. 

We told her the fish was never really flushed, bit we had no fish to prove the fact. 

  After many days of discussion and many more accidents, we collectively decided (through three year old reasoning.) That the best approach was to 'remove' the fish from the pipes under the toilet, take it to the vet, (the same vet that our dog sees, per Anna's instructions.) And bring it back home after it is 'all better', as proof that it's 'all better'. Super Dad to the rescue. 

  I'lll be the first to say that I'm not one to play along with little kids' whims, but this was fear. Real fear. 

She gave her daddy special instructions on the pipe that she thought the fish was hiding in, the 'little baby pipe' in case anyone wanted to know. As well as gave him a description of the fish in case any other fishes were in the pipes as well, 'Him's has black hair.'

  My husband just sent me this picture asking if it is close enough to the original fish, and is on his way home with our now revived miracle fish. While we all pray that this is enough proof for her to get past the toilet fear. 😌

Myself, my close friend and the kids have been laying the ground work all day to make this as smooth of a transition as possible. I also may have promised to buy her a new baby doll if she starts going number two in the potty again. Desparate times my friends, desperate times. 

  

  We have learned three things this week.

1. Older kids are fun, yet highly overrated.

2. There isn't much that two desperate parents won't do to help potty train their kiddo. Especially their last one. 

3. To never underestimate the determination of a strong willed and frightened child.

Debt Free Chicken Wings

 Let's talk about debt for a minute.

 We have made our fair share of mistakes with money in the past; from owning too much house for our income, credit cards, not budgeting, multiple vehicle payments, the list goes on. We even did the really dumb things like financing meat and fitness equipment. We have joked that the only debt mistakes we didn't make were student loans and time shares.

  When we started on our debt free journey and worked to change our habits, and dig ourselves out of the debt we had created for ourselves, we all had to make some sacrafices. 

  One thing that hit my husband hard was chicken wings. 

  Yes, really.

  He loves chicken wings, always has and probably always will. During baby step 2, he decided to give up chicken wings. This was not an easy thing for him to do. However, when he saw how expensive they were, and how fast it adds up, he was usually happy to skip them. He still had his moments though, one Friday evening a little over half way through our journey, he proclaimed 'When we are debt free, I'm ordering wings whenever I want.'

And I said. "So basically you want 'debt free chicken wings?'"

To which he replied. 'Yes, when we are done, I will have my debt free chicken wings whenever I want and I won't feel bad. Because it's a luxury, and we will have earned it. 

  Guys, he takes his chicken wings very seriously. The very day we paid off our last date we ordered pizza to celebrate and he brought home three kinds of wings! 

  

  It's been almost three years since we finished baby step 2, and he almost always orders chicken wings. He proudly brings them home and chows them down. I have not once ever said a word about him ordering wings since finishing step 2. Because everyone needs that one thing that they can just have after finishing that big step. Now, I just secretly smile remembering that conversation every single time I see him add wings to our pizza order. It's a good memory, of days and debt that have 'gone bye'. 

*See what I did there?*

  Friends, temporarily giving something up to reach a goal that will forever change your life will always be 100% worth it in the end. 

  So tell me, what is you one thing you are giving up to make your life better in the long run? 

What's your 'debt free chicken wing'?

Happy Saturday!

-Lyndsay