Scenes Around Home

I feel incredibly blessed to live on a farm. It's not the kind of farm I imagine when I hear the word, but none the less, it is a farm. I imagine feeding slop to pigs and riding horses. I imagine chickens and acres of freshly toiled land with tall green corn growing.

For some reason (I laugh as I say this because I know the exact reason) the cow pasture has become a place to ride 4 wheelers, and our garden shrinks every year.

The truth of the matter is... farming is extremely hard work!

But in the depths of my soul, this land and this life calls me. I love everything about it!

I love seeing the cows tagged and ready to be sold...

I love checking on the geese everyday and watching the babies grow...

and I truly love this ugly, grotesque duck who follows us around like a puppy would!

We all think he has 2 sets of eyes!

I do love what the Lord has so graciously given me.

Really?!!!?

Anyone who knows me, knows how very blessed I am to have such wonderful boys in my life.

Good relations with the Wookies, I have.

-Yoda

I love them so much more than the word love entails. They are a lot of work, but every time a door is opened for me or a hug is given for no reason, I feel my cup overflowing.

Mushy,I know, but it's true.

So how on earth did I end up here?????

What redneck came up with this hobby? We do basketball, baseball, soccer, kickball, swimming, tennis, football, even the occasional racquetball, but tractor pulling?? It's not a real sport! It's boring and the guys act quite immaturely!

So why do I sit through this torture??

Oh, yeah. I remember now. Can you see his little squinted eyes? It's from that big smile that stays on his precious face from the time we tell him it's tractor pull day.


This is his favorite part!
These are my little Wookies and the only way to stay close to them is to be a part of their lives. Even the boring, dirty, stinky (the track is right beside some of the stinkiest turkeys!) parts of their lives.

Creamy Risotto

It is a long strived for goal in my house to get my boys to eat more veggies! We've always maintained the rule: Eat what is on your plate or there will be no dessert. It worked well for N&N, but then the Lord blessed us with little T who came into the world bucking and will probably leave that way too! :)

So, with 5 very unique tastes, I have come up with a clever rating system (if I do say so myself... and I did). I have decided that, from now on my recipes will include a 5 star rating. One star for each 'unique eater' in my house.

Today, it's creamy Risotto. Now honestly, this can be made with any veggie that you have on hand. I had some mushrooms that were nearing their demise so my risotto has broccoli and mushrooms.

The secret to risotto is to keep your liquid boiling in a separate pot.

Now, I would love to show you the finished product, but the boys came in and before I could grab my camera, it was all gone. How do they devour food so quickly??? I'd be moaning with indigestion!

This recipe got 4 very large stars!!!

Creamy Risotto

2 cans chicken stock (sodium free)
Arborio Rice (or in my case, what ever rice you have)
Onions
Broccoli
Mushrooms
(again, this can be what ever you have)
Cheese (what ever your favorite is. I use cream cheese)
oil

Start by making the commitment: I WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE LEAVE THIS STOVE. I WILL NOT HEAR MY CHILD SCREAMING MY NAME MERCILESSLY. I WILL IGNORE THE OVERFLOWING TOILET. I HAVE RISOTTO COOKING AND IT IS MY #1 PRIORITY.
Now, the hard part is over. :)

Begin by bringing your stock to a boil.

In a separate pot, add a touch of oil and saute your vegetables of choice. (at this point it may help to sing the Veggie Tales theme song.) Once the veggies are tender add @ 2 cups of rice and saute for a moment. Then add 1 cup of stock and let simmer until stock has absorbed. Then add another cup of stock. Repeat until rice is done. (if you run out of stock you can substitute with some water. There will still be lots of flavor, just make sure your water comes to a boil before adding to the rice)

Last add in the cheese of your choice. I used the new Philly cooking cream cheese with garlic because it was on sale, but you can literally use any cheese.

DISCLAIMER: There aren't any measurements for this recipe, because I winged it. I just threw together what I had. What makes risotto, risotto is not how much of this or that you use, but the way you cook the rice. Keep it slow and you'll do fine.

Bon Appetit!!!

Baby A & E

So sorry it's taking so long.

Here are a few more to hold you over. :)

My Very First Newborn Session

I think I'm in love. M was an AWESOME baby girl and just gorgeous! I could really get used to this!

And little Miss A will be the biggest heart breaker!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!

A&E = Adorable & Entergetic! :)

I hope you like your preview! There are more!! Keep checking back.

Precious Baby M

Thank you so much for letting me take her pictures! She is adorable! Check back next week and I should have some of her big sis too! ;)

Life. Amazing. Unscripted.

Well I knew it would happen. It is February 3rd and I am officially falling behind on a picture a day. I'm trying to keep up. Really. I am. But I was sick and then Wesley was sick and there was our anniversary, and a birthday, and report cards (which are always traumatic), and I'm starting our remodeling in the hallway now, and yada yada ya.

I love this crazy, mixed up, busy, uncontrollable life.

Another Week In Project Life.

I'm starting with a layout today. I did this one for a challenge to use paint in a unique way. I LOVED playing with the paint! Messy, but oh! so fun! I put mesh tape on my page, painted over it and pulled the mesh tape off before it had dried completely (mainly because I am super impatient!).

I thought it gave a very 'tweeny' effect to the layout of the twins.

I'll leave you with a few more photos from my Project Life. I am REALLY enjoying it!!

All actions are from Paint The Moon. You really should check them out!!!!

I LOVE Jessica Sprague!!!

I am LOVIN my digi classes by Jessica Sprague!!! I got PSE8 for Christmas primarily for Paint The Moon actions (they wouldn't work on PSE5). I love photography and these actions are absolutely amazing. Well when I got PSE8, I realized that I never really learned how to use 5 much less 8. In comes Jessica. I took a few of her Photoshop Friday classes and LOVED them, so I tried a Brush Abilities class. Oh My Goodness!!! I've learned so much! She is one talented chicka!!!!

My first layout (but certainly not my last!)

You Know You're Broke When....

It's that wonderful time of year when you are bombarded by every angle to support your school, pay for field trips, buy class pictures... the list is endless. So my poor little baby came to me knowing we couldn't afford his basketball pics. He smiled and said it's o.k. and my heart broke. It's not o.k. I told him to get dressed. I'll take your picture. Here is the final result. He is SUPER excited to get to had these out to all his little buddies at school. And honestly, I don't think anyone will be the wiser. What do you think???

everything was created in PSE8

FWF FRIDAY

Have you seen what is available at the Unity site??????

ITTY BITTY!!!!!

I've been impatiently waiting!

I want them ALL!

You have to check it out!!

So much is going on in the Stancil house. It is really bursting at the seams!

Almost done remodeling Timmy Poo's room, Project Life, ICE storm, Nick and his basketball practices and games (which he LOVES!).

Oh yeah, and I'm taking a few Jessica Sprague classes!!!!

Lovin it!!!!

Still somewhere in there I've found a little time to work on N&N's birthday pics....

I hope you can see that I used Modge Podge to make the letters actually LOOK like ICING!!!! Love this technique!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a GREAT weekend!!

alphabet stamps: a little happy

date stamp: capture life

sorry I can't link you to it. I don't think they sell it anymore :(

Life Is Project Life

As you know, I'm doing Project Life this year. It has really opened my eyes to our life. The winding road that God has us on, the little things that we would ordinarily miss, the struggles, the victories. God is DAILY teaching us to be stronger in our walk of faith. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. I know God will BE right there through it all!!

Good -bye Week One...

I am kissing week one of 2011 good-bye. It's been interesting FOR SURE! Timothy isn't sleeping because we (o.k. I) am remodeling his room and I've hit a few snags. It's a MESS and apparently he can't sleep in a MESSY ROOM!!!! Never had that happen before!

I'm bruised (like seriously) where I fell down the steps while playing with Timothy! Is someone getting old when they can no longer walk on steps????

Got my hair cut.

Had a WONDERFUL family day! (I hope we do this every week!)

Watched Nick practice dribbling and shooting. He is getting SO MUCH BETTER!! And he should, he practices EVERY day!!! (he got a goal for Christmas)

Hugged Noah and told him how much I love him. (sometimes I think he feels left out)

I told you... an interesting week. :)

So my Project Life should arrive today!!!! I am sooooo ready!!! I know I won't be able to do a picture a day, but I have started out doing that. And hold on to your seat because I don't want you to fall over.... I actually have my photos printed out for the first page and days 1-4!!!!! Shocking. I know.

I thought I'd share some with you.

I'll share from time to time.

I am so excited to be documenting OUR LIFE, RIGHT NOW.

Next year won't be the same.

It changes. We change.