Grateful Prayer | Thankful Heart

Party of Ten Series: Feeling Like a Fraud?

By Lorraine

Being a mom is hard work, physically and emotionally. Decisions, choices and wanting the best can leave a mom feeling like a fraud. Homeschool thoughts.

Feeling like a fraud?

We made the decision to pull 6 of our school-aged kids out of the public school to homeschool them. It took two weeks before school started to finally decide.

Party of Ten is a new, guest post series, by a mom deep in the throws of mothering. A wife and mom to eight children, Jamie writes from a tender heart, the experiences, the dilemmas, the struggles and the joys of large family living. She is real, transparent and intertwines the journey with encouragement, devotion and sincerity.

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End of Year Wrap-up

By Lorraine

End of Year Wrap-up
As the year draws to a close I’m trying to catch up by posting activities and memory-making moments with and for family. It’s been a busy and full couple of months. My heart overflows. Hard to imagine that less than five months ago I had a total hip replacement.Continue Reading

Back in the swing of things

By Lorraine

We realized the time and energy it would take to plan and prepare for our trip abroad but what I didn’t expect was how hard it would be to get back into the swing once we returned home.

Unpacking, laundry, connecting with family, email, snail mail, photos from camera, iPhone photos, sorting photos, editing photos, food shopping, house cleaning, yard work, even making meals is a chore (and you know how I love to cook!)

A cold when I got home (so happy we were well while away) slowed me down too.

I am slowly catching up and getting back in the swing of things as we cherish these these family moments.

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Grandmom Elsie’s Graham Cracker Pie

By Lorraine

Foods from childhood can evoke wonderful memories not just because we love the taste but also because it is associated with special people or events.  Do you have a favorite dessert from your childhood?

My husband remembers his grandmom Elsie making Graham Cracker Pie for nearly every backyard cookout.  It is really a humble pie of creamy vanilla pudding poured into a pre-baked graham cracker crust.  Often times the pie is topped with meringue so the unused egg whites aren’t wasted. Grandmon preferred lightly sweetened whipped cream sprinkled with additional graham cracker crumbs.
Elsie Rebekah 
I imagine Grandmom Elsie baked lots of pies in her day as she and her husband raised eight children.
John (on right with baby on his shoulders), his brother on left with Grandmom Elsie and Grandpop.
Here she is holding my twin babies (her great-grandchildren) as she told me of her own twin sons born many years prior.
Grandmom Elsie’s
Graham Cracker Pie
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 
1/4 cup sugar 
1/3 cup butter, melted
In a bowl, mix crumbs, sugar and butter together.  If desired, reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons crumb mixture for topping. Using the back of a fork or the bottom of a measuring cup, press remaining mixture firmly and evenly against the bottom and side of pie pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool

VANILLA CREAM FILLING 
2/3 cup sugar 
1/4 cup cornstarch 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 cups milk 
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten 
2 tablespoons butter, softened 
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream for topping finished pie
Stir together, sugar, cornstarch and salt in sauce pan. Blend milk and egg yolks; gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into baked pie shell; press plastic wrap on to filling. Chill pie thoroughly, at least two hours.
When pie is completely cool, top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate any unused portion.

My New Favorite Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

By Lorraine

Sage-infused Fettuccine Alfredo is an easy recipe for a lighter, healthier version of Fettuccine Alfredo. Serve with a crisp salad or topped with grilled chicken for a lovely Easter dinner, romantic Valentine's Day or whenever you want a special pasta meal. 
 I recently saw Lidia Bastianich prepare Fettuccine Alfredo using just a few ingredients. Although I already have a favorite recipe, I know it is high in calories. I made this version lighter and love how quickly it comes together as the pasta is cooking.  Don’t be afraid to use the sage ~ it infuses just a hint of flavor.
Sage-infused Fettuccine Alfredo is an easy recipe for a lighter, healthier version of Fettuccine Alfredo. Serve with a crisp salad or topped with grilled chicken for a lovely Easter dinner, romantic Valentine’s Day or whenever you want a special pasta meal.Continue Reading

Mustache Bash Birthday Party Ideas

By Lorraine

My beloved had a birthday in January. Wanting to celebrate, get together with family and a few friends and looking for a time of laughter and fun, I decided to throw a party. A party with a Mustache theme. A Mustache Bash Birthday party. There is tons of inspiration and ideas packed into this post!

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Happy 3rd Birthday, Cambrie Noelle

By Lorraine

Cambrie LOVES Minnie Mouse!
So for her Birthday I made her a hat.

The pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me
this little 3-year old sweetie melts my heart

peeking in the window
 It was a rainy, chilly afternoon when Jared and I met Jamie and the kids at the Pop Shop
to celebrate Cambrie’s birthday in the quaint town of Collingswood, New Jersey.
A few years ago, Bobby Flay arrived at the Pop Shop for a Grilled Cheese Throwdown.

 big bowls of ice-cream made everyone happy

 and there might have been some noisy children too…

even in the rain the streets were beautiful

~*~

When Ella stopped coming for childcare back in September, I told her I would take her to our church’s Living Nativity.  So, that is what we did Saturday night. I told her afterward we could go to Friendly’s for dinner and ice-cream sundaes.  Much to my surprise, she wanted to head back to my house where we spent a couple of hours playing together in the nursery,  She made me lots of plates of play food, played dress-up and read an American Girl magazine to me.

Mother’s Day Weekend

By Lorraine

Saturday, John and I worked from 7am until 3pm in the yard weeding, trimming bushes and adding a new berm where there was a bare spot from a Japanese Maple we lost last year.  We quit to shower and dress for a drive to my cousin’s son’s wedding reception.  We picked up my sister on the way and headed to a lovely evening with family and friends.
Johnny and Nanea had a beautiful beach wedding a few weeks ago in Hawaii.

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Waiting for baby

By Lorraine

 
Our daughter, Jamie is due the end of February. While waiting for baby,I was inspired by a crocheted baby blanket I saw on Pinterest to make for our new granddaughter soon to join her five siblings.
(Here is the LINK to the Etsy shop where you can purchase the pattern made by Sheila for the beautiful baby blanket that inspired my project.  Sheila’s blankets are much cuter!)
 
I added a teeny beanie and similar beanies for big sisters
Keri and Cambrie.
Hard to think of Cambrie as a big sister!
 
 
The tiny beanie pattern was found on a very sweet blog ~
The Dainty Daisy.
Betsy (and Laura) has a video tutorial for this sweet hat for those of you that need a little encouragement to begin a project.
 
 
For the blanket:

Remember the crocheted washcloths I made here?

Using the same pattern but working with three strands worsted weight yarn, N crochet hook, and doubling the beginning chain count, I made a baby blanket measuring about 28 x 32-inches.

 
This is a very thick blanket that would be super cushy to lay a baby on or use to throw over a car seat or stroller.  Too thick, in my opinion, for wrapping baby in.

The pattern
Worsted weight cotton yarn (I am not sure how much yarn I used.  I worked from three 1-lb. skeins and probably have enough left to make another blanket.
Crochet Hook size N or whatever size works best for you

Ch 56
Row 1
Hdc in the 2nd ch from hook, (sc in the next ch, dc in the next ch)
across, sc in the next ch, hdc in the last ch; ch 1, turn.

Row 2
Hdc in the first hdc, (dc in the next sc, sc in the next dc) 12 times, dc in the next sc, hdc in the last hdc; ch 1, turn.

Row 3
Hdc in the first hdc, (sc in the next dc, dc in the next sc) across, sc in the next dc, hdc in the last hdc; ch 1, turn.

Rows 4-to length desired
(Repeat rows 2 and 3) to desired length; do not ch 1 at the end of row.Last Row: Sl st in each st across. Fasten off.

Finishing:
I bought 1 yard of fabric for the backing and after washing and hand stitching to the back I had just enough left over to make two small burp cloths.
 
 
 

CRAFT PROJECT SUPPLIES

(Things to help you create you crochet projects)

Yarniss Crochet Hooks

Comfortable to use and covers all the basic sizes you’ll need for projects like these eggs.

View on Amazon (affiliate link)

 

FIVEIZERO 19 Pcs Yarn Needles Set

For sewing up seams and weaving in ends and for finishing any crochet project neatly.

View on Amazon (affiliate link)

 

Embroidery Scissors

Ideal for snipping yarn ends precisely.

View on Amazon (affiliate link)

 

The Complete Beginners Guide to Crochet: Everything You Need to Know to Start to Crochet

Perfect for beginners

View on Amazon (affiliate link)

 
 
 
While visiting with Jamie, I peeked into her bedroom and this is what I saw.
 
 
 
It is the same cradle I put her in when we brought her and her twin sister home from the hospital.
It has been used by many babies since then.
 
 
♥

 
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Antique Highchair

By Lorraine

 
When we were expecting our twin daughters, John’s aunt gave us an antique highchair that had been in the family for many years.  We think this antique high chair is from the early 1900’s and was used by John’s dad who was born in 1918. I was never able to find another highchair like this one with the beautiful carved Dutch children and tiger oak wood, nor was I able to learn anything more about it.

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