A Lesson in Local History

Our town, like many other Eastern towns, is home to a battle from the Revolutionary War. Each MArch on the anniversary of The Battle of Guilford Courthouse war reenactors come and reenact the battle at a local park. This year we went and watched the reenactment and walked through the soldiers camp. The kids (well, mostly the boys) really enjoyed watching and asking questions.

If you are particularly interested in the battle itself you can click on the link above to educate yourself.
Below are some pictures of our day.

Ethan with his best bud.

As you can see the soldiers also reenacted dying. This was the hardest part to explain and do the gravity of war justice. I majored in history and I love to study the past, but studying and retelling death and war that is a serious endeavor not to be taken lightly. To drop the assumed glamour and see the boys who bled and died on our soil- that is a real challenge- especially with 7 and 4 year olds.

I was impressed with the historians knowledge at the reenactment and how soberly he handled retelling the war. We will definitely attend again.

Christmas at Old Salem

I love history. I have typed before on here about my love for the Amish- another group I particularly love are the Moravians. The Moravians first settled in what is now Winston - Salem in 1753 in a community they named Bethabara. (read about Bethabara here).

The Moravians consider themselves the first Protestant Church since they were founded by John Hus, a forerunner to Martin Luther the great Reformer.

They originally came to America as missionaries and to provide a church for German speaking immigrants to the New World. I have always loved their battle cry... "to win for the Lamb who was slain the reward for his suffering."

On December 23rd we visited Old Salem (the city version of the 18th century Moravians).

If you have never been I encourage you to walk through the town and to visit Bethabara Park (my personal favorite Moravian establishment). What a sacred place both locations are... full of the footprints of old souls who lived and died for the Savior.

The favorite stop in Old Salem (pictures below) is the old Bakery. he original wood birgnin oven is still in operation and still bakes up to 900 loaves a day of Moravian bread, cookies, and sugar - cake. You can even watch an old fashioned baker at work.

John's grandfather was actually one of the old fashioned bakers in his golden years.

Phillip Philbeck's Painting, "Evening Stroll in Old Salem"

The Hoots at the Old Water Pump.

Enjoying the day with Grandparents.

In the old stable.

Here is what Andrew Murray wrote about the Moravian people... "The brethren promised, one by one, that they would be the Savior's true followers. Self - will, self- love, disobedience - they bade these farewell. They would seek to be poor in spirit, no one was to seek his own profit before that of others."

A wonderful old Moravian Hymn written in 1778 by Hen­ri­et­te von Hayn and translated to English by Fred­er­ick Fos­ter in 1789...

Jesus makes my heart rejoice,
I’m His sheep, and know His voice;
He’s a Shepherd, kind and gracious,
And His pastures are delicious;
Constant love to me He shows,
Yea, my very name He knows.

Trusting His mild staff always,
I go in and out in peace;
He will feed me with treasure
Of His grace in richest measure;
When athirst to Him I cry,
Living water He’ll supply.

Should not I for gladness leap,
Led by Jesus as His sheep?
For when these blest days are over,
To the arms of my dear Savior
I shall be conveyed to rest:
Amen, yea, my lot is blest.

Oh how I love the Amish

On Saturday we made a day trip to Hamptonville, NC. Only about an hour from our house they are home to the only settlement of Amish in North Carolina. John and I have been looking for a place to buy wheat berries and we found an Amish general store in said town. I was skeptical, not really believing that it would be a true Amish store. You see, I was born in Amish country (Ohio) and I adore the Amish and Amish Country. We like to go whenever we get the chance. I have seen many Amish folks (and have attempted to talk to several, but they are not the friendliest folks to outsiders- and for your own general knowledge NEVER try to talk to their children- they find this extremely offensive). Anyway, had my doubts that this would be a real Amish store. I was pleasantly surprised...

The gorgeous North Carolina country side. Right beside the store.

Saw this right across the street. A REAL horse and buggy complete with bonnet headed Amish woman inside.

Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy. I took it through our car window. I did not want to roll down the window and stick my head out. I was afraid this would not come accross like "I love and respect your culture" but rather "Check out these freaks!".

Again, cute pony right outside the store.

Behind the store, a horse and buggy repair shop.

Shiloh General Store.

Complete with sign on the door that read "Modesty Appreciated". LOVE IT!

I really wanted to take a picture of the sign - but again I did not want to come across like I was mocking.

And, what did we see when we first walked in the door???

A real Amish man behind the counter. (He was actually very friendly - to John especially- it is not considered proper for them to be friendly to another man's wife).

Anyway - if you want to take a cute day trip google Shiloh General Store in Hamptonville, NC. They do not have a website or take credit cards (how could they - they are really Amish). But, they do sell Amish hoop cheese, roll butter, wheat berries, raw honey, homemade preserves (we bought blackberry), Amish meat, Amish ice cream, and much more. (On a side note- if you have not tasted Amish cheese - you have never tasted cheese).

This Thing that Changed my Life... aka Dinner Swap

In May, our good friends moved here from Charlottesville. When they moved, Emily told me that she wanted me to start a Greensboro Dinner Swap with her. She had done one in Charlottesville and only had good things to say about it. I have to admit I was hesitant at first- but after having my arm twisted I reluctantly agreed. We convinced two other moms to do it and began this summer.

So... here's how it works... There are four of us and we each make dinner three times a month. But, when we cook we make enough for all four families and deliver the meal to them. So each of us has 12 home cooked meals a month - but only cooked three of them. It's awesome! To only have to cook three times a month and the other nights to have food delivered to us. And, we have been able to try new foods and usually have enough left overs for the week.

Another perk - I only need about 6 good recipes and I can rotate them. So here is what I cooked last week... the recipe is from my friend Kim (a great cook, midwife, mother of five, home-schooler, cool - dresser, and yet does not have a blog!). You should try it- I hate vegetables and even I liked it!

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
5 celery ribs,
sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 large potato, cut into 1/4-inch
cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups chicken
broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and
drained
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 (16-ounce) loaf
pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
1 (2-ounce) jar diced
pimiento, undrained
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4
teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Garnish: celery
leaves

Preparation

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat,
and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in corn; remove from
heat.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring
until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Stir in milk
and next 5 ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Gradually
stir cheese mixture into vegetable mixture.
Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until soup is thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired, and serve
immediately.

On the stove... smelled so hearty...

Ready to be packaged and delivered. I sent along baked potatoes and bread!

Seriously, you should try Emily's great idea. It has changed our whole family! We eat out so much less, save money, and rarely have to think through "What's for dinner!".

Why don't I blog more often?????

I think I have calmed down enough to write this post...

On first glance, you might think this is a cute picture of Liv's hands after finger painting. But, oh no! This is red nail polish.

You see- the twins have started climbing out of their beds and terrorizing the house. They used to be perfect 12 hour sleepers (down at 7 up at 7). But, no more. Now they get out of bed 20 times a night! (I exaggerate, but you get the point). Liv actually got up at 4:30 am one morning this week and headed downstairs to start the day-- um I don't think so little lady!!!

But, back to Tuesday afternoon...

I thought they were napping- they were so quiet- I even stood at the bottom of the stairs to listen for them (since they have gotten out of bed so much lately- despite consistent discipline). Then after they had been up there about an hour and a half - I STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING. Something distinct... nail polish.

Livy and her sidekick (Isaac) had emptied about 6 bottles of nail polish on the tile in our master bathroom. They also pulled tons of stuff out of the vanity (including two pocket knifes and a set of curlers they plugged in - in another room).

To make matters worse- they were wearing new outfits. That's right folks NEW!! (Now, you have to understand I pretty much NEVER buy new clothes for the kids- we buy everything on ebay, at consignment sales, yard sales, or 2nd hand stores). But, because it was picture day at school - I had bought them ALL new clothing- new dress (ruined), new tights (ruined), new shoes (spared), new hair bow ( ruined), new pants (ruined), new shirt (ruined), new socks (ruined).

And, they tracked pink and red foots prints over the carpet in our bedroom. And, they ruined their favorite blankets and several "toiletry" items in the bathroom.

But, the real cost is my sanity. Most of the time I feel like I can barely keep up with "normal" responsibilities- let alone afternoons graced with nail polish destruction!

I love the twins more than I could type here - my kids were all answers to prayer - I begged God for all of them (and specifically for twins). But, thank God for breaks too! To keep my sanity this week they saw both grandmothers and I went out one night by myself (thanks to a great husband).

Hopefully, there will be no more nail polish disasters and I can blog about the "fun" life.

Moral, of the story- be careful what you pray for ;)!

Oh, Ikea and "I'll Never..."

An Ikea just opened a little over an hour from our house. This is a big deal for us southerners. Until now, the closest one was in DC- over 4 hours away. I have never been to an Ikea and since we are crazy we decided to try and go this past weekend. Yes, this was the first Saturday it was open. Yes, we took our three kids. Yes, we were planning on meeting good pals, the Hoffman's there - with their two kids. Yes, we are crazy (I think I already mentioned that). After waiting 20 minutes at the exit and being rerouted back onto the highway and told to go another way (there were police there and everything!) we ditched the idea. Three whining kids will do that to you. We headed back up the interstate a couple miles and went to a big outlet mall instead. So, for our trip to Ikea we decided to wait a couple months until the hype dies down and all those crazy "Must be there the first Saturday open" people fade away!! As close as we were able to get.

Okay and now on to "I'll Never"...
Before I had kids (and the first couple years after) I always said "I'll Never let my kids play with guns or swords or the like". I am not going to get into why - I am a reformed hippie and I still prefer passivity- I actually think I could have made a good Quaker. I have heard so many people say - "You can't keep them away from your boys - they will turn anything into a gun- like a banana or a stick" - How true and this is not what I am against - they can play with all the pretend guns they want. I encourage imagination and this certainly is part of it. But, toy guns look too much like real guns now and real guns kill real kids. Anyway enough of that talk - it is tough to keep your boys away. We still do not buy guns and will not be buying them - but they are everywhere- and here Ethan is playing with them at the outlet mall we stopped at. Of course he enjoyed it. So this. like many things is a lesson in saying "I'll Never..."

On a side note, my friend Robyn and I were talking about this while our boys played at the mall. And, we were talking about hunting. She said her father in law (who hunts) believes all meat eaters should have to kill and clean an animal to see what it really involves. (I am paraphrasing and I hope I got it right). Anyway. I have thought a lot about this ever since and I think I agree. But, if given the ultimatum (and if the current system ever falls and we have to hunt and kill all our own meat) I think I would be a vegetarian. I love tempeh. So what do you think? Could you, personally, hunt, kill and clean your own meat? I only know two real hunters, but for the other 400 people I know - I have a feeling many would say "No".

Blogs I Check Everyday

Someone asked me this question recently- so here goes. I check the following blogs (nearly) everyday. I know this makes me a blog stalker, especially considering I don't even know one of them. But, I am okay with that.

1. Adelphe - A little bible study I attend each Wednesday. Adelphe means sisterhood in Greek- you get the picture. They are like sisters to me. I check everyday to see if any of the other women involved have posted. Oh yeah - I am sorry to say you can only see how cool it is if you attend Adelphe on Wednesday nights. If you want to join- email me- everyone would love to have you!!
2. Nesting Place- Incredible, thrifty, crafty ideas to transform any home.
3. Chatting at the Sky- Written by a fellow mothers of multiples. I don't know her well, but our paths cross on a regular basis. I wish we did have the opportunity to get to know each other better, I can tell she has a lot of depth. Her blog is mostly humorous, yet insightful commentary on ordinary life. I especially love a recent post about maternity pants.
4. A blog of some dear sweet friends of ours that are missionaries in Central Asia. I am not allowed to tell you the name or address of it- and I do wish I could- for they are quite a rare treat. I am so proud of K and the labor she is doing in Central Asia. It blesses me immensely, but I also miss her. Blessings to you Scrappy.
5. The Cummings.... and Goings- Our friend's Mark and Emily's blog. Nothing out of the ordinary - a lot like this blog. Updates on children and home life. We worked with Mark and Em at CWR (too many years ago) and I wish we loved closer to them! They have a beautiful daughter and a son on the way (soon!!)

So there are my top five- check them out in all your free time ;)... what blogs do you check everyday???

Who I think should have a blog...

I have been harassing these people to get blogs (or at least hinting)... I thought that if I tried it "publicly" I might just get a response. So here is who I would like to see enter the world of blogging...

1. Robyn (best friend extraordinaire #1)- she was actually a journalism major and worked for a local paper out of college. she has a stellar writing voice and is a great photographer. not to mention she is overflowing with integrity ( so rare) and a fiercely loyal friend. AND her kids are SUPER cute. Come on Robyn - its easy (and addictive).
2. Sarah (best friend extraordinaire #2)- sarah is a professional pre- school mom. seriously. she is extremely patient with her adorable preschoolers (yes you are) and is willing to have and watch more. she is also a serious and i mean SERIOUS bargain shopper (i have yet to meet her equal). i think she could have her own show on hgtv about bargain shopping. she is also a fabulous cook. not to mention full of character, an incredible prayer warrior, and a faithful friend. Come on Sarah- it takes no time at all - and you will like it more than facebook. And, with number three on the way - you can share all kinds of cute photos and stories.
3. Kim (fellow shindigger and great friend)- mother of five. full time certified nurse midwife. missionary kid. great cook. bargain shopper. addicted to blogs - needs her own!!! Come on kim- we all want to hear your babe catching stories (you can change the names and dates)- and we all want to see pics of your new fabulous kitchen!
4. Jane (great example of the type of woman i long to be)- jane is a mentor to me. she is wonderful teacher and a loyal friend. she has offered me so much practical wisdom and knowledge over the last 4 years - i could write a book. she is a terrific blessing to me and i would love to see her wisdom in blog form (and i know i am not the only one).
5. Granny (my incredible maternal grandmother)- to have lived on this planet for 8o years... raised four successful (and I am not talking about financially - although that too) children and loved and nurtured 6 grandchildren and 3 great - grandchildren. she has endured great loss and yet is still so full of joy and life. she has taught me so many things i could not begin to summarize here. i would love to read a blog of all her memories. every time i am with her i grill her for any and all information about our family and the generations past... and if she had a blog i would not have to ;). Come on Granny - you are the most tech savvy great- grandmother I have ever heard of- all the tangeman family descendants would read it regularly!!

So, there is my top five. There are many others I thought of and could add, but these are my top pics today. But, seriously, Robyn and Sarah, this would be a great Christmas gift for me!! I would check it everyday!!

Who do you think should have a blog??