Candle in the Night Recipes

Candle in the Night is an event that is put on by the Women's Ministry (Connections) at South Hill Bible Church. It is intended to give women a chance to invite their friends and acquaintances to reflect on the reason for the CHRISTmas season. We have a special speaker and beautiful music and dessert served to us by the wonderful men of the church.

Okay, ladies... the secret is out. It's not that I really want to be secretive, I just don't want to be singled out at Candle in the Night. (What if the dessert is a real flop and I hate it? I do have a certain amount of pride to protect!) Mostly, it's just a way for me to "give back" during the holidays and I would rather that people just enjoy the evening and reflect on Jesus, God's Son; and His humble entrance as the Infant King who came to earth to give us life.

Another reason I love to make the desserts for Candle in the Night is because of the challenge to make 230+ desserts that don't fall apart, or melt, or burn, and still taste reasonably good at the time of serving. The process begins in September when I research for recipes. (via the Internet, Barnes & Nobel, Hastings and Taste of Home Magazine) I test them and then in October, have the Connections Ladies taste test them, then we all decide what we like best. The whole month of November I make and freeze desserts.

2005 Triple Layered Cheesecake (my personal favorite)

I baked 20 or 22 of these cheese cakes, two at a time, then froze them. I got the basic recipe from a Taste of Home Magazine then made a few of my own changes. There are a lot of steps and a lot of bowls and utensils, but oh so worth it.

Grease a 9" spring form pan Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Crust
In a large bowl combine...
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa powder
1/3 cup melted butter
Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1-1/2 inches.
Bake 7-9 mins. until set, cool on a wire rack.

Filling
3- 8oz pkgs. softened cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
Beat together until smooth, then add
1/3 cup sour cream
3 Tbps. flour
1-tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
mix well, then add
3 eggs
beat on low just until combined.
In a separate bowl measure 1-1/2 cups of the filling batter, stir in
1 cup melted butterscotch chips
Carefully spoon/spread over the cooled crust.
In another bowl measure 1-1/2 cups of the filling batter, stir in
1 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips
Carefully spoon/spread over the butterscotch layer
One more time...
but this time you can just scrape the remainder of the
filling batter down the sides of the original bowl, then stir in the last
1 cup melted vanilla or white chocolate chips.
Again, carefully spoon/spread over the chocolate layer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 mins. until almost set in the center.
Cool for an hour on a wire rack
drizzle some of the three flavors of melted chips over the cake in swirls or a lattice design.
Chill for at least three hours, run a knife around the edge before removing the pan sides.
Serves 12-14
Refrigerate the leftovers if there are any.


2006 Burnt Creme Custard (the easiest so far)

This one doesn't require much of a recipe, I was just thrilled to find out that it could be made ahead and frozen. It does require a couple items that you may not have in your kitchen.
1) silicone muffin baking pans
2) a butane dessert torch
Just buy the Jello brand custard mix and follow the package directions except use whipping cream or heavy whipping cream instead of milk. The trick for freezing this is that you need to use the silicone muffin baking pans. Once it's frozen you just pop them out then keep in the freezer in a zip lock bag. When you are ready to use the custard, place each one on a dessert plate and allow to thaw. We placed ours in a pool of raspberry sauce made from frozen raspberries that I strained the seeds out of. I'm sorry I don't have a recipe for this sauce because I made it without a recipe.
I suppose you could find one on the Internet.
Once the custard is thawed, but not yet room temperature(refrigerate it if you aren't serving it right away) sprinkle on the top only, a scant tablespoon of granulated sugar. Finally, torch the sugar until it has the desired brownness without softening the custard. We had Hallet's Chocolates make us some chocolate holly leaves for the garnish.


2007 Double Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cakes

These were made in individual mini bundt cake pans. Connections bought one from Nordic Ware to the tune of about $25.00 then I realized that one batch of batter would have to have three pans. YIKES! So I went and found some pans from Wilton for about $17.00 dollars each at Michael's. BUT I don't suggest you go out and buy three pans for this recipe unless you plan to make about 250 of them! I adapted this recipe from a couple different ones so there are some variables and choices. You may use your Bundt cake pan or if you have the larger size muffin pans or even a combination of several pans. The trick is to fill the pan or muffin cups no more than 2/3 full of the batter before baking.

Fudge Cake
1 Pkg. dark chocolate cake mix with pudding included (18-1/2 oz)
1 Pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix (3-3/4 oz)
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup English toffee pieces or nuts(optional)
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except toffee pieces or nuts; mix for 1 minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium for 3 more minutes. Pour into prepared 12 cup bundt pan or about 15 mini bundt cups. (or any combination of prepared baking pans as mentioned above)

Bake 55-60 mins for Bundt pan or 10-15 mins for mini bundts.
I had three pans in the oven at one time. Two pans on the middle rack and one pan in the center of a rack that was above the middle rack.
Cool in pan 10-15 mins then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (don't use margarine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Melt together over low heat stirring until melted and combined. Place cake(s) on serving plate(s) drizzle with the glaze then sprinkle with toffee pieces.

Terrie & Casey's Visit with the Boys

Terrie and Casey were able to visit for a week in October. We spent some time in Leavenworth, WA., visited the great grand parents in the Seattle area, and had a hot dog fire in the front yard on Halloween. Great memories for which I am so thankful! (Even though it took me a while to be thankful when they had to leave so soon.)

On Thanksgiving

When I was a little girl one of my mom's good friends gave me a thimble, I'm not sure if there was an occasion for it or just that she knew I was learning to sew by hand. The next time we saw her friend, my mom prompted me to tell her thank you. "Thank you, Mrs Thurston, for the thimble." I said. "I lost it, but thank you anyway." My mother was so embarrassed, but I couldn't see why... I was just being honest.

As a young Christian I learned that I should be thankful in all things (Phil. 4:6) even if I didn't feel thankful. Saying thank you to God seemed a little bit like my mom's attempt at teaching me good manners. It didn't matter what I felt or if I was being honest, I should give Him thanks, anyhow. Later in life as a wife and mother when circumstances seemed overwhelming to me, I'd hear my husband say "Can't you just be thankful?" So I'd try to think of all the things that I could be thankful for. I still needed to learn that it's not about things to be thankful for, it's just about being thankful.

These days the Lord is trying to impress on me that it isn't just the obedience of thankfulness that He's looking to see manifest in me. Not just a matter of saying thank you, having good manners so to speak. But what He wants to see is a heart attitude of gratitude.

When the children of Israel were grumbling and complaining in the wilderness (Numbers chapter 11) God gave them manna. They were asking for meat, but God gave them bread from heaven, they were not thankful. Then God said to Moses, (paraphrased) Am I powerless among you? In other words, is what God has done for us worthless & meaningless? They kept on whining and complaining so God gave in and He pretty much dumped a blizzard of quail on them and they gathered it up and hoarded it. Pretty soon they were spewing meat out of their noses because of their ungratefulness. "But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was even chewed the wrath of God was aroused against the people..." Numbers 11:33

Romans 1:18-21 is telling us about the wrath of God against the ungodly. These people rejected what they saw was true about the Creator, they worship idols and creatures rather than God, they practice sexual immortality, wickedness, covetousness, and the list goes on. What is at the head of this vile list? They did not glorify God, nor were they thankful.

These stories and verses put a whole new light on my whining and complaining. Whenever I am discontent and looking around at others comparing my life circumstances to theirs... (possessions, position or potential) What I am actually doing is saying 'God you're not enough, you haven't done enough for me.' I can't think of anything more wretched than to say to the One who gave His only Son to die for me... 'That's just not good enough, I want more.'

This is a lesson that God has been teaching me over and over in many circumstances in my life, I wish I could say that my immediate and first reaction to difficult circumstances is to always say with a heart of gratitude, "Thank you so much, my Dear Savior, this is what You died for, and Your sacrifice for me is so much more important than this circumstance." But it does come sooner than it used to, by His grace.

Walking Circumspectly

A Lesson from our son Tim, in Iraq.

Ephesians 5:15 & 16 "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Whatever Pastor Ron may have been teaching last Sunday caused Tom's mind to wander back a few weeks to a phone call from Tim. All that Tim shared with Dad was probably not meant for Mom to know. But as a lesson from the Lord, it is something I will never forget.

August 24th, 2007 is a date I will always remember, not only is it grandson number four, Levi Timothy's birth date. But, I believe it is also that night which was particularly difficult for Tim in Iraq. After quite some time with very little action on night patrols, the Marines in Tim's MRAP unit experienced a heavy night of several explosions. A day or two later we got a rare call from Tim because he was ordered to a week of rest due to the concussion he received that night. So he had time to visit a while and tells Dad some of the details of that night.

Even as the MRAP is heavily armored and has given a little peace of mind to moms and wives; Marines are still patrolling for IEDs, on foot. Tim was walking outside, away from the MRAP that night. He saw huge vehicles being lifted high enough into the air to tear down power lines. He felt the blast behind his eyes, in his head, causing momentary darkness and severe pressure. He quickly awoke to find himself searching his body for whatever might be missing. He described the terrifying sensation of experiencing the tremendous explosions and then the numbed awareness of completing a night of patrol with a concussion or worse. Tim told Tom that the rest of the night he was extremely determined to watch every step that he made. Struggling to be absolutely sure that he was stepping into the the footprint of the uninjured Marine who walked ahead of him. Never stepping to either side, and if he couldn't see a footprint he stopped, not moving again until he located the next step that he could safely make.

Thank you, Tom for sharing with me how God had impressed upon you the meaning of those verses in Ephesians. Thank you Jesus, that Tim is alive and still has all of his limbs. Thank you Lord, that he'll be home soon and I pray that he will not have any lasting ill effects from this brain trauma injury (the "signature injury of the Iraq war" due to IEDs).

I now have a visual picture of walking circumspectly that will ever impress upon me the importance of following in Jesus' steps. Not to waiver to the left or the right and especially to stop, not getting ahead of His lead. Evil and danger lurk out there in the darkness away from the path of the Lord Jesus. Only a fool would carelessly wander away from His guidance and protection. I pray that He will impress upon me daily to walk circumspectly, not as a fool but as the wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

When you finish reading this blog you may want to review the ABC news stories about the MRAP vehicles with a short interview of Tim. I will try to put links to them, they both start out with a few seconds of a commercial before the story plays. Just move your cursor over the dates below and click on it.
May 8, 2007
July 18, 2007

Tom's Salmon Card is Full

Here are a couple pictures of Tom on his last salmon fishing trip .

My Texas Babies and their Parents

Announcing the birth of our fourth grandson!

LEVI TIMOTHY WADE
August 24, 2007 --21''-- 8lbs. 10oz.

Mama and babies early in August...

So... What do you do while waiting
for a baby brother?

Our fourth grandson, born to Terrie & Casey Wade.

PRECIOUS

Meanwhile Back at the ranch...

Dad and big brother, Joe...

A Prayer request...

Pray for Levi's health as he has a problem with his kidneys that requires antibiotics for a year, then surgery if it doesn't get better. It's called hydro-nephrosis or kidney reflux.

Recent pictures of Tommie visiting in Texas

These are pictures of Tommie when she visited Terrie, Casey and Josiah in Texas before Levi was born. She was on a break from His Mansion and had a week off. She is now in her third term there and doing well.

Luau Recipies

Several years ago we served a Luau dinner for a high school graduation dinner. Tom roasted a whole pig which is not something I'm prepared to put on our blog. All I can say is it was out of this world! Some of his secret ingredients were crushed pineapple and brown sugar mixed with minced garlic in the cavity of the pig. Some of our other research yielded these recipes... This is being published without a lot of editing. Sorry. I guess you can call me for clarification. (If you know my number and if I decide to answer my phone.)

A Puupuu Platter which is the Hawaiian appetizer platter...

Pineapple Kumaki

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1" cubes (I used canned pineapple chunks)
3/4 lb bacon slices cut into halves
Wrap each piece of pineapple with a piece of bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick.
Place in a shallow glass pan and coat with the marinade (recipe follows) cover and refrigerate over night or for three hours on the counter. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the element turning to brown all sides or bake in a shallow baking pan at 375F until browned. Replace the charred tooth picks with fancy picks before serving.

Kumaki Marinade

1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 slice fresh ginger root minced or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Blend together and pour over Kumaki to marinate.

Wah-Jah Juhn

1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 green onions chopped
1 clove garlic minced
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
dash of fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Mix together with hands and form into 1" balls.
Beat two eggs with 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Dip meat balls into the egg mixture then roll in
1/2 cup flour mixed with 1Tbsp. paprika
Heat oil in skillet then brown meat balls evenly on all sides.
Serve with vinegar-shoyu sauce for dipping...
3 Tablespoons of each soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar then mix well.

Mushrooms Lelani

1 lb. fresh medium sized mushrooms
3 scallions
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 lb. ground pork browned in skillet
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash fresh ground pepper
1 small can water chestnuts finely chopped
1 beaten egg
about 1/2 cup chicken broth
Rinse the mushrooms (let dry on a paper towel) and snap out the stems. Chop the stems with the scallions and water chestnuts. Mix all ingredients (using a food processor is nice but don't over mix) except the mushroom caps. Form small meatball shapes to place into the mushroom caps. Place in shallow greased pan and cover with foil, bake at 325 for 15 mins. then remove foil and bake about 10 more minutes.

Ocean Cooler (great for a kid's party)

This is a blue punch that I made up myself. I used Blue Raspberry Koolaid and made it according to the package directions using about 1/2 the water called for. Then I added sparkling soda and/or 7-up in the punch bowl to taste. After putting in the crushed ice I floated "swedish fish" and a few blue sharks on the top.
Note: To make it look like an aquarium with fish in several levels I made the following ahead of time in the bottom of a clear (plastic or glass) deep container, such as a small aquarium.

Kani's Kool Blue Delite

I used the Blue Raspberry Koolaid again and followed the directions on the pkg. Following the directions on the package of Knox unflavored gelatin for finger jello. I used the Kool aid for all of the liquid in the recipie. After letting it set for a while I placed some swedish fish and sharks in it and let it set fully. As a second layer I used the clear kool aid flavor (can't remember what the flavor is) and repeated the above for a variation in the layers. When the punch is all used up dump out the ice and serve the jello into dessert cups and serve with whipped cream on top. FUN

Sal Picon Punch

In the punch bowl mix equal amounts of Hawaiian Punch and sparkling soda or 7-up. After adding the crushed ice float on top several different sliced and diced fruits. The best ones are diced watermelon (with the juices), sliced bananas, canned mandarine orange slices (with juice) and pineapple tidbits (with juice) YUMMY!

Macadamia Nut Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This one's easy...
In the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 pan sprinkle 2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts, then arrange pineapple slices (save the juices), mandarine orange slices and marachino cherries if you like. Sprinkle 2/3 cup brown sugar over the fruit. Melt 1/3 cup of butter or margarine and pour evenly over the sugar and fruit.
Make up a yellow cake mix (I like the ones with pudding in the mix) according to the package directions (using the pineapple and orange juices as the liquid) pour evenly over the fruit and bake according to the package mix.

Kebobs, Capirotada, Panocha and more

There are several "international" recipes that people have asked for over the years so I'll try to get them all in this entry. Many of our recipes are take-offs from ones we found in books or on the Internet which we have either adapted to large crowds or to our personal taste and opinions about food. I realize that many cooks out there are "by the book" cooks and so I will be giving you specific recipes that, for the most part, have not been fiddled with. You may not come out with the exact thing that you tasted at one of our meals but it will be close. So if you feel creative and daring go ahead and do like we do and add or take away flavors. Whenever it may not be obvious I will let you know the things that should not be changed in a recipe. But for general purposes cooking temperatures and times are not negotiable nor are ingredients that effect the "chemistry" of a dish such as baking soda and baking powder.

Central Asian Chicken Kebobs

1 cup plain yogurt
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red or black pepper
3 Tbsp. finely minced garlic
Mix together in a medium mixing bowl then add the following...
1-1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into about 1" pieces.
Mix the chicken with the marinate until all of the pieces are well coated. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Thread the chicken on skewers and grill over medium hot coals.

Enjoy in a warmed pita bread with slices of fresh tomato and onion and sprinkles of chopped cilantro. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Did you know?... A kebob is not a shish kebob unless it is made with lamb meat.

Capirotada

This is not a dessert for children, only those with the refined taste of mature adults will appreciate this hearty dessert. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm

Butter
3 eggs
4 Tbsp. milk(Shhh... my secret is canned condensed milk.)
dash salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (more to taste if it isn't real fresh)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
8 slices toasted bread (the cheap stuff is fine, but I like a more dense bread)
1 cup diced colby or longhorn cheese
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup spanish peanuts
3/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds
1 medium peeled, cored and diced apple
Preheat the oven to 375 F
Generously butter a casserole dish or baking pan. (A hint on the size/shape of the pan is that 4 of the slices need to lay fairly flat in the bottom and the sides at least 2" to accommodate multiple layers.)
In a mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, spices and brown sugar; beat until well blended. (Add 1 or 2 more Tbsp. milk if needed for the consistency of french toast batter)
Place four slices of toasted bread in the bottom of the baking pan. Pour half the egg batter over the bread. Sprinkle half the cheese, raisins, nuts and apple. Repeat the layering. Top the entire capirotada with panocha syrup (recipe follows)

Here's where it gets a little ambiguous as everyone has a different idea of how they like it...
-I like a drier less rich bread pudding with some crust-like parts so I use only half the syrup about 3/4 cup.
-If you like your bread pudding really sweet and mushy add the whole amount.

More variables:
-You may prepare the recipe up to this point and refrigerate, covered, over night but when you bake it be sure to add at about 10 minutes to the baking time. The cheese should be melted and the center should not be runny when you check it with a fork.
-If you choose to bake it immediately, it should take about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
-To use a 13 x 9 baking pan I made one and a half times the above ingredients and baked for about 20 to 25 mins.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Panocha Syrup

2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups water
In a saucepan, dissolve sugar in water, bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently. Cover and boil gently for 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon out any crystallized sugar that may form on the sides of the pan or over the syrup. You should have about 1-1/4 cups to 1-1/2cups syrup.

Albondigas

Albondigas (meatball soup) is a hearty soup which can be served as a main dish.

1 lb. Ground beef
3 Tbsp. finely diced onion
1/4 tsp. ground oregano
salt/pepper
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
4 or 5 chopped stewed tomatoes
1/c cup pre-cooked white rice
1 cup cooked tender-firm sliced potatoes (or canned, sliced new potatoes)
Mix with hands the ground meat with onion, oregano and salt and pepper then form into 18 balls. Brown the meat balls in a small amount of oil, then set aside.
In a two qt. cooking pot add the water, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil then carefully place the meat balls into the soup. Cover and simmer for 20 mins., remove the bay leaf then add the rice and potatoes and heat thoroughly.

Our catering hobby, and some recipes.

Many of you know that Tom and I love to cater events, I guess you'd say as a hobby. Somehow, we compliment one another in this capacity; and we've enjoyed serving God in this ministry of hospitality. I do have a food handlers permit as required for my work at Rockwood South Retirement Communities, and Tom has an amazing gift for feeding delicious food to large crowds. Once we have an idea we research and plan and generally get obsessed with the whole event for several weeks. Most of what we serve we find on the Internet or during one of our "date nights" at Barnes and Noble.
We just finished a culture dinner for a missions event at our church. We served Italian, Brazilian and Central Asian meals in three different areas that were set up to give a hint of a cultural experience. There were close to 200 in attendance at this event. As a result, many have asked for recipes for some of these dishes. We have, in the past, promised to give recipes and then neglected to get them out to folks. So... I came up with the idea of putting them on our 'family blog' a few at a time.
This first one is a Brazilian dish that we have served on two different occasions. It is a black bean dish that is served with rice and fresh salsa. In our research we found that 'Feijoada' originated during the Colonial era of slavery in Brazil with the African slaves. Basically, they were given the undesirable parts of the beef or pork, discarded and disdained by the upper class. Beans were cheap and soon it all ended up in the same pot, ears, tails, feet... you get the picture. Add some onion and garlic and you have a delicious, hearty meal. Today, in Brazil they still serve those undesirable parts in the 'Feijoada'. We found several recipes and adapted them to our general American palette. Tom always adds his own secret flair, which cannot be duplicated, but here is a basic easy-to-do recipe.

Feijoada

1 lb. total weight of varied pork sausages (preferably smoked varieties)

1 lb. pork tenderloin in 1" pieces
some slices of bacon
1 15.5 oz. can of black beans
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
salt, garlic and 1 or 2 bay leaves which are essential to feijoada.
Brown all of the meats
Saute the onions in the oil
Put all of the meat, onions, beans (with liquid from the can) all in a crock pot or baking dish or even a medium sauce pan. Season with salt, garlic (we prefer fresh, chopped garlic but you can use the powder), and bay leaves. Slow cook with low heat for an hour or more. Serve with Coconut rice and fresh salsa.

Coconut Rice

2 cups long grain rice
1 Tbsp. oil
1 can coconut milk
water
salt
chopped parsley
You may follow the directions on the rice package using the coconut milk as part of the water, but we never do it the "gringo" way. We learned better ways to cook rice when we were cooking for the MK school in Colombia. So...
Heat the oil in bottom of medium sauce pan, add the rice and slightly brown it.
Put the coconut milk in a large measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups, pour over the rice and give it a quick stir. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, continue to boil until the liquid is just about gone (small bubbles breaking on the surface of the rice). Turn off the heat and put the lid on and let set until ready to serve. If some of it gets scorched on the bottom of the pan you have succeeded! The 'pega' on the bottom is every one's favorite part.

Fresh Salsa

Chop equal amounts of onion, red and green peppers (yellow too if you want), toss with a couple tablespoons of white wine vinegar. If you want this to have salt, only put it in at the last minute before serving, as it causes the vegetables to break down and get soft (which is okay for some types of salsa, not this one) The word salsa does not particularly mean hot or spicy, it just means sauce. So, we learned in Colombia that beef gravy is salsa de carne.

Another thing we learned while researching on the Internet is that "caipirinha" is a drink often served with Feijoada. It is a fairly tart limeade that helps to wash down all of the heaviness of this meal. There are several versions, some with other fruits or alcohol. Here's our version...

Caipirinha

1 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in it then add
1 & 1/2 cups lime juice
Club soda to desired taste
pour over ice
float a lime slice on top or attach it to the rim of the glass

Okay, there you have it for one entry. Next time the chicken kabobs from Central Asia.

June pictures of the boys

Terrie is such a talented photographer that I have to blog these pictures that she took while she was taking a turn supporting Stephanie in Tim's absence. (Don't forget to keep Tim in your prayers these days.)
It's hard being so far away from these beautiful babies. I am thankful that I could go for such a long time and that I came home to a great husband who has been working hard on our kitchen remodeling and to some great folks at work.

Terrie's son, Josiah (14 months)

Stephanie with Ethan (16 months) and Seth (4 months)

Leaving North Carolina and my grandsons

I did okay today, until I was wandering around the Charlotte Airport and kept having flash backs of the emotionally exhausting night when we came through immigration and some of the same corridors, bringing Ethan home from Guatemela. I had to wait over an hour at the gate and kept fighting tears while watching all the babies traveling with their parents and grandparents. Then everytime I fell asleep on the plane I'd see visions of the boys in various daily activities. They were nice dreams until they'd get distorted and disappear and I'd wake up with a start, realizing that I wasn't with them any longer. But now I'm thanking God for the time we had and I'll be dreaming of the next time I will see my babies and their moms and dads. Thank you Jesus.

I was just listening to the song "Broken and Spilled Out" some of the words touched my heart, once again. Just thinking about how much love we have for our children and grandchildren, that it's almost painful...
It's so awesome to know that God's love for me is so intence and so complete and so painful that He sent His precious Son Jesus, who willing laid down His life for me.

Lord, You were God's precious treasure

His love and His own perfect Son

Sent here to show me the love of the Father

Just for love it was done

And though You were perfect and holy

You gave up yourself willingly

You spared no expense for my pardon

You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out just for love of me

Jesus

God's most precious treasure lavished on me

Broken and spilled out and poured at my feet

In sweet abandon, Lord You were spilled out and used up for me.

For the last ten weeks I have been away from home. I've been staying with Tim's wife and boys in North Carolina. I have spent the last four days with all of my grandsons, as Terrie has come to take a turn staying with Stephanie for a couple weeks during Tim's deployment. In the morning I will be leaving to go visit Tommie for a few days. It has been so wonderful to hold each one of them and to play with and hug and kiss them all. I'll always treasure these special moments I've had and I thank God for blessing me with this priviledge. I don't have pictures for this posting but I want to share some verses from the Bible that I am meditating on.
Psalms 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.
Hebrews 2:6 What is man that You are mindful of him. Or the son of man that You take care of him?
Psalms 139:22 Search me, O God and know my heart: try me and know my anxieties: and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the path everlasting.
Psalm 95:6 & 7 Come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our God, our Maker. For He is our God. And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts...
John 10:4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven"

Staff Sergeant Timothy E. Kessler in Iraq

Tim and his men patrol for IEDs in this MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle).

If you would like his address to write to him let us know and we'll email it to you.

Pictures of Tommie

Tommie loves being Auntie to her nephews,
so far she's only been able to meet Josiah.

Tommie with Uncle Ed

Terrie's son Josiah

Josiah Reid Wade

Born March 28,2006

Christmas 2006 in North Carolina

My family is very important to me and ours is growing with grandbabies. Pictures are a way to chronicle our family fun and times together. We have a lot of good memories and these new ones will be added as we begin this new phase of our lives, Grandparenting.

This is Tom and me visiting the Atlantic beach for a short while during our trip to see Tim and Stephanie in North Carolina. Terrie and Casey and Josiah were there too.