O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

For the past year I have been having a running argument with myself regarding whether or not we should get an artificial tree.  For all our married life Lyn and I have been getting real pine trees for Christmas.  I love the scent, I love going to the lots to find a tree.  I love dragging them home in the car.  I just plain love a real tree. 

My issue started because real trees are beginning to cost so much money.  It has been easy to spend way too much money on a real tree.  I could have bought a top of the line artificial Christmas tree a few times over in the years Lyn and I have been married.

Around October of this  year I was walking around and I noticed a cedar tree that would make a nice Christmas tree, the problem was it belongs to my neighbor :P  I began to look around our land for a proper cedar tree that would work as a Christmas tree for us. 

There is a problem with cedar trees.  They don't have real pine boughs for branches, and they have a tendency to look kinda scraggly.  I found three possible prospects that I was excited about.  I finally picked one that was just off the driveway.  It looked fairly uniform and seemed to be the right height.  The problem was, the tree was situated next to a couple of TALL OAK TREES.  These oak trees may have dwarfed the tree and made it look smaller than it actually is.

The day after Thanksgiving Lyn, Kevin and Hezekiah went to go cut down our tree.  

They cut down the tree........

 brought it up to the house......

It did look scraggly, but I thought there was hope.....

Then we brought the tree into the house.....

It wasn't so small......

It's almost as wide as it is tall......

It's scraggly......

But you know what?  I like it.  I'm pleased with it.  Our tree is a wonderful Christmas Tree.

....and now I have a whole nother year to argue with myself as to whether we should buy an artificial tree!

Merry Christmas!

An Invitation

I was thanking God this past week for the richness of his blessings in our life, specifically for our children and grandchildren and I realized that I would never have known the hugs of our precious grandchildren if a friend of ours had not invited Lyn to go to a bible study.

It was that invitation that was a defining moment in Lyn’s life, but it was also a defining moment in my life and we hadn’t even met yet.

If our friend had never given that invitation, Lyn wouldn’t have decided to have a relationship with God and I would never have given him a second thought.  Because she cared, she invited. Because she took an opportunity and invited, I have been blessed beyond what I could have ever have prayed for as a young girl.  Words cannot express the depth of gratitude I have. 

Because she invited Lyn to a Bible study, I am married to a man who loves me, who loves to show me in oh so many ways how precious I am to him.  Because she invited, I have four beautiful daughters that we are so proud of, that bring me unimaginable joy, four sons in law that love, respect and protect me like I am their very own Mom, and five precious, precious grandchildren who think I am the best thing since sugar was discovered.  I get to hear their sweet voices calling me Grammy.  I get slobbery wet kisses and happy giggles because of way too much silliness. 

I am challenged by the blessings I received because someone cared enough to invite Lyn to have an opportunity to believe in God. Would you join me and invite those who surround your life to have that same opportunity, after all you never know how that invitation is going to change their life and the lives of the people who surround them. 

Choices, choices, choices

When our daughters were growing up, a re-occurring lecture to them was about choices.  I choose the word lecture because first of all, it was a teaching moment.  Secondly, the wisdom that I was imparting to them was not debatable, it was a part of living in the Gunther household.

We might have been discussing someone else's decision or one of their own decisions, but when it came down to it I would consistently say, "We ALL have choices to make.  If you make a good choice you will reap the rewards of that choice.  If you make a bad choice you will pay the consequence of that choice."

The Bible bears this out and you can find examples of people who made each kind of choice.  One of my favorite stories in the Bible comes from 1 Samuel 25 where we find the story of Nabal, Abigail and David.  Each had a choice to make.  Each choice had rewards or consequences.

Nabal made a foolish choice and it ultimately cost him his life.  Abigail made a wise choice and it saved her life and the life of everyone that lived in her household.  Abigail's choice gave David the opportunity to change his mind and not have something on his conscience that didn't belong here.  Abigail's choice gave her the opportunity to become a wife of one of the greatest men that have ever lived.

It's my hope that when our daughters (even though they are all grown up) are facing decisions, in the back of their minds they hear my voice saying "What kind of choice are you going to make?  Will it reap rewards or will you have consequences to pay?".  It's my hope that they not only continue to make good choices but that they repeat this message not only to their own children, but to the people that surround their lives.

There are so many things going on in our world today.  Choices are being made that will have global effects.  People are making decisions today that will affect not only their lives but the lives of those who live around them and care for them.  Will those choices bear consequences or reap rewards? 

Let us make wise choices.

Pflaumen Kuchen

It's summer time, and it's hot here in the Ozarks.  Today temps are in the high 90's with high humidity.  It's a day for playing on the lake, swimming in the pool or if those aren't an option staying inside where  the A/C is running.

I've been longing for a taste of my Mom's Pflaumen Kuchen (Plum Cake).  I remember coming up from the lake after a day of swimming, walking into the cottage and my Mom having a piece of this cake ready for me to eat.  It was moist, the plums were sweet and the best part was the streusel on top.  Crunchy on the outside soft and flavorful on the inside.  It was a great ending for a day filled with swimming and sunshine.

So today, while it's hot outside, I have decided to bake inside.  I am going to make the dessert that I have been longing for, the dessert that is a part of my heritage and good memories of growing up.

I needed to find a recipe, because sadly I do not have my Mom's.  I looked at a lot of sources but ended up going back to the fail safe for today - Pinterest =)  I found two recipes that I thought best looked like the plum cake that I remember.


This one looked close, the plums look so juicy, but those almonds (which I
love) were the deciding factor against that recipe.  Mom's recipe didn't have nuts!

I decided on this  recipe.


This looks exactly like I remember it.  Unfortunately, the recipe lists flour, sugar and butter in ounces.  Not cups.  Math.  It is not my strong suit.  I found a converter online (thank God for the internet) and a baking I went.

I started by creaming the butter and sugar, adding the egg, vanilla and sour cream.

Then I incorporated the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.  It made a very thick batter.
 

I spread the batter out in the round baking dish.

I layered the plums - I wanted this to be a bit more decorative, but apparently those skills are lacking today

then the part I love best, the streusel.

In the oven it went.  The cake came out 35 minutes later looking like it was melt in my mouth delicious. 

 
Oh goodness, the taste.  It's there.  It's amazing.  It's just like I remember. 

Recipe: 

Plum Cake

1 Stick Butter                         Pinch of Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar                        3/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp vanilla                         1  tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg                                     2 Cup Plums (pitted and sliced into thin wedges)
1 Tbsp Sour Cream                 

Streusel Topping:

6 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
When it gets fluffy and light add in egg, vanilla and sour cream.  Beat again until egg incorporates well with the mixture.
Now add flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix well.  The batter will be too thick to compare to other cake batters.
Take a round greased baking pan and spread the prepared batter onto the pan, arrange the plum wedges on top of the batter in a circular pattern over the batter and set aside.
To prepare the Streusel topping, blend butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon with a fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle onto plum wedges.
Place the pan in preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Until the streusel topping is a light golden color.
Very Yummy Pflaumen Kuchen is ready to eat when it is cooled to room temperature.

A lot has happened in a year...

One Year.
52 Weeks.
365 days.
A year.

Time has passed so very quickly.  Last year at this time, I was afraid to drive back home in the dark because of the winding roads.  Last night I whipped around the roads to get home without much thought of the dark, the turns or twists in the road.  I have changed. I've become comfortable with where I live.

Last year at this time, Lyn and I were discussing termite damage.  The work involved in getting it fixed, how best to do that work, trying to find concrete forms big enough to support the wood beams.  This year with our foundation secure we are going to get to work on staining the front of our house.  Thinking about the logistics of what is needed to happen to make the process go smoothly.  The house has changed.

Last year I had two daughters in Wisconsin, one in Illinois, and one in Missouri.  This year I have one daughter in Wisconsin, one in Arizona, one in Colorado and one in Missouri.  My heart hurts at the distance that is between us, so grateful for a car to travel in, and finding low airline rates.  Grateful that we have a daughter close to us.  Our travel plans have changed.

Last year I had 3 grandsons.  This year I have 3 grandsons, a granddaughter and a grandson on the way.  My heart has changed.  It has expanded, grown because of goodnight hugs, soft I love you's, chubby little hands and gas filled smiles that wrap themselves around my heart that is now so filled with love that sometimes I feel like it is going to burst.

Last year, we were starting Lyn's business.  A lot of praying, a lot of talking, a lot of planning, a lot of calling on agents to form relationships so that they would trust us to do a home inspection.  Lyn is on his fourth home inspection of the year and we are beginning to see our dream of giving become a reality. Our life has changed.

Change seems to come in all different ways.  It can arrive suddenly with a phone call, or so slowly that over time you wonder if it wasn't always this way. Change can be a cause for celebration, laughter and dancing!  Some change is very difficult and there is the question if the situation will ever be different, sometimes when there is pain involved to make the change happen I wonder if it is worth it. 

I am thankful that in all the change there is a constant.  God hasn't changed.  I know who I believe in and I can trust Him.  There are a lot of things I know, even more that I don't, but this one thing I am persuaded is true.  God knows.  God has it. I may not know what change is around the corner, but I know the one who does. 

I thought I could do it......

We woke up this morning to a few inches of snow.  Not much in the scheme of things.  I was scheduled to work today so I told Lyn that I would drive down our driveway and if the roads were plowed, I'd go into work, otherwise I would come on back home.

It is a beautiful day today.  I am from Wisconsin.  Really, I can handle this little bit of precipitation.

The sky is blue, the snow is white, the sun is shining - just gorgeous!

So I made it down our driveway.  Whew!  Drove out onto the street only to find it was not plowed.  There was no way my little car was going to make it up and down all the hills into town today.  I turned around and made it about a third of the way up our driveway, the incline was too much.  I decided to try to drive the car - backwards - to the bottom of the driveway and leave it down there for the day.

As I rounded one of the bends I started to slide, and then I got stuck, but good.  I know better than to horse around with it myself.  I needed my husband's wisdom and guidance.

I walked back up the driveway, told the story to my dear husband.  I changed my clothes and we got on the tractor

and headed down the driveway.

To where our car was stuck in the snow

Lyn towed it out with the tractor 

and then backed the car back down the hill

We parked the car at the bottom of the driveway because there is no going up the hill today.

Lyn & I walked back up the driveway to where the tractor was parked

and this is where I will be spending the rest of my day.  In the house, with a cup of tea, a fire in the fireplace and a beautiful view to look at.

Love you all, hope your having a great day!

Ingy Bink

Ant Damage Part 3 - The Finale'

It was three days of hard work, some discussing of the right way to make sure the railings stand up properly and voila', the front porch is completely done!  

This is how the porch looked after all the concrete work was done

We put on the stringers

When all the stringers were on we (meaning Lyn) nailed on the treads for the stairs.

We started making the railings for the left side ,

 

Please note my shadow on the left - I think I need photography help!

and then we worked on the right side 

 

and then we were done!

We think we did a pretty good job considering neither one of us is a carpenter and we NEVER did anything like this before.  The treated lumber has to "weather" for a few  months, and then we will stain it to match the house.

Well friends, that is the saga of the Ant Damage. 



 

Thanksgiving

I'm going to try to write without getting too sappy or emo.  It will be quite a challenge since one of our daughters just sent me a text saying she missed me.  Needless to say I am a puddle.  Hang in there with me and I'll try to keep it together.


I am so very thankful. Thankful for a warm house......

                                                           
                                           ...... thankful for food on the table and in our tummies.

Thankful for my husband who has continually surprised me this year (in a good way xoxo). 

Thankful for our daughters who are beautiful inside and out and so very loved. 

Thankful for our son in laws all of whom I respect and love. 

Thankful for our grandsons, who I love so, so very much.  They bring joy to my heart.  Thankful for the grandbaby that will be born in the New Year, I can't wait to meet you!

Thankful for family and friends that have made our life so much fuller because of who they are.

Thankful that God loves me and has never given up on me.

Happy Thanksgiving!  May God's joy be with you as you celebrate today!

Whew! I made it!!  =)

Ant Damage...... Part Two

We are slowly working on repairing the rest of the Ant Damage.  We cut the concrete forms to the proper length, did some more digging and put the forms in place under the logs to hold the concrete.  Lyn decided that we need to have two separate fills to help maintain the support of the structure.

The first time the concrete man came was uber exciting!  We could hear his truck long before we saw him coming around the driveway.  He filled two of the forms. 

He then asked where he could pour the rest of the concrete we ordered.  We had created a form where we want to keep wood for the winter, and asked Mr. Concrete Man to pour the rest of the cement there. 

He started to pour the rest of the concrete and kept pouring and pouring and pouring until the slab was not only filled but overflowing.  When he got out of his truck, I mentioned that we must have seriously underestimated how much a yard of concrete was because we didn't expect so much.  Mr. Concrete Man just smirked a little bit and said we were the end of his day so he dumped whatever was left in the truck onto our slab area.

It was a lot of work to smooth out the concrete.  I kid you not.

The second time Mr. Concrete Man came, we were ready.  Not only for the concrete to fill the last form and the small slab for the stringers to sit on, but we also made room for any extra concrete he might have.

Of course the second time Mr. Concrete Man came was opposite day. This time he did not have enough concrete.  He filled the form and then most of the slab for the stringers to sit on.  His recommendation was to fill the concrete slab with more rocks before it set to bring it up to the right height.

 

I went rock picking while Lyn was smoothing out the concrete.  I picked a ton of rocks to add to the slab. It took a while but we finally had the concrete at the right height.

Everything is set and now we are ready to get the lumber for the stringers and make the steps leading up into the house.  It's looking pretty good!

My song was silent....

When I was 4 or 5 years old I remember climbing the oak tree near the cottage my parents have up north.  I sat up in the old oak tree singing the songs I learned in Sunday School for all I was worth.  The neighbor lady came by later that day and told my Mom that one day I would sing for Jesus.

Then one Sunday I was singing in the backseat of the car while my family was on the way home from Church, I must have been around 10 years old.  My brother turned and looked at me, said "Ingrid, God made canaries and God made crows, you are not sounding like a canary." 

I have always taken those two comments and accepted the fact that I am an ordinary singer.  I would never make it past the try outs on American Idol unless a) my voice had a very good day and fooled the judges or b) I was so comical they wanted to keep me around for ratings.

Music has always been a part of my life.  I like to play it loud.  I like to sing along with it.  I like to play music and sing when I work around the house.  I like to play music quietly and reflect.  I would wake my children up in the morning by singing to them!

Imagine my surprise when one day last fall, I was getting ready to go to work and realized that I had no desire to sing.  Not one.  I couldn't remember the last time I sung or even hummed a song.  I couldn't even think of the words to a song that I would want to sing.  I thought, I'll just play music on my way into work and then I'll start singing.  I turned the music on in my car and it gave me a headache.  I couldn't figure it out.  Why had I lost my desire to sing? 

I started bringing my ear buds to work and listening to music during the workday in the hopes of so ingraining music into my being that I couldn't help but sing.  It didn't work, and I couldn't figure out what had happened.

Life moved on, we sold our house said so long - see you soon to family and good friends, bought our home in Missouri and moved far, far away.

Imagine my surprise again when one day towards the end of summer, I was outside doing yard work and I began to hum.  I caught myself, I could barely contain the joy that settled inside of me, and I began to sing.  I sang while I used the weed eater.  I sang while I sprayed weeds growing in the driveway.  I hummed while doing the dishes.  My song was back!

I don't know why I lost my desire to sing, I tried figuring it out, but nothing really made sense to me, I only know that I am glad it has returned.

I said,"Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart." Psalm 77:6

Ant Damage......

When Lyn & I moved to Missouri we purchased a log home to live in.  We didn't know what we were in for.  Our first clue that we were clueless was when Lyn called his brother.  His brother also owns a log home and his response was, "Why did you do that?"  Our second clue was when we shopped for insurance on the home, not all insurance companies will insure a log home, they call it an unique structure.  Who knew?  Not us!

Not long after we moved in, Lyn found some ant damage on not just one but all three of the logs holding up the front porch.

As you can see the log really wasn't holding up the front porch, the ants had eaten away the entire bottom portion of the support.  Lyn and Kevin dug up all the dirt from around the three logs that hold up the upper level.  Lyn cut off the infected part of the log.

 We braced the logs up with jacks and blocks and wood.  Lyn took the stairs and stringers off the porch.

It's a work in progress.  We went into the BIG city =) (Springfield) to pick up the concrete forms for pouring the foundation.  We had a crazy drive home using the back roads.  That's me in the front seat holding one of the forms.

We're getting ready to dig out the front lawn to pour a pad for the steps.  We might as well have the concrete truck pour as much concrete as we want while we have it here.  Life is an adventure sometimes more adventure than you bargained for, the good news is we are enjoying the journey!

Jefferson City

We went to Jefferson City last week.  Lyn had a class to take and I went along to look at the Capitol of Missouri and play tourist.  Something I have done very little of all by me self.

I took a casual glance at google maps the night before, and decided I would try to make my way downtown without any other kind of help.  It worked, I navigated to the Capitol all by my self.

The Capitol Building is gorgeous

I walked through the quiet halls, lights were on in the offices, my footsteps echoing against marble floors, at least I think they were marble ;)  There's a kind of museum on the first floor. 

The best part was looking at the painted ceilings, the windows, the architecture. 

 

There are gardens surrounding the exterior of the building, and a cute little shopping district that surrounds the square.  I did get lost leaving downtown.  I finally gave up and put the GPS on, only to find out I was going in the way wrong direction.  So thankful for technology!

I spent the rest of the day at the Capitol Mall, yup that's right a shopping mall.  Found a few sales and made a few purchases.  It was a good day.

This Wisconsin native is having a good time dipping her toes into the state she's been transplanted to.

Ingrid