Sweet Summer Strawberry Jam

Summer time is here and the strawberries are in full season!

It's time to make Mom Riese's Strawberry Jam!
(a.k.a Sure Jell Freezer Jam). I am just keeping the tradition alive and following the same recipe she made for years. Mike and his brothers grew up with this yummy homemade jam, and he still loves it just as much today. He does not have a sweet tooth, but he sure does when it comes to homemade jam! He is so simple to please and with Father's Day next Sunday, this sure makes a sweet,simple and in-expensive gift for him. (He knows he is getting it and excited to come back from his business trip to some home-made jam :)This also makes great little gifts to give away, even at Christmas- (since you can freeze this jam).
Sure Jell Strawberry Jam is easy to follow in as little as 30 minutes.
Strawberry Jam Ingredients
Makes;(5-6 small 8oz jars or 3 large ones):
* 2 containers of Strawberries (or 2 cups of finely chopped berries)
*3&1/2 Cups of Sugar
(recipe calls for 4C-but I do 3&1/2 & chop up another 1/2 cup berries)
(There are boxes of Sure jell for Low Sugar and No Sugar recipes).
*3/4 C.Water
*1 pkg of Sure Jell Pectin
Follow the directions for Fast and Quick Strawberry Jam
I love this recipe because, it will freeze up to 1 year.
What are some things you love to make that you only make in the summer time?
Can't wait for the jam to set and eat it on some good ol' toast in the morning :)

Memories, milestones, & memorable moments in May

May was a big month for us.
 Alot of teachable moments for us all, lots of memories cherished and it ended the spring season.
I had a blast last Friday, with Joy and another friend, Pam at the Outlets! We shopped away,sweated away (in the car that had NO AC) and of course talked away! We agreed it has to be an annual trip around the same time. It was SO refreshing and we came back renewed and revived  LOL -It's amazing what retail therapy can do for stay at home moms!
 Today was our first visit at the neighborhood pool.
 Kaden was devastated when it was time to go! I have a fish that hates to be out of the water. I will have to capture him at his best next time we go down to the pool .

Here are some of the highlights and memories from the month-
(Extended)Family-The end of the month, the boys and I will be flying up to my in-laws for a very special visit. There is a very special little boy arriving the end of September into the family. This little boy has been prayed for, dreamed for, hoped for and is a MIRACLE to the family. Mike's older brother and sister-in law are expecting their first baby ,(4th child) on 9/25.

Here is a recent photo of me and Courtney (back in Jan at a family wedding)

They have 3 babies in heaven,and have embarked upon a road that not many travel and so few understand. I must say that Mike and I have NEVER been in their shoes but we traveled this road with them and we felt so helpless but hopeful in the Lord!  I am so tickled to be a part of this celebration and help host a shower for my SISTER-in-Law. (I do LOVE her just like one of my own). I know Brian and Courtney would covet your prayers through the rest of their pregnancy with their baby boy. His name will be announced when he is boy...so I have been calling him "Little Peanut!" (And I had a little fun shopping for him recently too :)
God has heard our prayers, (and he has always heard our prayers, but it hurt to see God take those 3 little ones home) and he is once again blessing us all with another baby to enjoy soon in the Riese family. Please pray for me as I embark upon ANOTHER journey to fly ALONE with the boys! I am looking forward to the visit (once we arrive). Mike has closing for work, so he will not be able to go home.

*And I must make a special note...I have been training and got all registered to run the Peach Tree (Atlanta's 10K on July 4th) BUT I am skipping it and passing my number onto Joy, since I will be in NY for this big celebration! The Peach Tree 10K will always be here every 4th of July, but this baby shower is a one in a lifetime opportunity! :)

Financial Celebration- We have been on the Dave Ramsey Plan since 2006. BD (Before Dave), we were swimming in college debt and credit card debt. So, we no longer have any credit card debt, and just this month we no longer have any more college debt for me to pay! Now we are just onto paying off Mike's student loans!   It is a big relief!! Now that is behind us, we found out 3 months ago that we need to put in a good chunk of money on the exterior of our home (ASAP-siding, painting and we need a whole new front door re-built) we had some issues with termite damage...so we emptied our emergency fund and got a new installation of Termidor done on our home. Now we are back to re-building our emergency fund and saving a ton of money! So, we have NO big summer plans BUT we are making a BIG exception for the trip to NY! It really is something I felt strongly about being home for. I knew in my heart that logically it was not right with our plan and financial situation to go home, but emotionally I was feeling a tug to go.  I AM the FREE SPIRIT, People-pleaser, and hate NO for an answer and I hate saying NO to people. Mike is the financial geek (in D.Ramsey terms and the frugal one in our marriage) So, really this was a rough-rough journey. Mike and I talked and we have moved some of our finances around and we have a new plan for the rest of the year financially. However, it sets us back a bit with our plan for the work on the house, but I/ we are just praying that God will be honored by this decision.  I must say that I was tickled to get 2 plane tickets for $420 for all 3 of us to fly. So, I am praying that I do not get "punished" with all these "obstacles" on our trip! I really want it to be a blessing and memory for the boys and praying that we can meet our financial goals sooner then planned! Will you please pray with us? We are trying to be good stewards of what God has given to us and also trying to get rid of this debt.
 I am also thankful for our Treadmill selling. I just decided to sell somethings and make some money to pay for the flights :) It is so hard to live like no one else so we can live like no one else later-BUT it was the happiest feeling in the world to know that my college debt is paid off. However, most of the credit-goes to Mike for punching the numbers all the time and keeping us working toward our goal. No, it has not been easy-and I get off track and then I get back on and now I am motivated...to keep going! We don't like this financial baggage- One more year and Mike's will officially be paid off :)

FUNNY-Teachable moment with the boys-
Parker has never been a biter but 2 weeks ago, out of the blue, he bit Kaden on the knee! I was shocked and I was not going to have that kind of behavior. So, I bit Parker back on the hand to show him how it feels (and I know that some parents do not agree with it) but I knew it was what I needed to do. So, he immediately cried and said "Mommy, that hurt I need a new hand!" (I turned away and laughed)  I turned back toward him and said well, "Kaden needs a new knee!" He said "Yeah! Can we go get them!?"  (LOL) It was a very teachable moment and we sang "o be careful what you do with your mouth" then we discussed that Jesus only gives us 1 body part each and we never, ever should hurt someone elses body like that!
 I think it has clicked with him *(I hope).I am so amazed at how young the sinful nauture begins in these children and I feel so overwhelmed at times about the vast responsibility to teach the boys right from wrong. I know that I can not catch every wrong doing, and some moments my reaction has been "unacceptable" but I pray that Parker and Kaden will learn discernment and be kind natured boys.

Friends-We got to celebrate Kayleigh and Caroline's birthday just a couple of weeks ago and a few other special friends birthdays! Caroline is now 2 & Kayleigh will be 4 in July. It was a fun night and special to celebrate both of the girls. The boys LOVED playing on the BIG jumpee and on their trampolene!
We love them so much and LOVE seeing them when we can. :)

A month of memories,milestones& moments I/we will never forget.
Here's to wishing all a fun and fabulous SUMMER! :)

Last Day of school- "When he was 3"

He went 3 days a week and was taught by two very special teachers, Ms. Clare and Ms. Kelley. We are so grateful for the Lord hand selecting each of them for him. He LOVED walking into the classroom and saying "I'm Back!" He had a way of "lighting" up the room the moment he walked in.

What a comfort it was to have him love his class and LOVED his teachers! He loved learning new things each month and most of all he was taught from a Biblical foundation! As parents with no family in town, it is a blessing to have BHBC and the opportunity to send our "boys" there for Mom's morning out and Pre-school.

Parker (First day of 3 Year Pre-school)

 (Parker today (May 19th) celebrating apparently that it's the last day :)

Kaden will enter Mom's Morning Out after he is 2~(fall 2012). He gets one more year home with mommy :)

I am so proud of our little man Parker.

Yesterday he was a little boy and today he is growing up into a big boy and quite the charmer!

Some of his BIG 3 Year accomplishments this year; writing his name, numbers & letters, color recognition, monthly Bible Verses, traffic signals, new songs, and the big one this year....overcoming the fear of going "pooey" in the toilet!!! Yippee HE finally did it all on his own! I was worried he would be 10 before he would.

 Hats off to another great year of growth!
We ended the year with a special carnival for just the 3year old's today (4's went yesterday, and 5's go tomorrow), with jumpies, cotton candy, popcorn, bubbles, games, snowcones and a picnic lunch with the class and other 3's classes on the lawn. It really was a neat way to end the year!

Miss Clare and Miss Kelley were very tickled to get their gifts today (Cake Pops) and I was a happy mommy today to receive his "All About Me" book today.

                                                                 

 It is a neat collection of the year and his growth! 

 I really can't believe he will be in 4 year old Pre-school next year!

His next adventure... a trip to NY to visit NeNe and PaPa.

We are looking forward to a fun summer and a break from the crazy schedule of getting off to school :)

Cake Pops

I got creative for the end of the year teacher gifts. As a teacher, it was always special to get some "unique" gifts at the end of the year. Now it is truly a joy to give back to Parker's teachers who have made a huge impact upon his life. Therefore, they deserve a little extra appreciation from us. So this year my creativity was "sparked" for that "unique" gift- thanks to Starbucks for inspiring me to whip up some Cake Pops!

 Joy wanted to do something for Trey's teachers as well so I encouraged her to embark upon this "cake pop" journey with me. So, we split up the list, went off to hunt down our needed items and baked away. Then we dipped and decorated together :)

We are thrilled with the success of them and the flavor is out of this world!
Want to try one?
I may be onto something new in my life!!
...Watch out Starbucks,these taste better :)

Flavors: German Chocolate, Strawberry Angel food, Brownie Cream & Red Velvet.
The cake pops were presented in these darling tin cans we found at Target :)

A day off from my full time job.....

It was a real joy to celebrate another special Mother's Day with Mike and our two sweet boys. I am amazed that God has chosen for me to be a mom. Being a mom has a vast responsibility! The definition of MOM with all it's requirements is somewhat overwhelming but some days rewarding!
I do not say that in a negative way at all. However, I treasure my opportunity to just stay home and be MOM. But, I do not know how Mom's do it in the career world full time? I completely respect each one's convictions but right now-I need to be home. Some days I miss the classroom but I really am grateful to God that I can just be home and "teach" our boys.
So, how much value and worth is a full time mom?
Check out this article for the full breakdown on a mother's worth (click on the back button to see all the roles for what a mom does)....


If you were to put a price on all the roles of "mom" per year here is an idea:

•   cook ($27,000)
• maid ($20,000)
• laundry service ($20,000)
• Psychologist($76,000)
• TOTAL VALUE OF A FULL TIME MOM =$143,000

But I think our real reward will one day be in heaven.
However, I love the Psychologist role-all those teachable moments and moments we don't love so much (the lecture or time out in Target or at Chic-fil-a) are worth over $38.00 an hour! I do not want to get money for being a mom, but it is sure nice to feel appreciated and have some time off occassionally. WOW, if you are full time MOM you are worth $115,000 a year! Give yourself a pat on the back. If you are working mom, you are worth an additional $65,000 (something to be proud of :)!
As Mike would say,I get so caught up in the stress and full load of being MOM, (24/7)~I rarely sit back and enjoy the little joys! (Sigh) I am trying to relish the moments better and not get so worked up about the small things. As many of you know, we don't have family in town, so rarely do I get a full day off!(But then again? What full time Mom does?) Now that we have 2 kids, I have a greater appreciation for "Mother's Day" and the "holiday" that it is :) It is starting to become a favorite holiday of mine. This is the one day a year that I must say, Mike goes ALL out to make sure I am pampered, appreciated, and treated like a "queen." Not having family in town, he knows how tireing it gets and I know he feels like he has 2 jobs-but he NEVER complains about it,and makes sure I get my breaks! :)
(I do not deserve MIKE-he is a gem and has been such a blessing to me :)
He took me out to dinner and a movie (without the boys on Saturday night). Sunday we spent the whole day as a family. A trip to Starbucks, church, my favorite BBQ and spending the day as a family :) Mike had to leave for Brazil on Mother's Night. He made sure to get the most of the day spent at home. The night ended with my favorite ice-cream sandwiches....Chocolate Mint Skinny Cows! It was so sweet to eat my favorite ice-cream dessert with Parker. I am so blessed.

 (This is a hilarious photo and the best we got....Kaden is being Kaden and Parker, (DOES NOT want to take a photo)

 (Mother's Day Luncheon; I had another sweet time with Parker at his pre-school.) I am so in love with this little boy (even when he is SO strong willed). Photo can not show it, but he just started getting freckles!!! :)

(Heart Attack on a plate! (AKA=Ooh-La-La) from a famous restaurant in downtown Acworth! It was my Mommy night out meal. I was running it off the next morning :)
Mike always is looking for a "gift" idea for Mother's day-but I gave a big hint that my biggest desire this year was a day off! (I do not say that in a negative way, or to say I do not appreciate or LOVE being MOM (24/7), but there is something special about a big upcoming "day off"!)
I come back refreshed and renewed. If you have family in town and get breaks frequently, cherish it! I am trying to focus all of my time on the boys. BUT, I fail many days, as I get impatient and stressed. But I am so glad that each day is a NEW day. I think my 7 years of teaching and creating lesson plans set a standard for my expectation of "mommy-hood" ERASE!!!! ERASE!!!! I have learned that there are NO lesson plans in the world of "MOM", but it is still good to have a set schedule for general routines. However, I have had to BE FLEXIBLE and most of all be a role-model! (That is so humbling and I fail so much). I want our boys to grow up with a love and desire to serve the Lord, respect authority, and be a gentleman :)
Since there are NO days off and NO weekends in the world of MOM, my wish was granted. That longing for an end in sight, a day off, something to look forward too-NO "kid" responsibilities etc. was given to me by Mike and the boys. Mike took an upcoming Friday off and gave me some $$ for some shopping (for ME???!) I guess I shop for the boys so much, I don't do much for myself anymore.
 I think I have convinced Joy to go with me. (Anybody else want to join us?) Looks like we will be going, Friday, May27th around 10AM!) THANK YOU, Mike! Good luck :) But, I already know me....I will be leaving Mike a schedule,  I will be calling in and YES, I will miss them :) But, I will try not to feel guilty when I am away for the day.
"MOM, before I became a mom, I never grasped why you always wanted a quiet house and NO gifts! It all makes sense now!" Mom always said that all she wanted for Mother's day was "a cup of tea, a quiet house and time to read (uninterrupted)!" WOW-two kids later...I get it!
My mother and my mother-in-law have taught me SO much about being a mom, comforted my heart during frustration or failure and laughed with me during milestones accomplished or just memorable moments with the boys. (And they often remind me in moments that I don't find funny-that I will one day laugh!:) THANK YOU both for being a Proverbs 31 role model! I could not be where I am today without both of you in my life.
I have come to accept that it is important for me to have that alone time as a mom. So, May 27th is coming and I can't wait.  Some day when I have many hours and moments "Off" I will be wishing these days and moments back.
So, what do you do for yourself on a weekly basis to get time "off" for yourself?
I know that many of you have similar situations like me-and I would love your ideas, besides the obvious (Trip to target, working out at the Y) :)
I would not get this day off if it were not for our two sweet boys. I have to share a cute video of Parker singing his version of the "A,B,C's"-He does not say "L,m,n,o,p"-instead it comes out "I'm a little P!" It is priceless and THIS is why I LOVE staying home and capturing these moments.
Blessed Mommy :)

Highlights of Chicago & MI

OK, we have been home for almost 3 weeks-and on April 21, I started drafting this blog! Here it is May 7 and Ugh! I finally have had the time to sit down, upload photos, debrief our trip and finally publish.

I love that we got to visit my family. But there are some "not so good" moments that always occur while we are away-and as my mom says, "it will make me laugh SOMEDAY" -so I better blog about them for now. 'Cause I don't laugh in most of my stressful moments when we are away OR HOME for that matter! Oh, the joys of being a parent. :)

There was so much that occurred and so much to remember. But not one part of our 10 days makes me regret going. You can not put a price on being together with family, and it is treasured much more when distance separates us. :)
 So, I collaborated all our "peak" moments and put them into a top 10 list.
10."GATE-PASS" The whole reason this trip was "somewhat" successful, is all because of the gate pass we got Mike. (Well the prayers from all of you and family was what really made it a success.) But if you have to travel alone with small children you need to call the airline and add a "Gate Pass" for your spouse or 1 family member to assist you all the way through the airport. I could  not have done this flying trip with both of the boys and no assistance from Mike or my dad. What a huge blessing it was.
I am the first to admit: 1.NO, the flight was not relaxing for me
2.No, I do not recommend flying with a 15 month old who is ACTIVE,
3.NO I do not like changing a poopy diaper on a plane in the bathroom,
4.NO, I do not like having to ask for assistance from strangers for help with the boys.
5 BUT I LOVE having that Gate Pass and we may just do it again (but hopefully not for a while!)
THANK YOU-Air Tran.
(FYI: You can not walk up the day of travel and get a gate pass, it has to be scheduled ahead of time).

9-Trip to the ER...you know when we go away that somebody always gets sick! Well,Kaden didn't sleep the whole first night....he was coming down with double ear infections. Our second day in Chicago he spiked a fever (101)and my dad and  I took him to the local ER.  By the time we arrived his fever had spiked to102.3. Dr. Diagnosis=Double Ear Infection & Upper Respiratory. Poor little guy was miserable :( I have to give a shout out to the Alexian Medical Staff from the hospital. We got in and out in 45 min!!! Unheard of for a trip to the ER?!!

We were VERY Impressed. I cringed that we had to miss a family cook-out, but I am so glad we had Kaden seen.

8-Chocolate & Chi Tea-that was my sanity for those sleepless nights. My dad and sister learned fast what to order me from Starbucks "Chi tea late with non-fat milk! Amazing how little things make the day much better when you are away :)

7.-Birthday Celebrations, My mom's official birthday fell on Easter this year. We really wanted to be in MI for the special day, but changed plans to attend my Great Uncles Service. We made sure to celebrate my mom's birthday one week early & Ordered her, her favorite cake from a local bakery! Cake was gone by the end of the night...it was GOOD! :) We made it even extra special and celebrated with our long time family friends, since our "2nd Mom" has the same birthday as our mom.

6-Friends! I had a great visit with a great friend from College, Jen and her kids. They drove an hour to come and see us and we had a blast hanging out at my sisters house. It was amazing that it had been 10 years since we had seen each other, but good ol' FB has kept us in touch. Jen's kids were adorable and the girls played great with Parker. Her youngest little boy, Maverick is just about 5 weeks older then Kaden, but go figure-he looks like he is months older in the photo. It is always a tradition when we are home to get together with Family friends..The Hutchins. And I love catching up with Becky and seeing
Mom :).

 

5. Sisters-I had a sweet time visiting in Chicago with ALL my sisters in Chicago & bonding with 2 of the three in MI. We even got lucky one night and had a Sister only dinner...and splurged with face masks and just relaxed  with some good ol'chocolate! :) I always wonder what life would be like if we all lived near each other? :)

4.Kodak Moments-we took so many photos while we were away...but these are some of my favorites. I am so thankful for Modern Technology and being able to capture these moments.

(holding the newest addition to the Clark family, Graham :)

3, Uncle Richard-My heart sank, when I heard that Great Uncle Richard was not going to make it around the end of March. He was SO precious to the Wilson family and he was the glue that kept us all connected. Even though distance kept us apart, it was still so fun to get duplicate Christmas Cards from him, have calls from him once in a while and have that "grandfatherly" care from him. My grandpa and Great Uncle Richard had a rough upbringing and I am amazed that  they did not let history repeat it self. They left us so many stories for us to cherish forever. It was an honor to be at his memorial service and then able to attend his Internment service. He served in World War II and I was speechless and in awe of the tribute that was given to him that day. I always get chills when I see military men and women folding the precious red/white/blue and then presenting it to the family. My Aunt Mary was given the flag and I know she will cherish it forever. All of us Wilson girls got bracelets to wear (from my mom and Aunt) as a sweet memory of Uncle Richard's love to us (and they have a little heart on them).  You are deeply missed Uncle Richard-Thank You for the beautiful legacy,financial example,godly wisdom,advice, and most of all your love and care to our family. :)

2. Sleep (on vacation)-Kaden was cutting 4 teeth while we were away (on top of getting over his infection) so he did not sleep the greatest :( Unfortunately, most of the family was affected by a screaming 1 year old when the Motrin wore off nightly (eek) but thankfully, near the end of the week-we all started getting some sleep...and the Hallway closet that we had Kaden sleep in was perfect :) He needed a private room to be in and get accustomed too LOL (It was not working sleeping in the same room as mama :)

1. My Family, THANK YOU for all the love and hospitality while we were away!

 A shout out to my awesome Brother-in-law,Eric for getting us rooms (suites) at the hotel. It was so much more "homey" for the long weekend. My parents aged a bit more with the activeness in Kaden (but it was a blast to be with them for 10 days). And the week in MI could not have been more fun for Parker and Kaden, with a special shout out to my Sister, Jodi, brother-in-law John and Grace and Josh for putting up with us for the week and allowing us a blast on the family "farm!"

Ok, I have finally debriefed and now I can't believe it...my mother-in-law is begging me to get on a plane and fly up with the boys the end of June for a family baby shower!!!
Hmmm?? I wonder if Mike is going to go for this trip.
FYI- that sleepless night in the hotel, Mike's cell phone was flooded with me venting via-text message. Again, I can't say it enough-if you have to fly alone with small kids, get a gate pass for a member in your family to help you~Thanks again to Mike and my Dad for making the trip much, much easier. We will keep you posted on the next trip :)

(I must say that part of my delay has been issues with blogger photo upload.) Anyone else struggling with this??! So annoyed :(