new van and new food

Yes, we finally got a van. It's not new, but it is newer than what we had by 2 years. It has been very well taken care of and it feels like I am driving a new van. So our insurance won't go up much and we won't have a car payment! God is good to provide for us!
I have been enjoying cooking real food this week for the family. Tonight my sister, Jenny, was having tuna casserole. So I did the same. I looked it up on line and found a good recipe with fresh mushrooms (thank you, Irwin family), peppers, cheddar cheese, onions, etc...It was really good, filling and cheap. Okay, so some of you are probably gagging because your mother fixed tuna casserole one too many times in your life! I don't think I have ever fixed it before. It was a regular meal at Ron and Diana's when I lived with them my sr. year in high school. I know they don't ever want to SEE a tuna casserole again! Monday night we had a broccoli and chicken noodle soup and Tues. we had Tex Mex Calzones....can't go wrong with any mexican in this family. Both were from the latest issue of Cooking Light. The calzones called for ground turkey but I used deer hamburger.It is very lean and we love it. I made a black bean salad to go with it. Talk about beautiful food! All the colors in the black bean salad were so cool...I should have taken a pic. of it. It had black beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, celery, lime juice, olive oil...you get the picture. It's nice to have b-ball done and enjoying real food, family dinners.

good quote

I read this on my friend's blog (finding grace), and loved it. I just wanted to share it with you this Monday morning. It is from Paul Tripp's book, "How People Change". I'm going to put it on my mirror...like she did. Thanks, Em.

Each morning that greets me is full of hope

Not because I am successful at what I am doing,

Or because the people near me appreciate me,

Or because circumstances are easy,

But because God is, and He is my Father.

To look at the morning any other way

Is to believe a lie.

To live in hope is to live in truth;

To live in truth is to bring Him glory;

To bring God glory in my daily living

Is the highest form of worship.

day off

We had the day off...all school ski trip. I didn't go and instead went and got my haircut and highlighted! yippeee!! It is very cold and windy so we didn't wander around Chestertown. MaryEllen stayed home and also got her hair cut and had a friend spend the night. This afternoon Jacob and I wandered around Bombay Hook (in the car) National Wildlife Preserve. When we first got there we saw a field covered in snow geese. Just as we were leaving we saw them all fly away. Jacob said,"Wow that was like the whole earth moved up into the air!" Then as that show was ending a bald eagle flew right over us. Time to make dinner...spaghetti.

v-day

Happy Valentine's Day. My husband coaches middle school boys basketball. They ended their season today with a great win. It was a tournament and they got a little trophy for third place! We came home and I made chicken cheese lasagna, that yummy spinach salad with strawberries, mandarin oranges, and carmalized pecans in it, garlic bread and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. It was sooo good and I hate way too many strawberries...couldn't resist. Our friend, Glenn, from Baltimore, spent the day with us and is now spending the night. I wish he could move here. He lives in a pretty rough part of Baltimore. Tonight he told me he was going to start calling me Mom. I said, "You can call me 'Mama Stover'. "

basketball season

I don't know why this picture is little. I tried changing the size and doesn't seem to work. I am not very good at this formatting thing. They are beautiful, sweet girls...Kate is at the bottom with the white shirt on.

Our girls had a great season. It is amazing how much they have improved since last year. Last night was there last game. Congratulations, girls, on six wins! You are the best! This group of girls are beautiful, inside and out. I love them!

on the farm

We have some friends that live near us who go to our school. They have a little farm, 2 horses, chickens, dogs and a little pond. My boys love going over there and Jonathan has wanting to help out. So this past Sat., he got to help groom the horses and clean out the horse stalls. He was working with their daughter who is in 4th gr. They had to scoop the manure into the wheel barrel, put it on the back of the kabota, and haul it out to where they dump it. After they finished cleaning out the stalls, Jonathan's job was to hang on to the wheelbarrow in the back of the Kabota. The chocolate lab dog wanted to ride as well. So he jumps in and sits right on the gas peddle, sending them speeding off towards the pond, with Jonathan hanging on to the wheelbarrow full of horse poop and yelling "SLOW DOWN!" I wish I had a picture of that one! The girl was driving and fortunately turned it off before they got to the pond and before horse manure went everywhere! A good time was had by all on the farm!

scones

I made the famous Cranberry Orange Scones yesterday and brought them to school. When I make them, it is purely for selfish reasons (because I am craving them), but I share them so I won't eat the whole batch and be 200 pounds. For those who have asked, here is the recipe.
Cranberry Orange Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. orange peel
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 c. cold butter
1 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. half and half cream
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
GLAZE:
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp. orange juice
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, orange peel, baking powder, salt, and soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs;set aside. In a small bowl combine cranberries, orange juice, half and half and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until soft dough forms. On a floured surface, gently knead 6-8 times. Pat dough into an 8 inch circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet ( I actually lightly grease the baking sheet). Brush with milk. Bake at 400 for 12-15 min. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over scones.
Have a tea party! :)

The Prodigal God

I loved this little book. It had me weeping at the lavishness of my Father's love for me, a Pharisee at heart. Tim Keller calls the parable of the prodigal son the "parable of the two lost sons". The Father pursues both. He runs down the road to greet the one and lavishes him with kisses even before he hears any kind of repentance. He leaves the party to go out to the older brother and tells him "everything I have is yours." We are all doomed if our Heavenly Father does not pursue us! We would never come to Him! He isn't waiting for us to get our act together or prove our repentance. Keller says, "It is not the repentance that causes the Father's love, but rather the reverse. The father's lavish affection makes the son's expression of remorse far easier." Repentance is so much more than just confessing to a list of sins, many of us have to repent of our "goodness". The older brother didn't think he had done anything wrong and was actually worse off than the younger brother at this point who knew he was a sinner in need of a Saviour. We need to repent of our own righteousness which are all filthy rags. I have to do this. I see myself as the older brother, was never very rebellious, people pleaser, wanted to do everything right, but at the same time very proud. Every day I need God to rescue me from my "goodness" and help me see my need for HIM!
"To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we did anything right...It is only when we see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord--lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness---that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed. When you understand that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything: how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, your sins, your virtue. It's called the new birth because it is so radical." (Keller)
There were so many parts of this book that I love. The next section than tells us not what to just turn from but who we turn to...very powerful little book. As a follower of Christ, I need to hear the gospel every day to remind myself of who I am and who my wonderful Father is and live out of that! It's so powerful. I hope you know this Father as your own.
On to the next book...It's called "Get Outta My Face". by Rick Horne. He went to Westminster Seminary is Director of Guidance at Delaware County Christian School and the coordinater of the Graduate Concentration in School Guidance Counseling in the M. Ed. Curriculum and Instruction major at Columbia International University. If I ever wanted to go back and get my masters in something, I think it would be some type of counseling. Christian school guidance and counseling is very appealing to me. If you are still reading, thanks for bearing with my as I posted my thoughts this morning.
VERSE TO REMEMBER (thanks, Meredith)

"The Lord says, 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name;
you are mine.' " Isaiah 43:1
Remember that this Valentine's Day.