German-Style Beef Roast

It seems I have found the kind of book I will someday publish--one filled with roast beef recipes!  I've already posted one on Dilly Roast Beef and my accidental discovery of Taco Roast Beef a few months ago.  Here is another recipe I found in Simple & Delicious.  You may use non-alcoholic beer if you wish, but I'm pretty sure all of the alcohol cooks out after 3-4 hours in the oven anyway.  Enjoy!

1 beef roast
1 tsp. pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bottle beer
1 cup tomato sauce (or substitute ketchup and reduce brown sugar to 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Mix ingredients together and pour over roast.  Bake at 325 for 3-4 hours or put in the crock pot on low for 8-10 hours. 

Great Ships on the Great Lakes

Our Landen has an amazing memory.  Allow me to start from the beginning.  We went to Duluth, MN for our family vacation two years ago.  Remember the infamous "no AC in 95 degree heat" vacation?  Yep.  That's the one.  Still, it is the vacation the boys talk about all of the time and they always ask to return to Lake Superior. 

While we were in Duluth two years ago, we went to an IMAX theatre movie and toured the William A. Irvin ship museum.  At some point, Landen remembered hearing about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald ship. 

He brought it up and asked what I remembered about it on our recent vacation.  I only remembered the ship's name as I was not yet familiar with the Gordon Lightfoot song.  (There are still a few things left that are before my time even if my kids say I lived "way back when"!)  Yesterday I let Landen Google the Edmund Fitzgerald and he has been studying the history of the ship and its demise ever since.  He can rattle off dates, names, and measurements like nobody's business. 

This morning he started his research again and found a website called www.boatnerd.com.  It shows a map of all the ships currently moving on the Great Lakes and updates every 10 minutes to show their progress.  He didn't check it that often (only because I didn't let him), but close to it!  The Arthur M. Anderson was the last ship to contact the Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975 when the Fitzgerald sank during an especially bad storm on Lake Superior.  (I'm not for sure the Anderson on the Lakes today is the same ship, but Landen insists that it is and he has been doing all of the research, so we will just take his word for it!)  He was especially interested in that ship's whereabouts today and by bedtime it had moved a considerable distance in Lake Huron on the map. 

When Landen gets interested in something, he completely immerses himself in it.  He is a mixture of his dad and me--the complete submersion/preoccupation with a subject (dad) and the interest in historical events and research (me). 

Who knows what else we'll learn--or what subject Landen will be interested in--tomorrow!

Love This.

A Little Minnesota Getaway

We spent last Wednesday-Friday on a little vacation near Brainerd, MN at Gull Lake.  We stopped at Little Falls to watch the Mississippi River on our way there.

 The kids loved the pool.  Their new friend Steve shared some great goggles with them, too!

 They also made a friend named Ben and gave a family of ducks some bread to eat.

 How is this for Super Dad?  He gave both of his girls a ride on a short hike. 

 Even though we spent most of our water time at the pool, we had to check out the beach for awhile, too. 

This girl is going to give the sunscreen companies some serious business.  She has lots of nice red hair coming in now, and a couple of new teeth, too!

We stopped at Alexandria, MN for a picnic in the park on our way home.  I told them the biggest smile would get a prize.  Who would you choose as the winner?

Where Farm Kids Learn to Golf

 Our stack yard has been turned into a driving range.

 Dad's giving free lessons while we tease him about his farmer tan. :o)

Do you prefer white or colored golf balls?  We have whatever you need!

Blessings along the Road

As it gets closer to the time to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester with Rachel, I feel less fear (although still sometimes more than I want to) and more anticipation to meet Dr. Wetjen and Dr. Bite, the neurosurgeon and plastic surgeon who will be operating on Rachel's skull.  It really helped to see that video made by Dr. Wetjen several weeks ago.  I would have many more unanswered questions if it weren't for that huge gift from God that day when I needed it most.
I hear over and over again (and tell myself over and over again) that we will be in some of the best medical hands in the world.  I know there are many who would love to have access to such care.  I am thankful beyond words to our Lord that He has provided us with the means to have good medical insurance and the funds to travel.  I sometimes complain that there is not much here in the midwest, but it seems for once living in the midwest is paying off.  We are only about 7 hours from Rochester.  My friend Cathy said they met people there who travel from countries like Israel for their annual physicals! 
I am also SO very thankful for the many prayers said for Rachel.  I know this could be SO much more major, but prayers are always appreciated no matter what.  My friend Rose even placed her on the prayer list with the nuns in Alexandria, SD.  Not only will she be in great medical hands, but in spiritual hands as well.  Thank you!
I feel like our family has been so truly, truly blessed even when I am feeling anxious.  So much that I am completely overwhelmed by God's unending love.  None of us deserve any of the good that we have.  It is ALL a wonderful GIFT! 
Despite all of this, I was still  kind of intimidated by this huge place.  So, what did God do?  He sent another friend to help me through.  Another Catholic Mom, Bam, will be arriving at Mayo on July 9 for another round of treatments for her husband's leukemia.  (He has spent several weeks there and is improving with treatment.)  Now, I don't want ANYONE to have cancer, but I'm thankful the dates will line up so we can hopefully meet.  I am also looking forward to meeting Sarah, the nurse I mentioned earlier, and we will see my cousin Kevin and meet his fiance Christine, who is also a nurse at Mayo.  David says that Mayo Clinic isn't a "cool place to know people," but it would be so much more difficult for me if I didn't have at least some connection.  If nothing else, conversing with these women through Facebook has been a good distraction for the time being.
So, for these blessings and all of the blessings I don't even realize, I am so thankful today.  The sun is shining and it is a great day to catch some rays!
Blessings to you!

Who's a Big Girl?

This girl!  She surprised her daddy with this little trick today!

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Grandma Shirley brought a few ingredients along and we whipped up this delicious cake during her visit.  It is nearing the end of rhubarb season, but you can always find frozen rhubarb in grocery stores.  (At least we can in South Dakota and I assume if we can find it here in rural South Dakota, you can find it anywhere.) :o)

You will need:
3 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb (if frozen, do not thaw before using)
1 cup sugar
1 cup cream
1 yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions

Cover the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan with the rhubarb.  Cover with the sugar and cream.  Prepare the cake mix and pour over the top.  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour. 

It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart . . .  mmm!

Lilies

Here's a little shot of my lilies.  Usually they bloom closer to niece Lily's birthday in early July, but all of the blooms are early this year.
It's been another busy week.  Grandma Shirley was here!  Rachel turned 6 months old yesterday and got to go to the Circus Sports Bar for burgers with Aunt Amanda.  OK, so Rachel had peas, but she still seemed to enjoy herself!
Grandma returned home this afternoon and the kids and I are headed to the park to play.
I'll catch up again soon.  Until then, I hope you enjoy the lilies! :o)

College Nightmares

This is my alma mater, Northern State University.  Look how nice and peaceful it is. 
So, why, after 11 years after my graduation am I STILL having college nightmares??
I just had another last night.  In last night's installment, I had signed up for a new semester, but I couldn't find my course schedule.  My friends had the same classes, but mine were different, so I had no idea where I was going to find my first class.  Not long ago, I was on a completely different campus and kept finding myself in a huge student union.  One time, I was lost on the NSU campus until I came upon one of my favorite NSU professors, Ric Dias, in a biology lab.  How's that for fortunate?  Usually I find myself at the end of the semester and realize that I've completely forgotten to attend one of my classes.  I find it pretty crazy that these nightmares still seem to find me--and fairly often. 
One thing is for sure--they don't make me want to go back to school anytime soon!

Storybook Land

 We had a very fun week last week!  Cousins Carter and Lily and aunt Angela visited for Vacation Bible School.  We finished the week with a trip to Storybook Land!  Nathan found his inner cowboy.

 Carter and Landen tried out some new head shapes.

 It was time to cool off halfway through!

 Lily and Teresa rode the carousel while the boys and grandma went on the balloon ride.

Landen put Rachel in a baby swing and she was laughing while it tickled her tummy!

I think the sun made us a little crazy after awhile.  (When Nathan looked down from the balloon ride and saw Rachel's sun hat, he asked us, "Where did you get that giant snowcone?")  That's why Landen is licking her hat in this photo. :o)

We are thankful for these fun times with family! 

Backyard Babes

Baseball

Yesterday was a MUCH better day for baseball!

Cousins Lily and Carter joined us, too.

Mom's favorite part is the baseball food!  In our family, you have options for naming this little bag of yumminess.  It's either a "Walkie Talkie" (Nathan), a "Talking Waco" (me) or a "Walking Taco" (the rest of the world.)
:o)

Good Stuff

I subscribe to Glennon Melton's blog momastery.com.  I have shared a post or two before, which you might remember.  Today I'm just sharing the photo from her latest post. 
It's a good reminder, isn't it? 
David and I were just discussing yesterday how I (most of the time) have difficulty living in the moment.  Most days I feel like I'm correcting, referreeing, picking up, putting away, feeding, changing, and bathing my way to the bedtime finish line.  I am just as guilty as anyone at not enjoying God's PRESENT which is the PRESENT. 
May you enjoy your PRESENT today!