Random Reflections

Graduation

2012-02-04T19:12:00.002-06:00

So, this post is dated almost 5 months ago, and it's been almost 9 months after the actual event, but I thought you would enjoy knowing that the graduation prep, did lead to graduation!
It has been bittersweet the last month, beginning a new year, and remembering at this time last year, I had ordered my invitations, was diligently working on my senior recital repertoire, and Mom was buying Hobby Lobby out of all their lime green plates!
The memories are very special! It was such a fantastic season of life for me!
I'm grateful for the way the Lord worked each detail to His glory.
If you want more info, we'll have to talk in person, 'cause there are way too many!

The evening began with my Senior recital

(Many thanks to Elizabeth, for being our "event" photographer!

These images are so precious to me!)

My wonderful teacher, Mrs. Finch, played a fantastic "Carmen" duet with me

After my recital, we had our commencement ceremony.

Michael had some unfinished business to complete.

At our kindergarten graduation, he didn't recite his poem "King Alfred's War Song"

You can't graduate from high school with that hanging over you!

Andrew shared an excellent message.

A dear friend of mine was unable to attend the festivities, but thoughtfully sent me some flowers.

She didn't even realize my colors were green and pink!

Four generations

Andrew, Elizabeth, Michael

Graduates with their parents/teachers/principles

Party time!

Recap of 2011

2012-01-20T17:12:00.000-06:00

One of my new year resolutions was to post on our family blog on a more frequent basis.

Looking at the date, I haven't got off to a great start.......But, life comes first, thus the blog has been set aside.

We had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.

The last few months of the 2011, our family had lots of activities.

I've chosen some photos from a vast assortment to share.

Hopefully, the blog will be more lively with posts, but I can't guarantee anything. (Remember.....life comes first!)

Enjoy the photos!

Susanna turned 5!

Worldview Weekend Evening Rally in Wichita.

Eric and Susanna

Game Night at the Finch House!

We had a great all-American dinner before all the games.

Hamburgers, chips, baked beans, and onion rings which Eric and Michael prepared.

In October, we had a fantastic weekend with friends in celebration of the Swedish Hyllningsfest.

(Mostly an excuse for us to get together!)

Friday night a group of us went to the 2nd half of the Smoky Valley football game.

The big kids played football most of Saturday afternoon (in the rain!), but the little ones played Saturday morning before the parade.

Our group-2011

Our group(plus/minus a few!)-2009

Another group photo

The older girls (and a funny face!)

Silas and Mr. Reitz

"Mafia"

Quadricycles (a local attraction)

Elizabeth and Felicity

Pyramid time!

Though, not for long....wet bodies make for a slippery foundation!

We had received a fire pit for a gift, and it was a treat on the windless (SMILE!) Kansas evenings.

We even brought out the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate for S'mores!

In October, we had a family game night with Mom's extended family.

We played a Minute to Win It Game.

Lots of fun, food, and fellowship!

Susanna and Paige

Holiday baking isn't complete without an evening of Peppernut making!

Susanna and Paige with their new hats!

All the girls received hats for Christmas!

Stucky Family Christmas

For New Years, we had the Kroeker Family over.

For our big meal, we had a German theme.

Vereneka, Cherry Mos, New Year's cookies, Chicken borscht, Fried Apples,

Here are the olders making Vereneka (Noodles filled with a cottage cheese mix)

Yum!

I had saved a Sky lantern from working fireworks this summer.

So we launched the New year, with the launching of a cool sky lantern.

Colorado Trip | 2011

2011-11-07T17:31:00.000-06:00

In September, our family enjoyed a wonderful, much needed and anticipated vacation in Colorado.

Actually, I got to be in CO for a week before vacationing. (See post on my blog)

Our friends, the Kroekers, were able to join us, for our every-three-years trip to CO.

As expected, it was a wonderful trip.....see for yourself-I took lots of photos!

View from right above our cabin location.

The boys used their slingshots to shoot at the chipmunks around the cabin.

Hiking and exploring!

Breakfast out on the patio

As usual, we had some car trouble!

The aspens were changing, and it was beautiful!

We got to go on a big hike above timberline

And, they're off!

During our hike, we saw snow!

It was hard, windy, and cold. There was not a trail for part of it, so we broke our own trail!

Some of us (hint, hint) were quite unprepared!

A panorama of our view when we got to the top

We had to cross over the water which was difficult

Kelsey and Elizabeth by the waterfall

Katy and Caroline (this was before the hike, notice the snow!)

Where the finger tip is, our vehicles are parked....we went a long way!

After our arduous hike, we went to Breckenridge, where they where giving free rides on the gondolas (ski lift)

It was our first time!

Playing games at the cabin

Group photos!

Karly and Susanna by a tepee near the cabin.

After the cabin, we drove to Denver to visit our friends the Reitz's.

The Kroekers also surprised Susanna with a birthday cake.

The B's + K's and Mr. Reitz

Stopping at our favorite park in Burlington on the way home.

All the children

Last photos before we take leave of each other!

Lots of fun was had by all. Many memories made.

Can't wait to go again in 2014 (or before then!)

Coming Soon!

2011-10-13T14:26:00.004-05:00

Colorado photos!

Happy Birthday, Susanna

2011-09-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

Today is Susanna's 5th Birthday! She is very excited! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Graduation Preparation

2011-09-10T14:21:00.004-05:00

For a big event, such as a graduation, senior recital, etc, lots of preparation and planning goes on before hand. You can't prepare for a senior recital in a short period of time......I worked for almost 9 months.
And with a graduation ceremony, and all that includes, you also have to have a reception complete with decorations, and an original menu.
Many ideas were presented, and the final results were absolutely amazing!
Here are some of the photos of graduation preparation-Watch for the graduation photos next week!

Prayer was a big part of the entire planning process.

Limes for punch!

We decorated about 300 chocolate raspberry brownie bites.

The graduate performs an "official" taste test

A cup o' tea and a delightful delicacy (we had to make sure the food was edible...smile!)
with dear friends-Perfect!

Decorations!

Table decorations in hot pink, lime green, and black.

My table with some special items!

Abilene Trip

2011-09-03T19:16:00.001-05:00

In April our co-op group took a field trip to Abilene to see one of the copies of the Declaration of Independence. We had been studying about that specific time era in our history discussion, and thought it would be beneficial to go.
This particular copy was found on the back of a painting, which was bought at a flea market for $4.
A Hollywood producer ended up purchasing it for over $8 million dollars.
The Declaration of Independence was being shown at the Eisenhower museum, so we enjoyed seeing the attractions included in the area.
The 3 graduates (Andrew, Michael, and Elizabeth) also had a photo shoot together. Included are some of those photos.

(Also, I have decided to try and post once a week in the month of September---so get ready for some posts!!)

Our Caravan-Espings, Woods, Finches, (and we were in the back!)

The Graduates!

"Help!"

"Whee!!!"

Practicing our Hitch Hiking Skills (it's an essential for graduating, you know.....)

Susanna writing her name on a pretend Declaration of Independence!

Lots of Eisenhower memorabilia!

Our whole group!

Happy Birthday, Eric

2011-08-30T08:27:00.000-05:00

Today is Eric's 16th Birthday!

Happy "Bee-Day"! (Smile!)

Happy Birthday, Caroline!

2011-08-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Caroline's 14th Birthday! Two birthdays in 3 days-Our house is party central!!!
Happy Birthday, Caroline!

Capitol Trip

2011-08-09T16:45:00.005-05:00

In March, our family and the Kroeker and Ulmer families enjoyed a trip to the Kansas state capitol.
Our family had never visited the capitol, and it was a great "before I graduate" trip!
Here are some of the photos from our capitol trip that was capital! (Smile!)

Susanna

Before the others got there, we had a personal tour with
Rep. Clark Schultz who is a friend of ours from Lindsborg.
He answered many of our questions, and even gave us Capitol shirts and pencils!
Thanks for the tour, Mr. Schultz!

The tunnel under the street (the boys raced from one side to the other)

The architecture, decorations, lighting, etc. was so amazing!
I think these lamp shades had 34 stars to symbolize Kansas as the 34th state.

Micah, Moses, Eric, and Kyle

After the Ulmers left, the rest of us went to see
the Governors Mansion. It was very beautiful!

The four older girls!

The four older boys

Happy Birthday, Miles!

2011-08-08T11:07:00.002-05:00

Today is Miles' 11th Birthday!

Miles and Kaleb

Summer Update

2011-06-30T12:31:00.004-05:00

Here is a short summer update of what the Beckman family is/has been doing recently.

-Planning and enjoying Family Christmas Gift Trip (Mom+Dad planned, we children enjoyed!)
-Garden (100 bulbs of garlic and a bowlful of raspberries is what we've harvested so far)
-Graduation wrap-up (Elizabeth)
-Swimming (All)
-Capturing some bee swarms (Eric)
-Working at the Fireworks Stand (Elizabeth)
-Learning to ride a bike without training wheels (Susanna)
-Planting a new tree (Dad, Eric, and Miles)
-Watering flowers (Caroline)
-Enjoying each and every day the Lord gives us (even if it is 107 degrees out) (ALL)
-StarBase Camp (Miles)

-Biking 17 miles in 2.25 hours (Eric, Caroline, Miles)

Happy Anniversary!

2011-05-26T10:17:00.003-05:00

We are rejoicing with our parents today as they celebrate 21 years of marriage today!
I was going through the photos from the shoot I had done for their 20th anniversary last year, and decided that they hadn't changed too much to use a photo from last year.
We are grateful for the example of faithfulness to the Lord and each other that they have shown us. Go for (at least) 21 more years, Dad & Mom! Love you!

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

Today is Elizabeth's 18th Birthday!

Golden Belt 2011

2011-04-19T13:15:00.004-05:00

2 1/2 weeks ago Eric, Caroline and I (Elizabeth) participated in the GoldenBelt Vocal Festival in Salina. We have done this for the past few years, and have always enjoyed it.

But, this year was amazing.
Mr. Creer was our conductor, and he did an excellent job!

It was a great opportunity to learn a variety of songs such as:
Hallelujah Chorus
Be Still My Soul
Be Thou My Vision
Author of Majesty
Our Island Barque (girls song)
We Are God's People

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burnin'

Gloria

Hosanna

Rise Up O Men of God (boys song)

We are looking forward to next year!

Some of the group we ate lunch with.

The Girls!!!

This picture is a little scary....Miles was using flash, and everyone looks like nocturnal animals!

Timbrely and Caroline

VCY Singspiration

2011-03-29T20:36:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday evening, our family enjoyed a time of worship and praise as we joined in the VCY America Singspiration. It was held at a church in Salina where most all of the pews were filled.
Although most of the attendance was comprised of older couples, there were some younger children.
This 90 minute program was filled with God-glorifying music.
We listen to VCY America about 99% of the time........A few years ago, when there was an ice storm, we couldn't listen for about 2 weeks. It showed us how heavily we depend on it!
From bible teachers to children's programs, sacred music and conservative news broadcasts, we love VCY!

Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

~Psalm 96:2

Mr. Vic Eliason lead us in our time of singing

Mr. Eliason drove by himself all the way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-02-18T11:20:00.002-06:00

Today is our Mother's birthday! We are grateful for her godly example, as well as, patient instruction in many areas!
Happy Birthday, Mom!

Miles-The flour boy

2011-02-02T11:08:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when you forget to put the filter in the wheat grinder!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-01-29T08:45:00.003-06:00

Today is our Dad's birthday! We are celebrating his life with thankfulness that he is the head of our family! Love you, Daddy!

January Activities

2011-01-27T10:32:00.006-06:00

As we come to the close of January 2011, I have looked over the few (200!) photos that have been taken this month. Our family has kept busy with many different activities, some carried over from 2010 and others new opportunities!
Here are some of the photos I gathered:

Doughnut making

YUM!

Games! (Slapstick)

Memory.....hmm which one should I pick!

Eric had his first two basketball games!

Caroline had her violin recital

First 2011 Post

2011-01-13T17:18:00.002-06:00

Finally going through Christmas and New Years pictures.....

These (Oreo Truffles) are only a memory.....Sigh

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T07:57:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Beckman Family!

December Happenings

2010-12-11T10:14:00.006-06:00

There is lots to do in the month of December.....with all the programs, parties, and presentations, we can easily get distracted from the real reason for the season.
As we continue to fulfill our obligations, let us also continue to bathe in the Light of the World, that came to us a baby, and saved us as a man.

Merry Christmas!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie Makers!

Annual Peppernut making!

Miles was "talking" with this owl!

Fires to keep us warm!

Medieval Feast

2010-11-19T17:38:00.005-06:00

In school, we have been studying about the Middle Ages. At the end of each unit of 9-10 weeks, there is a Unit Celebration to show what you have learned and sum it all up.
With our fellow Middle Agers, we dressed up and went to the Great Coronado Hall (aka Coronado Heights) for a Medieval Feast.
Lots of fun was had by all with food (medieval, of course), music, a play, and an interesting "Relic" game.
Although my batteries were low, I was still able to get some photos!

Reciting "King Alfred's War Song"

Our relic table

Miles explained about King Arthur

Miles and L.J. sword fighting/chasing

Princess' Esther and Susanna

Lord Beckman

The chivalrous Miles the Knight with pretty Princess Susanna

The House of Beckman

Chicken Butchering Fall 2010

2010-11-06T09:30:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago, we had our fall butchering day. Eric's 8 week project was completed!
With our friends, the Kroekers, we took our 125 chickens to another friend's butchering cart.
It went very smoothly, no accidents or problems besides a few bile bursts-Yuck!
We had a chicken this week that Mom salt-brined and seasoned, and was it ever tasty!
Now, we can take a chicken break until Spring!!!!

Loading up!

The hard workers.

The gut bucket.

The weighters and baggers

Air Show

2010-10-21T18:58:00.009-05:00

I can't believe October is almost over, and I've only posted once....so here is another post to make an even 2 in October!

In September, Dad, Eric, Miles, and I attended the Mcconnell Air Show.
After waiting in line for 2 hours to go about 3 miles, we finally got in! There were LOTS of people.....I think they were expecting 40-50,000!
We actually saw more sitting in the car than we did once we were at the Base .....oh, well!

The boys!

Hi!!

The Thunderbirds were the ones we wanted
to see the most, but because of weather issues,
they didn't end up flying.......too bad.

Anybody for wing walking?

You've heard of a turbo jet plane, how about a turbo school bus!!!!

P-51 Mustangs

B-2 Stealth Bomber (One of Miles and Elizabeth's Favorites!)

B-1 Bomber

We tried to beat some of the rush of people by walking....FAST!
(Well, some of us were walking, others were--riding their chairs....SMILE!)

Worldview Weekend Rally

2010-09-30T21:30:00.006-05:00

Last week, our family had the opportunity to attend a WorldView Weekend Rally in Wichita.
Brannon Howse, founder of WVW, and Gary Bates from Creation Ministries International were the speakers at 4 hour conference.
It was somewhat overwhelming to hear about the continual downward spiraling of our nation and world, but it reminds us that OUR God is Sovereign over all, and we can trust in Him and Him alone to save us.

Before we went to the conference we had to get something to eat----Chipotle was the choice! And it was an excellent one, too! Yum!

We enjoy listening to Brannon Howse every day on VCY America, and were very excited to meet him in person afterwards!

Although we have never heard Mr. Bates before, he was fun to listen to......He is from Australia!

His talk was on the Creation/Evolution Debate.
One of his main points was "What we believe about our origins, affects our worldview."

Mr. Howse shared about many things, including The Third Way,
Sustainable Developement, Pagan Spiritualism.......lots to ponder~

There were various topical resources to buy-WVW has some great packaged items!

Nebraska Trip Part 2-Nebraska City

2010-09-24T14:52:00.006-05:00

After our enjoyable weekend in Omaha, we traveled on to Nebraska City/Percival, Iowa, to see some of the sights.
On Sunday evening, after checking into our hotel, we went to the Arbor Day Park.
It was a lovely wooded area with a fancy 52-room mansion, home to the founder of Arbor Day.
After exploring the park, we went in search of dinner. (Dinner wasn't lost, but the boys were starting to get hungry.
We enjoyed a swim at the hotel's pool before going to bed. I think we all slept pretty well, but our room was FREEZING.....someone forgot to turn down the AC!
On Monday (Labor Day) we went to the Lewis and Clark Museum, John Brown's Mayhew Cabin, and Arbor Day Farm. We had fun visiting the new places and learned lots of new information!
It was a nice retreat to get away for a few days! Where can we go next??!!!

When we went from Nebraska City to Percival Iowa,
and vice versa, it was fun to cross the Missouri River.

Karly, Susanna, Kaleb, and Miles at Arbor Day Park

I was excited to get this neat photo of Karly and Susanna!

Arbor Day Park had beautiful trees!

Anyone hungry??

Lots to do at Arbor Day Farm!

There were rows and rows of tree seedlings in the Greenhouse.

Playing on the fun marimba's!

John Brown's Cave/Cabin was interesting!

A boat created to be like the one Lewis and Clark used on their expedition!

Arbor Day Mansion!

This photo reminds me of what the Garden of Eden might have looked like.
It was absolutely beautiful!

Happy Birthday, Susanna!

2010-09-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

Today Susanna turns 4 years old! She has been SO excited for her birthday!
She is such a blessing to us, and we are very thankful for her life!

The past months, whenever she is asked how old she is, she holds up 3 fingers, and cheerfully says "When I turn 4, I get to chew gum!" Needless to say, gum will be one of her birthday presents!
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Nebraska Trip-Part 1-The Wedding

2010-09-12T20:37:00.009-05:00

Last weekend, our family spent the weekend in Nebraska. This was our "vacation", and we have been eagerly anticipating our exciting trip!
On Saturday, we went to Omaha for a Micah Nelson and Esther Ulmer's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, very God-glorifying and special.
Caroline and I helped in the kitchen during the reception, and had a great time cutting up bananas for Banana Splits!
After the reception, a bunch of families went to the Stangl's house to fellowship.
What a blast! Lots of fun, food, laughter, games, football, Capture the Flag, etc.
We appreciated the Stangl's hospitality and enjoyed our time with the other families who stayed there as well.
On Sunday morning, we worshiped at Millard Alliance Church. Afterwards, a tasty meal, and volleyball!

Coming soon.....part 2 of our great trip!

An excellent prelude was shared by a father and daughter.

Pastor Nelson (Father of the groom)

The lovely mothers-Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Ulmer

Here comes the bride!

Their first Kiss! What a special moment!

The new couple! Mr. and Mrs. Micah Nelson!

Seeing friends! Lizzie Becker and Kelsey Kroeker

The yummy reception-Banana Splits!

Tabitha, Noah, and Elizabeth

The fancy get-away vehicle! It was a total surprise for Esther!

Fun times at the Stangl's! Elizabeth and Micah

What a lovely trio! Caroline, Lydia, and Katy

A group of the girls-All dressed up for church!

Some of the boys! Gotta love some of those expressions!

A night at the Fair

2010-09-10T17:11:00.005-05:00

In August, our family went to the county Fair.
We have not been there in a VERY long time, and some of us have never even gone!
We all enjoyed seeing the animals and different exhibits!

A variety of different prints in the sand-Horses, Vehicles, Shoes

Eric enjoyed seeing the tractors-"If only I had a tractor, I could......."

Inspecting every little thing!

A familiar sight at all fairs-The Ferris Wheel!

Susanna was SO excited to see a real, live cow!

Papa took Susanna and Miles to the Petting Zoo!

Papa, Memaw, and Miles

Happy Birthday, Eric!

2010-08-30T08:21:00.002-05:00

Today is Eric's 15th Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Brother!

Eric with his "dream" tractor!

You've heard of a tractor pull-well, this was a tractor push!

Happy Birthday, Caroline

2010-08-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

Today Caroline turns 13! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Miles!

2010-08-08T07:01:00.002-05:00

Miles turns 10 today!

Texas Trip

2010-07-27T16:06:00.004-05:00

Our family enjoyed a brief weekend get away to Texas a few weeks ago.
Mom's (Tisha) Uncle Bob was getting married, and we had the pleasure of attending!
Although our time was short, it was wonderful to spend it with our family! (immediate and extended!)

View from our hotel.

On Friday night after the rehearsal, we all went out to dinner at a pizza place.
It also had an arcade room with different games, bowling, etc.

Caroline, Susanna and I went on the Carousel!

Eric, Caroline, and Miles did the Bumper Cars!

On Saturday, we spent the morning at an amazing store called "IKEA"
Since it was a Swedish based store, we felt literally "Right at Home" since Lindsborg is "Little Sweden"
Aside from lots of home decor and other fun things that were very low-priced, they also had a tasty restaurant, where we all ate for $20!!

Here we are standing in front of Stockholm!

Yummy ice cream cones!

Miles and Zach waiting for the wedding to begin!

Paige and Susanna!

The wedding couple!

After the wedding, we went out to a Mexican place,
right across from our hotel, to eat.
They made fresh Guacamole while we hungrily watched!

Ride 'em Cowgirl! All throughout dinner, Susanna
kept asking to go ride the horse! We usually don't
ride them, but Susanna loved it!

On Sunday, we attended a church that seated 3000 people!
The service was excellent, and we enjoyed worship there.

His Newest Adventure

2010-07-05T16:51:00.005-05:00

As some of you might know, Eric likes to be industrious. This past spring, Eric studied and researched honey bees. He got books and instructional DVD's from the library, he talked with people, he wrote a persuasive speech, and every time Mom, Dad, or I got on the computer, he would ask us to look up something or other pertaining to bees.
Dad and Mom were not too sure how it would work out here in town. A friend from church(Mrs. K) , along with her 15 year old son, has been doing bees for about 3 years. Mrs. K offered to let Eric go along with them and see how they took care of the hives and such.
She also told us about a scholarship where you can get all the bee things you need to start a hive.
The deadline for the scholarship application is in December, so Dad decided to wait until next spring to start out.
But the Lord had other plans.......A gentleman (Mr. A) from town also does bees, and whenever there is a swarm, people call him to remove it.
Well, when he got a call recently, all his hives were full, so he recommended they call Eric.
The Lord provided a swarm of 5000 bees for Eric to start out with!
Mr. A's uncle was cleaning out his barn about a week after Eric got his first hive going---What was up in the barn? Some bee hives!
It is amazing how the Lord prompted Eric to get all his research done, so He could provide the equipment.
Miles took all the photos, since I was gone......Enjoy!
(And if you ever want to know anything about bees, just ask Eric!)

s

Cherry Pickin'

2010-06-18T15:20:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago a friend from church, who happens to be our neighbor, invited us over to pick cherries off his laden tree. We took him up on his offer, and went over in the cool of the morning to pick some juicy red cherries. The boys weren't able to come-But, the rest of us enjoyed our time and there weren't even any bugs!
Earlier this week, we had a big storm with lots of wind. Another of our neighbors lost quite a few branches, and there was even a tree that uprooted! They also had a cherry tree with lots of fruit still on it.......They don't even like cherries that much, so we were also able to get some cherries from them! We've frozen 10 bags or so of pitted cherries, made cherry soup (see pic) and cherry limeades! YUMMY! We actually have a cherry tree-5 feet tall and we got a whopping 1 cherry from it this year. It was hard to split 7 ways, but we managed.
When we got all these cherries, we saw how good the Lord was and how He provided for us since we don't have a flourishing tree yet!

The BIG tree!

Each branch had many clusters of cherries!

Yummy!

Look, Elizabeth! It's CUUTE!

Cherry Soup (Maus (spelling?) is the German word for it)
It is basically like cherry pie filling.

Spring Butchering 2010

2010-06-03T20:47:00.008-05:00

Well, it's finally over....again. Our spring butchering went very well, with around 20 people helping us butcher 296 chickens (not all ours)
We started at 7 AM and finally finishing around 5 PM.
We start by raising the chickens from cute and fluffy yellow chicks, to squawking young hens and roosters, to fat and smelly 8 week old birds. They get good care from Eric, as well as some worrying and fretting from Mom and the rest of the family.
Such as this scenario.
One night about 10 PM we heard sprinkler hitting some tin outside. After Dad goes outside with the HUGE flashlight, Mom calling Eric from the top of the stairs, and the rest of us trying to sleep with all the racket---We find out that Eric accidentally set the chicken pen over the sprinkler head. So, a huge blast of water was soaking 50 chickens while they are clucking and squawking, and the rest of us are running around like chickens with our heads cut off.......Smile!
Needless to say, we had a good year! And we are thankful that it is over until fall!
Here are some photos from our big day!

The CREW

YUCK!

AAAHHH!

Isn't Kaleb's face (yellow shirt) hilarious!

Here is the butchering process for those who have never seen it.
(Texas folks, y'all listen up now!)

We store them in crates before we butcher them.

Getting them off the truck

Then they go to "The killing cones"

Evisceration (aka gutting) table

The gizzard cleaner

The gizzards---Kind of pretty---In a gross, slimy sort of way!

Finally we weigh and bag them.

While we were working, Caroline and Katy kept Karly and Susanna occupied with lots of things to do! Thank you, girls!

Playdough!
c

Having a good chat after a long day of work!
Thanks to all who helped!

20 years - The Lord, Their Love, Our Lives

2010-05-26T10:04:00.004-05:00

Because of the Lord's will and our parents LOVE, OUR Lives are forever changed.
Today is Brad and Tisha's 20th wedding anniversary!
We are thankful for your commitment and your example!

WE LOVE YOU, DAD AND MOM!

20 years ago!

Thunderclouds Form-Wings of the

2010-05-20T19:45:00.004-05:00

Our family has recently been practicing "O Worship the King" during our devotions.
With all the rainy weather we've had the last few weeks, I've gotten some excellent storm shots-Maybe good enough to be a storm chaser....Not that I would want to be in that line of work......

Be encouraged with these words of a great hymn of the faith.

O tell of HIS might, O sing of HIS grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is HIS path on the wings of the storm.


Thunderclouds form---



Notice the lightning bolt!!!


Wings of the storm---

Happy Birthday!

2010-05-12T12:33:00.001-05:00

-Today, Elizabeth turns 17 years old! Happy Birthday!

(Special thanks to Elizabeth U. for the two photos above! Love them!)

Just curious-Does anyone notice a difference between the above 4 photos--
and the below 3 photos????
(Besides, different clothes, settings, etc.)

Picture Quote

2010-05-07T16:57:00.000-05:00

This is a barn/shed on I-70 highway to Kansas City.
I've always wanted to remember it, and this time I got a photo.
How true this quote is!

Golden Belt 2010

2010-05-03T14:13:00.006-05:00

Golden Belt Vocal Festival is over for this year. We had a great time singing, learning, and fellowshipping. Caroline, Eric, and Elizabeth were the ones who participated this year.
In the words of Eric "It was the best year! I really liked the songs!"
In the words of Caroline "Musically informative, Sweet Fellowship, Tasty Treats!"
In the words of Elizabeth "Lots of fun! Good vocal instruction! A blast having all our friends with us! Golden Belt '11 here we come!"

We enjoyed having our friends join us in the fun: Ulmers: Elizabeth, Tabitha, Moses, Micah, and Charity, Kroekers: Kelsey and Kyle, Michael Finch and Creers: Michaela and Joshua.
Our first night practice was in Newton. 2 weeks later, we met in Salina....(No pics from that, though) and then the big day was April 16.

Here is our "group" in Newton.

Kelsey and Michaela

Charity and Tabitha

Our Friday "Formal" Foto!

The concert!

All of the girls!

All of the boys!

The end of a great day, we are still smilin'!

After a long day of singing, ending it with a concert, wearing a tie-What could you expect from them???!!!

Our human pyramid made at 11:00 p.m.
Thanks to Michaela for these shots!

I'll end with this sign-A stop sign in Junction City, KS.
If you look carefully you can see that the top sign is "Caroline Rd"!!
You can kind of see that on the top sign!
Can't wait until GBVF 2011!!

Colors of Spring!

2010-04-22T09:32:00.004-05:00

I have decided it is virtually impossible to take a picture of a flower and for it not to turn out amazing. God's creation is SO photogenic! And it is also impossible (we've been here before) to have a super cute little sister, (with lots of cute outfits) and not take amazing pictures of her!!!!
Be encouraged with the Colors of Spring! Green, Pink, White, Purple, Yellow-What a sight after wintery colors...brown, brown, brown, and brown!

He is Risen!

2010-04-04T07:50:00.002-05:00

A blessed Easter Greeting to you!
As we reflect on what Jesus Christ did for us almost 2,000 years ago......the cross, the empty tomb, Our Risen Lord....Consider what God also did for us, because of His Steadfast Love.
If He would have not poured out His Wrath on His Son, Jesus-None of us would be here to celebrate the Power and Mercy of our God.

I recently got some things together for a "Love of GOD" photo shoot, using Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Here are a few to share! Happy Easter!

Spring Chicks/100th Post/Happy April!

2010-04-01T15:22:00.006-05:00

First off-HAPPY APRIL FIRST (1st), Just kidding! (I'm kidding that I was kidding!)
Have you had any April Fool's played on you today?

Secondly, it's Spring Time! That means it's also time for CHICKS!!!!
We got our first batch (70) last Thursday, and 6:30 a.m. this morning our remaining 25 arrived!
They are cute, as always! But, not for long!
Susanna has already informed everyone who comes to see the chicks, that we are going to "Butcher" them!
I'm not sure she know what the big "B" word actually means! Oh, well!

Thirdly, this is our 100th blog post! Can't believe we've had so many! Lots of hours of picture uploading!

We sure are enjoying the nice weather here! It was 75+ degrees yesterday.
You could actually go outside without bracing yourself for a blast of cold wind!
Thankful for God's gift of seasons!
We would definitely get bored quickly from the lack of weather change, wouldn't we!

In closing, what do you all think of the new "blook" around here???
(Maybe you should tell what "blook" means first!!!!!)

Slurpp!

Sorry, the wire was in the way!

Have a little dirt/sawdust/other stuff, bath!

Sunny afternoon + blue skies + a good book = enjoyment

2010-03-18T15:43:00.005-05:00

It also equals a good picture!

Psalm 16:11

2010-03-05T15:03:00.001-06:00

Spring is Coming.......

2010-03-01T15:32:00.006-06:00

February has been cold. Period.
It's been hard to remember what 60+ degrees feels like. Basking in the glorious sunshine, not having to wear layers of clothes. Mmm.......sounds wonderful!
So, we have decided to brighten everyone's spirits with some photos of flowers.
That's right, prepare yourselves to be dazzled by the loveliness of spring and summer through God's amazing creation of FLOWERS!

Song of Solomon 2:12
"The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove (Maybe a Robin!!!)
is heard in our land."

May you be encouraged with a word from the WORD and the knowledge that SPRING IS COMING!

Susanna

2010-02-12T15:09:00.004-06:00

How can you have an absolutely adorable sister, and not do a photo shoot whenever she (or you) feel like "dressin" up?
Susanna is such a precious gift, full of her middle name-JOY!
One afternoon, Susanna, Miles and I were at home by ourselves.
Miles had some project to do, and Susanna and I were figuring out what to do.......What is better than getting all dressed up in a pretty dress, wearing "Libabeth's" special necklace, and getting your hair curled?
Just take a look at this cutie!!

Isaiah 1:18

2010-02-02T19:17:00.014-06:00

Come now let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
~Isaiah 1:18~

Bontrager Family

2010-01-26T13:28:00.013-06:00

Last week our family was privileged to host the Bontrager Family Singers in our home and at our church.
They sang for our morning services, then provided the evening worship-We had a soup supper for a few out-of-town families who were coming for the concert. It was a special time of fellowship before the full crowd attending the concert. And what a concert! It was a little over an hour long, filled with songs, a skit, and scripture memory. After, we had a yummy cookie reception provided by some ladies in the church.
On Monday, our families (Beckman/Bontrager) enjoyed a true Swedish breakfast prepared by a very hospitable friend of ours. We were going to go for a little "field trip" but due to chilly weather, we had to postpone it. So we stoked up the fireplace, curled our fingers around a hot drink, brought out the games, and talked to our heart's content-well, almost. I'm sure we could have discussed many more topics, if we would have had the time!

The soup supper families-

Red Light, Green Light!

All glory to the Lord!

Susanna and Elizabeth performing a duet of "Away in the Manger"

All the boys!

The girls!

Allison, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Chelsy

Caroline and Allison playing violins together

Pit! (one for one, two for two!)

Stratego!

Lovely Elizabeth!

Allison and Elizabeth making "Enchildas" for dinner!

The boys at our Swedish breakfast!

The New Year

2010-01-08T19:05:00.005-06:00

Just look at that date above the title-2010 is here! Rang in with lots of cold weather and snow!! I think this week was the coldest of the winter! Sub-Zero Temperatures, we've had the fireplace going strong!!
Our family had a great holiday season-Christmas turned out to be better that we expected!
And this New Year's we were all in bed by 4:00 A.M. (Dad was glad-We did better than last year!
I've included some snapshots of our family Christmas! Enjoy!
Here's to more blogging in 2010!

Our parents and grandparents got us an amazing telescope!

My gift to Eric was cleverly disguised under
(okay, get ready!) wrapping paper, a brown paper sack,
box, under a bag of rocks (a decoy!) more wrapping paper,
a plastic sack, and finally inside an envelope, his present-guitar picks!
(They looked puny in the little bag-It needed some excitement!)

Susanna in her new kitty outfit!

Mom got a roaster pan!

Watch Out! Dad got a reciprocating saw (whatever that is!)

Caroline and I playing a Christmas duet!

Our stupendous Christmas dessert!
A Taste of Home exclusive!
"Layered Turtle Cheesecake"
Indescribable goodness! (Is your mouth watering?)

Christmas!

2009-12-22T15:46:00.012-06:00

With Christmas just a few days away, I thought I should share some December pictures/events with you-I know the blog has been neglected for over a month, but we have excuses!
Shall I name them all??? Smile!

We had a nice Thanksgiving, celebrating with our grandparents-We made our usual 2 gallons of "Peppernuts" on Thankgving.
We've almost eaten through our gallon! Mmmm.....

Precision is the key!

Susanna helped with the rolling, and taste-testing!

Memaw and Susanna

The cutters-Papa, Miles, and Eric

Caroline and Memaw

Pumpkin Walnut Cheesecake-Our Thanksgiving dessert!

In our school history class, we've just learned about Jewish Holidays. So with 3 other families, we had a special Sedar (say-dar) Meal similar to a Passover Celebration.
It was a wonderful time of new foods and fellowship, liturgy and Bible reading.

Horseradish Root

Matzah Ball Soup!

The "Haggadah" (order) booklet which we followed

We've had lots of snow already, and by the
looks of it today, more is coming!
But, we stay warm as we stay by the fire!
Miles made a fire in this round log!

Christmas Preparations!

Putting up the tree!

The Lights outside looked gorgeous with the snow!

Christmas Cookies!

Getting our special Christmas snow-men out on the ledge, they are all so cute!

A Blessed Merry CHRISTmas you and your family from The Beckman Family!!!

Conglomeration

2009-11-17T13:43:00.009-06:00

When coming up with a name for this blog post, I was thinking about what I was posting about.......A conglomeration of various pictures accumulated over the past month or so.
Hey-conglomeration is a good word! I wonder if there are any synonyms that I could use
to describe the post-
Here are a few I liked off of thesaurus.com-Agglomeration (a close cousin to conglomeration)
collection, combination, combo, "everything but the kitchen sink" (my favorite!!!!) hodge-podge, mass and mish-mash. Aren't those fun! (Try and use one of those words today!)

Elizabeth: "Mom, why do we have so much stuff(good descriptive word!) in the front seat of the car-It is always so full, nobody can sit up there-We must have everything except the kitchen sink up there!!! (I say this ALL the time!)

So, to our hodge-podge, mish-mash of pictures. These are a combination I've taken from a variety of activites.

To start out with, a collection of our Hyllningsfest weekend.
We've been planning this occasion for a year, and what a wonderful time we had.
Our dear friends, the Ulmer and Kroeker Families came up to spend the weekend starting out by surprising Mr. Kroeker for his birthday. Dad also had his Men's choir concert that night!

It was amazing! Although the weather was the best, we had fun watching some Swedish festivities downtown, going to the parade, having a hymn sing, playing the chimes, going to church in the "bus", walking, football, food, staying up late (or early-5:00 am!), everything was a total blast!
Thanks so much for coming Ulmers and Kroekers! Can't wait to have ya'll again!

SURPRISE!

Smoky Valley Men's Choir
(Dad is on the left towards the bottom)

The whole group at the parade-All 32 of us!

The Mom's!

It was SUPER cold out!

The four older boys-Those grass stains are from some
serious games of football!

Miles, Eric, Micah, Kyle, Moses, and Kaleb

Lots of play time!

Lots of yummy food!

Hymn Sing

"Oh, the wonder of it all, The wonder of it all, Just to think that God loves me"-How true this is! God's steadfast love for us is shown all the time-Throughout the whole weekend, the love of the Lord was our common bond.Everything else was secondary-Food, Fun, Friends, Family, etc.

Swedish Susanna!

The Beckman children in Swedish Costumes

Bountiful Sweet Potato Harvest!

We had some lovely fall days!
But, I think winter is coming as we've got the fireplace going,
and we even had snow yesterday!

We celebrated Memaw's Birthday with an Italian Dinner-Mmmm!

The cake-Italian Creme!

In October, I had the opportunity to spend some time with
the Anson family-Scott (Mr. Anson) was gone for a week, and I was
able to help Lydia (Mrs. Anson) out with the 4 boys!
They are all lots of fun with LOTS of energy!
I was weary when I got home, but I had a great time!

It was beautiful outside, so we went to the park!

Marcus

Rolling down the hill!

Paul loves to climb!

Phillip

Having a snack!

Phillip, Marcus, Baby William, Paul and Me.

Caroline made it to State Piano Auditions, so Dad, Caroline and I went up to
KU in Lawerence where she participated in that.

Dad and Caroline

Caroline

Outside Allen Field House, there is a statue of Forrest "Phog" Allen (thus, Allen Field House)
Dad posed the same way as the statue and looked hilariously suave!!!

Susanna loves to read her little Bible while we are doing our Bible reading-Mom's glasses had broken awhile ago, but Susanna likes to play with them-She was so cute sitting there!!

The Kroeker children came for the weekend, when Mr. and Mrs. Kroeker
were in Kansas City. As always, a super fun time, but never enough time to do everything!

Moving some firewood

The girls dressed-up! But the boys played "Risk" (the WHOLE weekend!)

Caroline also had her Symphony Concert last Sunday-They did a great job!

Behind Caroline are two of our friends-They all car-pool together every Saturday morning.

Well, are you about to collapse, drop, faint, give out, or wilt from all this?
I hope not! Hopefully you are feeling astonished, asounded, out of this world, peachy,
extravagant, fabulous, fantastic, phenomenal, terrific, etc.

Really and truly, I hope you enjoyed all the pictures, and are encouraged today!

Remember to: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!" ~Psalm 100:1-2

The next little Mozart

2009-11-10T17:20:00.001-06:00

"Alright, Lamby and Beary, you sit here, and listen while I play"

"Isn't this nice!"

"This is Middle C, and you put your hands like this"

"Oooh, I can sing too!"

Chicken Butchering

2009-11-02T12:59:00.004-06:00

This past Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. in the stillness of the north second street neighborhood, the loud protesting of chickens could be heard in the dim lit morning.Around 8:00 a.m., after our 71 chickens were loaded up, we drove out to our friends house, where we were butchering.

After unloading our stuff, we jumped into the action and started helping. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty chilly-around 35 degrees- so we had to take some "warm-up breaks" throughout the morning.
We worked our chickens, then started our friends-After a lunch break, we finished up, then spent a few hours cleaning up. I think we did around 225 chickens altogether.
It was a great experience and I'm glad to say we've done it! Thus our chicken escapades are ended for this fall-(Until next spring, that is!!!

We can fit 7 chickens in one crate.

Tying them down with cords-we don't want to
lose them on the way out!

Miles liked loading them up!

Once we were at our friends farm,
we got right to work-Dad gathered the
chickens and put them in the killing cones.

After their throats have been slit, blood has been pumped out,
and their heads removed, they are placed in
the "scalder" a big barrel filled with regulated hot water.
The scalding helps in the feather removal.

-In the foreground you can see the plucker-
-Behind the plucker are the chicken cones-

The plucker is an amazing invention
I was EXTREMELY grateful that we didn't have to pluck the chickens by hand!

Papa and Memaw got to come and help!
Memaw helped with the inside job of packaging and weighing.
Papa was the one who sorted the "innards"
All the yummy gizards, livers, hearts-Are you cringing yet?

The butchering table-There were always around 7-8
people doing the "evisceration" process.

After the are all finished on the table,
they chill in cold water, until they are ready to be packaged.

What is it? Answer!

2009-10-19T15:00:00.001-05:00

The answer of what the picture from Friday, IS (drumroll)
A cobweb on the grass covered with water droplets! Are you surprised?!!!
I went out to check the chickens one morning and saw this beautiful creation on the grass-Of course, I had to take a picture of it!

What is it?

2009-10-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what this is a picture of? Answer comes Monday @ 3:00 p.m.!

October Update

2009-10-13T13:30:00.024-05:00

The Beckman family is still here, just in case you were wondering.......
We have been occupied with school, fall projects, Susanna's birthday, preparations for friends to visit and our daily life routine(which is pretty hectic!)
I've been collecting some pictures though-and according to out recent poll, ya'll want more pictures. (62% to be precise!) But, since our renovation, our comments have been slacking-Is everyone still there?? I hope this post gives you something to comment about! -Check out our new poll!-

The colors of autumn!

In September, Dad, Eric, Miles, Papa, and I went dove hunting-
Dad, Eric and I had taken the Hunters Ed Course over the summer,
so we got to put into practice all we learned!

Hmmm-Isn't that full moon bee-ouy-ti-ful!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with some dear Christian friends of ours one sunny September Sunday afternoon-At the park where we went to talk, there were 10 adorable Labrador puppies.

In school, we have been learning about Ancient Egypt.
Miles made a couple different Lego pyramids/ziggurats-
Did you know that over 2 million 2-ton stone blocks were
used in the pyramids?

We helped some friends out with the Lindsborg paper route while
they were on vacation-Eric got a little overwhelmed!

Susanna enjoyed her 3rd birthday themed "Butterflies"

Happy Birthday, Susanna!

2009-09-22T09:54:00.002-05:00

Today Susanna Joy turns 3 years old!!! Can you believe it??!!

I remember 3 years ago when we had gone to Salina for our usual grocery trip, and Mom also had a Dr. appointment. The Dr. told her to do some walking-So we went out to where our grandparents live and walked....She went back to the Dr. and was admitted to the hospital. Well, the rest of us where happy because we were going to get to spend the night at "Memaw and Papa's House!!!" About 9:00 or so, my grandma and I (Elizabeth) were in the kitchen talking, since everyone else was in bed. About 9:20 p.m. the phone rang. It was Dad saying the baby was born-So we got everyone out of bed and loaded into my great grandma's car. If we would have been pulled over that night we would have been about 3 people over the limit.....But we weren't!
Anyhow, we got to the hospital and got to meet our new baby SISTER! Sweet Susanna.

I can't explain what an amazing joy she has been to our family. A friend of ours just told me a few weeks ago, how different our lives would be without Susanna.
And it is rightly so!

Adorable!

She is pretty funny!

Round 2

2009-09-14T16:27:00.005-05:00

On Friday, September 4th at 4:30 a.m. our second round of chicks arrived!!!
Mom had called the Post Office to alert them the they would be getting them, and they said they would call us when they got to town. At 6:30 we still hadn't heard from the PO, so Mom decided to call. We are friends with the post mistress, and she had decided wait to call us, and let us sleep instead. So around 7:00 we went to pick them up! Out of the original 78 chickens, only 2 have died! I'll be posting some more pictures soon as they get bigger!

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Eric! You are 14 years old today!!!
You are growing closer to the Lord every day! Keep that up always~

(gotta have a picture with a chicken!!!)

Have you noticed?

2009-08-20T17:22:00.003-05:00

There are a few new changes at The Beckman Family Blog-Random Reflections-
Check out our new poll, calender, favorite blog-roll, new background!
What do you think??? Please comment-It's been quiet around here!

Coming Soon.......

2009-08-15T09:55:00.002-05:00

Be looking for an updated, refreshed blog site from the Beckman family-coming soon........

Happy Birthday, Caroline!

2009-08-11T08:09:00.001-05:00

Today is Caroline's 12th Birthday! Special Birthday Wishes to you, Caroline!

Happy Birthday, Miles!

2009-08-08T09:42:00.000-05:00

Today Miles is turning 9 years old! Happy Birthday, Buddy!

WWII Airplane Showing

2009-07-14T14:18:00.006-05:00

Last Friday, our family had the privilege to go and view 3 WWII Airplanes at the Salina Airport. Because it cost $12.00 per person to go inside the airplanes, we opted to just look on the outside.
It was such a wonderful experience to see them close up, and it demonstrated to us the importance of a war pilot's job and experience!

Miles and our cousin Zach

Miles attempting to "hold" the airplane!

Our family

B-24 collage (click to enlarge)

B-17 collage (click to enlarge)

Summer Projects---

2009-06-30T14:24:00.011-05:00

We have been so busy with our summer schedule,
it has been hard to do any blogging.
I've been collecting pictures, though!
Enjoy looking through what we've occupied our days with for the past few weeks!

About a month ago, we painted our porch-The paint has been peeling for awhile, and was getting pretty bad. After 3 days of hard work, we finally finished!
Before

After

Elizabeth painting-I'm standing on the rail!

The guys and Susanna

The boys used some black plastic and water to make a slipper-slide!
What a great way to cool off!

Behind our house, there is a low spot where water collects when it rains.
Eric got a plastic raft from a friend-And with our pet duck, Fluffy-the 3 children went "rafting" in the 15 inch water!! It was quite a sight!

We've started to get some our garden produce! This morning Mom, Miles and I went out and dug 3 rows of potatoes. We've also got 40-50 bulbs of garlic, a bucketful of onions, and some beets. Our lettuce, Swiss chard, and Kale have already died out, but we got a lot from them!

Wheat Harvest is almost over in our part of Kansas! Miles and Eric got a chance to go out and ride in the combines though!

That's all for now!!! Have a safe and FUN 4th of July!

Adventures in Character 2009

2009-06-06T09:33:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, Eric and I had the opportunity to serve at the Homeschool Conference in Wichita. We helped with the children's area-Adventures in Character. This was our first time to ever help in this way, so we didn't know what to expect.
Overall, I think we both were blessed by all that happened over the weekend!

There were 350 children that attended this year, breaking last year's 330 record!
The Lord blessed everyone's effort by showing us how many children HE provided for us this year!!! As well as many teachers, helpers, and staff to lead the children.
Many prayers for the weekend were answered! THANK YOU LORD for all you give us!

My team number was 17, and I took quite a few pictures-So I put a collage together!
Enjoy! (You can click on the image to enlarge it)

Our first Blog-iversary.....and 75th post!!!

2009-06-01T08:38:00.003-05:00

WOW! I can't believe we have had our family blog for one year today! A lot has happened in the last 365 days, 52 weeks, 8,736 hours, etc.....
It has been so much fun to see other blogs, and to make connections with people through blogging.....
Now to celebrate our first anniversary you must do 4 things
1) Comment!
2) Tell us what you like about our blog.
3) What would you like to see more? (pictures, scripture, etc.)
4) And for fun, what is the last thing you have eaten?

Well, I have to leave you with a picture---
So here is one from a year ago-Haven't we changed!!!

Isaiah 40:8

2009-05-28T09:32:00.003-05:00

"The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever." ~Isaiah 40:8

This is one of my favorite verses on the outstanding eternal value of God's Word.
I've been wanting to do a small shoot with the verse and a flower, and when I got fresh flowers for my birthday I thought it would be a perfect time to take some pictures. Hope this is an encouragement to you today!

19 years ago............

2009-05-26T15:34:00.002-05:00

............two people were about to become one-Happy 19th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Then.....

And now.....

His Cup of Tea

2009-05-23T11:45:00.005-05:00

The other day, Eric asked Mom if he could have a cup of tea (he never drinks tea)
She said "Yes" and turned the hot water on. Eric proceeded to go over to a decorative tea-cup that we have and pretend to drink it. But instead of "tea" in the cup, there was "Crunch" candy bars!
I had to take a picture of him and his special "tea"!!!

Happy Birthday!

2009-05-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

Someone is turning "Sweet 16" today!!! Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Spring Sweetness

2009-05-06T10:44:00.004-05:00

Out of all of adorable clothes Susanna has, this outfit has got to be the cutest.
How could I not take 25+ pictures of her in it!!! I guess she likes having me take pictures of her, she is still smilin'!
She loved wearing the outfit, and got a lot of compliments on it!
I wish they made grown-up clothes this cute.......
I've got to share some of the pictures, so here they are!

The Recipe Box-Touchdown Taco Dip

2009-05-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

Okay, this is definitely one of THE BEST Mexican dips out there....and our family favorite!!! It is really easy to make, and looks as good as it tastes!
Also, has anyone made any of the recipes posted yet? If so, we'd love to hear what you thought!

Touchdown Taco Dip
1 can refried beans (32 oz)
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.)
2 T. taco seasoning
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. minced garlic or 1 clove fresh
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings: Lettuce, Olives, Tomatoes,etc.

Spread beans in a 9x13 pan. Cream together cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic. Put on top of beans. Add cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with chips.

Grandfathers-Grandchildren

2009-04-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

Proverbs 17:6 "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers".
I took a few shots of Susanna and "Papa". How accurately the relationship between them depicts this verse!

Golden Belt Festival

2009-04-28T09:20:00.006-05:00

On Friday, April 24th, the 11th annual GoldenBelt Vocal Festival was held in Salina, KS.
It had been rescheduled from March 27th due to bad weather.
This year was Eric's first year to participate, and Dad also sang with him.
After an all-day practice, the program was very nice. We sang a variety of song, including a Latin piece!
Out of the original 140 participants, around 120 were able to make the rescheduled day. It was a lot of fun and we can't wait until next year!!!

Eric, Elizabeth, Kelsey and Kyle

Kyle and Eric

Michaela Creer, Elizabeth and Kelsey

The Recipe Box-Shaker Lemon Pie

2009-04-27T13:27:00.004-05:00

We like this recipe, because it uses ALL the lemon including the rind!!!
Plus, it only has 4 ingredients! We made a streusel topping-you could also use another crust. (Double Crust)

Shaker Lemon Pie
2 lemons
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 9 inch pie crust

Slice lemons paper-thin. Combine with sugar; set for a few hours. Add beaten eggs, mix well. Pour into pie crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees, bake for additional 20 to 25 minutes.

The Recipe Box-Orange Julius

2009-04-20T14:26:00.004-05:00

This week's recipe is for a refreshingly yummy smoothie-type drink.....ORANGE JULIUS!
They are very easy to make and always taste really good! Enjoy!

Mix in a blender the following ingredients.
6 oz. orange juice concentrate
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract (opt.)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. milk or plain yogurt
A couple handfuls of ice

Orange Juice Concentrate

We have a feature on our blender called an ice breaker-Works really well!

Blend all, until smooth
Voila! An orange julius!

Reflection

2009-04-17T15:38:00.001-05:00

The Recipe Box-Cappuccino Muffins

2009-04-13T11:05:00.003-05:00

A moist and flavorful muffin-Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or for the satisfaction of a sweet tooth!
Also, depending on how much time I have, I might not make the spread-The muffins are fabulous with or without it.

Cappuccino Muffins

ESPRESSO SPREAD:
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips
MUFFINS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Blend spread ingredients; mix until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve with espresso spread. Makes 1 c. spread and 18-24 muffins.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T13:11:00.002-05:00

Christ has Risen! He has Risen indeed! Happy Easter!
May you have a spirit of thankfulness for all Christ has done for us!

Easter Blessings from our family to yours!

NEW FEATURE-The Recipe Box-Pilgrim's Bread

2009-04-06T10:14:00.004-05:00

Starting today, Random Reflections-The Beckman Family Blog will be having a weekly recipe, coming from our family favorites. Please try the recipe and comment on how it turned out. We hope this will be helpful for you, because it is always fun to try a new recipe!

Today's recipe is "Pilgrim's Bread"
Mom found this recipe last fall and made it for Thanksgiving.
Now, we have tweaked it to our liking, and enjoy making it often.
I like to start it during lunch break-let it raise until 2-2:30 p.m.,
put it in the pans, let it raise again until 4-4:30 p.m.,
then bake it around 5:00 p.m., so it is freshly baked,and ready for dinner.
It makes 2 huge loaves, or 2 medium size loaves and 2 small loaves.
(The 2 small loaves are great to give away!)
This may turn out to be your favorite new bread!! Enjoy!

Pilgrim's Bread
The Beckman Family
Makes 2 big loaves

Mix Together
2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cornmeal or wheat germ
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 T. salt

Add: 1/4 c. oil
Cool to lukewarm

Proof 2 T. yeast with 1/2 c. warm water and 1 T. honey or sugar.
(I do this in a 2 c. measuring cup and it usually overflows, so watch carefully)

Mix Yeast and cornmeal mixtures together.
Add 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
or 1 c. WW flour and 1/2 c. ground flax seed

Stir together.
Add 4-5 c. regular flour-until dough is not sticky.

Raise until doubled in size. (see note above)
Punch down. Divide it in half and place in greased loaf pans.
Raise until double in size.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Especially good hot out of the oven with butter!

Chick Check-up

2009-04-01T21:29:00.004-05:00

Eric and Miles moved the chicks to their outside hutch today!
They are really growing fast-Not so cute now....Pretty ugly, actually.
But, we are learning a lot, a fabulous experience!
(Be looking for a new feature coming up SOON!)

Snow!!!!

2009-03-28T13:08:00.003-05:00

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow! What more can I say?

Chick Update

2009-03-23T11:41:00.004-05:00

We've made it through the first week of being chicken farmers....Yeah!
(I don't know if you would actually call us experienced chicken farmers
but it sounds good!)
They have grown really fast!!! And they are a so much fun to watch!
We got two replacements for the 2 that we lost, and so far, everyone else is eating, chirping, stretching, wing-flappin', and running around!
Here are so pictures I took this morning of them-One week old (Being at our place-the blacks are a week older than the rest, about 3 weeks by now-You can't tell, though, the yellows eat so much, they're almost as big!!!)