Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 38

Lay Around and Relax

Since Christmas was right at the beginning of our trip back to Nebraska, we had plenty of time afterward to have fun, spend time with family, and do almost anything but lay around and relax. There were cooking lessons...
"Make your own breakfast. Momma's on vacation!" ...church history site visits... If I had to live in a log cabin that size, the kids would have to spend a lot of time outside. ...gingerbread houses galore... It took all of Henry's willpower not to help himself to a bit...

Mini Reuben Sandwiches

Along with Hot Ham and Swiss Sliders, these Mini Reuben Sandwiches are one of my favorite Christmas meals. They're great as an appetizer, as the main course, or as a finger food and they balance out all the sweets that seem to be everywhere. Plus, they're a cinch to make!

Ingredients:

1 Loaf Mini Pumpernickel Bread
Thousand Island Dressing
1/2 Pound Sliced Corned Beef
1 Can Sour Kraut, Well Drained
Sliced Swiss Cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Place bread in single layer on baking pan. Spread about...

Equine Photography

Smile Stoney!Way back when we had our family pictures taken, I made arrangements to have a few shots taken of the horses. It'd been years since Stoney had any professional lens pointed at him when we were heavily showing and Dancer had yet to have anyone capture her understated beauty (not everyone appreciates a seal brown horse).
I love the natural highlights Dancer gets in her hair every summer.We brought the horses in that afternoon and gave them a quick grooming, giving them a good brushin...

Glory to the Newborn King!

Some of the cousins!Once again, we were fortunate to be able to come back home to Nebraska for some of Christmas break. It's always a ton of work to pack up, get the animals all fed and watered and arrange for someone to check on them, then drive the 10 +/- hours but it's a Christmas tradition that we love.
Normally, we take Raven but winter trips are so cramped with coats and presents and blankets that she went to stay at a friend's house for Christmas.
After a pit stop to order some Chin...

Autumn Jog

Autumn is my favorite time of year to go for a jog. The weather is finally cool enough that I don't feel like I'm going to die of heat stroke five minutes in and the scenery along the back country roads is absolutely spectacular. Going running with some of the girls.In our new house, there are several routes I can take and none are disappointing. There are trees and meadows... ...serene lakes... ...freshly harvested fields... ...beautiful sunrises... ...foxes, deer, and turkey... ...even a waterfal...

Worth Saving

Poor Cotton.It's been a few months since Twinkle went to live with a new family and my mom brought out a rooster--we'd hatched a clutch of blue eggs for her and one ended up being a rooster, which she can't keep in her backyard in the city. So, we took him in, hoping he'll help introduce new bloodlines and possible new colors to our egg collection. Things were going splendidly until one day, he took a look at our white leghorn, Cotton, and decided he just didn't like her.
Enjoying her own...

#LightTheWorld

Jack changing a stranded lady's tire.One of my favorite things about December is that in anticipation of the holiday season, people seem a little kinder, a little more patient, and a little more charitable.
#LightTheWorld
This year, for the #LightTheWorld celebration, an initiative to bring more peace, love, and joy to the world, which is sponsored by my church, I have been reflecting on how my family lights my world for me.
I can't tell you the number of times Jack has asked me to pull over so...

Who's Expecting

Guess who's expecting?!
(And for the first time in a long time, it's not me!)
Dolly's due, probably sometime around June! Move over, Parton! You're not going to be the baby for long!

Moxie

Claire is now seven! It's been a whirlwind trip with her--a little over seven years ago, I was two weeks overdue and Jack, Evelyn, and I were waiting out a horrible blizzard in Iowa that knocked out power, prevented emergency crews from going out on the roads, and freezing our water pipes. I was sure I'd be giving birth to Claire by candlelight in our bathtub but thankfully, she was kind and waited until I could make it to the hospital to be induced. Since then, she's always laughing, screami...

Who She Is

The week that our membership was due to expire at The Indy Children's Museum, the girls also had a break from school and I decided to treat them to a trip there. One of the first things we usually do is go up to the carousel so we can get a ride or two in before continuing our visit. Several of the horses are immobile so younger kids can ride without being jostled too much but the unfortunate downside is that more often than not, a kid that ends up on an immobile carousel horse isn't par...