Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 51

Le Bureau

I've had a lot of people asking what home improvements we've been doing and I have to be honest, they were at a standstill for a while. Between our Florida trip, kids in school, replacing the roof, enduring some long lasting morning sickness, and Jack's multiple work trips, I haven't been doing anything major (does anyone want to see pictures of some of the trim I painted...?). Now that I the timing is right, I decided we should finish the office.
Remember our Indiana home tour?  The offi...

Househusband

For the most part, we've managed to stay healthy this fall but like it always does, I knew something was going to hit us. One by one, we all fell victim to a stomach bug that culminated it one horrible day where four of the six of us were useless. Normally, I can handle the neverending battle of laundry and handing out crackers and pop, on top of my regular duties but it wasn't a surprise when I got sick, too (it may have had something to do with the kids always drinking out of my cup an...

It Is Good To Be Children

Globetrotter

I'd been meaning to renew my passport this past year but never really got around it (though I should've after Jack took a short-notice trip to Germany that I might've tagged along with otherwise. Oh, well). I finally bit the bullet once Jack surprised me with a huge Birthday/Christmas/Anniversary present in which I'd need one. I sent in the needed paperwork and lo and behold, it showed up within a week. Happy early Christmas to me--I'm looking forward to being a globetrotter!


A goal crossed of...

Six Blazing Candles

Happy 6th!Claire is now six and we are beyond blessed and happy that she's in our family. Our one and only blue-eyed girl is a thriving, healthy, witty, beautiful young girl who loves school, wild outfits, climbing, cats, art, and anything thrilling. She is a passionate person who is also very tender and sensitive to others and has an independent streak that sometimes leaves me wondering where she's wandered off to. Most of the time, the answer is...up. Up a tree.  Up a higher tree. Up...

Peanut Butter Pudding Dessert

My sister made this scrumptious dessert as an early birthday treat when the were visiting for Thanksgiving (no Angel Food cake here, heehee!). It reminds me a lot of peanut butter pie and was one of my favorite birthday treats to date!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 12 ounce frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 2/3 cup cold milk
1 package (3.9 ounce) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package (...

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy birthday to me.As most adults know, the magic of birthdays kind of fizzles the older you get. I guess it's that more candles to blow out on top of the cake isn't as fun as it used to be (how'd I get to be thirty-three?!). One redeeming thing about birthdays is that the kids and Jack make it exciting with all the pampering, surprises, and special treats.
The day started out a lot the same way. I got the fire stoked, fed the animals, packed lunches, did my chores, sent kids off to school,...

Creamed Turkey on Mashed Potatoes

Like every Thanksgiving, we were lucky enough to have some leftover turkey, which we enjoy. But, once the sides are gone, I have to find other ways to eat the meat. This recipe is great because it's quick, everyone enjoyed it and is loaded with veggies!

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups diced or shredded cooked turkey
1 cup frozen veggies
2 cups hot mashed potatoes

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in...

A Kitchen Table

My newest pride and joy.Ever since finishing our kitchen renovation this past summer, I've been longingly looking at the space where someday, we'd have a nice long table that would comfortably fit us, our guests, and then some. Up until Thanksgiving, we had a dinky round table with two wobbly chairs.
I managed to convince some family to visit for Thanksgiving and I bought the wood and helped make the Thanksgiving meal that kept us fed through the weekend. While they were measuring how big...

The Next Baby...

Looks like a girl to me!The next baby is going to be...
A GIRL!!!
I know I've already received a few condolences for Jack and myself but for one, I rather enjoy being a girl and for two, Jack's got five sisters. One more girl is nothing he can't handle--he's a pro. As far Henry's concerned, he doesn't know anything but sisters and he has an awful lot of fun with them.

We're looking forward to another girl joining the family! Now someone just needs to tell Jack it's spelled Z-O-E and not Z-O...