What Could be Better than a Buckeye?

The Ohio State football season is well underway by now, and we are fast approaching the Holiday Season, so I thought this tasty recipe would be fitting to share. It has always been an O'Brien favorite:

Buckeyes

(This makes a very substantial batch)
3 lbs powdered sugar
4 cups peanut butter
1 lb butter or margarine, softened

Mix all three ingredients together. Make into walnut-sized balls. Chill in refrigerator for a few hours.

When the peanut butter balls are chilled, melt together over water:

6oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
6oz milk chocolate chips
Approximately 1/4 bar of paraffin wax

Dip peanut butter balls into melted mixture with a toothpick and cool on wax paper. Enjoy!

Sisters Chat (Womanly Sisterhood)

Lizzi: Okay. Today I wanted to talk about sisterhood. Not only sisterhood by blood, but sisterhood through the blood of Christ, and also the sense of sisterhood with other women though the womanly bond

Maude: deep...

Lizzi: haha

Do you all get a sense of this sisterhood? It could be through good friends or even a bond with someone not known well

Maude: yes

Lizzi: Is there someone who has been there for you, like a sister? Can you think of a time when that has happened?

Esther: I remember a women I used to work with at Geyers. She was an older women (I was 16 at the time) but we had instant connection (or bond) I remember her looking at me and saying "you're christian, aren't you?"

Lizzi: That's so awesome!

Esther:  We just knew without talking to each other (or barely) that we were both Christians- it was such a neat experience! I have had moments like that with other people but never so strong immediately

Lizzi: That is so neat. It is so cool when the light shows through so obviously

Maude: I worked for the conservative Christian women's organization, Concerned Women for America, several years ago and the woman who was my boss there was one of those people. I am not a sensitive woman. I cry only on extremely rare occasions but this sister-in-Christ saw me at my most sensitive and was such a sweet support and friend. Like a sister.

Lizzi: That is really wonderful

Esther: I have been SO blessed by different women in my life. Obviously my sisters and Mother are huge! But, I have also had an older women really come along side me and journey with me on a particularly difficult year in my life. I was and continue to be so blessed by that relationship!

Lizzi: That she stood with you in your moment of need and was such a support

Esther: Maude, isn't it amazing how God brings the right people at the right time?

Lizzi: That's so true

Reformation Day! (Wartburg Castle - Part 1)

On my recent trip to Germany I was able to visit Wartburg Castle and thought Reformation Day would be a great time to share some pictures from the trip!  This week I will only share pictures of a Luther/Christian nature and next week I will share other pictures of the castle.

Wartburg Castle

Two dogs come home from Iraq

My husband, while in Iraq had two dogs on his base that were pets to him and the other Soldiers with him.  Since all the American Soldiers are being pulled out of Iraq the dogs would just be left to fend for themselves and would probably starve to death or be subject to the other wild dogs that roam free throughout the desert.  Andrew decided to look into bringing the dogs home.  The money had to be raised, the flights scheduled, and the dogs had to then be picked up from D.C. once they landed in the states.

Looking at grass for the first time

Need a Chef? Don't Look at Me!

I am not a champion chef by any stretch of the imagination. While I feel that I have improved and gotten more comfortable in the kitchen, I am certainly not a natural like my Mom or my sister, Esther. It has taken a long time to grow in confidence and ability to just throw something together. I can easily follow a recipe, but the challenge comes when I need to fix a dish with the ingredients in my cupboard out of my sheer imagination and creativity. That takes skill, and a degree of art, which I do not have.

Thankfully, I am beginning to learn the art of cooking. I can now make a random selection out of the freezer and decide by myself what to do with it. (No calls to my husband, no searches on the internet.) I am even getting flexible with my ingredients and learning that there is no harm in experimenting with an original dish sometimes. I have begun buying unfamiliar items (lentils, wheat-germ) to see where they take me. I am even perfecting my cheese sauce (a Mom staple) and making homemade bread.

Foundational Bonding

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814


Sometimes I feel bad for the potential spouses as they get to know our family when they are dating one of the siblings. I mean, it is important and wonderful for them to get to know the family and grow comfortable within the relationships, but doing so means that at times they will need behaviors and stories explained to them. I know it is like this within every family because every family has their own history and memories together that no one else was privy to at the time. It is why the sibling relationship is foundational to who you become as an adult. The experiences that brothers and sisters take part in together remain with them for a lifetime. It is because of this that the introductory process can be so grueling for a boyfriend or girlfriend as they familiarize themselves with the family's quirks and inside jokes. And while a husband or wife always take precedence (as they should!) and have a closer-knit bond than blood can supply, the unique role that siblings play in a person's life is unable to be replicated.

Sisters chat about dream vacations

 Esther:  Well, tonight I thought we would play a little game

 Maude:  fun
Esther:  a "we have all the money in the world" game

or some such thing

 Lizzi    : That's a fun idea

The Passage of Time

As we left the house to go to church on Sunday morning my husband said, "Doesn't it sometimes feel like we are just playing house?  It doesn't seem like we should be old enough to have a house and kids yet, does it?"

This is us when we were dating in college (about 11 years ago).

Momentary blessings

I have recently been pondering how blessed I am.  It is much too easy to take things for granted.  I have really been making an effort to see all the blessings surrounding me.  This season of being separated from my husband has been hard and there have been times I did not think I could keep going and continue being a "single mom". Somehow whenever those hard times came someone or something would remind me that 1.) I am not alone and 2.) I have so much too be thankful for despite the hardship.   The support, love, and encouragement we have had through this time is truly incredible. Whether it be a listening ear, a special gift, a note, visitors; you name it and I have been showered with many such little (yet big!) blessings.

The Wonders of Walking

Are there many experiences more simply enjoyable than a walk on a gorgeous fall day? I guess I would probably ask a similar question during the spring, as it begins to warm and blossom after the long winter. At any rate, taking a walk on a day in autumn is almost delicious. There is a scent in the air that clears the head and refreshes the senses. I find walking therapeutic, especially when I am craving the sunshine after a lengthy dose of overcast days. Those sunny walks tend to be very beneficial, especially in the autumn when I know they will begin to occur much more infrequently.

Today, I had one such walk. It was the type of walk that makes a person very glad to have made the effort to get outside and take it. (Are there any other types of walks?) I know that there are avid runners who would defend the merits of running to us "slowpokes" who merely walk for exercise, but I would argue that the good that walking does for the mind, senses, and emotional state are second to none. I admit that I don't typically walk as fast as I should to maximize its exercise benefits, but I also know that if I chose to run instead I would not be paying attention to the glorious golds in the trees, or the lingering fire scent in the air. I wouldn't stop to pick up a leaf, or listen to the marching band. If I was running, I would only be thinking about my next breath, my next step, not collapsing, nothing more!

Sisters, Sisters

Growing up, one yearly Christmas tradition in our household was to watch the movie 'White Christmas'. (In fact, it seemed such a necessity of the season to me that one year when I was traveling with a singing group during the holidays, I insisted we watch it on the tour bus because it is simply a "must-do" for Christmas!) I'm sure that sisters everywhere have appreciated the lyrics to this Irving Berlin song included in the movie (and we were no exception!):

Sisters Chat about Movies

‪Maude: ‬ ‪Okay, today I thought we would chat about movies‬

Lizzi: ‬ ‪cool!‬

‪Esther: ‬ ‪That sounds fun‬

‪Maude: ‬ ‪The first question is:  What movie has made an impact in your life?‬

Esther: ‬ ‪hmm...‬

Well, I have always loved Life is Beautiful

I think that is a very impactful movie

Lizzi: ‬ ‪I love that movie!‬
Esther: ‬ ‪It is a tale of love and family. And in Italian which is just a beautiful language to listen to for an hour and a half‬

Maude: ‬ ‪I watched Schindler's List when it first came out (I was pretty young) and that was very eye-opening.  I had read a lot of books about World War 2 but to see it acted out was very powerful.‬

Lizzi: ‬ ‪There are so many impactful and inspiring movies from the World War 2 era...‬

Esther: ‬ ‪I agree Maude that is a very good movie too‬

Maude: ‬ ‪That was such a time of evil and honor.  Another WW2 film that I liked was Valkyrie.  I love learning about the Germans who stood against Hitler.‬

‪Lizzi: ‬ ‪There were many people that did incredible acts of good service and dangerous, bold courageous acts‬

‪‪There is one... I can't remember the title!‬  ‪About jewish brothers who established a community in the woods during world war 2‬

It was amazing!
‪Esther: ‬ ‪Liz, I have heard of that movie but never seen it (can't think of the title either)‬
Maude: ‬ ‪Defiance.  That was good too Lizzi!‬
Although, Esther, I think I need to also mention Band of Brothers‬. ‪‪I know you like that one

‪Esther: ‬ ‪I thought of Band of Brothers but I didn't think it would count!‬

‪Lizzi: ‬ ‪Liev Shrieber and The new James Bond guy were in it‬

‪Esther: ‬ ‪(it is not a movie you know...)‬

Maude: ‬ ‪tv miniseries‬

‪Lizzi: ‬ ‪I haven't seen that, but want to‬

‪Maude: ‬ ‪but that can still be counted (I am the host this time, you know, so I can do that!)‬

‪Lizzi: ‬ ‪Yes you can! ‬

‪Maude: ‬ ‪Band of Brothers is grueling to watch Liz‬ but very powerful.

‪Lizzi: ‬ ‪There are other impactful movies... just trying to think...‬

‪Esther: ‬ ‪Well, than Band of Brother is definitely one of mine as well (glad we cleared that up) ‬

Maude: ‬ ‪There are a lot...‬

Any more you want to mention?

My First Garden Bounty (Or Lack Thereof!)

As I had previously posted on My First Garden, http://sistersobrien.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-first-garden.html, we put in the first garden of our ten year marriage in July of this year.  It was late but I must admit that I expected more than this:

This is seriously the ONLY produce we received from the garden!  That is right six mediocre (mostly unedible) products...

I have a one year old!

At 4am yesterday I awoke to hear my son crying (not nearly as unusual as I would like). I went in and picked him up and immediately was brought back to that day a year before. At 4am on October 11, 2010 I had a brand new baby boy whom I was snuggling with for the very first time.

Late Night Laundry Musings

As I was folding my laundry at 10pm last night, I began thinking about the women of yesteryear. I didn't determine a specific time frame in my reflection, which I know would alter the details of my thoughts, but I hope you can forgive the generalization. I thought about the women who had to sew their family's clothes, mend them by hand, and scrub them clean when they got dirty. I thought about the hours of hard work they put into each item of clothing: scrubbing, wringing, hanging to dry, collecting, folding, mending. Some of them had to make their own soap, perhaps even out of the fat of an animal they had cleaned, prepared, salted, dried, or cooked.

A Praying Life

(Our Guest Blogger today is our sister, Katharine! She is between Maude and Lizzi in the family line-up. Katharine and her husband live in Minnesota.)

I've always loved the idea of being able to talk to God. The ironic thing is that I have, at times, struggled with doing so. I've read books, heard sermons and talked to people about prayer which has both encouraged and discouraged me. I suppose the reason it has discouraged me is because I've been told to follow a certain formula and then I'll follow it for awhile but don't stay motivated to continue to pray in that specific, formulaic way. Honestly, I just want to TALK to the Lord - like I would anyone I have a relationship with (while still giving Him the reverence and fear He deserves). I recently starting reading a book called 'The Praying Life' by Paul Miller (it was a Kindle sale that Tim Challies mentioned!). It has greatly encouraged me that it's not wrong or bad to talk to God like I would my spouse, friend or sibling.

Sisters chat: Fall is in the air

   Esther: Well Fall is here!

and I thought that would be a great topic for tonights chat!

My first question is, What is your  favorite thing about Fall?

 Maude:  Awesome, my favourite season!

 Esther:  Mine too!

well... I can never really decide between it and Spring

 Maude:  I just love the temperature dropping

 Lizzi:  Apple cider!

 Maude:  Football games

 Lizzi:  And I always want to go to a high school football game... even though I never do!

 Esther:  in Spring I think Spring is and In Autumn I think Autumn is

I have been wanting to go to a Football game too!

 Lizzi:  There's just something about Fall... you just want to go to a game! 

I love the bands too! 

    Esther:  Yes! I love it all! 
  Lizzi: Those candies that mom always got in the Fall growing up.   But I LOVE all pumpkin baked goods!!Alright ladies, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say "pumpkin"?       

 Maude:  Jack-o-lanterns

   Maude:  Apple dumplings and apple crisp

The West Wing

I recently saw a clip from "The West Wing" that showed Christians in a very poor light.  I have never watched this television show (I actually haven't watched television for over a decade!) so I cannot speak to the entire series.  However, this one episode was infuriating to me!

The "President" (Martin Sheen) was talking to a room of media leaders during the final hours of his re-election campaign (from what I could gather from the single scene I saw) and he singled out a woman who was a Christian radio talk show host.  He interupted his speech to single her out and confront her on what he thought was a discrepancy in Christian belief.  Because the Old Testament says that homosexuality is illegal and it also says that what we consider minor infractions (or just weird requirements) should have fatal consequences - the character was insinuating that this Christian radio talk show host was an ignorant, backward, disrespectful, judgemental miscreant.  I won't speak about how poor it showed on his character that the most powerful man in the world would roast a young woman in front of a room of her colleagues and competitors.  Or that Stockard Channing plays a First Lady (I just can't quite imagine that!!!)  Let's just stick with the issue of import: He thought that ancient Jewish law somehow proved Christianity to be in error.

I wondered how many real people have those same misconceptions about Christianity?

Soup Season

It is soup season, which makes me happy.  I love soups. I think I could happily have soup for every meal, in fact, I just about did that today.  I had muesli for breakfast and drowned it in coconut milk (kind of like soup, right?)  I made a big batch of chili and had that for lunch (I always cook in big batches. Habit of being from a big family). For dinner I was planning on just having leftovers but I have been craving grilled cheese and tomato soup something bad, so I decided to make some tomato soup from scratch. I have done this before and always prefer it to the store bought kind.  Today, however, I did not have some semi-necessary ingredients and was not up for going to the grocery (ever have those days when you are already in your comfy clothes and the thought of running out one more time sounds just dreadful? Well, I was having one of those days...) I decided to just wing it with the tomato soup.  This is what I did:

What I Have Learned as a Mother of Two

I have not been a mother of two children for very long. My youngest son is only 8 1/2 months old. I know that does not qualify me for very much in the wisdom department, but I have learned a few things. Perhaps I should call them "light bulb lessons" so that they are not mistaken for wisdom that I certainly lack. It is pretty amazing how much you can learn in such a short amount of time. Children are wonderful teachers. Mostly, I guess I have learned that what I thought I knew for my first son, wasn't necessarily going to work for my second. Do you think God is trying to tell me that He is the only One who knows everything? Anyway, here is my short list, for whatever it's worth:

1. It doesn't matter if breastfeeding was a success with your first child. You will still need to "re-learn" it with your second. (I wasn't at all worried about this since my oldest was a great nurser. I didn't realize that it had been awhile since I'd nursed a newborn and it is much more difficult since they don't know what they're doing!)
2. Some children don't sleep-train as well as others, and sometimes circumstances affect your ability to do it well. (We are living in a duplex right now, which means we have to be more sensitive to our neighbors' need for sleep, and my second son doesn't sleep as easily as his big brother. These two issues combined have kind-of thrown my expert books out the window.)

Memory Monday- A Vespers Moment

Growing up, every Summer we went to Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly in Senecaville, Ohio, for a week at Family Camp. Every evening after dinner, the campers would gather on Vesper Hill for a time of prayer, testimonies, and singing. The gathering time on Vesper Hill was always one of the most memorable of the entire week. We would often close by singing, 'I Love You, Lord' and to this day whenever I sing it I think of the life-changing, beautiful moments from Family Week.

I love you, Lord

And I lift my voice to worship you

Oh, my soul, rejoice

Take joy, my King, in what you hear

May it be a sweet, sweet sound

In your ear

(Words and music by Laurie Klein)

(Photo taken from the Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly page on Facebook)