finally, un update

An update on life,

I started taking classes on the 31st of last month

to become a Certified Nurse Assistant.

After 84 hours of training I will be able

to work part time in the Nursing Home in Hallock.

I look forward to helping people out & am enjoying

the challenge of bookwork & skills.

The schedule is quite different at home!

I LOVE to cook so I make the meals, but

this class runs during mealtimes, and I

have missed some of the most important events

of the day for some. :)

I had Monday off from classes and

I received alot of compliments about the meals!

It is kind of nice to know if your appreciated.

Some more news...

we are not going to go forward with the next adoption.

I and my parents really don't know why,

but it is not what we are meant to do.

It is confusing why we were SO excited and everything worked out,

but now many red flags have come up.

I don't know what the big puzzle is in this life,

so I can't tell you why the sudden change.

DATENIGHT/MOVIENIGHT

I am leisurely spending my time at the Hallock Library while I write this.

I know it has been quite some time since I last informed on here, but my mind it is racing,

"what do I post about??"

The main project in my schedule has been remodeling the upstairs first two rooms and sewing curtains for the closets. I will plan to take a picture of the status and show the before and after pictures. The rooms are now a soft pinkish cream with brown edging instead of green.

Mom and Dad are going out on their date night tonight, leaving us to our movienight!

Each Thursday night we gleefully wave goodbye to Mom and Dad. Rush to the kitchen and pop the popcorn, pass out dishes, choose a movie, and pass out a designated amount of fake money to each individual. The food is marked with a certain price, and special toppings cost about a dollar.

All of the money exchange is used with fake money of course.

Then, about 3 weeks ago, I started something dramatically different!

With a plan in mind, I made a side shoppig trip to a selection of stores and purchase candy in bulk.

When I returned home, the bags were ripped open by me (oh! it smelled so good!!) and each candy was individually marked with a VERY reasonable price.

On the next datenight, I set up a candy shoppe. I was unsure if my fellow companions would appreciate using real money, note: their money.

But it was a hit! They love it and made dire requests for it again!

So here is the picture I have to share with you.

Happy Valentines Day!

LAST DAY OF JANUARY

The River of Life is flowing smooth, it is calm and peaceful ( 80%).
I am watching the children while Mom and Magdalyn are in town at the End of the Line for a girl's night out with the neighbors. I decided to take it easy and play an Odyssey on the surround system and set the four Rubbermaid tubs of Lego's out for the children. They're content to stay in the same room and all is calm and quiet.
This morning I had a chance to go to a Pampered Chef party near Karlstad. My main objective was to get out of the house (nice to do in January) and socialize, my other purpose was to purchase some rubber spatula's. The previous one's we owned mysteriously got scraped and chopped up, like it was jammed into the blender. Which is quite strange, since I am the only Pankratz in this household the uses sharp tools, other than Mom, whom I know would handle them properly.
I look forward to this Sunday with Potluck at church and a Revelation study later that evening.
I have realized how valued eating out of the house is, when your the main cook in the household.
The dishes may still need washing, but they are not so abhorring in another sink. :)
Getting together and reaping great conversations around a table with different people is pleasant, no matter how short.

God has BLESSED our food stock! On our monthly trip to Roseau, the local grocery store had chocolate milk expiring the next day, therefore making the price of the milk plummet to $1 a gallon! My mother purchased enough for us to have some in the fridge and a small(?) stock in the freezer. To have the chocolate milk, it is a voluptuous blessing indeed! We never make this beverage with the price of milk being extraordinary.

I have never had an interest to scan over recipes to just look, BEFORE.
Now, I am cooking and I LOVE to try new, good tasting meal ideas in recipes.
Is anyone out there reading this post have ideas that their family LOVES and is willing to share them? I would really appreciate anything!

Awana car & clay

AWANA CAR

Every year for AWANA the children get a block of wood, cut it (with adult help), paint it, and then race it at AWANA. There is quite a few leaders that still love to design cars so a leaders race is also part of this event. It gets our wheels turning

For my car I like to make something that will speaks a message. This one turned out really good. I saved four dollars on the car and used my old 'Larry mobile' ; took the wheels off, turned it over, sand papered it and made it into a bathtub! The edges, and faucet are made out of sculpey clay (found at craft stores). The clay that I owned was white and brown so with my left over brown clay I made gourmet looking chocolate. Yes, the chocolates are made out of clay!

Dad brought six of the boys sledding at Thief River Falls this afternoon. When they came back they showered Mom with early Valentine gifts. The most precious one that will be kept for many years was a love note. Almost 12 year old Rolaun wrote Mom a note telling her that he loved her and is SO glad that she is his mom. This is so touching and valuable coming from a boy who has had a tough beginning.

Czechoslovacia cabbage soup

Melt half a stick of margarine in a pot.

Add a shredded head of cabbage and one chopped onion.

Cook the cabbage until it has a transparent look to it.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables or

whatever the amount you would like for your family.

While you bring the water back to a boil, mix water and flour together to make a wet dough mixture, not as runny as muffin but not quite as thick as bread.

When the water is boiling drop the dough into the broth a small spoonful at a time to make dumplings.

Dash enough salt in the soup to your desired taste.

One alternative I did that makes the recipe MUCH better:

instead of mixing water and flour for the dumplings,

I used eggs and flour.

Not only enjoy, but open an encyclopedia on Czechoslovakia,

get a map on the location. And make yourself aware of somewhere new!