The Call...Finally!

On Friday, we finally received word that the kids were coming for Christmas!  YEAH!!  5 long months of prayer, paperwork, more prayer, lots of phone calls, and a few bureaucratic mountains and they are finally going to be in their own beds for the holidays!  I'm still pinching myself...EEK!  

That also means that things just got real.  Today (Tuesday), I was able to spend some time on the phone with one of the children's agency workers who knows the children well.  My excitement quickly turned in to anxiety as we were finally also able to identify what the kids have.  Or in this case, mostly what they don't have.  They have no Christmas presents for them, no winter coats, no hats, no gloves...pretty much nothing.  Most of their clothes are too small and made for the warm desert climate of Nevada.  Argg...it is definitely part of being in the system (which is another post for another day...  With the kids arriving on Friday, we have much to do.)  

So...We need your help!  We need you to go through your closets, your attic, or your garage and see if you have some of these things that you are no longer using -- I guarantee that there are 6 beautiful kiddos who would be so grateful.  Please take a look at the list below and if you have gently used items that you would like to part with, please let us know.  Again, THANK YOU...to the moon and back again!

Proud Mama...

Man, for a week that started on a Tuesday...it was sure LONG!  Anyone else feel that way??  :)  We literally had something to do every single evening last week, including hosting a party for nearly 60 people from our Ward (Friday), Cheer Competition which started at 5am (Saturday), and this was all on top of our normally crazy life the other days of the week.  It's a good thing I'm young-ish...

Boden had a basketball game on Tuesday and sank a three pointer....and I got it all on video!

And, of course, 5am on Saturday morning was bright and early for our cheerleader whose team kicked off cheer competition season at Bishop Kelly.  They did fantastic!  And I also got it all on video!

This week isn't starting off nearly as crazy busy, but I sure hope it will be filled with more fun like this.  Proud mama right here! 

If Nothing Ever Changed...

I have heard that the only thing you can count on is change.  I don't know why I have such a hard time accepting it when it comes...it's not like it has never happened to us.  Perhaps it is because life is so busy that when change comes, it's usually just about the time I am catching my breath.  Sometimes change is like being pushed back underwater and sometimes it comes as a refreshing morning in the Idaho mountains.  Whichever way it comes, I am working to not be resistant to change but to rather embrace it with my whole heart and enjoy it.  Easier said than done. 

2014 will be a year of change for the Barrus family.  I am excited and petrified all at the same time.  Some changes I can share with you and some we are waiting on the Lord to guide us through before we share them.  And no mom, I am not pregnant :)  Just getting that out of the way...

So what is in store for 2014??  

• Ben is preparing to take the CPA exam this year.  We will miss our daddy while he is studying but it will be an amazing blessing to our family once it is completed.  For those of you that are not familiar with the CPA exam, it has a low pass rate for first time takers and will require hours upon hours of preparation.  It is broken in to four sections and he must pass all four to become certified.  His company graciously agreed to cover a portion of the cost for the materials and testing (which is very expensive) and over the next 12 to 18 months, Ben's head will be floating in tax code, auditing, and Sarbanes-Oxley.  My head hurts just thinking about it...GO BEN!

• Very soon we will have two teenage drivers.  I feel like Mel Gibson in Braveheart -- "FREEEEEDDDDOOOOOOMMMM".  Well, not really.  I'm sure I'll be a mess when they are out and about on the road.  But, I can say that I will be happy to have an errand driver, a taxi to and from school, cheer, and practices.  Oh boy howdy, think of how much time I'll have on my hands?!!  When you multiply that by a crew of busy kids, you can imagine that I spend a lot of time in the car. 

• I start a new job today.  Since September, we have limped along waiting for the Lord to show us what He wanted me to do.  It was a hard time...I have never NOT had a job in our entire marriage.  But it was a good time, too.  I took time to focus, rest, breath, hug my babies, and just be a mom.  It was splendidly horrific.  I am so grateful that I waited for the right position and timing.  Oh GOD IS GOOD!!  And so smart...

There are more changes coming, but for now these three are keeping us very busy and grateful.  We are well, afloat, and embracing change wholeheartedly.  

"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

You call it chaos, we call it family :D

Okay...I have long slacked on the blog.  I'll admit it.  I got sucked in to a vortex called life and neglected this little piece of the world wide web for a bit.  But, the good news is that I am back.  I took time to breath, heal, clean, hug my kids, pray, meditate, exercise, re-focus, trust in Him, and find myself.  I'm better, wiser, and a whole lot stronger than when I started 2013.

And what do I have to show for all this time off...I'm mailing my Christmas cards and letters this week BEFORE Christmas.  I usually get them out the week AFTER Christmas or end up throwing them away because I couldn't get to them and find them in a drawer six months later.  I am a changed woman...watch out 2014!  (If you'd like a hard copy of the letter, email me your address -- bridgetbarrus@gmail.com)  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday Bauer!

August is a BUSY birthday month in the Barrus house -- we celebrate 5 birthdays within a few weeks of each other.   And to top it off, you add the start of football season and school and life gets really interesting while trying to celebrate these special days.

Bauer Adrian was a "surprise" baby...and I cried for three days when I found out I was pregnant.  We were jobless and insurance-less and we already had a special needs baby that was just a few months old when I learned I was pregnant with another bundle of joy.  But God is good and He knew that despite all of that, Bauer would bring a light and joy to our family that we would desperately need.  :)

Bauer's curiosity is endless and his energy rarely has bounds.  He has an amazing imagination and gives the BEST hugs on the planet.  I love this boy to the moon and back and will forever be grateful that he is part of our family.  HAPPIEST of Happy Birthdays to my little "what-tee".

AND, in keeping with tradition here are the TOP 5 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT BAUER...

1. BIG things come in SMALL packages and you have the BIGGEST heart to love all of your siblings and your parents.  WE LOVE have you tell us many times throughout the day how much you love us.  
2. You have an amazing imagination -- from trucks and cars to an imaginary friend named Jack, you don't need much to keep you entertained. 
3. You should have been born with gills and flippers permanently attached -- swimming is your favorite thing.  When leaving the YMCA on his birthday Bauer said, "mom, I want to stay here forever."
4. The Energizer Bunny is your twin because you can go, go, go, GO all-day long and then some. 
5. Your nickname is Jack-Jack, like the little guy on the Incredibles.  And, you are just like him -- it fits you perfectly!

Brothers -- On our way to the YMCA for some swimming to celebrate our little fish's birthday!

This month is such a special one...It's BIRTHDAY time.

The Birthday LOOT!

Sweet sister made fish cupcakes for our little man -- he was in heaven.  

Seaside 2013 -- Barrus 2.0

Barrus 2.0...what a great little escape to Seaside, Oregon!!  Big Ben and Little Ben played in the Seaside 2013 Beach Volleyball Tournament last week and the rest of the herd decided to tag along.  While they played volleyball, we enjoyed the sun, sights, and sounds of the beach.   We even managed a little side trip to the Tillamook Ice Cream factory. 

Hundreds of miles and 4 days later we pulled back in the driveway.  We were happy to be home and extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to spend time as a family.  And what's even better -- the Ben's came home as CHAMPIONS of the tournament in the U-15 parent/child division.  Nothing better than a little sun, our family, and limited wi-fi/phone connections (we were unplugged from technology...it was GREAT!) Enjoy the pictures!

Easy Peasy -- Breakfast Burritos

Let's face it...I have NEVER been a morning person.  I try...I fail.  I'm a night owl crossed with the Energizer Bunny so I find myself still going at midnight or 1am or even 2am like it is right now.  So anything I can do to make life easier in the morning and still allows me to serve my peeps is a big bonus.  Plus, stuffing my kids full of sugared cereal in the morning is neither healthy nor helpful.   Breakfast burritos, pancake sausage sticks, and waffle-eggos are just a few of the fave breakfast dishes they can choose from.   With a little bit of prep ahead of time, I get a little bit of extra sleep and the kids get a hot breakfast.  It's a double win in my book...and did I mention it was MUCH cheaper than the sugared cereals and the pre-packaged meals.  Can you say EASY PEASY??!!

BREAKFAST BURRITOS (makes approximately 60 burritos)
3 pounds of sausage
8 pounds of potatoes, hashed
5 dozen eggs, scrambled
6 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
60 tortillas
1 onion diced
1 garlic minced

You'll prepare all of your main ingredients separately and then mix them together before you make your burritos.

1.  Brown 3 pounds of sausage.  Drain fat and set aside.
2.  Prepare your hashbrowns.  Cook over medium high heat using oil or butter and salt and pepper to taste in a skillet.  I typically brown mine for 3 minutes on each side and then set aside.  I'm not going to lie....8 pounds of potatoes is a lot of hashbrowns.  Set aside.
3.  Prepare your scrambled eggs.  Crack and put in large mixing bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and 2 cups of milk.  Whisk together and then pour in to skillet.  While eggs are hot, add cheese and stir to distribute. Once done, set aside.
4.  Prepare your onions and garlic.  Brown over medium high heat in skillet with a small amount of oil.  They are done when your onions begin to turn translucent.
5.  Mix all ingredients together and let the fun begin!  HINT:  Heat your tortillas slightly before you fill them - they crack if you don't.
6.  Place a 1/2 of mixture in tortilla shell, roll in ends and viola....a Breakfast Burrito is born.
7.  Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.  Once frozen, you can bag them together in freezer bags or individually wrap them in clear wrap.  The choice is yours -- my kids personally prefer the clear wrap because of the moisture when they are microwaved.

To enjoy, microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.  All you have to clean up is the clear wrap and a plate and your kids get a full tummy without the sugar.  And hopefully you got an extra 30 minutes of sleep...just sayin'.

Here are some pictures of our Breakfast Burrito adventures this weekend...we made 120.  :)  It didn't take too long -- I managed to make 100 bean and cheese burritos, get Bria ready for cheer camp, go to Church, and install a swamp cooler in the sauna we have going on upstairs.  The rest of the house looks like carnage struck, but atleast tummy's will be full while I attempt to clean it.  Besides, who says that breakfast burritos are only for breakfast??   Hello after school snackage!

Most handsome garbage guy EVER...20 pounds of potatoes baked, peeled, and ready to be hashed.

Hashed potatoes -- why buy them when you can make them for a fraction of the cost. 

Taters....after they were baked and peeled. 

Hashbrowns...check

TIP:  Make an assembly line...and hire this guy.  He rolls a mean burrito...

Tortilla Ninja #1 -- his job is to heat the tortillas for the "stuffer" standing next to him.  

Tortilla Ninja #2 -- She rolls the burritos in clear wrap and puts them in the box. 

These boxes go in the freezer and the kids can pull one or two out when they want.  Who said breakfast burritos were only for breakfast anyway.