NEW WEBSITE, NEW EMAIL

PLEASE GO TO OUR NEW SITE:

http://westminstermops.blogspot.com/

Also, be prepared for an email from:
westminstermops@......

We are trying to get the email thing worked out. Until further notice, please continue to send any questions or comments to our old email address:

westsidebaptistmops@yahoo.com

Check the new website for upcoming registration day fun!!

Rapid City Fire Department Tour

I thought I would put up some pictures from the Rapid City Fire Department Tour.

THANK YOU TO THE RAPID CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR LETTING ALL OF US TOUR YOUR BUILDING!

There were so many kids, we had to split us into two groups. Fireman Massey took one half, and Fireman Olson took the other half.


Here we are, where all the firefighters sleep:



Here is their new TRUCK:



The Truck is mostly used for Rescues, and then there are ENGINES, that are used for fighting fires.

Here are a few of the kids' faces when they got to get into the Truck:







Here is Fireman Olson turning on the lights in the Engine:



The Engine is in the background in this next picture. Here is another fireman getting all of his gear on: (Sorry! I forgot his name!) Notice the little black box on the fireman's right side of his face mask. That is a heads up display that shows how much air he has in his pack.



The kids gathered around him:



Some interesting facts we found out about:

This station, Station 1, is the 39th busiest fire station in the U.S.A!

They don't have a pole anymore. They did save part of it, but poles are being phased out throughout the United States, due to injuries.

Each Firefighter works for 24 hours straight. They eat, sleep and work at the station. They each have thier own beds as well.

The packs they carry on their backs have enough air for up to one half hour, if they are calm while breathing.

Poll Results!

The question asked was:

Do you have a TV in your Bedroom?

There were only 3 people who participated, and two said no, and one said yes!

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs

For those of you who have these lightbulbs and are concerned with disposing of them properly, there is a pilot program that is being funded by the US Envirornmental Protection Agency, until Dec of 2008.

You can recycle your CFLs (up to 7 at a time), any Fluorescent tube,-up to 4 feet long, and mercury thermostats at any participating ACE Hardware Stores.

In Spearfish-
Ace Hardware
Heisler Ace Hardware

Hot Springs-
Hot Springs Ace Hardware

Rapid City-
Knect Home Center
Both Newkirk's Ace Hardware Locations

(I got this info from the BH Power Newsletter)

Poll Results!

The Question was:

How often do you paint your toenails?

Every couple days. 0%

When I get a chance. 66%

Only with a pedicure. 22%

People paint their toenails? 11%

Very interesting ladies, very interesting!

I hope you all can paint them sometime this week!

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

I got this recipe from my Mother-in-Love's best friend Tish. She is from Louisiana and she always has simple ways to make yummy tasting things! She used to run a ranch in Montana, and had to cook for many people at once. She was always in the kitchen, so she never knew the exact amount of time it took to bake it!

1 Stick of Butter
1 Cup Self Rising Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg

1 Fat Can of Peaches


Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

Go ahead and put the stick of butter in the bottom of the pan (a regular cake pan does great) and put it into the oven and melt it. You could also melt it separately and put it into the pan as well, but it will take longer to bake it.

While your butter is melting, grab a bowl and mix up all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Pour this mixture all over the melted butter in the pan.

Open the peaches (or apples/blueberries/cherries) and drain off about half of the syrup. You don't want to use more than 1/2 of the syrup that the fruit comes in. Pour the fruit and the remaining syrup on top of the batter. Put it in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden on top.

DELICIOUS!

Breakfast in a Bag

A lady at my church told me about this, and she said I could pass it along!

Breakfast in a Bag.

The ingredients depend on how many people, but here is the basic formulation. Let's use 6 as the number of servings for this.

Start a large pot of water to boil.

Take at least one dozen eggs and put them into a bowl, stir them up so that all the yolks and whites are combined. You can add a little water or milk if you choose.

Take any or all of the following ingredients and dice them up and place them into their own little bowls:

Green Pepper
Onion
Ham
Turkey
Bacon
Cheese
Olives
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Spinach
Cilantro
Garlic

Also have salt and pepper available.

Take a 1 cup measuring cup and a sandwich sized resealable bag and dump one cup of the egg into the bag. Then, add the desired amount of the other ingredients into the bag.

Take the bags, close them up and boil for 20 minutes.

She said this is a great thing to make before church on Sundays.

I am curious if this is adaptable to little glass dishes in the oven. I would love to try some french toast type concoction, with maple syrup and peanut butter in the middle....yum!

Poll Results!

The question asked this week was:

What time is bedtime for your child/ren?

6:00pm to 7:00pm (0%)
7:00pm to 8:00pm (27%)
8:00pm to 9:00pm (55%)
9:00pm to 10:00pm (16%)
Whenever they get tired (0%)

Here is a neat site that talks about sleep and children:

http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/practices.html

Verse of the Week

NIV Col 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

KJV Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

I get caught up in the day to day things on this earth-laundry, dinner, fixing my silly hair. In this verse, God tells me I need to keep my focus on heavenly things. When I remember to, I enjoy focusing on the spiritual blessings mentioned in Eph 1:3. I have been listening to a study on all of the spiritual blessings we recieve when we trust Christ as our Savior. It has been amazing all the things I thought I knew, but never KNEW.

Many times in scripture, the word "knew" means intimate. Adam knew his wife... Now in that particular context (Gen 4:1) one can figure out what it meant, but practically, the word "knew" means "getting intimate with".

KNOWING scripture and focusing on the truth it teaches us, will help us keep focused on the bigger picture. Study it. Read it. Learn its ins and outs.

I can't wait to post this one on my mirror, to help me re-direct my thoughts this week!

Families Needed!

Today, the boys met with Parents as Teachers, a free service provided by the South Dakota Parent Resource Network. They work with children-newborn to age 5.

Every month, our educator comes to our home and plays with the boys, and answers questions about the boys' development. She lets me know where my children, and most children their age, are developmentally. They can also refer the children to any state funded programs, if needed, such as speech therapy.

Our boys LOVE it, and I get great ideas on how to interact with them. Each month she gives me little handouts on how to deal with common age-appropriate issues, and how to encourage development in common areas, such as feelings, speech, motor skills, etc.

Parents as Teachers are in need of more families! Since kids don't stay pre-schoolers forever, they have kids growing out of their program all the time!

If you have any questions or if you are interested, please call Brandi at 605-348-9276. If she doesn't answer, leave a message, and she will call you back!

Our Tour of the Rapid City Regional Airport

It was a beautiful, sunny South Dakota day! We had quite a turnout at the Rapid City Regional Airport! It was hard to count how many Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Kids we had, but at one time I counted around 60!

I attempted to get good pictures, and I sure missed Laurel!

Here we are listening to Mason talk about what we will be doing and where we will be going:



We got to visit the ticket area and the baggage area. Next, we got to ride the escalator up to the concourse. We were not allowed to go through security, since it would have taken all day (all of those SHOES!).

We got to ride a bus to tour the other areas of the airport, including the private and corporate airplanes, hangers, mail delivery airplanes, repair shops, fuel stations and the Airport Fire Station, which is a division of the Rapid City Fire Department. (We have a tour scheduled for there as well...watch your email inboxes!)

I tried to get everyone in the picture, but my camera isn't able to zoom back that far!



While at the Fire Station, we got to watch the Fire Engine spray water through the Snozzle. This Engine can carry 3,000 gallons of water, and is capable of spraying it all in 2 minutes!



This sprayer can go inside of the plane and acts like a big sprinkler:



We got to drive past the Life Flight Airplane and Helicopter:





We also got to see the South Dakota National Guard Huey Helicopter:



Next, we got to board a North West Airlines airplane:



Even though you don't see heads in all of those seats, we FILLED IT UP:



As we left the plane we got our wings and got to view the cockpit (the plane was so full, the flight attendant had to sit up front with the pilot):



As we stepped out of the jetway (the hallway between the airplane and the concourse) we had several strange looks when kid, after kid, after kid, kept coming out.

Try to imagine THAT flight!!!

We ended our tour back down near the baggage area. It was a great tour and all of the kids (and the grown-ups too!) seemed to have fun!

Thank You to Jeannie for setting this up for MOPS! Thank You to Mason Short for being our tour guide and showing us around! Thank You to Bus Driver Mike for driving the Bus!

Thank You to the Rapid City Regional Airport for having us!

Poll Results!

The question asked was:

What activity do you do most with your child/ren during the summer?

Camp
Swim
Go to the Park
Go to a Friend's House and Play
Other

A couple Moms said Camping, and one said Swimming, but the majority of our Moms said Go to the Park (66%).

Rapid City has many parks, and I thought I would pass along the link to the Rapid City Parks Website. Many of the parks on the list do not contain playground equipment, however, if you keep a kickball or Frisbee in the vehicle, you could always have something to do if you are going to a new park. The city also has 5 parks or areas that you are allowed to have your dog with you, off leash.

This amenities page (you will need Adobe Reader to view it) will show you which parks have what.

I have also taken my boys to the school playgrounds. During the summer they are not used. One of our favorites is up on the north side of town. (If my memory is right...) It is at Knollwood Elementary (off of Herman Street, off of Anamosa). There are several neat things there, mostly for 3-5 year olds, but there are some things for the younger kids to do. My favorite is the slide. It has no sides, and your legs go on the outside. I will post a picture of it soon.

Spearfish also has a great park. If you are ever in the area, I highly suggest the Spearfish Park, near the Fish Hatchery.

For those Moms who said they liked camping and swimming, if you so choose, please comment on your favorite camping and swimming spots. It is nice to hear other Mom's opinion on what they like and why! And for you park goers...please comment on your favorite park as well!

Apple Cake

I got this recipe from my Mother-in-Love, who got the recipe from her Father-in-Love. She makes this cake every time we go and visit, and any time they come to visit us. I am not a baker, but I haven't messed this up yet. I am a dump and pour kinda gal, and this is a great starting point. It takes a bit more effort, and a bundt pan, but this thick, yummy cake is well worth it! I did bring it one time to one of our meetings. I had pictures of the process at one point, but I lost them somewhere on this silly computer! Sorry!

GRANDPA'S APPLE CAKE

3 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Oil

2 Cups of Flour-slightly heaping
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 Green Apples
1 Cup Chopped Nuts
1 Cup Plumped Raisins*

*Before you do anything, grab a small pan or teapot and heat up 2 cups of water. Put the raisins into a bowl. Once it the water is hot, remove it from the heat and pour it over the raisins and let them sit and soak. It takes between 15 and 20 minutes to plump them-the longer the better! If they are not plump, the cake just won't be the same.

Move your oven rack to the center and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil or grease the bundt pan.

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Next, dump the flour on top of the wet mixture, and make a little volcano-like hole in it. Put the Salt and Baking Soda into the hole, and mix the dry ingredients together briefly with a fork before folding them into the wet mixture.

You can use a mixer to combine those ingredients, and either way, it will be a thicker batter.

Add the Vanilla and Cinnamon. I use about two teaspoons of cinnamon, since I like more cinnamon flavor.

Take your Green Apples, wash them and peel them, if you wish. I don't peel mine, but I'm weird (aka lazy). Core them and slice them. I don't cut mine up ahead of time since I have to wait for the raisins. I also don't like to look at brown apples! I generally have about 8 apple slices per apple. Next, cut the slices the other way and make small pieces, and throw them into the bowl.

Add the chopped nuts (walnuts work well) or you can use 1/4 cup of ground flax seed (in place of, or as a substitute for half of the nuts.)

Drain the raisins and add them and use a spoon to stir and fold all of the ingredients together. If the mixture seems too thick, you can add a half cup of applesauce (or one of the individual size servings) if you have it on hand. You can also use a bit more oil. I will take my spoon and take a scoop and hold it upside down over the bowl. It shouldn't cling forever, but it shouldn't run right off either.

Spoon the mixture into the bundt pan and wipe off any excess from above the batter line. Put it into the oven. Close the door and set the timer for 1 hour. Do not open the door to check on it or the cake will fall into itself.

When the timer goes off, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! Turn off the oven, and set the timer for 15 minutes. Once the timer goes off the second time, it is time to pull it out of the oven. Allow it to cool on a rack in the bundt pan for a few minutes, then you can take it out. I just lay a plate over the top and then flip it over and shake a bit.

It is FANTASTIC warm from the oven, but my husband and I argue whether or not it is even better the next day!

Verse of the Week

NIV: Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

KJV: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians is such a great book. A book of joy. I love turning to this book when I am having a bad day, since it builds me up in Christ. This upcoming year of MOPS, we will be discussing "ADVENTURES IN MOTHERING". During these meetings, we will be having loads of fun and gain lots of knowledge. However, in our homes and lives, not all adventures will be planned, fun, or exciting. Many will be demanding, complicated, and frustrating.

I remember the first time I went through the haunted train ride at the County Fair. I was very young (before I trusted Christ's finished work on the cross as payment for my sins) It was so exhilarating knowing that I was in for something new and exciting. Almost the whole time I was spooked and frightened. The only thing I focused on was the fact that I was going to make it through, since I had watched the kids go in and out many, many times.

Being a mom has that same feeling at times.

"What ever made me think I was capable of doing this?"
"How will I deal with these children when they get older?"
"What am I doing?"

God has given believers the necessary skills to cope with all sorts of adventures that will come our way. The Scriptures are our instruction manual on how to cope with these scary rides. Scripture even states that the trials that we go through help us grow (Rom 5:3-4). Then, when we see someone going through the same, we are able to serve and help them.

I am going to write out this verse and put it on my mirror. Think on it. Pray about it. I hope you will as well!

Poll Results!

The question asked was:

If you had 2 hours to yourself, what would you do?

The options were:

Pamper Myself, Take a Nap, Go on a Date, Take a Long Bath, Go for a Walk

41% of you ladies said you would like to pamper yourself!

Try it! Leave the kids with family or a friend (make it reciprocal!), or a sitter if you can afford it, and go pamper yourself! You can even have someone take your kids to the park for you, and you can sit home and do your pampering in the comfort of your own home!

Here are a couple pampering ideas:

If you have a membership at the YMCA, you could go to a yoga class and relax or get into the Hot Tub or Steam Room. - Child Care is right there!

You could go up to your favorite book store or coffee house and sit and read a magazine or a book.

Go to the park with your portable music player and lay on a blanket and listen to music.

Here are some other great ideas:

http://www.flylady.net/pages/pamper1.asp
http://www.flylady.net/pages/pamper2.asp

I hope you all take some time to utilize any spare time you may have this week!

Verse of the Week

NIV: Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
KJV: Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings or disputings:

Sometimes I kid around with my boys, saying that God's Word says I am supposed to do things by myself because one child is always arguing and one is always complaining. Mr. Murmur and Mr. Dispute.

It is in our nature to do these things, as evident in our lives as mothers, wives, and even from the mouths of our children.

This week I pray we all can concentrate on this verse and set the example for our children and our spouse. Let's bite our tongue, be thankful for what we DO have, and pray about how we can apply this verse to our lives.

I am going to write this verse out and tape it to my bathroom mirror, where I can see it when I first wake up, and before I go to sleep, and, as any child with a preschooler knows, the hundred times in between.

SUPPORT a fellow MOPS MOM!

A few meetings ago, Jeannie S. told us about this and she sent out a reminder!

The Great Strides Walk-Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis is this Sat. May 31, 2008 at the Old Storybook Island picnic shelter in Rapid City.

You are invited to join us for this very special event. Registration and activities will start at 9:00 that morning. There will be fun stuff for the kids, 'Coasters for a Cure' (quilted and tile coasters) sales to benefit the CF Foundation, and a wonderful DJ providing music throughout the day.

The 10K walk will kick off at 10:00. You are encouraged to walk/run or bike as much of the route as you'd like. Lunch will be provided starting at 11:30. You may want to bring your lawn chairs or blankets to picnic with.

If you're still wanting to donate, it's not too late! Please send your check made payable to the CF Foundation to Team Huxford, 4621 Wentworth Dr. Rapid City, SD 57702 as soon as possible. To get to the walk site, enter by the Parks Division sign off of Canyon Lake Drive (across from Sioux San Hospital)

Please join our fight to cure CF and plan to participate in Great Strides this weekend!

Another picture from Bear Country

I was going through my pictures and saw this one of the otters that live there:



They were my favorite animals to see!

-Coya

Quickies

Quickies-No Baking Required, Husband Approved!

Combine in a sauce pan:

2 Cups of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Butter
1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa
1/2 Cup Milk

Boil on MEDIUM heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually.

Remove from heat.

Add:
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Oatmeal (I use regular, but you can use quick)Add it slowly, until it becomes slighty thick.
This picture shows it a bit thin yet.

If you so desire, add 1/2 Cup of Chopped Nuts or 1/4 Cup ground Flax Seed.

Stir together 'till its thick and gooey. Drop into cookies on a tray to cool. They don't look the best, but they sure taste great with a glass of milk!

Any mixture that doesn't fit on the tray should be eaten immediately.

Yummy! You can use waxed paper, but it may stick once it cools!

This is also GLUTEN FREE, if you use Gluten Free Oatmeal.

Lions, Bears and Elk-OH MY!!!!

Well I have to tell you it was a foggy, soggy, cold day to be going to Bear Country but I am glad I made the trip! We saw EVERY animal on the property! I mean EVERY animal! It was great!

As I was trying to decide if I wanted to go this morning, I remember Jen G. saying that when the weather is not at it's best the animals are. So, I loaded up the boys and we went!

I think one of the other benefits of going at 9am was that the animals were hungry! We were driving in front of the feed truck. Notice the Mountain Goats are not looking at me, taking the photos, they are looking at the man with the food directly behind me! LOL!

The Elk are the first of the animals we saw after entering the park and I put these images in because you can see the snow, rain in the air....What's the date today?

If you put your mouse over the image you should be able to enlarge it.

These two images are here because I love the velvet and you can see the fuzz.

We were discussing sleeping with such large objects on your head. Wouldn't that hurt your neck?

On to the bears:
I like this one because you can see the car in the upper corner....for some odd reason it speaks to me!

I am wondering how big these animals are. I'm thinking they have got to be 600 lbs? If anyone knows they should comment. (Comments are at the end of each blog entry)

I am amazed with the size of bear paws. I almost got an image of a paw while it was stretching. It had his claws extended.....but he was too quick (or I was slow on the trigger finger)

These birds, which I think are magpies are all around the bears. I think they are in it for the free lunch personally! But they are an interesting bird....

Lastly, the lions. I've never seen so many lions in the cage before! They were playing with each other, eating and walking around on the logs. It was such a different experience than I've had in the past I'm so glad we went!



Thanks to all who showed up. I hope your experience was as thrilling as mine.

-Laurel

Family Summer Adventures 2008

July 8th -Park Day

July 15th -Special Event

July 22nd -Park Day

August 5th -Park Day

August 12th -Park Day

For more information about WHAT, WHERE & TIME please contact Jeannie at the email address listed below! THANKS

**Please note, no adventure scheduled for July 29th

Contact with questions:

Jeannie - 209-8595, j.shortflight@gmail.com

Karla 341-2517 - or - Suzanne 348-0578

Summer Fun!!

Our last meeting for this spring is Tuesday, May 20th.

Copies of the Summer Family Outing Schedule will be available then.

Check this site again in a few days for the full schedule to be listed here.

Contact Jeannie to get a schedule or with questions at: j.shortflight@gmail.com

Mark your calendar for May 27th at 9:00 a.m. - Bear Country. Meet at the BC entrance, pull off to the left. $1 per child. Bring a picnic lunch or buy snacks there.

MOPS Fall Registration News

• Registration for next year has already begun
• Registration dues are $20 now, $24 next September
• All early registrants (before May 31st) will get their MOPS gift pack this summer! Including the theme book: Adventures in Mothering!

Next Meeting!

Next Meeting: May 6th

Brunch and Clean Up: Kitchen Cuties

Guest Speaker: Amy Wagner

COOKING UP FUN!

• Our spring fundraiser
• $25 per person
• Open to family or friends
• Two different classes, two dates/times
• RSVP's required with full payment
• Contact Nancy M for more info
• godsthunder@rap.midco.net or 787-5040

Class #1:

Tuesday, April 29th

9:00 a.m. to 12:noon

WSB Church Kitchen

Childcare available (slight extra cost)

Menu:

Chicken Saltimbocca

Italian Grilled Veggies

Crispy Chicken & Pecan Salad

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Sukiyaki

Mac & Cheese

Class #2

Thursday, May 15th

6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

at Dove Christan Center Kitchen

No Childcare Options

Menu:

Mahogany Fried Chicken

Mashed Potato Salad

Enchilada Verde

Spanish Rice

Salmon & Goat Cheese Quiche

Potato Dauphine

Next Meeting - March 18th

Childcare Opens: 8:45 a.m.

Meeting starts: 9:00 a.m.

Guest Speaker: (still being finalized)

Brunch and Clean Up: Living Room Lovelies

Next Meeting - March 4th

SPA DAY!

8:45 a.m. - Childcare Opens

9:00 - Meeting Starts

Come prepared to be Pampered!

Brunch & Clean Up Helpers: Dining Room Divas

Next Meeting - February 5th!

Brunch and Clean Up: Laundry Room Ladies

Creative Meeting: Remember to bring a small glass jar for your project... something that will hold 1/2 to 1 cup of "stuff"... and bring an extra if you can! See you then!!

Coming Events to Remember:

February 7th: Pizza Hut MOPS Night

4-8 p.m. at the Sturgis Road/West Main Pizza Hut

Come and have supper with us -- and support our group!

Dine In or Carry Out!

Please Note Change of Place.

We will be at the West Side Pizza Hut Again!