Announcing the Botkin Family's "Christian at the Crossroads" Family Conference!

The other day we received an email invitation to an exciting upcoming conference hosted by the Botkin family of the Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences (also, daughters Anna Sophia and Elizabeth are the authors of the book So Much More).

Our family has long followed this talented and humble family and has been blessed by their ministries. They have been on the forefront of he battle for our culture by demonstrating and discipling Christians to strengthen their families and return to their Biblical heritage.

The "Christians at the Crossroads" Family Conference will be held in Colombus, Ohio July 10-11th, 2009. The cost for a family admission is a bargain at $149. It is wonderful that they will be having this gathering in the "north" as they currently reside in Texas. Some of the topics that will be touched on are:

-How Christian families can be triumphant in any 21st-century culture.
-What does a father-led family look like?
-What children wish their parents would teach them.
-How to tell if your church might ruin your family.
-Why do churches have a hard time defining spiritual maturity?* What weak churches need that strong churches have.
-The most dangerous sin traps for young adults.
-What is the best way for children to recognize their gifts and become all they can be?
-What to do when your children lead a double life.
-Does the Bible say anything about dating?
-What is courtship supposed to look like?
-What does a lost son or daughter look like?
-How to tell when your children are headed for spiritual shipwreck.
-What does a well-educated young adult look like?
-What does the Bible mean by “godly seed”?
-What is going to happen to the American economy and life in the city?
-Why Christians can have hope in the midst of economic depression and judgment.
-What the average dad can do about a weak church or a confused church.
-What does it look like when brothers and sisters love and serve one another?
-Why is it hard for girls to find the balance between flirting and shunning?
-What responsibilities do young women have toward young men? Is it possible for teenagers of the opposite sex to be “just friends?
-Is college necessary in the 21st century?
-What should be the definition of success for the 21st century?
-Will today’s homeschoolers be more spiritually mature than their parents, or less? And does it matter?
-Why all children must make the honoring of their parents a life priority, and how it looks to honor one’s parents.

If you are not familiar with this family's mission, please check out the following websites:
www.visionarydaughters.com
www.westernconservatory.com
www.visionforum.com (has some of their materials)

We strongly urge you to check your calendars to see if you could make the trip down to a fellow Great Lakes state. It is sure to be an edifying experience for the entire family. (And yes, when we say the ENTIRE family, we mean it--no babysitting service or separating the children from the parents). Truly inspirational!

Announcing the Botkin Family's

Cleaning Toilets with Spoiled Buttermilk

Have you ever forgotten to use your homemade buttermilk or yogurt? Your nose (and certainly your tastebuds) will tell you when your precious cultured milk has gone bad. Maybe you were on vacation for a week or two, or perhaps you were so busy outdoors planting your garden that you forgot to reculture a batch or two.

Fear not, all is not lost! I discovered while dumping a quart of old buttermilk down the toilet the other day that it made my little white friend sparkle. Without scrubbing at all my toilet seemed cleaner, and I wondered if I could scrub up under the rim and get the same results. Granted, the little friendly bacteria in yogurt or buttermilk may not have the rust removing power or bleaching effect that commercial toilet bowl cleaners do, but in a pinch it will leave it clean.

When you do run into a sour smelling batch of cultured milk, just flush and brush. And if you have a pig or two in need of a bath before you show them at the fair, take a hint from Charlotte's Web and lather your Wilbur in buttermilk. You'll have a glistening bowl, and some pig.

Lessons From Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

A few days ago the children and I finished reading the original edition of Ian Fleming's Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang (not the Disney version or the reader edition). We flew through the pages, hardly able to put the book down. As I read aloud a very exciting part, I noticed the eyes of our little Abe growing as round as an unfinished saucer on a potter's wheel. He was most certainly captured by the drama of the Potts family. Moments like those make reading out loud to the children all the more worth while.

I had never read Fleming's version of the tale, and had been poisoned (yes, POISONED) by the syrupy sweet Disney film "re"telling. The two stories only have the car in common, I am afraid. How delighted we all were with Fleming's tale of the Potts family! Here was a father, the head of his household, a bit eccentric, no doubt, but intelligent, loving, brave, and manly with a firm sense of right and wrong. Mimsie (Mrs. Potts) was gentle and kind and always looking out for the children the way a mother should. Jeremy and Jemima, twins, honored their parents, were obedient, and displayed a spirit of adventure and trying new things even in the face of danger.

Is this not a portrait of what we should desire our Christian families to be? Resolute in the face of danger and challenges to our principles? Courage and intelligence when against impossible odds? Hope? And a spirit of adventure in that we are a part of God's purpose for the greater good and His perfect will?

Don't get me wrong--you will find no mention of Christianity in the book. But being worldview savvy, you will find an exceptional family read: a strong, closely knit family, an edge-of-your-seat adventure plot, bad guys, good guys, and, oh yes, the "secret recipe" for Monsieur Bon-Bon's "Fooj."

My only regret is that this author ended his tales of the green machine wonder car in this first book and went on to write the James Bond series.

Scare up a copy of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang at your local library soon and celebrate with your family and a tasty pan of "fooj."

Four Carts at Wal-Mart

Yesterday could have been a very long day. We packed up the kids and drove 1 1/2 hours to the nearest Wal-Mart to do some heavy-duty shopping for this weekend's Father/Son Fishing Retreat at Rock Ridge. After taking care of all our other stops along the way, we arrived at the big store at around 7 PM. We had our huge list, five tired and hungry kids, and set a goal to get in and out as quickly as possible.

Amazing, with each able member of the family pushing carts and the two littlest riding, we buzzed through the store, filling our carts full to the brim with all the items we would need for the meals for the upcoming retreat.

I guess I hadn't really noticed the stares our family received until we got to the checkout. The clerk was very gracious, and handled our order well. She chatted with us about how she was the oldest of five and could identify with our oldest (of five). After dad payed the bill (which was at least $300 below last year's bill for the same weekend, praise God!), we formed a great train, with Mom and #3 as the engine and Dad and #5 as the caboose. A smiling clerk insisted that he help us at least to the door, and we kindly thanked him and accepted. Then it was off into the parking lot. Dad packed up the trailer and the suburban while the kids and I opened their treat, lime all fruit popsicles.

So the point of my post is this: last night my husband and I were so proud of our children. As Dad got into the driver's seat he announced to the children how he had noticed tens of people in the store staring at us while we shopped. Staring in amazement at a young family with four full shopping carts calmly going about the store. No fits from the children, no whining, and no complaining. He was so proud of the witness for Christ that they had been and he wanted to let them know.

Too often we scold more than we praise. Last night was a beautiful reminder of what joy can come when we bestow well-deserved praise on our kids. Our five were truly our pride and joy last night.

Take the time to bless your children with praise. Love every second you have with your borrowed breath.

Calling All Disgruntled Fiber Artists

**(Our Honeysuckle Soakers are made under license from Ladybugz Farm. They are hand crocheted, one at a time, using fine wool yarn and are available in sizes Small through Large. For more information or to order, please contact us to request a 2009 Sisu Family Store Catalog. Honeysuckle Soakers are not yet available online, but will be in the coming weeks as we get our online Hyena Cart store up and operating.)**

This weekend I stopped by the local second hand shop and dug through their bin of yarn. I was looking for any high quality 100% wool I could find to make woollies for our Sisu store (woollies are diaper covers or soakers made entirely of wool). I'm always on the lookout for soft, quality wool yarn for this reason. Imagine my delight when I spyed seven skeins of a very soft, colorful wool yarn called Rowan Colourscape. At $3.99 per skein I thought it was a stretch, but something told me to go ahead since I had a $5 off coupon. I bought the entire lot of it, brought it home, and immediately set to work on a size small woolly.

The yarn was sensationally soft and easy to work with, and the variegated coloring was absolutely stunning. I declared to my husband that I had found a new favorite yarn and that I was going to look it up online to see if I could scrounge up any more of it.

Well, I found it. The yarn is made by Rowan, a company in the UK , and the color sequencing was designed by Kaffe Fassett (some big designer, I guess). The wool roving is fed through specially made machines and manufactured in limited quantities to produce an astoundingly luxurious chunky yarn. My jaw dropped when I saw the price tag: $23.95 per skein.

My heart goes out to that poor frustrated knitter who swept the entire bag containing her unfinished project and beautiful unused skeins of Rowan Colourscape out to the consignment shop. Imagine her indifferent or heavy heart as she walked away from over $200 in yarn. On the other hand, I'm quite delighted and thankful for the bargain the Lord led me to. Now I get to help outfit babies with lavish diaper soakers on the cheap. Finds like this help make Sisu Family Store what it is--a place to find quality, handmade goods that minister to local families and economies.

So...if you know of any frustrated, downright depressed knitters or crocheters who want to liberate themselves from the bondage of their top-of-the-line wool yarns, give me a shout. I'd be happy to relieve their suffering.

The 5-Gallon Bucket, Your Best Friend

Yesterday was catch-up on laundry day. I hauled the laundry over to the big house, got it started, and when it was done, switched it to the dryer. Then I laughed. Our dryer is one of the old sort, one with quirks and personality. One with a lint trap that has a replacement handle made from the plastic-type wristbands you get at theme parks. One that you sometimes have to give the tumbler a "wheel of fortune spin" and quickly shut the door while pushing the button at the same time. One that requires a five gallon bucket with a full paint can on top and a scrap piece of wood lodged against the lid rim and the dryer handle door to keep it shut. But it dries clothes, thanks to a five gallon bucket.

The five gallon bucket is really one of the most overlooked, abundant, utilitarian items in the household economy. Overturned it serves as an extra seat for your son at the dinner table when you are entertaining guests. Under the kitchen sink it stores compost or catches sneaky drips from the leaky drain. And it easily stands up to the task as a stepstool, garbage pail, cat food container, and the ever famous diaper bucket. You can also prepare homemade laundry detergent and liquid dish soap in it (see recipes below).

If you can't find these homemaker's helpers in your garage, contact your local drywall contractors to see if they have any extra. Or go snooping around in your father-in-law's shop to see if he has a stash. Whatever you do, don't throw out your five gallon pails. You may just find yourself needing one on laundry day.

Plentiful Liquid Dish Soap

4 cups soap shavings (I like to grade Kirk's castille or homemade soap bars)

4-6 cups hot water

lemon juice or vinegar (I prefer vinegar)

essential oils of choice (I like lavender or tea tree)

1. Place your grated soap shavings in your five gallon bucket.

2. Cover with the hot water and cover, letting sit overnight.

3. In the morning, stir and mash the mixture until smooth. Add more hot water to your preferred consistency.

4. Add 1 cup lemon juice or vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of your essential oils.

5. Mix well and pour into old dish soap or squirt bottles. Extra soap can be stored in your bucket with a tight fitting lid.

Homemade Laundry Soap Concentrate

1 Bar Kirk's Castille or natural soap (not petroleum based)

1 cup washing soda

1/2 cup borax

essential oils of choice (again, I like lavender)

1. Grate your soap bar into a saucepan and cover with hot water. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until soap completely dissolves. (Don't leave it unattended while you chase your busy toddler--it'll foam over before you know it!)

2. Put washing soda and the borax into a five gallon bucket. Pour the hot, melted soap mixture into the bucket. Stir until all the powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket to almost the top with more hot water. Stir, add 1/2 teaspoon essential oils, cap quickly, cover tightly, and allow to sit overnight.

3. In the morning, stir the mixture.

4. To use: Mix equal amounts of the soap concentrate and water in a small Gladware or other plastic container with a lid . Shake to mix. For front-loaders, use 1/3 cup of the mixture. For top-loaders, 1 cup.

*This soap doesn't produce a lot of suds and over time can lead to a residue in your machine or on your clothes. To prevent this, add a 1/4-1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in place of fabric softener on the rinse cycle. Trust me, your clothes won't smell like vinegar.

The hostess and guests at a Sisu Family Gathering receive a free recipe booklet containing many helpful home recipes, including a Powdered Once-A-Year Laundry Concentrate. Contact us if you're interested in hosting a gathering!