New Pictures!!

Merry Christmas from the Culvers!!

Merry Christmas!

Here is our 2010 update on the Andrew Culver family:

Andrew – Started a new job this fall with U.S. Bank at their call center here in Post Falls, and is loving his job and the people he gets to interact with. He has taken on a greater ministry role at church with leading the Royal Ranger program and helping with their IT stuff. His new interest is his “I-Pad,” that he was able to purchase with birthday money. He is continuing to build and maintain websites. Andrew’s greatest love right now is watching his kids grow and mature and learn to do new things. Andrew and I will celebrate our 8^th wedding anniversary on December 14^th. We have also continued our Marriage class at church, moving it to a home group study this fall. Andrew was able to officiate his first wedding this summer; a couple that has been in our marriage class from the very beginning.

Mindy – Started substitute teaching this fall in the Post Falls School District and surrounding Christian schools. This has kept me busy and fulfilled! I also started teaching “Rainbows” with M-Pact (Assembly of God children’s program) and I have 5 very busy 3 and 4 years olds! Still working on managing my migraines, although has found some success in taking many preservatives out of my diet. Also trained and completed my first 5K race in Coeur d’Alene in September. Greatest joy right now is being with my family, having “family nights,” and cooking.

Caleb – A busy First Grader at North Idaho Christian School. Amazingly enough, his Grammie (Mindy’s mom) is still the First Grade teacher (18 years) and gets the job of being Caleb’s teacher. He is doing very well, growing like a weed and reading all over the place! He has taken a huge growth spurt this year and we are buying new shoes for him ALL the time! He has recently gotten into Legos, loves to cook with me and loves his little sister so much.

Catelyn – Has grown so much this year! Her speech has gotten a lot better and she has exploded into our very dramatic princess. She loves dress-up, My Little Pony, Dora and cooking with me. Catelyn is a great little helper and is definitely our “snuggle-bug.” Many mornings we will wake up with her cuddled up in bed beside us and although she hasn’t yet reached 30 lbs., she is a dynamic little fireball.

We hope you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year! God’s blessings on you!

Andrew, Mindy, Caleb and Catelyn

The smell of mom...

About the time that Catelyn was born, I started to wear a certain perfume by Estee Lauder. My whole family loves it, but especially the kids. Catelyn always begs for me to put some on her and Caleb will sometimes smell it on someone else and tell them that "that is his mom's perfume they are wearing." The other night they were extremely wild and crazy and desperately needed to calm down so they could sleep. I got the thought to spray a small spritz of my perfume on their pillows. I'm not entirely sure why, but they LOVED this! It calmed them down almost instantly and they fell asleep very fast. I got to thinking about this and have fond memories of my mom's perfume that she wears and has for as long as I can remember. I know that I have been in stores before and smelled her perfume and wondered if she had just passed by. It's always the little things in life that get me thinking about how I relate to God: do I know Him intimately enough to know his "smell?" Not his physical smell, but His presence. His Word tells us that His sheep know His voice, but do we also know Him by His presence/smell/aroma? Just a thought in this busy Christmas season....

Tripping over kid's toys...

"For the mighty one has done great things for me, holy is his name." Luke 1:49. Tonight I have been tripping over my kid's toys all over the house, but am reminded at the same time that this won't always be. One day, they will be gone, my house will be quiet and there won't be any toys to trip over. I am truly loving the stage of life both Caleb and Catelyn are at. Caleb and I have had amazing conversations over the last few days about our lives and how God works in them. He has asked all kinds of questions about the Bible and I am thrilled to answer them for him. I am excited that Caleb is old enough so that I can share with him things about me growing up. Catelyn still desperately needs my presence in her life, to snuggle with her, play and do girly things. Tonight the kids and I laid on my bed and just read stories. As I was putting them to bed, I laid down with each of them to sing them some Christmas songs and get a few cuddles in before bedtime. The Mighty One TRULY has done great things for me, and blessing me with my kids has been one of the best. Holy is your name Lord, you truly are amazing!!

My heart is full...

The kids and I, along with Andrew decorated the house last night for Christmas. We put garlands, lights, snowmen and santas along with our beautiful tree in our living room. There is something so special to me about sitting in a living room lit only by Christmas lights. I used to love it as a little girl and still love it today. Our tree is filled with so many memories....let me explain: When I was a girl, my mom would get me an ornament every year, write my name on it along with the date. When I moved out, her plan was for me to already have ornaments for my own tree. Now, I've continued the tradition with my own family. I give the kids an ornament each year, one that usually represents something that we did the last year. Andrew and I also got married around Christmas time so we have quite a few ornaments from our first Christmas together. So, last night as we were putting up the tree, we remembered years past: Caleb's "Bob the Builder" ornament from when he was 2 years old, Catelyn's pink baby booties for her first Christmas, the ornament Andrew and I bought at Disneyland on our honeymoon, ornaments Caleb made when he was 4, and ornaments from when I was a girl. I look at our tree and I see faithfulness, of God that is...He has provided for us so perfectly over the years and each year we get to put up another ornament tells the story of His amazing love and faithfulness to us. I love our tree, I love what it makes me remember and I love what Christmas is all about. So...Merry Christmas everyone, may you remember the true reason for the season.

Easy Ham and Tortellini

My kids helped me make this tonight, they loved all the stirring and the best part? They actually ATE it! I served it with some garlic bread for a delish dinner.

3 T. butter, melted 3 T. flour 2 garlic cloves 1 T. parsley 1 t. pepper 1 c. milk 2/3 c. Parmesan 2 c. ham, cubed 1 bag frozen tortellini 1 can chicken broth (14 oz) 2 c. baby spinach

Combine butter and flour, whisk till smooth. Add garlic and milk, pepper and parsley, whisk well. Microwave for 3-4 minutes on high or until thickened, stirring every 60 seconds. Add cheese, whisk till smooth. Add ham, set aside. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, add cheese sauce, then microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover and stand 5 minutes before serving.

My New Recipe - Tortilla Soup!

I created this recipe for Tortilla Soup when I couldn't find a recipe that had the things I wanted in it! Hope you enjoy!!

Tortilla soup

32 oz. chicken broth

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can red beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can corn

2 t. pepper

1 t. garlic powder

2 t. onion powder

½ t. taco seasoning

½-1 t. chili powder

¼ t. paprika

½ t. salt

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Let boil for a few minutes then let simmer for 20 minutes. Top with crushed chips, shredded cheese and sour cream and/or avocado.