Lorraine D. Hebler

Party of Ten Series: Feeling Like a Fraud?

By Lorraine

Being a mom is hard work, physically and emotionally. Decisions, choices and wanting the best can leave a mom feeling like a fraud. Homeschool thoughts.

Feeling like a fraud?

We made the decision to pull 6 of our school-aged kids out of the public school to homeschool them. It took two weeks before school started to finally decide.

Party of Ten is a new, guest post series, by a mom deep in the throws of mothering. A wife and mom to eight children, Jamie writes from a tender heart, the experiences, the dilemmas, the struggles and the joys of large family living. She is real, transparent and intertwines the journey with encouragement, devotion and sincerity.

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End of Year Wrap-up

By Lorraine

End of Year Wrap-up
As the year draws to a close I’m trying to catch up by posting activities and memory-making moments with and for family. It’s been a busy and full couple of months. My heart overflows. Hard to imagine that less than five months ago I had a total hip replacement.Continue Reading

Welcome baby Joelle Elizabeth

By Lorraine

Big sister Chloe, welcomed the newest member of the family on her birthday.
Baby Joelle Elizabeth not only shares a birthday with her sister, but they are both little leaplings.
Both born February 29th, four years apart.

 Not due until March 17th, Joelle came a little early to join her seven brothers and sisters.
 It doesn’t look like she will be in want of love and hugs anytime soon.
 Joelle came into the world with very dark hair, at the same weight as her momma did (6 lbs. 7 oz.) and looking (in my opinion) much like her momma did at birth. She needed a little encouragement to let out a big cry after birth and still needs to see those bilirubin numbers drop but she is doing just fine. 
A local hospital and paper shared this special leap day birth noting that the delivery doctor is a leap day baby as well 🙂 
We celebrated Chloe’s birthday on the 28th and Caleb turned 8 on March 4th.  PopPop John got to watch Silas play in a soccer tournament and we even had a late winter snow that cleared up by afternoon. 
I wrapped up the week with a special outing to the Philadelphia Flower Show with dear friends.
The theme this year is National Parks and it was all so beautiful!
and… I even managed to get this post prepared!
Happy Sunday, sweet blogging friends!

snippets of family and friends

By Lorraine

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” 
Edith Sitwell

This sweet home is where our daughter, Jamie and husband Josh and family now live, love and grow.  They moved in just before the holidays and are enjoying a lovely, spacious house that more than accommodates their large family.
baby #8 is due in March 🙂
above photos by Nathan Lawrensen Photography
Upstate NY twin, Jill, husband Brad and their precious four. 
Youngest daughter, Abbey feeling better after losing her car in a traffic accident.  She was hit from behind while sitting at a traffic light and forced into the cars in front of her.
The bottom left photo is Abbey and our oldest grandson, Jared, taken by dear, sweet blogging friend Judy (Just a Little Something for You).
A delightful visit from Judy and her husband, John, who came bearing delicious treats, pretty plates, exciting cookbook, warm smiles, loving hearts and leaving us happy and thankful for very special friends.
A pic with my brother as we celebrated a loved nephews birthday.
 visiting grand kids
 warm inside ~ cold outside
a surprise party celebrating my aunts 75th birthday
warm by the hearth

Back in the swing of things

By Lorraine

We realized the time and energy it would take to plan and prepare for our trip abroad but what I didn’t expect was how hard it would be to get back into the swing once we returned home.

Unpacking, laundry, connecting with family, email, snail mail, photos from camera, iPhone photos, sorting photos, editing photos, food shopping, house cleaning, yard work, even making meals is a chore (and you know how I love to cook!)

A cold when I got home (so happy we were well while away) slowed me down too.

I am slowly catching up and getting back in the swing of things as we cherish these these family moments.

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Family Moments

By Lorraine

Jill came down from upstate New York to participate in The Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon with her twin sister and a good friend, Megan.
in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum

 Jamie and Jill before the run on a brisk morning
Finished!
 The boys stayed at Jamie’s house and the girls stayed at my house. After making the bunny cake, they dyed Easter Eggs…
 experimented with the colors…
and techniques…
 admired their creations…
 then promptly decided to eat their masterpieces!
 someone liked them…
 someone didn’t
I went to my computer for a time while the girls played all about the house.  I heard them scampering in and out of the garage, upstairs and down. They yelled to me they were playing dress-up.  This is what I found! Quite an able crew, don’t you think!
 Then popcorn and a movie before bed
after all that baking and cleaning it’s hard for wee ones to stay awake
 Earlier this month, our oldest grandson was inducted into the Latin Honor Society. After the ceremony, we had a fun dinner at a nearby restaurant.
{ah, how I love this young man}

i am chloe

By Lorraine

can you guess i am
2
by
my antics
my expressions
my spontaneity
my elfish behavior

We went to our daughter’s house Saturday morning to watch the kids while she ran in the Philadelphia 5k Rocky Balboa race
chloe was perfectly 2-years-old
she pulled on an over-sized skirt  
plucked a princess crown on her noggin
and went about the business of being 2
I had the joy of capturing some of her magical moments
the princess and her pop-pop
being sweet
being coy
letting PopPop kiss her cheek
(oh, who can resist those soft cheeks)
being resolute in a stare-down
being vocal about a sibling offence 
being aggrieved
 raider has a special attachment to chloe
she shares her food with him
but only if she wants  
 each child… so unique… overflowing with personality and individual talents 
jammie clad… climbing cherub… crafty keri… chocolate faced… chapped lips…
photobomer…chillin’ sisters… quiet play…
hanging out at their house is truly delightful 
and their mom (with  a friend) braved the chilly morning temps to run a race.  she did it in 9 min 7 sec miles with a 28:22 finish.
what . a . champ!

Grandmom Elsie’s Graham Cracker Pie

By Lorraine

Foods from childhood can evoke wonderful memories not just because we love the taste but also because it is associated with special people or events.  Do you have a favorite dessert from your childhood?

My husband remembers his grandmom Elsie making Graham Cracker Pie for nearly every backyard cookout.  It is really a humble pie of creamy vanilla pudding poured into a pre-baked graham cracker crust.  Often times the pie is topped with meringue so the unused egg whites aren’t wasted. Grandmon preferred lightly sweetened whipped cream sprinkled with additional graham cracker crumbs.
Elsie Rebekah 
I imagine Grandmom Elsie baked lots of pies in her day as she and her husband raised eight children.
John (on right with baby on his shoulders), his brother on left with Grandmom Elsie and Grandpop.
Here she is holding my twin babies (her great-grandchildren) as she told me of her own twin sons born many years prior.
Grandmom Elsie’s
Graham Cracker Pie
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 
1/4 cup sugar 
1/3 cup butter, melted
In a bowl, mix crumbs, sugar and butter together.  If desired, reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons crumb mixture for topping. Using the back of a fork or the bottom of a measuring cup, press remaining mixture firmly and evenly against the bottom and side of pie pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool

VANILLA CREAM FILLING 
2/3 cup sugar 
1/4 cup cornstarch 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 cups milk 
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten 
2 tablespoons butter, softened 
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream for topping finished pie
Stir together, sugar, cornstarch and salt in sauce pan. Blend milk and egg yolks; gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into baked pie shell; press plastic wrap on to filling. Chill pie thoroughly, at least two hours.
When pie is completely cool, top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate any unused portion.

The Birthday Guy

By Lorraine

Yesterday was my guys birthday.
He took the day off and we spent it in a relaxed way doing some of his favorite things.
as he planned…
Not up at 5:15 this morning
a hearty, at-home breakfast.
off to the movies to see Frozen 
a late-afternoon pastrami sandwich at a nearby delicatessen  (yes, he has been hankering for a pastrami sandwich)
then to a second movie… Saving Mr. Banks
(we liked both movies)
and finally birthday cake with some of his huggable & snuggly grandkids
This morning, he is still talking about how much he enjoyed the day
🙂
John’s life verse:
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

Happy Birthday Little Cammie Lou Who!

By Lorraine

Look who’s turning 4!
It’s
 Cambrie Noelle
or rather, Little Cammie Lou Who
 mama decorated with bingle balls and whofoo fluff
 Cammie gave a great big puff
 pantookas hung on the ceilings high
 there was feasting on Roast Beast and who-hash pie
 Every sibling-Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small
had lots of fun and the best time of all!
 Jamie, her dad and newest family member
 pop-pop and the wee one

 a stare-down
 that turned to
 giggles
and a surprise snow storm from the forecast calling for a covering to an inch… we got NINE inches!
After an almost two hour drive (on very slippery roads) that normally takes 35 minutes, this is what it looked like when we got home.
Since I didn’t yet officially introduce out newest grandchild born October 23rd
may I present
Jethro Ross
Jethro joins siblings
Keri, Noah, Silas, Caleb, Cambrie and Chloe

Love each other deeply

By Lorraine

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
Matthew 19:5-6

Our sweet niece, Courtney married her beloved, Steve this weekend
 the ceremony (above photos from my sister-in-law’s facebook page)
(above photos from my sister-in-law’s facebook page)
 dancing with her dad
(Wes is my husband’s brother)
 Courtney and Wes
(Top) three of our four daughters: Jamie, (who is expecting her seventh baby next month), me, our oldest, Erin and our youngest, Abbey.  Jamie’s twin sister, Jill was not able to travel down for the wedding.

Having fun in the photo booth!
Josh and Jamie, Abbey, John and I. Just couldn’t coax Erin and AJ to join us for this silliness!

do you suppose it was John’s glasses and sombrero that scared them away 😉 

together

By Lorraine

 An impromptu overnight visit from Jill and family was super special!
They were returning from a week-long vacation in Myrtle Beach and made the 10-hour drive to our home to rest up before continuing another 5.5 hours to their NY home the next day.
See the center photo above… Ryan happily completed his first 5-mile run with his mom!
 We made the most of their time here by having all of the cousins together on this hot, humid day.
Since it was another stormy day, the boys laughed and played on their various devices.
 And the girls played dress-up and giggled a lot
 Chloe tried to sweet-talk PopPop into giving her the cell phone
Abbey had just a few okay hours after her wisdom teeth extractions before a week long time of great discomfort. Her face is puffy in these photos taken at the Gazebo on Main Street of our town.

Surprise!

By Lorraine

Jamie had her sonogram yesterday.
But, even she didn’t know the gender of the precious baby soon to join their family.

But I knew!
As planned, the technician kept it secret. She handed me the photo revealing the special news as we left.  
For a fun way to announce the news to her family, I made a cake for them with the answer inside.
Since Jamie and her family are spending a week down the shore (she came back up just for the appointment), I had to prepare two cakes and give her the right cake to take with her.

She sent me these photos of the reveal…

my adorable Jamie… just a little… hesitant… to tell us… she is… expecting… again… baby number… seven… and this time she isn’t having twin sister, Jill share the news for her…  so, she… casually… mentions it… during a text conversation about nothing in particular…

love my girl!
Star Sugar Cookies following this recipe
Piped Frosting in white, pink and blue 
Frosting used for cake:
FROSTING
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter, softened
1 pkg confectioners’ sugar (2 pounds)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons water
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter until light and
fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until
smooth. Add enough water to achieve a spreadable consistency.

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