Let me catch you up!

Well, as always, the semester has gotten away from me and I have left my loyal readers behind!  Well, I have about 30 minutes to spare to catch you up and add some photos from the life of the Ishmaels.  So... here goes!

Starting with last night, I have to tell you about the Apple Butter I made last night!  It is fabulous!!
3 lbs Red Delicious Apples
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 Brown Sugar
5 tsps Cinnamon
1 tsp ground clove

1. Peel, core and slice apples into 8ths.
2. Throw them in the crock pot with the vanilla on low. (My setting was low/8hrs)
3. Stir every 30 minutes.
4. After about 2 hours, they become soft.  You can use a potato-masher to get a more desirable consistency.
5. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground clove.
6. Let cook on same setting for another 2 hours storing about every 30 minutes.
7. Then fill jars, let cool and seal.  Store in refrigerator.  



Eddie and at the N. TX game

8. You can use a canning technique here to keep from having to refrigerate. 

Now, let's talk about some FOOTBALL!  How 'bout those RED WOLVES!  The ASU football team is the number 1 team in the Sun Belt.  We are so excited.  Coach Freeze has done amazing things with our football program.  It is sort of funny that the whole selection of universities in the south comes down to football, but I think that this season is going to be the turn-around for Arkansas State University.  I really hope that the community comes out to support the team next Saturday.  It would be great for it to be sold out.  

Brock clearly thinks his uncle Eddie is a little goofy!

Bryant and "Mom"

 A couple of Saturdays ago, Eddie was in charge of planning our day.  It was fun.  We went to Pinnacle Mountain and climbed to the top.  Then we went to the Firefly place to paint each other a coffee mug.  We will be picking those up this weekend, hopefully they turned out alright.  Anyway, take a look at the pictures from our mountain adventure!

 

Moving on... Youth Group has been extremely busy.  We've come a long way though!  We took 7 kids to Sr. High Youth Rally in Little Rock.  We are going to pray at the abortion clinic for 40 Days for Life on Saturday.  We are in progress of getting a band together to lead the music before Youth and at the Youth Mass we have each month.  At any given time, we could have 60 kids in the Youth House.  It is kind of sad that we've only been in the house for 2 months and we've already out grown it!  But it is also extremely awesome that we've out grown it!  We are so excited to have so many kids coming each week.  We have created an award for "Peter", to recognize a Youth member who "got off the boat."  The kids have great ideas to improve a grow our ministry.  Also, we are working on our plans for Brazil for World Youth Day 2013!

Well that is all I can come up with in the 30 minutes that I allowed myself.  Thanks for reading my blog.  It is nice to know there are people out there who care for us enough to read it and who are praying for the work we are doing with the Youth.  Have a great weekend!