The Heymann Family Journal

Step 1 Measure one cup of white granulated sugar into a zip lock bag. Step 2 Add one of the following to the sugar: Zest of one (1) orange or two (2) limes/lemons One (1) Vanilla Bean 1/4 Cup or small handful of well washed rose or lavender petals Step 3 Seal zip lock bag, removing as much of the air from the bag as possible. Set aside for five to seven days. Step 4 After five to seven days, sift sugar to remove all traces of the added flavor. Step 5 Storage in an air tight container and use in baking or your favorite drinks to add flavor, spice and flair.

My feet hurt because I was shopping all morning. Christmas shopping. I needed to buy stuff for Nicole’s Advent calendar, and Sarah's Christmas gifts. I try to tackle a little bit of the shopping each week. Each of the kids is different and it takes allot of effort and thought to buy their Christmas gifts. I haven't got a clue what to get Juergen, but I'm sure he will buy something for him self. He always does! Christmas can be stressful for me. I do the decorating, cooking, Advent calendars, and gifts. Juergen brings home the money (no minor thing), but he doesn't feel the weight of the kids expectations. I want it to be nice for them. The nice part for me is just drinking my coffee and listening to the kids play. And if I've done my job well, they are very excited and happy. I actually do not care if I get anything else. I have everything I need, everything I want (well except a farm house, and that will not fit under a tree). I remember my childhood...

Today I put up my Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates. I also bid on another 5 plates that are listed on eBay. While I was at it I bid on some old Christmas ornaments (all 1950's glass tree ornaments). I would love to basically get rid of all my cheap stuff, and replace it with antiques. I think I'll pull all the Christmas stuff out and start sorting everything. I can take the boxes of extra stuff to the second hand store. I have allot of cheap Christmas stuff I bought for when the kids were very little. I think I can get rid of it now. I remember when I was little, my Grandma Moreno had many nice miniatures that she put under her tree. I loved those…I wish I had them today! But you can find really cool stuff on German eBay. Last year I got an angle for my tree top. It has a porcelain face and gold paper wings. It was made for the Christmas market in Nuremberg in 1905.

This farm house I like needs a new heating system. I am looking at pellet heaters in combination with a little solar. Not only is it good for the environment, it makes us more energy independent. No, Juergen hasn’t said yes to the house…but he said we could find out what the renovation cost are. That’s what I’m doing.

My sister Shelley's daughter came for a surprise visit. I just love this video! How great! I wish I was there.

Juergen went into work late so he could have breakfast with me. He remembered it was thanks giving and he wanted to do something special for me. Clearly that man is at the top of my list of what I am thankful for ! My kids are also on my list. Each one of them has grown emotionally, socially, spiritually and in knowledge. I am sorry I can not be with my family back home but so glad my parents and brother each traveled here to see us this year! It's been a very full year. So much life pressed into such a short amount of time! I'm just finishing Sarah Palins book, Going Rogue. I liked her before the book, but I like her even more now. I especially like her support of disabled kids and their families. She really could just sit down and shut up, who needs the stress...but she is very special. I don't know if she will ever be our President, but she will have influence. Sarah's approval rating is up to 47% and Obamas rating is actually down to 46%...could ...

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that the threat of a U.S. or Israeli military strike against Iran was no longer an issue because "they don't have the courage" to attack Iran. I say, want to bet!

It's Thanksgiving week in the USA. I read the amazing and hard work my sister is doing in preparation for the big day. I wish I was going to be at her house! Here it's just one more day. Thomas has drum lessons and Nicole has sports so we will not even sit down and eat dinner together. Juergen will most likely drive the kids through the Big M, and I'll eat a bowl of cereal (sad). It's just not the same! I may make some turkey soup and a pumpkin pudding (a little of the traditional flavor with out the work). I wish I was with my family in America…I do miss being there!

I called about the house with the very big yard. I will try to see it, but I'm pretty sure the house is way too small.

A friend of mine has been spending time looking at houses on the internet for me. Today she called and told me about a house that's for sale in her area. That tells me she wants us to live near her...and I feel so loved! Knowone else is looking for houses for us (that I know of). The house she found looks way too small, but the yard has 7,500 m2. Let me see, that's almost 2 acers (unheard of space for Germany). I must see this mini farm. It has a winter garden and a barn. Maybe we could make it work. And if we get it, I'm going to grow every kind of fruit tree, and keep chickens and goats. I want to be a farmer!

One thing I like about my husband is he lets me look for what is best. I want impossible and complicated stuff. It would be so easy to just say "Amy don't make waves". Our house is fine, and it is so much trouble to look for a better fit. I agree...but! I do not want to change the direction of our lives, I just want a bigger house (we moved in to our house with 3 kids and now we have 5). But more then the big house, I want the big yard. I want to grow my own food. I can not do this in my small yard. Juergen was just nominated to be an elder in our church. I'm proud of him. I know that if he is approved as an elder (the vote is next spring) he will do a great job. I'll try not to get him into too much trouble. I'm not looking at moving away. But Heidelberg is so expensive. A yard comes with a pretty big price tag. I found 2 more houses to look at. The one I like best is a 1978 house (I don't care for the style but it doesn't require mass...

Juergen is nominated as an elder in our church. He shared about himself tonight and took questions. I asked him about his stance on women in ministry (believe it or not a controversy in our church). I know it was not the time or place for that topic, I just wanted to see how diplomatic he could be. He's great! He has my vote.

Juergen and I took a look at a disabled workshop Jessica has been trying for the last 2 weeks. I thought the place was very well run. It was clean, friendly and very organized. The people help pack stuff (like small car parts). Jess hated it. She cried every day. We will just keep looking. They said she could stay one more year in school. I’m trusting we have that extra time to find the perfect place for her. I’m very impressed by the lovely people who spend their life caring for the disabled. They give them a job, and dignity. Nicole is at the University with Juergen. I'm anxious to see how it goes. They have exchange programs for their students. One of the places she could go for her Masters degree is Thailand. They have a Masters degree in sustainable environments. Very cool! You do 2 semesters in Thailand and one semester in Germany. It only takes 3 years to get a bachelors degree…could be a plan! Up date... Juergen loved the school. Nicole liked it too but fee...

I Am 365 Names, Characteristics and Attributes of God GOD OF WONDERS I AM the GOD who shows wonders I AM the Lord and my voice is powerful and full of majesty I AM GOD- nothing is too hard for me I AM GOD who made all MY wonderful works to be remembered I AM GOD and my Glory thunders I AM the Spirit of knowledge and understanding… I AM the Holy Spirit that moved upon the deep I AM worthy of worship, glorious and incomparable I AM GOD who makes himself known through visions I AM dynamis power I AM the giver of all revelation I AM glorious and full of weighty splendour I AM HE- that ascended to the Father I AM the triune GOD of Israel I AM GOD who performs signs I AM GOD who speaks in night seasons I AM the King of Glory I AM HE who searches the mind and heart I AM great and greatly to be praised I AM YAH and Yahweh I AM the creator of all true worship I AM wisdom I AM omniscient I AM the Lord who stretches out the heavens I AM GOD who speaks I AM Jehovah Rava, your healer I AM GOD who ...

Tomorrow Juergen is taking the day off to visit the University of Hohenheim . This is a 200 year old Agricultural Science school near Stuttgart (just an hour south of us). University is almost free in Germany. In fact, because we have 5 kids I think it is free (all the way through a PhD). Hohenheim is the best University in Germany for Agricultural Science. It is also a very family friendly school. If Nicole gets married and has kids, the University does provide good services to support her and her family so she can continue to study. She is still very interested in studying in America. She has not decided if she wants to be an artist, or a plant scientist. Juergen and I want her near us...but we will support her either way. I must admit I'm glad Juergen could take the day off to take her. All the kids in her class get tomorrow off to look at schools. She was going to look at an art school in Stuttgart (taking the train) but it wasn't anything she was excited about. ...

I noticed there is an UN food summit in Rome this week. They are already saying they don’t expect much progress (sad). There is a world wide food crises. It is only expected to be made worse by a growing population. The population is expected to grow another 2 billion by 2050 (only 40 years away). I am always watching trends in poverty. Millions of children become orphans because of poverty. Child labor, and prostitution is driven by poverty. Birth parents are not generally cruel when they abandon their children, they are desperate and starving. I am also lobbying Juergen to buy me a farm house with a big garden. I want to be able to grow my own food. I think every grassy place in America could be pulled up and replaced with an organic vegetable garden. Imagine the impact we could have on this world if we could teach the poor to grow their own food? The answer is not to give a fish, it is to teach them to fish (or garden). But we do not know how to feed our selves. When ...

I'm listening to a worship CD called I Am, 365 names of God by John Paul Jackson. I got it on I tunes as a down load. It's just music, and the names of God . Very cool. He just read "I am comming quickly"!

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I made a Mexican pumpkin soup today. I used a butternut squash, 2 onions, 6 potato’s, non dairy cream, a little vegetable bullion and 2 table spoons taco spices. Oh and a can of pinto beans. It was great, and will be even better tomorrow! I just made it up myself. I don’t generally use recipes. you chop the veggies together, boil them in lots of water, mash them with a hand mixer and then add the beans, and other stuff. It makes a warm and filling soup. It is totally vegetarian. I was tired of pumpkin soup with curry.

HERE is how to build your own Cheap and Easy Worm Bin! Worms LOVE Breads & Grains Cereal Coffee grounds & filter Fruits Tea bags Vegetables Worms HATE Dairy Products Fats Meat Feces Oils

I saw this cool idea. You take a heavy plastic and put it together in almost any form to make a raised garden bed. Add polls on the corners to make it stable. That's it!

I have raised garden beds. I clean the beds out, putting the old plants in my compost pile. I could just leave the beds until spring, but I want to do more. I decided to buy some horse and chicken manure on eBay. They send it in large 5 kilo plastic buckets and it only cost 1 Euro, + 4 Euro for postage. I will spread the manure over my beds, add a thin layer of leaves, and maybe even some torn up news paper. Then I will place a black plastic tarp over the bed, with some holes in it for water to get in. I'll let this compost over winter. In the spring I'll mix the compost into my soil and hopefully be ready to plant. Horse manure is good because it has allot of straw in it. Chicken manure is pretty strong (I’ve read). I don’t want to over use it. Never put manure directly on plants because it will burn them. I’m hoping the combination of manure, leaves, and newspaper will attract worms to my raised beds. Worms break up soil, and worm castings make the best plant food...

I remember the time well. I sat glued to my TV. I lived in San Diego. I had spent the summer in Germany and we never thought it possible. Never! But the wall fell! And 3 days before Juergen and I were married Germany became united. I cry looking at this video. I remember praying for this. It still amazes me. Jessica’s kindergarten teacher was one of the people who left everything to sneak out of East Germany. She left her children and family…everything. She went to Cuba on a vacation. Instead of returning home, she went to Florida and asked for asylum. She lost everything for freedom. I’m so glad Germany is now whole, and Germans are now free.

Every Sunday is orphan Sunday at our house. And every Sunday is good! If you open your heart to orphans you will be changed forever. I always say, some people hope their life counts, I know my life does. I have changed the whole world because I been blessed by adoption.

Yesterday when we got the note from the Dr saying they mis read Philips MRI, and that he still has a tumor I was sad, but more angry. Anyone can make a mistake, but you shouldn't read about it 3 months later in a note. They should tell you in person, don't you think? To be honest, I was happy but confused when they told Juergen the tumor was gone. I felt numb, not over joyed. Back in March I wrote this on my face book, "Last night I was watching TV. Out of the blue (because I was not thinking about Philip) I physically felt like someone was pulling a cotton ball sized white tumor from my left nostril. I felt it only on the left side of my nose. It was so weird because I really felt it. Then I thought immediately that Philip has a tumor the size of a small cotton ball near his pituitary gland, and they will pull it out of the left side of his nose. I guess we will see if this was a word from God? " I'm not worried about Philip. I'm sad the tumor is still ...

We went to see an old farm house that's for sale. It needs too much work. We will check with the heaters guys, the plumbers etc... but I think it's too much for us (too much time and too much money). I enjoyed looking. I'm happy Juergen is open to the idea of a move. If you are our local friend, don't worry. We are only looking at places that would allow us to basically keep our lives. We want to go to the same church and keep most (not all) of our kids in the same schools. I made a slide show of the old house. I love the garden. But I'm 95% sure we will not buy this one. I learned one of my nieces is expecting a baby, and another niece just lost her baby. I'm so happy for the one, and very sad for the other. How very sad! Both my sisters have lost grandchildren. This breaks my heart. I cried for you...and I am so sorry for your loss. We just got a report from Philips Dr today. They had told us his tumor was gone. Well, it's not gone. It is still there. I gu...

I’ve lived in Germany for 14 years but my German is not really very good. My Uncle use to call me dumb because my language was so delayed in English. I couldn’t speak very well at the age of four years. I know I’m not dumb…at least in English. This week I had to speak extensively with a teacher, a doctor, a pastor, a speech therapist and a lawyer . I can understand maybe 85 % of what is said in normal conversation, but with the lawyer I could only comprehend 10% of what he said. We are trying to gain permeate custody of Jessica our 18 year old autistic daughter. I had to ask Juergen what the man said. He gave me a lecture on needing to learn German. Thank you Juergen. I try, but it does not come easy to me. I cried today because I felt so tired and so stupid. Sometimes raising 5 kids with special needs can just wear you out. Jessica has been home all week because her teacher is sick. I’m very tired, very tired! But added to that is how small I feel when I have to do it a...

This is from ABC's new show "V". Some very cool visitors from another world come to earth. They capture the hearts and trust of the people who blindly give them loyalty. HERE is the web site. It looks pretty cool. I think I can see it online.

It's time for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. This year Nicole is working with a group of kids at her school to collect shoe boxes. We packed 4 boxes last night. They are hoping to collect 100's of boxes for needy kids around the world. How about making this an annual tradition. It's just one easy way to teach your kids how to give. And it is the only gift many children will receive...but they receive it with love. HERE is more information. Time is running out, so don't delay! http://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/occ_08_index.shtml

Lord Christopher Monckton, the former advisor for science policy to Lady Margaret Thatcher, believes that if the U.S. signs any climate treaty coming out of the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, it could subject the United States to a global dictatorship. Monckton explains his concerns. Christopher Monckton"[T]his treaty of Copenhagen, which is going to be negotiated by the states' parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December, is going to...establish for the first time in human history a global government," he warns. Monckton contends that the word "government" appears twice in paragraph 38 of the draft, and that paragraphs 36 through 38 explain that the purpose of the treaty is to establish a world government. "Whose job," he explains, "will be to transfer wealth from the wealthy countries, such as the United States most of all, to Third World countries -- and the excuse for this transfer of ...

My sister Shelley wrote about inexpensive Christmas ideas. I thought I would write about what money could buy! $60,000 will buy you a life sized replica of your favorite person made out of Lego. Imagine the joy on your Childs face on Christmas morning when they see the perfect copy of themselves in Lego. Imagine your face when your child takes the Lego person apart to make something new!!! For $500,000 you can get your own Dallas Cowboys End zone. You will of course need a big yard to put that in. Tiffany’s has a really nice blue diamond brooch for $100,000. Sarah loves the color blue! Or maybe you could stick to the classics. For example this 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona sells for $275,000. And for just over 14 million you can have this lovely home in victoria BC. Ah, the simple life! I just love Christmas shopping!

2009 is almost over and I'm setting some goals for 2010. One of my goals is to read the whole Bible using the One Year Bible plan (about 15 mins per day). You can even listen to the reading schedule on line. I did that with my daughter Nicole last year. I formed a yahoo group and I invite you to join it. Hopefully we can comment on what we have read, and pray for each other. Here is the address... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1-year-bible-2010/ I will post a few details about the one year Bible, but the plan gets started on Jan 1, 2010. If you have never read the whole Bible in one year, or if you want to do this in a group please feel free to sign up. I have to approve members, and your comments will not be open to the public. I will invite my friends to join this group again towards the end of the year…but why wait.

This morning The kids and Juergen gave me a very nice birthday breakfast. I also got the nicest gifts. The boys spent their own money to buy me a dancing turtle. I'll take some video of it. Nicole made me a box that looks just like my dad. Juergen gave me a gift certificate to a garden center (what I had asked for), and Sarah gave me her wooden shoes planted with flowers. Nicole came back from her missions trip sick. So she also gave me the flu. Oh well!!! I am pretty sure it isn't the H1N1 type.