Jesus loves you

I know this isn't the best quality, but I love the look on Hannah's face. When she and Larissa are together, there is a lot of laughter.

Our little leprechaun on her birthday. If you're wondering, that is both a leprechaun hat and a tiara on her head. We didn't name her "beautiful princess" for nothing.

The birthday girl and her requested breakfast--Momma's cinnamon rolls. You get what you want on your birthday!

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. I John 4:10-11

Spring seems to have finally sprung here in Plzen, Czech Republic, and I could not be happier about that. Those of you in Texas who still have snow on the ground--I feel your pain. Ours is finally gone, and though I really do like snow, I'm ready for a new season to arrive. I was here last spring, and so I know that there is no more beautiful place on earth in the spring than the Czech Republic. I am looking forward to flowers and colors and blue skies for a while.

I've been thinking lately about Facebook, about status updates and what they mean and what they tell us about people. I have friends from all walks of life, and so I really have an interesting read when I get up each morning. Some are very political, some are very deep and meaningful, some are very spiritual, and mine...I basically tell you what we had for dinner. I am not working toward deep and meaningful on the old Facebook status--but I have been told that it's fun for our friends on the other side of the world to know a little about our lives here. It's also nice for my parents and aunt and sisters...they can keep up with what's happening with us, with the kids, etc. And, to be honest, I enjoy reading about what's going on in everyone else's life, offering a joke when I can (because I AM funny, Marc and Sarah Beth) or some encouragement when it's needed. I'm not saying that Facebook is my main ministry or anything, but I think it can be a tool to help people.

So what I've been thinking about is what would my status be if I had to boil it down to the most basic thing I want you to know? What if Facebook WERE my only ministry? What would I say on my status? Here's what I've come up with (and it's not original in any sense): Jesus loves you. It's the most important thing you can know, not about me, but about yourself. He loves you. The Lord of everything, the Creator, the Son of God...He loves you. Crazy about you. Died for you. Rose again for you. And I'm not saying for mankind in general. I'm saying for YOU.

When we moved to Moscow, one of the things that made me uncomfortable was beggars. These aren't (generally) like homeless people in America, who often seemed to be middle aged or younger. Most of the beggars in Moscow are older people, generally women. And they sit on their knees and put their noses as close to the ground as possible. And it kills me. It still bothers me when I see it. They are someone's babushka (grandmother in Russian). I truly adore old folks. So to see them begging...it hurts me. So we often gave our change. (It's a thin line to walk...how to approach this subject.) But I didn't want to just give them ten rubles, walk away, and feel good about myself. I wanted to say something meaningful to them in those few seconds. So one of the first things I learned to say in Russian--Jesus loves you. And when we would give them our small change, I would whisper it to them. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you.

Because I have worked in public schools for most of my career, I have many, many friends who are not believers. They would consider themselves Christian in the sense that they are not Jewish or Muslim, but not in the sense of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are one of those people, here's what I want you to know. Jesus loves you. No matter what you've done, haven't done, no matter how "bad" you've been or haven't been. He doesn't care about you cleaning up to come to Him. He doesn't care if you've been "good," either. He doesn't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. (Don't get me started on the Facebookers who put "I vote how Jesus would vote" on their information....drives me NUTS.) He doesn't care if you come to a Baptist church or a Methodist church or an Episcopal church. He loves you, and He died for you, and He rose again for you, and He is desperate to have a relationship with you. And all the other stuff that you see in the news--Christians fighting amongst themselves about stupid things that don't matter--ignore it. That is NOT Jesus. That's us. And we are often stupid.

And if you are a believer, how about we make a deal. How about we stop fighting. How about we stop distracting and detracting from the good news of Jesus Christ. How about we all realize along with Paul that the world is full of sinners, of whom I am the worst and just get over ourselves, our pet projects, our pet issues. How about we cut each other a break. What if we gave that a try for a while?

Well, I'm off to Prague for the day, so I'd better run. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you know that Jesus loves you so much, and that your husband is fixing supper tonight, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

My Lifetime Movie

John's amazing cake--courtesy of Sarah Beth and her decorating skills.

John's closest friend, Laini. They accepted Christ on the same day, were baptized together, and they really love one another so much. There is something special about these two.

Hannah and Sarah Beth made this face, too--it's a Nerf target for him to shoot instead of shooting them. All three were pretty excited about it!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This is the first morning in several that I've gotten up and not immediately spiked a fever, so I am thoroughly enjoying my second cup of coffee and some peace and quiet and time to think. The flu has reared its ugly head in the Hooks household this week, and it has not been pretty. Marc and John have remained pretty much unaffected, but the Hooks girls have been just this side of disgusting. I'm hoping that when they get up, the flu will also have run its course with them, and we can all enjoy not feeling so terrible.

When I am sick, my mind does weird things. And this week, one of the things I've been thinking about is Lifetime movies. Now, let me say up front--I love a good Lifetime movie. They're pretty harmless, they don't have bad language, they aren't usually too graphic for me to watch, and they almost always have some woman who overcomes some kind of terrible odds. I like a good woman-overcoming-odds movie. I really do. But the titles. The titles are so goofy sometimes. It's usually some statement, a colon, and then the name of the woman whose story is being told. Something like: "Bathtime for Baby: The Betty Richardson Story." So, in my fever-induced daze, I started thinking about what my Lifetime movie would be titled. And I kept coming back again and again to something Marc's grandmother said to him once on the phone. She was a little confused in her latter years, and once, when he was in high school, he picked up the phone to find his Nana on the other line. "I lost me. But I found myself again." So I've decided to borrow from Nana and make that my Lifetime movie title--"I Lost Me, but I Found Myself Again: The Kellye Hooks Story." What do you think?

We should find out this week the exact date we will leave Europe and head home for our Stateside. It involves our candidate consultant, being on the field for so many days, etc. It's nothing I want to get into here, because it's kind of complicated (read that as "I don't totally understand it myself"), but no matter what date they come back with, we are somewhere around 125 days away from going home. And to be completely honest, I'm not sure how to feel about that. Don't get me wrong--I can't wait to see my Momma and Daddy, my sisters and brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, friends. And I need a break. I have not seen my home country for nearly three years, and I am ready to touch some American soil. But in many ways, I feel like I have just gotten my feet steady here, just gotten my sea legs, so to speak. To leave, transition back to my old life for a time, then come back to the field...it seems like a lot to me right now. Because in so many ways, I am not the person I was when I left the U.S. on October 3rd, 2007.

For the entire first year on the field, I felt so lost. Imagine going from my former life--where I had enjoyed so much professional success, loved my job, loved my church, loved living close to family--to a life where I didn't speak the language, didn't understand the culture, didn't understand the weather, and most of all, didn't understand what I was supposed to do. I was so used to being the go-to gal in my former life...and suddenly, no one really wanted my help or my opinion about anything (for good reason--I wasn't in any position to help anyone). I had to rely on other people to help me through illness (imagine trying to find medicine for your child in a language you don't read, yet), through grocery shopping (I had a bag of potatoes thrown at me once because I didn't do something right), through plugging stuff in (don't even ask how many things I blew up because I couldn't get the right adapter on anything)...I was just basically useless, and I didn't like it AT ALL. Ask my family. Ask my sister, Cathy, who talked to me on Christmas Eve as I sobbed because our church didn't acknowledge American Christmas Eve (I snuck down the hall to the Korean Church, where they were singing carols, stood outside, and cried). Or ask Kay how many times I said I just hated everything about my life. Or my poor parents...who probably spent the entire first year on their knees for me. I was miserable, my kids were miserable, and poor Marc...poor Marc loved Russia so much that he wasn't miserable, and don't think I didn't make him pay for that!

So what happened? How did I find myself again? I stopped caring about what other people thought about me. I started caring about listening to whatever advice I could find. I was open and honest about how miserable I was to those who could help me, but I stopped complaining 24/7 to my family at home. I stopped relying on my emotions, which lied to me again and again and again. I made friends and actually asked for help. And for a while, I just faked it. I stood at my kitchen window and sang, "It is Well with My Soul" to the 50,000 people who lived in my block, even though I didn't feel like anything was well with my soul, because I came to understand that no matter what I felt, no matter what my emotions were telling me, it would be well with my soul again. Seasons pass, times change, people leave the field, people come to the field...and one thing alone remains the same--the God of Everything is still there, still loves me, still holds me securely, and still has a plan for my life. It didn't always feel good. It wasn't always fun. But after a time, I found myself again. It was a different me, a me changed forever by my experience up close and personal with the God of the Universe, but it was me, nonetheless.

So I'm praying as we get ready to return to the States for a time that I will take those lessons with me, that the old Kellye is forever gone, that the new Kellye is going to be making the trip home. And that if they ever do make "I Lost Me, but I Found Myself Again: The Kellye Hooks Story," Reese Witherspoon will play me. :) Wherever you are in the world, I pray that your Lifetime movie is being written by the One who loves you most, and that you are looking forward to a day without a fever, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Great is His Faithfulness

John and Laini's latest fort. It was, in reality, pretty impressive. It had a sleeping room, a game room, and a room for Playmobil. C'mon--that's not bad for an 8 and 7 year old.

I just thought this was cute. Hannah-Banana is definitely not the little girl she was when we left the States.

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

Wow! It's been nearly two months since you heard from me--definitely the longest since we left the States in 2007. Most of you know that it has been an eventful time for us--John became very ill, and we had to leave the apartment where we were living in Prague. We spent two weeks being homeless, then found a new home in Plzen, near the Czech/German border. We now live in a sweet neighborhood, with kind, wonderful neighbors, not to mention close friends who are now also close by. Much of the last month has been taken up with me moving us into our home here while Marc has been in Vancouver at the Olympics. He also spent a week in Florida, speaking to different groups about the work in this part of the world (and being completely spoiled by my parents). He has had an amazing, if exhausting, month, and he comes home to us tomorrow. We are a pretty excited group of people! To make it even better, my friend, Melissa, who has been in the hospital seemingly forever with an ear infection that turned pretty bizarre, is also coming home tomorrow. I feel like Friday just might be a pretty amazing day.

Sometimes, I don't write anything here because nothing interesting is going on in my life. Sometimes, interesting stuff is happening, but I just don't have time to sit down and get this done. Sometimes--and this is one of those times--I don't write because I find myself in the midst of something overwhelming, and I don't know how to put it into words that would even make sense to someone else. My friend, Frances, jokes that we will some day be Member Care--the counseling wing of the IMB--because every weird thing that could happen has happened to us on the field. John's illness--caused by something in the water that got into his system through cracked and bleeding skin on his hands--is just the latest in a really strange set of circumstances that has been our path for the last three years. However, I have to say that though we have clearly had some bizarre stuff happen, I think we've had an amazing experience on the field, one I will always be thankful for--if for no other reason than that God has proven Himself so faithful in every way through every circumstance we have faced. Here are just a few examples:

• The entire team we served with when we came to Moscow--a team full of people we dearly loved--resigned and returned to the States. Each person/family were following where God was leading them, and these were certainly not decisions they made lightly. But you can imagine, I think, that as they one-by-one left (starting, quite literally, with our first week there, when a journeyman left to get married), we started to feel like maybe we were a little toxic. As we continued, more close friends from outside of our team resigned or left Moscow, making us feel as though we had some kind of aura about us that made people feel instantly that God wanted them to leave. This wasn't true, and we certainly knew it, but it was difficult not to feel somehow responsible for the number of people close to us who were leaving. So what did we learn? Through this experience we learned to be grateful for the people God places in our lives, but not to be dependent on them for our security. No matter what God is telling other people to do, He has a special plan just for us, and it's our responsibility to follow it...no matter what it entails. The flip side of that is that other people have to follow God's plan for them, no matter how much we will miss them.
  

• The loss of our beloved friend, Teri. Please don't get me wrong--her unexpected death is not my family's story, it's her family's story, and because I love them so much, I would never want anyone to think that I think her death was all about what it did to our family. But the family had become such an important part of our lives, and I had come to rely so much on Teri for love and support and encouragement that her sudden death was a shock to us, just like it was to all who knew her. In many ways, her death shaped our time on the field more than any other single event. She was that important to us. So what did I learn through this death of a precious friend? Treasure the time, make it count, love people...all things, by the way, that I learned from Teri's life. Together with my friend, Frances, no one has shaped who I am on the field more than Teri. And so, once again, I am thankful and grateful for my time with her, knowing that God has a purpose in her death just like He had a purpose in her life. I don't know what purpose her death served, and I likely will never know this side of Heaven, but I have seen the God of all comfort in action, and I know He knows. And for me, right now, that is enough.
  

• Moving to Prague. Hmmm...ever done something that you knew, absolutely, 100% was God's will and then been kind of unhappy? Not discontent (well, at least not most of the time), but unhappy. Some unhappiness was caused by illness, because we all felt sick in the apartment we lived in, with Sarah Beth suffering the longest (she literally broke out into hives the first night we were there and never got better) and John becoming really ill at the end of our time there. Ever been happy in ministry, in schooling, in work, in closeness to friends...but still had a vague sense of unease? That was us in Prague. And we felt guilty about it (still do, I suppose in some ways)--life in Prague was easier than in Moscow, better weather, a huge, beautiful place to live, a gorgeous city to explore, ministry to do with Russian-speakers--feeling as though we were ungrateful for all the good stuff in our lives. And the Czech people! Don't get me started on the kindness of Czechs. They are an amazingly hospitable people in my experience--so kind as I butcher their language on a daily basis, or break into Russian, a language they cannot love, since it's pretty much the language of oppression to them. And yet, they smile and listen, answering me in Czech, allowing me to answer them in Russian. So kind. Ever been there, where you should be ecstatic, should be thinking you were in paradise--and yet that's not at all how you felt? I don't have the answer to this one, friends. I have some ideas, but most of them are just forming about this sense of unease, and I'm not quite ready to share them. However, I can say, without a doubt, that God intends us to serve Him wherever He plants us, no matter whether we're happy or not. Daily, God puts people in front of us to serve, people who need to know His love. If you think that's not true, then you're not paying attention. I don't care who you are, I don't care where you are--if you're a believer, God is putting people in front of you who need to know about His love. And you know what? He doesn't care if you're happy. That is not an acceptable excuse for not loving people. Our lesson: Do what He has for us right now, no matter what. The whys will take care of themselves in time.

This is kind of a mixed bag, isn't it? My brain is so jumbled, I'm not even sure if you can see the connection between these three examples. But to me, as I think my way through the last three years on the field, what connects every circumstance, every weird thing is the unbending, inflexible nature of God's faithfulness to me and to us as a family. He has never wavered, though I have often wavered. He has never lost sight of who I am, though I have often felt completely lost. He has never stopped being merciful and gracious, though I have sometimes had a hard time being merciful and gracious, sometimes to others, more often to myself. He has never stopped loving me, though I have often been my own most-unrelenting critic. He has cut me a break seven times seventy times, though I have been unforgiving of the slightest flaw in myself. He is gracious and merciful and compassionate beyond measure...but it is His faithfulness to one as unfaithful as I that brings me to my knees. Great is His faithfulness...I will sing it with my dying breath.

Well, my children are moving around, wanting to be fed and start school so they can get done. It's a pretty morning here in Plzen, and the temperatures are starting to warm up. I can't wait to get outside and breathe in some fresh air! Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are grateful for the many ways God shows His faithfulness to you, and that you are only 31 hours away from seeing your beloved, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

A thank you note to Southern Baptists

Prague's snowy rooftops make the city even more of a fairy tale. This is the view out of John's window this morning.

It has been snowing pretty steadily for a day now. I don't think you can tell from the picture, but it is still really snowing outside. This is the view from our living room window.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9

Happy New Year from snowy, beautiful Prague! The kids and I are snug in our apartment this morning, trying to stay warm, and Marc is in the Arctic Circle trying to do the same. John and I went to a homeschool activity yesterday morning, and we were both pretty startled by how cold we were. Lots of wind and snow. And we thought Central Europe would be warmer! Oh, well...it certainly is beautiful.

I've been thinking a lot lately about Southern Baptists. (I don't care if you are Southern Baptist, by the way. We just happen to work for a Southern Baptist entity.) Many of you are aware of the economic downturn at imb (our new branding has all lowercase letters and no article...it makes me nervous as an English teacher). The Cooperative Program (the method by which Southern Baptist churches cooperate for things like missions, seminary education, state conventions, etc.) saw a downturn, as churches gave less because they had less, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) came in about 40 million dollars below what we needed. It has been a hard time, and people on the field have certainly felt the economic crunch in many ways. (Kind of like the States, huh?) I've been thinking about Lottie Moon and her offering, about what makes Southern Baptists give to missions, and about being grateful and thankful to Southern Baptists for our life here on the field.

When I gave to LMCO as a child, I gave because my church gave. I grew up knowing about Lottie Moon through missions organizations like GAs and Mission Friends and Acteens, and my church gave to LMCO every Christmas. As I grew older and became an adult, sometimes I gave to LMCO because I hoped that God would leave me alone about missions. (Yes, that makes me smile.) But often I gave because it was what was expected. It wasn't until I became close friends with a former MK, until I knew her parents and came to deeply love them, that Lottie Moon really came alive for me. She wasn't just some long-ago missionary to China. She was Uncle Ed and Aunt Mary, working in Kenya and Belgium, loving their family, missing the States, adoring Oklahoma football. She was a real person. And because I identified with them, she became more important to me.

I thought about this New Year's Eve, when we had 52 people at our house for a party. (We have a cool roof-top terrace, a perfect place to watch fireworks.) All but two of those people are supported by LMCO. You know what we did? We watched football (of course--the Sooners were playing!), we played games, we ate too much food, we set off fireworks with our kids, we hugged our children and kissed our spouses at midnight...we did the same things you did. Your missionaries (and we ARE your missionaries, if you tithe every week in a Southern Baptist church) aren't the super-saved. We're normal people. Ordinary. We love our kids, we worry about their allergies, our spouses travel too much, our houses aren't always clean...just like you. The difference is that God has called us for such a time as this to a land that is not our own, and we said, "Yes."

Some of the early news about LMCO is promising. Our home church gave more than ever before. Another church in our area of Florida collected $30,000 on Christmas Eve. I have heard others say that they are also hearing good things about the offering. I don't know how it will turn out any better than anyone else, but I do know that Southern Baptists are Southern Baptist because they believe in missions, in the Great Commission, in going to the ends of the earth. And so, as I sit here in my comfortable chair, watching it snow and drinking my second cup of coffee, I want to say, "Thank you." Thank you for contributing what you could. Thank you for believing in my call from God. Thank you for sacrificing and giving so that my family could live in this beautiful but very lost city. When we pray over our meals, we often say, "Thank you for the food and for the Southern Baptists who paid for it." I don't know anyone who works for our company who isn't thankful for the ordinary person who sits in a pew somewhere and gives faithfully every week so we can do what we do. While we sacrificed to come here, you sacrifice so we can stay. You are never far from our minds, and we are grateful for your sacrifice. I just wanted you to know.

Well, my kids are still asleep at almost 9a.m. What will I do with the quiet? I might read a book. Or I might just sit here, sipping my coffee and watching the snow. Either sounds pretty good to me! Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are continuing to fulfill God's call on your life, and that you don't have to get out in the snow, either. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

It turns out encouragement comes in a flat-rate box from the US Postal Service...who knew?

Hannah and I went to the salon and had our hair cut yesterday. Doesn't she look grown up?!?!

Boo Boo and I being silly after John John's Christmas party.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light... I Peter 2:9

There are some pretty excited kids in our apartment this morning, because there is a pretty good amount of snow on the ground, and it is still coming down at a good pace. Okay, it's not just the kids who are excited...Marc and I are loving the snow, too. The only one who isn't excited is Sarah Beth, who hates the snow. Her first words to us yesterday, when she woke up to find it snowing, were, "Okay...who prayed for snow?" But the rest of us are loving it! The high today is 20, and the forecast is calling for snow the next four days. Sweet!

I was thinking this morning about an old friend of mine. During a very dark and difficult time in her life, when we had taken her children somewhere or done something for them, she wrote us a thank you note. In her note, she said something I'll never forget. She thanked us for our kindness, and she said that when we did something for her children, we did it for her. I thought I knew how she felt then, but it wasn't until we came to the mission field that I really understood what she was saying. We have recently been the recipient of just this sort of kindness, and now I truly understand that when you do something for my kids, you've done it for me.

It has been a truly difficult six months since we moved to Prague. While we have no doubt that we are exactly where God means us to be for this moment, it is not home. We live in someone else's apartment, with someone else's cats, and though we are grateful for the roof over our heads and the companionship of their pets, those things are theirs, not ours. For the first time since we came to the field, we have very little money, because we took a cut in our field parity to come to Prague, but our expenses rose (due to things like electricity, internet, etc.) drastically. We do not have plans for the next year or two nailed down, yet, which is disconcerting. And though I cannot believe I am going to say this...we miss Russia. In fact, we pretty desperately miss Russia. God has definitely used this time in Prague to make us know for certain that our hearts are fitted for Russia and for Russians. He has used our ministry to Russian speakers as a way to confirm that, and we are grateful for that ministry, but it does not make us long for Russia less. So...it has been a difficult six months here.

So imagine how we felt as Christmas quickly approached. Very little money, homesick for America, homesick for Moscow, lonely...you name it. We were feeling pretty down and blue. But then something amazing happened. My dad would call and say, "I just put money in your account from so-and-so. Just wanted you to know." Or, "A Sunday School class has adopted you guys for Christmas, and they need a list of things you'd like from home." Or my sister would call and say, "My Sunday School class has collected money for a gift. What would you like me to do with it?" Then, last Friday, seven boxes arrived from our home church. SEVEN! The nice young man who is our delivery person for the Czech postal service even clapped his hands as the kids danced around and shouted to each other. The boxes were full of presents and treats for Christmas. I had so much fun letting the kids put presents under the tree and enjoy their Christmas socks and Christmas cups. What a great time!

But it's not the boxes that made a difference in our feelings. It was being remembered. Imagine the fun of looking at the names on those gifts and recognizing people from home. How would you feel if you were far away from home, if you hadn't seen people you loved in a couple of years, and you knew that someone at home had gone to the store and bought something especially for you? Imagine the joy of imagining someone at Walmart thinking to themselves, "John Hooks would really love these cars." To be thought about, to be remembered, to know that you are prayed over...these are things that far surpass boxes and gifts. I have received several notes in the last two weeks--words of encouragement and love and support--and they have lifted my spirits in ways I don't even have words to describe.

Imagine the joy of watching my children be encouraged. We were able to throw a surprise Christmas party for John with money donated to us by Sunday School classes. I was able to surprise Hannah with a haircut at a salon yesterday with money donated by a Sunday School class. The fun of watching them look through those presents under the tree, shaking and listening and wondering...indescribable. And because folks did these things for my kids, they have done them for me.

Do boxes of gifts from home and notes of encouragement change any of our circumstances, make us miss Moscow any less, make it any easier to be here? Nope. But there is something about knowing that we are loved and missed, thought about and prayed over, something about a tangible reminder of these things, that makes it easier to deal with the discouragement, the loneliness, and the homesickness. It makes it easier to face the next eight months and finish well. It really does.

So here is my challenge to you. Find someone who serves somewhere to encourage today. Maybe your pastor or youth minister or worship minister is going through a tough time and could use a little love. Maybe you know of a military family who is experiencing separation this Christmas. Send them a note. Remind them that they are loved. Thank them for their service. Pray for them. Above all, pray for them. I promise you that, just like the boxes blessed the Czech man who delivered them, when you give and encourage and pray for someone, you will be blessed, too.

Well, it's time to make breakfast for my hungry crew. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are encouraged by those who love you and are praying for you, and that there is snow in your forecast, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Yellow cake and icing

Yellow cake:
Cream together:
1 cup softened butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Sift together:
3 3/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix wet and dry ingredients and pour into greased caked pans (or cupcake holders). Bake at 175C until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. This was the best, moistest yellow cake recipe I've found.

Buttercream Icing (thank you to Stacy Dyck)
1/2 cup solid shortening (we used butter last night, and it was fine)
1/2 cup butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar (again, we have used Russian and Czech before, and it's fine)
2 Tbsp milk

Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. When all is added, add milk and beat until light and fluffy. Add food coloring for desired color.

This icing recipe has worked great for us. Leslie, you might also ask Frances for her cooked frosting recipe. We've had great luck with that, too.

For the rest of you, who came looking for a blog post--I promise I'm working on it. But trust me, when you find a good recipe that works here, you have to share with your pals. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Kellye

Breadmaker Roll Recipe

I've had several people ask for my roll recipe. Here it is:

Add to the breadmaker in this order:
1 cup water
2 beaten eggs
1/3 plus 2 TBSP oil (I've been using olive oil lately)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt (In CZ, I add an extra 1/2 tsp., since our salt isn't very salty)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Set for the dough cycle. When it's finished, roll it into whatever you want to make--I use this recipe for dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, hot dog and hamburger buns--then let it rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 175 C for 10-12 minutes. That's it. Enjoy!