Why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Our New House!

Ahhhhh.....we're all settled in.  WHAT a wonderful feeling!  No more back and forth.  No more stressful renovations.  No more packing.  No more answering Ethan's question of "Can we sleep at the new house?" with "Not yet, buddy."  WE LIVE HERE!!!  And it's awesome.  Here's why:

1) I can pull into the garage and unload my groceries directly into the kitchen.  Well, let's just start with the fact that we have a garage.  We still need to figure out how to change the code on one of the garage doors though because the across-the-street neighbors' opener also opens our door. 

2) I can walk around my bed without turning sideways. (That's how small our old master bedroom was.)

3) The boys have been playing in the backyard every day.  In fact, on the first day here, they were watching their morning TV and I gently suggested that they might want to go play outside because it was going to start raining (the extent of Hurricane Irene here in way-inland-Virginia).  Normally, Ethan whines if he has to turn off the TV, but he hopped off the couch OF HIS OWN VOLITION, turned off the TV and headed immediately out to the sandbox.  And when they are outside, they can't get out of the yard and it is S.I.L.E.N.T inside.  Ahhhhh.....

4) When it rains, the boys can ride their bikes like maniacs and punch the daylights out of the used punching bag that hangs in the garage.  I'm realizing just how much the boys were missing all these energy busters at the townhouse.

5) I can feed the boys directly at the kitchen counter.  This makes for easy prep, easy serving and easy cleanup.  I think we've used the actual dining room once since Thursday.

6) My laundry room is in the master bathroom closet.  Although I absolutely detest doing laundry, I did a load on Saturday, and it was so easy I was almost giddy.  Unfortunately, it does not make actually folding the laundry you do any easier.  Turns out I still have to do that...

7) Two sinks in our master bathroom.  Previously, Dave and I had a decent size bathroom with one sink.  Getting ready together usually involved one of us sitting around waiting for the other one to be done.  NOW...we can both brush our teeth at the same time!!!!  Or, I can wash my face while he brushes his teeth!!  It's amazing.

8) The neighbors are great!  On moving day, the next door neighbor came over with cookies, and over the past month and a half since we've owned this house, we've met people from way down the street who have gone out of their way to welcome us here.  Of course, it doesn't quite make up for our wonderful neighbors at our townhouse who we will also miss. (You know who you are.)

9) Dual zone AC.  I love that there isn't this battle to figure out what temperature to set the first level at so that the second level isn't stifling and vice versa.  And we seem to be able to keep the temperatures higher in this house, probably because there aren't four floors to regulate? 

10) This house totally suits our needs.  Every kid has tons of space.  We have a playroom to contain the toys.  We have a garage.  We have a yard.  We have a porch.  We have a great kitchen for entertaining (and with all the church ministry opportunities that Dave and I have found ourselves a part of in the last few weeks - another blog post - we need it!)  There's room to grow but it's not overwhelmingly large.  So happy...

P.S. Pictures to come when there aren't boxes stacked along the walls and when curtains are hung by something other than a tack.

Lesson in Verbal Etiquette

Let me tell you how a typical attempt to have a deep conversation about proper behavior and etiquette goes with an almost-four year old...

True story.

Setting: At the checkout line in the grocery store.

Ethan walks up to me and loudly asks why the teenage/college age (they all look way too young to me) boy who has just appeared to bag my bagged groceries has spots on his face.  Yes, that would be acne.  All I can think to say at the moment is: "Ethan, stop.  Shhh...." (while inadvertently glancing up at the boy in question to see what the heck he means...and making eye contact which means...he heard.) So on the way out to the car, we have this conversation:

Me: Ethan, if you see something different about someone, it's not nice to talk about it. 
Ethan: Why?
Me:  Well, it might make them feel bad. 
Ethan: How can we do that?
Me: Um...well...when you talk about spots on someone's face, it might hurt their feelings.  We need to think about others and only use kind words about someone.  If you notice something about someone's face that you want to talk about, you talk quietly to Mommy about it or don't say anything at all.
Ethan: Mom, can you back into the garage?

Well, I think the message got through, don't you?

Kitchen Makeover

Before:

And after!

Still a few things that need to be done eventually: there will be a tile backsplash, possible recessed lighting, pendulum lights over the bar area and the floor needs to be patched where the island used to be. 

We're moving in tomorrow so I will be MIA until I'm a little settled!  See you on the other side!

For the Baby...

I've been doing a lot of painting lately.  My friend (who is also an interior designer) has been helping me pick out the *right* paint colors as well as actually painting my house with me (we were working until 10:30 the other night...)  My grand plans have been to:

1) paint family room/kitchen

2) paint downstairs half bath

3) paint master bathroom (which involves putting on primer because it's a dark color, hence...double work)

And then, you know, I thought, hey, we'll just slowly work our way through the other rooms.  The nursery will be last because I have 14 1/2 weeks (!!!!) until Baby Boy #3 arrives. 

But then I got to the house yesterday afternoon to accomplish #2 goal.  The plumber was hooking up all the bathroom sinks and the other working guy was replacing light fixtures and hanging mirrors in the bathrooms.  Soooo....now what?  Well, ok, I guess I'll just do the nursery since I have the paint.  Initially I was a little bummed that I was rearranging my goals but then I started working and it felt really good.

For the past month or so, I have barely been able to think about the baby.  It's been all house, house, house...it felt really good to be preparing for my baby to come.  I'm starting to feel that anticipation of "I just want to hold him!!!!"  And gosh, forget about how that third kid gets jipped with all worn hand-me-downs and drab nursery decor!  This boy is getting the best nursery of all thanks to that same paint-choosing interior designer friend who just happened to be getting rid of baby bedding that perfectly matched my nursery wall art!

So then later, I went to Target and picked out these:

Yes, I have tons of boy clothes in the right season.  But I always allow the new baby to have something new to come home in.  Dude...these clothes are SO TINY!!!  And they will be TOO BIG!!! I stood in Target choosing these, and it's a good thing the baby section was empty because I was tearing up picking them. 

Oh Baby I.C.S...I can't wait for you to come!!

Parenting Is Heart Work - A Book Recommendation

How many times as parents do we feel like we spend all day long correcting behavior to no avail?  How frustrating is that?!?!  Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller offer some greatly appreciated words of wisdom in their book Parenting Is Heart Work. 

For those of you who have read Tedd Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart, you will recognize many of the same concepts.  Turansky and MIller believe that parents must get to the heart of an issue rather than simply focusing on modifying behavior.  Without getting deeper than behavior, there is no lasting growth and change in our children.  They talk about how our hearts work, how to connect emotionally with our children, how to discern where our children are struggling and how to effectively correct wrong thinking towards biblical thinking.  Both Tripp's book and Turansky/Miller's books point out that it is in our hearts that true change and growth happen, and both books talk about ways to connect with your children.  And that's about where the similarities end.

I realize that those of you who have NOT read Tripp's book won't have a frame of reference for this comment, but I actually think I might prefer this book to Tripp's.  While I appreciate and agree with many of Tripp's thoughts, I came away from that book wishing I understood how to apply the concepts.  It felt very cerebral to me; after taking the Shepherding a Child's Heart class at my church, I know I'm not alone.  Many of us in the class agreed with the theology and foundational principles presented but were looking for more application. But how does this fit into everyday life? was the question I found myself asking. 

Turansky and Miller's book is an easy read - extremely approachable, even to the point of sometimes feeling a bit simplistic.  There are tons of examples from real life families complete with exactly how parents worded their instructions and many suggestions of how to work through specific issues.  It's not just concepts in this book, it's practical application of Scriptural concepts.  After reading this book, I feel like I've been able to look at my kids and actually begin to see what is going on in their hearts.  I can tell that it's going to be an adjustment moving from telling my kids to simply stop behaving incorrectly and getting down deeper but it's soooo much more interesting!  More challenging as well, but definitely more interesting. 

As an example of how I've personally been able to apply what I've read (already!): Just this morning, Noah was playing with a calculator while Ethan was eating breakfast.  Ethan really wanted to play with that calculator, but I told him that while he was eating it would be Noah's turn and that Ethan could have a turn when he was done eating.  Once he was done, he got down and turned to Noah to get the calculator.  Of course, Noah was not so thrilled to have his turn be finished and rather than hand it to Ethan nicely, he threw it at him.  Well, Ethan lost it, crying hysterically and refusing to have anything to do with the calculator.  I could have simply told Ethan to chill out and "stop having a bad attitude", but instead I sent him to "Take a Break" (as per the book) and when he came back calmer, we talked for a minute about what had made him feel angry and what he could have done instead. 

I also appreciated the fact that there was no discussion of spanking here, even though Dave and I do believe it has a place.  Based on the other materials available from the authors, I know that they believe spanking can be one effective tool of discipline, but I was glad it didn't come into the discussion here.  I found the lengthy explanation of spanking found in Tripp's book to be somewhat distracting.  When you're looking for specific and practical application of the concepts, and Tripp spends two full chapters discussing spanking in nitty gritty details, I think the danger is to get stuck on thinking that discipline involves solely spanking and it doesn't.  The focus in Parenting Is Heart Work was entirely on equipping our children and influencing their values on a heart level.  Turansky and Miller write, "Parents sometimes misunderstand discipline's goal.  They focus on consequences and believe that when they've given the consequence they're done.  Punishment focuses on justice; discipline concentrates on teaching.  Instead of a sentence to be served, discipline is an opportunity for growth (p.184)."  This is not a book about consequences, it's about guidance and teaching.  In any case, if you disagree with spanking, you can safely read this book. 

Turansky and Miller have several other books available (and many other resources available from their organization - the National Center for Biblical Parenting), and I'm definitely planning on reading them.  Let me know what you think if you pick up this one!

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Mess

This is the disastrous mess that is currently our new house.  We are *hoping* that most of it will get done this week so that we can move in next week, but we shall see.  Things seem to take MUCH longer than we think they are going to. 

The garage, complete with new cabinets, the Noah's new-from-a-consignment-shop dresser, our first Craigslist purchase of washer and dryer waiting to be moved to the master bathroom, and behind the cabinets is Dave's brand new dresser.

Oh, and side story...the garage door is acting screwy.  We got new garage door openers and ever since then, even though they are closed when we leave, we come back the next day to find the right side open.  Not sure what's going on, but for now, the neighbors are keeping an eye out and we have locked the screwy side.  Thankfully, we live in a fairly safe area where people aren't roaming  around looking to steal kitchen cabinets.

The kitchen, still undone as of today.  The cabinets are supposed to be installed tomorrow.  But they were supposed to be installed on this past Thursday so...I'm not holding my breath. But hey! The bulkhead is done and drywalled!  That's progress, right?  And yes, that is a toilet sitting in the doorway.

Half bath on first floor...has no vanity yet.  But hey!  It has a new toilet! That flushes correctly!  Also...still purple.  Definitely will be changing.  Notice the newly tiled floors that do NOT have pink grout.

Master bedroom: I was able to get this painted this past week thanks to good babysitters and my inlaws watching the boys. The cabinets in the middle of the floor are the remnants of the master bath vanity.

Master bathroom: I couldn't get a good picture because there isn't room in there to actually take a picture due to the new vanity waiting to be installed.  The installation can't happen until the wall is re-drywalled after getting the plumbing changed to accomodate double sinks.  The closet doors are...somewhere...and the toilet is currently sitting in the shower.

Looking downstairs into the front living room.  Yes, that's toilet paper randomly thrown on the floor next to a riding toy.  There is also a pile of old quarter-round dangerously laying around with nails poking out waiting for a wild boy to jump on them, a pedestal sink in multiple pieces, an unassembled media stand and a boxed vanity for the half bath waiting to be installed.

Not much mess here.  The curtains need to go, the light fixture needs to be raised to accomodate our higher table and the stove obviously needs to go back into the kitchen.

We are, however, enjoying the porch swing that the past owners left at the house.  Yea for small joys!

Dave the Homeschool Dad

Dave officially earned his (Pre) Homeschool Dad badge last night.  He taught Ethan a science lesson using a made-up song.  Sort of goes like this: (and imagine Dave's parts put to music)

Dave: When the sun goes down, what comes up?
Ethan: The moon!!
Dave: When the moon comes up, what comes out?
Ethan: The stars!!
Dave: When the moon goes down, what comes up?
Ethan: The sun!!
Dave: When the sun comes up, what comes out?
Ethan: The clouds!!

He didn't even realize he was teaching him until I pointed it out.  Such a natural.  He was even bothered by the fact that it's not completely accurate to say that the clouds only and automatically come out when the sun comes out.  He's a great dad.

Landscaping Makeover

Front of the house - Before

Front of the house - After

Backyard - Before

Backyard - After (minus the tree next to the shed)

The War of Differences Between You

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.

~ Leo Tolstoy

Dave and I are pretty much opposites in every way.  I actually think it might be hard to find two people who are more opposite than we are. 

- I'm an introvert and he's an extrovert.

- He loves people and people exhaust me.

- He's spontaneous and I'm a planner.

- He loves change and I love predictability.

- He never gets angry and I am quick to anger.

- I have no problem stating my opinion or preference; his opinion sometimes changes based on his perception of my opinion.

- I'm judgmental and Dave is accepting.

- Dave likes spicy food and I eat it because I have to.

- He's activity-oriented and I'm a homebody.

- I was a good student and he barely survived college.

- He can talk to anyone about anything, while I have a hard time initiating conversation with new people.

- He has a lot of friends, and I have a few close ones.

Paul Tripp, in his book What Did You Expect?? , talks about the role differences play in our marriages.  At one point he writes, "Dealing with your differences is never just about communication, negotiation, and compromise.  It is spiritual war." (p.228) I don't know that everyone has this experience because not everyone has a long list of crucial differences to offer, but that resonated with me.  Although those differences initially attracted Dave and I to each other, they quickly became major points of contention, leading us at some moments to seriously question whether or not we should even be together.  Our first few years of marriage were very difficult in part due to the battles we chose to fight over our differences.  The delight over our differences rapidly evolved into a desire to be married to our clone.  Our way of being was the ONLY way of being.  It was the ONLY RIGHT way of being.  It was, essentially, a War of Selfishness. 

You know, I can't totally pinpoint when our attitudes about that changed, but somewhere in there, we started realizing that one's strength built up the other's weakness.  We stopped fighting the fact that we were different and started working with it.  We stopped choosing to make every difference a battleground (is there really a point in fight over the fact that he wants me to buy the expensive soft toilet paper and I frugally want to buy only the cheapest?)And guess what?  It is a much happier place to be.  Tripp writes, "Unity in marriage is not the result of sameness.  You will never ever be exactly the same as your spouse.  God has designed that you will be married to someone different from you.  Unity is, rather, the result of what husband and wife do in the face of the inevitable differences that exist in the lives of every married couple." (p.210) 

There's never a total ceasefire in the War of Differences.  Dave and I still struggle sometimes with our differences.  I still wish he was more predictable and he wishes I could muster up some teeny tiny bit of spontaneity.  I clam up during the greeting time at church (while wishing he would stay close to me) and he flits around talking to everyone (while wishing I would come with him).  But as we've grown to appreciate the positive aspects of those characteristics, it has become generally easier and less frustrating.   

Does this resonate with anyone else?

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Renovation = Drama

Despite having watched those house-flipping shows on TLC, I don't think it ever really sunk in that the drama portrayed on those shows could actually happen to me.  You know what I mean...they pull out the plumbing and discover termites, the paint is the wrong color, they go to redo the landscaping and discover the plumbing is leaking. 

So far we've had nothing along those lines, but let me just fill you in on the drama that has happened this week:

The Grout-astrophe
Originally, we weren't going to replace the laminate flooring in the bathrooms with tile.  Not at first.  It was going to be one of those things that we did eventually, along the way, as we lived longer in the house.  However, Dave started to feel like if we didn't do it before we moved in, we would never end up doing it.  So we bought tile and had a contractor friend do the work.  Fine.  First drama: I looked at the picture of the installed tile and didn't *love* it.  That was quickly solved when Dave brought home an actual piece of tile.  Second drama:  Beige tile.  PINK grout.  Yes, I said PINK.  Mauve, to be specific. Three bathrooms and an entryway in PINK grout.  Not nice.  All I'm going to say is that it's getting regrouted this morning.  NOT in pink.  And I'm still trying not to panic about whether or not we picked out the right color. 

Measuring Is Key
First of all, let me back up and re-explain what happened with the fridges because I don't think I explained it well.  I've heard that more than one person was confused.  Basically, the NEW house had white appliances and our current TOWNHOUSE had stainless appliances; we want stainless in the new kitchen.  So we attempted to switch out the appliances.  Problem was, we didn't measure the NEW fridge before we brought it to the TOWNHOUSE and it was too big.  I lost the molding on the townhouse pantry in order to fit it.  And it doesn't actually really fit.  It took two men throwing their entire bodies into it to push it into the space. You can't open the doors enough to get the drawers out, so if anything ever spills, tough luck.

So you would think we would have learned our lesson about measuring.  Wrong.  We had to buy a new vanity for the master bathroom because the original one (which we had intended on saving) got dismantled in the process of removing it to tile the floors.  Costco has great prices on bathroom vanities so we went and bought one.  We hauled that 400lb thing to the new house and then, after I laid awake all night panicking that it wasn't going to fit, we measured it.  Guess what?  It didn't fit.  Thankfully, we have friends with a truck who gave up their time to help us return it in the pouring down rain.  Ugh...next time?  We measure.

Leaks
The new fridge that is squeezed into the too small space at the townhouse is leaking.  We thought it was leaking from the water dispenser so we turned off the water to it until we could figure it out and it's still leaking.  Not sure what is going on, but due to the fact that it is going to be used by renters, we may end up having to buy a new fridge.   

Updates to come: Pictures of the landscaping, painting the master bedroom, the purple bathroom gets a makeover and the kitchen comes on Tuesday!!!  Stay tuned!

Major Life Changes and Pregnancy

So, um, yeah...you know how those pregnancy experts tell you not to make any other life changes while you're pregnant?  Changes like a new job, moving, divorce, marriage, etc?  Yeah.  Turns out they have a point. 

I already don't handle stress very well.  I think I might be considered a tad high-strung.  I handle it up until a certain point and then I just have a total meltdown.  Add in some extra pregnancy hormones and the fact that growing a person inside you taxes your body and it just doesn't help with the whole stress management thing.  The past month has been pretty stressful on both Dave and I. We've bought a new house which has involved tons and tons of decisions to be made.  (Incidentally, you know how people say you should be married for 10 years before you build a house?  Well, personally, I think building a house was a breeze.  This fixing up an existing house has waaaayyy more headaches.) Dave's had his hands full lining up people to complete the work.  Things keep being added to the to-do list:  Get rid of wasp nests.  Tile the bathrooms.  Change plumbing in master bathroom to accomodate a double sink.  Pick out a vanity.  Find someone to put in the vanity.  Refinish the kitchen floor (Matt? Emily? Interested?) Rewire the kitchen lighting for the new arrangement.  Refinish the garage floor.  Repair the siding that got torn off in that monster storm from 2 weeks ago.  I'm trying to pack up a house with a 2 year old and a 3 year old underfoot.  I had to prepare for a yard sale that was, in the end, less than fruitful.  Then we packed up and went on vacation; a day before we left for vacation, during the yard sale, Dave wound up with really bad swimmer's ear to the point where he was completely out of commission.  Now we're back from vacation and it all just smacked me in the face again yesterday. 

A few months after we got married, I started randomly having panic attacks.  Thankfully, they never became chronic and I was able to manage them and eventually eliminate them by cutting out caffeine, adding in exercise and using nutritional supplements.  Yesterday, I was about an inch away from another full-blown panic attack.  And it came on at the end of a nap as I was laying there thinking about all the decisions we're making and how everything is going to be organized.  Having had a panic attack before, I think I was able to maintain some mental control and prevent the full event, but I couldn't really totally pull myself together for the rest of the day. 

There's not really anything anyone else can do to help.  It all just sort of has to play itself out.  So far, the most helpful advice came from a friend after I wound up on the phone in tears.  So I'm passing it on for anyone else who finds themselves in a very stressful time of life.  First of all, she prayed with me over the phone.  Second of all, she recommended that I pull out my copy of Elisabeth Elliot's Keep a Quiet Heart.  Even the title of that book is calming.  So I did.  And here's what I read:
 
A close and fretful inquiry into how spiritual things "work" is an exercise in futility.  Even wondering how "natural" things are going to work if you bring God into them --- how God will answer a prayer for money, for example, or how your son-in-law is going to find a house for eight in southern California (on a pastor's salary) --- is sometimes an awful waste of energy.  God knows how.  Why should I bother my head about it if I've turned it over to Him?...Let it suffice you, as it sufficed Mary, to know that God knows.  If it's time to work, get on with your job.  If it's time to go to bed, go to sleep in peace.  Let the Lord of the Universe do the worrying.

So my motto is: Do the next thing.  Do what I'm supposed to be doing NOW.  Catch up on the laundry.  Take the kids to the library to get new books.  Run a few miles (yes, at nearly 6 months pregnant, I'm still running).  Cook up some oatmeal muffins for a simple dinner.  Pack a few boxes.  Make ONE decision about the house (paint color, type of blinds, etc.)  Go grocery shopping.  Clean up the 5 gazillion cars scattered on the living room rug.  Give the kids a bath.  Rub some cortizone on that rash that your son suddenly started getting from the laundry detergent.  Wash the CSA produce and find recipes for it all.  Score 78 points playing Words With Friends.  Start the Harry Potter books again.  Vacuum the upstairs bedrooms. 

Just do my job and take each moment one at a time.  It's not easy for a plan-oriented, structure-loving, control-desiring woman like me, but I'm starting to recognize that this might be the lesson that I can learn right now.  We may not have a choice about whatever difficult or frustrating situation we find ourselves in, but we always have a choice about how we respond to those situations, and right now, I can either let myself be destroyed by the stress or I can choose to quiet my heart, trust God and patiently do the next thing.

Oh yeah, and resolve that if for some far-out reason, we have a fourth child (HAHAHAHAHA!!!), we will not be moving during that pregnancy.  Never again.  I'm going to sit on the couch, eat chocolate and watch BBC literary dramas all day.  Right....

More Good Things About Raising Boys

With Boy #3 coming in November, this seems to be on my mind a lot.  Thousands of reasons why I am thrilled we're having another boy.  Thousands of reasons why I'm not disappointed to NOT be having a girl.  Thousands of reasons why I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.  Reasons like these:

1). Boys get over conflicts really quickly.  They fight it out and move on.  There is no lingering drama that festers and spills over into other areas of life. 

2) They can go shirtless in the summer and look really cute doing so.  I realize little girls can get away with this too...but only to a certain age.  Boys get to do it their whole lives.

3) Moms of girls might get tea parties, princesses and fairies, but moms of boys get pirates, robots, cowboys and superheros.  The imagination always goes directly to the realm of adventure and conquest.

4) Doing their hair is really easy.  There are no braids, barrettes, headbands that won't stay in place or traumatic hair brushing sessions...not that that EVER happened to me or anything.  Oh no...not with hair like this:

5) You can throw your boys in the shower with Dad and totally get a break from bath time.  Awesome.

6) I will never have to worry about the appropriate length of skirts, debate the appropriate age to let my daughters wear makeup, decide whether or not to allow them to wear a bikini or one piece or tankini, or question how old they should be to pierce their ears (well, actually, that one may show up...).  Boys clothes are so simple. 

7) While all children need and like to interact with their parents, boys do not have that incessant need to talk to you ALL THE TIME or connect with you relationally ALL THE TIME the same way that most girls go.  As an introverted mother who gets worn out from interacting with people, I find this very refreshing. 

8) The sound effects that occur in my house are amazing.  My boys can imitate cars, trucks, fire engine sirens, helicopters, motorcycles, trains, and dinosaurs all with a remarkable degree of accuracy.

9) Boys like to be dirty.  That means you can be lazy relaxed about bath night because they aren't going to care.

10) If you like to cook and have a fully-stocked pantry/kitchen (like I do), then mothering boys is for you because they will always be hungry.  Right now I feel like I should hook Ethan up to an IV and just pump food into him every 30 minutes.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, "Mom, I'm hungry again." or "Mom, I want sumping else to eat." 

I know there are many more things that are wonderful about boys, and I'm sure mothers of girls have many Yes, but's about what I'm missing out on by not having girls.  Anyone else having anything to add?

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Best Scones Ever!

Yep, another recipe post.  Guess what that means?  Life is crazy.  Actually, we just got back from vacation at Deep Creek Lake, MD with the rest of the Spence family.  One of the food traditions for our lake vacation is this scone recipe. 

Scones typically are kinda dry...crumbly...not really my cup of tea.  Not these scones!  These are buttery, moist and almost cake-like.  I believe the recipe originally came from Country Living magazine years and years ago.  My mom made them famous in our family and I'm making them popular in the Spence family.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 cups flour (I use half all-purpose and half whole wheat)
3+ tsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter (I use a tad more when using whole wheat flour)
1 lg egg
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (unthawed)

Directions:
Heat oven to 425.  Grease large baking sheet.

In large bowl, combine flour, 2 T sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar.  With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. (Or pulse in a food processor)  Separate egg (save both parts).  WIth fork, beat egg yolk and stir into half & half.  Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients and mix lightly with fork until mixture clings together and forms a soft dough. 

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Knead gently 5-6 times.  Gently knead in blueberries.  Divide dough in half; with lightly floured rolling pin, roll one half of dough into a 7 inch round.  Cut into 8 wedges; repeat with remaining half of dough.  Place scones, one inch apart on greased sheet.  Pierce tops with fork.  Brush with reserved egg white and sprinkle with sugar (I like to use turbinado for the crunch).  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Delicious!

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