Dots and Daisies

Pinterest Inspired Doggie Bed for Daisy

2012-01-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

I am so in love with Pinterest! It has such wonderful ideas for cooking, crafts, homemaking....you name it. If it can be done, it has been pinned.

One thing that quickly got my attention on Pinterest was the many ideas of things to make from wooden pallets. There are so many neat ideas that I had to make a board just for that! Lucky for me my brother-in-law gets tons of pallets with his business and he is saving a bunch for me. He has already sent me some nice slabs of wood.

One of the ideas of "things to do with wooden pallets" was to make a dog bed. Well, if you know me you know how much I love my sweet dog Daisy and since it is too cold to make some of the outdoor wood pallet ideas I decided to start with an indoor project. So I took two of the boards and cut 2 pieces 2 feet long and 2 pieces 18 inches long. I used a table saw, but I'm sure you could use a regular saw.

Next I painted the wood black. I had some black spray paint already so that was perfect!

I had seen a really cute idea on pinterest where you take your dogs paw and dip it in paint and then make a paw print. The pin I saw was a framed puppy print, but I decided to use the idea for the bed. Here's what I did:

I put her paw print down the two side boards and the back board. Daisy was not too fond of this process and was very glad when it was over. ;)

I knew on the front board I wanted Daisy's name with a daisy (the flower) on each side. I am not good at free style painting, but guess what??? I found this great tutorial on........wait for it.......PINTEREST that shows how to paint stencil-like letters on wood. It is so easy! I loved it so much I want to do more. I'm seeing wooden signs in my future.

After that was finished all I had to do was put it together. Tools needed: hammer and nails. :):)

For the bedding I used a couple pillows that were already designated for Daisy use and covered them with black fleece and voila....

Daisy LOVES it!!

So that's it! I took 3 different pins I seen, mushed them together in my own way and created the cutest little doggie bed ever! Well, at least in my own opinion. ;)

If after reading this you are pinspired you can head right over to Pinterest and check out all my boards by clicking here.

Mountain Rose Herbs Giveway

2012-01-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

Love Herbs?

Love Green Living?

Love free stuff?

If you answered yes, then good news! Mountain Rose Herbs is having a Green Spring Clean Giveaway and it's a good one. Oh how I would love to win!! You can go check it out here and see how you can enter to win too! Be sure to have a pencil and paper handy because you are sure to want to write down the handy dandy spring cleaning recipes to replace your store bought cleaning products. Hurry! Time to enter runs out tonight!

The Sisters of the Quilt Series Book Review

2012-01-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

I previously was able to read and review the first and last book of the Sisters of the Quilt Series and was super excited when the chance to review the whole trilogy became available to me. The book includes: When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes and When the Soul Mends all in one volume. If you have never read any books by Cindy Woodsmall you are in for a treat and I am certain you will love her style of writing!

The only negative thing I can say about this series is that you are sure to lose some sleep because you will not be able to stop reading. This is the best series I have ever read. EVER. It is so good. It keeps your interest from start to finish and each book starts where the last one ended so there is no time lapse of wondering what happened. As the book comes to a conclusion all questions in your mind are answered and nothing is left unsettled. It truly is a great book of love, forgiveness and redemption. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Book Descriptions:

When the Heart Cries

Her life among her Amish community brutally interrupted, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp faces questions neither family, nor fiance, nor even faith can easily answer. The first book in the Sisters of the Quilt series, When the Heart Cries will ignite a broader understanding of others’ beliefs and a God-given strength to deal with pain we all experience.
When the Morning Comes

Rejected by those she loves, Hannah Lapp leaves her Amish community and seeks refuge in the world outside, leaving her family and friends to wrestle with the painful truths that emerge in the wake of her disappearance. As she struggles to find her place in the confusing Englischer world, her community deals with the turbulent aftermath of her departure.

When the Soul Mends

Hoping to help her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community she fled in disgrace more than two years earlier. When hidden truths are revealed about her former fiance, she must choose whether to return to the Plain life or to the Englischer man who adores her in this captivating conclusion to the Sisters of the Quilt series.

Now what are you waiting for?? Get the book! You can buy it here through Amazon. :):):)

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Healing is a Choice - Book Review

2012-01-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Healing Is a Choice: 10 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life and 10 Lies That Can Prevent You From Making Them. By Steve Arterburn.

I received this book from the publisher through booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone, at some level, needs healing. In this book, Stephen Arterburn outlines ten choices crucial to receiving healing and ten lies that can prevent us from making them. It includes workbook type questions at the end of each chapter.

When I chose this book I was very anxious to dig into it in hopes of finding a book rich in the word and spiritual direction. I was disappointed. As soon as I read the preface red flags began to go up. I was instantly concerned about the author and his beliefs. He talks of his divorce, but through out the book he tends to lay the blame on his wife and paint her in a negative light.

Right from the beginning of chapter one I knew that this was not the book I had hoped for. The author stresses over and over again that in order to get the healing you need you HAVE to connect with other people, to tell them about your problems, to get help from friends, family etc. This I disagree with. There is no biblical foundation for this. If you have a support system of friends and family that is great, but not everyone has that. There are some people that have no one. Our trust, whether we have people to connect with or not needs to be in God. He is all you need to receive your healing. He has done it for me many times. God does hold back healing or give healing based on our relying on others. We must rely on Him.

I did not feel as if the author gave much help or good advice at all for the healing process. He includes lot of stories of other peoples problems and like I said before a lot concerning his divorce, but no real direction. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Christmas Happenings

2011-12-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Been busy making sweet Christmas memories the last couple weeks with more to come this week. So far it has included a trip Silver Dollar City. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year celebrating an old fashioned Christmas. Our favorites to see is The Dicken's Christmas Carol, The Living Nativity and The Homestead Pickers. There are so many lights throughout the town and the hot chocolate is dee-lish! If you didn't have the Christmas spirit when you came you are sure to have it when you leave!

We had our 2'nd annual gingerbread house decorating day at my sisters. Of course it's just us girls that participate in this since Dakota no longer has an interest in decorating gingerbread houses. hehe! He did join us after he got off work and we all enjoyed a nice lunch together. :)

We also made Christmas cookies, have been watching lots of Christmas movies and wrapping presents. We've been having our Advent devotions and we decided to open our "Jesus gift" this week. We were all surprised at how much money was in our box and really enjoyed looking through the World Vision Catalog to pick out gifts to send. We decided on a Bible translated in a child's language, vegetable seeds for 1 family, and a rabbit. We decided that our Jesus gift is definitely a new family tradition! This week will be filled with my "mom's only" homeschool Christmas party, cleaning, grocery shopping, baking, and finishing up school for Christmas break, and somewhere in there I've got to take my car to get looked at. Then Saturday begins the family festivities! Can't wait! God is good and has been blessing us greatly! Hope you all are enjoying the Holiday season as much as we are!

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-12-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

Cindy Woodsmall has done it again. She has captivated me with another great book. She has a writing style that speaks right to my heart and pulls me right into her writings as if I am a part of it.

When the Soul Mends is the 3'rd and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt Series. The book begins right were book 2 left off. Hannah Lapp returns to Owl Perch after receiving a desperate call from her sister. Hannah finds herself facing the people, community and family that hurt her so badly two years earlier. She is forced to come to terms with her feelings. She becomes torn between the Englischer world that she has settled into with Martin Palmer and her old lifestyle and former fiance Paul Waddell. Which will she choose? The Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she return to the Plain Life and her first love?

This book takes you on a journey of healing, redemption and forgiveness. Hannah faces her past and the people that hurt her and realizes that some things were not as they seemed. Before anyone can move forward in life they have to face their past, find closure and healing and that is just what this book is all about. I could not of imagined a better ending for this series. Cindy Woodsmall left nothing "wanting". She answered every question, did not leave anything "hanging" and ended it in a way that is sure to please every reader.

**This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas Singing

2011-12-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted a blog review for the Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall. Actually I've posted several book reviews of books by Cindy Woodsmall! I love, love, love her books and I know you will too! Here is a book trailer of her book The Christmas Singing. You know, just in case you weren't convinced by my first post that it is a must read. ;) You can also read an excerpt from the first chapter by clicking here.

For a limited time you can get 30% off the purchase of this book at
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/ by using the promo code CHRISTMAS11. Hurry the coupon expires December 20'th 2011. So what are you waiting for??? :):):)

St. Nicholas Day

2011-12-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

It is more blessed to give than to receive!

Happy St. Nicholas Day to everyone out there in blog land.

To celebrate St. Nicholas Day our family will be doing a brief History lesson in school about the man behind the legend. Here is a good site that has everything you need to know. We will mingle Bible in with our lesson including these verses: Acts 20:35, I John 3:17, Matthew 6:3-4, and Matthew 25:35-36

The the kids will check their stockings for goodies. This is all in fun and the things we include in the stockings goes right along with St. Nicholas and the things he gave to those in need.

The stocking is used because the coins and gifts that St. Nicholas left fell into the girl's stockings and shoes.

It will include:

1.A mesh bag of chocolate gold coins because Nicholas tossed bags of gold through the open window of his friend's house.

2. A wooden gift in remembering Nicholas hired a wood-carver to make toys for the children.

3. An article of clothing, something simple and practical to remember his concern for clothing the people.

4. A favorite food item, remembering his generosity in feeding people. For my kids it's beef jerky!

5. A gingerbread boy or girl, remembering how he baked bread.

Another great idea to celebrate would be to fix a supper with a mid-eastern menu since St. Nicholas was born in Myra which is present-day Turkey.

Here is one more link to another blog and how their family celebrates St. Nicholas day!

Second Sunday in Advent

2011-12-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm a little late getting this post in seeing as it's Monday, but better late than never right?

For the second Sunday/week in advent our theme is LOVE.

We relit our first candle in remembrance that Advent is a time of preparation and that we are preparing our hearts.

Then we re-lit the 2'nd candle in remembrance that Jesus came to earth to tell us of God's love. We read John 15:9-11, Philippians 1:9-11

We discussed many things about love. Including the many voices of love, both silent and verbal. Such as a smile, a kind gesture, or a good deed. We encouraged each other to use our voices of love this week, continue to fast and pray and give to our "Jesus gift".

Our final scriptures were found in James 1:22 and 1 Thessalonians 3:12

The versus we read during the week during our nightly devotions will all focus on love.

Bethany's Sign Name

2011-12-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight we enjoyed our annual Christmas party/deaf fellowship. It is always fun to get together with our deaf friends and our friends that are learning ASL. We played games, laughed and of course ate. We had pizza, yummy lasagna, salad and some awesome deserts, but the highlight of our night was when Bethany finally received her sign name!!

To receive a sign name, it has to be given to you by a deaf person. The purpose of a sign name is that when you are among the deaf community you don't have to fingerspell an individuals name. If they have a sign name it saves time, plus that is how you are known around the deaf. Each persons sign name is unique and fitting. For example, last year Dakota was given his sign name. It is the signed letter "d" up next to the open flat palm. It is the sign for "camera" but with a "d" instead of a "c". He loves to photography and takes lots of pictures. See how it fits?

So tonight as we were going through introductions and it was Bethany's turn she finger spelled her name and signed that she does not have a sign name yet. One of our deaf friends signed what he wanted to give her..the sign for beautiful but with a "b" hand shape. Isn't that awesome. I love it and I know she was so happy to finally get her sign name. She refused to ask for one because she wanted it to be special. lol I always say she is my beautiful Bethany. ;)

First Sunday of Advent Ideas

2011-11-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

Today marks the beginning of the Advent season an I am so excited about some of the things we are doing this year to celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

For the first Sunday in Advent our theme was "preparation". We discussed the meaning of Advent and the symbolism of the wreath. Before we lit the first candle we turned off all the lights and sat in darkness. We talked about how before Christ came, the world was in darkness. There was no hope. Then God sent His son to be the Light of the world. We lit the first candle to remind us that we must prepare our hearts for His coming. The verses that we read were found in Isaiah 9:2,6-7 and Romans 15:4. Our Bible verse/thought for the entire week is found in Isaiah 40:3,5 and says "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for your God;...and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed..."

We made a Christmas chain of red and greens to help us count down the days till Christmas. On each individual chain I wrote a verse to include with our Advent devotions. The first weeks chains will all go with our theme of preparation, the second week - love, third week - joy, and the fourth week - God's love. In past years we wrote names of people that needed prayer on each chain. You could do either way or include both on your chain.

Our next thing we discussed is fasting. To make the remembrance of the birth of our Saviour more meaningful I am encouraging our family to fast during the coming weeks before Christmas as part of our preparation of our hearts to worship God. In Matthew 6:16 says "when ye fast" NOT "if ye fast" and the same in Matthew 6:6 "when thou prayest" NOT "if thou prayest". Fasting and praying is a significant part of Christian life. Remember when you fast that it does not always have to be from food. Other ideas can be television, computer, music, etc. What you choose and when you choose is between you and God.

We also decided to give a gift to Jesus. I wrapped up a small box and cut a hole in it. This box will sit on our dining room table. We are going to fill it with pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, and dollars. A few days before Christmas we are going to open it, count our money and decide where we want to give our gift. Maybe and orphanage, a love offering to a minister, a needy family or a ministry.

Each night as we gather for our advent devotions we are going to take time to give God praise. To examine every part of our days to see God's fingerprints and share the blessings that God has given us with each other.

Tomorrow we will be reading in Titus 2:13, Tuesday we'll read Isaiah 25:9, Wednesday will be Genesis 49:18, Thursday will be Psalm 33:20-22, Friday we'll read Isaiah 26:8, and Saturday we'll read Isaiah 33:2 All the verses this week are on preparations, waiting, hoping and trusting.

Last year a lady from our homeschool group recommended a book called Celebrating the Christian Year by Martha Zimmerman and a lot of the ideas came from this great book. If you are looking to make Christ more a part of the all your holidays this is the perfect book for you!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and black Friday. We had a very blessed Thanksgiving Day with lots of delicious food and family time. I have so much to thank God for, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day!

Thanksgiving night my mom and I geared up for a little black Friday shopping. I really like going at midnight versus 5:00 a.m. After all I am a night owl and would be awake anyway. :) I did not have a whole lot to get but I really enjoy getting out with the crowds! I find it exciting! (weird huh) Of course, it depends greatly on the moods of your fellow shoppers and this years was great. It seemed like the whole atmosphere of the store I was in was that of joy and Christmas spirit. I didn't see nor experience any pushing, yelling or bad behavior so all in all it was a great trip! And I spent less than $50. Not bad huh?!? I can officially say I am done with my Christmas shopping and it is not even December yet! Of course, I have a few packages that I am waiting to be delivered, but the shopping is done! So for the rest of the Christmas season I can sit back, relax, enjoy my family and reflect on the real reason for the season.

Tonight we had our annual Christmas tree trimming party where my family and my sisters family come together and decorate my mom's Christmas tree. We have more yummy food, listen to Christmas music, take lots of pictures and decorate the tree! I just love traditions and this is one of my favorite!

I'm already preparing some of our Advent activities (it starts Sunday ya know) and this year we are going to celebrate St. Nicholas day on December 6'th. I have some great ideas for that day! Don't worry, I'll share everything with you along the way. So stay tuned for some Advent and Christmas posts coming soon!

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-11-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

It's official...Cindy Woodsmall is hereby my new favorite Author. Once again she has captivated me with another Amish romance/fiction book. When the Heart Cries is the 1'st book of the Sister's of the Quilt series and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Hannah Lapp is a 17 year old spirited, slightly rebellious, naive Amish girl who has decided to follow her heart and not be baptised. She longs to be the wife of Mennonite Paul Wadell. Although her parents do not know of their relationship, she accepts Paul's marriage proposal. Hannah tends to act on impulse and creates situations for herself that although are innocent, do not look right to the religious elders and end up costing her dearly. Her younger sister Sarah is very jealous of Hannah and spreads terrible rumors about Hannah around their community. On top of that her brother Luke blames Hannah for the accident that injured him and his fiance. But all that pales in comparison to the real tragedy that strikes Hannah's life.

Walking home on a country road the day her and Paul became engaged she is assaulted by a man and the "unthinkable" happens. You'll read about her struggles to cope with what has happened to her, plus the reactions and condemnation brought on by her family, friends and community. One by one it seems like everyone in her life turn their backs on her, but God proves time and time again that He will not leave her and will carry her through.

I literally stayed up till 5:00 a.m. reading this book. I could not set it down. Cindy Woodsmall gets the point across in this book that things are not always as they appear and that we should not be quick to judge or spread gossip. Your sure to love it!!

**This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

How Great is Our God

2011-11-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this world edition of How great is Our God by Chris Tomlin! Hearing people from all around the world sing praises to God in their own language gives me chills! I hope you love it as much as I do!

An Amish Wedding - Book Review

2011-11-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

Three best-selling authors. Three possible brides. Three separate tales. They come together for an Amish wedding.

"The Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long

Rose Bender has recently become engaged to handsome but somber Luke Raber. She agrees out of a sense of duty and a willingness to settle for solid friendship as a basis for the engagement. But as she watches her friend's excitement over her soon-to-be wedding, Rose wonders if there shouldn't be more to her relationship with Luke. She begins to examine Luke and his life more closely and is amazed when she stumbles upon an exciting, secret side of him that engages her mind and heart.

"The Perfect Match" by Kathleen Fuller

Naomi Fisher has had great success at matchmaking her family members and friends. Now with her sister's wedding right around the corner, Naomi wonders why she's able to find husbands for her friends and family, but not one for herself. When Chester's cousin shows up there's an immediate attractions between them - as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

"A Perfect Plan" by Beth Wiseman

Priscilla King has been planning to marry Chester Lapp since she was sixteen years old, and when Chester proposes on Priscilla's nineteenth birthday, wedding plans begin immediately. What wasn't planned was all the problems the couple encounters as their big day approaches. A house disaster, a ruined wedding dress, and a sick attendant all make the couple wonder if God's sending them signs to call things off.

My Thoughts

The Perfect Secret + The Perfect Match + The Perfect Plan = The Perfect Book

I really enjoyed this book. You get 3 stories in one book. All three stories are written by different authors, but each story is connected. Each story is about a different girl, but they are all three friends and they all face challenges as their wedding day approaches. My favorite of the 3 stories was The Perfect Secret by far! This is a great book if you love Amish romance!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher through booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

Yo-Yo Christmas Tree Garland

2011-11-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember we have strung popcorn for our Christmas tree. This is a tradition my family did when I was a child and a tradition that I carried over into my adult life and began with my own family. I remember as a child, gathering in the family room with big bowls of popcorn and stringing garland while we watched our favorite television show. Of course, I also remember that my dad ate more than he strung. lol

There was one year with me and my kids will never forget. I had just popped the popcorn over the stove when I hear "it's back on" I can't even remember now what we were watching (this was before dvr's entered our life). So I grab the pan of popcorn and run to the family room and lay it on the floor. Me and the kids continue to string. Quite a while later I go to move the pan and it was STUCK!!! I did not think about it being hot when I sat it down and it melted to the carpet! What a mess I had. I was in a panic and the kids were laughing, then I began laughing...and well...the carpet got a hair cut that night. hehe!

This year I decided to do something different and make yo-yo Christmas tree garland. It was a lot of work, but I absolutely love the way it looks. My daughter helped, but my son refused to pick up a needle and thread. Ha! I didn't push it either. ;) He was a little bummed about the no popcorn thing but since the last few years I have been doing most of the stringing it was not to hard to convince that this was the way to go. Who knows, next year we may go back to the old tradition of popcorn garland, but for this year I am enjoying the beauty of my yo-yo tree!

I used two different sizes of yo-yo's. I also chose not to go with Christmas material. I went with reds and whites! It reminds me of candy canes!

Now I think I'll make a matching yo-yo Christmas Tree skirt!

Why NOT me Lord???

2011-11-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

There have been times in my life, through the trials of my life, that I have asked the Lord with tears running down my face..."Why Me Lord??" I am fairly confident that I am not the only christian who has ever asked this of the Lord.

The other day I read something and it got me to thinking. It was 4 simple words..."Why NOT me Lord?" What if I began to ask that question of the Lord?

What if.....when I see a homeless person, instead of just feeling sorry for them, I ask the Lord why NOT me? Is there something I can do for this person to show them to your Sheltering Arms?

What if.....when I see a lonely elderly person with the hardships of their life evident by their bent over back, wrinkled face, graying hair and crippled hands, ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I ease their burden and show them that you are the Healer of both body and soul?

What if....when I see a young women who is broken from a failing marriage ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I encourage this women and share with her that she is never alone if she has You?

What if....when I see a teenager who clearly hates their life, their family, their school, ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I show this young person that You are Love?

What if....when I see the little child who gets yelled at because their parents don't care, ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I show this child that it is loved and that you are Hope?

What if....when I hear about the country that has Christians being persecuted, ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I help those that are standing strong for you and encourage them in their knowing that you are Life?

What if....when I hear about those that are going hungry, ask of the Lord, Why NOT me? How can I feed them and show them that you are the real Sustenance of life?

What if.....I simply ask Why NOT me Lord?

Valley of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling

2011-11-14T22:22:00.000-08:00

Cassie Lockwood is the star of a Wild West Show owned by her father and 'uncle Jason'. She is a trick rider and sharp shooter right up there with Annie Oakley. After Cassie's father dies she finds that her uncle Jason has made some bad investments and the show is bankrupt and closing down. With a handful of money, a couple friends from the show, some livestock and a dream, she heads to the land that her father so often talked about. Will they get there before winter and will her father's Valley of Dreams turn out to be what he said it was??

One of my favorite series is written by Lauraine Snelling. I love her stories about the Bjorkland family and the town of Blessing. I was super excited when I seen she was starting a new series. When I began Valley of Dreams it instantly captivated my attention but about half way through I struggled with it. I found it lacking in adventure/excitement and everything was drawn out. Then I got to the last couple chapters and found I was once again captivated by it. As the book drew to an end I was so enthralled that I was sad that it came to an end and that I will have to wait for the next book in the series to find out more. I do feel that it was probably so drawn out in an effort to establish the characters, history, story line, etc. but it definitely needed a little more oomph in the middle. This series definitely has potential. I am already looking forward to the next book...if it just wasn't for that saggy middle. I'm hoping the next book in the series is packed full of excitement! After all when you have a character that is compared to Annie Oakley what more can you hope for!

***This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.

The Three Trees A Traditional Folktale

2011-11-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

There is not much sweeter in life than snuggling up with your little ones and reading them a good book. Those of you with small children know that sometimes it takes a special book to capture their attention. I believe that The Three Trees by Elena Pasquali is just that book.

The tale is of three forest trees that dream of what they will one day become.

One dreams of becoming a royal throne; one of being a ship that can withstand any storm; and one longs to stay in the forest and grow as tall as tall can be. When they are felled, it seems their dreams are over. But as each tree is crafted into a new item--a manger, a fishing boat, and a rugged cross--it becomes clear that through the role they play in one important life their hopes are more than fulfilled.

The story book is beautifully illustrated and will sure to keep the child that is yet to learn to read captivated by the colorful pictures that tell a story in themselves. The story is perfect for Easter, Christmas and all year long. It's a story that you and your children will enjoy again and again! And with Christmas just around the corner it would make the perfect gift for all the "littles" in your life!

**This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Behind the Veils of Yemen by Audra Grace Shelby

2011-11-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

How an American Woman

Risked Her Life, Family and Faith

to Bring Jesus to Muslim Women

With only prayer and a faith that always seemed too small, Audra Grace Shelby departed with her husband and children on a one-way flight to Yemen...deep into the heart of conservative Islam.

With honesty and passion, she shares her harrowing journey as a Christian woman thrust into a culture dangerously different from her own. From the friendships she forged, to her gnawing doubt and fear, to her offers of hope when her new freinds' religion failed them, she gives us glimpses of a world most have never seen: behind the veils of real Muslim women-and how the grace of God touches lives in the midst of an Islamic stronghold.

I really enjoyed reading Behind the Veils of Yemen. It was different than most of the books I read and it was a welcoming change. I found it very interesting to learn about a culture/religion that I know little about. Audra Grace Shelby tells her story in a very personal way. You journey with her through the ups and the downs and see that even missionaries struggle with their faith at times. Her family suffers many trials and sicknesses but they remain true to God and He carries them through the good and the bad.

I give this book 4 stars!

**This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-11-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

After she finds her childhood sweetheart Gideon with an Englischer women, Mattie, with a broken heart leaves her home town of Apple Ridge to move to Ohio where she starts a new life and pursues her dream and starts her own business...Mattie Cakes. She finds joy in designing edible creations to help people make memories on the special days of their lives. She also is now in a "safe" relationship with Sol. After tragedy strikes Mattie is forced to move back to Apple Ridge.

Now, back in Apple Ridge she comes face to face with Gideon. She finally learns the truth of what really happened. Will she forgive Gideon of the lies and meet him at the Christmas Singing or will she remain with Sol and travel back to Ohio for the Christmas Singing there?

I absolutely LOVED this book! It is a short book and a fast read. I finished it in one day. Once I started I couldn't put it down. Cindy Woodsmall has a way of portraying the characters in her books in such a way were you can instantly connect with them. I loved the character of Mattie and Gideon pulled at my heart strings. This is the perfect book to read on a cold day with a cup of hot chocolate all cozied up under a blanket. You're sure to love it too!

***This book was provided to me by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

2011-10-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Amanda is a beautiful southern belle from Texas that is dedicated to her family. Marriage is the furthest thing from her mind because of a promise she made to her dying mother to raise and take care of her siblings. Then she meets Captain Kent Littlefield and the attraction between them is undeniable.

Shortly after they meet Texas secedes from the Union and Kent remains a captain with the Union troops. Amanda's brother Daniel aligns with the Confederate States and now her heart is torn between the two men she is closest to and the two sides of the conflict. Amanda prays, but does not hear an answer. She must trust God to deliver her family from the chaos of war and lead her in the direction she should take concerning Kent. Will she survive with her heart and faith intact?? Read to find out!!

I love reading books set in the Civil War era. This book has roots deep in history. I loved reading about the conflict Amanda goes through and how she prays and trusts in the Lord to guide her path. How hard it would be to be torn between your love for a man and your love for your family and your statehood. Her brother Daniel proves to be a real hindrance in Amanda and Kent's relationship. After the war he changes and is bitter and hateful. It is wonderful to read and see this man come to terms with his feelings and begin to heal. And who doesn't love a good love story that conquers all! That no matter what the hindrances or what other's think, they know they must be together, but must they lose everything else....hmmm, I'm not telling. ;)

I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical christian fiction.

***This book was provided to me by the publisher through booksneeze.com blogging for books program in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: A Whisper of Peace by Kim Vogel Sawyer

2011-10-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

From the back of the book:

Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. She dreams of reconciling with her grandparents to fulfill her mother's dying request, but she has not yet found a way to bridge the gap that separates her from her tribe.

Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay arrives in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athabascans. He is totally focused on his goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen.

But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe. And befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the quiet nudging of his heart.

My Thoughts:

This is a very touching story set in the Wilds of Alaska. I loved the missionary story line and felt very connected to the characters. A lot of Christian romance novels do not focus a lot on the Christian part. Not the case with this book. With Clay Selby being a missionary it focused a lot on salvation and I found this very refreshing. It was so nice to read about two totally different people, with different beliefs and from different walks of life, come together.

This book has it all - drama, history, suspense, humor, heartache and love...it is sure to capture your heart as it did mine!

***I received this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

The Prudent Homemaker

2011-10-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

This week I stumbled on a website called The Prudent Homemaker. You can check it out here. I have been spending most of my free time lately checking it out. It is full of amazing recipes, money saving ideas and much more. There are so many recipes that I can't wait to try. Top of my list is her French Bread recipe and also her recipe for graham crackers. I also love the idea she has of keeping a price book so you know which store offers the lowest prices.

I've really been trying to find ways to save money on our grocery bill lately. I've started couponing. I'm not extreme or anything, just trying to save a little money. This site has been a great motivator for me so if you are looking for ways to save money or just need some new recipes you should check it out! :) I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!

Final Harvest

2011-10-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

The cold air has moved in this week and there is a chance of the temperatures getting down to freezing one night this week so I decided I would harvest some of my herbs for the last time of the season. I almost hated cutting down the beautiful blooming lavender. It looked the prettiest it has all season. I am guessing that is because we have had such a hot summer and the last month or so the weather has been perfect. My pineapple sage was just beginning to bloom with beautiful red flowers and my calendula has blooms that were just beginning to open. I decided to leave them alone and hopefully the cold air won't affect them because I am really wanting to harvest them and make some calendula salve.

My mom purchase a close drying rack at a yard sale for 75 cents and it is perfect for drying herbs. I harvested plenty today and I can't wait to add them to the already dried herbs, but right now I am enjoying how beautiful they all look hanging on the rack! We are going to have plenty of herbs this winter for cooking, teas and much more!

A gift wrapped in love...

2011-10-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His ...father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Cappuccino Mix Recipe

2011-10-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

I have been on a cappuccino kick for a while now so I decided to see if I could find a recipe where I could make my own mix and hopefully save a little money. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and I absolutely love it. I did do a little tweaking to it to suit my personal taste. I put in a little less coffee, I added 1/2 cup powdered sugar and a little more creamer.

2/3 cup instant coffee granules

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Put the instant coffee into a food processor, and process to a fine powder. If you don't have a food processor, put it into a large plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin.

2.In a large bowl, combine creamer, chocolate mix, instant coffee, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir together until well mixed. Spoon into storage container

Mix 3 tablespoons of powder with 6 fluid ounces hot water.

I also use about half the mix it calls for when making a cup full. To complete it I add a Tablespoon of Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice liquid creamer! DEEE-Lish!!!

Great Devotional Book

2011-10-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

I received a devotional book from Tyndale as a part of their Blogger Review Program. The book is the Life Application Study Bible Devotional and it has been one of the best devotionals ever!

It is set up as a 52 week, 6 day a week devotional on the life of Jesus taken from the gospels. Each week focuses on a different event in Jesus' ministry. Each day has "reading of the word" that gives you Bible scriptures to read, "setting the scene" which reflects on the passage of scripture, "getting personal" with questions and thoughts to help you reflect and apply the lesson to your life, and "talking to God" which gives suggestions for your prayer time. I really like this set up especially the "setting the scene" because it helps you dig deeper, think about the scriptures and meditate upon them.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is desiring a closer walk with God and would like to set up a daily devotional routine! It would be a great Christmas gift for family and friends! That way they can start the devotional January 1'st! :)

Saving Grace by Annie Jones

2011-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Book Description:

This book is about Grace, an elderly woman who sits on the porch of her home every year on the night of the Splendor Bell Gala in New Bethany. Due to rumors and gossip the residents of the town thinks she is nothing more than a batty old lady. Four friends - Rose, Naomi, Gayle and Lucy decide to reach out and help Grace and as they do their friendship strengthens.

My Thoughts:

I was instantly drawn to this book. The story description had me thinking it would be an excellent read. I was disappointed. It was not as good as what I had built up in my mind. It is book 2 of a series and maybe if I had read book one I would of been more connected to the characters and it would of made a difference. To me it was boring, it was a struggle to keep my attention on the story. The last two chapters did pick up interest a little, but overall I just didn't care for it.

**I received this book as an ebook from Multnomah Waterbrook Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Denim Pocket Purse

2011-10-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Check out these darling little purses I've made this week! I absolutely love them! So perfect for the girly girl!

I've been saving the pockets off worn out jeans for quite some time and I decided it was time to be creative with them. I sewed on a grosgrain ribbon for the purse strap and then sewed two pockets together. To complete it I made little matching bows and hot glued them on to the front! So easy and so cute!

The Perfect Love - Book Review

2011-09-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

The title of this book is what really caught my attention. Many people in today's world have a hard time believing that God Really loves them. Ruth Myers addresses the reasons why people feel this way and through her own life experiences she shares with her readers her failures as well as her victories. The Author uses old hymns, quotes and her own words to portray her message.

I found the first few chapters of the book very interesting. I savored many of the words that I read and began to see and feel God's love for me better than I have in a long time. I wrote down in a journal some of the quotes that were shared and many of my favorites were from A.W. Tozer including this one: "God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful, that He can without anything other than Himself meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is." She also shares many Bible verses on God's love.

I do have to say though that there were a few things that the Author says that I disagreed with. The main thing was that she stated that we are all sinners and will always be sinners and that God gives us victories over SOME of our sins. I strongly disagree with that statement. When God saves the sinner they are to go and sin no more and therefore are no longer sinners. We are then a child of God. He can and will give you victory over ALL of your sins. Another place in the book she tells us of a time that she was praying and she gave God "permission" to do something in her life. She does state that she knows God doesn't need her permission, but sometimes she needs to give it to Him. That statement just bugged me.

So with all that said. I guess I will give it 3 stars. :)

**This book was given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah for free in exchange for my review.

Courageous

2011-09-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

My family was blessed to be able to see an early preview of the upcoming movie Courageous that will be out in theaters September 30'th. Our local christian radio station announced that they had 200 free tickets to the early showing. Thanks to Dakota's fast fingers we got the tickets. Come to find out all 200 tickets were gone in 61 seconds and there were more than 500 people trying to get them. O.O

It was such a good movie. We laughed and cried. It is such a blessing to be able to watch good movies with a Godly message. I encourage everyone that can, to go and see this movie. It has the potential to change lives. Through the message of this movie and God's convicting power I believe that this movie will cause men to rise up and be the fathers that God is calling them to be.

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

2011-09-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

Katie Ann is an Amish woman who's husband left her for an English woman. He then dies in a accident.  Katie Ann found out that she was pregnant after her husband left her for the other woman and never told him. Now she finds herself a new single mother with trust issues.

Eli is an Amish widower who's wife died 17 years ago. He raised his 6 children by himself and is ready to enjoy life free of the responsibilities of children. He's ready to travel and enjoy a slower paced life. He travels to Canaan for a wedding and a long vacation. There he meets Katie Ann and there is an instant connection, not to mention many friends who try to play matchmaker.

Katie Ann and Eli admit to their selves and to each other that their relationship will never work since they are both in different places in their lives, but they decide to remain friends. A wonderful friendship blossoms and so does love. They both come to the realization that God's plans are not always our own plans.   They are better.

The Wonder of Your Love is the second book in The Land of Canaan Series by Beth Wiseman.   This is the first book I have read by Beth Wiseman and I really liked it. Although it was the second book in the series and I didn't read the first book I was not lost and had no trouble following the story line. The only negative thing I can say about the book is that I found it a little boring at times. It was very predictable and it was easy to figure out which way the story of each character was going to turn.  Other than that though it was a good read.   The character of Martha had me chuckling at times with her outspoken ways and her exaggerated health problems. I was also touched by the forgiving nature of Katie Ann and how she helped the mistress of her deceased husband. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

This book was provided to me by the publisher, Thomas Nelson through booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

A Very Wonderful Impossiblility

2011-09-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

"When God wants to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. When He wants to do something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility."

Ever find yourself in a situation that you find impossible. No way out. Which ever way you turn is wrong. You want to throw your hands up in the air and say "I give up", but instead you fall to your knees and say "God, I give it up to you. I've made a mess of my situation and there is no way I can fix it. I need you, I need your help."

I've been there, but guess what? God came through as He always does. Our impossibilities are His possibilities.

"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" Luke 18:27

Where ever you are right now, if you are finding yourself in an impossible situation, remember that the Supreme Ruler of the universe, the Creator of all things, the One possessing all power....He wants you to love Him with all your heart, mind and soul. If you you do this, he is sure to take your impossibilities and turn them into a possibilities.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:17-19

Sierra Jensen Volume 1 Book Review

2011-09-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to read this book for review thinking it would be a good read for my daughter as she is getting older. I do enjoy reading young adult books at times, but I was very disappointed in this volume of books.

The Sierra Jensen series has 12 books in all. Volume 1 consists of books 1-3.

Book 1: Only You, Sierra

Book 2: In Your Dreams

Book 3: Don't you Wish

I know that I am an adult/mother reviewing a young adult book and I am sure my review reflects my age, but I am a mother and I have to go on what I feel is a good read for my daughter. The Sierra Jensen series is not it. I found Sierra very immature and shallow. Some of the "excuses" she gives her parents and those in authority are dishonest which is definitely not something I would want my child to pick up on. The writer tries to portray Sierra as a strong and mature christian and with everything else I read I found those passages hard to swallow. Plus there were parts of the book that were just plain boring. I would not recommend this book to young readers.

I also want to note that before I began reading the series my 13 year old daughter started to read it. She read about 9 chapters and then quit. She found it boring and was disturbed by the way the Jensen family played along with grandma when she was confused and having memory lapses. I teach my children never to lie even if it makes someone else feel better a lie is a lie and she felt that their playing along with grandma was dishonest.

**I recieved an e-copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.

Craft Time

2011-09-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a lot of my time crafting lately. Here is a sample of what I've been up too! :)

Bethany helped me make these waxed dipped pine cone fire starters! I love the way they look in this basket. I can't wait to sit them next to the wood burning stove and toss some in when I start a fire this winter.

We also dipped some wax ornaments. These were made from styrofoam sheet cut outs. The cut outs we used were cookie cutters! I love making these! So much fun. I still have to put finishing touches such as jute hangers on them and maybe some ric-rac embellishments on the gingerbread men!

Our house smells so good! A mixture of Mocha and Apple pie! Smells like fall!

I've also made a bunch of homespun coasters and some pot holders/hot pads.

Believe it or not that is not all. I've also been making hair bows, aprons, "upcycled" denim skirts, baby gowns and homemade laundry detergent kits. We are going to be selling all these homemade crafts at a homeschool craft fair in October. I guess if my stuff does not sell my family and friends will get a homemade Christmas this year. ;)

Billy Graham Said What?

2011-09-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

I love reading quotes and for a good part of my adult life I have read quotes by Billy Graham via the Internet. I know when it comes to the Internet that sometimes people are misquoted so I was excited to find a book that was composed only of Billy Graham's quotes put together by his son Franklin Graham.

The book has over 100 topics that are listed alphabetically. It covers about every topic you can think of from abortion to worship. At the beginning of each topic it begins with a key Bible verse, then the quotes on the topic follow. Some of the quotes were very familiar to me while others where knowledgeable information that every child of God knows, then there were some quotes that I would stop, read again and sit and meditate on the words of wisdom that were just shared with me.

I would recommend this book as a resource. It is not the kind of book to sit down and read from front to back. Instead, I feel that it would be best read in bits and pieces. With it being categorized into topics, it makes it easy to find the area in which you are looking for, the topic that may be helpful to you at the right moment.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes that I found on the pages of the book.

"God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters." Billy Graham

"The will of God will never take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us." Billy Graham

"The Spirit of God Takes the Word of God and makes the Child of God." Billy Graham

**This book was provided to me by the publisher through booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

A Must Read!

2011-09-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Out of Control by Mary Connealy - The Kincaid Brides Book 1

Julia Gilliland is a young lady that loves geology and loves to explore caves in search of fossils. Exploring gives her a chance to get out of the house and away from her father. She feels at peace with herself and a closeness to God when she is exploring. She is determined to find proof that there is a God. All she has to do is find the fossils to prove the Great Flood of Noah's Day. If she does this her father surely will see her as a special and she will earn his love. But one day as she is exploring, a mysterious intruder steals the rope she uses to climb out of the cave.

Rafe Kincaid is a man that seems to be in control of everything. His ranch, his brothers, his life. But Rafe is struggling with a painful past. A time when he was out of control and was not the man he should of been for his brothers. He is determined never to feel that way again. So he stays away from the one place on his family's ranch that brings back the painful memories...the cave. One night he decides to go back to the cave, one last time, in hopes to find peace with the place that ruined his and his brother's lives when they were young boys. A women screaming was the last thing he expected to hear. He must save her. Then with a kiss lives are changed.

I had never read any of Mary Connealy's books before I read Out of Control and I will assure you that this may of been my first read of hers but it most definitely won't be my last.

This book has it all. Love, humor, suspense, inspiration, and mystery. It had me on the edge of my seat in suspense, laughing out loud at the banter between Rafe and Julia, and reflecting on the greatness of God and how he is always present. From the highest mountain top to the lowest dwellings. God is there. In the good times of our life and in the bad times. God is there. When we are in control and when we are out of control. God is there.

I give this book 5 stars!!

Thanks you Bethany House Publishers for providing me with this amazing book to review in exchange for my honest review!

Book Review: Life, in Spite of Me

2011-08-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

Book Summary:

She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Overwhelmed by wave after wave of emotional trauma, Kristen Anderson no longer wanted to live. One January night, determined to end her pain once and for all, the seventeen-year-old lay across train tracks not far from her home and waited to die.

Instead of peace, she found herself immersed in a whole new nightmare.

Before the engineer could bring the train to a stop, thirty-three freight cars passed over her at fifty-five miles per hour. After the train stopped and Kristen realized she was still alive, she looked around—and saw her legs ten feet away.

Surviving her suicide attempt but losing her legs launched Kristen into an even deeper battle with depression and suicidal thoughts, as well as unrelenting physical pain—all from the seat of a wheelchair. But in the midst of her darkest days, Kristen discovered the way to real life and a purpose for living.

My Thoughts:

Wow! What a moving book! This is an excellent read. What a wonderful testimony that Kristen has to share. As she tells her story you feel like you are there. The intensity I felt when she tells of her suicide attempt was gut wrenching. I felt as if I were there, watching this horrific event take place. As she continues to share her story of recovery and redemption my heart ached for her and rejoiced with her when she found true peace with God.

When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is not just a book for young people who are depressed and have suicidal thoughts, it is also a great book for people of all ages no matter where they are in their walk with God. It will encourage you greatly as you see God's grace and Him moving in Kristen's life. God's love, forgiveness and grace is available for all who desire it. No matter what you are going through you are not alone.

**I received this book free of charge from Multnomah Books in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Best Salsa Ever

2011-08-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Not to toot my own horn or anything.....but, I made THEE best salsa ever this summer! Yummy, slap your momma good. After my yummy discovery I canned, and I canned. After all, I must have enough to last me through till next summer. I might have to hide a few jars just to insure that I will have some come February and March. Or better yet, maybe someone should hide a few jars from me. I seriously love the stuff. Give me some tortilla chips and a bowl of my delicious salsa and I could eat it for all 3 meals. Okay, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration. I don't usually eat breakfast.

Enough of my humble rantings. Since good things are meant to be shared here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

8 Cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained

2 ½ cups chopped onions
1 ½ cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped (use more or less for personal taste)
6 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste

Drain the tomatoes as you are chopping them and drain them several times while they are in the pan before you cook them. This is a VERY important step. Drain, drain, drain and then drain again. This will give you a nice chunky salsa.

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a slow boil for 10 minutes.

Fill hot jars with salsa, put hot lids and rims and and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Bittersweet...

2011-08-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

I love working in my garden and gathering the harvest. After a long dry and hot spell the garden is about done producing. Besides a few tomato plants and a few pepper plants that are still producing the main thing that is growing abundantly is the weeds. It amazes me that we have gone weeks without cutting the grass, but some of the weeds are waist high in the garden. So it is time to cut it down, mow it over and plow it up. Bittersweet. That is the word that describes the way I feel about it. Funny how something that brings me such joy in the spring and the summer will also bring me such joy to be done with it. lol

The harvest surely was bountiful this year. The best ever! I added up and I canned 126 jars of garden produce this year! Thank the Lord! That's not counting the produce that was put up in the freezer. So even though the gardening season is about over, we will be enjoying it's blessings all winter!

Tomorrow I'll share with you the yummy salsa recipe I came up with this year. I found a recipe, tweaked it to suit my taste and the results were perfection!

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-08-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Harvest Of Grace is the third book in the Ada's House Series. I did not realize when I got this book that I would be reading the third book of a series that I have never read before. That didn't matter at all. This is a great "stand alone" book and I am sure a great "3'rd installment" as well. It drew me into the character's lives and I will be heading to the library ASAP to pick up the 1'st and 2'nd books of the series. That is one of the things I loved about this book. It captivated my interest so much and I became so attached to the character's that I want to know more about their history. Beginning with the very first chapter it had my attention. I couldn't put it down and to tell you the truth, it cost me a few hours of sleep. :)

One great thing about this book is that if you decide to read it without reading the whole series it has a nice summary at the beginning of the book. It tells "The Story So Far" giving a brief description of The Hope Of Refuge and The Bridge of Peace (the first two books in the series). That way you have a little history and a little knowledge of some of the characters you will be reading about. It also has at the back of the book, a list of the main character's and a description of each. I found this extra helpful and found myself flipping to the back of the book a couple time as I began the story to see who they were and how they were related.

One of the main points of this book is God's forgiving grace, accepting that grace, and giving that grace to other's who have done you wrong as well. It's not always easy but with a lot of prayer we can forgive those who have hurt us. This book is such a pleasant reminder of that. I would definetly recommend this book as it is a great read and an encouragement in your daily walk with Him.

**I received this book free of charge from Multnomah Books in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions I have expressed are my own.

Rate this review for a chance to win a free book!!!

What the World Needs...

2011-08-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you run across something so good it just needs repeating. One of my friends posted this tonight on their Facebook:

It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America. The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need woman, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct. ~ Peter Marshall

1950's Birthday Party

2011-08-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Bethany wanted to celebrate her Birthday with a 1950's party! What a blast we had! We had 50's music, poodle skirts, ice cream floats, bubble gum blowing contests, drag races, 50's charades and to top it off we had each person write down a few sentences to Bethany using 50's "lingo" so we can put it in her scrapbook. The party was a hit and Bethany declared it the best Birthday she ever had! Here's a few pictures of our fun time.

My sweet Bethany all decked out in her 50's outfit!

My wonderful neice Katy! Isn't she pretty!

The whole gang! I absolutely love this photo! I told the girls to look at Dakota like "he's so dreamy" It took a while to get the right expressions. Sister and cousins had a bit of trouble thinking that way. Hee! Hee!

Charades!

Bubble gum blowing contest.

More charades!

The Birthday cake!

Another one of my pretty girl!

Bethany and her cake!

Drag races with hotwheels and straws.

Dakota is so goofy!

The girls!

Who wants an ice cream float?

Bethany insisted that Daisy had a poodle skirt too. lol!

Happy13'th Birthday Bethany!

2011-07-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sweet little Bethany Rose, the sweetest little Rose that grows and grows. That's the song I sang to you as a baby as I held you in my arms. You are still my sweet Bethany Rose, but no longer so little. I have been watching you grow, watching you bloom into the sweet young lady that you are becomming. You are so beautiful inside and out and a mother couldn't be more prouder than I am of you. You are such a special girl and I know that God has a great plan for your life. Continue to trust in Him and walk in the light. Momma loves you!!

Terrorist Groups in Churches

2011-07-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Beware of Terrorist Groups in Church. Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Lucifer Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy. However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along. Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return. NO CHURCH IS EXEMPT! (However, you can spot them if you bin lookin and bin goin.)

:):):)A friend of mine recently posted this on Facebook and I just had to share it. :):):)

Independence Day

2011-07-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the 4'th of July. I mean really LOVE it! There is just something about the BBQ's, the family get togethers, the fireworks, that just makes me so happy. Tonight when we realized that most of our neighbors were setting off their fireworks we got in our suits and enjoyed the show from the pool! Tomorrow night we'll set off ours and probably go for a night swim when we are done. We are so enjoying our new pool!! Monday we will be having a family BBQ and then head to one of the surrounding towns to watch a firework display.

I've been searching the Internet over looking at some of the 4'th of July goodies and here are a few of my favorites!

Don't you just love the looks of these strawberries! They are dipped in white chocolate and rolled in blue colored sugar. I am thoroughly convinced that they must taste as good as they look.

And these ice-cream sandwiches are too cute for words! Same idea here....dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles. I found both of these patriotic treats over at Simply Home and Family.

I was super excited about these patriotic jello snacks that I found over at Green Acres Hobby Farm and decided it was just what we needed at our family BBQ, but do you know I could not find blue jello anywhere. BOO!

One last one! Isn't this fruit kebab flag so fun! One year I made red, white and blue fruit kebabs but never thought of arranging it to look like a flag. I will have to try this. :):):)

My herb garden

2011-06-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

My herb garden is flourishing. I've been harvesting several herbs from the garden (along with other herbs in various places in our yard.

I've been drying most of them for future uses, but I have made some comfrey salve, some wild violet and plantain salve, along with the dandelion salve that I made in the spring. Right now I have some basil vinegar steeping that I am going to use to marinate venison and I am also trying a home made herbal bug spray. I'll let you know how it works. It should be done steeping around the 4'th of July and I'll be able to test it out then.

Me and Bethany recently got poison sumac and we discovered that aloe from our aloe plant helps stop the itching! Tea tree oil was another thing that helped!

Hello Summer...

2011-06-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

...and the longest day of the year! Now I think I'll just sit back and watch the garden grow. Oh, if it was really that simple. Not that I am complaining! I love working in the garden and getting my hands dirty. Which reminds me of a little gardening tip that I read today. If you are a gardener you probably are familiar with "permadirt" you know, the dirt that won't come off a gardener's hands no matter how long or hard they scrub. I hate wearing gloves in the garden. I feel restricted, but the price I pay is dirty hands and fingernails. I can't help but think of Scarlet O'Hara saying "momma always said you can tell a lady by her hands". I don't have to worry about what my momma thinks. She's a gardener too, but according to the tip I read today, if you run your fingernails over a bar of soap before going out to the garden, (get the soap down in your fingernails) it will keep the dirt from getting in there and will wash right off when you come in and suds up! I think it's definitely worth a try!

I thought I'd share a few pictures of how my garden is growing. Remember those seeds I started indoors back in March? To my surprise they have turned into some awesome plants!

Here is one of the tomato plants that I started. They are doing so much better than the store bought plants that I purchased. If they produce well I will definitely be starting seeds again next year.

And so far it looks like they are going to produce great! Here are some cherry tomatoes! I just can't wait to get my first ripe tomato!

Another plant that I started from seed. The marigold! I planted them at the end of some of my rows in the garden. They are such an easy plant to care for. I plan on collecting the seeds from the plants themselves this year!

Corn! After a poor year of corn last year I am really hoping and praying for a bumper crop this year! Don't ya just love my little wooden signs!

Tomatoes!! This year I found some old wire fencing that I used for tying up the plants rather than having to stake each plant. We still had a lot to stake. I know where some more wire fencing is and next year I'll use more. I kinda like the looks of it!

I planted basil in between some of my tomato plants. It is supposed to repel aphids, mosquitoes and flies! I have so much basil that is so lush this year I am going to try a pesto recipe, but I'll save that for another post.

We've been picking plenty of cucumbers! Yummo!

I planted Nasturtium in between my squash plants this year to help repel squash bugs. Did you know you can eat nasturtium? Even the flowers? Haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to. :)

Green Beans! I noticed this evening that the plants are full of blooms and some of them already have teeny tiny beans on them. It won't be long!

You can't really see in the pictures, but I always plant a row of Sunflowers on the edge of the garden.

So far we have been blessed with rain when we need it and everything is looking great! I've been picking plenty of lettuce for the bunnies too! :)

18 Years Ago...

2011-06-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

...God blessed me with a beautiful 7 lb. 4 oz. baby boy. He's not so much a baby anymore, but still such a blessing.

As this day was approaching I began asking myself "How do you go from having a child to having an adult?" It actually weighed heavily on my mind. Last night the answer came. You don't do anything different. From the day your child is born you begin the preparations. From the time they let go of your fingers to take that first step, to the time they stop running to you every time they get a scrape or a "boo boo". As they grow they began to make decisions on their own. It starts out small, like perhaps the clothes they will wear for the day, I still remember the times I just smiled at the mismatched outfits that he chose. Just like that, the decisions he may make in life may not always be the choice I would have made, but I have to trust. Trust in God, trust in the raising and the guidance I have given him thus far in life, trust that the foundation that he is standing on is firm, and trust that even though he is embarking on a new chapter in his life that he will always have a place for his mother. :)

Dakota,

As I look at the man you have become I couldn't be more proud. I take no credit. It has been God. A merciful God, who has taken our messed up, broken lives and turned them around for his glory. If there is anything that I would want you to remember, to carry with you throughout your adulthood it would be to trust in the Lord. Hold fast to your faith, hold fast to God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He has all the answers, He wipes away all the tears. He is there when you feel alone, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Remember to always praise Him, in the good times and in the bad. Rejoice evermore and pray without ceasing. God has all the answers. Never forget where He has brought you from and trust in Him to lead you where He wants you to go. I love you more than words can describe. Happy Birthday!

Love, MOM

A Bright Sunshiny Day

2011-05-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

We have so enjoyed the break in rain this week.

Yesterday we finished planting our raised beds.

I can almost taste the yummy strawberries and cannot wait to use my herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes!!

Our ducks - Mac, Quackers, Ginger and Dorothy enjoyed the day too!

I think they were posing for this shot.

We got all 8 bunnies out and let them hop around.

Daisy loved playing with the bunnies!

Doesn't she look like she's having fun!

This is Basil - our only steel out of the bunch.

Happy Ressurection Sunday

2011-04-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Resurrection Rolls

2011-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Directions:
*Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
*Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
*Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
*Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
*Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
*Bake according to package directions.
*Cool.
*Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
*Celebrate God's love!

♥ Easter Eggs ♥

2011-04-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dandelions - Not just a Weed!

2011-04-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look in the springtime you see dandelions. They are growing in fields, yards, along roadsides, even in the cracks of the concrete. Most people see them as nothing more than a pesky weed. They spray them with chemicals and poisons hoping to get rid of this persnickety weed. I have to wonder what those people would think of me, a grown women, crawling around on my hands and knees, picking the greens, the flowers and digging up the roots.

My very first memory of dandelions was a summer long ago when 2 little girls picked what seemed to be hundreds of dandelions and dissected them into different pieces. Each piece was a different candy in our make believe candy store. The stems were pixie sticks, the flowers where lemon drops, the flower left on the stem was a lollipop....what fun we had that summer.

I didn't think much more about dandelions in the years to follow...until last year. I love to research things that interest me and somewhere I heard this strange thing...dandelions are edible. So I researched. I googled, I checked out library books, I asked friends who knew about simple living and herbs. The more I found out, the more intrigued I became. These beautiful yellow spring flowers were so much more than edible, they were also medicinal. They are nutritious and hold so many healing properties. And to think we refer to them as a weed.

So here is what I have found out about the dandelion:

It's official name is Taraxacum officinale which means "the official remedy for disorders"

Let's start with the leaves also referred to as dandelion greens. The leaves are the most widely used. They are full of so many wonderful nutrients. They are a good source of calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. They have twice as much vitamin A in a one-cup serving than most vitamin pills. They also have as much calcium as a half a glass of milk. That’s more than most other vegetables. It improves your immune system and is even said to help prevent cancer. It's a good to use as a detox and strengthens and purifies your blood and it is also good for regulating blood sugar levels. You can boil the leaves as you would spinach, you can eat them raw like lettuce, just toss some leaves in with your next salad, or you could make a tea. When harvesting leaves, the best time is before the plant blooms. Just when the bloom bud appears, and before the stalk grows. If you wait too long they will taste bitter. Still edible but not very tasty. I have read that you can add a pinch a baking soda and it will help with the bitterness in teas but I have never tried this. You also want to harvest in the heat of the day so all the dew is evaporated off the plant.

Now let's talk about the stem. The pure latex (the milky juice) inside the stem can be applied to warts or even infected wounds. Repeat the applications until gone and healed. Use a fresh stem with each application.

Onto the roots. The best time to harvest them is in the spring and fall. Of course you want to clean them good. I soak mine overnight in water and then scrub them with a brush (a toothbrush works great). You can boil them and eat it like a vegetable, grated in a salad, or even steamed. You can roast them in the oven on a cookie sheet at 250 degrees for about 2 hours, grind them, and make coffee. It is a good diuretic, it aids digestion, removes toxins from your system making it great for your liver, kidneys and gall bladder, plus its full of vitamins and nutrients.

Last but not least...the flower. The flower is edible too! Fried, it is considered a delicacy. The young unopened flowers are high in protein, are tender and can add an extra crunch to your salad. You can even make dandelion jelly.

Here are a few things I have done with dandelions this spring:

Dandelion Vinegar

1. Pick a jar full of dandelion blossoms. Can also add greens and roots (make sure they are clean)
2. Cover with apple cider vinegar.
3. Place in a sunny location to steep.
4. Shake good every day.
5. After two weeks strain with a cheesecloth or muslim fabric

6. Store in the refrigerator.

Can be used on salads!

Dandelion Infused Oil

1. Pick a jar full of dandelion blossoms.

2. Pour olive oil (can also use almond oil or canola oil) over the blossoms until they are fully covered.

3. Poke around with a wooden spoon handle to make sure there are no air bubbles.

4. Cover with a coffee filter held on by a rubber band.

5. Place in a sunny location (a windowsill works well) to steep for 2 weeks. (I sat the jar outside on warm afternoons) After one week, strain the mixture, throw out the brown dandelions, and add fresh ones. Cover with your coffee filter and return to sunny location for another week of steeping. I also stirred them once a day.

6. After 2 weeks strain using a cheese cloth or muslim fabric. I strained it twice to make sure there were no unwanted particles.

Dandelion Salve

Use the above method for dandelion infused oil. Add grated beeswax to the oil and melt it. Add enough to reach your desired consistency. To test the consistency drip a drop of mixture on a plate. It will cool immediatley and you can see how thick it is.

I personally like the salve better than the oil. Oil seems more messy to me. Due to dandelions pain relieving properties the salve and the oil can be used for achy or sore muscles. Just apply to the area. It can be used to relieve sinus headaches. Rub a little on your forhead. Great for arthritis. Can also be used for dry patches and other skin conditions.

Next time you look out in your yard and see dandelions taking over maybe you should consider eating away your weed problem. :):)

**Be sure when you harvest dandelions that you are not harvesting plants that have been sprayed or treated with any kind of chemical**

Plants Started from Seeds

2011-04-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Back in February I did a post about starting seeds indoors. I thought I'd update ya'll on the progress. Some of them did not do so good. I always tend to think they need more water than what they do and over do it causing the roots to rot. You'd think I'd learn my lesson by now, but I haven't and I'll probably have the same problem next year. :)

Even though I lost some due to over watering I had quite a few do really good. When it started warming up outside I began setting them outside and WOW what a difference it made. It just goes to show no matter how hard you try, you can't replace real sunlight, fresh air and rain. My peppers have done the best. I also have quite a few tomatoes and marigolds. My chives and sweet basil are coming along nicely too. Oh and I can't forget my dill and parsley!

Recently I planted some seeds outside in pots. I hope they do good. I planted Rosemary, Thyme, Calendula, Nasturtium, Lavender and I am planning on planting some Echinacea seeds right in the ground. I have so many plans for my herbs. Drying them, teas, salves, oils. We'll see what happens!

So overall I am pleased with the way my seed project has turned out. There were a couple weeks in March that I thought they were all going to die and it was all a waste, but they pulled out of it and I will definitely do it again next year!

More Baby Bunnies

2011-04-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to 9 new baby bunnies. The sad thing....one didn't make it. I feel totally responsible. :(

This morning Dakota went out and checked to see if she had her babies.  Right away he noticed that one baby was out wondering around the nest. It was freezing cold and he picked it up and put it back with the others. He came and told me and I waited about a half hour before I went out to check how many babies we had. That was my first mistake. I should of went out immediately, got the baby, warmed it under warm water and wrapped it in a towel straight out of the dryer. Then I should of got the mother and let the baby nurse.

It was still freezing cold when I got out there. We were in shock that she had 9. I had read that if your dutch bunny has more than 8 kits you are better off to try and foster the others.   Since the momma only has 8 teats any extras will probably not make it. So we made a quick decision to bring the cold one inside since it was already off to a bad start. We tried to warm it with a heat lamp. I did not know about the water method and the towel until a little later. I went straight to the internet to see what to do next. I read that the best chance for it would be to bring the momma in, lay her on her back and let the baby nurse. If you do this everyday the baby should survive. So I got the little one....and....it was too late. It had already stopped breathing.   I read later that when they get cold like this one had, they use up all their energy trying to get warm and can die really quick. I should of warmed it immediately and then let it nurse.

So yes, I'm disappointed. This was our first time losing a kit, but if we are to continue raising rabbits I'm sure it won't be the last. Next time I'll be more prepared.   Being a huge animal lover it is hard for me to see any animal die and then to realize that maybe I could of prevented it. :(   Obviously I still have a lot to learn about raising bunnies. But, on the upside 8 is a large number and we are very happy with them. Nine was great, but eight is enough. :)

Meet Rosemary, Basil, Chicory, Chives, Dandy (short for dandelion), Verbena, Licorice and Safflower!

Spring Time = Busy as a Bee Time

2011-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long I have been MIA on my blog. It seems that when things get busy for me the first thing that gets pushed aside is my blog. I hate that because I really enjoy posting and even more so reading other peoples blogs. There just isn't enough hours in the day. :)

So what has kept me so busy lately you might ask? Oh where to begin...

When spring arrives there are so many things to accomplish. I'm sure you all know what I mean.

Our house is surrounded by quite a few trees, so a big job we have is to clean them out. There are leaves in the flower beds, around the out buildings, in the ditches and they all must be cleaned out. No matter how much we rake and blow leaves in the fall, there is always plenty in the spring.

There's the tilling of the garden, pulling weeds from flower the beds, cleaning out the rabbit hutch that has been neglected all winter, planting, sowing seeds, cutting grass, weed eating. The list could go on and on. Sometimes I feel like we add to the list faster than we mark things off.

Each year we have our "want to dos" along with our "need to dos". This year we built 2 raised beds. One for herbs and one for strawberries. I've also been busy with some new herbal remedies (but that's another post).

Then there is the inside. We can't neglect the inside. Afterall, it is called SPRING cleaning. For us, that includes the inside of the house, garage, sheds etc. Of course, nothing says clean like a fresh coat of paint. So that means painting in the kids rooms. Oh, and I can't forget about sewing. I have a stack that's growing by the sewing machine. I sew most of mine and Bethany's clothing and I think my girl has grown a foot over the winter. Whew! I'm gettin wore out just blogging about it all.

I was actually grateful for the rain that moved in this weekend and brought some cooler air with it. I needed a break and a good excuse to stay in.

Blessings - Laura Story

2011-03-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering...this is my favorite song right now. :):):)

A Garden Apron

2011-03-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

I was feeling creative today and decided to make an apron especially for gardening.

What attire says "garden" better than overalls!

A while back I purchased a denim overall jumper at a second hand store for $1.50 and today I repurposed it into my garden apron.

Since I am a girly girl I had to add a few ribbons and bows!

And of course I saved some matching ribbon to wear in my hair!

I love the way it turned out. It has tons of pockets for holding garden gloves, seeds, small gardening tools, and anything else I have a mind to put in there.

It took me less than an hour to make and cost me less than $2.00. That's my kinda project!

Now if we can just get some warmer weather so I can use it!

Beautiful Lips....Homemade Lip Balm

2011-03-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

I made lip balm today for the first time! It was so easy and fun and I will definetly be making more. I love making products that I know exactly what is in them. There is a feeling of satisfaction that comes over me when I make something myself instead of purchasing it in the store. It makes me feel all Susie homemaker. It's a feeling of self reliance and proficiency. I love chapsticks and lip balms and I know it's going to sound a little bias, but this is the best my lips have ever felt. :) So much better than a store bought product. My lips feel so soft, smooth and fresh! Here's the recipe I used:

3 tsp. grated beeswax (or pellets)

3 tsp. cocoa butter (can also use shea)

2 tsp. olive oil (or other oil such as almond or coconut)

2 drops of honey

4 or 5 drops of spearamint flavored oil

1 vitamin E capsul (cut open and use liquid)

The vitamin E acts as a preservative and is optional. This made enough to fill 4 chapstick tubes. I purchased the tubes on ebay and I also purchased a pippet from ebay to fill the tubes which was much easier then trying to funnel the mixture.

There are so many different recipes on the internet (just ask google) and I am going to be trying some different ones soon. I think I wil try a wild berry next time and add a smidge of color.

If you are wanting something all natural for your lips but don't want to take the time or spend the money to make lip balm I have a very simple mixture for you:

One drop Olive oil
One dropy Almond Oil
One drop Honey

That's it! Apply to your lips before going to bed!

Remember....don't wait for you lips to get dry and chapped. Apply lip balm on a regular basis and your lips will stay moisturized and soft and supple.

If your lips are already really dry and flakey try this great lip cure:

1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Mix together all ingredients and apply to your lips and leave on overnight. In the morning you will awake to smooth, soothed lips. If you have any mixture left it should be stored in the refrigerator because of the fresh lemon juice. It's sort of like a deep conditioning treatment for your lips!

Beautiful lips are natural lips!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for SNOW cream!

2011-03-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

We have snow again and I'm okay with it! Maybe because, even though they are covered in snow, all the flowers and trees are blooming and giving me a reminder that spring is coming...soon.

We started the week with warm beautiful weather and ended it with cold, snowy beautiful weather. Who can complain about that?! Last I checked we have 5 inches and it's still snowing. It's a perfect snow for building a snowman and once again it is clinging to all the trees, branches, and anything standing, making it all look like a winter wonderland. What is prettiest is the forsythia bush all bloomed out in yellow, now covered in a white blanket of snow. I'm thinking tomorrow will be a perfect photography day.

My nieces are spending the night with us and I discovered that they never had snow cream before. We quickly remedied that. We fixed up a huge bowl of delicious snow cream and the smiles on their faces brought a smile to mine.

photo credit

Everyone always asks me for my recipe and truthfully I don't have a traditional recipe. I go out and get a big old bowl full of ice cream (make sure it's clean) add a can of evaporated milk, some sugar and vanilla till it tastes right. You just stir or blend that until it has the right consistency! It is deelish!!

Refreshingly Uplifted

2011-03-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was blessed to be able to attend a Homeschool convention on Friday and Saturday. My body is tired, my pocketbook depleted, my heart encouraged and my soul uplifted. Not only do I come away from an expo with new books, curriculum, guidance and new ideas for homeschooling my children, but I also leave refreshed in spirit.

I am really excited about some of the talks I heard and some of the books and curriculum I purchased. In the next couple weeks I am hoping to find the time to share with you some of those things.

But for now...must. get. rest. :)

Butterfinger Cake

2011-03-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite desserts is a Butterfinger cake. It is pretty simple to make and oh so yummy!

Ingredients

1 chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients to make according to box)
2 packages of snack size butterfingers
1 can of sweet condensed milk
1 tub of cool whip
sprinkles (optional)

Make the chocolate cake according to the package.

While it is baking, unwrap all the Butterfingers and put them in a Ziploc bag and pound away (I use a meat tenderizer) until they are all crumbly.

As soon as the cake is done take it out of the oven (do NOT let it cool) and begin poking holes all over with a wooden spoon handle.

As soon as you get that complete, open your can of sweet condensed milk and pour it over the cake evenly.

Now let the cake cool. When it is completely cool, top it with the crumbled butterfingers.

On top of that, add your cool whip!

You can add sugar sprinkles for a little color...

...and last, get a fork and enjoy. Unless you are going to share it with the rest of the family. Then I would recommend cutting and serving on plates. ;)

The Perfect Book for Country Living

2011-03-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

I call it my country Bible. It's loaded full of so much useful information. I am convinced that everyone that desires a simple, country life, whether you live in the country or the city, could benefit from this book. It's like having a loving, seasoned family member that has farmed and lived off the land their whole life, to run to and ask your pressing questions about gardening, bread baking, herbs, livestock and so much more. I keep it handy at all times and sometimes I pull it out and flip through the pages just to read, not to gain knowledge on any certain subject, but to gain knowledge in general. Even more so, I get it out for guidance. It was very helpful when we had our first kit of rabbits. It helped me through raising chickens, building the coup, raising ducks and gardening. This year I am going to plant potatoes for the first time and it's my trusty Country Living Encyclopedia that I am turning to for direction. There was a time that I could call upon my dad, or my grandpa and glean from their knowledge, but now that they have gone on, I am so thankful that I have such a book to help me stumble thru my attempts of country living, however feeble they may be. :)

More Bunny Talk

2011-03-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

Our bunnies are getting so big. We have sold 2 of the first litter and tomorrow we have someone coming to get 4 or 5. I'm hoping for 5 and that would be all of the first litter. They will be going to their new home at Purina Farms and will be a part of their petting zoo. We were so excited about that. We know they are going to get good care and plenty of attention from lots of sweet little kids! They are all so tame, thanks to Bethany holding and playing with them so much. Friday is a little spit fire, but we figure you have to expect a Friday to be little wild. :)

Wednesday

Friday!

A tisket a tasket, bunnies in a basket!!

Pinny's litter is a little over 3 weeks old. They get in and out of their nesting box and today I caught one of the babies doing the funniest thing. It flipped over on its back and tried to shimmy under its mom to nurse. She wanted nothing of it, but the little bunny was determined. He kept after her, flipping over and shimming, until he got spooked by my laughter and climbed into the nest box. It's very cute how they climb the wire nest box. There are 3 steel and 3 black. I love this age! They are so cute and cuddly!

Pinny is Dakota's rabbit so he named these Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marsha, Jan and Cindy. :)

It's the BUNNY BUNCH!!!

Weather we like it or not

2011-03-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Where can you wake up to 4 inches of snow on Monday and expect temperatures to be in the 70's on Thursday. That's right....Missouri!

Today we woke up to a winter wonderland. It was a very wet snow so it clung to all the trees and every other object standing, making for a truly beautiful sight.

It may of been beautiful but I cannot wait till Thursday to enjoy some warm weather. Me and the kids are planning a trip to the park to enjoy the beautiful day.

A day or two ago I noticed that the crocus' were blooming. So even though we are covered in snow, it is a nice reminder that spring really is on its way!!

Hidden Bible Books Puzzle

2011-03-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

If you are someone who likes puzzles I have one for you. Here are the directions... 30 books of the Bible are found in the paragraph below. (Actually, 31 if you can find the variant of one Old Testament prophet's name? Print it out and circle those you can find. Let me know if you can find them all!!

This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God Bless.

Angel Chicken

2011-03-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Don't you love meals that you can throw in the crock pot in the morning and have a delicious meal at supper time. Mom's need easy. This recipe does it for me. It's easy, delicious, and the whole family loves it!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 Cup butter
1 envelope dry italian salad dressing mix
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup (you can use cream of mushroom soup instead)
1/2 Cup (or 1 small bottle) white grape juice (I've also substitued apple juice)
4 oz. cream cheese with chives and onions

Cut chicken breasts into smaller pieces (I usually just cut them in half) and put them into the bottom of crockpot. Melt and mix all other ingredients in saucepan until smooth. Pour over chicken. Cook in crockpot on high 4-5 hours. When you are ready to eat, prepare (boil) one package of angel hair pasta, drain and serve chicken over the top of the pasta.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2011-03-10T22:23:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love making homemade laundry detergent! I've been making it for about 2 years now. It saves so much money and I love using products that I know exactly what is in them. Here is a list of the ingredients you will need.

4 cups - hot tap water
1 Bar - Fels Naptha soap (you can use Ivory)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 Cup - Borax
1/2 Cup - Oxi Clean *optional*

The first thing I do is grate my soap. When I first started making homemade laundry detergent I used Ivory soap. Now I use Fels-Naptha and let me tell you, it really does make a difference. If at all possible try to find some Fels-Naptha it is a laundry soap so it is made to do what we are using it for and it smells so good!

Bethany loves to help with the grating!

I try to grate my soap and put it in a jar so it is all ready when I need it. Instead of having to take the time to grate it, I can just start the process!

Put your grated soap and 4 cups of water in a saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until all the soap dissolves and is melted. Be sure that it all melts!!

Next, fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax.

Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

Fill bucket to top with more hot water.

If you like you can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons after soap is cooled. I've only added the oil myself, one time. Essential oil is not cheap and I did not see a huge difference. The Fels-Naptha gives it a nice smell anyway! Now, cover it and let it sit over night.

The next morning it will be a very thick gel! Fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with your homemade laundry soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use.

Use 1/2 cup per load - It is a low sudsing soap. If you do not see soap suds, it's okay. It's not the suds that do the cleaning, it's the ingredients in the soap.

If you break down the expense - to make 2 gallons averages to be less than 1 cent a load. Who can beat that?!?

Be sure to use washing soda not baking soda. You can find it and the Fels-Naptha in the laundry aisle. Schnucks and Shop n Save are two places that carry it around my neck of the woods.

My Dad

2011-03-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago today, God called my dad home. I still miss him like crazy, but I know how blessed I am to have had a dad like him. It was the year he died that I came to the Lord, repented of my sins, and accepted the gift of salvation. I know my dad would be so proud, for he prayed many a prayer for me. I know one day I will see him again and he will know that his prayers were answered.. For now I have so many memories to cherish, for he really was a great dad and a great man.

1. He was a man of God.

2. He was a pastor.
3. He loved God.
3. He loved to be outside, working in the yard.
4. When working outside, he wore thick, ugly elastic suspenders.
5. He loved to fish...with me.
6. He didn't talk negative about other people.
7. He lived many days in pain, due to back problems, but never complained.
8. He loved my momma with all his heart, and the look of worry on his face when she was sick let us all know he would be lost without her.
9. He was a hard worker.
10. He loved to listen to christian music. Southern Gospel was his favorite.
11. He loved his computer and his digital camera.
12. He loved Alley Springs and telling us stories about his childhood.
13. When he got excited he had a child like grin.
14. He was so proud of his grandchildren.
15. Each year we would see who would get the first homegrown tomato out of the garden. Today, I always sit down and eat my first tomato and think of him.
16. He loved sweet-tarts. When I was a kid, it was always his candy of choice,
17. For years he managed a chain of flower shops and he made beautiful floral arrangements.

18. He cried tears of joy when his grandson was born.

19. He loved animals. Especially his dog Lady.

20. He gave the best hugs.

21. It made him so happy to have his family together.

22. He always had a toothpick in his mouth.

23. He ate cereal standing up in the kitchen like he was in a hurry.

24. After he brushed his teeth on Sunday mornings he would give kisses to his family.

25. He spent a lot of time studying the word of God.

I love and miss you dad!

Random Thoughts

2011-03-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

1. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

2. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

3. How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

4. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

5. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

6. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page report that I'm positive I did not make any changes to.

7. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

8. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

9. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

10. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

11. Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. We're just different.

12. Junk is something you keep for years and throw away 2 weeks before you need it.

13. Always remember you are unique. Just like everyone else.

14. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

Crust: 2 C. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 C. Margarine

1/2 C. Cold water

Sauce: 3 Tbsp. butter
           3 Tbsp. flour
           1 C. half & half
           1/2 C. chicken broth
           1/2 tsp. salt
           1/4 tsp. pepper

Filling: 2 1/2 C. cooked and cubed chicken
           2 C. Frozen peas
           1/4 C. finely chopped onion
           3 - 1 inch sliced carrots
           2 medium cubed potatoes

Heat oven to 375. Stir together four and salt for crust and then cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in water. Divide into 2/3 and 1/2 portions and set aside the smaller portion. Roll out 2/3 of the dough into a 14" circle about 1/8 of an inch thick. Put it in pie dish and set aside.

Combine all filling ingredients and set aside.

In a 2 qt. saucepan, melt 3 Tbsp. butter and stir in 3 Tbsp. flour. cook over medium high heat stirring occasionally until hot and bubble (about 3-4 min.) Whisk in half and half, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cook until sauce thickens (about 3-5 min.) Stir sauce into filling and pour into pie crust. Roll out remaining dough into a 10" circle about 1/8 of an inch thick. Place on top of pie, flute edges. Make 3 slits on top and lightly brush top of crust with milk. Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

Upcycled Denim Skirts from Recycled Jeans - It's what I do!

2011-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I was at a church youth camp and noticed that some young teenage girls had on denim skirts that were made out of blue jeans. They were so cute! I knew I had to learn how to make them. I went home and got right to it. They are super easy to make and the skill of making them has been such a blessing in my life. In more ways than you can imagine!

As a mother I find it very difficult to find modest clothing for my daughter. So being able to make her cute, fun and unique denim skirts has been a lifesaver!

I also have used it as a way to earn a little extra spending money. Mainly for Christmas, Birthday's, and anything extra that we need. For instance...I will be going to a homeschool expo at the end of this month and selling these skirts are a way for me to be able to buy a few of the school books we need for next year.

It is also, in a sense, a ministry for me. I offer my skirts at a very reasonable price. Usually people are shocked when I tell them the price. Knowing how hard it is to find decent clothing for young ladies, makes it all the more important to me to offer it to others. It has been a blessing to me and I want to share that blessing with others.

I Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I've had several people ask me to share how I make the skirts. I will eventually do that. I'm thinking a blog tutorial with pictures will be the best. I just have never taken the time to do that yet. It's on my to-do list. :) For now though I'll share a few picture of some of my creations!!

These jeans were laced on the side so I removed the original lacing and added a matching red ribbon on each side. Also shown is the back view. I love the little girl sizes that are small enough to use a bandanna. They turn out so super cute!!

Another fun skirt made with a pink polka dot insert and a matching belt that could also be used as a headband!!

Are you loving these yet???

One more!!!

If you are convinced that your daughter would look so adorable in one of these skirts, shoot me a message and we'll talk!

A Bunny Update

2011-03-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Today we awoke to 6 new baby bunnies! That's 13 in all! WOW! Here's some pics of the new arrivals!

The other litter will be two weeks old tomorrow and they are sooo adorable! All their eyes are opened and they are moving around and just being cute!

Now don't ya'll just want a bunny!!!

Starting Seeds Indoors

2011-02-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Spring Fever - a feeling of restlessness and excitement brought on by the coming of spring.

Each year about this time I get a case of spring fever. The cure...starting seeds indoors. It's really easy and fun. It can save you money in the long run and it is enjoyable for any garden lover.

There are several ways you can go about it. This year I invested in a couple Jiffy Greenhouses...

Some Jiffy-Strips and some Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix.

And of course my seeds.

My seeds of choice this year are...tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, peppers, watermelon, broccoli, parsley, chives, basil, dill, lettuce and marigolds.

I love the little greenhouses because it is all ready for you. It has everything you need but the seeds!

The first thing you have to do is add water. This expands the peat pellets.

This is how they look after they expand.

Then you need to gently pull back the netting that is on top of the pellets. It's also good to kind of fluff and level the peat.

This is how they should all look now.

Next, plant your seeds. We did 2-3 seeds per pellet and we covered them lightly with the peat.

If you are planting several different kinds of seeds be sure to label so when they come up you no what is what.

Next put the lid/dome on the tray and place it in a warm spot.

When the first seeds begin to sprout you can prop the dome open. When they all have sprouted you can remove the dome and place the tray in a sunny location. Be sure to water your seeds when the peat turns a light brown.

Pretty simple! Be sure to save your greenhouse for next year. You can buy refill pellets or you could just fill the tray with starter mix.

If you'd rather not invest in a little greenhouse there are several alternatives. Egg cartons work great! Some people use old tea cups, be creative with it and enjoy yourself!

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain.

Baby Bunnies - 5 days old

2011-02-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

They are getting their fur and are so cute!

Mini Pizza's

2011-02-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

In our house, Sunday's are mom's day off. At least cooking wise. Every other day of the week I pre-plan and cook a family meal, but Sunday's is a day for mom to get a break. Instead of cooking a big meal I fix easy snackins. Sometimes everyone fends for themselves and heats up left overs, sometimes I fix pancakes, or doughnuts, or cinnamon toast. This evening I threw together something on a whim and the outcome was delicious!

I had some Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds (I must add that one sandwich round is only 100 calories)

I opened each one up (that's two mini pizza's per sandwich round) and layed them on a cookie sheet. I spread some pizza sauce on top of each one, topped with pepperoni and mozerella cheese and voila...a delicious, super easy, and super yummy meal!

Minimal preparation and minimal mess! That's my kind of Sunday meal! I may have to keep the ingredients on hand just for Sunday's. Wait...then I'd be pre-planning. : )

He's like the Wind

2011-02-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Today was a gorgeous day out. My daughter Bethany brought her journal outside with her. She read to me what she wrote and with her permission I'd like to share it.

God is like the Wind

Today I just thought of something...God is like the wind.

I can't see Him.

I can't touch Him.

But I can feel Him all around me.

I can hear Him.

I see what He does in the things around me.

I can't predict Him.

I can't change Him.

I can't stop Him.

I can't live without Him.

but most of all He's always there, even though I can't see Him.

Bethany ~ age twelve.

A Lesson from a Stranger

2011-02-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

Due to an out of town appointment, the kids and I stayed in a hotel Wednesday night. Thursday morning while we were eating our complimentary breakfast in the breakfast room of the hotel, an older man man came in, got his food and sat at a table next to us. He was alone. I had seen him the night before, a matter of fact, I thought he was a worker, like a "fix it" man or something. It turned out that he was staying in the room next to ours. He was an ordinary man upon first impression. He was wearing the same clothing that I seen him in the night before, his unkempt hair, beard and attire gave little flare to his appearance. But when he sat down, he did something. Something that touched my heart, something that made me think. He prayed. He prayed out loud. A prayer of thanks to his Master, for the food he was about to eat. No hushed tones, no rushed words. I know many christians when they are in public pray over their food, but it's usually a silent, rushed prayer sometimes followed by a quick look around to see if anyone was watching.

Now I am someone who believes that just as quickly as we are to complain about something done wrong, we should be just as quick to commend when something is done right. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and I went over to this man and spoke to him. I told him that his prayer blessed my heart and explained that most people do not pray out loud over a meal in public and it was a blessing to hear him do so. He looked up at me and smiled, a smile I will not soon forget, almost angelic, and simply stated.... "it's a relationship, I don't even think about it, I just talk to Him."

Checking your Vision

2011-02-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

This is a really good video. People we come in contact with each day are all facing problems and situations we know nothing about. So next time you get annoyed at a stranger over something minor, remember they may be going through a terrible situation and you may be just the person to brighten their day.

Baby Bunnies!!

2011-02-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!! We FINALLY have baby bunnies. Our Dutch rabbit Brownie had 7 kits (that's rabbit talk for babies) this evening!!

My family and friends who know my crazy rabbit story can understand why this is such a happy day! The story is ~~almost~~ emarassing, but since I don't have a problem laughing at myself I'll share it with you. : ) A little over a year ago I decided I wanted to raise rabbits. When I was growing up my dad raised rabbits and I loved it. So I studied it out and decided on Dutch bunnies for reasons that aren't really relavent to this story. Anyways, me and the kids built a hutch (which is a story in itself :) and we invested in 3 bunnies, and imagine if you would, 3 Buccheit workers, 2 kids and a mom standing in a circle in the store trying to decide if the bunnies were male or female. According to the employees we had 2 girls and 1 boy. I kept saying "hmmm, I just don't see the difference" but 2 girls and 1 boy is exactly what I wanted so I went with it. The time came that they were old enough to breed. I often found myself looking to see if we indeed had 1 male and 2 females. I'd say "hmmm, they look the same to me" but I would breed them anyway. They did what they were supossed to do, but I was still not sure. I had read that doe rabbits do "that" as a way of defending their territory. After MONTHS and I do mean MONTHS of trying to breed with no success, I decided that they must all be females. We located a male dutch bunny and the lady assured me that it was indeed a male. When we picked it up she tried to show me, but you know what...I just didn't see a difference. At this point we were racing with time. A female doe is suposed to have her first kit before she is a year old, otherwise she could die while giving birth. Our male rabbit was not of age so all we could do was wait. As he got older I checked again, and what a suprise I had....you really CAN tell the difference lol! There was no doubt! We now had a buck and I couldn't help but laugh at all my attempts of breeding female rabbits together. Today all the waiting and false attempts have paid off. I was litterally jumping up and down in excitement!

In my inexperience I wasn't even sure if Brownie was pregnant, I was very concerned because she is a little over a year old. She started pulling her hair out today(she had did that once before with a false pregnancy) so I put her nesting box in and a good thing I did, about an hour and a half later we had babies! All went well and from what I read 6 kits for a dutch bunny is a large litter and she had 7!

Bethany wants to temporarily name them (she knows we can't keep them all) Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was hoping for Basil, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Paprika, Ginger, Clover and Rosemary, but since she takes care of the rabbits more than any of us, I think I'll let her have her choice. :):):)

No Talk Tuesdays

2011-02-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

In our effort to learn Sign Language we have decided to start something new. We are calling it "no talk Tuesdays". That means no talking, just signing for us! It's amazing how much you learn when your only means of communication are your hands.

♥ Be Mine ♥

2011-02-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

I love you.

You are mine.

Your name is written upon My heart.

Your prayers are precious to Me.

Your life is in My hands.

I am with you always.

I am nearer to you than your own heart.

I gave My life so that you

might live forever with Me.

All I ask in return is your love.

Be Mine,

~ Jesus ~

Boys to Men - Raising Godly Boys

2011-02-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

As a homeschool mom of a boy and a girl it didn't take me long to realize that resources in purity, modesty, and virtue are limited when it comes to raising boys. You can find numerous books, blogs, curriculum, etc. for raising your daughter to be a Godly woman. But what about raising Godly men? There are a few good books out there, but compared to what there is to offer for girls it's very limited. As important as it is to raise our daughter's to be Proverbs 31 women, it is equally important to raise our boys to be godly men. I like to think that there is a mother out there that is raising her son and teaching him about God's ways right now, a boy that will someday be my daughter's husband. Likewise, I want to raise my son in a way that he is prepared to be a good husband, father, family provider and leader, all according to God's word. So I thought I would share a few great resources I have found for raising Godly men!

Online Resources

Online Bible - Best resource!

In all Purity - This is a blog written by a young man on purity.

The Rebelution - A great online resource to encourage young men. Alex and Brett Harris are young men of conviction, passion and courage. Their call to their generation is faithful to the gospel and honoring Christ. We had the pleasure of getting to know Alex and Brett a little bit last year when we volunteered at their conference. These boys are the real deal.

A Look at Life from a Deer Stand - this is my son's devotional blog. He also had a friend who has a great blog called....

Counter Cultural - Another devotional type blog.

What better way to teach your son to live a Godly life then showing him that there are other young men out there that are trying to do the same.

BOOKS for Him

The Bible - The best handbook ever!

A Call to Die - Two words for this book...Life Changing. It goes straight to the heart and is able to do some amazing things in your walk with God. I seen a profound change in my son with this book.

Do Hard Things - This book was written by Brett and Alex Harris when they were 18. It is a revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.

Books for Parents

The Bible - The best guidebook ever!

Future Men

Raising a Modern Day Knight

That's My Son: How Mom's can Influence Boys to become Men of Character

Homeschool Curriculum

The Bible - The best resource ever!

Plants Grown Up

Prepare Thy Work

Honor your Father and Mother

Doorposts has so many great resources for boys and girls alike. Plus resources for parenting. I've listed several but you may find something that fits your needs better on their site!

The Best Resource EVER

THE BIBLE - I have listed it under each category, why??? It's the best, it's full of truth, answers, and encouragement. It is the most important resource needed. All other books and curriculum pale in comparison.

Sew Busy

2011-02-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy little seamstress in the past couple weeks. I've completed several projects, mainly for Bethany's spring/summer wardrobe, but I did manage to make myself an outfit.

A tier skirt and a peasant blouse.

I call it my Homestead Blessings, wanna run through green pastures barefoot and maybe milk a cow skirt.

Weird name? Maybe, so let me explain. I have made several tier skirts in the past, but my motivation for this one came from the Homestead Blessings Art of Sewing DVD. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the West ladies? I can't remember where I got the material, because I have had it so long, but I know someone gave it to me. Same goes for the lace trim, which I just had to add! I love the extra girly, girly look it adds. When I look at this skirt I think of summer days, green grass, and I envision myself running thru the green grass barefoot. It looks so country (add milk cow here) and yet so feminine! Considering we still have snow, ice, and frigid temperatures, green grass appears to be a long ways off and come to think of it, I don't even own a cow. So maybe it was a bad choice for a name, maybe I should call it my "make some bread and curl up with a good book skirt" naaah! Doesn't have a ring to it or give me the same warm fuzzy feeling. I'll stick with the former. : P

As for the peasant blouse....I love finding deals and saving money, I went to Goodwill a couple weeks ago and found several sheets for $2.00 each and several pieces of material for $.50 a yard. I was super excited! Anyways, I made the blouse out of a white knit sheet. It was also inspired by the West ladies in their Art of Sewing DVD.

For the pattern, I found that my mom had this old 70's pattern that would work great.

I altered it a little, followed the instructions given on the DVD, added elastic to the bodice and voila!

And even though I didn't plan it this way, the peasant blouse looks great with the Homestead Blessings, wanna run through green pastures barefoot and maybe milk a cow skirt!

Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

I am Lost in Blindness

2011-02-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

I love, love, LOVE this! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Embracing the Season

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

No winter blues here! The U.S. has been hit hard this winter. Snow, ice, frigid temperatures. A lot of people are counting down the days till spring. Spring and summer are my favorites, but I am not quite ready to push winter out the door, not yet anyway.

There is something about the possibility of getting snow that really excites me. I guess it brings out the kid in me. I love the idea of being snowed in. I love the relaxed pace of winter. I love the the chance to do things I don't really do in the summer, like scrapbook, sew, and all things crafty. I love having time to blog hop. I love hot cocoa. I love listening to Dakota play his guitar. I love watching Bethany do crazy creative projects (her latest was a cape and mask for our dog, now known as Daisy the Wonder Dog), I love the way the snow makes everything look so beautiful and warm. Yes, warm. Even though the snow is cold, and we bundle up to go out in it, when I look out my window at the snow covered earth, I feel warm inside.

So, even though spring is just around the corner, and I will love the green grass, the beautiful flowers, the warmer temperatures.... today I am perfectly content with my winter wonderland.

Check it Out

2011-01-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

I know several of my followers already follow my son's blog, but for those of you who don't....you really should check it out!

He has a great devotional blog that he posts to on a regular basis. He has great thoughts and it is evident that many of his posts are God given. I am confident that if you check it out you will be blessed! Just click the button below and check it out!

He also had a photography blog! So be sure to check it out too! He takes great nature photographs!

An ASL Journey

2011-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago, for our foreign language, the kids began to learn Sign Language. At that time I really didn't have a desire to learn it myself, but that soon changed. About a year later I began to have an overwhelming desire to learn the beautiful language. I honestly cannot pinpoint a specific event that triggered my desire to learn.  I thought about it day and night. I began enveloping myself in the language. Spending my spare time engulfed in books, the Internet, watching videos, online lesson's etc. (you can find my favorite ASL help site here) It came to the point that I couldn't go much farther with it.   There is only so much you can learn from a book and the Internet.   I wasn't even sure I was doing all of the signs right. I had so many questions and no one to ask.   So I did the only thing I knew to do. I began to pray about it. I told the Lord that I didn't understand why I wanted to learn, but that I believed He was the One giving me the desire. I asked God if this is something that He wanted, if there was a bigger purpose, a way that it could be used for His glory, that he would send me someone. Someone that knew the language, so I could talk to them, ask the questions to, and get direction from. I continued to pray. Then when I least expected it, God answered my prayer!

I had reconnected with an old High School friend of mine and we visited her church. The first thing I noticed was that they had a sign language interpreter.   I was so excited. Then I found out that my friend's mom was one of the interpreter's.   On top of that she held a class at the church twice a month that was free (which is a very important detail for a poor gal like me: )!!

The first class we went to was overwhelming. Most of the people attending knew alot of signs, where very good, and had been at it for some time.  There were also two deaf individuals (my friend's aunt and uncle) that attended the class to help everyone learn. There was a sweet young lady who is a certified interpreter who volunteered to teach a 6 week beginner class!   So we dove right in!

I am still very limited in my signs, but I am learning, trying. However slow the progress is, it is still progress. We also found another church in our area that has a very large deaf ministry. They have monthly fellowships. Now, you need to understand that I am a very shy person. Being around people that I don't know very well makes me extremely nervous, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and attended one of their fellowships.   I completely forgot everything I learned. I introduced (in sign language) my son as my daughter and my daughter as my son. It was horrible. But I survived and we went back again.  The people are great and this month will make our 3'rd time attending.   It is amazing how much you learn when you surround yourself in the language and there is no other way to communicate.

I still do not know God's purpose for this. But I believe with all my heart that there is a purpose.   It may not be for me, it may be for my children for they are on this journey with me, but I believe one day, maybe even years down the line, something will happen, or maybe someone will come into our lives and it will all come into focus and I'll think to myself "Oh, this is what God was doing.

Did you know???

There are over 250 million deaf people in the world…and that it has been reported that only 2% are Christians.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature". Mark 16:15

Who is going to tell the deaf about Jesus? Who is going to bring the gospel to their culture?

When we wake up on a Sunday morning we have dozens of choices on where to attend church. What about the deaf community? How many choices do they have?

I have found a great resource for bringing the gospel to the deaf community. Deaf Missions has many products including online daily devotions in sign language and ASL Bibles. Their resources have also helped me in my learning.

I love watching songs interpreted in ASL. Here is my favorite.

A few Fun facts

When Beethoven composed his ninth symphony, he was profoundly deaf.

Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone (by accident in his efforts to create a HEARING AID) was originally an instructor for deaf children and invented the telephone to help his deaf wife and mother to hear.

A deaf center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds, William Hoy, invented the hand signals for strikes and balls in baseball.

Deaf people have safer driving records than hearing people nationally.

The huddle formation used by football teams originated at Gallaudet University, a liberal arts college for deaf people in Washington, DC, to prevent other schools from reading their sign language.

The man who invented shorthand, John Gregg, was deaf.

Pretty cool isn't it!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

2011-01-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered if it is really true that no two snowflakes are alike? Well, scientists tell us that variations among complex snow crystals are purely limitless. Many snowflakes look alike – even under the microscope – but at closer examination, they differ. The probability of two exactly identical snow crystals happening within the lifetime of the universe is practically zero.

Dakota captured these snowflakes with his camera today. Amazing, isn't it?

Do you know what is even more amazing??

The immeasurable complexity of a human being is so much greater than a snowflake.

So you can be absolutely, positutley, without a doubt, sure that there never was, never ever will be, anyone like you!

Don't you feel special now? : ) : ) : ) : )

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14

Under the Juniper Tree

2011-01-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

As a homeschool mom there are times that I get burnt out. I'm sure if you have been homeschooling for any length of time you have felt the same way at some point in your life. Does that make us bad moms? I hope not. I like to think it makes us normal. But let's face it, a burnt out mom makes for a grumpy mom.

There are many things that can cause a homeschool mom to become "burnt out".

Stress in the family outside of the homeschool.
Death of a loved one.
Focusing all your attention on your family and none on yourself.
Financial problems.
Marital problems.

The list could go on and on. Usually when I become burnt out I find myself wiped out emotionally, physically and sometimes even spiritually.

It's at those times that I have to remind myself to go sit under the Juniper tree.

I Kings 19:4-8

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

These scriptures tell us of how Elijah became so distressed by the threats of Jezebel, the he fled, took shelter under the juniper tree and asked to die. This is the same Elijah who was there at the defeat of the prophets of Baal, the same Elijah who saw the drought end, and the same Elijah who ate from the widow's barrel of meal and cruse of oil, now so depressed unto the point of asking the Lord to take his life.

No where does it tell us that the Lord chastised Elijah. Instead the Bible tells us of how God dealt with his discouragement in an understanding way. He allowed Elijah to sleep, he nourished him with food, and he gave him direction.

So, in other words, when we, as God's children, get discouraged or "burnt out" in the place that God has put us, all we need to do is go sit under the Juniper tree. Now I don't mean to go sit under the Juniper tree and mope around and ask God to take you home to be with him. : ) Instead ask God to give you the strength and encouragement to continue on doing that which He has called you to do. Rest in Him and He will renew you.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

God Bless

No Worries

2011-01-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

"The shepherd always walks AHEAD of his sheep. He is always OUT IN FRONT. Any attack upon the sheep has to take him into account first. Now God is out in front. He is in our tomorrows, and it is tomorrow that fills people with fear. Yet God is already there. All tomorrows of our life have to pass through Him before they can get to us." F.B. Meyer

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34

Never Changing

2011-01-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

From all the buzz I've heard on the internet in the past week apparently experts are saying the Zodiac needs changing because its not accurate. Try Jesus, He won't change on you.

For I am the Lord, I CHANGE NOT. Malachi 3:6a

Jesus Christ THE SAME yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is NO VARIABLENESS, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Times change, things change, people change. God NEVER changes. He REMAINS. ALWAYS Powerful, ALWAYS Glorious, ALWAYS GOD.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8

Snow Happy!!

2011-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

I am NOT the kind of mom who has hot chocolate waiting when the kids come in from playing in the snow.

I AM the kind of mom who fixes the hot chocolate, puts it in an insulated pitcher, and then.....

....goes out and plays in the snow too!

and then we came in and warmed up with our already ready hot chocolate. :)

Lazy Days and Saturdays

2011-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed a completely lazy, only do what I want to do, kinda day.  So, what, you may ask, does a person do on a completely lazy, only do what I want to do, kinda day? Well, I don't know what other people do, but for me it consisted of not getting out of bed when I thought I should. Instead, I ignored that nagging voice in my head that says "you really need to get up" and snuggled deeper under the covers for another 45 minutes.

Once I got up, I decided it was a perfect day for backing up old home videos. I'm slowly putting all our old vhs home videos onto dvd's with a Dazzle video creator. While I was waiting for the video's to record onto the dvd's, I looked through boxes of old sewing patterns. I've been in a creative mood lately.   I've been getting tons of inspiration from a young girl named Olivia. She has a great blog called Eager Hands.

I have several projects I want to start. The two main projects that I'm centering my focus on is  a modest swimsuit for Bethany and a dress.   For the swimsuit I am thinking of making my own design rather than following a specific pattern. I really don't like patterns and I usually don't follow them anyway. : )   For the dress, I'm thinking something with a zipper. I've never sewn an outfit with a zipper before and I feel the need to learn the skill. Surely it won't be that hard. In case it is, I don't have to worry, I know I can call on my mom if I run into trouble.   So anyways, I'm looking through old patterns in search for pieces that catch my eye that I can use. For example, maybe the bodice of one, the skirt layout of another. If I'm lucky I'll be able to put them together and the outcome will be a masterpiece.

Looking at all the patterns made me decide to get my sewing machine out. Usually, I leave it out, but I decided to put it away during Christmas break this year. I quick converted a pair of Capri's into a denim skirt for my niece Katy, and then I mended a few articles of clothing that were starting to pile up.

I finished the day with some homemade hot cocoa and movies with the kids.   Ahhh, If only every day could be a lazy day or a Saturday.

Nature Journaling......the How and Why.

2011-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

The book that first sparked my interest in nature journaling was Karen Andreola's Pocketful of Pinecones. It was one of the first books I bought for myself as a new homeschooling momma. After reading the first few pages I knew that what was described on the pages was exactly how I wanted my homeschool to be. Dakota was just starting Kindergarten and we were off on the adventure of a life time. We went on many nature walks that first year, and many in the years to come, but it was not until last year (as I mentioned in my last post) that I started a nature journal myself.

"As soon as he is able to keep it himself,

a nature diary is a source of delight to a child.

Every day's walk gives him something to enter..." --Charlotte Mason

I have seen how keeping a nature diary is a source of delight to children, but now, experiencing that delight for myself has been pure joy. There is something about experiencing and studying God's creation that brings a thankfulness and an "awe" that I cannot describe. I have sat outdoors watching a sunset, surrounded by rolling hills, and nature and I wonder..... how can anyone NOT believe. It's as if everything I see, everything I hear is crying out praises to their creator. As if the bees are buzzing "Majesty", the birds are chirping "Glorious" and the frogs are croaking "Magnificent". Sometimes I listen closely just to see if I can hear the rocks crying out. The only way I can find to savor the moment is to draw what I see and write what I feel.

How to start.....

Be inspired

The best way for me to get inspired to do something is to read about it, to look at examples of other peoples work. These are a few of the books I have that have inspired me in nature journaling. If they are not already a part of your homeschool library you could check your local public library or try amazon.

Get supplies

These are my supplies. Since I am a scrapbooker I already had most of the supplies I needed. You really only need a good pencil and a sketch pad. I love adding color to my pictures though. Most of the time I do so with colored pencils or pastels (chalk). I keep all these supplies in a nice bag that I can carry outdoors with me. I also like to keep some packing tape with me. I love to pick flowers, leaves or feathers up and put them in my sketch pad for an added remembrance. Here is a picture out of my nature journal of a dogwood tree. Remember I'm not a great artist but I want you to see how I taped a dogwood flower and leaf (from our tree in the back yard) onto the pages. You can also take a picture and include that on the pages of your journal. Oh, and I must add that I love the spiral bound sketch pads! Very convenient for drawing!

Now head outdoors. It could be your own backyard, a park, or a nearby creek. State parks are beautiful places to enjoy nature and a favorite for me.

Once you pick your spot, spend some time observing. Take it all in. See it, taste it, smell it, listen closely, feel it. Now pick something to draw. It does not have to be anything elaborate. A flower, a tree, a patch of grass, anything that particularly catches your eye. Look at it and study the details of it. Sometimes we take for granted what we see. Sometimes we see without really looking. So take the time to really look. Then write about what you see. Use great detail. Write about how you feel. If the spot that you are sitting in could speak what would it say? When you are all done close your eyes and thank God for the beautiful world that he created and for giving you this moment.

Keeping a Nature Journal

2011-01-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last year during the St. Louis Home School Expo I took a couple classes on drawing by Barry Stebbing. I really enjoyed it. I went right out and bought a few art supplies including a good drawing pencil, a drawing pen, watercolor markers, colored pencils, erasers, and a sketch journal. I must inform you that I am not an expertise artist, far from it. My drawing skills have a lot to be desired, but they have gotten better. I do believe drawing is like baseball or playing a musical instrument. The more you practice the better you get. Though I know my work will never hang in the halls of museums my hope is that one day they will bless the hearts of my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on. Along with my nature drawings I write. I write about what I am thinking, how what I am drawing makes me feel, my hopes and dreams, prayers for my children, favorite quotes, poems and much more.

One book that has inspired me is The Country Diary of and Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden. Its a beautiful and exquisitely detailed book. It is filled with information about history and nature. As soon as I looked at it I knew that this is what I wanted my nature journal to resemble. So I've been waiting patiently for January to arrive so I could begin a new journal just like Edith Holden.

Gooseberry Patch Giveaway

2011-01-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Prairie Flower Farm is having a Gooseberry Patch giveaway! I'm sure you want to go check it out. Just click on the button below to see how you can get in on the fun! Be sure to check out her blog while your are there!

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T23:45:00.000-08:00

Remember, true happiness does not come from how much we have, how we look, or by how many friends we have. It comes from God. "Happy is that people, whose God is the LORD." Psalms 144:15

May you all have a Happy New Year!!