I am thankful for the United States of America. I am thankful that I can go today and cast my vote and be a part of preparing for the future.
One of the freedoms that I most hold dear is religious freedom. I can read my Bible, our family can read and discuss God's word, and we can worship together with our church family without fear.
I hope you take advantage of the opportunity you have today; happy voting!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Day 5: 30 Days of Thankful
If you are just joining this blog today, welcome! This is a great month to reflect on all for which we are thankful. I'm working on my list one day at a time and writing about the items in no particular order of importance.
Today I'm thankful for my oldest daughter! Abigail is such a lovely young lady with a wonderful mind and heart. She loves to draw and work on crafty projects; most recently I am teaching her a little embroidery. Her first project is a rainbow.
Her sweetness is so evident particularly as she cares for the baby. She jumps when she hears the baby cry and runs over to give her toys or talk to her. The baby loves to watch her big sister.
I'm so thankful for the help Abigail is to me around the house - through chores of helping fold laundry or set the table or things like that. I'm thankful for her affection and that she wants to do what is right through God's help.
Today I'm thankful for my oldest daughter! Abigail is such a lovely young lady with a wonderful mind and heart. She loves to draw and work on crafty projects; most recently I am teaching her a little embroidery. Her first project is a rainbow.
Her sweetness is so evident particularly as she cares for the baby. She jumps when she hears the baby cry and runs over to give her toys or talk to her. The baby loves to watch her big sister.
I'm so thankful for the help Abigail is to me around the house - through chores of helping fold laundry or set the table or things like that. I'm thankful for her affection and that she wants to do what is right through God's help.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Day 4: 30 Days of Thankful
Today I am thankful for a day of rest and worship. Today was a good sermon on the word "inheritance" in the Bible. We are in Exodus 6 and the promise land as the inheritance of the people. BUT, and this is a great but(!), it doesn't stop there. The people of God are Jesus' inheritance, and God is our inheritance. What a lovely word to think about and learn more of today.
Happy-rest-of-the-rest-day to you!
Happy-rest-of-the-rest-day to you!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Day 3: Thirty Days of Thankkful
I was saving this one for today. I am thankful for my husband! Today is Saturday, and one thing that he regularly does is take the two older kids out to breakfast. Now the third kid is almost two, so it looks like she is going to be able to join in on these outings. I am thankful that my husband loves us his family! He takes care of us on so many levels.
He leads us in family devotions after dinner, and patiently helps the kids with their memory work. He encourages us and extended family members with godly living and working hard with the blessings and talents God gives.
Last night he had a sleepover with Brookie and Small Fry. They watched movies downstairs, and then he had each of the kids make themselves a little bed on their bean bags while he slept on the couch. He even set up space heaters special just so the kids wouldn't be cold.
He is such a hard worker. Not only does he go to work every day to provide for us, he comes home and does things around the house. This past summer he did the bulk of the gardening and preserving. He canned over 200 quarts of vegetables and applesauce. I know! He is amazing. Now he is in the midst of deer hunting season to put some venison in the freezer. He also works hard at losing weight! He even WON a weight-loss competition at work.
Big Fish has a fun sense of humor and a calmness that both help us work through hard things and help our communication. He can definitely give me a pull back to reality when I fly off the handle!
One other paragraph of what he is doing today: after he does a little hunting and then breakfasting with the kids he is then going to watch ALL FOUR kids for 3-4 hours, so that I can visit with a friend. Then we are to have some time together this evening; of course he asked if I wanted to go hunting with him. I'm still thinking about that.....
Thank you Lord for the man of my dreams!
He leads us in family devotions after dinner, and patiently helps the kids with their memory work. He encourages us and extended family members with godly living and working hard with the blessings and talents God gives.
Last night he had a sleepover with Brookie and Small Fry. They watched movies downstairs, and then he had each of the kids make themselves a little bed on their bean bags while he slept on the couch. He even set up space heaters special just so the kids wouldn't be cold.
He is such a hard worker. Not only does he go to work every day to provide for us, he comes home and does things around the house. This past summer he did the bulk of the gardening and preserving. He canned over 200 quarts of vegetables and applesauce. I know! He is amazing. Now he is in the midst of deer hunting season to put some venison in the freezer. He also works hard at losing weight! He even WON a weight-loss competition at work.
Big Fish has a fun sense of humor and a calmness that both help us work through hard things and help our communication. He can definitely give me a pull back to reality when I fly off the handle!
One other paragraph of what he is doing today: after he does a little hunting and then breakfasting with the kids he is then going to watch ALL FOUR kids for 3-4 hours, so that I can visit with a friend. Then we are to have some time together this evening; of course he asked if I wanted to go hunting with him. I'm still thinking about that.....
Thank you Lord for the man of my dreams!
Friday, November 2, 2012
30 Days of Thankful Day 2
This morning as I write, I notice the thermometer registers 37 degrees F. At this moment I am thankful for our home. The actual structure keeps us warm on the chilly days, and we love the log facing and the stone fireplace.
More than that our home is a place of peace and joy (most days!). Our family can be here together and enjoy our time spent with family and friends who come to visit. God has given us a place that we can work and play, talk and have quiet times, make a mess and clean up again.
Most recently we installed a mantle above our fireplace. It definitely ties in to the aesthetic of the place, as it's just a rough-cut log. I told my husband that we kind of have a "hunting lodge" theme going here. Yes, we have antlers on the wall and a carved wooden fish over the back door. There are old duck decoys and turkey feathers around for accents! I am thankful that my husband is able to enjoy the place just as much as me, and we are able to hear the thump thump of our children's feet running about doing their all-important-for-the-minute activities.
We would sure like to have you over for a visit; we love company!
More than that our home is a place of peace and joy (most days!). Our family can be here together and enjoy our time spent with family and friends who come to visit. God has given us a place that we can work and play, talk and have quiet times, make a mess and clean up again.
Most recently we installed a mantle above our fireplace. It definitely ties in to the aesthetic of the place, as it's just a rough-cut log. I told my husband that we kind of have a "hunting lodge" theme going here. Yes, we have antlers on the wall and a carved wooden fish over the back door. There are old duck decoys and turkey feathers around for accents! I am thankful that my husband is able to enjoy the place just as much as me, and we are able to hear the thump thump of our children's feet running about doing their all-important-for-the-minute activities.
We would sure like to have you over for a visit; we love company!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thirty Days of Thankful: Day 1
Happy November to you! I've been tossing around some ideas for the blog, and I love the idea of a post every day for the month. Let's see how it all works out, but I hope to have a few things written by the end of November. I'm not going to work through by order of importance; I just want to talk and share a bit of the life God has gifted me.
Today I am thankful for my mom and dad. Just two days ago was the 2 year (!) anniversary of my dad's stroke. This week October 30 happened to fall on a Tuesday. Tuesday also happens to be the day my parents come to our house to visit and help with the kids. We were able to sit down to a nice steak dinner (thanks mom!) with garden corn and eggplant, some sweet potatoes, and some cookies and rhubarb sticky buns for dessert. Nice meal - huh!
We reminisced a bit about the fact that my dad does not remember his helicopter ride, as he was life-flighted to the hospital. My mom remembers every detail of that night. He does remember being carried downstairs on the stretcher (it was "very cold"). I remember calling my two brothers and sister spread around the world to share what had happened to dad. I remember the fears of thinking what-if during the next few days.
We all remember the "jail-break" of bringing my dad to our house for Thanksgiving; we had to check him out of the in-patient unit for the day. I remember my husband building a ramp to our front door, so that we could get the wheelchair inside.
By God's grace and mercy my dad has worked through lots of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. He is able to walk using his cane, and he is able to preach from the pulpit!
What a blessing it is to have a man of God as a father and friend and a woman of God as a mother and confidant. Some of the most precious scenes from my life right now are to see my children clambering all over my dad and to see my mom gently rocking my littlest one.
Dad really knows how to get the kids going! On Tuesday they were playing that my dad was the big bad wolf, and my kids were running and shrieking through the house as the scared little piglets.
I could go on. I will in the days to come, hopefully. I have lots to be thankful for; my cup runneth over.
Today I am thankful for my mom and dad. Just two days ago was the 2 year (!) anniversary of my dad's stroke. This week October 30 happened to fall on a Tuesday. Tuesday also happens to be the day my parents come to our house to visit and help with the kids. We were able to sit down to a nice steak dinner (thanks mom!) with garden corn and eggplant, some sweet potatoes, and some cookies and rhubarb sticky buns for dessert. Nice meal - huh!
We reminisced a bit about the fact that my dad does not remember his helicopter ride, as he was life-flighted to the hospital. My mom remembers every detail of that night. He does remember being carried downstairs on the stretcher (it was "very cold"). I remember calling my two brothers and sister spread around the world to share what had happened to dad. I remember the fears of thinking what-if during the next few days.
We all remember the "jail-break" of bringing my dad to our house for Thanksgiving; we had to check him out of the in-patient unit for the day. I remember my husband building a ramp to our front door, so that we could get the wheelchair inside.
By God's grace and mercy my dad has worked through lots of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. He is able to walk using his cane, and he is able to preach from the pulpit!
What a blessing it is to have a man of God as a father and friend and a woman of God as a mother and confidant. Some of the most precious scenes from my life right now are to see my children clambering all over my dad and to see my mom gently rocking my littlest one.
Dad really knows how to get the kids going! On Tuesday they were playing that my dad was the big bad wolf, and my kids were running and shrieking through the house as the scared little piglets.
I could go on. I will in the days to come, hopefully. I have lots to be thankful for; my cup runneth over.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Five on Friday
In no particular order, I just have the itch to write a few things:
1. We are enjoying the fall harvest including 2 bushels of apples and a harvest of honey. Apple crisp is on the to-do list today and another crockpot batch of apple butter. The honey supers are sitting in my garage waiting to be extracted. I'm hoping to have an increase over my first-ever harvest last year of 5 pints. There are a few straggling eggplants from the garden, and tahini and chickpeas have been bought to make a dip (baba ganoush - sp?).
2. One of my biggest prayer requests for myself right now is patience with the kids right around dinner time! That seems to be crunch time, for I easily let myself get discouraged if I feel I didn't get enough done in the day by that point. Lord, help me to find joy and calmness even at the end of the day.
3. The soap-making is rolling along! Not only that, but lip balm, body butters and hard lotion bars are being concocted. Anybody want to place some holiday orders? :)
4. The children have been enjoying these Indian summer days. I believe even tomorrow a chill will set in. They've had lots of mosquito bites these past few days from being outside! There is a farm tour tomorrow, and we hope to visit a white-tail deer farm in our area.
5. Weight loss update (stop reading here if my battle with the bulge does not interest you; it doesn't offend me if it doesn't!). Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news first - let this be a warning to you all - I had a lady approach me and ask if I were expecting. I am not. Boo. Please, please, please do not ask women when they are due if they haven't talked about their pregnancy first. It's rather humiliating for the women, and I speak from a vast number of personal experiences with this. Ok, whew, on with the good news. I have broken the 160 pound barrier! I am currently 159 as of last Monday! My goal is to reach 150, so I have 9 pounds left!! Most of the time these 9 pounds seem like an overwhelming mountain (of fat!), but I am committed to pushing through. That means I need to finish this post and get my hiney on the elliptical!
Cheers to a wonderful, crisp, hot cuppa of something Fall Day in your area!
1. We are enjoying the fall harvest including 2 bushels of apples and a harvest of honey. Apple crisp is on the to-do list today and another crockpot batch of apple butter. The honey supers are sitting in my garage waiting to be extracted. I'm hoping to have an increase over my first-ever harvest last year of 5 pints. There are a few straggling eggplants from the garden, and tahini and chickpeas have been bought to make a dip (baba ganoush - sp?).
2. One of my biggest prayer requests for myself right now is patience with the kids right around dinner time! That seems to be crunch time, for I easily let myself get discouraged if I feel I didn't get enough done in the day by that point. Lord, help me to find joy and calmness even at the end of the day.
3. The soap-making is rolling along! Not only that, but lip balm, body butters and hard lotion bars are being concocted. Anybody want to place some holiday orders? :)
4. The children have been enjoying these Indian summer days. I believe even tomorrow a chill will set in. They've had lots of mosquito bites these past few days from being outside! There is a farm tour tomorrow, and we hope to visit a white-tail deer farm in our area.
5. Weight loss update (stop reading here if my battle with the bulge does not interest you; it doesn't offend me if it doesn't!). Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news first - let this be a warning to you all - I had a lady approach me and ask if I were expecting. I am not. Boo. Please, please, please do not ask women when they are due if they haven't talked about their pregnancy first. It's rather humiliating for the women, and I speak from a vast number of personal experiences with this. Ok, whew, on with the good news. I have broken the 160 pound barrier! I am currently 159 as of last Monday! My goal is to reach 150, so I have 9 pounds left!! Most of the time these 9 pounds seem like an overwhelming mountain (of fat!), but I am committed to pushing through. That means I need to finish this post and get my hiney on the elliptical!
Cheers to a wonderful, crisp, hot cuppa of something Fall Day in your area!
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