A Great Giveaway!

Beautiful sunshine and warm sand....

Hello, everyone! I am back from my long hiatus! There has been a lot going on so if you want to catch up on the details go visit Julia's blog. She good at posting regularly! Basically, we went to Florida to visit Bob's mom, I haven't been feeling very well and the usual responsibilities of life were all I could handle. Julia has some great pictures of our trip to Florida so I won't repeat by writing a long post about it.

But here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what it was like.

Let me say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Hope you had a great time with friends and family. We spent a nice quiet day eating lots of good homecooked foods and fellowshipping as a family.

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Jasmine Baucham (Voddie Baucham's daughter) has so kindly offered to host a giveaway of Julia's jewelry and a custom blog header, made by Julia for the winner's blog. Two prizes for the taking!! To enter, simply go to Jasmine's blog and leave a comment. If you want more chances to win, look at the Etsy shop and let Jasmine know which item is your favorite, by leaving a comment. Also if you post about the giveaway, you get another chance to win.

Here is the necklace set that is being given away:

I would love to hear from you but you must comment on Jasmine's blog to enter the giveaway.

Have a blessed day!

Our House is For Sale!

After praying about it for about a year, we believe that it is time to put our house up for sale. We are planning to move to the area where Bob works but we are very open to whatever God has for us. Would you please pray for us? Especially, that we could walk in peace through this whole process. If you are interested in our house, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. :)

We have a beautiful home and it will be hard in a way to leave it. But we believe that God is faithful to provide what we need for the next season of our life. He is leading us to walk by faith and not by sight. I find this challenging yet necessary. The right things are not always easy to do.

How is God directing you to walk by faith and not by sight? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Blessings,

Apples!

Sickness had prevented us from heading up to North Georgia for a weekend visit. I had hoped to get some apples from the orchards while they were in season. Amazingly, our Wal-Mart had the exact variety of apples that I would have purchased in N. GA! So I bought several bags.



Here are the sliced apples already canned up.



Yummy!

Here are the rest of the apples cooking away for applesauce.

Applesauce is one of those "easy to can" items. It is oh, so good and fresh when it is homemade.

If you have never tried canning, apples and applesauce are a good place to start. They are water bath canned and it is pretty easy.

Happy Fall,

The Craft Show ~ Fallfest

Here is our booth at the Fallfest. We got there early, around 7:30 am. You can see the pretty garland hanging on the edge of the tent.

This was my table of goodies. Julia made the adorable crocheted donuts and we decided to put them with the rest of the crocheted items.

Julia's jewelry table is eye-catching and pretty! It all looked so professional that people were stunned that this was done all by her. They often asked how long she had been displaying at shows and how many shows she did a year.

Overall, it was a good day. We did manage to sell some things. Other sellers said that they were slow, too. The good news was the weather. Rain had been forecasted for the whole day but the forecasters were wrong! Yay! Sunshine and blue skies ruled the day! It was quite warm, temps in the 90's. Except for the loud country music, the day went smoothly. I probably won't sell there again but it was a good experience and it was nice to see friends from town.

We will be posting many items on Etsy so if you were disappointed that you didn't make it to the Fallfest, just check out our Etsy shop and you can still buy these cuties! Just give us a few days to take the pictures and get them posted. You can find the shop here.


Blessings,

A Cute, EASY, DIY Garland

This adorable garland is so easy to whip up you might put it at the bottom of your "to-do" party list!! I got the original idea from The Purl Bee and you can find the site here. I modified her instructions to make it even easier!

All you need is a charm pack of fabric squares and a sewing machine. Mine are 5 inch squares. (Similiar to this pack. It's not the one I used for the garland but just so you know what to look for in the store.)

I started the sewing with a small piece of ribbon in case I wanted to tie the garland to something. Fold the squares in half with the right sides out to make a triangle and sew down the long folded side about a 1/4 inch from the edge. Slightly overlap them at the tips and just keep sewing until you have the length of garland that you want.

Using fun, bright fabrics, you could make these for parties, to decorate a nursery or even decorate for the holidays. Just get the charms in seasonal fabrics and away you go!!

Happy creating!

About Myself

My friend, Michelle, at She Looketh Well is having a giveaway. The only requirement is that you introduce yourself and then link back to her site, which you can find here.

So, here is a little bit about me.

Now, I have to admit right up front that I really don't like talking about myself but I will give this my best try.

I started blogging because my beautiful daughter, Julia, had a blog and had met so many nice, friendly young ladies that were sweet, like-minded and serious about God that I wanted to get in on the action and meet some women who were like that, too! And I have!! I was in need of some friendship and encouragement and have found so many nice women here in blogland.

Mainly, I write about what I am learning in my walk with God and the study of His Word. Occasionally, I will post tidbits about my projects or what is happening in our lives.

Here is my best friend and my husband, Bob. He is so good to me and we have a great relationship.


(I don't really love NY by the way, it's just tourist propaganda.....)

And these are my great children! Julia, Steven and Mark. They have been homeschooled all along and are a delight to me.

I have many hobbies and love to produce things. Sewing, quilting, crocheting, canning yummy food, beading, and reading top my list. "Function" is my favorite word, just ask my kids.... Pink is my favorite color with lavendar a close second. I am usually at home enjoying my life as a keeper at home.

Above all, I am a believer, a Christian since I was 12 yo. The Lord is my light and my first love. I seek to serve Him in all I do. I desire to fulfill my role as a Titus 2 woman and continue to grow daily in my walk with the Lord and in the knowledge of His Word.

I guess that about does it. Everything else is just fluffy stuff. :)

Now that I've introduced myself, how about you leave a comment and introduce yourself. I would love to get to know you!

Blessings,

A Win-Win Attitude

The other night, my dear husband led our family in a teaching of Philippians 1. I gained a fresh perspective of this passage. Even though Paul was in prison, he had an amazing attitude.

He was thankful.
Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

Joyful.
Php 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

Confident.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Rejoicing.
Php 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Expectant, hopeful, not ashamed, bold.
Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Throughout this chapter, we see that Paul has a win-win attitude. It doesn't matter to him that he is in prison. The leaders will see Christ. '

He doesn't mind that some are preaching Christ for the wrong motive. Christ is being preached!

Paul is content with either option of death or life. Life has a purpose, which is to strengthen the believers. But death would be glorious, for then he would be with the Lord.

Wow! Lately, I have not been walking in a win-win attitude. And I am not even in prison! My problems pale in comparison with Paul's situation. Lord, help me to have a win-win attitude and to walk in your peace.

May you have a win-win day and walk in His peace,

Fallfest Craft Items and a DIY

Our small town has a Fallfest every October. This year Julia and I are having a booth and hoping to sell a lot of our crafty things.

Here are the beaded watches that Julia designed and I put together. (Teamwork, it's a beautiful thing...)

I crocheted these earrings using embroidery floss or crochet thread. If you want the pattern, just let me know and I'll be happy to pass it along.

These are hot pads or potholders (depending where you live :). They are made from cotton yarn using two strands together and a large hook. Very fast and easy.

This item is used almost daily in our house. These are heating pads made from flannel material and corn. The corn holds the heat longer than rice or flax and smells nice, too.

Not pictured here is homemade peach jam that I plan to sell at the show.

Julia is selling her beautiful jewelry with lots of new designs and popular colors.

If you live nearby and want more info, just leave and comment and I will get it to you.

Hoping you have a productive day!

How to Change the Font of your Blog Post Titles, Sidebar Titles, and Dates

My sweet friend, Cindy, asked how to change the post titles to a prettier font. So Julia showed me a post she did on it. If you want to read her post, click here.

But she learned it from a tutorial on KevinandAmanda.com. Click here to go to that post. The instructions are very detailed but it is somewhat challenging to do. But go ahead and give it a try. The results are worth the effort.

Besides, it's good for your brain to be challenged now and then. :)

Have fun,

The Road Not Traveled....Yet.

The journey continues but the path is a new one. It seems a little rocky right now. Not too hard but somewhat challenging. Occasionally, a bump or two lines the way.

Hopefully, there is a beautiful light at the end of the path, a rewarding place to rest.

We now have a daughter who has graduated high school and is continuing her education in her future role as wife and mother while still living in our home. She is not a child and neither is she an adult on her own. So the way is new and we have never been here before.

What Godly advice can you give me? Have you been down this path already and can give a guiding hand? I would love to hear your story and will carefully regard your advice.

Thank you,

It's Cooler Today!!

We are praising God for some nice cool weather. The summer has not been extremely hot but it has been long enough.

Soon the colors will be changing on the leaves and we can get out the down comforters. Sigh!

Fall is my favorite season.

Hope your day is blessed!

The Good, the Bad and the Blessing

As I said in my last post, our life had been a blur these last two months. There have been no catagory 5 storms but so many 1, 2 and a few 3 storms that we have only been able to keep our head above water.

Mostly, it has been health. A Two-Month Cough/Fatigue virus has been passing through the family. It started in July with Julia, the boys got it late July and then I got it August. It delayed the start of our school year. It was so bad for me (I had other health issues that I can't mention here..) that I could only keep up with the major things and blogging had to be put aside for a while. The added pressure of doctor bills put a strain on our finances. And it was just plain discouraging for me. So that sums up the bad.

The good in all this is that before the boys were too sick we finished the medieval study with friends. Through the gift of some money, we were able to buy a quality bread machine and have made lots of good whole wheat bread. The Lord has provided for our needs and we have never gone without. The boys have started school and are diligently settling into a good routine. All of the children are finally feeling better. Some of my issues are coming into balance.

As I write this, it doesn't seem so awful. But as many of you know, when you are in the midst of your own storm, the waves seem very high, the winds strong, and the clouds so very dark. Assuredly, I am never alone. My heavenly Father watches over me constantly and hears my every cry. The Holy Spirit is with me to comfort and guide me. I am learning that we will never be "storm-free" but that we are never alone in those storms. And that if we will allow Him, He will fill us with His peace in and through those storms.

So that is the good, the bad and the blessing. All that the Lord does for us in the midst of life is the ultimate blessing.


May you revel in His blessing today,

New Look

So, how do you like the new look?

I had been looking for something fresh for fall and just this morning saw this background on shabbyblogs.com. Oh, it was just right. They didn't offer a header so Julia made this one for me!! She is so creative and has taken the time to teach herself how to do all the cute details. So I get the benefit of that knowledge. Thanks, sweetie!

Well, life has been a blur and I am ready to get back to posting! Thanks to Victoria and Jacque for the encouraging comments in my absence. I'll be posting more soon, probably later today.

Blessings,

Freebies and what's going on around here.

Hi everyone,

Life has been very busy lately so I have not been able to post very much. We had a wonderful time in NY with family. The weather was refreshingly cool and comfortable. The Adirondacks were new to me and I really enjoyed the scenery and views. We toured the Adirondack Museum at Blue Lake Mountain and learned so much about the region. (Of course, a homeschooling family has to see at least ONE museum on a vacation!) The Barton Garnet Mine was very interesting, too. They bring you to a large pit with a pond where you may pick up garnet pieces off the ground. That was fun and fascinating! (Check out Julia's blog for lots of pictures and more details of our trip.) I especially enjoyed seeing Amish country in Lancaster, PA. My sweet husband insisted we stay longer so that I could see some beautiful quilts and fabrics. We even visited an Amish farm, saw the barn complete with cows and horses and admired their neat and lovely homestead. Yes, I bought some fabric for a quilt project. Now if I could only find some time to sew....

Peach season is coming to a close in a few weeks, so yesterday, I went to a peach farm and got some culls (rejects) for $10 for 50 lbs. They are huge, the size of softballs and also are freestone. I plan to make some jam today and probably tomorrow. Some will be canned as slices.

As I mentioned before, I was given a grain mill by a friend. I tried to make bread with a standard mixer and it was a hard job. In order to do it regularly, I would need a bread machine to do the mixing and kneading. PRAISE GOD! I was able to get a new Zojirushi bread machine yesterday! It was basically a miracle. I can't go into details. But God is so faithful! Today I also plan to make my first loaves of bread with the new machine. Wahoo!!

Salsa is also on my list for upcoming projects. With tomatoes in season, I would like to can our own salsa this year for the first time. Have I said that I just love to can? Well, I do!

I have been feeling so well lately that I am constantly amazed! What a blessing to be able to function without all the body aches, etc, that are a part of RA. I felt awesome all through our trip and kept up a rigorous schedule without any problem!! See previous posts for more info on my health.

In the next month, a friend and I are trying to finish up a medieval unit study that we did together over the summer. Health issues and the unexpected trip to see family interrupted out study. But this week we plan to finish up the learning part and then give the children time to film a movie set in medieval times. Costumes need to made and the script needs refining but it should be fun and educational! More details to follow.

My plans for the next school year are firming up. It will be very different having only 2 to work with on academics. I will still be helping Julia learn but the dynamics will be changed. Our main text this year is the Bible. After hearing Victoria Bodkin's CDs I am finally freed to follow my heart on teaching my children what I believe is vital. I plan to incorporate an Old Testament and New Testament survey, book by book along with more indepth study for personal application. I am using my own form and Bible notes for the survey. I'll share as it goes along.

I have a culottes tutorial in the works. I hope to post that soon.

Sorry this is so long-winded. I haven't posted in a while and a lot is going on! :)

Now for the FREEBIES!! Two of my favorite free sites are Behemoth.com and The Homeschool Freebie of the Day. Both of these site post free things DAILY so mark it in your favorites and check back often.

So good to hear from friends, Michelle, Cindy, Victoria and Jacque. If you are visiting, please consider leaving a comment. It's nice to hear from you!

Many blessings,

On Vacation!

We have been on vacation for about a week now. Bob's Aunt Barbara lives in upstate New York. Bob's mother is also in New York visiting Aunt Barbara. Our trip has been wonderful! Please go read Julia's blog as she has posted about the first part of our trip, including pictures. While we have had a great time, there's no place like home! I'll post more about the trip when I get caught up on unpacking....
Hope your July is wonderful!

Busy, Busy!

Life has been very busy lately. I haven't posted in a while because I just haven't had time. Since I last posted we hosted our home church at our house. Also on that Sunday we had a graduation party for Julia. We had so much fun with over 60 people attending the party.

Then after a nice week of catching up we spent the evening of July 4th at a friend's house with her family and parents. We cooked out and ate great food, way too much! Then we had our own little fireworks display complete with sparklers.

We are now packing to go on a cross country trip to see some family in New York. It will be 2 days of driving to get there. Touring the Adirondacks and upstate New York will be a new experience for me and the children. It's where Bob grew up but he has been there in years. I'll post about it when we return.

A sweet and generous friend recently gave me a grain mill. This is such a blessing from God. I have been wanting one for a while now ever since eating another friend's wonderful bread. She also passed on her supply of wheat berries and such so I am all set to start on a new chapter of my life, bread baking!

Another exciting thing is how well I have been feeling. The antibiotic therapy is really working! I have no more body aches. I can walk and move so much better. No more crutches. And to top it off, I am no longer anemic. I have been anemic most of my life. My levels went from 10.8 (which is below the normal range of 11.6) to 12.5! Wow! I am so blessed.

Well, the beef in the crockpot is done so I better go can it up. Never a dull moment around here!

Hope you have a wonderful week and see the hand of God in your life.

Blessings,

Health Update-The Road Back

I went to the doctor last Friday. The news is very good! Not just good, it's awesome! I am improving!! It is pronounced improvement. I can move better, my hand is looking almost normal now. My elbow is straighter. I have more energy and can get more done. The down side to that is that I still must take times to rest so that I can recuperate. The antibiotic is actually working! The doctor was so impressed. She even said that this treatment will work for me. She said that she knows because she has done it before. It is so exciting to see such fast improvement. This treatment can take a long time sometimes.

So I'm starting on the road back. It is a good start and for that I am very grateful.

Have a great day,

Julia is Graduating from High School!

Our beautiful daughter, Julia is graduating from high school! We are so proud of her! She has matured and grown into a lovely young women who loves the Lord. She will continue to learn and grow as she studies alongside of me and her dad. Her desire is to be a wife and mother some day so she is going to continue to learn how to fulfill that calling. Read her beautiful graduation tribute here.

Julia is an entrepreneuer that has two businesses right now. She sells jewelry here. She also sells Etsy banners here. She has lots of gifts and talents. But beyond that she is a sweet and loving person.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. We love you, Julia!

Your loving mama,

Our 20th Anniversary!

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary! We have had 20 wonderful years together. At times, life in general was hard but through everything our marriage has been a constant foundation of love, joy and peace.

I just want to give a tribute to my awesome husband. Bob is a godly man who loves the Lord with all of his heart. He is so loving, kind and gentle. Never unkind or harsh. He meets my needs and cares for me in every way. He is selfless and thoughtful. He is a strong leader and wonderful father. I am so blessed to be married to him! We talk about the Proverbs 31 woman. Well, Bob is the I Corinthians 13 man. He is my best friend. I would rather spend time with him than anyone else.

Thank you, Bob, for 20 wonderful years together.

All my love,

God and Blackberries

My lovely daughter, Julia, wrote a beautiful post about her views of God and blackberries. I encourage you to go over to her blog and read it. It will bless your heart.
Have a blessed day,

The Little Things

Should we take our "little things" to God?

Is it silly to pray for that new pair of khakis that we need or want? Foolish to ask to find sales before you go shopping? Pray about whether or not to take a trip to see family? Does it really matter to God?

I believe God cares. I believe He wants us to ask Him for everything. Not just the big things but also the small things.

Mat 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

God wants us to come to Him with our needs and talk to Him about the concerns of our hearts. We don't need to try to make things work in our own strength.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

A word of caution. While God is very concerned about us and our needs, He is not a magic charm that we can manipulate to get whatever we want. James 4 warns us about having the wrong motive in asking God for things. We may pray but not receive what we are requesting because we ask amiss to consume it upon our lusts. (James 4:3) It's not a gimme, gimme relationship.

We have prayed for friends for our children and God has provided. We prayed for a church body where we could fellowship and God provided. Not right away or necessarily the moment we asked but He is faithful to answer in the right time. God has answered many prayers for us as a family.

Bring your requests to Him. He is waiting to hear from you. He loves you and wants you to trust Him with every part of your life.

Seeking Him,