Another year older

I am so very blessed, and had such a special day 

celebrating my birthday with my sweet family.....

and getting to welcome my sister-in-law Heidi and niece Chase to our home.

I decided to try and document my day with photos,

using all the new skills I learned in my photography class :)

so here you have it...my day

8:00 a.m. coffee, presents, and snuggles in bed

9:00 a.m. breakfast and sourdough

10:00 a.m read-alouds 

11:00 work-out w/ Jillian

12:00 p.m. lunch

1:00 more school

2:00 two special deliveries.... thank you Elizabeth and Diane!

3:00 coffee and apple-fritter break

4:00 stocking up the pantry

5:00 & 6:00 p.m. greeting our guests.... 5 guys burgers..... dairy queen cake

7:00 tubby time

8:00 snuggles, night-night, and American Idol

Photography

I take way too many pictures! 

These were taken a few weeks ago on some of our nature walks in the country, 

and I just wanted to share them. You can tell that my favorite things to 

capture on camera are my children, and nature!  

It is still quite chilly here, though we've had some beautiful days this past week. 

Spring is definitely in the air!  We have some lovely flowering trees around our neighborhood. 

One, in particular, beautiful, pink cherry blossom right out our front picture window.

I've taken some great walks lately, by myself and with the children. 

We've discovered some new neighborhoods close by that are so pretty. 

I walk through them and feel like I am in the mountains!

I've been trying to be diligent to exercise. 

Often the pastor or I will run and the kids will ride their bikes. 

It, unfortunately, is not one of my favorite things to do, so there's nothin' like 

being able to take that P.E. break whenever motivation strikes! 

Other big news is that I finally took my first photography class this past Saturday. It was so informative and interesting that the five hours simply flew by! I'm trying to wrap my head around terms like aperture,

F-stop, and ISO. It's coming....slowly but surely.  I'm finding that learning new things at almost 37 (YIKES) is a bit more challenging than in my younger days :)

 Anyway, the kids have been quite tired of me taking pictures around the house, 

but practice makes perfect....right?

I'm hopeful that one day, shooting manually will be much more enjoyable and creative than simply always relying on the auto focus! Especially when it seems the auto does such a good job of selecting the right settings. Will I ever be convinced manual is better? We shall see. . . 

My dad's father was a photographer. He died the summer before I was married. 

I have lots of memories of his HUGE camera, and endless minutes of standing still while he got the shot right. I guess now that's what I'm putting my children through. Ha ha!

 Thanks to him, our family has lots of wonderful black and white photos of past years. 

I sure am interested in understanding Granddad's love for photography a little better.

So dad, when I come to see you in May, get ready! 

I'm gonna try and do a little research..... 

I guess its in my genes!! 

:: Happy Monday dear ones ::

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired 

by Soule Mama

Children at Play

I'm lovin' my little ones, and lovin' when they get creative....

by themselves, or with each other. 

It brings joy to my heart!

the princess

a game of UNO under the piano

making bracelets and necklaces 

evidently they are sewing...

big brother piggy-back rides

Monday morning & Gratitude list #356-#395

My favorite pastor was "off" on Sunday, but we had the privilege to hear "Pastor K" preach

 on James 4: 13-16. Sunday marked our congregation's 4th anniversary. We've only been here for 6 months....but these dear people have been together for much longer. What a blessing it has been for our family to be here, and to bear witness to God's goodness. How thankful we are that God's strong hand has held onto His church and kept this core group together through so many ups and downs. Pastor K's sermon was such a good reminder to me that all our plans and purposes are in God's loving hands and dependent upon His goodness. I just wanted to share a few of my notes. These are all Pastor K's words:

~The culture we live in (our affluence) can make us blind to our absolute dependence on the goodness of God. . . especially in regard to our expectations of tomorrow. 

~It is a cultural fact that people with pantries don't need God. We think we: control our calendar, control our money, control our comfort. . . .yikes.

~ Actually we are ignorant.

:: We don't know what is going to happen today or tomorrow::

~God in His kind providence has kept tomorrow in the dark. (I'm so thankful for that!!)

~Our problem: this passage (James 4:13-17) for the most part doesn't seem to be true.

::Our Mondays will be the same as the past 72 Mondays::

~Instead we should say 'Lord willing.' If it is in the sovereignty of God I will....do this tomorrow. 

~Do not separate your drive from your dependence on God. 

~God is already in the game. 

::HE IS MONDAY MORNING::

~Every dream that is in your heart is dependent on God's kindness to you. 

~If we can break through the soft pride of our affluence, then we can catalogue the immeasurable goodness of God. 

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'-yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4: 13-14

Boy, those are convicting words for me! 

My life is a mist? It appears and then vanishes? 

What a visual of that we have seen these past weeks in Japan. 

Teach me to number my days, Lord. 

To take what Your gracious, good hand gives me....

with thanks. 

Whether it may appear good or bad. 

May what I do every day, every minute, every second, 

count for eternity. 

And about my plans. 

Forgive me Father for my arrogant planning. 

Thank you for reminding me that my time is not my own. 

It is all Yours. 

The Lord providentially gave our family a vivid reminder Sunday night that our plans are not our own. 

Sweet Abby was jumping off of a lamp post in our yard, right in front of her daddy,

and her dress got caught causing her to land very hard on her left wrist. 

We got through the night, and took her in to have it looked at this morning....

and it was fractured. She came home with a purple splint, and will have it casted,

LORD WILLING, on Thursday morning! (She is doing well. Thanks for praying!)
In a split-second our plans for the week were changed. Wow!

God is so good to us. 

He gently reminds us that our ways are not His ways. 

Our plans may not be His plans. 

His plans are best. 

We can trust Him. 

As Pastor K said, "We cannot calculate God's goodness in our life."

O, that I may see just a glimpse of that goodness in my life and the life of my family.

Help me, dear Father, to daily count the ways You love me. 

long country walks

glorious mountains 

old barns

a puppy on a leash

cool, crisp air

dinner at Num Num and Papa's

Abby's two nights with them

safe travel

take-out

an unrevealed future here on earth....

but a sure eternity

community group

sweet fellowship

Mama Jo and Pop

the Covenant family

coffee with my sweet hubby around the corner

a new "era" of older children baby-sitting younger children

a HUGE, BEAUTIFUL, full moon

days at home

milk

sourdough bread made from a starter

chicken feet

music

walking around the block with #4

Wal-mart finds

lunch with Mike and Sandy and their encouragement

Ed showing Nate how to prune our fruit trees.

that my dear hubby actually saw Abby fall...

or we probably would not have taken her into the doc (no swelling or bruising)

that I stayed in the Dr.'s office

Monday mornings that are His

x-rays

Wendy's drive through

the library...many books and DVDs

God's goodness

God's forgiveness

Grace

the Cross

His plan

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama

Look what she's been doing on Thursdays....

 

 

Can you tell she loves every minute???

Happy Birthday Mama Jo!

Today is my dear grandmother's birthday.

The Lord took her home to be with Him this past August. 

I've been thinking a lot about her today, 

although I think about her a lot on other days too. 

She was an amazing lady and I am so blessed that she was my grandmother!! 

Her imprint is upon my life and home in 

so. many. ways.

I snapped the photo above as I walked back to my grandparent's home

~through their quaint, southern town~

with my brother and sister-in-law, after her funeral.

Mama Jo loved beautiful things and my mom told me recently

that this photo reminds her of Mama Jo.... and of Heaven! 

::beautiful gardens, beautiful homes, beautiful furniture, beautiful clothes::

She loved it all. 

BUT, she loved her Lord most, and longed to be with Him in the end. 

Just thinking about her in Heaven, worshipping the Lord,

and enjoying His beauty to the fullest, makes my heart happy. 

Her earthly home sure was beautiful....one of my favorite places on earth,

but I can't imagine what her heavenly home looks like.

Guess I will just have to wait and see!!! 

Happy Birthday dear, sweet Mama Jo. 

I miss you so and can't wait to see you again. 

Thank you for the legacy you have passed on to me

and to my children. 

I am so happy they all got to meet you!! 

"Let not your hearts be troubled.  

Believe in God; believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms.

If it were not so, would I have told you that 

I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to myself, 

that where I am you may be also."

John 14:1-3

I've written about Mama Jo off and on this past year.

If you'd be interested in looking at some of those posts,

about the way she impacted my life, you can click on

here, here, here, and here!!!

Gratitude List (#305-#355)

"So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

tilling up the earth for our spring garden

earthworms

children willing and anxious to help

someone who know how to prune our fruit trees

that I didn't squash the little frog that was in my tennis shoe....

(I actually felt him AFTER I had put my shoe on. He hopped out into my kitchen!)

hard days~they show me my heart, my sin

alone time in wal-mart

new decorations for my kitchen

framing old, family black and white photos

community group at our house

listening to my children pray

watching and listening to them sing

teaching children's church and

reviewing the catechism

play dates

running around the block while #2,#3, and #4 ride their bikes

new craft ideas and

the joy they bring to me and especially #1

finding a movie theatre that costs $3 dollars a ticket...$21 for our whole family

watching Tangled with the little ones while daddy watched another with the olders

astronomy and the wonder of the stars

(did you know that if the earth was the size of a golf ball, the size of the biggest known star

.....would be golf balls covering the state of Texas....21 inches deep)

legos, legos, legos

#1 and #2's detailed castle that they spent hours building

audio books

#3 cleaning her room....and doing it really well!

new things to think about

children asking for forgiveness

Psalm 90 and the reminder of who God is and who I am

resting in His sovereign grace

the frailty of life

the goodness of God

sweet treats

hot coffee and hot tea

24 hours away and

a husband who willingly let me leave

safe travel

beautiful lake houses

fog across the mountains speckled with snow

getting to know 6 homeschooling mommies who all have four or five children

chick flicks

soar muscles after working out

a sweet tea party

late night talks

walking in the rain

alone time

a clean house (thanks to #1 and #2)

peanut butter oatmeal bars made by #1

kisses and hugs

hearing "I missed you"

reading fairy tales before bed

"My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love

will pursue me all the days of my life." Psalm 23:5-6

"

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.

Chicken Pot Pie

I haven't shared any recipes in a while. . . 

But, this week, after Ellie begged me to make chicken pot pie,

I figured this was deemed a "family favorite recipe!"

Classic Pot Pie

Crust: 1 package of refrigerated pie crusts or homemade ones for double-crust

(I role out store bought ones to fit a 9 x 13 inch pan....to feed our family!)

Heat oven to 425* and line the bottom of your pan with one of the crusts. Set aside

Filling: 2/3 c. butter

2/3 c. chopped onion

2/3 c. flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2/3 c. celery, chopped

2/3 c. peas

3 c. chicken broth

1 1/3 c. milk

5-6 c. shredded, cooked chicken (I roast or boil chx. and then de-bone... or use leftovers!)

2 large carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, chopped

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute 2 minutes or so. 

Add flour, salt, and pepper. Stir until blended.

Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring till bubbly and thickened.

Add chicken and veggies and mix well.

Remove from heat and spoon into crust-lined pan.

Top with second crust that has been rolled out to 9 x 13 size.

Seal sides and cut several slits in top crust.

Bake at 425* for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

(may need to cover and cook for 15 or so more minutes...)

Serves 12.....(I like having left-overs. Also a great hospitality dish...)

If you are reading this Julianne B. and Kristin B.,

~ thanks for a winner!! ~