My Ramblings

1st day of Kindergarten

2009-09-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today was my baby's 1st day of kindergarten. We went last week and met her teacher, saw her class room , checked out the bathrooms and library. We have been ready for weeks.... Her school clothes hung nicely in the closet. The countdown was on....
So we are in line awaiting instructions, she is doing her shy bit. And then she sees her bestest playground buddy, she instantly hands over all her "Important" first day stuff, and they clasp hands, jauntily going on. I felt a little sorry for the other mom. She said, "What about mom?". Here was her baby, probably up to that point completely relying on her mom, and suddenly here is a best bud and they are ready to go on to kindergarten together.
Well my baby got settled in, I waited a bit and then went on home. I guess I missed the crying dad, with mom saying "we have to go now".
This is my 1st to go to a public school but surprisingly enough there wasn't any high emotion on either part. I'm looking forward to volunteering. I will sadly enough miss open house and the first parent teacher meeting. Well I suppose that good old dad will do just as well.

Our children

2009-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

It seems like our children are growing up so fast. Little Miss M just turned 5. We had a wonderful little tea party for her. Her and her bestest friend just got through sharing a little sickness. When they get along they are inseparable and when the have a tiff it last maybe 15 minutes..... and they are definitely on the outs. LOL Maybe part of that has to do with being the baby?
Our oldest is growing and maturing before our very eyes. He's just a little over a year away from being a teenager. It looks like he will be more mature by the time he gets there than we would have thought even 6 months ago. He's volunteering at the library about once a week, getting his chores done in record time, and trying to find ways to fill the rest of his summer and stay busy.
Our middle child is growing, and growing, and growing. Truthfully both of the older 2 are shooting up at record rates. About the time I buy them new clothes that fit they are to small again. She is still our little dreamer. Her heart is as big as the all outdoors, which is where she prefers to spend her days. It is really hard for her to stay inside and do her chores. She is constantly going outside every 5 minutes. I think sometimes she just gets to dreaming and forgets that she has things to do, and runs outside. (to wallow in the dirt it seems)
Needless to say we are all enjoying our summer. The fastest season in which my children usually grow the fastest it seems. Hope you all are enjoying your summer.....

Asparagus

2009-06-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

I've got asparagus. Yeah!!! I just planted it and didn't expect to see any this year. I am so thrilled. I think I'm supposed to leave it alone this year, let it go dormant. I'm still excited to see that some of it has come up.

Princess Tea Party

2009-05-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

My baby will be turning 5 this year! In celebration we will be having a tea party at Sis C's house on the 19th of June. I'm thinking 4pm. It will be Princess themed and I need to get the addresses of you sisters up there in Portland. I thought it would be nice if the teenage girls would like to serve. I'm not sure if Sis C will be back from Cali but she said that I could use her yard. So if you could get those addresses to Tisha or to me through MySpace I would so much appreciate it.

My daughter would love for everyone to be dressed up and I figured they could change into play clothes afterwards. Tiara's, boa's. dresses, gloves ect. My daughter is definately the girly girl type. Oh what fun to plan......

AVON SALE

2009-05-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

I went to a meeting that told us all about the wonderful sales in campaign 12 through 15 or so. And they do have some awesome deals, they always do.

Well fast forward 4 days.....I had ordered a costumer a bag to be delivered before my usual order would come. In it was a campaign12 book. Now I have like 50 in my room but I haven't looked at them yet, shame on me. So I go through and turn up the pages on some of the sales......and then I get almost to the end of the book. And there is this really awesome deal, 8 pages worth as a matter of fact. Now why didn't they tell me about this deal? I guess because its not a money maker. As a matter of fact I have 3 orders already from these pages and the 3 of them combined equal a "typical" order. This sale so interested me I had to immediately go out and tell all of my neighbors.

What sale could this be that I am so excited about? I would call it a stock up sale, simple basics at low prices with a bonus. The deoderant is $.89 each. (we need to stock up on that) with every 2 items you purchase you get a free hand cream. There are 4 kinds to choose from. I actually had to talk one of my customers into taking the free hand cream, the one and only thing she wanted happened to be on one of those 8 pages. I told her that if she couldn't use the handcream she could always give it as a gift to someone. Another customer only orders a certain kind of AVON deoderant. She gladly stocked up at that great price and got 3 hand creams while she was at it.

If you go to my webpage on the left there is a list of ways to shop. Pick by brochure. Then you will see several brochures. You click on the book you want to look at. This sale is in the big black one with the gold ipod shuffle on the front. The sale is starts on page 154 and goes to 161. The current free shipping code is FSWER.

You can go to the link on the left of my page or go to www.youravon.com/wrossiter

If your shipping a care package to another state you will pay the taxes from those states. I have shipped to both Oklahoma and Missouri.

They are also having a sale on their SSS bath products pg 140-141 Shampoo and other hair products buy 1 get 1 for $.99. Like I said a stock up on the basics sale. :)

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening before Mother's day my son had some time after his Tae Kwon Do class to make me a "card". He gave it to me as soon as he got home. The perfect Mother's Day gift, a homemade card from my son. It almost made me cry. He wanted to get something more for me and I said that he had already given me the perfect Mother's day gift. On Mother's day he fixed me breakfast. Eggs, well done toast, a small cup of creamer with a little bit of coffee, and even a small piece of egg shell on the rim of the cup. Now these things mean so much to me because I've been waiting all these years for my children to give me gifts from themselves of their own accord.

Last night as I went to bed there was another lovely card on my bed. This time it was made by my #1 daughter who doesn't like to draw or write. The picture was lovely and even though the words were not all spelt write they were well written. I could tell that she had put some thought and time into this lovely card.

Focus on the Family

2009-05-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

My alarm clock is set for 6:30 in the morning to a local Christian radio station. Sometimes it goes off and about half an hour later it filters through to me with some upbeat Christian song. Other mornings Focus on the Family is on and I get to listen to that for about 30 minutes. Each morning that I get to hear Focus on the Family it seems to speak about something dear to my heart, is relevant to something going on with our family, or a current issue we are facing in the world today. I had heard so much about the Miss America runner up but hadn't watched it, heard the question, or response. So this morning she was on there and they played the clip of the question and answer. I truthfully was amazed at how anyone could find fault with her answer. It may not have been the judge's opinion but it was hers. I did not hear any disrespect for the gay community in her answer. Its amazing to me how that the USA is supposed to have freedom of speech and a right to have beliefs and stick to them but...... An opinion!?!
Okay needless to say it gets those old brain cells working in the morning. Sometimes it has to do with an issue or concern we have in the raising of our children. It helps me see where we are going in the right direction or gives me ideas on things to try. It seems that in this day and age when everything is supposed to be accepted and acceptable except for traditional family values it is a good dose of reality.

Our amazing son

2009-05-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our son has had a pretty rough year of schooling this year. Not only did he go into 6th grade from 5th, he did so with all strings cut. Most of the time he has had no help from Dad and Mom. He was put into a special class so that he could pass state testing. All classes except for Reading, Math, Science, and Technology were cut from his curriculum.
We were informed that as soon as he passed state testing these classes (his favorite) would be added back. There are several testing windows starting in October. We signed up for the 1st testing window and got prepared. After a couple hours he passed with flying colors. We waited and waited for his classes to change. They finally changed in January, nearly 3 months after he passed the testing. So there he was with half a year gone and half of his classes added on, suddenly more than doubling his work load.
He quickly finished up 2 of the added classes and technology. He is in the last stretch of the school year with 4 of his 7 subjects left to go. 3 of which are currently showing on his scheduler as finishing a week or more after school is over.
Looking back over the school year he has accomplished an amazing amount of work amazingly well. With a little bit of help, and a little more hard work he will finish the school year without having to cut any of his assignments. He will probably barely pass because of his grades, some of which he really did not apply himself to. But he will pass, and have done it all.
Now the big question. Should he do 6th grade again? How much harder will 7th grade be? Will it be any harder than trying to get half of your subjects done in half the time? With more teachers will he get more support and help?
Some of his growing and changing and conflicting this year has been part of growing up. We can see a growing up, maturing, taking on of responsibility in him. He is becoming more respectful and thoughtful of others. Over all this year, looking at the whole picture, we are in awe of this son of ours.
We feel that he needs the most help in his writing. He hates writing. If any of you have an idea on how to encourage writing and strengthen it over the summer any advice would be much appreciated.

Spring Cleaning (Avon)

2009-04-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

OK, I love AVON and for many reasons I have excess AVON products.

Also I have finally been transferred to the district I live in.(very long story)

So as a celebration of finally being transferred, (and needing to recoup some of my losses) I am having an Open House this Saturday from 10-5.

I will giving away door prizes (30 day memberships to curves), serving refreshments,(drinks and sandwiches), hopefully selling some of those products, and doing lots of visiting.

So come on over, take a look, and do a little visiting.

Last time 2 or 3 people came by so it was a cozy little time.

Another Trip

2009-04-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

We've have been going like crazy the last couple of weeks.

My dear hubby and I were ready to kick back and have a nice quiet weekend at home.

However a dear sister J had a stroke. In church on Wednesday dear sister T testified about how much Sis J had been a help to her many times. It pressed on my mind to offer to drive her to see Sis J.

I asked my dear hubby and he said yes.

We went and were blessed beyond measure.

I had many good visits with dear brethern, some I hadn't visited in years. Sis T and I were able to spend the night with Sis J which was a help to her family.

On the way to church, (an hour late) Sis T and I had a good visit. When we walked in Bro M was up preaching about the exact thing that we had been discussing.

Words cannot begin to explain the wonder working of God.

After church, more visiting, with brethern, and dinner we headed home. When the ride had gotten a little monotonous my dear hubby started singing. One by one we joined in. In a little bit my son, in the middle seat with me, started a song. I rejoiced in the songs we sang with him as I thought, "It would be nice if daughter S in the back seat would start a song."

After a few more songs, very quietly daughter S started a song. When I listened carefully to hear what song it was and got Dad to start it....Wow. She was a-glow with pride and happiness that we had decided to sing the song she had so meekly been singing the herself.

I was more rested from this trip than all the previous ones.

We had went to try and be a comfort and came away much richer.

The Faith is still the same, God is still the same. And I'm glad that he has chosen me.

Pies

2009-03-29T16:58:00.001-07:00

Lemon Meringue
Buttermilk

God Answers Prayers

2009-03-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just Read this and wanted to share.
Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten. That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air-out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business. A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She replied, "You won't believe this," and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it." She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her."

Happy Birthday Sam

2009-03-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Sam your 9 years old now. Boy how the time has flown. I remember when you were a small baby that couldn't and didn't want to eat. The daily diaries I kept of every little morsel that went into your mouth. The support and encouragement from my dear "Mothers" in the faith. When you were very first born the Lord showed me that it would be important for you to have many "mothers" and "grandmothers" in the faith. I just didn't know how much I would rely on them myself....
I remember your first steps. Done secretly when I wasn't looking, just like your mama many years before.
The struggle to "know" you. How do I get to know you. That was question I asked my aunties. After a boy a girl was much different. I think that I know and love you well now......for the moment.
The love and compassion that you have in your heart for all of God's creatures. The mothering instinct that naturally draws animals to you.........and your brother late at night. He knows that no matter what time of the day or night he can always come to you for a listening ear and sympathy.
The changes that we see in you. The glimpses of the beautiful young lady you are becoming. Many times I catch myself wanting to grab you and make the clock stop. The beauty and love in your eyes, that for today are for us, but soon.....to soon.....will be for another.
The constant prayer for guidance. How to teach you to be an upright and virtuous woman. The gladness in our hearts when we see our instructions take root. And then a moment later the sadness that one day you will be making a home somewhere else. But yet even gladness than because when letting you go we will be making room in our hearts for more love.
This year it seems that you have grown in many different ways. Intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional. Your like a butterfly that we would like to catch, but can't. So instead we just watch.......and wonder at the beauty God is creating in you. Outward beauty yes, but more importantly inward beauty.

Sleepover

2009-03-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

All The girls had to have their hair curled. So the photo session started.............

All different shapes and sizes......

Gramma got in on the fun

Goals

2009-02-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

My son has set 3 goals for himself.

1. Sleeping without a night light

2. Doing a better job on his homework

3. Getting his chores done well

He has succesfully slept without a night light 2 nights in a row and his currently working on day 2 of the other goals. His dad and I are very proud of him.

Maybe we could learn from his example and try harder to make our own goals, stick to them , and meet them.

Blessings

2009-02-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had the young people from church in our home. The tuned my children's instruments which was very, very nice of them since I have no idea how to. After they left my children of course had to get their instruments out and practice them. My son learned to play "Amazing Grace" and sounded better each time he played. I'm not really sure were he learned to read music. My oldest daughter got her violin out and the youngest not to be out done played the keyboard. Eventually we sang a few church songs together. It was a nice, peaceful time for us. None of us are very good but it sounded lovely to me and I'm sure that it was wonderful in God's ears. I'd sure like a few more evenings like that.
We are planning to go on a trip next month and I'm hoping that some of the brethren might be willing to show my children how to play more church songs. I think my daughter can make lovely music on the violin, and I'd like to see what she could do playing it as a fiddle. I'm looking forward to the time spent with my "family". My son and his Papa have gotten together a time or two with some other brethren and done some "pickin". He enjoyed it so much and absorbs any attention and help that he gets with his guitar.

Scum of the Earth

2009-02-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

My dad preached yesterday and said that we were scum of the earth. That God formed man from the dust (scum) of the earth. How truly unworthy any of us are of his perfect love. He preached about how that we are all the same in God's eyes. Rich, poor, beggar, king. How that human nature will look with favor or disdain on one. That God does not prefer one over the other. Also he preached that if we desired to be called of God and sought after it God would call us.
I was reminded of where I could have been except for the mercies of God each and every day of my life. I was reminded of the many trials God has brought us through. How that when I would stray away, when I couldn't feel or hear God anymore, he was there. The long road and struggles that it took to get myself where God wanted me to be so that I could feel him and hear him once again.
I got a phone call that made me feel many mixed emotions yesterday morning. It was one of those that is short but can do a lot of damage if we are not very careful. It caused my dear husband and I to be very thankful for our intact family with all of its foibles.
The mercies of God that he would call me, sum of the earth, LOL
That he would bless me with a wonderful husband and children. Health and Strength in our bodies. A husband that fears the Lord and seeks after his will, one that takes his family to church and among the brethern. Whose heart cares so deeply for the brethern and his family. For children that love the Lord and the brethern.
There are days when I am very thankful for our simple, happy home of prayer.

How Does This Work?

2009-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

You walk into a used furniture store to pick up a dresser for your son. You walk out with the dresser..... and have made a deal to pick up a living room set the next day.
Well anyways I think we'll like the change.

4 year-old Helping with 6th grade Science?

2009-01-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

My son did not want to finish his Science review without help. It was to hard. He and my 4 year-old both wanted to go outside and play. I suggested that the 4 year-old help her brother with the science review and then both of them could go outside.

It was a great idea they both agreed. So in about half an hour the dreaded SCIENCE REVIEW was done and they were merrily on their way. Now why didn't I think of that sooner?

Cleaning Mirrors

2009-01-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

My son has never learned the art of cleaning mirrors. He is responsible for keeping the downstairs bathroom clean. Needless to say even when he does a perfect job of cleaning the bathroom the mirror does not appear to have been touched at all.

Well my darling 4 year-old has decided to help her brother out. (It took me a few days to catch on) Every day while the rest of us are occupied with school work.....

She quietly goes into the the bathroom and very studiously gets to work. First she wets some toilet paper. Then she soaps done the mirror with the toilet paper and bar soap.

My 4 year old is very good about "keeping house". This is the game that she plays most of the day. Usually it takes the form of wetting a clothe and wiping down anything and everything in sight. This works out nicely. She's occupied and staying out of trouble and occasionally the walls get "washed down".

Now about that toilet paper and bar soap. I'm not sure how she has mastered it, but she has. When she is done there is a perfect layer of soap over the entire mirror. Which mom has to wash off in order to use the mirror.

Needless to say the mirror is cleaned each and every day she "helps" her brother.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-12-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May God Bless you and yours!!!

I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with my family, anxiously awaiting a new niece or nephew. One more to love and spoil.

May God Bless and keep you all in the palm of his hand. May your trials strengthen you and help you go on unto perfection.

Christmas Spirit

2008-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

We're trying to get things together for Christmas. I was sick last week and we've had family things come up. However I think that we are ready to get Christmas things done.

I woke up with my mental list for today in my head and thought I would post it

Put in my AVON order (done)
Get Christmas packages ready to mail
Package and ship off access AVON
Mail off Christmas packages
Finish up Christmas shopping
Decorate for Christmas

Yes we haven't decorated yet. I'm really looking forward to doing it. I got such lovely things from my Secret Sister. Some cute Snowmen and lovely ornaments. Today my children are going to go through my "stash" to see if there is anything they want to give each other for Christmas. My son has already done so and has decided to get his own gifts. We set a $5 limit so that he wont spend to much.

I think that is so wonderful that are Christmas eve is on a Wednesday this year. Sometimes I think that it would be nice to have meeting on Christmas eve each year. It seems so right to meet and worship in Thankfulness for the greatest gift of all. Not that were not thankful all year round.

Yesterday my son once again showed signs of maturity. He came to us early in the morning about a problem. It seems that he has a lot of "imaginary" problems. After us giving advice about his problem he said "What about ______'s problem?" come to find out that was the problem all along. Someone had shared a very big problem with him. One that was way to big for his little shoulders. And he came to us with love and empathy for this person's problems. With much prayer we handled this as best we could and will leave it in God's hands and of course offered to help in any way that we could.

It meant so much that our little son came to us for help. He was told not to tell us and the person even tried to keep him from telling us. He did not tattle, he was very concerned and knew that we were the ones to turn to.

It humbles me...

How many times do I go to my father with other peoples problems, not tattling, with love and compassion for the one in need, with no ulterior motives, not upset that they came to me but wanting to make things right for them. Knowing that their problem was bigger than I could deal with, with complete confidence that my Father could take care of it. That he would have the perfect answer.

Oregon Coast Trip

2008-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Surrounded by his Glory

Yaquina Head Light House

Here are some pictures of our mini-family vacation to the beautiful Oregon Coast

The awesome power.

I was continually awed and amazed by the beauty and magnitude of all that God has created.

HE DID IT!!!!

2008-11-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

My oldest passed his State Testing today.

On the very 1st try.

I guess he took all or part of what we told him to heart.

He took twice as long as usual, which was a good sign.

On the way home he kept repeating, "I was focused" because of this, because of that.

It made me think about how I need to be "focused" on serving the Lord. Do I try my best to pass each test that comes up in life? Do I stay focused on the Lord every day of my life?

I'm so thankful that testing is over for the year. The past few years he has done the testing 3 times and still failed the tests. It is such a relief to have it behind us now.

He still has work "samples" to turn in over and above his regular work. For now he will be concentrating on bringing his grades up.

Then the 1st part of December we will get into the new schedule and start on those work samples.

Waking Up to Shiny Floors

2008-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Oh the beauty of my floors, floors that I thought would never look good again. It didn't seem to matter how much I cleaned them, they never lost their dirty pock-mark spots. So my dear hubby found a way to do our floors, for free.

Doing floors is one of the many things he does at work and I have to admit that he is very, very good at it.

A lady at work admired his work so much she wanted her floors done. Do between the 2 of them they concocted a brilliant plan. She would pay for the scrubber and chemicals. He would do her floors and then he could use them to do ours.

So yesterday was the day. Now our floors look so lovely, I can't get over how wonderful they look.

Many thanks to my dear husband.

Sorry that I don't have any pictures. We couldn't find the camera.

AVON OPEN HOUSE

2008-11-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm having an AVON open house this Saturday from 4-7pm.

I will be serving some tasty soups and sweetbreads along with hot drinks.

There will be a drawing every hour.

I'm also doing a nice non-profit fundraiser thing.

Everyone is welcome.

If you have any questions you can give me a call.

Also on the 15th I will be at a bazaar at the school were Sis L works

I'm not sure of all the details yet

Also I may be at the Teen Challenge Bazaar in Shedd on the 6th of December.

Again if you have any questions give me a call.

Family Pet Laid to Rest

2008-11-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last night when my oldest daughter went upstairs she noticed that her gunea pig was dead.

She comes down stairs, holding the gunea pig in her usual loving way, tears streaming down her face, wailing.

What a sad day when you lose your first pet.

Needless to say it was a while before we went to bed.

Our oldest was concerned that he had helped in its demise. I guess that my oldest daughter had a little to much help with it's bathing earlier in the day.

Our little 4 year-old's biggest concern was that her basket of candy was to close to the dead gunea pig.

Right before she went to bed we had to assure her that her candy would not be placed next to the gunea pig. Truthfully she really never showed affection for the gunea pig, and was known to torture it a time or two.

Needless to say the 4 year-old was the only dry eyed one in the house.

All Alone

2008-10-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't amazing how much a song can mean?

Usually in church, I just sing along, not thinking much about the words.

Last night Bro M. started "All Alone" out of the blue book or #1 book as our dear Bishop likes to say. I listened to every word, and took it to heart.

There's been many things on my heart and mind lately. I went to church with a burden to pray and leave things once again with God. I just didn't feel the lead of the Spirit. After that song was sang dear Sis. T. got down and prayed, I heard her refer to the song in her prayer, than I felt the liberty to pray myself.

Last night was a night of prayers only, however I felt such a peace after I prayed. I was reminded of the many times I've been "All Alone" with God, how he's listened, heard, and answered my prayers. Not always giving me the answers I sought, and more often than not getting a reprimand myself, but always he's there.

When my dear hubby and I went to bed last night he told me how that song spoke to his heart. Then I was reminded of how it says, "fasting for the pilgrims in the way" and how that fasting and prayer had been requested and announced for my dear Dad after church.

One simply song started in the spirit spoke to so many. One that I know I've listened to time and time again with no thought.

Thanks to God who knows our hearts and exactly what we need, maybe a little reminder to find that quiet place and be "All Alone with Christ our Lord".

Christine, Christina

2008-10-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I put in my AVON order. Unless I get another order, all but one of my customers have some form of the name Christina. One goes by her middle name, thankfully. And believe it or not I have another future customer named Christina. Maybe I should broaden my horizons, LOL.

My oldest daughter and I were reading a story yesterday morning, we came across the name Cristina. I told my daughter that I'd never seen it spelt that way before. Well my very next customer spelt her name that way.

Just a quick update. We've been very busy with my dad, his family came in for a few days, one of my aunts is staying for another week and a half. My dear sister and her husband came for a short visit. Their baby is as cute as every, she doesn't seem to have grown much since we last saw her. Which is fine with me, she is walking though and it is so cute to see her toddling along. I haven't seen my dad in a few days but my mom seems to think he is slowly on the mend.

How do you address a situation in which someone dear to your heart is partaking of things they should not? They know they are doing wrong, have no remorse, and believe that God will give them time to make things right, maybe by sending another trial their way. When I first found out I was so Mad!!! I gave it to the Lord and am trying to leave it there. They've been through so many hard trials in life already. I'm not sure what they think they are asking for.

Sitting Still in Meeting

2008-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Our 4 year old has not being doing a good job of sitting still or behaving in church, so.....

One Wednesday night, I said to myself, "Enough is enough!"

So I took the child out, administered a little swat to the bottom, and a talking to, then I laid down the new law, which is that if your bottom gets off the bench, it gets a swat

Needless to say we made many trips out that night

Now on the way to church we rehearse what will happen if #1 you fight Mommy and Dadddy and do not sit on the bench, #2 your bottom gets off the bench

The child remembers the rules very well, as a matter of fact, I was informed that I had left part of it out on the way to church this morning

This morning was a very important morning for remembering the rules, Mama had just enough time to drop the 2 youngest off before going to pick up Dad and brother.

By the time I got back to church, meeting was pretty much over. However I had a very good report of the children. Seemingly they walked up to our bench, sat down, and behaved.

Now isn't that a blessing!

Avon

2008-10-02T18:34:00.001-07:00

My mom-in-law talked me into joining Avon.

You can click on the "My Avon Page" link to order.

I ordered online and it was fast, easy, and efficient. One of my items was missing. They said they would send it off the next day.

My plan is to let my church family know, use the online page, let my neighbors know, My husbands co-workers, and of course for my own personal use. I love Avon, almost to much. LOL

"TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR"

2008-09-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a doormarked "NO ADMITTANCE."When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlightsfocused on the impressive Steinway on stage.In horror, the mother saw her littleboy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star."At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear,"Don't quit.""Keep playing." Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began fillingin a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic," Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful. The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear,"Don't quit." "Keep playing." May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.'Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire. So touch someone by passing this little message along.
May God bless you and be with you always!

Girl Time

2008-09-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

We are very big on spending special time with one another in this house.

So last night I got my youngest daughter bathed, snuggled in a big fluffy towel, and dressed. Then we went into Mommy & Daddy's room for some "Mommy and Me" time..... We snuggled in with a book of her choosing....and read a few stories out of it.

Next I got to comb her hair out while breathing in the strawberry smell of her new shampoo....All the time thanking God for such a precious gift, and asking for guidance. Then she happily trooped off to her room for some more "reading" time and journal writing before "lights out" time.

Next was time with my older daughter. I went in and washed her hair with the new shampoo, gave her finishing instructions, and told her to meet me in my room in 5 minutes........5 minutes went by, and then 5 more, finally we practically had to drag her out of the tub. She will spend an hour in the tub, no joke, without actually cleaning anything. So finally we had some "Mommy and Me" time. Time was short but I still savored the look and feel of her hair as I combed it, parted it, and braided it into 2 cute little braids for bed......all the time talking together

It seems so seldom that I take the time for these little things, and how precious are the moments......

Wonderful Weekend

2008-09-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

We were able to have a great weekend with our wonderful brethern. We went to a dual 50th, 25th anniversary. We set in a beautiful meeting. I missed out on most of the testimonies because of our baby (who isn't a baby any more). Mostly the meeting was about living the faith and how that your parents and granparents can't live the faith for you. Also the many examples of our parents, grandparents and older brethern. How there are ones that we say "I want to be like them when I die."
We took my Mom and Dad with us. He wasn't feeling good, hurting alot. Many of the visiting brethern stayed in the same hotel as us. On Saturday night, most, if not all of the brothers went to my parent's room to pray for Dad. He was very cold and shivering when they came to pray. My dad said that when the brother's laid their hands on him to pray for him he could feel their hands bringing warmth to his body. The brothers could tell a difference in that when they got there he was shaking and when they were done praying he wasn't shaking any more.
My dad had a rough ride on Sunday afternoon so we decided to stay a night in Prosser. We called my husbands widowed aunt before hand and requested that she call some of the brothers to come and pray for dad. Right after we got there a brother and sister showed up. Then more showed up. My dad laid out on the floor and requested that we sing. It was beautiful and I could tell that he was feeling some better. My cousin helped dad get ready for bed and then came again early the next morning to pray for my dad.(He'd had a rough night) My dad was then able to get some much needed rest.
We left about 5pm Monday and it seemed that my dad had a better trip. I'm sure that it was through the prayers of the brethren.
My husband and I thought about how blessed we are in his job and in the fact that we are homeschooling our children. God has truly blessed us and allowed us to go among the brethren from time to time. Oh the wonderful treasures we are building in heaven. The foundation we are shoring up for our children.
May God bless and keep you all.

Back and onto other things....

2008-08-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

We've been back from our trip for nearly a week now. It was such a wonderful trip. I got to visit with a dear sister who is not doing very well right now. I met her at a time in my life when I really needed a friend and she was there. When I first met her she and her husband had just received the mixed blessing of raising 2 of their grandsons. She told me at that time that it wasn't something either one of them planned on, but she wanted to do a good job of it. Her prayer at that time was that she could raise them with the Lords help.
Now 11 or so years later I can see where the Lord has been with her, and they've raised some pretty good boys. There is a few years yet before the boys will be on their own but I'm confident that she's done all that she can. If the Lord was to call her home now she can rest assured that the Lord has answered her prayers.
We had a few close calls on the road that we know of and God only knows how many we weren't aware of.
Now we're gearing up for our camp out and school. Our camp out quilt was about #3 in line so it is just now in the frame ready to be quilted. Lord's willing I'll get to bring it home to quilt on next Sunday. Every year we make a quilt, have all the brethren at the camp out sign it, sell tickets, and raffle it off. Each year it seems that more and more of the brethren donate items for the raffle. Each item is something unique, hand-crafted or homemade using the special talents that God has given them. This a wonderful, fun, and meaningful way to raise money for our camp out.
We're thinking about doing a camp out themed quilt with a twist next year. Our home body will make the center block, then we will send it to another assembly, they will do the next round, and then send it on to another assembly, etc, until it gets back to us to quilt. It will be very interesting to see what it looks like when its done.
This year school starts on the 28th for us. With the hot weather I may see if we can start on the technology early. We haven't received their books yet so we can't get a jump-start with them yet.

Zuchini Bran Muffins w/raisins makes 3-4 doz

2008-07-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe I came up with a few years ago.
One of those were I had some ingredients on hand I needed to use.
I buy my bran in bulk at Winco and pay less than $1 for a bag full.

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 cups boiled water Mix bran and water till bran is moist
3 cups bran throughout, set aside.

1c sugar Beat sugars and oil until well blended.
1c brown sugar
1c oil

3 eggs Add eggs and vanilla, beat until blended.
2 tsp vanilla Add bran mixture, beat until blended.

Mixture may be soupy

3 cups flour Add sifted dry ingredients
1 TBS cinnamon alternately sith zuchini.
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda Stir well.
1 tsp baking powder

3 cups grated suchini

1 15oz box raisins Add raisins

Spay bottoms of muffins tins, fill 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
The muffins should be nice and moist. They will need to be refrigerated, ate quickly, or stored in the freezer. They usually don't last long at my house. They may stay good in a sealed bowl on the counter for up to 3 days.

I used dried cranberries this morning. I just use whatever I have on hand. A dear sister gave me some zuchini last week so I had to get out this recipe and use it.

Summer Fun

2008-07-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to go out to Oklahoma.........5 more days and counting. We are so anxious. Its been four years since we've been there. My list of things to do is almost done. For today I need to:

Put up the sewing machine, material, patterns ect. (All finished with those summer outfits for this year and feeling a little sad)
laundry
clean the kitchen
sweep and mop floors

Thursday night 5 of us dear sisters went to the Portland airport to pick up Bomshell, a country music group I've never heard of before. We ended up picking up the band and taking them to their hotel in Eugene. I got home about 4am, made my hubby some breakfast, and went to sleep on the couch for about 5 hours. My dear husband and I went to listen to them last night. It seems that country is starting to sound like rock.

Right about the time we were leaving last night they had a singer on that was singing classic country, more our style. Maybe tonight there will be some good ones. Maybe even some of that good gospel music.

Well time to get that list done and go help with the church garage sale........

Somethings in life you only do Once!!!

2008-07-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the 3 and under sleepover we had. We made pizza together and had lots of fun. Things were going well until bedtime.....fortunately none of the young ladies cried for Mommy or home.....unfortunately none of them were ready to go to sleep. I eventually had to go in there and lay done with them. And I thought teenage and older girls were hard! The mattress was so uncomfortable that needless to say it got put on the top bunk the next day.

STRAWBERRY JAM AND A CLEAN KITCHEN

2008-06-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today after church we grabbed a quick bite to eat through the drive thru and then hurried home. I had strawberries from Friday morning to make into jam and thought I'd get started on some of that deep cleaning. The Jam turned out well and I ran out of jars and lids before I ran out of pectin, strawberries, or sugar. I decided to call it good and clean up.

After a short break my dear hubby helped me by finishing up the dishes and being a go-for. I just did the kitchen tonight and it took me over an hour to do the floor, bottom cupboards, and baseboards. I have a very small kitchen but there was alot of buildup along the edges, in the crevices, and on the baseboards. It took a butter knife to get some of the places and even then I couldn't get all of it. Some of the spots seemed to reappear on the cupboards as soon as they dried. Well after getting the dishes all done and the kitchen cleaned I found a few more dishes. Our cups and a plate and knife from my son's bread and jam snack. Isn't that the story of my life though. LOL As soon as the job is done there's a start to it needing to be done again.

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Our children all took the free swimming lessons at the Y this year. Our middle child seemed to get the most enjoyment out of it, learning rapidly, so we purchased her some weekly lessons. She just finished and is most of the way through the long list for Progressive 1. She's done very well. We are so happy for her. She wanted to take the surfing class, so I figured we ought to start with learning to swim first. LOL She's like a fish in water, which is not surprising since she loves animals of all kinds and tries to emulate them. She got to dive, ride in a canoe and learn swimming safety. With all the swimming she's been doing for the last 2 weeks her new swimsuit is very faded.

SUMMER CLEANING?!?!

2008-06-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

So the school year was coming to an end. We had just got back from the Brewster camp out. The laundry was finally caught up, and then we got a 24 hour inspection notice. Needless to say our apartment wasn't quite as clean as it could be. We explained our situation and assured them that we would be working on it over the weekend and it would be clean by Monday morning.(HUD inspection day) Sure enough it was clean by Monday morning with freshly mopped floors and all.
We waited for the notice on our door or in the mail because of it not being ready the 1st time the manager and maintenance man came in. It didn't come, thank God..... Well when they came in on that Monday they replaced the doors on our hall closet, and inside storage. Our hot spots for clutter. The doors we kept closed even when we swept and mopped. Our coffee table seemed to be in the way at one point and I offered to move it. No they said, it was Ok.
Well about 2 weeks ago we got a 30 day notice to move if we didn't have things cleaned up by the 1st of July. The notice was for the day that our apartment was clean.....so I was trying to rack my brains over what the problem could be. My husband even asked the manager and she just said some general stuff and to look at our agreement. The notice said access filth, clutter, and unsanitary living conditions. All we could think was that we needed to get rid of some extra items (the coffee table went for one). By the time we got the notice the inside storage had already been cleaned out, so we did the hall closet. We found our rental agreement and sure enough it said nothing about "clutter".
I asked a dear Mother in the Faith to come and help me rearrange my furniture (She's very good at that). I was in the middle of washing down my dining room chairs when she arrived. With love, compassion, and charity she said, "Let's tidy first, arrange the furniture and then clean." When she left we had tidied and arranged the dining room, living room, and kitchen. And guess what it looked clean.......... Even if we knew it hadn't been deep cleaned. She told me to finish tidying up and then get in there and clean after everything was tidied. I felt sooo much better about it.......And I hope and pray that that's what they're looking for.
Another dear Mother in the faith came yesterday with her steam cleaner and helped me steam clean 2 of the carpets that needed it. She was so patient to go over the bad spots many times slowly, with one of us getting the scrub brush after some of the tougher spots.
Well, what I hadn't mentioned yet is that my own dear Mother came last Friday on a mission to help me clean. She washed down my 2 littlest ones bedroom walls, and the upstairs hall walls. Using up at least one, I'm thinking 2 of those magic erasers. Our walls are textured and my baby has finally got out of the "coloring the walls" stage. She would do it any time I was busy schooling the older 2, or any time she thought she wouldn't be caught.
So today and tomorrow I'm having a yard sale and everything that doesn't get sold will be donated or put on Ebay later. But only one small box of Ebay stuff.
So that is what I've been busy doing since school has ended. We had planned on "Spring Cleaning" gradually over the summer. I guess we just had to get it done in a shorter amount of time.
I'm so very thankful for all of the "Mothers" I have in the faith.
My husband and I decided when our 1st child was ready for school to home school. At one point I lost a nights sleep on 2 different occasions wondering if we where doing what was best, if they would get the education that they needed. At some point after that I asked my dear husband what he thought. He said that he felt that homeschooling was the right choice. Just as matter of factly as anything, with no doubts. I've tried to do my best with some short fallings along the way. One of the big things is the housework.. It has been strongly suggested that I think about sending my children to Public school so that I can better take care of my home and so that my daughter can get the help that she needs. This fall my daughter will finally be getting the help that she needs, and I'm afraid I will be fighting another 2 years to get her the help that she needs, while she gets further behind. My son is at the age where he can get up of a morning and get his chores, and shower in about half an hour. When he applies himself he can really get his schoolwork done in short order. I'm afraid that he'll go to school, be a "good 'ol boy" and bring all his work home to do anyways.
This suggestion was made out of concern for us losing our home, the only one that we can afford. Also out of concern for my daughter who is having difficulty with reading. She's at least 2 years behind.
I feel confident that this year is the one that will really work for school, especially when we get our schedule down over the summer. We've lived here for over a year so we know when the HUD inspections are. Right at the busiest times for us of course. With prevention and maintenance, staying on top of every aspect of the housework we shouldn't have a problem there either. Also if the one maintenance guy comes over to work, (the one that we get written up after), I may ask for a few minutes to tidy up. Its hard though because he is older and I hate to ask him to wait.
It is so embarrassing and humiliating to be found short in your housecleaning. Its not easy on your pride to ask for help, advice, or guidance.
We need prayers that we could seek God's guidance. We want to do his will above all else. I'm most certainly not perfect and I'm afraid that my short comings will be a detriment to my family.

End of School Year Busy

2008-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while because it is the end of the school year and portfolios are due. Both of my children will be going on to the next grade, however they will have extra help and support in the areas they need to work on. My son's teacher called yesterday and we were able to clear some things up and find a way to simplify the writing process for him. This is great since the hold up on his writing is him not wanting to take the time to write all of his thoughts down. He has a wonderful imagination and has done very well on his poetry writing this week. A 10 year-old boys poems can be very interesting to say the least. I think he really likes that they can be as silly and nonsense as he likes.
My daughter has struggled in her reading all along. She is going on to the next grade because they don't believe it will help to hold her back again. I called Sis Lori P and she gave me some wonderful advice. It is working very well, Thanks so much!! Sometimes I just need to remind myself that her reading may bloom later and that it will be as well with her than as it could be now. She loves stories and has a very inquisitive mind and great comprehension. I just can't wait for the day that the light bulb comes on for her. I see flickers of it from time to time so I'm sure the day is nearing ever closer.
Well back to the school day..............

SADNESS AND REJOICING

2008-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

We made a trip to California this weekend to try and be a comfort to some dear friends who lost a son and brother. He was hit head-on on his way home from work. It was so unexpected he left a wife and little daughter. His life was full of many things, however he hadn't been baptized or going to church. He figured he had plenty of time. Two brother's in our church preached at the funeral. It had to have been hard since they knew him real well. He was a good man and had many friends. Their was somewhere between 300 and 500 people present at his funeral. The saddest part to me was that he had done so much with his life, but neglected the most important part.
Sunday at church they preached on getting busy on doing the things you want to get done since you don't know how much time you have. Also on choosing what you want to accomplish in your life. Some of the family was there and there were some testimonies about the brethren being there for you during the hard times. The times when you just don't understand the why or reason for things. The man that died had so much time ahead, or so it would have seemed.
The rejoicing came some during the meeting but more so afterwards. A young lady gave her hand to the father of the man who had died. Their was a long moment of silence with Joy written on every ones faces. Tears of Joy were rolling down the faces of everyone. At the waters edge the brother who had lost his son said that this was the first step in helping him in the loss of his son. After the baptising, laying on of hands, and dismissal prayer another young lady gave her hand to the 1st young ladies dad.
We rejoiced so much!!! We went to be a comfort, just making a last minute decision to do so. And the treasures that we have stored up from the time spent with our brethren. Sharing in their sorrow and joy. I felt that we had made another payment or 2 on that home up in heaven. I also felt that we had built up, shored up the building blocks of our children's faith. It is so wonderful to hear the same things preached from assembly to assembly. The same things taught on the floor that we teach in our homes. It seems that lately the things that have been on our minds, that we've discussed with our children, have been brought forth in the meetings we have set in.

Tea Please

2008-03-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this to my husbands email. I thought it was funny.

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 1/2 years old and had just recovered from an accident. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a get-well gift and it was one of my favorite toys.
Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.
My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up.
Then she says, 'Did it ever occur to you that the only place that baby can reach to get water is the toilet?'

LIFE, FAITH, & GOD'S MERCY

2008-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

God knows just what we need and often supplies it before we even ask.

Travis' check about a month ago was about $400 more than it should have been.

When Travis showed this to his bosses they said it was a company mistake and not to worry about it. So Travis' mom calls about this same and is coming out. She wanted us to take her to Prosser so that she could spend some time with her brother, Bro. Benny Easter. The children and I were able to take her up there and the following weekend we went back up and spent some wonderful time with her as a family. We took her back to the airport on Wednesday after she spent a couple days with us. Uncle Ben died on Friday and Travis' mom headed back down right after attending her best friend, Sis Twila's funeral on Saturday. She left at 5:30 Sunday morning. This time it was by car and a quick trip. We were able to go back up to Prosser for the funeral and spend a little more time with her and the family.

It seems that a lot has happened in our lives lately. The children are quite a bit behind in school work but catching up. Its at times like these when I'm thankful that we home school and are able to go and do these things. We just need prayers that we can get caught up and back on track.

Travis has taken it upon himself to set up a list for brethren to stay up with Eric at night. A brother from Harrisburg and him are making a list, each assembly taking 3 nights at a time since both of our assemblies are small. Travis has been sick and unable to go see Eric much less sit up with him for about 3 weeks now. He is really looking forward to sitting up tomorrow night since it has been so long.

A Bro. Mark from Boise Idaho called this morning and felt like coming up and being of some help with and to Eric. When he called, Travis was at work but I called him back, invited him to dinner and encouraged him to come on if that was what he felt like doing. Bro. Bill Hays joined us for dinner and we were able to sit in heavenly places, talking on faith and God's mercy. I think maybe something controversial may have came up in the beginning. However my husband quietly said that we could "nit pick over the word and pick each other apart or not" both Bro Bill and Bro Mark agreed and they then proceeded to talk on Faith, Miracles, & God's Mercy.

I feel that if nothing else we have been blessed by Bro Mark's visiting in our home. It never ceases to amaze and astound me how God works in each and every one of our lives.

One time a young college student studying to be a minister came by and asked Travis and I some questions. It was for a school assignment. I'm not sure how we got on the subject of miracles but we did. This young man, about the same age as we were at the time, said that the miracles written about in the Bible died with the apostles. I said, "Oh how sad". I don't remember if I elaborated or not but knowing me I probable did. I know I didn't go into much detail though. But how blessed are we, who take it for granted, that the miracles spoken of in the bible still happen today?

To be able to call upon the Lord and in an instant be healed, or have the pain leave our bodies. To see the dead rise and breath again. It seems like now more than every we are in need of these miracles, and they are there for the asking, if we only have faith and believe.

2008-01-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

Sara and her husband have been staying with us for a few weeks now. We've really enjoyed having them. I've been able to get up with Travis and go walk in the Mall early in the morning. They will be leaving us however to get things ready for the baby. We will surely miss having them in our home. They plan on being around a few weeks after the baby comes and then head back home to JD's family. We will really miss them then.
We were able to sit in a wonderful meeting in Eugene Wednesday evening. It lasted nearly 3 hours with talks, ministry, and testimonies of God's goodness. How that the brethern are different from the world. How that we will drop everything and be there for a comfort, support and any way that we can. I could tell that Sis Brandi was having a difficult time. I was very proud of how she had her children in church. She testified close to the end of meeting. She said that she prayed for words to speak to her children. She felt that what went forth that night was just what her children needed to hear. She also said that it was 4 months to the day and she'd almost didn't come to church. She surely still needs our prayers.
Eric has had his pills destroyed and is not doing well now. He's asking for prayers that he will have peace. It seems there is so many who need prayers, and again so many that God has been with. My dad is doing much better. I think one of these days he's going to get sick and not get better. It seems that each time is worse. So as you can tell the meeting that we set in was just for my benefit as anyone elses. Travis's uncle from Oklahom made a talk about the seeds and the sower. He also instructed us to look into our hearts, that we knew what our work was and to be up and about it.
Travis just got a prophecy about a week ago. It was very short but told him what his work was. That he'd been asking. I told him if he'd asked me I could have told him, but I guess we need to hear from the father. It did make me think of how I need to work on being a better helpmate to him and what I could do to encourage him and help him.
Please keep us in your prayers and we'll continue praying for all of you.

A Housefull of Blessings

2007-12-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day we had a housefull or should I say apartment full of blessings. My Dad, Mom, Jay, Sara, Josh , Alicia and their children came to share Thanksgiving with us. Josh cooked 2 delcious Turkeys. I think I liked the smoked one best. mmm good.
Well we watched the Santa Clause 2 and were almost done when Bro. JD came by. We turned off the TV and told the children that the movie was not as important as visiting. Travis had also rented Santa Clase 3.
Bro JD was just what we needed. We sat in heavenly places and visited for a long time. Sometimes its so easy to forget the blessings and works that God has wrought in our lives and others. The visiting was so much better than the movie.
Edgar stayed with his cousins and our girls had 2 of their girl cousins stay over Thanksgiving eve. The next morning I took the girls to JoAnns to pick out flannel for nightgowns and doll nightgowns. They helped cut them out and I sent the cousins home with theirs, their sisters, and 2 of the doll ones Saturday evening. My bottom was sooo sore from sitting at the sewing machine most of Saturday. Little Kathy's wide eyed enthusiasm made it all worth it. She wore it to bed that night and all day Sunday.(Some of her family was home sick on Sunday)
I'm nearly done with the nightgowns and now have flannel to make pajama bottoms for the boys. Now I couldn't leave them out could I?
Needless to say I will be very busy between now and Christmas. Thankfully most of my shopping is done, now all I have to do is the sewing. May God bless you with his Greatest blessings this holiday season and the years to come!!!

Blessings

2007-11-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Reading other peoples posts have helped me count my blessings.
I'm not very good at words, but here goes.................

I'm thankful for the trials Travis and I have faced. They've strengthened our marriage and commitment to God.
I'm thankful for my son, we've had our problems but I can see were he really tries to please his Dad & Mom. I'm thankful for his questions and imput on the bible.
I'm thankful for our oldest daughter. For the connection we have after wondering how to learn & know her.
I thank God for the sisters who were with me during her birth. That they came by in love & kindness to instruct me to start giving her formula. I'd just been on my knees in my secret place asking for guidance. Here they came totally prepared.
Also thanks for the times untold I'd call Sis Rosalee during a 1 hour feeding for her encouragement in making Syble eat.
I'm thankful for all the mother's I've had in the faith.
Thanks for my Mother-in-Law who taught me the importance of family.
For my little "Melody" who is constantly singing praises to God from her heart.
For Travis who somehow sees and knows all my weaknesses and shortcomings and still thinks I'm the greatest woman in the world.
For parents who taught me the Love of God, his people, and the Faith.
Thanks and praise to God that he saw me and chose me to be his child.
Thanks to my sisters who've caught me short a time or two and taught me lessons on love and family.
Thanks to God for taking me through the dark times and reminding me were I've been and were I could be.

Pumpkin the Cheaty Way

2007-11-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

The last time I put up pumpkin I cooked it all day long and it did not get fully cooked even then. That was after cleaning the pumpkin out, gutting it, and cutting it up into many small pieces. Needless to say it has been many years since I put up pumpkin.
Today while I was on the phone with my mom I remembered a real easy way to cook squash that an older sister told me one time. So I cut the pumpkin in half, gutted it, washed it, turned the 2 halves upside down on a sprayed cookie sheet, put in a 350 degree oven and went on about school work and errands. When I had time to deal with it again, about an hour and half or so later, IT WAS DONE!!! I drained most of the juice off of the pan, peeled the skin right off, put it in a bowl with some of the juice, mashed it and it is ready to go!!! YEAH!!!
This was just a Med-small pumpkin and it made 4-5 quarts. I have 3 small, 1 med, and a green squash left to cook. Now all I have to do is figure out how to put it up and what to do with all of it. LOL! I know what people are getting for Christmas this year. (;

Scaring Travis

2007-10-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, let me confess a shortcoming I have. Travis is always wanting a hug or a kiss when I'm in the middle of dishes, dinner, or cleaning. He seems to pick the times when I'm the busiest and paying him the least amount of attention. Well needless to say most of the time I'm not gracious about it at all!!!
Well sometime last night after I crawled into bed and was good and asleep I scared Travis. He said I gave him a great big hug and said, "Is that what you wanted?" So sometime around 3:30 in the morning I woke him from a sound sleep, scaring him half to death with one of the hugs he is always wanting. I don't remember it but I must have been feeling bad about sending him up to bed by himself while I finished the jelly.
I don't think he appreciated that hug very much. LOL

Quince???

2007-10-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, I thought I was done with canning. We live in an apartment so you would think that there wouldn't be anything to can. Wrong!!
Last week I made 3 batches of grape jam, Kettles and Kettles of grape juice, and some relish. I even had to make up 1 1/2 gallons of grape juice to put in the refrigerator because I was out of seals. So Friday night I finished up the grapes and made 3 apple pies for Saturday Market.
At the end of the day on Saturday someone gave me a box of Quince?!? I've never seen them before in my life. When he began to desribe the color of the jelly it made I realized I'd heard of Quince jelly before. So I traded my last pie for a box of Quince. On the way to the car a lady said she'd buy a jar of the jelly next Saturday.
So.........As soon as I'm done typing this blog I shall start on the Quince jelly. After last week, and with Travis' Mom coming this week, I think it's better to get it done and out of the way. hehehe

End of the week Crazies

2007-10-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

This week I've been putting up the grapes and some relish. So needless to say we are behind in our schoolwork and the house is a mess.
Technically just the downstairs is a mess. My wonderful husband went through and cleaned out our room on Monday. We finally have a bedroom instead of a catch-all room where we happen to sleep.
This is driving me crazy so needless to say at the end of the day, after schoolwork and while I'm putting up the last of the grapes, we will tackle the mountain. The mountain of laundry and who knows what else that was our downstairs.

Sunday Blessings

2007-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I was awake about 20 minutes before 7. This is not normal for me, especially when I've went to bed after midnight. However I have learned that it is better to get up when I first wake. I'm more tired and have a better chance of a headache if I don't.
When I wake so early in the day I figure their is a reason. There's not many awake that early on a Sunday morning. We had got a call for prayers and then a call for prayers for my dad the night before. My husband couldn't remember the first name of the brother so we'd just prayed for Brother Gray. I thought that since it was to early to check about my dad or call anyone I'd check my email. Sure enough I had an email from a dear friend. It was her brother who'd had the heart attack. I was able to call and talk to her for a few minutes as it was about 9 o'clock where she lives.
I then went to the store to pick up a few things for breakfast and dinner.
In our home on Sunday morning Dad cooks breakfast. Well this Sunday morning I was up early so I thought I'd fix a rare treat of biscuits & gravy. After putting dinner in the crock pot I fixed breakfast. We left early enough to check on my Dad before church. He was doing better and resting. We prayed for him, got to church a few minutes early, and made it to our seats just on time.
At church we heard about some things that had been on my mind. We then went to check on my Dad again and pick up our crockpot. Bro Bill called while we were there and invited us for dinner. We took our food and had a nice dinner. After dinner and a good visit we went to see Sis. Joyce.
She'd been feeling some better but when we got there she had just ate and was hurting. Some of us prayed for her and was able to see her get some relief. We sat around and visited for a little bit. When we left she told me about the importance of prayer and the wonderous work it does. She said that whatever it took to make heaven her home she was willing to endure. Her faith seemed so strong. I'd just been wondering about how I would know that I'd won my crown when the time came.
We then went to Bro. Clifford & Sis Glenda's to pick some grapes. Travis, our older children, Bro Clifford, Brian, Michelle, and their children picked alot of grapes. I got to have a good visit with Sis Glenda.
We dropped a little more than 1/2 the grapes we'd taken off at my parent's. They were pleasantly surprised.
By the time we got home we were tired but uplifted and encouraged for the week ahead.