From the Mountaintop

This weekend, we had a reprieve from the cold, rainy weather.  Saturday and Sunday were sunny, warm, and just downright delicious.  God always knows what we need.  I needed warmth.  Sun.  Light.  Did I already say warmth? After church on Sunday, we had some little friends over last minute.  Sometimes, the unplanned playdates are really the best.  We went out for lunch, rode Cupcake - our pony - and then hiked up Sawnee Mountain.

I snapped a few pictures from the top.  You can see our farm...and our house under construction.  Cool!  The girls got a kick out of that.

Did I mention that yesterday, Sunday, was our 12 year wedding anniversary?  We celebrated with a dinner date on Friday night.  Yay!  How I love this man that loves the Lord!

 I am so thankful that we have grown together in Chirst, in our marriage, as parents, and we are more in love than ever.

Mojo Monday 176

Schoolwork is done.  Housework is going.  Time for 15 minutes of crafting.  Here is my take on Mojo Monday 176.

The lighting isn't great.  I was trying to get the true colors.  Colors didn't quite come out right, but here is what I used.  All supplies are Stampin' Up!

• Cardstock - Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Sew Suite Designer Paper
• Ink - Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip
• Rub Ons - Sweet Stitches (girl, measuring tape)
• Stamps - Sew Suite, Much Appreciated
• Other Accessories - Embosslits Buttons, Pom Pom Trim

To give these paper buttons more texture, I sponged each one with the corresponding ink color.  I also stamped the spool of thread on white cardstock, then again on daffodil delight.  I trimmed out the daffodil delight and layered it onto the spool stamped on white.  The little girl is a rub on image.  I just added a hint of color on her hair and dress with the fine tip of my SU markers. Thanks for looking!

Homebuilding Update

Here is the latest....Still framing, but things are moving along nicely. There are some framing changes that we are making, but those will be done next week.

I will have more pictures after the weekend.  To get to the house you must completely change clothes, put on mud boots, and have a babysitter. :)

Time for tea and some crafty goodness

I love to look at magazines for inspiration in scrapbooking and cardmaking. Once again I turned to the pages of Paper Crafts and decided to make one of the cards. I didn't have all of the same supplies, so I used what I had to make it work. I attached the crochet trim first with strong adhesive tape (Scor tape) and then stitched it to give it the right effect.

Here is what I used...

• Cricut Cartridge - Child's First Year (I ADORE this cart.  It has every sweet, innocent, childish silhouette image you could ask for) Teapot
• Mulberry Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts
• A retired SU stamp set - You Warm My Heart
• Crochet trim from Hobby Lobby
• SU cardstock Blush Blossom and Bravo Burgundy
• DCWV Designer Paper (I think...)
• Making Memories Edge Punch
• Flat Pearls 
• Sewing Machine and Thread (I NEVER have luck with this...just happened to try it on this card and it turned out. The "tablecloth" just had to be sewn, right?)
• Oh, and some ink...Antique Linen (Tim Holtz) and SU Basic Black

Ok, I think that covers it.  Thanks for looking!

When you don't see it anymore

You know those things in your home.  Those things outside of your home...in the garage...in the carport...foyer...kitchen counter.  Things that don't really have a good place to go.  They don't have a proper place to live.  Maybe you are like us.  There is a very good reason for the clutter.  We had to tear down our detached garage to make room for the new house.  Oh, I'm not complaining...I just don't know where to put the stuff.  Most of the ride on toys, bikes, balls, wagons, bins of bats, gloves, chalk, etc have landed on our carport.  The we can see it all from the main road carport.  Yuck. 

You know how it is when you see you children everyday.  You know they are growing up, getting bigger. Then one day you see them in a different light.  They are grownups (not really), but oh so big!!  Well, that is kind of how my carport clutter grew.  A little bit was added to it here and there over the past months. It collected muddy boots - lots of muddy boots, brooms, more ride on toys, an air compressor, an extension cord, 2 extra bikes, two chick feeders, an old dog food storage bin, 2 buckets of sidewalk chalk (fun!), and a PILE of fallen leaves.  How the heck did this happen????  I drove in one day and thought, Oh my...this is what people see when they drive by and we are not here.  The van is not here shielding them from the mess that is our carport!

We do not live like this. I am not that person.  SO.....today was a beautiful day.  The kids and I headed out during the warmest part of the day to play and work (me).  While they were joyful over all of the found junk on the carport, I moved, swept, relocated, trashed, and organized the stuff on our carport.  This stuff will soon have a home in the new home, but until then I will not go blind to the mess.  I will not ignore it until it smacks me in the head one day.

Do you have those things that can never find an appropriate place in your home?  The random shipping box with random stuff inside?  A flashlight or piece of mail that just stays by the door? Toys in random places?  A coupon on your bathroom counter that you keep forgetting to take with you to Moe's?  I know...random.  Anyway, this week I am going to work on putting things in their place.  When you don't see it anymore, just look through the eyes of a visitor.  Sometimes, I try to look through the eyes of my children.  What will they remember seeing when they come home?  Will it feel like home, or a place cluttered with stuff?  Even though we live in a teeny house and have a lot of stuff for schooling, living, and playing, it can still be organized and neat.  Right?!?!  That is my challenge.  Through Christ, I will be victorious in homekeeping.

Do you have specific things about you, about your spirit that you don't see anymore?  Things that you have been hanging on to for so long that you are blind to them?  Things that you used to feel guilty or conviction for, but no longer do?  Are you numb to bitterness, jealousy, anger, greed, impurity, pride?  Lord, please reveal to me my sins that I don't see, so that I may confess them to you.  Thank you for your forgiveness. Through Christ, I will have victory over strongholds!

Your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear.  Isaiah 59:1-2
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Big Daddy's Cornbread

Big Daddy.  That's what I call him.  He's big, he's a daddy. He is so much to us -  A wonderful husband, father, son, brother. I love him.  He also cooks, is a great decorator (don't tell him I told you!!), helps me with dishes, laundry and my stinkin' animals. That's what he calls them.  I think he does really like them, though.  So, back to the cooking...Big Daddy makes awesome, melt in your mouth cornbread.  I know the recipe.  In fact, I'm making some right now.  I guarantee you it won't turn out as good as when he makes it.  Anyway, I wanted to share this super easy cornbread recipe with you.

Big Daddy's Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal mix
1 1/3 cups of buttermilk
1 egg  - farm fresh of course!  I'll forgive you if you use store bought. :)  And no, my buttermilk isn't farm fresh.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
splash of sweet milk - regular 2% or whatever you have in the fridge

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Put your well seasoned cast iron skillets in the oven while it preheats.  Trust me...it makes the crust YUMMY!  While the oven preheats, mix up the ingredients and let the mixture stand for a few minutes.  When the oven is preheated, pull out your cast iron skillets. Oh, let me explain why I mean skillets plural. We use one medium size and one small size cast iron skillet because they were wedding gifts and I've never purchased one.  With two skillets, you get lots of crusty goodness.  Besides, my girls love the little slices of mini cornbread. Back to the directions...Pour some mixture in each pan. The cornbread will rise as it bakes, so make sure to not overfill.  Note...you could also use cute little cast iron pans that are shaped like ears of corn and make what Brett calls a "corn pone."  Yes, we are from Georgia.  Cumming, Georgia.  Bake cornbread at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.  We flop it out upside down on a plate - bigger one on bottom and smaller one on top.  You can show off the pretty top if you like.  That's just how we do it. Big Daddy's cornbread is super easy and wonderfully moist and satisfying with chili, stew, ham and beans, cheerios, oatmeal, peanut butter...whatever you like.

Sidenote...I would have had pictures for this post, and I may add some later.  I was making this with some beef stew for my family for dinner on Thursday night.  I was headed out to meet dear friend, Marie, for dinner and was in a hurry.  The next time I fix up some corn pones...I mean cornbread, I'll take some pictures.  Maybe.

Dressmaking

Here's a little bit of crafty-ness for ya! I was so inspired by the latest issue of Papercrafts Magazine. On the cover is the cutest dress shaped card.  Let me see if I can find a pic of the inspiration...ok, here it is:

 Now, here is my card.  I LOVE how it turned out.  My girls were flipping out over it, too!

Wow, that looks gigantic, but it's really not that big.  It will fit in an invitation (A2) sized envelope.  Here is what I did...I sketched a dress shape on to a piece of cardstock.  I then covered the bodice (if you will) with some Basic Grey paper.  I have NO IDEA what the name of the paper is.  It was a scrap.  I love to use my scraps. Now comes the fun, ruffly part.  To make the skirt, I used some pink ribbon from Hobby Lobby and Sookwang Adhesive. (Scor Tape)  Start at the bottom and add a line of adhesive a little less than the width of your ribbon from the bottom edge of the dress.  Folding your ribbon back onto itself to make ruffles, adhere the ribbon to the line of adhesive.  Repeat this process until you get to the waist line of the dress.  (If only dress making were so easy.) Once you have added all of your ruffles, choose some ribbon to tie around the waist and add your bow.  Once again, I secured the ribbons with REALLY strong adhesive tape.  Last, I just had to add the accessory.  A beautiful genuine pearl necklace...just kidding...I added a line of clear liquid glue then the flat back pearls.  This card was FUN to make and just yummy to hold!  Thanks for looking!

Ice Skating Chicken

Day 5 - Alaska, um I mean Atlanta, GA

Each morning, when temps are below freezing, I have to take water from the house out to the chickens as they do not have a heater in their water. (The entire set up to heat the water for them would cost $150). Um, I paid one dollar for each chicken. I just can't justify a hefty price tag for the heater. So, I won't complain about taking them water. Anyhoo, half of the chicken run is covered, so the half that is not is full of snice (my new word for snow-ice) . The hens have confined themselves in the back of the run, undercover. Who can blame them? Well, this morning, I took the feeder out to fill it up and the ladies wanted to follow. Oh, but that meant having to cross the cold, white stuff. So one flew over it and out the door. As she landed, she skated or slid - wings flapping and cackling a scream - out over the snice. I so wish I had my phone to video. Once she got stopped, she just stood there staring at me while I filled up the feed at the barn. On my way back, I scooped her up and placed her back in the run where her friends were looking at her like, "What the heck?"

Praying

I sit with my eyes closed and call out, "Help me Lord Jesus. I can't do this alone. I can't do this without you. You have called me to do this. You promised to be with me and not leave me alone. Thank you for your promise."

Homeschooling is the hardest task that the Lord has ever given me. Yes, raising children is hard. Yes, being a godly wife and mother is hard. Being teacher, principal, counselor, and administrator feels nearly impossible. Well, it is impossible without God. I pray without ceasing. My children are succeeding. They are doing well and working ahead. The big picture looks great. It's the details that get a bit blurry. These details keep me awake as I lay in bed at night and try to fall asleep. Could I have been more gentle in my response? Was it really important to make her rewrite neater? Did I show the love of Jesus to my children, or was I ill-tempered and impatient? Yes, academics are very important. I tell my children that their first priority is to be a good student. However, I want my children to love the Lord. To know that He loves them no matter what. Am I showing them that I love them no matter what? I know that I do, but am I showing them? Do they see it in my eyes? Do they see anger and frustration? Oh, Lord help me. I can't do ANYTHING without you. Please help me to be a loving and patient teacher. Please give me peace about the details, and help me to remember that You are here. Always.

I continue to pray for victory in our homeschool.

Goodwill

This afternoon, the kids and I headed out to Hobby Lobby to peruse the 80% off Christmas sale. I LOVE getting perfectly good items for a mere fraction of the retail price. Now, all I have to do is store the items until next Christmas. I don't mind at all. It will be so nice to use my new wreaths and garland in our new house next Christmas. :)

After Hobby Lobby, we headed over to the Goodwill store. In the back of the store is a huge book section. I was amazed at all of the books! We spent an hour looking through the children's books. I think we picked out about 25 books. They are priced 75 cents for paperback and $1.25 for hardback books. It is truly amazing what you can find! I didn't even get a chance to look at the "grown up" books. I'll have to make some time for that later. The girls are so excited to delve into the new books tomorrow. They were already planning what books to read and in what order.

To end our money saving night out, we ate dinner at Chik-fil-A. Tuesday nights are family nights, and the kids eat free. Yay! Dinner...check. Kids in bed...check. A victorious day...check! Thank you, sweet Heavenly Father.

Victory

After reading this post on AliEdwards.com, I have decided to choose a word for this year. This one little word is meant to remind me to reflect on my purpose - the things I want to change, accomplish, and remember. My one little word encompasses so many thoughts and feelings. It has been so hard to choose, but my word VICTORY. This year, I want to claim victory over strongholds in my life, victory in my endeavors as a godly wife and mother, victory in my salvation, victory in Jesus. Victory.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19