Merry Christmas 2011

From our family...

...to your family....

Merry Christmas!

Celebrate His birth...and

Be joyful in ALL things.

Thankful... Day 2

Today I am thankful for sweet hymns. They soothe my soul in the midst of a crazy day.

A Prayer for Revelation

Last winter I chose a specific one word prayer for the boys. Throughout this year, God has been answering those prayers....in little and big ways.

This week was another answer to prayer.

Dreams written out on paper

Clay made a bold decision this week.

College English has paid off! Who would have thought Clay would use the words "minimalist fashion"? We won't mention anything about the misspelled words :P

He's decided to follow his heart and intuition.

A change in plans, a sense of direction, peace over the decision.

I used the following quote on Zach's senior ad. As Clay talked, debated, and weighed his options this week, I was reminded of the quote.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs

For a believer the "inner voice" is the Holy Spirit. God has a plan for Clay. I pray he will continue to follow his heart and intuition by fully relying on God.

Everything else IS secondary....

One Happy Family

I recently wrangled my guys into a family photo session.

There were a few moans and groans....but...overall, everyone promised to behave and smile for the camera.

We met the photographer at the local park on a Sunday afternoon.

The leaves were beautiful. The weather was amazing. It was simply gorgeous....

A perfect day for pictures.

A great day to celebrate FAMILY.

all photo credits: Dana Kogod Photography

Great memories.....

Fall Break

I'll be camping, knitting, and napping.

How we spent our Sunday

Be the Church

A smack up the side of my head...

For the past two days I have been running around in a self-imposed tizzy. The "to-do" list that seemed so do-able in June, now seems impossible and frustrating. So many things to do before school starts.

For the record...my "tizzy fit" happens every summer.

This morning after rushing to Walmart, going through the crazy mental check list, and feeling overwhelmed, the Holy Spirit said to me.....

"Did you walk 3 miles to get water for your family?"

"Did you wash your family's laundry in a river yesterday?"

"Hmmm....someone really needs to get over herself."

My mental smack up the side of the head was well timed and deserved.

Note to self....

Next year.....plant more zinnias :)

Dusting off the canner

It's that time of year when my trusty Ball Blue Books and hardworking pressure canner make an appearance.

Notice the bookmarked pages

On the agenda this week..... green beans (thanks to my local farmer's market).

2nd round of green beans on the stove

Chicken soup...hmmm....and maybe a round of taco soup. (Thanks to my Facebook canning group)

I'll make extra for the college boy to enjoy at his apartment. To help break up the monotony of ramen noodles...

And to finish up the week, our favorite applesauce. A little taste of summer on a cold winter's day is all the encouragement I need to break out the canner and get to work.

Desoto Falls

Cooler temperatures visited us this weekend. For three days, we turned off the air conditioner and opened the windows.

A sweet and rare gift in the middle of July.

We took advantage of the weather and visited Desoto Falls.

It was a beautiful afternoon.

Grow Baby Grow

Last year's garden was a complete failure. I had a few spindly tomato plants and a handful of green beans. Literally...a handful. There wasn't enough for one meal. I fed them to the chickens.

This year we built raised beds and filled them with soil conditioner. One load even had a horseshoe in it.

What a difference! These tomato plants are around 6 ft tall. It's a veritable jungle inside the fence.

This is ONE watermelon plant. It has spread all over the place and is now climbing the fence.

I have two melons that are this size and a ton of blooms. If they all mature before the first frost, I'll have enough melons to supply the entire neighborhood.

I did not take a picture of my green beans. For some reason, they will not grow in this garden. Just my luck....the one green vegetable that everyone in my family will actually eat and I can't grow it.

I guess the green beans are keeping me humble this year....

Celebrate!

This is how we celebrated 25 years together......

I don't think the pictures require any words...the smiles on our faces say it all.

Looking forward to the next 25 years.

I'm a Strawberry Diva

Last spring I started a raised strawberry bed. Well...truth is Bob started the bed. He built it, filled it with dirt....you know....all the hard jobs. I just planted the crowns.

I had purchased this variety and the planting instructions recommended removing the blooms until the end of June. Only a few, tiny berries appeared in July and August and I was certain that I was a huge gardening failure.

BUT...after the hot days of summer disappeared, the berries kicked into high gear. I picked right up to the first frost.

However, last fall's production is nothing compared to this spring. I've already picked around 10-15 pints in less than 2 weeks. These berries are huge and sweet.

Proof that I am strawberry diva :)

P.S. A good friend recommended this book to me. After reading the book, I decided to return to gardening and focus on purchasing more local products. It's a good read for anyone who is interested in eating better and helping their local farmers.

One Word Prayer

I like this idea.....http://lysaterkeurst.com/2011/01/one-word-prayers/

My word for Clay: Revelation

• A thirst for God and a reliance on Him for guidance, wisdom, and discernment.
• A true understanding of the verse, "I can do all things through Christ."
• God's perfect plan for the future.

My word for Zach: Acceptance

• Focus on the amazing plan God has in store for him and give him the confidence to step through the doors that God opens...while accepting the doors He closes.
• To see others as Christ sees them.

My word for Adam: Confidence

• Refuse to let others define who you are. Be bold, be faithful, and trust God.
• Follow through on the God given love for music and use it to honor Him.

Since my feeble brain is prone to distraction and forgetfulness, I decided to create a daily reminder. I printed each word and placed it in a simple frame for the shelf in my bathroom. Every morning I will have a visual reminder of my pledge.