New Year's Meditations

On the Eve of this new year my little family had communion.

It was there at the cup, the bread broken that I reflected on those things that grieve me.

Things that I have sinned and neglected.

I spoke to the children during communion about what I believe.

What it is that is "my religion".

To love the Lord

with all my heart

all my mind

all my strength

To love my neighbor as myself

To tend to the Orphan

The widow in her hour of distress

In all things for me it has boiled down to the thick of this.

Do I love myself?

Am I able to love others when I am not loving myself?

Do I tend to my own physical, spiritual and mental needs?

This is where I come to sit before HIM and reflect.

These are the things I hold myself week unable to love others wholly,

because I have not Loved myself rightly.

Hope defered makes the heart sick.

The hopes of weight loss...

The hope of nice hands,

Exercised body.

These things have left me heart sick.

Mentally I have readied myself for adventure in teaching the children at the elementary "Art Master Piece".

Learning to bake bread, make yogurt and perform knowledge in order to gain proficiency in all things home making.

Staying on a budget and creating all the things my family needs.

all my mind.

Continue in the Bible Study

all my heart.

Worship, Obey and repent.

Fellowship.

all my strength.

Never giving up

Depending on him to never give in.

Thankful Thursday

Prayer time and the Huggy Kissy song.

Oh my I was just laying on Doves bed while Daddy read to them.
I dozed off a bit.
They are so fortunate that he still reads to them.

We have had a full year already.:)

The truck got a new axle and oil, the car got an oil change too,Mr U. noticed we need new tires on the car now, faster than we thought. He had a tire off to check the hub on the car axle and saw separation.
So tomorrow we have to take it in and use the emergency fund for that.
We are so blessed to have saved so hard, and have it to use for the needs.
The truck was found to need $400. in work to the steering arms (we have to hire that). It needs a alignment also. We will see if the shop might give us a discount for giving them so much business HA!
The car will need an alignment too.
We have a few hundred more in parts for the truck in the next two days we will do the work our selves.

The green beens lost to the frost were cleared from the trellis in the garden,
peas were picked.
The chicken coop got a through cleaning and the tomatoes were given a trellis.
My trellis making skills leave a bit to be desired, but if was accomplished in time for me to go to do the shopping.
I found one of my good tomato plants crushed with fruit missing.
The kids say they saw the dog do it, me thinks that they used the straw bail as a climbing stone and stepped on it during the play date day before.
Arg!
My plants are suffering between kids and the frost.
Though they were covered the chill nipped the leaved of my best producers.

Wow when it comes it comes hard and fast.

While my man was up to his elbows in grease I was up to mine grinding the 20 pounds of beef I got for less than half price ( a two and a half hour job).
Freezer will be ready for the months ahead
The grocery was won at less than half price for I did the lead ins and the adds. Used a few coupons.

We are so very blessed with such abundance.

Made some turkey and veggie noodle with dumplings, hubby loved it!
A two pound meat loaf was baked while we watched a movie "somewhere in time".
We are tired,
grateful that we did not have a flat on the highway.
Everything in its perfect timing.
We will save back up for the emergency fund and get back up on our feet in time.
By the end of the weekend we should have the work done on both vehicles .
I suppose after over 100,000 on the truck in 10 years, it is due to be maintained.
The car will just get new shoes (tires) a little sooner than expected.
We will start the year with both autos in good working order with both having new tires. We have own them both so it is an uncommon expense for us to spend on the autos.
Bless God we have no car payments.

Dash got his hearing aide fixed and it looks like we will be able to qualify for his medical with only 5 days of overtime missed.
(we trust) I'll know after the 9th.
I will need to go back down to the city again to do the financial work.
The woman there yesterday was the wonderful woman who helped me last year. She was awesome and we went through several scenarios to find the best fit.

We'll just keep doing our part to keep the economy going HA!

We are so blessed all this is happening while He is off work and can do the work himself here at the house.
yaunnnnnnnnn
Wow a day.
Dishes and laundry are calling me to come heed the task for the morrow.

Life to the top.

Last of the year harvest

Leg of lamb for supper
Communion together was wonderful.
Daddy Man made sure they understood.
This has been
Dash's desire.

Apple crumble with carmel for desert

Turkey carcus cooked down for dumplings for lunch tomorrow.

Late night Go Fish!

Time on computers...
Two Minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They did it~

Almost time to change the date....

The children are up yet 11:11 2008 Will they make it???????

Homemade

In November we celebrated the first 14 eggs from the chickens by having a family omelet.
It was such an exciting thing for me...a dream and longing from childhood come true. Raising my own chickens.

Then there was the jewelry show.

The trim on the cutting table skirt.

It adds a nice weight to the bottom of the cloth

Doves long awaited cloak. I was going to make this for Christmas last year and had just fallen behind that far, before it came up on the list.

During the last month we made many things.

Beloved Daddy Man got the tree House frame up on a nice platform.
It has been too cold of yet to work on it in the garage.

Most of my sewing time was used on Doves coat. She received it before Christmas. I just can not fathom her waiting for the 25th and being cold in the interim.

Once upon a time a dear friend received an apron at my hand.
She spoke of how fond she was of it often.
These may not function for her kids :) to use in the pizza oven ...
they are intended just for her to have something of creative beauty that is pure decadence.
That is how her love is displayed toward me...pure decadence.
I love you too my friend.
This is a pair of oven mitts I stitched the beaded trim on for my long friend.
You are greatly beloved Michelle.

Dove painted this for the door wreath.

This was my big project for my sister 50th birthday (12-21).

Dash calculated it had over 10,000 beads stitched on it.
I used a simple whip stitch, by pinching the edge I used my fingers as the gauge of stitch length.

It is a deep red velvet stuffed with poly/cotton batting.

You may be able to see the varied needles that have become part of a valued collection over the years. The hoop with a nice cloth (velvet like) holds beads so that I can whip up the count, with a fine long beading needle.

Using a large carpet needed with button thread the center of the cushion was tightly stitched and drawn into a firm center that left large threads in the center.

To that thread I used this hooked needle to sew the antique glass buttons on.
Heavy carpet/button thread again was used and the stitches were set into the others
(not through the cushion)
Then tied off under the button with several whip knots.
Pulled very tight.

Onto the other side I also stitched the button. First anchoring the tread by stitching though then before you pull all the way pull your needle through the tail treads.
That knot will hold it fast , as the tension will keep it in a knotted way.

Beauty becomes tool (a pin cushions).
She too is a seamstress (by profession).
A wonderful simple tool is the sticky roller.

I have had the pillow sham blocks for two years now...
Trisha my long time friend has a wonderful forest theme in her master bedroom.
These were finished at last!

I loved the vibrant color.

Another long time friend received a little heart shaped pillow made as a decorative or as a broach pad. It was wrought because of a fond memory of her and her husband coming and gifting Dash when he was very little with a little bear and a prayer...
He is a little older than their son.
They had longed for a son also.
The kindness they showed that day (we had only just met) was all heart.
Full heart so beautiful and this was what I had to make them.
It is how I see them.

A side view.

This three dimensional tree is becoming a beaded family heirloom.
Several other things have been sewn onto it.
I made the tree last year.

Wordless Wedensday

Skype, your it!

My Sister (elder x1) was so sweet to send several little gift.
She lives on the East coast now.
That is her "live, real time"on my monitor.
Is that cool or what?~!
She was able to watch the family open gifts.
This is the first year for her to not be with her son here.
That is the camera on top of the monitor.

So she sent a gift box to our home with some gifts for my nephew (her son) and some of our gifts to his home.
He came with the Elf bag she sent him this year.
It had been the tradition they had had during his youth.
He is a young single father.

Cousin "call him Sun" is a very strong vibrant young man now.
My Mr and I watched this young man grow from early childhood.
We often took him on outings.
Amazing to watch children grow into adult hood.

My kids can not get enough hard play.
In therapy they call it heavy proprioceptive play.
My little ones have sensory integration dysfunction and they can just suck up any heavy play they can get.
I wish I could of had my nephew around when they were little , but he was off getting an education of sorts.

Look at dove it is just almost to exciting for her.
She does that funny fidgeting thing when she gets very excited.
Too cute!
She rubs her fingers all over her face and through her hair.
I think it helps her manage the mixed up sensory signals.
Sometimes just on her face and hides her face in it with the biggest grin.

Her feet!
Look at the strength of that young man!
He has the sweetest heart.
He knew us in our glory years when we took him on hikes and dune buggy trips.
That was many years ago in our early marriage.
He is my nephew from my sister one older than I.
(I am the youngest of eight, 7 living)

The fan was off,but I was watching them closely. It is a very high ceiling in there.
Daddy man walked around the corner and nearly had a heart attack!
I think Sun slept well that night, I know the kids slept in the next morning.

That child weighs 75 pounds and Dash just over 50 pounds.
I was concerned for Suns shoulders.
He is a ray of light, such a beautiful young man.
Our Lab was right in there watching them and seeing that Sun was not hurting the kids.
What a good dog.