Thankful for life!

Recently I jumped on the wagon of thankful posts on facebook but I slacked off. Mainly because I skipped town and then as I always do I throw myself into a project or task never allowing myself much rest until it's finished. That was the case until today. The Lord convicted my heart and told me to slow down! I mean realllllllllll sloooooooooow! This is a foreign concept to me! How do you do it? Someone tell me please!

So here we are in November! Moving closer to our calling from God. It hasn't hit me quite yet that we are moving to a new country. Even as I type I've got furniture lined up to deliver to their new rightful owners. It feels great to clean up & clear out our belongings. I've never been too materialistic so when people ask me how it feels to be giving away and selling our things, my answers is simple. "It's fine." It's almost liberating. Things do not define us, but our actions might. The Lord provides our needs always, sometimes we are just too spoiled to realize that it's not by our ability that we have our needs and wants but by his.

Last week Emmaly and I hopped on an airplane heading to another place we had never touched before. My mom has lived in San Francisco for 6 years now and finally got hitched! She knew I was coming out but Emmaly was a surprise. At the airport I had Emmaly walk behind me so the secret wasn't out until I was standing right in front of my mom. It worked, she was shocked, but excited.

 

I'm thankful that the Lord provides the means so we can travel and see how majestic his creation is.

 

I was told a rental car wasn't necessary but I'm what you can call an adventurer, I like to go out away from a central location and explore. Plus, I wanted to be able to say I've driven across the Golden Gate Bridge, so I drove right on across it. I also drove the crookest road in the world (Lombard St.) at night, took a historic cable car ride and visited Fisherman's wharf and listened to the seal lions bark.

 

 

 

It was a fantastic trip, full of being a complete tourist. Most times I like to blend in with the locals, but this was one town in which it wasn't possible.

 

I do want to remark more on being thankful. Will, Emmaly and I have been blessed with an abundance of support on our quest to become the missionaries that God has in store for us. I may not know the Bible from front to back and one day I hope too but God will equip me as long as I'm faithful in learning the scriptures at my pace. I'm thankful that God has given me my own talents and Will his. I'm thankful for my sweet little daughter who I can call my own, a gift from our heavenly father. She completes us. Her exciting personality and love for life is enough to want to make things better for any child. When I thank God in my prayers, it's not long and drawn out. I thank God for everything I have because I deserve nothing.

 

 I thank God for life.



 

 

 

 

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" Colossians 3:17

 

 

Crafting in October!

This has been a busy month, but fun! The Edmond Home Educators group held a craft fair for kids to venture out and sell things they've made. So some friends I encouraged our kids to get out there and become informed of how free enterprise works.  For the last month we've had crafting parties that were held well into the night with lots of laughter, creativity and cookies! The turnout was so-so, but they did sell some of their items and had a blast! As seen below, Emmaly and Kyla made bags, hair bows  hair bands, coasters and sugar scrub. We had a lot of people commenting that we must have been busy, but in reality we knew about this sell over a month ago and instead of working at the last minute, the girls produced each craft one by one.

Aaron and Joel made the cutest and softest homemade pillowcases. They were little troopers and did very well!

You must check out the cornucopias Emmaly and I made. Courtesy of Pinterest!

Besides crafting, Emmaly and I took a day to visit the Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch located in Arcadia. Afterwards we dined and took in a movie! It was a cool, slightly misty day with lots of cloud coverage. Just how I love the fall!

The cow snuggled us like a dog! It was so sweet!

She wasn't too sure about having her back to the pig! LOL!

What a beautiful month it has been with God's blessings surrounding us.

Quilting for Necessity, Quilting for Fun

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." Proverbs 31:13

The butterfly quilt was sewn in 1940. My grandma had just gone off to college in Lawton and worked on this quilt a little at a time with her mother back home in Granite. One thing I love about this quilt is the fabric. You can see a shift in taste of print from the 1930's & 1940's until......well....now! I love the fact that it is yellow. Very inviting and happy! My grandma was jubilant to see my interest in quilting. I loved asking her about the good ole' days just to see the differences between what we experienced at the same ages."You're quilting for fun", she quoted "We quilted out of necessity." 

It wasn't until after her death that I finally began to learn how to quilt with a machine. 

Though this isn't the group (obviously) that taught me how to quilt, I can see why they seem to be having a great time. I'm guessing this quilt was being made for someone. Sometimes, women had large quilting bees to provide a heirloom for an upcoming bride, or expecting mother, or a home-bound widow. I heard it best last year when someone in my Sunday school class mentioned that most women have lost the ability to create with their hands. That comment struck me in the heart, she was right. 

So I picked up 8 months ago where I wanted to start in the first place and finished my first quilt, and then my next, then the next and so on. I'm happy to say I've recently finished my 8th quilt and am half way finished with my 9th.  Some of these quilts were inspired by others, some I actually came up with on my own. I've lain in bed at night thinking of great color sequences. I'm not obsessed, not yet at least. But I think I've found the ability to create with my hands. 

These are the quilts I've finished!

The one that started it all......

My daughter and I made this one for her "Charlotte's Web County Fair."

Surprise Mother's Day gift to my momma. Even though this is American inspired, the French flag kept popping up in my head as I made this.

Once I saw the inspiration for this, I told myself " If you can do this, you can do anything!" This turned out to be a gift to our Japanese hosts.

 This little lady turns the big 27 today!

 

Yep! That's me! I was 6 months old here.

 

 

Born the youngest child to my folks in Ardmore, Oklahoma late at night!

 

I'm not at the age yet where I dread my birthday! Maybe I never will be. I've definitely changed my views and likes over the years and have settled into my own ways. I like to love and laugh and sit down with a good book. I listen to bluegrass music and travel any chance I get. I'm a born again Christian.  I've been blessed more than I deserve. I've learned to take the storms of life and thunder through them holding the Lord's hand. I love to sing, but it's going to take a lot to get me to sing in front of people.  And...........I don't care for how fast the world moves.

 

Now, isn't that the face of an optimist or what?

 

 

Want to know what makes me smile so much?  It's because I've been redeemed by my Lord. There were dark days in my life before and still are but remembering that I'm not alone in it makes the light overcome the darkness. The Bible tells us that:

 

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. - John 1:5

 

So if you are currently having a rough morning or haven't had that first smile, dust off the Bible, have a cup o' joe and reconnect with the one who breathed life into you! Remember that if God brought you too it, he will bring you through it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Laundry Soap

 

Making Laundry Soap Tutorial

Yes, I've now made my own laundry soap. Was it difficult? Time consuming? The answer is no and I, myself was quite surprised at how quickly it was made.

Ingredients:  The prices listed are a guess on the high end because I didn't keep my receipt.

Borax Laundry Booster  ($ $4.00)
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda  ($4.00)
Fels-Naptha bar soap (Zote or, Ivory...etc.) ($.97) (don't try bath soap; they contain oils and perfumes that can stain clothes and become an irritant to sensitive skin)


You can find these 3 items on the laundry aisle at your local Wal-mart, usually they are grouped together.

Make sure you specifically get Washing Soda, this is different than baking soda so please do not try to substitute it.
The purpose of the Washing Soda is to help remove odors and dirt.

Borax is a natural mineral otherwise known as sodium decaborate tetrahydrate and is used as a deodorizer and whitener. In case you are ingredient suspicious such as I am, it is also found in toothpaste and hand soap.

The Recipe!

1/2 bar Fels Naptha  (Ivory, Zote or Sunlight will also work)

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 

2 gallons water

A bucket (2-5 gallon) ( found near paint in Wal-mart)

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax, stirring until dissolved.  Once dissolved remove immediately from the heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into your bucket Next, add your soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. You will need to let your soap sit for 24 hours until it becomes a gel. Use 1/2 cup per load.

Next, you need a cheese grater to grate your bar of soap. I enlisted the help of my 8 year old.

Measure out the Borax and Washing Soda into a bowl, while you melt the soap along with 6 cups of water on the stovetop.

 

Once soap mixture is melted pour into your bucket and then add the 4 cups of hot water.  Stir

 

 

Now add 1 gallon; plus 6 cups of water and stir!

 

 

Notes: Low sudsing. It is the ingredients in the soap, not the suds, that does the cleaning.

               Clumping and geling of the detergent is normal.

 

 

Best Homemade Iced Coffee Ever!

There is no hiding it..................I like coffee and it likes me back!

 

I'm almost ashamed to admit that this quote is representing me! My husband says I should quit but you know what? That's like me telling him, stop eating sweets! Is it going to happen? Heck no! You know what he ate the other day? That big ole' hunk of man I call my husband ate 4 ice cream bars, and then after I sent him a homemade meal to work, he brings it back and tells me that someone at work brought cookies and he ate 6 of them! Anyways, I'm chasing rabbits so back to the main topic. My friend Rachel gave me this recipe for Iced Coffee so I decided to be nice and share it.

I'm part visual learner so I find that explaining in pictures is best!

Ingredients:

Instant Coffee of your choice

Milk

Turbinado sugar (this is raw sugar) or regular white sugar.

Disclaimer: The format in which I give my recipes sometimes will reflect my style and not a textbook! So if you see any misspellings (it's how I talk) or informal directions it's on purpose and because I believe in getting to the point! No stick in the mud here! Living life shouldn't be filled with up-tightness!

First, get yer blender out! Toss a 1 cup of water in there,

Second, measure 3 tsp. of instant coffee, toss that in there,

Third, add in 5 tsp. of turbinado (or sugar of choice) in there,

Fourth, pour 2 cups of milk in there,

Last but not least add 2 cups of ice.

I have a setting that is called Ice Crusher or something of that nature and it breaks that ice into practically nothing. Depending on the strength of your blender you may need to blend once more.

It may be foamy on top at first, but that will go away! Enjoy!