Richly Blessed

Then There Were THREE!

2012-01-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

AAAHHHHHHH!!! I know a lot of you already know this, but I still had to make the announcement because I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!! =) Ben and Emily are expecting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D
Click here to read Em's announcement. ;)

I can't WAIT to meet the little one sometime in September! =)

Brother's and Sisters

2012-01-19T11:24:00.002-05:00

One of the greatest blessings of living here is that I get to spend lots of time with my younger brothers and sisters!! I've gotten to stay with them a few times while Mom and Dad had to go somewhere, and it's been SO much fun! =) After 3 years away, they've all changed a lot, and it's nice to sort of get to know them again.

Bo ~ He's funny, kind, gets lost in his own thoughts a lot, doesn't always pay attention or listen, is a bit of a philosopher. When I took this picture he was in the middle of telling me a story. ;)

Brason ~ He's smart, with a quick wit, mischievous, a bit cocky at times, but still sensitive and soft hearted.

Bethany ~ Sensitive, quiet, very softhearted, funny, talented and smart.

Brianna ~ Talented, creative, artsy, beautiful, well-read and smart, a dreamer.

Providence ~ Adorable, funny, mischievous, sweet, and did I mention ADORABLE??

Berakah ~ Cute, mischievous, smart, soft hearted, funny.

Of course I've left out a lot of things... I can't possibly cover everything. I'm just loving my time with them, and I thank the Lord for the opportunity. I really am Richly Blessed.

♥

In Case You Hadn't Noticed....

2012-01-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

See this guy?

I love him.

He's a man's man. Not an ounce of sissy in him. ;)

He's handsome. He hates having his picture taken. I love the goofy looks I get... even though for his sake, I don't usually share them with you. ;)

He has blue eyes like me.

He's a loving husband. He's an honorable man. He's a gentle man. He's a forgiving man.

He has an awesome sense of humor.

He's a hard working man.

He's a godly man. He is my hero, my real life Prince Charming.

He's MY man, and that, my friends, makes me the most blessed girl on the planet.

"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

so is my beloved among the young men.

In his shade I took great delight and sat down,

And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He has brought me to his banquet hall,

And his banner over me is love.

Sustain me with raisin cakes,

Refresh me with apples,

Because I am lovesick.

Let his left hand be under my head

And his right hand embrace me."

Song of Solomon 2:3-6

A Sermon in a Song

2012-01-14T14:52:00.000-05:00

This song has been on my heart today, and so I decided to share it with you. Have you ever really listened to the words of
this song? It truly is like a sermon for my heart. =)
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
~ Joseph M. Scriven, 1855

Ginnie Springs

2012-01-13T15:47:00.001-05:00

Over New Year's weekend Josh and I and Ben and Em decided to go camping at Ginnie Springs, which is about 2 hours north of where we live, near Gainesville, Florida. I'm so glad we did! It was really beautiful, and we had so much fun with Ben and Emily! In the evenings we played Mad Gab (Ben and Emily beat us. Badly.), Clue, and one of mine and Josh's favorites (and now I think one of Ben and Emily's favorites too)- Rail Baron. The park itself was really beautiful, and there were very few other campers, so it was quiet and nice. =)

I wanted to share some of the MANY pictures I took over the weekend. =) I hope you enjoy them!

This is the main spring. Isn't the water beautiful! We really enjoyed swimming here.

There are actually two springs under the water in this picture. Josh took some underwater video that I will try and share with you soon! =)

The "run" where the water from a spring runs out towards the river.

So much better than a swimming pool!

Me and Josh swimming. =)

Lovebirds. ♥

Here's one of the other areas with a spring... we didn't swim here but it was sure beautiful!

This is what the main spring at Ginnie Springs looks like when it's lit up at night! =) Those rocks are a few feet under water, and it's about 20 feet deep in the blue part. There's a huge cave under the rocks. It was so neat!!!

The road we were camping off of.

On Sunday we went kayaking. Actually Ben and Em when kayaking and Josh and I went canoeing. ;) I love the look on Em's face! Can you tell it was fun? =)

Cypress trees are so cool! I love all the roots on the bank.

The Santa Fe river. It's beautiful.

Look at the size of this tree!

My handsome husband. ♥

Ben tied Emily's canoe to his on the way back so she could have a rest from rowing. =)

The woods behind our campsite were really pretty! I went out there one evening and did a little exploration. ;)

Check out this Cypress knee! They are so odd looking! I've rarely seen any that were this big.

I sat down in front of some of the roots to show you how big they were!

Enchanted forest! =)

There were lots of these little dried flowers out there. They're pretty.

We hope to go back and camp there again sometime. Maybe when we are certified to dive! =) Have a wonderful afternoon everyone!

A look back at 2011... And a look forward at 2012

2012-01-12T11:18:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm a little late I know. I'm almost always late but hey, at least I'm consistent! ;)

Anyway...

2011 held some big changes for us as most of
you know. Josh started working as a financial advisor in the beginning of the year, along with continuing his construction business. After pursuing that career path for a while we began to feel that it was not quite what God was leading Josh to continue to try and do full time, and we were praying for wisdom and guidance, and looking at other options. When my Dad brought up the idea of going into the Hardscape business with Brandon, Ben and Josh, it was something that we had thought about (not hardscaping specifically but we had thought about working together doing something) and the idea was very appealing and exciting to both of us although we new the risk, and the huge amount of commitment it would take, and we had many concerns. After much prayer, lots of consideration and discussion, and going to a trade show with my dad and brothers and hearing their thoughts and commitment level, we felt that God was leading us to make the move. It was hard to leave our friends and family in Ohio, and more than half our things are packed away in a storage unit, but we love being here and are excited for the future! The Lord has blessed us so far with beautiful weather, enough money coming in through some remodeling work Josh is doing for my Grandad, and many exciting developments and the promise of work beginning very soon in the new company, WoodStone Creations. 2011 ended on a very hectic and exciting note, and 2012 has begun the same way.

I also cannot forget to mention some of the other exciting happenings of 2011-

The birth of my little niece Ashlynn and watching God's blessing and healing in her little life.

The birth of little Amanda to our best friends Caleb and Sue in Ohio.

The marriage of Ben and Em.

And many other less major but still very exciting things! 2011 was a year full of trials and blessings, and learning and growing. I expect 2012 will be full of those things too. I pray that you and your family have a new year full of blessings. I, personally, cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

2011-12-14T11:53:00.001-05:00

I've never participated in Wordless Wednesday, but I think I'll begin this week with a picture of my lovely sister Bethany at the rock beach in St. Augustine. Enjoy!

We've Moved!

2011-12-06T10:52:00.001-05:00

It's been WAY to long since I've posted! I just wanted to write a quick update to tell you all that due to a whole bunch of exciting developments in the last few months... WE MOVED TO FLORIDA!!! =D We're staying in our camper temporarily on my parent's property until we find a house, which is a bit of an adventure. Especially with THREE cats. ;) It's fun though... or it will be once we find places for everything so the camper is nice and neat. Still working on that one. ;)

I love living here again. I'd forgotten how much I loved Florida. It's a beautiful state. And I LOVE being near my family again. It's great to just be able to walk across the yard and see them. And Josh and I are both really excited about the main reason we moved down..... Josh is going into business with my dad and brothers Brandon and Ben. They're going to be designing and building outdoor living spaces - kitchens, patios, entertaining spaces with stone fireplaces... it's an exciting opportunity. So far things seem to be falling into place. =) I'm so excited about them all working together!

It was really hard to leave our friends and family in Ohio. We miss them a lot. I especially miss my dear friend- sister, really- Rachel. I'm just thankful for texting! =)

Well I need to go get stuff done. I'll try and update more often so I don't have to shock you with big announcements like this a week after it happens. ;) Bye from sunny WARM DeLeon Springs Florida! =)

4 Weeks and 2 Days

2011-10-20T15:08:00.002-04:00

In 4 weeks and 2 days, my little brother will be married to miss Emily Case. =)

I'd better get going on those wedding favors. haha

She Beautifies His Life

2011-10-18T11:44:00.000-04:00

I read this today, and it was both convicting and inspiring. I wanted to post it here so I can come back and read it often, and also to hopefully encourage all you lovely ladies out there to join me in becoming a wife that beautifies her husband's life.

"A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love 'turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward.' While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence she brings out in him whatever is nobles and richest in his being. She inspires him him courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is rude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path.

But there are wives also like the vines which cling only to blight. Their dependence weak, indolent helplessness. They lean but impart no strength. They cling but they sap the life. They put forth no hand to help. The loll on sofas or promenade the streets; they dream over sentimental novels; they gossip in drawing-rooms. They are utterly useless, and being useless they become burdens even to manliest, tenderest love. Instead of making a man's life stronger, happier, richer, they absorb his strength, impair his usefulness, hinder his success and cause him to be a failure among men. To themselves also the result is wretchedness.

Dependence is beautiful when it does not become weakness and inefficiency. The true wife clings and leans; but she also helps and inspires. Her husband feels the mighty inspiration of her love in all his life.. Toil is easier, burdens are lighter, battles are less fierce, because of the face that waits in the quiet of the home, because of the heart that beats in loving sympathy whatever the experience, because of the voice that speaks its words of cheer and encouragement when the day's work is done. No wife knows how much she can do to make her husband honored among men, and his life a power and a success, by her loyal faithfulness, by the active inspiration of her own sweet life."

---JR Miller from The Family; a 19th century preacher

The Wedding is coming.....

2011-10-10T16:53:00.002-04:00

I love these two.

The wedding is in just FORTY days.

I think they're a little happy.... and just a tiny bit excited. ;)

I am just bursting with excitement for them!! I can't wait to get to FL. =)

I've been working on my dress....

With a lot of help from my wonderful, amazing friend Rachel. =)

And LOOK WHAT CAME A FEW DAYS AGO!!!

I was so excited. =)

And check this out-

That's my kind of wedding reception. No shoes. =)

*happy sigh*

Love is in the air!

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

God is so awesome. I'm STILL so excited I don't hardly know what to write!

If you've read this blog much, you've probably seen pictures of my little brother Ben.

I say little, but he's really not so little anymore. He's all grown up. And GUESS WHAT??!! He's getting MARRIED!!! Yes. He's getting married to the lovely Emily Case.

I love them.

Don't they look SO happy? =)

So here's how it happend. Ben and Emily have known each other for a couple of years now. Their families do church together. Neither of them had thought about the other one as anything more than a friend until early this year. Sometime in the beginning of the year Ben felt like God was showing him that Emily was the One, and so he was praying about it and he started talking to our mom and dad about it. Now here's the really cool part- around the same time Emily started feeling like God was laying it on her heart that Ben was the one for her! So they were both praying about it and thinking about it, and neither of them knew that the other one was thinking the same thing!

Mr. and Mrs. Case, and my parents were feeling the same leading, and in April my parents started talking to the Case's about the possibility of Ben & Emily getting married. At some point around this time, Emily came to her parents (not knowing any of this was going on) and told them she felt like God was showing her that Ben was the one she was supposed to marry. She was continuing to pray and think.

Finally in July, Ben sat down with Mom and Dad and told them he was sure that Emily was the one God intended for him to marry. Of course they were SO happy! They love Emily. =) Next Ben talked the Mr. Case, who was also thrilled. They love Ben. =) And SO they went right into talking about the ring and the proposal! They decided to keep it a secret from Emily so she would be surprised. =)

Josh and I (who they ALSO kept all of this a secret from!) were planning to go down to FL for a visit in August so Ben, being the sweetheart that he is, decided to propose while we were down there! The whole church had planned a day at a beautiful park and spring that everyone loves to visit, and so on Saturday August 6th, most everyone from church, except Ben, Brandon, and a few who couldn't make it, walked down a boardwalk through the woods at Alexander Springs, and came out onto a dock on the river. There was a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on the bench, and a card that said Emily Case. Now, up until then, most of us (including Emily!) had just thought we were going for a walk. haha. And now I'll let you watch the rest, because we got it on video!!!! =D

The Asking! from Emily Case on Vimeo.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wasn't that SO AWESOME???!!!! =) God is awesome.

Needless to say, Emily was shocked. And thrilled. And it was SO sweet. I even cried. And I was shaking, so I can just imagine how she felt. =) It reminded me of when Josh proposed to me. =) Click here if you want to read Emily's perspective on it all! =)

They sure do love each other. They're a testament to the blessing of God on those who wait for him.

And you know what ELSE I'm excited about?? I'm going to be a bridesmaid!!!!!!! =D I couldn't be more happy! Josh is going to be a groomsman too, and my older brother Brandon is going to be the best man. =) I just might die of happiness. God is so good. I love my family.

Oh yeah, and the wedding? It's going to be on NOVEMBER 19th! That's 66 days from today people. * Does a happy dance *

I'm SO excited about the wedding!!!!! I'll be telling you about it in the next few weeks.... it's going to be beautiful. And sweet. And I'm going to cry. I already asked Jean to bring tissues. She's a bridesmaid too. =)

Dear Summer...

2011-09-13T15:47:00.003-04:00

Dear Summer,

I miss you. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but I thought you'd stay with me a little longer than this! Did I say something to offend you? I know I complained a few times about the heat, but that didn't mean I didn't still love you! And, you probably heard me say that I couldn't wait for Fall, but that was just a figure of speech! I didn't mean I wanted you to go away! It's only September and already I've had to wear a jacket.
Please come back Summer. I'm sorry for what I said. I'll try and make it up to you. We can go fishing like we said we would. Maybe we could even do some camping, since we never got to that either in the short, sad time you were here. Please come back? We can go swimming! Just for a few weeks? I'm not ready to meet Winter yet. It's too soon.

Ormond Beach Fl, August 2011

The Story Of The Dogwood

2011-04-23T15:13:00.001-04:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to share! =)

The story goes that when Jesus was awaiting crucifixion and when the crosses were being made the trees begged God to spare them, but the Dogwood begged not for it's life but for the life of Jesus.

The Roman soldiers picked the Dogwood.

The Dogwood pleaded with God to use another wood but God did not intervene. The Dogwood would now carry the body of Christ to his death and the Dogwood knew that for all eternity Dogwoods would be known for this horror.

God in his wisdom spoke to the Dogwood and understood the tree; in that time Dogwoods were tall straight trees that provided sturdy timber for homes and vessels, safety for the animals. bowls for food, utensils to cook with; and God spoke.

God told the Dogwood that the burden that was carried would be carried only one time, and from that time on Dogwoods would be knarly small trees with poor timber size so no Dogwood could be used in this manner again. God told the Dogwood that the Dogwoods would now be responsible for eternity to help people remember.

The Dogwood would only bloom for a very short time before and after the date of the crucifixion, the flower would have just 4 petals representing the hands and feet of Christ, they would be marked with a hole and the blood of Christ and the center of the flower would be circular raised and represent the head of Christ wearing the crown of thorns.

And so it is today, the Dogwood is a small twisted tree, it blooms at Easter and the flower....well look for yourself.

Happy Resurrection day! =)

Happy Birthday....

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-04:00

To the man who is my best friend.

To the man who loves me no matter what.

To the man I'm blessed to spend the rest of my life with.

To the man I love with all of my heart.

And secondly!

Happy Birthday to the best Mom in the world.

The one who showed me what it is to be a godly wife and mother.

The one who I know loves me unconditionally.

The one who I can always call and talk to when I need to.

Mom, you're an amazing woman and I thank God for you. Thank you for setting such a wonderful example for me and my sisters to follow! I love you.

Photography Contest ~ Through My Lenz Photography

2011-04-19T21:53:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! My talented friend Olivia recently started a blog for her photography business, and she is having a photography contest! I know she would love it if any of you entered! You can check out the contest post here.

The photo challenge is "Best Self Portrait."

Here is my entry!

Yikes blogger really pixilated it..... Anyway, I took this picture driving home from work with my husband. The sunset light was really pretty and I was just playing with my camera in the mirror. I edited it slightly to enhance the lighting and give it a more vintage feel. =)

I look forward to seeing the other entries!

A Very Late Going To The ZOO Post!

2011-03-23T20:02:00.000-04:00

This is several weeks late, but I figured it's better late than never, right? :-) A while ago we went to the Columbus Zoo! I had never been there before, and Josh hadn't been since he was little. If you ever get the chance, I recommend it. It was really nice! I'm sure it's even better in the summer time though. =)

This will be mostly a picture post, because I had a TON of pictures! Don't worry though, I won't share ALL of them. =)

Flamingos are SO interesting! Their skinny little legs look like they might break at any moment! These particular birds looked a little cold. After all, it was in the middle of February in Ohio!

The Aquarium is really cool!

They even had a huge tank with manatees in it! It's neat to see them underwater like that. I'd only seen them from the surface.

This Cheetah (?) Was really beautiful! There was a man with us that was carrying a plastic grocery bag, and kitty was VERY interested in it! He walked right up to the fence and started pawing at the bag like a kitten! =)

The Gorillas were the most fun! They actually seemed to like having their picture taken, and kept posing for the camera. Every once in a while one would run up to the glass wall and pound on it with his fists and scare everyone. =)

He looks like he's thinking about something. =)

Look at that arm! Those guys are strong!

This was a lady Gorilla. Once she walked over and sat against the wall right in front of me. It was cool to only be separated from them by the glass!

This was one of the best pictures I got during the entire day. =) Isn't he cool looking?

The tiger! This was exciting. He walked over when he saw us and paced back and forth in front of the glass. Probably because he was hungry and wanted to get through the glass to eat us! =)

It was really thrilling being this close to him! They are really beautiful animals!

He looks hungry!

He was a pretty good looking cat! Lions are one of my favorite animals. I think they're beautiful!

The lady lion just lay there and watched us. She seemed pretty board. She's pretty though isn't she!

And here's our very own little tigress. ;-) She's a mighty hunter too, of small bits of paper, my hair scrunchies, and her little toy mouse.

Well that's all for now. =) I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Prayer Request For My Niece

2011-03-07T19:47:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I am very happy to tell you (a little late) that my sister-in-law had her baby Thursday a week ago! My adorable niece weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 21 inches long. Her name is Ashlynn Liberty.

My prayer request is: Ashlynn has Down Syndrome, and today we learned that she has a hole in her heart which will require surgery. She is a precious, beautiful baby and has already stolen our hearts. Please remember her in your prayers! ♥

Adventures in Laundry

2011-02-21T17:16:00.000-05:00

Last week, my dryer broke. Now, if it had been during the Spring, Summer, or Fall, that would have been ok, because I have a (somewhat small) clothesline. BUT, it's in the middle of winter. I decided to try the clothesline anyway.....

.... and by the time I had these few things hung up, they were already frozen stiff! And so were my fingers! :-) I WILL say that even when your laundry hangs on a line in single digit weather for roughly 24 hours, and gets frozen solid, and THEN you bring it in and hang it from your ceiling fan (which is turned on), EVEN after ALL that, it still smells good, like laundry hung out on a sunny summer day to be dried in the fresh air. :-)

I WISH I'd taken pictures of our laundry spinning slowly around on our bedroom ceiling fan, but I didn't. It was pretty funny, and more than once it scared me when I glanced down the hallway and saw movement where there usually isn't any. ;-)

The point of this post, however, is just to say that God is good, and blesses us with even the unimportant things at times. Our landlord found a brand new dryer for a great price and got it for us, and now I can do all of our laundry without overloading our ceiling fan. :-)

And before I go, Cleo says hi!!! :-)

About: Going to the Gym!

2011-02-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Josh and I just started going to the gym. We are going to try and do it everyday for the foreseeable future. I'm happy and excited about it! I really am. I am SO out of shape compared to how I was when I was working on my family's farm every day.

HOWEVER.

After two days of going to the gym, I feel like this:

And I want to do this:

I know things will get easier as we go along, I just hope it gets easier fast!

Just a note to say..........

2011-01-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

I am MADLY in love with this man!

I'm still here!!

2011-01-13T01:24:00.000-05:00

Were you starting to wonder?? I've fallen behind badly in my blogging!

I hope you had a WONDERFUL Christmas and New Years. I sure did! Josh surprised me with a trip to Florida to be with my family down there for the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years, and we had a great time. We spent precious time with family and good friends, did some fishing, enjoyed the warmer weather, and spent more wonderful time with family and friends. :-)

(My very excited little sister on Christmas morning)

I have some great news!!! My brother Brandon ( the one who has been in Afghanistan) is supposed to be home in 34 days! :-D They are letting him come home for the birth of his first baby. ♥ His wife Amanda is Very thankful, as are Mom and Dad and everyone else. :-) The pregnancy is going well for Amanda. The baby is a girl, and her name will be Ashlynn Madison. Pretty, isn't it? ;-) Please pray for safekeeping for my brother this last month that he will be in Afghanistan, and a healthy end of the pregnancy and birth! It's an exciting time!

(Amanda and her daughter, Keylan)

Are you ready for a LOT of pictures?? :-)

(The Christmas tree on Christmas morning)

(My brother Brason just a few days out of a body cast that he had to wear for TWO MONTHS after he broke his leg in October!)

(My brother Boaz)

(My handsome brother Ben)

(My sister Bethany passing out presents :-)

(My sister Brianna)

(Dad opening his airsoft rifle from Ben)

(My two littlest sisters, Beri and Providence)

(My cutie-pie niece Keylan with her teddy bear from my brother Brandon, which says " Someone in Afghanistan loves me!" ♥

(My sister-in-law Amanda, and Keylan again :-)

(My handsome fisherman husband!)

(Me. Aaaaannd a BEAUTIFUL sunset!)

(My handsome man ;-)

(My handsome brother Benny ;-)

(My beautiful/handsome wonderful amazing parents) ♥

(Us. Not the BEST picture, but it's the only one of both of us from the trip. ;-)

I have TONS more pictures, but I don't feel like uploading anymore. ;-) It's almost 2:00 am and I SHOULD be in bed.

We have been getting some snow for the last two days. It's pretty outside! :-D I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow to share with you. :-) Tomorrow I'm also planning on making some soap. Kelp and Lime with a loofah sponge in the bars. I'm hoping it turnes out good! I noticed this evening that my fans have big dust balls on them. :-/ I'll be cleaning those tomorrow too. Fans collect a LOT of dust!

Anyway, I will REALLY try to be more consistent with my blogging, so you should be seeing more of me. :-) Bye for now! ♥

Fallapalooza Blog Party Is Officially Started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about the Fallapalooza Blog Party going on over at Below the Plateau!!! It's going to be so much fun! It has officially opened for entries today, so be sure to go on over there and enter! See the rules and ways to enter here.

Here are my answers to the interview questions!

Interview Questions:

1. Ring! Ring! You receive a phone call from a national sweepstakes organization saying that you have won a life-time supply of your favorite beverage!! What would that drink be?

Well, this may be weird, but my favorite drink has always been milk. ;-)

2. If you could live in a Jane Austen novel, which book would you pick? What character would you be?

I would have to say Pride & Prejudice. That is my all time favorite Jane Austen novel. :-) I love Lizzy's personality, but I think I'm more like Jane.

3. What is your theme song, that favorite song that absolutely matches you?

That is a hard one to answer, but it would probably be Every Time I Breathe by Big Daddy Weave.

4. You are trapped on a deserted island. Your only supplies are the clothes you have on, and a box with five things in it. What are those five things?

My Bible, WOULD MY HUSBAND FIT IN THE BOX?????, a gun, a knife, matches.

5. Chocolate or Caramel?

DEFINITELY chocolate. :-)

6. Vacation! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Oooooo, I'd have a hard time deciding between Ireland, the Caribbean, and horseback riding out west. :-) If I could go horseback riding in Ireland, that would be where I'd go :-)

7. If forced to do one of the two, which would you do: sky diving or scuba diving? Why?

SCUBA DIVING!!!!!! Because I'd much rather swim with sharks than jump out of an airplane. ;-)

8. Favorite TV show, and why?

The Andy Griffith show! :-) Because it's clean and really funny!

9. Are you a coffee and donuts sorta lady, or a tea and scones type of gal?

Coffee and donuts without a doubt!

10.The time machine has finally been created, and you are the first to be able to use it! What era would you travel too?

The 1700's. I think it would be so cool to see how life was really like back then first hand.

11. What is the last movie you watched?

The Fiddler on the Roof.

12. Ding-dong!!! Your favorite actor/singer/celebrity is at your front door! Who would it be?

Mrs. Duggar! She qualifies as a celebrity now right?? :-) I'd love to meet her.

13. What was your absolute favorite toy as a baby?

I had some little plastic model horses that I LOVED :-)

14. What types of blogs do your like best? (examples: DIY, cooking, journal, ect.)

I love blogs with a lot of photography, but my favorite thing to do is read creative and interesting and uplifting posts.!

15. What is your favorite Bible verse, your "life verse?" Jeremiah 29: 11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, " plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

Ok, now go on over there and get yourself entered!!! :-)

Giveaway!!!!!!

2010-09-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

There is a really cool giveaway going on HERE! Go check it out!!

Fallapalooza Blog Party ~ And Fall Is Here In Ohio!!!!

2010-09-15T13:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm really excited about the Fallapalooza Blog Party going on at Below the Plateau!!! I just posted about it on my other blog, so instead of re-writing it here, ya'll can just head on over there if you want. Don't miss out on the fun! It's going to be a blast. ;-) The giveaway opens for entries on September 22nd - THAT'S ONLY SEVEN DAYS!!! So yeah, go on over there and find out how to enter. :-)

Something else I am VERY excited about is that........... FALL IS HERE!!!! The trees aren't really changing yet (although I have seen a few twinges of color!! :-), but the weather has turned cool, the goldenrod is blooming,

the corn fields are turning from green to yellow,

and I am barely resisting the urge to PLAY CHRISTMAS MUSIC!! (Yes I am one of THOSE people)

My sunflowers are almost done blooming.

I LOVE sunflowers ;-)

The ones this color are my favorite. :-)

For those of you who love in warmer places ( I mean YOU you Florida people ) don't be discouraged, the heat will soon give way to beautiful cooler weather, the pumpkins will be out, the grass will no longer need mowed, the leaves will need raked, and before you know it, Christmas songs will be playing on the radio. :-)

And now, for some pictures of my kitchen, which underwent some re-organization last week. I told my dear friend ( you know who you are ;-) that I would post pictures, so here they are:

This is me ( duh) getting ready to tackle the cabinets....

My lovely apron- a gift from my Aunt Polly :-)

My first victim, I was always struggling to get what I needed out of here.

And here it is finished!! I decided to move my pots and pans here because it was much easier access than the one they have been in. :-) I can even get to my pancake griddle now!! Woohoo!

This is where I used to keep my pots and pans... I like this much better :-) Now to make some sort of curtain to cover the opening. :-/

Can you believe ALL of this came out of these TWO cabinets?? I couldn't. :-)

That's much better. Yes.

And here are all the others all cleaned up! :-) I am very pleased with the results!

And now I must go do some laundry and pick up the house. :-) Have a LOVERLY day girls!!!

Amazing Giveaway!!!!

2010-09-06T12:55:00.000-04:00

I am VERY excited to announce a wonderful giveaway over at Below the Plateau. It has 5 different giveaways sponsored by Etsy shoppes- including one from MINE!

Go on over, and enter!! It'll be a blast, and all of the giveaway items are awesome!!! Don't forget to check out all of the Etsy shops! ♥

Excellent Quotes

2010-08-18T12:58:00.000-04:00

I found these in a little book that I have, and I really liked them so I thought I'd share them with you. :-)

Lincoln is definitely not my favorite president, but I completely agree with this quote from him!

Before & After Photo Fun

2010-08-18T09:29:00.000-04:00

Just for fun, Hannah at Find That Creative Spark asked her readers to edit a certain picture on Picnik, and post the before and after. So here goes!

Before...

And After! :-)

I enjoyed playing around with it the other day :-) And now, I'm off to clean the Casa de Blu! (aka- the house :-)

I got to talk to Brandon!!

2010-08-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

Update on Brandon ♥

2010-08-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

(This is his Amish look ;-)

(Playing with our sister Beri)

Prayers For My Brother In The Military

2010-08-10T16:15:00.001-04:00

Testing.... 123 .... Testing

2010-08-10T10:57:00.000-04:00

No Other Plea

2010-08-10T08:02:00.003-04:00

I woke up this morning with this hymn playing in my mind, so I decided to share it with you. :-)

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device nor creed;
I trust the Ever- living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Saviour's name,
Salvation through His blood.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Isn't that beautiful?! What a great way to start the morning!

A Matter of the Heart

2010-08-04T09:52:00.003-04:00

Last night I was talking via Facebook to an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in about 8 years. Her family used to home church with my family before moving to Wisconsin. I asked her about her family and she told me a heartbreaking story. Her stepfather, who had been a new Christian when my family knew them, had become a drug addict and ended up in jail many times. He eventually left home and moved to a different state. Her younger brother ran away from home when he was 16, and she has only seen him once since then. Her own mother disowned her and started spreading mean and untrue rumors about her. She left home last year and since then has lost her job, her car, and is currently living with the help of friends and working on a ranch in Texas, trying to pick up the pieces. She said she feels lost.
I didn't quite know how to respond to all of that, but I told her I would pray for her, asked her if she had a church family there, and tried to encourage her that God loved her and would give her strength and help her through everything that is going on. Here is what she wrote back.
" I guess i've given up on going to church and God, i know that sounds pretty bad but it's the truth... When both of your parents and everyone you know "says they are a christain" and yet they live life just like everyone else or worse, you think of it all as just a joke. I just dont see the difference in a christian execpt they live a double life. I dont want that, i am who i am no matter what or who's around, i HATE liars."

Isn't that sad?! Because the Christians she has been around were not living their lives wholly for Christ, this young lady has turned her back completely on God. Now, that is not to say that it is completely their fault. We each have a responsibility for our own selves, but she has grown up watching people who called themselves Christians living very sinful and un-Christlike lives. There was no change in them brought about by having the love of Christ in their hearts. It isn't surprising that she now views Christianity as a joke.
This brought up the question for me- when non-Christians look at me, do they see someone who puts on a 'Christian' front but on the inside is no different than the non-believers they know? Do they see a real Christlike spirit in me? Am I just going through the motions, or is it in my heart?
But the Lord said to Samuel, " Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. " 1 Samuel 16:7

"I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10

God doesn't want us to put on a show. He wants us to give Him our hearts. He wants us to be living for Him and being a good witness for others.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see you good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

"Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2:12

We need to remember that the world is watching us, to see if we practice what we preach, and if God is real or just some made up idea. How we live our lives may be a major influence in wether someone accepts Christ as their savior or not. My conversation with my friend was a big wakeup call for me. And a good reminder. I hope it is a good reminder for you too.

I don't want to go through the motions
I don't want to go one more day
Without your all consuming
Passion inside of me

I don't want to spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the motions?

Animal Pictures!!!!! :-)

2010-06-29T21:04:00.009-04:00

Well the I ♥ Faces theme this week got me looking at all of my animal pictures, and I thought I would share some of my favorites with you now, just for fun. :-)

This is Cotton. Isn't she cute?

I don't know this guy's name, but I thought this pic was cute with him peeking out the barn door. :-)

Here is Cotton again. I thought it was so cute how she posed for the picture. :-)

Ninja Kitty!! This is Fog, from the I ♥ Heart Faces contest. :-)

He winked at me just as I was taking his picture. :-)

I take tons of pictures of Pat. C. in strange positions sleeping around the house I think this one is particularly cute. :-)

And this one was really funny. :-)

Here is Belle, from last winter.

Here's Pat. C. as a little kitten! He was hopping and jumping all around the living room.

Awwwwwwww! :-)

Pure Cuteness!

This is Clover. Isn't she pretty?

I'm not usually a big fan of pigs, but this one was pretty cute :-)

It's Dukums!! That's what I call him anyway :-) Actually his name is Duke. Isn't he cute? He is my family's Golden Retriever.

Pat. C watching the Indians play baseball. He learned to like doing this from Josh :-)

I really like this picture of Belle!

This is Tiny. He is now in the freezer. lol

Handsome Duke.

Handsome Pat. C last fall. ♥

And again....

And again. :-)

This is Yeller, our neighbor's dog, and Belle.

And for the last one, here is a picture of Pat.C from the day that we got him. ;-)

I Heart Faces ~ Pets

2010-06-29T09:07:00.004-04:00

This week at I Heart Faces the theme is "Pets", and I have LOTS of animal pictures! :-) The hard part about this was choosing one.

I chose a picture that I think is sooooo cute. This is one of our neighbor's kittens, Fog. I LOVE kittens, and this one is particularly cute because she is a runt, and she LOVES to cuddle and be scratched on the top of her head. ;-)

So are you ready for some major cuteness??

Awwwwww. :-)

Ok. Now if you want to go check out a TON of other cute animal pics, click on the button below!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

2010-06-21T00:22:00.004-04:00

Well I know this is late, but I couldn't go without honoring my Daddy with a father's day post!

I have been very blessed to have a great relationship with my dad. Growing up, he took lots of time out to do special things with me, and to talk to me about important things. He makes sure to do fun things with the family, to work beside us, to teach us from the word, and to just be a family man in general. No, he's not perfect, but the amazing thing about my dad's imperfections is that he is man enough to admit them, apologize for them, and try to do better.

I had the privilege of working beside my dad on our farm, and also starting an organic landscaping and lawn care business. In the process, I learned the value of hard work, I learned to respect how hard my dad works for his family, and I learned about plants and animals.

My dad makes God a priority in the household. We may not have consistently gotten up at 6:00 am for Bible study every day, but we always new that spending time in God's word every day was very important and should be a priority in our lives.

Some of my most precious memories of spending time with my dad will always be the time he and I spent at Calloway Gardens in Georgia attending the Father & Daughter Retreat. I got to know him better during those times, and I wouldn't trade those memories for the world. Now that I'm married and moved away, my little sisters get to do this with him. I know they will treasure those times for the rest of their lives.

My dad is my friend, one of my biggest fans, and one of the most honorable men I know. I love him with all of my heart, and I wish I could have spent the day with him today, but it was nice talking to him on the phone this evening. :-)

Well it's 1:30 in the morning now, so I'd better get to bed. Dad, if you read this, I just want you to know that I love you and I feel very blessed to have you as my dad. So, thank you for being a dad, and you make a better dad than I do a daughter. ( Inside joke, nobody else will probably understand. :-)

Modest Fashion Week ~ Day 5

2010-06-18T17:21:00.003-04:00

Ok, today I don't have much time, but here's my outfit for today:

The skirt and the shirt are both thrifted. :)

The length of the skirt is nice for hot days!

I left my hair down, and wore the silver flower earrings I had on the other day. :-)

I also wore this bracelet, which I *love*! I got it about 5 years ago from an older couple that gave us a box of miscellaneous dress-up items. :)

That's it! Now my husband Josh and I are leaving to go see Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly on their "Bold Fresh Tour". More on that later! :-)

Modest Fashion Week ~ Day 4 ~ More Yard Work

2010-06-17T21:45:00.004-04:00

Well today I had to do more yard work, so I put on a cotton skirt with a green background and white daisies, and a white cotton button down shirt. I finished weeding the garden today! Yay! :-)

The blouse is from Wal-Mart, $5.00 I think. The skirt is a hand-me-down from my aunt Linda. My shoes are Merrill sneakers that my husband bought for me. :-)

I'm sorry these pictures are not the best quality. I took them kind of fast, using the 10 second timer on my camera.

My earrings are the same ones I had on the other day, a gift from my mom, made by her aunt. :)

For my hair, I twisted it into a bun, and used a pretty leather holder that has flowers engraved into it. It is very pretty! I've never worn it before, but I really like it. :-)

So that's day four! Now I'm off to check out all the other beautiful outfits for today. ♥

Modest Fashion Week ~ Day 3- Yard work clothes.

2010-06-16T19:46:00.006-04:00

Today I worked outside most of the day so I wore a denim skirt that I've had for about 3 years ( bought online from Chadwicks for $16.99), and a brown and purple button down blouse that I've had for about 2 years (bought at Tractor Supply for $16.00- I think). The shirt has a little bit of paint on it, which is too bad because it's on of my favorites!

After mowing our yard early this afternoon, I started working on hoeing weeds in the garden. I am very thankful that there was a nice breeze all day so the heat wasn't bad at all! :-) I had fun, although the weeds have gotten out of hand. After hoeing three rows of corn, I borrowed a Mantis Tiller from my husband's parents ( thank you both!!!) and as soon as I'm done here I'm going to go out and finish the rest of the garden with that. :-) It should be MUCH faster!

My shoes today were my husbands Adidas flip flops. :-)

My earrings are silver flowers bought at wal-mart, and I just put my hair up in a clip to keep it out of the way, and for coolness' sake! :-)

This is our dog Bell (the brown and white one), and our neighbor's dog Yeller. They watched me work all afternoon and kept me company when I stopped to take a break. :-)

And this last picture made me think of this verse: "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 3:10

I hope you enjoyed this! Have a blessed evening!

Modest Fashion Week ~ Day 2

2010-06-15T18:42:00.005-04:00

Today was VERY HOT and humid!! We have been having some issues with our washer, and today my clothing options were a little limited, so I wore a black skirt which may not have been the coolest choice. :-) It IS one of my favorite skirts though. It's a gift from my dad from Dressbarn and VERY comfortable. :-)

I had a little fun editing this one. :-) My shirt is a hand-me-down from friends- Thanks Anna Eddy! My boots are a birthday present from my husband! :-)

I had left my hair down this morning, but it was too warm so I pulled it back from my face with a barrette. My earrings are a gift from my mom. They were made by her aunt, and they are my favorites! :-)

I hope you all have a blessed evening!!! ♥

Modest Fashion Week ~ Day 1!

2010-06-14T21:58:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I decided to enter a Modest Fashion week hosted by Samantha at Simple Delights. It's mostly just for fun, and to encourage each other to dress modestly. I've been really looking forward to it! :-) Today is the first day, so here goes!

I don't usually wear white all day, but I went to a meeting with Josh early today and I spent the rest of the day inside so it worked out. :-)

These aren't the best pics, because I took them myself using the 10 second timer on my camera. The skirt was a gift from my aunt. Today was the first time I've worn it. I really like it! :-) The shirt was a gift from my dad, from Dressbarn. I love that store!

This morning I was in a big hurry, so I just braided my hair and then wrapped it into a bun. My earrings are from Wal-Mart.

And now I'm off to check out all the other outfits from today! :-)

He's Alive

2010-06-02T09:32:00.005-04:00

Yesterday afternoon while I was washing some dishes the chorus of this song popped into my head. I hadn't heard it in a long time, so I'm not sure why it just came to me like that. I just closed my eyes and had a little worship time right there. I thought you all might enjoy hearing it so here you go! :-)

He's Alive

The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down;
I spent the night in sleeplessness and rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow and half in fear the dayWould find the soldiers breakin' thru to drag us all away

And just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle and a voice began to call;
I hurried to the window and looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches and the sounds of soldier's feet

There was no one there but Mary so I went down to let her in;
John stood there beside me as she'd told us where she'd been.
She said "They moved Him in the night and none of us knows where;
The stone's been rolled away and now His body isn't there!"

We both ran t'ward the garden, then John ran on ahead;
We found the stone and empty tomb just the way that Mary said.
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in was just an empty shell;
And who or where they'd taken Him was more than I could tell.

Well, something strange had happened there,
but just what I didn't know;
John believed a miracle but I just turned to go.
Circumstance and speculation couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify Him, then I saw Him die.

Back inside the house again the guilt and anguish came;
Everything I'd promised Him just added to my shame.
When at last it came to choices, I denied I knew His name;
And even if He was alive, it wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume;
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room.
Jesus stood before me with His arms held open wide;
And I fell down on my knees, and just clung to Him and cried.

He raised me to my feet and as I looked into His eyes,
Love was shining out from Him like sunlight in the skies
Guilt in my confusion disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had just melted into peace

CHORUS
He's alive! He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven!
Heaven's gates are open wide:
He's alive, He's alive, oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, He's alive, hallelujah He's alive

Have a blessed day!

A Lovely Giveaway!

2010-06-01T12:21:00.002-04:00

Hannah of Marilla Heights is having a lovely giveaway to celebrate summer on her blog! Check it out!

I Heart Faces ~ Yellow

2010-05-24T10:08:00.005-04:00

Well I haven't entered an I Heart Faces photography contest in a while, but the theme this week was "Yellow", and I had this REALLY CUTE picture of one of Josh's cousins, so I thought I'd share. :-)

I love the colors- and especially her red hair!!!!! :-) There are lots of lovely pictures this week at I Heart Faces ~ Check it out!!

The Power of a Praying Wife

2010-05-24T09:03:00.005-04:00

Lately I have been thinking about how important it is to pray for my husband constantly. He has so much pressure on him with work in a slow economy, a painful knee, being the spiritual leader of our home, worrying about the future of our country and the effect of that on our lives, and so many other things. I think it is very important for me as his wife to remember to pray for him every day. Prayer seems like such a small thing to do, but when I am diligent about it, I am always amazed at the results. If my focus is on the Lord, and I am constantly talking to Him about everything, amazing things happen! I am happier, life seems easier, I feel closer to my husband, he seems happier, we treat each other better, he seems more tender and loving- and I don't even have to tell him I've been praying! The benefits of walking with the Lord are amazing. :-) I just thought I'd share my thoughts with you and encourage you all to be praying for your husbands or fathers too! Have a blessed day! ♥

"This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem."

Song of Solomon 5:16b~

Birthday Boots from my Sweet Husband! ♥

2010-05-22T18:44:00.003-04:00

Today Josh and I went to the cute little town of Charm ( I love that name- total tourist trap haha). He needed new shoelaces for his work boots, so we went to Charm Boot & Harness. I love going to this store, because they have all kinds of beautiful riding tack, and all sorts of lovely cowboy type things. :-) Unfortunately I forgot my camera. :-(

Anyway, while we were there I started looking at the cowgirl boots, and I saw a pair almost right away that I LOVED. I wasn't going to say much about them though, because they were expensive, but I did tell Josh that I had been looking at the cowgirl boots and they had some really nice ones. After he had what he needed, he said he wanted to go see the boots, so I took him over there and we ended up each trying on a few pairs. It was fun! :-) In the end, my sweet man told me that since it is almost my birthday he would get me those lovely boots! Here they are!

Aren't they lovely??!!! :-)

Photo Contest- Water

2010-05-20T10:17:00.007-04:00

Hannah at Find That Creative Spark sweetly invited me to enter her photography contest, so here goes! The theme is water/streams. The rule is that you can only edit one thing on each picture.

I love the beach, so most of my "water" pictures are of the ocean. :-) Here are my three entries. I hope you enjoy them!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T12:15:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms in my life!! You are such an encouragement to me.

I think I have the most wonderful Mom in the world. She is truly a Proverbs 31 woman. I love herwith all of my heart and I miss her an awful lot.
I also have a wonderful mother-in-love. I am so thankful for you Marci Mom! ;-) I am truly blessed!
God has given me many wonderful women in my life to learn from and be encouraged by, and I am very grateful. I hope you all have a wonderful day! ♥

Photography Contest by An Old-Fashioned Girl

2010-05-05T00:31:00.004-04:00

Johanna at An Old-Fashioned Girl is having a photography contest, and I thought it would be fun to enter! I love photography, and my favorite thing to take pictures of is flowers, which just happens to be the theme of this contest. :-) It is stunning to me how many different kinds of flowers there are and and how beautiful they are!! These pictures are from last summer except the cherry blossoms, which are from this spring at my parents house. I hope you enjoy looking at them! :-)

Back Home Again & Other Thoughts

2010-04-23T10:43:00.008-04:00

We are back in Ohio! Actually, we've been here for about two weeks now, but I haven't had time to post anything on here. :-)

It was so nice to be able to spend so much time with my family in Florida! I can't wait for the day when we are all neighbors! Hopefully that will be soon. It was hard leaving them.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip:

Brianna :)

Brason :)

Beri- Isn't she cute!!!??

Mom at a neat little shop we visited one afternoon. :-)

Ben after rescuing Pat. C. from a tree :)

Amanda :)

Another cute one of Beri! :)

Josh ( in the white t-shirt), Dad ( in the yellow t-shirt) and Ben ( in the black t-shirt) walking towards the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C during the Healthcare Bill Opposition Rally that we took part in.

Josh and I in Front of the Capitol Building.

Mom, Dad, and a few of the kids at Alexander Springs :)

Mom looked so pretty in her dress and hat! :)

Josh and I at the beach! It was REALLY windy that day! :)

We went to a part where you can drive right down to the water. It was fun!

I really miss everybody down there. Hopefully It won't be too long before we see them again!

For the last few days I've been thinking about just how blessed I really am. Yesterday Josh came home a little early, which I always love! :) The windows were all open because it was absolutely beautiful outside, the birds were singing, there was bread baking in the oven, my husband was here with me, and I thought to myself, 'This is what fairytales are made of!!'

Life isn't always perfect. We have our share of hard times and bad days, but some days I just have to step back and think, ' It doesn't get any better than this!' I am so thankful for all of the blessings that God has given me. It is certainly more than I deserve.

A few days ago I was on Facebook reading comments on a post a friend made about submitting to our husbands. She simply quoted Ephesians 5:22-24 and said she was praying for the strength and humility to obey that command. What followed was over 50 comments on wether or not God actually does want wives to submit to their husbands. It amazed me what some people will go through to justify their decision not to submit to their husbands! What saddened me even more though, was something one of her "anti-submission" friends said at the end of a very long comment. She said "I'm soooo much more than just a wife and mother and am quite frankly sick of people seeing me as just those two things." This strikes me as very sad, and I could not disagree with her more!

What a blessing she is missing! It was obvious from her whole comment that she is a career minded woman with an "I'll do my thing and he can do his, and he better not try and tell me what to do" mentality. I guess a lot of women think that way.

There is no "just" in being a wife! Being a wife is to be your husbands best friend, closest advisor, encourager, comforter, lover, and helpmeet. Marriage done right is one of the most powerful institutions in the world. A husband and wife who are doing God's will and working together as one can save lives and accomplish great things for the Lord! Look at the woman in Proverbs 31. It is obvious that her and her husband are in compete agreement, and through her actions and help her husband becomes a well respected and well known man, she is happy ( she smiles at the future), and loved and respected by her children and husband.

Just because we are submitting to our husbands, doesn't mean that we are any less important than he is. We are just embracing our God-given role as helpmeet, and allowing him to embrace his God-given role as leader so that our family can receive the blessings that God has for us. Marriage is supposed to be an illustration of God's relationship with the church.

To be a wife is the most holy and beautiful thing God can ask us ladies to be, and to be a mother is a close second in my mind. What an honor to be given a new little life to nourish and protect and teach! How can you belittle such and honor? You are raising up the next generation of men and women. How you raise them will affect thousands, maybe millions of people. This cannot be taken lightly, or brushed off as a mere distraction from your agenda.

I am partly talking to myself here, because there are many areas in my life that are not as they should be. I'm not anywhere close to a perfect wife, and I suppose I never will be, but I pray that I am getting CLOSER to perfect as time goes on. It takes a lot of effort, I'm finding. ;-)

I welcome any comments and opinions you may have!

A Giveaway to Help Haiti's Children!

2010-02-05T09:26:00.002-05:00

I wasn't going to post for a while since I'm in FL, but I just read a post on one of my favorite blogs that I just HAD to share with you! You can find the post here, but in a nutshell, it goes like this.

Each comment on Jean Marie's blog is worth 25 cents, meaning she will donate 25 cents to Rescue Haiti's Children for each comment.

When you comment, you are also getting entered into a wonderful giveaway for a product from Natural Satin Skin, which is my friend Lauren Hope's natural beauty care business. She has WONDERFUL products!!!! I have a sugar scrub of hers right now that is heavenly! :-) And if you don't win, I encourage you to buy something from her, because all of her proceeds are going to Haiti through the end of the month!

You can also Facebook about the giveaway, or tweet about it or blog about it, and let Jean know and you will be entered again.

Click on the button below to read all about what Lauren is doing on her blog, and Please read Jean Marie's post on Sweet Life under the Savior and leave a comment! Or Two! Or Three! :-)

You can also follow Vision Forums team in Haiti if you aren't already, on Doug's blog.

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our

God and Father is this:

to visit orphans and widows in their distress,

and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

--James 1:27

Good-Bye, Ohio!

2010-01-31T09:14:00.004-05:00

Well since I probably won't be on here for a while, I didn't want to have that last post be the last one on here. Josh and I are leaving for Florida today! We will be staying on my family's property while Josh does a kitchen remodel for some friends. Neither of us can wait to get to the warmer weather ( as I type this it is 11 degrees outside) and I can't wait to spend time with my family! I'll be seeing some of you while we are there, but for the rest of you, Good-bye for now! I'll post when I can but I'm not making any promises! :-)

Florida, Here We Come!!

On Letting Go and Letting God

2010-01-28T09:45:00.005-05:00

Since I was a little girl I have dreamed of being a mom.

I can't wait to have precious little ones running through our house, hear them laughing, hold them in my arms. My mom got pregnant right away when her and Dad got married, and I kind of expected the same for myself.

So here I am, 16 months and two miscarriages later, and I'm discouraged. I was 8 weeks along in my second pregnancy before I miscarried, and I was already picking out names and clothes, planning where to set up a cradle. I was watching the baby development charts. My baby's little heart was beating.

Lately I've found myself feeling sad when someone says they are pregnant or when I see a mom with a new baby, or when I see a dad playing with his little boy or girl,

totally wrapped around their little finger. Why do I do that? It's not like just because it hasn't happened for us yet it won't ever happen. Even if it never does happen, that means it wasn't God's will for Josh and I. He has other plans.

My mom has told me many times that sometimes God is just waiting for you to lay it down and leave it up to Him. It's really in His hands anyway. Sometimes He wants to hear us say, "I trust You. You know my hearts desire. Your will be done. If my will is not Your will, please help me to accept that. Please make my will, Your will."

So this is my prayer from now on. And when I hear that a friend is pregnant, I will

be so happy for them. My cousin is 4 months

along with twin boys. My best friend is pregnant with her second baby. I'm not just saying that I'll be happy. I really will be. It's such a blessing. Precious little lives being given to loving, wonderful parents.

When I see a mom with a new baby I'll enjoy that sweet picture and try to steal a little of that great joy.

When I see a dad playing with his little one,

I'll smile and enjoy the sight. Sometimes it makes me think of how God must feel for His children. He loves us so much.

Does this mean that I won't cry sometimes when I think of my babies? Of course not. Does it mean that I won't still hope and pray for children? No. It just means that from now on I won't let it rob my joy for others, and I won't worry about it. I'm going to trust God. I'm laying my desire down at His feet. I'm letting go.

This post is maybe a little uncharacteristic for me, but it's been on my mind and I wanted to share. :-)

Take My Life, and Let It Be

2010-01-20T14:41:00.004-05:00

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my hands and make them move

At the impulse of Thy love,

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King,

Always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages for Thee;

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my love, my God, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store;

Take my-self and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee

Ever. Only. All- For Thee.

~ A Page From My Favorite Book! ~

2010-01-16T22:52:00.004-05:00

Care And Affection

On the battlefield, in many terrible battles during our late horrible war, I always noticed that those boys who had been reared under the tenderest home culture always made the best soldiers They were always brave, always endured the severe hardships of camp, the march, or on the bloody field most silently, and were the most dutiful at every call. They resisted the frightful temptations that so often surrounded them, and seldom returned to their loved ones stained with the sins incident to war. They were always kind and polite to those whom they met in the enemy's country. Under their protection, women were always safe. How often I have heard one regiment compared with another, when the cause of the difference was not comprehended by those who drew the comparison! I knew the cause- it was, the home education.

The same is true every day in the busy life of the city. Gather one hundred young men in our city, and spend an evening with them, and you will know their home education. Watch them as they approach young ladies, and converse with them. You will know who has been trained under the influence of home education and politeness, and who has not.

Affection does not beget weakness, nor is it effeminate for a brother to be tenderly attached to his sisters. That boy will make the noblest, the bravest man. That young man who was accustomed to kiss his sweet, innocent, loving sister night and morning as they met, shows its influence upon him, and he will never forget it. When he shall take some one to his heart as his wife, she shall reap the golden fruit thereof. The young man who was in the habit of giving his arm to his sister as they walked to and from church, will never leave his wife to find her way as best she can. The young man who has been taught to see that his sister had a seat before he sought his, will never mortify a neglected wife in the presence of strangers. And that young man who always handed his sister to her chair at the table, will never have cause to blush as he sees some gentleman extend to his wife the courtesy she knows is due from him.

Mothers and daughters, wives and sisters, remember that you have the making of the future of this great country, and rise at once to your high and holy calling. Remember that you must make that future, whether you will or not. We are all what you make us. Ah! throw away your weakening follies of fashion, and soul famine, and rise to the level where God intended you should be, and make every one of your homes, from this day, schools of true politeness and tender affection. Take those little curly-headed boys, and teach them all you would have men to be. They will be just such men, and will go forth to bless the world, and crown you with a glory such as queens and empresses have never dreamed of. Exercise your power now, and you shall reap the fruit in your ripe age.

From the section ~ Care And Affection~ in Daughters of Destiny, by Noelle Wheeler

This is a very inspiring part of this very encouraging book. If you haven't read this book I highly recommend that you do. It is a wonderful book for ladies of all ages, in my opinion. :-)

I am excited about the opportunity and the blessing of ( Lord willing) someday teaching and guiding my own sons and daughters to be strong godly men and women. I am excited, but I am also afraid. What a huge responsibility! What an honor to be given this responsibility. Ladies, those of us who do not already have this responsibility need to be preparing diligently for this. We do not want to be learning "on the job"! It's too important for that. I am certainly no expert in child training or marriage, or life in general. :-) I have so much to learn sometimes it seems overwhelming. But ladies, lets take this very seriously and do everything in our power, with the Lords help, to prepare for this high and holy calling. I hope you are encouraged by this, and I would love to hear your thoughts!

What Do I Know Of Holy?

2010-01-14T12:23:00.002-05:00

I can really relate to the lyrics of this song. It's a pretty special song and I wanted to share it with you! It is JUST a song but it has some pretty powerful words. At least in my opinion. :-)

What Do I Know Of Holy by Addison Road

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life its name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

I Heart Faces: Best Face Photo

2010-01-11T23:01:00.005-05:00

I had several pictures that I wanted to use for the challenge this week, but this one of my mom and my baby sister is definitely my favorite. ;-) Two of my favorite people!

Check out all of the other great pictures on I Heart Faces here.

Visiting with Family- Pics Finally!

2009-12-30T12:32:00.009-05:00

Well I have about 600 pictures from my family's visit up here and a bunch from Christmas too. Since there's no way I can show you all of them, I'm picking out a few of my favorites. :-)

So cute!

So Cute again!

Even cuter!

This might be my most favorite one from the whole trip!

The Brower Boys :-)

Love this one :-)

It's hard to get a picture of the two of them together. I really like this one!

Playing in the kitchen :-)

We had an enormous snow fight the morning before they left. It was so much fun!!!

These next pictures are from our annual trip to Old Man's Cave while they were here. That is Ben crouching on the edge there in case you were wondering. :-)

We love this stone bridge. Isn't it pretty?

This is a beautiful waterfall!

Love. :-)

Brothers and sisters :-)

It's really hard to give you an idea of how amazing this place is. This picture helps though :-)

I like how they are all looking up in this one :-)

So pretty!

Yes, it's as steep as it looks ;-)

I'm not sure what Brason was doing here, but he looks funny! :-)

Josh being goofy on purpose and me being goofy on accident~

The rock is so amazing!

They were just standing around talking.

And now, a few pictures of a VERY RARE EVENT! In fact, it's so rare that it almost NEVER happens!

Josh POSED for pictures, and even seemed to ENJOY it!!!! Amazing!

He sure is handsome:-)

Well I guess that turned into more than a few! Oh well. :-) I hope you enjoyed them. Those of you who are in Florida and don't already know may be pleased to hear that we are planning to come down in February. I can't wait!

Have a blessed afternoon!

Decorating for Christmas!

2009-12-07T07:09:00.007-05:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I love decorating for it. Last Wednesday Josh and I went and bought our Christmas tree, and it has been making the house smell WONDERFUL! My dad always used to take the trimmings from the tree and use them to decorate the mantle and I always loved it. Josh and I don't have a mantle, but I decided to use some tree trimmings to make centerpieces for our coffee table and dinner table, and I am going to attempt to make a garland. The nice lady at Lowes where we bought our tree let me take as much of the trimmings as I wanted from the box where they throw them, so I have a LOT of little branches. :-) I thought I would share some pictures with you of what has been done so far.

Getting ready to move the couch and set up the tree :-)

The evolution of the Christmas tree.

This little angel was made by my mom's stepmom and given to me when I was really little :-)

I doubt too many Ohio Christmas trees have sea shells on them! :-)

My first attempt at a centerpiece for the coffee table.

The wreath for the front door.

I just bought an artificial one and decorated it myself- it's cheaper that way!

More decorating to come later~

In other exciting news, IT'S SNOWING!! YAY! :-) According to the forecast, we might get up to and inch, but probably not even that much.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Thankfulness

2009-11-24T07:22:00.016-05:00

Ok, so I'm sitting here listening to Christmas music and drinking almond flavored coffee (yum!) and I just realized I haven't written ONE post this month about what I'm thankful for. Now that is unacceptable! Since Thanksgiving is on the 26th this month, I think I'll list 26 things that I am thankful for :-)

1. I am so thankful for a God that understands my weakness, loves me in spite of it, and can't wait to forgive and help me when I ask.
Hebrews 4:15-16- For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

2. I am thankful for the hardworking, handsome, loving, godly husband God has blessed me with.

3. I am thankful for my godly, loving parents, and all of my brothers and sisters- handsome, pretty, cute, funny, smart, creative, sometimes aggravating, always a blessing. I love 'em! ;-)

4. I'm thankful for Josh's parents, and that they are so close by.

5. I am thankful for grandparents!

6. I am thankful for a beautiful place to live.

7. I'm thankful for Patrick Christopher -aka- Pat C. (formerly known as Patsy).

8. And yes, I'm thankful for Bell, even if she is a pain sometimes :-)

9. I'm thankful for health- my own and my entire family's.

10. I'm thankful for majestic beauty in God's creation.

11. I am thankful for the beauty in the tiny things that we sometimes miss.

(Frost on our porch railing)

12. I'm thankful for baby's smiles :-)

13. I'm thankful for almond flavored coffee :-)

14. I'm thankful for Alabama Christmas music :-)

15. I'm thankful for long walks in the country, sometimes with friends, in which we take pictures like these:

16. I'm so thankful and excited that my family is coming up for a visit next month!!!!!!!!!!

17. I'm very thankful that Josh has LOTS of work during a time in our country when a lot of people don't.

18. I am grateful to God for blessing me with all of these things even though I don't deserve them.

19. I'm thankful for humor :-)

Pat C. and Josh watching football :-)

20. I'm thankful for pumpkin bread, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scented candles.....

21. I'm thankful for heaters to heat the house when it's cold outside.

22. I'm thankful that my mom taught me how to cook and bake.

23. I'm thankful that my parents taught me a better way to fall in love and get married besides dating.

Me and Josh about 10 minutes after he proposed to me :-)

24. I'm thankful for digital cameras:-)

25. I'm thankful for all of you people that read this blog, and the blessing of meeting most of you in person, and getting to know the rest of you a little through our blogs ;-)

26. I'm thankful for a holiday that encourages us to dwell on all of the things we have to be thankful for :-)

I could list more, but you wouldn't have time to read it all, and I wouldn't have time to get a lot of the things done today that I need to do. So, I hope you all are having a WONDERFUL day, week, month and year. We really are Richly Blessed aren't we?!

Brittany

I Heart Faces- Sun Flare!

2009-11-23T09:22:00.006-05:00

When I first saw this weeks theme for I ♥ Faces, I didn't think I would be able to enter. But then, I remembered this picture! This was taken on our honeymoon during the day we spent at the Biltmore Estate in NC. At the time I was very disappointed that the sun "ruined" the picture. ;-) Since then I've learned that photographers LOVE sun flares. :-) This isn't a perfect flare but I think it looks neat!
The place we were in when I took this picture was absolutely beautiful! In fact, the whole estate is amazing and I hope you all get to visit there sometime. ;-)

Be sure to click on the I Heart Faces button and check out all of the other beautiful pictures!

Poems

2009-11-19T07:42:00.006-05:00

I found these two poems on ladiesagianstfeminism.com and thought that you might enjoy them. If you get a chance, check out the website. There is a section called Lady Lydia Speaks which has quite a few very good articles. Enjoy the poems!

Beauty and Duty

I slept and dreamed that life was beauty--
I woke and found that life was duty!
Was thy dream then, a shadowy lie?
Toil on, dear heart, courageously,
And thou shalt find thy dream to be
A truth and noonday light to thee.

~ Ellen Sturgess Hooper (1816-1841)

Be Good, Sweet Maid

My fairest child, I have no song to give you;
No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray;
Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you
For every day.
Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them all day long;
And so make life, death, and that vast forever
One grand, sweet song.

~ Charles Kingsley

Lady Lydia speaks on .... Dressing Everyday ~ Part 2

2009-11-17T08:18:00.003-05:00

Some school teachers say that high school girls they have seen have never been seen in dress and have never owned one. This is all the more reason why you should do everything in your power to bring your teen daughters home to study and plan to be homemakers, alongside their own mothers. Once at home, away from powerful peer influences, they can be exposed to movies like "Wives and Daughters," "Anne of Green Gable," "Persuasion," and other classical stories. As they learn from the past, these young women naturally will want to dress femininely. If you will study the Victorian photographs carefully, you will see that there was hardly any difference between the teen girls and the grown women. Little girls looked forward to growing up and putting their hair up and wearing longer dresses. They wanted to be respectable.

Lest you think that our teaching on feminine dress is "living in the past," let me assure you that although our values are pictured in the past, they are practiced in the present and focused on the future. All three eras work in harmony, as we glean the best in clothing styles from all the previous centuries we have a record of. Do not be discouraged if you have days of disorganization, illness, and interruptions and you can't dress quite as well as you would like. Just keep the picture in your mind of what you'd like to be. Do a little each day to increase your femininity. Find good teachers and mentors who will coach you in your quest to dress femininely. Look at catalogs, and circle the things you think are the most feminine. Write letters to those you feel could give you some help. The first step in real change is to have a strong desire. The next step is to change that desire into reality. Part of the Biblical way of life is to look for ways to do better. We do not have to continue to follow failure patterns. We have the opportunity to restore society to modesty and femininity, just by doing it ourselves. One person can influence many.

Along with the changes in the way you dress, you must expect a negative reaction. There is an element of society that does not want women to "go back" to real feminine dress. These people will cast discouraging remarks up to you. When you answer your door in the morning they will say, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going somewhere." Or, "I won't keep you long. It looks like you were ready to go out." Just say, "Oh, no. I dress like this every day."
While living overseas many years ago, I was introduced to another American woman whose husband was with a company that had transferred him to their office there. The wife invited me to go up to their apartment to visit her, at nine in the morning. When she greeted me, she was all dressed up; not in formal evening wear, mind you, but not in pants and a sweatshirt, as many women did. I asked her about it, and she said she wanted to always be ready if her husband called and said he was bringing someone home for lunch, of if he wanted to meet her somewhere.

In a magazine recently, a husband sent in pictures of his wife, to see if this particular magazine would do a makeover for her. He showed them pictures of the three young children and the wife in sweat pants, tee-shirt and slippers and the totally demolished living room in the morning. He told the staff that she was a beautiful woman, but he had not seen that beauty in a long time. He stated that the outfit in the pictures was the one she wore everyday at home. The makeover people dressed her in a dress and pulled her hair back out of her face. She said she felt alive because the clothing cheered her up. The "after" pictures showed her house looking much better. For some reason, dressing up gave more energy and optimism and creativity. Her baby had grown so used to her in her grungy day-to-day wear that when he first saw her made over, he refused to go to her because he did not know her.

No matter what your size or nationality or skin color or income, it is possible to dress femininely. Feminine dress transcends borders, language and culture.

The end!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-11-16T07:47:00.007-05:00

Today is my Dad's birthday, so I wanted to write a post in honor of him. :-) I think I have the best Dad in the world. He loves the Lord,he love my mom, he loves his family, he works hard, he is always honest, he spends time with all of us kids, and always makes sure that he sets aside some time throughout the year to do something really special and fun with us. He takes his role as the leader and protector of our family very seriously. It is through his leading and protecting of my heart that I am now very happily married to the man of my dreams, without having ever had a broken heart, or wasting my time and my affections on a man that wasn't in God's plan for me. Thank you Dad, for that.

This picture was taken right after Josh proposed to me. :-)

Some of my sweetest memories of time with my dad are from our trips to Callaway Gardens in Georgia for Vision Forum's Father & Daughter Retreat. We talked about all sorts of things, enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of the gardens, were challenged and encouraged by the teaching, and spent hours together just having fun. I am so thankful for those times!

My dad also has a wonderful sense of humor! He can make anything funny if he wants to. :-) Another great memory I have from growing up is the "Pajama Contests" that I was always was too chicken to enter but LOVED to watch! :-)

I remember cuddling with my dad on the couch listening to Christmas music this time of year, or laying on the floor looking up at the Christmas tree with him. Christmas is my favorite time of year because of all of the w0nderful memories I have from Christmases growing up.

I remember sitting around our dining room table, or the living room, talking and dreaming about moving to Tennessee and all the things we wanted to do there. That is still a dream and I hope that it will come true soon!

So Happy Birthday to my loving, godly, strong, hardworking DAD! :-) I love you! ♥

I Heart Faces- Autumn Beauty

2009-11-16T07:17:00.005-05:00

Here is my first attempt at an I Heart Faces contest. :-)

All of the leaves were gone from our trees but there were still some on the ground. Let me know what you think! ♥ Click on the button below to check out lots of beautiful fall photos!

Lady Lydia speaks on .... Dressing Everyday ~ Part 1

2009-11-14T17:20:00.010-05:00

Just recently I have been thinking about an article that my mom gave me to read a long time ago. It really influenced and encouraged me then in the area of dressing modestly, and it still does now every time I read it. I thought perhaps some of you would enjoy it so I'm going to type it out for you. It is VERY long, so I'll probably do it in at least two parts. I have used the original photographs in my copy. Here goes!

The subject today is one I learned from my children's piano teacher, a woman who was born around 1911. Until the day she died, she presented herself to others as a dignified lady. She was never seen in a tacky tank top or shorts. No one ever saw her knees or the veins in her legs. Don't get me wrong; she was not wearing the styles of the early 1900's either. The week before she died, in her late 80's, she went shopping for a new dress for her next student recital. She kept her wardrobe fairly new, and although her styles were current, she was always modestly dressed in tea-length dresses and pretty hats. She always tried to be an example and an inspiration to the young. Although her students sometimes came to their lessons in awful clothing, she dressed up for them.This is a difficult thing to do in this society, since we tend to relax our standards around people who do not care. While her husband was alive, she dressed beautifully for him every day. She believed you were a bride every day of your life, even if you were not married, so she dressed as though she was a very special person with a special purpose in life. The latter decades of her life were spent as a widow, but she did not forget how important it was to dress as though she was just married. It was this way of dressing that kept her spirits high. She was here to live and work the work that God had given her, and she wasn't going to shirk that responsibility.

I have here a wedding photograph of the past century. The bride of that time did not look much different on her wedding day as she would on subsequent days. In other words, she did not "let down" her standards of dress. She respected her husband enough to want to make him happy that he married her and never have any regrets on that score. Clothing was extremely important in those days. It was individually measured, sewn and fitted for each person. Women loved chiffon and lace, velvet, satin, flowers, buttons, color, tucks and trims. Men often bought their wives the dresses they longed for as an expression of their love. Women and men dressed in stark contrast to each other. The feminine clothing of women complimented the masculine clothing of the men. The women of this era did not want to look like men but enjoyed their feminine status. It isn't nice to have won the heart of your husband only to let down around him once you begin to live together. How would you like to be given a beautiful gift, perhaps a lovely piece of furniture, but within a few months of having it in your home, it disintegrated? It may have deteriorated through your own neglect. While it is understandable that she will be more relaxed and casual at home during the evenings or early mornings, she should dress as though she were expecting someone important ( her husband) to come to the door. The day she decides to sluff around in her robe and slippers will be the day practically everyone she knows will drop by to see her. There was a time in history when a married woman dressed as carefully each day as she did on her wedding day. This applies to single women also, who can dress beautifully for their fathers, siblings and friends, making the world a lovelier place by example.
To those of you who are having a struggle changing over to more feminine dressing, just pretend you are a bride every day, whether you are married or not, or at least on your honeymoon, visiting a very special place. Make sure you have proper foundations that will cause your feminine dress to drape gracefully and hang nicely on your body. In winter, instead of wearing a hooded sweatshirt, wear a Spencer jacked or long sleeved dresses. This is more streamlined and allows more freedom in your household motions. Even if you are wearing a cotton dress, you can make sure it is fresh, clean and pressed. You can use perfume, and you can fix your hair the most flattering way to your face. You can wear colors that suit you.
If you want to find out what styles and colors are best for you in dresses, try this experiment: wear a different dress each day and note how you functioned and felt while wearing it. Did one item of clothing make you feel more cheerful of depressed? Then begin to build a wardrobe of clothing that you function best in. Don't wear the same dress every day, but rotate your clothing so that your favorites do not wear out. Beautiful outfits are more important than the latest technical gadget, more important than a vacation, and more important than ornaments for your home. When you go somewhere else, such as the grocery store or the new tea room, people can only guess about the way you live. Your clothing will send a strong message about your father, your husband and your home. Your clothing tells what kind of woman you are, whether careful or careless, thoughtful of thoughtless, diligent or lazy. If you have children, your children are going to be either very proud of you, or sullen and rebellious toward you, and your clothing can make a big difference. A woman's dress is a large part of the respect she receives as a woman.
And now a word about age dressing. There shouldn't be a huge generation gap with women's clothing. To many times the youth are separated from the aged, giving them the idea that they cannot be consulted on proper dressing. Most stores now have separate teen sections, and the girls never see the dresses of regular women; in fact, they never see a dress. Both age groups leave a lot to be desired in the way they dress. The clothing on the older and elderly women is not feminine or interesting, and the young women do not want to grow up and dress like them. Is it any wonder that they gravitate towards the styles of the stars? Older women must take upon themselves the personal responsibility to inspire the young women to dress beautifully and femininely, and they cannot do that if they remain in the knit pants and the unfeminine shirts and tops. There is no use saying "tsk, tsk" when you see a young person with spiked hair, green lipstick, black leotards and a top with holes in it, if you, yourself, are not dressed femininely enough to be imitated. You can not have credibility as a teacher if you do not dress well every day.

Family

2009-11-02T07:50:00.015-05:00

This morning I am missing my family. I was just sitting here reading my bible and thinking, and I started thinking about them, and all of the sudden the tears started to flow. I thought I would go through some if my pictures and share some of what I was thinking about with you. :-)

I was remembering cuddling with Brason and how funny he can be.

I was remembering dancing with Berakah and thinking about how precious and sweet she is.

I was thinking about how Providence is growing up so fast and I am missing out on it.

I was thinking about Brianna and Bethany, and wishing I was there to see them turning into little women.

I was thinking of Bo, and how cute he is, and some of the funny things he says.

I was thinking about Ben and all the times we used to spend outside after dark singing at the top of our lungs and talking about EVERYTHING.

I was thinking about Brandon, and how we used to talk for hours, and missing his teasing.

I was missing my Dad, and remembering all the special time we spent together. Thank you Dad for doing that. I'll cherish those times forever.

I was thinking how great a hug from my mom would be.

I love you all so much! Hopefully we can see each other soon. I'm praying you will be able to move to Tennessee soon so we can be closer together!

Fall Decorating!

2009-10-29T20:26:00.004-04:00

So this week I've been in a kind of creative mood. I really wanted to decorate the house for fall, so I've gone for a couple walks and collected things to use. There are still some other things that I want to do, but I thought I would show you what I've done and see what you think!

I wanted to do a nice center piece for the table, and since we usually eat in the living room I decided to go big. ;-)

It's all made out of grasses that I've cut, a couple of grape vine branches and some red berries that I found.

I haven't decided yet how much I like it, and I was wondering what you all would think.

Here is my first attempt at making a grapevine wreath.

Here it is after some decorating. I'm thinking it's too thin and needs some more grapevine.

Here is part of the mess I made in my kitchen. :-/ You can't tell here but there were grass seeds EVERYWHERE!

This is a centerpiece I made a few days ago. I liked it because it had lots of color, but it was a little bit too wild or something. It would still be there except the leaves all curled up and started to look bad. Does anybody know how to preserve leaves on the branch?
I am in the process of drying more leaves to string up on the curtains in our living room and scatter in a couple other places. When that's done I'll show you how it came out. I hope you are all having a very blessed week!

I'm Back!

2009-10-23T14:19:00.015-04:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated my blog! Have you missed me? :-) Well so much has happened in the last few months to tell you about all of it, but I'll try and give you the highlights. The best thing actually happened at the beginning of this month. We had our first anniversary!! I am so blessed and thankful to have had one wonderful year of marriage to my amazing husband and we are praying for MANY more years together. :-) To help celebrate, we decided to drive out West. We spent about a week at a cabin in a beautiful spot in Colorado. We went hiking, sightseeing, explored an old mining town and cooked out on the grill. It was so much fun!! After that we drove to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. That was really neat, and there were several inches of snow! One of my favorite things from the whole trip was just driving through all the beautiful scenery. I had never been out West before so it was an amazing experience. I took TONS of pictures, but here are just a few.

Looks like a painting doesn't it? This was the view off our back deck!

This is one of the pictures I took on our longest hike. We could see for miles and miles. It was amazing!

The Aspen trees were beautiful the whole time we were in Colorado. This picture is from the hills around the old mining town, "Cripple Creek". There is still an active gold mine there.

This is the worlds highest suspension bridge. It is over 13oo ft high and stretches across the Royal Gorge. We walked and drove across. It was really neat!

And here is our truck on the bridge. Those wooden planks creaked and moved and made all kinds of noise as we were driving over them.

When I took this one we were at the top of a small mountain. As you can tell from my hair, it was really windy!

I took this from the top of a small mountain. Two days later we climbed to the top of the mountain in the background.

This is the view from that big treeless mountain. The air was so thin up there we couldn't catch our breath. We barely made it up there because we were so tired!

It was VERY steep!

For our anniversary dinner Josh grilled some steaks~ it was the best steak I've ever had!

I made cheesecake for dessert. :-)

This is one of the hundreds of ranches we passed on our way to SD.

This picture and the next few are from the drive from Colorado to South Dakota. Here we are getting close to the end of the Rockie Mountain range.

Once we got past the Rockies it really flattened out and we started passing huge ranch after huge ranch. It was beautiful.

These mountains bordered all of the ranches. They looked like they had been painted there.

Then it turned into rocky badlands that looked cool.

And here is Mount Rushmore!!

Lincoln

Teddy

Jefferson

Washington. My favorite president. ;-)

When you turn your back on the monument, this is what you see. :-) The reddish dirt and rock out there was almost glowing in the evening sun. It looks pretty cool and is quite a contrast from the granite mountains that the monument is carved in.
When we got home, we spent a week house-sitting and doing work for some customers, Mr. and Mrs. Hankins. They had two sweet dogs that became very good friends with Bell. Patsy didn't care for them as much, but by the end of the week he had warmed up to them. :-)

Meet Sadie! She was very sweet, but not very bright. ;-)

And this is Emma, even sweeter than Sadie and very smart. :-)

Bell was quite at home. :-)

Patsy sent most of the week right here at the top of the basement stairs ready to run away from the dogs if they came to see him. ;-)

There was some absolutely beautiful fall color around the house.

Now we are back home and enjoying the beautiful fall weather. The other day I went for a walk and took some more pictures, so here are a few!

This is our street.

This is one of our neighbor's horses. He is huge! Very sweet though and I enjoyed visiting with him for a few minutes :-)

This is one of the Amish farms on our street.

The white you can see through the trees is actually Josh's parents big barn. You can see it from our road.

And one last picture of Patsy....

He's so cute!

Well I think that's enough pictures for now. :-) As you can see, we are doing well and feeling VERY RICHLY BLESSED! :-) I hope you all are enjoying your fall and your families as well, and I promise I will do my best to keep you updated on what's going on with us more often!

Florida Trip!

2009-07-10T11:03:00.012-04:00

We had a wonderful time in Florida spending time with my family and getting together with friends. While we were there we were able to spend a day in St. Augustine walking around and exploring the fort. The day after that we went to the beach, and also took a tour of a smaller fort that was also built by the Spaniards between 400 and 500 years ago. It was really neat! I loved spending time with my family and talking with my mom. Mom and I were able to go out to lunch together, which was a special blessing. :-) Here are a few of the many pictures that I took. I hope you enjoy them!

Providence's face is so cute in this one! Brason sure loves her!

Mom put spaghetti on her head. :-)

Bethany had her 9th birthday on June 30th while were there.

Brianna made her this dress. Her sewing machine broke right after she started on it so she ended up sewing almost the entire thing by hand! She did a beautiful job!

Brandon didn't want his picture taken....

So cute!I got him when he wasn't paying attention. :-)

There were lots of seashells on the seashore! :-) We enjoyed looking at some really interesting ones.

I zoomed in on Josh while he was swimming in the ocean and caught him making a really funny face! :-)

It was a beautiful day to be on the beach.

This is one of the streets in St. Augustine. The brick roads are really old! You can see where they have been worn down by horses feet.

This is a view of part of the court yard in the fort.

Josh wanted his picture taken in one of the lookouts on the roof of the fort. All of the ones we saw had a sign in front of them that said to stay out. He snuck in there really quick so I could snap his picture and then got out.

Then we walked to another lookout and saw that you are allowed to get in this one so I got my picture in there too. :-)

He is standing on the edge of the wall here. The bottom of the mote is probably 40 feet below.

Mom and Dad and all the kids met us at Pizzalley's in St. Augustine for dinner that night. They have the best pizza I've ever had!

You can tell Beri was tired here! :-)This is the other fort. It's called Fort Matanzas. We had to ride a ferry to get out to it. It was a lot of fun!

We took this picture while we were waiting for the ferry to be ready to leave.

And these are just a few pics of the animals that I took while we were there!

Brason found this injured moth and wanted me to take a picture. :-)

This is my favorite picture of Providence from our trip! She is so cute!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family! Josh and I both really enjoyed our visit and are looking forward to seeing them again soon. We also really enjoyed meeting the Stone and Lynn families! I hope we can get together again the next time we come down!
On Independence Day Josh and I were able to go to a Tea Party with my family. It was pretty inspiring and a lot of fun. I have pictures from that too but that will have to be for another post!
I hope you enjoyed these pictures! Have a wonderful blessed day!