We're Gonna Saddle Up....

...and head to Oregon. Here's Laura's blog for more details.

More Pictures of Gracie!

Pictures of Gracie

Great Grandpa.

Plans Changed Again...

At Sarah and Stephens, I decided not to stay there. After a couple hours at their house, we left for Grandma and Grandpa's house and spent the night there. Then, this morning, after a hearty breakfast, we drove home. We've been here for about half an hour. I'll post the pictures of the little munchkin, soon!

Slight Change in Plans...

In about an hour, our family is going leave for Grandma and Grandpa's house. I'm going to be staying with Momma, Bekah, and Lydia at Sarah and Stephen's house 'till Saturday, while the rest of the family will leave on Tuesday. More time with the little muchkin!

Email From Stephen...

She [Grace Carolyn] is named for someone special. We really wanted to name her Grace but the idea of naming her Grace Carolyn does have significance.... Carolyn is my Mother's name. But, more significantly, Grace Carolyn is the name of my little sister that is in the arms of our sweet Savior. She was the second child born to my parents after me and was born early with undeveloped lungs. She did not survive because of that. So that is the significance of the name we chose.
Thank you all for your prayers. Sarah did so well and it was a wonderful experience for all of us.

-Stephen

The Cutest Baby!!

My little niece, Grace Carolyn!!

Auntie Lydia!

I just saw a fly...

...I guess that means it's really spring!

My Little Niece...

...Is 9 lb, 20 1/2 in. No name yet. I can't wait to see her and hold her!!

I'm am an official aunt!!!

It's a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Email From Stephen...

Okay, so now we are sure she is going to have the baby. Stephen

Email from Laura...

Contractions are 3 minutes apart! The midwife is coming right now. We'll see if this is it :-P.

Yay!!!!

When Your Younger Brother Learns Filipino Boxing...

...You get a sore back and neck and wonder what happened to your little brother.

Happy 25th Birthday, Laura!

Happy Birthday, Jon!

Cleaning Up the Garden

On Saturday, Matthew and I pulled out all the raised beds and tried to level out the garden a little. In the picture, I'm burying new compost.

The chickens watching us destroy their old home.

Moving the Chickens

The chicken's old home, the garden.

The "east pasture".=P

Adjudication Pictures

No Baby Yet...

An email from Stephen -

Hi all,

The contractions have slowed down but have not stopped. Midwife says it is the excitement of everyone coming. We will be headed to bed and see if we can get some rest. Keep us in your prayers that everything goes smoothly.

Stephen

Sarah just went into labor!!!

And Momma, Laura, and Lydia are getting ready to leave!

Homemade Ice Cream

You've had a hard day. You're tired. You need to relax and enjoy, and create some good memories. Ah, what could be better on a day like this than some nice, cool, refreshing ice cream?Shall we go to the kitchen and whip up a batch? Grab your apron and come on!

Passing your recipe cupboard, dig up Nourishing Traditions and turn to page 550:

Vanilla Ice Cream

Will make 1 delicious quart

-3 fresh, orange egg yolks

-1/2 cup maple syrup (I used 1/2 honey, but it was too sweet. Maybe try 1/3)

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. Arrowroot powder (we used about 1 1/2 Tbs. of cornstarch.)

3 cups heavy cream, preferably raw, not ultra-pasteurized (We didn't even have whole milk, so just used 2 % milk.)

Ice cream should be made with the best quality cream you can find, preferable unpasteurized. Never use ultra-pasteurized cream.

Beat egg yolks and blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into an ice cream maker and process. For ease of serving, transfer ice cream to a shallow plastic container, cover and store in the freezer.

If you want something a little different, omit the vanilla and add some cinnamon and nutmeg. When ice cream is about ten minutes from being finished, add about 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

To make it extra good, serve with carob sauce or raspberry sauce.

Carob Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2/3 cup carob powder (or cocoa)

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. chocolate extract (optional)

a pinch of salt

1 cup cream, not ultra-pasteurized

Place all ingredients in the top half of a double broiler. Cook gently, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well amalgamated.

Raspberry Sauce

makes 4 cups

1 12-ounce package of frozen raspberries

1/2 maple syrup

1-2 cups water

Place partially thawed raspberries in food processor with maple syrup and process to make a thick paste. Gradually add water until desired consistency is obtained.

And you have a deliciously healthy dessert! Serve up the creamy goodness, cuddle on the couch and watch a good old movie with the family and create a new memory!

It's All Over!

It was NOT as bad as I thought it would be. I learned a lot and hope to do it again next year! (Pictures coming soon! =)

Today is Adjudications!

I've been preparing for this for a long time. I'm not nervous...not yet anyway.=) I'm going go be playing Sweet Memories and Velocity. Oh, dear! I've got five minutes!!

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh

Fulness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied -

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine -

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

St. Patrick's Day

On St. Patrick's day, Krista invited me over to help her with the cooking. I came at about eleven. Krista had already made the Irish Soda Bread and together, we made the Irish bears and creamy mints while Mrs. Van Cleve worked on the Corned Beef.

We took a break and went roller blading/biking.

When we were through, we headed for the Craft and Antique Show where Hannah and I played background music.

Krista was so sweet to treat us all to fudge!

After the Craft Fair, I headed back to the VCs, where we finished dinner preparations. The dinner consisted of corned beef, Irish soda bread, brussel sprouts, colcannon, and Irish cream sodas. Dessert was green bear cookies, chocolate chip mint ice cream, and creamy mints. It was all delicious! (Here is Krissy's cooking blog where you can get all those tasty recipes!)

Roy and Melissa (the Van Cleve's eldest son and daughter-in-law) and their three children came for dinner. I hadn't met their newest addition, Tayla, and it was fun seeing her!

Thank you so much for including me, Van Cleves! I had lots of fun!

Matthew found two double yolk eggs in the chicken coop yesterday!

Why Study History? A Christian Perspective on the Subject

I found this on the Web - thought I'd share it with you.

HISTORY: A USELESS SUBJECT?

One spring morning about eight years ago my mother was giving me a history lesson. My father walked in the room and asked her why she was teaching my brother, sister and me history. He told her that it was a waste of time and that she ought to teach us something useful. His reaction to the subject made me ask the question, "why do we study history?" It's a bunch of numbers and facts about lost time and dead people.

It wasn't until I started studying the Bible more in-depth that I understood the importance in the study of history. I came to the understanding of two major purposes in the study of history. The first reason is out of obedience to God. The second reason is to promote society and the church.

God said to study history. Deuteronomy 4:9 states: "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." He is telling them to remember what He had done for them and then to teach those things to future generations. He repeats the same command in the following verse. In chapter 11 of Deuteronomy, the Lord tells the people all the great things He will do for them, but there is a qualification. That qualification is that they do not for get what He has done for them and that they pass it on to their children. He warns the people that if they forget what He has done for them they will fall into sin and He will not bless their ways. Basically God says history is unraveling before your eyes and you had better make sure this history is taught to you ancestors and not forgotten. He tells them that if history is forgotten they will sin and be judged.

When one reads the Bible they will notice that Israel sinned a lot and was judged for it. Israel often repented and was shown mercy by God. The interesting fact is that when God gives a reason for the sin and judgment, He usually says that they fell into sin because they forgot what He had done for them. An example of the repentance that comes after that sin is in the case of King Josiah. When the Book of the Law was found Josiah studied the history and repented. The nation was still judged, but Josiah was shown mercy. Another example is before the Jews even made it to the Promised Land. They fell into sin and that generation was not allowed to go in. The people of that generation were faithless. Why were they faithless? It was because they did not know their history. They had ungodly fear because they had forgot what God had done for them and their ancestors. In Deuteronomy 32 God gives Moses a song to give to the people. This song is a history lesson. It starts with praising God and telling who He is. It then goes on to state that the people are so foolish for forgetting who God is what He did for them. A list of ancestors who trusted in God are listed and a number of situations where God directly dealt with them. God rejected them because they had fallen into sin. The reason for that sin is stated as the forgetting of what God had done for them. After Moses finished the song, he told the people "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you-they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." Judges 3:7 states that the people forgot the ways of the Lord and did evil in His eyes. I Samual 12:9 says that "they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them." The book of Psalms stresses the importance of remembering. An example is the history lesson given in Psalm 106. There are many Scriptures that make the point very clear that God wants us to remember what He has done for us and for our ancestors. That is history. History is the study of events that have happened in the past. God commands us to study those events.

God tells us to remember, but why? What is the purpose in studying the past? The purpose is so that our faith in God will be strengthened and so that we will know who He is. Another reason that is related is to advance society and the church. There are numerous places in the Bible, especially Proverbs, where we are told to seek wisdom, discernment, understanding, and knowledge. By seeking and gaining those attributes we can make our society and the church more productive and useful. I propose that one of the strongest ways to gain those traits is through the study of history. The Bible says to gain the counsel of the wise. We can learn about the things we need to do from those who have encountered it in the past. That is history. History can be learned from the events of one who lives in our generation, or by studying the life and facts of those who have lived in other generations. We can learn great things from these people or events that we could not have possibly learned on our own. Certain things that we can learn on our own are learned much easier by studying what others in those same or similar situations have done. We can learn positive things from them and we can also learn to avoid the pitfalls that they encountered. Through the study of the past, we can be more productive individuals in our families, workplaces, schools, churches and in society in general.

The study of history is a necessity. We can learn many things from those who came before us, whether it is learning skills, theories, or just avoiding pitfalls. All kinds of lessons of all subjects can be learned through history. One can learn about math, science, literature, music, and basically any field through the study of history. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. But the most important reason to study history is because God told us to. As American's we ought to be studying God's provision in American history. As Christians, we ought to be studying the history of the church and of Israel. Study of other nations can also prove to be beneficial. If we remember what God has done for us, our faith will be increased and the Lord will bless us. If we forget what He has done for us, we will have little faith and will fall into sin. As a result we will face His judgment. History is a very important and beneficial subject and students of all majors should be well versed in history. I no longer view history as just a bunch of numbers and facts about lost land and dead people. History is alive!

Happy 15th Birthday, Ali!!

Old Books

Today, the museum had an rummage sale and our family trooped over there for some good deals. We bought glass milk jars, canning jars, books, and little odds and ends. The books were a dollar each, or twenty for ten dollars! I found sixteen books - most were history, as well as westerns, two books on shorthand writing, an advanced arthritic book, and a fourth grade school reader.

Book Completion: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas

Yesterday, after about a month of reading this book, I finally finished it! It did get tedious at times, but I learned a lot and am now very excited to do more reading on WWII!

''In Hitler's Germany, a Lutheran pastor chooses resistance and pays with his life. . . Eric Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication, often challenging revisionist accounts that make Bonhoeffer out to be a 'humanist' or ethicist for whom religious doctrine was easily disposable. . . Metaxas reminds us that there are forms of religion -- respectable, domesticated, timid -- that may end up doing the devil's work for him. --Wall Street Journal

''In this weighty, riveting analysis of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Metaxas offers a comprehensive review of one of history's darkest eras, along with a fascinating exploration of the familial, cultural, and religious influences that formed one of the world's greatest contemporary theologians. A passionate narrative voice combines with meticulous research. . . Abundant source documentation brings to life the personalities and experiences that shaped Bonhoeffer. Insightful and illuminating, this tome makes a powerful contribution to biography, history, and theology.'' --Publishers Weekly

''A welcome new biography of one of the twentieth century's leading lights. Metaxas magnificently captures the life of theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), who 'thought it the plain duty of the Christian-and the privilege and honor-to suffer with those who suffered.' In the finest treatment of the man since Eberhard Bethge's Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Man of Vision, Man of Courage (1970), Metaxas presents a complete, accessible picture of this important figure, whose story is inspiring, instructive, and international in scope. . . Metaxas rightly focuses on his subject's life, not his theology, though readers will learn plenty about his theology as well. The author makes liberal use of primary sources, which bring Bonhoeffer and other characters to vivid life. For the most part, Metaxas allows this epic story to play itself out, unhindered by commentary; where he does add his own voice, the conclusions are sage. A definitive Bonhoeffer biography for the twenty-first century.'' --Kirkus Reviews

Nothing Special, Just Everyday Life

I thought I'd do a post on a few things that I have me smile today.

-Finishing two pencils in math today!

-Finishing the really boring part in the science book on water. =D

-Seeing that the children are enjoying their history lesson.

-Being able to get in seventy minutes of piano practice.

-Finally being about to play at least part of a really hard duet with Hannah.

-Making and enjoying delicious, healthy chocolate shakes

-Finishing my "to-do" list (and that does not happen every day.=)

-Just about to finish Bonhoeffer today!

-Every time I get on my email, there are unopened emails waiting for me!=)

What is making you happy today?