Fall Life

School started and fall has arrived in all its glory of gorgeous leaves, crisp cool weather and harvest! This means canning and prepping for winter!

One of the things I've wanted to learn how to do for years is sew. This past June my friend took the challenge and has been working with me ever since! I am even enrolled in a beginners quilting class!

Here is the first (and only so far) quilt I have done. It is tied, not quilted...

Front of the rail fence quilt:

Back of quilt. I used a real nice big fleece to make it cozy warm:

Back and Front to see colors...

I made this for Sky's 13th birthday. I am very pleased with my first attempt but am truly looking forward to all the cool things I will learn in my class. I learned many things NOT to do with this one and that's okay! She loves it and so do I.

Other projects I'm working on: aprons, class quilt and several dream quilts are in the making! Add canning, apple butter plans and life with kids and you can see why I haven't been on here much!

Enjoy fall - I know I am!

Simply Simplify

I have been working on ways to simply simplify our lives. Here are some other people's ideas I am way excited about:

Bulk Breakfast Burritos: Convenient, Cheap, Healthy, and Easier Than You Think. I am going to make these up for the kids to have before school so they get the stuff they need while not taking forever in the mad rush that tends to happen each school morning! What I love about this recipe is I can easily make it with all organic ingredients that I already have stocked! Perfect!!! Plus, i can see DH taking some on his way out the door to work. Win-Win!

I was given a subscription to MaryJane's Farm and have truly enjoyed it! In it, I find Simple Solutions to Everyday Organic. I've been challenged and stretched to do things differently and how to go about doing it!

I'm also learning that to simply simplify, for me, means slowing down, taking time to see what Jesus actually wants me to do and listening to His will. He does speak to me, I just have to stop and be still long enough to listen. When I do, I find I a result tends to be simply simplifing!

Old Quaker

An Old Quaker

I want to be an old Quaker. For to me, that means having arrived to speak my mind. That does not mean that I don’t already speak my mind but being an old Quaker means I actually SHOULD speak my mind. By then, my mind and heart and soul shall be so intertwined I shall truly have something to say!

Don’t get me wrong, we all have a voice and should use it – often. And we do. Okay, I do. I speak. I think I sometimes I have something to say. And hopefully others think I do to.

To be an Old Quaker… to sit… in the midst of Jesus wherever I am - whatever I am doing is to “have arrived.” And I’m guessing I won’t even know it. For it seems, with being an Old Quaker I have found the virtue of humbleness. And I’m sure by then; I won’t think I’m close to arriving. Similar to how I feel now, perhaps?

To be an Old Quaker and when I speak to have others nod their heads and smile with awe with knowing that an Old Quaker has spoken.

I don’t think being an Old Quaker and age are related but time spent with Jesus plays a most important part of the transformation from being a Young Quaker to being an old one.

Have I offended with the term Old Quaker? I hope not for that is not my intention, whatsoever! The opposite is intended – praise and humble adoration to those who have plowed through generations of our worldly crap. (I’m sure an Old Quaker won’t use that word, either. Sorry, Mom/Dad.)

An Old Quaker has been around the block. They have seen the life cycle of our times come and go and come again. The issues that have been debated and discerned over time are being debated and discerned again. And they have endured through them all. They have come out the other side wiser, more humble, more transformed, more Quaker.
Who are these Old Quakers of whom I speak? They are the ones who, when they speak, you listen. Arthur R spoke today and I tell you what… I listened. He is an Old Quaker. He hit the nail on the head when saying we have one virtue in common left anymore and that is tolerance. Oh my, if you weren’t there, it was a moment I’m glad I did not miss! Alice M, you are an Old Quaker! Your heart and soul and mind are so intertwined and linked so closely to Jesus, I love being in your presence. Dorothy K, an Old Quaker I get to spend much time with shows me how gentleness and love pave the way for open doors in accepting people in Jesus’ name. My list goes on and on of Old Quakers I just can’t get enough of. I wish they spoke more often but honestly, they don’t have to! I owe much to those who have walked before me as Friends and am blessed personally to be part of this awesome family.

Today, I am honored to be a Quaker. I will keep running my race and know that when I finish and go to my heavenly home, I want to be like Jesus and I see Him in my Old Quakers.

As Brooke Fraser sings:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Yearly Meeting!

I love the last week of July. You will find me in Oregon on the gorgeous campus of George Fox University being fed spiritually, challenged in every way and looking at what I need to do differently for the Lord.

I love learning new songs; which I always do here.

I love catching up with friends I only see here.

I love meeting new friends and hope I see them again sometime!

I love the campus life of centering on God for the whole week... alone and corporately.

I love seeing my children light up from the inside out. Hearing God speak to them and work in their lives in a MIGHTY way.

I love meeting people that are friends with my parents have been since 1964 when they moved to Newberg. Their 6 years here weren't the easiest and the friends they made during the time of my Grandma dying and having their infant daughter die are true friends to this day. What an awesome God I serve and I am reminded of His power when I see them interact, laugh, pray and cry together. Friends.

I love slowing down.

I love not driving everywhere.

I love how I have so much time to spend thinking of how God can still use me and my family. How unfortunate that my schedule changes so much when I go home. Why do I allow it to? I need to evaulate things, obviously.

Our theme this year is "Eyes Fixed - Running Free" using Hebrews 12:1-2 as our focus verses. If I don't post again this week, it's not that I don't have the time. I'm just spending it doing something else.

Know this - God isn't through with me yet. Not by a long shot.

My Parents Trip!

Mis padres left on Sunday for Alaska. On their motorcycle. I miss them already. That being said, I'm so glad they're finally taking their dream bike trip! We've started a blog for them and they've been able to do some posts already! You can check out The Preacher and His Biker Babe.

I have a ton of pictures to go through on my camera. From Paco's Kindergarten graduation, birthday, 50th anniversary of my parents.... hopefully I'll have some pictures to go with my posts soon!

Twilight Saga

It's true, I can't and won't deny it. I have read the Twilight Saga. In fact, I will read Eclipse again before seeing the movie, just as soon as Melynda is done reading it for the first time.

I confess, I have reservations as to the age appropriateness of this series; which is why Melynda is just reading them now. I needed to read them first and I have done some research on who the author wrote them for... Young Adults!!! So, Sky gets to look forward to reading them in high school. I know many feel differently, and that's great! We're makes the world go round.

There are many serious subject matters that come up in Twilight Saga. As for the movies, well, I stand by my saying that the books are ALWAYS better than a reel. Always. My imagination is awesome, I guess. That and the details are very important. The books are really what changed my mind on Twilight. I saw the first movie and hated it. Truly hated it!

Then I got the book for Christmas and finally ready it - felt it was very different than the movie. Wouldn't say loved it. Read New Moon... it captured my attention. Eclipse - enjoyed it. Breaking Dawn... really had to enter the fantasy realm to enjoy it but once I did that - enjoyed it.

Will I see Eclipse? YES! Do I expect it to be better than the book? Never!

Twilight Addict? Yep. If for no other reason than it drives my family crazy and I love getting reactions.

Would I recommend the series? Yes, for Young Adults. They're really not for kids, according to the author and my conservative standards. Some subjects are really age-appropriate and Twilight has many.

It's been fun! I even have a New Moon plastic cup that I got for Mother's Day (from me) and I love watching the family roll their eyes and get all weirded out.

Here's to summer reading! May your book list be long and your days (and nights) full of tall tales and imagination.

Happy Spring

Happy Spring!

Lots is happening right now. Life, in general but mostly end-of-the-school year functions. There is something happening every night right now.

That may be your life, too.

What is new? I'm going to learn to sew! Really! This has been on my "want" list for a couple years now but hasn't happened. I've bought the material(s) and my new friend, Anna, is going to work with me each week this summer! YAY!

Gardening ~ The garden is worked up and while I'm sure it should be planted now, I just haven't had the motivation to get out there in this blasted wind. So, plants are ready to go in the ground, my organic seeds and plants arrive next Friday and with the help of my Daddy-O, we're going to do this thing!

Party-Planning! Plans are underway for a big hoorah for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I'll really hit the pavement with this the first week of June. I'm so excited to see friends and family from near and far.

Mexico ~ Mel's trip to Mexico is a go and she's very excited. We're still fundraising and praying for her financial support. She'll get to spend 3 weeks just talking with people, helping with VBS and whatever else needs done.

Life is hard but God is good. Never forget that.