Pictures of our summer this year......

Dan built a tree fort!

Jonathan's robot model of Dr Who's K9

First motorcycle ride!

Fun with friends in Quebec

Rebecca's grade 8 graduation

Highland games!

First week long sleep over camp

Hollywood!

American Beech

     Yesterday I abandoned my usual lazy morning to join a daughter and my husband on a hike in Case Woodlot.

It was lovely.

      I must admit that I started the morning out of sorts, a poor sleep can do that, but the quietness of the morning, with its trees and well laid paths, won me over. I was delighted by the sight of a young American Beech standing alone in a grove of still bare trees. It had kept its leaves over the winter and they had turned an ethereal off white, fluttering in the light breeze. They almost glowed against the dark grey backdrop of evergreens and winter cold branches of its neighbours. Victoria, my daughter turned botanist, agreed with me that the moving leaves looked just like fairy wings.

      I have plucked two leaves which I hope to press into a journal. My guide to edible plants told me that The American Beech has nuts which may be harvested for food and I want to document that I have actually identified something. My usual method of identifying nature's population resembles a visitor in an art gallery. Comments like,  " That's pretty! " or the famous,  "What's that green thingy over there? Beside the tree? No, the other tree?"are my normal contribution. But yesterday with the help of my biologist husband and my trusty guide book I had actually identified something. Outstanding!

Christine

Cool Breezes

This afternoon I am thankful for the cool breeze coming in my kitchen window,
afternoon light illuminating the leaves of a kitchen herb on the counter,
medieval music piping through my workspace
and bare feet on the deck after months of winter snow.

What are you thankful for?

Christine

Stillness

     Sometimes God brings me back to the basics, the fundamentals and my rudimentary needs in life. My life can become so complicated, so full of details and necessary clutter that I forget the need to breathe. I forget to feel the softness of a blanket, to listen to the cardinal, to call a friend and to remember that most of all...... every breath...... every relationship, every smile and every good thing are beautiful miracles given to me by my heavenly Father.
     Instead I just spin, like a hamster on a treadmill, convinced of the importance of getting somewhere, anywhere, moving determinedly forward ........not quite noticing the absence of a destination..... or worse, not being satisfied with the destination when I get there.
     Today I have slowed down, not all the way, I am still too busy with my daily clutter. It is hard to let it all go, the daily demands are so convincingly immediate, all must be done now, actually yesterday would have been preferable.
     Still, I am slowing down ..... still ..... two meanings, ....... without motion........ still .........noticing the joy........ quiet .... noticing the humour, the laughter......... the sunshine .......the softness of a blanket ....... a child's excitement ....... and in thankfulness

                            I breathe........

Blessings,
Christine

Thankful

" From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. " John 1:16 

Today this resonates with me. I am feeling particularly fallible this morning, too aware that I do not have enough of me to go around. Everything seems like too much. The morning needs to be taken in small bite size pieces to be endured. I am thinking of my thankful list.....ugh. So I read a blog entry by Ann Voscamp.

Jesus must have known I would.

I cried through the whole thing and was reminded again that I don't have to do it all. That I am not perfect and that is OK. That Jesus, my wonderful, complete, perfect Prince Charming loves me with all my outbursts, unfinished lists, piles of laundry and missing gloves. I am reminded that I can't do it all, that I never was expected to.....and I am reminded of my need for grace.

Giving up has always brought me enormous freedom. Not giving up trying to do my best...giving up trying to be perfect. Trying to do it all, with no mistakes, all the time and in all places...... for everyone! I run myself into a wall time and time again. Smash. Against the brick, and it always hurts! You would think I would learn, I hope I will! The wall never gets any softer.....

That's where His grace comes in, when I realize I can't do it and I need Him. That I am not perfect ( I never was! ) and I will not travel through this life successfully without His grace. To accomplish all my tasks, value the people around me as His creations, and be in a place of Communion with Him, ready to do His will as He calls me.....is more than I can do alone.

And I was never meant to be! His grace is the fuel to my day...His love, my life preserver. Without Him I fall flat. I remember this and ....

I am thankful

1. For the bright sun this morning....
2. For a shovelled driveway
3. For my Jesus
4. For His grace
5. For His love
6. and for His patience with me everyday....

" From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. " John 1:16 

Blessings,

Christine

Snow Day

     I can't believe it has been a week already! I have celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary this week, a milestone that brings joy to both my husband and myself. We stole an hour to go out for a nice meal and rejoiced that we had both chosen to tough out the hard times. The choice to stay together and fight for our marriage was a decision I am very thankful for!
    We are having a snow day today, my bird feeder has a white tower growing on its roof. The cardinals and chickadees must use their wings like brushes to find a spot to sit and eat their breakfast. I am humbled that they visit the feeder as often as they do in the storm. I am hesitant to go out at all, nor do I need to with a full fridge. They have more fortitude than I, out of need perhaps, but I am still impressed.
    My youngest two are outside armed against the snow with enough layers to enable them to survive sub-artic conditions. This is my doing not theirs, one has already come in puffing in his mother induced heat, off comes the scarf and a lighter hat goes on.

Things to be thankful for today....

1. The happy smile on my son, going outside, tongue sticking out and skipping as he went..
2. The slower pace the snow has brought today...
3.  my husband...
4. 20 years of marriage..
6. watching my daughter hold her brother while they share the reading of a book together

The Blanket

I'm sitting on my love seat, feet up and tucked under a warm plaid blanket that my mother made me years ago. It is has an authentic Stewart plaid blanket, the red plaid not the white one, on one side and a white Stewart plaid on the other side ( the dress plaid maybe?).

It's very cozy.

It's special to me because my mom made it. Not just because of its origin but because she is not an avid seamstress. She has made many things in her day, for herself and others, but the love of sewing is not hers. For her to make this for me was a special effort, one I appreciate each cold day

I'm facing out towards my bird feeder where a male and female cardinal are enjoying a late breakfast. They are beautiful, eating together.

My fireplace houses a crackling wood fire which warms my room and my heart.

It is a good moment.

Things to be thankful for today, gifts from my God.....

1. the loving cardinal couple sharing their breakfast outside my window in the snow
2. the warm fire
3. writing my blog
4. thoughts of my mother
5. my blanket

Blessings
Christine

My Gift List

    Last night I went to a book club. I've always wanted to host a book club, with a beautiful table, teapot and teacups and a wonderfully Victorian assortment of tea sandwiches... all with the crusts cut off, stuffed with watercress and cucumber. The choice of book always intimidated me. Maybe that's why I've never hosted one.
   This club is hosted by a woman with a big heart for people. She doesn't get distracted by the accessories the way I would. The book we are reading focuses on learning to receive God's gracious gifts to us, to look for them every day.
    The fact that when I first opened the book, I was too grumpy at the thought of being asked to be grateful to read it, was probably a good indication that this will be good for me! I've decided to take the concept to heart and start a thankful journal. Each day noticing and recording God's gifts to me....

Today:

1. the beautiful pattern on the journal I am writing in...
2. 1 hour carved from my day to write
3. The memories of an old friend.
4. the light coming in my family room window, falling on three of my children who are contently occupied with school and play.

until tomorrow ( hopefully)
Christine

I Lost Jesus’ Birthday Cake Under the Appetizers.

This is not meant to be depressing; rather my attempt to give you an opportunity to, if need be, learn from my mistakes.

     It started like this… in December of 2010, two weeks before Christmas, I had started going back to school. A flurry of administrative activities, resulting from my new academics, and a rushed exam consumed all my time. In the back of my mind I worried that my children were missing the joys of the season. The usual build up of excitement was missing. Comments reached my ears from my children  

“It doesn’t feel like Christmas”.

It was as if they knew something was out of place, not right with the joy of the season, but they couldn’t put their fingers on what it was.

      Guilt would assail me each time I would pass our advent calendar. 1 week behind. ….. 2 weeks behind …… later I told myself, I would have time to celebrate Christmas later. There was still opportunity to catch up.

     My school wrapped up. However, instead of slowing down to enjoy the season with my family, I took up another task. Preparing for our annual Christmas party!

Off I went again! This time consumed with baking and cooking.

Just one more batch… will there be enough?

      It was while I was driving my kids in the car, listening to a child’s story on the radio, that it hit me. Beautiful strains of Hark the Harold Angels Sing and Emmanuel filled my car. It was as if the Lord reached down, in the middle of my frantic pace, and touched my heart,

    “ This is how much I love you, I sent my Son for you.”

   Tears filled my eyes. Gratitude that I had not felt in a long while overwhelmed me.

     “Oh my Lord, I’ve missed it. The whole point of Christmas. How could I have let this happen?”

     All I wanted to do was get off the treadmill and worship, just worship. To thank my Lord and Father for his gift so incredibly special, so beautiful, for me, for everyone.

  I wish I could say that I turned over a new leaf at that point. How I slowed down, that my party was filled with thanksgiving to Him. Not to the food.

I couldn’t do it. I failed completely. Not only did I become an incredibly angry, busy mother hours before the party, reducing my children to tears.  I managed to convey to my family. Those I love most. That this was MY special day, and that they should support and help with the party for ME.  I had managed to convince my family that we were celebrating Jesus’ birthday for me. In tears, I realized I had gotten so sucked into the pace of entertaining that I had pulled my family's attention off the season and onto me.

   Hot, fresh appetizers were rotated around to my guest all evening, but I forgot to thaw the boxed birthday cake I had made for the children. I couldn’t get off the treadmill I had been running on. The worship at the party was limp at best; a dear friend stepped in to save the day and lead singing. However I had rushed the song sheets and Santa songs just didn’t cut it.  All I wanted at that time was to fill my home with adoration and thanksgiving for the miracle of Jesus’ birth.

I felt like I had prepared Jesus’ birthday party for Him but had forgotten to bring a present. Worse. I had forgotten to invite Him.

I don’t want to leave my readers on a down note, the rest of the season picked up from there. I slowed down. My family came together and we enjoyed our time over the following week.

This year has been different for us. So far our home is only partially decorated and we don’t have a tree up. This will come, but I am not rushing it.  But family, friends and time to be excited about the season is growing in our home. My hope is that those that come to my home this year find a place of thankfulness and adoration. I still get wrapped up in business, but I am watching for it and I slow down a lot sooner. My guests, whoever they may be this year, will…. I hope, find Peace ,Joy and His love at our home. Less fresh appetizers, a homemade birthday cake, and a very present guest of honor.

Blessings to you all!

Christine

New Blog take 2

I've edited my original post in Heart's Ease and Thyme....I like this one better!

http://heartseaseandthyme.blogspot.com/

let me know what you think!

Cheers,
Christine

A song which cries for my heart as David's Psalms do......

Everything to Me -
He's more than a story,
More than words on a page of history
He's the Air that I breathe,
The Water I thirst for,
And the Ground beneath my feet --
He's Everything...
Everything to Me...
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/avalon/everything_to_me.html ]
We're living in uncertain times,
And more and more, I find
That I'm aware of just
How fragile life can be...
I want to tell the world I've found
A love that turned my life around -
They need to know
That they can taste and see...
Now every day, I'm praying
Just to give my heart away
I want to live for Jesus
So that someone else might see that He is...


More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/avalon/#share

Grace

Grace

   Ahh, Grace, ….it can be one of the hardest things for me to receive, or to be honest, give, at times.  This time it was receiving that was my struggle.

      I honestly felt deep in my gut that I had wrecked Christmas. I was so caught up in the business of my life, and then in the desire to “make” Christmas special for my family. I just about destroyed the beauty of the season!

Or so I thought…..

      I had asked forgiveness of almost everyone I could think of… grieved over the damage I had done. I had listened to the Lord, or rather cried extensively at the Lord about my failings through the Christmas season. I know prayer is supposed to be a conversation between us and the Lord , mine resembled a toddler wailing that their favorite toy was broken. I then immaturely, did the equivalent of sticking my spiritual fingers in my ears in order to block out His forgiveness.

I mean, how could I receive His forgiveness when I so obviously had blown something I could not fix, Christmas was over right?

     This is when a beautiful woman, the last on my list to grovel in front of, gave me a beautiful gift. Grace and forgiveness.

      To be honest, I had not committed my biggest sin toward her, I’ve done worse believe me. But her kindness and love,… grace really…, melted my heart enough, just enough.. to let God in. It literally felt like a physical burn in my chest like ripping a band aid off a wound that has begun to fester. It needed to be exposed, to let the fresh air and medicine in. It was then that the Lord reminded me of something he had shown me a while ago that I had forgotten.

     I have been brought like a “good Christian girl” to know that God loved me so much that he sent his Son to die for me, a gift in order to pay for my sins, a gift I do not deserve. I got that ,… in my head at least. To be honest I had kind of tuned out when others would talk about the precious gift of God’s Son dying on the cross. Blah blah blah was my emotional reaction. I knew God had done this for me, I believed it and loved Him for it, but in reality I “knew” I didn’t deserve it. So I knew this gift wouldn’t work for me.

I was believing a lie.

    A lie so firmly entrenched in my heart that it was not even challenged. I mean people would tell me that Christ’s forgiveness would set me free and that it would work for everyone. I just knew it wouldn’t work for me, because I wouldn’t receive it.

How can you benefit from a gift until you receive it?

You can’t.

    The Lord showed me that he knew I didn’t deserve it. That wasn’t what it was about. He knew I needed it, and He loved too much, …..way too much…  not to help me back to Himself.  He couldn’t let me drown in my sin, it hurt Him too much to just stand by and watch, I do NOT have a passive heavenly Father!

     So He spent an enormous price, the most expensive, costly, difficult price a loving father could spend. He sent His only first born Son to die for me.

How can someone say “no” to a gift that has cost the giver the most important thing they have? It isn’t as if God can take it back if we refuse it. There is no return policy on this gift. God’s gift to us is a “ Finale Sale”. It is done, purchased, finished. It would be like saying to God that He wasted His Son’s death because we won’t receive it.

     To label a gift given with such sacrifice and love as not good enough to cover our  sins is to raise ourselves higher than Jesus himself . Do we really think that our sin is bigger than the Jesus’ death? If I had to compare the sins of one human against the creator of the universe’s Son’s death. The greater power is in the Son’s death.

He has convinced me,…. “I am His and He is mine, and His banner over me is love”

New Kids Picture How Awesome!

www.crystalxpression.com
Amazing photo of my kids done by the above photographer, she made the kids feel so relaxed!

Missing Tooth and Electric Blanket Joys

A wail was heard from my son last night, originating from the bathroom, "I lost my tooth but I don't know where it is!".
Dan and I couldn't figure out how Jonathan could lose a tooth immediately after it came out. Our son stood looking at the floor of the bathroom in grief, "Where is it?"
Guess what? Down the heating vent the tooth had fallen and my husband went in hot pursuit after it! Great guy that one.
Very hard to keep a straight face while comforting a 7 year old who has lost a tooth down a heating vent let me tell you!
The tooth was found and Jonathan happily went to bed with it under his pillow. I went to set up a new electric blanket on our bed just purchased that evening. A little trickier than I had thought, Auto On or Off? With dual controls the chances are 50% of having your control on the right side, you guessed it, it was the wrong side.
By the time I had wired our bed up for the winter Dan had dug us out of the snow fall that had hit our town that afternoon and we crawled into a warm, OK my side was hot, bed for the night.
Lights out warm under our blanket I was drifting off to sleep when I heard my husband mumble sleepy
 "Tooth Fairy?"

Who thought up that winged creature anyway?
Ah well, I knew I had a warm bed to come back to.........

Geography homeschooling style - The Roman Empire

We had done enough paper maps and labeling so we decided to shake things up a bit! Victoria and Jonathan were given a regular ( paper ) map of the Roman Empire and a cake with icing and candies. With my help they iced the outline then colored in the water and land. Then they had to find a list of locations on the map print out the names on flags and mark the locations with smarties. Hershy kisses for mountains. It was great to hear Jonathan running from the map to his cake map with a candy telling Victoria " I want to label Sicily ! " and then " I love map work "

This is cool!

We did a great job! It was fun! When do we eat?

Ta DAAAAA!

Sarah and Rebecca got a harder job. Create a salt dough map of the Roman Empire 3D. Yes they worked together and learned the joys of a group project! They handled it very well and did a great job ( still to be painted ). Way to go girls!

We are working together!

Diet tip - Instead of Starch

Diet tip for those of you trying to cut back calories

Boil a head a cauliflower mash it to a pulp add 1-2 tbsp of fat free sour cream add salt and pepper and stir it in

makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes or rice!

It is better with a topping than on it's own

Laundry Soap Recipe

I have had several requests for the recipe of laundry soap we made. The recipe wasn't mine but the Duggers ( the soap is great, not even my redhead is reacting)

For those that don't have the time to look it up the recipe is as follows:

1 bar ivory soap large size ( grated )

1 cup arm and hammer washing soda not baking soda

1/2 cup borax

add grated soap to enough water to cover it in a sauce pan

melt

put washing soda and boax in a 5 gallon bucket

pour in hot melted soap mixture

stir until completely mixed

fill bucket to top with tap water

let set over night

fill half of a smaller dispenser with mixture add water to fill container to top

Shake before using

top loading machines 1 cup

front loading machines 1/2 cup

It has been working great for me!

Our Trip to Florida

We were blessed with the chance to go to Florida for 7 nights in January recently. We ended up staying in Embassy Suites south of Fort Myers. Dan and I have been reading and praying about creative perspectives and solutions for our money. One of the results was this trip debt free! Thank you God!

The kids and Dan bird watching at Sanibel Island Conservation Area, they learned to walk quietly and use binoculars. We even saw a pink bird much to Victoria's delight and Sarah spotted a lizard.

Rebecca loving the pool

Victoria and Jonathan, two little fish

We met up with friends staying in Florida. We had a great time at the beach!

School did continue at a slower pace. Daddy kept up with the reading for Victoria and Jonathan, I think they fell asleep before he finished that night!

Sarah reading Roman history in Florida, now that is a clash of cultures!

All ready for dinner at the Olive Garden! Does any else miss that restaurant besides me?

Getting ready to drive back home

We followed this truck out of Florida. Wonder where all those oranges were going? Makes me think about shopping locally. I wouldn't want to give up oranges in winter though.

Dan's Broken Foot

Before I tell about our first ever trip to Florida I need to update this blog on our latest event. Yes my husband is sporting a lovely cast! Thankfully it came off a few weeks before Florida. Enough time to get his feet wet walking again ( literally )!

Making Laundry Soap - We did it!

Yes, we now use homemade laundry soap, so far so good,... no rashes or anything weird. It was really easy to make and will last a long time! I am hoping to add a scent sometime soon, I'll have to check for allergies though. Victoria got to be my helper since she was the most enthusiastic about the whole project. I probably would have taken a lot longer to get it done if

it wasn't for her !