My Shadow is Gone

Alex and Scotty when we first got Scotty

Scotty's first Christmas with our family

Here I am with my shadow

The guys

The kids playing dressup with the animals

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About 9 years ago we brought home our cute little poodle.  Isn't funny how a pet can become such a part of the family.  We got him when we had found out we were expecting another daughter.  We felt we needed a little male influence in the house.  We had a girl dog, Sheila, and Scotty was very attracted to her. I can still hear Latisha in the back yard screaming at Scotty, "Scotty, stop trying to make puppies with Sheila."  Too funny.  Scotty was a our door alarm.  Whenever my niece would come to our home, her dad told her that the door bell was the "doggy bell."  This morning we found him on the ground lying very still and having a hard time breathing.  David took him to the vet and they felt he had had a stroke and it had paralyzed him and that it affected his breathing.  They said we could take him home and be with him for maybe a couple days until he passed but that he would be very miserable, or they could but him to sleep.  What a terrible thing to have to say to a vet, just go ahead and put him to sleep.  Well, he is no longer in pain.  I thank God for blessing us with such a faithful dog.  David said he always could find me by finding Scotty. Last week when I was so sick he was by my bed.  He was my Shadow.  

Autumn Has Arrived

What a lovely brisk day we are having.  I guess I had missed the arrival of fall.  The weather has been nice and I hadn't noticed much color in the landscape, but here it is, so beautiful.  The girls and I went to an open house at the local fire station.  We got to climb the tower and look around.  There was a little show of changing colors and it was so nice.  This weekend we were able to skype with one of our dear friends who is doing missionary work in Africa, she spoke of the warm weather where she is and I started noticing, yep, it is starting to turn to fall here.  After our conversation David and I got to jump in the car and head up to the mountains to one of my favorite places in the world.  We stayed at Shore Lodge on the lake and it was so beautiful.  In the evening we found a cute little lantern in our room and got to go out on the beach.  The lodge had a bonfire going.  I jumped at the chance to make a smore and enjoyed the peacefulness of this area.  The next morning, while David was gone, I opened our hotel window which looks out over the lake.  The mountains were majestic, even with the clouds settling on them here and there.   It was just perfect to sit there, sip my tea, read my Bible, and enjoy God time with the creator of all this beauty.   We drove home refreshed and amazed at the show of red, yellow, orange and green decorating the mountain road.  There were pine trees that turn yellow in the autumn.  I had just found out about them a couple weeks ago and was so delighted to take note of them as we drove.  I wish I had had my camera with me. Then when I got home I was thrilled to see my Purple Ash that we planted a couple months ago had just turned it's purple fall color.

Today is another exciting day.  Latisha has finished her driving time.  So, today she took and passed her driving test.  She is now taking her written test.  Where does the time go? Well, off we go.  If it really is autumn it must be time to make some caramel apples.  Hope you are all having a lovely day.

PS  Latisha passed her test

PPS  Here are our caramel apples and recipe:

4 cups sugar
2 cups Karo
1/2 tsp salt
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 quart 1/2 and 1/2
1 Tblsp vanilla  -add at end
Wash apples and but stick in them.  Combine in large sauce pan sugar, syrup, salt, 1/2 and 1/2,  and milk.  Bring to boil, stir constantly until comes to firm ball stage.  I just test with an apple to see if the Caramel will stick ok.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Cassandra helping

Sierra stirring

Danika preparing apples

The girls swirling the apples to keep the caramel on

enjoying the fruits of their labor.

What a week

A week ago at this time I was so excited for this week.  We had a lot of fun in store.  We began with a lovely dinner with our friends Mark and Amy.  They invited us over and cooked us a wonderful meal.  Amy, who is 33 weeks pregnant with her 9th, and her daughters cooked everything and we just got to enjoy their hospitality.  Such a fun evening.  We hadn't stayed out that late for a long time.  Then Monday night we had dinner with my family and got to celebrate my moms birthday.  It was pizza, salad, chocolate cake with Mocha frosting, and ice cream.  Then we enjoyed a game of scum.  Tuesday night was a kitchen party.  Wednesday I enjoyed birthday lunch and shopping with my mom and sister and later it was church and girls ministry/ jubilee night.  Then early Thursday morning, around 2:00 am things went crazy.  It had actually started the night before where Cassandra wasn't feeling well.  She said her tummy was hurting and would go spit in the toilet.  I thought it was funny but best not to take her to church.  So David stayed home with the two little ones.  When we came home he said he had chosen bad and things had not gone well.  Cassie indeed was sick and the rest of us girls soon followed.  By morning the only ones who could walk upright were David and Isabella, who being a 1 year old couldn't sit still although she was throwing up too.    My wonderful husband took the day off to take care of us.  By evening we were all just sore and tired.  The sad part was it was our Bright Lights day.  I so enjoy our Bright Lights meetings and was sad to cancel but we had to.  We also missed our date night.  What makes me laugh the most is I don't think my son even knows what happened.  He got home late from band practice at church Wednesday night, woke up a bit late, grabbed his books and ran to college, and then had to work so didn't get home till after we were all in bed.   Of course the house was in disarray but I doubt he noticed that. :)  Today is a new day.  The sun is shining so beautiful and I feel good but thirsty.  The girls are doing school work and off we go again.  I have a lovely lunch planned with a good friend for her birthday and then a stamping party tonight.  So that will finish off a fun week with a little glitch.  

I was thinking today about how hard it is to take care of sick people when we are sick.  It is like you can hear them crying and you want to help but are unable.  Then there comes a point when you can no longer take it and have to get up and do something.  As I was getting everyone dinner last night my daughter asked me how I could do it.  I told her it wasn't an option.  I had to get up and get everyone some food.  Of course food was hardly picked at but the toast and cheese and pop helped a little.  This is true in other areas of our ministry as well.  If we are spiritually sick it is hard to help those others who are spiritually sick.  As a matter of fact we can do a lot of damage.  It is so important to keep yourself spiritually healthy so that we can be a blessing to others.  I look back on times when I have given advise based on the flesh and have had to go back and apologize.  I pray that the words I speak will line up with the Word of God.  May I be spiritually healthy so that my ministry will help those in need around me.   May God richly bless you this day and stay in His Word and fellowship daily with the Lord so that we may be spiritually healthy.  

Alex finally learning to tie his own tie.  

not to bad.  Here he is for Northwesterns, the traveling singing group he is in at college

Gage (my nephew) and Alex both made it

The grandkids present

helping Grandma blow out the candles

Isabella enjoying her cake, notice the frosting is gone

Once again Lauren and Cassie eating the frosting first

Thankfullness

more canning

I have been quite busy lately, mostly by choice.  I have done more canning this year then I believe I have ever done.  That is not a lot in some circles but I was excited with my full shelves.  God has so blessed me this year and I haven't had to buy most of the food I canned.  What a blessing.

So, I was finally wrapping up my day and washing the floor.  It is one of those continual jobs that I haven't got to for a while.  I have been doing a lot of cooking, canning and freezing and the floor got pushed aside.  Well, tonight I tackled the floor and I started thinking back.  I remember around 30 years ago vacuuming the floor when I was a kid.  I used to ponder how someday I would be vacuuming my very own floor and it would add a little excitement as I worked.  I wonder if any other little girls imagine the same things.  My mom would leave us lists when we were on summer vacation and she would head off to work.  We would wake up to a list of things that needed to get done before she got home.  This didn't happen very often, normally we would do very little during our summer, but some days we would wake to a list of to dos.  Well, soon the day came and I was working in my own home.  Those little list my mom would give me helped me to make my own lists and get the work around my own little home done.

Our first little home was just that, little.  It had two little rooms and was over 500 square feet.  It was ours and we bought it as a hud home for a whopping $25,000.  Not to bad for two college kids.  Then I would imagine how the spare room would someday be filled with a baby.  I so longed for that day.  Eventually that day came and I was so thankful, overwhelmed, but thankful.   David had graduated and found a job that required us to move.  I was so excited when we found a house that had 1050 square feet.  I had found a house that was larger that I really wanted but it was just out of our price range so the this house was wonderful with it's 3 bedrooms, cutely decorated, and about twice the size of our first home.  Once again we had another child and filled the third bedroom and I was thankful.

Off we went again and had to move to a new city.  This time I was really hoping for something with a bit more elbow room.  We found a cute little house that had 4 bedrooms!  It was only 1525 square feet but it was in our price range and we were thankful.  When we moved into this house the neighbors were so excited because we only had two children and the people before us had had 3 and that was too much for this house.  Well,  we had two more kids and we did just fine in that home.  While we were there I felt God place on my heart a desire to entertain.  We would invite small and large groups to our home and loved to fellowship with our family and friends, it concerned me that our home was so cozy with so many people.  God had given me a vision of a lovely big home and I believe that he told me that if I would take care of what he had given me and used it for him that he would give me the desire of my heart.

Well, once again we had to move to a new city.  We looked for a home and found a new home in a new subdivision that was 2525 square feet.  What a blessing.  I remember thinking I had hoped for something a bit bigger but was thankful for God's provision.  After our 5th child we began to search a bit for something with a more land and around 3200 square feet.  We didn't really find what we were looking for so we took a break.  A few months later our realtor just happened to send us some listings.  In these listings there was a house that was just a few years old and over 6000 square feet.  It was a foreclosure and I giggled to think that we could own such a home.  Well, just for fun we drove by the house.  I didn't want to really look much, all I could think was how much it must cost to heat it.  David got quite excited and decided to call the realtor.  The realtor showed us the house.  Then I got so excited,  I could walk through each room and imagine what it would be used for.  Then the next room was perfect for something else.  I felt that God was fulfilling the vision he had given me years ago.  David looked at the tall ceilings and many rooms and got concerned about the heat.  Well, the house was a bit out of our price range but we made an outrageous offer and God was so good to give us favor.  We were able to get the house for an amazing deal.  We have been able to entertain over 100 people at a time even when it was down pouring outside and most were inside.  So, as I was washing my floor with my sore back I was overwhelmed with a feeling of thankfulness.  My back was sore from the canning and scrubbing the large floor but God has been so good to us and I am so thankful.  He has provided us with each other, children, health, and more than enough food, clothing, and shelter.  I am thankful for all the trips we have been able to take and how little we have had to spend on them.  What an amazing God we serve, a God of more than enough, who doesn't just provides for our needs but sometimes even for our wants.  Thank you God.  Be encouraged and thankful for what God has given you and may he fulfill the desires of your heart that he has given you.

Our first little home.

Alicia  

Roman Holiday pt 7

Day 7
  Unfortunately David was unable to change our flights so we had a long day to get home.  We left our hotel at 7:00 our time, got on our flight at 10:00,  flew through 7 time zones to Chicago then had a 7 hour wait.   Then it was on to home.  Where we actually got home 40 minutes early.  It was great to be home and my bed was so comfortable.  The girls had all made us a wonderful welcome home sign and when you picked up each page it was written in Italian underneath.  So traveling time home was from leaving the hotel to arriving at our home 24 hours.  I really enjoyed our trip.  It was so good to spend time together.  The sights and history were so amazing.  There was something special about seeing structures that are thousands of years old and were around when Jesus walked here, were just overwhelming.  Seeing place that you have only read about was well, cool.   The reality of the Christian heritage hits home in Rome, where for 100's of years it was illegal to be a Christian and there were so many of Christians tortured and murdered.   How strong is ones faith to stand for Christ when you face torture and ultimately death.  There are still places like that in this world, my heart goes out to Christians in these areas.  I love the United States of America and am grateful for the freedom of religion and the fact that this country was founded on the Christian beliefs of our forefathers.  God moved in Constantine's heart to legalize Christianity in Rome.  May God do the same in other nations.  What a blessing this trip has been for David and I and I hope you have all enjoyed reading about it.

The sign our kids made us.  So good to be home.