Not all who Wander

Cheddar biscuits

2012-02-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Cheddar biscuits
Preheat your oven to 400 F
2 1/2 cups flour
4 t. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
3/4 t salt
Mix the dry ingredients together and then cut the butter into the mixture.
Add
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
and stir until combined. Be sure not to over stir.
Cook for 10 minutes, then pull out and brush with
4 T butter
1 t oregano
3/4 t garlic salt
then return to oven for 8 more minutes.

This recipe is suppose to be based off Red Lobster's biscuits. Andrew and I agree that they are even better, since they aren't near as salty.:D The only trouble with this recipe is that you can eat half a batch when they are fresh out of the oven!

Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher

2012-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

It's the year 1864 and the nation is torn apart by the Civil War. Shannon Adair is a young Southern belle who's minister father feels the Lord calling them to move to Idaho territory to pastor a recently built church in one of the many towns that sprung up due to the gold rush. Even though the South is no longer what it once was, moving to the West is a drastic change to the life of balls and beaus that Shannon lead before the war. When she meets Matthew Dubois, she instantly takes a disliking to him since he hasn't chosen a side with the war. But, Shannon and Matthew soon learn to depend on one another when his sister comes to town ill and Shannon offers to be a nurse for her.

While not incredibly unpredictable, this is a great story of love, judging someone from your first impression, and learning that God really does have our best interest at heart even though that road might be painful at times and takes us out of our comfort zone.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written Christian story with sound morals and a good message. I appreciated that the author shares what she went through herself during the writing of the story, which helped bring the book to life. I hope there will be a sequel!

The House on the Corner

2012-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

This novel begins with a young boy names Chester who is unwittingly sent on an adventure. Things start out in a normal fashion, with the young Chester spending a boring Saturday trying to keep from cleaning the hall bathroom, his least favorite job of all that is reserved for when he looks bored.
So, Chester is excited when his mother sends him on an errand to his uncle's house just down the road. Once there, Chester is swept into an adventure beyond his wildest imagination, one filled with sea creatures, mind control, code names, and interesting characters. Even though Chester doesn't travel to a mythical place or dream up the whole story, this book reminded me of the Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. Its a bit dis-jointed and random, kind of like a book version of Napoleon Dynamite. I didn't particularly care for the story, though the ending was a lot better than I thought it would be, but I can see that a teen would enjoy the story. I would recommend it if you like random tales, but not if you are looking for a futuristic style novel that deals with a controlling society, since this would not qualify as that sort of genre.
I can see this author perhaps being one to watch once his stories are a bit more focused, since I think this story has potential.

Reviewed for Book Sneeze.

Then Sings My Soul, book 3

2012-01-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

Then Sings My Soul book three by Robert J. Morgan is the final book in the hymn trilogy. Having not read the previous two, I cannot compare this one to the former two. For the most part, the book can stand alone (outside of the occasional comment to look for the rest of the story in one of the other two) and is a excellent weekend read. I didn't think it would be a good book to read through, but I found I was wrong, since it starts out as an overview of the history of hymns, going from Biblical hymns through Contemporary Christian.
From there, the author goes through some of the history of different hymns through the ages. As a pianist, I like that the music to the hymns is included with the background on it. It was nice to not have to go find a hymnal and look up a hymn.:D
There is also six stories that the author considers his favorites, which I enjoyed immensely.
I think this book is perfect for pretty much any bookcase! It would be helpful for musicians, members, and the general public who would like to have a place to go for background on well loved hymns.

Reviewed for Book Sneeze.

2012-01-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

School has started again. On the worst possible day, might I add.;) Monday was a hectic day, with tons of orders through the three schools we provide bread for. This is a huge blessing, but it still makes Monday's busy.;) Anyway, while we were forming all the hot dog buns, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, etc, I tried to chop the tip of my thumb off. Stupid, I know.:P Thankfully, it didn't need stitched, but I did a number to it and have had butterfly band aids, along with a regular band aid on top of that, on my thumb ever since. Makes doing small tasks interesting, but better this than stitches.;)
I also came down with a cold on Monday.:P Andrew had it last week. I am hopeful that this is the last day of it being an annoyance.;)
I'm glad that this term, I only have the one math class. Next term, I am signed up for Art Appreciation, my last Algebra class, and then Intro to Business, so I will pay for having such a light load this eight weeks.;)
I discovered that I had ordered the wrong text book for my Intermediate Algebra course.:P So, today, I posted the imposter online and ordered the right one! When I first looked the correct text book up, I found it listed for over $100 at the cheapest.:P I almost ordered it off Amazon, but decided to look it up on one other site. I'm glad I did, since I found it for half the price! God is good.

Raffle

2012-01-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Enter to win an Apple iPad 2 or Kindle Fire here. It takes hardly any time at all to try your luck at winning either one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beyond Molasses Creek

2012-01-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

When Ally Green's father passes on and leaves her the home she grew up in on Molasses Creek, Ally retires from her globe trotting and decides to give living in one place a chance. With her returning to her childhood home, memories resurface of growing up during the Civil Rights Movement. Now that things have changed for the better in her home town, she feels that she can once again be friends with Vesey Washington, the boy from the other side of the river.

Poetic and poignant, I was quickly swept into this well written novel. The characters are well written, with plenty of back story to breath life into them. Not only is this a story of the Civil Rights movement, but it is also the tale of a young woman growing up in Nepal who grows up in the Dalit (untouchable) caste. Sunila must work for a stone carver to pay a "debt" her parents incurred, showing the injustice of child labor in third world countries (something that needs to be brought to our attention). The stories tie together to tell a tale of forgiveness and hope in the midst of suffering.

I couldn't put this book down! I highly recommend it and will be looking to read more books by this author.

Invasion by Jon Lewis

2012-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

There is more to world than meets the eye. Colt McAlister finds out just how much is going on in the world around him when his parents are killed in a car accident by a drunk driver who wasn't really drunk. Thrown into a world of comic book hero's and alien invasions, Colt must learn to trust his family and friends to help him pull through. Invasion is the first in the C.H.A.O.S. (Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural) series.

I think this book fills a huge need for Christian young adult fiction. This story is kind of Science Fiction, but not to out that there someone like myself (who isn't really into the genre) could enjoy the story line. There is more going on that just aliens. Colt must get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his parents death, so he starts training and learns what he can about the other planets.

The concept of comic books actually being more like a history book is bound to thrill readers. I enjoyed the drawings of some of the different characters at the end of the book.:D Invasion is a must for young Sci-Fi fans!

2011 in pictures

2012-01-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

2011 was an eventful year. Right off the bat, we moved:

I went back to school:

Andrew played in several concerts:

We were blessed with two nieces:

Andrew and Mercy.

Andrew and Miriam.

We survived the great bat invasion:

We finished some cement work in the addition:

We went on our first camping trip:

Paid off our house:

Spent time with loved ones:

First Date by Krista McGee

2011-12-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

Addy Davison is to busy living her scheduled life and preparing for college to live life spontaneously. When her name is submitted for a new reality TV show to win a prom date with the President's son, Addy's world it turned upside down. She must learn to deal with mean girls, people who hate her faith, and the press. Through it all, Addy learns to live out her faith.

Based loosely on the story of Esther, I found this book to be the perfect read during a vacation from school! Its a bit predictable, but well written. The story has a positive message to it. I like that there was more depth to the story, since there are some excerpts of her mom's missionary journal. Authors write the best about what they know, and this author knows both mission work and high schoolers.

I did find it a bit unbelievable that everyone, including the President, kept up with the "First Son" and his love life, but perhaps that is because I'm not into that sort of things as an adult.;) I don't keep up with the Obama girls.:) Fiction is suppose to be somewhat unbelievable, and this was such a minor deal. I give First Date two thumbs up and look forward to the sequel!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

The Grace Effect

2011-12-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

"The keystone that sits atop the grand archway of authentic Christianity is grace"
Larry Alex Taunton

When author Larry Alex Taunton has a friendly debates about the concept of God and religion with renowned Christopher Hitchens (author of God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) and John Lennox (Oxford mathematician and fellow Christian), Taunton throws out the idea of "common grace": the thought that when there is a Christian influence in the culture, it will bring benefits to the whole of that society. Little did he know that life was about to show him just how true "common grace" really is.

Some time after the debate, the author and his family travel to Ukraine to start the process of adopting a ten year old girl names Sasha. While there, the Taunton family sees the effects of Communism and the lack of Christianity through the corruption of a country that has been without religion for generations.

With the recent events of Occupy Wall street, Taunton's thoughts on socialism/communism are even closer to home. Socialism is merely the start of Communism, and Communism cannot abide with Christianity because it takes the place of religion by putting the state in place of God. I appreciated his thoughts on Socialism, having just covered the basics of it in Modern Civilization. Taunton backs up his thoughts with quotes from our own presidents, which I found interesting.

When I received this book, I wasn't so sure that it would live up to my expectations. Boy, was I wrong! The author does a wonderful job of addressing the arguments of the New Atheist and backing them up his own opinions. Even if you don't agree with Christianity, I think that this is a wonderful book to check out, just so you know where Christians are coming from. I appreciate that the author didn't bash Ukraine, even though I am sure he found parts of it infuriating. He also didn't bash atheism. I think it helps that he was a good friend of Hitchens.

All in all, I give this book a five. It was insightful and written in layman terms, so even though some of the material is incredibly thought provoking, it isn't difficult to follow along.

Reviewed for booksneeze.com

2011-12-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the email going around about church bulletin bloopers? We had one of our own at church, which was rather hilarious about a not so hilarious situation.
In the prayer request section:
"Pray for missionary ______, who was robed at knife point"
Oops.

Mint cookies

2011-12-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup 2% milk
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. dark chocolate or coating chocolate, melted

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and extracts. Combine flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
2. Shape dough into a tube, put in plastic wrap, and place in freezer for two hours, or until firm.
3. Unwrap and cut, placing 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove cookies from sheet and place on a wire wrack to cool completely.
5. Dip cookies in chocolate and place on parchment paper. These cookies look cute with sprinkles on them, but are good without also.:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, since it was the one where we would either pack up and head to Kansas to be with extended family or have the whole clan over to our house. It's kind of funny that it was a bigger deal than Christmas when it came to seeing family. I suppose that is because most like to stay at home on Christmas day.:D I'm glad my in laws celebrate Christmas with all the relatives, since that is just how I like my holidays. But, I digress.:D
Other than getting together with family, I love the opportunity to reflect on those blessings that the Lord has given me. I'm a bit of a worrier by nature, so sometimes I forget all that I have been blessed with. It's a good practice to count one's blessings, not only around Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.
This year I am especially thankful for my wonderful family, both the one I was born into and my in-laws. I'm thankful for a loving husband who is there by my side. I'm thankful that we both have decent jobs, even if we do work hard.;) I have also been thinking how thankful I am for a roof over our head. A year ago today we closed on our house and, as of last month, it is all ours! When we bought the place, it hadn't been lived in for at least 9 months, so we didn't know what we were getting into. Thanks to the help of family and friends, we have been able to replace the plumbing, re-do parts of the electrical (we haven't touched the upstairs yet, since we aren't living up there), put in a new water heater, hang sheet rock in two rooms, mud walls, paint, and replace the bathroom vanity. In some respects, the inside looks like a different place! We still have our work cut out for us this coming year though.;)
Happy Thanksgiving to all my online friends! Take this opportunity to reflect on those blessings in your life.

Anastasia style

2011-11-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

I am reading: My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren, even though I really should be doing Algebra homework.

What I am listening too:Dancing in the Minefields by Andrew Peterson. This is currently one of my very favorites, since it is sweet and so true!

What I am thinking about: How I need to go on another camping trip.

What I need to do:Go make some lunch. I'm thinking today is the perfect day for corn chowder, Grandmommy style.:)

Belief-o-Matic quiz

2011-08-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, for the World Religion class I am taking, I had to go to this site

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
and take the test to see what it said about my beliefs. At the end of the course, the teacher is going to have us take it again to see if going through this class will help us to better define what we belief. That would probably help, since there were some of the questions that I was like "I have no idea!". lol.
What were my results?

Your Top 3 Faith Match Profiles Are:
1. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%)
2. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (97%)
3. Jehovah's Witness (91%)

I thought that was rather interesting.;) I would love to see what your results are!

2011-06-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Southwest Bulgur Burgers
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bulgur
1 can (15-19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

In a saucepan, heat water and salt to a boil. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat to low and cover until water is absorbed, which should take about ten minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash the beans with a fork or potato masher, stirring in the sour cream until almost smooth. Add the seasoning. With floured hands, shape into burgers. Cook in a skillet until heated through. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

I have always enjoyed veggie burgers, so I am happy to have found a recipe for making my own that has such a good texture! I plan on experimenting a bit with the recipe to add more veggies to it.:D

2011-04-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's national library week.:)

2011-03-30T11:47:00.001-07:00

I'm in the process of moving all of my books out of my parents house and into my own. How did I accumulate so many over the years? My parents used to tease me that my books were my dowry.;) Guess I should of warned Andrew of that. lol.
We have one bookcase up right now. Once the living and dining rooms are (relatively) dust free, I hope to help (watch?:D) Andrew make a few to go in there.
All the possibilities!:D

2011-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

A while back, we received a notice from our insurance company that informed us they no longer wanted to cover if our house stayed the way it was. They requested we remove the wood burning stove pipe that was left in the house, since it wasn't being used (which wasn't a huge deal) and to paint the exterior of the addition. What? In the middle of Winter? I can't say we were terrible happy. Thankfully though, the Lord blessed us with some gorgeous weather, so we were able to get the mud room painted in time.

Markets have started up again! We went to the KC Food Circle expo at the Sermon Center on Saturday and will attend the next expo this weekend at the Shawnee Mission Civic Center. It is nice to have a few Saturday's off in the Winter time, but by the time warmer weather is here, I'm ready for the markets to start up again. Its like a homecoming when you go to the first one and see all your favorite venders and customers.;)

We are working on our gluten free site, which the lovely Miss. Laura is helping us design. I'm afraid that there isn't much to the site (http://sweetsistersgfbakery.com) at the moment. We are working on adding some content to the site. I do believe that is the hard part, attempting to come up with something interesting and engaging, and yet to the point.

Might not be the stuff I would choose, but this is the stuff You use. Francesca Battostelli

2011-03-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

This winter has made me seriously reconsider my choice in a vehicle. I used to love it, but somehow, with all the Winter storms, I have lost my appreciation for my car. Why, you ask? It is rear wheel drive.
Just last week I was driving to my parents house, on the way home from work, when I wound up in the ditch. My youngest brother was in the car with me and lamented that "Every Winter I wind up in the ditch with you!". lol. (It's not quite that bad!) His comment made me realize that he was reflecting my own thoughts. Instead of realizing how blessed we were that no one was behind us when we spun all over the road, we were focusing on the inconvenience. There have been several instances like this one over the last couple weeks. Like, the time we had to cut into the newly painted wall to replace the shower fixture. It was sad to have to take a step backward. Yet, we found that some of the plumbing had been cross threaded. It was better to find that out now, rather than waiting till it caused problems!
Its made me think of the things that happen every day that I count as an inconvenience, rather than to see if for the blessing it is.

2010-12-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

We have another niece or nephew on the way! 2011 is going to be a joyous year indeed.;)

This old house

2010-12-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

So, I have to admit to my own stupidity and ignorance. With owning a old house now, there are some things that I just don't think about. Like, say, tearing into the wallpaper, little thinking that there could be lead based paint in there. Thankfully, God is good and sent me a father in law who could test the paint to make sure it was safe to proceed.;) The tests turned out to be negative, so I could proceed and rid the room of its 5+ layers of wallpaper and paint.:) Ah, the adventures we are having with our first home!:D
We also were quite blessed to discover that the linoleum we tore out was not asbestos, which was a huge blessing, since the deed was done and the linoleum removed. It is nice to know we didn't stir up anything hazardous.
It has been amazing to see how many ways God has already blessed us and the lessons He has started to teach us with the house.

2010-11-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

If all goes according to plan, we should close on the 24th! Andrew told me that mean Thanksgiving at our house.;) (with the bat and unfinished rooms. lol)
There have been a lot of set backs with the house, with waiting on the title company, and then having the bank back out on us. But, God has blessed us through it all with a temporary place to live (one that we didn't have to rent for a set amount of time) and a better loan now then what the first bank offered us. Its hard to know what why things happen that way they do until you see the bigger picture.

2010-09-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our house! We had to fill out paperwork today to get the extension needed by the title company. So, it could be at least another thirty days before we are in it. I would complain about that, if it meant we would be on the streets once we are married, but we have been incredible blessed to have relatives offer a empty house to us until ours is ready. *confetti*
Things are coming together nicely for the big day, though I find myself making massive to-do lists of all the things we can't do until the week of.;) I just hope that I don't wind up losing one of those lists, since they are the equivalent of my brain these days.;)

So much to be thankful for

2010-09-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been rather blown away at the amount of answered prayers there have been in my life. After hearing "wait" for Dad to get a good job for so many months, he recently got hired on by a local college. I'm thrilled that he is working for a place that values all his gifts and areas of expertise! The job has been a huge blessing so far.
We are finishing up the last minute plans for the wedding, which included finally sitting down and writing up a schedule to make sure everything is done in time. (finally, those nightmares regarding a half planned wedding can stop! lol) Right after we finished, I had several friends offer to help with whatever needs to be done the week leading up to the wedding. *whew* Now I don't have to try and figure how to decorate the church with just three pairs of hands or plan on a all nighter working on flowers.;) I feel incredibly blessed by the friends I have!
Is it wrong for me to be super excited about how the cake is looking to turn out? I think it is one of the things I am most excited about, since I have had a clear picture of how I want it to turn out for so long and yet didn't think it was possible. I want the cake to taste good, and then the look is second, so I didn't want to have to go with fondant as the design seemed to call for. Well, Poppy came up with this ingenious plan to do buttercream frosting on the actual cake, but then make the flowers out of fondant. So, it will both taste good and look the way I want.:D Because, it is just wrong for the baker to have a awful tasting wedding cake. lol.
We started the gluten free bakery and it has been amazing to see the doors open for that! God has richly blessed my family.

2010-08-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

We are still in the midst of working out the paperwork in regards to the house. There were a few problems with the contract, so we used up our three chances to get it right... The realtor just sent it in the for the third and final time, so I do hope that everything looks good! I mean, now I know how to spell my middle name. lol. I didn't realize until two years ago that the way I have always spelled my middle name is not how it is on the birth certificate, so now I have to decide which way to go with how I spell it. So, when the government finds that I spelled my middle name one way on the paper work and then another on my SSN card and drivers license, they kind of frowned on that.;) But, hopefully that is all worked out now!

Once we have the house, though, we can finally finish registering for the wedding, since we won't be blindly guessing what we would like to have in a future house.;) So many things up in the air until then though!

VBS is going on this week, ending with the community BBQ on Saturday. So, the kids went out last night to collect cans of food for the food pantry and invite the neighbors to the BBQ. It has been cute to see their zeal.:)

2010-08-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I bought a home! We found out today that our offer was accepted.:)

2010-07-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

What do you think it takes to be lucky? I was reading a book called The Survivors Club and it talked about this idea that some people are lucky than others. You know what I got out of it? That most people aren't so much lucky as that they choice to take what life throws at them and dwell on the positive. Not the negative. They also notice the chance opportunities, which I would venture to say is because they are upbeat and enjoying life around them. They also generally listen to their hunches, persevere in the face of failure, have the ability to turn bad luck into good fortune, and can have a uncanny ability to make their wishes come true.
So, what do you say? I thought it was interesting, but I think luck really boils down to how we handle life and what is thrown in our direction. We all have bad days, but its what we do with those bad days that can make all the difference.

I try to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time

2010-07-02T07:55:00.001-07:00

It has been hitting me that I'm getting married in just over three months and that there are a bazillion little details we need to have figured out before the wedding date. Who knew there were so many little things that need attention? Its fun, even if I have no clue what kind of wording to put on the invitations (though I do know that I want both sets of parents to be on there) or the order of the service. Its been a journey for us, alright!

We took some of our engagement pictures last week with my mom. What fun! We went to an old estate, which Andrew's sister in law had suggested. Its perfect for taking photos!

Talk six times with the same single lady and you may get the wedding dress ready. Lord Byron

2010-06-18T11:05:00.001-07:00

Planning wedding invitations.;)

2010-06-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days that is filled to the brim with blessings. I found a key that I didn't know I had lost in the driveway, which is a blessing in more ways than one! I didn't have to wait till I knew it was missing (as in making a trip to the new store and finding that I didn't have a key to open it up).:)
When I opened the back porch door, I dropped a gallon of milk. Not just any gallon of milk, since we buy raw milk and it is in glass jars. So, seeing it bounce and not burst open was pretty amazing! I was happy not to have to clean milk out of the indoor/outdoor carpet and run the risk of smelling sour milk through the summer months.;)
Our a/c here at the house is now working correctly! It will be especially appreciated tomorrow, when we get home from a long day in a warm bakery.;)
I also picked a bunch of gooseberries this afternoon, to add to the basket from last week. It felt good to be outdoors, since it was relatively cool out after the storm last night.

One of those pointless updates :D

2010-05-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I kind of like this furniture.;) It wouldn't exactly go with the antiques I own....:D

Also, I have added a playlist to my blog. Its a bit eclectic.;)

"I see my purpose in life as making the world a happier place to be in .” David Niven

2010-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

School is out for the summer! I have never been this happy to be done with a semester.;) I'm ready to have time to work on other projects, like planning a wedding and learning how to play the cello!
I actually haven't truly started in on all the projects I need to do though, since we have been working on the new store. Its amazing how clean a place can feel once you put some paint on the wall. I love old buildings, but sometimes, the task of making them into something presentable can be a bit daunting. There is something satisfying about taking the impossible and turning it into a thing of beauty.

I had another cello lesson yesterday. I can now (kind of, with the help of pencil markings) play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"! Next piece to conquer, Canon in D.;) Why? Because the cello part is made for beginners like me!

Brown paper packages tied up with string

2010-05-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

I received a cello from my fiance this year for a birthday present, something I have always wanted.:) Andrew tried to talk me into wanting to play the bass, and almost had me convinced that it would be just the thing for me. He did that partly so I wouldn't suspect what he had found for my birthday present.;) I love it, though I will mention that it has been quite an experience to have to start at the beginning on another instrument.:D I have to remind myself that it will be a lot more fun once I have learned the fundamentals and can actually play something familiar on it.:D

My brother married on Saturday.:) I would say there was a flurry of birdseed and confetti, by that would just describe what their car was like when they went to leave.;) The only thing is, Luke surprised Mandi by leaving in Corvette instead of his SUV.;) Unfortunately, their SUV will be waiting for them (in all its glory) when they return from the honeymoon.

2010-04-23T15:06:00.001-07:00

If you were to spend a Saturday with a fictional character, who would you pick?

Raindrops on roses

2010-04-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

Andrew surprised me with flowers, which made my day.;)

International packages are always such fun! And yet, so hard, since I love a good surprise and they make hat near impossible with their list of the contents on the customs form. I'm afraid I peaked this time...

To market, to market

2010-04-17T04:13:00.000-07:00

Market morning. We had an Earth Day fair in addition to the regular markets today.:) They usually have a book sale going on in one of the gyms (which I look forward to, as one can never have enough books!). They didn't have it this year though, which was a disappointment. I'm sure Andrew doesn't feel to sorry for me, since it means less books for him to have to move when we get married in October.;)
Having skipped last year's Earth Day fair because of remodeling the gym, it kind of threw off everyone's groove. I was glad they held it again this year though!
We saw a young lady today who became one of our most memorable customers some years ago when she spent her whole allowance at our booth.:) How many 8-10 year olds are interested in free range, farm fresh eggs? I think we have a future farmer on our hands! It was lovely to see her again. It reminds me how old I am growing.;) I'll be a quarter of a century at the end of this month!
We catered the lunch for the event, which is always a fun experience. My mum's worst fear is to run out of food early on.;) We didn't, which can be a mixed blessing.
I am so thrilled that Spring is finally here, bringing with it the markets and warmer weather.

To guys in general

2010-04-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

You need to realize how wonderful my single girlfriends are and start nabbing them up!
That is all.:)

When I was dead, you gave me life/How could I not give it away so freely. Leeland

2010-04-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to do a Passover Seder meal with some friends. It was amazing! The Seder dinner marks the beginning of the Passover feasts and is focused on the numerous plagues that God cursed the Egyptians with before they set the Israelites free.

The first big step toward our wedding: pulling the sequins off the lace for my dress!
(proof of how much Andrew loves me;)) Six months and a day until we get married!

Andrew and I at the Expo on Saturday. We were blessed to have sold both weekends.;)

Love is not a place to come and go as we please. But a house to enter in and then commit to never leave.

2010-03-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

My sister is now married and living happily ever after with Chris in their quaint farmhouse.;)

So, now I am quite out numbered against my brothers. I do believe I need another sister...

A new year. The chance for a fresh start.

2010-01-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Christ tells us
"This is my commandment
that ye love
one another"
But we do not listen.

This is not His doctrine
to cause contention
to let anger fester
to choose to hold grudges
to build walls.

Christ longs
to draw us ever closer
to Him,
to each other
but there are walls in the way.

He cannot force us
the choice is ours
to continue to build our personal walls
or to focus our efforts
on building His city
the New Jerusalem.
*ANC*

Baby its cold outside

2009-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Snow day! Or rather, days. I love when this weather comes and you have the chance to enjoy it from the sanctuary of a nice, warm house. The fire in the wood burning stove is roaring. (it only took a couple of hours to get it so...) I do believe I have had more hot cocoa and soup in the last two days then I have in the whole year.;)

Happiness is

2009-11-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

Happiness is
Pumpkin Eggnog.Family.QuotesIce cream cake.Road trips.Projects.Questions.

2009-11-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

"God created man in His image and ever since, man has attempted to return the favor".
I found that quote so interesting. Man truly tries to make God in his image. Fitting Him into a box, because He is beyond our comprehension at times. As one of my friends put it, at times He is so much more, so we can't help but make Him smaller so that He is within our grasp. It doesn't make it right. But, its how it is. I guess that is why we must try all the harder to grow close to Him and attempt to grasp His awesomeness.

2009-11-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things

2009-11-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Each day from November 1st through the 26th write a few sentences about something you are thankful for, from A to Z.
On the first, you use the letter A, on the second, the letter B, and so on.

I love how these sort of things focus one's attention, leading up to Thanksgiving, on those things that make life so wonderful. So, even though I am a bit behind, I want to start making my list of things I am thankful for.;)

A Well, this year, I will have to put Andrew at the top of the list. About a year ago, I thought that I had finally figured out what I wanted in life, deciding I was quite happy where the Lord had put me. That is probably the closest to being content that I have ever been. Only to have that threatened by a young man who seemed almost to perfect and close to the list of qualities I wanted in a future spouse. I'm so thankful that God (and mum. lol) knew just what I needed in spit of my own stubbornness and ignorance.;) I can't wait to see where the next year takes us!

B I'm torn with this one. I think I will go with brothers though. I have three of them, and the last few years have grown so much closer to all of them. I'm thankful for them and all the joy they add in life! They make me laugh with their antics and let me cry on their shoulder when I am having a bad day. They are the best!

C Choir would be my choice for C, though I was tempted to go for chai.;) Being in a choir again this fall/winter is such fun! I missed singing a part in difficult music. Its like a breath of fresh air to sit with other second sopranos/altos and attempt to hit the right notes in the Messiah.

D Digital photography. I find such joy in capturing something on film, whether it be a natural beauty, like the sunset or Spring's first crocus, or one of my beloved family members/friends. There is something so satisfying about being able to capture a moment on film to share and look back on.

E Education and the chance to go to college this year. It has been quite a different step then I thought I would be taking at this stage in my life! But, so far it has been a lot of fun and just the challenge I need.

F Farmers markets! We are still selling at the one (for another three weeks), so they aren't totally over for the season. I know that markets have played a huge role in my life the last seven years. When we first started selling, I was a shy teenager. Having to talk to complete strangers and deal with customers every weekend has helped me to realize that people aren't so bad after all.;) For the most part, people are down right fun! (until a irate customer comes up, which, thankfully, isn't very often at all) I'm thankful for the world that farmers markets have opened up for me.;)

G I think this one will have to be God and His mighty grace. I don't know where I would be in the last year, if it wouldn't for Him. Its so nice to know that someone knows what is going on in this crazy world! Not to mention, its nice to pour your woe's into His listening ears.;)

H Health, and that my family has been blessed with good health this year. You don't realize just what a blessing it is to be healthy until you aren't.

I Ice water. I know it seems so small and insignificant, but it is one of the little joys in life.;) I didn't realize just how nice and essential ice water is until we didn't have it much down in Belize! It was so nice to come home and have our fill of ice.;)

J Journey's and the lasting impressions they leave on us. It seems like I can't come back from a trip without learning something new about myself and the world around me. It always reminds me just how much I am blessed with!

Its that time of year

2009-10-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

First off, I have a confession to make. I've pulled out the Christmas music already. Which, my brother thinks is just terrible, with it not being Thanksgiving yet.;)
I'm not saying it is the time of year to listen to Christmas music, since that is debatable. It's the time of year for fighting colds and the flu, so here are some unique studies that might keep you from coming down with something nasty.
Exercise just may be the key to helping you keep the flu away.

Chewing on peppers might help too, since they are high in vitamin C. For the whole list of foods to help boost your immune system, check out:

Finally, my favorite. A warm drink can help prevent colds? A warm fruit cordial is mentioned by the BBC But it makes me wonder, I assume tea would be good for the cold season too? I knew there was a reason I'm such a big tea drinker.:)

2009-10-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

“House Attack” by Erwin Wurm, Vienna.

Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore...