Christmas Hands and Feet

This inspired pin was not as easy you'd think. However, I was dealing with the feet of of a 3 month and 5 month so they are a little free-spirited. I think the grandparents will cherish this one even with its straying toes. Three little cousins imprinted together for life... Priceless.

My Birthday Candles

It was my birthday last week and this is my birthday pecan tart.  I put 3 candles on it and went to change the baby. I came back and Walter had increased the number of candles. Evidently, he doesn't get the notion of repeating 38 for a few more years. So the carefully placed crooked candles were lit if only to remind me that you can pretend all you want about being 38 again in the end the candles get piled on there anyhow.

Lost their Lease

When I was pregnant with Walter, a quilt shop opened up near my husband's shop. This really was a dream come true for me. To be so close to such a shop was pure, colorful bliss.

I loved the little community of ladies (and a few men) who love color, fabrics, patterns and putting them all together into something amazing. I would lug my fat baby boy in his carseat and linger over the fabrics. Then, I would lug my ornery boy in a stroller with some goldfish and shop quicker! I imagined taking little Rose and letting her in on the art of combining fabric to make something fabulous while only having to drive 2 miles!

Alas, the email went out that the store lost their lease and so my quilt shop around the corner is closing up. I am so heartbroken. I have a lost my little escape. Escape into mingling with the people there and dreaming up new projects on my limited discretionary funds.

I felt a little guilty in light of the news of recent weeks, that I cried about this shop closing. I cried about the news too though. This one just touches me personally because I feel as though I am losing something really important to my creativity and sanity. There were days when, I just needed to get out of the house and look at pretty stuff and talk to someone who is taller than me and I would go to the quilt shop! I nearly burst into tears when I was there yesterday for their big sale.

One can only hope that gas prices will do down so I can go to quilt shops further away or I will make do with what I have in my material stash - though neither are likely.

Its been a good run quilt shop - I will miss you.

Countdown to Christmas

One of the nesting projects from this summer was getting this Christmas Tree quilt done. I love how it turned out. I love that it is done. I love that I have a place to hang it! To the right of the quilt you will see our Christmas Countdown chain. You will also see links strewn across my bedroom. (not pictured)

On each link, I wrote down one of God's "nicknames" - 25 of them- Hope, Rock, Savior, Wonderful Counselor etc. I attempted to explain why we call God each of those names to my son hoping something will stick. Then, it was my plan to read the scripture verse that goes with the name. I wrote it on there for easy looking up. Oh.... the best laid plans of men... It just seems to me that December barrelled out of control so fast I hardly heard enough Christmas songs. I didn't even get to listen to any Harry Connick Jr.  Why is it when the baby is in the belly the time creeps along but now that she is out I keep losing my hat time is flying by so fast? Needless to say "with time's winged chariot hurrying by", most days I forgot to get Walter to take a link off and more than most days I feel asleep before I could look up any corresponding scripture verse....

Also, each day we were trying to do something in preparation for Christmas. Buy a tree, make cookies, do a craft. I made a lengthy list of ideas. We did a little better on that than actually taking the links off.

The goal of it all was to help Walter understood that the reason for Christmas and giving gifts is to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Something must have stuck because on Christmas morning, he rushed to the nativity to see Jesus before he ever really noticed the gifts around the tree. Does a Momma's heart proud. Got a little misty.

We will try again next year with our countdown - maybe he will be better at reminding me then. I have no doubt though as with most Decembers it will fly by faster than we can imagine and I'll need to hold on to my hat again and hunt down my Harry Connick Jr CD sooner. I intend to do something with the links in my room... before I put them in the trash can. It just may be Valentine's Day before that happens!

The Wisdom of No TV

We haven't had a working TV in over 2 years now. Remember when President Bush sent out stimulus money to help jump start the economy? I did my part and bought a flat screen TV and it crapped out on us 2 months after the warranty was up. Typical.

My husband made several attempts to try and fix it by replacing different components but no luck. So the broken TV sits in our beautiful TV cabinet the one that could have killed us.

So why is it a wise to not have a TV? I know I would be watching it all the time, never having the restraint to turn it off. Whenever I am over my parents I watch it incessantly, like I am making up for lost time. I know though that I would do the same thing here if ours worked.

I also know how much healthier it is for me to not have a TV, because I was at my parent's this weekend and was glued to the TV watching news of the school shooting in Connecticut. I like everyone else was - am- sickened by it. Sickened because I am a mother. Sickened because for many years I worked in schools where the students become your little loves and you want only the best for them. I am brokenhearted.

It is so easy to get sucked into the sorrow when all you watch is sorrowful news. I know that because I am struggling to get images out of my mind of what happened or how it might have played out. The truth comes home to me once again the wisdom of not having a TV is I am unable to dwell on news to the point of obsession. One can still be moved to empathy and prayer without hearing things repeated over and over again. I know that is what is best for me. There is a wisdom in that knowledge that really makes me want to turn our TV cabinet into extra blanket or toy storage. Even after 2 years of no TV, having one would undo years of going without in a matter of hours.

School Projects.

Look what we did in school. Thanks in part to Pinterest.

A Walter Name Train

A painted traffic light

A muddy pig

Now I must admit I do feel like I like school way more than my son, which is a little frustrating because I love doing this stuff. He needs to be coaxed a little. I just have to think outside the box more to figure out his learning style and preferences.

I do feel like I scored big when I found this street and printed it out.... He has been lining us his cars and having them drive all over it for days now. If we weren't so low on toner I would print out his whole name!

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RacecarABCcards.htm

5 Roasted Pumpkins...

 5 Roasted Pumpkins... sitting on the stove...

Easiest way to roast pumpkins ever.

Rub olive oil on them.

Stick in the oven.

Put a tray on the lowest rack to catch drips.

I think I set the oven for 400 degrees

Roast for 60-90 minutes

Poke with a knife take out if it feels soft.

Cut away the stem.

Start scooping.

You do have to be careful about not getting the seeds mixed in with the good stuff.

I got 16 cups of pumpkin out of my 5 little pumpkins.

Very pleased.

Totally sneaking the pumpkin into pancakes. 

Haven't been discovered yet!

Volvo Dreams

Once upon a time, I found out that Volvo's were top rated for being very safe cars. So I decided that when I had kids I wanted to have a Volvo...

As neither of us are mini-van people a stationwagon was a good family car for our growing family.

First, I kind of had to talk him out of getting me a 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Stationwagon ...
We then, decided to look for a Volvo stationwagon.

We sold my Honda Civic that I had for one week shy of 10 years! We sold it the day after I got out of the hospital. So many changes in such a short time... Then, the Volvo we had our eyes on sold. So I was left to drive my husbands Lincoln towncar -big boat that it is. He assures me its no bigger than the cars I drove in high school and college. Alas, I did get use to it.

Finally, after 2 and half months what we were looking for came up. This lovely 2004 white wagon. Its not in mint condition and I can only assume that most people looked at the great mileage and the few dings and decided it was worth it to them. But when you have a hubby who knows how to fix stuff -it makes for a great deal! Even if he didn't - its still an awesome car!

This car is not only the answer to prayer for a very present need, but is also the fruition of a very old dream which was to drive my kids in a Volvo.

A Rose

I had a Rose, the end of August. She's a beauty with red hair. So amazing to think a part of her (& Walter too) have always been with me.

I have always wanted a Rose and there were definitely days when I didn't think there would ever be a Rose or any children at all. God has graciously answered my prayers and then some.

I got to admit that one of the most shocking, wonderful and amazing things I ever heard was, "Its a girl."

Thank You Jesus for late summer Rose.

Pink Wonderland

 Seriously, does it get any cooler than this?

Longwood Gardens you just keeping doing new things.

I just got the feeling like I was caught 

in a little bit of a fabulous pink wonderland.

Cows in a Hurricane

As hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast - we waited to see if Chester County, PA would be hit too. We were prepared. I had food cooked and ready to be warmed on a propane cook stove or a grill. I had water in buckets, mason jars and jugs. I had a cooler. I had numerous containers -prepared days in advance- frozen solid to help keep the freezer chest cold. I was ready.

We waited and checked the news to see how Sandy was tracking.

The lights only flickered once or twice.

We woke up and realized nothing awful happened to us.

The floodgates in my hometown did what they were supposed to - probably because Sandy didn't come up the Delaware River like it could have. My hometown was spared.

God was very merciful to us.

As the rain came down,  the cows came out to graze as they do everyday. It just struck me as kind of funny as we looked out the window watching the rain and the cows and wondering what was going to happen. Weather is not as predictable as these cows.

Fall Creations

So fall has come and gone - and my drafted posts have sat because who knew two kids under 3 would be work. Somehow I did manage to accomplish a few crafty things.

Crafty things really do keep me sane. Except for when I have to decide, "crafts or bleach the shower curtain?"

To my right is an applique quilt I started at least 8 years ago and finally finished during my period of nesting. Thanks to my drillmaster, I have a place to hang up wall hangings!


 I saw this pumpkin on a magazine while checking out at the grocery store. Totally loved that. Totally did it in now time. Bonus: I was able to keep the rick-rack for next year.

Then, Walter and I decorated two more. I used the puffy paint and dotted out "Walter" & "Rose." Then,  in a moment of not thinking clearly enough let him use the puffy paint - which is not washable. Not gonna do that again. Ruined a shirt, stained the highchair tray. He seemed pleased with his pumpkin though.

Pinterest Creations

Wow, words fail me when it comes to Pinterest. I LOVE it. I have been wishing something like this existed for ages I just didn't know it!

No more cutting, pasting and printing out quilt ideas and filing them in a cabinet. No more printing out recipes until I am actually ready to try it. I am saving toner, paper and time not having to go through mile long list of bookmarks.

Now that I am homeschooling there are so many great ideas out there for lessons and projects. I can't imagine homeschooling without Pinterest! Just 3 weeks of homeschooling and I am already reaping the benefits of using Pinterest to keep track of ideas for school.

In the spirit of my love for Pinterest and my new camera, after being camera-less most of the summer I am posting pictures of projects I found on Pinterest or did while I was "nesting".

 This Pinterest idea involved a circle made of masking tape and bean bags. I couldn't figure out how to make masking tape become a circle so I improvised. I didn't have any bean bags but we are learning, A, B, C, D, E, F so now we have the "Letter Toss" game - Objective: review letters & toss them in the box. I hide the square under the nursery throw rug when not playing. We can continue this through out the alphabet.







We are using this curriculum. I don't do it all because my boy isn't much for singing at this point or memorizing poems. I use this as my skeleton and add or take away based on what he needs to learn. He has already mastered many of the skills they plan for like using "Please" and "Thank You."








We are working our way through the Creation story. The Sun and Stars were my idea to go along with the lessons. It is amazing to me to see his world beginning to take in the Creator of the world and we have actually been praying more together and asking God to help him make good choices / decisions. A couple times he has even asked to "Pray." It does a mother's heat good!

I have found lots of quilt ideas on Pinteret or just found ideas and pinned them. These pillow cases were my own creation. I had wanted to use the transportation fabric and I also thought doing this project would of course put me into labor... Ha! But I was happy to get it done during nap time. I pieced together pieces until it fit the pillow. It was very haphazard but I frequently work that way! To make the most of the fabric I did 2 different sides.

I did find this last project on Pinterest. I knew I had to do it because I am just not into cutting faces into pumpkins!

It looked so simple. I considered getting a fake pumpkin but I have storage issues so I went with a real one. I still have 2 more pumpkins to do and will probably put the kids names on them. This was fun for me. My son thought the dots were "chocolate chips" but I have corrected him on that point and replaced the missing dots.



I am going to create a board of completed projects because there is little point of pinning ideas if you don't actually do anything. It will be nice to have a record of Pinterest creations!

Good Old George

Between PB&Js and no naptimes anymore, its hard to believe that only a few years ago I was a working woman. A single one at that!

I had the honor to work for a church and two pastors who were both different and inspiring. One put me in the middle of something that continues to have a far reaching impact - that I only see glimpses of from time to time. It was just a matter of typing, occasional proofreading and also an element of keeping the ball rolling. Sometimes it hits me profoundly what it means to have been part of a bestseller. Sure someone else could have done it, but God chose me.  I got to help keep the spirit and character and morals of George Washington alive in an age when the country and the world are desperate for men like him or even just one man like him.

And because not everyone has the time to read the 3 inch thick book - George Washington's Sacred Fire - there is now this song... be moved. Be moved to action.

Call this a Post Script. I watched the video again this time with my son. I got all emotional thinking about... How do you teach or instill into a 2 1/2 year old who George Washington was? Where do you even start to help him understand the magnitude of what George Washington did for us? What a responsibility, duty and honor it is to teach -begin to teach- a 2 1/2 year old who George Washington is. Oh to raise a son who will not only admire but emulate such a man.

And then I thought of Jesus - and the responsibility, duty and honor magnifies as I think about how I will teach my son to love and emulate Him. The end results are more eternal.

Then, he said, "Again" so we watched it again and I thought, "well I guess we are on the right road."

The Death of the Nap

In many ways, I feel like I am mourning a very good friend. This dear friend brought peace and quiet into my home- if only for an hour or two each day. This dear friend helped me get things done like switch the laundry, make a phone call to some utility company and even helped me put my feet up and rest my eyes. Sometimes I even got a full fledged nap. This dear friend helped me do a blog post or check things out online or balance the checkbook.

We are talking about a really special friend. We are talking about naptime.

I should have known this friend wasn't doing well all summer, as I fought with a 2 year old lay down and rest. Then, one day I knew the war was over. I had to give in and admit defeat. I knew this day would come - someday. I had just hoped it wouldn't be for another year. I also hoped that it wouldn't happen the week I brought home a new baby.

The death of a nap is a life changing event. It is something you just won't ever get back. I wasn't prepared for how losing naptime would make me feel. I would be lying if I didn't admit that it is overwhelming to have a new baby and no napping 2 year old. The high energy and noise level of this particular 2 year old can be deafening.  I feel a little like I am caught in a whirlwind with the Tasmanian Devil - ALL DAY LONG.

Sure, bedtime comes earlier now. Even when he is fast asleep my work isn't done. I know I am not the only one dealing with this. Still, I can't help but say its all relative. I have lost a good friend, naptime, I loved you and I miss you. Hopefully, someday -soon- I will be able to find some time in the day to rest my frazzled nerves or my son will master the fine art of an inside voice. Until then utility customer service reps will have to hear me "shhh" and change diapers in between our conversation. 

Crayons & Paints

Walter and I are on Week 2 of preschool for 2 year olds. I feel quite exhilarated as I plan out themes, projects, print out papers to color and pin ideas on Pinterest. I find myself reinforcing the key elements of the weeks lessons through out the day. I know its common sense to reinforce counting and colors etc but I like having the lesson plans as my catalyst and accountability. I haven't been this excited about teaching in a very long time and it feels good. Afterall, its been probably 10 years now since I have been apart of the new crayon crowds headed back to school.

To me, there is something so exquisite about a box of new crayons - especially a 64 pack. It seems almost a sacrilege to tamper with their points. That might be why I inwardly have cringed and winced every time Walter has broken, eaten or torn the paper off his crayons. His 3 boxes of toddler sized crayons are in shambles. Evidently, he doesn't understand what sacrilege is yet.

So yesterday I introduced him to the world of watercolor paints. I have done this with caution and not so much because of the mess he could create on almost any flat surface but because the very idea that he might get the colors all mixed up & "dirty" looking is just - unsettling. Clearly, brand new watercolor paint sets are exquisite to me as well.

I might have to get over this so the boy can actually paint without me hovering or I need to get my own paint set!

Read-a-Thon (July & August)

Well I finished one heck of a long book this week. There still may be time to read something else in August,   something a little smaller than 540 pages! It has taken me over a month to get through this book. It may well be the longest book I have ever read. I kind of wished it was my own copy and not a library book because so many times I wanted to underline something in:


Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

Again, I am astounded by how little I know about history. I knew nothing of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I knew nothing about the role of the church in Germany before and during World War 2. I knew nothing of the suffering of Christians pastors who dared resist Hitler.

I was struck by how the church in general always seems to be trying to stay true to the gospel.  You see it today. It was a problem in the 1920s. It was probably a problem all the way back to the day Jesus walked the earth. There is always some liberal agenda trying to weaken the gospel, some wolf in sheep's clothing trying to deceive the people into something cheap and untrue. There is always someone seeing the problem and trying to ring the warning bell that you must come back to the gospel. You must stay the course. You must pursue God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. That was Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was the voice calling out in the wilderness when the German church and people seemed to be floundering, first as the Third Reich was just a backdrop to the ebb and flow of church stability. Then, as the Third Reich sought to make the German church and people into something entirely different from what the church has been from the beginning. They sought to create some new kind of christian. People fell for it partly because they were so crushed and humiliated after World War 1 and probably because their faith was just not as interwoven into their lives as it should have been. Then, it probably had a lot to do with fear.

What was a little scary to me as I was reading this book was just how duped the German people were by Hitler and by how clever and intuitive Hitler was that he could worm his way into the German's heart and mind. Convincing them all along that he was a Christian like them but all the while didn't give a hoot and was actually surrounded by people who wanted to go back to the pagan religion of ancient Germany with all its mysticism etc. The whole seduction of the people kind of reminded me of current affairs and our 2008 election where the Barack Obama talked a good talk and wooed people into hope and change. He has ultimately not brought hope and the change he has brought has only undermined the rule of law already established and sought to take away American's individual liberties. The parallels are there and are quite alarming.

Bonhoeffer and his highly intelligent and influential family saw through the facade very early on and worked to see the mad man ousted. Many of them lost their lives, including Dietrich who almost made it. He had nearly slipped through the fingers of the SS and just 2 weeks before the end of the war and Hitler's suicide he was hanged. 

Bonhoeffer's contributions to Germany, the church, theologians, to his students, to his fellow prisoners and to all the people who continue to read the books he had written can not be quantified.

Definitely well worth the time to read this book and see the stark contrast between a man of God and a mad man.

Why Bother?

After (and while) reading Love Wins so many things were running through my head about just how off base this book and this bit of "theology" is. I will delve into my thoughts in this post.

In my eyes, Universal Reconciliation basically says to the Christian "why bother?" Why bother to follow Jesus' command in Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Why bother to follow commandments, live a pure life, share the gospel with your friends and family?
Why bother to rejoice when someone decides to follow Jesus?
Why bother to repent and change your life?
Why bother to read the Bible?
Why bother to teach your kids about Jesus and how he died for their sins?

Why bother when Universal Reconciliation says everyone will be given a chance to follow Christ once they reach eternity.  It could take them 100s of years but in the end because the Bible implies in a couple places including Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,"

How do we that everyone is happy about it! Or that "every" isn't just a generic term for a lot of people.

If everyone ends up saved in the end and no one who has rejected Jesus in life is separated from him in death then....
There is no need for personal responsibility for your actions and choices - now.
There is no need to being open to the Holy Spirit to lead you into a lifetime and eternity with Christ.
I can live it up now and not have to worry about a Judgement Day.
There is no real free will to choose God or not.
No need to hope for 11th hour commitments to Christ.
Really why bother praying that people's hearts would turn to Jesus.
Why spend the money to send missionaries into all the world.

However, the Judgment Day is mentioned quite a bit and Jesus was pretty serious about people choosing to follow him - he died to prove his point. He also told us we need to follow him to reach God the Father.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14

In actuality, now when I am reading the Bible I am reading it with the fresh perspective of just how off kilter the idea is that God who hates sin would suddenly disregard his own laws and give people a free pass after their time was up. Just because it doesn't sit well with some of us.

The best way I can liken it to real life is with the issue of immigration. We have people that go through a lengthy frustrating process to become U.S. Citizen, but they do it because it is important to them to do it the right way. Then, you have people who break the law and come into the U.S. illegally and soak up benefits with no regard for the rule of law. Universal Reconciliation says to those illegally entered people. "That's ok you didn't follow the rules but you can be a citizen anyway." What a slap in the face of all the people that made a choice to do it the right way, the lawful way.

If God is not a god of his own Word - which is the rule of law- what's the use in following him because he becomes a hypocrite and a farce. I want a God that sticks to his Word, who gives people a choice and lets them abide by that choice.

These are just some of the things that just don't make logical or Biblical sense to me in regards to universal reconciliation / salvation.
I am sticking to what I have always known and what is strongly supported in the Bible. We have one life to live we need to make good choices - chose Jesus and live forever with him. I don't know what that will look like but I am guessing it will be pretty good. As for the rest of the people, like those who never heard the gospel of Jesus, God knows their hearts I trust Him to judge wisely when the Day comes.

Read A Thon (June)

I heard about this book and knew there was some controversy  surrounding it and thought I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. So I checked it out from my trusty library.

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived  by Rob Bell

Does Love Win?

Rob Bell's style is winsome and the white space is easy on the eye, but as I expected when I started reading the book I did not agree with his theology, although there is a part of me that wants to.

Most of us have grown up with the knowledge that if you reject Jesus in this life you will not be spending eternity with Him. In a nutshell, Rob Bell suggests that is not true. It just can't be true because Love Wins. This is also called Universal Reconciliation, a term many Christians have probably never heard.  It is contrary to what the what the church has taught for 2000 years.

I can't go into his assertions and his weak arguments.  I read a book review that went through point after point that proved him wrong or weak in his points. The reviewer did an extensive job and I came away from reading it knowing that most of the points he made I was thinking while I read Love Wins. Another article I read by Carl Trueman, who I knew through my job at the church, pointed out the misuse of a quote by Martin Luther. The misquote takes away from Rob Bells credibility to use a quote accurately. It actually makes me pretty mad because I have never read anything Martin Luther ever wrote except the 95 Theses he nailed to a church door. Had I not read Carl's article I could have gone on to believe that Martin Luther believed one way when in fact all the things he ever wrote does not support Bell's point.

We rely on pastors/authors to use quotes in context and accurately and I feel Bell failed the Christian community and Martin Luther for that matter with just this one out of context quote.
Most of his use of Scripture was poorly documented as well. I had to keep looking things up to find exactly where he was getting his Bible stories or paraphrases from. It seemed more like he wants to make scripture say something its doesn't to make himself feel better about the way things are. Life isn't fair, people make choices that will effect their eternity, the results won't be pretty. We all have free will though.

I am sticking to what I have always known and what is strongly supported in the Bible. We have one life to live we need to make good choices - chose Jesus and live forever with him. I don't know what that will look like but I am guessing it will be pretty good. As for the rest of the people, like those who never heard the gospel of Jesus, God knows their hearts I trust Him to judge wisely when the Day comes.

Look for a follow up post that goes into Universal Reconciliation a little more....

It take a Village to Make a Quilt

There is nothing quite like the thrill of putting together fabrics for a new quilt. Selecting the perfect colors and patterns - it is a natural high for me- made all the better when the fabric I find is on sale or already in my stash.

I made this one for my mystery niece or nephew.... (The baby turned out to be a nephew!) It was a completely different direction from what I was originally going to do but when I saw the chosen crib bedding, all my plans changed. The bedding has bumblebees and remembered seeing fabric with honeybees. I decided this was quite appropriate since we come from a long line of beekeepers.

My great-grandfather was a beekeeper in Italy. When a swarm of honeybees became available at his new home in America he picked up the hobby again. Instructing my grandpop, who was just a young boy at the time, in the art of beekeeping. They in turn taught my dad. My dad continues the family tradition and has been getting help from my brother. So who know who will be the next trainee, I hope it will be one of the 3 grandchildren.

I chose this pattern because -well it looks like honeycomb and a flower too. I did need some council on how to attach it to the backing so I brought it to a quilting club one Saturday and got so many great ideas. The best idea was the green background. I was originally going to use white. They advised me against that, one reason being white and babies are not always a good mix. I was so pleased to find a green that worked so well and was on sale! My friend the quilt shop owner says, "sometimes it takes a village to make a quilt!  (or pick colors)" I have found this to be true time and again.