Spring Into Summer

I've been missing my blog.

I've been missing you, my dear friends!

Missing checking in with you and filling you in on what's happening here.

What's happening here?

Well, a lot of things. 

The very best important thing is...we were blessed to become Grandparents on May 5, 2015. Our oldest son and his wife had a son. His name is Maximilian David Pantley. He is a beautiful boy and he has brought the sweetness of babyhood back into our home! We are savoring every opportunity to hold him and pray for him and cuddle him.

What else have we been up to?

Well, not much on the handiwork, but that is soon to change. We have ideas and are now preparing a place to work. The craft room, at the moment, is not working out. I need to be where I can see what's going on, at least for now, so we're setting up a work station in the living spaces.

Lydia and I are, very soon, trying our hand at making our own soap. When we think we're ready, we will offer it for sale, along with other handmade items, offered by us and by some friends. 

Hurray for high hopes!

Working on our garden and cleaning out goat pens and sheds. We have 3 bucklings and 2 doelings that were born within the last couple of weeks. This year we are letting the Mamas feed them and not bottle feeding. It does free us up for other things.

That is a bit of a catch-up on the happenings in our neck of the woods. I have much to share, but this is a good start. It's good to be back. Lord willing, this is a new beginning.

 Thank you Dearest Savior for all the blessings You have given us. We do not deserve anything from Your kind hand, yet You bestow Your grace and mercy on us each day and provide our needs as You see fit. Praise you for every Home-Sweet Thing You have provided. May we live to glorify You in every area of our lives. Amen

Hello Dearests!

Here I am again in my little Living Room corner, come to share another day that the Lord has made.

I didn't get to do much on a new header. I woke up with my body not totally cooperating with me today. Let's just say, I did everything slower. I do believe it was God's wisdom to me that I start getting ready for Thanksgiving weeks ahead of time. I spent time cleaning and rearranging, preparing for a soapstone woodstove to take up lots of room in my Dining Room. Exciting in a sense because it's a step closer to me someday having a cookstove (which I would one day love to have!) and forcing me to get rid of more things that are just not essential to life as we know it now. Still so very far to go, just want to live the Kingdom now.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  Luke 12:15

 

As I type this I think about the fun thoughtsI had earlier about fixing up my little corner to be my very own. I moved the sewing nook I set up in the dining room a while back and set it all up in a 'spare' room. We keep an extra bed in there along with my crafty/worky stuff, my machines and things I use to be creative with, and use to make clothing and such. Anyhow...I got this wonderful brainstorm about fixing up my corner here. I am going to attempt to be thrifty about it and not buy a thing for it. Let's see if it can be done. A thrifty challenge...to myself...to fix up a creative corner to enjoy while I am searching, learning and writing, crocheting, stitching and creatively knitting along with Lydia. We have our own ideas of knit-a-long...we are working together on a scarf for her. I knit and put it down, then she knits and puts it down...and so on. I'll send a photo tomorrow.

And for the rest of this post, I'll send a couple of photos I've taken around here so far this week.

 

I always liked the way the sun streamed through the golden leaves in the early morning. I like all the colors, it's just that these are holding on the longest here in my yard. So pretty...and the whole process of the earth following the cycle...the Lord's plan for this part of His earth to rest. 

 This is our portion of Dave's honey from this year, held back. Look at how dark it is! It tastes so sweet. It looks like buckwheat honey...but it's sweet! Yummy...and Dave is plum sold out!!!!  Lord willing, more hives next year...and I'm going to try to give him a hand. This honey is the bottom of the barrel, so to speak and so it's got more wax on top. No problem for us though! Tastes good in tea and baked goods. 

These two yummy-looking apple delights are the gluten-free girl's morning breakfast. I'll have to share how to do it...but it's so simple, maybe you can figure it out by looking at the photo! YUM!!! Buttery, cinnamon-y, apple-y, sugary deliciousness!

That is a very brief pictorial of a few fun things here in the last couple of days. I've been messing with my own camera, Lydia's is ever so much more expensive than mine...but I think mine takes nice pics...for a small one.

Help us Lord to keep everything in perspective. To seek You at every turn in our lives, through every season, whether it's growth or rest, help us to trust you. Thank you, Lord, for supplying everything we need. Thank you for teaching us to trust you in hard times and may we never forget you in easy ones. Thank you, Lord, for your keeping grace and for your abundant love, which keeps us and fills us with hope! In Jesus Christ Name, Amen

May the Father bless those in your Home-Sweet with eyes to see His good and perfect gifts that tell of His great, great love toward us who believe. Sing these simple words to Him with a thankful heart: "God, You're so good, God, You're so good, God You're so good, You're so good to me."