I'm still here!

Last summer I downloaded the blogger app onto my iPhone and loved how easy it was to post pictures and updates. And then I got a new phone at the end of October and that was the end of my blogging for two months. Haha. Oops! I blame the silly Samsung that I'm using now. Everything seems more cumbersome on this stinkin' phone. I'm used to it now but not sold on it. Anyway... I've finally figured out the blogging app and have enough patience stored up to try to type an entire post on here! Wish me luck! If it works, it might happen again before 2 months go by!

 

So what's new?  Let's see if I can figure out adding pictures so I can show you what we've been up to!

Vacuuming.

Pumpkin carving.

(post Halloween... though Levi didn't mind!)

Oh yeah, we've been working on a little something behind the scenes...except it's June not July. 

Hunting and butchering.

 (white tail deer)

Painting.

Christmas concerting at our church.

Baking cookies where everyone can watch and help - on the floor.

Opening Christmas gifts.

And stockings. 

Progress report at 13-14 weeks.

Reading books.

Learning how to play Guess Who.

(Levi is SO good at it!)

It has been a fun couple months. A good end to what had been a bit of a stressful year. Most of this year had a "trying to conceive" undercurrent,  which is both exciting and frustrating at the same time. After the first baby was so long in coming, I find that each month of subsequent trying is especially hard. Questions of "Will it happen?" and "How long will it take this time?" take over quite quickly into the process and it's fairly discouraging as other people are getting pregnant right away and we're left trying and trying. BUT... we are blessed to have two and another on the way! That's three more pregnancies than I once thought I'd have. So we are rejoicing and singing and oh so excited! 

Business-wise, I had a busy January-March and August-November this year. (This is crocheting I'm talking about, Uniquely Me Design.) I sell both through facebook/trade shows (which is mostly local) and Etsy (world-wide). Since having Kayden, these have been my first two "busy seasons" and I'm finding that I just don't enjoy the filling of orders as much as I used to. I love when people are interested in what I make and want to support me...but when it comes to actually making the items, the passion just isn't there anymore.  Add to that some direct competition in town (despite knowing that it's just business, I put a lot of myself into my creations and am taking it really personally when I see people ordering from someone else) and I'm finding most of the fun is just gone for me. I just don't think it's worth the stress it's been this year so I think it's time to just let it go. That said, I still LOVE making things for people I know and love so if you are ever interested in something, please ask me about making it for you! I don't mind and love to see people enjoying things I've made! Just buy me the yarn and I'll make things for you! And don't worry, I'll let you know if I just don't have time ;)

Christmas was fun this year. Levi is at an age now (4) where he got really excited counting down to Christmas and Christmas morning was highly anticipated! Kayden was still fairly oblivious to the coming holiday, though she got right into the unwrapping and playing with new toys/reading new books once it arrived. We spent some time with Nathan's parents and brother and with my family. Lots of good times, celebrating God and family, and making memories.

Random little fact that has nothing to do with anything but is a tiny bit fun and exciting for me: tonight I made what Nathan has dubbed "homesteaders stew." It's venison stew made from the deer Nathan shot this fall, and onions, potatoes, carrots and peas from my garden. It was amazing, though the kids didn't love it (boo!). But how great that everything came from the land? I could get used to this!

Things I count as blessings

When I was in Bible school, fresh out of high school, I was new to managing money. I had only just gotten my first debit card and was new to financial responsibility. That said, I think I did pretty well. I headed into tuition payment with the money my parents had saved for my education and the money I'd made working a couple summers at camp. Life was good. I was fairly oblivious, checking on my balance at the beginning of each semester to make sure the funds were there and once or twice throughout the school year to double check that there was enough to see a movie with friends or to buy the shampoo/soap/pads that I needed.

Something strange sometimes happened, though, when I would check my balance. Instead of constantly going down, as would be expected when you're a student with minimal student work, my balance would sometimes jump up by a few hundred dollars. Unexpectedly and inexplicably. Now, perhaps I could have tracked down the source for these funds; they likely had a very logical explanation. But in the minimal digging that I did, I couldn't find a source and therefore began to dub the extra money, "Miracle Money." I took that money as a gift from God and gave Him the thanks for it. I always felt so blessed.

Recently, our hot water heater started acting funny. We would have warm water for part of a day and then it would seem to run out and it would just be cold for about 12-18 hours until it had a chance to warm up again. At its hottest those days, it would be just barely warm enough for a comfortable shower. Not hot enough to feel like I was getting the dishes clean or really have a nice, hot shower...but warm enough to not freeze our hands when we washed them...until it ran out. Then it was just plain cold.  Anyway, we did a little research and figured one of our elements must be shot. Our options would be to replace the element(s) or replace the entire water heater - which, considering its age, was our plan. Nathan was going to buy a water heater one Saturday but for whatever reason, he left it for Monday. On Sunday, Nathan was talking to the previous owner of our place, who suggested flipping the breaker just in case half the breaker had flipped on its own and half was still on. He admitted it was a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to try. Well, we went home after church and Nathan flipped the breaker. Then we waited. And guess what?  We're back to hot water! Was it really the breaker? Probably. I mean, it's certainly a possibility that that was the case (though I've never heard of such!). But I'm choosing to see it as God blessing us. I'm giving him thanks for not having to buy a new water heater just yet.

I'm also giving God thanks for the little things these days. Like just now, I needed a few things for supper. Last year, while living in town, I would have run to the grocery store to pick up what I needed. Of course that's a blessing, to have a grocery store near by and the money to purchase what I need. But it was so nice to head to the garden and come back with a pail full of produce. I am always amazed that I can put small seeds in the ground in spring, basically do nothing else, and then have a garden full of stuff to eat in just a matter of months. Isn't that crazy? I think it's pretty amazing. You put seeds in DIRT, and food grows. Unbelievable. Anyway, I figured I'd share what I was making for supper, since it's one of my favourites. It's one of those things that I grew up eating and is a definite comfort food for me. If you happen to have the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes, you might have seen/made it before :)

Seven Layer Dinner

Layer thinly sliced potatoes in bottom of casserole dish (about 1/2"). 

Add a layer of thinly sliced onions. 

Next a layer of thinly sliced carrots (4 or 5). 

Sprinkle on 1/4 cup rice. 

Add a layer of peas (frozen is fine). So far in this casserole, the potatoes, onion, carrots and peas are all from my garden!

Add a layer of either pork sausages or ground beef and season with salt and pepper. 

Dilute a can of tomato soup with a can of water and pour over top. Then bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Uncover and bake for another hour then serve!  Yum!