Five on Friday

1.  The amazing Kelle Hampton, over at Enjoying the Small Things, wrote a wonderful Hallmark post called It Takes a Village, this week.   My daughters and their friends do things like this all the time and I am so proud of the ways they support and love each other.  And Kelle's new book, Bloom - Finding Beauty in the Unexpected, is available for pre-order now - I can hardly wait to read it!

2.  The youngest of our grandchildren is just about ready to start walking on her own!  She's getting very brave about pulling herself up and letting go of the furniture.  It's so hard to believe that she will have her first birthday in just a bit more than a month - and that her Mama is getting ready to go back to work after a year's maternity leave!

3.  Happy Birthday to our son who celebrated his birthday yesterday.  It's been an amazing year for him - and the one ahead promises to be even more exciting!

4.  I joined the 30 Days of Lists project for this month.  I'm looking forward to challenging myself with some extra creativity.  Please come over and join us!

5.  Our Bible study group is reading Heaven is for Real this month.  

Lists of 2012 - #9

Listography 2012 - #9 - Stores I Wish I Could Shop At

Some for me, some for my house, some for my family -

1.  Urban Barn

2.  J. Crew

3.  Lisa Leonard Designs

4.  Etsy

5.  Quilt Stores(any and all!)

6.  Gymboree

7.  Kunitz Shoes

8.  Atmosphere

9.  Pier 1

10.  Pottery Barn

11.  L.L. Bean

12.  Nordstrom's

Creating

Making pyjamas for our grandchildren has become a sewing task that I quite enjoy.  This little green flannel nightgown was easy to sew and fits Helayna perfectly.  

She's grown nearly two inches in the last month though so it doesn't quite touch the floor, as she had requested.   She helped me sew buttons on, just as she had sketched them out to show me the details :)  Time to start another one for the next granddaughter!

Gratitude Gifts

Ann's words carved deep into my heart yesterday.

"Forget to give thanks — and Who you forget is God."

Those words cut straight through me yesterday.  Perhaps it was the middle-of-winter doldrums, perhaps it was 4 days of teaching, more likely it was that I let the world plow in and push aside my attention.  When I do that, I cheat God and it's no wonder that He leaves me sitting in the midst of worry and discontent.  

I pick myself up out of the ditch that I've sunk into and find my journal and suddenly my eyes are opened again.  He takes care of me, He desires to place the best things in my days and He is always waiting for me to come back.

"Turn in thanks and everything turns — and God doesn’t turn away."

#3710 - #3750

- Creamy Orange Dressing on salad greens

- phone calls

- visiting on the sidewalk

- a new book (#6 in Clan of the Cave Bear)

- birthday gifts for friends

- diamonds sparkling all across the playground on morning supervision

- big white snowflakes swirling around

- call to sub first thing in the morning

- Ash Wednesday

- sharing the Eucharist

- springform pan holding raspberry cheesecake

- favourite crystal vase from Sweden

- white daisies

- maple cutting board from Charlevoix, Quebec - more than 10 years old

- pushing three swings and hearing them laugh

- mild morning for supervision

- Bible study

- finishing  our study of "Reclaiming the "E" Word"

- snacks

- working together in the kitchen

- leather gloves, soft and supple and nearly worn out

- the thought of new winter boots for next year

- ironing board cover

- dinner cooked by friends

- hearing about God's answers to their prayers

- safe travel

- visiting with our children, in person and via Skype

- toys scattered - it means we were having fun

- little imaginations that build Lego ice cream stores and yellow combines

- dirty dishes - it means we had a delicious supper

- slush spattered on the car - it means we got home safely

- napping while Bob drove home

- new batteries and light bulbs

- playing like a kid again

- reading new stories together

- God's provision of days of work

- amazing development as God nourishes a new life

- thinking long and hard about how He is speaking through His word

- considering how to provide Christian education better

- leaning hard on His promises

Creating

Valentine's Day could not go by without a few special pillowcases.  I just keep loving these little things that I make to share :)

Of course I forgot to take pictures of the other sets - I was in such a hurry to give them away!

Dear Sol

Dear Little Solomon -


It's nearly one week since you were baptized - the day that you were formally received into God's family.  I was so very happy to be invited to the service and celebration.  Your Mommy and Daddy chose to bring you to God's house for this service and to ask all of us to support you as you grow up.  You are so tiny (although alot bigger since we saw you at Christmas!) but you were wide awake through the whole thing.  Your Daddy held you so very proudly as we all watched.   When Pastor Tim poured water over your head you didn't make a sound - you actually smiled as he wiped your head and you faced us again.  It seemed like you understood the beauty of it all.

Your Mommy and Daddy chose Albert and Kim to be your godparents,  the ones that will pay special attention to you and encourage you.  Kim and Mommy have been friends for a long time and they were chosen because they have a special relationship with God our Father too.  They were proud to stand with you and they marvel at you and your growth.  I hope you will grow to know and love them too.


We were at the church where your Mommy was baptized as a toddler and it made me think alot about the day that we held her.  It was her first birthday and she was much bigger than you.  She wore a beautiful white dress and bonnet and we were so happy to see her received into God's family.  We have watched her grow up and have prayed many prayers for her through the years.  God has lead her through many adventures and this year He has given her a special job as your Mommy.  You will be added to our family prayer list now and we will ask God to help you grow strong and wise and close to Him.


Your great-grandparents are so very happy to be able to cuddle you and they marvel as you respond to them.  Grampa Gus will introduce you to the farm and you will quickly know that he keeps an endless supply of candies stashed in the closet.  Gramma 'Frieda sewed you a special monkey quilt and she will continue to sew for you as long as she can.  You are surrounded by a big family and all of their legacies of love and service in this area.  But your Daddy's family is far away on the other side of Canada, in northern Newfoundland.  We know that they thought of you today and that they are praying for you too.  Before you even arrived, your Granny Gertrude prayed that you would grow up to be just like your Daddy - that's a great prayer for a little boy to hear and know about.  I hope that you will be able to visit them often and get to know them and their community too.  I know that they are missing you alot!  Auntie Esther took pictures on Daddy's iPhone so he could send them off right away so they could share in the day.

Pastor Tim preached right to you in his sermon.  His opening comments mentioned that you have a big name to live up to in King Solomon.  These are the things I wrote down in my sermon notes:  Pastor  reminded us that even with all the knowledge we have today, we can't save ourselves.  God asks us to be faithful and then we will know who we are, where we are going and who we are following.  We have been created by God and we are invited to eternal life.  But first God will lead us to places where we can make a difference, if we just follow Him.   God twists our lives and leads us to places we would never go on our own but where we will make a difference.  He welcomes us to eternal life, but first we must face life head-on, exactly where He sends us.  On the cross we will get what we long for - a home with Him.  That is your legacy and your promise as God's child, Sol.


And so little one, we are so happy that you have been baptized as a child of God's!  We pray for your family as you live in God's love and hope that you will follow wherever God leads you.  


Much love,
Great-Auntie Crystal

Special cake pops made by your Auntie Mel

Five on Friday

1.  Have you taken this Betty Crocker Cupcake Quiz?  I'm a Toasted Almond Cupcake with Caramel Frosting - representing spirit and adventure.  Go try it and come back to tell me about your flavour!

(photo from Betty Crocker.com)

2. If you are a gardener buying seeds this spring, you need to read this post from Kevin about buying seeds from Monsanto, who now controls 40 - 80% of the vegetable seed business.  We need seed diversity and natural seeds, not more genetically modified or altered seeds.  May I suggest The Cottage Gardener, a Canadian heritage seed company, for your seed purchases this spring?

3.   It's been a very full week of company, visiting, teaching and merry-making.  And the weekend is looking to be just as busy.  We are blessed to have so many friends and so much family with whom to enjoy life!

4.  Raspberry cheesecake for a friend's birthday is presently chilling in my fridge.  After licking the beaters, I'm convinced it will be delicious :)

5.  When Maëlle is on the swings, she is so full of laughs and giggles as she gets pushed.  It's the sweetest sound ever - definitely one I want to remember!