TBT: She's Artsy

At one point in the blogging scene, I remember seeing something called "Throwback Thursday".  This was years ago.  I don't know exactly what it was about or if it is still a thing...but it is going to be for me!   I only seem to manage blogging when Matt is out of town and I am staying up way too late with insomnia which means I don't blog my photos which means I am backlogged with photos which means I don't really want to take MORE photos just to get more behind.  You see my problem, right?

I think I figured out a solution to the dilemma.

 I am going to institute my own sort of "Throwback Thursday" here on the blog until I get caught up.  Not sure how long it will take...maybe not long.  But here's your notice.

 If you don't want to see outdated fall leaves in the spring or Christmas lights in March, I'd suggest avoiding a visit on a Thursday.  ;-)

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So this girl of mine has "artsy" running through her veins.  It is a part of who she is.  Creating some sort of art is part of her daily routine...from the doodles of her algebra page to the canvases on her wall.

Around Christmas, her project-making goes into overdrive.

Lots of presents to make!  Lots of presents to give!

Not only for giving, this year was year two of setting up a craft table with her gal pals on Black Friday.  AND she even had a few special orders.

Busy gal.

She took pictures of her stuff so that she could remember the things she made even after they were gone.  So, here they are.  For my girl.

First special order:  she drew Moses' name for our kiddo Christmas exchange.   I *MAY* have steered her towards a little art canvas for him.

Here are some of her other crafty endeavors in December, some to sell, some to give.

These were sticker bookplates

And here are the talented crew at the Black Friday craft show.  GIRL POWER!



There is a lot of talent squished back behind that table...

                                                       PS.  Amazing venue, no?

Happy Days

 HAPPY  DAYS!  We had our first 'eating on the porch' dinner of 2020 a few nights ago.  It might have been chilly by the end, but oh SO worth it.  I love my porch.  I love EATING on the porch.  I love the mild weather that we have been having that has ALLOWED us to eat on the porch!  And I SO look forward to many, many more of those evenings on the porch in the future.   After a crummy winter, I am ready for the freshness that spring brings with it.  SO READY.

Our cow is dry and has been for quite some time- but Matt's brother John has a cow that freshened recently which means...WE HAVE RAW MILK again!  We buy it, of course, but at least I don't have to buy 8 gallons of milk in a grocery cart already filled with two children to the gaping stares of strangers...that is a definite perk.  And it comes with cream on top.  Because we all know how much I love cream.  ;-)  Particularly, the "ice" variety.  ha!

The other day I promised I would make stromboli for supper but I knew I didn't have enough ham.  I called down to the only business in the little town that I live in-a gas station. The kind of small town gas station that has old men open 'er up for coffee each morning at 6 am for 'coffee club'.  The kind that slices deli meat so you don't have to go ALL the way 'up town' and sells maple syrup from the farm down the road and a few frozen tubes of home-grown beef.  The kind with the whole back covered in potato chips and the corner covered in Amish romance and christian devotional books.  I called down for ham to be sliced for me and when I went to put it in the stromboli, I noticed the little note.  Small town livin' at its' finest.  That's community for you.

And SPEAKING of community...  the INTERNET.  For all its' woes, I appreciate so much the way the internet connects people and builds communities in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise.  It makes neighbors of people states and countries away and friends of people who may never actually meet on this side of heaven.  It allows us the ability to extend the call to 'love thy neighbor' to so many more people!  Our little spheres of influence can be flung out far and wide, opening up a whole world to us. As much as the internet can be dangerous and/or harmful at times...oh, it can be so good too!

 I was reminded of this very powerful truth this week as packages started to arrive on my doorstep for the community baby shower!  I am OVERCOME!  You have NO idea how delighted we were/are as we open up these gifts, knowing that someone is going to feel so loved and cared for and prayed over who may be at a time when they really need to feel those things!

 Thank you, THANK you to you sweet and wonderful people!!

An April Endeavor

I have decided to host an “April Showers Community Baby Shower” to help fundraise and support our local crisis pregnancy centers.   

Have I ever done anything like this before?  no.

Do I know what I am doing? nope.

Am I crazy?!  Pretty sure, yes.

But I am doing it anyway.  Because... babies are dying.  Because this is THE social injustice of our time.    Because abortion is OUR Holocaust.

Prayer is one of the greatest and most powerful of weapons, it's true.  Mothering children faithfully and training children to value life and fellow image-bearers of God has generational consequences and the power in that ought not to be undervalued.  Even still,  I feel compelled to put my money, time and energy to do something in support of the tiniest humans in our society, many of whom are so tragically considered disposable today. 

 I have never done a fundraiser of any kind before and feel very inadequate to the task, but I am not going to let that stop me from trying! 

Like an actual baby shower, the plan is that people will bring baby gifts. Except instead of one expectant Mama and unborn baby,  MANY of them will be showered with love!  (Or that is the hope, anyway.)   

There will be a cookie bar, finger foods and drinks available.  A few simple prizes and games (nothing that requires involvement… more the guessing how many things are in the jar sort of games, drawings, etc.   Also- I hope to have a raffle (or silent auction).

  All gifts and proceeds will go directly to Endless Mountains Pregnancy Center and First Look Ultrasound and possibly, depending upon how great the turnout, CareNet Pregnancy Resource Center.

April 18th is the big event.  

I don't know much but I do know this is going to involve a lot of emails, a lot of door to door and flyer hanging and a lot MORE cookie baking.  This month is going to BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSYYYYY.

 I know that most of my blog readers are not local and would be unable to attend such an event- but knowing the big, huge hearts that some of you have, I suspect some of you may wish to support these crisis pregnancy centers and the women and babies who they bless too... so I made two online baby registries where you can buy a gift (or 10!) for $2.00 or $200.00...they will be sent to me and I will personally deliver all gifts after the shower to the pregnancy center(s).  Those online registries are here:

https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/aprilshowers-wccommunitybabyshower-april-2020-warrencenter/2MYHSH5MTFADY

and here:

https://www.babylist.com/april-showers-wc-community-baby-shower

I hope you will consider donating something.  You never know how the Lord can use your gift for His glory!

 Mostly, I just covet your prayers in this endeavor and your GOSSIP!  Plug it on your social media,  instagram, twitter, and all the other places that people go.  Get the word out!  Gossip the heck out of this!  ;-)

Thank you, thank you!

These Lips Get Me Every Time

These Days

Mid-winter lilies are therapeutic mid-winter.  Try it- you'll see!

 

These photos hurt my heart.  Especially that second one.  

Thank goodness he gave me a little-boy grin just afterward.  I'd have been done in.

We've had sickness going around for about two weeks.  One person would get it for a few days, we'd have a day off.  Then another one would succumb.  Two weeks later, I feel like we are only just now 'back to normal'.  That's one of those things about having a larger family- it is pretty much inevitable that anything 'gotten' will go through the entire house and will take forever to finally hit everyone.  On Ineke's turn, even sick as a dog, she wanted to hold Moses' hand.  It was super sweet- and probably the reason he later got sick himself.  

Being sick never looked so good.

 

She typically wears a sweatshirt and jeans during the week.  Maybe that is why on Sundays, Corynn is all the more striking when she finally does get spiffy.

A friend got her the dress at a bag sale.

And oh, those locks!

 

 

The cinnamon roll star gets an upgrade.  Now it is a strawberries and cream star.  And a major YUM.

A huge, brilliant, beautiful snowstorm dumped about 9 inches of snow on us over the weekend.  It has been such a strange winter- so mild, so brown, so rainy.  I remember one day in January reaching the unheard of temp (around here) of 60 degrees!  It felt so good to see Old Man Winter putting some effort in before it is too late.  The boys build snowbales today and had a nerf gun battle in the yard.  Warm weather and rain in the forecast means that the snow will not last for long- so we enjoy it while we can.

I'd write more but 1 a.m.  isn't the best time to blog.  At least not coherent thoughts.  I do what I can.