advice for the bride

In appreciation to those of you who offered your own two cents of advice in my preparation of a devotional for Jenna's bridal shower (I think I promised each of you a penny in return)... And to encourage all of us to think biblically about our marriages... Here's what I said to Jenna on Saturday...

...I have several "Be's" for you to think about as you prepare for this important occasion.

The first is BE COMMITTED.

Consider the example of your parents and your grandparents, and determine to commit to your own marriage for the rest of your life.  Marriage vows usually include promises to love each other "for better or worse." That's because marriage isn't easy; you usually have to work at it.  Marriage isn't a 50-50 think; it's about each of you giving 100 percent even when you don't feel like it.

God says in the Bible that...

 ⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
 ¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
 ¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
 ¹²And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Secondly, BE RESPECTFUL.

This is probably the number one thing you can do for Chris and your marriage - and ultimately for yourself.  You need Chris's love; he needs your respect.

The Bible has both positive and negative examples from which to learn.  Are you familiar with this from Proverbs?

⁹It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. 

(Proverbs 21:9)

Actually there are several verses in Proverbs about the brawling, angry, or contentious woman.  Do you think that might be the natural bent of most women when things don't go our way?  But as we seek to be like Christ and allow His grace to work in us, we can honor God and our husbands.  Here's another verse from Proverbs:

 ⁴A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. 

(Proverbs 12:4)

Jenna, you can be a lovely crown to Chris by showing him respect in private and in public.


The third "Be" is BE KIND.

The Bible says in Ephesians:

 ³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
 ³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

(Ephesians 4:31-32)

My last "Be" is also found in this passage:  BE FORGIVING.

God's forgiveness is available to each one of us through Jesus Christ.  This is why we can and should be willing to forgive others.  We all mess up. 

By God's grace you can be committed, respectful, kind, and quick to forgive.  This will enable you and Chris - when life is "better" or when life is "worse" - to enjoy marriage at its best for the rest of your life.

The hostesses chose an ISU tailgate theme since Jenna & Chris are both ISU grads and fans.

let them eat cake

(maybe that's not such a good quote to be repeating?)

But here's some of what we're up to...

Miss MusicBox baked three half-batches of chocolate cake on Wednesday to determine which was the perfect recipe for this weekend...  Yesterday she baked 6 layers of cake (for 2 of 3 cakes) - strawberry and the chocolate (Hershey's deep dark chocolate?).  Today she baked 3 layers of "Miss Grace's" carrot cake recipe... and then another layer after one was damaged  :-(   (I'm saving that one layer for Sunday ~ Rom 8:28 ~ yum!)  AND we've had debate upon debate and discussion of just how to decorate them all...   :o  Her plan was to decorate two cakes today and the third tomorrow afternoon (between bridal shower and graduation party). 

After supper Tim saw she needed some encouragement with the frosting... so he put his abilities with trowel frosting spatula to work.  Can you tell he used to do finish work with concrete?  :-)

And this pic to show the beautiful antique cake stands that belongs to my SIL...

Meanwhile Miss MB worked on the second cake...

She's saving the chocolate cake decorating for tomorrow...

Congratulations, Rhys!

~*~*~*~*~*~

And, in other news... I went to see Bruce yesterday about the kitchen cabinets.  Here's the 20/20 version of the plan from early this week.  It's pretty close, but we've also added and changed some things.  He doesn't want to place the order before a we see a full-sized door in the finish we've chosen... just in case.  And he came out to the house today to do his own measuring - even without the drywall and amidst the current work.  So he and Tim were able to discuss some things on-site ~ very helpful!

I don't think I want to count the number of weeks until June 30...

I'll go check on Miss MB and her cake instead  ;-)

a ten-minute post

Can I do it?!

I should have shut this off a half hour ago... but instead I'll indulge in a quick update and then shut it off.

Tomorrow Tim & I shall order our kitchen cabinets - Yay!  But the real yAy! is that we'll be at the local lumber yard to do it!  woot woot!  No, Woodharbor didn't let me decide their May special ~ they still haven't decided!  But our local retailer for them didn't want me to get my kitchen from Menard's.  Bless his heart, Bruce called me with a lovely quote today, and I'm doing the happy dance (okay, only in my mind) ~ I'm so thankful to have this little desire of my ♥!  God is good ~ He would still be good if we had to order from Menard's or RTAs from Connecticut... But I'm so excited to have this bright spot in our week (okay, year!)

{the photo above is just to give you an idea of what our cabinets might look like... almost, but not quite}

Also on the house front, the electrical inspector is to come on Monday.  And the dry-wall hanger.  Praying!


Friday, Miss MusicBox needs to bake three 3-layer cakes!  :o  My nephew graduates from ISU this weekend, and my SIL requested cakes by Miss MB -- and Miss Artist isn't here to help and join the fun.  I decided to buy groceries tonight on the way home from church, so we can all stay home on Friday and get in her way be of some assistance.

Saturday morning is my niece's bridal shower that I'm to do the devotions for... instead of shopping at our city-wide garage sales.  (I've decided God is protecting me from additional s.t.u.f.f. to move this summer ~ what else can I do?)  Saturday evening is the graduation party.

Sunday the calendar says is Mother's Day.  My folks are still in Arizona due to Dad's surgery, so maybe we will have a quiet day of just us?  But likely the afternoon will be busy - Tim has an unending list to accomplish with house and cattle...

I'm sure Monday will follow... possibly with us trying to sweep up the mess at the new house.  I saw it today.  Ugh.  Think shredded styrofoam peanuts all over the place.  Mr. Electrician has been cutting into the ICF walls ya know...

Ten minutes is LONG gone and soon it will be tomorrow!  Good night and have a blessed weekend!

daybook 12

FOR TODAY

May 4, 2010

Outside my window...

• the sun is shining in a blue, blue sky
• the wind is seriously blowing
• the dandelions are proliferating way beyond our NPT agreement

I am thinking...

about electrical outlets and switches, kitchen cabinets, etc. {See that the eyes have glazed over...}


I am praying for...

• many health needs 
• Marissa and family who lost Grandma/Mom/Wife recently ~ married 68 years ~ Isn't that great though?!
• patience and a sweet spirit in me in spite of construction stress ~ this will be a 'prayer and fasting' need for God to work (thankful for that verse Sunday and the new realization of what it means)

I am thankful for...

• a good report after my dad's surgery this morning to remove a small superficial tumor ~ No further treatment planned, just frequent check-ups ~ Thank you, Lord!

• Sunday morning message:  "Yes, but GOD IS ABLE."  God's sovereign power ~

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

Mark 9:23  

(Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.)

From the learning rooms...

• the Popper is beginning multiplying by 3 and enjoying learning cursive writing in penmanship
• the Cattleman is mastering division with 2-digit divisors and working with fractions
• the Cowgirl finished her Easy Grammar today with the post-test (finished math weeks ago)
• the Computer Geek is working with quadratic equations in Algebra 2 and the final module's study guide in physical science (and deserving lots of 'demerits' for chattering with siblings this morning)
• Miss Music Box is determined to conquer the last of her geometry lessons (I think she much prefers her anatomy course)
• Miss Artist is under supervision of Aunt J. yet this week, but should also be finishing her physical science module and progressing in math lessons.  
• And we finished our current chapter in Carson this morning, "A Second Radical Reconstruction, 1960-1975," reading about 'The Revolt against Authority' and 'Constitutional Reconstruction.'  Next chapter is called "The Conservative Response," but I will wait another couple weeks to begin that - when we have everyone home again for a while.  We have a whole volume covering 1985-2001 to read after we finish with this one -- hopefully we can be done before September!

From the kitchen...

leftovers for lunch, with leftovers still leftover!  Corndog muffins on the menu for supper, but I didn't ask Tim if that meets with his approval (I expected him to be in the field, thus the kid-friendly/easy for Mom menu plans)... Not sure what Plan B might be.   Can't remember the plan for the rest of the week.


I am creating...

a recipe book for niece Jenna for Saturday's bridal shower (I could/should be printing pages while I type this...Hurrah for multi-tasking.)


I am going...

crazy


I am reading...

the Psalms

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

I am hoping...

to get an answer from Woodharbor soon.  It's May 4, and they haven't decided what their May special on their cabinets will be.  I could be happy to decide for them.  ;-)  Meanwhile, I'm resolving myself to be thankful for Schrock from Menard's or Conestoga all the way from Connecticut.


I am hearing...

the wind ~ now that the Cattleman is finished at the piano and the printer is finished with the requested job
Actually, now that it's taken me several hours to accomplish this post, I hear the water running now and then as the kids enjoy a water fight outside.


Around the house...

it could be worse  (It has been recently!)


One of my favorite things...

buying jeans for my boys for $6 each at the outlet mall  :-)

A few plans for the rest of the week:

• ordering the kitchen cabinets
• decluttering in earnest
• more construction cleaning after the electrician finishes drilling and before the drywall dust begins...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

in the form of two photos ~ gotta love the combination ~
Do you wonder what the cattle are looking at?

Ava tackled the Cowgirl  :-)
Here she is playing in the cat's water dish  :o  Yes, I washed her hands with soap immediately!

Link up and find more daybooks at Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Thurs-Friday update (for Miss Artist)

Miss Artist is away from home for a few weeks.  She requested more pictures of the new calves, but this was about as good as I could get on a drive-by shooting photo shoot while I was out and about to buy eggs.  There are 8 calves so far out there somewhere... Newest one belongs to the heifer Miss A named Piper.  So I thought the little guy's name should be Whistler - what do you think?

When Tim came home for supper yesterday, we had a brief conversation like this:
T: I'm gonna go fix the window.
M: What window?
T: The skylight.
M: What's wrong with the skylight?
T: It leaks!
M:  Oh, that.  :-)

So, when it stormed and rained buckets at 2:30 this morning, the skylight didn't leak!  Woot woot!  (Guess I could move the dishpan from the stairs back to the kitchen now?)

We went to Wal-mart this morning on the way to piano and picked up a nice Gerbera daisy for Mrs. D.  Then at Fareway I bought another smaller golden yellow Gerbera for myself us!  And a couple mystery flowers for Miss A to guess - they are deep red and the name stars with a "D."  I thought they would look good at the new house... eventually when we have a front yard.  Hmm, we're having pizza for supper tonight.  That means more wheat to grind for the crusts, and maybe I'll thaw the sausage for sausage/'shroom pizza?  Yum.  And now, a house disaster to clean and bath fans to deliver to my favorite house-builder named Tim...

Have a great weekend!

signs of spring... summer is coming!

Green is the color of growth... Pastor H. talked about being like an evergreen on Sunday:  they grow all year long, but it the spring they have a major growth spurt that you can see.

These pansies survived the winter under a thick blanket of snow... what a pleasant surprise to find them alive and happy this spring!

These beautiful blooms are almost gone.  It's been very windy.

I don't remember seeing actual flowers on these plants before.  I wish I'd seen them before they began to wither.  I don't even remember what the plant is called... I thought it started with a "B" but this bougainvillea doesn't look right either.  Very strange.  Can't find it on the Jung website.  Anyone know what this is??

Can't tell you what this is either - I know we bought it at Holub's 8 or 9 years ago  :-)

One of the hawthorn trees...

And of course, my two-year-old geranium.  :-)   I finally moved it outside, so it has taken a real beating in the wind today.  I wonder if I should bring it in before it really storms? 

cookie mama (baking day, part 2)

As I hinted, we also made cookies yesterday.  With the same good-for-you fresh whole wheat flour... which makes the cookies healthy, right?  (Hmmm, note the sugar in the first photo...)

Just for kicks, I used the teeny-tiny cookie scoop I bought for our family years ago, when our Bigs were still Littles.  Believe me, these are tiny.  That idea lasted for just one pan.  I didn't want to give myself carpal-tunnel syndrome with all that scooping!

Below, you can see the teeny-tiny cookies on the cooling rack behind a pan of normal-sized cookies that have been browned to perfection for the Head of this house.  (That's Tim, just in case you're wondering, but he does share.)

Miss MusicBox volunteered to load this pan for the freezer.  Another day we will have fresh-baked cookies again - so easy!

Oh, and here's the Cowgirl cleaning out the bowl to make some giant Daddy-sized cookies... with added chocolate chips since the dough seems to always run out.

I guess I should have a picture of Tim enjoying his cookies and milk... but he doesn't have much time for photo-journaling these days.

Cookie Mama Cookies (Glorified Toll House)

1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. olive oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
~ 5 c. fresh whole wheat flour (enough to achieve the right consistency)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 c. chopped English walnuts or pecans
2-3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sometimes we add peanut butter, rolled oats, freshly ground flax seed, honey, lemon juice, shredded coconut, or ??? (anything else that's handy and sounds like a good variation) Sometimes I make them wheat-free with flour milled from rye, barley and millet. Sometimes I use some all-purpose flour from the store, but I really prefer the taste with whole-grain flour :-) This is a double batch of cookies, so you need to use a good-sized mixer or strong arm and a big bowl -- or just cut the recipe in half again.