Hearts in Service

I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I had raspberries in the freezer from last summer so I pulled them out this morning to thaw them out. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. tapioca, and 4 cups of berries in a large pot. Cook over medium heat until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. In a bowl mix together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1/2 cup milk. Drop batter by spoonfuls over berries. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The topping looks a little dark here but it actually turned out perfect. The house smelled wonderful! Enjoy!

We had such a busy day yesterday. Dan & the boys worked to get my garden in the front all dug up. My friend Stephanie came to the rescue by letting us borrow her rototiller. Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen preparing for Stephanie & Juan to come for our monthly ethnic meal. This month was Germany. Black Forest Cake. Emily spent the evening entertaining the girls by doing face painting with them. Aren't they cute? The rest of us sat around and talked. I love days when I feel like I got a lot accomplished. I was tired thought and ended up falling asleep on the couch last night!

It's extremely windy and cold out today. I'm really feeling blah so I decided to put some spring decorations around to cheer up. I don't have many because I just don't have the money to go all out for every season. However, I do have a few that I've acquired over the years. First, I put out a table runner someone gave me and made a centerpiece. I've had these eggs for years. Aren't the bunnies cute? The woman who made the runner is a wonderful seamstress. She cross-stitched the center squares. A table runner I made last year. More eggs. A wreath I put together today. That's it. I would like to make another table runner. However, just putting the few around did make the place look a bit more like Spring. Now if the weather would just cooperate!

This has been a really good year for 3D Girl's Club. As many of you remember, we spent the summer fixing up the building next door so that the girls would have a place to meet. This was before the merge of our church happened and I just kept it going next door. We actually attract a lot of girls that wouldn't come if they had to travel over the mountain to go to church. We have the same routine every week. After all the girls have arrived, we sit down and do some sort of devotional together. Last night we learned about how our tongues have the power to bring life or death. Then we practice songs or dances we are working on for church. Then there is either a sewing/craft project or cooking project. Last night they got to decorate their own cupcakes (gluten free for a couple of our girls). I'm sure they went home and fell into a sugar-induced coma! :-) We are winding down the year and will be finished at the end of April. I sure will miss those girls until next year!

"O the green things growing, the green things growing, The faint sweet smell of the green things growing! I should like to live, whether I smile or grieve, Just to watch the happy life of my green things growing." - Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, Green Things Growing "Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn." - Lewis Grizzard "I wonder if the sap is stirring yet, If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate, If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun And crocus fires are kindling one by one: Sing robin, sing: I still am sore in doubt concerning Spring." - Christina Rossetti

Mondays are always very rough days for me. I find that after the busyness of Sunday that I am not only physically tired but I'm also emotionally worn out. Those are the times that Satan seems to kick me! He is crafty and knows exactly when to pounce. Yesterday was one of those days. Being a pastor's wife can be tough at times. People tend to be pretty insensitive in their criticism or they look to me as the one to approach about everything that is not right in the church from missing tables to decorations that are askew. Usually I take it in stride but on Mondays things bother me more than normal and I feel down and discouraged. I have to keep telling myself, "It's Monday." "This is not reality." "Just get through today and tomorrow will be better." I really need to cling to the Lord's promises on Monday. Sure enough, I opened my eyes at 4:00 this morning and felt totally refreshed! I feel happy and rested and totally content. R

This girl cracks me up with her facial expressions. She really has the most expressive face. Here is a sample. Ignore the fact that she is eating totally unhealthy cereal and is half dressed! She is always hot. :-) The tongue always comes out when she is concentrating. MOM! Now, she is just being silly. How can you not love that little face?

Remember this afghan? This is the pattern in the book. This is getting embarrassing. I've been working on it since last February and have only gotten this far! It has never taken me this long to finish an afghan. I really would love to get it finished before the summer. I only have a few more panels to do and then I can put the whole thing together. I guess I need to get cracking!

I made this for breakfast today and it was delicious. The recipe made two quiches. Brown 1 lb. of bulk sausage in a pan and add 1 onion, chopped. Chop 1/2 red and green bell pepper. Place all of the ingredients in two greased pie plates along with 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese. Mix together 1 c. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt and set aside. Beat together 4 eggs, 3 cups of milk, 1/2 tsp. each of basil, oregano, and garlic powder, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Add in flour mixture and mix well. Pour over the meat and veggies in the pie dishes. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

I decided to try my hand at something new - making my own vanilla extract. It is so easy! Take 3 vanilla beans and slice them lengthwise down the middle, making sure to leave the ends intact. Put them in a mason jar and pour in 1 cup of vodka. Give it a good shake and place in a cool, dark cupboard. Shake the jar once a week and let sit for about 3-4 months. It will get darker as time goes on. Viola! You have extract. As you use it up, you can top it off with more vodka. Also, after a while you can replace the beans with new ones and continue this pattern forever. In the long run, it is more economical and costs much better than the imitation stuff you buy in the store.

I walked out my door today and noticed the first sign of spring. What a wonderful feeling that was! It's been warm the last 2 days which is causing sprigs of green to start to pop up. I'm looking forward to all the other little signs that warm weather is coming.

Well, we reached a milestone yesterday. Nathan shaved for the first time. He's been sporting fuzz on his upper lip for awhile but it's gotten darker and darker. I like to tease him that he has dirt up there! He also had little tufts of hair on his chin. Of course, nothing is growing in evenly so it was time for him to shave it off. When did my child start becoming a man? Often I will be doing something in the back of the house and hear a voice and wonder who is here, only to find out it is Nathan. He is taller than me now. He cracks me up because at church he will walk up to one of the men and throw his arm around their shoulder, just because he's tall enough to do it. You can also see him puffing out his chest! It's a strange experience having your little boy grow up into a man. I have to deal with him differently and that has been an adjustment. We've hardly ever had to discipline Nathan for misbehavior but when he does do something wrong, I've bee

Kelli hosts Paper Crafting Wednesday and always has the most beautiful cards. I decided to participate this week. The glue on the velium words was still wet on a few of these. Once it dries, you can't see it. I made a couple of children's cards this week. Then some for the adult crowd. I love making the cards because it's a really nice way to relax and be creative at the same time! :-)

I want to expand on the idea of creativity a bit. I think so many people think that they are not creative because they don't sew, knit, crochet or do crafts. However, I think we need to redefine what creativity means. We are all made in the image of God, the creator. I think we are all naturally more creative than we think. Being creative could mean: * Putting together special touches on a meal (making sure you don't have all bland, white foods on the same plate) * Setting the table with a few special extras - napkins with a fancy fold, a candle. * Keeping the home clutter-free * Having colors in the curtains that may pull out a color in the couch * Folding the laundry neatly instead of shoving it in a drawer * Planting a flower or vegetable garden * Putting some plants around the house * Making a special dessert that your husband or children love * Picking special cards to send to friends and family * Arranging the furniture so that it pleases the eye

My friend, Jenni is talking about creativity on a message board that I frequent and it reminded me of a story that I read once. We were created in God's image and I believe we were meant to be creative in turn. However, so often, we feel like we can't do it. We feel intimidated and that we are not "talented." Yet, I think a lot of it happens because we were not encouraged as children to be creative. When children bring their pictures and creations to their parents, often times they are told, "Well, that's nice but why don't you use this color?" or "Don't make such a mess." or "You can do better." After a while, the creativity is wiped right out of them. I thought I'd share this story with you that I read when I first started homeschooling. The Little Boy by Helen Buckley Once a little boy went to school. He was quite a little boy And it was quite a big school. But the little boy Found that he could go to his room B