Feasting on His Goodness

My list of thanks and praise...

51.  For Christian homeschool conventions-I love MassHope!

52.  For rainy days

53.  For books, books and more books

54.  For my Bible

55.  For a warm bed at the end of a long day

56.  For all the colors God created

57.  For bathtubs that clean up dirty little children at the end of a spring day

58.  For a daughter who is being broadcast this morning (and last night) on Godtube, as she sings and worships before a crowd of 1,000 at the 2011 Awakening Conference.

59.  For shampoo (don't you love when your hair is all bouncy and clean!)

60.  For trash bins and their ability to help you clean out after a LONG hard New England winter

Lookout William and Kate

...Looks like love is in the air!

To Be Loved and Adored ...or

subtitled:

(our courtship with JoJo)

Anticipating his arrival...

waiting with great joy after a long separation.
*Our JoJo is currently serving in the Air Force*

Knowing that love will come to our door

and walk itself straight into our hearts.

Getting It Down...

Feasting on His Goodness!

Welcome to my current list of thanks to God...

41.  For a young man named JoJo whom we love.

42. For the fact that Jesus willingly went to the cross to bear all of our sins, 

so we could be forgiven and be adopted into His family.

43.  For the Air Force allowing JoJo a surprise visit home for a week

and for him going out of his way to surprise our beautiful daughter.

44. For dinner with JoJo's family Thursday night.

And for the fact that we love them too!

45.  For the phone call that JoJo made a few months ago asking my Knight

if he could court our daughter 

(and courting isn't dating where it is the flavor of the month!)

46.  For bouquets of daffodils picked by our Princess Mercy.

47.  For over 1,000 pictures I took this week of our Pirate and JoJo 

and the fun I've had editing a few of them.

48.  For an hour of coloring 72 white eggs with my children plus JoJo.

49.  For brakes on my tank Katrinka (as they failed on the way to church last Sunday,

as my Knight was driving)...but now are fixed and working much better!

50.  For...did I mention that I am so thankful that JoJo loves Jesus 

and is planning on rocking the world for Him? 
God does answer a Mama's prayers for her little girl!

(thinking this Feasting is a little bit about our JoJo ;-)

Another one of life's surprises...

I added crocheting into our December homeschool days. 

It was simply a way to slow down and enjoy the month of preparation

for our celebration of Jesus' arrival.  

I got cheap plastic crochet hooks for everyone
and handed everyone a ball of yarn.
Imagine my amazement when I found out not only my daughters

would rock at crochet, but also my son.

Now I didn't use a book to teach them, but just from my heart. 

My mum taught me way back and a few times over the years 

I have pulled out the skill to create something to give.

So my son, took to it.  He decided he wanted to try a hat.

No pattern, 

just an inner drive to figure things out, matched

with a need of having a birthday gift for his oldest sibling. 

In a matter of days 

and a few suggestions given to him by his 9 year old sister, who is a crocheting whiz 

and a few from his Mama

...wallah...

a really cute hat! 

(and yes, he did it all himself!)

One proud boy!

 

One happy gift giver...

of course we had to see if it would fit before we wrapped it...

(she is our crocheting whiz....
just learned it, but is teaching all of us so many things that just seem to be naturally tucked into her being.)

Opening her card....

Waiting a bit anxiously to see her open his gift.

The gift is opened, 

loved

and immediately worn.

Good job my boy!

I'd love to pray with you this week...

what can we pray about?

Philippians 4:6
In nothing be anxious, but in everything,

by prayer and petition with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God.

 

 James 1:5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, 

let him ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach; 

and it will be given to him.

 

 

I LOVE THIS NEXT VERSE...

I am going to memorize it this week... 

wanna join me?

 

Romans:12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

 

 

Feasting on His Goodness!

31.  for God's help in scheduling the the last detail of a very busy day,

to where instead of me anxiously rushing about,

to dwelling in peace from daybreak to dusk.

32.  for green grass

33.  for new cookbooks to look at from the library

34.  for Friday and the end of having to grade lessons...well~until Monday.

35.  for a my co-op friend, Laura, who gave me two dozen eggs from her girls.

36.  for a freezer filled with quick breads that kept me from baking all last week.

37.  for hoping about friendship as I read the details of David and Jonathan's friendship.

38. for days of quiet.

39.  for my hardworking knight, who willingly fights so many dragons that I don't even know about, so that I can stay peaceful in our castle with the children.

40.  for the bags of beautiful hand-me-ups from my sister-in-love for my daughters.

Got sugar?

Wondering what your sweet of choice is? 

here's mine.

(I like the classic green flavor best!)

and do you have a memory association with it?

Cooking with Kids-Bread

Whole *What* Bread Dough

(makes one loaf)

3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour 

1 Tbs. yeast

1 Tbs. salt (real salt)

1 cup bread flour

1- 1 1/2 cups of warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbs. honey

1/2 cup scalded milk 

(or milk substitute ...we use coconut milk many times due to a dairy allergy at our house) 

 1 Tbs. oil (canola or vegetable oil for greasing bowl)

Find a nice large bowl.  Add 1 cup of warm water, yeast and honey to bowl.  Let sit to proof for 10 minutes.  Your yeast should be foamy and frothy.  Begin to add your flours, salt, milk and water, using the extra 1/2 cup of warm water if needed.  Bring together with a wooden spoon.  

When you have it all mixed together dump out of bowl onto a floured surface (you can use all purpose flour or whatever kind you have on hand for this).  Dough should be in a ball shape, it maybe slightly tacky to touch.  

Knead it by pushing, pulling and turning it for about 10 minutes.  

 My kids say, "Come to Mama/Papa (pulling the far side towards themselves), the with the heal of their hand pushing and turning it a quarter of a turn clockwise.  Kneading helps the dough to rise and makes a nice uniform loaf.

Return dough to a well oiled large bowl (we use canola oil in our bowl...about a Tbs.)  Turning dough to coat it in oil.  Cover bowl with either a damp cotton dishtowel or Saran Wrap.  Let rise until double, usually about 1 hour.

Punch down.  Prepare baking pans with cooking spray (or oil).  We use loaf pans.  Divide dough in half if you'd like to make two smaller loafs. Allow to rise again in pan (about 45 minutes to an hour).  I usually slit the dough the length or several side way slashes to aid the dough in rising.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

For a crisp crust brush dough with water, 

for a soft crust brush with milk,

for a shiny golden crust brush with 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water (called egg wash).   

Bake for 25- 30 minutes.  

Don't over bake,

but bread should seem light

and sound hollow when tapped. 

And I call it ...Volcano Bread

It started rather innocently, 

watching a video on sprouted whole wheat bread.

  I had some injera batter (Ethiopian flatbread) that was rather sharp in smell, 

so I poured that into the whole wheat mixture that I intended to sprout overnight.

  I added whole wheat flour, some molasses, some honey, the sour-dough injera mix and tightly covered it with Saran Wrap.  

This sprouted bread is supposed to be easier to digest 

and allows our bodies to access the nutrients much easier.  

Healthy, but boy I only wish I had taken the volcano photos

...I pondered it, but really it was way too messy!

In the morning imagine our surprise when the two large bowls 

were found to have erupted all over the outside of themselves. 

It was quite the mess, which left me irritated and slightly baffled,

as no yeast or leavening was yet incorporated.  

Guess I should read up on sprouted breads before I attempt such things.

I didn't use a recipe, 

but after the volcanic mixture had sat out on the warm counter overnight

I began to make my bread batter...which continued to grow and grow...

I ended up with 5 loaves of bread and two monkey bread wanna be's.

I definitely was happy with the end product,
but boy what a mess!  

Always a bit of excitement in bread making

...bread is so worth it, 

after all it is one of the essential basics in our everyday existence at our house.

No low carb diets for us! 

Feasting on His Goodness

(my journal of thanks to God)

21.  for a 7 year old son who upon seeing his 2 year old says, 

"Come give me a hug.  You are fabulous today!"

22.  for new insight in His Word. 

I just finished reading the book of Ruth in my Chronological Bible study plan. 

And I just realized that Ruth might have had infertility...

her first marriage gave her no children

and upon later marrying Boaz, God allowed her to conceive.

As a girl who has had infertility this caught my breath.

22.  for a chance to go to breakfast with my sister.

23.  for spring peepers that are singing now through the night.

24.  for the blessing of my brother and sister-in-law taking us out to dinner to a cute little restaurant that had a couple of vegetarian choices on the menu.

25.  for having thoroughly enjoyed having a two year old...tomorrow she turns 3!

26.  for having trust that He holds my future.

27.  being thankful that He doesn't allow me to see beyond today.

28.  for finding some pictures of Hunter on my camera.  And realizing just how much I miss him.

29.  for a sweet card from my sister-in-law saying she was so sorry about us having to put Hunter down.

30.  for coffee- I like mine with whole milk that has been frothed!

(I love strong hot coffee best!)

Favorite Photography Shot

One of my favorite things is capturing life in pictures.  

There never seems like I have enough time with my camera in hand,
truly most days the two of us never actually meet.  

I am hoping to etch out some time with the camera in tow. 

I love driving along and catching something out of the corner of my eye that needs

to be snapped and held for just a little longer.

Maybe I will find some time to sneak away

(maybe it will be with a suburban full of kids)

to capture life as it sits waiting to be seen,

perhaps
in ways
that normally
in the rush 

of life 

that you don't get to see. 

It certainly makes you look at things differently, 

constantly asking yourself
if it is something worthy of capture.

What do you like to capture these days?

 For now I play at home...
amazing the opportunities 
that lie right beneath the place God sets us.

Thanks for the Prayers-Adoption

For those of you who stood with my family today in prayer,
Thank YOU!

The phone conference/interview did take the hour and a half they said and it went well.  The supervisor who stepped into do the interview was very sweet and gentle spirited.  That being said we are told we won't know more for at least a week, when our social worker is due back in the office from her vacation.  

We talked about the agency, about their programs, about their history, about the potential time wait (they are saying up to two years) and then interviews with each of us alone.  They asked questions we expected, about our faith, our church, things like our mental health history, whether we've been arrested, if we lived together before marriage, if we smoked....the answer to the above was all no.  So, I don't think anything would be contrary to their faith based mission which we had already signed with the application (most of this were repeat questions that I guess they just *need* to ask.)  

So we sit and wait.
Well that is not true, there is not much time for such, as we are a family of faith, who passionately are pursuing God in all of this.
Sit no, pray with expectation~YES!

This morning as I was speaking to God about all of this and my concerns with some of the things that were spoken to us last week by the agency, in regards to the type of adoption we would chose (open, semi-open or closed). I clearly heard Him speak Psalm 24.
I threw the trash in the bin (hey, I talk to God every chance I get ...)
I came in and looked it up.  

itmademecry.

for those of you who are curious enough to click one more time...

Psalm 24 

Holding tight to following Him-because everything is His already!
And only He knows when our baby will be born and how long that wait time will be.
I do know that I can trust Him with it.

Prayer Request Sunday (and a prayer request)

Hi sweet friends!

Can I pray for you this week...

please leave me instructions on how we can join hearts 

and lift your burden to our loving Father.

AND

if you would like to pray for me...

on Monday 

we have a phone interview 

with the adoption agency...

seems like we have to pass this hour and a half phone call 

in order to ACTUALLY be accepted into their program.

We are praying for wisdom and favor, but bits of fear keep trying to rise in my heart. 

I know it is silly because God is calling us, if not to this agency,

then He will direct our path to where our Shalom is.

  But still,

we feel like this is where we are to stand and believe...

would you cover us tomorrow afternoon?

thank you...

and I hope you will be bold enough to leave me what is on YOUR heart!

xoxox

Feasting on His Goodness

(my list of current reasons to give thanks)

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

 13.  for my two year old who crawls in my lap and asks me if I can pet her.

14. for a snowstorm that fizzled and instead of leaving 6-12" only left an inch.

15.  for my 2 year old who asked if our dog Hunter is in Florida,

(where her friend Jo-Jo is currently attending Air Force training)-

which gave me reason to explain Hunter is in heaven.

16.  for goldenseal, which my friend recommended for me to take for my sinus infection...it seems to be helping-though it tastes AWFUL!

17. for a worker at a local store who came up to me and asked for prayer...God is working in her heart and I am so glad He asked me to befriend her last year.

18. for a washing machine that does so many loads every week.

19. for a 20 year old daughter who made dinner on Thursday and Friday night.

20.  for our family altar after dinner where we continue to read through the book of Mark and then pray together as a family.