-Farming-

"Just a Farmer", you said
And I laughed 'cause I knew
All the things that farmers
Are able to do.

They must study the land,
Then watch the sky
And figure just when
Is the right time and why -

To sow and to plant
To buy and to sell
To go to the market
With their canola and well -

You know the books
That farmers must keep
To pay all the expenses
And be able to sleep.

And you know the fixin'
That farmers must do
When machines like mad monsters
Blow a gasket or two.

And farmers work hard,
Far into the night
To get the crop off
When the time is just right

Farmers are actually
Smart and well learned
One of the best of professions
They shouldn’t be spurned.

:)

God is Good

"Nothing humbles the soul like sacred and intimate communion with the Lord; yet there is a sweet joy in feeling that He knows all, and, not withstanding, loves us still."

~J. Hudson Taylor

~Free Sample Newsletter~

I just received a sample issue of the newsletter A Life of Simplicity. I really enjoyed it and thought I would let everyone know they can also get a free sample issue. Go here to sign up. It included: thought provoking articles, good poems, suggested memory verses, recipes and more. I will definitely be subscribing; it was an encouragement to me today! :)

Children Are a Blessing

"I want to see little children adorning every home as flowers adorn every meadow and every wayside. I want to see them welcomed to the homes they enter, to see their parents grow less and less selfish and more and more loving because they have come. I want to see God's precious gifts accepted, not frowned upon and refused.

~Elizabeth Prentiss

A One Year Old and Her Crayons

Abigail Hope, Coloring her first picture all by herself.

Moose!

The other day we were able to see two moose just a few miles from our house. I actually had our camera with me and was able to take a few pictures.

The smaller moose.

This was the larger one; it came quite close to our truck. Because the sun was behind it, I had a hard time getting a good picture. They were neat to see:).

:::It's Official:::

Look what came in the mail yesterday! My permanent resident card!! :) :) It's exciting after almost two years the process is finally finished. I am no longer just a "visitor", but a real Canadian Resident, albeit still a U.S. citizen. I am thankful to be able to live in the great country of Canada with my awesome Canadian husband and two little Canadian babies. :)

Verse For Today

Lake Louise, July 2011

"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. "

~Jeremiah 9:23-24

Beautiful Lights

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork . Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge." Psalm 19:1-2

I didn't have our camera with me at the time. This one is from Wikipedia Photo Credit

Last night, we were able to see the Northern Lights. It really was amazing, with a curtain of fast moving pale green and pink lights. There was also white lights which spread across the sky until they were right above us. I had wanted to see the Lights since moving to Canada, it was neat to see them with so much colour as last night. They were beautiful!

A Sweet Treat

It is starting to feel like fall here, and what could be a better time then to make some caramel apples? 1. Get out the creamy caramels and count out one hundred

2. Unwrap the 100 caramels. :) I wonder why they can't invent a caramel wrapping that is easy to remove, but maybe that's half the fun. 3. Melt the caramels, then get your apples and dip them (100 caramels was enough to make 12 apples).
4. Enjoy the cruchy, chewy, sweet snack:).

God's Word

God’s grace is in His holy Word;
We need it every day:
In all our conflicts this the sword
Our every foe to slay.

By this same Word we know our work,
And how it should be done:
How we should live and how through grace
Our victories are won.

Baby Sweetness

Little boy, eight days old

Such a tiny hand
Baby feet

It's a Boy!

Praising and thanking the Lord for the safe arrival of our newest little one, William Alan! We had a wonderful water birth at our doula's home after a six hour labor. Arrived August 19th at 1:08 p.m. weighing 9lbs. 8ozs.

William Alan, a few hours old.

Back at our house a few hours later. This is my favorite picture of the day:). Our new family of four. Abigail was so excited to meet her little brother, it was precious to watch her!

God is so good!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Abby!

Happy 1st Birthday to our precious little Abigail Hope! We love you so very much, and are thankful to God for you!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweetheart!

New Baby Items

With little ones and babies here are a lot of things which aren't essential, in fact, when you think about it, most of the extra "stuff" and toys don't even get used much. On the other hand, I do think there are things that can help simplify and make life easier. That being said, I have decided to try out the following new items this time around.
I have seen so many great reviews about the Bumbo chair that I thought I would go ahead and order one. With our first little one I didn't have anything that she really liked to sit up in that would support her well (other then a baby swing and her car seat). So, I am looking forward to trying the Bumbo seat out. It can be used after the baby has good head control. I will have to see how it goes:). I like the fact that it's so portable.
Another item I wanted to try this time around is a moses basket. I was a bit frustrated when trying to find one here in Canada that had good reviews and was not too pricey, but I finally settled on one from Sears like the one above (without the stand). I am planning on using it for the first few months inside our baby crib which we have right next to the bed. Abigail also uses the crib (part of the night anyway:)) so I think the basket will be helpful. I also plan on using it around the house so the baby can nap close to me.
I also wanted to try using a nursing cover that has a ridged neckline which allows the Mother to see her baby. I bought one from Wal-Mart with Abby and never did use it much as it didn't allow me to see her and it felt like she wasn't getting enough air.

For all the other Mom's out there: What are some favorite baby items that you have found helpful?

Two Years

Two years ago today I got a surprise phone call which ended in my being engaged to the most amazing man. That was such an exciting time!

And now is even better, it is such a wonderful thing to be married to my best friend! God is good! I love you Graham!!

My Little Flower Bed

Out in front of our house is my little flower bed, it's the perfect size for me to keep up. It was fun planting this spring, and I enjoy going out and weeding when it needs it. It's nice to have a little color in the yard:).

This was before the tiger lilies started blooming.

Purple
Yellow

The Tiger lilies are now blooming and just today I was excited to see a humming bird going to the lilies and also my feeder for the first time. :)

Love is More Important

This poem helped remind me of what's truly important. Especially those times when I feel a little discouraged because I have to care for the baby and let the housework wait. I think I will print it out and frame it:). If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love- I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
But have not love- my children learn of cleanliness, not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before in picks up the toys.
Love is present though trials.
Love reprimands, reproves and is responsive.
As a mother there is much I must teach my child,
but the greatest of all is…..LOVE.

A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

"A gentle and quiet spirit is not only imperishable; it is precious in the sight of God. It's also one of the hardest qualities to cultivate. Far from a sign of weakness, a gentle and quiet spirit is the sign of a woman who is strong in faith, mind and character."

~Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin

One Robin's Nest

Last month I discovered a robins nest down by the grain bins in our yard. Over the next few weeks I enjoyed quickly checking it whenever I would take Abigail for a walk by it in her stroller. The mom and dad birds. They were both protective of the nest and would fly quite close to me. You can see the male is a lot darker then the female.

The first time I found the nest it had four beautiful blue colored eggs in it. I love robins:).

A few days later this little fellow had hatched. Then there were two of them. The other two eggs never did hatch.The next time I went down to look there was a huge difference; one of the babies had already flown and this guy was ready to go as well. And finally, the empty nest. It was fun watching for a few weeks:).

Roses

A few days ago my husband surprised me with these flowers. I have always loved red and white roses and these were so perfect. :):)

Gorgeous roses
Beauty Red and White
They are so pretty I just had to take a few pictures:). I love my husband:).

-Doing Some Baking-

Making pies has never been a favorite activity of mine; (although I usually like the end results:)) for some reason I don't really enjoy working with pastry dough. It's funny, but before getting married, I would usually have one of my sisters make the dough while I made the filling for pies:). These days I make my own dough:) and the other day I made two pies, a strawberry and and an apple. If you haven't already you should try out this Strawberry Pie Recipe it has become my favorite pie:).

Getting ready to cook to cook the berries...

Almost ready for the oven..

Finished! A strawberry and apple pie:). What is your favorite kind of pie?

Easy Stovetop Granola

This recipe is a favorite of mine. I have made it quite a few times now and love it! It's great as a cereal with milk, or I also like it sprinkled on top of yogurt as a snack. It's easy and quick to make.

A bowl of yummy granola:)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon molasses
1 cup dried fruit and nuts

Add old-fashioned rolled oats and 1 tbsp butter to the pan and toast for 4 minutes. Spread the oatmeal on a cookie sheet to cool.

Using the same pan, melt butter, molasses, honey, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir untill well mixed and bubbly.

Add oatmeal back to pan along with any other dried fruits, seeds or nuts that you might like. Cook and stir for another 4-5 minutes.

Spread on a cookie sheet to cool. If you like little clusters of granola, spread it out very loosely and don't over-handle. Place in a 170 degree oven for a few minutes. Turn oven off and let granola rest for another 2-3 minutes before removing from oven. Store in an airtight container. If you like a softer granola, skip this step altogether. If you prefer it more crunchy, let it remain in the oven for a little longer -- it hardens while cooling. Enjoy!