Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Life as we know it

I guess you are all wondering what is going on in the far North.  Well here it is in picture form.

 Need money for Christmas so it is mitten making time.
Here Ian joins the crew by cutting them from felted old sweaters.

 Here is Jacob pinning them to be sewn together.
 Here is Caleb running the machine like a pro and 500 miles per hour.

Getting ready for Christmas and being very creative about it.
Ian had the idea that we should made a big tree out of old wool sweaters that were not good for mitten making.  So we did.  Here is the result and pictures of the boys having fun decorating the living room.






The final result for our "classy" living room.


Making trees out of wool sweaters?  Hmmmm!  I wander how strange we can make next years tree.  This could be our new fun family tradition!  Yeah, I like it!

Ian has been digging himself out an igloo.  
 He is making a small hole in the top so that he and his brothers can start a little fire and roast marshmellows inside. 
 It better be a pretty small fire.  Candle size maybe?

That's it for now folks.  Lots going on but can't write about too much of it.  Just keep praying for us all.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Copying my Sister

My sister posted a recipe on her blog for these special potatoes and so I tried them for supper tonight.  I crushed a lot of raw garlic, added some other seasonings, a little salt and olive oil to mine.  Mmmm!  They were a hit.  I made these gluten steaks too and served with salad.  Yummy supper!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Latest

I guess you are all wondering what is going on up here in the great white North.  Well, it is not so white but there is a little snow.
The boys have been keeping busy with a whole variety of activities and school.  They are doing well and I'm loving the new school program called Time4learning.  There are a few things I don't like but for the most part it has been a life saver for me and the boys.
Last week the boys enjoyed a class put on in town on how to make small movies.  It was a 5 hour class and they enjoyed every minute.  The did it with their homeschool buddies and they had to sit down together, come up with their own script, write down each different scene, be the actors, filmers, directors, and editors.  They were given little i-p*d touches* to use.  They had so much fun!  Here are the links to each of their little movies.

This is Isaac's
http://vimeo.com/31512757
This next one is Jacob's but he is not to impressed with it.  He says his buddies
were just not into knowing how to be very dramatic.  He was a bit disappointed 
and it doesn't help that they didn't want any sound in it.
http://vimeo.com/31502376
Here is Caleb's.  These kids were older and really love to play around with the 
sound effects and other visual effects.  
http://vimeo.com/31499290
 
And... besides all that, we were very busy last week getting our whole house
rearranged.
The living room now houses the office again.
This is Art's computer corner
And my new computer corner
And the boys school area

And this is where the office used to be.
And here is the boy that now occupies this room.
Oh happy day!  He's home!  This is why I am called momof4boys!
And this is what I have to put up with and still keep my feminine sanity around here. 
(I am soooo out numbered)
Sorry, not a great picture of Art but he was holding his head back and it looks like he has a double chin.  He doesn't!
Ian is home, looking for work and wanting to make some changes in his life.  He is starting with some health related habits.  The first few days were pretty a hard for him but he seems to be doing really good now.  I hope he keeps it up.
Please pray hard for him.

So now with all the changes, the boys room has taken on a new look also.  With everything that used to be in the office room (now Ian's room), we had to find a place for it.  So here is what their room now looks like.
Library and gym
dressers, toys, maps and TV for Wii* and videos
So... where do they sleep?  
Right here in the walk in closet.  Built in beds for each boy!  perfect!
As you can see we still have some flooring to put in and proper curtains and other details to take care of but at least we all fit!  
Well, that's it for now.  Bible study is still going strong and is very exciting.  We will be diving into the sanctuary message pretty soon.  I'm pretty excited about that.  
God is blessing!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fox Hunting with My Camera

Just thought I would show you some pictures of the fox I kept chasing around with my Camera today.  Poor guy was really not afraid but still stayed at a safe distance.  Last week I saw him when we were all out at the Wildlife preserve.  He is not one of the fenced in animals but seems to like to hang around there.  He hears the children playing outside when we have homeschool meet and invariably comes to see what is going on.  He hangs around and watches all the kids.  He looks like he wants to play but is not quite brave enough.  He is so beautiful though.
 Caleb actually took this picture and I took the fuzzy one.  :0)

You Sabbath Keeping Christian, You!!!

Hello there after a long time,
Life has been really busy here.  We've been doing a lot of sewing of mittens and hats and doing school and running into town for skating and over to the Wildlife preserve for homeschool meet and the list goes on.
The boys are doing very well at their school and being pretty consistent at getting it done everyday.  They've been enjoying their new online program and it has kept their interest so far.  We have three desk top computers which they have been using but it has become a problem when they have paper work to do as well, and there is no space on our small desks for monitor, key board and notebooks.
Well, our local Staples store put their small notebook computers on sale for about $100 dollars off and we decided it was time to jump.  That meant that each child needed to find $200 dollars to buy himself a computer.  200 x 3?  that kind of money doesn't usually just happen around here but I told the kids they had 10 days to find it.
Well, God was on our side and he sent a long day of snow flurries while the boys and I sewed mittens and hats from recycled wool sweaters.  When we went to town on Wednesday, people were cold enough to realize winter had indeed arrived.  Within an hour the boys had sold everything and we went to Staples and bought computer number one.   At home we sewed some more and by Friday we went to town and within another hour were able to purchase computer number two.  Back home again to sew some more and by Monday the boys had computer number three!  Hurray!  God is so good and they are so happy!
Now the next project is to get a few more dollars and buy some much needed curriculum for writing composition and Jacob wants another math program.
I guess by now you are wondering why I titled this post the way I did.
Yesterday the boys ran into a great learning opportunity that took them all by surprise but made them really sit back and think.  Every Wednesday all the homeschool kids in the community get together to skate and play hockey and other games.  The boys have a lot of fun and are really fast and great skaters.  They love chasing the puck and do pretty good at it.  However, there is one boy amongst the homeschooled kids that is always there for everything whether it be swimming, skating, art lessons or whatever.  He is big and he makes a point of being a bully to almost anyone but especially to Caleb.  The kid can't stand to lose and while Caleb can't either, he is usually a pretty good sport about it and won't complain if he does.  This kid however, sees Caleb as a small in stature, big threat. 
While they were playing hockey yesterday, apparently this kid was getting one goal after another so the other team decided to kick it up a notch and really get down to business and make some points for their side.  Caleb stopped a slap shot in mid air and stole the puck, slamming it into the net of the opposing team.  Big kid was angry and took slice at Caleb with is hockey stick but luckily missed.  Caleb got the puck again.  Big kid was beside himself and some of the mothers around told him to chill but he didn't.  Mothers pulled their kids from the game until the only one left playing was Big kid who skated around in circles with the puck.  One mother called him over and had a talk with him about his behaviour and then called Caleb to figure out what happened.  Caleb said he was tired of being bullied and didn't want to take it anymore.  Caleb was a little hot under the collar by this time.  He's been hit, and pinched and kicked and called all kinds of things from this kid and he's tired of it.  Well, after being talked at for a while, Big kid took off and wouldn't hear any more but when opportunity presented itself, he approached Caleb and decided to attack where he thought it might hurt the worst.  So very sneeringly he said, "You, Sabbath Keeping Christian!!!"   LOL
Caleb later said to me.  "Mom, that wasn't very nice, the way he said that!" 
Jacob burst out laughing and said, "You should have been like, ""Hey, Thanks for noticing!"".  laugh, laugh, laugh.
That evening our Bible study group at church studied God's forgiveness to us and how we should experience it and then in turn be like Jesus and be willing to take our enemies to Jesus and beg him to not hold their sins against them on our account but to rather be willing to take their place in hell, if need be, so that they can be saved.  Of course God would see that kind of love and recognize it as Jesus living through you and Heaven would never be taken from you but the very attitude of that kind of love produces complete forgiveness for even our worst enemies.
Caleb thought about it.  He realized Christ's name was at stake here if he blew it.  It was the first time the kids realized that people were actually watching them as more then just another kid, but as Christian kids.  He repented that evening for getting hot under the collar and being angry.  Jacob and Isaac also realized suddenly their roles as Christian kids in the community was to share Jesus simply by acting like Jesus would no matter what the situation.  It was a great lesson.  Perfect learning opportunity.

And so,  just for information sake and continued seeking of your prayers.  We had an awesome Bible Study/Prayer group last night.  The prayer time was Spirit filled and for real!  I was truly blessed.  10 people came.  Keep praying for us. 




 

Monday, October 3, 2011

Sad!!

I'm sad!  Yet another friend of mine has died.  Danny was a good, single father of his five year old, Autistic little boy.  He died today in a logging accident.  My heart is broken for the fact that he did not get to see his boy grow up.  He did not get to be the father he always wanted to be for very long.  His son is left without a daddy.  What will happen to little Timber?
Oh Lord, come quickly!!  This world is so unfair!

Friday, September 30, 2011

We are ready, almost!

We have been preparing all summer long for this moment.  We are pretty much ready.  
We have the canned food.

 Different kinds of kraut made.

A huge freezer full of garden greens, broccoli, and cauliflower

Big Sacks of potatoes
 Buckets of carrots in Sand
The back 40 mowed down
The front 40 mowed and looking neat
Piles of wood everywhere!  This is where we are still a bit behind.  Still have more to saw, more to stack and more to split.  Haven't got a wood shed yet .  :0(
School has begun in earnest.
Sorry for the pictures of messy desks.


Ok, let it snow!!!!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

God Is At the Helm!

Dear Friends (all those who have been praying for me, our church and our Bible Study group),

  Life has been very interesting.  The Devil has been true to character in attacking me and trying to destroy a good thing.  God has been true to His word in defending His cause!  The last Bible study was a blessing to me.  Ok, so I was the one who was facilitating it but I was indeed truly inspired by his word and strengthened by the interest of the people.
  It came as a surprise then, when on Sabbath, I had a hand push against my chest to stop me, a door closed right in my face, and on the other side was heard very emphatically, "I don't like her right now!"  I was a little taken aback.  I had not pushed my own agenda anywhere!  I had been very kind to everyone!  I have tried to never step on toes or create any ripples!  I've been praying everyday to be like Jesus! My heart sunk.
  It was another attempt of the Devil to get me down. I recognized that right away.   How can I tell people of the love of Jesus if I am feeling angry and won't forgive this person for hating without cause!  How can I preach forgiveness if I am holding a grudge?  This was a ploy of the Devil to stop the Bible Study/Prayer in our church or at least the effectiveness of it.  However, I felt suddenly defensive.  How come the Devil keeps trying to use people to destroy what I want to do for God?  But then,  the question came to mind, "How could I keep this project going when suddenly I am feeling so defensive of it?"  It was never mine to defend from the beginning.  Oh boy,  The Devil knew that one minor offense could produce in me a whole deluge of carnal reactions!  I needed help!
  I got on my knees and began to pray!  "God help me to be forgiving.  Help me not to keep reliving it.  Help me put the offense completely aside and to treat the offender like Jesus would."  I called my neighbor friend and she came for a bike ride with me.  We sat in my favorite prayer place as I told her that I was struggling spiritually and needed strength from God.  She held me up.  She told me that since the Bible Study/prayer group began, she has felt peace in heart and forgiveness for the first time.  She has rearranged her schedule so that she can wake up at 5:30 every morning and pray and read her Bible.  She told me how she feels so blessed because of this Bible Study/prayer thing.
  I realized again how effective this ministry could be if, even under duress and threat of closure, I let God defend His own cause and leave myself out of it.  I began to sing every time I felt myself being drawn back into the trap of being offended.  I made a fresh raspberry pie for the offender.  I wanted and still want only to show the love of Jesus.  The Lord even provided information on a much broader perspective as why this person is so reactive.  My heart was broken by the story!  It was enough to bring me to tears.  I was brought to my knees on their behalf.  I was sincerely humbled by the story and completely repentant of my own inward thoughts.  God have mercy on me!
  It was an attack from the Devil to break me down.  God used it to help me see my own weakness and to Glorify Him when He made me strong!
  The Bible Study/Prayer group continues on.  Now our Pastor who seemed so discouraged just weeks ago, is excited for the possibilities that are becoming evident.  Praise God from whom all blessing flow!
  We had a close knit group of 5 people last week and it's looking like this week will be more.  Please, to all those who have committed to pray for this thing,  keep praying.  God is about to work some major miracles in Whitehorse!  Don't give up!  The Devil is angrier then ever but God is strong and our faith is being built!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Farmer Me

My neighbor lent me his tractor today so that I could bush hog my over grown field and have it ready for bigger gardens next year.  I had lots of fun.  I love driving tractors.
 Toto' concentration!