Hi!

Hi everyone! We are still alive and I am going to do everything I can to get a blog post up by this weekend. In the meantime, we are busy with school, making soap, brewing tea, reading, music, being with friends, trying to escape the heat :-), and making lip balm. Our home has been kind of messy lately because of all the projects-soap, sewing skirts, cooking, laundry, school, herbs for tea and infusions, books (I forever have a stack-or two-of books, papers, and magazines that I am reading), an old beat up chair that Haley salvaged from a trash pile(she is going to refinish it), and of course sticks. :-) Silas and Logan have really been into their sticks lately. Haley is looking into learning how to make pottery with a wheel and clay. Logan is researching dogs as he hopes to get one in the next year or two. He would like to breed, train, and sell them. In all of it, my desire remains and calls to my hearts to love and serve Jesus with all my being. So many moments I lose my focus, the focus of my heart. I won't give up though! I do fail daily in a small or large way, but He is always there to forgive and walk with me. He knows we are but sheep....He sees our hearts, wanting with everything that is in us, to please Him. Be blessed my friends and love, pursue hard, the Lover of our souls. He deserves our very lives.

House Pics

~Our Home~

This is our main bathroom that the children and guests use. Tim picked out the shower curtain when we first moved here and we all really like it.

This is our very small, but very functional kitchen. We have already baked and cooked lots of yummy things. Our kitchens are places of togetherness, feeding the body and soul.

You can see the three Scrabble players at the dining room table. :-) The little blue table and chair are Haley's school 'desk'. The kitchen is at the very back left of this picture.

You can see our bedroom door and part of the living room. Also in that little hallway is the bathroom and the children's room.

Here I am standing at our bedroom door and taking a picture of the living room. Our books and instruments bring us so much joy!

Here is my dear husband working on a project in the other half of the living room. You can also see the front door. I hope you enjoyed seeing most of our little home.

My Mom's Visit

This is the new duplex we live in. It is a two bedroom, two bath with a big, fenced-in backyard. We are really enjoying our cozy little home and are so thankful to God for it. The trees behind it are a gift from the Lord to me. :-) Here I am with my two precious sons. I am blessed!!!

My Mom has been here for a 3.5 day visit and is has been so, so good to see her again. Haley, Logan, and Mom have played games for hours. We went to the zoo and celebrated Logan's birthday with a gift treasure hunt. It was great fun! Today my Mom took us to town for a fun outing. She gave Haley and Logan each $20 to spend at Hobby Lobby and boy did they have fun picking things out. Then she got us each a special coffee drink. I loved this picture of the four of them. We have loved having you Mom!

A Servant???

I was reminded again tonight, by my sweet Lord, that our lives are to be a broken and spilled out life. I was washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen tonight and just praying and thinking about how I want even that act to be a sacrifice of love to my Savior. With all the tasks that a mother must do every day, we have countless chances to either do with an attitude of complaining or serve with a heart filled with love for Jesus and those we are serving. I do not always have the heart of loving service, but that is my desire and His desire for me. I repent when the Lord shows me that I am being a grumbling Israelite. Our service for each other is the true gospel being lived out moment by moment in the daily mundane. Help me Father to see the eternal in the dirty toilet, the pile of laundry, the fussy toddler, another meal to be made, the seemingly endless math to grade, the back to massage, the game to play, and the pile of clothes to be ironed.

"Your God has commanded your strength..." ~Psalm 68:28a

If you have never heard the song, 'Broken and Spilled Out' I would encourage you to do so. It is excellent and full of truth. It makes me want to fall on my knees and surrender all over again.

Cleaning P.S.

I wanted to mention that this can be a very cheap way to clean too. That is always a big plus. :-) To make it the most cost effective here are a couple of tips. I buy a huge bag of baking soda at Walmart-I think it is 12lbs. of soda. It was a little under $7.00 which it quite a bit cheaper than the little boxes in the baking isle. I believe you can also get these big bags at Sam's or Costco. I buy the store brand vinegar in the huge gallon size. The biggest cost is the essential oils. I do not buy the expensive little bottles in the health food stores anymore. There are many online places where you can order larger quantities of an essential oil. The last time I ordered I purchased oils from New Directions. This is a much cheaper way to go and the bottles last me 1-2 years. Also, when I make our homemade bar soap I can use the oils in our soaps too. We often put a few drops of lavender oil in our baths as this oil is a very soothing, relaxing oil. Ooooo, I can smell the lovely smell now. :-)

A Clean, Chemical-Free Home

For those of you who have asked about natural cleaning... Several years ago I purchased a book titled, 'The Naturally Clean Home'. This book is where I have gotten most of my ideas. I use baking soda as a natural abrasive-an alternative to Comet. When I clean bathroom or kitchen sinks I sprinkle baking soda, drip a few drops of essential oil, and spray with my vinegar cleaner. Then I scrub, scrub, scrub. :-) From what I have read, distilled vinegar kills germs as do certain essential oils. I currently use orange oil or lavender oil. In the past I have used lemon, tea tree, and oregano. Lemon and lavender are my favorite aroma wise and I only use oils to clean with that have antibacterial properties. To clean the toilet I put around 1 cup of baking soda into the toilet. Then I add 1-2 cups of vinegar and watch it fizz. I let this sit while I clean the sink and mirror. When I am ready to scrub out the bowl I add 10 or so drops of essential oil and scrub until shiny. To mop floors I put about 2 cups of vinegar into the mop bucket, a small drizzle of dish soap (optional), 10 drops of oil and fill to 2/3 with hot water. The house smells wonderful when I am finished mopping. My all-purpose vinegar spray is 1/2 a spray bottle of water and 1/2 vinegar. I add 10-15 drops of oil to the spray bottle and always shake it before I use it. I use this for counters, mirrors, windows, dusting, and anything else that needs wiping up. I also frequently make my own laundry soap that is free of all the chemicals in regular detergents. All of this gives me peace of mind as we play on the floor, wear our clothes, eat off our dishes, and just breath the air in our home. There are no worries when my children use the cleaning supplies too. I never have to worry about Silas getting into the 'scary' things under the sink either. I love creating a home that is clean, peaceful, and healthy. Blessings dear ones. :-)

Free To Love

Weeks ago the Lord gave me a song after He set me free from some things. As people were surrounding me and praying for my freedom these words kept running through my mind, 'Free To Love'. I heard the Lord whisper to me that He is setting me and others free so that we can freely love others with His love. Here are the words...

1. Jesus I come to You, I hear You calling. I give you my chains and you've set me free, so free.
2. CHORUS: Free to love, free to give, and let the oppressed go free. Free to break chains of sin and release heavy burdens. Free to break every yoke and take care of the needy. Then Your light will shine forth as the morning. Hallelujah, hallelujah. We are free to love...set free to love...so free to love.
3. Jesus I need You, I know my weakness. You're my deliverer and my heart is free, so free.
4. CHORUS

I play it in the key of A but I don't think that is very helpful. Anyhow, I hope the words at least bless you and may we be totally free indeed...free to love Him and others.