Wordless Wednesday- Sleeping like a baby

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Gratituesday-New Dishwasher

Get ready to cheer....

I GOT A NEW DISHWASHER!!!   YAY!!!!

My previous dishwasher did not wash dishes.  I think that should be a prerequisite for putting a dishwasher on the market... MUST CLEAN THE DISHES!!!

Good thing we got it at Costco and were able to take it back after "trying it out" for a year.

Check out my new Whirlpool 3200!

And here's the inside.

Please feel free to ooh and aww with me over the stainless steel interior and turbo dish blasting jets. (quite possibly not the part name they use in the manual).  It is so quiet that I repeatedly pushed the buttons because I didn't think it was on, but it was.

I am so grateful for a fantastic new dishwasher and a husband who understands that if it ain't working we need a new one :)

For more Gratituesday head on over to Laura's blog Heavenly Homemakers

Exciting Announcement!!!

Dana over at Composing Hallelujahs  hosts a blog carnival called Motivate Me Monday.  Well Dana is taking a break for a little bit and I will be hosting Motivate Me Monday here at the palace.  I am really really excited that Dana is letting me do this.

So come join me here next Monday and link up with your post  to share some words of encouragement, testimonies, struggles, victories, etc...

I can't wait to see what you all write about!

The Tuque

 

This is my Grandma. Isn't she cute?  She's modeling the hat I loom knitted for her.  Only here in Canada we call this a tuque.

I looked up tuque on dictionary.com 

I was really excited to see the definition:

tuque [took, tyook]
–noun a heavy stocking cap worn in Canada.

Hurray for being Canadian eh?

I am God's Gift...

...to my husband. It's true. I am not being boastful at all.

The issue is am I a precious gift or something he wishes he kept the receipt for? Am I a joy to have in his home or an eyesore that is displeasing?

I hope to grow into a gift that the Father will be glad he gave. I want to be a good gift.

By submitting to God and through much prayer I will be a wonderful treasure to my husband. One that God will receive the glory for.

Wordless Wednesday- The Only Boy Cousin

For more Wordless Wednesday head on over to 5m4m

Gratituesday- Sick

Oh what a week. I have been sick since last Tuesday. I was not sick all cozy at home in my bed... I was sick 1010.42 km (627.85 miles) away from home at my in laws island house.  As well we took a trip from there to my mom's house which was  539.54 km (335.26 miles).  All with fever chills and other nasty icky sick symptoms. (Did I mention that there were 3 ferry rides each way?)

Misery!!

(Praise God for a week of scheduled posts before I left).

God works all things for good.  (ALL things!!!  Even the really gross not polite to blog about things!!!)

*I was blessed with so much time to just lay at the feet of Jesus.  I had so much time to soak up His presence.  I totally did not take nearly enough advantage of that time, but God made it available to me.

*I was blessed by the kindness of others.  My father in law packing me some Gravol for the trip. (really very touching).  My sister gave up her bed so I could have a room to myself to rest and sleep in.  My mom braided my hair and brought me Gatorade.  All little things that really mattered to me.

*My children were well taken care of while I was ill.  Craig goes back to work tomorrow so if I had been sick this coming week my house would have seen a lot of movies and cheerios.  Instead they were out having great adventures with their dad and grandparents.

God is good all the time!  All the time God is good!




For more Gratituesday head over to Heavenly Homemakers.

Fall Into Reading Challenge

I am really excited about this reading challenge! What a great way to organize the books I choose to fill my mind with.

Here are a few books on my reading list that come to mind:

1. A Man Called Moses by Bill Gallaher
A novel about Wellington Delaney Moses, who was a blacksmith in Barkerville BC.

2. The Edible Container Garden by Michael Guerra
Fairly self explanitory title I think.  Need to get prepared for next year.

3.The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
My mother in law has recommended it to me and it seem quite popular so I thought i might give it a go.


4.The Busy Mom's Guide to Bible Study by Lisa Welchel
I am really drawn in by the description of this book:


"Not only is this plan doable, it's satisfying. As a busy mom, you give of yourself all day long - often with no way to refresh and replenish the cravings of your own soul. But this simple three-month, come-along-beside-you guide will take you deep into the Word, nourishing your heart and soul. And in just three months, you will be a changed woman - changed by the power of God's word in you."

5. Crocheting For Dummies by Susan Brittain and Karen Manthey
I really want to learn how to crochet so I can make cute stuffed animals :)

6. Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
 Truthfully the title intrigues me.

7. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore & Lynn Vincent
I saw this on the Roger's Family Blog book list and once again am intrigued by the title. 

I will probably add more as I go, I just haven't planned my reading schedule too far ahead yet I suppose :)

Come join the challenge!  Click on the picture at the top of my post for more info!
 

Friday Funnies- Hilarious Hudson

Ok you need to know that I have a seriously funny kid. I think I will start calling him Hilarious Hudson. Here is his latest antic.
Craig asked Hudson to sing Ba Ba Black Sheep. Here are the lyrics he sang:

Blah blah black sheep.

Happy little wool...

(The rest he sang the correct words so I won't bore you with that).  

Hee hee we were giggling so much.  Hilarious Hudson is just too cute!

Linking up with my bloggy pal Kim over at Homesteader's Heart for Friday Funnies.

Wordless Wednesday- When God Paints The Sky.

For More Wordless Wednesday check out 5m4m

Let's Salsa!

I am becoming more domesticated. It a painful challenging process, but change usually is.

Meet my salsa coach good friend Charlene.

She is the amazing lady who helped me turn these (and a few other key ingredients)...

 

Into this

and then 20 of these little darlings.

Here's the recipe!

Charlene's Salsa
5lb tomatoes
2 Spanish onions
2 grn pepper
1 red pepper
4 jalapeño pepper
1   5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup br. sugar
2 tsp pickling salt
2 tsp paprika
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp hot chili powder

chop up veggies add spices and cook for 1 hr.(I do much less time if I drain off some liquid first) pour into hot jars and can for 10 min.

*I like to chop the tomatoes, peppers and onions in my blender, then drain some of the liquid otherwise I find it is too runny.  You don’t need to peel the tomatoes if you put them into the blender.

Linking up with Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for Tasty Tuesday!

Joy

Have you met Teri Lynne over at Pleasing to You?  She is a passionate lady on fore for the Lord.  Her posts are thoughtful, biblical and truthful.  Today she is celebrating her 100 blog post.  To help with the festivities she has asked folks to write about what brings them joy.

What brings me joy?  God has blessed me with abundant joy, so here is my list of a few things that are joyful to me.

Jesus
I love to sing and dance and worship Him.  I have tremendous joy when i know He is speaking to me and using me.  I am amazed and so grateful that He loves me too much to leave me where I am and that He is maturing me.  I am in awe that He answers my prayers.

Craig (My Husband)
What can I say?  The man is so much sweet, adorable, strong, intelligent and God loving all rolled into one fantastic creation.  I am honored that God thinks so much of me that He gave me Craig

.

Hudson (My Son)

I adore watching how this little boy's mind works. He is such a thoughtful child.  It brings me joy to teach him, play with him, tell stories, memorize scripture together.  My heart bursts with joy when I think about my Hudson.

Meadow (My Daughter)
After Hudson was born I thought to myself, "I love boys!  I could be a mother of all boys and be perfectly happy."  God knew different and sent Meadow.  A daughter is such a treasure. I didn't even know how much I liked pink and sparkly until this little girl came along.  She is feisty and loves a lot of attention.  Those times when she is quiet and snuggly just melt my heart.

Creating
Give me a room full of paper and scissors and glue dots and embellishments and I am in pure bliss.

Blog Comments
Seriously!  To know that people read what I write and some of you take the time to comment and give me words of encouragement.  Thank you.  You bring me joy.

Find out what others are joyful about

Friday Funnies

My dear bloggy friend Kim is hilarious. She hosts Friday Funnies over at her blog Homesteader's Heart. I have never participated because I didn't really think I had anything funny to write about... Until now.  I asked Hudson to help me with tidying the kitchen table.  This is what I found him doing.

Yes folks he is TYING up the table.

Happy Birthday Meadow!

 

My sweet baby girl is one today.  Fasten your seat belts as I take you time traveling to the day she was born.

I knew I was being induced on September 10 2008.  I was 6 days overdue and so ready to not be pregnant anymore.

 

My plans for that day were to go to the hospital, get the gels inserted, go out for lunch, head home for a nap and then have a baby at around 5pm that night. Umm not the case.  Instead the gels were inserted, I went into fast and furious labour and four hours later our daughter joined our family.

(The other woman in this picture is my dear friend and dula, Doris)

Meadow weighed 7lbs 12oz and was 20 inches long.

Her brother came to meet her for the first time wearing a monarch butterfly costume. (Does that make us one of THOSE families?)

 

She was not particularly thrilled to Meet Hudson, but they have grown much closer over the past year :)

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me.

Happy Happy First Birthday my darling little Meadow!

 

Wordless Wednesday- My special breakfast made by hubby.

For More Wordless Wednesday check out 5m4m

Last is First

Matthew 19:30 But many will be Last who are First; and First who are Last.

God speaks.  His word is living and true.  You may know already that as I am reading my bible I
often write in it.  Usually it is a short prayer written next to a relevant scripture verse (or passage).  Because of this I have a record of things that I have prayed for, that God has answered yes to.  (I believe God answers all prayer, sometimes His answer is no).

I have prayed to know about the above verse.  What does it mean?  What does it look like?  How does that work?  Show me Lord.

Ephesians 5:22-24²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.


Submission. (Yes there it is.  The "S" word).  If I am submitting to authority then I am serving. I am putting myself after others.  I am bumping back my position in line so that I am no longer first.
In my case the most direct authority over me is my husband.  He is responsible for making decisions to benefit our family and growing us toward God.  That is not to say that I don't have input.  I can share my thinking (wise or not) with Craig, but he has the last word on the matter.  I need to be respectful and gracious when accepting this fact.

The second way to become last is to get rid of my sense of entitlement.  I am not owed anything.  The world cries out "Have me time! Pamper yourself! You deserve it!"  This is not truth.  If I am serving and following God's ways then He will refresh me.  I can cast my burdens on Him.  I will let the Lord provide.
 
 God's kingdom is opposite of ours.  Those who are first will become last and those who are last will become first.  Die to yourself and live in Christ, follow His example of servanthood.  Do all things for His glory.

Linking this up to What I Learned This Week.

Mommy Moments

I have just found a new and totally fun Meme called Mommy Moments over at The Mommy Journey.  This weeks topic is dress up.
I have decided to post my favorite dress up picture of my children "dressed up" together.

 

Hudson is singing at the top of his lungs.  They are just too cute.  My little super stars!

 

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful for the season our family is in. Craig has an abundance of time off work this spring and summer. Our kids are not in school. We have the funds to make the most of our time together.
We have had the privilege to spend so much time with family this year. What a blessing.
We are able to wake up at the palace and head to the lake on a Tuesday if we want to. All of us. What sweetness this is.
I am thankful that we do not have to anxious about Craig not working right now because God provided us with wisdom to make investments before this time off.
God is the ultimate provider.
What are you thankful for? Stop by Women Taking a Stand to find out what others are thankful for.

Wordless Wednesday- Mom there's something in my shoe!

That is an elastic that he wrapped around his foot in case you couldn't tell :)

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5M4M.