The thought provoking blog of Nathan's lil wifee! ;)

Stay Tuned....

2010-01-20T16:16:00.010-05:00

This Blog is under radical construction!

Coming soon...

Lotsa'....so check back!

2009-09-17T10:16:00.010-04:00

Photos you may have not seen before....(photos I didn't know existed! I found these on Nathan's parent's computer!! Thank you guys for snapping these!!!)

Tired Parents and Hyper Happy Baby Aug. 09

Nolan and Daddy (Aug 09)

Nolan and Mommy Aug 09

Nolan (Sept 09)

Nathan preparing our dinner in the hospital (Cute piggy toes!) (June 09)

Me in the hospital the 2nd time with the uterus infection (I think I am blinking or napping?) (June 09)

A cute one of Liz, MamaB, Nolan and Me (Sept 09)

One tired new Daddy...This is where Nathan slept for 5 days while in the hospital the 2nd time (June 09)

1 Day old! Nolan Elijah Black! June 11 09

At about 2pm, the first time I seen Nolan. (June 11 09)

Sweet memories....June 11 09

Going home...only to return a day later. :)

A lullabye to my son....

Hush, Lil Nolan don't you cry,

Momma's gonna buy you some ganic' fruit.

And if that fruit you won't be fed,

Momma's gonna take you to Panera Bread.

And if Panera Bread is closed,

Momma's gonna take you to Chick-fil-a.

And if Chick-fil-a gives your tummy a fit,

Momma's gonna take you to Target.

And if Target has no deals,

Momma's gonna get you a burger meal,

If Red Robin gives your taste buds a shock.....

We will sit right here and continue to rock.

Can you what my favorite choices are when we go out shopping? :) So if you ever decide to get me a gift card for my birthday.... ;)

2009-07-14T18:01:00.015-04:00

About 2 weeks ago: Nolan's first visitors...Thomas Grey and Charlotte Hayes!

Nolan goes to Red Robin!

Well, he attempts to...when we walked in the door

and we are greeted by the smell of propane...

we mentioned it to the waitress and she said she doesn't smell it,

but ya know someone mentions it about 1ce a week...

needless to say we high tailed it out of there. ;)

Master Nolan at the Stagville Plantation

Last week, Nathan took Nolan and I to Stagville (in NC).

We went on a fun tour through the house, barn and slave homes.

One tired momma' and a cutie patootie!

So what is up with the cutest baby in the world?

(I am allowed to be biased. I am his momma'!)

Nolan is growing like a weed! I just put away the last of his newborn onesies that were waiting patiently in a pile for me to organize. I cannot believe he was so tiny a month ago. Time goes by too fast. I have been told to enjoy it while I can and I am trying my best-est to do just that. I am guessing Nolan weighs 10.5 lbs, but we will see next week at a check up appointment if I am right.

Nolan loves bath time. After I wash him, I take him out of his bath chair and let him float on his back (I hold him of course) and he LOVES it! He looks around and moves his legs and arms through the water. I am so excited he is a water baby. Now all I need...er...I mean, he needs...is the above ground salt water pool and he will be set. :o)

Nolan and I have now been traveling with Nathan everywhere. It was really hard for me not being able to go with Nathan on adventures to town or to work on jobs. Now that I am feeling so much better, both Nolan and I are enjoying Nathan's company again. :)

Here are a few pics from 2 days ago. While Nathan was working on rebuilding a well house roof and cleaning gutters (getting them ready for painting), Nolan enjoyed basking under a tree on a quilt.

For those wondering...I have gotten quite a few emails and comments wondering why I can't v-bac. In order to get Nolan out, my uterus was cut upwards 80% of the way, which rules out vbac-ing. From all the research I've been doing, if I had a normal size inverted t-incision, vbacing could be an option (though the risks are much higher for rupture then normal cuts). Right now I am researching about c-sections. There is no such thing as a "natural" csection ;), but I am investigating all my options. A lot of things that are done as routine are not necessary and depending on the doctor you chose, different options can be available to you. Every woman should have the choice to make her baby's birth be as she wanted it, whether she have a csection or deliver naturally. Whether she wants pain killers, wants her husband to announce the gender of the baby or doesn't want to be shaved....each woman should have say in the birth of her child. Some may wonder, why does it matter? Because birthing is big part of a "womb-man" 's life. One of the many great things about being a woman is that our bodies were designed to nurture, grow, bear, nurse and raise children. Birthing is one great miracle we get to experience. It's amazing how the Lord makes life within the womb from the joining of a husband and wife!

2009-06-22T09:06:00.007-04:00

Woo-hoo! The baby has arrived!! I am starting to feel a lil better and the stairs are not so daunting as they use to be. (Our computer is upstairs.) The past almost 2 weeks have been a bundle of emotions for us. I thank all of those who have been praying. God is so good to us. His mighty hands have been well at work in Nathan and I's life. I sit here in tears as I say I can truly see the work of the Lord in my own life. Where would I be without Him? Countless blessings and miracles have taken place in the past 2 weeks. We have had some very trying times and yet in the midst of it all the LORD is STILL SO GOOD TO US!!!

After many hours of labor, I was unable to deliver at home. Nolan was positioned posterior and his head was tilted back which made him get stuck. To remove him, the doctors had to make an upside down T incision on my uterus. Due to this, c-sections are now the only way I can birth. It hurts me dreadfully when I think of it. Having a c-section was the last thing I thought I would ever have to have. Now they are the only way I can have our children. Some minutes for me are harder then the next. I am still healing emotionally and physically from all that has gone on, but in the midst of everything GOD IS GOOD! He is so good to me! I cannot praise the Lord enough these days. I can't count the blessings that HE has given to us! I cannot count the miracles! I can't say thank You Jesus enough. Nolan is truly a gift from HIM and I am so thankful to share his little life!

While I was pregnant, we would get asked where we were having the baby (as in which hospital) and we would always reply, "We are having the baby at home, if everything goes well." Home birthing was our preferred choice, but we always left room for a hospital birth. Our stay at the hospital was great. The doctors are very well skilled and the nurses on the recovery floor (I cannot remember the right name for the floor...the mommy floor? ;) were very sweet and helpful. Nolan was in NICU for 2 days. When he was born his apgar was 1! You can't tell it now. He is the most alert lil' thing when he isn't snoozing. :) Just shows the Lord's goodness to us!

After being released from the hospital, we had to return the next day due to me having a uterine infection. We had a 4 or 5 day stay (I can't remember exactly right now... ;) and the Lord has healed me up. :)

My husband has been such a blessing to me this whole time. He has stood by me and supported me when the world seemed like it was going to cave in on me. I love you Nathan! (I love you more!) Words don't express how much you mean to me! <3

How to sum up this post? With pictures, of course!

Nolan Elijah Black
June 11th 2009 (2:45am)
8lbs 10 oz.

(9 days old here)

The story behind the above 3 pictures....Nolan just woke up from a snooze and I picked him up to nurse him. I kissed on him a lil and then started to say his name over and over with much happy momma' talk. He produced the above smiles (and a few more) and I caught them on camera! For those who are baby smile skeptics, babies do smile....it's not gas. ;)

(9 days old above)

Guess who is awake and lookin' around?

(10 days)

Sleepy doodle!

(11 days)

2009-04-18T08:01:00.002-04:00

"What are you having?"....is a common question that both Nathan and I get now a days. With my baby belly poking out, we get many questions and comments about Baby Black. I always respond, "We are having a surprise!" Some people are shocked. "You don't know what your having?" The older generation relates a lot, "I didn't know what I had either....of course we didn't have the options to know." Some then continue on and guess what we are having by the way I am carrying. I will let you know many people say we are having a boy. My tummy sometimes feels so high I am afraid nodding my chin might bump it.

Another comment we hear a lot after I say the baby's gender is a surprise is, "Just so long as it's healthy....that is all that matters."

I have heard a lot about a "healthy baby" since I became pregnant. I will be honest too, I would love for my baby to be healthy. I would love for their life to be a normal, healthy one. I think that is the human mother in me.

But...would our baby be any less a blessing if it's "unhealthy"? Would our baby be any less welcome or wanted if it were unhealthy? If our baby is born with a defect, isn't God still faithful? If our baby is born with down's, isn't God still good? The Lord uses both the whole and the lame, the healthy and the sick....

YES I would love for my baby to be born healthy, but I want even more for our child to be used for the Lord. There's a story in John 9...the disciples ask Jesus as they pass a man blind from birth. "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he is born blind." Jesus answers, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life..."

Had this young man not been born "unhealthy" his life could not have been used for the Lord and we would be missing this account of God's awesome power in the Word. BOTH the whole and unwhole are used by the Lord. We shouldn't limit Him, shove Him in a box and question Him when things don't turn out how WE want them.

This morning, the words of Jesus speak to my mommy heart, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life..."

The story behind this post: I woke up today near 6am after a long night of trying to sleep. The sun is poking it's happy rays through the curtains and Nathan is snoozing heavily beside me. Our little one has begun his/her routine. A little movement here, a punch near my hips, a kick in my ribs and what seems like a flip in the middle. I groggily lay there as I think about our baby who will be born in only 7 weeks and the LORD lays this post on my heart. I think to myself, "I need to share this. Lord help me get my pregnant body out of bed without waking my sweetly sleeping husband." As my body rolls out of bed and I shiver as I put my jammies on, I begin to tiptoe out of the room. Right outside our room, to the left, is the underbelly of our staircase and a closet built under it. I begin to round the corner as I notice our orange, plump and pregnant kitty (Lil' Miss) sitting at our opened front screen door. I quickly jerk my body back around the underside of the staircase, "Did she see me?" I ask myself. I peek around and glance at her. She looks back at me as I quickly duck my head behind the wall again. "LORD! Please make her go away. She will meow and wake up Nathan." I peek back over the corner....she is still there. She now commences to lick her fur. You have to meet Lil' Miss to understand the ferocity of her meow. She is loud and she is demanding (and NO she does not get that from me!). I ask the Lord as I peek at her again, "PLEASE make her go away." She doesn't budge. She turns and looks at me and I hide behind the wall again. I then get an idea. I will scare her. I pop my head around the wall and with big eyes and my best ugly, mean and scary face I shake my head at her. She stares at me and blinks her eyes unimpressed. I hide back around the corner and cover my mouth as I try to suppress the laughter that is trying to break forth outta' me! That is probably a face Nathan will never want to see....as I calm down I inquire, "Lord, if You want this posted, please keep her mouth quiet??" I calmly walk over to my front door, look down at my normally HOWLING cat, who silently glances up at me and shut the door. Silence as I tiptoe up our stairs to post. The LORD really wanted this posted as keeping Lil Miss quiet is something only the Lord can do. :)

2009-04-08T20:46:00.001-04:00

Guess What!!

Diapers!

2009-03-03T17:48:00.011-05:00

Oh-So-Fun Baby stuff!

Nathan and I found these cloth diapers on craigslist! Usaully Kushies are 4 for $50, but we found all 20 infant size for $80! These are not the old cloth diapers that you need pins and covers for....come on now, we are hightech hillbillies! These come complete with velcro, fitted leg holes, a liner and a pocket to insert additional liners for extra heavy wetters! Some are very decorative and others are plain. :)

Above: The innards of Kushie diapers.

Sheppie tries out one of the baby's diapers.

(don't worry I am laundering this one again before I put it on the baby!) ;)

Fuzzibunz!

I also bartered online for 6 infant size Fuzzibunz. They have adjustable snaps (no velcro!) and a pocket in which the seperate liner is placed.

Which do I like better? Whichever one works best! Both are suppose to be leak proof and comfy for the baby!

How many diapers (cloth or disposable) does a baby go thru' in a day? 10-13! That is what I have been told. I don't like a baby to sit in wet or mess, so I know I may be changing more often then that. Would you like to sit in your own potty? I think not. ;)

So what is the plan? I have decided not to cloth diaper right away. For the first 2 weeks of life, Baby Black will enjoy the 7th generation disposable diapers that my mom found at Big Lots! The 2 weeks will allow the household time to rest and relax and let the laundry machine prepare itself for "baby use". ;)

7th generation diapers? Unlike Pampers, Huggies, Luvs and other diaper companies 7th generation DOES NOT put ingredients like....dioxins, tributyl-tin, sodium polyacralate and other harmful ingredient near and on baby's skin. While what is in a normal disposable diaper may compost (baby poo!), the diaper itself does not disintegrate. I am NOT a hug a tree girl (my woodstove feels quite nice thank you!) but my concern is my baby's health.

A lot of people have never even thought of what they are putting on their baby's bottoms. For them, this may be new info. OR some may not think the risks are great. They may have had 5 in regular pampers and never had any adverse reactions.

For me, it's a lot like the issue of vaccines, healthy eating, the way we live, etc. What is my conviction is not everyone else's. I don't expect every parent to be like me either! We gotta' do what we feel is right by our own children! :) For me, I am just writing to share what exciting things I have found and to educate those who have an interest! :)

After the baby's birth and once our household resumes routine and operation, my cloth diapers are going to be so fun to use!! I will have to give an update once the baby comes and share how the diapers worked (all 3 - disposable 7th generation diapers, Kushies and Fuzzibunz) and any other tricks I learn. I already found a fun diaper "cleansing lotion" that I am going to make! I will have to put directions up (with pics).

How does cloth diapering work?

This is just one way of cloth diapering that has been shared with me.

Have another way to launder cloth diapers? Share by leaving a comment! :)

Step one: Put diaper on baby.
Step two: Within 5 minutes to 3 hours the baby will have made a prize JUST FOR YOU!
Step three: Remove diaper, clean baby, put new diaper on.
Step four: Take the diaper (with your prize) and wipe out prizes into the toilet. Place the diaper into a laundry basket (that has a lid).
Step five: Every day or every other day you should have one load of diapers for the washer.

Some things I have learned from others about cloth diapering:

*You don't have to use a wet bucket. It can destroy fibers in the diapers.

*Don't use high tech detergents (the ones with enzymes) on cloth diapers. They eat the life out of your cloth diaper. I plan on using something fragrance free (less harsh chemicals). I hear both Ecover and 7th Generation are great for diapers. Also Dr. Bronner's Soap (liquid) is useable on diapers! We will hafta' see what is on sale. ;)

*Babies with cloth on sense they are wet sooner then babies with disposables. This is due to the "SAP" super absorbent polymer in most disposies'. It absorbs and holds in wetness making baby not realize it has a truck load of potty in it's diaper.

*Line drying is better for the longevity of your diapers!

Interested in seeing the $avings that cloth diapers can be?
http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/01/31/how-much-money-do-cloth-diapers-save-a-cloth-vs-disposable-cost-comparison/

Info on what is in regular disposable diapers (Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, etc.)....
"Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..1
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.2
Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.3
In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis."
Taken from: www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Did you know? (odds and ends :)
**YOU were in your grandmother's womb? By week 13, your mom had over 2 million eggs in her ovaries! One of those eggs was you (or atleast half of you ;)!

***3 weeks after conception, a baby is the size of the head of a pin. At week 8, a baby is the size of a pinto bean! At week 13, a baby is about the size of a peach! At week 17, a baby is the size of your hand spread open! Some of you may wonder "how big is Baby Black right now?" Baby Black is 26 weeks and according to "the books" weighs 2 pounds! At week 27, a majority of baby's are 15 inches long from head to toe!

2009-02-18T11:59:00.007-05:00

Febuary 19th - Just one year ago....

My goat, Melita, was giving birth to triplets....and Nathan wrote an email to me that would make life change forever. Not only my life, but the lives of my family.

I sit here typing this as our tiny lil' blessing moves and kicks around in my womb. To think just 1 year ago, I was a "maiden in waiting" and now I am a "mommy in waiting". Waiting for the "birth"day of our baby.

Life is full of waiting. The question I would like to pose is, "Are you waiting patiently on the LORD?" We WANT what we WANT and we WANT it NOW. You notice the keyword...WANT. It wasn't until I waited that I got what I wanted. I can tell ya' too....what the LORD has for us is SO worth the wait. :)

Happy Feb. 19th anniversary, Nathan!! I love you! Thank you for being a goodly husband to me. For your love, encouragement and for all the happiness you bring to me! I love you more!

Want to read what happened a year ago....
http://trulythoughtprovoking.blogspot.com/2008/03/story.html

2009-02-04T22:04:00.004-05:00

Some sad news....

Almost 2 weeks ago, our dog Sadie died.

After having spent the cold night in our home, Sadie and Sheppie were let outside to go potty. Nathan tried to call both of them back in, but neither were interested. When we went up to fix a pipe issue at Nathan's parent's, Sheppie was barking through the fence at Dayda and Sheba (Nathan's parent's dogs). We called for Sadie, but she never came. We figured she was off in the pasture getting a bone or chasing a squirell. We spent about 30 minutes inside and then headed home. As we drove down the lane back to our house, I looked out my window at the iced pond. My eyes narrowed down on a broken patch of ice and a dark object floating in the water. I told Nathan to stop and said, "I see something in the pond." We ran to the edge to find Sadie. Nathan retrieved her cold, limp body and we quickly drove back to our home. We tried to revive her (cpr and hydrotherapy), but it was too late.

It hurts my insides as I type this and the tears just keep flowing. Sadie's death was very, very sudden. We expected her to live a long and happy life. She was only 10 months old. We expected her to be here as our children arrived. I expected her to always follow me and greet me and roll over to get her belly rubbed. I expected to always find her stretched out on her favorite log. I had hoped she would have her first litter while I was still pregnant with my firstborn. Nathan, Sheppie, Lil' Miss and I sorely miss her.

In the midst of us missing her, I can see the Lord's hand and how He has used something sad for our good. I am sure you may be already thinking what thoughts crossed my mind a few minutes after we found Sadie in the pond. As we quickly ran back to our van that day, I turned around to see Nathan running with Sadie's little limp body. Suddenly the thought hit me, "That could be one of my children." We have discussed dangers on our farm. We already had several rules for our children about ponds, equiptment, barns, etc. BUT until the day Sadie died, I never really grasped the true danger of ponds.

The Bible says all things work together for our good....that does not mean only good things will happen to us. The Lord knows what is going to happen everyday of my life. He doesn't make bad things happen to me, but He does allow them and uses the outcome for my own good.

Ya' know...it's just not sweet little doggies like Sadie who die unexpectedly. Do we take our family for granted? We just expect our parents to be there. We think that our siblings will always answer the phone. In our mind, our spouse will always be there to snuggle up to and our children will always be there to hold. The truth of the matter is we don't know what tomorrow holds. Don't take the ones you love for granted!

"...whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:14

From L to R: Sheppie, Lil' Miss and Sadie...

Nathan snapped this picture about 3 days before Sadie's death.

The log was Sadie's favorite sleeping spot.

No, we didn't ask them to pose for us,

Nathan just happened to catch a "kodak moment". :)

Your right!

2009-01-13T16:07:00.016-05:00

Your right. I should post more. I should keep you more up to date. I should let you peek inside my life and see what is going on with me. ME.....who you care for and love so much!
Some may wonder what is going on with Nathan, baby and me. You wonder if Nathan finished the back porch, what adventures have we been on lately and just how big that baby is making my tummy.

Others miss the thought provoking posts. They wonder just where did my mind go and why am I not posting my thinkerest thoughts anymore for others to think upon.

Some, but hopefully few, are relieved that for the past 9 months my blog has slowed down. They are happy their email boxes are not constantly getting flooded with emails stating that I have updated my blog.

For those who have been patiently awaiting a new post, my sincerest apologies for not keeping you updated!! I hope this post will satisfy your wondering and curiosity! :)

**Nathan is, as I type, working on framing in the inward doorways for my laundry room and back porch. I hear him banging and sawing away right now! He has found a lot of old termite damage on the wall he is currently working on, but being the genius he is (I am not being biased! :) he is tearing out and bracing areas that need the support. He is such a good worker! In the past couple months since I last posted, he has finished the walls of the outside of our porch and pantry, put siding on the walls, tin shingled the roof of the porch/pantry and painted it also! Not to mention the inside electric wiring and other odds and ends that he has done! It daily amazes me how talented my man is!! :) The Lord has surely blessed me with a gifted husband! What would take many families years to complete, he can knock out in a short amount of time and make everything in our home be so wonderful to and for me!! <3>

We have been busy the past couple months with some outside (off the farm) jobs. We gave a home a face lift (inside), fixed a warehouse roof, cut and delivered firewood and many other odd jobs that I can't remember. :) We also did a lil' salvaging in an old building recently.
Since I last updated, we have visited my family a few times, went on a family roots trip to KY with Nathan's momma' and grandaddy, attended 2 civil war reenactment dances and a bunch of other fun stuff I can't remember at present. :) Oh! My 23rd birthday was on Dec. 3rd. Belated gifts, greetings and cards are still being accepted. ;) hehe

Our ninth month anniversary was the 5th of January!!! Can ya' believe it?

**Baby...what a sweet word that is! Exciting to think that in just a few months Nathan and I will have a lil' blessing of our own to hold, kiss on, to nurture and train up!!! <3>

We found a midwife that we really like and have already had one visit and will have another soon. I have had many people ask if I am comfortable birthing at home, if I am afraid...etc. I have no fear, nor anxiety bout' the whole thing. Birthing is a natural thing for us women. We are "womb-man"! :) Dangers lurk everywhere we turn. Things can go wrong in any part of our lives. That is just the consequence of sin in our fallen world. From all my research (oooo I am going to have to do a post on this one!!) home births prove to be safer then hospital births. Does that mean nothing will go wrong with our home birth? We don't have a guarantee that bad things will not happen to us, but we do have the Lord's guarantee that says, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you!" Why should I be afraid? I trust the Holy God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...(and of Nathan, baby and me!)!! :o)

Currently, I am researching one size cloth diapers (cotton). Any recommendations?

That is all for now...but I am going to close with pictures!! Did I hear you say "YAHOO!"? :) You should be saying yahoo because it takes atleast 10 minutes per pic to upload them on to the blog! :)

*~*~*~Upcoming posts include pics and info on~*~*~*

*Nathan, baby and me

*Farm going-ons

*The evil history of eugenics

*Mail order brides in the 1800's

*Fun baby stuff I found online to buy!

*Civil War Reenacting...while pregnant.....

*Home birth'n, cloth diaper'n, water birth and infant potty training! (Learn with me as I learn about it!)

*Heirloom seeds and gardens!

*Updates on the back porch and laundry room progress

*and much, much more....

About 3 months ago: The back porch as-was with a missing roof.

This is before we extended the porch with more concrete floor.

The wall you see on the left was later torn down for the extention.

We doubled the porch/laundry room area, making it 13 wide x 30 long!

About 2 months ago: Nathan stirs up roof paint!!

About 2 weeks before, we poured the concrete floor

(no pics of that!! We lacked a camera during that time).

We then built the exterior wall for the backporch/laundry room,.

Nathan put the roof on (antique tin shingles and all!)

The tin shingled roof!

And look at the pretty detail Nathan made on the porch corner!

(Note: The shiney silver board is a make shift door until we get the laundry room door up!)

WAA-LAA! We aren't all the way finished on the outside.

The door needs painting and the siding does too.

L: Sheppy sleeps while Nathan works!

R: Lil' Miss and Sheppy!

L: The first week of November we went to KY to visit Nathan's family roots (on his mom's side). Here Nathan and I are at the Creelsboro KY Natural Bridge. Look how tiny we are!

R: ME!

Nathan and his mom going over the Lapsley Family cemetary map.

3 Generations!

And last but not least...

Grand-daddy, your first great-grand-baby asked me to put this picture on the blog.

Guess what? :)

2008-10-13T20:51:00.000-04:00

O where, o where have the lovebirds been...?

2008-09-02T16:21:00.033-04:00

I know the question that has been plagueing many of you...

WHAT have those 2 lovebirds been up to?

Last week, we partially finished our parlor! We put up our wallpaper (oo-la-la!) and our light fixtures! THEN we went thru' our books and put them on the shelves that we made! That was SO fun! So, you are wanting to see before and after pics, huh? ;)

The fireplace in the parlor/living room before Nathan started working on it in Mar. 08'.....Notice the walls *were* plain and don't have any woodwork, etc. to them.... This part of the house was built in the early 1800s and was originally one-story with an outside chimney (large) and a fireplace. In the mid-1800s they took off the roof and put on a second story, replacing the big chimney with the small flue shown here. Notice how they cut the original mantle in half in order to build the new chimney!

Nathan starts working on the fireplace in March 08' (while we were engaged)....

In the beginning of August 08' we started really working on our parlor!

Below is the mantle (hidden behind materials) and to the right of the pic, the beginning of our book cases!

The fireplace...incomplete...notice the big rock Nathan put over the fireplace (all by himself too!).

We have book cases on both sides of the fire place.

Here is another "before" picture of the process of making the book cases!
All of the woodwork and molding was either salvaged from other houses Nathan has torn down, or was made by him. The wide boards (some are as big as 20 inches) and some of the molding came from a house built in 1780 that we have been tearing down the last few months. Pics of that house to come....

Nathan starts to work on a beautiful topper above the 2 doors and front window!

All with homemade stuff of course.

We commenced our painting near the middle of August... Notice to the right of this picture the wainscoting and chair rail we put up. We had to tear out the old sheetrock and then the plaster to put it up. I tried locating pics, but couldn't find them.

Nathan's finished door top!

Then this past week, we wallpapered and put up our lights!

We still have the parlor floor to polyurethene and other odds and ends to move about, so a completed picture is yet to come.

Since we were 99% done with our parlor, we started a new adventure!....
Our back porch which will soon be our mud room, pantry and laundry room (as our plan stands for the moment... ;)

Close up of the pantry wall, before being ripped out, on our back porch...Nathan had the job of ripping all the old yucky stuff out. Why are we ripping it out you ask? The wooden floor of the pantry (which is connected to the porch area) was built at ground level and had termite damage (along with other problems). We are preparing to replace the pantry floor area and add additional footage in the front porch of our home with a concrete slab this week.

Nathan starts to do more demolition! :)

Nathan working in what use to be my pantry....

Nathan takes the siding off the front and tears down the front wall...woah!

Talk about yucky....Under the pantry before Nathan cleans it up....

Look below at what a great clean-up job Nathan did!

That's my man! ;) hehe

Sooo...what was I doing while Nathan demolished the pantry?

I was trying to find a place for all the stuff that use to be stored in the pantry (that sounds easy but it was a half day affair ;) , pulling nails from the boards Nathan was saving that were still good and cheering Nathan on! :)

While pulling nails, I reached for a board and touched this instead...

Well, that is all for now! It's almost 6pm and I have french loaves to create!!!

This concludes my post about "Adventures in Nathanland".... ;)

Much love,

Nathan's lil wifee'

2008-08-07T16:13:00.009-04:00

It's me! As of today I have not posted in 2 months!

What have my past 2 months been full of?? Lotsa'....Nathan has been blessed with a couple outside (off the farm) jobs. I get to do the simple fun stuff and of course encoourage him by my chatter and presence. ;o) I am his gopher for tools and such too. We also finished our upstairs bedroom and started on the parlor (what a snoopsy and fun word, huh)? We have about 3 day left (wood work and wall papering) and we will be moving on to a new project in our home. Pictures to come soon!

My mom's 40th birthday was yesterday! She is still celebrating her birthday WEEK, so for those of you who are late on birthday greetings, you still have time! Nathan and I surprised her by coming late Tuesday night and we plan to leave tonight. Spending time with my parents and brothers is always so fun! Being able to spend time here with Nathan is amazing too! The past 2 days I have enjoyed thanking the Lord for Nathan, my dad and mom, Justy and Jon! I just thank the Lord for HIS goodness to me! What a gift they are! Mom's birthday week has been a sweet time! :)

The hand of the Lord in my life is just "awe"some! Each day is a precious gift from Him and should be lived to give Him glory! <3>

Watching Jon in the tree!

Several have inquired where I am and what I am up to and so this post will hafta' tide you over for a lil. :) If your desperate for good reading, Mom posted 2 posts on her blog yesterday and Jon's blog is always so fascinating! :)

Much love, Nathan's lil wifee

Nathan spins on the rope at my parent's house.
I am running out of the way, as I just got done twisting him around.

Nathan spins me around fast...

Dizziness and lots of laughing is the result ;o)

2008-06-07T08:49:00.006-04:00

Today is Nathan and I's two month anniversary!!! :o) The Lord is SO good to us! :) Each day is a sweet enjoyable day! I love being Nathan's helpmeet! <3>

Sooooo where have we been?

Yesterday morning Nathan baled hay and together we put the hay up. His mom came down that afternoon and helped us too and that morn' she had went ahead and prepared lunch and dinner!!! Putting up hay is hard, fun work! I enjoy so much working along with Nathan. Course' he can heft' more bales then I can, but that is to be expected. ;o) He has guy muscles! ;)

This morning Nathan is cutting hay again for monday or tuesday baling. I worked in our garden some and now I am heading to clean house, hang up wet laundry and give my family a call! :)

My dad's birthday is June 11th!!!! Dad, your birthday month is almost done, but don't fret father's day is soon! ;o)

Much Love,
Nathan's Lil' wifee

Hey-howdy from Nathanland!

2008-05-15T13:42:00.012-04:00

Howdy!!

Where have I been the last couple days?

****Sunday and Monday Nathan and I enjoyed the hospitality of the Rondeau's! We had a very fun and goodly time! I got lots of smiles and laughs from my 3 lil' nephews (Caleb, 5, Isaac, 3 and Micah 1). I also enjoyed my dear sister, Liz (momma' to the Rondeau clan)! :o)

**** Nathan has been not feeling so good of late, so the rest of our week has been restful. We haven't been spreading manure, knocking out walls, having water fights or any of the like...just takin' it easy. Prayerfully, my dear sweet hubby will be himself come the weekend. Prayer is appreciated for Nathan to get better. :) He has been a trooper and is fun to nurse back to health! :o)

*****Ooooo I checked out my mom's blog and noticed she blogged 3 new posts!!! A tear-jerker, a recipe and a encouragement for the chefs of the home! The pasta salad looked sooo yummy!

*****If you all haven't been to The Modest Boutique of late make sure you head that way!!! Summer is here, so those looking for modest summer gear be sure to check out my mom's store!

****My dad's birthday month officially started on May 11th (his real b-day being June 11th). For those of you that are going to send him daily gifts, please email me for mailing directions. ;) High on his list of wants/needs for his birthday are a tractor, a pole building, icecream and mexican food. Maybe the pole barn and tractor can be UPS'd.

****Our garden is sprouting!

****Oh, a thought my little brain thunk....

Mission trips! When you think of mission trips, where do you think of?

South America? Russia? Out of state?

As Christians, we go on mission trips just heading to the grocery store! You don't have to have an organized trip to spread the Gospel! You don't have to be in a group of soul winners to spread the Word!

As born again believers the WORD is in us, we don't have to go somewhere foriegn to qualify us to be "missionaries". Course' going out in the world is great and needs to be done, but it's a common misconception that to be a missionary one must go abroad.

So if you see me out at Food Lion, I am NOT just buying my grocery needs! Watch out fellow shoppers!

Off to get sum'thin to eat!
Love,
Mrs. Nathan Black!

2008-05-09T21:39:00.003-04:00

What have we been up to???

For those who check my blog faithfully...

FINALLY!

PICTURES from Nathanland!

Today Nathan and I worked on the rooms we have been remodeling. Nathan added a few wall receptacles (plug-in things). He went in the attic and ran the wiring down thru' the walls to my awaiting hand (I had my hand in the hole in the wall.)

See pic below!

Upstairs the old receptacle hole is on the blue board and the new one is on the base board! The old had to go as we put up wainscoating.

The house originally had one plug in each room. Since we are getting to be high-tech hillbillies, we are updating the wiring and adding many more pluggies. ;)

Nathan working on wiring! Ain't he cute? ;) (Jon and Justin you are excluded from answering this question! ;)

Wainscoating! I never knew what that was b4 I married!

Nathan putting up chair rail on top of the wainscoating.

LOOK!! TREASURE!!!

Nathan was tearing out an old window in the living room and he found the below!

What is it you ask?

CAN YOU GUESS???

Hint #1 : It fell down the wall during remodeling about 1850.

Hint #2: It dates from about 1820.

Hint #3: It's about 2 feet long and wooden.

The winner's name will be featured on the blog along with their blog addy or website. ;o)

Downstairs living room fireplace! The mantle is 1820 and the reused boards are about 1780! The boards are hand planed and hand sawed and some are 20 inches wide!!! We thought we would leave the colors like they are! ;) hehe (just kiddin')

Okay that is all my update fer' now!

Just ain't had enuf' of Nathan and I???

Looking for more of our adventures?

For more updates and pictures,

check out Nathan's dad's site and my momma's!

Twenty days...

2008-04-25T13:21:00.004-04:00

20 days....Twenty days...20 days

20 days I have been married.

Each day has been so sweet and enjoyable. Shoveling manure, planting grapes, painting, hammering, cooking, baking, burning food, laughing, singing, eating, praying, walking, talking...just each moment I have enjoyed. :)

What is life but a vapor?

Life is like a stream that at points picks up rushes by and at other points slows. It sometimes rains causing the stream to pick up and sometimes the rain doesn't come causing the stream to run low.

Lots of things I think about in my mind of late. Lots and lots of things. I think at times I can write better and express myself better by way of typing then I can in words. My mind sometimes pulls a blank when I talk to Nathan (I wonder why? ;) and so I improvise with words like "thing of it". This week "thing of it" has been overly used at our home. "How about this thing of it?" Or do you need a "thing of it"?

Lots of things on my mind. Chiefly Nathan, of course. Then my family (dad, mom, Justin and Jon). Justin turns 21 on April 28th!!!!! TWENTY ONE! All these numbers! 20 days, 21 years! Then my mind rambles over to my kin. They have been on my mind a lot lately.

Nathan was shoveling manure yesterday and I was watching (I had just hopped down from helping, he was on the last bit). As I watched him, my mind went back to 2006 and how he and I had wrote on various topics (farming, goats, etc.) and how the ball had dropped then. H0w I had continued to pray for him and his family and Rosewood Farm on occasion when I was reminded to (by street signs...see previous post for details ;). I stood there watching him and the goodness of God just overwhelmed me. WHAT A WORK GOD HAS DONE FOR US! HERE I am 2 years later the lil wifee of Nathan. My insight and my outlook are so shallow compared to the anything God has prepared for us!

<3 Okay, that is all for me for now.

HI to everyone who has been wondering where I have been and why I haven't been in the world of bloggin'.

I love you Dad, Mom, Justin, Jon and Conan. I pray for you constantly. You are all with me here even though 2 hours separate us. I pray for your safety on the roads and at home. It's an odd emotion I feel thinking I can't be there in the flesh to do dishes or push mom out of her spot to take over what she is working on, to laugh and give "veggietale commentaries" with the boys and to joke with Dad (and be teased by him). I think now how precious those times were growing up and how I didn't really realize how precious time was. I realize it more now. I had the concept of it and I thought I understood it, but I think reality has hit home the past few weeks. A precious lil' lesson from the Lord fer' sure.

Hi to you Nane, Aunt Heav and all my "west ah' gin-ya" cousins!!! <3 I am thinking of all the fun cookin' and talkin' times we have enjoyed and all our giggle sessions and "Crocodile". ;) haha

Love, Me (Nathan's lil' wifee)

Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus...

2008-04-09T10:25:00.003-04:00

5 days!

5 days I have been Mrs. Nathan Alan Black!!! I look back at the last couple weeks and a happy peace fills me. Tears just well up at GOD'S GOODNESS to ME! That right there just floods me with a bunch of sweet emotions! GOD IS GOOD!

My mom posted some pics on her blog and Nathan's dad also posted on his blog! AND Liz put a video (that Nathan and I have yet to see) on her blog!!
Thanks to all who have been praying for Nathan and I during this time! For those who were able to make it to the wedding, thank you for your presence!!! We love all of ya! :)

More to come soonly. Off to do some laundry! ;)
Love,
Mrs. Black ;)

Thoughts from my heart

2008-04-04T09:27:00.002-04:00

This will be my last post for a while.

Do I have anything thought provoking to share?

Of late my life has been one big exciting thought provoking adventure. :)

What to share...what to share. Hmmm...

It amazes me daily the Lord's goodness to me! I don't deserve what He has done in my life, yet in spite of my unworthiness He continues to bless me and multiply my joy. The past couple weeks my family has teased that I am in Nathanland and I will admit I am and have been. I have forgotten ingredients while cooking, choked on vitamins, half heard what everyone has said and at times my mind just goes blank. I am laughing as I write this.

That is another thought provoker. My family. They are all sooooo precious to me! My simple words can't explain what they mean to me. They, alone, have been my best friends, my comedians, my backbone, my sillies, my joy and my life up until a few weeks ago. They have been all I have known daily for 22 years.

I look around my bedroom to see all my possessions packed up. As a family, we have moved over 19 times in 22 years to different homes. It's odd cause this is a move I am making without my dad, mom and 2 brothers. I look around my family and just think. I have been with them for 22 years. I can write that last sentence out and it looks so easy but the memories and the past that go behind that one little sentence are a powerful testimony to God's goodness to my family and I.

Although I have been floating in Nathanland, I have been here at home too. What sweetness I have enjoyed with my family for 22 years! How appreciative to them for all they have done for me and continue to do.

I think of God's design how HE created family. How He designed a man to take a wife and then for them to become a family. That is a reality now to me. I actually understand now. It has been odd/exciting/happy/sad/amazing to see and feel how my desire has been turned from my family to Nathan. How before me being only a daughter and sister was very important to me. My desire to please my family was so strong in me each day. I woke up thought of being with my family each day. My mind was on things that I would do with them. Now my heart strings have been joined to Nathan and though I love my family SO much and want to please them, Nathan has taken 2nd place in my heart. 2nd place? Yes, because the Lord Jesus has been in first always.

As I think on all this, I think of my parents and my brothers. I am so thankful to them. I sit here crying. Words just can't describe what I feel for them. I can't seem to capture the words to express what I feel and think. I just love them so much. That is all I can say.

I think where I would be if it were not for the Lord. I think of how He saved me, cleansed me and made me new. How through my teen years I was able to walk in newness of life. I think of the hard times too. Growing up in our culture is so rough. There are so many temptations out there and the devil is on the prowl. My heart fills up with praise for ALL the LORD has done for my family and I.

I am thankful that my family has been willing to go where we didn't want to go when the Lord directed. There have been many times when we were at peace with where we were and the Lord said "move" and we moved. It could be from state to state or in everyday situations. Where would I be today if we hadn't followed His calling? Course' at times we have had closed ears, yet still God has used us. We ain't worthy to be used. God is so good.

Thank you Dad and Mom for giving me life and letting the Lord use you as tools to prepare me for Nathan. I love you Dad! I love you Mom!

Thank you boys for putting up with me through the years ;) and for protecting me. I may be the oldest, but you both have always looked out for me in everything. I love you Juju and Jon!

Tomorrow Nathan and I will start our new life together. Saying I am excited is an understatement. Many have asked me, "Are you getting excited?" I don't think I have ever been so excited. I think right now I could run outside bellowing at the top of my lungs with glee!

Next time I write I will be Mrs. Nathan Black. ;)

Love
Jessica

The story...

2008-03-14T08:30:00.006-04:00

The story starts in 2006.

How does one start a true story and testimony to God's goodness? The words we can come up with just don't seem fitting enough. :)

In 2006, I posted some dresses and jumpers I had made and no longer wanted on a homesteading message board in the barter board area. I also stated I would barter for milk goats in VA. I got a pm (*private message) from a Nathan Black who wrote and said he may know some people in his area that have nubian goats. At the time, goats had been a wish/desire of mine for 2-ish years. I was REALLY excited at the possibility of getting goats. :) Nathan shared some of his goat knowledge and our pm's stayed mainly on topics related to that (farming, chickens, goats, government, etc.). At the time my family was renting a house and were unable to get the goats. Nathan and I lost contact after a lil' while, but I considered him a friend.

I don't know about you, but when I see certain things I lift up others to prayer. For example, I have a dear friend whose deceased dad use to drive Covenant trucks and when I see a Covenant truck, I lift her and her family up in prayer. I did this with Nathan's family too. We had a road near our old rental home that had the name "rose" in it and when we passed that way and I happened to see it, I would pray for Nathan and his family as their farm is named Rosewood Farm. We moved last year in April 07' to our own home and 3 streets down is Rose Valley Rd. When I thought on it, I would pray for him and his family.

In mid-January, I saw a post for toggenberg goats on the homesteading barter board area. Nathan was posting for some friends who didn't have Internet access. I posted back to the board, along with 3-4 other people, asking for more information. 2 days later, Nathan pm'd (private messaged) me and said he went to my blog, glad to hear I finally got my goaty girls and that he hoped my dad's work was going goodly. I replied very blandly and stated simple facts about my goats, family and didn't ask him any questions. He replied again (not-so-blandly) and our conversation picked up where it had left off in 06'. We discussed the Bible, government control, farming, goats (of course), general things about our families, etc. My mom sat with me and read each email going in and out like she normally would. We do this 99.99% of the time as we enjoy looking online together. I read her emails and she reads mine. ;) Several more private messages flew back and forth between us on topics like the food industry, fluoride, farming, missionary work, our families, etc. Just basic things that he and I would discuss with everyone who will talk about them. ;)

On Feb. 19. 08', my goat, Melita, had her kids!!! What an exhausting day! Mom and I were outside in the cold all day helping Melita birth, cleaning up, making sure the 3 kids were goodly and finally at about 8pm we sat down for the night. Everyone was in the living room. Mom and I opened a pm I had received from Nathan. Dad was sitting in the lazy boy chair and my 2 brothers (Justin, 20 and Jon, 17) were lounging on the couches (Jon had the flu). As mom and I read, dad caught the word "tractor" and said, "What does that say?" Mom read him a little and he wanted to hear the rest. Nathan's conversation went from tractors to tomatoes, then solar power to diesel fuel and finally he said...

"Jessica, forgive me for being long-winded tonight, but I have something to ask you about. I have tried to find your parents' phone number but according to the online White Pages it is unlisted. I would have talked with them first before telling you this, but since I have no way of doing so, I must go ahead and "say it!" I have been impressed as we have been talking for several months now that we share alot of similar views, and I would like to discuss with you what your views and desires are for your future family and home, with the intention being to find out whether the Lord has brought us in contact for that reason. I have strong convictions regarding family and children (as I do about most other things :) ), but I do not want to talk about these things with you without first making my intentions known.

Please prayerfully consider this and discuss it with your parents. If you have no other attachment to someone else, and you feel peace that it is the Lord's will to discuss with me regarding your wants for your future family and the possibility of marriage, please let me know and also provide me with your phone number so that I may ask your parent's permission to discuss these matters with you, and I suppose I'll need to tell them a little about myself before they'll feel comfortable with me (after all, gotta keep 'em comfee!). My one desire is a marriage and family that brings glory and honor to my Lord, and it seems that you are someone who is committed to serving Him with all you are. So, if you would like to discuss this with me, please let me know. If you are already attached to someone else, or just don't feel at peace about this, that's fine too. I have enjoyed getting to know you a little, and certainly won't let your decision affect that friendship! Just take it before the Lord, and through his Spirit and the guiding influence of Godly parents, obediently follow what he shows you is his path for you."

What was the reaction in our living room? Dad and mom were in tears, Justy was excitedly laughing and Jon was holding back laughter. I sat big-eyed and near tears. For some time, my family had been sleuthing out Nathan, unbeknownst to me!! They had been researching him through posts he posted on homesteading and through his dad's blog. Just checking him out to make sure no "weirdo" was writing me. ;)

I prayed about Dad contacting Nathan for 2 days. The night of the 19th, I lost sleep, as did my mom and Justin. I got MAYBE 3-4 hours of fitful, unrestful sleep. Same thing the next night. :) On Wednesday at about 3pm, the Lord gave me the thought, IF he isn't what your husband should be, he is not your husband.

What was my requirements you ask?

Fire for the Lord, bold, truthful, burdened for the lost, loves children (and would not use birth control), has an adventure beard, a warrior, has room for my goats, prepared for a family (stable), would love and cherish me for who I am...etc. etc. etc. :) I had made out a list last fall of requirements for a hubby.

In November of 07', the LORD had given me PERFECT peace about being single.

I, for years, had cried out to the Lord and said, "Why am I not married? Is there no one for me?" I would give God my burden and then after a while (a week maybe ;), snatch it back up and place that burden on myself again! This past November, I had perfect peace, sweet peace...that is, until Nathan emailed Feb. 19 about pursuing the Lord's will. ;) ha

I shared with mom my thought from the Lord and then I shared with dad. :) Thursday Dad called up Nathan and then Saturday morning dad went out to Nelson, VA (2 hours away) to meet and get to know Nathan. As dad left his home that evening, Nathan asked if it would be okay to discuss more serious marriage matters with me and dad gave his consent. Sunday morning Nathan sent me an email. On Sunday evening, we went back and forth by email on topics like child training, marriage, birth control, what he wanted in a wife and what I wanted in a hubby. We were able to share what we stood on as convictions without fear of stepping on toes or offending each other. I would "bait" him and ask him questions without giving my input. He then would respond back with MY answer! Sunday night at about 7pm, our emails were crossing and it was getting confusing, so dad said he could call me.

At 7:30pm, we talked on the phone for the first time. I asked him his stand on a few questions and then we discussed what was going on. He shared he had been "sleuthing" me out for a few months on the board. Keeping an eye on what I posted and what I said and praying for the Lord to reveal His will in all this. When he found my link to my blog on my post, he checked that out too. We talked a lil more and then he then ended the conversation with prayer that the Lord would give us a sign. We would keeping discussing by email and he would call me the upcoming weekend. Inside me, I knew already that this was it. I was afraid to leave my family though. My family is VERY tight knit. I love them all so dearly and although I had desired for years to be married, I was afraid to leave my family. :) As Nathan told me on the phone, "I will get back to you this weekend and see what the Lord has said." I was thinking..."Good! I've got a few more days with my family!" Selfish ol' me!

I had been very guarded in my emails, using terms like, "if I marry", "my husband"...etc. I had a wall up around me and was trying very carefully to make sure I didn't get involved with Nathan emotionally. Monday at 3pm I had peace and realized I was stalling and just afraid about leaving my family. I told mom as we pruned apple trees, "I know this is the Lord's will...now what?.." As we went into the house at 4:20ish, I said, "I love Nathan for what he is and what he stands for, I love him like a friend. I love him cause' of who he is and what he stands for....does that make sense?"

That night (monday), we went back and forth by email and I let the wall I had built round my heart be knocked down. I started to LOVE Nathan not only for what he stood for, but I had a true, pure genuine love for him. Not a puppy love or a infatuation...I can't explain this to you all. I just knew I loved him purely and genuinely. We stayed up until 11pm going back and forth (my family was around me the entire time...laughing at our replies and getting excited!). At 10:58, I wrote an email about the Lord's will about this, BUT I did not send it. I stuck it in my save box and bid Nathan adieu for the night.

Tuesday I woke up to an email sitting in my box (YAHOO!). It was 7am (I had been awake since 4:30am!) and we started writing back and forth.

At 7:38am, Nathan emailed and asked me 2 questions. 1. When can I come and visit you? 2. Will ya marry me?

I sent thru a yes (which I don't think got sent to him in all the excitement!) Then I sent him the below...

"You have got to be kidding me.. ;) asking me to marry you on the Internet? ;)

Here is the below email I wrote last night at 2 minutes until deadline (11pm) but didn't send it....

Just to let you know you asked me this week to pray for a sign from the Lord. I just want to let ya know that prior to that I knew it was the Lord's will. I was just chicken cause I don't want to leave my family. When you said "pray for a sign, I will call u this weekend"...I thought...okay I can prolong this til the weekend, but it was selfish of me. I talked to my mom bout this today and she said "it's sad, but so verry happy at the same time.. we have prayed about you all marrying godly spouses for years and exceeding us in our lives for years and this is the Lord's doing." (I told her first what I knew the Lord had done before she told me this)....."

To make an extremely long and adventurous story short... ;)

Nathan and I started courting Sunday morning (the 24th) and were engaged on the February 26 at 7:38am. We met in person for the first time on the 28th (Thursday...2 days after he proposed).

For all you curious girlies, yes he did propose to me in person that Thursday in my goat yard on bended knee and then he asked me in front of my mom while she snapped some pictures later that day!

So, this is my testimony to God's goodness. There is a lot I have left out. How God has been preparing me for years to be Nathan's wife, all the little instances and circumstances that the Lord has used to make me ready have been numerous. I feel totally unworthy to this great thing that the Lord has brought about! Of ourselves, neither Nathan or I could have orchestrated it! It's been amazing the past 2 weeks to see God's hand upon our lives, to see His will be shown to us and to be struck by the awe of the Lord for all the things HE has brought to pass!

One thing I am VERY thankful for is my mom taking the time to show me the ropes of being a wife and mother. For her training me up, in my teen years, and being a proverbs 31 momma'! Christian mommas and daughters, as I write this to you, my heart bleeds for the moms and daughters whose relationships are frazzled and burned out. I can truly share with that; had it not been for my mom's training (and the Lord using her as a tool) I would be a very different woman than I am today. I know too many daughters and moms that have the "me" mentality!! Mommas, take time to train your daughters and daughters, be willing helpers and observant listeners to the gifts of womanhood that your mom is trying to pass down to you!

Praising the Lord for all HE has done!!!!

"Great things He hath done"....

2008-02-29T18:21:00.013-05:00

"Great things He hath done"....

For all those who wondered, "HOW will Jessica ever get married?" I am announcing you can put your worries to ease! THE LORD has been at work! :)

The adventure bearded Nathan Black went fishin' and has caught himself a lil' wifee!

We have set our wedding date for April 5th, 2008!

Since the 19th of Febuary, my family and I's life has been an exciting blur. I want to type all the details out for all of you but I am thinking I will have to collect my thoughts and make sure I get dates right before I share. The cute pictures of us will have to do!

It is SO amazing and I feel so totally overwhelmed at ALL the Lord has been doing for me! I look back at the past few years and I can clearly see now His hand in my life and how He has been preparing me to be Nathan's wife! I feel overwhelmed with joy and so unworthy for all the great things that God has done!

Don't forget to take notice of my new blog page title ("Lil' Wifee to be" is Nathan's nickname for me! ;) And check out my hobbies and interests on the side (if the type is too small, blame blogspot! ;)

2 Funny Farmers-to-be!

A comment from the hubby to be....

My precious Jessica, what great things God has done for us! As I look back at this past week, I can see so clearly the working of the Lord to bring about his perfect plan for our lives. So many little miracles and signs make it a certainty that God has prepared us for eachother from the moment we were reborn into his family. As we seek to follow him into this new life together, may the Lord use us to accomplish great things for His name, and make us a living testimony before a lost world that he is able to free us from the power of sin to live a new life through His power. What a tremendous thing he has done for us! "Lord help me to live worthy of your calling on my life."

My lil' Wifee, we're still at 100%, and we're going to keep it that way! When God does something it's done right! Your unworthy and immensely blessed hubby to be! Nathan

2008-02-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

This morning mom and I went out to check on Melita and the kids and while watching them I noticed something special about Eliana! I said to mom, "Eliana is really my gift from Melita." Mom said, Why?

Wanna know how I know?

Oh happy day for the Momma!

2008-02-19T23:10:00.007-05:00

This morning when I checked on Melita at 9am, she was under the "barn" in a kicked-out nest. Very odd for her to be laying down away from Chava and Milcah in the morning. I knew she was going to birth today. I fed the girls (Melita got up and ate also) and I watched Melita for about 15 minutes. She would get up from her nest and her tail would go straight up and she would push. She did this about every 5 minutes.

I decided to go get mom. On my way in, Justy (who was out working on his work project) said, "What's going on?" I yelled as I trotted toward the house, "Melita is having her babies today!" He laughed at me and said, She is always having her babies everyday. ;) I went in and got mom and together (along with my aunt Tammy's camcorder) went out to observe.

Melita still was pushing every 5 or so minutes. Mom left after about 30 minutes. I hung around until 10:20am. When I left, Melita got up from her nest and whined for me to come back to keep her comfee'. Poor girl. I went in and got ready for the day...I got online with in the intention of doing some book sales. I sent 2 emails and then back out I went with mom at about 11:15 am. Melita was pushing and standing up in her nest. The nest she hooved out reminded me of Big bird's nest on Sesame street (childhood flashback ;). Her nest was in a bad area we thought though...too much wind and chill. We coaxed her over into the birthing stall with some crack corn (which is a treat here...I use corn sparingly, think bout' it, the food companies put corn in pet foods as a filler...another post.. ;)

Anyway, she came into the birthing stall with no problem. She ate her corn and then commenced pushing again. I was near her head and bent over to pet her and she reached up and licked my face. ;) hehe Getting her tongue ready to clean babies and a thank you to me. ;) She laid down and the pushing got more closer together. I kept checking her birthing area and suddenly a small balloon like object appeared (the baby bag.)

Both mom and I prayed over her. She got back up and pushed the water bag down (it is hanging on her). She laid back down and began pushing again. A little hoof came out! The bottom of the hoof was facing down, which means the baby would be born head first...if the hoof was upward, it would be born bottom first).

"Lil nose came out"

Then the hoof disappeared...then a little nose and the hoof came out!! The water bag was not broken around the baby yet. Both mom and I were praying and crying and we both were encouraging Melita. The little hoof disappeared. Just the head was coming out. We knew we may have trouble. (Mom threw me cleaning wipes to wash my hands with in case Melita needed assistance.) The bag of water still had not broken. Melita's pushing was getting harder. She was having a tough time of it. She stood up. After a couple seconds of pushing, the bag broke. The baby's shoulders were stuck and Melita's pushing was choking the baby (who was coughing and gasping.) It was the scariest looking thing, the little head being stuck like that. Melita was whining. Mom said, Jess your going have to help her..."Please don't die, please don't die". (mom was praying out loud! and crying)...

I went directly behind her and I started to put my fingers up top and on the side, Mom said, not on the top, on the bottom. I switched finger positioning and the next push came in seconds and I enlarged her a lil and hooked my fingers onto the babies front folded legs and helped pull him out. He came out nicely! :) (Were you holding your breath? I was writing this. ;)

I used the nose sucker (which was a joke...be sure to buy something worth it...a deal is not always the best thing!) on his mouth and nose. (My dad suggests shop vacs...haha) He was coughing a lot. Melita was licking him off and I got some of the baby goo off with a pink towel.

Melita then had a funny object coming out..."Maybe it's the placenta...she only had one baby." I said to mom...Nope, it wasn't the placenta! :) It was baby #2!!! The twin to baby #1! They were sharing the same bag! Baby #2 came out in proper position (hooves firstly). After she was born, another odd shape was coming out...placenta for sure this time...I thought. ;) I couldn't see any hooves, no little nose...nothing....

Little Girl

Waiting while Melita Pushes (girl in front, boy in back)

15 minutes pass and the object is still 3-4 inches out. I tell Melita, Push, push push...come on girl! She is busy licking babies. I then see black hair in the bag that is coming out. Another baby! Push Push Melita, this baby needs to come out. She is laying down. She started to push. Hard time again. The baby is stuck. Mom and I literally push her to her feet. Mom said, you have to help her get that baby out. I put my fingers in again and next push I enlarge her a lil and pull. The baby was coming out breech!!! Bottom first!!!! It fell out on to the ground and mom and I stared at it...IT IS HUGE!!! LONG legs!!! I tell Melita, You have a basketball player! ;) hehe He is a huge one, no wonder she had trouble pushing him out (and being born bottom first).

Big baby boy!

Mom cried, I was very involved in the delivery and clean up. Mom said, You would make a great midwife. You can deliver your brothers and sisters anytime! ;)

The rest is sweet. Melita cleaned her babies. (the placenta came out 1 hour and 15 minute later). The first kid is a boy, Rosh Johannan. The second, his twin (not identical) a girl, Eliana Tikvah. And the third, a boy, Adriyel Moishe. <3>

Rosh Johannan nursing

Eliana Tikvah

Adriyel Moishe

Up and about with momma'

(she had not yet delievered placenta in this photo)

2008-02-18T00:27:00.006-05:00

My mom said she has been waiting for another thought-provoking post to be added to my blog.

Yes, I am behind in my thought provoking ones. I have several stewing.

Yesterday and today I have been thinking off and on about infant potty training...huh, you say?

I never heard of it until 4-ish or so years ago. I read up on it a little. When we moved here to VA (almot 2 years ago!), I found a book at the library called Infant Potty Training and also Trickle Treat!!! :o) I think I read them 2ce each to make sure I got the concept down. (Course' I spit the bones and eat the meat with these books...discarding and new age-y stuff)

Did you know letting your baby/child potty in diapers is a western invention?

Many places overseas families potty train infants by the time they are walking.

Yes, potty training babies is do-able. It may not be the thing for all mommies and families, but *if I have my own, I will letcha' know how it goes. ;)

Think about it...why do we train our babies to potty in diapers and get them comfortable to have yuck so close to themselves??? Then we have to untrain them and retrain to get them to sit on a potty. Doesn't make sense to me.

Now, for those wondering, my mom didn't do infant potty training.

Info on Infant potty training....
http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/general-view/archive/1996/june/07/potty-training-answered/
http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/
http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/general-view/archive/1996/february/07/one-more-time/

And, no...I wouldn't do the diaper free baby....I would keep a cloth diaper on baby when at home and a Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diaper when out and about. (I got it all planned huh? ;)

For momma's who decide infant potty training isn't for them...OR for momma's who infant potty train and use disposable diapers like pampers and huggies...do you know what is in them??

The ingredients in Huggies, Pampers and others like them is terrifying!

SODIUM POLYACRYLATE - This is the chemical, added in powder form to the inner pad of a disposable, that makes it super-absorbent. When the powdered form becomes wet, it turns into a gel.

*It can absorb up to 100X its weight in water.

*It can stick to baby's genitals, causing allergic reactions.

*Reported to cause severe skin irritations, oozing blood from perineum and scrotal tissues, fever, vomiting and staph infections in babies.

*When injected into rats it has caused hemorrhage, cardiovascular failure and death.

*Has killed children after ingesting as little as 5 grams of it.

*Causes female organ problems, slows healing wounds, fatigue and weight loss to the employees in factories that manufacture it.

DIOXIN - This is the chemical by-product of the paper-bleaching process, using chlorine gas, in the manufacturing of diapers.

*It is a carcinogenic - cancer-causing chemical.

*The EPA lists it as the MOST TOXIC of all cancer-linked chemicals.

*In small quantities it causes birth defects, skin/liver disease, immune system suppression & genetic damage in lab animals.

*Banned in most countries, but not the United States.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH CHLORINE?

"The pulp and paper industry's practice of bleaching pulp whiter than white with chlorine produces a large class of chemicals known as organochlorines, some extremely persistent and toxic, which include the infamous dioxins and furans."

". . . their effects are particularly threatening to the most vulnerable of us all: developing infants and children." Source: Liz Armstrong & Adrienne Scott: "Whitewash; Exposing the health and environmental dangers of women's sanitary products and disposable diapers - what you can do about it."

TRIBUTYL TIN (TBT) - An environmental pollutant, considered highly toxic, that spreads through the skin and has a hormone-like effect in the smallest concentrations.

*It harms the immune system and impairs the hormonal system.
Speculated that it could cause sterility in boys.

TO DYE FOR?

"Damage to CNS (Central Nervous System), kidneys and liver can be caused by dyes found in some disposables."

Ain't the above HORRIBLE?

Looking for alternatives?
Severth Generation and Tushies offer disposables.
Cloth diapering is always an option too! :) I have bout 10 cloth diapers I have found over the years in my hope chest...the ones I like the best (not sure if the work the best...yet to be tried) are http://www.mother-ease.com/ :)

OKAY...so there be some thought provoking thoughts for some of ye'. :)

You should never know what to expect when you come to my blog! You are getting a peek at what is in my mind...be ah'skeared'...very ah'skeared'! ;)

Jessica

UPDATE: (*10:07 am Feb 18., 08')

This morn', I showed mom my post and she pointed out that chlorine was also by the Nazi's in WWI and WWII... I found the below info. on chlorine. Remember chlorine isn't only in your baby's diapers, but in public drinking water, pools, cleaners, etc. etc.

"It WWI Nazi's Fritz Haber who came up with the idea to use chlorine gas to subdue (via suffocation) troops in the trenches; he saw this type of weapon as no worse than bullets and artillery shells."

"Chlorine gas can effect your health, depending on how much of it you have been exposed to and for how long. It is corrosive and irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Exposure to low amounts may cause a sore throat, eye and skin irritation and coughing. Exposure to higher amounts of the gas can cause narrowing of the bronchi, burning of the eyes and skin and a blue coloring of the skin. It can also cause a build up of fluid in the lungs and pain in the chest."

"Chlorine reacts with organic matter in drinking water to produce trihalomethanes, which may cause cancer and possibly developmental effects."

2008-02-12T14:04:00.002-05:00

Where have I been?

This morning, mom woke me up and said, "I smelled smoke outside and went outdoors and it's really smokey outside....here smell my hair? My hair smells like smoke!?" ;o) (It's a girl thing ;)

Smokey Morning!

I grabbed Gracie, my cat, and went downstairs and peeked outside. Smokey alright. The land was covered in a smoke fog. After getting chore clothing on, I went out and the air smelled like an open wood burning stove (I love them things!). Unbeknownst to us, this weekend, brush fires started down in NC and the smoke is now traveling up this way. Thankfully, it's rained a lil' here and the smoke has almost disappeared here in Franklin. Pray for those whose land and homes were affected by the fires. This a.m we were unsure if the fires were heading this way or if it was just the smoke, so we came up with a fire routine. Load all the animals in the Gospel mobile (dad's white work van) and Justy's truck and head towards....? Richmond, I guess. We even prepared animal feed to go. No, we weren't concerned for the house, just our animals. They are like family. :) Our home and material objects aren't important to us (and the land and house are insured ;). hehe (I am laughing.)

Big News! Melita has lost all the ligament in her tail today! It's her due day too! I told some of ya' that she lost it all 2 wend. ago, well, forgive my excited ignorance, I now see she had a little more ligament to lose. The underside of the tail is very flabby now and I REALLY can put my pointer and thumb fingers in a circle around her tail bone...Melita tail has been sticking up for 3 days and today it's starting to arch!
If ya don't know what I mean....here is a great goat site with pics of what I am trying to describe. http://jekuthiel.com/pgdoe.html

Jasi (my 3 year old cousin) is coming our way today for a stay! Yahoo! She was talking on the phone to mom earlier and was very excited about coming...Mom asked, Do you want to come to our home? "Yes, I want to come to your home for my vacation." ;) hehe

Jasi and Gracie

I cleaned the house today and I am about to do some sewing. I am working on 3 crayon bags that I am bartering with. The first one is done and it turned out SO cute!

Before I sew, I am off to check Melita again!
Jessica

Below are some pics of what's been going on at our home the past week....

Fluffy hatched 6 ducklings!

WOAH! Big Momma Melita in the pasture!

We have been clearing land past 2 weeks or so.

Me, talking and using a wheelbarrow...dangerous thing to do.

Jon's just hanging around! ;) (he can hold himself up like that 4 a while!)

Justy is at work this week...he didn't have far to drive...just outback! ;) He is re-doing old window screens! The mask isn't because he likes the doctor look, but because the windows may have old lead paint. If ya got any handy guy stuff for Justy to do, just let me know...he does excellent work (I am not biased a bit) and he takes cash, money order and paypal. ;o) heehee

Pics of dad and mom out working to come. I have one of dad using his chainsaw and once the computer allows me I will post that too. ;) AND since Jasi is coming I am sure you will find pics of her (and stories) on either mom or I's blog. ;) hehe

My momma's bloggin'!

2008-02-03T10:45:00.002-05:00

Finally! Some of mom's heart thoughts are revealed on her blog!

You will notice my mom and I have a lot in common! ;) That's cause we love itch' other. ;)

I seen a funny saying in a store once, Mirror, mirror on the wall...I am my mother after all! ;) hehe

http://www.keepmecomfee.blogspot.com/

Calling all fashionably modest... ;)

2008-02-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

The Modest Boutique is open! :o)

I am currently adding more items each day. IF you are looking for a certain size or style in clothing, please email and I will let you know what I have yet to put on the boutique. Our book and other treasures area has lots more to be added as well. Miss a day, miss a deal! :o)

Each order gets a free surprise gift!!! :o)

Grand Opening Contest!The Modest Boutique is officially open and is running a raffle! Leave a comment to this post to be entered into the drawing! The drawing will be done on February 14th!

IF you advertise about the boutique's official opening on your blog or website, you may be entered twice! (Please post your the link to your blog/site to be entered twice.)

So...what can ya' win?

2nd and 3rd Prize - Store Credit Coupons!
Grand Prize - SURPRISE!

http://themodestboutique.blogspot.com/

http://themodestboutiquebooksvintage.blogspot.com/

2008-01-31T08:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, Melita started pacing the pasture and under the "barn". She would stop and let out occasionally little whines.

Pic of her "babies in her tummy"!

Round' 7pm Melita kicked out a nest.

(See her using her hoof to dig?)

Laying down, she is either stretching her back (to get babies in place)

OR having a contraction. She was whiney and would stop chewing her cud to be still (like the above pic) for bout' 2 minutes, then start back on her cud again.

She then would turn her head around and TALK to her babies!!!!!

IT was SOOOO sweet!!! She would move her head up and down and talk....encouraging them, I guess....we are just as impatient as she is! ;)

MY dad loves me SOOOOOO much,

when he woke up at 3am he went out and checked on Melita.

He told mom, "If something happens to Melita or the babies,

Jess will be SO sad.";)

Thank you dad! I love you too! <3

When mom and I woke up, we checked on her and she was ready to start the day (and get out of her stall). No babies yet.

We will keep you posted.

Homeschooling...how we learn...

2008-01-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

My family only has one student left (I graduated when I was 17 in 03' and my other brother at 17 in 04')...my "baby" brother (17) spends 1 hour (little more, little less depending on day) sitting and doing a unit study with my mom, it's been this way since he was 9. HE LOVES doing school with mom. And he loves the unit study they do. He loves to learn. It was suggested recently he give up his unit study and just do life skills alone and he said, no thank you, I like how we are doing things.

When he is done with school for the day, he does his choring around our "farm" and is off making things, removing trees off the property, making bow and arrows, climbing trees, wrestling (hill billy kung fu style) with my brother, Justin (20), training his mandarin ducks, digesting tons of history books, reading God's Word, doing pullups, running laps and doing all sorts of things around our home. When out and about, he is constantly passing out gospel tracts and being gentlemanly to my mom and I (opening doors, lifting heavy bags, etc.).

To us, learning isn't just books. It's life.

When I did school I could stay all day in what I was learning and would find myself more activities and research to do. I worked on my own and used Far Above Rubies unit study in my highschool years.

Justin hated school (thanks to his first couple of years in public school) and didn't apply himself to books. What he has learned by experience (building things, working with my dad, etc.) has far exceeded what any book could of taught him. You do not need homeschool curriculum to learn, all us children are a testament to this fact! :)

We met a homeschool family this past year that spent $1,000 on their homeschooling curriculum (for 3-ish children) PER year and mom and I's mouth dropped. That is a lot of money. Mom homeschooled for 10 years so far and we have not even spent $1,000 on our education.

No matter how long you spend doing school each day, I believe, as a family, it's important for learning to be fun. Learning should not be confined to the pages of textbooks. Learning cannot be a forced thing. SO many homeschooling moms stress out when lil' ones are not grasping concepts. They FORCE and push their children to do school work and get angry when the children don't perform like they want them to.

Homeschool momma', if your life is busy and hectic....examine what your doing. ARE YOU rushing away your children's precious years of learning with too many homeschooling functions, sports and social events? Are you too busy? Do you prod your children through their work? Do you get upset with them when they score and test badly? Do you compare them to other children who are doing better?

If yes to any of the above, examine yourself....it's not your children, it's you. Momma, if your like this, you are no better then public school.

*Note I am not saying if you tell your child to do something and they don't you shouldn't have them obey....when I say "force children to do their school work" I simply mean that some homeschool families have a rigorous schooling schedule and if lil sally is behind and does math too long, momma gets upset she isn't comprehending and pushes Sally harder to keep on track.

IF you tell your child to do something and they don't do it, you have a heart issue on your hands, not a learning issue. http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ (great child training advice!)

Melita update

2008-01-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

Melita is getting closer to delivery day! Her udder is filling out more and she is really, really wide! Pretty soon we will have some goatie kids here!I think she will have 3 babies. :) I already have names for a boy and a girl. I love the name Rosh Johanan for a boy (which sadly, if I get a buck kid, will be putting up for sale...) and for a lil girl...Eliana Cassia or Eliana Tikvah. I also like...Adriyel for a buck which means "Of God's flock" and Avichayil for a lil girl which means "gives joy". :o) Rosh Adriyel would be nice. :) Are u laughing at me? Don't worry your not alone...my family has to put up with my goat's names too...I told my parents that Rosh is a nice name for a future grandson (and I am serious) and dad always says, "What did u say...rash?" ;)

Most everyone always names their children names that sound nice but lack meaning. Ain't that boring? Least' I will get the pleasure of naming my "kids" (goat ones atleast!) meaningful, hebrew names! :o)

Currently...
Melita Zipporah means "Honey, sweet beauty"
Milcah Jael means "Queen mountain goat"
Chava Noelle means "Life,Christmas"

Chava's middle name is not hebrew..I thought it sounded pretty together. Melita first name is greek and is from her last family. What is so neat is they live up to their names! Melita is SO sweet! Milcah while currently not the queen is the ONLY goat I have that acts like a mountain goat....she climbs on top of everything and stomps around the yard like a lil queenly goat! ;) Chava is VERY full of life and is SO spunky! (not sure where Christmas comes in at... ;) hehe

Pics of Melita's ever expanding belly to come soon! Aren't babies exciting? (goat kind and human!) :o)

Thrift store find!

2008-01-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

WE love to go thrift storing! :)

Look at one of mom's finds today....

Pretties! :) We call our good eatin' ware "pretties"! We have a special shelf for pretties and Jasi (my 3 year old cousin) even puts her little porcelin tea set pretties on the shelf. ;) hehe

She found the Johnson Brothers Hearts and Flowers tableware...6 dinner plates, 8 teacups, 8 saucers, 4 cereal bowls, 9 bread and butter plates....for guess how much????? Just under $12!!!!

GUESS how much they are for replacements online??? For ONE dinner plate it is $22.99!!!!

Doesn't that make ya want to go thrift storing right now!!! :)

What's fer' dinner?

2008-01-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

My cooking, I will admit, can be dangerously funny, as well as educating!

My first cooking attempt was when I was 12. I made brick biscuits more then once. Dad said they were so hard, they could be used as lethal weapons to drop on enemies. I learned there is a difference between baking soda and baking powder.

When I was 18, I once made brownies that contained a broken kitchen-aid piece in them (it fell in unknowingly to me!) and served them to a dear friend! She bit on the brownie nearly broke her tooth (okay, that's a lil exagerated...)...I learned the value of true friendship (Thanks, Angela, for still eating my cooking!)

When I 19, I once didn't wash the lettuce I cut from the garden good enuf and as we ate our taco salad, I picked up on my fork an interesting lookin'....leaf?....worm!!!!!!!! We all lost our appetites and I learned to take my time with washing lettuce.

When I was 20, I left the kitchen-aid on 10 (I like to run things to their fullest capacity...the sewing machine included....that is one reason why I have yet to learn to drive ;)...anyway I left the kitchen aid on 10 and went out the door to grab the laundry off the line thinking I could be faster then the mixer....when I came back in, mom and Jon had come down the stairs at break neck speed and were wondering if I was okay...."Yah' I am ok....why?".....in the floor lay the kitchen-aid...it had wobbled off the counter and crashed! :) Thankfully, it was fine (just left a cut in the vinyl floor) and my bread dough was unharmed! :) My lesson was to make sure when I run the kitchen aid on HIGH it's on a level surface!

I use to hate to cook. I think it was due to all my bad experiences of plundering recipes. Mom forced me to learn to love it! (Thank you mom!) 2 years ago, mom said I needed tweaking in the cooking department....Mom just told me tonight, now your ready for marriage....all you need to know now is to learn how to play the piano better....then you will be accomplished. I got this feeling though....once I get the piano down (I am thinking I will get it down this month! ;) hehe...she will come up with another task I need to tackle....hehe I know her sneaky ways (she is sitting beside me as I type this grinning ear to ear....that confirms it! ;)

Okay, tonight I made some lentil burgers! I call them Make-do Burgers as I lacked ingredients, so I came up with my own. You can substitute too and add on to my recipe or change it if your family isn't fond of certain things! That is the fun thing about cookin'!

Make-Do Burgers

Make-do Burger served with broccoli and not so healthy fries!

2 cups dried lentils
8 cups of water
2 cups of finely crushed natural crackers
1 large onion tinsily diced
4 heaping TBSP of horseradish
3 cloves of garlic minced
3/4 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP Mustard

Cook lentils in water 40 minutes (or until soft) on low/med. Drain and then add rest of ingredients. NOW comes the fun part....squish (with your clean hands) the lentils and other goodies and make sure everything combines! This would be a fun thing for younger children (with clean hands) to help with! ;) IF time allows, stick in fridge so it isn't so wiggly. Put butter in a skillet and using an icecream scoop, scoop mixture and plop in pan (then using the back of scooper shape into a patty). Fry on each side 10 minutes. The burgers harden as they cool (they are a lil' smooshy, but the taste is better then any veggie burger u buy in the store and cheaper too!)

Note: My dad and Justin (brother) ate 2 each and liked um'!

Sandwich Buns

2 cups hot water
4 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP salt
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. milk
1 cup wheat bran
3-5 c. unbleached white flour

Prepare like normally like you do bread, except shape into patty size rolls and let rise 45-1hour in warm place. Bake 375* for 15-20 min.

2008-01-12T19:38:00.000-05:00

IF your looking for the piggy post, scroll one down and then come on back up here! ;)

Found the below info. on a board that I am on...THIS is important! We should not have to tell the goverment what animals we own. Communistic? Yah' sure is! (And I do know where it's leading...one world goverment in the long run...just like the BIBLE prophesies, but that does not mean I have to take it sitting down. :)

"USDA plans to use breed associations to force NAIS registrations, beginning as early as March 2008, less than two months from now. USDA's Business Plan calls for breed registries to start using an official Animal Identification Number, or "AIN" in their registry. And since you must first register your property in NAIS before you can obtain an AIN, this could effectively implement the first two stages of NAIS for anyone in those registries!The breed registries for cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are potential targets, but the Plan does not indicate which breed registries have agreed to implement NAIS.Take Action: Contact your breed association or other livestock registry and find out if it will be implementing USDA's Plan.

Ask the registry:-Do you plan to require members to use the USDA's 15-digit Animal Identification Number (AIN) to enter or maintain animals in your registry?
-Do you plan to require members to use the State's or USDA's premises registration system in order to obtain a breed registration number?

-Can you please confirm the registry's intentions in writing?

Tell them that you do not want them to be a tool for implementing the government's plan for NAIS!

Next Steps:If they plan to force their members into NAIS, consider finding another association to meet your needs if possible. If you do leave your association, be sure to tell them why. Spread the word! If you find out that your breed association plans to force NAIS on its members, tell all the people you know who are in that association or considering joining. Post to the online groups that focus on your type of animal. Let people know how the association is working against the best interests of its members. Email us to let us know what your breed association says. We'll post a list of organizations that are requiring NAIS and those that aren't.More Information The USDA published its Business Plan in December of last year. You can download the Plan at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/Government-documents. The Plan sets aggressive targets for implementation of NAIS. One of the strategies for achieving those goals is "harmonization" among various systems that already use individual identification. Harmonization involves changing the existing programs so they use the NAIS-compliant Animal Identification Numbers (AIN's). (Plan, pp.28-29). As part of its harmonization strategy, USDA lists having breed registries begin using NAIS AIN's in March 2008, less than two months from now. (Plan, p.52). The AIN is a 15-digit internationally unique identification number. It starts with "840" which identifies the animal as coming from the US. (Plan, p.30). In order to get an AIN under NAIS, you have to register your property ("premises registration" under the NAIS plan). The legal effect of this registration is unknown, because there has been nothing like it before - permanent federal registration of citizens' property, linked to an issue (animal ownership) that carries potential liabilities. With this harmonization strategy, USDA plans to use our private associations to force livestock, poultry, and horse owners to register their property and tag their animals under a government program, despite the continued protests of animal owners across the country."

Elderly Virginians Arrested for Selling His OWN Pork!

2008-01-10T22:59:00.001-05:00

Yep, you read the header right. Butchering your own pig meat and selling it in VA is against the law.

Think about it...

WHO would YOU rather BUY from?

A small farmer who sells fresh and natural pig's meat locally to local people on his OWN land and cares for each animal individually. The to-be bacon lives in the open in a natural environment rooting with it's snout looking for things to eat. (Pigs LOVE to use their snouts to root!)

OR

A CORPORATION whose object is MASS-PRODUCTION MEAT. The to-be bacon lives in giant, warehouse-like sheds, until they reach a slaughter weight of 250 pounds at 6 months old. They live on concrete packed in with many other pigs or in tiny lil' metal cages until butchering day.

Which pig would you like to eat?

Which pig is healthier to eat?

Free range piggy...

Mass production piggy...

And ya know, it doesn't stop with pigs. The eggs you buy in stores are processed the same way, as is the turkey and the chicken.

Below is my family's free range happy pets
that give us healthy eggs everyday!

USDA and FDA approved housing conditions at an egg factory!

Would you like that scrambled or fried?

What is it the the meat industry and keeping our food in tiny yucky cages and dark stinky warehouses?

Why is it the USDA and FDA think that it's okay to keep our food in unsanitary and unnatural conditions? Yet, the small guy with that serves his community, by offering an alternative to the hormone injected meat from Walmart, is treated like a criminal?

Article on the elderly couple arrested for selling illegal piggy....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/19/AR2007101902757.html

Picture gallery of more commericial food...(NOTE: I do not support the animal rights movement, I do think animals should be treated humanely, but they are for comsumption. So the agenda on the below link is not my own. :)
http://www.factoryfarming.com/gallery/pens3.htm

2008-01-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

WHAT did we do on Christmas day (and the weekend before)?

THE GOAT BARN!

<---Before the guys added on~ (horrible pic :) In the process of putting windows in....
Almost completed "barn" :o) Dad, Justin and Jon did good huh? Painting was done by me! :) I will barter paint jobs for dairy goat supplies! ;) If your out of state, you must be willing to move your painting job closer. ;)

Side view of the new add on...we have trim, a gutter and rain barrel to add on and also a moveable stall to create.
Pregnant Melita inspects the new barn. :)

How much did our add-on cost us? $50 so far! Dad is a deal guy and finds slightly warped wood at lowes and they sell it to him 10cent on the dollar! (plywood sheets, 2 by 4s, etc!) Us Terry's are deal and treasure finders, if I do say so myself. ;) The shutters on the windows are from a barn we, as a family, treasure hunted in (see blog archives as I think I mentioned the barn treasure hunt before).

More posts to come soon.
Jessica

2007-12-06T10:40:00.001-05:00

The Unknown....

Worldwide we have tombs dedicated to the soldiers who fought and served their countries. On many tombs the inspriction reads, "known but to God". In Arlington cemetary, we have the Tomb of the Unknown. These soliders died fighting and died unknown. Somewhere they have families, who after the war was over, grieved because their loved one never came home to them.

Worldwide we have clinics that are dedicated to the motto, "No child an unwanted child." Daily, abortions are preformed across the world. The babies die fighting to live and they die unknown. Somewhere there is a family that grieves over the loss of innocent life and dreams of the baby they would of loved to raise.

Been thinking a lot lately...

As a child, I walked with my family in Arlington cemetary countless times. We lived on the military base that bordered the cemetary.

There are SO many dead people buried there. The tombstones would take you days, maybe months to singlehandedly count! More than 300,000 persons are buried in Arlington National on 624 acres. It's no small church graveyard.

Can you imagine, if instead of selling aborted babies for science experiments or throwing them in trash cans, the clinics gave their victims a humane burial how big that cemetary would have to be? YEARLY there are 1.3 million abortions preformed in the UNITED STATES ALONE!

While on a Christian movie review place, my brother told me about a new thriller movie called Awake. In the movie the young guy goes in for an operation and ends up awake to feel the whole surgery, but paralyzed and unable to tell the surgeon he feels everything. This quote is from the Christian reviewer, "But for some reason, the anesthesia isn't working right. He can't move, but he can hear and, more disturbingly, feel everything: the razor shaving his chest; the cold, antiseptic sponge; the scalpel."

Are you thrilled?

Imagine this friends, daily babies are faced with a painful death. Depending on the age in womb, they are they are poisoned, chemically burned to death, cut up, ripped out, their skulls are crushed by forceps, vaccumed, and/or torn apart...their death is not painless. They are given no pain killers. They are given no choice and no place to hide. This isn't some thriller hollywood movie, it's a life that is being destroyed in your hometown! While you pay to sit and be entertained by a movie star who is pretending life, at an abortion clinic in your home city a life is being taken.
http://lifedynamics.com/DeathCamps/Methods.cfm

2007-10-26T14:07:00.000-04:00

Consider this...

(Note: If you have not read the below post, What Am I?, please do not read this post. Please scroll down to the below post, so you understand what I am speaking of.)

Controversial, tough, harsh, right, violent, optional, murder, choice....these words have been used to describe abortions. We are told by Planned Parenthood that, "Women have turned to abortion to end unwanted pregnancies throughout the ages." This statement makes it seem that through out the ages women were left with no other choice then to turn to abortion. Words like choice, choose and freedom decorate Planned Parenthood's site. Abortion is NOT the only option open to mothers. Planned parenthood refers more mothers for abortion then adoption. I found a shirt that Planned Parenthood sells, that to me, sums up what the motives are behind their tax-payer supported organization. The shirt states, "I had an Abortion". IF Planned Parenthood really was geared more toward adoptions, why don't they have a shirt that says, "I gave my baby up for adoption."

I was doing a search the other day and unknowingly clicked on what was deemed "abortion pictures" and it took me to a video clip of a woman having an abortion. The clip started by itself and I could not scramble my mouse to find the X button fast enough. My heart was in the bottom of my stomach and I was crying. I didn't even see 5 seconds of the clip. Just the thought that someone would broadcast a baby being torn, twisted and sucked from it's mother was enough to make me sob. Euthanized animals face a more humane death then aborted babies do. Our society has so dehumanized unborn babies to the point which most do not comprehend that their babies are living and growing inside their womb!

I have posted, shared and passed along the below post on several boards I frequent. On one board, at this precise moment, I have 234 views on my post alone. I have emailed the post to over 40 people. Yet, my counter only reads 64 visitors as I write this.

I am NOT saying you must come to my blog and read this post!!! I am pointing out the fact that statistically no one cares enough to do anything for these little lives that are being murdered everyday.

THIS is a topic no one wants to read about. We have heard it all and we just don't care. Our fashion and our football is more important to us then human life. We sit in luxury, in front of our computer screens, while everyday babies are dying by choice. We get upset when someone cuts us off in traffic, when we have to wait too long for our food in restaurants, when our team loses the game, but we are unaffected at the fact that millions of babies that are murdered every year in the US alone!

We take no thought of the women who think abortion is their only option. We take no thought of anything because we are lovers of ourselves and would rather think on things that benefit us and our interests.

Just today we got a newsletter in the mail from the church we are visiting. On January 22, 2008 in DC there is an annual March for Life. The article shared that this summer, a family took a trip to DC, the mom was standing on the steps of our capitol explaining to her 8 year old daughter why every January she goes to the March for Life. Her daughter was unimpressed. It wasn't until just recently, that she sat down with her 8 year old daughter and began to discuss the bill of rights. She used abortion as an example of freedom of speech and realized it was well past time to explain abortion to her 8 year old daughter. The article says, "In the gentlest way possible I defined the word abortion. The expression on her face was pure horror. Her eyes grew large, her mouth flew open as her little body shook. She immediately pleaded to be allowed to accompany me this year to DC. What is our reaction when we think of the abortions that are preformed everyday? Does the truth manage to touch our hearts?...God forbid we should ever grow so cold we do not feel the kind of alarm that went off on my daughter's face."

Patty Smith (http://www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com/) in an email fwd'd by a friend to me, states this; "Should Christians be twiddling their thumbs while babies are slaughtered through all nine months in Orlando? Should people who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ simply continue to have church sponsored sewing circles & craft days & retreats & camp-outs & concerts & conferences & pot luck suppers while their precious little neighbors are perishing in the shadow of their steeples? Or should Christians be at the killing place en masse to love their neighbors as themselves & to protest the slaughter of boys & girls?"

I plead with you and I pray this has affected you as it has me.

We can no longer stand by while the innocent are being murdered and the youth are being indoctrinated that abortion is a normal and okay, that human life is cheap and can be disposed of when it's not convenient.

We can no longer be idle....is there not a cause? (1 Samuel 17:29)

Jessica

Below 4-D ultrasound:
At 8 weeks, this baby can kick
and straighten his legs,
and move his arms up and down.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right
well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 138:13-16

WHAT AM I?

2007-10-23T22:25:00.000-04:00

Okay all, I am finally posting my thought stirring post. I have put it also below in case anyone wants to use it as a forward.

I have included 2 pictures that are very graphic that many may say I should not have included.

Why?

You watch cable tv and view all sorts of obscene things? Yet you balk at the truth of the matter at hand.

Praying this opens eyes!

In tears, Jessica

While you read this post, PLEASE listen to April Raine, a sister in Christ and a friend, sing about this very IMPORTANT issue!! Click here now! http://www.pennyraine.com/audio/what.mp3

What Am I?

I may be sold for science experimentations for the "betterment" of mankind.

I may be used in FDA approved vaccines and then injected into countless numbers of Americans.

Millions of others like me are murdered every year in the US.

My death was brutal. I was cut up and sucked into a collection bottle. Depending on the age of millions of others like me, they are poisoned, twisted and torn away from their living and growing space and die a painful death. Some of them make it out alive, only to be thrown into trash cans to take their last breaths.

What am I?
Do you care to know?
If you knew, would you really care?

I am the innocent one that is brutally and legally murdered in a country that's famous slogan is God Bless America. The clinical term they give my death is abortion, but in God's eyes it is called murder. My death will benefit the pockets of the doctors who slew me and my death will haunt my mother for years to come. I am the innocent one that is brutally murdered while "God-fearing" Americans have their heads stuck in a television. I am the innocent one who is being torn from my mother's womb, while America enjoys her entertainment. My life to them is of no value.

I am the innocent one....
Who are the guilty?

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. Deut. 19:10

Do you know someone who is pregnant and does not want their baby? Encourage them to put their baby up for adoption or TEACH them to love the life growing in their body!!! Their own flesh and blood!!!

Did you know that just in the Hampton Roads area (VA) there are 5 abortion clinics that I could find that "specialize" in abortions ?

Have you ever thought to stand out front (on the public sidewalk, perfectly legal) and plead with the women and their husbands or boyfriends or relatives that are taking them in to have their baby murdered? Too busy? Too shy? You sound like me. You sound like the rest of america. We make excuses while babies are being physically ripped from the safety of their mother's womb.

Have you ever thought to investigate what companies support abortions (Planned Parenthood) and stop supporting them?

Have you ever thought to pray for the women who are considering abortion or even have gone through with one? Pray for those who do go out to the clinics to try to persuade these women that there is another way.

Wake up America...how can God bless a country who, to His face, denies His commandments?

Thou shalt not kill.
Exodus 20:13

How can God bless a country who, to His face, denies His blessings and His rewards?

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3

1/3 Silenced FOREVER!

1 out of every 3 babies born in the US is aborted!

Pics taken from: http://www.antiabortionsigns.com/catalog.html

For more info on abortions or if you have had an abortion and need counseling:
http://www.abortion-education.com/Site/

If you enjoyed the song, check out April's family's ministry site...http://www.pennyraine.com/

Girl's Day OUT!

2007-10-22T23:22:00.001-04:00

Out with the girls...

Many young women my age have their girlfriends they hang out with. They go shopping or to eat-out or just hang around any ol' place.

For those of you who think I lead a sheltered life....the below will shock you!

I do have girl's day out almost everyday! While I enjoy the peace and quiet of the country and our home, I enjoy my time out with the girls!

While I swing on my crazy swing (I constructed it myself...it swings better sideways then forward and backward, maybe for my b-day in Dec. the guys can fix this for me?? :)...anyway, while I swing on my swing, the girls (Melita, Milcah and Chava) all enjoy the salad bar!

Even Gracie stops by to enjoy a salad.

Milcah chomping down on her favorite "tree-t".

Melita is the newest addition to my goaty girls! She is a 6 years old purebred nubian and very sweet! She follows me VERY well and loves attention! First couple days, Chava (the brown girl goat...9mon. nubian/boer) bossed her around! I was really shocked at Chav's persistance of being top goat! Thankfully now the herd is at peace and Melita rightfully reigns. Melita is a lil rough with Milcah. Poor girl. Milcah has only one good eye and ear, so she sometimes misses Melita's hints to move along and gets it. Chava and Milcah DO NOT fight! Chava actually lets Milcah share everything. They play fight, but never really fight...(and in play Milcah wins!) Melita is expecting kids come febuary! I am already thinking of Hebrew names...Tikvah, Elianna...what do you think? ;) Chava's middle name is Noelle and Milcah's is Jael. I am unsure of Melita's. I like the name Zipporah...but I am still thinking on it. :o)

Mercy, the kitty, meets a new friend (Melita)!!!

We head back to the pasture after a hour of fun!

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

Pencil portraits and crocheted items!!!

2007-10-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

http://trishalynn.bravehost.com/index.html

My dear friend Trisha just put up her own site! She offers pencil portraits done from your photographs, crocheted goods, and other handmade items. I looked at her pencil portraits and they are BEAUTIFULLY drawn!!!

I also have a couple of her crocheted potholders and dishcloths and they are SO pretty and useful! Lord has definately blessed my friend with artistic hands!Perfect Christmas and birthday gifts!

The potholders would be PERFECT in a newlywed basket or in a home warming gift basket!!!

If you order, share you learned about her site thru' my blog!

Enjoy looking!Jessica

Busy, busy, busy bee....

2007-10-19T21:31:00.000-04:00

Hey ALL,

Just wanted to letcha' know what we have been up to the past week. This week started out exciting!

My newest goaty girl arrived on monday! She is SO sweet and funny. I just love her! I go out to the goat pasture and she says "Mah" real low (compared to Milcah and Chava...esp. Chav!) In the morning, if I have to head back in to grab the vitamin E or pregnancy herbs I forgot in the house (to supplement her feed) she starts Mahing really loud and then runs around the pasture like...WHERE are you going? You can't leave me yet without feedin' me! It's really funny during feeding time around here. I give the girls their designated buckets (Milcah -black bucket, Chava-blue and Melita green) and everyone starts downing thier feed, herbs, scraps (onion peel, garlic, etc.), etc. Melita finishes half and then wonders over to Milcah's bowl. Milcah leaves her bowl and goes and shares with Chava. I sort them back out again and then I head out, as they are 75% done. Melita notices I am leaving and follows me saying..."MAH" (translation....don't leave!) Chava sees Melita leave her bucket and starts eating Melita's food. It's really funny to me how this all works...and YES I am working on more orderliness during feeding time!!

Tuesday - we went to the liberry' and mailed PO stuff. (Enjoyed goats...did inside reg. stuff...etc.)

Wend. - We did our normal household daily cleaning, etc. I did online selling and wrote a lesson plan for homeschool radio shows (I can't find the link at this time, but will share their site soonly). My cousin Kaity and her sis-n-law, Erin, came over and SO sweetly shared some things from a barn that is being demolished next week. Chicken feeder, waterers and stall mats! Thank you Kaity and Erin!

Thurs. - Josh, cousin Kaity's hubby, and Kaity came over for a morning visit. Jon (my 17 yr old brother) and I worked outside...well, played. I got out my goaty girls and they stayed by me and Jon while I constructed a crazy swing (it spins more then it swings!) and Jon made a walking stick for dad. :) Melita, Chava and Milcah LOVED it! They chomped on poison ivy, bay laurel, rose of sharon and other goodies! Gracie, my cat and baby, stayed right by us the entire time too! I should of taken pics but the batteries need charging! After Josh and Kaity left, Dad, me and mom went to the barn that is being demoed and started treasure finding! It's a BEAUTIFUL old barn! I don't know why it's being bull dozed, but I do know what we have found so far in the barn has been a blessing to us! We loaded the entire back of Justin's (20 yr. old brother's) truck!

Today - Mom and I made wheat bread (see recipe below) and Italian loaf to share with the owners of the barn and Jon, mom and I all headed out to meet Dad and Justy. We pulled down stall doors, unscrewed wood, took down hay loft doors, hay bins, feeders, waterers, mats...just everything we could take and loaded dad's Gospel truck (has lots of bumper stickers on it) down! I LOVE TREASURE hunting! On thursday we found this old 1920-40's cabinet in the barn. It was hanging on the wall....needs to be refinished, but it is SO nice and SO antique-y! How exciting! Too bad we can't just hook up the barn to the back of the pickup and haul it here! ;)

Tomorrow we are going thru' our treasures and putting them in a safe place for storage.

Okay, that has been my week so far. You know, we can plan our lives out and put things down in lil lists and schedules, but we know not what is on the morrow! Jon shared a good verse today......"we spend out years as a tale that is told....for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalm 90:9-10 Jon is a history buff and he said today..."you know we read about people a long time ago and think...wow! Think of that so and so did this and said that...and soon we die and someone else quotes us or reads about what we did when we lived."

Love, Jessica

PS: Pics to come soon of Melita, treasures and other happenings around our home and in our lives!

PSS: And don't ya go thinking my blog has lost it's salt....I am currently working on a new salty post that will encourage you to think outside the box! :O) hehe Just remember...salt will either sting or it will flavor!

Table Update and more

2007-10-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

I tried my black walnut stain on a small portion of my table and I didn't like the results. Looked yuck to me. ((shrug)) So, I have decided to leave it unstained. Looks nice with a fall table cloth folded in half and laid crookedly on the table. (Can't explain it any other way then the table cloth does not cover the top of table on the 4 corners... ;)

Hey check out my new links to the left! I added a dear friend's store site (HERBS! and other wares!) Also, I added my family's used book store.

On Thursday, my dad headed out with a friend of our's to WV and KY to street preach (open-air) and hand out Gospel tracts at 2 universities and in downtown Lexington. It went well and I am sure many seeds were sown! they also went to the Creation muesem (Ken Ham's) on Saturday. He got home at 6am this morn!

www.livingwaters.com - Really neat tools and tracts for Christians!

Ok, I have a BIG thought provoking post coming your way in a few days!

Keep your eye on my blog!
Jessica

Aprons and Bread

2007-10-11T18:31:00.000-04:00

Firstly, I have my SEWCRAZY site now up and running.

I am offering Women/Teen Aprons right now (taking Christmas and Thanksgiving orders). Within the next week I am adding toddler aprons and child's crayon bags. http://sewcrazysewinggalorestore.blogspot.com/

If you place an order, mention you found out about my goods thru my thought provoking site and you will get a surprise in your package!! WOO-hoo!

I made some goodly bread today. Below is the recipe and a fuzzy pic. It tasted better then the picture shows it. ;)

Jessica's Oh-SO-Delicious Bread!
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. safflower oil
2-1/2 c. warm water
1-1/2 TBSP yeast
2-1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cups ground organic whole wheat flour
4-5 cups unbleached white flour

Combine oil, honey, warm water and whole wheat together. Let it set for about 10 min. while you do dishes. After you have washed dishes, add salt and 2-3 c. of white flour and talk to your mom (or nearest person to you, if no one is near, talk to youself ;) while mixing with a wooden spoon. Once the dough becomes to tough to stir with a spoon, get your hands in the bowl and start kneading. Add flour if necessary, but don't over do it. Let rise in warm area for 30-40 min. and then bake 350* in oven for 25-30 minutes. While it's baking, tiptoe so as not to make your bread go flat. (If you have lil' ones, encourage them to play the Bread tip-toe game and reward them with a slice of warm bread with butter!)

Note: Play with the flour (wheat and white) to make this your own delicious recipe. You can also add dough enhancer, vital gluten, etc.

Enjoy, Jessica

One man's junk, is another man's treasure!

2007-10-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

One man's junk is another man's treasure....

A family dad did flooring for gave us a 2 nice pieces of furniture they didn't want any longer. A hardwood table with benches and a hopechest. The table was BADLY scratched on top (nothing a tablecloth couldn't hide).

Yesterday afternoon I got out a guy power tool (a belt sander) and went to work outside on the table. I never used a belt sander b4, so the first time I clicked the trigger thing and put the sander to the wood, the sander took off with me. :)

I felt a lil odd out there in my favorite regency style work jumper using a power tool. BUT I had fun! And got sweaty and all wood dusty (yuck...I am use to hard work and sweat, but it's still yuck). "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." Proverbs 31:25

We had a can of wood stain hanging around and I got it and seen...harmful if you enhale vapors....etc. I quickly put that can back where I found it. Within the next 3 days I am going to stain my sanded masterpiece with homemade stain! YES you heard me! I am currently making Black Walnut stain! Woo-hoo! Once I stain it successfully, I will share directions. Below are the before pic and after I sanded it! I think I have found a new back-aching amusement. Power tools are for sure guy work!

BEFORE...

After sanding....

Finished product to come!!! Keep checkin' back!

Jessica

NAIS and ADGA!!!

2007-10-07T21:27:00.001-04:00

I am prayerfully buying a nubian doe to add to my lil herd. She has papers that convey from the ADGA. I did some research on the ADGA. My brain wasn't working properly with the goat lingo' they were talking of on the ADGA site, so I posted on one of my favorite homesteading boards. I got some REALLY helpful replies that made sense to my simple brain. I then went to the ADGA site to search some more and seen something about chipping' goats. My eyes got BIG....Suddenly the words NAIS came to mind...I quickly typed in NAIS and ADGA in a google search. Up popped the ADGA site with a link to a statement they made supporting the NAIS movement.
After my research I did (do your own if interested...NAIS and ADGA on your internet search), I am skipping the registered thing. Really a bummer to me cause I have read so much on the benefits of papers, but it's not worth my freedoms to own the animals I want without being tagged and tracked. Makes me a lil upset. I know at this time NAIS is voluntary, but it makes me uneasy that the ADGA (or any other organizations similar) would support it.

http://adga.org/NAIS_Statement.html -official statement on NAIS by ADGAhttp://www.fallcreekfarm.net/links.htm - found this site helpful

For those of you who have no idea what the NAIS is....go check out there site

http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

and also check out this one...

http://www.nonais.org/

Don't take my word, please do your own research. :o)

Jessica

Flu Vaccine...

2007-09-30T08:28:00.001-04:00

Below is an email from my Mom! As you can see "as is the mother, so is her daughter"! You go mom! ;o) ha!

Updated 10-24-07

To back up and prove my mom's important information http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/23/flu-shot-facts-battling-influenza.aspx

Mom wrote the below a while back. She has NO degree...just plain ol' common sense and a desire to seek the truth of the matter! You can do your own research. The info is out there! Don't believe the lies we are being fed, they just might kill you.

Love Jess

~~~~~

Starting Monday, at many grocery and department stores, clinics and Dr's offices, college campuses and schools across Virginia the Influenza vaccination will be administered to all who are willing to think (keyword) this will help them not get the flu.

What it actually will do is help to spread the virus!

How? By "satellite" transmission or communication.

Lets think about this for a moment. YOU go to Food Lion to grab a few items and while there, decide to get the flu vaccine, (remember this strain IS NOT necessarily for the flu that MAY be out this year. All strains are different and each year a different flu vaccine is created to try to ward off the upcoming flu. Sounds like gambling to me.)
You get your vaccine, get a few items and go on your merry way. A few days later you may sneeze, due to too much pepper you just put on your salad at your local restaurant, but those particles of sneeze spray are now off and running thru the air, invading all the nasal passages and entering into the bodies of those nearest you. You are such a good share-er!

You go home that evening and sneeze a few more times as your allergies are acting up a bit. Again, your not sick, your just simply sneezing, or maybe coughing due to a tickle in your throat. Regardless, your "saliva/nasal spray" is air bound and seeking entrance of another.

Seven to 10 days later, someone in your home is sick and with guess what?? THE FLU! (Are you amazed??)
You tell them they should have did like you did and had the vaccination, as you are now safe from getting the flu (so you think!)
In all actuality, you my friend, brought the flu home and passed it around. This is what is known as "satellite" transmission or communication.

Some history...

The 1976 "Swine Flu" Fiasco

The "swine flu" fiasco of 1976 was another major embarrassment in the history of vaccination programs. Led by, President Gerald Ford, government and medical officials warned the swine flu would be one of the worst flu epidemics in medical history, and millions of dollars were appointed by Congress to develop and administer a vaccine. Millions of people were convinced to take the vaccine to prepare for this "killer flu."

But a strange thing happened on the way to the epidemic: The swine flu was never proven to exist! A grand total of SIX cases of swine flu were reported, and in the entire nation. The "swine flu" vaccine caused a reported 565 cases of Guillain-Barre paralysis, 30-60 deaths and numerous other ailments, including blindness and impotency. Lawsuits totaling more then 1.3 BILLION were filed alleging injury or death as a result of this vaccination and Congress appropriated $135 million to cover the damages.
Dr J. Anthony Morris, who was head of the governments influenza control division in 1976, knew what was happening and warned his superiors that the flu vaccine was dangerous and ineffective. He also advised the news media of his belief that the vaccine was NOT SAFE and that the swine flu epidemic was not likely. As a result, Dr. Morris was FIRED following decades of public service, according to Gannet News Agency report titled, "The Vaccine Machine." Morris, who established a private non-profit scientific research organization after his dismissal, said he felt his firing was economically motivated because "the influenza vaccines were the biggest sellers at that time."
Some time later, following publicity about adverse effects of the pertussis vaccine, Morris was asked to appear on Phil Donahue. At that time, he was doing consulting work for the University of Maryland, and a credit to his effect appeared on the tv program. University of Maryland officials chastised Morris for citing the university's name, because they feared it could jeopardize federal grants to the university (hmmmmmm. )

Improvements have been made over the years in the flu vaccines, however Dr. John Seal of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease believes "...any and all flu vaccines are capable of causing Guillain-Barre."

I hear you screaming...WELL WHAT DO WE DO THEN??? If we dont get the vaccine, then we'll get the flu!! Do you really think having the flu injected into your body will ward it off??

We had the flu every year that Bobby got the flu vaccine! He brought it right inside our home to share with us all! Over the years since then some of us have been sick with that week long bug, but it has not been as much as we did for SIXTEEN straight YEARS every winter of faithfully having it! Courtesy of the carrier

I have a secret to share about how to battle the flu! We have a thing called AN IMMUNE SYSTEM! What we put into our bodies to strengthen them will protect them from ailments. Is this a new concept or what?

Think about that, if you live on fast food (fat food), you'll get sick quick, feel tired easier, get that low feeling after filling your belly with it, and your over all health will decline. Just watch Super Size Me and you'll see for yourself.

If you give your body fuel that it can live and work on, you'll be able to fight illness, feel more energized, and your over all health will soar!

Did you know that your body creates about a million new cells every second and the foods you provide your body with will either shoot those cells down or enhance them?

If all the essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids (which build protein), enzymes, etc, required by our bodies are available, the new cells created can be healthy and vibrant. Isn't that something?

BUT if an improper diet is consumed, sickness will eventually result, due to lacking essential nutrients, the body must now deal with toxins, saturated fats, cholesterol, and chemicals from the Standard American Diet (SAD.) Notice the acronyms?

Vitamin A helps fight infection and bacteria. This is an essential vitamin for the health of skin, eyes, hair, bone and teeth. Also helps heal broken bones, damaged skin and is necessary for healthy functioning of the liver and reproductive organs. Vit A helps the body deal with environmental toxins, and a healthy supply can help shorten the duration of an illness.

Then Vit B...and C, D, E, Calcium, Copper, Iron,Magnesium, Water, Pure Air, Enzymes...
I will not bore you with all the brain matter in my thinking tank! Unless you care to know? Just ask!

I only want to let you know there are other ways to enhance the immune system beside gambling with a toxic, possibly deadly, but most definitely a spreader to others concoction that is being offered as a service, and in my humble opinion is a disservice to us all! As all it does is create illness and death!

Ever wonder why the flu is NOT around in the summer? Only shortly after the vaccine is sold to those thinking they need it, is there an INCREASE in the populace ill with the flu! hmmmmmm!

Look at the stats! Vaccines (all) are administered and the illnesses sky rocket! Does that not make you wonder?

On a DOD pandemic watch board it says, "SIMPLE WAYS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF GERMS
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze."
http://fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard/htmlpdf/pandemic_flu_trifold.html
Yes, that is admittance to me that it can be spread this way!
While your waiting in line at all the above places that will be filled with coughing, sneezing, freshly vaccinated folks...just remember I have shared this with you all

Whether or not you enjoy my sharing (i know some of you don't), thanks for putting up with my brain rattle. And, well that's not the point
The point is...
I care, that's why I share.
Love and G'nite!
Your Health Conscience, Vaccine Free (You ain't injectin' me), non-conforming Me

2007-09-28T22:18:00.000-04:00

Freedom to Facism movie FREE to watch! I just found it on the web! (see below post to see what I am talkin' about) ;)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173

2007-09-22T22:59:00.000-04:00

Review....America's Freedom to Facism DVD

A friend shared the above with us and we are about half way through! Excellent resource for us Americans. Shows repeated cases of how the IRS acts like the mafia to manipulate people into thinking that income taxes for the average american are legal, when in all actuality they are in violation of the constitution and the Supreme court. Our family already knew a lot of stuff on the topic, but it's been really refreshing so far! :)

Just like we as born again Christians should know WHAT the BIBLE says and should be able to refute the lies that satan sends us, we as americans (especially those who claim to be patriotic) should know what our own constitution says, and be ready to combat the lies.

I am not patriotic myself...I don't vote for presidents (it's rigged), I will never have a bumper sticker that says, "God Bless America" etc...(how can God bless a country as horrible and perverse as our own)..but I do see where we need to stand up for the truth and what is right. We can't be like the people under Nebchadnezzar rule, who at the sound of music, bowed down to worship his image. Like upcoming 2008 Spring...national ID cards...not for me, no way. It's not right...closer and closer we get to a totlitarian dictaorship. AND ya know what....just shows me that the Bible is true and we are getting closer and closer to Jesus' return! Get busy winning souls! Soon, I am sure, we will have hate speech laws that hinder the preaching of the Gospel!

So stop staring at the stars (hollywood, that is) and get busy studying. As my mom loves to say..."Know what you believe and stand firm on it." Do your own research and don't take my word for it!

~Jessica, who is done with her late nite ramble

"The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded."-Charles-Louis De Secondat

"America was born in the midst of a great revolution sparked by oppressive taxation. There was something about the American character—open, hard-working, and honest—that rebelled at the very thought of taxes that were not only heavy but unfair. Today the proud American character remains unchanged. But slowly and subtly, surrendering first to this political pressure and then to that, our system of taxation has turned into something completely foreign to our nature—something complicated, unfair, and, in a fundamental sense, un-American. Well, my friends, the time has come for a second American revolution." -Ronald Reagan

“I don’t like the income tax. Every time we talk about these taxes we get around to the idea of ‘from each according to his needs’. That’s socialism. It’s written into the Communist Manifesto. Maybe we ought to see that every person who gets a tax return sees a copy of the Communist Manifesto with it so he can see what’s happening to him…” -T. Coleman Andrews, Commissioner of the IRS 1956

2007-09-20T18:23:00.001-04:00

Bock-Bock...Eat mor' Chikin?

We were standing in line at a local Chick-fil-a and I seen it. Hanging on the wall, of that fast food joint, was an advertisement that put what I was about to consume in a healthy spotlight. I wasn't fooled, but I glanced around at the other customers who waited in line and wondered....are they fooled?

I have been told by Chick-fil-a staff at different establishments, that their food is healthy and cooked in peanut oil, but if one looks below the healthy ad hanging on the wall, they will find a nutrition guide and the facts are gruesome. As I consumed my child's meal (I had lost most of my appetite after thinking on the topic), I read the nutrition guide. I have no clue why they call the pamphlet a nutrition guide, as the foods Chick-fil-a sells and promotes are more junk food, then nutrition. Similar to how they have a health food aisles in most large grocery stores now a days....what is the rest of the store if only 2 of the aisles are the "health" section?

What ever happened to making a fresh chicken sandwich minus all the additives? The ingredient list sounds like something that comes out of a laboratory, instead of a kitchen. But that is how it is in our food industry today. Most people don't look on the side of boxes or bags to see exactly what they are consuming. We like our ignorance and our mounting medical bills. Ever think of how most hereditary diseases have something to do with DIE-T?

Chick-fil-a can advertise all they want with their cute cow signs that state "Eat Mor' Chikin", but I know the scary truth about the contents of what they call a classic chicken sandwich. The concoction they add to tingle your taste buds are in no way healthy, but harmful. I will take ONLY 2 ingredients from the official Chick-fil-a site chicken sandwich ingredient list and show you that my statement is true.

Monosodium Glutamate - a.k.a MSG....has been shown to cause and/or aggravate
rapid heartbeat, palpitations, angina, extreme rise or drop in blood pressure, swelling, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, rectal bleeding, bloating, flu like aches, joint pain, stiffness, depression, mood swings, rage reactions, migraine headaches, asthma, chest pain, runny nose, lethargy, obesity, lesions, hives.....and more...Endocrine disorders; conditions such as obesity, stunted growth, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders caused by MSG-induced damage to the endocrine system; and glaucoma and retinal degeneration (possibly leading to blindness) are not classified as "adverse reactions." When caused by MSG, their roots lie in the destruction of brain cells, possibly years before gross obesity, stunted growth, learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and/or retinal degeneration are first observed. Research confirming that MSG consumed by laboratory animals causes brain lesions in the area of the hypothalamus has been replicated many times.

TBHQ - a.k.a Tert-Butylhydroquinone - an antioxidant derived from petroleum. Side affects include cancer, tumors, dna damage, and death.
In high doses, it has some negative health effects on lab animals, such as precursors to stomach tumors and damage to DNA. A number of studies have shown that prolonged exposure to TBHQ may induce carcinogenity.

The above, my dear readers, are only 2 additives out of a huge list of ingredients. Need I mention the bleached flours, dyes, mono and diglycerides and the other toxic junk they throw together to create a simple chicken sandwich. We are consumers. LITERALLY! We wait in lines to CONSUME the products our fast food industry sells us and our children. We are the ones who dish out our hard earned money to these companies who could really care less about our health. We have to take charge and say no to the toxic junk food we are paying for.

Sadly though, my words for the most part fall on deaf ears and blind eyes. Maybe it's a side affect from the junk we consume. We, americans, like our fast paced life style where we can order a child's meal and throw it in the back of the car for our lil' ones to eat. We like our sports and our entertainment, so we don't have to think about what is going on in our own government. We like our food commercials that sell us our highly processed and unhealthful foods. We like our ignorance and we don't like to investigate the ingredient lists of the foods we feed our families. I will repeat it once more in case you are suffering from a memory lapse from a build up of processed foods.....We like our ignorance, we relish in it.

Just what exactly is in a Chick-fil-a sandwich? According to the official Chick-fil-a website...

"Ingredients: 100% natural whole breast filet, seasoning (salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika), seasoned coater (enriched bleached flour [bleached flour malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening [baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate], spice, soybean oil, color [paprika]), milk wash (water, whole powdered egg and nonfat milk solids), peanut oil (fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent added), pickles (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, contains less than 1% of the following: calcium chloride, alum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate [preservatives], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, Yellow #5, blue 1), butter-flavored vegetable oil (soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and artificial color).
Served on a standard 4-inch bun from a local bakery. Ingredients: (Ingredients may vary due to local supplier.) Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2]), water, corn syrup, contains 2% or less of each of the following: liquid yeast, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners (may contain one or more of the following: monoglycerides and diglycerides, calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide), amyalse, yeast, nutrients (monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, corn starch."

CAN anyone say...."Eat mor' toxins"?

Giveaway: $25 Vision Forum Gift Certificate

2007-08-13T17:48:00.000-04:00

BiblicalWomanhood store is offering a $25 giveaway to Vision Forum (gotta' enter by Friday!)! Also they have summer sales going on!

http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/2007/08/giveaway-25-vision-forum-gift.html

I hope to post some thoughts soon on flouride in dried tea (yes, you read correctly), the Chick-fil-a cover-up and some other interesting topics! So be sure to check daily!

Jessica

Ps: Forgive my font! I have tried EVERYTHING to fix the problem, except contacting the blogspot people...which I will do soon (anyone got an idea or have had these problems...I put it on biggest and it comes out insy-tinsy!)

Are you good enuf to go to heaven??

2007-07-27T16:08:00.000-04:00

Just 1 life...

Just thinking the other day about how 1 life affects another. My mom likes to say often what we do affects other. The other day out on a main route (near our home) a semi-truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. He went over the embankment and into incoming traffic and took the lives of 6 other people (5 died instantly and 1 at the hospital). One life and a careless act (that will probably haunt the driver for the rest of his life) affected and killed 6 other lives (not to mention their families and friends).

A lil' over 2,000 years ago, Jesus died up on the cross. His life's blood affected the whole world. He was beaten and hung on the cross so that my sins and your sins could be covered. It's a harsh fact, 10 out of 10 die. We are all going to die. It could be from a car crash or a spider bite or cancer. The ways to die are limitless, but the fact that we will all face death, is not. My dad has a great bumper sticker on his work van that states, "Many plan to seek God at the 11th hour and die at 10:30." Isn't that true?

Thoughts to ponder....

What gets you into heaven? Who goes to heaven? Who goes to hell? Whose standards should we live by?

Now that I hopefully got ya thinking, take this test..
Are you good enough to go to heaven???
http://www.livingwaters.com/good/AreYouGood.html
It's real simple and interactive.
Let me know how you do (post a comment back to this post).

Jessica

Update on mysterious boo-boo Day 5

2007-07-27T15:50:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to update, my arm boo-boo was itchy this a.m (not touching it). It stopped itching after I applied tea tree oil at noon today. I really think the essential oils (tea tree and lavender) have been eliminate the itching. Last night I didn't apply anything (forgot to) and I think that is why it's itchy this morn. :)

We are 95% posistive it is indeed poison from a plant (ivy, oak, whatever) as it looks very dry today. It also has lots of lil bumps all around it. (like poison ivy). The black dot area is the same looking, same size, no pain, etc. I am feeling great and normal. :) From all the research we have compiled, the black spot on the arm is from urishol oil from the plant. It can cause tar like things on the skin on some people.

If it were a spider bite, from all the pics online I have seen, it would be much worse looking by now (the chemical from the venom melts flesh)and I would be suffering (pain atleast in the boo-boo).

I will keep ya'll posted with any new developments. :)

Jessica

2007-07-26T08:32:00.001-04:00

Update on arm-boo-boo :)

Day 4

I woke up this a.m and my arm (the part with the boo-boo on it) was stuck to my sheet. It had weeped clear sap like stuff on it. Last night I treated it with willow bark, plantain juice (and leaf), lavendar essential oil and witchhazel. (Not all at the same time ;) The black spot is still the same size. No itching (yet) and no pain. The red bumps are still faintly located above the black spot area. I am feeling good today...Jasi my lil 2 year old cousin is coming for a visit tonight! Woo-hoo for us! :)

Mysterious Sumac or spider bite? What ya' think?

2007-07-25T14:25:00.000-04:00

This past sunday, I enjoyed myself in my hammock while my goaty girls chomped on poison ivy and weeds and such. Later on, mom noticed a small black spot on my arm (I thought it was marker at first). Monday it got a red ring around it and I thought it was dead skin in the middle? Tues. it started to itch a bit (I am using tea tree oil and witch hazel, also taking supplements to boost my immune system :). Today the ring is white-ish and the black dot looks more in a pit (maybe due to the raised ring?) What do you all think it is? :)

2007-07-13T13:41:00.001-04:00

Our computer is being slow which makes being online not so enjoyable. I know I must have patience but 5 minutes per page to load is just to much for me. ;) Patience is a fruit of the spirit but slothfulness is preached against in Proverbs. :-)

3 days ago, we lost 2 of our 12 buff orpington chick-hens. Mom and I went out to let all the girls out of the coop and found Sara and another lil chick dead. (Heat exhaustion, we believe....heat index was 105* at some point that day.) Sara was the one that didn't have a tail yet and was ALWAYS giving me a hard time (good excercise) when I would try to catch her. She would be the last to be put up...always! She also was the only one I named out of the 12.

Jasi, my 2 year old second cousin, is visiting us til next Wednesday. We love having her here. She makes us all laugh and says the funniest of things. Right now, her and mom are getting some beauty sleep and I just finished making oatmeal raisin cookies.

While out at the goats yeaterday, mom told Jasi that Chava and Milcah (my goats) have babies in there tummies. She then helped Jasi feel the sides of the goaty-girls tummies and Jasi said, "Babies in them tummies? They eat them?":o)

O! Mom is up now. That was a short nap for her. Can't wait for the oatmeal cookies to be done!

Oatmeal Cookies -Jessica style

1 c. butter

1 1/3 c. organic sugar (or honey)

1 1/3 c. brown sugar (or alternative)

2 eggs (taken from chickens outback)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. unbleached flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp soda

3 c. oats

handful of raisins

Chocolate chips (optional...I left them out today as we had none...I would of made chocolate chip cookies if we would of) ha!

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Then add the rest.

Note: I don't pay to much attention to what I am doing at times and I have noticed, for myself, my cooking tastes better this way. So don't be too particular. ;) You can make a bar (instead of cookies) when in a hurry or to save $ by limiting using the stove. (we did bars today)

Going to enjoy a cookie...

Jessica

2007-07-10T11:57:00.000-04:00

~Maiden in Waiting?~
--Written by: Jessica

Alas, up in a castle,
covered in ivy and moss so green.
Sat a maiden sighing,
her eyes forlorn with sad sheen.

She walked over to the window
And with heavy sigh did pray,
"Dear Lord, where is my knight?
Wilt thou not send him today?

I am so tired of waiting.
The misery just grows stronger.
This is above and beyond my strength.
I can wait no longer."

With that she left the tower,
she left the village--and her native land,
She took an airplane to the Bahamas
In search of her man.

While she was away searching,
Arrived her knight with armor that shone.
He called her name...and waited...
Then called her on her cell phone.

Her celly rang and rang,
A full voicemail was all he got.
So away he rode...disappointed,
That his "maiden in waiting"---was not.

~~~~

How often are you tempted to disregard what the LORD has done and is doing and WORRY about whether or not, when and where, how and why, who and what....about Mr. Knight N. Shining Armor?

If your truly a maiden in waiting that depends and trusts the Lord, then stop letting the devil take hold.

I speak from experience, dear sisters. Do you trust the Lord Jesus for your salvation? Your daily needs? Your next breath? Then why not in the area of marriage? IF He has a knight in shining armor for you, then don't you think He will send Him when HE knows your ready (and your knight is too)? Maybe the Lord doesn't even have a knight for you and I. That is a possibility too.

If we can't be just content to trust and rest in Jesus, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords... what makes us think we will be content in a fleshly, mortal man?

Just some thoughts, dear single sisters, that I challenge myself with of late.

Note: The above poem makes me laugh. I think it's the most funniest one I have wrote in a long time. I started out really serious, really thoughtful and with a good lesson and a good ol' dose of cod liver oil...but I couldn't resist to add in the funny things that came to mind.

If I could only draw the above like I see it in my mind!

2007-07-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

"Why do women want to dress like men when they're fortunate enough to be women? Why lose femininty, which is one of our greatest charms?

We get more accomplished by being charming than we would be flaunting around in pants and smoking. I'm very fond of men. I think they are wonderful creatures. I love them dearly. But I don't want to look like one. When women gave up their long skirts, they made a grave error...." ~ The Private World of Tasha Tudor

Look around you when you go out. What type of clothing is prevalent? How many women do you see that are, sadly, exposing themselves to others? Rare is modesty in our culture today.

We, as born again Christian women, are being bombarded on every side to dress to impress. When Adam and Eve discovered they were naked, they were ashamed. The Lord didn't leave them in their leaf-aprons but made them proper clothing to cover themselves. I have been in Christian book stores and seen the Christian tops they have to offer to women. 99% of them are pre-shaped and the sizes run really small. An XL looks like a small. I seen one shirt that made me laugh..."Modest is hottest". The shirt would shape even the shapeless of us and the saying wasn't in an appropriate area. Maybe you have this shirt and are shaking your head at my words.

What does the Bible say?

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array... 1 Timothy 2:9

Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen...

Isaiah 47:2-3

Do your own research and find out if today's scant fashions

are really Biblical, feminine and pleasing to the Lord.

Please don't take my word on it.

2007-07-06T23:46:00.000-04:00

I had a really goodly quote to start off my blog. A thought provoking too, but I looked in my library basket and I noticed that the book, that the quote was in, is gone. I returned it by accident. I guess that means I can't use someone else's thought/quote to start off my own blog. I guess that wouldn't be a good start anyway. That's like a boxed cake mix.

My only thought worth sharing today started with something mom shared with me. She said there was a warning label on the water hose, it stated that the hose was not fit to be drunk from. That is a thought. We water our animals with it. We water our veggies with it. What do the hose companies think a water hose is for? If it's not good for us to drink from, what about the things we are watering? I don't even want to think about what the hoses are made out of..(((a few minutes later)))..ok, I did some research. According to the sites I went to, garden hoses are dangerous to drink from because of bacteria (that's common sense) and lead and chemicals that *may leak out of the hose and into your water. Yummy....

Jessica, who is thinking there has to be an alternative to garden hoses other then toting big buckets

A true witness delivereth souls; but a decietfult witness speaketh lies. Proverbs 14:25